Tag Archives: care

Writing prompts

The Movie Moments

1 Comment

What’s a moment in my life that felt like it was straight out of a movie?

 

My siblings and I often played together in our backyard. We did what we had always done since we were little children—”make something,” as we put it. In other words, pretending we’re in another time and place and we are different people or creatures.

As I have said before, one of my favorite childhood subjects was Kirby and still is to this day. We would often build our stories based on the anime, but develop it. . .whether it be Dedede falling ill with a mysterious malady and Starmonia and her friends discovering the truth behind Escargoon’s schemes, or Tiff and Meta Knight having an honest, heartfelt talk about whatever’s bothering them.

Those were the times—especially the beautiful, raw, emotional scenes we portrayed—that felt as if it could come right out of a movie.

Books

Book 4: Every Life is Beautiful

Leave a comment

Chapter Two: Baby Birds

 

“Mommy! Mommy!” shouted Cloudy, tearing down the last few feet of the stretch of road, a sense of furious urgency and panic revolving in her mind. Turning, she leapt the pasture fence and crashed hard to the ground, feeling a ripple of pain in her left shoulder, but she dismissed the injury and picked herself up, hurrying to her house.

Meanwhile, on the porch sat Springtime and Liloy, Meta Knight’s foster daughter. They had been contentedly chatting about the unpredictability of the weather and Liloy’s unborn baby when Cloudy’s shout had sliced the stillness of the air like a sword. Springtime looked in the direction of the road just in time to see her youngest child barrel the fence and fall hard on her shoulder.

“Oh my gosh!” cried Springtime, alarmed. She was relieved when a moment later, Cloudy picked herself up, closed the gap between herself and the house, and made a flying leap onto the porch, landing directly in front of the two women. “Hi,” she panted breathlessly.

Springtime and Liloy stared at her unkempt appearance, her tousled fur and askew bow. “What happened to you?” Liloy inquired.

It took Cloudy a full minute to catch her breath. “We need to take care of the baby birds!” she blurted out at last.

“Baby birds?” repeated Springtime. “What baby birds? What are you talking about, Cloudy?”

Cloudy tried again. “The baby birds whose mother was killed in the car accident!”

Liloy shook her head in confusion, her brow furrowed. “Maybe you should go back and start at the beginning, Cloudy,” she said gently.

At that moment, Star and Meta Knight arrived at the scene, the latter still clutching the nest. Springtime cast a bemused gaze upon the nest and then at the soldier. “Meta Knight, can you please explain all of this?”

“Magnus?” Scazzarda, Meta Knight’s mother, opened the front door and stepped outside. “What’s that in your hand?”

Meta Knight sighed and set the nest down on a lawn chair. “We happened to take a shortcut from Whispy Woods to the main road, and we saw a cardinal who was gathering food for her babies. Unfortunately, she. . .she. . .” The knight stopped talking and looked off to the far corner of the pasture.

Star, realizing his predicament, came to his rescue. “The mother cardinal was injured by a passing automobile and died on impact.”

“Oh, no!” Liloy exclaimed, putting her hand to her mouth, eyes wide. “How horrible!”

“Yeah,” Star agreed. “It was awful. Anyway, we dug a grave for the mother and buried her, and then Meta Knight took the nest and we brought it back here so we could raise the babies.”

“Now wait a moment, Star,” Springtime gently broke in. “I’m not sure that will work. First of all, we need to provide a proper housing environment and hydration, feeding, stimulation, monitor growth, and development for these birds, not to mention the healthcare and security they’ll need. Besides, I’m too busy raising you kids. Your father and I just don’t have the time to raise baby birds.”

“You have enough time to raise us, but not enough time to raise these orphaned babies?” Cloudy shot back, her voice rising with fierce determination. “So you’re saying if a poor, starving, abandoned child showed up at our door one day, you would turn him out? Huh? Is that what you’re saying?”

Springtime was momentarily startled. “N-No, that’s not what I’m saying at all! I just meant that. . .” Her voice trailed off. She didn’t know how to respond.

Scazzarda rested against one of the porch pillars, her green eyes sober, her face clouded with uncertainty. “Springtime,” she spoke. Springtime looked up at her. “I think we should give it a try. These baby birds at least deserve a chance to live, don’t they? Every life does.” She smiled slightly and quoted James 1:27, “‘Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.'”

Springtime mulled over Scazzarda’s words. She’s right, Springtime realized. All life does deserve a chance to live. She sighed. “All right,” she said, “we’ll raise the birds, Cloudy. We’ll try our best to make sure they thrive and live happy lives.”

Cloudy beamed her thanks. Then she frowned a little. “But we have to have the proper supplies and nutrients for the birds. I just don’t know if we can wing that, though.”

“I’m sure we can rustle up something, maybe from the attic,” Springtime smiled, chuckling inwardly at Cloudy’s pun. “In the meantime, let’s get the birds inside and set up a glass cage in the parlor. Then we’ll figure out what we need for them.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Cloudy said.

Scazzarda tenderly picked up the delicate nest, opened the door again, and they all stepped inside, with the exception of Meta Knight and Liloy, the latter asking to wait outside and speak with her father. When the door was closed, Liloy perched on the lawn chair and smiled at her father. “I’ve got the most exciting news!” she sang.

“Your baby will be born this month?” Meta Knight guessed, leaning against the porch railing.

“Well, yes, but I meant my other exciting news.” Liloy giggled in happiness, purposefully stalling just to heighten her father’s impatience. “I went to see Tilry today, and he’s doing much better; in fact, the doctors believe he may even fully recover and will live a healthy, full life!”

