Dart shot up in bed. What a strange dream... He thought. Who's this person...that's dear to my memory?
Dart rubbed his eyes, threw off the covers and sat on the edge of the bed. Sunlight peeked in from daybreak through the drapes.
"It's morning..." Dart said quietly. He looked over at Shana, who lain on her side, faced him, and was snuggled up to her pillow.
He smiled. She shifted onto her back. Dart glanced at Shana's stomach that protruded outside of the covers. He reached out and gingerly placed a hand on her stomach. For some while now, ever since they had found out Shana was pregnant, he had been anxious to be a father for the first time.
Turning away from Shana, thoughts flooded back into Dart's head. He wonder how everyone was doing. How Albert is getting along with the Humans. How Kongol was doing at learning the Martial Arts from Haschel. That one made Dart chuckle. He wondered how Haschel was doing, overall. He remembered Rose...and his father, Zieg. And their noble sacrifice at The Moon That Never Sets. Was either of them the "person" that was supposedly to be returned to them?
The bed shifted. Shana sat up.
"Dart? Is there something wrong?" She asked.
"Nah..." Dart faked.
"Yeah, right..." Shana said. "I can see right through you. You know what I see?"
"The wall," Dart replied.
Shana laughed. "No. Something happened. Bad dream?"
"You could say that." Dart said, not turning around. He stood, and pulled a shirt on. "I'll be back later."
Shana was left sitting up in bed, puzzled.
"What's wrong?" She asked aloud to no one in particular.
Dart squinted against the rising sun as he walked outside Seles. Taking a walk felt like the right thing to do to get his thoughts straightened out.
Shana had gotten dressed and was in the kitched fixing breakfast when there was a knock on the door. Taking her apron off, she walked out of the kitchen, down the to the foyer, and answered the knocks at the front door.
A young man stood on the front steps, and his outfit bore the emblem of the Serdio Royal Family.
"Um, ma'am, I have a message for a Mr. Dart Feld." The young man read from an intricately folded and sealed paper.
"I'm Mrs. Shana Feld, his wife. May I take it for him? He is not in right now." Shana said.
"Um...my orders were to give it to a Dart Feld, ma'am..." the messenger said.
"Who is it from?" Shana asked.
"King Albert of Serdio," came the reply.
"Albert?!" Shana exclaimed. "Give it to me. Both Dart and I are very close friends with King Albert. He wouldn't mind if I read it also."
"Um..." the messenger looked doubtful.
Shana irately rubbed her forehead with a hand. "Look, I don't know when my husband is getting back, and I have no idea where he is. Not unless you want to wait here, I'll take the message."
"I would give it to you ma'am, but I have no proof that you are actually the Shana the King has spoken of." The messenger said.
"Of course she is."
Shana looked up and the messenger whirled around.
"She's just about seven months pregnant. That's all."
"Dart!" Shana said.
Dart approached the young messenger. "You have something for me?"
"Uh, yes, yes sir." The messenger handed him a sealed paper. "From his Royal Highness, King Albert of Serdio."
"Oh, really?" Dart took the the paper and squinted his eyes to read the fine print cursive handwriting on it. "Shana...I hope you have better eyesight than I have." He joked.
The messenger bowed. "I shall be off."
Dart and Shana reentered their home after the messenger had left.
"Open it." Shana said.
"I will," Dart said. "When I figure out how without ripping it to pieces."
Dart eventually opened the letter.
"Read it," Shana said.
"Okay..." Dart said. "Dear Dart (and Shana), how have you two been faring? Great, I hope. It's hard to believe it's been two years since everything that had occurred. Things have been going great here in Bale. I am happy to inform you that the country of Serdio (as well as Tiberoa and Mille Seseau) has been at peace and I am now the father of a nine-month-old infant boy. Queen Emille and I named him 'Lavitz' in honor of our late friend. At any rate, I have a favor to ask of both of you. Princess Lisa of Tiberoa (I hope you both remember her) is going to soon celebrate her Coming of Age. Queen Emille wanted to 'rally up the troops' and have the whole 'gang' there, seeing that all of us (save Miranda) were at her Coming of Age celebration. I do hope you will join us in Bale. We'll travel together to Fletz. Love, King Albert."
"Wow. You know we have to go," Shana said.
Dart glanced over at her. "In your state? No way."
Shana glared at him. "How would you feel if you were Albert's shoes and one of your best friends simlpy refused to go to your sister-in-law's Coming of Age?"
"It's not just because I don't want to. In fact, I want to go. But, I'm just concerned about you, Shana." Dart said.
Shana threw her hands up in the air. "Why is it that the second a man finds out his wife is expecting that he immediately assumes she is totally helpless and cumbersome?"
"I didn't say that!" Dart said. "You are never cumbersome Shana!"
Shana pouted. "Then why can't we go? Aren't you just dying like me to see our friends?"
