|| Welp, here we are. The end of the original, discontinued Skylanders Short Stories. Yes, "Sidekicks" is the final installment, which went unfinished because I decided that I should just move on to the reboot. This is unfortunate, because I really think that this story was the best in the series. However, it just wasn't meant to be. Here it is: the final installment in the original Skylanders Short Stories. If you haven't already, go ahead and take a look at the first five. They're not very good, but I make fun of the bad writing in my author's notes. ||
SKYLANDERS SHORT STORIES: SIDEKICKS
June 2015 - March 2016
Whisper Elf, Trigger Snappy, Gill Runt, and Terrabite- four best friends in training to become Skylanders. But when Skylands is threatened by a has-been villain, they'll have to use the power of friendship- and music -to save the day.
Chapter One
"Well, what do you think?"
Terrafin looked up from his GameBoy. Trigger Happy and Gill Grunt had been locked in a heated conversation that the landshark hadn't concerned himself with. However, they now wanted his opinion on the topic, and he didn't even know what the topic was.
"Um," Terrafin began, "what are we talking about?"
"The kids!" Trigg exclaimed, sounding exaggeratedly hurt.
"We were talking about the kids," Gill explained. "You know, their behavior, what kind of people they'll grow up to be..."
"Isn't it a bit early to be thinking about that?" Terrafin asked, setting down his GameBoy, and Gill Grunt shrugged. "You know what really interests me? That four kids, the same age, all with some obsession with the Skylanders, were all brought together by the same horrible event."
Gill tilted his head. "It is pretty coincidental..."
"Pretty coincidental?!" Terrafin laughed. "Try 'the most coincidental thing to ever grace Skylands!'"
Gill chuckled grimly. "Yeah, well..."
"Yo, elf girl!" Trigg called to Stealth Elf, who was sitting beneath a tree a few yards away, staring intently at a comic book and doing everything in her power not to involve herself with the boys.
"Don't call me that," she grumbled, just barely audible.
Despite Fin's warning hand signals, Trigger Happy cheerfully bounded over to her. "What do you think of the kids?" he asked curiously.
Stealth glanced up at him momentarily, then turned her attention back down to the comic book. "Just as long as they show up to their lessons on time..."
"Somebody's grumpy."
"You're in my light."
Trigg looked from Stealth, to the comic book, and back again. He then pulled and over dramatic confused expression and cried, "I thought you didn't know how to read!"
"I'm looking at the pictures," Stealth said, turning the page. "Now go away."
Trigg lurked back to the others.
"It is pretty early," Gill was saying. "Do you think they'll be up yet?"
"Of course they will!" Fin replied. "We told them to start getting up earlier. I somehow doubt their definition of 'earlier' is 7:30."
Somewhere else in Woodburrow, a digital clock struck 7:30 am. With this, the shiny purple iPod sitting upon it flashed and began playing music through the alarm clock's speakers.
"Somebody once told me the world is gonna roll me
"I ain't the sharpest tool in the shed
"She was looking kind of dumb with her finger and her thumb
"In the shape of an 'L' on her forehead ..."
Groggily, Whisper Elf pulled off her covers and sat up in her bed. After removing her hair from her face, she smiled brightly and hopped onto the floor, adjusting the buttons on her flannel pajamas.
"Well, the years start coming and they don't stop coming
"Fed to the rules and I hit the ground running
"Didn't make sense not to live for fun
"Your brain gets smart but your head gets dumb ..."
She dashed into her closet and dug through a ridiculously unkempt pile of sweaters and tees until she found the outfit that Stealth Elf had given her for lessons. It greatly resembled Stealth's own outfit, although Whisper Elf's was much less... revealing. This consisted of a brown shirt, barely with sleeves, and golden trim, as well as brown leggings and and skirt (being a mere seven years old, she needn't wear a bra). She slipped off her pajamas in place of her pajamas, then leaped back onto her bed and put on her boots and gloves, which unlike Stealth's, weren't fingerless.
"So much to do, so much to see
"So what's wrong with taking the back streets?
