I LIVE! And I'm not giving up on this story I've just been really busy over the past couple weeks.
Disclaimer: I own nothing!
Cinder's POV:
No One's Getting Out Unscathed
I'm just gonna come right out and say it: this whole revolution thing seemed way easier when we were planning it back on Earth. There, it seemed like a simple step by step process:
Step 1: Go to Luna.
Step 2: Spark unrest to build up an army and go against Levana.
Step 3: March on the castle and overthrow Levana, preferably with minimal bloodshed.
But now, I'm finally realising just how hard this thing actually is. I thought it would be easy to get allies. After all, basically everyone hates Levana and the vampire regime. But the reasons they hate it, are the exact same reasons they don't dare oppose it. If you put so much as a toe out of line, not only you but your families and friends would be severely punished. No-one was really prepared to risk their loved ones like that, and I can't blame them. If I knew that the consequences of my actions would not only backlash on me but on my friends, I'd be reluctant too.
But I'm not about to give up! These people have been forced to suffer way too much under Levana's rule, and they will suffer further and further as more vampires take the throne, determined to keep the power in their hands. I refuse to sit back and let that happen.
Still, it would be nice if it were just a little easier. Having some indication on how to proceed would be a good start.
"If you want to get the werewolves on your side, you have to make yourself known." Maha says. "No-werewolf is going to drop everything and follow someone they don't even know. Chances are they'll just think you're a power-hungry vampire who wants to put her family on the throne instead of the Blackburns."
"Well, from what I can gather, anyone's better than the Blackburns." Scarlet mutters.
"Not really. All the families are selfish and conniving. The only difference is the Blackburns are much more powerful."
"But the real question is how am I going to make myself known?" I ask exasperatedly, "In case you guys have forgotten, I'm basically at the top of Levana's hit-list. Remember Sybil Mira."
Scarlet shudders and rubs a spot on her neck. "How could I forget?"
Maha frowns. "Sybil… I heard about her death, but the royal family kept the details hazy."
"Levana got wind of where Cinder-I mean Selene-was hiding." Kai explained, picking at his wolf-skin clothes uncomfortably. "She… bit Scarlet."
Maha's eyes widened with horror and sympathy and she looked at Scarlet, who was staring steadfastly at the floor.
"She was trying to get Selene to call off the revolution." Kai continues, "Even made Scarlet cut off her own finger."
I instinctively look at Scarlet's bandaged hand. Her fingers are gently running over the place where her little finger used to be.
"That was when Wo-sorry, Ze'ev-killed her. I'd rather not go into the details." He finished.
Maha clears her throat. "I see. Well, I suppose sending her best Thaumaturge to is a good indication that Levana takes you seriously."
Scarlet frowned in confusion. "Thaumaturge?"
"It's an exceptionally powerful vampire that the queen employs to carry out duties in government." I explain, "Basically their version of a Minister."
"Levana sends Thaumaturges to towns and villages to give announcements, or to fix things when werewolves start behaving in a way they shouldn't." Maha says.
I groan. "Great, another obstacle, just what I need."
"So, we get rid of 'em." Scarlet says confidently.
"I'm… not sure if I want to know what you mean." Kai says uneasily.
She rolls her eyes. "Look, I don't want it to come to that any more than you do, but this an entire government we're trying to overthrow here. People are going to die, that's unavoidable, so I don't see the point in pretending it won't come to that when it's just going to make it more jarring when it does."
"Still, let's try to avoid it wherever possible." I say firmly, "I'm not going to deny that there's going to be bloodshed, but that's not an excuse to get all trigger-happy."
"Trigger happy?" Scarlet exclaims, "I'm just saying that we're going to have to kill people if this thing is going to succeed!"
"She does have a point." Maha agrees.
"So does Selene." Kai argues.
I scowl at him. "Kai, I appreciate you defending me, but will you please stop calling me Selene?"
He blinks at me in confusion. "But, it's your name."
"That doesn't mean I want to go by it." I grumble, "Do you go around insisting people call you Kaito?"
"No." he admits.
"Exactly. Just call me Cinder. I very, very much prefer it over Selene Channary Jannali Blackburn. You can actually say it in one breath, for one thing."
Kai snorts with laughter, and my lips quirk into a smile.
"Cinder's name preferences aside, we still have no idea how we're going to reveal her to the public without getting her killed." Scarlet says irritably.
"You can try a speech during ration time." Maha suggests, "Everyone will be there."
"Including the soldiers." Kai points out.
"Is there any way Cinder can give her speech safely?" Scarlet asks, "Like, could she stand on the roof of one of the houses."
"No, they're too weak, they'll collapse under her weight." Maha tells her regretfully, "And even if they didn't, the guards have guns. They can simply shoot her down, and that will be that."
"How about a less efficient method then?" I suggest, "Like posters or something."
Maha shakes her head. "Posters can be torn down. And people see graffiti about rebellion often enough that it won't make a difference."
"Then maybe something with more significance." Kai says, "Ze'ev and I saw a soldier beating up a child before we got separated. Does that kind of thing happen often?"
Maha nods. "Quite often. The soldiers have quite a lot of power and can get away with virtually anything."
"And do the werewolves gossip? Like, exchange news and stuff?" Kai asks.
"Yes. The guards punish them if they hear them say something bad about the Queen though."
"It's worth a try." Kai says.
"What's worth a try?" Scarlet asks.
He grins. "If Cinder stops a couple of these abuses of power, word will get around about a vampire helping the werewolves. It's not much, I know, but it's a start, right?"
"And it's an excellent way of letting the Queen know where she is." Maha says, "If she does this, she'll be putting her life in grave danger."
"I'll be putting my life in danger no matter what I do." I remind her, "Going after helping a few people doesn't sound as bad as going mid-dramatic speech on a crumbly roof."
"Still, there must be a safer way." Maha says desperately.
Scarlet winces. "I don't think there's any safe way to do this Maha."
I nod. "Scarlet's right. There's no way that we're doing this and getting out unscathed, and Kai's idea is the least likely to get me killed and still have an impact."
Maha sighs. "Fine, but I still don't like it."
A/N: YES, YES, YES, I KNOW, I HAVEN'T BEEN UPDATING, I'VE BEEN SUPER BUSY LATELY I'LL GET BACK TO NORMAL ASAP! On another note, Cinder's got a plan, but will it work? Or will the revolution fall on its face before it can start running?
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