CRASH LANDING

Caves and dust. That was all they could see.

"Do you think they're friendly?!" Zera asked Pyrus as the two followed the rubble and unidentified footprints.

"Who?" Pyrus asked.

"The inhabitants of this moon…" Zera explained.

Pyrus let out a sharp laugh, "Yeah… friendly aliens who steal from a damaged ship! Think again!"

"Well… you are making an assumption! Perhaps they do not know any better.."

Pyrus rolled his eyes, "You keep thinking that, Princess!"

Zera sighed, "You'll never be a peacemaker, Pyrus, if you always think the worst of people,"

"Planet Fire has lasted this long without peace…" he answered.

"But do you really want to be at war forever, Pyrus?? I would think you'd want something better for your planet then that.." Zera replied, and walked on ahead of him. Lightning streaked across the sky once again, "Who could live in such an inhospitable climate?!" Zera asked.

Pyrus shrugged, "Who knows! How long have we been walking anyway?"

"About five hours.." Zera replied.

"Five hours?! Geez! How far did these people get with our stuff!?!"

"The rubble and footprints continue a long way. I'd say they got very far!" Zera answered.

A drop of rain came down… then another.. then another, "No! Water!! I have to find cover!" Pyrus said.

"There are a few caves over there…" Zera pointed in the distance.

"Oh no!! Not if they're as cramped as that air duct!" Pyrus replied.

"You really ARE claustrophobic!" Zera said.

"I am not!" Pyrus insisted.

"Please! I saw you in the air duct!! You were hyperventilating, Pyrus!"

"I … well… I… oh.. let's just get to the cave, ok?!" he said, and ran on ahead. Zera followed him.

The young girl watched the strangers from afar. Yes. She knew what they were looking for. Of course, her people shouldn't have taken it in the first place when they had found survivors aboard the stranger's Ice ship. If the two creatures from Planets Fire and Ice were to find their homing device, they would also find her people. She could not let that happen. They had been happy here for 4 generations. These strangers had no right to interfere.

She would return their equipment… and they would be none the wiser.

"It's getting warm in here.. could you put that out?!" Zera asked.

Pyrus sat in front of the small fire he had started, "Well, move away if it bothers you that much!"

"Move WHERE?! We are in a CAVE, Pyrus!" Zera replied.

Pyrus frowned, "Fine! Geez.. you're so annoying!" he said, and quickly extinguished the fire.

Zera opened the back pack she had taken with her from the Aurora, "Are you hungry?" she asked.

"Yeah! Whatya' got?!" he asked.

Zera pulled out a ration bar, "Uh… this… whatever it is.." she said, and handed it to him.

"Thanks!" He replied, and unwrapped it. Zera unwrapped one for herself as well. They both took a bite… and matching looks of disgust crossed their faces. "Man.. this is AWFUL! Bleh!"

"No kidding! Yuck!" Zera added.

Pyrus looked at her, "You know something?" he began with a smile, "This is the first time we've agreed on something…"

Zera looked at him, "Yes.. it seems we can agree when something tastes awful!" Zera shrugged, "Of course, you know that is ALL we'll ever agree on!"

Pyrus sighed, "That's because you're so serious all the time!!"

"I am not!" Zera insisted.

"Are too!"

"Am not!!"

"Are too are too are too!!"

Zera stood up, "I don't have to take this!!" she walked to the mouth of the cave, and looked back at him, "... am not!" she snapped, and stepped outside.

"Are too.." Pyrus said to the empty cave. He shrugged, "What does she know anyway!" he muttered to himself.

A loud crash of thunder echoed outside. He heard Zera scream, and within seconds she was back in the cave, hovering beside him. Pyrus looked at her… and began to laugh, "You're scared of a little thunder??!!" he said.

"I am not!!"

"Let's not start THAT again! It's ok to be scared, you know! Everyone is scared of something," Pyrus said.

"Like you are scared of enclosed spaces?" Zera replied.

Pyrus opened his mouth to protest, but stopped. Instead, he frowned, "Yeah.. ok.. so maybe I am!" he looked back at her, "And what are YOU scared of, hmmm?? Thunder?" he teased.

Zera looked at the ground, "I am scared of…" she hesitated, then spoke again, "I am scared of losing my father…" she replied quietly.

