Chapter Thirty-Eight: Memory Box
Wildstorm studied the Skystones set in front of him, thinking deeply about his next move. The game was 3:4 in Boom Bloom's favor, and with one spot left on the board, the next move meant victory or failure. He had a tile with four ridges on the right side, which could take her center stone which had only two ridges on the left. But he also had a tile with three on the right and two on top, which could take that piece as well as the one in the top left corner with only one ridge on the bottom, assuring him an ultimate victory. He glanced at Boom Bloom's face before making his decision, noting how nervous she looked. She always got worked up over Skystone games, he noted.
How bad would it hurt a child if you won a game like this?
Wildstorm set down a tile with only two ridges on the right side, ensuring that Boom Bloom won.
The plant girl giggled for a moment, but that quickly went away when she glanced at his face. She launched out of her chair in outrage, slamming a fist on the table.
"You cheated!" she yelled.
"Excuse me?" Wildstorm asked. "I didn't cheat."
"Sure you did! I know you let me win! That's cheating!"
"I did not cheat! And I would certainly not let a little girl get the best of me!"
Starcast walked into the Dojo's kitchen where the two of them were playing, raising an eyebrow at their argument. He crossed his lower set of arms and gave a chuckle. "What do we have here?" he asked.
"Wildstorm cheated!" Boom Bloom shouted. "He let me win!"
"I did no such thing!" Wildstorm yelled. "Now why don't you convince her of that!?"
Starcast clicked his tongue. "I don't know, Wildstorm. I don't take Bloom to be a liar," he insisted jokingly. "If she says you cheated, then you cheated."
Wildstorm huffed. That creature was always taking her side.
"Buckshot said he found something in the yard," Starcast added. "He and the others are in the living room. I think we should see what he found."
Starcast walked out of the kitchen, making his way back to the living room. Boom Bloom set the Skystones board and tiles back into a box she'd had them in, glaring at Wildstorm. "We're going to play again tomorrow," she growled. "And you're going to play fair and square."
Wildstorm watched as she took the box and hurried after Starcast. She liked the air knight...he guessed. Well, she was always asking if she could hang out with him, but she was always yelling about something he was doing. It took all of his energy not to blow his top around her- and blowing his top was a bad habit he was trying to get over.
He got up from his chair and followed them into the living room. Most of the other Senseis were already in their, seated on pillows, chairs or the couch. Buckshot was at the center of the room, Aurora sitting near him. The Sky-Faun hid something under a white tarp, grinning from ear to ear.
"What is it, Buckshot?" Starcast asked him.
"Just something really cool," Buckshot insisted. "Rory and I found it in the woods while racing each other through the M.A.P. It had some interesting carvings in it, and we thought you might recognize it."
"So...show it to us already."
Buckshot pulled the tarp off in a very overdramatic fashion. The item was revealed to be a very old box, sealed tightly with a latch on the front. Soiled lilac paint was chipping away on the sides, though large scratches of strange drawings remained on it. The wood seemed very old and damp, perhaps true food for worms. Some of the veteran Senseis visibly widened their eyes in surprise and glee, and Wildstorm didn't understand why. It was just some old box, and he was sure that there were plenty of others just like it.
"So ladies and gents, does it look familiar to you?" Aurora mused.
"No way," King Pen gasped. "Our old memory box. I'd nearly forgotten about it! Chain, do you remember getting that?"
"I remember everything, youngster," Chain Reaction smiled. "Let's see if our things are still in it."
A crowd gathered around the box as it opened, and Wildstorm peeked above them to try and see what was going on. He noticed that they were getting out strange tchotchkes from the box, some of which were so old and damp he couldn't tell what they were initially supposed to be. But that didn't seem to matter. Soom everyone was chatting about the items.
"Oh, look at this! My old doll!" Aurora noted, holding onto said doll. The item itself could still be recognized as a doll, though the fabric of the yellow dress was a bit tattered and brown.
"When did you get time to put that in there?" Buckshot asked her.
"I had Chain Reaction take it with him when I was ten. I thought she could be part of their memories even if I couldn't."
"Well you're a part of that now, right?"
"Yeah, so that worked out perfectly!"
It continued on like this. King Pen found items that he said were old war medals, gawking at them with Chain Reaction. Ambush had brought Boom Bloom over to look at shells he'd put in there. Ember and Pit Boss were smirking over some moldy books that they insisted they'd enjoyed when they were younger. It became clear to Wildstorm that these items held strong significance to all of them.
