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Book 3: With You Always

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Chapter Three: Kidnapped!

 

Cloudy stood in a dark forest, a bemused expression on her face. The forest looked vaguely like Whispy Woods, but  the landscape was more rocky. Giant boulders were scattered about and the sky was a reddish-gray. The Malamute plodded along, trying to find her way home. How did she even get out here?

Cloudy reached a sandy-colored boulder whose sides were worn smooth and had been chipped away in some places. Rounding the corner of it, she was astonished to see Meta Knight standing there, his eyes filled with frantic worry as he stared at her.

“Meta Knight!” Cloudy exclaimed. “Where are we?”

Meta Knight never responded. Instead, he leaned forward and grasped Cloudy’s shoulders so tightly the puppy winced in pain. Why was her friend behaving so strangely?

“You must help them! You must save them before it is too late!” Meta Knight pleaded.

Cloudy blinked in alarm. Save them? What did he mean?

 

* * * * *

 

Cloudy sat bolt upright in bed, her heart racing. She blinked a few times and shook her head to clear the cobwebs from her brain, frowning as she thought about her dream. Why had Meta Knight told her to save them? And who was “them”?

Cloudy released a heavy sigh, a bit frustrated. Perhaps there were some dreams she would never understand. Lying down again, she closed her eyes and was soon sound asleep.

 

* * * * *

 

The next morning, Cloudy awoke to bright sunshine pouring through the glass panes of her balcony doors. Stretching, she got out of bed, straightened the covers, and went downstairs. Her parents weren’t up yet, so she ate a muffin and drank a glass of milk, then skipped outside. She stood on the porch for a moment, admiring the gorgeous sunrise, then jumped down the porch steps and walked across the street to Miriam’s house. To her surprise, Miriam was already up. She was sitting on the bottom porch step, her eyes locked on the pinkish-gold clouds, her young face thoughtful.

“Miriam,” Cloudy spoke.

The girl gasped and looked down at her friend. “Cloudy! You scared the living daylights out of me!”

“Sorry,” Cloudy said apologetically. With a serious look on her face, she glanced up at her friend. “Are you still thinking about moving?”

Miriam nodded. “I just couldn’t believe it when my mom told me. I want to stay here, Cloudy. I don’t want to leave behind everything I know and love from some unknown destination.”

“I know how you feel, Miriam,” said Cloudy. “I don’t want you to leave either, but maybe it’s for the best.”

Miriam nodded. “I know it’s for the best. If this is what God wants, I’ll go along with His will.”

Cloudy smiled. She seated herself beside her friend and looked up to the sky, which was tinged with yellow and red. “That’s right, Miriam. Just trust Jesus. He knows what’s best for you. If this is the road He wants you to take, then walk it. No questions asked.”

Miriam didn’t answer, but Cloudy knew she had heard and received the message. Cloudy snuggled up to Miriam, and the girl put her hand on the puppy’s back and gently ruffled her winter coat.

“Even though I will move, Cloudy, you’ll always be my friend,” Miriam said. “And perhaps I’ll even be able to come back for a visit.”

“Oh, I hope you do,” Cloudy said sincerely.

Miriam smiled and rested her hand on Cloudy’s shoulder. Together, the two friends gazed upward at the brightening sky filled with the colors of orange, red, and gold.

 

* * * * *

 

Much time passed. Cloudy and Miriam and their her friends spent as much time together every day as they possibly could, trying their best to block out the coming day of Miriam’s departure. They hung out at Cloudy’s house, in Whispy Woods, at Putu Park, Scazzarda’s cabin, and every other place they could think of.

And through it all, Cloudy still kept thinking about her mysterious dream.

 

* * * * *

 

Three days before Liloy’s birthday party, Miriam decided to ask her mom a big favor. She wanted to do some shopping at the mall downtown so she could buy Liloy a birthday present. Taking a deep breath, she walked into the kitchen and briefly explained her request to Meredith.

Meredith turned from the kitchen counter and flashed her daughter a worried look. “Are you sure about this, darling? I mean, you’re only a little girl. . .”

“Mom, I’m seven years old,” Miriam sighed. “I’m not a baby anymore. I think I can handle being out on my own.”

Meredith shook her head. “I’d still feel better if someone went with you. How are you to walk all the way downtown?”

“I’m not walking. I’m taking the bus,” Miriam replied.

Meredith sighed and placed a plate into the cabinet. “Okay, if you insist, honey. Just be back within two hours, all right? Don’t talk to strangers, and if you need to get in contact with me—” She handed Miriam her phone. “—then use that. Okay?”

“Yes, ma’am. Thanks!” Miriam darted out of the house, waving goodbye to her mother. Meredith waved in return as she watched Miriam skip over to the bus stop, fervently hoping her daughter would be okay.

 

* * * * *

 

As soon as Miriam arrived at the mall, she instantly began to pursue her goal to buy Liloy a nice birthday gift. The first place she went to was the jewelry store. Entering into the small, neat room, she glanced around at the white ceilings and the signs in the windows portraying discounts on certain items. But none of that mattered to her. She stepped up to the glass cases and began scrutinizing the necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and other expensive trinkets.

While she was looking, a humanoid lady with brown hair and wearing a pressed, black business suit walked up to her and kindly asked, “May I help you, young lady?”

Startled, Miriam turned from the cases and looked full into the woman’s face. “Oh, no, ma’am,” she answered politely. “I was only looking.”

The woman nodded and walked off, and Miriam returned her attention to the jewelry. However, though she like all of the pieces, they were either too expensive or too fancy for Liloy’s taste. Discouraged, Miriam turned away from the cases and trudged toward the door, but was forced to halt due to a young woman entering the store. Both nearly ran into one another.

“Oh!” the woman gasped. “I’m sorry!”

“No, I’m sorry,” Miriam said at the same time. The two stopped talking and stared at each other curiously for a long moment, then burst into laughter.

“Why are we even laughing?” Miriam asked, struggling to control her giggles.

The woman shrugged. “Sometimes people laugh at random or abrupt things that seem funny to them. I think the same is true in this case.”

Miriam nodded, grinning. But then her smile slipped a notch as she studied her newfound friend. She looked an awful lot like Meta Knight, but the differences were that this woman’s skin was periwinkle-blue instead of navy, her eyes were a darker yellow than Meta Knight’s, and she didn’t wear a mask. Miriam also observed the woman was pregnant.

“Is something wrong?” the woman asked worriedly, noting Miriam staring blankly at her.

Miriam blushed slightly, realizing how rude she was being. “No, no,” she said hurriedly. “It’s just—I feel like I ought to know you. You look so much like a certain friend of mine. . .”

“Meta Knight?” the woman questioned.

Miriam started and stared at her. “Why. . .yes,” she said slowly. “But how’d you know that?”

The woman chuckled, her laughter bubbling over like water from a fountain. “I’m his daughter, Liloy Stellarum! Surely you’ve heard of me.”

Miriam gasped, her brown eyes growing as big as saucers. “You—You mean that. . .you’re Liloy?!”

Liloy nodded. “Indeed. And you are?”

Miriam was so surprised to meet Meta Knight’s daughter that she almost forgot her manners. “Miriam Capperdale. I’m seven.” She extended her hand. “I’m best friends with Cloudy.”

“Nice to meet you, Miriam,” said Liloy, taking the girl’s hand. “And yes, I’ve heard of Cloudy. Father’s talked about her often. I can’t wait to meet her at my party.” Then, as if struck with a thought, she smiled and raised an eyebrow suspiciously. “Why are you in the jewelry store, dear?”

Miriam’s mind raced for an answer. If Liloy guessed the truth about what Miriam was really doing there, Miriam was doomed. “Uh. . .my mom just sent me to run some errands here,” she explained calmly, keeping her gaze trained on Liloy’s face. “See, we’re moving in a few days, and she wants to make sure everything is spic and span and ready to go.” She shrugged, trying to appear casual. “You know how moving is.”

“Yes, I do,” said Liloy. “I know what moving is like. I’ve had to do it before. And it wasn’t easy, believe me.” She then launched into a story about the time her family had to move when she was three. Miriam silently breathed a sigh of relief, thankful that she had gotten rid of Liloy’s suspicion.

Miriam glanced at her watch. She only had one hour and twenty minutes left to complete her shopping. But how could she shop for Liloy’s gift with Liloy here? She would get suspicious again and that was the last thing Miriam needed.

Miriam cleared her throat and interrupted Liloy’s story. Something to do with a pile of dusty boxes full of moldy dishes or something like that, but Miriam honestly didn’t care. “So, Liloy,” the young girl began nonchalantly, “what brings you here?”

Liloy seemed happy to answer the question. “I came to buy a gift for my grandmother Scazzarda. I wanted to give her something nice.”

“Is it her birthday or something?”

Liloy shook her head no. “It’s not for any special occasion. I’m just feeling unusually generous today.”

Miriam nodded understandingly. “Um, so how long will you be here?” she asked, hoping maybe Liloy would go away soon so she could get back to shopping.

However, Liloy’s answer dashed her hopes. “An hour, and hour and fifteen, I suppose. I’ll be walking in and out of different stores, so maybe we’ll bump into each other.” She smiled brightly.

Miriam smiled back, but was beginning to feel desperate. She couldn’t shop with Liloy hanging around! So what was she to do? Wait until Liloy went away? No, because by then Miriam would have to go home.

Miriam then made her decision. Shopping for Liloy would have to wait until another day. “Liloy?”

“Yes?”

