#sgrb oc

“Shiny if you say one more thing about Zephyr knowing the Metallic Plant Monster—”

“You’re gonna tell me I’m wrong!?” Shiny argued.

“I am about to out of pure spite against your unreasonable reasonings!” Thunder glared. “You are coming up with barely plausible evidence that could be used as better evidence for other theories.”

“My evidence is very plausible, excuse you.”

“On what calculated data!?”

“My calculated data.”

“I am going to strangle your vocalizing—”

A sudden noise made the two brothers stop. Thunder and Shiny looked ahead to see an old and ruined temple covered in all sorts of plant life. Where there were cracks, there were vines and flowers covering them. As if they were acting as a support to the ancient building. There was an open entrance, looming with intimidating darkness. The robots came closer.

“I believe this is the temple.” Thunder cleared his vocalizer.

“The Metallic Plant Monster lives here?” Shiny questioned. “It looks… very botanical and old. Like a rundown greenhouse.”

“Seems fitting for a cryptid who is part plant. Not to mention this was once the holding place of the Kaiju Bloodgem.”

Thunder activated his flashlight and shone a light through the entrance. Just like the outside, plants covered the inside. However, there was a trail on the ground. A trail of metal scraps, wires, and oil spillings mixed with a strange liquid. Shiny looked at the trail with worry as Thunder looked ahead. His scanners detected an energy signature. A weak energy signature.

“There is a Rose Type Guardian Class Robot energy reading up ahead.” Thunder said in surprise.

“There is?” Shiny asked.

“It is weak, but it is there. It is currently moving at a slow pace.”

“That must be Zephyr! And that means he’s alive! Come on, let’s go get him—”

“Shiny, we have to tread with caution. There’s a chance this place has traps.”

“Right, right, right. Treading with caution.”

The two entered the temple, being careful of their stepping. They traveled through, trying to follow the energy reading on Thunder’s scanners. The hallways echoed their footsteps. The hallways, despite being dark, matched the outside in looks. The two would’ve been lost or broken down walls to reach the energy signature if not for the strange oil spilling path. From Thunder’s readings, the spillings seemed recent. Possibly being a result of multiple injuries and an attempt to quickly reach a place of rest. He was scared to theorize that the spillings may be from the second Rose Robot.

The plants slowly began to glow the deeper they went. Shiny swore he saw the flowers move, but he couldn’t be sure. Thunder felt like they were being watched by something. Creepiness etched itself more and more with every step the robots took. The blue robot tried his best to ignore it and continue following the signature and path. The red robot tried to as well, but wasn’t as successful. He stuck close to his brother, rambling about how they were gonna introduce themselves to Zephyr when all of them reunite. An attempt for Shiny to ignore his nerves.

After a while, the two made it an open area. The room didn’t look worn out from age like the outside and hallways. Parts of the walls were scattered across the floor. Some being chunks and some being mistaken for dust. There were claw marks etched around, even a few teeth marks. The only light there was from a small spot on the ceiling.

The light shone down on an empty pedestal. In front of it was a concerning scattered pile. Corroded and cracked plating, rusted nuts and bolts, mangled wiring with no covering. There were magenta plants wrapped around, as if it somehow grown on the mechanical material. But the most terrifying part was the dried oil layered on top of everything. It was more than enough to make the robots’ feel unease.

“Thunder?” Shiny whispered. 

“It appears to be a treasure room of sorts.” Thunder suggested, turning his light off. He tried to ignore the concerning pile. “We are getting close to the energy signature. Though I am not quite seeing any entities present.”

“How close is the energy?”

Thunder scanned the room, and his expression became puzzled.

“It is… above us?” Thunder questioned.

A loud crack was heard. The brothers turned to see plants grow out of the floor. They covered the entrance the two came from. Before they could register what happened, there was another sound behind them. Someone had landed in the room.

“Now this is a first.” A damaged voice spoke.

Shiny and Thunder turned back around, preparing to fight. They couldn’t see who was there, as the darkness was hiding the mysterious creature. They could only make out a pair of green eyes and a purple glow. The eyes looked hostile yet… tired.

“When I thought I couldn’t go any crazier,” —The creature began— “the universe tries to make a mockery of what’s left of my simulated sanity.”

“Halt, uh, glowy eye… thing!” Shiny ordered.

“Why should I halt? What power do you hold to tell me what to do in my own home?”

“You’re home?”

“You must be the Metallic Plant Monster, the Guardian of the Kaiju Bloodgem.” Thunder said.

“You know what, you’re absolutely right! Well, in a way I suppose. It is one of my few names.”

“You… have multiple names?” Shiny asked.

“Shouldn’t you already know that?” the monster asked, slowly circling the brothers. “I would think my hallucinations would at least know. Unless you’re trying to lie to me.”

“Wh— Hallucinations!?” Shiny gasped, offended. “We’re not hallucinations, we’re real!”

“Shiny, that is the worst thing to say to someone who experiences hallucinations.”

“It is? But… we are real.”

“Hallucinations are a sensory experience that can occur from chemical reactions or abnormalities within the brain. It will target one of the main senses and create a false projection that is perceived as real. Claiming to not be a hallucination is useless and detrimental to the person experiencing the hallucination. A hallucination can claim it’s real as well.”

“He’s right, you’re just shooting yourself in the foot by telling me you’re real.” the Metallic Plant Monster told Shiny.

“Oh.” Shiny said. “Uh, well, how do we prove we’re real?”

“I don’t know, you tell me.”

“I can assure you that we are not here to harm you.” Thunder said. “We do not wish to intrude nor take anything of value. We are only here in search of… a family member that we lost a long time ago.”

“Well so far, you two are the only beings I’m seeing.” the monster informed. “What family member could two robots be looking for? Your creator?”

“Negative. We came from the planet Earth and were sent by the Extreme Defense Force and our creator. I am Rose Type Guardian Class Robot X-K22, call sign: Thunder. This is Rose Type Guardian Class Robot X-90-38, call sign: Shiny. Our current mission is to retrieve the missing Rose Type Guardian Class Robot X-M47, call sign: Zephyr.”

“Oh, now I know you both aren’t real.”

“What do you mean?”

