Fall of the Stars: Clint's Story

Chapter 12

"Crying is a sign that you've been strong for too long." -Unknown

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Clint wrapped his shoulder and the blade with a wrapper. It stung where the alien had sliced into it, spilling deep gashes of blood.

Lisa was sitting with her eyes closed and sleeping. Once done wrapping, Clint looked out across the sky. They were in some other part of the Milky Way. Maybe 200 light years from Earth...

Clint rolled over and tried to sleep. His thoughts kept him awake however. Who were the Guardians? How much did NASA try to keep from them?

"What are you thinking?" Jackie whispered.

He jumped and noticed she was awake. "Nothing," he mumbled.

She touched his shoulder. "We'll get through this," she promised. "It'll be back to normal."

She rests her head on his shoulder. She looks up at him. "Clint. I don't judge you for who your parents are."

He turns away.

"Jack told me," she continued. "He told me you were his child. He called you, 'Prince.' But he never called you Silverwing."

"He must of known my name, my alien name," Clint mumbled.

"He said his name would be too hard to pronounce. So he presented me his human name instead." Jackie didn't leave her head off his shoulder.

Clint shakes her head. "But can you believe it?" She continued with a smile. "We're in a part of the galaxy that no human has ever seen before."

"Yeah," Clint agreed.

"You two better prepare," Lisa said from behind them. She had woken up. "There are other things no human has seen before. This planet has oxygen and trees. Just like you imagined."

Amazement shown in Jackie's eyes. "Really?"

Lisa tapped another button. Clint looked into the window and saw a planet coming into focus. His breath was immediately taken away.

The planet was blue, blue like Mother Earth. Clint felt his breath be taken away. God, it's beautiful...

"Welcome," Lisa said, "to Hoole."

<>

Hoole was like Earth in a way, but Clint could spot differences before in his eyes.

The atmosphere was very much filled with oxygen and trees that shot up straight into the sky. The mother sun was called Galos, a weird name, but Clint grew to accept it.

Lisa turned her head. "If people are staring at you, just tell me. They haven't seen humans in centuries. Maybe not even never."

Clint followed her with the others trailing behind him, looking in awe at their surroundings. It was then he caught the humanoids staring at him.

They looked like Lisa, with the wings only, but not like the Zygers. They had no talons to claw, only the wings which were embedded with black spikes. Their eyes were human too, sometimes brown, and other identical colors.

They pulled back, whispering amongst themselves and looking at Clint. Their dark eyes shone with curiosity as Lisa made her way to the front. Finally she stopped at a golden gate, and stood back. "Others, stay here. Clint, come with me."

Clint felt his stomach plunge. "What about the others?"

"They'll be fine. We don't eat humans like the Zygers." She laughs a little, and the crowd seems to nod and pull back, sensing the fear coming off the Others.