Brent Cosmos: A Hero's Quest

Chapter 5: Movin' in and Movin' On

    “Woo-hoo!” I shouted as I danced around celebrating my victory. I hooted and hollered and gloated like I don’t know what. I know it might’ve seemed a little mean, but it just felt so good to win. “Hey Misty! That was some fight! It was awesome!” Misty got up and used her sword to heal herself. Once she was up and about I extended my hand for a friendly handshake, but she pushed my hand away. I got confused. “Misty? You okay?”
    “I’m fine,” she replied apathetically. “You’ve won our battle. You don’t have to grant my request.”
    “Hey,” I said. “What was your request anyway?”
    “It’s not important,” she replied. She then walked out of the arena without saying a word. I had won the fight, but I  still couldn’t help feeling a little bad.
    “Oh great, guilt,” I said annoyed. Just then I felt a tap on the back of my shoulder. I turned around to see one on the queen’s guards looking as serious as ever.
    “Queen Alicia would like to speak with you in her throne room,” she said.
    “Uh-oh,” I said. “I’m in trouble.”
I nervously made my way back to Alicia’s throne room. She was already there sitting on her throne looking down at me. It was plain to see that she was not happy. “Listen Queenie,” I began. “I’ll admit I might’ve taken things too far at the end, but Misty said that she wanted a real fight and I-,” The queen raised her hand and cut me off.
    “Brent, I didn’t call you here to talk about your fight,” she said.
    “Really?” I asked. “You mean you’re not mad about me hurting Misty?”
    “Brent, Misty has been getting hurt ever since she’s met you. She gets hurt for you, she gets hurt because of you and, more often than I’d prefer, she gets hurt by you.” I was about to say something to refute her claim, but I couldn’t really say she was wrong. “Brent, do you know what exactly it was that Misty wanted from you?” I thought about it, but I couldn’t really come up with a good answer.
    “She wanted to, uhhh…marry me?” Alicia gave me a weird look. “What?” I said. “That’s not it?”
    “No,” the queen replied. “If Misty won your fight, she was going to ask if she could move into Cosmos Castle with you.” I was silent. As soon as I heard that I just stared blankly. I was speechless.
    “That’s what Misty wanted?” I asked as I finally regained my composure. “She wanted to…move in with me?” Of all the things Misty could’ve possibly asked me for that was one that I never would’ve expected in a million years. “But why would she challenge me to a fight just to ask me that?”
    “I was confused about it too,” said the queen. “But I know that Misty felt really strongly about it. I think that maybe you should go talk to her.” The queen was right. I had to talk to Misty. I didn’t know what this moving in with me stuff was about, but I did know that she was probably feeling bad about our fight so I had to make sure she was okay and try to straighten all of this out.
    Misty was in her room lying down on her bed sulking about her crushing defeat. She then heard the door open a little bit. I poked my head in.
    “Hey…,” I said in a soft, mousy voice. “You okay?”
    “Why did the guards let you pass?” Misty said annoyed.
    “I took them out with my dart gun,” I replied.
    “Brent!” Misty said.
“What they were just sleep darts there’s no poison in them. Well…maybe a small bit of poison, but it’s non-lethal.” I then came into the room and walked up to Misty’s bed. “So…your mom told me about your request.” Misty sat up, but remained silent. “Look I get that you wanna move in with me, but what I don’t get is why you had to fight me to ask me.” Misty let out a sigh.
    “Two reasons,” she began. “First, I thought that if I asked you directly you’d get nervous and freak out.”
    “What! I wouldn’t have-,” Misty looked at me with a blank expression. “Okay. Maybe I would’ve freaked out a little.”
    “And the other thing is,” Misty continued. “There’s nothing left for me here on Amazonia anymore. My mother has accepted the fact that I don’t want to be queen, and I’ve become the strongest warrior on the island. I think it’s just time for me to move on. But I couldn’t do that without proving one thing to myself: that I had become strong.” I was confused, but remained silent. “Brent, as long as I’ve known you you’ve done things that I can’t even imagine. You’re the strongest, most powerful person I know. Ever since I first met you I’ve wanted to become strong like you, that’s why becoming your sidekick was the best thing that could’ve happened to me. We’ve been on so many adventures and fought off some of the most powerful beings in the world. You showed me that I can make a difference. That’s why I wanted to stay with you. But first, I wanted to prove that I was truly strong enough to support you.”
    “And that’s why you challenged me,” I said. “You thought that if you could beat me it would prove that you were strong enough to support me at all times.” Misty nodded. I finally understood everything.
    “But I guess I overestimated myself,” she said.
    “No way,” I said. “Misty, the only reason you lost is because you held back.”
    “Huh?”
    “C’mon Misty, I’ve seen you fight before. You’re the best swordswoman I’ve ever seen. But you only really used the sword’s magical powers. You could’ve beaten me if you had actually used the sword itself. And what’s more, you didn’t even use the sword’s strongest magical attacks. What was up with that?” Misty was silent for a moment.
