Chapter 4: Visitation
A few months have passed since Meta officially joined the crew as Kurabe's apprentice. His training, both physically and mentally, has been going perfectly. In the warrior's mind, the child was an excellent student. Though today's training was cut short as she received a call from her boss.
"You want to visit Meta tomorrow?"
The general nodded. "Yes, I'm interested in seeing how much your training with him has paid off."
"I don't have an issue with you coming over, sensei, but..." She looked at the second person in the call. "Why are you bringing him with you?"
The "him" in question was Reedy, Kurabe's co-worker and so-called rival.
"The feeling is mutual, trust me. I rather you not be here, either." He uttered while adjusting his glasses.
"Then why do you want to come to my ship?"
"I'd like to see how Meta is doing. And to make sure a certain cursed blob of grape jelly is not abusing him." He seemed to glare at her, which was returned in favor.
"Reedy, that's enough. Any more unnecessary antagonism and you'll have to remain at headquarters. Understood?" Z said as his eyes sent chills throughout the Limet's entire body.
"Same goes for you, Kurabe. I don't need any infighting at the moment."
The glare he gave also sent chills down the warrior's own spine.
"Y-yes, sir." Both people immediately replied.
"Excellent. So Kurabe, what time works for you tomorrow?"
"Well, I believe any time works."
"Wonderful, we'll be there at 1 AM."
She replied with a slight chuckle. "Very well."
"Kurabe, that was a joke. 1 AM is too early even for me." Z said while laughing. "We'll be there by noon."
"Understood. We'll be expecting you then."
"Excellent. Until then."
With that, the call ended.
The warrior then gave a slight sigh. "Well, I should probably inform the crew about this. Especially Meta..."
She pressed a button that connected her voice to the intercoms.
"Attention all crew members, meet me in the meeting room, now. That is all."
She wasn't exactly thrilled about this whole mess of a situation. She had no problems with her mentor coming over. She looked up to him like a father and was honestly hoping that her student would get along with him. No, her issue was with that stuck up know-it-all Reedy. There was no doubt if he even disapproved the slightest with how Kurabe was raising Meta, he would put him in a foster home. The thought of that it... it put a pit in her stomach. She knew why Reedy disliked her. He didn't really keep it a secret. He considered her a spoiled brat who only gained her position because she was General Z's student. Which in Kurabe's mind, made him sound like the spoiled one by acting as if he was the ultimate authority just because of his position. Of course, she couldn't directly say that, or he would rant about how difficult his life was as a Limet. She took a moment to try and calm herself, but it didn't work. Her mind simply kept going back to that single thought. The thought of losing Meta.
Before her thoughts could drive her crazy, she heard a loud knock on her door.
"Who could that be? I told everyone to head to the meeting room." She thought aloud as she headed towards it.
Kurabe opened the door to reveal Meta, who had a concerned look on his face as he looked up at her. She was slightly surprised by this, but decided to question him about it.
"Is something wrong, Meta?"
"That's what I want to ask you sensei. Your voice on the intercom, it sounded like you were in pain."
"Oh, I just had a paper cut that was acting up. It's nothing." She responded quickly, glad that she somehow thought up an excuse on the spot. There was no way she could tell him about those thoughts she was having.
"Sensei, you've told me to never lie. Please don't lie to my face." Now Meta sounded hurt. This, of course, broke Kurabe's heart enough so that she couldn't stay silent.
"Tomorrow my mentor and an associate of mine will be visiting. This associate is named Reedy, and he doesn't think I'm fit to take care of you. There's a chance he'll try to take you away from me and I..." Her voice became more choked up as she continued to speak and placed her hands on his shoulders. "...I don't want that to happen. I can't imagine losing you, Meta."
Seeing and hearing this made the child pout a bit. "...do you want me to beat him up for you?"
Hearing this sudden shift in tone, Kurabe laughed. "As much as I would like that, it wouldn't be a good idea. He'll probably try to ask you a few questions about living here. All I ask is that you be honest with him."
There was a moment of silence before the child gave an understanding nod in response.
"Also, he's a Limet like Mercury, but a lot less likeable."
He tilted his head upon hearing that before asking yet another question. "What about sensei's sensei?"
"As I mentioned, he's our boss as the leader of The Organization. He's a bit of a stubborn old fool..."
"So, do you not like him?"
"Quite the opposite."
Meta looked confused.
