The Shining Armor:

Coldcast honestly couldn’t sleep that night, or at least not very well. He kept casting glances outside the window, to the nebula beyond with the purple and blue storm clouds and gases crackling with lightning of some sort.

Coldcast groaned, and tried to turn in his bed so he couldn’t see the clouds, something about this nebula -Safe as it was from Dark Matter sensors- just made him unwary. Maybe it was his natural griffon instincts saying to him that anywhere unknown was a danger to be avoided. He’d heard his race’s history, about how Griffonstone was colonized and the dangers that lay beyond it’s walls. Anywhere outside that stone city was to be avoided at all cost. You did not venture off time-tested trails, you did not explore unknown caves, and you certainly did not go off looking for adventure no matter what.

“Dios Mios, I hope Flashfire’s having a better time down on Vela than I am up here…” the snow-white griffon thought to himself as he tossed and turned in bed trying to fall back to sleep. The problem was, because of the thickness of the nebula’s gases and just how deep the ship was in them to hide from Dark Matter scout ships, it made it impossible to get any transmissions off the ship so Coldcast had no idea on what was going on down there. He still remembered the briefing in Flurry’s Ready Room the day before.

“I think it’s time we start looking into other options,” Flashfire had remarked out of the blue, with Flurry, Stardust and the other Paladins looking at him. Coldcast had a weird feeling in his throat. Whenever Flashfire spoke like that, without any hesitations, he knew that he was serious about it. He knew that this wouldn’t be easy for them to swallow, with all the stuff they had done already, but they couldn’t keep doing the same thing over and over again if it yielded no results.

Coldcast looked nervous, as he knew his adopted older brother all too well. When he got desperate for a real victory, he tended to get crazy plans-wise. As much as Flashfire loved to put on the calm, cool, collected leader front he knew Flashfire was just as nervous as the rest of them. He was just better at hiding it than the others.

“Other options?” Stardust asked, rubbing his chin with a hand. “Please elaborate.”

“Think about it,” Flashfire commented, gesturing to the nebula outside. “For the time being, we may as well be sitting ducks. Our ships are damaged from Dark Matter’s last attack with that Deathworm, and we don’t even know if hiding in this nebula will work.”

“Twilight’s ran the calculations,” Stardust replied. “She says that Dark Matter’s sensors shouldn’t be able to penetrate any of this.”

Personally, Coldcast was privately agreeing with the Prince. Best to play it safe, not take any unneeded risks. Staying in this nebula for the time being -As unnerving as it was to his instincts- was the safest bet, at least until the colony ships were repaired.

“Yes, but she’s only using calculations based on what we know so far,” Jabari pointed out, seeing exactly where Flashfire was going with this, and Coldcast looked at the Zorse in shock. Jabari was intelligent, yes, but the issue with him was that he was a bit arrogant on his beliefs and his intelligence believing that any other opinions other than his own were to be dismissed outright. Coldcast didn’t want to see him get into any trouble. Hypothetically, and actually Coldcast was more then willing to bet beyond a hypothetical situation, that there were plenty of things out there Jabari hadn’t or wouldn’t have planned for given the sheer vastness of space. It was just like Griffonstone’s borders in a way. Nobody knew what lay beyond safe passage, and everywhere you looked there was likely to be something out to get you. Still, he had to admire Jabari’s tenacity, the stallion never gave up. Plus, his mastery of the violin was undisputable. Could make a mare swoon if he really put his mind to it.

“I mean, those ships we encountered in Lupus’ fleet? Hellishly powerful and frighteningly dangerous yes, but for all we know Dark Matter may have even more powerful ships with even more advanced sensors,” Jabari continued. “For all Twilight knows, for all we know, we could be just sitting at the tip of the iceberg. They could find us, as I doubt they’re particularly happy about us blowing one of their rulers to space dust,” he agreed. “We need to start forming a coalition, gather allies if only for our own safety as we travel across the universe. And fight back against Dark Matter.”

