Chapter 106: Recovery
Astral woke up doubled over in pain. He leaned over and vomited up a ball of black tar into a conveniently-placed trashcan, the stallion hissing in annoyance as cramps wracked his frame.
His mind was clear. That alone was a relief.
Looking around in the dim light, Astral tried to remember what happened. It was all a nightmarish blur. The only emotions were terror, horror, and pain. Seeing his friends and family begging for help or mercy had been beyond description. Then when they mocked him, Sassi laughing at him when he ran; it was too much.
Logic had taken a complete back seat as he navigated.
He shook his head. The experience had been above what he could handle, and dwelling on them was like acid to the stallion’s mental state. Thinking about it made shivers immediately wrack the stallion’s body, his chest tightening with anxiety.
Astral knew he wasn’t ok, not by a long shot. The hours had pushed his mind far beyond what the Thestral could endure without cracking. Thankfully, Sassi had-
Sassi.
The mare at his side yawned, looking up as she blinked tiredly.
“Astral? You up already?” she mumbled. “Only been a few hours.”
He was about to speak, but a stream of black tar was vomited out of Astral’s mouth as he leaned over the trash can. A comforting hoof was gently placed on his back, the mare nodding.
“Yeah, it sucks. Been there. That’s all the drugs leaving your system, along with, well, a lot of other stuff.”
He shuddered, vomiting more tar as the stallion tried to just breathe. After a few more shivers there wasn’t anything left to throw up. The stallion flopped back onto the cot, blanket now soaked through.
“S-sas?” Astral managed to ask. He could feel her concern through their link, a beautifully comforting sensation. It soothed the fears that threatened to overwhelm his mind, blunting panicked emotions that otherwise would have wrapped him up into a frenzy. Focusing on that helped him not think and return to the room. The monster that had hunted him was, in a form, present in his mind. Ever-lurking and desperate to return the stallion to the terror of that place. If he even dared to focus on what had gone on, he’d start to spiral, chest tightening as-
A hoof gently rubbed his ears, the loving gesture making tears well up in Astral’s eyes. The thoughts abruptly faded, a warm comfort taking their place.
She’s real.
“Still here, Astral. I’m not going anywhere,” Sassi whispered, the mare then pulling her hoof back. “Sorry, I should have asked about touch after what you went through. Are-”
The mare let out a surprised yelp as Astral rolled over with a final effort, wrapping her up in a tight embrace. Grateful tears streamed from his eyes as Sassi returned the gesture, hugging Astral to her chest as the stallion cried.
“T-thank you,” Astral whispered, his limbs shaking as the mare held him tighter, Sassi’s head resting over his protectively. The stallion could only sob, the mare’s comforting embrace chasing away the nightmarish images in his mind.
“I promised to be there for you when things got bad. I’m not leaving you.”
Sassi’s soft voice made Astral sniffle, her steady heartbeat drawing sleep ever closer. An odd, fiery determination flickered through his mind. Any fears were burned away, leaving behind a warm, loving peace.
She had promised.
Astral eventually dozed over in her embrace, Sassi resting her head and wing over him protectively. The rise and fall of her chest against his were a constant comfort that he was back in the realm of the real.
The next time Astral woke it was actually a pleasant experience.
His stomach wasn’t in knots, and there was only a generalized ache in his body. But the general warmth and pressure across his frame muted that to just a mild annoyance.
There wasn’t any fear, only comfort. It was the oddest thing, as Astral lay there, not wanting to open his eyes. The own stallion’s thoughts were there, but there was a pressure in his mind similar to the one across his body. But it wasn’t constricting, more like a weighted blanket that wouldn’t let the darker thoughts manifest.
A soft mumble clued the stallion into where both of those sensations were coming from.
Sassi.
The mare yawned, her cheek resting against Astral’s as two beautiful eyes slowly opened. Before she could say anything, Astral scooted forward to kiss her.
“I won’t complain if that’s my new alarm clock,” Sassi said after breaking the gesture. “How are you feeling?”
Astral looked up at her, the stallion hesitating before scooting closer. The dark thoughts tickled the edge of his mind, threatening to return. Listening to the mare’s heartbeat, he finally let out a relieved breath as Sassi hugged him a bit tighter. A smile then managed to break through.
“Waking up with the mare I love keeping me safe? I feel pretty good. Well, until I think about stuff,” he admitted. “But this helps. You help. So, I’m doing better.”
