Seventeen Forever

Five Years Ago...

Collin ran screaming past the heroes as fire spread across Endless Island.

"She's destroying everything!" Reggie yelled at Todd, who was trying to put the fire out by spraying water from the beach.

"This is hopeless! We need to defeat her! You, Esther, and Conelly go! I'll stay and try to keep the fire at bay!" Todd turned into a larger elephant to spray more water. Rapid footsteps filled the air and Reggie was scooped up by a sprinting Conelly.

"M'Reggie," She said jokingly, her black hair flowing behind her. Reggie blushed as they tried to focus on spotting Esther. Reggie spotted Esther in the air, just as a blast of fire barely missed her.

"Esther!" Reggie yelled, and signaled her to come down. The girl descended and hopped off of her orb.

"Reggie, we may not be able to stop her this time," Esther said.

"We are not letting the Buttwitch destroy our island!" Reggie yelled as Conelly put them down.

"I'll go myself if I have to." Reggie crossed their arms.

"Fine. I'll fly you close, but you better not get yourself killed," Esther complained.

"I'm going with Reggie," Conelly said. Reggie nodded. Esther hopped back on her orb and the pair grabbed on to her.

Esther flew low over the burning trees of Endless Island. The Buttwitch towered over the flames, at a size the four never thought she could reach. She boasted four arms and three tails now.

"Did you brats think you could sneak up on me in such disgustingly colorful outfits?" The Buttwitch swung one of her tails, clipping Esther's orb. It began spinning like an out of control carousel and quickly ejected Conelly and Reggie, leaving Esther spinning into the fiery forest. Reggie found themself surrounded by the burning ashes of their childhood playground. The heat was unbearable as a large shadow loomed over them. The Buttwitch leaned down towards Reggie.

"Nowhere to run now, little one." She began inhaling and Reggie sat down, accepting their defeat. Suddenly a hand laid on their shoulder.

"Conelly? Why'd you come back?!" Reggie screamed.

"I'm with you to the end." She smiled back.

"Wh... I'm not sure what to say." Reggie was baffled.

"Nothing." Conelly leaned in to kiss her partner for the last time. As their lips touched, a shock-wave spread from them across Endless Island.

"What was that?" Conelly asked as the Buttwitch was blown onto her back.

"The power of friendship. It's stopped her from attacking before," Reggie said.

"That doesn't seem right. You're more than just a friend. I love you." Conelly hugged Reggie, and suddenly a light shone from between them. A blinding orb had appeared within their embrace.

"We might have a chance after all," Reggie smiled.

"Flaps! Hit me!" The small creature arrived and spat a missile launcher to Reggie. She loaded the orb in and fired. It arced across the sky like a shooting star before hitting the Buttwitch like a firework. She shrank rapidly and fell to the ground. The shockwave blew past, extinguishing the fire, leaving only Reggie and Conelly, holding hands in the ashes.

A few weeks later...

Todd closed his locker as Reggie continued to pester him.

"Come back to Endless with me, please," Reggie begged.

"Reggie, you and Conelly almost died," he noted.

"I'm with Todd. We shouldn't go there anymore. It's dangerous, and also kind of childish."

"All our best memories are in Endless!" Reggie begged.

"And who will protect it?!"

"We're done, Reggie," Todd said, to Esther's approval. The pair left Reggie, near crying. Conelly soon came over to see them.

"You know they are right, Reg," Conelly said.

"They aren't. Let's protect Endless together, you and I," Reggie pleaded.

"I'm never going to Endless again," Conelly said, before she left for class. Reggie stood for a while, before opening her locker.

"I'll protect it myself if I have to." They took their key to the bathroom and chanted their spell to activate it. Surrounded in pink light, Reggie hit the landing pad.

"I'll protect you, Endless. Even if my friends won't help me. Some friends they are." Reggie began hacking as a worm exited their throat. They grabbed it before it flew away.

"This is your fault," Reggie said to the wriggling creature.

"I can't just let the Buttwitch have this..." Reggie thought for a second before biting into the creature, and devouring it whole.

"Gross." Bits of the worm dripped from their chin, when suddenly they got a pounding headache and fell to the ground. The world of Endless Island warped around them for a while, before they could stand again. Reggie decided to go back, before they threw up.

Reggie stood on the warp pad and held up their key, which didn't work.

"Why can't I leave?" Reggie asked aloud. They kept attempting to leave for a few minutes before admitting defeat.

"Am I stuck on Endless?" They pondered.

"I guess that's what I always wanted." Reggie began running into the black licorice woods and found a clearing. They approached a big rock, and sliced the top of it off with their incredible strength. They set down their Endless key on the rock.

"I don't need it anymore, I guess. I'm the hero Endless needs. The queen." Reggie was full of doubt, but really had no other option left to them.

"I guess I'll be seventeen forever after all." They began crying as they ran from the altar.

A few days later...

Todd and Esther headed to the warp pad, once again not finding their lost friend. Reggie watched as they left from on the mountain. They couldn't let their friends see them like this. Every worm increased their strength, and ability to protect Endless. Within the last day, sand began sticking to Reggie's outfit. They'd tried to scrape it off, but it always came back. It was better this way. They laid down in the sun, the light glinting off their chest-plate, which still bared the number seventeen, just barely, through the layer of magnetic sand.

To Be Continued