Getting on her bike a few days later, Talavera looked at the map, and began the trip from Raventhorne to Crowbrooke. It wasn't long until she reached her destination, and she could see that this town was about the same size, but the people were clearly very different. There was something strange about how they dressed, and how they looked. The children playing in the streets wore minimal clothing, and many of the citizens appeared to have extra limbs, digits, or even an extra head. Why did she feel that she was in another world, possibly not even of Earth?

"Hello there!" she was suddenly broken from her thoughts when a teen walked up to her, "You must be the cop that everyone's been talking about in letters! We figured it was a matter of time until you showed up."

It surprised her, the boy was dressed in a baseball uniform, but sported an extra eye and set of arms, "Uh, I suppose…"

"Cool, let me take you over to the station, I'm sure Shariff Ca'itil will be intrigued by your visit." Hesitantly, she followed him, surprised at how causal the boy was about being on a skateboard. But that wasn't what shook her most, it was the odd appearance of all the people in this village, were they human at all? Many of the people she passed did indeed have odd characteristics, almost making them appear alien, "Here we are."

She looked up, this station was certainly different than the one in Raventhorne; the roof appeared to be thatch while the walls were clearly built by hand, brick by brick. The towering doors opened for them and she was surprised by how homey it appeared to be inside, or rather, almost comfortable. Following the boy, she froze in place when she saw who was chatting with the Shariff, "Leah?"

The woman turned, her and a confused look crossed her face, "Michelle, what are you doing here? Why would they send you to the island?"

"I-" Talavera covered her face, "I made a mistake, a bad one."

Leah looked at the Sheriff, "Could you give us a moment Sha'ri?" He nodded and stepped out, "Now, what happened?"

"I took a bribe; it was from the Mafia…."

"Michelle, you know that they're backstabbers, why would you do that? They have so many strings to pull! That was why I got away from it."

"I know, but I was desperate for cash, I took a loan to buy a house. They were going to foreclose on it!"

Michelle didn't respond for a moment, then sat Talavera down, "Look, as a previous informant that was sent here by the mob, I have one piece of advice for you."

"What is it?"

The Shariff walked back in, "Keep an open mind, it may save you in ways you wouldn't believe."

She watched as Leah left, "We met a few years ago." The Shariff looked at her, "She's kept me grounded since then."

Talavera looked at him, "I was sent here, and one of my subordinates suggested I visit the other towns…"

"Well, most people woudn't know about them, but I suppose it is a good idea to explore. I've heard about what you're investigating, are you sure you want to keep pushing this?"

"Why is everyone so hesitant about it?"

"The being your looking for is highly dangerous, you have to be very careful."

"I know, but I need to prove that I'm not just a dirty cop, I want to go home…"

He nodded, "I can see, but let me warn you before you continue this, it is highly unlikely you will be able to."

"Why?"

"Most cops or crooks that have been sent here? Either they end up staying or dead."

As she left the station, both the Sheriff's and Leah's words echoed in Talavera's mind, clearly, they both knew something. Wandering down the street, she bumped into a man who appeared emaciate, but was holding out a plate of cookies to a group of young children, passing out the sweets to them. Once all the youngsters were gone, she approached him, "Hello."

He looked over, "You must be Delta Talavera."

"Huh?"

"I apologize, Delta means Detective in the native tongue. Would you like a cookie?"

"I don't know, I have a rather nasty allergy to chocolate."

"Ah, then maybe not, but I do have some berry muffins inside, would you like one?"

"Sure," she was surprised how pleasant he was, and followed him into a literal hole in the wall. It amazed her as she pushed aside the beaded curtain and found herself in a room with all sorts of odd machines, but clearly smelled of a bakery, "it smells incredible in here."

"I do love my work." He laughed, "Please, come with me."

A pair of metal doors slid open, and they entered what appeared to be an apartment, "Do you live here?"

"Yes, I work rather erratic hours, so I built this little place. Occasionally I'll have a visitor, so there's always a spare room. Depending on how long you plan to be here, feel free to use it."

"I might just do that." She took the glass of milk and muffin he gave her, taking a bite, "This is great, but I don't think I've ever tasted berries like this."

"Yes, they don't grow anywhere but here in my greenhouse, as do many of my ingredients. Hopefully you enjoy it."

Talavera stopped chewing for a moment and almost choked on the bite she'd just taken, realizing that the chance of this town being home to an alien populace was getting higher and higher by the second, "I don't mean to be rude, but are you from Earth?"

The man looked at her, and she realized he didn't have the strange symbol that so many of the others did, "Funny that you should ask, and the answer is no. But let me explain how we came to your world…"

France 1793….