Miriam took a deep breath. “Is it okay if I help you shop for your grandmother?” she blurted out. Mentally, she reminded herself that helping other s counted more than your own needs or desires.

Liloy smiled. “Certainly you can. I’d love some help.” She linked her arm in  Miriam’s and said, “Let’s loom around this store first, and if there’s nothing here we like, we’ll move on.”

Miriam nodded, and the two set right to work hunting for the perfect gift. They found nothing they like at the jewelry store, so they moved on to the clothing store. Miriam slipped on an oversized woman’s dress, a pink print wit pale-green flowers. Turning round and round, she told Liloy to check her out. “How do I look?” she asked.

Liloy giggled and put her hand over her mouth. “You look like you need to grow several more inches before you can fit in that.”

Miriam then tried to walk around and talk like an adult. Picking up a leather purse and pointing a finger at an imaginary child, she said sternly in her grown-up way, “Young lady, you better get yourself over here! We have to get home! Let’s go!”

Liloy burst into laughter, her custard-colored eyes shining with amusement. Miriam, attempting to keep a straight face, continued with her mock lecture. “What do you mean, ‘no?’ I said come here pronto! If you don’t, I’ll whip your rear when we get home!”

Liloy was laughing so loudly that several people were staring at her, wondering if she was mentally stable. A security guard, upon hearing the racket, walked up to them. “Ma’am,” he told Liloy, “I’m afraid you’re being too loud. You’re being a public nuisance and disrupting everyone in the store. I’ll have to ask you to leave.”

Liloy stopped laughing and nodded. “I understand,” she said solemnly. She turned to Miriam. “Come on, dear. We’re not welcome here.”

Miriam wiggled out of the dress and hung the purse back on its hook. Then, escorted by the security guard, Miriam and Liloy exited the clothing store. Once the door was shut, the tow traded glances and burst into giggles again.

“To think,” Liloy chuckled, “that’s the first time I’ve ever been escorted out of a store for laughing!”

“Yeah.” Miriam smiled and looked back at the clothing store. “But that security guard sure was kind.”

“Yes, he was very young and handsome, was he not?” Liloy agreed, teasing Miriam. “But he’s not exactly your type, is he?”

Miriam blushed at that. “Liloy!”

“Just kidding,” Liloy assured her. “I was only playing with you.”

Miriam scowled. “Well, don’t think I’d abandon Zach for some dashing guy who patrols a store.”

Liloy’s eyes landed on Miriam and a mischievous grin appeared on her face. “Zach? You have a boyfriend?”

Miriam looked up to the ceiling. “Well. . .not exactly. He’s my friend, but I think he likes me romantically. However, we are not in any way involved in a relationship. No.”

“Maybe you’ll end up marrying him as I did with Tilry,” Liloy said. She closed her eyes. “I remember we met when I was in third grade. I was only around seven or so at the time because my mother had me start a little earlier than most kids. Anyway, Tilry noticed me in the hallway later that afternoon and we got to talking. I learned he and I were cousins. When I was around twelve or so, he asked me to be his girlfriend, and I obliged. But there was another boy who kept pestering me to be his girlfriend—Joseph Unswall. He was very kind to me, but he was rivals with Tilry.” She sighed.
Joseph continued to ask me over and over to be his girlfriend until I graduated at fifteen, and later that same year, I married Tilry.” She stopped talking and stared off into the distance.

Miriam sighed dreamily. “What a romantic story of how you met and married your cousin!” Then a puzzled look spread over her face. “But, um, what became of Joseph?”

Liloy shifted her purse to her other shoulder. “He graduated at seventeen and came to my house once when I was fourteen, but after that I never saw him again. That’s all I know of him. I never spoke to him again after that day.”

Miriam nodded and looked to her watch. She had only thirty minutes before she had to go home! “Um, Liloy, we need to wrap up this shopping session before I need to go home,” Miriam said. She tapped her watch.

Liloy grinned. “Then let’s go.” She took Miriam’s hand and hurried into the shoe store.

 

* * * * *

 

After running in and out of several stores and finding nothing they like, Liloy had finally gone into the electronics store and bought a watch. As they exited the mall with their purchase, chatting contentedly as if they had known each other all their lives, the afternoon sun shone in their eyes, causing them to squint. They hurried over to the bus stop and looked at the schedule taped to the bus stop sign.

“The bus left a few minutes ago and the next one won’t come for an hour,” Liloy said, a note of concern in her voice. “I need to get home soon, though.”

“Me too,” said Miriam.

At that moment, a black van cruised down the street and stopped a few feet away from the bus stop, and the driver’s-side window rolled down to reveal a black-haired man smoking a cigarette. He smiled and took a drag, then called out, “Heya, Liloy.”

Liloy stared at him a second, confusion shadowing her features. Then the shadow passed and a smile of recognition lit up her face. “Joseph Unswall!” she exclaimed, surprise apparent in her voice as she walked over to the car. “Hello!”

“Hi. How have you been?” His green eyes twinkled.

“I’ve been wonderful,” Liloy answered politely. “How came you to be in this part of Spring Breeze?”

Joseph chuckled and flicked some ashes off his cigarette. “As they say in the movies, I was in the neighborhood and decided to stop by. I didn’t even expect to see you here. I though you’d be home.”

“I was shopping with my friend,” Liloy explained.

“I see.” Joseph smiled kindly down at Liloy.”How’s your baby?”

“He’s fine too.”

“And Tilry?”

“He’s doing okay, but he’s not expected to live for much longer,” Liloy said, sadness creeping into her voice. Her eyes dropped to the ground.

“Oh,” Joseph said. Miriam thought she saw a faint smile come across his face, but when she looked closely, she saw only a serious expression. She shrugged. Perhaps it had only been her imagination.

“So what’s the trouble?” Joseph asked after a minute or two of silence.

Liloy raised her head. “Well, Miriam and I were shopping for my grandmother, and we need to get home soon, but the next bus won’t come for an hour.”

Joseph smiled. “Well, I can take you in my car. I was heading to your house anyway. I wanted to pay you a visit. Ya, know, an old-friends type visit. Hope in. I’ll give you a lift.”

Miriam blinked in surprise, fear and suspicion rising in her. Meredith has warned her about the dangers of hitchhiking and warned her never to do it, but Miriam knew it would take a long time to wait for the next bus and even longer to walk home. Her mother would scold if she was late.

Liloy smiled brightly. “Certainly we can ride with you.” She called to Miriam, “Come, dear. Let’s get in Joseph’s car. He’ll bring us home.”

Miriam shook her head. “No, Liloy. I’d rather wait for the bus.”

Liloy seemed astonished. “Why, what’s the matter, honey?”

“Mom told me never to ride with someone I don’t know well,” Miriam said.

Liloy laughed. “Miriam, don’t be silly! I know Joseph very well. He’s a kind man. Now come inside. Otherwise, you’ll be late getting home.”

Miriam frowned and thought a moment. Liloy knew Joseph a whole lot better than she did, and she had said he was a nice man. Besides, as long as I’m with Liloy and a guy she knows very well, Miriam reasoned, it’s not really hitchhiking.

Miriam relented. “All right.” She climbed into the car with Liloy and fastened her seatbelt. The interior of the car smelled like cigarette smoke, and she covered her nose and mouth with the neckline of her dress. Liloy buckled her seatbelt too and said, “Okay, Joseph, to my house. We should be there in about twenty minutes. And you can drop my friend off at her house.”

“I’ll let you know where it is when I see it,” Miriam offered.

Joseph nodded, but said nothing. He put the car into drive and revved off down the road. As he did, the tailgate, which was loose, fell off the back of the van and clattered to the road. Joseph didn’t seem to notice.

 

* * * * *

 

Meanwhile, the same humanoid woman who had spoken with Miriam in the jewelry store was sitting on a bench by the entrance to the mall, eating her lunch. As she chewed, she glanced out the large window and saw the same little girl she had spoken to earlier standing by the bus stop out front. Another woman was with her. As the lady watched, a black van drove slowly down the road. Then it stopped in front of the girl and the woman, and the window rolled down, revealing a young man with dark-colored hair (black?). He was smoking a cigarette and had light skin. She couldn’t make out the color of his eyes.

The man traded a few words with the two girls and they got into his van, the drove off. As they did, the tailgate fell off the back of the car and onto the road.

The humanoid’s brow knotted as he thought about the strange man. He looked very familiar to her, but who was he? At that moment, she couldn’t figure it out. Perhaps it would come to her later, though.

 

* * * * *

 

Liloy hummed happily as she watched the scenery fly by. Miriam, on the other hand, was not relaxed or content. She was tense. The moment she had stepped foot into Joseph’s car, she had gotten weird vibes off him. She didn’t trust him. Personally, she was surprised Liloy even suggested riding with him!

Liloy looked away from the window and down at Miriam. “Having fun?”

Miriam mustered a smile. “Sure,” she replied weakly. “It’s very fun.”

Liloy beamed. “Told you this wouldn’t be bad!”

If she only knew, thought Miriam.

A few more minutes passed before Miriam’s house came into view. Excitement leaped through Miriam. Now she could get out of this strange car and into the safety of her own sweet home—but of course, Miriam though ruefully as she glanced at her watch, she might get a lecture from her mother for being late and riding with someone she hardly knew. I’d father face up to her wrath than be stuck in this creepy car.

“There’s my house,” Miriam told Joseph.