Kurabe chuckled. "Despite his stubbornness, he's a kind man. The type of person that makes you feel safe. Except for if you get on his bad side. I might be stronger than him, but even I wouldn't dare cross him unless I really had to."
"Oh..." The child uttered in understanding.
"Well, let's go to the meeting now. Everyone is waiting for us." She said while taking his hand.
He nodded and followed her to the room.
By the time they got to the meeting room, it seemed like the rest of the crew was already there. Kurabe herself stood at the head of the table and Meta sat across from Mercury next to his mentor.
The warrior then cleared her throat, ceasing all conversations from the Bukisets and other crew members in the room. "Sorry to call you all here on such short notice. To put things briefly, General Z is coming here tomorrow, primarily to meet Meta and to see how his training has been going. Oh, also, Reedy is coming. I expect everyone to be on their best behavior. Any questions?"
"Yeah. You need me to distract Reedy for you, Captain?" Mercury was the one who spoke up this time.
The warrior only shook her head. "While I appreciate the offer Mercury, we both know that would only be delaying the inevitable. If Reedy is anything, it's persistent."
"Ah...good point. Well, it was worth a try. But wait, why's he coming here anyway?"
"He thinks he's the ultimate authority of all children."
Kurabe's response was bitter enough to let Mercury understand exactly what she meant by that.
"...Is he coming on his own ship? Because if he is, I could-"
"No, I believe he'll be coming with my mentor."
"Well, there goes that idea." She gave a sigh as she sat back in her chair.
"I have a question, captain." Next to speak was one of the Bukisets. "Tomorrow I'm on kitchen duty, how much food should I prepare?"
"More than usual, since I think they will stay for lunch."
"Understood. Are they allergic to anything?"
"No allergies."
The Bukiset nodded.
"Any more questions?"
There was a moment of silence.
Kurabe nodded. "Then this meeting is adjourned, please return to what you were doing prior. "
After everyone left, Kurabe, Mercury, and Meta were the only ones that remained.
The woman turned to her superior. "Are you worried?"
"Only about Reedy. But a talk I had with a certain knight helped me calm down." She said, smiling at Meta.
The woman then gave a smile as she adjusted her hat. "I'm sure everything will be fine."
"I still think you should let me beat him up."
Kurabe giggled upon hearing the child say that. "You can when you're older."
She patted his head affectionately.
The next day, Kurabe seemed to be even more anxious as she waited for the arrival of her mentor's ship.
"Calm down and have faith in Meta."
These were the words she had been repeating to herself since she woke up. However, her worries were still not eased. This was especially true when she jumped upon hearing Mercury call for her.
"Captain, the ship's here." She said while entering her room.
After taking a moment to calm herself down, Kurabe turned back to give a response. "Well, let's just get this over with..."
"Are you going to greet them?"
"At least the general."
"And the other?"
"Nope, unless he greets me first."
The woman gave a slight chuckle as they entered the hanger and saw two people stepping off the ship.
"Welcome aboard, General. I trust that you had a safe trip?" Kurabe said with a salute.
"At ease."
She stopped saluting.
"Yes, I did, thank you."
General Z was a Star Warrior just like Kurabe and Meta. He was gray and his eyes mostly closed most of the time, making people wonder how he sees. He also carried a walking staff with him, but those who knew him knew that it was just for appearances. He didn't actually need it at all. Behind him stood a well-dressed humanoid man, colored mostly in shades of gray with short hair and glasses. This was, of course, Reedy. He seemed to be looking down on Kurabe, both figuratively and quite literally. He adjusted his glasses before speaking.
"Kurabe."
"Reedy." She replied.
Z cleared his throat, gaining everyone's attention. "Enough of that. I understand you two have your differences, but we have more important matters to attend to. Where is young Meta at, Kurabe?"
She quickly straightened herself up.
"He is over there, sir."
She gestured towards the ship's crew, lined up at the ready.
"Come forward, young one. I'd like a good look at my successor's student."
The child tensed up as he approached the old man. Z looked over Meta as if analyzing him. Meta himself was doing the same and what he saw... or rather felt surprised him. He was radiating with power, a power that could dominate anything that got in its path. That wasn't exactly what surprised him, though. It was his emotions, or rather, the lack of them. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't read the old man.
Z suddenly smiled. "After living for so long you learn a few things, such as masking emotions. I can tell by your emotions you are quite impressed by my power, aren't you?"
The child stared in shock as he blinked.
"Y-yes..." He barely managed to utter.
