The group arrived on a planet that seemed to be a little bigger than earth. The sky was pale grey. The landscape was bare with a few grasses. However the building took on a less menacing look. They were simple rock formations with a few holes burrowed into them. Canyons yawned beneath the ship. Black shapes flew into the gentle gales.

"Wow!" Lydia's eyes lit up at the sight below. She was now out of her pajamas and wearing a white blouse with a pale blue skirt. A long braid was set to maintain her long hair. Her bag strapped around her shoulder. The purple hummingbird nestled away.

Eva glanced around the landscape. "I've never seen anything this incredible since Oban." Her eyes still scanned for any buildings. Then, she pointed to what looked like a large formation that resembled a castle. "Do you think that's a city capital?"

"Only one way to find out," Rush said.

As the ship neared the area, black shapes fluttered around them. Circling. Diving. Almost as if they were putting on a show. Suddenly, the front of the window went black. A white, mask-like face soon appeared before them. Earning a screech from Lydia and Alon. The eyes widened at the sight of Eva. Then, it vanished.

Ishtar froze. "Wheeeeereee did it go?"

Eva's eyes widened in realization. "I know that Phils." She whirled around as the back door was bust open. A lone Phil stood before them. A saddened look on his face. "Spirit!" Without thinking, Eva ran up and hugged him.

Lydia's jaw dropped to the floor. "Not...What I had in mind, but...ok…." She nervously walked up to them. She gave an awkward wave. "Hello, Spirit. My name's Lydia. I'm one of the ambassadors for Earth. I believe you're the ambassador for the Phils?" Her face turned red when she was met with silence. "I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to be rude. It's my first time seeing a Phils, let alone a whole planet. It's just really nice to meet you." She looked at Eva. "I-If you must know she's not really mad at you."

Sagittarius tilted his head. "Mad? About what exactly?"

Eva looked at Spirit. A saddened look in her eyes. "I'm sorry." She didn't flinch away as she felt Spirit's large hand touch her head. A bright light surrounded her. In a matter of minutes, she was hugged by the large alien again. This time, tears sprung in both of their eyes.

Lydia found herself crying as well. She looked to see Sagittarius confused. Then, Lydia nearly jumped when Spirit let go of his embrace and walked up to Sagittarius. Without warning, Spirit touched the Crog. It was over before it began. Sagittarius began to cry. Tears falling down his face.

Spirit turned his attention to Lydia. He looked at her up and down. He knelt down to have a better look. His hand soon patted her head. His eyes glowed bright. He held out his hand toward her. Lydia took it. A confident smile on her face. Then, she began to do a few hand gestures. Everyone gasped when Spirit responded.

"What was that?" Aikka asked.

Lydia beamed. She adjusted her glasses. "That my friend was actually American Sign Language. Also known as ASL. I'm currently working on learning the USL extension."

"Extension?" Eva tilted her head. "You mean beyond the stuff we know."

Lydia nodded. Her mind began to expand. Her eyes glowed. "There are some races out in space that may not be able to perform them because they lack tentacles or other parts. The embassy on earth has been trying to figure that out for months."

"Then I guess we should start learning that once we're done with this…" Rush pointed behind him. Two other Philians stood tall. "Planet Phils business."

At that moment, the ship soon arrived at the capital of the Phils. The castle had a special landing pad which made it easier to land. Lydia was by Spirit's side. Exchanging every detail in sign language. Lydia's eyes grew brighter as she continued showing her skills. Even Alon was at ease of the other aliens staring at him. Istar walked close as if to proudly display her tusks. Aikka simply smiled and waved. Eva laughed.

"It seems someone's having a good time!" Eva grinned from ear to ear. It was great seeing Lydia being a bit calmer now. She was a bit worried for Lydia when the alien interpreter started to shrink at the idea of meeting Scorpio again.

Aikka turned to her. A serious look on his face. "It would depend how long that will last. Prince Scorpio might be hunting us down as we speak."

Rush leaned over. "Let's not jinx it." He whispered. "Lydia's got enough on her plate as it is. Plus, we need to keep an eye on Sagittarius." He pointed to the Crog. The black alien's eyes were still wet with tears but he showed some improvement. Rush straightened up and marveled at the large doors that stood before the group. Metal with large birds carved into it.

"Intriguing…" Sagittarius spoke. He put a hand on the door. "There are no knobs here." He applied pressure. "It seems to be held in place by strong gravity or-" He fell as the doors swung open. "Have psychic activation…" He quickly got off the floor. He bowed to the throne.

The throne was made of simple rock. Arches smoothed to take on a crane-like appearance. Sitting in the middle was a Philian that was larger than the rest. Simple jewel hung off her head. Earrings glinting in the light. A crown sat on his head. The pale green eyes staring emotionless at them.

Spirit walked over to the larger Phil. He bowed and turned to them. He began to make a few gestures. When he stopped he nodded to Lydia.

