Volume One Chapter Two Search For Otb

 Back To Otb’s Planet

Lasta Coop could not get her bearings. Her head was spinning and she felt nauseous and she knew that she was about to throw up, yet she could not taste the bile. She shook her head a few times to help her dizziness wear off. She looked around as her head started to settle. 

She was in a white room without windows and a white wall and door. She saw black oblongs at both ends running parallel. At first, she thought that she was in a cell. Yet as her eyesight started to blur less and less she realised that she was on a ship. She saw that those onblongs were widows and she saw a stunning purple pink galaxy with green and white stars and one large white light in the centre that appeared to be one ligg but Lasta could tell that it was made up of lots and lots of stars that sat closely together.

"Take me back!” She shouted as she spotted a brunette with her hair tied back, she looked like a Tricenta. O r with a stern and serious look in her eyes.

“No, sorry, I can’t do that.” She said with a high-pitched voice.

She looked at her in complete disbelief.

“Why? I was going home!”

“Because, see, I was told to get you once that you came here. After all, Otb has escaped and, as the only one with experience with him, I have been told to collect you so that you can locate him.”

She looked at him in absolute anger.

“How would I know where he is!?”

She looked away for a moment with an unreadable expression. She let out a sigh.

“Because, the last time you came to this planet, you seemed to know a great deal about him, including his treacherous ways.”

She let out a growl.

“That’s because in the past, at the time it was his future!” She snapped.

She leaned in with a concerned expression on her face.

“Are you alright? You seem angry.”

“Well I don’t know, maybe someone abducting me against my will might have something to do with it?”

“Well, I have to say sorry and once we have Otb back in jail we will return you to your home.”

She let out a bitter laugh.

“Ha! I think I’d like to have more than that!” She snorted.

“What?”

“How about next time you wish to take me away, at least ask for my permission and give me something that will make up for it!”

“Sure!”

Assuming that I will get home! Said a voice in her head.

She slid her eyes to the window and saw the stars. She drank in all the different colours listed with starts like glitter that were ever shining. She saw that there were different colour stars, some were colours that she did not even know that they could be that colour! She saw that there were different coloured planets too, some more beautiful than others.

Oh, how I wish mum saw here… I wish that I could tell mum all about this too. I also wish that I could tell her and Latso all about this. Once I’m home I’ll tell them.

That’s if I ever do get back home… Somehow, I doubt that I’ll ever get home. After all, I’m beginning to think that curse is real.

At this possibility she started to cry. It had been so long since she had seen them. She would give up all her adventures just to see them again and stay with them. She wanted to hug them both too.

“Are you alright? You seem to be crying.”

“No!” She snapped, trying not to sound too hurt.

“There’s a bed in the room opposite the living area. Get some sleep."

Lasta looked wearily at the door and walked over to it. She saw the bed and wept into the pillows until she fell asleep. She what seemed like hours later by her head hitting the floor below. She then ran to the pilot.

“What’s the big idea?”

“We’re being attacked so strap in!” She shouted as she flocked a few switches.

She did not need to be told twice.

“Who are we being attacked by?’

“Either pirates or enemies”  She said as she pushed a button and an enemy ship exploded. 

Lasta felt herself shaking as she saw fire erupted, it was far too creepy for words. Then another fell and another. Then a larger one was coming. She fired laser after laser at it. She then spotted that there was a laser coming at them and the pilot fired a shot at it, which prevented it from hitting.

“Good shot!”

“I do believe that there might be the possibility that you too should do the same.”

“Maybe?”

Then another was hit!

So this is what it feels like to be in a space battle! It’s more terrifying than I thought! The thought as the last one exploded. Just in time too, they had just arrived.

Quest For Otb

Lasta was quickly brought to the council, which she preferred. The sooner that she could get this over with the better. The people of the council looked like humans but were all taller than normal human beings both men and the women. They all sat on tall throne-like chairs that were high above her which were all made of a white metal. Lasta did not pay too much attention to what they looked like for, she did not think that it was important.

“I have brought the one known as Lasta Coop before you, as you have instructed.”

“Thank you and good work.’  Said a woman, whose voice was thick with authority and arrogance.

Her eyes rested on Lasta, her eyes filled with contempt.

“Now, I assume that you have been informed of the reason why you are here?” She said with a condescending tone.

Lasta decided that she neither liked nor trusted this woman.

“I gave, and I don’t like it that you didn’t ask me, nor my family, whether or not you could take me.” She snapped with her arms folded.

She let out a sigh and rolled her eyes. This made Lasta like her less.

“Well, I neither have time nor do I need permitian. After all, non Earth bread authorities surpassed Earth bread authorities as it is a primitive planet.”

This angered her.