"You'll never know if you don't go
"You'll never shine if you don't glow ..."
She grabbed a pair of hair ties off of her night stand and tied her hair back. Her braid was a lot messier than Stealth's as she hadn't done it at many times, but it was still passable. When she was done, she snatched her iPod off of the dock and zoomed out the door.
"Hey, now, you're an All Star get your game on, go play
"Hey, now, you're a Rock Star get the show on get paid
"And all that glitters is gold
"Only shooting stars break the mold ..."
She started across Woodburrow, humming along to the song as she went. The weather reflected her mood pretty accurately; it was about as sunny as it could get, the wind keeping the temperature reflection. This was the kind of day that got people outside. Even Pop Fizz was talking to Slam Bam and Roller Brawl by the Enchanted Pool instead of being cooped up in his lab like usual. Although the same couldn't be said for Drobot, it seemed that everybody else was outside. Many didn't recognize Whisper Elf as she had come to Woodburrow only recently, but those who did know her greeted her, and her music, very happily. It was a short walk down to the clearing that she and her friends shared, but she was happy to drag it on only to greet each passing Skylander with a smile.
"It's a cool place and they say it gets colder
"You're bundled up now but wait 'til you get older
"But the media men beg to differ
"Judging by the hole in the satellite picture ..."
This dragging on was dragged even further on when she bumped into Sunburn and Trap Shadow. "Heading off to see your little friends, are you?" Sunburn asked teasingly after their greeting.
"Who are you calling 'little?'" Whisper Elf replied with a laugh. "Yeah, they should be in the clearing near the training grounds."
"You mean that place where they always are," Sunburn laughed. "Uh-huh, I saw them down there not too long ago."
"You must be Whisper Elf," Trap Shadow addressed the small girl, who looked up. The Swapper was practically quadruple her height.
She grinned. "And you're Trap Shadow," she said, a fangirlish awe taking over her voice.
Trap Shadow chuckled. "Yes, I was told that you know a lot about us Skylanders." He knelt down, but still stood higher than Whisper Elf. "Tell me, what is the name of the weapon that Freeze Blade uses?"
"The Chakram!" Whisper Elf exclaimed. "It's sort of like a boomerang that's made of ice, and Freeze Blade keeps it frozen with his powers. That's also how he keeps the icy cuffs on his wrists and ankles frozen."
Trap Shadow ruffled her hair affectionately. "You're very wise," he said as he stood back up. "You'll make a good Skylander. Just listen to your sensei- she knows what she's talking about."
Sunburn snickered. "Yeah, except when she's talking about math. Or spelling. Or grammar. Or writing in general. Or history..."
"That's enough, Sunburn," Trap Shadow scolded.
Whisper Elf giggled, muttering, "It's funny because it's true."
"The ice we skate is getting pretty thin
"The water's getting warm so you might as well swim
"My world's on fire. How about yours?
"That's the way I like it and I'll never get bored ..."
Trap Shadow glanced sideways at the iPod in Whisper Elf's hand. "Nice music," he said with a raised eyebrow. It seemed that he had never seen a portable music player before.
"Thanks." Whisper Elf smiled.
"You shouldn't keep the guys waiting," Sunburn suggested. "Guys don't like to wait."
"Right." Whisper Elf nodded. "See ya later!"
"Hey, now, you're an All Star get your game on, go play
"Hey, now, you're a Rock Star get the show on get paid
"And all that glitters is gold
"Only shooting stars break the mold ..."
Finally able to move on without any distractions, Whisper Elf hopped down to the training grounds and into the clearing where her friends were. There were three logs arranged in a sort of triangle, and one of her friends was seated on each. Trigger Snappy sat casually with his legs folded, strumming on the acoustic guitar that he always kept strapped to his back. Gill Runt was staring at the manual that belonged to the synthesizer sitting on his lap, and Terrabite was tapping on his log with drumsticks to the same beat Trigger Snappy was playing.
Whisper Elf grinned and strolled into the clearing. The boys stopped what they were doing and looked up at her. Trigger Snappy returned her grin, dusting off his brown fur.