Meta Knight couldn’t believe it. This was the first he had heard about any of this. Still, he was overjoyed to learn of Tilry’s possible full recuperation. But he wasn’t about to show it. “That’s marvelous, Liloy,” he said, trying to sound composed and yet exuberant at the same time.

Liloy burst into laughter at his tone. “Oh, Father, stop trying to act all serious about the whole thing! Deep down, I know you’re really very excited, so why not just show it!”

Meta Knight had to laugh at her impudence. “As usual, Liloy, my daughter, you are right!” He scooped her up in his arms, lifting her clear off her feet. “I am very pleased that Tilry’s condition is improving rapidly.”

“Oh, so am I!” Liloy grinned and heaved a sigh of happiness. “I can’t wait for Tilry to see my little baby once it’s born. He’s going to be a dad, you know—and you’re going to be a grandfather!”

Meta Knight rested his hand on his daughter’s, and both embraced each other for the longest time. Liloy felt his grip tighten on her the slightest bit. She understood how much he hurt inside—over his abusive past, over his father Nightmare refusing to act paternally toward him and his sister. She knew it had taken a toll on him, physically, emotionally, and mentally. She wished she could help him, but knew that only God helped those who couldn’t help themselves.

 

* * * * *

 

“Okay, here we are,” Scazzarda announced, bringing into the parlor a sturdy glass aquarium and positioning it upright on the table. “This should be big enough to hold five wriggly, restless little hatchlings.”

“Now we need the heat lamps. I know we have three or four in the attic,” Springtime said.

Just then, Cloudy’s brothers descended the staircase and spotted the nest and aquarium on the coffee table. “What’s going on in here?” Sharkell asked, creeping forward and peering into the nest at the helpless, naked birds bundled together. “What are these?”

“Baby cardinals,” Star explained. “They were in an accident,” and she proceeded to tell them the entire story about the unfortunate death of the mother cardinal and how they were attempting to rear the babies. Sharkell and his brothers listened, fascinated, from beginning to end. But Sniper was unemotional, his face cold.

“Survival of the fittest, I guess,” was his unfeeling response to the heartrending story.

Star glared at her brother, disgust growing on her face. “Sniper, how rude! If your mother was killed in a car accident, would that be your reply?”

“No, of course not,” answered Sniper in a haughty voice. “But then again, I don’t have a bird for a mother, either. Good thing too, ’cause I couldn’t stand eating worms for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.”

Yodi, ever the peacemaker, broke in, “Oh, forget him. Let’s just get these birds settled in and comfortable.”

Springtime arranged some clean towels on the bottom of the tank. “Sniper, can you go to the attic and hunt for those heat lamps your grandma gave us a few years ago? They’re in the gray box marked 2GX4.”

“Aw, Mommy! Why do I have to do it?” Sniper complained. “I do everything! Make Waffle do it; he never does anything!”

Springtime looked like she was about to retort, but then a sly smile spread over her face. “Hey, Sniper, what big event is later this month?”

Sniper raised an eyebrow. “Um, well, it’s my birthday—as well as my other siblings’.”

“Exactly,” Springtime declared. “And if you don’t bring those heat lamps as requested, you’re going to be spending a very unpleasant birthday cooped up in your room, along with no presents, no cake, no fun. . .”

Sniper swallowed hard. “Boy, you sure drive a hard bargain, don’t you, Mommy?”

“Take it or leave it,” ordered Springtime.

Sniper thought it over for several seconds, then released a dark sigh. “Okay, I’ll bring them.” He vanished upstairs and was gone for several minutes. After a time, he reappeared with the heat lamps and handed them to her.

“Good, you got them,” Springtime said, relief evident in her voice, taking them, plugging them in, and positioning them over the aquarium in such a way so that all three beams of light merged into one. Then Scazzarda took the birds and tenderly lowered them directly in the spotlight. Their little bodies twitched as they settled together, trying to get warm in the lights’ glows.

“What do we need now?” Cloudy asked eagerly.

“Since they’re not yet fledglings, we need some sunflower hearts, seeds, insects, and mealworms. These can probably be purchased at a local pet store,” said Springtime. “I’ll send Showerstorm into town for it later, but for now, we can probably feed them soft fruits. Star, go look in the pantry and bring me some strawberries and blueberries. Bring a kitchen knife too.”

Star did as directed and soon returned with the necessary accessories. Scazzarda cut them up and then put them into a tiny dish, which next to she set a shallow pan filled with fresh water. “They should be fine now,” she said with a smile. “We’ll have to keep checking on them several times a day, but it’ll be worth it if they survive and live normally. Every bit of effort counts if we want them to grow and thrive.”

Meta Knight and Liloy then entered the house. “Hello,” Liloy called. “Sorry we’re a little late. Are the birds okay?”

“They’re just fine,” Cloudy said. “They’re sleeping.”

Meta Knight walked over to the aquarium and glanced down at the vulnerable chicks. His eyes flashed dark green in anxiety. “They’re so small,” he murmured. “And defenseless.”

Liloy walked over to Meta Knight and placed her hand on his arm. “They’ll be just fine, Father,” she told him. “Just fine. They’ll grow up to be beautiful, healthy birds. You’ll see.”

Meta Knight didn’t seem convinced. “I don’t know,” he said. He shook his head—rather vehemently, Cloudy thought, as if trying to dispel unspoken, dark thoughts lurking within the recesses of his mind. “I just don’t know. They’re so young to be separated from their mother.”

