Introduction
“A long time ago, in a planet called Sharlax, a battle began. The battle was Sharljins vs. DOOM. DOOM made sure hundreds of Sharljins died. Until there was only the Sharljin warriors left. The only Sharljin left after DOOM killed them was the Sharljin named Toby 34. DOOM smiled as Toby got into his ship, then turned to his troops. He saw a young male. He chose him. The male did not want to shoot.
“The male had thought he had been fighting for good. Now he knew DOOM was evil. So he refused. And while the warriors ganged up on the traitor, Toby34 went to Maximum Burn that would make years fly by when he reached a planet. The traitor was killed, but he had saved Toby 34. I think you know who that traitor is.”
Chapter 1: The Alien
“That’s the crummiest past life I’ve heard of! I give you five dollars and you give me this dumb view of my past lives! That’s so crummy!” I shouted at the fortune teller. Then I stomped out of the tent. Sure. There were aliens on the planet Sharlax and I had saved the last one. Ha! Double Ha! That rotted.
I walked around. It was midnight. I was a homeless kid. Foster homes didn’t work for me, so I went to a children’s home hoping I would be accepted. I was. Sometimes I went out and did things out of the home. Like wash cars or get a job at a restaurant. I was just spending a bit of my money to see what would happen.
I had gotten the crummiest past life possible. How did she even get those crooked ideas? She reminded me of Edgar Allen Poe. I walked into an abandoned site. Then I felt sort of a rumble. I looked up. There was a very bright star there. And when it got bigger I knew it wasn’t a star.
I yelped and tripped back. The...the...the thing started landing right in front of me. I blinked and watched as it slowly lowered it’s landing gear and stopped. It was almost like a plate, only it looked like two plates glued together with the outer rims glowing. It had a big window, which must have been the bridge, and it also had billions of glowing lights. It hurt my eyes but I kept watching. Slowly, ever so slowly, I felt something in my mind, like I was being read. And then something felt happy, and then the ship blew a blue gas at me. Were they gonna kill me and dissect me? I had no idea, but I felt very tired. Very, very tired. So tired that I fell to the ground and fell asleep.
* * *
When I woke, my head was spinning. I was in some kind of a glass box, and I felt very comfortable. But it wasn’t so fun when I realized I had just been abducted by aliens. I wanted to scream, but my mouth wouldn’t move. In fact, I was paralyzed. I could only move my eyeballs. I inspected myself, only to find I was still wearing clothes. It didn’t completely thrill me, but hey, I’ve read a lot of books where they take off the person’s clothes. I started wondering where they were. I mean, they were supposed to study me. Wouldn’t they be there to do it?
Pretty soon, the paralyzing stuff started to wear off. I moved around, trying to stretch. Then I heard rustling sounds. This was bad. I looked around the room. There was nothing but me and a door. I looked at the door for a long time until a kid about a year older than me stepped in. I blinked and looked at him. He looked at me. Then our eyes met.
I felt an odd sensation, as if I knew him. From a long time ago...
“Glad to see you’re awake. I’ve been waiting for this moment, Tobias,” he said gleefully. Instantly I snapped into full alert. How’d this guy know my name?!?
“Oh don’t be alarmed, I’ve been in your head. How else would I know your name?” he said as if he was reading my thoughts. But I could tell it was just because I had gone on full alert so quickly. But when he had told me he had been in my head. What did that mean? Did he really do it? Was he a human with ESP powers? Then I felt the sensation again. He was in my head.
“Oh no, no, no! I’m not a human at all!” he scoffed, “I’m a Sharljin!”
I wanted to move. This guy was repeating the word the fortune teller had said. It was utterly impossible for her to have heard it. She saw it in her ball...I mean...
“Tobias, settle down. There’s nothing to worry about. I’m glad to have found you. I’m Toby 34 and I owe you one for saving my life.”
