"Of course we are going to fix this. We are the cause of this." Zhandia
watched the dust settle, too angry and frightened for Maria to look Tarik
in the eyes. She couldn't leave Maria in the hands of those evil men, for
she knew what they were capable of. And the others were going to walk
blindly into the trap.
"We must hurry, Tarik. For we are up against something far greater in threat than the human's FBI. These were Khivar's men." With those grave words, Zhandia climbed into Maria's car, realizing that the others were so preoccupied with thoughts of Maria being captured that they had forgotten to take it with them. Zhandia looked at the mass of dials and levers, wondering at the humans' archaic form of transportation. She shook her head in resignation, wondering how they will ever survive an attack against Khivar, if he were to win the battle against Antar.. It was only a matter of time before he set his sights on other areas to dominate. They were unprepared.
Tarik climbed in beside her, and buckled his seat belt as she spun out of the desert towards the highway, the tires kicking up sand as they went. He flicked a glance her way, wondering what was going through her head. He knew she couldn't be happy with him for what had transpired, and if truth be told, he wasn't happy with himself, either. His plan was to get them together to save Maria, but she wasn't supposed to be in harm's way. Now she was in the hands of a sadistic and evil alien, and anything could happen. Why didn't they take Zhandia? They must have known she was the ruler of Antar, and with her gone, it would be easy pickings to take over the planet.
Had they known it was her? He studied her profile, knowing that they altered their appearance slightly to fit in with the human population, but not drastically enough to mistake her for anyone other than who she was. Khivar must know that she would try to contact the royal four. Was this a trap? If so, why use Maria, when they could have just grabbed her?
"Your Highness. What are their reasons for taking her in the first place? Why not just capture you? It would be the end to the war." Tarik finally voiced his concerns, a sense of dread filling his stiff body. He knew that what was to come would not be a pleasant outcome. Someone was going to get hurt, maybe even killed, but who would it be? The good guys or Khivar? "It is simple, Tarik. While he has her, he has all of us at a disadvantage. She is his pawn in this game he is playing. Not only will he have me. He will have the other royals. That way, he will have exterminated any threat that may arise down the line." Zhandia answered his spoken question, not even sparing him a glance. Her eyes were scanning the road for any signs of a disturbance, whether it was the jeep or the men that took Maria. She felt Maria's fear. as well as her helplessness. The emotions were bogging her down; clouding her mind so that she had to use most of her willpower to concentrate on driving the vehicle towards town.
She knew where the others were going to meet. They would not want her help, so she would have to go about it on the sly. They must not know that she was there until the time was right. It was vital. They all must not be captured, for as long as one of the royals survived, there was hope. Hope for Antar and any planet that would soon meet the same Fate.
She slowed the Jetta as she neared the street where the Crashdown Café was located. Sure enough, the Jeep was there. She felt their anger crash down on her like a tidal wave, suffocating her. She also felt their anguish, for she felt it herself. All Maria had done was try and be a friend, and this was what happened. Anything could be happening to her at the moment, and every moment was crucial for her survival. She knew Khivar would not kill her, for it would be his ultimate mistake. But that didn't mean he wouldn't harm her. That wasn't his way to be merciful.
She also knew that she must get the royals away from the traitor in their midst. They didn't know their past, and they didn't know who to trust and who was their enemy. They were embracing their enemy and pushing away their salvation. But soon, they would see their error. hopefully it wouldn't be too late.
She parked the Jetta a few buildings down, obscuring it from the human- alien hybrid group. Tarik and her climbed from the car and made their way slowly towards the back of the Café. She looked around her before placing her palm upon the brick of the building. She didn't want to use the door, should they hear it being opened and be alerted to someone entering. With a little effort, the molecules underneath her hand began shifting and thinning out, and soon, the inside of the break room could be visible from the outside. When the hole was wide enough, they climbed through and sealed the wall behind them shut.
They made their way towards the doorway into the cafe area, keeping to the shadows so that they weren't spotted. When they could only hear muffled chatter, Zhandia blew out an exasperated breathe before grasping a hold of Tarik's arm. She began dissolving their molecules, making their form transparent. Although her body screamed for haste, she proceeded at a steady pace so as not to mess things up and scatter their molecules into oblivion. She hoped that she didn't wait precious time by this delay, but it couldn't be helped. When they were finally transparent, they made their way towards the group seated in a booth.
