There is nothing we had to be afraid of anymore, monsters is no longer the threat but nature without life itself. For how to neutralize the threat is, salt. NaCl, the one substance used to kill a lily effectively used against similarly built organism.
Mark of 3 hours left, one month we had spent on this planet. Fairly quick expedition than the last time... get to that place once more, why is this planet sounds less lifely?!
Sigh, last data had been added to the document. "4th team, Roll out!"
"Aye senior!" Our way back to the ship, went trough this dense forest of lingering neutral threat.
Pouch of salt, key to avoid direct slaughter to this organism. Although it is rather unfair to see them having hard time even with my help, but i need to keep track of them whatever happened to myself.
Until hour is the only time left, nearly lost the samples and turn the fatigue into mush. Each of us need to data and took samples from each the specimen on this planet, often we got a fatal injuries from it. No joke, they casually threw us apart.
Fortunately, the fatal injuries is mostly fatal for regular non trial passed horses. Fairly easy to treat with some slow down in backing off, even with the trial this is less of nuisance.
Captain Rex, with all of his juices still somehow present within him. "Great discovery, Juniors. We had unravel most part of this planet, tomorrow will be AREA ZERO."
I have heard so much of this "Area Zero" thing, It isn't that dangerous per se. But i like the strange things occur on that kind of area.
"Have a rest and see you awake next day!"
Rooms expose themself upon Captain Rex's command, allow us to access our personal room.
That means "distille et infecta." For usage is to keep me from breathing alcohol spray or some sort of that liquid. 'Kill nearly all living things, including me if i consume it.'
"Shower." It is the only thing left before bed time, rid off the alcohol all over my body. There were mirror, for it i utilize to keep my white hair fit for the next day and often cut it short for maximum outcomes. Casting some energy to myself, trying to save most of my magic from depleeting.
Trap the energy inside of myself, keeping my temperature relatively high from activities i did inside.
I had other source of heat, and isn't always on magic to warm myself. For there was nothing blue on this room but me, a maroon mug accompany me since i had ever stepped int this room. Maroon is what he always looks like, vibrant but never blue, 'Wonder if we are on the same time again.'
Water outside is rather cold than Svadi's, and yet the Equestrian's water is still warmer than Svadi's. Not a single water particle stays in my fur anymore, for it had dissipates to steam.
Left me jumping on my vomfort sturdy matress, turning my helmet on.
Took a while to connect into the main Monster Computer, 'Maybe another Artificial Branching happened.'
Until a flick of imaginary screen appear and only show noises, but he did answer. "Vey! No scratch eh? Waterproof, and this ear is a little tingling from waters."
"Of course there is no scratch, we got salty on our hands." He pull up his brows, put his brows together.
With all concern on his voice "Who, is- Salty?"
"Salt, or NaCl. Why, did you think it was a person?" I think his brain went to a meltdown after we didn't interract for a long time, sure he isn't the only one.
"Ugh hehehe, nothing."
"I can tell what you think, and you are jealous." His pupil shrink, he slowly pull way his eye contact from me.
He cannot do physical things to me because we are digitally connected, didn't stop him from taking away the feeling. He force himself to be calm, and say his line with a tense smirky face. "I will never allow anyone went closer to my Silver Swan~"
"Stop calling me that!" A shy jerk we was since weeks ago, only had plenty of time to communicate trough.
Until he show that concern face of his, i assume "You fear something wrong will happen?"
He stare me dead in the eye, i wait for response. "Yes, you can feel it too. The lost of warmth, cold."
"I do felt that last time i try to contact you." His gaze still locked to mine, like we can do that at any time. Make my mind blank for several times thinking about it.
He laugh as i did a dumb face. "I see you have tied your hair, now i can clearly see my Silver Swan face."
I pull away my gaze from him, shameless.
It cool down, dissipates to other feeling. Brace myself to launch another chain of words. "I bet the next day is your last to explore that planet."
"Silver swan's guess never missed my thought." He only did a smile, enough to push me back to once remind me to that moment. The lust, just barely able to hold it back.
"Stop it!" Laughter keep carved on his face.
3rd screen cutting our conversation, on it was Lady Laufenas. "Wha- Lady Laufenas?!"
