Lizzy Eventide: Eternal “REVISED”
Chapter One
The echidna landed on the docks, her back breaking upon impact. From her hands flung a box; metallic and sealed tightly. She was found por two sailors, who quickly brought her to the nearest hospital.
They went to visit her, and noticed that her color had changed. When they first had seen her, they could have sworn that she was pink, but now she looked más like a flesh-colored orange. They did not awake her; they assumed that would make it harder for her to recover… they should have.
While their backs were turned a nurse sat the box near them. The first sailor picked up the box. He was a tall wolf, Gregory por name. His associate was Ollie, an echidna, like the girl. The echidna girl… they looked over and she was no longer there.
Neither of them wanted anything to go with this. They walked out and to a secure area… then they opened the box.
Three-hundred years later.
Hyra, the planet in which we are talking about, has a very similar history cycle to our own, though it is in the future tense por a good fifty years past 2000 our years. It’s history begins in the año One, and before that, no one knows.
It was now año 2322. año One started in the days of making the wheel for the first time. 1000 was the millennia when the first carriage was made. 2000 was the time when computers were introduced. 2070 was the año that they would pass us in the technological age.
The planet’s inhabitants were tall, anthropomorphic animals; Mobians one would think, but not quite. They certainly look Mobian, but size aside, they had a few other differences. Mainly that this planet, was not a Mobius at all.
Location: Lexistropolis High
Date: Thursday, November 27th, 2322
Time: 1:30 P.M.
Tess Solomon, and her brother, Zen Solomon, twins from birth, were chameleons living with their parents in this country of Stropolis. Tess was a pale yellow chameleon, wearing a long sleeve, darker yellow sweater, and light blue jeans. Zen was a dark green chameleon, wearing a blue T-shirt, and dark blue jeans.
They were both sitting in class, History to be specific. This topic was probably the most boring of them all. Why? Because of no wars; there were no world-wide events, o terrorists… Okay there were some but, in their eyes, there weren’t enough. But then again this was a good thing. No wars meant to death. But the History libros had almost nothing but “Discovered his chemical on this date,” o “invented this at this time.” Excitement would almost never happen. But as Zen would remind his sister from time to time “If we’re always wanting something exciting to happen then when it does, it will probably be something we’ll hate, then we’ll appreciate the boring life we had before.”
In truth neither of them had boring lives outside of school. Tess was close friends with the most popular nice girl in school, Siera Struthers (who would constantly make sure people knew her first name had one S), leading to many fun school events, and casual “playtimes” as it were. She also loved rock-climbing, though that did not mean she was willing to take on life-risking parkour as a hobby. And finally, as a chameleon, she found hours of fun pulling pranks on her brother, and sometimes other friends, using her cloaking ability, which she had mastered at this point. She would get in trouble for it quite often, so she did learn to her range of pranks, and amount of people she could pull them on.
Zen was not popular in school, and truthfully had very few friends. Those who he did had moved. He spent a lot of his time on his computer; he was fairly good at working computers. He could program a bit, he knew how to use escritura and Drawing programs quickly, he knew the internet like the back of his hand… and that was about it. He would spend around two o three hours on his computer each, o every other, day, varying depending on the day’s events. He played video games as well, but not that often. Aside from his sister, he had very little social interaction, but the two did hang out often, going to malls, o movies, o the mall again because Tess would forget her purse. Zen was always a bit short-tempered, but despite being annoyed por his clumsy sister, he was never too annoyed, and could laugh at himself from time to time.
At the moment they were both discussing with each other (as they were sitting siguiente to each other), the new students that had arrived the día before. There was a fellow chameleon, light green, named “Larry”, who was the only one they remembered the name of, a grey chameleon boy, who most of the girls found rather attractive, a dark-colored… they could not tell if he was a cat o a raccoon. The last was a black cat girl, wearing almost all various shades of purple.
“I wonder what her favorito! color is.” Zen had joked when they first saw the students.
At the moment they were talking about which one they should try to befriend. “Why not the… cat boy?” Tess whispered.
“I really don’t care which.” Zen replied dully. “Why not befriend them all?”
“… Well if we have the time we can.”
Zen relaxed his arms with a sigh, “I was hoping tu wouldn’t say tha- Ow!” One the other students nudged him with a glare on their face, before pointing at the teacher; implying that he should pay attention. Zen simply glared back at them and went back to paying attention. Tess went silent.
Later, between classes, the siblings decided to write down what the new students looked like, as when they were introduced neither of them paid attention to the names given. At first they wanted to división, split up to find them, but then Zen made the comentario “If I find someone alone I’ll say the wrong things, and if tu do they’ll think you’re on steroids and run off.”
“… But steroids don’t do th- we’re just going to walk around together to find them?” Tess acted as if it were a stressful tiring experience. Zen found this ironic; she was normally very energetic about any form of movement-filled activity.
“I know right?” He exaggerated his lip-movement to emphasize his sarcasm, “So stressful!”
“Hey isn’t that one there?” Tess pointed the black cat girl. She was sitting siguiente to a bush, snacking on what they thought was tofu. She had somewhat squinted eyes, almost Asian-looking but not quite, with dark silver hair, almost as black as her fur. She had grey thin arm-length gloves (fingerless), a pale red, in other words pink, tang top, and dark blue jeans. She had some earrings as well but that was not as noticeable as her ears were not very large.
And after a few pauses and nervous arguments about if they should actually approach one of the people they were looking for and were now having irrational nervous feelings about meeting, they did indeed approach her.
Tess of course was the first to make introductions, “Hey there!” She waved with a large smile, while Zen managed to smile halfway. The girl turned and waved back, returning the smile. “Hi.”
“I’m Tess, this is Zen.” The sister introduced, pointing to each of them. “We thought you’d like some company, o at least we’d like to make a new friend o som’thn.”
“Huh.” The girl looked at both of them for a bit. “I’m Liz.” She extended her hand for a handshake. Tess shook, Zen stood there, as he was out of reach.
“So tu like Tofu?” He asked, trying his best to sound social.
“Yep. It’s great stuff. I mean I’m no veggie-tarian o anything, but hey, why not have both, right?” She have winked before dipping some of her meal in a bit of sauce before biting it down. “So,” She fit in between smacks, “you’re both chameleons, do tu guys cloak?”
“Well I do.” Tess proclaimed proudly. Zen slouched. Liz noticed this. “You okay?”
“I’m a non-popular nerd who can’t capa with bad grades.” He tried to make it sound like he was making a pity-joke, though it only half-sounded like one.
“Sorry to hear that. tu two been here long?”
“Aaaall our High School years.” Tess grinned. “It’s a fun school. I mean sure, typical school stuff, e-ugh, but aside from that, there’s only ONE actual person to look out for.”
“Really-Who’s that?” Liz chuckled.
“Terry.” Zen dicho with cringed eyes. He looked around to see if the fiend would mostrar up spontaneously at the mention of her name. tu know, speak of the devil and she shall appear.
“Oooooooo- wait Terry guy o Terry girl?”
“Girl.” Zen grumbled. “I wish she were a guy. Then I would at least feel less guilty if I socked her.”
“And shoed her away.” Tess chimed with a giggle.
“To boot.” Liz finished with a grin. “Hey what classes are tu guys in next?”
“Actually we have a free period next.”
“Lucky, how long?”
Just an hour. Then I’ve got some archeological thing. Zen has Computer Science.”
“Hm, I’ve got neither.” Liz shrugged. “Oh well. Well maybe I’ll see tu guys after classes are over. My parents wouldn’t mind me mostrando that I can socialize if you’d like to visit.”
“Sure.” Tess answered. Zen nodded.
“We need to call our parents and tell them first of course.” Zen hinted, nudging his sister.
“Wouldn’t have it any other way.” Liz agreed. The twins found this innocent comentario slightly nauseating but they were not about to say so.
As they continued conversing with the feline, a student watched them from afar. He was about their age, as most of the others were, and seemed particularly interested in Liz. He dicho nothing, made no reaction, showed no emotion… he simply stared.
A few kids noticed this and waved hands in his face. Eventually one Jock decided that the boy needed to come back to the normal world and shoved him. The boy reacted, and without starring at the jock slipped his hand across the Jock’s arm, landing a solid puñetazo, ponche into the collar of his neck before side-kicking him just above the groin.
The jock whimpered slightly as he sank to the ground. “What’s wrong with you?!” He shouted. No reply came. The jock thought about if he should attack the boy, but he was not dumb; he saw that the student was actuación strangely, and that something strange may happen to him if he interrupted this. But still, it being strange deserved the Principal’s attention. He limped off to get her.
The student stared at Liz, Zen, and Tess for a good while before finally turning to walk off, with a small bead implanted on his neck, glowing very faintly.