"What are we going to do? We don't even know where she is or how to get in contact with her. She could be anywhere, having anything happen to her. We shouldn't be sitting here talking. We should be out there finding her."
"Michael, calm down. We don't know what we're up against. But we certainly aren't going to let anything happen to her. We're going to get her back." Max laid a hand on Michael's stiff shoulder, feeling the anger just radiating off of him.
"How, Max? Like Michael said, we don't even know how to find her." Alex fiddled with a straw, not looking up to meet anyone's eyes, his own misting over with the thought of Maria being in danger. He had known her since they were in Kindergarten together. Liz, Maria and he were he inseparable trio. Now, she was gone, and anything could be happening.
"I have an idea." Liz looked around at the dejected group, who all looked up in turn, hope mixed with despair evident upon their faces. "What if Isabel dreamwalks? Perhaps she can get a feeling that way?"
"It only works when they are sleeping. We can't guarantee that she is sleeping... We can't guarantee anything."
"But it is better than sitting here doing nothing. What do we have to lose by trying it? If that doesn't work, then we'll use the stones." Michael clenched his hands into fists, pounding them on the table top, making the others jump in their jittery state.
Isabel looked around at the group before nodding. She didn't know what would happen if she found out the worst through her dreamwalking. That Maria was no longer with them. It would break her heart. They had their ups and downs, but they were always there for each other since they all became friends against the skins and the evil that wanted to terminate them. What if they couldn't protect Maria.? She had to stop these thoughts and think positively.
They all got up from the booth and headed towards the break room and the stairs that would take them to the apartment that Liz and her parents lived. They didn't even notice the barely perceptible shimmer in the corner by the booth they vacated, or felt the breeze as the shimmer moved past them up the stairs. They were too busy with their own thoughts.
Isabel stretched out on Liz's bed, a picture of Maria clutched in her right hand. She closed her eyes and counted backwards, slowly slipping into the dream state. She called up Maria's image, trying to feel if her presence was in the dream world. She felt a faint flicker of recognition that grew stronger as she forced herself to concentrate harder on Maria. She brought up memories of her and Maria fighting, of laughing over a silly joke, or Maria singing in Alex's band. Finally, she held Maria's dream orb in her palm, surprised that she was sleeping this early in the day. They must have drugged her, Isabel thought, before shaking it off. She expanded the orb until she could enter the dream, the coldness quickly enveloping her body, making her shiver.
She was in a dark room, a single light burning from the middle of the room. The light was really nothing more than a bare light bulb that sparked every now and then due to the exposed wires that held the light bulb suspended in the air. The room was bare of color, of furniture, of anything. It appeared to be a cell of some kind. As she watched, the shadows moved and twisted into horrendous shapes, coiling around a cowering figure. The figure was a blonde girl of about 6 years old. Isabel knew without going near, that it was Maria. Maria's dream self in this nightmare she was living. She had pictured herself at a helpless age. The age when her dad left, and when her life began to not make sense any more. Isabel watched as the shadow monsters reached out to claw at the little girl's foot. The girl whimpered, trying to draw further away.
Isabel raised her hand and filled the room with a bright light, banishing all the shadows from the room. They hissed and howled their rage before disappearing, but she knew that they would return. She had very little time, and with that thought, she made her way over to the girl. She knelt down before her, calling her name softly.
"Maria. It's me, Izzy. Talk to me."
The little girl sniffled, slowly opening her eyes that she had clutched tightly shut and met Isabel's gaze. With a sob, she threw herself into Isabel's arms, crying against her shoulder. Isabel stiffened in surprise before patting the girl's back awkwardly.
"It's okay. We're going to save you, Maria. But you have to be brave. You have to show me where you are. You have to tell me, Maria. So that we can come get you. Do you want that? Michael's waiting for you. He's missing you, so help me to get him to you."
Maria pulled back slightly, then nodded her head in understanding. Slowly, the room began shifting, and the scene changes to the desert. The spot where they had seen Zhandia and where Maria had been taken. They saw Zhandia try and get to Maria, and how the men from behind brought the butt of his rifle down to the back of her head. Zhandia's body collapsed in an unconscious heap, and the men grabbed Maria by the arms and began marching her away from Zhandia, kicking and yelling.
The scene dissolves once more to show the inside of a van. The interior was bare, and the windows were covered so that no light showed through. Maria tried craning her neck to see where they were headed, but could see nothing. Nothing but the men's cold expressions. The images swirl to show the insides of a sterile, white corridor, and the men were escorting her down it to an elevator which descended to the bottom floor. To the room she was in now. She was in the basement of this compound, but where that compound was was a mystery.
