Chapter 5
Luna became conscious and rolled over on his back. He looked up to find the two boys and girl curiously staring down at him. His mouth opened in shock. Luna screamed an alien sound, which caused the Space Dreamers to scream along in sympathy with him. They all stop screaming after a few seconds.
Luna quickly sat up and cowered tight against the console scared. "Please don't eat me, earthlings!" he pleaded for his life.
"Mister alien, we come in peace! We won't eat you. I promise!" Timmy said in a peaceful tone.
"I've never eaten an alien. I promise," Frankie added in a peaceful tone.
"Me neither," said Monica and looked a little fearful of Luna.
"I'm Timmy, and these are my friends Frankie and Monica," he said while he introduced all his friends.
Frankie and Monica gave Luna a little friendly wave.
Luna suddenly had the instinct that they were friendly and started to feel safer. "My name is Luna and who is Duke Skywalker?" he said.
"Duke Spacewalker is a movie character. We were joking that he might be in your spaceship when we found it," Timmy replied then it dawned on him. "You speak English."
"Doesn't everybody?" Luna replied.
"No," Frankie answered.
"Where do you come from?" asked Monica.
Their eyes lit up with anticipation of his answer.
"I'm from the planet Neila," Luna responded and stood up.
"Wow! He's from another planet!" Monica said.
"An alien. How cool!" Frankie added.
"What happened to cause you to crash here?" Timmy curiously asked.
"You earthlings shot me down," answered Luna.
The Space Dreamers looked a little surprised.
"We did? I wonder why?" Monica questioned.
"I guess you found out I was going to shoot down your Delta rocket," said Luna.
"That belongs to NASA and not us. We don't have any rockets," said Frankie.
"Why did you want to shoot it down?" Timmy asked.
"It's a long story," Luna told the Space Dreamers who look interested in hearing it.
"Well, we have plenty of time to hear it," Timmy said.
Luna's stomach growled.
Timmy looked at Monica. "Go get some food from Kirk," he said.
"Wait to start the story until I get back," Monica said.
"I will," Luna replied.
Monica rushed out of the ship.
"Let's go outside, and we can show you our home," Timmy offered.
"I would love to see earth," Luna said then stood up.
They all walked to the door and went outside.
While Monica ran off in the woods towards the direction of Kirk's place, Timmy, Frankie started to show Luna the Florida countryside. They showed him the Pine trees and Palmetto bushes. It was nothing exotic like Luna's planet, but he still found it interesting.
A little while later, Monica ran through the back gate of Kirk's place.
He ran past the rocket engines and other parts and made a beeline to Kirk's building.
He ran to the front door and started pounding on the screened door.
Kirk appeared at the screened door with a glass of iced tea in hand. "Something wrong, Monica?" he asked at the pounding concerned him.
"We found an alien spaceship with an alien inside. We need some food," Monica said, still out of breath from running.
Kirk looked at Monica, who had a straight face. He chuckled. "Wait, and I'll get you some snacks," he said, then walked off to his kitchen.
A few seconds later, Kirk appeared with a bag of Lays potato chips, a bag of Chips Ahoy chocolate cookies and three cans of Coke.
"I need another Coke for our alien friend," Monica said after she grabbed the snacks from Kirk.
"Okay and I'll get you a bag," Kirk said then chuckled thinking these kids were playing a game. He headed back to his kitchen.
A little while later, Monica rushed back to Neila 1 with a Publix cloth bag that contained those snacks.
Timmy, Frankie, and Luna relaxed in the dirt by Neila 1.
After Monica dumped the contents of the Publix bag into the dirt, Timmy, Frankie, and Monica showed Luna the snacks, and they started to munch down.
Ten minutes later, the Space Dreamers and Luna sat on the ground outside his spaceship. They finished with their snacks and cans of Coke.
"You earthlings have some delicious food," Luna said, licking his chops then drank the rest of his Coke. Then his eyes widened a little. Something was brewing inside his body.
Back in Kirk's building, he sat in his Lazy-boy chair and watched a news channel on his TV.
All of a sudden, he heard a roar that came from the woods. It sounded like a loud burp. "Kids will be kids," he chuckled then returned to watching his TV.
Back at Neila 1, Timmy, Frankie, and Monica all laughed at the loud burp that came out of Luna's mouth.
They all tried to burp that loud but could not get the volume or distance.
Luna chuckled over the sight.
"Let's hear your story, Luna," Timmy said, and he looked anxious.
Luna looked at the anxious eyes of his new friends. "Well, it first started the other day when my father, King Tona."
"You're a Prince?" Timmy said and interrupted Luna.
