Sailoon fell easily. My forces didn't even need to exert themselves. Gourry, Zelgadis, Xellos, and I went to the palace, under the guise of old friends, come for a visit. We entered the throne room, and I gave a sweeping, ironic, bow. "King Philionel," I said, for in just the past month, the ailing old King of Sailoon had died. "I must congradulate you on your coronation."
Philionel grinned, and Amelia beamed proudly. "I have great plans for the future of Sailoon," said Philionel. My smile turned dark. "How unfortunate, then, that your reign must be such a short one," I said. Xelloss opened his eyes, and Zel smiled darkly. Yes, darkly. Before I go on with this story, I must tell you something of great import. Over the past few weeks, during our trip to Sailoon, my other comrades - with the exception of Gourry - had gotten Zel to accept his dark side, his Mazoku nature, instead of fighting it. And, much to his surprise, he found he liked it. So of course, he was enjoying the scene in the throne room.
Phil and Amelia looked shocked, and a tad bit nervous. "What do you mean, it's going to be a short one?" asked Philionel.
"My daddy's not sick or anything," said Amelia. "Is he?" I shook my head, and laughed in sinister way. That was when Amelia first caught a clue that I wasn't quite the same. You see, I kept my power hidden. It was there, it just didn't show. Unless I wanted it to. And now, I wanted it to. Amelia gasped, and put a hand to her mouth. She took a step back. I grinned, and looked up at the dias with eyes that now looked more Mazoku than human. I waved my hand, and my fathers Generals, now my Generals too, appeared. Phibrizo popped one of those balls of his, killing Philionel. It was that simple. Now, Amelia had to choose.
"Well, Amelia," I said. "Now you're Queen of Sailoon. What're you gonna do?"
Amelia gulped. "I....I...umm...ah...." her voice quavered a bit in nervousness, her eyes flicking around the room, finally taking in what she had missed before.
"You have two choices," I said. "You can surrender the city to us peacefully, and join us," I waved to Phibrizo, ready with another ball. "Or you can refuse my offer, and die. Then, we'll take the city by force. It's your choice." I crossed my arms over my chest and waited.
"Wh...why didn't you give daddy a choice?" she asked, voice regaining confidence.
"Because, he wasn't a close friend, like you," I replied.
"Oh," she said faintly. I walked up the dias, smiling all the way. I've gotta give that girl credit, she's brave, very brave. Or foolhardy, one or the other. Either way, when I walked up to her, she gulped, but she didn't step back, didn't cringe. "Amelia," I said persuasively. "This world is filled with injustice, don't you think?" She nodded. "Well, don't you think, that this world would be better off, if it were ruled by someone who knew that, and wanted to change it?"
She nodded again. "You?" she asked. "But what about them?" she pointed to my Generals, and our mutual friends.
"Oh, they don't like this world any more than I do. They're going to help me conquer the world," I said airily.
"Oh," she said.
"Now, choose," I said. "If you join us, you'll live, and, when we've conquered the world, I'll make you my Minister of Justice."
Amelia brightened, and the Fire's of Justice began to burn in her eyes. "Minister of Justice?" she asked. I nodded. I could almost hear the clockwork grinding in her head. After a few moments, she clenched a fist, and assumed a Justice Pose.
"I'll do it!" she said. "I'll join you! For Justice!"
My smile widened. "Good," I said simply. "Come here." I held out a hand to her.
"What is it, Lina-san?" she asked, stepping forward. Instead of answering, I put a hand on her forehead, and allowed some dark energy to seep into her body. For a moment, her face a picture of pure agony, then it was over. Her blue eyes now held flecks of red and purple.
"Lina-san? What did you just do?" she asked.
"Nothing much," I replied. "I made it so, like us - " I guestured to myself, Xelloss, Zelgadis, and my Generals - "you won't age, or get diseases, and your wounds will heal much faster. Just like I did with Gourry."
"Oh."
I pushed her along. "Now shoo, go get changed. I can't have my future Minister of Justice looking out of place, now can I?"
Amelia shook her head, and smiled cheerfully. "Nope. And I can hardly wage war in a frilly pink dress, now can I?" she said as she ran off to her room. I grinned to myself. Little did she suspect, that those physical things weren't the only things I had changed. I caught her in a moments weakness, and changed her constitution. Oh, she's still human, never doubt that, but her mind was rewired, now it's more like a Mazoku's mind. Even her sense of 'Justice' is altered. Oh, it's still there, as strong as ever, but different, a type of 'Justice' that suits my needs. I stepped up to the throne. I turned to face my companions.
"Well," I said. "That's one down." I sat down in the throne. They joined me up on the dias, and arranged themselves around me. "Next up - " I started to say, but before I could finish - "Sairaag," said Amelia, reentering the room, having quickly changed into her adventuring clothes,with one slight difference. The pink, was now purple, and the white, grey.
I smiled again. "Yes," I said.