Disclaimer: Still not owning anything about Oban: Star Racers than I did before, except maybe a few bad puns.
A/N: Hey everyone! I'm really sorry that I haven't been updating much, but as I've only just returned from camp, I wasn't able to get on much. This new chapter is slightly longer than the last, but you'll see why and hopefully you'll be so entranced that you won't notice it's length ;) I've also piled everything up, so it won't seem as monotonous to read. Eva even makes a new friend, not to mention she sees some old ones! This is one of my favorites. And c'mon guys! I need more reviews! Even if it's to let me know that my story sucks (pllleeaaassee noooo!), or to let me know you like it (yey!), either way I really want to know what you think! So read the chapter, enjoy, and review afterwards!
I'd also just like to thank Jordan's Gal for the wonderful advice, since most of the chapter was thought up at camp, actually.
milopita: Thanks! I hope you enjoy this next chapter!
APurpleAvacado: It took me a while to find my inspiration for the transport, which I ended up finding in Treasure Planet (the ship in the book Jim reads as a child, if anyone's seen it and/or remembers it). I wasn't too sure how it would play out, but many people like it, so yay The rooms were completely mine, though. I wanted something unexpected, hope it worked. sigh Now if only I could program MY room to do that. Well, anyways, here's the next chappie; enjoy! (and pairings WILL become evident later on, as you said.)
Doxeh: Ilu-more-than-Thursday ;) And you have a point, there (or two :3)
Jordan's Gal: Really? I can't imagine why xD I proof-read the chapter as soon as I put it up, and the paragraphing actually did make a lot of difference. The chapters will probably get shorter, as I'll try to split them up better. I just don't want to end up with like 100 chapters, ya'know? Hmmm, and as for pairings, I think I'll leave speculation for now. Although the matter does seem to be brought up often.
RomanticAngel: Thanks for waiting so long! I'm happy that my writing isn't crud to people! I'm terribly sorry about the length of the chapters, but it's a fault of mine I'm trying to sort out at the moment T.T The Ship was pretty impressive, wasn't it? I was imagining something out of Treasure Planet. That type of craft. I didn't want to use the Alwas-type transport since…well, it's been used in the series already;) And I wanted to emphasize the unique characteristics that I put into the Wheel. You noticed most of the, er, abnormalities that presented themselves very nicely. Sorry if the story seems very Nancy Drew. But I wanted something with a little mystery, you'll see why later on in the chapters.
Well, anyway, here's the next chapter! Enjoy!
Belle of the Ball: The Princess who would-be Queen
"Eva! We're already ten minutes late! Are you ever getting outta there or what?" An impatient Trent asked, rapping on the bathroom door rather obnoxiously. Eva's equally impatient voice called out back to him.
"Just chill! I'll be out in five minutes." From outside, she could hear angry mumbles, and she caught phrases here and there such as "women and bathrooms, I just don't get it…." She rolled her eyes. She was the girl, so why was Trent being such a drama queen? It's not as if being late to one party would kill them. Being late for a race, totally different story. People show up late to parties all the time. There was no need to get so worked up over it. It's not as if Trent is always 100 on time, so he had really no business telling her to hurry up. In fact, she intended to bring up that point on the way to the Pre-Opening Ball. She gave herself a quick last look in the mirror; her ensemble was less than fancy. She sported a black sleeveless top that, in truth, would have passed for a party top. Even her purple mini skirt looked rather fancy. Not ball material, though; of that much she could be sure. She sighed. If somebody had told her there would be a freaking ball at this event, she would have packed some formal clothing. But this was the best she could do, given what she had brought. She glanced down self-consciously at her sneakers; those would have to do for now as well.
"Alright! I'm coming out now!" She announced, and exited the bathroom with one last glance at herself.
"Thanks for announcing that." He said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "We're only going to be about a half hour late now!" Eva was about to respond when she noticed something. Something that really irked her off. Trent was dressed better than she was. In fact, he was wearing a rather black tie suit. She could feel her jaw dropping. Where had he gotten the idea to pack formal?
"Are you kidding? How did you know that you'd need fancy clothes?" She demanded. Trent grinned at her, one of his eyebrows going up.
