Gatekeeper: Prince of Darkness

by InfiniteBrony

Angered Allience

The shadows were long and the Darkness all-encompassing as I sat upon my Hidden Throne, surveying my dominion within the realm of Shades. Dark apparitions traveled to and fro within my sight, unheeded and unimpeded by the vast multitude of souls on the streets far below us and within the shadowed constructs that mimicked the great, towering Houston skyline. Few of the beasts paid me much mind, but those that did invariably gave a brief bow before hurrying away as quickly as their various mean of propulsion could take them. I could feel the Presence of this world beginning to wane as dawn approached, and the first rays of sunlight slipped over the horizon, though this place remained as dark as ever. No light ever shone here. Looking about, I gazed out at the thousands upon thousands of souls of my people, but instead of the peace of mind I had hoped to find by now, I still could not shake my uneasy weariness and apprehension.

I had sat here, in the Dark, simply observing the ebb and flow of the worlds around me, acutely aware of the strange Shifting for some time now. It had happened several days past, and had been enough to violently rouse me from my slumber, my consciousness being ripped from the sub-dimension I spent my sleeping hours in and forcibly cast back into my own body. I had hardly been able to sleep since, finding myself constantly drawn to this Place Between Worlds, feeling a strong compulsion to watch over and protect it. Breathing deeply, I couldn’t suppress the shiver that went down my spine as I caught the metaphysical scent left by the traces of That Which Hungers. Its influence was growing, and even here, in my sacred bastion and my current seat of power the foul rot of its touch seemed to linger on the horizon. As deeply as I loathed personal weakness, I had to admit that just the thought of such well and truly scared me.

Hopefully though, I would soon be able to put my mind at ease. Mere hours ago, the labor of myself, my top scientists, Arcanologists, engineers, Runesmiths and a host of others over the past year had finally borne fruit. I had already carved out a small piece of my own soul and infused it into the device, and once the sun set again and it reached full power its range of several hundred miles would cover an appreciable chunk of the entire country and several million souls. I couldn’t help but allow a self-satisfied grin to creep across my features as I thought about it, my greatest creation, my magnum opus. Death, Hate, Greed, Anger, Fear, Pain and so much more, so long darkness lived in the hearts of men my Shadow Drive would endure and thrive, existing in the physical world, the Realm of Shades and as a part of myself all at once.

I was snapped out of my thoughts by the sound of great wing beats stirring the air in a deep and reverberating staccato. Tearing my gaze away from the horizon, I looked to the to the stretch of the floating island of dark crystal that lay before my throne, my face returning to a more neutral state just as one of my most favored subjects landed before me. The first thing that had come to my find when I had lain eyes on him for the first time was that he must have been some sort of dragon. For the most part I was right, but he was so much more. No less than seventy-five feet long from snout to tail, he stood a good dozen feet or more at the shoulder. His body appeared sickly and emaciated, as if it had long since all but rotted away, leaving only the bones left on the vast majority of his form. His ribs from the waist up, his spine, his wings, his tail, his forelimbs, and even most of his skull was all blackened and blighted bone. All of his body was coated and perpetually soaked with an oily, tar-like blackness that hissed and sizzled and dripped from him constantly like a toxic rain. He bowed low to me, and even from the distance of several dozen yards the sheer, thick presence of Pestilence and death that choked the air around him was almost tangible and seemed to roll off of him in nearly palpable waves. It was easy to see why he was the ruler of this place before I came along. “Rise, Scythirraax,” I bid him.

“My king,” he rumbled as he rose to his full height, his voice carrying a deeper weight than simple sound, “I have done as you have tasked me.”

“And?” I queried, my voice even.

He gave a small nod as he responded, saying, “It is as I assured you. All is clear and silent, and yours is the only Will to be found.”

I couldn’t help but feel a small weight lift off my back at his words, and my shoulders slumped imperceptibly. “Good, good,” I muttered, relief evident in my voice. After a brief moment and a small sigh of relief, I looked Scythirraax in the eyes and spoke, “I have another task for you.”

“Anything,” he said, meeting my gaze.

I couldn’t help but smirk slightly at his devotion. “I am afraid I shall have to take my leave soon, I have matters that I must attend to within the physical world. I would have you watch over this place in my absence, and see to it that all remains as it should be and that my will is done.”

