To die in their name part 10
To little surprise, Emperor Bulblax wins the poll. Also, this is my most successful story yet. So why spoil a good thing? Oh well, on with the fic!
Fate of the Emperor Bulblax.
--
"How could you do this to us?" they said to me to the brink of weeping.
I couldn't believe I was doing this as well. But ever since I found this little alien, I've been able to put off a lot of my stress and disorder into words. I felt internally invigorated since this companion of mine had communicated with me so well. I felt strong in my own sense that I felt invincible, though, only theoretically. Lately, he's been interested in doing some strange rituals to the animals of this planet. They are sacrificed in the process and the end result is a delicious food that I've never had before. He calls it 'cooking'.
"I can almost taste the juices…" he said, salivating the food he's never even tried.
"How can you even think of eating us?" one of them said.
"Think? I've been contemplating on how you guys would've tasted like when cooked correctly. I've tried cooking other Dumples, but I think I've found the perfect recipe for Water Dumples," he said as he stared at the large pot steaming over with oil.
"Is it ready yet?" I asked. I too was curious as to how these guys tasted.
He gave me an assuring nod as I grabbed the first Dumple to go.
"No! Please Titan Dweevil! Don't do it! I beg of you!"
"Deep fry Dumples without batter for all the flavor with half the fat," I smirked as I lifted the lid.
--
How dare the Titan Dweevil to call my father a buffoon?
How dare he insult the family name?
My father was the greatest king who ever lived. No one can surpass him! All of his orders were absolute and to benefit the kingdom. Everything he did was blessed by the invisible hand of God. That is why the country flourished! Under his order, we were promised the greatest country to live in! Being blessed with monstrous size and power, it's no real surprise that he couldn't be dethroned!
Until…that day…
As if the lightning of irony struck, we soon stood before his grave, weeping and mourning over the loss of our Grand Emperor. I was only a larva then, but I was there at the funeral alone. My mother had died the day before and my sister was already spawning. It was then that I knew that, as the last few of the born princes, I would take the place of my father really soon. Although, I knew that I could never replace my father…
What Titan Dweevil said to me got me thinking like I never thought before. Would I really live up to my father's potential? Would I end up doing worse than my father? Can I really save this kingdom without him? What would my father do?
"Prince Bulblax," a Bulborb said.
I sighed, irritated, as I stared at the Bulborb. He knew how he was supposed to address me as.
"Er… I mean, Emperor Bulblax." He said, getting it right.
"What is it, young Bulborb?" I asked.
"We have received a message for you. It is from the Land Council."
I sighed as I walked my way towards the entrance of Bulblax Kingdom, almost wishing that this wouldn't lead to another meeting with the Land council. But I knew that, at this rate, the pikmin could make anything possible.
--
"Ah, you are awake Emperor Bulblax," the Antennae Beetle said to me. At least he was addressing me correctly.
"Let me guess, this is concerning another meeting with the Land Council, right?" I asked, frustrated.
"Ah, straight to the point. Why yes, it is. You are needed to be there before sunset." He said.
"Before sunset? That's only a few hours from here!" I yelled. Why did he tell me this now?
"Excuse me, your majesty, but I have had a busy day recently. So, if you don't mind-"
"I don't give a DAMN about your schedule or day. If it is this important that it had to be addressed to me, why so late?!" I yelled at him.
"Because I am the ONLY one left!" he snapped at me, "With my brothers gone and the others chickening out, I have been forced to work for their part-time jobs with NO THOUGHT OF MY MENTAL STATE!"
"DO NOT YELL AT THE KING!" A bulborb next to me snarled. "The king could care less about you and your laborious efforts. What the king asked was, why didn't you tell him of these news as early as possible?!"
"BECAUSE I WAS BUSY!!"
"…"
"…"
We stared at one another for awhile, not even caring about the scene we made. Exchanging glances of disbelief, we waited for someone to break the silence.
"Geez guys, so early in the night?" an Orange Spotted Bulborb said to us as he walked off into the wild.
I looked up at the sky to see that I even had less time than I did just now. I didn't want to waste anytime as I quickly made my way to the Forest Navel. Me and the Antennae Beetle left the area, without a second look, without a facial expression, without a word.
--
"You look quite giddy today Segmented," my fellow brother Bulblax said to the Segmented Crawbster.
He was disturbingly docile as of now. He stares off into a gaze, he moodily swings his head and tail back and forth, and he's even been talking to himself sometimes since we entered the Forest Navel. I wasn't sure what was wrong with him but I personally didn't care. It's just that…something was wrong here.
"There really is no explanation to it kid," he said to him, bobbing his head side to side, "Have you ever been in love?"
"…Yeah, something is wrong here," I commented, "I mean, Love and Segmented Crawbster go together like fire and water. It just doesn't happen."
"I met her yesterday near the log clearing. She had the most beautiful pair of arms I've ever seen." He said, staring off into a gaze.
I continued to stare at Segmented Crawbster in total disbelief. I mean, him? IN LOVE??
