RotG: Dawn of the Royals Prologue

One dark moonless night, a somewhat tall shrouded figure appeared on a frozen lake near the town of Burgess. The slim figure surveyed the surroundings just as two similarly shrouded, albeit short, figures followed the first figure onto the lake. The tallest of the three then removed the hooded part of the cloak, revealing a pale female face with crimson hair covered in yellow stripes, cyan eyes, and a light amber horn protruding from her forehead.

"Are we even sure this is the right place?" the shortest figure asked the female, removing the hood to reveal a round boy's face with orange hair, black eyes, and a gray-opal horn.

"I'm certain, Snips," the girl curtly stated with a wave of her amber-gloved hand as if saying for the two to spread out. "This is where we'll be staying for the present until we can fully execute our plan tactfully and flawlessly."

"But," the taller figure started, removing the hood to reveal a lanky boy's face with black eyes as well as turquoise hair and a brilliant amber horn, "what if someone catches us while we're here?"

"Would you rather go back to Equestria and risk getting caught for aiding and abetting someone who's supposed to be 'banished', Snails?"

"Never mind," the boy identified as Snails said after an awkward silence while Snips gulped.

"That's what I thought," the woman said, removing her cloak to reveal that she was wearing an amber sleeveless dress with black lace trim and matching high heeled shoes underneath it. "Anyhow, we will hide when either day comes or someone happens to come here. And we will not stop living like this until we conquer Equestria with ease, and once I'm Princess, my first order of business would be to have that wretched Obsidian suffer for not only imprisoning me, but also for lying about it!"

"How are we going to do all that, Miss Sunset Shimmer?"

"I have no idea. All I do know is that I'll do anything to claim what's rightfully mine!"

"Is that so?" all three heard a voice being spoken from all around them, causing the boys to cling onto each other in fright. "You want to reclaim your rightful place as a ruler and that you'd do anything?"

"Show yourself!" Sunset Shimmer demanded, trying not to let her fear show.

After she said that, a shadow emerged from the area in front of her and started to form a humanoid shape. When the darkness subsided, the only thing standing was a tall and lithe man with dull-pale grey skin, spiked black hair, and silver-gold eyes as well as wearing a black robe.

"AAAAAHHHHH!" both Snips and Snails cried while Sunset Shimmer just stared at the figure with utter shock.

"Forgive me for startling you and your young friends but I couldn't help but overhear what you just said, miss-"

"Sunset Shimmer, and I only reacted like that because I thought we were alone."

"Not all is what it always seems, my dear lady. Anywho, my name is Pitch Black and I have a way you can reclaim your right to the throne."

"When's this guy going to stop flirting with her and just get her to join us?" a male voice that Sunset Shimmer could've sworn she heard inside her head asked.

"Oh, hush," she heard another voice, female this time, say. "You didn't complain when he was recruiting that stuffshirt blowhard prince."

"What's the catch?" Sunset Shimmer, ignoring the voices in her head, asked while Snips and Snails managed to work up the courage to stand by her side.

"All you have to do is join me, and together we will succeed in ruling the entire world." He then stretched out his hand as if offering a handshake. "What do you say?"

"I got a bad feeling about this," Snips said while Sunset Shimmer pondered over the offer she was just given.

"All right," she said, taking the stranger's outstretched hand and shaking it.

When she did, she found herself being surrounded by a whirlwind of black sand. While the darkened dirt swirled around her, she felt a very strange feeling unlike anything she ever felt before with the cloak she tossed bringing itself back around her shoulders. After a while, the sand had subsided, leaving only a hunched-over Sunset Shimmer in its place.

"Are you okay?" Snails asked as Snips started to bite his nails.

"No," she only said, causing the two to worry. "I'm better than okay!"

As she said that, she turned around, causing Snips and Snails to cry out in fear. Her hair was now longer while her eyes are a darker shade of blue and her outfit now showed hints of gold as well as red. Sitting on the top of her head was a dark gold tiara embedded with black pearls. She then looked at her now fingerless-gloved hands and used them to make black sand appear.

