Kodoku no Fortress
Hour II
By Spirit-hime
************
"Greetings Princess Pluto!"
The young girl nodded at the tiny likeness of herself as she stepped between the massive pillars
of Charon Palace¹. The fairy-like Guardian Pluto hovered near her Princess' head, sparkling
cheerfully. "Did you have a good time at the Moon Kingdom? What did the Queen wish to tell you?"
"She wanted me to take over my task as the guardian of the Space-Time Gate. She laid down the
laws for me."
"So it is as we thought. You will make the Moon Kingdom proud, Princess Pluto! Your visitor
seemed to think so as well."
She paused. "Visitor? Here?"
"Yes, didn't you know? He's been waiting in the throne room."
The short princess picked up her step. A visitor? No one ever came to Charon Palace, not even
the other Plutonians. Excitement and nervousness rushed at her all at once. Who could it be?
Someone important? Her hands touched upon the doors to the massive throne room. As they
swung open, however, her excitement dissolved into disgust.
A figure sat draped across her seldom-used throne, one leg propped up on the arm, one elbow
leaning against the back. He was older than Pluto, though probably no more than fifteen.
His short-cropped hair was nevertheless disheveled, and the dark dusty-green tint that it
held would have given it the appearance of some sort of plant growth upon his head, had it
not been for the white skunk-like stripe down the center. His sleeveless jacket, which cut
off just above the naval in the front, draped down to his calves in the back. Black buttons
held it clasped across his chest, but it remained open in front of his neck, where a high
collar nearly brushed his greenish locks. A fingerless glove covered the length of his forearms
to just below the elbows. Starting at the wrist, criss-crossing laces extended up the backs
of the arms, tying at the ends of the gloves. Both jacket and gloves were of a light
dusty purple color that was especially set off by the black pants and military-style boots he
wore.
In one hand he twirled a long heavy staff that appeared to be like a double-ended oar,
with one sharpened blade on each end. It was made of a dark stone-like material, with
intricate carvings in the handle.
"You ought to have some respect, prince of Charon!" The Plutonian princess spat.
His eyes, two chunks of pitch-black coal, gazed at her with amusement. "And greetings to you
too, Princess. I trust that you had a good journey?"
"Spare me your annoying sarcasm. To what do I owe this unwelcome visit?"
"Ah, you clearly mistake my intentions good Princess. I merely thought that since we shall be
working together..."
"What?!"
The boy raised an eyebrow. "Why, didn't Queen Serenity tell you? Oh, I suppose she was too
busy listing those awful taboos to mention it. The Space-Time Gate guardian and the Space-Time
ferryman must coexist in the same world, in which no other living being exists. Thus, we
not only work together on a constant basis, we must live together."
Pluto threw a questioning glance at the guardian fairy, who looked back at her apologetically.
"I am afraid he is right, Princess. I had assumed you knew it already. The duty of a
guardian of the Space-Time Gate extends only as far as protecting it and preventing the three
taboos from being broken. However, the duty of the ferryman is to safely escort those who
are allowed passage through the Underworld."
"...For a small fee, of course," Charon chirped pleasantly.
"Therefore," Guardian Pluto continued, "even though their tasks are different, their objectives
are the same. Those objectives are to maintain the safety of the Silver Millenium by
controlling and protecting the portals of time. But forgive me, you know this much already."
Pluto put her head in her hands. This had been turning out to be such a good day, too. "Let me
get this straight. I have to spend all of eternity with this arrogant testosterone-driven
imbecile?"
"That is correct."
Charon flashed her a grin. "And ya can't kill me either! Aren't you excited?"
-"--'--3
"You must be joking."
"C'mon, we've been doing nothing for years. You can't tell me you have anything better to do."
Pluto eyed her detested companion skeptically. It was true, they were bored out of their skulls.
While the palaces on both Pluto and Charon were usually vacant, they at least had some ways
to amuse themselves. Here in the Underworld, time passed differently, if, of course, it passed
at all. A couple years seemed like nothing more than several days. The two knew that time
was passing only because they sensed it. However, even in a place like this things could
become dull, and anything would be better than this annoying creature's cheesy jokes.
But... chess? She knew very little about the game, certainly not enough to play it. She hated
the idea of letting him teach her anything.
"Unless, of course, you don't know how to play?" His devious smile told her that admitting
to such would give him something to gloat over for the next few centuries. The very thought
of that was almost more than the Hades princess could bare. "You're on."
