Her Empireby Neko-samaChaptersSeventeenHe's Just a Boy.##NULL##A Slight Complication.Quick note for the fans:(Author's Note OneSeventeenI awoke to the sound of my exorbitant curtains being drawn open, letting in the infernal sunlight. "Wakey wakey Princess!", an extremely happy servant said. "Ugh, ten more minutes?", I muttered into my pillow. "Now now, you know your mother is expecting you for breakfast. It is your birthday after all!", the servant chirped. She was right. Seventeen years ago today, I was born into a newly conquered empire. There were many different rumours surrounding my birth. If anything, it was a whole conspiracy theory. Some said that my mother used powerful mind control spells to overpower the men resisting her. They claimed that this was used as a form of some sick, sexual torture. Other say that The Corruption made Mother's subjects more sexually attracted to each other and to her as well. The servants, however, spoke highly of my possible father. They said that he was a gallant, gentle man who would swoop in at night and see my mother like a forbidden lover. They also said that my mother still kept in touch with this mystery man, but whenever I brought it up to my mother, she would flinch and brush the question away. I've since given up my search for him, for all of my efforts have come up empty. "Okay then, seventeen more minutes?", I tried. Hopefully the servant would be won over with my "clever" sense of humour. "Very funny, your highness. Now get up!", she grunted as she tore the blanket off of my queen sized mattress. My body was racked with chills from the sudden shift in temperature. "Okay! Fine, I'm up!", I moaned. "Good, get dressed and meet your mother for breakfast.", the servant said one last time as she walked out of my room. The door swung shut with a heavy thud. I rose out of the soft mattress and planted my feet on the marble floor. So, this is what seventeen feels like?, I thought to my self. I sulked over to the large dresser that had my usual garb and a large mirror on top of it. I examined my newly aged self. I didn't appear to be any different, my physical features appeared to be the same. Shoulder-length hair, messy from my long sleep, check, narrow shoulders and waist, check, small breasts, check. Everything was the usual royal norm, and I loved it for its benefits. I slipped out of my pewter nightgown and opened one of the drawers containing my lingerie, all black and in lace. My mother is convinced that I MUST have the finer things, so only the lace makes it into my room. I hooked my bra on and slipped into the panties. I moved on to the next tier of my dresser. I pulled out a grey t-shirt with the logo of the empire emblazoned on its back. I usually chose to wear this whenever Mother and I ate together. It was a rare occasion I relished. She was always so busy with royal affairs and meetings, so I never got a chance to see her. It was special occasions, like my birthday, where she set aside all other matters and just focus on me. Don't get me wrong though, I still had a contraband of graphic tee's underneath all of the formal wear. I grabbed a pair of black dress pants from the next drawer over and slipped them over my lace panties. I examined myself in the mirror one last time, deciding what to do with my hair and make-up. After considerable deliberation and experimentation, I decided on a simple pony-tail and a shade of green lipstick that was customary among The Changelings. I was about to leave my room, but something caught my eye. It was a small, rectangular, black box with a blood-red ribbon wrapped around it perpendicularly to the opening. Attached to this ribbon was a folded tag. I picked up this mystery gift, and examined the tag first. Happy seventeenth. Sisis. I gaped at the name on the tag, and my jaw dropped in shock. I threw the black box against the wall, not even opening it to see its contents. After all you did to me, you expect to win me back?!, I mentally shouted at myself. Sparing myself from further fury, I walked out of my room to go to breakfast. {oO0Oo} "Happy birthday Princess!", The Captain of the Guard greeted me as I entered the dining hall. The other residents of the dining hall turned toward the sound of me entering. They gave me a chorus of "Happy Birthday" 's and "Good Morning" 's as I took my seat. "Yes. A very happy seventeenth birthday to my lovely daughter!", my mother toasted, "To Krystal!" The sounds of clanking glasses brought an embarrassed smile to my face. I wasn't used to this kind of attention. Sure, I've been in front of crowds and at important ceremonies, but the love from my immediate family and the court always made my feel warm inside. "Ahem, so Princess, have any plans today?", one of the advisors asked. I opened my mouth to answer, but was cut off by Mother. "Yes, she has plans. With me. So if you have any other questions address them, to me!", Mother snapped. That was out of character. "Okay, so what are these plans we have?", I asked her. "What? Oh yes, well we can..um..we..Ugh! I'll tell you later!", she fumed. Something was wrong with her, and I need to know what. "Mother, are you all right?", I asked sweetly. "Of course! What made you think I was distraught about rebels sneaking into the city last night! Because that wasn't on my mind at all!" "Who mentioned anything about rebels?" Hook, line, and sinker. Everybody at the table dropped their forks at the Queen's sudden outburst. I wore a sinister smirk, and my mother was deeply blushing. She took a long sigh and said, "Yes, rebel forces were spotted within castle grounds last night. Although their motives are unclear, I assure you that they were apprehended and jailed. They are on the execution block for the next week. So please, don't fret my loyal court!" "Urm, right, so Princess, do you want to open gifts now?", The Head of the Guard asked in an attempt to fix this now-awkward situation. "Sure.", I smiled warmly, aiding his attempt. {oO0Oo} The gifts were nothing special, it was the birthday usual: shirts, books, jewellery, and make-up. I was on the large couch opening these wonderful gifts, but something kept nagging me. It was a pair of aqua eyes locked on me from across the lounge. These eyes belonged to Ralan L'Etranger, one of my mothers advisors. He work a cocky grin while he waited for me to finish opening gifts. "Ralan, did you poison my food?", I asked him without looking at his piercing eyes. He elicited an amused laugh. "No, my dear! I just found this", he said holding the black box from my room, "in the waste bin? Any reason why you didn't open it?" I shot him a cold glare. "Why do you think?" "Because it's from my son, Sisis?" "Why do you care so much?" "Maybe it was an apology." "I don't want an apology from him, not after he broke our Bond with that slu-" "Krystal, that's quite enough!", Mother scolded. I turned to see her disappointed look. "Sorry Mother," I said softly. "I know you and Sisis had....a falling out," she said pulling me into a side-hug, "but it's a little offensive that you didn't even open it." I got her message loud and clear. "Yes Mother, just give me the damn box.", I whispered. I hatefully ripped the red ribbon off of the gift. Just the ribbon sent me into a spasm of hatred. I wanted so badly do destroy it with a powerful blast of Changeling magic, but Mother was already mad at me. The falling ribbon revealed the golden clasp holding the box closed. I rolled my eyes at yet another obstacle in this horrid journey of opening this box. I released the clasp, and the box sprung open. The sight inside was truly beautiful, despite who it was from. It was a golden necklace sitting on some expensive red velvet. I grabbed the inner jewellery and picked it up, but when I did, I saw Ralan's shit-eating grin. "Well? Exquisite, yes? It was quite expensive as well.", he boasted. At the end of the necklace, a emerald pendant hung off of it. It was the best thing I've ever gotten, but it was...his "Yes, I suppose it's nice, but I've seen better", I said in mock boredom. I hit a nerve there. "What?! That was over fifty-thousand bits! How have you seen better?!", he shouted. He quickly stopped his rant when he saw my fuming mother. "Ralan, I think it's best if you left before my temper...flares", she said, putting great emphasis on the last word. "R-right. Happy birthday," he said walking to shake my hand, but when I grabbed it he whispered, "you ungrateful dyke!" He stormed out of the room, leaving the rest of us to discuss my birthday plans. {oO0Oo} "So I have a great idea, Krystal", Mother said to me. "What's that?", I asked her, unsure of her plans. "Well, it won't be today, but", she said, leading me on, "I think you're old enough to sit in on next week's execution." This hit a special place in my brain, never in my seventeen years was I allowed to see the public executions, but now Mother trusted me enough to see one for real. "Would you like that?", Mother asked me. "Yes, I would love to accompany you!", I said happily. "Well then, next week on Thursday.", she said as she retired to her war room, "I'm sorry I have to go, but this is a serious matter." "It's okay Mother, don't worry!", I smiled. She returned the gesture and closed the door. I went back to my room and waited for