Chapter 5

Alan couldn’t move, he almost dared not to breathe, he knew she’d gone home, he knew she’d been homesick for centuries. What the hell was she doing back here? His mouth must have been hanging open cause Hopix started to laugh, “What have you missed me that much Alan?” Hopix giggled.

“I thought you were gone for good! When I took you home I felt the longing in you to stay there.” Hanging his head Alan whispered, “I thought you’d be happier there than here with me. Alright! Yes damn it! I missed you that bad ok?”

Hopix couldn’t believe what she’d just heard, Alan had missed her? Why? She was just a simple Fairixie, trying to do her job for the council, to save as many as she could before Alan was either tired of the job or was killed. Just the fact that he’d freed her planet, plus saved what was left of her family, she would devote the rest of her life to him.

“Alan,” she breathed out trying to control her shaky breath, “I am here to help you, many things that are wrong were my fault, such as the one that had taken my planet.” Here she hung her head, she couldn’t tell him not yet, if he wasn’t ready she’d loose him forever, she’d waited far too long to allow that to happen. “I am hoping that we can set right so many wrongs that were done by the recruits that I tried to train.” Again she hung her head.

“Hopix,” Alan started. “I am more than willing to help you and accept your help, we’re a team and a damn good team at that.”

Hopix had been hoping he would say something like that but it was still too soon for her to say anything, if she lost him right as they were getting started, she’d never recover. She’d been researching this at home the whole time after her grandfather had said what he had, or she’d have been back a hell of a lot sooner.

“I hope so Alan, as I said there is so much to do yet, we have barely scratched the surface.” Hopix almost whispered.

Alan was still slightly in shock, not only had Hopix come back but she still wanted to work with him. Hell he still felt he was the worse mage that any of them had ever seen.

“Alan you really have to stop thinking like that! You are truly a rare find of a mage, you are accomplishing things that haven’t been seen in thousands of years.”

Again Alan was a little shocked, he didn’t think that his thoughts were that strong. Was Hopix actually a mind reader or was she more sensitive than most?

Hopix had to bite her lip damn it! Her and her big mouth! She wasn’t used to being this excited. As a matter of fact she wasn’t this used to being as confident in her abilities as she was now. She looked at Alan a feeling of pride growing in her chest, something else she wasn’t used to. What Alan had said was true, at first she had wanted to stay home with her mother and sister, god she had missed them for so long. Now thanks to Alan she had a family again another thing that she could never truly repay him for.

“I went over a report of your last job, you did extremely well Alan,” Hpoix said.

“I don’t know how you think I did well, it took Queen Glimmer and your people to convince them to let me help them, not exactly a glowing review,” Alan replied.

“No but, you have to think of it this way,” started Hopix, “you wasted no time and found a solution within minutes of thinking of it. To me and I’m sure to them you are definitely a hero, your quick thinking saved them even more suffering.”

Ok, Alan thought, when you thought of it that way he ... might have helped a bit. Hopix sighed what was she going to do with this man? It seemed he had no confidence at all, had his female partner drained it that much from him? Suddenly anger swelled in her chest, she wanted to do violent and terrible things to Alan’s mate.

Shocked Hopix shook her head then she felt the icy cold tendril of the dark council pull away. Hmmm trying to hurt Alan through her, crafty but wasn’t going to work, sticking her tongue out at them she felt them bristle then they were gone. She had to do something to bring Alan’s confidence up but nothing she thought of would really work, she’d have to work on this she sighed.

“The council has given you a few days off Alan, they think you need rest and a chance to relax. The only problem is I have no idea what people of this time enjoy, the previous selections liked different things.”

Hopix could feel one of the things Alan desired above all the others, blushing she knew she couldn’t supply him with THAT! Well, not yet anyway but someday she hoped to, it all depended on Alan and his feelings if any that he had for her.

“It’s alright, I’m just glad I’ve given your people, the Slimtori, and the Tribocs a new lease on life.” Alan said with a sad smile.

