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2025-04-29
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2025-09-16
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Worlds Apart

Summary:

When Wander leaves during The Rider, he never meets Fredrick or hears his sage advice, and concludes that Sylvia doesn't want him around anymore and he was just getting in her way, so he heads off on his own. Sylvia escapes, naturally, but isn't sure what to say to Wander after how she treated him, or even where to find him to apologize. Meanwhile, Ryder, still stuck in Hater's prison, takes the opportunity to make a deal with him to deliver what the overlord really wants...

Notes:

This story has been bumbling around in my head for a while, ever since I first saw The Rider actually, but lately I’ve been thinking about it more, and I felt like I really wanted to start writing it in earnest. And yes, I know I have several other stories on the go. I will absolutely still be updating them. I just need another outlet for when the creative obsession strikes lol.

This is essentially a rewrite of the ending of The Rider, which changes a couple of things. Wander never encountered Fredrick and his sage advice, and decided to travel on his own since he believed Sylvia didn’t want him around anymore and he was just getting in her way now she’d found Ryder again. In addition, Once Hater arrives at his storage station to find Sylvia and Ryder captured, Ryder will offer him an intriguing proposition to get what he really wants.

Let’s see how it all plays out!

Fredrick must have been asleep that day…

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Chapter 1: The Choices

Chapter Text

Worlds Apart
Chapter 1: The Choices

 

With a final sigh, Wander stood from the edge of the crater he’d been sitting on, glancing around the mist-shrouded landscape.

Despite his attempts at convincing himself he didn’t mind if Sylvia wanted to travel with Ryder instead of him, he still felt a dull kind of sadness clinging to him.

This wasn’t the first time he’d had to say ‘goodbye’ to a friend. It seemed like it happened as regularly as breathing with all the planets he visited and the friends he made, and there had always been a few people he met that he was sad to leave when it was time to move on. The traveling life wasn’t for everyone, and he’d long ago gotten used to wandering alone with only his hat for company. The goodbyes had sometimes made him sad, but he was always able to look happily towards new planets and new friends, and those he left always held a special place in his heart. It had never hit him this hard.

But that had been before Sylvia.

Sylvia had been the first person he’d met who’d wanted to travel with him. He hadn’t really expected her to back when he’d offered, but she had, and they’d had such a wonderful time together. They’d seen so many planets and helped so many people, and she’d had fun with him, he knew she had. But it seemed like she was having a little more fun with Ryder.

Wander shook his head, not liking where that thought led.

He didn’t want to get in the way of her fun, didn’t want to keep forcing her travel with him and help others if it wasn’t what she wanted to do. He could tell she hadn’t wanted to exclude him, and that was why she’d tried her hardest to give him little things to do, and grabbed him when he got distracted to make sure he wasn’t left behind.

He’d gone along with the two of them, and tried to help, even though what they were doing did seem a little dishonest, even though he knew it was for a good cause, but it seemed like he hadn’t been much help. Sylvia and Ryder had known what they were doing and understood each other perfectly, and Wander had found himself always several steps behind, even when he was trying his hardest.

But he’d still gone along with it. Sylvia deserved to have some excitement. He didn’t want her to be feeling bored all the time while they traveled. Traveling and helping others was supposed to be fun. And he’d thought this was a one-time adventure, that the two of them would help Ryder to return all the stolen items, and then they’d part ways again, but the more in sync she and Ryder had gotten, and the more apparent it became how useless Wander was to the two of them, the more worry had plucked at his insides.

Because Sylvia was enjoying herself. She hadn’t been nearly this excited about helping Mr. and Mrs. Brittle with their new house, or even interested in the idea of paying poor Barry a visit on his birthday, even though he was only going to turn thirty once and he deserved to feel special. Moreover, Sylvia was clearly starting to get frustrated with him when he tried to help. She’d clearly been disappointed with how he was acting, and wanted him to be more like Ryder, but Wander didn’t think he could do that. It was nice that Ryder was going to help get the treasures back for everyone they’d been stolen from, but his methods of doing it just rubbed Wander the wrong way. He didn’t think he could act the way Ryder did, and he didn’t think he wanted to.

But it still hurt that he couldn’t help Sylvia, couldn’t be useful the way she wanted him to. He didn’t want her to have to put up with him when all he kept doing was getting in their way, didn’t want to become a mill-stone around her neck. You couldn’t have a friendship if you weren’t free to change your mind, or go your own way. Sylvia shouldn’t have to force herself to go his way if it wasn’t making her happy. She should be free to have adventures with her old partner if that was what she wanted, even if those adventures were a tad violent and inconsiderate from where he was standing.

He hadn’t really thought about all of that while everything was going on, but he supposed it must have been somewhere in the back of his head as he ran after the two of them and banged around in the spaceship as it hurtled through the void.

And when she finally stopped noticing that he’d been left behind, Wander had known it was time to go.

Tennis shoes planted flat on the bare rock of the small planet he’d been thinking on, Wander took one last look at Hater’s storage station, far away now and almost indistinguishable from the stars, and he hoped his best friend was having fun, hoped she was doing good her own way and enjoying her adventure.

Then he straightened his hat, made himself an orble and started walking.

 

Sylvia wondered where Wander was now.

She still wasn’t entirely sure when she’d lost track of him; sometime between executing a crazy maneuver with the ship and rushing down the corridors of the storage station in search of the treasure room.

When she had noticed, she should have gone back for him. She shouldn’t have shrugged off her unease in the face of Ryder’s callous attitude. She should have thought about what Wander would have done. He would never have just left her behind in a dangerous place, and certainly not to fulfill some selfish desire to get rich. And she should have seen that was all it was. When had Ryder ever cared about helping others, or about returning anything to its rightful place?

She felt naïve and stupid. The old her would have seen right through that act. Though, then again, the old her probably would have been backing him up regardless.

Somehow, she always managed to fall for Ryder’s lines and stories, and had always gone along with his scams, even when she’d experienced him turning on her more than once when it was convenient.

And it was all because she’d wanted action, adventure, or at least that’s what she’d told herself. She and Wander went on lots of adventures together, and there were enough villains they ended up stopping and running from that she had her fair share of action, even if they sometimes had more quiet days helping little animals or setting up soup kitchens, and those lulls could be somewhat frustrating. It might have also been the content of her and Wander’s adventures she’d been objecting to. Wander was always focused on helping others; too focused, she’d often felt. They were always the ‘good guys’ and maybe she hadn’t been as used to that as she’d thought. She’d missed that devil-may-care attitude and all the hair-raising schemes she used to get caught up in. She’d been so excited to go on a rip-roaring, action-packed chase after a legendary treasure she’d ignored what was right in front of her.

And she’d gotten so caught up in it she’d started ignoring her best friend.

She hoped to Almighty Glorn the little guy was alright.

She was pretty sure he wasn’t on the storage station anymore. The watchdogs who worked here had been stationed in this isolated outpost for a long time and didn’t seem to have encountered her and Wander before. She wondered absently if that was why they were so efficient. In any case, it didn’t seem like he’d been caught, or he’d probably be locked up down here with her and Ryder, waiting until Lord Hater arrived, as she was sure he would once he found out who’d been messing with his treasures.

