Chaos Incarnate
Disclaimer: I do not own anything in this story except Sanguine Shadowmane, Gareth Salisbury is PinkiePieFiesta's, Kali is both of ours.
Beta: PinkiePieFiesta
Drawing Borders
Sanguine snorted awake once more from the sun shining brightly on his face. "Mm…it will take a while yet, to get used to the sun and moon moving without aid." Sanguine stood up from his large, luxurious canopy bed, and stepped down to the floor.
Sanguine has, of course, been living in his new home: Castle Everfree, since Gareth created it a week ago.
The massive castle, which it is, as it used to be the mountain, has been undergoing constant improvements since the first night. Especially since on that first night, both Sanguine, and Gareth, embarrassingly shared his small one-pony bed, which he summoned from the Celestial Oak in the field to the northwest.
So Gareth, in his new position of being Sanguine's personal attendant, had decided that the beds would be first. Since Gareth had great Physical magic power, he could easily manipulate any resources from the forest into the materials he needed to craft anything really. So for their canopy beds, he just used the natural fibers from vines as the base for cloth, wild cotton for the stuffing of pillows and the beds, and the easiest of course, was molding the wood from trees.
So to say: they had everything they needed, and Gareth would make it happen.
He even followed the color scheme that Sanguine wanted: Black base, with heavy equal accents of red and gold. That way the castle would match him, and look very regal at the same time. The dyes were easy enough to make from plants, but Sanguine had the interesting request that the red dye be carmine, which was the natural base color of the dye made from cochineal: a parasitic insect.
Although unusual, and to some extremists: cruel. Making dyes from creatures like insects wasn't really immoral, or degenerate in pony society. However, the amount of cochineal needed for this…well…let's say Everfree won't have a decent population of cochineal again for a couple generations, insects bounce back, always do.
However, while Gareth was a Master of Physical magic, Sanguine was, in his humble opinion: a Journeyman at Mystical magic, while barely an Apprentice at Physical magic. Surely his Darkness and Shadow spells are easily Expert to Master spells, but those were gained from the shadow spirit. His own normal spells were moderate at best. Sure he's been able to work well with them, tying objects to a summon rune, even growing plants like the Celestial Oak.
But they were stable, static spells he learned from Star Swirl. They seemed impressive, but so long as you knew what you were doing, they were easy and safe, with no way to change them. Because to change them, would mean you had exceeded their difficulty.
Sanguine shook his head, thinking back to his lessons with Star Swirl so suddenly was a common thing for him. Easily brought on too, as just thinking of Gareth's great power caused him to consider his own magical inadequacy. 'What kind of ruler am I? If I can name numerous ponies stronger than me, how can I say that I lead them in any way?' Sanguine climbed down one of the stairwells, his room being at the top of the central tower.
'My power is great, without doubt. But my skill is lacking. I still have yet to learn any of the standard spells beyond Journeyman. I would ask the old nag to help me, if I cared to even speak to him again.' Sanguine grumbled to himself as he trotted into the top floor of the keep. The top floor of the keep separated the tower from the building below, so that there was no tower interfering with the throne room.
Sanguine then had to climb down the only stairwell leading down to the ground floor of the massive throne room, which extended all the way from the ground floor, to 9 levels high, as the tenth level was the top floor of the keep. While the throne room was enormous, it was still small enough that the rest of the keep, all 9 floors around the throne room, all served purposes from extra rooms, kitchens, servant quarters…as if this castle needed such.
So while it may seem odd, Gareth was absolutely insistent on the throne room being at the very center of the castle. Something about it being both intrinsic to the design, as well as being the most defensible location, aside from the dungeon, and the tower which only has the one stairwell leading up to. Pegasi cannot simply enter through the windows or the roof access either, as only recognized guests or allies may enter. And of course, in the center of the huge throne room was the throne. The throne was part of the castle, seamlessly hewn from the same stone. It was sharp, angular, and overall intimidating.
Sanguine loved it.
