//------------------------------// // 29 Religion 101 // Story: Knowledge is Power // by hydra30 //------------------------------// The others looked at each other in confusion. They had learned recently that Hermaeus Mora wasn't the only Daedric Prince(not like they even grasped the concept of a Daedric Prince anyway) but they could not see the significance of what the others had. Hermaeus Mora was already in Equestria, what was so bad about the others? "Why should that matter, Twi?" Asked Applejack, " Hermaeus said they don't know about us." "And besides, how much worse could they be?" Asked Rainbow. "Hermaeus Mora is a living blob of tentacles that can appear in multiple places at once." Twilight grew a serious look as she made here way back to the sitting area. "Gather around girls," said Twilight gently, her friends sitting in a circle around her as she levitated a large red book over to her. "Do you want me to tell you about the other Daedra?" They all were puzzled by Twilight's look, but all gave their consent. "The first thing you all need know..." Began Twilight, her friends slightly nervous as she shed a single tear. "The truth is... Hermaeus Mora is by far one of the most reasonable of all the Daedric Prince's." Silence filled the room. "You cannot be serious Twilight!" Said Rarity, her heckles rising slightly. " That brute killed Chrysalis without a moment's hesitation." "He spread his ugly portal things all over the kingdom," said Rainbow Dash. "And he stole the sun and moon from the Princesses without even saying please," said Pinkie, her eyes slightly squinting in anger. "Not to mention plunging us all in that spooky red light." "And most of all, he's keeping you here," said Fluttershy, her usually kind face scowling. " He put your life in danger when he taught you that weird voice," said Applejack, adding in her two bits. Spike just remained silent. He knew Twilight had to know all of this already, and yet she still said they should avoid contact with Nirn so not to draw the attention of the other Daedric Prince's. If thats the case, he had a pretty good idea of why Twilight was so against it. "Hermaeus Mora is capable of doing horrible acts, and probably has the most grotesque appearance of any Daedric Prince," explained Twilight, looking at all of them with a look that told them not to rebuttal. "But the truth is that the other Daedra have done much more terrible things then what we already have seen Hermaeus Mora do...they are so much worse." They all looked at Twilight as she stared at the book in her hooves. "Twilight...who are these other 'Prince' fellows?" Asked Applejack, the others agreeing, wanting to know as well. "You must listen to everything that I tell you, girls," said Twilight, looking at each of them around her with a look of worry. "What I must tell you will probably be the most terrible things you will ever hear." Twilight did not have to wait long for confirmation. Her friends wanted to know what the other Daedra were like, so as to both know what threat Equestria would face if one ever found their home, and to know how much worse then Hermaeus Mora they really are. And Twilight was both relieved to be able to share her burden, and fearful for how they would react. Slowly, Twilight open the book. "There are about sixteen Daedric Prince's in total," began Twilight, everyone giving her their undivided attention, "And like the dragons of Nirn we discussed before, the people that live on Nirn worship them." " That again?" Inquired Rainbow in irritation, " How gullible are these people?" "The Daedric Prince's don't lure people with just power and reverence alone," explained Twilight, " Each one has different aspects and personalities. You all know by now that Hermaeus Mora is the Daedric Prince of knowledge and memory right?" They all nodded, though Rainbow still seemed slightly annoyed at the mention of how intellectual the blob of tentacles was. Seriously, how could something so abominable be based on knowledge and intelligence? "He may be new to Equestria, but on Nirn he has legions of followers, all of them researchers of some form. In fact, all seekers of any knowledge are as his servants. Pretty much his motto, " said Twilight. " Its the same for the other Daedric Prince's, people follow them not only because of how powerful they are, but because that Daedric Prince is in some way kindred with that person." " That person?" Inquired Fluttershy, tapping her chin. " Wait, your talking like not everypony on Nirn worships all the Daedric Prince's at once." "That is exactly right," said Twilight, "The worship of the Daedra is divided, unlike the Dragon cult. Each person is loyal to only the respected group of followers loyal to a certain Daedra. In fact, the different divisions of followers are usually mortal enemies. " " Well, other then Hermmy, who is all into books as well as the people in his club, what are the others like?" Asked Pinkie Pie, "Are they really as bad as your making them out to be?" Gritting her teeth, Twilight flipped the book around and showed them the page, " This book was written by a scholar who lived on Nirn, who spent his whole life researching the all Daedric Prince's as much as possible." The picture she was showing was that of a bipedal silhouette adorned with a hooded robe, crows sat oh her shoulders as she spread her arms gratefully. " Oh, this person, despite her unfamiliar appearance, is most graceful," said Rarity, admiring the depictions feminine beauty and her face which seemed to glow with radiance. " Looks can be deceiving," continued Twilight, "This is Nocturnal, Daedric Prince of the night and shadows, and ruler of the Evergloam Plane Plane of Oblivion." " Ever...gloam?" Inquired Pinkie, slightly confused. " She has a weirdo pocket dimension too?" " That is the one thing all