“It shall be as you say, Sire,” Scythirraax responded, bowing deeply before turning around and taking wing into the dark skies, his every movement causing another small deluge of hissing, spitting black droplets.

I watched him disappear into the distance, and couldn’t help but give a small sigh, still unable to completely rid myself of that lingering sense of unease. It couldn’t be helped though I suppose, and I rose up from my throne, making my way to the edge of the small floating island of dark crystal and looked out upon my domain one more time before deciding that everything was well enough in order.

Carefully, I Stepped from the Realm of Shades back into the physical world, my pace quick and my stride long; I had a plane to catch.

*~-/^\-~*

The Cuban sunlight shone harshly, and even though I was inside and well out of its direct rays I couldn’t but feel as if the shafts of golden light glancing in through the wall of the restaurant’s windows were clawing at me with flaming fingers, playing across my exposed skin with burning needles. Stifling a groan, I leaned back in my chair and took another sip from my wine glass, silently thankful I could no longer sweat and therefore sully my expensive suit as I was constantly reminded why I so despised the tropics in the summer. I may be from the south, but that didn’t change the fact that I was made to deal with a much more frigid climate.

Beside me, Rosaline seemed to be dealing with the sun much better than myself, despite her pale complexion and conservative black dress. Catching the annoyed glare I sent her way and noting my miserable state, she let out a light and trilling giggle and playfully stuck her tongue out at me. Giving an irritated snort, I flicked one of my fingers and sharply pinched her tongue with my magic, causing her to let out a startled and high pitched squeak, and I felt my own spirits raise slightly at her blush and the cross glare she sent my way.

Turning away, I returned my gaze to the restaurant’s front door, my mind beginning to drift once again. Despite the fact that all seemed well and nothing ill-fated had happened yet, I couldn’t shake the apprehension and unease that had followed me like a dark cloud for the last several days. I had been on constant high alert for days now, and it was beginning to catch up with me, a deep seated weariness settling in my bones. My thoughts ran wild and my body was lethargic and sluggish, my mind slowly becoming clouded as my razor intellect dulled from overuse as I devoted my time and considerable energy into consolidating my power and protecting my interests in preparation for whatever threats may be just around the corner. I didn’t know for sure what was coming, but I needed to be ready. My plans were reaching a critical point, and I would not be deterred now. Even now, from this far away and in the middle of the day I could feel my Shadow Drive in Houston, its range having already spread enough to cover everything from Galveston to College Station and all the countless souls therein. So far, Phase One of The Darkness Project seemed to be a resounding success, and I’d already given the go ahead to proceed to Phase Two. Hopefully after today’s meeting with the King of the Changelings I would be that much closer to my ultimate goal and have that much less to worry about with a powerful ally at my back. At the rate things were going it was only a matter of time, it wouldn’t be long at all before Sombra–

I was snapped out of my thoughts by the tinkling sound of the small brass bell above the doorways as three figures stepped inside, and I knew immediately that the other party to this diplomatic meeting had arrived. A odd spicy heaviness filled the air as the changelings entered the establishment, and it wasn’t hard to guess where Rex got the inspiration for his current skin as he strolled in like he owned the place, his form-fitting red dress clinging tightly to him – to an outside observer he probably appeared as to be the fraternal twin sister of the woman sitting beside me. Beside him was a pair of his stony faced guards, wearing dark olive skin clothed in green polo shirts and black slacks. I set my wine down as they took the seats across the table from us and I couldn’t help but raise a questioning eyebrow at Rex’s particular tastes.

“An idea is an interesting little creature, isn't it? Good afternoon, Mr. DiVinci,” Rex said, his voice all but a perfect match to that of my assistant. Reaching out, he offered a hand to shake as he asked, “I trust that you are feeling well?”

I reached out myself and shook his offered hand, felling a slight tingle as something passed between us. Deciding to pay it no mind, I responded, “Very. King Rex, I am quite pleased with your acceptance to negotiate an alliance between our two factions. Although, I must ask about your... current apparel.”

Rex gave a small smirk as he answered. “Well, the familiar is comfortable, and you know this face intimately. Rosaline,” he said, turning to look at my assistant beside me, “take it as a compliment. You have a beautiful complexion, and it's my way of praising you by copying what comes naturally to you. I mean, have you seen my real face? And besides, you look nice in a tiny red dress.”

