Part One: The Road to Conquest
Prologue
Lord Nemesis, a rich nineteen-year-old male with suitably styled reddish hair and hazel eyes, was extremely surprised. “So, why do you want me in your ‘Triumvirate,’ again?†He asked Shrine Sprite and Fallen2Grace.
“Well….†Shrine chose his words carefully. “We feel your talents are… necessary.â€
“Right. My talents or my money?†Nemesis responded blandly.
Fallen answered that question. “Well, to be completely honest, both, actually. You see, you do have the necessary money, but you also have the right motivation.â€
Fallen was a young, pretty girl, of about sixteen. She had long, flowing blond hair that extended to her waist, with deep, bluish purple eyes. She had moderate skin color, with a slight tan, and not a pimple or blemish in sight. Fallen2Grace was the ideal girl. Anyone who saw her knew that. She was the perfect height and weight, too, not that tall or short, and not very skinny or fat. She was the jealousy of everyone she met personality wise as well as looks. Her bright, bubbling personality would immediately spring her to the front of any crowd, and she had amazing leadership skills as well. Alas, even with all these remarkable qualities, she was still not satisfied.
Shrine Sprite, on the other hand, was no comparison to her. A young boy of perhaps fourteen, his haircut was somewhat short, and its color was a light brownish-blond. His eyes were a deep brown, and his skin was pale. Shrine Sprite was average height, and a little overweight, since he could not stay away from sweets. However, a fair metabolism made up for some of it. He would make comments on practically everything, causing his personality to seem quite discourteous at times. This would often get him in trouble. Despite this, though, Shrine was exceptionally intelligent, and a real comedian to the people who knew him well. Personality wise, Fallen was no match to him.
“Yes,†added Shrine. “You see, you are in relatively the same position we are. Like you, Nemesis, the country called Axa has denied us Consulship.â€
“Oh, Really?†Inquired Nemesis. “May I ask for what reasons?â€
Fallen flipped her hair appealingly. “Well, for me, it was due to popularity.†She sighed. “I was just too pretty, and on top of that, I granted my army, and some random villagers, huge amounts of land. Therefore, they grew extremely loyal to me, and the Consul decided my popularity would enable me to gain dominance of the country if I became a Consul. Isn’t that absurd?â€
“Of course, of course," Nemesis muttered. "That’s so typical of them.†He turned to face Shrine. “So, what’s your reason?â€
“Eh, it’s basically the same here. I had a huge army, they felt I’d become too powerful.†Shrine raised up his fist in a defiant manner. “But we’ll show them! So, Nemesis, what do you say?â€
“Sure, I’ll give it a shot.â€
* * *
“Phew,†Fallen sighed, later on. “I’m so glad he decided to join us!â€
“Yep.†Shrine acknowledged. “We’d be nothing without his money.â€
Unfortunately, non-apparent to Fallen and Nemesis's knowledge, Shrine had just begun his path to world domination. He would soon come to realize his dreams of world conquest.
Chapter One
“NO! How could we lose?†Fallen was kneeling on the floor, in the middle of a battlefield. Axa had either killed or captured every single member of the Triumvirate’s armies. Fallen began to cry.
“I don’t understand! We planned it perfectly!â€
“Jeez, calm down. You’re giving me a headache,†Complained Shrine. “Where’s Nemesis?â€
Fallen began to get a hold of herself. “Huh? I have no idea,â€
Suddenly, the two noticed Nemesis coming towards them.
“Um, where have you been?†questioned Shrine. “How could you leave me with her? She was bawling like an idiot!â€
“Hey! I wasn’t bawling, and I’m not an idiot!â€
“I guess you two don’t want to hear the good news,†stated Nemesis.
“Good news?†the two replied simultaneously.
“Yep. I just spoke with the officials of Axa. Apparently, they were quite impressed with our admirable invasion attempt. Therefore, the authorities have graciously donated a bit of land to us, to establish our own power.â€
“Let’s go,†The two responded, commandingly. Shrine and Fallen both turned and glared at each other.
The three called their new country Osgi.
