Chapter 8b
Rogue Storm
It was another dark room. Darker than the last one the former human was in. The nightmares had been happening the last few nights and Rogue went to bed expecting another. The prince's mind was so focused he could recognize he was dreaming. But he still lacked the will needed to make it lucid and take control. Rogue was trying his best to keep calm. It was a situation the prince was often finding himself in while he slept. His stance was aggressive, his horn charged with magic, and brown eyes darted trying to make out a single form. All the while, Rogue Storm was panting as hard as he could.
"Come on, come on, where are you?" he muttered rapidly. "I know you're there. Where are you? Show yourself, come on. Show yourself!" For a few brief moments not a sound was to be heard. Then the sound of dress shoes clicking on tile echoed through the black.
"Hahahaha," a deep cackle came from the darkness. Rogue's eyes widened when he heard that chuckle. He knew it very well. The sound resonated within the prince's mind and awakened memories. In a normal being, it would trigger good memories of wonderful times past. For Rogue, it brought resentment and anger to the surface. It was a chuckle he had heard for as long as he could remember, especially when quarterly reports were high.
"Dad…" Rogue whispered. "No, no. It can't be…" Suddenly a wash of agony came over Rogue's body and he howled in pain. He lost the focus on his magic as his body arch back at an unholy angle. The pain was immense and worse than anything he had felt in his life. All the while, the voice continued to play with the stallion's mind. Though Rogue tried to stay off the ground the pain grew too much. With his limbs twitching, the Prince of the Sky fell to the ground.
"Oh, get up," the voice called. A flicker of light from a match came and lit a candle. In between the waves of pain, the Prince of the Sky could see his father's face. It was aged with the experience of running an international corporation. His salt and pepper hair was nearly gone on the top of his head, and a crisp charcoal suit was pressed to perfection. "I said get up, boy," Mr. Rigetti called and kicked his son in stomach with the tip of his shoe.
"Gah!" Rogue winced and struggled to breathe.
"This is a fine mess you've gotten yourself in, Joseph," Mr. Rigetti said with contempt. "Yes, you never cease to amaze me as to how you can constantly back yourself into a corner." After the diaphragm paralysis wore off, the prince choked out a few choice words to his father.
"My name…is…Rogue Storm," the grey alicorn said defiantly in between washes of pain.
"Yes, this little pony phase you are going through," the older human said. "I blame your mother for this, Joseph. She filled your head with all of those fairytales and crap. Now look at you. Just look at where that got us. I should have stepped in sooner. Then maybe you'd have been able to see what was in front of you this whole time. When will you grow up? When will you start to see it all? I tried to teach you to be ruthless and focused. To never yield your upper hand or let your rivals too close. Yet here you lay once again. Exposed, weak, defenseless, pathetic. You are a sad disgrace to our family name." Rogue fought through the ripples of pain and tried to stand up to face his father. But Mr. Rigetti thrust his leg forward and kicked the prince back to the ground.
"I…am focused," Rogue grunted. "Just not on what you wanted." Mr. Rigetti's eyebrow's furrowed and rage filled his face. "You didn't want a son, you wanted a clone. I was just to be what you deemed. To you, I was a mere machine to carry on your legacy. You couldn't accept that I had my own life to live and no man or pony can tell me otherwise." Mr. Rigetti smiled at his son's statement and blew out the candle.
"Perhaps there is hope for you yet, boy," the elder man mused. "But you still cannot see what it before you. You're as blind as ever, Joseph. And you will stay in the dark until you start listening to me." The senior Rigetti's voice echoed in the darkness and faded from earshot.
"Where are you going!?" the prince called. Fighting the pain, Rogue leapt at where his father was but only found empty floor. Rogue stomped his hoof on the floor before another jolt of pain swept over his body. "Get back her you son of a bitch!"
"Terrible occurrence," another masculine voice called.
"Indeed, terrible," a feminine voice called. Rogue turned around to see the same two pony figures from his other dream peering at him from the darkness.
