|Tewtiy|
Water laps against the boat quietly as we glide out further into the glistening ocean. I was wrapped up in my thoughts, still trying to comprehend this entire area, when my new acquaintance spoke up.
"Soo... The more I look at you, the less you seem like a Steve. What are you?" The ghostly figure says from behind me and I look back at him. He pulls the paddle into the boat, then stares at me with his pupiless golden eyes.
"Steve-? Oh right, that race. Well, I can tell you for sure that I'm not one. But... not sure how well I could explain what I am. There's- Well..." I pause and stare out at the water a moment. "There's a lot that I would have to explain since it's not really a clear answer."
The guy nods, then picks up his rod.
"Well... I guess you could say the same of Steves. I'm one, yet I look almost nothing like the usual Steve. Mainly because I'm Galaxy Steve. I mean, I used to be a normal Indigo before I got cursed to be the Ruin and then this pretty lady came along and healed me. Sheesh... How long has it been since I've seen Alex and Colle?" He had been hooking on a worm onto his pole while talking, but then placed it in his lap and stared up at the sky.
I stay silent, questioning who he was talking about. Colle? Alex? Those didn't sound like Steve names. Then again, Time wasn't a Steve name, nor The First Curse.
"Uhm... Do you mind me asking about who Colle and Alex were? If you can remember?" I ask him and he looks at me.
"Oh, I don't mind! Well, I didn't know them for too long, but they were both pretty fun to hang out with! Colle was this Red Steve who way back when was exploring for his kingdom. Nobody really knew the Red's existed yet except for some Indigos and Blues because of the World beyond and Middle world. But he was really into collecting things, Hence his name, Collector! As for Alex, I don't know in specific what she was, but Colle probably knew that a bit more than I did. But she was really nice- had this flowing orange hair and pretty green shirt that she tied a belt around sometimes to make sure her shirt didn't go flying all over the place, as well as these snazzy grey boots and brown pants that honestly tied her look together really well. I uh... Haven't seen her or Colle ever since I left though, which was so long ago now." The man waves his hands around as he explains and it comes into my mind that he had mentioned what he was. A Galaxy Steve. He also mentioned that women exist and Red Steves used to not be known?
"That's honestly a lot. So... Did Red Steves not know the other colors existed in the past?
Galaxy nods his head and then floats over closer to me with the pole.
"Yeah. I don't know why myself, may have just been the way Origin made things. But either way, everything led to me getting freed from my curse and getting to see more of the worlds that exist." He takes the pole, then does the equivalent of standing up. He swings the pole up, then does a quick twirl and cast it out into the water. Ripples form, then the water around us changed. It turned into a galaxy of colors. Different stars and astral features spread out from around his hook. They flowed out like paint on a canvas, showing every detail like it was actually there.
I watch in awe, moving to the edge of the boat to see the moving spectrum of colors and beauty.
"Woah- How did you do that??" I say breathlessly and Galaxy looks down at me with a smile and a shrug.
"Just happens sometimes. I don't know how, but pretty sure it has something to do with the water reflecting the essence of the person casting. At least, that's what I feel is the correct answer. I don't know a whole lot of things, but I also do, mainly through feeling."
Galaxy stays still for a moment as I look from him and back to the water several times. I've seen weird things happen before- But this was beyond what I've experienced.
I watch as the line bob's up and down before a shadow darted to the hook and Galaxy flicks his wrist up quickly. The line flashes up out of the water and with it, a fish the size of my entire forearm. Galaxy snatches the line out of the air and with it, the fish.
The fish swipes around with it's tail before going still and Galaxy grins.
"Hey look! This one is huge!" He looks at me and I stare in awe before smiling. He seemed so happy about the catch which made me a bit happy. I don't know why, but Galaxy's relaxed and happy attitude both offset and relaxed me.
He unhooks the fish, then floats over to hand me the pole.
"Why don't you try! Let's see what kind of fish you can get!" He says with a grin and holds his new fish in his lap. I chuckle and nod. It's been a while since the time I last fished. I believe the last time I did was when my Uncle Arthur took me out to the Selen River on our trip out to visit the farmlands.
