Author's note: I understand, it's not exactly.. great. But I love writing! Honestly, I do, but in order to not go overboard and avoid writing a 15 part series like Zettalux said, I've done my best to shorten it out... Although it left it in a kind of funky state. So if you have any bits of criticism to help me out, feel free to say anything~! But please, keep it creative, not useless.

- The Dying Planet

Summary:
The energy that sustains life on the planet, the core, is now dying, it's energy depleted by the knights who abused the planet and it's resources. The Clockworks must be shut down in order to stop anymore damage, but too much has already been done. Now there is never ending snow and the people are slowly dying off from the cold. Someone out there must either find a way to save the planet... or find a new one elsewhere before they all succumb to the cold.

-

Snow was falling, slowly covering up and coating in pure white the mountain that housed the Clockworks, as if it was coating an already painted canvas white, to make it look new for another picture. It was as if it was erasing the Spiral Knights Headquarters from the picture frame, the planet. The snow filled up every crease and nook and cranny of the headquarters but not the Knight’s hearts, which were now downtrodden with grief as knights in large construction hats carefully lay large, yellow tape that said, “DO NOT ENTER” over the entrance to the Clockworks. Other knights, still wearing their armor, gathered around, getting their last glimpse of the elevators before the yellow of the tape blocked their view of the only way into the dying core.

Knights shook hands and hugged, sad that their time together was now over. Without the Clockworks, there was no reason to stay, no more need to fight, even more so when the planet was dying. Many had decided to get back into a pod and see what other planets were out there, hopefully find a new home for themselves where maybe they may never make the same mistake again of abusing their planet. But there was not enough pods for everyone. Hundreds left in search of a new home while thousands more became stranded on a planet that would soon no longer sustain life.

Days became weeks and weeks turned into months. Eventually, nobody kept track of dates anymore, or time. Life soon became dull and boring, with the seemingly endless snow. It was cold and there was no heat available to warm up the knights still stranded on the planet. Now, there was regret. If only we hadn’t been so focused on just eliminating monsters! On depleting the energy from our planet for our own selfish needs of armor and weaponry! Why didn’t anyone tell us?

The knights have been shackled up in their homes, awaiting communication from their companions sent out into space. Nobody heard anything from them and there was no sign in the stars of a returning pod. Snow piled up from not being shoveled away, and slowly, life began to completely diminish on this barren planet.

But one day, two knights crawled out of their homes, unnoticed by anyone else. Desperation gnawed at them, the cold too much to deal with in their homes. They crawled together into the snow, leaving faint tracks behind them until they reached the cave that held the clockworks. The snow was so high, they could barely see the top of the cave and it’s faded yellow tape. One of the companions pulled out a knife and slit a small opening only big enough to fit them inside. Carefully, they crawled inside and made sure to cover the hole with snow.

It was, astonishingly, lit inside. Torches lined the walls and the two went to the nearest one to warm their hands.

“James, do you think they saw us?” May asked, rubbing her hands together.

“Of course not,” he huffed, and a cloud appeared, almost seemingly to put out the torch. They both inhaled quickly, willing it not to die out. It stayed, but they talked with their faces away from the fire.

“Well, do you atleast think we’ll be safe here?” She was very concerned.

“Of course not, May, nobody comes here. It’s too cold out there, we’d freeze to death anyways. People will understand if we come here where it’s obviously warmer and.. and there’s heat.” It finally registered in his mind that there was heat on a torch in a place nobody came to. “Where’d this come from?”

May opened her mouth and a growl escaped... but it wasn’t from her. She turned around and barely had time to duck as a wolver came soaring through the air, aiming for her face. She screamed in terror as it landed on James who fell to the floor, the wolver on top. He held it’s shoulders as it attempted to bite and scratch him, trying desperately to take off his face when suddenly, the wolver is grabbed by it’s tail and thrown against the wall.