"You…" Rogue gasped.
"Of course us," the male pony called.
"Who else would we be?" the female said.
"It is not as though we are others," the male continued.
"Or as if others would be us," the female finished.
"Who the hell are you?" Rogue grunted as he crawled towards the ponies.
"We are all that matters," the male said.
"And all that does not," the female said.
"Tell me who you are," Rogue grunted. "Tell me! "TELL ME!" Rogue grunted and leapt forward and grabbed the first form he could lay hoof on.
"Your Majesty!" a voice called and Rogue Storm snapped into focus. The grey alicorn was no longer in the dark room; he had jumped from his sweat soaked bed and was panting as if the prince had run a marathon. Rogue had pinned a member of the Lunar Guard to the floor of his bedroom and had his free hoof raised in the air. Another guard and Page Master were trying to restrain the massive stallion. This was quite a feat considering as a human Rogue could lift a full grown stallion with one arm.
"Sire, please!" Page Master called. Rogue instantly let up and released the trapped unicorn. He coughed a little as Page Master checked on him. The pegasus guard released Rogue and the prince rubbed his head.
"Are you alright, Sir," he asked.
"Just…just another nightmare," the prince said. "I'm…I'm sorry, son. Are you ok?" The guard nodded to Page Master that he was ok and joined his fellow guard. As Rogue tried to settle himself and calm his breathing, he looked outside the window. The sun was still in the late afternoon sky. A quick glance at the clock in the bedroom showed it was only 5 o'clock. It was much earlier than he had planned on waking.
"It must have been a terrible nightmare, Sire," Page Master said. "The guards heard you screaming and alerted me."
"You were yelling to wake the dead and sounded like you were being attacked," the guard added.
"I appreciate your concern," Rogue said. "I'm fine now, you may return to your post." The unicorn and pegasus guards bowed and left the room. Rogue looked at the bed and saw a large dark outline from where his body stained the bed with sweat.
"That must have been one intense dream," Page Master said. Rogue blinked twice at the remark. Normally, one forgets most of your dream seconds after waking up. But he didn't. Seeing his father again stirred up a lot of emotions and those two ponies he couldn't identify were no better. With a sigh, the prince made his way into the bathroom and splashed some water on his face. It did little to help Rogue Storm. He was so distracted by his dream Rogue didn't notice the letter from Luna on the floor. But Page Master did notice it. The disguised changeling picked it up and perused the parchment. He smiled upon reading that Princess Luna would not be returning to Canterlot for until the following morning. Even more perplexing was this ailment she spoke of. The blue unicorn knew there had to be some way that Queen Chysallis could use this information to her advantage. "Sire, you have a message from Her Highness, Princess Luna," Page Master called into the bathroom.
"What does it say?" Rogue asked as he turned on the shower.
"Before I read this to you, Sire," Page Master began. "Are you sure you wouldn't rather return to bed? You are up an hour early."
"No, an hour won't make a difference to me," Rogue said stepping into the hot water. The deluge of hot water did nothing to help the prince relax.
"Yes, Sire," Page Master said an opened the scroll again. "The Princess wishes to tell you that she is staying at the farm to rest before returning to Canterlot in the morning. She asks that you assist Queen Celestia in preparing for the reception for the delegates from Saddle Arabia."
"When will they arrive?" Rogue called from the bathroom.
"Late tomorrow evening," the blue unicorn called. "I imagine they will wish to retire for the evening as soon as they arrive. Oh, the Princess also says that she is fine. But what is this ailment she spoke of?" Rogue stopped running the shampoo through his fur and thought about how he should answer that.
"It's nothing, Page Master," he called. "And likely not a big deal if she doesn't mention what it was."