"What can I say, I'm just that smooth. And anyway, this is supposed to be the social gathering of the alien year. You'd expect there to be some type of party…"
"In other words, your mom packed 'em for you.:" Eva snapped back, but she had had to admit, now that she thought about it, it was pretty obvious that nice clothes were going to be needed. In her defense, she was extremely excited about this race, to the point that she could not bother to think about what cloths to bring, and Alwas was never this formal, anyway. "Where's the party being held?" She asked, trying to change the subject as the entered the long hallway.
Trent glanced down at the slab of information Rick had written down for them. Not long after their arrival to their rooms, both Trent and Eva had fallen asleep on the beds provided. They didn't hear when Rick, Stan, and Koji came in, or when the rooms re-adjusted themselves to fit all of their needs. They missed the announcement made by Dellinious in the later hours about how the last stop—Nourasia, as it were—was completed and the Ball would be held on the main deck at 19:30(1) nightfall Nourasian Standard Time (8:30 p.m. Earth Standard time). There would be a stage set up specially for the Ball, and a dancing floor along with food and tables and such would be provided as well. Team members were to report to the deck at 18:30, and racers were to report to the back of the stage at 19:00 sharp to prepare for the announcing competitors opening. Rick had woken them up at around 8:00 EST(2) and given them the information, which Trent hastily copied down in illegible handwriting, so Rick had to re-write it anyway.
"It's being held on the main deck, but we should go to the back of some type of stage that's gonna be there." He read off the paper. "Stage, huh? What do you think that'll look like?" The question had just barely left his lips when the answer presented itself to them. Even though they were still a good distance away from the main deck, it would be impossible to miss the towering stage. It was fantastically tall, with beautifully fitted with a material the looked shockingly like velvet and had sparkles and streamers that seemed to be made from pure, golden hued light.
However, the thing that shocked Eva most as they drew ever-near the stage was all the different culture she saw. Instantly, she was able to recognize some of the aliens she had seen from Oban: There was a racer that had Ondai's metal finishing, and Eva recognized three of those oval white tube-like aliens that she had accidentally bumped into, when she had first met Prince Aikka. Her breath caught at the memory, and she craned her neck, but saw no Prince. Slightly let down, continued to look about the different wears of each alien.
There were big dresses, small dresses, loose dresses, tight dresses, and suits of all different shapes and sizes. There were, such like the tube-like aliens, races that preferred to wear no clothing at all; but they were a minority. Eva was greeted with a splash of colour and design that she had never seen before.
There was one girl who, momentarily, Eva mistook for human herself. It was then that she noticed the eyes, which were little more than slits, and the extra pair of arms. Other than that, though, the girl's anatomy—at least the visible, seemed familiar enough. Her dress was what Eva could see only as a gigantic flower, with the petals twisted and warped to fit into a dazzling dress. It's colour shifted from yellow, to orange, to red, and finally pink, of a swift rotating cycle. Another alien's wear that caught Eva's eye was a very intriguing dress; the actual dress seemed to be made of strings, that met up at the top of her neck in a pretty halter. As the strings reached shoulder length, however, fabric wove itself out on either side of the strings, getting broader and longer until it reached the bottom of her foot, which at that point was so long that it actually created a graceful arc behind her. Her dress had so many colours on it, it was impossible to count, as the different strings and fabrics moshed together very nicely.
Eva's eyes rested on one alien girl, who looked like a character right out of an elven story book. She was tall, her skin taking on a blue-ish hue, and one of the most beautiful beings Eva had ever seen. Her eyes were an unmistakable shade of piercing yellow, and for ears, she had two long, thin strips that seemed to stand out of her raven bangs in a slender, fitting manner, which was impossible to explain with words. On her head, she wore an amazing golden headpiece with intricate designs of red, purple, and blue. Out of the back of the headpiece, her hair dropped down to her lower waist in small pony-tails, so that Eva was instantly reminded of Princess Jasmine, a story character from the very, very old Earth tale Aladdin. She wore a purple and blue top, which showed her bare shoulders, yet covered the bottom half of her arms. The top started right above her collar bone, but seemed to be stuck to her skin tightly, because it did not shift or fall when she moved. Her long skirt was a mixture of different shades of blue, purple, and red.
The more Eva stared at this girl, however, the more she realized something was wrong. As opposed to the calm, serene expression Eva would have imagined such a lady to have her face was dour, as if she didn't really want to be there. Self-consciously, Eva stared again at what she was wearing and almost let out a groan.