"You two having fun, and good job both of you. The data were uploaded to Advanced Monstercomputer, he's getting smarter for the past hundred years." Her expression were unreadable due to the sun behind her back, the drone even cannot identify her face.
A.M. a monstercomputer, large as he sounds. Satelite made out of sturdy materials, embedded an artificial hyperintelegence program of which had serve Svadi for eons. "Proud of Nida, and exactly why did you two call each other?"
"Just checking each other, nothing else-" With this, i cannot put word and only still in silence for Sul's defense.
Her gaze focused towards me, and i give the most flat face i have as possible. "Oh, i get it."
The Empress smile. "You two really remind me of old times, love him."
Sul, dumbfounded and flabbergastled. My frontlimbs moved, cover my own face instinctively while i reject the act. 'He's doing his thing! GAAAHH!'
The empress laugh on her own before stopping, look from side to side and "Why did i do that? You two, keep the mission on. Last is tomorrow, it will be all tomorrows my child!"
Her screen turn to light, leaving us two...
"For much i want to hug you, really far away." It is hard to ignore his tired face, and that tired smile- rejuvenate my spirit.
"Lady Laufen had a unique humor, isnt she." He look at me, dead in the eye.
Turning my head sideways, and turn my whole body to the other side of my matress. "Yes, she had that comedy mask in her."
"Anyway, what is your likings on me?"
I know he hesitates for a second, before he answer "You."
He his answer is faint, but i can hear it and sparkle on his eyes speak it all. I put another position, my belly on bed. Sitting like ponies on Equestria, and i found this rather effective.
I tilt my head, asking him "Sul~ why aren't you talking anymore~?"
"Oh, God!" He wander around his room, of which the same size of my room right now.
His expression is kind of mad, and he lift his helmet up. "See you on that place, Silver Swan!"
Call ended right after, 'He's real flustered there, for the least i knew which face i should wear.'
The next day, starting my day with a quick breakfast. Wear suits, and keep shoving nutrients to my mouth. '6 minutesss.'
"5 Minutes!" All things went steadfast upon this information, including me.
Substances of nutrients went all to my digestive system, mostly glucose. The doors of which i open to get out from my room, all others did it on the same time but Juniors. 'They seriously lack the whole sync movement training, but how did they pass Empress Training session?'
"Attention!"
A word, enough to influence whole squadron. "There a little more surface of this planet we need to explore. Get the hang, magnetic field isn't strong enough to deflect this planet's."
That same concern, lingering trough our veins. 'Absolute protective fiels only range around mile radius, no wonder they told us to went back.'
Entrance of this ship opened, Captain Rex mutter one line. "Line!"
Spontaneous we are, on each one's group without getting sorted. Still impressive for him to hold that state since month ago, i expect him to pass out from spontantenious use of that much leadership.
He went out first, i lead the 3rd group of always. There is several thing we had already discovered so far, several of which was large body of water.
That large body of water is deeper than our sea section, for it emit no light at all. Neither did it reflect anything, samples of it's water were full of micro organism and yet the organism is harmless to us.
Several beaked flying creature also present, although not that big. Relatively comparable to our height, walk on all fours and eat the vegetative monster's seed after dispatching them.
There were also present several fish-like creature, mostly more bizarre than prehistoric Svadi. But the overal principle is always the same, several diversities is largely abundant. Several of the beaked creature fly, they never lost their sense of direction yet us.
Several hill exposed to our awareness, turn out leading whole expedition team is not that difficult of responsibility. 'Good thing all of us undergo the same Trial, but these high ego juniors is start to picking me off.'
"I smell relation between plant-like organism with the bug-like one, for there never truly exist a bug here."
"Of course this little creature isn't a bug, although look like one." Sometimes, something isn't what it looks like.
'Not the same yet on the same page, Vey. Stop thinking bout that horse, you need to finish this expedition! Faster, better!' Classic me, but miss him tho.
"Safe sample Juniors?" All of them raise several containers full of organism, store it inside the Suppliers.
So far, we had collect data and samples from various living organism on this planet. Identified there are more than 3000 species of organism, single cellular and multi cellular.
We are really close to the south pole of this planet, might as well check why is this planet had such a strong magnetic field. "Juniors! Went to that cave!"
They follow me inside i said cave, heavy gust of wind drag the plant-like organism away from its place.