"If these items are important to you, why would you put them in a box and throw it away?" Wildstorm asked.
"No, they didn't throw it away. They kept them safe for later," Starcast explained. "It's like a time capsule, I think. You hide stuff away for a certain time, and then when that time comes, you dig it back up and reminisce on old memories."
And to share those memories with the people they cared about? Wildstorm watched everyone gather around the box, listening to them gab about, and feeling a void grow in his stomach. None of the items in the box meant anything to him, not even to listen to someone talk about them. He felt himself float away from them, though he knew he wasn't moving in the slightest. The longer he watched this activity go on, the larger those feelings grew.
I'm not one of them.
"Hey Wildstorm, are you alright?" Starcast asked him.
"...Sure...Sure, I just...," Wildstorm stammered. "I don't think I'm feeling all that well."
"You're not getting sick, are you? I mean, you were fine this morning, but-"
"Sickness comes on unexpectedly, Starcast. I'll be fine, though."
Starcast gave a curt, unsure nod, looking back at the others.
Wildstorm excused himself from the living room, turning into the kitchen and making a left down a staircase toward the basement. He went down, looking for the spare room there which had been designated as his. (Since the others insisted that he didn't have to sleep on the floor like he'd been insistent on doing.) He felt incredibly lonely, and incredibly angry as well. A scream sounded from upstairs, followed by more laughter, making him feel even worse.
"Maybe I'll make my own memory box!" he grumbled to himself. "Let them see how great my memories are!"
Oh, they'd probably think they were wonderful. Though he had to admit that he didn't have a bunch of good memories to share with them.
He found the spare room, walking toward the bed and flopping onto it. The room was empty save for the bed and a nightstand with a clock on it- those were the only things he needed. Wildstorm pulled his Air Blade from his back, looking at his reflection in the blade. Most of his memories were shared with that ancient weapon, and not only did he need it to fight, but it would also not fit in any kind of memory box.
Of course, the memory box wasn't the issue at all. It was this idea that came with him through every place he visited, every person he met, every job he'd taken up.
Who would ever want me around? he asked himself.
The tavern was loud and noisy, as most taverns were. Wildstorm sat near a wall with a mounted deer head on it, having a meal of his own. He had very little money left after his last mission, and he found it necessary to eat something before he lost the opportunity to eat again. Putting himself into society seemed harder than living in the woods. He might be a difficult person, but he always seemed to deal with difficult people.
A short, angry person in a dark robe ran into the tavern, yelling at people to get out of his way. A tall slender troll walked behind him, constantly apologizing for the inconvenience. Wildstorm let out a chuckle, finding the event new and interesting. It wasn't every day that he found someone so small try and take such a big bite out of society. In a minute, the short person found where the knight was sitting and ran up to him, scrambling onto a chair in order to make himself taller. Oh, interesting still. This person was coming up to see him.
"Glumshanks, push me closer!" the short person yelled.
"Yes, Lord Kaos," the troll muttered nervously, pushing the chair closer to Wildstorm's table.
"Excellent."
Wildstorm took a drink from his mug. "Ah, so you're Kaos," he mused. "I've heard how terrifying you were. But I always thought you'd be taller."
"I get that a lot. Believe me, I do," the short person, Kaos, insisted. "And you must be Wildstorm, one of the most feared mercenaries in all of Skylands. What horrible deeds you have committed! Simply delicious."
"I simply follow the money trail. Don't we all?"
The troll, Glumshanks, twiddled his thumbs. "Not all of us, I don't think," he insisted. "Not those Sky-"
"Not important!" Kaos yelled. "Wildstorm, I request your help."
He had the audacity to ask a feared mercenary for help? To ask, and not offer any incentive to do so? Not even to threaten him into doing it? Where were his mighty legions of trolls and Drow? Where was his massive store of magical power? "Someone has a fundamental misunderstanding of how soldiers of fortune operate," Wildstorm replied.
"Oh no, I do. Name your price. Anything you wish, and I shall give it to you. Only the best offer for someone of your talents."
More interesting still. He was being allowed to name his price. "Do you have a small fortune?" he asked. "It could set me up for years."
