“…It’s my first time seeing the statue, too,” admits the tall stranger. “What you just said makes me like it even more.”
“I’m glad! Oh, do you know what…umm… ‘tai-tei-nee-uhm’ is?” The little boy does the best he can to repeat the odd word.
“Titanium?”
“It was on the plaque along with his name. It also called him ‘Beloved,” so I think many people love him and miss him.”
“Is that so?”
“Yep! He’s a good guy. I hope I can learn more about him.”
“Benji! Time to go!” Mom’s voice. His heart warms.
“Goodbye, Birdie! Bye-bye, sir! Take care!”
Benji dashes out from the tiny path, snow and mud splattering on his shoes as he leaves, and he soon rejoins his parents by the silver statue. He pouts when Mom gushes over the melted ice in his hair and the dirtied jacket, but he instantly beams when Dad suggests the three of them go get ice cream before continuing their trip. The stranger watches them depart.
“Zane? Zane?”
“…Yes?”
“Where are you?” PIXAL asks. She sounds worried.
“The park. I decided to go on a little walk.”
“Your body isn’t stable yet! Father isn’t done with the modifications—”
“It’s alright. It’s only a walk.” Falcon twitches its head. Left. Right. Left. “I’m coming back now.”
“Next time, let us install a locator before you run off. It’s too dangerous!”
“I’m fine.”
“No, it’s just…I don’t want to lose you again.”
Zane thinks back to the statue. Benji. The plaque. Beloved. He closes his eyes. “Thank you, Pixal.”
After sharing a silent goodbye, the bird took to the skies once more and left with the wind. Zane pulls on his hood and begins the short walk back to Borg Tower, his temporary core brimming with static and warmth as he recounts the friends and family he is blessed with. No matter where they are now, he hopes they are safe.
“…For what?” The droid eventually replies, confused by the non sequitur.
“Everything,” the nindroid looks up as he answers. The clouds have parted, and the sun is shining down on Ninjago City once more. He forms a smile. “Everything.”
The concealer makes him shine, smile natural, and camera perfect. All he has to do is put on a stellar performance, entice the crowd, and money will roll in within the blink of an eye. The drama, the amazement, the sizzling excitement are all he lives for. His face is all over TV, the ratings soar, and soon he is so enthralled in the set that he doesn't even remember why he was so conflicted to make the choice in the first place.
Jacket off, mask on, and the outside world fades away. He just has to throw punches and not think of anything else, have the fight and thrill eat away the guilt that tugged at him like extra weight. People cheer when he lands a mean right hook, riot when he tosses out the body, and scream vicious protests when he sneers. His mind is blank, the motions overtake him, and a sickening part of him feels finally at ease.
They have forgotten who they were.
They have given up.
Sometimes he remembers. In between those fleeting moments before the crew goes on air, or the anticlimactic aftermaths in his quiet dressing room, he would think of him. Of them. He brings the photo out from its hiding place and buys a cheap frame, and later in these rare seconds of clarity, he reaches for the people forever shut away in the glass. He asks them to forgive him. He thinks of how pathetic he is for running away, counts the days he has lived and the days that go into the promised year...
Then he puts on an extra layer of powder and smiles, and everything is normal again.
He has to pass by that place every night, and he curses when he does. He attempts to circle around it or cross the bushes head-down, but he can't bring himself to. How can he hurry back to his apartment when his dead friend just stands there out in the open, judging him silently for his loss of faith? The statue isn't polished anymore, and his throat tightens at the red graffiti. They remind him of his swollen hands, and he couldn't step away...
So the park became a necessary stop, and it takes everything he has to choke back the tears and recompose himself, well enough to fight on one more day.
It's been 5+ years and you still make it hurt alsjdlkasjdlaskjd
Beautifully written as always--good grief, you could honestly write some sort of drama novel. 0.0
My goodness...it's been 5+ years... 0_0 I'm very sorry for causing pain ówò asddfghjk thank you, Tigress!!! I imagine that if I ever do write one, the novel will be filled with too much drama.