next Thursday. Maybe today wasn't all bad after all., I thought, looking at the gold and emerald necklace on my dresser, but I can never forgive you. Not ever. He's Just a Boy.The next seven days came and went with little excitement or interest. I had my usual schedule to follow, every day, all day. It consisted of tutors, meals, studying, appearing before the general public, meeting suitors, but no other event in those seven days will compare to Thursday. On Thursday, Mother and I are going to be more closer than we've ever been before. Today, the day before the execution, I decided to see what I could find on royally sanctioned executions. After asking the advisors, who gave me shallow, please-get-away-from-me answers, I decided to hit the library. My best bet was the Western Library located in the west wing of the castle, for the head librarian there never held any information back from me. She would say that a growing girl needs information like a man needs battle. Needless to say, she was an invaluable resource during puberty. {oO0Oo} I walked into the grand library with one goal in mind. The library was very suited for the castle. The large, ornate bookshelves were hand-crafted from obsidian and stood many feet high. The room wasn't wired with the Magical Charge, so the room was illuminated by sunlight and torches burning with a green flame. Piles of unstacked books stood by the shelves, waiting to be replaced with their comrades in a literary war. The main desk stood resolute in the centre of it all. It was small and wooden, and the only illumination it had was a small desk lamp. "Hello?", I called into the vast library, "Ms. Sparkle?" A loud crash of falling books drew my attention to one of the dimly lit parts of the library. A slender figure ran out of the shadow brushing dust off of her shoulder. "Oh! Princess Krystal! Can I help you find anything?", Ms. Sparkle asked. "Please Twilight, I told you to call me Krystal.", I reassured the frantic woman. "Yes, I know, but courtesy is something that needs to be avidly practised.", Twilight replied. Twilight was a kind, intelligent woman. She was small and demure, but had a vast quantity of magic to back her small frame up. She stood at a decent five-foot three, and easily weighed under 120 pounds. She was wearing her signature violet sweater and a magenta skirt that fell well past her knees. Her hair was navy blue and had a bright pink and dark purple streak running through it's length. Today, her hair was accompanied by a small black bow. The Corruption was kind to her, only changing her eyes from purple to green. "Then I'll call you Ms. Sparkle!", I said to her. "Absolutely not! Please don't compliment me with such high praise! I am lucky enough to be here serving you despite my past sins opposing her highness! The Corruption has made my life so much better! I mean without it, would I have met you?", she kindly shouted. I frowned sadly at her reply. The Corruption wasn't one of my favourite of my mother's tactics. Sure it staved chaos and built our dying empire up, but it made the great people blind. I've heard the heroic tales of the former Elements of Harmony, how they saved Equestria on multiple occasions, but these were just tales now-a-days. Four of the six former Elements were caught by The Corruption, and the were "reconditioned to think that everything that they've done till now was one big sin. I loved Twilight Sparkle like a sister, but I would've loved to see what she used to be like. "Princess? Did I offend you, I'm so sorry!", Twilight franticly stated. "No, no, no! Don't worry! I was just thinking is all.", I soothed. "Always a great thing! So, can I help you find anything?" "Yes, I was wondering if you had anything on royally sanctioned executions?" "But of course! Follow me!" She led me down a row of the larger bookcases, filled to the brim of ancient changeling lore. Some of the book looked older than Celestia herself (even though the worship of her was considered taboo and illegal). The tomes were in shambles, some of them even had some sort of mould growing on them. Twilight stopped abruptly and used her magic to grab one of the books off of the shelf. She turned to me and handed the tome to me. "Here, Royal Changeling Ceremonies, this should have what you need. Anything else?", she asked. "No, this is good for now.", I said I took the large book over to one of the reading tables, and set the three kilogram monster down. I took a seat in front of it, and lifted the worn black cover. The first page was the table of contents, and it had several intresting concepts listed on it: Meeting Suitors, Coronation, Knighting, Drakon Slaying, Royal Marriage(With preface by Mi Amore Cadenza), and even Sword Fighting. I found my desired topic half-way down the page. "Executions: The Process", I read aloud, "Page 756." I turned to the late page in the book and skimmed it over. Thankfully the processes were in a numbered list. "One. Guilty persons are escorted to the block. Two. royal overseer(s) is introduced. Three. Executioner enters." I gulped at the last few steps. "Four. Guilty persons are blindfolded. Five. Overseer(s) orders firing squads to enter. Six. Friring squads take posts. Seven. Guilty persons are shot twice in the head. Eight. Bodies are taken to preservation chambers and sent back to their respective armies.", I finished aloud. "So, learn anything?", Twilight asked from across the library. "Y-yeah. Is this how it really goes?", I asked back "Mmhmm, I've been to a few. It's best if you watch without thinking too much. Can I tell you anything else before you leave?" I looked at her and mutterd, "I've been meaning to ask you this. Tell me about Father." {<^/>} Prisons in this damn empire were too nice. Their cells were large and spacious, with several beds in each of them. The food was semi-decent and none of the guards talked to anybody. I was sitting on my cot breathing heavily into my muzzle. The guards insisted on putting one on EVERY Drakon that entered the prison. They were so convinced that I would burn down the place and escape, and then what, get caught again? 'Cause an escaped Drakon prisoner wasn't their top priority. "'Ey Spike, ya think we got this fancy part 'cause we're gonna die?", one of my squad mates asked. "Man, I think so", another squad mate answered. I remained silent, still breathing heavily into the forsaken muzzle. "Why so quiet?", someone else asked. I just shot him a glare, stopping further questions in his throat. "Dumb-ass! Why do you think? He's eighteen and gonna be killed in front the public for their entertainment!", another mate replied. I didn't care about getting shot. "Hey fucker, I'm a Drakon, dying doesn't really work on me!", I snapped at him, my voice being distorted by the speakers on the muzzle. "Still, won't it, like, feel like shit?" "Irrelevant. We failed the mission. Our job was to see what we could learn about his whore princess, but no, we got caught half-way to that fucking castle!" Flames rode on the words, and because of the muzzle, they singed my face. I didn't want any of their crap now. What mattered was what was to come, and honestly, it was going to be a living Tartarus. THE NEXT DAY:12:30 {oO0Oo} I couldn't wait for the execution. My excitement was a strange brew of fear and giddiness, all together making my shake from anticipation. Mother and I were waiting behind a large purple curtain, awaiting our introduction. I was in a long, black silk dress, as was Mother. My hair flowed naturally onto my shoulders, and a grey headband held it in place. I wore a light layer of make-up, just some eye-shadow and lipstick. Around my neck, I wore a black choker with an emerald in the centre. It was going to take a minute or two until the introduction, so I thought I would bring up the information I learned from Twilight yesterday. "So mother," I began. "Yes Krystal", she replied. "Why doesn't anybody know Father's name?" She seized up and looked at me. "Why do you need to know?", she replied. She looked nervous and....ashamed? "Well, I was informed of what he looked like, but not his name. Do you even know it?", I asked. She took a long sigh and looked at me with a small smile. "His name was Sh-" "NOW INTRODUCING QUEEN CHRYSALIS AND HER HEIR, PRINCESS KRYSTAL!", a loudspeaker announced. The purple curtain pulled away and revealed the large crowd gathered in the courtyard. Mother and I walked forward towards two identical obsidian thrones on the balcony. We took our seats, and Mother began her entry speech. "Fellow citizens! We are gathered here today to see that these mongrels and scum are given the punishment that they deserve. Death is not a subject that should be taken lightly, but under the right circumstances, must be used as the proper asset. These six men will be sent back to their creator and their rebel army! Enter: The executioners!" The six, black armoured men entered the courtyard carrying their automatic gauss cannons. They stood in front of the six prisoners, but one particular prisoner looked......different. He had green, spiked hair and green eyes to match. He was muscular, tan, young-looking, and very ...attractive. I swooned a little from the mere sight of him, despite the muzzle over his mouth, but something hit me right