Chapter 6: Family

Welcome back, dear readers. This chapter was written during November, so those that follow the webcomic already know how this webnovel will end and if you ask why the author isn’t narrating the events in a chronological order, all I can say is that he followed Tyrant’s advice about surprising you, dear readers. Sometimes it’s difficult to work with Arturo, Ralte and Tyrant, but we are happy about how the story has developed and we want to thank you for following this story.

Last time, you saw how Morkana and Arther put their relationship conflict aside and joined efforts to help the people of Faeheim. Also, Prince finally had time to spend with his father and he and Helen are on the same page about being siblings. I am very happy about them.

WHAT DID I MISS?

Hello, Karsh. How was your date with Athena?

WE WENT TO MARIGOLD. THE FLOWERS ARE BEAUTIFUL THERE.

Yes indeed. I remember visiting the flower fields with Morkana.

WHY CAN’T YOU TWO GO NOW?

I can’t… I broke the rules…

THE RULES OF THE AVATARS OF DEATH?

And because of what I did I can only interact with my daughter for a few minutes every month.

I AM SORRY.

It’s okay. I used to be limited to only a few seconds per year, but I got a good lawyer. You can say he is the Devil.

HE IS STILL ALIVE?

He is in a miniature realm in the Void. He shares the place with a man named Jesus and a man named Buddha.

THE REALMS OF THE SURVIVING GODS OF HUMANITY ARE STRANGE.

Yes and you can get cool stuff in those places, like this power glove! It makes me feel so powerful!

THAT LOOKS LIKE A VIDEO GAME DEVICE.

I’m keeping it. Anyway, let’s start this chapter!

OKAY.

INT. IMPERIAL PALACE’S LIBRARY - DAY

With the usual protection of Robin, the children of Morkana and Flamewing went to visit the imperial library to search for an important file in an area created by Morkana years ago. It was an area dedicated to storing physical and virtual records of the history of Morkana’s ascension to the throne of the Fafnirian Empire. The knight librarian in charge of the safekeeping of that area guided them to the section about Blitz.

Robin: “I will leave you kids to do your super secret project.”

Helen: “Thank you!”

Prince: “We really appreciate your help, Mrs Robin.”

Robin: “If your mom asks, I took you two to see Khaezar’s gardening records.”

For an interstellar conqueror, Khaezar’ drawings of plants are very detailed and colorful. After Robin went to chat with the knight librarian in charge, the two kids continued their search and found the file Prince told Helen about.

Prince: “Here it is.”

Flamewing: “Mommy and Daddy!”

The two kids were looking at a well preserved old newspaper where Flamewing and Morkana posed together. Morkana was wearing a fancy black dress with a tiara and a cape and Flamewing was wearing a formal suit.

Prince: “It was the day they met. The signing of the peace treaty between the Coalition and Blitz.”

Helen: “She looks so pretty!

Prince: “Mom has many records about Dad stored here, like his duel against Vhrutus Almensch, or the fight to stop the destruction of Asmoth the Infernal Raider.”

Helen: “Asmoth is scary!”

Helen made a scary face for fun.

Helen: “Rawr!”

Prince: “But for some reason the records about Dad stop on this date almost 6 years ago. Mom said something bad happened and she kept the information hidden to protect Dad, but I didn’t know why. I think this has to do with the evil thing Dad did.”

Helen: “Daddy isn’t evil! He is good!”

Prince: “I know, but he left mom and me for years and did something so bad that mom can’t forgive him, and when I asked Mrs Robin she said it was confidential information.”

Helen: “Daddy left you?”

Prince: “I wasn’t even born yet. For many years Mom told me he was a good man and that when he returned he would play with me and tell me about anime. We waited for years, and when he finally returned Mom said he was evil and no longer my Dad.”

Helen looked at the preserved newspapers and holographic files and saw pictures of her father’s heroic actions and silly antics. She then recognized some drawings Flamewing made for an amateur art exhibition and then remembered something.