It whimpers in pain as a voice suddenly appears from the darkness of a corner not illuminated by the torches. “What are you doing to Pooch?!” a hoarse voice calls out. Two footsteps followed by another clack echo throughout the cave and an old, red gremlin appears, checking Pooch for any injuries. “You two oughta be ashamed a’ yerselves,” he chided as he pat the wolvers furry head, calming it down.

“That thing attacked us, you crazy old coot!” James said, dusting himself off. He would not forgive that thing.

“Well, yer barged in here all willy nilly and without permission,” the gremlin said, straightening up. You could hear the cracks in his backs as he signed in pain. He gave a quick, “stay here now, Poochie,” before turning to James and May and asking “Now, what are yer doing here?”

“It’s cold outside, so we wandered in here,” May asked, making sure James hadn’t broken any bones. “What are you doing here?”

“I live here, a’course!” the old gremlin replied. “It’s you two who don’t belong here, now get ‘er out. Exits the same way yer came in.”

“But sir!” May cried out. “Don’t you know the planet is dying? It’s too cold to go anywhere else.”

“If there was a way to heal the planet, then we wouldn’t have to be here,” James said, eying the wolver with suspicion as it did the same to him.

The old gremlin looked at them and thought long and hard. “You two may stay here...” he finally said, “under one condition.”

“And that is...?” May asked.

“If you listen to this old gremlin’s story,” the old gremlin said, and sat down in front of them. James and May sat down as well, but Pooch stayed in his corner, tending to his tail, which was grabbed harshly by May when he was thrown into the wall.

“A long time ago...”

There was a God. He was mighty and powerful and had subjects to rule over but he was not happy. They always roamed the universe, looking for the one place in which he and his subjects belonged. But, no place seemed to be fit for him. So, he decided, “I will make you a place to live, but in return I will need a life. The one most precious one amongst you.” His people were debating amongst each other, who was the most important? The God simply pointed out, “the one you love the most” and all eyes were turned to a baby who was born less than a year ago. The baby’s laughter filled the people’s hearts with joy and made everyone smile... But was it worth the child’s life? Did they want a place to belong to or their joys to be depleted? But the parents of the baby knew that their God was kind and loving. So, they gave up the child, knowing that what they would get back would be much more in return, and the God made them a place to live.

May was listening intently towards the end of the story as James tried to keep his eyes open. The old Gremlin hit him upon the head with his staff.

“Ow!” James cried, rubbing the abused spot. “What happened?”

“You did not listen!” the old gremlin cried.

“Well, what’s the point in it anyways? Is this supposed to save our planet somehow?” James retorted.

“It will save this dying planet,” the gremlin said in a grave voice.

“Excuse me?” May asked in bewilderment. “We can save our planet?”

“You two are the only ones who have ventured within the Clockworks since your own race has claimed to have locked it up. I am too old and weak now to venture deep within.”

“Wait a darn minute,” James said. “You want us to go into the Clockworks to save our planet?”

“This planet is meant to thrive, but your race has depleted it of its life source. You two may help this planet thrive once more.”

“How?” May asks. She’s holding onto the old gremlin’s hands and begging now. “Please, tell us how to revive this barren wasteland!”

The gremlin takes his staff and takes an orb off the top. “Take this ball of concentrated energy and throw it into the core,” the gremlin says simply.

“That’s it?” James says, exasperated. “So after all the possibly months we’ve spent, cooped up in our house, you’ve had the answer, always?!” Suddenly, James is mad and has the gremlin in his grasp. “And you never came to help us!?”

Suddenly the wolver is at James’ back, ready to bite into his neck at his master’s command. The old gremlin tells Pooch to stop before answering James, “Your race has locked me up here with your yellow tape and overcrowding of snow. Had I been younger, I would have saved the planet myself. Had your race come in here every once in a while, the planet would have been saved sooner.”

James let him go, astonished at the reason why the planet has been left to die for so long. May grabs his hand and squeezes it. “It’s ok, James,” she said, smiling. “We can save the planet now.”