there. "He.....he's just a boy!" ##NULL##¡Para Hacer o Morir! It was an awful sensation, seeing that poor boy tied up and gagged. I looked over at Mother who was watching the executioners take up their positions, and exclaimed, "Mother, he's just a boy!" She looked over to me with a look of gloom. "Yes my dear, but it's best not to think about that. I've.......I've seen younger on the block before. Just try to shake it off." Shake it off?! I was shaking in pity for the boy, and I felt the sudden impulse to help him. "H-how old is he?", I asked nobody in particular. "Who?", one of the guards behind me said. I turned to look at.....HIM! It was that rat-bastard Sisis. "Hey Krystal, which prisoner?", he asked. I just sat there and stared at him, not really knowing what to say. Should I be mad, or should I let him help me? I......I just don't know! I eventually swallowed my pride and said, "Green hair and tan." Smooth. "Uh, that's, um.....Spike? Reports put him at eighteen. Not much of a 'boy' if you ask me", he said with a smirk. "Sh-shut up! Don't talk to me.", I snapped. I folded my arms and looked straight ahead. Double-smooth. He shrugged and returned to Right-Shoulder Arms (Military Drill was one thing in particular that I loved on my free time). "B-but....how can we..just..", I stammered. "He committed crimes Krystal, and he has to pay the price.", Mother said. "Can't we do anything?", I tried. This was met with a hard glare from Mother. "Do you want this scum to be released to hurt more people? Is that what you want?", she shouted. I cowered into the throne and looked away. "Maybe this was a bad idea after all. Sisis!", she said. Sisis went to Port and waited for my mother's orders. "Escort Krystal back to her room." "N-no!", I protested "What?" Mother looked furious "Just....just let me see him die, and then I'll leave" "Fine. Sit and just try to break this sudden attachment to this boy." Mother patted the throne next to her, and I replaced myself into the seat. Celestia, I hope this goes fast. {<^/>} Bastards! Bastards everywhere! Bastards in the crowd! Bastards with the guns! And Bastards sitting on that balcony watching me! I saw who I assumed to be the princess look at me with a look......of pity? She began to squirm uncomfortably in her seat. "Hey! Bastard with the shitty gun!", I shouted at the guard in front of me. "What?", he huffed. "Who's she, next to the queen. Just tell me before you blindfold me." "Well, since I'm gonna put two in your head, I might as well. She's the lovely Princess Krystal." "So she's the one I was sent to gather intel on." "You tell me Drakon." He tied the black cloth around my eyes and said, "Want a last smoke?" I snorted at his oh-so-clever remark. "Sure, take off this muzzle and we can have a last.....smoke.", I teased. "Nice. See you on the other side." His receding footsteps told me that he went to take up his post and aim at my head. "Let's just get this over with." {oO0Oo} It was coming. It was coming, and I couldn't help that poor boy. Just the thought of his hopelessness brought tears to my eyes. I wiped them away swiftly, only so Mother didn't try to kick me out....again. "Executioners!", she shouted over the crowd. "Ready!" I clenched my fists in fear. "Aim!" I couldn't bear it, so my eyes shut to block off the pain "Fi-" "ATACAMOS AHORA! PARA HACER O MORIR!" This strange outburst drew my eyes open. As I did, a rocket slammed into the ground where the executioners...used to stand. Gunfire ripped up the courtyard, killing guards and the unlucky civilian in its wake. I stared in horror at the sight below me. "R-rebels?", I asked. Somebody grabbed me by the arm, and yanked me out of my seat. "Princess! We've got to go!", Sisis shouted. He brought me to my feet, but the sounds of screams brought my attention back to the balcony, and back to this Spike character. We were back where we stood before the exexution, where the purple curtain used to be. I....I have to try! With a final impulse of compassion and stupidity, I ripped my arm out of Sisis' grip, ran to the balcony, and jumped over. {oO0Oo} It wasn't a far fall downwards, but high enough to break a couple of bones. Right before I met a cruel impact on the ground, I used a levitation spell to stop my falling. From my levitated position, I landed gracefully and kicked off my heels, for it was MUCH easier to run barefoot. As I landed, a burst of gunfire shredded the ground in front of me. I fell back with a shout, and landed painfully on my ass. I looked over to the source, and saw a man in goggles and a scarf over his face realign his sights. In a panic, I shot an unusually strong bolt of magic at the man. He fell backwards, and never got back up. I stared in horror at the man I just....just killed. My first instinct was to go over to him, but more gunfire reverted my attention back to my primary goal. Spike. He was still tied up at the post and was blindfolded. I held my hands over my head, and made a mad dash over to the post. He looked over in my direction, and began to shout, "Hey! Hey over here man!" It looked like he was expecting one of his rebel buddies, but I was the best he was going to get. I grabbed the black cloth over his eyes, and gave it a strong pull. His green eyes met mine with a stare of shock. I smiled warmly, and went behind him to remove the muzzle. It came off with a mechanical hiss fell to the ground. "Wha-what are you doing? Who are you? Really?", he asked. "The girl who's saving your life, now shut up so I can help!", I said back. The cuffs over his wrists were standard issue for our army. The were a strong steel and could only be opened by somebody with Changeling DNA. I pressed the release button, and it replied with a high pitched tri-tone. The red light on the cuffs turned green and the restraints opened. I discarded them and went back to his front. He ran at me with some kind of anger, but didn't go for me. Behind me was one of the surviving guards, who Spike had just seized by the neck. He was gasping for air as Spike continued to tighten his grip. The sound of popping blood vessels and breaking bones all ended with the severed head of the guard rolling on the ground. Spike turned back to me, a devilish smile on his face, and he began to run for me. I ran in the opposite direction, but was seized and thrown into a wall. He was on top of me in a flash, and his knee was digging into my gut. He had my arms pinned to my sides, totally immobilizing me. Then I saw his mouth, it was burning with a green flame that was ready to kill me. I flailed my legs hopelessly as I waited for him to kill me. I took one last glance into his eyes, and he winced. The flame in his mouth died down, and he released me from his iron grip. I took his outstretched hand and returned to my feet. "Let's go.", he muttered and ran down the alley next to us. The same alley where an ambush was waiting in case of this particular situation. Had to hand it to Mother, her tactical knowledge was impeccable. "Wait! There's troops waiting over there!", I shouted at the fleeing boy. He stopped and turned to look at me. I pointed to another alley across the courtyard. "That one's safe! Come on!" I ran back across the makeshift battlefield with Spike in behind. {oO0Oo} We reached the alley with little issue. Spike was walking ahead of me, and I was hunched over panting. At the end of the alley, it turned right and led down another passage. Spike turned this corner without even thanking me! That, that jerk! I stomped down the alley and turned the corner.....to ten rebel soldiers. They turned to look at me, and simultaneously brandished an evil grin. "Ello poppet!", one of the rebels said. I turned to run but was grabbed into a head-lock. I struggled as a cloth went across my nose and my mouth. I felt woozy and eventually passed out, passed out into the enemy's arms. A Slight Complication.A sudden jolt in my spine snapped me back to consciousness. The jolt was the product of the armoured transport vehicle hitting a rut in the dirt road. I blinked tiredly a couple of times, the blurriness slowly fading away. When my vision was back in working order, the first thing I saw was Spike looking at me with apathy. He nodded his head in a silent "hello" and started to stare at the metal floor. I turned my head to gather the rest of my surroundings. The sight wasn't beautiful. I was in a cramped metal space filled with twelve different rebel soldiers. They cast their eyes on me with a mixture of responses. Some wore a mask of contempt, others wore a veil of apathy, while the rest had shroud of evil over their faces. "Wh-where am I", I said. My voice felt hoarse and thick, more than likely from being drugged to sleep. "Hey baby", one of the rebels piped up, "I had so much fun last night!" I bolted upward in fear, but I was stopped with a rough resistance and slammed back down. My wrists throbbed, and then I noticed the plastic zip-tie that was around my wrists and looped around the roll cage. The occupants burst into a chorus of cruel laughter at my expense. I started to fidget out of panic due to my restraints. Spike looked up at me, and then did the most heroic thing I've ever seen a boy do. "SHUT! UP!", he shouted. I felt the roll cage vibrate and the whole sitting zone heated up a