You'll be a Hero Too

Protection

Sorry to say, but this is an angsty Adorabat chapter. There's no suicide stuff in this, but it's just s a d. It's not all that sad though!

Adorabat's POV:

It's the middle of the night. I can't bring myself to go to sleep and dream about being a hero! I know I have an extensive library of vocab, but I forgot what not being able to sleep means. I decided to sleep on the pillow instead of hanging upside down. Maybe that'll drift me to sleep? Nope, my eyes are still open.

I start to feel memories flow back to me, coming back in small ripples at first.

Mommy . . . I can't sleep. Can you sing a lullaby to me?

Of course my Adoramuffin. I don't wanna wake Daddy up, so lets go to your room.

Ok mommy!

Mommy's lullaby was very comforting. I remember the lyrics as if they were super-glued to my brain. I would tell you them, but that would make a little lump in my throat. The small ripples turned into small waves.

"Daddy can I go play in the trees?"

"What did I tell you sweetie? We don't go outside of our territory, it's very dangerous! The Ruby's still building itself so that we'll be safe from all the monsters."

"But you said it would take a loooonnnggggg time to build! I wanna explore the world!"

"I know you do Adorabat, but you're still too young. Maybe in the future ok?"

"Fine . . ."

I bet he would still think I'm too young, even if I'm a deputy now! The more I thought about the past, the more bigger the waves would get. The impact of the water splashing on me got more and more intense. The big waves started coming in and the splashes hurt me. Out of nowhere, a tsunami comes toward me, ready to swallow me whole. 

This next memory's a bad one—a HORRIBLE one. A memory that I wished I could erase from my mind.

"My parents always say that I'm a strong little bat! I can go in the forest on my own! I can defeat a monster on my own!"

The little bat flew out of her family's little home, making sure her parents didn't see her and ask her where she was going. She flapped her tiny wings deep into the lush, green forest. Adorabat stopped at a tiny little rock. She knew what the rock would do if she rubbed it—it would turn into a ginormous rock monster with long rock legs. It had no eyes, only a mouth with jagged rock teeth. 

That doesn't mean it can't attack you, though. In fact, it has the incredible ability to sense you wherever you are. If it smashes you with the right force, you're done for. Adorabat thought she had the advantage because she was a very small and very fast flyer. She rubbed the rock and flew out of the trees, waiting for it to take form. 

When the rock monster roared its cold heart out, Adorabat zoomed towards it and started kicking it multiple times in a row. That didn't work one bit, so she flew to the ground, picked up the heaviest rock she could carry, and threw it at the monster's legs. "Why isn't it working?!" she asked herself while she flew out of the trees again. Maybe her dad was right. Maybe she is too young to be traveling by herself. Maybe her parents were wrong about her being strong. 

Adorabat noticed the rock monster about to swing one of its legs at her. She tried her best to fly out of the way, she really did! It didn't matter anyways. The rocky leg swung at her and hit her right leg. Everything went black.

I didn't notice tears going down my cheeks until I touched my face. I was stupid back then. Now I'm smarter and I know better. I just . . . I need to prove Mao Mao and Badgerclops that I don't need their help fighting monsters! One time, I overheard them talking about how Mao Mao was gonna give me a practice sword one year from now. You know I can't wait a whole year for something I wanted for ages!