| Chapter Seven The Kidd had a complete set of new scrapes and bruises from his last training session with Matt. He rubbed his aching shoulder but smiled broadly. Tomorrow, Matt had said, they were going to begin learning about weapons. With the Queen gone Anday had been giving the Kidd a harder time than normal. His usual side-ways wise-cracks had now become more open and noticeable. Squirt, on the other hand, began showing up in more places asking Matt questions about what it was like to be a drifter and why his hair was blue. It became so bad that Chibi started to make strange noises whenever Squirt was around. At the moment Matt was alone in his room looking at his reflection in the mirror. His hair was especially spiked and unruly today. He didn't do anything to it, it just sort of grew that way. His eyes were looking disturbingly blue this morning, though they usually looked like that. "Are you ready for your breakfast?" came a familiar small voice. "Oh, yeah, bring it in." "Sir," said Alyx placing the tray down, "Do you know something about Anday?" "Know what?" he asked examining his food. "Why he acts the way he does." "What do you mean? "Well, like, you know. Why he doesn't like you?" "He doesn't like me?" Matt said sounding thoroughly hurt. "No, he is so mean to you. Do you know why?" "Why?" "He's jealous," she pounded her fist on the table and then looked surprised at her own outburst. "Jealous?" "Yes, and uh...well, he's just jealous." "Why is he jealous...Ohh..! Because of Chibi....He wants a flying squirrel, of course! I can see that." "No it isn't that sir Matt." "Then what is it?" the Kidd asked scratching his head. "Many reasons...but number one you're a very good pilot. Number two lots of people like you, and you're catching the fancy of a few girls." "What're you talking about?" Matt laughed, "Anday is supposed to get all the girls, isn't he? I thought everyone liked him." The small elf shrugged. "That's probably why he doesn't want you here. He doesn't want you stealing all of his friends, he doesn't want the competition. Anyway, watch yourself, he seems to be in a foul mood today." Alyx patted Matt's hand and ran out of the room. *************************** Balthasaar's lord paced up and down the palace corridors. His arms were akimbo and an irritated look was etched across his face. "Where is the Queen?" he asked impatiently. "She's supposed to be here soon," Erin replied calmly, "I'm sure she'll be back any minute Scoot." "But the people are hungry now," he said steadying his voice. A girl ran into the hallway and nearly collided into the back of Scoot. "Oh," she said, "I'm sorry, its just that...Lord Scoot, if I may have a word?" She had bright brown eyes and her silvery blonde hair was pulled back neatly into a ponytail. "Yes certainly, what is it Ginny?" "The citizens are beginning to riot. Our guards are keeping them from using magic for just now but I don't know how long they will hold out, I think they're planning to set something on fire. If they start using magic though, who knows what will happen." "Where is Hannahoko!?" Scoot said no longer trying to hold back his anger, "What kind of a queen is she?!" "A good one?" Erin offered weakly in defense for her friend, "Look on the bright side, Russia is probably going to sign another peace treaty." "Yes, I heard about that," said Scoot, "What moron decided to send Tyler?" Erin simply smiled and did not answer. ******************* Matt was walking down the halls having a lively conversation with the lint balls when Chibi began making very strange noises indeed. The man with gray eyes was walking towards the Kidd and he wasn't alone. Beside him a tall young man with blonde and teal hair was in his usual cocky stride. "There you are!" said Squirt, "I've been looking all over the place for you! Anday.." The Commander cut him off, "Squirt here seems to think you're a better pilot than I am. And since the Queen is gone, why not settle this once and for all?" Matt raised an eyebrow, "What do you have in mind?" Chibi chirped loudly and then produced a growl-like sound from deep in his throat. "A course through the unmapped section of Neptune that Squirt and I have set up. Of course, by that I have the advantage, so you can take a run through first," Anday may have been conceited but he was fair. "Okay,"said Matt, "When?" "Now, the queen is coming back at any moment." "Alright then, let's get to the docking bays," Matt said. When they reached the docking bays a large grin spread across the Kidd's face. The Sudden Dawn was practically glowing. He ran over to it and could almost see himself perfectly in it. "Yeah, don't get all cocky, Ballenger. It doesn't matter how pretty your ship looks, it’s all in the piloting." Of course, the Commander said this while his ship could have been in some sort of cleaning product infomercial. If you like TV, that is. Of course, television isn't very popular on Neptune, is it? Anyway, skipping along in the story we find our characters flying to the uncharted parts of Neptune. "We agree on the rules now," Anday said over the com, "First one to finish the course or last to crash, wins. And Squirt is the judge." "Okay, works for me. Hey, would it be cheating for me to bring Chibi?" Matt said