good ten degrees due to the burst of fire he released. "Celestia dammit! You guys are so fucking annoying!", he fumed. The rebels decided NOT to pick on me any more in a silent consensus, but their left over humour decided to shift to another member of the vehicle. "Haha, looks like wittle Spikey-Wikey has a wittle crush!", some ass teased, "What will poor wittle Rarity think?" I saw it right then and there. His eyes flew open wide, and his fists clenched....tight. "Uh, dude, I think you fucked up.", one of the other rebels said. "HEY! All of you! Lock. It. Up!", some important rebel officer said as he came out of the cabin. "I hear one more insult, you all", his gaze shifted towards me, "are gonna regret it! So lock it up!" "Locked sir!", the cabin sullenly said, including me. They all looked over to me in surprise. I blushed and shifted back a bit, not really wanting this attention. "Girl! You know drill?", the officer said. I nodded swiftly, hoping to turn everybody's attention away. "Well I'll be damned. Take an example from the prisoner and shut the fuck up!", he said as he returned to the cabin. The rebels' gaze decided to return to me, but with more positive responses. The nodded with slight smirks and looks of approval. "Well girl, I must say you've become 20% cooler in our book.", one said, "Cause here we thought you were some over-pampered whore!" I decided it was best to spend the rest of the ride in silence. {oO0Oo} The rest of the trip took another four hours at least. Thankfully, though, nobody talked to me. I was glad for the silence of the rebels, but one person kept paying attention to me. It was Spike. Every so often, he would cast a look up at me and just stare. I pretended not to notice, but sometimes, our eyes would meet. When this fleeting moment happened, I would gift him with a kind smile, but in return, he would blush and look away. I really liked when he did though, it made me feel a bit more welcome with these rebels. I never had the heart to tell him. "Um, if you don't mind me asking, but where are we off to?', I asked the rebels. They all looked at me, silently deciding who would anwser me. It was obvious I wasn't welcome in thier vehicle. "Uh, Spike! Tell the girl where we're going." "Why me? You do it!", he protested. "Cause I told you to!" "I don't give a fuck! Just tell her!" "Uh, guys. Somebody better tell me, or I'll resort to my royal genes!", I threatened. "What's that supposed to mean?", one of the guys snapped. I gave a little smirk, and began my work. "Well! First of all, I am a lady! Your lewd humour is offensive and pointless! Also, why would you ever tie me up in such a crude fashion! These zip-ties are too tight and they hurt! I'm a princess! Couldn't you allow me to have my hands free? I do NOT enjoy being hindered! And you!", I said pointing to the man with my foot who called me a "pampered whore", "I do not appreciate such ghastly insults from you! Treat me with the respect I deserve!" I crossed my legs and smiled warmly to the newly annoyed rebel squad. "Now, if one of you could tell me where we're going, I'll be quiet.", I said to the dominated men. "You promise to shut it?", a rebel asked. "Certainly." "We're going to The Crystal Empire." I looked at the man in surprise. Mother always told me that The Crystal Empire was a child's tale. "Wait. It's....it's real?", I asked. "Yeah, it's real! Now you promised to be quiet!" {oO0Oo} When we unloaded at The Crystal Empire, there was some confusion on what they would do with me. I was still zip-tied to the roll cage, and I had to pee. "Well, this is a problem.", a rebel said. "I say we leave her tied up." "Or we leave her in the snow." "VTOL her to the Badlands!" "Nah! She'd like that." Tears were starting to well on my impending fate. I felt like a complete fool about jumping that rail. Right now I could be at home in my bed, or in the library, or even silently threatening Sisis, but no. I was here amongst these, these.....SCUM, who were trying to find fifty ways to kill me. I closed my eyes and silently wished for home. "Hey. Look at me.", somebody said. I looked up into the warm grin of the officer. "There's no reason to cry.", he said. He pulled out a knife and cut the zip-tie. "Don't let them get to you. Come on, we're gonna see The General. He'll find something out for you." He helped me up and motioned to me to follow him. We walked across the tarmac to the main building. The tarmac was crowded with various implements of war. there were VTOL jets, tanks, Humvees, and the armoured attack vehicles I was in. Soldiers were all over the place. Some were coming home from a battle, others were leaving to go fight said battles, and others were running laps for exercise. The Officer entered a pass-code on a console and got the door for me. "Ladies first.", he said getting out of my way. I smiled kindly at his courtesy. "Pussy!", a voice said from the tarmac, and I snickered a little. "The General's office is just down this hallway. I followed him down the long hallway. The florescent lights buzzed above us, giving an eerie feel to the brown walls. There were bulletin boards dotted around the hallway with various requests and events posted on them. "He's right in here. Wait a second.", The Officer said to me. I waited patiently for him to return. SHIFT TO THIRD PERSON Shining Armour poured over the status reports piled on his desk. He tried his best to focus on the important documents, but he was eagerly awaiting the return of the rescue operation. His silent anticipation was interrupted by a knock on the door. "Whoever it is, it better be fucking important!", he shouted. "It's David, Shining, let me in.", the voice on the other side. Shining went over to the door and ripped it open, and sure enough it was David Whooves, the lead officer of the rescue operation. "Ah! David, come in!", Shining said to his friend and brother-in-arms. Shining took his seat and waited for David's report. "So, how'd it go?", Shining asked. "Uh, fine, fine, but there was....a slight complication." "What?! What do you mean 'a complication'? I gave you forty-two men to rescue six men in a scantly guarded courtyard! How did you fuck that up?" "Well that's just it. We, uh, we returned with.....seven people." "What? The fuck are you talking about?" "You can come in now!" {oO0Oo} I sheepishly entered the office, not looking at this general. "What the fuck is this?", The General asked The Officer. "This is Princess Krystal of The Changeling Empire." The General flopped down in his seat and exhaled heavily. He grabbed some of his blue hair and pushed it back. "David, leave me with the girl.", The General said to The Officer. David nodded silently and left the room. "Princess, huh?", he asked me. I looked up at him and just stared. This general, or whatever he was, looked a lot how Ms. Sparkle described my father. Broad shoulders, square jaw, blue hair and eyes, and a scar over his left eye, it was uncanny the resemblance to the description I was given. "Hey Princess! You there?", he asked me. I didn't respond with the anwser he wanted. "It's you! You're my father." "What?" "Ms. Sparkle in the library told me th-" "Hang on! Ms. Sparkle? As in Twilight Sparkle?" "Yeah." "She's......alive?" I nodded in comfirmation and he ran up and hugged me laughing. "Sweet Celestia yes! She's alive!", he shouted. His look of happiness continuued into his next crushing words. "But, I'm not your daddy. Sorry, but I'm married, and there's no way I would sleep with a changeling." "O-oh, I'm sorry for suggesting so", I muttered. He waved it away with his hand, and started to critically think. "So. What am I going to do with you? Any Ideas?", he asked me in sarcasm. "Well, you can't release me, that's for sure. And if you hold me for ransom, my mother will be infuriated and launch an all-out attack, sparing nobody. But you can't keep me secret, for your citizens will be pretty pissed and lynch me. SO, Mr. General Shining sir! Do you have any ideas?", I asked the shocked man. "Well I must say your tactical knowledge is amazing, no doubt from your mother. Okay. I'll give you a choice: we can throw you in jail until we have a plan for you, or I can give you a house and ten-thousand bits and you can live among the people here. However, I cannot guarantee their behaviour towards you.", he said back, "What's it gonna be?" "I'll take the money and house." "Really? I thought you were going to take jail.", he said as he withdrew a coin purse and some keys, and tossed them to me. "Thank you General.", I said as I walked out to David. "Come on, I'll take you to your house", David said, and we walked off into the empire. Shining sat thinking for a while, before he broke down and had to tell somebody. "Roseluck", he said over the phone, "Get me Applejack. I need to talk to her." Quick note for the fansHello friends, I have some news. I will be placing Her Empire on hiatus for the time being. I need some to study the cloppy arts and I need to develop the plot a little. So I'm sorry to disapoint, but I will return as soon as I can. :(Why? My Chemical Romance 2001-2013 Author's Note OneHELLO FRIENDS!!! Neko-sama here! I just thought I'd thank each and every one of you who favourited Her Empire in its first day. That's Twenty-two favourites! I know it's not many, but it means the world to me! Thanks and enjoy! ~Neko-sama
