The Granolith Crystal (AU,M/L,YTEEN) Pt 7 - 02/22/04 {WIP}

[VenusStar]

Title: The Granolith Chamber
Rating: YTEEN, I guess. There won't be any ADULT b/c as I said, I am 16. lol
Couple: M/L
Disclaimer: Come on! I am sixteen! I don't own a thing.
Summary: Liz is more than anyone thinks. She is someone special to an entire nation of people. She just doesn't know it.....yet. But she will and soon. Once, she finds out, a lot of stuff will make sense to everyone involved. Pretty vague, huh? lol
Author's note: This is M/L completely. I hate Tess with a fierce passion so she won't be portrayed in the nicest fashion. She will not be portrayed as a victim at all. This story is set after Isabel's birthday party episode (Surprise, I think). So no bad stuff has happened. (Ex: End of the world, Future Max, the Tess/Max sex, baby, prom, etc......) So smile and enjoy thic fic! Oh and please leave me feedback. I really am addicted to it. lol
So on with the fic...................



The group of humans and aliens walked slowly up the hill toward the pod chamber. The aliens had just found the granolith, thanks to Isabel. They had all seen it and inspected it. But this was the first time that the humans would get to see it.

Max was the first to reach the door. He looked back once to scan the faces of the rest of his friends. Some were anxious, some were curious, some were nervous; but they all looked ready. So with one more deep breath, he waved his hand over the door that protected the chamber from anyone other than he and his friends. Slowly, the door opened to allow them inside. They all filed inside.

Liz was the last to enter, as she hung back at the door to scan her surroundings with curiosity. True, she had been here before, and those memories were best left untouched, as they still hurt to think about. This was the first time that she would actually get the chance to look around. So that is what she did. As she slowly made her way around the small room, she felt something pulling her towards one end of the room. She forgot about the others who had already crawled through the small space to the chamber that held the Granolith. Her hands tentatively ran along the wall until something, some force, made her stop her movements. Looking at the area where she stopped, she noticed that the rock was different in this part. It was more a lighter color. But it wasn’t noticeable to the normal person. You had to really be looking to see the difference. As she investigated further, she noticed a line running up the wall of the pod chamber that curved toward the ceiling and then went back down. She took a step back to get a better, more comprehensive, view of the outline, and she noticed that it looked like that outline of a door. The more she thought about it, the more she concluded that she had in fact found a door. The question now was how was she supposed to open it. She had no answer for this. But she was really feeling a pull toward whatever was beyond that door. She had to get in.

Going more on a whim than thought, she placed her hand firmly in the center of the door. When she heard a faint rumbling sound, she pulled her hand back to see, much to her astonishment, a silvery-blue handprint. As the door slid open, she didn’t even stop to get her friends or Max. She went inside without hesitation. The floor of this new part made a slight decline as she walked. The area that she was in appeared to be some sort of hallway, that continued to decline the further she went. Finally, she reached the bottom, where she found another door. She looked up to where she could see the light filtering in from the room with the pods. It had to be at least a floor above her.

With the thought that it had worked for her before, she put her hand on this door and waited. Just as before, the door opened for her. This room seemed to have it’s own light source. The very walls glowed in a white-silver shimmery fashion. The pull she was feeling before had multiplied ten fold. Whatever was drawing her was in this room. She looked around her slowly to take in everything that was here. On the floor at the wall to her left, she saw a chest that she knew she would have to look at. On the wall to her right, were symbols in a foreign, alien language. But they were different somehow from the ones she had seen at the cave with Riverdog and Max. They seemed almost familiar to her. She didn’t have time to investigate the meaning of that at the present time as she had a lot to explore right now.

Continuing her visual examination of the room, she went over the chest. She pulled open the lid and saw clothes. That wasn’t exactly what she had expected. The first article of clothing inside was a white dress in royal fashion. On top of the dress, lay an amulet with a beautiful blue and white stone. For some reason, she felt tears come to her eyes as she looked at it. She felt another pull to this necklace, an almost emotional one this time. She couldn’t help herself as she put it on. She immediately felt energy coursing through her. It was as if a part of her were waking up. Her fingers ran along the material of the dress before picking it up to look at it. It was gorgeous. The sleeves were off the shoulder, and the skirt was full. The seams of the dress were laced with golden threads. All in all, the dress looked like something directly out of the Victorian era. ‘Aliens have good taste.’ she thought humorously. She put the dress back in the chest carefully and reverently as if it was an heirloom with sentimental value and closed the lid of the chest.

She rose to her feet and walked to the opposite wall. Her fingers went to trace the writing of their own accord. As her fingers touched each symbol of the message, the symbol lit up. When the whole message was glowing, she felt something inside her mind snap, and she felt the energy coursing through her veins powerfully. It was as if her mind were preparing her for something or opening something that had been waiting to be released. Things were getting increasingly weird, but she couldn’t stop herself from going further with this. Suddenly her eyes flew to something at the far side of the room. It appeared to be a huge crystal that ran the length of a small car. She cautiously walked over to it. When she was right beside it, she looked down at it and noticed that the center was hollow, as if it had at one point held something inside. Once again, she couldn’t help herself as she reached out to touch the crystal. When her fingers came in contact with it, it suddenly shone with a bright, white light that blinded her as the room became only light to her eyes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Max and the others had been slowly circling the Granolith when all of a sudden, it had started to beep and light up frantically. The beeps getting quicker by the second. Tess jumped behind Max and clung to his arm with fright, “What’s going on?!?!” This hadn’t happened before when she, Max, Michael, and Isabel had come. It had to be something to do with the humans then. Alex looked at her with a look that was beyond irritation, but then focused back on the Granolith. Suddenly it dawned on him as his eyes lit up. “It’s Morse code!!!! The Granolith is trying to tell us something.” Max looked over at him as he tried to shake Tess off of his arm. “What? Do you know Morse code?” Alex nodded in the affirmative as he tried to decipher what the Granolith was trying to communicate to them. “...She is here.......The queen is here...She is back...She is here...She is here....The queen is here....” Tess’ face transformed instantly from fright to a smug, self-satisfied expression. ‘It's talking about me. I am the queen. It is about time someone recognized that!’ She stepped up to the Granolith to touch it when it threw her back. The beeps got different and more frantic, as if the machine were angry. Alex deciphered the new message. “..Not her.....That is not her.....She is not the right queen.....She is different.....Different queen......Other queen is here......She is here....Right queen....She is here.....She is here” Everyone in the room was suddenly confused as they all looked at each other.

As Max suddenly realized that there weren’t enough people in the room, he desperately searched the room for the one person that meant more to him than anything on this world and any other. “Where’s Liz?!?!” he asked, his voice bordering on panic. Maria too was going into panic mode. She rushed out of the narrow opening that led them in and yelled Liz’s name into the echo-y chambers of the pod chamber. There wasn’t a reply. The confusing Granolith suddenly forgetton, as the group, aside from Tess, quickly searched for the missing member of their circle. Michael was the first to notice the still-opened door. “Max? I don’t remember that.” Max looked where Michael was pointing and furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. “Neither do I. Where did that come from?” Then as he realized what this meant, he whispered angrily. “Darn her and her curious tendencies!!!” He was the first to start the walk down the hallway. Maria being the last of the group to go, seeing as Tess didn’t give a care about Liz. Maria’s shoes weren’t exactly suited for the slippery downhill walk, and she slipped, causing the whole group to tumble down the decline in a heap. The each picked themselves up with a fierce glare to Maria. She looked up guiltily with a red blush. “Sorry. I slipped.”

