Terra Cabey, “Starry Hearts of War”

STARRY HEARTS OF WAR

Terra Cabey

Characters: Everena Gaen (He/She), sapphire and daisy-white eyes, silver hair, 169 cms Hero name - Prime | Power - Maestro : controls who you feel when he sings/uses negative feelings to make physical objects. | Description - Satin blue and red suitress, down to her ankles, gold infinity pin on right shoulder, gold leaf belt, silver stars on skirt. Knee-high, silver shorts, black embroidery in the shape of a butterfly. Blue tie-band holding his hair up. Pivony pearl string anklet on left ankle to show marriage. Ivu (Dex) Mivo (He/Him), jade eyes, green hair, 166 cms Vigilante Name: Dex | Power - Jadize : the ability to turn anything into jade and either control the victim or keep them in a statue. | Description - Cotton pear and pine suitress, up to his knees, mintvine pin on mintvine belt, clovers on skirt. Forest green leggings. Jade frog anklet on right ankle to show marriage.

In Everena’s head

“What star remains unfallen?” Dex looks up at the blackout sky, violet stars shining in his always curious jade green eyes, his green suitress flowing in the faint wind as he stands. “What do you mean?” Everena scans the black screen of night, as if the answer is there, looking for a sign. “There are multiple stars, always falling. We just don’t see them because they’re so far away.” His beige face contorts into haughty laughter and such a blinding smile; it lights up the night for Dex for a second. Just a second.

This was not an irregular thing for them, a night together asking ridiculous questions, trying to get the other to crack out their bubbling laughter into the world with no consequence. “Until…” Everena sighed mentally. Ever since the Jaded War first started, the two boys and the rest of their friends barely got a break, a time of day to themselves. Using their powers, instead of for fun, was for protection. Dex, who used to be the one with the blinding smile, now only used that to offer fake reassurance to surviving children. Everena’s singing, once used to make people happy, turned into physical weapons and took away all of the pain of negative emotions, and is stored in him. She could still remember the taste of iron and the vile taste of blood and bile when she took on too much at once, and the smell of the perfume of her loving savior of dark times. Dex repeats, “What star remains unfallen?” Everena avoids the question. He knows the answer, he just doesn’t want to open up that topic. Why would he want to? Why . . . don’t I want to again? Well, why would she? This is supposed to be a fun night, a rare night. Instead of answering the questions in her head or the one asked of her, Everena looks over to Dex to see his messy mop of green hair, just tempting her to touch it. Like he used to. Creeping up behind his shorter friend, he reaches his hand up to the top. And that’s when she saw it. The purest jade in the galaxy, reflecting in Ren’s diamond white and ocean sapphire eyes, spreading like a plague on the back of Dex’s golden brown neck, his arms, and a bit in his hair. He was frozen where he stood, actually unable to move, as the jade spread like a slimy eel across the grass, slithering onto his ankle, circling on and hardening like a shackle. “Dex, what is going on?! Why—” Everena’s voice sounds like static as the world shakes and breaks away from under her feet. Why is this happening? From the past. Why is this happening? From the present. Nothing has changed. Despite the turmoil around them, Everena leaps towards him

with reckless abandon, trying to save him. There it is again. Never mind, I have to get to Dex. With every leap, I get closer. Dex still hadn’t turned around. He’s not even affected by the whirlwind—literal whirlwind—of chaos around us. It’s too familiar. Everena is close, so close. She realizes it is getting harder to move, then realizes I can’t move at all, as the before seen jade parasite spreads and constricts up to her chest. Everything is glitching from dream to memory. What hasn’t changed? “Dex, what the hell is going on!? Faja, we have to get off!” Everena calls out, reaching out for her friend through the storm. It would seem that Dex has finally heard her and starts running towards her. How does this end again? “Thank God, come on! We could still—” What I see… irregular, even for him. Dex grabs his shoulders and looks at him with crazed purple eyes, in which she sees his sapphire and white eyes, widened in concern and horror. Then, he speaks. “There is no more. No more light. No more rebellion. No more

Dex. Just Jade. Only Jade!” Oh, yeah.

The memory ends in a whoosh of black. And a dreamy echo. “Help…” Dex… Dex? IVU!

To be continued…

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