//------------------------------// // STR Alleles // Story: meanwhile...: Tales of the Berylverse // by Shinzakura //------------------------------// In the famed 16th Arrondissement of Paris, stood a wealthy home, just like most of the others. An ancient and well-tended country manor, with acres around it and a gated fence, stood, just as proud as so many of the other homes in the area, the residences of the wealthiest and most powerful of France. Banners blew in the chilly late autumn breeze and the snow fell, flickering in the moonlight. Soon, the sun would rise, shining another day on the French nation and the owners of this house – Prince Noblesse Oblige and his wife Séduire, the Heir-in-Pretense to the Throne of the Empire of France. At the moment, however, the house was somewhat alive with action, even at five in the morning. Noblesse, dapper despite being up at a ridiculous hour, sat on the couch, looking over some documents. His long blonde hair was tied back in a ponytail and draped over his sweater, while the prince looked more like a studious businessman at the moment. He said nothing, but instead continued to look at the paperwork. His wife, Séduire, looked more like how she felt. Though the princess and former actress looked impeccable, her long sea-green and turquoise hair and fair skin as beautiful and alluring as her name, her coral eyes radiated exhaustion and her hands were shaking as she took another drag from a cigarette. «Ces salauds l’ont fait vivre l’enfer,» she said sadly. «Ils ne méritent pas de partir si légèrement.» Seated across from them, also taking a smoke, a man with wavy blond hair and cerise-colored eyes looked at the princess. He opened his mouth to say something, then shook his head, chuckling. “I swear, after all this time, I still can’t understand Froggie. Soli’s probably going to give me shit for that, since it’s high past time that I should have learned it.” Noblesse laughed, clearly a needed balm for the current tension. “Zephyr, you’re an idiot.” Zephyr Breeze leaned back on the couch. “Yeah, maybe, but at least your sister loves me.” At the moment, the trio were discussing matters of import. Because of his connections, Noblesse had been peripherally involved in a case that had very recently done damage to the government of the neighboring country, Belgium. As the head of security for the House of Bonaparte as well as the fiancée of Princess Solaire, Zephyr was also involved. They had expected the case to be a slog, but the crime had shocked Europe enough that the king of Belgium himself had demanded swift action be taken and as a result, several members of the Belgian parliament were now facing crimes ranging from child trafficking to far worse than that. It had spared several young people from having to give testimony that would have roiled Brussels even worse than the mere accusations. And so now, with the case surprisingly winding down so fast, it was time for the next part of Zephyr and Noblesse’s duty to commence: one that they had both promised to do. An action, that, admittedly, was causing Noblesse’s wife no great amount of distress. Aware of his still-confounding inability to speak French, Séduire said, “And you’re sure of this, Zephyr?” “I wouldn’t be here this early in the morning if I wasn’t, Sédi, you know that.” Zephyr set his own cigarette down while he reached for a coffee cup that had been refilled by a nearby maid a few seconds ago. “Embassy called me about an hour ago, and because of the sensitivity of this case and the interest from the State Department, well, it got my ass up.” He reached in a jacket pocket, producing a USB drive. “This was sent by courier just before I left my place. It’s got the official information on it.” Séduire looked at the drive. “And the printouts?” “Probably a little too complex for you.” She smiled. “You forget – before I was an actress, I was a biogenetics student at the Sorbonne. You’d be surprised what’s ‘complex’ for me.” In response, he chuckled and reached into his jacket again, pulling out a manilla envelope, handing it to her. Noblesse looked at Zephyr. “This is not going to be easy for us, you know.” “I know. And honestly? I don’t like doing it, either. We just avoided going through hell in a handbasket and a ton of red tape given the current legal situation,” Zephyr pointed out. “And now to add a new dimension to it? I’m a father, Nob. I get how this shit goes. But because I’m a father, I know that if I were going to be in this situation, I would want to make this as easy as possible.” The prince agreed. “Which is why you got my niece to do your dirty work for you?” “She’s the one that got us into this, if I may remind you.” Noblesse nodded, sinking back into his chair. “Merde. What a fucking world.” A girl in a bedroom was awoken by the gentle knock on the door. Sitting up in bed, it took her a few seconds to remember not to respond in Dutch, but instead in French. «Tu peux l’ouvrir, je suis reveille,» she said, biting off a yawn. The girl then looked at herself in the mirror: a fresh-faced girl with clear blue eyes and long eminence-colored hair, slightly on the messy side due to bedhead. Fortunately for her, a familiar face poked her head in. “Heya, I came to swing by.” Seltenheit was suddenly wide awake and brightened by the appearance of her benefactor and savior. It had been Sunset Shimmer and her twin sister that had helped her when she had no one else to turn to, and though the older sister hadn’t been seen much as of late, the younger one had been a constant fixture in her life since. Needless to say, Seltenheit adored Shimmer and if she had to admit it, probably had a slight crush on the