The night sky stretched out before her, desolate and devoid of stars. An empty and hopeless feeling wormed its way into her chest as she stared out into the dark expanse, the roof of the world she lived in. A world without stars. A world without wonder. A world without dreams... No, she refused. Her dreams were the last thing she had and she would not let go of them.
Rosalina closed the curtains and returned to her chair. One day. One day, she knew the stars would come out of hiding and light the world once more. "And we'll watch them together, Luma. Glittering stars in an indigo sky, not that dark black one we're used to. And I'll tell you all about the constellations and the cosmos and all who live in it. Doesn't that sound nice, my dear?"
She reached for a thick storybook on the table next to her. "While we wait for that starry sky, how about I read you a story?" Gentle fingertips brushed over its worn cover as she fondly recalled all the times she read from it. The book was Luma's favorite. The little star would wait in silent anxiousness whenever she reached a tense part and twirled in joy when she reached the happy ending. Smiling, she flipped open the cover.
Familiar words greeted her on the worn pages. She opened her mouth to read aloud, only to have her voice die in her throat. The sentences on the page began to move on their own, scrambling and merging with one another into an incomprehensible mess. Sorrow, pure and raw, rattled inside her heart as if it were trapped in a cage and trying desperately to break free. She slammed the book shut, taking deep breaths to calm her shaking form. What was that? And why did it feel so familiar? She cast her eyes down at the book which now sat like an iron weight on her lap. How many times had she tried to read from it...?
The sound of a door creaking open broke the silence.
Stifling a gasp, she turned to the intruder. A small figure stood at the doorway, his features only made visible by the glowing blue antenna attached to his round, glass helmet.
He stared at her with shocked eyes that likely mirrored her own. "I-I'm sorry!" he spluttered, taking a step back. His antenna bobbed with the motion. "I didn't know anyone was living here."
Rosalina didn't answer, instead observing him with cool eyes. She could not remember the last time she talked to anyone other than Luma. Aside from his helmet, the rest of his body was covered by a blue and white spacesuit, and he had a brown sack slung over his shoulder.
He shuffled under her stare. "I'm sorry for bothering you... I'll just see myself out then."
Before he could shut the door, she spoke to him. "You may stay if you wish."
He hesitated, unsure if he heard her right, before filing into the room. He cast a glance around at her sparse belongings, trying to find something to talk about. "So... Do you live here all alone?"
Alone. Alone. The word made her skin crawl. "No."
"That's good. In a place like this, it's hard to live on your own. So lonely... I'm really happy someone was kind enough to take me in." His eyes lit up as they fell on the book in her lap. "Is that a storybook?"
"Yes."
"What it's about?"
Rosalina blinked. She had read that book so many times, she knew it, yet... "I'm... not sure what it is about." Distraught, she stared at its blank cover, hoping the answer would come to her. All that came was sadness.
Suddenly, she knew she needed to get rid of it. "Young one, if you want, you may have this book. I have no use for it anymore."
Smiling, he bounded over to her. "Really? You'll give it to me?"
Seeing his excitement, she gave him a smile of her own. "Just take good care of it."
He reached out to grab it, only to hesitate. "Hold on," he said, setting down the brown sack. After a few seconds of rummaging, he pulled out a labelless can of food. "Here. We can trade." He placed the can of food in her hands as he took the book with a thanks.
After a few exchanged words, very few on her part, he mentioned he had someone to meet and he saw himself out. It was only after the door clicked shut and the book was out of sight that its story finally resurfaced through the fog in her mind. Yes, she remembered it now.
The story about a perfect world where no one had to die.
Rosalina clenched her fists.
A gust of wind twisted its way through the maze of broken down human buildings, its scent stale and dead. The dog wrinkled its nose. Unnatural smell. He remembered a time when the wind carried life with it, telling him stories about places miles and miles away. But that was before the world broke apart and that awful purple and black fog filled in the gaps.
Having no concept of time, the dog wasn't sure how long he had lived like this. Perhaps 'months'? That was how humans described the moon cycle in that strange language of theirs. He would never understand them. For beings so intelligent, not a single one of them remembered life before. He was a simple creature, and maybe it was thanks to that simplicity that he was able to retain his memories. When the world changed, he didn't question his new surroundings, the 'how' it happened or 'why'. He accepted his new world.
