[Royal Makai, Demon lord's palace]
Deep inside of the dark demon realm of Royal Makai, heavy preparations were underway to celebrate the Birth of the fifth daughter of the demon lord as the citizens of the dark city of love were slowly consumed by celebratory fervor, envoys from allied nations such as the free-spirited people of Dragonia and the songstresses of Court Alf arrived to partake in the celebrations and grant the newest princess gifts that would aid her later in life, deep within of the demon lord's castle in front of the room holding the newest daughter the petite and childlike form of the Queen of hearts walked alongside several guests making light conversation
"Say, has the demon lord decided on a name for the newest princess yet?" a pregnant echidna questioned as she looked towards the queen of hearts
"Yes, mother has decided to grant our newest sister the name Heloise" the Queen of hearts declared with a small smile as she looked towards the room holding her newest sister.
"I just can't wait until the celebrations kick in, I wanna party!" Complained a gazer as she flailed her arms and Eye stalks around
"Watch where you're swinging those things" a nearby Lich grumbled as she dodged some of the flailing appendages
"Well now... Seems you've got quite the crowd hanging around you Sister." came the smooth voice of the fourth princess as Druella stepped into view of the crowd
"Didn't expect you to return from your travels so soon~" the Queen of hearts remarks as she smiles towards her sister who turned to address the flailing gazer
"Don't worry dear, the celebrations are starting... I believe now" Druella barely finished before roars and screams of jubilation and celebration began to faintly echo in from the open windows before either lilim could react the crowd hanging around the Queen of hearts scattered to seek their husbands and loved ones within the city
"Well they bailed rather quickly" Druella cheekily remarked Pointedly ignoring the annoyed glance of her older sister who sighed
"What do you need me for anyway?" the Queen of hearts grumbled mentally vowing to prank her little sister once the celebrations were over.
"Mother requested I find you, she wants the entire family together in the throne room at this moment" The fourth born lilim admitted to her elder sister who hummed in thought
"I see, then I assume the various envoys have already arrived at the castle?" the Queen of hearts questioned Druella as they headed towards their mother's throne room
"Not yet, but they are close meaning they could arrive at any moment now," Druella remarked looking down at her older sister as the guards opened the door for them
"There you are, My dear daughters~" came the calm voice of their mother Lilith the demon lord
"It's good to see you again mother~" Druella returned as the queen of hearts watched with a wide smile on her face before her mother's closest friend entered the room
"lady Lilith, the Envoys have arrived" announced Bapho-chan as she entered the throne room flanked by the various envoys
"Hello again, Old friend~" came the smooth voice of none other than the Queen of dragonia Deonora
"And just in time for the Party's start~" the songstress of De Ryua, Meivia called out with a lewd smile on her face.
As the party dragged on and the envoys revealed their various gifts for new newest daughter to the demon Lord, Bapho-chan couldn't help but feel on edge for some reason "What is wrong with me? why am I having a feeling like something will go wrong?" the Head of the sabbath thought in a mix of worry and confusion as the demon lord gave a short speech and agreed to lead the envoy's towards her newest daughter,
Bapho-chan finally managed to pinpoint what caused her to be on edge "What is this smell? This...Twisted Miasma?" Bapho-chan called out causing the rest of the throne rooms occupants to also notice the odd aura
"I certainly don't like this!" Asura Mythra called out using her magic to try and pinpoint the origin of the miasma
"This miasma... it smells of something I'm not quite sure of?" Alto Eris called out in unease while gripping her sword
"It's coming from somewhere in the western wing, but I can't pinpoint the exact location!" came the call of Asura mythra looking up from her crystal ball as the demon lord and her husband shared a shocked glance
"Dear... Heloise's crib is located in the western wing right?" Arthur called out drawing his sword as his wife let out a worried sigh
"Of course, do you think it's some kind of assassin dear?" causing the Lilims to share a worried glance between each other as the group quickly split up to cover more ground.
