Guardians of the Galaxy .8 Homeward bound.
Felix put his compass away,as soon as he did Fuma waltzed right up to me."Sooo Minore..How'd it go,ya know since you both fell and all?"He nudged me with his elbow,trying to joke around with me.
I scoffed at him and then I told him and Felix what had happened in the past few days,about how Raye grabbed me and jumped out of the crashing G-flyer,and how -and why- I fell into the water,and about the Kleko lizards killing one another so horribly,how Raye and I raced eachother on the vines and how Raye slammed into a tree -Fuma started laughing pretty hard and for some reson unknown to me,Raye blushed-then about the SEED attack(although I didn't tell anyone about the other me.Or crying in Raye's arms.) right up to the part about the Moatoob wild flowers -but I hadn't told them about our kiss,and I wasn't going to- and Fuma just had to butt in!
"So thats where Raye got that mark on his cheek!HAHA!Guess they don't call them passion flowers for noth-"I glared at him,he had to open his mouth,I don't know what the big deal is anyway,it was just a kiss...
Felix lightly popped him in the head."Fuma leave them alone."Fuma just smirked."Uh-huh...Whatever."And he walked off ahead of us."Hehe don't let Fuma get to you two.He's only teasing.Just ignor him."He chuckled on that last bit and walked off to catch up to Fuma.Raye smiled at me with a very small blush on his cheeks,I smiled back at Raye and we continued on with the others.
We had just started walking when Fuma decided to tell us what they had been up to since we seperated.After they fell and landed in a giant tree,Fuma said that once they landed they stumbled onto a Moatoob honey bee nest(The bees are about the size of your fist.Thier venom isn't that bad unless they sting you too many times.)and had to run for thier lives,finally they jumped into the water and evaded the giant bees.But not after Felix got stung in the back.He lifted his shirt up to revile a large red bump on his back,it was very swolen.
"Lucky I ain't alergic or that would have turned ugly!"He laughed,Fuma continued.
After they incountered the bees they found a place to spend the night,somewhat like where we camped,in the morning Fuma said he had to dump water on Felix to wake him up and Felix wasn't to happy about it,but the past three days they didn't run into any monsters except for a few bugs and stuff.(Lucky them)Fuma said that they had found shelter before the rains came high up in the canopy.Felix then added that when Fuma was makeing his bed he grabbed a snake insteed of a vine and got bit,lucky for him it wasn't venimious,but the snake tore most of his hand up.
Fuma lifted up his bandaged right hand,it was staned with blood."Don't worry I'll still keep my fingers!"He smirked,before continuing with the last of his story.
"Then when the sun finally came up I went to relieve myself and I slipped before I could unzip and fell into the fly trap on the limb below.HEY It ain't that funny!"Both Raye and I where laughing,then Raye stopped all of the sudden while I was still giggling.
"So..Thats wasn't a water puddle I fell in was it.."(In other words,Fuma wet himself when he fell!)Raye looked a little pale and Fuma's face turned red with embaressment and sudenly found is feet more interesting,Felix and I started laughing hard."Well I was wondering what that smell was!"Felix chuckled,Fuma just glared at every one as Raye looked like he wanted to rip his clothes off."Anyone got spares?"His voice was a little shaky,he really hated having to be in those smelly clothes.(Who can blame him?)
Felix laughed and pulled out some clothes from his nanotransformer and gave them to Raye,a segyega outfit.(Its a popular style from Nuadiaz)The tunic was red with black edges and came over the body like a poncho,the pants were long -and baggy- black with a gold strip going down the sides.
He went off to cange into the clothes behind a tree,I went over to the waters edge and leaned against the trunk of the giant tree.The water was full of tree limbs and debree from the flash flood,I looked up to see a bright blue sky,then my feet.I was thinking about Raye,last night,and what to do next.
I snapped out of my deep thoughts when I noticed out of the corner of my eye somthing moving,something big.
