#guys can you believe I spent hours on this trash?

[wikiaeater]

Building Trust

A Zak Storm fanfiction

Synopsis: Making friends always takes a while, but when you’re a poltergeist trying to befriend an alien who’s afraid of ghosts, this while may be longer.

Why I am throwing a fanfiction into an almost nonexistent fandom

(One-shot)

    - This ship is… Quite unusual. - Caramba looked around. The Chaos seemed like a good ship, but its high speed would make the alien unstable. The way the ship would change the sail's position by itself and the skull on its front were also things that scared Caramba.

    The newest crew on the Bermuda Triangle had just fled from Marituga, leaving a bunch of defeated skeletons behind. They still needed a name.

    - No need to worry! The Chaos is the best ship on the Triangle! - Clovis showed up from the floor. He was excited to meet the new members aboard. - Hello, fish girl!

    - My name is Chrysta Coraline Lejune and I am not a fish!

    - Hello, viking dude!

    - Hi!

    - Hello… Robot? Are you a robot?

    Caramba stared at Clovis for a while, unable to move. There was a ghost right in front of him, talking to him, and slowly approaching. He already felt uncomfortable with the Chaos, and now it turned out it was haunted.

    He was frozen, scared.

    - Hello? Can you hear me? - The child was confused. Why wasn't the newcomer answering him?

    As he tried to touch the robot, Caramba runned backwards, almost falling from the boat.

    - G-g-ghost!! You're a ghost!! Stay a-a-away f-from me!! Stay away!! Stay away!! - The alien runned, screaming, towards the cabin. He locked the door as soon as he got there, no longer screaming, but with a heavy breath, and stayed as far from the door as he could.

    - Wait, please! - The spirit kid passed through the locked door. - You don't need to be afarid of me! I am not bad!

    - Ghosts aren't real!! You're not real!!

    - Yes I am!

    - No no no no… Step back!! Don't come any closer!! - Both of them started crying at that moment.

    - Why are you treating me like this?!

    - Clovis, come here!! - Zak called him. He obeyed, leaving the alien alone.

    - Zak, is it something I've said?? Why doesn't he want to talk to me??

    - He may be… Afraid of ghosts.

    - But I didn't do anything!!

    - I know! It's alright, I will talk to him. Stay here with the others, okay?

    The child nodded and wiped his tears.

    - I am Crogar, and Crogar is not afraid of ghosts! Crogar is not afraid of anything! - The viking approached in an attempt to make Clovis feel better, succeeding.

    Seeing that the other newcomers were going to keep Clovis distracted, Zak knocked on the cabin's door. - Caramba? It's me, Zak Storm. Could you open the door?

    - Is the ghost still there? - He replied with a jittery, tearful voice.

    - Yes… But he's not coming in. Just me and Calabrass.

    The teenager expected another reply, but all he got was the sound of the door being unlocked.

    - Hey, buddy, what was that? - He said as he entered the cabin.

    - You didn't tell me that this ship was haunted. - Caramba locked the door again. - You didn't tell me there was a ghost in the crew.

    - First of all, he is not exactly a ghost, he just lost his body. And second, I had no clue you were going to freak out!

    - I'm afraid, Zak!

    - You two will have to get along eventually! - Calabrass said. They were going to be part of the same crew after all.

    - It's okay, I won't judge you for being afraid; but look, Clovis just wants to be friends with you. How about we get out and you say hi to him? - The young captain suggested calmly.

    - NO!! I… I can't.

    Zak sighed. This was going to take a while.

    4 days after that, the crew was already named “7Cs”. Caramba didn't get out of the cabin a lot, but whenever he did, he would take a look on the scenario to make sure Clovis wasn't around. If he was, he would go back to the indoors.

    - Hey Zak… - The kid flied away from the sail and kept floating near his captain. - How long is it going to take?

    - Excuse me, what are you talking about?

    - Caramba! You told me that befriending him would take a while, but whenever he sees me, he flees! How are we ever going to be friends if I can't even say hi?!

    - I know you didn't do anything to him, but he's afraid, and we must respect that. - Cece approached and answered the question for Zak. - Encouraging to face it, sure, but respecting. Caramba will get used to your presence sooner or later.

