Chapter 1: The Warning

"Tamuuuueee!" a whining voice whimpered, and Tamue felt herself being prodded awake. "They stole my sluushiiieee!" Tamue opened one eye in annoyance at the sight in front of her; a very large, stripped eyrie was prodding with her enormous paw. Anyone who didn't personally know Spyrushi or had come in any contact with her would think that she was very capable of handling herself in a tough situation.

Whoever is stupid enough to think that… Tamue told herself. Is a complete moron. She sat up quickly and surveyed her sister, who was looking very torn. A silver zafara was sipping a slushie nearby.

"Oh jeez, Spy!" Tamue snapped. "It's just Gir, and god knows how many more you have just waiting at you're command!" Spyrushi whimpered her reply.

"Yeah but… that doesn't mean I'm NOT emotionally attached to each one of them!" Yes, since the moment Tamue had laid eyes upon Spy, she had known one thing: her sister loved slushies. In fact, the whole reason they met was because Spy had been walking through the lost desert, confused as to why there weren't any slushies in sight. Tamue rubbed her eye and yawned. Xel and Dream were already awake, along with the almost a hundred of other pets in the field with her; what Tamue referred to as her "extended family." There was Rhena1, and Princess_Stelar, and Horus51, and Di_Gi_Charat, and… the list went on, and on, and on. Each pet had its own personality, different from the rest. Xel was suddenly at attention as Gir held up the remains of the slushie in front of him.

"Wanna slushie, maasstteeer?"

"GIR!" Xel suddenly glared down at him. "I'm busy!"

"Oh… so you don't want a slushie then?" Tamue grinned. Gir was just as bad as spy was, only he, too, was a zafara. And at times, Xel was like her, which didn't actually discomfort her. For the first time that morning, she was staring at him, but thinking about something else.

It had been the fifth time now that she had been awoken by that strange shock In the middle of the night. Something was strange about it, familiar, but she couldn't quite place it. It could possibly be anything; restlessness, a stomach ache, or something normal. Then again, it could also be something else. Some sort of a sign, something warning her of danger; she usually got those sorts of dreams, but it was never anything serious to worry about.

"Hey, there, Tam'," a voice called to her with a thick southern accent. "What're y'all starin' at, that Aisha there isn't any big prize." She turned to see Rhena1 sitting behind her. Her auburn eyes sparkled, taunting her on.

"Oh, Qovai is better?" She taunted right back. She knew that Rhena was a bit touchy about Qovai, a once-fire wocky who she had met and after awhile, fallen in love with.

"I don't care what he looks like," Rhena said with a dreamy smile. She had just woken up, as well. "I like him for who he is. And you can't like that guy for who he is, because he's too pushy for it…" Tamue titled her head to one side.

"Yeah well…" but she didn't finish. She could see something behind her friend. One of her ears perked up. "Who's that?"

Rhena turned her head.

"Who's who?"

"That. Behind you." The figure just stared from the darkness, then very, very slowly, lifted a paw to wave, and by the time Rhena looked, it was gone.

"I don't see anyone." She turned to her friend. "You aren't seeing things now, are you? Because if I have to strap you down again…"

Tamue moaned, rolling her eyes. Not too long before, she had gone aboard the Space Station and met up with Captain Arlhox, long lost enemy. He had put her under his control, she had been forced to not eat or sleep for almost a month. When she snapped out of it, she began choking uncontrollably, and random foods had been stuffed into her mouth by Rhena (her best friend) and Spy. In the few days that followed, she had been force-fed, put under random spells, and even strapped to the floor to keep her from straining herself. She had no intention of repeating the process.

"No thank you, I can see just fine… it must just be that sleeping problem I've been having, things getting to my head." Rhena raised an eyebrow.

"Sleeping problems?"

"Restlessness, probably. After all, when you're strapped to the floor, you get a bit restless. Not…" she waved a paw. "…That you would know."

"No, I probably wouldn't." Rhena's eyes searched the field. "Any other ideas why it could be happening?"

"Could be a warning. Y'know, danger and all that. Or it could just be a result of having foods you didn't even know existed stuffed down you're throat… You never know."

"Think it has anything to do with you're aliens, by any chance?" Tamue shivered. She had no intent of going back to the SSV, not after she had been almost killed going the last time. No, she didn't want to take chances, but she had to admit; that was exactly along the lines of what she had been thinking.

"Could be, but I wouldn't go that far… I think Arlhox has had enough of me, I'm always in his hair…" she lied. She flicked her tail around, a sign of pure nervousness that she couldn't help to show. Suddenly, though, her tail was being held down by something. Jumping, she turned around quickly, seeing Gir standing there, a big smile on his face.

"Can I have a cupcake, pretty lady?" He asked in his naturally cute voice. She wasn't too sure about Gir, she knew that he called Xel "Master," and that he was always hyper until Xel gave him something to do, but it would never get done, because somehow or other, Gir would find something that he thought was more interesting and begin working on that.

"Sure you can. What are you supposed to be doing, though?"

"Getting something for master."