Imagine that to be the specimen, the wind is natural.
It nearly 3 hours left for us to head back, but there is something odd about our compass. 'Why is it weaken?'
Gentle gust swept over us, still not enough to damage the speciemen and samples.
'Why is it keep getting weaker over time?' I realise there is something really bad happening, but still have no idea what it were. "Went back!"
'That's it, we are going back to the ship.' The expedition is completed, nothing is needed for sacrifice.
2 hour before dusk, giant creature root our ship onto itself.
"Move out of the way!"
Towering horse stab the creature on its head, dissassemble to seeds upon impact. Captain inhale a galon of air. "Went back! Cover your ears!"
"All remaining group is needed to get back into SHIP ASAP!" This roar of his, went trough all 1 mile radius. Good thing we had already make a barrier of the samples and specimen, if not then we are absolutely going to die.
His face express no regret whatsoever, but i know him. That's just his mask, not his real face.
"Good, all of you were preent. We are off to go, atleast for a while." We are inside the ship, boarding towards the highest point of this planet.
Entrance revealed, Captain Rex bring Svadi flag and stab it deep to the ground. Before walking back in the ship, he sigh.
"Take off!"
The pilot of this ship, turn all the take off and portal engagement.
[Leaving atmosphere in- 3- 2- 1-]
All the momentum went missing, until this ship tear open on the exact energy needed to acess Svadi. [Engage in portal, turbulence head on. Please hold to your seat.]
The same turbulence like that time, a month.
All momentum went to zero, entrance was clear. "Juniors! Pack all the samples on the back container!"
[Thank you for using our service, hope we still operate for the next time!] Before we knew it, several others were already done and began getting disinfecting by alcohol spray.
One by one we went out of the ship completely smell like alcohol, but it evaporate in less.
We are all went back at the same time as the 2nd ship, sure the same model as this one. One thing, my heart accelerate in beats. Seeking for someone, he went out last out of the other horse crowd.
"All of you, did an exelent work for this month timespan."
Our attention turned to Cap. Rex, after all he was our lead. Surely i know where this is going- "You are now allowed to go back home, refresh your mind and see you on another time."
Right after that last speech, his body deflated. 'I know it.'
"Hey, Cap! Wake up!"
"Nah, he's fine. Just worn out of fully commit to leadership role, he'll recover in a week." They all look at me, but my generation just laughing their ass off.
"Classic Captain Rex, condemn him to the infirmary." The willing horses carry the large body of Captain Rex to medical district, while the others gradually fade off the scene.
"Sul!"
"Vey!"
We spot each other once more, months we haven't seen each other in person. "Going there right now?"
"You read my mind, Maroonated Stork." We walk to my old cafe.
Vicious grin of his, turn all strands of hair in my body tense. "You are terrible at teasing, besides now you learn how to do it. silver swan~ besides, looking at my own reflection isn't that bad either."
"Me, your reflection? More like another piece designed for each other."
"I am afraid we are." He smirk, for that i unable to help but did the same.
Shriek of alarm alert us, my ear burns.
The sky went dark, put us to speed of sound. All of the buildings can withstand the mach speed until 5th, unlike Equestria. 'Why is the rain device broken?!'
Pieces of rain hit my body, nearly ice.
"Thank God we had arrived, is anything hurt?" His fear face, flush all of my pains aside. My words cut short, flustered.
"Nothing- hurt."
"Aww, it's been a bilions of years yet?" All our attention turn to the counter, Eel. She had guessed this since that, i hate it when all of her ships came true.
"Oh sh*t Eli is right!" Her Co-workers keep on waiting for another customer, yet there is just plenty of them.
That's it, we are under an accidental rain. And there is just problem until then. Fortunately for us, employee break will occur 2 hours from now.
"Use the old seat?" His face not sure, but willing. We use the exact same seat from the first time i went back from Equestria, can't get rid of that. He gather courage, went to the counter.
I saw that smile earlier, that is something. That kind of smile is what he will put off whenever he want to prank somebody, and 'That somebody is me.'
"Why." He put two glass, warm and there is a white substance on it.
"Why did i do this?"
He even question his descision, likely this is something he didn't like.
"Is it hot white chocolate?" Even our distaste in food are similar, but i stare him.
