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SF's "Write Your Butt Off!" Writing Competition XIV


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I have a question regarding this prompt (that may be relevant to future rounds as well). In this case, if we are using a setting that is already established, would it be okay to include some background information outside of the entry itself so that readers who do not know the setting will be acquainted with it well enough to appreciate the entry? Or would we have to incorporate all the necessary background information into the actual entry itself?

For example, if I wanna write about a change in the history of Weyard and I will need to provide background information for readers that did not play Golden Sun. Can I include this background information separately or do I need to rely on the entry to explain all that the reader needs to know to appreciate the divergence?

YES! You can include a short blurb in a spoiler tag before the story! This goes for fictional worlds and non-fictional worlds, too. Just make sure the blurb is short (as in, it shouldn't be more than a short paragraph).

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Title: Swastika against Sun: An alternate history of the Second Great War

Fandom: Real Life

Characters: A bunch of historical figures and one fictional guy

Format: Scrapbook of accounts, some narrative, some not

[spoiler=Background]

I won't attempt to describe the conflict between Japan and China from the beginning; that would take too long. Suffice it to say that, in 1937, the two countries kind of hated each other. Now, at the time Nazi Germany was actually supplying the Chinese with a pretty hefty amount of material. At first, when Japan declared war on China, this continued. However, after Japan started kicking China's ass, Germany pretty much switched sides. Now, in 1938 the Japanese reached Nanjing, the Chinese capitol. As they moved in, they did a bunch of nasty atrocities collectively known as the Rape of Nanjing. That is where this begins.

[spoiler=story]

From the book “Banzai!: Memoirs of an Imperial Japanese Officer” by Hiro Osami

It was three days into the battle of Nanjing, in 1938, when we found out. One of our men had seen some Chinese kid running through an alley, because of a twitch of the eye. He followed them to the German Embassy. Apparently, some German businessman named John Rabe was sheltering a bunch of Chinese soldiers in the German Embassy. Now, to be clear, back then, we had relatively good relations with the Nazis. We both didn’t like the Soviets, that’s for sure. It was a twist of fate on that day that would later end up defining the course of what would later be the Second Great War.

From the book “The Rape of Nanjing” by Chinese-American Iris Chang

Through all of the chaos, hope remained. The German embassy, at the urging of businessman John Rabe, had sheltered some 230,000 Chinese civilians. Unfortunately, a division of the Imperial Japanese Army found out about it. They pulled up to the embassy, and demanded that the Germans hand over the refugees. The Germans, out of either heroism or a refusal to submit to what they considered an “Inferior race” refused. What happened next changed the world.

From the book “Banzai!: Memoirs of an Imperial Japanese Officer” by Hiro Osami

The Germans were helping Chinese soldiers. This could not stand. As a Captain in the IJA, it was my duty to neutralize any enemy troops wherever they might be, protected by the Germans or no. Thus, I ordered my artillery to open fire after an hour had passed and no Chinese soldiers had been produced. The artillery collapsed the building instantly. Our men stormed in, bayonetting any Chinese soldier we found. We also might have killed a few Germans. What does it matter anyway, after what they did to the Jews?

Recorded conversation between Joachim von Ribbentrop, German Foreign Minister, and Adolf Hitler, Fuhrer of Germany

Ribbentrop: My Fuhrer, I have serious news.

Hitler: Yes?

Ribbentrop: The Japanese have stormed our embassy in Nanjing. There were no survivors.

Hitler: (furious) This is an outrage! Declare war on those barbarians at once!

Ribbentrop: My Fuhrer, we cannot do that! We cannot project power in Asia, and we are already preparing for war in Europe!
Hitler: (calming down) Fine. But I want all trade with Japan to cease. Oh, and send more supplies to China. If we cannot have revenge, then they will have it for us!

Excerpt from a speech by Adolf Hitler to the German people, 1938

People of the Fatherland! Our nation has been attacked. Men of the Imperial Japanese Army, in an action characteristic of their barbarousness, have attacked our embassy in Nanjing! They have slaughtered countless Germans, including women and children, and have raped and burned wherever they have chosen! They are almost as vile as the Jews and the Bolsheviks!
But, people of Germany, fear not! There are others fighting the barbarians! China has been heroically opposing the Japanese for almost a year now! As a result, we will be giving them our full support with materials! Sieg Hiel!

Excerpt from a speech made by British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain to Parliament

As of now, His Majesty’s Government can never hope to match the amount of support Germany has given to China. China, with all the aid Berlin has given it, will have no choice but to join arm in arm with National Socialism if it defeats Japan in the current war. It is due to this that a Chinese victory is undesirable to the United Kingdom. That is why I ask Parliament to approve a motion to cancel all aid to China.

(The motion would pass. Germany became the chief backer of China on the world stage.)

Excerpt from the book “The Sun Rises over Asia: The rise of Imperial Japan” by professor Kenneth Branaugh

All in all, 1938 had been a good year for the Japanese. They had taken Nanjing, and advanced further into the heart of China. However, it was also in 1938 that the first major Chinese opposition to the Japanese advance began to materialize. Armed with German supplied Stukas and Panzers, the Chinese managed to stop the Japanese advance at the Xi river. It was because of this that the Japanese made the diplomatic move that won them Asia.

Terms of the Pacific non-aggression pact, signed on March 4, 1939 by the Empire of Japan on the one hand, and the United Kingdom and United States on the other.

1: Japan will respect the territorial integrity of the US and UK.

2: Japan will respect the territorial integrity of all nations allied with the US and UK.

3. The US and UK will not under any circumstances assist China in their war with Japan.

4. The US and UK permit Japan to attack all nations located in East of Southeast Asia not allied to either power, as long as there is probable cause for war.

5. The US and UK will continue to maintain trade relations with Japan, especially trade of oil.

6. Japan will declare war on any nations with territory in Asia who are at war with the UK, US, or both.

Excerpt from the book “The Sun Rises over Asia: The rise of Imperial Japan” by professor Kenneth Branaugh

The Pacific non aggression pact was a stroke of genius on Japan’s part. While it did mean giving up territorial ambition on the US and UK for the moment, it also meant Japan did not need to watch its back, and could focus all effort on breaking the back of the Chinese. To this end, it launched the Yamashita Offensive on April 2, 1939.

From the book “Banzai!: Memoirs of an Imperial Japanese Officer” by Hiro Osami

The Yamashita Offensive was our finest hour, most definitely. With reinforcements from the rest of the Pacific, we attacked across the Xi river on April 2. The Chinese initially put up hard resistance, but we managed to create a beachhead on the third. From there, we pushed south, towards Shanghai, which fell after a lot of brutal street fighting on May 10. From there, the IJA began to push towards the interior.

Speech by Wang Jingwei, President of the Republic of China-Nanjing, de facto a Japanese puppet state:

People of China! Your salvation is at hand! For too long you have been brutally oppressed by the German puppet government! Today, with the help of our benevolent Japanese liberators, I proclaim a new China- the Republic of China-Nanjing! We will stand with Japan against National Socialism! I call upon all of China to treat our Japanese friends with as much kindness as possible! I also demand that the Nazi puppet in Chongqing surrender to us, the legitimate Chinese government. All hail the new China!”

From the book “Banzai!: Memoirs of an Imperial Japanese Officer” by Hiro Osami

Chongqing finally fell to our forces on August 20, 1939. Ultimately, there was no way for the Chinese to win anymore. German support could not match the withdrawal of Anglo-American support. My squad raised the Rising Sun flag over the Town Hall. That night was wild. My men and I found some girls to entertain us for a while. Then we found some more. And some more. It was fun. Anyway, the Republic of China was annexed into the Republic of China-Nanjing. The liberation of China was complete. We stayed in the area, occupying costal provinces for the Jingwei government. We thought our war was over. We were very, very wrong.

Speech made by Adolf Hitler to the German people, September 1, 1939

Danzig was and is a German city. The Corridor was and is German. Both these territories hold their cultural development exclusively to the German people. Danzig was separated from us. The Corridor was annexed by Poland. As in other German territories of the East, all German minorities living there have been ill treated in the most distressing manner.

More than a million people of German blood had, in the years 1919-1920, to leave their homeland. As always, I attempted to bring about, by the peaceful method of making proposals for revision, an alteration of this intolerable position.

It is a lie when the outside world said that we only tried to carry through our revisions by pressure.

Fifteen years before the National Socialist party came to power there was the opportunity of carrying out these revisions by peaceful settlements and understanding. On my own initiative I have, not once but several times, made proposals for the revision of intolerable conditions.

All these proposals, as you know, have been rejected – proposals for limitation of armaments and even, if necessary, disarmament, proposals for the limitation of certain methods of modern warfare.

You know the proposals that I have made to fulfil the necessity of restoring German sovereignty over German territories.

You know the endless attempts I made for a peaceful clarification and understanding of the problem of Austria and later of the problem of the Sudetenland. Bohemia and Moravia. It was all in vain.”

AN: This is part of the actual speech Hitler made. I got it from the Daily Telegraph. Credit goes to them. And Hitler, I suppose, but fuck that guy.

Excerpt from the book “The Sun Rises over Asia: The rise of Imperial Japan” by professor Kenneth Branaugh

On September 1, 1939 Nazi Germany declared war on Poland, France, and Great Britain, allegedly to gain back what rightfully belonged to it. German troops stormed into Poland. The Poles put up brave resistance, but were swept away by the German Panzers. Their problem was compounded when the Soviet Union, under Joseph Stalin, invaded to seize the East of Poland, under the Nazi Soviet pact to partition said nation. Poland fell a month after the beginning of the war.

Germany next turned its attention to Denmark and Norway, which it invaded to seize control of the Baltic Sea. Denmark surrendered within three hours. The British and French sent troops to try to stop the invasion of Norway, but failed miserably. Norway surrendered a month after it was invaded.

On May 10, Germany initiated Operation Yellow. German troops swept into the Netherlands and Belgium, both of whom offered only token resistance before surrendering. This allowed the Nazis to bypass France’s powerful Maginot Line on the Franco German border. From there, Germany moved south into France itself. They faced little resistance. France surrendered on June 25, 1940. While the North of France was occupied by Germany, the south was given autonomy as Vichy France, under Philippe Petain. Vichy France also controlled French Indochina, in Southeast Asia. That was where Japan came in.

From the memoirs of Japanese foreign minister Tosuke Matsuoka

The Imperial government saw an immediate opportunity with the establishment of Vichy France. Here was our chance to take France’s place as the hegemon of Southeast Asia, and all without angering the British and the Americans! War plans for the subjugation of French Indochina were drawn up almost as soon as the Vichy government was established, and they were finalized with troops in position by September 4, 1940, a little over a year after the war started. His majesty Emperor Hirohito sent me to meet personally with Prime Minister Churchill to reach an agreement about Japan’s involvement in the Second World War.

Conversation between Japanese Emperor Hirohito and future Japanese Prime Minister Isoroku Yamamoto

Yamamoto: Your Imperial Majesty, you called?

Hirohito: Yes. As I am sure you are aware, we are about to declare war on the Axis Powers.

Yamamoto: The plans are progressing well. I am confident that the Imperial Japanese Navy will shatter the German fleets.

Hirohito: No, Yamamoto. I want you to do more. I want you to be Prime Minister.

Yamamoto: Your Majesty?

Hirohito: I do not trust Prime Minister Senjuro. I fear that he will be just as willing to attack the Americans and British as he is to attack the Germans!

Yamamoto: Still, your Majesty, me?

Hirohito: Tojo is insane. Yamashita is too busy on the front. But you, I think you will serve us well in both political and military affairs.

Yamamoto: Your Majesty, I am honored.