Before Isabel could say anymore, she was quickly wrenched out of the dream and into the real world. She blinked her eyes to adjust to the change, staring at the worried faces of her friends. She must have shown her frustration on her face, because their hopeful faces crumbled into dejected frowns.
"She is held in a room. A cell, in a basement of a compound. But I couldn't get any directions as to where it is. I'm sorry." Isabel looked down, the urge to cry so overwhelming.
"What do we do now?" Alex looked around at the gang, none of them having the slightest clue.
"We do it my way." A disembodied voice came out of nowhere, as slowly, Zhandia and Tarik materialized before their baffled eyes. They couldn't believe the sight before them.
"How did you. Who are you? What are you?"
Zhandia barely spared Kyle a glance, before meeting Max's gaze unflinchingly. She stood before him, her feet planted wide apart in a fighter's stance. "There is much to discuss, and little time. I shall give you a brief version until after Maria is returned. I am Zhandia, Queen and ruler of Antar. I was reborn after my former self was betrayed and killed in the skirmish with Khivar. The Royal Four was broken that day, and our people were sent into a time of turmoil, barely surviving the fight with Khivar, while waiting for our rebirth. Unlike you three, I am not a hybrid, but full Antarian. My mission was to go to Earth and reunite with the Royals. To return to Antar and with our combined powers, destroy Khivar and the threat he poses not just our planet, but the many universes. I will answer your questions later, but for now, we must save Maria."
"How do you propose we do that? What is 'your way'?" Michael added sarcastically.
"Very simple. She is not being held by FBI agents as you believe. But rather, Khivar and his men. And we all know Khivar is after one thing. The Royal Four. With our capture and demise, Antar will be broken and easy pickings."
"Are you saying we be bait?" Isabel gave her an incredulous look, for which, Zhandia gave her disgusted look.
"Not quite. That would defeat the purpose of saving Maria, for we would only be signing her and countless others' death warrants. As long as one or more royals are alive, there is hope. So, I will use myself and Tarik as the bait, as well as two other beings, but you shall not worry as to who, for it will be none of you." Zhandia looked around, before she landed a hostile glance upon Tess. Tarik laid a warning hand on her shoulder, which she acknowledged with a nod.
"We must hurry, Tarik. For we are up against something far greater in threat than the human's FBI. These were Khivar's men." With those grave words, Zhandia climbed into Maria's car, realizing that the others were so preoccupied with thoughts of Maria being captured that they had forgotten to take it with them. Zhandia looked at the mass of dials and levers, wondering at the humans' archaic form of transportation. She shook her head in resignation, wondering how they will ever survive an attack against Khivar, if he were to win the battle against Antar.. It was only a matter of time before he set his sights on other areas to dominate. They were unprepared.
Tarik climbed in beside her, and buckled his seat belt as she spun out of the desert towards the highway, the tires kicking up sand as they went. He flicked a glance her way, wondering what was going through her head. He knew she couldn't be happy with him for what had transpired, and if truth be told, he wasn't happy with himself, either. His plan was to get them together to save Maria, but she wasn't supposed to be in harm's way. Now she was in the hands of a sadistic and evil alien, and anything could happen. Why didn't they take Zhandia? They must have known she was the ruler of Antar, and with her gone, it would be easy pickings to take over the planet.
Had they known it was her? He studied her profile, knowing that they altered their appearance slightly to fit in with the human population, but not drastically enough to mistake her for anyone other than who she was. Khivar must know that she would try to contact the royal four. Was this a trap? If so, why use Maria, when they could have just grabbed her?
"Your Highness. What are their reasons for taking her in the first place? Why not just capture you? It would be the end to the war." Tarik finally voiced his concerns, a sense of dread filling his stiff body. He knew that what was to come would not be a pleasant outcome. Someone was going to get hurt, maybe even killed, but who would it be? The good guys or Khivar? "It is simple, Tarik. While he has her, he has all of us at a disadvantage. She is his pawn in this game he is playing. Not only will he have me. He will have the other royals. That way, he will have exterminated any threat that may arise down the line." Zhandia answered his spoken question, not even sparing him a glance. Her eyes were scanning the road for any signs of a disturbance, whether it was the jeep or the men that took Maria. She felt Maria's fear. as well as her helplessness. The emotions were bogging her down; clouding her mind so that she had to use most of her willpower to concentrate on driving the vehicle towards town.
