Together for the First Time 
By Smash
  
Smash poked his head outside of the cave he called a
home. Bleary-eyed and coughing, he stepped out into a
new day. He had been working at his forge all morning,
trying to soften that meteor he had found enough to be
able to shape it. So far it was a failure. There was
simply too much to do for one person. 
As he tried to blink the stinging smoke from his eyes,
he saw something green moving towards him. Probably
another one of those Koopas, he thought. He had just
gotten back from his misadventure in Lemmy’s body and
wanted nothing to do with Koopas. But it was too late.
It had seen him and was coming up to intercept him. 
As it came closer, Smash saw he was right. But this
one was a bit different than the ones he was used to.
She had no shell and no tail. If it had not been for
her scales, claws, and pointed teeth, Smash would have
guessed she was human or feline, not reptile. 
He walked up to intercept her. “And what do you think
you’re doing?” he asked in a mock-accusatory voice. 
“I’m here to see the falling star that crashed on this
mountain,” was her ready reply. 
Smash was suddenly on his guard.  If she was sent to
retrieve that star, he would have to fight her for it
or lose it, neither of which was acceptable. He
decided to change the subject.  “What’s your name,
anyway?? 
“Gillian Koopa. What’s yours?” 
His first instinct was to lie, but Smash surprised
himself by spilling the truth immediately. “My name is
Smash Sumashi.” 
“Smash?” she giggled, “What a strange name!” 
Smash pursed his lips in annoyance. “No stranger than
you are, my friend. Who ever heard of a Koopa without
a shell?” 
“You’re not from around here, are you?” she giggled
again, “I’m not one of those Koopas of ‘royal blood’.”
She spoke the words mockingly, “I’m what they call a
‘Koopa Cousin’. I’m just related to them. Some Koopa
Cousins wear shells, but it impairs my movement too
much.” 
Smash found he could not keep the question from coming
out. “Were you sent here to retrieve the star or do
you just want to see it?” 
“Oh no, I wasn’t sent. I just wanted to see it. It
must have been very hot and hard to survive a fall
from the heavens.” 
Smash muttered, “You have no idea.” 
She heard him. “Oh? Do you have it then?” 
Again, the truth came out without Smash thinking about
it first. “I’m trying to forge it into a sword for
myself, but it’s too hard. I can’t get the fire hot
enough to soften it.” 
“Ooh, can I see?” 
Smash was torn between his desire for privacy and this
girl, which he strangely seemed to like.  Gillian won
out. 
“Very well.” 
Smash led Gillian to his forge room. The air was thick
with smoke from Smash’s last tries. He motioned to the
anvil in the center. “You see, I try to heat the metal
enough to soften it, but by the time I get from the
bellows to the anvil, the fire has cooled too much and
the metal won’t work.” 
Gillian looked somewhat sympathetically at Smash. “It
looks like you need an extra pair of claws.  Listen,
I’ll work the bellows while you forge the metal.” 
Smash accepted that offer without hesitation. Within a
few seconds, the fire was blazing fiercely.  Smash
placed the fallen star onto the anvil. Soon it was red
hot. With a hammer, Smash pounded the metal with all
his strength. He was gratified to see a tiny dent
appear in the star. 
All the blazing of the forge was drowned out by
Smash’s exulting cry. 
Innumerable hours later, Smash was holding a burning
hot sword in the tongs of the forge. The only thing
that protected him from the heat was his draconic
heritage. But he was getting uncomfortable, and
Gillian was drooping with exhaustion. “Get out of
here,” he told her. “I’ll join you in a second.” 
She gratefully retreated from the room. Smash found
the pool of frigid water he had been saving.  He
tossed the blade in and dashed from the room. The
resulting deafening hiss and the billowing of steam
coming from the room sent Smash and Gillian running
for the surface. 
A few minutes later, Smash ventured back into the
forge room. The pool of water had been completely
evaporated by the sword blade and it was still warm to
the touch. Smash quickly attached the blade to the
hilt he had prepared and went back to the surface to
present the finished product to Gillian. 
She cried out with delight when she saw. She told
Smash it must be the most beautiful piece of art in
the world. Then she checked the position of the sun
and discovered that she had to leave. 
“Oh, well,” Smash said, disappointed. “Come back again
when you’re in the neighborhood.” He leaned over and
kissed her gently on the cheek. 
She smiled and left. Smash stood there, staring at her
red hair fading into the distance until she was
completely out of sight. 
 
The End

 
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