Trent was observing the outfits as well, but he didn't have to worry about his wears nearly as much as Eva did. The different men's outfits, though different they may be, all had the same basic outline to it. Overall, he was fine. The extravagant dresses, on the other hand, all came in completely different fashions: all looked expensive, elegant, and nobody wore a mini skirt. Eva let out a tuft of air. Oh well. She supposed she would have to deal. It was just one party, right?
Eva was thrown out of thought by a sudden shove. She squeaked slightly as she was pushed back. "Oww—hey!" She insisted, but the unmistakable figure of a Crog only lumbered on past, shoving aside anyone in his way rather than asking them to move or moving around them. Eva frowned.
She was roused out of her thoughts by Trent "Hey—look! E, over there! Isn't that one of those Nourasians you were babbling about so much earlier?" Eva's eyes darted to where his fingers were pointed.
"I wasn't babbling, I was just telling you about…" Her voice trailed off, for she had indeed laid eyes on what could be nothing else than a Nourasian girl, about her age. She had long, reddish-brown hair and demure, chocolate eyes. Her dress looked like something right out of a medieval fairy-tale. It was tight at the waist, but grew long and poofy at the pleated bottom. The sleeves only ran to the elbow, but more material hung loosely from it until her slender fingertips. The color was a delicious cream, ornate with orange and blue markings. Her hair was whipped up in two plaited cones on either side of her large ears, with a long braided lock going down to her mid-back. She was smiling with undying certainty, although her expression was not stuck-up, merely enjoyable. Her tone was about two shade lighter than Aikka's, from what Eva remembered, and her face was more rounded, and innocent-looking.
Although Eva was happy to see a familiar race, she couldn't help but conceal disappointment. She had hoped…then her eyes caught the movement. The girl, who until now was conversing with another alien, the Ondai-resembling one, laughed, excused herself with a swift hand gesture, and walked away. Eva, following her movements, sucked in breath when she saw the girl stop next to an older, more weathered Nourasian that Eva instantly recognized as Aikka's old fencing master. As she watched, Canaan nodded curtly to her after she had whispered into his ear, and disappeared behind the grand curtain to the other side. Of course, only racers were allowed back here.
But, she thought nimbly, if Aikka's mentor is here in the first place, that must mean…
Her breath caught in her chest at what she saw next. From nowhere, it appeared, Aikka came into the picture, joining the unknown girl in the place where his mentor had previously stood. She could tell it was him. He had grown an inch or two from the last year or so, and his auburn hair had grown longer, but he still had those shocking sapphire eyes that Eva never tired to gaze into. He wore something similar to his Oban clothing, but the outfit was more extravagant, in a stunning pure white tunic, accompanied with light brown pants, again, with the ornate symbols of orange, blue, and, on his, Eva noticed, gold. He still had the same smile, though, she noticed as well.
He and the Red-Haired Wonder had now stricken up a conversation, and Eva could not help the curiosity, and indeed dread, well up inside her as to the matter of the girl. Eva had, after all, chosen Nourasia as her Intergalactic Studies planet, and knew the habit of arranged marriages between them. Not that she cared, of course. But…she decided to say something. And yet, as she opened her mouth, no words came out. When she tried to take a step forward, an invisible shield held her back. Every word, every look she had fantasized and practiced speaking to Aikka about crumbled in a brittle, overwhelmed emotion she did not understand. What was she supposed to say, to do? What if…? She had not gotten to the What-If, however, before all eyes averted to the stage above them.
Following Trent's gaze—and sharp nudge—she withdrew from her thoughts to see another one of those Wheel slowly climbing up the staircase to the center of the back-stage. After a moment or two, he cleared his throat, and spoke:
"Hello, and welcome, fellow Racers. My name is Maimander, and I cannot express enough the joy I feel that you are all racing for Wheel." He said, addressing everyone with a jubilant expression. Again, Trent found himself wondering how a robot could from or emit such a feeling, but stopped thinking about it was the robot resuming.