The loud crash shook her from her sleep, and she quickly rushed outside to see that a object had crashed into the fertile dirt of her father's field. Hurrying in the direction, she found that it clearly was made of sturdy metals but was heavily damaged, running to the shed, she grabbed a heavy pickaxe. Her family was of lower status, but as she worked hard to prepare the soil for the growing season, she was unusually strong for a woman. Slamming the tool into the metal, she tore off one of the sheets, revealing a rather odd sight. There were sounds she didn't recognize, and strange lights that blinked, while strange images glowed. But as she heard a loud creaking sound, she quickly grabbed the small figure that lay in a large seat, whom was clearly unconscious.

Shielding the small being, she ran from the wreckage as it collapsed, destroying anything inside. Feeling movement, she looked down to the small creature in her arms. Clearly it was younger, likely a child no older than six, and there was fear in its violet eyes. Silently returning to the house, she snuck the little one into her room as silent tears streamed down the child's face, "Shh," she retrieved a tissue, "here."

The child looked at her fearfully, but reached out to touch her face, sending a shock through her. "Sorry, that the only way I could understand. Where is here?"

"This is the rural part of France." She said, "But you are not of this land, are you?"

"No, I come from a world far away. I run away because my father hate me."

"Why would you think that?"

"He too busy, he a big man in land. He ruler."

"In the way a King does?"

"Uh-huh. He ignore me all the time."

"I see," she noticed the child's skin was tight against his bones, "are you hungry?"

"Uh-huh, but all food destroyed in ship. But I have plant babies."

She took the small bags he held out, and realized they were seeds, "Well, how about we grow them in a hidden area?" she could not let her father find him, "That way we can make food you like, but you might have to try some of the food we make."

"Okay." He sniffled, "Where I stay?"

"Here, in my room, but we cannot let my father find you."

"Why, he mean too?"

"No," she bit her lip, "just desperate."

Lin'the paced, then stopped as he looked down at his son's Bil'bar, wondering where his boy had gone. He hadn't intended for little Mi'sha to leave him, but had indeed forgotten that the child needed attention, and nurturing. "My Grand Leader," he turned to see his second in command, "we have located where your son crashed the small ship."

"Where?"

"A small land called Earth, full of puny beings, far inferior to us."

"Prepare my vessel."

"Grand Leader, you cannot leave us."

"No, I will return, until then…" he looked him directly in the eyes, "You are in charge."

She placed the seeds in the soil she'd brought to the hidden hut in the woods, and began carving the logs she had brought with her. In her heart, she was fearful for the child that was playing out in the trees, remaining nearby as she had told him. This place was close enough to her home, for her to take care of him, but also to keep him hidden from her father. When she suddenly felt a breeze, she put up her guard, and stepped into the shadows as a blue glow formed in the corner, and a tall figure appeared. Just like the child, the man had a third eye, and long tail, but also sported a beard made of tentacles on his face. The only suspect she could think he might be was the child's father, "I know you are here." he said.

Stepping out, she stood tall, her height of six nine rivaling him. "I know who you are."

His eyes showed surprise, and he was clearly intimidated as she was looking him directly in the eye. "I have never seen a female with such height, are you sure you are supposed to be this tall."

She scowled, and gripped the tool she was holding, cracking the wooden handle, "You have two minutes to explain before I carry you out and throw you to the beasts that roam these forests."

"I mean no harm to you," He put up his hands, which had long fingers, "what can I do to prove that?"

She glowered at him, "I know you are the little one's father, why would you hurt him so."

Lin'the was frozen, his commander had called the humans weak and puny, something this female most certainly was not. Clearly, she had been though many troubles, but for some odd reason, he could not reach inside her mind. "I had no intention of hurting my son, I have many-"

"Responsibilities, duties? He told me you were some kind of leader, but that you were too busy with your work and would brush him aside if he tried to speak to you."

"Who are you to say these things?"

"Because I have cared for him for nearly a month now, and he has begun to thrive. He has said that he is much happier here, where he feels loved."

Her words caused rage to bubble up, "You Fi'te! You have no right to raise my son in your pathetic ways."

"Pathetic? You value your pride above your own blood!" the fury in her eyes startled him, "Do you not realize the needs of a child? All of your choices have led to him running from you, what would his mother think?"

"His mother abandoned us!" in his rage the truth burst out, but then he lowered his voice, "She never wanted him, and left us, I struggle to not resent-"

The back of her hand made contact with his face, and the force caused him to stumble back, "What kind of monster are you? You neglect a child because of your own pride?"

He lashed out with his fingers in retaliation and slashed her cheek, "How dare you strike me, I am superior to you! You humans are but insects to us!"

