He Comes in Peace

The chase was very, very short.

At the speed Kartayon was running at, it was no surprise that they arrived at Stanley park in under twenty minutes.

They stopped nearby, where there were less people for Tay to scare. He struggled to withdraw his instinctive defenses, but he did after a moment of fidgeting.

Now it merely looked like he was giving Skye a piggy-back ride.

They entered Stanley Park carefully and cautiously.

There was nothing unusual; no signs that showed any possibility of alien invasions.

As the thought ran through Skye's head, she bit back an inappropriate laugh, thinking how this was exactly like the sci-fi movies she sometimes watched on television.

The park was full of children laughing and playing in the grass while their parents lounged nearby, close to picnic tables. Dog-walkers of all sorts unleashed their canines, and they were gamboling around happily, tongues flying.

Skye was violently shaken when Kartayon rose into a standing position, though his hands were still clasped tightly around her legs.

She ended up bumping her head on the ground, while her feet dangled in the air.

"Tay!" she yelped.

He released her and the rest of her body toppled to the ground.

Skye rose in a huff, dusting herself off.

Opening her mouth and about to make a snappy comment, she was quickly stopped when Kartayon cupped a hand over her mouth.

She pulled away with a scowl. "That's filthy," she muttered, pointing at his hands.

Kartayon looked at her with an almost regal manner. "You were not the one running for your life."

Skye turned red at the statement and averted her gaze. "Do you think the ECI followed?" she asked quietly.

Without making an effort to face her, he answered, "Of course. We merely do not know where they are at the moment."

"They probably have cars, right?"

"Of course," he said again.

Skye nodded thoughtfully to herself. "And where are your people?" she questioned.

Tay was quiet for a moment. Skye walked around to face him, and found that he was in a trance once more.

She waited patiently, though rather nervously, until he had shaken himself.

"They are currently eleven miles from the Earth."

The number startled Skye. "Eleven miles?!" she shouted. She lowered her voice at Kartayon's expression. "It'll take them ages to-"

"You forget what they are traveling by."

An image of a UFO popped into Skye's head. She paused and turned the thought over in her head. "How many miles are they going at?"

Kartayon smiled slightly. "They are traveling at approximately three hundred miles per hour."

Skye struggled to do quick math in her head. "Um..."

A smile danced across Kartayon's face, brightening his features. "It means will arrive here in less than three minutes."

Dazed, Skye sat down on the grass, a sour mood returning and emanating from her.

Kartayon turned and knelt down beside her, taking her hand. "Please, Skye..." He sighed and plopped himself down beside her, though his eyes darted around the clearing.

"Please what?" she snapped.

"Please do not be so angry."

"I'm not being angry," she grumbled, though it was clear she was being angry.

"May I ask why you are upset?" Kartayon asked gently, slowly reaching forward and tilting her chin up so he could meet her gaze.

Skye sighed and looked at him. His eyes had turned into a liquid emerald color, and she felt like drowning herself.

"Why, Skye?" he said softly. "Why are you upset that I am leaving? It will save you a great deal of trouble. You can return back to your home. You need not hide with me any longer."

"I know life's easier without an alien friend," she replied in a choked voice, "of course it will. But how can I not miss you after the time we spent together?"

Kartayon seemed to wilt slightly at her words. "I will miss your company as well. But I do not belong here." When Skye turned her head away, he placed both hands on both sides of her face. "You know that, Skye."

"Of course I know that. Any idiot would know that," she mumbled.

Tay smiled, attempting to pull her in for a hug. Skye extracted herself from his loose grip.

"Don't. You're making it worse, and I didn't think that was possible."

A breath of disbelieving frustration left Kartayon. "I do not understand. Please tell me what has made you like this. I know you may miss me, but the depth of your misery is not within my comprehension."

Skye blushed again at his words. Before she could reply, a faint whirring sound entered their ears.

Kartayon stood straight up, his eyes alert.

"They are here," he said in a hushed tone.

The UFO was out of Skye's imagination.

While the bystanders screamed and scrambled for cover as the flying object came into view, the object itself was unlike what Skye had imagined.

It wasn't shaped like a Frisbee. It was more like a mix between a submarine and a race-car. Exactly how a futuristic vehicle would look like. There were no windows; the whole thing was covered in tough titanium and steel, and God knows what other elements. Some characteristics were the same as a space shuttle, but the general shape was confusing; it was hard to believe that a galactic transportation device like that even existed.

The powerful gusts of air that came along with the craft buffeted the trees all around, sending the leaves and pine needles into a frenzy.

Kartayon stepped forward.

Skye wondered whether he would be lifted by a beam of light, like the movies depicted.

He shouted in his native tongue, and the machine seemed to understand his words.

After a great grinding and shifting of gears, a portal opened in the side of the spacial device, and a steel ramp unfolded itself. The parts made loud screeching sounds, and befuddling lights lit up and blinked and whirred on either side.

Kartayon turned to Skye as the ship landed. An indescribable expression twisted his face, and he swept her up in a bone-crushing embrace.

"I will miss you, Skye."

Tears welled up in her eyes, and she pressed her face into his neck, her toes dangling a few centimeters off the ground.

She could barely piece together a proper response. In her desperation, she pressed her lips against his cheek wrapping her arms tight around his neck.

His arms wound themselves around her waist and he squeezed even harder.

"T-Tay, I-" Words failed Skye yet again.

Kartayon understood, and he smiled, touching his forehead to hers.

Their minds expanded and melded together, thoughts mixing in confusion. While the tendrils of Kartayon's thoughts were sharp, clear and seemed to pulse with knowledge and clarity, Skye's thoughts were slightly blurred and out-of-focus, thrumming softly.

A torrent of memories they had shared together poured between the connection they had with each other, threatening to overwhelm Skye.

After one last scene of their first night spent together, Kartayon withdrew his thoughts. The feeling was unpleasant for Skye, like something was siphoning something out of her head.

Skye opened her eyes, just realizing that she had closed them.

Kartayon wiped away a few more tears before placing his lips next to her ear and whispering,

"Be safe."

He took one step toward the 'mother-ship', and then another.

A fresh set of tears cascaded down Skye's cheeks. This was good-bye.

But the ECI were not going to let them escape that easily.

A nails-on-chalkboard sound penetrated their ears.

Kartayon froze and spun around, his eyes flying from the ECI vans that had just parked themselves around the perimeter of Stanley park, to the space ship that was going to take him home.

His eyes rested on Skye.

The ECI workmen got out of their cars and started running towards them.

Skye found her voice then. "Go! Go before they get here!" she shouted, right in his ear.

Kartayon turned his head and looked at her straight in the eyes.

"What will happen to you?" he whispered, wasting the precious seconds he had.

"Nothing!" It was a lie. "Well I don't know, Tay! It doesn't matter, I swear!"

Tay could feel the pulling sensation his people were casting upon him. It lured him closer, and he took a step forward.

But then more darts were being fired from the guns the ECI were holding, and it whizzed a hair's breadth away from him. The tranquilizer sunk nose-down into the dirt, and he hissed.

"Tay! For God's sake, go!"

That made up his mind. Ignoring the ghost-like calls of the Quettles twenty yards from them, and ignoring Skye's shrieked protests, he picked her up swiftly and starting running.

As Stanley Park passed from view, the ship rose out of the clearing.