Oryx

"Are you ready?" I asked Princess Platinum as we stood inside her throne room. It has been a few days since Didact had taken command of the pegasai, and we were in the second phase of my part of the plan.

Now, the plan was that I would arrive and stake a claim to the throne, saying it was my birth right. That had passed, and Clover was currently "looking" through the archives for ancient texts saying stuff about me being the ruler of the throne.

"As ready as I can be," the unicorn replied with a sigh. "But you do know nobles will try to stop you."

I scoffed as black and white flames licked off of me for a second. "Let them try," I said. "They will not be able to regret it afterwards."

"That doesn't make any sense, but okay," Platinum said. "Clover should be reporting back soon with the document. If she found one, that is." She had added that last part if any were listening in.

"Of course," I said. "Should any challenge it, who would be most likely to do so?"

"My headache of a younger brother," Platinum said. "Steel Shield. He always thought he should have had the throne, even though I was on the throne before he could remember a time before that."

"How young were you then?"

Ten years," Platinum said. "My parents were claimed by a sickness a year before, when he wasn't even a year old, and it took me a year to learn everything about ruling a nation."

"Why does he think he'd be a better ruler?" I asked.

"I don't know," Platinum replied as she rubber her forehead. "Though from what I hear about the mares he constantly beds, he isn't exactly the most open pony to gender equality, and sees mares, even me, to a degree, as nothing more than objects used for reproduction."

"I hate him already," I muttered as the doors to the throne room opened, and in walked Clover, wearing a simple gown colored grey that went to her ankles.

"I found it," she said, holding up a scroll that looked as if time had began eating away at it. "Was a little hard to find it, your highnesses, but I found it."

"Ah, thank you, Clover," Platinum said as she took the scroll in her magic, which was colored silver. I am surprised it isn't platinum colored. "Now, the difficult part: getting the council to agree with this change."

"You are a monarchy, yet there is a council?" I asked.

"To ensure the ruler does not become a tyrant," Clover explained. "Nobles who wanted more power."

"Yes, and they continually use loopholes to overrule my laws for themselves," Platinum said. "I swear, the only reason I keep them around is to avoid a riot."

"Noted," I said. "Clover, if this works, get me every single law book you have. They wish to use loopholes? I'll show them just how that can screw them over."

"Then we had best get moving," Clover said. "The council scheduled a meeting in ten minutes."

"Lead the way then," I said as I grabbed Willbreaker off the wall nearby, and the three of us walked out, but not before I muttered to myself, "And thus, hell doth begin."

Ten minutes later

I hate being right when I'm involved with politics. Anyway, to catch you all up, me, Platinum, and Clover were in the council chambers, large, round room, the council members, all unicorns, go figure, wearing what would be called medieval outfits, including the ridiculous hats, sitting behind an elevated desk. You'd think they'd have humility-oh, wait. Nobles. I swear, the Hive didn't have this problem. To this degree, anyway.

"So, Clover the Clever," one of the members, a mare, said, "you say you have found records of this. . .thing's inheritance of the throne in the archives?"

"Yes, I did," Clover said, presenting the scroll. "It wasn't under the genealogy area, but, given how long ago he said he earned the throne, I looked in the legends area, and found it there."

"Then you do realize this thing could just be a fake, correct," another pony, this one being Steel, according to Platinum, who had, you guessed it, steel colored skin with dark yellow hair. Those colors do not go well. "And besides, a mare found it."

"Prince Steel," another stallion said, "we let you on this council simply because you are a royal, and it is the only reason you remain on it, but you are coming close to out limit of patience. Why not issue a challenge to him? Your sister is willing to step down if there is proof, which there is, which leads to you having the throne if it is false, seeing as how one can not regain the throne once they step down."

Steel scoffed. "Very well, then," he said. "You, Oryx, or whatever your name is, I challenge you for the unicorn throne. The challenge is this: you must make me bow to my sister in less than an hour starting now."

"Is that all?" I asked. "Child's play."

"Um, maybe not," Platinum whispered to me. "He always does this, just to get something he wants but doesn't have, and always challenges them to make him bow before me. They're allowed to use everything they naturally can, but they always fail."

"Well, they are not me," I said before reaching my right hand out to the prince, black and white flames licking off my hand. "They do not have my abilities," I said as Steel was enveloped in those flames. And seeing as how I don't remember the canon one, time for a new chant or whatever it is. "May your will burn away your fear and greed and hate, allowing you to become a perfect being, devoid of will, devoid of fear, willing to do anything, afraid of nothing." As I chanted, he looked around in fear as his skin and clothes turned black and white with dark blue accents, his eyes now pure white and glowing. When it was over, I returned my hand to its resting position on Willbreaker's hilt as the others looked at me in fear. "Now, Steel, bow before your sister."

Without a word, the now taken pony got up from his seat and, with small growls at the others, made his way to in front of Platinum, who backed away. "He will not harm you if I do not order it," I told her calmly. She looked at me, fear in her eyes, but slowly nodded, and stopped moving, allowing what had once been her brother to kneel before her. "It seems I win," I said. I then looked at the council. "Anyone else stupid enough to challenge me to a test of will?" None spoke up. "Good. Then my first order as king is to dissolve the council as it is, and create a court where any may come before me with problems." I then dropped to how my voice sounded when I faced the Guardian. "Spread the message that any who come with anything that feeds one's own ego or meant for their gain will end up like Steel. Any who say I am bluffing are to meet me in the court, and lay their request before me." I then turned around, putting the back of Willbreaker on my shoulder, and made my way to the exit of the room. "If you need me, I will be in the throne room," I said. "Clover, Platinum, come. I will need an aide, and someone to teach me the foriegn diplomacy you unicorns use."

As they looked at each other, worry in their faces, I am certain, I contacted Didact. "We are go for negotiations. Send your messengers, my friend."