Rosaline’s posture and expression remained stern and professional, even as the tell-tale mischievous twinkle shone in her eyes as she took the bait. “I look good in anything. And sometimes even nothing at all,” she said playfully.

“We know,” Rex retorted with a wink.

It was all I could do not to roll my eyes at Rosaline’s typical mischievousness, and allowed myself as cursory glance at Rex’s two guards, have to force my expression to remain neutral instead of slipping into a scowl at the sight of them – I was raised in the south, and there was no love lost between me and blacks. Looking back to Rex I said, “I’m afraid I’m not much one for wasted words and banal pleasantries, so let us get right to the point, shall we? Since I was the one who proposed the alliance in the first place I will defer the opening negotiations to you. Though we have discussed them in short before, please state your terms now.” As I spoke, Rosaline took the hint, slipping into a more professional composure and pulling out of her purse a small recording device to set on the table between us.

“Spoilsport,” Rex responded, giving a false pout for a moment before becoming more serious. “Hmmm... Well, for starters, I think we should establish our absolute boundaries. As long as neither crosses these limits, I feel as if we could work amicably together indefinitely, provided that nothing else changes. I'll start. You know this one already, but for the record, I insist that you avoid dark magic around my changelings. Harmony style is fine, as long as you do nothing to harm them. Second, due to the contagion of emotion, I ask you to avoid changeling territory to prevent your influence from... damaging our crops.” He must have noticed my slight twinge of irritation at being restricted from traveling in such a way, because he held up his hands in a defensive gesture and backtracked, saying, “Hey, a day or two is fine; just don't move to Atlanta or the likes.”

We were briefly interrupted when the waiter came up to our table, turning to Rex and in a chokingly thick accent asked, “For you, señora?”

With an apologetic glance towards me and a simple ‘excuse me’, Rex turned to the waiter and said in fluent Spanish, “Surprise the three of us. I am sure that a man like you has excellent taste.” The waiter, pleased with her words and at being addressed in his native language, responded with a wide grin and verbal confirmation before walking back to the kitchens.

“Sorry,” Rex apologized, turning back to me. “I couldn't keep him waiting. Hmmm... And three, most importantly, do not reveal us to the humans. The day you say 'changeling' to the public is the day we declare war on you. But you're a smart man, and keeping the status quo means that the rules of the game don't change,” He said, his face spreading in a changeling grin. “Now it's your turn to build walls and make testosterone-fueled death threats. Be dominant.” Pretending to speak under his breath, he added just loudly enough to be heard, “I like my men that way.”

I ignored the irritatingly flirtatious remarked, nodding as I responded. “That shouldn’t be a problem. My boundaries are rather simple, and while I understand that your kind thrives upon deception, there must be honesty on both sides for this alliance of ours to work. First and foremost: no hiding. I’ll have no changelings or thralls infiltrating any of my various organizations for any reason. Any inquiries you may have will simply have to go through the proper channels. On that note, I’ll need you to identify each and every individual changeling already working for me and any attempting to do so in the future, and don’t even consider skipping a few because I have ways of sniffing them out. Rest assured, I won’t strip them of their employment, simply keep an eye on them.” My gaze turned sharp, and I peered directly into his eyes, driving home my final point. “Finally, do not meddle in the affairs of myself, my senior staff or my inner circle. I ask this not only out of a need for privacy but for your hive’s safety. Many of our dealings could tend to prove rather... counter-productive to a continued changeling livelihood.”

Pausing, I took a sip of my wine, taking note of the vague air of dissatisfaction emanating from Rex. “I trust this is agreeable to you,” I continued. “If you’ve nothing to add, then let us move on to the next order of business. What do you hope to gain from this venture?”

For a moment he was deeply contemplative, carefully considering my words for several seconds before finally responding. “That... Is agreeable, on one condition,” he said, meeting my gaze. “Your Crystal Curse ensures loyalty to you, yes? It will be to them and only them to which my changelings reveal themselves, and only when prompted. The question will be, 'Have you ever wished to see a world of pure imagination?' The answer will be, 'I already have seen it,' followed by a swift change in eye color.”

