Eek'e', make my wish come true
The Wakandan kids and Talokanil kids gather by the river, gazing at the sky eagerly. The night air was drumming with their bubbling anticipation as the kids chartered around enthusiastically, through kimoyo beads to translate or either using hand and body language, as the language barrier couldn't even stop them from expressing their excitement to see a shooting star for the first time.
The Wakanda Design Group predicted there's a meteor shower days ago and a shooting star would occur right in Wakanda's sky. They informed the queen and Shuri had some ideas when Toussaint once asked her what a shooting star is.
So, she gathered the children among tribes and asked if they wanted to see a shooting star. All of them said yes .
And how are the Talokanil kids here too? Shuri was setting up a campfire spot that guarantees the best view of the shooting star. That is when Namor showed up to discuss the ocean barriers project they had intended to deploy this week and bumped into her. She told him about the shooting star and setting up the place for the kids and something in his mind popped.
"When will the next shooting star occur?" he asked.
"Not in the coming future, unfortunately… This is my first time seeing a shooting star too, so I wanted the children to witness it." And she'll be filming it down and sending the footage to her nephew in Haiti later.
"Hmm, I've never seen a shooting star before…" Namor fidgets his fingers nervously, who would have thought a god who's been alive for 500 years never seen a shooting star?
Shuri cocks her eyebrows at him, slightly catching up to his words. Well, she wouldn't really mind… It's been more than a year since they established their nation's alliance and they've been both working hard to strengthen it, for the sake of Wakanda and Talokan. So…
"If you want to join us, Namor… just come?" Shuri offers, it wouldn't hurt a thing to have him here.
"Is this an invitation from the queen?" Namor grins.
"No." she deadpans.
Namor chuckles, "I was thinking…" Shuri crosses her arms, nodding her head to tell him to continue.
"My children have never seen a shooting star before either. Well, most of them never come to the surface until they die." Shuri watches as the Feathered Serpent God shrugs, his expression softened at the mention of his children, his people. As he gazes at the clear night sky, it's been a peaceful year, Namor longs for it to last.
Shuri had made up her mind.
"Nam- K'uk'ulkan, Queen Shuri of Wakanda, the Black Panther would like to invite you and your children to watch the shooting star tomorrow, here."
Namor looked at Shuri with slight surprise. An unconscious smile curved on his lips.
"I promise, Wakanda is a safe place… for your people to set foot on…" Shuri's eyes shine with determination. Both children from both nations are setting the stars tomorrow.
Namor replied after a few heartbeats, "I'm honoured to receive the invitation, Black Panther." They both let out a relieved sigh.
"So, you need any help, princess?" His eyes glistened in hope.
And here they were. Waiting to see the shooting star.
"My queen, when are the shooting stars coming???" A little boy from the river tribe tugs at her dress, swaying adorably.
"Soon, umntwana, you better keep your eyes on the sky~" Shuri ruffles his hair.
"K'uk'ulkan! Tu'ux yaan. Beet u Eek'e' k'uchul asab séeb!" -Where is it? Make the star come faster!- A little girl in a blue and red robe, wearing a smaller rebreather as she tugs at Namor's robes, demanding to see the star now.
"Ten taj muk'óolal, waal mía, Eek'e' tal in wilech, tu prometo." -Be patient, my child, the star is coming to see you, I promise.- Namor smiles at her. Although some of his people didn't see eye to eye on the idea, the children were delighted and most of them were brave enough to come to the surface with him.
"Gather around me, children," Shuri said and GRIOT does the translation for her too, beckoning the Talokanil children. Namor stood behind the children as he mirrored them, looking at the queen with curiosity.
"So, do you all know how a shooting star occurs?"
"No!" "Hayi~" "Ma'."
And Shuri started explaining it in a child-friendly way.
"So, a shooting star is a small debris from space, such as dust or rocks, that enters Earth's atmosphere and burns up due to friction with the air. This creates a brief, bright streak of light in the sky and that's how a shooting star occurs." All the children nodded nonchalantly, seemingly not interested in listening to her scientific explanation except Namor, who smirks at her wasted effort.
"Now, here comes the amazing part!" She raises her eyebrows at him. Watch me.
"These fleeting streaks of light were believed as messages or signs from the gods," and the Talokanil children quickly look to their god, not agreeing with the Black Panther's saying. Namor is amused.