Later that day…
“They dicho yes.” Tess clapped her cellphone shut and walked out of the school with Liz and Zen. Along the way Tess and Liz took full control of the talking, while Zen remained silent for a good portion. Liz eventually was able to tell that he was being silent between respuestas with his sister, and decided that he should be in the conversation as well.
“Want to registrarse in?” She asked. Leaning her head over a bit to catch Zen’s attention. He stopped abruptly and quickly shuffled back to them, “U-uh what were tu talking about?”
“What were tu THINKING about?”
Zen sighed, “Just school.” He looked away, emphasizing with a sigh that he had no lost amor for his educational institution.
“That it?” Liz questioned.
“Probably not.” Tess stated.
“No it really is.” Zen snapped calmly. “I got a pregunta though; what do tu guys wanna do when we get to your house?”
Liz shrugged, “The house isn’t really fixed up that much yet, but I think I saw a Ping Pong set in one of the rooms. We could try that if you’d like.”
“I’m up for it.” Tess grinned.
“Cool… sooooo, I’ll go ahead and tu guys can race to catch up.” With that, Liz charged onward, leaving the two teens behind for the moment.
Zen reacted a split-second before Tess, getting a foot and a half-long lead on her. Liz did not look back at them, and turned a corner quickly. Zen followed suit, barely slipping on the turn, but keeping himself from tripping. Tess however slipped, and almost crashed into a car on the side of the street. She quickly jumped up, grabbing hold of a stop-sign’s pole, and swinging around, thus causing her to rush into a higher speed.
Liz barely caught Tess’s mover as she turned another corner, and was a bit surprised, but continued without a word, which she would need if she did not want to lose más energy. Zen did not even look back, completely engulfed in getting there first.
“I’m catching up!” Tess teased with her voice trailing Zen. He was tempted to look back but kept his eyes fixed on following Liz. She turned to the right this time, and both chameleons were on their way when *POW!!*
Both of them stopped out of surprise, then ran around the corner to see Liz laying on the ground across from an adult man who was going to turn the corner himself. He was wearing a sweater, jeans, and originally held a letter in his hand. He also wore a large bruise on his zorro, fox face, as did Liz on her feline face.
Zen got the man, while Tess got Liz, both trying to help them to their feet in between “We’re so sorry, are tu alright?!”
“I- what hit-…” The man shook himself back to his senses, rubbing his face a bit, and cringing at the bruise.
“I, am SO sorry.” Liz walked over to the man. “Are tu going to be okay?”
“Yeah I-“ the man stopped and looked at the ground for his letter. Liz was holding it. “Is this what tu needed?” She asked, extending the letter to the adult.
“Yes, thank you.” The man accepted it.
“Thank you? I crashed into you? Is your head alright?”
“Yeah I’ll be okay. But tu three could try to slow down at corners in future, alright?”
“No need to tell us twice.” Zen barely got out before realizing ‘Oh right I just ran half a mile non-stop’, and promptly breathing in and out loudly, siguiente to Tess who had already started recovering.
“I can put the letter in the Mailbox if your head’s going to be a problem.” Liz offered.
The man seemed reluctant but slowly extended the letter “Are tu sure?” He asked.
“Hey I owe ya.” And with that, she grabbed the letter and was off again.
“How does… she have so much-“ Zen looked over while gasping for air, at his sister, who was already back to breathing normally. “… This is a girl thing, isn’t it?” Tess shrugged.
Zen slowly and manually turned his head back to the man, who was texting something on his phone apparently. He knew that if Liz did not return soon things would become rather awkward, especially since the nearest Mailbox was at least three blocks away.
“So… what were tu mailing?” Zen finally asked. The man stopped texting, pausing for a second, then put it away while answering “Just a taxing thing. I got someone else’s mortgage letter. It was an eviction. tu can imagine how relieved I was when I found out it wasn’t for me.”
Tess chuckled. “You live in an apartment then?”
“No but the house I’m at has a mortgage regardless. Of course most houses do nowadays, so I wouldn’t say it’s something special.” The man looked to where Liz had ran off towards, “How long do tu think she’ll be? I don’t want to delay your… race any longer.”
“We’ve got time.” Tess shrugged before making a puzzled look as if forgetting something. “Oh!” She slapped herself on the forehead, “I’m Tess, this is Zen, and our Mail-lady is Liz.”
“Markison.” The zorro, fox replied, nodding to her.
“Tess!” Zen whispered in a hiss.
“What?!” Tess looked annoyed.
“We just met him!”
“You two fight like this all the time?” Liz yelled as she ran back.
“That took a while.” Zen noted. “Let’s go.” He sped off rudely. He did not mean to be rude, but he felt unnerved por talking to this Markison. Not unnerved in the way of thinking ‘He’s up to something’, though Zen was a VERY superstitious person, but closer to ‘This is awkward, sorry for wasting your time, g’bye’.
The others followed suit, though Tess managed to say goodbye and wave before doing so. Markison continued on with his walk.
Five minutos later and Liz was mostrando them both around her new two-story house, while looking for the Ping Pong mesa, tabla she had supposedly seen. The house was nice, very bright, white and tan, inside and out. It practically absorbed the sunlight, and would have too if there were Solar Panels on the roof.
“And here we ha-“
“And what’s going on over here?” An older sounding female voice asked from the side of the teenagers. This turned out to be a black cat woman, who was no doubt Liz’s mother.
“These are the friends I asked about, Mom.” Liz informed before continuing to search. Zen followed at first, but Tess stopped him. “Nice to meet you, Ma’m.” She greeted in her perky manor.
“Did tu just say ‘ ma’m ’?” Zen questioned in disbelief in a quiet tone. Tess ignored him.
“Liz is ahead of you. Might want to catch up.” The older cat informed. They nodded to her and chased after Liz.
They never found the Ping Pong mesa, tabla sadly, though Liz refused to believe it was never there, and would buscar around during the visit from time to time. During the main part of the visit though they watch a movie while having a contest to see who could put the largest amount of palomitas de maiz, palomitas de maíz into their mouth.
It was a nice day. Liz was a nice friend, and her parents were upbeat. The worst part about it was losing track of time. “It’s eight!” Zen announced siguiente to Tess on the living room couch, pointing at his cell phone.
“It- OH NO, WAY- ugh!” Tess literally popped off the sofá and made quick goodbyes to Liz and her family before flying off into the streets with Zen. She tripped and fell into a arbusto, bush in the dark of the night.
Friday morning, Tess and Zen were quite excited to meet up with their new friend; Tess especially wanted to have her meet Siera. They could always use another “gal-pal”. Zen simply thought it would be nice to hang out with her. Had he actually thought past that he might have evolved feelings for Liz, but he did not, and would not any time soon.
They both ran into the school, with Tess barely missing being overtaken por another student who had tripped on the wet steps of the school’s front entrance. She made a sort of sideways pirouette, which gained a few claps from other students. She blushed a bit from embarrassment, but took a teasing bow before Zen dragged her inside.
They wanted to find Liz as soon as possible. Classes were not just yet, and hopefully the feline would stand out. Then they saw her, o Tess did at least. “Hey! Liz! Lizzy!” She waved.
The feline was wearing a dark purple parte superior, arriba today, with a slightly lighter shade of plum. She looked over at them curiously while they walked over. “Uh… hi?” She greeted in confusion. From closer up they noticed that her hair looked… blue almost; it was a very dark blue but blue none the less. She also had fingerless-arm-gloves on, purple of course, and dark grey boots, with a dark grey scarf on her neck.
“… What’s wrong?” Tess asked, becoming just as confused por the felines confusion. “You’re Liz right?”
“Yes…” She answered, still giving them awkward stares, and leaning back a bit.
“You don’t remember hanging out with us?” Zen added. “Yestderday?”
“You’ve got the wrong person.” The girl started to walk off with a scoffish-chuckle, shoeing them away with her palm. Tess was going to go after her, but Zen distracted her, “Look at her feet.”
“Her fee-?!” Tess then noticed was looked like some sort of black… stick sticking out of Liz, o who they thought was Liz’s, boot. “Is that her… sister?”
“I don’t think she has one… This is just a sick joke I’m afraid.” Zen confirmed. Tess was reluctant to assume such a thing but could not out-rule it. They would have assumed this was just some other girl, but she looked very much the same, and even had the same name.
“Don’t suppose we could ask what her last name is.” Zen suggested. “But then again we don’t know what the real one’s last name is either so…”
*****
“About time tu came out of there.” A student dicho impatiently as his friend walked out. It was the same boy that was staring at Liz, Tess, and Zen before. “Hey…” he answered in a monotone voice, “You know that cat girl? The new one?”
“Uh… I think so, why?” His friend raised an eyebrow.
“I think I’d like to meet her. Could tu help with that?”
“Why can’t tu do it yourself?”
“Are tu going to help o not?”
The friend bobbed his head back, rather stunned por this, “Hey tu don’t have to get defensive. Fine I’ll help ya. If tu want a girlfriend so badly tu could just tell me.”