“Robot X-90-38 disappeared into the O.R.T. ten Earth years ago. He left Earth to find the assumed deceased Dr. Rose and Dr. Rose, and he was assumed to be destroyed in the process. There is no way he would’ve remained active in the years he has been gone. And, unless Creed was replaced, no one in the EDF would have made another Rose Type Guardian Class Robot behind Alex’s back.”

Thunder and Shiny widened their eyes in shock.

“How do you know about Creed and Alex?” Shiny asked.

“And how do you know about the O.R.T. 's title on Earth along with Shiny’s disappearance?” Thunder added.

“How do I— How wouldn’t I?” the monster sneered. “What, because the world hasn’t seen another Rose Type Guardian Class Robot for five years, I’m supposed to just forget everything about Earth?”

“What are you talking about?” Shiny asked, starting to charge his weaponry up. “How do you know about Earth? Where’s Zephyr?”

“Zephyr?” the monster questioned with an annoyed tone.

“Yeah, Zephyr! Like Thunder said, that’s who we’re looking for. And only Zephyr would know about Alex, Creed, the Dr. Roses, how we call the O.R.T. the O.R.T., and about me going into the O.R.T.! If you did something to him, I swear—”

“Shiny, hold your fire.” Thunder immediately interrupted before turning to the monster. “Has Zephyr told you information about Earth? Or have you been on Earth before?”

The monster’s eyes became confused and uncertain, his tone changing with: “I… I came from Earth. Why are you talking like Zephyr is someone else?”

Thunder tilted his head: “We do not want to cause you stress, but I’m afraid I do not understand what you mean.”

“Enough chit-chat, give us Zephyr!” Shiny exclaimed.

The red robot fired a laser at the Metallic Plant Monster. He dodged and watched the blast destroy the wall behind him. Thunder immediately grabbed Shiny’s hand and forced it to face down.

“Shiny!” Thunder scolded.

“What?” Shiny tried to move his hand. “He’s being difficult!”

“And you choose to resort to violence?”

“Well talking isn’t working. What else are we supposed to do?”

“Right because resorting to violence is a better solution than verbal communication. Like how you resorted to violence with me when you were poorly explaining who you were and your purpose.”

“That’s different, you were being unclear, and I didn’t know ten years passed.”

“If anyone was being difficult and unclear, it was you.”

“Excuse me!?”

“How did you do that?” the monster spoke.

The two brothers looked at the monster, who seemed to have moved closer towards the destroyed wall. The eyes became more confused, and the purple glow changed to a dark shade. 

“Uh, I used my hand to fire a laser blast?” Shiny explained, confused.

The Metallic Plant Monster turned towards Shiny. Even though the creature was still hidden by the darkness, it was easy to tell he was walking towards the two robots. Shiny was preparing to blast again, and Thunder held his brother back, giving a glare to not shoot.

As the Metallic Plant Monster came closer, he steered more towards Shiny’s direction. When it seemed like the two were almost face-to-face, a hand slowly came out into the light. A plant-like hand with five claws and a magenta hue hesitantly reached out to Shiny. It touched his chest. The hand gently tapped then changed to a few knocks. A small metal echo came from it. The hand pulled back.

Shiny and Thunder looked at the creature. The darkness slowly started to fade, as if the ceiling was slowly disappearing. As more light entered the area, the Metallic Plant Monster’s form was revealed. A giant metal robot with plants wrapped all over his body. Matching his plant hand was another plant hand and plant legs. Cracks were almost everywhere, some having vines and flowers growing out. 

That wasn’t just it though. Minus the plants, his physique looked similar to Shiny and Thunder. The metal platings the robot had were purple and green. A siren light sat on his head, being hugged by one of the vines. There was a hole in his chest, revealing a green power core with a magenta gem lodged in. The top of his face was a cracked screen with sharp green eyes, and the bottom of his face was metal with sharp teeth layered in his mouth. 

Shiny and Thunder froze in shock as they realized who the Metallic Plant Monster actually was. The missing Rose Type Guardian Class Robot: Zephyr. While his face showed surprise and inconceivable relief, Shiny and Thunder only stared in horror of their lost brother’s state.

“You’re real.” Zephyr gasped.

“Zephyr—”

Shiny was interrupted by Zephyr picking the red bot up and swinging him around.

“You’re actually real!” Zephyr laughed, sounding a little delirious. “Y-You’re here, and you’re real, and— and you’re online! You’re active, you’re-you’re walking and talking, and— by every dandelion you’re not terminated! You didn’t get destroyed by the O.R.T.! Holy petunia, you didn’t get destroyed!”

“Yep, I’m real and online.” Shiny nervously laughed, trying to regain his balance after he was put back down.

“H-How are you still active? I-I mean, I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised. I somehow survived going to the O.R.T. five years ago. I guess there was a doubt because you’re a prototype but this— oh, this is amazing! This is great news! Alex would’ve loved to see you—”

Zephyr stopped himself. His excitement was slowly replaced by sadness. 

“You okay, Zephyr?” Shiny asked.

“How did you know I existed?” Zephyr asked.

“Oh, that’s easy. Thunder and I found out about you in a secret Hangar room. Then we learned more about you after that.”

Zephyr turned his head to Thunder.

“They really did make a new Rose Type Guardian Class Robot.” Zephyr tilted his head.

“You sound surprised.” Thunder stated.

“I suppose I am a little. Though I can only assume the EDF has… changed a lot since I left.”

“Oh, we need to properly introduce ourselves.” Shiny cleared his throat. “I’m Shiny! Well, you kinda already know that. But now I get to introduce myself to you as your big brother! And this is our big little baby brother, Thunder.”

Zephyr blinked, “I’m sorry, brothers?”

“He has a stubborn insistence of referring to our relationship as a brotherhood.” Thunder clarified. “His idea for this family label is due to us being Rose Type Guardian Class Robots. Though he tends to ignore the ‘robot’ part.”

“... I’ll ask more questions about that later. What are you two doing here? How did you even get here?”

“We came here through the second O.R.T. that opened on Earth’s side.”

“And we’re here to bring you home!” Shiny added on.

Zephyr stared at the two robots: “Oh, no. No, no, no, no, no. You can’t— You both went into the O.R.T. just to get me?”

“Well, yeah. We know you only had a day to leave, so we thought we’d help you.”