The mare easily derailed the stallion’s thoughts by nuzzling his ears.
“Well, you don’t have to think, and I’m happy to help. It’ll take a bit for your body to recover from breathing that stuff in regardless.”
Her hug tightened as Astral didn’t reply immediately.
“It’ll take a lot longer for my mind,” he admitted with a whisper. “It’s…I’m not ok. I can’t think about it.”
“Then don’t.” Was her immediate reply, another nuzzle to his ears making the anxious thoughts fade. “Just know I’m here for you.”
“It didn’t affect you?” he asked, the tight hug helping far more than Astral thought possible.
She shook her head, still caressing the top of her stallion’s head with her muzzle.
“Not really. I just heard some weird whispers every now and again. When the modifications are complete, you can purge the toxins easier. You’re still a work in progress in that regard.”
“In a lot of ways. I’m going to need a lot more therapy sessions just for that stupid gas.”
“Hey, no focusing on freaky gas visions at the start of the day. Or night. Not sure which,” Sassi chastised him kindly, two forelimbs hugging the stallion a bit tighter. “How about we get some real food? I packed a few of those ready-to-eat meals to compliment the food bars.”
“Oooh, fancy. But I do like the current position we’re in.”
Sassi giggled, hugging him tightly few moments.
“So do I. And if you need me to be here a bit longer, I’m happy to stay.”
The reassurance calmed the tension in Astral’s chest. Previous anxieties and worries were now so close to the surface. It sent alarm bells off in the stallion’s mind, the Thestral knowing he wasn’t ok.
But it’s ok to not be ok.
“So just let me know. We’ll have plenty more of these moments. But I am starving, and we both need a shower. I’m pretty sure they have hot water here too.”
The mare let out a louder laugh as Astral’s ears snapped up eagerly, Sassi trying to stifle her giggles at seeing an indignant glare from the other Thestral shot her way.
“Someone likes that idea? We did go through a decontamination session already.”
“Yeah, but I threw up everything except my liver last night and was soaked in sweat. I’m surprised you’re fine being this close.”
With a snort, Sassi slowly sat up and stretched, sparing a hoof to ruffle through her stallion’s ears a final time.
“I’d cuddle you even if you were covered in mud. A bit of sweat? Don’t even care a bit.”
“I’m not complaining.”
Sassi was all smiles as she busied herself with getting a self-heating meal going. Despite having thrown up all the toxic tar, Astral found a good appetite gnawing at him.
“Fruit cobbler?” he asked, receiving a nod in return as he wobbled off the cot and sat next to Sassi. The mare was watching the meal slowly warm, steam wafting off of the activated heater element.
“Uh-huh. Along with, well, I hesitate to call it a salad because there are no greens. But there is some re-hydrated stuff, and a big pile of cobbler for sure.”
“Sounds good to me. Smells amazing too,” Astral mused, scooting over to press against Sassi’s side and lean on her shoulder. “Thank you again, by the way,” he added, reaching over to kiss the quickly-flustered mare on the cheek.
“You’re welcome. I promised to be there for you when things got bad, didn’t I?” she managed to say, hiding behind her bangs as Astral’s grin widened, the blush on Sassi’s cheeks quickly reaching up to her ears.
“You did. And, actually,” he paused, brow furrowing. “Did you whisper that to me last night?”
“Huh? I don’t think so.”
“I heard it though. I thought at least. But not just in my ears.”
The mare let out a thoughtful hum, divvying up the now-warm cobbler into an empty plastic pouch.
“Well, I certainly thought it. Maybe our hive mind link?” Sassi blushed at seeing Astral look at her rather intently. “What?”
“I was testing out to see if you could hear what I was thinking,” Astral said with a grin. “Guess not.” He nearly melted as he spooned some of the cobbler into his mouth. “Oh, stars that is amazing.”
“Am I going to have to compete with some cobbler to make you happy?” Sassi grumbled, not able to resist a giggle as she ate. To be fair, after ration bars the simple meal was amazing.
“You’ve got some competition,” the stallion admitted with a cobbler-stained grin, laughing as the indignant mare glared at him. Sassi let out a squeak as Astral leaned over, a rather passionate kiss making her ears stand up on end as a blush rose to her cheeks.
“Buuut cobbler-infused kisses definitely win,” Astral said, finally breaking for breath and leaving Sassi staring at him in shock.