* * *
Osgi grew somewhat quickly, for a new country. It was a well off land, and many travelers stopped there, spreading its good fortune to many other lands. Osgi became know as the “Golden Kingdom,†for its fair laws, friendly people, and small, family-like towns.
Unfortunately, every town has its unorderly folk. Therefore, The Triumvirate deemed it necessary to form a militia called the Royal Guard. Each member of the Royal Guard received leadership a providence, where he or she was required to keep order. Wind Waker and Meepeh became the leaders of the guard.
All of this seemed fine to Shrine and fallen, for a while. Unfortunately, all good things seem to fade after awhile. If you eat too much candy, then eventually it loses its taste. This is what happened with Osgi. It began to become too dull for Fallen2Grace and Shrine Sprite, too boring, tediously regular, and simply dull. Osgi just wasn’t good enough for them.
“Alright, this is really becoming annoying,†Fallen declared one day.
“Yeah,†agreed Shrine. “We definitely need more power.â€
Nemesis looked at the two with acatalepsy. “What do you mean? I see no problem whatsoever.â€
Fallen and Shrine stared at Nemesis. Their eyes were insensitive, callous, and unforgiving.
“On second thought, I think you’re right. We do need a larger empire.â€
* * *
“How’s this?â€
“Wonderful, Fallen,†Shrine replied, examining the vast forests and immense mountains of undeveloped land they would soon control. “Now we just need to fix it up a bit. Oh, and we should do something about these barbarians-â€
“Hold up a minute,†interrupted Nemesis. “That is completely profligate of you. This is those people’s homes. We can’t simply kill them for their land!â€
“Oh, I think we can,†argued Shrine Sprite. “They are uncivilized barbarians, no more than animals. Besides, we deserve this land much more than they do.â€
“No, we don’t… Hey! Ugh. I hate it when you two stare at me like that… Frankly, it’s quite creepy.â€
When neither responded, Nemesis sighed.
“You want me to pay for the development, don’t you?â€
Fallen and Shrine just nodded.
“Well, I suppose I have no choice, once again. “I give up. Let’s do it."
* * *
Once the new empire was established, another teeny problem arose.
“We need a better name!†declared Shrine one day.
Fallen did not think so, and she began to protest. The two were on the verge of a fistfight when Nemesis walked in.
“Whoa, whoa! Calm down! What’s going on, here?â€
Fallen2Grace retreated to a pouting pose. “Shrine says we need to change the name of our empire. I think our currant title’s fine, but Shrine just refuses to cooperate!â€
“Alright, alright. I see. Now, Shrine, what exactly did you want the name changed to?â€
“Oh, um, how about F2GF?â€
“F2GF? Now, just how are you supposed to pronounce that?†demanded Fallen.
“Just how it sounds. Fuh-Tuh-Ge-Fuh.â€
“Well, I like it alright,†agreed Nemesis. “How about you, Fallen?â€
Fallen nodded. “Yeah. It does sound cool. I love it! F2GF it is!†It was times like this when Fallen’s volatile nature would show.
* * *
F2GF, with its newly developed cities, huge forests and fields, began to attract many tourists and new immigrants. The population was huge, and rapidly growing. F2GF grew exponentially, soon becoming a humongous and powerful empire. It was rated as one of the most influential and prosperous lands in the world, rising to the rank of a world power, along with Axa.
Now, I would like to say that they all lived happily ever after. Unfortunately, real stories never end that way. You will only find child’s tales with such pitiful conclusions, and this is, undoubtedly, no such tale.
Shrine Sprite and Fallen2Grace had never been that friendly towards each other, and argued everyday. In addition, civil war was on the brink of erupting between the supporters of Fallen and the followers of Shrine. However, before that, a terrible, terrible thing happened.
Chapter Two
No one saw it coming. Not even the Royal Guard. Not even Kikyo, the mysterious Nepponi princess who claimed to possess psychic prowess. Even if they did see it, they would not have thought it from Orag.
Sweet Little Orag? No, it was impossible. He couldn't be the Orag of legends, not Orag the Hun. Nevertheless, he was.
