//------------------------------// // Chapter Ninety-Eight: Onwards and Downwards // Story: We don't go to Sub-Level Five // by RadBunny //------------------------------// Astral let out a yawn, slowly waking up from a dreamless sleep. I would have liked to spend some time in our dream world. His stomach turned in knots, but an abrupt pressure made the pain diffuse slightly. The stallion opened his eyes, and Astral abruptly felt tears well up in his eyes. While his body could move, there wasn’t any reason he wanted to. Underneath their emergency blanket, Sassi was settled next to him. Her chest was pressed against his, providing far more comfort than any weighted blanket. Her forelimbs wrapped around the stallion in a hug, the mare’s head nestled underneath Astral’s. Her chest rose and fell slowly, bangs drifting in front of Sassi’s closed eyes. With a significant bit of effort, Astral managed to get a forelimb lifted up and around her barrel, the mare mumbling in her sleep and cuddling closer as he did so. If this is what I get to wake up to every morning…then everything is worth it. All of it. The thought was brief and unbidden, but oddly peaceful. The simple safety Sassi’s embrace provided was intoxicating. Sure, it had been amusing and rather fun to see Sassi tease and then get flustered about heated topics prior, but this moment was a completely different feeling. Oddly, it was far more intimate. There was no awkwardness, nothing that would make Astral want to move from holding the mare he loved close. He suspected the RASP modifications had also increased his sensations to touch because he could feel every bit of warmth from Sassi’s chest against his own. A warm cheek was pressed up against his neck, the mare’s soft breath ticking his fur. I’d fight the entire Silo again for you, Sas. To see her so peaceful was a blessing in and of itself. He didn’t realize how much stress the mare carried in her demeanor and expression day to day until it was gone. That peace was broken as Sassi muttered, her grip around Astral tightening. The mare’s limbs twitched and Sassi abruptly woke up with a gasp. She blinked, looking around in confusion before meeting Astral’s eyes. “A-astral?” She asked, her eyes filling with tears. Her limbs shaking clued the stallion in that something was wrong, especially as she flopped back down and hugged him close. “I’m here, Sas. Bad dreams?” She nodded, a shaky breath leaving her frame. Even if he was a mess, Astral reveled in the fact that he could at least make things a bit better for her. “Bad dreams, but not so much anymore,” she said, pulling back and giving Astral a kiss. The stallion let out a happy hum, her warm lips making the pain run from his body. “Remember when I said you saved me again?” she asked, breaking the kiss to return to her comfy position nestled under his head. “I do.” “When you burned that room, I can’t tell you how I felt. Not in a bad way. In such a good way I can’t describe,” she said, sniffling. “That room has-it had so many painful memories. It was the source of so many nightmares. And you burned it all and turned it to ash.” “I’d do it again in a heartbeat. I don’t like seeing you hurt, Sas.” She giggled, wiping away her tears. “How did I manage to find a stallion as amazing as you?” Sassi said, more to herself than anything. “By saving my rear from Skitters who wanted to munch on them.” Another laugh, the mare hugging him again, clearly enjoying the closeness as much as Astral. “Your rear is far too lovely to be munched.” “Other than by you of course? You did mention biting.” Her face went beet red, Astral laughing softly. “Ow! Laughing hurts, but worth it!” he gasped, reaching over to press his forehead against hers. “Feel better?” A soft grumble was a clear enough sign of an answer. “Hey, Sas?” “Mmm?” His one forelimb pulled her close a final time, a rather abrupt brick of emotion making the stallion’s voice catch. “Just, these moments. They mean a lot,” he said softly as the mare hugged him back. “That you trust me enough for this.” The stallion then paused, his next words a bit softer. “I’ve never trusted someone like this before. Having moments where it’s just us. Nothing else…and I’m not worried about anything.” “Then let’s have a lot more,” she said firmly, nuzzling his cheek with hers. “Love you, Astral.” Sassi’s eyes softened as Astral sniffled, barely able to wipe his eyes with a leaden limb. She reached up and gently rest a hoof against his cheek at that, brushing away a few stray tears. “And I’m going to make sure you hear that more often,” she added. “Love you too, Sassi,” he managed to say. “I’d do anything for more times like this.” “Just be you. That’s all it takes.” Another sniffle and he leaned into Sassi’s gentle touch. “How much longer can we stay like this?” The mare glanced over to the helmet, the AI projecting a timer. “Not long. The repairs will be done within a few minutes. Then we power on the reactor and get out of this freezing dome. AI, as soon as you’re finished, power up and run diagnostics.” The timer adjusted, and Sassi nodded. “We’ve got a bit longer. Ten minutes or so until full operation. We can get some food and stay warm.” “I’m not going anywhere. And not complaining.” Munching on some rather bland food bars, Sassi let out a sigh as she leaned against Astral’s shoulder, the two sitting up from their prior position. “At least we’ve got food, even if it’s not five stars,” she muttered. “I miss the blender,” Astral agreed, and the mare tapped her hoof in