Beyond Space & Time

They danced, and danced, and danced, until Atlas could no longer stand in her heels and she kicked them off. They ended the evening on a slow dance again, with Atlas basically asleep standing by that point. She'd had such a good time that she had a permanent smile plastered on her face.

Atlas was a bit uncomfortable sleeping in her tight, sequined dress, but she sprawled out like normal and slept like a baby for a few hours, until they were awoken by screeching sirens splitting through the city. "Ugh, what's that?!" Atlas wailed, covering her ears and getting up to look out the window.

Atlas staggered after wolfie in her dress as they went to find out what was going on. The alarm was going off because a nearby sun was going supernova, and they only had a week to evacuate before the whole planet was vaporised. Luckily, basically all of the buildings were converted spaceships and soon the planet was empty. Except... There was another planet closer to the sun with a large population of Industrial Age people - and no space flight technology. Atlas was distraught. “They’re all gonna die,” she whispered as they looked at the planet from space, as the light of the supernova grew ever closer and brighter.

Atlas looked deeply saddened and turned away. “Th-then let’s go... There’s no point watching something that we can’t stop happening,” she mumbled.

Atlas looked up at him slowly. “You could do that?” She whispered. He was so awesome. “But... Would you?”

”It would be hard, right?” Atlas asked, putting her hand on his. “I don’t want you to get hurt or anything. So... Only do it if you’re okay with it.” She hadn’t meant to but her thumb was slowly stroking the back of wolfie’s hand.

”O-oh...” Of course they would be separated. Atlas would be fine on her own, but she didn’t know if she would be alright without him by her side. Not to support and protect her but because... “I’d be fine if you weren’t getting hurt,” she said. They were running out of time. Wolfie would need to make up his mind soon.

Atlas whimpered and was so surprised by the hug that she barely returned it. Her hands brushed over his hand again as he sped away through the cosmos. His disappearing form was the last she would see of him for hundreds of years but she didn't know that yet. Atlas descended to the planet and told them what was happening, and because of the sun disappearing behind her and her unique appearance, the people believed and revered her. She offered them as much of her knowledge, or Leo's as she could, and they quickly began to expand their space industry. Whenever she was free, Atlas would fly out into space to speak to the exploding, restrained star. Wolfie probably couldn't hear her, but... She missed him. She had spent the majority of her life apart from him now, and he was beginning to fade from her memory. It was the worst sensation. She grew, physically and mentally, learning skills that the people taught her and developing in other ways too, but her separation anxiety was making her distant, even cold.

Atlas was grateful that the planet's people were helping wolfie in thanks for him helping them. She had been worried that they would take it for granted and become complacent. They had given her a small device that would wake Wolfie up, and with all her new knowledge and experience, she flew off into the cosmos away from the retreating people and towards the contained supernova.

Atlas took a deep breath. She wasn't sure if she remembered what Wolfie looked like. Would he have changed? She certainly had, her body was that of a woman's now and she was no longer bubbly and hyper like she had been. Would that side of her return with Wolfie? Atlas hoped, because it was no fun being calm and gloomy. It led her down dark, old paths... After another deep breath, Atlas activated the device.

"I'll bet," Atlas said in response to both, her voice breaking up as she choked back both tears and laughter. Here he was, before her again, and it was like he never left. He was as casual and coolheaded and awesome as ever. "It's been... A while. How are you feeling?" Like Wolfie, Atlas was also dressed differently, in long, ceremonial robes in shades of dusty purple and white. It suited her, but it also did not. She looked so much older in them, and much more like her mother even though her hair was still short.

Atlas looked down at herself. "Thank you. I don't like them, they're not really me. Let's go somewhere to cool down." She looped her arm through Wolfie's and together they flew through space, side by side. Atlas didn't know where they were going, she had been stuck on that planet for centuries, so Wolfie would have to find a place.