"Now, I'm sure you're all wondering how and when the rules of the Races will be explained to you. Terribly sorry for the inconvenience, but that will have to wait until we reach the planet tomorrow. Tonight, the Pre-Opening Ball is a chance to get to know your fellow terrestrials, who will undoubtedly become your friends, allies, and—under the unfortunate circumstance—enemies. It is a chance to relax, to get to know each other, and to reacquaint yourselves. The manner in which you will be called will be completely random, so listen carefully." He paused, and from the other side of the stage, they could hear another Wheel giving another speech to the awaiting crowd of team members. Eva tuned in to hear Maimander giving directions, and she listened intently at this point, since she had no previous experience with any type of Balls. "…And after your planet is called, you will proceed down out of the curtain down the staircases. Men to the right, women to the left please. After stepping upon the top step, please announce your name and title, and then proceed downward to take your seats amongst your teammates. After a short speech, the Ball will begin…"
Eva tuned out after this, still looking round for Aikka again. However, she was not able to catch glimpse of him through the mass alien crowd. She was, however, surprised to see the tall demeanor of a Phyl standing very close to her, and for a moment thought it was Spirit. However, at a second glance, she realized that this one was inches shorter than Spirit, his spikes more tame, and his mask was a shadowy grey, as opposed to the marble white of Spirit's. The Phyl caught her eye, perhaps sensing her gaze, and Eva felt a burst of curiosity and friendliness that she knew was being communicated into her mind stream telepathically; for this is the only way for the Phyl to communicate. She smiled at him, doing her best to show him that she wanted to be friends—for she already liked him, and she could almost see his golden eyes smile back at her—and gave him a wave. He waved back, after a moment, then motioned to Maimander, who was finishing up his speech, and looked ahead again.
Eva smiled, despite herself, for making good terms with at least one race. Perhaps the Phyl felt her inward enthusiasm, for Eva caught it giving her one last curious glance before it's eyes once again traveled to Maimander. He was already walking off though, and through the curtain, they could hear the other Wheel.
"We will now invite the Racers from the 99 joining planets, and their partners, to join us. Starting off is Planet Eleden!" Eva saw as a girl, not much older than her, rose. Eva was shocked to find that even though she was young, the girl still managed to radiate a dominating sense of sophistication and a serious, demure attitude. She strode up the steps and disappeared behind the curtain, all in a swift, confident, and ladylike manner. She was greeted with applause, and her voice rang out (Eva was sure, because of some type of technology) for the whole room to hear. "Queen Solari, Daughter of King Adeimus, now retired." There was more applause, and she could hear the Queen's footsteps as she tread down the unknown stairwell.
Even though she had just heard it, Eva was shocked to find this girl Queen. So young…the voice on the speaker spoke again.
"Next up…Nezaz." Eva saw what looked like two overgrown hair balls—one blue and one red—stand up and hop along the stairs behind the curtain. "Quintz, son of Governor Augment." She heard a squeaky, yet coarse voice ring through the auditorium, and then a much softer voice, although just as squeaky "Adiiner, niece of Reigning Minister Cheff." There was more applause, and Eva could imagine the little hairballs bouncing down the stairs. And so it continued on like that, and Eva listened and watched as many different races and planets got up, announced themselves, and left.
When it came Nourasia's turn, Eva couldn't help herself any longer. Her brain reacted on impulse. As Aikka and the Red-Haired Wonder made their way up onto the steps, she called out. "Prince! Prince Aikka!" His head whipped around, searching for the noise. His brow furrowed, and Eva could tell that he recognized the voice. Eva waved her hand "It's me!" She shouted, "It's E—it's Molly!" At the sound of her alias, his facial expression turned into a surprised recognition. "Molly?" He repeated, and opened his mouth to say more, but he was pulled by the girl beside him. She looked a little miffed at the disturbance.
"We're holding up the line." Her voice, soft and melodious, came impatiently. He nodded, and with one final glance back, retreated behind the curtain.
Eva sighed, and Trent voiced what she was thinking.
"That sure went the way you planned it." Eva could feel a heating flush spread across her face, noticing that other racers had turned to peer at her too. They seemed appalled, to say the least, by her wear. Or, at least, that's what she gathered by the many shocked and snide faces that came her way. There were some, though, who didn't bother looking at her, simply not caring, and others who had never seen a mini-skirt before, and were fascinated by the dress, thinking it formal. After all, they were not familiar with Earth wear. How should they know that her simple ensemble was not in fact one of the rarest delicacies of the planet?