Z laughed. "You have nothing to worry about, young Meta. I've sensed your strength as well. You have plenty potential. I'm sure Kurabe has said the same thing to you."
"Uh...uh-huh!" The child nodded enthusiastically upon hearing that.
"I have no doubt that with Kurabe's teachings, you'll be more than able to reach that potential, if not surpass it." Then an idea crossed his mind. "Kurabe, is the training room open?"
"Yes, it is." She immediately responded.
"Excellent. Young Meta, we're going to see how effective your training has been." Z said cryptically.
"Sir, are you sure that's a good idea?" Reedy quickly asked.
Z open his eyes, causing him to pause. "It will be a simple exercise, nothing more."
Something about the way that was said made Meta shudder. Frankly, Z's way of speaking reminded him a lot of Kurabe. Although there was something much more mysterious about Z. He couldn't quite explain what, but the feeling was there. Honestly, all just made him uneasy.
The general must have noticed this, as he opened his eyes towards Meta. Unlike the sharp eyes he gave Reedy, his were now soft.
"Trust me, Meta, it won't be anything too bad."
The child nodded in understanding. For some unknown reason, he felt he could believe his words.
"Kurabe, lead the way please." Z said looking at his student.
"As you wish, sir." The warrior replied as she began to guide them.
As they walked to the training room, Reedy decided to converse with Mercury and slowed down to start walking beside her.
"How've you been, Mercury? It's been a while since we last talked."
The woman equally slowed down to match his pace. "Things are fine. A bit more hectic since the kid joined us, but it's also definitely gotten a lot more interesting around here."
Reedy pushed up his glasses in questioning. "Hectic how? If he's being a nuisance, I'd be happy to take him."
She shook her head. "Oh, he isn't a nuisance at all. "Hectic" probably isn't the best word. I think it's better to say that things have gotten a lot livelier since he arrived. Not only that, but the captain herself has also changed..."
Reedy scoffed.
"Changed? She's the same as ever as far as I'm concerned. She's nothing more than a spoiled brat." The man declared, to which Mercury transformed into a kettle in response.
"Hey, pot."
"Yes, yes, very cute. But you can't deny that I'm right, Mercury."
"Considering I've spent the past couple of decades with her, yeah, I'm pretty sure I can deny it."
He then picked up the kettle-Mercury and began to carry it.
"Well then, would you care to explain to me how she has..."changed"?"
He used a free hand to give air quotes over the last word.
"She's a lot happier now than she's ever been. She's far more open with herself now that she has a kid to look after. She used to spend hours locked in her room or in the training room. Now you'd be hard pressed to not see her with Meta."
"Hmph. If she was that desperate for a child, she could've put the work into finding a husband."
"Before you got married, did you ever think about having children?"
"No, but maybe there would actually be someone able to keep her in line then. Not saying that adoption is a bad thing, it's quite good, as all children deserve a loving home." He particularly emphasized the last two words as he tapped the sides of kettle-Mercury.
While he couldn't see her face, Reedy could tell that Mercury was frowning.
"One. She has someone to keep her line. You're holding her. Secondly, you act like she's a wild beast off the battlefield."
He seemed to give a smirk. He then gave a slight squish to her side, pulling it in an overtly dramatic fashion.
"If she really isn't, then why does no man show interest in her? Or woman? Since she's unfortunately going to become the leader of The Organization, who's going to be her successor?"
As he raised the kettle-Limet into the air, Mercury tried her hardest not to laugh at the pseudo-dramatic performance he gave as he uttered that.
"You act as if people haven't shown interest in her. You'd be surprised by the number of love confessions she deals with. It's Kurabe who hasn't shown an interest in romance, Reedy. If you actually took the time to talk with her instead of writing a false narrative, you would know that."
The man sighed as he lowered the kettle-Limet once more. "Believe me, I've tried. You'd have a better time getting oil and water to mix."
"Yet it's always you that instigates arguments between you two. Let me ask you a question, Reedy. How many students have you had?"
"In combat or tactics?"
"Combat."
"Ten, perhaps fifteen. I'm primarily relegated to teaching tactics, you know?"
"Yes. Now let me ask another question. How many those students kept in touch with you after they left?"
"Five, maybe. I'm a busy man. I don't have time to talk to every single one. Besides, I train them well enough so they don't need to contact me for help."
"There's you're issue, Reedy. To you, everything is business. Anything that isn't related to work is pointless... minus your family, of course. But I digress, that single aspect is part of why you despise Kurabe. She has the exact opposite mindset as you and as a result is a more successful teacher. You can't stand the thought that she's better than you. Am I wrong?"