Hirohito: Very well. I will depose Senjuro as Prime Minister and appoint you tomorrow.

Speech made by Japanese Prime Minister Isoroku Yamamoto to the Imperial Diet upon the declaration of war to the Axis Powers, September 10, 1940

The governments of Hitler, Mussolini, and Petain are truly inhuman. The Italians run repressive colonies in Libya and East Africa, and the Vichy government continues to oppress the people of Indochina. Meanwhile, Fuhrer Hitler gives his support to both of these tyrants. No more, I say! Japan enters this war to liberate the oppressed colonial subjects of Vichy France. If Hitler decides to allow his puppet to be defeated, recognizing the right of the oppressed to their liberties, we shall leave his Third Reich in peace. If, however, Hitler elects to aid his allies in oppressing the people of Vietnam, he shall be met with nothing but courage and determination from the men of Japan. Tomorrow, Japan shall declare war on this “French State”. And she shall triumph!

Excerpt from the book “The Sun Rises over Asia: The rise of Imperial Japan” by professor Kenneth Branaugh

Hitler’s reaction to Japan’s assault on French Indochina was immediate. Calling the attack “sudden and deliberate” he called September 10 a “day of infamy.” Germany declared war on Japan, followed by Italy. This was exactly what British Prime Minister Winston Churchill was gambling on.

Since Italy had joined the war, the war in North Africa had been going badly for Britain. Despite some early victories against Italy, they were pushed back from taking the entire continent by the German Afrikakorps, led by General Erwin Rommel. Since his arrival on August 15, Rommel had won victory after victory against the British, pushing them almost out of Italian North Africa. Churchill hoped that Japanese help in the area could turn the tide. The British, however, would have to wait until Japan finished with Indochina.

From the book “Banzai!: Memoirs of an Imperial Japanese Officer” by Hiro Osami

My unit was assigned to the invasion and subjugation of French Indochina. The French put up a pathetic amount of resistance. Then again, they were pretty much fighting for a puppet government. We landed near Saigon on September 10, and the city fell the following day. The people of Indochina welcomed us as the liberators that we were. The Indochina lasted until September 20, when the colonial government surrendered. We established the kingdoms of Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. My unit had one more assignment: the deportation of the former French occupiers. Their property was distributed amongst those they oppressed. After Indochina, it was off to Africa for us.

From the memoirs of Tomoyoki Yamashita, Japanese Field Marshal and commander of the Japanese Expeditionary Force

I was given 200,000 men by High Command to turn the tide in Africa. These troops were the best we had, veterans of the Chinese and Indochina campaigns. Looking back, I am still proud to call myself their commander. We showed the Nazis the true fighting spirit of the Emperors soldiers.

We were completely organized by November of 1940, and arrived in North Africa in December. By that point, the war was not going well for the British. Rommel’s men had advanced far into British Egypt, and they had yet to be beaten. Churchill hoped that the expeditionary force under my command would turn the tide in Africa. We did not disappoint him.

From the book “Banzai!: Memoirs of an Imperial Japanese Officer” by Hiro Osami

Rommel launched the offensive he hoped would win the war on March 4 of 1941. Both of our armies had gotten some much needed rest leading up to the assault. The battle took place outside of El Alamien, a rail junction that was the gateway to Cairo. If Rommel won here, he would win Egypt, something that General Yamashita made sure we were acutely aware of.

We had never faced anything quite like the Germans. Their Panzers formed armored spearheads that attempted to blast holes through our lines. For a squad of infantry, to come face to face with a Panzer division was a death sentence. Fortunately, I developed a plan to defeat them. The entire squad would charge forwards with anti-tank grenades, and place them on the Panzer. In a charge against 5 Panzers, half my squad was killed, but we sent them packing. It was my proudest moment.

From the memoirs of Tomoyoki Yamashita, Japanese Field Marshal and commander of the Japanese Expeditionary Force

El Alamien was a great victory for us. Not since the Battle of Tsushima in the Russo-Japanese War had we dealt such a decisive defeat to a European enemy. The Germans retreated from the field on March 20. From there, they continued to pull back into Italian Libya. My men continued to prove their worth. Our Zero fighters did a phenomenal job of defeating the German Luftwaffe, allowing our air force to strafe the retreating Germans.

Conversation between Adolf Hitler and Alfred Jodl, chief of the German army

Hitler: You are to order our troops in Africa to fight to the last man. We will not give up an inch!

Jodl: My Fuhrer, I must protest. Africa is lost. However, it does not matter in the grand scheme of things.

Hitler: If we withdraw, we will become a laughingstock!

Jodl: If we withdraw, we can just blame the Italians. Them messing things up in North Africa was the reason we were there in the first place.

Hitler: But what will Mussolini think?

Jodl: My Fuhrer, who cares what Mussolini thinks? The Italians have proven themselves to be incompetent fools. They are only useful as meat shields.

Hitler: Very well. We will send Rommel’s men to the Eastern Front. Attach them to Army Group Center.

Jodl: Very well. Let the Italians and the Brits wear each other out. We will be done with Stalin when they finish.

From the book “Operation Barbarossa” by David Stevenson

Operation Barbarossa began on June 21, 1941. Its goals were the captures of the Russian cities of Moscow, Leningrad, and Kiev. From the very beginning, German forces had the upper hand. Army Group North, led by Gunther von Kluge, attacked into the Baltic Soviet Socialist Republics, sweeping Soviet resistance aside and reaching Leningradf by September. Army Group Center, under Gerd von Rundstedt, pushed into the Ukraine, taking Kiev in November. The greatest victory, however, happened to Army Group Center, under none other than Erwin Rommel. They managed to finally take Moscow after intense fighting in late December. Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin killed himself rather than be taken prisoner. The rest of the Soviet inner circle had escaped. The Soviet Union appeared finished. Operation Barbarossa was successful.

Speech by American President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, January 1, 1942, marking US entry into the Second World War

People of America, our nation has a duty. That duty is to defend freedom wherever it may be threatened, and to defeat all opponents of Freedom. The German Third Reich has proven itself to be an enemy of freedom. With the fall of Moscow to German troops, they now control an empire from the Pyrenees Mountains to the Kremlin. They now have an extreme advantage over the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Once they have won their war in the East, they will turn west, to Britain. Once Britain falls, they will turn to us, the last bastion of freedom. We must stop them before this happens. Thus, I hereby issue an executive order whereby the United States of America declares war on the Third Reich!

From the book “Red Generalissimo: a Biography of Georgy Zhukov” by Vladimir Putin

At the beginning of 1942 the Soviet Union was in dire straits. The suicide of Stalin and the collapse of his inner circle had led to much confusion over who was actually in charge. In addition, the Red Army, while it had held Leningrad, was demoralized by recent defeats against the German army. Into this catastrophe stepped Marshal Georgy Zhukov, the greatest hero Russia has ever known.

In January of 1942 Zhukov and several loyal Red Army units launched a coup against the government of Laverentiy Beria, Stalin’s successor. Zhukov declared that the Stalin government was gone, and that the Red Army was going to be the new governing power of the Soviet Union. He knew that in 1942 the Soviets could not launch a counterattack. However, time was on their side as the Red Army still outnumbered the Germans. If Zhukov could hold out, he could train the Red Army into a force that could beat the Germans, taking full advantage of the superior Soviet industries. The Western Allies could also open a second front in Europe. And so it was that the Red Army prepared to resist the renewed German onslaught as spring of 1942 approached.

Meeting between British general Bernard Montgomery, American general Dwight Eisenhower, and Japanese expeditionary force commander Tomoyoki Yamashita, Algiers, Allied North Africa, April 14, 1942

Eisenhower: Gentlemen, as of now we have one million men in North Africa. Zhukov is begging for a second front. It is probable that we have the capability to do this. The question is: Where should it fall?

Montgomery: Prime Minister Churchill recommends Italy. He calls it the weak underbelly of the Axis. I don’t know if I agree.

Yamashita: An invasion of Italy would be a disaster. The Italians have too many mountains with which to block our advance. I would suggest Vichy France.

Eisenhower: From what I understand, the Nazis have not garrisoned Vichy. It would be theoretically possible to take beachheads before they arrive.

Montgomery: We can land around Marseilles. That way, our troops can spread out and take as much land as possible before the Germans and Italians respond.

In the end, it was agreed upon that Southern France would be the landing spot for D-day.

From the book “Banzai!: Memoirs of an Imperial Japanese Officer” by Hiro Osami

The landings around Marseilles on August 5 were quite easy, really. Vichy France seemed to be the weak link in the Axis chain. Several Vichy troops surrendered as soon as we approached them. The town fell in only a day. Unfortunately, this ease did not last.

Germany soon invaded Vichy France to stop us from taking as much territory as possible. We first encountered the enemy a little north of Marseilles. They were a Waffen SS division; Hitler’s elite shock troops. They fought with a ferocity that we had never seen before, continuing to charge even in the face of a hail of bullets. Up close they were almost fanatical, completely focused on killing us. They did not retreat until either we had retreated or they were dead. In hindsight, their devotion to their Fuhrer was almost as great as our devotion to the Emperor. How profane, to elevate a man as despicable as Hitler to the Emperor’s level!

From the book “The Collaborators: The History of the Vichy Regime” by Francoise Leclerc

By November of 1942, the Vichy government was reduced only to land around the French Alps and the city of Vichy itself. The former was largely guarded by Italian forces under General Rodolfo Graziani and the latter was guarded by the German Army Group France, led by Erwin Rommel, transferred from the Eastern Front. It would take much more fighting to fully liberate France, but the Vichy Regime was finished, ending one of the worst treacheries in the history of France.

From the book “Red Generalissimo: a Biography of Georgy Zhukov” by Vladimir Putin

The Red Army under Zhukov was finally able to resist the Germans in their Spring 1942 offensive. Hitler had made the same mistake Napoleon had made over a century earlier: he assumed that Russia was finished once Moscow fell. It was under this false assumption that he transferred many troops away from the Eastern Front, to fortify Europe in anticipation of D-day in 1942. Meanwhile, Army Group Center would fortify Moscow, while Army Groups North and South would try to capture their next objectives: Stalingrad and Leningrad.

When the offensive came in May, however, Zhukov’s men were ready. Leningrad continued to hold out heroically against the odds. Meanwhile, Army Group South met some success in the South, but met staunch Soviet resistance around Stalingrad. The Red Army everywhere held the line. By August, with a second front opened in France, Army Group Center was weakened further. Zhukov took this chance to order the decisive offensive of the war.

On August 15, The Red Army in central Russia surged towards Moscow. They were backed up by new T-34 tanks, some of the best of the war. The weakened Army Group Center might have been able to hold the line, had Hitler redeployed troops from Stalingrad and Leningrad. However, the Fuhrer was staunchly against retreating. The Red Army reached the outskirts of Moscow by September 15. Hitler ordered Army Group Center’s commander, Hienz Guderian, to burn Moscow to the ground. Guderian, however, refused, pulling his army out of Moscow to save it from encirclement, then surrendering to the Russians. That was probably the safer option compared to facing a Hitler furious at being disobeyed.

Overall, Zhukov’s counter offensive was hugely successful. It had recaptured vast tracts of land, including Moscow, and had proved that the Soviets were still in the war. TH Soviet Union had survived the initial German storm. Now, the Red Army was hell bent on using their nation’s superior industrial capacity to get revenge on the enemy that had raped their homeland and enslaved their people.

