As the light all around her vanished, Crystaline’s eyes shot open, with her body jolting suddenly upright.
Crystaline had been revived.
With stunned eyes, the Urashan princess stared at the faces gathered all around her. Unable to quite comprehend what was going on with all these people around her. The princess got up and ran, as far away from the stadium as her newly immortal legs could carry her.
Chapter 30
As she had fled from the Urashan stadium, Crystaline hadn’t mentally planned where she would run to. Instead, the Urashan princess just found herself ending up in the only place that she could ever retreat to - her mother’s old room.
As Crystaline stared out of the window, she realised that her heart was aching. She realised that her breaths were heavy, not from running, but instead, from the emotions captured within her heart. There was so much to take in. Too much to take in. What had even happened back there? Crystaline knew that she had died. She remembered taking her father’s blade in James’ place. Yet now, now she was alive. James was alive! Yet how? How could James be alive when the healing stone had obviously been used? The Urashan princess gave a little shudder, as another hard to fathom thought hit her. She was immortal now...wasn’t she? The healing stone had obviously healed her? Crystaline’s heart dropped. Being immortal - no. If life wasn’t painful enough, living forever would just be...what? Agony?
The princess’ desolate thoughts were quashed by the sound of someone entering through the doorway. The footsteps were not the usual sound of Crystos’ heavy feet. Instead the steps were soft, tentative.
As soon as Crystaline turned to face the room’s enterer, her pain stricken heart gave a sudden little lurch. What was he doing in here? He never came in here. This room, it had always brought him too much pain. Why was her father in here? Watching her with such an anguished agonised face? The fragile looking man seemingly no longer able to move a single further step towards her?
As Crystaline continued to silently watch her father, she realised that her hands were sweaty, clamped up into their own ball of anxiety. The Urashan princess realised that she, too, was immobilised on the spot, just like her father.
For a while, both father and daughter continued to silently stare at one another, neither of them able to quite articulate into words what to say to the other. Then at last, Cryston’s shaky voice sounded.
“You remind me so much of her. I mean, it’s not just your voice, or your long dark hair, or those beautiful eyes. No.” The king shook his head, taking cautious little baby steps even further into the room. “It’s your heart. You have such a warm heart, such a loving heart...” The king paused suddenly, clasping his chest as a horrifying thought hit him.
“And I...” the king continued on, his eyes desperately searching Crystaline’s for any sign of forgiveness. “What am I? What have I become? What did I do to you? No father should ever subject his daughter to what I have put you through. What am I, Crystaline?”
With her face displaying the same anguish as her father’s, Crystaline’s rouge lips eventually parted.
“You’re my father. I love you.”
With tears streaming down his pale bony cheeks, the king shook his head, taking faster steps towards his daughter this time.
“No, no, no! I do not deserve your love, Crystaline! Look at me! Look at the monster I am!”
“You’re just unhappy,” Crystaline softly whispered, “heartbroken. Pain can bring our evil out. But you...you’re not evil...you’re just sad. You miss her...” The Urashan princess winced, watching as her father flinched in pain. “Happiness...” Crystaline went on, thinking of James and what he’d told her in that cave, “happiness is a choice. You can choose to be happy. I...I think I know that...I think I understand that now. Father, you’ve got to let go of the past. You can be happy if you so choose.”
“No,” The king breathed, gently placing both his hands on each side of his daughter’s face. “It’s too late for me, my dear. But you, it’s just the beginning for you. Happiness is yours. That human boy...he loves you. He truly genuinely loves you.”
Crystaline’s heart froze, her positive thoughts quashed by her guilt.
“I betrayed him. He’ll hate me now.”
“No! No he doesn’t! That boy was prepared to die for you. Why do you think you’re stood here now? He was prepared to sacrifice his own life so that you could have yours!”
As the princess remembered her confusion, her eyes searched her father’s for answers.
“How?” She whispered, “how is he still alive? I thought...”
“You thought wrong. I lied, Crystaline. I’m so sorry, but I lied. I just wanted a human dead. See what I have become?”
Crystaline raised an eyebrow, her face still torn.
“Then why didn’t you?”
“Why didn’t I what?”
“Kill him.” Crystaline answered. “Why didn’t you kill James when you had the chance?”
“Because...” the king began, looking a little lost, “because I want you to be happy. I need you to be happy. It’s too late for me. But for you, you have that whole entire Universe within your reach. If you’re happy then I shall find my inner peace.”
Crystaline shook her head grimly, remembering her newfound, and unwanted powers.
“How can I find everlasting happiness, father? Throughout my whole, everlasting immortal life, all I can expect is to lose and suffer. I’ll lose not just one loved one, but everyone. Everyone will leave me.”
