May 21st
“How was work, honey?” I asked Scarlett as we sat at a booth in Steven’s Steakhouse, the best steakhouse in Liberty. After about two weeks, the residents of Liberty stopped paying much attention to Scarlett. At least on the part of her being a foxwoman. Nowadays, they looked at her because she was a Campbell. There was also the fact that the government revealed the existence of several other mutants. Including some experiments that were much friendlier to the Qarri than they should’ve been. That brought on the point of the government, but it spoiled the good mood. Today was a special day.
She ate some of her salad before answering, “It was stressful, but I’m getting the hang of it. It sucks that my dad is dying. It only means I need to work hard enough to be ready to take control of his business. I already got my GED and I’m hoping to earn enough credits at a nearby university to get a degree. If all goes well, I’ll be ready to maintain and expand Campbell Family Enterprises.” She ate another bit before asking, “How was your day at work?”
I sighed as I mixed up my salad. Speaking of my job was a great way to ruin my appetite. “General Morris was concerned about how long it would take for the Qarri to counterattack. He keeps saying that the threat isn’t anywhere close to over as his men are still fighting pockets. He claims that civilian rule has already been restored, but we all know President Harrington is a yes-man. An ineffectual sycophant who got his job by kissing up to his superiors. The democratic traditions of our country have been extinguished. I’m just going to let a few words out while we still have freedom of speech.”
Scarlett placed her hand on mine and said, “Relax. We’ll find a way through this. Morris is quite old. He’ll either retire or die soon. Besides, it may not take long for his own soldiers to depose him.”
“I wish I had your optimism,” I replied before taking a bite of my salad. It was good, but my current jitters were hurting the taste. “At least we’re not going through a civil war like India or Germany. Granted, if Morris stays in charge for too long, that’s something we can probably look forwards to.”
Scarlett sighed. “I tried.” We sat in silence as we finished our salads and had them replaced with our meals. Big, juicy, ribeye steaks were placed in front of us. We got our knives out and cut into them.
As I took a bite of it, I was taken aback by a wave of nostalgia. It reminded me of the time before my space adventure. I smiled as I remembered eating here after earning my undergrad degree. There was no better feeling than being home.
“This tastes great,” Scarlett said as she ate another piece. “You were right. This is better than the Qarri version.”
We continued eating while having some small talk. At this point, we had lives of our own. Though we still hung out often, it was still nice to catch up on each other’s life.
Once we were finished with the meal, Scarlett was reaching into her purse when I grabbed her hand. As she looked at me, I winked and said, “I got this. It’s considered gentlemanly to pay for your girlfriend’s meal.”
She reached into her purse with her other hand and pulled out enough money to pay for the meal and tip. She winked back and said, “But I’m rich. It’s more courteous if I paid for your meal since you need the money more than I do.” I was about to protest, but she placed a finger on my lips. “My love, I’m not someone you need to pamper. I can do things for you as well.”
After she paid the tab, which I was still upset about, I led her out of the steakhouse. We walked into the parking lot and to our cars. I leaned against my car and asked, “Scarlett, will you follow me for a second? I have something special to show you.”
“Ooh! Whatever can it be?” she teasingly replied before getting into her own car. I got into mine and drove down the streets.
It was comforting to be back in my hometown. Some things have changed since I left. My high school best friend, Kyle White, got married to his sweetheart. The Johnsons were expecting a new child and one of my neighbors won a thousand dollars in a scratch-off. The most depressing change was the traffic that now bloated the town. Due to recent construction from both the Campbell family and the military, Liberty was experiencing growing pains. The sleepy small town between two major cities was booming.
Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.
I parked my car at the park’s parking lot. Scarlett parked hers next to me and got out. There were several people there, but it didn’t matter. I walked over to Scarlett and grabbed her hand. “Follow me,” I said before turning around and entering through the gate.