Shaking his head to focus on the task at hand, Max entered into the next room, immediately noticing the crystal at the end of the room. He ran over to it with the others not far behind. “No! It can’t be! NO!!!!!” All of the others looked down at what he was seeing. A simultaneous gasp was emitted from all of them as they looked down at the seemingly sleeping figure incased in the clear stone. The girl was dressed in a white dress with gold trim and wearing a blue and white stone around her neck. Max tried to use his powers on the crystal to break it to no avail. Michael tried next, and it still didn’t work. With one last, joined attempt, the three aliens joined energy to break the crystal. It too proved nothing but breaking off a shard about the length of a man’s hand. Maria cried into Michael’s shoulder while Alex held Isabel in his arms and Kyle stood stock-still trying to hold back tears. Max leaned against the crystal while burying his head in his hands to hide his own tears, for Liz Parker was inside that crystal, and he had no idea how to get her out.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Yes, I'm bringing it back. I'll repost a part a day until I am back to where I stopped. I really enjoy writing this one.

VenusStar

[VenusStar]

Chapter 2

The whole group stayed like that for about half an hour until Tess decided to grace them with her presence. “I am ready to go home now!” she whined. Maria looked up from Michael’s shoulder. “Then go!!!! You have a car!” Tess gave her a withering look that Maria only too gladly returned. Tess finally looked around at all of the somber faces before seeing Max in tears. “What’s going on?” she asked only partially caring. When she didn’t get an answer, she walked over to what Max is leaning on. She then noticed what was causing all of the tears and made a sound that someone can only make when trying to smother laughter. “Oh how awful!” she said in fake sympathy and sadness. Everyone saw through it. Max looked at her with barely restrained anger. “Tess.....go do something productive and go back to Roswell.” She was shocked beyond words but did as he asked.

The rest of the group stayed there for another two hours hoping that things would change. But nothing did. Liz was still stuck in that crystal, un-stirring. She looked like a brunette sleeping beauty with her beautiful features so at peace and serene. But it was getting late and they knew they needed to get back into town, no matter how much they didn’t want to. Their parents were probably already worried. So the group dragged Max away and put him in the back seat of the jeep, while Michael drove he, Isabel, and Max back and Maria drove the rest in her Jetta. The plan was to have Maria call Liz’s parents and tell them that Liz was staying with her that night because she had had a nasty fight with her mother and needed support. They would come back tomorrow to try to figure something out

Each person went home that night with only Liz on their thoughts. Most of them cried themselves to sleep, thinking that they would never be able to get her out. If all three of the aliens couldn’t do it, then they were stuck. They knew that Tess would never help them, so it was up to them to find a solution. Max had the worst time that night. He only got one hour of sleep, and it was filled with dreams of Liz blaming him for not helping her and leaving her there.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A couple of hours later, back at the pod chamber, the crystal was glowing again. And the crystal itself seemed to be getting smaller around Liz, until the crystal disappeared completely, leaving only Liz behind. Her still form lay on the ground in the white dress she had been looking at before. She takes in a deep breathe and slowly opens her eyes with a smile of contentment. The first words out of her lips were, “It’s good to be back.” She walked over to the message from earlier that day. The only difference was now she could read it.

Greetings, your majesty. If you are reading this, then you have awakened to your Loekian side. I am sure that this must be shocking to you. But you are not alone. Calum and I are here along with Emory and Candra to guide you and keep you company until we return to our home and to our people. The Granolith has frozen time for our people so that you can return and rule as if nothing has happened. The Granolith has followed you even here. We long for the day that you once again realize who you are. But until then, we will silently watch over you.
At your service,
Elena

Liz couldn’t keep the tears from her eyes at the thought of her long-departed guardian, Elena. How she missed her. But Candra and Emory are still around, so she would need to talk to them soon, possibly tomorrow if not today. She knew that her friends were probably very upset but they were the least of her concerns at the moment. After all, she had a kingdom to rule. She had a lot of things to do. The most paramount at the moment being that she needed to talk to her guardians and get ready to go back home. ‘Home. I finally get to go home. I have really missed Loeke.’

Before leaving, she crawled into the Granolith chamber. It immediately starting beeping and blinking at her presence. She walked up to it with a smile. Her hand ran over the smooth exterior with a loving touch. “Hello again, old friend.” She paused to listen to what it was saying to her. “Yes, it has been a while, hasn’t it?..........What? You did what to her?!?!” She suddenly erupted in laughter at the image that the Granolith had just sent her about sending Tess across the room. “Ava always was the irritating one. But not to worry. We are going home soon, and you will never have to see her again. We are going back to Loeke and our people.” Smiling at the happy beeps of the excited Granolith, she realized how much she had missed all of this.


With that last thought in mind, she strode toward the exit. She waved her hand flippantly when she came to the pod chamber door, and it immediately opened for her. Breathing in the morning air, she closed her eyes, and the area around her suddenly bloomed with vegetation. It went from barren wasteland to rain forest. Chuckling at the thought of the panic that Max would have at this sudden ’alien display’, she snapped her fingers and vanished.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A jeep and a Jetta both filled with teenagers was driving down a desert road toward their destination when the scenery in front of them suddenly turned from a dusty brown to green. Looking back, they saw that the only area that was green was this small patch in front of them. In the same area as the pod chamber. Both vehicles simultaneously sped up until the reached the bottom of the hill. The occupants rushed up the hill where Max hurriedly opened the door. In their hurried state, they once again slipped down the passageway. But this time, it wasn’t Maria’s fault. The door to the new room was still open so they rushed into that room too. They only came to screeching halt when they realized that the crystal and Liz were both gone, vanished. Maria starting hyperventilating as Michael searched through her purse for her cedar oil. “Sh..She’s gone! Gone!....My best friend is gone!....I-I think that I’m going to p-pass out now.” And she was true to her word. Kyle only barely caught her before she hit the hard rock floor. He gently laid her down, and Michael waved the cedar oil under her nose. She sneezed........all over Michael. “Ewww, Maria! You got that all over my hand!!!!’ He exclaimed in disgust. She sat up on her elbows. “Well, excuuuse me! I only just found out my best friend is stuck in a disappearing crystal. I think I handled that very well, all things considered!” She yelled back indignantly. All the while, Max stood by the door lost in thought. Isabel took her eyes away from the flammable sight before her and concentrated on her brother. She gave him a comforting hug to try to make him feel better, but he didn’t respond to her touch. “Max?” He blinked and looked up at her. “Yeah, Iz.”
“We’ll find her, Max. I promise. It’ll be ok. But I think we should go home now. There is nothing we can do here.”

He was silent for a minute or two before saying with a deep sigh. “You’re right. I know. I just feel so useless. I feel like I let her down. I couldn’t do anything, Iz!” Slinging her arm around her ‘little’ brother‘s shoulders, she said, “I know how you feel. But Liz wouldn’t blame you.....Let’s go home and think about this some more.” She gently led him back to the jeep as the rest trailed behind.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Meanwhile at the Evans’ house, Liz reappeared on the porch. She looked off into space for a second as she used her powers to scan the house for any living beings inside. ‘Ok, two organisms. Neither are Antarian.’ Opening in the door, she yelled, “Candra! Emory!” In a heartbeat, Mr. and Mrs. Evans were in front of her. “Liz?” Mrs. Evans asked skeptically. She had to be certain first. “No. It's Sotara........It’s me. I’m back.” (Author’s Note: the pronunciation for that name is Suh-tar-uh) Liz replied. Mrs. Evans promptly burst into tears as she pulled her charge in for a hug. Liz chuckled lightly before glancing at her other guardian. “Emory? Aren’t you going to say anything?” Her words seemed to pull him out of deep thought. “Oh!...um, not really, your majesty. I am just a little shocked is all.....But I really have missed you. Sure, 'Liz Parker' was here and that helped a little, but I missed Sotara Venus Kala. I missed you, my queen.” Liz nodded with a faint blush. “Thank you. And I missed you too, Emory.” Mrs. Evans, or Candra as she was formerly known, pulled herself together and wiped her eyes. “Please, let’s go sit down in the kitchen and talk. We have a lot to talk about.” Liz couldn’t agree more. “That we do, Candra. That we do.”

As the party moved into the other room, they didn’t hear the door opening or notice the figures that were entering. After they were all seated, Liz was the first to speak. “Can you tell me how it is that you are all here? What happened? How did I end up here? The last thing I remember was the battle with the Pelairans. Please, tell me everything.” Candra and Emory exchanged a glance before Candra took a deep breathe and began the long tale.




