Heroes of Dreamland, Book 6: Kirby and the Fountain's Fate (OLD)

~Other Time~ The End of This Time

(some time later, on the Planet Shi:)

Stellar's POV:

It's the middle of the night, and pretty chilly out. The dark clouds that this planet is famous for block out all of the light from the moon and stars, and the few fires we've built (being careful not to make too much smoke with them, of course) don't help with the visibility much.

"This is so obviously a trap," I mutter to myself in worry as I pace back and forth just outside of our small camp. Petal, who is actually supposed to be sleeping right now, has accompanied me so I 'don't have to be alone.' Whether I'll admit it or not, I do appreciate it. "Nightmare would never actually propose any sort of treaty without tying all sorts of terrible conditions to it... Why did we ever come here? Something terrible is going to happen, I can feel it."

Trying to give a weak smile, the Lieutenant General reminds me from where she sits on a bench-like slab of red deadstone, "You know why we came; you're the one who said we all had to come. We all know that Nightmare's just playing a game with us, ma'am. There's not really any war, it's all just him having fun getting rid of all of us while we weakly make a show of fighting back. The first time we quit playing his game with him and refuse to show up to a battle, he'll get bored and just get rid of all of us at once."

Even though she's hit the nail right on the head, I still don't want to be here. "I know that as long as we keep fighting, there's hope that the Warrior of the Stars'll show up and help us out of this mess, but stars above, I do wish he'd hurry up and get here. I'm so tired of this whole war conundrum, Petal. Won't it ever end?"

"I don't know, General," she admits wearily, staring down at her gloves like she tends to do when she's fretting over something or other. "We can hope so. After all, we all have faith that the Star Power sees some rhyme and reason to all of this. It's just so... hard sometimes, to let him have his way, especially when it seems like he's just letting Nightmare go crazy and do whatever he wants with the Galaxy."

A cold draft from the bare, red cliffs around us makes me pull my cape around me tighter as I continue pacing. "Just once more, I'd like to be able to go home to Chivalry and be able to enjoy the river and woods and everything without worrying about any war nonsense."

"You visited Chivalry for a few days not too long ago, ma'am," Petal reminds me quietly, but we both know that's not quite what I meant. Being there was nice, yes, but it was hard to enjoy myself when the threat of Nightmare didn't go anywhere.

We both fall silent for a couple of minutes, when suddenly Petal speaks up again. "Did I tell you that Orion's back yet?"

Snapping a glare at her, I demand, "And what brought him back to the army, dare I even ask? He's been permanently suspended. And what of his family? Didn't you say he has a young lad of his own now?"

She takes a moment to answer. "I think... I think something must have happened to them, ma'am. When he showed up, seeming all quiet and nervous and saying he wanted to help, I asked him the same thing you just asked me. He replied, all soft and sad, 'I don't have a family anymore.'"

For a moment, I just continue to look at her with narrowed eyes, but then sigh and look away. "I'm sorry to hear that... Not even that brat deserves that, especially after his whole village... well..." Neither of us speaks for several minutes, until I finally murmur, "So I'm guessing you said he could stick around for now?"

Nodding, she agrees, "I really think he's straightened himself out some, and the army's the closest thing to a home he's got now, General. He's actually here on the surface with us now; said he wanted to make things up to us by being here to help."