From the article “Turning point: Operation Togo” by Shigeru Miyamoto

At the beginning of 1943, the war in France was still relatively undecided. The German and Italians were around equal in strength to the Americans, British, and Japanese. Most Allied commanders advocated an offensive north, towards Vichy and then Paris. However, General Yamashita, now in command of 500,000 Japanese soldiers, suggested that the Allies concentrate first on the weaker link: the Italians. The German people were utterly devoted to the war effort. On the other hand, the Italian people, already tired from many humiliating defeats, could rise up with one more straw added to the Camel’s back.

Operation Togo, named after the Japanese admiral who had destroyed the Russian fleet at Tsushima in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904, had an audacious aim: the complete destruction of the Italian army in France. Yamashita intended for the Imperial Japanese Marines to land behind the Italian alps. With this done, a force of Alpine troops would be landed in their wake, and push towards the Swiss border. Following this, the Alpine troops attached to the main Japanese Army would assault the Italian positions in the Alps, linking up with the soldiers who landed behind the Alps. This would encircle and destroy the Italian army, with help from the rest of the allies.

Operation Togo was significant because it was the first offensive operation in the European War in which Japanese soldiers did most of the combat. It also has the distinction of being probably the greatest Japanese victory in history. On March 3, 1943 the operation began. By March 25, it had succeeded. 750,000 Italian troops were encircled, cut off from supply.

The Anglo-American forces immediately began to close the pocket. The demoralized Italian troops started surrendering in droves. Unfortunately, victory would not come so easily. The German army was not about to see their ally collapse without a fight. Rommel, the German commander in France, ordered a full scale offensive to free the pocket on March 26. Standing against them was a Japanese force half their size. Against all odds, they held. By April 5, the Italian army in France, 60% of the entire Royal Italian Army all told, surrendered. Rommel pulled back, ready for the offensive north. However, in Italy, Operation Togo had more success than anyone could have imagined, a fact which would become apparent a few days later.

From the obituary of Umberto II, King of Italy, published 1983

His Majesty Umberto II was truly the savior of Italy. He assumed the throne just after the destruction of most of the Italian army, as his father Victor Emanuel III had a stroke upon hearing the news. He moved immediately to get Italy out of a war she could no longer win, deposing the dictator, Benito Mussolini. He then surrendered unconditionally to the Allies. Unfortunately, Italy’s German “Allies” did not take kindly to this move. They invaded in retaliation, to depose the monarchy and restore Mussolini to power. Fortunately, Umberto was quick to act, deploying the remnants of the army to delay the Germans long enough for the Allies to move armies in to stop the German advance in the mountains of Lombardy, where the frontline would lie for much of the rest of the war. Umberto surely saved Italy from devastation and occupation with his quick actions, and the Italian people mourn one of our greatest kings.

From the book “Red Generalissimo: a Biography of Georgy Zhukov” by Vladimir Putin

It was in early 1943 that the war in the East was at last decisively won. Operation Uranus and Operation Neptune were the twin counter offensives planned by Zhukov to cripple the German war machine once and for all. They were stunning successes. It is probable that after April of 1943 the Germans had no hope of winning the war. This assessment is probably correct.

The Soviet salient in Moscow allowed them to threaten the flanks of the German positions around Stalingrad and Leningrad. The Soviets had held the Germans at the banks of the Volga River at Stalingrad, while Leningrad still held. Operation Uranus was the plan to trap Army Group South around Stalingrad. Operation Neptune was the plan to relieve Leningrad. Both were launched on April 5, 1943. Both met with great success.

Operation Uranus struck south, towards the Black Sea from Moscow. The Germans in Stalingrad could have moved to stop it, but Zhukov ordered the Red Army guarding the Volga to attack Stalingrad. This was never intended to retake the city. Instead, it aimed to make Hitler order all troops in the city hold their positions. It worked. The Red Army reached the Black Sea by May 2. Army Group South was encircled.

Operation Neptune, the strike against Army Group North, was not nearly as grand. It was merely a full scale assault against the enemy position, spearheaded by the new Soviet T-34 tank. By 1943, the Soviets were industrially stronger than the Germans, and so could field more T-34s against the German Tiger tank, which was one on one a superior vehicle. By May 2, the Red Army had linked up with the defenders of Leningrad, at long last. By May 15, the German Army had been pushed into the Baltic Soviet Socialist Republics. The Germans would never return to Leningrad.

In the South, meanwhile, elements of Army Group Center were transferred to the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic to attempt to rescue Army Group South. The Red Army held. Despite massive casualties being taken by the Germans, Hitler refused to allow them to retreat. On August 26, 1943 Army Group South, besieged in Stalingrad, surrendered at last. Army Group Center was now covering an extremely long front, and spread ridiculously thin. From Moscow and Stalingrad, the Red Army launched Operation Bagration On September 4, pushing into Ukraine and Belarus. Army Group Center was spread too thin to stop them. Ukraine and Belarus were liberated by December. By that point, Army Group Center had been effectively destroyed. Now, all that was left for the Red Army were the Baltics, Poland, and then Germany itself.

From the memoirs of Erwin Rommel, commander of Army Group France

The defeat of Italy effectively meant that the Allied army in France, now numbering about 1.5 million, could focus its full weight against my positions in France. Operation Sherman, the Allied attack to liberate Paris, was launched on June 3, 1943. My soldiers defended a line around the Liore River. However, our forces were just too outnumbered to stop the offensive everywhere. Our defensive line was decisively breached on June 10, around the Brittany Peninsula. From there, it was just a matter of time until the entire line collapsed, which it did by June 14.

Army Group France now pulled back to Paris, guarding the Siene River. Now, I had no intention of destroying one of the most beautiful cities of Europe. Unfortunately, Hitler was insistent that we fight for the city. The battle was essentially hopeless at that point. Against his orders, I abandoned Paris. I think he knew at that point that if he disposed of me, the war in the west would be lost.

After Paris fell, I decided on a delaying strategy. As the Allies would advance, we would launch miniature blitzkrieg attacks to slow their advance where it was weakest. Similarly, we withdrew from Brittany and Normandy to prevent encirclement. Using these tactics, we were able to retreat in good order out of France by August 14. We had withdrawn to Germany itself, and the Low Countries, by September 1. It was then that Hitler ordered what would be the final offensive of the Western Front.

From the book “Banzai!: Memoirs of an Imperial Japanese Officer” by Hiro Osami

We had, I suppose, become somehow accustomed to advances and easy victories by September. Against us, the Germans did nothing but retreat further towards their homeland. We were in hindsight fools to assume that the Germans had given up. Germany’s retreat ended on September 5.

I remember the first day of the Battle of the Bulge well. We awoke in our camp somewhere in Belgium to engines roaring above us and explosions thundering on the horizon. Taking assessment of the situation, I grabbed my binoculars. What I saw, I am ashamed to admit, sent a chill down my spine.

A massive onslaught of Panzers rolled towards us, supported by an artillery barrage. It was, I later learned, the largest German offensive since the fall of France. As it stood, we were soldiers for the Emperor. We could not flee. It would be dishonorable. And so we fought. We held our ridge against the odds. The Panzers swarmed around us, the German soldiers like the Mongol hordes of old, or they might as well have been. And yet, we held. And, finally, when all hope seemed lost, at the end of the day, we saw our saviors. The Americans and British had finally gotten their act together, and counterattacked.

The rest of the battle was not nearly as intense as the opening days. We would later hear that it was our actions on the ridge that day that allowed the German offensive into Belgium to be stopped. After the first week or so of battle in Belgium, the Battle of the Bulge was for all intents and purposes over. In Belgium, the German offensive had been a bloody failure that took no ground. In France, however, Allied lines had been penetrated far, the Germans pushing deep into Central France and threatening our troops in Belgium. It was obvious that the decadent western troops could do nothing without us Japanese to shore up their war effort!

From the memoirs of Erwin Rommel, commander of Army Group France

The Battle of the Bulge was our last great triumph of the war. Fortunately for the people of Germany, it was also the last. We were spread too thin after the counter offensive. The Allies launched a new offensive, aimed at pushing us to the Rhine. They were bolstered by a further 500,000 soldiers, 200,000 Japanese and 300,000 American. The German army, it had been discovered, was not nearly as good on the defense as it was on the offense. This was doubly true when they were run ragged after the latest offensive, and facing fresh Allied troops, and had had their numbers diminished to bolster the faltering Eastern Front. Our troops fell back in battle after battle. It had become apparent that Germany was nearing collapse.

Hitler’s reaction to these events was one of pure idiocy. He ordered that all German army commanders be retired forcibly and replaced with ones from the SS (Hitler’s personal death squads). This order took effect as the city of Met fell to the Allies on December 3. Hienrich Himmler, chief of the SS, was now in supreme command of the German armed forces. I regret to say this, but it is here, as the war was winding down, that we as a nation truly sank to our worst depravities.

From the book “1944: Germany’s Twilight” by Robert Staurt

It is a curious thing examining the madness that drove the Nazi leadership in 1944, as the Second Great War had clearly turned against them. This was largely due to the influence of Hienrich Himmler, now in complete control of the Nazi armed forces. Himmler, like most of the highest elements of the Nazi leadership, was utterly convinced of final victory, even as Germany fought alone against the world. He had plan after plan that would turn the tide of the war. None of them did, of course, but they all lead to prolonged suffering for the German people.

The first of Himmler’s mad designs was the Volkstrum, or People’s Storm. This tactic involved essentially conscripting anyone who could hold a gun. Leave for soldiers was taken away entirely. Old men, some of whom were veterans of the First Great War, were given guns and told to fire at any enemies that appeared. Most despicably of all, troupes of Hitler Youths, children sometimes no older than ten, were ordered to give their lives for the Fuhrer. The Volkstrum first saw action in early 1944 on the Polish front, as Himmler launched a fanatical attack on Soviet lines with Scores of Men and boys. In one of the most heartbreaking and futile tragedies of the war, they were wiped out almost to a man. The Third Reich’s end was drawing near.

In the West, meanwhile, the Allied advance was practically unstoppable. The German army disintegrated under the combined American, British, and Japanese assault. Allied forces had liberated the Netherlands and Belgium from German troops by April. By May, all German lands west of the Rhine River had been lost. Himmler ordered a final, desperate defense of the Fatherland. It did not work. On May 15, the Allies crossed the Rhine river. Germany was falling, and its soldiers knew it, even if its leaders did not. The German army, except for the fanatical SS, began surrendering in droves to the nearest Allied forces.

Then, a division of Japanese soldiers liberated a very special area. It was called Dachau concentration camp.

From the book “Banzai!: Memoirs of an Imperial Japanese Officer” by Hiro Osami

To be fully honest, I never want to see a place like Dachau ever again. Its stench was horrible. There was death everywhere. It wasn’t just of men. Women and children were locked away, to die. This wasn’t a prison. It was a massive, horrible machine built for murder. I knew that we had to punish the guards somehow, in any way we could.

There were a few ones surviving. Most had been killed or fled, the dishonorable cowards they were. We pulled out the ones that were left before the emaciated prisoners. I drew my bayonet. “Is there anyone in this crowd who wants revenge?” I demanded. They all roared affirmatively. I tossed one my bayonet. They took turns passing it around, stabbing their oppressors. It was satisfying to watch. It was a justice that those silly Nuremburg trials can never replicate. My only regret was that I couldn’t get in on the action, but the prisoners earned it more than me.

From “Diary of a Young Girl” By Anne Frank

June 13, 1944

Today, at last, Dachau was liberated. The soldiers that came were Japanese. They were very kind to us, making sure we had everything we needed. I can’t believe that this nightmare is finally over. I survived. This alone makes me more happy than I can tell. I now only hope that my family was as lucky.

I must say, though, the way the Japanese treated the captured SS guards was very distressing. They gave my fellow prisoners their weapons and let them torture the guards. What my fellow prisoners did to the guards I don’t believe anyone deserves. Everyone, I believe, is ultimately good, even the Nazis. Despite this, there are people less deserving of what happened than them.