Reedy took one of the sides of the kettle-Mercury and pulled it like it was putty with an annoyed, slightly angry look in his eyes.
"And how much of that is because she's a Star Warrior? Because she's the general's student? Have you forgotten everything both of us went through as the first Limets to join The Organization? How we had to fight tooth and nail to have someone even look at us as anything but monsters?"
He began to stretch the other half of her body.
Mercury stared at him in an equally angry way, yet the way she spoke sounded unusually calm.
"No, Reedy, I haven't forgotten. But your points against her make zero sense. Her being a Star Warrior means nothing. Her students didn't gravitate towards because of her species, it's because of who she is. Her being the General's student also means nothing. She started at the bottom just like the rest of us. She didn't receive special treatment despite what you may think. And in case you've forgotten, I would be dead if it wasn't for her. I may respect you, Reedy, but one more word against her and that will change."
For a moment, the man became silent in slight surprise.
"I see. I may have gone too far. How unbecoming of me."
Then he gave a slight chuckle as he patted the now-blobby mass of metal on the head.
"It seems you've changed much as well. I'm at least proud that you've become a lot more independent."
With a slight pout, Mercury transformed back into her humanoid form, comically crushing the hand she was being held in.
Eventually, the group reached the training room. Z looked around the room nodding in approval.
"Yes, this will work perfectly."
Suddenly, Meta spoke up. "Excuse me, sir-"
"Old man. You can call me that if you wish."
The child tilted his head, confused why this man would want him to call him such a thing. "Ok. Mr. Old Man Sir, what are we doing here?"
"I'm glad you asked."
Z walked onto the middle of the room and looked directly at Meta.
"This exercise is very simple. Get me to move from this spot and you win."
"By get you to move, what do you mean exactly?" The child asked.
"Use whatever method you can to move me. Even if it's a miniscule distance, as long as I move, you win."
Suddenly Z's feet turned into stone.
"Though it will be easier said than done."
Admittedly, Meta had a feeling it would be something like this. However, he nodded in understanding.
"So, method doesn't matter. Sensei told me to analyze a situation before attacking but..." He thought as he observed the situation.
No matter how hard he tried, Meta couldn't see any kind of opening.
"That staff he has... he'll probably use it against me if I attack head-on. So instead of attacking, I'll use a different strategy..." Meta thought to himself.
Sending mana into his hands and feet, the child began to charge an attack. The past few months had been dedicated specifically to mana control as well as using Copy Abilities without copying. While he was nowhere near mastering anything, he at least learned a few helpful tricks. Electricity began to surge from his feet, and he dashed at Z. Meta swung his sword which was easily blocked by his opponent, but that didn't bother the child one bit as that's exactly what he wanted. He let go of his sword and got behind Z using his enhanced speed. Meta touched Z and used all of his mana to teleport both himself and Z. However, he was only able to move a single inch. The puff looked disappointed until Z started laughing as he reached out a hand to help steady him.
"Congratulations, Meta. You passed."
The child only blinked in surprise.
Kurabe then commented with a smile. "If you remember, he said all you had to do was move him from his spot."
Realization hit Meta as he looked up at the old puff.
"You never intended this to be a test of strength, did you?" Z smiled in response.
"Of course not. While you are indeed strong, I'm still leagues above you. This exercise was about testing tactics and thinking on the fly. Remember this lesson, young Meta, some fights are impossible to win with brute force alone. Some enemies you will face can become intangible. Some might not even be able to feel pain. Fights are like puzzles. You have to look for a solution or an opening, and exploit it."
The child looked at him, slightly puzzled, before nodding in understanding. "I get it."
"Excellent. Let's all eat lunch!"
"You all move on ahead. I wish to speak with Meta. Alone." Reedy suddenly spoke up as he adjusted his glasses.
The air suddenly became tense.
"Is he really doing the questioning right now?" Kurabe thought to herself. It seemed to get worse as she was reminded of how opposed he was to having Meta as her student.
"Reedy, can't it wait until after we eat? Meta used up most of his mana, he needs food in his system." Kurabe said, trying to hide her anxiousness.
"I believe it would be better for all of us it we get it done and over with." He replied simply.
While his words were understandable, the warrior had a feeling there was another message hidden within them. It was "I rather do it now before you have the chance to possible influence his answers.".
