Archive of Our Own ^beta

Planet Earthfall. 

Known for its vast forests and long, drawn-out autumn. Outsiders would see the planet as having eternal autumn, when nothing could be further from the truth. Spring and summer weren't non-existent, like some people might think. It was only the light from the sun, and the natural, earthy tones all plant life would sport all year, except for a few weeks in the spring, when leaves and grass would regrow with a muted green, still resembling fall colours. Hence the name of the planet.

There would also be a short period of winter, where everything would be covered in a generous layer of heavy snow.

It was one of these winters when a starship crashed into the planet. The impact shook the ground with such force, the very walls of every building in the nearby town rattled.

Some of the villagers brave enough to weather the forest after the sun had set, and went together to investigate.

Hallon was such a quiet and sleepy town, where nothing ever happened. The villagers were kind-hearted people, but in a situation like this, panic struck.

Orian were one of the few who remained somewhat calm, and ran into the forest with nothing but a small lantern to light the way.

Expecting to see a meteor or something of that nature, he was shocked by the sight that greeted him.

A starship.

The overheating engine of the ship was melting all the snow within a five metre radius around the large crater. Which was quite worrisome, considering a ship wouldn't crash land without a pilot, and something like this could catch fire —or worse, explode— at a moment's notice.

There was no one else around to help, no one prepared for aliens to arrive on their planet in such a manner, and the only fire brigade was located in the next town over. Calling for them would do no good for the pilot whose life could be in danger.

Without a second to waste, Orian directed the villagers who were brave enough to follow him into the forest, and they all made quick work of opening up the starship and getting the pilot out.

Fortunately, the ship was small, and it could only fit one person, and the hull was banged up enough to easily open the glass dome at the top. Within a few minutes, they were all stood in a clearing as far from the starship as they could before checking on the person they had rescued.

It was an odd one, Orian had to admit to himself. Small with a round, blue body draped in a red cape, face covered with a simple steel mask.

He supposed they could've come from a different part of the planet, but now looking closer at them, he held fast on his earlier assumption: they hadn't come from a different part of the planet, this was an alien that had come hurtling through the atmosphere at impossible speed.

One he hadn't seen before. Earthfall was a melting pot of species from a little bit of everywhere, so it was surprising to see a completely different species.

They could be dangerous.

Bringing them to the town could be a very bad idea. Something about this creature screamed wrong in Orian's mind. It probably had something to do with the dark shadows swirling around on their skin, that had nothing to do with the patches of soot they were covered in.

At the same time, something about them felt... familiar. Like Orian had seen something like them before.

He was certain he'd never encountered someone of this species before, he must have only seen a photograph, or read about them in a book sometime in the past.

Orian looked around at the villagers who followed him. None seemed afraid of the creature he was cradling, only spooked at the situation in general.

Looking down again, the alien hadn't stirred at all. They were so out of it, Orian was certain he had time enough to find as much information as he could on them before they woke up.

Tending to them would be kindest, after all.

Mind made up, he picked the unconscious pilot off the ground, and hurried back to Hallon to find the town medic.

.*·★·*.

Meta opened his eyes slowly.

His head was aching, and it was so tempting to shut his eyes again and go back to sleep. He almost did, until the last thing he remembered hit him like a sack of bricks.

He shot up in a sitting position, but could do nothing more than shut his eyes again and groan loudly as his head throbbed with pain. He placed his face in his paws, hoping in vain it would alleviate some of the pain. At least he didn't have to see the room spinning with his eyes shut tight.

A single moment of blissful peace was all he got before he almost jumped out of his own skin when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He scrambled away and promptly hit the floor.

Floor made of hard stone tiles. Just what he needed.

He couldn't bring himself to keep his eyes open more than a squint, the light in the room burned his retinas and worsened his headache.

As he laid half-splayed on the floor, he realised just how odd it was, to be in a well-lit room. One that wasn't lit by the harsh and cold white of fluorescent overhead lamps, but rather the soft yet ruthless glow of morning sunlight.

That... didn't feel right. There was no sun around to shine through the windows of the fortress.

He heard footsteps approaching him, but this time, he stayed still.

Two feet stopped right by his face, and he dared to look up.

The figure was tall, but he couldn't really glean out any more details through his blurry vision. Their hands were hovering in front of him, as if they were unsure whether or not they should attempt touching him again or not.

Meta took a couple of deep breaths, calming himself as best he could. 

"Who're you?" he slurred out. The figure had been speaking to him, but he hadn't caught the start of their sentence, so he interrupted them instead of trying to figure out what they were talking about.

The figure went silent for a beat.

"I am Orian," they said. "but please, let us keep the introductions for later, you are still injured. Allow me to help you back to bed."

They held out their hands again, almost touching his shoulders.

He didn't feel like saying anything else, so he just barely nodded in response.

The figure... Orian, grabbed his sides firmly, but lifted him gently back to where he was a minute earlier.

They weren't joking. It was an actual bed. The softest thing he'd felt in what seemed like forever, and he melted into the mattress once he was let go.

He didn't really know where he was, how he got here, or if he actually was even a little bit safe... 

This could all be just a pleasant dream his exhausted and delirious mind had conjured. Then again, he hadn't had a nice dream in years, so why not indulge when he had the chance?

"Please, try to sleep," Orian said, voice coming from somewhere on his left. "You have yet to heal from your wounds, you need all the rest you can get. I will be nearby if you need anything."

Meta didn't have to be told twice.

As odd as it felt to place his trust in a stranger, he relaxed. 

Hoping, against all odds, that this wasn't just a dream as he fell asleep again.