She knew where the others were going to meet. They would not want her help, so she would have to go about it on the sly. They must not know that she was there until the time was right. It was vital. They all must not be captured, for as long as one of the royals survived, there was hope. Hope for Antar and any planet that would soon meet the same Fate.
She slowed the Jetta as she neared the street where the Crashdown Café was located. Sure enough, the Jeep was there. She felt their anger crash down on her like a tidal wave, suffocating her. She also felt their anguish, for she felt it herself. All Maria had done was try and be a friend, and this was what happened. Anything could be happening to her at the moment, and every moment was crucial for her survival. She knew Khivar would not kill her, for it would be his ultimate mistake. But that didn't mean he wouldn't harm her. That wasn't his way to be merciful.
She also knew that she must get the royals away from the traitor in their midst. They didn't know their past, and they didn't know who to trust and who was their enemy. They were embracing their enemy and pushing away their salvation. But soon, they would see their error. hopefully it wouldn't be too late.
She parked the Jetta a few buildings down, obscuring it from the human- alien hybrid group. Tarik and her climbed from the car and made their way slowly towards the back of the Café. She looked around her before placing her palm upon the brick of the building. She didn't want to use the door, should they hear it being opened and be alerted to someone entering. With a little effort, the molecules underneath her hand began shifting and thinning out, and soon, the inside of the break room could be visible from the outside. When the hole was wide enough, they climbed through and sealed the wall behind them shut.
They made their way towards the doorway into the cafe area, keeping to the shadows so that they weren't spotted. When they could only hear muffled chatter, Zhandia blew out an exasperated breathe before grasping a hold of Tarik's arm. She began dissolving their molecules, making their form transparent. Although her body screamed for haste, she proceeded at a steady pace so as not to mess things up and scatter their molecules into oblivion. She hoped that she didn't wait precious time by this delay, but it couldn't be helped. When they were finally transparent, they made their way towards the group seated in a booth.
"What are we going to do? We don't even know where she is or how to get in contact with her. She could be anywhere, having anything happen to her. We shouldn't be sitting here talking. We should be out there finding her."
"Michael, calm down. We don't know what we're up against. But we certainly aren't going to let anything happen to her. We're going to get her back." Max laid a hand on Michael's stiff shoulder, feeling the anger just radiating off of him.
"How, Max? Like Michael said, we don't even know how to find her." Alex fiddled with a straw, not looking up to meet anyone's eyes, his own misting over with the thought of Maria being in danger. He had known her since they were in Kindergarten together. Liz, Maria and he were he inseparable trio. Now, she was gone, and anything could be happening.
"I have an idea." Liz looked around at the dejected group, who all looked up in turn, hope mixed with despair evident upon their faces. "What if Isabel dreamwalks? Perhaps she can get a feeling that way?"
"It only works when they are sleeping. We can't guarantee that she is sleeping... We can't guarantee anything."
"But it is better than sitting here doing nothing. What do we have to lose by trying it? If that doesn't work, then we'll use the stones." Michael clenched his hands into fists, pounding them on the table top, making the others jump in their jittery state.
Isabel looked around at the group before nodding. She didn't know what would happen if she found out the worst through her dreamwalking. That Maria was no longer with them. It would break her heart. They had their ups and downs, but they were always there for each other since they all became friends against the skins and the evil that wanted to terminate them. What if they couldn't protect Maria.? She had to stop these thoughts and think positively.
They all got up from the booth and headed towards the break room and the stairs that would take them to the apartment that Liz and her parents lived. They didn't even notice the barely perceptible shimmer in the corner by the booth they vacated, or felt the breeze as the shimmer moved past them up the stairs. They were too busy with their own thoughts.
Isabel stretched out on Liz's bed, a picture of Maria clutched in her right hand. She closed her eyes and counted backwards, slowly slipping into the dream state. She called up Maria's image, trying to feel if her presence was in the dream world. She felt a faint flicker of recognition that grew stronger as she forced herself to concentrate harder on Maria. She brought up memories of her and Maria fighting, of laughing over a silly joke, or Maria singing in Alex's band. Finally, she held Maria's dream orb in her palm, surprised that she was sleeping this early in the day. They must have drugged her, Isabel thought, before shaking it off. She expanded the orb until she could enter the dream, the coldness quickly enveloping her body, making her shiver.
