PopcornPie
Dazed, confused, but chugging on.
The latter years of the decade were...eventful. Earth had found itself turned into a centerpiece on the table, surrounded by hungry planets scrambling for a chance to take a forkful. All eyes were on it, and there was no way to escape the circle peacefully. The inevitability of war could only be outgalloped for so long, but every earthling expected it to be between their nations. Not them, a few ragtag alien races, and some of the most aggressive planets in the universe.
At the heart of this war was the Intergalactic Defense Squadron. Though they sounded kindly, they allied themselves only to treachery and terror. It was a part of the alluring costume the organization put on, all organized and noble. Beneath that fabulous costume, however, was a body composed of scars, burns, and bruises. Beneath the mask were eyes drenched in frightened tears.
Now for the two groups we are meant to root for. The shaky alliance between Earth and its little herd became known as the Earth Defense League. (Though, on other planets, Earth's name was swapped out for its own) They worked hard to keep all of them going, from reclaiming planets to rescuing IDS soldiers. Yes, rescuing. You will learn more later.
The other group was much, much smaller: the Rainbow Brigade, a team of eight brave beings from all over space. They were an old rescue team reborn, and determined not to remake the first group's mistakes. It sounded reckless to try forming a team in times of intergalactic war, but they were learning not to fear; they were snug under the EDL's wing.
In turn, little Nanome was learning not to fear, because she was snug under the Brigade's roof.
She is one of those rescued IDS soldiers, recovered by her future teammates on their way back to Earth. In terms of how she'd gotten into her situation, she was special. Instead of being abandoned by the IDS, or captured by the EDL, she abruptly deserted in search of answers to questions brought up by a child's journal she found in the mothership's basement. As a matter of fact, just before the rest found her, she had already been through quite an adventure; She shed her jumpsuit along the way and replaced it with casual clothing, and had been shot to her final stop in an escape pod. Nanome was exhausted by the end, and was found collapsed in the sand, her past life unable to be recognized by all but one teammate.
That was a couple months ago. Nanome was collapsed again, but in her bed, listening to her radio.
"While we wish everyone a happy New Year..." The radio's tone was warm, yet urgent. "We stress again and again to take precautions against our enemies in space. Keep children in your line of sight. Stay inside, or close to shelter, as much as possible. Pay attention to the skies, and be prepared to run if you hear this siren." A sample of the air raid siren played, and it made Nanome stiffen for reasons she couldn't remember. "Remember! The IDS will take ANY opportunity to perform a surprise abducting spree!"
Nanome's eyes fluttered shut, and she nodded.
Then someone called her name, making everything inside her shoot straight up. She even yelped.
The visitor was one of Nanome's new teammates, aspiring psychologist Aghamora DeLing. Her soft, orange-tipped, blonde curls hung from her shoulders like curtains between a clear window, which showed a pretty golden sunset. Her rays coaxed Nanome, gently unfreezing her frozen spine, making her deflate.
"Nanome?" Aghamora called again, slowly sitting on Nano's bed. "You're going to miss the ball drop, sweetheart."
"O-oh!" Nanome became stiff again, bowing in apology. "I'm so sorry!"
"There's no need to apologize." Aghamora replied warmly. "I just wanted you to know, that's all. You don't want to miss the turn of the decade, do you?"
The radio interrupted, "...nor do we doubt that the IDS may send soldiers down to set up raids. An IDS soldier has silver hair, and sports a jumpsuit in one of the following colors: chartreuse, corduroy, and crimson. Gloves and boots match the suit. DO NOT, WE REPEAT, DO NOT APPROACH WHAT MAY BE AN IDS SOLDIER! They will gladly blast you, or it may be a trap to abduct more innocents. Instead, and especially if you have children, call the Earth Defense League..."
Aghamora's brow wrinkled, and she huffed. If only she could mutter a rebuttal. If only she could dismiss it as unnecessary fearmongering, then switch the station. But the proof was right in front of her, and she had turned her attention back to the radio, stroking her silver ponytails.
"Oh, Nanome, don't worry..." The blonde smiled. "We know better now. You will never, EVER, go back to them."
"I know..." Nanome croaked. "But if I know, then why do I keep having nightmares about being recaptured again?"