.*·★·*.

When he woke up again, Meta was much more aware. He felt well-rested, and surprisingly energised. He could barely remember the last time he felt so ready to wake up in the morning.

So he sat up.

This time, he didn't get startled when a voice piped up from his left.

"Awake again, are we?"

Meta turned to see a large avian with brown, spotted feathers sitting in a chair next to the bed he was laid in.

Not a dream, then.

"It seems so," Meta answered after taking his time drinking in the sights of the room around him, addressing the avian. "May I ask where I am?"

"You're in Hallon, my friend. A rather small town, I doubt you have heard of it. A part of the Mapleleaf region, actually."

Meta stared at the avian blankly.

"I'm sorry, I should have been more clear: I wish to know which planet I'm currently on." 

Something twinkled in the avian's eyes, and he smiled slightly.

"So you are not from this planet after all, then." he said. "I figured as much. You are on planet Earthfall, in the Stella Galaxy."

Meta nodded slowly. A long way from where he started...

"Now that you are aware enough to talk, perhaps you would like to introduce yourself?"

Meta flinched. "Forgive me for my rudeness."

Since he was still stuck in bed, his polite bow was less successful than he'd hoped, but figured the avian wouldn't mind given the circumstances.

"I'm called... my name is Meta."

"Nice to meet you, Meta," the avian smiled and held out his hand. "I'm Orian."

Ah. Handshake. Not something he'd done in quite some time. Not something he was too accustomed with, either.

Meta held out his paw as well for Orian to grab.

He couldn't help but notice the state of it as he reached out. His arm was bound with a tight bandage, and some minor scratches was littered over his scarred wrist. Most noticeably was the black dusted on each of his fingertips, making his ivory claws stand out even more. His claws weren't retracted, but he hoped the avian wouldn't pay it any mind.

"I am glad to see you awake, Meta. I truly am." Orian said as he leaned back in his chair. If he'd noticed, he didn't show it. "We thought the worst when we found you."

"Yes, about that..." Meta shifted in place. "Why did you think I came from off-world?"

Orian laughed heartily, making Meta's cheeks heat up.

"You came crashing down into a forest nearby in a spaceship, I had an inkling."

"Oh." 

That would be an issue. He couldn't remember entering the atmosphere of this planet, but he did remember the engine overheating after flying at top speed for who knows how long.

He was lucky he'd landed somewhat unharmed.

"What happened to my ship?"

Orian drew breath but hesitated, as if he didn't want to relay this information.

"It was in quite the state when we found you," he said after a moment. "We had to pry the hull open to get you out."

Meta hummed. "The damage was extensive, I take it?"

"It is, I'm afraid," Orian smiled apologetically. "But I heard the fire brigade managed to stop it from catching fire."

"At least one positive, then," Meta said. "It's got a very small and powerful ether engine, but it's unfortunately prone to overheating if used at max speeds for too long."

"Do you think it could be usable again?"

Meta let out a low chuckle. "I've been fixing that thing up for decades, unless it's exploded and reduced to a thousand little pieces, there's still hope for it."

Orian smiled along with him.

"Good," he said. "As soon as you've healed enough, I can take you to the place we stored it. I assumed it would fare better in a shelter than out in the open."

Meta didn't like the thought of being bed bound for much longer, but his body was making it clear he still needed rest. His ship would have to be a problem for another day.

He thanked Orian and settled down. They talked for a little longer before the avian too his leave, stating he needed to get back to work.

Which left him alone with his thoughts.

Memories bled into his now conscious mind.

He couldn't believe how lucky he'd been. Not many could hold the claim to have escaped the impenetrable fortress with not a scratch on his their person.

Most likely, none held that claim.

If he'd navigated correctly, this planet —Earthfall, apparently— was so far away and obscure that he wouldn't be found.

Perfectly hidden.

He'd never felt so relieved, he practically melted into the mattress. The only thing he'd have to worry about were the fading scars around his wrists where stinging with phantom pains of shackles long since removed.

He rubbed said wrists at the thought. The dark shadows on his paws were slowly fading, and would be gone in not too long now that he was far away from his influence.

Settling down, he closed his eyes.

Eventually, he fell asleep.

.*·★·*.

The star-shaped ship had definitely seen better days. The white panels were dented and covered in soot, making it look more grey than the white it was supposed to be. The glass dome was cracked, but luckily held its shape, making it a much easier fix. Getting a new one with the same highly resistant material would be impossible.

Meta took hold of one of the service panels that had been stuck by a particularly nasty dent, and popped it open with some jiggling and great effort. 

It was a rough sight.

"D'you think you can save it?" 

Meta didn't turn to acknowledge the only other person in the garage. A driblee named Plu, from the neighbouring planet Misteen, one of the five people who made up the town's fire brigade, and was kind enough to take the banged-up starship into their station for safekeeping while he recovered enough to take a look at it.

"I believe so," he said. "It won't be easy, but I've seen worse."

It wasn't too far from the truth. At first glance, it seemed to just be some melted plastic and burned out wires, easily replaceable.

But as he studied it a little closer, he could see what looked like cracks in a vital part of the engine, past the myriad of wires blocking his view of them.

"I'll need to get it to a workshop to figure out what's wrong," he muttered. "I can't see all of the engine without a proper rig."

"There's one at the university," Plu said.

That gained his attention, and he turned from his task to look at her.

"Is it open for anyone's use?" he asked.

Plu shrugged.

"No one's in that part of the university anymore," she said. "No one's worked there for years."

Meta hummed. "Would it be possible to borrow the place for a little while?"

