In the Dark

Strong Bad returned after actually answering the call of nature, and to his expectations the fairy was still there. Homestar sat up on the root upon seeing the prince return, and grinned brightly, waving.

Putting on his friendliest grin Strong Bad returned to leaning against the tree. "Sorry if I kept you waiting, man."

"No pwob, man." Homestar chirped, leaning back again. "So when awe we going to go on his questy-quest?"

Strong Bad chuckled as he slipped down, purposely stretching and yawning. "Tomorrow. I'm too tired to keep going."

Homestar sighed, sitting back down on his root. He wasn't tired in the least, too excited to sleep. He suddenly jumped back up and took to the air. "I know! I'll keep watch!"

"Sure thing, man..." The prince muttered as he began to doze off. He wasn't worried in the least, trusting his back was being watched, not by his new found fairy, but by his The Cheat. "Night, Dorkstar..."

"Huh?" The fairy glanced down for a moment to his new so called friend, then shrugged. "Night Stwong Bad!"

***

The Cheat sat up in a tree, a little ways from the clearing, and his princely friend. He sighed contently as he settled into passively watching over Strong Bad and the fairy. For much of the night it was quiet, even Homestar eventually falling asleep in the folds of Strong Bad's cape. The Cheat found himself slowly starting to doze himself. Movement suddenly brought him back to attention.

With the fire becoming embers, and the shadows beginning to blend among each other it became all too clear the three were not alone. Strong Bad's shadow was crisper against the dark trees then it was suppose to be, and when it moved without its host The Cheat pulled himself closer to see.

The shadow pulled itself away from tree, looming over the sleeping prince and fairy alike, breathing in tune with them. It reached down and gently brushed against the bare part of Strong Bad's face, where the mask ended. It seemed to be whispering to blue haired man. The Cheat curiously pulled himself closer to see if he could hear what the shadow was muttering, but from the tree he couldn't get close enough. He had no choice but to climb down and get closer from the ground.

As he moved in towards the clearing the shadow shifted into the shape of the fairy, and began whispering into his ear. The Cheat got closer and closer until he could finally hear what what shadow was saying.

"...Do everything he tells you to do. You love the fire prince; for he is your mas--" The shadow stopped, and turned his attention to The Cheat. The critter stiffened when he was seen, not knowing what to do. It was too late to fall back.

The shadow, instead of attacking like The Cheat assumed it was about to do, simply faded away; leaving the dullened darkness that was suppose to be.

Then Homestar stirred slightly, blinking his eyes open and rubbing one sleepily. The Cheat again stiffened before he hurried back into the cover of the trees. That was too close for the little guy, almost getting caught by the fairy.

Homestar looked around, pulling the cape closer to his collar. He could have sworn he had heard something, but that was quickly fading. Slowly he looked up to giant blue haired head beside him, and for a moment he smiled, his cheeks lighting up a pale pink.

"I'm so lucky to have a fwiend like Stwong Bad..." Homestar muttered before laying back down against the warmth of the covered shoulder. "... Best fwiend..."

***

The sun had already well risen, and its beams were shining through trees by the time Strong Bad opened his eyes. He grumbled and stiffly sat up. For a moment he couldn't remember where he was.

"The Che..." He stopped himself before sleepily calling out his favorite little critter. He didn't want the fairy getting suspicion, even if he did seem like an idiot. "Homestar?"

His fairy was nowhere in sight, making the prince frown as he got up and stretched. He even quickly double checked to make sure he hadn't rolled over in his sleep and squished the little meal ticket. Still Homestar seemed nowhere in sight.

"Homestar? Where are you, you little insect." Strong Bad muttered through his teeth, baring his sharp canines for a moment as he looked around the clearing. If he couldn't find the fairy the possibility of all his perfect plans going through would shatter.

Finally he spotted the fairy, stepping backwards out of the bushes, dragging something along. He stopped and wiped his little glowing brow before turning to his new best friend. "Hey Stwo-bwo! I'm glad to see you awake!" He chirped as the man came closer. "I hope you'we hungwry, cause I found us a feast!"

With that the fairy stepped aside to reveal the prize he was bringing back to camp. It was a plum, nearly as big as him. Strong Bad looked down at the snack with a frown.

"You could have warned me you were leaving camp without me, stupid." He muttered before looking away. "Thanks, Homestar, but... I don't suppose you saw anything meaty on the way that I could take down and eat too?"

