Chapter Forty-five: Hopeful Stars

I paced in my room while Mil urged me to sleep.

"Once he accepts the reality of the situation, he'll gather his thoughts and move on," she predicted.

"You don't know Tark like I do," I reminded. "He's prone to do something stupid, and the dumbest thing he can do is leave to find her."

"You think he'll fail?" she started.

"I think he'll die and fail," I muttered.

Mil tapped her chin as we pondered.

"What about another egg?" Mil suggested. "Chichi was too much for him. I was meant to be Alaris. Can he have a Mayzel egg?"

I stared at her in disbelief. The eggs were basically a part of me, enhanced with the spiritual energy of others. I didn't have the demonic energy to make minions, and that made me wonder if I had the forest nymph and angelic energy to do so.

I grunted as I focused on another minion, egg, or anything that could help lift Tark's spirit.

My hands didn't even make a seed. I sighed as I shook my head. "Tark is screwed!"

"I can hear everything you say!" Tark blasted. "I don't want an egg from you, dumbass!"

"The idiot has spoken," I growled.

"Shut up!" he yapped.

I crossed my arms before the leaf hammock wrapped Tark so tightly that he couldn't breathe. His muffled screams turned to sobs as I opened the door and grinned.

"You were saying?!" I shouted as the leaf spat him onto the floor. He was covered in drool, and his face shifted from pleading to livid.

"That crap's disgusting!" he started. "You were trying to eat me!"

"You're not at the top of the food chain," I reminded with a snarl. "Get used to it!"

"Oh, great! Friends eat friends, now! What's next?! Tark stew?!"

"I'm considering it, now that you're volunteering!"

"Asshole!"

"Cunt!"

"Jopp! Look!" Mil pointed out. I followed her gaze and noticed an emerald egg with golden swirls on the ground behind Tark.

Tark glanced behind and picked up the egg. "I don't want anyone but Mayzel." He gave the egg to Mil and sighed. "I don't want this." His crestfallen visage left us speechless as he made his way down the stairs and strolled beneath the moonlight. I stared at the crimson moon until I realized the world still wasn't free from the grips of demons. Tark had turned into one to save it, but I could tell it was eating away at his mind.

"Tark!" I called, but there was no answer. Tark had vanished without a trace. I stared at the last spot his footprints were. I didn't want to believe it, but days of Tark's absence confirmed the fact that he was gone. Thorn and Chichi returned to Penny Lee's Fort to search for him, but the efforts were futile.

Weeks passed, and life went on. I kept searching, hoping that he was all right and getting closer to Mayzel.

A month passed, and Mayzel returned, just as I had told Tark. When she learned of his disappearance, her worried eyes didn't go unnoticed.

"Do you know where he could be, Mayzel?" I queried.

She slowly nodded her head. "He could be in the shadow realm."

Of course! Why didn't I think of it?! Tark was overwhelmed with sorrow and loneliness. What better place to wallow in self-pity than the shadow realm?

"What made you change your mind?" I asked.

"That's between me and Tark," she responded with furrowed brows.

"You hurt my friend again and see what happens," I growled. "Do you love him or not?!"

Mayzel crossed her arms and glared.

"I'll take that as a 'no.' When I find him, I'll let him know you're his first cousin. That'll free his thoughts."

"I'm not his cousin!" she spat.

"You're related to Schuren," I revealed. "You didn't know?"

Mayzel stared at me with wide eyes in disbelief. "You! You're lying!"

"King Ozzim's wife was Schuren's sister. You fell in love with your own uncle." I laughed as she covered her face with her hands.

"When I return with Tark, this had better be cleared up with him!" I demanded.

Mayzel sighed with relief as she nodded.

I used a portal device to enter the shadow realm, and Mayzel decided to join me. The darkness enveloped us with a stifling pressure, while the cold gnawed at our extremities. Shapes shifted around us, and I couldn't help but feel like we were being watched. I forged ahead, Mayzel behind me as I called for Tark. I stopped when the scent of death pervaded. My heart dropped in thinking the worst. "Tark!" My vines examined the corpse on the ground, and my hands shook with anger and shock.

"Is it him?" Mayzel whispered.

"Tark!" I cried. I held the corpse's hand and tried to bring him back to life. "Tark Mayzel, please come back! You're the greatest friend I ever had! Please don't leave us!"

Mayzel wept as she held me and held her hand over mine.

"What the hell are you guys doing?" Tark's voice grumbled from ahead. "That's Gabby's--"

Mayzel cried louder as she ran to him and hugged Tark.

I smirked as I crossed my arms. "Oh! There you are, Tark! Mayzel and I found out something while you were wallowing in here like some ghost."

Tark's gaunt face didn't seem pleased.

"We're cousins," Mayzel sniffled. "Do you understand why I don't love you that way?"

Tark barfed, and the rancid vomit was sickening to see. I barfed up my breakfast of green beans, and that made Tark upheave more which made me do the same.

"Get a goddamn grip!" Mayzel blasted. "Let's hurry up and get out of here. Oh! The smell is awful!"

She dragged us out of there and gasped for fresh air when we tumbled onto the beach.

Tark looked like he had gone through hell and lost his blood. His body was much thinner, as if he hadn't eaten for days. His sad expression lingered on Mayzel until he shifted his gaze to me.

"I want to go home," he uttered in a hoarse voice.

"So do I," I muttered.