After what seemed like an eternity to Eva, the racers started to thin out, and the loud ringing voice announced that Earth was next. Hastily, trying to look more confident than she was feeling, she grinned at Trent, and climbed up the staircase. She took a deep breath, and Trent held open the curtain for her as she walked through, him behind her. "Women on the right." An elderly robot, who's voice Eva recognized to be the announcer, reminded her. Eva nodded, and took her place at the top of a cascading staircase, which was large and spacious, yet seemed to close in on her. The applause seemed so far away. What if she tripped? Oh, that would be just horrible—she caught herself scanning the crowd, and found who she was looking for; Stan and Koji, giving her a standing ovation, and Rick, seated calmly in his chair, also clapping, with that "No-Sweat" gin on his face. At the look of it, Eva felt herself lighten, and took a deep breath. She looked around the room, and for the first time, noticed it's beauty. Golden and bronze tables, with their own special crystal centerpiece—Earth's was a swan—sat upon the elegantly adorned tables. There was a huge dance floor, with a buffet that took the space of the whole perimeter of the dance floor itself. The tables were each set up in rows, with a space in the middle, like an isle, where the staircases conjoined together at the base. Eva noticed that the robot was holding the microphone out for her, and she realized that she had yet to state her name. "E-Eva Wei," She started, shaky at first but gaining more confidence as she spoke "Daughter of D—" She caught herself, although just barely, and resumed "Daughter of the President." Quickly, and with none of the grace she knew the other women had, hurried down the staircase.
However, there was more applause, if not momentarily paused by the inquiring looks to her outfit, and Eva felt herself relax. She walked along with Trent, who had announced his name before her, and, at the place where the stairs met in a semi-circle, they started to walk down the isle filled with tables. Eva saw many curious glances, which she suspected were for her wear, but paid them no attention, looking straight ahead. It was only when she heard somebody breathe her name—not Eva, but "Molly!" did she look around. Prince Aikka stared directly at her, and she did not look away. He was wondering, surely, why she had not announced herself as Molly. She could explain all that later. Right now, the only thing she cared about was just seeing him again. No words needed to be said. And then she passed his table, and they lost the eye contact, and Eva very much regretted that.
They took their seats with Rick, Stan, and Koji, and Eva barely listened as Hilo, the Wheel who announced the names, started speaking again about how happy he was and explaining all sorts of things Eva didn't hear because she was too busy staring at the Prince's back, wondering if he was thinking about her, or wanting to turn around to look at her. But his face remained in Hilo's direction the whole time, and his attention, it seemed, with it as well.
The Ball must have started at some point, though, because the next thing Eva knew, people were getting up, eating, and dancing.
"Well," Trent announced. "I'm going to see if there's anybody hot here who's looking for a dance partner. See you guys." And with that he was off. Eva snorted. That was so like him. She looked to Stan and Koji, who were also getting up. "You guys dance?" She asked, and was peeved at herself to hear the air of surprise in her own voice. They can dance if they want to! She yelled at herself, embarrassed. They did not seem to take any offense to the statement, though. Koji actually laughed
"Nah, but I've been dying to see the cuisine here. We're gonna get some grub."
Rick scratched his head and nodded, holding out his plate.
"Great idea. Get some for me, too, will you?" Koji rolled his eyes, but took the plate, and they left. "So," he continued. "What are you going to do, Little Mouse? Chow or dance?"
Eva felt herself slightly fluster. "Oh, I'm not going to dance, I don't have—"
"Excuse me," a voice cut in, and Eva felt her breath catch as she recognized the voice immediately. It was Aikka. "Sorry to interrupt, but I was wondering if I might have a dance, Molly?"
Rick raised an eyebrow, and Eva felt herself nodding. "Yea, okay. Sure." She got up, and took the Prince's extended hand, but wouldn't move when he tried to lead her away. "Only—only call me Eva. That's my name." At his inquisitive look, she hastily added "I can explain that later. I do have to warn you, also, I've never…you know…danced…like this. Before. Ever."
He smiled again at that, and Eva was relieved. "Certainly, M—Eva." He corrected himself. He liked the way the name rolled off of his tongue, although it did feel weird using it on the girl he always knew as Molly. Three would be time for that later, though, he decided. Right now, the important thing was getting in somewhat of a dance. "Nice outfit," He added, genuinely meaning it. Although it was a bit strange…and the skirt would never be tolerated on Nourasia, she seemed to pull the look off in a classy manner. He did not know what to make of the flush that spread across of her face as he led her on to the dance floor and showed her the simple moves to the Waltz, instructing her to follow his lead.
