Underground Land(Complete) ADULT

[BeccaBehr]

Title: Underground Land
Author: BeccaBehr
Disclaimer: I own nothing, sadly!
Rating: ADULT
Summary: It's 1989 and Earth has been taken over by the enemy skins. Roswell was destroyed and the survivors live on a reservation called New Roswell. Dont worry the lovely people are still there!

Maria jumped off the back of the built up quad bike and picked up her spear. Things had gone pretty simple since the skins conquered Earth a few years back. She was seven and she was only two when it happened, her mama was so scared that they went and hid in a series of caves along with River Dog and her mama's family friends. Her papa disappeared mama believed he had been killed but she got a letter off him last week and things had changed. He was living with his new girlfriend in North Dakota, he didnt want to come back and see her so she just carried on as normal.
Liz got off the other quad bike and took her spear from the holder and they walked out. Seven years old and the local scavengers for the tribe, it was sort of a tribe now. They grew up with Indian teachings and they both had a thing for Eddie the man who taught them aim.
"I bet I can find more metal than you can!" crowed Liz.
"You're on!" they took off in seperate directions, running barefoot along the desert.
Liz's hair had red streaks through it and had a few single plaits as well where as Maria had blue streaks and her hair had beads in it. There was a red star on her cheek and a green curving line by her eye. Liz was clean faced.
Maria found a hole in the desert floor, she found it when her foot caught in it. She tripped over and went flying with a hefty oomph. Liz heard her best friend fall and came running.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine" said the petite blonde "Help me up" she held out her hand and Liz helped her up. More of the ground had come away by Maria's foot.
"Hey look there's a hole!" they both peered into it but it was too dark.
"I can't see anything" pouted Maria as she tried to see. Liz pulled out one of her emergency sparklers from the back of her belt lit it up and dropped it into the hole. There was these green things down there and it made everything look dull brown.
"I'm not going down there. It looks creepy" announced Liz as she moved back. Maria leaned back too but her necklace off River Dog snagged on a rock and fell into the hole.
"My necklace!" she moved and dangled her feet in the hole
"You're not seriously going down there are you?" asked Liz
"But that necklace was off River Dog, the leader of the tribe and he gave it to me because he wanted me to take over after he was gone"
"You know that's not why he gave you it" pouted Liz but she ignored her and jumped down.
"MARIA!" she gasped. It was really dark down here and it was warm, funny for a cave. She picked up her necklace and attacked it back round her neck. She looked round and saw a face
"Arrggh!" she cried and Liz panicked
"What is it? Maria!" she jumped down too and found her friend was just frightened.
"They're children?" whispered Liz as she touched the skin of the pod. One of the pods had been crushed in the blast and it was now black in colour but the others had a greenish glow to them.
"Like us. You dont think they're skins do you?"
"I've never seen skins grown like this. Do you think they're dead?" whispered Liz as she ran her hand over the skin and it got covered in goo
"Eugh!" she moaned and wiped it on a stone "It's wet" Maria touched it.
"And cold. OMG!"
"What?"
"I think that one moved!" she cried out pointing to the middle pod with a boy inside.
"Nonsense they can't be moving" said Liz but as she said that an arm pushed at the skin of the pod and she jumped back.
"We must have disturbed them! They could kill us, we could be food to it!" Maria cried as they moved and tried to get back up the hole.
Liz looked back from Maria's shoulders and saw a boy on the floor, he was just about out of the skin and he was taking his first breaths.
"Maria put me down" she whispered and Maria lowered her and they grabbed their spears just in case. The boy sat there for a moment then on shaky legs stood up. Another arm shot out and then the others were waking up.
"What's your name!" demanded Maria but the boy just recoiled in fear
"I dont think they're dangerous Maria" said Liz as she held her spear back. She moved forward and brushed some goo from his hair
"We have to take them back to the tribe" said Liz with a grin. The spiky haired boy seemed to cling to her and she knew she had found herself a baby brother. The other two stood with Maria and she tried to clean them off a bit.
"I think we're their family now" said Maria with a grin as she hugged them together and gave them their first safe feeling.