He pull out something out of his hair, another white substace. "You like a pure vanilla?"
"Sure, you need some." I open my personal spatial storage, on which had plenty of things in it. I took out my phone, 3 years old. Barely access it anyway, no internet and no cable because clumsy me had put it away on the stay.
His drink mostly empty, the floral scent keep a sing sensation in our noses in his drink. My turn to drink this forsaken amalgamation of undeserving chocolate title, until i sip it taste with the woody and scent of pure vanilla and sweetness of this undeserving chocolate title is a delicate among sweets.
Enough of this undeserving chocolate title, as my eyes met with a scene. Sul's head, supported by both of his frondlimbs. Dumbfounded face he, put my expresionless face at stake. "What is wrong, Vey?"
'Uagh, my heart!' Pounding as it were, baby face. 'He still have that baby face, i can't.'
"Elliot at your service, may i help with something?" She grin, and my brain is steaming. My heart's wall of ice had melt, since he shines trough the thick of it.
"N-"
"Apologies for the broken rain generator, we never meant to do all of this but the malfunction is inevitable. All of the citizens are recomended to stay at whatever building they are in, thank you and have a good night." I can't believe this sh*t's off button is highly damaged, and there is a rule within this cafe.
"We would like to book two room."
"Ooh, about that. We only had a single room for two." I raise my head, the entirity of my face turn tense with a coat of anger on it. But she wink to me instead of teasing me.
'Please, Sul just don't make me do this again.' His cheek muscle is rather tense, but mine is on fire. "Alright then, we didn't have another choice."
"Exelent choice, my friend." I can only look at her in disbelieve, until she went closer to my ear.
"Enjoy the night, Vey!"
She dash away, leaving small trail of lime-yellow feathers.
"Vey, you knew room 4 right?" I somehow feel the melancholy of her action, show Sul the room. 'Why do i kind of feel Sul is too innocent right now?'
First time after 23 years, it had a lot of change. With rather large bed, enough to fit both of our body in- 'Oh, i really had to share a bed...'
We went back to the bathroom, changing our fit. We change clothes to our respective pajama, mine is black skull.
Sul's pajama is, rubber duck. But he look puffy in that fit, even more huggable than before. As he take the blanket for himself, went off from the bed. "I'll take the floor instead."
"HEY! THAT IS MY SPOT!" Is he serious with that pajama, on the floor? Sometimes, i can't comprehend what my mirror image think about myself.
His baby face is too much for me to handle, yet he choose to obey. "Guess i take the bed then, good night Vey"
'He's merciless, why?!' Now i pause, reflecting to myself. Darkness, roughness, is what i like from this room. Silence brought me to peace, but this peace isn't going to last.
Thunder strike, i cannot sleep.
'Why must i went trough this, whatever.' On silence, i pull out a large book from my personal dimension. It able to emit light on the paper itself, on it was Stardust's hoofwriting.
'Welp, i guess this is a communication book. The ink feels new.'
She said "Vey, i know you are quite ignorant. But still better than Princesses, you may read this book. In case you didn't know, this is book of commuication. Designed to function like communication trough the book to book."
For her newest sentence were "I bet you already red this."
It peek my interest, so i write "I am alright, just being myself and less professional now."
"Glad you are alright, Vey. Also, how is your day? It's been months you didn't active." I can feel the concern on her words, and as a kind person.
"Not that bad, 3 years in Equestria did pull me back. Also went back from a mission, it is month long exploration and sample collection." The book is fairly thick, maybe the one for long message.
Words soon appear on the page, it says "Good to know you enjoy life there, not being a nuisance."
"Maybe later, Stardust. This is night time."
"Sure, good night Vey!" The audacity to say that, believing every words i say. 'I am a bad liar after all, waht is the point of not believing me?'
i close the book, ending our conversation.
I walk up to the bed, seeing his baby face exposed and my heart beat faster than it will ever be. 'No, Vey. You aren't going to, the risk Vey!'
The urge to start sleeping from the thunder left me no choice, my heart keep racing from what i had done. His body is rather similar to mine, like my life size body pillow.
Behind thoose pajama lies a puffy fur of Sul, smells innocent. My limbs wrapped around him, slowly doze off from his warmth.
.
[To be continued]