Liloy rested her head on his shoulder. “They’ll be all right.”

Cloudy couldn’t figure out her friend. One minute he was so determined to take care of the birds and make them well again and the next he was uncertain, hesitant about their health, not knowing whether or not they would survive. Why was he always so guarded and pessimistic, she wondered. Why couldn’t he just learn that sometimes a positive attitude was the best medicine there was?

Or is something else going on? Cloudy suspiciously wondered as she watched her friend standing in front of the aquarium, head bowed, one hand clutching the corner of his cape. Liloy stood beside him, her gloved hand on his arm, a warm but worried smile on her face.

Was this a persistent whisper of. . .foreshadowing?

If so, what did it mean?

Books

Book 4: Every Life is Beautiful

Leave a comment

Chapter One: Accident!

 

“Hooray!” Cloudy cheered as she joyfully skipped and hopped through the daffodil-dotted grass in the little clearing in Whispy Woods. The golden sunlight filtered through the canopy of trees, and the fuzz of the dandelions whirled about in the occasional breezes. Her friend, Meta Knight, and her older sister, Star, were not far behind. “The sun is shining, the sky is clear, and it’s a beautiful day to walk in Whispy Woods!”

“Slow down, little sister!” Star hollered, racing after Cloudy and tripping over a well-concealed root, tumbling headfirst into a dandelion patch. The seeds and fluff flew in her face and circled round her in the wind. Star sneezed and spluttered, laughed, stood to her feet, and shook the fuzz off her glowing gray-and-white fur, once again taking off after Cloudy.

Meta Knight had to laugh as he watched the two romp about together, playfully snarling, pretending to fight, laughing as they wildly zigzagged out of the clearing and down the trail. A rush of nostalgic memories returned to his mind—back when he and his little sister, Tourmaline, were younger, playing just as Cloudy and Star were now. His eyes grew gray with sadness, recalling bitterly how she had been forced out of the house at age ten. He had never seen her again since that night. Sometimes at night he dreamed about her, wondering if she was all right. He didn’t even know whether she was alive or dead.

“Hey, Meta Knight!” shouted Cloudy. “What are you being so slow for? Hurry up!”

Meta Knight snapped out of his depressing thoughts, quite a contrast to the peaceful, sunny day. “Sorry.” He hurried up to the two sisters, who had called a truce in their play-fighting. Then the trio continued on together, their feet crunching the soft blades of grass.

As Cloudy hopped and trotted along, her thoughts drifted to her family. Her parents were Springtime and Showerstorm. Both were loving, funny, supportive of their children, and hardworking. Springtime was a stay-at-home mom who enjoyed cooking and watching her children live out their dreams. Showerstorm was an author and worked at Passion Bank. he mostly enjoyed spending time with his wife and children and reading the Bible.

Cloudy’s mind then went to her siblings. Her five older brothers—Sniper, Sharkell, Yodi, Pancake, and Waffle—often teamed up together to make everyone miserable with their ridiculous, petty pranks. Azalea-Star, her older sister, was kind and enjoyable to be around, hut could sometimes be bothersome and generally annoying.

Then Cloudy thought about herself. She was strong, brave, compassionate, spirited, empathetic, and had a heart of gold. She also possessed the rare title of the Prophesied One, or the Star Warrior who had been prophesied by Photron to banish Nightmare’s darkness and evils from her beautiful country, Dreamland. She would one day bring about Nightmare’s end. She wasn’t sure she really enjoyed being a soldier, but if it meant the world would be spared from submitting and bowing the knee to Nightmare, she would fight to the death.

Cloudy was startled out of her reverie when she heard a loud honk. Star grinned at her sister’s alarmed expression. “It’s just a car, Cloudy,” she explained. “We must be getting near the road. Right, Meta Knight?”

“That is correct,” Meta Knight answered. “We must be coming to the intersection near Adela Turner’s place. We must have taken a detour that led off the trail to my cabin.”

“Oh, it doesn’t matter,” Star said quickly. “It’s lovely on Cardinal Road. You know, with all the azaleas, delphiniums, and whatnot.”

“Yes, it is,” Meta Knight agreed. “Let us walk it.”

The three companions swung onto the road and began walking on the grass so as to stay out of the way of passing cars. At first it was calm and peaceful, with the three friends walking in harmony and enjoying nature together. But soon Cloudy started to get frustrated because Star began often to stop and sniff the roses, azaleas, chrysanthemums, tulips, and whatever else she could get her nose on. It was causing a lot of delay getting home.

After Star had halted for the sixth time to sniff a sunflower, Cloudy groaned. “Star, will you please stop lollygagging and hurry it along? We’re going to be late getting back to the house, and Mommy and Daddy will be furious!”

“Oh, cool it,” Star said offhandedly. “There’s plenty of time. I just wanna smell the delicious scents of spring, is all! There’s no harm in that.”

Cloudy managed to contain a choking outburst of anger and looked to the sky to calm herself. As she did, she spotted a beautiful brown cardinal with reddish-tipped wings flying into a nest in a palm tree. Her eyes widened as her ears caught the faint sounds of high-pitched chirping. No doubt there were baby birds!

Meta Knight too heard the chirps and gazed upward at the tree. Cloudy’s face was full of amazement. Star just seemed puzzled until she saw a tiny bill peering over the edge of the twisted mass of straw and grasses.

