Chapter 9

Alan was dreaming a strange dream. He and Hopix were walking down the aisle of the palace up to Queen Glimmer. Hopix was beautiful. Over and over, he heard her telling him that she loved him. They had just reached Glimmer when the lizard guy jumped out of the crowd and cut Hopix’s throat. Alan was screaming as the lizard laughed and ran out the door with no one touching him. NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Alan started to go after him, but he had to heal Hopix before it was too... “I love you,” Hopix choked out, “I will always love you.” Then she stopped moving and breathing. Alan poured all the magic into her he had, but she was gone. NO! NO! NO!

Hopix’s mother was having an extremely hard time with Alan. Not only was he resisting, but she felt him start to slip away on his own. Then she saw the dream. Oh dear! Hopix was dead in his arms while the Queen and all her subjects were celebrating; no wonder he was slipping away.

Calling out to him, she turned, “Who the hell are you? Another come to torture me? To make me watch again and again how I failed her? To make me watch her die OVER AND OVER!?? Come, you want my life. Here it is, ‘cause without her there is no life, you understand? Kill me slow, fast, I don’t care.”

“No, Alan. None of this is real. You were hurt and are healing. Hopix is here with me. She is extremely worried about you.”

“I know you, but I can’t place you. Who are you? How do you know these things?” Alan asked.

“I am Hopix’s mother. I am here to help you, but you have to let me. You have to stop fighting me. Hopix is alive. Come with me and see,” she said, taking his hand.

Snatching his hand away, he said, “Look, lady, I don’t really know you. You could be anyone.”

“You are right. Then, how about this? You reach out, outside of this place, and see if I am right. If Hopix isn’t worried about you, I will sit here and do nothing,” she said as she sat and waited. At least now he was no longer slipping away, but he was still weak.

Reaching out, Alan had a hard time piercing outside of the Queen’s palace. Another push, and he was out above a blanket that was on the ground. A little higher, he saw a Fairixie woman bending over him. Strange, but she had no face. Huh? Next to her, Hopix was sitting, her small hand trying to hold his huge one.

Her face was covered with tears; she seemed weak and pale. “I have to tell you the secret of my people. What you see is an illusion. We are really...” At that moment, he was ripped away back into his body.

Alan appeared next to the woman claiming to be Hopix’s mother. “Did you learn anything?” the woman asked.

“Hopix ... Hopix started to tell me something. She said her people had a secret, that what I was seeing was an illusion.” Sighing, Alan looked at the woman. “Then I was ripped away. I’m not sure what this illusion is or what you really look like, but it seemed very important to her. I will try to come back. I have so little strength left.”

“I will help you. When you see me again, grab hold of anything I give you as tightly as you can. It is the only way I can see that you will survive.” Alan nodded as she left.

Outside of his mind, Hopix’s mother looked at her. She was looking better, but she wasn’t saved yet. Neither was Alan. She prayed that she had the power to help him. Starting slowly, she began to infuse energy into Alan. Inside, Alan was grabbing all the energy that she sent. Almost an hour later, she had to stop. Alan wasn’t as weak but was still very weak. Hopix’s mother shook her head as she’d tried for an hour. Alan needed so much energy. She could feel he was almost out of danger, but there was a risk.

She needed to rest, but all of Hopix’s people on both planets owed Alan so much. If only ... She hadn’t heard of it being done since before she was born, well over 10,000 years ago. She had to try. She felt it was the only thing that could save him.

Standing, she called to all the Fairixies on the planet... The Mezey Alan was hurt very badly defeating the evil ones. I am the strongest healer from the home planet. I ask you to lend me a small piece of yourselves to help heal him. My thanks to those that do, but no one will look down on those too afraid. I understand.

Waiting a few minutes, she felt energy begin to trickle in. She placed her hand on Alan. She’d been at it for 10 minutes when there was an almost overwhelming flood of energy that suddenly hit and passed through her into Alan. Alan’s body jerked as the energy hit him. Smiling, the woman could feel him suddenly grow stronger. Most of the internal injuries were healed now. An hour later, a little light-headed, the woman smiled at Hopix. “He will be alright now. Everything inside is good, though I am afraid he will have to do the outside. He only heard part of the secret. He needs to hear the rest. You have maybe an hour after he wakes. No more. Do not delay, daughter. Bring your brother home.” With that, the woman pulled a cube a lot like Alan’s out and was gone.

