Crash Landing 2:

EXILES

PLANET SCRAP

"The Alliance may be able to help us!! Isn't that great, Tars?!" Alana began excitedly to her friend.

Her friend flicked his lizard-like tail nervously. "Yeah. sure they will..."

"Well, Prince Pyrus seems really sweet! He said he'd try to help!" Alana said with a smile.

Tarsal's pupils narrowed to slits. "Prince Pyrus? Who's he??" he asked.

"He's the Prince of Planet Fire, silly!" Alana answered. "Since we're both part Fire, we should be happy that our Prince is finally here!"

"What does he look like?" Tarsal asked.

"Well, he's got hair like me... and he's pretty cute," she started.

Tarsal frowned. "Cute?"

"Hey Alana!!" A voice called out.

Alana turned to see Pyrus and Zera heading her way, "HI Pyrus!!" She smiled sweetly, then turned to Tarsal. "That's Pyrus. The person beside him is Lady Zera." Then she looked back at Pyrus. "This is my friend - Tarsal," she said to the Fire Prince.

Pyrus looked at Alana's friend. He seemed to be a mix of Fire, Ice, and Bone. Pyrus smiled and held out a hand to Tarsal. "Nice to meet you..."

"Nice to meet you too.." Tarsal replied, but didn't shake Pyrus's outstretched hand. Pyrus returned his hand to his side, disappointed.

"How are you, Pyrus?" Alana asked, blinking her eyes flirtatiously.

Zera noticed this, and crossed her arms. "Hmpf.." she muttered.

Pyrus didn't seem to notice. "Fine! How are you?"

"GREAT!! So, tell me - how did things go with Lord Mantle and the whole Battle Moon thing?" she asked.

Pyrus's smile faded. "He's being stubborn. It'll take some time to---"

"Stubborn?" Zera interrupted. "The rock-head flat out REFUSED, Pyrus!"

Pyrus looked at her. "I was TRYING to be gentle here!"

"Why? They need to know the truth...!" Zera said. She turned to Alana. "I'm sorry... but Mantle has said no,"

Alana blinked as the words sunk in. "That's it??" she asked, voice quiet. "He's just going to LEAVE us here??" A lava-tear fell down her cheek, and fizzled against her skin. "How CAN he??"

"I'm sorry, Alana..." Pyrus began quietly. "I'm so sorry. I wish there was something we could do..."

"There IS!" Zera began.

Pyrus looked at her. "What do you mean?"

"I will talk to him!!" she explained

Tarsal looked at her and twitched an antenna. "And...? Would he listen to you?"

"I will make sure he does!" Zera insisted.

"But... maybe we don't have to worry after all!! Maybe the Beast will pass our planet!! I mean, it looks DEAD, right?!?" Alana said hopefully.

"The Beast may pass your planet. We didn't even know it was inhabited until we crashed here..." Pyrus explained.

"Yes, there is always that hope!" Zera began positively. "But I am sure I can convince Mantle to allow you to use the Battle Moon!"

"Zera," Pyrus started quietly, "I don't know if it will work."

"Yes it will!" She looked back at Alana and Tarsal. "I will talk to Mantle. I will CONVINCE him to let your people begin anew on one of the Battle Moons!!"

"But, if he's as stubborn as you say..." Alana began.

Zera shook her head, and raised her voice. "People's minds can change!! Have hope! IF he refuses to allow you sanctuary on the Battle Moon, then I PROMISE I will NOT let you face the Beast alone!"

Pyrus looked at her, surprised at the fire in her words. "Zera...!" he thought. "She's so sure of herself! I almost believe she can really pull this off!"

"OH!! Thank you, Zera!!" Alana said, and hugged the Ice girl.

Zera smiled at her new friends, wishing she felt half as confident as she sounded.

PLANET ROCK

Mantle looked up as the little Ice girl entered his throne room. "What are you doing here?!" he demanded.

"I've come to talk to you..." Zera began.

"If it is about the Scrap Planet, I won't hear it!.. GUARDS!" he shouted.

"LORD MANTLE!" Zera began, voice loud. "I only ask that you hear me out!!"

"Get out of my throne room.. NOW!! GUARDS!"

"WAIT!! Don't you think the Scrap people can HELP us in this battle??! Think of the WEAPONS they have!" Zera began as she heard the guards coming closer.

"GUARDS!!" Mantle repeated, then stopped and looked at Zera. "Wait! Did you say WEAPONS?!" Mantle's guards began to come into the throne room, guns ready. Mantle held up a hand for them to halt. "Explain, Ice-child!"

Zera began, "They have specialized in creating things out of nothing but bits and pieces!! Think of what they could make! Think of how they could combine the weapons of Fire, Ice, Rock, and Bone!! If we could combine our firearms together instead of striking the Beast with our different weapons, we may create something they will not be able to defend against!"

Mantle narrowed his eyes. "Do you honestly think the riff-raff on that Planetoid could possibly help with our strategic stand against the Beast??"

"Yes, Lord Mantle. I am VERY sure they could!!"

Mantle hit the arm of his throne, chipping off a piece. "You are just a child!! What do you know about fighting?? You are too young to understand WAR!! You are too young to understand the sacrifices one makes in battle!! You do not know what it feels like to have death hanging over you like a cloud!! How could you?" his deep voice echoed throughout the large throne room.

Zera looked at him, her tone serious. "I know more then you would think... sir! I KNOW what it feels like to have the BEAST Planet looming over me! Or have you forgotten that I am caught in this war as well?"

Mantle sat up straight in his throne and glared down at her. "ENOUGH! Leave me. I will NOT deal with a child!! Have your father speak to me from now on!!"

"Please, Lord Mantle! The people of Planet Scrap---" she started.

"I do not TRUST the people of Planet SCRAP ...!" Mantle interrupted. "Now LEAVE ... or should I order my guards to come forward??" he asked.

Zera looked at him, her eyes cold. "Forgive me, sir, " she said, her voice quiet but angry, "I did not realize your HEART was stone as well!" She quickly spun around and walked regally past the guards at Mantle's doorway. They began to follow her.

"Leave her," Mantle commanded. "She is just a child, after all..."

PLANET SCRAP

"It is obvious that Mantle would leave us to die just like his predacessors did!!" a Bone/Ice man began angrily as he looked at the small group that formed in front of him. "So why do we not FORCE him to take us with??"

"Glace, surely you do not intend to hijack his Battle Moons!" a Rock/Fire woman asked.

"That would be foolish, Emery! They are like fortresses!" Glace answered. "But... we need not take Lord Mantle's Battle Moon.... We merely need to take Lord Mantle himself!!"

"Glace, Flare would NOT approve!!" Emery began. The others in the group muttered their agreement.

"Who says Flare needs to know of our plan??" Glace asked.

"What are you suggesting, Glace? We abduct the King of Planet Rock?" Emery asked.

Glace's lizard-like eyes narrowed to tiny slits, "Yes, Emery... that is EXACTLY what I am suggesting!!"