Author's Notes:

I changed the name of the lumas to their Japanese name, chikos, in the previous chapter and will be using that name from now on. Just a little heads up.

Rosetta stood upon the Comet Observatory’s entrance platform, tall and quiet with her eyes closed and wand gripped tightly at her side. The faint thrumming of the engine sounded from high above her. The Doctor had done a splendid job working with the controls, the alien technology like a second nature to him. Working for eons with his Tardis wasn’t for nothing. Should they ever swap places, with her journeying in his blue box and not him journeying on board her observatory, she would love to learn how to work his time-traveling technology.

She raised her wand up high, the magic building up before releasing in the form of a shining ball of blue magic, trailing twin brands of shimmering sparkles. The magic soared high above the observatory’s center spire before descending back down in a wraparound formation, enveloping the space around the observatory in a transparent blue, egg-shaped cocoon.

The thrum of magic reverberated through the air as the observatory started spinning around, quickly settling into place pointing toward the group’s destination: the center of the universe.

A flash of red light signified the engine was at full power. There was a brief moment of pause, then the observatory shot into the sky, the magic trailing behind it to form a comet’s tail, the observatory itself cloaked behind the head.

Rosetta smiled and lowered her wand. She looked down at the planet below as it got farther and farther away with every second. She could make out the distinct forms of both the Kyoshin and Equestria on the surface, gradually shrinking until they were little dots before eventually fading from view entirely. Some members of the group were milling around in front of her, staring down at the retreating form of the planet.

I wonder if they’re feeling how I used to whenever I gazed upon my home planet?

With a wistful sigh, Rosetta turned left and headed for the nearest Warp Pad. She had to do her part to keep things in order for the journey, especially where her children were concerned.

The Comet Observatory was proving itself to be a fascinating piece of both engineering and architecture, a fact that further cemented itself into Twilight’s brain with each step she took along the lower deck, swiveling her head around at all the unique, alien structures and frolicking chikos. There was a whimsical quality to her surroundings that brought to mind childhood memories of walking through Canterlot Castle’s library and gazing starry-eyed at the massive shelves fully lined with books. The observatory had a library, she remembered, so she could indulge herself a little during the journey.

She’d made a single lap around the entire lower deck before she made it to the reading area outside of the Library. Shulk was standing to her right with a cream-colored chiko, the two conversing while looking down at a strange but intriguing green and red device laid behind a circular couch with a light stream shooting from it toward the upper deck.

Twilight looked between them and the entrance to the Library just as Hermione and Charlotte entered, chatting to each other excitedly. A sudden weight settled upon her as she realized she had to choose between either learning about the observatory’s technology or potentially learning more about the world Rosetta hails from. Both were equally appealing, which made the decision all the more difficult.

Twilight warred with herself for a few moments before finally deciding to join Shulk, figuring three people in the Library might be a little too much for how small it was. She approached them from behind, but they didn’t acknowledge her presence until she spoke.

“Is that some kind of teleporter?” She pointed at the light stream.

“Exactly!” the chiko chirped. “It’s called a Warp Pad!”

“Apparently it converts anyone who steps onto it into light particles before sending them through the stream to the other end,” Shulk explained, his eyes glued to the device. “Fascinating.”

Twilight nodded. “It would be incredibly convenient for someone who can’t use a teleport spell.” Only after she said that did she realize it could be taken the wrong way. “Sorry! Sorry! I didn’t mean to boast or anything!”

Shulk laughed, waving her off. “No worries, Twilight,” he assured her.

“Glad to be of help, Shulk,” the chiko said.

He turned around and began floating away, waving them goodbye which Shulk and Twilight returned before turning their attention back to the Warp Pad.

“So, how about we try it out?” Twilight suggested. “I bet we’ll learn a little from the experience.”

“Sounds like a good idea,” Shulk replied with a nod. He tracked the light stream up to the upper deck. Another stream led from the deck to a small floating island, which itself had another that led to the highest point of the observatory. “Let’s make that our destination,” he finished, pointing to the high deck.

“Right.” Twilight stepped forward. “I’ll go in first.”

The Warp Pad didn’t look particularly intimidating or dangerous. Nevertheless, Twilight found herself a little hesitant to step into it. She took a deep, emboldening breath before stepping one hoof onto the device. Nothing happened. She put another hoof forward. Still nothing.

