Cuddlefish - 16. Chapter 16

Pip thought he understood, but wanted to clarify. He spoke in Sepida, {"Does that mean I won't have to pay for upgrades anymore? And all the languages are included with the upgrade you're doing today?"} That was way too good a deal. Sepida selling their essence wasn't a common thing, but it was done. Was there really such a demand for it that it was worth so much? It made the concern about Sepida being kidnapped by unscrupulous aliens make a bit more horrible sense. Greed was pretty much a universal thing, from what Pip understood.

{"Exactly,"} Cisco responded. {"The automatic upgrades are a new promotional thing, though. There was some competition going on with, get this, a company selling lubrication tablets eating up the market. I actually have a jar of them too, if you wanna try them. They're quite convenient and come in many flavors and sensations."}

{"Ooo, yes, please!"} Pip chirped happily as they were led to a small room with a surprisingly nice MedUnit. Pipolphi nodded in satisfaction, looking it over and seeing the tech was state of the art and well-maintained. It was good enough for his human and his Louie. Pip hugged Zane tight around the middle, not quite able to reach all the way around, and rubbed his face in his mate's sternum while his hair tentacles waved around in excitement. Pipolphi loved Zane and wanted so much to be able to communicate freely with the giant alien. Pip couldn't find the words in English or Sepida to explain how Zane made Pipolphi feel.

Zane carefully hugged the Sepida back. If it weren't for the "happy, excited hair" he saw, he'd have thought that Pip was worried about the chip implanting process. He could only assume that his petite lover was happy about being able to finally understand one another better.

"We can start with your Kaynen friend first, and once you see how easy and painless the process is, you'll be blown away," Francisco explained as he motioned for Louie to hop into one of the pods.

"Come on, Louie," Zane gently urged the canine. He gave him a gentle scratch as he had him lay down. "Now, stay."

Louie's attention shifted to the glass that sealed him in. But, he trusted Zane enough to remain where he was. His eyes followed the Alano as Cisco began to input commands until his eyelids drooped and his head followed until he was fast asleep.

"Now, we'll set one of the chips inside…" Cisco said as he gently inserted the chip into a console on the side of the pod. "And the Medbay will do the rest."

Pipolphi had seen such a procedure before, but the Medbay still surprised him due to its fast efficiency. Zane, on the other hand, was fascinated as the machine seemed to scan Louie and drew up a holographic map of the body. A zone in a certain area of the canine's brain was then highlighted, and tiny lasers made incisions while a wire (which reminded Zane of a long, white earphone jack) inserted the chip. A few more lasers sealed everything back up, and another several scans rolled over the canine's form, each one healing a different "layer" of Louie's body.

"I'm going to have to update your chip, too," Cisco added as he walked over to Pipolphi, holding up a small, curved device to the Sepida's forehead that looked a bit like a wireless mouse to Zane. "It will be able to keep up with the advances of the newer chips. You can take this updater with you for any friends and family members. They'd be able to understand Zane and Louie, but there would still be a few missing words and phrases without the update."

By the time the Alano finished the update on Pipolphi's chip, a musical chime had drawn their attention back to the pod. Louie's eyes opened as the glass slid back and he gave a big yawn. Though Zane heard a few gruffs and barks, Pip's eyes appeared bigger than ever as he gazed at the canine.

{"Nap was very nice. Dreamed of sweet-smelling goats we saw,"} Louie stated in a low, rumbling voice reminiscent of an actor Zane had called "Vin Diesel." {"Most appreciative of new blanket-cape. Many thanks to moth-man."}

{"Don't mention it,"} the Alano responded without missing a beat. The sound of his voice drew Louie's attention to him immediately.

{"Moth-man speaks my tongue?"} Louie keened in surprise.

{"I can now, too, Louie,"} Pip softly responded with a touch of emotion. {"We can finally understand each other!"}

{"Salty Pup speaks my tongue, too?"} the canine questioned as he lifted himself up to a sitting position. Though his tail wagged rapidly behind him, his full attention was on the Sepida.

{"Yes! And after Zane gets his chip, he will, as well!"} Pip bounced on his toes, his hair waving so wildly in his excitement that it nearly smacked the human in the face. The little Sepida flung himself at the English Setter and hugged him. {"I have so much I want to say. Thank you so much for being patient with me when I was afraid of you, for finding ways to give me wisdom when I couldn't understand your words, for protecting me and watching over me. I'm honored to call such a warrior my friend and companion."} Pip buried his face in the soft fleece Louie wore, overcome with emotion.