As everyone discussed their opinions and methods of defeating the empire, Coldcast could only watch, and let everything fester in his head. Their victories, losses, scars, it had all been gathering and building. How much longer until it was all turned around on them, and everything they worked for fell apart? He’d heard of the arguments in the medical bay between Spada and his boss, everyone was stressed to the point of breaking and from the looks of it that very thin line between stress and outright madness was continuing to be trod. It was only a matter of time before that line… snapped.

“Wait, wait…” Fågel piped up, the parrot looking uncharastically nervous. “I’m one for kicking ass, but who died and appointed us guardians of the universe? I mean, we’re just five ships and a couple hundred starfighters plus two mecha against 87 Galaxies worth of tyrants. We got lucky the first time, who’s to say the second will be the same?”

“Exactly, 87 galaxies worth,” Flashfire stated. “Now, call me crazy, but isn’t in the job description of the Element of Kindness to free people from a cruel dictator? Hell, isn’t it in the job of any Element of Harmony to save Equus and her allies? Our planet may be gone, but it’s just a ball of rock and dust in the end. Equus is a people, and apologies in advance if I sound preachy here like some sorta cosmic messiah but our job as Element Bearers and embodiments of the Magic of Friendship is to extend that idea to other races, and stop evil wherever it hides. Am I not wrong?” he asked.

The Elements of Harmony and Magic of Friendship. It had been a long time since Coldcast had heard those words. If only they were still here today, then Dark Matter would have been stomped out long before any of them came together. But sadly, without any of the Spirits to bear the elements, there was no hope for any of them. Even after mention of the elements themselves, Coldcast had to wonder whether or not anyone would still be fit to don them, given the harsh conditions of their world.

Oh sure, he and some of the other Paladins had channeled them at times like during the battle with Mar’Zek or during the final battle with Lupus, but were they really cut out to actually wield them? Wasn’t it just ponies who were meant to wield Equestria’s most powerful form of magic anyways? He was just a simple griffon who barely made the cut from flight school, no matter what Flashfire said. Sure, he’d been hearing rumors that Stripped was creating Kyutamas to channel the Elements themselves, but like the Sun and Moon Kyutama before them, these new Kyutamas had malfunctioned in testing. Nobody, not even the supposedly qualified bearers like Flashfire or even Coldcast himself had managed a successful test in using them.

A silence permeated the room for several odd minutes, but finally, it was broken when Flurry nickered. “May be the damn death of us as a race, but…” she sighed before pressing a button on her chair opening up a comm channel to Summer Afterglow, the Kirin in charge of navigations. “Summer, find us the nearest inhabited planet, I’d like to know who we share our galaxy with.”

Coldcast looked outside the window of his quarters, and groaned to himself. First thing in the morning, he was replicating some curtains. At least that would be a distraction from the hardships of the universe, no matter how tedious they be.

“Celestia?” Coldcast asked. “You there? Please tell me you’re there!” he shouted into the darkened room. No response. Wearily, he let out a sigh and slumped his head downward and ran a claw through his feathers. Right, he’d forgotten his holographic emitter in his room was still broken.

“Well, nothing for it then,” Coldcast thought to himself as he climbed out of the bed tossing the covers aside and turning on a light and grabbing a plasma torch. If nobody was going to fix the damn thing, it was time to get his paws dirty and greasy and do the damn himself. Removing a panel, he exposed the wiring behind it. “If you want something done, you gotta do it yourself… Yeah, that’s right! You got this!”

Spinning the repair tool in his hand, he set to work. Little by little, wire after wire began to be sautered and repaired, until finally after what seemed like an eternity the Celesti-AI’s emitter flickered back into existence.

“Hello, Coldcast. Are you alright?” the Celesti-AI spoke sweetly to him as light began to flood into his room. “Had a pleasant sleep? Good portions of food?”