A spark ignited in Aghamora's heart. The IDS had tried to reclaim Nanome, just when it seemed that she was perfectly safe. It was terrifying, and she felt awful for not knowing who the IDS were before. She was one of the first war prisoners, and must have been captured before the IDS became notorious. Of course she was able to recognize that Nanome had been through some kind of trauma, but had no idea that it came from her own commanding officer. She could never thank the EDL enough for helping them pluck Nanome away from their care once and for all, before she was punished for running away.
"It's how trauma works, Nanome." Miss DeLing went on, her shoulders fallen. "It may be over, but your brain thinks it will happen again at any moment. The memories have badly damaged the part of your brain that regulates emotional response. That's what causes the anxiety."
Nanome stared at her, with drenched, soft blue eyes. "But I'm with you now...I'm safe, right? I shouldn't still be so scared..." She sighed. "Must be because I'm so soft, and weak..."
"Oh, no!" With Nanome's permissive gestures, Aghamora laid her hand on the small girl's shoulder. "Nano, lots of people suffer from it. Even very strong people. It doesn't make you soft, or weak. In fact, it takes a very strong person to battle trauma."
"What if I lose, then?" Nanome cried. "What if I lose to it, and go mad?"
"You won't." Aghamora's voice maintained a determined tone. "We took you in because we want to help you heal. We'll do our best to keep you from going mad."
"Because we care, Nano."
Both females turned their heads to see the rest of the brigade standing in the doorway, concerned. Leading the pack was Nathaniel Heston, a bold man whose fierce appearance was somewhat ruined by orange panda pyjamas.
"We love you, Nano." Nathaniel continued, inviting himself to sit next to Aghamora. "I know I was wary of you before, but that was before I knew what the IDS did to its soldiers." He growled protectively.
"It was heartbreaking..." Next to speak was .Exie, an old robot nanny who had been abandoned. A soft, pink coating covered her alloy body. "Oh, Nano, I just couldn't believe it. I thought I was having a terrible dream." With a tearful sigh, she began to stroke Nanome's hair.
"Yeah...They treated you like...well, a dog!" A blubbery, dog shaped pile of indigo goo hopped into Nanome's lap. The goo, Slipup, beamed at her. "You were a part of the wrong pack, Nanome. But you're in good paws now!"
"That's right." Spoke Viron, the thin, spiky violet alien. "I may not be a human, but I will treat one the way they are meant to be treated."
"Same here." Ellis, the mutant carnivorous plant, laid down next to the bed, folding his leafy wings beneath him. "If any of those IDS guys tries to get you again, I will GLADLY dissolve them."
Ofeshi, a catgirl with curly red locks and cream colored ears, simply hung behind. Nanome's cracked heart made her own ache, and for more reasons than simply what they saw when they had to get her back. Like Nanome, she grew up without birth parents. Instead of a military, however, she was raised by a bandit. But she was still mentally well, albeit a moderate kleptomaniac. A notorious thief was a better father to Ofeshi than Nanome's commanding officer was a mother. She had never known such a degree of gratitude to her late adoptive father until that fact dawned on her. Her nose dipped, and her cream ears pulled backwards.
Fortunately, Ofeshi's ears picked up on an announcement on TV that pulled her out of the funk. "Hey! They're about to drop the ball!" She turned around giddily. "Come on, Nanome! They launch all these fireworks, and light up all these lights, and it's so pretty! It will perk you right up!"
Nanome considered, which had the others holding their breaths. There was a slight cry of joy when she mumbled "okay".
As they departed for the couch, Nanome looked to Aghamora. "That didn't answer my questions." She admitted. "What if I do go mad? What if my brain never gets fixed? What if I'm always a coward?"
"The future is uncertain, Nanny Goat." Nathaniel answered instead. "But we're gonna fight tooth and nail to make yours a great one. Because, goddamnit, you are a PERSON. You deserve a long, happy life just as much as the rest of us. Maybe even more."
"Trauma can't be fixed right away." Aghamora added sadly. "But it will heal. Slowly, gradually, but it will heal. Next decade, you'll look back on yourself, and you'll realize just how strong you've grown."
"In fact, Nanome, I think you're very brave." Viron smiled. "It takes an iron gut to run away from everything you've ever known."