Things were not good. River Dog had called her into his hut and he never did with out good reason... or bad.
"Maria" she nodded her head in respect and laid her spear down on the floor.
"You wish to speak to me River Dog"
"Yes since you are the fastest warrior and best hunter we have you are to train up the new ones"
"Max and Michael?"
"Yes and Isabel" he replied
"My sister? Isnt she a little young for such things?" she asked then added "Sir"
"She is twice the age you were when Eddie taught you"
"But she is no regular girl"
"Yes that is why I ask you to train her"
"What about Liz?"
"Liz is tending to other things. Since the matchmaker died a few weeks back we need another one"
"Is Liz to be the new match maker?"
"Yes she is. She shall move from her hut and live in Match Makers hut where she shall read the books and that shall be her destiny"
"And for me"
"We shall see. Now go, teach them how to make spears and catch food"
"Can I do it my way? Sir?"
"Very well" she couldnt help the big grin that slid across her face.
She left the little hut and found the three sat on a log near the burnt out fireplace. She leaned against her spear and looked at how vulnerable they were just then before she taught them enough to keep them alive. She walked over and stood in front of them
"So you're the new hunters" she smirked down at them and in an instant she could read them. It was something she was born with, she could read a person in an instant and know how to deal with them.
"Isabel, Max... go get the body paint pots" they stood up and hurried off. She had them wrapped around her little finger since they were family but this Parker Boy, he was something new and didnt come out of the hut often.
"So Little Boy have you ever hunted before?" he just glared up at her
"I could wipe the floor with you for hunting. I'm really good" he lied. She could tell he was lying it was just so obvious.
"Right" she said simply "You see that cactus tree over there?"
"Yeah" he turned around to see it and saw it rather worn and about twenty feet away "What about it?"
"Take my spear and put it into the branch on the right" he took it off her and stood up. He began walking over there following her order and she began laughing loudly
"Where d'ya think you're going?" she asked when he stopped and stared
"I'm doing what you said"
"I meant throw it" he blushed and realised he couldnt throw it and make the target.
"Right" he lifted it above his head and pulled his arm back then flung the spear forward. It landed in the ground about five feet away and Maria burst out laughing clutching her sides. She gave up and wiped the tears from her eyes and retrieved the spear.
"Watch and learn Little Boy" she held it above her head for a moment and then stepped forward a bit and threw it. It landed in the branch on the right side.
Max and Isabel returned with the body pots and put them down near the fire place. They all sat down on the logs
"Take your shirts off" she ordered and the boys did. Isabel was hesitant "Not you Isabel. I'm just doing your face" I picked up the blue brush and began working on Little Boys chest. She painted three curving lines down his shoulder from his neck and then a broken circle with a dot in it underneath the lines.
"My Little Warrior" she chuckled finally as she moved onto Isabel and picked up the red. She drew a fine thick line above her right eyebrow and then a almost complete circle around her eye. She put a green squiggle on her left cheek.
"There Princess that's you done" then she turned to Max, "You remind me of Liz so I'll do the same pattern on you"
"But Liz is clean faced"
"I didnt say she had it on her face did I?" she picked up the green and went around to his back. She drew a line down the middle then ever so often feather light strokes out wards that curved round. It was a symbol of strength maybe not of body but certainly of mind. If he was a girl he would be a shoe in for Match Maker. Maybe he would be Liz's blessed one?
She picked up the blue and painted five dots on his back going upwards in a Vee.
"There all done. Mister Muscles, now we go to the woods and find us some dinner"

She couldnt believe that she was matchmaker! Of all the jobs she could have had she ended up with the best. Matchmaker saw over all the village and determined who was best suited together. She even had power over River Dog but that power was for mating purposes. She would sit by his side with the elders during meetings and she would be an active member in the say of the village.
She twirled round and looked at the books on the shelf and the little bed in the corner. She was the Matchmaker and she had to start working on her first match.
Her mama stopped by a little while after she began and congratulated her daughter on being the youngest Matcher ever,
"I cannot believe you shall sit at the head of the table of elders! It's so incredible! First Maria teaching your brother hunting skills now this! I am so proud of you!" she hugged her
"Thank you mama but I'm rather busy working on my first match"
"Oh? Already? Who is it?"
"You know I can't tell you" she grinned and took the two pictures bound in white ribbon. She tossed them into the pot and made a note to call the Law Man and Maria's mama and talk to them seperately.
She would use attractive herbs that were in the cupboard and Maria would get a papa and a new brother. Life was good, she was picking out the roots when she heard it. It had been almost eight years since the last time it happened.
Her mama panicked and Liz grabbed her spear
"Mama go to your hut and make sure Michael is home safe. I have to go to the Elders" her mama hurried off and Liz went out and saw it was worse. They were already here, people were running around her screaming.
"THE SKINS ARE HERE!" people cried and she saw a skin grab at the new hunters. They had just come back and Maria was putting their spears away.
"Hey!" she bellowed and the skin looked up from leaning over Isabel she lifted her spear up and aimed then through. It went straight through his stomach piercing his seal. He turned to dust and the spear landed on Isabel's stomach. She was screaming and crying and Max was trying to help her. She hurried over and picked up her spear
"Get you to your huts and be quick about it!" she said and they hurried off. Maria had come back and she saw Max and Isabel getting attacked. She saw the spear go into the skins stomach only inches from her sisters head and she saw Liz hurry them off. Maxwell stuck around though, he picked up a spear while Michael made sure Isabel was okay and safe.
Max was standing there looking round trying to spot a skin, they didnt really look that different from humans so it was hard to tell. He spotted her and then his eyes went loud.
"MARIA!" he cried out and she felt something sharp go straight through her back and she saw the end of a spear in front of her. She had been stabbed straight through. Max was running toward her and she fell to her knees. Blood dribbled down to her chin and she fell sideways hitting the dust and coughed.
Liz ran as fast as she could but as her best friend fell with that skin standing over her she couldnt do anything. Max was running towards her and the spear was still right through her.
"Maria!" she cried and then all of a sudden a skin grabbed her. She kneed him in the groin and shoved him off then jabbed him with her curved dagger.
She hurried over and saw the skin take out a triangular device. It hovered in the air and he began to run off. Max was knelt down by her and she was dying.
He took firm hold of the spear and pulled it out of her. She cried out and Liz tried to stop him but she was distracted by the beeping of the triangle bomb. She looked up at it then suddenly it went flying up into the air and then it exploded. The blast never reached her or her injured friend.
Max was putting his hands on Maria's wounds and then they glowed. Michael appeared next to her and tried to pull her away but she was mesmerised by his actions.

