Author's note: From this chapter on, the pace of the story will pick up. This story was off to a slow start I feel, but I really wanted to make sure I put all the necessary foundations before diving into the hot stuff. Thank you all for being patient! Have a good read, and don't forget to leave a review on the way!
A hundred years passed.
And Meta grew, with the knowledge of what was to come etched onto his mind. The boy cast away his innocence, and grew in ways none of the other children of his generation did. From the moment he learned of what he was and what he was to do in the future, Meta was never quite the same. As he grew, he became more distant, and rarely did he ever speak of how he felt on the matter. He remained ever so quiet, and for many, it felt like Meta had no ambitions, no dreams. He did what he was told to do, when he was told to do it, and wouldn't question it. Still, the young boy would continue his studies and would continue to grow, in his own, strange ways.
When he hit his hundredth birthday, his uncle Ano began to teach swordplay to both him and Galacta, claiming that, in this day and age, now that they knew what was in play outside of their little Hollow, they needed to learn how to defend themselves, and swordplay was one of the many ways they could. They were old enough to old a sword or glaive, and they were both already quite fit, so Ano took this opportunity. Needless to say, both Meta and Galacta were excellent fencers, and they both learned quickly and efficiently about offensive and defensive stances, how to develop strategies during combat, and they of course honed their acrobatic skills.
Soon after Meta began these particular lessons, his father began to bring him into the forest to hunt with him. Az was amongst the best trappers and hunters of the village, and now that Meta was old enough to accompany him, he decided to teach him everything he knew. Meta learned how to effectively track down animals far into the woods by analyzing his environment; following tracks, keeping on to the animal's trail, moving through the bushes without making noise, and finally taking down the beast effectively. The more time passed, the more proud Az became of his son; he was learning so fast, it was like these things were already implanted into his mind. Of course, Az had never doubted that Meta would be able to assimilate these things, and at least, teaching him what he knew was one way of making up for his mistake.
Meta had never brought his fiftieth anniversary up again in any conversation, and though he didn't seem to hold any kind of grudge against his parents or the villagers, Az was still paranoid and often tried to make up for it, be it with new lessons and knowledge, or by taking him along in travels around Khazta Star, along with his mother. With a child as quiet as Meta, it was hard to know what he was thinking or what he was feeling toward someone, and even as their parents, Az and Kia still found it difficult to understand him. They loved him deeply nonetheless, and made sure that Meta knew that he was loved. It was the least they could do to make up for their mistake. And for Meta, it was enough.
It was sometime during this long century of learning and training, that Meta made the biggest discovery of his lifetime about himself…
A discovery that changed everything and made him into something more, something he didn't like nor appreciated – a weapon.
After this particular discovery, Meta changed drastically. As people viewed him more and more as a hero, as stories of his name leaked out of the village and out of Khazta Star, and as the far reaches of the galaxy whispered his name in hopes of seeing the nightmare come to an end… Meta refused. It came as a shock to the villagers, and his parents especially, when one day, after receiving a comment about his future exploits in the war from a friend, Meta said the following words:
"I don't care about this war."
He did not want to go, and though some thought they understood why it was the case, many others expressed their worry that Meta's doubts might 'ruin it all' and even complained directly to his parents. Poor Kia and Az did not know what to respond; after all, their son was as cryptic as ever and would not give a reason as to why he wouldn't go. Despite this change in attitude, he and his cousin still continued to train and grow, and still Galacta would try to understand his oh so strange cousin… Despite the boy's doubts, hope remained.
And suddenly, the demon crashed its massive clawed hands on the ground, smashing the soil with its brute force alone, and it screeched at the warrior a most terrible scream, one that would shake the bones of anyone in range. However, the warrior stood tall, unaffected by this display, and drew his own blade, ready to fight this creature.
"I will kill you!" the bull demon shouted through the gurgling sound of the blood flowing out of its gigantic maws, and it ran forward with a terrifying roar.
The earth shook with each of its steps, but the warrior did not waver and he ran forward as well. The two enemies swung at the same time, and all it took was a unique slash. They both found themselves on either sides, their back turned from each other, and time stood still… And then, the demon gave a shocked gurgle, and it tried to straighten itself, but all it could do was try and hold its own guts in as its cleanly cut stomach drew out a sudden gush of blood. It fell forward with a heavy grunt, and the warrior carefully walked to its side, his sword glinting in a ray of sunshine that pierced its way through the heavy foliage of the forest. The demon turned its head toward him, and its glowing red eyes widened as it looked him from head to toe.
"How?!" it growled in a long wail. "How were you able to defeat me?! A nameless knight is nothing! Nothing!"
It grunted again and coughed, before looking back up at him, slowly coming to accept that its time drew near.
"Who are you?" it asked in a low growl.
The knight planted his sword into the ground before him and stood tall as he looked down at his defeated enemy. He smirked.
