Disclaimer: I do not own the material used in this fanfic/short story.

Observing from the balcony of the Imperial Senate, where he was leaning, the overflowing streets of the capital of the Saderan Empire, Sadera (an unoriginal name), the person known as Zorzal El Caesar watched with delight the current state of the city. Not only because of the perfectly paved streets or even the improved drainage systems derived from the ancient Cloaca Maxima, but also because of the presence of a series of structures that run parallel to each other along the streets in the form of pillars, whose function was something that Zorzal's ancestors could only dream of having so commonly and simply.

Streetlights are the name of these structures, structures that, thanks to a series of devices called Energy Generators, are capable of generating light at will through the manipulation of a phenomenon known as electricity. A type of force/energy whose manipulation allowed for the creation of a series of devices that many would consider to be within the domain of the greatest magicians in the world or even the Gods themselves.

These and many other things are among the countless wonders brought into this world by those who, in those days, were called the Descendants—the founders of Neverland, known by some as the Liberi Astrorum.

According to what his father, Emperor Molt Sol Augustus, had told him, in those days, the Empire was experiencing a period of relative peace and calm. Something quite rare given the usually chaotic and uncontrolled nature of life in this world—whether due to things like plagues that decimated the population, wild magic that reanimated corpses to attack everyone, natural disasters, or the simple fact that one of the Gods' Apostles felt like coming down to destroy something out of sheer boredom. Perhaps because of the common pessimism among people, many wondered how long that supposed peace would last. Apparently, not very long.

The appearance of the Descendants and their gigantic flying fortress symbolized, for many, the beginning of a new era for these lands, as much or even more than the arrival of the first humanity. Given the events that followed their arrival, Zorzal would admit that their coming was thousands of times more remarkable and unique than that of his own lineage.

He did not see this as an insult but rather as an acknowledgment of a fact. However, just like his friends, he did not believe it diminished the achievements of his own people. The battles, the alliances, the betrayals, the conquests, and the establishment of the Empire as a force to be feared—actions that, even in their most brutal and cruel forms, had helped humanity, or rather his branch of humanity, survive in this cruel and insipid world. For all of this, Zorzal was "proud" to belong to the same lineage that had achieved these feats—a lineage that, through blood, sweat, and tears, had managed to create a home for themselves and their descendants, even if it meant becoming monsters on every level.

For this reason, and the fact that he was born at the beginning of those days, many had taken it as a sign that he was destined to bring a golden age for his people, that he was meant for great things. Which, thinking about it deeply, was not entirely wrong. However, given the things that had to happen for his "greatness" to be revealed, deep down, he did not feel even a little happy about it.

Nevertheless, that did not mean he regretted or resented the things that had happened in his life, mainly because doing so would be a total insult to those who were no longer here, his loved ones who were still alive, and the people of the Empire he would one day rule. Whether it was his first journey to Neverland, his learning under one of its many scientists, his fascination with its culture and customs, the attack of the Apostles on Neverland, the Occumbo, his small adventure walking through a field of death and destruction alongside the group that would later become his best friends, the encounter with the love of his life, the death of his half-siblings, the loss of much of his home, and the mental weakening of his father.

Which probably would have affected him as well if not for the emotional support of his friends and his life experiences. It was something incredible, almost mythical from his perspective, that such legendary events became part of his life, even when deep down he did not really like some of those things. But that is life—unpredictable.

"Brother."

And speaking of unpredictable.

Turning around, Zorzal saw the origin of the voice that had called him brother—his half-sister, Princess Piña Co Lada.

Piña was a woman who could be described as an exotic beauty by human standards. Whether it was her long blood-red hair that reached her shoulders, her red eyes that seemed to shine with defiance, or her simply exquisite figure—which, given the physical training she undertook, only made her even more beautiful in a unique way. She was dressed in a kind of white dress with red accents, with some parts covered by bronze-colored plates that, due to their texture and light appearance, he could tell were of Neverlian origin—titanium, as they called it—along with a pair of high leather boots.

Seeing her like this, he could understand why she always complained about the numerous marriage proposals. Simply put, someone as beautiful as her could not live without attracting the attention of a good number of men—so beautiful, in fact, that even the Neverlians had named a rather good drink in her honor.

A playful smile formed on Zorzal's face at that thought, memories of how his sister would blush in the presence of the current leader of the Neverlians, his good friend Arthur Brokensteel.

A small chuckle escaped his lips at those memories—good times, indeed.

"What are you laughing at?" his sister asked with an amused smile on her face.

"Nothing, Piña, just a memory."

His sister's eyes narrowed slightly at that response, and a playful smile quickly formed on her face.

"Really… could those memories have something to do with an albino Bunny Warrior Queen?" Piña said with a hint of amusement.

At those words, multiple memories flooded Zorzal's mind—memories of a foolish boy and his friends being captured by some Bunny Warriors while fleeing across their territory, trying to reach the Empire. The encounter with a curious-looking young albino woman, the secret meetings, the sensation of two bodies coming together in depth, an escape aid, a sorrowful farewell, and a reunion in better times. A playful smile formed on his face at those memories before his expression quickly returned to its usual serious demeanor. He looked at his sister.