Leaning back in his chair slightly, he continued, expounding on my points of concern. “As for infiltrators, well, I run my hive a bit differently than Chrysalis does. We royals can influence the degree free will in our hive. Chrysalis grants about 90% free will! which is like having a voice in your head that gives advice from time to time; I keep it at about 95%, which is merely a whisper. My point is if a changeling has a job that so happens to be under your employment, it's theirs for their own reasons, not mine. About 60% of my hive is composed of love collectors, a staggering percentage due to the low energy yield of human emotions. Of that, maybe 25% are deep plants that hold permanent identities, which are what would cause you the most trouble. Trimming down further, we have one, maybe two dozen who even have a chance of interacting with your businesses. Off the top of my head, only Leonardo Ludwig, Carter Long, and Gregory Daniels have had any business with you. Oh, and the latter happens to be the father of my head love collector, Jak. I'm rambling...” he said, his head turning away briefly as he compounded his thoughts.

“Now, what do I want?” he stated rhetorically, his eyes steeling with a faint conviction began stating his desires. “Food, defense, and power, in that order. For food... Rosaline, if you would?”

Rosaline looked to me in askance, and I nodded my consent. “Gladly,” she responded, my approval given as she tapped her innate empathy magic and the rooms slowly filled with love energy, invisible to the humans around us. The three changelings across from us immediately donned expressions of pure bliss as they felt it, gorging themselves upon the proffered meal. After a moment however, the looks on their faces slowly slipped towards darker emotions, and I could feel the pangs of anger and defeat as Rex’s smile slipped and he slumped in his seat, his two guards furrowing their brows in anger and irritation.

“I fuckin' hate being scammed...” the older appearing of the two guards grumbled, a simultaneous assent of concurrence escaping the other changelings.

Angered at having my honor and integrity called into question, I responded in the clipped and measured tone. “Scammed. You believe I would scam you?”

No doubt sensing the increasing flickers of heat either in my tone or in my emotions, Rex sent me a placating glance, before reaching for an empty bread plate and answering. “Not willingly. Though crude, my guard has a point.” Placing his two index fingers gingerly against the plate, he began concentrating, and after a moment two small drops of pink appeared. One was clear and translucent, the other cloudy and murky, both catching the fading afternoon light and glistening like gossamer drops of honey and morning dew. “Perhaps a demonstration is needed. Rosaline's artificial love is, upon tasting, virtually identical to the real stuff, with the exception of a slight metallic aftertaste. But once it's in...” he explained, leaving the end of his sentence to hang and trail off into silence, lifting up the edge of the plate as he spoke. The translucent droplet ran down the incline of the dishware cleanly, leaving behind not even a hint of residue or moisture, while the more clouded drop flowed much more slowly, slipping down the plate at a much more sedate pace more akin to the honey it resembled. “Jak described it best. It's like sugar-free candy; it's a tasty treat, but almost nutritionally useless. I could get more directly from Rosaline the old-fashioned way. And now I'm really hungry. Where is the waiter with our food?” he expounded further, turning his gaze to study my form, licking his lips and crossing his arms, accentuating his generous bust. “At least you, Victor, would make one hell of a meal, or at least better company, if you would just relax and have fun. Unlike humans, you could give indefinitely, if not all at once.”

By now it had become obvious that the changelings had been up to something as we spoke, the odd sort of spicy heaviness that pervaded the air as they entered only having gotten more prominent as time passed, and I could feel emotions and desires of a most lascivious nature beginning to fill the patrons of the eatery, and even myself to an extent, though it was a rather trivial matter to suppress such base urges in the face of the current situation. I considered his words and thought back to prior dealings with and knowledge of changelings, both Sombra's and my own, before I spoke. "I see, though for your own sake I would advise against attempting to feed on me. If past events are any indicator, I’m afraid I’d prove a rather... caustic meal. Now, I believe you had two other requests. Defense and power, if I am not mistaken?"

