Astral didn’t even realize he dozed off.
Sassi’s loving embrace had made the pain easier to deal with. With the reactor shut down, the stallion’s limbs shook. A dull ache now permeated every part of his body.
But with Sassi’s forelimbs wrapped around him…it somehow didn’t feel so bad.
The last thing he remembered was Sassi saying that he saved her again. She had snuggled up next to him, and the stallion had fallen asleep listening to her heartbeat in his ear.
Unfortunately, Astral’s waking up was far less pleasant than his drift off to sleep. He had watched, frozen as Chitters began to tear at his flesh, the RASP suit having been peeled off a piece at the time.
The last thing he saw was a thousand teeth reaching to rip out his eyes.
He jerked awake with a choked gasp, Sassi letting out a startled squeak as he tried to breathe. There was no more pleasant, peaceful joy, only terror. Astral looked around for the imminent threat, even if his body refused to move.
“Astral?” she asked cautiously, the mare looking at him in worry. “You’re alright.”
As the nightmare faded and reality set in, Astral couldn’t help but shake his head.
“I don’t think I am, Sas,” he whispered.
The stallion wanted nothing more than to go back to sleep. To doze off to Sassi’s heartbeat again. But his mind was racing as fast as his heart. Terror and anxiety threatened to tear down the door in his mind.
It had been ignored for so long, everything that had happened. And now it all wanted out, to flood through the Thestral’s entire being and paralyze him. The only defense was to not think about it.
“I h-haven’t dwelled on it,” he whispered, limbs not able to move. “Everything that’s happened. That I’m helpless. I can’t move, I can’t fight without that reactor. I’m a single step from being torn apart and there’s nothing that I can do! Entering this Silo… it all feels so wrong and evil, and I can barely even walk! I take a wrong step and I’ll get ripped to pieces from who-knows-what and all I’ll be able to do is wa-”
A gentle touch on his lips from Sassi’s hoof quieted the stallion as he started to ramble. A few black tears squeezed out of his eyes as a rumbling crackle echoed all around them; ice warping and moving as a familiar creature plodded its way nearby.
As he trembled Sassi didn’t say anything, only scooted closer to wrap him up in a gentle, loving hug, to nuzzle his ears gently. Hearing that familiar heartbeat unlocked more tears, the Thestral shaking his head as the sounds of the creature faded.
“I’m scared, Sassi,” he whispered.
The hug around his barrel tightened, Sassi nodding ever so slightly.
“I am too,” she admitted. “But we can be scared together. You’ve been there for me when I wasn’t doing well, and I promised to do the same. And we’ll be there for each other when we’re out of this place. So, let’s just not be ok together.”
He nodded, trying to just focus on breathing.
“I’m really going to need your help when we get out of here,” he whispered. “I think it’s going to be bad. I can ignore it for now, but when I have time to process it, it’ll all come crashing down.” Astral felt his voice cracking, his next words barely being audible.
“Will you be there for me, Sas? When it’s really bad?”
“I promise.”
The immediate response made his expression twitch into a slight smile. The incredible mare at his side never left room for doubt.
“Feels almost silly though,” he admitted, “you’ve been through so much, and I just have to deal with-”
“Astral, don’t even start with that,” the mare said with a firm tone, “it’s not a competition of suffering. We both have stuff to work through. The only difference is that I’ve lived it from the start. You at least had a normal background. If anything, I think your background makes it so you have the worse end of our current situation.”
“…ok, maybe we can just call it even,” he admitted, a soft giggle making his heart skip a beat.
“That’s more like it.”
The simple safety a hug provided certainly helped things, but Astral’s mind continued to try and wander.
“Can we talk about, well, anything except our current situation?” he asked, Sassi nodding as she snuggled up against him.
“I think that’s a great idea,” she mused, “are you ok talking about your family? I really don’t know much about them.”
“It’s only fair,” he said, “I know a lot about you, and I guess we haven’t talked much about my family and stuff. Especially since I’ll be introducing you when we get out.”