From the book “1944: Germany’s Twilight” by Robert Staurt

By late June of 1944, the German army had practically disintegrated. All that was left was a few fanatical SS divisions and the shattered remnants of the Volkstrum. By April, the Red Army had pushed the Nazis completely out of Poland, establishing a puppet government. In Italy, the Allies pushed into Lombardy, liberating all of the Kingdom, and reaching Vienna by April. From there, they spread out, liberating Yugoslavia and Greece from Occupation, as well as the Czech Republic. The Soviets liberated Slovakia and the rest of the Balkans. Meanwhile, Allied troops were nearing Berlin, where Hitler, Himmler, and the few fanatical Nazis left awaited the end. On July 15, 1944, the Red Army reached the Oder River, right next to Berlin. The Allies, who had already surrounded Berlin, allowed the Red Army to enter their occupied territory.

The US army, British Royal army, Red Army, and Imperial Japanese Army began the assault on Berlin on August 15, 1944. Opposing them was the last remnants of the SS, led by Hienrich Himmler. The outcome of the battle was never in doubt. Despite this, still the SS fought, bludgeoning the enemy with their rifles if needed. On September 1, 1944 Berlin fell. Hitler, Himmler, and most of the Nazi leadership had committed suicide. The Third Reich no longer existed. The Second Great War was over.

From the Treaty of Berlin, the document that ended the Second Great War

Signed between the United States, the Soviet Union, the British Commonwealth, French Republic, and the Japanese Empire on the one hand and the German Third Reich and Kingdom of Italy on the other. (Note: Missing is a ridiculous amount of minor Allied nations that didn’t contribute anything significant to the war)

1. Germany agrees to submit itself to a four way occupation between the USA, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and the Empire of Japan, to be ended at a later date.

2. The Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, Yugoslavia, Greece, Poland, Denmark, and any other state occupied by the Axis Powers during a period between 1933 and 1944 will be liberated as independent nations under the protection of the Allied Powers.

3. The Kingdom of Italy will cede all African possessions to the United Kingdom

4. Germany will cede Pomerania and Silesia in full to the People’s Republic of Poland as punishment for its deplorable actions.

5. The United Nations, an international community to resolve the world’s issues will be established. The 5 nation security council will consist of: the United States, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, the French Republic, and the Empire of Japan.

6. The French Republic will recognize the independence of the Empire of Vietnam, the Kingdom of Cambodia, and the Kingdom of Laos.

7. The Soviet Union and the Empire of Japan recognize the borders of Asia at present as final, and will refrain from assisting any organization that seeks to alter these borders.

8. The nations of Europe recognize the current European borders as final, and will not support any group that seeks to alter these borders.

9. The nations of the world agree to remain committed to peace forever.

From the book “Banzai!: Memoirs of an Imperial Japanese Officer” by Hiro Osami

I will never forget the time I have spent as a soldier of the Empire. It is the greatest honor of my life to be able to say that I contributed to the defeat of Adolf Hitler under the flag of Emperor Hirohito. This is the end of this volume, but Japan’s fight continues every day, against the decadent West and the evil Bolsheviks.

I stayed in Germany for four years after the war ended, until the creation of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1948. Returning home, I married my high school crush, and decided to continue my career in the military. Japan has had many glorious victories, such as our liberation of India from the British and forcing the Dutch to retreat from Indonesia, but the Second World War was truly our finest hour.

Speech made by Winston Churchill, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom to the House of Commons, 1946

A new, dark world order has arisen. The nations of Asia, from Korea to Manchuria to China to Vietnam to Thailand, have fallen under the influence of a Sun. That Sun is at its zenith. I fear, for both the British Empire and for the oppressed peoples of Asia, that that sun will remain so for a long time.

Fin

Well, that was ridiculously long. As a disclaimer, I do not like Imperial Japan, nor do I condone the actions that its soldiers do in this story. If anyone wants, I'll provide a list of Dramatis Personae Wikipedia pages so you can get a feel for who they were. In any case, good luck to everyone else!

Edited by blah2127
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Heyo, I'm popping into this thread momentarily for an opinion check. Looking at every week minus the first, I'm starting to get the feeling that one week isn't quite enough for writing. Would people be opposed if the "writing cycle" was extended to two weeks instead of one?

Also, apologies for not keeping the OP updated for either thread. Real life got busy.

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Know I'm probably going to fail (I thought I had another week), but hey... Least I'm in the race!

Title: Czar

Setting: Alt. History
Characters: Anastasia
Words: 4827

"I feel as if the world has been gracious to me. So much of what has happened, what is happened, and what will happen was determined by a single bullet. I cannot help but wonder what would have happened had it been even an inch to the right. Would this world have been better? Would it have been worse? I cannot say. I have held so many obstacles in my path, however, that I believe that God is on my side. May this be the best path for our future. I have seen so many obstacles in the path of this Alliance. May this be the best path for our future. For we have overcome them all despite the odds against us." - Czar Anastasia. 1950 United States Reconstruction Speech.

Czar Anastasia was born in 1901 as the youngest daughter to Nicholas II, Czar of Russia. Desperate for a male heir to the Russian Empire the Czar was deeply disappointed in having a fourth daughter leaving the Russian Empire without a proper heir to the throne. Her elder sisters, Grand Duchess Olga, Grand Duchess Tatiana, and Grand Duchess Maria along with her younger brother Alexei were murdered in the communist uprising of Russia along with her father and mother and fled to first France then later to America where she became a rallying point for the loyalists to the deposed Russian Empire. The ensuing revolt against Soviet Russia resulting in the start of World War II. After World War II Czar Anastasia lead the newly reformed Russian Empire as a superpower in the resulting Cold War developed by the destruction of Germany, France, The United States of America, and China against the Empire of the Sun and European Axis.

Birth and Early Life

Czar Anastasia was born to Czar Nicholas the II and his wife Alexandra on June 18, 1901. In his disappointment with the continuing lack of a male heir the Czar reportedly refused to visit her to grant her a proper name until several hours after her birth before returning to give her her name. Presented with the possibility of being unable to continue the family line with male heirs the Czar gave her the name Anastasia, of which one possible meaning is 'the breaker of chains', 'the prison opener', or 'of the resurrection'. To mark her birth the Czar also pardoned multiple students whom had been rioting and offered them full reinstatement. It is unknown if, at this time, Nicholas the II realized that the Czardom would end or if he sought to change how it would function in the future.

As a child the young Anastasia was raised in a harsh and simplistic lifestyle identical to that of her elder sisters. Her father required her to sleep on camp cots, receive cold baths, and perform needle-work for charity when not occupied. As a child the young Anastasia soon developed many positive traits that endeared her to the servants on a personal level and would become essential later on in her life. She was very energetic, often rushing about the palace, setting pranks for the maids, and became talented at acting. She was a swift learner as well despite shunning the school and requested to frequently travel about outside the confines of her wall to visit the populace to learn more from the world outside, often rumored to have snuck away from her escorts when her curiosity was not satisfied. She was perfectly willing to break the rules of what was considered 'acceptable' due to her mischievous nature and was rumored to have gone as far as utilizing rock-balls in snowball fights with her sisters, cheat, kick, and scream when things didn't go her way.

However, despite her energy and prankish nature, she was often in poor health to the point where her mother hired a holy man by the name of Rasputin to attempt to aid in her frequent health problems. She quickly befriend her new caretaker as the two were often required to be close for the good of the young czar-to-be.

The Bolshevik Revolution

The most important part of the young Anastasia's life came with the rise of the Bolshevik's in rebellion against Anastasia's father, Nicholas II, due to public unrest after WWI. As the rioting grew into open rebellion things grew more and more desperate for the young Anastasia until the revolution reached the royal palace forcing Nicholas II and his family to flee to no avail as the family was soon caught along with Rasputin. According to the Czar: "I remember how terrified I was. We were lined up against the wall as the rebel soldiers leveled their guns at us. We were little more than a quivering, terrified, mass that was wet and half-frozen from the cold. Had we not been dressed in regal attire and our faces not known to the public we would have been little more than homeless civilians in their eyes. I remember looking up and seeing the faces of the rebels, some of whom I recognized from when I was a child. People whom I had pranked, people whom had helped me prank, close friends. Their eyes were devoid of friendship, however, and full of only hate and disgust. To them I was not Anastasia, to them I was not even human. I was, in their eyes, nothing more than a pig to be slaughtered.

Rasputin held me close along with my father, both whispering that it would be alright. We all knew it wouldn't. We all knew it was the end for us. My father, my sisters, they all held me close as the bullets fired. I was shot hard in the chest from a bullet that passed through Rasputin. I remember coughing up blood as I fell back and the soldiers, bayonets in hand, fell upon us to stab us even more. Then we were dragged to a mass grave. By all accounts I should have died that day. But, it seems, I held God's favor on my side. The bullet had missed my heart, the blood from my father, my mother, and my sisters covered me, the tight dress and corset with metal hoops and backing lessened the power of the blows, and the few stabs I received made the others thing me dead. As I was thrown into the grave I was in horrible shape. I may as well have been dead. But I was not. Coughing, barely able to move, afraid one of the guards would spot me, my blood flowing out far faster than it should have, I stole the clothes from some young woman's body as I dragged myself to a bush and removed my own, dressing her corpse in them, before I changed into them.

I should have been dead. I was dead. As I stumbled out of the bush one of the guards spotted me. I was dead. Then it all came into place. The acting I had received as a youth, the horrible wounds, the mud, grime, and blood, and a sweet face. I convinced him that I was one of his own kind, a woman whom had helped assault my own home and been shot by the guards, dragged off to the grave as a mistake, but alive. I needed medical attention. I had no wealth. I was homeless. I couldn't even use my own name. However, against all the odds, I was alive."

Escape from Russia and relocation to the United States

Anastasia fled the capitol having barely escaped with her life. Her already poor health was worsened by the lack of proper medical attention to her wounds and the harsh conditions she was forced to survive in. The training her father had given her had made her strong enough to survive on her own, however, and her talent at acting and capability at underhanded tactics allowed her to remain unknown until, at last, she managed to slip free of Russia using the name of her sister 'Maria'. As the news of the death of her family spread many of the imperial forces crumbled leaving her constantly surrounded by enemies. Then, when rumors that they had failed to find the body of Anastasia within the mass grave to confirm her death, a wild hunt began to find her forcing her to travel away from roads and towns and live in the countryside as she slowly made her way west towards France.

Upon her arrival in France Anastasia chose to keep her identity a secret as the revolt was still wild and she was fearful of assassination. She required time to recuperate and held no money for even the most basic of necessities. She was not without her talents, however, and spent a year stealing before getting a job as a small-time actress in local theaters where she managed to finally start supporting herself despite not knowing a word of French upon arrival. It is rumored that, when she left, she only knew the most basic level of French and had merely 'parroted' her lines. Anastasia claimed that such had been the case when she started but she soon learned enough to be able to get by on her own. During her time as an actor she received an invitation to perform in the 'Nutcracker Suite' in America for the holidays in 1920. Accepting she traveled to America.

Due to the play being of Russian origin many Russians and Americans of Russian heritage had traveled to view the play. Believing the rumors of her survival to be quenched and that her appearance and demeanor was benign enough to escape notice Anastasia went on to perform. What happened next is one of the most important events in history.

