Dreams Come True

No Matter Where You Are

I awoke in absolute silence, only the subtle ticking of my alarm clock to fill the void. It was still dark out, so I knew it wasn't a reasonable time to be up in the slightest. But my body was forcing me awake, and I couldn't do much about it. I carefully looked over at my nightstand, seeing a sleeping Maple in his pot, back turned to me, and my bedside clock reading a very upsetting 4:30 AM. I let a sigh out through my nose, and turned my head so I was looking back up at the top bed cover.

"Having trouble sleeping?"

I jolted into a sitting position, seeing Katania in her nightgown looking at me from my room's couch. Gladius was hovering next to her in his scabbard, and even in the lack of light I could tell they were giving me contemplative looks. Maple turned around to face me, wide awake and eyes reflecting today's sombre tone.

I opened my arms so Maple could come and snuggle me, which he accepted without hesitation. As he cuddled up into my chest, I clicked my bedside lamp on so it was easier to see everything. Katania and Gladius joined me on my bed, all of us now sucked into a dower mood.

"This is it..." I said quietly. "After all of this, this is our last full day all together as a group. After two whole months of a crazy adventure where me and Gladdy jumped across time and space, this is it."

"It really sucks", Katania said in dejection. "I really like the gang. It's so nice to have more girls to hang out with and talk to. Like, I feel like I can confidently call Jenny, Star, Merida, Izzy and Scrap Baby sisters. They feel like they were always meant to be here."

"Same, honestly", I continued. "Everyone feels like they're a member of a family I always felt was impossible for me. Maria, Manolo, Amy and Rory all feel like parents, everyone who's around my age or younger are my siblings, and I have a plethora of wacky uncles and aunts." The smile that was forming on my face fell. "And now I have to see them all leave..."

I sniffled as tears began to pool in my eyes, so for comfort I hugged Maple closer to my chest. The Wasabi Whip responded by wrapping his whip around my arm tightly, with Kat smooching over so she could lean on my left side. Gladius hovered in front of us, looking us over carefully as if half expecting me to run out of the room in tears.

"I'll be honest with you, Caleb", Gladius began. The other three of us looked up at him. "Rainbow's been so quiet as of recently because I've been screaming at her in regards to this. How I hate she's letting her paranoia rip the friends that helped us so much away. And seeing how distressed it made you, I gave her a piece of my mind."

"I thought so..." I mumbled.

The sword nodded. "I knew you'd figure it out, you're smart and very perceptive. I won't beat around the bush... I was trying to convince her to reconsider, or else she'd lose the two of us again. Clearly, that didn't work."

"I'd support that no matter what", Katania said firmly. "And I know my mom and dad would kick up a fuss about it. They actually are, now that I remember. My dad's been very vocal during training about how he feels like the gang has been so much help breaking me out of my shell, and it's gotten my mom to notice and agree. And when my mom agrees with something, the army slowly follows along."

I sniffled again, eyelids heavy. "Still, Rainbow is sending everyone away. No matter what we do or say, she's set on this."

"Then we just have to make the most of today", Katania said reassuringly, although her voice did shake a bit. "Let's just focus on today."

I nodded, then looked down at Maple. "What about you? Is Rainbow sending you away too?"

The Wasabi Whip made a motion akin to a shrug, which didn't fill me with much confidence. So I simply pulled my plant companion into an even tighter hug, as Katania and Gladius moved over so they could hug me close, all of us stuck in this miserable cuddle pile. It was not a fun time right now, and my heart beating at a very unhealthy rate didn't help.