//------------------------------// // Independence, Part Deux // Story: Our Fearless Leader Hits a New Low // by Sparkle Fire //------------------------------// The November 17th, 10:00pm deadline was approaching quickly, and the Party was desperate for an explanation, as well as an apology for their behavior. [November 16th, evening] The Great Leader was watching TV in his bedroom and having a nice drink after he got home from yet another board meeting when a news flash came up. Crystal Empire Declares Independence. The Great Leader became furious. "That's it!" he began yelling down the hall. "I've had just about enough!" He threw his crowbar at the TV before sending it crashing to the ground. "Faggots!" He then proceeded to rummage through what was left of the kitchen (which he destroyed about a week ago) and obtained a couple of knives. He then proceeded to rip and tear up the couches in the living room, cursing out the Crystal Empire and Equestria as he did so. His knives tore up the couch cushions, the backs of them were ripped off, he even went as far as destroying the underbelly and footers of one of them. He then went on another rant-and-rave. Walking back into the bedroom, he threw his hammer into the metal door of the dryer. He walked up to an open window and shouted derogatory insults out of it. He then chucked the destroyed TV out of it before making his way into the living room. He picked up one of the couches and flipped it a couple times to send it rolling out the door, down the hill, and into the street; likewise with the other couch. And with that, the two decimated couches lay there, reduced to nothing but a pile of junk in his driveway. Two hours later, a few members of the Great Leader's staff walked in after getting some last-minute business done back at the Party headquarters. Surprised at the empty living room, his first guard asked "What just happened in here?" John directed the group's attention outside and simply stated "Fuckin' faggots," matter-of-factly, then pointed to the couches he destroyed earlier. "You destroyed the couches?" "Yes." The guard facepalmed in response. "Now would you please leave me alone? I had a rough evening." "Why did you destroy those couches?" The Great Leader paused for a second. "Turn on a TV - to the big channel. They're probably still puttin' out that shit." One of his cleaning people turned on the small TV in the kitchen. After the satellite box came on, the reporter was still on the air, celebrating the independence of the Crystal Empire. The Leader was getting riled up again, this time taking a bowl of leftover mashed potatoes and throwing it at the TV. "Fuck all of this. Fuck it." He pulled out a Valor smoke and lit it. "I'm sure them goddamn niggers are probably burning Worker's Banners as we speak," The Great Leader said forlornly. "Jesus H. Christ in a chicken basket." "Look on the bright side - you can trade with the Crystal ponies!" one of his business friends tried to calm him. "What do you MEAN 'bright side?' They fucking cut us off - our trade routes!" He puffed on his cig. "We're going to lose so much money..." "And I can safely bet that the people are just as pissed as you are, Chief. Want to go down there and check? I'll drive." "Go ahead." "Maybe you can put out your smoke first?" "Okay." The Leader put down the cigarette in his tiny ceramic ashtray. ~~~ The two friends have their drive. From their viewpoint, the entire nation was in turmoil; businesses and homes were being raided, groups of people were rioting in the streets, windows in skyscrapers were being smashed, and Cosararan flags and banners with pro-Cosararan messages were being displayed everywhere one can think of. "We have to get my comrades back in working shape if we're going to get things done in the future," the driver told the Leader. "You're darn right," he replied. "What could be a good way to snap them out of it?" The two put their thinking caps on as they drove back down the road to the house. His friend came up with an idea. "Say, we have a lot of abandoned crap that we could tear down. You think that maybe it'll distract them?" "That's awesome... The earliest I can do that is Monday. I'll be in America for the rest of that week. We'd better start calling." "When we get home." And with that, the two made their way back up the driveway. The next day - the 17th The Crystal Empire had all but declared independence and Cosarara, as a direct result, was in a panic. But not the Great Leader and his crew - they were going to get through this from the inside, and have already pledged to not use military force unless absolutely necessary. Aside from one of the assistant gardeners discovering the remnants of the TV the Leader threw out his window last night, everything was proceeding as normal. Plans were being made for everything to be carefully choreographed - demolishing the building, to carrying off the debris - so that the people's anger can be released in a constructive manner that also got the workers back on their feet. All they had to do now was choose their targets. [A couple of residential buildings, an outdated office building, and the recently-closed Euclid Hotel was picked] Perfect. If anything happened that could break the spell of anger and chaos throughout Cosarara, this would be it, alright. "I have to say - I haven't seen you this happy in a while," The CSP General Secretary commented. "Well, thank you kindly." "The Crystal Empire, Equestria, and the U.S. delegates got back to us during our last board meeting," the secretary added. "Sometime when you're in America, you'll be negotiating an all-encompassing deal that will, hopefully, resolve everything. We've yet to find a place where you can meet and not have any trouble." "I think I can suggest a place... I remember going to a couple of good restaurants when I had my last visit over there. I think this one place was called... " "Sir?" The secretary blurted out, interrupting he Leader's train of thought. "Yes?" "I know a place that you visited on a tour through northern West Virginia. I remember it being 'Waterfront Place' or something of the sort," she looked back. "It's in this place called Morgantown. And get this - the area's situated in the Appalachian mountains, so we think you'll be right at home there." "That's because I was born and raised in the mountains," the Great Leader affirmed. "Perfect," she replied contentedly. "I'll get everything arranged." "And I'll be here in the meantime, watching high-rise buildings get demolished for country," the Great Leader replied with a smile. ~~~ This story will continue. I'm expecting the next chapter to be uploaded sometime next week at the earliest. Toodles! :)