"I am not a nameless knight," he spoke up clearly. "I am the defender of this star and its guardian. I protect it and the ones I love from the likes of you. My name is…"
"Meta! Oy!"
The boy had sunk so deeply into his book that when he heard his name being called, he gave a slight jump and came stumbling right back into reality. He escaped the forest he had been in, he escaped the warrior's skin he had inhabited and he escaped the dying demon he had just slain, and flew back atop the sunstruck hill he always stayed at, under the shade of a giant tree as old as he. Laying on his back on a small cover over the grass, he looked away from the book he was holding above his head and to the side, munching on a piece of long grass he had put in his mouth. Down the hill, he saw his older cousin, Galacta, waving up at him. He was not alone, but Meta could not recognize the boy that was with him. Was he from another village?
As they came closer up the hill, Meta was able to have a good look at him. He was a Kiridan, winged just like Galacta, with a very flashy emerald green colour for his skin yet soft, smoky purple eyes that complimented his colour perfectly. The wings tucked on his back were colored and spotted like a hawk's, marking quite the difference with Galacta's clean, spotless dove wings. The outfit he was wearing was what made Meta squint his eyes a bit. Decorated leather shoulder pads, brown leather boots with a metal covering on top, a yellow star badge on his right shoulder… He knew where he came from, at least.
Without answering or standing up, Meta remained on his back and watched them come up to him, moving the piece of grass from one side of his mouth to the other.
"I knew I'd find you out here," Galacta spoke as they arrived, before gesturing toward the other boy. "This guy here wanted to see you."
Meta observed him some more, without saying a word. The familiar aura he could feel around him wasn't lying; this was another Star Warrior. He must have been maybe a century older than him, at most. A bit closer to Galacta's age, but still older. It was hard to calculate age when your species lived for aeons without their bodies changing in a single way. The boy ignored the blank stare he was giving him and only sent his way a bright smile, straightening himself up a bit as he introduced himself very proudly. It sounded like he had practiced this speech a thousand times before saying it.
"Hey there!" he started with a wave of his hand before bringing it to himself. "My name's Arthur, of Ripple Star. I'm Lady Harkim's apprentice and assistant. I'm sorry to bother you while you were reading, but my master is currently waiting to see you down at your village, and it would be an honour if you would follow me to her. There are many things she would like to discuss with you."
Obviously, this guy was excited to be here. His wings wouldn't stop quivering and he was speaking rather quickly, unless that was his usual way to talk. His eyes were glowing in excitement, and Meta could see there was much he was holding back from saying to him. However, Meta already knew what answer he would give him, and he turned back to his book, munching on his piece of grass.
"I'm not interested."
The boy Arthur lost his smile in an instant, and Galacta rolled his eyes, giving a scoff before turning away and putting his hands on his hips.
"Here we go again…," he mumbled, while the other green boy was searching for his words.
"W… What?" he ended saying, appalled. "Not interested? What do you mean? Lady Harkim is-"
"I know who Lady Harkim is, and I told you I'm not interested," Meta retorted in the same, neutral tone of voice.
"But!" Arthur tried again, lifting his arms helplessly at his sides. "Lady Harkim made the whole journey from the GSA HQ just to see you! And you would just turn her down like that?"
"Once again," Meta spoke, "I am not interested. I'm not interested into meeting your master, and I'm not interested in your war. Now just leave me, please."
For a long moment, the green lad remained standing there, utterly quiet. Maybe that now that he had nothing more to say, he would leave him alone and he would be able to go back to reading. He was just reaching the best part, and he would immerse himself right back into the story if those two weren't standing there gawking at him. However… from the corner of his eye, he saw Arthur take a few steps toward him, closing the distance between them. That move made him turn his eyes back to him, looking as indifferent as ever. But that guy, oh, he wasn't indifferent. He looked like Meta had just insulted his whole family, and the air he exuded was far different than the playful and joyful one from the first words he had spoken. He was far more resolute. Arthur went down on one knee and put his fist on the ground, looking directly at him as he spoke the next words.
"I was told countless stories about you," he said slowly, each word engraving itself into the blue Star Warrior's mind. "Stories from back home, from my parents when I was just a kid, to the stories about you from the army ranks. Everyone's talking about you. You haven't done anything, yet you're already a hero. We all heard about the incredible things you can do already, about your awesome powers and everything. You've been my inspiration since I started my training. Heck, even from before that! You've been my hero! This whole time, I imagined you as a big, proud warrior that wouldn't turn down an offer from the leader of the Galaxy Soldier Army… But what I'm looking at is not that. You're telling me you're not interested? You just don't care about all this? If you feel the fate of the Universe doesn't concern you, then you're right, I should just leave you alone. Only real Star Warriors and heroes actually do care about this war, anyway."
He stood back up, casting down one last disappointed glance at him before turning away with a whisk of his wings and walking away, saying:
"Have fun reading your book. At least, you got good tastes in authors."