"But you won't need to run away from anything ever again, Nano. We promise!" .Exie chirped, dumping blankets on the couch. "You're safe and sound."
Now Nanome was relaxed on the couch. Slipup was on her lap once again, with Aghamora and .Exie on either side of her. Ofeshi had a box seat atop Ellis's head, leaning against one of his humongous petals. Nathaniel sat on .Exie's end of the couch, and Viron had draped himself above. All but Nanome stiffened in delight when the ball began to drop, shouting along. Nanome had a strange pit feeling, not quite anxiety, but the thought that she wasn't prepared for this new decade.
"Five!"
Was she supposed to go for one more patrol?
"Four!"
Was she meant to make a speech?
"Three!"
Would there be a yearly training session?
"Two!"
Would her current feelings be left behind in the old decade?
"One!"
The team cheered, albeit softly to spare each other's hearing. Just as Ofeshi said, the sky was striped in stunning fireworks of all colors, but Nanome couldn't shake her confusion. Fireworks...they were only supposed to be used for distress signals, weren't they? What was so amazing about a new year that everyone was so happy? New years used to be quite somber for her, actually, spent commemorating fallen soldiers...
..."Used to". That was the the key word, wasn't it? It was as they said. She had left it all behind. They tried to take her back once, but these people...They actually bothered to rescue her. This wasn't a matter of training her to go and fight for them. This was...love. The thing she had gone looking for in the first place. The thing that she nearly died searching for.
"Hey, Nano!" Slipup burst Nanome's bubble, and she awoke from her trance to see Nathaniel holding a tray of apple cider in little wine glasses. He took one in his gooey paw, then Nanome accepted one between her fingertips. Then Aghamora and Nathaniel taught her how to toast.
"There you have it, Nanome!" Ofeshi meowed, gulping down her cider. "A brand new decade! Exciting, right?"
Nanome supposed so. She closed her eyes, and let her friends' words float in her head.
"You will never need to run away, ever again."
"Next decade, you will look back on yourself."
"We're gonna fight tooth and nail to make your future a great one."
It brought a little giggle to Nanome's heart. "Yeah, it is pretty exciting." She answered sweetly. Her soft blue eyes locked on the fallen ball, glowing with determination.
She was abused and terrified, but that was the last decade she'd be beneath the IDS's thumb. This decade, she would finally be strong. This decade, she would finally be loved.
At the heart of this war was the Intergalactic Defense Squadron. Though they sounded kindly, they allied themselves only to treachery and terror. It was a part of the alluring costume the organization put on, all organized and noble. Beneath that fabulous costume, however, was a body composed of scars, burns, and bruises. Beneath the mask were eyes drenched in frightened tears.
Now for the two groups we are meant to root for. The shaky alliance between Earth and its little herd became known as the Earth Defense League. (Though, on other planets, Earth's name was swapped out for its own) They worked hard to keep all of them going, from reclaiming planets to rescuing IDS soldiers. Yes, rescuing. You will learn more later.
The other group was much, much smaller: the Rainbow Brigade, a team of eight brave beings from all over space. They were an old rescue team reborn, and determined not to remake the first group's mistakes. It sounded reckless to try forming a team in times of intergalactic war, but they were learning not to fear; they were snug under the EDL's wing.
In turn, little Nanome was learning not to fear, because she was snug under the Brigade's roof.
She is one of those rescued IDS soldiers, recovered by her future teammates on their way back to Earth. In terms of how she'd gotten into her situation, she was special. Instead of being abandoned by the IDS, or captured by the EDL, she abruptly deserted in search of answers to questions brought up by a child's journal she found in the mothership's basement. As a matter of fact, just before the rest found her, she had already been through quite an adventure; She shed her jumpsuit along the way and replaced it with casual clothing, and had been shot to her final stop in an escape pod. Nanome was exhausted by the end, and was found collapsed in the sand, her past life unable to be recognized by all but one teammate.
That was a couple months ago. Nanome was collapsed again, but in her bed, listening to her radio.
"While we wish everyone a happy New Year..." The radio's tone was warm, yet urgent. "We stress again and again to take precautions against our enemies in space. Keep children in your line of sight. Stay inside, or close to shelter, as much as possible. Pay attention to the skies, and be prepared to run if you hear this siren." A sample of the air raid siren played, and it made Nanome stiffen for reasons she couldn't remember. "Remember! The IDS will take ANY opportunity to perform a surprise abducting spree!"
