//------------------------------// // Crying Twice // Story: The God-Emperor Breathes Again // by Count Talon of Ransom //------------------------------// Griffenheim, The Imperial Palace. 8:40 AM. Grover yawns as he walked through the halls of his palace, his knights at his back. Normally he wouldn't do this, he'd either never have enough free time or he'd be too ill to do it, but thanks to certain benefactors, he'd probably not have to worry about illness for years! It's then that the thought finally strikes him. He really should see his son and oh Gods he suddenly remembered what happened the last time he saw him. Memories pop up in his head, the glow, the disappearance of his only son, and the emotional breakdown he suffered from it. He paused in the middle of the hallway, his guards stopping with him, suddenly consumed in thought. 'What if... what if what happened all those years ago happens now?' his head swam with the possibilities. He walked over to a nearby window, clutching his head in one hand, getting a headache just from the sheer tide of possibilities. It should've been simple, it would be either nothing happens or he disappears into a golden glow, but anxiety made any positive chance disappear and only ever increased the negatives. What if someone saw him when it happened? He'd be murdered there and then, the Von Greifstein Legacy ended with allegations of Maar worship, what a fucking way to go- "Your Highness?". Grover turns his head, coming face to face, or rather face plate, to one of his knights. "Are you alright, your Highness?" Grover turns his head back out toward the window, anxiety slowly dripping away, "I'm... hmmm... I'm worried," Grover looks through the window towards the city. He could see it, he could practically smell the mist from all those decades ago. It made him want to vomit. "Worried about the Empire, your Highness?" "No... I'm worried about my son. I don't... I don't trust myself to..." Grover mutters, the knight barely able to hear him. "Yourself to what?" Grover says nothing as he starts to move on down the hallway, his loyal knights at his back. 'I need to do... anything... I have to deal with that... later,' he thinks, 'Maybe... maybe the Rector finally got his reports and I can finally get Bellzar here,' Grover chuckles under his breath, 'Bellzar would probably be gob-smacked with what I would do to him, or he'd say something along the lines of "I knew it, this was all part of the plan the Gods gave me!"' Grover once again chuckled before frowning, 'It's been three hours, the Rector probably has the records by now... hopefully... it'll kill time for the next meeting at... 11 AM, right. Plus, it'll take my mind off my son. Might actually be relaxing,' he thought before turning to go to the nearest phone. Griffenheim, The Imperial Palace. 9:03 AM. "What in the Gods name do you mean he's not part of the colleges!?" Grover's face is red from anger. "It's exactly what I mean, your highness," Rector Mikussian's voice rings through the phone, an ounce of surprise in his voice, clearly he didn't expect Grover to go off yelling over a single scientist, "As far as we know, he hasn't been part of the colleges since mid-1005 when he was fired by Gamia's Rector for some kind of experiment that they aren't willing to discuss". "I don't care about that, do you know where he went?" "Do we- your highness we don't keep that kind of stuff, probably the Imperial Labor and People Department would have it". Grover pulls the phone from his beak and sighs. The bloody Imperial Labor and People Department, ILPD, was created by his grandfather, Grover the Third. It was the greatest bureaucracy of its time, back when the only jobs for commoners were peasant, soldier, or merchant. Now it could barely track its own workers, let alone workers across the empire. There were the regional LPDs but they tend to be inaccurate or worse yet, barred against all but the noble in charge of it. Those aristocratic bureaucrats would even give the Kaiser himself a small piece of paper, kindly asking him to ask the noble who owns the land and department. Ie, his major vassals. Despite his friendly terms with most of them, they'd probably not take it that well that he was rooting around in their private records. He presses the phone back to his beak, "Do you have any idea where he might've gone, did you get any interviews or anything?" "Your Highness, I just got the records on the griffon. You called me literally just as soon as I got it, I'm actively looking through it, he could be dead for all we know". "No!" Grover shouts into the phone, "I know for a damn bloody fact that he's alive, there's no way he's dead! Bellzar isn't that kind of griffon". "Your Highness?" Mikussian sounds greatly confused, "Where... where do you know this griffon from?" "That's not your-" Grover sighs into the phone, "He's important ok? He's a genius and he's needed at Griffenheim! He... he might know something that'll revolutionize the empire". Mikussian is silent for a moment, "Yes, your highness. Good luck, and I may the Gods be with you," he yawns through the phone, "I really need to go to sleep, your highness, I've been awake... for more than 24 hours I think, good day". Mikussian hangs up before Grover could reply. As Grover sets down the phone he sighs again. 'I guess I'm going to see the bureaucrats... fuck.' Griffenheim, The Imperial Palace. 