as the Demon Lord and her husband headed towards the room holding their newest daughter, they were shocked to see the various guards in the area unconscious "Still alive, so either the origin of this miasma didn't want lethal takedowns or it prioritized speed" Arthur muttered removing his fingers from a hellhound's throat
"But what could have even caused this" Lilith questioned racing down the corridor alongside her husband towards their daughter's room as the Royal duo barged into the room they couldn't help but notice the strange entity currently holding their infantile daughter, clad in a Jester like robe with endlessly shifting colors and a smiling white mask whose edges seemed to become mockingly malicious thanks to the shadows cast around the room
"I don't know who or what you are, but I'm only gonna say this once... Drop our baby back where she belongs!" Arthur barked towards the entity who gave a mocking wave before dodging Lilith's lunge
"The moment you harm even one hair on my daughter's head, I'll make you wish for death!" came the Demon lord's snarled threat as the Jester tilted its head while dodging several of Arthur's attacks only for a stream of mad laughter to bubble up from behind the mask's lips as the jester blasted the demon lord's husband away with a pulse of rampant energy, as the Demon lord fought the jester Arthur could only watch from the sidelines trying to find a chance to steal back his newest daughter and taking note of the six growths on the jester's back glowing with psychedelic lights
"These things... the way they glow all most seems to act as a heartbeat?" Arthur mused missing the opportunity to snatch back Heloise from the jester.
Suddenly the fight was interrupted as a chorus of voices called out "Mother! My lady!" came from the four lilims and the various envoys arriving at the room, Bapho-chan glared towards the jester who merely performed an overly theatrical and mocking bow letting more mad laughter spill from the mask's mouth
"That's it you bastard, end of the line for you!" came the twin snarls of Lilith and her husband once more lunging towards the jester, only to collide in mid-air as the jester seemingly melts into the shadows leaving no trace of either it's own or Heloise's existence.
as the Demon lord's anguished scream rings out over the confused people of royal makai who would only later learn that what should have been a day of celebration and joy for her majesty transformed into a grand tragedy, with both Order and mamono hunting parties being organized to try and find the missing lilim and the jester creature with even the various gods lending their aid in locating her only for all efforts to gain no info on their locations, shocking some of her subjects with the vow should the Jester show it's face again, Lilith would not hesitate to end it's life for stealing her precious daughter.
[Galactic Senate, Tulroc System]
Within the tulroc system lay the massive space station "Unity's hope" the heavily defended centerpiece of the galactic community housing both the galactic market as well as the senate which was currently filled with creatures of all shapes and sizes summoned by the Senate chairman "Welcome everyone! I would like to start today's session with a toast to our current era of peace and stability." declared the Mushroom headed bothrazoid chairman to the applause of several senators and reporters.
Though the senators not joining the cheering crowd seemed nervous, with the envoy from Dekronia being entirely silent "Is something the matter? you worthless bucket of bolts" sneered the gray-skinned maloqui ambassador Steh'c Kordenion towards DU-S-12574 his Galvitronian counterpart
"Negative, there is no need for me to interrupt the cheerful mood by revealing what has been happening near your sectors" the Machine droned in a monotone voice with the unit's singular cyclopean eye focusing on steh'c and his senatorial allies
"What do you mean by that?" Questioned the lishian senator Azrusakkun worried for the sake of his people with their republic's proximity to Illirian space
"Previous research has shown slaver raids have risen nearby your sectors by 2% last month, estimated calculations show that if not handled quickly and efficiently the rate of raids will rise 12% further" DU-S-93651 spoke up drawing the attention of several senators hearing the topic
"And what would you have us do then~?" came the hissed retort of a reptilian senator backed up by the rukkari envoy
"We would love to crush the scum into the dirt where they belong... but there is a slight problem with that" rumbled the rukkari envoy Shar Unduross
"They hide behind those old mercurial relics, escaping our righteous wrath" spat the florumian envoy Xzempus ka Flumen in disdain
"I assume you're talking about those old empires I've heard something's about, and what makes them so mercurial according to you? Tony Whitmore questioned having only been recently assigned the post of envoy to the galactic senate
"on one day they may be generous and give you gifts, and the next your people would awaken only to find their war fleets rampaging through your space for reasons they don't even bother to inform you of" Azrusakkun proclaimed thinking back to what his people nearly suffered had they not managed to placate the rather arrogant creatures
"Keh, what else can we expect from a bunch of ancient relics with their heads stuck in the sand so far they are practically penetrating their own behinds?" came the mocking snarl of the three-headed Celrian ambassador currently serving as the envoy from the union of durgassa.
at the behest of the senate's chairman, the meeting returned towards more normal everyday issues such as treaties and other diplomatic maneuvers among the various cliques that have formed among the various senators and envoys that inhabit "Unity's hope" blissfully unaware of the coming era of troubles and tribulations facing the senate.
