Crossing Worlds 06: Nirvana

    It is not a message he was expecting so soon after meeting up with her on that strange alien world; and yet the message came across his desk. Baron Bon Lon had been in the middle of filing his latest report regarding a recent arrest of an inter-dimensional tech smuggler; a common crime where smugglers steal or possibly even buy tech from one reality and smuggle it to a more primitive reality to sell on the black market; often to local super-villains, dictators, and terrorists. Imagine his surprise to see a letter of summance from the Royal City of Nirvana in his in-box mixed in with the head office report requests regarding both his latest case and still some from the many higher rank officers wanting reports on the Black Circus. The contents of which were rather vague, Betty the Baroness has returned to the Royal City and his presence is requested; the rest nothing more than directions and a letter of appointment and that the royal family has already gotten him immediate paid leave from his regular duties. This last statement making him eye his in-box and wander how much he has done that could have waited.

     ******

     A land of endless white fluffy clouds, the streets are paved in gold; or at least gold colored; well some are, most are just basic stone roads, and the buildings are a mishmash of Roman and Medieval Northern European architecture done in mostly whites, with some blue tiled roofs, pink roofs, and a few red roofs for good measure. Shops, homes, various other buildings with crates sitting outside the doors, as well as barrels; in all its as though someone took various video game city map designs and meshed them all together over a far more ancient city, which was built over top of another even more ancient city than that. As though such a city couldn’t feel more surreal to the tiny shadowy figure zipping about the shadows of the crates and buildings watching the people pass by, these people are dressed in clothing of various ages from ancient Roman to 21st century suits; all upper class; although to this tiny figure the Victorian style ones seem to out number the others.  These people also each possess a pair of wings upon their backs; white, brown, speckled, mostly white though. A few; mostly those dressed in maid uniforms or attending shop windows have much smaller wings with a cartoon like appearance to them.

   None of this is new to the tiny figure; who himself would stand out in this place as a two and half foot tall anthropomorphic gruffly cat in a pirate costume. He has been here before with his mistress; the captain of the ship upon which till not long ago he was second mate of. Off in the distance he sees his target, the massive castle of the royal family. All that stands between him and there is a city full of angels who would instantly recognize him as something that doesn’t belong here, not to mention the golden armored guards, the Arch-Angels, who constantly patrol the grounds of the castle.

   This little cat, known as Mr. Whiskers, strokes his whiskers pondering his next move; his goal is simple, find Captain Betty. He looks around to make sure things are clear before he jumps from the shadows and using his tiny yet sturdy sword opens a sewer grate. As he walks along the semi-dry edges of the sewer in which no angel above would fit his mind wanders back to the Pirate Cove.

    A dark rustic bar, a cliché really by pirate standards; he and the entire crew had moments before been hanging out around a pirate cove on the world of Aesperia only to find themselves suddenly transported to the floating pirate themed city in Nirvana simply known as “The Pirate Cove”. Even flustered the crew could not help but feel that Captain Betty must have sacrificed herself
to the authorities and in exchange begged leniency on them.

    “Damn,” hisses Mr. Whiskers, “I told you about that golden heart of yours captain,”

     He looks up to see the grate the leads to a water run off in the palace gardens.

     “Did you really turn yourself in captain?” he thinks as he peeks out of the grate.

    The crew had devised a plan, but he knew there was no way so many of them would go un-noticed in the streets of the Royal City; he knew he had to do this alone.

   “but captain,” thinks Mr. Whiskers as he sneaks out of the grate and makes his way under the bushes along the wall beneath the windows he knows to come to her chambers,

    “why did I hear those angels in the ship I was hiding in say you had just returned? Were you being held prisoner till now? Don’t worry captain I am here to break you out.” He thinks to himself as he clambers up the stone wall, his tiny hands and claws fitting easily into the groves of the stones.

    As he creeps slowly along a stone ledge towards Captain Betty’s window he hears her say, “I killed him,” making Mr. Whiskers freeze in disbelief.

    ******

    Baron Bon Lon steps through the massive doors into the throne hall of the Royal City of Nirvana. To describe this room and give it justice would be impossible for any man; one may simply say bedazzling and be done with it as one could look around this room a hundred times and always find something new to enchant the eye. There are no thrones here, only a raised floor where the thrones would be covered in a color changing carpet. Against the wall behind it is a massive ornate golden solar disc. Its depiction is cluttered, depicting a battle; or some revelry perhaps; from Baron Bon Lon’s perspective it could be depicting an orgy for all he knows as it’s mostly obscured by the royal visages of the king and queen of Nirvana.