Lydia flushed. "Oh! Right." She cleared her throat. "Ambassador Spirit said that this is their leader, Queen Phantom. She wanted an audience with us when she saw our ship." Her grey eyes watched as another exchange was being made between Spirit and Phantom. Spirit gestured to her. "The Queen wonders what our business is." Lydia began to pull a few gestures. "We're here because humans have been missing from several colonies. We're simply investigating to prevent any destruction between alliances."

Eva leaned in as the Queen began to gesture. "What is she saying?"

Lydia spoke as Spirit pulled the gestures. "I appreciate the concerns of Earth considering that incident on the Earth's Grand Prix." Lydia flinched before she continued. "We've encountered the same problem. There was a human outpost earlier. We went to investigate." Lydia tried to hold back a shriek as one of the servants presented a damaged helmet with the symbol of the Earth Coalition on it. "This is all we found."

"What happened?" Eva walked over to the helmet. She took in the dents. A chill ran through her body as she saw a large claw mark in the metal. "What could've done this?"

Aikka leaned over to have a better look. His blood chilled at the sight. "I'm familiar with Crog brutality, but they wouldn't but any damage like this."

Sagittarius flicked his ears. "Wait…Don't human helmets have recording devices?"

Lydia perked up. "Yes! They do have logs stored in the helmet." She ran her fingers along the design. She fiddled with a small compartment that cradled the ear. Her thin fingers found a small chip. "I hope it still works." Lydia looked at the rest of them. "There's a recording ma-ack!" Her words were cut off as a dark shape sped past her and knocked her over.

A Philian instantly took shape. A few scratches appeared on the arm. It began to perform several frantic gestures. Eyes wide with fear. Whatever was said, made the queen and Spirit stiffened.

Lydia moved forward. "Spirit, what's wrong?!" She moved forward only to feel a strong pain in her head. A noise. Faint, but animal-like. It was heading this way. Lydia turned her head frantically. "Eva! We need to get out of this spot! Now!"

Eva looked puzzled. Before she could ask a question, Rush grabbed her. Sagittarius snatched Aikka. The two giants knocked the youngsters down as the wall suddenly exploded. Clouds of dust and debris clattered along the ground. Coughs rang in the air. Eva adjusted her goggles. "Is everyone alright?"

"A little rattled, but ok." Lydia answered. She suddenly realized that her bag was missing. She frantically looked around and saw it lying a few feet away from her. Lydia made a grab for the broken strap. Thundering footsteps froze her in place. A sickening feeling in her heart, she slowly looked up. In front of her was a large creature. Humanoid with thick spikes jutting out of its back in the same fashion as a porcupine. Skin red as rose. Black eyes glared at her.

"Lydia…"Aikka whispered. "No. Sudden. Moves."

Ishtar and Alon immediately got between Lydia and the monster. Ishtar was glowing but Alon stopped her. "If we change, we might crush everyone! The space is way too small!"

Ishtar snorted. "Then what do you suggest, genius?! We're going to need a distraction!"

Rush rose from the rubble. He put Aikka back onto his feet. The Byrian took a breath moment to wipe the dust off his goggles until he was able to see. He lifted his pickaxe and aimed it at the creature. His large feet covered the distance. "One distraction coming up!" He swung hard. His weapon hit the skin. The monster roared.

Suddenly, the quills of the back flared out. They flew out with a high-pitched whine. Dotting the halls with spikes. Everyone tried to take cover, but Ishtar and Alon moved quickly and grew. The two large animals pushed their opponent out into the hallway. While Rush fell to the floor, clutching his arm.

"Rush!" Lydia yelled. "Are you ok?"

Rush grunted. As he slowly got up, blood leaked from his fingers. "I'm fine. Just a few scratches."

Lydia was about to move forward when she suddenly heard something. A hissing noise. She followed the sound closely then froze at the source. Slithering up toward the queen and Spirit was another humanoid creature with quills like the first but snake-like fangs. With a raised arm, it lunged at her. Before she could stop herself, Lydia ran over to the two Philians. "Look out!" A scream rang out through the room.

Eva whirled around. She gasped. Lying on the floor, barely conscious, was Lydia. One hand on her abdomen. The other hand out reached for the fallen bird. Eva ran over to her fallen friend. Spirit and the Queen followed Eva with shock and fear in their eyes. They ignored the roars, Aikka's chants and hisses that filled the room. All eyes were on Lydia.

Eva knelt down and picked her up gently. "Lydia? Lydia, can you hear me?!" Eva moved Lydia's hand from her stomach. Her face paled at the deep gash. She needs care, Eva thought. "Oh Lydia, why did you do that?"