"Ah, very good," Page Master said. Though, on the inside he cursed the prince for not giving him more information. Further frustrating the changeling was that Luna had requested Rogue assist Celestia. Prince Blueblood was on his way to take the grey alicorn to meet some of his associates. The water shut off and Rogue stepped from the shower. It didn't take him long to dry off. Once out of the bathroom, the prince took the scroll and looked it over himself. "What should I tell Prince Blueblood? He is expecting you."
"No need to worry," Rogue said. "Looks like I'll be spending the night with Celestia. I'll just use those elocution and protocol lessons of yours and politely reschedule." Rogue was secretly hoping Blueblood would be polite as well. With the mood he was in and how bad he felt, Rogue Storm was dangerously close to breaking his promise to Celestia.
"Excellent, Sire," Page Master said. "The Queen will be most pleased with your progress. And by that, I mean Chrysalis," the unicorn said to himself. Rogue ran a comb through his ethereal mane and tail, and then he brushed his teeth. On went his accoutrements and the Prince of the Sky was ready for the night. The two ponies left the bedroom and made their way through the halls towards Celestia. On the way, the two ponies chanced upon Blueblood and his aide Moondancer. The disguised Chrysallis bowed to Rogue and locked her eyes on him. The evil queen was taken by the stallion before her and fought to hide a blush.
"Ah, Uncle Rogue," Blueblood said. "We were just on our way to get you. We mustn't keep such important ponies waiting for long. Though a fashionable entrance would be a wonderful reason, it is still uncouth."
"I'm sorry, I can't make it right now, Blueblood," Rogue said. He cut off Blueblood before he could verbally convey the look on his face. "Luna isn't back from Ponyville yet and I have to help Celestia prepare for the reception. I do apologize for this, nephew. But the reception for the emissaries does take precedent." Blueblood looked at the prince with a look of defeat while Moondancer had a very annoyed look on hers.
"But Uncle they are expecting you," the arrogant prince continued. Rogue's brow furrowed. The white unicorn was playing with his pet peeve and his limits were closing to the breaking point. "You simply must make an appearance."
"Blueblood…" Rogue began with an annoyed tone. Page Master recognized the anger building and thought quickly.
"Perhaps I can have a brunch arranged for you in the garden before His Highness retires for the day," he said bluntly. Moondancer and Rogue looked at the blue unicorn while Blueblood tapped his hoof on his chin.
"Hmm, it would show a great gesture to my friends," he said. "And they would be much more receptive to you for inviting them to the palace."
"Of course, of course," Rogue said rubbing his head. His gut told him this day was going to get worse before it got better. "Make all the arrangements, Page Master," the prince said. "Keep the menu simple though. I'm sure the chefs are busy enough with the reception's menu to take on anything more."
"Yes, Sire," the blue pony said.
"Until the morning, Bluebood, Moondancer," Rogue said and turned to leave with Page Master in tow. As he rounded the corner, Moondancer turned to Blueblood with a flash of green in her eyes.
"So much for your plan," she hissed.
"Are you kidding, my dear Chrysallis," Blueblood said with an arrogant smirk. "After spending the night planning with my aunt and attending his royal duties, my dear uncle will find my friends most 'enjoyable'. His mind and confidence will be putty in our hooves." Blueblood winked at the disguised changeling and turned to leave. Moondancer turned back to the corner with her own smile.
"He certainly is more handsome than I thought," she said with a look of lust in her eye.
"Come along, Moondancer," Blueblood called. "We mustn't keep the others waiting. Though, it is my prerogative as a member of the royal family." The hidden queen rolled her eyes and went after the white prince.
"I don't know what his game is but it's starting to get to me," Rogue snapped as he and Page Master walked the halls. "I'm going to hurt him, I just know it. I am going to fucking hurt him!"
"Sire, please remember your decorum," Page Master said.
"Oh screw the decorum crap, Page Master," the Prince of the Sky snapped. "We're the only ponies in this damn hallway." Rogue knew that his voice likely carried a little but didn't care at this point. "There is just something about Blueblood that is rubbing me the wrong way." Page Master felt a lump in his throat. "First he's a complete prick to me when we first met, then he's been as friendly as a high school queen bee trying to get the nerd to do her homework. He's acting completely two-faced and it's getting under my skin but I can't put my hoof on why. What does he have to gain by playing games?" The disguised changeling's innards were turning inside him. Had the prince figured out what was going on?