Hopix hated to see Alan so sad, she vowed that no matter what she would cheer him up. Again she blushed, true she hadn’t in well over a thousand years, and Alan more than peeked her interest still she had to make sure of her and Alan’s feelings. It wouldn’t do to confess to Alan just to have him reject her crushing her feelings forever.

Alan rested the rest of the day ‘bout damn time he thought, Hopix was just glad she had him back though it killed her not to reveal her true feelings she stayed by Alan’s side through the night. The next day Alan went to eat, Hopix actually went with him though no one else could see her, she was still a little afraid. Half way to the diner a shadowy figure stepped from an alley way, her eyes wide when they saw the Fairixie that was hovering close to her target. Hmm, she thought, at least the council was using their head this time, she’d kill his ass where all the others had failed! Alan ate watching everything that was going on, no point in going to sleep there were too many of those bastards on earth to ignore. He and Hopix had just left when he felt rather than saw the evil presence that was following him. Never subtle are they. Walking into the same alley Alan waited telling Hopix to stay back and what he’d felt.

Moments later a gorgeous woman walked around the corner, immediately Alan sealed the alley way.

“I don’t know why you idiots keep trying to get me to switch sides, it ain’t gonna happen!” Alan shouted, his anger rising.

The woman in front of him mouth dropped open, he was on earth! There was no way he had control of his power! “We no longer wish to get you to switch! You are now targeted for DEATH!” She screamed as she shot (go figure) a fire ball at him.

Extremely pissed off they were now trying to kill him, Hopix noticed that he was glowing brighter than ever before, but how? This planet always dampened all magic, it had for centuries! Yelling no, the fireball bounced back at the woman, screaming she tried to stop it, then hold it. Finally she cursed Alan telling him he was a dead man he was only one man they would kill him soon. “You can try but right now I have a count of twenty-three to nothing you make twenty-four bye bitch!” Alan said as the fireball engulfed the woman then was gone as soon as her screams stopped.

Taking a deep breath Alan tried to calm down still not noticing his skin was glowing an intense reddish blue color. Hopix was startled she had to contact the council as soon as she could, in all the thousands of years she’d been doing this she’d never seen a human express his power visually while on earth. Smiling she thought it had to be Alan he was the most unusual human she’d ever met or ... shaking her head no! He couldn’t be! There was no way! Sighing she could see she would have to take another trip home too, things were starting to get stranger by the moment.

They’d both just gotten in to his room when the light council contacted them. “Alan please forgive us but we have a case that we need you on, it appears that this planet is about to die. It has been drained to the point that the core has started to destabilize. It also appears to be the same one you met on the last planet, Do you think you are rested enough to face him?”

Alan thought for a moment feeling the strength he had, “I believe I am, though not as strong as his brother he is still powerful enough to harm a great many.” Alan replied.

“Good, please leave at once,” the council ordered.

Alan laid down, Hopix flying to his side, “be careful Alan, this one is far smarter than his brother, plus I feel that he will have many escape plans.”

Alan nodded, lying down he closed his eyes and reached out for a planet like the council had described. Within moments he was there, the sky was dark, the air foul. Reaching out Alan found the source of all the planet’s distress.

Again Alan felt the same entity that he had on the Tribocs planet. Reaching deep Alan powered up as much as he could, his anger also building. Releasing it he sent as big a fist shape charge at the entity as he could. He felt the other crumple from the onslaught almost all the energy fleeing back into the planet.

Appearing next to the again lizard shaped magic user Alan reached in crushing his shape shifting ability. The lizard creature screamed looking at Alan, again Alan crushed two, then three, and then a fourth ability before the lizard’s eyes got huge and he flashed out. Damn it! Hopix had warned me but I was so anxious to stop him I let him escape, at least he can never do this again, nor feed off others but the other two abilities Alan was unsure of. Alan reached out, feeling all the beings on the planet close to death, freezing all of it, Alan tried to accelerate the energy feeding back into the planet, finally the planet started to feel more like it should.