And she probably shouldn’t be just waiting here until then.

The only problem was, if she did get out, she didn’t know where to go.

She’d let Wander down, dragged him into danger over and over, and not to help anyone or take down a villain, but just to line the pockets of a crook like Ryder. It was true that wasn’t what she’d thought they were doing, but that excuse didn’t sit right with her. She knew Ryder. She should have guessed.

But even worse than that, she’d been frustrated with Wander, annoyed because he was getting in the way of her fun. She’d gotten impatient with him, scolded him for doing his thing and helping others, and finally left him behind. She’d let the only person who’d ever seen the good in her just wander away.

If she broke out and went to find him, what could she say after all of that?

Sylvia’s ears perked up as she heard Ryder’s voice from the cell next to hers. He was asking one of the guards to speak to Hater again, hoping to make a deal. Her eyes narrowed.

She hated the fact that she’d ever been like him, selfish and cruel and trying to take advantage of everyone she’d run across. And she hated even more that just running into him again had caused all of this; made her fall back into her old ways at the drop of a hat, made her cheat and steal. And possibly made her lose her best friend.

The guard rounded the corner, out of sight.

Sylvia peered through the bars, waiting until he must be a good distance away, then she gripped two of them and wrenched. At first, there was no movement, and she set herself again, braced her feet and pulled with all her might. With a scream of metal, the bars bent, then snapped, and she was left holding the two pieces in her hands. She dropped them on the stone floor with a clang.

She slipped through the new hole in time to catch Ryder gaping at her from his cell. He coughed, expression suddenly morphing into that familiar, confident smirk.

“Nice work, Syl, knew I could count on you. Now, get me out and let’s blow this snaggle stand!”

Sylvia didn’t answer. Whatever she decided to do once she was out, she was through listening to him.

She heard him calling after her for the whole length of the cellblock still convinced that she was going to come back for him, and somehow, it still hurt to block him out.

But probably not nearly as much as Wander was hurting, wherever he was.

 

“Well, thief, I hear you’ve been wanting to see me.” Lord Hater looked casually down at his gloved claws, pretending to examine his nails, barely glancing at the oulaw in his cell. “If you want to plead for mercy, go ahead, but you already lost the chance for a slightly less painful death, and I’m far too busy to enjoy your desperate sniveling for more than a few minutes.”

He let his gaze rove over the prisoner then, and found himself surprised to see neither fear nor defiance, but instead, a rather knowing sneer. It made him feel somewhat unsettled and his eye ridges lowered in a frown.

“I’ll bet I know something that’s keeping you busy,” Ryder said, leaning against the bars. “Maybe a certain orange twerp and the zbornak he travels with?”

Hater glared, not liking the alien’s tone.

“What’s your point?” he growled.

“Well, we were all working together to steal your treasure. But the little guy must’ve gotten cold feet and split, and then Syl decided to ditch me once we’d gotten caught. Point is, I bet you’d like to catch them way more than you want me, and I know them and, at least according to the furry toothpick, I’m Sylvia’s best friend. If you let me out, I could catch ‘em for you, for a price of course.”

Hater felt intrigued in spite of himself. After all, every bounty hunter he’d hired to capture Wander and Sylvia had failed, but some of them had gotten pretty close, and if what Ryder said was true, it might be the perfect way to catch his most hated enemy unawares. Still, he let his glare darken, sparks flickering around his gloved hands.

“You expect me to pay you when your pathetic attempt to steal from the Greatest Villain in the Galaxy has failed and I have you in my merciless clutches?” he demanded.

“You bet I do. And you’d better make it good. One gazillion Haterzoids; half now, half when I bring ‘em back.”

“Hmmmmm.” Hater considered. “I’ll pay you one gazillion each,” he decided, “but only once you’ve brought them to me. I’m not so foolish as to trust a proven thief.” He waved a hand, and a watchdog sprang forward to open the cell. “Now, get out of my sight, and don’t return without Wander and Sylvia, if you know what’s good for you.”

“You betcha.” Ryder rubbed his hands together, already heading for the door out of the cellblock. “Those flab-drassers won’t know what hit ‘em!”

Hater watched until the outlaw was gone, escorted off the storage station by the watchdogs, then he made his own way back to his ship. He wouldn’t hold his breath until Wander and Sylvia had been brought before him in chains, but it was certainly worth a try. He would like to see the look on Wander’s repulsive little face when their ‘friend’ turned him and the zbornak over. And if Ryder double crossed him, the outlaw would be much easier to catch than his two enemies, and catch him, Hater would.

Chapter 2: The Encounters

Notes:

Wander and Sylvia are separated, and Ryder is up to no good. Let’s dive in!

Thank you so much to everyone who commented on the first chapter! It was awesome to see what people thought of the beginning of this story. I hope you like where I take this thing, and if you’d like to send me some more feedback, I always appreciate it.

Enjoy!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Worlds Apart
Chapter Two: The Encounters

 

“Great, Sylvia, just perfect!” the zbornak ranted sarcastically to herself as she paced in circles through the mist shrouded landscape. “You let your partner just wander off into the depths of space, and you have no chance of finding which way he went! It’s not like orbles have an ion trail or anything you can even track.”

She sighed and slumped down on the edge of one of the craters that dotted the area. This really was a miserable little planet, but it had been the closest place once she escaped from Hater’s storage facility, and she’d thought there was a chance Wander might have stopped here to wait for her. But if he had, she supposed she’d taken too long.

That or he’d never been here at all.

It wasn’t like she’d shown any indication that she wanted to still travel with him. She’d been far too busy flinging herself head first into Ryder’s schemes. Just like the old days.

Sylvia shook her head. It didn’t do any good to dwell on all of that right now. She had no idea where Wander had gone, and she really didn’t like the idea of just picking a direction and hoping she’d get lucky. She didn’t feel all that lucky right now.

Sylvia slumped, resting her head on one hand, then straightened abruptly, suddenly aware of a looming presence behind her, as if summoned by her thought. She darted back abruptly, narrowly avoiding the clash of sideways, serrated jaws as they closed on where she’d just been. The creature was enormous, some kind of worm, or maybe another immensipede, though this one didn’t look nearly as friendly as the last they’d come across. And that was when she’d had Wander with her to make nice, something she herself wasn’t the best at.

The creature growled, and Sylvia put her fists up, growling back.

“Bring it on, you coil-y creep!” She dove forward, ducking under the terrifying jaws to give the creature a punch in the chin which knocked it back, but didn’t seem to do much damage. It snarled again, charging forward as Sylvia moved to meet it, and for a moment as they fought, Sylvia found herself completely focused on ducking blows and dishing out her own. She was swiped by the tail, bashed by the monster’s head, and almost caught by those teeth countless times. She realized suddenly she was yelling as she fought, though whether to the monster or herself, she wasn’t sure.