"Hey, now, you're an All Star get your game on, go play
"Hey, now, you're a Rock Star get the show on get-"
Whisper Elf clicked the pause button on her iPod, threw it in her pocket and pointed at Trigger Snappy's guitar. The gremlin smirked and tuned his instrument, starting a tune very similar to that that was just playing. Terrabite gasped excitedly and joined him, and Gill Runt flicked on his synthesizer and played a cord.
"Somebody once asked could I spare some change for gas
"I need to get myself away from this place
"I said yep, what a concept
"I could use a little fuel myself
"And we could all use a little change
"Well, the years start coming and they don't stop coming
"Fed to the rules and I hit the ground running
"Didn't make sense not to live for fun
"Your brain gets smart but your head gets dumb
"So much to do so much to see
"So what's wrong with taking the back streets
"You'll never know if you don't go
"You'll never shine if you don't glow
"Hey, now, you're an All Star get your game on, go play
"Hey, now, you're a Rock Star get the show on get paid
"And all that glitters is gold
"Only shooting stars break the mold
"And all that glitters is gold
"Only shootin' stars break the mold..."
Terrabite started cheering the moment they were done, and Trigger Snappy laughed in response. "Wow, Wisp," the little landshark praised, "I don't think there's anyone in Skylands who can sing better than you."
Wisp giggled. "Aw, you're sweet, but I don't know about that..."
"Well, I haven't heard anyone better," Snappy said in his usual way-too-loud voice, "so I'm just gonna have to side with Terrabite here." He moved over and tapped beside him, indicating for Wisp to sit beside him, which she did.
"So Runt," Wisp turned to the gillman, who looked up in surprise. "you got that thing working, huh?"
Runt grunted. "Yeah, but it's a piece of junk." He hit the synthesizer with the back of his hand and it made a weird robotic noise. "I don't know what I was expecting from something so cheap... Maybe I can make it better." He reached into one of his pockets and pulled out a screwdriver, effectively leaving the conversation.
"Runt told me that he's building a hoverboard," Terrabite told Wisp. "He won't show me the, uh, blueprints, though."
"He told me that too," Snappy added. "I couldn't tell if he was being serious or trying to make me look like an idiot, though."
"It could have been either one," Wisp laughed.
"If the four of you are done..."
The kids flinched and turned, then looked up. It was Stealth Elf, Trigger Happy, Gill Grunt, and Terrafin, evidently here for their lessons. "I hope you're not too comfortable," said Stealth flatly, "because it's time to get up."
"Already?" Wisp questioned. "Alright." She hopped off the log and said back to Trigger Snappy, "Try not to blow up Woodburrow, alright?"
Snappy flashed his sharp little gremlin teeth. "Not makin' any promises."
"'Nuff talk!" Trigg exclaimed, forcefully pulling Snappy off of the log. "More shoot! Let's go go go!"
"Yeah, okay, I'm coming..."
Wisp said her goodbyes to Runt and Terrabite and turned back to Stealth Elf. "So, what are we doin'?" she asked.
Stealth glanced behind her cautiously. "First... let's go somewhere else..." she muttered. "Somewhere where... we can't kill anyone."
Wisp and Stealth walked down to the fields just past the Woodburrow Gate. Generally this area was pretty abandoned, as everybody either liked to stay in Woodburrow, or stray farther away. It was a nice place to sit in the quiet, or practice something that could be potentially dangerous. Skylanders could be seen here quite often.
"Stink Bomb brought us here for lessons one time," said Stealth Elf. "You can still see the spot where Zoo Lou nearly blew up Camo."
Wisp laughed. "I don't doubt it. So, uh, what exactly are we doing here?"
"We're doing something different today," Stealth explained. "What were we doing our last few lessons?"
"Hand-to-hand combat," Whisper Elf replied, "but you also showed me some stuff with balance and accuracy. What are we doing today?"
Stealth laughed, looking away casually. "Oh, this will be fun..."
"What? What'll be fun?"
Stealth looked back down at her apprentice and said, "Today, we're going to find you a weapon."