11:34 AM. He wasted hours trying to get Bellzar's records. So many hours in fact, that his guards had to tell him that he needed to go or else he'd miss a meeting. And here he was. He, internally, sighed, he was doing that a lot lately, just thinking about it. The lean, clean machine that his grandfather created was now full of either hereditary bureaucrats who'd rather do anything else, or idiots who barely know how to read and write anyway but were accepted because everyone else didn't know how to read or write period. Now he was sitting through a meeting with some factory owner and a local noble arguing over some decade-old land issue about taxes, renting, and unpaid workers that somehow got passed up to him. Actually, wait. He thinks that that factory owner was the one who got arrested after he was placed on the throne because of a vague land-wait. Grover sat a little straighter in his chair, he was going to do something stupid, "Enough. Wilhelm," Grover nods to the factory owner, "Sliverclaw," he nods to the noble. "I have come to a conclusion, especially after reviewing the documents," Grover was talking out of his ass, he hadn't read a word of the documents... in this life, "It states that it was signed by three individuals, two of which being your ancestors, and one being of the Rosewing family," Sliverclaw looks confused while Wilhelm mutters something under his breath, "Due to post-Revolution laws and the complete destruction of a loyalist Rosewing family, any and all land owned by the family is officially crown lands". There is silence in the room. Sliverclaw's beak is wide open and Wilhelm has his head in his claws. "Dismissed," Grover says. Wilhelm walks away immediately, saying something under his breath. Sliverclaw... well, he explodes. "WHAT?!" "You heard me, Sliverclaw, the entirety of the land, due to its connection to NRP members, is now officially under direct rule from the Kaiser". "The land deal was signed in the early 900s! You can't possi-" "And the Rosewings had land in Rima that was co-owned with another noble since the late 800s! And that was taken by the Rectorate! And there was the same in Angriever! This has historical precedent and any further arguing shall be seen as pro-NRP action against the crown!" That shuts up the noble, his eyes wide open, beak opening and closing in shock. Finally, he turns around and walks away. Grover turns to a knight by his side, "Have the Mfös watch him". The knight nods as Grover gets up from the throne. By the Gods that was annoying, it really was so much easier when he had the blessing of three Gods and the power of a superpowered throne. Grover checked his watch, it was almost lunch... which meant he couldn't push it off any further, he'd have to see his son soon enough. Griffenheim, The Imperial Palace. 11:49 AM. Gabriella was displeased, not just because her hungover hadn't completely disappeared yet, but because, despite having the Mfös as an ally and spies in every realm in the empire, she can't find hair or hide of this bloody Bellzar person. At least until two minutes ago. "Are you sure?" Gabriella whispers to an agent in one of the countless hallways of the Palace. The agent nods, "Yes, the griffon is not someone to be trifled with, his research was so morally bankrupt that even Gamia kicked him out. We're still trying to find out where he is, but the bureaucracy is so bloated that it's hard for even it's own employees to navigate it". Gabriella sighs, "Fine, I'll have to do it myself... later. I need to talk to my cousin about something important at lunch," the agent tilts his head, "It's a state secret, now run along, if you find anything about him, tell me immediately". Griffenheim, The Imperial Palace. 12 AM on the dot. Grover is quiet as he walks into the large dining room. It's built for banquets, after all, it seems odd for just two griffons to be eating at it. At least, it would be, if there wasn't a third. "Gabriella," Grover says, somewhat surprised at the appearance of the pink griffon, "What's the occasion that's allowed you to dine with your extended family?" Grover took a seat at the table, an empty chair for his son directly on his right, and Gabriella, looking oddly... off, sitting directly on his left. "My son isn't here... at the moment, I'm sure the servants are wrangling him, you know him, so young he's probably either still asleep or he's bouncing off the walls!" "Cousin," Gabriella's voice cuts any amusement out of Grover, "I was under the... assumption... that you suffered from Hort-Wing disease". Grover blinks at her... why did that name sound so familiar? "I'm uh, sorry, dear cousin, I don't quite remember what this... Hort-Wing disease is meant to be?" Gabriella's face seemingly darkens as he said that, "You... you don't remember..." She leans back on her chair, her face blank, "You don't remember," she turns her head away from Grover and to a window directly opposite her. "Do you know, what Hort-Wing disease causes, dear cousin?" Grover shrugged, he fucking shrugged, and oh did Gabriella want to say something but she bit her tongue and continued on, "Hort-Wing disease causes wing twitches, and you know, due to how our wings work, the slightest twitch can cause us to lose our flight for a moment and cause us to start to plummet to the ground. Did you know that?" Grover says nothing and Gabriella continued, "Then, Hort-Wing disease causes wing spasms, like twitches but you lose control of your wings for a moment. One moment you're fine on the