Birthday Surprises

BY AMI MEITSU

A/N: Yes, another crossover story, and for reference, I've placed Invidia's birthday as January 15.

---

"I hate people!" Invidia huffed as she slumped down at her desk. It was late in the afternoon after the regular staff meeting, which hadn't gone as well as planned…

"How many things can one person do anyway? Treaty signings, reception plans, battle reports, strategy lessons, eating, sleeping…I can't do it all!" She screamed, then she just let her head fall to the desk. 'They don't even give me a chance to say no…'

"Mistress, are you alright?" Shamura asked as she put a hand on Invidia's shoulder.

"No," Invidia replied, her head still down.

"Well, what's wrong? Maybe I can help."

"I doubt it."

"Well at least tell me, you know, talking about it does make you feel better."

Invidia sat up and sighed.

"Come here," Shamura patted a spot on the bed and Invidia went over and sat. "Now, what's up?"

"Everything." Invidia said. "Everyone wants me to do something different! I have treaties to look over, battle reports to write up, strategies that I have to teach and a whole lot more! When am I supposed to do what I like? No, when am I supposed to sleep?! This is why I hate royalty sometimes."

"But it does have its benefits. If you're in charge, can't you just say 'no'?"

"I tried! They wouldn't give me a chance, and when I went back they just slammed me with more work. I told Father, but he was no help. He just said it was part of being a diplomat. Lame, huh?"

"Well, no matter how lame it may be, he's right. You have to get used to it if you want to rule someday. And listen…"

Invidia looked at her.

"If I was you, I'd just take it one step at a time, and eventually you'll get it done, alright?"

"Eventually?" Invidia gave her an exasperated look.

"Yes eventually, but that doesn't have to start now, you look really stressed anyway. Why don't you try and relax?"

"How?"

"Well… how about I set you a bubble bath with candles and everything and afterwards you can relax in your sitting room? I can even get a fruit tray if you'd like."

"That does sound nice…" Invidia said. "And I don't have anything major this afternoon, so I guess it's alright."

"Good. Then I'll go get everything set up and you get ready in here," Shamura said.

Invidia nodded and Shamura left. When Invidia was sure she was really gone, she took her bathrobe out of her closet, stripped down, put it on and then took then pin out of her hair and put it up.

"Mistress?" Shamura called after a few minutes.

"Yes?" Invidia asked as she quickly fixed her hair.

"It's ready now…"

"Alright," Invidia said. She walked in the bathroom and looked around. "Shamura it's perfect…are those cinnamon?" She pointed as a series of candles in the middle.

Shamura nodded. "Yup, I got them out of the back of the cabinet."

"That's right, you bought them last year, but when I reorganized the cabinet they got moved to the back…sorry…"

"It's fine. It's not important anyway, what is important is you getting to relax, now get in"

Invidia nodded and gave Shamura a look.

"Right…" Shamura muttered as she turned.

Invidia glanced at her one more time and after she was sure Shamura wasn't looking, she slipped off the robe and got in the bath. The water took effect immediately. 'It's perfect…' She thought as she slipped deeper into the water.

Shamura watched her for a minute then said, "Mistress, come here."

"What?" Invidia whined as she moved closer.

Shamura said nothing, she just reached back and undid Invidia's hair.

"Shamura!"

"What? You look so much prettier with it down, and who cares if it gets a little wet, I'll fix it when you get out, Now stop whining," Shamura said as she took a handful of bubbles and blew them in Invidia's face.

"Hey!" Invidia backed up a bit before taking her own handful and blowing the bubbles back at Shamura.

They both laughed and Shamura just smiled at her. 'She looks so happy…' She thought. 'A lot better than she looked awhile ago…I guess all she really needed was some time to herself.' She sighed a content sigh and leaned back against the wall. 'And after running all those errands for Zordar I do too…' Shamura looked up, and then dug out her book out from behind Invidia's massive shampoo and soap collection and started reading right up until Invidia was ready to get out an hour later. Then, she quickly blow-dried and brushed Invidia's hair and put the pin back in.

"Thanks," Invidia said. "I'll get my clothes, and while I'm gone can you get that fruit tray you promised and bring it into my sitting room along with some sparkling water?"

"Sure," Shamura nodded and left. When she came back Invidia was on her couch in her sitting room wearing a long black slip with just a bit of white lace at the bottom. Over it she wore her black, silken robe as she read a fashion catalogue.

"Thanks," She said when Shamura set the food on the table. She looked at it and then pointed to a dessert glass Shamura had brought in. "What's that?"