The English Setter was quite glad to hear that their Leader Zane would be able to speak his tongue, as well. He sat up straighter, feeling noble and proud with every word that the Sepida said. {"Warrior Louie will always protect Leader Zane and his Salty Pup,"} the canine responded in a warm, rumbling tone of voice. {"Most important thing in life to Louie will always be family. Zane and Salty Pup are Louie's family."}

In spite of himself, even Francisco the Alano became a little misty-eyed as he took a step back to give them some time.

{"Do you feel okay?"} Pip asked Louie. The Sepida had heard a few horror stories, no doubt exaggerated, about chip implantations gone awry. {"Are you ready to get down? You're not dizzy, are you? No tingling in your limbs? Vision is clear? No ringing in your ears?"}

Louie gave the Sepida's cheek a lick. {"Only thirsty."} He responded. {"But, Warrior Louie will live."}

Zane looked on, completely lost as he saw and heard Louie appearing to converse with Pipolphi through barks and growls while Pip responded in his usual chirps and trills. "I'm guessing it worked?" He asked hesitantly.

"Like a charm," Cisco affirmed. "Your turn next."

The human gave a nod. He was a little nervous after having seen the process, but he was willing to do that and more to be able to fully express to Pip how much he loved him. "I'm ready."

"Louie is fit as a fiddle," Pip told Zane happily as the dog hopped off the padded table and ambled to where Cisco had pulled a bottle of water out of a chilling cabinet and was pouring it into a dish for Louie. "Ready or not?"

Zane smiled and pressed a gentle kiss to the Sepida's lips. "Definitely ready," he repeated.

When Cisco was satisfied with Louie's thirst being quenched, he walked over to another pod and motioned for Zane to lay down on it. "You'll have to strip down to your underwear first. The Medbay works faster when it doesn't have to calculate how to get around processed and dyed clothing. It's loads easier when the fabric is completely organic, like with Louie's fleece."

The human did as asked and then laid down with his arms at his side. He tried his best to send Pip a last reassuring smile before promptly falling asleep. Once again, Cisco got the pod running, and procedure began. Since he was a much larger mass, the pod took a while longer with healing him from the inside out. But, soon the chime of completion rang in the air.

Zane took a long, deep breath as he came to. He was quite surprised at how well-rested and energized he felt. The slight stiffness on the back of his neck was gone, as was a small ache near his ankle from when he had bashed into the corner of Pip's mom's cabinet a day earlier. As his eyes opened, he was surprised at how easily they focused. He could see details he couldn't before. The slate gray eyes immediately sought his Sepida's teal ones, and he smiled. "I'm ok, Pip."

The Sepida's large eyes grew impossibly wide. He covered his mouth with both hands, his hair frozen mid-wave. Pip barely breathed as he let Zane's words wash over him. His name said with the inflection that conveyed that it was a shortened form of a longer name. The words before it with the soft churring and upward lilt at the end of the second trill. Three words, such simple ones, but so powerful to Pipolphi that they nearly knocked him over like a rogue wave. Because Zane was speaking Sepida, his voice low and smooth and perfect. And suddenly Pip could say nothing in return, and he was so overcome with the wonder and joy of it.

A slight frown formed on the human's face when the petite man said nothing. He pulled up to a sitting position and then rushed over to him to take Pip's face in his hands. "Is everything ok? Did it work? I sure hope you're not hearing something weird in return…"

"It's certainly working on my end," Cisco prompted from where he was next to Louie. The sound drew Zane's attention briefly to the Alano.

The voice was still very much as he had heard him before, but instead of a slight accent, it sounded like perfect English to him. "It is working!" Zane gasped before peering down at the Sepida's eyes. "Pipolphi of the Sepida in the Waters," He began, having grasped at least that part of Pip's name. Soon, he'd be able to truly grasp the Sepida's full name, as well. "I won't go a minute longer without telling you how much you mean to me. I am yours. I love you more than I ever knew I could love another person. Will you allow me to be by your side for the rest of our collective lives?" Whenever he had imagined confessing his feelings to Pip, he never would have imagined it would be inside a small lab while wearing nothing but underwear. But, what he was or wasn't wearing had been the least of his concerns at that particular moment in time.

"Zay." Pip's voice trembled, soft and filled with wonder. "I love you, too. So much. I want to be with you until the seas swallow the sky."