"All this power," she said, turning around again, "Equestria and Obsidian wouldn't even stand a chance against me!"

"Against us, you mean," she heard the same male voice that she heard in her head say, causing the trio to turn towards the source.

"Oh, horseapples," was all Sunset Shimmer said, looking at three figures standing in the shade as the stranger that made the deal with her joined them.

"Ah, yes. I forgot to mention that there's a bit of a catch: you'll be working with three others who are just like you, all wanting to reclaim their 'rightful' thrones and all three of them made the same deal with me."

"So, they help me..." she started.

"And you help us," some creature that looked like a mix of a man wearing a helmet of sorts and a giant bug finished, stepping forth from the shadows.

"Indeed," a pale, green-eyed woman dressed entirely in red with a gold crown perched on her mess of red hair and hands behind her back spoke up as she joined the bug creature along with a fair-skinned, auburn-haired, and green-eyed man dressed similarly to a prince by her side. "Sorry you had to hear us argue inside your head. Small side-effect of Lord Pitch's sand and powers."

"I'll leave you lot be to get to know each other," Pitch stated while fading towards the shadows.

"Hey, wait!" Sunset protested before he faded away completely.

"He'll do that from time to time," the other male explained, approaching Sunset Shimmer and putting an arm around her. "You'll get used to it. By the way, beautiful, I'm Prince Hans Westerguard of the Southern Isles, formerly that is."

"If you value your life, I'd suggest you keep your hands off of me."

"After she made that threat, he got his arm off and backed away as the bug creature and the woman chuckled.

"Well," Snips began while he and Snails proceed to back away, "it's been nice meeting all of you, but we really should be go-"

"Not so fast!" Sunset Shimmer said, turning around with her eyes glowing a light brilliant opal color, causing the two to stop and have their eyes glow as well. "You two may have forgotten that you were under my control the minute you released me from that crystal, but I didn't! And we're not leaving unless I say so! Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, ma'am," both boys said in a droned voice before Sunset's eyes stopped glowing, causing them to shake their heads.

"That's better," she stated, turning towards the bug-human thing and the female. "Now, what about you two?"

"I'm Turbo," the hybrid creature stated, "the greatest racer ever! And don't laugh, I know I'm a bug."

"Thank you, but I wasn't going to say anything." Sunset then looked at the woman. "And you are?"

"Furianne of RoseWood, but you can either call me Red Queen or Furianne."

When the woman in red offered her hand, Sunset recoiled in shock. Her hand was flesh-red with claw-like fingers and a heart-shaped eye in the palm. The woman just made a face and looked at the hand she offered.

"Oh, right," she said. "Sorry, I always forget that."

"What happened?"

"Lord Pitch's sand tends to fix up anyone it touches based on what makes them, shall we say, unique."

"Meaning-?"

"Yes, even Bughead got the full treatment."

"Watch it, flesheater," the creature called Turbo warned Furianne as Hans approached again.

"So, what's your excuse?" he asked, putting an arm around her once more. "Did you attempt to marry your way to the throne and attempt to kill the current ruler, resulting in not only deployment from the kingdom you tried to take over, but also banishment from your original kingdom?"

"No," she said, shoving him off of her.

"How about attempting to take over the kingdom with a Jabberwocky, only to be foiled by an uppity queen and banished?" Red Queen queried.

"I'm not sure what a Jabberwocky is, but no."

"Obviously, you didn't assume the identity of your land's ruler only to get eaten by a Cy-Bug and then killed by molten diet soda," Turbo mentioned.

"I didn't do any of that! I did attempt to take over the kingdom in retaliation for being denied my right to the throne using a mirror that alters reality, but then that Obsidian... Gah! Even mentioning his name gets me so mad!"

"Oh, some of us can relate. Being Son Number Thirteen has too many downs and only one up."

"Do me a favor and give 'not inheriting the throne in spite of you being the oldest one' a chance."