“Y-you…I…” she stammered, glaring at the Thestral before trying her best to pout. The mare finally just threw the effort out the window before kissing him again, the stallion grinning happily.
“You are a lot cuddlier today,” she said, pulling back after a few long moments. The stallion’s ears flattened slightly as he looked at her rather sheepishly, a twinge of anxiety humming in their link.
“Is that a good thing?”
She reached up and tapped his nose with a hoof, her cheeks burning with a blush.
“It’s a very good thing. But it’s going to take some getting used to on my end.”
“Oh, sorry, I’ll tone it down a bit.”
“I didn’t say to do that!”
Astral struggled to control his laughter at the immediately indignant reply, Sassi grumbling under her breath.
“Ok, then I won’t,” he finally said. “Just, after saving me from that room and everything,” the Thestral continued, his tone becoming soft and sincere as he reached over to hold Sassi’s hoof tightly. “Thank you. It was bad. I…” he shook his head, resting it against Sassi’s. “I can’t talk about it. I’m really not doing ok after that. I’m just glad you’re here, Sas.”
The mare couldn’t hold back a sniffle, pressing back against Astral’s touch.
“Nowhere else I’d rather be,” she finally whispered. “I didn’t realize how nice our little hive-mind thing was until it was gone.”
“Same here.”
“I also didn’t realize how scared I’d be. When you…” her words trailed off, the mare shaking her head. Her hoof gripped his tightly, and Astral felt it shiver ever so slightly. “I’m glad you’re back too.”
Nuzzling under Sassi’s head, Astral couldn’t help but relax as she rested on his ears protectively, the two enjoying another moment of peace. After a minute or two in silence, Astral couldn’t help but finally laugh to himself.
“If I pounce on you for a hug every chance I get, we’ll never get out of here,” he said, Sassi giggling.
“Perhaps. I wouldn’t complain though,” the mare said, letting Astral go and giving his shoulder a shove with her own. “And that’s something I’m still learning about. Well, how great it is. You taking initiative with stuff is one of the most attractive things ever.”
“Oh?” Astral said with a stunned look on his face, only able to stare as Sassi grinned.
“Yup. Didn’t realize how nice it is to not worry about what someone is going to do. There’s no gut feeling to get away or be cautious about getting close. Just the oppo…sit….” Her voice trailed off, the mare hiding behind her bangs as a wide grin began to spread across Astral’s face.
“Oh really? Care to elaborate on the opposite-ness you’re experiencing?”
Sassi shook her head, face a bright pink as they finished eating. Astral had to stop himself from cackling, but his soft snickering earned another glare from Sassi. Of course, it had no venom at all, and the mare was trying not to smile. She certainly didn’t mind the distraction, and neither did Astral.
“On a different note, I never thought cobbler would taste so good,” Astral said, cleaning out the meal pouch with an exaggerated frown. “Wish there was more.”
“I’ll add that to our list of things to put in the kitchen. Military cobbler,” Sassi said, her face still red as she threw away the spent packaging.
Astral nodded, wincing as he stood. With a bit of a wobble in his step, the stallion made his way over to the pile of armor, picking up the medication module and pressing it against his side.
The loud hiss made Astral stare, a light blinking on the side of the module to indicate it was done injecting. After fishing out the helmet and putting it on briefly, Astral glanced at the reading before setting the armor pieces back aside.
“Gave you a couple of doses?” Sassi asked, brow knitted in concern as she trotted over.
“It dumped like fifteen percent of all the medications into me,” Astral said, shaking his head. “But I don’t feel that bad.”
“You just had to purge a toxin out of your body, and plenty of those meds have a long half-life. You’d probably feel fine for a bit, but then crash,” Sassi explained, tossing her head to have Astral follow her.
As he walked, Astral found his hooves didn’t exactly land where the stallion placed them.
“Whoa.”
Sassi was at his side in an instant, the mare helping him walk.
“Told you. Woozy if you’re off the meds, woozy if you get a dump of them into your system. Your body is probably all out of whack after that gas.”
With a sigh, Astral nodded reluctantly.
“I’ve probably replaced a tenth of my body weight with medications at this point.”
Sassi managed a smile, but the stallion could sense the concern humming away in their link. His ears perked up as he glimpsed the showers, the open room having space for five individuals.
“I’m not going to smell like who-knows-what anymore,” the stallion sighed happily, during on the water. “And there’s soap! And it’s hot water!”