A giant centipede at least 1/3 my length crawled out from a hole in the tree we were on and was crawling towards me!Its shell was the color of deep moist freashly tilled earth warmed by the sun,it also had fur growing strate down its back like a mane,the four front legs were soft and furry and had four fingers on each hand -although they looked more like paws- the rest of the legs were more centipede.It had very large mandibles that led to a mouth that looked like it belonged on an animal and not a bug.It didn't have compound eyes though,just two big round green eyes that really creeped me out!Was it a cross between an animal and an insect?
It then stopped just a few feet away from me and rear half its body up from the trunk of the tree so that we were head to head,I felt the blood in my face drain away as it seemed to inspect me,I froze as it felt my face with its antenna,I wimpered as beads of sweat rolled down from my brow.
It antenna were unplesant to the touch,my heart was pounding,now I really don't like bugs!It kept making a clicking noise the whole time that just sent shivers right down my spine!Its large and powerful mandebles were just centimeters away from my nose.I let out a small squeel.This was dis-gust-ing!
"Freak me out!"I spoke so softly,but seriosly.I HATE BUGS!
Then Raye came from behind it and tapped it on the head very gently,causing it to turn towards him,startled.It felt him with its antenna like it did with me,my heart felt like it would burst!Raye then slowly moved his hand and started petting it!He touched it!He TOUCHED the giant bug!And he was smiling!
I felt feint as the bug pushed its head into his palm and purred,as if trying to make him keep rubbing."Haha see Minore,its harmless!"Raye smiled as the centipede rubbed its body against Raye like a cat!
"Easy for you to say!What are you the bug master or something?"I was about to run screaming when Raye stepped around the insect and caught my hand.
"Aww c'mon Minore,its gentle see?I grew up around these things.In fact I had one as a pet once!"He stepped away from the centipede and steped behind me,my back to his chest,and so now I was faceing the bug with Raye making sure I would back away from it.
"Don't worry it wont hurt you."He took his hand over mine and streached it out towards the centipede and pressed it against the head of the creature.
At first I jumped and tensed up when he laid my hand on it,it purred as I felt the hard yet very smooth shell,even with a shell so tough,it could still feel the gentle petting.I could feel Raye's chest rummble as he chuckled,I couldn't help but let a small smile curl from my lips,the giant bug kinda acted like a dog as it blinked it eyes cutely(Centipedes on Moatoob have eye lids and are very docile creatures,but I never really read much about these animals so yeah I was freaked.)at my and started purring louder,then it brought its head up a little higher,its mandibles looked like there were about to close on my hand when a long pink tounge came out and lightly licked both mine and Raye's hands,it tickled a little,it was wet and rough like a cats,yet slender enough to get inbetween our fingers,after it licked my hand it licked my face,I didn't really enjoy that part,but it was sorta cute.
Raye looked down on me from over my shoulder."See what'd I tell ya?He's as gentle as a kitten!"He took his other hand and rubbed the insect under its mandibles,it raised its chin up and looked really relaxed.
It was just then I relized just how close Raye was to me,his chest was pressed to my back,a slite blush crept across my face.The centipede then lowered its body and scampered down the trunk of the tree and started crawling in circles around us trying to get us to play with it.
"I think we should keep him,their common GUARDIAN attack animals and GUARDIANS are alowed to have pets.Besides,I'm starting to really like him!"He smirked as he lifted the centipede up,which surprised me some,the bug had to weigh a lot and Raye picked it up as if it didn't weigh an ounce!The bug looked like it could easily broken out of Raye's grip,but it chose not to and only purred louder.
"What!?Raye w-we can't do that,it lives here."I said,Raye shook his head.
"Its orphaned,he's still very young and the centipedes here care for thier young untill full maturity,without its parents its as good as dead.The parents NEVER let their young leave thier backs untill then,so it may have been orphaned from ether the flood or the SEED.I can't just leave it to die."The bug curled up into a ball and fell asleep quickly.
"Well I'm not keeping him,I don't have anywhere to put him."I smirked at him,I may not have a place for him,but Raye does.His face lit up,now that Raye stood next to me,I saw his outfit.It made him look a little more like a Newman,perhaps because it was the native style I guess,it looked better than his old one for sure.
Fuma ran over to where we were and saw the young centipede asleep."What the heck is that?"His big mouth woke up the insect and it hissed at him before curling back up.
