500 X 7

by CHeighlund

Transformation

“Throw her out of my palace. I wish no more to do with this crazed emissary of a crazed ruler.”

The ambassador stared up into King Proteus’s face as the guards surrounded her. “It is not I who is crazed, oh foolish king. His Majestic Eminence Lord Tempest, Emperor of the Azure Skies, cannot be stopped. Remember well that he offered you a chance to surrender peacefully, and that in your arrogant folly you rejected it. Remember this, as your lands are drowned from existence by the power my master commands!”

“I shall remember the ramblings of a rabid hound, nothing more. Begone!”

As the ambassador was hauled, still yelling her screed, out of the palace, King Proteus sat back in his throne, hoof on his face. After a moment, he raised his head and beckoned for his closest advisors to join him. “What options do we have, my friends? I will never submit to a tyrant like Tempest, yet I admit his realm, his forces, do far outnumber those of our fair Lemaria. Can we field an army against him, even for a time, or has my pride destroyed us all?”

For long minutes, no answer was forthcoming, until finally the youngest of the King’s gathered companions spoke. “You did as you must, father, and so thus shall we.”

“Ah, Pearl. You fill my heart; I can only hope that you are right.

That night, the rains began.

Rains, day 7

“Majesty.”

King Proteus looked up as one of his guards circled down for a landing. “What news, soldier? Has there been any sign of easing in the clouds?”

The pegasus shook his head, water splaying everywhere as he did so. “I am afraid not, your majesty. If anything, the storms have redoubled over the land. These storms are unnatural, sire - the clouds do not respond to our commands.”

“I see. Change your plan of action, soldier. Take orders to your commanders from my own hoof - you are to cease attempting to stop the weather, and to focus on aiding Our subjects in seeking shelter from the flooding.”

The pegasus blinked, saluted his king, and flew back out into the darkening gray skies.

Rains, day 45

King Proteus looked up, as one of his retainers stepped into the throne room, a sick look upon her face. “Majesty, I am afraid that I must report the death of Stoneridge Harbor, and all those who dwelt within. The rising waters have overcome the village. Many of those who once lived there have been moved, but some three dozen souls refused to leave their homes. They will remain there eternally now.”

The muggy, oppressive humidity in the room became the slightest bit wetter, as hot tears of anguish poured forth from the king’s eyes at the news.

Rains, day 100
“Majesty, those of our people who remain dwell now in the highest of highlands around the castle. Even so, that shrunken realm looks to you for leadership. What can we do, Majesty?”

King Proteus nodded to his advisors. “Gather all those unicorns who you can find. Enjoin them to gather their powers into building a shield around the city, and draw all those you can within. I am afraid that our time is close to an end, however.”

Rains, day 365

A solid year of rain, a year without sunlight, without wind… only the dome around Lemaria’s palace had kept those precious few within, less than a hundred all told, alive, and that only because the King had rationed out the palace’s stores of grain and fodder scantly. Even so, those reserves would run out in a few days, as there had been no way to replace them.

King Proteus turned his eyes upwards, to where the stars above had once shone down, and cast a wish to them with all his might. “Would that there was some way I could aid my people once more… my own life I would gladly surrender, if it came to that.”

The king jumped as a voice answered from behind him. “Would you, now. Perhaps we might be able to come to a deal, then.”

Proteus spun, eyes widening in shock at the sight behind him. From nowhere, it seemed, a strange mare had appeared, her form covered not in loose hair, but shining coral shell. “What manner of being are you, to appear in such a way?”

The mare gave a rueful grin. “An opportunistic one, I’m afraid. I might be able to aid your people, your majesty, but I freely admit I’m doing it for my own reasons. My kindred fight against the monster who calls himself Emperor Tempest, and we’re searching for anything we can use against him.” She stepped forward. “I’m afraid I can’t free your people from Tempest’s threat, but I do have something I can do about what he’s done to your land. My people, oh noble king, are known as Changelings. Moreover, some among us have found a way to extend a portion of our power to others, at a cost. Will you, and your people, pay my price?”

“I see not that I have a choice, milady Changeling. Let us gather, then, and hear what you would say.”

Rains, day 500

At long last, the shining sun broke over the sea that had once been Lemaria. Emperor Tempest had satisfied himself that the realm had been punished; never again would their names be known in history. In that, he was sadly mistaken.

Underneath the seas, through the magic of a Changeling Queen, and the sacrificial love of a King for his people, a transformation had taken place. No longer were the inhabitants of Lemaria as they had once been; whether Unicorn, Pegasus, or Earth Pony, now all were a new breed, freshly come upon the world, and the aquatic Uisge of Lemaria once more freely farmed and froliced in the drowned lands below the waves.

Author's Note:

Prompt 498: Five hundred days of rain.

Comments

[Nyerguds]

Hee. Interesting conclusion.

Shoo be doo.