BAM!!
"Ahhh" I tried to cry out, but my voice was sleep clogged and it came out a scratchy mumble. I tried to sit up, but I got all twisted in my sheets, tumbling to the floor beside me.
"Ow!" I muttered, still seeing the dream I had been having in my head. It was of Marco. Only, it wasn't Marco.
He was laughing and laughing at something underneath me. I'd looked, and saw I was sitting in a pool of my own blood. When I'd looked back up, he was still laughing, only now, he was literally melting, until all that was left was a red eye...
I grumbled, starting to untangle my legs from the sheets, suddenly noticing it was a lot quieter in the room. I looked up, towards Phoebe's...
But she wasn't there!
My first thought, was that David had taken her, and I scrambled out of the sheets, nearly stumbling over my own feet, shoving my night top down and ran into the kitchen/ dining room.
"Phoebe!" I cried. Then I saw my parents. They were sitting at the table, with Phoebe asleep in mum's arms.
"What happened?"
"Shh, it's all right. She came to us. It must've been a bad dream or something, but she's all right now" Dad said smiling at me.
"Bad dream?" I echoed.
"It's all right, we've got her now. Why don't you go back to bed?"
"Back to..." my mind definitely wasn't working just then.
"Yes, go back to bed. It's ok, we'll keep her with us for the rest of the night" my mum assured me, smiling as she carefully got up with Phoebe still in her arms. Dad got up right after.
"You sure?"
"We're sure. Now go get some sleep" Dad assured me as he came up and gave me a kiss on the forehead. I watched, still in a stupid daze, as they headed back to their room and shut the door. I scratched my head a little, suddenly remembering I was waiting for a call, and went back to my room, shutting and locking the door behind me. I went over and checked the watch/phone which had been sitting next to me on the bedside table. Hmm, nothing.
BAM!
"Ah!" I yelped, turning my attention to the window. There, I saw a golden eagle, flapping away just outside, scratching and bonking the glass with its head.
(It took you long enough. You know how hard it is to keep this altitude? I've been trying to get your attention for a full ten minutes) Came Ithiell's tired and slightly annoyed voice. I opened my window and let him in, tensing up a little as he began to return to his own form.
Why is here... of course! Amanda said... she must have meant he was coming here...
It was a whole 'duh' situation. Ithiell never calls, he takes action. Especially when there's a chance the call could be monitored.
"Can you spare an hour or so?" He asked in a hushed whisper.
"I dunno. I guess" I bit my lip, thinking what would happen if mum and dad came into my room and found me gone.
"I promise I'll have you back before anyone notices you're gone" he said, reading the expression on my face.
"Just a sec" I wasn't going to go out in just a daggy old nightshirt. Thankfully, Ithiell turned around so I could slip on a pair of jeans and an old hooded sweater I had lying around on my floor. I slipped on my old sneakers as well, forgetting about socks.
"Okay, let's go" I said, and minutes later both of us flew out my window as barn owls, with me having that creepy feeling that we were being watched.
---------------------------------------------Break---------------------
Almost twenty minutes later, Ithiell and I arrived at a large clearing. There, I could see a ship about three or four times the size of a Chanaiben fighter. It was a slightly elongated oval shape, with the smaller end facing forward. It had four cylinder-shaped pods which were connected by a substance that looked like glue, and were all placed diagonally, in a cross shape. The colour was most likely off-white, with two blue streaks on each side. A Runchak ship.
Ithiell and I landed about twenty metres away, becoming ourselves as soon as we touched down. When we were, I saw Ithiell look around curiously.
"What is it?"
"Hmm. This is strange. I asked her to wait out here. But I suppose... since she's been so curious about this planet... she'll probably be analysing her data inside" Ithiell started to walk towards the ship. I didn't move from the spot where I'd landed. He noticed this, and turned to look at me.
"What's wrong?" Then it seemed to click for him "Ah, you think this is a trap. It's good you're still being careful... but... well, just wait out here and I'll go and get her, shall I?"
I nodded, and he smiled and turned back to walk towards the ship. I stood there, waiting and shivering a little. It was spring, but the nights were still so cold
I roar brought me out of my thoughts, making my head snap around so fast I thought I might break it. Then I saw the shadow... it looked like a cat...
(I told you I'd be back for you Jade!) Came the voice, and it took a second for it to click. David! He was... what...
I focused on becoming my Bengal tiger. Too slow! He was coming right at me!
I saw what he had become... a lion.
"Crarhh!" I said with a mouth that was becoming more tiger than human. Still too slow! He'd catch me halfway through...