I stand up in the boat as Galaxy passes me bait to put on the hook. I take it, then hook it on quickly. With a flick, I raise the pole above my head like I had done so many times before, then cast it out.
The water changes instantly, showing an expanse of rolling green hills and a river.
I- No way.
"Woah! Where is that! The trees look so much different!" Galaxy exclaims as he leans over the side of the boat to look at the rippling water. Yet as he gawked at it, I felt a mellow happiness in the sight. That place... It was the River that ran at the back of the Nebulan Estate. It was the place where I last saw my mom being happy.
---
The sun was warm as a six year old stumbled around on the grass, running around excitedly with his pole. A beautiful Auburn haired lady sat nearby, her face plastered with a grin as she laughed at her son's antics. A tall, Blonde haired man stood nearby, smiling at the sight of his son being so happy.
The man sits down next to his wife, then pecks a kiss on her cheek, making her smile even further. They intertwine their hands before their son runs up, asking excitedly if Uncle Arthur was coming to fish with them.
The man smiles and nods, then his son sets his pole down and goes to tackle his father. The man grunts and laughs, with his wife laughing at the sight.
I remember distinctly that my mom was so happy. She shone like the sun above us with her eyes sparkling like the river. Yet the comforting hold I remembered... That was from my dad.
I barely remember much about my dad, since he died a year later, but with what few memories I had, I remember I felt so safe around him.
Now in the present, I knew why.
He was a Reaper who dedicated himself to keeping my mom and I safe, so took on a guardian spirit, instead of a normal Reaper spirit.
A hand on my shoulder draws me from my memories and I look over to see Galaxy with a sad look on his face.
"You loved them a lot, didn't you?" He says which throws me offset.
"What do you mean?" I ask before he motions to where the memory was still appearing in the water, showing the three of us being happy together and finally, Uncle Arthur appeared with his fishing pole.
I hesitate a moment before nodding, a sadness filling me.
"Yeah. I did. My Dad- He died that next year due to the Sa'aal. But... My mom always tried to be there for me. She never was truly happy after that, but she always cared for me. Going the extra mile to keep me safe."
With a soft exhale, I look above us at the sky. Silently, Galaxy wrapped his hands around my shoulders, giving me a hug.
"I'm glad they cared... I never got to be there for Elemental and Time, but... You- You are from there, right? It's your mental spirit is here right now so... When you go back... Could you tell Time I miss him? And that I care for him?" Galaxy says quietly, his voice somber. With a soft nod, I agree. Now that I've spent more time with this guy, I realize how isolated he had been and couldn't be there for his sons. Or... At least I think he considered them his sons.
A tug at my pole alerts me back to the water and I yank up, pulling with it a beautiful fish, the scales decorated with glittering colors and a shine of gold in it's mouth. Wait- Galaxy helps me reel in the fish and instantly, I reach for the mouth where a golden necklace lay. Inside of it was a beautiful blue gem that shone with several white gems around it.
"Wow! Look, it's a spirit necklace!" Galaxy says and I feel myself suddenly start to feel fuzzy. With a look back at this new person, he notices as well and gives me a small wave.
"I'll see you around, mk?" He says and before I feel my mind go completely fuzzy, I blurt out. "Ryan. That's my name. Ryan Nebula." Galaxy looks at me shocked then smiles.
"Well, I'll see ya then, Ryan. Have fun in the Steve realm!"
With that, I black out and feel myself falling. It took several minutes before I could feel my body again and open my eyes. I was back in my room, staring at the wooden-slatted ceiling. Soft golden rays lit up the room, drawing my eyes to look out the window.
The early morning sun peaked over the buildings of this Violet kingdom, bringing out the glory in this new world I was in. I was unsure if I'd be able to return back home, but I knew I was safe here. I had people I could trust, and I could protect my friends.
With a yawn, I sit up, then get out of bed.
I think it was time I paid a visit to a certain childhood friend of mine.