“Yet you understand that you can choose happiness? It’s all about grabbing life, Crystaline. It’s about taking any opportunity which presents itself to you. It’s about belief, belief that you can be happy. Crystaline, we live in a Universe which is teeming with possibilities, so many beautiful, miraculous and endless possibilities. There is no definite in this Universe. You may live a long everlasting life with the ones you love. You won’t know unless you try. And besides, you won’t be going alone.”
“Going? What do you mean?”
Before Cryston could even answer his daughter’s question, the princess’ golden eyes had already spotted his answer. Crystos was stood at the door’s entranceway, holding two, large purple travel bags. Crystanaphy was by his side.
“You don’t really think I’d let you travel alone with a bunch of humans, do you?” The king grinned, “someone’s got to look after you, make sure that James boy treats you right.”
Crystaline’s mouth gaped open, her mind unable to fathom what was going on,
“I don’t...I don’t understand...I can’t...I can’t leave you.”
“Don’t worry,” the king assured his daughter, “Crystanaphy shall look after me. You must go, grab that happiness, Crystaline.”
The top corner of Crystos’ lip curled into a little boyish grin,
“If we run, we can still catch them.”
Feeling the excitement pouring into her body, Crystaline’s breaths grew heavy,
“How fast do you think we need to run, brother?”
“Oh, very fast, dear sister. I hope you’re ready for the challenge? And I hope you’re ready to lose this race to the ship with your brother?”
“Never!” Crystaline grinned, “never will I lose to you. I’ll be running like mad to reach James. Trust me.” Before her sprint, Crystaline turned to her father one last time, “I love you, father, if I can be happy, then so can you. And besides, you can’t get rid of me that easily. I will be back. Urasha has not seen the last of me or Crystos.” Content with her father’s returning smile, Crystaline turned on her heels, running with all her might, side by side with her brother to catch up with the one she loved.
As the king watched his two children running for the Universe outside the bedroom window, he felt Crystanaphy’s comforting hand reaching his shoulder.
“You did the right thing. You’re not as bad a man as you think, Cryston. She would be proud.”
“I hope so.” The king agreed. “I may nev
er see Crystaline or Crystos again. I thought the healing stone would heal my sickness. But the fact is, I am dying, Crystanaphy. I don’t regret keeping it from Crystaline or Crystos, because they will be happy, and I hope, I hope so much that this beautiful Universe and its endless possibilities does not let me down. I truly hope that I will soon be reunited with my darling, Crystie. And then we can both proudly watch down on our two children together.”
***
James placed his finger on the Earthship’s dining table, swirling his finger around and around, paying no attention to Lottie who was sat opposite him.
Being back here, inside the Earthship reminded James of returning home after a really good memorable holiday. A holiday which the young space warrior just never wanted to end. This ship, even though it wasn’t even home, it just felt like home. It felt plain, bland. Something was missing.
At last, James’ eyes lifted away from the table to meet his best friend’s anxious little peepers. The poor young woman was ghost white, and at a loss for words too. Without uttering out a single word, Lottie removed the necklace from around her neck, proffering the gorgeous jewellery out to its real owner. With a pained expression on his face, James took his father’s necklace, and placed it back around his own neck.
“Are you okay?” Lottie’s voice eventually sounded.
James didn’t quite know how to answer his best friend’s question. Was he okay? He was alive. He was back with his human team. The mission to Nebowska could continue, but...but Urasha. Crystos, Chugga-chugga, Crystaline! Something just didn’t feel right. Everything was just chaotically swirling around and around inside the young space warrior’s mind.
With a sudden movement, James raised himself free from his chair, and he ran straight for the ship’s exit. The rest of the human group were not far behind the young space warrior.
***
Crystaline was running, sprinting as fast as her legs could possibly carry her. This was a race against time! She and her brother, they had to reach that human ship before it took off into the Universe. The Earthship was close - Crystaline could see it. The Urashan princess slowed her run. She could see people. Who was it? Was James there? It looked like they were all there? Crystaline’s run turned into a tentative walk, just as her brother’s feet mimicked her own.
James’ face, it was so so torn! Crystaline took note of her own heavy breathing, and she realised that she probably looked the same as James.
Eventually, James and Crystaline reached one another, stopping their walking to allow a couple of metres distance between them.
“James...” Crystaline panted, realising for the first time today that she had absolutely no idea what to say to James and his friends, who had all gathered behind him. “I’m so sorry.”
“Bullshit!” Phil intervened, “you almost had him killed.”
As the pain of the human captain’s words hit her, Crystaline took a moment to look into each and every human’s eye. Yes, what she had done was awful. The Urashan princess could completely understand why they would all be so hostile towards her. But...if only...if only she could explain herself?!
