Chapter 1: Awakening.
Shuffling, you listened as Svata began to talk about herself; responding to the question you had just asked: What her life was before. She sat down as she spoke, watching as your mind began to drift, imagining her history.
(The following has been translated into full English for better understanding.)
Everything was still until I felt the last needle move through my skin. The tread trailing after it secured my senses into the material that made me. It was dark, other than that, but I could still feel the life coming into my body. It was the warmest feeling I had ever felt before, and I doubt I would ever feel it again; the soft feeling of living. The greatest gift of all.
Material makes my kind. Material with metal. Which is funny. Both our planets move in orbit with each other, around each other, depending on each other. The planet I live on, the material planet, supplies the planet of metal with vital substances for their weapons. In return, they give their protection to us. One cannot exist without the other.
My eyelids slowly pulled apart as the darkness subsided with day. My first views of my planet came some time after life entered me, but that was how it was meant. I couldn't wake up whilst still being constructed; if I did I would have become deformed. The first thing I saw was my reflection; myself in a giant mirror that loomed in front of me. My lilac eyes stared back at the alternative, taking in what was me. Soft blues seemed to be a theme on my body. Blues and purples, all merging to make a picture of twilight.
I felt a tingling sensation in my shoulders and stretched out all my muscles, watching with surprise at the mirror as four beautiful limbs aligned themselves in front of me. I had wings. Lightly buzzing them, I looked at the soft stripes that wrapped around them. I had the same stripes on the rest of my body, but with my wings moving, they looked magnificent. The patterns would merge until a beautiful display cast above anyone who could see me at the time. I smiled. Time to experiment.
For a newborn, I was quite intelligent. My kind are born with their thoughts, we had no means of learning, so each creator would implant personality and the intelligence to match into their children. This came to help me a lot, as soon I had spotted a white speck behind me; a letter.
Yes, I could see behind me. But I didn't know why at the time. I just assumed all like me could, but I would soon find out I was wrong. My wings plucked me gently into the air, casting a fine layer of dust around me in a ring. I moved to the ground, using my instinct to slow my wings, descending to the ground where the white speck grew into a large sheet of paper. This was when I realised how small I really was.
The paper was much larger than myself, stretching to be a few inches wider and longer than me if I lay on top of it. This would make it hard to read, since I would have to walk across the paper; I couldn't lift it or it would flop instantly. Words were as large as my stripes, sprawled out across the page in a scruffy way. I began to read, the writing taking me into a portal of imagination.
Dear Svata.
Good to see you made it into this world safely, I am very pleased how you turned out, and you should be fine as long as you stay within the house. As you know, your kind is made, which leaves me as your creator. Unfortunately, I cannot be with you as you awake, so I hope you get a nice welcome to our planet. Don't worry, though, I will be returning later to meet you.
So you are probably wondering about yourself, am I right? I made you in the image of another species, one not from this planet. The species comes from Neopia, a planet in a separate solar system to ours; they inspired me as a child when I used to live there. I will tell you more about them tomorrow, when we can finally get to know each other.
To keep you company, I have made you a friend, one like you to keep you entertained whilst I am out. She is another species from that planet, a Catamara. She is yours to look after, to love and to name. I hope you find her suitable, and she isn't too much trouble for you.
See you soon;
Father.
Father… That meant he was my dad. He was the one I could thank for my gifts, and I could do that later. But for now… he mentioned a companion? I looked around the room, barely moving my head with my three-sixty vision. I couldn't see what he was talking about anywhere, maybe he was lying?
I realised he wasn't when a bundle of soft fabric leapt upon me, knocking me down onto the floor. It was squeaking loudly, swirling in circles. I looked it over, realising it possessed the ability to fly, as myself, but had no legs, or wings. Its two tails would whip around behind it, making it seem like a little whirlwind. Smiling, I gave it a hug, calming it down as it wrapped its limbs around me. A fine companion indeed.
But aside from all the welcomes, I had yet to explore my true home; this building. After swiftly naming my friend, Celest, I let her go, allowing her to float above my head. Buzzing my wings, I followed her into the sky and let me search begin.
Through each room I noticed the abundance of others like me. I appeared to be an only child, unless they were hiding. Each room was decorated with a plush interior, most in blues and purples like myself. Father obviously had a favourite colour, and it was obvious from his house. Bedclothes were soft and snugly, pillows fluffed to twice their size and duvets so silky that touching them could have sent you into another realm.