flame-haired girl, though it never went beyond ardor. Besides, Seltenheit had more than enough “experience” with clients of her own gender and she was pretty sure she was heterosexual anyway. “Hey,” Shimmer said, standing at the door. “I know it’s early.” Seltenheit looked at the clock. “It’s 6:30 on a Sunday, Shimmy. Of course it’s bloody early. But come in!” “Good.” The door swung wide open and a maid followed Shimmer, with a tray of various continental breakfast foods. “I’m not going to be one to drink a whole pot of hot chocolate by myself.” Shimmer went over to sit down next to the younger girl while the maid prepped everything for the pair. “So what brings you here, not that I mind?” The smile vanished from Shimmer’s face. “About that. Zeph got information this morning from the US Embassy. They’ve confirmed the STR allele testing and…they found your father.” Seltenheit looked on in shock. “But they said—!” “I know. One in a million chance,” Shimmer said, flashing a quick grin. “Like a princess of a French dynasty that just also happens to be a typical American high school girl.” If Seltenheit hadn’t been awake before, she was now. “So what do you know? Was my mum telling me the truth? Is he really who she said he was?” Shimmer put her hands up. “Wait, Selty, wait – I don’t know much; Zeph and Uncle Noblesse are downstairs going over the paperwork. But Zeph did tell me that yes, your father is American, and that the STR allele test confirmed it within 94% accuracy. Anything else, I don’t know and I’m not sure he does, either.” “Or you’re not telling me?” “I would if I could, you know that. But don’t worry about that. Right now we’re going to have breakfast, and then I’m going to go downstairs with you so that you won’t be alone.” Seltenheit fell quiet again and as Shimmer nodded to the maid to dismiss her, said, “Are you okay?” “No.” The weight of realization hit the young girl like a ton of bricks. “I just realized I’m going to be tossed out of home again. I just…I just got used to living here with your aunt and uncle during the trial and it feels like home – a real home. And now you’re telling me that soon I’ll be off again, to see a man who I’ve never met before, whose existence I only know about because my mum used to tell me about him so that it sounded like a fairy tale?” She gestured to herself, though the words coming out of her mouth were clearly quoted: “‘Je bent een dierbaar kind en je vader kijkt van verre naar je. Hij kan hier niet zijn omdat hij een beroemde Amerikaanse beroemdheid is, maar toch geeft hij erom.’ She used to tell me that all the time.” “And you’re worried they’ll think lesser of you because of what you had to endure?” Shimmer shook her head. “Trust me, if you’re worried about what they’ll think of you just because of what you had to go through to survive? It doesn’t matter. You’re Selty. You’re not what they think you are. And they might not even think that. Plus, you have someone on your side.” “If I go, I’ll be alone.” “Never.” Shimmer shook her head. “I’m always a phone call or email away. Plus, if you’re ever in trouble, just remember: my sister lives in the US. And if you trust me and think I’ll always be there for you, Sunny’s even better at it than I am.” “Really?” “Trust me – it’s like magic how she does it,” Shimmer said with a soft laugh. “Besides, you might be worrying over nothing. Right now, all that we know is that they’ve identified him. We don’t know anything else, much less even if you’ll have to live with him. It may be all for nothing, you know. But you won’t know until you go downstairs and talk to Zeph and Uncle Noblesse.” “Okay,” Seltenheit said, nervously. “I’ll do it.” “Good. I had faith you would,” Shimmer said. “But first, let’s eat breakfast and get you dressed. It’s going to be a long day. First we have to talk to them, and then afterwards we’re going shopping.” “Oh?” Shimmer nodded. “I had planned to hit the stores today with my friends and I think they won’t mind if you tag along. Especially if you can keep Lil from being a goofball.” About an hour later, Shimmer and Seltenheit came downstairs, the latter holding onto the former’s arm for comfort. Letting go of Shimmer’s arm, she curtsied, as per protocol. «Bonjour, Votre Altesse, M. Breeze.» Séduire grinned. “Even she can speak French, Zephyr. What is your excuse?” “Being American, what else?” Zephyr replied with a laugh. “Oh, and I’m not the only American here.” He held up the paperwork. “We got the information this morning, kiddo, signed sealed and delivered.” The room’s eyes fell on the Seltenheit, who suddenly felt very nervous. “Does that mean…?” “It means that we found out who your father is. Privacy laws get in the way for the moment, so I don’t know all the details, but apparently he’s still alive, he lives on the West Coast and the State Department is probably planning to talk to him soon as possible, if they haven’t already.” Seltenheit looked up at Séduire, then at Noblesse, and then finally at Zephyr. All of a sudden, she felt alone, and afraid. She’d been living here under the care of the prince and princess and had hoped that she had finally found a home, free of what she’d been turned into. That she’d found friends she could trust and a life to call her own. And now all of that was being thrown aside and she was being shipped off. In many ways, it was worse than when she found out her mother had died and to cover her funeral costs she would have to…. Instinctively, Séduire got up and embraced her. “You are very brave for enduring this, mon petite. It would have broken someone not as strong as you, but you have persevered.” Noblesse nodded. “I know you are brave enough to face