    - It sounds like it's going to take forever… - Clovis replied in a bored tone.

    Zak thought for a while and had an idea. - Look, I know something you can do to help! - He said before explaining his plan. Clovis didn't really like the plan, but it was an effective way of showing Caramba his good intentions, so he accepted it without hesitation.

    The next time Caramba got out of the cabin, Clovis made sure to disappear before he closed the door.

    - Where did he go? - The alien asked.

    - Who knows! - Zak said, smiling. - But he's not here, so you can come!

    Things stayed like this for about a week. It didn't matter if Clovis was having fun or in the middle of a conversation: as soon as Caramba showed up, he would go away. Sometimes disappearing with a poof, sometimes diving into the floor, sometimes flying to the top of the sail. Even though Caramba was actually enjoying it, it was starting to concern him.

    - Captain…

    - Yes?

    - Why does the ghost get out whenever I come? I may not be comfortable around him, but that doesn't mean I want him to isolate himself or to stop being around the others.

    - Oh, don't worry! He comes back when you get out. It's just that he wants to make sure you're comfortable aboard the Chaos.

    Caramba felt bad for the situation. - That's… Really nice of him.

    - You should give him a chance. - Calabrass said before Zak could say anything.

    The engineer took a deep breath. - I will.

    On the following day, Caramba got out of the cabin to eat the lunch Crogar had cooked. Clovis was around, but not eating, and sinked into the floor with the sight of the ET.

    - Wait! Come back, ghost! - He said.

    Clovis came back and kept floating in front of the robot. He didn't expect that, and with the large smile, anyone could notice how happy he was. Caramba felt the sensation of being frozen again, but he wouldn't run away this time. The two stared at each other for a while, all the other crewmates watching.

    - We didn't have a proper first meeting. May we have one now? - Clovis broke the silence and approached the robot a little. Caramba's reaction was to take a quick step backwards.

    - Not yet.

    Clovis sighed. - Fine… Take your time. - Well, at least that was a beginning, right?

    Caramba was no longer bothered by Clovis' presence, but he still wouldn't talk to the poltergeist.

    The talks started gradually and slowly. A hi here, a how are you there, a joke, and it took more than a month for Caramba to treat Clovis normally, like he would treat Cece and Crogar.

    Clovis? Yeah, sure, he was very happy, but he still asked himself one thing.

    “Has the fear been fully erased? Or is he still afraid but trying hard not to demonstrate it?”

    The answer came eventually.

    - Hey Clovis… - The kid was, as usually, sitting on the sail when Caramba approached during a random evening.

    - Yes? - He flew down.

    - I'm… - Caramba clearly wasn't happy. - … I'm sorry for how I treated you in our first meeting.

    - Oh, it's alright!

    - Really?

    - Of course!

    - Well, this is not our first meeting, but we should make believe it was, so we can have a proper one! - Caramba was happier now, and the robot's screen showed a smile.

    - Sure! Ahem, I am Clovis! I am not a ghost and I like jokes! - The boy reached out for a handshake.

    For his surprise, the robot opened, revealing a cute small green creature inside of it.

    - My name is Caramba, and I'm a Wahoolian! I like, uh… Technology, I guess? Nice to meet you! - The green alien reached out for the handshake as well, but his arms were so small he couldn't reach Clovis'.

    - You're… Not a robot?!! - The child asked, still not believing his eyes, while allowing Caramba to have the handshake with just one finger.

    The ET giggled. - No, I am not a robot.

    - What is a Wahoolian?

    - Is how those who are born in the planet Wahoo are called!

    - So you're an alien! This is so so so cool!!

    - Thanks!

    - You're… Small! And cute!

    - Thanks…?

    - You look like a toy!! - Clovis started laughing, not realizing Caramba was slightly embarrassed.

    The robot closed itself. - That's why I always stay inside my robot. Wahoolians are very fragile, and the Triangle is a very hostile place. - A bit of fear was noticeable in his voice.

    The two kept talking about the Triangle, but that's not the point. The point is: that situation made Clovis feel sure that Caramba truly trusted him.

    If he used the robot to protect himself from danger, and opened it in front of Clovis, that could only mean that he didn't see any danger in Clovis.

    The fear had been fully erased. They were friends.