Thank you, Prettywitch! :3 Here's all of the fourth chapter--And I hope Rika, you will enjoy the Zarubyness I sneaked into it!
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Galactic Angel[/i]
Chapter 4- Time To Let Go
~**
The next day had arrived—the day of the… Date. Rachel truly didn’t want to go, but she didn’t want to hurt Zarzig.
Sure, she actually did care for him, but she didn’t like-like him. She only wished that they were only good friends, nothing more. Yet Ruby hissed at her twice yesterday. And Rachel definitely knew why.
Ruby was now alone without a boy in her life. First Nigel and now Zarzig will do anything to date Rachel once the Galactic Hero was out of the picture!
She had gone sour, more than ever. That Ruby. But maybe one day she’ll finally learn to gain a true heart like Rachel and the others. Zarzig on the other hand didn’t do too hot, either…
Rachel was trying to find something to wear, though.
In yet, she completely had NO idea that a guardian from a small cloud was watching over her. Indeed, Nigel was watching her closely as she worked. He continued to gaze at the clothing Rachel had on her bed. There weren’t many choices, but it’s the thought that counts.
“She should really go with what she normally wears in my opinion.” Nigel said to himself, crossing his arms. “… Zarzig’s really lucky.” And then, his eyebrows furrowed. He scratched his hair, and shook his head.
“I hope he doesn’t plan anything big today… Or I’ll swoop down and take’em to Heck!” Nigel giggled playfully, resting down on the cloud. “Oh Nigel Uno, you smooth tiger you…”
“Tiger, should I wear this?”
Nigel’s eyes shot open. Was she actually talking to HIM? Did she SEE him? Nigel turned on his cloud, and saw that Rachel was looking at a picture of him.
He suddenly got an idea. He hovered down from his cloud, and walked over. The angel smiled, and whispered into Rachel’s ear.
“No, no. I think you’ll do amazing what you’re already in, Rachel.”
There was a short pause, until Rachel spoke. Nigel stepped back, respecting.
“…I-I think I’ll just wear my usual clothes.” She said to herself. She smiled, putting her hand upon the glass and frame of Nigel’s picture. It was only a gentle touch.
“If only there was some way…” Nigel sighed with a shake of his head. “No… no, no. Nigel Uno, you cannot use it. It would be too dangerous, and what could be worse? The girl of your dreams being sucked away into the most GIHUGIC-EST nightmare ever!”
He then thought it over again, and bowed his head. “If anything goes wrong… if Zarzig does ONE thing to make her unhappy… Then, I’ll use it.”
Angels had the power of visiting their loved ones in their dreams. Even Nigel was only a rookie; he wanted to make his loved one happy.
He needed to make all of them happy.
He continued watching Rachel getting ready, and heard knocking from the main door of the sector.
Rachel sighed for a moment. She glanced to Nigel’s picture again, cupping her hands. “Please… please don’t take this the wrong way,” she pleaded. “It’s only soda… he’s only being nice to me, after…” her voice broke, and was afraid she would start crying all over again.
The girl gathered her courage, and walked out of her room to greet Zarzig. Nigel followed, floating on his cloud.
“Rachel… I would never take it the wrong way…” he whispered with a gentle smile. “You truly deserve to be happy. If… Zarzig actually gives it to you… or anyone else…”
He was even about to tear up himself.
But he would never, never let Rachel go.
~**
The café was actually pretty quiet for once. Usually it was busily crazy with kids coming and going to lunch, dinner, soda dates, exc. Exc. But after when Numbuh One’s death spread onto the scene, the aliens calmed down, letting Rachel make her way through with Zarzig.
Together, the two outer-species sat at a booth near the windows out to space. When Rachel was gazing out the window, Zarzig cleared his throat.
“Rachel,” he said kindly.
She wasn’t paying any attention.
“Rachel?” Zarzig started to raise his voice, but then softened.
“S-sorry, Zarzig…” Rachel replied, facing at him. He took her hand in his pinch, having his expression soften.
“Are you alright?” he asked.
Rachel smiled sadly, and nodded. “Yes, I’m alright.” She said. Zarzig sighed, and looked to her again.
“I know this is going to be hard on you, Rachel… but if you need anything, I—”
“A soda. I’ll have a soda, please.” Rachel responded quickly, with a nod of her head. Zarzig’s lime-green eyes grew wide. Goodness, she was fast!
