Surfer of the Skies

David had no idea where they were going to end up next. He and Bob had just left a planet of dinosaurs. They were much larger than he had expected, but nowhere near the size of Bob. He and Bob had been traveling the universe for… well as long as David could remember. They had visited dozens, if not hundreds of worlds. He didn't bother counting. Why keep track anyway? It was all about the adventure of exploring the cosmos.

David thought back to the last few places they had gone. Dinotopia, obviously. Then there was Millerdome, where half the planet was used for a daily demolition derby. It was interesting watching pandas wreck vehicles. They were apparently tired of the “cute” persona they had been labeled with. David laughed at the spectacle, because destroying stuff somehow made the pandas even cuter!

One planet they came across was entirely covered in water. David couldn't breathe underwater. Bob fixed that easily though, just like he helped David breathe in space. It was just as peaceful underwater as it was in space. Was it because of the lack of oxygen? He opened his journal and took notes on this idea. It was something he could experiment with when they came across another place without it. Although, the best part of that world was the mermaids in Atlantis. Society was simple. Their entire philosophy was to enjoy life through singing, dancing, treasure hunts, bubble art, and anything they loved. David left because a few mermaids got a bit too infatuated with him, and their mates weren't too keen about him hanging around. He put his hand on the pearl necklace at his throat. A parting gift that gave David the ability to conjure water whenever he needed it.

That definitely came in handy when they visited Drift, a planet completely covered in sand. Drift was at the bottom of his favorite planets list. He'd rated it a 1. Considering he'd only ranked five planets at a 1, that said something. Chills ran down his spine when David remembered that giant snake almost eating him. He didn't expect the cactus was actually a venomous tail! Fortunately, Bob could cure him of anything. David stopped a moment and wondered if that made him immortal. He didn't have any sense of time, especially since time was different on each planet. David shrugged. As long as he was happy, it didn't matter.

David had thought about settling down on some of the worlds they came across, but Bob couldn't live on planets like he did. Bob was always with him psychically, but he had to wait in space while David explored. Leaving Bob alone out there made him sad and David promised himself he wouldn't abandon him. Aura Flora was one of the worlds he had thought about staying at. It was vibrant and beautiful. None of the animals tried to eat him and were all extremely friendly. Even the Fae welcomed him openly.

The only problem was David began changing the longer he lingered there. He grew wings! Flying on his own without Bob was unusual, but exhilarating. It was only when he started shrinking from drinking Fae juice all day that Bob intervened. David hadn't even noticed… a dangerous side effect of the delicious juice. The Fae allowed him to take some of their elixir when he left, but David hadn't touched it. He was afraid of how it would affect him off-world.

David spotted the black hole ahead. “Hey Bob, watch out! We can't go there!”

“Yes, we can,” he heard Bob respond telepathically.

“I thought you avoided them because they were deadly,” David squeaked nervously.

“Not at all,” Bob replied calmly. “The space-time just works differently in there than the rest of the universe. I didn't think you were ready for it until now.”

“Why now? We've been traveling together for so long. What's changed?” David was perplexed.

“Well, you’ve changed. You no longer fear this vastness and the infinite eccentricities it holds. This universe is ever expanding. We have many more places to explore, but I want to take a rest at home... Maybe see what you think about my abode?” Bob sounded a bit anxious.

David gasped. “Your home is through the black holes? Why didn't you tell me?! I didn't think you had one since you can't say on planets,” David hopped up and down excitedly sitting atop Bob. “I can't wait to see your home. What's it like?” Bob sent a feeling of gratitude through their link.

“It's a place where you won't have a corporeal form. You're light itself. It is not something humans, or any physical entity, can usually handle. However, since we've been connected continuously, you will have stability through me,” Bob stated confidently. “Remember when you turned into clouds to explore Nebis? It's similar to that.” He sensed David tense.

“That was terrifying. If you hadn't been there, I would have forgotten who I was.”

“Yes. It is an intense experience, but substantially more enjoyable than being a cloud.” Bob hovered near the black hole. “Do you still want to go in?”

David paused. He loved Bob and if this was Bob's home, how could he refuse? “Absolutely. Let's go home and rest.”

Bob beamed. “Hold on tight. I don't want us getting separated when we cross over.”

David took a deep breath and tightly gripped Bob's feathers. “Ready!” He shouted enthusiastically.

David felt his essence vibrating to the celestial music, now emanating from the black hole, as the cosmic owl crossed the event horizon.