"You'd have to ask the principal," she shrugged. "I bet he'd let you though, he's taken a liking to you."

That caught him by surprise. "He knows who I am already?"

Plu laughed at the baffled expression he was certain he sported. 

"Of course! He rescued you, after all!"

Orian.

Of course.

.*·★·*.

"I hope it's not too much trouble," Meta said.

Him and the entire fire brigade had managed to push his starship on its slowly turning support wheels the short to the university's abandoned wing, and were now stood in a great hall filled with just the equipment he needed.

Covered in dust, but entirely functional.

Orian was waiting for them at the doors when they had arrived to let them in.

The call had been a quick one. Meta had barely finished his question before he got an enthusiastic "yes, of course!" in response.

Meta couldn't fathom why Orian was so eager to let him into the building when they barely knew each other, but he wasn't about to complain.

"It's no trouble at all," Orian said with a smile. "It's good to see the facility being used again, you may stay as long as you want."

The avian was positively glowing.

Meta frowned behind his mask, but still felt he needed to be polite.

"Thank you." he said, before gesturing for the fire squad to give one last push to get the starship into the middle of the hall.

In the end, it only took about a week to fix his starship up.

It wasn't even that the damage was time-consuming to fix, the most time were spent waiting for spare parts to be delivered from the capital. A lot of it was cosmetic.

Meta stayed in the hall the entire time. It felt good to tinker away at machinery again after such a long stint of being unable to. He was glad he'd found his ship at the bay of the fortress. Escaping in his own ship felt poetic in a way.

Orian stayed with him whenever he had some free time from his duties as a principal. Bringing him meals and talking with him for hours on end. Sometimes just watching Meta work.

The dimensional cape was one thing that hadn't been taken from Meta before his escape. He never knew why, but was eternally grateful for it, since that meant all of his notes, books and old blueprints were still on his person when he needed them.

Orian had taken an interest in those too when he pulled them from his cape and spread them out on the floor to study.

One day, Orian spoke what Meta suspected had been on the old man's mind for the entire week.

"You're quite skilled, my friend," he said.

Meta were sat on the single seat inside the hull, wires in all shapes and colours pulled out of the main panel along with a circuit board, resting in front of him, tools scattered around on the ship's hood.

He tore his focused gaze from his task to look at the avian standing next to the ship.

"I have a lot of experience."

Orian smirked.

"I could tell," he said. "Do you have any formal education?"

Meta set the tiny screwdriver he was holding to give Orian his full attention. "I do, yes."

The smirk on Orian's face widened to a full-on smile, and gave a nod towards the main entrance to the hall.

"Come, take a walk with me," he said. "The weather is really nice this afternoon, and it's about time you had a break."

Meta left his task to follow Orian, who were already out the door.

He was certain the old man had been holding something back the entire week, that he had a question he wanted to ask. Meta didn't pry, too busy with repairs anyway.

The late afternoon sun pierced his eyes when he exited the building, he had to lift a paw to shield his vision. Orian was right, he'd been holed up in the dimly lit hall for hours, it was about time he went outside.

He sat down next to Orian on a bench under a large maple tree in the middle of the square. The university buildings surrounding them. The sun peeked through the orange leaves above them, dancing in the gentle breeze.

It truly was a beautiful place.

A far cry from the steel and darkness he'd been stuck in for far too long.

He drew a deep breath, relishing in the feeling of fresh, cool air rushing into his lungs. Air unpolluted in a way he thought he'd never experience again.

"I have a proposition for you," Orian said, drawing him out of his thoughts. "You've seen the empty facility, I'm sure you've put two and two together by now: we have a severe shortage of teachers within the science based faculties."

Meta kept silent, but nodded to let Orian know he was listening.

"What I wished to ask you is this... would you be willing to take the position?"

"I don't really know how to teach."

"Of course, I don't expect you to, but an engineering class is sorely needed, and from what you've told me, you're qualified enough."

Meta paused.

"Are you so willing to let me teach, when you've just met me, a stranger, with no way of proving my competence?"

Orian chuckled. A little nervously, for once.

"Ah, I was indeed hoping you at least had any credentials on you...?"

It was Meta's turn to smirk as he pulled a stack of papers from the pocket dimension in his cape, and handed them to Orian.

He felt a certain glee as he watched the avian's eyes widen as he read through them.

"I stand corrected," he said, handing the stack back. "You're more than qualified."

Meta looked out on the view of Hallon and its surrounding woods, of the Capital in the distance with its abundance of tall stone and wooden buildings. On the rolling hills and the sun above the horizon, waiting to set.

He could get used to this.

"I accept," he said.

Orian beamed.

.*·★·*.

Meta settled into his home quickly. 

After so many years of nothing but the harshness of steel, he didn't realise just how much he'd yearned for walls made of wood, and a bed filled with the softest down.

The thing he loved most were the crackling fireplace in the winter. The smell of it, and the feeling of how it was warming up the house so nicely made his heart ache with pure, unadulterated joy.

The linen curtains were drawn, letting in rays of sun. He walked up to it and held his hands there, marvelling at the fact that he was finally seeing sunlight again. Artificial light had been the closest thing he had to a sun for so long, he thought he'd never see it again. He soaked in the morning light every single day.

As much as he'd like to lie down and bask in the sun all day, he had work to do.

The days had flown by, and turned into months, which then turned into years.

His new routine, his new life was perfect for him.

He'd been sceptical in the beginning about the teaching job, but it turned out to be an absolute joy.

He woke every morning at the crack of dawn to get ready for the day's classes. 

Brimming with knowledge he couldn't wait to share. 