“I’m sorry,” Crystaline repeated, apologising not just to James this time, but instead, to all of his friends, too. “Ever since...ever since my mother...” the Urashan princess continued on, her eyes fixing on James’, “I’ve not been me. I’ve been so lost. I just always felt...I always felt like I was trapped in this room, this pitch black room where I just couldn’t see anything at all. I could feel nothing but fear, sadness, and the darkness all around me. There was no door, no way out, or at least, I didn’t think there was anyway...because...it was just so dark in that room. I had lost all hope of ever getting out, so I just succumbed to the pain. I accepted that it was my life. But then you...you entered my life, James, and when you did, I started to see little flickers of light, until eventually, this door which I never knew existed just flung open, pouring the light and happiness into my life. I don’t know how it is for you, James, but I know how it is for me...and there’s something, something that I need to give to you right now.”
As her words came to a halt, an impassioned Crystaline walked up to James, encasing her body within his impressively strong arms. She wrapped her own arms around his neck, pressing her heavily beating heart against his.
“I love you,” she whispered, pressing her soft rouge lips against his. As he returned her kiss, stroking her body, caressing her lips with his, Crystaline felt her body exploding. It was like a firework of passion had just gone off inside her. This feeling, it was electrifying!
“I love you, too.” James whispered into the princess’ lips, fervently whispering out his words between the beautiful kisses, “my life changed...when I met you...Everything changed...I can’t leave without you.”
A heavily breathing Crystaline grinned into James’ cheek, smiling smugly at her brother carrying his and her belongings.
“We were kind of hoping you’d say that. I want to explore the Universe with you.”
“Then come with me, both of you.”
“No!” Lottie practically screeched, forcing a bewildered James to turn and look at her. “They can’t come with us. What is this? You’ve changed, James. What is wrong with you?”
“I love her!” James proclaimed, searching pleadingly into the tormented eyes of his best friend. “Everything has changed. I’m in love, and if they can’t come with us, then I have no choice but to stay here on this planet with them.” James turned his eyes to Phil’s, his captain’s, realising that his fate rested in this very man’s hands.
For a while, Phil stared straight back into James’ eyes, watching with a mixture of confusion and horror as he tried to fathom what was going on. Then at last, the wait was over. The human captain voiced out his decision.
“You leave me no choice. I would say welcome aboard, Crystaline, Crystos. But instead I’ll just stick with you’d better come aboard.”
At that moment of hearing his Captain’s words, James couldn’t stifle his smile, as he held Crystaline closer into his body.
“You hear that?” He beamed, “you’re coming with us!”
Crystaline gave James the biggest grin he had ever seen.
“Thank you, thank you for allowing me to choose happiness.”
With his arm still wrapped around the Urashan princess, his princess, James began to lead her and her brother inside the Earthship, relieving Crystos of Crystaline’s bag.
Once everyone was back on board, James carefully chose his seat, sitting himself next to both Crystaline and her brother.
With excited gleaming eyes, Crystaline turned to James, feeling the ship vibrating with energy all around her.
“So,” she grinned, “where to next?”
“We’re on our way to Nebowska!”
Epilogue
Machty, a Nebowskan Warrior slowly awoke, feeling the searing hot ground beneath him smouldering his face. As he lifted his head to study his surroundings, The Nebowskan Warrior was horrified by what he could see. The sky was dark, black almost. The ground was red, covered by boulders, covered by pools of lava. Machty felt sick, remembering the moment he had been knocked out, taken from his home, taken here, to this hellish place.
Machty got up, fighting his way back onto his feet, fighting his way through this hellish landscape. Even the air here, it tasted stale, and acidic, as it burned away in his mouth.
For a while, Machty navigated his weak body across this landscape, passing boulder after boulder. Until eventually, a horrifying sound halted his movements. Something, something was here, he was not alone. The Nebowskan quickened his pace, desperately trying to flee from whatever it was that was following him. Machty knew, he knew that he could run all he liked, but there was nowhere, nowhere to hide.
“EEEEEEECCCCCCCHHHHHHH!”
Machty recoiled in pain as the horrific screech sounded, deafening him. He fell back onto the red hot ground, agonised by the screeching. Then he felt it. He felt yet mor
e pain. His entire body was burning up. He could see the searing flames all around him. He could see bodies; thin, demonic bodies all around him, clawing away at his body, dragging him further and further into the heat, into the flames.
With one final cry for his life, Machty screamed, and then he was gone, completely and utterly lost within the hellish flames.
TO BE CONTINUED…
Thank you for reading the first book in my series. Book two (Onto Nebowska) is well underway!
Happy 21st birthday to my best friend, Leah! I’m more proud of you than words can possibly say. You are a true example of one of life’s fighters. You’ve more determination and willpower than you even realise. It’ll take you far in life, I know it will.
KEEP TAKING THEM PHOTOGRAPHS, Princess! One of these days, the world is going to see all of your beautiful pictures displayed in books and magazines all over the world!
I can’t wait for your 21st birthday, girrrrrl! We are going to have so much fun!
Copyright © Laura Hopgood 2014
Table of Contents
Section 1
Section 2
Diversion To Urasha (Space Era Book 1) Page 31