"Yes, yes I am. But..." Dart trailed off.
"It's final! We're going..." Shana said. "And no 'buts' about it!"
"Great," Dart muttered. "She already sounds like a mom."
Shana giggled. "I have to practice on somebody."
Dart stared up at the ceiling. "Oh, help me Lord..."
Shana walked back into the kitchen.
"I guess she'll find some way of bugging me when she's not going through one of her mood swings." Dart said to himself. Then he raised his voice to an intentionally higher volume. "Yes, of course! All pregnant wives find ways to make life a living hell for their husbands!" His voice dripped with sarcasm.
Shana laughed. "Yes, we do!"
Queen Emille walked up into the Throne Room in Indels Castle and found the throne empty.
Emille shifted her son, Lavitz, to her other arm. "Where is he?"
Prince Lavitz reached out and played with Emille's hair.
She walked into their bedroom. "Oh, God..." What she saw made her burst into a fit of giggles.
Albert lay sprawled out on the bed, on his stomach, with his face buried in the pillow. He snored softly.
Emille laughed out loud. "I never thought I'd see the day..."
Albert lifted his head up and groaned as he rolled onto his back. "Why did you wake me?"
"You're the King of Serdio..." Emille reminded him as she placed Lavitz on the foot of the bed. "You can't sleep all day."
Prince Lavitz crawled up to Albert.
"Hey Lav..." Albert said tiredly. He looked over at Emille. "I stayed up all night dealing with the matters of this country. I'm dead tired."
"Well, I kind of figured that when you didn't come to bed last night," Emille said. "Anyway, you have to get up now. You have company."
Albert practically rolled out of the bed. He stood there, rubbed his eyes, and picked Lavitz up. "Come on."
As Albert descended the stairs, he caught a glimpse of his visitors.
"Haschel! Kongol!" Albert smiled.
"There he is," Haschel grinned.
"King of Human," Kongol said. "Kongol is happy to see Albert."
"I'm pleased to see you two, also," Albert said.
"Who is the baby?" Kongol said.
Albert smiled proudly. "He's my son, Lavitz."
"That's right. He said so in his letter I read to you, Kongol," Haschel said. "He looks just like you, Albert."
"Can the baby talk?" Kongol asked.
"Not yet," Albert siad. "Come, let's go sit."
Dart waited for Shana to catch up as he entered Bale, the capital city of Serdio.
Albert, Haschel, and Kongol sat in the Throne Room, reminiscing over the war.
Suddenly, a loud, obnoxious voice yelled out.
"Heeeeeeeey! Al! You home?"
"Wait, don't tell me," Albert said. "It's Meru. She's the only one that ever called me 'Al'."
"And the only one we know with such a loud voice," Haschel complained.
"All Winglies loud?" Kongol asked.
"Not all of them..." Haschel answered.
Meru burst into the room, smiling.
"Hey guys! Did ya miss me?" Meru asked.
Silence.
"Hey!" Meru said, annoyed. "It's been two years! Look how much I grew up!"
"Not much..." Haschel remarked.
Meru made a face.
Haschel and Albert chuckled.
"Wow, Dart! Look at how much Bale has changed!" Shana remarked. "And look! They've erected a clock tower!"
"Come on, let's hurry to the castle," Dart said, obviously anxious to see the others again.
"Um...'Hurry'?" Shana placed a hand on her stomach. "That's easier said than done."
"Remember in Fueno?" Meru asked. "When Rose and Dart met up with us in the hotel?"
"Yeah," Haschel said.
"I remember beforehand when Dart ran right smack-dab into me and I toppled right over," Meru said. "I said, 'Hey! Do you have eyes?!'"
Albert smiled.
The time at the hotel is still the kicker," Meru continued. "When all of us were downstairs..."
"And you asked that rude question," Haschel added.
"Look who's the pot calling the kettle black!" Meru exclaimed. "You asked Dart if he and Rose cuddled! Then, when everyone yelled at you, you tried to apologize with some lame excuse!"
"What was it you said after that, Haschel?" Albert asked.
"'Sorry, it slipped out'." Haschel replied.
"What do you mean 'slipped'?!"
Albert's head snapped up as the other three turned around.
Dart stood on the second step from the top, hands on hips, and a big smile set on his features.
"Dart!" Albert said, smiling. "Come, sit down."
Dart held up his index finger. "Just a moment." He turned around.
Footsteps could be heard coming up the stairs. "I...hate...stairs..."
"C'mon, Hon. You're almost to the top." Dart said.
Dart took hold of Shana's outstretched hand. Exhausted, Shana collapsed into Dart arms.
"You all right?" Dart asked.
Shana nodded. "I hate stairs."
Albert chuckled. "It seems that Dart hasn't changed much. How are you doing, Shana?"
"Uh..." Shana trailed off. "Great! Just great!"