“...Do I look alright?” Coldcast deadpanned, pointing to his bloodshot eyes.

“Terrible, sleepless nights? I’m sure that I can rectify that issue.” the Celesti-AI spoke softly. “Would you like some hot cocoa to soothe your anxiety issues?”

“Anxiety? Anxiety is what I feel when I burn a steak or some other form of meat, not easy cooking for a whole ship and filling in for Spada at times you know. This... this is more like…” Coldcast stated, unable to get the words out, looking directly at the nebula outside and then back at the Celesti-AI. Every time he even looked outside that window, he felt old fearful instincts cropping up, a sort of daze like he was dizzy and something he couldn’t place creeping up in the back of his throat.

“Hmm…” the Celesti-AI murmured to herself rubbing her chin in thought and observing Coldcast’s reactions and body language. “Dizziness, nausea, unspeakable dread? You feeling any of that right now, by perchance?”

“How’d… How’d you know?” Coldcast whispered.

“You don’t have as much confidence in your voice as you used to, and your palms are sweating more than usual. Tell me, what are your fears, young one?” the Celest-AI asked as she projected a holographic image of herself into the room, who came up to Coldcast and laid a hand around his shoulders.

“You’re… You’re the wise all-knowing ruler of Equestria right?” Coldcast asked, his voice trembling. “At least, that’s what your original self was right?”

“Yes. That was me. But following the destruction of Equestria on Sunfall Dawn, I was digitally reconstructed as an AI as you remember,” Celestia nodded. “Now, I act as a guardian and custodian for the Voyagers and for the Paladins themselves. That also makes me your legal guardian, and as such, I am responsible for you; almost like a parent in a way.”

“Okay… I honestly prefer to think of my brother as my legal guardian given he’s always been there for me, but right now…” Coldcast murmured, rubbing his head feathers. “Dios Mios, I’ll take who I can get for advice right now. Okay, maybe I don’t have the nausea, but all those other symptoms you mentioned, they’re there.”

“I recommend spending some time in a nice, quiet environment. If you want, I can simulate Equestria before Sunfall for your pleasure. Is that what you wish, Coldcast?” She asked.

“...Is there a phobia of being feeling left behind, or alone?” Coldcast nervously inquired, this being quite shameful for him. He never wanted to admit that behind his tough exterior, he was just this lonely little griffon still looking for a few friends. That was why he was so loyal to those he had. Simply because he wanted to keep them.

“The correct term is Athazagoraphobia. And having that fear, while rare or at least not often discussed by many, is perfectly natural. You grew up in the system, did you not?” the Celesti-AI asked, honestly unsure if she was suited to talking to Coldcast about this particular type of fear. This was more her sister’s territory, the realms of the psyche. But right now, she was all Coldcast had. Coldcast nodded at her request.

“Yeah, I did,” the griffon replied, his voice coming out as barely a whisper. “I didn’t have that many to rely on, just my big brother Flashfire. A-And right now, he’s off on some mission to some water world to try and gather us some allies in the fight against Dark Matter,” he sniffled. “And every time he does go off on some venture without me, I always have t-this lingering fear he won’t make it back or-”

“A perfectly understandable fear, I myself, if I was put in your position, would probably be feeling the same even if I knew very well my sibling was a competent leader or fighter in his or her own right. But there’s something more, isn’t there?” the Celesti-AI inquired, and Coldcast nodded. “Something that you don’t want to talk to me about, is there? Something you don’t even know yourself, but your subconscious tells otherwise.”

“Well, I know what I think it might be. It’s my sister. Okay, half-sister, Fågel AKA Taurus Black.”

“You have a half-sister?” Celest-AI asked, blinking her eyes in surprise. Wasn’t like she was expected to keep track of every crew member aboard the ship, there were over 20,000 of them.