But how he missed his old one. The sun. Plentiful food. Hunting ducks. He missed it all.
Claws clicked against pavement as he strode through the nameless city. For once, his stomach was full. He had the good fortune of stumbling across some creature's food stock. In a town nearly picked clean of food, when he saw an opportunity, he took it.
He let his paws guide him to the town's central plaza. In its middle sat a white, bowl shaped fountain with a decorative ornament in its center. He reached up to its rim with his fore paws and leaned down to lap up its slimy water. Another scent wafted by his nose as he drank, one that made him stop with his tongue half stuck in the water. Algae, mixed in with oily feathers and old blood... Duck! Duck!
Adrenaline blazed through him as his old hunting instincts took over his mind. He pulled himself onto the fountain's rim, his hind legs scraping noisily against stone. From behind the ornament, he heard a splash. There! With careful balance, he stepped along the outer rim, keeping his eyes trained on the ornament. As he moved around it, he caught sight of blue feathers that stuck out strikingly in his monochrome vision. No longer thinking, he pounced.
A startled quack boomed in his ears as his paws met with empty water. Droplets splashed everywhere as the rest of his body plunged in. He missed, but he wasn't giving up. Following the sound of feathers, he found the duck attempting to fly away, only to be dragged down to the earth by a limp wing that refused to cooperate. It crashed into the grass in a mess of flapping wings and flailing feet.
Seeing his chance, the dog heaved himself out of the fountain and plodded after it.
Find duck. Retrieve duck.
His pace slowed as his mind began to catch up with him. Retrieve...? For who? He was alone now...
The poor creature laid motionless at his feet, its eyes wide and its body frozen in fear. Fresh blood poured out of an old wound on the joint of one of its wings, tainting blue feathers with streaks of gray.
Somewhere, deep in his chest, he felt a pang of sadness. Memories of his old life flashed in his mind, memories of flushing ducks out of bushes and retrieving them as they fell out of the sky. For a moment, he thought he could smell the lake. Natural. Familiar. He didn't want to lose that comforting scent.
Carefully, he picked up the duck by the neck with his jaws. As he did, he noticed a small, purple and black orb float past his nose.
His fur bristling, he raced out of the plaza with only one word resounding in his small mind.
Survive. Survive.
Olimar gingerly maneuvered around the loose rubble of the castle. What a shameful sight to behold. Gaping holes marred its white walls and the stain glass window above the main entrance was shattered into hundreds of multicolored pieces. He had never seen it in its full glory, and even if he did he had no memory of it. As for what caused the damage, he could not be certain, though he suspected those beasts had a hand in it.
Though he certainly was not royalty, he had taken up the abandoned castle as his shelter, even if it made for a lousy one. With all of the gaps in its walls, they were practically rolling out the red carpet for pests to come in and help themselves to their food. Just earlier that day, he had found that some dog had raided their stash, leaving behind nothing but wrappers and paw prints. Olimar chewed on the bottom of his lip. Things were not looking good.
He made his way around the castle's perimeter, his feet crushing the brown, sun starved flowers. A pair of glimmering red eyes flashed from inside a dead bush and before he knew it, a White Pikmin dashed out to greet him.
"Why hello to you, too." Olimar leaned down to stroke it behind the stem. "Has Alph come back yet?" he asked, receiving a nod in response. He still couldn't believe that boy. Running off on him in town like that... Sure, his intentions were sincere, Olimar admitted that splitting up would be more efficient way of finding food, yet it was still dangerous. He swore he spent more time searching for him than he did searching for supplies! That boy was going to be the death of him, he knew it.
Before he could dwell on it any longer, he heard Alph's voice from up ahead. He found him sitting against the trunk of a tree reading a book with a Blue Pikmin nestled in the crook of his arm.
...and when I opened my eyes, I saw the most breathtaking sight. Pinks and blues and oranges, as if someone had poured watercolor on the sky. The sun peeked over the horizon, weaving golden rays through the fields of flowers...
Alph paused to look at the Pikmin. "Do you see these pictures, Blue? They're so pretty. I didn't know the sky could look like that."
While Alph was distracted, Olimar took the time to approach him, his eyes narrowing at the sight of the book. "Where did you find that book?"
Alph jumped. "Olimar! I uh... Didn't know you came back alread-"
"The book," he repeated.
"A... A lady I met gave it to me," Alph said, his tone pitched with nervousness.