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Part two as promised. I've missed you guys.

VenusStar

[VenusStar]

Chapter 3



Max and the others had just opened the door when they heard voices coming from the kitchen. Max motioned for them all to be quiet as they walked silently toward the source of the voices. “Can you tell me how it is that you are all here? What happened? How did I end up here? The last thing I remember was the battle with the Pelairans. Please, tell me everything.” Max’s eyes got large as the occupant of the familiar voice registered in his mind. Liz! Then her words registered. ‘Pelairans? Battles? Here? What in the world is she talking about?!?!’ Then his mom’s voice filtered out to him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Well, Sotara, I am assuming that you remember everything up till the battle.“ she paused shortly for the confirmation, then continued. “During the battle, the Pelairan army had a sorcerer, of sorts. His powers were ten times stronger than any other soldier in that army. And Biran, the Pelairan leader, had him using his powers to kill their enemies from a safe distance away from the battlefield. A location where they could see the battle without the danger of being killed themselves. Biran and his son were both with the sorcerer. You remember Biran’s son, right? I believe his name was Khivar or something.

Anyway, this sorcerer was just killing the soldiers that were the best, both the Antarians and the Loekians, and leaving the ones that wouldn‘t really do much damage to their own army. He didn’t kill the Antarian royalty because Biran and Khivar wanted to kill them personally. Well, when he noticed how much damage you were doing, you were his next target. And he would have killed you too if it had not been for Khivar...” Liz interrupted her for with an outburst. “What?!? Khivar? What do you mean?” Candra nodded before explaining.

“Yes, Khivar. It turns out he took a liking to you during the battle. He had some sort of instant infatuation. He would not let the sorcerer kill you. He told the sorcerer to just prevent you from killing his men. He had intended to take you as his own after the battle. He didn’t know who you were at the time. Come to think of it, I am not sure if he knows even now! But back to the story, the sorcerer instead of killing you incased you in that crystal. It did the trick. It prevented you from fighting in the battle and didn’t kill you. But when Zan saw you stuck in that crystal, he went insane. His rage and frustration from the battle made his powers more severe and concentrated. He used his powers on the crystal to try to free you, but only succeeding in breaking off a shard of it. He went on a killing spree. But alas, Biran and Khivar, fearing for their lives, gave the sorcerer the go-ahead to kill Zan and his entourage. But they never got the chance because mere seconds before the sorcerer would have killed them, their hiding place was found. Biran and the sorcerer were killed, but Khivar survived..........But let me continue so I can explain how you got here. When what happened to you...happened, Elena, Calum, Emory, and I used our powers to bring both you and the crystal to the palace and to the Granolith. We tried with everything we had to get you out and nothing worked. So we came up with a plan. We decided to send you to Earth, where you would most be able to fit in. Because, as you know, Loekian DNA is almost exactly like that of the humans. It was easiest for us to go here. And also, given your parents fascination with the planet, we found it fitting. We needed the Granolith to send you, but only the Loekian royal family can operate it. That was when we found out that the crystal around you was a part of you. It was an extension of your essence. Emory over here was the brilliant person who figured out the significance of the crystal shard.”

The two woman looked over to Emory to see the red blush and proud smile on his face. “He told us that since the crystal was part of you, then the shard should be too. He retrieved the shard from the battlefield and brought it to the Granolith. As he walked us to it, the Granolith changed a little. There suddenly was a little hole near the base. He put the shard in the hole, and it started to work for us. It does make sense though. A part of the royal family was operating the Granolith. Well, it brought all of us instantly to Earth while freezing time for the rest of Loeke. No one can even enter it. It is as if an invisible force field is surrounding the entire area.”

She paused for a moment. “Would you like something to drink, Sotara? I, myself, am a little parched from all of this talking.” She walked to the refrigerator to retrieve a pitcher of ice-cold tea. She was about to reach into the cupboard for the glasses when Sotara said, “Why bother, Candra? Here.” And, poof! Three glasses appeared on the table out of thin air. Candra chuckled, “I guess I am just so used to doing it the human way because of Max and Isa...I mean Zan and Vilondra. I always had to do it this way because I couldn’t let them figure it out before it was necessary.............” She trailed off for a moment with her hand still hovering near the cupboard door. Sotara had a good idea where her thoughts were headed. “You are worried about what is going to happen to them after we leave, aren’t you?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The group that was eavesdropping was reeling with all of the information that they just got. And of top of all of that, most of the stuff they just heard didn’t even make sense!!! Max and Isabel were beyond shocked to find out that not only did their parents know about their alien origins, but that they themselves were aliens as well, though not the same species. Oh, and let’s not forget the fact that Liz is an alien. A royal one at that! Oh life just keeps getting weirder and weirder!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Candra’s eyes connected with Sotara’s for a moment. “Yes......I am very worried about them.” Sotara sighed. “Candra, we both know what they are capable of. Vilondra is eighteen. Zan will be soon. They are completely able to take care of themselves. You know that. You’ve done very well with them. I don’t think that even their birth mother could have done better. But this brings on another question for me. How is it that you managed to get those two?”

Candra, now almost in tears, smiled a teary smile. “I’ll get to that. I promise. But first, I have to explain what happened when we first came to earth. As I was saying, the Granolith is protecting our people while you are away. And it brought us here immediately. We arrived on the 20th of July in the year 1940. And we built the chamber that now holds the Granolith and the Antarians’ pods. We decided then that Emory and I would lay low for a while and wait to make our first official entrance into the lives of the Earthlings while Elena and Calum would makes lives for themselves. We stayed in the cave for years watching over your crystal encasement and had Elena and Calum teach us Earth’s cultures, languages, and customs.

And then, in the summer of 1947, the Antarians’ ship crashed, as you are well aware. We helped them before the government got there. We moved the pods to our cave to hide them. The intention was for them to move them after everything blew over, but they never got the chance because the protector that was supposed to transport them got captured. And the other one, Nasedo, was in New York checking on the other set. He didn’t come back. From the information that the protector that got captured gave us, the Antarian royal court was slaughtered in a grueling battle against Khivar four years after what happened to you. The queen mother tried to do the same thing as us, but Antarians don’t have DNA that is similar to Earthlings so she had them recreated with some human DNA mixed in with their own. It took them three years to arrive at Earth from when they started because they didn’t have the Granolith to transport them.

Elena and Calum made up the identities for themselves as Henry and Claudia Parker, a newly married couple that had just moved to Roswell. Calum purchased a local diner and tried to start a life for he and Elena. Years later, they adopted Jeff. Everyday, Elena and I would come and see you. For years and years, things went like this. But finally, it was time for Emory and me to emerge ourselves in the lives of the Earthlings. So we started lives as Philip and Diane Evans, a newly married couple that had just moved to Roswell. Everything was the same until the year 1980, on the 40th anniversary of the day that you were incased in your crystalline prison. It was then that your body within the crystal began growing backwards. In other words, you were getting younger. By 1983, you were an infant. So Elena used the shard to get the Granolith to convert your essence and energy into another vessel where you could develop naturally. The vessel that was used was Nancy Parker, Elena and Calum’s daughter-in-law. We chose her so that we could always watch after you. It was mutually beneficial to both parties because Jeff and Nancy had been trying unsuccessfully to have a child for years.

Everything was going as planned until 1989. Emory and I were on our way to the pod chamber to check things out one night because we both had gotten the feeling that we should be there, when we saw these children by the road. We pulled over and put them in the car. From the moment that we touched them, we knew who they really were. We searched for a long time for the other two. Of course, then we didn’t know that Ava was still in her pod. But we never found them, as you can already guess. But we looked so hard. I was heartbroken that the notorious three would be broken up. Zan, Vilondra, and Rath were always so close. It killed me to separate them.”


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From his spot, Michael’s eyes were tearing up. All of his life, he had felt unwanted. He had felt like he was the reject. But now he was hearing that the Evans had looked for him. They had wanted him. He had no way to describe how that feels. For the first time in his life, he knew that someone other than Max, Isabel and his small group of friends cared about him and his well-being.