Mercury piped up with her own stance on the situation. "Reedy, look at the kid, he's barely able to stand without wobbling. Do really think he can answer any questions you have clearly?"
He gave a slight sigh as he looked at the struggling child. "Very well, but I will be monitoring your interactions with him."
"Reedy, that's enough."
Suddenly, the general spoke up, causing both Reedy and Kurabe to stand straight up. "The boy will be eating next to me. That way neither of you can influence him. Understood?"
"Y-yes, sir!" Both people immediately responded, as if on cue.
The general nodded before gazing slightly towards the child.
"Not that any amount of influence can change his heart..." He thought to himself.
The cafeteria was filled with an awkward silence. Kurabe, Mercury, and Reedy were all sitting together while Meta was with General Z.
"You do realize that once he's done eating, I'll be in questioning him, right?" Reedy asked.
"I'm well aware of it and am trying to ignore that." Kurabe mumbled in irritation.
"Afraid you'll lose him?" The man asked.
"Reedy, enough." Mercury said in a harsh tone.
The man instantly became silent as he returned to his meal. As much as Kurabe hated to admit it, that aspect was absolutely true. She was absolutely terrified, especially considering how nitpicky Reedy particularly was to her. The more she thought about it, the more she became... lightheaded.
While this was going on, Meta had a question he wanted to ask.
"Mr. Old Man, why do you have someone like that work with you?"
The general looked in the direction he was pointing and saw it was towards Reedy.
"What do you mean?"
The child pouted in response. "He's rude to sensei for no reason. I don't understand. Why would you keep someone like that around?"
The general gave a slight sigh. "Reedy has his issues, that much is true, but he's still a reliable man. As you grow older you will inevitably have to work with people you don't like. That's an inescapable fact about life. Though I do wish he would stop being so hard on her."
Suddenly, Kurabe stood up, sweat noticeably dripping down her face.
"I-I need to go get something from my room..."
The general gave a silent nod in understanding.
"Are you sure you aren't just running away from what's about to happen?" Reedy calmly asked her as he pushed up his glasses.
Kurabe tried to ignore him and walked, but as soon as she reached the door she fell to the floor.
"CAPTAIN!"
"SENSEI!"
Mercury and Meta were the first people to jump to their feet and run to her side.
"S-she's at least breathing but-"
Before the subordinate could continue, the child glared at Reedy, lightning coming out of his hands.
"What did you do to her!?"
Reedy looked at the boy's angry, grief-stricken face.
"I didn't do anything physically but-"
He then looked at Mercury's concerned expression.
"It seems that I did go a bit too far in my teasing. I wasn't aware that she was taking it that seriously. But that's hardly an excuse."
He walked over to one of the phones and dialed a number.
"Please send a medical officer to the cafeteria immediately."
He then began to walk out of the room.
"I take full responsibility for this and..."
He took a moment to look back at them.
"I'm greatly sorry for my actions."
Those were the last things he said before the door shut. Mercury just stared at the door, wanting to go after him but also not wanting to leave Kurabe's side. Suddenly, she heard a voice from behind her.
"I'll stay here and watch over my daughter."
Z, who had been silent the whole time said as he walked over to them.
"Go talk to him, Mercury, you know him better than anyone."
She nodded and left after the man.
After spending several minutes looking around the ship, she found him staring outside one of the ship's windows. She stood next to him but didn't know what to say.
"You probably hate me now, don't you?" Reedy asked with a regretful sigh.
"I'm mad at you, but I certainly don't hate you."
He looked back at Mercury for a moment, but then looked back out the window.
"The child probably hates me, though."
"I'm not going to sugarcoat it, he probably does. You made a terrible first impression."
"Can't say I blame him. I should have listened to you, Mer. If I just kept my mouth shut this wouldn't have happened. I should leave."
The woman frowned. "Reedy, you're just running away if you do that. Yes, most of the ship wants you dead, but what else is new?"
Reedy chuckled. "Your attempt at humor is appreciated. Mercury, may I ask you a question?"
She looked at him in concern. "What is it?"
"Meta loves Kurabe, doesn't he?"
Upon hearing that, Mercury gave a slight chuckle that soon erupted into a fit of laughter.
"I-I'm sorry, but... I think it's a bit obvious..." She uttered after taking a moment to calm herself down.
Reedy sighed at that reply. "I suppose you're right. Given what just happened, I don't think my interview will be necessary."
"You mean the one to see if she's properly raising her?"
