Fairy Tail - Twilight Empire

Chapter 112 - Into Twilight

Hisui let the rebels have the morning as they wrapped up their final bits of prep. She barely slept a wink after mulling the plan over and over in her head. She made tweaks, cancelled entire ideas, and after a surprise visit from Laxus, who had his own intentions for how to approach the battle that she more than approved of, she knew they had their strike.

It was the best they would be able to manage.

It was all they had left.

Everyone was gathered in the dining hall for breakfast, their final meal together. Brandish enlarged most of the food they had so they could eat as large of a portion as possible.

Hisui sat among them, at a table with Yukino, Sorano, Erik, Meredy, and Kagura. The chatter was slow, methodical. Hisui liked that. She wanted that. She didn't want the bombast of a conversation with Natsu, or one that would be casual, like with Erza.

Nobody seemed to be over their heads about what was to come. Was it confidence or ignorance? Maybe both. It did put Hisui somewhat at ease, though her nerves continued to creep up as she knew that she'd have to make the mobilization announcement sooner rather than later. They could not simply waddle around the palace. August would get suspicious, and Brandish's lie would have to stretch.

They needed it to last just one more day; long enough for their invasion plan to kick off in full without the Empire really noticing. Of course, it would all go up in flames if August wanted to—somehow—pay a visit, either through thought projection or request a chat via a communication lacrima.

Hisui tried to shove those fears and doubts aside. She tried to maintain her presence, tried to maintain her focus on the people in front of her. After all, this was for them, and all the other wizards and oppressed who were beneath the Empire's heel.

Yet one thing continued to stick with her. The one thing everyone kept calling her:

Queen.

She could be among these people and be their friend. But it was not the time for mere wizards to be bantering; it was time for war.

When she was growing up, her father never prepared her for anything to this degree. He never even considered the possibility of insurrection or rebellion. There were those who disagreed with him, but he was almost always able to amicably figure it out. Or, at least, that's what she'd been told. That was probably not the case.

But when it came to dealing with an invasion, Hisui was imprisoned, and he lost his life. Her father died, never knowing that she would get free and live to fight another day for their home.

She stood and marched toward the front of the room. Slowly, as people realized what was going on, they quieted. Hisui arrived at the dais, where Brandish sat with just Lucy, Natsu, and Happy. She stepped to the side of it. Brandish eased back while Lucy had Natsu and Happy focus up from playing with some chicken drumsticks.

Everyone was silent, and everyone was watching her.

"I think a year ago I wouldn't come to you all like this," Hisui began. She hadn't prepared remarks. She knew the plan, knew it was time to inform everyone of their missions, but didn't know what to say about it. She didn't think of what her father would say, nor her mother, nor Arcadios or Darton or Mest or Meredy or...or any of her other mentors and peers. "But I have to apologize to you all. I'm sorry it ever came to this. I'm sorry you were ripped from your homes, ripped from the possibility of freedom, ripped out of time, and placed into a fresh new form of hell. And I know my apology means nothing. There is nothing we can do that will wind the clock back to fix any of this. It is before us, it surrounds us, and it is most fortunately our problem to deal with.