"I remember taking the stage for the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy. It seemed like it was nothing at the time as we moved out on stage. It was only a small theater after-all and we were in make-up and I hadn't been in Russia for quite a while. Then, as I took the stage, one of the audience members pointed at me and said. 'That's her! That's Anastasia! That's Grand Duchess Anastasia!' A gasp went through the audience. Some were in shock, some were in confusion, some didn't even know what he was talking about. He then cried out again before rushing down to the stage crying out how he thought we were all dead and he 'was going to make sure that was true' before he jumped on stage and tried to assault me. Panic broke out in the theatre as the ushers rushed down to subdue him. The next day the event was all over the local newspaper. I tried to deny it but, come the following morning, I had police at the hotel door as Russians both crying for my head and for me to return, tried to push past and devolved into a mass brawl. I had been found."

Revolt

At first Anastasia tried to keep herself distant from Russia, throwing up several fake names, hiding across America and France, only to be found each time. By 1925 she gave up hiding and sought protection as a political refugee. In Russia the news of the survival of the Grand Duchess caused unrest to rise from those who disliked the new communist government as, slowly, an underground cabal was formed. Then, in June of 1925, the Russian military raided what it thought was a smuggling ring which turned out to be a meeting of several pro-imperial citizens whom fought back. Though the military had expected resistance they had only expected a few body-guards, not civilians whom had worked to learn how to fight against them and came in large, armed, numbers. The resulting gunfight was bloody with the pro-imperial forces killing fifteen soldiers and destroying several vehicles while losing only seven of their own number. Outrage swept across Russia as the government began hunting everyone whom might be pro-imperial without a second thought, detaining anyone over any allegation, true or otherwise.

Though Anastasia was in America her existence had sparked a revolution. Over the next three months five attempts were made on her life. Two failed by assaulting women in the same city named 'Anastasia' resulting in further embarrassment for the Russian government, one backfired when the attempted assassin attempted to murder Anastasia by smashing a car laden with TNT into her, only to miss the car protecting her entirely and drive straight off the Brooklyn Bridge, and one assassin managed to hit her in the face with a defective grenade that failed to detonate. The fifth and final assassin was the only one to come close actually harming Anastasia when he poisoned her food at a public diner. A bodyguard had been assigned to Anastasia by President Coolidge until the American government could decide what to properly do with the princess. Anastasia and the body guard had both ordered a soup at a diner. Taking note of this and not desiring to leave things to chance the would-be assassin poisoned the entire pot of soup with poison. Anastasia had taken a spoonful and had even gone as far as to place it in her mouth when, around her, five other civilians fell to the ground in a writhing mass, her bodyguard among them. Terrified she spat out the soup before rushing to his side. The assassin, upon noting that she was still alive, drew a gun and attempted to shoot Anastasia. Up until that point in her life Anastasia had never wielded a gun. As she saw the assassin coming in close she reached over to grab the pistol of the dying bodyguard. The assassin shot twice at her as she quickly hid behind the table before returning fire and slaying the assassin.

The assassination attempt sparked mass outrage across the United States which swiftly accused the Russians. Anastasia, convinced that keeping out of the situation would only lead to further harm, pleaded with President Coolidge to be allowed to return to Russia and, in the event that the revolt proved successful, offer aid. Pressured by the public Coolidge accepted.

Anastasia was soon slipped over the border back into Russia upon which she quickly sought out people intent on overthrowing the communist government. For the first year the numbers of the Czar revolution were few meaning that subterfuge was their only choice, an it was a choice Czar Anastasia was more than comfortable with. It was noted that it was frequent for Anastasia to take up subterfuge missions on her own which required her to slip behind enemy lines with no armaments, relying on her acting and skill at laying traps to confound guards, before stealing documents and intel for future use. Her most notable mission came in mid-December of 1926 when she slipped into a heavily-guarded base in eastern Russia by killing a guard and his dog on patrol, replacing the dog with a stray of similar breed she had picked up on that day, before binding her chest and using the deceases guards clothes to pass the checkpoints to enter the base. Upon entry she managed to sabotage several artillery pieces and tanks before stealing several mines and carefully priming and hiding them under the various vehicles at night before slipping out. The following morning most of the base was crippled when the mines went off as the vehicles were prepped for patrol routes.

The string of sabotage defeats combined with growing unrest and dis-satisfaction as well as the inability for the government to deal with the underground revolt erupted into full-blown rebellion in February of 1926 leading to the start of the Russian Civil War which, in turn, lead to World War II.

The Reformed Russian Czardom swiftly seized multiple towns in the east of Russia as several doppleganger 'Anastasia's appeared in each. Anastasia had employed the services of several women who resembled her and utilized various disguises to ensure that the Russian government couldn't tell which Anastasia was the real one. The result was a crippling moral blow as it seemed that she could be anywhere at once while the pro-Czar troops held a figure to which they could rally around at every location. Lacking in numbers and equipment Anastasia ordered that her troops not even try to engage in defensive battles, leaving the civilian populace for the government to crack down upon causing further dissent. By September of 1926 the governments repeated crackdowns had yielded few results, attrition losses, and what few 'Anastasia's had been killed revealed as little more than look-alikes. To further cement this Anastasia fabricated photos of the Soviet government intentionally dressing up women to resemble her then killing them to claim these 'victories'.

Despite this Anastasia did not have a true standing army by the start of 1927 and had yet to successfully hold a town or even engage in defensive battling since the start of the uprising. While she kept her battles out of the cities and relied on subterfuge to take down troops stationed within, resentment began to build against her for the repeated crackdowns as people saw her as little more than a troublemaker. She needed a clear victory.

Things began to take a turn for the worse as spring came around and her numbers, while growing, started to also see people leaving due to a lack of direct action. Taking a desperate motion Anastasia launched an assault on a Russian city, drawing the forces out to the fields nearby for the first Civil Battle. The Russian army brought a sizable amount of forces to the fight, bringing in more than 3,000 soldiers, 500 tanks, and 200 aircraft upon the news that Anastasia had finally mobilized an army. Anastasia's forces were only 2,000 soldiers, 50 pieces of light cannon taken from several outposts that had been decimated, 100 vehicles of various assortments, and 10 crop-dusters donated by fellow pro-Czar sympathizers. Neither side needed to know the numbers to know who would win.

Knowing she could not take an official loss, however, Anastasia waited on intelligence to find out that the Russian forces were lining up into three column for assault with the aircraft stationed nearby for support. Taking her vehicles and crop-dusters she placed them with a skeleton crew barely able to keep the vehicles working behind a nearby hill with orders to keep to long-range shelling of the middle and right columns while her few troops slipped around to the left column to engage it. Her goal was to, hopefully, destroy the flank and assault the airfield to deal as hefty a blow as possible. As her troops engaged the left flank, however, she discovered that her move had been anticipated by the commander who had expected her to utilize a trap and laid his flanks with the tanks for which Anastasia's forces were ill-equipped to fight. Anastasia lost over half her army and almost all her vehicles and aircraft in the resounding defeat.

Refusing to give up she returned to her subterfuge before starting to bribe officers into defecting to try and bolster her numbers to little avail. Her resources were too few and her victories required subterfuge. She needed a victory and she needed one fast. Pulling together what remained of her forces she marched forward towards the cities again. This time, as the generals gathered their forces to engage, Anastasia herself took to the field and proudly stood up, assuring her men that it was, in fact, her and that, should they fall, she would fall with them. She then ordered them to retreat backwards up a road towards swampland. Expecting that she would try to push the heavy tanks into terrain in which they would be ill-equipped to fight the generals left them behind with orders to shell once her location was confirmed while airplanes and soldiers scouted the area. Anastasia anticipated this and ordered her forces to disperse entirely, breaking formation and leaving to swing around towards the tanks. With the soldiers and aircraft scouting the swampland, Anastasia's troops descended down upon the tanks, poorly guarded with few infantry around, and this time she was briefed on their numbers and brought plenty of home-made bombs. The tanks were swiftly overrun as many could not pivot around in time to attack and many were simply forced back into the swamps where they sank. When the fighting broke out the troops turned to return to their lines only to be greeted by Anastasia proudly standing atop one of the tanks with its barrel pointed right down at them.

"I give you a choice. Step forwards and join us. Step back and drown in the mire, or stand still and let your pride destroy you." she stated. Many of the soldiers, unwilling to fight tanks and strained from the constant sabotage, defected as the first major victory for Anastasia was achieved.

From 1927 till 1930 the fighting raged on with the Soviet forces slowly falling back as Anastasia's forces won over small towns and cities in the east, but were never strong enough to press forwards to Moscow. Convinced no more could be done Anastasia sued for peace, only to be rebuffed by the Russian government. Trying once more after taking another military fortress she sued again, only to be rebuffed. Finally frustrated she turned towards the Japanese and Americans. To the Japanese she promised sizable amounts of Siberia should she win and, to the Americans, she promised eternal gratitude and alliance pending victory. She then turned towards Britain, Germany, and France promising that, upon her victory, she would encourage trade as much as possible. Germany and France felt that they were too weak from the prior war to commit to such a thing while Britain stated that it would consider the idea. However, before the plans for the alliance could be finalized, America and Japan signed their agreements. Disapproving of the massive shift in power Britain backed away from the table. World War II had begun.

At first America and Japan sent sizable chunks of troops to attempt to aid Anastasia, only for the Americans to find themselves rebuffed from utilizing Europe as a base and Japan having to push through China or travel through Siberia to provide troops, so aid was, initially, only in small amounts of equipment and tiny squads. To add to this tension began to grow between America and Japan over the increasing might of both nations in the pacific causing the squads to often be uneasy around each other. However, the troops slowly pushed westward. Russia was at no loss for troops and equipment, however, and swiftly drafted again and again to fill up its ranks. Full of troops, equipment, and with the Western Alliance stretched thin on supply-lines, Russia was capable of holding them at bay for two years despite several major losses. Despite their massive armies Anastasia's forces slowly moved towards Moscow until, by 1933, the city itself was gearing up to defend itself.

In 1933, as Anastasia's forces knocked on Moscow's gates, the single greatest upheaval of the war came when Germany elected a young art student by the name of Adolf Hitler to leadership. Almost instantly Adolf set about forging alliances with Italy and attempting to form one with England, France, China, and Japan. In his eyes Anastasia's uprising was a threat to all of Europe and, should she succeed, America would have 'a loyal warhound sitting on our doorstep'. America assured Britain and France that this would not happen, but both nations were uncomforted, especially when America hesitated to send ambassadors to Germany and Italy promising the same. Hitler used this as proof that America sought to establish its power world-wide and wished to become an empire.

In June of 1933 mass war broke out. On the 19'th Japan sent out a secret telegraph to all its soldiers telling them to turn on the Russians, Czarists, and Americans come daybreak. All sides were caught entirely unaware by the sudden breaking of alliance as Japan, convinced of America's desire to expand and infringe on Japanese soil, turned on its allies as it put as much pressure on the Asian nations to push back against the growing Czarist and American threats for form . As a result Germany forged a successful pact with Italy, Soviet Russia, and China to form the European Axis fearful of the war in Russia and the possibility of America being on their doorstep. Meanwhile Britain, America, France, and Czarist Russia formed the Allied Powers. By the end of the first week of the three factions the devastation on all sides was immense. Japan's land-forces in Russia were almost entirely wiped out against the superior Axis and Allied forces, but the Allied forces took immense damage as well due to the sudden ambush. American supply-lines across the pacific were outright severed leaving them hobbled in the pacific and having to rely on Canadian and Australian forces, whom had remained neutral previously, to fight in their place.

