The Tale of Rose Eclipse: Royal Sorcerer

by NewWillinium

New Beginnings

The Royal Sorcerer Chapter 4: New Beginnings

The sun dawned over the Crystal Empire, it’s large crystalline towers and walls sparkling in the rays of the rising sun shone down upon the land, the snow surrounding the winter entrapped city glistening in the morning rays. It was from this view that Poison Drops reflected upon her service to her liege eagerly awaiting his return to the crystalline city state so that she could return to her alchemical experiments. Taking one last breathe of the cool crisp winter air Poison turned and headed down the spire to the throne room to start the day’s proceedings. As she stepped into the throne room Poison Drops took note of Garnett Lance standing guard by the throne, a stern expression upon his scarred face, and after taking a deep centering breathe to settle her nerves coughed to alert the guards to announce her presence. With a jump and some jostling the guards lam the butts of their spears upon the crystal floor, “Now entering the court is the Royal Apothecary and seneschal Lady Poison Drops!”

Poison drops walked in and gazed up at the throne sighing before seating herself halfway up the steps to the throne knowing that the Guard Captain would not stand her sitting upon it. Gazing around she spied Garnett Lance awaiting off to the side of the court and calls him forward.

“Captain Lance, do you have something to report?”

“Aye, Apothecary I do.” The stern captain voice dripped in disdain as he briefly snapped to attention, “Our patrols have encountered one of the nomadic Yak tribes crossing our southern borders and were repulsed with minimal injuries to our soldiers. We also have received a request for additional security at our easternmost mine shaft due to increased sightings of the mountain yeti raiding parties.I have taken the initiative to double the nearest garrison at the nearby fort.”

The seneschal sighed and began to rub her temple, “Very good Captain. Anything else of import?”

“Just some minor issues with the Duke’s,” the captain growled the title with hatred, “thugs causing a riot at the Coliseum and Market districts. We have the offenders in the dungeon now.”

Poison Drops noticed the feral excitement in the Captain’s eyes as he gleamed, “With this I can finally convince our lord to be rid of that lowborn cur!”

Poison Drops leaned forward and grinned widely at this report,” To finally be rid of that insufferable prick!” The darkly coated mare laughed and clapped her hooves in glee,” Know that you have my support in this for when our King returns.”

Garnet Lance’s glee dropped as he leveled his gaze at the mare sitting above him,” Yes. Speaking of which has our King sent word back yet? He usually does not take so long when he ousts that madling.”

Poison Drops sighed and worriedly stated, “Unfortunately our liege has sent no word since the night he left. I must admit to being worried though, normally he would have been back by now.” The mare shook her mane and hardened her tone, “I am sure however that he will be back soon, so we cannot shirk in our duties. This in mind I want you to fetch the Forgemaster for a meeting tonight. With his support we can surely convince our King to rid himself of the wretchedable Duke.”

Garnet Lance saluted the sitting seneschal, his crystal coat and wings gleaming in the gloomy lighting of the throne room, “By your leave then seneschal,” the captain’s voice no longer dripped in disdain so eager he was at the opportunity,” I shall go immediately to the forges. Have your schedule cleared for this evening after court. I shall fetch you for the meeting personally.”
The Captain turned and left the throne room leaving the grey maned mare to other worries regarding the running of the court and her worry of her King’s whereabouts.

---

The blizzard raged ever onward as the figure marched through the snowy banks of the tundra, his heavy furred red cloak covered near entirely by the powdery substance the steady marching of the pony dislodging the snow with each step forward revealing a lump laid across his back, steam rising as the snow fell upon the heated segment. The Great figure paused as he heard a faint muffled groan coming from his back, flames leaking from his eyes as he searched for any kind of safe harbor for he and his burden. His flaming gaze pierced through the swarming storm to see an abandoned mine shaft not to far off in the distance, and with a heavy deep-seated sigh sets off for the distant refuge eager to finally be out of the blizzard’s fury.

Arriving but a few minutes later the tall bowed his head so that his frame could fit under the mine’s entrance, only managing to make it but a few dozen feet inside before coming to what had once been a crossroads, one section having been blocked off and buried under a collapsed roof, the smell of rotting wood hanging in the air, the only route left available being that of an doorway with it’s doo hanging half off it’s hinges. Not one to be deterred the stallion focused just enough energy to his horn to slice through the busted hinges allowing the rotted door to fall to the stony floor, and with but a flick of his crowned mane the stepped through the doorway entering the room beyond.

The first thing the great pony noticed as he entered was the prevalent smell of rotted hay and the moth eaten worn blankets in what appeared to be a dormitory of sorts, for the workers or slaves he presumed, only to have his gaze be drawn towards a light glow coming from an elevated platform that lay beyond the central row of bunk beds, the steps leading up to the private stage looking to be intriguingly well preserved compared to the rest of the mine. Narrowing his eyes, the stallion grabbed one of the nearby blankets and tossed it onto the platform watching as it froze in the air as soon as it hit threshold of the stairs. Seeing the stasis, he lit up the room with the light of his horn finding etched marks in the stone floor. He took a moment to gather and alight the moth-eaten blankets and the rotted door into a makeshift campfire, a ring of summoned black crystals keeping the flames from spreading, the King searched for a flaw in the etched design. Spying a break in the rune he focused a steady beam, cracking the etched floor causing the stasis field of the platform to break, the rotted blanket falling to the floor.

He grinned in smug victory and stepped onto the platform spying a large desk and a bed taking up most of the platform, the King spying a lump under the luxurious blankets ripping them off to reveal its owners skeletal remains. The King shook his head and chuckled lowly as the pieces this tale clicked together and turning to the desk he saw a journal upon it. He picked it up and began to crack it open when the lump under his cloak groaned once more, startling the King. Reminded of his shortly forgotten burden the stallion levitated the mattress to the ground floor, dumping the remains to the platform’s floor as he did, a few feet from the make-shift campfire swaddling his passenger in the heavy blankets making sure to leave the youngster’s head poking out.

