The Lost Daughter

Haunting Memories

He sees them. He doesn't want to admit, but he sees them.

For 6 years, Crusher Greenbank had the tendancy to see flashes of images in his eyes, in his dreams and just by random occasion. Growing up in a dungeon for two years made them his comfort. When his Grammy finally rescued him, the memories turned into those that haunted him every night.

Even up until now.

The images of a smiling red truck with blue eyes haunted his dreams. The sounds of a big yellow truck with golden brown eyes laughed in his dreams. The feeling of gentle touches of a big white truck with aquamarine eyes and red and yellow hair made him shiver in the night. The cheers and laughs of two kids echoed through his ears at night, and even as he woke up.

And when Blaze and AJ showed in Axle City, Crusher was horrified at how similar they were to the images he saw.

He started to hate them, hate on how similar they were to the memories he used to seek as comfort. He pushed them away, cheated on everything he did to get rid of them.

Then Blaze's Family came, and the familiarity grew and grew as he lost track of himself…

.
.
.

"Crusher? Crusher, you okay?" Pickle asked as the dark blue truck snapped out of his thoughts.

"H-Huh?!" Crusher shook his head and hissed. "Wh-What do you mean? What… What happened?"

"I was just telling you that Blaze's family was coming for the Family Day Festival next week then you blacked out!"

"I… Sorry, Pickle, I was just… thinking," Crusher sighed.

"What'cha thinking about, big fella?" Pickle asked.

"I… I don't know if you would understand, Pickle…"

"Try me," Pickle moved closer. "What's wrong?"

"I… okay," Crusher let out another sigh. "It's just… images… memories… I… I see strange images and memories… every night, and I… I… Blaze and his family look EXACTLY like those I'm seeing…"

"Woah, really?" Pickle's eyes widened.

"Yes," Crusher nodded. "I… I don't know what they exactly mean,"

"Huh, that IS really strange," Pickle agreed with a nod. "Is that why you hate them so much? They remind you of those… images?"

Crusher nodded. "When I was tortured by my parents, I… those images were my only comfort. Seeing Blaze looking EXACTLY like… like them, I… it's just… it's hurts, Pickle… and I… I don't know why…"

"D'aww, there, there, big guy," Pickle patted his back comfortingly.

"I just… I feel like I KNOW those beings in my memory, and that I've SEEN them… but from where?" Crusher shook his head with a hiss. "I… I have NO clue…"

"Okay, okay…" Pickle sighed and smiled. "How about we talk about something else? Like… the Family Day Festival?"

"That… is no better," Crusher deadpanned.

"O-Oh! Right…" Pickle hissed. "Huh, I don't remember if there's anything else to talk about other than the fact that your parents are sponsoring the festival-"

"Oh, okay, that is absolutely worse," Crusher groaned. "It is just making me NOT want to attend the festival at all."

"Well, you could always hang out with me and my family, AWAY from your parents and siblings," Pickle suggested.

"Thanks, Pickle…" Crusher smiled and sighed before turning away. "I just… I need to be alone for a while…"

"O-Oh! Okay…"

Pickke watched as the dark blue truck drove off, out of the park. Crusher made his way through the streets, his mind lost in thoughts as images began to show in his vision…

"Mama! Mama! Dada! Dada! Brotha! Brotha! Look! Me lose tooth!"

"That's wonderful, mija!"

"That's my baby girl!"

"That's fantastic, niñera!"

"Thanks, Dad! Thanks, Mom! Thanks, hermano!"

"Hermano…" Crusher murmured under his breath.

He knew that word. He wouldn't use it if he didn't know it.

But what did it mean…?

"Woah!"

The dark blue jumped as he accidentally bumped into the certain red truck he didn't want to bump into that day.

"Oh, hey, Crusher!" Blaze greeted.

"Hi…" Crusher grumbled.

"Hey there, Crusher!" AJ gave a smile and a wave. "You excited for the festival next week?"

"Because we sure are!" Blaze laughed. "Our family even came here a week early!"

"Oh, that's… terrific…" Crusher hissed as he turned to see the Blaze Family zoom towards them.

"Hey, Blaze and AJ!" Phoenix greeted with a smile at her sons.

"Hey, Mom!" Blaze let out a laugh.

"Come on, come on, let's play!" Sparkle urged. "Let's play, hermanos! Let's go!"

Crusher stiffened. Hermanos? Did she just say 'hermanos'??

"Sure thing, niñera," AJ giggled and nodded.

As the boy ran off with the orange truck, Crusher hesitantly approached his rival.

"Uh, Blaze, what does… 'hermano' mean?"

"Oh! It means brother in Spanish," Blaze explained. "And 'niñera' means 'baby sis' in Spanish,"

"Oh…" Crusher's eyes widened.

He KNEW Spanish. He HAD brother that was amazing and better than his older brother Glacier could ever be.

But how? How could that be?

And did that mean… he had another family…? A… better family?"

"Crusher, you okay?" Blaze asked, snapping the dark blue truck out of his thoughts.

"H-Huh?" Crusher shook his head and nodded. "Y-Yeah, I… I'm fine… I… I just need to go…"

With that, he turned to drive away from them. He went through the streets once more as he felt his mind spin.

Who was his other family?

His other parents?

Hid other brother?

And why did they look exactly like Blaze and his family?