“That all you’ve got? You wanna eat me or something? Well too bad! I’ve had more than enough for one day what with chasing away my best friend, and you know what he’d be doing right now? He’d be telling me not to fight you! Telling me there was another way! And he’d probably find one too!” She decked the immensipede in the jaw, knocking it back again, then followed it up with a series of right and left hooks, then a kick that sent it reeling. “He’d give you a hug,” punch, “or make you a sandwich,” smack, “or talk it out somehow,” kick, and everything would be fine! But he’s not here, because of me!” She paused, panting, as the worm circled her.

“So,” she followed the monster’s circling, moving to keep her fists lined up on its head. “You’re going to back off and let me go and find him, or else when I’m finished with you, you’re going to need contact lenses like that other immensipede we ran into, and probably a nice big head brace!”

She prepared to close with the creature once more, but her opponent seemed to pause suddenly, tilting its head curiously, before pulling back.

“My my, such foul manners, and yet you do seem rather like the zbornak Clarence told me about who helped to find his missing contact lens. And it does seem like you’re having rather a difficult time, so I suppose one must make certain allowances. Aren’t you supposed to be accompanied by a little cheerful orange fellow?”

Now Sylvia blinked, straightening slightly, though she didn’t lower her fists just yet. Had that been the other immensipede’s name?

“I…yeah, we helped him out. And yeah, Wander’s…my friend’s not here right now. That’s what I was saying, about how I need to go find him.”

“I see, well then it seems I made quite a social faux pas myself by attempting to devour you. I really should learn to make introductions first.” He placed one tiny hand on his chest. “I am Fredrick, and dear Clarence is my cousin. He told me all about what a great help the two of you were to him. Our size, you know, makes it so difficult to find anything small that may have rolled somewhere inconvenient.”

The immensipede settled himself, coiling his long body around one of the craters they’d been fighting beside.

Sylvia raised an eyebrow.

“That’s it? You’re not gonna try to eat me any more? Not that I’m complaining…”

“No, no.” Fredrick waved a hand dismissively. “It would be the height of rudeness to devour someone who had done such a service to a member of my family, although I would request you refrain from such disagreeable language in our future discussions.”

“Yeah, well, people trying to eat me gets me fired up, I guess.” Sylvia lowered her fists, rather half-heartedly. She found herself sitting down as well, though still not too near the huge creature. “So, you didn’t happen to see my friend, did you? The little orange guy? I thought he might have stopped here after we…separated.”

The worm shook his head.

“Alas, I’m afraid I wouldn’t have noticed even if he had. I had quite a lie-in this morning.”

“Oh, well.” Sylvia felt her shoulders slump slightly. “Probably stupid to assume he’d be waiting.”

There was a pause for a moment, and Sylvia glanced up to find a surprisingly concerned gaze leveled her way.

“If you don’t mind my asking, how did the two of you happen to part, and on what appear to be such somber terms?” Fredrick asked. “From what Clarence told me of his encounter, you and your friend were inseparable.”

Sylvia opened her mouth to tell the worm that it was none of his business and not to worry about it, and then paused.

That would have been her normal way of handling things, and most of the time, she was pretty sure she could figure things out on her own. She didn’t like strangers butting into her business, especially when it concerned something this important. Right now, though, she wasn’t so sure. She didn’t know where to find Wander, not even where to begin, and when she did find him, what could she even say?

She looked over at the monstrous creature sitting there so calmly. He seemed genuinely concerned for her and Wander, now that he wasn’t trying to devour her, and that made her think about Wander again. He would probably have been delighted to run into Fredrick here, delighted to make a new friend, and to talk to Clarence’s cousin. She could really use someone to talk to, however strange that person was, and she knew Wander wouldn’t hesitate to trust him.

Though that was kind of a low bar when she thought about it.

“It’s…quite a long story,” she offered hesitantly.

“That’s quite alright,” Fredrick reassured. “After all, I am quite a long worm.”

That got a chuckle out of her.

“Alright,” she agreed. At the very least, talking about what had happened might help her think over the events herself, and might give her some ideas of what to do, much as she wasn’t eager to think about her selfish actions again. And she really could use some advice right now, even if it came from a giant space worm.

She took a deep breath.

“Well, I guess it started when my partner and I were helping these tiny crystal people move into a new house…”

 

“So, that’s pretty much it.” Sylvia stared out through the mist at all the nothing on this gray planet. “I escaped and here I am. I need to find Wander, but should I? If I made him feel so useless that he left without even talking to me…” she trailed off miserably.

Fredrick tapped his fingers together thoughtfully.

“It is certainly a delicate situation. It sounds as though there was a breakdown in communication between the two of you. Your friend may have thought that you wished him to leave and done so believing it was best for you.”

“Exactly!” Sylvia clenched her hands. “He’s Wander. He’d walk into a live volcano if he thought it was best for me.”

The imensipede’s eyes narrowed.

“In that case, I suppose what you need to decided is what you want to do,” he said.

“What do you mean?”

Fredrick spread his small arms.

“Do you wish to continue traveling with him? Would that make you happy? There must have been a reason why this ‘Ryder’ was so appealing to you.”

“I…” It was on the tip of Sylvia’s tongue to say that of course she wanted to travel with Wander again, but she forced herself to stop and really think about it. She owed it to him to be honest. She was quiet for a moment, thinking.

“We’re really different,” she started.

“Indeed.”

“He’s…a lot to keep up with. Like a little ball of sunshine and chaos all wrapped up together.

Fredrick nodded as a sign for her to continue.

“He can be pretty frustrating.” Sylvia felt a little twinge of guilt voicing that right now, but it was true. “He has to help everyone; everyone! Even when we’re trying to escape from deadly peril. If someone needs it, he’s just gone, no matter what consequences we face because of it. Not to mention getting completely distracted by cute things or pretty lights or junk, just when we’re trying to get somewhere.

“And, sometimes it can go the other way too.” Her voice lowered as though she were talking to herself. “We could end up spending a whole day helping some sap, and we might miss out on an amazing adventure, and he wouldn’t care, because he was ‘helping.’” She huffed out a breath. “That can get pretty frustrating too.”

“Naturally.” Fredrick sounded perfectly neutral.

“But,” her voice sunk lower to almost a whisper, “I still love being with the little goofball. And If I had to make the choice, I don’t think I’d want him to change. It’s who he is, and we would never have started traveling together if he wasn’t like that. I wouldn’t be who I am today if he didn’t try to help everyone; if he didn’t care about everyone.”

She looked up again, to find the space worm looking down almost sadly at her.

“And, even though he can be frustrating, I love traveling with him and seeing things, just the two of us. He gets so excited to show me new places or explore somewhere together. He makes me want to have adventures and see the galaxy. That’s not something I ever thought I’d want before I met him.”

She stood, her voice strengthening as she felt conviction flow through every inch of her.

“I do want stay with him. He makes me happy; happier than I think I’ve ever been before. I might not be happy about every little thing he does, but I’m happy being with him anyway. But what if he doesn’t want to travel with me anymore? What if I’ve screwed that up? I know I must have hurt him pretty badly.”

