A/N: Here is the first chapter, I hope you enjoy it! Please leave feedback if you can.
"What is she doing now? Has she moved?"
"She's trying, Doctor, I can feel it." Cerise put her hand on her enlarged stomach, sensing the struggles of the child within her.
"You need to create a link between your minds," the doctor urged. "It's essential that you synchronize your powers."
Cerise nodded, furrowing her brow as she concentrated, while her husband massaged her shoulders. "You can do it, Cerise," he whispered.
"I'm almost there..." She shut her eyes. "Come on, child, come on..."
King Nova watched in wonder as a tiny hand ghosted out, and then the rest of his daughter slowly ghosted through her mother's womb and into the waiting doctor's arms. "Is she all right?" he asked nervously.
"She seems to be in perfect health, Your Highness," the doctor assured him with a smile, lifting the baby and looking her over. "Would one of you like to hold her?"
"Yes." Cerise nodded, and her face lit up when the doctor lowered the baby into her arms. "She's so beautiful..."
The girl had a few wisps of orange hair crowning her head, while her skin was the usual pale blue that distinguished Tangeans from other races. Her most noticeable features were her wide, expressive blue eyes, which darted around curiously as if she were trying to take in her surroundings.
"She is beautiful," Nova agreed, kissing Cerise's forehead. "We still haven't decided on a name. What do you think we should call her?"
Studying her daughter for several moments, Cerise answered, "What was that name you suggested this morning? Mira, wasn't it?" She smiled. "I liked that - it sounded pretty."
"Princess Mira Nova does have a nice ring to it," Nova admitted, caressing the girl's head. "So does Queen Mira Nova. Yes, I think that's we'll call her. Mira."
Cerise beamed at her husband and hugged her baby closer. "She's wonderful, isn't she? Little Mira." Resting her head on Nova's shoulder, she sighed. "I don't think I've ever been this happy in my whole life."
Work. That was all he ever seemed to do. King Nova sighed, reading through the list of items on his schedule. In a few minutes, he'd have to meet with the council to discuss an upgrade to the water filtration system. If this is what my father had to deal with every day, I can understand why he was always so miserable, Nova groaned to himself.
"Reg!" Cerise suddenly ghosted into the office. "You have to come see this!"
"I've got to prepare for a meeting, my love." Nova gathered a sheaf of papers from his desk. "Can't it wait?"
"No, you must come!" Grabbing his arm, Cerise pulled her husband out the office and into their bedroom. Little Mira was there, teetering unsteadily on two legs. "Come, Mira! Come to your mother!"
Nova leaned against the wall, watching in delight as his young daughter took one wobbly step forward, and then another. "Mama!" Mira cried, finally reaching her mother.
"Isn't it wonderful?" Cerise took Mira into her arms. "She's learning to walk!"
Nova smiled. "She's a clever girl." He ran his hand through the unruly red mop of hair on Mira's head. "And a very pretty one at that."
Mira giggled at the attention, grabbing her father's hand and pulling at his fingers. "Dadda!"
Slipping his hands around her, King Nova gently lifted Mira away from Cerise and held her against his face. "Yes, Daddy's got his little girl." He pressed his lips to her forehead. "Daddy loves her."
"She's growing so much," Cerise sighed happily. "She seems to learn something new every day."
Nova carefully set his daughter back on the floor, and she tried to take another step, but fell face-first onto the floor. "Mira, are you all right?" The king knelt beside her.
"Dadda!" Giggling, Mira quickly crawled away.
"You won't get away that easily!" Nova crawled after her, chasing her across the room on all fours until he finally had her backed in a corner. "Got you!" He grabbed Mira and began tickling her.
"Dadda!" she squealed, trying to break free. She erupted into a fit of giggles and kicked her legs at him, but he clung on tightly and continued tickling.
A knock on the wall suddenly interrupted their antics. "May I come in?"
Nova sat up. "Yes, Angstrom, enter."
The tall, well-built Tangean ghosted through. "Your Highness." He bowed to Nova, though a look of amusement mingled with distaste crossed his face when he saw the king sitting on the floor. "You're needed in the council chambers. It's time for the next council meeting."
