The Ruler's Rift

Thunder, Lightning

Regret flooded Celeste when she and the others exited the ship into heavy rain. Her most wonderful regalia threatened to soak entirely, but it couldn't be helped. The splashing of several pairs of boots crashing into the soggy ground heralded the end of Chestorran. Lightning flashed, highlighting the treeline which surrounded the distant villages. They'd landed far from civilization, an attempt at surprise, but no one had accounted for a downpour.

Soon, a mage bowed her head and asked, "Your majesty, shall we begin with your first order?"

Celeste opened her mouth to reply, but the softest interjection stopped her. It barely reached her ears over the thunder. Her gaze followed the sound and led her to the meek strategist. His dark eyes drifted aside, his lanky form nearly bending like the gangly trees in the storm. "What was that?" Celeste asked. No anger penetrated her voice, but a playfulness, like a spider taunting a fly, oozed from every seductive note.

The way he squirmed was amusing, and even a bit cute. "Well...recon might be a good idea," he muttered.

Briefly, Celeste studied the far away shacks and villages. She hadn't expected rain, so perhaps he had a point. They knew little about this doomed world. No matter how skilled the warriors and how mighty the mages, ten people against a whole planet was a tall order indeed. "All right, let's look around a little before we begin. We'll stay out of sight," she ordered.

The group split up, but remained in relative proximity. Amber orbited Celeste, whispering her final pleas that she spare Chestorran and the other stingy worlds. The advisor's increasing desperation only served to amuse the queen.

In his shy voice, the strategist called for the monarch. Everyone regrouped, and he explained, "I discovered that there are a lot of magical circuits cast onto this world. It seems Chestorran's people have limited technology but reasonable magic - they've inlaid many routes of communication via spells.

"Ah, so that's what I was sensing..." Celeste sighed. She'd nearly grown accustomed to the rain beating down on her and sopping her hair.
"I'm psychic," one of the mages added, "so we're thinking I'll tap into the magical network and put everyone within this side of the world under hypnosis. Just a lil' something to keep them mellow while we raid the place."

"And when you're done, you'll move on to the other hemisphere?" Celeste asked.

Nods confirmed her theory.

Thunder crackled like a crowd, noisy and antsy for the show to start. "Then begin," Celeste commanded.

"Wait, wait." All heads swung to Amber, who huffed and darted her eyes. "Wait, please...this isn't right, there has to be another way."

A growl bubbled up in the demon's throat. She barely held in her hiss. "Isn't right? Everyone else is contributing to restore the universe. Why shouldn't these worlds have to?"

"Yeah, it's not equal at all!" Yelled the psychic mage who prepared to mentally hack into the world's foundation.

Amber turned to her and snapped, "I understand you're frustrated, but perhaps they have their reasons. If your brain is so powerful, maybe you can figure that out!" Upon sustaining that blow, the psychic mage visibly reared back.

"Enough, Amber," Celeste boomed. "I didn't ask for your say. I'm doing this for the good of my kingdom. Everyone else here understands that. I've already made wonderful progress livening up damaged planets."

Brown eyes shifted aside. Lightning flashed, highlighting the advisor's conflicted, angry face. "I know you have..." She growled. "You've done a wonderful job with that. But you and I both know...we both know that there's more to it than generosity."

Celeste's eyes narrowed. Droplets of rain streaked her face and dotted her horns which quivered with magic that she barely restrained. "What are you saying?" She snarled.

"This is about your pride. And you know it."

"Should I not take pride in healing the wounds my mother caused?" Celeste shouted. The reins she held on her temper began to splinter.

"You take pride in yourself, Celeste!" Amber shouted. "If you let the criticisms of a few worlds drive you to violence, to anger, to deceit - then you will only end up like the mother you so claim to despise."

Mages and swordsmen exchanged fearful, puzzled glances. "Deceit?" One of them asked. "What's going on?"

"The only deceit here is what she's spewing right now!" Celeste snapped. Nothing was louder than the demon's fury save for the crackling sky.

"You can't do this, Celeste. You'll hurt yourself more than any one of your subjects!" Amber retorted.

"What is your problem!? Why do you want to slander me!?"

"Don't misdirect!"

"I only want what's best for-"

Finally, even the thunder above was outmatched. The echo of Amber's palm meeting the queen's face shattered the storm.

Gasps followed, merging into the raging rain.

"No," Amber huffed. "You don't."

Celeste had been spun away by the slap. Her back to her aunt, she panted among the downpour. Surrounded by the silent, judgmental stares of those present, the queen's pulse picked up in rage and panic. Suddenly, her vanity burned away. Her pride melted into fuel which ignited the fires of wrath. "How dare you..." She growled, feeling blood streak down her face. "Don't touch me!" With all her primal strength, the demon lunged for her aunt, tongue lashing and claws curled.

The world whirled. A meteoric thump rang through Celeste's body and shook her to her senses, partially. Wet, soggy ground was at eye level, and the moist soil served as the queen's bed. She gasped and looked up. "Get off of me! Release me this instant!" She raged at Amber, who pinned her to the ground firmly.

"Calm down," Amber demanded.

"You make me sick!" The demon screamed. Her voice took on otherworldly properties, the seductive, confident tones merging with guttural hisses and irate growls. "Acting as if you're so above everything, like you've never done wrong yourself! You're just like all the other sheep!"

"Listen to yourself!" Shouted the advisor among the gasps and chatter of the crowd.

Fuchsia energy poured from Celeste's eyes, rippling like solar flares in all her wrath. "I hate you..."

Rain berated the earth with force, some of it striking Celeste's eyes. She didn't wince or close them; they remained wide with ire. Amber's feral panting and the queen's infernal hissing mingled with the thunder and lightning.

"Now," Celeste rasped between breaths, "let go of me."

With her dagger at her niece's throat, Amber looked at the other nine who slowly backed up. Yet no matter how much distance they made, they couldn't escape the looks of shock and fear they wore. She called to them, "Get on the ship and leave. The queen and I will be fine."

Celeste did not argue. And although they couldn't be allowed to spread what they'd just witnessed, she wouldn't kill them. Once they had scattered, Amber slowly, cautiously released the Mystearlian.

She stood and coughed, rubbing her neck and bolting her gaze to her aunt. "You..." She seethed, magic flickering to life within her. "You will never raise a weapon to me again!"

Amber screamed and lurched when, in that instant, sorcery weaved into her hands with the ferocity of the lightning above. On impulse she scrambled for a weapon, but any that she touched burned her palms.

Fingers smoking, Amber winced and caught her breath. Celeste approached her, magic crackling away into the rain. "Go ahead and keep trying. No matter what tool you choose, if you intend to turn it on me it will fry your hands to the bone."