"Hey! Hey you! Yeah, you ugly piece of..." Out of the darkness came the voice, and I turned to see Marco, in his morphing outfit, running out in front of me from my right, waving his arms like a madman.
(Marco! What are you...?!)
He kept running left, and the lion... David, started moving after him.
(You! You'll be the first to pay for making me a rat!) David screamed, roaring loudly.
Marco broke out at a full run, but David was now after him. He didn't have a chance...
No Jade! Focus! Then you can save him... my knees reversed direction, muscle built up on my arms and legs... fur rippled across my hands and face... ears...
"Ooommphh!"
(Marco!) David had taken him down in one powerful leap, and now had him pinned. I don't know if his claws were out or not, but Marco looked like he was in unbelievable pain...
(No!!) I screamed, roaring in challenge. I ran, leaped!
Right onto the lions back!
I dug my claws deep into him, drawing blood. He roared in agony as I pounced off him, and he turned on me, nearly grazing my cheek. I saw Marco behind him... but he didn't seem to be moving
(You want someone to fight? Fight me!) I snarled, baring my teeth at him.
(You know, I can beat you. Just like I beat Jake) he seemed to be sounding cocky, but I heard his voice waver a little.
(Come try it) I challenged. Marco still hadn't moved
(Marco, are you ok? Please, say something!) I cried, backing away from David, getting him to follow me, away from Marco's still unmoving form. Nothing. Was he... oh god was...
(DIE!!) David suddenly screamed, leaping for my throat. I dodged, and in seconds it was a whirlwind of teeth and claws against teeth and claws. Madness!!
I scratched his face and underbelly, but he got a good shot at my right flank, biting deep and tearing a chunk of flesh off.
(Arrrrgghhhh!) I screamed in pain and fury. That creep was going to...
(Hold on Jade, I'm coming!) It was Ithiell's voice, and seconds later there was another set of teeth and claws in the mix. Seconds later, David and I broke off, with Ithiell by my side. He'd become a cheetah. Effective, but still too small to do much good against a lion
(Are you...) Ithiell trailed off as my back leg collapsed on me, and I sat down very hard on my side, roaring in pain and screaming in my head.
Get up Jade! You've got to...
(And who's this? Rachel? Jake? A weak morph against my lion...) David mocked, and Ithiell snarled. In seconds, it was cheetah against lion, with the outcome turning out bad.
David hit the side of Ithiell's head with his paw, sending him flying. He hit the ground, hard, and didn't get up.
Oh god, not another one
(Ithiell! Can you hear me? ITHIELL!!!) I screamed.
(Your turn) David said, stalking me like any cat would stalk its prey.
(You creep! How could do! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!!) I screamed, ignoring the searing pain in my left leg, leaping straight for his face.
But now he had the advantage. He dodged me, and I hit the ground hard.
(I'LL GET YOU!!) I screamed, picking myself shakily up from the ground.
He raised a giant pan-sized paw, ready to knock me into next week...
And a giant fist came and clobbered him in the side of the head. He fell, rolled, then righted himself, snarling angrily.
(Marco! You're all right!) I cried with relief.
(Yeah. Having a kitty dropped on me kind of knocked me out for a bit) he explained, sidling up alongside me.
(Aaaaaahhhh!!!) David screamed in frustration, and we turned back to look at him.
Ithiell was latched onto his back, teeth and claws dug deep, with David trying to knock him off like a horse would. Thank god...
Ithiell finally let go, giving him a good kick in the face as he leapt off, bounding over to join us.
(YOU'LL DIE JADE!!! YOU'LL DIE!! AND WHEN YOU DO, YOUR BLOOD WILL BE MINE!!!) He screamed, turning and running off, back into the darkness.
We all let out sighs of relief, returning to our normal selves as soon as he was gone, and I turned to Marco.
"Two questions. One, what the heck are you doing here, and two, what the heck did you think you were doing putting yourself in danger like that!!"
"Ok. One, Jake told you we were going to be giving you a bit of security, and two, you needed a distraction..."
I cut him off by throwing my arms around him and kissing him gratefully. I pulled away, suddenly blushing and realising Itheill was closeby.
Ooops...
"Thankyou for saving me"
"You're... uh... welcome..." he croaked, quickly recovering.
He took my hand, then we turned to Ithiell. He nodded respectfully at Marco, then turning to me.
"You ready to meet the Runchak now?"
"Yep, lead away Ithiell" We followed him into the ship, where we met our new 'friend'. That's when i found out it was a lot worse then we could have ever imagined...