Daedric Prince's have in common, girls, they all rule their own Plane of Oblivion. Each one a reflection of that Prince's personality," explained Twilight, also including a small briefing of what constitutes a Plane of Oblivion, and successfully getting her friends to at least understand the basic principles. " Prince? " Inquired Applejack, looking to the picture again. " Beg pardon Twilight, but this feller's obviously a girl." " Like Hermaeus Mora said back in Equestria, a Daedric Prince cannot be understood easily," explained Twilight. " Despite their look or their genders, all the Daedra like Hermaeus Mora are called Prince's. But if you boil it down tho the simplic, a Daedric Prince doesn't even have a gender." " WHAT?" Asked all of them at once, Twilight giggling slightly at their expressions. " Its true, a Daedric Prince is actually not a boy or a girl, but can choose between either one at any given time." "That...that's slightly freaky," said Applejack, a flabbergasted look on her face. " I know," said Pinkie, "Can you imagine how much easier it would be to shop for clothes if you could just change sex's on a whim!" "Pinkie, how crude," said Rarity with a look of disapproval, "but I do admit, it is quite the puzzling thought." "You said it," said Spike, putting a claw on his chin in contemplation. "Despite how big of a weirdo he was, even Discord was a boy." " I agree," said Fluttershy, "I have worked with animals for all my life, and gender has always been an absolute." " Such is not the case for the Daedric Prince's," continued Twilight, bring attention to herself once again. Rarity tilted her head at the open book in Twilight's,magic, once again admiring Nocturnal's beauty. " You said she is the Daedric Prince of shadows and the night. I take it she is kinda like a counter part to Princess Luna? " " Well...sorta," said Twilight, looking at the picture of Nocturnal with a look of slight disgust. "Her sphere is the night, just like divining past and future events is Hermaeus Mora's, but her interactions with her people are less then admirable." " Ya, you mentioned that the Daedric Prince's have fan clubs," said Rainbow, her intuition telling her their was something wrong with Nocturnal. " If the eggheads follow tall dark and stretchy, who likes to run with Mrs. Nighttime?" " Thieves," said Twilight simply. The room grew silent. "Uh? Come again Twilight? " requested Applejack, certain she had heard wrong. "Nocturnal's followers," began Twilight, her face hardening with a serious expression. "Are the thieves and petty criminals of Nirn. She is often times depicted as the lady of luck, or the patron of thieves, for it is her that influence how successful their scams or heist is." " How...how dreadful," said Rarity in a slight mortified voice, looking to Nocturnal's picture again, "A lady of such pristine beauty should not indulge in such lowly behavior." " Remember Rarity, the Daedric Prince's have no gender in truth," said Twilight, " In fact, I am ferly certain that is why Nocturnal chooses this particular form. No one would think such a graceful creature would be associated with the lowest of criminals." " Hold on a minute," said Applejack, looking slightly worried. " You're saying one of these Daedric Prince whatever actually encourages thievery?" " More like instigates it," said Twilight, her demeanor grim. " For thousands of years, Nocturnal has been the driving force behind several crimes on Nirn. She even played a role in the theft of a renowned national treasure." " That's horrible," said Fluttershy, everyone nodding in agreement. "How could anypony condone such vile acts?" " Nocturnal does not just condone thievery, she rewards it," continued Twilight, everyone giving her a look that asked for an explanation. " Her most devoted and most accomplished followers are granted unique powers by Nocturnal. They are known as the Nightingale's, and they're so elusive that it is believed that Nocturnal has bestowed upon them the power of the night and shadows themselves, allowing them to call upon them to aid them in their endeavors." " How vulgar," said Rarity, the others giving their agreement. "Why would the lawkeepers of Nirn allow such a despicable group to exist." " Because of Nocturnal, Rarity," explained Twilight, " Crime or not, if you have the favor of a Daedric Prince, virtually nothing can stand in your way." " I am beginning to see your caution, egghead," said Rainbow, looking at her purple friend with a look of understanding. "Mora hasn't exactly remained idle in Equestria, but he hasn't committed any horrible crimes. If Nocturnal found out about Equestria, I don't think it would be good." " And she is not the worst case," stated Twilight as she she turned the page of the book to a new section. This one was depicting a short and pudgy being with horns growing out of the forehead. One hand held a full head mask that had similar horns, the other rested on the head of a large dog that sat at his side. Like Nocturnal, he was bipedal, but had clear facial features with a boys resemblance. " This is Clavicus Vile, the next Daedric Prince I would like to discuss." "Oh, what a cute dog," said Fluttershy, looking at the dog in the picture with fondness. "Hey, I didn't take Daedric Prince's as the pet type," said Pinkie Pie, looking at the picture curiously. " Their not," said Twilight, everyone looking at her with budding confusion. "This is Barbus, Clavicus Vile's companion, and he is not a dog." " Uh, what do you mean, sugar cube?" Asked Applejack, looking to the picture, trying to see if she could see what Twilight was talking about. "Barbus takes the physical appearance of a dog, true, but the truth is he and Clavicus Vile were once one being until he was severed from Clavicus's body and cast out, manifesting into a separate individual," explained