“That is possible.” Fredrick looked seriously at her. “I suppose the best thing to do is to find him and ask him yourself. From what you tell me; I am certain he will at least listen. He seems like quite a kind being, no doubt cares a great deal about you.” He stretched, long tail wriggling across the barren ground. “The two of you seem very different, but that does not have to be a bad thing. It may just take a little more communication sometimes. Remember; acknowledging your differences can sometimes lead to an even richer relationship.”

“Thanks, Fredrick.” Sylvia looked the giant immensipede over and felt a strange sense of unreality sweep across her. She almost wanted to laugh. Half an hour ago, she’d been fighting for her life against the dangerous creature, and now he was giving her some really helpful advice. And it never would have happened if Wander hadn’t insisted that they help that other immensipede find his contact lens. “I guess, all that’s left is to find him.”

Fredrick nodded.

“Good luck. I hope you are able to meet again, and do bring Wander back to visit me sometime. I would love to hear more about my dear cousin, and about your adventures. Cheerio!”

Sylvia waved as the immensipede dove back down through the crater he’d been wound around. Then she turned and looked out at the countless distant stars. Wander must be making his way toward one of them, and she was going to find him.

And then she was going to apologize, and see what she could do to repair their friendship.

 

Wander leaned back, watching the flickering flames of the campfire.

It had been a long, full day of helping folks and dodging watchdogs, they seemed quite prevalent on this planet, and he was now ready to turn in, or he should be.

But it hadn’t been as satisfying a day as it usually would have been. He’d had fun; lots of it. He’d seen some new places and made some new friends and been able to help lots of people. He’d even swung briefly by the skull-ship and left a birthday cake in Barry’s cubby. He would have delivered it in person, but it seemed like the watchdog had been out on some mission or other with Lord Hater, so at least he’d find it when he got back to the ship. All of that had been great.

But, well, he supposed he’d gotten used to doing all of those things with Sylvia.

Which wasn’t really fair to her, when he thought about it.

He’d never had a partner before he met Sylvia, never met someone who wanted to travel with him long term, except for his hat. When he’d asked Sylvia to come with him, he’d been overjoyed when she’d accepted, but at the time, he’d thought it would probably be temporary. Wander let a nomadic life, and that wasn’t something that appealed to most folks over a long period of time. He’d had friends who’d hitched a ride with him or who he’d hitched a ride with, and they would visit a few planets and have some adventures together, but eventually, they all went back to their settled lives, or found new lives elsewhere.

And that had been fine. Wander had always missed them when he had to leave, but he’d always understood. You had to take care of yourself, do what made you happy, and traveling had always been that for him. He’d never been able to linger for too long in one place before he’d get the ol’ itchy feet and have to move on.

So, he’d figured he and Sylvia would have some adventures together and she’d eventually find somewhere she wanted to be and he’d move on once again.

Only she hadn’t.

The more planets they went to and scrapes they got into and out of, the more she seemed to enjoy traveling, and the more he had enjoyed traveling with her. He loved seeing the universe, exploring and finding new and crazy experiences, and now he had someone to share all of that with, someone who was fun and smart and brave, and someone who had his back no matter what happened, even when he landed them in some pretty troubling situations.

He supposed it was bound to end eventually, but he had sort of forgotten that, and let himself get used to traveling with her.

By the time Ryder had shown up, it hadn’t even occurred to Wander that Sylvia might want to leave with the outlaw, and to be completely fair, she hadn’t told him that she wanted to. He’d just figured that out by himself.

He knew Sylvia cared about him as much as he cared about her, and he truly didn’t think she’d ever ask him to leave, even if he was in her way or was causing her and her old partner problems.

That was why he’d left on his own.

And now, here he was, traveling on his own once again.

He knew he’d be fine, eventually, and he’d felt alright today while he was occupied with his helpful deeds, even if he kept turning to talk to Sylvia or show her something only to remember once again why she wasn’t beside him. Tonight though, he felt lonely, sitting by the campfire all by himself.

And that probably was a little selfish of him. He should be happy for Sylvia wherever she was. He knew she would be having the best time and the craziest adventures. His own adventures had probably been a little too low-key for her.

Still, he wished he had someone to keep him company.

A thought occurred, and Wander smiled. He reached into his hat, pulling out his banjo and starting to tune it. The familiar twang lifted his spirits slightly and he began strumming gently. He was trying to think of something to sing, when he heard a twig crack, and a familiar figure stepped out of the trees.

“Ryder!” Wander hopped to his feet, hopeful smile stretching wide. “It’s great ta see you an’ Syl…” He trailed off. Ryder had moved forward more into the firelight now, and Wander didn’t see any sign of the familiar blue zbornak. “Where’s Sylvia?” he blurted.

Ryder rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

“We got a little separated after that awesome adventure on Hater’s storage facility. I’m gonna meet up with her later. We missed you in the action though, little guy. Wanted you to get a chance to see how we rocked that joint!”

“Really? That’s awful kind of you.” Wander shuffled his feet. “Sorry I was missin’. Was Sylvia…worried about me?”

“Eh, maybe a little.” Ryder gave Wander’s head a pat, ruffling his bangs. Then he sat down by the campfire. “Probably didn’t want you wandering around and getting captured or something,” he chuckled.

Wander sat down again as well. He felt a little at a loss. He’d wanted to let Sylvia have her freedom with her friend without getting in the way, and he’d thought the best thing to do was to leave, but maybe he shouldn’t have done that without talking to her, especially if she had been worried about him.

“D’ya think I could come with you? To meet up with her, I mean?” Wander found himself asking in a quiet voice.

“Sure you can, buddy!” Ryder winked at him and Wander felt the loneliness inside him ease a bit. At least he’d get to see Sylvia again, and maybe it would be better to talk things out. Then, if he still needed to leave, at least he’d be sure that was what she wanted.

Wander still wasn’t sure he understood Ryder’s way of doing things, but if Sylvia trusted the adventurer, that was good enough for him.

He felt a lot less lonely when he drifted off to sleep that night.

Notes:

Thanks for reading!

Hope you liked the chapter! Fredrick made an appearance after all, but to help Sylvia this time.

And Wander encountered someone slightly less friendly…

Next up is probably the next chapter for Fighting The Tide. Crossing my fingers for it, anyway!

See you soon!

Chapter 3: The Implications

Notes:

Here’s chapter three!

Sylvia and Wander have both decided they should find each other and have a talk about what happened. Wander has also had the good fortune to run into Sylvia’s old friend, or so he thinks.

Thank you so much to everyone who has been reading and commenting so far! I hope this will be a fun little story. I really appreciate all the support!

Enjoy!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Worlds Apart
Chapter Three: The Implications

 

When Wander woke up, Ryder was still asleep, rolled in a blanket by the embers of the fire. He lay curled up with the curve of it pulled over his head.

Wander smiled. It wasn’t the same as waking up beside Sylvia, but it was still nice not to be alone. Somewhere along the way he’d gotten used to traveling with a companion.

He was also feeling slightly more optimistic about everything. Ryder had said Sylvia had been worried about him, which might mean she still wanted to travel together after all. And even if she didn’t, at least he’d get to see her again before he left, and give her a proper farewell. Even if she had other things she wanted to do and they never got to see each other again, he hoped they could still be friends.