I felt my own material as I landed in the room I began in, sinking in to a purple cushion. My skin was soft, fresh with the scent of stuffing. Of course, I was new, so my fabric was much softer than most of the others I experienced in the house, but I knew that would change over time. I just wished it would last longer, so I could not waste the gift I was given. Celest had settled down next to me, her material as soft as my own. She must have been made with the same fabric. Contented, I felt my eyes grow heavy, my joints growing harder to move with the long flight I had. It wasn't long until I was asleep, and dreaming of my father, who I was to meet properly tomorrow.
Chapter 2: Terror Comes at Night.
I guess I must have been sleeping quite deeply, as I didn't notice the gentle hands that hoisted me into the air that night. It wasn't until we had been walking a while that I opened my eyes, and they were still blurred. I could feel the soft stepping rhythm of a person, amplified due to my small size.
Shuffling a little, I watched as the house around me moved, each piece of furniture swiftly moving beside me and disappearing from my view. I could see the room I was in fade out of view, the hallway, the stairs. All until I reached my fathers room. A chest was in front of us, and we were heading directly towards it.
I was still quite tired; I couldn't quite grasp my thoughts properly. I certainly wasn't in the position to object to the firm hands lowering me into the small box. My half-closed eyes looked up as the shadow disappeared, reappearing shortly with Celest. It had reached for the lid by the time I realised who this was. Father was right in front of me.
Trying to get a good look, I drearily craned my head, attempting to get around the closing lid. I got one good glance at my father; then darkness. My smooth paws ran along the edge of the crate, trying to feel around the empty chasm. Knowing Celest was beside me wasn't much comfort. I loved her, of course, but my father was outside. And he put me in here for a reason. And my instinct told me it was bad.
Unfortunately, I was much too tired to remain awake much longer and shortly slumped in the corner of my confinement, gently grasping Celest and pulling her to my chest. Her plush fabric absorbed my tears, my fears. I knew I wasn't going to see my father ever again, and fell asleep on that notion.
Of course, I didn't know at that time that the chest was unlocked. I only found out when a large "Clunk" stirred me from my slumber. After was silence. It was too still, like the calm before the storm. And I was right. It took about ten minutes until it came, but a large rumble, followed by a blast of heat which surged through my home. The impact was longer after silence; the realisation adding to the fear inside me. This was why father put me in here, he knew it was coming.
The heat eventually subsided, giving way to a feeling of calm. But I felt strange. It didn't feel like I was where I used to be; maybe the explosion had moved me?
Oof I felt Celest collide with my stomach as we tumbled endlessly. I certainly wasn't on my planet any longer, since we were floating, tumbling in the lack of gravity surrounding us.
I bet you wonder how I survived in space? Because that was where I was. Weightless and swirling in a vast emptiness that I would have once looked up to from my cosy home, snuggled by a cosy window, being petted by my gentle father. But that wasn't what fate had in store for me; this was. My species has no need for air, since we have no heart. Some functions, such as the ability to shed tears, display emotions and think, we possess, but death could only come if we lost majority of our insides. So we could survive easily without the necessities of life.
Despite the lack of veins, I could feel the imaginary adrenaline surging through me, stirring me into a panic. Here I was, stuck in a locked toy-chest floating in space. How long would I be stuck like this? Would we ever reach safety? Was my father safe? Only time could tell.
Pulling Celest closer, I buried my face into her silky tails, clinging to her desperately as I felt my emotions surge through the small confines. I heard her faintly squeak; a comforting noise, telling me it would be fine. If only I could have believed her at a time like this.
Chapter 3: A Whole New World
It was easy to tell when our long journey had ended. Or rather, had begun to end. A rushing noise echoed through my mind; lifting me from my slumber. Celest was already awake, shivering beside me. It must have been instinct that told her what lay ahead was going to be tough. I certainly wouldn't go through it again for fun.
Of course, we had just entered the Venran atmosphere, though we didn't know it at the time. Our crate was plummeting towards the planet below, hurtling at increasing speed until the sound and heat was tremendous. Most living creatures wouldn't have survived the heat. We were lucky that our fabric didn't catch alight, ourselves. I screwed my eyes closed, huddling tightly at the tip of the chest, awaiting our landing.
A few would have called that the ride of the century, but it defiantly wasn't my ticket. We collided with Venrah at a great speed, the impact knocking me senseless. My thoughts had left for the moment; spiralling outside my body, unsure of where to go without me. The darkness felt similar to another time. It felt empty, void of life. Was I dead? Had the crash killed me? Was this the end to my short life?
