Well, what do we have here? I did not think I would be starting another story so soon. I'm really excited though, so I figured that six multi-chapter stories isn't too bad.I have to give thanks and credit for the idea to Kay Hau, as well as helping me think of a whole lot of the details and plot points. Really, this is more of a collaboration than anything. She was also amazing enough to beta this for me, and it's much better than what I originally had. If you haven't read her stories, I highly suggest them.
Summary: +Anima have revolted in Sailand, and set up a king of their own. Myrrha is nothing more than a puppet though, and the ideals of the revolution are not shared by all those pulling the strings. When Nana, a simple maid servant newly released from slavery finds this out, how is she supposed to get the support in order to create a truly equal Sailand? It's not like famous war heroes like the Angel of Death will ever listen to her, right?
Chapter 1 - Revolution
Prince Myrrha frowned as he looked out the window in his room. His fingers were practically digging into the stone, but all he could do was wait until orders went out to evacuate.
Personally, he thought they should have done that a while ago. It'd gotten much too dangerous to stay here months ago, back when Crystala was… Anyway, there wasn't anything he could have done about the delay. There were just too many people in the harem to move them all safely, and even if he did think of something they could do, it wasn't like anyone would have listened to him.
He'd lost all standings in the royal line a year ago, when he'd became a +anima. Really, he knew he was just lucky to still be living here in relative comfort instead of being sold as a slave. Even if his very existence was kept a secret from the public, they were letting him stay. After all, what a disgrace it would be if anyone found out that the former crown prince had turned into a +anima. Much better everyone think he died in that pond.
Sighing, he managed to tear himself away from the disturbing view and practically crashed down on his bed. He would have left his room if he could, but it was always locked on important days like today. Days when all of the nobles who still supported the king came to meet, and perfect days to end a revolution.
Someone else had to of noticed the mob of people practically inside of the palace, right? His window was high up, to help prevent anyone who might visit from seeing him, but it wasn't as high as the guard towers. They should see the mob long before he did.
Thankfully, or else he probably would have exploded from the anxiety bubbling inside his chest, his door swung open. A panicked looking guard stood there. Myrrha immediately got to his feet and waited for whatever she had to say, trying to pretend that he wasn't breathing as deeply as he was. He had known that something like this was going to happen eventually. That damn revolution had spread like wild fire after his aunt's death, after all.
'Prince Myrrha, please come with me," she said, and that was all the silver haired boy needed to start following her down the curved hallway.
Of course, since they were trying to hide him away, his room wasn't on the same floor as all the other royal children. Instead, it was one above the queens'. Even knowing that there wouldn't be that many people running around on his floor to escape, he couldn't help but take a sharp breath of air in when he went down the stairs.
There were people everywhere, frantically attempting to leave. It was mostly queens, although he could spot a few of the royal children running around, most likely looking for their mothers. He was lucky that someone even remembered he was up there to begin with.
The guard that had brought him down was almost instantly lost from his view in the panic, and the child tried to keep his calm as he made his way down the hallway.
Don't run around screaming like those stupid queens, he lectured himself. Losing your cool during emergencies was the easiest way to end up getting hurt or killed, and this was definitely an emergency. He wouldn't live if he went into a panic like them. Once he caught sight of his mother however, he couldn't help but yell for her and run to catch up. "Mom!" he called, reaching her side as fast as possible.
"Myrrha," Marien said, sounding extremely relieved at the sight of him. The silver boy realized that she had probably been the one to send the guard to free him. Before he was able to thank her or ask what to do, she pulled him into a very quick hug. He wasn't even able to register what was going on before she let go and started pulling him further down the hallway by his arm. He let her lead the way. She was smart, she would be able to find some way out of the palace safely.
The only thing he could do was hold onto her hand as tight as he could as they forced themselves down the crowded staircase. He didn't dare fall, knowing he'd be trampled, or lose his mother the same as he'd lost the guard.
If only he could just tell everyone to stop panicking! They'd all die if they didn't! Some people were even running up the stairs instead of down. The only exits were on the bottom floor, if they kept going the opposite way, they would just get cornered by the attackers. They just had to go down and try as get out as fast as possible before the palace was completely overthrown.
Myrrha felt his breath hitch when they finally made it down to the bottom of the stairs, suddenly aware of the desire to turn around and go back the way they came. He hadn't expected so many +anima to be inside the palace walls already. What had happened to all their guards?
"How'd they get in so fast?" the prince couldn't help but exclaim. His mother didn't stop pulling him down the hallway as she answered, but she didn't sound anything like Myrrha was used to. Her voice came out hitched and uncertain, nothing like the calm authority she usually carried.