Maybe I need to go all the way.

She walked her hind legs forward, putting herself completely onto the pad. There was a sudden sensation of weightlessness like she’d been turned into air. Her surroundings were gone, replaced by blinding yellow light, but it wasn’t any less livid than before. The change had been so calm and instantaneous that it didn’t startle her, but a gnawing fear settled into the back of her mind after a second that something could or already had gone wrong.

She was aware that a few seconds had passed before the world suddenly popped back into existence and she felt the ground return under her hooves. She blinked, swiveling her head around to take in her new surroundings before smiling when she realized she was on the upper deck. A quick glance down showed Shulk still standing next to the first Warp Pad, his gaze turned up to her and a broad smile plastered across his face.

“It’s all right, Shulk!” she called down, waving a hoof.

Shulk nodded, then stepped onto the pad himself. He instantly disappeared from sight, while a big ball of shining light appeared at the base of the light stream in his place. The light ball swiftly traveled the length of the stream before Shulk popped back into existence, landing next to Twilight.

He took a moment to look himself over before regarding her. “Well, that was interesting.”

Twilight nodded and gestured down the deck. “Let’s go.”

The two went through the next two Warp Pads, eventually coming upon the high deck, just outside the engine room.

“Wow,” Twilight said, looking around at the blue veil of magic surrounding the observatory. The starry expanse of space was completely obscured, but Twilight couldn’t bring herself to mind. “It’s even more beautiful this high up.”

Shulk nodded. “Yeah, it’s amazing.”

“Glad that you like it.”

Shulk and Twilight turned to see the Doctor stepping out of the Engine Room, hands in his pockets and overall looking very casual in his stride.

“Hello, Doctor,” Shulk said. He looked him up and down. “You just got done working in there?”

“Indeed I did,” the Doctor replied.

“You’re not covered in sweat or grease,” Twilight observed. “How exactly do you power up the observatory? It doesn’t seem particularly hard to do, judging by your appearance.”

The Doctor smiled and shook his head. “My job was fairly simple,” he explained. “All I did was chart the course and push the ignition, metaphorically speaking. Rosetta is the one who keeps a constant power supply on hand and hits the accelerator when we need to get going, again metaphorically speaking.” He gestured to the blue veil around them.

“So what powers the observatory?” Shulk asked.

“These are questions better suited for the girl who actually owns this place, you know,” the Doctor said. His gaze shifted to behind them. “And speak of the lovely, benevolent devil herself.”

Shulk and Twilight turned around just in time to see Rosetta and a blue-colored chiko emerge from the Warp Pad.

Rosetta regarded the two friends with a smile before turning to the Doctor. “We’re set for the center of the universe?”

“We should be there in due time.”

“Thanks for your help.”

“Rosetta, mind if we ask you more about the observatory?” Shulk asked while Twilight nodded eagerly.

Rosetta turned back to them. “Of course. I’d be happy to teach you all you wish to know about my home.”

“Yep, leave it to us!” the chiko said.

“Well, I’ll leave you to it, then,” the Doctor said. “And if you two want to learn more about my Tardis, feel free to stop by sometime after I’ve fetched Thomas. It’s in the Garage.”

He stepped onto the Warp Pad, turning into a ball of light that sailed down the stream out of sight.

“So, what exactly do you want to know?” Rosetta asked Shulk and Twilight.

“First of all, what exactly powers it?” Shulk asked.

Rosetta smiled. “Well, you saw that blue ball of energy at the center of the observatory, correct?”

Shulk and Twilight both nodded.

“That energy is made up of what we call ‘Power Stars’,” she explained. “Power Stars are about the size of the average human torso and contain the power of the universe. Any attempt to explain with more specific details would drag on much longer than it’ll take to get us to our destination.”

“All the more reason to tell us!” Twilight said with an eager, almost manic grin.

Rosetta held a hand up to her mouth, stifling a giggle. “I’ll tell you this much: The observatory needs a total of at least sixty in order to travel across the cosmos. But more than that, at least in my eyes, Power Stars represent more than just the power to see the stars up close; they represent my memories.”

“Memories?” Shulk asked.