Best of all, it was comfortable. It has carmine-dyed velvet cushions for the seat and back, making it so that Sanguine could plop his rump on that cushion and relax all day if he wished. However, it wasn't the throne he was here for; it was the Goldfish Genie molding the black, gold, and carmine woven carpet, leading from the only ground-floor entrance in the northwest wall, to the throne. Sanguine took the chance to sit on his throne, and jest.
"Chamberlain~! Will doth tell thy what business there is to attend?" Sanguine made his voice as snobby as possible, and barely avoided cracking a smirk.
"Ah, Master. It is good to see you have woken with the sun. How well did you sleep, have good dreams sire?" Gareth rumbled back in good humor.
"Gareth, you know I don't dream." Sanguine cut the jesting out, as this was a conversation they'd had before.
Specifically: when Sanguine witnessed Gareth's scales and fins change from silver to gold at sunrise, and later that day, from gold to silver at sundown. Gareth explained to Sanguine, that his power is derived from the sun and moon, as much as it was from their pact. This further impacted Gareth in that he never slept, as the celestial bodies constantly invigorated him: eliminating the need to sleep, and to a lesser extent: eat.
The reason this was a sore spot to Sanguine, was because Gareth lamented how he could never experience sleep, and yet Sanguine could only say that he didn't find sleeping all that appealing, save for when he was tired. Because unlike everypony else it seemed to him: he didn't dream, not even nightmares. To him, sleep was a short period of complete darkness, between lying down, and getting up, and hours of time that could have been productive were wasted.
So, while Gareth was jealous of Sanguine for being able to sleep, Sanguine was jealous of Gareth for not needing to waste time with it. It may seem foalish, but for them, cursed non-dreamers: it wasn't. "Well, there has been a short letter sent by Clover the Clever. She is simply updating you on how the progress on cementing your first two laws is going."
Sanguine looked at the scroll that appeared in Gareth's left hand, and he levitated it to him while unrolling it. "Hm…it's only been a week, and already several interracial couples have popped up. Promising, I'm hoping this will promote a more open and stable society." Sanguine then used his mane to stain a response to her, and sent it back to Clover.
"That aside sir, I have been using only the materials leading in a path through the forest to the northwest. Even should I somehow not need the materials, I'll continue to mold them so a small road leads through the forest from the plains." Gareth reported, as he returned to transforming vine fibers into cloth, then dying them with dye he already made beforehand, and finally weaving them into the carpet runner he was working before.
"Say…Gareth. What level of skill would you say you are in Mystical magic?" Sanguine was surprised he hadn't thought to ask earlier, then again he'd spent most of the week until now getting a view of the lands. He was flying for most of it, and yesterday, he returned and quickly used his mane to stain a rough map of what he expected to be Equestria. He also planned to spend today naming several locations, and also planning about visiting the lands to the south, all being vastly different between a few regions.
"Journeyman. I've lived long Sanguine, and I know some Expert Mystical spells, but I can't use them with regularity. My discipline is in Physical spellcraft. I am sure that you know that trying to compare the methods used to stabilize Physical versus Mystical spells is like trying to mix oils with water. You can't mix them; only work them separately, alongside each other at best." Gareth spoke, without stopping his work on the carpet, which was already nearing the throne.
Sanguine needed to sigh at this. "Blast…I was hoping you were at least an Expert in Mystical spellcraft. I'm only a Journeyman Mystic, and an Apprentice Physic. I know and can use Expert and Master spells in the Darkness and Shadow categories reliably, but I can't keep other spells of those levels stable." Sanguine thought back to his foalhood, and the Master he learned under: Star Swirl. 'I will NOT ask for his help! Not if I have a choice.'
"Hm…well then, if you like I could help you learn more of being a Physic. But as for being a Mystic, you might already be at my level, so you'll have to ask someone else." Gareth didn't use terms such as somepony, or anypony, a lot. Mostly because he knew there were many, many other non-pony races out there capable of magic. Himself being a very prime example, it was simply rare to see someone other than a pony in these lands.
"Yes, I know…but unless Clover has advanced far more than I could hope, then my only other option…I don't want to consider it right now…." 'If Clover isn't at least considered an Expert, then…I'll be stuck with having to ask that…no…certainly Clover is skilled enough to help me. As much as I hate him, he's too great a teacher for such a brilliant mare as Clover to not be at that level by this point.' Sanguine sighed as he stood up, and turned back towards the stairs at the back of the throne room.