Joseph nodded, but instead of slowing and stopping in front of the house, he drove right past it. Miriam was startled. “Hey, Joseph,” she said, “my house was back there.”

“I know, silly,” Joseph chuckled, “but I decided to bring Liloy to her house first and then drop you off. Hope that’s okay.”

Miriam shrugged. “Sure, that’s fine.” She knew she would be even more late now, but she could deal with that later. Liloy and her baby were more important.

After ten minutes of driving, Liloy suddenly frowned as she noticed that they were on a deserted road with dark woods surrounding them. “Hey, we should have passed my house half a mile back,” she realized. “Joseph, please turn around. We need to get back to my house.”

Joseph made no reply and didn’t turn around, which made Miriam extremely uneasy.

Liloy’s voice became a bit stern. “Joseph, turn this car around. We need to get back to my house.”

Joseph suddenly slammed on brakes, jolting Miriam and Liloy forward. He pulled out a pistol from his jacket pocket, loaded it, and pointed the barrel of it at the frightened inhabitants. “Or you can keep quiet and we keep driving,” Joseph said, a malicious look on his face. “Otherwise, you die.”

Liloy was frozen on shock and Miriam was terrified, her heart pounding. Joseph turned away from them and began driving again, one hand on the wheel, another holding the cocked pistol.

Liloy leaned over and whispered to Miriam, “What’s he doing?!”

Miriam’s face was grim. “I hate to tell you, Liloy, but. . .”

“But?” Liloy waited expectantly. “What’s happening?”

Miriam raised her eyes to Liloy’s and hissed, “I think we’re being kidnapped!”

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Book 3: With You Always

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Chapter Two: Moving?!

 

After the shock of Pancake nearly falling through the ice was over, Cloudy declared Lily the winner of the dance game. Then everyone went back to eating or playing other games. Sniper played serenely with his brothers and didn’t get into any more mischief. Meanwhile, Meta Knight was talking to Cloudy and Nika by an old oak tree that sat a few feet away from a magnolia tree.

“My daughter Liloy is celebrating her seventeenth birthday on February 2, as you know,” Meta Knight was saying. “Your parents gave their permission to hold her party at your house, right, Cloudy?”

“Yes. Oh, this’ll be awesome!” Cloudy squealed, jumping up and down.

“Oh, yeah! We’re gonna party all night long!” Nika shouted out, doing a little dance.

Meta Knight laughed at their enthusiasm. “Yes, I hope she will have a great time.” Unexpectedly, his voice grew dark. “The only thing I am regretting is that Tilry cannot be there with her. It would really make her day.”

Cloudy pondered her friend’s words. Tilry was Liloy’s husband, but he was deathly ill with cancer and was in the hospital.

“You want Tilry to get better, huh?” Cloudy asked softly, her voice full of sympathy. Meta Knight dropped his head to hide the tears brimming in his eyes.

“I wish he would,” he admitted. “Liloy alone can’t handle the stress of soon being a new mother. Not to mention she was injured severely very recently by Gregory. . .” His voice trailed off and his shoulders began to shake.

Nika walked over to him and encircled her arms around him. “It’ll be okay. Meta Knight,” she said. “I feel sure Liloy and Tilry will both be okay.”

Meta Knight didn’t say anything, but cried harder. Nika could hear his choked sobs.

“What’s the matter?” Nika gently asked. “Why are you crying?”

“I don’t want him to die,” Meta Knight whispered. “He can’t.”

Cloudy knew whom he meant. “We’ll keep praying for Tilry’s recovery, Sir Meta Knight. And we’ll pray for you and Liloy as well. Won’t we?”

“Yes, we will,” Nika confirmed. She stood erect. “We’ll never stop praying.” Her voice rose with passion as she continued, “God hears us and He’ll answer.”

“We’ll shout our prayers to Heaven till the foundations of that beautiful paradise tremble!” Eloise yelled, lifting her hands to the sky.

Sharkell stomped his feet furiously, causing the others to stare at him. “Till the foundations of the earth itself burn into nothing!” he hollered.

The children could feel the excitement rising. “Till all the demons are thrown in hell!” Yodi said.

“Till God raptures the church!” Waffle answered.

“Till Jesus Christ returns to turn this sin-cursed into something glorious!” screamed Arrow.

“Hooray! Hooray!” Nika cheered, spinning and leaping in a whirlwind of excitement.

“Yeah!” Cloudy vaulted to her feet, a fire in her eyes that startled all. “We’re gonna keep praying because there’s a thousand reason to believe He hears us and will answer! Am I right?!”

“You are so right, my sister!” Star replied.

“Heck, yeah!” Zach called.

Meta Knight strangely felt uplifted by their mighty faith. As he listened to them yell and scream out their beliefs in the Lord, he couldn’t help but feel captivated by their unwavering spirits. And amidst the chaos from the other children, he felt Nika’s fingers grasp his hand as she prayed out loud, “God, we pray for Sir Meta Knight and his daughter and son-in-law. We pray You help Liloy with the stress of her unborn baby and her husband being in the hospital. Please heal Tilry from his cancer and help him fight any anxiety he might have. And especially help Meta Knight. He’s been through too much, Lord, what with his abuse and trauma from his father, Nightmare; and from his friends in the GSA dying. Please help him. Help us all. Amen.”

Meta Knight didn’t realize how hard he was crying until Nika finished. Nika embraced him again, smiling, holding him even when his sobs made him tremble like a leaf in the wind. The other kids had stopped their shouting and were watching the sweet scene with bright smiles on their faces.

“Thank you,” Meta Knight said shakily to Nika. “Thank you so much.”

Nika’s blue eyes brightened as she beamed at him. “Aw, you’re eternally welcome.”

Cloudy was thrilled. She loved that all of her friends. . .well, almost all. . .were willing to pray for and help Meta Knight through his pain. Letting put a whoop and howl of joy, she began to dance and whirl about, the others except for Sniper, Miriam, and Meta Knight following her lead. As she danced, she sang out:

“Hooray! Hooray! We’ll sing the jubilee!
Hooray! Hooray! It’s God Who set us free!”

The children cheered and whooped it up. “I’m so glad we’re here together!” Star called to Eloise.

“Me, too,” Eloise responded.

Miriam overheard Star and Eloise, and suddenly tears filled her eyes. Star’s statement had brought back the memory of her mother telling her that they would move to Prism Plains. Miriam wanted to share the news, but when she thought of telling them, she felt sad and scared. More than anything, she wanted to stay here.

“It’s great to hang out together!” Waffle shouted to Star. “Isn’t it?”

“It sure is!” Star answered. “I love hanging out with you all.”

Cloudy looked at Meta Knight. “Aren’t you glad we’re all here, Meta Knight?”

“That I am,” Meta Knight told her.

“We should come out here and picnic every day!” Arrow suggested.

“Not a bad idea, Arrow, but Mommy probably wouldn’t permit it every day,” Cloudy said. She cast a meaningful look at Sniper. “And anyway, I don’t really want to watched Sniper push others onto frozen brooks every day.”

Sniper sneered. “Gimme a break.”

“Yeah, I suppose you’re right. But we can at least hang around each other every day, right? Like at the park or at each others’ houses?” asked Zach.

“Yes, of course!” Cloudy said, grinning.

Miriam sniffled loudly, causing the others to turn and look at her. “Is something the matter, Miriam?” Waffle asked.

Miriam sharply drew in her breath, knowing she had to tell them. Now was the time. “Yeah.” She sighed heavily and rubbed the back of her hand across her eyes. “I didn’t want to tell you this, but. . .”

The children expectantly waited. “But?” Eloise said.

Miriam’s heart was pounding in her chest. Tell them, she thought. “I’m moving to Prism Plains next month on the sixteenth,” she burst out.

“What?!” Zach gasped.

Cloudy knew where Prism Plains was, though she had never been there. It was a neighboring country with Cookie Country, where Cloudy lived.

“You’re moving?! Why?!” Eloise exclaimed.

“As you know, Mom is having twins,” Miriam explained miserably. “Our house is too small to house five people, and Dad got a job offer in Prism Plains that pays more money that his job down here. There’s a school for me to go to, too. He accepted the offer, so we’re moving.” She paused to let her words sink in, then continued, “We’re selling our current house, and we’re moving to our new house on Sunday.”

Cloudy counted the days in her mind. Liloy’s birthday party would be held on the day before Miriam left. Well, at least Miriam could have one last chance to hang out with her friends before she had to say goodbye.

Meta Knight couldn’t say a word. To be perfectly honest, he didn’t want Miriam to leave either, but there was nothing he could do about it.

“You cannot just leave,” protested Star. “You’re our friend!”

“Yeah! What would we do without you?” Eloise asked.

Miriam put up her hand. “The matter’s been settled. We’re not staying here much longer. I just decided to let you know ahead of time so it would be easier on you.”

“Easier?!” Eloise snapped. “To me, this doesn’t seem easier than if you didn’t tell us! Rather, it just seems harder!”

“Do you even want to move?!” Nika flared.

Miriam bit her lip, shaking her head.

“You want to stay?” Eloise asked, her voice more gentle this time.

“More than anything in the world,” Miriam confessed. “But Mom absolutely insisted we leave, and Dad went along with it.”

“Did you tell your parents that you don’t want to move?” Zach asked.

“Yeah.”

“Then maybe you should try talking to them again,” Star suggested. “You know, tell them how much it would mean to you to stay here. . .”

“What difference would it make?” Miriam demanded, rising to her feet. She was getting angry both at her friends and her parents. “The house is being sold! We’re moving, all right?! There’s nothing you can do about it now!”