And off he went, leaving a shocked Galacta behind. His cousin looked back at him and shook his head.
"You're being a little bitch, shorty, you know that?" he threw out before turning away as well and leaving after the green lad.
And Meta was left alone, just like he wanted. Finally, silence and peace. Slowly, he turned back to his book, and tried to resume to where he left off…
"I am not a nameless knight," he spoke up clearly. "I am the defender of this star and its guardian. I protect it and the ones I love from the likes of you. My name is…"
He stopped. His heart wouldn't stop beating loudly in his chest and into his ears, and he couldn't focus on anything.
"I am the defender of this star and its guardian…"
A defender… A guardian… Wasn't it what people expected him to be? Wasn't it what he had trained to be? But, did he have to be the defender of this whole Universe and all of its inhabitants' hopes and dreams…? Maybe he could make it clear to that woman that he had no interest in taking place in this war. He just wanted to stay here, in his home, with his family, and pursue his own dreams. Even though… What were his dreams? What did he dream to be? A warrior? A writer? A hunter? A protector? It all came back to being a Star Warrior… He frowned, and lifted his hand to rub between his eyes. What a pain all of this was… If only he hadn't followed his instincts, thirty years ago…
It had been a day like all the rest. Thirty years ago, during the winter of that year, Meta and Galacta had been training under the supervision of their parents and a few other adults. Under the falling snow of the Eye of the Hollow, under these slow, gentle specks of descending white powder, the two brothers sparred with all of their might.
Ano had called this a friendly combat. They were allowed to use real swords and weapons and whoever wasn't able to fight anymore won. Obviously, such a style of practice was prone to bring up injuries, which was why so many were keeping a close eye on that fight, but it also offered a good spectacle, and many villagers were outside surrounding their battle arena floating in the middle of the lake. In just a few, short years of training, they had become so skilled, so quickly, that everyone stood amazed at the show of moves that took place on the lake. They jumped, ducked, rolled, dodged, they danced, they swung, they battled, and it was hypnotizing to watch. While Meta stuck to a simple glaive to fight, Galacta used a wide array of weapons, ranging from his own blade to knives and even a small, wooden shield. Using his wings, the pink boy would jump high into the air and dive right in on Meta, who would use his speed to dodge and strike back. They would leap at each other, encasing themselves in a locked stance before breaking it and resuming the dance in a flurry of slashes.
"Amazing!" they could hear from the gathered crowd in astonished awes.
Even their classmates were gathered there, and each were calling to both of them, mixing their names into one, loud roar of excitement.
"They're both excellent," they heard an elderly hunter comment to their teacher, who only laughed and exclaimed:
"Of course they're excellent! They're of the Khano clan! We only breed real warriors here!"
"Do it, Galacta! Beat him!"
"Go for it, Meta! You can do it!" their classmates were still calling.
And the fight took a drastic turn.
It happened so fast, anybody who blinked would have missed it.
With a quick, strong upward slash of his glaive, Meta disarmed Galacta of his weapon, causing the magenta boy to jump back. As he did, Meta sprung forward, ready to take a hit on him, opening his mouth with a war cry, but Galacta drew a knife from his belt, and threw it at his cousin with all of his might, in one, straight line.
It was at that time that Meta's mind froze. It suspended itself in time, and everything slowed down. A fraction of a second felt like years, and he watched that knife, coming right for him, with no way of blocking it, and all he saw, was that knife. Something inside him sprung to life; it sprouted, grew tall and strong, flourished inside his mind, and it told him… Take it. Take it. Take it.
And the knife dove right inside his opened mouth.
Meta gasped and immediately fell to the ground, causing gasps and shouts to erupt within the crowd, and Galacta quickly ran to him, calling his name in sudden worry and fear. However, even as Meta held his throat and expected to feel the knife plant itself in the back of his mouth and blood to gush out and himself to choke… he felt no such thing. His instincts were screaming at him; take it! Take it! Swallow it!
And he swallowed the knife down in one, loud gulp.
The boy then felt a sudden surge of tremendous energy spread through him and his body was suddenly encased in a glorious white glow, one that made Galacta step back, shielding his eyes from the light while everyone stood mouth agape, frozen in their stance. Then, the light vanished, leaving soft trails of glowing dust emanating from Meta's transformed body. He was completely different. He was wearing some strange, completely new armour, emerald green shoulder pads with silver and gold trims and decorations, as well as a long, green hat on his head. A silver star glowed on his forehead, calling to everyone around with its bright light. Meta could only look down at himself in shock, and he was even more surprised to find a brand new sword in his right hand; one made of a strange, golden metal that shone in the winter light of noon.
Meta could not believe his eyes, or what he was feeling. This power felt both very familiar and stranger to him; like he had known he could do that, but did not at the same time. He looked up slowly at his cousin, and their shocked expressions were the very same.