"I'll have finished laying the carpet runners through the castle by this evening Sanguine. I'll get to fashioning the furniture for your study tonight." Gareth, since he didn't sleep, used all his time to keep busy with something. He told Sanguine, that before their pact, he had very little to do with himself. So: keeping busy and serving Sanguine genuinely pleased him, since it gave him something to do.
"You know, you can actually take a break Gareth. I'm sure there's something you can do to relax." Sanguine may not like sleeping, and envy Gareth's ability to live without it, but surely all that boundless energy didn't stop him from becoming metaphorically tired…did it?
"Sir, to be frank: I'd be bored to Tartarus just lying about. I'd much rather be crafting things than relaxing. I can do that when I feel like it, and I don't feel like it." Gareth finished the carpet, and promptly sent his materials away before he proceeded to float out the door. Was it mentioned he floated in the air effortlessly? No? Well yes, he's a genie after all.
"Well then, I suppose I'd best get to work on that map. I think My Little Ponies would like to have some official borders drawn up. I don't think anyone will care if I try to lay claim to that desert, those barren hills, badlands, and great swamps to the south. Almost nothing grows there anyhow, and the swamp is filled with nothing but weed grass, and marsh trees." Sanguine climbed back up the tower, which itself, was easily 10 levels tall, making the castle over 20 levels tall overall.
Gareth had asked if Sanguine wanted the castle's design changed into something more angular, or intimidating. But no, Sanguine loved the molded, naturally rounded look the castle currently had. It was hard to tell from a distance, if it was actually a castle, or a peculiarly shaped mountain, which he loved for the irony. Which was why he loved the throne even more: since it's sharp, angular design contrasts the whole castle, as if saying that while smooth, and visually appealing, didn't mean what was inside had to be pleasant.
Not to say the throne wasn't pleasant, just intimidating.
When Sanguine returned to his room, he sat on the carmine cushion in front of his simple, dark-wood desk. On the desk was the roughly drawn map of what he decided would be Equestria. He sadly, decided to completely eliminate their old lands to the far north from the map. As although the Windigos had been destroyed by the Fire of Friendship sparked by Clover, Cookie, and Pansy: their old lands were still frozen, and were not warming up at all.
The only original settlements of their old lands that returned to normal, were Tall Tale: a young, yet flourishing Unicorn town that Star Swirl had taken a liking to, and Hollow Shades: a secluded, standalone Unicorn village, that kept to themselves and didn't care to socialize with anypony else, not even their origin tribe. The Crystal Empire also returned to normal, but everywhere north of them had remained frozen.
And so, he reluctantly ended their northern borders at the Crystal Mountains, as the Crystal Empire already conceded their sovereignty to Equestria, since they knew to try and stand on their own at the moment would be foolish. That didn't mean they still weren't autonomous. They had free reign within their borders, just that they were still a part of Equestria.
Anyhow, he had named their lost lands to the north the Frozen North. Let all the old names, their old homes, be lost to the past. Nothing was there anymore. Tall Tale was near the northwest coast of Equestria, but not on it. It was too far inland to be a port town in any way. It was directly north of the second tallest mountain in Equestria, which he dubbed Smokey Mountain, as the clouds seemed to be attracted to the peak, in a light haze not unlike smoke.
Smokey Mountain was the corner and turn of the Unicorn Range: a mountain range that had been named prior by the citizens of Tall Tale, since they had sharp, jutting outcroppings near their peaks, not unlike Unicorn horns, so they felt it fitting and nopony else objected to that reasoning. Anyhow, the range extended west from Mount Canterlot: the mountain Canterlot was being built on, which was the center of Equestria.
When the range reached Smokey Mountain, it turned sharply north, and the mountains decreased in size as they went north. This made Tall Tale quite secluded from the ground, but hopefully roads would be formed soon enough, so Pegasus couriers wouldn't have to fly between Canterlot and Tall Tale so often.