still thoroughly convinced that Anday wanted a flying squirrel, "You know Anday, if you would like I could get you a squirrel friend, Chibi has a lot of connections.." "Shuddup Ballenger! I don't want a squirrel, come on.." They finally reached the unmapped section of Neptune. It was a large area of cliffs and rocks, completely unsettled by any life form. The two young pilots soared through a very long, complicated, and dangerous course. It was stupidly risky at the speed they were traveling but at the speeds they were going to attempt they would be extremely lucky to survive. "Got it Ballenger?" The commander asked at the end of the course. "Yes, let's go." At Squirts word they tore off through the air. Anday took the lead when they reached a narrow gap between two cliffs. It wasn't long though, before their small crafts were directly next to each other. The Kidd looked through the view port and grinned. "That kid needs to be taught a lesson," Anday said to himself. The Commander increased his speed and swiveled his ship sideways to fit through the cliffs again. The two reckless pilots quickly swerved upward to avoid crashing into the rock face. In their upward ascent Matt gained the lead. They burst out of the gap with such speed that Squirt, who was waiting at the top of the plateau, could scarcely follow their movements. They raced along the plateau dodging random brush when Matt suddenly disappeared. They raced downward between the crag until they reached a cave within the rock face. The types of rocks that lined the cavern walls dimly lighted it. Matt was still in front through the constricted areas. He could just barely make out the light at the end of the cavern, he knew at the end he would have to maneuver a sharp turn to the left. Anday knew this too with the thought of what would happen if he were to run into the giant wall. What would happen to Neptune if Commander Anday Stamatkin were to abruptly collide into the great wall? Was this race that important? The two sides of Anday's pride grappled with each other. He thought of the girls that would miss him terribly if he left this planet. The light grew bigger and bigger at the end of the tunnel, it was too late to turn back on the contest now. They burst out of the cave and made a hard left, narrowly missing the rock face. They soared through the thin gap before abruptly turning upward. They traveled along very flat ground, the end of the course was near. Anday squinted his eyes to see the finish lines but he saw something else instead. “Hey Ballenger, do you see that?” “Wha’? Oh, sorry, this penny is just so...so....radiant” “What’re you talking about? Don’t you see that thing out there? I think something is moving.” “Eh? I guess, but I don’t really see anything. The finish line is just up ahead?” “No, it isn’t that, there is something. It’s probably Russians! Come on!” The two youths flew across the undeveloped ground, both seeming to have forgotten their race. As they neared the moving objects they realized that the intruders were nothing less than penguins. Not ordinary penguins that inhabited Neptune’s polar caps but ones with black backs, they resembled penguins from Earth. The penguins were moving around, and it looked as though they were perhaps building a structure, but Anday couldn’t be sure. They slowed down their crafts and flew close to the land. “What do you think that is?” Anday asked. “Penguins,” Matt said and he narrowed his eyes. “What are penguins doing here?” “Mona.” was the only word Matt uttered. “Mona?” “...and others. We have to get out of here,” the Kidd’s voice was suddenly more serious than the Commander could imagine would come from him. “We have to tell the Queen, no, wait. Not Hannahoko, she will panic, I’ll tell Matt. Come on,” the Kidd muttered not realizing he was still talking over the com. “Matt!” Anday bellowed, “What are you talking about? What’s wrong with you?” “Huh? Oh? I donno, what was I saying? Oh, right, we have to go now. I’m really hungry.” “You’re hungry?” “Yes, I haven’t really eaten all day. Let’s go home.” “What about the penguins?” “What penguins?” was what Matt responded and began to fly back to the palace. “Fine! But I won the race!” ************************ Hannahoko stormed into the castle, her cloak though tattered and dirty still held the refined look it had when first tailored. “What is going on here, Scoot?” she demanded her eyes flashing. “Your majesty,” he said matching the authority in her voice, “I might ask you the same question.” “Watch your tone, Scoot.” “Or what, your majesty?” his words cut sharp, very unlike his usual gentle tones, “You’ll destroy our nation? You’ll allow a moron to defend our nation? You’ll permit murderers in the street? Stop me anytime Hannahoko! I could go on for awhile.” “One person, in self defense,” she said through clenched teeth. “You lie! Hannahoko, when will you open your eyes? You have a nation to run and advise. Pull yourself together and see the obvious!” “I would have thought you of all people, Scoot, would not be taken in kitchen rumor.” “Hannahoko! This isn’t the point right now. Right now you have a country under siege, Tyler as a diplomat, not enough food to feed your citizens and a riot in the streets. You need to focus.” |