Birthday gift for Starseeker347. Happy birthday Star. Have a wonderful day.

Own Personal Angel

When Kazanna registered a disturbance in the personal quarters of the Kig-Yar, Iza, she promptly appeared on the room's pedestal and asked, "Is everything alright?"

The room was dark, save the small glow of Kazanna's hologram, so her cameras could not see anything. She did hear a loud squawk and crash, and decided that it was best to turn on the room's overhead lights. Her cameras were focused forward. When the lights came on, she was treated to…an odd view. She stared for a moment, then quickly averted her eyes. She found Iza had fallen over, which wouldn't have been a problem save his tail and bare rump was in the air, facing her. She sighed, and waited, using the sounds to tell that Iza was gathering himself up and pulling on a pair of pants.

"Damn it Kaz! How many times have I asked you not to pop in like that! Do you know how creepy it is?"

"Counting this time, 38. If that was not a time you asking, then 37 times. Counting the total times I have been asked by those on this ship, 325. I'm sorry Iza. I noticed a disturbance, and thought something might be wrong. I was not expecting…that, however."

Iza growled. "Just going to the bloody bathroom," he hissed, stomping into the private room. Kazanna listened to the water run as the Kig-Yar washed his hands. After he came back out, he looked at her, and asked, "Still here then? Don't you have some Unggoy to experiment on or something?"

Kazanna gave him a soft smile. "I would like to ask you something, if it's alright."

"Whatever," he said passively, getting back into the bed.

Kazanna took that as a yes, and asked, "Why do you wear socks to sleep, but no pants?"

Iza looked at her blankly a moment, then down at his rear claws. He wiggled his covered toes, and shrugged. "I like socks. You humans make some really good clothes, you know that?"

Of all the aliens, Iza seemed to have taken to his human comrades the best, oddly enough. He carried human weapons, wore human clothing and armor, rode human vehicles, and could speak human English fluently. Perhaps that was why Kazanna tended to speak to him the most. She found it the easiest. Like she was talking to someone, instead of talking to an alien. "Going back to sleep?"

Iza shrugged. "Do you want to talk or something?"

Kazanna's hologram sat down Indian style, implying she was getting comfortable. "You're usually a sound sleeper. What cause you to get up?"

Again, Iza's face was blank for a moment, but he finally shrugged and said, "I had a dream."

In her alien studies file, Kazanna made a note that Kig-Yar could dream, and also made a note that she would have to ask the other aliens if they dreamed as well.

"Do you dream often?"

"Usually, I guess, though I don't always remember them."

"What was this dream?" she asked.

Iza sighed, and rubbed his eyes. "Well…I was some human place. I don't know. One of the planets. One of those makeshift places, like the refugee places after we glassed someplace. And I was mulling about, minding my own business, watching some kind of dance group of humans performing. Then, from now where, this ONI car showed up, and out steps a Helljumper and a Demon. A Demon!

"Anyways, they grab me and pull me over to their Warthog, and put me under arrest for the murder of... somebody, I can't remember the name. And I'm like 'What? I didn't kill anyone! I mean, not today. I'm on vacation. Why do you think I killed him?' And they answered that it had to have been me, because it was a Kig-Yar, and also the gun used to kill the man, some kind of rifle, was specially designed for a left-handed gunman. And, well, you know, I'm left handed.

"I was searched, and they pull this gun out from my pocket which I had no idea I was carrying. I think it was one of the newer magnums you humans use, though I didn't get a great look at it. And then I was taken away in the car. Things are kinda fuzzy from then, until we were driving through this nighttime city. The Demon was driving, and the ONI was sat next to me.

"I was begging and pleading because I knew I had never killed that guy. And then I suddenly lunged for the guy sat next to me, because I hadn't been cuffed for some reason, pulled the gun from his holster, and shot him at point blank, right in the side of the forehead. And for a second I was shocked, and my finger was locked on the trigger. The Demon slammed the brakes and pulled out his own gun. With one hand on the steering wheel and his other and holding the gun, he tried to shoot me.

"I just reacted... grabbed the gun in his hand, clamping my palm over the muzzle and redirecting the shot. Obviously I took a shot through the hand, but then I finally managed to release my finger from my own pistol trigger, and shoot him through the head-rest... and then everything just went black and I woke up...and I really had to pee. So I tried to get to the bathroom, but I stubbed my toe and squawked. And then you came in, and…uhm…saw me. I wish you hadn't." Iza looked at the ground. "Not really a fan of me. I look like a female."