“Why didn’t you tell us sooner?!” Pancake yelled.

“I didn’t know sooner, that’s why!” Miriam cried.

“Stop!” Meta Knight thundered, standing and glaring at the children. They immediately fell silent.

“Arguing will not change the fact that Miriam is moving,” Meta Knight continued more calmly. “I know it is very shocking and upsetting to you, but she will have many new learning experiences and will make new friends. You know that.”

Miriam stared blankly at Meta Knight as if he were speaking Hebrew. She looked around at her friends, who gazed silently at her. And Miriam suddenly realized that Meta Knight was right. She could learn new things and make new friends. The problem was that she did not want to. She wanted to stay with her friends. It made her furious and sad to leave. Spring Breeze was the only home she had ever known for her entire life.

Meta Knight sighed and placed his gloved palm on her shoulder. “Believe me, I feel the same way you do,” he said, his voice barely more than a whisper. Then he did something surprising. He put his arms around her and hugged her.

“Meta Knight,” Miriam murmured. “When I move, I will miss you deeply.”

Meta Knight exhaled slowly. “Me too, Miriam.”

Cloudy felt miserable. She didn’t want to say goodbye. She hated saying goodbye more than anything. Death was probably the hardest goodbye of all.

“Come. You must go home now, children,” Meta Knight said, disentangling himself from Miriam’s tight embrace. “Your parents will start to worry.”

Nika and Zach packed up the picnic basket and the children followed Meta Knight back the way they had come. They walked for almost an hour over unstable trails and low-hanging branches.

When they reached the cabin, Meta Knight paused and said, “I will depart from you here. You can find your way back, I trust. Just be careful.”

“You be careful too, Meta Knight,” Cloudy said.

Meta Knight smiled at her. “I will, little one. Go now.”

The children scampered off through the woods, their shouts and laughter trailing back to the knight’s ears. Meta Knight watched them for some time until they were out of sight, then went into the cabin and shut the door. His mother was there to greet him as he walked into the kitchen.

“Hello, Magnus!” Scazzarda said cheerfully. “How was your picnic?”

Meta Knight sighed and straightened a rumpled corner of his cape. “Happy and sad, sort of strange too.”

Scazzarda pursed her lips, studying him with furrowed brow. “Can you explain?”

“Miriam’s moving to Prism Plains,” Meta Knight replied.

Scazzarda’s eyes widened. “Oh. Well, that’s a shame. She really is a nice girl. We’ll miss her.”

Meta Knight glared up at his mother. “Yes, I know we will miss her. Do not repeat the obvious, please. It gets bothersome when you have to tell me things that I already know.”

Scazzarda withdrew at her son’s sharp tone. The angry tone in Meta Knight’s voice faded and he looked at the floor. “I am sorry. I did not mean to get upset with you, Mother.”

“Is something the matter, Magnus?” Scazzarda wanted to know.

Meta Knight nodded. “I told Cloudy about Liloy’s birthday party, and the most painful fact of that special day is that Tilry won’t even be there to celebrate with her.” He buried his face in his cape. “Mother, tell me why so many bad things are happening to my family. Please.”

Scazzarda shook her head. “It’s God will, son. You just have to trust He knows what he’s doing.” Wrapping her arms around Meta Knight, she pulled him into a tight embrace. He returned the affection, leaning his head against her shoulder.

 

* * * * *

 

Cloudy waltzed into her front yard and said in a gangster-type voice, “Welp, this is where we stop. Come, my brothers and sister. Let us go inside and face up to the wrath of Mother.”

“You’re weird,” Sniper said to his youngest sister.

“Thanks?” Cloudy seemed unamused.

“See you later,” Eloise called, waving to Cloudy.

“You too!” Cloudy called in return.

The puppies walked up the front steps. Sniper tried to race through the front door first, but Pancake beat him to it, taunting, “I’m gonna tell Mommy about what you did to me at the brook. I am, I am.”

“No, you won’t,” Sniper retorted. “Besides, that was an accident.”

“It was not!” Star said.

“Liar! I’m gonna tell!” Pancake giggled.

Sniper groaned defeatedly. “What will it take to make you not tell?”

“Twenty dollars,” Pancake said smartly, smirking.

Sniper flinched. “No fair. That’s all the money I have.”

“Twenty dollars or a belt on your rear,” Pancake snapped. “Your choice.”

Sniper thought it over a while, the sighed. “Fine. Twenty dollars it is. Come to my room and we’ll make the bargain.”

“Hye, you wait just a minute!” Cloudy called. “You’re not hiding what you did, Sniper! If Pancake won’t tell, I will!”

Sniper glanced pleadingly at Cloudy. “Please don’t, Sis! If you don’t, I promise I will never push anyone onto the ice ever again!”

Cloudy scowled up at her brother, scrutinizing his face.  “You mean that with all your heart?”

Sniper nodded and raised his right paw in the air. “Soldier’s honor.”

Cloudy knit her brow. “Um, Sniper, you’re not a soldier.”

“Fine, then. Dog’s honor.”

“Okay, I’ll accept that,” said Cloudy. “As long as you keep that promise, I won’t tell.”

Sniper exhaled in relief.  “Thank you.” Then he and Pancake vanished upstairs.

Cloudy turned on her heel to face the rest of her siblings. “That means you can’t tell either!”

“Okay, we won’t,” Star promised, and the others agreed.

“Hello, children!” It was Springtime. “How was your picnic, dears?”

“Great! But we head some very unexpected news coming from a certain Capperdale,” said Star.

“Miriam, you mean?” said Springtime.

“Yeah. As you know, Miriam’s mom is having twins, and their house can’t hold five people, so they’re moving to Prism Plains next month on the day after Liloy’s party,” Cloudy said.

Springtime gave a low gasp. Miriam moving? That came as quite a surprise to her. “Well, at least she’ll get to hang out with her friends one last time,” she said.

“It won’t be the same without her,” Cloudy argued. “I want her to stay. Miriam told me she doesn’t want to go either.”

“She can’t stay,” Springtime said gently. “She has to go. Her mother is right. They need a bigger house, Leo needs a better job, and Miriam needs a better school to go too. I think it’s a very nice trade.”

“Yeah, a trade of leaving your friends behind,” Cloudy said bitterly. “If you ask me, that’s the worst trade ever.”

“Dear, it’s necessary, though,” said Springtime.

Cloudy knew her mom was right, but wasn’t about to say so. “Why can’t things just stay the way they are?” she groaned. “I love change sometimes, but some changes I hate.”

“Sweetheart, nothing stays the same. That’s just life and you have to accept that.”

“Somehow I wish it wasn’t true,” Cloudy said sadly.

Springtime gave her a hug. “I know, my dear. To be honest, I do too.”

“You do?”

“Yes,” Springtime nodded. “I wished both my brothers didn’t have to die. I wished my father-in-law and I didn’t have to break ties. I wished the dreaded humong disease didn’t have to take the life of my older cousin. Life changed for me in many ways. A few changes I loved, such as getting married and being a mom, but others I disliked.”

Springtime looked right in the eye. “Baby, my point is that life will not always be smooth sailing. It will not always go the way we want. We will all have our waves from time to time. Things will happen that we don’t like. But that heart, for this is the Lord’s plan. And one day He will restore the universe to perfection, just like he promised. Do you understand?”

Cloudy looked up at the mother she loved and cared for so much, and she nodded and hugged Springtime. The puppy was surprised to find herself smiling, and she said quietly, “I understand, Mommy.”

And Springtime knew she did.

Books

Book 3: With You Always

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Chapter One: Picnic Dance

January 17, Spring Breeze,  Dreamland. . .

A black-and-white Malamute puppy sneaked along the side of her three-story house, her bright green eyes gleaming with mischief and suspense. As she neared the corner, she exploded into a barrage of yips and charged out from behind the house, slamming into a masked knight with a navy-blue cape and gray pauldrons with yellow lining. The two tumbled over on the ground.

“Ha, ha!” the puppy laughed. “Gotcha, Meta Knight!”

Meta Knight too had to laugh as he stood up and brushed the dirt off his attire. “You caught me by surprise, Cloudy. You sneaky Star Warrior, you.”

Cloudy grinned. “All Star Warriors have to be slick and sly,” she said, a faint smirk growing on her face. She too leapt up and shook the dirt off her thick jacket. “After all, we’re soldiers, aren’t we?”

“Yes, we are,” he agreed, but his yellow eyes turned dull and his voice became toneless and strained.

Cloudy’s smile faded as she remembered how Meta Knight had been in the Galaxy Soldier Army—also known as the GSA—and had seen many of his comrades die. She also knew that he had been horribly abused by his father, Nightmare, who was the most feared demon in all of Dreamland. Nightmare’s goal was to conquer the entire galaxy and take over the universe, and it was the Star Warriors’ mission to fight to gain their independence from Nightmare.

Cloudy was a Star Warrior like Meta Knight, but she wasn’t any ordinary Star Warrior. She was the Prophesied One, or the one who had been foretold by the ancient ruler Photron to save Dreamland from Nightmare’s grasp—with the help of the other Star Warriors, of course. A special diamond mark on her left front paw proved this.

“I’m sorry if I made you feel bad, Meta Knight,” Cloudy apologized, her head drooping.

Meta Knight smiled and patted her fur. “It’s perfectly fine, Cloudy.” He straightened up. “Now come. We’d better get over to Whispy Woods if we want to meet Miriam and our other young friends for the picnic today at the brook.”