*****
Tess and Zen sat in the outdoor cafeteria, sitting at one of the tables. Zen saw the same Liz that they met earlier and she saw him. Neither of them dicho anything, but she did slow as she walked por for the moment, at a good fifteen feet away. Tess’s back was turned, and Zen thought it was best she not know. She seemed upset already and he did not want her to feel worse.
Then someone hugged Zen from behind. “Hey there!” Liz greeted. Zen’s eyes bulged as he turned his head up to see her, then back down to the other Liz who was chuckling with her face covered por her hand.
“Liz!” Tess yelled half in irritation. “What was that about earlier today!?”
Liz let go of Zen, looking hurt, “What do tu mean?”
“We came up to you-“
“Tess, turn around.” Zen chuckled.
Tess slowly turned and saw the segundo Liz, who walked over a bit, waving slightly. “So, I guess this is a long lost twin sorta deal, right?” She joked.
It took Liz a moment to realize what had just happened, “… Oooooooh tu guys… and you… okay.”
“Gotta admit,” The other Liz added, “I can see how tu got us mixed. Honest I’m having a hard time believing the same name, hair, and color, not to mention species, deal going on here.” She shrugged, “What ya gonna do?” She was of course quoting, not actually asking.
“Can we get some last names so I don’t make this mistake again please?” Tess asked with a red face of embarrassment, half-cloaked now.
“You can get hers.” The other Liz informed, gesturing to Liz, before starting to walk off, “I still don’t know any of tu people.”
“You don’t have to l-“
“Hey!” A student yelled over as he walked up to Liz and company, not noticing the other Liz who was almost out of sight now. “You’re Liz right?”
“Apparently one of many, yes.” Liz answered with a grin, giving the boy her attention. “What’s up?”
“A friend of mine wanted to meet tu in the back parking lot…” The boy rubbed the back of his head nervously, “look I’m just the messenger here, I get if it’s awkward o whatever. I guess he likes tu o something.”
“Well I guess I could at least see what he wants. tu guys okay with me leaving for a bit?” She turned to Tess and Zen.
“We’ll be fine.” Zen replied, noticing Tess’s continued embarrassment, “It’ll give Tess some time to calm down.”
“Alright, I’ll be back as soon as I can.” She ran off with the boy towards the lot.
The parking lot was fairly full, with the less pretty side of the school on the backside. It was not polluted o ugly really, but having the generators and other machinery that power the school, as well as conditioners and such made it look más like a power plant.
The boy stopped in a blind spot of the school, between a few walls against the building. “He dicho he wanted to meet here…” He looked around, waiting for his friend to arrive. Nothing happened. “Um… I could go look around if tu want.”
“Okay.” Liz half-replied. She was a bit absent-minded, and barely caught on to what the boy was saying. She was más preoccupied with thinking of how she would let the person she was going to meet down, without hurting feelings, if possible.
She did not notice the boy leaving, nor did she notice the friend walk up from behind a muro when he left. “Are tu Liz Eventide?” The boy asked, causing Liz to jump a bit. She turned to face him.
“Close enough, who are-“
*Screeeeeech* The sound of a car rushing away. “What was that!?” Zen asked, jumping up from his asiento and running towards where the sound went. Tess followed right behind him.
It was a large black camioneta, van that sped away of the back parking lot. Some of the other students who ran over tried to chase it, though they did not get far. “… Do tu think it was kidnappers? o thieves o something?” Zen asked.
“… Wait where’s- !” Both of them knew exactly what Tess was about to say. “M-maybe she’s not here… let’s look around.” Despite how calm the last part of that sentence was, both siblings charged in varying directions, in buscar of Liz.
They were told many times to get to class por different teachers, but they did not. Once Zen thought it was at the point where others needed to be involved he informed the Principal, who in turn called Liz’s parents, who did not know where Liz was and were driving over to the school. The police would be there also.
All the students were grouped together, and interrogated individually. Tess and her brother pushed ahead, as they thought they might be able to give some better information.
“You were with her how long before she disappeared and the car sped off?” An officer asked them.
“A minuto o two.” Tess answered. “Some guy came over, asked if she could meet a friend of his, she walked off, and that’s when she disappeared.”
“Can tu describe the boy that asked her?”
“That’s him right there.” Zen pointed to the student, who was with his friend, the friend who had been starring at them. The boy seemed extremely nervous, and was yelling o nervously trying to convince his friend of… something.
Two police officers led both boys to them. “Him?” The officer asked to confirm. Zen nodded.
The accomplice raised his hands defensively “I had no idea what was going to happen, I swear!”
“Then tell us what happened from the beginning.” The officer ordered sternly.
The boy sighed, with his friend seeming a bit out of it, though also very confused. “I…” he pointed at his friend, “Aren here asked me to ask Liz Eventide, the cat girl, if she could meet him at the back parking lot. When I asked him why, he just got all defensive at me. I though he was crushing on her o something. I brought her over, but he wasn’t there, so I went looking for him. Then I heard the car slam its doors, and Aren walking away from it.”
“I didn’t do that!” Aren protested. “And I told you, it’s just a bruise from last night!”
The officer raised an eyebrow. “Bruise from last night?”
Aren rolled his eyes, and turned around pointing to a dark square on the back of his head, a bruise. “Is this important o something?” He turned back around. “I don’t know what anyone here is talking about! I don’t even know who Lizzy o Liz o whateve- I don’t know who that is!”
The officer kept silent for a moment. The officers siguiente to him decided that the interrogation should be done elsewhere, and took the two boys away, with Aren being a bit frisky but going along without much of a fight.
“He dicho Eventide…” The officer mumbled.
“Is… that important?” Tess asked.
“Very.” The officer looked back at Tess and her brother with a dreaded, almost nervous, yet very serious stare, “That girl tu were with was not Liz Eventide. That was Liz Delma.”
‘Not Liz Eventide!?’ Then it hit them both. Liz Eventide was the other cat girl… But that would mean they were after her, and not their Liz. And whoever took their Liz would no doubt find out that they had the wrong one. But why did they want Eventide to begin with?
Both Tess and Zen knew that the police would be thinking the same thing, and would soon be going to visit the Eventide’s. They had to come along. “You’re going to the Eventide house now?” Tess asked.
“And tu two want to tag along?” The officer easily guessed.
“And you’re going to say no?”
“I know tu might want to help your friend but if tu get involved, they might get tu too. It’s best tu leave it to us, and get home. Is there anything else tu remember that could help?”
“No…” Tess trailed off. She felt useless. Zen felt angry. The police escorted them, and some of the other students out of the crowds, and had them wait for their parents. Zen told the officer that he called his parents, a lie to stall them. Thankfully this did trick the officer for a short while and he did not hover over them much longer.
“Do tu have a plan?” Zen asked in desperation to his sister.
“We need a car.”
“Obviously. Having a driver’s license doesn’t help when tu don’t have one.” He groaned. “If we knew som- Siera has a car…”
“Is she still here?” Tess asked, her spirits lifting a bit.
“I don’t know, call her.”
And Tess did. Siera was in fact at the school still, being very annoyed that the police would not allow her to drive herself home, going por what she dicho on the phone call. “Well can’t tu sneak away?” Tess asked.
“Not easily but I could try. Why do tu want my car again?” Siera asked in a put out and tired tone.
“We need to get to the Eventide’s house.”
“Wwwwhy…?”
“To help find Liz!” Tess was beginning to get flustered.
“And tu think I’m going to let tu guys get killed too?”
“Siera, please?”
“Well when tu put it that way,” She replied sarcastically, “Give me an actual good reason.”
“All we want to do is find Liz Eventide. We AREN’T going after the kidnappers.”
Siera took a long pause before replying, when she did it was with a heavy sigh, “Fine, but you’ll have to pick up the keys from me. And Zen is driving.”
“Why thank you.” Zen grinned. Tess lowered her eyelids in annoyance.
“Alright, where are you?” Tess asked, moving the phone to her other ear.
“The quad, sitting on the middle table.”
Zen made his way to the quad, leaving Tess behind so that there would be less suspicion. Siera passed on the keys to him. Siera was a chipmunk, a pale blonde-fur chipmunk, slender, and with bouncing brown bangs, and long brown hair. She was a very stylist person, but not a flirty girl. She was a party girl in a sense, but smart, and never did thing without thinking, which was one of the reasons she was still single, and yet a very popular person. She was the head of many school projects, and was Class President for many different subjects, though not this semester. In other words, she had pull.
“So how are tu gonna sneak out now?” She asked Zen after handing him the keys.
“Well I don’t suppose tu could use your feminine-“ She slapped him, “Well do tu have any big ideas!?”
“No but at least they don’t involve downgrading people.” She scolded. Then she realized she really did not have any better ideas, which Zen could tell when her ears dropped. He could barely hide his smirk. “Okay, but I’m not calling them cutie, o sugar, o any of that junk.” She dicho sternly before walking towards the parking lot. Zen followed at her side, but at a distance.
