Crumbling Down

Chapter 2

Kert

My feet dashed as quickly as I could. Is Mother attacked? The noblemen? Tristian and Natasha are to the back of my mind. My eyes darted up, and already, the palace, clouded in smoke. The smell of fire, the smoke I know all too well. The courtyard is in an apocalypse state. A scream boomed the corridors. I ran to the bend, Mother fending off thousands with the wall made of fire.

"Stay back, all of you! Your rallies are to stop", she boomed. However, the crowd kept going in. Even some of our noblemen, our nobles are tearing the wall down. Metals and bullets were springing into action. Mother turned her face to see me. She's sweating more than water I can conjure. Wrinkles deepened. Our abilities can make us powerful, but even we have our limits.

"Kert! Advise these people to stop the rallies. I can't sustain them much longer", she rambled. Soto is falling apart; the rebellion is growing stronger. We can't fight the people anymore and silencing them. Natasha was right before she left for good. Listen to the people, or they won't listen to you. Mother kept screaming and telling me to stop the people. I didn't hear a word. Water formed in my hand, and I breathed. The element shootout and brought the firewall down, steam revealing the people.

"K-Kert! What the hell is wrong with you?", She yelped. I held my hand out, the water evaporated.

"Mother, hear me, this is my idea," I assured her. The people rose further, but my water formed again in my hand. 

"Just because I let down the wall, don't mean you act like uncivilized beings. We hear you", I shouted, bringing my voice in defiance. They all clam shut.

"Good, now with civil manners, we will hear the people," I added.

"What are you, a democracy now?", a sarcastic sneer interrupted. 

"Let's not jump to being disrespectful. We hear you, and we don't want protests leading to chaos".

"Liar! You and the queen silence us for way too long", the voice cut through the crowd, my heart stopped short. How did I not recognize the voice? The same silver hair Mother and I share? The crowd parted. Natasha came closer to me.

"N-Natasha?", I stepped back. She nodded, but Mother was screaming.

"Traitor! You betrayed us, and I thought you died", Mother screeched.

"I sure didn't, Mother, you obviously don't care about the people. You don't deserve the crown. Neither you or Kert", she looked at me. Natasha isn't the same sister I've known. I knew she cared about the lower class, but taking it far?

"How dare you! You, out of everyone shouldn't criticize my ruling". Mother's flames were growing stronger.

"Oh, my bad, Majesty, who's at fault for the deaths of peasants? The manual labor on children? Even now, your daughter is going against you". Water emerged in her hand.

"I'm ashamed of this. It's abnormal to my kind. We used abilities as an excuse to rule those who don't. It's disgusting", Natasha spat. Mother lost control and threw a flame at Natasha. The crowd gasped and thrashed, but she turned it to steam, hurting none.

"I-I...", Mother stammered and ran away, her crown slipped and fell to the ground. I was about to pick it up when Natasha stopped me.

"Don't touch the crown Kert," she warned. I leave it be, and the people were calm by now.

"You can leave too, brother. Be like Mother and hide behind the gold. The good life".

"Natasha--."

"Quiet baby brother. Will your mouth cause more decline on Soto unless you're willing to join?". Me joining the rebellion? I know they're oppressed, however, not once was their anarchy was on my mind. Mother wouldn't see me the same way again. Just how she saw Natasha, a traitor, a disappointment to the kingdom.

"You have a choice in this brother. You and I can restore Soto before Mother destroy it more to her incompetence", her eyes searching for my soul. Maybe, holding to hope that I will join. I froze and darted my eyes around the crowd. All thousands of eyes, watching me. Although, Natasha intimidated me the most.

"You can't silence them anymore. I can lead this without you. So if you're not going to choose, then I bid you good luck". No pleading, no hostility, just neutral.

"I-I'm joining." I couldn't lose Natasha again. Either from her running away or the rebellion changing her. Natasha rippled emotions, but she looked happy. First in a while.

She took the crowd and me to the village, which is much more complicated than I imagined. Poorly built homes disguised as base or supply stocking places. Even though the rebellion might be organized rather than act like a cavemen rally, am I pending my inevitable doom? The last thing before all of this happen, Mother's crown, laid on the palace stairs.