Nanome's eyes fluttered shut, and she nodded.
Then someone called her name, making everything inside her shoot straight up. She even yelped.
The visitor was one of Nanome's new teammates, aspiring psychologist Aghamora DeLing. Her soft, orange-tipped, blonde curls hung from her shoulders like curtains between a clear window, which showed a pretty golden sunset. Her rays coaxed Nanome, gently unfreezing her frozen spine, making her deflate.
"Nanome?" Aghamora called again, slowly sitting on Nano's bed. "You're going to miss the ball drop, sweetheart."
"O-oh!" Nanome became stiff again, bowing in apology. "I'm so sorry!"
"There's no need to apologize." Aghamora replied warmly. "I just wanted you to know, that's all. You don't want to miss the turn of the decade, do you?"
The radio interrupted, "...nor do we doubt that the IDS may send soldiers down to set up raids. An IDS soldier has silver hair, and sports a jumpsuit in one of the following colors: chartreuse, corduroy, and crimson. Gloves and boots match the suit. DO NOT, WE REPEAT, DO NOT APPROACH WHAT MAY BE AN IDS SOLDIER! They will gladly blast you, or it may be a trap to abduct more innocents. Instead, and especially if you have children, call the Earth Defense League..."
Aghamora's brow wrinkled, and she huffed. If only she could mutter a rebuttal. If only she could dismiss it as unnecessary fearmongering, then switch the station. But the proof was right in front of her, and she had turned her attention back to the radio, stroking her silver ponytails.
"Oh, Nanome, don't worry..." The blonde smiled. "We know better now. You will never, EVER, go back to them."
"I know..." Nanome croaked. "But if I know, then why do I keep having nightmares about being recaptured again?"
A spark ignited in Aghamora's heart. The IDS had tried to reclaim Nanome, just when it seemed that she was perfectly safe. It was terrifying, and she felt awful for not knowing who the IDS were before. She was one of the first war prisoners, and must have been captured before the IDS became notorious. Of course she was able to recognize that Nanome had been through some kind of trauma, but had no idea that it came from her own commanding officer. She could never thank the EDL enough for helping them pluck Nanome away from their care once and for all, before she was punished for running away.
"It's how trauma works, Nanome." Miss DeLing went on, her shoulders fallen. "It may be over, but your brain thinks it will happen again at any moment. The memories have badly damaged the part of your brain that regulates emotional response. That's what causes the anxiety."
Nanome stared at her, with drenched, soft blue eyes. "But I'm with you now...I'm safe, right? I shouldn't still be so scared..." She sighed. "Must be because I'm so soft, and weak..."
"Oh, no!" With Nanome's permissive gestures, Aghamora laid her hand on the small girl's shoulder. "Nano, lots of people suffer from it. Even very strong people. It doesn't make you soft, or weak. In fact, it takes a very strong person to battle trauma."
"What if I lose, then?" Nanome cried. "What if I lose to it, and go mad?"
"You won't." Aghamora's voice maintained a determined tone. "We took you in because we want to help you heal. We'll do our best to keep you from going mad."
"Because we care, Nano."
Both females turned their heads to see the rest of the brigade standing in the doorway, concerned. Leading the pack was Nathaniel Heston, a bold man whose fierce appearance was somewhat ruined by orange panda pyjamas.
"We love you, Nano." Nathaniel continued, inviting himself to sit next to Aghamora. "I know I was wary of you before, but that was before I knew what the IDS did to its soldiers." He growled protectively.
"It was heartbreaking..." Next to speak was .Exie, an old robot nanny who had been abandoned. A soft, pink coating covered her alloy body. "Oh, Nano, I just couldn't believe it. I thought I was having a terrible dream." With a tearful sigh, she began to stroke Nanome's hair.
"Yeah...They treated you like...well, a dog!" A blubbery, dog shaped pile of indigo goo hopped into Nanome's lap. The goo, Slipup, beamed at her. "You were a part of the wrong pack, Nanome. But you're in good paws now!"
"That's right." Spoke Viron, the thin, spiky violet alien. "I may not be a human, but I will treat one the way they are meant to be treated."