“…For what?” The droid eventually replies, confused by the non sequitur.
“Everything,” the nindroid looks up as he answers. The clouds have parted, and the sun is shining down on Ninjago City once more. He forms a smile. “Everything.”
Beloved-End-
It's Zane! I wondered!
This is such an awesome and wholesome story! :3
It's him!!!
Thank you! I'm so happy that Benji's story brought so much wholesomeness. :3
Sometimes he remembers. In between those fleeting moments before the crew goes on air, or the anticlimactic aftermaths in his quiet dressing room, he would think of him. Of them. He brings the photo out from its hiding place and buys a cheap frame, and later in these rare seconds of clarity, he reaches for the people forever shut away in the glass. He asks them to forgive him. He thinks of how pathetic he is for running away, counts the days he has lived and the days that go into the promised year...
Then he puts on an extra layer of powder and smiles, and everything is normal again.
He has to pass by that place every night, and he curses when he does. He attempts to circle around it or cross the bushes head-down, but he can't bring himself to. How can he hurry back to his apartment when his dead friend just stands there out in the open, judging him silently for his loss of faith? The statue isn't polished anymore, and his throat tightens at the red graffiti. They remind him of his swollen hands, and he couldn't step away...
So the park became a necessary stop, and it takes everything he has to choke back the tears and recompose himself, well enough to fight on one more day.
It's been 5+ years and you still make it hurt alsjdlkasjdlaskjd
Beautifully written as always--good grief, you could honestly write some sort of drama novel. 0.0
My goodness...it's been 5+ years... 0_0 I'm very sorry for causing pain ówò asddfghjk thank you, Tigress!!! I imagine that if I ever do write one, the novel will be filled with too much drama.
It's ok I've already been in pain for so long Yea come to think of it, I may not be able to handle it, you'd make your audience hurt so much. xD
My goodness...it's been 5+ years... 0_0 I'm very sorry for causing pain ówò asddfghjk thank you, Tigress!!! I imagine that if I ever do write one, the novel will be filled with too much drama.
It's ok I've already been in pain for so long Yea come to think of it, I may not be able to handle it, you'd make your audience hurt so much. xD
We've been carrying the pain along all this time o-o Readers will suffer from mini-heart attacks every three chapters. Only the bravest can make it to the end. xDD
It's ok I've already been in pain for so long Yea come to think of it, I may not be able to handle it, you'd make your audience hurt so much. xD
We've been carrying the pain along all this time o-o Readers will suffer from mini-heart attacks every three chapters. Only the bravest can make it to the end. xDD
This must be why fan-fictions are often so angsty. XD Are you, like, challenging me?
We've been carrying the pain along all this time o-o Readers will suffer from mini-heart attacks every three chapters. Only the bravest can make it to the end. xDD
This must be why fan-fictions are often so angsty. XD Are you, like, challenging me?
Ninjago fans have 13 seasons' worth of angst to work with. Now that's a lot of pain. o-o *glances at RoE nervously* N-no? Tigress have mercy xD
It's ok I've already been in pain for so long Yea come to think of it, I may not be able to handle it, you'd make your audience hurt so much. xD
We've been carrying the pain along all this time o-o Readers will suffer from mini-heart attacks every three chapters. Only the bravest can make it to the end. xDD
We've been carrying the pain along all this time o-o Readers will suffer from mini-heart attacks every three chapters. Only the bravest can make it to the end. xDD
This must be why fan-fictions are often so angsty. XD Are you, like, challenging me?
We've been carrying the pain along all this time o-o Readers will suffer from mini-heart attacks every three chapters. Only the bravest can make it to the end. xDD
I wondered! 
I wondered! 
![[derp]](http://storage.proboards.com/6672327/images/YqNTPqyQUocVMYXZgUAI.png)
![[y]](http://storage.proboards.com/6672327/images/WYWPH2VRo26pOFDid7QZ.png)