"Meta! Meta!" they both heard from the shore from the crowd that had gathered there.
Uncle Ano jumped from his perch all across the lake and onto the battle arena and quickly went to check on Meta, trying to mask his shock with his worry. The adult looked his nephew over, incapable of prying his eyes off of that strange, magical armour.
"Are… Are you okay?" he asked, to which Meta could only nod his head.
"Y-yeah… I…," Meta paused.
The power he felt rushing through him, from every inch of his body, told him everything he needed to know, everything he already knew, and everything the stars had given him. The power he had… was infinite.
"I feel great," he said, looking up at his uncle with glowing white eyes. "I-I've never felt like this… I feel like I can take on an entire army!"
And he probably could…
"Do you want to stop?" Ano asked him, but Meta shook his head and looked down at his sword.
"I want to try this out," he said. "I feel stronger than ever!"
With a concerned look still stuck to his face, Ano looked back at his own son, who stood still shocked and stared at his cousin.
"Galacta? What about you? Can you keep up?"
Galacta tore his eyes away from his cousin and brother and quickly nodded his head, swallowing and answering:
"Yeah! I wanna see that ability in play, it looks awesome!"
"Alright then," Ano sighed, before stepping back. "When you're ready… Fight!"
He leaped off of the battle arena, and the two young warriors leaped at each other once again…
It took Meta thirty seconds to win the duel.
Meta gave a deep sigh and closed his book. He wouldn't get back into this, not right now. He would know the warrior's name another time. For a moment, he stared at the sky, his gaze blank with heavy thoughts. He knew why the Galaxy Soldier Army was here. They wanted to test him, to see if he was ready. But, Meta knew why they wanted him, him out of all the other possible Star Warriors out there…
His power.
His power attracted many, if only for the spectacle it gave, but also for the strength it offered – especially for its strength… Over the years, as he mastered this power, Meta understood quickly what it made him, how people started viewing him as. A weapon. Nothing more, nothing less. The army wanted a weapon, not a century old Kiridan boy. Not Meta. And that was what angered Meta more than anything. He couldn't blame them, but he didn't want to be part of them only under the title of a weapon. If he was to join them, it would be as Meta! Nothing more, nothing less!
Sitting up on the cover, Meta looked down the hill. Arthur and Galacta were already far down there, heading back to town. He stared at Arthur's back, at the pattern on his feathers. This guy… didn't see him as a weapon, though… He called him a hero. An inspiration. Even long before Meta was born, the stories about him drove this young lad to join the cause, to stand up before the nightmare and defend the dream. This green lad… was different. Meta's gaze softened.
He stood up with a quiet sigh, left his book up on the hill on his cover, and began to walk down the hill. He walked slowly, quite normally, far from a rush, and despite the distance between them, it seemed that Arthur's sensory skills were telling him to look back; and so he did, along with Galacta, and they both looked at him as Meta casually walked toward them. Arthur's eyes lit up, and the smirk that painted his face told him he knew he would have come, but Meta paid him no mind, and simply walked ahead of them, without a word. Behind him, he heard Galacta snicker and say:
"I told you he'd come."
Meta did not say anything and simply walked on the way toward home, across this wind-swept field of sun struck green grass. Why did such a beautiful day have to be ruined with these GSA people coming here? Wherever they went, they cast a shadow on his world, and he didn't like it one bit. Maybe it was his job to turn that shadow into a light… Maybe… just maybe… he was overreacting, even just a little…? He kept that possibility in mind, but his stubbornness just came back over it and he repeated to himself that he was not interested in meeting that woman for any purpose, and he would make it clear.
They walked all the way back to the staircase that descended on the Hollow, and all the way through he could hear Arthur and Galacta chatting in the back. He noted how amazed Arthur was at the landscape and the placement of the village, saying things like:
"I've never quite seen something like this. I guess it makes for a really good hiding spot, though! It must be hard to spot this town without knowing it's there."
"Yeah," Galacta responded, "some travellers are pretty lost when they're looking for the town. That's why we have some scouts out here all the time."
They began to descend the stairs, and Meta kept his slow, casual pace, munching more and more on his piece of grass. He wasn't nervous, he told himself. He was more aggravated than anything else. He would get this done with, and he would be able to go back to reading. He would finally know the name of that warrior! It had been a mystery since the start of the book, and those guys had come at such a bad timing.
When they arrived at the level of the town, Meta wasn't surprised to see the buzzing crowd surrounding the GSA soldiers in front of the Elder's house. There were five of them. Four looked like simple bodyguards, dressed humbly in black and dark blue with their weapons visible; a sword at their belt, and a large gun attached to their back. Each of them were of differing species, two of which were Kiridan hybrids; impure bloods, as they were called. The other two were of a tall, common humanoid species, but with such differing traits that Meta could only tell they weren't the same thing. Finally, the last one was the one he had been expecting.
