To Save a King

by Blackdrag-rose

VII: King's Message

Twilight Sparkle sat up on her bed, her eyes watching the night sky as she wondered what her fellow Princesses were doing at the moment. Celestia was likely asleep in bed, dreaming of the sweet cakes she seemed to enjoy or something else that Twilight had no interest in learning about. Cadence, on the other hoof, could be busy with the Crystal Courts or could very well be asleep with her husband Shining Armor. King Rocket, on the third side, was returning to the Changeling Hive and was likely trying to relax before he had to deal with all the paperwork he had missed in the few days he had been gone.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Spike receiving a message from Celestia, but seeing how it was nighttime it only confused the alicorn as to why her mentor was sending her a letter at this time.

"Just sum everything up for me Spike," she said, catching the baby dragon off guard, "I'm tired and I will go over it in the morning, but for now a brief summary will do."

"Let's see then," Spike said, his eyes looking over the letter before looking up at Twilight, "It says that King Rocket Sky has been poisoned and that he's dying."

"Give me that," Twilight said, snatching the letter with her magic and reading it over, "Celestia wants us to gather the Elements and Rocket's friends and get on the next train heading for the Hive."

"Hi Twilight," Pinkie shouted, popping out from under the bed and startling both the alicorn and dragon, "What are you reading this time?"

"It's a letter from Princess Celestia," Spike explained, beating Twilight to the punch, "She wants the Elements of Harmony and King Rocket Sky's friends on the next train for the Changeling Hive."

"It'll be easy to gather everypony at the train station," came a second voice as Wisdom appeared behind Spike, "Since there are two of us we will get it done in half the time it takes for one Pinkie to do it."

Before either Twilight or Spike could comment both Wisdom and Pinkie vanished from the library, leaving behind no traces that they were actually there.

"I seriously hate it when they do that," Spike muttered, returning to his bed until Twilight yanked him right out of it again.

"Your coming along too Spike," Twilight said, gently placing her assistant on the floor as she began to pack up a couple of books, "You can sleep on the train if you must, but until then we need to get some things packed. Besides, who knows when the Princesses will send another message our way?"

~The Crystal Empire~

"Ugh...another letter from Aunt Celestia," Cadence groaned, having been forced awake by the sound of a scroll appearing in her bed chambers.

"It can wait until morning my dear," Shining yawned, trying to get his wife back into bed so they could rest, "Usually Celestia sends us boring news and updates that don't involve us. This matter can wait until the morning, that I am sure of."

"No Shining, I had best see what she wants to share with us before going to bed," Cadence replied, shaking her head as she opened the scroll while staring at her husband, "You, of all ponies, should understand that when Celestia sends a letter it is better to see what it says then to ignore it completely until the following day. I know Twilight understands that more than most ponies these days."

"Twily does understand Celestia more than anypony else in Equestria," Shining commented, turning to see his wife with a look of surprise and horror, "...is something wrong?"

"According to Aunt Luna it seems that King Rocket Sky has been poisoned," Cadence explained, tossing the scroll to her husband as she started getting ready for something, "by a deadly poison that shouldn't exist anymore. We are required to get on the next available train for the Changeling Hive."

"Why are we visiting the Hive?" Shining asked, climbing out of bed and throwing some water on his face to wake himself up.

"Did you not read the letter?" Cadence replied, surprised by her husband, "There is going to be a summit in the Hive that will require our presence. We're going to meet the Elder Council of the Changeling Hive at long last."

~Canterlot~

Celestia sighed after the final letter had been sent off, this one designed to go directly to the only member of the Elder Council she trusted, the one known as Zercon. She was requesting that they, meaning the remaining Princesses, gathered in the Hive and had a meeting with the Elder Council. Mostly so they could discover where the last bit of Angels Root, if there was any of it left in all of Equestria, could be located.

While she waited for a reply she got her royal jewelry and made for the clouds, fully intending to rest on them until she heard back from somepony. With any luck Twilight and the Elements, including Rocket's friends, would be on their way without any delay with Cadence and Shining Armor just behind them. All she needed was an answer from the Council and everything would be fine. That was assuming that they didn't blame one of the four Princesses of poisoning their new King and declare war on the rest of Equestria.

Celestia sighed; she would never understand how the Changelings worked fully, not even if she was given a thousand years to study their race. She only hoped that the Council decided to hear them out and help their dying King back onto healthy hooves. That was assuming they would locate a flower bearing the Angels Root somewhere and could turn it into the fabled elixir that would save him.

~The Dream Realm~

Luna walked over the sandy ground she had found herself on when she had entered the dreams of King Rocket Sky, mostly to see how he was doing since they hadn't been able to get anything out of his physical form. Traversing the entire dream realm to search for the King would have been a waste of her time, so she had focused on where he would be and simply teleported there. All she had found was white sand and the noise of what sounded like fire somewhere, but where she was unsure of.

So she continued to wander forward, her eyes looking for anything that could be considered out of the ordinary for the Dream Realm. When she discovered it she was surprised and shocked at the same time. Sitting at a table were two alicorn sized ponies, though one of them had a dark aura around it while the second did not have a aura. When Luna got closer she saw that the one without an aura was really King Rocket, which meant that the second one must have been his evil side; Dark.

Luna began to charge her horn when she noticed something else; neither of the two were attacking each other and were, instead, just staring at the other. The power quickly died off as she approached the two stallions, who barely noticed her presence until she was nearly at the table. Rocket looked up at her and smiled, apparently glad that she was there, while Dark just stared blankly at her, neither annoyed or mad at her arrival.

"King Rocket Sky," Luna said, taking a seat where she was, "and Dark Sky. We, by that I mean your wife and I, were unable to contact you in the physical world, so I decided to come into your dreams and speak with you directly. I take it you remember nothing after having a heart attack on the train heading for the Hive?"

"We remember almost nothing after that," Dark answered, surprising Luna by how weak and tired he sounded, "but we know what had brought this upon us. We caught the name as we drifted briefly into consciousnesses and back out again; Demonshade. A vile leaf that can kill whoever eats it."

"That is correct," Luna replied, shocked that one of them knew about the poison coursing through Rocket's veins, "I have told Celestia what we must do and I am sure she has contacted everypony else with the news. We should be holding a summit in the Changeling Hive with the Elder Council to determine what we can do to save you."

"To find the Angels Root and save a dying life," Rocket spoke up, sounding as if he was far away or extremely old, "Do not worry Princess Luna; Dark and I will hold on as long as we can. If it comes down to it we will have one last glorious war game with you and the rest of the royalty of Equestria. And we will bring all our power to the field and fight will all that courses through our body."

Luna sighed; it seemed as if the King was resigned to the fact that he could die at any moment and was making it clear that he would fight when it was close to his time.

"Okay then," Luna said, staring into the King's eyes, "We will have a war game if things turn sour, but know this; we will save you and your darkness from this grim fate."

"Go," Dark commanded, just as Rocket started coughing, "Unite the Council and find the herb. We will wait as long as possible."

Luna nodded and began to fade, surprised that in their weakened forms the two still had the power to command her to leave their presence. She hoped that they could find the herb and make the elixir. She knew the overall price they would pay for the dark deed that was happening here. Luna would also find who did this and personally slam them into next month for the damage they might have willingly or unwillingly caused.