Nova's face fell. "Now?" He looked down at Mira. I'd rather stay with you and your mother.
"We can't keep the council waiting," replied Angstrom.
With a sigh, King Nova rose to his feet. "I'll be back this evening." He kissed Cerise on the cheek. "Keep Mira out of trouble while I'm gone."
His wife grinned. "I'll try." She scooped the toddler into her arms. "Say bye-bye to Daddy, Mira."
Nova patted Mira's head. "Be a good girl for your mother." Mira smiled and cooed.
"We really must be going now," Angstrom advised. "We're already going to be late."
"I'm coming, I'm coming," sighed Nova in exasperation, following Angstrom out the room. "Why is it I never have any time for my family these days?"
"A king's duties must come before all else," Angstrom answered, his head held high, "including family." His lips curled into a faint smirk. "Of course, you could always abdicate."
Nova raised an eyebrow in return. "The Nova family has ruled Tangea for seven hundred years. You want me to bring an end to all that now?"
Angstrom shrugged, still smirking. "Why not? Since your only heir is too young to take the throne, the office would naturally fall on the Royal Chancellor..."
"...your father?"
"I was thinking of myself, actually." Angstrom took off his monocle and breathed on it. "I doubt my father will live much longer."
King Nova stopped in his tracks. "I thought he was only suffering a temporary illness? That's what you told me when you took over his duties last month."
Angstrom began polishing the monocle on his sleeve. "Oh, apparently it's more serious than that. He went to see one of the court physicians today, and the doctor says he's dying."
"Dying? I... I'm so sorry to hear that." Nova still looked shocked. "What's wrong with him?"
"Oh, I don't know. I think the doctor mentioned something about poison," shrugged Angstrom, replacing his monocle, "but I doubt there's any truth to that. Probably just his heart or something. He's never been well."
Nova rubbed his temples. "This really is bad news. Your father's been chancellor for over thirty years. I need him. He knows far more about running this place than I do, and I couldn't possibly find a suitable replacement."
Angstrom frowned and stifled a low cough. "Have I not performed the chancellory duties adequately thus far?"
"Well, yes, but..."
"I would be happy to take over the position full-time."
"But..." Nova started to protest, but trailed off and shrugged. He's probably the best man for the job, and it's essential that I find someone to fill the chancellorship. I can't do this job without a few good advisors at my side. He sighed. I can barely do this job as it is. "If you want the position, it's yours."
Angstrom's face spread into a smile. "Thank you, Your Majesty."
It was well past midnight before the council finally adjourned. A long argument had broken out over structural changes that would have to be made for the new water filtration system, and half the council had been outraged by the idea that alterations would need to be made to the palace's aesthetic to accommodate it. King Nova had listened in weary silence for hour upon hour, barely able to stay awake as the quarrel dragged onwards. At last, a decision all parties could agree on was reached, and the king could finally leave the conference table and stretch his stiff legs.
"Angstrom," he sighed, walking with his friend as they left the room, "next time they force me to go to a council meeting, please just shoot me instead."
Angstrom raised an eyebrow. "As you wish," he smirked.
Yawning, Nova turned down a different corridor. "I'll see you tomorrow, Angstrom." The future chancellor nodded, and they each went their separate ways, both anxious to get some rest. King Nova felt half asleep already as he trudged down the hall, having to practically drag each foot forward. Don't those windbags in the council ever get tired? he mused to himself. How can they argue for hours on end like that? He rubbed his eyes. The worst part of the whole affair was that it had happened before - he'd already been in several council sessions that had gone on far longer than they should have, and he knew it would happen again.
He stumbled onwards, barely awake enough to see where he was going. It had been little more than two years since he was crowned king, but they were easily the hardest years of his life. The only bright spots were his wife and daughter. And I'm so swamped with work that I never have any time to see them, he growled to himself. His relatively carefree life as prince had been turned upside down with the death of his father. Now, everything was about work, and about ruling Tangea. It seemed as if he had to be consulted for every decision, no matter how minor, and it seemed like there was always someone he had to meet, some council session to go to, or some banquet to attend. He had no time to live his life anymore, and at the end of the day, he felt very, very tired.