"Minore found an orphaned centipede.I'm thinking about keeping him,I did use to own one after all."Fuma stared wide eyed at the large creature sleeping in Rayes arms,then Felix came,he smiled when he saw the young one.
"Well you found a baby!Aww ain't that cute?"He chuckled,that bug is only a baby?Boy I wonder how big the adults get."Yeah,he is cute."I looked at the sleeping baby,he really was cute.
"Hey how do you know its a boy,it could be a girl."Raye smirked at me,"Because its mandibles are a good size,females are much smaller.I think I'll call him...Damon!"Raye chuckled,he really was wanting to keep him thats for sure.
Raye smiled like a young child how had just gotten a new puppy.We continued on and little Damon fallowed close behind me,he was a little more interested in me than Raye,but he didn't mind.Felix would sometimes have to watch his feet because Damon like to try and trip the large Beast,he was quite mischevious,that mush is surtian.It was a few hours a walking northwards untill we came across a strange site.
Large stone arches and a doorway as large as the Gol tova and aged thousands of years and covered in vines,strange letters and shapes laced the edge of the great doorway,the building seemed to go underground so there was no telling how big it truely was,it was very weird.
"What is that?"I practically blurted out."Its a Relics site,they are found scattered all over the Gurhal system.An anciant civlization that were thousands of years more advanced than us.Strangly though the entire civliation was wiped out all at once,with no evidence why.Its a total mystery."Felix informed us.
"We don't have time to inpsect the ruins now.We'll have to come back with a team.This site looks like no ones discovered it yet."Felix said right before pulling out his compass again."Well lets get going before nightfall,we need to cover as much ground as we can."
My feet were hurting terribly now,hours have passed since we saw the Relic site.We had stopped for a short break at a huge blackberry bush as we were nearing the edge of the swamp,I had given everyone a portion of my waten fruit,including Damon.Fuma ran ahead while we rested to see how far we were from the dessert.
He returned shortly with a big grin on his face."Were almost outta here!Its about half a mile away."
Damon had laid his head on my lap and was eating a berry I had found for him,for a Moatoob centipede he sure was cute."Thats great!Alright five more minutes then we start back."Felix stood up and took some berries from the vines and ate them,I had a few myself,they tasted sweet.
I saw Raye was sitting behind a tree by himself,Damon had just finished eating and was now playing with both Felix and Fuma,Damon was chaseing Fuma and trying to bite him in the rear while Felix was trying to catch the little creature,so I walked over to where Raye was,he smiled at me when I sat down next to him.
"We're almost out..Told ya we'd make it out."He smirked,"Whatever Raye."I frowned,I didn't really much care for his 'I told you so' tease right now.
He nudged me with his elbow,"Hey now I'm only teasing ya."He smirked before standing up,our five minutes were up.We were half way home now.
I saw the edge of the swamp and broke out into a run,finally after spending too long in that muggy swamp I wanted to see the horizon instead of vines and trees growing endlessly.
"Hey Minore,wait up!"Raye called and chased after me once we were outside the swamp,which ended up as a game of 'catch me if you can' and Felix was trying to catch Fuma -the small Beast had swiped his belt as a prank(just Fuma being Fuma)and now Felix's pants were close to dropping.(Luckly he kept a firm grip on them,so they didn't fall.)Little Damon was trying to figure out what was going on.
Raye caught up to me and grabbed my wrist,I whirled around and I lost my balence,Raye tried to grab me to keep me from falling but he fell as well,right on top of me.We were face to face then,it took Raye a moment to relize what just happened."Whoops...Ehehe sorry."He chuckled while trying to get off of me,I tried to push him off but the Damon lept onto his back and Raye fell back onto me,this time our lips met.
Fuma and Felix saw the whole thing and the both of them bellowed with laughter."HAHAHA Can't keep yer hands off her can ya Raye?AHAHAHA!"Fuma blurted out,our Faces turned scarlet and Raye jumped off -causing little Damon to be thrown,but he curled into a ball before he hit the ground so he was fine- and I wanted to crawl under a rock and die.
My face burned with emmbaresment,Raye glared at the other Beasts as Damon ran circles around the two 'laughing so hard they could die' Beasts.