"Ha HA! NO ONE CAN STOP ME!" he yelled across the land.
No one could believe it. Orag, friend to all? Orag, whom they all knew and loved?
“So,†Fallen stated at the remark. “Who thought that you, of all people, would be the one to deceive us and unleash such horror upon this land? Nevertheless, your plight ends here!â€
“Excuse me? I wasn’t fooled,†retorted Shrine.
Fallen rolled her eyes. “Shut up.â€
“Ha Ha!†Yelled Orag. “Just try to stop me! In the end, I shall be the one to prevail! You’ll see!â€
Orag and his tribe entitled themselves the Huns, after an ancient Germanic tribe known as the greatest invaders in all of time. They made sure to live up to their name, for by the time the Royal Guard managed to halt their advances, they had nearly destroyed the capital of F2GF!
Meanwhile, Shrine was engaged in a battle of epic proportions with Orag.
“Oh, yeah! I have you now!†declared Orag, sweeping out at Shrine with his humongous bronze blade, aiming directly at his throat.
“Yeah, guess again.†Shrine expertly dodged the assault with a simple duck. Orag hurled at Shrine Sprite once more.
“Now I’ve…ugh…†groaned Orag, for Shrine had immediately preformed a careful roll and swung out at Orag with his small, silver dagger, stabbing him directly in the heart.
When he was sure that Orag was dead, Shrine Sprite glared at the lifeless corpse with vapid aversion.
“Wow, you really are the greatest general ever,†commented Fallen2Grace, transfixed on the mass of blood and guts set on the damp, bloodstained earth.
“Eh, it was nothing,†bragged Shrine.
“Oh. My. God.†Nemesis acknowledged, eyes fixed upon a point in the near distance.
“Wha…oh,†replied Shrine, as his bold stature began to droop. Both his and Fallen’s mouths fell in disbelief as they viewed the damage that the Huns had caused.
At least half of the city was blown to the ground, thirty-foot trees were completely uprooted, fire hydrants blew out huge streams of water, and, worst of all…
“Oh, no!†Fallen began to cry. “It… It’s horrible! Look at all the civilians they slew!â€
It seemed as though nearly a quarter of the population had been destroyed by the Huns’ plight.
Wind Waker and Meepeh came forwards with their heads bowed.
“I’m sorry,†Wind Waker apologized, dropping his bow on the ground, not even bothering to retrieve his arrows from the Hun’s bodies. He was a master bow bender, and had always loved using this weapon since he was a young boy.
“We… couldn’t save them…†Meepeh added, dramatically. Her Chakrams were drooped at her side.
“Don’t worry. I’m sure everything will turn out fine,†Fallen consoled.
“Really? Doesn’t look too fine to me,†retorted Shrine. “Unless I missed something, here.â€
“Shrine! Don’t be rude,†warned Nemesis.
“Heh. Whatever.â€
Suddenly, Liger Blade mulled drunkenly towards the group, moaning. “Need…more…BLOOD! Must…KILL!â€
“Oh. My. God.†Shrine proclaimed. “She’s blood crazy!â€
Kikyo dashed up behind Liger, grabbing her arm tightly. “NO! Liger, you must stop! These are our friends. The battle’s over, now.â€
“What the…†Shrine muttered, staring at Liger’s bloodshot eyes, vicious claws, and ominous tail.
“Yeah,†Kikyo acknowledged. “Liger is only part human. Today, during the battle, I mistakenly activated her ‘other side.’ Sorry.â€
Shrine blinked. “O…Kay…â€
“Don’t worry, It’ll wear out soon,†Kikyo promised. “If only I had seen it coming… Perhaps it could have been prevented.â€
“Well, what happened, happened,†Fallen declared. “We’ll just have to work to make it better!â€
* * *
The entire country united to restore what they had lost. Well, most of it, anyway, for the dead could never return, no matter how hard they tried.
“This is not good at all,†thought Shrine Sprite, as he observed the reformation of his empire. “With all this unity, it’s going to be a while before I’m able to take over.â€
Of course, despite all their noble efforts to reform and reunite the empire after what had recently transpired, F2GF would never be the same again, especially since the worst was yet to come.