Wisp's face lit up. "Really?" she exclaimed. "You mean like your daggers?"
"Yeah," Stealth replied, "but don't think it will be so easy. It took me days to find a weapon that suited me. But, who knows. Maybe you'll find your match today."
"Of course!" Wisp said. "You have to find a weapon that works for you. You can't just use any ol' sword or gun, you have to find one that suits your fighting style. Trigger Happy couldn't use a sword if he tried, and if someone handed you a gun, it would be disastrous. That's why the Skylanders all try to stick to one style, so it won't, y'know, blow up in their face."
Stealth stared awkwardly at her. "Uh... yeah..." she said. "I... couldn't have said it any better myself..."
"You keep forgetting that I'm smarter than you, don't-"
"Shut up."
Wisp watched curiously as Stealth Elf dragged a large box from out behind a tree and dumped it's contents on the ground. Out fell a large variety of Japanese weapons, some of which Wisp didn't know the names of, others she had never even seen before. "I don't even know what this thing is," Stealth admitted, holding up what appeared to be two scythe blades connected by a chain.
"What should I start with?" asked Wisp.
"Whatever you want to," replied Stealth.
She began with a small silver tanto, which she dubbed "extremely boring" after only a minute's use. After that she took on a pair of nunchakku that she nearly knocked herself out with. She almost killed Stealth Elf when trying her hand at the kunai and kept dropping the sai. The chain scythe, called a kusarigama, ended up flying right out of her hands. When given a tessen, she said she had absolutely no idea how to use it. She was lucky to walk away from the katana with only a sliced bang and the chigirki turned out to be way too heavy for her to lift. Stealth Elf didn't even risk giving her the fukiya. By the time they got to this point, they had been at it for a near two hours.
Stealth sighed. "Well, that was ridiculous..."
Wisp piled the weapons back into the box glumly. "Gomennasai..." she whimpered. "I'm sorry for wasting your time like that..."
Stealth's ear twitched. "N-No, don't be," she said quickly. "Like I said, it takes time... I didn't expect you to find a fit on your first try."
Wisp's ears drooped. "If you say so."
"Heya, why the long faces?"
The girls looked up to see Trigg and Snappy approaching them. "Figured you'd be back here," Trigger Happy said. "We heard the sounds of bloody murder."
Stealth scowled. "What do you want, Trigger Happy?" she growled.
"We're just checking up," the gremlin replied. "Jeez, you don't have to be so hostile."
Stealth snorted.
"Seriously, what's up?" Snappy asked Wisp. "I haven't seen you depressed since you first showed up here."
Wisp smiled weakly. "Oh, it's nothing..." she replied. "It's just that I can't find a weapon that I can use properly."
Snappy laughed. "Please, you don't need a weapon!" he said. "I've seen you beating on those practice dummies with your bare hands, there's no rush."
"Yeah, I guess you're right."
Snappy patted Wisp on the back. "Don't tell Trigg," he whispered, "but I'm really not that into handguns. I prefer something with more firepower." Wisp looked surprised. "Now c'mon, let's go get a soda."
|| You can tell that this story is newer than the others because the chapters are so much longer.
So those of you who have read this story before probably recall the original author's note that was here. Yes, the one where I went off on a tangent and wrote a full-blown rant about how terrible Superchargers was going to be. That was unprofessional of me, and I apologize for it. Oh, my opinion still stands. Superchargers is complete crap. But I shouldn't have gone off about it like I did.
If there's anything I've learned from the experience, it's that you should never voice your personal opinion in an author's note. Ever. I think I lost a lot of readers because of it. I also think that this story got quite a few favorites because of it, oddly enough. Of course, the biggest reason it got such a reaction was because... well, I went off on a rant about it. I shouldn't have done that, and that's not something I'm ever gonna do again. If I had just gently stated "I don't think that Superchargers is going to be a good game," then that would have been one thing. But what I did was completely unreasonable.
Anyway, it's gone now. No more Superchargers rant. Goodbye, Superchargers rant! It's gone forever, unless one of you weirdos decided to save it in a notepad or something.
Onward with the story. ||