"Sire, Prince Blueblood…" Page Master began trying to diffuse the grey alicorn's mood. "Well, he's a complicated pony. So many ponies come and go in his life. Some are sincere, but many merely see him as a means to an end. As such, he has difficulty at times with new relations. Personally I think he has a great pain from the void in him."
"If he's not careful, I'll fill that void with my antique railroad spike," the prince snapped.
"Really, Your Majesty…" the blue unicorn protested.
"I know, I know, he's not the easiest pony to get along with," Rogue interrupted. "Luna told me before we got married."
"And let's not forget, your relationship with Queen Celestia was rocky at first too," Page Master continued. Rogue stared at the blue unicorn with daggers in his eyes. "So to speak," the changeling said nervously.
"I'd avoid using that allusion again if I were you," the grey alicorn huffed.
"My point is, Sire," Page Master continued as the two started walking again. "Some ponies just take time to find their stride together." The prince hung his head and sighed at his aide's words.
"I suppose I can give him the same benefit of doubt I gave Celestia," he said.
"Your Majesty does have a forgiving heart," Page Master.
"Yes, I know," Rogue said as they came to Celestia's Throne Room. The two Solar Guards bowed to their prince and opened the doors for him. "See to the brunch details, Page Master. I'll try and get as much done with Celestia as I can. Come and get me before my guests arrive."
"At once, Sire," the disguised changeling said with a bow. The Prince of the Sky left his aide and the doors closed behind him. Page Master walked off and rounded the corner before breaking into a sprint. "I must hurry and catch Chrysallis. She must know Blueblood is raising suspicions," he said to himself.
Inside the throne room, Rogue chuckled a little at seeing his sister-in-law getting overwhelmed with her planning. She was standing by a small table going over the table setting. The attendants had three carts of dishes, goblets, and tablecloths. She was switching pieces back and forth trying to find the right combination. Though Celestia was masterfully keeping a calm façade for her subjects, Rogue Storm could tell she was a little frazzled. Though he would never let her know what her tell was.
"Take five, everypony," he called out. All eyes turned to the grey alicorn and all bowed to him. "Go and rest for a bit. Black coffee and tea for the Queen and I, please," Rogue said one of the attendants.
"Good Evening, Prince Rogue Storm," Celestia said coming away from the carts with waiting dishes. The two royals hugged each other and dove into the tea and coffee as it was wheeled in. Rogue dismissed the attendant and took a large gulp of the hot coffee.
"I know I made a promise, but I can't keep rank right now," Rogue said. "You look like your about to snap, Sis."
"Am I that transparent?" Celestia said with a tired smile. Rogue nodded and the Queen of Equestria brought him to the 3 carts of samples. "I want everything to be perfect for the ambassador and his wife. The big decisions are finalized but these small decisions and my other duties are backing me up. The reception will be a Mascaraed Ball and the main course is selected. But the appetizers still need to be selected and sampled, the decorations are not finished, and the music is not finalized." The queen took another sip of tea and walked slowly to her throne. "It's just a lot to take in without Luna here to help me."
"I'm sorry to say she's not back yet, not until the morning," Rogue said. The Queen of Equestria let out a dignified sigh. She had hoped Luna would have returned to help her by now. "Why are you so backed up?"
"Two caterers I interviewed could not handle the scope of the event," Celestia said sitting on her throne. "I had to resort to assembling the entire kitchen staff and get them started immediately. I wasted so much time…"
"I get it," Rogue said interrupting.
"If Luna was here…" Celestia mused. "Wait, where is she?"
"She isn't home yet," the prince said. "She's resting at Sweet Apple Acres."