“... But why?”

“Uhh, because you’re our brother?”

“Because I’m your— What about the EDF?”

“The EDF has given us approval to help you in your escape.” Thunder informed. “It took us some time to convince them that you were still online and to let us aid you.”

“You convinced the EDF to let you both go through the O.R.T. just so you can grab me?”

“Affirmative.”

“You don’t seem happy about this.” Shiny told the purple robot.

“Why would I be happy?” Zephyr asked. “I mean, I’m practically only good for scrap metal and spare parts.”

“Hey, hey, don’t say that. You’re good for a lot of things!”

“Oh really? Forgive me Shiny, but I disagree. And that’s not something I say often.”

“You do not think you are worth rescuing?” Thunder questioned.

“I’m not worth anything back on Earth. I failed our planet, I failed the EDF, I failed Alex, and I failed at being a Guardian Class Robot. What robot just messes up the one thing they were built for? A glitched malfunctioned one! I’m supposed to protect the Earth, and I broke away from it.”

“The occupants of this planet have stated otherwise. They have informed us of you keeping the lifeforms here safe.”

“You ran into one of the villagers?”

“Thirty six of them to be precise. They had each mistaken us for the Metallic Plant Monster. Well… technically you, I suppose.”

“And it’s not a big deal if you messed up!” Shiny tried to comfort. “I mean, you technically didn’t mess anything up on Earth either. You closed the second O.R.T., and that somehow caused everything that came out of it to die. And you did it all by yourself! We couldn’t even close the first one without help from the Roses, Creed, and Blorgo Starface.”

“Who— Nevermind. Just because I closed the second O.R.T., that doesn’t mean everything else I’ve done wrong is gonna go away. I mean, why would anyone want to see me again?”

“Forgive me for this insensitive query, but what wrong could you have done that you believe the EDF would not want to see you again?” Thunder raised a digital eyebrow.

Zephyr went quiet. Thunder and Shiny looked at each then back at their lost brother.

“Hey, I’m sure whatever you did, the EDF has forgiven it by now.” Shiny said.

“No, what I did could never be forgiven.” Zephyr rebutted. “Shouldn’t they have told you what I did?”

“In our, or at least my defense, the EDF purposefully made me unaware that you and Shiny existed.” Thunder explained.

“They what?”

“They had come to the conclusion that if I was informed of both of your existence, I would be another robot to be ‘terminated’ by an O.R.T.. I only learned of you because Shiny was adamant on breaking the rules. I would not be surprised if they are keeping more secrets about you from us.”

“Wow. They must hate me more than I speculated.”

“They don’t hate you!” Shiny reassured. “Look, whether you think so or not, everyone at the EDF misses you and wants you back. There’s a lot of new faces that are excited to meet you too. Oh, you can even say hi to Dr. Rose and Dr. Rose!”

Zephyr perked up at that, “Dr. Rose and Dr. Rose are alive?”

“Yeah! It’s kind of a long story—”

“That we don’t have time to discuss.” Thunder interrupted. “I fear we do not have time to discuss everything before the O.R.T. closes.”

“Oh, right, the O.R.T.! How much time do we have left?”

Thunder looked at the screen with the O.R.T. timer. His expression became confused. The timer was glitching in and out. There was a warning sign, and the timer was ineligible. 

“I… cannot tell.” Thunder admitted. “It is having a critical error. I do not know the cause, nor can I calculate how much time we have left.”

“What!? You mean it could close at any time!? Oh man, we gotta go! Come on, Zephyr. We aren’t leaving this planet without you.”

Zephyr’s eyes darted around as he mumbled. He moved his hand to his open chest.

“... I’ll go.” Zephyr said.

“Huh?” Shiny spoke.

“I will return to Earth with you both. But there is something you both should know—”

“I’m afraid you won’t be going anywhere.” a voice called out.

The three robots turned to the opened ceiling. Flying above them were multiple battle space ships.

“Oh gardenia, not them.” Zephyr groaned.

“Them?” Shiny and Thunder both questioned.

“I don’t know if the locals have told you this yet, but I’m being hunted by some weird empire group. They send out different leaders— sorry, ‘Overlords’ here just so they can grab me and the other kaijus.”

“Wait, is this in regards to the Kaiju Bloodgem?” Thunder asked.

“Unfortunately, yes. Did the villagers tell you about the gem?”

“Not quite—”

“Metallic Plant Monster!” the voice spoke again. “By the order of the Kalaxian Empire, you will be coming with us!”

“Yeah, and like I’ve said before Admiral: no thank you!” Zephyr shouted back. “You can tell your Emperor that I’d rather go offline than join your guys’ little reign of terror.”

“Well! Uh. W-We will have to take you alive by force then. A-And… And you won’t have much choice! We will destroy the resistance robot Shiny and… whoever the blue giant robot is if we must.”

“Hang on, resistance robot?” Zephyr turned to Shiny.

“Oh yeah.” Shiny chuckled. “Uh, I was actually part of a resistance during my time away? Memory is a little iffy, but I’m slowly remembering!”

The ships began firing at the robots. Zephyr pulled Shiny and Thunder back and held onto them tightly.

“Hang on!” Zephyr warned. 

Before questions could be asked, the three were launched into the sky and over the ships. Shiny screamed loudly. The three landed on the ground.

“What the heck was that!?” Shiny exclaimed.

“A Kaiju Bloodgem quirk.” Zephyr explained. “Come on, I’ll tell you on the way to the O.R.T..”

The three began to run towards the O.R.T. as the Kalaxian ships began to give chase.

“Okay, the most important thing you both need to remember about the Kaiju Bloodgem.” Zephyr began. “The moment we get to Earth, I’m gonna forget about it.”

“What!?” Shiny shouted.

“I’ll still know it exists, but I’m not gonna remember anything I learned about it. It’s a defense protocol to keep its powers from getting to the wrong hands.”

“And there isn’t a better way to do that? Like taking it out or something?”

“No, I cannot. It’s fused to my power core and removing it would result in my termination.”

“It what!”

The ships began to fire again. Zephyr grabbed a nearby tree and threw it at them. He then put his claws to his mouth and let out a loud horn noise.

“How did it fuse to your power core?” Thunder asked.

