To be completely honest… nothing exciting happened for a while.
Life had slowed down. After a year of explosive discoveries, flaming sword fights, and philosophical flirting with Firehair, things had simmered down to a comfy summer routine. The weather? Still summer. The vibe? Vacation mode. Aethonix's biggest challenge at the moment? Figuring out if he wanted to eat grilled Drakok or fried Linuar fish for lunch.
But with peace came progress.
So, here's the thing… nothing blew up this month again.
No alien invasions, no mysterious meteors, not even a baby dragon attacking the grain silos (although one of the farmers swore a flying lizard winked at him and stole his lunch). In short: life was calm. Too calm.
"Bro, I'm getting bored,"
Aethonix muttered while lying
flat on top of his palace roof,
looking dramatically at the sky like a philosopher trapped in a Marvel slice-of-life anime.
Summer Forever?
It had been months of never-ending summer. You'd think people would complain about heat, but the Aurorians had adapted. They invented portable leaf fans, citrus-scented cooling stones, and something called "Snow Juice" (basically crushed ice mixed with tree sap and hope).
**"We need more cities,"** Aethonix said one morning while staring at a map and sipping coconut juice like a royal tourist. **"Let's spread out like peanut butter on toast."**
"We need to spread out more," Aethonix said during a council meeting. "We're stacking on top of each other like vibranium pancakes."
And thus, Operation "Scatter the Homies" began.
Thus, new villages popped up across the region like mushrooms after rain. Scouts were sent in all directions, and the northern team returned with shocking news:
New groups were sent off in every direction to build new villages, each with their own themes. One was called Stoneleaf, surrounded by glowing blue trees. Another? Crustacia, home to the land Crabs and dangerously spicy Crab stew.
Discovery of the Sea (and Fish that Fought Back)
Then came the big news.
A scout team returned, soaking wet and missing one boot.
> "Your Highness! We found a sea!"
>
> "How far?"
>
> "About 80 kilometers north."
>
> "What's it look like?"
>
> "Wet. Salty. Smells fishy."
Perfect.
But with great fish came great *concerns*.
> "Sir, the fish are huge. Like... one tried to bite the boat."
> What if the fish attack us?"
"Tell the cooks to make giant skewers."
> "Nice. Build a fishing village. Name it… *Tunaheim.*"
And just like that, the coastline was claimed.
---
**Existential Crisis: Marvel Edition**
One evening, as Aethonix laid on the palace roof, arms folded behind his head, he stared at the stars and muttered:
**"Bro, what Marvel Universe even *is* this?"**
Like seriously—was he in Earth-616? The cinematic one? Some fanfic AU where Tony Stark is a goat farmer? He didn't know. All he *did* know was that nothing major had happened yet.
"Is this Earth-199999? Earth-616? Earth-we-accidentally-took-a-wrong-turn?"
**"Am I supposed to wait 1 million years for Galactus to show up? Will Kang walk in like 'surprise time-loop'?"**
But then again… maybe that was good.
What if I'm just a side character in someone else's arc?"
Existential crisis: 11/10.
At the current pace, the Aurorians were advancing *fast*. Like, "we-went-from-swords-to-combustion-engines-in-a-decade" fast. Aethonix was confident that in 500 years they'd invent plasma guns, faster-than-light ships, and espresso machines that don't leak.
**"Bro… when Thanos pulls up in to the future, we'll slap him back into space like a badminton birdie."**
Like in 900 thousand years in the future
---
**Asking the Firebird**
One night, Aethonix turned to Firehair, who was levitating upside down while reading a scroll with zero effort.
**"Hey Fire, question."**
**"If this is about kissing again, the answer is still—"**
**"No, no! I mean… yeah later maybe… but no. Do you know if there are any *other* advanced civilizations in this galaxy that can travel between stars?"**
She blinked, twirled mid-air, and landed gracefully like a dramatic flaming ballerina.
**"Oh definitely."**
**"Wait… seriously? Who?!"**
---
**The Intergalactic Rolodex (According to Firehair)**
1. **Xeronians** – "They're from the Triple Star System. They can warp across short galactic distances. Very shiny people. Bit full of themselves. I dated one once."