Hollow Shades was still as independent, and reclusive as ever. The village was tucked into a thick, small forest just north of the Foal Mountains: a very small mountain range that was to the east of Mount Canterlot. Not sure why the ponies of Hollow Shades named the small range that, perhaps it was because they suddenly shot out of fairly flat surroundings, their sudden size making one feel small.
The Crystal Empire was directly north of Mount Canterlot, and between the Empire and Hollow Shades was a marvel of nature, unaffected by the power of the Windigos. A series of waterfalls, so massive, and so large: that they fused into a single waterfall, all fed from the rivers of their old lands to the north, even now filled from beneath their frozen surfaces. The Empire had long ago named them Neighagra Falls, and having flown over the whole land, which had become easier thanks to his improved flying skills, he realized that the falls were the source of all the rivers running through Equestria.
He realized this because the massive lake fed by the falls bled into an enormous river, said river actually disappeared underground to the northeast of Mount Canterlot. Then, the Canterlot Falls, which gush from Mount Canterlot, feed a massive natural moat around the mountain, and from there, feeds every river, creek, and stream through Equestria. Like a life-giving spider web, if that made sense.
So it was obvious that Neighagra River fed the Canterlot Falls, and through them, all of Equestria. Mother Faust, or whoever molded the world, had an absolutely beautiful system going. The irony that all the water came from their old lands to the north, fed all the water to their new land in Equestria, did not get by him.
It also explained how such large fish came from the falls occasionally.
Aside from all this, Sanguine didn't feel the need to name much else aside from his immediate surroundings, and labeling what else had already been named: like Galloping Gorge, which was a good deal northeast of Tall Tale, but nowhere near the Crystal Empire.
So he simply named his forest Everfree Forest, the large ridge bordering the north-northeast of the forest Rambling Rock Ridge, the bog in the southeast of the forest Froggy Bottom Bog, due to the large numbers of frogs and toads that live there. And the very intimidating, and worrisome gorge south of the bog: Ghastly Gorge, as the name fit it perfectly.
He simply labeled different parts of the map he didn't name, as what they were. Such as a massive woods running east from the plains northeast of Everfree, were labeled woods. The plains all plains, the swamp: swamp, badlands as badlands. You get the idea. He made a copy of the map, and attached a note to Clover for her or somepony else to come up with names if they wished, and sent it to her.
"I'm glad I did something else to contribute, the Tribunal hasn't contacted me for advice or to ask opinions yet." Sanguine spoke to himself, he did it often but not usually in front of others. Sanguine knew that as Prince, he could simply waltz on in and give commands left and right, but he didn't want that. Equestria was still an infant; she'd take some time to mature into a proper nation.
Making new settlements being a prime factor in this, was something that he had no control over. It was up to the settlers on that. And boy, were there settlers. Everypony that escaped the Frozen North was looking for a place to call home, and not everypony was keen on trying to settle around Canterlot.
Right now, the most promising, and quickest settlements are all Pegasi villages. Since Pegasi can form their homes from clouds, it wasn't hard for Hurry to organize something. Already a Pegasi village was starting up, high in the sky over the Unicorn Range, just east of Canterlot.
The purpose of it being so close to Canterlot was hopefully: the Pegasi would be able to start up their weather manufactories again in the near future. For now, keeping it nice and sunny was on everypony's minds. The air was still nippy enough to be noticed. But still, the settlement of Cloudsdale was promising indeed.
"Sir!" Sanguine's musings were shattered and he jumped at Gareth's sudden intrusion into his room. "I need you to come to the medical wing."
(Travel Skip)
Sanguine was quite baffled…he'd never met one before. "Gareth…is he…?" Sanguine was incredibly surprised; of all things he didn't expect this.
"Yes sir, he's fine. And yes: he's a Zebra." Gareth spoke without looking at Sanguine, as he focused on sealing the large open wound on the poor stallion's side. Thankfully Gareth was a Master Physic, as Healing magic fell under the Physical category.
The Zebra was of average size for a pony, and from what little Star Swirl had spoken of the near-mythical race, was average for them as well. Despite that however, Sanguine was impressed with the Zebra's incredibly muscular constitution, as despite being lean, the stallion's body was tight with corded muscle, so much that he'd never seen on any but the strongest Earth Ponies.