Rex gave a small dismissive wave as he spoke, a more serious expression finding its way onto his face as he looked into my eyes. “Power comes later; I do not need your help yet on that front. Defense, though, I do need your cooperation. I do not care what you do, but our greatest defense is our non-existence in the eyes of the humans. Do your best to keep it that way. However, I could imagine that, with the arrival of new Gatekeepers, magic and eventually changelings might be exposed. When that happens, I'll need your help in the form of two favors.” His tone turned to a more somber edge, and he held up a hand, counting off his points on his fingers. “First, help me pass a set of laws to help 'regulate' magic use; note the ironic emphasis. Second, and this is an idea that I encourage you to use too, help me spread a rumor. I want people to think that we are related to the fair folk of European Mythology, if not literally Fae. I especially want emphasis on the 'burnt by iron' part; we act along and ta-da, a fake weakness to give the illusion of control. You could play up the devil act, cringing in fear of religious symbols.” Flashing a winning smile, he winked at me. “You know, just in case.”

I felt the corners of my lips curl at the ideas he put forth, and a quiet chuckle escaped my throat as my more playful and mischievous side bubbled to the surface, reveling in the thought. “I always was rather partial to theatrics, and It’d be no small stretch of the truth to play the part of the Dæmon of Shadows,” I said, taking no small delight in entertaining the thought. Oh what fun such a thing would be! Speaking from the shadows, haunting mortal nightmares, consorting for power with those of a dark heart, and pursuing my own unknowable dark purpose. I was ever the lead actor in my own life’s story, and all the world was to be my stage. After several moments though, my eager expression began to fall as I more deeply considered it. To be truthful, such a thing was not much of an exaggeration at all, and I had many needed elements in place already. My thoughts cast back, and my mind recalled a young soul, burning bright with new purpose and darkened by my touch, and aloud I thought, “Yes, that sounds reasonable. I may already have the gears set in motion...”

After a moment of contemplation, my thoughts returned to the present, and I returned my gaze to the changeling king sitting across from me. “Yes, that all sounds agreeable, and should be easy enough to achieve. As for myself…” I said, pausing for a brief moment as I carefully considered how to phrase the wording of my request. Satisfied with my mental script, I spoke, “I suppose, in the end, what it all boils down to is rather simple. I want what any man with power wants: more power. I want you to help me achieve this end in various ways.”

As I continued, I held up a single finger, emphasizing my first and foremost desire. “I’m fully aware of just how much Equestria has advanced in the thousand years since Sombra’s banishment, and that you access to the Canterlot Archives. I’d like whatever knowledge you’ve managed to glean from them, and I do mean all of it. Magic, history, sciences, culture, everything. Knowledge is something I covet very highly.” As I spoke, my eyes drifted towards the bread plate and the two glistening drops of condensed emotion still upon it, my thoughts expanding. “On that note, I’d also appreciate it if you could ‘lend’ me one of your changeling scientists. I could much benefit from such a particular perspective, and it would go a long way in helping to create a viable solution for your food problem.”

Holding up another finger, I kept talking. “Also, as I’ve stated before, I want your political backing. Equestria has officially acknowledged you as your own sovereign state, and as per this alliance I expect your support for my claiming of the Crystal Throne when it is no doubt inevitably disputed. The same applies to this world, though I expect that I will require a far different method of assistance on our side of The Divide.”

Pausing, I lowered my fingers and lifted my wine glass to my lips, finishing it off as I allowed my words to sink in. Once I was sure Rex had sufficiently mulled them over, I went on, “Moving on. The next order of business I’d like to address, while not directly part of our particular alliance per se, I feel bears attention; you mentioned them already.” As I spoke, the waiter returned with the changelings’ meal, a well done platter of fish, and they immediately dug in with gusto, eating as if half-starved and slowing only enough to still be considered civil.

Paying it no heed, I continued on, making a point that I had been considering at length for the last several months now. “Gatekeepers. They could rapidly become a major problem if proactive steps are not taken. I say we create a new, underground organization, a sort of Council of the Fae in keeping with the proposed rumors. Its purpose would be to seek out, monitor, control, organize and if need be support and protect anything ‘supernatural’ around the world. Most notably would be other Gatekeepers, all of whom must join, without exception. It will act as a sort of shadow government, writing laws for, such as you mentioned, the use of magic. It will serve as a way to unify us all, no matter how many more Gatekeepers appear or how they affect the world, and will help keep both us and the humans safe from each other. Should it be needed, it will offer safe haven to any of our ilk who need it, especially when the Crystal Empire appears. And though it goes without saying, you and I will be its founders and leading members, if for no other reason than the right of experience and the means to make it a reality.”