ground, the next you accidentally hit your head on the roof or tipped yourself over because your wings suddenly flapped. Did you know that, cousin?" Grover's eyes narrowed, and Gabriella got up from her chair and slammed her claws on the table, still speaking, "And then Hort-Wing steals all use of your wings! It takes the muscles and makes it impossible to move, let alone flap! Never to fly again!" she takes a choking breath, her eyes straining the only way that someone could hold back the beginning of tears, "I've seen this happen, Grover... and how... how would you react, if you saw that happen to someone, see it utterly devastate their life, only to one day see them suddenly fly again!? What would you th-" A door opens into the dining room. Grover and Gabriella turn to look, only to see an almost four-year-old Grover the Sixth standing there looking somewhat nervous. He clearly heard Gabriella shouting in the room, and seeing as though there's a small army of servants with food behind/near him, along with at least one knight at the door glancing at them, it's clear that more than one griff heard it. Gabriella internally sighed, they wouldn't ruin her reputation, she'd just have to do a little bribing. But Grover V, his eyes were only for his son. Tomorrow is his birthday. His young son would probably run up to him and hug him, if he did that then he'd disappeared, and in front of all these people he'd be murdered, if not that then imprisoned for the rest of his li-a sudden force impacted his chest. His son was hugging him. For a moment he thinks to push him away, try and save him from a fate he did not understand, but his body works faster than his brain, and he's clutching his son in the tightest hug he'd ever given. He presses his head into his son's shoulder and started to silently weep for what would happen... only nothing... A moment passed and then, "Daddy? You're holding me kinda tight," he slowly raises his head out of his son's shoulder, and he can hear and see the muttering from the servants in front of him. He can feel the confused look of Gabriella on his back, he doesn't care. His son, still in his perfectly dressed little clothing, with a small cry mark on his shoulder, was still here. "Are you ok, Daddy?" his son says, childish confusion and worry marked within his brilliant eyes, with his small pair of glasses just in front of that. "I'm..." Grover's voice is congested, from the crying no doubt but he didn't care, "I'm alright son... I'm alright... can... can we hug a little more?" His son's face beams with joy, 'How many times did he have time to hug his son all those years ago?' Grover thought as the two embraced once more. "I promise..." Grover whispered into his son's ear, not knowing that Gabriella could hear as well, "I'll be the best father I ever could've been". His son doesn't question it, he's too young to care. Gabriella doesn't question it either. Clearly, something more is afoot. For another moment the two embrace as Gabriella gestures for the servants to set their food. It's only when Grover kisses his son on the head does the embrace ended, and the three eat in complete silence. One in relief, one in happiness, and one in worry. Gabriella doesn't talk to Grover after lunch, she needs to find out who this Bellzar person is and if they have any connection to what the hell is happening to her cousin. She decides to go directly to the source, the Imperial Labor and People Department, there is no organized paperwork and she is already wanting to not do it. And she isn't even there yet! Grover spends the next two hours with his son, eventually ending with the two collapsing in his son's bedroom, panting heavily. Neither of them notices the whispers of the Kaiser's guards about his sudden jump in health. Grover hugs his son, he really needs to check in with the Imperial Labor and People Department, they might've dug out where Bellzar is at this point. He could've sworn that Bellzar was involved in Projekt Kristellthron at this point, though knowing his mad genius, he might've been a last-ditch effort to get the thing working. He arrives at 2:25 PM. He doesn't notice Gabriella sneak in with a borrowed key from an agent in the ILPD. Gabriella takes an oil lamp from a spot with a large "Please refill and return when leaving" sign overtop it, because of bloody course the place doesn't have functional lights, and starts to peruse the files, names are completely unorganized, Zs with Bs, Fs with Ms. This will take forever, how can anyone figure this out? Grover finally manages to get an experienced bureaucrat to get him to the file that Bellzar would be in. The bureaucrat leads Grover, and his two knightly guards, through the winding corridors of the building, sometimes stopping at seemingly random file boxes, before opening them up and taking a quick look through them before continuing along. Apparently, the Bs are in multiple different places. They're about to walk by another corridor when Grover thinks he hears something. He stops dead in his tracks, the bureaucrat continuing on before realizing the Kaiser had stopped. "Is something wrong, your majesty?" the spindly bureaucrat asked. Grover ignored him as he looked down the corridor, "What's down there, any Bs?" The bureaucrat looks down there and shakes his head, "None at all, your majesty. It's mostly As, Rs, Ds, and Os." Grover is about to move on when he barely catches the sound of someone whispering into