Two guards were placed at the lot’s exit, with a gate between them. Zen noticed scanners on either end, metal detectors probably. He had an idea, but he could only test it if Siera did her job right.
“Hey there.” She waved to the cops with a pleasant smile. They both turned to face her but did not move. “I wanted to get some stuff from my locker buuuuuuuuut they’re not letting me through. I know it’s pushing it but I would REALLY really appreciate it if tu could get some things from it for me.” She placed her hand on her forehead, leaning slightly as if segundo guessing, “Actually never mind, it’s not important. Sorry I’ll just-“
“What do tu need?” The officer asked in a half sigh. Siera smirked inside.
She wrote down a quick list, and the number of the locker, along with the combination. She made sure that what she listed was binders and such, instead of hair gel o gum o something that would not sound important enough to have him segundo guess. The cop was off soon after, and all that was left was to keep the other from noticing Zen.
Siera walked to the other side of the gate, facing the segundo cop, so that Zen could walk past via blind spot. “If tu don’t mind me asking, why the metal detector?”
“Knives, guns, I’m sure tu know.” The officer answered briefly, but still facing Siera.
“Why would tu need those if this was just a kidnapping? And they’re already gone? … sorry if I’m bothering, I’m just curious.” She slowly moved further and further to the side, and in turn the officer turned más and more, with his back now completely facing Zen.
Zen took this opportunity, and put his plan into action while they continued talking. He aimed upward, and threw the keys over the gate, then walked through the metal detector and tried to catch them on the other side. They crashed on the ground, making a clank.
Zen had no time to see if the officer saw this o not. He grabbed the keys and ran off, as quietly as he could. He heard no one coming after him, but he did see the police cars at the end of the lot. “Where did she park?” He dicho angrily through his teeth as he went between two cars to avoid being seen.
The officer came back with Siera’s items, and Siera was still talking to the other officer. She noticed his arrival, and took her stuff “Thank tu thank tu thank tu thank you!” She pretended to look nervously through her binders and such.
“No problem.” The cop replied with a nod before returning to his post. Siera called Tess “He should be driving over to tu now.”
“Alright- wait did tu tell him where tu parked?” Tess asked.
“I have a tracker-beeper on my car; it shouldn’t be hard to find.”
“… But the police will hear that if he uses it.”
Siera froze then hit herself “Right.” She sighed, “Well I could call him and tell him I guess.”
“Hurry. I don’t know if they left yet o not.”
Siera hung up and called Zen’s cell phone, “WHERE’S YOUR CAR!?” He whispered frantically through his phone.
“Where are you?”
“I’m in the west side of the parking lot, y’know the one tu saw me walk to!?” Zen usually became hostile when under stress. Siera was not around him often, but she was used to it, and did not get fazed por his insults often.
“Okay listen, I parked on the LEFT side, in row C.”
“Okay left si-! The left side is near the cop cars!”
“Then Mission Impossible it, I dunno!”
“… Maybe if I- *BEEEEP BEEEEEEEP BEEEEEEP*” This was followed por stomping and panting.
“Did they see you?”
“I uuuuuuused the beeper, I uuuused the beeper.”
“But did they see you??”
“Not yet, they’re going towards your car though.”
“Are tu close?”
“Well…” Zen had a guilty tone.
“… Where are you, Zen?”
“Hiding behind one of their cars.” He croaked.
Siera sighed long and hard before speaking again, “Okay when they start coming back just weave between the cars and you’ll get there soon enough… are they going?”
“They’re coming Baaaack!”
“Then get going!” Siera hissed.
There was a great deal of thuds, yelps, and nervous laughter with an occasion “Whoop!” before a car door opened. “I’m in I’m in!”
“Then drive!”
“Okay okay!” Siera hung up after hearing this and called Tess again, “He’s on his way.”
Tess closed her phone and waited, with an officer still at her side. Siera’s car drove up. “That’s them.” She fibbed as she walked to the car. The officer started to walk with her before she dicho “Are tu escorting me in the passenger asiento too?” He stopped and waited till she got into the car before walking back to the rest of the school.
“Y’know in hindsight, tu should have gone. tu can cloak.” Zen pointed out.
“I didn’t hear tu complaining. I would have if tu dicho something.”
“I wasn’t scolding, no need to snap… Where’s her house anyway?”
“Hold on,” Tess whipped out her phone and began searching the web. Thirty segundos of annoying clicks later “Okay I got it; 17 Vinnie Grove, West-side.”
Zen groaned, “Let’s hope I figure out where THAT is…”
It took them a good twenty minutos but they did arrive at the house; though spotting it was not hard with the police cars surrounding it. Zen quickly halted the drive and began slowly driving back before they were noticed. “We’ll park out of sight and sneak in...” he plotted while turning a corner.
“Through the backyards?” Tess guessed.
“I… guess that works.”
They exited the car and dashed across the street, praying that the police would not spot them. They took cover behind a hedge that división, split two neighbor’s houses, and hoped that the owners were not home.
Zen looked over the hedge a bit to see if they had been noticed. The police were still going about their work, so it seemed they were safe, though he did notice that some of the occupants of the neighborhood decided to find out what was happening themselves.
“Can tu hear them?” Tess asked once she noticed what Zen was doing.
“No…” He dicho grimly. Tess looked around with peered eyes, scanning for anyone near to see them if they snuck into the backyard. “C’mon.” She squatted over to the backyard gate of the house and walked into the backyard. Zen followed.
The fence dividing the yard they were in and the one they needed to get across was tall, but climbable. It was wooden, with a few nails sticking out. “If tu give me a boost I could get over it.” She said, measuring the height still.
Zen looked it over, “It could break.”
“Then catch me if I fall. We don’t have time.”
Zen groaned and placed his hand near the ground. Tess stepped into his hands and he lunged upward, shoving her to the parte superior, arriba of the fence. She did a backflip over it just to mostrar off. “Wish tu took gymnastics now, don’t ya?” She taunted from the other side.
“Ha ha, help me over.”
A pause, “… How?”
“Are tu kidding!?” He yelled angrily. “HOW!? I thought tu had a plan!”
“Look for something to jump off of then!”
Zen did notice a slightly young árbol near the fence. He could climb that, but it wasn’t as tall as the fence. Then he noticed that there was a shed back near the gate. He ran over and scaled it, getting to the parte superior, arriba with relieving ease. Then he noticed that the police were turning his direction. “Crud crud cruuuuuud!” Thump, he jumped off and landed hard on the ground, feet, then rump. At least he was on the other side now.
Tess ran over and pulled him up “Are tu okay!?”
“Bones… cracked… pain large.” He whimpered.
“You’re fine.” She poked one of his ribs. He groaned in annoyance but did not mostrar signs of pain.
“Don’t… do that. Do tu know how nauseous people get when they land like that?”
“I kinda lost that feeling after three years of doing it.” Tess chuckled. “Let’s get to the siguiente one.” She ran off to the siguiente fence to climb over.
“N-… siguiente one?” Zen groaned with widened eyes. He followed to what was the same length of wall. “Oh great. Well let’s get this over with.” He cupped his hands.
“Wai wai wait…” Tess motioned him down as she leaned against the fence. “I can hear them now.”
Zen put his ear to the fence as well. “And you’re sure she hasn’t come inicial yet?” What they assumed an officer said.
“She’s a loner; no doubt hanging out at an arcade o something.” A female voice replied. Liz’s Mother possibly
“So she’s not even home?!” Zen whispered loudly. “Ugh!” He walked off from the fence and to the muro dividing the opposite house.
As for Tess she decided to quickly climb up a large árbol in the current backyard, and look around for anyone else.
“What are tu d-“
“She might have come back for supplies o something, o money.” Tess turned around in different directions, “Maybe…”
“Or they captured her too and we’re too late.”
“Always the optimistic aren’t you?” Tess narrowed her eyes. “Wait…” she saw someone… o something. The person was at least five houses down; it looked like they just appeared out of nowhere. “There’s someone over there.”
They both exited the house and made their way to where Tess saw the person. The police were not near enough to them so they would not have to worry about being seen. “Where did tu see it again?” Zen asked.
Tess walked over to the spot the person appeared from and stomped a bit, “It must be a trap door o something.”
“I sorta doubt that. That would take money and months. Did tu see what direction the person left in?”
“Well…” Tess pointed at her guess, which was towards another house, and not down the street. “That might be… “
Zen walked over to her side and tried to see if there was anything hidden in front of him, when he should have been watching behind them. Two hands grabbed them por the backs of their necks and forced them face-first into the ground. They both screamed in surprise; Zen trying to grab at their attacker, who let go only to grab his arm and force it around his neck.
“So tu two are looking for me now?” A feminine voice asked. It was the other Liz, Liz Eventide.