“I didn’t even know. Seriously, even I didn’t know she was my media hermana. Least not till just a few days ago. Here’s what happened…” Coldcast began to explain…

“Brother? We need to talk, and I mean about everything…” came a familiar Icelandic tone, causing Coldcast to look up from his book on various constellations. Currently, he was looking up the background of the Orion constellation.

“Fågel? What is it?” Coldcast, pulling his head out from his book and locking gazes with her. While he wasn’t exactly the most familiar with her, as Fågel wasn’t exactly known for being sociable in the slightest he did know of her status as a fellow Ranger.

“Look. There’s a…” Fågel began, before stopping. She wasn’t actually sure how to begin really. Coldcast took notice of her hesitation.

“There’s a what?” he asked quickly.

“There’s a reason why never could look after you,” Fågel sighed, with the parrot’s frown plastered wide across her face. “I know that you might not believe me, or want to believe me after what I say, but it is the honest truth. I wouldn’t be telling you this if I didn’t feel confident in it.”

“Fågel, you can tell me anything.” Coldcast still walked over and placed one of his hands on her back. “We’re always going to be together, no matter what we may say or do. So, what’s up?”

“I’m a wanted outlaw, or well at least I was for a time,” She said so quickly that she had to cover her mouth after saying it.

Coldcast blinked twice, then ended up letting out a chuckle. “I’m sorry, what was that? I thought I heard you say that you were a wanted outlaw.”

“I am. And I wasn’t exactly forced to kill someone or anything; the stallion was too freaked out and he fell out of a window,” Fågel immediately turned away and looked out the window, out towards the stars in the cosmos. “Coldcast. No-one on this ship knows it yet other than you. Well, you and Prince Stardust who put me in this damn position in the first place.”

“I’m sorry, what? Prince Stardust?” Coldcast asked, blinking once more in shock. “What does he have to do with any of this? Why weren’t you there for me? In fact, who are you Fågel? Out of all the members of the Paladins, aside from Stripped Gear, you are the one I know the least about for fuck’s sakes!”

“There’s a damn good reason why you don’t know about me; or are even allowed to know about me. I specifically wanted you out of my life! If you knew… If you knew anything about me… Well, if you did, I’m… I’m not sure you would be able to handle it. No, I know you wouldn’t be able to handle it!” Fågel stammered, taking a few verbal steps backwards.

“Fågel, tell me now. Please… I just found out you could have been there for me and yet you just now said you couldn’t!” Coldcast shouted, tears streaming down his face. “Do you know how long -How long!- I had to fend for myself in the New Manehatten orphanages just because nobody could bother with a screw-up like me? It wasn’t until Flashfire came along that I actually had a family, a familia! He’s mi hermano to me how, my older brother you understand? So, what are YOU!?!” Coldcast roared, and choked back a sob, the poor griffon’s entire body shaking.

“I’m your half-sister, Coldcast!” She blurted out loudly, tears streaming down from her face and a long built up dam of emotions finally breaking.

“Wh...What?” Coldcast stammered out. “I… I have actual blood familia? A media hermana?” he whispered, unsure if he should break down in sobs, punch Fågel in the face, yell at her to get out or do all three.

“It’s true, Coldcast. And I’ve been related to you longer than you remember,” She reached out for him, only for him to lightly swat her hand away. “I know that it’s harrowing, but it’s true. I’m your blood familia, as you put it.”

“Then… Then why were you never there for me? I understand being in prison, but what after you got out? Why did you never come and look for me?” Coldcast asked, his voice barely a whisper.

“The monsters. If they saw me on the field working with you, they would hunt me down to the ends of the universe and back.” She lowered her head. “Look, I know it’s a flimsy excuse, but honestly, it’s the best one that I can muster up.”

“I… I see. Just give me some time to think on this, okay?” Coldcast asked.

“I… I understand,” Fågel nodded before taking her leave.

“And that’s basically it really,” Coldcast explained to the Celesti-AI. “I have a half-sister in Fågel of all creatures, and I don’t know really what to think on that really.”