His body was covered from face to flank in black and white stripes…or was he white with black stripes or black with white stripes? It was impossible to tell which. However, his hooves were distinctly different, as they were a hard, furless black, unlike ponies: who have a soft, near pointless coat of fur covering their similarly hard hooves. Likely it was due to them having lived in such cold climes for so long, as the ponies of old were said to have furless hooves like this Zebra, and snow bothered them little due to the fur.
The Zebra's muzzle however, was furless as well. It showed that the Zebra's skin beneath the fur was black, perhaps saying he was black with white stripes. 'Ugh…the stripes are so confounding….' His mane was practically gone, obviously cut as close to his head and neck as possible, but his tail was long, and heavily braided with a tan furred cord of sorts weaved into it. 'That tail is similar in style to how mine was before the shadows. I know from experience, that such a style is for discerning warriors, as I myself have used my tail to strike or bind an enemy many times.' "Will he be alright? Why didn't you seal his wound right away?"
"He was stabbed by a Manticore's tail." Gareth informed simply. "I had to leave it open so I could let my Antiveno spell work while I went to get you." Sanguine cringed at the mention of Antiveno. As Antiveno, while a potent anti-venom/antidote spell, literally coursed through the subject's body, gathering the poison or venom, and forcibly moving it through the body without harming the subject, and then pulling it out of an open wound.
Obviously, it was a first-aid "use immediately" spell, and thus very appropriate for a Manticore sting, but he had experienced it when going to a healer about having been bitten by a coral snake once, it was incredibly painful. Imagine liquid fire flowing through you, and you'd get the gist of it. The fact that the Zebra, even whilst asleep, was showing no physical reaction was both impressive, and worrying.
"You didn't answer my question, will he be fine?" Sanguine knew Gareth didn't beat-around-the-bush, but he wanted to hear it, not assume.
"He'll be fine, hold onto your tail Sanguine. This Zebra is perhaps one of the sturdiest beings I've met my whole life. And I've known Mother Faust herself, so that's saying a lot." Gareth finished sealing the wound; it left not even a scar as the fur quickly grew back in. "He should wake up soon-."
"I thank you mighty one, for if you had not found me, I would have been done." To both of their surprise, the Zebra snapped awake, yet did not move. As he calmly opened his eyes to look at them with his piercing red orbs, he smiled tiredly. "For strong am I, to resist, yet a Manticore's poison festers, like a cyst. I would have lain there, tired and broken, and shortly for certain, I would never have awoken."
"It is nothing to be too thankful for hunter. This is my domain, as much as it is my Master's. I sensed peril in my forest, and so I sought you out." Gareth gestured to Sanguine who nodded and took in the stallion's presence with stride.
"Greetings…I have no experience with your kind. As you are the first Zebra I have ever met: I extend a Declaration of Friendship to you, and your people, if you wish." Sanguine, while no real diplomat, knew that as a First Contact situation with possibly another civilization, it was quite prudent to be as hospitable and polite as possible, and how better to do that, than to offer a hoof in Friendship?
The Zebra smiled, and despite Gareth's grumbled disagreements with the action, moved into a sitting position on the bed. Gareth had furnished the infirmary with a small bed, in case something like this would happen. "To extend friendship so readily, is to suggest you guide things wisely, and steadily. I would accept, but your offer is not mine to be kept. I would have to bring word to my tribe: the Maasai. For to accept it blindly, would to my leadership defy."
Sanguine then raised an eyebrow, not at his words, but how he said them. "Might I ask, if it does not offend: why do you speak in rhyme?" At his question, the Zebra had to smile, so brightly, he thought those teeth mid just blind him.
"It is merely a jest, a turn-a-phrase to entertain any guest. But in this case I suppose that I would be your guest, and so I propose, that while I rhyme and toy with time, I still relay my words in kind. So please, if you wish, do not mind." His voice, being a deep, yet smooth one, flowed with the words. It was like hearing the roar of a waterfall, echoed by distance and softened by trees. "Now as it would be seen as rude, and I do not wish to be crude: my name is Kali, meaning Strong, and as you can guess…." He flexed what seemed to be every muscle in his body, as his coat rippled. "The name is not wrong."