Star let out a gasp. “Baby birds! They’re in the nest!”

“I hear them,” Meta Knight said calmly. “They’re hungry.”

The mother cardinal, hearing the hunger cries of her babies, chirped as if to say, “I will bring you food!” and flew out of the nest and down to a bare patch of earth. She burrowed into the dirt with her sharp bill and grasped hold of a plump earthworm, then soared with it back to the nest. The baby birds were soon quieted as they ate contentedly. When one of the babies began to argue with one of his siblings, the mother stepped in and quieted him.

Meta Knight had to smile. The mother bird reminded him much of his own dear mother, Scazzarda Stellarum. She was so kind and loving yet stern when things got out of hand in the family. She never stopped at anything to make sure her family was never anything less than happy and safe.

“Nice,” Star said in a bored tone after a few minutes, “but we really need to get moving. There’s a long way to go and I’ve still got a bunch of flowers I want to sniff.”

“Fine,” Cloudy sighed. “Come on, Meta Knight. Let’s go.”

Meta Knight turned away from the tree and walked after Cloudy and Star. Star skipped happily out in front, snuffling at the waving flowers and rustling bushes. The sky turned from a periwinkle-blue to a dusty navy as the sun began to get lower and lower. Late afternoon was coming fast.

Then tragedy struck.

The mother cardinal flew out of the nest to get some more food for her children. She flapped across the road and managed to find another earthworm trying to bury itself in the dirt. Then she took in her beak and flapped back across the road.

But as she did, a car came speeding down the road, its engine roaring. Star did not hear the noise, but Cloudy and Meta Knight, who were farther back than Star, heard the engine and turned around to see what was going on. As the bird flew back across the road, the car struck it head-on. The mother bird let out a piercing chirp of pain and dropped to the ground, lying inert. The car revved down the road, ignoring the bird.

Meta Knight gasped, horrified.

“No!” Cloudy shrieked. “The bird! The bird got hit!” She turned and shouted loudly at the top of her lungs, “Star! Star! The bird got hurt!”

“Hm?” Star looked back and saw her sister and friend running in the opposite direction of where they were supposed to be heading. “What the. . .” She rolled her eyes. “Oh, I guess something else has come up. Wonder what happened this time?” She ran after them.

By the time she caught up to them, the two had already reached the accident’s scene. Meta Knight was kneeling by the bird and gently cupping it in his hands. Blood seeped out of the wings and spilled upon his gloves. The bird did not stir.

“Is she okay?” Cloudy whispered.

“Is she alive?” added Star.

Meta Knight sorrowfully shook his head, tears filling his eyes. His glance went to the nest still sitting in the trees, to the baby birds waiting for their mother. But she would never come. And they would never understand why. The image of the palm tree blurred before his eyes as he sighed heavily.

“Meta Knight?” Cloudy spoke in a soft tone. “Are you all right?”

“I am fine, child,” was the reply, though Cloudy could tell it was a complete, flat-out lie. His trembling voice gave it away. Cloudy’s ears drooped and she looked up at the palm tree. The mournful chirps of the hungry chicks stabbed at her heart. What would become of the baby birds? They would never survive without their mother. Sooner or later, they would die from a fall out of the nest or be eaten by a snake or something else. There was no way she was leaving those helpless baby birds by themselves.

“We have to bury her,” Meta Knight said quietly. “I feel it is best.”

Cloudy nodded. As she looked around for a final resting place for the bird, her gaze landed on the base on the palm tree. “Why don’t we bury her beneath her home?” she suggested. “That way, it’s like she’s still here, even though she’s not.” She realized her last sentence probably didn’t make much sense, but Meta Knight seemed to understand her viewpoint.

“Let’s do it,” Star said determinedly.

So they did. They buried her beneath the palm tree, with only a smooth granite rock as her headstone. Cloudy thought about how beautiful her grave would be in the summer and fall, and especially in the winter when it snowed. But Meta Knight didn’t seem to share the same thoughts. His mind was on the baby birds. Where would they do without their mother’s tender care? What would they eat? How would they find shelter in times of bad weather?

Meta Knight felt like he had to protect the baby birds. Ever since he was a child, he had always wanted to guard and care for those less fortunate than himself. When he became an adult, he felt a paternal tug toward young, orphaned, abused children. His heart broke for those who were alone and helpless in the darkness of this evil world.

Meta Knight slowly released his breath. He had made his decision. “Children, wait here. I will climb the tree and get the birds.”

“What?!” exclaimed Star. “Are you nuts? You’ll probably fall and kill yourself doing such a dangerous thing.”

“I will not leave the birds to a cruel fate,” Meta Knight replied, and without another word, instantly began to climb the tree. The puppies nervously watched him as he inched out onto the thin, delicate limb on which the nest was located, praying he wouldn’t lose his balance and come tumbling to the ground. Thankfully, he succeeded in grabbing the nest and carefully climbed down the trunk, the nest gently gripped in his hand.

“We need to get home, pronto!” Cloudy said, realizing how vital this situation was. “The birds need to be kept warm and moist in a chamber or tank. Let’s hurry!”

“Right!” Star chimed.

The three friends began to run as fast as they could down the road toward Cloudy’s home. Cloudy was worried about the fragile orphans, as was Meta Knight. Could Cloudy’s family raise them and get them to safely hatch and come into the world as fine, healthy babies? Or would they die without their mother, no matter how much they were cared for? Every step they  took seemed to suggest a struggle of life or death.