"I hear faint sarcasm in your voice," Haschel said.
"Move it Dart! Let's see Shana!" Meru said.
Dart turned around and shifted out of the way.
"WOW!" Meru exclaimed.
Albert smiled. "You look like you're about to pop, Shana. Congratulations, both of you."
Shana smiled and stroked her stomach with a hand. "Thank you."
"Is it gonna be a boy or a girl?" Meru asked.
"We don't know," Shana said. "But, I know Dart wants a boy. All soon-to-be-fathers hope it's a boy."
Dart made a face at Shana.
"It was natural for me to hope for a boy," Albert said. "i need an heir to the throne. Besides," he grinned, "my family's notorious for having boys first. My father was first born, I was first born, and now Lavitz is first born."
"Well, it was obvious that you were first born, Albert," Dart said. "You're an only child."
"Yes, but, Doel was younger than Carlos, remember?" Shana added.
"Enough about my family tree, please," Albert said.
Queen Emille walked in from downstairs. She carried with her Prince Lavitz. Shana walked over to her.
"Aww...he's so cute!" Shana said.
Dart rubbed his forehead with a hand. "Great..."
Haschel grinned. "Just wait and watch. She's gonna have twin boys that look nothing like you, Dart."
Dart turned and glared at Haschel. "Don't tempt fate."
"Can I hold him?" Shana asked Emille.
"Sure. From the looks of it, you definitely need the practice." Emille said.
Shana held Lavitz snuggly with both arms. "This is rather easy."
Dart turned his attention away from Shana to Albert. "When do we leave for Tiberoa?"
"Tomorrow morning," Albert answered. "So get a good night's sleep tonight."
"That won't be hard for me and Shana." Dart replied.
Shana walked up to her husband. "Here." She handed Lavitz to him.
"What?" Dart said. "I don't know how to hold a baby!"
"You're never too old to learn," Shana said. "Now take 'im."
Dart reluctantly took the baby. He accidentally held him wrong, and Lavitz started crying.
"Not like that, Dart," Shana said. She adjusted Lavitz in Dart's arms. "Hold him like that. Let him sit on one arm with the other hand supporting his neck and upper back."
Dart adjusted the baby and he stopped crying. Dart sighed.
Within a few minutes, Lavitz feel asleep in Dart's arms.
"Um...what do I do now?" He asked.
Emille walked up to him. "Give him to me. Gently now."
Dart gave the baby back to his mother. He turned to Shana. "I actually kinda liked that."
Emille reentered the room from the bedroom in the back. "You should see me during the day. It's like I can't even take care of my own offspring. The maids and servants are constantly taking him away from me."
Albert raised a hand. "That, I think, would be my fault."
"Why is that?" Meru asked.
"Because, most of the maids and servants in this castle have been around since I was little. My father was too busy to really take care of me. So naturally, they're still used to it with Lav."
"'Lav'?" Meru asked.
"My little nickname for Lavitz," Albert replied.
After dinner, the group met in the bedroom downstairs. Dart sat down on a bed, and Shana leaned her back up against Dart's side.
Dart slid an arm around her. "Tired?"
Shana nodded. "Yeah."
Albert sat across from them. "That reminds me. How's Seles coming along?"
Dart smiled. "Fine. Most of the village is back to normal."
"Define 'normal'," Meru piped up from the back of the room. She soudned hurt. She laid on her back on a bed, with the back of her legs resting up against the wall.
"Anything wrong?" Haschel asked.
Meru sighed. "When the people, when the Humans found out that I was a Wingly, they immediately shunned me from society. They, they said that I wasn't normal..."
Albert shook his head. "Some Humans can be so cruel. They only think of themselves, and don't care about others' feelings."
"Kongol, he is lucky," Meru stated.
"Why is Kongol lucky?" Kongol asked.
Meru rolled over onto her stomach, with her knees bent and her feet int he air behind her head. "Because you're the last of the Gigantos. People respect you for that. And you're considered 'normal'."
"We respect you for who you are, Meru," Dart said. "And, when speaking of people, or any living creature, there is no true definition for 'normal'. Just be you. That is 'normal'."
"Yes, Meru... We respect you," Albert concurred.
"To an extent," Haschel muttered.
"Haschel!" Albert and Dart exclaimed.
"Sorry, sorry," Haschel said.
"I suppose you're right," Meru said, sounding not completely convinced.
Dart looked down at Shana. He was wondering why she was keeping so silent during the conversation. She was asleep against him. He gently laid her down on the bed.
Looking down at her, Dart said, "I think it's time to hit the sack."
"Hit the what?" Meru asked.
"Otherwise known as, 'Time to go to bed'," Haschel explained.
"But, I'm not tired!" Meru complained.
"Well, if you're gonna stay up, don't make noise!" Dart said, climbing into bed.