They chose an appropriate area in Space-Time, a place in which cold marble floors supported
massive stone pillars that ascended into the sky, where they were lost in the misty depths. In
the distance, thousands of other pillars could be seen, fading into the violet fog. They
had spent much of their time here, as it was close to their own time and generally safe from
the Winds of Hades.
"White or black?"
"I... um... black," she blurted. As they set the board on the floor and emptied the pieces
from the ebony box, she realized with a hint of relief that he was asking what color chess
pieces. Maybe this wouldn't be so hard after all. She could BS her way through the whole game
if she wanted. Heck, she could probably beat him, considering his mental capabilities.
While she pretended to organize her pieces, Pluto watched Charon set up his white ones on the
board through the corner of her eye. He set the tallest one--the one with the little cross
thingie--in the right corner. Expertly he began to line the others up after it, in descending
order of height. When the back row was filled up with horses, castles, and things with pointy
hats, the short ones with the round nobby things were set in the second row. The young girl
quickly did the same, making sure that all the horses were facing the right direction, just for
good measure.
"Ladies first," he replied, with an arrogant toss of the head.
Pluto stared hard at the board, as though her level of concentration could provide some answers
as to what to do. Well, she mused, there are a bunch of little pieces in the front row, and
they're all on black and white squares. Maybe I just put one on a different square? Yeah,
that's gotta be it. Yessiree. She reached out and delicately slid a pawn onto the next
square in front of it. Inwardly she rejoiced when Charon mimicked her move.
The game continued in silence, the monochromatic pieces each moving forward one step at a
time. The distant Winds of Hades added their climactic melodies to the tedious game, until
at last the stillness was broken by a shriek of protest.
"You can't do that!"
"I can and I did. It's just a castle, you have plenty more pieces."
"But... but..." The princess huffed resignedly. No one had said anything about taking
other people's pieces. Alright then, if that's how it's played, that is what he's going
to get.
Chess pieces piled up on either side of the board. Neither seemed as eager to win as they
were to capture soldiers. The kings grew lonely as one by one their servants fell from
the checkered board.
Charon watched impatiently as his opponant methodically chose her next move. "Just go already."
"Why are you so impatient? You have to plan ahead if you want to win. That means looking
at every possible solution."
"No you don't. Just make a move and leave the rest up to chance."
"I don't believe in chance. With a million possible futures ahead of you, why let just
any of them happen? You have to carefully weigh your decisions and plan ahead."
"But if its destiny, which you seem to think so highly of, then what would it matter what you
decide? The outcome will still be the same."
She knew he was right on one account. True, she did believe in destiny. But she also knew that
it was not as simple as that, and Pluto was determined to prove this airhead wrong. "Destiny
is merely the strongest path in time. That isn't to say that you can't turn away from that
path, whether intentionally or not. Sometimes you can turn back again, but often you cannot.
So even though I may be destined to win this game, that isn't to say that I can't screw it up
and lose anyway. You get it?"
"Hmm... nope."
"You're hopeless."
"So is this game if you don't hurry up."
The princess of time made her move, and consequently lost a knight. The two of them studied
the board for a moment, before reaching the same conclusion. "If I move my king, you'll take
it," Pluto muttered indignantly.
"Likewise for mine."
"So what do we do? Neither of us can move."
"We'll call it a draw."
"That doesn't work. Someone has to win."
"Alright then." With a boyish grin, Charon pulled a small gold object from his pocket. "Let's
flip a coin."
"We can't do that."
"And why not?"
"Because... because it's not right, that's why. Because it's just you making your decisions
based on what some inanimate object says. Because something as important as whether you win or
lose is decided entirely by one little coin toss. And because it's..."
"Not destiny?"
"Exactly! Why must you take everything so lightly?"
"Because if it's gonna happen anyway, just let it happen. Don't sweat every little decision in
life. It'll give you wrinkles. And we wouldn't want those messing up your pretty little
complexion, now would we?" He gave her a little wink. Pluto repressed the urge to slap him.
"Besides, do you have any other ideas?"
She let out a defeated sigh before shaking her head.
"Right, then." He flicked his thumb upwards, launching the coin into the endlessness above. It
flipped in midair, the golden surface shining as it drifted through space. And something...
something that for one instant was illuminated as brightly as that distant ball of light
they called the sun, something that glistened with all the force of the wandering
stars that gazed down upon their insignificant lives... for a single instant that something could
be seen reflected from the smooth golden surface. Then, like a mirage, it again vanished.