The Axis made huge leaps and bounds at first, swiftly driving the Japanese back in Asia due to most of their troops being in Russia while the Czarish forces suddenly faced German and Italian troops bolstering the Soviet forces. The following four years proved to be the most challenging for both the Empire and the Allied forces as France and Britain were faced with driving off German and Italian troops boosted by Russian troops as Anastasia fell back. Throughout it all, however, Anastasia remained the uniting force behind the Czarist forces and her constant underhanded tactics, loyalty to the allies, and ability to keep the civilians on her side by not relying on drafts kept Russia bogged down and swift raids upon Empire supply lines kept Japan from being able to reach deep into her land. However, in 1937, the single, most defining, change happened when Anastasia married into the Roosevelt family by marrying the James Roosevelt who was the son of Franklin D. Roosevelt.

The marriage caused a massive wave of confusion in Russia as Czarists, already concerned that Anastasia was relying too heavily on America, disapproved widely. However, in America, the marriage resulted in a massive surge in support for the Czars. Reinvigorated the American forces redoubled in their Asian efforts resulting in further and further Axis pushback. In 1939, in a rushed deployment and desperate for a counter to the weariness of war, Germany deployed the first atomic bomb on France. It was weak as it had been rushed and later versions would become far stronger, but it was more than enough to wipe out a small town causing sudders across both the Empire and Allies. Quickly Germany distributed many of the small bombs to Italy and China as they struggled to build a larger bomb. However the bomb was never fully completed as the Allies, undeterred, closed in on the German capitol. As Germany fell so did soviet support in Russia. As Russia fell China grew desperate and deployed as many bombs as it could at Japan only to find them shot-down due to a lack of proper air support and delivery. Japan took the bombs that had not been destroyed and used them to assault America and China, destroying much of the Western coast and much of the Chinese infrastructure, only to find themselves suddenly facing down Russian, British, French, American, Canadian, and Australian forces. Recognizing the amount of devastation that could happen, especially since rumors of America developing a bomb capable of wiping out entire cities, Japan sued for peace.

In less than a year the war was over with the Allies as the victors. With the Soviet forces out of the way Anastasia reclaimed the title of Czar and swore to reinforce Britain and aid America and France once Russia was stable enough. Once at peace more and more facts of the new Czar's life came out, often turned into screenplay dramas about a spy whose life was constantly on the line, dodging the bullet by the skin of her teeth. Throughout the remainder of the 20th century Anastasia stressed strong, co-operative, relationships between America and the European powers and was often quick to squash any asian uprising. Japan had been forced to disarm following WWII and, due to the damage caused and the sheer disdain Anastasia and America held for them due to their bombings, Japan was turned into a territory of the United States and became the 51st state in 1970 with the combined American and Russian forces squashing any resistance.

To many Russians the Czar became a heroine, surviving despite impossible odds, bringing about a new golden age, and the west viewed her favorably as she helped form a cornerstone of the United Nations and was outspoken in her efforts to remove nuclear weapons. However, her treatment of the traitorous Japanese was harsh and Asia suffered harshly as she refused to help China re-establish itself.

Edited by Snowy_One
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Title: Red Sun Over Paradise
Setting: Original (but more than a little inspired by Welcome to Nightvale)
Characters: a reporter named Gil and the town's residents
Words: 1802

Hi, Gil Gibraltar here, coming to you live from our town’s annual County Fair! Our fellow citizens are turning out in droves on this slightly sticky, but somewhat sunny day for food, fun, and family-friendly festivities. There’s a crowd coming our way, and is that…yes, it’s little Jenny Wheeler! Hello Jenny. Gil Gibraltar, Channel 6. Are you enjoying the Fair, Jenny?

Well I’m sure those clouds will make way for Mr. Sun pretty soon. What are you going to do at the fair first, Jenny?

I’m afraid your’e out of luck. The bumper cars were shut down last year because of…problems, Jenny.

Oh, don’t be sad. I hear the tilt-a-whirl is completely fixed this time, Jenny.

What? Ha-ha! Right you are. But I’m pretty sure the nice men in the ambulance aren’t paid by the body. Huh? Okay, yes, you just run off now, Jenny - Bryce, get a shot of her skipping.

Huh? Oh, yes, uh…little Jenny Wheeler, folks. Isn’t she adorable? Runner-up at this year’s Little Miss Poppyseed Beauty Pageant. Came in second to Janette Morris, daughter of Mack Morris, owner of Morris Hardware and a proud sponsor of the County Fair, most local gatherings, and pageants.

Hey! Piece of trivia: poppy seeds can be made into a cooking oil high in both mono and poly unsaturated fats.

Oh, and if you’re hearing the opening bars to Henry Gross’s chart topping hit of 1976, “Shannon,” I’d wager it’s wafting from the Fair’s Rock n’ Roll for the Soul tent, right over - Bryce, get a shot of the tent - right over there. All weekend, local barista Henry Dennison and his band…uh, His Band, will be playing a number of numbers that charted on the Billboard Hot 100 chart between 1973 and 1977.

Hey! Piece of trivia: the first rock and roll song ever was recorded in 1951 by Ike Turner and his Kings of Rhythm.

What? Okay, stay tuned folks, and we’ll be right back with our continuing coverage of this year’s County Fair!

****

Haha, you’re so right Phyllis. Alright, and we’re back with our continuing coverage of this year’s County Fair! Things are really getting into full swing now. The sun’s just a bit brighter, the scent of honeydew melons and deep-fried Kool-Aid permeates the air, the people are…all heading in the same direction apparently. Let’s see where they’re headed - come on, Bryce.

Oh! Looks like have a couple of local celebrities here. Doctors Catherine and Maurice Oderra authors of the controversial bestseller, Cheating: A Man’s Guide to Healthy Relationships and Never Getting Caught. Cathy! Maury! Gil Gibraltar, Channel 6. How do you respond to the accusations of…I, uh, guess they didn’t here me. Umm…the Oderras recently announced a follow-up to their hit marital guide, this time aimed at women, with the pending subtitle: Good for the Goose.

What’s that Bryce? Oh! I see him. Hey Darren! It’s quarterback Darren Corrigan, who nearly won the Big Game last weekend against Fall Flats High when…look at that, he’s gone. He’s gone over to that blue tent, with everyone else.

Hey! Piece of trivia: my brother lives in Fall Flats. I haven’t spoken with him in a while…

We’re going to go a commercial now. When we get back, we’ll try to figure things out.

****

And we’re back with our continuing coverage of this year’s County Fair! We’re coming to you live from inside the Multi-Food & Culture tent. I’m here with…everyone, apparently. Yes, it feels like our entire town is packed into this one small, cramped, humid blue tent. And it looks like they’re all ignoring the spring rolls, taquitos, and baklavas, and gathering around one table. It’s hard to see what’s going on at the table, but I think I can push, ergh, through. Excuse me. Maybe if I just, ugh. Come on Bryce. Agh. Sorry. Gil Gibraltar, Channel 6. Sorry. Oof! So sorry.

Now that was a bit rude. I did say sorry, sir. Ah yes, here we are. Excuse me ma’am. Hi, Gil Gibraltar, Channel 6. And may I just say that’s a lovely…uh, bandana you’re wearing. I see you have a sort of card game going here - that seems to be what’s taken everyone’s attention away from the delicious rolled foreign foods. Tell me, what sort of card game is this.

What’s that? You want me to take one. So this is some sort of magic trick?

No, no, I didn’t mean to offend. I’ll…I’ll just take one. Hmm, that’s an interesting design - Bryce, get a shot of the card. Appears to be a falling tower being held up futilely by a horned giant. And, the tower and the giant are both on fire.

What? Okay, here you go. Another one? Uh, thank you. This one’s different. I think it’s…snakes…coiled together in the shape of a woman. And the snakes are holding roses in their mouths. And the roses sort of look like a crown. Lovely. And there’s some writing around the edges. I don’t recognize the language. Ma’am, what country did you say you were from?

No, I didn’t mean anything by it. Yes…here you go. Alright, and this next one is quite elaborate. There’s a village with houses and a town square with a well. But, there are no people in the village. They’re all in the sky, in the palms of two massive shadowy hands. No wait, the hands aren’t shadowy, they are shadows. And above them, in the black sky, there’s a face. A smiling face. And that smile…those teeth…

Hey! It’s little Jenny Wheeler. Hello again Jenny.

The card? I don’t know. I’ll have to ask if it’s okay with the nice lady.

What’s that ma’am? My choice? Okay then, here you go Jenny. Now, make sure you give it back to…wow, she sure can run. I’m sorry about that ma’am, but you know how kids…oh, you’re packing up? But I think the rest of the people here were interested in you cards. Isn’t that right folks? Maury? Cathy? Bob? Grace?

Ma’am, if you would just-she’s gone. Well, um, is it about time for a brea-

****

And we’re back with our continuing coverage of this year’s County Fair! I hope none of you missed that cross-culture exchange we had before the break. Isn’t it wonderful when such different worlds can come together? Now let’s make our way over one of the food stands and see if there’s any deep-fried peanut-butter sandwiches left - they always go so fast. And it looks like the sun is finally coming out. Although, I don’t think I’ve ever seen it so big, or so red.

What’s that Bryce? Wait, where are you going? Bryce, get back here! This is very unprofessional. Wuh-what is that? Oh god, no!

****

Is it on? Bryce, you can do this. Uh, hello, Gil Gibraltar here. I don’t know what that thing was, but it’s gone now. Uh, as you can see the County Fair is on fire. Everything is on fire. We don’t know how it started, but it doesn’t seem likely to stop any time soon. Most people made a mad rush to the exit. It, it was awful. So much disarray. So many people fell. They never stopped. Oh, no. Bryce, did you get that?

The Rock n’ Roll for the Soul tent just collapsed. I don’t know if Henry Dennison and His Band, or the audience members got out in time. Oh god, it’s back! Bryce, run!

****

Hello, I really hope you can hear me. I’m coming to you live from in the station, but I don’t know much about operating cameras. Bryce knew about operating cameras. He’s dead. I’ve never seen another man die before. He was a good man. A good brave man. Now he’s gone, and I’m here. I barricaded all the doors. Fortunately, no one has tried to get in yet. But where is everyone? I was talking to Phyllis earlier today. Where could she be? Wait, did you hear that? What’s-

****

Okay, okay. I think it’s back on. God, I hope it’s back on. The, uh, the earthquake, or whatever it was, collapsed most of the building. The only accessible rooms left besides this one are an office - I think it’s Carl’s - and the upstairs rec room. There’s a water cooler in here, but the only food source I’ve been able to find is vending machine in the rec room; I don’t think they restocked it recently.

There’ one exit. I went out, once. I…our town has changed. The sky is dark, the sun is red. Most of the buildings are no longer standing. Little Jenny Wheeler is not so little anymore. She stands taller than most trees. Her eyes - all six of them - glow with a white light. The people who bow before Jenny call her the Vessel of Memmnoch. She calls for the heads of the Morris family. I hope they got out.

Catherine Oderra has taken refuge in the observatory on the hill. She sits atop a throne made from lawnmower blades and drinks from a chalice carved from her husband Maurice’s skull. She has amassed a harem of the most physically adept men in town, which she claims she will use to breed a new warrior race. I can’t deny I am both relieved and a bit offended that I wasn’t chosen to join.

Darren Corrigan has traded his green and orange football pads for a suit of spiked green and orange armor; I don’t know where he go it from. He leads an army of hockey players, basketball players, and javelin throwers wielding scythes, morning stars, and javelins. He has declared war on Fall Flats. God, my brother lives there. I think. I don’t know. I haven’t actually spoken to him in five years. Christ, my nephew Gordon, he’ll be ten now. I have a niece I’ve never met. Jeremy, I’m sorry. I should have called; I was just so angry. It was all my fault. Jeremy, if I never see you again, I want you to know I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. Oh god…

****

I want to apologize. That was unprofessional. I’ve been extremely unprofessional lately, and that’ not fair to you. So, I apologize from the bottom of my heart. And thank you. Thank you for watching for so many years. This will probably be my last broadcast. My food and water have run out. I can either wait to die in here, or I can go out there. The town outside these walls is not my town, it’s not our town. But it’s where I live for now. This is Gil Gibraltar, Channel 6, signing off.

