April 2001:
DESCRIPTION
In 1995, the Muggle government discovered magic.
The military of the world's largest empire Americana had been researching the latest form of weaponry. For years the organization High Power Human Specimen Investigation Bureau, a top secret military facility, had determined the existence of people who were capable of what they considered to be magic. The Bureau captured many alleged magicians and studied them in detail.
When the team had discovered the immense potential of damage magic could be, they tried to extract magic from these people; tried to force the wizards to do magic; to become magical themselves. None of these attempts succeeded. However, the team did make a machine with the ability to detect individuals with magic and developed technology which rendered magic useless.
In 2001, the ruler of Americana, Emperor Thor Ubel, ordered for all Americana witches and wizards to be rounded up and placed in prisons. By law they were called "Wickeds." Alarmed at the numbers climbing into the hundred thousands, Americana used its world influence to launch a planet-wide investigation. The Muggles of Britain were relocated and the majority of witches and wizards were sent to the island, which was christened Wicked Isle.
Instead of mass execution, with their superior technology the Muggles were able to force witches and wizards to do labor work. Materials were produced at five times the rate of non-magical production and thus Emperor Ubel kept the wizards as an economic necessity; as slaves.
*~*March 2001*~*
Sunlight fell in through the high window and threw the black and white marble table into a bright glare. The enormous, lavishly decorated room was silent but for the ticking clock. Yet the room was occupied by four children. Two boys sat across from each other, a magnificent chess board between them. Another boy and a girl relaxed on the sofa, watching the match.
"Zanen," began the girl. She had a plain face that was rescued by make-up and framed by waves of blonde hair. She had a terrible whining note to her voice. "It's your ibirthday/i and all you can think of doing is playing chess. Artem is going to beat you anyway."
"You've got twenty seconds," announced the boy named Artem. He was also blond with clear eyes and a visage that came with a constant smirk.
"All I need is five," whispered Zanen. In stark contrast to the others, his hair was jet black and straight and his smooth skin was a shade darker. The light coming in from the window illuminated his electric blue-green, cat-like eyes. He reached out a long fingered hand and moved his knight. He now addressed the girl. "What else should we do, Felicia? Throw a party?"
Felicia rolled her gray eyes to the heavens. "Duh."
Zanen's expression of seriousness softened slightly. "You can feel free to throw a party, but don't make me the excuse. I'm twelve after all. Check mate," he added.
Artem blinked at the chessboard coldly. Had he moved his king right into check?
The third boy, who had been watching with utter boredom, now sat up straight. "Zan just beat Art?" Edgar said blankly. He pushed his dusty hair out of his hazel eyes in disbelief.
"In front of everyone this time," Zanen stated with chilling calmness.
Artem scowled. "I went easy on you for a birthday present," he snarled.
"You're really on a roll, Zanen," said Felicia brightly. "You beat me three times last week and even beat Demi within ten minutes."
"I still have the bruise from that sore loser," Zanen smiled slightly. "I finally figured out
your strategy, bro. I can't believe I didn't see it before."
"I said it was for your birthday," said Artem through gritted teeth. "Just take it and leave it, ass."
"Anyway," Felicia piped up, "let's go into town. What d'you say, guys?"
"You can't go without security, where's the fun in that?" Zanen asked.
"Oh, you're pathetic," Felicia snapped. "Just because one thing takes away a little bit of fun you don't give up on a fun situation entirely, Zanny."
"Whatever." Zanen got to his feet and the other three followed suit. "I'll walk with you guys to the front and think of something else to do." Zanen was dressed in his daily attire: dark red trousers and a high-collared white jacket with naval-style gold fastenings and detailing.
At that moment the heavy wooden door opened. A butler in a black suit entered the room and cleared his throat. "Lady Amira requests His Highness Zanen to join her in the garden."
"Okay—" Zanen began.
"Oh, Scott, just the person I needed," said Felicia from behind a compact mirror. She pursed her lips then looked up. "Me, Artem and Edgar want to go into town. Make the arrangements."
"Forgive me, Your Highness Felicia." Scott the butler bowed his head. "As there is a major political meeting taking place, security is scarce. I am afraid you cannot go out today."