"Very funny, little sister," he said with amusement, letting out a soft chuckle before carefully studying her. "What are you doing here, Piña? Weren't you supposed to be in Postremo Sanguinem to oversee the security of the event?"

As part of the preparations for the celebration of Union Day, it was decided that each involved party should help maintain its security. This was to prevent any incidents, such as an attack by the Apostles or, heaven forbid, a new Occumbo.

Piña and her order, the so-called Congregation of the Holy Office, had been chosen alongside many others for this task.

The Congregation of the Holy Office was an Imperial chivalric order founded by Princess Piña Co Lada, various noble men and women, and a few knights of relatively varying ranks who had suffered greatly due to the Occumbo. From its inception, the order was quite controversial for a wide variety of reasons—whether because of its self-imposed crusade against the Gods and their followers, the near-total illegality of its deepest actions, or the fact that it was the only order with female personnel in its ranks. Given the Empire's values and customs, it was no surprise that this was not well received in the slightest. However, that did not take away from the fact that they were undoubtedly the best-equipped—aside from the Neverlians—to deal with the Gods and their followers, or at least the more mundane ones.

It was for this reason that they had been chosen to serve in this task. Their experience, discipline, and tactics had quickly turned them into a group to be feared within the Empire—so much so that even the Patricians respected them, albeit begrudgingly.

The idea that such a group could ever exist would have been unthinkable to most of the Empire's founders. For Zorzal, it was proof of the changing times and that the Empire would have to start changing if it wanted to survive them. It had done so many times in the past, albeit in much more violent ways, so doing it once more—and in a more "peaceful" manner—was not beyond its capabilities, resources, or the time available to accomplish it.

Looking at his sister, he saw how her expression shifted from playful and teasing too serious and rigid. Personally, he liked to call it "Galadriel mode" because of the surprising resemblance her face bore when she did that. Zorzal theorized that his sister did this to appear more mature. It didn't work.

"We have completed most of the initial preparations for the event. I came to deliver my report to the Patricians and Father," she informed in a calm tone. "Sorry for not calling, I was busy. And you?"

"Training to be the next emperor," Zorzal said indifferently.

As part of his duties as the Empire's heir, he was required to attend the Council's monthly meetings. Personally, he could say they were quite informative about how the Empire functioned, how to control vassals, and the rules needed to keep an Empire like this running despite the delicate situations it faced and its intricate political webs. Especially in this era, where it seemed like the end of the world was approaching—which, given the problem with the Apocryph and the fact that they had to maintain a bunch of portals to another dimension to prevent its advance, might not be far from the truth.

"That must be exhausting," Piña said.

"You don't say. I feel like I age with every meeting," Zorzal let out a sigh. "And I'm not even Emperor yet."

"Oh yes, I can already see you in the coronation robes. You always liked white," she teased.

Zorzal snorted at his sister's comment. Even now, as an adult with all his battle experiences, he was still vulnerable to his younger sister's jokes. Some things never changed, and for him, this was one of them.

"In any case, the meeting is about to start. Are you coming?" he asked, looking at his sister.

"I'll follow behind you, Your Majesty," Piña said in a mocking tone while making a bow.

With those words, Piña and Zorzal began making their way to the auditorium where the meetings were held. Once there, they were greeted by the guards stationed at the doors. They wore a Legionarius Centurion's armor in the Empire's colors, enhanced with materials provided by the Neverlians—kevlar and titanium. Their weapons of choice were AR-15 assault rifles, or "Tonitruum" as the people of the Empire called them, along with other souvenirs like a sword at their waist or the night vision goggles attached to their helmets.

This was yet another of the many things obtained through the alliance and trade with the Neverlians. A testament to the trust earned over the years, allowing their people access to these and other technologies. Of course, given their technological level and the general lack of education, these garments and weapons were only granted to the highest-ranking soldiers or orders. It was a long process, but given their effectiveness and power, it was expected that within a few decades, they would become the standard rather than the exception.

The guards quickly moved toward them to carry out the security protocol. A quick pat-down was conducted, along with the use of the latest version of the magical devices known as Veritas Revelare, which had the ability to detect if someone was lying. The exact workings of the device were beyond Zorzal's understanding, but he knew the only thing that mattered—it worked. With the device in hand, the guard proceeded with the standard set of questions for those permitted to enter the auditorium. A total of five questions were asked, all of which were answered promptly and correctly by both siblings.

Once the protocol was completed, the guards exchanged nods, and the doors of the auditorium began to open. The siblings stepped inside as the guards bowed in a sign of respect.

The interior of the auditorium was a marvel to behold, whether due to its white marble walls or the various gold, silver, and precious stone decorations that adorned every inch of its existence. Scattered along the walls were numerous seats—luxurious in their own right but not as much as the emperors, though nothing excessive beyond the gold and jewels typical of high-class nobility.

