Somehow we all manage to burn through the hours that it surprises us when men come to retrieve us to board the space shuttle. We all get seated in the 'Absolute Gravity' lounge, the waitresses buckle us in and return to the bar. I notice a holographic drink menu, figuring out how to scroll through it, finding non alcoholic beverages, ordering a berry smoothie for myself and a small bottle of milk for Fluffy to drink when she wakes up. I leave my backpack in the generous gap beneath my chair. The waitress arrives with my smoothie five minutes later. I notice tequila and wine on her tray as well, it was probably for the others. I sip at my smoothie, wondering what we were waiting for. After a few minutes, a hologram of the captain displays in front of us. "Hello there kids. I'm Pierre, your captain for this afternoon. in approximately ten minutes, the windows will open and you will be able to gaze upon the beauty that is Mother Earth. So please, sit back and relax" Pierre smiles, the holographic screen disappears.
I wait excitedly to feel the force of the rocket take off, little did we all know, we were already in space. The windows slowly start to open, revealing Earth in all her glory, the sun and moon glowing in the far distance. I unbuckle myself, gasping as I float right out of my seat. Lila giggles and unbuckles herself too floating around with me, only with much more controlled grace. Soon enough, everyone is floating and laughing. We help each other to the windows, looking as Earth gets further and further away at an alarming rate. "Odd, ships normally don't travel this fast..." Lila murmurs.
"it must be like...warp drive or something" Evelyn grins excitedly.
"impossible. The stars, everything we see would look like it's moving away. We're not fast enough to be traveling at the speed of light" Carlos intercepts into Evelyns party, she pouts at him. I smile and just watch Earth melt away into the distance. At some point, gravity starts to turn back on, slowly the force returns to normal and we can walk about without floating away. I return to my seat, feeling quite tuckered out from all the laughing and excitement. I doze off, dreaming of my newfound friends.
"Atlasia! Atlasia wake up!" Evelyn gasps, I groan and yawn.
"What's wrong?" I complain, rubbing my eyes I looking at Evelyn.
"Fluffy isn't in your backpack" Evelyn pouts, I bolt upright and check my backpack. No Fluffy.
"oh no oh no oh no!" I panic, searching all about for her, calling her name. She doesn't come. "Oooh. Where on earth...or space... could she be" I double check everything, noticing a wonderful smell. I facepalm and head to the on board dining room. "Fluffy!" I scold her when I see her eating the meat off of already made plates of food sitting on the table, almost all of the meats on the plates were gone, the other components of the plates were undisturbed. The Chef comes into the dining room curiously.
"Oh my! it looks like I've got a very hungry customer" he chuckles.
"I am SO sorry. I should have been watching her" I bow a million times, the chef just chuckles. "Don't worry about it my child, I'll just remake the plates as well as a special plate for her" The chef ruffles my hair and pats Fluffy. "She's really gorgeous, what's her name?" he asks. "it's Fluffy" I grin, thanking the chef and returning to my seat with my naughty kitten. We're soon given our food, of course Fluffy still manages to put pigs to shame. A few minutes later, Captain Pierre slams open the door and storms up to Fluffy and I, grabbing Fluffy by the neck which she gives protest to. "What is this filthy little creature doing on my shuttle?!" he growls at me.
"S-she wanted to come along with me, I couldn't just abandon her" I stammer in shock as Pierre really gets in my face. "There are to be no rodents on my shuttle. Prepare the airlock!" Pierre barks into a microphone. "No!" everyone exclaims, just as Fluffy starts flicking herself about, managing to scratch the hell out of Pierre. He drops her in pain, glaring at me as I put Fluffy in my backpack and hold her protectively. "I won't forget this child" he seethes before getting his wounds cleaned up. I gently caress Fluffy to calm her down. So for the rest of the flight, we all take turns at watching Fluffy to make sure Pierre doesn't grab her and chuck her out into space without any shred of mercy.