SeventeenI awoke to the sound of my exorbitant curtains being drawn open, letting in the infernal sunlight. "Wakey wakey Princess!", an extremely happy servant said. "Ugh, ten more minutes?", I muttered into my pillow. "Now now, you know your mother is expecting you for breakfast. It is your birthday after all!", the servant chirped. She was right. Seventeen years ago today, I was born into a newly conquered empire. There were many different rumours surrounding my birth. If anything, it was a whole conspiracy theory. Some said that my mother used powerful mind control spells to overpower the men resisting her. They claimed that this was used as a form of some sick, sexual torture. Other say that The Corruption made Mother's subjects more sexually attracted to each other and to her as well. The servants, however, spoke highly of my possible father. They said that he was a gallant, gentle man who would swoop in at night and see my mother like a forbidden lover. They also said that my mother still kept in touch with this mystery man, but whenever I brought it up to my mother, she would flinch and brush the question away. I've since given up my search for him, for all of my efforts have come up empty. "Okay then, seventeen more minutes?", I tried. Hopefully the servant would be won over with my "clever" sense of humour. "Very funny, your highness. Now get up!", she grunted as she tore the blanket off of my queen sized mattress. My body was racked with chills from the sudden shift in temperature. "Okay! Fine, I'm up!", I moaned. "Good, get dressed and meet your mother for breakfast.", the servant said one last time as she walked out of my room. The door swung shut with a heavy thud. I rose out of the soft mattress and planted my feet on the marble floor. So, this is what seventeen feels like?, I thought to my self. I sulked over to the large dresser that had my usual garb and a large mirror on top of it. I examined my newly aged self. I didn't appear to be any different, my physical features appeared to be the same. Shoulder-length hair, messy from my long sleep, check, narrow shoulders and waist, check, small breasts, check. Everything was the usual royal norm, and I loved it for its benefits. I slipped out of my pewter nightgown and opened one of the drawers containing my lingerie, all black and in lace. My mother is convinced that I MUST have the finer things, so only the lace makes it into my room. I hooked my bra on and slipped into the panties. I moved on to the next tier of my dresser. I pulled out a grey t-shirt with the logo of the empire emblazoned on its back. I usually chose to wear this whenever Mother and I ate together. It was a rare occasion I relished. She was always so busy with royal affairs and meetings, so I never got a chance to see her. It was special occasions, like my birthday, where she set aside all other matters and just focus on me. Don't get me wrong though, I still had a contraband of graphic tee's underneath all of the formal wear. I grabbed a pair of black dress pants from the next drawer over and slipped them over my lace panties. I examined myself in the mirror one last time, deciding what to do with my hair and make-up. After considerable deliberation and experimentation, I decided on a simple pony-tail and a shade of green lipstick that was customary among The Changelings. I was about to leave my room, but something caught my eye. It was a small, rectangular, black box with a blood-red ribbon wrapped around it perpendicularly to the opening. Attached to this ribbon was a folded tag. I picked up this mystery gift, and examined the tag first. Happy seventeenth. Sisis. I gaped at the name on the tag, and my jaw dropped in shock. I threw the black box against the wall, not even opening it to see its contents. After all you did to me, you expect to win me back?!, I mentally shouted at myself. Sparing myself from further fury, I walked out of my room to go to breakfast. {oO0Oo} "Happy birthday Princess!", The Captain of the Guard greeted me as I entered the dining hall. The other residents of the dining hall turned toward the sound of me entering. They gave me a chorus of "Happy Birthday" 's and "Good Morning" 's as I took my seat. "Yes. A very happy seventeenth birthday to my lovely daughter!", my mother toasted, "To Krystal!" The sounds of clanking glasses brought an embarrassed smile to my face. I wasn't used to this kind of attention. Sure, I've been in front of crowds and at important ceremonies, but the love from my immediate family and the court always made my feel warm inside. "Ahem, so Princess, have any plans today?", one of the advisors asked. I opened my mouth to answer, but was cut off by Mother. "Yes, she has plans. With me. So if you have any other questions address them, to me!", Mother snapped. That was out of character. "Okay, so what are these plans we have?", I asked her. "What? Oh yes, well we can..um..we..Ugh! I'll tell you later!", she fumed. Something was wrong with her, and I need to know what. "Mother, are you all right?", I asked sweetly. "Of course! What made you think I was distraught about rebels sneaking into the city last night! Because that wasn't on my mind at all!" "Who mentioned anything about rebels?" Hook, line, and sinker. Everybody at the table dropped their forks at the Queen's sudden outburst. I wore a sinister smirk, and my mother was deeply blushing. She took a long sigh and said, "Yes, rebel forces were spotted within castle grounds last night. Although their motives are unclear, I assure you that they were apprehended and jailed. They are on the execution block for the next week. So please, don't fret my loyal court!" "Urm, right, so Princess, do you want to open gifts now?", The Head of the Guard asked in an attempt to fix this now-awkward situation. "Sure.", I smiled warmly, aiding his attempt. {oO0Oo} The gifts were nothing special, it was the birthday usual: shirts, books, jewellery, and make-up. I was on the large couch opening these wonderful gifts, but something kept nagging me. It was a pair of aqua eyes locked on me from across the lounge. These eyes belonged to Ralan L'Etranger, one of my mothers advisors. He work a cocky grin while he waited for me to finish opening gifts. "Ralan, did you poison my food?", I asked him without looking at his piercing eyes. He elicited an amused laugh. "No, my dear! I just found this", he said holding the black box from my room, "in the waste bin? Any reason why you didn't open it?" I shot him a cold glare. "Why do you think?" "Because it's from my son, Sisis?" "Why do you care so much?" "Maybe it was an apology." "I don't want an apology from him, not after he broke our Bond with that slu-" "Krystal, that's quite enough!", Mother scolded. I turned to see her disappointed look. "Sorry Mother," I said softly. "I know you and Sisis had....a falling out," she said pulling me into a side-hug, "but it's a little offensive that you didn't even open it." I got her message loud and clear. "Yes Mother, just give me the damn box.", I whispered. I hatefully ripped the red ribbon off of the gift. Just the ribbon sent me into a spasm of hatred. I wanted so badly do destroy it with a powerful blast of Changeling magic, but Mother was already mad at me. The falling ribbon revealed the golden clasp holding the box closed. I rolled my eyes at yet another obstacle in this horrid journey of opening this box. I released the clasp, and the box sprung open. The sight inside was truly beautiful, despite who it was from. It was a golden necklace sitting on some expensive red velvet. I grabbed the inner jewellery and picked it up, but when I did, I saw Ralan's shit-eating grin. "Well? Exquisite, yes? It was quite expensive as well.", he boasted. At the end of the necklace, a emerald pendant hung off of it. It was the best thing I've ever gotten, but it was...his "Yes, I suppose it's nice, but I've seen better", I said in mock boredom. I hit a nerve there. "What?! That was over fifty-thousand bits! How have you seen better?!", he shouted. He quickly stopped his rant when he saw my fuming mother. "Ralan, I think it's best if you left before my temper...flares", she said, putting great emphasis on the last word. "R-right. Happy birthday," he said walking to shake my hand, but when I grabbed it he whispered, "you ungrateful dyke!" He stormed out of the room, leaving the rest of us to discuss my birthday plans. {oO0Oo} "So I have a great idea, Krystal", Mother said to me. "What's that?", I asked her, unsure of her plans. "Well, it won't be today, but", she said, leading me on, "I think you're old enough to sit in on next week's execution." This hit a special place in my brain, never in my seventeen years was I allowed to see the public executions, but now Mother trusted me enough to see one for real. "Would you like that?", Mother asked me. "Yes, I would love to accompany you!", I said happily. "Well then, next week on Thursday.", she said as she retired to her war room, "I'm sorry I have to go, but this is a serious matter." "It's okay Mother, don't worry!", I smiled. She returned the gesture and closed the door. I went back to my room and waited for next Thursday. Maybe today wasn't all bad after all., I thought, looking at the gold and emerald necklace on my dresser, but I can never forgive you. Not ever.