Since a meeting was about to take place, some of the Patricians were already seated, surrounding the figure of the highest-ranking person in the room—the Emperor Molt Sol Augustus, the "absolute" ruler of the Saderan Empire and the father of Zorzal and his sister.

Noticing their presence, the emperor and the Patricians turned serious gazes toward the siblings. They remained still and impassive under such scrutiny. Following standard protocol, Zorzal and his sister knelt and bowed their heads.

"Your Majesty."

Both siblings declared respectfully, signaling their deference and recognition of the highest authority. They remained in this position for a few seconds under the emperor's watchful gaze.

"Rise."

The emperor spoke sternly, and the siblings quickly stood upon hearing the order. Once they did, they saw the man make a few gestures for them to take their positions. They nodded in acknowledgment and moved to their designated places—Zorzal on the right side and Piña on the left.

The rest of the Patricians arrived shortly after them, following the same protocol as the pair of siblings, even if, from what one could observe, they did not seem to enjoy doing so. Once the introductions were completed and everyone was present, the meeting could begin.

The meeting started as always, with the reading of a lengthy series of notes detailing the current state of the Empire—matters such as the overall budget, security, construction, and other relevant issues. Once this was done, they began proposing solutions to the problems. Zorzal participated from time to time, offering solutions based on what he had learned during his time with the Neverlians—fresh, youthful ideas, as the emperor and some of the more "liberal" Patricians called them.

As the meeting progressed, he couldn't help but notice the state of the council itself, specifically the low number of participants. Don't misunderstand— the place was overflowing with people, but compared to previous eras, it might as well have been a desert. Of the two thousand members who had once occupied those seats, now only a few hundred remained. A constant reminder of the loss of three-quarters of the Empire's territory due to the Occumbo, as well as, of course, his own presence here as the heir to the Empire—something he knew deep down should not have been the case.

Shaking off those thoughts, Zorzal observed his sister delivering her report on the preparations for the Union Day event. From what he could see, some of the Patricians still held the same disdainful expressions toward her. Whether she was aware of this or not, she seemed indifferent.

Once the report was concluded, the meeting continued in its usual tone, with some discussing the event briefly before shifting back to matters far more crucial to their current lives. This went on for a while, long enough that the time to conclude the meeting had arrived. Rising from his chair, he watched as the emperor prepared to bring the meeting to an end—unless, of course, something unexpected happened that required it to continue.

"Your Majesty."

Speaking of unexpected things.

Running through the door was a young man, looking exhausted and drenched in sweat. He was dressed in the uniform of the Imperial Communicators—a green outfit with the symbol of the Imperial Communicators emblazoned on the back, a winged boot.

Zorzal watched as the man knelt before the emperor, following protocol—an unnecessary waste of time in his eyes, but such were the ways of these things.

The emperor's gaze remained as serious as ever, but if one looked deeper, something else could be seen—fear. That was the emotion that appeared.

"Report," the emperor demanded.

The man let out a few sighs of exhaustion and nervousness before finally being able to speak.

"Your Majesty, concerning reports have arrived from the Neverlians and our troops in Alnus Hill. It has been reported that a Gate has appeared near the area."

The man spoke, and with each word that left his mouth, the nervousness, fear, and panic on his face became increasingly evident. And he was not the only one, as the Patricians began to show the same expressions on their faces. The emperor, however, maintained his serious expression and simply nodded.

At that moment, Zorzal knew it was his time to act, and from what he could see, his sister thought the same. However, the emperor seemed to be one step ahead of them.

"Zorzal, Piña, I order you to mobilize the troops to handle this potential threat—immediately," he said firmly while glancing around, seeing how an uproar was about to begin.

The siblings nodded at the emperor's words and began to move to leave the room.

"Oh, and one more thing."

A whisper left the emperor's lips, so low that only the siblings could hear it. They turned in his direction. The look on his face changed from his usual seriousness and furrowed brows to one of melancholy and sadness. His eyes bore deep into the souls of his children, a wave of emotions filling the air, and then he spoke.

"Take care… please."

The siblings merely looked at the man from whom they came before simply nodding in confirmation. Then, they began running toward the exit, seeking to fulfill the orders given. Throughout the entire process, the only thought—or rather, the only wish—was for everything to turn out well in this situation. Yet, deep down, their more pragmatic and cynical sides told them to prepare for the worst that this cruel and indifferent life might have in store for them. At the very least, they found solace in the fact that they would soon reunite with some old friends. They only hoped it would not be for the last time.

So, the third fragment of this series of ideas. In this fragment, I decided to use as the protagonist the ever-villain of all Gate fanfics, Zorzal, who, due to the AU of this fanfic, has a personality very different from the canon. I hope you liked it.

I haven't updated anything here or in my other story because my computer is crap, and at any moment, it might fail again. I'll try to update my other story as soon as possible, but until then, I present this as an apology (a very shitty one).

In any case, I hope you liked it.