“Of course. Of course,” he laughed, standing from the booth. He still was holding her hand in his pinch, and bent down—kissing it.
Nigel was growling with raging jealous as he watched from his cloud.
“I’ll be right back. Two Root beer floats, coming up!” Zarzig called, and walked off to the counters.
Rachel’s eyes were nearly tearing up. Nigel saw her eyes, seeing that she would cry any second.
Two Root beer floats, coming up!
Thinking of it over and over, Rachel shuddered the feeling. Was he actually celebrating the death over Nigel!? That he had won Rachel over, treating her like a trophy?! Goodness, what in the Galactic is Zarzig thinking now?!
She buried her face into her hands, shaking her head. “No…” she whispered. “No, no…”
Moments Zarzig returned, his thin, red tail swishing behind him. He was holding out two alien-mugs of root-beer floats, one for Rachel and the other for himself.
He noticed her.
“…Rachel.”
The blonde girl gasped, looking up. “Y-yes?” she stammered, trying to hide away her tears. Zarzig narrowed an eyebrow, looking concerned.
“Are you sure you’re alright?”
“I’m fine!” she cried, cupping her hands onto the table. Zarzig sighed, laying the floats on the table. He sat beside her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder.
Rachel froze. She didn’t want this. At all.
“Stop! Please… Stop!” Nigel cried. “Don’t you see she doesn’t WANT you!? She doesn’t NEED you, you spineless bug-eyed creep!”
“Rachel…” Zarzig started, leaning closer. “I know you haven’t considered this yet, but… shouldn’t you… you know, start moving on?” he asked, his eyes drooping.
The girl didn’t respond.
The fear and the ache of her heart were too overwhelming.
“Let him go, Rachel… It’s time to let Nigel go.” Zarzig whispered, petting her hair with his other pinch. “… It’s time to get to know you better, my dear. Much, much better. I want to make you feel better, Rachel…”
He then dived in.
The red alien wrapped his pinches around her waist, pulling the girl into his arms and kissed her.
Kissed her lightly, and then deeper, to the most passionate.
Gasping, Rachel was letting her tears fall this time. She didn’t need to move on! Not right now, never! She didn’t want Zarzig, in fact, she didn’t want anybody.
Nigel was in an absolute rage now. “Of, come OFF it! LEAVE HER ALONE!” he screamed, trying to hit Zarzig in his face.
No effect.
Rachel didn’t want this.
She wanted Nigel. And wanted to stay true to her promise.
Rachel pulled away forcefully, the tears streaming hot. Zarzig noticed, with a hint of concern drawn on his face. “…Rachel, I’m so—” He was cut off, and Rachel struggled from his pinch being placed on her shoulder.
“No, I’m sorry, Zarzig… I-I can’t do this. I can’t move on, I refuse to. I…I refuse to break my promise to Nigel. I won’t.” She stated in a shudder, her tears continuing to fall.
Zarzig looked hurt. Rachel saw this, her eyes widening.
“Please, forgive me Zarzig… I—I hope that we still can be friends.”
His stringy tail swished, and he smiled. “I forgive you.” He said. She saw the expression on her face, which was full of sadness. Zarzig finally spoke-up.
“You… really do love him, don’t you?”
Rachel only nodded, wiping her tears away. “Yes… Yes, I do. I’ll never let him go, Zarzig…”
Nigel’s eyes widened behind his goggles, his heart thumping. He decided to “talk” with her after this “date”.
The red alien smiled more, and nodded his head. “I understand. I apologize for making you feel uncomfortable… Would you like for me to walk you back?”
Rachel stood, her knees nearly shaking but managed to walk on. “No… I’m alright.” She said. Zarzig blinked, seeing a small smile emerge on her face.
“… But I think Ruby would like for you to walk back with her.”
The blonde girl pointed to a plant near the countertop, with a fluffy, pink tail poking out of the hiding-spot.
Now Rachel knew what Ruby was doing most of her time of today. Spying. . . Stalking, which she was great at? Zarzig smirked, and pushed Rachel off.
“You go on now.”
“What’re you planning to do, anyway?” Rachel asked him, looking with interest.
“Shh…” Zarzig put a pinch to his lips, and pointed towards the tail. He snickered.
“This time, I’m totally gonna get her!” he exclaimed.