They knelt down to address the situation. There was panick and chaos and this wasnt what she expected for her very first tribal meeting. Liz sat on the other side of the room looking at her with so much curiousity.
She took her position as head warrior, the skins had been defeated but the main warrior of the village had been killed. A lot of people had been killed. River Dog, her mama, the food store keepers, the healer, herself...
She was sure she died but she was sitting here ready to take her new position. There was a lot of talk among the elders who survived, who was going to take the Chief role? Some said it should be the new warrior and some said it should be the Lawman. Some said it should be the Lawkeeper and some said it should be the matchmaker.
"People we have come to agreement" said the elders and she faced them and bowed her head like the others who had possiblity for chief.
"We have signed the Chief role to the LawKeeper. Chief Valenti arise and take place as Leader" he stood up and nodded then sat down on the cushion and crossed his arms.
"This meeting is dismissed" he announced and the line stood and bowed then left.
Maria walked over to where Max and Isabel were sat on the log. They didnt have any family any more and she wasnt old enough to care for them. She could care for herself but having them as well was going to be a trial so they were going to live with the LawMan and his wife. She was set to live on her own. Liz had wandered over and she sat down next to Maria.
"I want you to perform the last rights ritual for my mama, Matchmaker" she said softly
"I shall" she replied without looking at her. Michael sat at her side and gripped her hand. He was scared for her because the skins were rising and there was an ever present threat to the tribe that became all too real for him in the last few hours.
"I should ask Max why I'm not performing the last rights ritual on you"
"Dont. I dont want to or need to think about it"
"I can see the silver through your torn tunic Maria" she said and Maria looked down "Max is a natural healer. I have mind to ask Eddie to take him on, I am going to take Isabel on as my apprentice"
"Whatever. She's not my sister now, I'm loosing my sister and my brother and my mama"
"I want you and Max to come and live with me, Michael and Isabel"
"Why? I want to stay in my hut"
"You need your brother and sister, you dont have a papa and you lost your mama. They need you too"
"I can't do anything to help them. I can barely help myself and the silver proves it" she stood up and walked off.
The fireplace was burning bright and steady and they were almost ready for the last calls announcing the dead. Liz got up and walked over to Max and Isabel
"I know you were set to live with the Lawman but I am taking Isabel on as my apprentice and I want you to come live with us as well Max" she said as she knelt in front of them.
"Thank you very much" he blushed "But I have to listen to my oldest sister"
"I am MatchMaker and you shall do as I. My word is almost as good as Chief!" she snapped. They were going to live with her and by god she would get Maria in there as well! It was a very large hut and she and Michael couldnt keep it alone.

She picked out the fine satin cloth and wrapped it round Amy Deluca empty body. She picked out two flowed and carefully put the stems through the satin above the eyes. She bound the body and waved the sign of the cross.
Then she picked out some straw wire and securely fastened the stain covered body to the stretcher. It was almost time and Max and Maria came in and carried away the stretcher. People carried out the dead on similar stretchers made of thin wood to the centre of town. It was a large funeral and the ashes were to be scattered to the winds so they would be apart of the land and air.
Liz was overseeing all of them, she had been asked by everyone to perform the last rights ritual on their dead. Once the last stretcher was laid in the fire she began.
"Amy, River Dog, Erika Allen, Adam Allen, Claudia Heviss. Last rights ritual" she said loud "Spirits be accepted by the earth and be set free from pain, from suffering and from death. It it the will of this village that they live in all as their ashes scatter" she tossed the match onto the pire and the burning began. People crowded round and began to cry.
Liz just turned and walked back to her hut. She found Maria and Max waiting there for her.
"We need to talk" she nodded and they all went inside.
"Max told me about the special thing he can do"
"I know I saw him do it. I saw a lot of things that day Maria" she said as she took down her metal pot. She still had the herbs for the bringing of Chief and Amy. She grabbed a handful and then scattered them out.
"Not working?" asked Maria nodding at the scattered herbs
"Never going to work. Not when one of them is dead" she said
"I want to tell Max about the day six years ago"
"What day?" he asked suddenly
"We found you. You, Isabel and Michael" said Liz. She looked down and saw initials in the few left over herbs.
"My!" she gasped. The initials read ME LP MP MD.
"I think there's a connection here"
"What do you mean?" asked Max and she showed him the herbs
"I think there is something destined for Max, Maria, Michael and me" she said unsurely. What could it mean? She would contact Serena, the old apprentice who know worked for her tribe in New Albuerquik.
"Match maker please" Liz looked down at the woman kneeling before her. She was sixteen now and knew anything about couples and marriage hell she was the one who performed them. It was a good sign if she blessed the union.
"Send him to me and I shall talk to him. Reveal his thoughts and feelings about you and I shall see" the lady stood up and hurried off.
"Thank you match maker!" she said as she left. Maria came into her hut and greeted Liz
"Hey Chica you ready?"
"Me yeah as always. Come on, let's get this over and done with. You know they're not going to find anything down there"
"I know. It just gives them hope" she smiled as Liz grabbed her spear from the holder in the side of the hut and they headed out.
Max and Isabel were waiting, Michael was already there. He was just a good warrior as Maria was and he was challenging her position as Warrior on the Elders Council.
Isabel was a handful and she wasnt doing her apprentice duties, she had gone into healing surprisingly and worked more with Eddie. Liz had to call Serena back as apprentice.