That prompted an adorable squeak, two wide eyes meeting his.
“Will-do you think they’ll like me?” she asked softly.
Astral let out a soft, slightly frustrated hum.
“I don’t know,” he admitted, and saw Sassi’s ears droop. “But let me explain. First, I don’t see their approval as entirely good thing.”
“Oh?” The ears went back up.
“So, my older brother and sister are a few years senior. They’re both Guards. Sister being a soldier, brother being more intelligence-operations. Then there’s me, my younger sister, and then two younger brothers.”
“I know you told me before, but that’s a lot of siblings.”
Sassi’s eyes narrowed as Astral’s ears drooped.
“Yeah, I’m getting to that,” he said almost reluctantly.
“So, my older siblings followed my parent’s hoofsteps. The younger ones are still figuring out what they want to do,” he said, then sighed. “Sas, my parents really do mean well. They do. They want what’s best for their children. But there’s a lot of tradition and culture that has been passed down to them. I don’t know if they’re the ones to break the cycle.”
“What do you mean?”
“Tradition and culture, to them, and for Guard families, are more important than what you want,” Astral explained. “I don’t think they fell in love until after being married and having a kid or two. It was just what you did. If you’re in the guard, you’re expected to have kids to carry on the tradition and honor of serving. Whether you want to or not isn’t something that’s part of the equation. My parents were raised that way and raised my older siblings like that. I was the one who started to break the mold, and they didn’t even know the entire story. Then the Case just turned it all upside down.”
Sassi frowned, reaching down to hold Astral’s hoof.
“That sounds rough,” she admitted. “But I can understand it a bit, me being raised to be a soldier and all.”
“It was kind of similar. Everything was about the Guard, serving, and making sure your family’s name was held with honor. Marriage wasn’t ‘arranged,’ but expected to take place between two loyal families. All you had to agree on was the Guard because that’s what took priority. Love was a nice bonus.”
“Arranged? Did they…”
He shook his head or tried to. It was more of a flopping from side to side.
“Not really. They tried to push me in a few directions for ‘suitable’ partners. But none of them were even close to who I’d want to be with. Then the Case happened, and all of that stopped. They wanted to pretend I didn’t exist. So, I don’t know how they’ll react. It could be good, you being a solider and all. Or they might just think I’ve gone crazy.”
Sassi’s eyes widened as Astral looked away, his lips trembling.
“Sas, they don’t know much about me at all,” he whispered. “I don’t think they really wanted to. Anything I did that was contrary to the ‘Guard first’ idea was seen as a phase, something that could be changed or rejected. My love of the stars, teaching, wanting to explore, all of it.”
He looked back at her, the words catching in his throat. “They didn’t even know I didn’t ever want kids. I mentioned it once or twice, but it was always ‘oh you’ll change your mind when you meet a decent mare,’ or ‘you need to change your mind.’ Worse was the talking down of ‘that’s not what our family does.’ So, I just…stopped talking about it. They probably still expect me to follow their model. Even after all of this. They don’t seem to understand that wouldn’t make me happy.”
Astral abruptly felt hot tears well up in his eyes.
“They didn’t even come to my graduation for my lower degree,” he whispered. “They thought it was just a hobby, as it wasn’t related to Guard stuff. Anything that didn’t fit in their view was a passing interest, and they never took it seriously. Guard-related activities were the only thing they gave their approval and admiration about.” He looked over at her, shaking the tears away. “So, when you talk about not being valued outside of being a soldier…I have an idea of what you mean. Not totally, but I get it.”
Sassi didn’t say anything, only scooting closer to tighten her hug around him. She reached up to nuzzle her stallion’s ears as he shivered.
He hadn’t known how close to the surface that realization had been. It had been so easy to ignore.
After Astral had taken a few deep breaths, Sassi shook her head slowly.
“That’s…wow, Astral,” she admitted, “that’s a doozy. I had no idea.”