"So," Eva started once she had stationed herself in the position she showed him, with one hand hanging onto his, and the other wrapped around his back. She felt herself blush as he placed his own hand on her waist. "What have you been up to in the past year?" She asked, to keep herself thinking other thoughts than about his hand around her waist.
"Well, the kingdom's been very busy, after, as I'm sure you'll have heard, Nourasia disbanded from their alliance with the Crog." He said this with a smug flourish that Eva expected had been there for some time. Eva nodded.
"Yes, the news reached us." She said. This was an understatement. Earth newspapers had been pressing for weeks details about the Nourasian Disbandment, and what it could possibly mean as a sign that the Crog's time was up, new potential allies, etc.
"After that, there was a war, which I'm sure you could have guessed." He resumed, and Eva expected nothing less than this from the Crogs. A ghost of a grin flickered across his face. "We won. Barely, but we won. And ever since then, life's been thousands better for the whole kingdom." He pulled her into a twirl, and when she reversed it, he held her there for a few moments. "Thank you, Eva." He said, so low she barely heard him. She blinked, but by that time they were back on the routine.
"What do you mean?" She asked, confused, as he twirled her again. He opened his mouth to answer, but just then, he was interrupted by another figure.
"So sorry to interrupt," the boy started, "But may I inquire if I might be able to have a quick dance?" Eva glanced uncertainly at Aikka, and back at the boy. He was short, yet lanky, with a small patch of fur connecting his rather long neck to the rest of his body. He only had three fingers, Eva noticed, but those were all the differences she could see between them. He, after all, had two eyes, a nose, a mouth, and rather human-like ears. Eva was rather relieved that he was not so different (aside from the fur, and, she noticed, a short tail) from what she was used to. He had dark brown skin, although his fur patch was green, as was his tail. He had green eyes, and Eva was rather startled to see he had no hair on top of his head. She wondered if the fur patch on his neck counted as hair, in his society, but didn't ask. She did not want to stop dancing with Aikka, not for this.
"Actually, I was in the middle—" She started, but he cut her off.
"Oh, it's no problem at all," Aikka said hastily, then added reassuringly; "I will speak with you later, Eva." And in a moment, he was dancing with somebody else, as though their encounter had never happened.
Eva blinked as she re-stationed herself with the foreign alien, and started to dance again. This was not like the familiar dancing with Aikka; she could feel his every movement against hers, and was awfully self-conscious of her mistakes, knowing that he was judging them.
Eva took a breath and tried to relax, only for her attention to be drawn near-by, where the pretty blue elf-like alien who Eva had seen earlier stood, arguing with who could only be her mother. This was obvious, because, the girl, now without a headpiece, looked strikingly like her mother, if younger, and perhaps prettier. The mother, who was older, had shorter hair, only up inches beyond her shoulders, and her shade of hair was a brown-ish black, whereas her daughter had pitch-raven black hair. The daughter's eyes also seemed to glint with something that the mother did not have, although they were both honey-coloured. Aside from this, they looked quite similar.
The mother, it appeared, was scolding the daughter, who in turn had her hands crossed and was glaring furiously back at her. Eva could not make out the source of the argument, so she dragged the boy closer to them. He obliged, following her gaze; it appeared he, too, craved to know the source of the argument.
"Honestly, Aleen, you're a princess! I don't know what you're thinking! You know that you must wear the headpiece at all times! And there you go, chucking it everywhere—do you know what this could do to our reputation--?" The mother demanded angrily scolding her daughter.
"Mother," The girl spoke, and her voice was firm, although not unfeminine, "In case you haven't quite noticed yet, I don't give a firewog's HOOT as to our reputation." The mother seemed highly offended at this, because a second later, the tips of her delicate blue ears receded into a serious purple, which Eva recognized as a flush. These people blushed with their ears. Trying her best not to find that strange, Eva scanned the ground, and found what she was looking for: The headpiece which the girl had lost; purposely, it seemed. It lay discarded amongst the chairs.
Eva excused herself, leaving a very confused partner behind, and bent down to pick up the headpiece. Why the girl would discard such a lovely item was beyond her. It was by far the most beautiful object Eva had ever seen. It looked like a small, oval hat, with many adorning and extravagant symbols and designs. She figured she ought to return it to the girl.
