All systems primed.

Landing back in Fantasia's hangar bay, I looked around at the advanced technology that had become a part of the kingdom of Arcadia.
Not as advanced as I am.

I followed Kolivan as he entered the access hallway, making his way to the throne room. We passed by some nobles walking along. I could see them sneering at me and whispering behind my back.
Ungrateful snobs. I saved this whole city a bunch of times. If it wasn't for me, you'd be dead. I stewed in annoyance.

Continuing to walk, I ignored the gossiping nobles. My mind suddenly flashed back to the day I was at the convention. The day I exploded. Caulina said no one was hurt. But what if she was lying to spare my feelings? She didn't even know me, what reason would she have to lie? She could have made up the explosion itself. What if your family is out there, looking for you… right…now.
They… they wouldn't be looking for me. They probably held… a funeral. For me.

The image of my family standing around a casket being lowered into the ground flashed into my thoughts. Everyone wearing black clothes. Rain falling all around.
They think you're gone. How much pain have you put them through?

A muted voice ringed through my ears.

"Diego? Are you… Can you hear…" I felt a phantom touch against my arm.
Their only son, gone in flames. How much heartache have you put them through?
I didn't choose to come here. I… I was sent here.
Yes. You were sent here. And yet, you have made no effort to return.
How could I return? I'm not human anymore. And even if I was, how could I accomplish that?
You have all the power in the world. Stars pale in comparison to you. And all you do is sit here, on this rock and play hero.
I am a hero! I've saved millions of people!
Killed thousands as well. All those ships, all those crews. All sentenced to the vacuum of space by you.
They were the enemy. If I hadn't done something, innocents could have been hurt.
But do you truly have the right to decide?
With great power comes great responsibility. If I hadn't done it-
Someone else would have. Like Kolivan or Celestia or the elements. Face it, you're just an interference.
No! I know that I've done good! I've protected people!
Killed tyrants.
Killed oppressors! Monsters who took away others freedom.
Monsters with power like yours. Monsters who knew that power meant control and control meant subjugation.
Power is meant to be used to help others if they can't help themselves!
If they can't help themselves, they don't deserve help.
It is because they can't help themselves that they need help!
Because they're weak.
Because they're just trying to live their lives in peace!
As cattle. Weak, defenceless cattle.
Who need a saviour to keep them safe.
To keep them in line.
To keep them alive.
Because without us…
They would die. Like the cattle they are.

"Diego! Are you alright?" Kolivan yelled at me, hand on my arm. My head snapped up.

"No worries commander. I think I'm just a little tired. Fixing that shield took more out of me then I thought. I think I'm just going to go rest for a while. In fact, I think I'm going to stop by the quintessence forest to recharge a little. Tell the princesses I said hi." I said as I walked back towards the hangar.

"Stay safe." Kolivan called out to me.

"Oh please. I'm a walking star. What could happen?"

(The quintessence forest)

Landing near the edge of the forest, I started walking forward, looking for a good place to meditate. As I walked along, passing trees, I heard growling behind me.

Turning around to face the sound, I saw a group of large timberwolves stalking up to me.

"Timberwolves? What are they doing here?"

Answer: It seems that a renegade pack has been pushed into the quintessence forest. Warning: Living in the forest has caused the timberwolves to mutate.

"Is that why they're so big?" I asked, standing face to face with one of the wolves.

Answer: Most likely.

"Alright. Well, then I'll just have to exterminate them. Shouldn't be too hard." I said, raising my fists. I punched forward, shattered the wolf standing in front of me. Powering my hand emitters, it only took three ticks to blast the other four to bits. "Now, have you learned your lesson or are you going to-" In less time than it took to break them, they reassembled.
That was fast. Must be because of the mutation.
Deciding to just get it over with already, I opened my faceplate and extended my facial emitter. With a stream of ultra heated plasma, I burned all five wolves and a bunch of the trees around me into a nice black clearing.

"There. Done and dusted." I said before noticing the burned trees weren't regenerating.
Woops. I thought, continuing my walk.

(A few minutes later, the burned ring)

"What could have caused this?" Moondancer asked as she looked at the ashen ground. "These trees can take a building falling on them and grow back from getting laser cut down to a stump. So what could have burned these trees so badly that they can't regenerate?" Moondancer wondered.

"I'm not sure. It seems to have been a form of plasma of some sort but I cannot determine what kind." Sekt said, his artificial throat humming as he talked.

"Sir. Come look at this." One of the cadets announced. Sekt stood and walked over, looking at a tree at the edge of the ring of ash. It looked like a sapling.

"What about it?" Sekt asked. The cadet stepped forward and touched the tree. It crumbled and broke.

"It's dead." The cadet explained. "And this is the third one I've found like this."

"That can't be right. These trees don't just die on their own." Moondancer said as she walked over. Looking at the surrounding trees, she saw that they were wilting and paling. "Something's wrong. It's like there's a virus killing the trees."

"We have to report this to commander Kolivan." Sekt said as he stood and headed back the way they came.

Away from the dying trees.

Away from the source of the "virus".

Away from Diego.

Author's Note

All systems primed.

0 at 90% completion.