“I thought that’d perk you up,” Sassi giggled, turning on the water on her end. Despite her perky demeanor, she was clearly still concerned as the stallion sat down under the stream with a happy sigh. “You good?”
“Very. So good,” Astral said with a grin. “I mean, the types of showers we’ll have eventually together will be much better. But this is still very nice.” A loud *eep* made Astral laugh, Sassi staring at him in shock. “Too much?” he asked.
The adorable blush on Sassi’s face returned, and the mare met Astral’s gaze. Maintaining eye contact, she deliberately reached over and turned her shower to cold. The stallion laughed as the mare glared at him.
“Some of us don’t have the luxury of getting distracted by feeling cruddy!” she grumbled, Astral still trying to not laugh again.
“I’m sorry but at the same time I’m not. How can I not get distracted by you? And how many times have you teased me? That was tame on my end! Am I wrong?”
The mare let out a frustrated mumble again, but the loving smile belayed any concern on Astral’s part that he had overstepped things.
“It’s nice to feel normal,” Sassi said, Astral’s ears perking up in the steam-filled shower, all of the nozzles on full.
“Hmm?”
“The teasing. I mean, it’s a nice distraction. But it makes me feel normal in a way,” the mare admitted. “Wanted.”
“Ah, right. Well, you are very wanted. In many ways. And not just in a joking way,” Astral replied immediately in a surprisingly no-nonsense tone. His words prompted an immediate, affectionate smile.
“Thanks, Astral. This is just all new to me too. Flirting and joking without worrying about the implications with others. Just in general.”
“I get it, I think,” the stallion said, Sassi’s demeanor then seeming to shift. “Sas?”
“Can…I don’t know how to phrase this,” she admitted, walking over to sit next to him. “Can you place your hoof between my shoulders?”
Astral immediately picked up that the time for joking and teasing was on hold, the stallion nodding. The vulnerable posture and tone in Sassi’s voice had him both concerned and curious. It also ignited a rather fierce protective streak in the Thestral which pushed aside his own troubles.
He gently placed his hoof between her shoulders.
“Here?”
“Yep. Now follow it down to my wings. Not below it,” she managed a weak smile, “well, not yet.”
An amused snort was Astral’s reply, the stallion now clued in on what she was having him do. The scars on her body were now visible, fur being plastered down by the water. They ran across her entire body, a complex stick figure of the pony skeleton. There were large ones following Sassi’s spine, and then smaller ones he had missed before that radiated out near her ribs.
“Back up to my head.”
He traced the scar up, then frowned as he felt a slight bump on the back of the mare’s skull.
“Sas?”
“That’s where the chip was.”
Her soft, almost terrified whisper made Astral scoot a bit closer.
“But not anymore.”
That seemed to snap Sassi out of it, the mare nodding.
“No. Not anymore. But these scars. I just…” Her wings drooped, the Thestral gesturing to herself. “It’s silly. To worry what you’d think.” She then hid behind her bangs again, not able to look at Astral. “But I still do. The fact I feel anxious about that instead of having you touch the scars is a lot to take in. To realize I trust someone that much.” Sassi paused, her tone dropping to a whisper. “But it’s still there. That voice. Wondering if what everyone said about how I look is right. There’s a part of me that doesn’t care. But there’s another that does. That wants to care.”
“A concern isn’t silly,” Astral said, reaching over to rest his forehead against hers, the water still cascading down over them. “And to put that worry to rest, and shut that voice up, I love you. All of you. How could I not?”
Still seeing a bit of unease in Sassi’s gaze, Astral decided to go a bit further.
“If you want a bit of an infiltered opinion, I think you’re extremely sexy, scars and all.”
Sassi’s ears shot up, the blush returning in force as an utterly flabbergasted expression took over her face, Astral grinning.
“I meant what I said, and I said what I meant,” he chuckled.
“I...” Sassi tried to speak, shaking her head. “I didn’t expect that.”
“I figured. But I wanted to make sure there wasn’t any doubt left,” Astral replied cheerfully, reaching down to look under her bangs. Sassi smiled at the gesture, a genuine expression as the worry faded.
“Thank you for trusting me enough to do that,” the stallion added. “I know touch with that stuff is, yeah.”
“That’s faded with you. Not nearly as many barriers anymore.”
“Oh?”
“Yep. Another thing I’m getting used to,” Sassi admitted, briefly hiding behind her bangs again. “And just to make sure, you really meant what you said, huh?”
