i also want to thank everyone else for the feedback - don't think you didn't help me out either
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Part 11
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The little girl slipped her small chubby hand into her mother’s, and stood up on her toes, trying to get a better look at the people that were walking towards the throne. It had been three months since the royal six had returned to the Lunar System, and within that three months, they had triumphantly retaken Queen Nerissa’s home planet, Aquin. Now, the Queen took her rightful seat in the throne at the head of the hall. She was dressed simply, yet elegantly. To the little girl, she looked like an angel. She wore a simple white dress with a high waist and sleeves that widened slowly as they reached her hands. Her long, dark hair, now waist length, was left to fall down her back. Terrath stood to her left while King Zan, dressed in black pants and a black vest, stood to the right of the throne, holding the Queen’s hand as she sat down, daring the crowd with his eyes, to nay-say her claim. As soon as she was seated, it was as if the balance had been fully restored on Aquin. Everyone in the crowd breathed a sigh of relief. The war was half won. The next time they took up their weapons, would be to help Zan retain the title of King of Antar, High King of the Luna System.
**
Three Months Earlier
**
Lonnie glanced at Zan, who nodded, encouraging her to show Larek. She let out a breath and nodded. “This way.” She said, motioning for everyone to follow her. She walked up to the six pods, and began to climb through the one in the middle on the bottom. “Follow me.”
As everyone watched, she disappeared through the back of the pod. When they had all climbed through, they stood cramped in a small space with the pods on one side, and a metallic wall on the other side. Lonnie waved her hand over it and the chamber rumbled slightly, before the wall completely disappeared. “Here it is.” She said, quietly. Everyone stood still. In the middle of the chamber stood a large, black inverted cone, resting on a smaller crystalline cone. The floor was a black marble and the walls were pure white. “Wow.” Nerissa breathed. “Yeah.” Tristan answered. Zan stepped forward first, and approached the large object. He held his hand out to it, letting it skim along the outside without touching it. “It holds so much power. It’s not even doing anything and there’s like, this wall of energy around it. Humming.” Ava walked up next to him and held her hand out to it. “So this is how we’re gettin’ home?” She asked.
Larek walked into the room, all business, and drew a crystal from his pocket. “Where did you get that?” Rath asked, tearing his gaze from the granolith. Larek stood beside the granolith, and looked to the group standing by the doorway. “I had it sent to Earth shortly after you were sent here, and hidden in the desert. It will help transform the granolith into a means of transportation. Now, come.” Zan stepped toward Larek, who handed him the crystal. “Use your powers to insert this into the base cone. Once you have, everyone must place a palm against the surface, and focus all your energy. The granolith will try to pull you in, meld it’s own energy with yours. Let it. Once you are all inside, there is nothing left to do but wait. You will be transported to my home on Katana almost instantly.” He smiled and stepped toward the door. “I shall be seeing you all very soon.” And with that, he waved his hand across the entrance, closing the door, and climbed out of the small chamber between the granolith and the pods.
Once outside, he waved his hand over the pods to destroy any evidence of their existence, then did the same with the entire area the hybrids had called home for so long. With a subtle skip in his step, Larek too off to return his body to the hotel he had checked into, so that he could be ready for the long awaited arrival of the royal family.
**
Nerissa slipped her hand into Zan’s, somewhat nervously. He gave it a reassuring squeeze as he knelt down to insert the crystal into the base. As soon as it was all the way in, a bright light flashed and the entire room pulsed.
All six people in the room gasped as the energy coming from the large object intensified and grew. “Oh god. It’s almost like you can taste it. Breathe it.” Rath let out a breath. “I’ve never felt this much energy before.” Nerissa whispered. Zan squeezed her hand again, then let go, placing his palm against the warm surface of the granolith. Nerissa placed hers beside Zan’s, and Rath placed his beside his sister’s. The other three followed suit, and concentrated on letting the power from the granolith, wash over them. Another blinding light filled the room and when Nerissa opened her eyes, they were all standing in a circle inside the granolith, holding hands with their backs facing each other. Tristan blinked and the next thing he knew, they were all standing on shaky legs in a room with dark purple walls and a dark purple floor and ceiling. They all turned to see the granolith and watched the light from it dim gradually, as though it were tired out.
Everyone turned suddenly when a panel of the wall slid away and a young girl and two young boys came in, all three about 15 years old and dressed in white robes. They bowed to the other six, and when they stood up, each one had a glimmer of awe in their eyes as they gazed at the weary space travelers.
“We are very pleased to meet you. All of you.” The young girl said. However, the startling part was that her lips hadn’t moved.
“Please, do not be alarmed. We only communicate with you in this way because you have not gone through the transformation. Once you have your memories back fully, you will be able to speak our language.” One of the young men assured them.
“Transformation?” Rath asked aloud. The second boy spoke up. “It is a simple process that will help you regain your memories, nothing more. We serve King Larek and help in the fight to overthrow Kivar the Usurper. We will not harm you.”