this. You have faced so much more and you are not at fault for what they did to you. The fact that you have recovered from that and moved forward is a testament to your strength.” Zephyr looked at her, and for a moment, she thought to hear something similar from him. But he smiled and said, “Y’know, you remind me of my kid sister, Fluttershy. I remember when I was just a college student, and she was this wee thing – knee-high to a grasshopper and all of that. I took her to Six Flags for the weekend because I didn’t get to see her enough. And she freaked out – six-year-old kid in Atlanta; you’d think she’d’ve seen it all! But no, she freaked and didn’t want to get on some of the rides. I had to tell her then that she needed to be brave, because if she wasn’t, well….” He took a drag from his cigarette, then continued. “There’s an old saying: you get over the regrets for the things that you did in time. But the things that you don’t do? You never get over that and they’ll haunt you forever. “Kid, I know you’re scared. You have every right to be. All your life, you’ve known just your mother, and then she was cruelly taken away from you. The guy who should’ve protected you instead used you and nearly ruined your life. And now, you found some semblance of normalcy, and now some stranger you’ve never met might possibly take it all away.” He nodded in understanding. “I get that, I really do. And I know what Shimmy and my kids mean to you and the friends that you’ve made in the short time. You almost feel human again. “But I know this much. Somewhere out there is a man who didn’t even know he had a daughter. Maybe he’s single, or maybe he’s got a wife, or who knows? But I know this, since I’m a father myself: I would never be able to look myself in the eye if I knew I had a daughter and I wasn’t able to reach out to her, especially if she needed me. If I was a parent to other children, what could I say? If I had a spouse, what would I tell them? What kind of person does that make me? “Your father…likely, he’s taking a chance. Because you need him…and because he needs you. I know you’re afraid. I know you’re comfortable here and I’m sure Nob and Sédi would be happy to have you stay. But…you won’t be the girl that you need to be if you do. You’ll be someone else, someone who will always have a hole in her heart, because there will always be an unanswered question.” The girl looked at the three adults, then at the place she had called home for the past few weeks. A few months before that, she’d been a well-kept, if underage, mistress for an influential Belgian politician. And before that, she had lived in a peaceful poverty with her mother, ever wondering if the truth about her father being a “big-shot American football player” was true. Now…she would find out. The Corral, located in the suburb of Round Mountain, was where the Canterlot Stallions had their training grounds. With the latest season having started up, the team was eagerly at work, pushing themselves to the limits while they readied themselves for Monday’s game against Seattle. The field was filled with motion and reaction, suicide runs and tackle gear, and as he stood in front of the windows, watching the team go through their paces, he almost felt as though he was back on the field again, suited in the familiar white, gold and maroon of the Stallions’ uniforms. He shook his head and chuckled. No, those days were behind him now. Now, he had to deal with his job as a sportswriter for Sports Illustrated, with an occasional side job as a commentator on ESPN. Though he kept himself in as good a shape as possible, he was no longer the young buck who could slam into the oncoming defensive line with the best of them. No, that was for the young guys like Hard Crash or Steamroller, guys who were made for the job just like he was so long ago. But for now, he could remember. He could be content being here in his own way. Even if it meant interviewing Stallions’ head coach Forward Thrust instead of suiting up and hitting the field. He chuckled; at least they could both reminisce about the time they faced off against each other in the Super Bowl. “Excuse me, may I have a moment of your time?” He turned to see a person coming towards him, dressed in a business suit instead of the typical windbreaker, polo and slacks that served as the unofficial uniform for non-player members of the Stallions organization. The fact that he was in a suit likely meant he was from the front office, and so there was likely some business involved. “I take it Thrust’s gonna be late for our interview?” he asked. The man looked at him oddly, then seemed to realize something. “Oh, that – no, I don’t know anything about that, I’m afraid.” The man pulled out an ID badge. “My name is Global Outlook, and I work for the US Bureau of Consular Affairs. I actually came looking for you. Your wife said I would find you here.” The sportswriter blinked. “Me?” A second later it came to him. “Oh, wait – is this about the article I wrote last year about the potential doping scandal in the CFL? Because really, most of my information came from Canadian sources. I can give you my contact at the CBC, if you need further details.” “Oh, I’m not from the Department of Justice. The BCA is a State Department gig.” “Then why…?” “Like I said, I’m from the BCA. Specifically, our Office of Childrens’ Affairs.” “Childrens’ affairs?” “Yes. I have some information for you, that we’ve recently uncovered. If you’ll follow me, I’ve arranged for the use of the teams’ conference room while I debrief you.” Hondo Flanks followed the man, completely confused as to why he wanted to speak to him. An hour later, he wished he never had.