Only if the Shinobi don't get you first!
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A Raiju aid rushed to the throne room. Lightning Lynx's leadership had made the Raiju fabulously wealthy, causing many to turn a blind eye to his disregard for social norms. However, were his fortunes turning around?
Collapsing from exhaustion, the ninja kneeled as best as he could with his little strength.
"My liege, while we enjoyed some success against the Free People's Army, they managed to take far more land from us than we did from them..."
"I knew I should have gone there personally." Claws dug into the throne's sides, the Groom of Conquering Storm not the least bit happy. In the corner, where the former Bride of Conquering Storm was kept chained to a wall, she snuck a slight grin under the brim of her hat. That fool wasn't a leader. He wasn't even a soldier. His regime was pure luck from day one.
"Dismissed. Keep me informed of all events. I may be quick but even I need information to make use of such a skill."
The aid nodded, and left without a word. The thick doors slammed shut, as Lightning tapped his claws on the throne's sides... perhaps just a little stressed out that his warplan wasn't as great as he assumed it would be.
"Maybe you should have noticed the Western front isn't active and pooled troops to fight the 'King of the Free People,' Lightning." That feminine, malicious voice spoke up, drawing the regal lynx's glare.
"Did I ask you?" He growled through grated teeth, before in the blink of an eye, he was right next to her, having quite superhuman speed as an asset, even if not as much as the one person he hated most. He rose his hand to strike her, and like a true warrior, she didn't even flinch, both out of her own bravery and the fact he wouldn't do it.
Sure enough, he pulled his hand back. Alas, while he had usurped her throne and enslaved her, there was still a burning respect, a burning passion, for her. She was a slave in name only, and he was always sure she got whatever she desired when no guests were around.
"You weren't of much use at any rank, Lightning. Your whole life, the only use you've had was your speed. You hated your recon position and everyone you knew and loved shunned you for it. You could not get your nation to love you, so you tried to get me to do it, resulting in your expulsion. Now you've conquered your nation to try and force them to love you, and while it's worked for a while, the flaws in the design are becoming readily apparent."
"..." Lightning stayed quiet, his fists silently clencing, his face filled with lament. He could see she was quite good at dissecting a person's personality. She made her Clan much stronger than plenty of her predecessors. It was only natural the Raiju desire for strength would manifest itself as love for her.
"Hmph. I need some time to think... I need to get us out of this mess. Alone." The lynx paced away, as the Bride looked on, a slight smile on her face as she returned to just sitting there patiently, sketching on a pad she had been provided with. She had taken up a hobby in the arts ever since her deposition.
The lynx clicked a button on the back of the Throne, causing it to slide out of the way, descending the staircase hidden beneath before the Throne retook its place. He paced down the long staircase, through the cold, dark, empty halls, before arriving at the Meditation Chamber. It was here that all rulers of the Raiju were expected to go when they had to ponder strategy. For the longest time, it was believed the Gods of War and Strength would bless the curious leader here. Those whose strategies worked ruled for long periods as those indeed blessed; those whose strategies didn't were cast out as being unable to understand the divine.
It wasn't long before the many torches in the room suddenly seemed to vanish, pure darkness filling the Chamber. The lynx groaned inside, before speaking.
"Here to lecture me on not carrying out your orders right?" A hint of annoyance to his voice.
A gust rushed past the lynx, ruffling his distinctive hair, as he could feel the presence of another.
"That wouldn't be fair. I wasn't expecting a chimp to actually have a grasp of strategy. I thought for sure he'd desert his northern border to fight those flying mice further East. The fault is mine. Alas, mistakes happen, and you learn from them. Life goes on."
Being pitch black, Lightning couldn't see his visitor, but he could trace his voice with his great hearing. Not that it'd matter, as the stranger always had a tendency to change position rapidly, as if teleporting.
"Well, we're in a pickle. What do we do now?" Anger and fear alike nibbled at Lightning's words, as he knew more setbacks would alienate a people who fetishised victory.
A bit of light started to become apparent, the cloaked figure's appearance vaguely visible. He stood next to Lightning, his face as usual hidden beneath a hood.
"Their Khan is on the way out. He is losing ground to the Yagyu and rules less now than he did last year. Eventually, the snowball effect will cause his end. The western segment of his empire will be ripe for the picking, and its vast wealth will make your people forgive any error. In the meantime, you just need to stay calm and keep control of your underlings."
"And how do you propose I do that? I've broken tradition. I've been exiled twice. Winning is the only thing that keeps me legit to them. With coffins rolling into the capital like they're coming off an assembly line, I don't think we're winning."
"Minor setbacks. Besides, you have me on your side." Lightning rolled his eyes, naturally, and promptly focused them on the source of light as the figure withdrew it from his sleeve. A bright, white-colored gem. The brilliant light created a sphere of illumination around the two, and while they were pacing through the room together, Lightning could now see the figure's lower half wasn't solid, just some strange, dark mist that he tended to materialise out of.
"Is that a...?"
"No. It's just a copy. Its powers are finite compared to the original, but it should remind you what you're fighting for is far more important than land. The monkey's Emerald is very vital to your plans as much as mine."
"Your plans? What have you been up to?" The lynx forgot the fact a clone of the strongest artifact known to Mobiankind was right next to him, instead his curiosity being peaked.
"Oh, just keeping the world from falling apart at the seams. My agents in Angel Island are working to keep this conflict going as much as possible, but the Guardians are threatening the balance. The Dingos could be gone by tomorrow for all I know. My agents in Green Hill tell me that one of Shadow's clones is causing trouble in the region and are hunting for him."
"...Clone?"
"That's what I thought. I made sure he was the genuine thing first. Unfortunately, the fact his powers aren't as defined indicates he's likely one of Robotnik's rejects. Which is good; the actual thing being captured would be detrimental to my plans. Fortunately, they have your blue friend on their side." A chuckle as Lightning growled, "...and he'll be able to tell them that it's not the actual Shadow."
"How many agents do you have?" With his finger in so many pies, Lightning's contact seemed to have quite the network going.
"More than I can count. Just remember I have them in every nook and cranny of this planet. Makes sure I can capitalise on any and all opportunities. You are but one of my allies in this region; I make sure to keep multiple in case any one turns treacherous."
"And they are...?"
"Nice try. Speaking of treachery, it's a lot harder to be treacherous when you don't know much about who you might betray."
"Fair enough." Lightning smirked.
The figure extended his hand, the large gem contained in his palm, "Now take this. I'd rather travel light and you can use it to surprise anybody who might attempt a coup. Just remember, its powers are finite. Use it wisely."
Lightning reached out and grabbed it, putting it in his hands, able to feel that great Chaos energy flow right into his being. He'd be sure to milk this appropriately-white jewel for every bit it was worth.
"I must take my leave. When I need to get into contact with you, you'll know. Trust me on that." The figure started to fade away into the darkness yet again, and was gone before long.
The lynx looked down at the glowing gem before stuffing it inside his ornate robe, looking up. "...I really need to get his name next time."