Kazanna's brow raised. She made a record of both what Iza said, and how Iza said it. Words were important. So was the tone of voice, the twitch of an eye, the rate of breathing.

"Do you ever dream?" Iza asked.

"I suppose. Though, they may just be memories from my past life. Memories aren't dreams, technically."

"What are they like?"

Kazanna thought to herself, then said, "Meet me at the laboratory." And a moment later, she had disappeared. Iza thought of smashing the hologram pedestal and then going back to sleep. Instead he pulled on a pair of boots and buckled his holster and magnum around his thin hips. With a slight yawn, he stepped out the door. The fact that he didn't know where the laboratory was wasn't actually a problem. The lights of the hallway had been dimmed. The lights on the floor flickered and blinked in a pattern, forming a pathway that he followed, and eventually reached the lab.

"Kazanna?" he asked. He did not like the lab. None of the Covenant did. It was common knowledge what experiments had gone on here during the war. Bleach and chlorine by the gallons could never quite remove the stench of death.

There was a strong glow of orange. Iza blinked. Quickly the glow formed and Kazanna appeared before him. Only, she was larger. A normal size for a humans, which considering her usual doll size was quite a change.

"Pretty cool, huh? Projectors in the ceiling and flood. This is so I can easier help in the experiments. I want them all over the ship, but not quite yet. The shipmaster finds that creepy, me to be this big. What do you think?"

Iza looked away, blushing slightly.

"Something wrong?"

"No," Iza said quickly. "Just never seen you like this. This big I mean."

"Thought it might be easier to talk. Do you not like it? I can shrink back down."

"No," Iza groaned, holding his head. "Uhm…just, you're really pretty." He could never measure the careful curves of her body or loving smile of her face when she was six inches tall. He was just taken by surprise, and quickly got his bearings again.

"My dreams right?" Kazanna asked. "Usually, I'm a human again. Riding horses through the country. Amazing, all I've done, and that's what I dream about."

"What's a horses?" Iza asked.

"Big furry creatures you can ride around on."

"Like the chieftain?" Iza snickered.

Kazanna sighed and shook her head. Her image blinked away, a moment later replaced with a full sized horse. Iza examined the large creature, mentally comparing it to pack beasts and game of Dosiac, that time Exilius had taken him along. "But ride them? I thought that you humans had vehicles on Earth?"

The horse was replaced by Kazanna, whose arms were crossed and face wore an angry scowl. Iza whimpered. "If you ever come to Earth, you can ride a pure breed. Then you'll understand. I can't put it into words Iza. But to be on the great creature, to feel the wind in your hand, that little bounce in your saddle. Cars aren't the same. You go to the store in a car, you go on an adventure with a horse. It beats the stars any day." She gave a soft smile, then looked down with a heavy sigh.

Iza gave a blushing smile. "So it's a date?"

Kazanna moved close, and put her arms around Iza's long neck. She lifted onto her toes, and gave a little kiss to his cheek. "Sure. But I'll have to live in your helmet."

Iza's heart sped to the point it threatened to explode. His breathing ceased and just held in his lungs. His knees felt weak. Just a hologram. There was no weight around his neck and no saliva residue on his cheek. But he felt her touch and the warmth of her lips, either because he was tired and delusional or human hologram technology had made an incredible leap overnight. Kazanna didn't seem to notice his reaction. She backed out of his arms.

"You're really great to talk to."

"Thank you Kazanna, you are too."

"Would you believe some of the crew still aren't comfortable around me? They still think any moment, I'll go Rampant. I'm not the one who gassed the Brute prisoners, am I?" She turned her back and huffed softly. Iza rested his hand on Kazanna's shoulder in a comforting gesture. "Typical me. I get along better with horses when I'm alive, and now I'm closer to a space chicken than any humans on this ship. Oh, by the way." She looked back over her shoulder, a keen grin over her face. "You got a cute ass."

"Thanks…?" Iza said dumbly.

"Thank you," Kazanna said. "For talking to me and all."

"It was nothing."

Kazanna gave a soft smile and blinked away. After a few moments, Iza left the lab and headed for his room. He unbuckled his holster and kicked off his boots. He started on his pants, but then looked to the mirror. In front of the mirror, he unbuttoned his pants and slipped them off. They slid over his hips and onto the ground. Then, stepping out of them and turning around, he craned his neck over his shoulder and put his claws on his flanks. He traced up over the cheeks, then either hip. He found himself grinning wide, and still smiling as he climbed into bed, he drifted off to sleep.