    “Well,” she began. “I know you’re particularly vulnerable to magic and the Sword of Masters is a sacred artifact and one of the few weapons on Fury that can actually kill you so..,”
    “You were afraid of hurting me too badly,” I said finishing her thought. Misty nodded her head.
    “I was worried,” she said. “My drive to win was so big I guess it got to the point where I couldn’t trust myself.”
“Aw Misty you didn’t have to worry about that,” I said. “You’re a noble warrior who’s swordsmanship is as swift as the wind. Even if you had fought me with everything you had, I know you wouldn’t have taken it too far. After all, you’re nothing like me.” Misty smiled. “Besides, if you were the kind of person who would kill someone just to win a fight, you wouldn’t even be able to wield that sword. I totally trust you.”
    “Really?” she said.
    “Really,” I replied. “It would be kind of unfair if I didn’t. I mean you trust me and I tried to shoot you with a bazooka, crush you with a crystal orb, and set you on fire.” Misty laughed. “And for what it’s worth you didn’t have to prove anything.”
    “What do you mean?” Misty asked.
    “Misty, I didn’t choose you because I wanted you to become strong,” I said. “I chose you because I knew you were already strong. You’re the bravest, toughest, kindest person I know. And as far as I’m concerned, you’re the best sidekick a hero could ask for.”
    “You really mean that?” she asked.
    “Of course,” I said. “Would I lie?”
    “ Yes,” Misty replied immediately. I made a grumpy face. “But it was still sweet of you to say,” she smiled. “Thank you Brent.” I smiled too.
    “So are we cool?” I asked.
    “Always,” Misty replied. Well it seemed like everything had been worked out.
    “Well this has been great,” I said as I stretched my arms out. “We grew, we learned, we bonded. But I’d say that it’s time I get outta here. It’s been fun Misty, I’ll see you later.” I started to make my way toward the door but I felt something pull me back by my cloak. It was Misty of course.
    “Hold on,” she said. “Aren’t you forgetting about something?”
    “Oh…right,” I said nervously. “The whole moving in with me thing.” To be honest I had hoped our little heart-to-heart chat would make her forget about that. Guess not. Great. “Look Misty,” I said as I started rubbing the back of my neck. “I don’t really think you moving into my castle is such a good idea.”
    “C’mon what’s the big deal Brent?” Misty asked. “Dr. Zooks, Fightbot, Ruby, Fang, and Adojo all live on Cosmos Island with you.”
    “Yeah, but they all just live on the island.” I said. “Cosmos Castle is a sacred place of my family. I don’t think I can just let anyone live there. And besides, if we start living together we might start to annoy and get sick of each other.”
    “Brent, I’ve know you for six years,” Misty said. “Believe me, if I was sick of you I’d have told you by now.”
    “Point taken,” I said
    “And I’d think that you’d want a roommate. I mean, you’ve been all by yourself in that castle for six years. Don’t you get lonely?”
    “I have friends,” I replied.
    “That’s not what I meant,” she continued. “I mean you talk to yourself,”
    “That’s a sign of creativity,” I replied.
    “You get lost in the hallways.”
    “Oh yeah, that one time!” I said in an irritated tone.
    “And you can’t even cook so all you eat is snacks and microwavable junk food.”
    “Hey I’d love to learn to cook, but I just don’t have the time,” I then reached into my belt and pulled out a box of microwavable burritos. “But three-minute meals are perfect for busy on-the-go heroes like me!” Misty gave me a funny look and I frowned. “Okay, so maybe living on my own isn’t the best, but I still don’t think it would be cool to let a non-Cosmos live in the castle.”
    “What if I promise to cook all your meals from now on?” she said with a sly smile. I thought about it for a minute.
    “Nope! I still don’t think it would be right,” I said. Misty and I were both awkwardly quiet for a moment.
    “Brent,” Misty said. “Is this really about your family’s traditions?”
    “What?” I said. “O-Of course it is.”
    “Are you sure about that?” she asked.
    “Y-Yeah. Why?”
    “Well it’s just that you’re acting a bit strange.”
    “Strange?” I said.
    “Yes. Could it be that there’s another reason that you’re not comfortable with me moving in with you?”
    “N-No, of course not!” I said while trying desperately to not make eye contact.
    “Really?” Misty said as she stared at me intensely. “Because I don’t think you’re making much of an argument.”
    “I made some good points!” I said firmly.
    “Making an argument loud doesn’t necessarily make it good.” Misty replied.
    “I FEEL QUITE DIFFERENTLY!” I shouted. “Why are you analyzing me anyway?! Are you a therapist? Is that a degree in psychology hanging on the wall over there? NO! It’s a shield on a plaque that you never use which by the way you should really use that shield I think it would be really useful!” After got done yelling, Misty continued to silently stare at me. Her eyes felt like they were gazing into my soul! I tried with all my might to resist her gaze, but in the end she finally broke me. “Alright!” I said. “The truth is, I don’t know if I’d feel comfortable about living with an…older woman.”
    “Oh is that it?” Misty asked. “C’mon Brent I’m only 2 years older than you. And you shouldn’t feel embarrassed about living with a girl.”