Chapter 2: Chat-World
Toby?!? Here?!? Now?!? REAL???? I thought quickly. It was impossible! It couldn’t be true! I didn’t have a past life! Never, ever, EVER!!!
“Calm down, Tobias! Down, quiet, slow, deep breaths...” Toby calmed me. Soon I was calm, but boggled out. I wished I would’ve been able to talk.
“You’ll be able to later, now it’s time to sleep.” Toby said. He left the room. But I couldn’t rest. I was filled with so many unasked questions like: How come Toby took so long? Then I remembered that he had gone on Maximum Burn that would make years fly by like days in the ship. So I was twelve. That meant Toby had spent twelve days traveling. Then I suddenly saw the same blue smoke that put me to sleep appear again. Within seconds I dropped to the base of the box fast asleep.
* * *
I woke up in the same box. Toby was fooling around with a gadget. When he saw me sit up, he seemed very cheerful. In fact, I felt cheerful myself. I guess some sleep did me good.
“Good morning, ‘Tobie’!” he said happily.
“Tobie”? He might as well call me Luke Sky-walker, I thought sarcastically. Toby smiled at my joke. But since I hadn’t said it aloud, I knew he was in my head again. So I decided to use this as a chance to speak with him.
Okay, so here are my questions: #1, Why did you kidnap me? I thought flatly. Toby looked down sheepishly.
“Well, for one thing I wanted to thank you,” he said smiling. I smiled back.
#2, Why am I in this box? I asked. Toby gasped at this question.
“God, if you weren’t in there, the air in space would make your skin explode!” he gasped again. I stared wide-eyed at him. Then I think I almost fainted. Toby then made me feel better.
“You’ll be able to come out tomorrow, I promise,” he told me. Then I hit him with the biggie.
#3 Why do you want me? I asked. He breathed deeply, and told my why.
“I need help to fight DOOM,” he said, “and you’re the one. You betrayed him, and you were killed. You saved me. So I decided to ask you. I tried to track your new life, because everyone keeps living over and over, (Only us Sharljins can remember that we had other lives,) and I reached you there on planet Earth.”
Okay. So I was chosen.
But I have nothing to fight DOOM with, I replied sadly. Toby smiled and walked closer to the box.
“I know, and that’s why I’m taking you to Chat-World and to the planet Talonshawkchat,” he said. I blinked. This was going to be very strange.
What’s Chat-World? I asked. Toby smiled and explained.
It turns out Chat-World is another dimension, and it’s also the home of Sharlax. Talonshawkchat is the best planet to train on. And judging by Toby’ s explanation, he wanted to turn me into a Sharljin.
Chapter 3: Kaiath Bogg Fight
The next day, Toby woke me up. He opened the hatch and my skin felt fine. Quickly he gave me some clothes that were suitable for training, which looked like training clothes, (duh.) We stepped out of the ship and onto the soft grass of Talonshawkchat. Toby told me to close my eyes.
“Reach, Tobias. Reach deep and see what you find,” he told me. Then I felt him helping me reach. Then we saw it. A small light. A small ball of electricity that burned up and gave me strength. I felt I was receiving strength. And I was. More and more, until I was full.
“Amazing! You have an eternal spark!” Toby cried with joy. The look on my face gave it away.
“An eternal spark is a power almost no human has. When any other mortal touches it, you will be immortal until the mortal dies. Not only that, but you become 100% of their species. Isn’t that great?” he explained.
“Touch it! Touch it!” I cried with excitement. Toby shook his head.
“You haven’t proven you can handle it. Let’s get going with the training,” he said. He ran away from me, turned around, and rammed at full speed. I was paralyzed, but my instincts knew how to act. I jumped, but not like a human. I jumped high. And I mean HIGH. I looked down and saw Toby miss me, then I realized I should try to attack.