Reaching a staircase, he began plodding downwards, gripping the handrail to keep himself steady. Most of the palace lights had been dimmed, and the dark atmosphere added to his drowsiness. He hoped he could stay awake long enough to get to his room; it wouldn't do for the king of Tangea to take a nap in the middle of a hallway.
When he lifted his foot from the final step and set it on the floor, a faint pulse of energy rose through his leg, seemingly beckoning him to come closer. He knew it was from the palace's fusion core, which was situated on the level below. He'd often sensed it when he was walking through the palace, but he'd never found it quite so enticing before. Perhaps it was because it refreshed him slightly, giving him a little extra energy, which he needed right now. Or perhaps his tired mind was simply noticing it more because he had nothing else to focus on.
He lingered at the bottom of the staircase for several minutes, soaking up the faint waves of energy that rippled up from the floor. It wasn't much, but it helped. His mind seemed a little clearer, and he didn't feel quite so exhausted. Finally, he decided it was time to go, and he continued walking down the hall. When he reached his room, he ghosted through wearily and took off his coat. After hanging it up, he paused by Mira's crib to kiss his sleeping daughter, then set himself down on the edge of the bed, careful not to wake Cerise, and began taking off his shoes. He barely got them off before he succumbed to tiredness, and had to slip into bed without changing into his nightgown. The effects of the energy had already worn off, and he was asleep by the time his head hit the pillow.
It was only a couple of hours later when he awoke, and he still felt exhausted. Closing his eyes, he snuggled closer to his wife and tried to return to a state of blissful slumber, but after a few minutes he gave up. In spite of his tiredness, sleep was refusing to come, and eventually he pulled back the covers and stood up. If he couldn't get any rest, then he could at least use this opportunity to finish some paperwork. Perhaps if he got it done now he'd have more time to spend with his family the next day.
After making some warm tea, he dragged himself to his office and set the steaming cup on the desk. He opened a drawer, pulled out some papers, and collapsed into his chair. His eyes scanned over the pages, but most of the words didn't register in his mind. Shaking his head, he took a sip of the tea and made another attempt to concentrate, but he still felt too groggy. This won't do, he sighed. I can't sleep, but I can't work either. He felt like banging his head against the desk.
Rubbing his eyes, he put down the teacup and tried to think of something he actually could do. Nothing came to mind. It looked as though he was in for a long night of sleeplessness and boredom. Brilliant.
He rested his face in his hands and closed his bloodshot eyes. He would never understand why anyone ever wanted to be king. The power the position held was certainly enticing, but that was negated by the vast amount of mind-numbing, time-devouring work required.
If it were possible, he might seriously consider Angstrom's joking suggestion to abdicate. Unfortunately, he knew he could never abandon his duties. He'd already disappointed his father in so many other ways; he would not give him any more reasons to roll in his grave.
Ugh, I don't want to spend the whole night moping. He pulled himself up from the chair. Maybe a short stroll will clear my head. Leaving the office, he grabbed his coat from the hanger and slipped it on. After finding his cane, he opened the door, stepped out, and began walking aimlessly down the hall. No one else was around, so he was left to his own thoughts as he ambled along. Memories surfaced of a meeting with Cerise, held late at night in these very corridors, that occurred shortly after his father had forbidden them to see each other. Cerise had spent a month at the palace on Prince Nova's invitation, but when King Algol found out his son was in love with the girl, he was outraged and ordered her to leave. The couple had managed to hold one last meeting before Cerise left, but it had been a very miserable time for both of them. They'd promised to stay loyal to one another, but Nova had very much doubted they'd meet again. However, only two months later, Algol died, and suddenly Nova was thrust into the position of king. Realising quickly that he couldn't handle the job alone, he'd called Cerise back. Now they were together, and everything should have been well. But he knew it wasn't. The work was still overloading him, and Cerise was too busy with their daughter to help much. It was enough to make anyone feel drained.