"She just gave it to you?"
He shrunk behind the book. "Well, I... might have traded her some food-"
"Alph!" he snapped, causing the young Koppaite to flinch. "You know we need all the food we can get! Unless you expect us to eat that book for supper then-"
"But Olimar... She looked really sick. Did you want me to just leave her like that?" He looked up at him, a silent challenge in his eyes. "Would you have just left me like that?"
A tense moment passed between them, neither saying word. Nervous, the White Pikmin shifted at his side. Finally, Olimar decided to relent. "Fine. I'll let it go. But I don't have a habit of helping everyone I see, and you better not make a habit of it either. If you want to survive, sometimes you don't have room to worry about strangers."
Nodding, Alph turned his attention back to his book. "Well, since I have this book now, would you like to listen? I'm about halfway through already, but I'm sure Blue wouldn't mind if I started over again."
The tension returned in an instant. Olimar fixed a hard stare on him. "'Blue?'"
Alph's eyes widened at his mistake. "Sorry, I meant the Pikmin. The Pikmin wouldn't mind." In his arm, 'Blue' whimpered weakly.
Olimar took in its haggard appearance. Several petals were missing from its flower, and its skin was several shades lighter than it should have been. It reminded him of a dried leaf, so fragile and thin that even the lightest of touches could break it. The annoyance he felt faded away. This one's going to go soon, too. "Alph," he sighed, "I told you not to give them names."
"I know you did, but..." Alph avoided his gaze and absently played with the edge of a page. "But doesn't it feel cruel to you not to give them names? I mean, they're our friends, aren't they?"
It's better not to get attached to them. It'll hurt you less in the end. That's what Olimar wanted to tell him. Instead, he sat down next to him and changed the subject. "So what's this story about?" He felt the White Pikmin crawl on his shoulder to get a better view.
Alph finally looked at him. "It's about a pair of travelers wandering the world, searching for perfect place where death won't follow them."
"So a place where no one dies." So a fairytale then.
"Yeah." Alph tilted his head up to the dark sky. "Somewhere where flowers bloom, butterflies play on the breeze, the sun colors the sky, and where no one has to die. Do you think a place like that exists, Olimar?"
No. "Maybe."
A hopeful smile spread on his face. "Do you think we can find it?"
"Where would we even find such a place?"
Alph tapped his helmet as he thought about it. "Beyond the sky." He nodded to himself in confirmation. "Yes, that's where it would be."
He said the words with such firm conviction that it was almost as if he knew it for a fact. Yet Olimar didn't understand what those words meant. He looked up to the sky, wondering what kind of world it hid behind that dark layer, only to notice the shadowy orbs fluttering down from the clouds.
Here come the monsters.
"Alph, why don't we read the story inside?"
Rosalina was lost in a trance. Ever since she got rid of that book, her world seemed to shift and turn, as if reality was struggling to hold itself together. Buildings went from pristine condition to near collapse. Healthy plants withered in seconds. The past few nights, she heard roars coming from outside. Sometimes, she even thought she saw purple streaks running through her starless sky, tainting it even further.
"Luma?" she called out into the empty streets. "Where did you run off to?"
For the first time in as long as she could remember, Rosalina left her house. When she woke up, she couldn't find her dear Luma anywhere. Worry for her safety urged her to go find her.
She walked slowly down the street, keeping one hand on the walls of passing buildings to keep herself from collapsing on unsteady legs. Her other hand she kept clutched above her writhing heart. To any passersby, she imagined she looked like a frail old lady. Yet there was not a single soul to be seen.
Alone. That awful word rang in her head again.
A glimmer of silver caught her eye as she passed the mouth of an alleyway. Lying face down was a man in green, his hand clutching the hilt of his sword. Strewn all around him were the bodies of monsters-
Rosalina turned away from the sight, trying to purge it from her mind.
When the street opened up into a spacious plaza, she settled herself on a bench to regain her strength. "When did I become so frail?" She tried to think back to the past few days she spent in that house, hoping it'd help some of the pieces fall in place. Those days she spent reading to Luma, watching the sky with her, putting together small dinners for the both of them. Days that... seemed like months ago. When she ate the food that boy left for her several days ago, her stomach ached like she hadn't had a decent meal in ages. Not liking where her thoughts were going, she looked to the blackness above her and tried to imagine where each and every star would be if she could see them.
