For The Soul of The Stars: Going Forward

Written By: Lynderia

Disclaimer: I do not claim that I own the OVA Outlaw Star or its characters therein. However, I do own the characters that were introduced for the first time to create For The Soul of The Stars.

She sat staring. What the hell was she doing? Why and how did she survive this long? Kat bowed her head in shame. She knew the answer. So many people had died to save her, to protect her, and that was one reason why she lived on, so that all her friends and loved ones deaths wouldn’t be in vein. But today would be the day when she had to go forward. Forward wasn’t an option anymore, it was a must.

Eros sat at the foot of her chair. He knew what was to come. “You don’t have to go, Little One.” he said quietly. Her parents’ spirits had come to him in a dream and told him what had happened that day. He could only imagine what she went through; her and the others.

“Hmm?” Kat said not really paying must attention. She was so lost.

“Let me go and get the boy. You should stay here.” Eros said a bit louder.

Kat shook her head. This was something she had to do. “Eros, no one else must die.” Especially not for her dirty, unworthy soul.

“I…” Eros began.

“No, Eros!” Kat said raising her voice. “No.” she said more quietly. “I know that I am yours and your pack’s charge, but that’s while I’m here, on this planet. I lost my guardian beast when he wasn’t fully mature and now I must deal without. This thing with The Dark Stars has gone on long enough. If I am to go there and succeeded in saving Jim, then that was what I was meant to do.”

“And if not.” Eros said on the edge of anger. He didn’t want her to go. She was special to him and his pack. She was special in other ways he couldn’t count, and in ways she didn’t know about.

“What ever happens there is suppose to happen, Eros.” Kat said looking at him for the first time.

Eros couldn’t read her feelings from her flat expression and emotionless eyes, but he knew this situation was killing her inside. He knew her long enough to know how she would react to certain things. She hadn’t change much from when she was a child. Eros bowed, “I understand.”

“Thank you, Eros.” Kat smiled as she passed a hand through his soft mane.

She knew she shouldn’t have ease dropped, but she just had to know. Aisha sighed. The conversation she just heard between Kat and Eros didn’t help at all. It kind of confused her even more. Aisha felt a single tear fall from her eye. She felt horrible. Jim was gone again, and this time she was standing right there. Aisha knew she wasn’t a match for The Dark Stars but apart of her knew she should have done something. Maybe even scream for him to come back, or something. Aisha felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up.

“It’s okay, Aisha.” Proteus smiled.

Aisha couldn’t help but smile at his warmness towards her. She just wished some of that warmness would rub off on Kat.

Proteus continued to smile. They were all waiting for Kat to come out of her room. When he found out what Gene had done, he was furious but thought about it and realized Kat had allowed Gene to do it, but why? Proteus still didn’t understand everything, and most of all Kat. She was the biggest mystery. She would let people into her life but not fully let the person in through her ice doors. Proteus didn’t like the feeling he had in the pit of his stomach. Apart of him just didn’t want to step forward.

Kat emerged from her room with Eros by her side. She knew they wouldn’t let her out of their sight, much less try to save Jim on their own. She began to question if she should try pissing them off, but then knew it would just fuel them more. Why couldn’t she just get rid of them? And the funny thing of it was, was that Gene was the one who had brought all of them together excluding Proteus, who she had brought along. But Gene was the one who met with Jim, Aisha, Suzuka, and got Hilda to open the case which held Melfina. It was funny, were hers and Gene’s destinies somehow intertwined? Kat shook her head and started giggling. Could you imagine that throughout life she would always, somehow, meet up with Captain Shit-Face?! Kat began to walk with a light giggle on her lips.

Suzuka wanted to know what she was laughing about. She wanted to know what was so funny. Anger boiled in her blood. It was almost childish, but she wanted to laugh too. Suzuka wanted to feel happy, even if it was just for a little while. She didn’t know if she was angry with herself or with Kat for not being able to laugh, or angry with herself or Kat for letting The Dark Stars take Jim. “Damn it!” Suzuka said to no one in particular as she and the others followed Kat.

Kat stopped at the lake where she had awakened. Thoughts of visiting this place as a child entered her mind and, a smile graced her face as she walked on the lake towards the statue.

Eros stopped and watched her. He couldn’t follow only if he flew, which he wasn’t about to do. He watched as the others were about to try and step on the lake’s surface. “You’ll drown.” He warned. He watched as Gene was about to put his foot on the lake. He was only going to warn them once, and once only.

Gene withdrew his foot, and watched Kat. He somehow knew what Eros said was true, but why was Kat able to walk on the water?

Kat stared at the dragon statue as the dragon statue seemed to be staring back at her. She never completely understood. She wanted to know why he had allowed her parents to become mortal. Immortals couldn’t have children, and if her parents remained immortal she wouldn’t have been born. Was she born to pay for the sins of her parents, even if they were only trying to reserve life? Did he hate her?! Why didn’t he just deal with The Dark Stars? Why leave them to run a muck and threaten all that he had created? She never would understand, would she.

They were now out the solar system which contained Pandora. She had no idea where they were going. Kat had entered the coordinates but didn’t tell either her or Gene where she was taking them. Melfina sighed as she left the navigational chamber. It was quiet; she missed Katrina and Twinkle. Melfina began to understand something about herself now. When she had first awaken she had cried, well, truth be told, it wasn’t her that had cried, it was her Galactic Leyline self that cried. Somehow that spirit was in her body. It was hard to explain, but it was an explanation as to why she couldn’t remember the Leyline and apart of her did, and why she saw a mirror image of herself telling her, the person she was now, she could do without her, the mirror image. Melfina knew there were a lot of mysteries to herself, but she was willing to try and figure those mysteries out. Melfina began to hum the tune she would normally sing aloud as she cooked dinner.