"You can think about her all you want," I said, "Just leave it to yourself, okay?"
Segmented Crawbster stared at me for a while before shrugging and minding his own business.
Just then, from Titan Dweevil's seat, arose one leg, fllowed by another one, finishing with two more from the ground. Finally, Dweevil completely revealed himself, looking a bit more chipper than usual. He greeted the Land Council with a wide happy smile that only a mother could love. I felt like throwing up.
"Why, greetings fellow Land Council members," he said to us, then stared for a second. "Why are you all not in your seat?"
"We had just arrived here on such short notice Titan Dweevil," Raging Long Legs said, "plus, we were greeted unexpectedly by our fellow species from distant lands." He said as he took a glance at a nearby Beady Long Legs.
"Ah yes. It is fortunate that they are here, though it is unfortunate as to why. You see, Pileated Snagret has been reported dead. Along with all five of the guarding Burrowing Snagrets." At this we were all taken by surprise.
"Wait, you cannot be serious?!" I jerked in hysterics.
"Oh yes, a search team that I had trouble convincing to search the area because of fear reported leftovers of feathery scales," he said, then scratched his chin in confusion, "…or was it scaly feathers?"
This is impossible. No, it couldn't even be thought of. The pikmin have killed off every Snagret in Snagret hole, even Pileated has been reported dead. I did not care how many pikmin had died in the adventure, I only cared that Pileated Snagret had died in their name. I mean, if five Burrowing Snagret and their Pileated leader couldn't kill them off, who could?
"This is serious you guys," Raging Long Legs said, "They have killed off yet another member of the Land Council. Titan Dweevil, my primary concern is if they find Wistful Wild, where our most powerful members live. Wistful Wild is quite close to our HQ."
'So that's why these guys get here so early…' I thought to myself.
"Well, first of all, we need to find some replacements for our lost mem-BURRP!" Titan Dweevil suddenly burped, covering his mouth in embarrassment as he earned questioning stares from the rest of us.
"Whoa, where'd that come from?" he said, chuckling, "Sorry guys, I had a big meal before I came."
"What a mood killer…" I said to myself.
"But yeah, we need to find a replacement for Pileated Snagret." Dweevil finished.
"What we NEED to do first is to figure out how to stop the pikmin from reaching Wistful Wild," Raging Long Legs said, "mostly because I live there."
"Nice, real nice," I said with sarcasm.
I myself was worried. Since the last two caverns of Awakening Wood and Valley of Repose belonged to me and the Bulblax du- I mean, Empress Bulblax, the pikmin could have the chance to take down one of us. This can jeopardize the fate of the Bulblax Kingdom! But what am I to do?
"Let me in!" a small voice said.
"You can't get in without the order of Titan Dweevil!" a guard security said.
"Now what's all this then?" Titan Dweevil remarked.
"Emperor Bulblax! I've come with alarming news!" the small voice said, walking into the light to reveal a small little bulborb with a red stem and leaf coming out of his head.
"Stop right there!" the guard yelled, pouncing on him to stop the red bug from proceeding any further.
I was surprised to see that it was the same Antennae Beetle from before. He was struggling from holding the little bulborb in place, but I knew that whatever this bulbmin had to say was important. He risked coming here from miles away from his home just to let me know. Besides, what are the chances that he'd betray us? These bulbmin are raised under the special care of our own admin bulbmin, to make sure that they don't turn sides with the pikmin.
"Stop!" I said, and on command, they stopped.
The Antennae Beetle, who looked a bit resentful, released the bulbmin as he scurried his way to me. Apparently, he wasn't appalled or intimidated by my size.
"You just know how to make someone look dumb, do you?" the Antennae Beetle said grievously at me.
"So, little one," I said, ignoring the comment of the Antennae Beetle as he walked out, "what is it that you have come all this way for?"
"Well, Emperor Bulblax, I was on my way to visit the nursery of Bulblax Kingdom when I noticed that the pond leading to the Cavern had disappeared!"
What? The pond has disappeared? Then that must mean…
"I walked on further to realize that the Electric gate has been torn down as well! Emperor Bulblax, they're coming after you!"
I knew it. The evidence was obvious. They will enter the Bulblax Kingdom the next morning. What am I going to do though? Morning is a few hours away and I don't have a lot of time to prepare… What would the king do? What would my father do? …What would I do?
"This information is quite alarming after all," Titan commented. "Emperor Bulblax, I suggest you and you're your kingdom prepare yourselves for an invasion."
I knew I was in a dilemma, but what would happen to my Kingdom if I die? No. If I know my father, he would face the pikmin head on with no help from his troops. In this situation, he would put power into the forces that are guarding Frontier Cavern to protect the Empress Bulblax in case he dies. But…what would I do?
"Emperor Bulblax," the Bulbmin said to me, "I will do the honor of alerting any and all nearby Bulborbs, Bulbears and Bulblaxes and alert them that the Bulblax Kingdom is in danger of invasion. Will you let me do the honors?"
