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"Nicole! We have them in our sights! They are heading towards the rogue planet, Thanrex IV! If we don't hurry we might lose them in the atmosphere." came an inhuman voice, panic in their tone. It was Enshwick of course. Her friend from childhood. Nick couldn't remember a moment with them being apart. The younger Ennishan alien looked something of a cross between a stretched out child, as tall and skinny as she was, and a dark elf, Her dark midnight skin and huge ears that stuck out a good three inches from her skull. She was very beautiful in Nicks eyes.
And she was smart. oh that wasn't even the half of it. Enshwick's species in renowned to be the most intelligent of the race's. More so than even humans. They were indeed an advanced race. Peaceful and horrible at conflict though they may be. The pair got along perfect.
It was in fact that the cruiser space jumper was of Ennishan technology and belonged to the elf-like woman. But still, Nicole was the captain. Her leadership skills and ability to get others to follow her was uncanny. Enshwick was the engineer and navigator. There were 10 others in the crew but they aren't as worthy to mention. Mostly fighters and tech people. They made a perfectly balanced crew. She wouldn't trade them off for anything.
~~~
This crew was legendary. And all nasty aliens with bounties on their head feared their attention. Small yes but an unstoppable force. Nick nodded to her alien friend, "Keep following their fuel trails and try and head them off at the asteroid field surrounding the planet." She ordered and walked over to her friends side and typed in commands into the ship's computer. "Ready the weapons in case of an retaliation. They've been going through a lot of troyuble to avoid us. I don't want to lose any crew. Target the main engines when you're close enough." She said to the furry purple Annib in charge of weapons systems.
Everything faded to black.
"Nicole Emberson!!" Said a startlingly loud voice that sounded as if they had been calling her name for a while. She grunted and raised her head from her arms. he had fallen asleep in history class again. Mr. Fullmer was right in front of her scowling. She grim maced and sat up. "Oops..." She said with an apologetic sigh. "Oops is right Nicole." He growled much to the classes enjoyment. They snickered, amused. Fullmer handed her a piece of paper. "Maybe detention will give you time to think about prioritizing your sleep habits? Off you go." He said and motioned for her to pick up her back pack. She sighed and did as she was told.
~~~
In the detention room she sat obligingly in the back. She had her backpack on her desk and pushed to the side. She was working on the worksheet she had been given along with her masses of too hard homework. She wrote bored and emotionless as she thought about the segment of the dream she had this time. It had been months ago she had first been hunting down a band of rogue Altarians across several galaxies. skip hopping planets as they did so. They hadn't had any contact with their bounty ((amassing 34 billion Gethium)) But now it seemed they might reach the conclusion of their adventure rather soon. She wondered if they'd find another adventure. They always seemed to. She liked being with her crew.
She got up and walked towards the front of the room to hand in her paper.
Suddenly everything was gone and she was standing in the middle of an empty space ship. "Wha!?" She said aloud andturned in a circle, taking in her surroundinds. It was HER ship. But she was awake. Or she had been...? What was up with that?
"Nicole Emerson. I have a dire need to speak with you." A voice spoke to her and she turned to see someone walk into the bridge. "Who are you?" She demanded confused and a little frightened. Her mouth gaped open when she sw his large folded white wings. He was an angel. "I am the Dreamkeeper. I came to hand you a choice of greatest importance." he held up a key. "Two things. You can go into the Worlds of Dream, recieve everything you could ever want in exchange for saving this world. Or. You can continue with your current life. Nothing out of the usual. You will cease to dream as you have rejected your destiny. If you accept You will recieve three dreams or wishes." The Dreamkepper's voice was soothing and melodic as she listened. She wondered what this really meant and why her dream had cut off to take such a weird turn. Of course this was a dream. "Three wishes, eh? So You're a genie right? It sounds like fun. What is it I hve to save?" She said and leaned back on the wall of the ship to listen. The dreamkeeper hesitated, aligning is words in his head before speaking. "The worlds in dreamland are being corrupted, The nightmares have been darkening and destroying these dreams. Theses are, of course, dreams of everyday people. When their dreams are affected so are they. Depression, mental isues and the like. When a world is destroyed, death. You and a group of other destined will be the key."
Nicole nodded listing seriously. It was indeed a strage dream. "This isn't a dream young one" He said and Nick's blue eyes widened. "What!?" She asked confused but then composed herself. "If I accept, what happens to the me in real life?" "You're gone. Until you can bring victory you won't be able to return. You disapear from this world and become like a dream yourself. We will bring you back when the damage is reversed."
