Chapter 15 My Good Friend Wendy

Much to Pom Pom's surprise, a table had been set up on the deck of the airship. It wasn't a fancy table, as it just had some folding chairs and wasn't decorated whatsoever. Heck, the table itself looked like it had been bought for cheap at the local market. But even still, it was there, and Pom Pom had every reason to appreciate it. She took a seat, noticing that other servants took seats around the table too. Wendy, after letting out a breath, pulled up her chair and took a seat beside Pom Pom. Once she did, a koopa troopa came out from below deck. They carried a platter that had a mountain of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on it.

"Lunch is served." They placed the PB & J's in front of each of the people at the table. After giving Wendy hers, they went away from the table, no doubt to serve the other people on board. Pom Pom looked down at her sandwich, smiled, and took a bite.

"Again, like I said before, this food isn't really that extravagant," Wendy said as Pom Pom took another bite. "You probably weren't expecting something as simple as PB & J…"

"Oh, believe me Wendy, it's more than okay." Pom Pom swallowed and smiled. "Peanut butter and jelly is always nice, and besides, we'd probably get WAY too fat if we ate such rich meals every second of every day."

Wendy smirked. "True." She picked up her sandwich and took a bite. "I just… I dunno; I guess I just feel the need to impress you or something."

Pom Pom raised an eyebrow. "Why would you feel the need to impress me?"

"Um…" Wendy appeared to think about this before placing her sandwich back down on the table. "I guess I just want you to like me."

THAT caught Pom Pom's attention. "Like you? Wendy, you don't need to impress me; I already like you!"

"As a friend?" Wendy asked.

That sentence struck Pom Pom as so weird that she almost snickered. Almost. "Wendy, why would you need me to like you as friend? You're the princess of the Koopa Kingdom, and I'm just a soldier. If anything, our relationship should be restricted to just professional."

"Yeah, I know." Wendy placed her elbow on the table and leaned against her arm. "I just…" she thought about what to say for a few minutes before turning back to Pom Pom. "Is that what you want, though?" Pom Pom blinked as Wendy scooted closer to the table. "Cause… I like you, Pom Pom. I think you're cool, to the point where I don't think our relationship being restricted to professional interactions would satisfy me." She now scooted closer to Pom Pom. "I want to be your friend."

Silence. Pom Pom gawked at the princess for more reasons than she could count. She thought about everything before, much to her embarrassment, she started sniffling.

"That's very nice, but… after everything you've learned about me, after everything you know I've gone through and everything you know I struggle with… why would you want to be friends with me of all people? My life is a disaster. I don't know who I am outside of the lies that I now know people have been feeding me. I'm a mess, Wendy." She looked the princess right in the eye. "Why would you want to be friends with someone like that?"

"Because none of what you just said is true," Wendy said without missing a beat. "Pom Pom, I think you're much stronger than you know. I knew that the second you showed me your special attack on the first day of training." Wendy smiled. "You're tough. You're resilient. Sure, things in your life don't make sense, which is something that I completely understand. But that doesn't mean that you aren't worth keeping around." Her smile got even bigger. "You are the exact kind of person who I would want to be my friend, as a matter of fact."

Pom Pom placed her hand to her heart. She looked upon Princess Wendy, unsure how to feel about what she had just said. It was… it was just so…

"Wow." Pom Pom sniffled. Reaching into her hammerspace, she pulled out a tissue and wiped her eyes with it. All the while, Wendy just sat patiently, waiting for a response from the rookie. There wasn't any judgement in her eyes, not one drop. She looked like she was willing to let Pom Pom have her space, willing to let her take as much time as she needed. When was the last time Pom Pom had met someone that was genuinely understanding and kind?

"Wendy." Pom Pom put on a smile. It was watery and weak, but that didn't mean it was any less grateful. "I don't know what to say." Pom Pom laughed. "I don't think I've met anyone who has been that nice to me since… Viv."

Wendy beamed. "Thank you, Pom Pom." She picked up her sandwich again. "I want to be all that you need me to be." She took a bite and swallowed. "And I want everything to work out for you. I don't know what will happen when we run across Viv, I really don't. But I just hope it goes well. After everything you went through, I think you deserve that much."

Pom Pom felt her face grow warm. "Thank you." She considered those words before whimpering. "I don't know how the meeting with Viv will go either. I feel like I know her so well, but at the same time, I don't know her at all. She has done me good, but the good is dwarfed and overshadowed by the bad she caused." Pom Pom looked down into her lap. "I have no idea what could be waiting for us in the Flower Kingdom, whether it be a good friend or… a monster."