A bit tentatively, Eva approached the two, right as the mother was scolding the girl about having to go and find it herself, when they both noticed Eva. The mother looked at her quite disapprovingly, her eyes lingering on the mini skirt, and she shot Eva a glance that could possibly have been the most accusing she had ever been given, aside from that of the Headmistress at Stern Boarding School. Then she noticed what was in Eva's hands, and her eyes widened.
"I, uh, found this. Is it yours?" She asked the girl, not wanting to converse with the unpleasant mother. The girl didn't answer her, but looked at her sour faced. It was the mother who nodded, and grabbed the headpiece from her. "Thank you, young lady." She said empathetically, in a much kinder way that Eva would have expected. "Aleen would do well to learn from your example. You're so very pretty, you know." Eva grinned shyly, and the girl, Aleen, seemingly unable to take it any longer, stormed off, headpiece under arm.
Eva darted after her, confused at what had just happened. "Wait!" She shouted, and she was surprised to see the girl pause and turn. "What was that?" She demanded, slightly confused, but very hurt. "I found that for you and you just storm away?"
The girl—Aleen, stared at her for a couple of seconds. "Thanks," She said, her voice dripping acid sarcasm. "For returning my prison." And she was about to turn around, when Eva caught her arm. Instead of being angry though, Eva thought she heard some remorse and bitterness in Aleen's voice.
"What?" She asked, her own voice portraying curiosity. The fact that Eva's hostility died down seemed to have calmed the girl, as well.
"I-I'm sorry." She started, "It's just my mother is so frustrating sometimes—I shouldn't have gone off on you like that. Thank you for returning my…possession." Eva stared at her for a moment or two.
"You're still not going to wear that thing, are you?" She asked carefully, not wanting to upset the girl again.
Aleen grinned widely, the first time Eva had seen her do so all night. "Not a chance." She half-whispered, half declared. And they both broke out into a fit of giggling.
"Well, I'm Eva." Eva introduced herself, holding out her hand. Aleen shook it, with a firm grip, and replied;
"I know. We all announced our names, remember?"
Eva shrugged. "I wasn't really paying attention." She admitted, but then added quickly "I know your name, of course, Aleen." Aleen shrugged. She was staring at Eva's skirt. Eva rolled her eyes; this thing was just causing trouble after trouble for her.
"I like it," She told Aleen, her voice sounding more defensive than she meant it to. "I know it's not really appropriate, but I kind of under-packed." But to her surprise, the pretty alien shook her head.
"No, I love it." She said, and Eva could tell it was true by the way she regarded the skirt. "If my mother ever saw me wearing it…could I borrow it sometime?" She added as an afterthought, and Eva couldn't help but laugh.
"Your mom didn't seem that bad," Eva lied. Aleen snorted.
"Please. She was only complementing you so that you wouldn't go telling people what a terrible Princess I am and how it would ruin our good impression." She made a face as she said it, and Eva knew it was not to make her feel bad.
"Why would I do that, though?" Eva asked, and for the first time that evening, Aleen regarded her as if she wasn't sure if Eva was joking or not.
"You're…the President's daughter, right?" She asked strangely, and Eva felt herself nodding to the lie.
Aleen shrugged, "You know how it is." And Eva heard herself give a slight "Yea," although she really had no idea what that meant, nor did she think she wanted to know.
For the rest of the evening, Eva stuck to Aleen. They avoided the dance floor, mainly because Eva did not want to dance with anybody other than Aikka, and because if Aleen's mother saw her without her headpiece on again, "all of Hell would freeze over," as Aleen put it. The more time they spent together, the more Eva liked Aleen. She learned a little about Aleen's culture, and how the Headpiece represented one's coming into royalty, and Eva understood now why Aleen refused to wear it.
Aleen had made it all too clear for Eva that she did not want to be a Princess; she did not enjoy being a Princess, and so, whether her mother liked it or not, she would never be a true Princess, and would never be Queen. At one point in the evening, Eva got introduced to Aleen's gunman, Linius, and was appalled to learn that Linius got treated with none of the respect that Aleen got, although the two were good friends. Eva had also gone and dragged Trent over to meet Aleen and Linius, and before the Ball was over, they had all become good friends. Or at least that's what Eva hoped. She had tried to look for Aikka again, but he spent the rest of the evening with his Red-Haired Wonder, so she got no chance to speak with him.
Before she knew it, there was an announcement that all Teams should return to their seats. Eva and Trent bid good-bye to their newfound friends, and took their seats besides Stan and Koji. Rick appeared, too, and took his seat beside Eva.