"Then I accept. A life indreaming isn't so bad. Besides, this is sorta like the movie, Matrix, a bit. "
The key was pressed into her hands then and the angel disappeared. "take care to finish your own dream before you can move onto other's dreams." those were her parting words.
~~~
"Nicky! Stop standing around daydreaming! you'll let them get away!" Came Enshwicks chirpy voice. Nicole jumped startled and turned around to see ehr crew all looking at her expectantly. She blinked. Once then twice. She cleared her throat and feeling more whole than she usually did in her dreams, spoke. "We go through sector 8 of the astaroid field and head them off. From there we fight if given resistance and take down the scum!" She shouted in the end and the crew went up in cheers. They were all pumped. they'd follow her to the ends of the universe.
"YES! We are closing in!" Nicole hollered and stared out the window as the other ship, the one holding the dreaded Atarian band of outlaws, turned to face us. Weapons pointed at the hull of ours. We raised our weapons. Our ship could take a good number of hits. We weren't too worried about that. "Zeirit. Aim for the engines blow them out." I yelled over the banging of artillery hitting us. The ship shook and groaned but held steady. The furry alien pushed a sequence and the lasor cannons fired. The opposing ships engines blew up in a hail of fire and then the smaller weapons shot out there weapons. "Alright should I set up ship to ship communications?" "No. just connect to the bay and board." She ordered.
They did as she intructed and soon they were boarding the ship weapons at the ready. but the Altarians were ready as well and a fight broke out. They fought expertly and finally had them tied up. Nicole brought them to their ship and threw them into the brig. When she got back Enshwick was on the ground. "Whats wrong!" She said rushign to her side. "i'm alright,I got gut shot but I--" She cut short as she passed out. Hours later with low medical supplies she died.
Nicole was in her room face down on her cot. She was mourning for her lost friend. Of course she broke out in giggles everyonce in a while. she thought it hilarious she mourned her imaginary dream friend. but dreams were real weren't they?
A bit later she sat up and dried her tears. "Three wishes...No its stupid to bring back the dead.?' She mumbles and looked up. Her face immediately screwed up in confusion. There was a second door on her wall. Plain, white, and with a knob. Not the kind used in her dream, a small hoe in the wall that opened by voice command when you approached. but the kind she was used to seeing. In real life. The life she had just recently gave up for this one. "Door?" She questioned and stood up. She appraoched it and tried the knob. Locked. Then she remembered the key that now hung around her neck. Was this the conclusion of her dream? Well they had captured their bounty.
She lifted the silver key over her head and inserted it. It fit perfectly and with a small click opened. Nicole stepped through and found herself in the middle of a bizarre. A market with streets lined with hundreds of shops. She turned around to take one last look at where her dream was but founf that the door way had vanished. "Woah." She said and then began to walk.
~~~
"How'd you come outta nowhere, miss?" Came a child's voice from below her. The child stars up at her obviously wondering where she came from with such strange clothes. She realized she was wearing the clothes she had at school. Nicole looked down and gave a small smile. "I did didn't I? Well I don't actually know that." she said and crouched down to ruffle the girl's sandy brown hair. "Are you a Wizard? Mother says all the wizards work fer the King." He said as if the king was a great tyrant. It was obvious he wasn't much liked. "No I'm not. But can you tell me was evil deeds this king has done? I'm an angel Who has to right the nightmares." She said already on a gut hunch. If the King, like in many other fairy tales, were creating misdeeds then it might be affecting the dreamer. Ha! This saving the dreamworld business wasn't so hard.
"He came and took my father away. He does that a lot. He said he is giving them the highest honor but they never come back. The old king disappeared. He was nicer. I liked that one." She said sadly and kicked her foot in the dirt. As she said this people bustled quickly to either side of them. She placed her hand gently on the girls back. "C'mon. Lets talk somewhere else." She said quietly and they both walked down a side street. "So He's a bad king right? Do you think I could stop him with angel powers?" She asked wondering. Her hand came up to finger the key hanging around her neck as she though. She had of course decided on her first wish. She had a special thing for angels.
"Well maybe but I don't know what your angel powers are." She said looking a little nervous as she walked with Nicole. "Can I see your wings?" She asked after a painfully long moment. "Nick though about this for a moment. "Maybe some other time. I promise. Anyway I was hoping you could tell me which way the castle is and which way to get in?" She asked and stopped walking for a moment to hear the answer. The girl hesitated then stopped as well. "The castle is north up the biggest road. You can keep following this one around the bend to find it. To sneak in there's a break in the wall on the east side of the castle. Me and my brother used to sneak into that there garden."
"Thank you!" Nicole said happily and started jogging in the direction she was told.