“To be fair, we’ve been dealing with monsters and who knows what else down here. It’s been easy to ignore. And before that, it was just how things were.”
She nodded in agreement.
“Fair. But, yeah. I’m sorry you’ve had to go through that.”
“T-thanks, Sassi,” he whispered, voice hitching. “So that’s the not-so-good. But there is good. Most of all, they tried to do what worked for them and made them happy, because they wanted their kids to have a good life. They loved us, and wanted us to be happy; that’s more than many can say. They also taught me some things that clicked with how I view the world.”
“Oh?”
“Honor. Being there to help creatures even when nobody else wants to. That was something that led me here.”
She squeezed his hoof at that.
“Having that honor, standing up for what’s right, and erm,” His voice trailed off, and Sassi’s eyes narrowed almost eagerly as a slight flush came to his cheeks.
“And?” she asked, Astral letting out a huff.
“Well. Their view on when and how to settle down with someone was something I took to heart. Not for the reasons they’d want though.”
Seeing his special-somepony’s head tilt in curiosity, Astral continued.
“Their view, and most of the traditional families, is seen as old fashioned. Very outdated by modern standards. You court someone with the ‘Guard’ view, don’t sleep around before getting married, but then have a bunch of kids. The middle part of that fit with me.”
There was a slight nod of understanding on Sassi’s part, but oddly, Astral could see an almost excited gleam in her eyes.
“With my view of the stars, how small we actually are, that makes moments we share all the more special,” he explained. “Well, saving something to share with someone seemed really important. So, I appreciated them for not tolerating sleeping around,” he waggled a hoof as if to raise it. “Which isn’t to say I look down on anyone who does. My best friend, Gabbro, has enough, erm, ‘experience’ to cover both me and him, and I still love the guy. He actually defended me when the other guys were being a bit too snarky about my views.”
Astral’s tar-stained lips cracked into a genuine smile.
“I’m still thankful my parents guided me toward a more limited viewpoint in a way, even if their reasons weren’t the same. Theirs was for honor, culture, and tradition. Mine is a bit more personal.”
“So, you’ve never…?”
Sassi’s tone was even, but the emotion swirling in her eyes gave Astral a clue that somehow, this was a rather important question.
“Slept with anyone? Nope,” he said with a shrug, wincing at the gesture. “Had chances to, but I never thought it was the right thing to do, for one reason or another. It took a while until I formed my own views about it, as opposed to my parents directing what was right and wrong,” the stallion said, looking over to Sassi who had a flush on her cheeks. “If I can make a guess, that’s a big deal for you?”
She looked away, the mare seeming halfway between utterly relieved and unsure of herself.
“I don’t want to sound judgmental,” Sassi whispered. “But yes.”
“I’m all ears. But I don’t think it’s judgmental,” the stallion mused, “well, unless you look down on creatures for doing so. It’s just different preferences for what partner you want. I happen to prefer warrior-princess Thestrals over Pegasi. I have nothing against them, just not my type. It’s just a preference.”
His words did nothing to make the flush on Sassi’s cheeks subside, but she seemed a bit more at ease.
“Just, give me a moment, Astral.”
The Thestral burped up some black sludge, wincing at the sour taste as he spat it off to the side. Sassi sat up, a forelimb rubbing the other. The fact she was distancing herself from their previously-comfortable position was a rather large indicator for Astral that this wasn’t just a passing personal preference.
“Let me get it all out first, ok?” Sassi asked, her voice remarkably soft and almost pleading. “I haven’t told anyone this before.”
“I won’t interrupt,” Astral said, then settling back to wait.
“Living down here took almost everything from me,” Sassi whispered. “My childhood, my innocent view of anything, my chance at a normal life, friends, family, all of it. The Company corrupted and stole that away. I can’t get it back. It’s gone.”
The mare glanced down at her hooves, taking a few deep breaths.