Lady Harkim.
He had heard a lot about her, but had never seen her in person. In his life, he had only met with her representatives, soldiers or generals sent on her name to verify his growth. Now, to see the real thing only made him scowl. He wouldn't let himself be impressed by that lady!
She was very different from the rest of them. From what he had read about her, she came from a very far away world that had been destroyed long ago by Nightmare, a star that counted among the first victims of the Dream War, a star whose name had long been forgotten. This star's citizens still lived, it seemed, scattered in small groups across the galaxies, fighting to survive; and this woman, the great leader of the Galaxy Soldier Army, was one of them.
She was tall, with a humanoid shape like the others, but her skin seemed as smooth and pale as a moon stone, with so many hues in odd places that kept moving and morphing as she moved that she looked translucent. Her head was adorned not with hair, but with long, moving veil-like fins that danced along with long tendrils that moved like antennas, all of which was wrapped nicely into a tall ponytail. She had a young, sharp face that constantly lied about her age, with elegant, hypnotizing eyes that were so deeply dark and filled with stars that anyone could have been trapped inside her gaze. Her species was as ancient as his own, and Meta could feel it just looking at her.
His parents and the Elder were speaking with her before they arrived, but when the crowd parted to let them pass, they all turned to him. His parents smiled, and so did she, but they were so differing in intentions that Meta only stared back, watching as Arthur walked next to him and gave a salute to his master.
"My Lady, here he is, like you asked. Although…," he paused here, casting a short, contempt glance at him before looking back and continuing. "He doesn't seem to be interested in speaking with you, master."
"Oh," the lady said with her melodious and hypnotizing voice, turning her body toward them and taking a few steps forward, her hands linked in her back. "Is that so? Then why did you come here, boy?"
Meta munched a bit harder on his piece of grass, scowling a bit more.
"To let you know I'm not participating in your war," he called out loud enough so everyone could hear and scratch it in their heads. "I'm not interested in being used as a weapon by you people just because of my powers."
A rumour spread out among the crowd, murmurs and whispers slowly raising up in tone and noise. All the while, Lady Harkim stared at him, her deep eyes not betraying her thoughts. She smirked slightly, then closed her eyes and nodded her head.
"I see," she spoke softly. "If that's how you feel, then I understand and I will not complain. Instead, I will be completely honest with you."
Her eyes opened once more and she looked serious.
"It's true there are people among the army ranks who only see you as a growing weapon. Over the years, all they've asked about you is how your powers are growing and how close you are to joining us. Of course, the more they ask, the farther you get from us. Don't think I haven't noticed that."
Just as Meta's scowl turned into a frown, her gaze softened, and she lifted her chin a bit, her lips stretching a bit into a smile.
"However, not everyone is like that. There's a good deal of people who do not see you as a weapon amongst us, but rather as a future comrade. As an inspiration."
Slowly, subtly, Meta's eyes slid over to Arthur at his side, but he quickly looked back at her, doing his best to keep his expression from changing too much. An inspiration, huh…
"And, I am happy to count myself among these people," she continued with a smirk. "Yes, I came here on behalf of the Galaxy Soldier Army to see how much you've progressed; not only your powers, but as a person. I heard you were doing very good in school and that you had a good load of friends. I also heard you and your cousin Galacta were progressing very well with the sword, which is something I would like to see for myself. Now, of course, not everyone thinks like that, but that is life, boy. Not everyone will be on your side and not everyone will view you as you want them to. It is up to you to change their minds about you. You don't want to be a weapon? Fine. Then don't be. Be yourself, and let these old senile general geezers know that you are Meta of Khazta Star."
At her final words, some of her bodyguards almost cracked up with retained laughs, while Arthur almost flinched at how she talked about the other generals. Meta's expression, despite himself, changed. He stared at this woman for a long time, repeating her words in his head. He had to admit, she did have a point… He was fairly surprised, too, for he had thought that everyone thought of him as nothing more than a weapon. That's what he had seen over the years, with all the generals and commanders coming here only to see his skills and abilities. Her eyes did not lie; she was frank with him, just like she had said. There were people out there who thought of him as a person… however short in numbers they were…
"Now," she spoke up, bringing his attention back to her, "I know this may sound sudden and you may not be in the mood for this, but it is getting late, and I would like to see your abilities in play before dinner. Would you mind showing me?"
This lady… The vibe that emanated from her was completely different now. She was a Star Warrior he could trust, just like Sir Dragato. And so, it was with a small scoff that Meta took a few steps forward, saying:
"Yeah, I guess."