“One hundred percent.” Astral’s reply was immediate. “I hope it wasn’t a loaded word.”
“Eh, sort of,” the mare said with a shrug. “I know I mentioned it before, but sex was never a good thing in the Silos. It was always a currency, a threat, or used as a tool to get something you wanted.” Sassi couldn’t help but giggle as Astral stuck his tongue in disgust.
“Just, the fact I can be attractive without that stuff hanging over my head is…” her words trailed off, and Astral couldn’t help but smile.
Tears brimmed in his eyes as the mare looked up at him. A similar expression was on Sassi’s face that reminded Astral of when he gave her the leafy tiara-like creation, when she saw herself in the mirror ages ago. It was another glimpse of the mare he loved when the poison of the silos fled, at least for a moment.
Helping Sassi in these moments made the stallion forget the darkness in his own mind, at least for a bit. And seeing her so free and happy further pushed it all away.
Just seeing her smile…
“I’ve never k-known what it’s like to be wanted, as me,” Sassi said. “Intimacy in all of its forms was such a toxic subject, as were compliments on how I looked.” She hung her head slightly in embarrassment. “I know it has come up before, but times like this are the only moments I can process it. N-now that there’s someone I trust and want to explore that with, it’s so much to be free, and it’s overwhelming.”
“Well, that’s where our arbitrary waiting and rules can help,” Astral said firmly. “Plenty of time to figure stuff out.” We both definitely need time,” he couldn’t help but snort, “and therapy. Lots of therapy. You’re not the only one who’s running in mental circles. So, therapy. And smoothies, and more cuddling. But not in that order.”
She nodded in agreement with a smile, taking a deep breath of the steamy air before closing her eyes. Astral couldn’t help but let his eyes linger. The mare looked just happy.
Opening her eyes and catching his gaze, the blush returned to her cheeks.
“Sorry,” the stallion mumbled sheepishly. “You’re pretty darn attractive in the armor. And then without it, I’m left speechless.”
Sassi gave him a shove with a hoof, or at least tried to. Her heart was in her throat, and instead just left the hoof pressed against Astral’s chest.
“Ok, maybe a bit too much,” she admitted with a sniffle. “But don’t ever stop.”
“Sorry.”
“And don’t apologize.”
“Sor-” he clamped his mouth shut. “Duly noted. I did mean it though. We’re both in the armor so much, it’s odd to be out of it. Not that I’m complaining.”
“Not complaining for yourself or me?” she managed to fire back as the stallion chuckled.
“Yes.”
Sassi snorted, taking a few deep breaths as her usual demeanor returned. Soaping up her mane, she reached over and spread some on Astral’s head.
“Here you go. Nice and fruity smelling.”
“Oh my gosh this is great,” the stallion sighed, his body quickly resembling a snowball of bubbles. “It smells normal.”
Looking at the shampoo bottle, Sassi giggled to herself at seeing the label.
“Sensual Fruit Cornucopia is normal?”
“It does not say that!”
She showed him the bottle and nearly dropped it laughing. The initial application of soap might have been a bit overboard because the stallion was utterly covered in a mountain of suds, his face barely poking out with a blissful expression.
“What?”
“N-nothing,” Sassi giggled, shampooing her mane and leaving her stallion to enjoy the impromptu bubble bath.
Far sooner than Astral would have liked (even though it was at least twenty minutes,) the stallion had to relinquish his bubble fort. The two of them rinsed and dried off, sitting down on the worn cushions in the sleeping area.
“We’ll get the armor back on in a bit. Wish we could stay here longer,” Sassi said. “But with Number Two so close, we can’t.”
“Nope. Not thinking about freaky things for a bit longer,” Astral shook his head in reply. “Just a bit longer, then I’ll suit up. I know we can’t stay. But…”
“It’s ok. We’ll take a bit,” she interrupted. It was easy for the mare to pick out Astral’s shift in demeanor, and that was aside from their link screaming anxieties in her mind. The moment anything related to that room came up, Astral’s confidence fled, and fear immediately crept back into it.
She couldn’t blame him of course. Sassi had noticed in the moments where Astral wasn’t focusing on anything that he began to drift. Something in that gas-filled chamber had shaken him. The fact her stallion was constantly on edge and pushing his mind and body to the limit didn’t help matters.
To that end, she was quite happy that her presence could be a grounding factor and a distraction.