“It’s not just about sex, Astral,” she finally said. “I mean, ok, there’s the usual wants and needs and that stuff, and the Silo was overflowing with the subject. Humor, viewpoints, it being just a thing that you did to have fun. But for me, it was the one thing never controlled by this place. Flask made sure to shield me from it, at least on a more personal level. Just…it’s about having one thing that’s mine to share with somecreature. Something good.”
She looked up at him, her lips trembling as a few tears brimmed in the mare’s eyes.
“I don’t have much I can share with someone anymore. Something untouched by this place,” she said, almost whimpering. “I’ve been able to ignore it, but when you’ll be dealing with stuff when we’re out of here? So will I. Sometimes my body doesn’t even feel like mine! I wake up and it feels all meshed together and wrong. I don’t feel like a pony, a mare, anything. I just feel out of place.”
Sassi wiped away a few tears that now fell.
“Until now, I’ve only been valued for what I can offer. Be it security, or literally parts of my body having a financial amount assigned to them. I’m a mess, Astral. I know it. Yes, we’ll work to get better, but up until this point, I wasn’t ever wanted aside from what I can offer. Sex was basically a currency down here. It almost corrupted my view of the entire thing. It was tempting, to actually be valued for something else other than what I was created to be. Even if it was a complete lie.”
She now managed a slight, weak but genuine smile.
“That’s where my dad came in and saved me in a lot of ways. He offered another view of it all that helped me separate it. I realized that I got to choose. That even if my body and mind was scarred and didn’t feel like mine, there was something that was. And I get to choose to share that with someone as an equal for once; a first-time thing. Even if it’s one thing, it’s one of the few things I have left to share. To be mine. Something actually good and normal. So that’s why it’s important.”
Her ears flattened briefly.
“I’d still love you, of course, if you had slept with someone else. But I’d have a lot to work through. I really-I don’t know if…” she shook her head, Astral reaching over to bump her hoof with his.
“I think that’s a beautiful view to have,” he said slowly, after making sure he wasn’t interrupting. “I can’t imagine what you’ve been through. But I can understand that view. I’ve had a similar mindset, and I certainly wouldn’t ever mock you for it.”
She sniffled, scooting a bit closer as she gently rest a hoof on his head, brushing through the stallion’s ears.
“Thank you,” she whispered. “All of this is so new to me. I want to be closer, and I don’t mean the serious stuff. Just times like this,” she explained, gently stroking his ears.
“I think I’m getting a good idea of how to, but it’s all new. There wasn’t a progression in the Silos, only what Flask said was normal in a relationship. And you being a gentlecolt has just shown me that my dreams weren’t silly, impossible things. That’s really overwhelming. Add in the fact you’ve been so concerned about boundaries…” she sniffled, a tearful smile on her face. “I just feel so lucky.”
“I’d hug you if I could move. I’m just happy I can keep proving those doubts wrong,” he said, smiling. “I did promise to do that, remember?”
Wiping her eyes, Sassi settled down next to him again, resting on his shoulder.
“You did. But, thank you. I just- with my view of everything, it’s hard to ask and have someone understand.”
“Yeah, asking if you’ve slept with anyone else isn’t exactly a first-date question. But, if it’s an important thing, it’s one to ask. I’m just happy to find someone on the same page.”
Sassi wiped away a few more tears, looking down as Astral managed to pull back ever so slightly to look into her eyes.
“There is one thing though, Sassi, that I think you’re wrong about though.”
“Huh?”
His hoof was trembling, but Astral managed to grip Sassi’s.
“You have a lot of good things to share that’s just your own. Not just one thing. And I won’t stop trying to prove it.”
The tears started again, Sassi glaring at him as she sniffled.
“N-not helping, Astral.”
“The tears stopping, or you feeling better?”
She had to stifle a laugh. Life and hope return to Sassi’s gaze, and that made their current situation fade away. Just seeing the mare he loved happy again made everything a bit less painful.