He wondered how far it was to the meeting point.

He could wake Ryder and ask him, but better to let him sleep. He knew Sylvia liked to sleep in sometimes, and Ryder might like to as well. He should try to be considerate to Sylvia’s friend while they were traveling together.

In the meantime, maybe he could get started on breakfast and see what the planet looked like. It had been pretty late when he started camp last night and he hadn’t really been in the mood to explore it. He was feeling a little better now though, and he was getting a might hungry.

Leaving Ryder slumbering beside him, he headed off into the underbrush.

He did his morning routine, meditated, showered in a nearby waterfall and was just rustling up some grub when he heard a startled exclamation from the direction of the clearing he’d woken up in. This was followed by a mad scrambling noise, and then Ryder came careening through the trees, eyes wild and darting all around him.

He froze when he saw Wander, who had started a fire and was busy frying up some vegetables he’d found, and his face did an interesting contortion, going from worried to flat-faced, and then back to his usual smile.

“Heh, morning, little guy,” he said after a moment.

“Mornin’, Ryder!” Wander smiled back. “Sure is a be-autiful day, so I thought I’d get a head start on it. Ya hungry?”

“Um…yeah, sure.” Ryder strolled over to the fire, peering into Wander’s frying pan, then looking somewhat searchingly at his face. Wander smiled as reassuringly as he could. Seemed like the poor guy wasn’t used to others doing things for him, which Wander should have figured from the way he’d greeted those friends of his back at Weasel’s Watering Hole. He seemed a little nervous right now as well.

Unfortunately, Ryder seemed to get uncomfortable under Wander’s smile and looked away after a few moments. He backed off slightly, sitting on a nearby rock and messing with a small device he seemed to have been carrying in his pocket.

“Think I’ll pass,” he said after seeming to think for a few more minutes. “You go ahead, chief. I’ve got my own supplies anyway.”

“Well, okay, if you’re sure!” Wander gave a shrug, plating his breakfast and digging a knife and fork out of his hat. “But if ya change yer mind, be sure ta let me know!” He left the second serving in the pan for now, just in case.

“Uhuh.” Ryder didn’t seem like he was listening. “So, how long have you been running around the place anyway?” he asked.

“Hmmm, ‘fraid ‘m not all too sure! I didn’t think ta have a look at the time.” Wander crossed his legs comfortably on a patch of soft grass, taking a bite of his breakfast while Ryder watched him closely. “Firs’, I had a look around, got ready fer the monin’, an’ then I saw some folks passin’ by who needed a little help…”

“Uh, sure, whatever.” Ryder waved the explanation away, looking down at his divice again. He continued fidgeting with it while Wander ate, digging some kind of jerky out of his pack to much on at the same time.

When Wander finished eating, he washed his dishes, then slipped them back into his hat, along with the leftovers from the pan. No sense in letting them go to waste. Ryder might get hungry later, or Wander could share them with some of his hungry animal friends if he happened to see any. “Should we get goin’?” he asked. “We’re meetin’ up with Sylvia today, right? Will we get ta see ‘er soon?”

“Not so fast, little guy.” Ryder glanced away, peering around as though gaging the territory, before his eyes found Wander again. “You can’t rush these things. We’ve been doing this kind of thing a long time, and you’ve got to keep a low profile on your way to the meet up. Might take us a little while to travel there, and Syl’ll likely be even longer if she’s being smart.”

“Oh! Okay.” Wander guessed that made sense. He knew Ryder had a different way of doing things. “Where are we goin’ ta meet her?”

“Sorry, bud. Trade secret.” Ryder winked. “You’ll see when we get there. Ready to go?”

“Yeah!” It was a little odd Ryder wanted to keep the place a secret, especially as Wander would find out where it was when they arrived, but that was okay. It was nice of Ryder to even bring him along, especially since Wander knew he’d been annoying the outlaw before.

“Alright then, let’s get going. I managed to acquire another ship. This way, and make sure you keep up.”

Wander followed as Ryder led the way through the trees. He hoped Sylvia had managed to return that other ship to the man they’d borrowed it from. It had looked like it could use some repairs as well. Maybe that was what she was doing before coming to the meet-up. If not, maybe they could do it together, if she still wanted to travel with him, of course.

Ryder’s ship was a two-seater, and didn’t seem to be in the best condition. Wander thought about suggesting they take an orble, but he didn’t want to impose. He was trying to do things the way Sylvia’s friend wanted until they met up with her and Ryder didn’t really seem interested in suggestions. He settled into his seat excitedly. Hopefully it wouldn’t be too long before he could see Sylvia again. It really hadn’t been that long, but he’d already been missing her.

The ship rumbled, coughed for a moment, and then blasted off into the stars.

 

Wander was difficult to track.

That was something Sylvia remembered from what seemed a lifetime ago when she’d had to track him down back when they’d first met. It wasn’t because he was purposefully evasive, but rather that he traveled in a very lackadaisical fashion, bouncing from planet to planet depending on what caught his interest and not in any logical progression.

And it wasn’t always easy to tell what would catch his interest. If you were expecting him to go to one planet for the beach or the nightlife, he might go to an entirely different one because he’d met a traveler with heavy bags who needed help carrying them, or because he’d been passing over some planet and noticed something on the ground that he wanted a closer look at. He was difficult to predict.

A part of her was hoping he’d maybe slowed down a little this time; that he might be missing her and giving her time to find him, but she didn’t want to count on that. Wander must have been pretty hurt to leave without speaking to her, or to believe she wouldn’t have listened to him when he tried to tell her how he was feeling. He must have felt excluded; pushed aside by her and Ryder, and believed she was just bothered by having him around and so, like he always did, he’d done what he thought would make her happy and left.

So, she shouldn’t expect Wander to be waiting. He might easily be traveling the way he always did; going with the flow, brightening days and making people happy.

If Sylvia wanted to catch up to him, she’d have to first determine where he’d ended up going, and that meant acquiring some information.

The first thing she did after leaving the tiny planet where she’d run into Fredrick, was to find an orble pump and stock up. She had a feeling she’d need a lot of juice if she was going to be going to a bunch of different planets in search of her buddy, and Wander had been carrying most of their stock in his hat.

Her next move was to stop in at a rather shady watering hole nearby to purchase a few things she needed; namely a detailed map of this quadrant and some supplies. She wasn’t happy about it, but she did end up using one of her old contacts to get a pretty sizable discount on some of the stuff. If it helped her find Wander faster, she was willing to act the part to get what she wanted.

It was while she was waiting for her contact to pick up her purchases, that she had a stroke of what was certainly luck, though she didn’t feel all that lucky at the time.

She was sitting at a back table of the bar, examining her map for likely planets, when something caught the corner of her eye and she ducked down fast. The door had swung open, and in walked in a group she instantly recognized; the Skuz-Buckets, looking mad and frazzled, but in pretty good shape after she and Ryder had left them floating in space without their ships.