Even if I had to turn the water temperature to cold a few times. She grumbled silently to herself, the Thestral then tugging on a stubborn knot in her mane.
“Is this what normal mares deal with?” she growled, the single comb they had located getting lodged. “Maybe I should just cut it off again! Grrrr!”
“May I?”
Sassi flopped back onto her side, the comb still stubbornly stuck in her mane.
“Knock yourself out,” the Thestral pouted. “I haven’t ever had to do my mane up in a really long time.”
Astral surprised her once again, the stallion somehow freeing the comb and running it through her mane. She had to admit, it felt really nice.
“How in the world do you know how to do that?” she asked, Astral chuckling.
“Older and younger sisters, remember? They asked for help a few times when they wanted to try a mane style that wasn’t ‘guard approved.’ I was the last option before they cut the thing out. Guess I learned something.”
“I’d say. You’re really good at it.”
“I’m just combing your mane, Sas.”
Sassi both hated and absolutely loved how easily her stallion could bring tears to her eyes intentionally. The emotions were now so close to the surface after decades of beating them down.
“I don’t let just anyone do that, Astral. My dad was the only one. It’s a simple, normal thing for everyone. B-but not for me.”
Continuing to run the comb through her hair, Astral didn’t say anything at first.
“Well, I guess we’ll have some things everyone else thinks are normal, but can mean a lot to just us then? Scars, mane brushing, stuff like that.”
“And stargazing. And celebrating things that are important to you, no matter what.” Sassi’s words made Astral pause, the mare smiling as she looked up at him. “Don’t you think I’ve forgotten,” she added, seeing Astral’s expression soften as his eyes dampened. The stallion nodded, Sassi taking over the comb and brushing her bangs out of her eyes.
“I don’t know why I always heard cruddy stuff about being married. Being able to be this open with someone is awesome, and it’s not like that’d change much,” she said, Astral’s ears perking up immediately. Both of them had a bit of heat on their cheeks at the suggestion, but it was an oddly normal thought.
“It’s a weird view. Thankfully I’ve heard many counterpoints,” Astral agreed. “Gabbro thinks it’s a neat idea. But there are still some who see it as being ‘tied down’ and stuff. I obviously don’t see it like that. Sounds like I get to be with my best friend forever.” The stallion’s words made Sassi smile happily.
“Stars, that sounds great. I wouldn’t mind being tied down, in their words, if it’s someone I love,” Sassi mused. “If we’re any indication, it sounds like a pretty…fun…” her words drifted off as Astral’s face scrunched up, the stallion desperately trying to muffle a laugh and failing miserably.
Her face brightened into a steaming blush, the mare glaring at Astral as he laughed. Sassi refused to hide behind her bangs this time. “I’m not taking that back,” she said with a glare, Astral chortling as he held his sides. “And don’t you dare say anything!”
“I don’t need to say anything!” he said, ducking a pillow she threw at him.
“I walked into that one.”
“I’d say you were more or less roped into it.”
The mare’s face scrunched up adorably, Astral cackling as a pillow whacked him in the face. It was worth it though.
“Do we need to go back to a cold shower?” she asked, Astral abruptly shuddering in horror.
“Eurg. Nope! I’ll behave!”
“For now?”
“For now,” he confirmed with a grin. “Ok. So, back in the armor, and off we go?”
Sliding into the now-cleaned body suit and buckling on the plating, Sassi nodded.
“Yup. Let me get set and I’ll help you into your suit. Up ahead are a few labs and then the prison block. I’m not going to lie, Astral. It’ll probably be a horror show. If you need to breathe, let me know and we’ll find somewhere to hole up. But we get through that, and it’s then the condemned part of the silo, and then the exit tunnel.”
“Condemned part?”
Sassi didn’t meet his gaze at first, and the worry was almost palpable from her demeanor and their link.
“It was one of the first areas that were built. It’s also one of the deepest. I don’t know what’s there. It’s just old testing areas and office space from when the Company was first founded. There are also some unfinished floors. But there’s no way around it.”
“Well, I guess we’ll worry about the other stuff first?”
She nodded, helping Astral buckle on his weapons and more of their supplies.
“Still some fuel for the flamethrower. That’s good. If we see a tool cabinet, we could probably snag another cylinder,” she mused. “Till then, we’ve got the shotgun, miniguns, and cannons fully loaded.”
Astral was quiet, simply nodding as he held the helmet in a hoof. It was shaking.