~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ok, yep, chapter 3. And you guys will be happy to know that I've finished chapter 6 of this and that I'm working on chapter 14 of Charming the People.


VenusStar

[VenusStar]

Chapter 4

As if cold water was being tossed on her, Sotara suddenly came to the startling realization that they were not alone in the house with an audible gasp. She connected with Emory and Candra and spoke to them in their minds. ‘They are here in the house. I guess my senses are still a little rusty because I didn’t sense them sooner.’ Slowly turning in her seat towards the entryway, she said in a louder voice. “Do you all plan on standing there or were you ever planning on making your presence known?”

The group slowly came out from where they were partially hiding with sheepish looks on their faces for getting caught. But they quickly remembered how worried they’d been of Liz. Maria was the first to rush to Liz and pull her into a hug. Sotara smiled slightly in amusement. “Hello, Maria.” Maria suddenly burst into tears. “Oh Liz! We were so worried. I thought I’d never see *sniffle* you again, talk to you, *sniffle* rant about Michael to you...” She was cut off by Liz who said softly but with regal authority. “Please stop crying. You needn’t worry of me. For as you see, I am well. And quite capable of keeping my own.” Alex was next to come up and hug her. Eventually all of the group had come up to her, except Max. And when he started towards her, she waved her hand sending him a few feet back with her powers. “Don’t come near me, Zan.” The fiery anger in her eyes scared him to his core. “What’s wrong, Liz?” he questioned in trepidation.

Softly scoffing to herself, she mumbled his question in echo. “What’s wrong, Liz?....What’s wrong with me?!?!......Hmm. First, my name is Sotara, not Liz. Not anymore. Second, it should be quite obvious why I‘m angry.” In her head, she finished her thought. ‘You married her!’ Max didn’t miss the look of betrayal that suddenly mixed with the anger in her eyes, but couldn’t for the life of him figure out why. He had no clue why she’d be mad at him.

Without a word, she started to walk away whilst telling Candra and Emory in their minds ‘Say your goodbye’s. We leave tomorrow at noon. Do not tell them where we are going or when. Please.’ Max reached out to try to stop her but pulled his hand back quickly. It had felt like some invisible barrier had burned his hand.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Once Sotara was out the door, she remembered her new-found ability to teleport. With a click of her fingers, she was immediately, magically back in the sanctuary of her room. She sat down for a few minutes on her bed to think. Yes, she was mad at him. He had promised her that he would never marry Ava! But as soon as she was gone, he went ahead and did it. Didn’t he love her at all then? At all???? She blinked once and looked up at the far wall of her wall, projecting some of her memories on it.

She had been sitting in the guest chamber of the Antarian’s castle staring out at the beautiful view. It was simply gorgeous at night. The stars were so bright as they tried to outshine the three moons in the Sylerian system. The three moons made for a picturesque sight. One moon was directly to the front. One slightly to the west. One slightly to the east. All three seemed to be hovering above the Loekian forest as if to point it out. Zan had made sure that she had been given a room with a view of the woods. He didn’t want her too homesick after all. She smiled at his thoughtfulness.

If she let him, he could make her happy. Yes, he certainly could. But could she consciously let him love her? The risks were very great. And she worried over what would happen to Loeke and her people. If she and Zan married, she would have to live here. What would happen to her palace? Loeke’s everything to her. She couldn’t leave it. She’d be lost anywhere else. And she knew she was too stubborn to let Zan rule over her people. No, she would rule them herself. She was the last of the original Loekian royal line, after all. She had to keep it going............What compromise could possibly fix all of these big problems?

She had been busy thinking when her chamber door suddenly opened. Her senses told her who it was instantly, and she directed her words toward the intruder. “Is there something that you need, Rath?” He scratched his head, still wondering how she was able to do that, but answered her none the less. “I came to talk to you.” For the first time, she turned to him with an expectant look. “Proceed.” she said simply. He settled himself in a comfy chair in front of her vanity before speaking again. “I’m sorry, Sotara. I realize that I haven’t been very nice or respectful of you since I met you back there. I was very pompous and rude. And I deserved everything I got.” he ended with a self-derisive laugh directed at himself in memory. Sotara herself smirked at the memory.

“I forgive your idiocy, Rath. You couldn’t have known who I was at the time. Though, you really got me steamed with that whole taxing thing. You’re lucky I didn’t kill you on the spot.” her words were spoken softly and gracefully but with a detached quality as if her mind were elsewhere. He nodded in acknowledgement before standing and walking towards the door. “Oh, and thank you for helping us. We wouldn’t have any chance if you and your people weren’t helping us.” Rath said in all sincerity. Sotara granted him a small half-smile and said. “Your welcome. Although we both know that this is more a personal vengence thing than anything.” He exited the room without anymore words.

Sotara was again left to her musing but not for long. Because her door swung open again. Her irritation at being interrupted only ebbed ever so slightly when she realized who it was. Zan. She didn’t turn towards him. She continued staring out over the Antarian kingdom and past the plains to her home. Zan rushed over to her and attempted to place his arms around her shoulders, but she shrugged them off. “Zan.” her words held their warning. So instead, he stepped in front of her to impede her vision and make her look at him. “Sotara, I’ve talked to my mother.” Her eyes refused to meet his as she replied off-handedly. “Oh? What of?” He raised her chin to look in her eyes, but she defiantly closed her eyes to thwart his plans. Even though it slightly irritated him, he couldn’t help but smile at her antics. Everything about her was a battle (which she usually won), but he wouldn’t have it any other way. He couldn’t imagine her any different.

“Well, about Ava.” That did it. Sotara’s eyes opened and sought his out immediately. “You did?” He nodded at her with a big smile. “I told her that I wouldn’t marry Ava. That I didn’t love her. I told her that I was going to marry who it was that I wanted to....She argued that Ava was a smart, political marriage that would do good for our people. So, I just said that the person that I wanted to marry would be more advantageous for Antar and its people than anyone else could ever hope to be. Not to mention that I’m head over heels in love with the girl.” stopping for a second to chuckle, he continued while gently tracing her hands with his index finger. “Then she proceeded to question me on who this mysterious girl was who had me in the palm of her.....beautiful,...tiny hands. She listed off every princess, duchess, or girl with any type of royal status that lives in our galaxy! Of course, I told her it was a surprise.” He finished with a wink. He quickly swooped down for a quick kiss. His excitement practically bubbling over. He couldn’t stop himself from picking her up and spinning her around. “It’s going to work, Sorara. It’s going to work..........And we’re going to be so happy. I promise you this, Sotara. I will make you happy. I love you so much!”

Sotara didn’t reply as he pulled her into a tight embrace. None of her earlier worries had been solved. Most of their problems were still in their way. Only Ava had been taken care of, and Sotara was sure that she wasn’t quite taken care of yet. She knew that the wretched girl would still be causing problems for them later. She just knew it!

Sotara blinked again, and the pictures ceased leaving the wall like normal. ‘Well, maybe he had loved me at the time.’ she thought. ‘He couldn’t have loved me when he married Ava though. He wouldn’t have done it if he had.' Suddenly remembering that this was her last night, she went in search of her parents.

When she found them in the living room watching tv, she took the remote and clicked it off. “Mom, Dad, there’s something that I need to tell you.” She began to talk once she knew she had their attention. She told them everything. Starting first with Max and the shooting, then moving on to the FBI and all of the adventures that they had gone through in the last 2 years. Then she told them the even more startling news of who she was. She connected with them to show them some of her old life and to show them that she still loved them and that she always would. Lastly, she dropped the bomb about her leaving tomorrow. She had known as soon as she connected with them that they still loved her even though she wasn’t human. Jeff was a little more shocked to find out that his parents (albeit adoptive parents) weren’t humans either. Sotara finished by offering them an invitation to come with her and see her real home.

The two looked at each other in silent communication for a few brief minutes before telling that they wouldn’t dream of being seperated from her and that they‘d love to come. Sotara couldn’t express her relief and happiness in words, but tears trekked down her face as she hugged them tightly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Looks like things are starting to pick up a bit. Finally.