“Well, it jumped at me and fused to my core.” Zephyr answered. “Apparently, Bloodgems don't do that often. It only does that if it believes someone is worthy of it. However, there is a trial that I need to pass before I gain access to all of its abilities.”

“You haven’t passed it yet?”

“No, I haven’t but that’s not important as—”

A net bolted into Zephyr’s back. He was knocked down, the net tangling his body. Shiny turned to see the ships getting closer, and he immediately fired at them. Thunder pulled his sword out to cut the net. 

“What does this trial entail?” Thunder asked as he freed Zephyr.

“Protect the Kaiju Bloodgem for a specific amount of time.” Zephyr answered, trying to free himself as well. “No, I don’t know how long. I was told it’ll separate itself from me once I pass.”

“Who told you that?”

“Axtric.”

“Who is Axtric?”

Zephyr was freed from the net, but the ships fired another net.

“Heads up!” Shiny warned.

The three brothers messily dodged the net. Shiny grabbed a tree and tried his throw at throwing one at the ships. He actually knocked a few down.

“Holy scrap, you knock some down?” Zephyr said, surprised.

“You haven’t?” Shiny asked.

“... Well, not with a tree—”

A giant centipede kaiju burst from the ground and attacked the remaining ships. More kaijus came out and followed suit.

The admiral shrieked, “Open fire! Get these things off!”

The ships began to fire at random. The centipede kaiju turned its head towards Zephyr and chirped. The robot looked hesitant.

“What? But what about—”

The centipede interrupted Zephyr. Like it was urging him and his brothers to go, warning him of… something.

“It’s closing sooner? But how?”

“Are you talking to the kaiju?” Shiny asked. “When could you talk to kaijus?”

The centipede chirped again before being rammed by a ship. Thunder and Shiny could see a glimpse of hurt in Zephyr’s face before he covered it up.

“I-I’ll tell you on the way.” Zephyr stuttered. “We gotta go. THe O.R.T. is closing quicker than it’s supposed to.”

“Are you kidding me!?” Shiny groaned. “Why is this rescue mission becoming harder and harder?”

The three robots began to run again as the ships and kaijus continued their fight.

“Did the centipede kaiju tell you that?” Thunder asked.

“Yes, he did.” Zephyr answered. “T-That’s Sporo. He’s been one of the kaijus actually helping me with the Kaiju Bloodgem.”

“How can you understand ‘Sporo’?”

“One of the other Kaiju Bloodgem quirks. It’s like… You know how I said that I have to keep the Bloodgem safe for an unspecified amount of time?”

“Affirmative.”

“Well, in return it allows me to have some of the abilities that a kaiju has. Hence the, well, plants.”

“Wait, you have plants growing inside of you because of the gem?” Shiny exclaimed. “E-Even the hands and feet?”

“Yes, even the hands and feet. Think of it as a deal. I protect it, it lets me communicate with kaijus and replicate kaijus powers. It also had other… unforeseen and rather uncanny side effects as well.”

“What do you mean by side effects!?”

“Increase of pain sensitivity, leaking from my screen, occasional disposal of unwanted material exiting through my mouth—”

“YOU CAN THROW UP!?”

“I suppose that makes sense with what the mother told us.” Thunder shuddered. “That sounds rather… uncomfortable.”

“Oh it is horrible.” Zephyr said. “Take my advice, don’t touch Kaiju Bloodgems unless you’re ready for your body to suddenly react like it’s partly organic.”

“Ewwhuhuh, that sounds gross.” Shiny gagged.

The three soon made it to the hill that Shiny and Thunder came down from. They felt the ground shake, and they were once again launched in the air. They landed on the hillside, each face planting into the ground.

“Was that the Kaiju Bloodgem?” Shiny muffled.

“Yep.” Zephyr muffled back. “Usually I can tell when it’s about to do that.”

Thunder sat up and saw the O.R.T., starting to flicker in and out.

“The O.R.T.!” Thunder gasped. “We must make haste.”

The other two lifted their heads and quickly stood up.

“Hang on, there’s one more thing I at least have to say.” Zephyr warned.

“What else is there left to tell us?” Shiny asked.

“To be honest, a lot. But we don’t have enough time to go through everything. Hopefully though, Axtric left enough information to fill the rest in. This is by far the most important information that you both need to know. The plants attached to me cannot—”

The three were interrupted by the whistle of a bomb. They turned their heads to see a rocket zooming straight towards them. Shiny impulsively stood in front of his brothers, and the rocket hit him. The rocket forced him to ram into the other two. They were launched into the O.R.T. before Zephyr could finish his sentence. 

And with that, the O.R.T. closed. The rocket fell to the ground, revealing itself to be a dud to the wildlife. The only sound was the echoes of the kaijus and Kalaxian Empire soldiers fighting from afar.

A tall figure stepped out of the shadows and onto the scene. He picked the rocket up and crushed it with his hand. He glanced at where the O.R.T. once was, opening his mask.

“S-Supreme Emperor Tarn!” The Admiral spoke in fear over the comm link. “T-The Metallic Plant Monster! It escaped w-with that rebel robot and a blue robot!”

“I know, Admiral.” The figure spoke. “I saw them departing through the portal.”

“T-They left the p-planet!? P-P-Please forgive me for this fool-foolish behavior, Supreme Emperor Tarn. I promise I—”

“Worry not, Overlord Admiral.” Tarn said, mischief slowly entering his tone. “This has presented us with… a new opportunity.”

“I-It… It has?”

“The blue robot, Thunder, was another mechanoid I had my eyes on. He’s the third Rose Type Guardian Class Robot from Earth.”

“R-Rose type? Isn’t that what the rebel robot is?”

“Indeed. As I informed you before, he is the brother of that wretched rebel that helped close our portal on Earth.”

“Do you wish for us to destroy this ‘Thunder’, my liege?”

Tarn looked down at the circle of broken metal platings and wires.

“No.” Tarn answered. “I’m assigning you to work with Overlord Commander and opening a new portal to Earth. Destroy the rebel if you can, but Thunder and the Metallic Plant Monster will be brought to me alive. Do I make myself clear?”

“O-Of course, Supreme Emperor Tarn! I— uh, we shall not fail you.”

Tarn bent down and picked up a metal plating. He stared at it with great intensity.