Miriam Capperdale, one of Cloudy’s best friends, lived right across the street from Cloudy. She was a dark-skinned, eight-year-old humanoid who had gone through a lot of trials in her young life, but she was very patient and brave. Cloudy admired her strength and spunk.

“Then let’s go!” Cloudy hollered, sprinting into her house to put on a scarf. Then she came back out, her mother at her heels.

“Cloudy, be careful,” Springtime warned. “I don’t want any of you getting hurt.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll be fine,” Cloudy promised, glancing back at her kind and caring mother who looked so much like herself—the same green eyes, the same fur color. “We won’t get into mischief.”

“You can’t promise me that about Sniper,” Springtime replied dryly. Sniper was Cloudy’s oldest brother and had a tendency to be extremely rude and play pranks on others.

“Then if he acts up, we’ll whip his caboose into shape,” Cloudy said humorously.

Springtime smiled and rolled her eyes at her daughter’s sassiness. “All right, then, you little warrior. Get out there with your friends, and bundle up good.”

“Will do,” Cloudy said. As she passed by Meta Knight, she whispered, “I really can’t wait to.”

Meta Knight stifled his laughter. “Get out in the woods or bundle up?”

“Get out in the woods, of course,” Cloudy answered. “Mommy’s occasionally so bizarre I feel it best to stay away from her for a time.”

“Cloudy!” Meta Knight whispered. “That’s awful!” But he couldn’t help smiling.

Cloudy shrugged, smiling to.

Springtime called back inside the house, “Children, come out here, please!”

Cloudy watched as her five brothers and her only sister came outside and lined up for inspection from youngest to oldest. As Springtime checked each one thoroughly, Cloudy thought about her family.

Springtime and Showerstorm were her parents. Showerstorm was a Siberian with brown eyes and fur. He was a devout Christian and worked at Passion Bank. But he also had a love for writing and he wrote plenty of articles to submit to The Dreamland Times. 

Springtime too was a good Christian, but she didn’t work away from home. She was a stay-at-home mom who tried so hard to impart godly wisdom to her kids.

Sniper, of course, was the prankster. Sharkell, her next oldest brother, could be sweet and caring, but he sometimes teamed up with Sniper in his mean jokes. So did her next three brothers—Yodi, Pancake, and Waffle—though they could act like gentlemen when they wanted to. Like their father, all had brown eyes and fur, though they were Malamutes instead of Siberians.

Azalea-Star (Star for short), Cloudy’s sister, was a Siberian, but she had gray-and-white fur and blue eyes like her Aunt Summer. She was a wonderful daughter and very charming, but she had a tiny rebellious streak that sometimes landed her in tons of trouble.

Cloudy was the youngest out of the seven children, and she was spirited, auspicious, and warmhearted. Her greatest attribute was her empathy, and no one in the family showed empathy more than Cloudy. Though she had her strange habits, she was a precious child that gained favor with everyone she met.

Despite their quirks, Cloudy loved her family just as they were. She wouldn’t want them any other way. How they acted and what they did were what made them them.

Springtime approved each child as she went down the line, seeing as they were properly dressed for the cold weather. However, when she came to Sniper, she frowned at him. “Sniper, where’s your jacket? You realize it’s the middle of January, right?”

“I don’t need a jacket,” Sniper stubbornly said. “I already have one.”

Cloudy rolled her eyes meaningfully at Meta Knight. “Sniper’s on the rebellion bus,” she muttered.

“Oh? And just where is your jacket, young man?” Springtime demanded.

“Right here!” Sniper shook himself, sending handfuls of fur flying into his mother’s face. “I have my winter coat on!”

“Ah!” Springtime backed up and shook the fur out of her face, then sneezed. “Young man, you better not try that ever again or you are in big trouble! Now I want you to go upstairs and put on a jacket pronto!”

Sniper grudgingly obeyed. When he emerged from the house again, this time with a jacket on, Springtime approved them and sent them on their way.

Cloudy let Meta Knight lead the procession; after all, he was an adult and knew the woods like the back of his hand. They walked across Cloudy’s property and hurdled the fence, which separated Cloudy’s property from a next-door one which nobody owned at the moment but was for sale. Beyond that piece of land was Whispy Woods, which stretched for miles.

As soon as they entered the woods full of dead, brown shrubbery and leafy trails, Cloudy asked, “Meta Knight, you said we would meet up with the others at a brook somewhere. How will we know this brook?”

“Magnolia trees will line the bank,” the warrior shortly replied.

They pressed on for a few more minutes before passing into a small clearing. In the middle of the clearing was Meta Knight’s cabin, where he lived with his mother and father. Cloudy saw Meta Knight’s mother, Scazzarda Stellarum, standing on the porch and shaking out a rug. She waved to them as they paraded past. Meta Knight too waved, but Cloudy could see how tense he was. He didn’t relax until they were safely away from the cabin.

Sniper too noticed how uncomfortable Meta Knight was, and of course, he started making jokes about it. “Aww, is the tough Star Warrior scared of his daddy?” he mocked.

Meta Knight shut his eyes, trying to suppress his anger. He seriously wanted to strangle Sniper.

“Shut up, Sniper,” Star snapped. “Why can’t you learn to be more considerate of others’ feelings?”

“Yeah, well, half the time, Meta Knight acts like he doesn’t have feelings,” Sniper retorted. “He acts more like a boot camp commander.”

“He’s a soldier,” said Cloudy. “What do you expect?”

Sniper couldn’t answer.

Cloudy nudged Meta Knight’s arm. “Sorry, Meta Knight. He’s really a pain in the butt half the time.”

Meta Knight chuckled. “It’s not your fault, Cloudy. I know how he is.” His voice drew dark. “But he really makes me furious sometimes.”

“I know,” Cloudy said sympathetically.

At long last, after thirty minutes of walking, they came to a frozen brook with magnolia trees all along both sides of the bank. Underneath one of these exquisite trees sat Cloudy’s friends: Miriam, Eloise, Nika, Zach, Arrow, and Lily.

Eloise and Nika Palmer were blond-haired humanoid twins who attended Miriam’s public school. Zach Linky, a brown-haired humanoid, was a third-grader at Miriam’s school who seemed to like Miriam. Arrow, a gray Siberian, and Lily, a brown German Shepherd, were Cloudy’s classmates from her Christian school, Emmanuel Elementary.

“Cloudy!” Miriam cried, leaping up and embracing her friend.

“¡Hola, mis amigos!” Meta Knight shouted to the children in Spanish.

“¡Hola!” Miriam answered. “¿Cómo estás?”

Meta Knight had to smile at her politeness. “Estoy bien, señorita Miriam. ¿Y tú?”

“Bien, gracias,” Miriam said.

“Can you guys cut the Spanish talk now?” Sniper rudely asked. “Really, it gets kind of bothersome sometimes.”

Eloise turned in Sniper and yelled loudly in his face, “¡CALLARSE LA BOCA!”

Sniper withdrew and shut up after that.

“Guys?” Nika said brightly. “Let’s get started on the picnic now, shall we?”

Everyone agreed. Nika unpacked the picnic basket and Miriam prayed for God’s blessing over the food, and then they all began to eat. Well, almost everyone. Meta Knight didn’t eat anything, perhaps because he was too afraid to remove his mask in front of all the kids. Besides, the only one who had actually seen him unmasked before was Cloudy. Cloudy couldn’t forget that day.

It was last month when Cloudy’s family and a few of her friends had gone to Vastre Hall to spend Christmas with Dana and Frank Mesterein, friends of Cloudy’s Aunt Summer. Unfortunately, the trip was not what anyone had expected. A crazy previously incarcerated man named Nathaniel Osen had made trouble for Cloudy and her friends, including crashing their plane, shooting his twin brother’s daughter, and kidnapping and nearly killing Dana. And all to steal a treasure about which Cloudy nor the Mestereins had ever heard of. In the end, Nathaniel had been shot and killed by his own brother, Jacob Osen.

That night, on Christmas Eve, Meta Knight had gotten a phone call from his mother’s sister, who called to say that Liloy, his sixteen-year-old pregnant daughter, had been brutally beaten and left for dead by her eighteen-year-old brother, Gregory, who was drunk. She had been hospitalized but was not expected to live. Meta Knight recalled how emotionally overwhelmed he had been and how he had gone out to the church courtyard and sat on the fountain. He had take off his mask, for some strange reason. To this day, he still didn’t know why. He guessed he had felt prompted to do it. While sitting on the fountain, weeping, little Cloudy and Scazzarda had come out and found him there, and Cloudy had caught her first glimpse of what Meta Knight had truly looked like. It was a moment she had never forgotten, one she would always carry with her in her mind.

After than night, Meta Knight never quite looked at Cloudy the same way again. He knew she was different from her family and friends. But he couldn’t figure out the mystery behind her compassionate behavior toward him. Why she would bother with a war-torn, abused warrior like himself, he would never understand.

“Hey, Meta Knight?” Eloise asked, concern evident in her voice. “Are you okay?”

Meta Knight snapped back to reality and glanced sidewise at the young girl. “I’m fine, dear. Just thinking.”

Eloise frowned, not certain she wanted to know what he was thinking about. She took a bite of her sandwich and looked up at one of the magnolia trees, admiring its beauty.

Sniper scarfed down the final remains of his food and leaped to his feet. “I’m full. Let’s play a game.”

“What game?” Yodi asked.

