//------------------------------// // Chapter Forty: Decompression // Story: We don't go to Sub-Level Five // by RadBunny //------------------------------// Astral wasn’t sure how long he let himself cry. Held tightly by Sassi, Astral felt the fear and horror slip away. Trained as a guard or not, he just wasn’t as resilient as she was. Killing the Skitters was easier. But having back-to-back near-death experiences was a shock to his system, to say the least. A shock that a certain mare was blunting quite a bit. Her next words made Astral’s ears perk up. “I’m just so glad you’re o-ok.” He caught the stutter in her voice, and the stallion abruptly realized she was holding one of his hooves tightly. Feeling her pull back, he could hear the beginnings of a ‘sorry’ on her lips. The fact he promptly held her hoof back cut that off though. She leaned into him, the mare being oddly quiet. Somehow, amid all of the nightmarish events, this moment was genuinely peaceful. Pulling back slightly, Sassi looked Astral over again with a worried but relieved expression on her face. With a nearly electric jolt, the affection in her gaze as she settled back into their hug made Astral’s heart do a flip. A dozen barriers he hadn’t even known existed abruptly shattered, their remains burning into his mind. The look in her eyes and Sassi’s breath on his neck as she burrowed closer solidified it all. Astral nearly kicked himself at the realization. He had logically understood it all before. Goodness, Astral had acknowledged that this amazing mare was the type he’d want to get to know further. Dating and everything that involved. But now something was different, very different. it made his chest both tighten and warm, a hundred thoughts making the Thestral wince. He hadn’t let himself return this, not fully. It was always behind the wall of making sure Sassi was comfortable. He hadn’t dared initiate anything. What Astral abruptly realized at that moment was that mindset had been both in a physical and mental sense. He simply hadn’t let himself see Sassi fully, as a beautiful, incredible mare that was interested in him. He hadn’t let himself feel everything. But now… As he rested his head against hers, Astral let himself revel in the warm affection that flooded his frame. It was like comparing an ice cube to a glacier. Not the fleeting moments before that had been inadvertently cut off in his mind. Astral hadn’t realized how misaligned his mind was with his heart until now. It was overwhelming, processing everything he knew to be true but now was letting himself feel. This incredible mare cared about him. ‘I’m not letting you go!’ Those simple words, a fiery and affectionate look in her eyes had torn through blockades the Stallion hadn’t known existed. She cares. He couldn’t resist a smile at that thought. He had dwelled on it a hundred times before, but Sassi’s actions showed how incredibly dense Astral had been. Logically, he had known it, of course. But he hadn’t accepted it. Sassi’s feelings about him were clearly a lot sturdier than he originally thought. Then perhaps it’s ok if I care too. That I let you know. You deserve that at least. The acceptance of it all made him relax, the stallion letting himself fully enjoy the hug. Nothing else existed for a moment. As he tightened the hug slightly, he felt the mare pull back to look at him curiously, then return the gesture. She must have noticed something was different because she rocked him back and forth slightly. I’m not letting you go either, Sassi. I promise I’d show you the forests. “I like your hugs,” Astral finally stated once he was feeling relatively secure, Sassi laughing softly. “Well, right back at you. Did they teach this in the Night Guard curriculum?” she asked. “Nah. I took extra coursework for this. Top three in my class.” The silliness of the exchange made Sassi snort, a relieved sigh leaving her frame. “Well, I’d say you’re in my top three.” “Do I get a medal? That’s pedestal worthy.” The familiar playfulness returning to both her eyes and voice as the mare snorted lifted Astral’s heart. He gave her a final squeeze with his forelimbs before settling back down, checking his limbs to see if they were still shaking. “What’s next?” Astral finally asked softly, Sassi looking adorably miffed as she took a step back and adjusted her armor. The two put on their helmets again, Astral still processing how simply happy he was. Trapped underneath a thousand houses-worth of rock and cement and with a hundred monsters, but he was happy. Worried and unsettled, but still feeling over the moon. How accepting a simple reality could elicit such a change, the Thestral wasn’t entirely sure. On second thought, it made complete sense considering his feelings for Sassi. I definitely want to confirm things. As amazing as this feels to know she cares, I don’t want to push too much. Yet now, Astral wanted nothing more than to see where things went. Sassi let out a hum, looking at the floor numbers. “Next? The next floors should be the last few ‘fun’ ones. Hydroponics and Botanical Experimentation.” “…please tell me the plants aren’t carnivorous?” Astral nearly begged, Sassi waving a hoof at him. “Thankfully not. If anything, it’ll be a beautiful, overgrown floor. At least, I hope. If the plants try to eat us, guns and fire will do the trick.” “Here’s hoping,” he muttered. “Well, assuming there are no plants that want to eat us, we can take a break. I’d say you deserve it.” A weak but genuine smile was Astral’s reply. He wished that he was able to have more confidence, but the stallion could feel his limbs starting to shake again despite his previous bolstered attitude. “Keep your helmet closed for now,” Sassi said softly, clearly noting his state. He nodded, waiting as the elevator *dinged*. “I guess hugs are a temporary energy boost.” “Well, that just means we’ll have to hug a lot more often. Since I am in your top three best huggers. I have to defend my title after all. Besides, you’re comfy.” His immediate reply made a soft squeak echo over the radio. “Not fair,” she grumbled. “What? I wasn’t joking!” Astral choked back a laugh. He could feel Sassi’s playful glare on him through the helmet. “Alright. Let’s get this done,” a familiar, clipped tone said through his helmet speakers. Sassi covered the entrance as the doors opened, and the pair was met with a rather surprising, but welcome sight. “That’s…a lot of green,” Astral murmured, following the mare out into the lobby. The usually-pristine elevator area was covered in thick vines, moss, and all manner of ivy. Bright grow lights punched through the broken walls of what must have been experimentation rooms. “Well, the air is clean. Really clean. No toxins detected,” she reported, reading from the helmet’s display. Taking off the headpiece, Sassi took a deep breath. “Oh whoa. That is…wow,” she muttered. Astral followed suit, his eyes widening. “That smells amazing. I forgot how bad and stale it was until, well, this.” If he closed his eyes, they could have easily been standing in a thick pine forest, or perhaps in a willow-packed area next to a lake. “I am totally building a cabin after all of this,” he sighed. “Forget the city. I want to wake up somewhere it smells like this.” And fruity gunpowder. Walking out of the overgrown lobby, Astral couldn’t help but look around in wonder. For a stadium-sized area, massive, moss-covered trees, vines, and flowers spread out before his eyes. A large, glowing artificial sun lit up the entire scene with a cheerful glow, the remnants of cubical scattered this way and that. “Wait here for a moment, Astral,” Sassi instructed, the mare poking her head into a room with a canted door. Forcing her way inside, Sassi glanced at a few monitors, Astral seeing it was barely as big as two office cubical inside. She tapped a few keys, then nodded as a confirmation message flashed on the screen. With a nod, she walked up next to him, the two continuing to walk across the soft, mossy ground. “This floor is safe,” she said with a relieved smile. “Security measures have been engaged. All the vents, tunnels, and doors were sealed, and no breaches. It all locked down when the plants grew out of control from the broken lab containers. They’re not volatile anymore. Just normal, big plants.” Astral forced himself to breathe, the two of them in a small, grassy clearing amid two overgrown metal desks. “So, safe?” he ventured to ask. “Safe,” Sassi said, shrugging off her saddlebags. “I’m going to look around, staying within sight. Just to be sure.” At that, Astral’s hind limbs buckled, the stallion slumping to the ground. “I’m…just gonna sit here for a bit then.” Safe, for the moment.