"Call it."
-"--'--3
With a barely audible "whoosh" the coal grey blade sliced the air within inches of her
face. She could feel the rush of wind brush against her skin, forcing her to suppress a shiver
that threatened to quake through her back and down across her bare legs. Garnet hair whipped
behind her as she spun, bringing a long slender staff up to block. Sparks flew as the two
weapons collided, creating a brilliant fireworks desplay between the dueling bodies. The bladed
staff struck again, driving her backwards. Gloved hands expertly carried the giant key, using
every milligram, every facet of its smooth surface, to her advantage. She was pushed backwards
another step, her back nearly up against a stone pillar as wide as a house. She was at a
disadvantage when her space was limited, a fact that both opponents were aware of.
The blade came at her again, but instead of blocking she rolled out of the way, using the
pillar to her advantage. Slamming the stone oar against the column, the unexpected jolt stunned
her adversary for barely a moment. But a moment was all she needed.
A swift undercut to the back of the knee floored him. The toe of her boot caught the oar
and kicked it up out of his hands, where it came to rest in her outstretched palm. He lay
sprawled on the floor, staring up the length of the two weapons that were pointed inches
from his nose. The victor stood above him, one foot on each side of his heaving chest, one
tremendously heavy staff in each hand. Her dark skin shone with the sweat of her efforts beneath
the black and white short-skirted sera fuku. Her scarlet eyes sparkled with pride in her
victory. Sailor Pluto had become quite a young woman over the centuries, both tall and
beautiful. At last she had grown into the Time Key that she bore, giving her a sense of power
and grace beneath her dark beauty.
"Checkmate."
"Only because I let you win."
Pluto's deep red lips turned up into a small smirk. "Then why are you so tired?"
"Because I could use a good workout. And besides that, I think my current position is the
best victory of all. There's quite a good view from down here." He earned a half-hearted
kick to the ribs for that one. Sure, she had grown used to his mildly perverted comments, but
that did not mean she had to put up with them.
The princess slid to the floor beside Charon, and the two leaned up against the pillar,
welcoming the break. In all actuality, the fact that she had won had nothing to do with
skill; it truly was blind luck. While the powers given to her by the ninth planet were
significantly greater than his, Charon's abilities with his oar were certainly nothing to be
trifled with. Pluto glanced up at the boy--well, man--who now sat hunched next to her.
He had certainly grown up over the years. He was only a few inches taller than she, but that
was more than enough. His broad shoulders were somewhat of an advantage in combat, as were his
muscular arms. Green and white hair flopped in his face. Coal black eyes sparkled with a
depth that could not be altogether seen.
It had been centuries since they were first brought together by that force called destiny. Even
as they grew up together, their competetiveness and biting jokes remained. It took the
princess a long time to discover what he already knew, that maybe there was more to their
relationship than that of coworkers. Maybe even more than comrades.
Pluto's thoughts were broken by a large sweaty body flopping down on her lap. "Oi! Do I look
like a pillow to you?!" She made an attempt at shoving him off, but he refused to budge.
"You're soft and cuddly like one," he mumbled, his head resting on her thigh. "And you owe me
after beating me up like that, you meanie."
"Baka! Get off!" She struggled to get out from under him, but his arms were wrapped firmly
around her legs. With a dejected sigh, she gave up, too exhausted to fight any longer. "You're
such a pain, ya know that? I've got half a mind to Dead Scream you off of me."
Charon was not listening. His eyes were no longer open, his breathing had become slow and
rhythmic. Though she knew no one could possibly be watching, Pluto still did her best to
suppress the tiny smile that began to creep onto her face. She leaned forward, laying her
head against the side of his broad back. The dusty purple fabric of his shirt brushed lightly
against her cheek. She slid one arm down across his chest, feeling it rise and fall with
each breath. Her eyes began to close as she drew close to his ear, from which hung
a tiny black spiral earring, and whispered, "baka."
If someone had been nearby, they might have seen two forms slumped on the floor, tangled in
a heap of purple fabric and green hair. They might have seen two human beings who had
been together for eternity and a moment. They might have seen a couple that was more deeply
in love than either of them realized.
But no one would have been nearby to see these things. Because no one ever was.
************
¹Charon Palace is the name of the palace on Pluto. The name does not refer to a palace on
Charon.