"I don't know," was all she managed to get out, before pulling him out of range of from a swipe by one of the beasts slaughtering those around them. Myrrha didn't let himself focus on any of that though.
They were on the princes' floor now. Most of the ones being attacked were his age or younger. He made sure to keep himself staring straight ahead, not letting himself look at any of it. He just had to leave with his mother. Once they got out, they would be able to find some place to hide until it was safe again. Then they could find everyone else who survived, and… he didn't know, but he could focus on that after they escaped.
The silver boy stumbled forward when something pushed him away from Marian. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw it was actually his mother, and barely managed not to scream when he saw why. Instead, it just came out as a pitiful squeak.
A huge half human, half bird monster holding his mother with sharp talons. They were already starting to dig into her skin, staining her blue dress with red. His mother never wore red.
"Myrrha, run!" she screamed, and the young boy didn't need to be told twice.
Nothing about this was right at all. She never raised her voice either, but he couldn't think about that as he tried to get as far away from the attacking +anima as he could. Every so often he would stumble over something, but he didn't slow down to see what.
They weren't bodies. They couldn't be.
He couldn't remember what had happened in-between being separated from his mother and ending up in the garden, but the instant he saw the lone pond he actually managed to form a plan.
It was a horrible plan. He would still be captured. But at least he would be able to fight back. Maybe he could find some way out through the pond, although he doubted it. He knew about the waterways, but he was almost positive that their were grates on the openings.
Myrrha ran as fast as his skinny legs would take him towards the ponds edge despite all this. He dived into the pond water, putting his plan in motion.
He hadn't been in here since the day he became a +anima, but he didn't think about that as his legs started to fuse together into a thick fish tail. Sharp fins sprouted out at his waist and on his arms, and boney spines grew on his shoulders. He tried not to flinch as unfamiliar sharp teeth bit into his tongue and caused it to bleed slightly.
Fighting anima form. He'd only went into it once before, just to see what it was like. It was his only hope at the moment. Even if he couldn't escape, maybe he could hide there long enough for them to leave.
He wasn't able to get fully under the water before one of the revolutionaries grabbed a fistful of his hair. Swinging his arm out, he felt the blade like side of his fin slice into the bird +anima's skin. The attacker instantly pulled back with a yelp, and Myrrha slipped under the water. His scream cause another intruder to notice the scene however, and he seemed to pick up on what exactly had happened faster than the bird man.
"He's a +anima!" the second one yelled as the bird man tried wade into the water to attack Myrrha once again. The silver boy quickly aimed his blade-like fins at his legs, sending the +anima scrambling back to shore. It wasn't the same as fighting with a staff or above water, that was for sure, but it was still fighting. Even after his lessons had decreased due to his fall in standings, he had still been one of the best fighters out of all the princes.
"It doesn't matter! He's royalty!" the one who kept trying to attack him countered, lunging at the water a third time. This time, the silver boy bit him with his new fangs before diving back under the water before the attacker could get a hit on him. Myrrha could only guess that the birdman had seen how he was dressed before he transformed. In his mind, he curse himself for his looks. It wasn't the first time he'd done so, but it was definitely the only time where they might have gotten him killed.
Beneath the water, Myrrha could just barely hear the bird shouting in pain and frustration at not being able to catch one little brat. He peaked his eyes above the waterline in the middle of the pond. Too far away for anyone on the shore to reach him, the curiosity of what was going on above water getting to him. There was a larger group surrounding the pond now, and most seemed confused as to what to do.
"We're not supposed to kill other +anima though!" he heard one of them yell, but he hadn't been able to tell who.
His entire brain felt scattered beyond belief, and yet still focused solely on fighting. Just because they said they wouldn't kill anima, he highly doubted that. It was probably just a trick to get him to come out of the water. He carefully scanned all of the people around him, waiting for one to attack again.
"What's going on here!" someone yelled from above, and instinctively Myrrha looked up to see who. What looked like an older teen with huge hawk wings and talons descended next to the pond.
Myrrha's frown grew. He'd heard stories about this one, if he was correct. Kazana, one of the main leaders and instigators of the revolution. Of course such a person would be here to oversee the end of it.
"Sir, one of the princes!" the +anima that had attempted to stop the bird man the first time said, pointing towards Myrrha with a clawed finger.