Rosetta nodded. “Power Stars can be found all across my home universe, and as the owner of the Comet Observatory, it’s my job to seek them out. As a result, I’ve visited many different galaxies and witnessed more wonders than I can recall.” Her tone turned wistful as she continued. “I’ve reached a point where simple feelings like happiness and sorrow have become hard for me to grasp, at least where anything other than my children is concerned. The memories of locating new Power Stars and meeting the inhabitants of newly discovered planets is one of the few remaining things that gives me even a spark of joy.” She smiled and turned her gaze to the blue chiko by her side. “But nothing will ever top the feeling I get when one of my children is ready to leave the nest.”

The blue chiko closed its eyes and bobbed excitedly in the air. “We’re all happy to make you happy, Mama!”

Twilight felt her heart melt a little at the exchange, but her academic side quickly reasserted control over her. “Can you show us the Engine Room, then?” she asked.

Rosetta nodded. “Of course. Although don’t get your hopes up; it’s nothing extraordinary.”

She briskly stepped into the Engine Room; Shulk and Twilight followed right after her. Twilight began taking in her surroundings the instant she stepped inside.

Colored pipes lined every wall, but contrary to her preconceptions, none were leaking steam. The observatory did seem to run entirely on magic, so she supposed that’s what was running through the pipes. A large screen monitor took up one side of the room depicting what Twilight guessed must have been a map of the universe if the swirling patterns were supposed to depict galaxies, with the center area being highlighted in light blue. A large red lever was bolted to the wall next to the screen that Twilight assumed was the ‘ignition’ that the Doctor had mentioned.

“This sure is a simple setup,” Shulk noted, sweeping his gaze around the room. “Then again, I shouldn’t have expected anything familiar.”

“The hardest part is charting a course, I’m assuming?” Twilight turned to Rosetta.

“Even that’s rather easy,” Rosetta said.

She walked over to the screen and raised a hand to it, touching a section outside the highlighted area. The place where she touched turned an even lighter shade of blue, but a second tap returned the section to its normal shade of black. She tapped the same spot, then scrolled her finger along the screen, causing that section to zoom in before a simple scroll the opposite way returned it to normal.

Rosetta turned to Shulk and Twilight. “Simple enough for anyone to use. Of course, it takes a good understanding of astronomy to pinpoint an exact location.”

“Fascinating,” Twilight said. He kept his studious gaze on the screen for a couple more seconds before a small smile broke out on his face and he turned back to Rosetta. “You must trust the Doctor a lot to entrust him with such an important task as steering the observatory.”

Twilight noticed a faint blush creep across Rosetta’s cheeks as she smiled. The corner of Twilight’s mouth lifted up— she could see where this was going.

“The Doctor has done a lot to help care for my children in the time we’ve been together,” Rosetta explained. She clasped her hands and closed her eyes, her mind clearly drifting off a little. “But just as well, it’s nice to have someone by my side who can relate to my station.”

“You mean the fact that he also travels across space?” Shulk asked.

“It’s more about what results from living such a life,” Rosetta explained. “I’ve seen space in its entirety, all its beauties and tragedies, so many wonders and catastrophes. I only get to see my home planet once every hundred years, and there’s not a day that goes by where I don’t think about the family I left behind on Earth. But whenever I’m letting my sorrow get the better of me, I can always count on the Doctor to make me smile with his quirky mannerisms” She opened her eyes, which themselves took on a dreamy, faraway look. “He’s the best friend I’ve ever had in my life.”

“She’s lying!” the chiko spoke up, waving its arms around excitedly. “Mama has a huge crush on Mr. Doctor. Like really, really huge!”

Rosetta’s eyes bulged and her face flushed completely red. Twilight held a hoof up to her mouth to stifle a snicker. Shulk couldn’t manage to assert the same level of control, as he let loose a soft chuckle.

Rosetta’s mouth formed a pout and she shot a disapproving glare toward the chiko, who only giggled in response.

“A-Anyway,” she forced out, turning back to the pair. “Is there anything else you wish to know?”

“I think that’s enough for me,” Twilight answered, managing to recompose herself.

“Same here,” Shulk followed. “Thanks for taking the time to explain it to us, Rosetta.”

