Three Shells Paradise

The cost of love

It was a small victory and had livened up everybody's spirits. Roff thanked the villagers and then everybody got busy attacking the cooky jar.
Sia went into the barn and came back with her baby brother. One look into his eyes and everybody was in love with him. He just seemed perfect and nobody could have enough of him. They were busy taking turns and holding him.
He seemed to be enjoying all the attention and looked like he had a small grin on his cute dimply face.
Sia screamed all of a sudden. She told them that The Ape King was at the front of the troops. This time they were not just a small bunch but an entire battalion with a lot of ballistics and modern weaponry that could clean an entire country in minutes. Everybody was determined to go down fighting.
Gia went and stood outside the cottage at the sound of the troops marching in. Just as Sia had predicted, Gibbs was in the forefront. Dressed in his regal green armor, he was a sight of terror. He recognized his mom and ran to her. He hugged her, after so many years he had never hoped to see her again. Not when he was told that she was dead.
He let her go when she told him that his armor was hurting her. And sure enough, her skin was all red and blue in some places.
Sia then went out with the little baby in her arms. Roff and Orla ran out behind her.
Gibbs saw the baby and was furious, how did they have the baby. He had made sure nobody did or could that year, the year of the 9s. He took his dagger out as he strode to the baby. Gia tried to stop him. Orla let out a cry.
Roff was still in shock. That day was like an overdose of everything. His plane crashed, then he nearly died because of the booby traps, when he thought he was dead, he met his fairy godmother, then Orla told him that she is the guru's daughter and so is Sia who he thought was their first born. Sia is a seer, Rial was outnumbered by villagers, Gibbs was about to kill his new born baby. Phew! What a day to die!
He wanted to throw himself before Gibbs but stopped Midway. He was perhaps too late as he heard the sound of metal hit the ground with a dull clang. He was stung by the sight of Gibbs rubbing the little baby's dimpled cheeks. The dagger was on the ground. Gibbs seemed so happy. He wanted to hold the baby.
It was nothing short of magical.
Gia reminded him of his hurtful armor and he quite readily had it removed. He had the boy in his arms. Roff who was about to slit Gibbs throat a while ago was a statue now. Orla was trying to get the baby back and was cursing Sia for handing Gibbs the baby. Gia asked him to come inside. Just the family, the troop could stay outside. The troops were confused yet waited patiently for their command.
Orla pulled at Gibbs collar and looked into eyes and asked him "did I ever even speak to you, let alone promise to marry you? When did I consent to marry you? When I never even spoke to you, how did you conclude that I cheated you? How? And all this while I thought you just were always jealous of your friend."
She was bellowing at him.
Gibbs looked at her and said, "You are a liar. Remember the day when we were on the space program. I asked you what it would take to be with you always and you had written back "ditch him. Choose me over him"
Orla looked shocked. I didn't come with you on the program. I had classes with Mata Shyla and when I joined the program two days later, I found that you were meddling with a flight suit. But since I had broken my glasses, I had to leave.
On returning to base camp somebody told Guru that Roff hadn't returned. I told Guru that I saw you meddle with a suit. When he found out that you had sent Roff out to earth he asked me if I could retrieve him. As I had taken the course but not the test in the previous term and this was a refresher, I took the challenge and went there. From what I saw there, nobody could do something as inhuman as you. You sent him to the Sahara desert. Left him to die of hunger, heat and thirst, if not a meal for the vultures and snakes.
Gibbs: In my defense I only spun the knob at random.
"All for a girl?" Piped in Roff. "I never knew YOU did that."
Gibbs: Why your wife never told you.?
Orla: No she did not. Want to know why because my husband still loves his best friend so much that he still has his picture close to his heart. Check him if you want.

And sure enough, the picture Roff had placed in his pocket right before he had switched on the self destruct high up in the sky, was plucked out of its cosy corner.
Gibbs: In spite of all this that I did to you and your family? ... Roffy.
Roff: Despite all that you were my best and only buddy.
He hugged him. Gibbsy.
Sia went out with the baby again and showed him to the soldiers. One by one, they looked at him and smiled. They were all on his side now.
Anybody who saw the baby smile was getting mesmerized by his looks. Orla had found a way to make anyone who had a look at the little baby to like him and safeguard him immediately. It was a self defense Gene that she had introduced into him. She just didn't have the chance and courage to test it. But now she knew.
Gibbs: You say you didn't get on the program with us, then who was it in the skirt? I read your name on the list.
Orla: As I said, I was supposed to be there to increase my number of hours, but Mata Shyla called me for extra classes and I had to skip this one. Only on the return trip did I realize that I had feelings for Roff.
"It was mutual" piped in Roff. "On our return, I approached Guru Hira and asked him if he could bless us as I wanted to marry her. He gave us his blessings and as a token gave us these bands." He pointed at the ring on his finger. It had a very unique shape, but one wouldn't expect Guru Hira to give anything ordinary now, would you?
Gibbs sat at the table looking dejected. He had nurtured so much of hatred for his best friend, he never once took a pause.
Gibbs: You sought his blessings right away? You never told me.

Roff: Guru told me that if I said anything about the trip to earth and back, the space program might come under scrutiny and might even get closed. So I never told you much.
Gibbs: You kept quiet for 6 years.
Roff: Yup, until we finished school and college and got a job and sought our parents blessings, we couldn't tell anyone else. Moreover I was a bit angry too, you never told me anything about Rial, now did you?
Gibbs: What about Rial? Where does she enter the conversation?

"Yeah? Where does she enter the conversation? I was there with you always but you, you never ever saw me. I thought if I could get rid of Roff you would have the time to be with me. But no, I am where I always was. I was the one who sent you notes, messages, but you, you would come back and talk to me about Orla. Orla this Orla that. Initially I was amused but now I'm just FURIOUS."
She broke his helmet that was on the table with her bare fist and thundered, "I've had enough of this. Here I am all alone and you at the helm of war you decide to have a get together with YOUR family and YOUR friends? I spent all my life in making you the King you were destined to be, but you are just an APE. You were an Ape before and looks like you will always be an Ape.
I dethrone you."

She went out and announced herself to the army standing at command.
From here on I am the Queen of 3Shells Paradise.
[To know what happens next and how Gibbs and Roff tackle Rial, please keep reading and vote if you care.]