“You’re amazing, Astral,” she finally said, snuggling up next to him again. “Thank you,” her voice was much softer, nearly a whisper.
“You’re welcome, Sas. Let me know if there are any other big questions we need to talk about.”
“Well, we already touched on the no kids. That was the other big one. No other dealbreakers here.”
“Well, that just means we need to escape the Silos,” Astral mused. He then let out a dismissive huff. “Eh. That’ll be a piece of cake.”
Sassi stared at him, the two of them stifling a bit of stressed, utterly-exhausted laughter.
“What kind of stuff did tradition dictate for the Guard? Other Thestrals and stuff?” Sassi asked after the two had composed themselves.
“A lot, actually. Kind of similar to Canterlot nobles. Who to associate with, where to live, and even certain foods that weren’t deemed ‘suitable’ for a Guard to eat. But there was a spectrum of strictness in general,” he said. “But yeah. Marriage, who to marry, when to have kids based on….” His voice drifted off, and Sassi couldn’t help but grin at seeing a blush flare on Astral’s cheeks.
“Ok, now you have to finish that thought. We’ve already crossed that topic, so it can’t be that awkward,” Sassi said with a grin.
“It, erm, without context, it is.”
“Oh really?”
Astral let out a groan.
“Unfortunately. Let’s just say there’s some superstitious stuff about when your kid would be born, that they’d be strong, healthy, and all that. Some families take it really seriously, and the whole ‘bloodline’ stuff can be a bit extreme.”
“Huh.”
“I just-look. There’s an entire book with the stuff of lunar cycles and stuff. Details of when, where and how to…erm…start having kids.”
“Wait. How?”
Despite having killed hundreds of mutant creatures, apparently, this was a topic that made Astral squirm. But his discomfort was more out of embarrassment than anything, and Sassi had to stifle a laugh he sought to avoid her gaze. The mare had to admit, making her stallion blush was now one of her favorite things to do.
“My brother showed me a single page of it, and that was enough for me. You don’t need diagrams for everything.”
It started off as a giggle, but the Sassi had to stop herself from laughing even louder, Astral grumbling at his misfortune.
“I never realized how ridiculous it was until recently. I’m never buying that book,” he muttered, Sassi wiping away tears of mirth.
“It’s like a total opposite from here! The Silo was saturated with it, and you were at the totally other end!”
“That’s fairly accurate,” he sighed. “And here I am being scandalous by holding hooves with a mare I’m not yet wed to.”
Sassi’s abrupt deadpan made Astral snort.
“Wait. Seriously?” she said, seeing that the stallion wasn’t joking.
“Seriously. Some of the extreme families basically think you should be in a bubble before being married. Usually tolerant of minor stuff, but the really down-the-liners frowned on even a kiss, let alone any prolonged stuff.”
“Then we’re being very scandalous, aren’t we?”
Astral smiled as Sassi snuggled up to rest her head on top of his.
“By their standards, yes. But I wouldn’t have it any other way,” he sighed happily. “You make me feel safe. And right now, that’s a really, really important thing.”
A soft sniffle was Sassi’s response at first.
“Dangit Astral, stop making me tear up.”
“Not trying to.”
“But I’m happy to do so. We make each other safe,” she said, nuzzling her cheek against his. “Thank you for waiting for me to be comfortable with this.”
“Happy to do so. Totally worth it.”
She snorted, a cheeky smile making her fangs show as she pulled back to meet his gaze.
“Y’know, I think we should buy the book.”
“….what!?”
The utter shock on Astral’s face nearly sent Sassi into another fit of giggles.
“Well, I mean, it could give some fun ideas?”
The bright blush on Astral’s face made her words worth it, the stallion calmly shifting over to plant his face against the icy floor.
“It’s a good thing I’ve felt like absolute garbage and am very stressed,” he said once his face had cooled off. “Because if I wasn’t, it’d make times like this a lot more awkward and frustrating.”
Sassi let out a soft huff.
“At least I know it’s not me.”