"Correct. She fainted because she was afraid of losing her son. As a parent myself, I should have noticed it sooner. Unfortunately, I let my pride get the better of me. It's clear to me that they need each other, and I don't wish to cause any more damage than I already have."
Mercury gave an audible "Hmm..." as if she was thinking aloud. "If you don't want to cause any more problems, then you need to apologize. Not to me or to Meta, but to her. Unless you want to keep running."
He gave a slight sigh in response to that serious tone she spoke in. "You're right..."
"I'm always right." Mercury said with faux smugness.
"I wouldn't say always."
Turning around the two saw Kurabe, standing there with her cape wrapped around herself as usual.
"Captain, are you ok?" The woman asked.
"I'm fine, but thank you for your concern, Mercury. Now then..."
She looked at Reedy coldly, who just looked straight back at her in silence. The man gave a slight sigh in attempt to break the awkward silence that had developed.
"Look, I'm sorry for harassing you as much as I did today."
Kurabe just stared back until sighing herself. "I suppose that's the best I'm going to get out of you, Reedy. Apology accepted, but..."
"But...?"
"I want you to interview Meta. While I hate the thought of you taking him away, it's only fair that you get the chance to speak with him."
There was a moment of silence, as if the man was so surprised by this response that he had to take a moment to process that what he just heard was true.
"Are you really sure you want me to after that?" He then asked.
"No. But I'm honestly tired of the two of us constantly being at each other's throats."
Reedy crossed his arms and nodded in agreement. "Good point, I'm starting to find it very tiring, if I'm going to be honest. But what does he think?"
"I talked to him about it after I woke up. He still has his reservations about it, but he's agreed to go along with it."
"I see..."
There was a moment of awkward silence.
Then Reedy crouched down to her level and reached out his hand to Kurabe.
"...what is it?" She asked.
"Don't you know what it is?" The man grumbled, slightly looking away in embarrassment.
"Why do you want me to shake your hand?"
He then gave a sigh.
"Don't you want to... bury the hatchet...?" He mumbled it, but it was audible enough for her to hear it.
Kurabe gave a slight smirk. "Oh, I'm sorry, I can't really hear you if you mumble."
"I said I want to bury the hatchet!" He shouted before realizing the number this was doing on his pride.
Closing her eyes, Kurabe walked up to him and took his hand.
"Apology accepted, Reedy."
After a short bit of discussion, the location of the interview was decided to be in Meta's room due to it being a more private and quiet area that he would be the most comfortable in. This was where Meta was waiting now as he squeezed the metal stress ball he received from Mercury. Admittedly, he was a slightly nervous about this interview, but there was something else that he was feeling. It was anger towards that man. Who did he think he was, hurting his mentor enough to make her faint?! He squeezed the ball even harder than normal as he laid back on his bed. However, he promised his mentor that he would go through with this interview and had to put up with it.
After a few minutes of waiting, he heard the door to his room open and looked up to Reedy enter. Immediately, the man could tell that Meta had his guard up, which was perfectly understandable given everything that transpired earlier. Reedy adjusted his glasses as he took the chair from the desk and sat in it.
"As you know, my name is Reedy and I'm here to ask you a few questions."
The child stared at him silently as he squished the ball harder. The gaze he gave him was cold. Reedy sighed in response to this. He wasn't going to make any progress like this. The man then noticed the ball he was squishing. Maybe some small talk would help.
"I assume Mercury made that for you? Only a creation from a Limet could survive that much pressure."
The child nodded silently without looking at him.
"I also take it that you like to squish things? In that case..."
Reedy took off his glasses and transformed into his original blob-like state.
"...you're also squishy?" The child uttered.
"All Limets are. Though some may be squishier than others."
As much as Meta still wanted to remain on guard, he was also curious. Was his squishiness different from Mercury? Or would they be the same?
Meta walked over and picked up the blob and pinched him, stretching him as far as he could.
"You're rougher than Mercury but somehow more stretchy." He concluded.
"Half of it is because I'm a stronger Limet than her. The other half is because I'm used to my children pulling on me like you are." He explained.
"I see."
Reedy finally caught his attention, just as he was hoping. However, being used to being squished as much as he was didn't mean that he still didn't like it.
"I'd rather talk to him in my normal form, but this will have to do." He thought before speaking up. "Are you ready to answer my questions?"
The child became silent again, but he looked at him in a way that knew he just wanted to get it over with. "Yeah..."
"Excellent. My first question, how do you feel about Kurabe?"
