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What Lies Beneath

by

~Miriah~of~the~Wind~

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Chapter 16: The Crystal of Sunlight

"Well, what took you so long?" Mali said as she saw Tak in her human self.

"Nothing but that ghastly McFarley human knows we're Irken. She was all blabbing something about 3 crystals and maybe the banshee could help us or something like that." Tak answered.

"Strange, how very strange. Now can we burn the building down?" Cam requested.

"Why? Is it locked, because that McFarley told me something about her chest of jewels and I found this." Tak said as she reached into her pocket and took out her key. She walked forward and put the key in it's slot. It unlocked the attic door and all three walked in. As they did the door slammed behind them and they were locked in.

"It seems like McFarley isn't the only one who knows we aren't from this galaxy." Mali said with a hint of sarcasm but Cam only shook her head.

"My centripetal perceives say that, that was no human. There is something Irken in that organism that would make him or her tell we weren't human."

"We should spread out and search for clues." Mali said although it sounded more like an order.

"How can we? It's so dark." Tak said.

"Allow me." Cam said. She looked around and noticed that there was a candlestick holder. She walked over and place the candlestick that she found in the kitchen. Then she focused on her powers and her eyes shot out lasers that put the candle's wick on fire giving enough light to look around.

"Now let's search clues." Cam said.

"Would this count as one?" Tak said as she held up a crowbar.

"No, but we could find away to get out of here with that." Mali said.

"Hey, look at this." Cam said. The other two Irken females walked over and saw that Cam was holding a book full of pictures. One of them was of Allistar McFarley, the man who recently went missing. Cam stuffed it into her purse and Mali then called Tak and Cam to come to the other side of the room.

"What is it?" Cam asked. Mali held up a map and Cam and Tak smiled. All three knew that Cam could sensor her powers on a certain point on the map and transport them there. With the map safely tucked in they both set out to another part in the attic. At first there was nothing there but some boxes and a boarded up window but as they left they heard a sound that cause to be heard like a wounded Orca whale.

"What was that?" Mali asked. Tak took the crowbar and ripped the boards out. All three peaked out the window to see a herd of Loch Ness Monsters and then one out all by itself.

"Isn't that unusual." Cam said, "To have one sticking out like that and there's something funny about that one. Something different." Mali reached into her pack and took a picture with an old-fashion human camera. Tak then picked up the crowbar and went to the door on the other side of the room that was opposite of the one they were locked out of. They walked down a corridor that lead to the laundry room. A banshee flew out, saw them, and then disappeared.

"What on Irk's name is that?" Tak said.

Mali shrugged but Cam replied, "It was the banshee the McFarley human was talking about." Suddenly the wallpaper ripped showing a message not in English but in Irken. Mali, Cam, and Tak, turned around only to read:

ONE OF THE POWERS OF THE SUN SHINES BRIGHTER IN BOURBON

"'Bourbon'? What's 'Bourbon'?" Tak asked.

"It's a kind of alcoholic beverage that the humans get drunk on. I have some in this container thing." Mali said, "I saw some glasses on the drawing room table. Let's go and pour some that way we can look for clues and just look like your average cleaning-human taking a break." They went down stairs through the corridor and into the drawing room. Each of them poured them selves a glass yet there was still no-sign.

"Hey, what is this?" Tak said angrily. Mali sniggered.

"What?" Tak said a little hurt.

"Nothing, you just kind of sound like Zim for a moment." Mali answered.

"I AM NOTHING LIKE.....ZIM! WE HAVE NOTHING IN COMMON!!!!" Tak said angrily in disgust.

"Sure you are; your both short, your both willing to die for the empire, you both try WAY too hard, and you both want to be known as great Invaders. The only difference between you and Zim is that Zim has more fighting spirit. He refuses to give up and because of that usually succeeds where you fail." Mali pointed out.

"AND IN WHAT DOSE HE SUCCEEDS IN?!?! DESTROYING OUR PLANET?!?! MOCKING OUR SPECIES?!?!? ANNOYING OUR TALLEST WITH HIS STUPID LITTLE REPORTS?!?!?" Tak said angrily at the fact the one Irken who put her on Janitorial Services was considered better than her.

Cam had to put in, "Well, Tak. Zim would also know better than to argue or even YELL at a Right Hand which, I may point out, is the most highest job you can take except for being the Tallest. You may have more self-control and as much will as Zim, but Zim knows his place." Tak stood there dumbfounded. Cam was right of course, you didn't yell at your commanding officers or anyone of a higher status. Especially if you wanted to excepted back into the Irken Empire, like Zim, or wanted a promotion to a better job, like Tak. M.I.M.I. changed into a robot picked up what was left of the Bourbon and poured it into a cup on the table. When she picked up her cup ready to take a sip she dropped it surprised.

"M.I.M.I.! What are you doing? Are you trying to......" Tak was cut off short. In the middle of the puddle of bourbon and smashed glass was the first crystal of the Triskel: The Sunlight Crystal.

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