Kirby of the Stars Stories

Beauty in Brokenness

Leave a comment

Tiff paused on the castle wall, her jade eyes reflecting worry. Her frightened eyes contrasted sharply with the peaceful orange-and-pink sky; you’d think she saw a ghost. The birds twittered a few “goodnights;” the leaves rustled in the evening breeze; the golden clouds melted into orange and grayish-black. The Booma-Dooma Volcano’s shadows darkened from smoky navy to blurred violet. Dyna Blade’s metallic rainbow wings sparkled in the last rays of the setting sun as she and her chick settled down to sleep.

While the world was peaceful. . .

the atmosphere of the castle was not.

The tension inside the enormous building threatened to swallow the inhabitants whole.

The fear all felt could not be contained.

So what to do?

*   *  *

Tiff was not prepared for her long night, nor what the outcome was to be.

It all started before breakfast.  Tiff was in her room, reading a book, when her younger brother, Tuff, called her down. Reluctantly, Tiff marched down to the breakfast table and found her place, taking her seat just as Lady Like, her mother, waltzed in with the dishes.

“Good morning, guys!” little Ivene cried, leaping into the middle of the table and knocking the teapot off; thankfully, Sir Ebrum caught it before it landed on the linoleum and shattered to pieces. Starmonia sedately swaggered in, her green eyes glowing bright.

By the time the king and his snail sidekick came to breakfast, the rest were half-done with their food. “Hey, y’all could’ve saved some for the rest of us!” Dedede snapped. “Is this how my no-good servants behave toward me, the royal king of Dreamland?”

“Save your thoughtless words and you won’t get hurt,” Ivene, the outspoken one, retorted, her brown eyes flashing. “Maybe if you showed a little more respect toward your subjects, we would show some more toward you.”

Escargoon chuckled and elbowed the king in the ribs. “She’s a mouthy one, huh, Sire?”

“Shut your mouth, you insignificant snailbrain!” Dedede ordered, banging Escargoon on the head. “When I want your worthless opinion, I’ll make sure to ask for it, got it?”

“Okay, fine. Sheesh,” Escargoon mumbled, rubbing his bruised head.

Tiff glanced across the table at one plate still filled. “Um, Mom?”

“Yes, darling?” Lady Like turned from the sink, a puzzled look on her weary but cheerful face.

“Why wasn’t Sir Meta Knight at breakfast?” Tiff asked. “He’s normally here around the same time we are.”

“Maybe he got held up patrolling,” Tuff kidded. “With all the work Dedede makes him do, perhaps he’s sleeping in.”

“Dedede would never allow that,” Sir Ebrum objected.

“Then what the heck is he doing?” Tiff demanded, standing up from her seat. “We should go see!”

“Whoa!” Lady Like objected. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. First of all, you don’t know what he’s doing. And secondly, if he even is doing something, it’s rude to interrupt.”

“But Mom!” Tiff exclaimed in exasperation. “What if something happened? We have to go see him now!”

“If you want to see him, fine,” Lady Like said, returning her attention to the dishes. “Just make sure you knock first.”

“Of course,” Tuff mumbled as she left the room, Ivene, Starmonia, and Tuff behind her. “What else would I do before entering his room?”

*   *   *

Tiff reached the knight’s room and knocked on the wooden paneling. She stepped back, expecting the door to swing open. But nothing happened. The door stayed tightly shut. Tiff raised an eyebrow.

“Ummm,” Ivene said hesitantly.

“Tiff, are you sure he’s in there?” Tuff inquired.

“He’s got to be,” Tiff answered. “Sword and Blade told me he hasn’t been out of his room all morning.”

Tiff knocked again, more insistently this time, but still no reply came from within. Tiff was starting to get extremely bothered; why was her friend not answering? Surely he would have heard the knocks, unless. . .unless something had happened. . .

Tiff grasped the knob and tried to turn it, but it wouldn’t budge. The door was locked!

“The door!” cried Tiff. “It’s locked!”

“What?” Tuff exclaimed.

Tiff sucked in her breath. “That’s it!” she burst out. “I’m breaking down the door!” Ignoring the objections from her friends, she kicked in the door, sending a shower of dust and wood splinters flying into the air. The foursome rushed into the room, only to find it deserted.

“Did anybody check the balcony?” Ivene piped up.

Tuff ran out onto the balcony and came back a few seconds later. “No one’s there,” he reported.

“Then where the heck is he?” Ivene exclaimed, stamping her feet in frustration. “He couldn’t have just vanished into thin air!”

Tiff’s eyes roved around the room until they came to rest on the bathroom door. She frowned. “Um. . .”

“You’re not suggesting we check the bathroom, are you?” Tuff joked. “I, for one, am not interested in doing such a thing. If we are doing so, we should definitely follow Mom’s advice and knock first.”

Tiff hesitantly knocked on the door, but there was no answer. She reached for the knob and slowly turned it, and the door swung inward. She took one glance inside. . .and screamed at the top of her lungs, the blood draining from her face.

“What is it?!” Ivene shrieked, jumping to Tiff’s side. What she saw made her heart leap into her throat. She couldn’t believe it.

Meta Knight was lying unconscious on the floor in a pool of blood!

Ivene was speechless. She felt as though she were going crazy. All she could think of was that Sword and Blade absolutely could not witness this horrible scene; they would freak. After what seemed like an eternity, she found her voice and hollered, “Someone get Dr. Yabui!”

