Sabera’s Birthday, Teardrops and Blood

By: Ami Meitsu

December 12th is the birthday of the Comet Empire’s former Lady Sabera-princess, lover and mother. Sabera was Invidia’s mother-she died five months after Invidia was born, according to Zordar her body never recovered from the strain of giving birth to the child.And because of that, one of the Cometine Generals-General Turpis believes it’s Invidia’s fault, and always gets after her because of it, but they did kick him out of the penthouse, and basically put him out of the way-until now.

Anyway December 12th was a sad day for Invidia and her family, but mostly Invidia and her father, this was also one of three days she set out to visit her mother’s grave.

“Invidia?” Arty came up to her while she was reading, throughout the whole morning she has been a little depressed.

“Huh?” she looked up at him.

“Look, I can’t come with you to see your mother, something came up at the defense force and I have to go.”

“Oh, it’s all right” she told him “Akira and Ryou said they couldn’t come either.”

“Sorry, I would if I could but…”

“It’s no big deal” Invidia told him “I’ll be fine.”

“Okay” he nodded.

Later that afternoon she headed off to her mother’s grave site-alone, her father was busy as well.

“Hi Mama” she whispered when she knelt down.

And while she did in the distance, behind a tree was General Turpis. ‘ after she stands up, she’s gone’ he thought while watching her.

Invidia didn’t notice, she set up a picture of her mother and lit the incense she had set up. “I’m sorry I couldn’t bring everyone else with me, but Father says he’ll come later.” She whispered-she didn’t know why, but even though she never met her mother she enjoyed talking to her this way. “You know, Father says I’m just like you, and it makes me wish I had known you. He also says you’d be proud of me-I hope so, I mean I always thought you’d be more proud of me if I was still with the Comet Empire. But I’m happy here and I think that’s what counts the most.” She stayed that way for a couple minutes before getting up and placing a set of roses on the site. “I love you” she whispered.

“But I don’t love you.”

“Huh?” Invidia turned around to find General Turpis facing her, she backed up in fear.

“That’s right you should be afraid, but more importantly you should be slapped! You come here to show respect for the woman you killed?!”

“It’s isn’t my fault!” Invidia told him firmly.

“Stop lying to your self! You killed Sabera!” and with that he slapped her across the face. She fell to her knees, but she didn’t break down yet, she glared at him fiercely and stood back up.

“I did nothing, you know what you can go to hell!” then she swung around and punched him-hard, once he was down on the ground she flipped him onto his back and pulled his arm back. “You call me a demon but what about you? Can’t you get over it? It’s been 20 years!” she slammed her foot down on his back.

“You little…” he muttered, and then he reached back and pulled her foot off of his back, brining her down, once he got up he picked her up by the front of her dress. “Don’t talk to me that way **!"

She took this chance to punch him in the gut-hard. He dropped her and glared at her form his position on the ground.

“Don’t look at me that way-you deserved it” Invidia told him.

“Why you…Come here!” he threw his arm out and grabbed her wrist, scratching her in the process. She whimpered in pain and he smiled slyly.

“Back off” she muttered.

“I don’t think so” he tightened his grip. She whimpered again.

‘I can’t do this…I have to fight back’ Invidia though, then she took her free hand and punched him in the stomach again.

He grunted and let her go. She glared at him some more, and was too busy to notice the blood running down from her wrist.

“You little **!” he yelled, and then he stood up and slapped her again. She fell to the ground and he grabbed her by her hair. He held her long tresses of black hair in his hand-and swung her back and forth. Then he pulled her head up a bit-she gasped as tears began to form in her eyes. “Stop trying to be tough! You’re weak! A weak little ******! You know very well that it’s your fault! You killed Sabera!” Invidia gasped again and he pushed her head down a little. By this time she had given up and just burst into tears, she was nothing but a dirty, beat up mess. “I thought you’d get it!” Turpis yelled and threw her over to the side, then he walked over and kicked her left side-hard. After that he walked off.

Invidia stayed on the ground for awhile, whimpering and crying. ‘Why can’t he just get over it? It’s not my fault, he was always jealous and he turns out that built up anger on me…why?’ After a couple minutes she got up but she fell again-the pain on her side was ailing her. She placed her hand over it and got up again, her dress was dirty and ripped in one or two places, she had blood trickling down her right hand from the gash right above her wrist, and she was pretty sure she had bruises in several places. After she got up she started heading back to the apartment building-staggered actually.

When she got up to her floor she unlocked and tried to sneak in the door, she figured Arty would be back by now and didn’t want him to see her like this.

“Invidia?” Arty called from the kitchen when he heard her come in.

“Yes?” she asked.

“Hey” he said as he entered the living room.

She turned the other way.

“What’s wrong?” Arty asked, to him she sounded worried and a little frightened.

“Nothing” she shook her head.

“You sure?” he then took his arms and wrapped them around her waist.

“Ow!” she whined, Turpis kicked her harder than she thought.

“Invidia? What’s wrong?” he turned her around and looked her over, and then he noticed the blood trickling down from her wrist onto her hand. “Your arm’s bleeding” he took it and pushed her sleeve up to see where she had been cut. “What happened?”

“I…I mean General Turpis…he…he…” she gave up and burst into tears, then ran into Arty’s arms.

“Invidia…” he said as she cried.

She looked up at him sadly.

‘I thought we got rid of him’ Arty thought then he pushed Invidia back gently. “Look at you-go take a shower.”

“Huh?” Invidia asked.

“Go, it’ll clean you up and hopefully calm you down.”

She nodded and headed to the bathroom.

‘What’s his problem?’ Invidia asked herself as she stepped into the shower, she let the hot water run off of her and wash off the blood on her arm, it stung her cuts-but it did clean them. “Why? Why does he have to do this?” she whispered as she looked at the gash on her wrist.

About 20 minutes later she sat with Arty-not in one of her regular dresses, but in her nightgown. It was like regular dresses-except without the high collar or cloak, and it was all black.

“Gimme your arm” he said.

She held it out to him and he sprayed something on it, she immediately pulled her arm away “Ow!” she whined.

“Invidia…” Arty said firmly and too her arm again, she cringed as he sprayed her again.

He had already looked her over and knew where she hurt the most, and how badly he had gotten her.-Now he was planning revenge.

“He attacked me and my hair feels like it was attacked by a vacuum” she muttered.

“You poor thing, you’re just hurt all over” he said as he got behind her and began to brush her hair.

“Ow!” she told him, he kept pulling it.

“Sorry” he said and started to brush it more gently.

Invidia sighed “I’m tired” she muttered.

“I’m not surprised” Arty said as he put her red and black hairbrush down.

“Good night” she said and leaned back into him.

“Not here!” he told her then he picked her up and carried her into their bedroom. “You get some rest” he told her as he placed her on the bed.

She nodded and layed down, Arty smiled at her gently-she was being so cute! He kissed her on the forehead and left.

‘Turpis will get what’s coming to him’ Arty thought.

TO BE CONTINUED…