"Is she alright?" the alabaster alicorn asked.
"She's fine," the grey alicorn said. "But she did ask me to help you."
"Thank heavens," Celestia sighed. "You have no idea how much that alleviates me, Rogue." The Prince of the Sky smiled at his sister-in-law. Even the queen was not immune to stress.
"Actually, it's more of 'I'm taking over'," Rogue said. Before Queen Celestia could speak up, Rogue continued. "You're overwhelmed and tired. I can have everything ready in hours. And the ambassador, his wife, and our guests will feel like family members coming home. But you need to get your rest. It's almost time for Luna to raise the moon." Queen Celestia's every argument she could think of using ran through her head. And she foresaw all of them ending with the former human saying, "Go to bed. I'll take care of it." It was pointless to argue.
"Are you sure you can handle it?" Celestia asked. Rogue said nothing. He only smiled and gulped the last of the coffee from his mug and cracked his neck. "Alright," Celestia continued. "I'm sure Page Master is more than capable of aiding you in anything you'd need."
"Page Master is busy with a project for me," Rogue said. "Now go get some rest. I just want you to focus on formalities for tomorrow night and the reception." The attendants started coming back in from their break as Celestia let out a yawn. She asked them all to follow Rogue's instructions and hugged her brother-in-law.
"Any special needs or requests?" the prince asked.
"The ambassador enjoys high energy music," Celestia said. "Other than that, I have full faith in you." The two royals smiled at each other. "You've come a long way since you made your promise to me, Rogue. Thank you."
"Go on, get out of here," Rogue said briefly returning to his rough nature and turned back to waiting attendants. Celestia watched as her brother-in-law confidently walked to her aides. With a final smile, she retired to her quarters for a well-deserved hot bath.
"Shall we begin with the place settings, Your Majesty?" an aide asked.
"Not at the moment," Rogue said cracking his back. "We have 24 hours before the ambassador gets here and I want everything set for Celestia to show them. The party is the following night and we have a lot of work to do. How many ponies are coming?" Several attendants surrounded the prince with a few scrolls and began to look like generals reporting during a war meeting.
"With the delegates and their entourage, plus the invited guests," the aide started. "We are planning on 124 ponies."
"Ok, 124," Rogue muttered to himself. He took a deep breath and with the same clarity he had in preparing for the Grundle Invasion, he formulated a plan. "Seating arrangements we'll do tomorrow, I'll need Celestia and Luna to discuss that. But let's go with a horseshoe arrangement with the seating for the royal family and our honored guests at the head of the Ball Room. Leave the middle open for the dance floor and have the musicians set up at the rear of the room. I want the music to wash over everypony." The attendants nodded and moved to the next decision. Rogue turned to the table cloths laying on one of the carts. He quickly dismissed the white one and eyed the red and black ones. "Red is traditionally regal. But in ancient times, black cloth was a status symbol. Go with the black." The prince then turned to the plates. He had white, ivory color with gold trim, and silver to choose. It was not that hard of a decision. "White for the appetizers, use the ivory for the main courses, and the silver can be used for desserts. Get everypony you would need to get the tables set and arranged."
"Yes, Your Majesty," the aides said. One carted away the dishes and tablecloths to begin setting up the Grand Ball Room with a contingent of attendants close behind.
"High energy music…" Rogue said to himself. "Hmm. Maybe a few of my albums with a DJ?" The prince pulled a piece of parchment and quickly jotted down his idea. He rolled up the paper and placed it beneath his wing as the next cart was brought to him. But when the prince looked up, he saw many more attendants waiting for the prince's decisions. "Oh, fuck me," Rogue said to himself and turned to the closest attendant. "I'm going to need a lot of coffee."
Pony by pony, each one came up to the prince and presented their samples to him. Rogue was starting to regret sending Celestia to bed. But he now saw why she was getting backed up. Over a dozen ponies were lined up with carts full of samples for the prince to select from. There was flatware, napkins, candles, flowers, centerpieces, wine, and cider, everything that a grand reception would need. Another pot of coffee was brought into the prince. He poured a large portion into his cup and walked up to Celestia's throne. Upon taking a seat, the gathered ponies started to come up to the Prince of the Sky.
