CRASH LANDING

Smoke. Sparks. Grinding metal.

The Ice ship Aurora was falling apart at the seams. This wasn't supposed to happen!! They were supposed to be stronger then the Beast Planet, weren't they?? What was the point of the Alliance if THIS was the outcome? What was the point of losing some of his best fighters and ships just to crash land on a deserted and volatile moon? "Why did we even bother trying?" he lent a voice to his thoughts. He didn't expect an answer, yet received one nonetheless.

"Because we had hope," the soft voice spoke from a few feet away. He turned to see the silver metallic woman behind him.

"Yeah, a lot of good hope does for us NOW, Tekla!" he snapped in return. "My ships! My soldiers! They're GONE!" He hit a nearby console with his bo. It only succeeded in letting forth more sparks.

"Stop shouting, Pyrus... It won't do us any good now..." another voice replied.

Pyrus turned to see the Lady Zera enter the bridge, "Yeah, but it sure makes me feel better...." Pyrus began, then shook his head and frowned, "Well, not really..."

The ship creaked and groaned as another unfriendly storm hit it, "I hate this moon..." Zera replied with a slight shiver.

"Well, get used to it! We're stuck here for a while..." Pyrus answered.

Zera looked up at Princess Tekla, "How is he...?" she asked, voice steady as always. There was no question which he Zera was referring too -- and it wasn't Pyrus.

"King Cryos's status -- unchanged..." Tekla's constant companion, Voxx, replied.

Zera held her head high and nodded, "I think I shall go visit him…" she replied, and left the bridge.

Pyrus watched her, and frowned - disgusted. "She doesn't even look worried. Some daughter she is! Her heart is as icy as the rest of her! I mean… if that was MY dad.." he stopped. Yes. That HAD been his dad… once.

"It is a front," Tekla began, "She was brought up not to show emotional weakness in front of others…"

"And how do you know so much about it?!" Pyrus asked.

Tekla allowed a small smile, "It was how I was brought up as well…"

INFIRMARY

"Hello, Father… how are you?!" Zera asked. The figure on the diagnostic table remained unmoving. Zera looked at the bloodied bandage wrapped around the King's head, and quickly turned away. With a regal sigh, she pulled up a nearby chair and sat down, "Pyrus is being a brat again. He keeps whining about losing his ships. It's quite annoying, you know…" she turned back to her father, "You CAN hear me, can't you?" she asked. Cryos remained still. Zera shrugged her shoulders, "Well, I'm sure you can…" she closed her eyes for a moment, and her voice became soft, "I hope you can…"

Zera's thoughts were harshly interrupted by a loud beeping sound coming from the equipment attached to her father. Within moments, Jade ran into the infirmary.

Zera looked up at her, "What's going on?! What is that sound?!" she asked.

Jade ran over to the diagnostic table and took a look at the readouts, "Get Tekla in here, child…"

Zera hesitated, "What is going on?? I demand you tell me…"

"Get Tekla NOW!!" Jade snapped.

Zera didn't argue anymore, and ran to get Princess Tekla.

Zera waited outside the infirmary. What were Jade and Tekla doing to her father?! What was taking them so long?! They'd been in there for about 20 minutes now!

The Ice princess was about to bang on the door when it finally opened. Zera looked up to see Tekla walking out, "Well??" she asked.

"I'm afraid the King has taken a turn for the worse…" Tekla replied.

"And what, exactly, does that mean?! Explain!" Zera commanded.

"It means he is in a coma," Tekla explained.

"And when is he going to awake?!" Zera commanded again.

Tekla shook her head, "It could be a few days, a few months, a few years…" she paused, "Or never… I'm sorry.."

"DON'T be sorry!" Zera snapped, "DO something about it!"

Tekla shrugged, "My medical knowledge is limited! There is only so much I can do. The rest is up to your father…"

Zera narrowed her eyes, "And what can my father do?! He is in A COMA!!" she snapped. Lady Zera turned on her heel, and walked away from Tekla.

Tekla sighed, and headed back into the infirmary to take care of the other patient - Graveheart.

"Hey Zera… how's your dad..?" Pyrus asked as Zera came on the bridge once more.

"He's in a coma…" she replied bluntly.

Pyrus was startled by her lack of emotion, "And… this doesn't bother you?!" he asked.

"My father is strong. He can survive anything…" she answered, "Now.. can you figure out how to fix this thing?!"

"Well… it's really messed up…" Pyrus started, but Zera interrupted him.

"Fix it!" She commanded.

Pyrus looked at her, annoyed, "Excuuuuuse me … but who made YOU the leader suddenly?!"

"This is an Ice ship. My father is the King of Planet Ice. Since he is unable to oversee the repairs himself, it is MY duty to do so! Now find a way to fix it!" Zera explained, and walked off the bridge.

"Yeah… well… if this was a FIRE ship, I'd show YOU who was boss!" Pyrus yelled after her, but she was long gone.

Zera went into her cabin and sat on her bed. She opened the locket around her neck and looked at the picture. A family portrait. A 10 year old Zera with her father… and her mother. "Daddy…" she started quietly, "Momma's gone. You can't leave me too…." she whispered, "Please…"

"I knew it!! I knew we should have made a deal with Lamprey when we had the chance!" Femur shouted as he paced his cabin. He smacked Pelvus in the back of the head, "You're supposed to be my royal advisor!! Why didn't you ADVISE me to join with The Beast?!?"