As we walked down one of the trails, I could hear the birds chirping overhead as the sun was setting to the west. The rustling of trees against the wind was refreshing. While the nature trail on the resort world was wilderness, it felt more real to listen to Earth’s nature. Even if this one was in the middle of a town and was as real as an aquarium is to an ocean.
There were several people walking the trails as well along with bicyclists riding past us. Children played in the grass and there was a birthday party for one at one of the gazebos. Scarlett chuckled as she looked at the party and said, “Let’s grab some cake. They won’t notice two extra guests.”
I looked at her and joked, “I’m pretty sure we can pass as parents of ten-year-old children. Especially ones that look nothing like us.”
She shook her head and joked, “No, we’re ten-year-old children that were invited. I’m pretty sure we look like the part. Several ten-year-old children are five feet and nine inches tall.” We laughed together as we continued on the trail.
We ran across several dogs chasing a frisbee thrown by a young woman. I smiled at the normal acts around us that helped my life return to normalcy. Even if most people’s lives were thrown out of it.
We walked onto the bridge in the park. The creek underneath was slow-moving, connecting to the Ohio River at a later point. It was shallow and unsuitable for swimming, but it was the centerpiece of the city. As we walked to the middle of the bridge, several ducks were looking at us, obviously wanting bread.
I grabbed Scarlett’s other hand and spun around to face her. She was the most beautiful woman in the galaxy. I didn’t care that she wasn’t a normal human. I looked into her mesmerizing eyes and said, “Scarlett, we’ve been through quite the adventure over the past year. We met friends and lost them.” She frowned at the losing friends part.
She looked into my eyes and replied, “Malgorth will forever live on through our memories and stories. We can’t let him be forgotten.”
I nodded. “Yes. But back to the point, we left Zalex, Harry, Gruma, Mr. Black, and Dr. Octavia on good terms. Besmen is in good hands. The fate of Earth is shaky, but you’re optimistic that it’ll get better.”
“I just told you back at the restaurant. Please tell me you don’t have short-term memory loss,” she teased as her tone made it clear she was being playful.
I chuckled and shook my head. “Anyways, we’ve grown closer. You lost the chance to become human again, which pains you deeply.”
She looked at her hands and replied, “I didn’t lose the chance to become human again. I never ceased to be. I am still Scarlett Rose Campbell. It was always true genetically, but now I internalized the truth of it.”
A smile came to my face as I continued, “You came to terms with it. We survived on Besmen before escaping back to Earth. We’ve been with each other for so long that I now can’t imagine us being apart. I love you and have one last question for you.”
I knelt down in front of her and pulled out a small black box. I opened it to reveal a diamond ring. “Scarlett, will you marry me?”
Tears came to her eyes as she cried, “Yes! Yes! Yes! I’ll marry you! I love you too!” Her tail wagged as she looked on. I placed the ring on her finger followed by her giving me the strongest hug she possibly could. I hugged her back before kissing her on her lips. Or whatever they were called now. It didn’t matter. Today was one of the happiest days of my life, and it felt like I was getting things together. I had a well-paying job, a loving fiancée, and a loving family. And honestly, the last two points were the most important. Like Malgorth said upon his death, those who care about you and those you care for are what life is worth living for.
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Third-Person
“Mommy? What’s that star?” the young avian asked as she pointed one of her wings at a distant star. The bird-like creature had dark blue feathers and two beady black eyes.
“That star is known as Mazara. Legends say that our spirits traveled from that star to this planet. Perhaps you should attempt to commune with the Great Mother about it,” a taller avian creature replied as she looked down at her young child.
“Do any spirits still reside on Mazara?” the child asked as she looked at her mother with a tilted head.
The mother laughed before replying, “No, my dear Azure. Or at least I hope so. According to legend, Mazara was controlled with some furless mammals with thunderous sticks. Of course, that’s not a concern. As long as the Great Father protects the skies, the Great Mother will keep them imprisioned.”
Mazara shined brighter that night than normal. Perhaps a blessing, an omen, or a natural phenomenon. But one thing was certain. Their lives would soon change.