She was in a dark room, a single light burning from the middle of the room. The light was really nothing more than a bare light bulb that sparked every now and then due to the exposed wires that held the light bulb suspended in the air. The room was bare of color, of furniture, of anything. It appeared to be a cell of some kind. As she watched, the shadows moved and twisted into horrendous shapes, coiling around a cowering figure. The figure was a blonde girl of about 6 years old. Isabel knew without going near, that it was Maria. Maria's dream self in this nightmare she was living. She had pictured herself at a helpless age. The age when her dad left, and when her life began to not make sense any more. Isabel watched as the shadow monsters reached out to claw at the little girl's foot. The girl whimpered, trying to draw further away.
Isabel raised her hand and filled the room with a bright light, banishing all the shadows from the room. They hissed and howled their rage before disappearing, but she knew that they would return. She had very little time, and with that thought, she made her way over to the girl. She knelt down before her, calling her name softly.
"Maria. It's me, Izzy. Talk to me."
The little girl sniffled, slowly opening her eyes that she had clutched tightly shut and met Isabel's gaze. With a sob, she threw herself into Isabel's arms, crying against her shoulder. Isabel stiffened in surprise before patting the girl's back awkwardly.
"It's okay. We're going to save you, Maria. But you have to be brave. You have to show me where you are. You have to tell me, Maria. So that we can come get you. Do you want that? Michael's waiting for you. He's missing you, so help me to get him to you."
Maria pulled back slightly, then nodded her head in understanding. Slowly, the room began shifting, and the scene changes to the desert. The spot where they had seen Zhandia and where Maria had been taken. They saw Zhandia try and get to Maria, and how the men from behind brought the butt of his rifle down to the back of her head. Zhandia's body collapsed in an unconscious heap, and the men grabbed Maria by the arms and began marching her away from Zhandia, kicking and yelling.
The scene dissolves once more to show the inside of a van. The interior was bare, and the windows were covered so that no light showed through. Maria tried craning her neck to see where they were headed, but could see nothing. Nothing but the men's cold expressions. The images swirl to show the insides of a sterile, white corridor, and the men were escorting her down it to an elevator which descended to the bottom floor. To the room she was in now. She was in the basement of this compound, but where that compound was was a mystery.
Before Isabel could say anymore, she was quickly wrenched out of the dream and into the real world. She blinked her eyes to adjust to the change, staring at the worried faces of her friends. She must have shown her frustration on her face, because their hopeful faces crumbled into dejected frowns.
"She is held in a room. A cell, in a basement of a compound. But I couldn't get any directions as to where it is. I'm sorry." Isabel looked down, the urge to cry so overwhelming.
"What do we do now?" Alex looked around at the gang, none of them having the slightest clue.
"We do it my way." A disembodied voice came out of nowhere, as slowly, Zhandia and Tarik materialized before their baffled eyes. They couldn't believe the sight before them.
"How did you. Who are you? What are you?"
Zhandia barely spared Kyle a glance, before meeting Max's gaze unflinchingly. She stood before him, her feet planted wide apart in a fighter's stance. "There is much to discuss, and little time. I shall give you a brief version until after Maria is returned. I am Zhandia, Queen and ruler of Antar. I was reborn after my former self was betrayed and killed in the skirmish with Khivar. The Royal Four was broken that day, and our people were sent into a time of turmoil, barely surviving the fight with Khivar, while waiting for our rebirth. Unlike you three, I am not a hybrid, but full Antarian. My mission was to go to Earth and reunite with the Royals. To return to Antar and with our combined powers, destroy Khivar and the threat he poses not just our planet, but the many universes. I will answer your questions later, but for now, we must save Maria."
"How do you propose we do that? What is 'your way'?" Michael added sarcastically.
"Very simple. She is not being held by FBI agents as you believe. But rather, Khivar and his men. And we all know Khivar is after one thing. The Royal Four. With our capture and demise, Antar will be broken and easy pickings."
"Are you saying we be bait?" Isabel gave her an incredulous look, for which, Zhandia gave her disgusted look.
"Not quite. That would defeat the purpose of saving Maria, for we would only be signing her and countless others' death warrants. As long as one or more royals are alive, there is hope. So, I will use myself and Tarik as the bait, as well as two other beings, but you shall not worry as to who, for it will be none of you." Zhandia looked around, before she landed a hostile glance upon Tess. Tarik laid a warning hand on her shoulder, which she acknowledged with a nod.