All he did was so sudden not everyone understood what he had done; he simply swallowed the piece of grass he already had in his mouth. Suddenly, he was wrapped in a bright light that engulfed him and the ground he stood on, only for a few, short seconds. When the light subsided, a familiar hat adorned his head; it was comprised of large, green leaves, seemingly only stuck to his head by some force, with a large, glowing green jewel on his forehead, lined with gold. His hands were covered in leaves as well, and where he stood, the grass suddenly grew in a large tuff, along with flower buds that bloomed in mere seconds, wrapping around his feet with vines and sprouts. Around him, the crowd applauded and cheered loudly and Arthur visibly gasped and stepped back, but Meta only stared at Lady Harkim, watching her eyes widen slightly at the transformation, followed by her smirk lengthening as well. She nodded her head, crossing her arms on her chest.
"I see you have more abilities than what was listed," she commented.
Meta couldn't stop a little smirk and he put his hand on his hip, adopting a relaxed stance.
"The more I practice, the more I find, and the more I train, the faster I can transform."
"Perfect," Lady Harkim spoke, giving another nod. "Now, can you show me what this one does?"
And Meta lifted his hand, ready to show what he was made of, and ready to let her know he wasn't just a weapon. A flurry of leaves suddenly appeared as if from nowhere and surrounded him, dancing around him like a growing tornado, forming almost a shield of green around him. Suddenly, he sent the leaves straight into the sky, and they exploded in a wild expansion of leaves that turned into a rainfall of green. Each leaf then slowly turned a bright, lively pink, as if they had fallen from a thousand cherry trees floating overhead, and they fell and fluttered toward the ground, much to the amusement and astonishment of the villagers. While the children ran around in amazement, laughing and clapping as they jumped and bounced together to catch the pretty petals, Meta struck both of his hands on the ground, and suddenly, roots produced from the soil with so much strength they took everyone around by surprise. They grew exponentially in size and form and twisted themselves like flesh. They transformed and grew into wide and elegant arcs above Meta and extended intimidating branches like hands toward Lady Harkim, who did not move one inch, not even when her bodyguards surrounded her, keeping a close eye on those branches.
Slowly, the growth came to a stop just as the hands were about to touch her face, and then, as silence fell once more on the town, sprouts began to appear on the branches, and as everyone around watched in astonishment, the growths became wide, bushy trees with green, lively leaves. Among those leaves, flowers began to sprout from button buds as well; white, beautiful flowers, and one of them grew right in front of Lady Harkim. It extended its stem toward her, bringing itself closer to her as if a gift opening itself for her, and the alien smiled before chuckling. Plucking the flower to smell it, she walked around the tree, only to see Meta straighten himself up.
"Not bad," she said, twirling the flower in her fingers. "You certainly know how to control your abilities. How do you call this one?"
"The Leaf," Meta responded simply.
"Noted. I hope you have others like this one that can make beautiful landscapes such as this. It's quite different from all of those destructive ones, don't you think?"
And as Meta discarded the Leaf ability and reverted back to his normal self, he repeated those words again in his head. For some reason, they sounded… haunting…
This evening, Lady Harkim and her entourage were invited to stay for dinner with the Elder and the Khano family, so she could learn more about the young Star Warrior's growth and his own people. This was a very important meeting, for the population of Kiridans was thinning out faster than they had thought, and with all of the hybrids out there, meeting an entire pure-blooded family and settlement made for some very interesting intel and observations. The long table of the dinning room was completely filled with all the members of the family, uncles, aunts, elders, mothers, fathers, sons and daughters, of many branches of the family. Sitting nearby Meta's parents, Lady Harkim was listening to Uncle Ano's stories about his son and Meta and how well they were learning, mostly trying to praise his own son as well as he did, while Arthur sat right next to her, delighted to savour all of these meals spread on the table before him. Those were some traditional Kiridan meals, and as a Kiridan who had grown on a star of fairies, he had never tasted such things, and so he took great pleasure in taking a bite out of everything. This one tasted salty, while whatever this was was as spicy as one could hope, and whatever this other thing was was so sweet he wanted more of it! And those drinks were so good!
Eventually, the green lad looked up from his plate and across him, driven by curiosity; Meta's chair was empty, and so was his plate. He hadn't seen him leave, and so he was surprised; where was he? He looked around the table, but there wasn't a single trace of a deep blue Kiridan out there other than Meta's father. How odd… Then, he felt a hand on his right arm, making him turn to the side, to Meta's little cousin Ada. She had her littlest sister in her arms, a tiny babbling thing named Mel, and Ada smiled up at him as she held her sister in her lap.
"He's on the roof," she whispered to him. "He's feeling a bit down…"
Arthur thanked her with a nod, and looked to the other side, searching for the attention of one of the adults nearby. It was Meta's mother who turned to look at him, and he smiled at her shyly, before asking:
"I'm sorry Ma'am, but where can I find the bathroom?"
Kia smiled warmly at this young boy and pointed toward one of the dinning room's entrances, saying:
"You'll find it just down this hallway, third door to your right. There's a sign on it, you can't miss it."