Pyrus was taken aback, unsure of how to respond, "Oh.. uh.. I see…"

"I know it's silly…. But…"

"No… no it's not silly…" Pyrus interrupted. "I know how you feel," he sighed, "When I lost my parents, my whole world came crashing down around me. I was suddenly thrown into the position of Ruler… and I didn't even have time to grieve! My worst fear came true. I was hoping just to be a kid for a while… then I'd be ready to take the throne eventually," he shook his head, "But it didn't happen like that. And… my parents… I miss them so much still…"

"Oh… I'm sorry, Pyrus…"

"I mean.. I wanted to be like you! You said you'd stowaway in the air ducts on the Aurora so you could go on adventures with your dad... That's what I wanted to do!"

"That… isn't exactly true…" Zera said.

Pyrus looked at her, "Whaddya mean?" he asked.

"The real reason I snuck aboard the Aurora and hid in the air ducts was because…" she took a deep breath, "Well… it was after I lost my mother.. and… I just wanted to be with my father no matter what! I was afraid I'd lose him too. I was afraid one of his soldiers would come home and say we're sorry, Lady Zera.. but your father…" she shook her head, and snapped back to her icy exterior, "Anyway! Enough chat! We should sleep…" she pulled a blanket out of her backpack, and lay down.

Pyrus followed her lead, and curled up a few feet away. After a few moments, Pyrus spoke again, voice quiet, "I hope your dad gets better, Zera... and… if you ever need someone to talk to…"

"Thank you, Pyrus…" Zera interrupted coolly. "Now go to sleep…"

Pyrus sighed, "G'night, popsicle girl!"

Zera smiled, unseen by Pyrus, "Good night, lava-head!" she replied.

With that said, the two quickly fell asleep.

The next day, Zera and Pyrus followed the rubble and footsteps again. They discovered something along the way, "What is this?!" Zera asked as she looked at the tracks in the dirt.

"I dunno.. looks like some sort've… terrain vehicle tracks!"

"Terrain?! But how?! What equipment do these aliens have that they can create such a vehicle??"

Pyrus shrugged, "You got me! Think we should follow?!"

"How long do they go on though?!!"

"There's only one way to find out!"

Zera nodded, "Follow them!"

Suddenly, the search was interrupted with the crackle of Zera's portable communications console, "Jade to Zera… are you there, child?!"

Zera took the device out of her pack and spoke, "Yes.. we are here, Jade.. what is it…?"

"The sensors just found your homing device…" Jade began.

"What?!!? Where??!" Pyrus asked.

"It's on the ship!" Jade explained, "And it's been turned on,"

Zera and Pyrus looked at each other, "That's… really weird! I mean.. it WASN'T there when we left!!" Pyrus started, voice low. Zera nodded, and her antennae began to twitch. Pyrus noticed, "What is it??"

"I sense something…" she began, then turned around, and started slowly walking in a different direction.

The ice creature sensed her. That just wouldn't do. She would have to find a way to distract the girl.

"What's that?!? YOU THERE!" Zera shouted to a blurry figure lurking behind a rock some distance away. Suddenly, a flash of light distracted Zera for a moment. When her eyes focused again, the figure was gone.

"Woah!! WHAT was THAT?!" Pyrus asked as he came up behind her.

"It was… a girl, I think.. but.. she seemed to be…" Zera shook her head.

"She seemed to be WHAT?"

"Well, I did not see her very well.. but.. she looked like she was from planet ice…"

"You mean, there are OTHER people from Planet Ice here?!" Pyrus asked.

Zera shook her head, "No.. that's impossible… She couldn't be!"

"Why? Maybe they crashed and…"

"No… that flash. It was FIRE, Pyrus!! My people do not have that power!!"

Pyrus's eyes went wide, "But.. MY people do!!"

Zera shook her head, "How could one from planet Ice have Fire power? Impossible!"

"Why don't we investigate?" he asked.

Zera shook her head, "No.. we can't. We don't have time. My father needs me. The homing device has been activated, and I must be there!"

Pyrus sighed, disapointed, "Fine... let's go then…" Zera nodded, and the two started the long walk back to the Aurora.

"Sensors have found an Ice ship in orbit, Zera. I told them about the condition of King Cryos. They will be able to help him with those nanonite thingies you use…" Pyrus explained.

Zera let out a sigh of relief, "Thank the great glacier!" She said. She turned to Pyrus, "And thank you… Pyrus…"

Pyrus shrugged, "For what?"

"For being there… you DID help me. I appreciate it…"

Pyrus smiled, "You're welcome, Zera,"

Zera returned quickly to her regal posture, and her voice became cold once again, "You DO know that this still does not make us friends!" she started.

Pyrus continued to smile, "Of course not!" he said, and headed back to his cabin.