"A gelatin parfait. They're making them for their staff party and I got you one, it's orange gelatin, vanilla yogurt, cherry pie filling, more gelatin and a whipped cream topping with a cherry of course."

"Thank you…" Invidia said as she picked it up along with the spoon Shamura brought with it. "It's good," she said, "Really good."

"Well, that's why I took it. It looked pretty good and I got one too, but…I ate it on the way up."

Invidia laughed and continued eating.

When she finished Shamura took the dishes and she kept reading while occasionally picking fruit off the tray and sipping at her cherry flavored sparkling water.

"Hey Shamura?" she said after a while.

"Huh?"

"What do you think of this dress?" Invidia showed her a purple dress in the catalogue.

"I like the color, it would look nice on you," Shamura complimented.

"You think?" Invidia asked.

Shamura nodded and they spent the rest of their time comparing clothes and talking about various books they had read while Shamura painted her nails with a new dark blue color she had just bought, which turned out beautifully. It made Invidia feel a lot better than she did earlier, unfortunately it was the only time she had to herself, over the next week she became overwhelmed with all the assignments she was getting…

"Okay, now I have plans to get, and I still have one other group to teach and I have a meeting at four and…" Invidia muttered as she quickly walked down the hall.

"Wait! Princess Invidia!" someone called.

"What?!" Invidia snapped. She turned and found herself looking at the kitchen's co-manager.

"The head chef wants to know what kind of cake to make for your birthday dinner; he has a couple suggestions but…"

She cut him off. "Can't you see I'm busy?! I don't have time for frivolous things like birthdays! Just forget it this year!" She snapped, then she stomped off down the hall.

Shamura stood watching from the doorway with a saddened expression on her face.

"Birthday?" Misa asked from behind. She had been helping Shamura with Invidia's laundry. She had been so busy she hadn't been able to do it, so she asked Shamura and Misa offered to help.

"Yeah," Shamura replied, half-heartedly."

Misa thought, then said, "Hey she's a Princess, so she must have amazing parties!"

"Actually she's never had a birthday party before. She's always had dinner or done something with her father, she never had enough friends to have a party with any way."

"Really, when's her birthday?"

"Next week, the fifteenth."

"It's not much time but I can make it work," Misa pondered.

"Make what work?" Shamura asked.

"I'm going to throw her a party! There are plenty of us here and everyone should be able to have a party at least once, don't you think?"

"Well…Actually…"

"Come on it could be fun, and who knows? Maybe we'll cheer her up!"

'I guess it would be fun, and the only parties Invidia's ever been to are formal receptions it might be a nice change. And she's been so stressed lately it might help her ease up a bit…' Shamura thought for a bit, then said, "Alright, I'll help."

Misa smiled. "Good because I'm gonna need some help, oh, and let's tell Zordar too, he might want to help. I mean, isn't he supposed to be the one most considered with Invidia's happiness? She is his daughter."

"True…" Shamura said. "So I guess you could try, I don't know if he'll agree but…"

"I'll go ask him now!" Misa then left and headed into Zordar's sitting room. Lucky for her he was there overlooking documents. "Zordar?" she asked.

"What do you want?" Zordar asked.

"I want to ask you a favor-for Invidia…" Misa then explained her plan. "You see, she's been so stressed out lately and Shamura told me it was her birthday next week so I was thinking…" She went on to describe her plan and say that there were more people around and that they could throw a suitable party now and how it might make Invidia feel better and get her to ease up.

"Well she has been stressed lately…I haven't even seen her in the past couple days with everything she's been doing…" He pondered for another minute and said, "Alright, I'll help. It might be good for her."

Misa smiled. "Good. Oh and let's make this a surprise. Earlier she said that she didn't want anything for her birthday and she might stop us if she knew."

"I can do that, we really don't need her anyway…"

"Because you know everything she likes?"

"Pretty much. But why don't we wait until tomorrow I'm busy today."

Misa sighed, but she agreed and left, with party plans already in her head.

After she left Zordar sat down and started thinking. 'I forgot about her birthday until now, I'm going to have to get her a present…but what? I just bought her a new dress…maybe…no, she doesn't wear rings…' He sighed and turned his head, only to find himself face to face with a picture of Sabera hanging up on the wall, as he starred at it for a minute, her voice came to him.

"Give this to her when she's ready…"

"No, I can't. I know she's ready but…I just couldn't. Hell, I don't even remember where I put it…" He said to himself then he sighed and just sat for a long while pondering.