VenusStar

[VenusStar]

Chapter 5a

That night, Michael tossed and turned in his sleep. His dreams were plaguing him. He had a dream unlike any dream he’d ever had before. He was almost convinced that Isabel was playing a game in his mind by messing with his dreams.

Michael was walking along this field looking around him. He knew that this place looked familiar but couldn’t place where he’d seen it before. The grass was abnormally green. And the sky here was a richer blue instead of the soft blue sky that he was used to on earth. He knew he was dreaming, which in and of itself made this weird. I mean, who actually is aware that they are dreaming while they are in the dream??? But this dream was different. It was like he was just walking around in a movie. He wasn’t participating. He wasn’t a character in the dream, just a viewer. Yes, very odd indeed.

His attention was sudden caught by the sound of familiar voices coming closer. He turned around and saw three horses heading towards him. “Zan, do we really have to do this? It’s stupid. You know as well as I do what people say about these woods! And anyway, it‘s forbidden.” a girl who looked remarkably like Isabel said. Michael looked closer and the other two riders looked like Max and himself. The Max-looking one replied to the Isabel look-a-like. “Yes, I’ve heard them all, Vilondra. It’s part of the reason why I have to do this. I don’t believe that these woods are alive or that anyone that goes in them doesn’t come out. That’s foolish nonsense. And I can’t believe that you actually believe those old wives’ tales. I thought better of you. And since when, do rules actually apply to me? What do you think, Rath?” He turned to his right at the Michael-looking one who had this arrogant smug smile. “I agree, Zan. Vilondra, they are just woods, for goodness sakes! There is absolutely nothing to worry about. Now, let’s go!” He lightly kicked his horse and galloped away. Zan did the same and was soon beside his friend. Vilondra sighed angrily but hurried after them anyway.

Michael was beginning to get the picture. He had been named Rath in his past life. He must be remembering some of it finally!!!! He then realized that the three were no longer in sight so he quickly rushed after the them.

Rath and Zan hopped off their horses with little effort then walked over to Vilondra to help her down. Once on her feet, she looked anxiously at the sign that said ‘Do not enter. Forbidden territory.’ Zan just rolled his eyes and walked purposefully into the woods. Rath ran after him. They only stopped briefly at the edge of the forest to wait for her to catch up with them. Vilondra grabbed onto Zan’s hand as they went in together. Michael followed them wanting to know more about his past. They had not walked very long before the ground beneath their feet started to give way, pulling them under. They struggled, only succeeding in making their plight worse. Michael watched from his spot in a frenzy. He couldn’t help them because he was part of this memory, just watching it. He briefly wondered if this was how they had all died, a terrible death by quicksand-like ground. The three were to their necks in the muck when a movement from the side caught their attention. Something or someone was swinging toward them by a loose branch or vine.

Suddenly stopping where they were, the person dropped down in front of them. It was a girl, a Liz-like girl to Michael’s amazement. She was dressed in animal skin type apparel that was oddly a faded-light green, making her blend in with her surroundings. Her midriff was bare and her skirt-thing wasn’t very long, barely concealing much of her legs. And her top only had one shoulder strap holding it up. The outfit, though not very concealing, seemed to fit in with their jungle-like surroundings. She looked at them silently for a second before she reached down and grabbed first Vilondra, then Zan, then Rath and pulling them to safety. The three laid there for a few moments reveling in the fact that they were on solid, stable ground.

“Why are you here?” the girl suddenly asked in irriation only stopping a second before continuing, “You don’t belong here. Maybe, you’re confused. This is not your home nor your place to be. Your home is over there.” She finished pointing toward the direction of the Antarian kingdom. Rath looked at her disdainfully. “Look, Zan, a forest girl. And she’s got a mouth on her too!” She glared at him before saying in a serious tone. “Would you like to go back where you were before I came?” He gulped and said no more. Michael, himself, couldn’t help but laugh at that. Man, Liz was scary back then!

Zan spoke up for the first time. “We just came to see the forest. We were just looking for some adventure. No one we know has ever dared to even enter this place.” The girl, suddenly angry, burst out. “That is because it is forbidden!!! This is my home. I belong here. As do, my people. You are a stranger here and highly unwelcome.” Rath’s eyes bugged out of his head. “People!?!?! There are other people here in this wretched place?” She nodded, “Yes, millions.” Rath turned and grabbed Zan by his collar. “Do you believe this, Zan? There are millions of people here that we do not know about. Millions of people who aren’t paying taxes to their king!”

“King!?!? They have no king. They have their own ruler, a queen. These are not King Dar’s people!!! I am not one of King Dar’s people! These people are Loekians, not Antarians. They owe no taxes to you and your people. You have no jurisdiction here. No right. No rule!” The small girl was getting angrier by the minute.

Rath looked shocked that this stupid girl had just yelled at him. “Do you know who you are speaking to?” She smirked at him. “Yes, as a matter I do. Crown Prince Zan, Princess Vilondra, and Rath of Dunvar, second-in-command to Prince Zan. But the better question is if you know who you are speaking to. Just because you people do not who we Loekians are doesn’t mean that we are as foolish as to who you are.”

“You will watch your tongue, you insipid girl, or you will watch yourself lose it! Do I make myself clear?” Rath screamed in her face. Michael was getting a bad feeling about this. He realized how stupid he was to do that. In his present life, he had lost his temper and yelled at people. And those situations never ended well. He watched as ‘Liz’ stuck her tongue out at him and smiled tauntingly. “I’d love to see you try.” Rath grabbed her arm tightly. “Listen, here, you worthless wench. I am the best soldier in all of the Antarian army. I could kill you in a mere second using anything at my disposal. It would do you well to mind what you say and treat your monarchs with their due respect.” She was not phased in the least. “if you think that you could beat me so easily, then go ahead. But you can’t. You can’t beat me. You never will. Oh, and they are not my monarchs. I don’t owe them my allegiance or my respect. So bring it on, Rath. Unless, you’re scared that I’ll beat you?” Rath’s nostrils flared at that and he began to roll up his sleeves in preparation. His ears were unhearing of Zan and Vilondra’s protests of the stupidity of this fight.

‘Liz’ stood defiantly at all her height and asked, “So how do you want to go about this? Hand to hand, swords, blasters, ray guns, etc...?” “Hand to hand is fine with me.” came Rath’s clipped replied. And thus it began....

Rath started by trying to grab her, but she easily dogged him and plowed a strong blow straight to his nose. She soon had the upper hand and was beating him to a pulp. As soon as he got really bad, she would heal him and then start over. Over and over, this went on for about an hour at least. She finally bent over his bleeding form and asked, “Do you concede?” He nodded, and before he knew it, he was fully healed and on his feet again. “That’s the best decision you’ve made all day.” she said. When Zan and Vilondra were certain that he was all right, they burst out laughing. Even Michael, who was rather disconcerted watching himself get beat up by a girl, found it comical.

Rath, after he had regain his composure, asked this mysterious girl, “Who are you?” She smiled mockingly and answered cryptically, “I am the best soldier in the Loekian army. But even the weakest person in my army could beat you. I was actually very surprised at how amazingly weak you are. That doesn’t say much for your army now, does it?” Rath barely resisted the urge to say something to her then.

The girl turned around quickly and yelled, “Glora! Glora!” She waited about half a minute before a white dove flew towards her and landed gracefully on her outstretched hand. The girl smiled, for the first time since they met her, and started speaking again while stroking the head of the cooing dove. “Good girl, Glora. Now, go get Duke for me. Okay?” The bird nodded back to her, to the amazement of the four watchers. The bird flew away in a hurry. While ‘Liz’ waited for the return of her bird, she leaned against a nearby tree that actually glowed when she touched it. Zan, Vilondra, Rath, and Michael all gasped simultaneously. “So it’s true? The trees in these woods are actually alive?” Vilondra asked apprehensively. The girl looked at her for a second before answering. “Yes, Princess, they are alive. But not only the trees. Everything is alive here. Even the ground. Which is why it sunk beneath your feet. It realizes that you three do not belong here.”

