Trace the Galaxy

Year 5973

Syo practically flew down the hall with with the mop trailing behind him, he stumbled into things along his path. This was the happiest day ever. After months of begging Haruka finally decided to let him come to port with her. Since bartering and trading was a very hostile business, Haruka didn't want him to seem like her weakest link. But today was different. Tomochika had successfully talked the smaller female into taking him with her as long as all his chores were done.

"This is so cool." He cheered. He turned to the end-table, ready to wipe it clean and let the mop move on it's own, but a little ball of white plopped it's butt down before he could even focus his mind on the dirty mop. He couldn't help but to smile at his cat. "I've always wanted to see Otheron! Isn't it exciting Otoya?"

The white cat only meowed at him happily as a response, it's puffy tail swishing back and forth.

"Don't just sit there. Go get your leash."

Syo had learned after only a few days on Haruka's ship that his fluffy companion completely understood his every word. That made the years that passed by less lonely, seeing as he was the youngest on the ship. And, although he didn't have animals such as this back on his own planet, he had highly doubted that normal cats could play games with him like this one did. It was weird and fun. But he never did anything too intelligent in front of the older members of the crew.

The cat rolled it's red eyes at him before jumping down and trotting off to their shared room.

Once he was gone, Syo quickly finished dusting the table and the last little bit of the floors. He forced himself up, as to not have to walk over the wet floor, and made his way to the bridge.

"Captain!" He said gleefully, not caring if he interrupted her conversation. She turned away from the wheel's man to look at him. Her blue striped business suit was clean and pristine. "I did everything you asked."

"Syo." Her tone was even and commanding, as always, and golden eyes narrowed. "Don't make such a ruckus."

"Sorry." He deflated a little. He didn't really care if he was loud when he was in a good mood, but if Haruka scolded him, his mood would drop instantly. Over the eight years he had been with her, she became like a mother in his mind. She was stern and strict, but also loving. Every time she had forced him to stay in the ship when they docked, which he rarely stayed put, she would always bring him back a present. In many ways, not that he would ever admit it out loud, she reminded him of his father.

"It's fine. But keep yourself in check during my meeting." She straighten her jacket. "Tomo isn't coming today, so you won't have a babysitter."

"I'm fifteen." He chuckled. "I don't need a babysitter anymore."

"Says you." It was obviously a joke, but her straight face made it hard to laugh at.

"Ma'am." One of the men called to her. She turned to greet him. His uniform, that consisted of a greasy pair of overalls and a dirty gray shirt, and his hands were filthy from the oil and coal in the engine room, even though he had a dark brown glove sticking out of his back pocket. He watched her with beady eyes and tossed a toothy smile Syo's way once he realized that the blonde was looking at him. "We'll be landing soon."

"Thank you." She dismissed him. She smirked at Syo once she knew he was out of hearing range. "Why must they always tell me every little detail. I don't need to know that we'll be landing soon, especially when he told me that same thing five minutes ago."

"He probably just likes you." Syo laughed. His blonde hair brushed against his shoulders.

Haruka reached out and touched it. "Are you finally going to grow it out again? Or do you want me to cut it soon?"

"Tonight. I hate having long hair."

She chuckled letting her hand fall from his straight sleek locks. "Whatever you say."


Syo wanted to wander the antiques shop, browsing small trinkets from far off galaxies that his surrogate mother didn't deal with, but the moment he began to to let his blue eyes wander over the carefully stored merchandise Haruka sharply said his name. Knowing that she would be beyond furious if he messed up this deal for her, Syo decided to just evaluate the items he like from near the door's entrance.

He rolled his eyes, bored. Who would have thought that coming with her would be this boring. Sure there were things to look at, stuff to buy, and places to go but none of which he was actually allowed to do. Haruka had told him not to leave her side, but she was busy talking gibberish, that Syo couldn't understand, with the old man behind the counter.

He old man had a long gray beard gave him a crooked smile and pointed to Syo, making Haruka turn back to look at him. She motioned him him over to her. Again she spoke in the foreign tongue and wrapped her left arm protectively around him.

"What's he asking?" His blue eyes couldn't leave the wrinkled face.

"He wants to know how much you are." She gave him a tight squeeze. "This is why I don't invite you to come with me more often."

"Why?"

"There are some, who collect people." The old man said something to her and her grip tensed before she dropped her arm from Syo's shoulder. "Go have fun on the docks."

"Really?" He finally pulled his gaze away from the creepy salesman's face. Excitement displayed in his big sky blue eyes.

"Since Tomo isn't here to take care of you make sure to take Otoya with you."

"Okay!" He ran off to the entrance.

Otoya had been waiting patiently outside, chained to the guardrail that kept this ship stationed at the port (not that he couldn't easily get out of it). Upon Syo return he meowed happily, which of course made Syo laugh. He carefully unchained his white feline and took up his leash in his hand.

"This place is huge!" Syo looked around excited. There were so many people and animals. His smile did drop a little. "I wish Tomochika weren't sick today. She always knows everything. She could tell me what animal is what. She can translate."

Syo let loose a sigh and Otoya looked up at him. "Mew?" The cat tried to communicate with him.

"I know, Otoya."

If Haruka was like a mother to him these last eight years, then Tomochika was definitely the older sister he had always wished for. She was kind, a bit of a know it all, and almost always there when he needed her. But there were some days when she just didn't leave her cabin. Haruka always gave a convincing excuse, not just for Syo but for the crew as well.

While most of the crew had been with them for years, it seemed like Haruka didn't trust them. And Syo had always wondered why. They kept the ship going, lived with one another, and stole from ships that couldn't defend themselves from a swift and unexpected raid. If they hadn't turned her in for her crimes, then why did she keep things from them?

"The first step to getting screwed over is trusting others." She had once told him that. Yet... She trusted Tomochika with her life. If Syo didn't know better, he would think that they were sisters.

"I just don't understand." He told Otoya while looking at the crowd of people. There were so many faces. Eyes barely glanced at him while he walked by, only a few lingered with an unpleasant feel.

A flash of cyan blue passed in front of him. Stark white skin and piercing eyes that seemed to look into the very depths of his soul stood out against the herd of others, whose attention was on whatever the merchant was trying to sell to them. And then it was gone. The sharp face with vibrate color had disappeared back into the crowd. Almost like it had never been there to began with.

"Come on Otoya. Let's go back to the ship." He felt extremely uncomfortable. "I want to see if Tomo is feeling better yet."


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