Sledger put his head on the desk he had in his barracks tent, staring at the glass terrarium he had set up. Inside, a small neon-blue caterpillar inched around. He had been taking care of it for some months now, as it had stayed with him, even after his death, induction into the Eclipse, and subsequently being left for dead by his superiors. It was nothing but luck that he was found, then not immediately shot by Hunter and his itchy trigger finger. Not like it would have done much, but it would have scared him off.

Though seeing his pet grow into the next stages of its life should have made him feel proud, he didn't feel pride in it. Hell, he didn't feel anything. Emotion was a luxury that was ripped from him in death, and never returned, even in his nomadic state. He had been reduced to an animalistic state, only having basic protection principles and a sense of self-preservation.
While his unwilling enlistment into the Eclipse had given him this form of death, he still retained the ability to follow orders perfectly and efficiently. The Knight of The Moon and The Lady of The Sun had wanted nothing short of perfection, and him, being a member of the elite fighters and protection guard of The Moon, had been molded into a borderline machine, executing instructions without interruption nor failure. Any disruption meant it was Ents and Werewolves for you.

He had witnessed innocent civilians, unaffiliated mercenaries, even prisoners of war being mass murdered, executed, tortured for information they didn't have, some even by his own hand. Promised survival then being starved and dehydrated to the point of insanity. He had been powerless to anything that had been done, even being one of the Moon's bodyguards didn't have much in the way of changing his mind when it came to decisions.
Then they were all gone.
Sledger wasn't even brought into the final battle against the Towers at their camp. He was simply told to stay in the residence area of Totality Tower and guard.. something. He stayed, and nobody ever came back for him. Not even the Moon or any of his fellow guard.
He was left there, alone for two weeks with all the company he had being his caterpillar and the odd chirping of a bird.

Though it had felt wrong, extremely wrong actually, Sledger did eventually leave his post to wander. At first, it was just the immediate area around the Castle Outskirts. As part of his induction, he had been given a spectral blade instead of a hammer, like he was used to. While it didn't make much difference to him, he still never forgot about his affinity for them.

His original sledgehammer had been posted and dug into the ground just at the tree where he was choked out. They must have made some sort of example out of him. He quickly grabbed and uprooted it from the ground. It felt perfect in his hands. It was made for him, after all.

He began to wander further from the foot of the Outskirts, eventually into the surrounding forest. A few of the locals with cottages in the forest began to tell stories of a restless, wandering spirit, after a brief encounter with the Sledger during the night.

Just like himself, his caterpillar friend also happened to be a form of undead. It had snuck into his pocket to hide while he was being choked, and had stayed there through the revival procedure. Due to its natural connection to the Eclipse, it had simply attuned itself to the Lunar power and became Spectral as well. Due to that, it was unable to die, and no longer needed to eat or sleep, just like Sledger. It made it quite easier to care for.
Though being Spectral meant you had no need for food, water, or rest, it didn't mean you could still.
A quick meal could energise a Spectral being to perform much better than normal. Same with a short rest.

Eventually, Sledger was comfortable with exploring the forest for days on end without stopping. That was, until he ran back into the Towers.

***

Hunter and Toxic Gunner walked through the forest, taking in their surroundings. Hunter was leading, his superior navigational and hearing skills better suited for the forest. They were supposed to be patrolling, as ordered by Commander, but these two were easily distracted. So, when Hunter found and began to track a set of footprints that looked like they came from a Tower, they dropped their patrol duties. Nobody could resist some mysterious tracks, especially not someone like Hunter. Toxic Gunner followed along, also nearly as interested as Hunter.

The tracks had seemed to go cold. They had stopped especially abruptly, frustrating Hunter to no end. Toxic Gunner attempted to get his companion's mind off it, but Hunter was one of the most stubborn of all the Towers, refusing to give up. He checked for broken sticks, irregular scents, and even bent branches on trees. He dragged out the search for another hour, going well past the time they were both supposed to get back by. It took long, but Hunter finally gave in.

Sledger had been wandering the forest, exploring further. He began to levitate partway through, as it was easier on his legs. He began to slowly make his way back to the Outskirts when two figures bursted through the undergrowth.

"Slow the hell down! This isn't a race!" The voice of Hunter sounded.

Toxic Gunner giggled.
"Don't care! Gotta get back to camp at least quick enough so Commander doesn't yell at us for too long-"
Toxic Gunner stopped speaking as he made eye contact with Sledger through both their visors. He screeched to a halt, Hunter almost slamming into his back.

"Dude, the hell?" Hunter complained, though he quickly noticed the familiar person standing across the clearing.

Sledger began to slowly float backward, away from the two. Toxic Gunner crouched down, trying to appear as non-threatening as possible. He spoke incredibly softly, trying not to scare away Sledger, almost as if he was a deer.

"H-hey, buddy? I think you know me.. come a bit closer, alright? I have something for you."
Toxic Gunner, staying cool and calm, whispered to Hunter behind him.
"Get the apple out of my bag. Quietly."
Quietly fetching it for him, Toxic Gunner held it out towards the floating form of Sledger. Even through the Spectral veil, nothing could stop Sledger's love for apples. He slowly approached, skittishly taking it from his hand. Instead of running away instantly though, he stayed.

"S.. Sledger? That you, pal?" Toxic Gunner said. Sledger recognized his old name, occasionally used by the Moon. He instantly stood up straighter, stopping all of his own movements, awaiting orders.
Toxic Gunner breathed a sigh of relief, taking Sledger's hand in his.
"Nice to have you back, man. Let's go home. Follow me."

***

Sledger sat up at his desk, still watching his caterpillar's terrarium. He tapped the glass softly, as the neon-lavender Eclipsian being inched up to the glass and pressed itself up against it.

"Sledger! We need you over here!"
The voice of Commander sounded through the camp, snapping Sledger back to reality. He quickly got up, took a glance at his pet, and left the tent.

/i'm aware i left y'all in the dark for a long-ass time. sorry./
/word count: 1251/