"I think he'd rather kill himself," Turbo said in response to Red Queen's statement.

"Judging from what all of you said," Sunset stated, "you've done what you think I did."

"Yes, but let's not dwell more on that. You'd just encourage those two."

"In any case," Furianne said, miffed about what Turbo stated, "it's not just this Obsidian we'll be helping you get revenge on."

With that, all three conjured up images that only Sunset Shimmer saw. After a while, the images dissipated.

"So, I'm really not the only one."

"Of course not," Hans mentioned. "Why, if it weren't for those insolent pests, we wouldn't be here."

"Still," Turbo began, taking Sunset, Furianne, and Hans into his clawed hand, with Snips and Snails clinging to Sunset's cloak, "we must not be so hasty. It's not enough that we simply destroy our enemies."

After his statement and putting the others down, he started to laugh evilly with Hans and Red Queen joining in. Sunset just looked at them funny and then laughed with them as well.

"What's so funny?" Snails asked, causing Snips to shrug.

Meanwhile, in Punjam Hy Loo, Toothiana was sending the mini-fairies to various places in the world and the Memory Libraries contained in the palace pillars. After a while, Baby Tooth wound up flying in squeaking excitedly.

"What is it?" Tooth asked.

Baby Tooth just chattered while flitting about, with Tooth's face brightening after the small fairy finished.

"A visitor? Here?"

Baby Tooth nodded, causing Tooth to smooth out her head feathers.

"Then take over for me. I should be done in no time."

After saying that, she flew out of the room, leaving Baby Tooth to resume what her leader was doing. Tooth flew towards one of the lower platforms Baby Tooth said the visitor was on. She took a minute to smooth out her head feathers once more and then checked her breath.

"I didn't think you'd stop by today," she began, hovering over the platform to see a cloaked figure standing there. "It's been a pretty busy week for-"

"It's quite alright," the figure said in a regal female voice, cutting Tooth off. "Then again, you're almost always busy in terms of your job."

After saying that, the figure turned around and removed the cloak's hood, revealing a fair woman with long black hair that seemed to sway with the wind and a long yet lovely face. Her iridescent eyes changed from one color to another until they eventually settled on a bright shade of blue.

"Mother Nature," Tooth managed to say following a stunned silence that resulted from being cut off, only to recover and give an awkward bow. "Apologies, ma'am. I thought you were someone else."

"I'd suggest you talk to him about how you feel towards him. Unfortunately, I've not come to make small talk."

"What have you come here for?"

"As you know," Mother Nature started, gazing at a miniature globe she brought with her, "back in the Dark Ages, Pitch had ruled the world with fear until you, North, Sandy, Bunny, and I stopped him. Then, when he tried again after so many years, you four had succeeded with Jack Frost's help."

"Yes," Tooth admitted, still remembering that adventure as if it was yesterday. "But, what does that have to do with-?"

"It has everything to do with why I am here because I fear that Pitch has arisen once more, and this time, he has aquired four allies in order to spread fear upon this world again."

"But why me? Out of all the Guardians you could've gone to, why me?"

"Simply put, I need your help as well as the other Guardians'."

"With what?"

"With these," Mother Nature said, opening the globe like one would open a chest by pushing in the seven continents in a specific order.

After opening it, she then set the globe on a tree stump table she created out of thin air. She then took out four small figurines and set them on the table. The figurines were wooden artist models colored light blue, red, black, and purple for each one. On the figures' heads were small crowns made of similarly colored wood as well.

"Are those what I think they are?" Tooth asked.

"They're just models, but yes, you do have the idea. Both the Man in the Moon and I have chosen four individuals to counteract Pitch's newest comrades. These four are capable of wielding elements that are connected to me, rule their kingdoms with firm yet gentle hands, and know the four people that Pitch recruited too well. They are called the Royals."

"Why are you telling me all of this?"

"Because the other Guardians, except Sandy, won't listen to me if I went to them for help in bringing all of the Royals together in order to stop Pitch. So I figured they'd listen to you."