I watched Rex closely as I spoke, my hawkish gaze seeing all as I did my best to convey the seriousness of the situation and monitored his reaction. “Have you anything else to add?” I asked as I finished my proposal, wanting to hear his unique input towards the situation.

Rex paused in his eating as he considered, and I could all but see the wheels turning in his mind, his expression becoming thoughtful and pensive. Propping his elbows on the table and interlacing his fingers, he rested his chin on the backs of his hands and stared into the middle distance as thought deeply contemplated his own response. After a while, he answered, “I have mixed emotions. On the good side, I agree with your proposal on creating magic regulation, but I have an alternate proposal. What if my company publicly 'discovered' a way to cross to the other side and, for a maintenance fee, allowed anyone or anypony to cross? This would be a controlled global introduction to the other universe and give you legal access to a whole new market. Your customers won't be worrying about where their magic potions came from then. While your partner is... indisposed, I have the manpower to create a shipping and tourism empire the likes the world has never seen, and you have goods to sell.”

I considered his words, and I felt my expression slowly sour as I thought of the details of such an arrangement. While what he said had some merit and was true for now, such a notion I felt was rather unseemly. The world – neither world really – was ready for interdimensional travel on a commercial scale, and I doubted it would be any time soon, the appearance of additional Gatekeepers be damned. The thought of such power in the sole hands a single company and by extension a peoples such as the changelings as well sent a shiver up my spine, and images of a mercantile based world government filled my head. Needless to say, I found such thoughts… deeply disturbing. Keeping my tone and emotions carefully controlled, I responded, “I’m... not quite so sure. Such a thing could lead to disastrous results, especially once new Gatekeepers begin cropping up. As much as things have changed recently, I don’t think the world is quite ready for it, and neither is Equestria for that matter. Maybe once ‘The Fae’ become known and the supernatural is accepted as truth we could begin a careful and controlled introduction to the world, but...” I allowed my sentence to trail off into silence, doing my best to convey my stance on the subject.

Rex though, despite no doubt sensing my reluctance, pushed the subject, albeit a little less forcefully. “I think it could speed that acceptance up, and it doesn't mean that we have to expose ourselves. Food for thought...” he said, returning to his food.

I felt my frown slip further down my face as I realized that I wasn’t going to be able to deter him from such a course of action so easily. For a moment, I considered if there were another way to change his mind, before coming up blank, grimacing in distaste of the situation as I realized there was nothing further I could say without tipping my hand too early. “Let’s just table this discussion for now. We could further discuss this once we can see what the immediate future holds,” I said, hoping that if I could not immediately dissuade him then I could delay such a thing until the circumstances became more agreeable at least.

“Yes,” Rex agreed, allowing for a subtle pause for a natural segue into the next topic of conversation. “Well, I planned to share some magic knowledge with any magic-using Gatekeepers. But on the neutral-bad side of things, I'm going to have to limit your access to the archives. You will get most if it, I assure you, but not all. I will not be letting you have any time spells - physics works differently here, so they don't work. At all. Instant death. You will not be getting most of the black archive; some of that stuff makes Nazi death camps look like good family fun by comparison,” he said, and I subconsciously nodded in agreement. That all sounded reasonable enough, and I doubted I’d really need the Black Archive anyways – I’d probably be able to all but recreate it on my own anyways. No offense to the Nazis, but in the end they were rather sloppy. “And, although I'm sure that you would love the spell that makes you orgasm for hours on end, you will not be getting any spells from the changeling private collection,” he continued, oblivious to my thoughts and all but purring in a husky and teasing tone. “Although, I could demonstrate some of the more fun ones if either of you are interested.”

Leaning back in his chair, Rex donned a superior smug smirk that I immediately found insufferable and had to suppress the urge to wipe from his face. Haughtily, he continued, “Lastly, the question has always been, do you see too much to get the big picture? I now have my answer, and it is yes. Game two, move two, though I never expected this to be how I use it. We are already on opposite sides of this. If you had asked me to help you conquer the griffins, I would have leapt at the chance. Anyone else, and I would have given a token effort to aid you. But your reputation, merely by association, is to your detriment. No, I will not help you or Sombra take or maintain power in the Crystal Empire; quite the opposite, I intend to obstruct you. All Sombra has to do is walk away, and we can be the best of buddies. But for as long as a dark king sits on the Crystal Throne, you deny two nations, and more importantly, my nation's counterparts, food and safety. And I'm sure that, if angry Equestrians and Changelings are not enough, the Americans would be quite interested in an artifact that can boost the morale of an entire planet. You claim Sombra is sane now? Show me. Even a sociopath knows when to cut his losses.”