thought. “Could we have two?” she suggested. “Different blenders to make different smoothies?” He hummed in thought at that. “Why not three big ones? We’ll be eating more than three meals a day due to the whole RASP diet. Make a big batch in the morning, middle of the day, and evening.” “That’d be a big kitchen.” “Eh. So, we have a big kitchen,” Astral said with a huff. “Big fridge too. And a lot of backup power.” “Maybe a basement and shed with that stuff?” “Sas, we are totally gonna have an armory.” Astral didn’t know that Thestral mares could purr. Apparently, they could. It was an adorable sound. “I could kiss you. OH! What about a pool?” “Hmmmmm. Maybe? Never been a huge fan of swimming. Waves are fine, but deep water gives me the creeps,” Astral said. “Maybe a small pool and a big hot tub?” “Oh stars above yes,” Astral gushed with a grin. “They make salt-water ones too! Ponies say it feels really good.” “Deeeefinitely going to get that one.” “How many rooms though? Big kitchen, armory room-” “Or two.” the stallion added with a smirk, Sassi giggling as she kissed her stallion, backing up her prior words with a grin. “Two or more armory rooms. A lot of other rooms. Bedrooms, hobby room…” “Movie room?” Astral suggested with a grin. “Movie room for sure. What about a greenhouse?” The mare added on. “Definitely. We could grow our own fresh fruits!” “We’ll need a lot of land for that. Lots of fruit trees,” Sassi hummed in thought. “Well, that means plenty of land. What about a shooting range?” “Sas, we’ll have multiple armories. Of course we need a shooting range. What about a competition one too? I always wanted to try that.” “The ones with magical golems and enchanted targets? They had a version of it down here, tons of fun!” “Then definitely one of those!” As they finished their meal, Astral’s ears flicked as a rather obvious thought made itself known. It hit his consciousness with the grace of a brick hitting a bowl of pudding. “Hey, um, Sassi?” the stallion asked. “Did we just plan our house when we live together?” She blinked, turning to look at him with a pink blush on her cheeks. “I think so?” Sassi said quietly, her ears flattening. “Is that a bad thing?” Immediately wanting to quash that idea, Astral reached over to kiss her on the cheek. “Nope. Very much a good thing. Just a bit surprising. Maybe we’ll have two separate bedrooms to start out though? Until after, well, a very important question and all that?” Apparently, the pink blush could reach all the way up to Sassi’s ears. Coupled with how the mare tried to hide behind her bangs, Astral felt a wide, stupid grin plastering itself across his face at how absolutely cute the mare looked. “P-probably a good idea,” she squeaked, the Thestral shaking her head. “How are we talking about this so normally?” “Probably because the idea of getting married is a lot less scary than anything we’ve faced so far?” Sassi raised a hoof and then put it down, nodding. “That makes a lot of sense,” she admitted. “Let’s maybe focus on the part before that? That’s too big to think about.” “Agreed. Buuuut you did mention it first. Us living together.” “I did?” the mare squeaked; a sound Astral was quickly starting to enjoy. “Uh-huh. Well, technically. You mentioned if we could have more than one blender. And we went from there.” Her blush only deepened, Astral leaning over to nuzzle the Thestral’s ears. “There’s another reason that isn’t so scary to talk about.” “Oh?” He nodded, the mare sighing happily as Astral continued to nuzzle her ears. “Not having you in my life just doesn’t make sense. There isn’t a ‘no Sassi’ option. You’re it. I can’t imagine trusting anyone else like I do you.” “Same here,” Sassi said with a whisper. “I can’t imagine a life without you, Astral.” Her words were soft but genuine, and they made Astral’s chest glow with a warmth far greater than any blanket. “Then let’s just get out of here. I’m just looking forward to having normal dates. Well, normal for us. And then everything after that.” “I like that plan.” The RASP system let out a soft chime. ‘Reactor seals repaired. Calibration complete. Compensation algorithms active. Recommended time until next shutdown: 48+ hours. Impact to second user anticipated to be minimal.’ The text shone in the air, Sassi letting out a sigh. “Well. Time to suit up again.” “Just in time. I think now that I’ve warmed up, I can smell myself. Eurk…” Astral grumbled as Sassi giggled. “It’s not that bad.” He stared at her, the mare shrugging as her own nose wrinkled. “Ok, maybe I smell that bad too. Maybe there will be a decontamination area further on? I know there’s one at least before the prisoner block.” She helped him into the body suit and armor first, the reactor humming as it powered up. Astral let out a sigh of relief as the healing crystal on his chest glowed before the breastplate was placed over it. “Wow. That feels better,” he sighed. “Glad to help.” The mare grinned as she spoke, putting on her suit before then helping Astral double-check the armor and supplies. “There are some experimental floors of who-knows-what, an office level, and then a massive security station before we hit the prison block. That’s going to be a whole new level of messed up. Hopefully, they’re already dead,” Sassi continued. “Hopefully?” Sassi’s eyes hardened before the visor slid down. “These are the worst of the worst, Astral. Death penalty from all nations. Well, most of them. There may be some minor offenders in there, and we could probably help them if we confirm