The Cosmic Princess

Run

"We'll just have to keep moving and come up with something." Ike spoke up.

Kaiya scoffed. "So keep moving until the inevitable happens."

"We have no plans! We're dead!" Nydale guffawed. "We can't beat them from the outside and there's no way we can get inside undetected. We've all heard their setup from the cave dwellers!"

The frustration, sadness, and hopelessness that leaked through the group made me feel sick.

"Then will well die fighting." Ike's words were final and not having any other options or ideas, no one said anything. Yet, their broken facial expression said it all.

We were doomed.

****

I found myself staring up at the sky. It was a moonless night, yet there were a few stars that shimmered in the dark trenches of the sky unbridled. Like many night ago, I found myself situated under a dirt teepee in my lonesome. Yards away Ike's teepee stood. I had made mine first. Imagine the disappointment when I saw him not heading in my direction and instead away from me.

I didn't cry though. What was the point? I had messed up, and besides apologizing I didn't know how to fix it. How do you even begin to fix that? Everyone had fallen asleep, and now I found myself contemplating on life.

Suddenly a warm body moved next to me, and my heart nearly jumped out of my chest. Quickly, I calmed though, when I realized it was Ike. At his closeness, I could feel my body yearning for him. Outwardly, I played it cool.

Allowing him to get adjusted, I simply stared until he rested on his back and his eyes connected with mine.

"Hi." His baritone voice simply said.

With a sad smile, I echoed his words.

"Avril, I don't know what to say." He started after a few tense seconds.

"That I ruined us all." I rebutted.

A humorless chuckle came from him before he heaved a heavy sigh. "I want to be upset with you, but I just can't. A part of me feels like I should. But all I can think about is your facial expression the instance you realized that they were going to hurt you. The protectiveness that surged in me to take that expression off your face was one of the only things I could think about. Every time I believe I truly understand how much you mean to me, something happens and I realize you mean even more to me than I originally thought."

My heart fluttered at his words, but gloominess still furled through me. "I understand though if you're upset. I mean I'm upset with myself, you don't even know, but you should never have had to go through that."

"I'd it over again, if it meant you didn't have to." He blurted, and I shook my head.

"Doesn't make it right."

"Not everything is right in the world." Ike stated.

Suddenly, I sat up. "You don't get to do that. You don't get to have me make promises about me not doing things to ensure everyone's safety including yours and then do the same thing back."

Staring at him through the darkness, I wished I could see his beautiful eyes as they gazed at me unwavering. Sitting up himself, his displeasure was easy to see though.

"I had you make that promise because I know you're too self-sacrificing!"

"And look at you doing the same thing!"

"No, it's not! You, you're too selfless for your own good. You're too selfless when you need to be selfish. You're too stubborn. You're too impulsive. You're...ugh." Ike pressed a frustrated hand to his forehead. Watching his anger simmer down, mine did too.