“Let’s play Tag!” Sharkell shouted.

Sniper curled his lip. “No. Tag is boring. Let’s play another game.”

“Hide and Seek?” suggested Star.

“Hide and Seek!” Sniper scoffed in contempt. “Sis, you gotta come up with better games than these.”

Cloudy smirked. ‘You want to come up with a better game? Okay. I have an idea. Let’s do a dance.”

Sniper blinked. “Umm. . .a dance?”

“Uh-huh,” Cloudy nodded. “See, this is how it works. We’ll all line up side by side, and I’ll stand in front of you while facing you. Then I’ll do several dance moves and you have to copy me. If you misstep, you’re out of the game. The last one standing wins!”

Pancake grinned at his friends. “Sounds cool. What do you say, guys? Wanna participate?”

“Yea!” they hollered.

Sniper was still reluctant. “This sounds too babyish,” he complained.

“Well,” Zach said as he took his plane in the line, “aren’t you practically a baby anyway, Sniper? After all, you’re less than a year old.”

“So? I don’t goo-goo and wear a diaper like most babies do,” Sniper snapped. “The four-footed species here grow up a whole lot differently than the two-footed.”

“I know, Sniper. Good grief, I was kidding,” Zach said, rolling his eyes.

“Oh, come on, Sniper. Don’t be a party pooper,” Eloise said. “Join in the dance with us!”

Sniper groaned as he ambled over beside Nika. “This is embarrassing!” he whined.

“It is not. Tranquilizarse,” Waffle ordered. He looked to Cloudy. “Okay, Sis. Start the game!”

Cloudy gazed at her mentor. “Are you going to join, Meta Knight?”

Meta Knight shook his head. “No, I’ll just watch.”

Cloudy gave a shrug. “Okey-doke.” She turned back to her friends. “All right, everyone. Here we go. Don’t forget to copy me move for move.”

Cloudy executed a neat twirl and kicked out her left front leg, the stepped back and whirled again, round and round, until she had completed three full rotations. “All right, now you try,” she said.

The children pulled off perfect gyrations and stepped back in unison, then spun around and around three times. Unfortunately, Waffle and Yodi were whirling too fast and slammed into each other, each knocking the other to the frozen ground. “Ouch!” Yodi vociferated.

“Sorry, brothers,” Cloudy said consolingly. “You’re out. Move to the sidelines.”

The two obediently did so.

Cloudy achieved several more tricky but not impossible dance moves. She was careful to come up with moves that she was sure no one could do without careful precision and timing. Usually only the puppies could keep up with her. In the next three rounds, the Palmers, Miriam, Zach, and Star were knocked out of the game.

Pretty soon, Pancake, Sniper, Sharkell, Lily, and Arrow were left in the game. Cloudy surveyed the five puppies and simpered. “Are you all ready for this next dance move?” she asked.

“Bring it on,” taunted Sniper.

Lily looked at Pancake. “Prepare to die,” she said.

“Who are you rooting for, Meta Knight?” Sniper called.

“I am rooting for all of you,” Meta Knight said.

Cloudy chuckled, and, to their surprise, she executed a neat backflip and stood up on her hind legs, dancing back and forth all the while. Then she stopped dancing and dropped down on all fours. “Your turn,” she said.

“What?!” Arrow blurted. “We can’t do that!”

“Oh, stop your blubbering and watch me,” Lily said stoutly. She gracefully backflipped and stood up on two legs, eagerly dancing, swaying back and forth in a breezy manner. Then she stopped her dance and plunked her front feet back on the frosty grass. “There. It’s really not so difficult.”

Arrow stared at her in disbelief. “You made that look so easy,” he said.

“I take gymnastics and dance classes on my off hours,” Lily said lightly.

Arrow attempted to backflip, but failed and crashed to the ground. He was out. Sharkell too blundered on the backflip, leaving only Lily, Sniper, and Pancake in the game.

“Hm,” Pancake mused, looking thoughtful. “I’ve never done a backflip before, but maybe it won’t be so hard.” He tried it and succeeded, grinning happily at his triumph.

Sniper snorted and completed the backflip without difficulty. “I can beat you out, Pancake.”

“Not if I beat you out first,” contradicted Pancake.

He stood on his hind legs, and so did Sniper. He danced, moving rhythmically from side to side as he paraded back and forth. Sniper did the same, but while they were dancing, Sniper purposefully strode too close to Pancake and bumped into him hard, knocking him off balance and causing him to fall onto the frozen brook. Pancake let out a yelp as he slipped and slid around, scrambling to regain his footing.

“Pancake!” Nika gasped.

“Don’t move, Pancake, or you’ll break the ice!” Eloise warned him.

Pancake stared at them with huge eyes. He shifted slightly and the ice cracked under his feet. A look of alarm replaced the bewilderment in his eyes and he stood up and attempted to walk off the ice, but his feet slipped out from under him. Down he went with a thud.

“Pancake, get off the ice!” Star shrieked, terrified for her brother.

A shard of the ice near Pancake’s feet broke away, revealing a yawning expanse of icy-blue water. Pancake shivered and tried to calmly step away from the hole, but was unable to get enough traction on the ice.

Zach let out a gasp. “Oh my word, he’s gonna fall in. . .”

Meta Knight acted without hesitation. He jumped lightly onto the ice, slid over to Pancake, scooped him up, and leaped off the ice just as the spot where Pancake had been standing broke apart. Meta Knight set Pancake down on the ground, and the puppy ran straight into the outstretched arms of Nika. Nika hugged him tightly as if she were afraid he would disappear if she let him go.

“Oh, Pancake, I was so scared!” Eloise cried. “I thought for sure you were a goner!”

“Hooray for Meta Knight!” Waffle shouted in delight.

Cloudy grinned, but her smile disintegrated when she saw how angry Meta Knight looked. He was seething. His eyes were flaming red and and he was trembling with fear or rage, Cloudy couldn’t tell which. There must be only one thing he was so angered by, and she knew what it was.

Sniper.

Cloudy whirled to face her brother.

“Sniper, you half-witted fool!” she screamed. “When we get home, I am going to tell Mommy on you! I’m not kidding!”

Sniper snorted in disgust. “Go on, then! I don’t care one single bit!” he yelled back.

“You’ll be terribly sorry you ever did such an imprudent thing!” Cloudy hollered angrily.

Meta Knight exhaled slowly and leaned against a tree. Cloudy felt sorry for him. It didn’t help that Sniper had nearly frightened him half to death by pushing Pancake almost to his doom. Cloudy nudged her mentor’s arm, and Meta Knight looked down at her with a warm smile, caressing her head. Cloudy sighed with contentment. This whole picnic was fun so far—except for the fact that her ridiculous brother was being such a pain!

Books

Book 3: With You Always

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Introduction

January 14, Spring Breeze, Dreamland. . .

 

Miriam stared at her mother in dismay and incredulity. “What?! We’re going to do what?!”

The mother and daughter were standing in the kitchen of their little house, talking about a very important event that was to shake the foundations of Miriam’s life and change it in a very drastic manner.

“We’re moving,” Meredith said calmly, looking her daughter in the eye. “Your twin brothers will be born in a few months and our house is too small to accommodate five people. We’ve bought a bigger house up in Prism Plains, thanks to that fund donation my sister recently did for me. There’s also a Christian school you can attend to get a better education than you are down here. Not to mention that Leo has gotten a better job up there that doesn’t require a lot of manual labor. He can’t push himself too hard, as he just got released from the hospital.”

“B-But what about my friends?!” Miriam exclaimed. “I can’t just leave them! I’ve lived here for so long. . .and I like my school. . .”

“Miriam,” Meredith said firmly but kindly. “We’re doing what’s best for you, darling. We cannot live here after the boys are born. We have to move. It’s our only option.”

Miriam looked at the floor, knowing it would be useless to argue any more. Meredith, sensing her thoughts, knelt down and hugged her daughter. “Miriam, I love you. You know that. I want the best for you. That’s why we’re moving. I don’t want you to be separated from your friends. But we don’t have a choice, dear.” She brushed a wisp of black hair away from Miriam’s face. “God has something great in mind for you, my child. But you must follow His will if you are to achieve the blessings He desires you to have. If He wills us to move, then we must. Deuteronomy 11:27 says, “You will be blessed if you obey the commands of the LORD your God that I am giving you today.” She put her hand on Miriam’s shoulder. “Do you understand?”

Miriam glanced down at the bulge of her mother’s stomach and then back up into Meredith’s sparkling brown eyes. Then she nodded, catching her mother’s hand. “Yes, Mom.”

Books

Book 2: Be Not Afraid

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A Word from the Author

Hello again, readers! I have learned a lot from this Christmas story of faith and hope, and I sincerely trust you all have too.

I want to point a few things out. One, this entire story is fiction, and it centers on the Kirby cast and crew. This entire series is what we refer to as Christian fiction, meaning that one or more characters in the story are Christians and use God’s Word to solve the problem(s). And I know that not everyone who reads this series is Christian. But that is all right. I don’t expect everyone to be Christian. But what I do expect, dear readers, is that you’ll learn something valuable from each story.

But while the story is fiction, the evidence for the Bible is true and real. The Bible is the only Book that is authentic and valid and lines up with history and answers all questions about hefty topics, such as Jesus’ birth.

However, many are confused by the Bible. They ask questions such as: Does the Bible contradict itself? Who was Cain’s wife? How could Jesus die on the cross for me? If God loves us, why are we all suffering? Are angels real? What is my purpose in life?