Meta sighed as he remembered what he was told.
"Just be honest." He thought.
Then he answered. "She's really strong but also really nice. I feel safe when I'm with her. She's a bit scary when she gets angry, but it's almost never with me. When she does get angry with me, it's always because I deserve it. Her training is harsh, but she always comforts me afterwards and makes me a lot of yummy food to help me feel better. I think you could say I like her a lot."
The child gave a slight squish to the blob.
"I see. Would you say that she does a good job of taking care of you?"
"Well... I feel safe here... and I don't go to sleep hungry like I sometimes did back on that horrible planet... and she really seems to care about me despite some bad things I did..."
"It appears that you are happy here then. How do you feel about the rest of the crew?"
"Um... I haven't spoken much with the Bukisets, but they seem to be really patient with me. I really like Ms. Mercury. She's really squishy and she's really nice even though I touched her heart thing by accident."
That didn't surprise Reedy all that much. Children tended to do that.
"Was that the only time you did that?"
"Yes. She seemed really uncomfortable, so I didn't want to do it again. Also, because she said not to because it's her heart."
"I see. I'm sure I don't need to tell you, but don't touch a Limet's core without permission."
The puff tilted his head in curiosity. "...is there some other reason?"
Reedy paused, quickly weighing his options. There was no easy way to explain it to a child.
"Mercury will explain it to you when you're older. I'm sorry but it's a delicate matter."
Meta nodded in understanding.
"Good, now then. Did Kurabe force you into being her student? Did you actively choose to learn how to fight or did Kurabe make that choice for you?"
"Well, when I first came here, she wanted me to call her "sensei", but then she said I could just live on the ship if I didn't want to train under her. I decided to learn how to fight because I wanted to become stronger."
"So, the final decision was yours? You didn't feel pressured into doing it?"
"No, not at all. If anything, she kept saying I could live on the ship without becoming her student and it'd be fine. I was the one who wanted to be trained by her."
"So, she would of been content with just raising you. I see. Last question, say you given the choice to live on a peaceful planet with a new family. Would you take that offer or stay here with Kurabe, despite knowing you could be put in danger at any moment?"
The child simply stared at him.
"Do you know where I grew up? I hated that place, but it made me used to being in danger every day. But I had to survive alone there. Here, I at least know I won't be dealing with it alone... I have sensei and everyone on the ship..."
"I see."
Reedy turned back into his humanoid form and put his glasses back on.
"Our interview is done. I hope you enjoy the rest of your time here. You'll be with Kurabe and Mercury for a long time."
The child gave a big smile in combined happiness and surprise. "R-really!?"
The man gave a nod as he adjusted his glasses once more.
"Yes. I see no reason to remove you from here. In fact, it seems taking you away from Kurabe would just cause more harm than good."
"You just realized that!?" He shouted with a pout.
"Shamefully, yes."
He only continued to pout.
"Thank you very much for your time, Meta." He uttered with a sigh before walking out of the room.
Reedy walked down the hallway and saw that General Z was waiting for him.
"General, I would like to apologize for-"
"Save your breath, Reedy. You'll need it for our training session later." Z said, putting a lot of emphasis on training.
The man sighed. "Understood, General. Are we leaving now?"
"No, I'd like to speak with the boy before we do."
"Very well. I will wait for you at the ship." Z nodded and walked into Meta's room, where the child was once more playing with the stress ball.
"Come with me, Meta, I have something to discuss with both you and your mentor."
Curious to what this would be about, he decided to follow the old man. Upon reaching Kurabe's room, he quickly knocked on the door. Almost immediately, the woman in question opened the door. Upon seeing her student, she had one thought on her mind.
"Meta, how did the interview go?" She asked, hoping for the best.
"He said he saw no reason to remove me because doing so would be harmful."
Kurabe felt a large weight remove itself from her the moment she heard that. "That's wonderful! Now sensei-"
General Z opened one eye.
"Father, what is it that you want to talk about?"
The old man smiled. "Did you really think I would visit without bringing gifts?"
Admittedly, she was surprised by this.
"You should have told me ahead of time. I would have gotten you something you had I known." She replied, feeling slightly bad.
"Nonsense. Besides, now I have a grandson to spoil." Z said jovially.
The child tilted his head, as if confused as his mentor's cheek blushes became more pronounced.
"So, these gifts?" Kurabe said, trying to get back on topic.