The war leader followed where he was pointing, and was just able to make out of form of the fish child glaring at him under the water. The shock on the black haired teen's face was clear once the realization dawned on him. His stern expression completely left him, changing into a dumbstruck stare, his eyes seeming about to fall out of his head. All Myrrha did was bare his fangs in a growl as he allowed his head to come just slightly out of the water. He couldn't help but want to know what he was going to try to do to him.
No one did anything as Kazana thought, but the silver boy was positive he was going to order his death. It was like the other bird has said. Myrrha was still royalty, and they were sparing none of them.
"This could work for us," mused Kazana, before gesturing at the child. "Capture him, but don't hurt him!" Myrrha looked almost like someone had physically hit him with those words. There was no way he was going to let himself get caught by the people who'd been so bent on capturing and killing his entire family. He couldn't get himself to move at first though, the shock from what the commander had said leaving him momentarily stunned.
Immediately several other winged +anima flew over the pond, attempting to grab him out of the water. Myrrha was just barely able to get under the surface and out of the reach of their talons.
The silver boy didn't notice the other figure that had slipped into the pond until large arms grabbed him from behind. Whoever it was started to pull the struggling child to the surface. He managed to see in his attempts to get away that it was another fish +anima and felt like an idiot for not thinking that there might be another one here. Soon, he was forced onto dry land, several of the other intruders pulling him farther away from the water. It seemed that each time he managed to get one to let go of him, someone else just took their place.
"Get the hell off me! Let me go!" he yelled, unable to do anything else once they finally managed to get hold his arms behind his back. He wasn't even able to think clearly enough to transform his shimmering tail back into legs and kick at them. All he did was attempt to twist out of his capture's grasp and glare up at the hawk teen as he stared down in wonder.
"Everybody, back to the attack! I'll deal with him," Kazana ordered.
The others scattering at his words. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Myrrha couldn't help but notice how confident of a leader Kazana was. He could easily imagine the teen rallying others for further attacks just like this one.
Soon, the only ones left with Myrrha were the hawk teen and the anima holding him back. Kazana just shook his head and laughed, although it sounded more nervous and surprised than amused. Myrrha snarled at him again though, not picking up on the tone. All he saw was someone laughing at a captured child while the rest of his family was being attacked.
"A +anima prince…" the young revolutionary mumbled in disbelief. "Hah! A +anima prince! I never would have… They were keeping you a secret, weren't they?" he asked.
Myrrha's response was to simply glare harder. "Let me go!" he yelled again, not answering Kazana's question in the least.
The silver-haired prince knew that the war leader wasn't about to release him, but he wasn't going to agree with anything the teen said. Myrrha was not about to let a murderer think he was right about anything, even if he was.
"I see, you became an anima, so they hid you away, right? Didn't want a disgrace like you to be known about? What a shame," the hawk anima continued, and Myrrha didn't say anything. He didn't care what he said. With a sigh, the plus anima sighed under his breath. "Yeah, this will definitely work for us," he mumbled, talking to himself now more than to the boy in front of him.
Something inside Myrrha's brain clicked, and he transformed out of his +anima form. He knew it wouldn't work, but kicked out at the man holding him. To his surprise, he was actually dropped to the ground, and took the small chance to run away. He didn't get far before Kazana managed to grab his around the waist with one hand, pinning his arms down with his other.
"Yeah, you're not getting away that easily," Kazana said. Despite this, Myrrha kept attempting to struggle out of the teen's grasp. It obviously wasn't working though.
Without any warning, Myrrha felt the teen lift them both off the ground, carrying him back into the harem.
The silver boy closed his eyes instantly, not having expected to be so high up so quickly. He didn't want to accept what was happening. He had been captured by the revolution. They would probably use him as a hostage to get the king out of hiding, or make an example of him. Even if royals turned into +anima, that didn't mean they would be safe.
Reluctantly, Myrrha managed to open his eyes slightly and look down. Smoke was starting to sting at them, but that didn't shield him from seeing the disturbing view below. A fire had broken out in the garden, and it seemed like somewhere else in the palace as well. Winged +anima shot through the air, and other people with strange animas ran all over the surrounding grounds. He ignored the small silhouettes lying on the ground, trying not to think about who they might be. He was just barely able to hear the sound of cheering from their height, and it was hard for the boy to keep from throwing up.
A sinking feeling dropped in his stomach, and he felt his eyes sting from more than just the smoke.
This was it. The revolution was over.
Hurray, and here's the first chapter for all of you. Oh, and just incase anyone was interested, I put up a few drawling of the 'fighting' +anima forms on my deviant art account (a link is in my profile). I have everyone but Senri because well… he's hard.
Anyway, I hope you like the story so far, please review and let me know what you think.