So I looked down at him, closed my eyes, and shot myself down at him. He looked startled, tried to move, but I hit him. He went flying into the dirt. I hit the ground with a THUD, sort of bounced, and landed a bit clumsily on my feet. Then I saw Toby stand up. He closed his eyes, drew his hand back, and shot a blue ball of power the size of a baseball at me. I dodged it, and then returned the favor. I closed my eyes, concentrated hard, and copied Toby’ s movements. Before I knew it he was on the floor muttering the prices of yo-yos in China.
“Very good,” Toby mumbled from the floor. I laughed. Then I heard a thump. I looked back. Behind me there was a monster with legs the size tree trunks, three sharp claws on his three strong fingers, and an enormous head with hundreds of glittering white teeth. I tripped over Toby, and very slowly I pointed at the monster.
“ME KAIATH BOGG. KAIATH BOGG HUNGRY. WANT EAT. WANT EAT NOW!!!! UNDERSTAND, PUNY THING?” he bellowed in a huge voice, pointing at me. I stood up, closed my eyes, and pointed my fingers straight at him. Then I concentrated very hard. I have my hands an extra thrust and watched electricity bolts hit Kaiath Bogg. I laughed and said, “Oh cool!”
Kaiath Bogg was angry, and he picked me up. I almost screamed. But I released myself from his grip and kicked him with my right leg. He bellowed in pain when I hit one of his huge eyes. Then I ran under his feet, and shot the blue energy ball at his back. He stumbled to the ground.
I quickly raced up his back and somersaulted over his head. He swiped at me but missed. He stood up and kicked me. I frowned when I landed and concentrated. I thought and thought and thought. Then a name came into my head. Terror bomb. I thrust my hand forward and out came an enormous ball of white light. It hit Kaiath Bogg. He stumbled back and exploded.
I helped Toby up and looked at the pieces of the monster. Toby smiled and concentrated on me. Together we reached the glowing eternal spark of electricity. And then, with an invisible hand, Toby touched it, and it became real. I was now a Sharljin.
Chapter 4: DOOM Strikes
“I also need you to help me fight the Harkans,” Toby told me. I frowned. Toby caught my expression. “The Harkans are a race of spiritual beings. We need to beat them, they’re DOOM’s allies,” He explained.
* * *
I looked at the fluffy white clouds and a dragon passing nearby. I had gotten used to the jumps and surprises of Talonshawkchat, and I wasn’t worried at all. Not until I saw a huge black cloud descend over the skies. I jumped to my feet. A portal appeared in the cloud. Out of the portal came a big dark figure. It made my goosebumps get goosebumps. I stumbled back and fell flat on my back. I saw the figure getting closer and closer. Then it was right in front of me.
I looked at the evil spirit. It had black clothes. Like black rags, that flowed around by its body, making it look powerful. It was, wasn’t it? It also had a hood that covered its face, which made it horrible-looking. And it was flying! Yes, flying, high in the air right in front of my nose. And the wind! It caused a horrible wind to blow against my body. I was afraid of this shadow creature. It looked like the Grim Reaper’s Halloween costume. I knew what it was. The only terror that could go up against the Harkans. I was looking at DOOM. He was here.
“What do you want from me, DOOM? You’ve killed me once, and it’s payback time,” I snarled. To my surprise, he started reciting “The Raven” by Edgar Allen Poe. His voice was evil and whispery. His tone was high and intense.
Once upon a midnight dreary, as I pondered weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore---
While I nodded nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of someone gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
“’Tis some visitor,” I muttered, “tapping at my chamber door,
Only this and nothing more.”
Then a Raven began beguiling, my sad fancy into smiling,
But the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore,
“Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou” I said “art sure no craven,
Ghastly grim and ancient Raven wandering from the Nightly shore---
Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night’s Plutonian Shore!”
Quoth the Raven, “Nevermore.”
I kept a steady eye on DOOM. He had just recited a poem. What harm could that do? “The Raven” was a nice poem. It wasn’t that horrible. So I decided to comeback him.
