Leaving the shop Rocket found Sa’Loane pacing in front the exit, tail still fluffed, ears still back. She said nothing when Rocket approached but instead looked her over for a long long time. Rocket stood still, waiting for her acquaintance to say something, to scold her probably. Not that she had done anything wrong….right?

“What are you mad at me for?” Rocket blurted out; trying to meet Sa’Loanes eyes but immediately recoiling as whatever magic she exuded stung Rockets eyes.

“I’m not,” Sa’Loane replied, though her tail flicked a bit more aggressively.

“Okay so why did you pull me out of there?” Rocket demanded.

“I do not trust shops like that they’re...they give me a bad vibe.”

“You don’t have to go in there.”

“I don’t,” Sa’Loane fidgeted a little, “just, next time you go would you let me know?”

“Yeah of course,” Rocket smiled---excited at the idea of going back.

“Now, have you eaten today?”

“Probably.”

“Probably?” Sa’Loane echoed, tilting her head.

“‘Today’ doesn’t mean anything to me anymore” Rocket replied; and at this Sa’Loane tilted her head the other way.

“Earth time is faster then it is here.”

“That must be why Earthdwellers tire so quickly.”

“Must be.”

“So when did you last eat?”

To this Rocket answered with a very long uuuuh. Sa’Loanes ears went back up, and Rocket swore that Sa’Loane was smiling back at her, clearly amused and unsurprised by the response she was given. Sa’Loane beckoned for Rocket to follow---stopped, and offered her hand. Rocket took it, or rather, tried to but her hand went straight through Sa’Loanes form. Oh.

“Oh,” Sa’Loane muttered, “I suppose that make sense.”

“What does?” Rocked asked.

“Since Acynobis’ have the natural ability to go through different realities our forms become...I guess you would call it ghostly. Not cold but not entirely there. It’s---since you are human you and I have to form a certain bond before we can do things like touch or you can look at me properly. It’s not ideal but that’s how it is.”

“Can’t you just make it so we can interact?”

“I’m afraid not,” Sa’Loane said apologetically, “it’s something that runs through by being.”

“So what kind of bond do we need?” Rocket made air quotes around the word need.

“A trusting one,” Sa’Loane once again motioned for Rocket to follow. This time the two(2) stayed close to each other, making sure to stop against walls and in small corners to assure each other that they were doing fine. They passed by shop after shop, looking for food that was catered toward human consumption. Eventually Rocket settled for something that felt like she was eating dirt and tasted earthy but not in the dirt sort of way. When she purchased the food looked promising enough, it was pink and shaped like a cartoon bear. Rocket supposed she shouldn’t be so disappointed, after all the food here was made more for nutrition then for taste and honestly the idea of eating food for the taste was a luxury she had taken advantage of back home. As Rocket begrudgingly ate the (awfully cute) bear, first by its little tail, then all its feet, its ears finally the head---Sa’Loane stopped by a different shop and got water. Rocket never saw Sa’Loane drink it, or for that matter even open the bottle but when Rocket asked if she could have some she noticed that the bottle was half empty. The container opened with the familiar cracking sound of a newly opened bottle, not wanting to bother Sa’Loane with the specifics of it Rocket ignored that fact, she took a drink

Oh!

She spit out the water, a strong salty taste lingered in her mouth. Handing the bottle back to Sa’Loane, Rocket stuck her tongue out in disgust.

“That’s salt water,” Rocket said as if this would be news to her acquaintance.

“Yes.” Sa’Loane replied.

“You drink salt water?”

“Do you not?”

Rocket shook her head and crunched half of what remained of the little bear. Yep, still felt like eating dirt.

“I guess it’s been awhile since I’ve been to Earth.” Sa’Loane continued, the contents of her drink had disappeared now. “What’s your part of Earth like?”

Trees that extend miles into the sky, and miles down below the assorted pathways. The trunks of the trees were black, sometimes red but the leaves—-oh the leaves were always always golden; and when the wind went by the leaves would glimmer. To the west was a lake so clear so crisp that you could see straight through to the bottom, and the shadow of your boat would deceive how deep the lake really was. To the east was a salt lake, when the tide went out it would leave salt crystals in its wake, providing the perfect space for the salt gatherers. At times when the salt lake was frozen it would act as a perfect mirror. Between these two(2) lakes and beneath the glittering canopy were houses carved into the canyons. Others had made their homes in the canyons, much before Rockets family. Those that lived in the canyons were close, not so much physically as they were emotionally—-they formed a strong community. In the community everyone pitched in to make sure that those living in the canyons were looked after. Everyone raised and looked after the children, keeping close eyes to assure their safety; and if anyone were to mistreat their children or spouses they would be immediately exiled.

That was how Rocket described her home on Earth, though it was short Sa’Loane paid her full attention as the two(2) of them walked through the common area together. They left the magic shop behind without more than a glance; and as they continued through Rocket noticed that she had not given the bracers back. She didn’t think too much of it, knowing that they would be back to this area again and she could return them, or perhaps she would see Isadore wandering the ship. Hopefully the latter.

“Is that why you wanted to be a peacemaker?” Sa’Loane asked.