He trudged on. Things were only going to get worse now that his chancellor was dying. Angstrom was certainly quite capable of taking his father's place, but he didn't have nearly as many years of experience. It was going to be -
His thoughts were interrupted by the sudden pulse of energy he felt coming from the floor. I must be above the power core again. The weak energy field took the edge off his exhaustion, and he basked in the feeling for a few long moments. I wish these effects would last longer, he sighed. If he were to step away from the core, he knew he would revert back to his old, worn-out self. The effects were dependant on close proximity to the power source. If only I could get closer. Kneeling, he placed his hand on the floor and sighed as the energy rippled through it. Perhaps... Perhaps I could get a little closer. He closed his eyes in concentration and began phasing his hand. Pressing it through the floor, he felt a rush of ecstasy as it entered the core below. That feels so good. He didn't want to draw his hand away, but he knew he couldn't remain on the floor. When he finally pulled his hand out, he was astonished to see a faint glow of energy crackling around it.
What is this? He studied his hand carefully, turning it over and flexing it. Whatever had just happened, it certainly didn't seem bad. On the contrary, he felt quite invigorated. Maybe I should try that again. It might give me enough strength to get through this awful night. He slipped his hand back into the energy core, sighing as the power coursed through him. The closer he was, the more he felt drawn to it, and he found himself leaning against the floor, pushing his arm as far down as it would go.
After a moment's hesitation, he decided it wasn't enough to be near the core. He wanted to be among all that energy. He wanted to enter the core. All it took was a second of concentration, and he was sinking through the floor. When he relaxed his ghosting powers, he found himself inside the fusion reactor. His eyes couldn't register anything beyond blinding white light, and all he could feel was the energy swirling and surging around him, overloading his senses as it was absorbed by his body. It was the most wonderful sensation he had ever experienced.
It was daybreak before he finally left the core, and when he did it was with the greatest reluctance. The real world felt cold and unpleasant in comparison, and the only consolation was the field of energy that remained with him when he stepped out. He felt so different from when he'd entered. Everything about him had changed... It was as if he'd grown stronger, smarter, faster, and just... better. He loved it. For once he felt not only ready but excited to tackle the day.
He returned to his room, where he feverishly set to work in his office. Before long all the paperwork was finished. It was almost disappointing - now he had nothing to do. He even looked through all his drawers several times to make sure there wasn't anything he'd missed.
A knock on the wall suddenly got his attention. "Reg, are you in there?" It was his wife.
"Yes, darling," he called cheerily. "Nice morning, isn't it?"
Cerise ghosted in. "You're not working at this hour, are you? You should have some breakfast first."
"Oh, I've already finished all my work." King Nova waved his hand in dismissal. "Breakfast does sound good, though. I'm starving."
Cerise hardly heard him. "Reg..." Her eyes were wide. "Reg, you're glowing!"
"So I am," Nova nodded nonchalantly. "What of it?"
"But..." Cerise was at a loss for words. "How?"
"Oh, it's not important." He would have liked to tell her, but something in the back of his mind prevented him from doing so. He couldn't be sure, but he vaguely recalled hearing once that it was wrong for a Tangean to ghost through a power source. Of course, it couldn't be all that big of a deal if he'd never heard anything else about it, and the effects certainly seemed positive, but he still didn't want Cerise to know. She might worry, and he'd hate to cause her any distress. "Let's go to breakfast now, shall we?"
Cerise looked at him uncertainly, but nodded. "I'll tell one of the servants to bring the food in. You can wake up Mira."
"Okay." Nova rose from his chair and kissed Cerise. "You look lovely this morning, by the way." After kissing her again, he entered their room and made his way to the crib. Mira was still sleeping peacefully, and it seemed a shame to wake her. He traced his hand across her chubby face, and was surprised by the contented sigh which escaped her lips. Apparently she could sense the energy he was giving off, and she liked it. I'm sure I must be wrong about this power ghosting being taboo. How could it possibly be a bad thing?
A/N: That's all for tonight - expect the next chapter on Friday next week.
By the way, if you're a fan of BLoSC and haven't signed up yet, I would strongly suggest checking out the To Infinity and Fandom forum. Simply enter the name into Google and you should find it easily. It's a wonderful place, and we love getting new members.