"No wonder Celestia was backed up," Rogue mused and took a sip from his cup. The first pony came up and Rogue settled into the luxurious pillow on the throne for what he knew would be a long night. One by one, each pony came up to the prince and presented what they had for his approval. Several had more than one decision to be made for them, but Prince Rogue Storm kept focused to show Celestia her faith was well placed. By the time Rogue had finished with the first three ponies, the sun had begun to set and the moon was beginning to rise. Rogue smiled as he stole a glance from the window. Luna was awake and in good company until she returned home.
"Your Majesty," a voice called in front of the prince and broke his thoughts of Luna. A yellow pony with a green mane presented a goblet of wine to the prince. The prince raised a hoof and shook his head at the offer.
"Take all of your drink samples to the kitchen, please," he said. "Have the chef partner a few choices with the food and I'll be down in a promptly for final approval."
The mare bowed to her prince and took her samples to the kitchen. Another pony was coming up with the centerpiece and candle designs. Rogue took the parchment from under his wing and called over a free attendant. "Up in my bedroom, there is a shelf with my record albums. Would you please bring the ones on this list down?" The unicorn mare smiled and bowed to her prince before trotting off to her task. Rogue returned to the task at hoof and resumed with the candles.
One by one, ponies came up to him and decisions were rendered. The line began to go faster as the number of decisions needed began to fall. Just as the palace bell tower began to strike midnight, Rogue finished with the line of ponies and had poured the last bit of coffee from his pot. He gulped it down just as the mare returned with his vinyl records. The prince set them aside as Morning Glory came up to him.
"Prince Rogue Storm, the chef is ready for you in the kitchen," the blue earth pony said.
"Thank you, Morning Glory," he started and gestured for her to follow him. "I already know there is a four piece band booked for the reception. But Celestia told me the ambassador likes high energy music. Can you get a DJ booked on such short notice?" Morning Glory thought for a second while the two left the throne room.
"Octavia Melody, the cellist of the group, is good friends with DJ Pon-3," Morning Glory said. "She is one of most popular DJs in Equestria. If I use a pegasus guard, I can have a message to her right away."
"Please do, you'll find a stack of records next to Celestia's throne," Rogue said. "If the DJ can make it, please see to it that she gets those get to her." Morning Glory bowed and left the prince alone on his way to the kitchen. It surprised the prince to find himself alone for once. Normally, he was flanked by guards or with somepony. But he didn't complain. With no pony around, he dropped his head a little and let his stride relax. Despite completing all the work in the throne room quicker than expected, it still took some toll on the prince. The coffee was also wearing off and he had drank too much to want anymore. The late night air flowed through the hallway and gave the prince his first peaceful moment in a long time.
"Sire," Page Master called after turning a corner down the hall. "There you are, Sire." The prince quickly resumed his regal poise as the blue unicorn joined him. "I have good news from the armory. The sword prototype is ready and the crossbow and armor will be ready in a few hours."
"Already?" the prince gasped. "I only gave the order a few hours ago."
"Our armory is the best in Equestria, Sire," Page Master said. "And I'm sure you'll be pleased with what they have created. Come, we must away to the kitchen." The two ponies went along their way and soon Rogue was taking a napkin to his mouth. The food met with all of the prince's approval as did the wine and cider. Page Master started to run down the menu of the brunch the prince was going to serve that morning with Prince Blueblood. The prince gagged to himself. The samples had consisted of four courses, each with five dishes to choose from. Though they were small samples, the prince had to eat 20 dishes. Also, he had to sample the breads, wines, and ciders. The prince's stomach was in knots and the volume he had eaten made him tired. Page Master saw how the prince was exhausted and nauseous. It was delicious to the disguised changeling.
