Summary: Duke and Hikaru were married and they are living on Fleed as king and queen, and they have a child, Rex King. Duke had a dream in which Rubina, the daughter of Vega died years ago, warns him about danger: a mysterious "Great Shadow" ... Now, Fleed and Earth cannot comunicate between them. Not only this: a mysterious man, the Dark One, is sending Garuda, one of the Six Shadow Generals, against Fleed...The dinner was wonderful.
Fleed’s food has amazing similarities with the food of Earth, thinks Hikaru. Duke nods to call the waiter: it's time to take away the dishes. Hikaru and Duke spoke of many things: their memories of life on Earth, their newborn child, the plants of the garden that Hikaru loves. Usually, at the table they avoid talking about serious topics, to be able to spend a peaceful moment in the midst of the labors of the day. But, generally they do this after eating, and only if necessary: and, unfortunately there are serious arguments in abundance to talk about. This mysterious "large shadow", the lack of communication with Earth, the feeling of an imminent threat. To calm down a bit, Hikaru wants to talk about this with Daisuke. But, unexpectedly, when the waiters have gone away, Daisuke rises from the table and walks toward her.
"Did you have eat well, Hikaru?" says Duke, putting himself behind Hikaru, who was on the chair.
"Well, yes, Duke" says her, a bit surprised by his behavior. "Do you want to tell me something?"
Duke puts his hands on the shoulders of Hikaru.
"I know that you are worried about these things that are happening. But there is always hope: the scientists are working continuously to restore contacts with the Earth and that "thing" in space is kept under observation. Grendizer is at full strength, just in case. Only, I'm sorry to tell you these things today. "
"What do you mean?" replies her, turning to him. It happens in an instant: as from nowhere, a diamond necklace is the front of her chest.
"Happy birthday, Hikaru."
She blushes, troubled. He was so worried that she had forgotten her birthday! Lowering her eyes in embarrassment, she observes the necklace, lifting it with one hand. It's a wonder, with some brilliant jewelry as well to form a semi-circle on the chest and set in a black Fleedian obsidian Fled, very valuable.
"Duke, you should not have ... well, ... I mean, thank you, but it’s too beautiful..."
"Not even half of you," answered Duke, looking into her eyes, smiling.
The kiss is instantaneous and natural. Once detached, Duke holds out his hand to Hikaru.
"The surprises are not over. His Highness the Queen wants to follow me?" he says with a bow.
"Stop making fun of me, Duke! What have you done now?" says her, trying to be serious, but she smiles.
Duke is happy: at last, now Hikaru has forgotten the situation and is back to smiling heart. He knows he has suffered much in herself because of the sense of threat and oppression that gave the 'shadow' and because of the absence of relations with the Earth. Duke knows Hikaru knows, and he knows what she feels.
The king and the queen walk side by side, until they reach the access to the throne room. The soldiers of the royal guard are expose their sheathed sword and placing them upright on the floor, in greeting. On the door, a man greets them with reverence: he is Amauta, the captain of the royal guard.
"I greet you, Your Majesty," says Amauta, kneeling.
Duke waves him to get up and puts a hand on his shoulder.
"I'm glad to see you're in good shape, Amauta"
The captain Amauta is a legend on Fleed: at the time of Vega’s invasion, he was part of a band of rebels who, with guerrilla tactics, attacked Vega’s outposts on Fleed, and he was the terror of the commanders of Vega.
He has not only enviable strategic and tactical capabilities, but has also an hardened physical body, combined with exceptional skill of the sword: his technique
Kasumigiri could break with a marble column as if it were air.
Duke and Amauta know and esteem each other, each knowing what he suffered - and fought - the other. More than a meeting between a king and a captain of the royal guard, it seems to attend a meeting between two ex-comrades. Hikaru had seen the skill of Amauta with his sword and she was impressed. To see him together with soldiers of the royal guard makes her feel calmer.
"Do you want to enter the throne room, your majesty?" asks the captain.
Duke nods, and, at a sign of Amauta, the huge marble gate creaked open. Once inside, the door closes behind Duke and Hikaru.
