Kratogenesis

Send Me On My Way (XXXV)

...Not for Death P.A.C.T., though. Pie was stomping around the team house. It was unusual for her to behave like that, as everyone saw her as perhaps the mellowest person they could ever meet. "The situation is spiralling out of control." Pie was horrified to think of all the casualties that the conflict could generate. She wanted to avoid another harrowing episode where she had to witness the death of someone before her very eyes.

"Some people might die!" Tree shared Pie's worries. Despite that, he appeared to be calmer, as he had not spectated that heartrending episode where Remote was killed in an explosion.

"We cannot allow that!" Pie sat down on her armchair, trying to regain her composure. "By the way, Tree, could you make me a cup of peppermint tea?" She sighed, as the possible chaos that was looming over everyone scared her.

"Sure thing." Tree walked to the kitchen and prepared the tea. About a minute later, he went back to the lobby and handed the hot beverage to Pie. "Here you go!"

"Thank you, Tree." Pie's hands could feel the warmth of the tea. "So, yeah, guys. We have to act if we don't want to find ourselves surrounded by death and despair."

Pillow was eating ramen from a bowl. "But how?"

"Golf Ball and Book want to restore order, right?" Tree reminisced about Golf Ball's fancy new group.

"That's right." Pie nodded while sipping the tea she was holding. "We'll have to aid those two in the conflict."

"Well, there's one side." Pillow placed the empty bowl of ramen she was holding on the small table at the center of the lobby. "Golf Ball and Book are trying to restore order, while Taco is just trying to have fun."

"Taco's stunt may cause death!" Pie was shocked to hear that anyone could condone a possible source of death. "We have to join Golf Ball's side!"

Pillow's view on the matter did not match Pie's. "To be honest, I think Golf Ball is just trying to monopolize the contest in her favor and force us into more math tests."

"She's just trying to restore peace!" Pie replied, while keeping her mellow demeanor.

Pillow shook her head. "That translates to me as Taco's having fun. I cannot allow that." She sighed in contempt. "Do you realize how pathetic that sounds?"

"You're missing the point, Pillow!" Pie's mellowness was beginning to fade. "Taco may be having fun, but think of the chaos her stunt could generate! Think of the deaths!"

Pillow looked straight into Pie's eyes. "I still don't understand why you're trying to conscript us into this dumb feud."

"I told you! It's to prevent deaths! It's right in our team name!" Pie stood up. She could feel a slight sensation of anger going through her body.

"Well, look how well it worked!" Pillow just couldn't see the point, if there was any, in Pie's argument. "Two words: crater contest!"

Crater contest. That damned crater contest. The flashbacks ignited by Pillow's words paralyzed Pie into a state of primordial fear.

In the meanwhile, Pillow left the house. Tree ran towards the window and opened it. "Just where do you think you're going, young lass?"

"You want the truth?" If Pillow had a nuke, she would make it explode right in front of the house.

"No, I want you to go back in!" Tree put his head out of the window and indicated the door.

"I never cared about preventing death in the first place." Pillow's harsh truth stunned everyone else in the team. "I'm done with your cult!"

About half an hour later, Pie walked up to Pillow, who was sitting on a tree stump in the Forest. "Hey, Pillow. Get back to the team."

Pillow turned around and uttered a quiet "No", before stretching her arms to attack Pie; the mellow blueberry pastry, however, dodged the attack with such tranquility and pleasing smoothness that Pillow had to admit that Pie possessed a supernatural skill. Pillow was not deterred, though: she went on, applying her knowledge in martial arts and mixing it with her elasticity. After a balanced match of sinuous moves and little sweat secreted, Pillow prevailed by slicing Pie's crust using her hand, which had become sharper than a ceramic knife.

Pillow was covered with blueberry filling, but she did not let bother her, as she stretched her way to Taco's adobe house. She knocked on the door and waited for someone to answer. To her surprise, Snowball opened the door. He looked like he couldn't get a good night's sleep. "Oh hi, Pillow."

"Hi Snowball!" She smiled. Snowball's sudden hug made her blush. "Pie wants to conscript me into joining Golf Ball's side."

Snowball let Pillow go. "Need protection from power-hungry bozo brains? Welcome to the Familia. Come in."

Pillow obliged and sat on the couch, with Snowball taking the unclaimed seats on it. "If you don't mind me asking, why'd you hug me before?"

"I can't sleep." Snowball rubbed his eyes. "Perhaps all that tomato sauce did no good to my body..."

"Oh! I can help." Pillow smiled, stroking Snowball's head.

"How?" Snowball couldn't think of a way where Pillow could help him sleep that didn't involve him putting his head on top of her.

Pillow cleared her throat and began to sing. "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star..." As soon as she started singing that melody, Snowball could feel that he was falling asleep. By the time the song was over, Snowball was sleeping like a baby. Pillow looked at him and smiled; she found something cute in that sleeping ball of snow. She stroked his face and closed her eyes.