Tooth looked at the figurines and then at Mother Nature with uncertainty on her face. Mother Nature saw that and wasn't at all surprised: she's basically convincing Tooth to partake on not just a quest, but a mission that involves telling the Guardians the inevitable truth about Pitch's return and getting four people that hardly know each other together to stop the four people Pitch allied himself with.

"They're not going to like this."

"I know, I know. When all of you do decide to partake on this, I'll be the first to know."

With that, she raised her slender arms and, in a flash of light, she was gone along with the globe, but the table and figurines still remained. Tooth looked at them again with the circumstances of Nature's visit still reeling in her head. She then picked up the purple figurine to inspect it a little closer.

"Funny, you don't strike me as the kind of girl who still plays with dolls," she heard an all-too familiar voice coming from right behind her, causing her to almost drop the figurine in shock.

"Good grief, Jack!" she said, putting the figurine back on the table just as Jack Frost landed behind it.

"Gee, nice meeting you too," the ice elemental said with feigned disappointment before setting his eyes on the figurines. "But seriously, what are those?"

"Nothing that concerns you at the moment," Tooth said, putting the figurines in a ruby box. "I better meet with the others."

"That reminds me. North asked me to get you."

"What for?"

"He didn't say. He did, however, say that we can either fly to the North Pole or use a portal to get there."

"Portal sounds good. Gets you there quick. First things first, though."

After saying that, Tooth flew back to where she was before she got the news of Mother Nature's visit.

"Baby Tooth, I'm going out. I need you to keep an eye on things while I'm gone, 'kay?"

Baby Tooth merely nodded her head. Tooth then flew down to the platform she was on, only to find that Jack had already activated a portal leading to the North Pole.

"You first," Jack said with a grin on his face.

Tooth just shook her head while smiling and flew into the portal with Jack following. Afterwards, they found themselves in North's workshop. Tooth clearly saw that North, Bunnymund, and Sandy were standing around in deep conversation, though it's mostly North and Bunny.

"Hey, guys," she said, flying up to them with Jack following.

"Ah, Tooth!" North stated.

"About time you showed up," Bunny said while Sandy waved excitedly.

Tooth hovered in midair while Jack landed on the platform. She looked at the ruby box in her hand and looked the others straight in the eye. The others looked at Tooth with concern as she took a deep breath.

"Pitch has come back," she finally said.

Sandy, who was sipping some eggnog, wound up spewing it in Jack's direction. The spirit of ice just froze the stream without so much as a blink.

"And that makes it spit take number 5,438," Jack said dryly as he caught the frozen stream.

"You mean 5,439, mate," Bunny responded.

"I took sip after statement," North said defensively. "It doesn't count."

"Guys!" Tooth said, in an attempt to stop the argument before it got out of hand. "This is serious! Pitch really did come back!"

"Well, even if he did," Bunny started, "how'd you know about that?"

"Because she told me so!"

Shortly after she said that, the room fell quiet. Tooth felt herself getting embarrassed as Bunnymund's ears twitched.

"Mother Nature went to you?" North asked out of shock.

Tooth only nodded.

"Who's Mother Nature?" Jack asked until he saw Sandy conjure an image of a crown over his head. "Oh, never mind."

"There's something else," Tooth stated, opening the ruby box. "Mother Nature said that this time, Pitch has recruited new allies to help him spread fear, so she and the Man in the Moon chose four people to counteract them."

She then took out the figurines from the box and placed them on the table.

"The Royals?" Bunnymund said out of surprise, causing Tooth to nod again.

"Okay, I'm not familiar with this, so someone please tell me about this," Jack said.

"The Royals are connected to Mother Nature in terms of element," North explained, "and rule their kingdoms with fists of iron but hearts of gold."

Sandy nodded rapidly.

"No two sets of Royals have the same elements, though," Bunny told Jack further. "Last time we saw a group like that, they controlled earth, wind, wood, and metal."

"So, basically, every time a new group of Royals show up, they can have different elements, right?"