Zane knew Pip was speaking Sepida but that his chip was doing some sort of technological magic to flip it into English in his mind. He wasn't prepared for how it hit him to hear his language from his lover's lips when it wasn't a struggle for Pip to find the words. The Sepida's translated voice was still his but without the difficulty, Pip had had stretching his tongue around certain letters and inflections. His voice was soft and sweet, as musical as when Zane heard Pip speaking Sepida. There was a hint of what sounded like a British accent, which made the human smile. It was, somehow, right for his lovely little alien.

Louie began to circle around them in excitement. "Leader Zane and Salty Pup both speak my tongue! Warrior Louie is proud they learned," the canine added.

The human couldn't help but burst out laughing. As crazy as it was, the Vin Diesel-ish voice actually suited Louie, though it was quite a surprise to hear it. "You call Pip 'Salty Pup?'" he questioned after a moment before he began to pull his clothes back on.

"Yes, because he is salty and he is Zane's mate. But Louie is stronger and protects, so he is a pup," Louie explained to his best ability. "Warrior Louie protects his family."

Zane reached down to gently scratch one of Louie's ears. "In any case, I'm glad you consider us family. Thank you for protecting my mate," he responded.

When the human looked back up, he noticed that the Alano trader seemed to be trying to keep his tears at bay. Cisco wiped at his eyes as he tried to recover from the touching scene.

"I'm going to go pack up your things," Cisco said as he headed out of the room back towards his storefront. "If you need another moment, you can stay here for a while longer."

"Did you both want to come back to the ship?" Pipolphi asked, his skin a joyful grassy green with blossoms of lime as he beamed at Louie and Zane. "Or would you like to look around some more?"

The taller man leaned down to whisper into a webbed ear. "Let's go home. There's a lot I want to ask you about how to court you, but I'd rather do it in private." Zane then peered over at Louie and spoke in a louder voice. "Ready to go, Louie?"

"Yes!" Louie replied. "Might see sweet-smelling goat again."

"Sweet-smelling goat?" Zane wondered aloud but didn't ask the canine for any further details. The three of them headed to the storefront, where Cisco had everything ready for them.

"It's been a real pleasure doing business with you," the Alano admitted as he handed Pipolphi another chip, different from the ones he had packed earlier. "My contact info's here in this chip in case you guys are ever in the area again or need my help finding anything. I have my sources."

"You have our deepest gratitude," Pipolphi replied. "You'll definitely hear from us again."

The three of them then said their goodbyes to the gray Alano and stepped back out into the fresh air. Louie seemed to have realized that they were heading back to the ship because he suddenly stopped and sniffed at the air. He let out a slight whine that was all too familiar to Zane.

"Need to go out, Louie?" Zane prompted.

"Yes. May I go tinkle on the rocks?" Louie asked.

"Go for it," the human stated.

The English Setter wasted no time in hopping off the side of the path and trekking towards the base of the mountainous terrain. He quickly relieved himself and took a moment to take in his surroundings. Though he hadn't mentioned it before, he knew that something had changed when he had woken up in the pod.

Louie felt stronger, and he could grasp more of what was being said and done. The biggest surprise was how much he could see. Before, he was only able to see certain hues. But, now he saw many colors he didn't even know the name of. Everything seemed beautiful. And everything except his own pee smelled so nice.

One particular scent was downright heavenly. Before he knew it, the canine began to walk towards the lovely scent.

:::

It was spring in the mountains.

The Hefuan lifted her head, giving it a gentle shake to show off the buttery soft fleece that curled around her long ears and fell across her forehead. Her eyes were a rich, dark brown, deep and soulful. Her forehead met the long line of her face without a single bump before reaching the soft, dextrous lips of her muzzle. Her legs were strong and slender. She stamped one foot, enjoying the thump of her spongy toe pads and click of the sharp hoof. She was strong, she was clever, she was an excellent climber, and her fleece was thick and softer than velvet.

She was the first of the young ones to jump the tall places, find the best grazing, brave the Silly People who came once a year to bring them fitting tribute of sweet fern and nuffa berries while shearing away fleece that was too hot and heavy for a comfortable summer. And this season was the season. She would choose her mate, and they would find a new spot on the mountain. Because she was the strongest and best of the ones seeking a mate this year. It was her calling to expand to the new places, find what was there to find and make a home of it. And because of all of that, only the best of mates would do. He must be a match for her. She'd have nothing less. He would be strong, agile, quick, and have the softest and healthiest of coats.