"Does he make a bright streak of light across the ocean? I'm not talking about the sun tho~" and the Talokanil children agreed with her and continued to listen. Namor is amused again. She charms the children as easily as he breathes on land.
"And making a wish while a shooting star passed was seen as a way to communicate a desire or request to the divine. Our wishes will be carried like messages on the ocean currents, guided by the celestial lights."
"The shooting stars hold the promise of dreams waiting to be fulfilled. So, when you spot a shooting star streaking across the sky—" Shuri holds her tongue, and every small eye is hooked on her, except Namor. Smiling as knowing the tale, he had heard it before, from his mother.
"Making a wish might increase the chances of it coming true!! So children, make a wish~!" Shuri points at the sky, and all of them turn around, including Namor, as they spot a few bright streaks of light shooting across the clear night sky. It kept coming, like how they were being wished upon—
It was rare and magical. And the riverside erupted into chaos. Children squealing and jumping everywhere, the Talokanil children rushed into the water as they cast their wishes upon the cosmic waves. As if the ocean's waves carried their whispers, secrets and dreams, being translated into celestial language and flying up to the sky.
"You're not making a wish?" Shuri records the magical scene, sending it to Toussaint and Nakia later.
Namor stares at all the children, no matter Wakandan or Talokanil pointing at the sky, giggling and smiling at each other, despite their differences, and also, showing just how alike they are.
Beneath the night sky, he extended his hand towards Shuri through courtesy, Namor's eyes fixed on the shooting stars above.
"May our nations thrive in peace and prosperity, and may our children grow up strong, in happiness and in health."
Namor murmured softly under his breath as he looked at Shuri.
Shuri smiles as she takes Namor's hand and repeats after him gently, as they gazed at the fallen stars.
"May our nations thrive in peace and prosperity, and may our children grow up strong, in happiness and in health... And may the alliance between Wakanda and Talokan pave the way for long-lasting peace ." Shuri whispers.
As she looked at Namor, they exchanged a smile that offered a deep sense of relief as they watched the children smiling for the rest of the night.
Three months later
Everyone was startled as their queen, Shuri suddenly felt nauseous during the discussion, she stood up quickly and walked to the side to vomit. Ayo and Aneka flanked her protectively while M'Baku started barking, "Our queen is sick!! Get her to the med bay before she dies!!"
Aneka hits him in the feet with her spear as Ayo escorts her to the lab, Aneka and M'Baku tailing them worriedly. Passing by everyone, she dismissed them drowsily, "That's it for today, thank you, everyone—"
She nodded to Namor when she passed by him, and he looked at her with concern, nodding back as if to say,
If anything happens to the Black Panther, the Feathered Serpent God and Talokan will stand with Wakanda.
"GRIOT, run scans on the queen! Quick! You are a dangerous killing machine!" M'Baku urges.
"Don't insult my AI, M'Baku. And get out of my lab- You are giving me more headaches here!!" Shuri tried to sound playful, but the sudden discomfort really dragged her down.
"No offense taken, M'Baku, my, my, would you like me to show you if I were capable as a killing machine?" GRIOT jokes with him, sending the apeman off in a frenzy.
"You frightened him, GRIOT!" Shuri told Aneka and Ayo to bring him out and leave her alone. She can look after herself.
"What is it, GRIOT? Is it low blood sugar or have I contracted an illness?"
"Shuri, my, my, isn't this extraordinary?" Okay, she had fed GRIOT too many movies lately, "Stop talking like David from Prometheus, GRIOT— What is it?" So she could come up with medical treatment to get rid of it and get going.
"My queen, you are pregnant."
"WHAT THE FUCKKKKK—?!?!?!?!" Shuri exclaimed.
"...You what-??????" Namor steps into the lab, he comes to check on her and catch the last word.
"GRIOT! THIS IS NOT THE TIME FOR JOKES!!!" Shuri shouts in disbelief.
"Who's the father?" Namor hides his jealousy with a curious tone as much as he can.
"No! I didn't sleep with anyone so I can't be pregnant!" Shuri glared at him.
"Princess Shuri, the fetus is 3 months old, and you might want to see this…" GRIOT flicks the ultrasound scan to Shuri's eye level. She stares at it— along with Namor.