"SHUT IT!"I squeeled at them,They eased thier laughing,but only a little."HAHAHA Well I guess we should leave you two love birds alone now!"Fuma is really getting on my nerves now,he laughed as he walked past us both and into the clearing,leaving Felix with us,I may like Raye now,but I didn't ever want to get caught kissing him -at least untill I'm ok with it- least of all now!
Felix smiled at us warmly."There nothing wrong with loveing someone.How do you think I met Saphira(Sah-fi-rah) my wife?"He cuckled,"You two have grown to love one another through all you've faced together.Don't think I've read your mission profiles."He grined and then left us alone.
Raye walked over to me finally and smiled."Think he's right?"I blushed and replied,"I guess..Lets go."His yellow-green eyes met my bright blue ones.
The blue sky seemed to streach on for miles,small creeks and streams snaked out of the swamp and into the dessert just a little before soaking into the dry ground.
Damon lept at me like a child unsure of something and wanting to be held."What the?Damon what's the matter?"I tried to hold him up -which was hard considering how heavy he is- and I balenced him on my hip for support."He's a little scared,he's probably never seen the desert before.But don't worry,he's about the age that the parents will try and lead their offspring out into the desert.The swamp is just the nursery untill then."Felix patted Damon on his head -which was half way hidden in my shoulder,he was holding onto my shirt with his upper arms.
I rocked him slowly and hummed a Neudiaz song to him,it seemed to calm him somewhat and he lifted his head up and looked around a bit.Fuma had stopped with his childish antics and was now filling up the canteens with water and every now and again he would smirk devilishly at one of us,and I thought Raye was a pain before!
Felix had pulled out a map now."Well...Now that we're here,what are we going to do now?"I wondered outloud."We now head east.The camp is about six days walk from here.Bad news is we wont be able to make it,we will run out of water and dehydrate long before we reach the camp.Moatoob's temprature will dry us out."Felix bit the bottom of his lip,what are we going to do now?
Then Fuma sprang up with a grin so big I thought his face would get stuck!"Lungias!(lung-ge-ah)We can ride then to the camp,thier fast and powerful animals and we'll probably make it in half the time!"Raye rolled his eyes.
"And where do you thing we'll find them?"Fuma smiked at Raye,and pointed towards some caverns and caves."Around there,Lungias like to hang near places where malla weed grow.Its thier favorite food!"He sure like Lungias doesn't he?
Fuam lead through a tunnle the opened into a large field full of mella weeds,as well as three eight foot tall creatures.Their heads reminded me of a smileing fish,their bodies were pink all over with two very strong legs,and they had fins on their tails!They looked like they belonged in the water,not in a desert,but they were very cute looking.
"YEA Lets go!Their very gentle so all you need to do is grab one!"And Fuma was off,He quickly caught one,Felix grabbed one by the neck,and Raye and I had to chase after ours -sice there were only three we'd have to ride one together.
The lungia doged Raye's every atempt to catch it,after five minutes of watching Raye goof off I decided to do it the easy way and I picked some malla weed.I whistled at it,it looked at me and trotted over to me and ate the weed from my hand.
"Oh sure whatever"A ticked Raye huffed,he wasn't happy that I was able to get it to come to me and he had to chase it all over the place.Raye helped me on its back,then he got on infront of me,the animal easily carried us both,Damon hopped on with Felix.
"Alright now,the way to steer them is to nudge the back of thier shoulder blades.Careful though,they breath fire."Fuma showed us how to rub the lungias shoulders to get it to move.I held on tight to Raye,I didn't want to take a nasty fall,they where very tall creatures,and I could easily be stepped on.
Felix lead the pack as we rode on,caves and caverns were every where you could see,dry and some dead brushes passed us every so often.It was a rough ride too,the way they ran very fast,I held on tight to Raye,I really didn't wish to fall,not at this speed.He smirked when I held tighter to him and took hold one of my arms that were wraped around him and squeezed gently.