They stomped up to the bar and ordered some strong drinks. Sylvia noticed a lot of crystals exchanging hands. Seemed they were ordering some information too, and it was almost certainly about her and Ryder. They probably had a few grudges to settle.

Sylvia narrowed her eyes, peering out from beneath the splintery table. She’d left Ryder locked up in the dungeons on Hater’s storage station, but she was certain he hadn’t stayed there. He was too slippery, too good at getting out of the messes he’d caused. She had no interest in seeing him again after the realizations she’d had. So far as she was concerned, if the Skuz-Buckets caught up to him, he could figure that out on his own. Still, he likely wasn’t the only person they were asking about, and it would be good for her to hear just how close they were on her tail.

She inched closer, making sure to stay behind furniture and large patrons where she could, and acting as though she was moving towards the corner of the room, rather than directly toward the bar. Once she figured she was close enough, she lent against the wall, one eye on the hushed conversation.

“…three or four planets from here, from what I’ve heard.” The bartender’s voice was low, and Sylvia perked up her ears. If they were referring to herself, their information was a little off. Or they might be talking about Ryder, in which case it would be good to get an idea of where the deadbeat was headed, simply because she’d rather not run into him in her search.

“You, ah, wouldn’t happen to know the name of the planet where you saw ‘em, would ya?” More crystals changed hands.

“I just might, as a matter of fact. Third moon off Forestus, leastways that’s what I heard. You gentlemen are lucky I even heard about the two of them together. Sounded like their meeting point was somewhere way out in the trees. If someone hadn’t gotten interested and followed Ryder, I might not have even had anything for you. ‘Fraid I can’t help you with the zbornak though. She must’ve gone a different way.”

Wait…what?

Sylvia narrowed her eyes, leaning forward slightly to hear better. The bartender was talking about Ryder, but he’d said ‘two of them.’ Had that son of a flapdrasser partnered up with someone else, or was this a new mark of his?

She froze as the Skuz-Bucket member from the pigma species chuckled.

“Well, we’ve got a few scores to settle with that zbornak, but Ryder’s the one who started all this, so I’m happy to deal with him first. Guess that orange furry guy will be a bonus if they’re still together!”

“Oh flarp!” Sylvia swore under her breath. It was quiet, but she ducked further into the corner just in case, being as silent as possible, although she felt like screaming in frustration.

Ryder had not only escaped from Hater’s prison, he’s somehow ended up bumping into Wander, and before she had managed to even start her search in earnest. At least she had a lead on where Wander might be, even if she’d have to beat some revenge-seeking outlaws to the place, but she didn’t know why Ryder would seek out Wander at all. The outlaw had certainly been annoyed at the nomad for helping people and getting in the way of his destructive actions. He wouldn’t have wanted to travel anywhere with Wander.

Unless…

Sylvia suddenly felt like a bucket of ice water had been emptied down her back.

Back in the prison, Ryder had been trying to make a deal with the watchdogs to trade himself for her and Wander. The watchdogs had ignored him, possibly because they’d been stationed out there at the storage facility and didn’t know too much about Hater’s obsession. They hadn’t even seemed to know who Wander was.

She hadn’t thought much of Ryder’s selfish offer at the time, but what if Hater had actually taken him up on it? What if Ryder had found Wander and was planning to turn him in to Hater? Her buddy would be out there without anyone to protect him and for all he knew, Ryder was a friend. He’d happily follow that scum-sucking groffelzak right into Hater’s clutches and be none the wiser.

The Skuz-Buckets probably heard the door of the bar slam behind her, but Sylvia didn’t care. She wasn’t waiting to hear the rest of the conversation, or for her contact to get back with those supplies. She was leaving now, and she was going to get to her buddy before Ryder could try anything.

It might be too late to catch them on the moon they’d been seen on, but if Ryder was picking the direction, and if her hunch about what he was up to was correct, she knew where they’d be heading next, and she was going to be there.

She wasn’t going to let Wander down; not again.

 

Ryder definitely seemed to have something on his mind.

Wander glanced around the grimy looking common room of the small inn they had stopped at for the night. Apparently, it was a place Ryder knew and he’d recommended it, though Wander felt it could use a little loving care. He itched to help with that right now, but Ryder had told him to wait right at this table while he went out to do an errand of some kind, and Wander was really trying to listen and not to get in the way. Ryder was being nice enough to let him tag along, after all, and he knew he’d been bothering both him and Sylvia last time.

Since they’d left Forestus and its moons behind them this morning, Wander had been trying to go along with Ryder’s preferences a little more, though he had a feeling he was still annoying the outlaw a little, especially after Ryder had picked him up and actually carried him away from that caravan they’d run into on the second moon.

At least he’d first gotten to help the group repair their caravans after that nasty flood they’d run into. And helped the travelers to restock their supplies. And do some mending. And some washing. He hadn’t been able to finish brushing and re-shoeing all the ox-dragons pulling the wagons, since Ryder had gotten a tad impatient with him, but he was hopeful he’d done enough, and everyone had seemed pretty happy by the time he and Ryder headed out.

After that, Ryder had stressed that they didn’t have a lot of time to waste if they wanted to meet up with Sylvia. Wander had nodded agreeably, though he wasn’t entirely sure what Ryder was referring to. He hadn’t been wasting any time; he’d been fixing and mending as efficiently as he could. Still, he didn’t let the confusion bother him. He knew he and Ryder weren’t really used to traveling together. Besides, he did want to see Sylvia soon, though he was sure she’d understand if he needed to stop and help some folks, even if it wasn’t something she wanted to do with him anymore.

They’d traveled a fair distance during the rest of the day, and hadn’t encountered anyone else who needed help so far, but there still seemed to be something bothering Ryder. The outlaw seemed to be bothered whenever Wander was out of sight, even when the nomad had just moved away a bit to explore or check out some interesting scenery. It seemed to make him uncomfortable, even though he’d laughed off the idea whenever Wander asked if he was okay. However, he’d also seemed a little antsy whenever Wander got too close to him, especially when he was fiddling with his little pocket communicator.

Wander guessed the poor guy just wasn’t used to traveling with someone else, at least after he and Sylvia had separated.

And he definitely wasn’t a hugger.

Wander shifted slightly in his seat, glancing around the common room again. The innkeeper looked a little overwhelmed with all the orders he was taking. It was pretty busy in the common room right now, and he probably didn’t have time to tidy up the place right now. Wander knew he’d told Ryder he’d wait right here, but he wouldn’t really be breaking his word so long as he stayed in the room, and then he could do a little of that cleaning while he waited.

Mind made up, Wander hopped up from the stool he was sitting on, and headed towards the innkeeper with intentions of offering his services.

He hoped Ryder’s errand was a long one; there was quite a lot of cleaning to do.

Notes:

Thanks for reading!

Sylvia has wised up and she’s on her way to the rescue! What will she find? How long was Wander helping that caravan for? What ‘errand’ is Ryder engaged in? Just how dirty is that inn? All these questions and more will be answered next time!

I’m hoping my next update will be for Fighting The Tide. The writing is actually going pretty well for that one.

See you soon!