Chapter Three
“Yo, Liggie, wanna become my business partner?†Phantom consulted Liger one day. “I wanna make a trading card business!â€
“Phantom, how many times do I have to tell you to stop calling me that!? But, whatever, I guess I’d like to do a TCG.â€
Phantom grinned. “Awesome.â€
Phantom was an iffy citizen of F2GF. His emotions changed frequently. It was rumored that he had some sort of multiple personality disorder, although it was not as extreme as that. He was not an entirely different person, per say, for it seemed more or less an emotional alteration. For example, one day he could love you, the next, for no apparent reason, he could hate you with a passion. One day he could claim to be your best friend, but the next day he could be spreading horrible lies and rumors about you.
Liger Blade was somewhat similar, but not as extreme. Phantom changed his views randomly, with no reason. Liger, however, needed a reason, although since she was tremendously sensitive to what people said about her. People would be cautious near her, for the instant you even hinted to saying something about her, or even offered some helpful criticism, BOOM. She definitely had anger issues. What's more, if she happened to become tumultuously angered, she would transform into a vicious half-human, half-liger beast, hence her nickname, Liger.
Well, Liger and Phantom soon monopolized the trading card business. Their TCG featured cards of the more popular citizens and royalty of F2GF, which the people adored, therefore causing a skyrocketing amount of profit. Who wouldn’t want a card that featured their best friend, or even themselves? Before long, the two partners were some of the richest citizens in all of F2GF.
Unfortunately, although business was booming, the partnership found itself rapidly dissolving before their eyes. Apparently, Phantom was a “liar, cheater, and thief,†according to Liger. Phantom thought of Liger as a “bumbling idiot blinded by her haphazardly rage.†They fought many, many times, and the entire country knew it.
Despite their constant arguing, the two still considered each other friends, and shared some secrets and good times, occasionally.
“Hey, Phantom, did you hear?†Liger whispered to Phantom one bright, sparking day. “Shrine is planning to dismiss some of the Royal Guard!†Shrine and Liger had been going out for a while, and the two constantly shared secrets such as this. It could not be considered True Love, though, since it was on and off so much, and anyone who saw then could agree that it was simply a typical teen crush amongst friends.
“Whoa, seriously?†questioned Phantom.
“Yep. It’s only about one or two, though. You know, the few that haven’t been doing their jobs properly, or so he feels.â€
* * *
“Yo, did you hear?†Phantom asked Fallen, his good friend, later on, as the sun was falling into the starlit hours of darkness known as night.
“Oh? Hear what?â€
“Shrine’s gonna dismiss the entire Royal Guard, and plans to murder Wind Waker, Meepeh, Nemesis, and you!†the little liar claimed exuberantly.
Fallen’s mouth fell open. She was completely flabbergasted. “Wha… What did you say?!â€
“You heard me. He wants to become Dictator!â€
* * *
Unfortunately, rumors such as these spread quickly.
"Shrine!" came Fallen's shrill call.
"Hm? What is it?" he asked humbly.
"You are OUT of this Triumvirate!"
What are you talking about?" a vague expression crossed his face. "What'd I do?"
"You want to kill off the entire Royal Guard and become dictator, that's what!"
"Hm? I never..."
"Nope! I don't want any excuses! Get out of this room, mister!"
"You sound like my mom, now."
Fallen continued to insist, no matter how hard Shrine struggled to tell her he was innocent.
"Wait a second, Fallen!" piped up Kikyo. No one had noticed she was in the room until now.
"Huh? How the hell did you get in here?" Fallen inquired.
"Now, does that really matter?" she countered, mysteriously. "Besides, I believe the true matter at hand is whether Shrine actually plans to do all that or not. I've heard many rumors about that lately. Fallen, where exactly did you get your information from?"
"Well... Phantom told me..."
Shrine cut her off. "Aha! Phantom! No wonder. That fiend constantly tells lies."
"Well, not to me," Fallen continued. "I'd trust him with my life."