A splash of yellow danced at the edge of her vision. She swung her head to find Luma standing on the edge of a marble fountain, watching her with black eyes awash with sorrow and worry. Though weakened, Rosalina found enough strength to walk over to her. "There you are, child," she breathed in relief.
Luma continued to watch her, her eyes falling as her mother drew nearer.
Rosalina reached out to her. "My dear... Why must you look at me with such sad eyes...?"
Her hand met cold stone.
Olimar began to curse that lady who gave Alph that book. All it did was fill his head with dangerous ideas. Oh, how many times had he sat Olimar down to listen as he described all the dreams and images he saw in his mind, some so vivid he stumbled over his speech as he tried to find the words. And it was always the same. A world free of death with colored skies and flowers that was just waiting for them beyond those poisoned clouds.
Today though, Alph had fallen silent.
Sighing, Olimar continued packing the dirt over a small hole he dug out. When they woke up, they found that Blue had passed away overnight. As always, Alph took it very hard. He always got too attached to them. Olimar couldn't blame him though. Not getting too attached to the Pikmin was a lesson he himself had to learn from experience.
Oppressive purple and black clouds weighed down from above, gloomy and malign. He glared at them. Olimar hated the unknown. Anything unknown and nameless provoked fear, so he gave those clouds a name: Subspace. Purple lightning bolts arced from the Subspace in the distance, signaling the storm was well on its way. He hoped. Sometimes, the storms came in waves.
Briefly, he wondered about that man he met before the storm, the one garbed in green who carried a heroic air about him. Said he was searching for a place where 'the sun still colored the sky.' Olimar scoffed. Like that existed.
...Did it?
He shook his head. There were more important things to worry about. While they had enough water, they didn't have a single scrap of food to eat the entire time they waited out the storm. His stomach growled as he retreated back into the castle.
Stepping down into the basement, he found Alph facing a corner, 'White's' stem visible from over his shoulder as he held it.
He remembered the day he found Alph half starved and exhausted out on the streets. Rationally speaking, having another mouth to feed when food was so scarce would do little to increase his chances of survival. Yet upon finding him, something warm and familiar stirred in his heart, a parental urge to take care of and protect. He'd never forgive himself if he had left him to die, so he took him home. And Olimar never regretted his choice, even on the days where he went hungry giving Alph his food. The warm feelings of nostalgia he felt when they talked, confided, and even argued with each other more than made up for it.
Olimar sat next to him and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, waiting patiently for him to speak.
Alph held White closer to him. "Why do they keep dying...?"
"I don't think they're suited to live in this kind of world."
"...Neither are we."
"...No. Neither are we."
"You won't leave me too... will you?"
"I won't, son. I promise."
From his den in an abandoned house, the dog waited for the shadow rain to pass and to take with it the monsters it spawned. He stuck his head out the open doorway and sniffed the air cautiously. The dark flecks had stopped falling some time ago, but when it came to survival, he could never be too careful. Satisfied the danger was gone, he returned inside.
As the days passed and the monsters ruled the streets, he waited in quiet companionship with the injured duck. It was suspicious of him at first, always shying away whenever he got too close and even once pretending to be dead (not that it could fool his nose). Eventually, the duck accepted him as a non-threat, going as far as to waddle after him as he paced restlessly inside the house. He hoped it would go on a walk with him when it got better. He liked having a friend.
The dog found his friend lying in his nest of blankets. His nose twisted at the rank smell that poured from its wing. Bad smell. Bad injury. He nudged it with his nose.
The duck cracked open one eye at him before burying its head in the fabric.
Whining, he curled up around the duck and settled down, laying his head on his paws. Seeing the poor state his friend was in drained all of the restless energy he had. Maybe they could go on a walk another day.
As he rested, he recalled all the stories they shared while they waited for the storm to pass. Him being a creature of the land and the duck being one of the sky, many concepts were lost in translation during their 'conversations', though the core of what they wanted to share typically got through. Most curious to the dog was duck's stories of flight, or rather, its only story. Right before the world changed, it told him how it spread its wings for the first time and rode on the breeze, being carried along by warm 'updrafts' as the sky turned 'golden'. He had tilted his head at that. Golden? What was 'golden'? When the duck tried to explain, the only word he gathered was 'color'. Strange. The only colors he knew were black, white, blue, and purple. Perhaps the duck was referring to one of those, he thought with a yawn.