Rosetta nodded, her features returning to normal. “I’m glad to help in any way I can.”

Shulk and Twilight waved her goodbye as they left the Engine Room.

“So, what do you want to do now?” Twilight asked Shulk.

“Well, the Doctor did say we were welcome to stop by and ask him about the Tardis. Wanna take him up on that offer?”

“Sure!”

The two stepped one by one onto the Warp Pad and began the short trip to the Garage.

The stars would’ve been pretty to look at if the observatory’s magic wasn’t obscuring it, Ash thought. Laying on the grass like he was with Garp by his side— all they were missing were a couple of lawn chairs and some cold beers. He was almost able to forget the fact that they were sailing into the great unknown, possibly ending in their doom or worse.

Almost.

“Hey, misters!”

Ash and Garp turned their heads to see an orange chiko floating over to them, eliciting a soft groan from the both of them.

“Whatcha doin'?” the chiko asked.

“Relaxing,” Garp said plainly.

“Oooh. And how does the grass feel?”

Ash rolled his eyes. “Like grass; you can touch it for yourself.”

“Is it too sharp or too soft?”

Garp let out a long, exasperated sigh before standing up to face the chiko. Ash followed suit, taking a moment to stretch his limbs.

“Listen, kiddo,” Garp said, his soft tone making it clear he was at least somewhat considerate of the fact he was speaking to the star-child equivalent of a five-year-old, “Ash and me just kinda wanna have some buddy time to ourselves. You’re ruining that by being here.”

The chiko’s eyes closed and he gave an understanding nod. “Okay then! I’ll go somewhere else!”

He bounded away through the air, heading toward the opposite side of the observatory.

“Well, at least they’re good and obedient,” Garp mused. He rolled his shoulders, his joints settling into place with a few quick pops. “Wish I could say the same for my grandson.”

“Rosetta’s a good mother,” Ash said. His mouth lifted into a half-smirk. “I’d like to think I turned out alright, myself. Then again, my folks never expected I’d become a magnet for undead demon bullshit that’d leave me traumatized for life and missing a hand.” He capped off his statement with a sarcastic chuckle.

Garp spent a few moments just staring off into space before he laughed heartily. “Maybe I should take notes from Rosetta for when I catch my grandson. Hope she won't be too busy the entire way.”

“Eh, I’m sure you’ll get your chance before we reach our destination.”

The click of a camera shutter grabbed their attention. They turned to see Frank West standing at the edge of the Terrace, his camera pointing up at the upper deck where a couple of chikos were chatting.

“Hey, Frank!” Ash called.

Frank turned to the two of them, giving them a small wave before coming over to join them. “What’s up?” he asked.

Ash pointed to the camera. “You planning on taking some souvenirs home?” he asked with a coy smile.

Frank held up his camera, giving it a playful wagger. “Pretty much.” A thoughtful expression crossed his face. “Then again, I might be able to sell someone on the idea, given how zombies were thought to be fiction for a long time in my world.” He noticed that Garp was staring intensely at his camera. “Something wrong?” he asked him.

Garp tore his gaze away from the camera and onto him. “Oh, nothing really.” His eyes briefly flickered back onto the camera. “We have these things back in my world called Electric Transmission Bugs used for different types of communication; the one called the Cameko does more or less the same thing as that ‘camera’. Also, it looks a helluva lot easier to carry around than what I’m used to.”

“Bugs as cameras?” Ash managed to laugh at the mental imagery conjured in his mind. “That’d be a sight to see— better than the horrible things I saw before getting dragged here.”

“Worse than zombies?” Frank asked in a joking tone.

Ash rolled his eyes. “Shambling, rotting undead corpses? I’d gladly take on a hundred zombies before having to see my friends get possessed by demons and be forced to kill them.”

“How about fifty-three thousand five-hundred and ninety-four zombies?” Frank asked.

Hearing the specific number made Ash pause for a second before he answered with, “Of course.”

Garp reached over and gave Ash a firm, yet restrained — due to his immense strength — pat on the back. “That’s what makes you a good person, Ash. I knew I chose right when I chose you as my partner here!” He laughed heartily.

Ash gave him a playful shove back. “Yeah, you tell yourself that.”

The three men shared a round of merry laughter for a few seconds.