The throne room is strange, so deserted. Hikaru looks around: even if she is a queen from several years, it is still hard to believe that she has to sit on that throne. After all, she still feels like someone who works at the ranch: he had dreamed many times to still be there, at the ranch, to look after the horses or milking cows. And she happens to wake up with a start, when these dreams are very intense, sometimes even feeling the smell of hay and grass. She looks at the real symbol of Fleed: the eight-pointed star, between the two thrones.
"Are you looking the king symbol?" says Duke, and Hikaru comes back to reality.
"Ah... yes, Duke, I was looking to it for no particular reason."
"If you are interested, in this board on the wall there is an exact copy of the star: it is made of gren, the same material of Grendizer."
"Really?" says Hikaru, looking carefully at the object "It's very hard, the gren?"
"Basically, it is one of the strongest metals in the universe."
"But King-Goli had snatched Grendizer’s arm, that time."
"Of course. That monster was the result of years of experimentation with Vega on the gren. In exceptional circumstances, gren can break. But it is very, very difficult: it is no coincidence that only that monster could do this and no one else monster could, nor before or since"
Hikaru looks the star: it is not very big, it could hold in her hand. And Grendizer is made of that material.
It makes a certain impression knowing this, she thinks.
"However, we are not here for this, Hikaru. Here's what I wanted to show you"
Duke, moving a tent, shows a large machine, similar to a huge door with a blank space in between. Hikaru does not understand.
"What is that thing, Duke?"
"My birthday present: I am sure you will like more than the necklace." answers Duke, with an air of mystery.
Hikaru is no longer in the skin by curiosity.
"And tell me what is it, a good time! You know that I do not understand anything about machines!"
"I have my doubts: once, you were the pilot of Marine Spacer…anyway, this is a teleporter: with this, you can move from Fleed the Earth and back in a moment"
"What?" Hikaru does not believe her ears.
"Exactly." Actarus answers.
"But...you said that you cannot communicate with Earth right now!"
Duke's face darkens a little.
"Unfortunately, it is true, and therefore even the teleporter does not work: we had already tried. But the day before communications stopped, it worked fine. You could send objects and animals without problems. You still need to experience it for people, but we were sure of the success. I did not speak to you about this before, because I wanted to be sure. But, when this story is over, you will be able to go to Earth and back as if through a door. And once installed another teleporter on Earth, even our friends will be able to do the same"
Hikaru, still in disbelief about what he heard, approached the teleporter, touching it with caution.
"Do not worry, it's off." says Duke with a smile.
"Well...thank goodness, I would not break something…"
"The energy of the teleporter is very big, in fact: we must use it carefully. But do not worry, its use is very simple and secure, like the electric wires of the light. "
"Clear." answers Hikaru and, turning to Duke, adds: "Wow, Duke, it is a wonderful gift...I cannot wait to try it as soon as possible" and she embraces the king of Fleed, euphoric. "If you knew how many times I missed for the ranch of my father, for those summer nights ..."
"I know, Hikaru." says Duke, hugging her.
"Duke…" says Hikaru, looking into his eyes "in these years I began to understand your nostalgia when you were among us on Earth"
Duke does not answer immediately. Fondling Hikaru, says:
"Yes, and the strange thing is that sometimes even I feel nostalgia for the Earth now that I’m now at my house. It’s destiny for me to be a nostalgic" concludes with a laugh.
Hikaru holds Duke stronger and at one point she says:
"But I'd like to give you a gift, Duke"
"Yes? And what would it be?"
"A brother or sister for Rex"
"Eh?" Duke blushes at once.
"Yes," Hikaru adds with a mischievous smile, stroking the face of Duke "Poor baby, all alone...you don’t think that he needs someone like him?"
"But ... to make a baby it takes two people..."
"Really? I did not know this!" answers Hikaru with a false ingenuity "It's a topic that I do not know. Come on, let's go to sleep, so you will be able to explain it”
Definitely, the Hikaru of the past would never have spoken so... thinks Duke, following her with an embarrassed smile.
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Next (9 May)
Garuda! If you want to comment, you can post here:
https://gonagai.forumfree.it/?t=38631928&st=1110#lastpostIf you want the Word version of this episode, you can click at the bottom.
Edited by joe 7 - 12/7/2011, 16:04