“A half-sister?” the Celesti-AI parroted. “I see. And her crimes, at least the ones you consider crimes such as leaving you for abandon left a lasting impression on your soul, dampening your spirit.”

“...You sure you’re not Luna’s AI in disguise, ‘cause I heard being blunt was her thing.” Coldcast deadpanned.

“Lun-AI, while being the blunt type, is still my sister. We still enjoy each other’s company and draw from each other at times,” she replied.

“How exactly do you rebuild your relationship with your half-sister who purposefully left you for abandon, and didn’t exactly give a damn about you up till now?” Coldcast asked, a dangerous edge in his tone bordering on a growl.

“Perhaps you both need a mission together with each other; one fraught with danger and peril. If the both of you survive and co-operate to overcome it, then that would be a good start to reconstructing your relationship. The only problem now is how to find such a mission...”

“...You are kidding right?” Coldcast asked. “I mean seriously, does any sane person want to put their life and limb on the line? I sure as hell don’t! And I doubt Fågel would either. In case you missed the memo while you were offline Princess, we’re actually trying to avoid that kinda thing for the time being.” Coldcast deadpanned.

“Alert! Alert! Unknown organisms detected in the lower bays!” An alarm rang out throughout the ship, as lights lit up red. “All security staff are to ready for battle and viral control measures. All non-essential personnel are to stay in their quarters.”

“...Wonder what that’s about?” Coldcast wondered to himself. He tried contacting the bridge, and when that failed he tried contacting anyone else important. Sadly, nothing seemed to be working. What he did next surprised even him, and he didn’t quite know why at the time and perhaps he never would but he immediately reached for his Kyuchanger and radioed Fågel in on the comms. He gave the Celesti-AI a look, idly wondering if she was some sorta psychic.

“Fågel! What’s going on around here?” he asked. “Can’t reach anyone on the inter-ship communications!”

He was met with nothing. No signal, and no noise except the crackling of static on his comms device.

“Come on, come on! Work with me here…” Coldcast pleaded, and finally, his half-sister’s voice came crackling through.

“Coldcast? What’s going on here?” She said, her face finally appearing on the device.

“I was about to ask you the same question. Ship’s just gone to red alert, they’re saying something about viral infection control measures!” Coldcast barked.

“I heard. I’m heading to the bridge right now. There’s some sorta spores in the air, vines of some sort all over the ship walls like some sorta whacked out kudzu. Beats the hell out of me what they are, never seen anything like ‘em before. Are you… alright?” She asked, still rather unsure on how to address her half-brother.

“Yeah, fine,” Coldcast stated, before he began to cough from the spores he’d only now just noticed coming in through his doors and reached for a nearby medical cabinet and quickly pulled on a gas mask. “...Least, I will be. What about you? I assume you’re planning to seal off as many doors as possible? Keep whatever this is from spreading?”

“Yeah. I’m gonna execute the lockdown procedure on the lower decks as soon as everyone down there manages to evacuate. Once that’s all said and done, we can talk about getting rid of whatever’s causing the problem.”

“I’ll join you in access corridor 59-B, that sound good? It’s right near the closest maintenance access, and we should be able to meet up there.” Coldcast replied. “Sound good?”

“Yeah. see you soon.” And with that, the video turned off.

“Stay safe… hermana.” Coldcast whispered, and blinked in surprise and looked at the Celesti-AI’s smirking face before thinking: “Damn alicorn, why does she always have to be right all the time? Can’t she be wrong just once?”

Coldcast kicked the doors to his quarters open after powering himself up with the Hercules Kyutama and stepped out into the corridor before letting out an audible gasp of shock.

The corridors that he had once seen and walked through before were completely askew. What was the floor was now the ceiling and vice versa. Thick, black vines with pulsating veins grew on each section of the area, and spores were being released into the air from the mass that sprawled the walls. There were even a few shrieks to be heard deep from within, as if a monster had infiltrated the ship itself.