These questions are answered by the Bible. False teachers and books (other than the Bible) can’t always be trusted. But the Bible can be because it was given by God—yes, Jesus Christ, the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last. Jesus is alive, and true, and real. If He had not been born. . .if He had not died. . .if He were not a real person and did not exist, then we wouldn’t even be here. We wouldn’t be breathing.

Nathaniel’s actions in this story may bother some, as well as the outcome of his death. But what does the Bible say? Proverbs 11: 5- “The righteousness of the blameless will direct his way, but the wicked shall fall by his own wickedness.” I wanted to illustrate that truth.

God gave all a mind and a conscience. He keeps human depravity in check. He won’t let destruction run rampant. Yes, there are many evils in the world, we all admit. There are drunkards, murderers, rapists, and thieves. There are slave traders, those who abuse power, and even those who exploit their own people. But if God were not keeping our depravity in check, we would all be lying in our caskets at this very moment.

By God’s grace, we are alive. By the Lord’s mercy, we aren’t struck dead by His hand, though we have every right to be condemned and die. We all have a choice to accept Him as our Lord. And if a true Christian truly accepts God in his heart, he will never regret his decision.

The Romans Road of Salvation gives us three things we can do to be saved.

A—Acknowledge: Acknowledge that you are a sinner in need of salvation and that you need Christ. You are not independent from God; you need God and learn from God. Without Him, you are spiritually dead.

B—Believe: Believe that Jesus died on the cross to save you and He was buried and rose again the third day out of that grave for YOU! Jesus conquered death and reigns on His throne in heaven.

C—Confess: Confess your sins to Him and ask for forgiveness. Beg Him to enter into your heart and be your Lord and Savior. He will govern your life the moment You ask Him to. You don’t need to pray in a fancy manner; just ask for forgiveness, confess your sins, and believe on Christ.

Dear readers, I hope you will respond to the truth of the gospel if you have not already. God loves all and wants to save all.

See you in the next book, and God bless!

Books

Book 2: Be Not Afraid

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Epilogue: A Happy New Year

 

“What game should we play?” Eloise asked.

“Hmmm. . .” Cloudy squinted one eye and looked up to the ceiling. “We should play a relatively short game because I want to get outside and see the fireworks pop when midnight comes around.”

It was the last day of December, and it was thirty minutes to midnight. Cloudy and her friends were in the sunroom of Vastre Hall, discussing what game to play to pass the time. Dana was by this time almost completely healed from her wounds and she and her baby were able to come home.

“Hey, I know!” Nika said. “We can play Leapfrog!”

“No way! Cloudy’s too little,” Eloise objected. “We’d break her back.”

Meta Knight walked into the sunroom at that moment, smiling at the children. “Hello. What are you all doing?”

“Trying to figure out what game to play so we’re not totally bored until midnight,” Lea responded.

Meta Knight laughed. “Then play Hide and Seek.”

“Booooring!” Valerie sighed. “Seriously, that’s the lamest game in the entire galaxy. All you do is count to whatever number you wish while everyone hides and then you come out and try to find all the hidden people. Not my game! No thanks!”

“Well, you don’t have to play,” Meta Knight said. “But the rest can. Do you all want to?”

“Yeah!” everyone except Valerie shouted.

“I will count,” Meta Knight said, a hint of humor in his voice.

“Hey, when you come to find us, just say, ‘¿Dónde estás tú?‘” Cloudy said. “Okay?”

“All right,” Meta Knight agreed, but he sounded confused. “But why do I need to ask where you are? The point is for me to find you without you giving away your hiding place.”

“I just think it adds more fun to the game,” Cloudy replied. “Plus, you need to teach these kids more Spanish. It’ll come in handy for them one day.” She grinned. “¡El español es realmente bueno para aprender!”

Meta Knight stared at Cloudy, wondering where she came up with these strange ideas. But for the sake of the kids he would do as she asked. “Okay, then. Get ready to hide! I’m going to count to twenty.” He closed his eyes and counted, “One, two, three. . .”

“No, no, tiempo fuera, tiempo fuera,” Cloudy broke in, shaking her head. “Count in Spanish.”

Meta Knight shook his head, trying not to laugh. “All right. Go hide!” And he began to count again, “Uno, dos, tres, cuatro. . .”

The children sprinted away and darted inside the house, running through every room, trying to find a good hiding place. As Star ran with Cloudy into the living room, she glanced about for a place for her little sister to hide. Upon seeing the fireplace, she got a brilliant idea. She skidded to a stop and exclaimed, “Cloudy!”

“Huh?” Cloudy asked breathlessly. “What?”

“Get in the fireplace!”

“What?!” Cloudy yelled. “No way, José! Never would I do that! I’d get all black and sooty!”

“But it’s a good hiding place!” Star said. “Besides, if Meta Knight can’t find you in there, no one can!”

“Why don’t you just go in?” Cloudy wanted to know.

“No, I’ll find somewhere else to hide. I want Meta Knight to think you’re the best Hide and Seek player around.” And with those words, she pushed her little sister into the fireplace, burying her in ashes and soot. “There. You’ll blend in and no one will find you. Later.” Then she was gone.

Cloudy sat up, coughing and shaking the soot out of her thick fur. “If there was one place I would never have chosen for hiding, it would have been in here,” she grumbled. “This place is disgusting.”

Cloudy looked around the fireplace. The bricks were worn and stained with soot and grime. The ashes of logs and other materials were stuck in the cracks between the bricks.

Just then, Cloudy heard Meta Knight calling to the kids, and she crouched down as much as she could without sticking her face in the soot. As she did, she looked up the chimney and saw metal pegs sticking out of the brick. She frowned, wondering why on earth there would be pegs stuck in the chimney wall. She decided to investigate further.

She began to climb the pegs slowly, carefully. It wasn’t easy, since she was a dog and dogs don’t have fingers. After she climbed up about twenty pegs, she saw that they ended at a brick that was loose and lighter in color than the others. She grabbed the brick in her teeth and tugged at it until it popped out, and she let it fall quietly into the soot below. Then she turned back to the wall and saw that there was an opening behind the brick, and inside the opening sat a small box with delicate carving.

Cloudy’s eyes widened as she read the words carved on the lid,” To Dana from Mother.” Her mind went back to Nathaniel Osen and his claims about there having been a treasure in Vastre Hall. Could this be what he had been talking about?

Cloudy knew she had to show her discovery to her friends and family. Carefully drawing out the box from its hiding place and gripping it firmly between her teeth, she carefully climbed down the pegs and let herself drop to the floor. She crawled out of the fireplace, shaking the soot off her fur. Then she darted out of the living room and into the kitchen, where Meta Knight was. He was still calling, “¿Dónde estás tú?”

Cloudy set the box on the floor in front of her. “Hey!” she called.

Meta Knight turned around and saw Cloudy. Sighing, he said, “Cloudy, I’m pretty sure the whole point of this game is for me to find you, not the other way around.”

“I know,” Cloudy said. “But I made a really surprising discovery! I think there really is a treasure at Vastre Hall!”

Meta Knight was intrigued. “What do you mean?”

Cloudy nosed the box on the floor. “This is from Miss Dana’s mother.”

Meta Knight started, then walked over and picked up the box. “Let’s give it to her,” he said. “She’s on the front porch with Mother. Follow me.”

Cloudy followed Meta Knight out of the kitchen and through several rooms until they reached the front porch. Meta Knight swung open the door and stepped outside into the frigid air. Cloudy followed suit, feeling the icy-cold cement numb her paws.

Dana, a red scarf wrapped around her shoulders, was sitting in a rocking chair and feeding her baby. She looked up at Meta Knight with a warm smile on her face. “Hello, Meta Knight,” she said politely. Then her gaze fell upon the box in his hands and her brow furrowed in puzzlement. “What’s that?”

Meta Knight put the box in her hands. “It’s yours,” he said gently. “It was from your mother.”

Shocked, Dana glanced at Frank, who merely shrugged.

“Where’d you get that, Magnus?” Scazzarda asked.

Meta Knight pointed to Cloudy. “She found it, not me,” he explained.

“Where did you find it, Cloudy?” Dana asked.

“I found it in the fireplace,” Cloudy replied. “There were these pegs I climbed up and there was this loose brick, so I pulled it out and there was a secret hiding place and the box was inside.”

Handing the baby to her husband, Dana put her hand on the lid of the box and lifted it carefully. She peered inside and gave a low gasp.

“What is it?” Cloudy wondered.

Dana took out several gold and silver coins and pretty necklaces inlaid with precious stones. Cloudy gaped at the precious belongings, amazed.

“Do you suppose,” Frank said slowly, “that this was the treasure Nathaniel was talking about?”

“Oh, yes! I believe it is!” Dana said happily. “I remember seeing my mother wear many of these necklaces when I was a young toddler!”

Scazzarda put an arm around her son. “That’s truly an amazing discovery, Cloudy.”

“Thank you,” Cloudy said softly.

“Hey, Meta Knight!” Nika complained, coming out on the porch with the other children. “I thought you were going to find us, but instead you’re out here with Miss Dana!”

“Sorry, Nika,” said Meta Knight in a calm manner. “We got sidetracked by a treasure Cloudy found.”

“Treasure?” Star repeated.

Dana showed each of the children in turn what was in the box. Eloise was awestruck by the fact that Dana’s mother had owned so many beautiful possessions. “Where did she ever get them?” she asked.