Felicia closed the compact with a loud snap. She glared at Scott the butler. "I gave you an order to make the arrangements, Scott, do as I say."
The butler bowed his head again. "Your Highness, I am afraid…"
A woman's voice rang out in the hallway outside the den room. "Scott, please make arrangements for my children and myself to leave in half an hour."
"Your Majesty!" Scott gasped. He opened the door and a lady with curled short blond hair and an exquisite cream and gold business suit entered the room. "You mean to say you left the meeting and wish to depart?"
"Don't question me, Scott," Empress Jania sniffed. "Artem, Edgar, Felicia; please join Demorall and I in the entrance."
"Yes," the three fair haired children sighed. Everyone left the room.
Typical, Zanen thought darkly as he followed Edgar. The others took a right down the hallway while Zanen headed to the left. The mansion was one constructed from old money during old times and therefore still had original gold embossed wood carving, oriental rugs and iron wrought window panes. Zanen stared at his feet as he walked, his mind on the chess match. He knew he had won fair and square, that Artem had genuinely fallen for his trap.
His feet carried him down a sweeping staircase and a marble floored entrance way. The grandeur of the place made him feel sick.
Zanen exited the front door without looking back. He was still lost in thought, replaying his opponent's moves over and over. He doubted Artem would fall for the trap again but he thought he had another idea for next time based on the probability that…
He was jerked out of his thoughts by pain as he walked straight into a bush. Zanen took a step back and glared at the green sculpture of an angel. As if this place is anywhere near heaven, he thought bitterly. He shook his head and looked around. He made his way
towards the garden.
He finally arrived at the center of the garden. A woman sat at one of the little white iron tables near a bed of hydrangeas. Her skin was olive; her thick, long hair as black as his. The dark blue dress she wore fluttered to the ground and an indigo shawl was draped around her straight shoulders. She smiled widely as he approached.
"Happy birthday again, Zanen." She spoke in Arabic with as soft of a voice as the guttural language could permit.
"Hey mother," Zanen replied also in Arabic. He pulled up a chair and sat down. "Thanks again."
"Oh, you look so serious, my dear," Lady Amira stated, taking in her son's aloof
expression. "You get so into your puzzles."
"I beat Artem at chess," Zanen informed her. He looked up into her elegant face and felt something warm rise in his chest at the pride he saw in her blue-green eyes. "This time Ed and Felicia witnessed it."
Amira continued to smile. "Aha, I see. Well done. Is he still a difficult opponent?"
"I think he will be," Zanen said slowly. "I found a loophole today and I think I know how to go so he falls for something similar." He squinted at a patch of grass and sighed after a minute. "Jania took the three of them out again."
Amira's smile faded. "Even when there's the conference on the Wicked being held right now?" Zanen nodded and her frown became more pronounced. "That would explain why even my Robert retreated."
"Your guard left?" Zanen said angrily.
"In any case it is foolish for her to go into public at a time like this," Amira said seriously. "There is so much unrest…the people do not know what to make of this whole situation."
"What do you think, Mother?" Zanen watched her gaze across the garden. Another breeze came, causing Amira's hair to flutter gracefully. Thirsting for answers, Zanen continued, "This whole thing about wizards who can do magic. Father is going to oppress them, isn't he? I mean, he wouldn't execute them…he has to wring them dry first, right?"
Amira looked squarely into Zanen's bright, handsome face. Her eyes now appeared clouded. She reached her hand out across the table and Zanen took it. "Zanen," she said softly, "always remember this: lording over the weak or helpless is wrong, but making people stronger than yourself go into a position of disgrace is just as bad. Humankind has a tendency to oppress and use each other. Justice and equality are important to strive for. You must remember this."
Zanen's lightning mind processed these words. He knew in a small way how it felt to be pushed into a position of lowliness even though he deserved better recognition. Just because his mother was only the Lady of the Emperor did not make him any less entitled to the throne in the future. He was in fact Crown Prince to the sixteenth Emperor of Americana.
"Power is destructive, Zanny," Amira cut into his musing. "Only those prepared and
willing to lose power deserve to hold it."
Zanen was thinking through this when there was a sudden noise in a nearby bush.
"My Lady!" cried a voice.