"Everybody please prepare yourselves to exit the shuttle. We'll be arriving at Kross station in five minutes" Pierre speaks over the intercom, his obvious distaste displayed in his voice. We all pick up our stuff and head to the door we entered by, noticing the gravity was slowly weakening. The door eventually opens, Ryan is on the other side, activating the lights on a rail. "Just follow the green light flow and you'll get to your next location kids" Ryan smiles, we all nod and fly on out of the docked shuttle.
Our first stop is the stations medical office. They say that they need to check our bodies to see if they've handled he trip here alright. After the checks are done we could meet and greet our possible partners. Unfortunately it looks like I was going to get to choose mine last, as out of the girls, I was last in line. The boys went in a different medical office. Evelyn returns from her check up just as I'm finishing the provided bag of candy. She looks quite sleepy, proceeding to yawn like Lila did before her. "Be my guest and grab a coffee from that machine if you want it" the brown haired blue eyed nurse smiles, looking at me, she was very beautiful. "Your turn Miss Daniels" the Doctor, Esther Clover smiles, I nod and stand up, yawning a little.
The next thing I know, I'm walking out of the nurses office. Grabbing a hot chocolate from the machine. "Thank you Esther" I yawn, drinking my warm beverage, perking right up. I follow the green lights to the lounge where everyone else is. Just knowing I'd get the person no one else wanted, though I shouldn't be so greedy when it comes to possible friends. it comes to a shock to me when I don't see anyone leftover. Evelyn has partnered up with a tall red, spiky haired guy with a rats tail. Lila is with a Dark haired guy with really long hair that almost covers his entire face. Carlos is with a brown haired girl whose elegance rivals Lilas. Liam, it doesn't surprise me at all, is with the big breasted, doll like, Lolita girl who also has black hair.
Everyone notices that I'm standing there a little awkwardly, that's when Evelyn points to beside me. I double take when I see someone sitting there all casually, staring at the floor. His hair is... A really lovely shade of blue with really weird neon green tips, honestly his hair is rather cool. "U-um, hello. My name is Atlasia" I try to put on my most brave smile, any courage I had, dashed when his head snaps up to glare at me with bright red eyes. I swear I'm getting punished for bringing Fluffy along. "U-um, what's your name?" I stammer, shaking slightly. "Leifyre, you're scaring her" Evelyns partner whacks mine across the head, making Leifyre grizzle and glare at the guy. "Don't give me that look, You have to get along with her whether you like it or not. Apologies for my rude little brother Atlasia. My name is Cykren, The dark haired guy is Lios. This elegant little lady is Fera, and the cute little doll is Alloras." Cykren smiles, I notice that he has a darker shade of red eyes, much less scary though.
"O-oh, um. Mice to neet you- I mean! Nice to meet you" I fluster, shaking his hand awkwardly. Leifyre just turns away from me in disgust... I bet it's my hair that pushes him away. I sigh unhappily, noticing that Fluffy is climbing onto my head. "Myuuuuu~" she announces her presence to all the newcomers. Leifyres eyes immediately target Fluffy, and as fast as lightning he takes her off my head and abducts her. Briskly walking away. "Wha!? Hey wait you jerk! Give me back Fluffy" I wail, chasing after him as he walks through the halls really fast. "Hey you! I'm talking to you! Give her back!" I growl, just as he steps into a bedroom. His bedroom. The moment I set one foot into his room, he sends his foot into my stomach, knocking the wind right out of me. I fly backwards, landing on my backpack. I gasp for air, slowly sitting up as the immense pain courses through my body. I haven't felt pain like this since before I learnt how to fight back against bullies. I hear sounds in my backpack, gasping and taking it off. I look at the broken glass from the picture frame that holds my parents photo, I couldn't hold in my tears as I shift the glass and remove the photo.
I look up at Leifyre tearfully, before getting up and hobbling away to find my room. it is just the way I designed it, even the books in my bookshelf. However... The novelty couldn't comfort me, not right now. I strip and carefully climb into my bed, grimacing every now and again until I'm comfortable. I eventually manage to fall asleep.