Meanwhile, Invidia, who had finally gotten a break, was in her room reading, but halfway through the book, Misa approached her.

"Hey, Princess?" she asked.

"What?!" Invidia snapped.

"Well I was talking to Shamura and just wanted to know…how come you never had a birthday party?"

"Time and lack of friends. Any more dumb questions?!"

'Man she is stressed…' Misa thought, then she shook her head and left. 'Even though this'll be fun it's kind of sad that this is her first birthday party…how can anyone grow up being that lonely? Well, I guess it's filled with work but still…it's depressing…and that's why I've got to make this her best birthday ever!'

She got to work on it the very next morning, coming up with color schemes and decoration ideas and even a few cake designs.

"What do you think?" she asked Zordar and Shamura as she gave them her sketches.

"It looks nice, but I don't think Invidia would like a Gothic party very much," he put one of the papers down.

"But she practically is gothic! She always wears dark colors, hates brightness and…"

"Yes, but she doesn't like chains, music like that, a ton of lace or any of that….stuff….you wear."

"Okay, how about red and black? Or blue? Or maybe even purple?" Misa suggested.

"I like red and black, they are her favorite colors," Shamura said.

"True…" Zordar said. "And this black rose idea isn't bad either, neither is the red curtain display, we have plenty of those."

"And what about the cake with roses? It looks perfect for her. All we have to do is pick a flavor."

"Chocolate," Zordar said simply. "Because, even though she hates to admit it is her favorite type of cake, next to cheesecake of course."

"Okay so we have our cake and color scheme, right?" Misa asked.

Shamura and Zordar looked at each other and nodded.

"Good, because there's a lot more…"

While she briefed them with all of her ideas, Invidia busily briefed the fifth group of the cadets that day before heading off to another staff meeting and then finally getting a break for lunch, but she didn't eat. She just went up to her room and laid on the bed. And after twenty or so minutes, Zordar came in.

"Princess?" He asked. "Are you okay? Bleak told me you didn't come to lunch after the meeting."

"I'm not hungry…" Invidia lied. In truth, she was starving, but way too tired to eat.

Zordar went over and sat on the bed. "You sure? The chef made one of your favorites."

"I'm sure," Invidia sighed.

"Princess, what's wrong?" he finally asked.

"Nothing I…I just…"

"Invidia don't try and lie, I know something's wrong. Just tell me."

Invidia hesitated for a minute and then said, "Everything."

"What do you mean?"

Invidia sat up. "Just what I said! Everything!" She said with tears in her eyes. "I'm working non-stop on writing plans and treaties on top of teaching endless numbers of cadets a day our battle plans and trying to find some time to eat. All on four hours sleep a night! I just can't take it anymore! I don't care if it's part of being a diplomat! You never have to do this much work! Why do I? I hate it!"At that she just broke down and burst into tears.

"Aw, Princess, come here…" Zordar said.

Invidia moved and laid next to him while he just held her.

"I'm sorry Princess, this is all my fault. I had them give you some of my work so that you could get some training and learn to work under pressure, but maybe it was too much pressure."

Invidia nodded and continued to cry, not really caring how it made her look. 'I know I look like a baby but I can't help it…all of this is just too much…'

'I know you're unhappy, Princess but it's only a few more days. And maybe Misa was right, this party could be good for you. It'll give you a chance to relax…'

As he thought, Misa, who was watching from a crack in the door did the same. 'Poor Princess, she's so upset…but I'll make it better! This will be the best birthday ever and I'm going to make doubly sure of it now!' Misa nodded to herself with determination and met with Shamura and Zordar later that week to make the final plans.

"Okay, so we know the chefs will bake the cake the first thing in the morning and work on the party platters with Light and L. Near said he'd take care of the present table, and me and your mama will put up decorations in the afternoon," Misa turned to Shamura.

"That's just about it," Shamura said.

"And do you even have presents yet?" Misa asked.

Shamura and Zordar nodded, even though he was still pondering. He kept thinking about what Sabera had said all those years ago and if he really wanted to do what she asked. And, to make matters worse she appeared to him a dream the previous night telling him that it was best. It had kept him up all night, and even later that night he thought about it before finally deciding. "Sabera's right, she's always been right, I have to give it to her now," He then got up and dug through Sabera's memory trunk in his closet and pulled out a small, velvet, blue box. He made a quick decision, dug out some ribbon and tied it…

The next morning Invidia was once again awoken at four thirty AM, so that she could get and be ready by five for briefings with one more treaty revisal before noon, and the last staff meeting that she would have to run on her own. Then, she would be free until tomorrow's signing.