At this point, any help is appreciated. Yes…the pikmin won't know what hit them.
"Absolutely. Quickly, assemble all of our strongest Bulborbs and send them to Bulblax Kingdom immediately."
"Actually, Emperor," he said to me, "why not send them after sunrise?"
"Why would I wanna do that?" I asked. It made little sense to me.
"Think about it. Sending them in after the pikmin have moved will cause them to be forced between two strong forces. That way, the pikmin won't leave alive."
Yes, it does make sense. If the pikmin dared to retreat, they would come face to face with the strongest Bulborbs imaginable. And treading further down the cave would lead them to me. They would be exhausted and have little power of fighting back. Yes, this can work! And after this, we will destroy what's left of the pikmin race aboveground.
"Very well then. Organize our top troops and hold them until after sunset. When Awakening wood is clear, move them in."
"Got it Emperor!" he said proudly as he made his way out of the Forest Navel.
"Do you think that alone will postpone the pikmin's movement?" Titan said to me.
"Well, if anything, this will stop the pikmin from proceeding any further. We have help from the outside world and we'll be prepared for them. I'm starting to doubt that these pikmin will even make it to me."
"Fine. But before we end this meeting, I will move Segmented Crawbster to the 4th rank since Pileated Snagret is dead."
Segmented Crawbster was off in the corner thinking of God knows what.
"Huh? Yeah sure."
"I will talk to Pileated Snagret of Hole of heroes to see if he's interested in the position of the 5th ranked Land Council member. Until then, meeting adjourned."
As I walked on my way out of the Forest Navel, I was doing a lot of thinking.
'If the pikmin intend to kill me, they'll have to shove their way through Bulblax Kingdom. Although, maybe I should talk to my other brother about this…' I thought.
--
Assembled somewhere deep in the forest,were a whole group of ferocious animals. They snarled and paced about in impatience and hunger as they waited for the briefing of their mission. Though they were supposed to sleep for the next morning, many of them could not contain their excitement for that they were about to feast on an entire army of pikmin soon. Many of them, from battle-scarred Bulbears to menacing Fiery Bulblaxes, were experienced battlers who were heralded by their species as the strongest fighters ever bred.
"Ugh! When are those stupid Bulbmin going to get here?!" one of them shouted in ignorance.
"I'm just as irritated as you," another said as he rested against a stone wall, "but you don't see me wailing."
"Hey! I'm not a whale!" he replied as the other shook his head in sorrowful sympathy.
"Are you sure this is going to work?" a red bulbmin asked.
"What if we die?" another asked.
"We must do what we can for the future of this country," a certain bulblmin said, "I'll be damned if we let those ignorant fools kill off our only hope. Prepare the rock!"
The sound of crunching stone was heard, much to the curiosity of the Bulborbs assembled below.
"Did you hear something?" one asked another in particular.
Suddenly, from atop the stone wall, came down a colossal stone that crashed onto the assembled bulborbs. The remaining few screamed in terror as they began to run around in hysterics and confusion.
"It's an ambush! It's the pikmin!!" one of them yelled.
"Drop the bombs!" the little Bulbmin yelled as a series of strings were pulled.
From the trees came down a shower of black rocks, some glowing with yellow energy, that bombarded the field with explosives. Many of the surviving Bulborbs and Bulbears were met with a painful death as the rocks landed on them. Others hesitated to move as the other bombs that didn't explode were nearing detonation. One halted as a bomb land in front of him, turned around but was blown away by a nearby bomb. He landed in a daze as he shook his head, realizing that sitting in front of him was a bomb that was about to explode. He couldn't escape.
"Alright men!" the little bulbmin yelled, "Let's finish them off with the least casualties possible! Aim for their eyes and their sockets!" he yelled as he held a sharp stick in his stem.
As they cheered for their leader, they jumped down the stone wall and engaged the bewildered group of Bulborbs and Bulbears. Many of them leaped onto the wild beasts and stabbed them in the eye. Others jabbed at the running ones in their feet, disabling them as they fell. With the Bulborbs aware of the attack, they straightened themselves and retaliated quickly before more were lost.
'This can't be happening,' one Bulbear thought. 'I can't die here! My daughter was born yesterday!'
He looked out at the bloody scene. The bodies of many Bulborbs were scattered in pieces across the ground. He even witnessed one of his own fall over drenched in blood, never moving again. He now feared for his life, believing he would die here. But he was more concerned about the King, he knew that, without them, he had little chance of survival.
It was then, at that moment, that he knew the world he was born in would be changed forever.
It was then that a nearby Bulbmin had spotted him and charged for the finishing blow.
It was then that the country would fall in the name of the pikmin.
'To die in their name is to lose this country.'
SHINNK!
No polls. No votes. Just stay tuned for the next chapter. Most likely coming soon.
Also, thank you all for the whopping 50 reviews for this story. This story will probably end in about four more chapters. Support me by R&Ring! Later.