I'm doing my author's note here since I finally found a way to make longer chapters.

So! I feel really bad for not updating, but also super proud that I even was able to keep my promise of updating at all, making this a mixed feeling chapter. My hands are in pain as I'm launched into the first few days of school and this thing is barely edited, but I think that it's good enough to post already. The other chapter wasn't edited at all(as it was probably obvious), so I don't think this should cause much trouble from that standpoint! I just hope it's good enough for all of you to enjoy and help interest you in the next coming chapter.

Speaking of you guys, I have reviewers to respond to! I had no idea I'd be getting any reviews at all, especially with that bad update schedule, but I am glad I did. You guys really inspire me to make the most of my writing, even through the pain!

Piratemonkies64: I'm glad you think so! I was hoping that I handled my OCs a little better than what I've seen otherwise- after all, I gotta use those 10+ years of writing experience somehow, right? I'm still bad at my voice and I need some work with how I present emotions in characters, but considering how out of practice I've been I feel like I'm at least somewhat accomplished. While I am hoping to make this story as different as possible from other OC based IZ stories, though many of the character archetypes and plot points have probably been used at some point. It's hard to be 100% original when you have a fandom that's been around for at least sixteen years now. I will continue to try and make this story unique and interesting, with many plot points and twists that will keep all of you interested. Thank you for reviewing!

thelunamoth: It's kind of funny, but this review sparked me to write this chapter despite it's simplicity! I had been putting it off over winter break and was completely turned off to the idea until I got the notification that people were still interested. Never underestimate the power of a simple review. It can push an author even during their lowest points!

Alright, that's all for now. My hands really hurt and I'm tired. I hope y'all have a great week going back to school and hopefully I'll see you again with another update in less than a month? We'll see how school impacts this.

- Fritter

The car pulled into the parking spot somewhat crookedly, lurching as I swung open the door and jumped out of the back seat. My boots crunched against the icy snow as they landed on the parking lot. "Alright, people, move it! Move it! We only have five minutes before the meteor shower starts, we HAVE to get a spot!"

"I know! I know! I'm going," Ashia had already opened her door and was grabbing up her stuff, pulling out a crocheted blanket and her red comforter. She stood next to me on the curb with her bundle of covers, nearly having to lean against me to be able to balance. Our parking spot was pretty far away from our point of interest, which was the convention center stationed farther down the hill. It was usually empty, as not much happens in this town, but now there were bright neon lights streaming out of the windows and muffled music playing from speakers inside the building. Crowds were lined up outside, though their numbers began to dwindle as the last groups squeezed their way into the building. Ashia let out a huff as she peered over the pile in her hands. "We're never going to make it that far! All of the good seats are inside, and judging by how there are still people waiting outside, there's no way we will be able to fit, much less actually be able to sit down."

Jordan had also gotten out of the car, nearly slipping on the ice with a yelp as he tried to hold all of the snacks. He braced himself against the side of the car, breathing heavily with his hands full of cookies and oyster crackers. "Yeah, well, we can figure something out, even if we have to sit outside."

I looked at him, shocked. "In the cold, with the ice and snow? You hate the cold!" And even if he did like the cold, like me and Ashia, the cold is still unreasonably uncomfortable if we have to sit in the wet snow.

"It's better than not getting to see anything at all! We can sit right in that cluster of trees, next to the building. Cover from the winds, not much snow on the ground, and we can still see the convention center! Plus, it's closer to the car," Jordan cautiously tiptoed on the icy ground, trying to balance himself by using on arm against the car hood. "Rory, I don't see you holding anything. Can you grab the glow stuff?"

I shrugged and opened up the side door, stretching over the seat to get the brown paper bag filled with glow items. Comparatively, my load was much lighter than my that of my friends', but at least I was helping.

Ashia had already begun descending down the hill towards the trees, carefully picking her way through stone outcroppings. I helped Jordan by letting him hold my arm, his slippery feet not being accustomed to the ice coating the ground. He came from Texas, which you can imagine doesn't have much ice. He had thought that fifty one degrees was cold before he came here, so I'm sure it was a shock when he first felt that sudden drop of at least forty degrees in temperature. That much was evident as his shivers ran up my arm, despite him having a heavy winter coat on.

Even so, he's a trooper- I rarely hear a single complaint from him, and his determination to function despite the sheer drop in temperature makes me proud of him. He barely broke stride with me as we covered the final stretch of rocks before the woods, other than his few slip ups where he nearly knocked me over to keep from landing on his head.

