Chapter 2: Reflection
Before I was sent falling down to Earth, I was sitting at the edge of my home planet, Chelonia. I felt a calm sort of melancholy, thinking about nothing and everything at the same time. We passed over the planet called Earth. Such a strange place; I’ve heard many terrifying things about it. But… maybe, just maybe, there were good things inside that big blue orb?
I’d always wanted to believe that there were always good things in the universe. It made coping with the sad things- like tragedies and war- so much easier. I’d push it away, until I was surrounded only by things that made me happy.
But in the next moment, I was launched into a journey that would challenge my perspective.
Suddenly, an unknown assailant pushed me, sending me off the edge and down towards Earth. I was spinning out of control, the energy around me catching fire; I hit the atmosphere hard, hearing a loud crash before blacking out.
When I came to, my vision was blurry. It didn’t help that my body was burning with pain, too. I felt something soft holding me...I looked up and saw a shape I couldn’t quite make out. I croaked out a question of who they were and where I was, when they suddenly dropped me. I didn’t feel their presence afterwards, so my best assumption was that they ran away. I laid there in pain before getting up and looking around. The terrain was grassy, with many plants and trees surrounding the area.
I looked up at the sky, trying to find my planet. No such luck. All the stars, though unique in their own ways, were indistinguishable from planets, balls of gas, and the nebula clouds I was named after from down here. The only thing I could see was the vague ball of red light in the sky. It was Fa’ksha. I think on Earth, they call it Mars (or maybe they call this one Venus, I think)? A quiet matchstick lit inside, flickering vaguely. Before I could stop it, it erupted into an inferno in my first heart, spreading all over. It was blazing hot, and I could barely control it. I realized what was happening- sudden panic. It was becoming more and more apparent. The only thought in my head that repeated over and over, like a broken radio transmission- ‘how was I going to get home?!’.
I need to calm down. Panicking isn’t gonna do me any good. I took a deep, steady breath, as steady as I could. The piercing pain on the side of my waist slowed my pace down. Looking around again, a small, yet light blue lake twinkled from the moonlight. I could swim in that. It’ll have to do in the meantime. I started to drag myself, slowly yet surely towards it. I gasped and panted with every push; my body was in agony. All the bones were creaking and crackling. I was afraid that I’d pull one that I didn’t know existed. Every little crawl, every little stumble, was a gamble. Do I get to stay intact, or do I risk pushing it too far? After what seemed like hours, I finally managed to slip inside the lake.
The water was thicker than what I was used to, but it was comforting. It soothed my injuries and reminded me of home. I did a few loops and twirls to get used to the feeling. It’s not terrible- just a bit slimy? Slimy feels like the right detail for this. The way my fins cut into the water is definitely alien. Diving down, life underneath was definitely different. Instead of the solid marble crevices and light tunnels I was used to, there were murky, wiggly plants. No sign of any schools nearby, either. The geography of the earth padded the bottom, reminiscent to that of the pearl beds. This was unsettling. I’m completely out of my element. After spending a bit of time underwater, I resurfaced and looked at the sky.
...Still nothing. I was hoping that my family would’ve sent a signal of some kind. A “Nebula, where are you?” would have sufficed. But the sky was still dark, lit only by Luna and the stars. Only, now I noticed there was a crack in the sky...was that from me falling? Oops…
I turned around and saw a figure running away from me. Was it the one who was holding me? I tried to find where they ran off to, but they were gone before I could even get a proper look. So, here I was, all alone, wondering what on Gleska (Neptune?? Uranus??) my next move was. I stared at my reflection in the water, feeling lost. Despite the fall, my face was still fully together. Whatever saved me must have had some Earthly powers I knew nothing about. This planet, while so fascinating (nothing like the books I’ve ever read about it!), still was very much so unknown to me. I had a feeling that this moment wasn’t going to last.
It was more than a feeling, really. It was a reality that sunk in too fast for me to comprehend.
I started to tear up, my vision getting blurry. What was I gonna do? How was I going to let my family know where I was? No possible way for me to signal for help without the portal. Was I out of luck, doomed to die on a foreign planet? Oh no, what if- what if I were eaten?! This planet was inhabited by large monsters! The ones who roam this land hardly know anything about their own waters! How was I supposed to know if this water wouldn’t kill me over time? I hugged myself, hoping to delay the inevitable. No matter how hard I fought the battle, the waterworks couldn’t be held. One tear became two. Two became four, and soon, I was steadily crying. This wasn’t fair.
What had I done to deserve this? All my life, I’ve made an effort to do nothing but good. I picked up after myself, I said “nume tae pon” when someone held a gate open for me. If someone was having trouble with their swimming technique, I was right there to help them out. Even when they did shake me off or called me nasty things, I would always fold the fin and still smile. The worst thing isn’t the uncertainty if I’ll get back home, nor if it would be if I perished on unknown lands. The worst thing is that I was facing it alone.
I hate being alone.