Wendy nodded. "Again, I totally understand." She paused. "Honestly, it could go either way. I wouldn't be surprised either way if Viv is good or bad. There is a lot of evidence to support each outcome." She paused again, reaching into her hammerspace and pulling out her phone. "But… I just want to make sure everyone is safe." She frowned as tears grew in her eyes. "My brothers are in the path of the cloud. I decided to text all of them a few minutes ago, telling them to run away while they still have the chance. But even with that said, I know that's only delaying the inevitable. That cloud is going to grow beyond what anyone can handle, what anyone can fight." She whimpered again before sniffling. "I don't want them to die." She started shaking. "If they die, or if they get hurt… if something happens to them, something that we can't reverse…" She wiped her eyes as a little cry came out of her mouth. "I just… I can't…"

"Hey." Pom Pom reached out and placed her hand on Wendy's shoulder. "It's going to be okay, Wendy. Just sit back and take deep breaths." Pom Pom smiled. "Deep breath in…" she took in a deep breath. "Deep breath out." She let out the breath. She repeated this practice until Wendy finally started to copy her. They took multiple deep breaths before, finally, Wendy let out a sigh.

"Thanks, Pom Pom."

"You're welcome." Pom Pom pulled away. "And I get what you're saying. I have loved ones who are in the path of the cloud too." She stopped and thought about her family. "My mom and dad have caused me a lot of grief, sure, but I don't want anything to happen to them." She gripped her hand into a fist. "If anything, I want them to survive so that they can know the truth once and for all." She stopped and thought about this before turning back to Wendy. "But with that said, there is something I do know." She shifted positions in the chair so that she fully faced the Koopaling. "You see, I've been through a LOT of therapy over the past few years. The Viv incident left me with a lot of depression and anxiety, which is something I'm sure I'll still have to deal with even after we find Viv. But the good thing about that is, because I've gotten a lot of therapy, I know that I can combat the anxiety." She smiled. "You are in control. The anxiety isn't the be all, end all monster that many people might view it as. You can tell it to stop. You can banish it from your mind. It is overwhelming at points, but you don't have to bow to it. You are in control. You are the one who has the power."

Wendy stared at Pom Pom in awe. "That… that's true." A smile slowly grew on her face. "That is absolutely true. Anxiety is quite a beast, but at the end of the day, it's in your own mind. No one else has control of your mind, it's all you. And you can overcome an obstacle like that."

"Exactly." A warmth spread throughout Pom Pom's entire being. "It's a daily struggle, but it's a struggle that you can overcome every day. You can look at your fear and tell it to go sit in the corner and think about what it's done." Both girls laughed at that. "Fear is a liar, Wendy. Always has been, and this instance is no different. Even if your brothers get claimed by the cloud, that doesn't mean that they'll be lost. We're taking steps to ensure that that cloud won't win, that the Shadow Sirens won't win." By this point, Pom Pom was smiling harder than she had in years, despite her own worries. "And we can be strong, Wendy. We can be strong together. We aren't just going to save our families from this cloud. We're gonna save the entire world."

Wendy stared at Pom Pom, not saying a word for the better part of five minutes. Pom Pom really didn't know what to expect from her, whether she was going to break down in tears or start shouting from the rooftops. She really didn't know what to expect, which made what Wendy ultimately did all the more mystifying. The Koopalings reached out, grabbed Pom Pom, and wrapped her in a hug. This action made Pom Pom gasp, made her spend a few seconds in complete and utter shock. Her eyes were wide as Wendy held onto her.

"Thank you, Pom Pom," Wendy said. "Thank you so much."

Eventually, Pom Pom not only managed to hug Wendy back, but she also felt a surge of warmth spreading from her blood to her skin. She smiled as she squeezed the princess. Nay, squeezed her friend.

"You're welcome, Wendy." Pom Pom chuckled. "I guess… we're gonna support each other in this trying time."

"Definitely." Wendy let out a breath. "That's exactly what friends do for each other, right?"

Tears formed in Pom Pom's eyes. "Yeah." Oh, when was the last time she could really call someone her friend? Honestly, after what happened with Viv, she had been mistrusting of everyone. She didn't want to make friends, not only because she was afraid they would judge her for her challenges, but also… well, would they disappear without any warning as well? Making friends had always been that big, looming, overwhelming giant of a challenge.

Now? Now, it felt as though Pom Pom was feeling good for the first time in her entire life. When she let go of Wendy, she didn't do it with any anxiety whatsoever. Despite how weird the conversation had started, Wendy had been right. Their relationship shouldn't be restricted to just professional interactions. They could be friends. They were friends.

"Princess Wendy?"

Wendy and Pom Pom blinked as they looked forward, seeing the Captain standing in front of the table with a furrowed brow. "Yes, what is it, Captain?" Wendy asked.

"I'm afraid we have a problem."