"Science fiction is totally better!"

"What? Are you stupid?"

At the back of the hospital, a little playground was fenced in. Two young boys had the place to themselves as the dying sunlight shone upon them—spring's breeze occasionally becoming cooler each time it came.

Rodent was kneeling on the cement, hands colourful from different kinds of chalk, as he drew a dragon on the ground.

"Stupid is wanting to go to some medieval time of swords and magic and not much more." Rocket hunched forward and leaned heavily into his little walker. "That's all fantasy is! Princess. Sword. Big evil. End story." His head fell to the side, the gesture twitchy and long. "Science fiction? You have spaceships, all kinds of weapons and gadgets, whole planets to explore—way more possibilities!"

"But science stuff is boooooring!" Rodent said from over his shoulder and finished with his dragon. He sat on his knees and appreciated his drawing—a stick figure fighting a stick dragon. "Fantasy stuff is so much cooler! Being a hero! Seeing awesome places! Fighting bad guys! Getting a legendary sword!"

"But what good is a legendary sword?" Rocket asked as his head struggled to become upright again. "It can cut through anything? Through evil, darkness, magic, maybe? Seal away a great threat? Stuff like that?" He leaned his head back as much as he could and allowed the best singular laugh he was capable of. "In science fiction, I would have a spaceship that could blast an electric cannon at the threat."

His head rolled forward. "And I would have an energy rapier along with my blaster. I'd be overpowered!"

"And dressed in dumb space outfits." Rodent placed the chalk back in its bucket. "And space worlds g."

"Are you kidding?" Rocket fired back, slowly moving his walker forward to come in front of the bucket. "Anything can be on those planets! All kinds of life and places to explore! You have gear, gadgets, and anything you can think of to help you along!"

Rocket chuckled. "Of course, you would just like to be overpowered, and do all those kinds of things naturally."

Rodent nodded at his friend. "I mean, jumping super high and slashing down a sword on a giant is way cooler than just using a jetpack to get to places."

"You'd still have to use gear in your fantasy stories," Rocket fired back. He started to let go of his walker, which caused Rodent to stand and provide a hand to his friend's lower back, helping him sit on the ground with him. "Like a grappling hook. Or bottles to store stuff during your adventures."

Rodent lowered his friend to the ground and then sat beside him, scratching the back of his head, thinking about it. "But that stuff sounds cooler."

"Hmm." Rocket started to nod and smile, the two boys staring ahead over the trees at the orange descending sun behind them, enjoying the moment together. "Y'know… now that I think about it… the two are kind of alike."

Rodent blinked and looked to his side. "How do you mean?"

"Well… think about it! We're not all that different." Rocket struggled to raise an arm, a cracking sound following the movement, his hand resting on Rodent's shoulder. "I want to ride around in a spaceship, and you want to explore on a horse. We're both still just after adventure, right?"

Rodent slowly started to nod along. "Y-Yeah."

"There'll be different kinds of life on my planets just like there'll be different kinds of life on your fantasy world." Rocket smiled, squeezing Rodent's shoulder… weakly, hardly. "You'll have cool places, and I'll have cool places. We both want the same thing, too."

Rodent blinked. "What's that?"

"To… have a good time!" Rocket weakly cheered, rocking and pulling away from Rodent, seeming shrivelled as he sat alone. "It must be more fun, right? Engaged in some kind of plot. Going to places you've never been before. Knowing that you can make a difference, do something, and help… instead of always being the one that's helped."

Rodent silently looked at his friend and did not have it in himself to smile, not until Rocket looked his way and he was forced to put one up, a big, large one that showed teeth and was usually enough to fool others. In holding that kind of smile, Rodent could usually fool himself.

"You don't have to smile like that around me, Rodent."

Rodent tilted his head down, confused.