"Guards!" Shrine commanded. "Fetch Phantom for us!"
"Yo, 'sup? Phantom greeted them, as he was led into the room about ten minutes later. "What's the problem?"
"You!" Shrine proclaimed.
"What do you mean?"
"You seem to have told Fallen that I was going to disassemble the empire. May I ask where you acquired this knowledge?"
"I never said that!"
"Liar!" Shrine vehemently spat, pointing directly at him.
"Hold up, Shrine," Fallen said, much calmer than usually. She pushed Shrine's arm down, and twisted around to face Phantom. "Don't you remember? What you told me yesterday?"
"Um... Oh, yeah, that." He seemed somewhat discomfited. "You mean what Liger told me about Shrine killing everyone off?"
Shrine became rigid. "Liger said that? Guards! Collect Liger, now!"
"Yes, sir!"
Yet another ten minutes later, the guards returned.
"Sir? We can't find her anywhere," Wind Waker expressed regretfully.
"Oh! I can find her!" Perked Kikyo.
"Hmph," retorted Wind Waker. "And how does a mere peasant such as you hope to find her when not even the Royal Guard could?"
"I'm not a peasant!"
"Wind Waker," commented Shrine. "Please don't call people that. It's rude. Kikyo, please gather Liger for us."
"Kay!" She returned a few seconds after setting off, with Liger in her wake.
"Huh? How did you find her that fast?" Meepeh, one of the lead guards, questioned.
"Easy. I had though I sensed someone eavesdropping. The only possible person with access to the castle that it could have been was Liger."
"Well, I was curious! Who wouldn't be?" defended Liger.
"Alright, then," declared Shrine. For once, that's actually a good thing. No explanation should be necessary. So, did you or did you not tell Phantom that I desired to destroy this government?"
"No. I didn't tell him that, not exactly."
"Oh? What do you mean, not exactly?" Fallen asked, suspicious.
"Hey, let me finish! Well, I didn't tell him it was as extreme as that. All I said was that Shrine desired to make some reforms in the Royal Guard by replacing one or two of the ineffective ones. It was nothing like what Phantom said."
"Alright." Fallen seemed to be much, much calmer now than before. "Shrine, is that really what you told her?"
"Of course. I only wanted to dismiss the few that seem unworthy. I had actually meant to speak to you about that today, before you exploded on me. It's nothing major. I have no clue where Phantom got all that nonsense from."
* * *
"Phew," thought Shrine Sprite later that night. "It's a good thing Liger didn't mention any more to him. I can trust her not to tell my secrets. After all, I can't let my plans of conquest be ruined by something as trivial as a rumor!"
Chapter Four
The matter had been resolved, and no one received any type of punishment. It had been concluded that Phantom was not at fault, for he had simply “misheard†what Liger had told him. Fallen, unfortunately, was still under the impression that Phantom was her good friend, and therefore dropped him of all charges. Shrine, Kikyo, and Liger all knew better, though. They had all experienced his lies firsthand.
Kikyo, though, knew of Phantom’s lies more than anyone else did. Just recently, she had noticed that he was spreading rumors that she wanted to “break up†Liger and Shrine. The two became angry with her for quite some time after that, until they concluded that Phantom had lied once again and even went as far as falsifying evidence to get her in trouble.
Eventually, all of Phantom’s little lies and misdemeanors began to add up. Coupled with the fact that the Royal Guard discovered him with many of the villagers missing items, and the fact that his lies began to become much more severe, even Fallen2Grace decided to associate with him no linger. The Triumvirate banished Phantom from F2GF, and excommunicated him from the church, according to Shrine Sprite. Although, it is completely unclear why they even stated in the banishment documents that he was to be excommunicated, for there was not any known form of ordered religious conviction in their country at all, unless it was practiced in secrecy. Religion was perfectly legal, of course, but the type of people who resided in F2GF tended not to associate themselves with much religion, more or less believing their own ideas. They were simply concerned more with other, more productive and logical activities, therefore causing such trivial organizations as organized religion obsolete.