"Um, Lord Kaos, do we have a small fortune?" Glumshanks asked. "If so, where would it be, because running the troll army has been a bit expensive-"
Kaos pinched the troll's mouth shut. "Of course we have a small fortune, Glumshanks, don't be ridiculous!" he yelled. "But...erm, Wildstorm, is that really what you want? We might all follow the money trail, but there are much more precious things than that. Maybe world domination, maybe a lifetime supply of shrimp, maybe a position of power that no one can take away from you. Complete your job for me, and I will most assuredly give it to you. C'mon, name your price."
Wildstorm lost his aloof behavior, becoming a bit more melancholy. He hadn't thought about what he really wanted in a long time, having become convinced that he would never get it. "What I want can't be given to me," he replied.
"What is it?"
"A family."
"Oh...like the little pitter-patter of tiny Wildstorm feet?"
"No. Well, not yet, but...I don't know how to explain it. Just people that care for me, that want me around. A family. You can't get that for me, can you?"
Kaos tapped a finger on his chin. "Well, I've gotta say, from my experience, a family is over-rated," he thought. "But if it's really what you want, I'll give you a family."
Wildstorm set his mug down, about to make what he hadn't expected to be the worst decision of his life. "What do you need me to do?" he asked.
He knew that he hadn't been morally upstanding in the past, taking jobs as long as they paid and not worrying who got hurt. He admitted to that, and the Skylanders seemed accepting of that fact. But no one seemed to want him around, whether or not they knew about him. And whenever it seemed like they did, Wildstorm found himself left behind again.
The next morning, he started work on his memory box, deciding that it was the perfect way to get back at the Senseis. Wildstorm found a metal box in the basement, using it to hold the items he was going to put inside. He could draw on it if he wanted, or put ridiculous paint on it- anything could go, because it was his. He searched the spare room for items that held value to him, quickly realizing that the room was empty of anything like that.
Well, there was a basket hidden underneath the bed, a white cloth inside it. It had come from an outing with Chain Reaction...but Wildstorm wasn't sure if he was willing to hide it away for a long time in a place he might forget about it. The basket was too large for the box, so he could break off the handle...but that would ruin the basket. And the cloth still smelled like brownies, which was nice, and would most certainly get soiled in an old box. Wildstorm grabbed the cloth, pocketing it so he could decide later.
"Oh Wildstorm!" Boom Bloom's voice called down. "Come up and play!"
"I haven't even eaten, yet," Wildstorm shouted.
"Play now, eat later!"
He was sure that she wouldn't give up until they played- what a stubborn little girl. Wildstorm left the basement, walking up the stairs into the kitchen. Boom Bloom was eagerly sitting at the table, the Skystones game already set up. She drummed her fingers on the edge of the table impatiently, and it didn't stop until he took a seat opposite hers.
"So last night must've been interesting for you, huh?" Wildstorm asked her.
"Yeah. Ambush showed me some shells he collected from a mermaid lagoon," Boom Bloom explained, setting down a tile into the center space. "He's been all over the place, you know."
Darn, her tile had three ridges on all sides. Wildstorm looked through his stack, searching for a good one to put down. "He hasn't been everywhere, I'm sure," he muttered. "Has he ever talked about Skyhighlands?"
"Well, no. Ambush insisted that it was next to impossible to get up there."
"Not unless you have the right resources."- Wildstorm set down a tile with four ridges on the left onto the middle-right space- "I've been up there. I managed to make my way there on a strong breeze."
Boom Bloom frowned, setting a tile with two ridges below the one he'd set down, which had only one ridge on the bottom. "A breeze couldn't carry you. You're too fat."
"It was a particularly strong breeze."
"I dunno, Wildstorm. It would have to be preety strong."
He picked up a Skystone, studying it for a moment as an idea came to mind. He played this game constantly, so it meant something to him. Maybe a Skystone tile would be appropriate for his memory box.
"So what did you find up there?" Boom Bloom asked.
"In Skyhighlands?"
"No, in space- of course I mean Skyhighlands."
Thoughts of Skyhighlands came to mind as well. That was where Kaos had sent him, telling him to steal a gold detector. He'd never let Wildstorm on to his true intentions, and Wildstorm hadn't discovered those intentions until it was too late.
"Hello? You didn't answer my question," Boom Bloom said, motioning her hand over his face.
"Right! Right!" he stammered, setting the tile down in front of him. "Um...geodes. Lots and...lots of floating geodes. I think they might've come from space...or something."
"Were they open geodes? Because closed geodes are kind of boring."
"Most of them were."
"What color?"
"Purple, or magenta."
"What's the difference between those colors?"
