A Scripta

"Frost is gonna have ice cubes when he sees this fucking mess!"

Timetripper tried not to laugh as she manhandled the shop-vac into the quiet room area. Idaho bent to help her.

"Thank you, Sonic, for stating the obvious," Idaho snapped, bringing the vacuum in. "Now help me with this table?"

Sonic Butterfly flitted down on his gentle wings and took one end of the table. With a quick thrust of his rocket boots, he lifted the table and helped guide it out. Trip started the vacuum and the men went down the hall to talk.

"What the hell happened?"

"I brought Ariel down here for a talk."

"Ariel. Oh, the new chick. I can't keep 'em all straight, Idy." Sonic pretends to pull out a small notebook and makes a flipping motion, then pretends to pull out an imaginary pen and poises his hand over the imaginary notebook. "C'mon, details, man."

"I don't kiss and tell."

"Fuck you," he snapped jokingly. "You got laid at least? Chanted her name like I told you?"

Idaho rolled his eyes and turned away.

"Find the cli--"

Idaho whirled around quickly and punched him solidly in the jaw. "That's enough!" He burst into flame.

Sonic flipped head over heels in midair and forced himself to back away. Sonic laughed. "Idy's in love!"

"So what?" he snarled.

"Dude, you're not supposed to love 'em."

"I'm sure it's better if you do."

"No, it ain't. 'Cuz women hurt you, man, the sooner you realize that, the better."

"I hurt her first."

"Oh? Howzat?"

Idaho motioned pulling out an imaginary pad and pen. "My list."

Sonic nodded. "Oh yeah, man, you gotta stop bein' so nice t' people."

"It's the way he is, Sonic." Trip approached the two men. "Duncan, can you go burn the stones and dry them? I'll go get some new mats in a jiffy." She looked at Sonic. "Better get some ice for that jaw."

"Aw, c'mon," he pouted, "can'tja heal meh?"

Trip glared at him. "You deserved it." She walked on into the workshop.

Sonic flittered over to the quiet room and peeked over the now scorched bookcases. "Hey, Idy?"

"Hey, Sonnie?"

"Listen, man, I'm sorry. But, hey, uh... d'ja use protection?"

Idaho stopped sending bursts of fire along the floor to look up at him. "No."

"Aw man, did she go use Plan B?"

"Sonic, I don't--"

"Dude. You don't want little fire babies runnin' around already."

"They say clones are infertile."

"Doncha think you should get that checked?"

Idaho looked at the area they had been in. "I will, after this."

"Good man. I'm too fuckin' young t' be a godfather."

"Sonic, you're in your 30's."

"'at's what I said..." And he flew away.

Idaho came around the corner into his bedroom to see the scrap book lying on his bed. He looked at it curiously, picked it up, then went over see Darcy in the kitchen.

"Darce? Darce, what's this?"

Darcy looked up at Idaho. "I changed my mind. I'm staying."

"You are?"

Darcy finished stirring something in a pot. "An angel appeared out of Galaxy City and talked me into staying here."

Even Idaho knew who he meant by "an angel." "But you said that you were having a hard time starting up what you wanted to do. Half the city hates him."

"I know, I know, but she begged me. She got on her knees on the side of the plaza and begged me." He turned to Idaho. "What was I gonna do after that, say no?"

Idaho stared at Darcy. StarWyng? Landing? And then begging?

"While she was there, it hit me. I came up with a compromise." He poured macaroni from the pot into a colander. "I told her that I'd open up an office in Texas and live up here. I'll probably have to commute a lot, but I'll come back up here--"

Darcy was cut off by Idaho suddenly hugging him. "Geez, man, I've never seen a more huggy bunch than you heroes."

(The title comes from StarWyng saying to Masonry "I touch ground to say this" - her way of saying this is the highest of oaths she can offer.)

“Duncan.”

Idaho looked up at Darcy, who stood in the doorway of the bedroom.

“How’s it going?”

Idaho put down the crossword puzzle he was doing. Darcy smiled. Idaho followed Darcy’s gaze: “What, he did those?”

“No,” Darcy said. “He never did.” Darcy sat down on the edge of the bed. “Listen, Duncan. I’ve been thinking.” He picked up the scrapbook of Masonry’s exploits for the year that he had been a hero. “I’ve been unfair to you.”

“What do you mean?”

“From the moment you came out of that tank, I compared you to Nate. I wanted you to be him.” He held the scrapbook to his chest. “I’m so sorry.”

“But that’s all right.”

