Annihilation
The prince gazed up into the black sky. Nothing but stars. It was nothing he hadn't seen countless times before, just different points in different patterns. He glanced sideways at Nij, who seemed to be reveling in it. Why'd he think stars were something to smile about, anyway? There was an infinite number that had been there since the Beginning, and would be there for the rest of time. Nothing special about that. Cam thought.
"Hey."
"Hm?"
"Can you fly?" Cam finally asked.
"Can't you?" Nij replied.
"That's not what I mean. Take off your shirt."
"What?"
"Just do it."
"Okay..."
Nijubu pulled his shirt over his head, and Cam crawled around behind him. He placed his hands on either side of the angel's back, searching. Nij laughed.
"I don't have wings."
"Oh. I thought...I don't know. I thought angels had wings."
Nij slipped his shirt back on.
"I don't think so. I may have, at some point, but not now. Things happen on the way from Heaven. You lose things."
"Oh. Do you know how the Universe was created?"
Nij leaned back against the wall and laced his hands behind his head.
"Your guess is as good as mine. You know the legend, the one that says life came from the stars?"
"Yeah, Eden."
"Mmhm, the pardise world. Do you know why the people of a land of paradise would want to leave it behind?"
Chameos thought, but came up short.
"No. It doesn't make sense. Why leave paradise for...this?" he motioned around him. "For war, and disease, and pollution, and depravity?"
Nij smiled lightly, and turned back to the stars.
"Loneliness."
"...What?"
"They were alone, Cam. The people of Eden were alone amongst an infinite emptiness."
Chameos crossed his arms and lay back.
"You mean they traded loneliness for suffering?"
"According to the legend, yes. Loneliness is a powerful emotion, Cam. It's a painless hurt that can last forever unless action is taken against it. Unless sacrifice is made."
The angel grew silent and stared into the shadowed distance. Cam felt the angel withdraw into himself. Before he could say anything in response, Nij stood up.
"Well, I'm going clean up the kitchen and get to bed. You should do the same."
Chameos glared at him in defiance.
"I'll stay up as long as I damn well want."
"Right. The apartment's alarm system is set for six. And before you ask," he continued, "yes, I have a security code to prevent anyone from overriding it."
"...I hate you."
Cam followed him through the window and across the bedroom.
"I love you too. Don't even think about touching my bed. You can sleep on the couch downstairs. Unless, of course, you want to join me," he teased.
"I'll take the damn couch."
Nij's smile was really getting on his nerves. The angel paused at the door and turned around.
"Oh, and don't forget to brush your teethums before bed, Cammy!"
Nij barely pulled the door to as a pillow thudded into it.
___________
WHAM. The dealer slapped the chip on the counter.
"I'm telling you, gentlemen, twenty-five thousand is a great price for Mine! I dare you to find it for less anywhere this side of the Beach!"
"Psht, Higsby has it for less than half that."
The dealer snapped his head down to the small blue head at the edge of the counter.
"I DIDN'T ASK YOU, TUBBY!"
"DON'T CALL ME TUBBY, BLUBHEAD!"
"WELL, DON'T CALL ME...did you just call me 'blubhead?'"
Bubbleman sputtered.
"Ya hard of hearing, mother blubber?"
"Eh-heh...ha ha...HAHAHAHAHA!"
The green chip dealer doubled over in laughter, then toppled onto the ground. The little aquatic Navi blushed.
"Let's blubbin get out of here, guys."
Punk crossed his arms.
"I dunno, that was pretty funny."
"...Blub you."
The others giggled.
"Whraaah. Whraaaah, aaaaah whraa."
"You're right Flame, his speech impediment IS funnier than yours!"
Bubbleman stormed off ahead of them and the rest followed.
"What? Did I say something wrong?"
"Naw, Flash," Beastman replied, "he's just a little blubbed today."
"Must you be so infantile?"
The other Navis turned to Plantman.
"Yes," they collectively answered.
"SO," Punk enthused, "what else? We got most of the chips the guys asked for—except a Mine—but I can't help wondering if there's something we're forgetting."
"Desertman."
"No, I think we were supposed to get some FullEnrgs or something."
"No! Desertman! Look."
Plant pointed a tendril at a generic green Navi working his way through the crowd away from them.
"Who, that guy?"
"Yes. I could swear I saw his eyes flash pink when he turned this way."
"He and Nijubu disappear for a day, and then he just shows up out of nowhere? Well, what are you guys waiting for? Let's yell and run after him!"
"Right!"
The five Navis ran into the crowd. Bubble stared after them obliviously, then shrugged and joined in the yelling and running.
Desertman, in generic Navi form, glanced over his shoulder.
"Damn!"
He broke into a run. Some Navis turned to stare, but most were too busy shopping and chatting at the Square to care.
"RAWR!"
Beast pounced on his back, forcing Desert to the floor.
"Ugh! Get off!"
"Rowr, somethin' wrong Desert? Why'd you ditch us today?"
The Navi's telltale eyes shifted nervously in several directions before he settled his gaze on Beast.
"Look, stuff happened, Master needs to...he needs to hide out for a while."
Desert glanced behind the bestial Navi, to the other Acid Hackers breaking free of the crowd.
"What? Is it that bad? We'll help you, bro!"
"No, it's okay, it'll be over before the week is through. Tell the guys not to worry."
"I don't think they'd worry in the first place, but okay."