It was very strange to travel through the O.R.T. for Thunder. His programs felt as if they were scattered about and trying to reorganize themselves. He stumbled a bit and tried to regulate his systems. This was not a travel experience he was used to. If he were human, he most likely would describe this as a simulation of "nausea". Shiny, on the other hand, didn’t have it as bad. He only shook his head and was fine right after. Maybe because he technically went through the O.R.T. twice before. “You okay, Thunder?” Shiny asked.

“I am merely readjusting myself.” Thunder said before he stopped wobbling. “It would appear we have arrived.”

Shiny and Thunder looked at their surroundings. They ended up in a jungle-like forest. There were trees, flowers, and bushes that resemble the plantlife on Earth. But they look nothing like the plants the brothers are used to. There wasn’t an ounce of green. Everything was multiple shades of blue, purple, and pink. A few of them were even glowing.

“Wow.” Shiny chuckled nervously. “Talk about a jungle planet. I’m surprised we’re on the ground instead of falling from the sky. You think Zephyr had this luck?”

“I cannot say for certain, but I do think he has been here before.” Thunder said, pointing at a metal chunk by a flower bed.

The two went closer to the bed, stepping carefully as they did. When they got close enough, they were able to get a good look at the metal chunk. It was an extremely rusted green armor plating. One that looked like it could’ve been part of an arm.

Thunder and Shiny looked at each other. They turned back to see if there was anything else. They saw more rusted metal parts spread out around them. Then they spotted a tiny path of metal parts and broken wires. Some of the wires looked like they were either pulled off or cut off. The two followed the path, leading them to a cliffside.

The view revealed an endless ocean of jungle trees and a dark cyan sky. A few kaijus were flying through, each looking like various bugs. One that looked like a mutant dragonfly flew towards and over the brothers.

“Woah.” Shiny gasped. “Really talk about a jungle planet. I don’t think I can see any water. Just… a bunch of trees.”

“A very obvious statement.” Thunder commented.

The two heard a roar in the distance. A small group of trees shook in their view. Then a few giant plant spikes came out puncturing what looked like space tanks. A bright purple light came out shortly after.

“... Is that concerning?” Shiny asked.

“Only if we run into whatever is happening over there.” Thunder said, beginning to move. “Hopefully we won’t have to.”

“Hey, where are you going?”

“Our only trace of Zephyr’s whereabouts are five-year-old broken metal parts and five-year-old torn wires. The path ends here, so we can only estimate where to go next. If we get to the bottom of this cliff, we could find more clues to his whereabouts.”

Shiny followed Thunder, treading through carefully. The two looked at their surroundings to try and find clues. So far, there was no luck. Only the strange plantlife surrounding them. Sometimes they would see kaijus roaming through. They remain hidden but alert, being advised by the EDF to not use their weaponry unless absolutely necessary.

“Thunder?” Shiny spoke. “Do you think Zephyr is okay?”

“I cannot say for certain. “Thunder admitted. “It is alarming to see part of his platings and wires out in the open in such a state. It appears we have forgotten to consider how Zephyr would still be active these past five years.” “What do you mean?”

“He was heavily damaged in his last fight before his disappearance. He would not have an opportunity to receive repairs or recharge. Unless he was able to find a replacement fuel or materials to repair him, I’m not sure how he would survive five years on a jungle planet.”

“Maybe the Metallic Plant Monster helped him.”

“The Metallic Plant Monster?”

“Well they’re part metal, and Zephyr is full robot. And I did say that the voice and Metallic Plant Monster could be the same person.”

“And this is based on what data again?”

“Well, they and Zephyr both crash landed on this planet. Maybe after the Metallic Plant Monster found the Kaiju Bloodgem, they ran into him.”

“I fail to see how that proves your theory that the voice and the Metallic Plant Monster are one in the same. I can understand that perspective from the possibility Zephyr received help from them, but that quite literally has nothing to do with the voice and the Metallic Plant Monster being the same entities.”

“Of course it does! If the voice and Metallic Plant Monster are the same person, then they would both know Zephyr! And if they both know Zephyr, then they’re both the same person.”

“I can think of a few ways to suggest why you would be incorrect.”

“Well I think—”

That’s when they heard something. Thunder pulled out his sword. Shiny prepared his hands to shoot. The two began walking slowly towards the noise.

“Do you think that’s them?” Shiny whispered.

“Unclear.” Thunder whispered back. “While I am detecting life signatures, I am not detecting any Rose Type Guardian Class Robot energy signatures. I am unable to identify what these life signatures could be—”

“Metallic Plant Monster!” A voice shouted.

Thunder and Shiny aimed their weapons to where the shout came from. A decision regretted immediately because they were aiming at three plant-like alien children.

“Sorry!” Shiny apologized, disabling his hand ammo and moving Thunder’s hand down. “Sorry about that. You guys startled us. What are you three little… plant guys doing out here?”

“We advised you to return to your homes immediately.” Thunder advised. “There is a battle happening a few miles away from this location. It is most likely a battle between kaijus, and it is not something to get in the middle of.”

The plant children stared in confusion, a little scared.

“You didn’t tell us it can duplicate and change forms.” the middle one hissed at the taller one.

“Like I knew that?” The tall one glared. “How am I supposed to know how giant metal beings work?”

“Wait, have you seen another metal being here?” Shiny asked. “Like us?”

The shortest one grabbed something out of their bag and wobbled towards the robots. The other plant children tried to tell the little one to come back. But they didn’t listen, offering two seeds to the robots instead.

“Oh!” Shiny said, taking the two seeds. “Is this for us? Thank you, little guy.”

“We're sorry if we disturb you, Mister Metallic Plant Monsters.” The little one apologized. “We just wanna play.” “Huh?”

“The gifts are appreciated, but we must tell you we are not the Metallic Plant Monster.” Thunder explained. “We are from another planet called ‘Earth’, and we are Rose Type Guardian Class Robots.”

The little one tried to say Rose Type Guardian Class Robots, but it sounded like a bunch of babbles. 

“You can call us Rose Robots.” Thunder said. “My name is Thunder, and his name is Shiny.”

“Rose Robots!” the little one giggled. “You’re plants like me! And my sisters and my parents and the neighbors and the Metallic Plant Monster. Is he a Rose Robot too?”

