Many years passed by like a dream fades from memory. There’s a glitter and gold trimmed chapel
that’s privately owned by the Borealis family. The chapel rests on the outskirts of the
Borealis property. One would think the
chapel was a glitzy mansion rather than a pious place of worship. Although the principalities that governed the
Dionne System were also a part of the Sigma Clan, there had never been a king
to bear the name Borealis. It had been
their hope for centuries to have a descendant become a queen or king of
Arcadia. After she married the prince,
the clan desired for a king to carry the Borealis name into royalty. A procession of the Borealis family celebrated
the birth of a new baby boy. With the
birth of so many children from Uno’s cousins, her family continuously pressured
Uno to birth many children as well. Uno
simply rolled her eyes as her cousin, Cameo, paraded her baby around dressed in
a frilly white gown and booties. She yawned,
removing her hand from underneath the hand of Prince Mirage, her husband. Holding hands was a public gesture they did
to make others assume their arranged marriage had turned into love. True love can be seen in the eyes, and
neither had a staring fascination with the other. Those eyes of hers only lit up when she saw
Pluto. As she approached Sir Pluto
sitting in an aisle seat, Uno dropped a folded note onto the floor beside him. With a smile over her shoulder to him, she
exited the sanctuary. Pluto followed her
with his eyes as she left the room; he then looked around at the other guests
present for the christening of the new Borealis baby. He unwrinkled the note, and saw an arrow
pointing towards the door. He tucked the
note into the bible, and walked casually pass the altar where Priestess Pax towered. She stood still as a statue; her blindness
seemed less of a handicap then Pluto stumbling after Uno. Though her eyes were covered with a bandage,
they seemed to follow Pluto out of the door as she turned her head in his
direction. He glanced back, and then
jetted down the hall.
Uno stood near the entrance, smiling at him. They grabbed each other’s hands, and
kissed. Pluto looked back to see if
anyone watched. “I think Pax isn’t
blind.”
“Don’t be silly.” She
pecked him on the nose.
“I swear she watches me.”
He held tightly to her hands. “So
what’s going to happen?”
“Nothing.” Uno
frowned. “I’m stuck with him for a while;
these children keep him tied down.”
“Yeah, but did you have to have so many? This is your third.”
“Yes, but this one is special!” She smiled.
“Besides, Krono and Styx wouldn’t be here, if we had been together.” Pluto’s children, Krono and Styx, were
fraternal twins – one son and one daughter.
“True.” Pluto smiled
to think of his children. “Please just
tell me Uno. Why did you have to marry
Mirage?”
“I was the only available daughter of the Borealis family,
and my family deserved the right to the crown a long time ago. I had to make sure to leave children to pass
on their lineage this time.” She looked
away. “Prince Mirage has had his eye on
me for a while.”
“Yes, and we know the prince must have exactly what the
prince wants.” He rolled his eyes. “Just tell me when will this nightmare end?”
“Not for a while, I have to take over first. I’m not sure how yet.” Uno said.
“Oh.” Pluto decided
to change the subject. “I hope your
in-laws are good to you, because Orcus’s mother has it in for me.”
“Do you want me to arrest her?”
“On what charges?”
“I don’t know... harassing the future King of Dionne!” She laughed, and Pluto hushed her and looked
around.
“Please, I don’t want to start any animosity here.” He kissed her cheek. “If I have disappeared over the next few
days, you know I’ve been arrested.”
“Oh Pluto…” She
laughed.
“No, I’m serious.” He
looked around, taking her arm. “I’m in trouble.
Delta is controlled by the Hellions and now it’s just as corrupt. If my mother-in-law catches me passing
information around about them, or digs up my past consultation with Lambda I’ll
be in serious voodoo.”
“Do you mean doo-doo?”
“No, you know how evil my family is; it’s voodoo.” He frowned, and then glanced around
again. He thought he saw someone in the
courtyard. He stared for a while catching
a glimpse of someone else. “Maybe I
should go.”
“No!” Uno protested. “You must stay. This is the last chance we have to console
the two families!” She grabbed his hand.
“Uno, I...” He felt a
tugging at his leg. A little boy with
pinkish hair, green eyes, and light tanned skin held tight to his leg. “Oh, Uno... he’s beautiful... just like a
real calypso flower.” He touched his
hair.
“Yeah sure.” Uno
didn’t seem to agree. “I don’t understand where he came from. He doesn’t look like either of you.”
“Uno, there isn’t someone you’re not telling me about is there?” He cradled Calypso with a smile.
She smiled back devilishly.
“I don’t know... that depends.”
They kissed again, and then both of them looked around. “It’s a shame we have to be so secretive.”
“I wish I could take you and him right now, and just get away
from it all.” He handed Calypso to Uno. “Go back to the others alright? I really have to go.”
“Please don’t go.”
“No, I mean to the bathroom.
I’ll be back in moment.”