And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting,
On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;
And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon’s that is dreaming,
And the lamp-light o’er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;
And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor,
Shall be lifted---nevermore!
DOOM looked startled. But then he put up his hand and said, You are a good poet, but not a smart fighter. You will never defeat me...
Chapter 5: The StealthWolves
“He recited poetry?” asked Toby, “that’s not like DOOM. He must have been trying to put you to sleep. But if you know the poem, it might not do him any good.” Then with a quick glance and a sly smile he asked, “You like Edgar Allen Poe?”
“Yeah. He’s cool,” I said. Toby nodded. Then he smiled and admitted that Edgar Allen Poe was a very good poet. Finally we stopped and laughed and we talked about what to do. Toby told me we should take a look around to see what we could see. I agreed and we took off. We walked by a castle, a house, a mountain with snow on top, it was a land of magic. We also saw thousands on creatures like dragons or Shamblers. Then we saw a small camp. I suggested we check it out.
“HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!!!!!!!” shouted a voice. Within minutes we were surrounded. “I” is a better word because Toby disappeared right in thin air! I guy with a wolf head came up to me. I was scared. What had I done?
“Are you a partner of Toby 34’s?” He asked. I nodded. “Then you must die. Toby34 is a big stupid booger and any of his partners must be killed,” he said. I stared blankly at him. He started concentrating on me. Obviously, he had powers. I tried to struggle, but the guards held me tight. Then suddenly I felt pain like I’d never experienced before. REAL pain. Like hammers being hammered at light speed all over my body. I screamed. Then my eyes went all blurry, and I blacked out.
But I could still hear. I heard an applause and laughter and then someone suggested to see if I had any valuables. About then I woke up. But in a totally different body. I rose out of my body. People gasped. I smiled as well as I could with no mouth, and then I felt glittery power and neutrons and atoms go around inside me. I was a spark. An eternal spark.
Did you really think you could kill me? I said. People gasped. I saw the wolf head guy raise his fist. But it went right through me. Did you really think you could kill a SPARK? Come on, you guys. Lighten up. You can’t kill me. But you can at least tell me WHY, I told him. He shook his head sadly.
“Toby 34 is a lunatic. He thinks he can beat DOOM. He’s just joining him! The fool, the traitor,” wolf-head said. I sighed.
Toby is NOT a lunatic. He’s my friend. And he’s not joining DOOM. He can’t. I’ve been inside him. He’s good, I tell you, I told them. Wolf-Head looked at me.
“You’re not like him, are you? My name is Wolf-Shambler, and you are a good soul. You must join the StealthWolves. We need people like you,” he smirked. I sighed. Then I asked him three questions: Will it kill DOOM? Will it hurt the Harkans? And most of all, will it hurt?
“Yes to the first two, and I don’t get the last one,” he said. Then he realized, “Oh! You mean my head? Oh no, no, no, no, no! I was born this way. Not everyone has to look like a Wolf. Okay: Will you risk your life to save any other StealthWolf, RedTalon, or good Shambler? Will you obey your elders? And most important of all, will you allow us to destroy your name and any proof that you were ever a StealthWolf if you betray us?”
Yes to all three. My name will be TobiasWolf. But I need to know something. What exactly is DOOM?
Chapter 6: Long-Lost Sister
Toby and I were jetting around in Toby’s ship when we saw it. A big hole, fire bursting out, and RedTalon ships hovering about. I ran over to the hole. Then I saw it. A RedTalon. In a cage. Other RedTalon scouts were shooting at Harkans. I saw hundreds of dead RedTalon scouts scattered about. The RedTalon in the cage was their leader. I dove into the hole, Toby right behind me, we made a flashy entrance. Then I kicked a few Harkans out of my way and ran to the cage.
“AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” I heard a scream. I looked back. A little girl, about three years younger than me, was screaming as a Harkan raised his blades....SLASH!!! Now he didn’t even have an arm! A laser! Quickly I punched the Harkan out of the way and grabbed the girl. She was human. I ran to the cage. I put her on top. Then I tried to do something only lucky Sharljins could figure out how to do. I started carrying the cage and flying. It worked. I quickly flew out of the hole and set down the cage at a safe spot.
“Thank you! Thank you!” The leader thanked me when i let him out. He shook my hand until it hurt and ran to a RedTalon ship. I could hear him cheering for joy.
The girl wasn’t screaming anymore. She was huddling down, looking at a note.
“What’s your name?” I asked.
“Loki,” she said softly.
“Can I see the note?” I asked quietly. She looked a bit scared, but handed it to me. I read it. It goes like this:
Dear Loki,
We loved you very much, but we are not going to be around when you read this. Your mother and I are dying. Because of a species of aliens called Harkans. They have poisoned us. We are sorry you are alone. When you are able to read this, we will be dead. You will be alone. You used to have a brother, his name was Tobias. But we lost him in a terrible fight with the Harkans. He is five years older than you. If you ever find him show him this note.
Dear Tobias,
If you ever read this part, we hope you do as we want you to do. We want you to fight, Tobias. Don’t let the Harkans get you. They will kill you. Don’t let Loki get in danger. She is five years younger than you are. She’s your responsibility now. Please, Tobias. Fight for us. Save the world. Fight to get revenge. Please fight for the right of the universe. The fate of the entire universe is in your hands. Please, Tobias.
Signed,
Mr. And Mrs. (I can’t tell.) AKA; Mom and Dad.
That was MY last name! Those were MY parents! And that meant Loki was...
I wrapped my arms around Loki. She was crying. She knew. She knew. She knew what I knew. She knew that she was my sister and that I was her brother. We were a family. And we had met each other on a world so different from ours.
Chapter 7: Battle of Death
I quickly ran over I dead Harkan. The DOOM troopers were roaring. I could hear cries of pain as I ran over the dying surface of what once was the planet Talonshawkchat. I slipped under a rock and began thinking of where Toby could have gone. He was so quick and unpredictable. But if Talonshawkchat was in such bad shape, he would have gone straight to the problem. So I ran to DOOM’s base. A few measly humans were guarding. I easily beat them and went inside.
Just as I had predicted, Toby and DOOM were having a fight. Toby ducked DOOM’s attacks a shot a few of his own. He was skilled, but DOOM was gigantic. I couldn’t do anything but wait. So I looked at DOOM chopping wildly, Toby shooting madly, powers and karate mixed together in an enormous jumble. DOOM was clever and quick, but Toby was a very powerful warrior. Just as DOOM was about to hit him, Toby moved out of the way and punched DOOM hard.
I saw a quick movement and Toby fell. NO! Toby? Fell? NO! He was down! Toby was...dead?!?!? No!! That couldn’t be! That meant...
DOOM looked at me. Right at ME. As if I was a supreme commander. Then in an evil voice he hissed: “DIE fool, DIE!!!!” I knew I was becoming more and more human but I had to fight. I pulled out a blaster and started shooting at the evil menace. He dodged like a pro. I started making a rhythm. He caught on. Then suddenly I changed the rhythm and hit. DOOM bellowed and went through a portal.
“Coward,” I whispered.
* * *
Loki and I sat on the edge of a cliff. DOOM was invading another world, probably. We were keeping a lookout. We were living with the StealthWolves. Loki had joined them. We were in so much danger. But still we had to fight. It was our parents’ wish.
“Tobias?” Loki asked.
“Mmm hmm?” I hummed.
“Do you think we’ll ever get home? You know, Earth?”
“Of course we will. Like Toby said, everything dies and lives over and over again.”
“Tobias, I love you.”
“And I you, Loki. Let us hope our parents remember us in their sky high grave.”
“Are you imitating Edgar Allen Poe again?”
“No, that’s Shakespeare.”
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