After Dark

Night had fallen in the little seaside village of the Scrubs. The races were over for the day and tired pilots roamed the streets among the townspeople. Business always improved during the Great Race of Oban, and many shops and restaurants were open past their regular hours to provide the alien visitors with food and entertainment.

But not all of the pilots were relaxing tonight. Two Earthlings and one Nourasian were making their way through the crowded streets, away from the bustling markets and lively pubs. They came to a neighborhood were the streets were empty and dark. Soon the two boys in the trio recognized the road they were on and became uneasy. When their female leader brought them to the mouth of a dark tunnel they felt uneasier.

The human boy spoke up first. "Uh, Molly? What exactly are we doing here? This place doesn't look safe."

"I must agree with Jordan." the Nourasian boy chimed in. "We should turn back."

Molly remained silent. She turned on a small flashlight, aimed it into the darkness and walked forward. The boys exchanged a look and realized they had no choice but to keep following her. This they did until she came to a stop deep in the tunnel. The ceiling had fallen in long ago and pale moonbeams shone down into the dark chamber.

Here Molly turned off her flashlight and turned to face her friends. After another moment of silence she took a deep breath and began to speak. "Guys … I brought you here because I have something to tell you … and I don't want anyone else to find out." She paused, her face hardening with seriousness. "This has to stay between us. Promise me right now you'll keep it a secret."

They looked at her with very confused and concerned faces. "Yeah, sure thing, partner." Jordan said. He gave Aikka a sidelong glare. "What about you, prince?"

"We Nourasians always keep our promises." the prince said coldly. "Your secret is safe, Molly." he added in a much warmer tone.

The girl took another moment to collect her thoughts before continuing. It was not easy for her to open up to people, and she did not know how her two friends would react. When she began talking again she chose her words carefully.

"For the past few days now, after the races were over, I've been … seeing another pilot …" She looked down at her hands and began to fidget with them. Her cheeks slowly turned pink as she continued. "And, um … we're kinda in a relationship now. We tried to keep things a secret at first, but … but its starting to get serious."

Jordan's thick brows were now raised up in shock. The impact of his partner's confession had begun to sink in. "Wait, let me get this straight. You're dating another pilot? That means he's our rival! Isn't it trouble enough that you're friends with this guy?"

He pointed sharply at Aikka, who frowned and cleared his throat. "That has nothing to do with this. Molly, I must warn you that being so close to an opponent is risky. How do you know he can be trusted?"

Molly frowned at her friends. "You guys don't know him like I do. Nobody does. He's not as bad as everyone thinks."

An alarm went off in Jordan's head. "Not as bad? Tell me who this guy is right now, and I'll tell you if he's 'not as bad'!"

"I don't have to tell you, because he's already here." She looked over her shoulder and called into the pitch black shadows behind her. "Come out now, honey! Let them see who you are!"

Heavy footsteps echoed off the stone walls and a large shape came into view. When the stranger stepped out of the shadows, both Jordan and Aikka's mouths fell open but no words came out. Towering over them all by several feet was a huge muscular alien with pitch black skin. His yellow eyes and red armor shone in the dim light.

This time Aikka was the first to speak, but in his state of stupefied shock his usual eloquence was gone. "C-Colonel Toros?!" he stammered. "W-what in Dohl's name are you doing here?"

"I am here to meet my woman." Toros answered calmly.

"Your woman?!" Jordan exclaimed, his brows climbing closer and closer to his hairline. He had even more trouble getting his words out then Aikka did. "But you're … but she's … there's just no way!!"

The girl grinned sheepishly and scratched the back of her head. "Yeah, it's true … we're a couple." She looked up at the gigantic creature beside her, glowing with affection. "He's my great big teddy bear."

Toros' long ears dropped with embarrassment. If his skin weren't so dark his face might have looked somewhat redder. "Molly ... I asked you not to call me that in public …"

She grinned and touched his mighty forearm. "C'mon, let's get out of this creepy place and go somewhere fun."

"As you wish, my dear."

In a single motion the Crog scooped the tiny girl up with one hand and placed her on his shoulder. She leaned against his head and wrapped an arm around his neck for support, completely at ease with her monstrous companion. As Toros began walking back the way he had come, Molly turned to wave cheerfully at her two dumbstruck friends behind her.

Once they were alone, Jordan looked at Aikka. "So … what do we do now?"

Aikka sighed. "We keep our promise. No one would ever believe this, anyway."

Jordan scratched his head, still not believing anything that had just happened himself. "Man, I could really use a drink right now."

"So could I." Aikka said. "Perhaps if we drink enough we will forget this ever happened."

And so they did.

The End