“You sure do know how to wreck a romantic moment.” They kissed for a final time, and she
returned to the chapel. Pluto entered the bathroom, and thought about Uno and
himself with a happy life together. He
looked up at the window, cracking sunlight into the damp bathroom. “Escape... then all our problems would be
over.” He zipped up and washed his hands, while whistling.
“Over?” Came a devious voice from behind him. “But your problems are just beginning.” Pluto turned around to find two dark skinned,
men holding riffles and handcuffs. A
jeweled turban covered their dark hair. They emerged slowly from the stalls.
“Can’t a man get privacy?”
“Pluto Australis, I presume?”
“I’m him… unfortunately…”
“You are under arrest for charges of negotiating with the
enemy, treason, theft of valuable government documents, withholding information
from the state, and adultery. Yes, the
last one is a violation according to the laws of old Dionne. And no, General Orcus won’t be too happy
about the last one.”
“Fine, I know my rights.”
He extended his hands. “I’m
guilty on all accounts, just throw me in jail.”
“No, Perse wants to see you before anything else happens.”
“I guess there is a first time for everything.” He frowned, and then reluctantly let them
place the shackles on his hands. “Wait,
can’t I tell Uno... I mean the princess that I am leaving?”
“Afraid not. Sigma is
still considered an enemy group. You
unsuccessfully completed your mission of a peace treaty between the two.” Pluto’s head bowed down, and he gazed down
the hallway one last time. Uno paced up
and down the aisle; everyone became restless. She looked at the church clock then started
for the entrance. Pax placed her staff
in her way, and shook her head. Uno grabbed
up Calypso, and returned to her place beside Prince Mirage.
Pluto struggled with the guards the entire way into the
car. They shoved him in, and nearly
caught his face when the door slammed.
He struggled with his cuffs, flopping on his stomach, kicking and
screaming. They closed the window to the
back seat and looked at each other, before starting off. “Let me out!”
He yelled pressing his forehead on the glass. “Let me out, or you’ll be sorry!” The driver took a quick left from the cathedral. Pluto flew into the window, smashing his head
on the window. “You did that on
purpose!” He yelled, kicking the
glass. “You! When I get out here I’m going to...” The driver turned again, and Pluto crashed
into the other side of the car. He began
growling, and the man in shotgun glanced back at him. Pluto’s eyes glowed red. The driver suddenly stopped, forcing Pluto
into the section divider.
“What happened to him?”
The man in the side seat asked.
“He was so calm at first.”
“He gets like this when he’s angry; even General Orcus has
trouble containing him.” Pluto growled
again. “Don’t worry we’re close to the
fort. Now all we have to do is get him
out.” Pluto watched through the windshield
as they neared the Delta Fortress. He
gritted his teeth, and collapsed in the back seat. The car slowed, and parked in front of the
entrance. They jumped out, with riffles
ready and aimed at Pluto’s door. The
driver nodded to his partner then swung the door open. “Come out Pluto, nice... and slow...” After relinquishing his anger, Pluto sat with
his head bowed down, calmly staring at the floor. He slid from the backseat, and stepped next
to the captain without a struggle.
“Take me to her.”
Pluto said, frowning down at the captain.
“Yes sir.” He gently
grabbed his arm and led him into the building.
The other man took Pluto’s other arm expecting resistance.
Pluto solemnly walked up the stairs, and through the long
corridors. Walking the last steps of his
life never felt so real. Down the hall,
ran two small children, with happy faces.
He smiled weakly at them, and they ran up to hug his legs. “Daddy!”
The little boy said.
“Daddy’s home!” The
little girl squealed.
“Yes, yes Styx.” He
smiled at her.
“What game is this?”
The little boy wondered.
“Not a game, Krono.
Take your twin and get out of here for now, alright? You should see your mother soon.” He bent down and kissed both their foreheads,
then passed through them. The guards led
him down the hall, where two other soldiers stood guard in front of a grand
mahogany door. He smiled nervously at
the soldiers. “Oh man…” he looked back
at the door. “I’d rather face all of you
then to go in there. I think I changed
my mind.” He turned to run, but they caught
him, and forced him through the door.
“No.” He raced back, but his only
exit closed in his face. He sighed, and
found two more soldiers staring at him.
“Hi.” He managed to say, clearing
his throat. He approached the desk in
front of him slowly, then a soldier pushed him forward and he landed in front
of his mother-in-law, Perse, lounging on the desk. “Hello, mother.”
“Don’t you ‘mother’ me you lowlife.” She pushed him back some, then smiled. “I knew you would mess up one of these
days. I was just waiting for the
detective to catch you.” She laughed,
sliding from the desk.
“You sent that guy after me?”
“Pretty sneaky, huh?”