“Okay, that is just messed up,” Coldcast murmured as he carefully took a few steps through the darkened corridor, the lights flickering every so often now and again. “...Here we are again. Deja Vu much?” he muttered, remembering the Paladin’s previous experience not just a few days before in dealing with dark creepy corridors and an unknown cause. Of course, this time he was the one walking through them, not Jabari and Flashfire.

Engaging the Pyxis Kyutama and mentally asking for it to find his sister, he was soon greeted with a gold arrow pointing in the direction of where his sister was located currently. Coldcast, breaking into a sprint ran off down that direction.

As he ran through the dark and desolated corridors, -cutting through vines with his Astral Claw as he went- the sounds of metal twisting echoed in his ears, and the very floor beneath him began to rumble. Within the darkness, he swore that he could see a shadow lunging through it, a distorted and abhorrent shriek accompanying it. Following that were the distant screams of one of the crewmembers.

Coldcast fired a few shots from his Kyuchanger, and downed a small fattened centipede-like creature, resembling an alien tardigrade. Maybe that’s what it was, a version of the normally sub-microscopic creatures mutated beyond measure. But, even with the beast downed, there was still the shadow from before, prowling the walls with a distorted growl.

Well, there was before a screech of rage -A battle cry!- filled the air and a dying shriek followed that, before Fågel emerged from the shadows holding her Astral Axe., with the Ara Kyutama in her gauntlet.

“I hope I’m not too late.” She said as she dragged the body of the monster behind her, heaving it over her shoulder, the creature looking rather scorched. “...Turns out, these things really don’t like fire either. You alright?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Coldcast replied. “And you’re just in time. Alright, so is everyone on the maintenance decks evacuated?”

“Yeah. I was able to get the last of them out. Unfortunately, the lockdown procedures were activated a bit quicker than I had imagined, so now we’re both stuck down here until someone can get us out. And even then, with the monsters in here…” Fågel tightened the grip on her bloodstained battle axe.

“Oh, there’s always a way out. We just have to make our own,” Coldcast stated, pointing to a maintenance hatchway above them covered in the alien kudzu. He produced an Ara Kyutama of his own, and created a small campfire, and almost at once the vines began to retreat in fear of the heat. “See? Nothing to worry abo-”

Before he could finish, a massive crash rang out through the corridor, and the sounds of metal being torn apart sounded in both of their ears. A titanic roar came from the newest beast, which was a giant, husking monstrosity the size of the corridor itself. With a circular mouth with spikes on the inside, large tentacles growing and flailing out of its’ mouth, and a set of gigantic feet, it stumbled towards the both of them; its’ mouth just big enough to devour them whole.

“I really, and I mean really do not want to become a victim of Neighponiese Tentacle Hentai!” Coldcast squeaked out and began firing at the creature, with his half-sister looking at him in shock. The laser shots just bounced off of the monster and hit the walls and floor around it; it didn’t even seem fazed when a few shots when into its’ mouth.

“Really? Is now the time you pick to make jokes?” Fågel asked, prepping her Taurus Kyutama and her battle axe.

“Helps lighten the mood,” Coldcast murmured. “You’ll come onto my sense of humor in time.”

“Ah, shut up,” Fågel stated before unleashing her Aldebaran Impact at the beast sending a purple energy wave at it slicing it right down the middle and covering the two in blood and gore. “...Ugh, this is going to take weeks to get out of my feathers!” Fågel muttered, before another roar sounded from somewhere nearby.

“No time for complaining, just climb!” Coldcast shouted, pointing to the hatch above them. Fågel took the hint and began climbing up the hatch with Coldcast following.

“H-Hello?” Jabari’s voice asked nervously through the comms. “Is there anyone out there?”

Coldcast’s breath caught in his throat. “J-Jabari, is that you? Please tell me for Celestia’s sakes you’re still alive somewhere!”