"Ah." She handed him his cupcake and he smiled, dropping something to the ground and taking it, then running off cackling towards Xel. Looking at the piece of metal, Tamue picked it up. It had a picture that showed the sign A². Watching Gir for a minute, devouring the cupcake, she walked over and plopped the piece of metal at Xel's feet. "This is yours."

"Thanks." He said simply, and he took it, then, looking at it for the first time, his eyes went wide, and held it up saying, "Wait… where did you get this?" Not exactly being able to say that Gir had dropped it, she answered.

"On the floor." She said it with a teasing grin.

"That doesn't help… where?"

"Around." She answered again. He looked at her a minute.

"You're really weird, you know that?"

"M'hm. So'r you, Xellie." She watched, his eye twitched a little in anger.

"Don't call me that." He turned his head back to the myriad.

"A'course not, Xellie. Won't do it again," she teased, and then she patted him on the head, purposely rubbing his fur the wrong way. His paws snapped up to his head and he snarled, turning around quickly. Tamue willed to disappear, and she did. He was looking straight at her, but through her, he had no idea where she'd gone. With a smile, she waved her paw in front of his confused face, until he shrugged and turned around, muttering about strange zafaras.

Job complete.

Tamue sat there, proud of herself, taunting Xel for another few minutes, pulling his ears, his tail, and when he wasn't looking, taking random things from the myriad and taking them with her. Just another one of those days where she had to blow off some steam and did it while bugging Xel all at once. Finally, she leaned against a tree, satisfied that no one could see her, eating a chicken roll, humming a song.

"Please, don't fuss over me," she sang. "But I need some help from you, I am held captive on a ship, and don't know what to do. Can you find it in your heart, to help someone not unlike you?" She stopped suddenly. What song was that? She heard it before, but she wasn't sure where, exactly. It was EXTREMELY familiar, but where from? Shaking her head, she turned her thoughts to that dream she had been having. She could barely remember it, but it was still there, somehow. Something about Zafra; her past self, and about ZA-MAGIC4989, whatever that could be. Some random nothing dream... Stretching, she shut her eyes, preparing to regain some of her lost sleep time.

Please help me… you're the only one who can hear me… If you don't help, you and you're friends will surely die, starting with you, and then with Xelqued, and so on. I am on the SSV, you'll know where to find me.

Meanwhile, Tamue was completely unaware that she had been taken out of disappearance and was now easily seen, slumped against the tree, and was muttering things in her sleep. Xelqued wasn't quite sure what she was saying, until he heard his own voice. Gir began to poke at her.

"Pretty lady is talking about you, Master!"

"GIR!" he snapped, feeling his cheeks go a bit warmer, but not noticeable. "Stop that right now!"

"I understaaaannddd…." He said, confused. A second later, he grinned lopsidedly and poked at Tamue again.

"You and you're friends will surely die...starting with you… and then with Xelqued…" Xel was suddenly too stunned to say anything. He had heard that Tamue was having some kinds of problems, but predicting that he himself would die?

She couldn't hate him that much.

"Cold…" she started again. This was almost as bad as the time when she would talk with herself as if someone was actually there, listening. "I'm cold…" He watched with interest, not at her, but wondering what on earth she could be dreaming about. "Don't… leave me alone, Arlhox…"

"Captain Arlhox."

"Arlhox? That old four ears?" He could hear a light giggle. "He's easy to get around…"

"SHUT UP, ARLHOX!"

"Xelqued…" Xel snapped to attention. He knew of Arlhox, but he wasn't sure… what was that? Four ears? What was that all about? Before he could remember any more, Tamue was shrieking, disrupting his thoughts. Shaking, twitching, and screaming bloody murder. Rhena and Spy were shaking her furiously, to no avail, as the shrieks only grew louder. Finally, he pinned his own ears down and rushed over, shaking her too. Wake up, he hissed in his brain. And stop screaming already!

She sat up quickly, vivid images of her dream stuck in her head, shaking in fear. This was a serious problem, worse than hers, because of her. She looked at the swirling faces in front of her. Rhena, Spy, Xel, and Dream. Rhena and Spy dropped of a little and she just watched Dream and Xel with shifty eyes. What were they thinking, staring at me like that? She thought. I'm not crazy…

"What HAPPENED?!" Xel said, staring with almost concern in his face. Or was it pitty? Dream just looked confused and remained silent.

"It was…" she looked at Dream. Did she know? She had to know, but then again, she didn't look to shaken or anything, so she couldn't. Taking her chances, she lied. "…It was nothing, I guess I'll never get any sleep, will I?" She forced a laugh that didn't convince anyone. "I need coffee…"

Spy thrust something in her face.

"Coffee?" she asked, confused. She couldn't see whatever the drink was. Spy nodded vigorously.

"Better."

Tamue began drinking. It was, indeed, good, but cold. Most likely a slushie. Still good, though. She sat, thinking. Whoever it was up in the SSV, that person was defiantly in trouble. Why couldn't they get out on their own? Why did they need her help? Did Xelqued even remember when they met?

"Xel," she started, putting the slushie down, her vision returned. "Do you remember the SSV yet?" He just stared blankly.

"…SSV?"

"I didn't think so." She took the empty slushie cup and balanced it on his head. "You'd better remember soon, 'cuz I think we have to go back."

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Ooooh…! That's all I have to say right now…