    “I didn’t say girl,” I replied. “I said woman!” It was true. One look at Misty and you could tell that she wasn’t  just a girl. She was a full-grown, worldly, eighteen year-old, firm and fully packed woman. Meanwhile I was a sixteen year old teenage boy who’s still dealing with acne, B.O., and my own personal issues. Not to mention the fact that I knew next to nothing about women. Needless to say having someone like Misty as my roommate was something I just wasn’t prepared for. “Also, there’s the matter of our…relationship.”
    “Relationship?” Misty said.
    “Look Misty, when it comes to...displaying affection, you can be a bit…forward, and I don’t know if I can deal with that 24/7.” Misty didn’t deny what I said about her being forward. She knew I was right. Misty may not like most men, but she likes me. Even though I can be a bit difficult, angry, and aggressive most of time, I can also be a bit naïve and innocent when it came to things like girls and Misty finds that incredibly appealing. She likes how I’m not like every other man who drools at the sight of her. I mean don’t get me wrong, I think Misty is the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen, but I just know how to drool on the inside.
    “Okay Brent,” she said with a serious look. “I’ll admit that I can be a bit aggressive when it comes to showing my feelings, but it’s just because I really like you.”
    “I know,” I said. “And I like you too. But sometimes it feels like you like me a bit too much.” Misty scowled.
    “Well excuse me for not being afraid to show my feelings Mr. Prude,” she said angrily. “But may I remind you that you weren’t always so innocent.”
    “What do you mean?” I asked.
    “When we were growing up together you would always be staring at me when you thought I wasn’t looking.”
    “Well I-,”
    “And you would always be sniffing my hair,”
    “Yeah but-,”
    “And whenever we hugged, you would use it as an excuse to try and touch my bu-,”
    “Okay! Okay!” I said. I couldn’t deny anything she said. It was all true. I was a bit frisky when I was growing up with Misty, but back then she was just a little girl. And girls do develop faster than boys after all. As time went by, Misty eventually grew into something I just didn’t have the skills to handle so I calmed down and backed off. Incidentally, that was also around the time when Misty began to get more aggressive about her feelings towards me. Funny how things work out isn’t it?
    “Look, I was just going through something back then. It’s called puberty and it sucks. Things are different now. I’m a little more mature and you’re…a LOT more mature. And besides, can you honestly promise me that if we lived together you would keep our relationship strictly platonic and professional at all times.”
    “Well-,” Misty began.
    “AHA! I knew it!” I shouted.
    “I didn’t even say anything,” Misty said.
    “You didn’t have to,” I replied. Misty’s face turned into a look of disappointment.
    “Brent,” she said. “Are you trying to say that…you don’t trust me?”
    “NO, NO, NO!” I said. “That’s not it at all! To be honest you’re not even the real issue.”
    “Then what is?” she asked. I hung my head and let out a big sigh.
    “The thing is,” I began. “Everywhere I go people judge me. They make fun of me, they criticize me, they get mad at me for doing my job, it’s just too much to take. Cosmos Castle is like my sanctuary. It’s the one place in the world where I don’t have to worry about anyone else. I can do what I want and nobody can judge me or anything. It’s the only place where I can be me. Sure it’s lonely, but if you were me, you’d want to be alone most of the time too.” Misty didn’t say anything. She just stood up, walked over to me, took me by my hands and raised my head.
    “I understand Brent,” she said while looking deeply into my eyes. “But you know, I would never judge you. I know everything about who you are and what you do. I think you’re amazing and I’d never make fun of you or judge you or anything because I know that you are a good person, a great hero, and a fantastic friend.”
    “Really?” I said.
    “Really,” Misty said in a sweet, soothing voice as she kissed me on the nose. I smiled. Misty always says things like that to me and what’s more, she always means them. Her words gave me a good feeling.
    “Thanks Misty,” I said. I then began to think. “You know, maybe having one more person living in the castle wouldn’t be so bad. It would be nice to have someone to talk to other than myself.”
    “You mean it?” Misty said.
    “Yeah,” I replied. “After all, Cosmos Castle is a sacred place for my family and you’ve been like family to me for years. And now that I think about it, I guess there really isn’t a rule about a Cosmos not being able to have a roommate.”
    “So I can really move in with you?” Misty asked.
    “Well that depends,” I said. I stared at her for a minute. “Will you still cook my-,”
    “Yes I’ll still cook your meals,” she said while slightly rolling her eyes.
    “Okay then! It’s a deal!” I said.
    “Oh Brent, thank you!” Misty then gave me a big kiss on the cheek, which put a great big grin on my face. She then pulled me in close a gave me a big, warm hug. My body tensed up a bit as her curvaceous body pressed into me, but eventually I gained the courage to hug her back.
    You wouldn’t know it by looking at me, but I’m actually a pretty emotional guy. Though, the emotion I’m best known for is anger. But when I’m with Misty it’s different. She makes me feel all kinds of emotions: happy, nervous, frustrated, anxious, and even insecure. But there was one emotion that Misty made me feel more than any other. No matter what, Misty always had a way of making me feel calm. And as we stood there embracing, I took a little sniff of her hair. I couldn’t help it. It just smells so good.