Zan spoke next. “Then how is it that they allow us to stand now? Why does it glow when you touch them? I don’t understand this.” Michael had to roll his eyes. Zan and Max are exactly alike. They always had to know everything about anything. ‘Liz’ showed a little irritation at the continued questioning but answered him still. “They aren’t trying to dispose of you because I told them not to. These woods and plant life are intricately entwined with Loekians. We’ve been here for as long as they have. They can detect our genetic makeup so they won’t harm me and my people. We can even talk to them in our minds, but they only obey the Loekian royal line......They like Loekians. They don’t like outsiders. So they dispose of them in a way of protecting my people.....The tree glows in response to my presence, in a way of greeting or acknowledgment. Sort of like ‘Hello’ or ‘I realize that you are there.’” Zan tried to touch the tree that she was leaning against, but before he could even touch, a branch from the tree swung out and smacked he and his arm back. The girl laughed heartily at that. “The tree thinks that you are too close to me. It’s worried that you might try to hurt me.”

She turned her head to the side slightly and smiled again. Out of the thicket, a big white horse strode towards them. He walked up to the girl and looked her in the eyes. The other four watched in interest as it seemed that she and this animal were in a silent conversation. The animal, that they assumed was Duke, suddenly started walking towards Vilondra, who tried to hide behind Rath a bit. Once it had reached her, it bent down very low to the ground and waited for her. When she didn’t move, ‘Liz’ spoke out. “Get on, Princess Vilondra. I asked Duke to come because I didn’t think that you wanted to walk.” Vilondra looked up at the girl and tentatively got on the horse as gracefully as she was able at the moment. Duke, when he was satisfied that she was safely on, stood back up to his full height and strode back over to his mistress. The girl and the horse started walking further into the woods. ‘Liz’ looked back to the two remaining people when she didn’t hear their footsteps. “Are you two coming? Or are you just going to stay here and try to fend off the trees?” She asked in amusement. The two shared a look, then hurried after them. The path would clear for them with each step of this mysterious girl. It was as if this forest revered her or something. It was truly odd.

They had traveled for about twenty minutes with the girl when she suddenly stopped and listened to something that they couldn’t hear. She sighed in frustration. She reached her hand out, and a vine swung down and landed in her hand. Before they knew it, she was swinging among the trees like when they had first seen her. She was quickly getting ahead of them, so Rath yelled after her. “Where are you going? What do you think you are doing? You can’t leave us here alone!!!!” The answering call echoed through the trees. “Don’t worry. Duke will take you where you need to go. He knows the way.”

Rath turned an exasperated look on Zan. “Do we even know where that wench is leading us? Huh? This could be a trap set by Kivar, and we’re just walking right into it.” Zan sighed. “Rath, we don’t have much choice. We are lost. This girl is the only one that can help us. We have to follow.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Instead of being with the three, Michael suddenly found himself inside a castle of some sort. He watched as the Liz like person walked in and called for an Emory guy. The guy came running, “Where have you been, your majesty? We were getting very worried!” “I was rescuing the fool prince Zan, his sister, and the general of his army Rath. They apparently thought it would be a fun adventure to explore the woods and got themselves in a little trouble........Oh, they’re on their way here too. I have Duke leading them. They’ll be here in about fifteen minutes.....This is going against my better judgment here, but they can stay for dinner. I am going to go change out of these clothes and into something more suitable for dinner. Make them at home, especially the Princess. She was nicest of the group.” And with that, she rushed off. And then Michael found himself being brought back to the original three.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sometime later, they reached a clearing. The area was huge. In the very center of this was the biggest tree any of them had ever seen in their lives. It was atleast the size of the Antarian castle if not bigger. Suddenly, a part of that enormous tree started to open, like a door. It slid open, and a tall well-dressed man stepped out. “Good afternoon. We have been informed that you will be staying with us for dinner tonight. I must say, you three have really received quite an honor at being rescued by Sotara herself! She has already come and told us about who you all are. She is just inside changing in her chambers. Please, come in. Oh, by the way, my name is Emory if you need anything.”

They couldn’t think of anything else to do other than to go in. They walked in and were instantly assaulted by numerous servants waiting to make them comfortable. Three ushered Vilondra away to a spare chamber where she could freshen up for dinner. And a few more directed the men to where they could spend their free time while they waited for supper. Zan and Rath tried their hands at a card game for an hour before a man dressed in better clothes than the rest walked in the door. He caught Zan’s attention immediately. “Hey, Rath.” he whispered and pointed to the stranger. “Do you think that’s the king? He has the best clothes.” Rath nodded slightly, then went back to the game.

Half an hour later, most of every one were sitting in the dining hall waiting for dinner. Zan, Rath, and Vilondra were looking around wondering when they would get to see whoever it was that ruled these people. As people started to stand all around them, they followed the example and stood as well. Everyone’s attention was aimed at a grand staircase. Slowly, two people began to descend the stairs. All that anyone could see at first were two sets of feet, one male and one female. Then the rest came into view. The three Antarians gasped simultaneously at seeing the very same girl that had rescued them earlier that day. Zan and Rath were also gasping because on her arm was the same man that they had seen before. They began to wonder if this gentleman was the king and the girl was either his wife or his soon to be wife. They did look awfully chummy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ok that was the first half of chapter five. I stopped it there b/c it seemed to be too long already. I will finish up Michael's dream in the next part.

VenusStar

[VenusStar]

Chapter 5b



Emory stepped forward in front of the crowd. “Ladies and gentlemen of Loeke and our Antarian guests, it is my pleasure to present to you Lord Kieran Sondar and our glorious, beautiful, wonderful monarch Queen Sotara Venus Kala.” All of the Loekian citizens bowed their heads in respect to their queen, leaving the Antarians looking around awkwardly. The girl that had saved them was the ruler of these people!!! Rath had tried to beat up this country’s queen!

Sotara, still on Lord Kieran’s arm, walked toward her seat which was directly opposite Zan and his entourage. Lord Kieran helped her into her seat before taking his place in the seat to her right. Her smirk was bright and smug as she directed her words toward Rath. “Lord Rath, this is my second in command Lord Kieran.” Kieran nodded his head in acknowledgment while Rath did the same but grudgingly.

Zan couldn’t help but notice the protectiveness that this Kieran person exhibited toward Sotara. He couldn’t quite figure out why, seeing as how it was quite obvious that the girl could take care of herself. Nevertheless, Kieran’s left hand never strayed to far from the weapon at his side, and his eyes would study them suspiciously for a few seconds before flitting over to check on her again. Shaking away his thoughts, Zan took the opportunity to really look at the girl in front of him. She certainly looked different then when he’d seen her earlier. Gone were her jungle clothes, replaced by an elegant gown that she cared off beautifully. He also noticed how amazingly beautiful she was. He wondered why he hadn’t noticed it before. Maybe he had just been too preoccupied to really see her at the time. But still, she was achingly gorgeous. Her eye, a deep brown with rich caramel strands woven in, were expressive and conveyed that she was highly intelligent. They also showed how guarded and dangerous she was. He briefly wondered why she acted that way.

Remembering that he himself would be a king soon, he decided to try to make himself an ally. “Your majesty, I would like to schedule a diplomatic meeting of sorts to discuss perhaps a alliance between our peoples. As I am assure you are well aware, my people are currently in a war with the Pelairans. We need as much help as we can get.” For a mere split-second, something flashed in her eyes. And it didn’t escape Zan’s notice how Kieran’s concerned eyes were now regarding her worriedly. Her voice was clipped and brisk when she replied. “Yes, Zan, I am all too aware of this stupid war. Too many lives have already been lost because of that foolish King Biran. We will discuss an alliance if only for the purpose of stopping him.”

For the next few minutes, no conversation was exchanged between the Antarian royals and the Loekian queen, although Sotara and Kieran were quietly in a discussion of their own. Finally, Vilandra decided to breach the distance. “So, Queen Sotara, tell me about your people.” Sotara blinked in surprise but didn’t see a problem with answering her.