"One of them is darker than the other. Don't plant people know more about color?"
Boom Bloom leaned back, thinking. "Well, that depends on how colorful we are," she mused. "I only have the little bit of red on my bulbs, and the rest of me is green. I'm more familiar with greens. Pea green, jade green...hey, what are you doing?"
She'd noticed Wildstorm trying to slide the tile away. He felt his heart speed up, though why, he wasn't sure. "I was trying to save it for later," he explained. "As a memento."
Boom Bloom narrowed her gaze. "No, I see what it is," she insisted. "You're trying to cheat again. But instead of making sure I win, you're trying to make sure I lose. That's even worse, you know. Make me go on a green tangent to distract me, why don't you?"
"I wasn't even going to play it! And I'd never cheat, whether to win or lose! And I especially wouldn't ensure that a child got the best of me!"
Boom Bloom pulled her whip out, cracking it on the kitchen tiles. "Oh, you want to see a child get the best of you?" she growled. "Well let's have it!"
Wildstorm launched out of his seat, brandishing his Air Blade. "Right! But outside! We're not allowed to fight in the Dojo!" he yelled.
"Yes! Especially after last month's event!"
They rushed out of the kitchen, making a beeline for the patio. Wildstorm reached it first, opening the door, but Boom Bloom squeezed past him. He threw the door open wider and hurried after her. She planted a vine trap on the ground, but he swiftly dodged this with ease. He sliced at the ground, summoning lighting and sending it her way, but she dodged this as well. Boom Bloom threw her whip on the blade, trying to pull it away from him. Wildstorm quickly moved his sword upward, pulling her toward him. He grabbed her underneath his arm, holding her in a tight grasp, before dropping his sword and grinding his knuckles into her skull.
"Aarrh! Cut it out! Cut it out!" Boom Bloom whined.
"Promise you won't accuse me of cheating anymore!" Wildstorm chuckled.
"Alright! I promise! Just let me go!"
"I don't know. Your words sounded very snippy."
"Well it's hard to sound less snippy when you're noogying me!"
Wildstorm looked up, noticing Starcast and Buckshot paused in their early morning sparring session as they looked at them. The air knight dropped Boom Bloom, who crawled over to Starcast in a huff.
"I'm guessing your game didn't go well?" Starcast asked her.
"He keeps cheating," Boom Bloom argued. "I caught him sliding a tile away."
"It wasn't for the game," Wildstorm insisted, arms crossed. "It was for a memento, but she wouldn't listen to me about it."
"Memento?" Buckshot mused. "Oh, did last night's discovery of the memory box spur something inside you?"
Wildstorm glanced at their curious faces. Boom Bloom's expression had even softened. Boy, wouldn't they like to know what he wanted the Skystone for? Well, he certainly wasn't going to let them in on his secret. And then he'd tell them, and laugh as he told their disappointed faces that they couldn't contribute to his memory box. Let them feel left out the way he always felt left out.
"No. It was just something from the moment," Wildstorm lied. "Not a big deal."
"Aw, does Mr. Grumps need a hug?" Buckshot grinned.
"No, I do not. And I don't appreciate the nickname."
The Sky-Faun leapt forward and gave him a hug nonetheless. Wildstorm sighed through his nose, but he didn't push him away- no one had hugged the air knight in his youth, so while he didn't let on, any kind of physical contact like this was well appreciated. Buckshot released him in another moment, quickly teleporting into the Dojo. Wildstorm looked at Starcast, noticing a worried expression in his eyes as he held Boom Bloom's hand.
"What?" Wildstorm asked him.
"You can't hide it from me," Starcast explained. "I know you felt awkward last night. I felt it too, as I'm rather new to this team myself. I wasn't really sure who I was supposed to talk with, seeing that I had no memories with them."
"You've got memories with me," Boom Bloom told him. "You could've talked to me."
Starcast shrugged. "It feels different, I guess."
Wildstorm's arms left their fold. "Well I'm okay, Starcast," he huffed. "I don't need silly memories to make me feel good about myself."
"But memories make for such good stories," Boom Bloom insisted. "Hey, tell Starcast about how you traveled to Skyhighlands."
Oh, so she did care about that? "Nothing interesting really happened," Wildstorm continued. "I had been contracted to steal something up there. That's all."
"Was there anyone you had to fight with up there?"
The pirates came to mind again. It hadn't been much of a fight to take him down- at first. Wildstorm walked back into the Dojo, simply stating, "We're done here."
