trans_9 | Things gone by [Open]

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Things gone by [Open]

Fletcher should have known that it couldn't last. They'd actually been happy, relaxed, and enjoying themselves for once; of course it had come to an end. Everything had come crashing down around them. He should have predicted it. And Fletcher had spend the entire fight cowering, hiding, and clinging to his brother.

And now he was back on the ship again. He could have gone back to the science labs and picked up his plantsuit research again, or over to Hydroponics to do some work there, but right now he just felt lost. Again. As usual. He was ten years old; what could he do when a crisis like that came up?

Instead of doing something productive, Fletcher had run off to the Sensoriums. Right now, he was lying on his back in the garden at Belshio's house. Resting on his chest was a copy of the hologram picture Edward had taken back on shore leave: Fletcher and Russel standing in front of the line of statues that the two older brothers had transmuted. He wasn't looking at that right now, though; he was staring up at the bright blue simulated sky, watching the clouds float by.

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Nanashi blushed and admitted, "I have never had my own child, but I have been taking in orphans for centuries. They are all my children." In fact, children were the only people she ever connected herself too. She did all she could to be a sort of mother that she had never known.

Still more concerned about the child's happiness, Nanashi inquired, "But, what could be making you sad?"

Centuries... The people here really were incredible. Fletcher looked up at her in wonder. That was pretty awesome of her.

"I... I didn't do anything in the fight before," he admitted. "I just ran and hid."

Nanashi smiled at him and stroked his hair.

"Is that really such a bad thing, little one? You are still young, but you will grow strong. Running and hiding when you are so young is not so bad of a thing. What you can do next time is find something to do away from the fighting, but for now, being alive is courageous enough. Is your mother on board? Think how sad she would be if you got hurt."

That made sense, mostly... Fletcher had to wince at the end, though, and he looked away. It took all of his willpower to not just roll over onto his side and curl up into a ball.

"I don't have a mother," he admitted. "I just have my big brother. But he's here..."

Nanashi covered her mouth in terror. How could she have brought up such a painful topic? She suddenly hugged him gently, and let go immediately. "I am so terribly sorry little one. I did not mean-"

She trailed off, feeling terrible. Forcing a smile she rushed, "But at least you have your brother! Does he take good care of you?"

A large part of her just wanted to hold the little boy. She wondered if she could act as a mother-figure to him, but knew better than to suggest that she be his mother. That rarely went over well in her experience. And she had plenty of that.

He flinched, but he understood her regret. He would have felt bad if he'd been the one to make an assumption like that.

He nodded. "Yeah... my brother's a really good person. He's taken care of me for a long time now."

Smiling she said, "I am glad. It is good to have someone to watch after you. When I was little I did not have anyone like that."

"You didn't?" He looked a bit sad at that. "I'm sorry... But it's good that you take care of people now."

Nanashi laughed lightly, "I survived with out them... If barely-" Both her mother and Kano were laughing, but she ignored the rising fury. "And so I try to be the mother I never had."

Fletcher liked this woman already.

"Um... what's your name? I'm Fletcher," he finally introduced himself, belatedly.

"Queen Nanashi of Kuninoryu, but you may just call me Nanashi if you would like Fletcher."

Nanashi put out her hand, finally becoming accustomed to this foreign greeting, "It is wonderful to meet you, little one."

Fletcher gasped in surprise as he shook her queen. "You're a queen? It's very nice to meet you, too!"

"Yes, I am little one, but it is not of much importance here." Nanashi looked around, "So, tell me, where is this place? It is beautiful." Even if the glare from the sun was irritating.

"Oh..." Technically, he guessed that was true. Everyone here had come out of the same sort of pod, naked and covered in goop.

"It's the garden from my house back home," he said, looking around at the lemon trees. "Me and my brother and Mr. Belshio worked here all the time..."

"It is truly amazing. There was nothing like this where I lived. There were farms all around the city, but they only produced food. There were very few trees."

Nanashi looked down at the boy, "But it was beautiful in it's own way. I could show you some time if you would like."

"It still sounds like it must have been nice... They didn't grow food here until me and Brother started helping them."

Fletcher stood up and looked around, nostalgic, at the plants all around them. "I'd like to see it sometime."

"Of course, whenever you would like, though it would have to be at night. I had never seen the sun until I got here." Nanashi shifted, about to get up herself, but then decided she was rather comfortable right where she was.

"Never...?" Fletcher looked back down at her, surprised. "How come? Didn't you have one on your planet?"

He couldn't imagine going that long without seeing the sun. That's why he'd spent so much time on Stacy in the city and Sensoriums.

Nanashi shook her head, "No, that is not it. The real sun would burn my skin too much. It would kill me very quickly."

Nanashi pulled out the sunglasses she had found, put them on, and looked up at the blue sky. "I still see the sun as a very scary thing."

"O-oh," he replied simply, not sure what to say to that. So then, was she like that doctor he'd been attacked by? (...she'd hugged him...) At least she didn't seem to want to bite him. "I'm sorry."

Nanashi shrugged, "It is not so bad when that is all you have ever known. And the night is beautiful on it's own. I can see as well at night as you can during the day. For me, I have trouble seeing during the day."

Nanashi stood and stretched, "How do you feel about the night time?"

He kept looking up, and almost as though his thoughts controlled the setting -- because, in a way, they sort of did -- the sun set, and the sky grew dark.

"I never really liked it very much," he admitted. "Plants can't grow as well when it's dark, and I always had a really early bedtime, too."

Nanashi walked over to one of the trees and gingerly took one of it's leaves in her hand. "I think that was the one thing I was jealous of. How there were few plants around. We worked so hard to keep the sun out, that I could never enjoy the beauty of flowers, no matter how much I loved them."

She smiled at Fletcher, "I guess we are even then, since I was never really liked the day much!"

The way she said it managed to put him at ease, somewhat. He smiled back at her.

"At least there are plenty of plants here," he said. And then, he had an idea. He wasn't entirely sure of it, though, so he was hesitant when he spoke. "Maybe, um-- if we all get our universes back, and if we can visit each other after this is over? Maybe I can help you grow some plants there. I bet I could help them get around needing sunlight." Not that he'd ever done research into something like that... but he was young yet, he had a long ways to go.

Nanashi smiled a little brighter, "I would like that very much! We must make sure that we figure out how to travel between our worlds!"

Nanashi began to walk slowly among the garden, "So, do you study these plants? With your brother perhaps?"

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