“Coldcast! Thank Luna and Celestia. Good to hear a familiar voice. Yeah, I’m alive, though for how much longer I don’t know. Me and Flurry, we’re dealing with a situation on the bridge. Mind you, I’ve got some info for you. Whatever these things are, they seem to originate from the outer hull of the ship. At least that’s my working theory. I’ve detected a large mass that’s attached itself to the ship, I think it’s trying to procreate its offspring inside the Armor.”

“Procreate?” Fågel asked in disbelief. “You gotta be kidding me!”

“Well, you have any better ideas?” Jabari snapped, as something moaned almost orgasmically from above them. “Maybe whatever this is, it thinks we’re a fellow member of its species thanks to some sort of sexual dimorphism. The female, or something close to it. Yes, I know it’s disgusting, and weird, but it’s what I got for you. Get that thing off the hull, and we might have a fighting chance here!”

“...Well, you heard the stallion. Time to teach this thing a few manners about public indecency eh?” Coldcast joked as they continued to climb.

Awaiting them up topside was a thick cloud of purple and blue miasma and nebulous fog, amongst Celestia knows what else. Weapons in hand and fully morphed, the two defenders of the universe slowly took it a few steps at a time, barely able to see a few feet in front of them thanks to the nebula’s gases.

“...Okay, okay…” Coldcast murmured as he got used to the sound of his boots clanking against the metal beneath him, magnetized to the ship’s hull with the boot magnets making a somewhat audible humming sound. “Deep breaths, deep breaths,” he told himself. “Nothing to fear, nothing you haven’t trained for spacewalk wise. You’re just inside a fog, a nebula’s fog but just a fog all the same.”

All of this, it went against his better instincts. Griffons, like most flying creatures of Equus were naturally claustrophobic in a way. They wanted space, to be free and to fly. Now, Coldcast could handle this while he was in his Voyager as he knew that could fly and he knew at times there often greater concerns when he was flying the Wolf Voyager but outside it and in this thick of haze? That was a different story entirely.

To keep himself calm, Coldcast had tuned into the Celestial Radiance’s radio station, allowing himself to listen to the calming piano notes of the old piece titled “Clair de Lune”.

“You alright Fågel?” Coldcast breathed out, watching the towering form of the Armored Star walk steadily in front of him, her helmet’s horns cutting through the cosmic fog.

“Yeah, fine as I can be I suppose,” Fågel replied as she gripped her axe tighter, with Coldcast doing the same with his claw weapon. “There’s a massive tardigrade creature out here somewhere, and we can’t see it. All we have is a beeper that’ll alert us when we get close to it.”

Right now, that very same beeper was beeping at a steady, subdued pace. No cause for alarm just yet. Just yet.

“...And when we get close to it, that beeper will likely become redundant as we’ll probably see it, and it us. Then we’ll become Neighponise fetish fuel and then eaten.” Coldcast deadpanned.

“...Are you always like this Coldcast?” Fågel asked, looking back at him.

“As I said, keeps me calm in the face of danger, just joking about. We all have our coping methods,” Coldcast muttered. “But just fuck me with a hoof-full of sunfire, as this is crazy even by my standards!”

“...Have you been taking swearing lessons from that little mare? The one they call the Toaster Fixer?” Fågel asked, at about this time under her helmet looking about ready to slap her younger sibling for his colorful choice of words.

“...Might be the other way around actually at times, in exchange for basic repair skills.” Coldcast shrugged as the beeping began to become more fervent in nature, putting both Paladins at an alarmed state. “Oh, oh! Hold up, we’re getting closer!”

Then, a tendril came out of the mist, from out of nowhere and swatted Coldcast to the side, with the griffon at the very last moment opening up his wings and managing to remagnetize himself to the hull of the Shining Armor as the creature came into view. Like it’s much, much smaller offspring, it was both magnificent and terrifying in equal measure, dripping with a fang-filled maw and tendrils swaying about from inside the humpbacked creature’s mouth.