Arthur bowed his head as thanks and quietly left the table after obtaining Lady Harkim's approval, and headed straight in the direction he was told. However, as soon as he was out of anyone's sight, he took a turn in the hallway and subtly headed toward the main hall. Once he was outside in the fresh night air, he was welcomed by a relieving silence… However, it lasted for only a short time, for he heard music coming from above. Lifting his head, he moved away from the manor far enough to see where it came from; a window, up above in the higher floors, was opened. On the roof underneath that window, was Meta, staring down at a book. He really liked to read, huh? With a smirk, Arthur opened his wings and took to the air silently; he only needed to beat them a few flaps before he was high enough, and he perched on the roof, making Meta look up from his book.
It was only with a shy wave of his hand that Arthur walked up to sit next to him, without a word. After their first meeting, they hadn't exchanged other words, and Arthur felt really bad about this. The stories about Meta had always fascinated him as a child, and even as he joined the army ranks and he heard about Meta himself and how awesome and strong he was, he had built himself an idea of him that was far from the truth, although, not as much as he had thought. It turned out that Meta was, indeed, younger than him, and still a child. He hadn't gone through the army, he hadn't gone through battles yet, he had done nothing but grow, at his own pace, with the idea that everyone saw him as a weapon. Arthur, like Lady Harkim, wasn't such one, and he admired Meta still, in a different light.
He looked toward him; Meta was looking down at his book, but he wasn't reading. He had closed it, and was now staring at the cover page. It was the same book as earlier. Tales of a Falling Star. Arthur smiled; at least, they had the same tastes in books!
"Do you know Sir Dragato?" the green lad asked, breaking the silence between them as the music coming from Meta's room reverberated in the air around them, like dancing notes. "He talks a lot about you, you know."
Those words made Meta look up, as if taken by surprise, as if he had forgotten that he was here, and he looked back at him for a few seconds before staring back down. He gave a simple nod.
"Yeah, he's my godfather. He's a friend of the family, so he comes here when he can. He's pretty much like an uncle to me. You said earlier I had good tastes in authors. Did you mean this?"
He gestured toward the book, and Arthur chuckled.
"Yeah! Sir Dragato's a really good writer, though I haven't read this one yet."
Meta smirked a bit, his eyes shining like beacon in the low light of the night.
"It's his first book," he explained. "He gave it to me on my fiftieth birthday. I must have read it a thousand times, but every time I read it again, it's like it's the first time."
"So I take it you like it," Arthur chuckled, making Meta laugh a bit.
"Just a little," Meta answered. "It's cheesy, it's very different from his later works, and it could use a rewriting, but… it's very dear to me."
For a long moment, they went back to silence, but it wasn't as heavy as it was earlier, and Arthur was glad for it. He observed him silently a moment longer. Meta certainly was very different from the rest of the Star Warriors he had met at HQ. Star Warriors were naturally strong, enduring and physically enhanced in comparison to normal soldiers, but, even now, at such a young age, he felt this boy was ten times stronger than the normal Star Warrior. It was no wonder Arthur had chosen him as his hero! It was truly a shame that he had doubts about joining them… Truly a shame… And here he had hoped that maybe one day, he would have been able to fight alongside his hero…
"Are…"
Arthur blinked, surprised to hear his voice, and listened. Meta wasn't looking at him, but was instead staring straight ahead, making Arthur turn his head to see what he was looking at. From this spot, they had a magnificent view of the whole Hollow. Individual lights from every house and lamp post in the town looked like immobile fireflies, and the light of the moon shone down directly through the Eye and into the lake, filling its immobile and sleeping surface with thousands of glimmering diamonds. Such a pretty view… Meta and Galacta were very lucky to be able to grow in such a peaceful place…
"Aren't you… scared of the nightmare?"
Arthur didn't answer for a long, thoughtful time, repeating these words in his mind to try and make sense out of them. Scared of the nightmare? What could he mean by that? The young lad hummed slightly, setting his back on the window sill behind him.
"I don't… really know what having a nightmare feels like," he answered slowly. "After all, Star Warriors don't have nightmares."
He marked a pause here, during which Meta didn't speak again, waiting for him to finish what he started. Arthur slightly squinted his eyes.
"However, I gotta say I'm pretty scared of Nightmare himself… As Lady Harkim's apprentice, I have front seats to all the horrors that he does to stars and their inhabitants. I've spoken with people who were terribly scarred and traumatized by what they saw, both in reality and in dreams… I'm just… scared that Nightmare'll reach me and will corrupt my dreams… and make me a demon-beast…"
Arthur looked back toward him, making Meta stare back as well, and the older of the two smirked a bit, eyes glowing a bit more in a reassuring manner.
"But you know, when I look at you, I'm not really that scared."
Meta looked surprised, and Arthur gave a shy giggle, playing with his hands, timid and nervous.