The desert was quiet as they slipped into the hole in the ground. Michael was waiting and he had his spear poised and ready for intruders.
"It's about time"
"Keep your pants on Little Boy you cant rush the matchmaker"
"Whatever she's still my sister and I'm older than her so she can come when I... oh hey Liz" Liz dropped down into the hole and glared at him for calling her by her name. She heard what he had just said and only made him call her by her title when she pissed her off.
"Michael I wouldnt go mouthing off. The last person who did that to me ended up in the stocks for three days. You wouldnt bad mouth the elders now would you"
"No but you're not an Elder"
"I sit at the table and I deserve as much respect as they do"
"I'm sorry"
"And for that comment Hunter, I am a year older than you" she said and he stuck his tongue out at her when she turned her back. Max and Isabel came down one after the other and they immediately got under way with Liz and Maria watching.
Ever since they found out about the cave from their sisters they had been coming down here and holding hands trying to connect and get some memories.
"It's not going to work"
"It might if you shut up" said Michael calmly. She poked him with the blunt end of her spear.
"HEY!" they all said together
"You felt that?"
"Yeah we did do it again" they held hands and this time she smacked Michael upside the head.
"Man that felt good" she chuckled
"Yeah and that hurt. Okay I take it we can feel each other when we hold hands. But what now?"
"Isabel I want you to sit down for a minute out the way"
"Why?"
"Just trust me. Every time I scatter herbs for my charges I get the same initials. Just sit out for a moment, Maria take Michael's hand" she moved and took his hand then mine. I took Max's other hand and suddenly I was flying through space. I saw stars and planets rush past my eyes and I gasped. It was too incredible and I had to let go
"My god that was incredible!"
"What was?" asked Isabel as she stood up quickly
"I saw. I think those signs were true. I think Max and I are blessed ones and Michael and Maria too"
"But I'm not. I dont belong with this"
"No Isabel it's just we're the Royal Four, you'll get your turn soon. I can feel it"
"Really? Is that a love match power or just a feeling"
"I dont know but I think it's the former" her eyes went wide and she hugged me.
I heard the sirens and we all panicked, the skins were coming here! We clambered up the hole and saw huts on fire. We raced over not bothering with our quads and got stuck in. I lost the others in the fight.
Isabel was fighting steady and I saw her dust a few skins and then she knocked down a lanky skin. She was about to stick him with the spear but she stopped. I watched whilst fighting as they stood there, another skin crept up behind her and he turned his gun on him. He just saved Isabel's life!
Pretty much half the village was wiped out. The elders were all gone except the Chief. Valenti had been in control ever since the last attack and he was still in power. Huts were destroyed and mine was gone. Maybe it was time for me to move on? There were other tribes further away from the Skins base that were much safer. I'm scared and I dont have a lot left, everything I owned was in that hut that went up in flames.
Liz is crying with Michael, I know she's going to take him away from me. It's a sad time but I dont think I could leave even if I wanted to. There is going to be a lot of rebuilding and to leave now would be cowardice and I'm not. It's not who I was raised to be. The bell in what was left of the temple was ringing and we were called in for a meeting.
We all headed there and there was only about twenty of left out of the entire village of sixty. The civils stood outside while me, Liz and a injured Eddie went in. Valenti was sat there looking worried
"Is that it?" he asked
"Valenti everyone's dead" I announced
"There's us and twenty some outside and that's it. We can't loose anymore people"
"And what do you advise warrior?"
"I say we fall back and head for warmer climates. The desert..."
"No it is far too hot"
"Yes but there are series of caves underground"
"Under the desert?"
"That's nonsense!" he laughed
"I've seen them Valenti, Matchmaker has too. They are extensive and with the heat of the desert above us the skins wouldnt venture out until night and we can guide our entrances"
"How do you know about these caves?" he asked me and I glanced sharply at Liz.
"I found my brother and sister there. Liz's brother too"
"What are you saying?"
"They are from the sky like the skins"
"They're the enemy?"
"No!" I cried "They were born different and they dont have seals! Please I wouldnt be alive if it werent for them. You could have lost me, Uncle" I saw the look on Eddie's and Liz's faces. Yes Chief Valenti was my uncle, but since my mama and my papa didnt marry he could make moves on my mom. He did before she died and he's more of a father to me than my papa ever was.
"You trust them?"
"They're not just people in the village. They're my family, and you're part of my family too. I say we take what we need and head for the underground"
"Do you two agree?"
"Yes I do"
"Liz?"
"Yeah. I think it would be better. But I dont know, I am not sure about living under ground. They forced us from our way of life and now they're forcing us underground? I hate them so, there must be a way of fighting back"
"Not when we're twenty to a colony! We need to regroup, we would never survive another attack" I told her and she nodded
"Then it's agreed" looking down
"What?"
"You remember the initials in the herbs I've scattered"
"Yes?"
"Well there's two more now. ID and AW, I think it's a prophecy. I dont have my books to read up the meanings of these old herbs. Something's coming and I believe it will bring about the end of the skins on Earth. I belive that you and I have a big part in it"
"A prophecy? Tell them out there what we're planning to do and get them to gather anything they can find and then we'll leave. I dont care if you take apart the huts. I want all the material and resources we can get our hands on" so it was written and it came to pass.