...
A warm wind began to blow, rustling the reeds and running through his fur, no, his feathers as he stretched out his wings. With a running start, he took to the air, beating his wings and going higher and higher until he could nearly taste the clouds. A strong current, an updraft, carried him from below, letting him level out his wings and glide effortlessly across the world as the sky turned a vibrant color he never knew existed. ...Golden? Golden! It was golden!
He flew even higher, wanting to lose himself in that brilliant luster. But the golden expanse rippled, causing him to slow his ascent in confusion. Molten drops of yellow began to pour down, leaving behind blackish-purple holes. The whole sky melted right before him. Fear stiffened his wings and he plummeted, watching in horror as the ground came closer and closer-
The dog awoke with a start, panting as he tried to get his bearings. He was still in his nest. The duck was still beside him.
Dream. Just a dream.
But no... it wasn't. He was still in the nightmare.
He tried to swallow, but there was no moisture left in his mouth. He ran his tongue over his dried nose. Thirsty. Find water. He got up, licked the duck's injured wing, and left for the plaza fountain.
Someday, that golden sky would return. He believed it. And when it did, his friend would heal and take flight once more, dancing on the wind while he followed on foot, chasing its shadow.
A lone book occupied the entirety of the shelf, her sole possession and Luma's most treasured one. They had just finished dinner, and their normal routine dictated it was now time for a story. Everyday they always followed the same unwritten schedule. Yet today a strange occurrence interrupted the flow of their daily grind.
Luma stood on the windowsill, her body slack and turned away from her. Rosalina had called for her well over a minute ago with no response.
Sighing softly, she left the book behind and stood behind the young star.
"Don't worry, dear," Rosalina said, placing her hands on the star's tiny shoulders. "The star-filled sky we read about... Someday, we will see it for ourselves. It still exists out there. I may not remember it, but I know I've seen it. The stars will shine again, and we will be free from this world of death. Just like in your storybook." The words sounded empty to the both of them.
Luma seemed to shrink before her, as if she didn't believe her.
Rosalina scooped her up in an embrace, gently patting her back. "We must be strong, child. We must be strong."
Clutching at her teal gown, Luma began to cry.
The heart breaking sound of a crying star permeated through town, echoing off brick walls and ringing in her ears.
Far beyond the dilapidated houses and worn down streets, she saw the red, pointed spires of a castle piercing the clouds. The cries were coming from that direction, so very far away. Rosalina didn't know if she had the strength to make it there.
The cries grew louder.
Gathering herself, she pressed on. If Luma needed her there, then she would find the strength.
Alph's stomach twisted and turned in painful knots, growling desperately for food. He leaned against the side of a building in a hunger-fueled daze. Sharp knives tore away at his insides, blotting out any thought or instinct he had other than the need to find food and find it now.
He stumbled inside of an abandoned house, noting the scattered arrangement of blankets and food wrappers, as well as the feathers and muddy paw prints staining the wooden floor. Signs of life.
His attention was drawn over to a shifting pile of blankets in the corner. Alph moved closer, surprised to find a duck thrashing feverishly in the sheets. The putrid smell of infection passed through his suit's filters. Despite the injury, it looked like it still had a fair amount of meat and fat left on it.
Alph swallowed the saliva that suddenly gathered in his mouth.
He hated meat. Once he ate it, he could barely keep it down in his stomach, yet... yet he was so hungry and the duck was almost dead and... and...
And Alph didn't know when he had picked up the rock.
Where was it? Where was it?
The dog raced through the abandoned streets and alleyways, barking as loud as he could in hopes the duck would hear him. When he had returned from his scavenging, all he found was an empty nest. It didn't make sense. It was injured. How could it have gotten so far from him? But no... The duck didn't move on its own. There was a foreign scent mixed in. A scent of flowers and paper... and blood! Someone took it!
That same scent assaulted his nose as he passed an alleyway. He crouched low to the ground and pressed forward on light paws, hoping to get the jump on whoever it was. But when he saw the back of some small human and the limp body of the duck he was dragging, a snarl left his throat without his command.
The small human, or whatever it was, froze at the sound, his whole body going rigid.
Primal fury surged in his veins at the sight of his fallen friend, further crazed by the scent of fear flooding his nose. The edges of his vision went black, a darkness that spread and consumed everything until the only thing he could see was the prey standing in front of him. A single thought roared through his mind.
