Innocence Ch.13- Fly Me To Nishtal (Ficnapping II)

Welcome to Ficnapping II, This is my ficnapping of u/alien_enjoyer ‘s fic: Innocence. Read the official fic here!

Read the ficnapping for my fic, Dark Cuts, here. (soon)

All ficnapping II submissions can be found here. (soon)

As a ficnapping chapter, this is obviously non-canon. (unless alien_enjoyer says it’s cannon)

Without further ado, put your glasses on because basic literacy is a prerequisite skill to enjoy this fic!

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Song: Broken Wings by Alter Bridge

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Memory transcription subject: Nilja, Alliance Navy Cadet

Date [standardised human time]: October 13, 2136

Left, right, left, right, left, right, left, right.

I didn't know how long I had been marching, all I knew was that if I kept going, eventually I would be back safe on Nishtal. That’s what I had been told by the captain, and that's what I believed. There was nothing else to believe that wouldn’t be admitting I was going to die here, no matter what I did.

Left, right, left, right, left, right, left, right.

I put one foot in front of the other, keeping my motions steady to the count inside my head. Despite my efforts to push forward, I must’ve looked like a drunk to any observer. I was more exhausted than I had ever been before and all my movements were clumsy, even with the mantra in my head.

After hours of marching through the forests of earth, even that repeated left-right chant began to fade into the background. The sun had long since set, yet our troop continued to march on. The dark silhouettes of the trees terrified me, but not as much as what might happen if I stopped now. My brain had become desensitised to the reality I was faced with.

I wonder how long it would take for me to fly to Nishtal?

My talons collided painfully with a rock that was embedded in the rough terrain that I was attempting to traverse. Its position firm, my own foot gave way before the stone did and began to fall. Out of instinct, I swung my wings out wide to break my fall only for them to provide no resistance. My beak planted itself into an icy puddle of freshly molten snow in a harsh reminder of my newfound flightlessness.

I wonder how long it would take for me to march to Nishtal?

I pushed myself up with every ounce of effort I had, begging my muscles not to fail me now. Wet sleet infiltrated my feathers, searching for the warm flesh below.

A million years?

The icy cold seeped into my bones, sapping my strength. If I didn’t get up now, I would die; killed by a puddle.

I strained my muscles to their limit, fighting back against gravity and exhaustion. I refused to let this be how I died. I couldn't. I would’ve preferred to have had my brains spilt over the soil, or for me to bleed out or succumb to infection, instead, I would die of my own weakness.

All my efforts were in vain, my body didn't budge. I felt like I was being crushed by a mountain.

A billion years?

I wanted to go home. I had no idea how much further it was. For all I knew, it could just be a single step. All I needed to do to survive was take the next step. I needed to take another step, but I failed. Dead one step away from salvation.

How many paces is Nishtal from Earth?

I opened my beak, letting the cool liquid flow in. I’d rather drown and die on my own terms.

Suddenly, I was yanked out of the water. I came face to face with Veele, looking worn and exhausted but thankfully alive. She didn't say anything, none of us had anything to say anymore. All we had was silent determination. Our songs had been exhausted hours ago.

Nishtal is one thousand one hundred and twenty-three light years from Earth.

My feet found purchase on the ground once more, and I continued onwards. For all I knew, Nishtal was one more step away. Every gust of wind sapped more heat from me. My soaked feathers might kill me. I tried to shake the wetness from them to no avail.

One light year is about ten quadrillion meters.

I looked up for a moment as I marched. the sun was rising now, we had been going for so long that an entire daylight cycle had passed. I welcomed the newfound warmth. The barren trees around me now showed signs of green. Leaves began to sprout from their branches and I could even see birds begin to make their homes inside the twisted structures. The sky was painted in shades of beautiful orange and yellow.

It takes about three paces to make a meter.

The forest grew denser, Trees bloomed with colourful flowers and insects, striped in black and yellow, roamed, hopping from flower to flower. As much as I despised the stars-forsaken planet that Earth was, it undeniably held a wild majesty that no other planet replicated. I didn't understand how it got so much warmer but I wasn't going to question it.

I came to a wall of trees that I couldn't see beyond. It had gotten so warm I was afraid that I had somehow walked towards the sun, but I knew that was impossible. No matter how far I walked, I would never get off the planet.

That makes thirty quadrillion paces per lightyear.

Our small group of survivors stopped at the foliage blocking our path. We knew we had to pass through it. But without assurance that no predator ambush was lurking on the other side, we decided to push the least valuable individual to scout ahead.

Giserin pointed at me.

