Hero

Galaxy: Kalacatin
Planet: Xcojhn
Location: Kremenevka River
Time: Twenty minutes after being pushed into the Kremenevka River

"Mijhan, hurry up," T.J. called, watching as bubbles escaped his mouth.

"What about mom?" Mijhan asked, the current swirling her cloak and dress around her body.

"We'll see her again," T.J. assured her, walking past underwater plants to get closer to her. "Come on," T.J. gently pushed his sister forward, as she hugged herself, the current starting to get cold. They walked for a few more minutes, before finding an unbearably cold patch of water.

Mijhan began to bring heat to herself by making a light shine from her right hand. "Mijhan, no," T.J. gasped, when he saw a light farther down the riverbed. Mijhan quickly let the light go out, startled.

"What's the matter?" Mijhan asked, shivering, as ice chunks zipped by them on the current.

"I'm not sure," T.J. frowned as the light disappeared. "Come on," T.J. started to swim up the banks to a cave. The two ended up following cave until they made it back to the surface.

"T.J. I'm cold," Mijhan shivered, her teeth chattering as her brother took off her cloak, to wring it out.

"We'll be able to warm up soon, we're almost there," T.J. put his sisters cloak back on her, then quickly wrung out his own. "Come on," T.J. began to walk towards the entrance of the cave and to the launching pad of the escape pods. "Quickly, Mijhan," T.J. whispered, as he helped her into a pod. A sharp yell could be heard in the distance, making T.J.'s heart skip a beat with anticipation.

T.J. followed Mijhan into the pod, closing the hatch behind him. Pressing his right hand on the cosole, he began to turn the system on, praying nobody found them. "Come on, come on," T.J. hissed under his breath, as the engine warmed up.

"T.J." Mijhan squeaked, looking out the front windshield.

"Not now, Mijhan," T.J. whispered, focusing his attention on the dials in front of him.

"But, T.J." Mijhan began again, starting to pull at his shirt.

"Not now," T.J. said a little louder, the engines now roaring to life.

"T.J. look!" Mijhan pointed out the window to see the Emocjhnites coming over the hill towards them. the ground frosting beneath their feet.

T.J. glanced up from the console to see what Mijhan was getting excited about. He swore under his breath as the engines stuttered. He watched as the ground frosted beneath the Emocjhnites feet. The engines quickly flared back to life, making them shoot out into space.

"Are we safe?" Mijhan asked, looking at the vast space around them.

"For now," T.J. muttered, putting the pod in auto pilot, as he accessed the events of the day, head in hands.

"What do we do now?" Mijhan asked, reality finally setting in. They were homeless and now parentless...they were on their own.

T.J. looked towards his sister to see her frightened face, she was barely holding it together. "We need to regroup," he decided, turning back to the console and started to move the pod farther from the planet.

"Where are we going?" Mijhan asked, getting up to see the console.

T.J. paused for a moment, not sure himself. "Farther away," T.J. glanced at Mijhan to see a solitary tear roll down her face.

"Come here," T.J. sighed, holding out his arms to her.

Mijhan gladly accepted the invitation and sat on her brothers lap. He brought her into a hug as he let his right hand warm up, and started to dry off Mijhans' party dress. "Get some rest," T.J. whispered.

He stared out the window to see the vast blackness of space. Today was supposed to be a party for him. He was to be titled Kings Adviser, and would start helping with everyday decisions. The Emocjhnites ended the plans quickly. The king, his father, called every able bodied Fremjahnchor out to defend the castle.

After the Emocjhnites destroyed the front gate with their ice machines. His father tasked him with finding his mother and sister, and to bring them to safety. T.J. looked down at his sister, sighing. He was only able to do half of what had been asked of him. Shaking his head, he settled back in his seat and closed his eyes. The days events finally taking their toll on him.

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T.J. woke with a start with bright flashing lights and loud sounds going off. Mijhan was shaking him, trying to wake him up, tears streaking down her face. "What happened?" T.J. asked, trying to calculate where they were.

"I don't know," Mijhan cried. "I woke up and it started doing this,"

"We need to land," T.J. muttered, as he sat up to look at the panel in front of him. "Mijhan look to see if you can find any planets nearby."

Mijhan looked out the windows and did her best to tell the difference between stars and planets. "T.J." Mijhan exclaimed after a few moments of concentration. "That's a planet, right?"

T.J. looked out the window to see where Mijhan was pointing. "That's a star," T.J. replied, his heart sinking. If they didn't land soon, they'd be floating in space for eternity.

"Oh," Mijhan looked down, dejectedly, then looked back out the window. "But what's next to it?"

T.J. looked out the window again. "That would be a planet," T.J. smiled, "And it doesn't look too far away." T.J. put his hand on the console to power the pod up once more, only for it to splutter to life. He urged the pod to make it to the planet as fast as it could. Worrying that the pod would destroy itself before they made it anywhere near the planet.

It took close to an hour to get into the planets atmosphere. "Aren't we coming in too fast?" Mijhan asked, worry in her words.

"Pod won't make it if we slow down," T.J. answered, as he seemed to press his hand into the console even harder.

"The grounds coming too fast," Mijhan squeaked, as a strand of trees came closer to them.

"Just a little longer," T.J. muttered, a small bead of sweat running down his face.

"T.J.!" Mijhan screamed as they became level with the trees.

"Brace yourself." T.J. took his hand off the console, instantly powering down everything. He brought his sister into a hug, bracing for impact.

They hit the ground a few seconds later. The windows breaking as their bodies hurtled out of the pod only to land in nearby brush a few feet away. "Mijhan," T.J. whispered, before passing out from exhaustion.