My questions were answered shortly; a leaf brushing lightly against my snout lifting me back into the realm of the living. It was surreal. What was this odd shaped thing on my nose? Nothing similar to it existed on my planet. I sat up and studied the leaf, running my miniscule paw across the thick veins that punched through its frail flesh. My eyes scanned across the flat surface, searching for any seems that it may reveal to me. There were none. Surely it couldn't have been metal.
It was then that I noticed thousands of these flimsy patches surrounding me. I had landed in the centre of a forest, the trunks charred from the furnace made from our arrival. But the leaves remained there, swaying gently in a soft breeze. It was good that most things survived. I would have hated to be the caused of tragedy.
Before long I decided it was time to move off. We couldn't be sitting out in the open too long, especially in such an unknown environment. It would have been far too dangerous for the both of us. If the… things… on this planet had no seems, than it was all I could assume that they were immortal. After all, seems were the weakness in my kind.
I jumped at the sound of a tune pulsing through the undergrowth. Nothing ever made that noise. It was completely unnatural. I listened. The song was soft, drifting up and down gently with the soft wind. It didn't sound threatening. I crept closer, Celest close to my hide. As my leg brushed against her velvet fabric, my eyes drifted to the canopy, settling on a colourful creature. A bird. That was where the music came from.
Chapter 4: Moving In
The forest here was full of life, sounds of birds and other animals calling to each other filled the air. Along the floor ran mosaic patterns, the sunlight playing in between the branches of the canopy. I wasn't far from the small clearing I gifted to this place, I told myself I wouldn't venture far from my chest. I sniffed. Pollen littered the crisp air, provoking me to wrinkle my nose. Other than that, it didn't seem too troublesome for us here.
I hadn't noticed the clouds overhead, though. High above the tree-tops, water vapour was gathering together in the sky, preparing a harsh reality for us. Weather was another thing new to me. The concept of precipitation did not exist on the fabrics of my planet. The now seemingly stale air (compared to Venrah) just circulated back and forth. It wasn't like many inhaled.
The first drop hit my left leg, causing me to pause. Celest was ahead, watching back to see where the problem lied. I flicked my leg curiously, pulling it forwards to see if anything had attached to me. Nothing. Nothing besides a damp patch, staining my material.
Next drop. My head. I sprang into the air; wings poised for take off. Another and another. The rain lashed at me from left and right, needles trying to drag me to the ground. I cried out in shock, feeling the water soak right through me. Definitely not the nicest feeling. My stuffing was soggy, my skin was waterlogged, it all pulled me back to the ground and tempted me to shelter beneath the boughs of a large pine. Celest had already hidden between the roots.
Maybe this planet wasn't so harmless. I was willing to give the animals a second chance, but this "weather" concept was pretty bad in my eyes. April showers come and go, it wasn't long until the sun burst through the canopy again. I moved into the light to clear my thoughts, cautious as to not get dripped on. Uncomfortable as it may be, it wasn't as if I had a choice to visit elsewhere. So I needed shelter.
Leaving my companion behind momentarily, I journeyed back to our landing site, eyes set on my chest. I gave it a once-over, sizing myself up against it like a snake would its prey. Gripping it tightly, I figured I could pull it back; this was the only thing I had to live with for now.
It was quite a struggle moving such a heavy chest. It was bulky; designed to protect Celest and I during our lives. It had done a pretty good job so far. My paws struggled to grasp the container firmly enough, so I had to pause every few metres to regain my grip. Finally I made it back, into the forest.
My decision proved to be a good one; after covering our chest with leaves, it made quite a useful shelter. A few days had past and it was still holding strong. Weather didn't seem to affect it either, we would sit inside the crate, lid propped open, watching the water slide into a puddle on the ground. It was quite entertaining really. Maybe we could get used to this planet after all.
Chapter 5: Visitors From Space
I hoped I would never have to hear that frightful noise again. The deafening cry that came from fire. Falling fire. That dreadful sound, it seemed to stalk me. Following me wherever I came, leading me from place to place. The sound that began and ended my fateful journey here. The sound that grew louder in my head until it was simply unbearable for any longer.
The sky was ablaze with the light from the falling boulder, the yellow glow settling on everything it touched. No longer could I see those distant stars which scattered across the curtain of night. They were simply swamped by the intense light which came from this object. The object which would in turn swamp my new home with the flames it brought.