"HEY! Sandman!"
Punk was closing in. Desert turned and ran in the opposite direction. Beast turned at the sound of Punk's voice, and when he looked back Desert was gone.
"Hey."
"Hm?"
"Can you fly?" Cam finally asked.
"Can't you?" Nij replied.
"That's not what I mean. Take off your shirt."
"What?"
"Just do it."
"Okay..."
Nijubu pulled his shirt over his head, and Cam crawled around behind him. He placed his hands on either side of the angel's back, searching. Nij laughed.
"I don't have wings."
"Oh. I thought...I don't know. I thought angels had wings."
Nij slipped his shirt back on.
"I don't think so. I may have, at some point, but not now. Things happen on the way from Heaven. You lose things."
"Oh. Do you know how the Universe was created?"
Nij leaned back against the wall and laced his hands behind his head.
"Your guess is as good as mine. You know the legend, the one that says life came from the stars?"
"Yeah, Eden."
"Mmhm, the pardise world. Do you know why the people of a land of paradise would want to leave it behind?"
Chameos thought, but came up short.
"No. It doesn't make sense. Why leave paradise for...this?" he motioned around him. "For war, and disease, and pollution, and depravity?"
Nij smiled lightly, and turned back to the stars.
"Loneliness."
"...What?"
"They were alone, Cam. The people of Eden were alone amongst an infinite emptiness."
Chameos crossed his arms and lay back.
"You mean they traded loneliness for suffering?"
"According to the legend, yes. Loneliness is a powerful emotion, Cam. It's a painless hurt that can last forever unless action is taken against it. Unless sacrifice is made."
The angel grew silent and stared into the shadowed distance. Cam felt the angel withdraw into himself. Before he could say anything in response, Nij stood up.
"Well, I'm going clean up the kitchen and get to bed. You should do the same."
Chameos glared at him in defiance.
"I'll stay up as long as I damn well want."
"Right. The apartment's alarm system is set for six. And before you ask," he continued, "yes, I have a security code to prevent anyone from overriding it."
"...I hate you."
Cam followed him through the window and across the bedroom.
"I love you too. Don't even think about touching my bed. You can sleep on the couch downstairs. Unless, of course, you want to join me," he teased.
"I'll take the damn couch."
Nij's smile was really getting on his nerves. The angel paused at the door and turned around.
"Oh, and don't forget to brush your teethums before bed, Cammy!"
Nij barely pulled the door to as a pillow thudded into it.
___________
WHAM. The dealer slapped the chip on the counter.
"I'm telling you, gentlemen, twenty-five thousand is a great price for Mine! I dare you to find it for less anywhere this side of the Beach!"
"Psht, Higsby has it for less than half that."
The dealer snapped his head down to the small blue head at the edge of the counter.
"I DIDN'T ASK YOU, TUBBY!"
"DON'T CALL ME TUBBY, BLUBHEAD!"
"WELL, DON'T CALL ME...did you just call me 'blubhead?'"
Bubbleman sputtered.
"Ya hard of hearing, mother blubber?"
"Eh-heh...ha ha...HAHAHAHAHA!"
The green chip dealer doubled over in laughter, then toppled onto the ground. The little aquatic Navi blushed.
"Let's blubbin get out of here, guys."
Punk crossed his arms.
"I dunno, that was pretty funny."
"...Blub you."
The others giggled.
"Whraaah. Whraaaah, aaaaah whraa."
"You're right Flame, his speech impediment IS funnier than yours!"
Bubbleman stormed off ahead of them and the rest followed.
"What? Did I say something wrong?"
"Naw, Flash," Beastman replied, "he's just a little blubbed today."
"Must you be so infantile?"
The other Navis turned to Plantman.
"Yes," they collectively answered.
"SO," Punk enthused, "what else? We got most of the chips the guys asked for—except a Mine—but I can't help wondering if there's something we're forgetting."
"Desertman."
"No, I think we were supposed to get some FullEnrgs or something."
"No! Desertman! Look."
Plant pointed a tendril at a generic green Navi working his way through the crowd away from them.
"Who, that guy?"
"Yes. I could swear I saw his eyes flash pink when he turned this way."
"He and Nijubu disappear for a day, and then he just shows up out of nowhere? Well, what are you guys waiting for? Let's yell and run after him!"
"Right!"
The five Navis ran into the crowd. Bubble stared after them obliviously, then shrugged and joined in the yelling and running.
Desertman, in generic Navi form, glanced over his shoulder.
"Damn!"
He broke into a run. Some Navis turned to stare, but most were too busy shopping and chatting at the Square to care.
"RAWR!"
Beast pounced on his back, forcing Desert to the floor.
"Ugh! Get off!"
"Rowr, somethin' wrong Desert? Why'd you ditch us today?"
The Navi's telltale eyes shifted nervously in several directions before he settled his gaze on Beast.
"Look, stuff happened, Master needs to...he needs to hide out for a while."
Desert glanced behind the bestial Navi, to the other Acid Hackers breaking free of the crowd.
"What? Is it that bad? We'll help you, bro!"
"No, it's okay, it'll be over before the week is through. Tell the guys not to worry."
"I don't think they'd worry in the first place, but okay."
"HEY! Sandman!"
Punk was closing in. Desert turned and ran in the opposite direction. Beast turned at the sound of Punk's voice, and when he looked back Desert was gone.
