Zack, being his usual mischievous self, was playing with Safari's horns, tugging and flicking them.
Safari (annoyed): "Oi, brat! Quit it!"
Zack (grinning): "But they're so fun to poke! Boing, boing-"
Safari gritted his teeth, about to grab the kid when-
Jen walked in from the ship's kitchen, hands on her hips.
Jen: "Zack, stop that. It's rude to do that to someone."
Zack actually froze-and then, to Safari's complete shock, he obeyed.
Zack: "Oh... okay."
Safari blinked.
Safari (thinking): "Wait, she actually got him to listen?"
Jen turned to Safari.
Jen: "Also, Zack, apologize."
Zack pouted but still faced Safari.
Zack: "Sorry, Big Bro."
Safari huffed but felt oddly grateful.
Safari (thinking): "Huh. Maybe bringing her wasn't a bad idea after all."
Jen then clapped her hands.
Jen: "Anyway, dinner is ready!"
_ _ _
As they sat at the table, Jen served the food-freshly cooked meat, warm soup, and soft bread.
Safari took a bite... and immediately froze.
The taste... the warmth... It reminded him of his sister.
Safari (softly): "This... tastes just like my sister's cooking."
Jen and Zack looked up in curiosity.
Jen: "You had a sister?"
Safari put down his spoon, his usual grumpy expression fading into nostalgia.
Safari: "Yeah... back on my home planet, Sappy."
Zack and Jen listened intently, as this was the first time Safari had ever opened up about his past.
Safari: "My sister, Mira, was five years older than me. She always took care of me. She wasn't like the others on Sappy... she didn't care about fighting. She just wanted peace."
He clenched his fists.
Safari: "But Sappy is a warrior planet. Strength means everything there. And... she was considered weak."
Zack and Jen's eyes widened.
Safari: "When I was seven... she was twelve. One day, the warriors of our planet decided that weaklings had no place among them."
His voice darkened.
Safari: "They killed her."
Jen gasped, covering her mouth.
Zack (angrily): "That's horrible!"
Safari let out a deep breath.
Safari: "I was too weak to stop them. I tried to fight, but I was just a kid. They beat me down like it was nothing. I thought I'd die too. But somehow... I survived."
He looked at his hands.
Safari: "From that moment, I swore to become strong. I trained. Fought. Challenged anyone stronger than me. And one day... I challenged the ruler of Sappy himself."
Zack and Jen leaned in.
Safari: "I won. I became the ruler."
Zack's jaw dropped.
Zack: "Wait, you ruled a whole planet?!"
Safari nodded.
Safari: "For two years. I kept Sappy's pride as a warrior race... but I abolished one thing."
Jen's eyes softened.
Safari: "No one was allowed to harm those who didn't want to fight. I made a new rule: If you kill a weakling, you are the weakling."
Zack and Jen sat in silence for a moment. Then, they both wiped their eyes.
Jen (sniffling): "Your sister would have been proud of you."
Safari's eyes lowered.
Safari: "Maybe."
Jen smiled gently.
Jen: "From now on, I'll take care of you like an older brother. You might act tough, but you deserve warmth too."
Safari's eyes widened.
For once, he didn't argue.
Safari (quietly): "Hmph... do what you want."
Jen then grinned.
Jen: "And remember, you can always talk to us. We're like your real siblings now."
Zack smirked.
Zack: "Yeah! And you also got a mischievous little brother who's gonna keep annoying you!"
Safari let out a deep sigh.
Safari: "Of course I do..."
Jen giggled, recalling Angeleva's words.
Jen (thinking): "Angeleva really understood him, huh?"
Just as the moment was settling, Zack grinned and went back to annoying Safari.
Safari yelled, chasing him around the ship.
Safari: "You little-GET BACK HERE!"
The Next Day, far away from Safari's chaos...
Angeleva's tracker beeped on coming closer to a planet.
She looked at it with a smirk and headed there which seemed to be just half an hour distance from there.
Angeleva: "Looks like the next challenge is here."
_ _ _
Safari's spaceship cruised through the vast, glowing stars. After their last adventure, Safari had set his sights on Planet Gorvax, another world marked by a red signal on his tracker.
The ship's control panel flashed a warning.