Gazing down at the young colt the King began to take note of his appearance. He noted the black mane with it’s shock of pink sharply contrasting with the dull grey of his coat and below that a jagged white tipped horn, crystalline in nature as the fire reflected its light upon it. They colt’s eyes began to open almost reluctantly as another pained groan escaped from him, his deep pink eyes squinting as he began to adjust to the light.

“…Who are you?” Rose warily asked, his voice dying as he coughed, the colt quaking from this coughing fit saw the towering unicorn narrow his gaze as his question hung in the air.

“I am Sombra, King of the Crystal Empire. I have claimed you as my own and as such will answer my questions, understand?” King Sombra spoke as silence reigned once more, his voice low and threatening to the pained child.

Rose weakly nodded in affirmation at the King’s demand, the threat in the air compelling him to answer.

“First answer me this,” King Sombra paused as the fire’s light glinted off the child’s new horn,” Who are you and what interest does that worm, Discord, have in you?”

Rose felt compelled to answer the king’s question and recounted his journey, how he had been playing with his friends when Discord appeared. How the Draconequus decided to claim his friends as ‘toys’ and him as their pet. How he had attempted to save his friends only to be mauled and thrown away into the Frozen Wastes with only the faint hope of the Mad Lord’s words being truthful keeping him going.

“Then I fell asleep next to that red crystal spire.” Rose shuddered as he remembered the dream, “Then as I slept Luna and I were attacked by that *thing* Razuul. We ran but he found us again…” Rose began to cry as the next words escaped him, “She left me. She swore that she wouldn’t, but she left me behind. . . Why?”

King Sombra had refrained from interjecting during the retelling despite wishing to at several points but as he watched Rose’s form quiver as he unsuccessfully hold back his wrecking sobs he saw something familiar in the colt’s pain. Draping a arm around the child he clutched him to his chest and began to speak,” . . .Friendship is but a transient bond. It does not last, and your friends will leave you as suits their desires. I know this pain all too well childe, for I too have been betrayed and abandoned by one I held dearest to me. Yet you should not give into despair just yet, for it does not sound as if she left you of her own free will.”

The child stilled in his movements, as the King’s soothing words touched him, finally turning to look the King in the eyes as he asked, “Do you really think so?”

‘No.’ The King nodded grimly, “I would believe so.” Together King Sombra and Rose yawned in unison, “For now however turn such thoughts aside. Tomorrow we shall arrive in my Empire. I have plans for you.”

Rose flinched at that statement, having statements of ownership tossed at him far too often of late, but shut his eyes all the same hoping against all hope that he would find his friend once more in his dreams.

---

Celestia watched in worriment as a deeply frustrated and tired Luna paved back and forth in front of the town hall as they waited for Papyrus Script to come out.

“What is taking him so long?” Luna growled out, “That old coot told us that he would be but a few moments hours ago! ‘Tis unacceptable!” She bristled in anger.

Celestia placed a hoof on Luna’s shoulder as she paced past her stopping her irate sister in her tracks. “Calm yourself dear sister. Give Master Papyrus a few minutes more. If he does not appear then I shall go inside to check what is taking him so long.”

“Calm? How can I be calm at a time such as this?” Luna indignity asked, “Rose is in danger and I cannot reach him! My best friend must feel betrayed! He must think myself a liar and a craven coward!” Luna’s ranting halted as Celestia embraced her sister, her larger wings holding Luna close.

“You of all ponies should know our little Rose better then that. I can almost see him now doing his utmost to get back home as soon as possible, no matter the challenge.” Celestia’s warm tone comforting her sister as she herself worried over their far-flung friend.

Luna took her sisters words in and deeply breathed in... and breathed out, her bristling coat calming somewhat as she tried to rein in her frustration.

Minutes passed as the sisters waited for their mentor to leave his abode, to no avail. Luna watched as even her dear sister’s well of patience ran dry, Celestia stomped towards Master Papyrus’s front porch only to jump back when his door slammed open.

“It has been so long since I’ve left this dreary little town!” The excited professor exclaimed.

“You are late!” Luna jumped towards and snarled at the ancient stallion.

“Sorry girls, I wanted to be sure I brought everything we might need.” Papyrus apologized.

Celestia circled the old pony eying the bulging saddlebags and overstuffed to twice his height backpacks the stallion had strapped to his person, “Are you sure that we need so many scrolls Master Papyrus?” She asked cautiously.

The old pony scoffed, “Of course we do. They won’t let us in cheaply, even for an earth pony as esteemed as I.”

Luna narrowed her eyes at this phrasing, “I thought we were going to see your old friend. Where exactly are we going that one needs to bribe entry?”

The elderly stallion laughed at the much shorter filly that so demanded information from him.

“Luna! You should not speak that way to Master Papyrus! He has graciously offered to help us!” Celestia rebuked her sister before he interjected.

“It is fine Celestia, our dear Luna is right to demand such information from my oh so forgetful self.” Master Papyrus laughed, “We my children are heading to the last free city in Equestria!”

Luna and Celestia looked askance at one another puzzled by his answer, “I thought you taught us that there were no places free from Discord’s rule?” Celestia questioned their mentor.

Papyrus Script looked puzzled at this, “I could have sworn that I have mentioned this before.” Papyrus shook his head before raising up on to his hind legs pointing down the road, “WE my dear pupils are going to the historical capital of Equestrian Unicorns. . .. Canterlot!”