“NO! This is totally not fair, you (word removed due to impropriety)!†squealed Phantom, as the Royal Guard dragged him from the premises of the country and any other facilities their government held in ownership. “You can’t do this to me! I’ll get my revenge, I swear it!â€
No one felt any pity towards the felon.
In addition to this pandemonium, it had been discovered that Fallen and Shrine commenced to squabble much more than usual, almost constantly, in fact.
Nemesis, who was supposed to be the intermediate, providing a third party to settle these disagreements, had fallen deathly ill suddenly. People rarely heard from. He never left the castle, yet Fallen and Shrine, who also inhabited the same castle as him, almost never deigned to visit him during his dying month. They told him that they were too preoccupied with more pressing issues. In reality, neither Fallen nor Shrine cared for him one iota. After all, the two had only recruited him for the money, so why should they bother healing Nemesis when they were on the verge of inheriting all he had?
Nemesis drew his last breath on Christmas day, passing quietly in his sleep, all alone. No funeral was necessary. Fallen and Shrine, sad as it is, did not even notice he had died until later that day, when a servant discovered his lifeless corpse. The only thing that was done to honor Nemesis was a mournful parade throughout the capitol, held in his honor. From then on, Nemesis’s memory was considered archaic, just a mere figment of the past.
Fallen may have felt some remorse towards Nemesis, but not Shrine. As far as he was concerned, Nemesis’s death only meant one more obstacle notwithstanding, enabling Shrine to conquer the world that much sooner.
Then, of course, the authority problems began. Much of the population began to leave due to the constant “drama†of the nation, or so it was called. Kikyo, Liger Blade, Fallen2Grace, and Shrine Sprite, oddly enough, always seemed to be in the immediacy of these disputes. Kikyo was the defiant one, as she was born in a foreign land. Liger, of course, had the “anger issues.†Fallen, though usually kind and thoughtful most of the time, tended to be one of those people who insisted on getting “her way or the highway.†Shrine, of course, never made things any better. Actually, he had a tendency of making things a lot worse with his witty insults and smart-* quips that he had to add to every single conflict he stumbled upon.
Now, preferring not to explain every single conflict, let it be simply told that the situations that followed were not quite congenial, agreed?
These conflicts had a massive impact upon the society of F2GF. Meepeh soon grew tired of it all, and left the country for someplace “less inclined to bicker over every single trivial thing,†as she put it. Wind Waker, consequently, left too, for analogous reasons. With all the fighting within the kingdom, he presumed that collapse was inevitable. In a way, Wind Waker was entirely correct.
Chapter Five
With barely any of the higher officials remaining, things began to become extremely corrupted within the regime of F2GF. Basically, Fallen2Grace and Shrine Sprite were the only two members left. Therefore, anarchy began to reign. Both had begun to do various things without consent of the other, fighting nearly all the time, with hardly a moment’s peace between them.
Kikyo, who would assist in resolving many of the conflicts between the two, had been called back to her own empire. Her father, the emperor of Japan, had given Kikak to her for her seventh birthday. Her absence from it had left a few important matters unresolved, deeming it necessary for her to return for a while. Without anyone to intervene, F2GF was in a horrible state.
That was where Traveling Cat came into play.
“Alright,†announced Shrine one day. “This atrocity cannot go on any longer. The entire purpose of having a Triumvirate was to incorporate a system of checks and balances into our empire. We cannot have a balance with only two people. We need someone to intervene!â€
Fallen sighed. “I hate to admit it, but your right. We absolutely need a neutral person who can solve the argumentation that arises between us. But who…?â€
* * *
Axa had recently had an economic collapse. Anarchy had begun to reign, and many people had fled to other countries to escape the turmoil. Traveling cat was one of the few who chose to transfer to F2GF, and the only one who moved right into the capitol city.
The people, as she became instantly popular with the majority of the city’s population, soon loved Traveling Cat. She was amazing at solving problems, also. It was as though she was a gift from God placed upon the lap of F2GF, exactly when they needed her most.
One faithful day, Traveling Cat received an official-looking letter in the mail.
