What a Wonderful Life-'Till Death Do Us Part

Chapter One-My mother was Harlot.

I was preparing for my Storm Engine's first trial; an invention completely designed by me and approved by the reigning Empress Anarchis of Cyclonia, my grandmother.

I woke up earlier today to make the preparations, make sure everything was ready to go; can't dare to make the Empress wait. Grandmother is a very busy and important woman. After double checking everything, I waited patiently for her by the door with my hands in front of me. I was ready and nervous but excited to show her my inventions ability as well as my own, earn my title and prove to her that I was worthy of it, and ready to take over as the Cyclonian empress after her.

After a while I sat on one of the many decorative ottomans and crossed my legs, prepared to wait some more.

After another while I sighed and got up to degenerate the experiment.

As the Empress of Cyclonia, grandmother was busy. Going to her office to confirm it, I found an empty room. It was possible that she was still in the tower; Grandmother always left everything tidy, anyone could be fooled to think it was untouched for a long length of time.

I never went to grandmother's room for anything; I've never seen the inside but what made me feel better about that was that no one was allowed nearby. What Grandmother doesn't know won't hurt her…I shook my head to dispel the thoughts of the many desires forbidden to me by grandmother that I had

I slipped in quietly, looking at all sides. I was glad that grandmother wasn't inside at all, she would catch me right away, but that meant she wasn't in the tower at all. And that she wasn't going to see my invention today.

It was nothing like my room. My room had the standard black walls, furniture, and large bed. Rather than black, my bed sheets were red and my chandelier was colorful; I had replaced the candles with different crystals and my collection of them were out in the open wherever there was an empty surface. Grandmother's room had no color at all. She made sure to not come to mine either; she said to me that it was too personal, everything should be blank and if I could do that, no one would be able to read me. It conflicted with what my mother believed in:

"Enjoy your youth. This is all yours so do as you please here. It's your special place too!"

"You mean like a fort?!"

"Uh-huh!"

Seeing it now made me afraid of losing my belongings.

Another thing that my room didn't have was a sleeping body in the bed. I was going to make my escape, before I was caught, until I realized that the Empress of Cyclonia shouldn't be in bed past the sky's bleeding sunrise. She never slept in. Ever.

"Grandmother?" I can't believe she's asleep…I tread to her bedside carefully.

"Grandmother…" How odd, grandmother sleeps like a log…Straight and still. I silenced my mind though it's ridiculous that she could hear my thoughts I still feared that she would chide me. But she didn't move. I moved to shake her shoulder.

"Grandmother!"

Horrified. Grief stricken. Lost. But most of all…scared…


They day I ordered the Cyclonians to strip her room, was the day the tower realized that Anarchis was dead and that I was the new ruler. I didn't get my title after all my hard work and effort after all. What a joke. After successfully creating my Storm Engine, I have earned the right to name myself. Cycloniss, just like the devastating form storms. Just like a Cyclone, I will destroy Atmos and rebuild it my way. Like the storm that will be generated by my Storm Engine from the Aurora Stone. How delicious, destroyed by their own symbol…

I took care of grandmother with a funeral designed to mean nothing in the legacy of Cyclonia's long reign of Emperors just like my parents, my grandfather, and the rulers before.

Standing alone, in front of the coffin that sunk in the fiery depths of the Wastelands, I relived on of my earliest memories; my parents funeral. Then I was four and all I knew was that my Father could make me fly, raising me up, arms fully extended My mother was beautiful and warm, very loving, and warm.

"Mommy, why is my name Lark?" I asked, holding a bird from a species called Larks that she and I had nursed back to health.

"Because you're beautiful, strong, brave and bite size." I laughed when she pretended to nibble my cheek.

"Because just like the Larks you are intelligent and impressive. I couldn't be any prouder to be your mother."

Grandmother said that they were casualties of the war. I never cried. Their deaths meant nothing to me because their memories meant much more. I left the backyard to clean out the tower of Anarchis.

I was in the throne room when the Dark Ace, after returning from a mission, came in.

"Grandmother's throne…so old fashioned…" As if I needed to explain myself for moving it to the Imperial office. I couldn't get rid of that.

"Times are changing Dark Ace."

"I remain your humble servant, Master Cycloniss."

"Good, we have work to do…"

The Dark Ace stood by. I didn't need to prove myself to him; he listened to me talk about the plans, my frustrations, and he was there for most of the time that I was putting it together. He was there for the whole development. In the excitement of being closer to controlling all of Atmos, I just had to show someone and who better to understand than the Dark Ace?

All of the mechanics functioned to perfection; it couldn't be anymore perfect. I allowed a smirk. Turning to meet the Dark Ace's sneer, my smile grew into a grin. I'm ready. Are you…?

Reorganizing the Imperial office to my liking was the last task. Whatever I decided to keep would be stored; the rest would lie on the ground until the Cyclonians came to take it away.

Another great thing about grandmother's crossing was that I now had the key to the locked drawer that enchanted me with curiosity since I was her child apprentice. Like a child locked in a sweet shop, I went through its contents. In my moment of greed, a manila envelope fell from my fingers. Intrigued that it was sealed I dropped everything else that had nothing of interest anyway to the ground and gave it my attention.

"A secret in the secret drawer…My birth certificate?! I can't believe she kept this…" Did I judge her wrong? My heart softened slightly but not a lot.

Next, I pulled out the pages clearly ripped from the travel logs and a diary.

Mom's diary…?

I immediately sat down on the throne that I used as a chair for the table; my crystal machine and its Storm Engine appendage, took its place in the throne room.

I can't read mom's diary. She was always so sweet…I looked at the logs instead. I recognized the handwriting right away. When Papa was away, he would write me letters.

June 2nd, 1993, construction of the new smelter on Terra Gale is under way.

A note attached to it was of a hand that I didn't recognize: Stopped briefly at the Galean postman office Master Anarchis.

August 23rd, 1993: Surveillance of Terra Nimbus complete. Indeed a conquerable Terra.

Delivered a bundle of sorts to an orphanage suspected to be not done in random Master Anarchis.

Grandmother had Dad followed…?

There were more records of course but those pages were only of logs written by my Father, who apparently frequented Terra Gale and Terra Nimbus from 1983 to ten years before I was born, to 1993 when I was four.

This was year Nimbus was conquered…

My birth certificate showed the date that I grew up knowing as my birthday. Believing that there was a connection within the three, I held my mother's diary again. I knew my parents loved each other and to respect that, I refused to read my mother's intimate thoughts.

Nimbus was a little too sunny for my taste but if I wanted to find out more, I would have to visit the orphanage my father perhaps helped. My father was the type of man to do those things.

AN: Sooo?! XD Review!