Lydia gave a weak smile. "I…didn't want the Queen to die…I've just started to know her…" She coughed briefly. Suddenly, a gust of wind turned her attention. Her grey eyes turned to the whole in the wall. Her lips thinned as she saw a Crog Trident before her. It was red but had silver trimming. Crog inscription on the blades. Even in her weakened state, she knew who it belonged to. Sagittarius wasn't kidding… She thought. Scorpio will hunt me down. Would he want to kill everyone here? She looked at her hummingbird. Still in good shape. With an ounce of her strength, she got up and reached for her creation. The cool surface balances out the heat that overwhelmed her. She felt Eva's hands on her.

"Lydia no!" Eva screamed. "You're hurt! You shouldn't-" She stopped as Lydia made a feeble attempt to brush off her hand.

"S-Scorpio…He'll hurt all of you…Must face him…while still time…" Lydia slowly got to her feet. Ignoring the pain in her body. Her breathing grew hard. Her grip tightened around the hummingbird. She turned to Eva. "M-my mission is to all of you as m-much as to Earth. If Scorpio kills me…Please…Take care of Ishtar and Alon for me." She wobbled forward. Her eyes fell on Spirit. "Mr. Spirit…Would you help me get over there?" Lydia pointed to the spot where the ship would be.

Spirit was silent for a moment. He flexed his hands. His fingers shook. His gaze turned to Eva, his queen, then to Lydia. Flapping of the palace guards roared around them. His mind slowly goes back to Maya's tragic fate. Tears rolled his eyes. He knelt down and held up Lydia as gently as he could. He used every ounce of his strength to make sure the pale human didn't fall. His heart thundered as they got close to the machine.

Once they reached the spot, a bellow was heard. Ishtar was now her original size. Her tusks slamming into the spike monster. Alon cautiously changed his size to fight off the serpent-like creature. Ice spike darting the nearest wall. Lydia simply looked at Spirit. Thank you, She mouthed. Lydia adjusted her glasses the best she could. She took a deep breath. Lydia lifted her arms. She flinched. "Prince Scorpio!" She yelled. "I know why you're here! Take me if you want, but leave my friends alone! I'm not sorry for what I did back at the palace. Your kind had done nothing but take things from others through force and deceit! If you wish to prove me wrong, then take me and leave everyone alone!"

Eva got onto her feet. She ran over but Spirit stopped her. Her whole body was hidden by the large alien. She struggled. "NO! Let me go! I have to help her!" She was only embraced tighter. The strange comfort crawled over her. Suddenly, she heard Lydia cry "Symphony!"

—-(Scorpio Pov)-

I finally found her. The stone had been glowing for the past couple of days. I had to change my route a few times but finally pinpointed their location. Just as I was about to head to the planet Phils, I received a call from my father. I pushed a button. Instantly, he appeared on the screen. "Hello, father. What news do you have for me?"

"I'm sending in Leo on the search." He said with his usual soured tone. His yellow eyes held the usual glare.

I groaned. My fingers rubbed my temples hard. He and I barely got along. Let alone tolerate each other. However, the only reason we ever had been this close is because… "Why in Kraam would my little cousin join me? You know how he hates me and will do just about anything to win. Honestly…His childish games are getting old."

"He had an encounter with the human you're seeking…and lost."

My ears twitched. So, she was able to take on the battle hungry general Leo? "Did she use the same creature back at the palace?"

"No, Leo describes it as being blue and resembling a sea serpent."

Interesting, I thought. So she does have more than two stones. I wonder what they really do. "Well, let see if he'll catch her before I do. Farewell father." I ended communications before he uttered another word. The engines roared to life. Hyperdrive activated. In a matter of minutes, I soon reached the planet Phils. It was a little bigger than earth. The sky taking on a lavender hue. Clouds thick as armor as I went down. For some strange reason, my heart thundered. My mind still thinking about that strange human. Her hair black as Crog skin. Glasses perched on her nose. I touched my chest. It had always been strange since the day I was kidnapped. Whenever I was excited, my heart pulsed wildly. Like a fire existed in my body.

A brief flash came to my mind. The white teeth. Someone holding my hand. The warmth. Beautiful tears running down soft cheeks. Pleas of help and hold on. A white dress. Why? Why is it happening now after all these years? I lowered my ship, breathing as slowly as possible. I soon saw the palace. That must be where she is, I thought. After all, she was bold enough to go near a Crog palace. What's stopping her from coming here?

A faint boom reached my ears. Large clouds billowed out of the palace. I followed it without hesitation. I soon found myself in pure madness. Philian guards flapping and twirling against some crazed bird-like creatures with humanoid faces. I barely dodged. Using my lasers to defeat them. Finally, I saw a large hole. More chaos ensued by two large monsters fighting Prince Aikka, a large Byrian, the green creature known as Ishtar and a strange blue beast that matched father's description. To my surprise, I saw a Crog grunt among them. "What in Kramm?" Then, my eyes laid on her. The human. The long-haired, bespeckled human that dared to humiliate the Crog Imperium.