“Oh, it is definitely not you.”
The sly grin on Astral’s face made Sassi’s wings flare, a blush burning on her cheeks. Apparently, when the teasing was a two-way street, she wasn’t nearly as prepared for it. Not that the mare was going to complain. The playful look in Astral’s eyes made her heart flip in her chest and promptly melt into her hooves. There wasn’t any of the lecherous intentions like from others in the Silo. Only a soft, genuine love and playful affection. To say it was attractive was an understatement.
“W-well gotta find those silver linings. And there’s plenty of time to be awkward together later,’ she added with a smile of her own. “Like when we buy that book.”
“I’m just happy you trust me enough to mention jokes like that.”
The mare giggled happily, but she couldn’t resist a final remark as she dug into their pack for some rations.
“Who says I’m joking? One of the side effects of RASP modifications are crazy libido fluctuations.”
“WHA?”
Sassi held her aching side as she laughed, Astral staring at her in shock.
“I’m joking, Astral,” she said with a wheeze.
“You are having way too much fun at my expense,” he grumbled, trying his best to pout.
“Can you blame me? I’ve never been comfortable enough to tease someone before! It’s so much fun!” She said with a cheerful grin. “But I’ll stop for now. Well, I mean, I was serious about buying that book though.”
With how fast Astral’s ears shot up Sassi was worried they’d break the sound barrier as the mare cackled to herself.
After eating a decent meal (to which Astral was happy to keep down and not convert to more sludge,) he managed to settle upright for a change of pace. Sassi, of course, was leaning on his shoulder, her sides rising and falling against Astral’s.
She had taken a moment to retrieve the medical attachment to the RASP armor, pressing it to Astral’s side so he could get another dose of painkillers and medications. Another follow-up injection was added to the mix. They only had about a dozen of the doses left, and that would ideally be spaced out as long as possible.
All through the process, their ever-present friend was still stomping around outside. But after that, at least the RASP armor had an update on the repairs and calibration.
“Eight or more hours? Really?” Astral sighed, “well, if it keeps you healthy, worth it. Maybe have it take extra time for a full diagnostic check. I don’t want you to get hurt.”
Her concerned coltfriend got another kiss for that remark, Sassi thoroughly enjoying how simple gestures of affection could bring an adorably dorky smile to Astral’s face.
“We can do that. At least we get a bit of a breather. Even if it’s not totally safe here,” she added.
“Who knows when we’ll stop again? May as well enjoy it while we can.” He then raised a weak hoof to point at Sassi. “And that doesn’t mean teasing me continuously!”
“Hey, I said I wouldn’t! At least for a bit. I’m getting used to it too!”
“Oh, you’re getting used to it!”
The pout returned, Sassi giggling.
“Let’s just try and get some sleep then. We can then eat again before we head out, and have RASP scan for what’s next,” she said, making sure weapons were within reach and all their gear was piled around them like a protective next.
“No complaints there.”
Without much fanfare, Sassi snuggled up next to Astral underneath the foil blanket, the two drifting off to sleep.
At least, they thought so.
With a jerk, Astral looked around, the smell of fresh flowers meeting his nose. A familiar moon shone above him; millions of stars spread out in the sky.
“This again,” he sighed. “This is weird.”
“Yup.”
Astral jumped as Sassi appeared next to him, the mare grinning.
“So, this is like, our hive mind world, I guess? Our own dream realm?” she suggested, Astral shrugging as he stretched his legs.
Well, dream legs.
“Maybe. I don’t know why Luna or anyone else can’t sense it though. But I’m not complaining.”
He paced back and forth, enjoying the feeling of having a functioning body, even though there were still crystals embedded in his chest and sides.
“Maybe we can explore? There are the grassy hills, that forest over there, and a lake?”
Sassi trotted alongside him, taking deep breaths of the clean air.
“I know this all isn’t real, but I don’t care. It’s beautiful,” she said softly.
