It was the beginning of summer and Toby was all set for summer vacation. A giant mysterious cube appeared in the sky seemingly out of nowhere. As everyone wondered where this strange cube came from the face of a young woman appeared in it who inform...
Debra stared at me in horror. "Did you say Dark Seegnal?"
"Yes," I replied. "Dark Seegnal is here. I talked to him."
Debra shook her head, "This just keeps getting better and better," she murmured.
"You're really not suggesting that we aligned ourselves with Dark Seegnal?" Brian cried. "After everything he has done?"
"Can you think of another way to get to the Cosmic Order?" I shot back.
"I agree with Brian," Judy said. "Remember, he was the guy who once kidnapped you and tried to force you into becoming his queen? I don't want anything to happen to you!"
"I appreciate your concern," I told her. "But I handled Dark Seegnal the last time, I can handle him again."
"How do you know he even has a ship?" Brian asked.
"How else do you think he got to this asteroid?" I replied. "Unless he could swim through space while holding his breath he must have a ship."
It didn't take us long to find Dark Seegnal. He was in the same alley where I met him the last time leaning against the wall.
He looked up and grinned when he saw us coming. "What do I owe this unsuspected pleasure?" he said in his charming way.
I decided to dispense with the formalities and just come out and say it. "We need you to take us to the Cosmic Order," I told him.
Dark Seegnal raised one eyebrow. "That is a lot to ask from me," he said. "I mean, I've just escaped from the Cosmic Order. Why would I want to go back?' A sly grin spread across his face. "Oh, I see, you found out that everything I told you earlier was true and now you need the help of little old me. Am I right?"
"Cut the crap," Debra exploded. "Yes, everything you said about the Cosmic Order is true, and yes, we need your help to stop them. So quit being a jerk about it and help us!"
Dark Seegnal turned to me. "Boy, the emerald one has quite a temper."
"Look, do you have a ship to take us to the Cosmic Order or not?" I said.
Dark Seegnal sucked on his lip, then said, "Yes, I have a ship, but I'm not taking you to the Cosmic Order."
At this point, I was daring myself to draw my sword and force Dark Seegnal to take us.
Then Dark Seegnal said, "Unless there were something in it for me."
"If you want me to sleep with you, the answer is no!"
Dark Seegnal looked horrified. "What kind of man do you think I am?"
"I know what kind of man you are. That's why I said that."
"Perish the thought," Dark Seegnal said as he waved the notion away. "All I want is a small token. Something you won't even miss."
"My voice?" I said, thinking that was the same line Usala used with Ariel in The Little Mermaid.
"No," Dark Seegnal reached over and stroked my hair with his hand. "All I want from you is a lock of your beautiful red hair."
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
I stare at him. "That's all you want? A lock of my hair?"
"Just something to remember you by," dark Seegnal said.
"Don't do it, Toby," Judy said. "A girl's hair is precious."
I didn't know what to make of all this. I mean, I would have expected Dark Seegnal to want something more. But a lock of my hair seemed so simple. Why did I have the feeling there was more to this than meets the eye?
"Okay, I'll give you a lock of my hair," I told Dark Seegnal.
Dark Seegnal gave me a satisfied grin.
I turned to Brian. "Oh, Gold Viper, would you come along and help me?"
"Why?" Brian replied. "Can't you cut off your own hair?"
I whispered harshly to him. "Brian, come with me."
Brian shrugged, then followed me. We went to the bathroom.
Once inside I turned to Brian and asked, "Do you have any more of that Shmooka on a stick?"
"One more."
"Give me it."
Brian took out the Shmooka on a stick and handed it to me. It still looked as disgusting as ever. Covered in brown slime with red hair all over it. I began plucking out the hair because they were the same color as mine.
"Oh, I get it," Brian said. "Instead of giving Dark Seegnal your hair, you're going to give him the Shmooka hair."
I nodded then went to the sink and washed the hair under a stream of cold water. Then I held the hair under a perfume dispensing machine and sprit it with some perfume to get rid of the fowl Shmooka odor and made the hair smell like lilac.
When we returned to Dark Seegnal I gave him the hair.
Dark Seegnal held the hair up to his nose and sniffed it. Then he gazed at me and declared, "Boy, for someone who keeps telling me that she is really a guy you certainly have some girly smelling hair."
Dark Seegnal reached into his pocket and took out something that looked like a little silver locket and inserted the hair inside.
"Now," Dark Seegnal said, turning to us. "What are you going to do once you get to the Cosmic Order?"
We all exchanged glances. We knew we had to get to the Cosmic Order, but we never thought about what we were going to do once we got there."
"We going to stop the Cosmic Order," Brian piped up.
"I know that. But how?" Dark Seegnal said.
There was more exchange of glances.
"So, you don't have a plan?" Dark Seegnal let out a sigh. "How the heck did I lost to you?"
"Who needs a plan?" Brian said. "Let just go there and kick butts!"
Dark Seegnal stared at him. "I take it you're not the brains of the team."
Then to the rest of else, he said, "I have an idea. I escaped from the Cosmic Order, so you can all pretend to be bounty hunters who caught me and was now bringing me back."
"Yeah, let's do that," we all agreed.
"No, wait, it won't work," Dark Seegnal said. "The Cosmic Order already knows what you look like. They have studied the images from our battle on my ship very carefully. They would spot you in a second."
"They know what we look like as Zeron Warriors," Judy said. "So we'll just transform out of our Zeron Warrior forms into our true forms."
"Good idea," I said. I may have been a little overly excited about turning back into a boy, but I was looking forward to finally saying goodbye to my cramps, not to mention, Dark Seegnal's suggested looks.
We all took out our wands and held them aloft.
"Zeron crystal, deactivate," we shouted in unison. Color lights washed over us. Then the next thing I knew I saw everyone back in their true forms.
Debra then turned to me and her face twisted in shock. "Toby, what happened?"
I was wearing my old clothes, but they were now too big for me. My sleaves fell over my hands and my pants were falling down. I gazed down at myself and to my dismay saw two lumps in my chest.
I didn't change completely back. I was wearing my old clothes, but I was still a girl. I was stuck as Zeronia!