James squeezes it back and nods. Then, he turns to the gremlin and mutters, “Sorry, old man...” who in return, just gives a curt nod of “you’re forgiven.”

“Through there,” the old gremlin points at an elevator which has no floor. “It will drop all the way down to the bottom and you should reach the core.”

“Wait, what!?” May cries out. “You want us to drop 28 or 29 floors into the ground to our certain doom? Isn't there a working elevator somewhere around here?”

“Of course not, child,” the old gremlin croons. "The water from the snow has rusted away the elevators, so you must go down a different way."

He goes to the elevator with no floor and cranks up a tub held up by a series of wires. “Here. There’s just enough wire to reach the bottom, but not enough to hit the ground.”

It looked tiny and fragile. “Are you sure about that assumption, gramps?” James asked, uncertain.

“Positive” the old gremlin says, giving a toothy smile as the two step into the tub. James couldn't believe he was getting into a tub, ready to fall into darkness, just because of a story and the desperation to leave the cold. To what extent of insanity has this cold brought him to?

“Wait a minute, what was the story fo-” James begins but then the tub suddenly falls and the old gremlin is waving to them goodbye as they plummet into oblivion, his question lost and echoing throughout the cave.

-

May and James are screaming as they plummet together in a tub to the final floor of the Clockworks. Why did they trust that gremlin again? Inbetween them, cushioned, was the orb they were given and told to throw into the core.

“I see the light, I see the light!” May cries out.

“I'd tell you not to follow it, we're not dead yet, but we're about to be!” James sobs, when suddenly the tub stops just three feet from the floor of the core. James falls and hits the tub face first while May lands on top of him, hugging the orb for dear life.

It takes a while for them to catch their breath as they climb carefully out of the tub. Atleast the gremlin wasn’t lying when he said the rope was enough to reach the final floor, but not touch it ensuring their doom.

It’s lit here, too, but with unattended flames that somehow burn in the ground. There is a pathway of the fire, shining a way leading to the core, which leaves May and James in awe. They have never been here before, even in the old days where coming here to the core was a common occurrence. Little did they know that this is not how the core's chambers looked like back in the day.

“Here,” says May. “Take the orb and throw it into the core.”

“Alright,” he says, and he takes it. He’s about to head towards the core where the floor beneath them rumbles and shakes.

“Who dares disturb my slumber?!” a deep voice booms. A structure appears from beneath their feet and suddenly, it becomes too hot to stand on the surface. They jump off together, rolling to the ground, once more cushioning the orb between themselves. They look up and notice the one thing they hoped to never see again... Lord Vanaduke.

Lord Vanaduke’s eyes slowly open and land upon the two. “Who dares defile the chambers of Lord Vanaduke?”

“James and May,” May replies, eyes locked with Lord Vanaduke.

“And your duty here is?” Lord Vanaduke questions.

“To replenish the planet!” James answers, determined not to be undermined by this hideous Lord. “We are here to bring back life to this barren wasteland.”

“Silence!” his voice booms and icicles on the ceiling shiver. The coldness from above has reached even 30 floors beneath the surface. “The only way to do that is with the orb... Do you have it?”

May carefully places the orb between her hands and shows it to him.

“Ahh.. you have it.. Give it to me, so that I may safely place the orb into the core.” He extends his hand.

“Obviously, not!” James cries out, grabbing the orb from May. “You, Lord Vanaduke, who cannot handle the cold, would rather have a planet similar to the fiery depths of hell!”

“Give it to me!” Lord Vanaduke’s voice booms and he makes a lunge for it. James pushes May out of the way and dashes to the other side with the orb. “Never!”

“You will, and you shall!” Lord Vanaduke demands and fire appears in a circle around James. May is crying out for James but James can’t seem to find a way out. “You lowly life, that which has destroyed my kingdom and killed this planet, have used up your chance to care for this planet! Now, it is my turn,” Lord Vanaduke reaches into the circle and grabs James. James refuses to give it and throws the orb to May. “Catch!”