Chapter One
The echidna landed on the docks, her back breaking upon impact. From her hands flung a box; metallic and sealed tightly. She was found por two sailors, who quickly brought her to the nearest hospital.
They went to visit her, and noticed that her color had changed. When they first had seen her, they could have sworn that she was pink, but now she looked más like a flesh-colored orange. They did not awake her; they assumed that would make it harder for her to recover… they should have.
While their backs were turned a nurse sat the box near them. The first sailor picked up the box. He was a tall wolf, Gregory por name. His associate was Ollie, an echidna, like the girl. The echidna girl… they looked over and she was no longer there.
Neither of them wanted anything to go with this. They walked out and to a secure area… then they opened the box.
Three-hundred years later.
Hyra, the planet in which we are talking about, has a very similar history cycle to our own, though it is in the future tense por a good fifty years past 2000 our years. It’s history begins in the año One, and before that, no one knows.
It was now año 2322. año One started in the days of making the wheel for the first time. 1000 was the millennia when the first carriage was made. 2000 was the time when computers were introduced. 2070 was the año that they would pass us in the technological age.
The planet’s inhabitants were tall, anthropomorphic animals; Mobians one would think, but not quite. They certainly look Mobian, but size aside, they had a few other differences. Mainly that this planet, was not a Mobius at all.
Location: Lexistropolis High
Date: Thursday, November 27th, 2322
Time: 1:30 P.M.
Tess Solomon, and her brother, Zen Solomon, twins from birth, were chameleons living with their parents in this country of Stropolis. Tess was a pale yellow chameleon, wearing a long sleeve, darker yellow sweater, and light blue jeans. Zen was a dark green chameleon, wearing a blue T-shirt, and dark blue jeans.
They were both sitting in class, History to be specific. This topic was probably the most boring of them all. Why? Because of no wars; there were no world-wide events, o terrorists… Okay there were some but, in their eyes, there weren’t enough. But then again this was a good thing. No wars meant to death. But the History libros had almost nothing but “Discovered his chemical on this date,” o “invented this at this time.” Excitement would almost never happen. But as Zen would remind his sister from time to time “If we’re always wanting something exciting to happen then when it does, it will probably be something we’ll hate, then we’ll appreciate the boring life we had before.”
In truth neither of them had boring lives outside of school. Tess was close friends with the most popular nice girl in school, Siera Struthers (who would constantly make sure people knew her first name had one S), leading to many fun school events, and casual “playtimes” as it were. She also loved rock-climbing, though that did not mean she was willing to take on life-risking parkour as a hobby. And finally, as a chameleon, she found hours of fun pulling pranks on her brother, and sometimes other friends, using her cloaking ability, which she had mastered at this point. She would get in trouble for it quite often, so she did learn to her range of pranks, and amount of people she could pull them on.
Zen was not popular in school, and truthfully had very few friends. Those who he did had moved. He spent a lot of his time on his computer; he was fairly good at working computers. He could program a bit, he knew how to use escritura and Drawing programs quickly, he knew the internet like the back of his hand… and that was about it. He would spend around two o three hours on his computer each, o every other, day, varying depending on the day’s events. He played video games as well, but not that often. Aside from his sister, he had very little social interaction, but the two did hang out often, going to malls, o movies, o the mall again because Tess would forget her purse. Zen was always a bit short-tempered, but despite being annoyed por his clumsy sister, he was never too annoyed, and could laugh at himself from time to time.
At the moment they were both discussing with each other (as they were sitting siguiente to each other), the new students that had arrived the día before. There was a fellow chameleon, light green, named “Larry”, who was the only one they remembered the name of, a grey chameleon boy, who most of the girls found rather attractive, a dark-colored… they could not tell if he was a cat o a raccoon. The last was a black cat girl, wearing almost all various shades of purple.
“I wonder what her favorito! color is.” Zen had joked when they first saw the students.
At the moment they were talking about which one they should try to befriend. “Why not the… cat boy?” Tess whispered.
“I really don’t care which.” Zen replied dully. “Why not befriend them all?”
“… Well if we have the time we can.”
Zen relaxed his arms with a sigh, “I was hoping tu wouldn’t say tha- Ow!” One the other students nudged him with a glare on their face, before pointing at the teacher; implying that he should pay attention. Zen simply glared back at them and went back to paying attention. Tess went silent.
Later, between classes, the siblings decided to write down what the new students looked like, as when they were introduced neither of them paid attention to the names given. At first they wanted to división, split up to find them, but then Zen made the comentario “If I find someone alone I’ll say the wrong things, and if tu do they’ll think you’re on steroids and run off.”
“… But steroids don’t do th- we’re just going to walk around together to find them?” Tess acted as if it were a stressful tiring experience. Zen found this ironic; she was normally very energetic about any form of movement-filled activity.
“I know right?” He exaggerated his lip-movement to emphasize his sarcasm, “So stressful!”
“Hey isn’t that one there?” Tess pointed the black cat girl. She was sitting siguiente to a bush, snacking on what they thought was tofu. She had somewhat squinted eyes, almost Asian-looking but not quite, with dark silver hair, almost as black as her fur. She had grey thin arm-length gloves (fingerless), a pale red, in other words pink, tang top, and dark blue jeans. She had some earrings as well but that was not as noticeable as her ears were not very large.
And after a few pauses and nervous arguments about if they should actually approach one of the people they were looking for and were now having irrational nervous feelings about meeting, they did indeed approach her.
Tess of course was the first to make introductions, “Hey there!” She waved with a large smile, while Zen managed to smile halfway. The girl turned and waved back, returning the smile. “Hi.”
“I’m Tess, this is Zen.” The sister introduced, pointing to each of them. “We thought you’d like some company, o at least we’d like to make a new friend o som’thn.”
“Huh.” The girl looked at both of them for a bit. “I’m Liz.” She extended her hand for a handshake. Tess shook, Zen stood there, as he was out of reach.
“So tu like Tofu?” He asked, trying his best to sound social.
“Yep. It’s great stuff. I mean I’m no veggie-tarian o anything, but hey, why not have both, right?” She have winked before dipping some of her meal in a bit of sauce before biting it down. “So,” She fit in between smacks, “you’re both chameleons, do tu guys cloak?”
“Well I do.” Tess proclaimed proudly. Zen slouched. Liz noticed this. “You okay?”
“I’m a non-popular nerd who can’t capa with bad grades.” He tried to make it sound like he was making a pity-joke, though it only half-sounded like one.
“Sorry to hear that. tu two been here long?”
“Aaaall our High School years.” Tess grinned. “It’s a fun school. I mean sure, typical school stuff, e-ugh, but aside from that, there’s only ONE actual person to look out for.”
“Really-Who’s that?” Liz chuckled.
“Terry.” Zen dicho with cringed eyes. He looked around to see if the fiend would mostrar up spontaneously at the mention of her name. tu know, speak of the devil and she shall appear.
“Oooooooo- wait Terry guy o Terry girl?”
“Girl.” Zen grumbled. “I wish she were a guy. Then I would at least feel less guilty if I socked her.”
“And shoed her away.” Tess chimed with a giggle.
“To boot.” Liz finished with a grin. “Hey what classes are tu guys in next?”
“Actually we have a free period next.”
“Lucky, how long?”
Just an hour. Then I’ve got some archeological thing. Zen has Computer Science.”
“Hm, I’ve got neither.” Liz shrugged. “Oh well. Well maybe I’ll see tu guys after classes are over. My parents wouldn’t mind me mostrando that I can socialize if you’d like to visit.”
“Sure.” Tess answered. Zen nodded.
“We need to call our parents and tell them first of course.” Zen hinted, nudging his sister.
“Wouldn’t have it any other way.” Liz agreed. The twins found this innocent comentario slightly nauseating but they were not about to say so.
As they continued conversing with the feline, a student watched them from afar. He was about their age, as most of the others were, and seemed particularly interested in Liz. He dicho nothing, made no reaction, showed no emotion… he simply stared.
A few kids noticed this and waved hands in his face. Eventually one Jock decided that the boy needed to come back to the normal world and shoved him. The boy reacted, and without starring at the jock slipped his hand across the Jock’s arm, landing a solid puñetazo, ponche into the collar of his neck before side-kicking him just above the groin.
The jock whimpered slightly as he sank to the ground. “What’s wrong with you?!” He shouted. No reply came. The jock thought about if he should attack the boy, but he was not dumb; he saw that the student was actuación strangely, and that something strange may happen to him if he interrupted this. But still, it being strange deserved the Principal’s attention. He limped off to get her.
The student stared at Liz, Zen, and Tess for a good while before finally turning to walk off, with a small bead implanted on his neck, glowing very faintly.