Unfortunately, she wasn't having much luck with all of that. Normally sweet and docile, Hefuan females were known to rebuff unwanted suitors rather firmly. She had already kicked two males and headbutted another who had thought they were up to snuff. She'd quickly disabused them of such ideas.

She sighed, her head drooping slightly. It was her second season with no mate. Last season had held no one worthy. This year was looking the same. It made her doubt herself, wonder if she shouldn't have kicked the last one.

Then, she saw him. And he was magnificent. Bigger than any Hefuan male she'd ever seen, leaping over a thick scrub bush like it was nothing. His eyes were clear and sharp. His fleece was a bit odd looking around the edges, but it was soft and full.

She would have him. There was no other option. She stomped her foot twice, signaling the big male to see her.

When Louie neared the end of his scent trail, his attention was drawn to the fluffiest and loveliest goat he had ever seen. She smelled heavenly. He let out an instinctive howl after having found such a treasure and promptly trotted over to her. One thing that became quite apparent was that the female goat seemed to be in heat. So, after sniffing around her rump, Louie straightened back up and turned his head to look into her dark brown eyes. He let out a soft whimper of concerned confusion.

:::

When Louie finally headed back to Zane and Pip, the two men were surprised that he had brought company.

"Louie? Who's this you found?" Zane asked.

"This is my mate," Louie explained. "She will follow me forever."

"What!? Your mate?" the human questioned in shock.

"It doesn't matter whether you win by an inch or a mile," Louie insisted, his voice once again rumbling into the familiar tone of Zane's favorite actor. "Winning is winning."

The Hefuan didn't like the noise the Silly Person made. It might be threatening toward her mate. And even though she couldn't understand a thing her mate said, she was more than a little protective and territorial around strangers.

"Mine!" she bleated, head-butting the giant in the shin. "You be nice and sweet to my mate! I will stomp your toes off!" Her hooves clacked against the stone beneath their feet to let them know she meant business.

"I can understand her!" Pip chirped. "This language upgrade is amazing!"

"I wasn't being mean to your mate!" Zane gasped in an indignant tone. "Wait, even though we can understand her, she might not be able to understand us without a chip, right?"

"I don't believe she can." Pip looked to Louie, keeping his tone soft and gentle and his skin a non-threatening lavender. "Does she understand you? How did this all come about?"

"Went to tinkle near the mountain," Louie responded. "Followed the best scent to her. She likes my scent, too. We are mates."

"How romantic," Pip said dreamily. "And she wants to come with you?" The Sepida frowned. "Are you sure she understands what that means? There are none of her kind except on the mountains of this planet, as far as I know. She's alright leaving her family and the other Hefuan here? I mean, she could visit whenever she likes. Tilly and I make runs here regularly."

"Being mates mean following," Louie insisted.

"Ah!" Pip said suddenly, making Zane wince as Louie's girlfriend reflexively butted him again at the sound. "Oh, I'm sorry, Zay. I was just thinking, if she and Louie want, we can go back to Cisco right now and give her a chip. Then she'd be able to understand us like we understand her."

"Yeah, I'm all for that plan," Zane responded immediately. "She's a strong one."

"She will speak my tongue?" Louie questioned. "I would like that very much."

The Hefuan was nervous as she followed her mate into the place the Silly People lived, her short, fluffy tail twitching in agitation. But she was brave and strong. If her mate went there, she would follow, as she knew he would follow her wherever she went. She stayed tight to his side, taking comfort from his strong body and confidence. Her heart did a happy flip as she turned her head to look at him. He wasn't handsome, by normal standards. Yet there was something about his features that appealed to her in a way that made her want to find a private place to get closer to him. Much closer.

So, she followed him, head held high as she ignored all the Silly People and strange smells and sights. They stopped in a place that was crowded with odd things and a Silly Person she recognized. She tried not to tremble in relief.

"Hello, Rescuer Cisco. Your cave is very strange." She leaned into her mate's side. "This one is mine. Do you see how big and strong he is? He's also clever and agile, and his tail is longer than any I've ever seen. His spirit is sure to give me giant twins. Maybe triplets." The thought made her stomp a hoof nervously. "He'll come to you if the young get stuck like my sister's and you will come and bring your magic."

"Lilly?" Cisco wondered aloud as he walked on over. He gently petted her head. "She says Louie's her mate?"

"Your guess is as good as ours," Zane confessed. "Think you can give her a translating chip so she can understand us?"