Sandy projected an image of a check mark.

"The problem is that we have no idea who the new Royals are, much less which elements they might have," Tooth said sadly.

Soon after she mentioned that, the light blue figurine burst into a snow flurry and then disappeared, leaving in its place a miniature pale woman with platinum blonde hair tied into a braid and blue eyes as well as wearing a light blue dress with a slit up the right side of the skirt just below the knee with matching shoes and cape, all in the style of ice and snow.

"Hey," Jack exclaimed, "that's Elsa!"

"How'd you know who that was, mate?"

"I was in Arendelle around the time she was growing up. The weird thing about it was that she's able to see me back then."

Sandy started flailing his arms about.

"What?" Tooth asked him.

This caused Sandy to conjure an arrow pointing towards the figurines.

"Wait, the others are being revealed?" Jack questioned the Guardian of Dreams.

This time, the purple figurine was surrounded by lightning. When it disappeared, another miniature replaced it. This time, it was a short, bald man with some white hair left. He was wearing a purple tailcoat, white vest, poofy gold pants, purple slippers with red gumballs on them, a red bowtie, and a gold crown on his head.

"King Candy!" Tooth said out of surprise. "I remember when he was only a prince. Still couldn't get that lisp of his out of my head, though."

Suddenly, the red figurine erupted in flames and then vanished, leaving in its place a mini light-skinned woman with wild blonde hair and green eyes as well as wearing a red dress with hints of black, black high-heels with red hearts on the toe parts and a gold crown with a red ruby in a heart shape.

"Alice?" Bunny said confusingly.

"You know her?" Jack asked skeptically.

"Only by proxy. I really knew her ankle-biter. Real sweet kid, that one."

Soon, the black figure began shaking.

"Last one," Tooth stated. "Who could it be?"

Sandman produced an image of a high-heeled shoe.

"You think it's Cinderella?" Jack asked him. "I would've said Merida."

"Ariel?" Tooth said questioningly.

"Nah," North told her. "Water, remember?"

"Please don't be Pocahontas. Please don't be Pocahontas."

The discussion was cut short when the figure was surrounded by a dark mist before it disappeared, revealing a lightly tanned young man with black hair, red eyes, and a dark gray horn protruding from his forehead. He also wore a black and red suit with a red cape draping his shoulders, black loafers, and a red crown with black onyx gems on his head.

"Obsidian," North said with incredulous shock.

Upon hearing the name, the elves hid behind Bunnymund in absolute fear.

"I take it back, Pocahontas is fine."

"Let me guess."

"Obsidian is a king feared by anyone who crosses him," Tooth explained.

"North, I'm not so sure about this one," Bunny said. "He's probably worse than-"

"Yes, but Mother Nature and Manny wouldn't have chosen him if he wasn't special."

The figurines then disappeared in a flash of light, leaving only a glass ball with Mother Nature's face in it. The Guardians gathered in front of it as Nature's eyes turned grass green.

"Guardians," she began, "if you're viewing this image, then you now know what you must do. You are to get the Royals together to stop Pitch and his newest allies, the Evil Royals. There is also another reason as to why the Royals were chosen. Obsidian especially, Bunnymund."

The others looked at Tooth after Mother Nature finished explaining.

"I forgot to mention that," she said.

"Anyhow," Nature started again, "the other reason these Royals were chosen is because they know the Evil Royals too well, but as for the identities of the Evil Royals, both the Man in the Moon and I do not know. Be on the lookout, try to keep the Royals together, and stop Pitch from spreading fear once more."

After saying that, the orb disappeared in a puff of smoke. The Guardians weren't sure about how to get the Royals together, but they decided to meet later and went their separate ways, not realizing that a shrouded figure was watching them before taking his leave by flight via black wings protruding from his back. While flying, the figure removed the cloak, revealing a light man with white hair streaked with black, purple eyes, and wearing a dark blue suit with matching shoes.

"His Majesty is not going to be happy when he hears this," he muttered as he sped off towards his destination.