Stranded

The snowy landscape yielded warmth to no one. Cloudy gusts of fog wafted from the mouths of those who dared step paw on the planet - a blanket of white was laid out before them.

Sunfish was the first to break the silence. “Ah, well. Looks like we’re in quite the situation. Say, Soleil, do you know what to do about this?”

Soleil stiffened some at the mention of his name, as if the SpaceCat had smelled something unpleasant. His voice was but a grunt in response.

Crow wasn’t sure, either - the cacophony of noises that had come from the engine of the ship was something to behold, and he had found himself somewhat humming along as the ship lost altitude, dipping closer as if to embrace the cold world they had stumbled upon. Ice crystals reached for the sky, and he supposed they were lucky to have landed in a bank of snow rather than crashing headfirst into one of the structures. He didn’t really care, though.

“We need to find shelter,” Soleil finally spoke proper, looking to his companions.

“Right, right. Where do you suppose we find that at?”

“Not here.”

“... Thrilling.”

Sunfish huffed some, starting to walk in an almost silly manner - the snow was too tall for him, so he took great strides and large steps to compensate, leaving a green trail behind thanks to the soda that dripped from his flank. Soleil followed suit, stepping over the snow with ease as he easily caught up to Sunfish. Crow pressed his wings closer to his sides - though most winged SpaceCats would be able to catch up with ease, he found that flying was a lost cause with his own set. Slowly, he made his way leisurely behind, allowing his wings to graze the top of the fallen snow.

As he caught up, he found that Sunfish was poking one of the ice crystals with Soleil standing nearby. Sunfish was making a few faces in the crystal before looking back at the approaching Crow.

“You should really try this out, the grooves on the surface distort your reflection which make you look a bit funny!” He shot Crow a grin before looking at the crystal once more.

Crow looked into the reflection of the crystal, and found himself lost in it for a while. Colors cascaded around him, distorting and making shapes yet unseen. His own reflection was broken, eyes staring at him all the same. Perhaps, in another world, he would look like this as well.

Breath escaped his body, a cloud raising into the sky once more. Perhaps it would join the clouds up above as well. He had wings, but he wished he could fly the same as the clouds - to be among them, without care in the world, was his dream. Yet, here he had wings large but rather useless.

How long had he been standing there? He found himself forgetting where he was, colors spinning and the world becoming faded. For a long while, it was just him and his reflection. The world was in slow motion. Everything was as if on pause.

Then, a voice.

“Crow,” Soleil finally spoke. “Are you alright?”

With a jolt, Crow’s wings stiffened, and he blinked. No longer was he entranced by his reflection, and he looked to the two other cats that were with him.

“... I’m fine.” He stated. “Where are we?”

“An unidentified planet, it seems.” Sunfish responded. “I went back to the ship while you were staring, and saw that at the least, there doesn’t seem to be anything here -”

As he spoke, something poked out from behind the ice crystal - a… red, bear-like bell pepper gazed at them, and Sunfish jumped back behind Soleil. Crow tilted his head, taking a step towards it. It hissed a bit.

“A bell pepper.” Soleil stated unhelpfully.

Sunfish snorted. “You don’t say.” With that, he picked up a rock, and chucked it directly at the pepper.

Predictably, it did not appreciate it, but it did not attack Sunfish - instead, it charged directly at Crow, latching onto his leg.

Crow, startled by this, raised his paw and started shaking it around, but alas, the pepper did not yield.

“I thought this world was supposed to be barren.” Soleil looked to Sunfish.

“Well - that’s what the scanner said. I guess it thought this was a plant?”

“I don’t think that bear is a plant.”

“Looks more like a hamster, actually.”

“You could call it a bear pepper.”

“Was the only reason you said that for a pun?”

“Perhaps.”

Crow finally got the pepper off, and it launched itself towards Sunfish, who shrieked and started running away. An unspoken chuckle between them, Soleil and Crow followed suit, though a lot more slowly.