He'd lost any hope of finding a family after the events in Skyhighlands. Most nights, hope was the only thing keeping him from giving up. Through his injuries and his bouts of hunger and his illnesses, all of which he had to take care of on his own, he always hoped that he might not have to be alone one day. Kaos and those pirates killed it for him. They had convinced Wildstorm that his hopes had been naive.
Wildstorm had arrived in Skyhighlands on a gust of wind, sneaking onto the pirate fortress in order to steal their gold detector. There was a camera set up on the front of his armor, placed there by Kaos who "wanted to record what Skyhighlands looked like." It seemed odd for sure- but Wildstorm had never asked questions in the past. He had carefully made his way around the fortress, confused by the lack of opposition in his mission.
It had been a ruse. The crow pirates had hidden themselves away, having immediately seen Wildstorm arrive onto their fortress. As soon as he was in an area with no good escape roots for him, they ambushed him, trapping him in a corner. He fought with all his strength to get away, eventually making an opening from the crowd for him to escape, but a chain was quickly set on his foot. Wildstorm tugged on it, a magic from the charm hindering his ability to breathe. He crumpled to the ground, feeling his throat swell up, and his pulse quickened in fear. The feeling didn't go away until one of the pirates loosened the slack on the chain.
"Careful not to move so much, buddy," one pirate smirked. "Them curses be rough."
A crow in red clothing stepped up in front of him. Scars from past battles decorated his beak, which might make him more imposing if not for the annoying bird copter that hovered near him. Wildstorm might have scoffed at the bird, but the way he presented himself as the leader insisted that he had orchestrated this trap- and was thusly not to be scoffed at so carelessly. The crow used his katana to pull the camera off of him. He held the blade at Wildstorm's face, warning him not to move.
"Who dares disturb the Great Hawkmongous and his evil band of pirates?" he asked. "Seriously? Who are you?"
"If you knew, you'd be shaking in fear," Wildstorm growled menacingly.
"Really? Because it was really rather easy to pin you down like this. Shame, really. We thought it would be more fun. What's with the camera, though? Not a tourist, I don't think- that much I'm sure."
Hawkmongous tried crushing the camera beneath his foot, trying to be just as menacing. However, because he didn't possess footwear of any kind, the sharp metal pierced his foot, and he dropped the katana and hopped in pain. Two pirates came over to assist him, helping him steady himself. "Take him to the highest cell!" Hawkmongous ordered the others. "Make sure he's alone until we decide what to do with him. He seems destined for solitude."
And so that's what happened. Wildstorm was sealed away in a cramped cell, hidden in the highest tower, held by several charmed chains to ensure that he didn't escape. He was there for several days, feeling the winds blow through. He stewed in his anguish and fury, thinking of the events that had happened.
"You're destined to be alone." That seemed true. It was true, and there was nothing he could possibly do to change that.
Kaos had set him up, instead wanting to see how powerful these pirates really were. What purpose he needed that information for was uncertain- but he didn't care.
Wildstorm had been fooled many times into thinking people genuinely wanted him around, and that they would be honest in what they told him. Now, he'd been played for a fool once too many. He would never allow that to happen ever again.
The winds blowing through his cell eventually gave him strength, and soon, even the cursed chains couldn't hold him back. He broke out, making his silent escape one night. Wildstorm had only one goal in mind now- to get back at Kaos, no matter the cost. He wouldn't let that diminutive creature toy with anyone else. And he himself wouldn't be manipulated ever again.
Not even by Eon, though the old Portal Master insisted that he wasn't trying to pull one over on him.
They met one day on a small island that only held a small forest, and not a forest that could hold an incredibly large amount of life on it. Wildstorm was training on a dead tree, his mind buzzing with fury over what had been done to him. He swung his sword at the dead tree, cutting further and further down until it fell over. Wildstorm stuck his sword into the ground and leaned on it, pausing for a moment to catch his breath. His body ached terribly, having been at this for a while, though he would soon begin again. From the corner of his eye, he could see someone watching him, though not too well as the trees obscured the figure a bit.
"Cowardly assassin, why don't you come out and face me like a man?" Wildstorm grumbled.
The figure stepped out, revealed to be an elderly man in a long blue robe. He stroked his white beard thoughtfully, his eyes showing great nervousness. Wildstorm had heard many tales about this man, and knew right away that it was Portal Master Eon, leader of the Skylanders.
