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A touching tale of friendship in the strangest of places. |
| [Introduction]
Set in the year 1995, this is the story of 12-year-old Henry Bowman, just your average American Pre-teen boy. He's not exactly a popular kid, with most of his peers ignoring him at best, or outright bullying him at worst. While on a campout in the woods near his backyard, he gazes up at the stars, wishing he had a friend for company. And that's where our story really begins, as his wish is granted! Just not in the way he expected. Thus, a lifelong friendship of galactic proportions is born!
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| Henry lay atop his sleeping bag, gazing up at the countless stars that speckled across the night sky. He was lost deep in thought and reflection, mostly on how lousy his day at school had been. He had never been very popular, from kindergarten to now. He suspected it had something to do with how the other kids saw his hobbies and habits. For example, he still enjoyed watching cartoons and playing with action figures and such, when most other boys his age were starting to outgrow such things. Most of the other kids at school just ignored and avoided him, which he really didn't mind too much. What bothered him was the bullying and mocking from them. He knew they would talk about him behind his back. Call him names, the politest of which were still hurtful. As he watched the stars while they twinkled in the darkness, he saw one in particular that shined brighter than the others. Could it be, he wondered? A wishing star? He knew he was too old to believe in such childish things. But he figured, what the heck? What did he have to lose? He closed his eyes and made a wish. I wish I had a friend. One that will always stand up for me and stick with me through thick and thin. A friend that won't judge or betray me. A true friend. Suddenly, he heard a loud WHOOSH followed by a THUD and opened his eyes to see something had fallen from the sky, landing about ten feet away from where he lay. He got up and went over to see what it was, to find a small crater in the ground, with an ovoid black stone in its center. He stood there and stared for several moments, wondering if it was safe to touch the object. Then he saw the stone move slightly, and a feint noise coming from inside it. This was no stone, Henry thought. It was an egg. And it was going to hatch. |
| Henry yelped and scrambled back, nearly tripping over his own feet. “W-who said that?” he asked. There was a pause. Then a crack! ran down the egg’s surface. “Oh no,” the voice groaned again. “I landed face first...again!” The crack widened with another sharp snap, and a strange, iridescent mist began to hiss out of the seams. Henry held his breath as pieces of the eggshell flaked away, revealing something underneath something moving. “Ugh,” the voice muttered, more clearly now. “I hope this atmosphere isn’t acidic.” Henry blinked. "What?!" Then, with a final pop, the top half of the egg split open, and out tumbled a creature unlike anything Henry had ever seen even in the pages of his wildest comic books. It was small, barely the size of a puppy, with smooth, shimmery skin that seemed to shift colors like an oil slick; blues and purples and greens dancing together in fluid waves. Its head was large compared to its body, with two big, glowing yellow eyes that blinked up at him with a mix of confusion and irritation. A pair of tiny arms flailed from its sides, and a stubby tail swished behind it as it tried to get its footing. “Okay. Okay,” it said, wobbling to a stand and shaking off the last bits of shell. “Not my best entrance, but let’s be honest, this planet’s gravitational vector is rude.” Henry stared, slack jawed. The creature blinked again, its gaze meeting his. “You’re the one who made the wish, right?” it asked casually, as though that was a totally normal thing to say to a human boy in the middle of the woods. “I...what?” Henry said. “You...heard that?” “Of course I heard it. That’s literally how the Beacon works.” It held up what looked like a fin or paw no fingers, but there was a glimmering patch of bioluminescent spots that pulsed like a circuit board. “Boom. Wish received. Beacon locked. Target acquired.” Henry didn’t say anything. He wasn’t sure he could. The creature tilted its head. “Okay, you’re taking this better than most. Last time, I got hit with a broom and someone tried to name me ‘Fluffy.’” It stuck out its little arm. “Anyway, HI. I’m Zernak. But you can call me Zeke. That’s easier for, you know, primitive mammalian mouth shapes.” “Z-Zeke?” Henry stammered. “Yep! Official Friend Class Companion Model 7X. I’m here to grant your wish. And possibly eat your cereal.” Henry blinked. “Wait. You’re...my friend?” Zeke smiled or at least, made a face that looked like a smile. “Your best friend, buddy. You wished for one, and the stars delivered.” Henry’s mouth finally curled into a tiny, stunned grin. “This...this is crazy.” “Correction: this is awesome,” Zeke said, doing a little somersault off a nearby log and landing in a crouch. “And the real adventure? Just started.” |
