We don't go to Sub-Level Five

by RadBunny

Chapter Seventy Five: Loopy Pancakes

Sassi managed to get another chunk of sleep. Despite that, the mare woke up with a shudder, a few flashes of memory infiltrating as a nightmare just before she woke up.

Not exactly starting on a good note. She could already feel ‘off’. Then again, the past few days had been taxing, to say the least. A nice distraction was an interesting awareness as she woke up. A simple knowledge that Astral was too. It was the oddest sensation, but she shrugged it off, downing some rations and water.

The motion detector hadn’t gone off, so apparently, her message to the creature had been understood, at least for now.

The lights flickered, and that had Sassi’s eyes narrowing. If the grid failed, there weren’t any other options. She could try to run deeper into the Silo with Astral, but that was more of a death sentence than staying put and hoping the drugs could stave off the worst of it. Strapping Astral to her back with a time limit and charging into who-knows-what was simply not acceptable in terms of risk. The scans from the RASP suit indicated there wasn’t any other stable power source within range.

That was good enough for Sassi to stay put. Ultimately, she’d cross that bridge if it came up.

Putting the helmet on, the mare blinked at seeing the date. It had already been two days? Three? Well, almost.

Their food supplies weren’t exactly stellar. Compressed ration bars could only get them so far. Astral hadn’t eaten, but thankfully Sassi had found some IV fluids. Those were down to the last two bags, and even then, they weren’t exactly in date.

But it was that, or have Astral die of dehydration.

There was another tickling in Sassi’s mind, the mare looking over to Astral as he woke up. It was the oddest feeling to abruptly know he was up.

Then again, spending months with somepony would do that, so she assumed.

“Hellooooooooooo?” he called out, confirming that Sassi would be talking to loopy Astral for now.

“Hey, Astral. How’re you feeling?” the mare asked, trotting over and sitting down next to him.

“These weird things in my chest and sides itch. What are they?” he asked, a hoof flopping over to point at the crystals.

“They’re crystals. They’ll help you feel better, so don’t scratch at them.”

The answer seemed to satisfy Astral, the Thestral grinning.
“Soooooo I’m like a power pony? Part pony part crystal?”

Sassi resisted another facehoof.
“You could say that.”

Even though he wasn’t lucid, the genuine, almost innocent smile on Astral’s face as his cloudy eyes looked at her made the mare’s heart do a flip.

“I felt when you woke up,” he mused with a yawn. That comment made Sassi’s ears perk up.

“What?”

The grin widened goofily.
“Probably because you’re in my heaaaaaad. In my heaaaaaad. Zombpony, Zomponieeeee!” Astral sang.

Now Sassi did smack her hoof to her face with a groan. The fact he had perfect pitch was both a bit unsettling and impressive.

It was also rather adorable.

“Just no loud singing, Astral. We need to keep quiet, at least somewhat,” she explained.

The stallion nodded ever so slightly, coughing up some black tar.
“Okie dokie,” he said, blinking slowly. “I want pancakes. Do you want some?”

Loopy Astral was…interesting.

“I’d like any food that isn’t compressed ration bars,” Sassi admitted. “But why pancakes?”

“I can make amazing pancakes,” the stallion said with a grin. “Fruity and fluffy and buttery gooooooodness!”

As Astral began to hum to some unheard tune, Sassi felt an almost physical barb of pain in her chest. It was such a simple, stupid realization, yet it hurt all the same with the connotations.

I didn’t know he could do that, assuming Astral’s telling the truth.

Even if it was just the medications talking, it only highlighted the fact that Sassi didn’t know about Astral as much as he knew about her. That thought only twisted the blade of guilt more. She wanted to know, more than anything.

But now because of her, she may never get-

The mare cut off that thought immediately, tears welling up in her eyes. She couldn’t think like that. Astral is like this because of her. That he might die because she-

“Sad?”

Astral’s soft, cautionary voice carried a familiar, if the not faint tone of affection, the stallion looking at her curiously. His green eyes cleared ever so slightly.

Sassi shrugged, wiping away the moisture from her gaze.
“Just a bit.”

“I know,” Astral whispered. “Feel it. It’s nicer when you’re happy.”

“What?”

He didn’t say anything else, simply yawned and curled up underneath the emergency blanket. That only made Sassi more uncomfortable. How in the world could he feel that she was sad?!

Questions for another time.

“Should I put the armor back on him?” She asked the AI.

‘Optional. With healing crystals in place, the armor can both provide additional, physical protection and stabilization. However, it may prevent specific healing measures.’

“What do you mean, specific healing measures?”

‘Analyzing. Unable to ascertain at this time. More data required.’

“That’s helpful,” Sassi huffed, “I’ll leave the armor off for now.”

“Yay!”

Astral’s exclamation made Sassi stare at him, the stallion looking at her cheerfully.

“Yay?”

He nodded, a hoof flopping over to gesture at her.
“Uh-huh. You were talking about armor. Heavy stuff. Don’t want it right now. Get all sweaty and ick.”

Sassi made a mental note about that. Astral was still out of it, but not ‘that’ woozy.

