Episode 35: Gate

***Alastair***

This world didn't need Alastair, and he didn't need it.

He ran until his legs wouldn't run anymore.

Honey was panting when she caught up with him. 'Coco, are you okay? Did you get another owie?'

"I-in my coat."

'Coco...'

"In my coat."

Honey whined as she complied.

Alastair forced himself to his feet. His broken arm ached as he called his key out. Still, this was something he had to do.

Alastair glared as he walked toward the doorway of light, only to be met with an invisible wall.

Honey whimpered. 'Coco, what was that?'

Alastair fell back when Ame appeared in front of him. "Why can't you ever nock or something?"

"I forgot you're a little skittish. I'll try to figure something out."

He glared at her. "Who put bricks in the gate?"

The boy jumped when she put a hand on his arm. "Honey, it's fine if you really want to go home, but I need to talk to you first, so I can make whatever plans I need to make."

"I don't feel good. Why should I drag myself out of bed for people who don't want anything to do with me?"

"I know, honey. That feels crummy." He turned his head when she tried to look into his eyes. "It will get better, eventually."

He bit his lip. "When? Tomorrow? Next week? Next month? Next year? Ten years from now?" He gazed at Honey. "For all I know, it'll only go away if I go home!"

Ame hugged the boy. "I'm sorry. I really am."

"The Nachimians don't want me here! They know I'm here cuz you didn't do your job! How long can I really wait knowing that?"

"There might be people who feel that way, but I know there's at least one who would be sad if you left."

"Who? Cyan?" Alastair scoffed. "Things will be better for her if I'm not around. She even lost her friend because of me."

Something changed in Ame's eyes, but he couldn't tell what. "You can't know that without asking her. The poor girl deserves a chance, honey."

Alastair turned his head again. "Still, there must be a better Key Keeper for this world than me out there. Why don't you go and find him or her?"

"It's not that simple, Alastair. Also, you're the only one at the moment with a KK birthmark in this world, thus the only one who can use a key. All the others have died due to mysterious circumstances or vanished."

Alastair was the only KK? Wasn't that dangerous? If anything happened to him, wouldn't Nachima be in trouble?

Wait. Mysterious circumstances?

He squeezed Honey. "Do you know what happened to my parents?"

Ame didn't look like she was looking at him anymore.

His electricity pooled in his cheeks. "You do know something, don't you? You have to! That Lock was right, wasn't he?"

"Alastair." Ame pressed her palms into his shoulders. "I couldn't understand a word you just said."

Had Hannah given him another word to talk about his parents? If she did, he couldn't remember. That would have been nice in this moment. He didn't know what else to tell Ame.

Ame held out a pen, but he pushed it away. People other than his family could almost never read what he wrote, so he didn't expect her to. Especially with how his hand was now.

"Try again." She smiled. "Just take it slow."

His hands were shaking. "You know, don't you?"

"Know what?"

"What happened to my parents." Honey licked his cheek. "About the brakes."

Ame stiffened up. She was noticeably pale. "How did you find out?"

He didn't feel like telling her. What would be the point if she didn't take him seriously?

"Collin!" Cyan yelled, peering down the hallow.

"You made it!" Ame grinned. "Now, take this boy home. I have to go back to figuring out what's going on with him. Thankfully, Maggie gave me the scan she did when he was sick.

Alastair frowned as he scooted out of the tree. Why? She didn't care about him.

Cyan offered Alastair her hand and smiled. "Let's go home."

He wiped his eyes and nodded.

"Are you crying?"

"No! I just got dirt into my eye!"

Cyan laughed. "What a Maggie-like response." She took his hand and lead him away. It reminded him of when Vi would take him to the store. He saw her a few weeks ago, but he already missed her.

Star opened his eyes. He especially missed her waffles.

His face flushed as his stomach grumbled.

"You're hungry?" Cyan smiled. "Is there anything special you'd like to eat? You haven't had a proper breakfast yet."

"Waffles..."

"Let's let Honey walk," Cyan said as she put the puppy on the ground. "I think she'll enjoy it."

Honey happily barked at Cyan.

***

When they got home, Alastair kicked his shoes off. His head was aching again.

She pointed to the couch. "Take it easy. I'll get your waffles, alright?"

Alastair's terminal turned on. "En is calling you, Master."

"Please answer it."

"Hey, Atty," En said, "Noah wants to talk to you."

"I miss you..." the little boy said.

Alastair smiled. "I miss you, too, Cub."

"Did we wake you up?" Noah asked.

"No, I was awake." Alastair furrowed his eyebrows. "Why?"

"You sound tired..."

He smiled. "My head hurts, but I'm okay."

"I wish I was there to make you feel better..."

"I have a puppy for a teddy bear."

"A puppy?" Noah asked.

Alastair pulled Honey into his lap. "Her name is Honey!"

Noah laughed. "Will you take a picture of her?"

"Uh..." How could he do that with one hand?

His eyes lit up. "Ramona, take a picture of Honey."

The screen detached from the terminal. There was a flash and a click.

He then texted the picture to En.

"Oh, yeah. Ame took me to a place called Degaro! They had bears. Sorry I couldn't get you one."

Noah giggled. "That's okay." There was a pause. "Oh, yeah! I saw some cats that reminded me of you!"

The pictures came in through the terminal. They were all of fat cats sleeping.

Alastair said, "Noah..."

"They were all lazy too!" En called out.

Electricity pooled in Alastair's cheeks. "I'm not lazy!"

"Oh, yeah?" En asked. "Why aren't you done with your mission yet? Noah's been worried sick about you."

"En too!" Noah said.

"I haven't!"

Noah sighed. "Ask the puppy for a kiss for me."

Honey licked his cheek.

"Why haven't you been working?" En asked.

"My head hurts and my arm is broken... I can't work..."

Noah gasped. "Eh? You hurt your arm?"

"You went ahead and hurt yourself first thing, didn't you, Bonehead?" En shouted.

"En..."

"Shut up! You know nothing!" Alastair hung up.

Alastair pulled Honey into his arms and buried his face into her fur, soaking it. Why wasn't En working? He was the genius, meanwhile, he was the failure who could never amount to anything.