“We are not plants in the way you are and your family are. We are completely made of metal. The Rose part is the family name of our creator.”

“Ooooh. My family name is Apriberry, and—and, my name is Pespear. I’m Pespear Apriberry.”

“That is a very lovely name.”

“Thank you! This is my older sister, Chocotea Apriberry. And that is my older older sister, Menstio Apriberry. We are Juni-pea-tios.”

“Uh, what do you both want exactly?” Menstio asked, pulling Pespear closer. “If you aren’t the Metallic Plant Monster, then why are you here?”

“Hey!” Pespear pouted.

“I can assure you we do not mean harm.” Thunder reassured. “We are looking for—”

“We’re actually looking for the Metallic Plant Monster!” Shiny interrupted.

“Shiny, we are looking for Zephyr.”

“Yeah, but maybe the Metallic Plant Monster knows where Zephyr is.”

“Who is Zephyr?” Chocotea asked.

“Zephyr is our brother.” Shiny explained. “He came here about… five of our Earth years ago, and we’re trying to find him.”

“Why did he come here?” Pespear asked.

“Well it was mostly an accident. A big portal opened on our planet and a lot of scary monsters came out. Zephyr was trying to defeat the monsters and close the portal, but he could only do that by shutting it off on the other side.”

“Like the empire portal?” Pespear pointed at an O.R.T. in the sky. “We have one here, but they don’t attack us a lot. They’ve been trying to kidnap our Kaijus and the Metallic Plant Monster. They said they’ll leave once they get him.”

“Girls?” A voice called out. “Who are you— What in Great Mother’s Bed Below?”

An adult plant alien came out and was shocked to see the two robots. He immediately ran towards the kids and moved them behind him.

“What happened, Metallic Plant Monster? Uh, where are your vines? And how did you duplicate yourself?”

“Dabi, they’re Rose Robots!” Pespear beamed.

“Rose Robots?”

“Yeah! They came from another planet. They aren't the Metallic Plant Monster or plant people. They’re looking for the Metallic Plant Monster and their brother.”

“What do you two want with the Metallic Plant Monster?”

“Are you the parental guardian of these three children?” Thunder asked.

The plant alien pulled out a sword: “They are my daughters, what’s it to you?”

“I assure you that we do not mean harm towards you, your daughters, or the Metallic Plant Monster. My call sign is Thunder, and his call sign is Shiny. We are from the planet Earth, sent by the Extreme Defense Force to retrieve the second Rose Robot: Zephyr. We have no intent to cause trouble to your home nor seek confrontation with the Metallic Plant Monster.”

“Buuuuut, they might know where Zephyr is!” Shiny cut in. “See, our brother Zephyr disappeared five of our Earth years ago and ended up here. But then an O.R.T.—”

“Empire portal.” Thunder corrected.

“Empire portal?”

“Pespear referred to the O.R.T. as the ‘empire portal’. While I assume both terms mean the same, they will not understand us referring to the portal opened by the Kalaxian Empire as the O.R.T..”

“Your planet was invaded by the Kalaxian Empire?” The father asked.

“Affirmative. We were recently successful in closing the one created by the Kalaxian Empire. However, the one that we came through was not opened by them. While it is unknown who, the entity that did appears to know our… brother and opened it for him to leave. We came through to find him and aid in his return home before the empire portal closes. We only have… seventeen hours to find him.”

“Wait, seventeen!?” Shiny exclaimed. “But we’ve only been here for like… thirty minutes!”

“Perhaps the time here is faster than the time on Earth. A suboptimal situation.”

The father lowered his sword completely before speaking, “You both swear you have no ties to the Kalaxian Empire?”

“Other than closing the empire portal they opened on our planet: affirmative.” Thunder said.

“... How does time travel on your planet?”

“Our planet orbits our sun. Each day is twenty four hours.”

“You have a sun orbit planet. I’m afraid you both are on a moon orbit planet.”

“A moon orbit planet?” Thunder and Shiny both said confused.

“Our Mother Moon, Selartico, is what Kimetchu and neighboring planets orbit. And our moon orbits the sun instead. Thus making our time inconsistent with sun orbiting planets. How long a day is depends on the season we are in. If you only have seventeen sun orbit hours to leave—” the father pointed towards the sky, “—then you have until sundown.”

“Oh man, that adds a little pressure to our rescue mission.” Shiny whistles.

“The Kalaxian Empire is not the only one who can create those portals. The kaijus were the ones who created the technique.”

“The kaijus made the O.R.T— uh, the portals first? But they seem so… aggressive and… uh.”

“Our only interactions with kaijus are them being sent to our planet to destroy our villages and cities.” Thunder told the father. “We were created specifically to fight and destroy them to keep the citizens safe.”

“Then perhaps you have only interacted with the kaijus tampered by the Kalaxian Empire. They have been kidnapping kaijus across the universe for their twisted cause. I cannot say for certain what they do, but they have tortured and experimented on the kaijus to create weapons. We coexist with the kaijus here, and they are only hostile if they are given reason to. Your brother could be with them… but I’m not sure how possible that is. The only other metal being that has been here is the Metallic Plant Monster. There has been no other besides you two that we’ve seen.”

“Where’s the Metallic Plant Monster now?”

“I cannot say for certain. He tends to move around a lot and often avoids our villages. Ever since the empire along with other third parties have tried to capture him, he steers away from us to keep us from harm. We only see him now if we are far enough from our homes. Or if an untrusted outsider gets too close to us. The only place I know he could be is the temple that once held the Kaiju Bloodgem.”

“Oh, where is that?”

“It is only a few milistones ahead. Do you promise to not harm him and leave once you find your brother?”

“Affirmative.” Thunder promised. “Our presence will not be too long. Thank you for your assistance.”

“Please don’t make me regret telling you both this. If you’ll excuse us, we must go home now. Come, girls.”

Thunder motioned Shiny to follow where the father pointed.

“Bye Thunder! Bye Shiny!” Pespear waved.

Thunder and Shiny both said their goodbyes to the young plant alien.

“Wow, you were really good back there.” Shiny complimented. “I didn’t know you had that in you.”

“That I could explain our situation and purpose in a clear and understandable manner?” Thunder questioned. “Last I recall, that is an issue you have had and were having.”