    To Baron Bon Lon’s right atop this platform of a space is Queen Ophania. She is rather tall for a woman; even if she were not standing several feet above him her height would be intimidating. Between her height, gorgeous figure, tight yet loose white robes, and long golden hair one would could be forgiven for mistaking her for a goddess. Her massive white wings almost like a backdrop to her still and magnificent figure. Her golden staff however with its heart shaped top adorned on either side with wings looks out of
place to Baron Bon Lon but he’d never dare say that.

    To Baron Bon Lon’s left atop this platform of a space is King Seraphtis, he stands as a tall as Queen Ophania, wearing nearly the same kind of robes and having golden hair. His hair however is much shorter, and his face is that of a strong and stern man, adorning his chin and upper lip are a short golden beard and a golden mustache. His wings are not nearly as majestic as those of his wife. They are thin and long, yet there are four of them arranged like the wings of a dragonfly; however they are the feathered wings of an angel. The top pair are white as snow, while the bottom pair as a black as tar pitch. The man keeps two swords at his sides, a pair of broad swords; a white one on his right hip and a black one on his left hip.

    The two look down in stern silence as Baron Bon Lon bows on one knee.

    “You may go see here now,” they say in unison; their voices echoing through the air and vibrating through the very mind and body.

   With out saying a word Baron Bon Lon stands and bows again before leaving. He is not a man new to this palace; after all he is betrothed to merry Betty the Baroness; however this is as informal as the king and queen can or will permit themselves to be for anyone. These palace halls, and the way to the baroness’s room are all well known to him; he needs not a guide nor a map to find his
way to his some-day-to-be’s bride’s chambers.

   Baron Bon Lon gently *taps* on the door.

   As Baron Bon Lon enters he is nearly thrown against the wall as Betty runs into his arms in tears.

    He place his arm around her, but is surprised by what comes out of her mouth, in choked words she says, “I killed him.”

    “What?” asks Bon Lon as he walks her over to the bed to sit down, “what do you mean.”

    “I…I…” says Betty trying to fight back tears, “I…killed him…”

    “Betty,” says Bon Lon trying to calm her down, “please...who? What are you talking about?”

     “Oh Bon Bon!” she yells in tears nearly knocking him back on the bed, “It…*sniff*”

    She takes a moment to try and compose her self as she looks down at the sea green carpeted floor, “I killed Jim.”

   Bon Lon Looks at her a moment before saying, “The Thing Named Jim?”

   “Yes,” says Betty, her words nearly a whisper, “Its just like the oracle said, Rhulan had the power to hurt him. I…I she gave me…”

    She looks at her hands and starts to tear up again.

    “That sorceress?” whispers Bon Lon, more a question to himself. He looks over at Betty putting his arm around her, “My dear, please, I know it’s hard, but I need to know; and not just as an officer.”

    Betty looks at him and smiles, “She gave me two guns and a ring she said would protect me from his powers, a little purple ring…but…I…”

    She starts to choke up again, “I…I didn’t know they were god killers…at least I tried not to suspect that they were…”

    “God killers,” says Bon Lon trying not to glare, “and that other device must have been a reality distortion protection field emitter; hmm, how curious.”

    “Oh shit,” thinks Bon Lon realizing Betty is starting to cry again.

    “I…I….” says Betty, “I knew why I was with them; I knew we had to face Jim eventually but…*sniff*”

    She wipes her eyes, “heh,” she tries to force a smile and laugh through her tears and choked up throat, “I got so used to traveling with them; I was starting to think we’d never have to fight him…but…”

    *sniff*, “I…I mean, but…it happened…but…”

   “Its okay,” says Bon Lon.

   “Bon Bon,” says Betty, “I killed him…I…”

   She buries her face in her hands a moment and says through her fingers, “It shouldn’t have happened like that.”

    “Huh?” says Bon Lon, regretting instantly saying that as she glares at him.

   “My dream,” says Betty somewhat angrily, “I dreamed it when I was on that planet. I dreamed Jim attacked us. That Rhulan had given me some magic weapon and when I shot him he laughed it off and he turned into a giant multi-headed dragon. We would run all along his twisting knot of a body…it was like outer space or in some pocket dimension; we would attack him constantly. It would like…well…”

    She starts to calm down and look thoughtful, “like an evil overlord, you know…fight…and he laughs and in…”

    She nearly is whispering, “in that final moment we pull out some impossible move powered by friendship and defeat him…but…”

     *waaaaaah!*

    She surprised Bon Lon with her sudden bout of tears and knocks him back on the bed. She looks up to his face through her once again tear filled eyes, “I shot him…and…he…he thanked me.”