Zanen and his mother looked over sharply at a man in a police uniform sprinting towards them. Before they could call out to Robert, there were two consecutive loud bangs quite close behind them. They both watched as Robert keeled forward and fell face-down on the grass.
"Mom!" Zanen cried. They both stood and backed away from the table.
More shots rang out. Zanen seemed to turn as though in slow motion. The air left his lungs as before his eyes Amira staggered backwards. She tried to grab at the table for support but missed, and stumbled to the ground in a kneeling position.
"Mom!" Zanen screamed again. He threw his chair aside but the next moment he felt something collide with the back of his head. He fell sideways heavily. Stars blurred his vision but he heard his mother…
"Zanen-!"
"Mother!"
There were footsteps, a terrible gurgling noise, a thud, and then silence. Zanen hastily got to his knees, blinking through his dizziness. All he could make out before him was bright red and green. The red was overtaking the green of the grass, staining it deep purple.
He scrambled backward, his heart thumping wildly. He flung his arms over his head and cowered, not entirely sure from what; perhaps from the fear itself. Now the ability to speak was wiped from him…he seemed unable to breathe….
A rush of desperation seized him. "Robert!" he screamed, and his voice cracked. "Robert, help, come help Mother. ROBERT!" He squeezed his eyes shut, shuddering on the spot. A pressure seemed to constrict his chest and he couldn't breathe. "Mother…mommy…mommy…."
She might still be okay, a little voice said in his head. He lifted his head and crawled over to her. She was lying flat down. From the back she looked okay.
"Mommy," Zanen sniffed. He lifted her shoulder as hard as he could. His heart dropped out of his chest as he saw the great gash that nearly went clean through her neck. He let the body go and fell back in horror. He looked around, fear obscuring all sense of thought. "Mommy… DAD!" he bellowed. "Daddy!"
He shakily got up to his feet. He couldn't leave her there…He looked down at her and the pool of blood had grown alarmingly. He let out a wail, turned, and ran.
He ran as fast as he could. He tripped into a little hole and felt a sharp pain in his ankle, but he kept running. He was hyperventilating, he couldn't breathe…Mother couldn't be.
What had just happened?
He ran and ran, now weeping freely. He flew towards the Emperial Hall where the meeting was in session. A dozen guards stood at the door.
"Your Highness!" they shouted as he dashed up the steps.
Zanen threw himself into the bright red door with full force. "Father!" He bellowed. He began pounding his fist on the door as he slid down it, his body aching. "Father- Your Majesty – it's me, it's Zanny!"
Pairs of hands pulled him away.
"NO!" Zanen screeched, beside himself. "Mommy's dead, daddy, mommy's dead!"
"What did you say, Your Highness?" said a guard sharply.
"His hands are covered in blood!" said another guard in alarm.
Without a second's warning the door burst open and caught Zanen full on. He went crashing backward and slid down some of the stone steps helplessly.
"What is this nonsense, Zanen you fool," said a dangerous voice.
Zanen lifted his head, shivering. "Father…" He looked up at the tall man with a hard face and trimmed graying yellow beard. His eyes of ice seemed to deaden Zanen further. His blood red robe swished as he took a strong step forward.
"His Highness Zanen claims that Lady Amira is dead, Your Majesty," reported the guard in undertone.
Zanen let out a whimper. His heart was being cut out of high chest, he was sure of it…
"What of it?" said Thor angrily. "What a weak fool you are, Zanen."
Tears burned in Zanen's eyes as the words came down on him. "B-but it's true…Mother was m-murdered!" He stifled the first sob.
"I had faith in you, Zanen," Thor growled, "but now I can see you will not be fit to rule Americana. I should have known, you got your mother's weak heart."
Zanen kept his head bowed. A red haze came into his vision. His blood was pounding in his ears and he trembled with fury… He jumped to his feet, despair and fury propelling him. "You don't even care?" he shouted in disbelief. "You – you – devil!"
"Take him away," Thor said harshly. "How dare you interrupt this meeting with such rubbish. Get out of my sight."
Two of the guards steered Zanen backwards. He stared at his father, the Emperor, horrified.
"You – you –" he spluttered.
"Begone."
Some themes are adopted from anime the Geass. I do not own parts of that storyline and don't mean to claim them as such.