"Your greatness… we DID make a deal with The Beast… then they double crossed us… or did you forget..?" Pelvus replied.

"A minor misunderstanding…" Femur answered. "I'm sure me and Lamprey-babe could have worked something out..!"

Pelvus rolled his eyes, "Of course, your enormousness—er--- I mean, your excellence…" Pelvus bowed respectfully.

"So.. this brings me back to my original point! Why didn't you counsel me to join with The Beast…?"

Pelvus decided it was pointless to argue, "Forgive me, great one… I was wrong.."

"Yeah.. you're darn right you were wrong!! Hmpf! Some Royal Advisor YOU turned out to be!"

INFIRMARY

"OW!" Graveheart grunted as Jade tightened the splint on his leg.

"Oh stop crying… you're a grown man for Mantle's sake!" Jade replied.

"Yeah, but it still hurts!" Graveheart answered. Jade just rolled her eyes. Graveheart became a little more serious, "how's King Cryos doing?"

Jade shook her head, "not good…"

Graveheart nodded, "…and how's Zera handling it?"

Jade sighed, "Coolly… as always. I don't understand that child…"

"As I was saying to Pyrus earlier," Tekla spoke up as she changed Cryos's bandage, "It was how she was raised. She is deeply upset, but cannot let it show…"

"Maybe that's how she would act in front of her subjects… but WE are her FRIENDS!" Graveheart replied.

"Are we really?" Tekla asked, seriously. "We see her as a child. As the King's daughter. She needs someone her own age to talk to. Someone who knows what it feels like…"

"What about Pyrus? He's the same age as her… and after losing his father I think he'd understand what she's going through…" Graveheart replied.

Tekla shook her head, "Pyrus WOULD understand.. but Zera and Pyrus are ice and fire. They do not mix…"

Jade looked at Graveheart, and smiled, "Reminds you of US when we were their age, doesn't it?"

Graveheart let out a quiet laugh, "No kidding…"

"Where's Zera?!" Pyrus commanded as he entered the infirmary.

"Shhhh!" Tekla replied as she put the finishing touches on Cryos's bandage.

"Oh… sorry.." Pyrus answered, voice low. "Where is she anyway?"

"Check her cabin…" Jade offered.

Pyrus nodded, then turned to Graveheart, "How are ya doing?"

Graveheart shrugged, "My leg is killing me and I have a major headache.. but other then that I'll be ok.."

"Hmpf.. a headache, he says. Try a concussion!" Jade replied.

"C'mon, it's not that bad!" Graveheart insisted as he rubbed the nasty purple bump on his forehead, "Although… I am feeling a bit dizzy…"

"Then lie down and rest!" Jade ordered.

Graveheart shook his head, "I gotta take care of things…" he replied as he began to push his way off the diagnostic table.

Jade held him in place, "You've got to take care of YOURSELF first. Lie down. NOW!" she snapped.

Graveheart began to protest, but she looked serious. Graveheart sighed, "Fine fine! I'll rest!" He replied, then turned to Pyrus, "Go get Zera. We'll have to think of a plan soon…"

Pyrus answered, "On my way…" and left the infirmary.

ZERA'S CABIN

Zera was startled by a loud knock on her door, "Hey!! You in there?!" a voice called on the other side.

The Ice Princess put away her locket, "Come in, Pyrus," she said. He did so. "Well.. what is it?!"

"Umm… about the repairs… well… uh…" Pyrus began, trying to find his words.

"Get to it. What about the repairs?!"

Pyrus shrugged, "The ship is totally toasted! I can't fix it…"

"WHAT?! How are we supposed to get out of here then?!" She demanded.

"Well don't look at ME!" Pyrus snapped, "It's YOUR ship, remember?!"

Zera thought for a moment, "Well… there's the homing device…"

"Homing device?!" he asked.

"Yes. It sends a message to Planet Ice. They may be able to find us and rescue us…"

"GREAT!!" Pyrus smiled, "Where is it?!"

"Umm.. well…" Zera began, "That's the problem…. It's in the cargo bay…"

Pyrus's smile quickly faded, "The CARGO bay?! The doors are JAMMED! There's no way in!!"

"Well… YOU'RE supposed to be working on the repairs! Why don't you fix it?!" Zera commanded.

"I TOLD you..!" Pyrus explained, getting annoyed, "Your ship is toasted!! I can't repair ANYTHING here! At least… not without the proper tools. Tools which are in the CARGO BAY!" he snapped. "And even then... I don't know if I can repair the navigation... or the engines.. or ANYTHING!"

"Don't take that tone of voice with me, you hothead!! It's not MY fault your piloting skills crash landed us on this stupid moon!" Zera replied angrily.

"So are you saying it's MY fault?!" he snapped.

"Yes, I am!" she replied.

"Ooooh!! Why you little….!! UGH! Never mind!! I won't waste my breath responding to that…!" Pyrus said.

"And why not?! You're full of hot air, you can spare it!"

Pyrus clenched his teeth and refrained from snapping back, "Enough…" he started, voice low, "Graveheart wants to see you..!"

Zera perked up, "He does?!" She asked. "Well then!! Why are we standing here talking?! We mustn't keep him waiting!" With that, she bounded out of her cabin past the Fire Prince. He shook his head, and quickly followed.