“My people have been on this planet centuries before the Antarians showed up to populate the rest of the planet. We’ve always been living in the forest. We know no different. We are able to coincide with the plant life here. The Kala ruling line is the only line that has ever ruled the Loekian people.

Loekians are a militaristic people, yet we have not participated in a war in close to six hundred years now. It is our belief that we should be ready and prepared in case we ever needed to fight. In fact, each child aged six and up learns fighting and defense skills as part of their daily schooling. Of course, we would never send a child into battle. But as I mentioned earlier, we like to be prepared. We want these children to be able to defend themselves in case a situation ever arose. Unlike Antarians, Loekians have both mental and physical powers, instead of just one or the other. We also have children learning to use their powers in their courses of study. They are required to practice a full hour each day. Half an hour for both sides of their powers. Our minds are tactical. We are naturally gifted with that ability.”

Sotara was trying to think of anything else to say when Rath suddenly interrupted. “How old are you?” “Sixteen.” The three were flabbergasted. Zan spoke out in astonishment. “Sixteen!?!? I am barely eighteen myself, and I am certainly not entirely ready to rule my people.” Sotara looked at him calculatingly. “I’ve been ruling these people for six years now.” Vilondra couldn’t stop herself from asking, “What happened to your parents?” Instantly, they knew they had gone to far with their questions for Sotara’s eyes clearly showed that they needed to back off or something bad was going to happen. Her eyes connected with Kieran’s. He stood and extended his hand out towards her. “If you’ll excuse us, it is time for Sotara and I to start the ball.” And with that, they were gone.

Once the musicians saw that their queen was standing, they began to play. As was their custom, the queen was always the one to begin the ball. Kieran and Sotara began the first dance while the room watched them with smiles. Michael wandered closer towards them in an attempt to hear what they were saying. “Are you all right, Tari?” Kieran asked, using his nickname for his best friend. She answered with a small sad smile. “No, not really....They just bring back too many memories.......I can’t help but be scared that the same thing is going to happen to me that happened to my parents!” A look of protectiveness entered his face and tone as he replied. “I won’t let anything happen to you. I will be with you at your side when you and this Zan person have your conference. I refuse to leave your side while they are here. I will never let anything happen to you.” She conveyed her gratitude to him through her eyes before laying her head down on his shoulder. His arms tightened around her automatically. Soon most of the room had started to dance as well.

After a few minutes, Sotara lifted her head and looked at her most trusted friend. “Kieran, I would like to go to my chambers. I no longer feel any desire to stay here and speak with the Antarians. I’m ready to go.” He nodded and placed a light kiss against her forehead before walking off to inform Emory that they were leaving. Michael followed them as they walked up the grand staircase and down a few hallways. The group reached her chamber, and Kieran dutifully opened the door for her. And Michael rushed inside before the door closed.

Sotara walked towards her bed where a large white tiger lay peacefully. She lovingly caressed its head for a few seconds, smiling as the large feline purred in contentment. After which, she continued walking towards her window. She looked out at the sight before her silently. Though most of the view consisted of woods, there was a small clearing directly in front of her window with a gorgeous fountain and a small pond. Perched on top of the fountain was Sotara’s dove Glora. And swimming lazily in the pond was her elegant swan. That clearing was her special place. She and Kieran were the only two people allowed there. It was where as children they’d play and could just be kids. Even now, the two would go there to just be themselves instead of her as queen and him as captain of the royal army and her second in command. Sotara slowly turned toward her lifelong friend. “What are we going to do? Now that the Antarians know that we’re here they aren’t going to leave us alone. Now people from the other planets are going to try to send diplomats and such. And the more people that know we’re here, the more people who will try to start a war with us...........I liked it when no one knew we were here.”



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thank you guys for all of the lovely feedback. You all are wonderful.

VenusStar

[VenusStar]

Chapter 6

Meanwhile across town, Sotara was arguing with Max in her room. “Liz, tell me what is going on.” Max just about demanded. She looked at him with no emotion. “For the fifth time, no!” He was beginning to get exasperated with this. “Liz, this isn’t fair.” She laughed. “Life’s not fair.” Max sighed before going on. “I tell you everything! I don’t keep secrets from you.” She wasn’t phased. “That’s nice, Zan.” “You owe me that much, Liz.” Sotara’s eyebrows raised unbelievingly. “Oh? How so?” Max tilted his head proudly as if he had just found an ace in his sleeve. “I saved your life.” But the moment he said it, he knew he shouldn’t have.

Sotara gave a weak, humorless chuckle. “Yes, you did. And I’ve repaid that debt ten times over. When you saved my life, you told me your secret. You didn’t have to. I didn’t make you. And along with your secret came being chased by the local police and the FBI, being kidnapped by a deranged shapeshifter, helping you guys discover your past, outsmarting substitutes teachers/counselors, and a whole bunch of other crap like that. But telling you my secrets? No, I’m sorry. I don’t recall that being part of the package deal.” Max opened his mouth to say something but couldn’t think of anything to say. Sotara’s eyes held that fiery anger that he’d seen before. “Leave, Zan.” He could do nothing but do as she said.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Let’s start this already.” Rath stated. Rath, Vilondra, and Zan were sitting on end of the long table in the conference room, while Sotara and Kieran were on the other. Emory, Candra, Calum, and Elena were sort of in the middle. Kieran glared at Rath from his spot, standing behind Sotara’s shoulder. “In due time, Lord Rath.”

“Fine, we’ll begin.” Sotara spoke up. She was about to open her mouth to go straight to the alliance talk but was interrupted by Zan. “Can you please tell us why you hate King Biran so much?....I mean, I need to know that I’m not walking into a trap by making you my ally.” Sotara’s eyes held restrained fury. When she answered, her voice was tight, clipped, and controlled, anything but calm.

“Let me first tell you about my parents. My parents were loved by all of my people. They were excellent rulers. Kind, just, generous. Their honorable qualities were endless. And they loved me dearly. My parents would go on trips to the planet Earth for a month every year. It was like their vacation spot. And every time they returned, they’d bring me home a present, a new pet. The first year it was my white tigress. The second my white wolf. Every year, a new pet, usually something exotic and always something white. But six years ago, they never came home. They had gone just like normal and were due to arrive. All of us were waiting patiently at the docking bay for their ship. However, when the ship arrived, the only living thing on the ship was my white dove Glora. My last present from my parents. Calum clicked into the ship’s logs to see what had happened. And we got to see the whole gruesome ordeal through the ship’s cameras.” She broke off for a few seconds to even her breathing. It was obvious that this was a difficult story for her to tell.

“They had been on their way home, like usual, when their ship was intercepted by one of King Biran’s. He knew, by the design of the ship, that its passengers had to be of some royalty. He guessed that they were on their way to Antar to discuss an alliance with your father. He had no idea who they were. He just knew that he wanted them on his side. He wanted to get to them first and make them an offer before they had even talked to King Dar. At first, he was nice enough to them. He asked for a diplomatic meeting, much like you did, Zan. He asked them if they would join him against Antar. Offered them moons and planets in some far off galaxy for their help. But my parents told him that they had nothing against the kingdom of Antar. Said that King Dar had never done anything to them, especially nothing to merit war. King Biran was outraged.........He killed my parents. And every other person on that ship.........The ship returned to Loeke on autopilot. Where we were met with a passenger-less ship. And a lot of blood.”

By the end of the tail, Vilondra, Candra, and Elaina were all crying. Sotara remained stoic and emotionless. However, her protective friend Kieran was far from emotionless. His jaw was clenched tightly. His anger apparent in his eyes and the tight line of his mouth. His protective hovering had intensified, while he glared daggers at the three members from the Antarian royal court.

Zan was the first to speak, and his voice was gentle and compassionate. “So, it is safe to assume, that you will help us to defeat Biran and his son?” Her eyes glittered with malice and revenge. “Yes, my people are ready and more than willing to fight. Loekian blood has been spilt. Now we thirst for Pelairan blood in return. King Biran and his son will die for what they‘ve done. Loekians may be peaceable by nature, but if you wake the sleeping beast, expect the recoil. Expect to die.”