"I understand you need to be strong… but I'm your friend." Rocket held Rodent's gaze and smiled a small, accepting, genuine smile. "And a friend is someone you don't always have to smile around." He gave a slow, weak nod. "In fact, it would make me feel better if I saw something other than a smile—it would let me know that you trust me that much."

Rodent, sitting there still with his broad smile, struggled and fought to shrink it… but it wobbled and mostly held. Even when he was neutral, he was smiling, unable to get it away.

"I see." Rocket nodded and looked forward. "It's in your nature to smile even when you don't want to." He hummed… and allowed the moment to be what it was. "There's something great about you, Rodent. Y'know that?"

"Great? But… I'm nobody." Rodent shook his head. Something wet stung the corner of his eyes. "I'm just happy to hang around you guys! There's nothing special about me. I'm not like you guys."

"Heh-ha… w-who says… y-you have to be special… to be special?" Rocket grinned, looking up to see a plane flying across the sky. He locked onto it and thought of the realities that would never be. "I'm amazed with planes. Thomas was amazed by weapons. But you? You're amazed by everything!"

Rodent's mouth was open before he spoke. "But… how does that make me special?"

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"Because it's easy to be amazed by the amazing stuff!" Rocket replied as he looked back at Rodent. "But it takes a special person to be amazed by all the plain, ordinary stuff. You don't want wealth or talent or fame or anything like that. All you want is the stuff that happens every day."

Looking at the ground, Rodent still held his smile, even as a tear leaked from his eyes. “I-I… j-just… w-wanna spend more time… w-with you guys…”

Rocket smiled at that, looking at the sky and not at his friend, all so his lack of gaze would allow Rodent to stop smiling, who crossed his arms before his face and buried his face between his raised legs, crying into him.

Rocket kept on speaking to fill the silence.

"In science fiction… weapons, vehicles, and gadgets are made from humanity's peak intelligence. And sure… maybe some of those require a higher calibre of a person to use them… but still… anyone could pick 'em up and use them."

Rocket watched as the plane left his view and left only the setting sun, which was minutes away from leaving the sky. The light was already replaced by dimness and the chill of the coming night. Despite his frail body, he did not shiver and remained ready to embrace the change.

"But in your stories? The ones with the legendary sword? One has to prove themselves worthy of the sword to inherit its power and to use it justly." Rocket lowered his head. "Most heroes prove it through various trials and challenges to prove themselves. But you? You'd go about the whole thing differently."

Rodent had cried and silently sobbed enough to get it out of his system. Wiping his eyes and composing himself, he pulled out between his arms. "I wouldn't be worthy of a sword like that."

He deflated. "I'm not strong enough. Wise enough. Good enough." He sighed. "A real hero should have it. Me? I'd... just be back up."

"You place too much responsibility on the hero." Rocket looked over at his friend and smiled. "At the end of the day, that hero isn't perfect. They won't always swing the sword well—or when to swing it, how to swing it, and upon who they should swing it at."

Rodent blinked.

"And sometimes… most of the time… there is no hero when there needs to be one…" Rocket looked directly into his friend's eyes. "And you know better than anyone how pointless it is to wait for one." He smiled a big, large smile, meant to spark a fire in those who gazed at it. "You knew you weren't good enough to be the hero that this hospital needs… but that didn't stop you from trying anyway, did it?"

Rodent actually looked down and had no words.

"You could have done nothing… not tried to cheer us up… not mess with the doctors when they were being mean… not listen to us as we go on and on about stuff you don't understand." Rocket struggled and crawled over to his friend, losing his breath at just raising his hand—lifting his friend's chin. "But you do it anyway. Even if you're the right or the wrong person it—if you're strong or not strong enough for it. You just do it. It's programmed into you."

Rodent hated relying on his friend's failing strength to raise his head… but did not have the strength at that moment to raise it himself.

"And the truth is… nobody starts off good enough… they all struggle as they throw themselves at it… failing and correcting and figuring it out and going forward… even if they are a great fool." Rocket pulled his hand and leaned back, cracking sounding again, though Rodent held himself upright this time. "Sure. Some people have better potential or abilities than others. But that's them. Not you."