“Well, armor can stay off then.”

“Yay! I get to stay fluffy!”

A soft groan left Sassi’s lips, and Astral turned to glance her way.
“What? I like being fluffy! Armor makes all the fur stick down.”

“I like you being fluffy too, Astral. So, no armor.”

Her cheeks were burning, but Sassi didn’t care. It was the truth, after all.
“Heh. And you’re fluffy too!” Astral said with a grin, a familiar affection sparking in his gaze. “I like it.”

She tried to pout; she really did. But the smile refused to leave Sassi’s face, her cheeks a bright pink. For better or worse, Astral looked away with a yawn. If he ever discovered how easily she blushed, Sassi would probably wear a helmet all day.

Or rather, when he discovered it.

With a sigh, Sassi busied herself looking through the supplies again, Astral falling back asleep (or unconscious.) There was another question for the AI that had prodded at her thoughts.

“Is it safe for me to touch Astral? Hold his hoof and stuff?” she asked softly. “He was all spongy before. I don’t want to hurt him.”

‘Physical touch is acceptable. Caution: refrain from rough or sudden movements. Sexual activity not advised unti-‘

“Wasn’t asking that!” Sassi hissed, the screen clearing of text. Yet despite the initial annoyance, it abruptly faded, leaving…something.

Not disgust. Not immediate recoiling in distaste or fear.
But something.

Sassi’s thoughts were abruptly put on hold as the lights shut off.

“Warning. Fuse box failure. R-r-r-rerouting power matrix unavailable. Complete systems failure. Unable to compensaaaaaate.” The voice warned before fading completely. The emergency lights flicked on, a dull, faint blue color.

‘Warning. RASP power systems in supplementary mode. Please restore main power. T-minus twenty-five minutes until healing spell failure.’

Comments

[Witchery]

How in the world could he feel that she was sad?!

Well that's different.

[Seven Fates]

Seems like they're developing an empathic bond, likely in response to his treatment and minor mutations on Astral's part. Maybe he's becoming part buggo now?

[RadBunny]

11323139 11323155

[eric167]

Loopy Astral is still incredibly funny in a fluffy heartwarming way.

Warning. Fuse box failure

Sigh. Fluffy interlude over. Dons helmet and readies shotgun. Once more unto the breach.

[RadBunny]

11323184
Loopy astral is rather fun indeed.
But yep, once more into the breach.

[ibanix]

New chapter!

"A nice distraction was an interesting awareness as she woke up. A simple knowledge that Astral was too. It was the oddest sensation, but she shrugged it off, downing some rations and water."

Uh... Astral was also what? An interesting awareness? Error: can not parse meaning.

"That was good enough for Sassi to know to stay put, but ultimately, she’d cross that bridge if it came up."

There's nothing *technically* wrong with this sentance, but it just hurts to read. "to know" is redundant here, just drop it. The correct saying at the end is "cross that bridge when you come to it". The alternate phrase would be "deal with that problem when it comes up". You mixed the two in a way that hurts my brain, please stop that.

“Probably because you’re in my heaaaaaad. In my heaaaaaad. Zombpony, Zomponieeeee!” Astral sang.

a) I want to know how the ponies have The Cranberries and b) I want to know why the ponies have a song about an IRA bombing that killed two kids

Horray, action coming again. This felt like a very filler chapter, it didn't advance the plot or gain us any new insight to the broader world or the characters.

[Screw]

It feels very unlikely that thise above ground are optimistic about both Sassi and Astral escaping, but yet, Twilight and Flask seemed to know that they could make it out.

Blind faith could only hold them steady for so long. They must be doing something if they, at least for Flask, don't have some kind of dread haunting them.

[RadBunny]

11323904
They're certainly in the dark, but all they can do is hope, especially after Silo 2 went critical.

11323838
- That's intentional
- Ouch. Reading that sentence also hurt my brain. Fixed!
- The reference is not meant to have any deeper meaning other than having been played during a zombie movie or two (28 days later I believe?). I personally wasn't aware of the IRA reference.

[HarpyYoshi]

"N-Nooo...don't say it, RussianBadger....don't sa-"
cocks shotgun
"Ready."

[ArcherStern]

Aw shucks, I caught up.
Now I have to sit here and wait.

I dislike waiting, can I make a deal with Discord to timetravel into the future to see the rest of the chapters?

[RadBunny]

11325757

Hey, there's a new chapter every week! So only a bit of waiting.

[Amos Anon]

The grin widened goofily. “Probably because you’re in my heaaaaaad. In my heaaaaaad. Zombpony, Zomponieeeee!” Astral sang.

Lol, I knew immediately which song this was. I don't even like that song.

[MathBrony173]

‘Physical touch is acceptable. Caution: refrain from rough or sudden movements. Sexual activity not advised unti-‘

This made me burst out laughing, unexpectedly.

Of course the AI was going to mention sex, Sassi. You were asking about something far more lewd.

Also, I gotta say that Astral has some great music taste. Like the song Zombpony Zombie and I just recently listened to The Greatest Showmare Showman again.

[RadBunny]

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