Seeing his student's progress and develop their skills were rewarding beyond anything else.

He was beyond glad that Earthfall was as technologically advanced as it was. It made teaching that much easier when it were somewhat similar to what he was used to previously in his life.

It was strange, to live on a planet where what seemed like two worlds had melded so well together. The planet had some really advanced technology, to the point even the appearance of an alien in a spaceship crashing into their town didn't seem to phase them. He learned quickly from Orian that Earthfall was in regular contact with other planets. 

Some really advanced technology, indeed.

But that didn't stop him from being puzzled by the architecture he'd seen so far.

Sure, he hadn't been around the entire planet, but he'd seen all of town and most of the neighbouring cities. No matter where he went, from the simplest house to the tallest building were completely made of wood and stone bricks.

Meta couldn't help his bias. He always associated technological advancement with concrete and steel and pristine glass. The last place he stayed —Nova help him— was a planet-sized fortress.

While Earthfall... it was still homely. The people of this planet kept their old buildings despite being launched into modern times, their steps into a bright future taken in stride.

It was impressive. Meta was familiar with the many, many planets that succumbed to its own advancement. Draining it dry of resources, replacing the natural with the man-made. None of those planets had survived in the end, and the list was long. Shiver Star, Mekkai... Halcandra.

Earthfall was the polar opposite, though. Rather than replacing it, they embraced the natural.

It never ceased to amaze him. He relished in the nature he passed as he walked the gravel road from his home into the neatly paved cobblestone of the school grounds.

He did catch himself gazing out of the window in his office sometimes too, looking at the vibrant coloured leaves on the massive tree in the middle of the grounds waving in the crisp wind.

He still couldn't really believe he had an office. 

Not completely his own, he was currently sharing the space with the maths professor, Ayna. He didn't really know what to make of her at first. She'd had the room to herself since the previous teacher retired, and didn't seem too fond of having a younger, inexperienced teacher disturb her workflow.

And Meta weren't too thrilled to be so close around anyone, period.

Yet somehow, they became friends. She was cold, but sharp as a tack, and pleasant to be around once you got to know her. He did realise she was much like himself. His self-awareness wasn't that poor.

He would spend his weekend evenings in her and Orian's company, meeting up to chat about anything other than work.

Not that Meta had much to add. He hadn't exactly led a normal life like they had, and despite his effort to become a bit more sociable, he loathed talking about himself.

The company was still nice, though. And he didn't mind taking on a listening role after a week of giving lectures.

If anyone asked him, he wouldn't lie and say he wasn't tired sometimes.

It was stressful work. Early morning preparation for his classes, long days of lectures, tireless nights of grading papers and evaluating projects. Weekends to catch up on sleep.

It wasn't uncommon to find him shuffling down the hallway on his way to the workshop with a stack of books and a mug filled to the brim with coffee balanced on top.

Some students liked to tease him about the mysterious coffee stains on the papers he handed back to them every now and then when he occasionally shared lunch table with them. They knew the tower he always carried would topple over eventually. The entire class one year had apparently been placing bets among themselves, trying to guess how long into the semester before the tower hit the floor.

Meta had only laughed when they told him.

One of those students from that particular group were somewhat of a funny guy, and had doodled all over his plain coffee mug with a permanent marker one time he forgot it at the lunch table.

He was exasperated, but kept using it regardless.

That one student turned out to be top of her class that year.

He remembered them all, each individual student all for different reasons.

And graduation day always left him bursting with joy at the sight of his small classes each with their diplomas in hand.

Every ceremony were a grand affair, hundreds of glowing faces, ready to take on the world.

It never got old, either. He felt just as proud to see every class graduate at the end of each year. And they all brought something new to the table.

He'd had a lot of different students as time went on.

They all had different solutions to problems, ways of thinking and methods.

The one thing they all always had in common was passion for their work.

They were all extraordinary in his eyes, and it was a joy to meet them every day. He didn't mind helping them out with their work, and would often stay in the workshop for hours on end to solve problems with them. If anyone asked for help, they would get it without a moment's hesitation.

Even so, one student stood out from the rest.

Meta found them sitting under the lamplight on a workbench at his workshop late one night. He was only going there to pick up a few papers before heading home for the night.

He stood behind them. They were too consumed with their task to have even noticed he'd entered the room.

He cleared his throat to declare his presence, and the student jumped in their seat.

"Dee?" Meta said, eyeing the student. "It's way past closing time, what are you still doing here?"

"Oh! Eh..." the waddle dee stuttered. They shuffled their feet and fidgeted with the strap of their messenger bag that was laid out on the workbench, avoiding his gaze. "I'm just... down at the workshop."

"I can see that. It's been hours since the class ended, it's almost midnight."

"Uhm..." the waddle dee trailed off.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah! Uh—"

Meta was beginning to grow concerned with how the student was acting, until they turned to pick up the worn out notebook they were pouring over a moment ago. It was clearly well-used, every page wavy and colourful sticky notes peeking out from the top. 

Dee took a hold of one of the notes to open a specific page of the book.

"I actually wanted to ask you something," they said, voice trembling slightly, making them sound even more timid than usual. "Would you look at this for me?"

They held out the open book towards him.

It was two pages filled with drawings of some kind of machine, notes littering the pages and filling out every space between each sketch. One sheet of blueprint held onto the right page with a paperclip, a schematic neatly drawn out by a steady hand.

Meta studied the blueprint closer. He had to admit, it was good work. Nothing he'd seen from any student in his classes so far, not even by this particular student.

They were clearly holding back.

"A robot?" he said, finally, after a long few minutes of inspecting the pages held in front of him.