“...See, what did I tell you? Neighponiese fetish fuel crap right there!” Coldcast shouted as he readied his Astral Claw and placed his Lupus Kyutama inside it making it proclaim: “Galaxy!”

He ran towards the creature, leaping left and right to avoid the swings from its tendrils as his claw glowed and then leapt skywards beginning to spin like a buzzsaw crying out: “Lupus Impact!” and striking the creature with two blue slashes of energy before leaping backwards as the creature let out a roar of rage but seemingly looked unfazed for the most part. Sure, it was bleeding in a few places but the wounds were healing faster than either Kyuranger could re-open them.

“Any ideas? Cause I got nothin’,” Coldcast murmured as he took a few steps back in fear, with Fågel following suit.

“Hey, don’t look at me. It was your idea to come up here in the first place!” she snapped back.

Then, over the comms, Coldcast heard the sounds of three Astral Blasters firing, and the sound of a spear slicing through flesh and the shout of: “Get the Hell off my ship!” from Jabari. Coldcast’s eyes narrowed.

“No, we got this. WE GOT THIS,” Coldcast snarled, his suit beginning to glow blue as the ornamental star on his chest began to form a symbol inside it. A symbol of a white cloud with a multicolored lightning bolt. Fågel’s eyes widened under her helmet as she saw this, knowing exactly what it meant. “That ship, our crewmates. They’re our family, just like you are Fågel,” Coldcast. “And I am sure as Hell never, ever, leaving them to die! Coldcast, Lupus Blue and the Element of Loyalty!”

Fågel nodded, before saying her own title: “Fågel Bredsida, Taurus Black! Two Stars Shining in the Heavens, Space Squadron Kyuranger!”

“Now…” Coldcast smirked. “Our friendship, it will take on the universe! And that includes you!” he shouted, before both he and his hermana aimed their Kyuchangers at the creature with Ara Kyutamas at the ready.

“Twin Star Crash!” they shouted in unison before firing blue and purple energy beams respectively at the creature, blasting it backwards before their eyes widened as the creature grabbed them both with its tendrils even as it shrieked out in pain from the burning, searing blast.

Then, a high pitched shriek filled the air as from out of nowhere, a winged form with a golden beak and talons fired twin purple fireballs from its beak slicing through the tendrils holding Coldcast and Fågel. Next, the remote-controlled Eagle Voyager grabbed onto the monster with its talons and firmly tossed it out into space never to be seen again. All across the Shining Armor, without their ‘parent’ to sustain it, the offspring and the vines began to die off one by one as one very tired Jabari slumped to the floor behind the safety of the Scutum Kyutama’s conjured energy shield and let go of his Astral Blasters, the twin pistols clattering to the floor.

“Thank… Thank you Coldcast, and you too Fågel...” he whispered before slipping into unconsciousness. Later that very same day, Flashfire and his team along with some new allies in tow would return to the ship only to find both Coldcast and Fågel along with everyone else covered in some sort of gunk.

“...You don’t want to know.” Coldcast stated simply at Flashfire's raised eyebrow. “Celestia above, I need a bath.”

Author's Notes:

So yes, this chapter takes place at the same time of the previous one, and picks up off from the little cliffhanger left at the end of Part 8 because as Silverquill always says:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaNEoUA_u_o

And we all know how much of a sucker I am for that. Now, a huge round of applause to Shadowmane, as he worked his ass off co-writing all but the climax of this chapter so to speak helping me get back in the game for this story as it were.

So, for once, not a monster related to Dark Matter in any way as the villain of the week. Just a one-off threat. Also, Coldcast will not be the last member of the Paladins to become a new Element Bearer as chapter 7 hinted. As for who next will be gaining the power of an Element of Harmony... Well, you'll just have to wait and see, won't you? As ever, comments, thoughts, and critique are welcomed.