"Same here." Ellis, the mutant carnivorous plant, laid down next to the bed, folding his leafy wings beneath him. "If any of those IDS guys tries to get you again, I will GLADLY dissolve them."
Ofeshi, a catgirl with curly red locks and cream colored ears, simply hung behind. Nanome's cracked heart made her own ache, and for more reasons than simply what they saw when they had to get her back. Like Nanome, she grew up without birth parents. Instead of a military, however, she was raised by a bandit. But she was still mentally well, albeit a moderate kleptomaniac. A notorious thief was a better father to Ofeshi than Nanome's commanding officer was a mother. She had never known such a degree of gratitude to her late adoptive father until that fact dawned on her. Her nose dipped, and her cream ears pulled backwards.
Fortunately, Ofeshi's ears picked up on an announcement on TV that pulled her out of the funk. "Hey! They're about to drop the ball!" She turned around giddily. "Come on, Nanome! They launch all these fireworks, and light up all these lights, and it's so pretty! It will perk you right up!"
Nanome considered, which had the others holding their breaths. There was a slight cry of joy when she mumbled "okay".
As they departed for the couch, Nanome looked to Aghamora. "That didn't answer my questions." She admitted. "What if I do go mad? What if my brain never gets fixed? What if I'm always a coward?"
"The future is uncertain, Nanny Goat." Nathaniel answered instead. "But we're gonna fight tooth and nail to make yours a great one. Because, goddamnit, you are a PERSON. You deserve a long, happy life just as much as the rest of us. Maybe even more."
"Trauma can't be fixed right away." Aghamora added sadly. "But it will heal. Slowly, gradually, but it will heal. Next decade, you'll look back on yourself, and you'll realize just how strong you've grown."
"In fact, Nanome, I think you're very brave." Viron smiled. "It takes an iron gut to run away from everything you've ever known."
"But you won't need to run away from anything ever again, Nano. We promise!" .Exie chirped, dumping blankets on the couch. "You're safe and sound."
Now Nanome was relaxed on the couch. Slipup was on her lap once again, with Aghamora and .Exie on either side of her. Ofeshi had a box seat atop Ellis's head, leaning against one of his humongous petals. Nathaniel sat on .Exie's end of the couch, and Viron had draped himself above. All but Nanome stiffened in delight when the ball began to drop, shouting along. Nanome had a strange pit feeling, not quite anxiety, but the thought that she wasn't prepared for this new decade.
"Five!"
Was she supposed to go for one more patrol?
"Four!"
Was she meant to make a speech?
"Three!"
Would there be a yearly training session?
"Two!"
Would her current feelings be left behind in the old decade?
"One!"
The team cheered, albeit softly to spare each other's hearing. Just as Ofeshi said, the sky was striped in stunning fireworks of all colors, but Nanome couldn't shake her confusion. Fireworks...they were only supposed to be used for distress signals, weren't they? What was so amazing about a new year that everyone was so happy? New years used to be quite somber for her, actually, spent commemorating fallen soldiers...
..."Used to". That was the the key word, wasn't it? It was as they said. She had left it all behind. They tried to take her back once, but these people...They actually bothered to rescue her. This wasn't a matter of training her to go and fight for them. This was...love. The thing she had gone looking for in the first place. The thing that she nearly died searching for.
"Hey, Nano!" Slipup burst Nanome's bubble, and she awoke from her trance to see Nathaniel holding a tray of apple cider in little wine glasses. He took one in his gooey paw, then Nanome accepted one between her fingertips. Then Aghamora and Nathaniel taught her how to toast.
"There you have it, Nanome!" Ofeshi meowed, gulping down her cider. "A brand new decade! Exciting, right?"
Nanome supposed so. She closed her eyes, and let her friends' words float in her head.
"You will never need to run away, ever again."
"Next decade, you will look back on yourself."
"We're gonna fight tooth and nail to make your future a great one."
It brought a little giggle to Nanome's heart. "Yeah, it is pretty exciting." She answered sweetly. Her soft blue eyes locked on the fallen ball, glowing with determination.
She was abused and terrified, but that was the last decade she'd be beneath the IDS's thumb. This decade, she would finally be strong. This decade, she would finally be loved.