Later that day…
“They dicho yes.” Tess clapped her cellphone shut and walked out of the school with Liz and Zen. Along the way Tess and Liz took full control of the talking, while Zen remained silent for a good portion. Liz eventually was able to tell that he was being silent between respuestas with his sister, and decided that he should be in the conversation as well.
“Want to registrarse in?” She asked. Leaning her head over a bit to catch Zen’s attention. He stopped abruptly and quickly shuffled back to them, “U-uh what were tu talking about?”
“What were tu THINKING about?”
Zen sighed, “Just school.” He looked away, emphasizing with a sigh that he had no lost amor for his educational institution.
“That it?” Liz questioned.
“Probably not.” Tess stated.
“No it really is.” Zen snapped calmly. “I got a pregunta though; what do tu guys wanna do when we get to your house?”
Liz shrugged, “The house isn’t really fixed up that much yet, but I think I saw a Ping Pong set in one of the rooms. We could try that if you’d like.”
“I’m up for it.” Tess grinned.
“Cool… sooooo, I’ll go ahead and tu guys can race to catch up.” With that, Liz charged onward, leaving the two teens behind for the moment.
Zen reacted a split-second before Tess, getting a foot and a half-long lead on her. Liz did not look back at them, and turned a corner quickly. Zen followed suit, barely slipping on the turn, but keeping himself from tripping. Tess however slipped, and almost crashed into a car on the side of the street. She quickly jumped up, grabbing hold of a stop-sign’s pole, and swinging around, thus causing her to rush into a higher speed.
Liz barely caught Tess’s mover as she turned another corner, and was a bit surprised, but continued without a word, which she would need if she did not want to lose más energy. Zen did not even look back, completely engulfed in getting there first.
“I’m catching up!” Tess teased with her voice trailing Zen. He was tempted to look back but kept his eyes fixed on following Liz. She turned to the right this time, and both chameleons were on their way when *POW!!*
Both of them stopped out of surprise, then ran around the corner to see Liz laying on the ground across from an adult man who was going to turn the corner himself. He was wearing a sweater, jeans, and originally held a letter in his hand. He also wore a large bruise on his zorro, fox face, as did Liz on her feline face.
Zen got the man, while Tess got Liz, both trying to help them to their feet in between “We’re so sorry, are tu alright?!”
“I- what hit-…” The man shook himself back to his senses, rubbing his face a bit, and cringing at the bruise.
“I, am SO sorry.” Liz walked over to the man. “Are tu going to be okay?”
“Yeah I-“ the man stopped and looked at the ground for his letter. Liz was holding it. “Is this what tu needed?” She asked, extending the letter to the adult.
“Yes, thank you.” The man accepted it.
“Thank you? I crashed into you? Is your head alright?”
“Yeah I’ll be okay. But tu three could try to slow down at corners in future, alright?”
“No need to tell us twice.” Zen barely got out before realizing ‘Oh right I just ran half a mile non-stop’, and promptly breathing in and out loudly, siguiente to Tess who had already started recovering.
“I can put the letter in the Mailbox if your head’s going to be a problem.” Liz offered.
The man seemed reluctant but slowly extended the letter “Are tu sure?” He asked.
“Hey I owe ya.” And with that, she grabbed the letter and was off again.
“How does… she have so much-“ Zen looked over while gasping for air, at his sister, who was already back to breathing normally. “… This is a girl thing, isn’t it?” Tess shrugged.
Zen slowly and manually turned his head back to the man, who was texting something on his phone apparently. He knew that if Liz did not return soon things would become rather awkward, especially since the nearest Mailbox was at least three blocks away.
“So… what were tu mailing?” Zen finally asked. The man stopped texting, pausing for a second, then put it away while answering “Just a taxing thing. I got someone else’s mortgage letter. It was an eviction. tu can imagine how relieved I was when I found out it wasn’t for me.”
Tess chuckled. “You live in an apartment then?”
“No but the house I’m at has a mortgage regardless. Of course most houses do nowadays, so I wouldn’t say it’s something special.” The man looked to where Liz had ran off towards, “How long do tu think she’ll be? I don’t want to delay your… race any longer.”
“We’ve got time.” Tess shrugged before making a puzzled look as if forgetting something. “Oh!” She slapped herself on the forehead, “I’m Tess, this is Zen, and our Mail-lady is Liz.”
“Markison.” The zorro, fox replied, nodding to her.
“Tess!” Zen whispered in a hiss.
“What?!” Tess looked annoyed.
“We just met him!”
“You two fight like this all the time?” Liz yelled as she ran back.
“That took a while.” Zen noted. “Let’s go.” He sped off rudely. He did not mean to be rude, but he felt unnerved por talking to this Markison. Not unnerved in the way of thinking ‘He’s up to something’, though Zen was a VERY superstitious person, but closer to ‘This is awkward, sorry for wasting your time, g’bye’.
The others followed suit, though Tess managed to say goodbye and wave before doing so. Markison continued on with his walk.
Five minutos later and Liz was mostrando them both around her new two-story house, while looking for the Ping Pong mesa, tabla she had supposedly seen. The house was nice, very bright, white and tan, inside and out. It practically absorbed the sunlight, and would have too if there were Solar Panels on the roof.
“And here we ha-“
“And what’s going on over here?” An older sounding female voice asked from the side of the teenagers. This turned out to be a black cat woman, who was no doubt Liz’s mother.
“These are the friends I asked about, Mom.” Liz informed before continuing to search. Zen followed at first, but Tess stopped him. “Nice to meet you, Ma’m.” She greeted in her perky manor.
“Did tu just say ‘ ma’m ’?” Zen questioned in disbelief in a quiet tone. Tess ignored him.
“Liz is ahead of you. Might want to catch up.” The older cat informed. They nodded to her and chased after Liz.
They never found the Ping Pong mesa, tabla sadly, though Liz refused to believe it was never there, and would buscar around during the visit from time to time. During the main part of the visit though they watch a movie while having a contest to see who could put the largest amount of palomitas de maiz, palomitas de maíz into their mouth.
It was a nice day. Liz was a nice friend, and her parents were upbeat. The worst part about it was losing track of time. “It’s eight!” Zen announced siguiente to Tess on the living room couch, pointing at his cell phone.
“It- OH NO, WAY- ugh!” Tess literally popped off the sofá and made quick goodbyes to Liz and her family before flying off into the streets with Zen. She tripped and fell into a arbusto, bush in the dark of the night.
Friday morning, Tess and Zen were quite excited to meet up with their new friend; Tess especially wanted to have her meet Siera. They could always use another “gal-pal”. Zen simply thought it would be nice to hang out with her. Had he actually thought past that he might have evolved feelings for Liz, but he did not, and would not any time soon.
They both ran into the school, with Tess barely missing being overtaken por another student who had tripped on the wet steps of the school’s front entrance. She made a sort of sideways pirouette, which gained a few claps from other students. She blushed a bit from embarrassment, but took a teasing bow before Zen dragged her inside.
They wanted to find Liz as soon as possible. Classes were not just yet, and hopefully the feline would stand out. Then they saw her, o Tess did at least. “Hey! Liz! Lizzy!” She waved.
The feline was wearing a dark purple parte superior, arriba today, with a slightly lighter shade of plum. She looked over at them curiously while they walked over. “Uh… hi?” She greeted in confusion. From closer up they noticed that her hair looked… blue almost; it was a very dark blue but blue none the less. She also had fingerless-arm-gloves on, purple of course, and dark grey boots, with a dark grey scarf on her neck.
“… What’s wrong?” Tess asked, becoming just as confused por the felines confusion. “You’re Liz right?”
“Yes…” She answered, still giving them awkward stares, and leaning back a bit.
“You don’t remember hanging out with us?” Zen added. “Yestderday?”
“You’ve got the wrong person.” The girl started to walk off with a scoffish-chuckle, shoeing them away with her palm. Tess was going to go after her, but Zen distracted her, “Look at her feet.”
“Her fee-?!” Tess then noticed was looked like some sort of black… stick sticking out of Liz, o who they thought was Liz’s, boot. “Is that her… sister?”
“I don’t think she has one… This is just a sick joke I’m afraid.” Zen confirmed. Tess was reluctant to assume such a thing but could not out-rule it. They would have assumed this was just some other girl, but she looked very much the same, and even had the same name.
“Don’t suppose we could ask what her last name is.” Zen suggested. “But then again we don’t know what the real one’s last name is either so…”
*****
“About time tu came out of there.” A student dicho impatiently as his friend walked out. It was the same boy that was staring at Liz, Tess, and Zen before. “Hey…” he answered in a monotone voice, “You know that cat girl? The new one?”
“Uh… I think so, why?” His friend raised an eyebrow.
“I think I’d like to meet her. Could tu help with that?”
“Why can’t tu do it yourself?”
“Are tu going to help o not?”
The friend bobbed his head back, rather stunned por this, “Hey tu don’t have to get defensive. Fine I’ll help ya. If tu want a girlfriend so badly tu could just tell me.”