“I figure it’s real, just in a different way. If there’s any food here and I take a chunk of it, I apologize if I bite you in the real world.”
“Oh, don’t apologize for that.”
Astral paused and glared at Sassi, a cheeky smirk on her face.
“Don’t you start that again,” he sighed. The stallion shook his head with an amused smile as the mare at his side giggled, the two of them trotting along. They eventually sat down on a familiar hill that overlooked the blueish-green grass that waved in a warm wind.
“Sorry. Just, this is all so new,” Sassi said, leaning against her stallion. “Being comfortable and trusting someone enough where it doesn’t feel wrong, let alone have someone see me that way without all the nasty intentions. It’s just new, exciting, and overwhelming.”
He leaned over to nuzzle her ears with a smile.
“I’m just happy that you trust me that much. Just space it out a bit, please? It’s…a lot to take in at once.”
*Snrk*
Sassi backed up to look at him, her eye twitching as she scrunched up her face, the mare trying her hardest not to laugh.
Astral let out a loud groan, waving a hoof as he walked off down a small trail.
“NOPE! Not fair! Not saying a thing! You naughty, dirty-minded mare!”
Sassi’s giggle chased him as she trotted up back to his side, the two making their way into a conifer forest. She reached over to give his shoulder a bump, her eyes then darting around at the nighttime scenery.
“Thank you, Astral,” she said as they walked through some small saplings.
“For?”
“Just…tolerating that,” she said, a blush burning on her cheeks. “I’m just- usually there’s a ton of assumptions that would come with me saying anything remotely suggestive. I’ve never had the chance to think about, well, anything intimate due to how it was in the Silos- and I don’t just mean sex. There weren’t any boundaries, no natural progression of a relationship. It was just creatures sleeping with whoever, or having a make-out session between shifts. So, not having to worry about all that baggage with you is freeing. I don’t want to make you uncomfortable though. Sorry if I did.”
He looked over to the mare, Sassi partially hiding behind her bangs. It was an adorable look.
“You’re welcome, Sas. You didn’t though. It’s just surprising, but it makes sense,” he mused. And no need to apologize. It’s rather nice knowing you care enough about me to trust me like that. It…” Astral’s voice trailed off, a surprising amount of emotion abruptly clogging his throat. “That trust means a lot because I have a glimpse of what it was like down here. So, I don’t blame you at all.”
The stallion averted his gaze, scuffing at the ground bashfully.
“It’s…erm, rather fun actually,” he admitted with a cheeky grin. “I’ve never been in a position like this, to be that comfortable with someone. It just takes some getting used to but in a good way. Knowing I’m the subject of thoughts like that is like, the biggest compliment ever.”
Sassi’s face turned a bright pink at that, the mare mumbling something under her breath as Astral continued.
“Besides. If there’s a time to explore your cheekiness at my expense, it’d be now. Outside of this dream place, I don’t feel good enough to focus on that stuff. It’s fun, but…well, yeah.” The stallion couldn’t help but grin. “Honestly, that’s probably for the best though, that it’s not a focus for me yet. Realizing you have a playful side like that? It’s um, very appealing. It’d be a lot more frustrating if I did feel decent.”
She giggled, giving him another thankful nudge with her shoulder.
“Well, I’m glad. I just wanted to make sure. I’ll work on trying not to overload you with that,” Sassi said, then pausing to reach over and nuzzle Astral’s ears. “I also want to make sure you know how much I love and appreciate you,” the mare whispered. “When we get out of here, let’s throw a belated graduation party. I want you to know how happy I am that you’re happy, and to celebrate things like that with you. For you.”
The stallion’s lips quivered, Astral hanging his head with a sniffle.
“T-thank you, Sas,” he said softly. “I like that idea a lot.”
He pulled himself together after a few moments, the two continuing their walk together, shoulder to shoulder.
