CHAPTER XXI: The return of the Sky Runner
"Your BIRTHDAY?!"
Ness ran a hand through his tangled black hair before setting the Mr. Baseball Cap on his head. "I guess in all the commotion of you being kidnapped and all," He laughed. "I completely forgot!"
Paula giggled, then shushed herself. "Let's not wake the others. Jake and Jim are making breakfast on the Hunk'o'Junk's built-in barbecue. Let's see if we can help out."
They rolled from their sleeping bags, and wandered over to the other side of the bus. Jake was drinking a can of chilled orange juice, and Jim was nowhere to be found.
"What's for breakfast?" Ness asked cheerily.
"Steak and eggs for the lord an' lady!" He laughed. "Breakfast of Champions!"
Jim appeared from the bus, carrying a basket of eggs in one hand, and a platter of steaks in the other. "We've lived off steak'n'eggs every morning for years! Except when we can buy a meal...heh..."
Paula nudged Ness. "Go wake everyone up," She whispered. "I'll help with breakfast."
He nodded, turned, and rounded the corner of the bus. As he did so, he caught sight of Paula whispering to the two Bluesmen.
"ALL RIGHT, GUYS!" he yelled, amplifying his voice with his Psychic skill. "WAKEY-WAKEY!"
Jeff snorted, groping for his glasses. "Crud, Ness..." He mumbled. "When did you ever get to be such an early riser?"
"What do you mean?" Lucky asked sleepily.
"Well...once upon a time, I could sleep in every morning..."
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, NESS!"
He was pleasantly surprised when Paula set a platter of steak and eggs down in front of him--with fourteen matches sticking out. He laughed out loud when he saw the ridiculous, porcupine-looking meat.
"It looks a little funny," he said. "But it's the thought that counts!"
Burlap wilted a bit. "Ness...you've got a tear in your eye. Is it that bad?"
Ness shook his head. "This is better than any birthday party I could have. My friends, my good friends, doing their best to celebrate on the road...it makes me so HAPPY! GROUP HUG!"
As he hugged all of his friends at one, he felt someone slip a small package into his hand. Paula, who was closest to him, gave him a long, fervent kiss, much akin to the one she had bestowed upon him the morning of her kidnapping.
After dizzily recovering from her public display of affection, he unwrapped the package.
He gasped.
A blues harmonica...not just any, but Elwood's very own! He looked at the small card, signed by every member of the band, plus Jeff and Paula.
He was openly crying now. His happiness--the camaraderie, and the unity--had struck a chord in his heart. He fleetingly wished that these days could last forever.
As the trio disembarked, Burlap leaned out the window.
"Remember," he laughed. "When in times of need, just think of the Runaway Five singin' somewhere far, far away."
"Why did you come here, anyway?" Jim asked. "Must've forgotten some nifty gizmo or somethin'..."
Ness shrugged. "We'll find out soon enough, won't we?"
"Thanks for the ride," Paula said. "And goodbye!"
"BYE!" The whole band screamed, waving as the Hunk'o'Junk tore down the road. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY, NESS! KEEP THAT SOUL, BLUESKID!"
Jeff had been standing to the side, thinking.
"Hm...flying machine...gizmo...Threed..."
Ness looked over at his thoughtful friend. "What's wrong?" he asked.
He snapped his fingers. "THE SKY RUNNER!"
"Sky Runner?" Paula asked dimly.
"Yeah! The UFO I rescued you in while you were being held under the graveyard!"
The idea slowly dawned on Ness. "Hey! Yeah! But, didn't it get busted up pretty bad?"
Jeff nodded. "We probably can't get to Summers in it, but we can go to Winters, my home country, and get my dad--er--Mr. Andonuts--to remodel it!"
"Great idea, Jeff!" Paula cried. "Good thinking!"
They made their way to the Threed Graveyard, where the hole in the ground from the Sky Runner remained. Ness leapt into the hole. Jeff followed, pulling his tools out of his backpack. Paula was last.
Jeff examined the Sky Runner's wreckage. "The damage isn't great," he said sagely. "But I was right. We won't be able to push it to Summers. We can manage Winters at the very most."
"Is there anything we can do to help?" Ness asked, holding a light ball a few inches above his hand.
"No...it'll take me about an hour, and I need to work alone."
"Right."
And so it was, about an hour later, the Sky Runner was ready (although a little worse for wear). Jeff led the way on board, and his companions followed him.
"Are we ready?" he asked, his finger on the ignition button.
Ness nodded. "I'm ready."
"As ready as I'll ever be," Paula breathed.
Jeff smiled. "Hold on," He said. "It's gonna be a bumpy ride!"
The button made a slight "beep" noise as his finger slammed down.
"What do you think, Bubble Monkey?"
Dr. Andonuts looked over at the small monkey and its wife. The little translator on the Bubble Monkey's throat beeped, and it spoke.
"I don't know, sir. Try the blue wire."
He smiled. "That just might...huh?"
He looked up as the Sky Runner descended from the hatch in the roof.
"Oh," he said with a smile. "Jeff is home!"
The Sky Runner touched down, and the hatch opened up. Jeff leapt out, running across the lab. A young man wearing jeans, a striped, blue and yellow shirt, and a red baseball cap followed. Finally, a young girl with long golden hair, and a pink dress hopped out.
"Dr. Andonuts!" Jeff yelled, crossing the lab.
"Jeff!" He said, rubbing Jeff's golden locks fondly. "Can you just call me 'dad'?"
"Well, this is the second time I've seen you in ten years, doctor--I mean--dad. Anyway, these are my friends--Ness from Onett, and Paula from Twoson."
"Welcome, friends of my son!" Dr. Andonuts boomed. He was a squat little man, barely taller than his son was. He was balding, with puffs of white hair above his ears, and a white moustache. His eyes were invisible behind his huge glasses.
"Dad," Jeff said, all seriousness. "Listen. We need your help."
Ness was sitting on a lab table, next to Paula. Jeff was standing in front of them, his old friend, the Bubble Monkey, sitting on his head.
"So that's the situation," Jeff finished. "We need you to remodel the Sky Runner, so we can go to Summers."
"All right," Andonuts said. "I'll work on it. It may be awhile, so..."
"JEFF!"
Ness was on his feet.
"What is it?"
"The...the Sound Stone!"
The blue stone held in Ness' palm was glowing, and the pulsing, ringing noise sounded through the lab.
"Hm..." Andonuts mumbled, watching the Sound Stone. "Looks like it's reacting to Rainy Circle."
"Rainy Circle?" Paula asked. "What's that?"
"It's a strange place just beyond Stonehenge," He mumbled. "It's a mythical wonder, and it's guarded by a giant mushroom."
"Sounds like a Guardian," Paula said. "If we record the melody, we'll be one step closer to beating Giygas..."
"Let's go!" Ness shouted, standing quickly.
"Right!" Jeff agreed. "Dad, you work on the Sky Runner, we'll go record the melody of Rainy Circle."
Ness shivered, pulling his denim jacket from his pack. "It's cold here," He mumbled. "I hope we get to Rainy Circle soon."
"We're almost there," Jeff nodded into the wind. "I thrive in this weather, so the cold really doesn't bother me."
Paula made a false gesture of breaking an icicle from her hair. "Brrr..."
Ness laughed.