In the background, Michael’s eyes were just about out of their sockets. He never knew that underneath Liz Parker’s sweet, innocent personality there lied a fierce warrior mentality. He made a mental note to never cross her again. Especially now that she had powers. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Candra and Emory sat down with Isabel and newly returned Max. He looked upset, but there was no time for that at the moment. They needed all the time that they had to say goodbye.

Candra decided to speak first, and with a quick glance to her husband, she began. “Max, Isabel.....you know that we love you very much. Yes, we have known who you were since we first saw you. Although it pained us to keep it a secret, we knew that it was imperative for you not to know. Isabel, I’ve always known that you wanted to tell us. That you wanted to tell us so that you could feel totally accepted. And you are accepted. Both of us. We tried to raise you to be the royalty that you are. We tried to raise you so that you would be good rulers for your people. Emory and I never had children on Antar. We want to thank you for allowing us to....borrow you for these past ten years. We finally got to have what we’ve always wanted. Children. You were excellent kids. We couldn’t have asked for better. And no matter what happens after tomorrow, we’ll always love you, and we’ll always consider you at least partly ours. If you’ll let us of course.”

Isabel couldn’t hold in her tears. But she couldn’t manage to speak either, so she simply pulled the woman that she had considered all of her Earth life to be her mother into a hug. Max himself was trying to hold in tears. As was Emory. The two shared a manly hug as they tried to compose themselves. Isabel slowly pulled back and after she’d wiped a stray tear from her face, she asked, “What do you mean, ‘after tomorrow?’”

Emory and Candra again exchanged a pain, uncomfortable look. “We’re leaving, sweetheart. We have to go home with Sotara. We have to. But you two will be fine. You are capable to live on your own for awhile. It won’t be too long anyway before you’ll be able to go back to Antar as well.”

For the rest of the night, the small family shared the rest of their time together. Reminiscing. Talking. Laughing. Enjoying. They even talked about their memories and who they were in both lives.

[VenusStar]

Chapter 7


~across town~

Sotara sat in her room contemplating how she should say goodbye to
Alex, Kyle, and Maria. They deserved a goodbye and at least a partial
explanation. However, she knew that if she went to them personally to
deliver the news that things could get out of hand. Things could get
very emotional. But still, they were her life-long friends here on Earth.
They deserved to know. She knew there was a small chance that she'd
never see the three again. That was, if the Antarians didn't bring the humans along when they go home. She'd miss them. She'd miss them a lot.

They filled the void a bit while she was here. Now that she thought
about it, each one of the three displayed some of the characteristics that
she'd loved in Kieran. Like Alex, who always knew how to make her feel
better, always knew how to make her feel loved and special. Or Kyle,
who was fiercely protective of her and would die defending her if need be.
Or Maria, who could always make her laugh, who she could talk to about
almost anything. Alex was his kindness and caring. Kyle was his
strength of mind, strength of character, and strength of body. Maria was his heart. She'd been drawn to them for a reason that she hadn't known at the time.

She waved her hand over three big rocks that she had found outside, and
they magically changed into alien-looking devices. She pressed the
lightblue button on the dark gray devices. Then she spoke.

~the next morning at around 10 A.M.~

Alex, Maria, and Kyle all woke up in their respective houses. On each
of their nightstands was a gray alien-looking device. The device was round
but flattened. Beside each device was a folded piece of paper that had
Liz's hand-writing. It said, "Press the button."

Confused but curious, all three pressed the buttons. To their
amazement, a hologram of Liz appeared before them. Her features were tinted blue as the hologram rippled like water.

"My dear friends, you have meant so much to me all of these years. There are a lot of memories that I will look back on and smile. You all have been so good to me. And I love you all for it. Please, understand that I have to leave. I didn't want to leave without saying goodbye. You deserve that and so much more" In the hologram, Liz paused as if to gather her thoughts.

"I have lived before, just like the others. However, I am not an
Antarian......Although, I did live on Antar.....Yes, It's-it's very
confusing. I am Loekian. Antar is a beautiful planet that is over-half
wooded area. That wooded area is called Loeke. That is where my people
and I live. The area is only totally suitable for Loekians, because,
you see, the whole forest is alive. The forest only responds to or
acknowledges Loekians. Any other species will be eradicated by the
trees and ground.....Unless, of course, the monarch tells them not to. I was and am the ruling monarch. My name is Sotara Venus Kala. And I am their queen. Mr. and Mrs. Evans, as you know them, are really my guardians Emory and Candra. I was also sent with two other guardians Calum and Elena who you knew as my Grandpa Henry and Grandma Claudia before they died. In my other life, I didn't exactly die. It was more that I was frozen....almost. Like cryogenics, I guess. Except it wasn't cold.

Anyway, I was sent here because Loekian DNA is almost exactly matched
to human DNA. There are only slight differences between our two species.
It was easier for me to be sent here because Earth scientists would not be
able to detect any differences in my blood or physical body structures
or anything." She paused in her speech again. They could tell that the
next part of this was hard for her.


"I need to leave. I have to go home. My people need me. I am sorry that I didn't get more time with you guys. It is because of you that my life
here on Earth has been so wonderful. I will never forget you. And I'll
miss you everyday for the rest of my life. I love you all." It appeared
as if the message was about to end when she suddenly added.

"Oh, and if you do make it to Antar, you are more than welcome to live
with me on Loeke. My parents are already coming with me. I would have
asked you to join me as well, but the others need you. They need your
help, whether they admit it or not. Each of you has a place in their
circle. Each of you has something that you bring to the group. Don't
let them push you away...............Hopefully, I will see you all again
someday........Goodbye."

It was a somber morning at three houses in Roswell that day. It seemed
as if all three humans sat in silent reflection for a few minutes before
springing into action and racing to the Crashdown in hopes that she'd
still be there.

Luck was not with them that day, for when they got there (all three
arriving at nearly the same time), the Parker's apartment was bare.
Everything gone. In Liz's old room, the only left was a painted mural
on the wall. A mural that hadn't been there previously. The mural looked
like it had been painted from a picture. It was of the four of them
laughing and smiling for the camera. Liz in the middle with Alex and
Maria flanking her sides. Kyle was behind Liz with his arms wrapped
around her shoulders. Maria remembered that picture. She had made the
group take it early last summer while Liz and Kyle had still been
dating.

Under the mural was the message, "Remember me." As if they'd ever be able to forget her anyway.

~at Michael's apartment, later on that day~

The group was assembled together sadly. The humans were upset as were
the Evans children. Michael was sad as well, but he wasn't nearly as
affected as the others. And Tess didn't care at all. No one spoke, and there was a heavy awkwardness in the apartment. Finally Michael said something.

"I had a dream last night about our past lives." He began.

Tess whipped her head in his direction. Her face was beaming with
happiness. "Really? What did you remember?"

He looked at her as he answered. "Sotara."

After Michael tried to explain what he saw in his dream, he knew it
would be best to show them instead. He glanced around his apartment quickly. His eyes landed on his television across the room. He hurried over to it and placed his hand on the top. A few seconds later, it lit up, and the whole group was witness to the whole dream from beginning to end. After it was done, he removed his hand. There was a long silence before anyone spoke.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sorry. That's all I can say. For about 3 months, I haven't been able to get my story off of the downstairs computer where I typed it. My dad had come home one day with a new computer (completely out of the blue) and hooked it up. I kept waiting for my sis's boyfriend to upload the old files onto the new computer. But he's a lazy bum so we eventually had to plug up the old computer in a different room in order for me to access the files. Again, sorry. lol

VenusStar

(P.S. if the post looks funny to you, I'm sorry. I couldn't fix it. And I got so angry with it that I almost threw the computer lol If anyone has any ideas on how to make it better, they would really be appreciated. Thanks)

[VenusStar]

Ok, I'm about half way done with the next part. So with any luck I could have it out by..........tuesday? Hopefully. Please don't hate me. lol

VenusStar