"Myuuuu~" I hear fluffy mewl somewhere very far away. Why am I on that country road with the big pothole? it's dark all around me except for something moving, something white. its form is indistinguishable to me, just a blur, right as something falls through me, a meteor? it's about to crush the white blur on the road. What in the world? Why am I cryi- "ATLASIA!" I hear someone scream. "M-MUMMY!" I scream awake, immediately grabbing my parents photo off my draw instinctively and carefully sitting up, grimacing all the way.
I stare at my parents picture, looking at how happy they are. I grip at the frame angrily, "Why...Why did you leave me all alone? How could you just abandon a baby..." I speak through clenched teeth, tearing up and dropping their photo, noticing that it's in a new photo frame. "Myuuu?" Fluffy attempts to catch my attention. I see red eyes in the semi darkness, shrieking in horror. "Lei...fyre?" I tremble as I'm planted to my wall in shock. I hear a quiet gasp come from Leifyre. I forgot, I'm only in my underwear... "W-w-wha... GET OUT!" I boom in embarrassment, grabbing his collar and literally throwing him out the door, the pain in my stomach is overwhelming so I stumble a little, looking at the large bruise that has formed on my stomach in shock. Leifyre sits up and notices it, a look of guilt on his face for just a fleeting second before he looks away from me.
"You can't even say sorry? You're just like every other boy on earth. Unfeeling" I seethe, getting up and shutting my door, seeing a killer glare from Leifyre before it shuts. I head into the medicine cupboard to find bandages to wrap around my stomach. I clean myself up before I go to head out in search for food. "Leifyre? What did you do?" I recognize Cykrens voice. There's a long silence. Cykren sighs. "Why do you have to be so rebellious... You're such an idiot. You wont, but we will have to after ours. You're prolonging the inevitable" Cykren growls. I hear Leifyre gasp. "Leifyre waiiiit!" Cykren exclaims. What in the hell was that about? I look at my clock and see that I've slept for four hours.
I use the on board maps on the walls to find the food court of the Kross Station. Surprised by how large a variety of shops they have here. A particular one catches my eye, a cafe called D-nauts Cafe, I peek inside curiously. "Wh-wha?!" I gasp as I see Evelyn and Lila spinning around in maid outfits, Carlos and Liam are in waiters outfits. "Atlasia! You're just in time! Here try this on" Evelyn beams as she passes me a maid outfit, immediately trying to strip me right then and there. Evelyn and Lila notice the bandages around my stomach as I try to resist getting stripped. "What happened here?" Evelyn asks.
"Leifyre kinda... Kicked me out of his room, in a literal sense" I stammer.
"He WHAT?!" Lios gasps as he comes out of the cafe kitchen with food, my stomach proceeds to growl.
"Who does he think he is, kicking a girl" Evelyn seethes, hugging me tight again. Honestly apart from the obvious fact I was gonna suffocate soon. Her hug made me feel happy, like a child in its mothers arms, I cry a little.
"It's alright, I'm kinda used to being hit around. Though it feels worth it if I get a hug from you, Evelyn" I murmur into her boobs, blushing at my slight confession. Evelyn stops hugging me, looking at me in surprise.
"Why would you say that? Getting hit shouldn't warrant getting hugs? Don't your parents hug you when you come home? Or snuggle you when you're sad?" Evelyn asks. Lios notices my facial expression (somehow from behind his hair) as she says this. Dropping the tray in his hands on a table and with a slight inhuman speed he has me in a hug. Lila also realizes the truth, also hugging me. "A-are we missing something?" Evelyn, Carlos and Liam ask, puzzled. "Lios sits me down and sits down with me as Lila takes the others out of the cafe to explain to the others. I'm kinda glad I couldn't see Lios's eyes, it relieves pressure a little.
"How long have either of them been gone?" Lios asks softly as I tremble.
"From my birth, both of them" I reply, my bottom lip quivering. Lios gasps.
"I can only half feel what you feel. I've never known my birth mother. And I only knew my father for a short 7 years before..." Lios trembles a little himself, I gasp. "So... I know the pain of losing and never really knowing my parents. The pain never goes away...but having friends and family around who can support you helps" Lios smiles.
"I've...never really had family, or friends, nobody liked me" I tear up, Lios seems to look surprised, but smiles.