Helen: “When we lived on the farm, Daddy drew drawings of a tall lady with pointy ears. I didn’t know who she was, but now I know she is Mommy Morkana. He missed her!”

Prince: “What?”

Helen: “Daddy wanted to be with her just as she wanted him back! Look at all the pictures of Daddy here! He loves her and she loves him, but Daddy left you and did something bad and now she is angry!”

Helen reached the right conclusion logically, but missed a lot of context information. Also, Prince doesn’t know that Helen saw those drawings when she was 2 years old which shows Helen has good photographic memory.

Helen: “So we have to make Mommy happy!”

Prince: “What you say makes sense. I have seen Dad and Mom talking in her office a lot and laughing, but there are times when Mom orders Robin to hijack the plumbing of his room. Now that I think about it, she did cry when the situation in Faeheim happened...”

Helen: “If we help Daddy make Mommy happy she can forgive him.”

Prince: “How do we do that?”

Helen: “We need to make a plan, like in movies.”

After telling Robin they finished their research, the two kids continued their conversation on their way out of the library.

Prince: “So you had your own Mom?”

Helen: “Mommy Jen was awesome!”

Prince: “But wait, we have the same dad, but different moms. How does that work?”

Helen thought deeply with a very serious face.

Helen: “Is Mommy Jen your mommy too?”

Prince: “I have heard there are people that have more than one spouse.”

The two kids were thinking how that would work and imagined their father wearing a tuxedo and Morkana and Jen wearing bride dresses. Meanwhile, Robin heard all this and she felt really guilty for not telling the kids that their father cheated on Prince’s mother with Helen’s mother.

Robin (whispering): “Ya has hecho llorar a muchas personas, señor Flamewing.” (You have already made many people cry, Mr Flamewing.)

One week later, the two kids started Helen’s plan to make Morkana happy.

INT. MORKANA’S ROOM - MORNING

Morkana: “What the heck?!”

Morkana had awoken in her bedroom surrounded by plushies of animals and a big pile of pancakes with a note next to it.

Note (with Flamewing’s imaginary voice): “Dear Morkana, I want to apologize for what I did and-”

Morkana read the whole letter and realized that this was a falsification of Flamewing’s handwriting. A very good imitation of how Flamewing writes casually. The empress was annoyed about this and she was aware of who was capable of entering her room so easily, her son Prince. However, despite the evidence she reached an illogical conclusion about Flamewing.

Morkana: “Oh no! You aren’t using my son against me, you manipulative bastard!”

After getting dressed up, Morkana went outside and saw on one of the walls of the hall many pieces of paper taped to it in a long line that led to the throne room. Every piece of paper had crayon drawings of hearts, happy faces and even drawings of mermaids.

Morkana: “Now you are playing with fire, Flamewing!”

Morkana was familiar with what was happening. Flamewing did the same thing years ago at the Black Castle of Blitz by creating big lines of drawings to guide her to her birthday present sitting in her previous throne room. He had to escape the Birds guarding the castle, but Morkana rewarded him later in an NSFW way.

Morkana: “You aren’t getting any action this time, you asshole!”

INT. THRONE ROOM - MORNING

Morkana’s throne room had been decorated in a very improvised and clumsy way with more drawings and flowers obtained from the imperial garden, and over the throne two little kids were still decorating it. Prince suddenly felt the dark presence of his mother.

Prince: “Oh no!”

Morkana approached the two kids like a towering shadow and her glare was that of a very disappointed parent.

Morkana: “I got you red handed.”

Helen: “Hi!”

Prince: “M-mom!”

Helen was still happy despite the scary woman in front of her and she didn’t notice Prince was very scared. Just at that moment, Robin entered the throne room and saw what was happening.

Robin: “Ay mi Virgencita!”

Morkana: “Where’s he?!”

Helen: “Who? Karsh is over there.”

Karsh was just sitting in a corner reading a book about AIs in love.

Morkana: “Where’s your fa-Where’s Captain Flamewing?! He told you to do this, didn’t he?!”