Aethonix took mental notes: *Xeronians = Warp-capable Space Models = Avoid dating them.*
2. **Alpha Centaurians** – "From Alpha Centauri. Kind of mid. Not full FTL, but close enough to crash a spaceship in your backyard and demand diplomatic immunity."
Aethonix: *Mid-tier aliens. Probably have strong opinions on coffee.*
3. **Dakkamites** – "They look human, but they're not. Strong, tough, and kinda weird. No interstellar travel yet, though."
*Basically Marvel's version of 'Earth 2.0 but without good Wi-Fi'*
4. **Reptiloids** – "Snake people. Very hissy. Some are literal snakes with legs. Don't trust them in negotiations—they bite."
Aethonix: *Good to know. Pack anti-venom.*
5. **Skin-Color Humanoids** – "You'll meet humanoids in every color: green, blue, pink, red, orange… like Skittles but sentient."
*Note: DO NOT eat the Skittle Aliens. Even if they smell like bubblegum.*
6. **Monstrous Ones** – "Some are terrifying. One has like 12 eyes and a scream that fries electronics. But don't judge a book by its horrifying bio-plasma cover."
Aethonix: *Remind council to never open the space door for anything with more than 3 eyeballs.*
Back to Romance
After that educational alien TED Talk, Aethonix gave Firehair the smolder.
"So, uh… with all these scary aliens out there, you gonna stay here? With me? Help build this peaceful place? Maybe kiss me later?"
Firehair rolled her eyes. "You blink like a confused puppy when you flirt."
"And yet you haven't left," he smirked.
She smirked back. "Maybe I like confused puppies."
---
**Flirty Fire and the Galactic Fear**
After that rundown, Aethonix gave Firehair his best innocent grin.
**"So… with all that alien madness in the galaxy… are we Going to be lovers?"**
He even *blinked slowly* at her. A tactic proven to work on baby dragons and sleepy Puppy.
Firehair rolled her eyes again so hard they nearly summoned a solar flare.
**"Stop blinking like that or I'll set your eyebrows on fire."**
Aethonix grinned. *She didn't say no, though…*
---
Preparing for Trouble
With this newfound galactic paranoia, Aethonix started getting serious.
He created
Aurorian Early Warning Beacons – Powered by Linuar crystals and paranoia.
Cosmic Chicken Radar – Designed by Cronus. If an alien ship enters orbit, it lays a golden egg and explodes.
"Still working out the kinks," Cronus said after the third prototype exploded at breakfast.
**Hope for Peace… Fear of Skrulls**
Now armed with knowledge about potential alien visits, Aethonix spent nights praying:
> "Please, universe. No Skrulls. No Galactus. No surprise Avengers crashing here for vacation. Just 100 years of chill, please."
His council was preparing early warning systems just in case.
Cronus was already sketching and Redesigned The blueprints for a **Cosmic Chicken Radar **, which crows every time something weird enters the solar system.
**"It's both defensive and farm-to-table,"** Cronus explained proudly.
Redesigned again
---
**Final Thoughts**
"Bro," Aethonix said during a council meeting,
"if Skrulls show up, I swear I'm flipping this entire continent like a pancake."
Firehair nodded solemnly. "Same. I'll light it on fire first."
The capital of Aethonix buzzed with life. 70,000 Aurorians now lived in peace, power, and barbecue.
Villages were rising. Seas were explored. Fish were enormous and mildly aggressive.
And in the palace balcony, Aethonix looked at Firehair—half-melting the railing just by existing.
**"This life is wild,"** he whispered. **"Let's hope the next chapter isn't *too* wild."**
She nodded, flames flickering.
**"I wouldn't mind wild... as long as it's with you."**
Aethonix blinked.
Twice.
a love story brewing between a flaming goddess and a 16-year-old (67.2-years-old-Earth years) Prince with too much responsibility and not enough sleep.
"Let's just enjoy peace," Aethonix said,
"before Evil Gods realizes we're doing too well."
---