Hour II
By Spirit-hime
************
"Greetings Princess Pluto!"
The young girl nodded at the tiny likeness of herself as she stepped between the massive pillars
of Charon Palace¹. The fairy-like Guardian Pluto hovered near her Princess' head, sparkling
cheerfully. "Did you have a good time at the Moon Kingdom? What did the Queen wish to tell you?"
"She wanted me to take over my task as the guardian of the Space-Time Gate. She laid down the
laws for me."
"So it is as we thought. You will make the Moon Kingdom proud, Princess Pluto! Your visitor
seemed to think so as well."
She paused. "Visitor? Here?"
"Yes, didn't you know? He's been waiting in the throne room."
The short princess picked up her step. A visitor? No one ever came to Charon Palace, not even
the other Plutonians. Excitement and nervousness rushed at her all at once. Who could it be?
Someone important? Her hands touched upon the doors to the massive throne room. As they
swung open, however, her excitement dissolved into disgust.
A figure sat draped across her seldom-used throne, one leg propped up on the arm, one elbow
leaning against the back. He was older than Pluto, though probably no more than fifteen.
His short-cropped hair was nevertheless disheveled, and the dark dusty-green tint that it
held would have given it the appearance of some sort of plant growth upon his head, had it
not been for the white skunk-like stripe down the center. His sleeveless jacket, which cut
off just above the naval in the front, draped down to his calves in the back. Black buttons
held it clasped across his chest, but it remained open in front of his neck, where a high
collar nearly brushed his greenish locks. A fingerless glove covered the length of his forearms
to just below the elbows. Starting at the wrist, criss-crossing laces extended up the backs
of the arms, tying at the ends of the gloves. Both jacket and gloves were of a light
dusty purple color that was especially set off by the black pants and military-style boots he
wore.
In one hand he twirled a long heavy staff that appeared to be like a double-ended oar,
with one sharpened blade on each end. It was made of a dark stone-like material, with
intricate carvings in the handle.
"You ought to have some respect, prince of Charon!" The Plutonian princess spat.
His eyes, two chunks of pitch-black coal, gazed at her with amusement. "And greetings to you
too, Princess. I trust that you had a good journey?"
"Spare me your annoying sarcasm. To what do I owe this unwelcome visit?"
"Ah, you clearly mistake my intentions good Princess. I merely thought that since we shall be
working together..."
"What?!"
The boy raised an eyebrow. "Why, didn't Queen Serenity tell you? Oh, I suppose she was too
busy listing those awful taboos to mention it. The Space-Time Gate guardian and the Space-Time
ferryman must coexist in the same world, in which no other living being exists. Thus, we
not only work together on a constant basis, we must live together."
Pluto threw a questioning glance at the guardian fairy, who looked back at her apologetically.
"I am afraid he is right, Princess. I had assumed you knew it already. The duty of a
guardian of the Space-Time Gate extends only as far as protecting it and preventing the three
taboos from being broken. However, the duty of the ferryman is to safely escort those who
are allowed passage through the Underworld."
"...For a small fee, of course," Charon chirped pleasantly.
"Therefore," Guardian Pluto continued, "even though their tasks are different, their objectives
are the same. Those objectives are to maintain the safety of the Silver Millenium by
controlling and protecting the portals of time. But forgive me, you know this much already."
Pluto put her head in her hands. This had been turning out to be such a good day, too. "Let me
get this straight. I have to spend all of eternity with this arrogant testosterone-driven
imbecile?"
"That is correct."
Charon flashed her a grin. "And ya can't kill me either! Aren't you excited?"
-"--'--3
"You must be joking."
"C'mon, we've been doing nothing for years. You can't tell me you have anything better to do."
Pluto eyed her detested companion skeptically. It was true, they were bored out of their skulls.
While the palaces on both Pluto and Charon were usually vacant, they at least had some ways
to amuse themselves. Here in the Underworld, time passed differently, if, of course, it passed
at all. A couple years seemed like nothing more than several days. The two knew that time
was passing only because they sensed it. However, even in a place like this things could
become dull, and anything would be better than this annoying creature's cheesy jokes.
But... chess? She knew very little about the game, certainly not enough to play it. She hated
the idea of letting him teach her anything.
"Unless, of course, you don't know how to play?" His devious smile told her that admitting
to such would give him something to gloat over for the next few centuries. The very thought
of that was almost more than the Hades princess could bare. "You're on."