Chapter 4: The Friend Group

Notes:

Lucky for Wander, he has managed to tag along with Sylvia’s old partner to hopefully meet up with her. Less luckily, that partner might not exactly be trustworthy. Plus, it sounds like there are some other people interested in tracking him and Ryder down, and not all of them are Sylvia.

Thank you so much for the comments on the last chapter! I’m so happy this little what if story is being enjoyed! I know it’s been a while without a chapter for this one, so I won’t take too much time with the note. Let’s see what happens next!

Enjoy!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Worlds Apart
Chapter Four: The Friend Group

 

“Come on, sport, let’s get going.”

Ryder sounded a little impatient. He definitely seemed more of a ‘down for the prize, rather than the ride’ type of person, in Wander’s opinion.

Wander looked up from his soup-ladling duties. He glanced down at his green apron, over at the long line that had formed, then back to Sylvia’s friend.

“Gosh, Ryder, I’d like to, but these folks are all pretty hungry. I should be finished soon!” he promised.

Ryder didn’t say anything, or at least Wander didn’t think he did. There were some strangled sounding growlings and grumblings, but there didn’t seem to be any words in them. Wander blinked at the poor guy. He sounded like he had something in his throat.

“Like some soup, buddy?” he offered. “It’s a nice soothing butternut squash!” He wiggled the bowl invitingly.

“…No, that’s…fine.” Now Ryder’s voice sounded kind of harsh. It almost sounded like he was grinding his teeth. “I’ll just…go plan out the next part of our rout.” Wander sent the outlaw’s back a concerned glance as he stomped away. The poor fella. He did seem awful tense. Maybe he wasn’t feeling well.

It wasn’t that Wander wasn’t eager to find Sylvia as well; he really really was! It had only been about half a week since they’d seen each other, but he was missing his best friend terribly, and even though he wasn’t sure how their meeting was going to go, he really wanted to see her again.

He didn’t mean to keep getting sidetracked. It just happened. Sometimes he and Ryder would be going through a town in search of transportation, (apparently Ryder had lots of friends who didn’t mind him borrowing their ships,) and Wander would see somebody a-needing, and he’d have to stop and help. It wasn’t something he tried to do, or something he controlled; it was just how he was.

He knew it was a little frustrating to Ryder, especially when someone was chasing after them who he didn’t seem eager to talk to. It had also been frustrating for Sylvia sometimes when they were traveling together, particularly when they were trying to be sneaky to avoid getting captured by Hater’s watchdogs. Wander had even tried not to stop and help. He’d tried to control the urge when his best friend had asked him to, but he just couldn’t. It was like seeing those people in need was squeezing on his heart until he stopped to give them a hand. Besides, if he didn’t help them, what if no one else did?

Sylvia had understood, or at least, Wander had thought she did. Maybe that was also a little of what had been bothering her about their travels together. It had certainly been annoying her when they’d been traveling with Ryder to get back that treasure for the poor folks it had been stolen from. That must have been why she’d said that, about him being more like Ryder, which was presumably being tough and cool and efficient, and probably not stopping to help quite as much.

Wander frowned to himself, dismissing the thought once again. He didn’t like that it kept popping in there, the idea that Sylvia would like him better if he was more like her other friend.

He was still fighting those worries that hadn’t really gone away. He couldn’t help wondering what he could say when he met Sylvia again, after he gave her a warm friendship hug hello of course, because he was definitely doing that. But once they actually got down to talking, he didn’t quite know how it would go.

It was true Sylvia had never asked him to leave, but Wander had really felt like he was getting in her way, spoiling her fun and making her have to look out for him constantly. He hadn’t felt like he was able to help her and Ryder with anything they were doing, and he really didn’t always understand what it was they were doing. They had a whole list of codes and secret strategies, and it all seemed very exciting, but Wander had felt awfully excluded all the same. He’d felt like he just couldn’t mesh with the two of them, and that all he was doing was messing things up.

He missed Sylvia. He wanted to see her again, to travel with her, helping others and having fun adventures and seeing the galaxy. He guessed he could tell her all of that, and hope she felt the same way.

And if she didn’t, well, then that would be that, he supposed. Just like when they’d first met, and he’d asked her if she’d like to travel with him, he’d never try to force her into doing something she didn’t want to, not that you could force Sylvia into anything anyway. He’d just asked, and let her make the choice on her own.

He knew he really shouldn’t have left without letting her know. That wasn’t fair to her, and it made him feel a little guilty now when he thought back on it. He hoped she’d forgive him for that, and that they’d still be friends, even if she decided she wanted to stick with Ryder, have adventures with him and be his travel pal.

And if that was how she felt, Wander would just have to accept her decision.

Putting the troubling thoughts out of his mind for now, Wander ladled up a bowl of soup for the next person in line, a little girl with green prickles all over her like a living pine tree. He smiled, making sure she had a nice full bowl. For now, he should focus on the helping. Surely he and Ryder would catch up with Sylvia soon.

 

Several hours later, Wander was just finishing washing the last of the soup bowls. He slipped them, and his apron, back into his hat, then gave a big stretch, hands above his head.

The line had dissipated, lots of happy, no longer hungry, aliens heading back to their homes.

Wander was actually kind of surprised that Ryder hadn’t come stomping back to hurry him along again. He’d seemed kind of impatient before. He hadn’t even said where they should meet afterward.

The nomad glanced up and down the darkening street, the shadows beginning to stretch between the buildings. It all looked kind of empty now that his customers were gone.

He supposed he should head back to the small room Ryder had rented for the night. For some reason, his companion hadn’t wanted to camp out in the woods since that night they’d run into each other. Ryder had maybe gone back there to relax or have a nap or something. Wander privately thought he could use one. The poor fella had looked a little tired, like he was maybe trying to sleep with one eye open, but he also never wanted any help keeping watch at night. He seemed like kind of a funny guy.

With a shrug, Wander turned, heading up the empty streets, back toward the inn.

It took him a little over twenty minutes to get there, by which time the sky had grown even darker. As Wander approached the warn looking building, he paused.

The windows were lit, and he could hear the rowdy voices of the occupants, laughing, talking and sometimes arguing, but as he got close to the door, his attention was caught by another sound from the alleyway beside it.
He turned over that way, but found himself walking more quietly, trying to listen. It sounded like Ryder’s voice, and he was doing that thing again where he sounded relaxed, but slightly nervous. He also seemed to be talking to someone.

Wander moved closer. It was dark in the alley, but he could just make out a ring of aliens surrounding his companion. The silhouette of Ryder’s pompadour was clearly visible. Wander wondered whether he should stroll over and say ‘hi,’ but Sylvia usually wanted him to wait out of sight when she ran into old friends like this, particularly as thing sometimes got a little out of control. If he was trying to let Ryder take the lead on their journey to find their friend, he should try not to get in his way.

He decided to hold back and listen for now.

“I think we should just take him out now!” a high-pitched voice snarled. It sounded like one of Ryder’s friends; Bradford, the yellow flyosk. There were angry mutters of agreement from several of the others.

“Guys, guys!” Ryder’s voice. “Let’s all calm down and look at this logically!”

