C.T.K: The revised version.
Summary: A phone. Unused, except for one day a year. Before she can let go one more call will be made.
She didn't know where she was. Surrounded by darkness, Ribbon shuddered. Her eyes quickly adjusted. She could just make out shapes on the horizon, towering spikes that rose above her.
"Ribbon."
She gasped, wrapping her arms around herself. Her eyes franticly scanned the area.
"Ribbon," it called again, this time more distinct. She hesitantly floated forward.
The voice was hauntingly familiar, yet she couldn't place it, or rather, her mind refused to place it. She edged towards it despite her body shaking.
"Ribbon."
The voice kept calling, like a siren's song leading her forward. As it called again, her wings gave out. Her entire body shook as she stepped around one of the spires. Finally, she came to a stop.
"Ribbon."
Her eyes widened. She let out a gasp she tumbled backwards. Tears stung her eyes. She covered her mouth with her hands. Now she knew why the voice was familiar. Now she knew why her mind refused to conjure a face to go with the voice.
It was him. His body lay in front of her. Blood oozed out of the many cuts and gashes that covered his form. He stared at her, his eyes blank, cold, dead.
Her hands gripped the sides of her head while she shook it fiercely.
"No."
"Ribbon."
"No!" she screamed. "Noooooo!"
"No!" she screamed, shooting up from bed. Her breath came out heavy as she took in her surroundings. She was in her room, on her four-posted bed with a night stand next to it.
"Just a dream," she chanted while holding a hand over her heart. Her other hand wiped the tears from her eyes.
As her heart settled, she turned to the night stand. On it was pink and red phone with a ribbon tied to the antenna. She picked it up and opened it, her face becoming bathed in the subtle glow of its screen. Pressing a few keys brought her to her contacts list. It contained only one contact. The phone was meant for communication between her and one person. She smiled sadly as she remembered when he convinced her to get it.
"I don't know," she said, looking at the strange device through the window. Her eyes held hesitation as a frown dotted her face.
"Come on, Ribbon," he said cheerily while holding up his own version of the device. "This is an awesome idea."
"But there's no way I could pay for it," she said as she stared at the ground.
"I have it covered." He waved a paw dismissively before pulling out some rolled up bills.
"But Kir—"
"Ribbon," he said. His paw found its way to her shoulder. She looked into his eyes registering the determination in his eyes. "I barely get to see you." He pointed to the device in the shop window. "This way, we'll be able to talk whenever we want. I'll still visit every once in a while, but I can't go too often because I have my duties as a Star Warrior."
Ribbon couldn't fault his reasoning. As much as they wanted to see each other, scheduling conflicts (if threats to his planet counted as scheduling conflicts) prevented them meeting as often as they would have liked. On the off chance he was able to visit her; it always seemed that something went wrong, cutting his visit short.
"And hey," he said smiling. "Whether you have a good day or a bad day, I'll always be willing to lend an invisible ear."
She giggled before looking back at the gadget. With a smile, she nodded.
If there was one thing she learned about him, it was that it took nothing less than a cosmic disaster to make him break a promise to his friends. His promise to always be available was one he kept. He always answered his phone, even when he probably shouldn't have.
Ribbon staggered in to her room, too tired to even spend the miniscule amount of energy needed to fly. With a grunt, she pulled herself onto her bed. A small sigh escaped her mouth as she laid face down, her head buried in her pillow. She pulled out her phone and flipped it open. With practiced ease, she navigated the menus to her contacts list. She turned her head to look at the name, a small smile forming on her tired face. Clicking the call button, she raised the phone to her ear, ready to vent to the one person always willing to listen. The phone rang three times before he picked up.
"Hey, Ribbon," he greeted with a cheery voice. Her smile grew. "How have you been?"
"I've been better," she said with a sigh. "Training was really rough today. I don't think I'm cut out for this."
"Oh, it can't be that bad," he replied with a chuckle. "At least, you didn't get hit around like a beach ball."
Ribbon remembered him once mentioning that when he was learning how to use a sword; his teacher found it fit to hit him with the blunt side of said weapon.
"I guess," she responded with a shrug. Rolling over to her side, she flicked a strand of hair out of her face. "So how was your day?"
"It's...uh," he stuttered. The sound of lasers could be heard in the background. "Been better."
Ribbon frowned as she heard sounds of fighting. "Are you fighting?"
"It's a little fight, yes. Why do you— OH JEEZ!"
Ribbon's eyes widened as she heard the sound of a fire-ball and his phone clattering to the ground.
"Sorry, Ribbon," he said, picking up the phone. "A hothead thought he could take me." She heard him snort on the other end and could only imagine the cocky smirk on his face. "Sure showed him," he mumbled.
Ribbon sighed and rolled onto her back. "I wish you wouldn't fight while on the phone."
"You worry too much."
Ribbon could hear the signature sound of his Warp Star taking off. Her frown deepened. "I also wish you wouldn't fly while on the phone."
"Ribbon—"
"Don't 'Ribbon' me, Mr," she said, sitting up in her bed. "I care about you. A lot. And I don't want to hear you getting taken out by a baddie or crashing the warpstar because you were talking to me."
"I said you would always be able to reach me. And you always will."
She could practically see the smile and warm eyes he was bound to be sporting.
" It's gonna take a lot to take me down."
Ribbon sighed. "You should be more worried about self preservation, than missing my call."
She heard him laugh.
"Just be careful," she said.
"I will."
But now, he wouldn't answer. One day, he just disappeared. There was no explanation for his disappearance. He was just gone.
It had been three years since his disappearance. Her sleep was often plagued with nightmares around the anniversary of his disappearance. Every year she called his phone to see if he answered. It was always the same. She needed to move on, needed closure. Anything was better than the speculation her dreams provided.
As she sat in her bed, her face lit by the phones screen, she made a decision. She would call one more time. If there was no answer, she would move on.
Taking a deep breath, she hit the call button. She remembered that his phone was set to go to voice-mail after six rings.
1
Her entire body clenched. "Please, please, please," she whispered.
2
He used to answer before the third ring. "Please pick up."
3
Tears started to sting her eyes as her entire body began to deflate.
4
She told herself she needed to move on before wiping her eyes.
5
She braced her heart.
6
Click.
Her body froze as her eyes widened.
That click, she thought. Someone answered.
She held her breath. Silence reigned for three seconds before she heard a sigh on the other end.
"Uh… h-hey, Ribbon."
The voice was familiar to Ribbon, one she recalled fondly, one she had just given up on hearing ever again.
"Sorry I missed your calls."
She gasped, tears now flowing freely. Her voice caught in her throat. A hand covered her mouth. It was him, it was Kirby. After three years of being gone, just as she was about to give up, he appeared, just as he had when they had first met.
The door to her room opened. Just outside her room, stood a pink puffball with a pink cell-phone held to the side of his head. His eyes, filled with unshed tears, stared at her fondly and his mouth formed a large smile.
"It's you!" she cried as practically tackled him, sobbing into his shoulder. "It's really you."
"Yeah," he said, his own tears flowing. "I'm back."