'Thank goodness…' She thought during her shower. 'I'm so tired of being stressed out!' She then sighed and got out to get ready for the rest of her day. However, instead of relaxing after the meeting Zordar grabbed her and told her there was another one, and it was an emergency.

"Father!" Invidia groaned as she dragged him down the hall. "Can't it wait?"

"I don't think so. This only happens once a year…"

"What are you talking about?!"

He said nothing and led her into the banquet hall.

"And what are we doing here? The meeting room is…" She stopped when he opened the door. The whole room had been decorated in a beautiful black and red color scheme with a dark red carpet leading up to an elegant throne (Which was actually the head's chair at receptions decorated with roses) with a banner hanging overhead that said. "Happy Birthday Princess." In the room stood Shamura, her mother Nadeshiko, Misa, Light, Tamaro, L, Near, Matt, Mello, Bleak and Dyre.

"Surprise!" they all said.

"So…do you like it?!" Misa asked hopefully.

"No," Invidia said with pure shock in her voice.

"No?!" Zordar said.

"I told everyone…I didn't want a birthday celebration this year! I'm too busy. Why didn't anyone listen?! And why can't you just leave me alone?!" Invidia shot Misa a look.

"Invidia!" Zordar said, but it was no use, she just stomped off and up to her bedroom.

"Did we do something wrong?" Tamaro asked.

"No, she's just stressed, I'll go talk to her. And, if I'm not back in twenty minutes…just wait longer. But if it's more than thirty-five, unless I call Shamura, just take everything down."

Shamura nodded and Zordar left, only to find Invidia lying sideways with her arms crossed, on her bed. "Princess?" he asked.

"What?!" she snapped.

He sat on the bed and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Invidia, I can understand why you're mad…"

"Why did you let them do that?" she interrupted.

"Because you were stressed and I thought it might help you relax and ease up a little. And it is your birthday, but don't blame it all on me, the party was actually Misa's idea."

"I should've known…"

"Princess, don't be like that, we all worked very hard on this, even Nadeshiko. And the chef baked the cake special for you and worked on it all morning. It's chocolate…"

Invidia looked at him.

"And we did spend all that money on your gifts and decorations, just to make it look nice for you. You wouldn't want all of that to go to waste, would you? And what if it was you and someone acted like this, how would you feel?"

"Angry, it would feel like they're not appreciative."

"Exactly, and that's how they all feel right now," Zordar said.

Invidia looked away from him with a guilty look.

"And besides, it's your birthday. You deserve a break, so come on; I'll even help make you pretty if you want…"

"Really?" Invidia asked hopefully.

Zordar nodded. "I'll find you a nice dress and help you with your hair, just wait…"

She did and he came back with a dress, and a few hair styling items. He sat on the bed, brushed out her hair, and then proceeded to curl the ends of it.

"Are you sure you can do it?" Invidia asked. "I mean, even Shamura has trouble and she actually uses one of these…"

"Sure, I used to do this for your mother, now hold still…"

She nodded and stayed still while he finished curling and even sprayed a bit of hairspray to make the curls stay in place. Then, he touched up her chipping nail polish and let her change.

When she came out Invidia wore a long, spaghetti-strap, blue dress with matching dark blue sandals and had even applied a little bit of makeup.

"You look nice, but it's missing something…" Zordar said.

"What do you mean 'missing something'? I look perfect," Invidia said.

"Almost," Zordar then opened a box he had brought up and placed a silver tiara on her head. He stepped back and nodded once. "There, now you're perfect."

Invidia went back into her closet and looked into her dressing mirror again. "I guess it does pull it all together," she said.

"Alright then, ready to go?"

Invidia nodded and he took her hand and led her back downstairs to the banquet room, where everyone was waiting.

As soon as he opened the door they all stood up and looked at Invidia.

"Wow…" Misa said.

"I didn't think he'd get her out here, nonetheless wearing the tiara…" Light said.

L turned to him and said. "Then you owe me five bucks."

Shamura ignored them and stepped toward Invidia. "Mistress, you look beautiful…who did your hair?"

"Father," Invidia replied.

"Really?"

Invidia nodded.

"Well it looks wonderful, and he even touched up your nail polish…"

"Okay we get it, she's stunning, can we just get to the cake?!" Mello asked.

Misa elbowed him while Shamura and Zordar shot him looks.