When he wasn’t piloting or eating he was here. Gene stood in front of a door of a person that had not come beyond it since they entered the ship. He wasn’t worried about this person- no, that definitely wasn’t it. He didn’t know where he stood with her. Gene wanted to try to be nice to her, or even become her friend, but she didn’t give him the chance to. She didn’t let his foot through the door, and even if his foot was through the door she would find some way to send him reeling ten yards away. Was he attracted to her? No, that couldn’t be it, could it? She was confusing him. When she took Jim out that night, she was practically Jim’s girlfriend for the night. Gene had to admit to himself now that he wasn’t just a little bit jealous of Jim, he was loathing Jim. He wanted to be in Jim’s shoes that night. Jim had got to know the person that seem untouchable to so many. Kat seemed like some sort of treasure only the lucky got to take and call their own. Maybe that’s why he was sometimes upset with Proteus.

“She’s not going to leave, or try to run away. You don’t have to play watch dog.” an approaching figure announced. He had been watching Gene for a couple of days now doing the same thing. He always found Gene watching Kat’s door and wanted to know why.

“How can I be sure of that? I’m not even sure if she’s in there or not.” Gene said anger rising in his voice.

“If you can’t trust her then, how can you expect her to trust you? That’s assuming you want her trust. Anyway, dinner is ready.” Proteus smiled.

Gene only nodded, and thought about what Proteus just said before running off for some ‘grub.’

Proteus knocked on the door.

The door opened and he was met by Kat. “You know you don’t have to knock.” she smiled up at him.

“But it’s the polite thing to do.” Proteus smiled. He wondered why she chose now to come to the door to meet him. “Are you…”

“You know the answer to that. I’m not eating anything Nature’s Freak cooked!”

Proteus began to laugh. “One day Melfina’s going to snap at you!”

Kat watched as he laughed. She would have to have it embedded in her memory. His laugh always brought a smile to her face. “Proteus, are you in love with Melfina?”

Proteus immediately stopped laughing. Was he in love with Melfina? She was a great cook, pretty, smart, a bit sensitive, but no one’s perfect. She was caring, and lovable. Was he in love with, or falling in love with Melfina? “I really don’t know.” he blushed. “But when I do, you’ll be the second, after myself, to know.”

Kat immediately embraced him into a hug. She didn’t know why, but she was happy for him. He would have someone, if she died. She didn’t want to leave him alone. She couldn’t imagine leaving him alone with no one to talk to or to eat dinner with. “That’s good to know. But you better watch it. That Captain Shit-Face might try to steal her away, so you gotta be ready!!” Kat laughed as she detached herself and walked back into her room.

Proteus didn’t know how to react to that. “Um, I guess I’ll talk to ‘ya later.” He closed her room door. That was one of the weirdest experiences he had with Kat. He wondered why she had asked him that question in the first place.

Kat took her meditating position. The smile she held began to crack as her lower lip quivered. Tears from her closed eyes flowed like a calm stream. Kat didn’t even bother to wipe them away as she let the silence consume her thoughts, and she then began her mediation.

<If it’s hurting you so much, why are you going back?> asked a voice. She had been watching for a while now.

Kat opened her eyes, coming out from her mediation trance. <Just who are you anyway?> What did this spirit, she guessed, want? Why was it following her?

She sighed. She knew the girl before her wouldn’t remember. <Shall I show you who I am then?> Maybe she could talk some sense into her.

<If you wish.>

Kat could sense someone materialized behind her, and it felt like an ultimate user of Tao Magic. How could it be? “A Knight?” Kat said aloud. She turned around to see a figure in an orange hooded cloak. “What do you want with me?”

Kira sighed. She knew Kat wouldn’t remember her. “Don’t you remember who I am, Little One?” Kira removed her hood. A light smile graced her young face, as her eyes gave away the great sadness she held.

Kat stared at her. She remembered a lot of things from her childhood, even things normal children shouldn’t remember. But people who came around once on a rare occasion, or came to see her parents once, she couldn’t remember. However, the lady who stood before her was a Knight, the Knight of Energy. That she knew. She remembered once her mom was mad at her because she climbed a mountain by herself and told her she was not to have any chocolate for a week, but a lady, no… “You made my mom reduce my chocolate sentence!” Kat smiled as she buried herself into the Knight of Energy’s arms. It’s been such a long time since she had… Kat’s body began to tremble.

“It’s okay. You don’t have to be strong in front of me. I’ve been with you for so long. I know what you feel, so it’s okay, go right ahead.” Kira soothed.

Kat looked up and smiled. “No, I’m alright, and I know that you’re neutral and can’t help me, right?”

Kira smiled. “Yes.” She was always so very smart.

“I’m glad you were able to tell me who you were before I entered hell once again.”

Kira’s eyes began to tear. That statement alone acknowledged that she wouldn’t be able to talk her Little One out of going back home. “Would you mine if I wasn’t strong in front of you?” Kira said falling to her knees and held Kat tight for dear life, and cried.

“It’s okay Auntie Kira, everything will be okay.” It was Kat’s turn to soothe the older woman. Was pain and heartache never ending?

End

After Thoughts: Kat will go forward, but what waits ahead for her? Does she truly know? Things are beginning to come to an end, we’re coming closer and closer to the answers we all desire. What do you think? I would like to hear all your comments, good or bad, and suggestions. ~~~Lynderia