//------------------------------//
// When I Die-I'll be Immortal 
// Story: Rebirth of Magic: Royal Approval 
// by The Blue EM2 
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I knew instantly what he meant, but I still could scarcely believe a pony would even go that far. "Y- you can't mean!"

The General had a psychotic grin on his face. "Yes. First and second strike capability. Massive retaliation. Fire from Celestial bodies. Faust's wrath. Whatever you call it, the process is the same. Our enemies cannot resist us if they have been wiped off the map and we have obliterated their mechanism of striking back." He then got uncomfortably close to my face. "You know full well what I mean. What is the point of our nuclear weapons if we don't use them?"

How far did his madness extend? Not only was he seemingly willing to use violence to get his way, he was prepared to needlessly kill millions to achieve his racist 'utopia'? Had he been reading The Turner Diaries?

After a bit of back and forth, his demands were clear. He wanted the launch codes to the missiles.

My answer was simple. "No."

To which he seemed legitimately surprised, and shook his head. "You may want to reconsider your course of action."

I shook my head in turn, astonished this warhorse (excuse the pun) lacked such a basic understanding of Mutually Assured Destruction. What were they teaching them in the military academy? "If I give them to you, we all die. Including you. We fire the weapons, they fire as well. We all die in the resulting exchange. It's very simple. Did they teach you nothing at military school?"

We then went back and forth a bit more, with a sequence of dialogue which wouldn't have sounded out of place in an episode of Yes, Minister. I am aware there is a pegasus version of the show, which I still haven't gotten around to watching. I do approve of the name Jim Flapper though.

Unfortunately, our attempts to make him see reason simply caused him to fly off the handle. "ENOUGH! Prisoners 03272023 and 05082023, you will listen to my words and you will obey my orders. As Supreme Ruler of the New Pegasus Empire, I have total authority, and nothing you do can stop me!"

I stepped back, stunned. I never reacted well to people, or ponies, yelling in my face. But I had little choice but to take it. When I wore a younger mare's clothes and was an entirely different species, I had a teacher who dealt with every problem in the class by screaming at people. We had a lot of uncharitable nicknames for her, used exclusively when she was not in the room, and yet Gulstream reminded me of her.

I didn't have a chance to speak before he cut in again. "You leave me no choice. Guards, bring Prisoner 05082023 with me to the interrogation rooms. We shall get what we need there."

The door on my side was wheeled back, and a guard stepped in to remove the chains, whilst another held a weapon to my head. "No funny business, understand?"

"I won't talk," I replied bitterly, as they hauled me down the corridor. I looked back to Zipp, who still looked distraught. The poor dear.

Gulfstream smiled darkly. "That's what they all say, prisoner... right before the screaming starts."





They hauled me into a chair and strapped me down, binds on my front and rear hooves. Two lights were swung around into my face, making it hard for me to see. The experience was rather reminiscent of Mastermind, a game show back in the old world. This, I guess, was rather apt; the show was inspired by one man's experience of being interrogated by the secret police.

Gulfstream sat on the other side, and looked intently. "What are the launch codes?"

I looked him dead in the eyes. "My name is Merryweather Haven, Queen of Zephyr Heights and current head of House Cornequus. That's all you're getting."

The General nodded. "Very well."

Oh? Well, that was eas-

My thoughts were cut off as an electric shock coursed through me.

"Each time you fail to answer the question, we increase the voltage," he said. "Not so brave now, are you?"

I suddenly felt an odd sensation on my back hooves as I stared him in the eye. "Fuck you."

The General snorted. "No thanks. You're not my type. Now then, what are the launch codes?"

I didn't care how long this would take. He was not getting those codes. "My name is Merryweather Haven, Queen of Zephyr Heights and current head of House Cornequus. That's all you're getting."

A blunt object suddenly slammed into my chest.





I have no idea how long I was in that room. It could have been minutes, could have been hours. I never quite solved in my mind what the sensation on my hooves was, though. I was eventually released- Gulfstream clearly saw he wasn't going to get the information he wanted.

I was eventually pulled out of the chair and hauled back to the cell, where Zipp was at least relieved to see me. "Did you tell them anything?"

I coughed, still winded from when they'd given up on the electric shocks and switched to beatings. "Not a word. No matter how many times they hit me. They did seem oddly preoccupied with my hooves, though."

This brought Zipp no comfort despite what she said next. "At least they can't follow their plan."

It was the alternative that concerned me more. "What if he tries a conventional invasion? It'd be a massacre!"

Zipp's response was oddly blunt. "Given the amount of firepower we have, it'd end badly for the other races. We'd probably also suffer heavy casualties as well to be honest."

I was about to chastise her for being so blase about the matter, but my ears suddenly picked something up. I moved them to focus a little, and soon found myself picking up a conversation. "Listen. Conversation."

I then heard a guard talking to one of his colleagues. "What's this about conscience rounds, eh?"

"We're having them issued for tomorrow morning," said his fellow. "Haven't you heard? The General wants the Royal Family shot on national television tomorrow morning. Should be an interesting job."

To go out like the Tsar? I had never anticipated this would be how it ended!

Zipp was the first to react. "He wants us dead!" she squeaked, her voice cracking as it did so. I didn't blame her. The girl was absolutely terrified, as any rational being would be if they had just been told of their impending doom.

"We're doomed!" I said, trying to get closer to comfort her, but I felt the chains once more pull on me. "Curse these chains!"

Whilst Zipp tried to break down a wall, I tried to think of an escape plan. There was the food trolley which came around to dispense the inedible slop the new regime considered food. I could only wonder how the military was getting the farmers to cooperate around the Empire.

Anyway, this food cart gave me an idea. The guard who moved it had to come into the cell to drop off the places. If Zipp and I could clobber him and take his keys, we could escape and find a way out! That was how we would survive!

My ears pricked up and pulled me out of my thoughts as I heard the sound of Zipp sobbing. I looked over to the place she was and saw her lying there. She'd given up. My heart sank.

This was all my fault. I had utterly failed to keep them safe and protect them. Now it was all coming back to bite us in the worst possible way.

I was suddenly surprised when I heard voices down the corridor. Something was happening, and my phone buzzed. To my surprise they'd let me keep my phone, but the apps and the SIM card had been removed, although it could still pick up ZBS. I flipped it open and took a look at the display.

Two words were displayed on a white background.

HAVEN LIVES

What could this mean? Suddenly, gunfire echoed down the corridor, and as I glanced out of the window I suddenly saw a series of explosions. Something was going on!

Moments later, the Colonel and his men arrived! "As promised, Your Majesty, I have returned."

"That was quick," I joked.

"When we heard of the plans to execute you we had to move the revolution up a bit," he said. His hooves punched some numbers into the cell door, and the door opened. We were free!

"Staff Sergeant Zoom! The Queen requires her regalia!"

So Gulfstream hadn't stolen the regalia! That was certainly a relief. It took me a bit to get it all back on, but it was a drastic improvement to the jumpsuit I had previously been wearing.

Preparation was finally done. The Colonel was ready to lead us to safety. "Move forward, sons of the Revolution! Protect the Queen and Princess Zipp at all costs!"

It was time. Time to reclaim Zephyr Heights.