Tracker (beeping): "Danger level high. Demon General detected."
Safari (grinning): "Heh. Finally, a proper fight!"
Jen: "I hope this time, you won't miss it."
Safari growled, recalling how Angeleva had stolen his spotlight during the last battle.
Safari: "Tch! That fairy cheated. This time, no one's taking my fight."
Zack (teasing): "Unless I challenge the general first!"
Safari shot him a glare.
Safari: "Yeah? You wanna be squashed like a bug, shrimp?"
Zack snickered.
Zack: "No thanks, Big Bro. I'm just here to watch you lose your temper."
Jen giggled softly, then pointed to the view ahead.
Jen: "We're entering Gorvax's atmosphere."
As they landed, the landscape was a chaotic beauty.
Massive volcanoes roared in the distance, spewing molten lava that painted the skies orange.
Yet, between the cracks and hardened ground, lush greenery thrived. Scattered stone houses with glowing lanterns formed a quaint savage village. It looked like a place frozen between destruction and resilience.
Despite the natural beauty, something felt off.
Safari: "It's too... quiet."
Jen (nervously): "Maybe they're afraid of the demon general."
Safari cracked his knuckles.
Safari: "Then I'll give 'em a reason not to be."
_ _ _
As they passed through the village, not a single soul greeted them. Windows were shut tight, and the occasional shadow slipped behind curtains.
Safari (grumbling): "Cowards."
Zack, sensing the tension, tried to lighten the mood.
Zack: "Hey, Big Bro, remember the first time I met you?"
Safari's eyes narrowed.
Safari: "How could I forget? You snuck onto my ship like a rat."
Zack: "And I thought I was gonna die!"
Jen perked up, curious.
Jen: "You were scared of him?"
Zack: "Terrified! I mean, imagine waking up to a giant mosshead yelling at you!"
Safari smirked.
Safari: "Hmph. You're still alive though."
Zack laughed.
Zack: "That's the surprising part! I thought I was done for when I accidentally spilled my drink all over the control panel. He was so mad!"
Jen: "Wait, he didn't throw you out?"
Zack: "Nope! Guess I lucked out."
Safari: "More like I needed your healing powers, brat."
Zack (grinning): "That's what I thought too. But after that, I tested it. I pulled a prank. Then another. I thought he'd try to throw me, but he didn't. He just got mad and shrieked. Slowly I was enjoying the routine. Guess he is too afraid to be doing what he says."
Safari growled.
Safari: "I should've launched you into a star."
Zack: "You said that plenty of times! But I knew you wouldn't. You act tough, but you're not as scary as you think."
Jen smiled.
Jen: "You two really are like brothers."
Safari blinked, not used to such words.
Safari: "Hmph. Whatever."
For the first time in a while, Safari felt something strange. Having Jen and Zack beside him, hearing them laugh and talk - it felt like... he had a family again.
Meanwhile, Elsewhere...
Far across the galaxy, Angeleva was supposed to be on the next planet but somehow as a result of dodging a meteor she was pulled into the gravitational pull of another planet. But things weren't going as planned.
Angeleva (frustrated): "Ugh! Would you stop following me?!"
Behind her, a group of weird-looking humanoids were running after her, flailing their arms and shouting nonsensically. They weren't particularly dangerous - just annoying.
Humanoid 1: "We love you, Fairy Lady!"
Humanoid 2: "Teach us your fairy magic!"
Humanoid 3: "Please bless us with your sparkle!"
Angeleva's eyes twitched.
Angeleva: "I'm not a performer, you lunatics!"
She tried flying away, but they somehow kept up.
Angeleva: "I miss the demon generals already!"
She zoomed into the sky, leaving a trail of pink sparkles, but the weirdos still wouldn't stop.
Angeleva (groaning): "I swear, if Safari's having a dramatic battle while I'm stuck with this..."
Back on Gorvax
As they ventured further into the village, a sudden roar echoed from the mountains.
The ground trembled. The villagers peered from their windows, their eyes wide with fear.
Jen: "That must be the demon general."
Safari grinned, his fists tightening in anticipation.
Safari: "Finally."
Zack and Jen stayed close to him, a silent reminder that no matter how fearsome the battle, Safari was no longer alone.