Zan reached for Nerissa’s hand and she clutched it between both of hers. “Where is Larek now?” “He will be returning to his body soon. After that he will rest for a short time, then he will seek you out. By the time the transformation is done, he should be ready to see you. Now, if you would, please follow us.” The girl turned and the two boys waited for everyone to follow her, before leaving last.
After walking down a myriad of halls, they finally arrived at a room that was completely black, with six white circles on the floor. “Please, each of you step into a circle.” Everyone listened and when all six stood in the center of the small circles, they looked back to the three cloaked figures. “As soon as we leave the room, you will be enclosed in glass chambers. Once the chambers have sealed, pulses of energy will be released at a high rate, stimulating the nerves in you brain and recalling all your old memories. When we return to you, we will bring you to your rooms to rest, then Larek will be waiting for you.” The young girl smiled and left the room after the two boys.
As soon as the door closed, glass tube-like structures rose from the circles they each stood on, and continued up to the ceiling. The tubes were just wide enough for them to stretch their arms out to their sides.
Nerissa looked around to the other five and began to feel slightly uneasy. Rath looked over to her and gave her a reassuring smile, even though she could tell he was just as nervous as she. She mustered up a reluctant smile for him, then turned to face Zan. He was watching her with intense amber eyes that were filled with love and concern for everyone in the room. She placed one hand up against the glass and offered him a small smile. She saw his lips turn up in a lop-sided grin, just before the energy screamed through her tube and she let out a loud scream. Zan watched, concerned, as her hands shot out to her sides, bracing herself on the glass walls of the tube for support. One by one, there tubes filled with energy. Rath braced both hands in front of him and bent his head, clenching his jaw, while Ava let out a small shriek before taking large, gasping breaths. It seemed to have the opposite effect on Lonnie, taking her quite by surprise and leaving her breathless for a moment. Tristan slumped backward against the tube, but stayed standing. Next thing Zan knew, he felt a slight woosh of air, then energy pulsing along his body at an incredible rate.
It wasn’t that it hurt, it was just that Lonnie had never felt energy that strong or that demanding before. It pushed at her skin, trying to worm its way into her body through each and every pore. Then, at the end, it felt like she was about to burst with it. That was when she let out a deep breath, feeling the energy seep from her being.
About a half an hour later, the tube slid back down into the floor. Nerissa slumped to her knees, exhausted. Zan stumbled over to her, falling down on his knees, and took her face in his hands. He brushed away stray hairs from her face so he could see her better, and she grasped his wrists with shaky hands and lifted her eyes to his reassuringly. Slowly, and so softly, he leaned forward and planted a light kiss on her lips, then rested his forehead against hers. “You ok?” He whispered. She gave him a small smile, before letting out a slight yawn. Zan chuckled, a rumbling that emanated from deep in his chest. He helped her to stand up and looped one arm around her waist while she rested her head on his shoulder and snuggled into his safe, warm body.
“Wow,” Ava breathed, slowly climbing to her feet, “that was so intense.” “I’ve never felt anything like that before.” Lonnie agreed, yawning. Rath looked everyone over with a critical eye, “Everyone’s ok though?” He asked. Tristan nodded, “I think we’re all just tired.”
The door opened and the boys and girl from earlier entered the room once again. “Please follow us, we will show you to your rooms where you can rest.”
**
After resting and meeting up with Larek, they had all started decided that they would start their campaign by retaking Nerissa and Rath’s home, Aquin. After taking back that planet, their forces should be big enough, and their cause instilled in so many people, that they would have a better chance to take down Kivar and return Zan to the throne of Antar.
It had taken a month to gather their forces and get people to realize that they had returned and it wasn’t all just a myth anymore. As Zan had predicted, no one really seemed to care whether or not they returned with their respective ‘mates’, it only mattered that they were all back and taking up the fight to overthrow Kivar. Some bold courtiers and soldiers had even tried to get Nerissa and Zan to divulge information on their romantic life. It everyone was waiting to see if the fairytale romance they had once shared, would come to life once again now that they didn’t each have parents to answer to or a prior betrothal to honor.
Because Kivar had been unaware that the granolith had been sent to Earth with the royal six, he was taken quite by surprise when he heard rumors that they were on Katana, rallying forces to retake Aquin. He had let security on that planet become so lax because he had been too secure in his position, that it had really only taken another month and a half for them to retake the planet and most of Kivar’s soldiers to drop their weapons. The fact that most of his soldiers had been forced into fighting and so had welcomed the true heir of the throne, had turned out to be a major factor in the fighting.
Now, three weeks after the wars had stopped and the palace had been cleared out of any traces of Kivar and his rule, Nerissa sat on the throne that she now remembered so well, with the man she remembered so well holding her hand securely in his, on her right. She squeezed it slightly and snuck a glance at his face. He had his eyes trained on the crowd of people that had come to watch her reclaim her throne, watching for any threat to her safety and making sure that everyone knew that as the rightful King of Antar and High King of the five planets of the Luna System, he stood by her claim as Queen. He gave her hand returned squeeze and she caught sight of his slight grin as he continued to look out over the crowd.