There was indeed a baby… and something else…
There are weird shadows around the fetus's… little feet… it looks like—
Wings…
Shuri looks at the scan, horrified at the idea popping up in her very own brain, she looks at the scan and—
She looks at Namor, horrified by the assumption. She looks at his winged ankles, to the scan, and back to him…
Namor looks at her shocked face, looking together at the scan, to his winged ankles, and back to her… and peeks at the ultrasound scan… the shadow around the fetus's probably feet looks familiar…
A wild guess pops into his mind and before Namor could acknowledge it, Shuri—
"WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME?!?!?!?!"
"I DIDN'T!!!!!!"
They stared at each other in astonishment, their eyes widened in disbelief.
They continued to gaze at each other in shock, pondering whether they might have accidentally fuck each other in… unaware circumstances…????????
"No! I would have known!! I would—" Shuri choked on her own saliva, the thought of having sexual intercourse with Namor made her cheeks burn.
Namor frowns, there is no way he forgets the sensation if he had—
"I would have known if I fuck a baby into you."
"Fuck you, Namor!!!!"
Shuri grabbed a device next to her and swung it towards his head, but Namor managed to dodge it.
"I don't think it's safe to do that now." he quips.
"How do you explain this!!?" Shuri gasped at him, exclaiming. "You're the only one in the whole world with ankles that grow wings!!!"
"..." They looked at each other, their brains muddled on how to process the whole thing that unfolded dramatically.
"Esti…to be- one…hund-red and- 8…2 days- for- ne…xt shoo…ting— star ." The device on the floor echoed its data.
…
The shooting star they watched together three months ago…
Star. Eek'e'.
"...Shuri?" Namor thinks he finds the wonders of the universe…
"...For Bast's sake…" Shuri grunted hard, this is not real—
"What was the wish that you wished upon the stars?"
"It's all your fault! I made a wish after you!!"
Namor took her hand softly and Shuri swats him away, he tried again and again, and she ultimately gave up, and Namor recited his wish that day…
"May our nations thrive in peace and prosperity , and may our children grow up strong , in happiness and in health ."
Namor remembered he said this.
Shuri sighs in defeat, this can't be—
"...And may the alliance between Wakanda and Talokan pave the way for long-lasting peace ," Shuri whispers.
Together, Namor looked at her flat belly as Shuri caressed it, they looked back at each other and shouted…
"Bast/Chaac, you are kidding me—!!!!"
Part 2.
The journey of pregnant Shuri and father-to-be Namor is full of humour and chaos along the way.
But today, it was the peak of chaos.
"My queen, there is something shocking I need to tell you." And Shuri snapped.
"I WAS PREGNANT BY WISHING AT A SHOOTING STAR AND HAVE A 2-YEAR-OLD BABY SON NOW I DON'T THINK THERE IS OTHER THING SHOCKING THAN THIS AT THIS POINT, GRIOT!! WHAT IT IS??!!!"
"There is a METEOR heading towards Earth at high speed and it's heading straight for Wakanda."
"..."
"What the— visuals, GRIOT!!" Shuri rushes to the table, looking at the screen that shows a meteor accelerating towards Earth.
"Is it an attack?" Namor rushes to her side and sees it coming.
"Mama~ Baba~ sunbird fly~~~"
Their baby boy, Khwezi, waved his hands in the air, holding a little sunbird model in his chubby fingers as he dived down the plane.
"Weeeeee~" making swooshing sounds…
And the meteorite picks up its pace—
"10 minutes until making impact with Earth—"
Namor and Shuri looked at each other in astonishment… NO WAY!!!
"Khwezi! No! Make the plane go up!!! Up!! Up!!" Shuri rushes to their little boy, telling him to send the meteor back up.
"Up?" Khwezi's big brown eyes looked at her, confused.
"Yes, In chan paalo', up, like Baba teaches you to fly, go up!!"Namor quickly adds.
"Okay~" Khwezi nodded nonchalantly, his dark-brown curls swaying with his movement as he lifted up the sunbird model in his hand.
"Weeeeeee~ FUUUUuuuu—" The meteor picks up its speed again, falling faster.
"8 minutes to impact—"
"GRIOT, raise the alarm!!!!" Shuri yelled.
"GRIOT, what is the level of the destruction impact?" Namor yelled after her.