He's Just a Boy.The next seven days came and went with little excitement or interest. I had my usual schedule to follow, every day, all day. It consisted of tutors, meals, studying, appearing before the general public, meeting suitors, but no other event in those seven days will compare to Thursday. On Thursday, Mother and I are going to be more closer than we've ever been before. Today, the day before the execution, I decided to see what I could find on royally sanctioned executions. After asking the advisors, who gave me shallow, please-get-away-from-me answers, I decided to hit the library. My best bet was the Western Library located in the west wing of the castle, for the head librarian there never held any information back from me. She would say that a growing girl needs information like a man needs battle. Needless to say, she was an invaluable resource during puberty. {oO0Oo} I walked into the grand library with one goal in mind. The library was very suited for the castle. The large, ornate bookshelves were hand-crafted from obsidian and stood many feet high. The room wasn't wired with the Magical Charge, so the room was illuminated by sunlight and torches burning with a green flame. Piles of unstacked books stood by the shelves, waiting to be replaced with their comrades in a literary war. The main desk stood resolute in the centre of it all. It was small and wooden, and the only illumination it had was a small desk lamp. "Hello?", I called into the vast library, "Ms. Sparkle?" A loud crash of falling books drew my attention to one of the dimly lit parts of the library. A slender figure ran out of the shadow brushing dust off of her shoulder. "Oh! Princess Krystal! Can I help you find anything?", Ms. Sparkle asked. "Please Twilight, I told you to call me Krystal.", I reassured the frantic woman. "Yes, I know, but courtesy is something that needs to be avidly practised.", Twilight replied. Twilight was a kind, intelligent woman. She was small and demure, but had a vast quantity of magic to back her small frame up. She stood at a decent five-foot three, and easily weighed under 120 pounds. She was wearing her signature violet sweater and a magenta skirt that fell well past her knees. Her hair was navy blue and had a bright pink and dark purple streak running through it's length. Today, her hair was accompanied by a small black bow. The Corruption was kind to her, only changing her eyes from purple to green. "Then I'll call you Ms. Sparkle!", I said to her. "Absolutely not! Please don't compliment me with such high praise! I am lucky enough to be here serving you despite my past sins opposing her highness! The Corruption has made my life so much better! I mean without it, would I have met you?", she kindly shouted. I frowned sadly at her reply. The Corruption wasn't one of my favourite of my mother's tactics. Sure it staved chaos and built our dying empire up, but it made the great people blind. I've heard the heroic tales of the former Elements of Harmony, how they saved Equestria on multiple occasions, but these were just tales now-a-days. Four of the six former Elements were caught by The Corruption, and the were "reconditioned to think that everything that they've done till now was one big sin. I loved Twilight Sparkle like a sister, but I would've loved to see what she used to be like. "Princess? Did I offend you, I'm so sorry!", Twilight franticly stated. "No, no, no! Don't worry! I was just thinking is all.", I soothed. "Always a great thing! So, can I help you find anything?" "Yes, I was wondering if you had anything on royally sanctioned executions?" "But of course! Follow me!" She led me down a row of the larger bookcases, filled to the brim of ancient changeling lore. Some of the book looked older than Celestia herself (even though the worship of her was considered taboo and illegal). The tomes were in shambles, some of them even had some sort of mould growing on them. Twilight stopped abruptly and used her magic to grab one of the books off of the shelf. She turned to me and handed the tome to me. "Here, Royal Changeling Ceremonies, this should have what you need. Anything else?", she asked. "No, this is good for now.", I said I took the large book over to one of the reading tables, and set the three kilogram monster down. I took a seat in front of it, and lifted the worn black cover. The first page was the table of contents, and it had several intresting concepts listed on it: Meeting Suitors, Coronation, Knighting, Drakon Slaying, Royal Marriage(With preface by Mi Amore Cadenza), and even Sword Fighting. I found my desired topic half-way down the page. "Executions: The Process", I read aloud, "Page 756." I turned to the late page in the book and skimmed it over. Thankfully the processes were in a numbered list. "One. Guilty persons are escorted to the block. Two. royal overseer(s) is introduced. Three. Executioner enters." I gulped at the last few steps. "Four. Guilty persons are blindfolded. Five. Overseer(s) orders firing squads to enter. Six. Friring squads take posts. Seven. Guilty persons are shot twice in the head. Eight. Bodies are taken to preservation chambers and sent back to their respective armies.", I finished aloud. "So, learn anything?", Twilight asked from across the library. "Y-yeah. Is this how it really goes?", I asked back "Mmhmm, I've been to a few. It's best if you watch without thinking too much. Can I tell you anything else before you leave?" I looked at her and mutterd, "I've been meaning to ask you this. Tell me about Father." {<^/>} Prisons in this damn empire were too nice. Their cells were large and spacious, with several beds in each of them. The food was semi-decent and none of the guards talked to anybody. I was sitting on my cot breathing heavily into my muzzle. The guards insisted on putting one on EVERY Drakon that entered the prison. They were so convinced that I would burn down the place and escape, and then what, get caught again? 'Cause an escaped Drakon prisoner wasn't their top priority. "'Ey Spike, ya think we got this fancy part 'cause we're gonna die?", one of my squad mates asked. "Man, I think so", another squad mate answered. I remained silent, still breathing heavily into the forsaken muzzle. "Why so quiet?", someone else asked. I just shot him a glare, stopping further questions in his throat. "Dumb-ass! Why do you think? He's eighteen and gonna be killed in front the public for their entertainment!", another mate replied. I didn't care about getting shot. "Hey fucker, I'm a Drakon, dying doesn't really work on me!", I snapped at him, my voice being distorted by the speakers on the muzzle. "Still, won't it, like, feel like shit?" "Irrelevant. We failed the mission. Our job was to see what we could learn about his whore princess, but no, we got caught half-way to that fucking castle!" Flames rode on the words, and because of the muzzle, they singed my face. I didn't want any of their crap now. What mattered was what was to come, and honestly, it was going to be a living Tartarus. THE NEXT DAY:12:30 {oO0Oo} I couldn't wait for the execution. My excitement was a strange brew of fear and giddiness, all together making my shake from anticipation. Mother and I were waiting behind a large purple curtain, awaiting our introduction. I was in a long, black silk dress, as was Mother. My hair flowed naturally onto my shoulders, and a grey headband held it in place. I wore a light layer of make-up, just some eye-shadow and lipstick. Around my neck, I wore a black choker with an emerald in the centre. It was going to take a minute or two until the introduction, so I thought I would bring up the information I learned from Twilight yesterday. "So mother," I began. "Yes Krystal", she replied. "Why doesn't anybody know Father's name?" She seized up and looked at me. "Why do you need to know?", she replied. She looked nervous and....ashamed? "Well, I was informed of what he looked like, but not his name. Do you even know it?", I asked. She took a long sigh and looked at me with a small smile. "His name was Sh-" "NOW INTRODUCING QUEEN CHRYSALIS AND HER HEIR, PRINCESS KRYSTAL!", a loudspeaker announced. The purple curtain pulled away and revealed the large crowd gathered in the courtyard. Mother and I walked forward towards two identical obsidian thrones on the balcony. We took our seats, and Mother began her entry speech. "Fellow citizens! We are gathered here today to see that these mongrels and scum are given the punishment that they deserve. Death is not a subject that should be taken lightly, but under the right circumstances, must be used as the proper asset. These six men will be sent back to their creator and their rebel army! Enter: The executioners!" The six, black armoured men entered the courtyard carrying their automatic gauss cannons. They stood in front of the six prisoners, but one particular prisoner looked......different. He had green, spiked hair and green eyes to match. He was muscular, tan, young-looking, and very ...attractive. I swooned a little from the mere sight of him, despite the muzzle over his mouth, but something hit me right there. "He.....he's just a boy!"