“Not that. Also I’m really good at being clear.”

“Oh. Sure you are.”

“I don’t appreciate your tone, young bot”

“Young bot?”

“Well, you know, cause I’m older than you.”

“How many asinine nicknames will you create for me?”

“As many as I can. Also, I was actually talking about the way you handled talking to the little plant girl. You’re surprisingly good with kids.”

“Oh. That. Well, she is what is assumed to be a toddler. Her vocabulary is not as advanced as mine, and she would not know Earth vocabulary as well. Attempting to speak like I usually do would only confuse her. In addition, her older sisters seemed terrified, so it was logical to speak and appear as nonthreatening as possible.”

“Where did this come from?”

“It was during my early days of activation. The EDF thought it would be wise if I knew how to calm and help children. It would be in case I find a lost child during or after a kaiju battle. It is not a skill I use often. Though… Now my CPU is trying to process what the alien father has informed us regarding the kaijus.”

“Hey, don’t shift this conversation around. What do you mean you were taught how to talk to kids?”

“Shiny, I do not think that is of utmost concern at the moment.”

“Fine, but we are gonna come back to this. What about the kaijus don’t you get?”

“The alien father made it seem like the kaijus hold some form of sapience. With the information that they have an ancient artifact and were the ones who originally created the O.R.T., it has made me realize that we never consider they were sapient or sentient.”

“That does seem kinda weird. You know, you’ve been asking a lot of questions lately.”

“Is that an issue?”

“Well you usually know everything. And when you start asking a bunch of questions, I start asking even more questions. Like, I never thought about how Zephyr could’ve been alive or how he stayed alive or if the kaijus were sapient until you started to think about it. A little concerning you don’t know, ya know?”

“... Shiny we are on unfamiliar territory with only the knowledge we have gathered on Earth. Why would I know anything regarding the kaijus sapience and Zephyr’s ability to remain active?”

“I don’t know, you’re smart! You have like… all the newest science junkie stuff.”

“I request you cease your commentary.”

“I—”

“Cease. Your commentary.”

Shiny rolled his eyes. The two continued once again on their rescue mission. The tread with caution started to become boring to Shiny. So far, not much has happened. No plant life has tried to eat them, no kaiju has tried to fight them, and there hasn’t been any sign of the Kalaxian Empire yet. Knowing they were here should make the red robot still act vigilantly, but he was starting to lax off due to nothing happening.

Thunder on the other hand still remained alert and careful. He was also growing tired of their caution, but it was for good reason. Even though nothing has happened yet, it does not mean that it will remain that way. It’s best to be vigilant as to still gain an equal ground or an advantage towards an enemy.

“... Hey Thunder?” Shiny broke the silence.

Thunder let out a sigh, “Yes, Shiny?”

“We’re going in the right direction, right?”

“Affirmative.”

“How long do we have until the O.R.T. close?”

“... sixteen hours and eighteen minutes.”

“Seriously? Aw man, we’re never gonna find Zephyr at this rate. We need to pick up the pace.”

The two heard small gasps. The brothers turned their heads to see a group of more plant aliens. 

“Metallic Plant Monster?” a pink alien said. “Er, monsters?”

“How’d you split yourself up?” Another spoke up, this one a turquoise color. “And why is one of you blue and the other one pink?”

“I’m not pink, I’m red.” Shiny corrected in a confused tone.

“What’s red?”

“I think it’s pink but harsher.” A maroon one said.

“We must inform you that we are not the Metallic Plant Monster.” Thunder told the group. “We are Rose Type Guardian Class Robots sent from Earth by the Extreme Defense Force to retrieve our missing Rose Robot: Zephyr. He was sent here a long time ago to save our planet from aggressive kaijus and plant life.”

The group let out an oh.

“That does explain some things now.” the pink one nodded. “Though, I’m not sure about there being a ‘Rose Robot’ here. At least maybe the Metallic Plant Monster. Are you two and the other Rose Robot related to him?”

“That is a negative.”

“Really? Are you sure? Because you guys look—” the pink alien stopped then turned to the others, “—You guys are seeing this too, right?”

“Yeah, I’m seeing it.” A purple alien said. “Well, the colors are an obvious off, but the shapes. That’s where it’s mostly seen.”

“What’s mostly seen?” Shiny asked. “What about us makes you guys think we’re the Metallic Plant Monster?”

“Shiny, we do not have time for such questions.” Thunder told his brother. “We only have until sundown to find Zephyr and leave.”

“It’s not that hard to explain.” A magenta alien said. “Well, sort of. You’re a little more round than the Metallic Plant Monster. And you’re a little more sharper than the Metallic Plant Monster.”

“You kinda have the same mouth as him, too.” The maroon alien pointed at Shiny. “He doesn’t have cheeks though.”

“Oh, oh!” the turquoise alien joined in, pointing at Thunder. “You have the Metallic Plant Monster’s eyes! Except yours are just circles and blue. He has glowing green eyes that are sharp. When he gets super angry though, his eyes get a weird empty slit. And then he blasts cool kaiju powers out of his mouth!”

A loud horn could be heard from a distance. The group looked to the sky then back at the robots.

“Sorry, we gotta now.” The pink one told the robots. “Good luck on your search!”

And so the group quickly ran off. Thunder and Shiny looked at the direction they ran in.

“That seemed like a chiller talk than our talk with that Dad and his daughters.” Shiny pointed out.

“Perhaps they are also one of the youth of this planet.” Thunder suggested. “That, or they do not hold the same urgency as the father does. Let us continue.”

The two robots continued. They came across more plant aliens that mistook the two for shape shifting duplicates of the Metallic Plant Monster. Some of them were confused when Thunder clarified the robots were not the Metallic Plant Monster. They gathered more information little by little about the monster everyone mistook them for. Regarding Zephyr though, no one knew who that was. Everyone kept telling the brothers there has only been one mechanoid on the planet. None stayed for long to speak further, as they all seemed to be rushing back to their homes. The children, on the other hand, kept giving the two robots seeds.

“Do we really look that much like the Metallic Plant Monster guy?” Shiny questioned, before the craziest thought came to his head. “Do you think the Metallic Plant Monster took some of the broken parts off of Zephyr, and that's why these guys think we look like the monster?”

