Disclaimer: I don't own SRMTHFG or any of its characters, just my character and this plot. Also, the song "This is Where I Belong" sung by Bryan Adams is not mine; it's from the Dreamworks movie Spirit: Stallion of the Cimmaron. If you haven't seen that movie, you should. It's one of my personal favorites!

Chapter Six: Always Return

"One at a time, please!" Hayley exclaimed as everyone except Antauri and Otto was bombarding her with questions.

Everyone who was asking her questions finally stopped and, collectively, took a deep breath.

"It was an amazing experience, albeit a frightening one," she started to explain. "There was nothing to see, nothing to hear. It was complete emptiness. I didn't know what to make of it. At first, I couldn't understand— Ouch! Gently, Otto!"

"I'm sorry, Hayley, but you got nasty damage in your shoulder," he told her, continuing with her repairs. "You hit the street really hard."

Hayley sighed and remained silent for a few moments, flinching every time he found a loose connection in her circuitry and every time he fixed a dent in her armor. This was a painful process, but someone had to do it since she couldn't administer any treatment to herself.

"As I was saying," she started again, "I couldn't understand why Skeleton King told me plainly that my own anger brought me to that void. I hated him for telling me that I was responsible for my own torment. But even as I hated myself for stepping into that realm, I discovered that it was those kinds of emotions that kept me in that realm. Hatred, despair, anger…they were all sending me deeper into that void."

"So if you were so lost in there, how did you get out?" Sprx asked.

Hayley hesitated. She wondered if she should tell them about the man riding on the winged horse and helping her focus. She knew that he told her not to speak of him, but she never promised that she wouldn't, and she felt that they should know that man's identity.

She was just moments from telling them when she realized something: even she didn't know who he was. She had asked for his name, but he never gave it to her.

So she quickly thought of a way around it as she looked at Antauri. "I remembered the meditation session you started with me, Antauri," she said with a smile. "As I started to focus, I found my hope again. And…I think that's where my light comes from. When I have hope, I feel strong." She then blushed, laughing nervously. "Sorry, I guess that doesn't make much sense."

"Actually, I think it makes perfect sense," he answered.

"Ouch!" she grunted again, flinching under Otto's repairs.

"All done!" he announced, finally closing the metal panel on her upper back.

"You know, Hayley, judging by the gravitational pull, you are truly fortunate that the impact upon the street didn't create a deadly ignition in your jetpack," Gibson noticed.

"Huh?" Otto asked, puzzled.

"He's saying I'm lucky I didn't explode," she translated.

"Oh."

Sprx smirked. "Yeah, and like I said before, Hayley's got by far a better bedside manner than Doctor—"

"Sprx…" Gibson warned.

Hayley only gave another of her sweet giggles before sighing. "Big day today."

Sprx smiled. "Teasing Otto, training with Nova, meditating with Antauri, facing the Formless by yourself, escaping a void, and piloting a new vehicle. Yeah, I'd say you had a really big day."

"Maybe we should leave you alone to soak it all in," Chiro suggested, already beginning to guide the remaining monkeys out of Sick Bay.

The only one who remained was Antauri. As he turned to look at Hayley, she got the impression that he still wanted to talk to her.

"I sense that you're not telling us the entire truth, Hayley," he said, gently but firmly.

Again, she hesitated. She hated keeping secrets, especially from Antauri. Her most recent failure to listen to his advice nearly destroyed the goodness inside of her. Dare she risk that again?

"I'm sorry, Antauri, I can't talk about the rest of the story."

"Hayley, are we not worthy of your trust?"

"No, no, no, it's not that. It's just…" She paused, wondering how to best say it. "Someone once told me, 'everything will be revealed in its proper time'. I really don't feel like this is the time to complete the truth."

He stared back at her, genuinely surprised. In all the time he had known her, she had never spoken with wisdom beyond what was her own. This made him suspect that she truly had an overwhelming experience.

"Very well," he finally said. "But know this: when you feel that the proper time has come, do not hesitate to tell any of us."

"I promise," she immediately answered.

Smiling at her, he turned and left. She slid off the medical bed and made her way to the higher levels of the Robot.

---------

Some time later, everyone was relaxed and taking the time for more leisurely activities…except for Nova, who had night duty with Antauri this particular evening.

"I'm so happy that Hayley finally sees herself as a sister to us instead of a stepsister," she said when he entered the Command Center to join her in the shift.

"Yes, but more importantly, she sees herself for who she is instead of what she is," he replied, calm but equally happy. "And who she is isn't unlike who we are."

Nova nodded, glanced at one of the monitors, and then turned her attention to him again. "You were right. She's a lot stronger than she knows."

Agreeing, Antauri answered, "I believe we are all stronger than we know. Hayley's theory that we each have our own unique fragment of light is intriguing and worthy of intense meditation and philosophical research."

Only vaguely interested, she looked at the monitor again and said, "Let me know if you make any progress."

---------

Hayley allowed the night wind to caress her cheek as its whispers arrived from Shuggazoom Park. The moon, Ranger Seven, illuminated the silvery metal parts of her body. She looked ahead. The first sight she saw was the bay and Shuggazoom Bridge. Beyond it were the eastern outskirts, not too far from the mountain range where she had landed when she had escaped from the Citadel of Bone.

