Spirits: The Tragedy of Mars

The Deal

"Come on into the cave, Mars." Jupiter beckoned me inside his room. I hesitated due to the odor, but I knew the quicker I got in the quicker I'd be able to come out. What used to be my old bedroom that I shared with him in childhood, turned into an adolescent nightmare. All over the walls were intricate and elaborate drawings of scantily clad or naked females, well one female in particular: Luna. I found it disgusting that he'd obsessively lust over her the way he did.

"Jup, why did you bring me here? While your drawings are very good, they are repulsive in nature."

"Oh, I didn't think you'd notice them. Well, Mars I brought you here to ask for some... advice."

"What kind of advice?" I queried. Jupiter proceeded to gesture his entire room.

"Girl advice! I'm in love with Luna but she doesn't reciprocate my feelings. I don't know what to do to win her heart. You've had Gaia since we were children, but I haven't had anyone."

When Jupiter confessed this to me, I then realized that I wasn't alone in the running for king. I didn't think Jupiter heard any of my discussion with my father, but if I helped him, his chances of becoming king would increase. I had to do something to help him, hell, we were brothers. Besides, if I wanted to be on friendly terms with him after six years of antipathy, I knew that I should swallow my pride and help him. However, I knew Luna had no such feeling for Jupiter when we were children, let alone in that current moment that he had turned into the lustrous monster that he was.

Luna had always been a person to admire and love intelligence, integrity, and drive, which was unusual in my society. Jupiter possessed none of those qualities, especially since his downfall. I had a feeling that it might take awhile for Luna to find a perfect suitor. I don't blame her, she had very high expectations, as did her parents. However, for my brother's sake, I was willing to bother her with another potential suitor. I hadn't kept in touch with her in a couple years. She had gotten busy with school, she was the brightest royal I knew. Even smarter than Gaia. With all this amazement, how the actual hell was I supposed to make Jupiter a superior option for her?

I looked Jupiter dead in the eyes and said, "Well, Jupiter... I want you to tell me everything you know about Luna. Her qualities, what she likes to do, her family and their kingdom. Everything you know, even if I might find it creepy."

"She's agonizingly beautiful. I can't help getting aroused by the curvature of her body. She's also way smarter than me, she went to Deltz University, the best university in her entire kingdom to pursue a degree in astronomy. She wishes to know about the universe and how it works, and what we as Vivacians can do to prolong the good fortune we have on this blessed planet, and if there is life anywhere else. She got very invested in what all of the kingdoms of Vivace did when we planted the Seeds of Life on Caesura, and she hopes to one day explore Caesura herself to study the meek life that will one day evolve into whatever they'll become. She's making incredible discoveries of Vivace itself, and causing a breakthrough in scientific knowledge throughout the entire planet. She's absolutely brilliant. And of her family, she comes from the wealthiest of all the kingdoms on Vivace, Soprano. Her father, the king, has helped foster her love of science, as he was the one who came up with the idea of the Seeds of Life. Her mother, while strict, gave Luna her ability to have pride in herself and have high expectations of who she should let into her perfect life. I don't know how she feels towards her parents, especially her mother since she died, but I know that all she wants to do is make Vivace a better place, and hell, she's doing it."

"You seem to be... very passionate about her, Jupiter. How long have you had feelings for her?"

"Ever since we were children. I remember the day I first met her when we were like five. Dad was having some kind of meeting with all of the rulers of the planet and the first time we all played together. She was so shy and meek, it was absolutely adorable, but she seemed to be intimidated by me especially. I feel bad for being such a jerk to her when we were young children, because I think that caused her to feel the opposite way I intended for her to feel towards me. I always made fun of her glasses, the way she dressed, and how she was cautious, but looking back on it now... those were the best things about her. They are the best things about her. I got madder at her as we got into early teenagehood because she wasn't doing what I wanted her to do. My judgment was in a poor place at the time, but I really haven't gotten much better. I can't stand the way I think of her now, when she's got so much more to her than just her tits and her ability to produce more young. I can't stand the person I've become... but I see no positive ends for me to changing myself. Nor do I see any means to change or reasons to change. I need to change in order to win her heart, but I'm stuck in this paradox of wanting to be genuine in my new self to be able to love myself and wanting everything that I once destroyed in my old self to be loved once again by others."