it. But treat everyone as a danger. Almost every creature there would slit your throat, paint a canvas with your blood, and then eat lunch like anyone else. And that’s if they’re having a good day.” The stallion was visibly taken aback, Sassi gently resting a hoof on his shoulder. “We’ll figure that out when we get closer. Let’s get out of this frozen wasteland first.” “Freaky the snowman, was a horrid nasty soul…” Astral sang under his breath, his words making Sassi wheeze over the radio. “I’m so glad I have you here with me, Astral. Now, let’s get moving.” The stallion nodded, the pain in his limbs having subsided to a dull ache. How long that’d last, he didn’t know. They crawled out of their snow cave when the light was red, looking around at the snowy dome interior. “There’s the door at the far end. AI, can you open it?” Sassi asked, the pair trotting towards the location. ‘Processing…confirmed. Warning: Delay detected. Door mechanisms require additional torque to open. Stand by.’ Far too slowly, the door began to slide open. The Thestrals paused as the light turned green; a familiar figure lumbering their way. As the door continued to open, the creature turned its attention to it, slowly striding towards the sound. Now that they had a moment to look around, Astral felt his stomach turn in knots at seeing a distant ice pillar. It was colored differently than the others. Even in the red right, it was a dark maroon, pieces of something sticking out from the pillar like a sadistic popsicle. “Let’s get there and close the door. The last thing we need is that thing loose,” Sassi whispered, seeing his gaze. “Agreed.” The light turned red, and the Thestrals bolted. The door was fully open, but only the top was barely visible above the snow. Shoving the piles of powder aside, the two ponies tumbled down the snowbank, the door then slowly closing at Sassi’s command. Just as the light turned green again the door sealed with a dull *thud*. “Well, that was pleasantly straightforward,” Astral murmured, looking around as the helmet’s lights lit up the area. “And I’ve never been happier to see an empty hallway.” “The map shows another security station, a small office area, and then…huh.” “What?” “AI? Broadcast the map to Astral’s HUD too,” the mare requested, Astral blinking as the image popped up. “…Huh.” His utterance made Sassi snort, the mare letting out a huff. The map was complete, but just past the office area were areas of static. “We have no idea what’s in there, do we?” he sighed, Sassi giving his shoulder a friendly shove. “Not really. But look at the temperatures.” “Huh. That’s warm.” “So, if I had to guess, some sort of hydroponics area. I did hear rumors about that in this silo,” Sassi mused. “Well, the air isn’t pea soup yet, so that’s a plus.” They trotted carefully through the abandoned office spaces. Both of the Thestrals shared a look behind their visors at the eerie appearance of it all. There was very little to distinguish this office space from one in other Silos, or even downtown Canterlot. A small comfort was that their small hive-mind link made it uniquely easy to ensure the other was ok. Even that thought made Astral smile. Of course, that gesture was wiped away as they came to a destroyed decontamination chamber, the hallway branching off into three directions. “We have to go through the big door, don’t we?” Astral sighed. “Yep.” The chamber was a ruined mess of glass and metal, and the massive door ahead of them didn’t even appear to be functioning at first glance. The AI proved its worth once again, a loud grinding echoing about as heavy latches were drawn back. The door slowly raised into the ceiling- Astral let out a hiss, the visor automatically darkening as bright light blasted out from the entrance. “What the…?” he muttered, Sassi sweeping the area with her guns before nodding. “It’s clear. Let’s go.” Taking a tentative step forward, Astral followed the mare into the massive new enclosure. Previously orderly hydroponics bays were overgrown with massive vines as yellowish-green grass reached up nearly to their joints as the Thestrals cautiously moved. There was even a squishy sort of soil under hoof, bright grow lights bathing everywhere in a harsh mimicry of the sun. The first chamber must have been a minor one because Astral had to pause in shock as they turned a corner. A literal jungle was spread out in front of him. Trees were embedded into the solid metal of the walls, and vines hung down from the tropical plants. Large bugs buzzed this way and that, and there was even a small stream winding through the opposite side of the immediate area. If Astral had to guess, it was the size of a hoof ball stadium at least. The crude path wound ahead and to the right, then out of view into trees that punched upwards from the floor and spread across the ceiling with leafy boughs. The artificial sunlight still managed to stream through the leaves, the yellow light making the scene somewhat stifling even behind the shaded visors. “What is this, Sas?” he whispered, the mare shaking her head. “Not sure. This should just be hydroponics experiments. But the soil, the stream…I wonder if they were experimenting with environment alterations or spontaneous generation?” Astral cautiously followed her, a soft crunch then making him pause. He looked down and had to bite his cheek to stop himself from yelling out in shock. Looking up at him as if offended by their presence, one of a dozen pony skulls stared back at the Thestral from the grassy floor.