"Yes, sir!" they replied with a high-pitched squeak. "A machine made to put out forest fires using ice technology. I thought it could be a good help for the fire brigade, especially after that forest fire last summer..."

"It's a very good idea, Dee," he said, interrupting their nervous rambling. "The fire brigade wouldn't have to do anything too risky if they had a robot to control."

Their face brightened at his words.

"Do you really think so, sir?" they said.

"Of course, I promise to take a look, but now you need to go home and get some rest. We'll look at this tomorrow, alright?"

Dee had packed their bags and left, skipping happily down the hallway, and Meta had left for home after picking up the books.

True to his word, Meta took a look at the blueprints with them after class the next day.

A month later, they started working on the machine.

The waddle dee passed all their exams with flying colours later that year.

Before he knew it, he'd taken on Dee as his apprentice, teaching them everything he knew in the engineering field.

Adding a whole new positive to his life on Earthfall.

He couldn't be happier after struggling to get away from Nightmare.

.*·★·*.

The peace didn't last forever.

Meta knew it couldn't. He hadn't expected it to, but he'd hoped against hopes he could live normally for a little longer than he did.

He was in the middle of his welding work when the commotion started. He almost dropped his tools, startled at the distant sound.

There were shouting coming from the town square.

"What on earth...?"

Running to the nearest window, his eyes widened at the sight.

Not only were there screaming villagers, but a purple-ish smoke were billowing from several buildings surrounding the town square.

He was out the door in a flash, but stopped dead in his tracks when it dawned on him.

No weapon...

He looked around the hallway, eyes landing on one of the shields and crossed swords carrying the university's emblem adorning the hallway's walls. It wasn't much, and definitely not sturdy enough for combat, but he would just have to make do.

He picked it off the wall and darted down the hallway.

He'd never ran so fast in his life, and was at the town square in record time.

Villagers and townspeople alike fled the square.

Meta screeched to a halt when he reached the open plaza.

Seven small beasts slithered off in different directions, into the alcoves and paths in between the tightly knit buildings, emitting noxious purple fumes that fogged up the streets.

Miasmoros, the polluted poison demon beasts.

His focus were drawn away from the small ones when one giant beast, dripping with viscous, purple sludge, and almost as tall as the buildings around it, made its appearance from its hiding spot behind the clock tower, and it roared.

It could almost be compared to a slug when looking at its body shape, but the forward-facing horns on its head and long talons peeking out where its feet were supposed to be countered that thought. 

Miasmoth, he thought.

A chill ran down his back as he recalled the beast's name. Bigger, and much slower than its cousin Miasmoros, but twice as deadly.

And notoriously difficult to slay.

Meta changed his grip on his sword and shield.

It wasn't ideal, taking on such a beast —no matter how slow— with nothing more than wall adornments.

A scream sounded from a nearby building.

Several screams.

He took his eyes off the beast to locate them, but the Miasmoth beat him to it.

The beast crashed its massive horns into a building on its immediate right, making the building crumble like it was made of nothing more than a child's wooden toy blocks.

There were three villagers lying in rubble next to that building.

The building that were about to topple over.

He felt a drop of sweat running down his temple.

He hadn't fought a demon best since...

Since his training...

But he had no choice.

The stone ceiling crumbled, and one huge block of stone tilted came crashing down towards the three people stuck in the rubble.

Without spending a single second to contemplate how stupid of an idea it was, Meta ran over with incredible speed just in time to intercept it. He steeled himself, and hit the point of his sword into the stone, stopping it in its tracks.

Even with both hands braced on the pommel on his sword, it was heavy. The weight combined with the momentum of the falling rock made his arms shake and he was forced back, steel reinforced shoes scraping loudly across the stone floor.

The stone lost all speed and stopped.

Meta fell down on the floor, shaking in exhaustion and panting loudly.

He distantly heard the villagers scramble to run away, but couldn't spare any more thoughts on the matter. He felt like he was held underwater with muffled the sounds around him were weirdly muted.

An orange body came into view when he'd managed to centre his focus once again.

Dee was standing before him with a terrified expression on their face.

His hearing came back next, the cacophony of sound crashing into him, loud like thunder.

"Sir you need to get up!" Dee was yelling at him. "We have to go!"

Dee was blocking his view, but he just about caught sight of the Miasmoth's horns appearing behind them.

A ball of sludge came flying towards them.

Meta got control of his limbs again not a moment later and sprung up on his feet.

"Run!"

He yelled at Dee, pushing them behind himself just in time to swing his shield to parry the attack.

And a single bash against the corrosive liquid was all the shield was good for before it crumbled.

But the single hit was enough to spare his apprentice, who were given enough time to run off and take shelter.

"Watch your back!"

A harsh call came from somewhere behind him and he whipped around, and before he knew it, a wave of water crashed around him, into a wall of poison that were milliseconds away from engulfing him completely.

The water washed away, not a single drop ever touching him. In fact, it seemed to have a mind of its own, rushing around his feet and taking a u-turn back where it came from.

He looked over to see a person screech to a halt at his side, brandishing an axe as big as his body at the demon beast.

"I'll cover for you," the newcomer said, not taking his eyes off the beast. "Attack when I've cleared the poison away!"

The soldier swung his free hand out in front of him, and a new, massive wave of water rushed directly at the beast's body.

Water ability, he thought, amazed. Incredibly effective against poison attacks.

Without the thick layer of toxic sludge protecting it, the demon beast underneath were vulnerable to direct attacks.

Meta concentrated, letting his body and mind calm, focusing on directing all of his internal power into the blade.

The sword was dull and meant for display.

