The Story of Two Cats and a Planet called Earth

Hidden Talents

Minke was not sure how he should feel. Excited, because he had talked the the princess? Scared, becuase she might want him to clean the castle in return? Afraid, because he'd be an even bigger target for the gangs of Lop Lop now? Minke put down the rations, and put some for Minka next to her bed. She was asleep, but her temparature was high. Spots were starting to appear beneath her fur. Minke hoped that she wouldn't die. But he had to find a cure soon. The doctors were doing nothing that actually helped.

Minke heard someone knock on the door. He looked through the peephole. It was Thalia. Minke groaned, but had no choice. You couldn't just shut the door on the princess of Lop Lop, could you? Minke opened the door. Thalia dashed inside. "They're after me," she whispered and ran past Minke. Thalia looked different to before. She wasn't wearing the royalty crown that Lop Lopian royalty wear. Instead, she was wearing slightly worn, ordinary clothes, with a hood pulled down to cover her face. Minke was shocked. "Who's after you? Terroists? Spies? We have to get out of here!" Minke started gathering items. Thalia stared at Minke for a second, then she laughed. "No, it's just the guards. I get so bored of being a princess that I escape at every opportunity. Don't let them catch me."

Thalia ducked behind a crate as a knock sounded on the door. Minke answered it. It was the castle soldiers. (Lop Lop was still a monarcy, even though other planets were all democracies).

"You, cat. We're looking for someone. Have you seen a young girl, purple skin, slightly worn clothes, with a hood over her face anywhere around here? We need to bring her to the castle," said the guard.

Minke hesitated. If he told where Thalia was, he would lose a new friend. If Thalia counted as a friend. But if he didn't and they found out, he would get into trouble. What should he do?

"She's not here," said Minke, gesturing to the right side of the room. It was technically not a lie, as Thalia was in the other side of the room.

The guard turned away abruptly and left. Wow, not even a 'good day' to me. thought Minke. How typical of the castle guards.

Thalia's head popped out from behind the crate. "Are they gone?" she asked.

Minke nodded. He still didn't know what Thalia was doing here. She had everything she could want. How could she get tired of living in the castle?

Thalia started exploring the warehouse. Even though it was big, most of it was empty space, and it didn't take long before Thalia came back. "Do you have a toolbox somewhere?" she asked of Minke.

Minke stared at Thalia as if she was crazy. But, since she was princess, he went and fetched the toolbox without compliant. Thalia scurried off the next room.

Minke decided to let her be, and was doing the newspaper crossword, when he heard a big crash from the room where the rocket was stored. Fearing the worst, he took off at a run for the room.

Getting there, he found Thalia upside down, covered in engine filth, doing something to the engine.

"Thalia!" he cried, running towards her.

"STOP!" she screeched. Minke stopped abruptly.

"Phew! You nearly tripped over that cable holding me up. I would've fallen to my death if you had!"

Minke looked at the cable in front of his feet, then up at Thalia. How had she managed to do this pulley system with... a tennis racket, a shoe and a few broken spanners from the toolbox? Minke studied Thalia. She was different. Kind of... happier.

"What are you doing up there?" he called.

"Fixing you're rocket! What else?" replied Thalia.

"Fixing my rocket? But Minka said it was beyond repair!"

"Not for me it isn't!"

Minke watched Thalia. She moved around the rocket with ease, despite hanging upside down from a cord held up by a few spanners. He realised that she was happy here, happier than she ever was in the royalty magazines. Minke always thought her smile looked forced in those magazines.

Just then, Thalia swung herself upright, and all the spanners moved, but Thalia jerked the line, and they all moved back into place. Thalia noticed that Minke was staring at her. "I guess I'd better explain myself," she said. She lowered herself to the ground. "First thing's first. I am not the airhead that the media sees. The profiles on me, the interviews, all fake."

Minke could only stare at her, thinking, I knew it!

"I hate being a princess. All that pampering, that flattery, it makes me sick! I even hate being around my family. My cousins are so pompous, they take 3 days to prepare for a ball! They have facial treatments, 24hr mud baths... Anyway. You see why I wanted to escape. The guards have been onto me for a long time. But you won't give me away to the guards, will you?"

Minke continued staring.

Thalia continued on. "I used to sneak out of my etiquette classes and watch the engineers. Sometimes they actually let me do something. Then when they saw how good I was at it, they let me learn. So, there. My life story. Any questions?"

Minke finally found his voice. "But why decide to come to help me all of a sudden? Why suddenly become friends? After all, I am just an ordinary citizen of Lop Lop."

Thalia replied, "That's the point! And anyway, I thought you might need some help." Thalia looked away suddenly. Even though most Lop Lopians couldn't blush, Thalia's blush showed up easliy, on account of her light purple skin.

"Hey, I better get back to the rocket," she said, walking away.

Minke was shocked for the 3rd or 4th time in that hour. Speechless again, he went to check on Minka.