“Please come to the castle at 12 noon tomorrow,†she read aloud. “Huh. I wonder what this could be for.â€
“Can’t be anything good, that’s for sure,†said the cranky old man working his garden of sunflowers across the street. Traveling cat blushed. She had not realized she had spoken aloud.
* * *
It was noontime, on April 22, when Traveling Cat found herself waltzing unaware into the Royal Castle.
“Traveling Cat, please come this way,†an apple-red arrow announced, pointing towards an ominous brightly-lit room on the left, which she entered anxiously, subconsciously regarding the forewarning of her elderly (and crazy, might I add) neighbor.
Suddenly, the door slammed shut, and the entire room went dark. “Aa-aah!†came Traveling Cat’s shrill shriek. “Wha… what’s going on?â€
Shrine Sprite and Fallen2Grace both turned on dim flashlights, so that only their faintly lit faces appeared within the black shroud.
“Meow! Are you ghosts?â€
“Traveling Cat,†replied Fallen, in an entrancing, hauntingly voice, ignoring Traveling Cat’s inquiry. “You, yes, you, are the Chosen one!â€
“What do you mean, ‘Chosen one’?â€
“You have been chosen!â€
“For what?â€
“Now that Nemesis is dead, we require another, a third member, to complete this Triumvirate!â€
“Oh, that’s all?†Now that she knew what it was about, Traveling Cat was much calmer than before. “And what if I refuse?â€
“Well, then…†Shrine finally spoke, in a soft whisper. He deliberately tilted his light a fraction, so that it reflected off the thin edge of the tiny, silver knife he held to Traveling Cat’s neck.
Traveling Cat’s eyes grew nearly as wide as saucers. She gulped. “I… I suppose I have no choice in the matter, then, do I?†she spoke as bravely as possible, even attempting a slight smile.
“Nope. None at all.â€
“Shrine!†Fallen scolded.
“Yes?â€
“Get that knife away from her throat! Since when did we agree on threatening her to join us?â€
“Jeez, it was just a little joke… Can’t you ever stand to have a bit of fun?â€
“That is not fun! Traveling Cat,†Fallen turned to face her. “Of course you have a choice. This is not a violent dictatorship, no matter how much Shrine wants it to be. So, are you in or not?â€
Traveling Cat laughed. “I know I must be crazy to do this, but okay!â€
“’Kay. That’s perfect,†approved Shrine. “Now, let’s just hope you’ll be as good of a… um...â€
“Transitional?â€
“Yeah, that, as Nemesis was!â€
“Did someone state my name?†murmured a strange, yet vastly familiar, accent. Suddenly, out of nowhere, the bright and lustrous form of Nemesis appeared.
“GHOST!†the new Triumvirate yelped. The three hurdled out of that room quicker than you can cay “pumpkin pieâ€!
Chapter Six
Traveling Cat was a very useful member to the Triumvirate. Because of her, Shrine Sprite and Fallen2Grace found themselves involved in a lot less conflicts than before, and they solved the few they did have fairly quickly, usually.
Meanwhile, Kikyo had returned. She, Shrine, and Liger were becoming closer and closer friends with each passing day. Shrine, naturally, became the leader of their trio, Kikyo and Liger being extremely loyal to him, and only him.
Those two were not the only citizens who refused to obey anyone but Shrine. MikeMan, a top commander of the Royal Guard, also sided with him on everything. The three of them would only do what Shrine told them, ignoring anything and everything that Fallen or Traveling Cat told them to do. There was no doubt about it: The takeover would begin shortly.
* * *
“Alright,†Shrine began, during a secret meeting that included himself, Kikyo, Liger Blade, and MikeMan. “Our chance will soon come. Before long, this empire will be mi…ours! Mwa ha ha ha ha!â€
“Do you really need the evil laugh?†questioned Kikyo.
“Of course,†Shrine confirmed, happily.
“Heh. That’s Shrine for you.†Liger rolled her eyes. “Seriously. That laugh has got to go.â€
“Kay,†Shrine continued, ignoring Liger’s suggestion. “As one of the ‘Triumvirate,’ or so it’s called, I naturally have access to all the security system and passages and whatnot in the castle. This shouldn’t be so hard.â€
â€Perfect!†replied Kikyo.