Immediately, Lin'the regretted his words as she moved with surprising speed and had him in a headlock with muscles of steel, "You underestimate a will to survive, just as the royalty and court underestimate the strengths of the common people. I could break your scrawny neck, just as I have broken the neck of assassins who have come to attack those who are sent to hide in our home. For many years I have worked that field, and as we have no horses, pulled the plow with my own brute strength. If you are so desperate to have a woman who will obey you, and not fight against your misogynistic views, go to the courtiers that are constantly looking for a new man to prey upon."

He couldn't be sure what the term misogynistic meant, but he was in complete shock at how strong she really was. Using the echo location abilities he possessed, he located the "plow" she had mentioned, and realized it was made of iron and clearly weighed nearly half a ton. It only made him realize that in this scenario, she wasn't the insect, he was. Most likely, she was only using minimal strength to hold him and if done to another human, would have likely cut off oxygen supply, "Please, let's discuss this."

She dropped him, "Fine, but let me put the little one to bed first."

Lin'the took a deep breath, "His name is Mi'sha."

It didn't take long for her to return, carrying his son who was sound asleep on her shoulder. She wrapped him in a blanket and slipped a stuffed toy in his son's arms, "Let's walk. Misha doesn't need to hear us converse over these matters."

He nodded and followed her, impressed at how showed little fear, "Are you not afraid of me?"

She frowned, and began shuffling through the brown leaves on the ground, "My mother was Dutch, born in a small settlement in Africa, she would have been almost fifty now. She went back to visit with my father and I, and was mauled by a wild beast, and I was left to be devoured by it. The people always told me I was rescued by a shadow, a darkness that only brought death, and I was lucky to have survived an encounter with it." She undid the braid in her hair, allowing the dark locks to flow, "Ever since, I have been able to do things that are not normal, and my father has constantly tried to set me up with wealthy suitors who try to court me. He is also a prideful man, perhaps that is part of the reason, he is very much like you. However, he does not know of this place, and never follows me into the woods."

He watched her as she pulled out a box, stripped down, placing her dress inside it. "What are you doing?"

She stared at him, and suddenly her body began to change, "Being a Matagot," suddenly, a large feline creature stood before him, "is a curse that I have had since that rescue. But I have taken this curse, and accepted it as a gift. I protect those who need rescue, especially those who fall victim to the kind who prey upon the weak, a vigilante you could say."

He watched as she easily scaled a tree and stared down at him with empty glowing eyes, "I will allow you to stay in the hut, but know this, I have eyes everywhere in these woods. If something does happen, I will know about it."

As she bounded away through the trees, he pulled out his portable research capsule, and looked up the word. It appeared that the creature was a feline sort, but her appearance had closer to that of an African lioness. It made him less doubtful of her story about the shadowy beast that saved her. Returning to the hut, he sat next to his son, and watched as Mi'sha slept peacefully. It had been ages since he'd watched his son sleep, or since Mi'sha hadn't woken with nightmares, how had the woman helped him? Suddenly, he realized that Mi'sha was awake, "You never want me…" he whimpered.

"That's not-"

"It true." Clearly his son had managed to get some of the human language, "You always too busy."

He looked down, "Mi'sha, I never thought that it would hurt you, I had to accept the responsibilities, and the duties after your grandfather passed. It was-"

"I know about mother."

"What?"

"She left letter, Marie is nice, even in scary look."

"What do you mean-"

Suddenly the door burst open, "I knew that girl was hiding something." A man with a scruffy beard was staring at them, "You'll make great additions to my freak show!"

Marie felt a coldness in the alley, one that she was unfamiliar with, but felt she knew. Turning, she saw a shadowy figure, a single blue eye staring back at her, "You must protect them."

"What?"

"They have been taken; your father has taken them." The figure grew closer, "Use the gift I have given you; you will know the right time to call upon me…"

Frozen, she watched the shadow disappear, and saw that a box lay where the shadow stood. Inside was a small plant with dark flowers, something she knew her father would take interest in. But if he had Misha and his father, she'd have to play dumb, not something that she was the best at. Then an idea popped into her head, and she rushed toward the town to find a traveling merchant. As the sun rose, her body contorted leaving her bare, so she ducked into an alleyway, "Looks like you could use a little help." The voice had a strong accent, and she looked up to see a woman with green eyes in rather unusual dress standing behind her. "I think I can make you a garment for what you need."

Marie got up and followed her to a small cart, where a man was tending to the horses that were dressed in golden bridles, "I can't pay for this."

"You don't need to," the woman stepped back out, "here, this should be just what you need."

