//------------------------------// // Chapter Thirty-Two // Story: Salvation // by Sandstorm Inkwell //------------------------------// Day quickly turned to night and soon we were using solar charged lamps to light up our little home away from home. Everyone was doing something as we sat in the dirt. Smiley was sleeping, Sarge (who had returned about half a hour before nightfall) was writing something, Jones and Gonz were now playing cards, I was reading still, and Ink... Well, she was pacing back and forth in the middle of the pit. “Geeze girl,” I begin, marking my page before closing my book and setting it aside, “you're gonna put in a new trench if you keep pacing like that.” “I'm sorry,” Ink replies as she sits down, “It's just. Shouldn't he be here now? It's past nightfall. Maybe... maybe he didn't like me after all.” I roll my eyes, “Ink?” “Yeah?” she replies, her tone sad as she looks at me. She's wearing her journalist fedora over her, still kind of messy, mane. With the armor off, we could see the black glob on her flank that was supposed to represent an ink splatter. “You're thinking too hard again. He might be running late.” “Or he's nervous,” Sarge chimes in. “Or he got stuck cleaning the latrines,” Jones adds. Gonz and him both chuckle before going on with their game. I watch as Ink gives a look of disgust at Jones' comment and can't help but chuckle myself. “Don't listen to him Ink. Like Sarge said, he's probably nervous. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if he was standing outside right now, listening and looking in. Actually...” I turn myself to face the ramp, “come on down if you are out there. None of us will bite.” To my utter surprise, someone actually slides down the ramp into the hole. When he stands, I see that it's the same Ranger that Ink set up a date with. “How'd you know I was out there?” he asks, looking at me. “I didn't,” I reply, laughing. He laughs too before looking at Ink. I watch as his smile grows. “You clean up nicely,” he says with a chuckle. Ink blushes, “Thanks. Should we go?” “Yeah, the guys are waiting.” “Have fun you two,” I say teasingly. Jones then chimes in with: “Have her home by midnight.” Which is followed by Gonz: “And use protection.” Now blushing furiously, the two scramble out of the hole, our laughter following them out. Outside, I listen to their steps as they fast walk away. God, I hope they stay together throughout this. Not too many find happiness in the hell called war. “You guys are assholes,” I hear Sarge say. I look at him to see him looking at where Gonz and Jones were sitting. “We know,” Gonz replies before looking at his watch, “Shit Jones, we got to get going if we're to get to our post on time.” “You two got sentry duty?” I ask. “Yep,” Jones answers as he takes the cards and set them aside before grabbing his gear and beginning to slip it on. “That sucks.” “That it does,” Gonz responds as he finishes getting his vest on and clips his rifle to said vest before grabbing his helmet. “Ready?” “Yeah. Let's go,” Jones says before the two say their good-byes and make their way out of the hole to go to their sentry post. “I think humanity will be alright here,” Sarge suddenly states as he closes his journal. “I think so too,” I agree, “I mean; we have exactly no females so when the last of us go, that's it. However, I do believe that we can make the most of it. We can teach them the sciences and lend them our tech. And, when the last of us do die, we can leave them our legacy.” “You don't think that maybe we're compatible with their genes?” Sarge asks. “They are different species,” I argue, shrugging my shoulders. “Well, yes, but they are also beings of magic. You don't think that, somehow, they can make their DNA compatible with ours?” “Well... I've never thought of that before. Of course, that'd mean that humans would only be able to mate with unicorns and, even then, I seriously doubt there would be any promise that the child comes out as human. If they did, they would also be of different measurements than us because of the small frame they were birthed from,” I theorize, my hand now under my chin in thought. “Maybe... but still, there would be humans surviving in this world. Dwarvish humans, yes, but humans nonetheless.” “So,” Smiley chimes in grumpily, “humans may be able to mate with unicorns due to the unicorns probable ability to manipulate the different chromosomes to make them match. This means that, out of the five of us, only Tyler can have children. However, there is no promise (as of yet) that the children will be human. If they are human, they will likely be smaller because of the pony's small frame. Did I miss anything?” “Umm... no,” I reply, my face burning at the though of having children with Twilight. I look over at Sarge to see him giggling quietly to himself. “Good, now shut the hell up and let me sleep,” he finishes before rolling over and trying to get comfortable again. “Only time he talks is when it's philosophical or to tell someone they fucked up,” Sarge chimes in with a laugh. A growl, emanating from Smiley, silences Kilborn. The both of us look at each other before looking at Smiley. Shrugging, I go to the lamps and turn them down before finding my sleeping mat and curling up on it. Closing my eyes, I listen to the sound of pen against paper. Kilborn is probably writing in that journal again. I think to myself as I drift off into the blissful state of consciousness known as sleep.