“Also, thank you for at least checking in on how I view stuff. Knowing you’re concerned about me like that is really comforting. I’ve had some of Gabbro’s friends be a bit too…erm…explicit at times.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah. I’m not worried about that with you. But it was just how they were. I don’t drink, but when they got tipsy, eh. I’m just glad we can talk about, well, anything. Without it being too awkward.”
“We’ll find something. Just give me a few hours,” Sassi said with a grin.
He laughed at that, nodding as they trotted off again as the trees began to tower over them.
Astral slowed down after a few moments, Sassi watching as he brushed against some dandelions, their seeds floating off in the breeze to be lost in the night sky. Her head was on a swivel as they walked deeper into the forest. The stallion seemed utterly at home amidst the towering trunks. The mare abruptly stopped, taking a deep breath as her eyes widened.
“I haven’t- is this what it always smells like?” she asked, completely enthralled by the trees that towered above them.
“Yep. Maybe this world is pulling from memories. I have memories of places like this, but you don’t. The forests have a great smell, well, usually,” Astral explained as they walked among the tree trunks, piles of moss growing here and there across the loamy ground.
They came to a break in the trees, now looking at the lake from a different angle. The stars reflected off the mirror-like surface
Astral sat down, Sassi scooting next to him as they watched the peaceful scene. He had seen places like this, but never all together.
“I wonder if somewhere exists like this in the real world?” he asked.
“Maybe we can try to find it?”
Leaning over to rest his head against Sassi’s, Astral couldn’t help but smile.
“I’d like that.”
They didn’t say anything for a long time, Sassi finally speaking up, voice barely above a whisper.
“Astral?”
“Hmm?”
She reached over and held his hoof, and the Stallion felt her trembling ever so slightly.
“I just…can we just stay like this? I don’t want it to end.”
A fire ignited in Astral’s chest, the Thestral gripping Sassi’s hoof tightly.
“Neither do I. But it won’t end. I promise. It’ll just shift from the dream world to the real one. That’s all.” He felt a few tears on his shoulder, a thankful smile on the mare’s face.
They stayed and watched the stars in their dream bubble, the terrors of the Silo forgotten for a few, precious moments.
“Are you sure?” Twilight asked, a familiar, dark-blue Alicorn nodding her head on the other side of the communications portal.
“Unfortunately. I’ve never been able to sense a thing in that Silo, or anywhere near it. Dreams or otherwise,” Luna sighed, a bit of frustration making the mare’s ear twitch. “It’s infuriating. The shielding must be powerful indeed. If that changes, I’ll let you know.”
“Thank you, Luna. How are things otherwise?”
The other mare perked up immediately at that.
“Fantastic! I’m currently racing my sister to find the best beach to relax on. Of course, I prefer to just look for seashells, while Celly likes to windsurf,” Luna had at least the self-awareness to wince at that. “Sorry, Twilight. I don’t mean to make light of your situation. We’re here if you need us, but neither Celestia or I don’t have anything to offer in this situation outside of counsel.”
“That’s more than enough, Luna,” Twilight said, the former ruler smiling.
“I’m glad. Please let us know if there’s anything you need from us. And don’t let my cavalier attitude dissuade you. Both I and my sister are available if things take a turn for the worse. I think Shifting would enjoy a bit of mutant slaying, if I’m being honest.”
“Luna? Did someone mention mutants!? OUR BATTLE WILL BE LEGENDARY!”
Twilight stifled a laugh as the stallion’s booming voice carried over from the next room, Luna smacking a hoof to her face with an amused groan.”
“Duly noted. Thank you again, Luna.”
“You’re welcome. Please let us know of any further developments.”
The portal snapped off, and Twilight let out a sigh. The two other Alicorns certainly deserved a few hundred-years vacation. The fact they were willing to jump back into action was comforting knowledge, to say the least.
Twilight just hoped it wouldn’t come to that. To that end, it was time to make a call to a certain Organization. Specifically, a blue-furred unicorn.
She couldn’t stay silent over what she had overheard during their last conversation.