They chose an appropriate area in Space-Time, a place in which cold marble floors supported
massive stone pillars that ascended into the sky, where they were lost in the misty depths. In
the distance, thousands of other pillars could be seen, fading into the violet fog. They
had spent much of their time here, as it was close to their own time and generally safe from
the Winds of Hades.
"White or black?"
"I... um... black," she blurted. As they set the board on the floor and emptied the pieces
from the ebony box, she realized with a hint of relief that he was asking what color chess
pieces. Maybe this wouldn't be so hard after all. She could BS her way through the whole game
if she wanted. Heck, she could probably beat him, considering his mental capabilities.
While she pretended to organize her pieces, Pluto watched Charon set up his white ones on the
board through the corner of her eye. He set the tallest one--the one with the little cross
thingie--in the right corner. Expertly he began to line the others up after it, in descending
order of height. When the back row was filled up with horses, castles, and things with pointy
hats, the short ones with the round nobby things were set in the second row. The young girl
quickly did the same, making sure that all the horses were facing the right direction, just for
good measure.
"Ladies first," he replied, with an arrogant toss of the head.
Pluto stared hard at the board, as though her level of concentration could provide some answers
as to what to do. Well, she mused, there are a bunch of little pieces in the front row, and
they're all on black and white squares. Maybe I just put one on a different square? Yeah,
that's gotta be it. Yessiree. She reached out and delicately slid a pawn onto the next
square in front of it. Inwardly she rejoiced when Charon mimicked her move.
The game continued in silence, the monochromatic pieces each moving forward one step at a
time. The distant Winds of Hades added their climactic melodies to the tedious game, until
at last the stillness was broken by a shriek of protest.
"You can't do that!"
"I can and I did. It's just a castle, you have plenty more pieces."
"But... but..." The princess huffed resignedly. No one had said anything about taking
other people's pieces. Alright then, if that's how it's played, that is what he's going
to get.
Chess pieces piled up on either side of the board. Neither seemed as eager to win as they
were to capture soldiers. The kings grew lonely as one by one their servants fell from
the checkered board.
Charon watched impatiently as his opponant methodically chose her next move. "Just go already."
"Why are you so impatient? You have to plan ahead if you want to win. That means looking
at every possible solution."
"No you don't. Just make a move and leave the rest up to chance."
"I don't believe in chance. With a million possible futures ahead of you, why let just
any of them happen? You have to carefully weigh your decisions and plan ahead."
"But if its destiny, which you seem to think so highly of, then what would it matter what you
decide? The outcome will still be the same."
She knew he was right on one account. True, she did believe in destiny. But she also knew that
it was not as simple as that, and Pluto was determined to prove this airhead wrong. "Destiny
is merely the strongest path in time. That isn't to say that you can't turn away from that
path, whether intentionally or not. Sometimes you can turn back again, but often you cannot.
So even though I may be destined to win this game, that isn't to say that I can't screw it up
and lose anyway. You get it?"
"Hmm... nope."
"You're hopeless."
"So is this game if you don't hurry up."
The princess of time made her move, and consequently lost a knight. The two of them studied
the board for a moment, before reaching the same conclusion. "If I move my king, you'll take
it," Pluto muttered indignantly.
"Likewise for mine."
"So what do we do? Neither of us can move."
"We'll call it a draw."
"That doesn't work. Someone has to win."
"Alright then." With a boyish grin, Charon pulled a small gold object from his pocket. "Let's
flip a coin."
"We can't do that."
"And why not?"
"Because... because it's not right, that's why. Because it's just you making your decisions
based on what some inanimate object says. Because something as important as whether you win or
lose is decided entirely by one little coin toss. And because it's..."
"Not destiny?"
"Exactly! Why must you take everything so lightly?"
"Because if it's gonna happen anyway, just let it happen. Don't sweat every little decision in
life. It'll give you wrinkles. And we wouldn't want those messing up your pretty little
complexion, now would we?" He gave her a little wink. Pluto repressed the urge to slap him.
"Besides, do you have any other ideas?"
She let out a defeated sigh before shaking her head.
"Right, then." He flicked his thumb upwards, launching the coin into the endlessness above. It
flipped in midair, the golden surface shining as it drifted through space. And something...
something that for one instant was illuminated as brightly as that distant ball of light
they called the sun, something that glistened with all the force of the wandering
stars that gazed down upon their insignificant lives... for a single instant that something could
be seen reflected from the smooth golden surface. Then, like a mirage, it again vanished.
