The Wanderer

What You Have Is What You Need

"Asteria, who's this?" Lloyd asked curiously as he looked through my photo album. We were currently at my apartment, sitting on the couch as he was leaning on the coffee table.

Indie and Scout were playing. "Hm?" I asked and looked over seeing a picture of me as a child and someone with blue skin holding me but the camera seemed to have fallen in the picture so it only took a photo of me and half of the person's body.

"Uh, I'm...Not sure." I replied as I held the blue gem necklace I had around my neck.

"Argh..." the boy frowned face planting into the table. He glanced up at me "Are you okay Asteria?" He asked.

"What do you mean?" I asked with a perplexed look on my face.

"How are you dealing with losing your memory? Are you lonely? The others and I are here for you just in case.." he fussed worrying about me.

"What? Of course I'm not lonely. I have my pets, my friends and you. When I met you, I could relate to you. I feel a connection...And here, I can be myself and be accepted. I might never get my memories back but I can at least make new ones" I explained to Lloyd and smiled. I looked back at the pictures.

"I feel nothing for these photos as they are from another time, place and version of myself. If my memories never come back then that is how it will remain. They hold no connection to where I am or what I'm doing now" I told Lloyd looking into his eyes with a smile "I am sitting here with you now and there is no point worrying about the past when I have you and Jay to look after."

Lloyd's eyes softened as he held back tears. He put my album down running into my embrace wrapping his arms around my shoulders. I returned the hug and gently smiled.

When he pulled away he had a determined look as he wiped his eyes. "There's no trouble trying to remember at least something" he told me "Something will come back especially if you're around a familiar place or items."

He got to his feet dragging me out the front door. "You have pictures of books and comics in your album. You might have liked reading!" He explained.

"Let's go to the bookstore and then head back to the penthouse since the ninja will be home by the time we get back."

~~~

"Thank you for the new issue of Starfarer Asteria" Lloyd smiled at me clutching the comic to his chest bursting with excitement to sit down and read.

"You were jumping up and down when you saw it" I replied chuckling a bit when I saw his eyes sparkle when he saw the new volume.

I got myself a book as well. It was a manga book, my eyes sparkled in slight excitement as I stared at it.

"Lloyd!" I heard the others shout as Lloyd and I arrived at the penthouse, walking through the door. The four pulled us both into a group hug practically squeezing us to death.

"You both are okay!" Kai exclaimed with a delighted smile. "Guys, put us down-" I said.

"Oh, sorry...-" Cole said and they all set Lloyd and I down. "What happened?" Lloyd asked.

"We go away for a day and everything falls apart..." Nya stated aloud shaking her head at the four but smiled. I tilted my head slightly.

"I guess we learned we don't need all the fancy stuff, we just need each other" Kai stated aloud wholeheartedly.

Sensei Wu asked raising an eyebrow "You want us to help you clean up?"

Kai smirked gesturing to the messy room "Well we are a team."

Sensei Wu turned away looking at Nya "Nya I think its time for another road trip."

"Let us come with!" Lloyd added in already half out the door dragging me along trying to get out of cleaning the other's mess.

Cole stepped forward "Hold on, I got a better idea..."

~~~

"Woah, this looks...Amazing." Cole said as he set down a box, admiring my apartment.

Jay and Kai were carrying a large chest inside when Indie knocked into them while running around. This caused Jay to drop the large heavy object right on Kai's foot. Kai yelped crying out loud as he held his foot in pain. I snickered slightly at the scene.

"Woah is that another dog?!" My brother exclaimed and Indie sat down. I smiled "Sure is. Her name's Indie."

"Aw she's so cute" Nya smiled.

~~~

I yawned softly as I sat on my bed in a black short sleeved shirt and gray sweatpants. I sighed and layed on my bed on my back with Scout and Indie curled up on the floor, asleep. I smiled softly and looked up at the ceiling.

I felt my eyes soften and soon closed, falling asleep slowly into a dream.

~~~

"Dad?..." I asked in my dream, I was my young four year old self. "Hm?" He asked and looked down at me, his skin was a kind of blue color but his face was darkened as I couldn't tell who he was.

"Am I ugly?" I asked and my dad frowned. He bent down and picked me up in his arms "No of course not. Just because you don't have Hypnobrai skin doesn't make you ugly, Asteria."

"I love you for who you are. You're my daughter." He booped my nose.

I giggled softly and smiled. I felt everything start to fade away like nothing...like something fake or unreal.

~~~

I opened my eyes moving my muscles sorely as I picked up my discarded book that was still open in my hand. I raised an eyebrow, how did it get in my hand?

My mind trailed back to the weird but short dream. The blue skin man from the pictures made an appearance and the dream version of myself called him dad. However there's no evidence that he could be my father since my mind always plays tricks on the person.

Running my hand through my short black hair I couldn't comprehend if any of it could have been something from my fractured memories. My forehead grew warm from either thinking or the dream itself gave me a headache.

I thought about the conversation I had with Lloyd earlier. I have no qualms if my memories return on their own. However I don't feel the current need to search them out when there is more important matters.

One question is sticking in the back of my mind forming from sheer curiosity.

"Where is that man now?"

~~~

Author's Edit: Oct 11, 2023

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