"Prince Scorpio!"

I turned my attention to the human girl once again. My blood ran cold at what I saw. Long gashes on her side. Arms stretched out in a feeble attempt to shield the ones she cares about.

"I know why you're here!" She said, trying to make her voice heard over the noise. "Take me if you want, but leave my friends alone! I'm not sorry for what I did back at the palace. Your kind had done nothing but take things from others through force and deceit! If you wish to prove me wrong, then take me and leave everyone alone!"

A bold statement. For someone so small. Suddenly, a flash of memory sprang before my eyes. A frightened, scared girl begging to have my life to be spared. Her stance…was similar to hers. What is wrong with me, I thought with my horror, the girl leaned forward and fell off the ledge. A flash of lavender light blinded me. I lifted my hand to shield my eyes. My ship suddenly spun, causing the alarms to blare fiercely. Before I knew it, a large bird hovered in the sky. In its claws was the girl.

—-(Normal POV)-

Lydia's body screamed. Wind whipping her hair. Her hands felt a rough surface. Once her vision focused, Lydia looked up. A vision of purple and lavender hovered above her. A hum surrounded her. A hummingbird's face soon stared at her. "I am Symphony. Hello, Lady Lydia. How may I serve you?"

Lydia blinked. Her mind blurred. Then, she cleared her throat. "Me and my friends are in danger…Monsters…." Lydia tried her best to point at them. Then she pointed at Prince Scorpio's ship. "Get him as far away from here as possible."

"Understood." The pale green eyes glowed. Taking in each scene of destruction. "Targets acquired." She tossed Lydia into the air. Her body resumed its original formation as Lydia landed on her back. Owning a groan. "Hold on and cover your ears too."

"Do I have a choice-Wait-What?!" Lydia held on as the winds rushed around her. The world spinned. She could briefly see bird monsters knocked away with ease. Feathers turned into arrows around her. Suddenly, she abruptly reached the castle. Symphony took in a deep breath. A screech soon followed. Lydia covered her one ear. She screamed as the pain in her body intensified. Then, her world began to fade to black.

Lydia suddenly got up. A forest covered in soft shades of blues and greens surrounded her. She heard crying further in front. A soft sniffle. Who's that? Lydia moved forward. Her feet began to take a hypnotic rhythm as she walked further. The sobbing got louder. Before long, she came across a small, black shape looming over a small pond. "Hello? Are you ok?" Lydia knelt down. Her hand was mere inches from the shape when she noticed her hand was small. She looked down. Instead of wearing the outfit she had on in Phils, she wore a purple nightgown with silver puppies on it. A hard hand grabbed her. Her eyes soon met with the shadowy figure.

"Don't touch me!" The figure was the same age as her. Pointed ears arched in fury. Yellow eyes narrowed. It was none other than a Crog!

"Lydia!"

"Miss Lydia!"

"Mistress!"

Lydia found herself on a cold floor. However, her hand desperately clung to the dream for dear life. Something about that touch comforted her. She wanted it to hold on to it longer. Her breathing evened out. The pain she felt was gone. Her vision cleared to see Eva, Ishtar, Alon and Symphony looming over her.

Eva smiled. "Lydia! Thank goodness you're ok." Her small form was soon covered by Aikka, Spirit, Rush and Sagittarius as they loomed over her. She tried to help Lydia sit up. Her hand on the back while the other pulled her up.

"W-where's the Crog child?" Lydia's mouth felt dry. Every word is raspy and weak.

"Crog child?" Aikka raised a brow. Even Sagittarius' ears went up in shock.

"Uh oh!" Ishtar turned to Alon. Both of them and Symphony were now smaller than their original state. "Alon, I don't think you've healed Mistress completely….She seems to have a few stones loose."

"No I didn't!" Alon argued. "She must still be dehydrated!"

"No…" Lydia protested. "I had a vision…" She rubbed her head. Her rear felt strange. As if it were tied to something. Then, she noticed a set of strange grey furs surrounding her. "Where did you guys get these?" Lydia placed a hand on the fur. It instantly twitched. She shivered at the sensation. She blinked. Lydia touched it again. Same reaction. "D-d-did I just grow a tail?"

"Nine actually, Lady Lydia," Symphony spoke. The bird was smaller now. The feathers took on a lighter shade of purple.

Rush pulled out his blade. "Uh…I'm afraid that wasn't the only thing you grew." He brought the reflective surface closer to her.

Lydia gasped in shock. Her once black hair was now grey as the tails. On top of that, her head now produced a second pair of ears. Fox ears. They twitched on command. Her eyes widened. Her mouth opened wide. Before long, a scream soon followed that could've been heard halfway across the galaxy. "AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"

—-

That's a wrap for this chapter. What's going on with Lydia? Find out!