##NULL##¡Para Hacer o Morir! It was an awful sensation, seeing that poor boy tied up and gagged. I looked over at Mother who was watching the executioners take up their positions, and exclaimed, "Mother, he's just a boy!" She looked over to me with a look of gloom. "Yes my dear, but it's best not to think about that. I've.......I've seen younger on the block before. Just try to shake it off." Shake it off?! I was shaking in pity for the boy, and I felt the sudden impulse to help him. "H-how old is he?", I asked nobody in particular. "Who?", one of the guards behind me said. I turned to look at.....HIM! It was that rat-bastard Sisis. "Hey Krystal, which prisoner?", he asked. I just sat there and stared at him, not really knowing what to say. Should I be mad, or should I let him help me? I......I just don't know! I eventually swallowed my pride and said, "Green hair and tan." Smooth. "Uh, that's, um.....Spike? Reports put him at eighteen. Not much of a 'boy' if you ask me", he said with a smirk. "Sh-shut up! Don't talk to me.", I snapped. I folded my arms and looked straight ahead. Double-smooth. He shrugged and returned to Right-Shoulder Arms (Military Drill was one thing in particular that I loved on my free time). "B-but....how can we..just..", I stammered. "He committed crimes Krystal, and he has to pay the price.", Mother said. "Can't we do anything?", I tried. This was met with a hard glare from Mother. "Do you want this scum to be released to hurt more people? Is that what you want?", she shouted. I cowered into the throne and looked away. "Maybe this was a bad idea after all. Sisis!", she said. Sisis went to Port and waited for my mother's orders. "Escort Krystal back to her room." "N-no!", I protested "What?" Mother looked furious "Just....just let me see him die, and then I'll leave" "Fine. Sit and just try to break this sudden attachment to this boy." Mother patted the throne next to her, and I replaced myself into the seat. Celestia, I hope this goes fast. {<^/>} Bastards! Bastards everywhere! Bastards in the crowd! Bastards with the guns! And Bastards sitting on that balcony watching me! I saw who I assumed to be the princess look at me with a look......of pity? She began to squirm uncomfortably in her seat. "Hey! Bastard with the shitty gun!", I shouted at the guard in front of me. "What?", he huffed. "Who's she, next to the queen. Just tell me before you blindfold me." "Well, since I'm gonna put two in your head, I might as well. She's the lovely Princess Krystal." "So she's the one I was sent to gather intel on." "You tell me Drakon." He tied the black cloth around my eyes and said, "Want a last smoke?" I snorted at his oh-so-clever remark. "Sure, take off this muzzle and we can have a last.....smoke.", I teased. "Nice. See you on the other side." His receding footsteps told me that he went to take up his post and aim at my head. "Let's just get this over with." {oO0Oo} It was coming. It was coming, and I couldn't help that poor boy. Just the thought of his hopelessness brought tears to my eyes. I wiped them away swiftly, only so Mother didn't try to kick me out....again. "Executioners!", she shouted over the crowd. "Ready!" I clenched my fists in fear. "Aim!" I couldn't bear it, so my eyes shut to block off the pain "Fi-" "ATACAMOS AHORA! PARA HACER O MORIR!" This strange outburst drew my eyes open. As I did, a rocket slammed into the ground where the executioners...used to stand. Gunfire ripped up the courtyard, killing guards and the unlucky civilian in its wake. I stared in horror at the sight below me. "R-rebels?", I asked. Somebody grabbed me by the arm, and yanked me out of my seat. "Princess! We've got to go!", Sisis shouted. He brought me to my feet, but the sounds of screams brought my attention back to the balcony, and back to this Spike character. We were back where we stood before the exexution, where the purple curtain used to be. I....I have to try! With a final impulse of compassion and stupidity, I ripped my arm out of Sisis' grip, ran to the balcony, and jumped over. {oO0Oo} It wasn't a far fall downwards, but high enough to break a couple of bones. Right before I met a cruel impact on the ground, I used a levitation spell to stop my falling. From my levitated position, I landed gracefully and kicked off my heels, for it was MUCH easier to run barefoot. As I landed, a burst of gunfire shredded the ground in front of me. I fell back with a shout, and landed painfully on my ass. I looked over to the source, and saw a man in goggles and a scarf over his face realign his sights. In a panic, I shot an unusually strong bolt of magic at the man. He fell backwards, and never got back up. I stared in horror at the man I just....just killed. My first instinct was to go over to him, but more gunfire reverted my attention back to my primary goal. Spike. He was still tied up at the post and was blindfolded. I held my hands over my head, and made a mad dash over to the post. He looked over in my direction, and began to shout, "Hey! Hey over here man!" It looked like he was expecting one of his rebel buddies, but I was the best he was going to get. I grabbed the black cloth over his eyes, and gave it a strong pull. His green eyes met mine with a stare of shock. I smiled warmly, and went behind him to remove the muzzle. It came off with a mechanical hiss fell to the ground. "Wha-what are you doing? Who are you? Really?", he asked. "The girl who's saving your life, now shut up so I can help!", I said back. The cuffs over his wrists were standard issue for our army. The were a strong steel and could only be opened by somebody with Changeling DNA. I pressed the release button, and it replied with a high pitched tri-tone. The red light on the cuffs turned green and the restraints opened. I discarded them and went back to his front. He ran at me with some kind of anger, but didn't go for me. Behind me was one of the surviving guards, who Spike had just seized by the neck. He was gasping for air as Spike continued to tighten his grip. The sound of popping blood vessels and breaking bones all ended with the severed head of the guard rolling on the ground. Spike turned back to me, a devilish smile on his face, and he began to run for me. I ran in the opposite direction, but was seized and thrown into a wall. He was on top of me in a flash, and his knee was digging into my gut. He had my arms pinned to my sides, totally immobilizing me. Then I saw his mouth, it was burning with a green flame that was ready to kill me. I flailed my legs hopelessly as I waited for him to kill me. I took one last glance into his eyes, and he winced. The flame in his mouth died down, and he released me from his iron grip. I took his outstretched hand and returned to my feet. "Let's go.", he muttered and ran down the alley next to us. The same alley where an ambush was waiting in case of this particular situation. Had to hand it to Mother, her tactical knowledge was impeccable. "Wait! There's troops waiting over there!", I shouted at the fleeing boy. He stopped and turned to look at me. I pointed to another alley across the courtyard. "That one's safe! Come on!" I ran back across the makeshift battlefield with Spike in behind. {oO0Oo} We reached the alley with little issue. Spike was walking ahead of me, and I was hunched over panting. At the end of the alley, it turned right and led down another passage. Spike turned this corner without even thanking me! That, that jerk! I stomped down the alley and turned the corner.....to ten rebel soldiers. They turned to look at me, and simultaneously brandished an evil grin. "Ello poppet!", one of the rebels said. I turned to run but was grabbed into a head-lock. I struggled as a cloth went across my nose and my mouth. I felt woozy and eventually passed out, passed out into the enemy's arms.
A Slight Complication.A sudden jolt in my spine snapped me back to consciousness. The jolt was the product of the armoured transport vehicle hitting a rut in the dirt road. I blinked tiredly a couple of times, the blurriness slowly fading away. When my vision was back in working order, the first thing I saw was Spike looking at me with apathy. He nodded his head in a silent "hello" and started to stare at the metal floor. I turned my head to gather the rest of my surroundings. The sight wasn't beautiful. I was in a cramped metal space filled with twelve different rebel soldiers. They cast their eyes on me with a mixture of responses. Some wore a mask of contempt, others wore a veil of apathy, while the rest had shroud of evil over their faces. "Wh-where am I", I said. My voice felt hoarse and thick, more than likely from being drugged to sleep. "Hey baby", one of the rebels piped up, "I had so much fun last night!" I bolted upward in fear, but I was stopped with a rough resistance and slammed back down. My wrists throbbed, and then I noticed the plastic zip-tie that was around my wrists and looped around the roll cage. The occupants burst into a chorus of cruel laughter at my expense. I started to fidget out of panic due to my restraints. Spike looked up at me, and then did the most heroic thing I've ever seen a boy do. "SHUT! UP!", he shouted. I felt the roll cage vibrate and the whole sitting zone heated up a good ten degrees due to the burst of fire he