"Hey!" the little girl exclaimed as she saw a familiar figure on top of the hill. She chuckled upon seeing a big lumpy ball of hair bouncing towards her. Her friend Capy is wearing an afro and the chibi mask today, making him look like a Q-tip with feet.
"Hi Honey! Hug!" Capy beamed as he opened his arms wide waiting for a hug. A few seconds later Honey is being suffocated by huge tuffs of soft white hair. Their hug lasted for a few seconds, both of them savoring the warmth of each other's embrace.
"Oooh. We're going to the Forest today?" asked Capy as he saw the blue umbrella behind his friend's back. The boy started to rummage through his inventory as he inquired. If they're going to the Hidden Forest they would need a torch to recharge their light. However, before he can even reach for the torch, he felt Honey's hand grasping his.
"No need. We're just going to take it easy today and go to the Sanctuary." Honey smiled. She was also wearing the chibi mask like Capy albeit wearing a cute set of pigtails as her hair. Capy felt the quiver in Honey's voice as she spoke.
"I-is it…i-is it going to be today?" Capy inquired. The day he dreaded has come. He knew it's bound to happen but he never expected it to be so soon and under such circumstances.
Honey didn't answer but simply held out her hand. Capy felt her forcing a smile behind her mask while he forced the tears out of his eyes. Today was the last day they would be together. Today was the last day that he would be holding her hands. After today…
"Come on! The candles are waiting for us." Honey giggled while staring at the spaced out Capy. Capy can only smile meekly as he took the hand of Honey and flew.
For the first time the two children flew quietly across the Daylight Prairie, the only sounds being the gust of wind against their bodies and the occasional birds and light creatures that flew by. They both knew what day it was today even though their players may not. And so, the once brightly-lit prairie felt dim and melancholic.
"Look, skykids." Honey pointed to an altar a few meters from them. Capy strained his eyes to get a good look and there they were, two gray silhouettes lighting an altar.
"They're moths…I think." Capy observed that the two gray kids appear to wear a featureless cape and are struggling to burn the dark mushrooms covering the altar.
"Yup. Because moths are the only ones who would dare light all altars without getting the surrounding candles yet." Honey remarked as she flew upwards, dragging Capy with her.
The little girl flew as high as she can and just in time as the bells on the altars started ringing. Within a few seconds mantas and birds filled the area below them. A loud bellow and sudden blast of air later, and a giant manta has carried the two gray kids from earlier towards the temple.
"Aaaaaand…off they go." Capy chuckled as he listened to the honks of the two kidnapped skykids growing fainter and fainter. He felt themselves slowly descending towards one of the floating hills and seeing a familiar set of white candles. Time to go back to their candle run.
The two kids lit the white candles in silence. Today would be the last time they will be lighting candles together. The thought produced a slight pain in Honey's chest. She needed to be strong not just for herself and her player but also for Capy. She knew how much it would break Capy's heart once the day ends. Noticing the candles fully lit and hearing the familiar prompt of candles being added to their candle count, Honey flew once more and set out towards their next destination: Bird's Nest.
Honey gazed below as they soared and saw Capy seemingly staring into the distance. Once more, the pain in Honey's chest returned but this time there was a tinge of anger mixed with it. How could he? How could he be so selfish? She can't help but be enraged with Capy's player. Everything was going great. Everything was great. She wouldn't have mind stopping playing with Capy as long as they were together until the very end.
"I-I really don't understand adults." Capy sighed as they are lighting the white candles at the last floating hill in Bird's Nest.
"What do you mean?" Honey asked even though she perfectly understood what Capy meant.
"Why do adults need to make things complicated? Why can't life be simple as being together, flying together, and lighting candles together?" Capy's hands shook a little as they lit the last candle.
"Because that's life. Nothing is simple in life. Nothing ever goes our way in life." This time it was Honey's hands that were shaking but unlike Capy's it continued to quiver, failing to lit the last candle. Luckily, Capy was there to help.
Capy almost cried at that moment. He wanted to cry and hug Honey but his player won't let him. The boy knew that the player also wanted to cry but the latter won't. The player has made up his mind, and is the kind of person who would never go back on his decision. Capy's player is stubborn and egoistic to a fault. His player would never admit that he's wrong or that he's sad or…or that he feels like his making a mistake. Capy always hated his player for that. It's not that hard to admit a mistake. Why do adults make it seem like so?
"Wanna hold my hand?" Capy offered to Honey. They would always take turns leading each other when doing candle runs and seeing Honey's state gave Capy the sign that it's his turn to lead.
"Where to?" Honey asked as she felt the warm and yet firm grip of her friend. Capy's hands have always felt reassuring to her even now that the end is near. Oh, how she would miss his big soft hands. Knowing Capy's player, Capy would probably stop playing altogether.