Mother has been to the Trembly world? When, Hopix wondered. Had she been a helper like Hopix? Smiling, that could explain a lot of things. Was her father human like Alan? White mages lived a long time, almost as long as the Fairixies did. Strange, she thought. She never remembered seeing a human when she was little. Mulling it over, she decided she’d look into it later. First, she needed to save Alan and then herself. As she watched, Hopix could finally see Alan start to breathe a lot easier. She just hoped her mother had been able to save him. After what he’d told her, she felt that she couldn’t go on without him. Then, as an afterthought, she knew she wouldn’t be able to survive. It was part of the secret and also the main reason Hopix hadn’t found love in such a long time.

Alan’s dreams had drastically changed. Over and over, he kept reliving the lizard guy getting away. Everything he tried got him hurt or almost killed. Each time, Alan could see himself getting more and more angry.

Hopix could feel the bad dreams that Alan was having. Strange, she thought. After what Mother had done, he shouldn’t have bad dreams. Reaching in but not too far because her power was a lot weaker, she saw that once again Alan was dreaming about the lizard guy. Then she felt the tether that the lizard guy was attached to. That was it! Pulling out, she grabbed Alan’s head, concentrating as hard as she could. She knew that this could kill her because she was far too weak to do this full power. Shaking her head, she knew this could exhaust all her power, but for Alan, she’d gladly give her life.

The lizard guy was getting away again when Alan turned and saw Hopix was there. Shocked for a moment, then he thought it was another trick. That is, ‘til he saw how weak and pale she was. “Alan,” she gasped out, “it’s all a fake. It’s the lizard guy. Cut his tether. Look at him. You’ll...” Hopix groaned. “It will end all his interference. Hurry, my love. I wait for you,” she said as she fell, then faded.

Now even madder than before, Alan walked up to the lizard guy. “It’s over, you ass!”

Cutting the tether, he heard the lizard guy scream. “Next time we meet, the first thing I will take will be your ability to move. Then your council can have you!”

Lizard guy smirked. “As if. You not only don’t have enough power, but you won’t kill.”

As soon as the creep was gone, Alan tried to follow it out. The closer to the top he got, the harder it was. Finally, opening his eyes, he tried to sit up. No dice, too damn weak. Looking around, he saw Hopix lying in a crumpled heap. NO! With every bit of his strength, he crawled the two feet to her. Touching her, he could feel that she was extremely weak. Though he didn’t have much energy, he had to save her. Though there was really no future for them, he had to try. With tears falling from his eyes, he held his hand over her chest. At first, there was nothing. Alan started to swear and then pushed harder. Finally, he could feel the energy start to slowly flow from him. She was so weak. He had to save her. There was nothing that he wouldn’t do for her, including dying as he was prepared to save her.

A few moments later, Alan had already tapped his life force when her eyes fluttered open. “NO, ALAN,” she tried to shout. “Let me go. I did everything for you.” Now, she was gasping as she could feel her failing body start to strengthen.

“I have to, Hopix. I love you, and I’d gladly give my life for you,” Alan said. Hopix felt a huge jump in her life force.

“I love you, Alan, but you have to understand. Once we are committed to each other, there will be no other. Our lives will literally be entwined, dependent upon each other to live,” Hopix said, starting to feel better already.

“This was all the secret of your people?” Alan asked. He’d actually stopped feeling Hopix’s energy growing.

“Well, it’s part of it.” Here, she giggled. Sitting up, Hopix’s body was suddenly outlined with light. Alan’s mouth hung open as Hopix’s body started to grow. ALL of her body started to grow. Finally, after possibly five minutes, Hopix stood. Alan’s mouth hung open. My god, she was gorgeous! He’d thought before that for a light green-skinned being with wings, she was kind of sexy! Holy shit, Alan thought. Here I am on death’s doorstep, and I’m getting horny over a—looking back at Hopix, he thought—sexy as hell woman with wings!

Hopix’s mouth hung open. “You really think I am sexy?” Alan could swear that Hopix was blushing, blushing like a virgin ... It was then that he remembered that Hopix had said that she hadn’t been home in thousands of years. Alan guessed he had a shocked look on his face since Hopix was giggling like a little girl.

Alan just shook his head. A virgin at her age? Hopix looked at him shyly. “Yes, Alan. I am a v ... one of those. I started working for the council a long time ago.”

“You’ve never met anyone you wanted to be with?” Alan asked. At the vigorous shaking of her head, Alan was a little shocked. As sexy as she was and no one had wanted her?

What the hell? Were all the idiots she’d met blind as hell? Again, this started Hopix giggling. Then she realized that Alan wasn’t kidding. Looking at herself, she didn’t see anything special. She had 34C breasts, weighed 180 pounds, had light green eyes and skin, plus she was a little shorter than Alan’s 6’2’’ standing 6 feet. The fact that her stomach was flat and her hips were slender didn’t register with her, as Alan was staring at those parts intensely.