My limbs clung desperately to the rough bark of a tree as I felt the air rush around me. The force was lifting my small body from where I stood; I was far too light to resist its pull. My eyelids tightly pulled together as the rock hit Venrah, the blast picking up the wind ten fold. I felt the warmth surround me. Perhaps the forest was on fire. Perhaps I was on fire…
Eventually the force managed to tear me from the trunk, knocking me backwards a few feet until everything had subsided. Everything but the heat. My eyes flicked open. There was a warm glow surrounding me, but nothing appeared damaged. Nothing was on fire, either. Nothing but the object that had settled here.
I rolled onto my front and peered through the foliage. I picked out the boulder from the rising smoke, watching it in case anything emerged. What was I thinking? Surely nothing could live in a rock. That would be absurd. Though it did look alive. The way the surface pulsed gradually. The way the fire seemed to expand as a lump emerged and split away from the main rock.
Definitely alive. A dark silhouette lay slumped on the ground, still. It wasn't moving. The fire wasn't around it any longer, it just clung to the boulder; too weak to stick to new objects. Darkness lifted its head, stretching out its sharp limbs and hauling itself into a standing position. I stared at its corners. Every part of it seemed razor sharp; jutting out into the background, into the scorching flames as if they were cotton wool.
Stepping back, I buried myself in the grass, allowing the long blades to cover myself. If spotted, it would surely be the end to me. The creature was looking around, occasionally taking the odd step in my direction. Its movements were fast; each pointed edge threatening the surroundings. Everything about it seemed dangerous. Even more when it opened its eyes. An evil, evil red, which glowed into the surroundings, merging with the red hot centre of the fire.
Suddenly the figure jerked, its head turning left, only one eye visible. I felt the glow piercing my brain. Even though it wasn't watching. I was mesmerized by it, but I still managed to watch the silhouette dart to my right, escaping into the forest, leaving the inferno behind.
Chapter 6: Don't Judge a Book by its Cover.
The razor sound of steel drifted above my head as I rolled over in my sleep. Soft, warm breath hit my face and slid to the ground. I felt a presence above me, moving around, occasionally nudging my fabric. Mumbling, I parted my eyelids, making out the shape of myself. Or similar to.
With eyes half closed, this creature looked quite familiar. Armour plates covered its body, curving around its limbs and jutting out where they joined. Its tail swung round and showed a light, turned off for the moment. On its head were three spines, thin antennae branching out from the tips. And its eyes. Bright red and glowing. Could this have been the same creature?
It nudged me again, stirring me to sit up. Blinking, I looked it in the eye. It looked like the same creature. Then I realised how much danger it could be to me and jolted backwards, apparently startling it. Rearing backwards, the creature struggled to retain balance as it attempted escape, unfortunately slamming straight into a tree behind it.
Something that scared of me couldn't pose a threat. By this time I had figured out how things worked. Prey showed fear, predators showed none. This creature was defiantly scared of me. Perhaps it considered me a predator. If only it knew I didn't eat. I loomed above the poor creature, studying it further. Tilting my head, I took a guess as to its gender. Probably a male. Nudging a gap in his armour, I attempted to awake him.
A slight groan emerged from his small mouth. He was about the same size as me, perhaps a little larger. My paw easily slipped under his chin, lifting it up, helping to bring the air back in. Slowly but surely, his mind became active again, and I listened to him make a quiet beep as he opened his scarlet eyes.
The second meeting was much calmer than the first. I had guided him back to shelter; my crate. Fuuuuhney he gave a slight cry, tilting his head towards me. Whatever could that mean? I tilted my own head in reply and gave a confused squeak. After a struggle, he had pulled himself into a seated position. Still further like my own. He could have equally been my brother, minus the armour.
Fuuuuney? his metallic voice called again, confusion littering its high pitch. I replied once again with a squeak, shrugging my shoulders to indicate my own confusion. He moved his hand towards his own chest, repeating himself. He was funny? Funny… Fny… Fny was his name! I tried to pronounce it, my timid voice struggling to mould the sounds to fit his name. Finally I managed an understandable squeak, releasing a satisfied beep from Fny.
Youuuuu? he spoke again, each syllable scratchy in his voice. He had said you. Me? What about me? I watched him repeat his name and point at himself. He then pointed at me. My name. Svata was my name. But I had no clue on how to say that. I looked at him sadly, disappointment radiating from my body. I had no name. Or rather, none that I could tell the world.