But it didn't matter when Meta released the building power as he swung the sword towards the beast.

Slinging a white-hot crescent beam of light right at it.

He knew he'd done it before the beam even hit.

The beast screeched a piercing wail as it crumbled, before exploding in a blinding light, as per usual for Nightmare's creations.

Toxic sludge splattered everywhere as the beast disappeared, and a thin wall of water appeared in front of him, shielding him once again from the poisonous matter.

When the wall fell away, there were no sign of any beasts left. Only puddles of poison diluted by water.

Meta looked around, decidedly ignoring the warrior who saved him for now, until he spotted his apprentice not too far away.

Dee, smart as they were, had climbed the rubble to avoid the growing pools of poison on the ground, and was slowly climbing down now that the danger had passed.

"Dee... are you alright?" he called out and hurried over, reaching out to help them down.

The waddle dee took his offered paw and took the final jump down to the ground, and took a moment to dust themself off.

"I think so," they said. "I would be dead if it weren't for you, sir..."

He didn't want to say anything to that. He wouldn't have fared so well hadn't the soldier come just in the nick of time.

Content that his apprentice were relatively unharmed, he finally turned to address the warrior.

"Thank you," Meta said. "Your help was sorely needed."

The soldier turned to face him. Now that Meta got a better look at him, they were most definitely the same species, the warrior were just a tiny bit shorter and bulkier than Meta, and definitely older. He had a deep turquoise body covered with platinum armour, mask with intricate detail and a star-shaped badge on his left spaulder. The narrow visor of his mask made him seem a bit mean-looking, but his body language said otherwise.

"No need to thank me," he said. His voice was somewhat deep. A tenor with a peculiar accent. Making Meta assume Common Starspeak probably weren't his first language. "It was a pleasure fighting at your side, you are quite the skilled swordsman!"

Meta couldn't really wrap his head around how this man could act so casual as a warrior, right after a fight, no less. He decided against commenting on it.

The warrior bowed to the pair of them.

"I should introduce myself," he said, then straightened up into a proud posture. "My name is Sir Nonsurat, I'm here on a mission with my team on behalf of the Galactic Soldier Army."

Something tugged at a strand of memory in Meta's mind. He'd heard the name of that organisation spoken with utter contempt on more occasions than he could count.

"Did you follow the beasts here?" Meta asked, promptly skipping any more pleasantries.

Sir Nonsurat chuckled and put his battle axe away on his back.

"Straight to the point, I see," he said. "Yes, we followed them here. We were a much larger group to begin with, my team and my fellow general's —Sir Dragato's— team were tracking these beasts to the Capital on a different continent, but we split up when some of the beasts decided to take a little detour to the countryside, unfortunately for you."

Meta grimaced, glad the mask hid his expression. "A group of seven Miasmoros and one Miasmoth... must have been quite the pack you were hunting down."

Sir Nonsurat tilted his head.

"Strange that you know their names," he said, making Meta tense for a brief moment before he forced himself to remain calm. 

Then Sir Nonsurat simply shrugged.

"Though maybe I shouldn't expect any less from a fellow Star Warrior."

Meta said nothing. He observed the soldier as best he could. He couldn't quite place his intentions, with how familiar he was acting.

He decided to go back to his original concern instead.

"Do you think they'll come back?" he asked.

Sir Nonsurat crossed his arms. "Most likely, this little band of monsters ended up in your town on accident. I don't think this was intentional. As I said, we had to split up because they randomly separated from their pack. We're pretty sure Nightmare sent his forces to this planet to gain control of the Capital, and with it, the planet's resources. We'll have a new team of capable warriors stationed at the Capital for the foreseeable future."

Meta shuddered. Just hearing that name spoken again made him feel sick to his stomach. Dee was the only one who noticed and laid a paw on his arm reassuringly, eyes gleaming with worry.

"You're lucky we noticed in time, but you don't have to worry about the countryside again, I can assure you." Nonsurat continued, then eyed Meta with a curious look. "That being said, you held up in battle quite well. You must have some formal training?"

Meta shrugged. "Somewhat."

He had some training. A lot of training, but not because he wanted to. It wasn't exactly optional.

It wasn't a tale he wanted to tell a stranger.

Sir Nonsurat gave a curt nod, apparently content with letting the topic lie, much to Meta's great relief. "How come you knew this monster's name?"

Meta tensed a little.

"I've got great memory," he said, deflecting as best he could. "I'm also a teacher, it's my job to be knowledgeable."

The soldier let out a hearty laugh.

"Alright, alright! I didn't mean to pry," he said jovially, his tone completely changed from earlier. "I'm only curious, it's not every day I meet a new Star Warrior, you know. Most of us are already part of the organisation."

Meta let his shoulders slump a little, and letting out a quiet, breathy laugh of his own to match the soldier's energy.

"Say, would you be interested?" Sir Nonsurat said. "In joining us, I mean?"

Meta's brows furrowed. "Join you?"

"Yeah, joining our cause, our resistance against the great evil threatening the galaxy?"

"And what would that be?"

"As I mentioned, it's the Nightmare Wizard." Sir Nonsurat's voice became sombre, and his eyes darkened. Gone were the previous jovial manner. "He is dead set on ruling the universe, committing unspeakable atrocities on his way, leaving a trail of bodies behind on his path." 

Without fail, the mere mention of the name chilled Meta to the core. The memory too recent and the wound on his soul still too raw to pretend otherwise. He didn't need Sir Nonsurat to tell him any of this, but he needed to listen to keep up appearances of feigned ignorance.

