5.

To Stay Asleep or Awake

"Kyra, I'm afraid," Jack admitted, clinging to Kyra's hand as they walked through the fields. She had been telling her everything about the Necromongers and knew they were eventually going to come to her planet and do what they did do the other ones.

Kyra looked down sadly at Jack. She knew fear as well as she knew her weapons.

"It is what it is, but that doesn't mean you have to sit back and wait for it. Remember what we worked on?" She asked and Jack nodded.

Kyra had realized that she could sometimes step into Jack's thoughts and mind while she was awake. It wasn't quite possessing her younger self's body, but being there. She was working on moving out of her body entirely, as a spirit of sorts. She didn't really know what it was but she knew that if Jack got upset or scared enough, Kyra could come out for just ten seconds or so and actually move and touch things.

"Remember, shout for me, I think it helps me move out." Kyra said and Jack nodded.

"Oh no, wait!" And suddenly Jack was gone. Kyra didn't like this at all.

"JACK! JACK!" She shouted, knowing it wouldn't help. For a second she reappeared and said something that made Kyra freeze.

"They're here!"

And she was gone again.

Focusing everything she had, Kyra moved herself into Jack's awake body and assessed the situation. One night in Crematoria Riddick had described to her what the Necromongers did when they conquered New Mecca. This looked worse if anything.

Breathing deeply, she whispered into Jack's mind, calming her and telling her what to do. She was relieved when Jack immediately paid attention to her and grabbed a knapsack and took some cred chips, imperishable foods and a comm. device. Exactly the way she would've packed, although Jack grabbed her stuffed animal at the last second, putting it in the bag. She dressed quickly, too, putting on a green tank top and rain pants, which were similar to cargo pants, but waterproof. She pulled on socks and her snow boots, since she didn't have any combat boots like Kyra did. Kyra smiled at the pride she felt from Jack and urged her to keep going, it wouldn't be safe where she was much longer.

Kyra could only watch what happened, she had no control, not yet.

"Mommy! Daddy!" Jack shouted, running down the hallway into her parents' room. They were packing too and her father scooped her up and put her on the bed.

"Jackie, it's going to be alright. We've just got to stick together." Her dad said, kissing her forehead. "We gotta go, hon."

"Packed! Let's get out of here," her mom said and they went down the stairs together and out the back door. "Jack, we're going to run, ok? If you get tired, tell us."

"Yep." She nodded and followed her parents as they ran through other backyards, heading towards the forest.

Thankfully they didn't have to cross any major roads, but they could already hear troops marching through the streets. Gunfire and explosions surrounded them.

Jack, Kyra said in her mind, listen to me. Don't go in the forest, they have searchers there already.

"Mommy! Daddy! I don't wanna go in the forest!" Jack said, stopping suddenly. Her parents stopped a few feet away from her.

"Sweetie, this isn't the time, we've got to go in!" Her dad said, taking her hand and pulling it.

"NO! It's not-"

A man suddenly burst from the forest, running as fast as he could and suddenly his body was jerking with bullets riddling through it. A blast tore through the forest and directly into his head, exploding it completely.

Kyra could feel the complete dread that froze Jack's body. Of all ways to see first death, this was one of the worst.

Don't clam up, Jack, don't! Keep going! Run! Kyra said in her mind and she felt the adrenaline starting up. Good, now get out of there!

Before she even started moving, the creak and whine of a falling tree split the air and a large pine hit the ground. Instincts taking the better of her, Jack jumped into its branches that were facing away from the dead man and hid. Soldiers came through the trees before she could shout for her parents to hide and took one short look at them. Jack bit her lip and tried not to make a sound as the soldier raised his gun and fired twice, taking down both her father and mother.

Jack, shh, it's going to be alright. I know it seems bad now, but it is going to be ok. Just stay hidden and breathe deeply, try not to make noise, they'll hear it. Shh, it's ok. I'm here. Kyra did all she could to comfort her for now. Beneath her comfort an old friend was awakening.

Her animal was dormant while she was in Jack's mind, but seeing what Jack was going through woke it up. It had a visit to pay Riddick.

"Kyra!" Jack flung herself into Kyra's arms, immediately beginning to sob. Kyra sat down in the field and soothed her best she could, stroking her hair and rocking her back and forth. Inwardly she knew that it was bad for Jack's physical form to be sleeping, but Jack had hid herself very well and no one would fine her unless they had those searchers she saw in Crematoria or someone moved the tree.

"Shh, it's ok, Jack. It's going to be alright. Look at me?" She asked and sniffling, Jack looked up and met Kyra's gentle green eyes with her liquid emerald ones, sparkling with tears. Kyra wiped away her tears and kissed her forehead, hugging her again.

They sat for a few silent minutes, Kyra keeping Jack calm. Finally she spoke and Kyra listened intently.

"Kyra, you said Riddick wasn't bad. I mean, you said he did bad things but he wasn't a bad person." Jack said and Kyra had a sinking feeling she knew where this was going.

"Yes, I did."

"So why did he kill mommy and daddy? In church, the man in the robes says that killing people is a very bad thing and the person who does it is evil. I don't understand." Kyra sighed, she was going to have to take the short route.

"Two things. One, I haven't seen Riddick in a long time, it makes me upset, but I think he could've changed. I can only hope he is a good man doing bad things. Two, if God really existed, would he let this happen?"

Kyra wanted to hit herself for trying to take up a theological debate when Jack's home planet was being torn up and conquered.

"No…I didn't think God was real anyway, but I didn't tell my parents cause they would say I was wrong." Jack said, taking it surprisingly well. But Kyra remembered how early she believed that there could be no higher power.

"Why do you say that?"

"Cause if God was real, I could touch him."

The most matter of fact straight-forward answer Kyra had ever heard.

"Good. Now, you going to be ok?" She looked down at Jack again who nodded vigorously. "Alright, let's go."