Darcy, with tears in his eyes, looked at him and smiled. “It’s not. You’re not a copy. You’re his twin.” He rapped Duncan’s head gently with his knuckles. “Get that through your thick skull, please.” He got up, holding the scrapbook close. “I’m going to be going back to Texas. I’m going to start up a Foundation there in Nate’s name, a foundation that’s going to start training social workers and teachers nationwide to help kids against bullies, teach bystanders stop helping bullies, and help kids who’ve been hurt by bullies, so hopefully Nate doesn’t appear again.” He peered at Duncan. “I’m going to need your help.”

Duncan jumped up. “Sure, whatever you need.”

He tapped the scrapbook. “Don’t bother them anymore.”

Idaho focused on the scrapbook, then nodded.

“I’m moving out after the first of the month. I’ve paid up until January. The landlord won’t mind you staying, or if you bring on a new roomie. I know that the base has a bedroom. I suppose you can stay there, I don’t think they’ll mind.”

“Y…you’re leaving?”

Darcy clutched the scrapbook closer. “Duncan, I have to. You have to be Duncan Idaho – or any other name you want. You can’t do it with me around.”

Idaho looked around, slightly scared.

“What about that Pill you told me about? She can help you out.”

“I could stay with her…” he mused. “Or she could at least help me figure out what to do—“

“Oh, for crying out loud,” Darcy said, exasperated. “We’ve gone grocery shopping before and things like that. I’ll help you with that before we leave, and the landlord’s a really nice guy. You’re not stupid, just young. And Karen could help you, too. There’s a line of ladies who’d help you with all kinds of domestic chores.” He grinned.

Idaho blushed. “I know, I know.”

Darcy sat down on the bed and said with a smile, “Nate told me about all his girls…”

Dear Mr. Matsumoto,

We have reason to believe that your domestic partner, Nathan Joseph Greene, has passed away quietly as of November 22, 2007.

He was initially discovered in his granite form encased on a hill at the Monkey Island Asylum for the Criminally Insane, Cutlass Island campus on November 18, 2007. For four days there have been no signs of life via technological or magical means. The death has been ruled a suicide.

After discussions with asylum personnel, the body can remain in its present state if you so wish. If you wish it to be excavated and moved, we may be able to assist you.

We at the Federal Bureau of Superhero Affairs express our deepest condolences.

Sincerely,

Agent Nyx,
Assistant Researcher

So the muse whispered a story in my ear, a transparent moment like gossamer wings she wears...

It was a calling. Idaho paused a moment to turn and look out into the bay at Talos Island, away from the land and out into the ocean, westward.

Nate'd be proud of you, son.

Idaho turned, burst into flame like he did when he was startled. A white-haired, dark-skinned, bearded man with glowing white eyes sat among the boxes. He was transparent, like many people who wore invisibility cloaks.

The man wore a cowboy hat, long duster coat and carried pistols. He looked like he had stepped out of a western. He smiled. This was my favorite lifetime. I was a scout and later a lawman in the Dakotas.

"You read minds?"

He chuckled. I'm a ghost.

Now Idaho noticed the man's mouth didn't move. The man stayed there, seemingly frozen.

"You know my original?"

Knew. He's dead.

Idaho blinked. "D...dead?"

Your agent friend will tell you soon enough, Duncan, I thought you'd rather hear it from me. Yes, indeed, Nate would have been right proud of you. It's good you didn't see him as he was before he died, Duncan.

"Who are you?"

He sang a few notes and then said, That translates to Lodestar. I was his Kheldian bondmate. I loved Nathan Joseph Greene. I died in his body.

"Where..." Idaho's sudden tears dried as the fire caught them. "Where's the body?"

Lodestar faded away slowly. I now join my friends, he said smiling. You are not Masonry, you're your own man.

The last word faded among Idaho's flames and the ocean's wind.

Lodestar watched helplessly as Mason – no longer Nate, who seemed lost within his own self – felt elated when he heard that Styrm had escaped prison. He’ll find me, he’ll know I’ll help him, he’ll break me out and—

No, he won’t.

Lodestar and Mason both realized it at the same time. They both realized that he would never be released from the asylum, and both realized they would live long lives here. Lodestar knew now he had waited far too long. However it didn’t mean he would permanently give up. As long as he lived, he would watch for another chance to change him. He knew Dais’ke was the last link. At Dais’ke’s look of anger, Lodestar felt the link snap.

