Chapter 34: The Missing Piece Is Honesty

After some hours...Aboard their spaceship, Mike and Heidi sat in silence.

The sting of defeat had left a deep scar on them.

Draven’s words kept repeating in their minds—

"If you have a death wish, come to the Twelve Dancing Princesses planet."

"That’s where I rule. Under my dictatorship."

They weren’t sure if they even wanted to fight anymore.

Jim and Naomi, worried about their state, analyzed their situation.

For the first time, Mike and Heidi were desperately trying to prove their love for each other.

Mike: "Hey, you know I like your cooking. It energizes me to keep fighting. You always keep me encouraged."

Heidi: "Yeah come on. I like everything about you. Your magic, it's so cool. You keep me cheerful."

But something was off.

They were forcing it—it didn’t feel natural.

That’s when Naomi realized the truth.

Naomi:
"You two are doing it wrong."

"You’re trying too hard to love each other. But love isn’t something you force."

Jim’s eyes widened.

Jim:
"She’s right. You two are just a pair of egoistic fools who were never honest with each other."

Mike and Heidi’s eyes widened.

Naomi had hit a nerve.

A painful silence followed.

Then, without a word, Mike and Heidi stood up and walked into their partitions, locking the door.

Jim and Naomi watched them go, suddenly concerned.

An hour passed.

Jim and Naomi grew anxious.

They thought Naomi’s words had affected them negatively.

Just as they were about to check on them—

Mike and Heidi suddenly stormed out.

Before Jim and Naomi could react—

Mike and Heidi kicked them into the lab-partition.

Jim and Naomi were trapped.

Jim: “WHAT THE HELL!?”

Naomi: “HEY! This isn’t funny!”

Heidi grabbed Naomi’s tablet and locked the lab from the outside.

Jim: "They're up to something."

Naomi bit her lip.

Naomi: "No… they're finally going to face each other."

_ _ _

Mike and Heidi stood back-to-back, neither facing the other.

For a long time, neither of them spoke.

Then—

Mike exhaled deeply.

Mike: “Do you know what it feels like… to watch your planet getting destroyed in front of you?”

Heidi remained silent.

Mike:
"To watch everything you knew be destroyed in front of you… and realize that you were too weak to do anything?"

" I had no power. I could only run. And I hated myself for it."

"I lost my people, my family, my home. And I convinced myself that I had to face the ones who destroyed my planet… no matter what."

"That’s why I always maintained my calm all the time to win no matter what. Because I had to teach them a lesson. I never wanted them to believe they broke me. That's also the reason I acted cool and overconfident to suppress those emotions."

His voice was heavy with emotion.

Heidi clenched her fists.

Then, she spoke.

Heidi:
"I wasn’t much different."

"I lost my planet too. But my pain was different."

"I lost my people not only in destruction… but previously there were many betrayals I had to face from my childhood. But now with the planet destroyed I lost all of them,the ones who still stayed by my side along with the others."

"The people I trusted. The ones I loved. People who abandoned me whom I once trusted. Everyone lost. "

"After my planet was destroyed,I believed I had no one. No one to rely on even if someone stayed by my side. No one to trust. I have to survive alone."

"So I decided…no matter what I would never rely on anyone ever again. I would only trust myself."

"That’s why I still acted a bit cold towards you. That’s why I didn't open up fully."

Her voice wavered slightly.

Mike’s eyes softened.

For the first time, they were truly opening up to each other.

_ _ _

Jim and Naomi meanwhile were hearing everything from the locked lab.

Jim (dramatically shedding tears): "Didn't knew they had it so hard. I can relate to them... they are so similar to me."

Naomi (calmly listening to their conversation): "It somehow seems to be working out. Guess we don't have to interfere."

_ _ _

Mike then turned around.

Mike: “I’m sorry.”

Heidi turned too, surprised.

Mike: "For the times I doubted you. For the times I acted without thinking about your feelings."

"I wasn’t being fair to you. I just assumed my way was right."

"And for that, I’m sorry."

Heidi hesitated.

Then, she clenched her fists and stepped forward.

Heidi: "I’m sorry too."

"For always keeping things to myself. For never trusting you enough to share my pain."

"I made you feel like I didn’t care afterwards… when the truth was, I did. I always did."

They finally understood each other.

For the first time, they weren’t fighting.

They weren’t arguing.

They were simply talking.

Mike: “So we both lost our planets. It seems we just have each other to avenge our planet's destruction.”

Heidi: “Yeah! No matter what I lost everyone on my planet. Even if I had different emotions about different people, I still loved my planet. Thatswhy, I am fighting as the only survivor of my planet just like you.”

And then—

Mike extended his hand.

Mike: “So… do you accept me?”

Heidi stared at him.

Then, with a small but genuine smile, she took his hand.

Heidi: “Only if you accept me too.”

Their hands clasped together.

In that moment—

Something inside them changed.

A surge of energy erupted between them—

The power of Honesty.

It was the missing piece.

The true foundation of their bond.

And with it—

All their previous forms—Trust, Love, and Devotion—became even stronger.

They felt an unbelievable surge of power coursing through them.

Heidi then unlocked the lab, freeing Jim and Naomi.

Jim crossed his arms, raising an eyebrow.

Jim: “Well, look who finally figured it out.”

Naomi smirked.

Naomi: “Took you guys long enough.”

Mike and Heidi grinned.

This time, there was no hesitation—no doubt.

Heidi: “Jim, get us to the Twelve Dancing Princesses planet. Now.”

Jim nodded.

Jim: “On it. But why?”

Mike: “Because Draven told he is going back there before parting.”

Their ship blasted off, heading straight for their long-awaited rematch with Draven

The Next Day...The Twelve Dancing Princesses planet was nothing like its original tale.

What was once a vibrant, colorful kingdom filled with joy and music had become a twisted nightmare.

Black mist covered the sky, choking out any trace of sunlight. The air was thick with the stench of decay. The once magnificent castle, where the twelve princesses would dance every night, was now cracked and rotting, consumed by Draven’s corruption.

Burned forests surrounded the castle, and eerie whispers echoed through the empty land.

The once-beautiful lake was now a murky swamp. Twisted reflections rippled across the surface. Dead trees reached toward the sky like skeletal fingers.

But none of that shook Mike and Heidi.

They had faced fear. They had endured despair.

And now, they were ready.

Jim skillfully piloted the ship, navigating through the thick fog that veiled the planet. From the cockpit, Naomi anxiously scanned the deteriorating landscape.

Naomi: “It’s even worse than I thought…”

Jim frowned.

Jim: “Draven's corruption is spreading faster than we expected. It won’t be long before the entire planet falls.”

Mike: (Standing behind Jim, clenching his fists) “Not if we stop him first.”

Heidi gave a determined nod.

Heidi: “We’re not leaving until we win.”

Jim glanced at them both, noticing the newfound determination in their eyes.

Jim: “I’ll keep the ship ready for a quick escape if needed. Just... be careful.”

Mike and Heidi exchanged a glance.

Mike: “We will.”

Heidi: “It’s time.”