As we all gathered near the edges of the forest, just beyond the lower areas of the parking lot that led to the convention center, Ashia had already begun setting up something similar to a camp. She had cleared most of the snow off of the area right underneath the first few trees and was now laying out her water proof sleeping bag across the ground. She had been thoughtful enough to also bring a small battery powered heater, which lay next to a small pile of the other blankets and pillows. Jordan put his bag down and wiped his brow, looking towards the convention center. "Isn't there supposed to be a speaker who was coming to talk about the planets or something?"

Ashia nodded, propping up a sheet against a branch that was hanging low from one of the trees. The set up was beginning to look like half of a makeshift blanket fort. "That's right. Some weirdo who came from Chicago. I think that he's the son of some big name scientist or something? We're probably close enough to the convention center to see some of the show, though I haven't the slightest clue why you'd want to. All of the speakers for these things have been big nerds who just want to talk about how amazing it is that the planets help propel the meteor past the Earth or whatever. It all sounds like bogus to me."

"So, wait, HAVE you gone to this before?" I ask, setting my own bag down with Jordan's.

"…Well…no. But my mom has. She also says that it's bogus. Because it is! Who would want to listen to a hot head, spouting about the cosmos as if he knows everything like that?"

Shaking my head, I sat down on the blankets and began arranging pillows with Ashia. A bunch of them were from Ashia's room, meaning there were a variety of funky designs like turtles and sequins that could change colors when flipped. The fluffiest pillow was a pink cupcake, which I appreciated greatly. I pushed that one to the front while Jordan began fiddling with the heater, finally bringing a little warmth to the tiny blanket cave that Ashia had constructed.

I grabbed the bag of glow accessories and made the final touches, draping a chain of glow sticks over the hanging tree branch and giving some glow necklaces to everyone in the group. I grinned as I stepped outside of our little creation, basking in the neon lit, fuzzy pillow warmth. It was pretty good, for something whipped together last minute. Behind me, I noticed that the speakers that had previously been playing loud music had gone silent. A screen had flashed onto the windows of the building, showing a glimpse of what was happening inside.

Jordan, who was currently wrapped up in a striped blue blanket and was now shoving a chocolate chip cookie in his mouth, pointed convention center. "Hey, it's starting!"

An announcer voice crackled out of the speakers, playing loudly for the people who had enough common sense to stay in the cars parked closer to the convention center instead of trying to pack themselves inside. "And now, ladies and gentlemen, what you have all been waiting for…a quick word from a speaker representing our sponsor, Dib! Membrane!"

The screen flashed to life with color as a stage appeared on it, a young man who looked only a year or two older than us walking out into the spotlight. He was dressed all in white, a lab coat hugging his sides with a dark sweatshirt underneath. He had black combat boots and gray pants, with shining blue goggles covering his crowds that could be seen on screen went crazy, grabbing at the stage and making a thunderous applause. In the background, some sort of techno music blared through the speakers, confetti of blue and green color bursting out in celebration.

"Show off," Ashia let out a groaning sound. I snickered as I ducked under the blanket to join them, snuggling into one of the soft blankets by the heater. I yanked the bag of oyster crackers out of Jordan's reach and began to grab a handful as the speaker began to talk to the audience.

Dib smiled, waving confidently to the audience. "Thank you, thank you, everyone! I'm glad to be here today, with all of you. It means a lot to me that you all of come here to listen," His spiky, scythe like hair whipped around with every head turn. It was a peculiar thing, with its lightning shaped points. I have never seen anything like that before. Maybe it's a new style? "As you all know, today is the very day that a meteor shower will pass over us, visible to only this sector of the planet as it takes its orbit around our solar system. I am sure it is a momentous time for you all, as a meteor shower is the pinnacle of local lore and mythology. Supposedly, the foundations of this town were built on the belief that these meteors were followed by ships. Great ships, all of which were piloted by beings from beyond this planet."

The crowds below on the screen nodded, whispering back and forth between one another. Ashia sat up a little in her seat, tugging on the blanket as she leaned forward, squinting. "Local lore? What is he getting at? Mom has never told me about any of them talking about that stuff. I mean, sure, we all know it from school and from museums, but it's not really something people from outside of town…know about..."

Jordan also perked up. "Is it true? Was this place really founded by…aliens?"