*   *   *

Tiff sat on the edge of Meta Knight’s bed and looked sadly at him. He seemed fine now, but there was something about him that didn’t seem normal. . .was it his color? His breathing? She was so scared she couldn’t think straight. She could never forget the red painting the floor of the bathroom. That image would remain with her for a lifetime.

Dr. Yabui snapped his medical bag shut and stood up. Tiff gazed up at him with worried eyes. “Dr. Yabui, what’s wrong with him?” she begged to know.

Dr. Yabui shrugged. “It appears to me he, er, threw up blood, though I really have no idea why. It seems to me it was caused by extreme stress or trauma, but I don’t know of anything terrible that happened to him, except for the losses and horror he experienced in the army.” He scratched his head. “Does anyone else know something I’m missing?”

No one said a word, but Starmonia noticed Tuff staring at her. “Why are you looking at me like that?” she asked.

Tuff crossed his arms. “I think you know,” he said.

Starmonia stared at him. “Why me?”

“You seem to be keeping a lot of secrets from us,” Tuff replied, “and so I think you know.”

Dr. Yabui frowned. “Starmonia, if you know something we don’t, you have to tell us.”

“It’s not fit for children to hear!” Starmonia shot back. “And besides, I promised Meta Knight I would never tell.”

“You have to tell us,” Dr. Yabui persisted. “We have to know.”

Starmonia knew there was no use arguing with him. She scowled. “Okay, fine,” she muttered. “If you really have to know, there’s no use keeping it in the dark, I suppose.” She sighed deeply. “Sir Meta Knight was abused. . .badly! I will not go into details, but we’ll leave it at that! All right?!”

There was a stunned silence. Tuff looked at the floor. Tiff turned away from Starmonia and looked at the far wall. Dr. Yabui twiddled with his bag. Ivene rolled her eyes to the ceiling, a peeved expression on her face. No one knew what to say; they were all in complete shock.

A knock came on the door and Dedede poked his head in. “Hello, everyone. What’s up? A meeting?”

“Oh, be quiet,” snarled Ivene. “Nobody’s in the mood for your wisecracks. Why don’t you go away and leave us alone?”

Dedede stared round at the solemn faces. “Hey, what’s up? Why do you all look like you’re attending a funeral?”

Tiff sniffled, tears filling her eyes. She ran her fingers over Meta Knight’s limp hand, hating how still he was.

Ivene tossed her head, her eyes glowing with a defiant light. “If you don’t get out of here fast, Dedede, we’re likely to be attending your funeral,” she snapped.

“Whoa!” Dedede held up a hand. “Chill! I’m not here to do anything! I just wanted to know why Dr. Yabui was here.”

“None of your business,” Tuff responded.

Dr. Yabui seemed uncomfortable. “Umm, I think I’ll be taking my leave now,” he said quietly, slipping out of the room, but not before calling, “Call me if he gets worse or does anything like this anything.”

“We will,” Ivene promised.

Dedede was left standing in the room with three angry kids and a silent adult. He felt as though he wasn’t welcome here, probably because he wasn’t. In truth, he didn’t feel as though he ought to be there. But here he was, nonetheless. No one looked at him; no one spoke to him; no one acknowledged him. He felt as though he didn’t exist.

At last, Ivene turned around and her eyes pierced him like a laser beam. “What do you want?” she coldly asked. “If you’re here to make fun of us, then do so. But don’t just stand there saying or doing nothing. You give me the creeps when you do that.”

“Um. . .” Dedede fiddled with his fingers. “Um, well, I just wanted to know what was going on. You all seem kind of upset about something, is all.”

Ivene stood up, her eyes glowing with fierce anger. “Yeah? And since when do you care if we’re upset?!” she cried. “You enjoy making everyone miserable! Ever since my sisters and I first arrived here in Cappy Town nearly fifteen years ago, you’ve done nothing but bother, tease, and humiliate everybody here! You think you’re the star of this show, but you’re not! In fact, you’re lower than anybody I’ve ever met! Even Nightmare himself probably couldn’t hold a candle to you!”

“That’s not true!” Starmonia exclaimed before she could stop herself. Realizing what she had just said, she clapped a paw over her mouth.

Tiff stared at her through shimmering eyes. “What?”

“Uhh, it’s nothing. . .” Starmonia turned away and rolled her eyes, hating herself. . . “I nearly gave away the secret!” she muttered.

Dedede seemed startled. “What is she talking about?”

Before anyone could answer, Meta Knight suddenly stirred and opened his eyes. Tiff was so relieved he was waking up that she forgot Dedede for her friend. “Meta Knight!” she murmured.

“Tiff?” The knight sat up and grasped her hand. “Where am I. . .What are you doing in here?” He looked at the others crowded round the bedside and at Dedede standing by the door. “Why are you all in my room?”

“Ummm, it’s a long story,” Tuff replied. “But long story short, you threw up, passed out in your bathroom, and Dr. Yabui came to find out what was wrong. Starmonia told us you had been abused.”

“Tuff!” Ivene gasped.

Starmonia groaned under her breath. “Tuff, why. . .”

Meta Knight stared at Tuff. “She did what?”

Tuff rubbed the back of his neck, wondering if he should have said that. “Um, uh, she said you, uh, were. . .abused? I guess. . .” His voice trailed off.

Tiff brushed her hand across her eyes. “She said you were abused,” she said, her voice threatening to crack. “She said you wanted her to keep it a secret, but I don’t know why. It’s not like such a horrible thing can be kept in the dark forever.”

“Why did you never tell us?” Ivene asked.