released. "Celestia dammit! You guys are so fucking annoying!", he fumed. The rebels decided NOT to pick on me any more in a silent consensus, but their left over humour decided to shift to another member of the vehicle. "Haha, looks like wittle Spikey-Wikey has a wittle crush!", some ass teased, "What will poor wittle Rarity think?" I saw it right then and there. His eyes flew open wide, and his fists clenched....tight. "Uh, dude, I think you fucked up.", one of the other rebels said. "HEY! All of you! Lock. It. Up!", some important rebel officer said as he came out of the cabin. "I hear one more insult, you all", his gaze shifted towards me, "are gonna regret it! So lock it up!" "Locked sir!", the cabin sullenly said, including me. They all looked over to me in surprise. I blushed and shifted back a bit, not really wanting this attention. "Girl! You know drill?", the officer said. I nodded swiftly, hoping to turn everybody's attention away. "Well I'll be damned. Take an example from the prisoner and shut the fuck up!", he said as he returned to the cabin. The rebels' gaze decided to return to me, but with more positive responses. The nodded with slight smirks and looks of approval. "Well girl, I must say you've become 20% cooler in our book.", one said, "Cause here we thought you were some over-pampered whore!" I decided it was best to spend the rest of the ride in silence. {oO0Oo} The rest of the trip took another four hours at least. Thankfully, though, nobody talked to me. I was glad for the silence of the rebels, but one person kept paying attention to me. It was Spike. Every so often, he would cast a look up at me and just stare. I pretended not to notice, but sometimes, our eyes would meet. When this fleeting moment happened, I would gift him with a kind smile, but in return, he would blush and look away. I really liked when he did though, it made me feel a bit more welcome with these rebels. I never had the heart to tell him. "Um, if you don't mind me asking, but where are we off to?', I asked the rebels. They all looked at me, silently deciding who would anwser me. It was obvious I wasn't welcome in thier vehicle. "Uh, Spike! Tell the girl where we're going." "Why me? You do it!", he protested. "Cause I told you to!" "I don't give a fuck! Just tell her!" "Uh, guys. Somebody better tell me, or I'll resort to my royal genes!", I threatened. "What's that supposed to mean?", one of the guys snapped. I gave a little smirk, and began my work. "Well! First of all, I am a lady! Your lewd humour is offensive and pointless! Also, why would you ever tie me up in such a crude fashion! These zip-ties are too tight and they hurt! I'm a princess! Couldn't you allow me to have my hands free? I do NOT enjoy being hindered! And you!", I said pointing to the man with my foot who called me a "pampered whore", "I do not appreciate such ghastly insults from you! Treat me with the respect I deserve!" I crossed my legs and smiled warmly to the newly annoyed rebel squad. "Now, if one of you could tell me where we're going, I'll be quiet.", I said to the dominated men. "You promise to shut it?", a rebel asked. "Certainly." "We're going to The Crystal Empire." I looked at the man in surprise. Mother always told me that The Crystal Empire was a child's tale. "Wait. It's....it's real?", I asked. "Yeah, it's real! Now you promised to be quiet!" {oO0Oo} When we unloaded at The Crystal Empire, there was some confusion on what they would do with me. I was still zip-tied to the roll cage, and I had to pee. "Well, this is a problem.", a rebel said. "I say we leave her tied up." "Or we leave her in the snow." "VTOL her to the Badlands!" "Nah! She'd like that." Tears were starting to well on my impending fate. I felt like a complete fool about jumping that rail. Right now I could be at home in my bed, or in the library, or even silently threatening Sisis, but no. I was here amongst these, these.....SCUM, who were trying to find fifty ways to kill me. I closed my eyes and silently wished for home. "Hey. Look at me.", somebody said. I looked up into the warm grin of the officer. "There's no reason to cry.", he said. He pulled out a knife and cut the zip-tie. "Don't let them get to you. Come on, we're gonna see The General. He'll find something out for you." He helped me up and motioned to me to follow him. We walked across the tarmac to the main building. The tarmac was crowded with various implements of war. there were VTOL jets, tanks, Humvees, and the armoured attack vehicles I was in. Soldiers were all over the place. Some were coming home from a battle, others were leaving to go fight said battles, and others were running laps for exercise. The Officer entered a pass-code on a console and got the door for me. "Ladies first.", he said getting out of my way. I smiled kindly at his courtesy. "Pussy!", a voice said from the tarmac, and I snickered a little. "The General's office is just down this hallway. I followed him down the long hallway. The florescent lights buzzed above us, giving an eerie feel to the brown walls. There were bulletin boards dotted around the hallway with various requests and events posted on them. "He's right in here. Wait a second.", The Officer said to me. I waited patiently for him to return. SHIFT TO THIRD PERSON Shining Armour poured over the status reports piled on his desk. He tried his best to focus on the important documents, but he was eagerly awaiting the return of the rescue operation. His silent anticipation was interrupted by a knock on the door. "Whoever it is, it better be fucking important!", he shouted. "It's David, Shining, let me in.", the voice on the other side. Shining went over to the door and ripped it open, and sure enough it was David Whooves, the lead officer of the rescue operation. "Ah! David, come in!", Shining said to his friend and brother-in-arms. Shining took his seat and waited for David's report. "So, how'd it go?", Shining asked. "Uh, fine, fine, but there was....a slight complication." "What?! What do you mean 'a complication'? I gave you forty-two men to rescue six men in a scantly guarded courtyard! How did you fuck that up?" "Well that's just it. We, uh, we returned with.....seven people." "What? The fuck are you talking about?" "You can come in now!" {oO0Oo} I sheepishly entered the office, not looking at this general. "What the fuck is this?", The General asked The Officer. "This is Princess Krystal of The Changeling Empire." The General flopped down in his seat and exhaled heavily. He grabbed some of his blue hair and pushed it back. "David, leave me with the girl.", The General said to The Officer. David nodded silently and left the room. "Princess, huh?", he asked me. I looked up at him and just stared. This general, or whatever he was, looked a lot how Ms. Sparkle described my father. Broad shoulders, square jaw, blue hair and eyes, and a scar over his left eye, it was uncanny the resemblance to the description I was given. "Hey Princess! You there?", he asked me. I didn't respond with the anwser he wanted. "It's you! You're my father." "What?" "Ms. Sparkle in the library told me th-" "Hang on! Ms. Sparkle? As in Twilight Sparkle?" "Yeah." "She's......alive?" I nodded in comfirmation and he ran up and hugged me laughing. "Sweet Celestia yes! She's alive!", he shouted. His look of happiness continuued into his next crushing words. "But, I'm not your daddy. Sorry, but I'm married, and there's no way I would sleep with a changeling." "O-oh, I'm sorry for suggesting so", I muttered. He waved it away with his hand, and started to critically think. "So. What am I going to do with you? Any Ideas?", he asked me in sarcasm. "Well, you can't release me, that's for sure. And if you hold me for ransom, my mother will be infuriated and launch an all-out attack, sparing nobody. But you can't keep me secret, for your citizens will be pretty pissed and lynch me. SO, Mr. General Shining sir! Do you have any ideas?", I asked the shocked man. "Well I must say your tactical knowledge is amazing, no doubt from your mother. Okay. I'll give you a choice: we can throw you in jail until we have a plan for you, or I can give you a house and ten-thousand bits and you can live among the people here. However, I cannot guarantee their behaviour towards you.", he said back, "What's it gonna be?" "I'll take the money and house." "Really? I thought you were going to take jail.", he said as he withdrew a coin purse and some keys, and tossed them to me. "Thank you General.", I said as I walked out to David. "Come on, I'll take you to your house", David said, and we walked off into the empire. Shining sat thinking for a while, before he broke down and had to tell somebody. "Roseluck", he said over the phone, "Get me Applejack. I need to talk to her."
Quick note for the fansHello friends, I have some news. I will be placing Her Empire on hiatus for the time being. I need some to study the cloppy arts and I need to develop the plot a little. So I'm sorry to disapoint, but I will return as soon as I can.
Author's Note OneHELLO FRIENDS!!! Neko-sama here! I just thought I'd thank each and every one of you who favourited Her Empire in its first day. That's Twenty-two favourites! I know it's not many, but it means the world to me! Thanks and enjoy! ~Neko-sama