**
Much later, after everyone had retired from the conference room and the tiring meeting about what their next step would be, Nerissa began to undress and ready herself for a much desired bath. The war hadn’t been all fun and games and sitting on the sidelines for her. She had fought beside her people and people from the other four planets many times. She would even have a scar to show for it, she thought with a wince as she reached back to untie the small bow at the small of her back. She had a four inch long cut at the small of her back that ran adjacent to her spine. It would have been a mortal blow if Tristan had not blasted her attacker from across the field, throwing off is aim.
“Need some help?” Nerissa jumped and let out a small scream, turning to find Zan at the door. “I didn’t mean to scare you.” He smiled, closing the door. Nerissa rolled her eyes and placed her hands on her hips. “What are you doing here? I thought you’d be getting some rest. Tomorrow is the only day we can sleep in, after that, it’s nothing but planning.” As she continued to talk, Zan slowly made his way toward her, stalking across the carpeted floor like a wild cat.
“Turn around.” He murmured once he was standing in front of her. Nerissa’s breath caught in her throat at the look of desire in his eyes and did as he said. When she felt his fingers undoing the bow at the back of her dress, she jumped slightly and tried to turn around. “Stay still. I want to check your back and make sure it’s ok.” His voice was right next to her ear and his warm breath caressing her neck sent shivers down her spine. “Ok.” She whispered breathlessly.
Zan took her hair in his hands, relishing in the silky feel, and draped it over her shoulder. Once the back of her dress was open, he couldn’t stop himself from letting his fingers trail down the graceful curve of her spine, until they rested just above her bottom, right next to the long cut. He frowned at the sight of it. It was slightly red now but that only meant it was still healing. She had had the stitches removed only three days ago. “I don’t understand why you won’t let me heal this.” He said, concerned. She sighed slightly and turned around. His hands automatically went to her hips, pulling her slightly closer, while she wrapped one hand around his neck, and raked the fingers of her other hand through his black hair. “War wound,” she said, smiling lightly and shrugging, “I want it to stay there so that I’ll always remember how hard we fought.” She said, her smile slightly embarrassed. Zan leaned down and kissed each eyelid, then softly kissed her lips. “It only reminds me of how close I came to losing you.” He murmured, burying his face in her neck. Nerissa sighed and held him closer, glad that they at least would have one day to escape from planning their next war.
Zan knelt down in front of her, his hands going to the hem of her dress. “May I?” He asked softly. Nerissa smiled down at him, a blush creeping up her face, and held up her arms. Slowly, so every inch of her skin would be revealed to him slowly, Zan pulled the dress up her body, then tossed it negligently aside. Then he looked his fill. “You are so beautiful.” He whispered in reverence. Nerissa gloried in the love that shone in his eyes. It wasn’t the first time she had been naked in front of him, even though they had yet to make love, and she had seen his naked body before too. But still, she always felt somewhat shy when she was so exposed to him.
Zan noticed the goosebumps that began to appear across her skin and he quickly put one arm behind her knees, and the other behind her back, carrying her toward the tub filled with steaming water. He placed her slowly into the tub, letting her adjust to the water, then proceeding to take the cloth and soap and wash her body slowly. When he was done, he helped her wash her long hair, then helped her from the tub. Next, he took the towel and slowly dried every inch of her body. After she was dressed in a soft nightgown, Zan stripped from his shirt, washed up quickly, then changed into a pair of cotton pants to sleep in. He moved to the bed, where Nerissa had already cuddled beneath the covers and just stood staring at her for a moment. His heart swelled at the sight of her small body in the large bed. He wanted nothing more than to take her right then and make her his. Instead, he retrieved a small object from the nightstand, and slipped into bed beside her, pulling her into his arms.
“You know I love you right?” He asked, hesitantly. Nerissa leaned forward and pressed a tender kiss over his wildly thumping heart, “And I love you.” “I don’t know what will happen with this war. And I can’t promise you that we will always be safe, because there will always be someone out there who will think to get to one of us through the other, but I want you to know that I will do anything in my power to see that nothing happens to you.” Nerissa propped herself up on an elbow, leaning across his body, “Zan, what’s wrong?” He looked into her beautiful brown eyes that he had gotten lost in two lifetimes ago, and ran his fingers through her long, dark, silky tresses. “Will you marry me?”
At first he didn’t think he’d actually said it out loud, because she just continued to stare at him, but then a huge smile broke out across her face and she leaned forward, devouring him with a hungry kiss. “Is that a yes?” He asked, grinning and breathless. “Yes.” She said, snuggling up against him and holding tight to his warm body. Zan took her left hand and she felt something cold and metallic. When she looked down, she saw that he had placed a ring on her finger. It was a silver band words in Antarian that read ‘forever my soulmate’ around the outside, and a deep green emerald surrounded by smaller diamonds. “Oh Zan...it’s so beautiful.” She leaned up and kissed him again. He held her close to his heart and kissed her forehead. “Not as beautiful as what we share.” He whispered.