She laughed in a raspy voice, walking behind him. “I just knew you were up to something, but I
had no idea. Orcus wouldn’t believe me,
but I told her. I told her you were no
good, no good at all!” She leaned on his
shoulder. “Who knew you had done so much
behind my poor Orcus’s back? Treason
against Dionne, cavorting with the enemy, giving secret information, and what
was the last one?”
“Adultery!” Orcus
spun around in her executive chair. She
slammed a folder down on her desk. “How
could you?”
“It... wasn’t me?” He
frowned and waited for it to work.
“Then who do you say this is?” She tossed a picture of Uno holding his
hand. “And what do you call this.” She tossed another of them on a cruise. “And all of these!” She threw bundles of pictures at him, and
then flung the rest into the air. “You
have the audacity to lie and say none of this happened?”
“No, I admit... I did it... everything is true.”
Orcus stood up; as a strong woman she felt herself unable to
cry, even when she wanted to. She wiped
her eyes expecting something, but they were dryer than a desert. “How could you? How could you do this to me... the kids? Don’t you care about them?”
“With all my heart...”
“Oh,” she placed her hands on her hips. “But you would probably love them more if
they were Uno’s children...”
“I will love them the same.”
“But what about me?” She
asked him, but he remained silent. “Are
you saying you don’t love me anymore? Or
did you ever love me?” He looked away,
and frowned. “Fine, have it your
way!” She paced the floor, pushing her
bang from covering her eye, and trying to breath. “I’m not going to explode. I’m going to get through this.” She fumbled with her wedding band. She looked at him, and placed her hands on
the desk. “Just say you still want me,
and I can have some strings pulled.”
“Orcus?” Perse turned
around angrily.
“Can’t you see, Pluto?
I made you who you are today.
Placed you in the finest military base; you were a private and I helped
you graduate to captain overnight. Come
on Pluto... who is it that’s been there for you?” Pluto gazed at the floor. “I created you! You would be nothing without me! And will be nothing when I leave you!” She tossed the ring at him, striking him
across his face. “You were... no you are
nothing! You’re just a low level demon
conjurer! You came from a family so
insignificant that you didn’t even have a last name!” She raced over to him and slapped him across
the face. “You disgrace to my
family. The two future leaders of Delta,
my son and daughter, don’t deserve to have your blood in them. You really messed up this time, Pluto. You spite my kindness for the last
time.” She snapped her fingers, and the
men behind him grabbed either shoulder.
She turned around, and took up the manila folder. “Everything that built you to where you are
now is in this folder. Your life is in
here.” She tossed it in the trash can
and resumed her seat at the desk. “You
are so insignificant now that I don’t think you deserve a trial.”
“What?” Pluto leaped
for her, the soldiers held him in place.
“That’s right. With
those mood swings you have, you could just plead insanity. Because it’s Dionne law not to punish the
mentally ill further, you would get off scotch free. But now, you don’t exist anywhere without
your records. You can’t get a fair trial
anyway. Guards!” she turned her back on
him. “Take this stranger to the dungeon.”
“Can’t you see how the Hellions are changing you?” Pluto shouted.
“The Hellions are the true backbone of order. Their order is the true order.”
“You should take a look at some of the secrets they’re
holding. They are the ones who should be
prosecuted!”
“I know what they’re doing.”
“Then you know about...”
“Yes, it’s out of my control.”
“People will die! You
have to...”
“All I have to do is take back over Delta from an
incompetent soldier who went AWOL!”
“AWOL? Is that what
you’re going to tell everyone who isn’t in on this? This is a conspiracy against me, to make me
shut up. I knew too much.” He looked around, and no one made eye
contact. “How long will I stay in prison?”
“As far as I’m concerned you don’t exist. Something that doesn’t exist can’t be put in
jail in the first place, right?”
“Wait...” He stood
his ground in the office, holding back from the soldiers. “Will I ever see the twins again?”
“Keep him quiet.”
Orcus ordered, gazing nonchalantly out the window.
“You can’t do this!”
Pluto struggled against the guards.
“She just did.” Perse
laughed, further fueling Pluto’s anger.
He growled and yelled, as they pulled him kicking and screaming from the
office. Pushing off a guard he tried to
run, but another blocked him. A string
of soldiers followed after him, pushing over the others to contain him.
“Daddy!” Krono
yelled.
“Stay back!” He
yelled. “Don’t worry, daddy’ll be
fine. Remember that I love you.” He yelled to them from the end of the
hall. The guards struggled to push him
away from them, and the kids started to run after them.
“Kids!” Perse yelled
from the office.
“Grandma what’s going on?”
Styx cried.
“Oh don’t waste your tears on him.” She wiped her face. “How would you like some cookies?”
The kids looked solemnly down the hall after their
father. Perse laughed, taking their
hands and giving a smile back at Orcus before leaving. Orcus sat at her desk, looking at a picture
of the four of them together. She ripped
his face off, and then tossed the picture into the trash can on top of the manila
folder.
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