Rachel watched the red pincher as he crept close. She watched with complete interest, and very closely how they interacted. Zarzig leaped, and pounced exactly how Ruby would with her prey.
“GAHHHH!!!! Zarzig, what’re you doing you idiot!?”
“Hi, kitty-kitty! How’s my all-time, favorite kitty today?” The pincher was totally grinning, teasing with Ruby and had her “captive” by his pounce. The kitty-alien’s eyes narrowed, and her fur pricked.
“I’m not in the mood to play.” She hissed. Zarzig laughed, pinching her playfully more in the stomach. Ruby continued hissing, and then—after enough “playful pinches”, AKA TICKLES—she busted out laughing.
“Z-Z-Zarzig! STOP!” she demanded, laughing her furry head off. Her tail swished into the air, smacking Zarzig across the face. He suddenly stopped; right after the tail went across.
The red alien was blushing the lightest pin, feeling Ruby’s fluffy fur hit him. Ruby started to purr softly, and Zarzig looked at her.
“Do you like my fur, Zarzig?” she asked, flirty.
Zarzig nodded with a blank stare on his face. Ruby licked a paw, and then back to him. “I just took a bath.” She replied. Ruby sat him, and licked him on the cheek. He reacted by blushing more, his eyes widening with lovestruck.
“R-Ruby…” he whispered.
“Ziggy,” she whispered flirtingly, “drop the blondie and come with me on a date. ‘Least I won’t… refuse you.”
“Really…?” he shuddered, a twinkle in his lime-eyes.
Ruby hissed, and clawed him in the face.
“WAHH!” Zarzig cried out, holding the side of his face. Ruby laughed, with her paws on her hips. “Are you kidding me? No way, HA! Look at that! Now you have TWO scars! Isn’t that lovely?” She purred gently, until a shadow covered her.
Two GIHUGIC pinch shadows snapped.
“…Ruby…”
“MEW!” Ruby screeched, stood up and ran for her sector. Zarzig followed, chasing closely behind.
“OH, WHEN I GET YOU KITTY I’M GONNA PINCH YOU LIKE NO PINCH EVER BEFOREEE!!!!”
He continued chasing after her, and she decided it was cat and mouse.
… Yet this time, she was totally the mouse!
~**
“And… he… kissed me, just like that!”
Rachel was explaining her story to Lunira, Nebulos, Zinc and EVE.2. She was sitting on the floor in the main room of their sector-base with the others.
She was nearly tearing up. “He told me he wanted me to move on… but I… I’ll never move on.” She whispered.
Nebulos put a hand on her arm, with his antennas brightening happily. “It’s gonna be okay, Numbuh 362!” he assured her.
“Yeah!” Lunira reassured, on top of Zinc’s head. She clasped her paws together, and nodded. “Numbuh One’s with us!”
“And he’s watching over you, as we speak!” said Zinc, giving Rachel a small nuzzle. Rachel held his snout and kissed it. She sniffed. “Thank you, Zincy… But—what do you mean, ‘watching over me’?”
The silver dragon smiled, wagging his tail. “Nebulos and Lunira had a little chat with Infinity and Princess Niji!” he told her. “Infinity explained what an angel is assigned to do…er…I think that’s what they do or…uh…Guys, can you help me out here?”
EVE.2 nodded, patting Zinc on the head. “Guardian Angel—assignment—watch-over-loved-one!” she stated with a chirp. The orange robot then patted Rachel on the head.
Rachel’s cheeks blushed furiously. “L-loved one..? You mean… Nigel—is watching us right now?”
“YES!” the operatives cried happily together in unison.
“Infinity gathered more information about Guardian Angels earlier today, too!” Lunira spoke-out.
“He said that at any time for a short period they can enter your dreams!” Nebulos finished for her. Lunira blushed, and he winked; knowing that it was all taken care of from here.
“…Really?” Rachel asked, her eyes widening. She then stood, and slowly lowered her head. “Then I’ve decided. I’ll take a nap for a while, to see how it works.”
She raised her head, grinning to the walls and ceiling. “You hear that, Nigel? …I’m coming for you.”
Even if she could not see Nigel with her, Rachel truly knew that he was grinning straight at her.
~**
Poor Rachel will be falling into a deep nightmare that she won't be able to make-it out by herself.
Poor Rachel will be falling into a deep nightmare that she won't be able to make-it out by herself.
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