Kill. Kill!
He let out a guttural sound that was half bark, half snarl, and charged. Breaking out of his trance, the boy dropped the duck and ran for his life.
The chase was on.
He pounded after the terrified boy, skidding sloppily as he rounded a corner. Barking, he picked up speed, his fours legs propelling him forward faster than the boy's stubbier ones. He soon closed the gap and, seeing his chance, he lunged forward and brought him down with heavy paws.
A crack split the air.
The boy cried and squirmed helplessly underneath him. He tried to bring his fangs down on the back of his neck for a killing blow, only to have them slide off some invisible surface. With a growl, he set his paws on the strange surface and pressed all of his weight down on it. Whatever it was, he'd break it!
But before he had the chance, something latched onto his muzzle. A small, white bodied creature with a flower sprouting out of its head blocked his sight. Crying out, it clawed at him with its hands.
He yelped as one of its strikes met his eye. He shook his head, trying to fling the annoying creature off. It stubbornly held on to him, its small claws digging into his fur, until it was finally tossed away by a violent swing. Anger overtaking him, he forgot about the boy and leapt on the flower creature, pinning its stem down with a paw. Its terrified squeal was cut short as he snapped his jaws shut on it.
The flower creature's foul tasting blood slid down the back of his tongue. He swallowed heavily before turning his attention back to the boy. Like a cornered rat, the boy shrunk away from him until his back met a wall. Good. Let him be scared! How dare he take away his only friend!
He crept closer with fangs bared. Time to end the hunt.
As he towered over the cowering boy, a strange, burning sensation bubbled in his stomach, making him pause. The pain soon intensified, boiling his stomach from inside. Hot acid slithered up his throat, searing its walls and choking him. Hacking, he heard liquid splatter against the ground as his legs buckled from underneath him. Pain bit its sharp fangs down on every inch of his body from his paws to his tail to his very bones.
But just as soon as it came, the pain vanished as blackness washed over him.
Everything was dark.
He couldn't move.
He heard water lapping against a lakeshore.
Feathers rustled.
Black faded to gold.
A hand stroked his head.
And he cried.
The dog's side heaved as pitiful airy whines escaped from its muzzle. A pool of evil liquid gathered underneath its head and ran down the cement in rivers, carrying with it pink flower petals.
Alph didn't know where he found the kindness in him to sit down next to it and pet it.
He stared blankly at the wall, the sound of his heart hammering in his ears. Images of feathers scattered among paw prints and petals dipped in poison flashed in his mind.
White was dead. All of the Pikmin were dead. Why? Why did they all have to die? Who would be next? Olimar? Was he just going to end up alone again?
Shaking, he lifted his head up, hoping beyond hope that the clouds would part and reveal that colorful sky he saw in his dreams. What he saw caused his breath to stop and his hand to fall limply at his side.
The sky was fractured- split in half right down the middle.
And Alph cried, too.
Crunch. Crunch.
A single second. A measure of time so small, so fleeting that, in the grand scheme of things, it seemed almost insignificant. To short to have any importance. Olimar knew he should have known better than to think that.
Crunch. Crunch.
A single second was all it took to destroy someone. To crush them. To take away everything from them.
Crunch. Crunch.
A single second was all it took for Olimar's whole world to fall apart.
Crunch.
The footsteps stopped.
"O-Olimar..." Alph's weak voice spoke from behind him. "Help..."
White hot fire ignited in Olimar's stomach as if he swallowed live coals. He didn't understand how, but he knew. Without even looking, he knew. Something was terribly wrong.
Steeling himself, he was his guardian, he had to be strong, he turned. The coals in his stomach leapt to his throat. Running down Alph's helmet, his fragile lifeline, was a jagged, silver crack, the sight of which froze Olimar to the ground. When Alph began to sway unsteadily, Olimar snapped out of his daze and caught him before he fell into the withered flowers.
"It's okay. I'm right here." He cradled him close to his chest, tremors shaking his body. If they were from him or Alph, he didn't know. "Just breathe, son."
"Can't..." Alph wheezed. "Everything... Burning."
Without a second thought, Olimar ripped off his own helmet and replaced Alph's broken one. His suit hissed as it forced out the oxygen. "Breathe," he commanded.