“Ah, no I—-well I guess that has something to do with it.” Rocket admitted. Under normal circumstances she would say she wanted to be a peacemaker to improve upon what Jonesy and Squeeze’s predecessors had done (they had done miserably). To improve communications between Earth and the surrounding universe, to see the universe, to taste another atmosphere. But at the end of the day

“I think it was because I wanted to be memorable, I didn’t want to die and be forgotten. In some ways that’s still the case, but when I got older it was because I wanted to travel. Then it was because some kid named James told me I couldn’t so I wanted to prove him wrong; and then when I hit seventeen(17) it was because I wanted to help Earth.”

“You’ve gone through quite the process.”

“Sometimes you don’t always know what you want, or why.”

“Acynobis have their lives placed in front of them.”

“You don’t get to choose?”

“Oh!” Sa’Loane exclaimed, “we can, we’re just told what we would do best at.”

“So what are you best at?”

“Limbo.”

“What?”

“There’s not a human equivalent word that would explain but it’s sort of like the in between stage of life and death.”

“Limbo is a game on Earth.”

“That’s…” though Sa’Loanes face didn’t change Rocket could almost see her discomfort. “You really treat your kind like that?”

“It’s like an actual physical game,” Rocket explained, “there’s a bar that you have to bend backwards under and the person who can go the lowest wins.”

“I see.”

“It’s not something that’s played often but it’s the first thing I thought of.”

“I see,” Sa’Loane repeated, relief flooding her voice.

“I could show you sometime if you’d like...have you experienced Limbo?”

“I never had the time to play Earth games.”

“No your Limbo.”

Sa’Loane paused, keeping her gaze forward---though Rocket had a hard time telling where Sa’Loane was looking since she had no pupils. For a moment Sa’Loanes form flickered more slowly, but each time she faded out she stayed gone for longer. The only thing on her that didn’t flicker was her halo.

“I have,” Sa’Loane said finally, “it is a very unique experience.” Her voice was formal, ancient sounding, as if all the worlds in all the universes had been made by her voice.

“Could you describe it?”

“Perhaps, behind closed doors.” Sa’Loane whispered as they continued to make their way through the crowd.

“Why?”

Sa’Loane chuckled, “it’s not a verbal description.”

Through the windows of the ship the light trickled like rain down the walls, and against the passengers that wandered through. Each drop of light that touched Rockets skin was warm; not in the way that she felt laying beneath the sun, but the kind of warm that turned into a feeling, spreading throughout her whole body. She grinned. The shadows that followed each being (well, the ones that could cast shadows anyway), seemed spoiled by the way the light bounced around on the ship. Some shadows melded together, blessing the meeting between their respective owners.

“What kind is it?” Rocket pressed as they stepped into a hallway. The hall itself was adorned with what appeared to be statues made out of rubies that depicted deities that Rocket couldn’t place. Though they didn’t belong to her Rocket nodded to each of them.

“They are minor deities,” Sa’Loane said in a hushed tone, changing the subject. “They are shared between planets, most are for good fortune, healthy relationships, the seasonal tides. Simple but important.”

“What is that one?” Rocket asked, stopping pointing to one statue that resembled a lion with the mane and tail that was made up of leaves. Every now and then a ruby leaf fluttered down from its mane. The statue had no face, but instead a huge circle of a gaping maw that covered the entirety of where the face should have been. It had rows and rows of teeth that were far more than a shark could hope to have/

“Prosperity and poverty, his name is Ozonel” Sa’Loane paused, and after a moment of Rockets insistence she continued.

“it is said that Ozonel and his lover, Xin were once the two(2) greatest lovers the universe had even known. But one day another even lesser deity had risen, with the same powers and aspirations as Xin. Premiannuel, they were called, but along with those same aspirations came a struggle for power. After trying to take over one another for some time they agreed on the Treaty of the Divine; in which they would either have to meld into one being, or duel until the disappearance of one. They said that while Xin was perfectly content to allow room for Premiannuel as an equal, Premiannuel cornered him until the two fought, and at the end of the fight it seemed that both parties disappeared. And, after losing his husband Ozonel went into despair, throwing the worlds he watched over into chaos. The leaves Ozonel sheds are how much time that he has before giving up hope that his love will ever return.”

“Is that how all deities settle things?” Rocket pressed, her eyes glimmering with excitement over the tale.

“I wouldn’t know, I haven’t spoken to one in awhile.”

“You’ve spoken to a god?”

“Is that so strange since you’re speaking to someone akin to an angel?”

Rocket met Sa’Loanes words with silence.

…

……

“Kidding, kidding,” Sa’Loane said with a dismissive wave. She carried on, walking further down the hall leaving Rocket to follow and a few passersby to stare after the strange pair.

“So what were Xin and Premiannuel in charge of?”

“Plant blooms.”

“And these are minor deities?”

“Minor doesn’t always mean lesser in this case.” Sa’Loane replied. They rounded another few corners, chatting idly along the way as they compared the details of legends that they knew---well, it was mostly Sa’Loane that spoke, but neither seemed to mind. Sa’Loane spun tales of worlds Rocket had never dreamed of, but never never about her home M’bacsha. For now Rocket didn’t press, but instead listened to each and every story her acquaintance told without question as the ship took off.