Taking the garment, Marie slipped on the pants and blouse, then buttoned up the coat. As she slipped on the tall boots and long gloves, she realized that there were hidden blades in the leather, "What is this?"

"Weapons." The man tossed something at her, "Catch."

Maire caught the object and looked at it, finding it was a blade disguised as a hair comb. About to ask, she looked up again, but they were gone. Pulling her hair up into a bun, she covered it with the hood of her coat, no one would recognize her now.

A week later…

Lin'the shielded Mi'sha, who was clinging to him as people walked through the building. He watched as the show master, Marie's father, spoke of his great endeavors. Suddenly, a darkness engulfed his vision, and he found himself facing a rather ominous face. The mask made it appear to be a skull, while blue light glowed from one of the sockets, "You wish to escape?" the voice seemed to float on the wind that was blowing through the bars, "All you must do is wait, your savior will bring you to safety."

He looked down at Mi'sha, he couldn't leave his son alone again, he couldn't let his duties take him away from his family. "I can't go back to my home world."

"Hmm," the figure almost seemed to smile, evident from the glint in its eye, "then perhaps we can work out an arrangement." He suddenly felt something grip onto him. He realized no one could see the dark cracks that were forming alongside his face, and eating away at his skin. His entire body cramped as a dark magic began to flow through him, changing him into something he had never intended to be. New knowledge began to fill his mind, and he began to see things, what people were prideful to a fault of and how it could lead to their downfall. It made him dizzy as there were so many, and he began to feel faint from all the overwhelming information that was coming into his mind. "I shall see you once you escape…."

As the figure disappeared, he continued to shield Mi'sha, from the human's view, at least until a figure in a maroon coat walked in. Unable to tell if it was a male or a female, when it stopped, the moment they made eye contact he knew who it was. It handed him a note, detailing what he needed to do. He nodded, and watched the figure disappear into the thinning crowd.

Once the room was empty, Lin'the watched as the man counted his money, waiting for Marie to reappear. Mi'sha was asleep, and when he heard the bars creak, he walked up to the opening that was just large enough to slip his son into the large bag held by a black feline. As the creature bounded off, he pulled the bars further apart, until he was able to step out into the open. Remaining in the shadows he got closer to her father, until he stood behind him, "Viz qiza, za san si valiz." The man whirled around, and a look of fury mixed with terror crossed his face as Lin'the smiled at him, revealing sharp teeth, "Your pride shall be your fall."

"How did you get out?" the man stood as if prepared to fight him, "Get back in your cage, do you want me to hurt your offspring?"

Pulling out a rod from his pocket, Lin'the concentrated his rage upon the man, slowly unfolding the weapon, a device of torture from his home world. The spines with their harmful, but non-fatal poison unsheathed as the whip unfurled. "I think not, tell me, what do you do to the beings that you call freaks and trap here when they do wrong?"

"Just what I'll do to you," the man snarled and pulled out a iron rod, "BEAT THEM TO SUBMISSION!"

Lin'the was easily able to predict the movement and with a flick of his wrist, the whip wrapped around his captor's arm, the poison spines digging into the tissue. The shriek from the human was almost animalistic as the poison paralyzed his body, and began to turn his bones to stone, "It won't kill you, Vinthuti, you will in fact live a long life. However, you will struggle to move, and forever be tortured by pain and nightmares."

"I have something to add…" Suddenly, Marie appeared, "Hello, Father."

His eyes went wide as she appeared, dressed like a man on a hunt, "Marie, you should not dress in such a disgraceful manner."

"Should I?" she pulled a small box from her coat, and retrieved a small plant. As her eyes began to glow, she placed the seedling on his chest. "I hope that you dream well, Father."

"What happened after that?"

Suddenly, the Shariff walked in and smirked, "They came here. Would you like to see what became of the man whose pride became his downfall?"

Talavera hesitated, "Yes."

"Then come with me."

She followed him back to the station, to the back of the station, she froze when he opened the door to a small room at what she saw. There was a man there dressed in the clothing of French nobles, a tree with growing from a hole in his chest, but he was still alive. Clearly frozen in place, his face was twisted in pain, terror, and fear as the Sheriff stood over him, "You should have never tried to harm my father…."

Horrified, Talavera ran, only to crash into a dark shape. When she realized it was a lioness with ebony fur, she stumbled back into a corner, "This is a world where we're all different," the cat spoke, "but we all know what you have done."

Then there was a chuckle, and she saw a nan appear, appearing just as the baker had discribed. "Be aware, Miss Talavera, you do not wish to mess with the Bezikati..."


Please Read and Review, any suggestions of how to flesh out the story are welcome!