"What do you want?" Wildstorm asked in a huff.
"Just to talk, nothing more," Eon insisted. "You're Wildstorm, right?"
He pulled the blade out of the ground, setting it on his back before leaning against a tree. "Let's cut to the chase- what do you need and how much are you willing to pay for it?"
"I was looking for teachers, and I heard that you were a terrifyingly strong force to be reckoned with," Eon explained. "Who taught you everything you know?"
Wildstorm was insulted by this. He only wanted him to ask where he got his technique, and nothing more? How could he just let him leave like that? "Why don't you go and search for him?" he spat.
"It was only a question," Eon insisted.
"I taught myself, if you must know. Now you can just-"
"Your style is unique?"
He found himself getting angrier, wanting nothing more than to be done with this old man. Any minute now, he might lose his temper- and he'd been kicked out of several establishments for doing that, not to mention that it was bad for business. "What have you heard about me?"
"I've heard you are a soldier of fortune, who takes up the biggest jobs no matter what they are. You've robbed rich people of their wealth, set fire to rivals' homes...killed...some."
This Portal Master was afraid of him. He'd always assumed that Portal Masters feared nothing. How quaint.
"And all for money," Eon noted.
"The only other option was to starve to death," Wildstorm insisted. "And what I do is not important- I am the sword, not the swordsman, in this case. What are you talking with me for, anyway? If you want a teacher, why don't you go look for some all-knowing all-seeing saint for your maggot pupils? Someone perfect for the job?"
Eon cleared his throat, straightening his stance. "Because the world isn't made up of perfect people. It is made up of broken people. Some more broken than others. Some too broken to even realize this. When people want to feel better about themselves, they'll sometimes hurt others, thinking that this will achieve their goals. They bring themselves into a dark place this way. But many of my Skylanders were taken out of dark places as well, having found a place with people that can help put the pieces together."
Wildstorm stood up, pulling his blade out. "No such place exists!" he yelled. "And I don't stand liars selling false promises!"
Eon kept his ground, as terrified as he was. "I don't think you know how broken you are. And the minute you figure that out, you can help students understand their brokenness and learn to connect the pieces with others, in order not to be alone. What is it that you want most, so that I may give that to you in exchange for your services?"
Wildstorm eased himself, but he didn't lower his weapon. His wish hadn't changed, but he knew it would never come true. "I want to see Kaos's head on the end of my blade," he said.
"Um...is there an option that's less gory?" Eon replied.
"Then I want to see him locked up in the highest tower, unable to escape until the day he rots. He cannot be allowed to harm another soul."
"If we work together, I'm sure we can one day achieve this. Will you come along with us?"
Wildstorm sheathed his blade. "Is there free food and board along with this?"
"That is also guaranteed."
"Then I'll come along."
That evening, he snuck out to the yard, metal box and shovel in hand. He'd set the Skystone piece in the box, as well as the cloth from the basket. Wildstorm was prepared to dig a hole in the yard and bury the box away, ready to dig it up for later. He'd shown it to a few others- the box itself, not its contents. He still wanted to leave them out.
Wildstorm set the box down, firmly grabbing the shovel. He was prepared to start digging, but he couldn't quite begin. The things in the box meant something to him, and he couldn't simply bury it away. And he somehow felt wrong about wanting to spite the Senseis like this. It wasn't like they had meant to make him feel bad, and he had done his best to insist that he was fine.
He picked up the box and carried it back inside, letting out a heavy sigh. Wildstorm walked toward the living room, pausing as he saw the Senseis in there, watching television, laughing and smiling together. Wildstorm watched them for a few minutes before turning away and walking back outside. He still felt miles away from them, and he didn't think he could join them. They seemed to be doing well without them. He made his way out, sitting on the porch and looking up at the sky in melancholy.
He heard footsteps behind him, and Starcast came up and sat next to him. Wildstorm glanced at him, quickly looking away. They sat in silence for a moment, neither one looking at each other. Then Starcast spoke.
"I know that feeling, too," he explained. "I felt it when I first came here. Everyone already knew each other. They had already become a family. And there I was, sitting by myself, familiar with them, but not really knowing them. I can tell that this feeling of isolation bothers you, so you can tell me."
"...They're always leaving me behind," Wildstorm muttered.
"I think they forget sometimes."
Wildstorm didn't reply.
"What's in the box?"
