#captainsparkelz

It’s the five year anniversary of Mianite ending, which was June 29, 2015. While this could be a sad day, myself and @syndianites had an idea.

Mianite day!

This series means a lot to myself and many other content creators, so sharing memories, hyping up creators, and rewatching old episodes sounds like the perfect ways to celebrate.

For me, I’m going to be taking fic requests (something I’ve never done!), reblogging work from my fellow creators, listing Mianite fics that I love with my whole heart, and potentially other things.

But keep that day in mind— June 29, 2020! A day to celebrate, a day to create, a day to remember.

Chapter 5 - Burning Bridges

Every muscle hurt. Tucker groaned as he attempted to readjust himself, every fiber of his being screaming at him to stop. He blinked and rubbed away the sleep in his eyes with one hand, with the other tightly held by Sonja.

“Morning, sleeping beauty,” she teased, bringing their intertwined hands up and kissing the back of his hand. He grinned and turned over, brushing a strand of hair out of her face gently.

“Morning already?” he asked, yawning widely. Sonja yawned as well, ruffling his bedhead affectionately and half sitting up with her elbow on the pillow.

“Probably? It feels like it,” the woman leaned forward and snuck a kiss from Tucker, sitting up completely. She let go of his hand to reach up to the ceiling in a stretch, moaning as her joints popped. Her shirt had ridden up in her sleep, revealing her smooth stomach.

Smirking, Tucker shot up and wrapped his arm around her waist, tickling her bare skin. Immediately Sonja squealed and fell backwards, writhing around laughing as he ignored her cries to stop.

“Tucker! Stoooooop! Tucker!” Sonja breathlessly shouted, giggling as she rolled onto him and knocked the breath out of him. Using the opportunity, she grabbed his wrists and held them to the bed with her weight.

“Enough!” she growled playfully, flushed from their wrestling and from laughing.

They gazed at each other, getting lost in each others eyes as Sonja pressed a longer kiss to his lips. Her thick hair cascaded over her shoulder and her eyes twinkled. Tucker felt his heart soar as they met in another, more heated kiss.

Excited scuffling and sniffling broke them apart, Sonja sitting up and letting go of Tucker. One of the wolves pulled itself out of the dogpile and shook its coat, trotting over to the doorway where Star leaned, watching the pair with amusement.

“No babymaking in my base, please.” the girl quipped, glancing down and patting the wolf’s head as it sat by her side.

The two went red. “We weren’t-”

Star cut Sonja off with a hand movement. Her eyes flickered over everyone along the line of beds, lingering for a moment on Tom and Jordan, before speaking in a whisper.

“The sun’s coming up. Wake up your friends and I’ll get you all some food.” Like that, she left their sight, her wolf padding calmly after her.

Tucker shared a glance with Sonja, who slid off the bed and moved over to Martha and Wag, gently shaking the older woman’s shoulder. Tucker snatched his hat from the foot of the bed where it had ended up, and used it to cover up his fluffy bedhead.

“Tucker!” Sonja giggled, pointing behind him. He turned around and took in the sight of his friends snuggled close, still fast asleep. He looked back at her with a confused expression, to which she tried to contain her laughter. “Wake them up!”

Tom let out a huge snore and threw his arm out and away from Jordan, nearly smacking Tucker in the face. On instinct, he returned the blow and slapped Tom’s shoulder, startling him awake.

The zombie man sat up and held his arm, glaring at Tucker. “What the hell, dude!”

“Breakfast time!” Sonja sung, half skipping over as Martha stood up and smoothed her clothes.

“You nearly hit my face with your flailing,” Tucker said, as if that explained it.

“Up, up! Star’s getting us food, let’s go!” Sonja encouraged, grabbing Tucker by the hand and pulling him out of the room.

“Good morning, Wag,” Martha cooed, gently waking her partner up by shaking his shoulder. Tom watched them be cute over his shoulder, then he leaned down and snatched the blanket off Jordan and shook him violently, nearly falling on him with the inertia.

“Jordan! Time to wake up!”

The older man curled up into the fetal position and groaned, burying his face in his pillow. “Nooooooo…”

“There’s food…” Tom muttered into his friend’s ear, watching as goosebumps raised on his neck. Jordan ducked away, holding his hand to protect the back of his head.

“Alright, alright, I’m getting up!” He insisted.