"Yes, that won't be a problem. It's been proven that the Hefuan have at least a rudimentary language, so a chip should work for her," Cisco mused as Pip handed him one of the chips. "Louie, would you be so kind as to lead your mate to one of the pods?"

"Absolutely," Louie affirmed as he did just that. When Cisco arrived, the two of them were lying down next to each other in one of the pods. The Hefuan was nuzzling behind Louie's ears affectionately,

"Should Louie come down?" Zane questioned.

"This Medbay model's the latest, so it won't balk at having a second person inside," the Alano replied as he inserted the chip into the device and began the process. "I never would have guessed that one of our Hefuans would end up leaving with your group, as well. Lilly's quite the spitfire. Tried to headbutt me until she realized I was trying to save her sister."

"Oh, believe me," Zane said as he rubbed his leg. "We know."

"I hope she doesn't mind the chip," Pip worried. "What if she doesn't want to understand what everyone says? What if it upsets or scares her? Can you safely remove it if it's something she doesn't want?"

"Of course," Cisco soothed. "If she wants me to, I'll take it out. No charge." The Alano glanced at the pod. "We'll find out shortly. She's waking up."

The Hefuan yawned widely, warm and comfortable next to her mate. She nibbled his chin then stretched as Louie licked her cheek. She blinked at all the Silly People staring at her.

"Do I have a bur stuck to my forehead or something?" Lilly asked, frustrated when her eyes wouldn't roll high enough to see. If she did, she knew her mate would take it out for her. He could probably even do it without pulling her hair and hurting her. Her mate was the best.

"No, you are the loveliest," Louie responded as he gave her another lick on the cheek. "The most beautiful."

She nuzzled at him before pulling her head back, cocking it to the side. "You can talk now?" She let out a dreamy snuffle. "Your baa is so low and deep…"

"So," Zane began hesitantly. "She can understand us now?"

"Lilly," Cisco called. "Do you like being able to understand us 'Silly People?' Or would you rather go back to being understood by others, but not understanding them?"

The Hefuan blinked slowly, working through what Cisco had said. "You'd take your magic back that lets my strong mate and others speak properly?" she asked, sounding scandalized. The hoof stomp wasn't nearly as impressive as it should have been since she was laying down on soft material. Lilly hoped it still conveyed her feelings. "You will not!"

The Alano turned towards the Sepida. "There you have it," he concluded. "I won't take anything back, Lilly, you can relax. We just wanted to make sure we had your consent."

"So, you really do consider yourself Louie's mate, Lilly?" Zane gently questioned.

"Of course." She shook her head, making her hair floof and her ears flap. "What a ridiculous question. He's mine." Lilly looked to Louie. "I see now why you are around these Silly People. They clearly need your guidance and assistance more than any natural herd." She seemed to think about that. "Are they your adopted herd, then? You lead them and keep them safe?"

"Louie's a warrior. I keep my family safe," the canine responded, his tail wagging at the thought of his mate thinking so highly of him. "But the Leader is Zane." He added as he pointed his muzzle towards the human in question.

"Mr. Silly and Tall? But, he looks so weak," Lilly continued candidly. Though she had easily dismissed the Water Person as the leader for his frailty, she didn't expect the group's leader to be the one she had headbutted earlier. "No matter. The two of us can handle anything." She concluded as she nuzzled against her mate once more and he gave her another appreciative lick on her cheek.

Louie's mate was definitely going to be a handful, Zane thought to himself. He was aware, more than ever, that he had to take care what to say from now on. Though the wonders and convenience of translators were truly a godsend, it also meant that many others would be able to understand him. He didn't want to offend anyone by accident.

On the subject of mates, the human turned his gaze back to his beloved Sepida. He had guessed that Pipolphi was a romantic at heart, but it was certainly much better to hear it confirmed from the smaller man's own mouth. He also had a big heart...or was it multiple hearts? Zane could have sworn that he heard more than one heartbeat whenever he rested his head near the Sepida's chest.

However, Zane had always known that Pip was kind. Kind enough to defend an innocent child. Kind enough to release prisoners even while trying to save his friend. Kind enough to be concerned over the wellbeing of a bully. Kind enough to frown about not having an alien goat's consent before she was able to give it.

Zane's feelings for him were still the same. "Shall we head back now, my love?" He asked aloud.

"Yes." Pipolphi flashed a bright, happy green. "We have so much to talk about." The Sepida's hair petted Zane's bicep as Pip hugged his human's arm, saying a cheerful goodbye to Cisco as their diverse little family left the Alano's shop.