"That's the idea," I shrug, putting another oyster cracker in my mouth. "No one knows for sure, but it's what we've all been told. It kind of…binds us together, you know? Like, it doesn't exactly matter how true it is, but it's something we all kind of lean on together. It makes us all feel like we have common ground or something."

The man on the screen, Dib, continued, leaning closer to the mic. "I think that it is important to put aside all other matters when it comes to such a frontier like space. Our universe is an amazing one, with many wonders and brilliant activity from the furthest reaches of the cosmos! Such beauty should be told in truth, and it should be known what is right and what is wrong about the world we live in, as knowledge is the only way we can advance," The scientist pushed his glasses up, looking down at the podium. "That is why Membrane Laboratories has taken on a new project over the past few years. We took it upon ourselves to discover the truth, and proclaim it to the world so everyone will see the world as it is. To gift knowledge to you, the people, and to hope that you will understand it. I feel that it is important for the safety of this town and everyone in the world to present our findings here today. We have found that…"

The crowd went dead silent. Dib fidgeted, rubbing the collar of his lab coat. All three of us leaned in, even Ashia, who was having a hard time concealing her interest.

"The…beings that you all have believed in for so long…"

Dib visibly flinched on screen, glancing down at his hands as if there were note cards to help him say his speech. There were no cards there, so he instead began wringing his hands together anxiously.

"Do not…exist."

The quiet hush of the crowds continued for a moment, as if processing what the man had to say. I blinked, incredulous.

Ashia was the first to react. "What the HE-"

She was stopped short as the crowds suddenly erupted with rage, like a volcano of angry booing and hatred. Things began to be thrown onto the stage, popcorn tubs and half finished sodas. People outside of the convention centers had begun to get out of their cars and yell at the projected screen, shaking fists and kicking snow.

So much for "it doesn't matter if it's true".

Dib frantically waved his hands. "I-I mean, there's evidence! We have to show you the evidence of this- of- GAH!" He jumped to the side, barely dodging projectile of cotton candy that was thrown on stage. "You-you- need to listen! It's important! For your safety, you have to understand-"

"Go back to Chicago!" One of the audience members, a lady I recall working at are local grocery store, hissed. "How dare you attack our local culture! "

"Freak!"

"The nerve!"

The chants of insults continued as he ducked behind the podium, trying to avoid being attacked. Two body guards, both of which had gone unnoticed by me, had stepped out of the shadows and grabbed Dib by the arm, motioning to go back behind stage. He struggled against them, pointing back to the crowds. "No, I have to show them! They won't believe me if I don't show them!"

It was too late. He was led off stage, the crowd still throwing a fit even after his absence. Ashia was steaming in a much similar fashion inside the tent. "What was he thinking?! Trying to uproot our culture like some- some- agh! I don't even know! It's our culture! He did enough research to know that much about it, and yet he had the GALL to try and say that? Who gave him the right? Who gave him any kind of ego that made him think it was his place!"

"That was insensitive as all get out. Was that really all he had to say?" Jordan rubbed the back of his neck. "Honestly I would have rather heard more about that planet stuff."

I didn't want to say anything, but in my mind, I felt a fraction of Ashia's same anger. What WAS he thinking? How on Earth did he think he could just waltz in and say something like that? It made me skin crawl just thinking about it. What made someone that dead set on upsetting literally every person in the town? I sighed and hugged my arms. "That was stupid. I hope that the meteor shower is better than that, or this was a waste of time."

The announcer cleared his throat as Dib was hustled off stage. "Well, uh…that…sure was something, huh, folks! We'll continue on with our schedule, then. The meteor shower is due to start any minute now, so keep your eyes to the skies as we open up the shades of the newly installed sky view windows!"

The lights of the stage on screen faded out as a cranking sound was heard. I looked up and saw the top of the building change hue, the curtains attached to the windows peeling back to show the audience inside a full view of the sky from the cozy warmness of their seats. While this tent wasn't exactly cozy or warm, the feeling of my two friends next to me and the soft feeling of the blankets wrapped around us felt personal and safe. Ashia, while still angry, seemed to have softened a bit, hugging her knees close and gazing up at the stars. Jordan seemed to hold the same resolve, fiddling with the edges of the blanket thoughtfully as we all waited for the shower to start.

As I gazed into the deep blue, my thoughts wandered. I wasn't much of a person to keep them to myself, so I spoke. "What do you think? Are the aliens really up there?"