“Astral?” At his side in an instant, Sassi pressed her shoulder to his, meeting the stallion’s fearful gaze. “What’s going on?”
He closed his eyes, taking a few deep breaths. Seeing his helmet brought it all back in an instant, the previous warmth in his chest turning to ice.
“That room,” Astral whispered, shaking his head. “I want to tell you. I want to work through it, but I can’t. Not now. It’d cripple me for hours. And we don’t have that. I’m not…” his words drifted off. It was painful for the stallion to admit, that the hours had shattered his previous confidence. Being so utterly out of control and tormented had left Astral far more vulnerable than he realized.
The frustration over their link actually made Astral smile. It wasn’t at him, but at their situation. There was definitely a bit of anger towards a certain room.
“Thanks, Sas.”
“Welcome? I didn’t say anything though?”
He reached over to lean against her head a final time.
“Didn’t have to. Hive mind. Felt you being frustrated, but not at me.”
A soft laugh eased Astral’s thoughts.
“Of course not at you. I’m worried about you. I’m frustrated because I want to burn that place to the ground. But this link is still going to take some getting used to, y’know.”
“In a good way?”
The stallion’s brain flatlined as he was abruptly occupied by a rather long kiss. It was such a contrast that the mare who could beat a mutant to a pulp with her hooves, happened to have a rather adorable romantic side. The fact that there was an odd warmth in the back of Astral’s mind only served to push the darkness away further.
He still didn’t believe that she hadn’t taken kissing classes.
Sassi finally broke the gesture, putting her helmet on with a nod as Astral did the same, the stallion’s face a bit flushed as she giggled.
“Oh, getting used to this little hive mind is a very good thing. Let’s get out of here so we can crash on the couch, drink smoothies, and snuggle. Sound like a plan?”
Sassi nearly laughed again as the stallion stared at her from behind the visor.
“Ok, drink smoothies, snuggle, and deal with trauma from all this garbage. But I like the idea of smoothies and cuddling with my stallion better. I’m not going to let you go for an entire day.”
“No complaints here!”
As they made their way to the airlock, Astral found it a bit easier to ignore the hum of fears in his mind. He wasn’t ok, not by a long shot. But he’d get through this.
They’d get through this.
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Into the breach!
An adorable and wonderful chapter as usual. Thank you.
11532978
Glad you enjoyed it!
..but not yet into the britches. ;)
I see we are getting closer to the end. An escape tunne-wait. Why do I hear boss music?
Hey rad! Love the chapter, but two weeks each? Well I'm working full time so its not as much of a mental task. Any chance your life will calm down enough for weekly submissions?
On that note, have a good week!
I found a whoopsie.
Also, the thought of Astral looking like a sheep made of bubbles made my day.
11533284
DARNIT. They always sneak through...thanks!
11533281
Thank you! And it's two weeks for now. Just getting some stuff sorted on this end! I'd rather have a steady schedule, even if it's every-other week, than taking a full-blown break. Eventually I'd like to get back to weekly uploads. I'd say we're in the last quarter of this story...if I had to guesstimate.
11533236
Rip and tear until it is done!
11533213
Um ...
What do greens have to do with a fruit salad? A fruit salad is a collection of assorted complementary fruits cut into bite-sized pieces and thoroughly mixed. There's no green involved unless you use a green fruit like kiwi or certain melons.
Rest of the chapter was great, but that one line kinda threw me for a loop.
11534207
*re-reads*
*Brain processing*
media.tenor.com/WXUZm1v_QGIAAAAC/kronk-point.gif
I feel like Kronk here....I'll remove the 'fruit' part of that. You make a very good point.
Condemned sections and silos makes me think of Aperture science, now. Any relation or just a coincidence? Regardless of which it is, it feels to me pretty referential, and not jarring or interrupting the story, which I'm quite enjoying!
11539117
The idea of a condemned area did come from a certain Portal game....but that's about it.
11539161
Fair enough! And I wasn't accusing of any sort of plagiarism, just sort of went "oh, I get that reference", so I thought I would ask.
11539283
No worries! It's an interesting concept, so figured it'd be a fun idea.
No! I reached the end! Now I have to wait.... I eagerly await the next chapter. It's been a blast reading everything the past 2 ish weeks.
11541737
I'm so glad you're enjoying the ride! A new chapter should be up this Saturday. I'll eventually go back to weekly uploads, but I figure a steady upload schedule (even if a slower one for a time,) is better than a 100% break.