Helen realized her plan backfired and that the empress wasn’t happy about this, so she decided to tell the truth.

Helen: “N-no… We did it…”

Morkana: “What? Prince?”

Prince: “I-I am so sorry, mommy.”

Morkana couldn’t believe that her own son could do this to her. Prince is a very shy kid that doesn’t like to cause trouble, but here he was behaving like his father and doing reckless things that made Morkana be angry, and in her eyes her innocent son would only do something so awful because of the influence of a little girl that was the daughter of a an idiot “devil” and a psychotic “angel”. Robin was aware of when Morkana was in a very bad mood and tried to intervene.

Robin: “Your majesty, they are just children. They don’t understa-”

Morkana: “Take Prince to his room. I have to talk with the little devil.”

Robin sighed and reluctantly did as her empress ordered.

Robin: “C’mon, Prince.”

Prince wanted to protest and cry, but his fear of how his mother would react made him jump off the throne and follow his babysitter/bodyguard. It wasn’t that Morkana was an abusive mother, on the contrary, she loves her son very much and sacrificed every little free time she had to make him happy. It’s just that Prince loves his mother so much that he is afraid of seeing her cry, which is something he has seen before.

Prince: “I am sorry, Helen.”

Helen was confused as her brother left her. Once Prince was out of earshot, Morkana sighed with frustration.

Morkana: “I don’t know what you expected with this prank, but let’s be clear on some stuff, devil’s child. I am not in love with your conniving father, I am not your friend and I am not your mother. You are my leverage over your father.”

Morkana’s words hurt Helen’s heart.

Helen: “But-”

Morkana: “No buts, you brat! I am the Empress and I rule over this palace with an iron grip!”

Morkana saw on her desk a drawing Helen had made of the four of them as a family, Morkana, Flamewing, Prince and Helen. She then grabbed the drawing violently and was very close to tearing it apart.

Helen: ““I-I am sorry! I am sorry!”

Helen broke down in tears and her cries stopped Morkana before she could do something awful. Helen’s cries made Morkana remember whenever Prince cried as a baby and she would leave her work immediately to make him feel better, and they were also the cries she heard from her little siblings crying for their mothers, making an 8 year old Morkana try to be their mom.

INT. BLITZ’S BLACK CASTLE - DAY

Flashback.

Aureon: “I am the king and you should respect me!”

Aureon burned down a colored drawing Morkana did about the flower fields of Marigold.

Morkana: “I am sorry!”

Aureon: “You better be sorry! Why did I even steal you from your worthless mother?! Look at what that bitch did to my face!”

Morkana was scared, but not about the scarred and bandaged face of her father, but about his hateful eyes that were like hers, but emanating evil. She told herself to never become like him, a loveless person that hates everyone.

End of the Flashback.

INT. THRONE ROOM - MORNING

Helen: “Waaaaaaahhhhh!”

Morkana: “Oh my stars… I…”

Morkana had realized what she had done and felt extremely guilty. She had just made a 3 year old girl cry in a cruel way.

Helen: “I am sorry! I am sorry! Waaah!”

The sight of a crying girl standing over the throne of an empire could be seen as poetic, but Morkana didn’t care about poetic stuff. She cared about the little girl crying and kneeled to hug her. The empress was crying now.

Morkana: “I am sorry.”

Helen’s crying was now unintelligible.

Morkana: “I am so sorry.”

Morkana tried to hum a melody of a song she usually sings to calm Prince. It was a song I sang to her when she was little and one of the memories I treasure the most. The song was made by a famous musician of Earth that dedicated it to her newborn daughter and it has survived as a lullaby sung by billions of mothers and fathers throughout the Post Cataclysm era.

Morkana: “I am really sorry, Helen. You did nothing wrong.”

The toddler was crying less, but she still felt hurt.

Helen: “I just want a mommy… Daddy said my Mommy Jen can’t come back… She fell asleep forever!”

At that moment Morkana had a dark realization.

Morkana: “Did-did you see her…”