…
"...The whole earth will be gone."
…
"Khwezi, baby! Look at Mama! I want you," Shuri frantically points at the screens, the meteor speeding towards them, "to make the star go away? Okay???? Can you do it for Mama?"
"Go away?"
"Yes, In chan Eek'e', make it go away, it can't come to you."
"...But I want a friend," he pouts at them.
"6 minutes until impact—"
"Baby! Your Baba and I will find you a friend, he's too big, he's too enormous, he can't come to you without hurting you—!!"
"Baby, listen very carefully to Baba, see these little beads here, it’s your friend, but since you call to him—"
Namor separates the kimoyo beads quickly, Shuri is yelling beside him, "It's not time for bedtime story, Ch'ah!!!
"3 minutes until impact—"
"See, he's coming to you," Namor lets the one bead float to his son, "but his Baba and Mama are still at the back—" he holds two more beads in his palm.
"I can call his Baba and Mama to join us!!" Khwezi happily announced.
"1 minute until impact—"
Shuri sank to her knees, on the verge of fainting.
They are going to die. The whole world is going to die!
"No, baby boy, his Baba and Mama cannot leave their home, you don't want him to leave them right? Like you wouldn't want to leave me and your Mama?? So you better tell him to go back before his Baba and Mama are worried!!!" In his urgency, Namor blurted out a series of words while supporting his wife who was about to collapse, and both of them knelt in front of their son.
"The meteor has entered the atmosphere—"
Namor and Shuri could see the faint enormous meteor through the sky—
"Yes, baby, listen to your Baba, your friend is still young!! He can't leave his Baba and Mama like that! We send him back, okay? We call for him when he's older like you? Okay????"
"Hmm… okay…" Khwezi nodded at last. The meteor immediately stopped on its track.
They both let out a relieved sigh as the meteor halted.
"Baba? Mama? How do I send him home?" Khwezi asks them with an innocent little face.
"Turn around, baby, turn him around—"
The meteor started raining meteorites—
"No, no, make him fly, Khwezi, remember what your Baba taught you???"
"He's too heavy…" Khwezi scrunches his little face, he's feeling tired…
"It's alright, baby, your Mama and I will help you, see this bead here, focus on it and make it float… "
Namor cups his little hands in his big palm and slowly lifts his hands, Shuri calls the beads to start floating as it gradually ascends, so does the meteor.
"That's right, you are doing great, baby," Shuri cups her hands under the father and son as they lift their arms, making the beads float higher and higher. Shuri and Namor watch as the meteor returns back on its track.
"My queen, the meteor has left the atmosphere."
"Khwezi, we send him back to his Baba and Mama, we call for him when you are older, alright?" Shuri cradles his little face, he is exhausted, his little eyes already slowly falling shut.
The meteor is thousands of miles away from Earth. Thank Bast and Chaac!!!!
"In chan paalo', look…"
The little bead reunited with two other beads, Namor connects them and puts them in his little hands softly.
"He is together with his Baba and Mama. They are never going to separate again, the next time you call for him—"
"You let me and your Baba know, we have to talk with his Baba and Mama to see if he could come to play with you, remember?"
"Okay~ I remember, Mama… Baba, can we go… flying on Bashenga later…?"
"Yes, baby boy, sleep first, it’s nap time—"
Khwezi fell asleep in their arms, smiling as he clung to the kimoyo beads, happy that his friend was with their Baba and Mama too. He slowly sets their baby into the crib, tucking him in and closing the door.
Namor and Shuri collapse on the floor, all their senses finally catching up to them as their legs feel weak and their hearts pound furiously in their chest.
They lie together on the floor…
"...So is this… what being a parent is… Is it like this? I think I had a heart attack… but I pushed it back…" Shuri said breathlessly.
"Yes… Nobody will tell you… that one day your son… could call a meteor from outer space… and accidentally doomed the world… you got it right, Shuri…" Namor said breathlessly.
…
"...Your son," Shuri blames it on him.
Every time something bad happens, she blames it on him. Always.
"Tsk," Namor clicked his tongue, turning over to take her in his arms, resting their foreheads and beating hearts together…
…
"Our son."
…
Shuri beams…
She repeats after him—
Khwezi. Eek'e'. Star.
"Our son."
Our little star.