Dana smiled at the sincere question. “My dad bought them for her. He was a successful businessman and he collected valuable coins from all over the world.”

“Maybe that’s how your mother came to live in Vastre Hall,” Cloudy broke in.

Dana blinked. “By Father collecting coins?”

“No,” Cloudy answered, shaking her head. “By being a successful businessman.”

Dana’s eyes widened. “You know what, Cloudy? You might be right.” There was a whistling sound and Dana looked up to the sky just in time to see a firework explode in a shower of black dust, gray smoke, and a magnificent display of scarlet.

Cloudy settled herself on the cement, ignoring the coldness of the tiles. “I find it amazing that God equipped us all with amazing abilities to help others, such as being able to write, draw, paint, be a nurse. . .and make fireworks,” she declared. “He really loves us, doesn’t He?”

“That He does,” Frank said with a nod, smiling widely. “He loves us all.”

Meta Knight sighed deeply. Dana turned to him, concern etched on her face. “Meta Knight, are you okay?”

Meta Knight turned his eyes to the black sky exploding with color. “I still don’t understand.”

“Understand what?” Dana asked.

“Why God loves us,” Meta Knight muttered. “If He’s even real, that is.”

Dana felt her patience slip a notch. Hadn’t she and the others already explained everything there was to know about God’s love for us? Had Meta Knight not seen the proof that God was real? So why did he keep doubting? What was there to doubt? She opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off by Cloudy. “Miss Dana, I’ll handle this,” she said. “I’m going to sing the answer to him.”

“Sing?” said Sniper.

“Mm.” Cloudy bobbed her head and turned to Meta Knight. “You wanted to know why God loves us. Well, here’s why.” And she began to sing:

 

“Mere love can’t fill this space,
Mere love can’t overwhelm this place,
Mere love can’t in sinful man take root
But only Your love, God, bears good fruit.

Why you love me, I couldn’t understand,
Why You love me, I couldn’t contemplate,
But when I saw Your nail-scarred hands
And your pierced side,
I realized why You love me:
In my heart you wish to reside.”

 

Springtime and Showerstorm, who had bee standing in thefront yard and watching the fireworks, came up the porch steps and smiled at their youngest daughter. The other kids seemed mesmerized  by Cloudy’s singing and Dana was tapping her foot in time to the imaginary music.

 

“Now I’m free forevermore!
God, I want to know You more.
You are my Hope, my Savior, my Lord,
My Alpha, my Omega, my Precious Word.

Why you love me, I couldn’t understand,
Why You love me, I couldn’t contemplate,
But when I saw Your nail-scarred hands
And your pierced side,
I realized why You love me:
In my heart you wish to reside.”

 

Star smiled at the last two verses in the chorus. Yes, it was true. God does love us because he wants to come into our hearts and have a relationship with us. He loves us because He is God and because God loves everyone. No matter how much we’ve rebelled against God, no matter how far we’ve wandered, no matter how wicked we are, God still loves us. Nobody else in the world could do that.

 

“Jesus loves me, oh, this I know
Because the Bible tells me so
I belong to Him and Him alone
And one day I’ll worship before His throne.

Why you love me, I couldn’t understand,
Why You love me, I couldn’t contemplate,
But when I saw Your nail-scarred hands
And your pierced side,
I realized why You love me:
In my heart you wish to reside.

Oh, yes, Jesus loves me so
That for me He came to die
He wants me to be His Child
And in His pastures lie.”

 

Cloudy finished and smiled solemnly at her family and friends. “There’s your answer, Meta Knight,” she said, her eyes shining as brightly as the fireworks when they exploded.

Meta Knight drew his cape around himself and knelt down to pat Cloudy’s fur gently. “Thank you, my friend,” he said softly, though his voice was quivering. “I won’t forget your song.”

Cloudy beamed at her best friend. “Okay, Meta Knight.”

“That’s a really good song, Cloudy,” Scazzarda said. “What’s it called?”

“‘Why You Love Me,'” Cloudy replied.

Scazzarda bobbed her head. “I see. That’s really sweet. You have a beautiful voice.”

“Thanks,” Cloudy shyly answered.

Frank then looked at his watch and exclaimed. “Hey it’s thirty seconds to midnight!”

Cloudy stood to her feet, temporarily forgetting the cold. She watched the sky for the giant display of fireworks Dana had told her about that signaled the end of the old year and the start of the new.

“Countdown!” Frank shouted. “Ten, nine. . .”

“. . .Eight, seven. . .” the other adults said.

“. . .Five, four, three. . .” the children called.

They all intently gazed at the dark sky as all shouted out the final numbers. “. . .Three, two, one!”

Suddenly, a glorious display of red, orange, purple, and gold fireworks shot up into the air, making a high-pitched whistle. Then it erupted into a bright palette of mixed colors that merged together to form into one opulent panorama.

“Happy New Year!” they all shouted out in one voice. A firework from far away exploded as if in answer.

Dana yawned, the stretched and smiled sadly at Cloudy. “I’m sorry you have to go away tomorrow, Cloudy. I’ll really miss you around here. You were such a help.”

Cloudy too felt depressed that she had to leave. However, she worked up a smile and said, “Don’t worry, Miss Dana. Maybe we can come back for Christmas this year.”

“Yeah!” Star chimed. “Can we, Mommy?”

Springtime smiled. “Honey, I’d love to. But I’m not certain yet. Perhaps we will, perhaps we won’t. We’ll have to wait and see.”

“All right,” agreed Star.

Dana dug in the box and drew out a sublime aquamarine choker, then got up out of her chair and walked over to Cloudy. She knelt down and clipped the necklace around the Malamute puppy’s neck. “That’s for you to remember us by, Cloudburst, and it’s to thank you for all your help.”

Cloudy shook her head. “Miss Dana, no way could I ever accept such a priceless beauty from you. There’s just no way.”

But Dana put up her hand. “Say no more. It’s yours and that’s final.” She then proceeded to give a necklace to every girl and a coin to every boy. “Keep those, everyone, and don’t forget us,” said Dana.

Eloise threw her arms around Dana’s neck and embraced her. “I’ll never forget you, Miss Dana. Never.”

Nika hugged Dana too. “I like you, Miss Dana. I wish I could stay with you.”

Cloudy turned to look at her reflection in the living room window. She saw a small Malamute puppy with fluffy black and white fur, a purple bow on her head, a black choker embedded with sparkling aquamarine stones around her neck. And as she looked at her reflection, she asked herself, “Am I really who others say I am?”

“Indeed,” Springtime said, coming up beside Cloudy. “You’re special, beautiful, unique, smart, and compassionate and sincere in every way, my daughter. You should be proud of those traits.”

“I am,” Cloudy said. “But do you really think I can be a great Star Warrior someday?”

“Yes, I believe it with all my heart,” Meta Knight said, coming to the other side of Cloudy. “You are truly special, my friend.”

“Meta Knight, you’re special too,” Cloudy said, turning to face him and looking full into his face. “No matter what others say about you or how bad your past is, you’ll always be more than a war-scant warrior to me.” She laughed. “And don’t forget to choose joy no matter what, because it will completely change your perspective on life!”

Meta Knight looked away beyond the stars, then back at his friend. “I love you, Cloudy,” he said, his voice shaking as if he were trying not to cry.

Cloudy wagged her tail. “I love you too,” she said sincerely.

Dana had been watching the scene with tears in her eyes. “What a wonderful friendship between those two,” she whispered to her husband.

“They have a close emotional bond,” Frank noted.

Scazzarda loudly cleared her throat. “Dana, did you forget to tell the others what you located?” she asked loudly.

Star tilted her head, her eyes clouded with confusion. “Huh?”

“Oh, right!” Dana chuckled sheepishly. “I forgot to tell you guys that all your luggage has been located and was dropped off here last night. Some stuff was ruined and had to be discarded, but the majority is relatively okay. You can go home with it.”

“All right!” Nika crowed, pumping a fist into the air.

“Well, that took long enough,” Sniper snapped. “But I’m glad it was finally dropped off.”

“Are we going to travel by plane again?” Star asked with a groan.

“No,” Springtime said. “We’re not taking that chance again. We’re going by ship this time.”

The children cheered. “Anyway, a ship’s probably a lot safer than being on a plane,” Sniper said, and no one argued with that.

“I’m beat,” Eloise said, trying to stifle a yawn. “Let’s get to bed.”

“All right,” Miriam said. “Let’s go.”

“Good night, kids!” Springtime called as they filed into the house one by one.

Cloudy was the last one of the line. As she was about to go inside, she turned and snuggled up to Meta Knight. “Happy New Year, Sir Meta Knight,” she said quietly.

Meta Knight’s eyes flashed light blue. “Happy New Year, little Star Warrior.”

Another firework exploded in the night sky, and both friends turned to face it. In the light of the display, Cloudy noticed how bright Meta Knight’s eyes were. He seemed to have found hope—a kind that was infinitely better than any fleeting earthly hope.

And that kind of hope comes only from Jesus Christ.

Cloudy grinned, her eyes as bright as Meta Knight’s. “Thank You, Jesus, Your wonderful blessings,” she prayed out loud. “You are the One we serve and the only One worthy to be praised. I pray all will see Your name and Your power.”

 

* * * * *

 

Thus marks the end of another story, dear readers. But never forget to choose joy no matter what, though you go through troubling times. And especially never forget the One Who was born to save us all—Jesus Christ. He is the reason we are alive and breathing and are able to live every day for His glory. To God be all the praise and doxology!