“Mind if I join this little male bonding session, lads?”

The three turned to see James staring at them with a sly smirk.

“How long have you been listening in?” Garp asked.

“Long enough.” The smirk grew a little wider.

“Not sure you can join in,” Ash said as his gaze dropped to the golden necklace around James’ neck with the purple diamond gemstone embedded into it. “You’re looking a little too feminine with your getup.”

James looked down at the necklace, placing a finger on the gemstone. His gaze lifted without moving his head. “Really now? I’d say it looks way too regal and dignified to be classified as a cheap, factory-made plastic trinket for gift shops to sell to little girls on impulse. Not to mention, it wouldn’t have chosen me as a bearer if I wasn’t a generous soul.”

“What makes you more generous than the rest of us, anyway?” Ash sassed.

James put his hands in his pockets and walked over to join them with casual strides. “Well, I do like to give my female companions a good time every now and then.” He lifted a single, suggestive eyebrow.

Ash, Frank, and Garp all blanched in response.

James laughed and waved a reassuring hand. “I’m only joking. It likely has more to do with my job as a government agent; you give away a number of things when you choose that line of work.”

“I believe that,” Garp said.

There was another round of laughter among the four men before Ash spoke up.

“Fine then, you can join us.” He rubbed the back of his head. “We’re not really doing anything besides talking, though.”

“We could take a look around the observatory,” Frank suggested. “I mean, maybe it’s too cutesy and colorful for all of you to care, but I find it a welcome change from what I’m used to.”

“I’m actually with you on that,” Ash said. “The observatory itself looks fine; it’s all the chikos that drive it a little over the edge for me.”

“Same here,” Garp said. “But yeah, I’m up for a little exploring.”

“I’m with you all on that,” James said.

With that the group set off down the lower deck, choosing the Fountain as their first destination. They chatted amiably the entire way, mostly about the various features of the observatory while shooing away any and all chikos that tried to talk with them. Frank asked the group for the chance to take some selfies of the four of them along the way, which they happily obliged to.

They were in high spirits by the time they reached the Fountain dome. The soft sound of running water grew louder the closer they came to the entrance.

“Think there’s gonna be fish chikos or something equally as ridiculous?” Ash asked as they approached.

Garp chuckled. “Wouldn’t surprise me in the least,” he replied while stepping inside. “That would actually be— oh.”

Frank walked in behind him. “Wait, are there really fish chi—” He stopped himself mid-sentence.

Ash, curious, rushed forward a little with James right behind him. He quickly realized the other mens’ surprise when he pushed past them to see Florina in the room. The timid little girl was sitting on the edge of the pool with her boots sitting next to her and her bare feet dangling in the water.

Her eyes were glazed over with panic while a hand was placed firmly against her chest. For a few moments, she did and said nothing, letting an awkward silence descend between everyone before she broke it with a soft whimper.

Garp laughed. “Hope we didn’t interrupt a choice to take a bath!”

A noticeable blush filled Florina’s cheeks at his words. “N-No,” she stammered. “I, um, I… I was just…” She trailed off, another soft whimper escaping her lips.

“Is something wrong?” Frank asked, taking a step forward.

Florina shrank in on herself a little as he approached.

“Not so fast, buddy.” Ash reached out and pulled Frank back. “Forgot to say: Twilight told the rest of us on Florina’s behalf that she’s shy around men. Like, straight up androphobic, even.”

“Really?” Frank said, turning back to Florina— her blush had disappeared, but she was still looking particularly uncomfortable. “How’s she put up with being in a group dominated by guys for so long?”

“Well, we did just barge in on her, I reckon?” Garp said. He rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah, sorry about that lass.”

Florina’s eyes changed from panicked to regretful. “It’s, um… okay.”

James laughed. “None of that confidence from the other day stayed with you, it seems.”

Florina shrank in on herself a little more. At the questioning gazes of the other men, James elaborated.

“You weren’t here for it, Frank, but the lot of us had to fight off a swarm of hideous creatures that multiplied by eating food. ‘Shriekers’ as Palutena so aptly named them as their cries were downright ungodly.

“Anyway, Aza decided to bestow upon Florina a mask that essentially reversed her entire demeanor. The timid, cowardly little girl in our presence was transformed into a maniacal engine of carnage, chucking spears at the things while laughing like a horde of hyenas. Sadly, we don’t have that mask anymore; it could prove very useful along our current journey.”