"We're trying to stop him before it's too late, but to be frank, our numbers are too small. He's capable of creating monsters that are getting stronger for each day that passes, we need all the help we can get..."

Sir Nonsurat gestured towards him.

"...and you seem capable." he said. "From what I've seen today, I believe you could get really good with a little bit of training. And a proper weapon. You know, one that wasn't made to be wall decoration. I'm certain Sir Arthur would agree to give you a place within our ranks, should we bring you to our base.

So... what do you say?"

Meta stilled. He hadn't expected to be asked so directly, and so fast.

He felt a gentle nudge at his elbow, and looked to the side. Dee had stepped up to stand close to him, their eyes wide with an emotion he couldn't quite place as they looked up at him. It could be fear, after the terrifying fight with a band of monsters in their hometown, but Meta knew them better than that. His apprentice was looking at him with something akin to dread for a very different reason.

A silent, wide-eyed plea for him not to go.

He shifted his gaze from his apprentice to the soldier in front of him, who were patiently awaiting his decision. 

"I... don't know," Meta said hesitantly, drawing his words out as his thoughts ran a mile a minute. "I have commitments here..."

Sir Nonsurat tilted his head a little, studying him intently to the point Meta felt like squirming under the soldier's gaze.

"Of course," he finally said, letting up his interrogating stare. "You already have a life here, I completely understand."

Meta nodded slowly, contemplating. He did indeed have things that needed doing here. He had classes to teach, papers to grade, project to supervise. 

His daily routine.

The life he'd worked so hard to create. 

After years of being sharpened into the wrong shape, he'd forged himself into something new and less threatening, as he had wanted to be before everything went wrong. He had dulled his edges to make him safer to be around.

But if Nightmare and his demon beasts would invade even the most peaceful and non-threatening planet like Earthfall, they would need someone to protect them.

Would I even be much help here?

The thought of letting his community fend for themselves against monsters they were ill-equipped to fight left a sour taste in his mouth, but he didn't think he, one single person, could do much to help if he stayed.

Perhaps it was time to sharpen those edges again?

He was snapped out of his swirling thoughts when Sir Nonsurat spoke up.

"We're not leaving until I know for sure there are no stragglers or threats to your planet," he said. "You have until tomorrow afternoon."

Sir Nonsurat placed a paw on Meta's shoulder, gripping it reassuringly.

"Take your time, come find me at the Capital if you wish to join us back to base."

Meta said nothing, just gave a short nod. Sir Nonsurat took that as his cue, and left Meta and Sailor behind in the rubble of the lecture hall.

"Just know, you'd be a great asset in the resistance against Nightmare. We'd welcome you with open arms." Sir Nonsurat called over his shoulder before he disappeared into the night.

Despite his earlier racing thoughts, Meta's head felt strangely empty.

You have until tomorrow afternoon.

He couldn't help but feel a strange finality to that one sentence.

Dee nudged his elbow once again to gain his attention.

"Are...are you going to join them, sir?"

Meta just looked at his apprentice, taking in the sight of them.

He had less than twelve hours to decide.

Not knowing how to answer, he only let out a hum before gesturing for Dee to follow him out of the ruined plaza, navigating around the puddles of water and toxic sludge together.

"Let's get back to the university and find our medic," was all he said, avoiding their question. "You need to get that wound cleaned and get some rest."

The waddle dee didn't call him out on his avoidance, just followed his lead dutifully.

Twelve hours.

He needed to sleep on it.

.*·★·*.

In the end, Meta has no idea what to do.

He was sat on the bench he'd placed next to the biggest window in his living room, the one with the best view of the town. He woke up before the sun rose, and had been watching the first rays peek over the horizon.

He couldn't stop thinking about the attack of Earthfall's capital. The report from the Capital hasn't been good. While most had escaped unharmed, some lives were lost.

While they couldn't do anything about the lives lost, at least Sir Nonsurat and half of his soldiers from the GSA stuck around the capital to look for survivors, while the other half went to help organising the rebuilding of the town square.

The twelve hours were almost up.

Nightmare had extended his reach at an alarming rate in the short few years since Meta's escape.

Sir Nonsurat had asked him to join them in their efforts to stop Nightmare.

Asked him to think about it.

...and he did.

He couldn't get the thought out of his mind, now that it had settled and taken root. He'd barely managed to fall asleep that night, despite his exhaustion.

Should he stay, and protect his home directly?

Or... should he go? 

He would be leaving everything behind, the life he'd built, the connections he'd made...

His wish to live a normal life again would go back on hold if he left with them, but the threat of Nightmare destroying everything he held dear was great, and would loom over him forever if he didn't.

He would stand a chance, wouldn't he?

His throat tightened and he swallowed thickly.

He had hoped to stay out of the way, to disappear completely from Nightmare's view. To pretend there wasn't a massive intergalactic conflict brewing. To avoid getting involved.

To pretend he didn't have a personal stake in all of this as well.

Despite all of his reservations... wouldn't it be worth it to try?

...

He chuckled lowly as he caught himself.

It surprised him sometimes, how his hopeful nature would shine through despite the hardships he'd faced so far in his life.

Maybe that was just the attitude they needed on their quest to destroy the evil Nightmare, and another set of hands that could be spared.

He got up and paced for a moment before stopping at his desk, pulling open the drawers and picking his things out to place them inside his cape.

There would be no need for most of it, but he couldn't help himself.

When the desk and every shelf in his home were cleaned out of sentimental items, he stopped in front of the only photograph hanging on the wall.

With gentle paws, he took the frame down.

His first class on their graduation day.

He placed that in his cape too.

There wasn't really any doubt in his mind, when he thought about it.