| Henry couldn't believe this! "Is this real?" He said to himself out loud "Am I dreaming?" Zeke gave that strange little smile again. "Nope! You're wide awake! I'm as real as the air you're breathing right now!" Henry bent down to touch Zeke, just to be sure he wasn't hallucinating. The small dragon felt scaly as he expected, yet strangely warm as well. "Now that we've established my existence, how about a sleepover? It was a long trip for me in those few seconds it took to get here, and I'm feeling rather tired from it." Zeke asked. "Um...sure. Okay." Henry said, still unable to believe what had just happened. "But before we do that, I have a few questions to ask." "No problem, buddy! Ask away!" "Where did you come from, exactly?" |
| "Well, to be honest, rocket science would be easier to explain," said Zeke. "However, a combination of your imagination and another universe would be the simplest way to describe it." "Meaning?" Henry asked. "I come from a universe that runs on imagination, especially that of children, and fantasy/sci-fi writers and artists," said Zeke. "Basically, if you think that I can do something, I can do it. If you think that I got the strength of ten strongmen, I got the strength of ten strongmen. If you think that I'm just a cuddly snuggle-bug, I'm a cuddly snuggle-bug. If you want me to be the size of a house, I'll be the size of a house. If you think that you'll be safe inside my belly when I'm bigger, you'll be safe inside my belly. If you think that it functions like a jacuzzi, there will be plenty of relaxing bubbles. Then there's all the other things, but we'll wait until like the 11th grade, or better yet, after 12th grade Graduation, to explore some of those sorts of things." "What sorts of things?" Henry asked. "I said we'll have to wait until 11th grade for those, and that's all I'll say about them," said Zeke. "Otherwise, I could end up in serious trouble, the kind where you will not be able to remember me, and that would be for your safety." "Oh, okay," said Henry. "So, what are you interested in?" Zeke asked. |
| Henry sat cross legged in front of Zeke, the firelight flickering off the small dragon's shifting, shiny scales. Everything about this moment felt like it was plucked straight out of a dream, or maybe one of those old adventure movies he liked to watch on weekend afternoons. Except it was real. He was real. Henry hesitated at the question. “I...I don’t know. I mean, I like a lot of stuff. Cartoons, superheroes, old monster movies...I draw sometimes, too. I’ve got this sketchbook back in my room. It’s full of, like, made up characters and creatures. Some with laser eyes. One has a sword made of fire.” He looked away for a second, sheepish. “Other kids think it’s kinda dumb.” Zeke’s yellow eyes widened in mock horror. “Dumb?! Buddy, that’s gold tier creativity! That’s exactly the kind of thing that fuels the Corestream in my dimension. Those drawings? Those ideas? They matter. A lot more than you know.” Henry smiled a little, feeling warmth swell in his chest that wasn’t from the campfire. “Tell you what,” Zeke continued, curling his tail around himself like a cat. “If you get your sketchbook. I could, you know...bring one of them to life. Just a little. For practice. For science.” “You...you could do that?” Henry said. Zeke gave a nonchalant shrug. “If you can imagine it, I can animate it.” Henry sprang to his feet. “Okay! Stay here. I’ll be right back!” He tore across the yard toward the house, sneakers pounding the grass. Zeke watched him go, his glowing eyes twinkling with amusement. A few minutes later, Henry returned with a slightly battered spiral bound sketchbook in his arms. He dropped to his knees and flipped it open to a page filled with pencil lines and scribbles. “This one,” he said, jabbing a finger at a crude but clearly lovingly drawn creature: a towering, lion headed robot with wings made of lightning bolts and shoulder mounted rocket launchers. At the top of the page was the name: Volteon LX. “Oh ho ho! Now we’re talkin’,” Zeke said, hopping