The ground shook from the force of the small space ship's crash into the parking lot behind the mall, but there was no noise, no sparks or fire, just a rumble through the earth. Then the ship's systems began to fail, and it uncloaked for any passerby to see, suddenly smoke was billowing into the night sky and small fires blinked into existence. The whirl of some kind of machinery roared lowly in the background.

The mall on the south west side of the city was not often visited anymore, so naturally it attracted those not in the mood for dealing with crowds. It was nearly closing time however, and anyone who didn't care that it was a school night was attending party on the north side, or hanging out on the docks on the bay. Most people would have no reason to be out so late, and those who did had no reason to be there, but fate conspired that the mall was not nearly as deserted as it should have been...

[hr]

Kaden was sick. That was the only reason he was currently going on a shopping spree at the cheapest place in town, instead of killing off his brain cells at Tiana's party. He'd already bought some meds, but if that's all he'd wanted he wouldn't have come all the way out here would he? No, he'd also had a slight candy binge, buying a bag full of sugary sweets to cheer himself up, and of course a new hat; this one a black beanie with a brim. It was an odd hat, but that's why he bought it.

He was ready to start heading home, after stopping outside to get a movie from the redbox, when he nearly fell from the backlash of the crash. Between the displaced air hitting him like a wave, and the ground trembling from the impact, Kade's heart picked up speed, thinking it must have been an earthquake or a plane crash, but it there was nothing.

He glanced at the other people around the mall's back, wondering if they had felt the same thing he had, but then his thoughts stuttered to a halt when the ship's cloaking field failed. The metallic remnants of the space ship were not easily confused with anything of earth. The Andalite fighter had a thick atmosphere, more like the Andalite homeworld's one, but the thick air was rapidly escaping from cracks in the glass and gashes in the body. One particular gash was particularly door-like, and shuddered as if trying to open further. The lights around the ship were numerous, blues and reds and greens and yellows, but they were beginning to flicker out in droves. After a moment, even the low hum from within the ship sputtered out, and all that was left was a dull inner light shining from the doorway, as if beckoning him to enter.

Kaden simply gaped in astonishment.