"Yes, play into our plans," he thought himself. Page Master was enjoying every moment. "The fool is overestimating his abilities. Just a little more agitation and I can make this dolt putty in Blueblood's hooves."
"Wow, that cake was rich," Rogue said taking a final sip of water. "I miei complimenti, Chef." Everything was perfect. I'm sure everypony will love it." The chef and his crew applauded as the prince and his aide took their leave. But Rogue Storm hung his head as they walked through the hallway. He felt all the food rising up into his throat and felt his eyes becoming heavy. The food and lack of good sleep was setting in. The disguising changeling walking beside Rogue continued to goad the former human.
"My word," he started as Page Master rubbed his own stomach. "I fear we will have to replace the seats with beds for the reception. My stomach got full just watching you, Sire."
"Please, Page Master," the prince begged. "Don't remind me of how much I ate."
"Many apologies, Sire," the blue unicorn said. Though he looked concerned, Page Master was smiling on the inside.
"I think I should lie down for a while," Rogue mused turning the corner. All he wanted was to return to that large and comfortable bed he shared with Luna. But a hoof resting on the prince's shoulder stopped him from heading to the bedroom.
"I'm afraid that will have to wait," Page Master said. Rogue Storm's stride froze in place. Slowly the prince turned his head to his aide.
"En..lighten me," the Prince of the Sky said with heavy sarcasm.
"While I'm sure Your Majesty's tired state caused it, you forgot we are due in the armory," the blue unicorn said. "The prototype sword for the Storm Corp is ready. And likely parts of the armor and crossbow prototypes will be waiting for us as well." Rogue shook his head and let out a sigh in amazement.
"Yes, yes," he said. "But let's be quick about it." Rogue turned the opposite way as Page Master led down another hallway.
"Hahaha…" the changeling chortled to himself. "This will be anything but quick."
Indeed he was right. The talented ponies that staffed the armory already had finished a steel prototype of the sword and lacquered paper armor plates Rogue had wanted. However, there were some problems the former human found with the swords. The blades were too long and the hilts were elaborately designed. It did not sit well. Rogue had to wait and watch while the skilled ponies remade the swords to be 20% shorter and rework the hilts to a simple solid bar. This took some time and the heat of the furnace and clanging of metal upon metal further robbed the grey alicorn of his strength. While the new sword was being forged, Rogue watched as the lacquered paper was tested. Most of the gathered ponies were taking bets to see if the armor would hold. To their surprise, the prototype armor succeeded against slashes and stabs from swords and spears. It stopped a solid steel bolt fired from a crossbow at 15 feet, and was light enough for one of the pegasi to wear and perform many maneuvers in the air. Despite trying to do all in his power to exasperate the prince, ever Page Master could not help but be in awe of the results of the testing.
Once the pegasus landed, the prince selected the final design for the armor the Storm Corp would wear if they were ever deployed. It was to be made of overlapping plates of the lacquered paper coated in black. As was the sword and all other pieces of the armor. Prince Rogue Storm wanted his Corp to look as formidable as they would be trained. The crossbow and black powder charges were next on the agenda, but Rogue excused himself. Those final approvals could wait for now. In the time it took for all of this to come to pass, the clock on the wall showed it was after five in the morning. In a matter of hours, Rogue would have to greet his guests for brunch. When Rogue Storm left the armory, he was on the verge of collapsing. He couldn't wait any longer. He needs to rest for a little while.
"How long do until my guests arrive?" the prince asked his aide.
"Everypony will arrive by eight," the disguised changeling said. "There are still several things we must…"
"No," Rogue Storm interrupted. "I need to get some rest." Page Master sped up to cut off the prince from turning the corner. But he could not get a single word out. "I…haven't had a night this stressful since college. Though I admit finals week never had a trade agreement on the line." Rogue let out a sigh and then a yawn. "One hour, that's all I want right now. Come and get me later, I don't want to fall asleep on my guests."
