Once upon a time, there was a creature called the Duo-bat.
The Duo-bat was considered to be extremely cute, and mischievous by all
the experts. However, it was very rare.
One day, the Beautiful Queen Relena of Sank heard of the wondrous
creature, and, in her curiosity, asked that one be brought before her,
for her to see.
All the greatest adventurers in the Kingdom went searching for the
Duo-bat, but none could find the evasive creature. Some few saw it,
but it flew out of range before it could be captured.
Eventually, all the adventurers in the kingdom gave up. However, the
Queen still wanted to see the Duo-bat.
So, her brother, Prince Milliard of Sank, and her Royal Knight, Dame
Dorothy Catalonia, set off with a years supplies, in opposite
directions.
They explored high, and low, throughout the world, to no avail. After
nearly a year, the Prince returned. More time passed, and then, a year
to the day later, the Royal Knight returned, carrying with her, in a
gilded silver cage, the small creature that was known as the Duo-bat.
The Queen was captivated by the Duo-bat's sheer adorableness, and had a
large garden built for it in one of her solars.
Years passed, and the Queen was happy, and all in her Kingdom were
happy as well. All save the lone Duo-bat.
The Queen, realising that her Duo-bat was not happy, went to her solar
one day and asked it, "Why are you not happy, little Duo-bat? I have
given you this beautiful place to live in, the finest foods you can
eat. Here, you can have anything you want!"
The Duo-bat looked at her and said, "Anything, but what I truly want.
Yes, this place is beautiful, and warm, and comfortable, and safe, and
all most creatures could ever want. But, for a creature of the wing
such as I, this space is dark, and confining. I need to see the earth
below me, and the sky above me, and feel the wind carry me up above
the clouds." Queen Relena picked the tiny Duo-bat up in her hand,
looked it in the eye and said, "Well, if you are truly unhappy, and
you wish to feel the wind, and see the earth and sky again, than you
shall."
And so, she went to window, opened it up, and held the Duo-bat
outside. The Duo-bat stood up in her hands, and said to her, "Thank
you, kind Queen. I will never forget you." Then, he bowed, and flew
away into the horizon. The Queen watched, until she could see it no
more, then she turned, and closed the window behind her, a single tear
on her cheek.
Many years passed, and the Queen ruled her people fairly, and wisely.
She married a golden haired Prince, from the barren deserts, and they
had many beautiful children together.
The Duo-bat, for his part, lived a happy, and carefree life, never
forgetting the kind Queen of Sank.
Then, one day, many, many years later, the Duo-bat returned to the
peaceful Kingdom of Sank. He flew into an open window, and asked a
servant, "Excuse me, but could you tell me where the Queen is?"
The servant was startled, but he said, "Queen Relena? She lies on her
deathbed, at the end of the corridor." The servant pointed, then
continued on his way.
"Thank you," the Duo-bat called. Then, the Duo-bat flew down the hall,
to where Queen's room was. The door was slightly ajar, so the Duo-bat
flew in. It flew over to her bedside and landed on her table.
"Queen Relena?" it asked. The Queen opened her eyes, and looked up at
it.
"Ahh...you didn't forget me after all," the Queen said. The Duo-bat
hopped down next to her, and said, "I never forget..."
The Queen smiled, and said, "So I see. Have you enjoyed flying above
the clouds?"
The Duo-bat nodded, smiling, and said, "Yes, I have. It is a pity you
humans cannot fly."
The Queen sighed, and said, "Yes..." The Duo-bat began hovering again,
and said, "I'm sorry, I have to go now."
The Queen nodded, and said, "I understand...I must go too. Goodbye,
friend."
The Duo-bat replied, "Goodbye, friend." And then, the Queen breathed
her last breath, and passed away.
The Duo-bat flew to the window, took one last look at the Queen, and
said, "I'll see you in your next life." Then the Duo-bat flew out the
window, to look for its friend.
~fin.~
The Duo-bat was considered to be extremely cute, and mischievous by all
the experts. However, it was very rare.
One day, the Beautiful Queen Relena of Sank heard of the wondrous
creature, and, in her curiosity, asked that one be brought before her,
for her to see.
All the greatest adventurers in the Kingdom went searching for the
Duo-bat, but none could find the evasive creature. Some few saw it,
but it flew out of range before it could be captured.
Eventually, all the adventurers in the kingdom gave up. However, the
Queen still wanted to see the Duo-bat.
So, her brother, Prince Milliard of Sank, and her Royal Knight, Dame
Dorothy Catalonia, set off with a years supplies, in opposite
directions.
They explored high, and low, throughout the world, to no avail. After
nearly a year, the Prince returned. More time passed, and then, a year
to the day later, the Royal Knight returned, carrying with her, in a
gilded silver cage, the small creature that was known as the Duo-bat.
The Queen was captivated by the Duo-bat's sheer adorableness, and had a
large garden built for it in one of her solars.
Years passed, and the Queen was happy, and all in her Kingdom were
happy as well. All save the lone Duo-bat.
The Queen, realising that her Duo-bat was not happy, went to her solar
one day and asked it, "Why are you not happy, little Duo-bat? I have
given you this beautiful place to live in, the finest foods you can
eat. Here, you can have anything you want!"
The Duo-bat looked at her and said, "Anything, but what I truly want.
Yes, this place is beautiful, and warm, and comfortable, and safe, and
all most creatures could ever want. But, for a creature of the wing
such as I, this space is dark, and confining. I need to see the earth
below me, and the sky above me, and feel the wind carry me up above
the clouds." Queen Relena picked the tiny Duo-bat up in her hand,
looked it in the eye and said, "Well, if you are truly unhappy, and
you wish to feel the wind, and see the earth and sky again, than you
shall."
And so, she went to window, opened it up, and held the Duo-bat
outside. The Duo-bat stood up in her hands, and said to her, "Thank
you, kind Queen. I will never forget you." Then, he bowed, and flew
away into the horizon. The Queen watched, until she could see it no
more, then she turned, and closed the window behind her, a single tear
on her cheek.
Many years passed, and the Queen ruled her people fairly, and wisely.
She married a golden haired Prince, from the barren deserts, and they
had many beautiful children together.
The Duo-bat, for his part, lived a happy, and carefree life, never
forgetting the kind Queen of Sank.
Then, one day, many, many years later, the Duo-bat returned to the
peaceful Kingdom of Sank. He flew into an open window, and asked a
servant, "Excuse me, but could you tell me where the Queen is?"
The servant was startled, but he said, "Queen Relena? She lies on her
deathbed, at the end of the corridor." The servant pointed, then
continued on his way.
"Thank you," the Duo-bat called. Then, the Duo-bat flew down the hall,
to where Queen's room was. The door was slightly ajar, so the Duo-bat
flew in. It flew over to her bedside and landed on her table.
"Queen Relena?" it asked. The Queen opened her eyes, and looked up at
it.
"Ahh...you didn't forget me after all," the Queen said. The Duo-bat
hopped down next to her, and said, "I never forget..."
The Queen smiled, and said, "So I see. Have you enjoyed flying above
the clouds?"
The Duo-bat nodded, smiling, and said, "Yes, I have. It is a pity you
humans cannot fly."
The Queen sighed, and said, "Yes..." The Duo-bat began hovering again,
and said, "I'm sorry, I have to go now."
The Queen nodded, and said, "I understand...I must go too. Goodbye,
friend."
The Duo-bat replied, "Goodbye, friend." And then, the Queen breathed
her last breath, and passed away.
The Duo-bat flew to the window, took one last look at the Queen, and
said, "I'll see you in your next life." Then the Duo-bat flew out the
window, to look for its friend.
~fin.~