"Yes," Luna replied.
All the Space Dreamers looked extremely impressed.
"Anyway, we're at a ceremony in our town called Neilaville and father told everybody that he would retire and I would become King," Luna said then he looked sad. "But I don't want to become King," he added.
"Why wouldn't you want to be King?" Frankie asked.
"I thought a Prince was a King in training?" Monica commented.
Luna thought about Monica's comment for a few seconds.
Frankie puffed out his chest. "If I were the King of the Forrreeest," Frankie sang out to the Wizard of Oz tune trying to sound like the cowardly lion.
"You're the product of watching too much TV," Timmy jokingly said.
Monica and Frankie chuckled.
Sona's voice was heard from Luna's Space Pad inside his jacket pocket. "Luna! Where are you?"
Timmy, Frankie, and Monica looked around and wondered where that female voice came from.
"Luna! Speak to me! Please!" Sona cried from his Space Pad.
Luna removed his Space Pad his pocket and pressed a button. The Space Pad monitor came on, and Sona's hologram appeared.
The Space Dreamers got extremely curious and walked over and checked out Luna's Space Pad, thinking it was cool.
"Where are you? I've been calling and calling," asked Sona's hologram.
Luna looked at his Space Pad, "The earthlings shot me down."
Sona looked confused. "Earthlings? What are you talking about?"
"Well, I took one of our fighters and flew to earth," he told Sona's hologram.
Sonia at first thought he was kidding and decided to play along. "Why would you do that?" her hologram asked.
"Because General Meena told me that if I flew to earth and shot down the earthlings Delta rocket, the Governing Council would reward me by delaying the start of my Kingdom. But I didn't anticipate the earthlings shooting me down," he said.
The Space Dreamers inched closer to Luna's Space Pad with extreme interest.
Back on Neila inside Sona's bedroom, she sat on her bed, upset while she looked at her Space Pad, which showed a hologram of Luna.
"I can't understand why you're scared to be King," Sona scolded him with her arms crossed and didn't think this pretend game of going to earth was funny.
Luna's hologram looked ashamed of himself from her Space Pad. Then the hologram heads of Timmy, Frankie, and Monica peeked into view behind Luna's hologram. They all looked curious.
Sona saw them.
She did a double-take. It dawned on her that Luna was telling the truth! He's really on earth!
Her eyes widen with fear. She screamed. Her eyes crossed, and she fainted.
She fell back on her bed with her Space Pad still in her hand.
Back on earth at Neila 1, Luna looked at his Space Pad, and all he could see was the covers of her bed. He only saw the hologram of her bedroom. "Sona? You okay?" Luna asked into his Space Pad.
The Space Dreamers stepped away concerned about with what they just saw.
Then on his Space Pad, Meena's hologram suddenly appeared.
"Luna! I see you survived being shot down. I'm surprised," Meena said and looked disappointed.
"Meena, you need to send a rescue ship after me," Luna said then it hit him like a ton of bricks. "How did you know I was shot down?"
"Well Luna, you don't want to be King, so I got rid of you," Meena answered with a smirk.
"I want to be King, but not right now," Luna replied then he thought about something Meena said. "Wait you said you got rid of me? Why? How?" Luna questioned and looked confused.
"I had one of my fighters follow you, and they took you down," Meena said then paused for a few seconds. "And now that you won't be able to show up at the ceremonies, I get the crown by default! And I'm not afraid to be King and implement my plans," Meena told Luna.
Luna looked concerned. "Your plans, what plans?"
"I guess it won't hurt to tell you since you're gone forever. First, I'm going to take over earth. Then I'll use the earthlings as slaves to make my weapons of mass destructions," Meena bragged while he puffed out his chest.
Back on Neila in Sona's bedroom, Meena looked at the Space Pad and saw Luna's hologram looking shocked. Then Timmy, Frankie and Monica's hologram heads poked back into view behind Luna, and they looked scared.
Meena cringed with displeasure at the sight of them.
"Second. I think I'll use those ugly creatures, like what I just saw, to test out my new weapons. Maybe have a big barbecue, with them as the meal, you know to celebrate my victory with taking over earth," Meena said then he thought for a few seconds.
He paced around the room while he looked at the hologram of Luna and the Space Dreamers.
"You know something, I've always wanted to try earth meat," Meena added then licked his lips indicating it might be delicious. "And finally, I'll use selected crooked earth leaders as my deputies. I know they will help me use my new weapons to take over other planets. I'll be King of the universe!" Meena called out and then got an evil smirk on his face.
Back on earth at Neila 1, the Space Dreamers nervously stepped away from Luna's Space Pad.