"As you command, Sire," the disguised changeling said. On the inside, Page Master was screaming at the top of his lungs. The last thing he wanted to do was let Rogue get rest and recover from his exhaustion. But luckily, the Queen of the Changelings had planned for this and gave instructions Page Master would and had been following. Together, the two ponies returned to the bedroom. Rogue surpassed the bathroom and hopped up onto the bed. His eyes were half closed and his head hung. Rogue charged his horn to get undressed, but a blue aura surrounded his accoutrements and took them off. "Allow me, my Prince."
"Thank you, my friend," Rogue whispered. The blue unicorn set the pieces on the dresser and helped the prince lay down. "Thank you," the prince repeated.
"It is my pleasure to serve you," Page Master said. Just as Rogue's head met pillow his eyes fluttered shut. In moments, Rogue was lightly snoring. Page Master smiled and his eyes began to glow a deep green. His hoof rose to the prince's cheek and the spell began. "Sleep," he whispered. "Dream…and dread." The grey alicorn's shut eyes flashed green as well and his face began to contort. Page Master smiled and left the room, his job was done. Rogue began to moan in his sleep as he closed the door. "Sweet dreams, you foal," he said to himself. Hooves clopped along the moonlit hallway until the disguised changeling came to another large set of doors. Page Master knocked once, then twice. A golden aura opened them up to let the voices spill into the empty hall.
"I don't like these early wake ups," Moondancer said. "You should consider sleeping more. And by token allowing me to sleep as well. I only went to sleep a few hours ago."
"But darling, I have to look my best for you," Prince Blueblood said as he stretched out. "Especially for our new royal portraits once we seize power. And that entails working out and a vigorous beauty regiment." The disguised queen rolled her eyes as Page Master came up and bowed. "Page Master, I wasn't expecting you until after my training session."
"Forgive me, but I failed to keep Prince Rogue Storm awake," he said. Blueblood's brow furrowed until a raised hoof from the disguised queen silenced him.
"And?" she mused.
"And," Page Master began. "He was twisting in fear before I had left the room. Nightmares are quite a powerful weapon."
"Nightmares?" the prince asked. "You're responsible for dear Uncle Rogue's nightmares?" Page Master smiled at the alabaster unicorn and nodded. The prince's mouth curled into a smile as he turned to a smug looking insect-like mare standing next to him. "You vile, manipulative, minx," Blueblood said raising a hoof to his co-conspirator's chin. "You're making me love you more every day." Chysallis let out a very proud chuckle at her plan and flicked her hair in triumph. "So tell me, Page Master. How horrible are the nightmares?" Blueblood asked. "I must know the sordid details."
"I only stir the fears, my King," Page Master said. "His mind will do the rest. But evidence suggests they are turning more violent."
"Excellent," the evil queen said. "Even if Rogue slept for three days straight, he'd not have the mental focus necessary to act on the simplest task. I don't foresee any trouble at brunch this morning, Prince Blueblood."
"Haha!" Blueblood called giving a smack to Moondancer's rump. The white fur of Chrysallis's disguised cheeks turned deep red and her eyes shot open in shock. "This will be too easy. We'll leave Uncle Rogue to writhe in his slumber. In the meantime, come Chrysallis. I would prefer you to be active in shaping my body. It is going to be yours soon after all." The evil queen stood frozen for a moment in disbelief. "Chrysallis, dear. Come along." The prince's words brought the disguised queen back into focus and she went along with the arrogant unicorn. All the while, Page Master stared daggers at the prince for treating his queen, and mother, so reprehensibly.
"If you weren't so vital to my Queen," he said with venom. "I would kill you were you stand…"
A/N: The plot thickens and the truth is starting to be revealed.
But the future is what remains to come to pass.
Will Queen Chrysallis and Prince Blueblood come to power?
When will Luna give birth to her baby?
What plans are in store for Rogue Storm?
Tune in next time the next installment of
Cross the Line
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