Now Lodestar knew he had free reign. All he needed to do was begin concentrating on this new Mason creature living inside this body, to work with it to exorcise it, change it or—

Then darkness crushed him.
-------------------------------------------------

Agent Nyx watched as the three people who were visiting Greene teleported away. He knew from Masonry’s files that the man could turn to stone, but when he did, he breathed. This time he turned to stone and sunk into the ground, not breathing.

As the PPD officer disappeared, Nyx went over the rise, summoning the asylum personnel who had been within shouting distance. He knew a simple stethoscope would go through the rock, so he had already sensors for Kheldian essences and human heat. Nothing registered.

He asked for further monitors and sensors. Whatever could be portable was brought up, even some mining equipment and other gadgets that they had used to find trapped miners by sensing body heat through miles of rock. Finally, at 3 a.m., Nyx noticed the humans around him were exhausted, so he set some permanent monitors around Greene and headed to the office to make his report.

One of the asylum personnel looked back at the stone set into the hill and said, “Looks like a tombstone.”

Lodestar stormed over to Nate, who was sleeping at the base of a leafless gray tree, and picked him up by the scruff of his neck. "Wake up pretty boy, rise and shine!" he said with a joyous leer, and slapped Nate across the face.

Nate blinked in total surprise. Then Lodestar changed before his eyes into Daisuke, who looked at him with eyes full of anguish. "Look at me, Mase," he said in Daisuke's pain-filled voice.

Stepping back, Nate focused on Daisuke.

"Why did you put our love away?"

"Because it's feeling. I can't feel it. It will bring up hate."

"This . . ." He turned into Fyre, her eyes blazing red, the area around her all aflame; "is not this. . ." He turned back into Daisuke in his cowboy outfit, what Nate considered his favorite outfit.

"You saw I was angry at him - "

"You didn't feel him." Lodestar as Daisuke stepped back. "I know your memories. You were able to comfort people. You felt their pain. You understood them. You cared."

"It was a sham."

Daisuke faded, and Lodestar appeared with a knowing smile on his face. "Liar," he said. "Lies upon lies, upon lies. Expose one lie, another is there." Lodestar looked around. "I can't lock you away. I can't lock you out. I can't rightly lock myself out because there are too many things going on around you that I will need to know about and possibly intervene."

Nate's eyes narrowed. "Oh? Now you're going to intervene? I thought that you, as a guide, don't do that."

"A guide needs to know the direction. He needs to be the leader and knows where he's going."

He paused a minute to let Nate think about what that meant. Nate's eyes widened slightly. "You don't know where you're going."

Lodestar gazed at Nate. "It means, Nate, we need to walk this path together. It also means that I never, ever, want to see that look of anguish on his face again." He pointed. "Go out there."

Lodestar welcomed the summons back into Nate’s mind. He no longer belonged among the world of men. He no longer was a man. He no longer knew who he was.

Nate’s mind was empty and gray. Whatever light existed was diffused, blank, empty. The world was flat. No scent was carried along an existent wind. Where was the grass, the fire, the blood, the flesh?

He stood surveying the scene, as Nate appeared beside him. Nate was dressed in gray, in the same colors as the asylum’s uniform, the only difference was his hair was black. Lodestar smiled at him. “Want the car back?”

Nate focused on Lodestar. Lodestar stepped back for a moment in fear. Nate’s eyes were also gray, empty.

“Nate, I don’t think you’re ready to go back out there.”

“There’s nothing left for me here. I’ve done all I could. I’ve exorcised all the dead demons and put aside all the ones that were living.” He pointed over Lodestar’s shoulder. “Now I need to confront the ones out there.”

“You’re just as dangerous. You don’t feel anything.”

“I never did, Lodestar.”

“Of course you did. You still love Dais’kay--“

Nate suddenly collapsed. Lodestar went to his knees beside him and watched as Nate grew even grayer, as if blood flowed out of him. Then Nate himself faded slowly, even while Lodestar tried to gather him in his arms. As Nate disappeared, Lodestar whispered, “You’re not ready, Nate…”

We are the forlorn. Yūrei. Okiku. Onryō.

The unburied. No rites were given. Our shrouds are gray. We have reasons to be here. Suicide. Murder. Revenge. Love.

I know not his. I know not theirs. We will know when it is complete. Shikome binds us. She is bound. We are summoned. We obey. She has reasons. I know not hers.

I have been here long. My heart was torn. I do not know this sometimes. I know only what her wishes are. I obey her wishes.

Shikome cannot speak. We express her wishes. We do not ask. She knows our reasons. She dismisses as we finish. We return to Yomi. We wait for life.

Nameless. Unknown. Forsaken. Lost. Abandoned.

Oni comes . . .