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Whee, three hours of writing and haven't played FE10 in years, let's see how bad this is.

Title: The Fall of Daein

Setting: Tellius

Characters: Micaiah, Dawn Brigade

Words: 1093

[spoiler=Trigger warning, for those who might want it]Strongly suicidal thoughts

Greentide 12, 979 - I killed him. I want to say I thought he'd live, somehow. That suddenly he would grow wings and fly away with Yune, anything. But I didn't. I knew I was killing him. It should have been me. I should have just surrendered. All of Daein isn't worth this.

Greentide 14, 979 - Pelleas wanted to have a fancy ceremonial funeral. To waste the time he bought to research the blood pact. Tauroneo pulled me away when I screamed at him. But he did call it off.

The hawk king said someone was supposed to catch him. That it was just a mistake, that some little falling rock broke some poor hawk's hand and that's why he died. Three days ago I would have believed him. Three days ago I would have forgiven him. Three days ago I couldn't have imagined this hatred. It feels like a lifetime.

Redshine 3, 979 - It should have been me who fell. Me who was the hostage. I'm the one they want.

Everywhere I go I smell the fires. I wash my hands over and over but I still see ashes on them. They still scream at night. Beorc and laguz and animals, all going up in smoke at my command.

In my nightmares, I've always burned him with the rest.

Redshine 6, 979 - I can't keep this journal anymore. If I try to write down any of it, I cry, and I can't get away to somewhere no one will see me cry. Morale is bad already.

Redshine 26, 979 - I finally was left alone again. We lost the battle yesterday. Another city fell. Hundreds of men dead for nothing. No one saw Laura return. Aran is still searching through the bodies.

Redshine 27, 979 - They asked for our surrender again. That bastard and his pet mage. Pelleas wanted to talk to them. I told him I'd give myself up to them if he surrendered.

Redshine 28, 979 - Aran found the body. He left this morning, with a whole band of men. They were headed west. West toward the enemy. Right after saying they'd never fight again.

Pelleas keeps complaining. He said I didn't act like I cared about Daein anymore, that they left because of me. That I needed to be their inspiration, their guiding light. I hate them all. I killed Sothe for them. He's dead because of them.

We still don't know how to stop the blood pact. He keeps making excuses, as if reading was the hardest job in the whole war. I almost wish I could send him to the front lines instead.

Goldbloom 3, 979 - We've been pushed back to Nevassa. Scouts are gathering food to last through a siege, but we can't hold out alone for long. There's only one room left in the royal library. The book we need is there. It must be there. Life isn't that cruel.

Goldbloom 17, 979 - The walls are surrounded. Nolan won't stop calling me a fool. I wonder how long until he betrays me too. Like Aran, like Zihark and Jill, like Meg. Like the ones who jump from the tower every few days.

I can't turn back. I killed Sothe for Daein. If I kill Daein for Sothe, I'll just be damned again. When will it be my turn?

Goldbloom 29, 979 - We counted thirty catapults. Thirty heads tossed down on our own, each time. I can't stop counting. How many have I sent to their deaths? Ashnard looks merciful next to me.

I can't stop seeing his face on them all, a thousand dead Sothes blaming me. Hating me. They're right.

And Leo says I need to smile again. I can't keep smiling at death. I can't smile at the rotting head of a child with Sothe's face.

Whitesky 10, 979 - Tauroneo and Leo are delirious with fever. The priests say they'll die. They drag me away from them, over and over, so I can't give my life to them. The guards are outside my door now.

Whitesky 20, 979 - We're running out of food. The line for rations moved so slowly today. So many crying mothers. Pelleas made me stand at the front with him and told me to smile. To give them hope. To stroke the head of a bone-thin child and tell them I love them and won't let them die, that Daein won't ever fall.

Whitesky 22, 979 - They keep forcefeeding me. My throat hurts from choking and my arms are bruised from fighting. It's not enough. It's better than I deserve.

Bluesong 2, 980 - Nothing left in the library. Every book was useless. We learned nothing. The soldiers died for nothing. Daein died for nothing. Sothe died for nothing. I lived for nothing.

Bluesong 3, 980 - Almedha wants to force me to marry him so Daein can have an heir to die too. A precious little princeling to die while the people cheer.

No one's seen Edward for three days. The last thing he said was that he didn't know me anymore. That I was a light that had blinked out. I'm trying not to hope he dies.

Bluesong 4, 980 - He still won't let me die with them. Death is always too good for me.

Bluesong 7, 980 - In my nightmares, I never die. I fall, I burn, I starve. I'm struck by every weapon I've ever seen, every one of my soldiers trying to kill me and avenge themselves. Hawks and lions and men tear my body to scraps and devour it, and they starve anyway and I live on. I always live on.

Bluesong 8, 980 - The castle walls are broken. I can see people screaming but I can't hear any more screams than ever. Footsteps are coming this way. I'm so close, after all this time, but Yune still won't go. I begged and pleaded for her to leave and she won't go, even Yune won't listen to me anymore.

Bluesong 11, 980 - I was wrong. Death isn't any better. They're all statues. Everywhere I go. All of them but me. I guess it's how dead people look to each other, just like their gravestones. I keep looking for Sothe but all the faces are blank. Thousands of blank stone faces, condemning me with blind eyes, with words they can't speak with sealed mouths.

Someone keeps trying to talk to me. Tell me what to do, try to tell me I'm still alive. Over and over and over. I wish she would stop. I wish she would die.

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Did I make it in time?

Title: Celebi's Dream

Setting: Pokémon

Characters: Original characters, Glen Ray and his twin sister, Sharon Ray. Also a side character (Elliot) and a bunch of Pokemon, including an original Pokemon (Akashiro).

Words: 3473

[spoiler=Celebi's Dream]"Is he gonna be okay, Miss Nurse?"

"Depends. His injuries look pretty bad... Where did you find him?"

"At Mt Silver. Some Sneasels were bullying this poor Tangela. I had to drive them out and capture this little fella to keep him safe..."

"Mt Silver, eh? There are some really nasty Pokémon over there, but Sneasel injuries shouldn't be a problem. I'd be much worried about those poisonous Golbats going crazy. Still, I'll check and make sure the little Tangela isn't poisoned, don't worry. For a young child, you sure did a great job of keeping him safe and bringing him here."

"Thank you, nurse. I'm really glad that he'll be fine..."

---

Sigh... another one of those special dreams. I've been having these dreams ever since a time when I was fourteen. These were dreams where I felt like I was observing a different world. A world very similar to our own, but with a very different form of civilization and lifestyle.

The most notable difference was with the Monsters. These are the wondrous creatures with supernatural abilities in the real world and they also appear in my special dreams. Except in my dreams, they are referred to as "Pokémon", which I quickly deduced was a shortened form of "Pocket Monster", since the humans in my dreams seemed to possess technology that allowed them to capture and call out these Monsters from small balls that can fit in their pocket. Which sounds really extraordinary, I know, but well, they're just dreams.

Well, anyway, I don't have time to analyze today's dream right now, because there's a really important meeting I need to attend. My sister Sharon is supposed to be there, and there are some things related to my dreams that I need to tell her too.

---

"I can't accept it. Why are they doing this?"

The first thing my sister does after the meeting is over and we sit down together is express her disapproval over the latest instructions.

"Sharon, look, you heard what they said. This was the greatest recorded catastrophe caused by a single Monster in the history of this nation. Hundreds of casualties in just four hours by a single rampaging Tyranitar only two weeks ago."

"That's not my point, Glen. In the first place, this was all caused by poachers kidnapping the Tyranitar's child. You know I'm the one who investigated this myself. Every time I've looked at that child Larvitar for the past week, I'm reminded about how we humans were the ones incited her mother to cause this such carnage. We would have all been doomed if the Akashiro didn't show up, saving us from the fruits of our own mistakes by vaporizing the Tyranitar. And now we're ordered to show our gratitude by capturing it? Really?"

The entire Tyranitar Rampage Incident ended when the legendary Monster who we referred to as Akashiro showed up. Akashiro is a four-legged beast with white skin and red coating in strange designs and a circular white gem on its forehead. Not much is known about it, but I've witnessed with my own eyes how it approached the weakened Tyranitar, radiating a reddish glow that came from its forehead which encompassed the Tyranitar's body. The Tyranitar soon disappeared into a tiny red ball of light, which shook in midair before it was absorbed back into Akashiro's forehead.

It's understandable that me and Sharon see the situation differently. We may be twins, but we chose different paths. I became a Hunter, she became a Trainer. I neutralize Monsters that are a threat to society, she befriends them and helps raise them to be more comfortable with humans. I've even killed a few Monsters in extreme situations during my career, but she would never harm a hair. She wouldn't even refer to Monsters as "Monsters" because she considers it to have implications of hostility. Despite our differences, we've been together for all our life and we can still naturally understand each other very well.

I didn't hesitate to express my views. "I've directly fought the Tyranitar. I was safely sniping from a distance, but I've seen three of my comrades get killed through unimaginable violence. And the truth is, we have no preparation for that. Nothing we had could penetrate its thick armor. Akashiro's power is the only solution we know that could deal with something like this. That's why we need to capture it, so that the scientists can analyze its ability and develop technology that could allow us to combat Monsters like this that threaten us. And besides, a Monster that can vaporize other Monsters would be extremely dangerous. I chose to lead this mission to protect our future."

She didn't say anything. I knew that she didn't agree with my perspective but she understood why the higher-ups felt the need to secure Akashiro's capture and why I chose to take up the responsibility to lead the capture team. Now that we came to this understanding, I decided to approach her on what was really bothering me.

"Sharon, there's something else I need to tell you, about Akashiro."

"What is it? Something that you haven't already written in the report?"

"Yeah... You remember all those dreams I've been having, about humans capturing these Monsters in these small balls and then sending them out later for their own needs? Well, what happened to the Tyranitar looked exactly like how those Monsters were captured in my dream, even down to the Monster resisting before it could be fully captured."

"So your dreams involve humans using technology that resemble Akashiro's ability? Wait, are you trying to say that your dreams are..."

"...our future, yes. I'm supposed to hand Akashiro over to the scientists if I succeed in capturing it. What if those 'PokéBalls' are the results of their research?"

"So all the dreams that you've been having for the last ten years... were events of our future?"

"Maybe... Think about it, I only started having these dreams after I found a Celebi playing in the field. I even held it too. Celebi is supposedly a legendary Monster but nobody has a clue what it can really do. Maybe, just maybe, it has the ability to see the future, or something like that? And it transmitted its visions on to me? And my mission to capture the Akashiro is to be executed tomorrow, the day which marks the ten-year anniversary of my first meeting with Celebi. I can't help but feel like this is all connected somehow..."

"For a world like that to be our future..." she had a disgusted look in her face. This was something that we've always disagreed on. For me, who has been dealing with Monsters that threaten humanity, I was envious of the peacefulness of the world in my dreams. Not only was it much easier to simply 'capture' a 'Pokémon', but they even resolved all combat through Pokémons as well. Even children as young as ten years old could freely roam across the land without any human guardians, and they could even venture into the most dangerous of areas as long as they had reliable Pokémon to keep them safe. Such a level of peace was unimaginable in our present world.