It sure would feel lonely the first few months that Honey would be flying alone. Sure, she had flown alone a couple of times but this time it's different. Perhaps, if she was lucky, her player would also stop playing after today. At least she would not suffer being alone. At least her last memory would be of this day. Her player had been with Capy's player for so many years even before Honey and Capy met. The two players were inseparable until now.
"Sanctuary. It's where we had our first season, remember?" Capy forced himself to smile behind his mask as he continued to wait for Honey's hand.
"Sure. I fancy going to the beach right now anyway." Honey chuckled weakly, hoping that Capy would not notice the melancholy in her voice.
Honey's player would also have to force herself to smile for the first few months, to show that she is strong. But deep inside, Honey knew that the separation would leave her player broken. Sure, she would heal after a few months or even years, and she might even forget Capy and his player, but Honey wouldn't.
"It's your time to be assertive. Don't let him go. Ask him what's wrong. He's clearly lying." Honey thought to herself as Capy lead him towards the entrance to the Sanctuary. If she could only talk to her player then perhaps everything would be fine.
Honey's player is also an introvert like Capy's, and this frustrated Honey. If there was a great time to be an extrovert, to talk, it would be this time. Her player just needs to stop Capy's player from leaving, to make him realize that everything is a mistake. Make him feel comfortable enough to cry and let everything out, and to confess whatever wrong he had done. That's all Honey's player needed to do. Why do adults like to complicate things?
"Hey. Let's rest here. I'm tired." Honey looked up and said to Capy. She tried to burn the image of their clasped hands into her mind. She will badly miss Capy. She promised to herself to never forget Capy.
"Sure." Capy replied as they slowly float down towards the top of the Sanctuary mountain, two familiar red chairs coming into view. Capy remembered all those times that he and Honey would just sit on those chairs and watch the birds and mantas flew by. It was calming…it was peaceful. How he wished that such moments would never end. Even now, as the end is coming, he wished with all his heart, with all his might. He would really miss soaring the skies with Honey, and as they sat down on the red chairs, he vowed to himself to never forget Honey.
It sure would feel lonely in the darkness. Capy would miss all those late night candle runs, the early morning chilling at the Home space and messing with other skykids, and the lazy afternoons where him and Honey would just simply fly about until their players feel sleepy or bored that the latter would just log out. It was fun and reassuring to know that after a few hours him and Honey would be together again.
"Do you remember?"
"Yes. This was our first season. You even gifted me with a pass. Thank you."
"I had a lot of fun relieving the Sanctuary spirits with you and collecting seasonal candles."
"Same."
"I'll miss you."
"I'll miss you too."
"My player…he's decided. He's going to…"
"I know."
"He-he's going to tell her to-to.."
"I know."
"I'm sorry."
"I know."
The two skykids sat in silence for a while and watched the birds and mantas flying around Sanctuary islands. They knew it was time soon. Their players might not know it but they knew.
Honey stared into the distance then suddenly saw the big light whale that would occasionally jump out of the Sanctuary Island's waters. She smiled meekly as she recalled her and Capy trying to get close to the whale and failing spectacularly. They ended up relaxing at the beach and doing silly things while their players talked to each other. Sure, the two argued a lot lately and oftentimes it was the fault of Capy's player but at least they were together.
"I'll miss flying with you."
"Me too."
"I hope you have fun with whoever will be your new sky buddy."
"And I hope I meet you again someday."
It was at this point that Capy started bawling. Seeing her friend crying, Honey wasn't able to control herself anymore and also cried. The two kids hugged each other and let the tears flow.
"Try to log in from time to time, okay? I may not light you or give you hearts anymore but I promise to stay in your constellation."
Capy nodded and cried harder.
"Whenever you feel lonely just log in and look at the stars. I would always be there. I would always watch over you."
The hug lasted for more than a minute. It seems like Capy's player is also silently saying his goodbye.
"What now?" Capy asked, letting go of Honey and still sobbing a bit.
"Now we wait." Honey replied, holding Capy's hand as the end neared.
The two skykids returned to their seats and stared off into the distance. Honey knew that her player would have been confused and a bit worried of such conduct. But she also knew that the latter already had an idea of what's gonna happen.
Capy felt himself standing. It's time. He faced Honey and for the last time offered a hug.
"Have a good life, okay? I'll miss you so much. I will never forget you. I'm glad I met you." Capy cried as he hugged his friend.
"Thank you. Take care of yourself, okay? Please come back if possible…see you…someday." Honey replied between tears.
And with that Capy vanished, leaving Honey standing alone atop the Sanctuary mountain. Today was the last day they played together, and neither of their players will realize it until later that evening.