"Well, I think you have a family now" Lios smiles as the others come back in.
"Atlasia! We've all decided!" Evelyn grins as they all gather around me, I notice their cheeks are a little red. "We probably can't ever replace your real parents, but I'll be your substitute mommy" Evelyn smiles.
"I'll be your substitute father" Carlos smiles.
"I will be your substitute older sister figure" Lila smiles.
"And I will be your totally irresponsible, mischievous substitute older bro" Liam grins, ruffling my hair. I look at them googly eyed, hugging them with a wail.
"Alright mi familia, I think it's time to have dinner" Carlos smiles, heading to a table to set it up, Evelyn helps.
"See? You'll be fine" Lios grins, getting up to get the food. Lila looks from him to me. Why does Lios look a little guilty? Lila and Lios come back with a hell of a lot of food, I see why as Fera, Alloras and Cykren dragging Leifyre behind him, enter the cafe. "Ah, you're here" Lios smiles at them all.
"Of course, we could smell your cooking from a mile away" Cykren giggles as he forces Leifyre to sit in a chair, giving Leifyre a glare that says, if you move, you're a dead man. I notice that Fluffy is climbing up onto me, heading to my face.
"Hello girl, I missed you" I smile, cuddling and patting her gently. Fluffy mewls with pleasure, staring at the food, which makes my family smile. Leifyre is glaring at me all throughout Lioss' amaaaazing dinner, but of course, my family glares back at him after getting over the initial shock of my eating style... Again. He knows he done goofed. "This is one of the first times I've tasted food that was so good" I sigh happily.
"Oh? I don't blame you, Cykrens been an amazing cook since he was ten years old, I'm glad he met his mentor, Leo Evans" Cykren smiles, patting Lioss back which makes him blush, "So do I, he was an amazing cook" Lios murmurs sheepishly. "It tastes much better when you have family to enjoy it with, doesn't it" Evelyn puts her arm around me, I smile happily.
"You're right... Mama" I blush, Evelyn makes a happy squeal sound, cuddling me completely.
"You're so cuuuuute" Evelyn giggles.
"Ehhhhh? Aren't you a little too young to be her mother?" Cykren asks Evelyn.
"Oh of course not" Evelyn smiles.
"She's not Atlasias biologcal mother. But her and the others are going to substitute the family she never had" Lios explains. Cykren looks surprised.
"So you also don't know your parents?" Alloras looks at me curiously, I nod. I notice that the comment makes Leifyre uncomfortable. Cykren notices the feelings his little brother is going through. Looking quite sympathetic.
"Our mother died at birth, and...Leifyre.." Fera murmurs sadly.
"Shut up!" Leifyre wails, getting up and running away. Fera looks a little guilty, Alloras doesn't though.
"Hmph, he should feel guilty. For the rest of his life, the murderer" Alloras hisses. Cykren and Lios glare at her. That's a little harsh...
"That's enough young lady! He's still traumatized from it. We may not know exactly what happened. But I know he didn't kill dad, Leifyre loved dad just as much as the rest of us" Cykren growls.
"Well I wanted to know dad too you know!" Alloras hisses, Fera tries to stop her anger.
"Don't take it out on brother, until we know the full story" Lios sighs. Alloras looks at Lios with teary eyes.
"But he never tells us" she sniffles, I look at all of them.
"Are you five all siblings?" I ask out of the blue. Cykren looks at me confused.
"You read the website right?" he asks.
"Yeah? it never said anything about who our partners were" I reply. Everyone goes pale.
"U-um... it says so on the third page, did you read the second page?" Lios asks.
"I... wasn't aware there was other pages" I squeak, feeling a little stupid.
"Oh god... This is going to be awkward" Cykren sighs, before suddenly going rigid, as well as his siblings. I could hear a voice speaking from the intercoms. However, what it was actually saying is a mystery to me.
"Sorry guys, we gotta jet" Cykren smiles, ruffling my hair.
"We'll see you soon" Carlos smiles, looking at all the dishes. "Lets all clean up" he smiles. As a family, we all clean up the dishes, it makes me happy to be close to these guys.
