A True Hero

27 - For Freedom

Darkness. All I was aware of was darkness. I knew I was asleep, for somehow my subconscious is acutely aware of the physical and mental state of my body, yet my conscious mind can't register the subconscious thoughts. I suppose that's what I get for being part monster. I couldn't think, or feel, or move. There was no energy left in me. I only had one very vague, fleeting thought in my mind: that I was asleep, and I needed to wake up.

Then the thought became clearer. I began to feel things around me and I was aware of the fatigue of my body. The darkness became lighter when I tasted something strange on my tongue. It was bitter and pungent, yet sweet and satisfying. The more I tasted it, the sharper my senses became until I could hear the voices of people, feel the hard cot beneath me, and smell the distinctive aroma of iodoform, a disinfectant used often in hospitals.

I was still weak, but I was definitely stronger. To test my strength, I moved my fingers and legs around. They ached, but they still worked. Breathing heavily, I mustered the energy to open my eyes, and my darkness was flooded with a blinding light. I blinked against it and moaned, trying to remember where I was and what had happened. But I couldn't remember. A thick cloud lay over my memories and I couldn't fight it.

"Wake up, Meta," someone whispered. It sounded familiar. I blinked several times and rolled over to see Nicolette sitting by my bed and smiling at me. The ends of her hair, especially along her bangs, were frayed from being burned away, and underneath of her bangs, her head was wrapped with a yellowing bandage. She had bags under her eyes from lack of sleep, and she had a few cuts from burns on her cheeks, forehead, and lips. Furrowing my brow, I sat up and looked around to see that I was in the hospital on the Enterprise. Amai ran by my bed carrying fresh bandages to someone across the room. How strange, for I didn't remember a recent battle. I watched as Jecra fumbled after her, carrying some ointment and anesthesia. Both of them had burn marks on their arms and necks. I looked up at Nic and raised my hand to touch her wound. She smiled, caught my hand, and lowered it back to my side.

"Are you alright?" I gasped.

She nodded and looked grimly in the direction Amai had gone, saying, "Yes, but I can't say the same for everyone." I followed her gaze and saw Garlude.

Her entire body was cocooned in a roll of bandages, and blood soaked through them on her left side. Bruises and cuts covered her face. Amai and Jecra busied themselves with her IV tubes and wounds while Blizz sat by her bed, maskless, with his right arm in a sling, patiently waiting for her to awaken. He held her hand in his and intently watched her face. Suddenly he looked up, as if sensing my staring, and gave me a small smile. I nodded at him, then felt a hand on my shoulder. I looked back up at Nic, but she was smiling at some visitors on the other side of my bed. Grabbing her arm, I propped myself up so I could see them and was surprised; they were Falspar and Arthur.

Both were armorless and had broad smiles plastered across their faces. Neither wore battle scars like Amai, Jecra, Garlude, Blizz, Nic, or I did. What in the stars happened? At the sight of Arthur, some urgent question beckoned to me through my cloudy mind, but I couldn't remember what it was.

"Glad you're finally awake," Arthur said, clapping me on the shoulder. Falspar gave me a giant hug, squeezing the air from my lungs.

"MK, dude, we missed you!" he cheered, then ran both hands through his red mohawk and looked down at the ground. "It's really good to see you awake. Some of us thought you weren't going to make it." All of their faces drooped in response. My eyes flashed orange and white in confusion.

"What happened?" I said with a raspy voice.

Falspar answered before Arthur could. "You collapsed from fatigue after summoning a super powerful mach tornado, and Jecra had to rush back you guys back here. Both you and Garlude went into a coma. We thought it was something worse because Amai couldn't get you to wake up, but then Nicolette reached into your cape and pulled out a Metamato. A Metamato! Arthur said you got if from The Sage. Do you know how rare that fruit is? Anyway, we force fed it to you, and then you started showing signs of life. Go easy on the magic tornadoes next time, dude. It took a magic tomato to revive you."