Opaque, breathtaking, and awe inspiring to all that would behold it the sunset cast its charming rays of light on the side of the massive obsidian castle. The castle in stark contrast to the brightness of the light striking it was so dark as to appear as though it swallowed all of the light that was directed at it..this was (sadly for the it's less fortunate occupants) not the case. Due to getting to bed well past his own predetermined bedtime the King had overslept and was subsequently awakened by the searing sensation of pure sunlight striking his bloodshot and sleep starved eyes. Reaching angrily for his curtains to block out the offending rays of brightness he incidentally fell out of his bed jolting himself awake. The memories of the previous day flooded him instantly filling him with a sense of trepidation (Was Fleetway okay? Had Redmoon found a replacement guard? And what was to become of this asinine hearing?)

Absently flexing his muscles he mentally reviewed what needed to be done and decided that his first order of business would be checking on Fleetway and taking care of his ill brother's chores, mainly the exercise of his favorite dragon: ironically enough named Sunshard, Defender of Faded Memories. The King rose inwardly hoping that the dragon wouldn't be to unsettled by Fleetway's failure to arrive for its morning exercise.

Rose had found that her day was going to be anything but uneventful for upon her dressing and exiting her room she had encountered a very odd hedgehog with snakelike green eyes whose name she had since learned was Mephiles. He seemed only mildly interested in what her job was in the palace and informed that he had only stopped by to warn her of a special circumstance: not to make any loud or sudden noises for the duration of the day. It was with this strange encounter and equally bizarre advice in mind that she reported in to her job at the kitchen.

Blaze seemed a little ruffled and appeared happy to see her. "Rose I need you to take this medicinal herbal soup to the royal infirmary while it is still fresh and hot...be careful not to let any of it come into contact with your skin as it contains pure peace song root." Trying to contain her shock and reminding herself that she wasn't supposed to ask too many questions she still let one slip "Peace-song but isn't that used to help battle either insanity or otherworldly mental influences depending on what you believe?" Blaze glanced at her "It is indeed now go and mentally prepare yourself for the encounters that await you."

Rose was escorted by two stoic members of the royal honor guard which seemed to be intentionally keeping her at both a physical and emotional distance refusing to so much as glance at her or in any other minute way acknowledge her presence. The royal infirmary appeared quite out of place in the castle. The pure ivory walls seemed to defy the darkness that shrouded much of the rest of the palace and it smelled of Illumina herbs well known and renowned for their uplifting spiritual qualities.

She was quickly ushered into a large and ornate room which was full of unfamiliar hedgehogs, nervous medical staff and one comatose patient which she quickly identified as Fleetway. Before she could question who she was supposed to deliver the herbs to they were gently lifted from her grasp by the same light purple hedgehog that had rescued Cream earlier. This hedgehog was quickly approached by another who was instantly notable due to the fact that his fur was the darkest color Rose had ever seen on a living creature or otherwise.

The two hedgehogs briefly conferred before jointly going to Fleetway's bedside. She noted that Fleetway showed no outward signs of recognizing their approach much to the distress of everyone else in the room. As the Lavender hedgehog gently poured the herbal mixture down Fleetway's throat a large white hedgehog which she quickly recognized as Nazo entered the room and cleared his throat.

"King, an urgent matter has arisen that requires the immediate attention of one of the royal family." The calmness in Nazo's tone did nothing to offset the sense of urgency that was evidence in his tone. The black hedgehog at Fleetway's bedside raised his head and surveyed the room catching Rose in his unsettling gaze.

"So that's the king I've never seen anything that color before." That was what quietly passed through Amy's mind as they briefly made eye contact. The King responded with a complete lack of concern in his voice "take the war prince." A purple hedgehog with two parallel stripes running down his back, eyes seemingly without pupils, and the an aura of fire stepped forward and then left with Nazo. A heat wave seemed to be pass over Rose when he walked by which she chalked up to a very convincing illusion until she realized that her light pink dress had been slightly scorched.

The orange fiery eyed hedgehog that had saved her from certain death in the Dragon's pen earlier approached the King. They conferred for the briefest of periods before he too left apparently in hot pursuit of Nazo and the other hedgehog that she only knew as the "war prince".

Her mind was quickly snapped back to the room by a very eerie sound which she soon realized was the beginning of a chant. The sound grew quickly and when it evened out she realized that all of the hedgehogs in the room that weren't on the medical staff (which she know knew was the royal family thanks to the king's presence) appeared to be reciting a poem and with a little effort she could pick out the following words:

In your solemn sleep, where the souls of the unwary do weep

We call on you to not wander to deep for your life is far from over

as you wander over the dividing heap

Let illusions not sway you as you cling to sanity

And may you never falter in the face of adversity

Let no siren trick you be it in Ebony's form

and let not destruction tricketh you into waking before morn

As those who wish for immortality commit immorality before dawn

Remember who you are don't fall to the lesser spawn

Come back to your family soon Fleet way around the breakers and before the way

or we will send Quiteus to fetch you before the end of this day

The song had ominous undertones to it and Rose couldn't help but notice that the medical staff all shuddered and seemed highly disturbed by the final verse with some instantly crossing themselves. The members of the royal family all rose and left the room shortly after concluding the song. As soon as they had left the room the medical staff shut the door and started whispering fervently among themselves: "Why would they threaten to summon such evil?" "What where they talking about?" "Did you see the King's eyes on the final verse?" "What kind of sacrifice must they have lined up to summon it?"

Deciding not the partake in the questionnaire lest she get accused of spying, Rose hurriedly left the room to return to the royal kitchens wondering what she had just witnessed and it's implications for whatever was to come.