Meta Knight’s grip involuntarily tightened on Tiff’s hand. “It was bad enough living through those memories once,” he whispered. “Why bring them up again?”

“Oh, I don’t think you ever need to bring them up again,” Ivene retorted. “In fact, I bet you think of them all the time and that’s what causes you to stress yourself out and throw up just like you did today. Isn’t that right. Sir Meta Knight?”

Meta Knight was so shocked he couldn’t answer.

“Ivene!” Starmonia hissed through clenched teeth. “Stop it!”

“You know,” Ivene went on, ignoring her sister, “the more you try to keep your bad secrets in the dark, the more they’ll show. And one day, they’re gonna spill over.” She scowled at him. “What else are you keeping from us? Huh? What else have you not told us?”

“Nothing!” Meta Knight replied, but his voice was shaking.

“You saying so doesn’t make it true! Not in the slightest!” Ivene shouted.

“Ivene, I don’t think. . .” Tuff began.

“Quiet!” Ivene ordered. “I’m not talking to you! This is between me and Sir Meta Knight!” Back to the knight. “If you have anything you’re suffering from, tell us now! Now is the time to spill everything that’s bothering you!”

“Nothing is bothering me,” Meta Knight spoke, but his voice was strained with emotion. “I-I’m fine.”

“Fine?!” Ivene shrieked. “Fine?!! I don’t call throwing up, being stressed, having bad nightmares and horrible flashbacks, and not being able to sleep being fine! That’s a total lie, and you know it!”

“Ivene, stop!” Starmonia ordered. “That’s quite enough out of you! And stop yelling! That’s not going to help anything in the slightest!”

Ivene stopped yelling and the angry look faded from her eyes. The room became silent. No one spoke. No one moved. Finally, Ivene looked back at the soldier. “Meta Knight. . .” she said, her voice as calm as calm could be defined, “. . .take off your mask.”

Meta Knight hesitated. He didn’t seem willing to oblige.

“Don’t you see?” Ivene insisted, a slight hint of impatience in her voice. “You’re getting all shut off with your mask on for ages and ages! You need to take it off.”

Meta Knight dropped his gaze to the floor, not knowing what to say. After a moment, he reached up and removed his mask, and for the first time since she was very young, Tiff saw his true face. She gasped in surprise.

Dedede took a step back, startled. He had never before seen Meta Knight unmasked. “Whoa! Uh. . .”

“And now do you see why I always wished to hide myself from the world?” Meta Knight asked, his voice quavering. “I am afraid others will hate me as I hate myself. I blame myself for everything that’s happened to me all these years. I am afraid others will criticize and make fun of me as those who have hurt me in the past did.”

Tiff was shocked by her friend’s words, but even more shocked by. . . “Meta Knight!” she gasped. “Are you crying?” She had never before seen him cry.

Ivene sighed heavily, her high-toned ears wilting. Starmonia sat beside her baby sister, Tuff standing beside the two of them. Dedede was too stunned to say a word.

“M-Meta Knight?” Tiff gently touched his hand. “Don’t cry. It’ll be all right. Really. It will.” Hardly thinking about what she was doing, she hugged him gently, soothingly. He leaned against her shoulder, his body shaking uncontrollably, tears seeping out of his eyes and onto her shirt. She didn’t care about herself; her friends were more important.

“‘It’ll be all right?'” Dedede softly repeated to himself. He pressed a hand to his head, suddenly feeling like he had heard that phrase before. . .many years ago. . .

_ _ _

“Dede?” Little Tiff, aged three years old, slipped into the king’s bedroom. Dedede was lying on his bed, facing the wall, his shoulders trembling. Tiff climbed onto the bed and sat beside him, tapping his shoulder gently. “Dedede aw wight?”

Dedede sniffled and turned over to see Tiff sitting beside him. He was honestly astonished to see her. He had never been nice to the girl and yet here she was, a sincere expression of concern on her face. He wiped his face. “I’m fine, Tiff.”

Tiff didn’t look convinced. “Why Dede cwy?” she inquired, her little face screwing up into a look of sympathy. “Happen?”

“N-No, nothing happened, child. . .” But it was not true. He had suffered from another nightmare about his father throwing him off the turret, but he did not want to admit it. “It’s nothing, r-really. I’m. . .”

Tiff touched his hand. “Dede, why cwy?” she asked again, her voice filled with sadness. “Why?”

Dedede couldn’t answer. He had never felt this before, but strangely, he felt as though Tiff really. . .loved him. Actually cared about him. He had never felt this way before in his life. Another tear slipped down his face as he reache d out and embraced Tiff, who patted him lovingly.

“It be aw wight, Dedede,” Tiff said softly. “It be aw wight. God wuvs you.”

_ _ _

“Dedede?” Ivene asked. “What’s wrong? Why are you spacing out?”

Dedede, startled, snapped back into reality. “Uh, uh, I’m sorry. I was just. . .” Why did I think about that now, of all times? he wondered.

Tiff wasn’t paying any attention to Dedede’s strange behavior. She was too absorbed in comforting Meta Knight. She could vaguely recall comforting several times in the past when he seemed stressed or traumatized, but never when he cried. In fact, she couldn’t recall him ever crying in front of her. But now he no longer seemed to be the strong, stoic knight she had always known. Now he seemed like a broken, fallen soldier who needed to be reminded how much he was truly loved. . .both by his friends and by God Himself.