“Wait a second. I forgot…†Liger blankly said. “What do we have to do with all this again?â€
“You,†Shrine responded, his eyes sparking brightly, “You are going to help me become the Dictator.â€
Chapter Seven
One day, Traveling Cat simply walked out on Shrine Sprite and Fallen2Grace, without any rhyme or reason for her actions.
“This is our chance!†decided Shrine. Quickly, he gathered Kikyo and Liger.
“You two know what to do, correct?â€
“Of course!" They said simultaneously.
“Shrine-Chan,†Kikyo added, slyly. Liger slapped her.
Shrine, Kikyo, and Liger proceeded to the main wing of the castle, where Fallen was.
“Do you really think this will work?†Kikyo pondered. “It seems like a lot could go wrong.â€
“Of course it will work, stupid!†Liger commented. “Shrine came up with it.â€
“Yes, I know, but that doesn’t necessarily guarantee-“
“Will you two shut up?†Shrine remarked. “Your bickering can become quite annoying sometimes.â€
“Hey, Shrine!†Fallen greeted Shrine as he entered the room. “Um, why are Kikyo and Liger Blade here? I forbid it! They have no authorization!â€
“I have authorized them to be.†Shrine grinned deviously. He nodded once.
‘That’s the signal!’ Kikyo thought.
Quickly, Liger positioned herself at the door. Kikyo dashed behind Fallen2Grace, holding a knife.
“What the…?†Fallen was flabbergasted at this sudden violation.
“Do not move,†ordered Kikyo.
“Kay,†Began Shrine.
“What? You have no right…†Fallen began to squirm, but Kikyo’s tight hold on her chest prevented escape.
At another subtle nod from Shrine, Kikyo pressed the knife closer to Fallen’s neck. A small, bright red bead of blood formed on the very tip of it. Fallen’s eyes grew even wider than before. “I said do not move,†repeated Kikyo.
“Kay,†began Shrine, again. “As of now, this Empire belongs to me. Any objections?â€
Fallen’s eyes screamed protest, but the knife at her throat was enough to warn her not to gripe.
“Good. I’ll take it that you don’t mind, then. Kikyo, please bound and gag her.â€
Kikyo immediately withdrew the knife, placing it between her teeth. She violently yanked Fallen’s arms behind her back, tightly binding them with custom made, unbreakable rope.
“Guards!†Fallen shrieked. “Ugh…†She moaned in pain. Kikyo had swiftly kicked her in the stomach. Then, she placed a gag in Fallen’s mouth, ensuring that it caused her pain.
“What’s wrong?†Some of the Royal Guard burst into the room, finding Fallen2Grace on the floor, with Kikyo and Shrine Sprite surrounding her.
Suddenly, MikeMan burst into the room. “Lower your weapons, soldiers! This is a direct order!â€
The Guard members looked at Fallen, who nodded her head from side to side, indicating not too. It appeared as though they were still loyal to her, first.
They turned to MikeMan. Sneering, the two double-teamed him, knocking him into the corner. “Owww…â€
The door flung open again.
“Aa-aah…†screamed the guards, as an unidentifiable blur knocked them unconscious.
“Ha HA!†Liger hollered triumphantly. “That’ll teach them not to lock me in a closet!â€
“Perfect,†acknowledged Shrine. “Now we won’t have to worry about the guards.â€
“You were locked in a closet?†Kikyo sneered.
“Shut up.â€
The three swept through the castle, eliminating anyone who remained loyal to Fallen. MikeMan assembled the rest of the Royal Guard, whom were entirely loyal to Shrine Sprite, and plummeted through the cities of F2GF, spreading the word and banishing whoever stood in their way. Fallen was taken to a remote isle a substantial distance from the country, so she could no longer cause any problems to them.
Shrine was now the official tyrant of F2GF.
Part 2 Coming soon!
but GREAT JOB ON STORY i wish i had the time for mine 