May dives for it, catches it and holds it close to her chest. “Run to the core!” he cries.

She makes a dash for it when a scream pierces her ears. “James!” she looks back and finds Lord Vanaduke is slamming him into the ground. “No!”

“Give me the orb!” Lord Vanaduke demands again, “and I will spare his life.”

“Don’t do it, May! You know he’s ly---” his voice is muffled by the ground as Lord Vanaduke shoves James face into the ground with his foot. “Give me the orb,” Lord Vanaduke says in a sweet voice.

May looks at the orb and the core, then at Lord Vanaduke. She takes in a deep breath and stares straight into Lord Vanaduke’s eyes. “Do you want this orb?” she says in a teasing tone, dangling it in one hand.

“Yes!” Lord Vanaduke cries out, tired of these two creatures.

“Then, catch!” she says and she throws it high in the air. “No!” James manages to cry out, but Lord Vanaduke is already reaching for the orb.

But the orb has gone higher than he anticipated and it hits a huge icicle hanging from the ceiling... with Lord Vanaduke is under it. The icicle falls as the orb breaks into tiny peices, the energy being infused into the icicle, making the icicle become sharper and stronger. The icicle falls straight into the head of Lord Vanaduke who falls to the ground and silently dies.

“James!” May cries out, coming to his aid. “Are you ok?”

James comes to when May’s icy cold breath hits him straight in the face. “P-peachy,” he coughs out, and moans in pain.

“What do we do now?” he groans out as May places his head on her lap. She stares at the core, wondering what the old gremlin could have told them that could be of any help to them. But all he gave them was a story, a wolver injury and a dare devil's drop into oblivious. How could any of that... Wait.

“The story...” May whispers. She understands now. The only piece they have not used that the gremlin gave them.

“What do you mean the story?” James asks, curious.

“You know... how a life was sacrificed in order to save the planet?” May asks.

“Oh no, you.. you can’t!” James cries out, fitting the pieces together in his head. The question that he didn't manage to ask the gremlin suddenly has an answer, bright and clear.

“James..” she says. “The planet needs to be saved. Our people up there are dying.”

“Well, if you’re gone, who’s going to save me from the final floor of the Clockworks? I’ll never get back up.”

“Someone will come down for you,” she replies and smiles down at him.

“You can’t leave,” James says quietly.

“I have to,” she says.

“Well, why you though?” James asks, refusing to give in.

“A life for a life. I’ve decided my life for the planet.”

“But I refuse to be on next reborn planet if it means being alone,” he says.

May thinks for a bit and takes his hand. “Then, will you come with me?”

-

Both are standing on a platform over the core. “This looks dangerous...” James says.

“Well, obviously,” May replies. “Are you ready, James?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be...” he says, staring down at the core.

May squeezes James hand and he does the same, trying to reassure each other everything will be OK. Just as the God in the story was to give the couple much more in return, they believed it as well. They stared down into the blinding light, trying to give out calm, even breathes as they stood on the edge... Then fell into the core. The core pulsed, emanating waves of heat, melting itself from the inside.

-

A few days later, the snow has stopped. The sun has come out, and it’s rays are helping repaint the canvas that was once pure white. The Headquarters reappears once more, shiny and new, and the colors of even the grass seem to burst with life, brighter than before the dark, winter days. The Clockworks have moved again and the core is replenished, giving the energy the knights need and enough to sustain life. The people are cheering and the Clockworks are open again. The streets once more bustle with life as people move to and fro, eager to start their lives once more.

The pods they have sent out have mysteriously found their way back home. Friends and families greet each other, tears of joy running down their faces.

Two snipes touching only by their wingtips hop around on the ground, always close to each other. They chirp happily at people before flying off together. When people stare at those two snipes fly off, they always say they disappear before the blinding light of the sun.