“Meta Knight, I need to tell you something,” she said quietly, a lump in her throat. “I love you way more than you will ever know, and you cannot comprehend how much I appreciate you being my friend. I hate seeing you upset or unhappy, and I long to make you feel better, but I can’t if I don’t know what’s wrong. I know you have a lot of trust issues and I can respect that, but I wish to goodness you’d be more upfront and honest with me about what’s going on with you.” She sighed shakily. “I know you hate yourself for what happened to you all those years ago, but know God sees something in you no one else could ever see. . .beauty in your brokenness, my friend.” She held him closer as she spoke, and the tears she had been holding back finally spilled over and streamed down her face. “I really want you to know,” she choked out, “that nothing you do will ever shake my love for you!”

Dedede was touched by the scene. He had never really noticed it before, but Tiff and Meta Knight seemed to have a beautiful and intimate bond of friendship. They were always together, always talking, always hanging out, always training, always seeing the good in each other despite their faults. I wonder why I didn’t see it there before? he wondered.

He looked at them a moment longer, puzzlement clouding his features. Then he smiled.

He decided it didn’t really matter why he hadn’t seen their bond before. The important thing was that they had it.

They didn’t care about each other’s pasts.

They didn’t care about each other’s faults.

All they cared about was their loving bond for each other.

And that was how it was supposed to be.

 

-Starmonia

 

P.S. Let me know what you think of the story!

Uncategorized

Post Review: “Beautiful Little Weirdos” by Livora Gracely

3 Comments

Today, I need to talk to you readers about a post that really spoke to me about friendship: “Beautiful Little Weirdos” by Livora Gracely, author of the WordPress site livoragracely.wordpress.com

Post link: https://livoragracely.wordpress.com/2026/05/13/beautiful-little-weirdos/

 

This post was amazing in that it described friendship in a way I never could. Friendship is a beautiful thing that God gave us as a wonderful gift so we would never be alone. Humans are social, and being alone is unnatural. Friendship was given so we could be around each other, love one another, help one another, know one another.

 

Livora’s post is amazing in that it taught that friendship became stronger through nonsense and “real friends are not impressed by perfection anyway” is all true. The truth about friends that “laugh at your strange stories, understand your random moods, and somehow survive your dramatic ‘I’m fine’ speeches without running away” is so profound. Good and true friends will love you, even in your imperfection and strangeness.

When Livora mentioned that “friendship is often built from tiny moments nobody plans”, I was blown away. That was so simple and yet so strong. True friends bond over the smallest things, whether it be eating lunch together or chatting back and forth at three o’clock in the morning. The simplest things friends learn to love usually begin with the one whom they are befriending.

True friends are also good for therapy; they remind you that bad things are not the end of the world. They stick up for you through your worst moments and pray with you, love you, stay with you when you need them. . .the whole nine yards.

Livora finished with this amazing outro: “Maybe that is why friendship feels magical without trying too hard. It gives people a place where they can be unfinished, imperfect, loud, quiet, awkward, hopeful, and still deeply loved. Honestly, that kind of connection is rarer than treasure and probably healthier than overthinking everything alone.”

That is a beautiful truth that we all should embrace. God was so gracious to give us friendship and friends. We should thank God every day for our friends and for every little moment we spend with them, for they are our special gift.

Books

Book 3: With You Always

Leave a comment

Epilogue

 

Two months later. . .

 

Dear Cloudy,
Prism Plains is the best! My new Christian school, Jehovah Elementary, is amazing! My teachers are so nice and my classmates are very kind. I even made a new friend! Her name is Alicia Flasher. She’s great at singing and even plays the organ at church!

Dad is making a lot of money at his job. He’s great at what he does. Mom is fine too. So are my brothers. She says they’ll be born any day now. I can’t wait!

How is your family? How are the Stellarums? And my other friends? I really miss you guys a lot, but God has provided so many new opportunities for me.  If ever I get too sad about you guys, I read Miss Scazzarda’s card and then feel better.

God is good! I truly love Him!

Say hello to all my friends back in Spring Breeze for me!

Your friend,
Miriam.

 

*   *   *

 

Dear Miriam,
Everyone is just fine back here in Spring Breeze! We’re all learning to cope with you being gone, but we miss you lots, though, and hope you come for a visit soon!

I’m glad to hear you have a new friend! I would like to meet her someday. I’m also happy your dad is doing well at his job and that your mother and brothers are doing wonderfully. I’m also glad you’re still trusting in God and that you read Miss Scazzarda’s Scripture card when you feel down about us.

Oh, by the way, I have big news! Do you remember Derek, who helped rescue you from Joseph Unswall? I went to the prison with my mom a few days ago and learned he became saved! He’s now a child of God! That’s so exciting, isn’t it? I’m glad he finally saw the truth and accepted Jesus as His Savior!

Another piece of news: A church is being built next to Oromo Thuli! Now we’ll have a church to go to on Sundays! I went to the construction sight with Daddy two days ago and saw the building materials lying all over the ground. It’s hard to believe those pieces of wood, brick, and metal will one day become a tall building with a steeple. Strange to think about, hm?

I’ll keep you updated on any news in the future! For now, farewell! I love you a lot and wish you the best in your life, sweet friend!

God be praised!

Sincerely,
Cloudburst (Cloudy).”

~   ~   ~

 

Thus ends another book, dear readers. But always remember: God is always with you. In the highs and lows, good and bad, dark and light, He will never forsake you. No matter if you’re a sinner or a saint, no matter if you’re an agnostic or a believer, He will always be with you and love you.