"Wait!" Came a cry from behind and she paused to look behind. "Do you think you can bring my father back?" She asked hopefully. Nicole's face fell. "I don't know. " She shook her head and ran off her braided long ponytail swinging behind her as she disappeared around the corner.
~~~
Nick found her way to the wall where the girl had specified and waited until the guard had passed. Seeing her chance she scrambled throught the small hole to the other side. It was indeed a garden. A huge and well kept one at that. It took her breath away. But she had no time to admire it. She found her way quickly into the castle. Almost immediately she ran into a soldier. "Oops." She said and turned the other way. The soldier roughly grabbed her arm by her elbow and she reacted by jabbing it into the middle of his face. She hadn't broken anything but it started the man enough that he let go of her. She turned tail and ran as he bellowed in a deep hoarse voice. "Damnit wench! Men! Get her! An Intruder!!" He yelled and several other soldiers appeared. In a clatter of boots they chased after her yelling loudly in alarm. Luckily Nicole had long legs and lots of practice running. She gained distance between them.
A pair of armored arms reached out towards her and grabbed her before she knew what was happening she was restrained and kicking uselessly. "Captain! You got her!" A few soldiers cried out triumphantly and she tried fruitlessly to bite through the hard metal. "I did? Well I was wonderin' what all the hullabaloo was about. And from uch a pretty little thing too." he chuckled and she did her best to elbow him in the ribs as the soldiers gathered around.
"She wears strange clothing doesn't she? Unlike any foreign country I've ever seen." Commented one s he pluck at one of the holes in her levi jeans. "Hands off." She growled and he backed up knowing she could be dangerous. She caught the gaze of a younger soldier, about her age stariign at her with curiousity. No fear or hate. She blinked then bared her teeth at him. She didn't know what he was thinking. "Well what should we do?" sked the same man. "We take her to the dungeons of course." He said and set her down fixing her with a stern look that told her not to move. She was walking in the middle of the troop. She let out a sigh. "So much for that idea..." She mumbled wondering what she'd do now.
~~~
She was pused into the dark musty smelling dungeon. "Damn...' she said and walked over to the far wall. Sh couldn't see because it was so dark so when a raspy voice spoke she jumped. "Ah. It's been a while since I've had any company. Please. Seat youself." he said. Afetr her eyes had adjusted to the gloom she made out the figure of an old skinny man. She sat down.
~~~
after talking for a while she figured that this man is...was the king of this land. The false king took his brothers life right in front of him and then his form before locking the man in the dungeons to rot. He had been in here for monthes with little food and rats scurrying about. Nicole felt pity for him.
A knock interupted them and the young face of the guard from before peeked in. "I brought food." he said his gaze settling on Nicole who squinted in the sudden light. The old mans face lit up. "Nathaniel!! Its been a while since I last seen you. How's your dear mother?" He asked as if they were all good friends. This confused Nicole even more.
~~~
Soon enough the guard left, Leaving behind a few loaves of bread and fruit. the King, sitting beside her ate slowly and stared blankly at the wall. Nicole let out a sigh. "Whatever. I'm outta here. Gonna get your throne back old man." She said and stood up, walking towards the door. This caught the King's attention and he looked up. "How are you to get out?' He asked his white eyebrows arching wide. "I have a key...I think." She said her fingers resting just below her neck where he key hung under the fabric of her shirt. she had a hunch that it might work on other doors. "How did you get it?" Said the old man suddenly getting up and clinging into her jacket sleeve. "Cool it. I'm not sure it works." She said as she brought out the key and pulled it off her neck. Instantly the kings face fell as he say the shape of it. "That's not it." he said and drooped his head. "I know." She replied with a guilty shrug. "but I think this key's special." She said and pushed it into the key hole. She bit her lip as she turned it and then jumped for joy as she heard the click. She pushed the door open much to both their surprise. "You did it." The King exclaimed, eyes wide. "Nicole gave him a sorrowful look. "Yea but I think you need to stay here. If I fail you'd face death. I'll come get you."
~~~~
Nicole wandered up the halls for a short while before switching her clothes out for something more common, She placed her clothes in a pouch she slung around her shoulder and went searching through the halls in a pair of worker clothes a size too big. She couldn't help but grin when she easily passed by other people without even a passing glance. She quickly found the kings chambers and entered on the pretense of cleaning. It was too easy. She had expected the false nightmare king to be there (after all night war beginning to fall), but the room was empty. She left disappointed and when she next ran into a servant, she asked where he was. "The king spends his time in the high tower. No one knows what he does there." "How do I get to him?" She asked curiously not thinking. The servant gave her a strange look. Nicole bit her lip. "You must be new working here huh?" She asked and the laughed to Nick's relief. "No one sees the King when he's in the tower. It's heavily guarded and you'd be thrown to the dungeon if you even tried to go up."