    Bon Lon raises them back up to a sitting position, “what? Betty…”

   “He thanked me,” she whispers, “I shot him, and….as he lay dieing at my feet…he thanked me.”

    She looks at her hands as though they were covered in blood, “he thanked me for killing him…it wasn’t an epic battle…it was like murder….it was murder.”

    “Betty,” says Bon Lon turning her to face him, “It was a monster, it killed people we both knew, good officers, innocent bystanders, entire worlds…Bet;”

     “I know!” she blurts out before calmly saying, “I know…but still…he just died…like a man, not a demon, not some cosmic overlord, I…shot him…and he died.”

    “Oh Betty,” says Bon Lon as he embraces her.

    Outside the window someone else has listened in on the entire conversation; Mr. Whiskers sits there wide eyed in disbelief; his emotions a mix of elation at the news The Thing Named Jim has been slain; and yet devastation at how hard his beloved captain is taking it. He always imagined any thing defeating that monster would require some massive weapon carried by the ship, perhaps firing it at Jim while he is transformed into some giant armor covered space god…the image in Mr. Whiskers mind is a western scene now with Betty shooting Jim in a duel in the dirt road, “Not like that,” whispers Mr. Whiskers, “…that monster…going down like that…with Captain Betty…like a person…dear goddess…”

     A bright light inside the room draws Mr. Whiskers’ attention to peer around the ledge through the window. He nearly falls off the side in surprise from what he sees within. A woman now stands before Bon Lon and Betty inside the room, a tall woman whom Mr. Whiskers mistakes for Queen Ophania at first, except that she has no wings and her eyes are golden instead of blue, not to mention the fact the Betty and Bon Lon immediately fell to one knee before her; more so the fact that Betty would fall to one knee tells Mr. Whiskers that this is a very important person.

     *Baron Bon Lon, and Baroness Betty* she says with a voice that shivers through Mr. Whisker’s very being; not sure he is so much hearing her as feeling her voice inside his head. He peers inside, her mouth not moving as she speaks.

     *My children….and yes the one outside; please come in and join us.*

    “Woah, woah, woah,” says Mr. Whiskers as his body is lifted into the air.

   The window opens with out being touched as he is floated into the room and sat down beside Betty.

    “Captain,” says Mr. Whiskers.

    *Oomph* Betty forces Mr. Whiskers to one knee and *shushes him*

    *As I was saying,” continues the woman, *My dear sweet child, Betty, I know this has been trying for you; however it is important that you return to Aesperia. I am sending you, as well as Baron Bon Lon here; and yes your small companion as well to Aesperia. It will do you all good to search for your lost friends, Lee Lee and Ki Ki; the path you were on before is not one meant for you to walk.*

    She turns her attention to Baron Bon Lon, *I have already cleared this with your superiors; you are now; with these other two; also listed in your assignment sheets, to lead this team in search of your lost comrades.*

    “Hold on,” thinks Mr. Whiskers, “how’d she know…”

    *Because I am all knowing,* she says to Mr. Whiskers answering his thoughts, *you tiny Figmention, Whiskers the cat of Grey Scale District*

    Mr. Whiskers’ eyes shoot wide, even Captain Betty didn’t know where specifically he was from.

   *you will also accompany them, yes all three of you shall now return to Aesperia!*

   She waves her arms and the room is filled with light that is bright yet not blinding, *Mae-Ko-Naka has spoken!*

   When the light clears they find themselves standing in the desert on a dirt road leading a small town walled in by a mud brick wall with wooden spikes coming out of it. Betty is in her pirate costume, Bon Lon’s regal official attire is also gone; replaced by his doctor costume; Mr. Whiskers…well he’s still the way he was before.

    “Uh,” says Mr. Whiskers, “was that?”

    “Yes,” says Betty, “that was the goddess, Mae-Ko-Naka.”

   “huh,” says Mr. Whiskers dumb founded and after a moment of silence says, “I thought she’d be taller.”

    Betty starts to laugh.

    “Well,” says Bon Lon, “do we even know where to start looking?”

   Betty pulls out her map, “Yes, like I told you before I’ve been asking around when I was traveling with Rhulan and the others…”

   She looks off in the distance, “I wander how they’re doing. Well, anyway, I was always told about a light stream going west. If the goddess sent us here that means there must be someone in this town that knows something.”

    As they walk towards the town Mr. Whiskers says, “Hold on, so we are just okay with the fact that the goddess, the supreme being, creator of us all, architect of Nirvana, just poofed us from the palace and back to this place?”

    Mr. Whiskers stops himself, he was about to mention Betty going from crying on her bed to just accepting this assignment of sorts given to them by…the goddess…but the look in her eyes tells him the sting is there.