I scowled at my pot with the herbs and wondered what it meant. I had been watching the stars for an hour now and I couldnt make anything out. It was like one big messy muddle, I was sat above ground, which after recent evetns was considered highly dangerous but I had to see if this was going to happen.
I laid back and stared up at the great curtain covered the day time sky. It was dotted with holes and looked amazing. Then I saw it, I saw the Vee! The symbol under MDs initials. I wasnt sure if it was Maria or Max but I didnt care. Things were coming true and I had to write the findings down on my cave wall. It was the closest thing to paper I could have.
I was about jump down when I heard something, it was a rock shifting and I picked up my spear and readied myself for an attack.
"Who goes?" I called and a lanky boy stepped into view, he was the same one who had helped Isabel.
"Please I mean you no harm"
"I know you dont. You saved my apprentice in the fall out, why are you here?"
"I had to see her. She saved my life and I saved hers, I've never been away from the camp before but I've been told that you are weak and pathetic but when I looked up at her..."
"Isabel?"
"Yes when I saw her I saw strength and fear and anger and power. Her eyes mirrored mine and I'm turning traitor to the skins"
"Do you know what such a thing means? Isabel's sister wont be too kind on you after she discovers your reasons"
"Why who is her sister?"
"She's the surviving warrior in the group. She'd kill you without a second thought. What's your name skin?" I demanded with my spear against his chest
"Alex. Alex Whitman"
"AW?" I asked the looked down at my pot with the herbs and scattered initials. AW next to ID. I trusted him immediately
"I trust you" I moved the spear and reached out my hand
"Why?"
"Because you're part of the prophecy"
"What prophecy?"
"To free the humans. I think you're in love with the Princess" I smiled. I looked over at my bag which held my things and there was a little book made of thin sheet metal. I had managed to decode it and funnily enough most of the symbols came from aboriginal tongue. I had a clear idea who they were and soon I was going to be able to tell them. I just had to wait for the signs.
He was put in the locked cave, not that it would do much good but there were guards waiting if he tried anything.
I ran as fast as my bare feet could carry me to Isabel and Maria's house. I banged on the makeshift door made out of sheet metal and Max opened it.
"Where's Isabel?" I said barely getting it out due to short breath
"Why what wrong?"
"Nothing I just have to get Isabel to the jails"
"Why what has she done?"
"I'm not putting her in them. She has to see a prisoner there"
"A skin? Why would my sister want to talk with a skin"
"Are you questioning me?"
"No maam" he shook his head and looked down with a blush. I lifted his chin and kissed his nose just as Isabel came out.
"Izzy come on!" I grabbed her hand and pulled her off and back to the jails.
"Liz! Where are you taking me?" she cried and I just laughed. I got the guards to open the door as I took her inside. They were so into each other that they instantly forget me. Alex jumped up and grabbed her in his arms and kissed her senseless!
"I guess I really do suit this job!" I said to myself as she kissed back
"You saved my life"
"You saved mine"
"Why have you come back here?"
"I betrayed my team. I have never felt like this and I just want to be with you"
"Liz what's going on?"
"I brought him down here. He never would have gotten here if it werent for me"
"Why?"
"There is a destiny Isabel. The signs are revealing themselves every day. The planets are aligning and it's all coming to pass, soon the war shall be over. The skins shall be defeated and earth and Antar will be reunited"
"Antar? I didnt think any humans knew about Antar"
"Isabel is Vilandra" she just stared at me confused but Alex fell to his knees.
"My Princess!" he said with his face on the ground
"You're Princess of Antar Izzy, and Max is King. Michael is your general"
"How do you know?"
"I took all the things from your cave and now I have your book that says everything about you. I only managed to translate the last page but that itself is enough. You're the lost Princess of Antar, you and Alex here are going to be playing a big part in the wars end"
"Me?" asked Alex as he looked up at me
"Yep you. Get used to it because when I scattered my herbs and saw Isabel's love future. I saw your name left right and centre" he grinned wide and goofy and I smiled too as Isabel helped him up off the floor and kissed him again.
Long live my occupation!
I stood there in the dim lit cave entrance and wrapped the cloth around my head covering my face. I made sure that everything was covered and I grabbed my spear. I glanced to Liz and the others standing there. It was sure demand, anyone with serious hunting skills was to go out and scavenge. We'd survived the last two attacks so me, Michael, Liz and Eddie were going up. Isabel was back working on some new ointments and Max was asleep. Lazy sod.
I climbed up first and looked round, I saw Liz's covered hands and I reached out to help her up. She stood back facing my back on the other side of the city entrance. We peered round looking for enemies but it was far too hot for them. Liz helped Michael up then they both pulled Eddie up.
Michael was with me and Eddie with Liz and we set off. The other team headed to the forest and we headed to the Roswell Ruins.
I ran fast and hard and he did too. I remember barely running along the street as a child. A lot of us died then when they came to earth; I had no idea how I survived. I went into a shop that still had a few tins left and put them in my pack. Michael was keeping guard; I walked further into the shop and saw a dead body lying slumped against the broken refrigerator. I recognised him he was my old teacher Mr Glassheeki he taught me in kindergarten. I bowed silently then I heard Michael calling.
"Maria, hurry!" I was out of there in a shot and we set off in a mad sprint back into the desert.
They were riding a dune buggy and I saw the leader, man we were honoured. Big ass royal guy himself had come out to try and kill us. I pulled out my flare gun and aimed it at him. I went down on one knee and layed my gun over one arm and looked into the sight. I had never seen the Prince of the Skins before but when I looked into my sight I saw him. It was an exact copy of Max! I hesitated then moved the aim away from his head and down to his right shoulder. I fired and turned and ran off back to the hole. I saw Michael waiting for me, he had his warning horn in his hand and Liz and Eddie were at the edge of the trees. Eddie had always been faster than Liz so he reached here first. I jumped down into the hole and I could hear Liz getting closer.
The humming loud and it came from the opposite side, I saw the light disappear for a moment and Liz never came down.