As he spoke, I felt my anger mounting and mounting until it was a great, massive burning rage, barely held back by a thin veneer of self-control, all of it ready to burst and consume everything in the vicinity like an erupting volcano. Even though the sun had hardly moved in the sky, all the shadows around the room had visible lengthened and even begun stretching towards me, though it seemed that none but Rosaline had noticed if her widening eyes were any indication. How dare he! Just who did this impudent little whelp think he was to deny me so! Even the sick satisfaction I took in watching the highly sensitive empath writhe under the assault of my anger did nothing to abate it.

Doing his best to ignore my barely restrained rage, he continued on regardless. “So I present to you the only three choices you have. One, if for any reason Sombra vacates the throne, you have my full cooperation. Two, if by your inaction, Sombra retains his position, and you provide no aid or hindrance to him, then I will uphold our alliance to the letter and no more; Sombra, not you, will be my enemy. Three, if you aid Sombra in any manner, you will have violated a portion of this alliance you have already agreed upon; A small branch of my hive has taken up permanent residence in Canterlot and Sombra threatens their food supply. Act, and we reciprocate in kind.” As he spoke, all three of the changelings across the table from me stabbed their plates of fish and took a bite in a level of synchronization only possible to such beings, the older of the two guards licking his lips with an unnaturally long tongue while Rex and the other guard flashed a predatory smile, showing off hidden fangs.

“Food stylists are one of the highest paying freelance jobs in the advertising industry. I'd think you'd do well in that business, Mr. DiVinci,” the elder guard spoke up.

“I know that Nick had an apple shaped ball-gag at one point... Oh beautiful Rosaline, whatever will your boss do? Decisions, decisions... So many good choices. How do you like the odds?” Rex continued, his tone light and teasing as he flaunted the situation.

The subtle threat directed towards my assistant was enough to cause a hair-thin crack within the mantle of my restraint. “ENOUGH!” I roared, my voice reverberating oddly in the suddenly still air, its volume enough to silence all the other restaurant patrons and rattle the glassware. If anyone had bothered to look under our table, they would have noticed the myriad of razor sharp shards of black crystal that briefly pushed their way through the floor, shattering the tiles.

“Fine…” Rex drawled petulantly like a child, frowning at being denied his fun as he realized he was beginning to go too far, his fangs retracting back into his lip. “That is then. This is now. Make your decision when the time comes and stick with it. And for crying out loud, tell the poor girl you love her,” he said, pointing towards Rosaline, who I could tell was feeling rather mixed emotions at this point, joy at my defense and perturbation at the situation. “Let her know that we bed bugs won't bite so long as you have any say about it.”

“Now, are we allies, big man? Friends don't attack friends,” Rex finished, extending his hand to seal the deal.

Doing my best to choke down my pride and anger at being talked down to by the insolent pup, I took his hand. “Yes, bug, we are allies. But know that if you hurt me or what's mine, I will squash you, in ways more painful than you’ve ever known. Mayhaps you should remember, but Chrysalis was not always the last changeling monarch,” I all but spat, drawing on bloody memories of a thousand years past for solace – and mostly failing at that.

“Is there a crystal fly-swatter with my name on it? Kinky,” Rex retorted, that insufferable smirk making its way back onto his face. Giggling, he reached into the small purse he carried with him and palmed something from inside of it as he stood up. “Well, I'll have my people draft up and send you a more formal document that you can read at your leisure. The flight to Las Vegas is a long one, if you are still interested in playing me, which will give you plenty of time. Now, one last thing before I go...” As he spoke, he swiftly made his way around the table, discreetly placing the object between Rosaline and I, before grabbing my head.

And then he kissed me.

So focused was I on containing my anger, on stymieing the blood-lust that roared in my veins, I had lowered my guard and mental defenses. Rex wasted no time taking advantage of that, and with a potent cocktail of magic and chemicals, he was able to reach inside of me, and like flicking a switch, all of my hot, burning rage became another passionate emotion of a decidedly more lascivious nature. So great and sudden was the change that my senses momentarily took leave of me, and all I knew was passion.

