A/N: This is a bit of a one-shot based off a random idea I had. It's not very good and I haven't had al lot of time to think about what I'm doing. So, no hating please...
My name is Erek. Erek King. At least, that's my name right now. I've had hundreds of names, lived hundreds of human lives. Before that, though... I lived the life of a Chee.
Back then, my name was Iolla.
My Pemalite master was Cilio. She was pretty average to all the others, but my entire world. Though, I do have to admit, she wasn't much different from any other Pemalite. I never thought of her like that, though, back then.
We were watching from Cilio's home as the spaceship was being built. It was large, larger than any other built so far, because it was meant to take us... well, so far. It was in a friendly shape, similar to that of a Pemalite. It looked like a big, greenish Pemalite.
"We'll be able to see so much," Cilio said that night, looking happy. I loved when she looked happy. That meant life was going the right way, and I din't have to worry about her. "That ship will take us out of this galaxy. We've never gone so far... Imagine everyone we'll meet! All the friends we'd make!"
I shared my master's enthusiasm, at first. But then I started thinking. What if this goes the wrong way? What if instead of meeting friends... we meet enemies? I didn't speak my worries. The last thing I wanted was to erase that smile on Cilio's face. I focused on being happy for her, drowning out the fears.
After all, what's the worst that can happen?
Two weeks later, the ship was finished. It was built to perfection, with plenty of room for games and relaxtion with the friends all Pemalites were sure we'd meet. It had no weapons-nobody was worried about us being attacked, except for me. Pemalites never thought badly about anyone else.
"I hope we can go," Cilio told me. "It would be so much fun, Iolla!"
I nodded cheerfully. "I'll make sure the trip is perfect," I promised.
"thank you," Cilio said. "You're the best Chee anyone could ask for."
"Cilio," Emvera, Cilio's best friend (Pemalite-wise, of course) poked her head in. She glanced at me. "Oh, hi, Iolla." The looked back at Cilio. "They're letting people tour the new ship. Want to come!"
"Definitly!" Cilio exclaimed. "Let's go, Iolla."
"Oh, about him," Emvera said. "It's Pemalite-only right now."
"What? Why?" Cilio asked.
Emvera shrugged. "I don't know. I didn't make the rules; I just follow them. You coming?"
"Yeah," Cilio said. She and Emvera left, leaving me all alone.
I felt a flash of protective anger at Emvera. It felt like she was constantly trying to take Cilio away from me, to stop us from being happy together, so they could. And she never wanted to include me. Emvera had never been as big on the idea of Chee as most Pemalites, especially Cilio. I guess she just preferred her own kind.
I left Cilio's house and wandered the streets aimlessly. I found where my friend Qiamer, a Chee, lived, along with his master, Bunfal. Knowing Bunfal, he would probably already be doing the tour. I entered and found Qiamer alone.
"Hi, Iolla," he greeted me. "Cilio left you, too?"
"It wasn't her choice," I said defensively.
"Really," Qiamer didn't seem to believe me.
"Of course," I insisted. "It's not Cilio's fault that Chee aren't allowed."
"It is her fault she didn't try to let you come," Qiamer argued. He's very serious about Chee rights, which I never understood. We were treated as friends, not tools. But any time it seemed Pemailtes got something Chee didn't, Qiamer was on it like a Pemalite on a game. (idk that simile STINKS SO BAD) Still, he loved his master. I decided not to talk about Emvera, and how it seemed she was trying to take Cilio from me. I hadn't come to fight about whether or not Chee were treated right.
"Anyway," I said, changing the subject. "What do you think about that ship?"
"It's pretty cool," Qiamer said, seeming to have forgotten our little argument. "I wonder what we'll find."
"I, well, honestly, I'm a bit worried about that," I admitted. "I mean, what if there's creatures out there who want to hurt the Pemalites?"
"Nobody would. They're not going to try to hurt anyone, so why would anyone hurt them? The only reason anyone fights is self-defense, and you don't need self-defense against Pemailtes," Qiamer replied.
"That makes sense," I agreed.
There was never fighting with the Pemalites, but we all knew that some time we might encounter a species who wasn't all that friendly, so we all knew we had to appear as nonthreatening as possible.
Like Qiamer said, the only reason anyone fights is self-defense.
If only that were true.