“Shiny, I am desperately requesting that you cease your asinine theories regarding the connection between Zephyr and the Metallic Plant Monster.” Thunder begged.

“Well, you aren’t thinking of anything!”

“I am ‘thinking’. I’m just choosing to keep it in my processor instead of constantly babbling every calculation I am considering. Something you have never been familiar with, I’m sure.”

“Ohohoho, now you listen here—”

“Mema Plan Monsa!” A tiny voice shouted.

The two robots looked down to see another duo of the plant aliens. One of them was a toddler being held by the other who looked like the mother.

“Uh, I suppose it is, Seedling.” the alien stuttered. “Is it… really you, Metallic Plant Monster?”

“Negative, we are not the Metallic Plant Monster.” Thunder informed.

“Oh. Then what are you both?”

“We are Rose Type Guardian Class Robots. We came here from the planet Earth and were sent by the Extreme Defense Force to retrieve our missing Rose Robot: Zephyr.”

“You are both guardians?”

“Affirmative.”

“... And you aren’t the Metallic Plant Monster?”

“Affirmative. We are not the Metallic Plant Monster.”

“Well, I’m afraid you might be here for no reason. The closest we have to a guardian ‘robot’ is the Metallic Plant Monster.”

“Robow?” the toddler spoke again, tilting his head.

“Yeah, little guy.” Shiny smiled at the toddler. “We’re giant robots. Just big ol’ metal guys with hunks and junks inside us.”

“Juns.”

“Is that what your species is actually called?” The mother asked. “Robots?”

“Affirmative.” Thunder confirmed. “Though us being classified as a species is a heavy debate due to our lack of organic biology.”

“You’ve never heard of robots before?” Shiny asked.

“Well, we’ve only heard tales from outsiders, but they always refer to robots as insentient creations. You both don’t seem like insentient creations though. You seem… alive.”

“We are quasi-sentient.” Thunder informed.

“The Metallic Plant Monster said the same thing about himself.”

“He did?”

“Yes. He was insistent on it during our kind’s first meeting with him. Oh, the poor creature was so terrified and hurt when we first found him. Well, I suppose brought to him is more accurate. Some of the kaijus had taken a few of us to help him.”

“What happened?” Shiny asked.

“I believe it was a few days after he fused to the Kaiju Bloodgem. Some of the kaijus travelled across different villages gathering parents, me being one of them. They brought us to the Metallic Plant Monster because they thought we could help him. He was sobbing so hard and covering his mouth. He was kneeling over a pile of vines and flowers.”

“Did he throw up?”

“It was more than that. The poor boy was sick and didn’t know what to do. He told us this never happened to him before. We tried to tell him that it’s okay because everyone gets sick, but he said he had never been sick like an organic being before. He kept talking about how it shouldn’t have been possible. We could see the fear in his eyes and hear the pain in his voice. He just… looked so overwhelmed.

“The other parents and I worked together to try to help him feel better. It took a few days, but we were able to nurse him back to health. We also tried to figure out where he came from to see if we could get him to his home. But he only looked heartbroken and guilty whenever we asked. When we asked about his family’s whereabouts, he only told us he didn’t have one anymore. They were gone because he failed.”

“Failed?” Thunder questioned.

“He said he was created solely for the purpose of protecting the innocent from monsters. He was a guardian from where he was from. None of us know what happened before his arrival, and we still don’t know. If you take it from me, I think he’s just a lost soul who’s deep in grief and misses his family dearly.”

“Aww, poor guy.” Shiny said sadly. His face turned guilty before speaking again. “A-Are you sure you didn’t see another robot like us though? Not even once?”

“As far as I and everyone else is aware, there isn’t another robot here.”

Shiny looked down defeated.

“Could a description of Zephyr perhaps prove serviceable to see if he might have been seen by someone?” Thunder offered.

“That could work.” The Mother nodded. “If I still don’t know, I could at least ask the others.”

“Yeah, a description!” Shiny beamed, hope returning to his face. “Okay so: he’s purple with a little bit of a green accent, has green glowing eyes with eyebrow thingies, a red siren thingy on his head, and… oh, he should’ve had a giant hole in his chest when he came here.”

“... That sounds almost like the Metallic Plant Monster.”

“It does? That’s weird— Wait, Thunder! What if the Metallic Plant Monster did take some of Zephyr’s spare parts!”

“Issac Newton, you are still going on about that?” Thunder asked, extremely annoyed.

“There’s a connection, Thunder! Zephyr and the Metallic Plant Monster have to know each other!”

“By Arthur C Clarke. Ma’am, may I query you on how long ago the Metallic Plant Monster arrived on your planet?”

“Huh?” Shiny asked.

“When did the Metallic Plant Monster arrive so I can shut my brother up from his insane theories?” Thunder clarified.

“Hey!”

“He’s been here for ten years as far as we’re aware.” the mother answered.

“Ten years?” Thunder asked.

“Yes. Actually, I think today marks the tenth year since his arrival.”

“... I see.”

“And how much is ten years on this planet in Earth years?” Shiny asked.

Another horn echoed throughout.

“Oh dear.” The mother began to look panicked. “I-I’m sorry, I have to go. The Kalaxian Empire is about to do a sweep for Kaiju hunting, and I have to return to my family. Will you two be alright on your own?”

“Kaiju hunting?” Shiny questioned.

“They’ve been going from planet to planet capturing kaijus to experiment on them. The hunting has been happening more than usual, and the Metallic Plant Monster has been fighting them off.”

“Your concern is appreciated, but I can assure you we will be fine.” Thunder said. “We have had our fair share of dealing with the Kalaxian Empire. If we run into them, we will deal with them promptly.”

“Alright, but please do be careful.” The mother warned. “Good luck finding your brother.”

The mother started running off to join the others as the toddler shouted goodbye. 

“... They came here at the same time?” Thunder questioned.

“Huh?” Shiny looked at Thunder.

“Zephyr had been missing for five Earth years. The Metallic Plant Monster has been here for ten of this planet’s years. That voice we heard when the second O.R.T. opened, they mentioned Zephyr had been here for ten years.”

“So… They could know each other?”

Thunder stared at Shiny and walked away, “I give up.”