Hilo was at the speakerphone again. He cleared his throat twice, and then began:
"My fellow Racers, fellow pioneers, fellow Comrades. We now bid the Event of the Pre-Opening Ball good-bye, as tomorrow we reach the new and exciting world which I know you are all dying to see—the world which I am proud to call Wheel. But before we proceed, I must warn you of the dangers that the beautiful and fruitful planet of Wheel sustains; as long as you remain where you're supposed to, and stay out of out-of-bounds areas, of course, you should be fine. However," his face took on a terrible look of sheer knowledge, then, that which made Eva feel very, very stupid, "I must warn you, that if you see or hear something you should not have, and are maimed for it in any way, the Wheel cannot and will not take any responsibility. Enter, at your own risk." His face lifted into that friendly smile again, though, a second later. "But, no, no, we shall not have to undergo those fateful circumstances, shall we?" He chuckled a bit, and Eva squirmed, uncomfortable.
"Anyway," he continued, quite oblivious to her uneasiness, "We will be arriving on Wheel tomorrow afternoon—during which time the racers will start—yes, on that very same day! So be sure to get a good night's rest, and eat a whole breakfast! We look forward to seeing you race, and appreciate that any one of you could, indeed, be our new allies! We value you all!" And with that, he turned, and walked behind the curtains.
Everyone else seemed to see that as a dismissal, because people started to walk, hop, float, and hobble along the crowded exit towards the living quarters. Eva couldn't help smiling as she and her team walked along, joining the masses of aliens.
The Ball had been wonderful; so what if her attire was less than fitting? Aleen had promised to lend her clothing for the next one. She had reacquainted herself with Aikka, made two new friends, and, for the first time since Oban, she felt that she was where she belonged. Not on Earth, where people undervalued and extinguished the chance to know other cultures. Why, Aleen lived only a Solar System away from Earth, and on her planet, they had exchange students from other planets all the time. Apparently, it's not uncommon. Why couldn't Earth be like that? Why so isolated from other terrestrials?
The closest Eva got to seeing aliens is during Interplanetary Racers, which she was not even allowed to enter until she was legal, at seventeen. True, it was only a year, away—but still, a year! Why not now? She was racing here; they all were, at a young age!
She felt a sudden spur of affection, and was so glad that she had chosen to race, despite having to pretend to be the President's daughter. Eva was not very fond of him. Not at all…Eva was so preoccupied with her thoughts, she did not notice that they were already at the room.
Hastily, she murmured good nights to Stan and Koji, who were in the room next to hers' and Trent's, and to Rick, who got his own room behind theirs.
After she had washed, put on her pajamas, said good night to Trent, and the lights turned off, Eva was still awake. She lay there, in her sheets, which were just the right thickness, head on her pillow, which was just the right amount of fluffiness, thinking, when her thoughts were interrupted.
"Eva?" came Trent's voice from across the room.
"Yea?" She asked back, her voice hazy with sleepiness.
"Thanks for bringing me," He said, in a serious tone that was not at all in his character. "Really. This is the most amazing thing that's ever happened to me. I'm really happy."
And Eva agreed with him, this was fantastic, and amazing, and perfect.
"Yea, me too." She said, and turned over noisily, to show him she was going to sleep. He got the gist. Eva heard him turn in his own bed. She had expected to stay awake awhile longer, but she drifted to sleep almost immediately.
She dreamt of snobby mothers turning into Red-Haird Wonders, who were dancing with Princes and gunmen who laughed, and of alien-student exchange programs being headed by her Stern Boarding School Headmistress, wearing a gigantic headpiece that seemed to be apart of her. She dreamt of herself, feeling the cool blade of a gear stick, or the melodious hum of an engine as it burst into life. She dreamt of exploring unknown places and finding the perfect gift for her friend. She dreamt of winning Earth the Wheel's alliance.
And as she dreamt, she was blissfully unaware that the Avatar deity that was watching her, at this moment, had so much more than that in store for her.
(1)--- Nourasian days only have 22 hours in them, so 19 would be "8" converted to Earth Standard Time.
(2)--- EST is Earth Standard Time, if you couldn't figure that out
A/N: Well, that's that! wipes sweat off of brow That was possibly the hardest chapter I've had to write, since there are so many new aliens and such. I hoped you liked it, because it took forever to write. DON'T FORGET, R&R!!!!