I mentally fortified myself for anything I might see when I pushed through the bushes, though I was too exhausted to run or scream if it came to it. My only purpose in preparing myself was to make sure that when the beasts tore me into pieces, it would be with dignity.

I pushed through the foliage.

Only thirty quintillion more paces till I'm home.

Branches poked and prodded at my body and my scars as I pushed through the dense plants. I struggled against the bushes’ leafy hold, batting away at twigs and thorns as best I could, the action only adding to my collection of scars.

Suddenly the resistance ended and I fell once more, ending up beak down in… Sand?

It was warm and golden with small white shards of shells interspersed in it. I lifted my beak up to look around. With my limited remaining strength, I rolled around into a seated position. The sight that I beheld was as utterly perplexing as it was beautiful. I was on a sandy dune overlooking a golden beach. Waves softly crashed along its shore creating a calming ambiance. The warm breeze dried my feathers and comforted me, like a heavy blanket.

The environment was illuminated in brilliant gold by the sun as if some insane author had haphazardly thrown adjectives at the scene and reality somehow complied.

How the hell did I get here?

There had been no mention of any coasts near our landing zone, in fact, our escape pods were designed to target as inland as possible to prevent the passengers from being stranded in an ocean. Was it possible that we had walked all the way to the coast? Perhaps our pods had just landed closer to the coast than we had thought. It was plausible even if impossibly unlikely.

Maybe I drowned in that puddle and all this is just the last of my brain activity, finally fading away.

Stop drawing attention to plot inconsistencies. it’s bad for the audience's suspension of disbelief.

What the sta-

No. We’re not doing the meta thing. It's overused.

Can I at least have two questions, please?

Fine. Go on. I only have so much time to ruin this ficnapping I also have my own story to write you know?

Am I dead?

Oh like that episode of Bojack Horseman? Shit that would've been a way better idea. But no, it's more like a beach episode made entirely for fan service.

Are you god?

That’s a third question. This section already took me too long to write. Can you get on with the bullshit, -Ahem- valid plot, so that we can have that cool twist at the end?

Well fuck you too.

I was annoyed but I understood that I wasn't supposed to acknowledge the above text. The fact that I just did was only possible because I didn't exist. The text that a reader's mind interprets as the words of the narrator, are actually not those of the character but are instead written by an author who could see the words that he wrote previously and therefore are not beholden to the limitations that a character such as Nilja would actually be. Nilja doesn't really exist, I am simply your mind's interpretation of the words on the screen in front of you. At best, I was ones and zeros in a Reddit database, or some electrical impulses in your brain.

I guarantee that at least three other entries are also doing this bit. Move on.

“Nilja? Are you there?” I heard Veele yell from the other side.

The characters other survivors were still on the other side of the foliage and must have been waiting for me to finish my interaction with whatever that was signal to them that there wasn’t anything dangerous on the other side.

“Yeah… there's a beach on the other side” My voice was weak and raw from the exhaustion.

“A beach? How is that possible? Thank goodness! We finally got to the beach which we always planned on going to since we don't have any more pressing matters.” I heard Veele yell in response.

Soon after I heard the beating of wings and Veele landed right beside where I was sitting. She looked rough, but significantly better than I did after our nearly twenty-hour march, no doubt having functioning wings helped her cover the distance with considerably less effort.

The other two survivors continued past us and settled down by the seashore. They prepared to set up camp with Captain Giserin and Cilany starting different parts of the task. We would all have to work together if we wanted enough food and drinkable water to survive.

“Come on, Let's join them, Hopefully, we can find some food and get some rest,” Veele said to me, offering her hand to help me up.

I’m too exhausted to move.

Suddenly I was overwhelmed with some sort of invigorating energy. The kind that allowed me to ignore all the consequences of recent events. My legs didn't ache. I felt well-rested, and energetic, as though my injuries were merely an aesthetic choice rather than significant impediments to the function of my body.

Velee must have experienced the same too, her feathers were bright blue, like they were freshly washed and shampooed rather than covered in mud like they were moments ago. Her posture was tall and she looked like she had gotten a full night's sleep.

Physically unable to question it. I stood up with the help of Veele, her beautiful feathers seemed to shimmer in the morning sun. I could swear I saw the sky change to a vague pinkish and purple pastel with bubbles. But the effect was gone as soon as I looked away.

When we reached the campsite we found it was replaced by eight beach towels laid out facing the water. large multicoloured umbrellas were embedded deep into the sand to provide shade to some of the sitting spots. Gresin and Cilany were lying relaxed on two of the beach towels. Having cast their weapons aside in the sand.