“And why is that?”

She cocked her eyebrow, almost as if she was offended that she had the guts to ask such a question.

“Well, it has long since concluded that the proper channels on planets like yours would be more trouble than it’s worth.”

This confirmed to Lasta that she was right to dislike this alien woman.

“Now, onto what you have been brought before us to do. As the one who knows him the most, where do you think that the one known as Otb is?”

Lasta huffed.

“No. How can I? You haven’t given me anything to work with?”

They all clenched their jaws.

“No, I have not.” She said. “Play the recording.”

Soon the room became dark and a hologram appeared in front of them. She was soon looking at Otb. He was in front of what looked like a small pod in the middle of a large room. He dialled a few digits on a pad on the side of the door. Then the door opened and he went in. Soon there was a flash and he was gone!

Her eyes widened in shock. She had to blink a few times before she looked at it again.

“What was that?”

“That is a prototype time machine. Why?”

Suddenly Lasta became alert, like her words were laced with caffeine. 

“You know there were moments when I was a little kid when Otb tried to kill me.”

“Yes, we have heard about this. However, do you really think that he will try to kill you before you have even met him?”

“Yes, I do. After all, his plan would have never been found out if it wasn’t for me.”

“That is assuming far too much.”

“When is there else for him to go?”

She had them there. They remained silent but looked at each other instantly like they were having a conservation that she was not allowed to be a part of. They then looked at her, with fire in their eyes, fire that she did not like.

“It is decided, Lasta Coop, provided that you are right, we will assign you to recapture Otb, do you accept?”

She sighed and shrugged.

“Do I have a choice?”

“No, this is just a courtesy.”

“Then I better get a reward for this.”

Past And Present

The following day she dressed into gear that would help her cope with travelling in time. Well, as much as she could have been aside from all that she would have to learn on her own. Which gave her a sense of thrill. Even though she had time travelled before, this was the first time she knew where she was going. This gave her a sense of relief that she never had since the moment that King Elric entered her house.

Still, I can’t believe why I have to do this. I mean do I even look qualified? Alright, just calm down, you can do this, you’ve done it before, so what would make this any different?

“Tell me, do you think that I’m up for this?”

“Considering your age, no. You don’t, however we can not afford to give into doubt or fear.” Said the women on the council that she did not like. “However, provided with the context of the fact that you have fought him and survived. I hardly can think of anyone better, than you. So I think that you shall be fine and you will be able to go home and live happily ever after the end!”

“Now where are we going?”

“To the other time machine that we have. I know that it’s underwhelming, but still it shall do.”

“‘Underwhelming’?”

The woman huffed.

“I am fully well aware of the fact that your primitive world would, like a child, be overwhelmed.”

“Personally if this is what you call underwhelmed I would really like to see what you would call overwhelmed.” Lasta commented.

“I hardly think that would be wize. After all, it is something that not only you would never hope to comprehend but it would blow your mind to a point that it would be harmful to your brain.” She laughed.

So telling me would be useless and foolish… How arrogant can you get?

“More than you know.”

“Are you telepathic?”

“Yes, why?”

“Keep out of my head!”

“How can I know that I can trust you?”

“How can I, you?”

“Fair question.”

They soon came to a small glass rectangular thing. It looked less than a time machine and more like a glass boothe.

“That is the time machine?” Lasta commented.

The leader raised her eyebrow.

“Yes, yes it is. And the ‘glass’ is what you call it, is in fact, diamond titanium."”

“And where does that come from?”

“The planet Crystos. The people there are quite an interesting bunch.”

“And why is that?”

“Let’s just say they can be very…reflective.”

“I’m just gonna assume that you’re not gonna tell me.”

"Just get on.”

Lasta shrugged as she stood there. She did not know what to expect nor what it would be like getting there. Yet she realised that she did not know how to get both her and Otb in there without getting squished. No that would just not do after all it would be easier for him to kill her that way. If she was older,  maybe she would not have any fear of death.

She then turned to her as she walked in and then turned to face the door. She then felt something around her waist as the door was closed behind her. She looked down to see tiny sparkly things around her waist.

“Nano drones.”

Lasta smirked.

Cool!

“Neat!” She said as she felt herself rising. “Woah!”

She then spotted that the nano drones had lifted and kept her safely in place. Then the box started to spin. Then slowly became faster and faster until the edges became inextinguishable to her naked eye. Yet it became faster and faster still until she could no longer see the walls. Then it started to become lighter. Yet it became lighter and lighter and lighter until she had to close her eyes. Yet even then it became brighter and brighter. It soon became so bright that her eyelids could no longer shield her eyes. She could feel that her body was almost being crushed. Yet, the nano drones helped protect her from being damaged. She felt herself panting as the air pressure was getting to her. Then her hair rose and spun like a tornado. Then it started to drop and the pressure did too. She spotted that it was getting darker and darker too. She was soon able to open her eyes and the walls stopped spinning and she noticed that she was back in the Black Knight.