"That wasn't Father's intention, and when he finds out, he'll stop you!" Luna yelled at Meena's hologram
"Ah, he won't be a problem. Trust me!" Meena replied with a smirk.
"You can't do this Meena!" Luna yelled again at Meena.
"Ahhhh!" Sona screamed from Luna's Space Pad.
"Sona!" Luna cried out.
"Don't worry about her. She's going to be my beautiful Queen. Goodbye until the invasion and I hope you find some good cover!" Meena boasted from Sona's Space Pad.
Luna heard Sona scream from his Space Pad and saw her Space Pad drop to the floor. His Space Pad screen went blank and dark.
Back on Neila in Sona's bedroom, Meena smashed her Space Pad into the floor.
Boe and Dopey had a grip on Sona's arms. She was scared to death.
"Keep my future sweet Queen under lock and key!" Meena ordered Boe and Dopey.
He walked up to Sona with puckered lips. Sona closed her eyes and looked sickened at the thought of his lips touching her. She could not stand that thought anymore and barfed pink vomit all over Meena the second as he got to her.
Boe and Dopey quickly stepped away while pink vomit dripped off of Meena's uniform and formed a puddle on the floor.
Meena got mad, yet Sona looked satisfied.
Back on earth at Neila 1, Luna looked upset at his Space Pad.
"This thing is now useless," Luna stated, and he threw it in the air.
His Space Pad landed in some muck twenty feet away.
Luna stood up. He paced by Neila 1 visibly upset. "What have I done? I always mess things up!" Luna muttered out loud while he walked back and forth.
He paced around in a circle while running his hands through his hair.
The Space Dreamers started pacing in sync behind Luna.
Luna stopped then looked up at the blue sky, worried. He thought for a second and suddenly felt brave. "I can't let Meena get away with this. I may not make a great King, but I'll be better than him!"
Luna paced with the Space Dreamers hot on his tail.
Luna stopped, and the Space Dreamers stopped. "What's Meena going to do with father?" Luna said. "He can't do anything until the final ceremony, so there's still time!" Luna looked at Neila 1 then got depressed while he sat down on the ground.
The Space Dreamers sat down depressed by Luna.
"I can't get home! What am I going to do? I'm stuck here on earth," Luna said and looked like he was going to cry any second.
Luna and the Space Dreamers all pondered how to get him out of this dilemma.
Timmy's eyes lit up. "Does any of your engines still work?" he asked Luna.
"Why?" Luna answered.
"If they do, I have an idea that might work," Timmy responded.
Monica and Frankie looked clueless.
Luna looked at Neila 1.
Luna walked over and opened the door. "Stay away from the back end of my ship," he told the Space Dreamers then stepped inside his spaceship.
The Space Dreamers quickly moved away to a safe distance.
Inside Neila 1, Luna walked over to the console and pressed buttons, flipped switches and turned knobs. The console powered up. He pressed the "Engine Start" button.
Outside Neila 1, the Space Dreamers waited in anticipation of seeing a real alien spaceship fire its rocket engines.
Whine! Varoom! A light-colored purple flame shot out of one of the engines while the other two sputtered and gurgled. Neila 1 sunk a little farther into the muck.
"This is so cool!" Timmy called out all excited.
"Wow!" Frankie replied and looked all excited.
Monica nodded in agreement, and she was excited with seeing the purple flame.
The purple flame extinguished, and the only working engine whined down.
Luna stepped out of his spaceship.
"Only one engine fired," Timmy told Luna.
Luna walked around to the rear of his craft and saw all the damage.
Luna walked around and saw that the wing on the left side of his spaceship was missing.
He walked around to the other side of his spaceship to the Space Dreamers.
"It's no use," said Luna with a concerned look then sat down on the ground.
"Why?" Monica asked.
"I could get back home with only one engine, but I'm missing a wing," Luna said then sat down in the dirt depressed. "It won't work."
The Space Dreamers all pondered for another solution.
Frankie's eyes lit up with another great idea. "I got it! Why not remove the engine that works and install it on that Cousteau capsule at Kirk's place?" he said with a sparkle in his eye.
Luna thought about Frankie's comment for a few seconds.
The Space Dreamers all nodded indicating they thought it was a grand idea.
"That just might work," Luna said then looked around the area. "But we'll need something to haul the engine over to that capsule."
They all pondered a solution.
Monica's eyes widen with an idea. "Kirk has a four-wheeler and wagon!"
"Lil Darling. She's perfect," Timmy replied.
Luna looked lost with their comment but figured they might have come up with a solution.