“Oh good of you to join us, we have snacks!” Gresin called out when he noticed our arrival and lifted his sunglasses onto his forehead while gesturing to a large picnic basket placed in the centre of the setup.

I found my spot and checked the contents of the basket, It was filled with a variety of foods referencing other fanfictions like sprunk, strayu, zelzfruit, juicefruit, lampan melon and venbits. There were also ham and cheese sandwiches for when the licensing budget ran out.

I decided to help myself to a juicefruit and make myself comfortable on my beach towel. I knew the remaining four spots would be filled soon, and then the activities would start.

Sure enough, three humans appeared from the foliage. There was a kid, who I recognised as the human juvenile that I encountered when I was searching for food with my friends. Next to him was a large adult who carried a rifle in a sling and had a pistol attached to his waist. The third person carried a massively oversized gun, they must have been responsible for killing my friends.

I wanted to kill that man with every fibre of my being, and yet, I didn’t. I simply waved. “So glad you could come”

What is wrong with me? Why can’t I strangle this asshole?

Despite our hatred for each other, we were unable to do anything that would affect the plot while we were here. The three humans came to sit with us. Placing their weapons down on the sand just like we had, the weapons were useless here. They were clearly suffering from the same condition that prevented me from acting anything but amicably.

The human with the long rifle was the last to put their weapon down, letting it rest on the remaining empty spot, as though he were somehow trying to beat Chekhov's towel by filling the spot with something else.

He turned to the larger human and calmly addressed him. “Brother Butch”

“Yes, brother Adam?” Butch replied, concern in his voice.

“Did you follow my instructions exactly how I told you to?” Adam asked.

“Uhh” Butch trailed off not having a good answer.

“No.” A fourth human emerged from the clearing, apparently answering Butch’s question “I lived bitch.”

“Oh David, good to see you” Adam greeted him, no pleasure in his voice despite his words.

“I’m not even Brother David anymore? What a shame.” David tilted his head in mock curiosity.

The humans must have had some conflict amongst each other that they were unable to resolve properly without violence, something that seemed to be impossible to initiate on this beach. It didn't surprise me that the predators would just as readily fight amongst themselves as with us.

“No matter, all that counts is that everyone is here now.” Giserin interrupted the human conversation.

I think it’s time for our first activity.

“You know I do fancy a swim about now” Butch mused unexpectedly.

I had never swum before in my life, so I hoped I wasn't about to drown. Hopefully, I could figure it out before I went under. The group headed towards the water before I was suddenly stopped.

I spoke “I just realised, I'll have to go change into my swimsuit”

I didn't know why I said that, I didn't have a swimsuit, I was a goddamn bird I didn't even wear clothes. None of this made sense.

Stupid fucking beach.

I had better get out of this damn beach when I could. It was somehow hindering my agency as a person. On the other hand, at least here I didn't feel like I was going to die, and my next moment of rest was thirty quintillion paces away.

“Yeah hold on I have to grab something too,” David said before heading back to the campsite.

I turned away. It looked like the humans were going to a changing room, a brick building that almost certainly wasn’t there a moment ago. I normally didn't wear clothes so I didn't feel the need to hide myself away. However, I didn't know how I was going to get a swimsuit to fulfil the beach’s request. Somehow, washed up on shore I found a two-piece swimsuit.

Do I really have to?

Yes, it's for the fanservice.

What the fuck is wrong with you.

I imagine that's what u/alien_enjoyer_ will say when they read this.

“Hey I'm gonna go grab a drink, The salt water is making me thirsty” Cilany mentioned before walking away back towards camp.

I tried putting on the swimsuit, It was a weird feeling to be wearing clothes, I somehow felt more naked with them on than otherwise, like I suddenly was ashamed of the feathers I was exposing. Maybe that’s what humans felt.

Suddenly a thunderous rumbling boom sounded out, startling me. Perhaps it was another oddity of the already strange beach.

Three of the humans returned from the changing room. Joining the three of us, we headed into the water for a swim. The human David did not come to join us. He didn't look happy to see the other humans, so it was likely he had run off.

The water was cool and relaxing, but it stung my eyes. I figured out that I could float fairly easily on the water. The same lightweight body construction that allowed krakotl to fly, made it very difficult for us to sink. We had fun splashing each other with the water, eventually butch claimed that he could swim out further than anyone else.

Another rumble of thunder sounded out after he left our sight. I wondered if he would make it back to shore.