his ear, "God..... Emperor.... over.... here...." Grover turns to his guards, "Stay with the bureaucrat, I'll search this corridor," before anyone could say anything, "I'm doing it, alone. Now move on. I can make it out of here, there are signs everywhere leading back out". His knights look at each other before saluting the Kaiser and started moving on. Grover turned back towards the corridor, took a deep breath, and walked down it. Every step reminded him of something, was it magic, the will of the Gods, or just memories? Whatever it was, it followed every step, that one sounds like the gas first emitting from his throne when he was first placed upon it, in fact, he actually jumped at that sound, his wings at the ready to fly as fast as he could. That next step sounded like the clinging of a Star Knight on a patrol. That one sounded like... like when he hugged his son that time. Was that light at the end? He started walking faster, and even more, memories erupted into his mind, the countless diamond dogs breaching into his throne room so that he could hear his subjects beg for the Gods, for Him, to free the city, the mad laughter of Bellzar, finally seeing the Gods plan come to fruition, and so much more. Wait, was that... no. Gabriella walked down the hallway, lamp in claw, she really hated this place. She hated how the floor made her think that someone was behind her all the time, she hated how the organization system in a peasant republic was better then the Imperial Capital's system, she hated... wait a second, there's someone there! And they're coming fast! Gabriella is knocked over, the lamp, thankfully, not shattering as it was still within her claws. She blinks her eyes at the large blob above her before her eyes come back into focus and... Grover?! Kaiser Grover was above her right now, looking down on her like.... that's not how Grover normally looks. Instead of the calm, sickly, kind eyes that he used to have, they're angry, full of life, and... well still calm. Calm and angry... a horrible combination. And then they're gone. The kind eyes are back, though the liveness is still there, it's actually kinda odd seeing his cousin seem so alive. They finally both realize that Grover is practically laying ontop of Gabriella and Grover quickly climbs off her as Gabriella blushes, not that anyone could tell due to her pink fur. "Gabriella? What are you doing here?" "I can ask the same, cousin," she said as she climbed back onto her feet, "But since you want to know, I was perusing the files to see what kind of history they have on our distant relatives". Grover gives her that look that tells her that he definitely doesn't believe her but isn't really going to push her. Good enough for her. "I'm looking for a certain griffon, his name starts with B, I was... directed, to this spot and..." Grover quiets down, but before Gabriella could ask what was wrong, Grover turns to a seemingly random filing cabinet and opens it. His talons slide down the files until he brings out one... Bellzar. Gabriella's eyes widen. "So this is where they were hiding you," he mutters, not caring about Gabriella hearing it. Without a moment's hesitation, he opens it in full view of Gabriella. It's not pretty; born on January 12th, 921, and jumped jobs a lot but they all were technically minded, eventually joined a college, got kicked out for being too reckless, then jumped around research jobs a lot until 1003 where he... oh Gods, where he tried to turn kidnapped teenagers into augmented super soldiers. And there it was in big red ink, Died December 9th, 1005. Suicide. Grover says nothing as Gabriella's mind swims, 'This was the man, my cousin wanted to find? A seemingly useless mad scientist who killed teenagers for some kind of sci-fi project?! What the hell was he planning?!' Then weeping. Surprised, Gabriella turns to Grover. He's clutching the file close to him and crying. Gabriella doesn't know what to say, her Grover wouldn't do that for a madgriff. Northwestern Bronzehill. 3PM. The diamond dog soldier drops his used cigarette and lights up another. He's the sergeant for a squad to find some old abandoned steel mill in this location, courtesy of the Kaiser himself, and they sure as hell found it. Problem was, it was ruined like those old photos of Griffenheim after the Revolution. His second-in-command comes next to him, "Enough smoking, old man, we need to see if any spares at all are still here," the sergeant sighs as he takes one more drag of the death stick before dropping it to his feet, stamping on it, and giving the order to head into the destroyed mill. It's a death zone. There are obvious signs of a mass grave, and despite the fact that any smoke or battle debris happened long ago, he could still smell gunpowder in the air. His team combed over the factory, and the thought that it was just some random group of the NRP who made their final stand here during the Revolution was quickly squashed when they come across a monument. It had the massive figure of a griffon in outlandish armor on top of it, and upon the monument itself it read, "Here lies Captain Servia, who gave her life so that 50 soldiers of the Imperial Army could live to fight another day against the Traitorous Duchy of Feathisia-Strawberry. May the God-Emperor of Griffonkind allow her soul to return to this mortal realm, to become a warrior once more." His second-in-command came over to look at it and muttered, "What the fuck?"