He knew what he had to do.

.*·★·*.

Meta entered the office.

It was exactly the same as it was when he first was here, many years ago, when he was nothing more than a scared alien with nowhere to go. Now he had a home and people he cared deeply for.

"Good morning," Orian said brightly, but jumped to his feet when he saw his colleague in the doorway. "My... you don't look well at all! Is something the matter?"

Meta sighed. Best to just get it over with. "I'm here to resign my position at the university."

Silence fell over the room, and Orian's worried expression changed into one of relief and calm.

"I understand." he said, before Meta could manage to get a word out. "You spoke to that soldier, didn't you?"

Meta gave a curt nod. "Some things have become clear to me," he said. 

He was a little hesitant to share too much with Orian. The old man had become a cherished friend, and the very thought of revealing his own unsavoury past just before he left for good made his stomach twist in knots. He just couldn't leave their relationship on a sour note.

His inner turmoil must have shown up on his face, for Orian placed a hand on his shoulder, snapping him out of his spiralling thoughts.

"I understand, Meta." he said, tone gentle and low.

Meta caught his superior's gaze, and found nothing but understanding in his eyes, free from any judgement.

A thought hit him.

"You knew..?" was all he could say.

"I had my suspicions," Orian said. "I had heard tales of your kind, and many older history books refer to the Star Warriors and their heroic deeds."

Meta frowned.

Orian smiled sadly. "I figured you must have a reason for never bringing attention to yourself in any way, and I can guess it was anything but good."

"...I didn't want to scare anyone."

"If I may take another guess, this incident is quite recent, is it not?"

"It was the reason I crash-landed in Hallon's woods in the first place... I was trying to escape."

"You are brave, my friend. In the years you've lived here with us, you have proved yourself time and time again. I know you can become a hero again."

Meta grimaced, unconvinced, but touched by Orian's words.

"I promise I will try my hardest." he said.

Orian smiled. "That's all anyone could ask for."

Silence fell once more. Meta had so much more he wanted to say, but the words wouldn't arrange themselves in the right order in his head, much less make the journey out of his mouth. For once, he was speechless, mouth opening and closing wordlessly.

"I..."

The words got stuck in his throat. Orian had done so much to help him since he first landed on Earthfall, wounded and starved. He'd made sure Meta recovered from his injuries, given him a home, a job and a community to belong in.

And here Meta was, repaying the kind old man by leaving them all behind, possibly never to be seen again.

But, as always, Orian needed no explanation. He just grabbed Meta's paws in both of his own hands, stopping him in his tracks.

"I know, my friend," he said. He was smiling, but his eyes held a certain sadness.

Meta looked down at the hem of his cape, at the pin resting there just at his left shoulder. He let go of Orians's hands to pick it off. The little brass pin with the University's emblem engraved into it, that had been part of his uniform for years, worn and scratched after countless hours of mishaps in his workshop with his students.

He looked at it for a moment longer, sitting innocently in the palm of his paw, before he reached out to hand it over to Orian with a feeling of finality weighing him down.

Orian smiled and closed Meta's paw around the pin.

"Keep it," he said. "You may have it as a keepsake."

"I don't know if I'll ever return to this place."

"Maybe so," Orian hummed. "We may never meet again, but do try to remember us, will you?"

A warmth surged in Meta's chest.

"I will."

Orian smiled.

"We'll all be thinking of you, my friend. Now go, fight to keep us safe."

.*·★·*.

"Do you have to go?"

The meek voice of his apprentice made Meta turn from his newly repaired starship. He'd spent a long time fixing it up after his crash into Hallon's woods, he couldn't bear the thought of letting it go back then, much less leaving it behind forever on this planet. He was just about ready to drive it over to the capital where Sir Nonsurat and his squad was waiting for him. 

"I don't have to, no," he replied hesitantly. "But I want to."

Dee slumped, downtrodden by his words. He almost wanted to take it all back, unpack his things and return to his little home in the village, knowing tomorrow would be a new day with his comfortable routine and happy life.

But he knew. He knew Nightmare's dark forces would someday reach this planet and consume it and its inhabitants too, like so many others in the galaxy. He had seen it happen first hand during his... stay at Nightmare's fortress. The beasts from earlier was nothing but a taste of what was to come if Nightmare weren't stopped in time.

"It's better this way."

And I want to keep you all safe, he didn't say.

Tears welled up in Dee's eyes, and they sniffled.

"I get it," they said, voice trembling. "It's just... I'm gonna miss you."

I'll miss you too.

Meta looked over at the GSA spacecraft at the edge of town. The group of soldiers had already boarded, only their leader were standing outside, waiting for him.

Sir Nonsurat gave a single nod, and boarded with the others.

They were all set and ready to leave.

Meta sighed and jumped up to get himself seated, leaving Dee on the grassy plain alone.

"Keep up your good work, Dee," he muttered, just loud enough for his apprentice to hear. "I know you'll be great someday."

"I will, sir!"

Meta closed the dome before his apprentice could say anything more, and started the engine.

His repair work years prior had paid off, his starship took off without issue, and flew like a dream.

Sir Nonsurat's ship took the lead, and he followed not far behind.

Against his better judgement, he cast a glance behind him to watch the town he'd come to call home go smaller and smaller as the distance grew.

In that distance, he could see a small orange dot on the field where he took off, running along the track, waving.

His heart clenched at the sight, and looked forward again.

As painful as it was, this would be a new beginning for him.

An opportunity to protect people and places like this, who were still untainted by Nightmare's influence.

He sighed in relief as he shot into the sky.

.*·★·*.