Dododex

ARK: Survival Evolved & Ascended Companion

The Arks: Over Heaven

Chapter 14: Apology Accepted

Original Post Date: Jan 25, 2024

Note: Story starts in Wyvern, Aerial ABC backwards filter and has a Prologue. Last chapter in Phoenix, next chapter in Onyc.

~

Ruby and Neddy were huddled up near the crackling fires of the campfire they had put together. Using a few moist sticks that they knew wouldn’t catch on fire so easily, they propped up the Pegomastax and orange-eyed beast meat and put it above the fires. And for the time being, they just waited by the fire. They waited not just for their meat to finish, but for their allies to come find them.

“This is pretty relaxing,” Ruby softly said. She looked up at the night sky, where the stars were beginning to fade away and the Sun was beginning to rise, creating vibrant streaks of red and orange across the night sky. The Moon also hung above, and it seemed bigger than usual.

“It is,” Neddy said as he rubbed his eyes, “I forgot I was on an island filled with bloodthirsty dinosaurs.”

Ever since Neddy had lost his glasses to the pests that were Dilophosaurs, he hadn’t been able to see very clearly. He didn’t really know what Aurora or Ruby looked like, and some of the fauna on the island he couldn’t differentiate, like those orange-eyed beasts that separated the group.

The rest of the time was a little bit silent. But eventually Neddy turned to face Ruby.

“Ruby, I need a favor from you. It’s really important,” Neddy said.

“Well what is it?” Ruby asked.

“My sight,” Neddy replied, “I can’t see anything because I lost my glasses a while back. I was wondering, if you could make glasses with your power?”

There was a pause in the air, and Ruby nodded with a gentle smile.

“Yes, yes I can. I’ll help you get your sight back.”

“But what type of resources do you need to make them?” Neddy questioned, and a little puzzled, “I mean surely it can’t be that easy.”

“You’re right. It isn’t. I can think the thoughts right now, we need crystals and obsidian.”

“Where are we even going to find that?”

“I don’t know. But I’m sure we’ll find it along the way. And I’m sure Aurora will help you too,” Ruby reassured him. Neddy looked around the forest again, but still there seemed to be no trace of Aurora or Samuel.

“Ruby, do you really think Aurora cares about us?” Neddy asked with clenched fists.

“Of course she cares about us, we’re her companions, why wouldn’t she?” Ruby asked, “And more importantly, she’s my friend. Why would friends just abandon each other like that?”

“Ruby, Aurora just decided to ditch us, now we’re waiting on this weird beacon of light and hoping that the two of them are going to find us? She ran away from the situation and didn’t even bother to help us! She’s a terrible person, Ruby, why can’t you just realize it already-”

“She DID care, okay?! She called out to me to come with her, to just leave you there to die to the orange-eyes!” Ruby cried out, “But I decided to stay back to defend you! It was MY CHOICE! Not hers, don’t blame her! I’ve known her since before her boyfriend died! I’ve known her the longest here on this cursed island, so don’t pretend like YOU know what she was doing!”

Ruby tossed her meat aside and stormed off. Neddy put his arm out in despair.

“Wait! Ruby, please! I didn’t mean to say that! I didn’t-”

“Don’t talk to me!” Ruby shouted back. Ruby stopped in her tracks, crossed her arms, and sighed heavily, putting her head down.

“Ruby. I just don’t want anyone to hurt you. I didn’t know you were close to Aurora,” Neddy apologized, “I’m sorry. I really am. Just, please, let’s not argue. I don’t like to argue it makes me feel bad. Besides.”

He turned around to see the flames dying down.

“Our food’s going to burn if we just leave it like that.”

Ruby looked back and closed her eyes softly.

“Fine. Apology accepted,” Ruby said. She rushed forward and wrapped her arms around Neddy, who was taken aback. But he decided to hug her back.

“I’m sorry too, for yelling at you like that. I shouldn’t have. You didn’t know any better,” Ruby whispered.

“It’s okay, it’s okay,” Neddy replied, “We’re both stuck on an island-”

“Filled with dangerous dinosaurs, yeah, yeah I know,” Ruby said with a laugh. She let go of Neddy and smiled.

“Now let’s dig in!” Ruby said, running over to the campfire to pick up one of the dinosaur meat skewers.

“Mmm, WOW. This is super good!” Neddy gasped as he took a big bite of his meal. Ruby was chewing viciously on a piece of orange-eyed beast meat.

“I’ve totally got to agree with you. It tastes better than the food back home,” Ruby said. Suddenly, her eyes sparkled like diamonds, as if she had an amazing idea.

“Wait a minute… What if we combine berries with the meat?!”

Neddy laughed.

“Oh yeah, totally! Like a meat-berry sandwich?”

“Yess! How good do you think that’s taste?”

“I dunno, but maybe we can make it some other time together,” Ruby responded with a smile, “It’s a little funny. I’ve always wanted to be a chef. So in a way, we’re cooking delights even when we’re away from home on this-”

“Dinosaur-infested island. But being a chef sounds like a lot of fun. You can make bank while making good food, like, wouldn’t that be the life?” Neddy said with a smile. The two of them laughed, until eventually Neddy’s smile faded away.

“Well, I’m just wondering one thing,” Neddy said, “Who, who exactly was Aurora’s boyfriend?”

The tone of the conversation changed, as Ruby looked off in the distance.

“Borealis was… A good guy, apparently. Aurora thought he was charismatic, but at the same time very smart and wise. He’s one of the reasons why Aurora decided to step it up and focus more on academics and… the future like college,” Ruby recalled.

“Did you like Borealis? Did you think he was a good guy?” Neddy asked with a raised brow. Ruby shook her head.

“No. I never did. Cool that he cared about her future, but to me it seemed like he didn’t care about anything else except that. He was always so obsessed with it. And all he ever did was care. He didn’t share any hobbies with her, did anything fun with her really. Just that. Planning for the future like some crazy hermit.”

Ruby took one last chunk off her skewer and swallowed it. Finished, she tossed the stick into the flames of the campfire.

“I never really liked anyone. I guess my way of love is different from others,” Ruby said. Neddy nodded solemnly and empathetically.

“I feel the same way too. Some days I just wonder if I’ll ever find-”

“If we’ll ever find the right person to love.”

As the two sat back and relaxed, full and no longer famished, someone giggled beyond the forest line.

“Hee hee, look at those two! I think they’re having a date or something,” Ben said, with a hand on his forehead. Samuel peeked beyond Ben’s shoulder.

“Oh really?”

“Wait a minute,” Aurora said, squinting her eyes, “Those are the two we’re looking for! Neddy and Ruby!”

“Wait, for real?” Ben asked, “I didn’t know your group was on a double date!”

Samuel slapped the back of Ben’s head, and he let out a “Youch!”. Star scowled, ruffling her feathers. Samuel’s Raptor made a chattering noise.

“Say that again, I dare you,” Samuel said.

“Sorry dude…” Ben whispered, “Okay, so what are we going to do? Are we just going to watch them?”

“No, idiot! We’re going, come on!” Aurora said as she walked up to the two.