Budding Love- chapter 9

Arielle had just finished getting ready for her date with Modo. They had planned to have a picnic on Olympus Mounds. She had opened her window and was nearly taken aback. A large winged creature flew past her window.

"No...It can't be." She told herself.

She went outside and saw it again. It flew away from Martian Command. Arielle rode after it on her bike.

"Hello, darling."

The winged creature turned out to be an attractive scantily clad female mouse with bat wings and a long scaly tail. It landed on a large sand dune.

"Mother? What are you doing here? Someone will see you!" She cried out.

Arielle looked around fearfully.

" Well, look at you! You look so pretty." The creature replied, smiling at her daughter, "Do you have a date?"

"You've got to get out of here. Oh! What's happening to me?!"

Arielle looked at her hands to see that her nails resembled long claws and she had a scaly tail like the creature. Within minutes, bat wings shot out of her back.

"Arielle!" Her mother cried, worried expression on her face.

She caught her to keep her from falling.

"No...not now. Not tonight." Arielle cried out, glancing at reflection in a small compact in her hand then dropping it.

"That's why I came. My Succubus magic is wearing off. I have to recharge your amulet so you can resume your Martian Mouse form." Her mother said.

"Change me back, please." Arielle said, taking out a gold necklace from which a oval shaped pale red stone hung from it.

The creature concentrated her hands over the stone reciting an incantation. The stone turned into a bright red. Arielle turned back into a Martian Mouse.

"Thank you." She said, hugging her.

"Hey! Who's there?"

'A Martian Mouse Freedom Fighter saw them and pointed his blaster.

"Arielle, step away from that thing!" He told Arielle.

"No, it's okay. She's my-" Arielle went to explain. Her mother put a hand on her daughter's arm and walked over to the guard.

"Now, you don't really want to hurt little, ole me, do you?" She said, in a seductive voice. She was inches from his face. A swirling purple light came out of her eyes and into his. The guard suddenly felt like he was sleepy.

"Oh, what beautiful eyes..." The guard replied, dreamily.

She was now cuddling into his chest then she planted his lips against his. She then broke the kiss.

"My name is Charla. And with my power of Charm, you'll forget everything you saw tonight." She said.

"I'll forget."

"Now go and sleep."

The guard walked away.

"You promised me you weren't going to use your Charm or Allure powers on any of the men of this base." Arielle said.

"So what was I going to do? Let him arrest us?" Her mom replied, "plus, where's the fun in that? You still haven't answered my question. Are you going out on a date?"

"Yes. And do not ruin it for me. Modo's a great guy and I like him a whole lot."

"And does he feel the same way about you?"

"He does. I'm very happy with him. I want to tell the truth of what I am. Our family's curse. I need to tell him. I want us to have a life together."

"You're a succubus bat mouse, Arielle. You and I. We're the last of our kind. We Succubi must gain the love of another human or humanoid or our race will die. If you can obtain his love, then you will live."

"I want his love the right way. I want him to love me willingly."

"And if he can't, you will die. It would be so easy to use your Charm on him to make him yours." Her mother said.

"No. I have to go. Modo's expecting me." She told her mom.

Arielle ran off and hopped back on her bike and rode back to Martian Command.

"Miss Arielle?"

She looked up to see Modo approach her on his bike.

"Is everything okay?" He asked her.

"I'm fine." She smiled, "I hope you weren't waiting long. Just stepped out for some air. Who wants to be cooped up inside of a stuffy old base all day?"

"True." Modo grinned.

Modo took the heavy picnic basket from her hand and placed it inside a side compartment on his bike. He then helped her onto his bike.

"Shall we go?" She asked him.

"Your wish is my command, darlin'" He grinned at her.

They rode off unaware they were being watched by Charla.

"I hope you succeed, daughter. For your sake." She said.

...

"Tomorrow's the big day. The day I gotta go before the Galactic Council with the former Martian Mouse Council." Carbine said.

Carbine was in her private quarters with Throttle. She was dressed in a short red camisole trimmed with black lace and matching robe. Throttle was naked except for blue long legged boxers. He sat on her sofa sipping a root beer. She sat next to him.

"It'll be okay, babe. I'll be there and so will Stoker." Throttle told her, taking her hand in his. Their fingers intertwined.

"I never thought we'd have to go against our own government." She said.

"This war changed a lot of people, babe. For good or bad." He replied.

"I know. I wish things could go back the way they were before the Reek Faces came. Everyone was happy. Mars was at peace. I'd give anything to go back to those days." She sighed, looking down.

"Same here. Life...it's no easy road." He said, "At least it hasn't been for us. My bros. You. Made it easy and fun. Which is why I can't imagine my life without you in it."

"And I can live mine as long as you're in it." She replied, grinning up at him.

"Guess we're stuck with each other. Not that I'm complaining." He grinned back.

He then took her in his arms. The two lovers cuddled on her sofa. Then they kissed passionately. He then was on top of her. She lifted her hand to remove his glasses so she could gaze into his eyes. Beautiful light brown eyes stared back at her.

"I love you, Throttle. I always have and I always will." She said.

"And I love you, Carbine. I'll love you, forever." He smiled, warmly at her.

Then they kissed.

"I also can't wait to marry you!"

Her smile got even bigger.

"Ditto, babe." He grinned.