*****
Tess and Zen sat in the outdoor cafeteria, sitting at one of the tables. Zen saw the same Liz that they met earlier and she saw him. Neither of them dicho anything, but she did slow as she walked por for the moment, at a good fifteen feet away. Tess’s back was turned, and Zen thought it was best she not know. She seemed upset already and he did not want her to feel worse.
Then someone hugged Zen from behind. “Hey there!” Liz greeted. Zen’s eyes bulged as he turned his head up to see her, then back down to the other Liz who was chuckling with her face covered por her hand.
“Liz!” Tess yelled half in irritation. “What was that about earlier today!?”
Liz let go of Zen, looking hurt, “What do tu mean?”
“We came up to you-“
“Tess, turn around.” Zen chuckled.
Tess slowly turned and saw the segundo Liz, who walked over a bit, waving slightly. “So, I guess this is a long lost twin sorta deal, right?” She joked.
It took Liz a moment to realize what had just happened, “… Oooooooh tu guys… and you… okay.”
“Gotta admit,” The other Liz added, “I can see how tu got us mixed. Honest I’m having a hard time believing the same name, hair, and color, not to mention species, deal going on here.” She shrugged, “What ya gonna do?” She was of course quoting, not actually asking.
“Can we get some last names so I don’t make this mistake again please?” Tess asked with a red face of embarrassment, half-cloaked now.
“You can get hers.” The other Liz informed, gesturing to Liz, before starting to walk off, “I still don’t know any of tu people.”
“You don’t have to l-“
“Hey!” A student yelled over as he walked up to Liz and company, not noticing the other Liz who was almost out of sight now. “You’re Liz right?”
“Apparently one of many, yes.” Liz answered with a grin, giving the boy her attention. “What’s up?”
“A friend of mine wanted to meet tu in the back parking lot…” The boy rubbed the back of his head nervously, “look I’m just the messenger here, I get if it’s awkward o whatever. I guess he likes tu o something.”
“Well I guess I could at least see what he wants. tu guys okay with me leaving for a bit?” She turned to Tess and Zen.
“We’ll be fine.” Zen replied, noticing Tess’s continued embarrassment, “It’ll give Tess some time to calm down.”
“Alright, I’ll be back as soon as I can.” She ran off with the boy towards the lot.
The parking lot was fairly full, with the less pretty side of the school on the backside. It was not polluted o ugly really, but having the generators and other machinery that power the school, as well as conditioners and such made it look más like a power plant.
The boy stopped in a blind spot of the school, between a few walls against the building. “He dicho he wanted to meet here…” He looked around, waiting for his friend to arrive. Nothing happened. “Um… I could go look around if tu want.”
“Okay.” Liz half-replied. She was a bit absent-minded, and barely caught on to what the boy was saying. She was más preoccupied with thinking of how she would let the person she was going to meet down, without hurting feelings, if possible.
She did not notice the boy leaving, nor did she notice the friend walk up from behind a muro when he left. “Are tu Liz Eventide?” The boy asked, causing Liz to jump a bit. She turned to face him.
“Close enough, who are-“
*Screeeeeech* The sound of a car rushing away. “What was that!?” Zen asked, jumping up from his asiento and running towards where the sound went. Tess followed right behind him.
It was a large black camioneta, van that sped away of the back parking lot. Some of the other students who ran over tried to chase it, though they did not get far. “… Do tu think it was kidnappers? o thieves o something?” Zen asked.
“… Wait where’s- !” Both of them knew exactly what Tess was about to say. “M-maybe she’s not here… let’s look around.” Despite how calm the last part of that sentence was, both siblings charged in varying directions, in buscar of Liz.
They were told many times to get to class por different teachers, but they did not. Once Zen thought it was at the point where others needed to be involved he informed the Principal, who in turn called Liz’s parents, who did not know where Liz was and were driving over to the school. The police would be there also.
All the students were grouped together, and interrogated individually. Tess and her brother pushed ahead, as they thought they might be able to give some better information.
“You were with her how long before she disappeared and the car sped off?” An officer asked them.
“A minuto o two.” Tess answered. “Some guy came over, asked if she could meet a friend of his, she walked off, and that’s when she disappeared.”
“Can tu describe the boy that asked her?”
“That’s him right there.” Zen pointed to the student, who was with his friend, the friend who had been starring at them. The boy seemed extremely nervous, and was yelling o nervously trying to convince his friend of… something.
Two police officers led both boys to them. “Him?” The officer asked to confirm. Zen nodded.
The accomplice raised his hands defensively “I had no idea what was going to happen, I swear!”
“Then tell us what happened from the beginning.” The officer ordered sternly.
The boy sighed, with his friend seeming a bit out of it, though also very confused. “I…” he pointed at his friend, “Aren here asked me to ask Liz Eventide, the cat girl, if she could meet him at the back parking lot. When I asked him why, he just got all defensive at me. I though he was crushing on her o something. I brought her over, but he wasn’t there, so I went looking for him. Then I heard the car slam its doors, and Aren walking away from it.”
“I didn’t do that!” Aren protested. “And I told you, it’s just a bruise from last night!”
The officer raised an eyebrow. “Bruise from last night?”
Aren rolled his eyes, and turned around pointing to a dark square on the back of his head, a bruise. “Is this important o something?” He turned back around. “I don’t know what anyone here is talking about! I don’t even know who Lizzy o Liz o whateve- I don’t know who that is!”
The officer kept silent for a moment. The officers siguiente to him decided that the interrogation should be done elsewhere, and took the two boys away, with Aren being a bit frisky but going along without much of a fight.
“He dicho Eventide…” The officer mumbled.
“Is… that important?” Tess asked.
“Very.” The officer looked back at Tess and her brother with a dreaded, almost nervous, yet very serious stare, “That girl tu were with was not Liz Eventide. That was Liz Delma.”
‘Not Liz Eventide!?’ Then it hit them both. Liz Eventide was the other cat girl… But that would mean they were after her, and not their Liz. And whoever took their Liz would no doubt find out that they had the wrong one. But why did they want Eventide to begin with?
Both Tess and Zen knew that the police would be thinking the same thing, and would soon be going to visit the Eventide’s. They had to come along. “You’re going to the Eventide house now?” Tess asked.
“And tu two want to tag along?” The officer easily guessed.
“And you’re going to say no?”
“I know tu might want to help your friend but if tu get involved, they might get tu too. It’s best tu leave it to us, and get home. Is there anything else tu remember that could help?”
“No…” Tess trailed off. She felt useless. Zen felt angry. The police escorted them, and some of the other students out of the crowds, and had them wait for their parents. Zen told the officer that he called his parents, a lie to stall them. Thankfully this did trick the officer for a short while and he did not hover over them much longer.
“Do tu have a plan?” Zen asked in desperation to his sister.
“We need a car.”
“Obviously. Having a driver’s license doesn’t help when tu don’t have one.” He groaned. “If we knew som- Siera has a car…”
“Is she still here?” Tess asked, her spirits lifting a bit.
“I don’t know, call her.”
And Tess did. Siera was in fact at the school still, being very annoyed that the police would not allow her to drive herself home, going por what she dicho on the phone call. “Well can’t tu sneak away?” Tess asked.
“Not easily but I could try. Why do tu want my car again?” Siera asked in a put out and tired tone.
“We need to get to the Eventide’s house.”
“Wwwwhy…?”
“To help find Liz!” Tess was beginning to get flustered.
“And tu think I’m going to let tu guys get killed too?”
“Siera, please?”
“Well when tu put it that way,” She replied sarcastically, “Give me an actual good reason.”
“All we want to do is find Liz Eventide. We AREN’T going after the kidnappers.”
Siera took a long pause before replying, when she did it was with a heavy sigh, “Fine, but you’ll have to pick up the keys from me. And Zen is driving.”
“Why thank you.” Zen grinned. Tess lowered her eyelids in annoyance.
“Alright, where are you?” Tess asked, moving the phone to her other ear.
“The quad, sitting on the middle table.”
Zen made his way to the quad, leaving Tess behind so that there would be less suspicion. Siera passed on the keys to him. Siera was a chipmunk, a pale blonde-fur chipmunk, slender, and with bouncing brown bangs, and long brown hair. She was a very stylist person, but not a flirty girl. She was a party girl in a sense, but smart, and never did thing without thinking, which was one of the reasons she was still single, and yet a very popular person. She was the head of many school projects, and was Class President for many different subjects, though not this semester. In other words, she had pull.
“So how are tu gonna sneak out now?” She asked Zen after handing him the keys.
“Well I don’t suppose tu could use your feminine-“ She slapped him, “Well do tu have any big ideas!?”
“No but at least they don’t involve downgrading people.” She scolded. Then she realized she really did not have any better ideas, which Zen could tell when her ears dropped. He could barely hide his smirk. “Okay, but I’m not calling them cutie, o sugar, o any of that junk.” She dicho sternly before walking towards the parking lot. Zen followed at her side, but at a distance.