"It's fine," Invidia said. "I kind of want the cake too…" she admitted.

Shamura laughed for a brief moment while Zordar took Invidia's hand again and led her up to her 'throne.'

"First we're going to open your presents," Zordar told her. "Then we can eat."

Invidia nodded, and Shamura presented her present first.

"This is from me and my mother," she said.

"Thank you," Invidia said. Then, she carefully opened it and found a very nicely designed perfume bottle, but before saying anything she quickly smelled it, only to find that it, like a lot of her bath soaps, smelled like light lavender. "It's nice, I love it." she said.

"Misa's next!" Misa said as she came up. She gave Invidia a small black bag with a white ribbon around it. Invidia pulled out necklace with a sapphire gem in the middle. Around it were miniature sapphire and onyx gems.

"Wow…" she said. "It's…it's beautiful."

"I thought you'd like it." Misa smiled and L came up.

"Here, she made me get you something so…"

"Um…okay…" Invidia said, but she took it and opened it. It was a box of cherry-filled chocolates.

"I'm not sure if you eat them, but when I can't think of anything to get people, I just get them something I would like…"

"It's fine, I love these…Who's next?"

After that everyone else went through, and Invidia received quite a few nice gifts. Books from both Light and Dyre, a bottle of bath salts from Tamaro, a new pair of black slippers from Bleak, a purple off-the-shoulder shirt from Mello and Matt to which she gave them a look.

"Misa picked it out," Mello explained. "Because I wanted to get chocolate…"

"And I just wanted to look at video games," Matt admitted.

"Well, at least it's in my size…" She said as she opened Near's gift, which turned out to be…

"A doll?" Invidia asked.

"I'm like L, but since I know you don't play with toys like robots I got this."

"It's funny, but I like it, now I have something else for when I'm bored, thanks." She put it with her pile and turned to Zordar. "Where's yours, Father?"

Zordar took in a breath and went up. "Princess, this is from me and your mother."

"Mama?"

"She wanted me to give it to you when you were the right age, she said so when she was in the hospital, here." He gave her the blue box, which now had a black ribbon around it and watched her carefully open it.

"Father…It's Beautiful…" She said with happy tears in her eyes. It was a heart shaped locket with Sabera's birthstone in the middle, inside were pictures of her and Zordar from their wedding. One of her and one of him…

"I gave that to her for our second anniversary, and she wore it every day, until she gave it to me. She had always planned for this and planned to give you a letter with it herself, but when she got sick, she wrote this to you in the hospital, just in case" He handed her an envelope with her full name printed on it in a neat, fluent cursive.

She carefully opened it and read:

Dearest Invidia,

If you're reading this it means that your father has rightfully given you my special gift to you-a locket with our wedding picture in it. I also means that I have passed, and cannot be around (in body) to see you receive it. Back when I received it, it was the most precious thing in the world, next to you and I wore it every day. It helped me keep your father close to heart and I hope it helps you keep both of us with you always. Remember that I will always be in your heart no matter what happens and you'll always be in mine as I watch over you from above. I sincerely hope your father has raised you with enough love for both of us and has taught you everything you need to know for now. I am dearly sorry I cannot be around to see you receive such a precious gift, but remember that I am and always will be watching over you. Remember, people pass, but spirits do not and mine is in your heart for now and forever, just like yours is in mine.

Love forever,

Mama.

"I still have the original too, if you want it," Zordar said.

Invidia shook her head. "Now, not now." she said with a crack in her voice.

"Princess, are you alright?"

"I'm fine, it's just…she went through all this just for me. She wrote this on her deathbed just so she could reach me…It makes me happy but…still it…" She stopped as the tears clouded her eyes.

"Shush," Zordar hugged her. "I get it. It makes it feel like she really is here, and that somehow your bond feels stronger than ever, but…"

"Don't go any farther, just thank you. Thank you for going through the trouble to find this and to all of you for organizing the whole party, I love it. And Father?"

"Hm?"

"Put it on me, I want to see it…"

Zordar placed the necklace around her neck and Misa gave her a mirror.

"Now, she's with me always…in my heart and at hand…"

Everyone, except Matt, Mello and L, who just looked bored, smiled, and Shamura put a hand on Invidia's shoulder.

"Alright, now no more crying; it's your birthday…and we have a party to finish."

Invidia nodded and let them go to eat and talk and later eat cake, and as they did Invidia stepped toward a corner and looked up while holding her locket. "Mama," She whispered. "Thank you, I love you…"