Thorn of the Rose

by BlackRoseRaven

Prologue: Unforeseen Complications

Prologue: Unforeseen Complications
~BlackRoseRaven

Hecate glared down at the two, but no matter how much her sallow features scowled, she couldn't hide the tremble of fear in her neon blue eyes. Her mane of black cabling and living electricity crackled around her features as steel teeth ground together uncertainly, and even her metal body seemed to shake, however minutely. And what use was a body of steel and machinery when, even after she'd removed her heart, something inside her chest still skipped a beat at the thought of what she was being offered?

“No. I won't do it.” she said coldly, reaching one mechanical hand up and shoving it out at the three cloaked shapes with disgust, but her eyes flicked away: not even she could hide what was very nearly fear at the thought of... of taking on... this. “If you haven't noticed, I have an empire to run. Clockwork World, as you call it, won't rebuild itself. And I have many recruits to gather over the coming decade as well. I have no time for your... mistake.”

Hecate stomped metal hooves down into the floor and hefted herself up from her seat, turning and striding towards the door leading out of the half-finished meeting room. Her massive, bipedal machine-body moved silently, synthetic and metal, perfect... and yet her shoulders were hunched, her head forwards, and maybe the faintest tremble ran through her silver-steel form as she told herself she wasn't retreating, she was denying-

“Hecate. Please.” said a quiet voice, and one of the mechanical mare's hands pressed into the doorframe, the mare's mane of lightning crackling around her steel-sheathed horn, sunken eyes glaring resolutely at the door before that voice begged again, more humble than she'd ever heard: “Please. This is the only place where he will be safe. Thou knows we speak truth: he must be hidden, even from those we love most. There is no one else I can trust with this task, but thou and thine.”

The mechanical mare lowered her head, staring down at the floor as she leaned forwards. Inside her body, gears whirred and gyres revolved and wires pumped power eternally: cold, logical machinery that would never weaken, never rot, never give out under its own power like her flesh had. And yet her steel body refused to take another step, because it responded to her living will, her confused mind. It seemed that no matter how many times she tore out her heart, no matter how many layers of soulless metal she cloaked herself in... at her very core, she would always be the same pony she had once been...

Hecate closed her eyes, then she straightened and scowled before punching the button beside the door, not caring that she left a dent in the panel. The electronic door buzzed open, and the mare found herself looking down at a young unicorn colt, who stared back at her with curious, fearless eyes: oh, worried, certainly, but... he wasn't afraid. He wasn't afraid of her at all.

The two looked at each other, and then Hecate said bluntly: “Say your goodbyes to your parents. You will be staying with me.”

The colt nodded to her hurriedly, but Hecate had already turned away, striding past the young unicorn and not looking back until she heard the child scurry into the room. And then she looked back over her shoulder just long enough to catch a glimpse of his tail before he vanished into the meeting room, and the mare sighed quietly.

But she didn't linger, turning her eyes ahead and scowling darkly as she strode onward. She had more important business to attend to than saying goodbyes or comforting the colt she had been saddled with. She just hoped that this little colt quickly learned his place and stayed out of her way.

Hecate gave a dry smile, shaking her head briefly. Then again, if Thorn Blackfeather was anything like his parents... he was going to cause her nothing but trouble.