When I came to, my breath was short and I tasted copper. Panting, I blinked several times owlishly, my thoughts still rather muddled and flowing slowly through my head like a thick molasses as I stared ahead confusedly. Not noticing my oblivious state, Rex impishly commented, “Thank for lunch, big man. Remember, choose wisely.” Walking away, the changeling monarch strode over to the waiter who had served us and slipped a stack of bills into his hand, before impulsively kissing him on the cheek, causing him to fluster and stumble backwards a few steps. “Thank you very much for the food. It was delicious. Keep the change, sir,” Rex said to him, once more in fluent Spanish. Giving one last glance over his shoulder and a haughty smirk, the changeling and his guards stepped through the door and swiftly disappeared down the street.

As if the tinkling of the small bell above the doorframe were some sort of catalyst, all of my thoughts snapped back into place in an instant as soon as Rex left, and I was suddenly very much aware of what occurred. Carefully, slowly, I lowered myself back into my seat, and with a trembling hand, I reached for Rosaline’s still mostly full wine glass before downing it all in a single gulp. The moment I had come to grips with what had just transpired, all of my rage returned to me – in spades. For the first time in years, I was actually losing the constant and ever-present struggle against my emotions to keep my all-consuming anger in check.

Carefully, with controlled movements, I reached out to set the empty wine glass on the table, but an errant twitch caused to pulverize to dust, and with a grating screech every piece of glassware in the room responded in kind, shattering into numerous pieces, a large branching spider web of cracks ripped through the front wall of windows, and even the large wad of cash Rex had pulled out of his purse and set on the table igniting and instantly burning away to ash like flash paper. All the loud noise and flying glass did well to snap the restaurant patrons and serving staff out of the lustful stupor they’d been under since Rex’s display, and with my leaking magical influence in the air they all without exception immediately descended into panic as an unnatural fear gripped them.

Ignoring the frantic screams and pressing rush of bodies as they all struggled to escape whatever strange terror had gripped them, I spoke to my assistant without turning to face her. “Rosaline,” I said, my clipped and tightly controlled tone easily cutting through the clamor all around us. “I want you to leave. Make your way to our plane and take leave for home with all possible haste. I will be there soon enough, I will find my own traveling arrangements. There is something I must take care of first.”

She nodded to me, swallowing thickly as she clasped her hands to prevent them from shaking. “Y-yes, my king,” she stuttered, her trembling voice and wide eyes betraying the fact of her fear, though she felt such for entirely different reasons than those around her. In all the time that she had known me, she had never seen me in such a state, and even with her brand of limited Empathy Magic, her skin was beginning to visibly redden as my rage and hate washed over her like a hot wind and burning tide. She wasted no time in following my orders and quickly vacated the premises along with all the humans around us.

After several moments I was alone, sitting amidst a scene of chaos, upturned tables and chairs and broken glass littering the room around me. I struggled against my rage, but I continued to fail, my hands subconsciously clench and unclenching, my claws digging great grooves into the stone top of the table I sat at. Grunting, I suddenly wished to be elsewhere, anywhere but here, and with a loud rush of air and a muffled boom, my body imploded into a large cloud of dark smoke as I Stepped into the realm of shadows, fleeing as quickly as I could northward, out to the ocean so I would be out at sea when my rage inevitable consumed my in a matter of minutes.

And consume me it did. With a great howl and a roar like the splitting of the earth, I lost myself, knowing only darkness and the burn of my hate.

*~-/^\-~*

Meanwhile, unbeknownst to all, a lost princess dreamed restlessly, her slumbering thoughts filled with vast and empty vistas and shadowy images of beasts astride two legs.

Comments

[ErikPhantom]

Goddamn but Rex is an idiot and an asshole.

[wille179]

4620017
Or an actor with a thousand masks. Who says we've seen the real Rex... ever?

-Wille179, author of Black Queen Red King.

[ErikPhantom]

4620910

Fair enough, I guess i should say he's acting like a idiot and an asshole. It just seems like a very bad idea to provoke an incarnation of rage whose anger is literally toxic to your entire race.