Fny must have sensed my disappointment, because he took no time to study me. Maybe he was trying to name me. But that wouldn't have been suitable. My name was my name. I looked behind me, moving my head unnecessarily. Fny was looking around me, searching for something. I leapt when he tugged at something beneath me. Attached to me. A tag.
Suhvaaaaaaaaatuh he squeaked happily then made a cheerful tune of beeps. I tilted my head. A picture of the letter I once read was in front of me. The one my father wrote.
Svata was what he called me. S-v-a-t-a.
Suh-vah-ta? I corrected him slightly, keeping the sound of the "a" he first said in my name. Fny grinned, alerting me to my correct answer. So that was how you said it. Fny sat down, still smiling. He began to talk to me. And so the teaching began.
Chapter 7: Farewell. For Now.
That night was slightly claustrophobic for the three of us; my chest far too small to contain us all. It couldn't go on for long, and I certainly wasn't going to leave Fny out to the cold. He was more alive than I was. Come morning a decision had to be made. And that decision came with help.
Fny suggested that we build a home. A new home, a proper shelter from all the elements. One to build together. I liked the idea, but it would be a lot of work. Especially for creatures of our size. My fabric wasn't the strongest in the galaxy. Fny would have to do most of the muscle work, his species being much tougher than my own. So the gathering began.
Metal, wood, plastics. You name it, we put it into our house. Corrugated sheets of steel formed the walls of the building, providing a basic structure, making it stable. I lined this with scraps of fabric I had found, protecting the metal from the heat. You remember what I said earlier? Fabric and metal. Two planets in harmony. One cannot survive without the other; I guess this put the icing on the cake. That and the fact Fny revealed something truly amazing.
The construction stage was tough for both of us, even Fny, who had far more strength than I. But during it, he transformed. Not transformed as in a change of heart or mind. Fny literally changed shape, growing several times his size. I watched him, astounded. I knew the species which could do that. It was implanted in my memory. He was from the planet of living metal, the sister to mine.
It couldn't be coincidence that Fny was here. Maybe he was caught in that same blast to me. The force was the same, it could have easily moved him across space the same as I. Or maybe all ejected crafts were destined to arrive at this planet. Or maybe it was fate. Surely it couldn't have been coincidence.
Later that night, we had finished our home. We settled by the fireplace, pillows lining the room. Fny had found them dumped in a nearby town and thought it a good idea to bring them back. I was glad he did. But less on the décor. Fny was talking to me. He was telling me about why he was here. It was as if he had read my thoughts earlier. Maybe he could.
Turns out, Fny was sent here from his planet. I had been travelling in space for just over a year. It sure seemed less than that to me. But I wasn't the greatest at awareness of time. At the same time I got blasted, a friend of his was sent to Venrah, to protect himself and others. His name was Bumblebee.
Fny explained that the same blast would have knocked me to the same destination, and that we would have arrived at the same time. That is why he came here; he got confused and mistook me for Bumblebee. My heart sank. It wasn't fate, then. He just mistook me. That was all.
But Fny couldn't travel too far that night. That was why he found me. He told me he stayed to help; that he was ordered to continue his friend's job and also remove him from this planet. And that he had to leave.
He must have noticed my wide eyes by this stage, because he then proceeded to hug me tightly. I felt his soft flesh against me, and the cold touch of metal too. I sobbed, unable to hold my tears back any longer. I had finally found a place to belong, somebody to belong with besides Celest. And he was leaving. Leaving in the morning.
Fny frowned, trying desperately to comfort me. He told me he would return as soon as possible, once he had found Bumblebee. He would come and stay here. Forever. I wanted to trust him. But what if he was wrong? He had to send Bumblebee back, so why not himself? Surely the technology would be outdated. Surely Fny would be needed there. But he assured me so. It was all I could do to believe as he left the next morning. To return another time.
Fny: I already told you a little about Fny, my closest friend. But that was his relationship with me. Fny came from a different planet to I, yet is very similar. He was built, like myself, his purpose was to search for missing operatives.
Bumblebee And this is Bumblebee, the one Fny is searching for. I met him once or twice, though he usually leaves again. He was designed as a defensive weapon for his planet, and a communications officer. He was evacuated from his planet at the peak of the war for protection or himself, and to protect other planets. He is a guardian, see?
