The King's Remorse

Who is He?

"Isn't i-it obvious? A-a-ask Arcane."

"As him what?"

"A-ask him to l-let us c-catch the rabbit!" I bolt around Phoenix, gunning for Arcane.

Come on. Where is he? I make a sharp turn to the left when I nearly run straight into Arcane.

"S-s-sorry. I-I didn't see you there. I-I-I'm s-super sorry. I did-," I sputter.

"It's fine. Don't be sorry. Did you figure it out?"

"Uh, y-yeah. A-at least, I think so. C-could you let me catch a-a-a rabbit, pl-please?" I wince slightly, turning my gaze to the ground.

"Sure." A rabbit materializes in front of me, and it doesn't move other than the quiver of its nose as it breathes.

"Go ahead." I nod, taking the small jump forward to pin the rabbit to the ground. It doesn't struggle, instead disappearing in shimmering lights. The rabbit constellation glows a little brighter against the galaxies swirling on Arcane's pelt. Lepus, was it? Something like that.

"S-so a-a-are you gonna bring back K-Ky?" I tilt my head back to look at Arcane.

"I said I'd think about it. Give me a bit of time to think about it." Arcane turns sharply and pads off. His red tail drags across the ground. As he walks away, I can hear him asking himself what he's supposed to do. I watch him for a few moments before returning to the group.

"What happened?" Phoenix demands as soon as I'm back.

"He s-said he'd think a-a-about it." Phoenix growls at my response.

"That's not enough! He needs to bring back Ky. He has to."

"I'm sure he will, Phoenix." Dove sighs.

"But will he really?"

"S-sure, he will. Why w-wouldn't he? I-i-it wouldn't make s-sense."

"How would it not make sense?"

"I-I caught the rabbit. He s-said he would c-consider it i-i-if I did, but why wouldn't he bring Ky back? I-it's not that hard."

"'Cus he's a coward. He killed Freedom, by accident, I might add, and now he's too scared to even try to bring Ky back. Arcane's the biggest baby I've ever known. What a coward. I bet he's watching us, enjoying how he's making us wait. If you are, indeed watching us, Arcane, I want you to know that you're the biggest sissy. You have the power to bring someone back, and you're too scared to do it. If I had the power to bring someone back, I'd've done it long ago."

I listen to what Phoenix is saying, but my eyes wander around. Huge rocks are scattered across the ground, probably from when Ragdon Volcano exploded, however long ago that was. Little plants sprout from within the cracks of the rocks. I crouch down to look at one beside one of my forepaws. There is the tiniest flower beginning to bloom.

"Did you even hear a word I said, Clap?" Phoenix scowls at me.

"Huh? Oh, y-yeah. You were talking a-about how Ar-Arcane is a coward. I-If you had his power, you would've brought back K-Ky immediately."

A flash of red has me looking over Phoenix's shoulder. I dart forward, eager to see who it is, but Brook stops me by quickly stepping in front of me.

"If that's you, Arcane, you'd better get out here right now. Show your cowardly face."

"H-have you finished thinking, A-A-Arcane?" I pad around Brook to see if Arcane will come out.

No one says anything for several minutes. I watch a bird fly across the sky, silhouetted against the sunlight.