I saw the dune buggy coming towards the hole and I knew I would never make it in time. Could it have been an ambush? I looked round and saw the Skin village off in the distance. They must have crossed over to the ruins before sun up. How stupid of me! I was grabbed and hauled up then bound my wrists with this green glow stuff and I sat there fearful of what might happen.
There was another person in the back and he had a wound to his right shoulder. I couldnt quite see his face because he was covered from the heat. No matter, they couldnt see mine either and the couldnt see my simple bag of herbs tied to my belt in a little pouch. I kept them and some of them burnt the eyes of the Skins. They were chemically allergic to it go figure! I found detailed notes from the old Match Maker about it.
We were reaching the city and I knew I would never go back. I was surprised they didnt kill me on site!
I was taken in and they lifted me out and took me into a large building.
"Call Kivar! Tell him we have a prisoner of the rebel New Roswell group!" said the man on my left who was squeezing my arm too tight. I heard the third man back at the buggy call something about the Prince. Had I been riding with the prince?
"Call a healer! The prince is wounded!" I looked back over my shoulder and saw them lift up a boy who looked exactly like Max.
"MAX!" I called but the men shook me and I was pulled round a corner
"I'm a healer! I can help the prince!" I told them but they ignored me. I was taken into a large throne room where the big head honcho himself was waiting.
"Kivar!" I spat, there was a blonde looking girl sat next to him and she looked a lot like him.
"Hello slave" he grinned cruelly "Take off her cloth!" he ordered and they removed my cloth covers. He gasped when he saw me
"I know you, I have a picture of you from my intelligence group. You're the Matchmaker, and so young. The matchmakers I've met were much older"
"Go to hell!" I growled and spat at him.
"Hell? What is hell?" asked the blonde girl at his side "Father, can I play with the new slave?"
"No Ava you can't. She's your brothers toy now,"
"King Kivar, Zan was hurt by her people" for a moment I saw real emotion come over him and he lost his cold grin.
"I can help you" I said
"Why would you want to help us? We're the enemy!"
"Please, I know how to heal him up. I have herbs that can do it"
"I dont trust you!"
"He isnt a skin like you Kivar! He's an Antarian isnt he!"
"How do you know of Antarians?"
"My little brother is one" I said and he looked confused
"You're making that up"
"I know all sorts of things. I know about Ava and Vilandra" I said and his eyes widened
"You know of Vilandra?" he hissed
"Yes I know her"
"Know her?"
"I want to help Prince Zan or should I say King Zan?"
"Father what is she talking about?"
"How can you put them as brother and sister?"
"Shut up" he snarled but I continued my courage going stronger. If I was going to die here I wanted to put the fear of god into the monster who'd killed my parents.
"Once upon a time they were Married!" I grinned and he shook his head and nodded at a guard who backhanded me.
"Baka!" I cursed as I rubbed my cut cheek, there was a small trickle of blood on my cheek.
"Take her and make sure she heals the Prince"
"Father she could kill him!"
"No I dont think she would. Then bring her to my chambers I want to have a word with her in private" he announced and I was dragged off to the Prince's chamber.
They unbound my wrists and shoved me toward the bed. They held up their hands and glared at me.
"No funny business!" snarled a pug faced goon. I moved the cloth curtain aside and saw Max but it wasnt Max it was Zan and he was hurt bad, really bad, this could kill him.
"Hello Zan" his eyes fluttered open and he looked at me
"You! You're..."
"Yes I know who I am Zan. I've seen the signs and I was very conflicted about you. You and your double, I never guess until I saw you out in the city. I never figured it out and I'm sorry"
"For... for what?" he rasped. He had lost a lot of blood
"The signs said that Max Deluca was going to die and live. I thought maybe someone healed him like you can but no. I get it now and I'm sorry. I hope you can forgive me" I leaned down and kissed his forehead. I reached into my herbs pouch and pulled out some herbs. I pulled out a little vial of Bella Donna root I had found in the pantry and pulled the cork out and poured it into his mouth. He began to struggle but I held my hand over his mouth and pressed my fingers over his nose so he swallowed it.
He coughed for a moment but then he went still. I closed his eye lids and sat back with tears in my eyes.
"I... I... I'm sorry" I whispered and the guard came up and shoved me back just as he turned to dust "I was too late!"
What had I done? I just hoped I wasnt punished for making fate come true. I had created the path now I had to walk it.
was taken away from Zan's chambers and once Kivar found out that I hadnt helped him and that it was too late he naturally blamed me. He sent me into that girls room, Queen Ava's room.
"He said I could play. You killed my brother and I'm not in the mood for playing nice" she picked up the spear I had when I was captured and held it in her hands like a baseball bat and swung so hard it snapped in two. I fell down with the pain and she hit me with the piece still in her hand. That piece still had the blade on it and when she hit me it caught my skin and left a opened and large gash on my leg. I swallowed my cries of pain because I didnt want her to hear it.
"Ava stop! You still have a brother" I cried out
"Liar" she hit me again and I groaned inwardly
"Zan was a copy! You're a copy! Of your original forms, you were Queen Ava"
"I dont believe you!"
"Please you have to trust me!" I begged her "If I was lying then when is everyone else skins? You dont even have a seal!" she stopped and held the broken spear in two.
"I... I... "
"Please you were called Ava in your old life. You came out of pods and I can take you to the other copy of your brother"
"Really?" she dropped the spear and reached for my hand "I'm bringing my protector Kyl with me because I dont trust you enough"
"Whatever just come on" I stumbled out of the room behind her and she talked to a skin with brown hair. He looked okay but I soon didnt care what he looked like because he gripped my broken arm as we walked down the hall to the door to get a buggy.

Liz was gone! Liz was gone! I had to find her!
"No Max! Get back in here it's not safe for you up there. Liz said if anything happened to her then I had to keep you safe. She was pretty sure that this was going to happen and she would be okay"
"But we dont know that! She's a high position they could kill her!"
"Listen, stop! Liz had never been wrong about her premonitions before has she?"
"No she hasnt"
"Then trust her judgement. She's fine and anyway with you being all important and everything there is no way you're going anywhere" I sat back down on the cushion and she sat down opposite me. All of us Liz had destined was here, well except this Alex boy that had taken my sisters fancy. I just hoped she was okay.