Two guards were placed at the lot’s exit, with a gate between them. Zen noticed scanners on either end, metal detectors probably. He had an idea, but he could only test it if Siera did her job right.
“Hey there.” She waved to the cops with a pleasant smile. They both turned to face her but did not move. “I wanted to get some stuff from my locker buuuuuuuuut they’re not letting me through. I know it’s pushing it but I would REALLY really appreciate it if tu could get some things from it for me.” She placed her hand on her forehead, leaning slightly as if segundo guessing, “Actually never mind, it’s not important. Sorry I’ll just-“
“What do tu need?” The officer asked in a half sigh. Siera smirked inside.
She wrote down a quick list, and the number of the locker, along with the combination. She made sure that what she listed was binders and such, instead of hair gel o gum o something that would not sound important enough to have him segundo guess. The cop was off soon after, and all that was left was to keep the other from noticing Zen.
Siera walked to the other side of the gate, facing the segundo cop, so that Zen could walk past via blind spot. “If tu don’t mind me asking, why the metal detector?”
“Knives, guns, I’m sure tu know.” The officer answered briefly, but still facing Siera.
“Why would tu need those if this was just a kidnapping? And they’re already gone? … sorry if I’m bothering, I’m just curious.” She slowly moved further and further to the side, and in turn the officer turned más and more, with his back now completely facing Zen.
Zen took this opportunity, and put his plan into action while they continued talking. He aimed upward, and threw the keys over the gate, then walked through the metal detector and tried to catch them on the other side. They crashed on the ground, making a clank.
Zen had no time to see if the officer saw this o not. He grabbed the keys and ran off, as quietly as he could. He heard no one coming after him, but he did see the police cars at the end of the lot. “Where did she park?” He dicho angrily through his teeth as he went between two cars to avoid being seen.
The officer came back with Siera’s items, and Siera was still talking to the other officer. She noticed his arrival, and took her stuff “Thank tu thank tu thank tu thank you!” She pretended to look nervously through her binders and such.
“No problem.” The cop replied with a nod before returning to his post. Siera called Tess “He should be driving over to tu now.”
“Alright- wait did tu tell him where tu parked?” Tess asked.
“I have a tracker-beeper on my car; it shouldn’t be hard to find.”
“… But the police will hear that if he uses it.”
Siera froze then hit herself “Right.” She sighed, “Well I could call him and tell him I guess.”
“Hurry. I don’t know if they left yet o not.”
Siera hung up and called Zen’s cell phone, “WHERE’S YOUR CAR!?” He whispered frantically through his phone.
“Where are you?”
“I’m in the west side of the parking lot, y’know the one tu saw me walk to!?” Zen usually became hostile when under stress. Siera was not around him often, but she was used to it, and did not get fazed por his insults often.
“Okay listen, I parked on the LEFT side, in row C.”
“Okay left si-! The left side is near the cop cars!”
“Then Mission Impossible it, I dunno!”
“… Maybe if I- *BEEEEP BEEEEEEEP BEEEEEEP*” This was followed por stomping and panting.
“Did they see you?”
“I uuuuuuused the beeper, I uuuused the beeper.”
“But did they see you??”
“Not yet, they’re going towards your car though.”
“Are tu close?”
“Well…” Zen had a guilty tone.
“… Where are you, Zen?”
“Hiding behind one of their cars.” He croaked.
Siera sighed long and hard before speaking again, “Okay when they start coming back just weave between the cars and you’ll get there soon enough… are they going?”
“They’re coming Baaaack!”
“Then get going!” Siera hissed.
There was a great deal of thuds, yelps, and nervous laughter with an occasion “Whoop!” before a car door opened. “I’m in I’m in!”
“Then drive!”
“Okay okay!” Siera hung up after hearing this and called Tess again, “He’s on his way.”
Tess closed her phone and waited, with an officer still at her side. Siera’s car drove up. “That’s them.” She fibbed as she walked to the car. The officer started to walk with her before she dicho “Are tu escorting me in the passenger asiento too?” He stopped and waited till she got into the car before walking back to the rest of the school.
“Y’know in hindsight, tu should have gone. tu can cloak.” Zen pointed out.
“I didn’t hear tu complaining. I would have if tu dicho something.”
“I wasn’t scolding, no need to snap… Where’s her house anyway?”
“Hold on,” Tess whipped out her phone and began searching the web. Thirty segundos of annoying clicks later “Okay I got it; 17 Vinnie Grove, West-side.”
Zen groaned, “Let’s hope I figure out where THAT is…”
It took them a good twenty minutos but they did arrive at the house; though spotting it was not hard with the police cars surrounding it. Zen quickly halted the drive and began slowly driving back before they were noticed. “We’ll park out of sight and sneak in...” he plotted while turning a corner.
“Through the backyards?” Tess guessed.
“I… guess that works.”
They exited the car and dashed across the street, praying that the police would not spot them. They took cover behind a hedge that división, split two neighbor’s houses, and hoped that the owners were not home.
Zen looked over the hedge a bit to see if they had been noticed. The police were still going about their work, so it seemed they were safe, though he did notice that some of the occupants of the neighborhood decided to find out what was happening themselves.
“Can tu hear them?” Tess asked once she noticed what Zen was doing.
“No…” He dicho grimly. Tess looked around with peered eyes, scanning for anyone near to see them if they snuck into the backyard. “C’mon.” She squatted over to the backyard gate of the house and walked into the backyard. Zen followed.
The fence dividing the yard they were in and the one they needed to get across was tall, but climbable. It was wooden, with a few nails sticking out. “If tu give me a boost I could get over it.” She said, measuring the height still.
Zen looked it over, “It could break.”
“Then catch me if I fall. We don’t have time.”
Zen groaned and placed his hand near the ground. Tess stepped into his hands and he lunged upward, shoving her to the parte superior, arriba of the fence. She did a backflip over it just to mostrar off. “Wish tu took gymnastics now, don’t ya?” She taunted from the other side.
“Ha ha, help me over.”
A pause, “… How?”
“Are tu kidding!?” He yelled angrily. “HOW!? I thought tu had a plan!”
“Look for something to jump off of then!”
Zen did notice a slightly young árbol near the fence. He could climb that, but it wasn’t as tall as the fence. Then he noticed that there was a shed back near the gate. He ran over and scaled it, getting to the parte superior, arriba with relieving ease. Then he noticed that the police were turning his direction. “Crud crud cruuuuuud!” Thump, he jumped off and landed hard on the ground, feet, then rump. At least he was on the other side now.
Tess ran over and pulled him up “Are tu okay!?”
“Bones… cracked… pain large.” He whimpered.
“You’re fine.” She poked one of his ribs. He groaned in annoyance but did not mostrar signs of pain.
“Don’t… do that. Do tu know how nauseous people get when they land like that?”
“I kinda lost that feeling after three years of doing it.” Tess chuckled. “Let’s get to the siguiente one.” She ran off to the siguiente fence to climb over.
“N-… siguiente one?” Zen groaned with widened eyes. He followed to what was the same length of wall. “Oh great. Well let’s get this over with.” He cupped his hands.
“Wai wai wait…” Tess motioned him down as she leaned against the fence. “I can hear them now.”
Zen put his ear to the fence as well. “And you’re sure she hasn’t come inicial yet?” What they assumed an officer said.
“She’s a loner; no doubt hanging out at an arcade o something.” A female voice replied. Liz’s Mother possibly
“So she’s not even home?!” Zen whispered loudly. “Ugh!” He walked off from the fence and to the muro dividing the opposite house.
As for Tess she decided to quickly climb up a large árbol in the current backyard, and look around for anyone else.
“What are tu d-“
“She might have come back for supplies o something, o money.” Tess turned around in different directions, “Maybe…”
“Or they captured her too and we’re too late.”
“Always the optimistic aren’t you?” Tess narrowed her eyes. “Wait…” she saw someone… o something. The person was at least five houses down; it looked like they just appeared out of nowhere. “There’s someone over there.”
They both exited the house and made their way to where Tess saw the person. The police were not near enough to them so they would not have to worry about being seen. “Where did tu see it again?” Zen asked.
Tess walked over to the spot the person appeared from and stomped a bit, “It must be a trap door o something.”
“I sorta doubt that. That would take money and months. Did tu see what direction the person left in?”
“Well…” Tess pointed at her guess, which was towards another house, and not down the street. “That might be… “
Zen walked over to her side and tried to see if there was anything hidden in front of him, when he should have been watching behind them. Two hands grabbed them por the backs of their necks and forced them face-first into the ground. They both screamed in surprise; Zen trying to grab at their attacker, who let go only to grab his arm and force it around his neck.
“So tu two are looking for me now?” A feminine voice asked. It was the other Liz, Liz Eventide.