closer. “Permission to initiate temporary summon protocol?” “Uh...yeah. Sure. Permission granted?” Zeke placed one paw on the page. A shimmer of blue light spread across the paper like ripples on a pond. Then, BZZZZZAAAAP! From the ground beside them, a transparent, glowing version of Volteon LX. rose up ten feet tall, flickering like a hologram. It let out a low mechanical growl, flexing its claws and flaring its energy wings. Henry’s jaw dropped. “Whoa...” Zeke stood proudly. “He’ll only last a few minutes. Just a projection. But one hundred percent based on your imagination.” Henry laughed in pure wonder. “This is amazing! You’re amazing!” Zeke puffed up slightly. “I know.” Volteon LX. turned its gaze toward Henry, then saluted. Henry saluted back, unable to stop grinning. Zeke nudged him gently. “Told ya. You’re not alone anymore.” |
| "I've also invented something you're going to love: book juice!" Zeke cried. "Why spend hours reading a book when you can drink the book instead?" "Meaning?" Henry said. "I've squeezed the contents of books into juice form," Zeke explained. "Drink it, and you'll know it." "Any side effects?" Henry asked. "It would be very dangerous to drink the whole glass at once," Zeke warned. "I'd like to try it," Henry said. Zeke held up a pitcher of book juice and poured Henry a glass. |
| Henry took a sip of the juice and waited for a moment. "Tastes kind of...fruity?" Suddenly he was spouting various phrases he had never heard before, nor knew what they meant. "Romeo, Romeo, Where art thou Romeo? To be or not to be? That is the question! Something wicked this way comes! All's well that ends well." This went on for several minutes, before he finally stopped, catching his breath. "What was that?" He asked Zeke, dumbfounded. "The complete works of William Shakespeare. I probably should have given you something more suited to a kid your age, but hey, now when you hit high school you'll be ahead of the other students in English class! Anyway, as I said before, I'm awfully tired from the trip here. We can have plenty more fun tomorrow, but for now, how about some sleep?" The projection of Volteon LX was starting to fade, and Henry hadn't realized how late it actually was. "Okay. See you in the morning, then." Henry climbed into his sleeping bag, with Zeke curling up at his feet. It wasn't long before the two of them drifted into slumber, dreaming of all the excitement they could have come morning. |
| When Henry woke up, he found himself looking at a strange lizard. "What in the world?" |
| The lizard stared back at Henry, blinking slowly. It had bright green scales, orange speckles down its back, and a wide, contented grin. It was perched right on Henry’s chest, sunning itself in the morning light that filtered through the trees. Henry yelped and scrambled upright, causing the lizard to leap from his chest and land on a nearby log with a plop. “Whoa, calm down!” the lizard said. Henry froze. “You can talk?!” he shouted. “Of course I can talk. It’s me, Zeke!” the lizard said, puffing out its chest proudly. “New form. Pretty snazzy, right?” Henry blinked at him. “Zeke? You turned into a...lizard?” Zeke looked down at himself. “Well, technically a Solaran Leafskipper. They’re common shapeshift forms from my realm. Takes less energy to maintain than my full dragon buddy mode. Plus, I can absorb UV light and snack on moss. Efficient and eco-friendly!” Henry rubbed his eyes. “I thought last night was a dream. But...no, you’re still here.” Zeke waddled closer. “Not going anywhere, my friend. We’ve got a lot of adventures ahead of us. But first, breakfast. I may be powered by imagination and starlight, but you? You need actual food. You got any of those circle cake things with syrup?” “You mean pancakes?” “Yes! Those!” Zeke said, his little lizard tongue flicking excitedly. “Let’s go get some and I’ve got more book juice brewing. Today’s flavor: ‘A Beginner’s Guide to Mechanical Engineering.’ Or we could go with ‘The Wizard's Encyclopedia of Elemental Spells and Summoning.’ Your pick.” Henry shook his head, grinning. “Let’s maybe stick to comic books for today.” “Excellent choice. Tastes like root beer,” Zeke said, hopping up onto Henry’s shoulder. “Now, onward to syrupy sustenance!” As they made their way back to the house, Henry felt a lightness he hadn’t known in a long time. Yesterday he’d wished for a friend. And today? Today, he had one. A weird, shapeshifting, book juice making, imagination fueled best friend. The kind of friend who promised a life that would never be boring again. |
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