The zombie man crawled off the bed and ran his fingers through his hair, smoothing one stubborn lock that decided to stick out perpendicular from the side of his head. The bed sheets rustled as Jordan finally got up.

His suit was hanging off one shoulder, and his hair was scruffy and disheveled. Unlike Martha and Wag across the room, who were looking somewhat presentable, Jordan clearly just woke up from a night of restless sleep.

He straightened himself out and flashed his friend a bright smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “You said there was food?”

Tom smirked and waved for his friends to head into the other room.

“Gamma, no,” Star chastised her wolf, who was curiously sniffing at each item she grabbed out of her food chest. The animal backed off, though it was clearly still engrossed in the growing pile of food. The teen brushed a stray lock of silver hair back into her braid and closed the chest, studying the rather large stack of food.

She hoped it would be enough for the six for now. They seemed completely helpless, no weapons or armor, so she reasoned they probably didn’t have any food left either.

Star stood as she heard two of her guests enter the main room, flicking the dirt off her legs. She motioned to the food she’d taken out of the chest and let them have their pick.

“Is everyone awake? We should probably get a early start, it’s a bit of a long walk, plus you guys need to build your own base after we visit the temple.”

The couple, their mouths full with food, looked at her strangely as the others came in.

“Hell yeah, I’m starving!” the zombie man cheered as he grabbed a couple baked potatoes and chowed down. More controlled, the man with the gray and red robe and the woman with lavender hair picked out bread and an apple, respectively.

Although, the woman didn’t seem to intend to eat the apple, instead staring at her reflection in it.

Finally, the last guest grabbed a bite to eat - a couple of cookies, she noted - and she raised her fingers to her mouth and whistled shrilly. The others in the room stared at her until they watched three full grown wolves and one half-sized pup bound into the room and sit in a circle around her.

The pup managed to sit still for about two seconds before Star pulled out a mutton chop from inside her sleeve. Then she jumped to her feet and put her paws up on Star’s thighs, whining as Star hid the meat behind her back and pushed the wolf’s head down.

“Silly, down.” Star commanded, nudging the animal away with her foot. Epsilon padded back beside the second largest wolf, until she noticed the young woman in the room, and more importantly the porkchop she was holding. With an excited yelp, the pup bolted to her side and put her paws up on her knee, innocently looking up into the woman’s face and at the half eaten food in her hand, tail wagging.

“Don’t let her have that!” The girl demanded, leading one of the others in a string of actions that involves hand movements, clicks and noises and one word commands. The wolf responded immediately to each one, laying down, running back and forth, and barking sharply.

Star nodded eventually, and dropped the mutton she had. The wolf sat looking at her under she motioned to it, then the animal jumped forward and devoured it in three gulps. The teen knelt down, keenly aware of her guest’s eyes on her, and laid a hand on the wolf’s head.

“Why can’t your daughter be as good as you, Delta?” she murmured, though of course she didn’t get a response. Star looked up and glared at her youngest wolf, now being gingerly petted by the woman in orange. The pup was blissfully gnawing away on a chunk of zombie flesh that she’d dug out from who knows where. “God damn it, Silly…”

“Sorry! She just grabbed it from the corner before I could stop her, and I didn’t want her to bite me…” the woman excused herself. Star rolled her eyes and approached her, reaching down and ripping the meat away from the pup without fear.

“She‘s about as threatening as a sheep,” Star told the woman, ignoring the wolf growling in her lap. She dangled the flesh a few feet away, baiting Epsilon to pounce out of the woman’s lap. The pup sat down and begged with her big eyes, but Star only raised her eyebrows and began giving the same commands she’d given Delta earlier.

Silly only managed to follow about a third of what Star wanted her to do, and eventually she threw the meat in frustration, letting the wolf chase it down.

“They’re well trained,” the man in the suit commented as she began running through the routine with Gamma. Star grinned despite herself, proud of her work.

“It’s been a process, and Silly’s really not taking to training. But we’ll get there eventually. So!” she clapped, brushing the food residue onto her hip. “You’re all full, hopefully, so let’s saddle up and head out. Like I said, the temple is a little bit of a walk, but you guys have already come so far, that shouldn’t be a problem, right?”

Star didn’t wait for them to respond, and she didn’t register the confused expressions on her guests faces. Her face started to light up as she spoke. “It’s been so long since anyone besides me has come to visit! He’ll be really happy!”

“Who?” Star stared at the man who’d spoken. She blinked.