Memory transcription subject: Nilja, GET OUT OF MY HEAD GET OUT OF MY HEAD GET OU- Alliance Navy Cadet

Date [standardised human time]: October 14, 2136

It was midday now and the five of us had decided to exit the water and grab lunch from the picnic basket. I skipped through the sand, enjoying the feeling of the warm grains between my talons.

The long rifle was missing from its beach towel, but I thought nothing of it. It couldn't be fired on the beach anyway.

When I reached the basket, to my surprise all the fruit had already been eaten. As it turned out, the humans were perfectly capable of consuming it, they weren't just predators, apparently, they were ‘omnivores’ and could eat both plants and animals.

Unfortunately, because they ate all the fruit, the only thing that was left was the ham and cheese sandwiches, which I couldn't eat.

Hate to break it to you like this, but you can eat them.

No.

The implication of being able to eat the sandwiches was disturbing. That meant krakotl had the ability to consume meat.

Was it possible that krakotl were secret predators all along? This whole time, meat eaters living right under the noses of the federation. It was insane, how could it be possible? we were so thorough in exterminating predators. If we were predators, how did the federation miss us?

Despite my concerns, I took a bite of the sandwich. It tasted good, but eating the flesh of a once-living animal made me feel horrible

If it makes you feel any better, lore-wise that would be cloned meat.

I felt a little better after the source of the meat was explained to me.

“All that fruit really did a number on my digestive system,” Captain Giserin groaned before flying off into the trees. Apparently, he had eaten more fruit than he had the capacity for.

Thunder rumbled in the distance again.

“Hey I found a volleyball, We can do a two vs. two game,” Adam said, holding up an inflated plastic ball.

I had no idea where it had come from, but if we were going to play a game, I would have to show off krakotl superiority against these humans.

Velee and I stood on one side of the net while Adam and the kid, Lucas. Stood opposite us. Lucas spiked the ball upwards into the back corner of the court. The sand slowed me down but I made it just in time. Beak-planting myself for the third time today I reached out, bouncing the ball up so that Velee could plant it thoroughly in the sand on the human side of the court.

This was going to be a piece of cake.

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Memory transcription subject: Nilja, Free Will Enthusiast

Date [standardised human time]: October 13, 2136

After the game was won, decided to explore the beach. It didn’t take long before we discovered an unmanned ice cream cart. The humans said they would go off and grab some money to pay for the Ice-cream in case the owner came back. I supposed it must be a normal thing for humans to leave shops unattended, though I had no idea what prevented them from just stealing the ice cream if there wasn't anyone watching it.

Veele and I scooped ourselves some ice cream and sat on the beach, happily eating the frozen treat.

Thunder rolled out over the beach twice before the regular ambience of waves crashing on the beach returned. Simply sitting together and eating ice cream was enough. I leaned my head on her shoulder.

The sun had begun to set again, I knew we would be back on our trials tomorrow but I was glad to have a break, even if it was just one day. A brief chance to reclaim my lost innocence. I could be happy for a moment, even if all of it was merely words on a page.

In an explosion of purple, Velee was gone. Bloody giblets scattered out across the sand, and my right half was coated in her blood. The lower half of her body fell forward with a soft thud, organs spilling out from her open torso.

After a second, I heard the rumble of thunder again. I ran to hide behind the ice cream stand, but I had no idea from what direction the shot had come, for all I knew I was standing wide open.

Only thirty quintillion more paces till I'm home.

I began to dash for the forest, If I got in there I would be safe, but it would keep sightlines short, potentially allowing me to spot the shooter. It would give me a chance.

Left, right, left, ri-

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Memory transcription subject: David, Satellite war veteran

Date [standardised human time]: October 14, 2136

Just one scrambling bird left to hit and this will all be over.

I looked down the scope at the bird who had hidden behind a flimsy ice cream cart. It wouldn't hold against a fifty-calibre round. In fact, the shrapnel generated by the bullet ripping through the metal of the cart would make my shot more lethal. I levelled my scope at the cart, preparing to punch a hole right through.

It was funny, she had no way of shooting back at me as long as she was still on the beach. I wouldn't have been able to shoot at her had I still been on it, but I wasn't; I was perched in a tree beyond the beach, where its mysterious qualities had no effect on me anymore.

The bird began to run, dashing for better cover.

I held my breath and squeezed the trigger.

With a thunderous boom, the gun thrust itself into my shoulder. The recoil of the gun was a lot to handle with my old bones. It would've made a lot more sense for Adam to take a regular sniper rifle rather than an anti-materiel rifle. But fools tend to think bigger means better.

It was done. No more insanity. It was a shame about the kid, but even he was too far gone. I was just glad it was over.