Star Darlings; The Soldier

Colin's Oath

Colin laid his head back, exhausted from the previous day. He sighed. Tired, injured, and extremely pissed at the fact that he can't catch a break. He sat on the tallest tree in the area, like he always does, surveying the land before him.

He looked to the horizon, where the sun is setting, making the sky a warm purple and yellow. It's his favourite sky; the way the brightness of the sun mixing with the sky ruled by the moons... he found it comforting that something as different as night and day can mix so well. Unlike him, who was an abomination to the entire Starling kind. Half Wishing... how the Resistance would react if they ever find out. He smiled, thinking about faces he'll most likely beat up.

A branch cracking drew his attention to Diana, who'd climbed beside him, sitting down on the same branch.

"Hey," Diana said. "I heard about... everything. Are you alright?"

"Yeah; just tired," Colin said disinterestedly.

Diana sighed. "I know there's something wrong, Colin. You can tell me." She put a hand on his shoulder.

"I just want to know."

"Know what?"

"Why am I the tool the stars use?" Colin's answer shocked her to the core. "Why am I the one that suffers so much? Why am I the one who'd never belong anywhere? Why am I the one that stays alone, broken, and dead on the inside? Why..." His voice broke. "Just why..."

Diana felt the same sadness stab into her again and again. Colin had given up long ago; he's just here for his friends, she realized. After... Well, Diana hoped he wouldn't give up on living entirely.

"And who'd be there for me?" Colin whispered, so quiet that Diana almost couldn't hear it.

"I am." Diana blurted out. "Colin..." She fell silent under his gaze but found her voice again. Too late to go back now "I... I love you, Colin. And I don't care if you say that you don't deserve anyone, or why I fell for you. I just did, and you can-"

Colin put a finger to her lips, his expression now even more broken and sad. "I'm sorry," he whispered, standing up.

"Why?" Diana asked, standing up. "Why would I be-"

"Because you won't find anything but a bad ending with me," Colin said softly. "I'm sorry, but you're better off without me."

Before Diana could say anything more, he leapt off the tree, disappearing into the foliage below.

Colin collapsed beside a tree sobbing. He was kilometres away from the base, in enemy territory, but he didn't care. Another tear fell down his face.

I'm sorry, Diana, but I'm not going to ruin another person's life. He thought. The last time...

(flashback)

Colin sat under the tree, drawing yet another sketch of the Crystal Mountains. He was finishing the clouds when something covered his eyes.

"Guess who I am!" a female voice said behind him.

"Heidi... it's not funny anymore..." Colin said, taking the hands off him. He found himself staring at a beautiful girl his age, with silver hair and eyes. She was one of the 4 new Star Darlings after Leona, Tessa, Scarlet and Adora graduated. Heidi had taken an instant liking to him, and they actually became best friends... maybe more.

"It is for me!" Heidi objected. "What are you doing?" She looked at Colin's sketch. "That looks pretty good..."

"Thanks," Colin said. "Spent some time on this."

"Cooooooool..." Heidi said.

She sat down beside him, her head resting on his shoulder. Colin looked at her affectionately, running his hand through her white hair.

Heidi kissed him, not the sisterly kiss she'd usually give. A full-on, romantic kiss on the lips.

"Colin... I love you." She whispered.

"I do too." He whispered back.

After surviving the ordeal that was Libby, he sat down beside Andrew, who was currently watching Peter getting wrecked on Halo 3.

"Damn it..." Peter muttered. "Not a word, Andrew."

"No," Andrew said, trying not to laugh.

Colin smiled, but it disappeared when his internal radar went wild.

"MOVE!" he tackled the two boys as an explosion went off beside them.

"What the fuck?" Andrew asked after they recovered. "What was that-"

Another explosion sounded from Starling Academy. The dorms. The girls' rooms.

"We've got to go and help," Colin said. "Hang on!" He said as he teleported them there.

Piper rushed to them. "Halo, Lana, Nina and Heidi's dorm!" She said. "Something exploded there!"

"What!?!?!" Colin said, pushing past Piper and towards their dorm.

The entire room had been vaporized; the room looked nothing like what it used to be. On the cinder-covered floor, were... 3 bodies.

"Lana!" Piper said, rushing to one of them. "Are you alright?"

"Halo...she..." Lana muttered.

"She's in shock," Andrew said. "Get her to Adora!"

Colin knelt by Heidi. "Heidi! Are you ok?" he scooped her up gently. But she didn't respond.

"No..." Colin whispered lightly. "No no no no no... Heidi!"

"Colin..." Piper said. "I think..."

"She can't be gone!" Colin yelled. "No..........."

He looked up to see a massive plane dropping more explosives. It had the Skylar symbol on it.

"YOU SON OF BITCH!!!" Colin yelled, yanking out his Power Crystal.

(End of Flashback)

Colin curled up as he remembered the blood-soaked day; the day he was truly broken. The day things were never the same. He swore to not fall in love anymore; for their own safety, and his friends. However painful it is.