User blog:Star Warrior Terra/It Shouldn't Have to be This Way

“C’mon. Wake up. We’re training, now.”

I slowly got out of my bed, coaxed out of the trance of sleep by Kirby’s cold voice. I can’t remember a moment I wasn’t with him, whether I was training or just hanging around. I asked him one day why he was always so close to me, and all I heard was him muttering over some mistake that he wouldn’t allow again.

“Hopefully, you slept well.” The pink puff looked down at me impatiently, his face making no other motions, other than to talk. “Aura, today, you will be fighting me to once again gauge your strength.”

“Alright,” I replied quickly.

Now, most people would be in awe to be taught how to fight from the last remaining Star Warrior in the universe. Most people would also be incredibly scared when asked to fight such a person. But I’ve been forced to fight him so many times, and trained with him for so long, that it no longer really fazes me. Perhaps I should be considered lucky, but he never holds back, so chances are that I’m in for a world of pain if I show even a slight bit of weakness.

"Be ready in five minutes, and meet me outside. Grab the weapon you wish to use today of the ones in the armory, and be prepared to fight." With that, he swiftly left the room, leaving me by my lonesome.

I know well enough that it’s not best to test Kirby’s impatience. He was quick to note my lack of punctuality, and usually punished me with another training set after we were done. But I knew he cared for me quite a bit. He wouldn’t have even saved me, if that weren’t the case.

Perhaps I should introduce myself a bit. My name is Aura. I have been mentored by Kirby for as long as I can remember. I can still recall the first day I found myself here, not even knowing what my name was, or what I was doing here. I guess I suffer heavily from amnesia, as well. Nothing about my life before being taken in by Kirby comes to my memory. He was even the one who gave me the name, Aura. He was so certain with giving me such a name, too, and I was eager to take that name as my own. Since that fateful day, I have wanted nothing more than to stay by his side.

I walked over to the armory room, and saw an immeasurable number of weapons inside. It still amazes me how Kirby was able to hide such a large armory under the New Order’s nose. Most others are found out almost immediately, and yet this one has long been undiscovered.

Well, enough wondering; it’s time to choose a weapon and get outside. I’ve decided today to go with the Dual Bow, one of the hybrid weapons. He has taught me well how to use this one in particular; it’s a bow-blade hybrid weapon, and can fire arrows in either form. The arrows fired in bow form are far more accurate, though.

I stocked up on arrows, cramming as much energy ammo as I could in the sockets of the weapon, and sprinted out of our small home. "Kirby, I--"

As I was ready to call for my mentor, I was, instead, heavily shocked by what I saw. Some of the robot guards from the New Order were trying to restrain Kirby!

"G-gah!" Kirby, being held by both hands by the two guards, was struggling heavily to free himself of their grip. "Lemme go! What's the meaning of this?!"

I couldn't bear to see him being held and restrained like that! "Hey! Let Kirby go!" I ran up closer to the robots restraining my dear mentor. "What are you doing to him?!"

"A-Aura...!"

One of the robot guards turned its red, calculating eyes towards me. "Are you a friend of this traitor to the New Order?"

I looked to my mentor with pleading eyes. I could feel his own cold stare turn into the same sort of pleading look that I was giving him. His face almost seemed to pale slightly, as he slowly mouth the word, “no,” and shook his head.

Even without his signs, I knew what was safest for me to answer. I could just lie to myself and to these robots. I could claim even now that I have no connections to my mentor. They would leave me be, and take Kirby to be incarcerated and tortured for the rest of his life.

I could say the truth, as well, and get us both incarcerated.

But, perhaps, there’s a way I can finally return the favor after so long. I can finally repay him for his protection. Is there something I could answer that can save him?

The world started to feel cold as I thought of my decision. Seconds turned into minutes, which in turn transformed into a seemingly infinite amount of time.

I-I couldn’t decide! I can’t decide! I could never see my protector and mentor condemned to eternal torture by the New Order! But if I say nothing, then surely the both of us would be condemned and restrained. What can I possibly do…?!

Hm, perhaps there’s one way. I’m sorry, Kirby, but I can’t see you leave in chains. Not yet.

“Yes, I do know of Kirby. But he is simply an unaware pawn to the actions of the true rebellion to the New Order.”

As I uttered those words to the robot with such sheer coldness and objectivity, I saw my mentor’s eyes shift to devastation. Of course I expected him to catch on to what I’m about to do, but my mind’s made up. If this is going to save him, then I’m prepared to face the consequences of my words. “A-Aura! You’re not d-doing what I think you--“

“To think you finally found me, the leader of the resistance. Yes, I’m the one you’re looking for! I’m the spearhead of the operations! Arrest me! Spare Kirby; he did not know what his actions were going towards!”

“Aura! No! Take that back right--oof!” Kirby couldn’t even finish that sentence before being hastily dropped to the ground. The robots already began restraining me, and tying me up in the chains that were originally meant for the real leader of such a rebellion. Kirby lifted his face, and looked at me with…teary eyes? “What do you think you’re doing?! Take those statements back right now, you hear me?!”

He was genuinely upset about this. I could see it easily. “These words are the truth, Kirby. I couldn’t see you go for something like that. Thank you so much for your willingness to protect me, but now it’s time I atoned for my crimes.”

“I know you’re not the leader of the resistance! You can’t be, because--“

For the first, and very likely the last, time, I snapped back at my own mentor angrily. “That’s enough! This is my repayment; to keep you from getting sent away! Don’t change my answer, because it won’t change no matter how much you beg!”

My snapping apparently was just as shocking to Kirby as it was to me. He was brought to complete silence.

With the argument essentially over, the guards finally began to carry me off, towards the greatly mechanized town that used to be Kirby’s home. I have chosen how this was to work. Now, to take the punishment I deserve for my bald-faced lie…