The Dimensional Quest Part II: Galactic Peril

Chapter 4

Daffy's eyes dart from one star to another.

Fifty two...fifty three...fifty four...fifty five...

Suddenly an Atsafarian vessel scoots in front of the constellation.

Daffy grumbles.

"What's wrong?" Chloe wonders.

"I lost count of the stars," Daffy sighs.

Chloe peers outside, as more ships cruise by.

"I think we have a bigger problem," she says.

A few minutes later Kitty stumbles onto the command floor, eyes bloodshot and hair in knots.

"What dares to disturb my slumber?" she moans, trying hard to be as humorous as someone with four hours of sleep can.

"The fleet's on the move, headed for a planet," Chloe tells her.

"That can't be good..." Kitty groans.

Her eyelids begin to slide towards each other.

Chloe shakes the feline by the shoulders when they are one centimeter from sending Kitty back into her dreams.

"Don't sleep! You're the only one who can fly this ship! We have to get moving!" Chloe exclaims.

Kitty then leans against the golden wall.

"Coffee..." she mumbles.

Daffy suddenly appears holding a tray with two filled cups.

"Sweet or unsweetened?" he asks.

Chloe snatches one of them without thought and hands it to Kitty, who slurps half of the cup in one gulp.

Her body springs straight up, the red wine in her eyes withdraws, and her hair is still knotty.

In a second Kitty is pounding at the ship's controls.

Meanwhile, Chloe strolls to another console.

Daffy peers over her shoulder as she skims through diagrams of the ship.

"I have to possess these..." Chloe thinks aloud.

She tiptoes over to Emily, who is snoring as loud as a cicada.

Candy is summoned out of her backpack with a little nudge.

"Psst. May I please have Emily's camera?" Chloe asks.

The device is gently placed onto her fingers.

"Alright. We're up to speed," Kitty says.

Then her jaw drops to release a large yawn.

"I think the coffee...is wearing off..." she moans.

The feline's body falls to the floor faster than the blink of an eye.

Daffy approaches her holding a bucket of water before promptly dumping it.

Kitty launches from the floor, hair standing up, hissing, and claws unsheathed.

"Sorry, but I'm not gonna let this ship cruise into a sun because you needed a nippy nap," Daffy tells her.

His face is nearly swiped across by the blades on Kitty's hands, but they are restrained centimeters from his skin.

They are pulled away, and Kitty snarls while returning to the pilot controls.

While Daffy counts his blessings, Chloe's camera clicks and chirps as it captures the diagrams.

After a few shots she slips the device into a pocket of her shirt, then moves to an escape pod.

"Hey! Where ya going?!" Daffy exclaims.

"I have to warn whoever is on that planet about this invasion," Chloe replies.

"Well shoot! Count me in!" Daffy cheers.

"The escape pod only fits one person," Chloe sighs.

"Correction: One person and one duck," Daffy says.

He squeezes into the cabin and presses himself against the front window.

"I'll be right here! Like a bug on a windshield!" he decides.

Chloe shakes her head as she peels the duck off the glass.

"Not much for travel buddies, are ya?" Daffy grumbles.

"What about us?" asks Emily from behind.

Chloe turns to face her and the other members of the Glitter Force.

"We've always fought together, always been with each other," Emily mentions.

Her blue haired friend nods, able to look at the floor but not at her companions.

Amethyst trots up to her.

"I'll go. That way you'll stick together," she suggests.

Chloe ponders a few seconds, then hands the unicorn the camera.

"This must be kept safe. It has information the people on the planet will need," she urges.

"Of course," Amethyst responds, before placing it in her saddlebag while entering the escape pod.

"We believe in you, Amethyst!" Kelsey exclaims prior to hitting the "launch" button.

The pod's doors slam closed and it blasts off into space.

Amethyst watches her allies grow smaller and smaller until they have shrunk into nothing.

"I know you do..." she says.