She felt welcomed by everything she saw. Yes, for the first time, she could look around and know that she felt welcome.

Wrapped in her joy, she couldn't help herself as she started to sing:

I hear the wind across the plain,

A sound so strong that calls my name.

It's wild like the river.

It's warm like the sun.

Yeah, it's here, this is where I belong.

Under the starry skies

Where eagles have flown,

This place is paradise.

It's the place I call home.

The moon on the mountains,

The whisper through the trees,

The waves on the water;

Let nothing come between this and me.

'Cause everything I want

Is everything that's here.

And when we're all together,

There's nothing to fear.

"Hayley?"

Slowly, she turned her head to gaze upon Chiro. He seemed relieved to find her on the Super Robot's shoulder…again.

"It's getting late, Hayley. We should all be in bed."

"Five more minutes?" she asked.

Chiro crossed his arms in front of his chest. "That's what you told Otto five minutes ago."

Hayley's eyes started to beg with him. "At least let me finish this song. Please?"

Poor Chiro tried to keep a straight face, but looking at the puppy-like look in her face melted his heart. "All right," he answered, laughing. "But I want you inside as soon as you're done." He then turned and, very slowly, went back inside.

"Yes, daddy," she said sarcastically, giving a merry giggle before resuming:

And wherever I wander,

The one thing I've learned:

Yeah, it's to here I will always,

Always return.

Sighing in happiness as she caught sight of a shooting star, she finally turned and went inside.

---------

Unknown to all, Skeleton King watched on his TV Machine as the young Robot Monkey retired for the night.

"That naïve little nuisance," he growled. "If I cannot possess her power, no one shall."

---------

Hayley had not been in her quarters even thirty seconds before her doorbell rang.

"Come in?"

Somehow, she didn't find it surprising when the door opened to reveal Otto.

She smiled at him, but it was the kind of smile that indicated that she was slightly annoyed. "You know, you don't really have to check in on me every night," she gently told him.

"I know," he answered. "But I feel safer knowing that you're still here."

"Otto, I'm not going anywhere."

"That's good to know."

She giggled lightly upon hearing that.

He smiled back and suddenly lunged at her. "Come here, you!" he said playfully, scooping her in his arms. They both laughed happily as Otto began to gently twirl her around the room. But when they ended up near Hayley's sleeping pod, he carefully set her inside. When all four paws touched the soft mattress, she slowly started to spin in place.

"Why do you do that?" he asked.

"It's a wild habit," she answered as she lowered her body to the bed. "Young monkeys often fall prey to predators, so they turn around a few times to be sure there are none in sight before settling down."

"But you know there's no danger here."

"I know. Like I said, it's a habit."

For a moment, there was an awkward silence between them.

"Um, Hayley?"

"Yes?"

Otto hesitated, not really sure of how to tell her.

"You really had us worried there for a second, you know, when you fainted."

"I know."

"I don't know what I'd do if I lost you."

Curious and caught by surprise, she lifted her head up and looked right at him. She was amazed at how honestly he was opening up to her. Amazed, honored, moved…and a little afraid.

Otto suddenly realized what he had said and blushed. "Sorry about that."

"It's okay," she answered, trying to lighten up his tone. "I'm sure the others were equally as worried as you."

He watched with a whimsical smile as she closed her eyes and began to curl up like a tiny kitten. He reached out his hand to pat her head, but he was inches from touching her when he noticed something near her sleeping pod. It was the Pegasus Guardian Angel Nova gave her. He picked it up and looked at it.

"What's this?" he asked.

She opened her eyes and smiled. "It was a gift."

"Oh. Who gave—?"

But when Otto looked at her again, he stopped himself. Her eyes were closed again, and she gave a big yawn. He knew that this had been a big day for her, so he silently decided to leave it at that, not knowing that she yawned on purpose.

He placed the stuffed animal near her face, and she responded by slowly wrapping one arm around it and nuzzling her nose against its soft body.

Otto slowly stepped out and quietly closed her door. Then, entering his quarters and jumping into his sleeping pod, he scratched his head in confusion and embarrassment. "Gee, and I thought Sprx sounded goofy when he'd mess up telling Nova."

And as he settled onto his mattress, he thought about Hayley's gift. "That stuffed animal. I could have sworn I saw something like that before…"

But before he could think anything of it, he was fast asleep.

Well, everyone (and anyone), what did you think? Favorite parts? Not-so-favorite parts? Ideas? Suggestions? Constructive criticisms? Please review!

In response to Chapter Five's reviews…

Crystal Persian: The compliments and reviews are much appreciated. Thanks! I look forward to whatever fanfic you plan for my OC.

4Evermonkeyfan: Thanks. Battles aren't usually my strong point, especially when it comes to thinking up monsters that haven't already been used by either the show or by popular fanfic authors (including a few I've met here). And I had a very hard time trying to figure out the name for Hayley's ship. But, it all worked out.

love-writer: If anyone's at fault for missing out on the touching part, it's me. I realize that I didn't make that particular point strong enough, even before your review. But, constructive criticisms are good reminders that no one is perfect. Thanks.