Sanguine had to smile, and flexed his own muscles, Gareth doing the same, but far more flamboyantly. Without further words, all three of them bonded. Friendship through muscles is often considered one of basest forms of masculinity, and right now it is so stallionly, that none of them cared for words for a few moments.
"Hm…well I am Sanguine: Prince of Equestria. My nation is still in it's early stages, we're resettling after the destruction of our old home. I have no name of our old home to give you, it is gone, no purpose in trying to cling to it." Sanguine grew slightly spiteful of that fact, but quickly recovered. "Apologies, I don't wish to trouble you with our problems."
"Worry not, your problems to spread, for I understand the purpose of what you have said. We too, the Maasai, believe in letting old ghosts lie. There is no need to bring up the past, for that is what it is: the past. Treasure the present; we must, for those who forgive and live, are just." Kali stood up, and stepped down from the bed. "And healer, one who uses magic. Please tell me your name, for to not know would be tragic."
Gareth was still flexing, to both Sanguine and Kali's humor, but he stopped and returned to the conversation. "I am Gareth Salisbury of Pondingham! I am the servant of this castle, and my Master Sanguine. Now then, I noticed that you had come from the south, but as far as I and my Master have seen, there is nothing but arid hills and badlands directly south of here. So may I ask where you are from?"
"Ah a good question, for one I have a big confession. From beyond the badlands and said arid hills, is lush, far-reaching grassland, inhabited with strong wills. My country of Kiwara: a land of vast savannahs, we are mostly semi-nomadic tribes, moving between cabanas. At war we never are, for peace we desire, it is the beasts, the Manticores, who forever have our ire." Kali growled at mentioning the Manticores, and felt his muzzle, but was startled by something. "My scars! My marks! True proof of my passing! Why have you removed, the proof of my adulthood lasting?"
Kali was suddenly enraged, piercing his eyes through Gareth, who was suddenly quite shocked, and Sanguine, wisely, stepped out of the way. Immortal or not…he had the feeling being on this Zebra's bad side was to be a painful experience. 'Gareth…what did you do?'
(Author Notes)
And that is some in-depth knowledge of a good amount of the geography of Equestria. If you want to know my reference, it's the Series Guidebook: My Little Pony: The Elements of Harmony. However, I don't own the guidebook sadly, so I use the MLP Wikia to check all my data.
"Plus, you brought in the Zebra we both collaborated on! Wow! You're really getting into depth here Game! Especially since I can still see through you!" *Pinks pulls a flashlight out of thin air, and shines it through Game's crystal body.
*Game waves his grey crystalized right foreleg about* Pinks, since WHEN could you turn people into Crystal Ponies? I mean, this was just supposed to be a speech only section, and now you've added visual gags.
"If you're wondering: Game is a steel grey Crystal Pony with jet fiber mane and tail. Both are WAY~ too long to be normal for stallions too, so he's easily mistaken for a mare, but his cold ice blue eyes detract from that. Also he has no Cutie Mark."
Thanks for making me appear effeminate Pinks, btw: Pinks is a more conservative version of Pinkie Pie, with shorter mane/tail and often wears the same style of velvet red glasses as Rarity. However, her coat is periwinkle and her mane/tail light lavender, her eyes are such a dark purple, that they seem black outside of direct light. Her Cutie Mark is of a pink comet, it represents her spontaneity, and ability to just come from out of nowhere…literally and figuratively. Also she's a Unicorn…yet doesn't use magic to do what she does….
"So you know that I'm wild like Pinkie! But intelligent, and sensible enough to be somewhat normal. But we're far from normal!" *Pinks suddenly pops up next to Game, to his shock and she hugs him* "Yay~! ADHD siblings!"
*Game's face blanks* Woo-hoo….
"Oh c'mon! Smile! My name is Pink-!" *starts song*
DAH~! *goes crezeh from fave pony song*
"That's the spirit!"