[Sirius IV, settlement of New Atlanta]
it was a cold and peaceful evening to the people inhabiting the town of new Atlanta broken only by the sounds of advertisements and returning military personnel from another routine patrol "oh just fuck right off, I just got back and I can't wait to finally see my kid" one soldier said to his friends trying to get him to the nearest bar with his friends as other conversations took place none noticed the figure in the darkness with a smiling white mask's gaze locked onto the figure of their commander before looking down towards the infantile form clad in its arms, letting out a soft laugh before moving to follow the man.
"Natasha dear, How's it going with my favorite wife and kids?" Jeremy Kowalski questioned with a fatherly smile on his face embracing his family
"it's so nice to see you again" Natasha responded to her husband barely keeping her two children contained begging their father for tales as they moved towards their house, as the family of four wandered through the streets their eight-year-old son eric grew somewhat uneasy feeling as though they were being followed only for the silence to be broken as their house grew nearer being replaced by the wailing cries of a baby.
"What's that on our front porch?" came the cry of their three-year-old daughter Samanta as she ran to pick up the wailing lump "It's a...Baby?" Natasha questioned looking at the horned albino girl held within her daughter's arms still crying
"Mommy, do you think she's hungry? questioned Eric standing on the tips of his toes trying to catch a glimpse of the odd girl, before Natasha could respond the voice of her husband rang out
"Perhaps my boy, say why don't I tuck you and your sister in for tonight?" the two young children cheered at the suggestion of spending time with their beloved father, leaving Natasha alone to feed the baby and check if she needed anything else.
as Jeremy came back downstairs he could only look on in shock at the infant currently in his wife's arms "I see you're also shocked at the wings and tail this baby has dear?" came Natasha's questioning look
"Yes, I'm quite shocked... truth be told" Jeremy could only mumble in agreement
"Who could have done this, I know gene modding exists but to do such a thing to an innocent baby and then abandon them when you don't get your way?" Natasha whispered to herself worried that this was just the first of many abandoned babies
"I don't like it either, but if you want we can at least give this girl a normal life" Jeremy grumbled worried about his wife's rather pessimistic way of thought and the possibilities that she's right.
"Though lets at least call the police and a doctor to see if we can find her original parents," Natasha said to which Jeremy agreed
"even if they won't take the girl back at least I'll be able to punch the bastards in their faces for endangering a baby" Jeremy proclaimed while getting police and the doctor from his flagship on the line, while the police did a sweep of the neighborhood Jeremy let Sutherland inside his house to perform several quick tests on the baby before he would take the baby for more specialized tests in his lab.
[Time skip, Sirius IV, New Atlanta, 3 weeks later]
"Well, doc what's your summary?" Jeremy called out while holding the infantile lilim
"Your earlier fears were unfounded, the only possible gene modding the girl has is her extremely unusual case of albinoism, meaning somehow those extra features are completely natural" Dr,Sutherland stated before nodding towards the government worker assigned to this case.
"The unusual part is that we've done everything we can but we have not been able to identify a family member for her or the person who dropped her off" the government worker grumbles her brows furrowed
"Absolutely nothing, not even a single frame thanks to those security cameras around our house?" Natasha questions sharing a quick look with her husband who tries to comfort her.
"who or whatever dumped the baby on your doorstep basically crashed every security system around the entire block," the government worker remarked earning shocked looks from the couple
"That's... disturbing" Jeremy muttered before being interrupted by the government worker.
"As I was about to say with us unable to find a match for a biological parent or family member, there are two choices either you adopt her or she gets sent to the nearest foster care facility," the government worker said with finality.
before the two parents could argue about whether they would keep the girl or send her away a young voice calls out "Mommy, I wanna be a big sister!" Samanta passionately cried out trying to convince her parents, which after half an hour of arguing they decided to adopt the nameless young girl.
as the two parents struggled to come up with a name before settling on Anastacia Kowalski none paid attention to the figure peering in from the dark window, the only thing the newly named Anastacia saw besides her new parents before falling asleep was a smiling mask and a colorful hand waving a merry goodbye, blissfully unaware of what had happened before and the grief she caused with her disappearance.