Nicole thanked the older woman and then headed on her way. The next servant she asked how to get to the outside of the tower on the pretense that she, being new, had the task of watering the plants there. this went over smoothly and she went well on her way. Her plan was forming nicely up to a point. It was simple until she got to the false king.
~~~~
Nicole found the tower gardens easily and then held her key in her hand. She spoke; her first wish. "I wish I could fly with wings." She said and the key began to glow. She imagined the hollowed flexible bones of birds and the brilliant white shade of white they would be. And the muscles. She'd have to have light, wiry muscles. Strong ones. Suddenly she gasped and fell to the ground. "Ooh!" She moaned as the strange feeling covered her. In her back was an aching an pressure, not pain but certainly uncomfortable. Everywhere else there was a tingling numbness through every joint and bone.
This passed in about 5 minutes and she stood up before falling backwards again. the weight on her back threw her off balance. She looked behind her and saw huge white feathery wings extending about ten feet behind her. "Wow, I'm..I'm an angel. That's so awesome." She said and flapped them. She loved to watch how the extended to each side. Finally centering her priorities she stood up folding her wings tightly (the tips brushed the ground and the bent tops went just higher than her shoulder) against her back. she walked a little bit and then began a fast run. she leaped into the air awkwardly before snapping her wings open and....And she was airborne.
It was the biggest thrill she'd ever felt. The wind on her face, exhilarating. She flapped heavily (it made her back even more sore but she's get used to it when her back was stronger) and gained altitude. She circled around the tower in the darkened evening sky. Finally he reached the top and barely managed to stop her approach just enough that she didn't slam into the side. Instead she hung clumsily with her hands and pulled herself up to look over the edge.
She saw the false nightmare King. he looked normal except for the weird feeling she got from him, like an aura of evil. She saw that he was sleeping and she climbed in. Her foot creaked on the floor and the man's head snapped up his eyes glinting red. She jumped startled.
He was up quicker than she could blink he was up and coming at her angrily. his form distorted and became something else. A monster, continually changing. "s**t!"she said and jumped to the side. The monster couldn't stop fast enough and barreled out of window. but not before swinging one arm out and grabbing her. They were both dragged out and falling. She managed to get free just before they both hit roughly. Her not so hard as she had her wings to catch some air pressure.
She scrambled to her feet as the creature once again took human form. He drew a sword and she swallowed. She looked around but found nothing to use as a weapon and hated her self in that moment for not being prepared. What was she thinking!?
It was then she spotted a guard coming around the side of the tower for rounds. She instantly recognized him. Nathaniel! He looked up surprised at her and her snowy wings before taking in the sight of his king, sword drawn, back to his guard. Nathaniel silently drew his own weapon and gave a short nod. Nicole almost gave a sigh of relief. He was on her side! He crept up toward the unprotected back or the nightmare.
All she had to do was avoid getting wounded and keep the false king from noticing the approach. Shoe flitted her wings back wards skirting continually out of the man's reach until she tripped over a rock and, already badly balanced on land from her wings, fell flat and unprotected onto the ground. She cringed as the false King's sword came up to end her. her eyes tightly shut, waiting for the blow. Waiting....
Her eyes peaked open to see the king, with a look of surprise on his face. He had a sword sticking out of his chest. He let out a terrible cry and fell forward, but before he could hit the ground, land on top of Nicole, He turned into a smoke substance and blew away. Nathaniel's sword clattered to her side. She picked it up. "You dropped this." She chuckled, grateful for her life. "Indeed I did." he said and helped her up.
~~~
"I'd like to thank these two warriors for saving my life and rescueign my kingdom." Said the king as they stepped forward on the balcony overlooking the huge courtyard, now filled with thousands of people. Peopel oohed and awed at her wings and cheered for both her and Nathaniel. She scanend the crown feeling elated. Suddenly she saw a small face in the crowd. A young girl. Nicole smield and waved. and the girl waved back. It was then she noticed the door.
Floating in mid air it stood out palely aganst the morning sky. She grinned and turned to Nathaniel. "Got to go. I have more places to save." She said and he nodded. "It was nice to meet an angel such as yourself. Will we ever meet again?" he asked. She shook her head and snapped her wings open. Stepping off the balcony she glided low over the spectaters heads. They cheered for her
 Adorkable Monster · Sat Sep 06, 2008 @ 06:53pm · 0 Comments |
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