"Call it."
-"--'--3
With a barely audible "whoosh" the coal grey blade sliced the air within inches of her
face. She could feel the rush of wind brush against her skin, forcing her to suppress a shiver
that threatened to quake through her back and down across her bare legs. Garnet hair whipped
behind her as she spun, bringing a long slender staff up to block. Sparks flew as the two
weapons collided, creating a brilliant fireworks desplay between the dueling bodies. The bladed
staff struck again, driving her backwards. Gloved hands expertly carried the giant key, using
every milligram, every facet of its smooth surface, to her advantage. She was pushed backwards
another step, her back nearly up against a stone pillar as wide as a house. She was at a
disadvantage when her space was limited, a fact that both opponents were aware of.
The blade came at her again, but instead of blocking she rolled out of the way, using the
pillar to her advantage. Slamming the stone oar against the column, the unexpected jolt stunned
her adversary for barely a moment. But a moment was all she needed.
A swift undercut to the back of the knee floored him. The toe of her boot caught the oar
and kicked it up out of his hands, where it came to rest in her outstretched palm. He lay
sprawled on the floor, staring up the length of the two weapons that were pointed inches
from his nose. The victor stood above him, one foot on each side of his heaving chest, one
tremendously heavy staff in each hand. Her dark skin shone with the sweat of her efforts beneath
the black and white short-skirted sera fuku. Her scarlet eyes sparkled with pride in her
victory. Sailor Pluto had become quite a young woman over the centuries, both tall and
beautiful. At last she had grown into the Time Key that she bore, giving her a sense of power
and grace beneath her dark beauty.
"Checkmate."
"Only because I let you win."
Pluto's deep red lips turned up into a small smirk. "Then why are you so tired?"
"Because I could use a good workout. And besides that, I think my current position is the
best victory of all. There's quite a good view from down here." He earned a half-hearted
kick to the ribs for that one. Sure, she had grown used to his mildly perverted comments, but
that did not mean she had to put up with them.
The princess slid to the floor beside Charon, and the two leaned up against the pillar,
welcoming the break. In all actuality, the fact that she had won had nothing to do with
skill; it truly was blind luck. While the powers given to her by the ninth planet were
significantly greater than his, Charon's abilities with his oar were certainly nothing to be
trifled with. Pluto glanced up at the boy--well, man--who now sat hunched next to her.
He had certainly grown up over the years. He was only a few inches taller than she, but that
was more than enough. His broad shoulders were somewhat of an advantage in combat, as were his
muscular arms. Green and white hair flopped in his face. Coal black eyes sparkled with a
depth that could not be altogether seen.
It had been centuries since they were first brought together by that force called destiny. Even
as they grew up together, their competetiveness and biting jokes remained. It took the
princess a long time to discover what he already knew, that maybe there was more to their
relationship than that of coworkers. Maybe even more than comrades.
Pluto's thoughts were broken by a large sweaty body flopping down on her lap. "Oi! Do I look
like a pillow to you?!" She made an attempt at shoving him off, but he refused to budge.
"You're soft and cuddly like one," he mumbled, his head resting on her thigh. "And you owe me
after beating me up like that, you meanie."
"Baka! Get off!" She struggled to get out from under him, but his arms were wrapped firmly
around her legs. With a dejected sigh, she gave up, too exhausted to fight any longer. "You're
such a pain, ya know that? I've got half a mind to Dead Scream you off of me."
Charon was not listening. His eyes were no longer open, his breathing had become slow and
rhythmic. Though she knew no one could possibly be watching, Pluto still did her best to
suppress the tiny smile that began to creep onto her face. She leaned forward, laying her
head against the side of his broad back. The dusty purple fabric of his shirt brushed lightly
against her cheek. She slid one arm down across his chest, feeling it rise and fall with
each breath. Her eyes began to close as she drew close to his ear, from which hung
a tiny black spiral earring, and whispered, "baka."
If someone had been nearby, they might have seen two forms slumped on the floor, tangled in
a heap of purple fabric and green hair. They might have seen two human beings who had
been together for eternity and a moment. They might have seen a couple that was more deeply
in love than either of them realized.
But no one would have been nearby to see these things. Because no one ever was.
************
¹Charon Palace is the name of the palace on Pluto. The name does not refer to a palace on
Charon.