He laughed heartily at this reaction. Z pulled out a book from seemingly nowhere and handed it to Kurabe.
"I know you like expanding your culinary skills, my dear. This is a book compiling the greatest recipes in the galaxy. Now for young Meta."
Z pulled out a replica of his staff, but much smaller.
"I know you've chosen the path of the sword, but just in case you become interested in the art of staff."
"Thank you very much, father!" Kurabe exclaimed happily before she looked at her student. "What do you say, Meta?"
"Thank you, Mr. Grandpa." Meta responded shyly.
Z gave a hearty laugh as he patted the child's head. "Well, I should be going, I can only stay away from my office for so long. Kurabe, keep up the excellent work and Meta, always remember this... a Star Warrior's heart is their strongest weapon. Stay strong no matter what adversity you may face."
"I will, father." The woman nodded.
Meta stayed silent for a moment before speaking up. "I understand. I'll try to remember."
"Good. I'll make sure to visit sometime in the future. No promises that it'll be anytime soon, you know how my schedule is."
With one final laugh, Z left to go meet up with Reedy. It was at this moment that the child thought of something.
"Sensei, where's Mercury?"
"She's probably talking to Reedy. While the two of us have our differences, those two are on much better terms. It's part of why I don't just ban him from visiting." She said half joking.
"...I still think I should beat him up." The child pouted.
"You can when you become stronger. He might seem like a push over, but his strength is the real deal. He's the third strongest of the Top Five for good reason."
"Are you the strongest then, sensei?"
The warrior gave a proud huff. "Indeed, I am, but just barely. Father is second, Reedy is third. As for the other two, the fourth is Bio Raiden, the strongest ninja in the galaxy, and fifth is Momo, a powerful mage who isn't a slouch in close combat either. You'll probably meet them at some point."
The child looked at her with determination. "Then if I get strong enough to beat you, I can beat him as well and make sure he doesn't bully you anymore!"
Kurabe chuckled and patted his head. "I'll look forward to that day."
As Kurabe had said, Mercury had been conversing with Reedy for one last time before he and the General left.
"Do you believe I made the right decision, Mer? Of letting him stay here I mean."
"I think you already know my answer to that, Reed."
"I figured as much. You know, Mer, maybe you're right about me making false narratives. I mean, the way she desperately wanted to keep him here... and how the mere thought of him leaving destroyed her. No spoiled beast would act like that. She's still a thorn in my side though."
Mercury gave a chuckle. "Yeah, she can be like that for me at times, but it's worth it to me."
"I see. I was going to offer you a spot on my crew again, but it seems that won't be necessary. I still don't fully trust her, but I do trust you, Mer. Make sure Meta stays happy."
While the woman gave a bit of a sigh, she then replied with a slight smile. "I will, Reed."
"There you are, Reedy." Their conversation was cut off by General Z. "Come, let us leave."
"Understood, sir." The man nodded.
"And young Mercury, it was nice seeing you again."
"Likewise, sir."
Reedy then turned to the woman. "I have to go now. Let's talk again, ok?"
"Of course. Now come on, you're not welcome here anymore!" She said while laughing.
"Alright! Alright! I get it!" The man replied, laughing equally.
As Z and Reedy got on their own ship, a thought crossed Reedy's mind.
"You know, General, I never asked what you think about Kurabe taking care of that child."
His superior gave a laugh. "I don't think you need me to answer that question."
"I'd like to hear your opinion anyway, sir."
The old puff gave a sigh. "They need each other. The way Kurabe looks at Meta is the same way I looked at her when I took her under my wing. The look of parental love. Meta will help her just as much as she'll help him."
He nodded quietly. "I see... I think I can see that..."
Reedy then narrowed his eyes, as if realizing something. "Sir, was this an attempt at teaching me a lesson?"
"Perhaps."
"That means yes." He sighed.
"So then, what lesson was I trying to teach you?"
"That I allowed my own biases to control how I view things. Specifically, how I view Kurabe."
"Exactly. and what will you do to change that?"
Reedy paused to think. "I don't know."
A simple statement but for someone like Reedy who prides himself on knowing everything, it was quite the pill to swallow.
"Then that is something you will have to learn."
Reedy just wordlessly nodded. The ship began to rumble and in a matter of minutes it was gone from sight.
That's the end of the first arc of this series. I will probably take a short break to write more chapters so I can prepare their illustrations (for the AO3 version of this story) and to allow people who are interested in reading it to catch up.
Hopefully you have been enjoying it so far!