"Don't worry.I wont let you fall.Ever."He insured that staement by incresing his grip,but keeping it just as gentle.I smiled and laid my head against his back and relaxed,I closed my eyes a bit,I could feel the warmth from him.Like from last night,I don't know why,I guess you could say I was falling for Raye.He was always there for me and he protected me,he now teased a lot less and was very gentle with me.He's really come a long way since the academy,but I guess..So have I.
We passed cliffs,canyons,arches made of stone,and many wonderious things.One great canyon we stopped at was full of many different colors,but one fall would surely prove fatal.The drop seemed to go one forever,you couldn't see the bottom because a fog settled about half way down.I pulled my gaze from the canyon to see the sun was setting,we had been travleing for so many hours now.
"We need to find a cave.the temperature drops below freezing."Felix looked twords the sunset.The colors were magnificent.The entire sky had turned bright red at the horizon,then hot pink over it,and then it turned purple at the top,orange-red streaks flew across the sky from where the sun had just hidden itself under the horizon,mixing every color together.A black silhouette of the distant moutains that streached on for miles made it all the more wonderful.
"Beautiful isn't it?"Raye startled me,he had been quite up untill now.
"Y-yeah it is.Are the sunsets here always so wonderful?"I asked him,he chuckled.Fuma and Felix were far enough infront of us that they would be unable to hear our conversation."Yeah,but they don't get this beautiful unless there happened to be a fire earlier in the day...My dad used to take me and Anna to the desert to see the sunsets about once every week."He smiled as he spoke.
"Hehe This one time when Dad took us trough a cave I got seperated from them.I was only eight at the time.I tried to call out but I couldn't hear or see them anywhere,I kept walking on,after about a minute though I fell through a hole in the ground and started sliding down a shaft like it was a slide or something,and when I finally stopped I fell into a lungia nest.Two baby lungias where there,I had startled them at first but soon we where playing with one another.Then my dad found me rideing them,Anna was holding his hand.I started laughing when one of the little lungias bit him in the rear and he yellped,it was really fun.Then we when out of the caverns and watched the sunset.Those were happy days."He seemed sad now,was being back on Moatoob...painful?
I tightened my grip around him and moved closer to him,I could feel his scar through his shirt with my cheek.Then the lungia broke out in a run and nearly threw both of us right off!We had lagged behind and our lungia was wanting to get back up with the other two.
Raye and I both started laughing,our lungia slowed once we caught back up with Felix and Fuma."You two get lost or somthin?We need to find shelter like NOW!"Fuma thumbed at a large cave.'C'mon,the temerature is already dropping.Lets get inside."
We tied up our lungias on a bush outside the cave and Fuma started the fire."We're all taking eight hour shifts.The Creatures out in the desert are just as deadly as the ones in the swamp.Many even hunt in packs,so Raye will go first,then Minore,Fuma,and then me.Raye if you see anything,just yell."Felix yawned after he finished his sentence.
"Yeah but I think you should scream instead!Felix would sleep through the end of the universe!"Fuma giggled to himself,then was joined by both me and Raye,Felix just huffed before laughing himself,"He's right!Hahaha!"Felix bellowed.
Fuma had found a small indent in the wall just big enough for him to make his bed in,he checked inside first to make sure nothing was in there,then he fell right asleep.Felix settled close to the fire and I made my bed closer to the enterance and I decided to stay up a while with Raye.
He had already made his bed.I huddled on the opposite side of the enterance and Damon crawled into my lap,he was pretty warm and cuddly.
"Don't you need to get some sleep Minore?"He said just as Felix started snoring loud."Naw,I'm not tired right now."I shrugged and smiled at him,he chuckled,I looked up at the night sky.
So many stars filled the sky like hundereds of thousands of shining shimmering dimonds,but then I felt the cold air,I was starting to remember what the other me had said.I felt so confused about it,who was she really and why did she say such horrible things to me?I rubbed my arms,and not because I was cold.I snapped out of my thoughts when Raye pointed to the sky as a shooting star raced across the sky,fallowed by several others.
"As soon as we get back home,I'm taking a two hour shower!"I giggled,he smirked.
"Ya you could really use one."I glared at him sourly,little Damon blinked as we argued.
"Oh your one to talk,at least I brought soap and shampoo!And I've been useing the soap mind you!"I snapped,he looked at me funny.
