A True Hero

32 - How to Say Goodbye

Meta Knight

Two months after the birth of Sirica.

"Stardate 348,

The Captain promoted me to a Star Warrior today. Who would've known that a little scrapper from Gemtia was blessed with powers and the destiny of the best warriors in the universe? I don't quite feel like I deserve this honor, but Cosmos says I deserve it. Neither he nor I know what my power is, though. I suppose it's something I'll realize, and when I do, I'll journal it here.

Anyway, newbie is doing a little better. That's what I'm calling the blue puffball guy. He's slowly opening up to me, and yesterday he told me his name—Meta Knight! Treating his 'first' name as a prefix, his name means 'Knight of Knights.' The title suits him. We just got back from a battle on a dustbowl planet that The Captain swore allegiance to years ago, and he essentially single-handedly defeated an entire horde of Kaiju monsters. The Captain tells him to embrace his skill—he's a Star Warrior gifted with the power of swordplay and combat, we all know that—but he's incredibly humble. Utterly mysterious and utterly secretive. He won't say a word about his past and nearly flipped when I pushed him too hard. Every secret kept in the dark will be brought to light; I hope he'll tell me the truth about himself someday before it's exposed in a way that'll hurt him. I've heard rumors on the ship. People here are jealous and want to hurt him.

Why do we fight each other when we're supposed to fight the enemy?

NME tears us apart without saying a word. He doesn't have to. The evil that rests in our hearts does the job for him. I fear that he's placed figures in the army that cause the discord behind the scenes; traitors, as Cosmos calls them.

I fear that this discord will bring about our end."

I shut Dear Friend and looked up at my ceiling, taking a deep breath. I vividly remembered the day she was knighted and the confusion surrounding her powers. I also remembered that battle, for right afterward she demanded to know my name. So I told her. And I kept the rest a secret.

Reopening the book, I flipped to the next empty page after Chrys's last entry and picked up the pen sitting on my nightstand. Since I started reading her journal, I considered making my own entries where she left off. Now, after reading this entry, especially her thoughts on evil and secrets, I realized she was right. Dark secrets would be brought to light eventually.

I had once convinced myself that my past would be buried with me in my grave. But maybe writing it down would feel like I was still telling someone without having to actually speak.

The box I kept under my bed that held relics from my tortures sat next to me. I reached down into it and pulled out the white horn. Dark memories deserve to be kept in dark places—NME's words. Clenching the horn in my hand, I started writing.

"Dear Chrystal,

"You said it yourself. Everything done in dark will be brought to light. You started writing when you were young. If I start writing now, I can skip my past. Maybe it would be easier to pretend it never happened and take this fresh start. But part of having a fresh start is accepting my past. Living through it one more time, analyzing what happened in detail, will help me discover who I am so this fresh start will be meaningful.

"Dark memories need to be exposed to light, and I'm not sure exactly where to begin. There's only one good place: the day I was made. But before I continue, understand this:

Monsters are not created evil."

"Meta Knight!" Nic suddenly called, rapping on the door, and I jumped and threw the horn back into its box. "Meta, come on!"