Alph's chest rose with shallow, uneven breaths. "I'm so sorry... White... White is..."
"I don't care, Alph. You're more important to me than-" he froze when he saw Alph begin to nod off. He shook his shoulders. "Alph! Wake up! No, please, you can leave me like this... Open your eyes!"
For a long, scary moment, Alph didn't move. Finally, after a lifetime, he opened his eyes and turned to him. "Olimar... You need to... take your helmet back."
"Don't talk," he said, trying hard to ignore the fire searing his lungs. "Just breathe. Please. You're going to be okay. Everything's going to be okay." Olimar didn't know who he was trying to convince.
Alph stared at him, his eyes filled with a resignation that scared Olimar more than anything. Those eyes turned away from him and faced the sky, only to widen in shock. With what little strength he had, Alph grabbed Olimar's arm. "Look... The sky... I can see the sky."
"The sky...?"
"It's blue... with towering white clouds. It's the sky I was... telling you about. Isn't it pretty?" Violent coughs wracked his body.
"Shh. It's okay. I'm here." Olimar hugged him closer, tears blurring his vision. The only sound in the world came from Alph's weak breaths.
And then there was no sound.
Crumbling white walls rose before Rosalina, a near blinding contrast to the dark, hopeless horizon. She stumbled across the bridge leading to the castle, the cries of a young star the only thing keeping her going. "Luma, where are you trying to lead me...?"
Her heels met with dry grass as she reached the bridge's end. Leaning against the handrail, she flashed her eyes over the area, scanning for any signs of yellow. Instead, she found red.
Sitting against the wall of the castle was a man as short as that boy who visited her a few days before, though likely twice his age. He inhaled with short, pained gasps, as if every breath he took burned his lungs. Though Rosalina knew the pain he wore on his face was not from any physical injury.
The cries softened.
The man didn't move as she settled down next to him, his gaze fixed firmly on the sky. She watched it with him.
"It doesn't... exist," he wheezed after some time.
"No," Rosalina agreed. "Not in this world." The man fell quiet again. Some force inside her made her continue to speak. "I understand the pain you are in."
A hoarse laugh. "What would you... understand?"
She tightly clasped her hands together. The locked cage buried deep in her chest rattled back and forth, knocking into the walls of her heart. Taking a deep breath, she finally let the truth free. "I understand what it's like to lose a child."
The cries stopped.
The man's laughter distorted into a choked sob. "He died... right there in my arms," he croaked, digging his fingers into the soil. "I promised I... wouldn't leave him."
"You didn't," she said gently.
"He's alone now."
"He's just waiting."
"Waiting..." he echoed. Loosening his grip on the soil, he focused all of his attention on something above that she couldn't see. "I think I see it... The sky he was talking about..."
Rosalina saw black orbs drifting from the darkness. She ignored them. "It's beautiful, isn't it?"
Peace settled on his features as he leaned back against the wall. "Yes... it is."
Dark spheres fluttered to the ground like rotten snowflakes, shuffling into clumps as if they were alive.
Rosalina followed his example, leaning back and letting her eyes close.
When she opened them again, a brilliant, navy blue tapestry embroidered with glistening crystals enveloped the sky. Stars, brighter and more vivid than the storybook's pages could ever capture. And a yellow star, the brightest of them all, drifted down to her.
Rosalina lifted her hand towards it.
OH MY GOD. I can't believe I actually got this done. Whew. I was worried there for awhile. I mean, I didn't even procrastinate on this or anything! It just. Didn't. Want. To. Get. Done.
Anyways, my entry is based off the song Where Butterflies Never Die by Broken Iris. I always wanted to write a fic inspired by this song, and I thought this contest would be a good opportunity to do that.
This story was very different from what I usually write, so it was a bit of a challenge, but a fun one. It's funny though. Before I write something, I tend to make an estimate of how many words it'll be, and usually I'm pretty spot on. This one shot I estimated would be around 3000 words. ...Yeah, I think I might have been off the mark there by juuust a bit. This ended up being the longest one-shot I've ever written.
In the song, the lyrics would shift from one thing to another in a way that kind of reminded me of scenes shifting in a dream. I tried to replicate that feeling by switching POVs a lot, but I'm not sure how well this worked out.
Also, RIP in peace Alph. I promise never to hurt you again my poor baby ;_;
Thanks for reading, and good luck to the other entrants!