"You know that when we get their you'll be our prisoners instead of me being yours"
"When we get there I want to see my brother I dont care about you" I saw Kyl watching Ava and I wondered did he really see what my instincts were telling me? I wondered if little doses of the herbs didnt hurt them and actually made them fall for each other.
"What are you looking at?" he asked
"I was just thinking how handsome you look" since my arms were gripped behind my back I just had to go for plain old jealousy
"Shut up slave" spat Ava
"I think you're really nice. I never thought I would have feelings for a skin but I guess I was wrong" Ava stood up and slapped me hard across the face.
"What's the matter Ava? Are you jealous of me and Kyl?" she stopped and Kyl glanced up at her. Yep there was definitely something there.

He was sat there for a moment and then Isabel came running in and flung herself at him and almost killed him with her big bear hug
"Max oh thank god you're okay! I had the most terrible feeling of all! I saw you die and I saw Liz kill you it was horrible!"
"I'm fine. Liz would never kill me"
"She killed you! I saw her, she used her bella donna vial. She always kept it in case someone was in serious pain and dying. She ended your life, Max I think I saw the future and I think she kills you!"
"How did he die, what made him so hurt?"
"His shoulder. He blead to death because he had a wound on his shoulder"
"Which shoulder" I asked and she looked confused
"What does it matter? She is going to kill him!"
"WHICH SHOULDER!" I repeated angrily
"His right"
"Oh my god the double" I stood up and she looked at me
"What?"
"When we were hunting and that buggy that I shot my flare at. There was an exact copy of Max on it. I shot his right shoulder because I thought he was a shape-shifter. I never realised that it could have been another Max!"
"Is that who Liz killed?"
"Yeah it was" we all turned and saw Liz with a badly broken arm held by a Skin and another girl was standing there. Several of our guards were there.
"Zan!" cried the blonde girl and she flung herself at Max "You're real and Vilandra!" she pulled Isabel into a hug and then stood up
"Rath!" she hugged him too "Oh it's so good to see you all! Liz you were telling the truth, Kyl release her!" Kyl let her go and Max shoved past her and pulled her into the room. I stood up and dismissed the guards from the cave and Max started to heal Liz.
"I guess it's time to tell you of the Destiny I've foreseen" said Liz. What was this Destiny and why was she telling us now?
"Time has been leading to this moment"
"Here?" asked Isabel "Right here... in this very cave?"
"Yes" I knelt down near the fire and reached into the pot and pulled out the herbs.
"Kyl, Alex you might want to step back a bit" I said looking at them. I tossed the herbs and they landed on the floor in patterns. I closed my eyes and focused.
"Oh my!" gasped Maria and I opened my eyes. The herbs were floating in their pattern in mid air. I pointed to one of the initials.
"Max is the King" I said pointing to MD which was glowing brightly, my initials were next "and I am his bride"
"The hell you are!" roared Michael standing up
"Sit down now" I ordered and he sat back down and scowled at Max "I am Max's bride and Isabel is the Princess, she is to have union with Alex"
"My sister is not having a union with a skin!"
"Max dont order me about"
"Right this is getting annoying. Michael and Maria are going to be together, Max and I are together, Isabel and Alex are together and Ava and Kyl are together, right now that's out the way we can get onto saving the planet!" there was grumbles from some of them. Maria just glared at Michael and moved to the other side of the cave. Isabel linked fingers with Alex and I caught Max blushing at the floor.
"Each of us has a certain energy. It's a joint energy and that's why theres attraction. For example Maria and Michael are both warriors, that's their energy. Because it's the same that's what they are.
Max is a healer and I help people, that runs along the same line. The other two couples run on opposites. Alex is a skin and an enemy and Isabel is an Antarian and a princess you get the idea" I said
"So we have a shared energy?"
"Yes. Now on our own our energies our strong, they're even stronger when we're coupled up but when we're all together we should be unstoppable. We can finally defeat Kivar"
"Wait" whispered Ava "Kivar was my father, I can't betray him" I reached under my pillow I was sitting on and tossed the Destiny book at her
"Read the last page. He already did, he set you and Zan as brother and sister when your old Destiny was to be together. Do you still want the old Destiny?" I asked her worrying that this could change things.
"No. I saw Zan as my brother and nothing else, besides if what you say is true then Kyl and I are meant to be together"
"Good. I was worried for a moment that that might have changed things. I think it's time to form a connection and become one mind"
"One mind? Isnt that a bit dangerous?" asked Maria "I mean Michael doesnt even have a mind, he's too dumb!"
"Maria stop it. Everyone join hands, it isnt dangerous. It establishes trust and if anyone wanted to betray us and kill us then they'd have to shoot themselves in the head"
"Oh how nice" sneered Michael as we held hands. It was there and suddenly the room became so bright. Our auras intertwined becoming perfect white light. There wasnt a bad intention among us. Maria and Michael's auras were exact opposites. Hers was sea green and his was brick red. Max had a strong purple and I was light to his dark with my lilac. Isabel and Alex had both had orange and Ava and Kyl were pink and silver.
"Wow it's so beautiful"
"It's our auras. It's connected mind" I told them and then I heard single notes of music. Sounds that were uniquely theres, Max had a little beat to his music it went dum da dum. I could hear Michael and Maria's and theirs was the same. It was the beating to the old drum when we used to sit under the stars and around the fire when we were children. Isabel had a single note and Alex's had follow the leader. Ava didnt have any music she just had breathing and Kyl had an old skins song called Itawipa Doj, I heard it playing in Ava's room. Mine was funnily enough leader of the pack, my dad used to play it before the skins came and I remembered it so well.
"I can hear music"
"It's the music that makes us us. We each have a single seperate note or song that makes us who we are and now we're connected we can hear it. It's a Sharing" I told them. I looked at the fire and they all did the same. Soon the flames were licking upwards and the light moved above the fire. The energy from our auras began to dance and move above the fire taunting it up higher.
Before I knew it we were up on our barefeet dancing round the music, I had never felt so much energy inside me. I had to let it out and we danced all night.

