Away in the Galaxy (Kirby Fanfiction)

Chapter LIX - I can keep secrets

Tiff was sulkily stood on her balcony, her posture showing how moody she felt. Yes, Autumn was coming and there was much to do, but she had to bare the feelings of loneliness that occupied her days. 

Before..before they came..he at least bothered to check on her and she even went on adventures with the rest of them. Now, she was only a background character in their lives, hardly acknowledged and ignored mostly. How she longed for those days to return, the days when they were all managing to get along, besides Dedede, and all the Cappies would mindlessly fall victim of Dedede's plans, with Kirby saving the day in a heroic manner. To be able to call her his friend was such an honour, at the time at least. 

The young warrior had a tendency to befriend almost every foe that dared to object, after an agonising beat down beforehand. Now, it was an embarrassment to call her his friend. 

Most of the Ebrum family was getting hyper over a TV show that was on, which Tiff found to be quite a boring show. Often, she wondered why they bothered keeping the TVs and allowing Dedede to keep the saintly name he had. 

As she impatiently tapped her foot behind her, she could feel that the elbow she had rested on the railing of her balcony started to quiver. In fact, her entire body was trembling, and she didn't know why until she looked down. 

Tears. 

Streams of tears flowed down her pale face, and she could feel a tenuous feeling of unhappiness. Only slight, but still recognisable. 

Again, she begun to tap her foot on the floor as she conjured up questions which buzzed through her mind like a swarm of bees.

'Do they even remember me?'

'Has Meta Knight forgotten about me?'

'Does Kirby even know who I am anymore?'

'Do I matter to them?'

A knock on the door startled her. 

Turns out, her entire family had gone to bed by the time she'd snapped out of it. 

Oh.

Of course it would be her answering the door. 

Becca, the one who ruined everything for her, decided to come knocking on-

"Does that sound great to you?" The elven girl asked, a rather shy smile coating her face.

Tiff looked up at her, inquisitive as to what Becca had been saying. With a blank voice, she unknowingly inquired about it. 

Giggling, Becca could only imagine that for once, Tiff wasn't paying attention," I'm considering the task of building a school. The Cappy children have neglected the old one, and I can only guess that you would be over the moon to teach there." 

The empty expression that Tiff wore made Becca think that she would have to sweeten the pot," ..and afterwards, I was thinking of going on a picnic if you wanted to come with..?"

An emerald green shine emerged from the pool she called an iris," Really?" 

The child's expression had lit up like the sky on bonfire night. Subtly, she hummed her response which only made the Cappy child all the more excited. 

Becca could admit that she had next to no motherly qualities, nor did she mother anybody, but she knew the child should definitely be asleep. So, she took her to her room. 

"Bethany?" Tiff unknowingly asked. 

It was a challenge to keep from laughing at that one. She'd been called Rebecca, but never Bethany. 

"You can just call me Becca, as my real name is Rebecca." 

"Oh."

The tension stiffened when realization hit her like a bus, yet she still dared to continue," Can I ask you a question?"

"Uhm...go ahead. What's your question?" 

"How long have you known Meta Knight for?"

The question stumped her. They had a lot of history together, to say the least. She'd watched as he cried himself to sleep that night Jecra passed, only to be called stoic and heartless, much like the monsters they faced. His heartbreak was something she'd locked in her chest of various other secrets she had accumulated among the years she'd lived. Secrets, of which, were confidential and she wouldn't say even on her deathbed. 

She could remember feeling so anxious when Meta Knight and Garlude went to Kirisakin's cave to retrieve Galaxia, and held him close when he wept over Garlude. Becca wasn't incredibly close with them, but she could highlight and pinpoint the marvellous and easily enviable qualities about them. How they fought so determinedly, how, even through hellish conditions, they still wore smiles on their battle-torn faces. Why she hadn't gotten a collection of story-worthy scars was beyond her, maybe tied with her ability to revive and heal it would all make sense. 

"We'll keep that as a secret, for now." she muttered, trying to keep the happy facade going. 

Once she was sure that Tiff was asleep, she walked back off into the hallway and into her bed for the night.