"I just feel tons more hopeful when I look at you," he said. "It's like the stars themselves are down here with me! I don't know, it just makes me feel good inside… like I can do anything, you know? I think… I think it's a real shame that there are people out there who don't see that in you and just… see you as some sort of weapon. I mean, sure, your abilities are amazing and I'd love to see more, but… there's just so much more than that…"
With wide eyes, Meta slowly turned his head and looked down at his book, still not giving any kind of verbal answer. Even though, Arthur could tell that he had struck a cord there.
"If you don't mind me asking…," he continued, trailing off a bit before looking back up toward him. "How did… you learn that they… saw you as such? A weapon?"
The younger boy closed his eyes half-way, as if recalling previous events and memories, and his aura became heavier, slightly.
"I learned… my 'fate', on my fiftieth birthday," Meta spoke with a low voice, very quiet. "Since then, the Galaxy Soldier Army has been monitoring me day in and day out. I never feel like no one's watching me, you know. There's always a pair of eyes somewhere… Every now and then, representatives of your master come here, at least once a year, and they list everything I can do and everything I've learned, like I'm some sort of animal to catalogue… When I discovered my Copy Abilities, it became worse. Everyone, especially those of the GSA, saw the potential, and then… I wasn't just me anymore. I'm just a tool for them to use to win this war…"
The blue boy scoffed and looked away.
"No one really cares about how I feel about all this. They keep saying I'll 'save the world' and 'vanquish Nightmare', while all I really want to think about is what I'm going to do tomorrow. Vanquish Nightmare…"
Slowly, he shook his head, his eyes squinting and glinting with a mix of powerful, unspoken emotions.
"This is… too much to ask…"
He turned back to face him, and to Arthur's surprise, his eyes shone a deep purple colour, for a few, short seconds, before reverting to their normal, glowing white. He gave a heavy sigh and rubbed his eyes with a hand, asking:
"Do you still think I'm that good of an inspiration? I don't even want to fight for the cause…"
Arthur marked a pause then, thinking about his words. It didn't take him long to draw a passionate inspiration from these words and smile, warmly.
"Yeah, I still think so," he answered, receiving a doubtful gaze in response. "Maybe that's what you lack; a cause. It doesn't have to be vanquishing Nightmare or ending the war. All it has to be is something that you hold dear to your heart. For example, I joined because I wanted to make a difference. I grew up in a place where Kiridans are hated as a race, and, even though I know I don't have anything to prove to anybody, I still have to prove it to myself. That's why I'm fighting, for now. All this cause of yours needs to be, is yours only, and it just needs to come from your heart."
Meta remained quiet for a moment. A cause? Maybe… he was right. He didn't have a cause yet, at least he couldn't think of one off the top of his head.
"Even if you don't find one now," Arthur continued, "it'll come. Just give it time. You get what I mean?"
Slowly, the younger Star Warrior nodded his head.
"Yeah… I think I get it…"
Then, Arthur chuckled and looked away shyly, and Meta noticed a clear blush spreading across his cheeks.
"Also, I guess I joined because I wanted to be like you, or at least how I imagined you to be. Like I said, you were my hero!"
Meta gave a soft laugh.
"You're still on that hero thing? I'm not a hero yet, I haven't fought any demon-beast or gone on any mission yet. I'm pretty sure I'm not as skilled as you are."
Arthur shrugged, that same smile still stuck to his goofy face, and Meta found it to be contagious.
"Doesn't matter, I still look up to you! At least, here, let's make a promise!"
The green lad turned his body toward the blue boy, who turned as well, giving him a quizzical look. Arthur held out his hand with a big, happy smile.
"If you ever join the GSA, let's be friends! What do you say?"
Meta remained quiet for a moment longer. Friends…? Real friends? Somehow, that thought sounded just right in his ears, and he couldn't help but smile right back at him. He held out his hand and took his into his own, smirking.
"Alright, then. I don't guarantee that I'll join, but if and when I do, let's be friends. I'm… sorry about my attitude earlier, too. I guess I was just…"
He pouted, his cousin's words echoing in his head and relating a bit too much with how he was.
"A little bitch," he finished, morose.
Arthur laughed out loud, sending his wings upward and beating them a bit, and he waved his hand dismissively.
"Hahaha! No worries, friend!"
Immediately after speaking those words, he squealed and brought his hands to his face, exclaiming:
"HEEE! I'm friends with Meta!"
Meta could only smile. His first, real friend, one he truly felt was right… Maybe that alone could be a good reason to join the cause, he thought.
And as the two boys walked back inside the manor through Meta's window, a shadow watched from afar, unseen in the night. Its slitted, glowing eyes squinted in a strange mix of delight and disgust. Soon… It just needed to wait for the Master's orders, and soon, it could spring into action… Just… a little bit… more time… To wait for an opening, for the perfect time to strike… Soon, the boy would be ready for the test, and the Bishop could not wait for that time to come. Soon… Soon…