"You brought shampoo?This was suposed to be a mission that lasted a day,and you brought a whole bottle of shampoo?Women are strange indeed."He chuckled,I smirked.
"A woman is always prepared for anything,personal hygiene is a top priority!Learn it sometime."I sneered at him,after a few days he could think to wash some.
He huffed and stuck his tounge at me with a funny face -which I couldn't help but giggle- at me before looking back at the sky,from where we were,we could see Nuadiaz.
"How could something look so close yet be so far out of reach?"I thought out loud and streached my hand towards Nuadiaz,I was really starting to miss Uncle and Kollam."I don't know.Funny isn't it?"He chuckled,Damon crawled out of my lap then and next to the fire.Must have gotten cold.
"Well...I'd best get some sleep."I stood up and started walking towards my bed before Raye said somthing."
Uhh Hey Minore...Don't sweat a thing alright?Sheesh we've been through worse before right?"He smiled at me as I laid myself down."Your right.I guess we have."
I woke up long before the others did,last night my shift went smoothly and Felix had fallen asleep right as I woke up.I had decided to go deeper into the cave and had found a small cavern that had a small waterfall coming out of the wall and into a small shallow pool,and there was steam everywhere.
I placed my hand into the crystal clear pool of water,it was a deliiightfull temp.
Then I got an idea.
I was pretty sure the men would all stay asleep -the sun hadn't even risen yet- and I really need a bath,so I took one under the falls.I didn't realy know how long it was and frankly I didn't care.I did however keep my under garments on while I took my bath.
"And Raye thought I was strange for bringing shampoo!...Gosh this feels like heven!"I sighed deeply as I ran my fingers through my hair,getting all the filthy gunk and tangles that have plagued me since we first fell into the water.
Suddenly I heard a soft purr and I turned to see Damon sprawled out on a rock close to the water,feeling the warmth of the steam.
"Yeah,it sure does feel good doesn't it boy?"I asked him,he only blinked lazily at me.I hummed a old Nuadaiz song that my mother had taught me,my voice reverberated of the wall and echoed as I sang.I've always loved that song,guess its because its Mothers song.
I finished my bath and walked back to where the others were,Raye was the first one up."Where have you been,Minore?I was starting to think you were eaten."He wispered with a small smirk on his face.
"There's a hot spring down deeper in the cave.I couldn't help myself really."I smiled,got the better of him now didn't I?He just chuckled under his breath.
"Its true then,women are strange!"I shot him a small glare.
"Lets just wake Fuma and Felix already ok?"I hissed,he nodded."Yeah,the sooner we're home the better."
Raye found Fuma's hiding place and wasn't able to reach him (Fuma must really hate mornings.When he couldn't shake him up Raye stuck his head inside the small area.
"HEY FUMA!!"He yelled,the sound echoed over and over inside the small cavern,Fuma lept out holding his ears,Raye bursted out laughing...Then he got hit in the gut by a small but strong fist.
"That'll teach ya!"Fuma growled at him.Now I'ts my turn to wake Felix,he was snoring pretty loud,it was a wonder how I even fell asleep last night!
It took forever to wake him up!I took all of us to flip him over and onto the ground.He waved his arms around wildly and grunted.He laughed when he relized what happened and then stood up.
"Well now,Lets get the lungia and get moving.If we hurry we sould be able to make it to Mizikie gorge before night fall."
Minore:Is holding DamonWe Gotta mascot!Every good story needs one!
Raye:Yeah...Stares at Minore
Minore:Glares(Minore isn't one to take stareing kindly)Quite staring or I'll kick your butt!
Me:You know I really like these end thingys,I get to make everyone so out of caracter!Including me!
Minore:Gosh you need help.
RayeHas a black eyeYeah,and quit making me get beet up by Minore its UNMANLY!And Make Minore stop having such terrible PMS problems!
Me:Hey I'm the boss os my own little world here!So STOW IT!(And she ain't gonna stop having problems untill I do so there!)So now REVIEW or you may just wake up withyour bed full of poison ivy!And for those unalergic I pour leaches-the big kind- on your face!YOU'VE BEEN WARNED!!