I woke up and my feet were killing me. I looked round and saw I was on top of Michael. What the hell happened last night? Oh yeah I remember.
I was still glowing because I was so close to him. I looked round and the others were still asleep all except Liz who was sitting by the fire and a glow was emanating from her heart and she looked like an angel.
"Morning"
"Hey morning. How do you feel?" she asked me and I moved away from Michael and sat opposite her
"Wiped out. Did that really happen last night?" I inquired and she nodded.
"Ahuh, Ava and Kyl disappeared for a bit, big guess what they were doing!" she laughed
"Do you really think we can beat Kivar?"
"I hope so"
"You have doubts"
"I dont think I would be human without them" she reassured me staring deep into the fire.
"What do you see Liz?" I asked her as she stared into the fire
"Hope. I see hope of freedom" she looked up at me with tears in her eyes "I was thinking about all those people who didnt make it. Our parents, RiverDog... I wish they could be apart of this. I wish they could have felt freedom"
"They have Liz, they have"
"Warriors! MatchMaker Come Quickly!" I heard shouting and we all jumped up and headed to the source.
"What is it Eddie?"
"Enemies coming. I think it's to do with the prisoners. We wont be able to survive another attack!" Liz looked really troubled.
"Eddie go back to my cave with haste and wake the others tell them to meet me out in the desert right away" she ordered and he ran off. I took two spears from the rack on the wall and handed her one.
"Good luck" I wish I knew what she was planning. She climbed up out of the hole and I followed her. There were so many dune buggies coming towards us. Our entire planet had been waiting for this moment. I reached out with my empty hand and held Liz's hand. I hope we got through this.
I stood there holding my best friends hand as I watched Kivar and his men come closer and closer. My heart was rising in my chest and I wanted to turn and run away in fear. Everything up until this moment has been pre-decided by fate so that means this battle could go either way. I swallow nervously, this is the main front in America and if we loose then the rest of the planet is doomed.
I looked over my shoulder to see Isabel and Alex appear out of the hole followed by Ava and Kyl and then Michael who helps Max out. They've each got a spear but I think it's useless. They come and stand next to us in our pairings. I drop my spear and it slices through the air and for a moment time slows down. I know what must be done by the time it hits the floor and for that brief moment I think we have a chance to win this thing. I move into an offensive stance and grip Maria's hand and reach out for Max's. The energy cackled up between us, Max took Isabel's hand who was holding Alex's and Maria took Michael's who was holding Ava's hand and she in turn was holding Kyl's.
I closed my eyes as they reached five feet away from us and then the noise of the dune buggies stopped. I opened my eyes and saw a hundred foot high wall of energy that was still growing. The skins were still there but now they were scrabbling to get away in fear. I took a deep breath and then the wall came crashing down like a wave their seals were broken instantly and they were killed. There were one or two of them who were Antarian. Kivar was one of them. We all looked to Ava and she walked forward.
Kivar was on his knees shaking with his arms over his head trying to protect himself from the sun.
"You lied to me my entire life!" she roared "You made me believe I was like you. That I was a skin and that the boy that had once been my husband was my brother! You tricked me into making me think I was your daughter. You disgust me and I'm glad I met Liz, she is the most caring person in the world and I will enjoy nothing more to kill you for what you have done. But I wont"
I was expecting that and from the others shocked gasp I take it they weren't
"Ava what are you doing kill him!" ordered Maria but I just squeezed her hand
"She knows what she's doing"
"Liz how can you say that? He's responsible for the death of our parents!"
"Shush let her do this" I said and I turned back and watched it play out.
"Why arent you going to kill me?"
"Because I'm not a monster like you and I'm giving you a second chance" she held out her hand for him and he reached out and took it. But then he pulled her around and put a knife to her throat
"Get back or I'll kill her!" he yelled. Ava jsut closed her eyes and a tear fell down her cheek. Kivar yelled in pain and I watched as she dug her nails into his arm. The knife fell from his hand and he slowly turned to dust.
"I'm sorry Ava. He made his choice"
"I know it doesnt mean I'm any less upset. He was my father, my family"
"We're your family now Ava" said Kyl "I would do anything for you. I love you"
"I love you too Kyl" the others disappeared back into the underground to get on the telecoms to the other cities to inform them of the main base wipe out of the skins and the death of Kivar. This big lump of rock was in dire need of a celebration. Max was standing outside with me
"So you figured all this out?" he said with a smile
"I was terrified to be honest" I told him and he raised an eyebrow
"How come? You knew we were going to win didnt you?"
"No I didnt. I had no clue, I knew everything up until that moment because it was foretold but that could have gone in the skins favor"
"You could have been killed!"
"We all could have been killed, I just stood strong like I've always have. After the death of Riverdog and my parents, I've never let out any emotion and I'm about to do something I havent allowed myself to do in a long time"
"What?" he asked and I bust into tears. I just started crying and let all the sadness that's been inside me these past few years out. I felt like a river, the pain washing away over the rocks to some place else away from where I was.
"Liz it's okay. I'm here for you"
"I know. I know Max" I looked up and him and he wiped some of my tears away. He wrapped his arms around me and we shared our first kiss.
"I will do anything to make you happy Liz, I will always be here for you because I love you and only you. You make me human"
"I love you Max. You make me alive" I kissed him again and I went back into the cave and destroyed everything to predict the future. My was with Max now and it was going to be how I made it.

The End