Wildstorm handed it to him. Another minute of silence came in as Starcast looked through the box. The ninja let out a small chuckle, looking at the Skystone.
"So that's why you were trying to sneak it away," Starcast mused.
"It's stupid, I know," Wildstorm spat.
"What's the cloth for?"
"It was from a brownie basket that Chain Reaction got me once. Except it was a bribe to get me to talk about myself."
"Oh, we know how you don't enjoy talking."
"He managed to get a word out of me. It..."
Wildstorm paused, worried about telling Starcast more. It only had to stay between the two of them, right?
"It was the first time in a long while that I cried," Wildstorm muttered quickly. "That's it."
"And what does the Skystone mean to you?" Starcast asked.
"I played it a lot."
"With Boom Bloom?"
"Sure, whatever."
Starcast beamed. "You like playing against her, don't you?"
"She's an interesting partner for sure."
"Yet you still seem unwilling to really talk with us, no matter how much you look like you want to. Why is that?"
Wildstorm sighed. "I was abandoned. I've never had a family," he said. "I don't even know how to act with one. How does one get accustomed to a group such as this one?"
"It takes time, Wildstorm," Starcast promised. "I'm sure that the other Senseis weren't a family on day one. They had to grow into it, like we have to."
"I've been here for months, and I still haven't grown into it! You have your own bonds here, Starcast! I'm just the outcast living in the basement, and for some reason, you people let me stay!"
Starcast stood up, appearing to be angry. "We like you, that's why," he insisted. "And I like you. I wouldn't be out here if I didn't. We wish you could see that. I'm sorry for getting stern, but I don't know how else to get it through to you."
Wildstorm felt tears stream down his face. His wish hadn't changed. He still wanted a family. But it didn't seem to be meant for him. And he still wasn't willing to let himself be fooled by anyone telling him otherwise. Despite that...Wildstorm really wanted to believe Starcast about it.
"Do I look...broken, to you?" he stammered.
Starcast's expression softened, becoming more confused. "What does that mean?" he asked.
"Heck if I know. But Eon said that the world was made up of broken people. And I guess...I feel broken. Does the feeling make more sense to you than the look?"
"Maybe. Would that be why you don't want to talk with us?"
Something caught inside himself, twisting like a snake around its prey, refusing to let it go. "I think it might be," Wildstorm realized.
Starcast knelt back down and hugged him. Wildstorm relished it, but his pain was still there. "You wouldn't be here if you knew what I'd done in the past," he choked out to the ninja. "I thought about that while I was in Skyhighlands, and I figured 'no wonder they left me'. I deserved to be alone."
"No one deserves to be alone," Starcast told him. "We need companionship in order to become better people, that much I know. In fact, leaving someone alone is the worst thing you can..."
"...What?"
Starcast released him for a moment, and Wildstorm got a good look at the ninja's face, which was contorted in a pattern of realization and horror. He suddenly hugged him tighter, gasping, "Oh stars, I should've done more for you that night."
Wildstorm didn't know what to think. He'd never seen that kind of expression on anyone's face before. Well, he'd seen it a few times in picture book, depicting characters that were worried about someone else, but he'd never seen it in real life. Was that a common look people gave each other? And Starcast was usually honest about the way he felt. So...he was genuinely worried for him.
"You asked how I was," Wildstorm insisted. "That's more than anyone has ever done for me."
Starcast released him. "You're being honest, right?" he asked.
"Yes."
"Are you okay, then?"
"I think I will be."
Wildstorm wiped the tears from his face, listening to another figure run onto the porch. They looked to see Boom Bloom standing by the entry way, wearing the same concerned expression that Starcast had worn a minute before.
"Your show's on, Starcast," the plant girl explained. "Is...is everything okay?"
"I think so," Starcast said, getting up. "We were just sorting some things out. Wildstorm, are you coming in with us?"
Wildstorm grabbed the metal box, standing up with them. "Yeah," he replied.
"And are you sitting with us?" Boom Bloom added. "Because I was thinking you could make a barrier between me and Tri-tip in case he nods off and attempts to squish me."
Wildstorm let out a chuckle. "Don't worry, I'll protect you," he decided.
They walked inside, making their way to the living room. Wildstorm glanced at the Senseis sitting in there, welcoming them back. He felt odd still, as if he wasn't supposed to be there. But Starcast and Boom Bloom took their seats, motioning for him to come over, wanting him there. Wildstorm took his place next to them, the knot in himself falling away.
I must be home, he decided.