"Well..." Homestar had forgotten that most bigger folk ate meat. He sliced off a large piece of plum and took a bite as he thought back on his trek for breakfast. "I tink I taw a gwass-wabbit." He said with his mouth full, then swallowed and looked up at Strong Bad as the fire prince took up the rest of the plum and began to eat it. "Or there was a gawden snake. That would be easiewr for you to hunt than the mean ol' two tailed gwass-wabbit."

"You're kidding, right?" Strong Bad looked down in disbelief as he finished the fruit in two bites. "Grass-rabbits are not mean, they're only slightly creepy with those two butts of thiers." He shuttered a little at the thought, but food was food. "Come on, Homestar. Where's the rabbit."

The fairy quickly took the air and led the way. They went into the thick bush for only a few moment before Strong Bad stopped, spotting the striped green rodent, munching on some clover. He grinned, silently motioning Homestar to stay there and keep quiet. Then slowly he snuck towards the creature, and when he was close enough he blasted the rabbit with a pillar of fire. The rabbit and the grass around it burst in flames.

Homestar gasped at the sight, closing his eyes and looking away. "Ewww... Stwong Bad. That's gwoss!"

"That's breakfast." Strong Bad stated as he extinguished the flames and picked up the crispy remains. Rubbing away some of the charcoal outside he found the shoulder and side meat cooked just the way he liked it. So he blew on it and took a bite. Homestar just stuck his tiny tongue out and tried not to gag.

"Let's just go..." Homestar finally said, taking the lead again. They traveled quietly through the forest. Strong Bad ate most of the rabbit before tossing the rest. Only after he was done did he start to actually look around him.

It was quite a few hours before Strong Bad finally turned his attention fully to the fairy leading him. Homestar was flying backwards, staring at him with a dopey expression on his face. When the prince looked his way Homestar turned forward on his trail, snickering to himself with a bit of blush on cheeks.

"You know, for one of the coolest looking fairies I have ever seen or heard of, you are such a weirdo." Strong Bad finally concluded, crossing his arms as he followed. "And a dork too."

"You'we pwobebly wight, Stwong Bad..." Homestar shrugged, but didn't look back. "I get told that all the time my Homeschool an' some of the othew fairwies."

"Looks like we have a little something in common." The fire prince pointed out after a moment. "Well except I usually get called trouble maker, poser, loser. But I'm not, believe me. I'm a major hit with all the ladies."

"I believe you." Homestar did a loop before landing on Strong Bad's soft red cape. "I like youw eyes. They'we so gween! And youw clothes."

"Well I do have style... But shouldn't you be sick of green, Homestar?" Strong Bad asked before motioning to the woods. "I mean you're surrounded by green!"

The fairy did indeed look around for a moment before smiling. "Not like youw eyes. Nothin in this fowest is gween enough to compawe."

The prince couldn't help but feel a little weirded out by the fairy's insistence on the greatest of his eyes. Sure he knew how awesome he was, all around, but he didn't need to be told that by a guy.

"Uh, right. Homestar are you sure you're a guy?" He finally asked, kind of unsure himself.

"Last I checked." Came the quick reply. "And I should know, I picked it myself."

There was another moment of silence as Strong Bad finally decided to take a break, leaning against a tree. "Wait, fairies get to pick whether they're a boy or a girl?"

"Yup."

"That is so cool!" The prince smirked. "So why'd you pick a guy? Girls are so much hotter!"

Homestar pouted, looking away. "No, no way. I'm not guwrl matewial. Who evaw heawd of Homestaw the guwrl? Do you think I'd look good in a dwess, or with haiw down to my butt?" With that he wiggled his tail in Strong Bad's face.

Strong Bad pulled his head away, cringing. "Ok, ew no..." He pushed the fairy gently away. "And watch the tail, man. You could take out an eye with that piece of bling."

"What's ba-ling?"

"Er..." Strong Bad gave a quick grin. "Its a human term for shiny things."

"Oh!" Homestar smiled back. "Well it is shiny!"

That was a close call, Strong Bad breathed a sigh. He glanced over his shoulder, the opposite one Homestar was sitting on the edge of, and spotted a streak of yellow. He grinned. At least The Cheat was putting his own.

"Alright, Homestar, let's rest here." The prince purposely stretched before sitting against the tree. "I'm bushed after all that walking."

"Ok..." Homestar yawned and snuggled into the folds of the warm cloak. "See you in the mownin Stwong Bad."

Writer's comment: Wow this chapter was a struggle to do...