Wander nodded to himself. That was a good way to diffuse the situation, although he should also maybe think about an apology for breaking his promise. Ryder’s friends had seemed a trifle angry at him last time.

“Easy now, Brad.” Hogpa’s voice was calmer. “Ryder’s right. We should look at this logically. And logically, you've cost us way more money than your useless, double-crossing hide is worth!” That sentence had been said slightly less calmly.

There was the sound of blasters charging, and Wander started to run forward into the alley to give Ryder a hand, then paused as he heard the outlaw chuckle.

“Go ahead, Hogpa, but I hope you and the rest of the skuzzbuckets are fine with missing out on another big score, because you won’t be able to get it if I’m dead.”

“Wait!” Hogpa demanded. The blasters fizzled out. The stout alien leaned closer, apparently trying to get a look at Ryder’s face. “What are you talking about? You said you didn’t get any treasure from Hater’s storage station, that it was all blown up, or was that just a pathetic lie to try and keep it all for yourself?”

“No, that’s true. Long story.” Ryder shrugged. “You win some, you lose some, and you guys look like a gang who could stand to win some.”

There was a pause as the members of the skuzzbuckets seemed to be looking at each other consideringly.

“Go on,” Hogma said after the pause had stretched out for a few moments.

“Not here.” Ryder seemed much more confident now. “I have an…acquaintance who’ll probably be getting back soon, or at least once he finishes feeding the whole city.” This last was muttered under his breath, but Wander just caught it. He smiled. Sounded like Ryder was getting the idea. “Don’t want him walking in on us.” Well, that was just thoughtful.

Sylvia probably also would have tried to keep him out of something like this, especially if she felt like there was danger. Wander didn’t always listen in those cases. He thought that might have been one of things that had been annoying her before. It seemed like she had wanted him to hang back and watch her and Ryder work. Wander didn’t think he’d be able to do that if someone was actually in need of help, but Ryder seemed to be doing alright, so Wander would do his best to stay out of sight like he wanted.

“You mean that little orange guy?” This time it was Dreyfus who had chimed in. Wander could tell because his top had begun to glow and produce more smoke, a sure sign he was excited. “He didn’t exactly cause us trouble last time, but if he’s one of your new partners, he’s gonna end up regretting it, especially if you don’t cough up that money sharpish!”

“Shhhhh, later, guys.” Ryder leaned closer, and it was hard to see him in the gloom, even with the glowing volcanite next to him. “I promise, you’ll get your money, and if we play our cards right, we can all be richer than kings.”
The group of them headed off down the alleyway, and Wander peered after them, trying to decide if he should follow.

It sounded like Ryder was still very interested in money, although this time it didn’t seem quite so altruistic, unless he was being a little dishonest with the skuzzbuckets. Wander didn’t think they’d be very interested in helping to return treasures to their rightful owners. Wander supposed that could be what Ryder was doing, and it seemed like he was doing fine alone. Just as he and Sylvia had said, he handled this sort of thing all the time.

There was a sudden smashing sound and Wander cocked an ear toward the door into the inn. Sounded like the party inside was getting kind of wild. He turned away from his temporary traveling companion, who really didn’t seem to need his help, and headed back into the inn’s main room, where there were definitely people who did.

 

Ryder took a long time coming back, so long that Wander was able to help the innkeeper with all kinds of chores he hadn’t had time to catch up on, and give him some cooking tips into the bargain.

He did hope they were getting close to the meetup with Sylvia, although Ryder still wouldn’t tell him where it was, but at least he’d been able to help some folks today, and they’d certainly seemed grateful, which wasn’t necessary, but was certainly appreciated.

Ryder walked into their room just as Wander was finishing up a scarf he was knitting. One of his customers earlier had looked a little cold.

The outlaw looked relieved to see Wander, which was kind of nice. Wander sometimes suspected Ryder didn’t like him very much. He knew some of the things he did bothered the man on occasion.

Ryder didn’t say anything though. He just crossed the room tiredly and collapsed onto the one small bed. He looked a little banged up, and Wander guessed that maybe he and his friends had been roughhousing a little.

Wander smiled sympathetically. He felt a little tired himself after all the helping, good, but tired.

He wasn’t sure if he should ask about Ryder’s friends, since it seemed like he wasn’t supposed to have been involved in that. Ryder definitely hadn’t wanted him there.

Instead, he put the scarf away in his hat, walking over to the bed.

“How’r you doin’, buddy?” he asked. “Didja get yer planning done?”

“Huh? Oh, right. Sure did, little guy.” Ryder reached over to give Wander’s bangs a ruffle.

“So, are we close to the meetup?”

“The meetup?” Ryder’s eyes slid away from him, then back. “What, ah, what meetup?”

“The meetup with Sylvia.” Wander wasn’t sure what other meetup Ryder thought he could have meant. “Ya said we’d be meeting her soon, an’ I sure would like to talk to ‘er.”

“Oh, heh, right.” Ryder pursed his lips, stroking his chin consideringly. “Pretty close. We’ll get there soon.”

“Oooo! How soon!” Wander bounced a little on the balls of his feet. He was really excited to see his best friend again.

“Hmmm, not sure exactly. Couple of days maybe.”

Wander slumped a bit, disappointed. Ryder never seemed quite sure about the distance to the ‘safe area’ they were making for. Wander had offered to help him with his navigating. He was pretty good with maps himself, but Ryder hadn’t been interested.

Seeing his dejection, Ryder chuckled.

“Don’t worry your fuzzy orange head about it, little buddy.” He stretched and yawned. “Let’s get to bed. I’m tired. The sooner we get started in the morning, the sooner we’ll get there.”

Wander nodded. That made sense.

“Sounds good! Thanks Ryder. Goodnight!”

“Night, champ.” Ryder turned over on his side, and Wander heard him begin to snore.

As he settled into his hat in the corner of the room, Wander found his thoughts slipping back to Sylvia once more, though not really in a bad way. He was remembering her reassuring warmth underneath him when they settled down for the night, remembering the soothing sound of her deep breathing and occasional snores.

As he settled down to sleep, those were the sounds and feelings that flowed through his mind, and helped him to fall into a peaceful slumber.

Notes:

Thanks for reading!

Welp, some things happened this chapter. We should be getting some revelations, and encounters soon, and something tells me Sylvia is about to finally locate her buddy as well as her former partner!

I’ll try not to take so long to update this one again. I do have lots of ideas, but some of my other stories are at very exciting parts right now and I’ve really been focusing on them. Still, I know our Sylvia meetup is highly anticipated, so I’ll do my best.

I am also pretty busy with work, but I am still writing when I can. These stories make me happy!

See you soon!

Notes:

Thanks for reading!

This was quite a short chapter. More of a prologue really. We have set the scene and now we will have to see what happens next.

After writing my other stories for so long, it seems really strange to give Hater a good old fashioned villain role. It’s weirding me out a little, but I’m sure he’ll enjoy it.

I hope you all liked the beginning of this. I’ll do my best to get the next chapter out fairly soon, whether for this story, The New Galaxy or Fighting The Tide.

See you soon!