“Uh…. Mianite? That is what you guys came for, right?”

“You’re a Mianitee?” Sonja asked, standing up from her spot on the floor. Tucker leaned forward as well, a glimmer of hope in his eye.

“No, what gave that away?” Star snarked, waving her bright white robed arms. “So, wait, you guys hiked from gods know where to find the temple even when you couldn’t recognize a follower of Mianite when she stood right in front of you? Where did you guys come from?”

The heroes exchanged glances, and Martha stepped forward with a soft smile. “We aren’t from this world, Star, though you may not believe it. We come from a different realm,” she explained, flipping her hair onto her back. “We just landed here yesterday.”

“You… landed here?” The girl’s eyes widened in disbelief. “From where?”

“From the sky,” Wag bluntly said. Star blinked, clearly not buying a word.

“Quit messing with me.”

Jordan shook his head. “We’re not, Star. We really did come from a different world. That’s how I… how, uh… that’s how you found us.” The man stuttered, folding his hands behind his back so that only Tom could see how they were shaking. “Which, I have yet to thank you for. You didn’t need to do what you did, but I’m grateful for it.”

The teen’s golden eyes flicked back and forth over the six heroes. “It’s… nothing.”

“You gave him a potion and gave all six of us a place to sleep. Plus you let us mine out valuables from your mine. If that’s what you call nothing, I want to see what a real favor from you would be,” Tucker joked, to which she blanched at him.

“That was just basic human courtesy.” She rested her hand on the hilt of her sword, running her thumb along the pommel as she thought. “You know, I kinda actually believe you guys.”

Tom rolled his eyes. “Yeah, cause we’re telling the truth!”

Star ignored him. “But, even if you didn’t come specifically to see it, you still should join me in visiting the temple. Mianite will be happy he has six new followers.” She grinned and nodded to herself, heading over to the entrance that would become her door. The girl whistled a few notes and her wolf pack padded after her.

“Uh, Star? We don’t all follow Mianite.”

The teen stopped, the top block of the door broken and letting sunshine in. “What do you mean?” She asked, sounding genuinely confused.

“Well, Tucker and Sonja do, but the rest of us aren’t.”

Star turned around then, looking over the group with guarded curiosity. “Why?”

“There’s no way I’d follow a boring god like Mianite! Dianite’s the best!” Tom exclaimed, pumping his fist in the air and shouting a “Got ‘im!”

“And I’m the lovely Ianite’s champion.” Jordan smiled at the memory of his goddess.

Star froze, the second sand block laying on the ground as her hand hovered right above where it had been.

“What did you just say?”

Jordan wavered as he recognized her tone, and quickly covered his tracks. “I said I’m Dianite’s champion!” He corrected, elbowing Tom hard as he heard his friend open his mouth to argue. The man shot his friend a glare, and the zombie stared at him like he’d grown a second head.

Star wheeled around and stalked towards him. “No, that’s not what you said. You said Ianite. Don’t insult me by trying to backtrack on it.”

The girl got in his face, the intensity in her eyes overriding the fact that she was standing on her toes and was still only eye level with his chin. And he wasn’t exactly the tallest man in the world.

“Uh, sorry?”

“Look me in the eyes and say it, loud and proud. You’re a follower of Ianite, aren’t you? Go ahead, admit it.”

He blinked, trying to step back and realizing she had her hand wrapped around his tie. “I… I…” The fire in her eyes made him hesitate. He knew he must be hallucinating, but Jordan could have sworn there were golden tendrils snaking around her, Star’s eyes burning golden.

“I follow Ianite.”

His voice was soft, quiet as he admitted it. Star stood still for a second, tension filling the room as his friends stood by, not sure what to do.

“I should have left you for dead.”

She shoved him hard, throwing him against the wall with more force than a small girl like her should possess. His head whipped back and smashed against the chests on the wall. His vision spun and he dimly heard shouting voices through the fog that had suddenly clouded his mind. Faintly, he tasted blood and he’d later realize he had bitten his lip.

Footsteps registered in his brain, and he raised his head to see three Stars swimming in his vision. The middle one bent down and grasped his collar, getting so close he could feel the warmth of her breath. Cold metal pressed against his windpipe as she hissed one simple thing to him.

“Leave. Don’t let me see you ever again, or I will kill you where you stand.”

He didn’t stop to think about it. Jordan stood up once she stepped back. Head pounding, heart racing, and swallowing blood.