Ever since I was a little shrimp, I hated being alone. I was bullied often for just not fitting in. I never looked anyone in the eye, I didn’t get social cues, and often I’d lag behind in my lessons. I’d like to think it isn’t my fault. Why would it be? The lessons that were taught didn’t help me from time to time. That didn’t mean I was stupid. I never minded my condition, but being outcast for something I couldn’t change was a living nightmare. Sure, I made mistakes. I’ll admit that; but I tried. Gleska knows I tried so hard. In the end, it was never enough. I never understood why. I wanted to be liked so I wouldn’t be alone. Was this the universe punishing me for my vain hope?
Suddenly, a loud crashing interrupted my thoughts. I looked up and over my shoulder at where it came from. From a distance, there was smoke rising. A pitter patter at first. Before sliding back into the lake, I could see a fire beginning to catch. I began to panic again; what if it spread to where I was?
Wait. This was no time to be thinking of myself; there could be people in trouble. I slipped up and out of the water, making sure to test my floating. It’s not the most perfect recalibration, but it’ll have to do. The Earth’s magnetic fields were powerful, I’ll give it credit there. It’s gonna take some time to adjust. I managed to fly through the air easily, but could only get a few feet off the ground. Flying back up to my home was out of the question. Still, there were other matters at hand. I’ll worry about it when the fire’s extinguished.
Rushing towards it, I could feel my ribs healing passively thanks to the water I absorbed. I think it’s called freshwater down here? That’s irrelevant. What’s relevant right now is the town engulfed in the flames. From my vantage point, the people living there were enough to fill a good amount of the plains before the forest. I was never good at guessing sizes like these, but perhaps this was a place for about… 500 people? Or maybe more than that. Based on the way the path was structured, it appeared to be an in-between hub for travellers and traders alike to take refuge. There’s no refuge in the flames; I could hear the ringing of many beings screaming, crying, or shouting for help. The sounds made my eyes well up once again, but I forced myself to shake it off. Focus, Nebula! You were at your best in water healing; act like it! The only sources of water nearby were streams, but it’s the best I’ve got. I need to get to work, and fast!
I didn’t have time to think much about water technicalities when I smacked into a large figure out of nowhere.
“HEY, WATCH WHERE YOU’RE-wait a minute, what on Earth ARE you?”
It was a large figure in formal clothes, sipping on a paper cylinder and breathing out thick smoke. Whatever was in that smoke caused me to hack up a storm. Was everything deadly around here?! He was accompanied by a man on a pure black horse with evil in its eyes, whose rider was clad in ink black armor and...missing his head. On his neck was an eerie, almost villainous green flame that flickered calmly.
“I- I- I mean, uh-” I stuttered in my native tongue.
“What kind of noise are you making there?” the floating head commented, gliding around my figure.
“It’s not any noise I’d heard of,” piped the horseman. “It sounds...alien, almost.” The horse snuffled and snorted, as if it was agreeing.
“I AM an alien,” I blurted in...English, I think their language is? Goodness, the planetary lessons were always where I performed the worst. Curse me for not studying more.“I...I fell from the sky. F-from my planet. I need help getting home.”
The snobby man looked me up and down. “An alien siren, huh? What do you make of that, Horseman?” Internally, I made a mental note on the lack of creativity this floating head had. THAT was his name? Horseman. Seriously? Next thing they’ll tell me is that his name is Headman.
“We could take her to the village and take her fear in front of everyone.” That quip knocked me back into reality.
“H-Hang on, what does that-?” I couldn’t finish my sentence. Too many thoughts, not enough coordination between my head and mouth.
The other man sipped his cylinder. “So? What’s that gonna do?”
“Show them that no one is above our power.” The horseman continued without acknowledging what I’d said. “You know those stubborn, jaded healers?”
“Yeah, I know ‘em.” The other man blew out some smoke. He seemed to sneer at me, coughing more because of that strange cylinder’s smoke. “Out with it- what are you on about?”
“We put on this display. A free community lesson on how to gut and clean a live fish! They’ll all panic. If they panic, everything descends into chaos. Easy pickings. I predict it’ll take about thirty minutes to clear them out. Forty-five if anything goes wrong.” Are they planning my demise in front of me?! Were- were they the ones that lit the fire!? The fog and flames did match with the color of the horseman’s. I tried to get my body to sneak away, to hide among the trees and rush to the aid of the village. But it was no use; the casting of fear cured in my veins, leaving me unable to move.
The second man pondered at the proposal, nodding his head. “You know Horseman...I think you’re onto somethin’ here. I think this is a pretty good idea.” He turned back to me. “Okay, lady, you’re coming with us.” My spinal fins hackle up instinctively, putting the two of them on edge as well.
Trying to take advantage of the threatening display, I shakingly put my fists up. As even as possible, I bark back with a,“N-No way!”
Gulping, and trying again, I said, “What are you going to do to me?! And fu-furthermore, what are you planning on doing to those poor villagers?!”
“That’s for us to know and you to find out, lady. Grab her, Horseman.”
Instantly, I turned and started to try to run, but I knew they were on my tail. The pounding of hooves was loud, and it wasn’t long before the rider grabbed me by the base of my fin and pulled me close. Struggling did nothing; I was helpless against his strength. He brought me to the front of his steed and held me there, threatening to cut my neck with his jagged, serrated sword. Terrified, I let out a long scream, praying that someone, anyone, would hear me and come help.