She felt a taste of nostalgia as she was reminded of the old days of her youth. Back when none believed her and her adventures had no true consequences and they were fun.

Oh how things have changed within six years.

She had to snap out of it. She had to stop Otb from killing her before she could stop him. It surprised her to find out how early it was that this moment was when it came in her life. When she came to this point, she thought that it was later on in her life and after she had beaten him a few more times after that. She thought that he was older too…

Then she heard a scream. She knew that it was her past self. She wondered where the scream was, yet she heard another. This told her that she was on the floor above where her past self was on. She knew that her past self would beat Otb, but she knew that she would have to make sure that became the case. She spotted that there was a window next to her. She walked to her and saw her past self. Suddenly a thought came to her.

Maybe I could warn her… This thought came to her as a shock that she could warn herself. She could stop the curse from falling on her. Then she could go home. See her mum again and tell her everything that she had been through. She could sleep in her own bed. 

But I have to make sure that my past self survives first.

She then ran on and she ran as fast as she could. She could feel the beat of her heat increase as the faces of her mum and twin brother flooded her mind. She soon found a lift and ran into it. She dialled the button. She felt her ankle go up and down as she knew that the lift could not come soon enough to where she wanted. She could not wait to get there nor could she wait to see her home. Then the doors opened and she saw her past self. She ran on to get to her but then with a flash she was gone!

Looks like I couldn’t warn her after all… She thought as she felt the tears fall. 

She could not warn her, she could not get to her in time. She knew what this meant and she may never get to see her mum and twin brother ever again! She would never get to sleep in her own bed nor get in her own house. She would be alone and she would never feel the arms of her mum around her. 

She had failed.

Dark Fay’s Curse

Lasta found her way to the room that Otb was in. She looked at him and spotted he was hurt, but she better knew than to drop her guard. He may look completely defeated, but who knew what was going on in his head? Who knew what his plan B was? Who knew why he did this in the first place? What was his motive?

He’s evil! That’s what!

“Looks like I couldn’t do it.” He laughed as he turned to her.

“You’re not the only one.” She said sullenly.

He raised his eyebrow.

“Oh? What does that mean?”

“I wanted to tell my past self to destroy the first tooth I lost.”

He looked like he was regaining his energy.

“Why?” He said with a sly smile.

“Because in Fairyland an evil fairy, Salynara cursed me.”

He looked at her and just laughed. She knew that it was because he did not believe her.

“I’m serious!”

“‘Fairyland’? That place doesn’t exist!”

“It does and I have been there.” She snapped.

“Really?”

“Yes! And I hope that you go there and-”

She let out a long sigh.

He'p’s only trying to make me angry.

Realising that age forced herself to calm down.

“However, scene as you are here.”  He said as he got to his feet.

He looked at her in her eyes. A chill ran down her spine as she knew those eyes. They were predatorial and almost focused. 

“I might as well take care of you right here and now.”

This caused Lasta to Greek a cold chill that she knew had nothing to do with the temperature.

He then ran at her, she was barely able to dodge his fist. All she could do was dodge fist after fist. She was spun down on the floor and this tripped him up. She then crawled back but he was able to grab her ankle and pull her back and she was soon under him. She kicked him in the groyne and she crawled back and he groped her ankle again she then kicked him in his face again and again until he let go. She then crawled back and she got to her feet. She then tried to run away from him. She just got to the door when she was pulled back. She thrust out her fist, yet she knew that she was far too aware that she was far too weak.

He looked at her clearly unimpressed. He then hit her in the gut. She almost vomited as she clasped onto the ground. She then spotted that his fist was heading her way. She could not dodge in time and her head hit the frame. He then gripped her throat. He pulled her up and she knew that she was helpless there as he continued to squeeze. She hit him in the throat again and again. She then kicked him in the groyne as she felt her head pounding. He let go and then she headbutted him there. He then staggered back. 

She then ran to the teleporter. She tried to push the button to go home. She did not know what she would say or how, but all she wanted was to go home. She wanted to go home and see her mum and her brother. She knew that if she did she would be able to tell her younger self. But it seemed that the button did not work. She looked at it and noticed that there was nothing wrong with it. She tried it again and again.

“No! Let me go home! Let me go home! Why won’t you let me go home?!” She said as she started to cry. “Why won’t you let me see mummy and daddy?”

She then felt a hand around her neck. She was pulled back and this time she knew that she was about to die this time. She could see Otb’s anger in her blurred sight. There was nothing that she could do about it. She was far too upset to be able to do anything about it.