"I don't know, maybe. There's always a chance," Jordan leaned back in the tent, stretching out his legs. He wiggled his feet a little, letting his hands reach out to his knees. "Just think about it. This universe is so large and so vast…we'd be a tad selfish to think that we're the only ones here."

I suppose he's not wrong. Ashia stayed uncharacteristically silent next to me, then grabbed an oyster cracker from my pile, to which I glared at her. "Hey, that's min-"

"Look!" Ashia pointed, suddenly, making me jump a little in my spot. I blinked warily and followed where her finger led, deep into the dark abyss of space. The stars were shards of glass that had been sprayed across the sky, clearly visible hear where light pollution just barely reached it. If I squinted hard enough, I could see bits of the milky way, and even harder- movement!

Jordan jerked forward, leaning so the tent wouldn't get in his way. "The meteor shower?"

My eyes sparkled with excitement, and I joined in pointing as the first of the falling space rocks began to streak across the sky. "Yeah, yeah! Look at it go!" All three of us watched on, amazed as more streaks began to join the first. Slowly but steadily the sky began to be filled with little white marks, all of them racing across the sky like little fish in a stream. It was breathtaking, and we each felt a tug on our hearts as if the sky was apart of us.

Ashia slowly crunched down on the cracker next to me, making me scowl at her. She didn't stop looking at the meteor shower. "Isn't it like a tradition to wish on shooting stars or something?"

"Uh, yeah. It is," I nodded. "What's your wish?"

Her eyes flicked to the ground. "Ah. I don't really know if that's important. It won't come true if we say it, right?"

Jordan huffed from across the blankets, raising an eyebrow. "That's just stuff they tell you as kids. See, I'll tell you my wish," He cleared his throat and adjusted his bright orange coat, his breath like fog. "I wish that we get to stay friends forever and ever. That way we can continue doing cool things like this all the time!"

"You're so sappy, Jordan," I grinned, shoving him gently in a playful manner. He laughed as he almost fell over, barely steadying himself against the snack bags. I looked back at Ashia, who had perked up and was also giggling at Jordan's wish.

"Well, what about you?"

I tilted my head. "Me?"

Ashia gave me a knowing look, her chocolate brown hair gently swaying in the winter breeze. "Don't tell me you don't have a wish. You have to. Maybe…to get together with Shelby…?" She asked hopefully, smirking and wiggling her eyebrows.

"You wish," I rolled my eyes, crossing my arms and snorting.

Jordan, who had pushed himself back up, also seemed curious. "Well, what is your wish, then?"

I looked back up at the meteor shower. The density of the shower had slowed now, but still held quite a few stars that continuously flew into the night. "You know…I think that my wish would be to finally see something more. This town is kind of boring, you know? It's cool, but it'd be amazing to see something more. Another state, perhaps even another country!" I laid back against the pillows and sighed, happily. "But I don't think I'd mind if I had to stay here with you two for another hundred thousand years. We make a great team."

With a quick nod, Ashia brought up a cookie out of the packages next to Jordan, holding it in the air. "Cheers to that!"

Jordan laughed, then tossed one to me and grabbed one for himself. All of us then clinked the chocolate chip cookies together under the background of the stars.

"Cheers!"

The area grew quiet. The air was still for a moment as we all brought them back down and began to eat the cookies, as if the whole world had stopped and taken a breath.

And then we heard the noise.

"Do you hear something?" Ashia whipped around, looking outside the tent. I frowned, lowering the cookie and holding my hand to my ear. It was a high pitched ringing noise, coming from somewhere outside. I stood up and laid my blanket down, walking once again into the cold air of outside. I scanned the area, though the ground outside didn't seem to have changed from before. I looked down to the cars and the convention center, but everyone else was engrossed with the star show.

I scratched my head. "I don't…see anything."

"Oh! Oh, what the heck?" Jordan's voice perked up behind me. I blinked and turned around, confused. "I don't think that should be happening…" Jordan was looking up at the sky, and as I followed his gaze I noticed something was very, very wrong. One of the meteors, a bright light blazing, was getting larger and larger, shooting out against the darkness. It was almost the size of a ping pong ball, then a football, with each second the sound growing louder and more chaotic.

Ashia suddenly sucked in a gasp, jumping up and yanking me back under the tent. "Get down!"

I barely had time to react before the whole world around me exploded with noise, like shrieking metal, and I saw nothing.