Ash took a few moments to digest that information. It proved to be a tricky process, imagining the teenage girl before them as a bloodthirsty monster, but the way Florina continued shrinking in on herself was a clear hint that James was telling the truth. A shiver traveled down his spine at the mental imagery that train of thought conjured and how much it reminded him of his friends back home being possessed by deadites.

Garp laughed after a few moments. “Sounds like the little girl got a much-needed boost of confidence! If you’re telling the truth, I know a number of people who could benefit from that mask’s power.”

“Yeah, that sounds more like a bad idea,” Frank said. “I don’t consider myself a particularly morally sound person — I’m a journalist, after all — but even I know that power like that can be too easily abused for it to be worth using.”

Garp shrugged. “Maybe, but the option would still be nice.”

“Buddy, I’ve seen the kind of stuff James is describing,” Ash told him, raising his hand to put on his shoulder. “It’s horrible and ugly. Inhuman, even.”

“Actually, you’d be surprised at how beautiful and elegant Florina’s carnage managed to be.” James laughed. “Her spears actually had cute little angel wings—”

“Ahem.”

All the men paused. They turned to see that Florina had gotten up and was staring at them with a placid, yet firm expression.

“Could you leave me alone, please?” she asked.

Ash blinked. Everyone else was quiet. Florina’s gaze didn’t waver, remaining fixed on them.

“...Um, sure, yeah,” Frank finally said while sheepishly rubbing the back of his head. He turned back to the entrance. “Let’s go, guys.”

“Yeah,” James said plainly.

Ash and Garp both nodded and fell into step behind the other two as they exited the Fountain dome. They didn’t make it more than a couple of steps before they halted in place. Gillman was coming up the pathway leading to the Fountain— he didn’t show any interest in stopping even as the four men emerged from the entrance.

Memories of the encounter between Erin and Gillman resurfaced in Ash’s mind. An even worse repeat of that encounter could happen if the group left Florina alone with him. A quick glance at the rest of the guys showed they were similarly worried.

“I-Is something wrong?” he heard Florina say from inside.

“Nothing’s wrong!” Frank replied, a clear note of panic in his tone.

Gillman finally stopped when he was just a few steps away from the group. He stared at them with his glazed over eyes typical of a dumb animal. Or, in his case, semi-intelligent, as there seemed to be a glimmer of patience and anticipation behind them. He was apparently waiting for them to step aside so he could enter.

“Back off, bub.” Ash stepped forward and gently nudged Gillman back with his hand.

Gillman made a low grunting sound as he staggered before righting himself. He focused his stare on Ash but didn’t react any other way.

“Sorry, but the Fountain’s been reserved,” Frank said, following up on Ash’s act. He stepped up beside Ash, flashing him a small smile, before returning his gaze to Gillman.

To their surprise, Gillman actually tilted his head. An air of tension settled between the three of them. Ash felt a tingle run through his body as his adrenaline started building. If this devolved into a fistfight, odds were the four of them could easily take him down, but it didn’t sit right with him all the same. The last thing the group needed was more fighting amongst themselves, even if Gillman himself wasn’t particularly useful to the group.

Finally, Gillman took another step forward. Again Ash and Frank moved to bar him entry, but this time he didn’t stop. Gillman raised his hands and shoved against Ash’s chest, making him stumble back.

“Hey, back off!” Frank said, giving Gillman a retaliatory shove.

Gillman gave a challenging growl. He raised a webbed hand and swung it through the air towards Frank’s head, who managed to duck just a second in time.

James and Garp rushed forward and split them apart, James pulling Frank back and Garp using his incredible strength to effectively immobilize Gillman.

“That’s enough you two,” Garp said roughly, casting a disapproving glare down at Gillman as he struggled in his airtight grasp.

“He’s right,” James said, giving a strong tug on Frank’s arm. “This doesn’t get us anywhere.”

Frank gave one final glare at Gillman before relaxing his stance. He sighed, rubbing the back of his head. “Sorry,” he muttered.

Ash looked to Gillman as he continued struggling— trying to extend an olive branch to him was clearly little more than a pipe dream.