Rodent slowly started to nod.

"And you play the best kind of fool, Rodent." Rocket leaned back, and within his soul, suddenly felt very weak. "The kind that tries even though he knows he'll fail. The one that does it anyway even when there is no point. People mock you for it. But they also respect it, too—someone who is doing something regardless of it all."

Rocket looked ahead. "And if there was a legendary sword… I'm sure it would pick up on all of that… it would see a different kind of potential in you… even if all you were doing was searching for its proper hero." Rocket returned to his normal, small smile. "I think you, as you are, can make a difference. There is but one thing holding you back."

Rodent blinked. "W-What is that, R-Rocket?"

"You have to think yourself worthy, Rodent." Rocket looked at him a final time. "No matter what it is, regardless of how beyond you it is… you have to believe that you are worthy. Maybe not now—but eventually, you will be." Rocket nodded. "Once you believe, you'll start to mould into someone who is worthy, and regardless of what people call you or say, it's only those who truly believe in themselves that make a difference."

Rodent smiled at that, a genuine smile, as he nodded and looked forward, seeing that the sun had dropped and that night had come. In the darkness, the boy found his voice again, as coarse as it was, able to speak from his soul once more. "I… hope that we get to go on our adventures, someday."

Rocket didn't reply.

"That one day, I'll be on a horse in a fantasy world, on some cool landscape that seems mystical, with a legendary sword or something on my back." Rodent chuckled. "Really, I'd just be happy to be there, but being a little important would be nice."

Rocket didn't speak.

"But I hope that, as I'm in the middle of my adventure, out of the sky, a ship descends, and you step out of it." Rodent started to get excited the more he discovered and spoke about the idea. "You and I would have so much to catch up on. Then... we'd realize we're on the same kind of quest, and we'd have to help each other—like some kind of crossover!"

Rocket didn't say anything.

"Wouldn't that be cool, Rocket?"

Rocket didn't move.

"Rocket?"

----------------------------------------

Night had fallen over Forcona, and the man on the rock grumbled and rolled in his sleep.

Darkness stole over the sky and the ground, and the water in the scattered pools and ponds became black and thick, with tendrils reaching out and latching onto the land itself.

Deskar moved in bunches across the landscape, which was mostly already devoured, all the tides moving toward the stone surface where the man slept.

Stopping just before it, the Deskar remained, either warded off or being tested… something which held them still.

But seconds later, the Deskar was able to move forward, a force on its surface pushing it back, but most of the density pushed forward, onto the rock, climbing and moving across it to the man. The force on its surface became stronger, but the man, still asleep and whispering the name 'Rocket,' was drawing the Deskar close to him.

And soon, it would be upon him, surrounding him with no escape… when suddenly… down by his hand… his ring started to glow. A white twinkle of light shone, and the Deskar vibrated and spread and dispelled, nearly burning as it moved back and away from the rock, clearing it and remaining clear of the other rocks, as it spread throughout the area—the waterfalls of Deskar still pouring and falling to unknown areas.

But Rodent still struggled in his sleep, slowly coming to as the light faded from his ring, coming to go away once he awoke—groaning from the pain of sleeping on a rock. He sat up slowly and carefully and was gentle as he twisted, stretched, and came awake.

Looking around him, he saw the transformed place, the light that shone from him that seemed impossible, faint as it was. Around him was the low sea of Deskar that reminded him of oil. There was nothing in the sky. Nothing.

In the distance was the forest, where Deskar poured greatly from, gravity making no sense at its high level, the liquid moving as it liked as it poured off the plateau.

Rodent came to stand in this weird place and state, not feeling anything in his chest or heart but knowing his next destination. Looking at the sky, he couldn't help but speak to it.

"No chance you'll touch down anytime soon, Rocket?"