“P-p-please d-d-don’t!”

His hand let go. She felt a hand on the back of her head. For a moment she was afraid that he would snap her neck.

“Relax, I don’t like it when the one who I kill is already crying.”

“What?” She asked, thinking that this was a trick.

“Come on, there must be a time machine around here. Those snobs must have given you some time machine.”

She let a weak smile spread across her lips.

“Y-you think they’re snobs too?”

Back In Jail

They arrived back mere seconds after they left. They stepped out, both of their bodies were aching as they did. As soon as they stepped away from the time machine Otb was immediately repainted and arrested. Lasta looked at him as he was taken away. She knew that she wanted to talk to him but she was just too tired. They gave her a pod to sleep in. In the morning she cleaned herself and changed into the silver and white clothes that she was given.

She wondered around a while as she looked for someone in charge. She soon found one.

“Urm… Excuse me,  could I see Otb?”

She looked at her with suspicion on her face.

“Why?”

“I just wanna talk to him.”

“Alright. He’s just this way.”

She followed her to the room where he was being held. It was a diamond titanium cell that everyone could see into. He had no privacy either. She was soon alone in front of the cell that contained the very essence of the nightmares, yet even though she knew that she was safe, she didn’t feel it.

“You wanted to see me?”

Lasta nodded. She was unsure of what to say or how to say it. So she did as her mum had told her and thought about what she was about to say.

“Yes, yes! I wanted to know; do you have a moral code?”

He looked at her with a sly smile.

“I may have. Why would you want to know?”

“Then why did you do all these bad things?”

“I’m sure that you’ll learn why. Speaking of which, I have a question for you; do you think that they have a moral code?”

Lasta frowned as confusion started to grow in her mind. She frowned, wondering what he was getting at or if he was having her on.

“I don’t get what you mean…” She murmured, yet even as she said those words left her lips, she began to.

“I think that you do. Why else would they hide behind a twelve or thirteen year old like you?”

“I’m thirteen! And they didn’t!” She lied.

“I think not. Well you’re wrong, they have.” He sang simply.

“And what do you mean by that?” She snapped, annoyed at this long word game that he was getting her to play.

He stood to his feet and walked over to the wall. He then beckoned her to get closer to him. She, against her better judgement, walked over to him.

“Well, why did they send you at the age that you are and not an older version of you? And after you have had a curse placed upon you?”

Lasta’s eyes widened.

“You believe me?”

He shrugged.

“Not until I saw that bizarre incident with the teleporter.” He said as he cocked his eyebrow. “And it all made sense when I saw that you started to cry. You couldn’t go home. Not even to warn your younger self. So I knew that you had to have been stopped supernaturally. Although, I hardly recommend that you tell them any of this.”

He then stepped back and she did too.

“Those ignorant snobs hardly put stock in anything like that.”

They are arrogant too. She thought.

He then flung himself onto his bed.

“Is that all?”

“N-no. I wanted to know if you know of any way to break the curse?”

“No!” He sighed. “But there’s no harm in keeping trying.”

“Right, thank you. And thank you for not killing me.”

“In time, you might not do. After all, I will be saving that for another time.” He said as he sat up and leaned in. 

“So don’t get comfortable with me little princess. One day those shiny years won’t work on me anymore and when that time comes…” He broke out into a laugh. “So live while you can! Just know that I will be the scythe that will be coming for your head!”

Her legs gave way beneath her and her kneecaps hit the ground. He looked at her with a satisfied smirk as she stood back up with shaky knees. She turned to the door and she turned the knob with a shaky hand.

He will kill me! He will kill me. I hope that I will never have to see him any time soon…No, not until I’m ready to.

She soon was approached by that woman that she did not like.

“I came here to thank you directly.”

She nodded and smiled.

“You’re welcome! Now can I go home?”

“Just after what you were talking to Otb about.”

She could feel a cloud chill run down her spine like ice.

“Nothing that I want to talk to anyone about. Must make sure that he doesn’t get out again.”

“Will do.”

She spotted that there was a man behind her. He took hold of her before she could react.

“What are you doing?” She snapped.

They raised a scanner to her and her body felt strange, almost weak.

“It seems that you do.”

“What do you mean?” She asked, confused.

“You have nano drones inside you and they have been recording everything that you have been doing and saying.” She said, with a tone of ice.

She opened her mouth to defend herself but then she felt a surge throughout her body. With a flash she was gone! She caught a glimpse of her home but then as she came close she was whipped away.

✴️

Meanwhile back in space they saw a pile of rose petals in place of her.

“Find her and put him in a maximum prison!” She shouted.