“What should we do with him?” he asked.

“I’d rather not have to keep ahold of him the entire way,” Garp said, furrowing his brows as Gillman tried biting his arm to no effect. “I’m not sure Rosetta would have or even need a prison on her observatory.”

“Good point,” James said.

“Wh-What’s happening?”

The men turned to see Florina standing at the entrance to the Fountain, her feet still bare and eyes wide with surprise as she looked at Gillman.

“Look, this is for your own good, Florina,” Frank told her. He pointed to Gillman. “This thing is trouble, and not in a light way, either.”

Florina turned to look at him for a brief moment, her expression unchanging, before turning back to Gillman. There were a few moments of silence between everyone, broken only by Gillman’s grunts as he tried to escape.

“Why is he trouble?” Florina finally asked, her expression relaxing a little.

Ash felt a knot form in his stomach as an uncomfortable realization hit him. How were they supposed to broach the topic of sexual harassment to a girl as young and sensitive as Florina? Not to mention, having it be explained by a bunch of grown, middle-aged men was super ironic and possibly inappropriate.

But, there was no one else around to explain the situation before it got too awkward. He wasn’t particularly confident in his ability to relay such information in a tactful manner, but he figured he’d give it a shot anyway.

“You remember what happened between him and Erin the other day, right?” he asked Florina.

She nodded. “Y-Yes, I remember,” she stuttered. “Erin seemed very upset about the way he was poking her.”

“Yeah, about that…” Ash trailed off, feeling his resolve slipping a little, but he quickly shook off his hesitation. “Touching a girl in certain places is bad, particularly without their permission. I imagine you’re too young to understand this, but we don’t want you to be alone with Gillman, for your own safety.”

A look of understanding crossed Florina’s face. “Oh, well, thanks for your concern, but um…” She trailed off, twirling a lock of hair. “I don’t think that’s what Gillman means when he’s poking someone.”

“What do you mean?” James asked.

“Well, I mean, he’s more of an animal than a man, and animals are naturally curious,” Florina explained. “I don’t know anything about his species, but I doubt he has any malevolent intentions.”

“And what makes you think that?” Frank asked.

Florina came forward toward Garp instead of making a reply to everyone’s slight shock. She walked forward with confident strides while never losing her soft expression.

“Let him go, please,” she said to Garp.

Garp hesitated at first, his mouth splitting into a worried frown, before unwrapping his arms from Gillman’s body and backing away from him.

Gillman immediately turned his eyes towards Frank as soon as he was free. He made a couple steps forward with his hands raised, only for Florina to step between them with her arms outstretched. Gillman turned his gaze down to her, quickly relaxing his stance and making a low sound that might’ve meant he was curious.

Florina lowered her arms and stepped forward, looking up to Gillman with a genuine, kind smile.

A few seconds passed with nothing happening between them. The anticipation was like a flesh-eating virus on Ash’s nerves. To his horror, he found himself subconsciously reaching back for his shotgun, but he quickly retracted his hand. The rest of the men appeared just as anxious as him, which was a lot less comforting than he would’ve liked, or even assumed. Maybe because he was the only one with an actual weapon.

Finally, Gillman raised a hand up to Florina’s face. All the men tensed at the motion, but Florina remained straight and relaxed, her smile never wavering.

Gillman extended a finger and gently poked Florina’s cheek. The men tensed again. Florina tilted her head, then raised her hand up to Gillman’s own cheek. She gently stroked it, eliciting another low sound that was undoubtedly positive with its meaning.

“Wow, your scales are very soft,” Florina mused. She squinted her eyes. “Oh my, they’re very dirty, too.” She grabbed Gillman’s arm and began leading him down the walkway toward the lower deck. “Let’s see if Rosetta and the chikos have some soap we can use to clean you.”

Gillman made no attempt at resistance as Florina pulled him away from the group. Whether or not he actually understood Florina’s words wasn’t clear, but after a few steps Florina released her grip on him and he continued following her like an obedient dog.

The men tracked the duo with their eyes until they were out of sight. Ash was at a loss for words; the other three men were similarly silent.

“... Who wants to go ask Master Hand to conjure us up some booze?” Ash finally asked, turning to the others.

All of them shot their hands up.