Ch. 3 Illusions of the Heart

"Another win for the Ninja!" Heidi announced to her camera with a destroyed Leo-bot behind her, "The origins of these monster and robots attacks are still unknown but Norrisville doesn't need to worry as long as the Ninja is here to defend. Thank you Ninja!" Heidi stopped recording and started to take pictures of the robot for her website and then noticed a pink perfume bottle in the grass, "Why would anyone throw away perfume?" She pocketed the perfume and began to walk home where her annoying brother and lame friend were expected to be at.

As predicted, she heard them playing the time consuming game called Grave Puncher.

"Ha, beat that Cunningham!" Howard victoriously yelled as his TV read 'Winner: Player One.' In the middle of his gloating he noticed Randy's face not irritated but distressed. "Dude, if you're that sad that I beat you then I'll go easy next time."

"No, I'm not sad about the game," Randy said as he leaned back on his beanbag, "By the way; I can so beat you any time I want!"

The ginger relaxed into his own beanbag, drinking a can of McCoke, "So then what's up?"

"What would happen if I told you that I may or may not," Randy unconfidently said as he pressed his fingers together, avoiding his eyes from his friend, "Have a crush on someone in school?"

Howard choked a bit, spitting out some of his soda, "Wait, what? Okay first, you're complaining about Bash and now you're crushing on someone? Someone's PMS-ing."

"Okay, I admit I've been acting a bit homophobic since Bash called me pretty and then right now I think I might like someone," the distressed freshmen rubbed his temple, "I'm going into the Nomicon."

"Dude, the book's just gonna confuse you even more."

"Well the Nomicon usually helps me out so it's worth a shot," the second the warrior opened the ancient book, his head collapsed on the page, mouth drooling and eyes crossed. Inside the pages, Randy fell, passing through clouds, all the while attempting to caught and eat them until he reached the ground, face planting on Japanese characters imprinted on the ground.

Lifting his face up, Randy was faced with another puzzling lesson of wisdom, "Illusions of the heart may fool the mind but the heart's desire is always true." He stood up, frustrated and started to question his book mentor, "What the juice is that even supposed to mean? Okay, so you were right about nose knowing Amada is the Sorceress but this is Julian, I'm pretty sure he's not an illusion and that's true so that means my heart desire Julian?" The Nomicon's only response is sending Randy out of the book and into reality.

Focused onto the punching graves, Howard asked, "So did the book give you some wonk advice?"

"Yes and I'm so confused that I'm not even in the mood to play Grave Puncher."

"Whoa, I didn't think this is so serious. You really have a crush on someone?"

"Yeah, hey it's getting late, I should go home, see you tomorrow," Randy packed up the Nomicon in his bag and went out the door.

After punching pixelated graves for another hour, the freshman began to ponder on his best friend's frustrations. During Ninja situations, Howard usually helps Randy out, depending if he caused it or not, most of the time he did, but the only time they dealt with a problem with girls was with Amada and that was a totally bomb, a really smelly and ugly one too.

Sighing, Howard decided to do the one thing he always does, help out his best friend no matter how cheesed up or wonk the problem is. Or so he heard from the bro code and guy-ble.


Throwing himself face first on the top bunk, Randy groaned at his thoughts constantly wondering about Julian. He became yearning to see him, eager to get a touch of silk like hair, get the boy's voice permanently stuck in his head, experience their arms entangled with each other, have his first kiss with someone amazing.

"Holy cheese, I am totally love sick!" Randy confirmed and rolled over to his back, shoving a pillow on his face, muffling, "And I'm already sick of love!"

The hallway light flooded into the dark lit room with a voice belonging to a tall purple haired, blue eyed women, "Randy, are you okay sweetheart?"

Randy removed the pillow away, sitting up to look down at his mother leaning on the doorframe, "I good, kind of, no, not really actually."

Rachelle Cunningham frowned and climbed up the ladder of the bunk bed to sit beside her son, "Tell me what's wrong. It's not a fight with Howard is it? Because I know you're mature enough to make up whatever happens between the two of you."

"No, Howard and I are fine."

"Is it my cooking? I promise, I'm reading the book." Rachelle said jokingly, making the younger Cunningham chuckle with a shake of his head, "Good because I'm cooking Italian tonight. So, do you have a crush on someone?"

Silence and a blush was her answer, "Maybe."

Arms wrapped around Randy, encasing his arms awkwardly and his face mushed into his mom's neck, "My little boy has a crush! His very first crush!"

"Mom, stop it!" Randy complained, trying to get out of the women's grip with no success.

The hug loosened and Rachelle cupped Randy's chin to look at his face, smiling at how fast fourteen years have passed, "My baby is growing up so fast."

As soon as Randy saw her moist eyes, he immediately rambled, "Mom, don't cry, I'll always be you're little boy. I just happen to have someone on my mind."

Rachelle blinked away any tears threatening to fall and began to tease, "Someone who you want to hug and kiss!"

Red faced, Randy shouted, "Mom!"

"Am I going to teach you about the birds and the bees?"

"Mom!"


Lily felt dead, filled with emptiness but also with pain. After the lion robot was defeated, she witnessed Stevens checking Debbie for any injuries. He wasn't being his usual mocking trombone playing self. Instead he acted like he deeply cared for the smaller freshman, becoming a different person just for one girl.

A girl who was deemed better than a mere band girl.

The flutist buried herself in her blankets more, attempting to set her mind at ease for the sake of sleep but her mind was too preoccupy of insecurities of her love life. She knew it would be best to let go of her silly crush but it still hurts to see Stevens infatuated by someone.

It hurt to just be labeled as a band geek. It hurt to have a crush on someone you'll never have.

At the back of her head, she reminded herself about Bucky. He was the one guy who would want to talk to her and even made her a song for Christmas, despite how horrid it was. When they first started becoming friends, Lily crossed the idea of dating Bucky but they were in high school, nearly all couples weren't endgame and ended badly with broken hearts, she didn't feel ready for a relationship with a friend.

But here she is, crushed and depressed about a boy who doesn't give her a second glance. (Which was hard to tell due to his signature shades.)

Envy and sadness overloaded her heart but also anger.


Down below, hidden from the setting sun and from any technology, the Sorcerer was sleeping in his hammock snoring with his rat friend curled up on his stomach. In the middle of a deep snore, he sat straight up, white eyes wide open, nose sniffing the air, and in the progress, awaking an annoyed rat.

"What is this wonderful smell?" The green creature inhaled more of the scent and sighed with a chaotic grin, "Tears, envy, jealousy, and hatred! Oh how wonderful!" He was about to whisk the miserable aroma to his orbs to stank his pawn then paused, "No not yet, it's pain is almost at the boiling point, I'll let the human suffer more."

The rat stared deadpan at the chained villain as continued talking to himself and sniffing the air. "Oh this is better; more misery is in the air. Doubts, fear of rejection, angry to be loved," the sorcerer said happily then dully noted, "Confusion, that's not entertaining, but what this? Constant rejection from one of my usual pawns. This shall be very entertaining."


Sorry for the long update and short chapter. I don't really have any excuses to defend myself for being lazy and a procrastinator.

Anyway hope you enjoy this!