Chapter 7: Kira The Gelfling

Back at the Mystic Valley, all the Mystics were getting ready to head out to the Skeksis Castle.

"At last, the crystal calls." Urlm, the Healer Mystic, sighed. "Time to return to the castle."

The other Mystics nodded, picking up what they packed and headed out to the castle, where they hope that Jen and the Octonauts were headed to now.

It was morning in the forest now. The woods were buzzing with life among the plants and insects. Near a river, Jen and the Octonauts sat, staring at the crystal shard.

"Now we've got the shard," Jen sighed. "But what do we do with it?"

"Maybe we're supposed to take it somewhere." Tweak thought.

"What's so special about this shard anyway?" Kwazzi asked, taking the shard and looking at it. "It doesn't look like anyth... Oh!"

"What is it Kwazzi?" Barnacles asked.

"Take a look at this." Kwazzi held the shard up for everyone to see.

Everybody looked into the shard, gasping as an image of a creature striking a large white crystal was shown on the shard.

"Fascinating." Shellington breathed. "That must be what Aughra was talking about."

Suddenly, they heard a noise behind them. Curiousity getting the better of them, they stood up to investigate.

"I don't like this." Peso shivered.

"Don't worry me hearty." Kwazzi patted his back. "I'll keep ya' safe."

"Thanks Kwazzi." Peso blushed.

Curious, Jen and the Octonauts continued to search on. They kept hearing footsteps where ever they went. The noise eventually brought them to a small burrow. They looked inside and suddenly, a strange furry creature jumped out, growling and snarling at them. Jen and the Octonauts were startled, falling back into mud.

"Oh, no." Jen groaned. "Right in the mud."

Suddenly they heard another sound coming from the reeds beside them. A creature Jen's size comes out, wearing a hood. The creature reaches up to their hood and puts it down to reveal a female Gelfling. Jen and the Octonauts stared in amazement at this discovery, not knowing what to say. The Gelfling frowned at the creature that was still growling and snarling.

"Fizzgig!" She scolded. "Bodyee nyuncechas ouamo!"

The creature known as Fizzgig whimpered and made his way over to the female Gelfling. The Gelfling sighed and looked at Jen and the Octonauts.

"Ko vyee." She said in a appoligetic voice.

"Hugh?" Jen snapped out of his trance. "You, Gelfling, like me?"

The Gelfling gasped and smiled, happy to know that Jen spoke english.

"Yes!" She cried.

"But, I thought I was the only one!" Jen gasped.

"I thought I was."

"Fascinating." Shellington smiled. "Another Gelfling, and turns out to be a female! There may be hope for the Gelfling race after all!"

"Shellington!" Barnacles warned.

"I'm just saying." Shellington shrugged.

"Well, whatever it is you're saying," Kwazzi struggled. "It's not gettin' us out of this mud puddle."

"Oh," The Gelfling laughed. "Here. I'll help you out."

The Gelfling reached her hand out and Jen took it. Suddenly, they were dreamfasting, sharing memories while their sentences overlapped each other.

Jen: "... Before everything started ... Back when I had a mother and father ... shiny and round."

Gelfling: "The first thing I remember is fire. It's a war... I think. ... A tree. My mother puts me right in side and we ... Mother! Mother, the monster!"

Jen: "The first thing I remember is the kind one. He picks me up and he's big. He makes the monsters disappear, and I'd be safe."

Gelfling: "Am safe. The podlings ..."

Jen: "What's happening?"

Gelfling: "We're dreamfasting... sharing our memories."

Jen: [laughing] "I'm having a bath."

Gelfling: "When I was little, I used to get fed by my new mom. She called me Kira."

Jen: "... and then bigger ... And master, you showed me the whole valley stretching out. I thought it went on forever. Kira watch out!"

Gelfling: "The Garthim! They capture the podlings. It makes me cry. But sometimes it is good."

Jen: "I am happy. My master is family and teacher and friend ... and I can nearly forget..."

Gelfling: "I can talk with flowers and all the living things."

Jen: "... and he shows me numbers and things called words. And everywhere I go I learn the shapes of kindness. I learn from them all, except ... there's no one here like me. I need to find .."

Gelfling: "And yes, I love them all. Except I need to find ... I want ..."

Jen: "Wait!"

Gelfling: "It's going away."

Jen: "It's going away."

"Uh oh!" Barnacles gasped as he realized that everyone was sinking. "We're sinking!"

"Don't move." The Gelfling laughed.

"Don't move?" Kwazzi scoffed. "Where would we go?"

The Gelfling looked down at the mud and made a bullhorn with her hands.

"Avearh!" She called. "Avearh!"

At the sound of the Gelflings' call, a creature rose from the mud and lifted Jen and the Octonauts out.

"YEOW!" Kwazzi jumped away. "What in the seven seas is that?"

"Just a Nebrie." The Gelfling explained. "She won't hurt you. Dohbah. Natraxed, dohbah."

"Kira!" Jen suddenly cried out, confusing the Octonauts. "Your name is Kira!"

"We were dreamfasted." Kira explained. "You and I. I know that your name is Jen. What about you? What are your names?"

"Well, I am Captain Barnacles." Barnacles began introducing his crew once again. "This is Kwazzi, Peso, Shellington, Dashi, Professor Inkling, and Tweak. We are the Octonauts."

"It's very nice to meet you." Kira smiled, turning to Fizzgig. "Fizzgig, Fizzgig. Piah, come on."

Fizzgig looks at Kira curiously, then obeys and goes to her. Kira picked Fizzgig up and held him.

"Fizzgig, avo yay, Jen." Kira said to him. "Avo yay, Octonauts."

Jen slowly and gentley reached his hand up to pet Fizzgig, cooing softly. But when Jen tried to pet Fizzgig, the creature growled at him once more.

"Fizzgig!" Kira scolded, making the creature whimper. "Fizzgig, doyle! You seem very strange to him."

"Aye! He seems pretty strange to us!" Kwazzi crossed his arms.

"He's nervous." Kira explained. "Here, Skeksis are watching always. We must go!"

Frightened about Skeksis watching them, Jen and the Octonauts nod, following Kira and Fizzgig away.