But Sharon could never accept it. Unlike Hunters, there are very few Trainers in this world, and I'm sure she had more experiences in bonding with Monsters than anyone else in this nation. To her, the 'peace' that I've been seeing in my dreams was completely fake. For a ten-year-old to travel with six Pokémon and 'train' them, she was skeptical about whether most of these trainers could truly bond with their Pokémon like the Trainers of this present world. Even when I would explain to her that many of the Pokémon seemed content and satisfied with their situation, she would insist that this was because the whole system of capturing Pokémon inside balls left them little freedom to resist. They became conditioned to accept their fate as being empowered by the "Trainers" that captured them due to the Pokéball system.

"In any case", she said as she rose to leave, "regardless of whether your dreams actually show the future or not, you need to make your decisions based on your knowledge of the situation. There's no point in needlessly speculating about the future if you aren't going to do anything about it."

---

"Bah, this Nidoran seems to be useless"

"What do you mean by 'useless'? It's the child of your Nidoqueen!"

A girl of about fifteen was talking to an older lady while a Nidoqueen was tending to her baby Nidoran nearby.

"My Nidoqueen is special", said the girl. "Ever since she was born, she would unconsciously secrete poison from anywhere within her body. This made her really awesome, since enemy Pokémon that would attack her would often take in the poison as well."

"So? It's not a trait that all Nidoran have. Just because this baby here doesn't have that doesn't make it useless."

"It is, to me. The whole reason I allowed my Nidoqueen to breed was because I wanted more of this poisonous body trait. I don't need this child, you can do whatever you want with it."

"How could you say that!? Your Nidoqueen wants to tend to her child and you're talking about abandoning it?"

"Yes. She is my Nidoqueen and I've won many battles with her. I don't have such hopes for this baby."

The girl then took out a Pokéball and pointed it at the Nidoqueen. The Nidoqueen froze and slowly began to stare at the girl, with pleading eyes. The next moment, she became compressed into a ball of light and was absorbed into the Pokéball.

The baby Nidoran began to cry, as the older lady rushed to try comforting it. The girl didn't seem to care about what was happening and simply walked away.

---

I went over the plan again. The recon team found that the Akashiro is always resting at the Yellow Garden during the same periods every day. It should be resting in there now, and should stay that way for at least four hours. We'll begin our mission in two hours.

It's a fairly simple mission. There's a good sniping spot which is reasonably far from the Akashiro's resting area so it should not be able to notice us coming. The recon team already confirmed this. All I need is a single blast from the Cryo-Gun to immobilize it completely before it can realize what's going on. Then the Retrieval Team will come in and handle the rest.

As I was getting ready, I thought I noticed a green sparkle in the corner of my vision. I turned my head and there it was. A Celebi. Probably the same Celebi from ten years ago.

I approached the Celebi. It was clearly aware of my presence and it moved further away. Okay, I get it, the Celebi wants me to follow it. Ignore it, just focus on your mission. It's okay, I have time. I need to know the truth of the meaning behind all these dreams. Stop looking at the future and focus on the present. Tightening my grip on the Cryo-Gun (you can never be too safe in Monster habitats), I followed the Celebi.

---

I was led to a clearing. That was when I lost sight of the Celebi. Where could it have gone? That's when I found some other Monsters in the area. A large purple Monster just idly walked by before it noticed me and stopped. If I remember correctly, this Monster was of the Loudred species. The Loudred gazed at me, clearly shocked to find a human in this area. It opened its mouth.

And screamed. Louder than any noise I've ever heard before.

The Loudred froze and fell to the ground. Oh snap, I reflexively fired my Cryo-Gun at it. All around me, I could hear other Monsters reacting to the Loudred's scream. The Celebi was gone anyway, I really shouldn't be here. I hurriedly left the scene.

---

"It's not at the Yellow Garden anymore."

Elliot from the recon team was updating me on the situation.

"There was a loud noise, caused by a Monster in the forest. Akashiro woke up and moved away from it. We're still tracking its movements but it's not going to be sleeping any time soon. It's your call, boss. Should we cancel the mission for today?"

I felt certain that capturing the Akashiro is the key to a peaceful future. Was Celebi trying to jeopardize that? If Celebi hadn't led me to the Loudred, this mission would probably have succeeded without a hitch. I didn't want to back out of this mission. I need to capture that Akashiro!

I looked at the map. There must be something I can do. I have a lot of troops under my command. "Elliot, can we get our people to chase Akashiro to Crystal Valley? The Akashiro can't fly or jump high as far as we know. There aren't much openings in there and we can surround the Akashiro while I snipe from a nearby cliff."

Don't corner the Akashiro. You don't want the Akashiro to be cornered. I tried to suppress my doubts. I needed to fulfill this mission.

---

The Akashiro arrived. I was waiting at the cliff. The Akashiro was slowing down as it realized that all of the openings were blocked. Even though there were at least thirty meters between the Akashiro and the nearest hunter, the Akashiro was clearly afraid. This was my chance. I readied my Cryo-Gun.

"what happened to the Tyranitar looked exactly like how those Monsters were captured in my dream"

The Akashiro stopped moving. I took my aim.

"the humans in my dreams seemed to possess technology that allowed them to capture and call out these Monsters from small balls that can fit in their pocket"

The Akashiro let out a cry.

"and call out these Monsters"

I froze when I realized what was happening. In an instant, a red ball of light came out of the Akashiro's forehead and expanded. Then it quickly materialized into a Monster. It was...

"Tyranitar"

Not just any Tyranitar. This was the same Tyranitar that caused the great disaster from two weeks ago. Akashiro didn't vaporize the Tyranitar. It must have taken it to some alternate dimension, from where Akashiro could just as easily call it back. Just like those Pokéballs...

Flashes of images came rushing into my head, from the last incident two weeks ago. Buildings torn about, craters lined with corpses of humans and Monsters alike, all those horrifying scenes were fresh in my memory.

"ALL UNITS RETREAT!" I shouted at the top of my lungs. I didn't have time to think, but I knew that we would not be able to combat against the Tyranitar. I had to act. Fast. We needed to retreat and formulate a new plan. I took out a smoke grenade. Pulled the pin. Hurled it at the Tyranitar.

Within seconds, the whole area was filled with smoke. I didn't bother to check. I already turned away to run. I needed to get away as well...

"▄▄▅▅▄▃▃▅"

A defeaning roar. Right before I felt the ground below my feet crumble away.

---

I was on the ground, under a pile of rubble. My helmet cracked, but my head was still fine. I turned to see the Tyranitar, slowly approaching in my direction, with an expression of pure hostility. I couldn't move. Even if I didn't heavily injure my body during the fall, I would not have been able to lift up the debris on my own.

"Glen, are you okay!?" That voice... Wait, Sharon, why are you here!? Did that Elliot tell her about my changing the mission plans? Nevermind that, why is she in the Tyranitar's danger zone? At this rate, she's going to die along with me!

Then something strange happened. The Tyranitar stopped moving. I could see its head turning down. It was looking at... a Larvitar? Wait, could it be...?

I lay there for a moment, watching the scene before me. Then the Tyranitar picked up the Larvitar, carrying it. She then turned around with the Larvitar in her arms, and walked away. That was the last thing I remember before I lost consciousness.

---

"Welcome home, Da- Wah! Daddy, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. There was a Snorlax that got a bit crazy so me and a couple of other Trainers had to calm him down. It was a bit messy, but Bronzy helped keep me safe. In the end, the Snorlax was just hungry, as usual, so we had to guide him to a garden where he could eat, for now."

"But what about when the food in the garden runs out?"

"Well, we're trying to encourage the Snorlax to reduce its appetite, at least to a bearable extent. It may take a long time, but I think we can improve the situation somewhat. That's what us Trainers are here for!"

"Wow, so cool! Daddy, do you think I can be a Trainer?"

"Of course, you can! Are you getting along with Poochy well?"

"But I couldn't find Poochy for the last few days... Maybe he left me..."

"Don't worry about it. Poochy does what Poochy wants. If he wanted to play with you again, I'm sure he'll be back in no time."

"B-but... what if he never comes back?"

"You have to understand that if Poochy leaves, it would be for the best. I know it's really sad, and I've had a few experiences like this myself... But we just have to accept it when it happens. They can take care of themselves, all we need to do is be nice and kind to them so that we can live together peacefully"

"I see, daddy... In that case, I'll keep playing with other Poochyena while Poochy is gone!"

"That's the spirit, son! You can grow up to be a great trainer someday!"

---

I woke up on a hospital bed, with Sharon sitting next to me. I don't think I want to know how badly I was injured yet. She was so relieved when I finally woke up.

The first thing I asked her was "How is the Tyranitar?"

"She's fine, I think. I'm sure the Larvitar requested her mother not to attack us, after how I took care of her for the last week. Either way, the mother had no reason to attack once she was reunited with her child. She left and there hasn't been any further incidents since."

"I see... and what about Akashiro?"

"...it's most likely crushed under all that rubble. The Tyranitar was right in front of the Akashiro during the rock slide, so the chances of survival are slim to none. After this failure, the government is reconsidering the importance of the combat divisions."

"...I murdered it. Akashiro committed no sin but I sti-"

"No!" she cut me off. "You could not have known what was going to happen. You used your own judgment to make a decision based on the given situation. Don't blame yourself for the outcome."

"Speaking of outcomes," I sat up on the bed. "I think this is exactly what the Celebi wanted."

"Oh?"

"Yes, I'm sure of it now. Celebi instigated the Loudred scream that compromised the mission. Without Akashiro, there would be no 'Pokéballs' in development."

"You're saying that Celebi wanted to avert the 'peaceful' future that you've been dreaming about?"

"Exactly. It's as you've been saying, Sharon. It's a peace generated by Monsters subjugated to humans. What Celebi really wanted was a world of freedom, not a world of peace. Celebi wanted a world where humans and Monsters can be regarded as equals, living together in harmony. If we tried to resolve incidents through less violent approaches, like how you pacified the Tyranitar, then I'm sure we can come to a future that's peaceful enough while still granting Monsters their freedom."

"Could Celebi really have planned the outcome of this mission to such an extent?"

"I don't know. Maybe so, maybe not. But all Celebi did was lure me to the place with the Loudred. It was my decision to follow the Celebi. And everything that happened after that, like Elliot tracking Akashiro, me continuing with the mission, you coming after us, these were all from individual decisions. Regardless of how much Celebi could have planned, it doesn't change the fact that we each made our own decisions that we would bear responsibility for."

"Indeed, we are the ones who carve our own future."

And with that, my sister Sharon carefully hugged me, cautiously enough to prevent my injuries from hurtng me further. Everything should be okay now.

(made some minor grammatical edits after deadline with eclipse's and Boron's permissions)

Edited by Formina Sage
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This week's prompt is brought to you by Team Magma.

Prompt:

Write a story about two or more characters unexpectedly developing a strong relationship between each other. Explain why such a relationship would be unexpected, and how this bond was developed despite those factors. Optional: Explain how this relationship has an impact in a later event (or multiple events).

Scope: Any characters from any world. The characters and/or world can be real, fictional, original, or a mixture of those. The relationship can be of any nature.

Constraints: The characters focused on the entry should not, in any canon material, already have or develop such a relationship as described by the entry.

Have fun writing! And try to be creative!

Phase ends on June 14 at 9:00 PM HST.

Fujiwara no Mokou

Marek

Winter

Sunwoo

Ragged

Edited by eclipse
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I may actually have time to write for once! Relations between two characters who normally wouldn't..? Not exactly my strongest point but I'll see if I can whip something up for once.

I maaaay have a universe in mind already..

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The relationship doesn't have to be romantic, right - they can become friends or comrades?

I'm pretty sure it doesn't have to be romantic? I'm not the one that made the prompt, so I can't say for certain.

I've got an idea for this. . .but whether or not I enter will again be determined by the number of entrants!

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