Twilight, revulsion appearing on all her friends faces when she finished. " Eeww," said Pinkie, turning slightly green. "That dog is actually a piece of the guy next to him?" " So horrid," complained Rarity, looking at the picture as if it smelled revolting, "Who would do something like that?" " Yeah," agreed Fluttershy, "Who would pull a piece of somepony out, then make it manifest as a cute little dog?" Spike, Applejack, and Rainbow also gave their statement of agreement. "Clavicus Vile pulled Barbus from his body himself," explained Twilight, her friends gasping in shock. " Barbus, for lack of a better term, is the physical embodiment of Clavicus's conscious, willing torn out and separated from him." "HIS CONSCIOUS?" Inquired everyone. "Yes," confirmed Twilight, "Clavicus Vile removed what little bit of consciousness from his being so that nothing would interfere with his self imposed tasks, which then manifested into the creature known as Barbus." " And...what tasks would those be?" Asked Spike nervously, the others mirroring his look of dread "Clavicus Vile," began Twilight, her face contorting into a sour look, "is the Daedric Prince of Trickery, Wishes, Serenity and Bargains, his sphere is sphere is the granting of power and wishes through ritual invocations and pacts." " Trickery?" Inquired Applejack, surprised. " In Nirn, his followers are those who seek something that they disire," explained Twilight, " He is known for granting the wishes of any who have the misfortune to cross his path, unwittingly, willingly, or otherwise." " That doesn't sound so bad," said Pinkie excitedly, "I definitely know I wouldn't mind having my wishes granted." "Me too," said Rarity, flipping her mane with a look of desire, " if he could tell me what fashion trends would be big in the future, that would definitely be something." " Now hold your horses y'all, I smell something funny," said Applejack. " Wishes was just part of his fancy title, and if that was all he did, why did he tear out his conscious?" "You have good institution, Applejack, never change that about yourself," said Twilight, admiring her friends good instinct, but then brought her attention to the others. "Another thing Clavicus Vile is known for is his twisted hobby. Its true he grants the disires of the people he meets, but for his own amusement, he often sets up scenarios that make those granted disires backfire." " Backfire?" Inquired Rarity, all the others giving a confused look. " Let me give you an example," started Twilight, concentrating on getting the wording in her head. " Say someone wants to start a mighty organization of trading, and goes to Clavicus Vile for the funds and the skill to accomplish it. Clavicus grants his wish, and for several years it flourished. But then at the hight of his power, when it seems everything could not get any better, that individual who sought out Clavicus suddenly find everything he has built crumbling faster than he can repair it, and also finds himself without the talent he used to build all he had in the first place. " And all this happened because Clavicus Vile redacted the wish he granted." Everyone had a look of pure shock. " Why...why would he do that?" Asked Rarity sadly. " Why would he suddenly destroy something he himself had a hoof in building?" "Because it amuses him," said Twilight, everyone growing a look of horror. " Clavicus Vile, nothing gives him greater pleasure than watching the people whose wishes he granted suffer as their own desires lead to their demise." " That...sounds so mean," said Pinkie, her mane drooping a little. "What kind of terrible person would be amused by such morbidity?" Inquired Rarity. " What a varmint," said Applejack, her face going red. " Yeah," said Rainbow, looking generally peeved, " What kind of monster gets their kicks from such things?" "Such a horrifying thought," said Spike, looking at Clavicus Vile's picture with caution. " Something that grants wishes, only to pull strings and turn that wish into something awful." "He loves causing regret," stated Twilight simply, "That is the basic fact about Clavicus Vile, in fact, his Plane of Oblivion is called The Fields of Regret." It took some time for the atmosphere of the room to calm, but Twilight let take as long as needed. They had a lot to discuss, and this subject need them all to have a calm state of mind. And they had even worse ahead, and Twilight could only hope her friends could push past it. " We have onky learned about two of these other Prince things and already my skin crawls," said Applejack, shaking her head. "How many more are there Twilight?" Asked Rainbow. " There are fourteen Daedric Prince's left, " said Twilight, her friends gasping at the number. "And I am sorry to say, but I think it is imperative we discuss all of them. I know its a lot, but I feel we will need to be aware of all that they are capable of. It will help us, help all of Equestria better our relationship with Hermaeus Mora." " Its not the amount of what we have to cover still that bothers me," said Rainbow, surprising everypony because she was the one who hated studying the most of all of them. "Its just shocking to learn how many of these things there are, and the what we already have seen has been horrible." " But I think we all agree, we need to know what these varmints are capable of," said Applejack, the others agreeing, though Fluttershy had some reluctance. " We have yet to get to the worst,"explained Twilight, looking nervous, " Do you all think you can deal with things even worse than what we already have gone over?" Twilight's friends all agreed, so she turned the page to another section. "This is Sanguine, Daedric Prince of debauchery," said Twilight, her friends looking at the picture of a bipedal creature in red and black armor holding a mug. " His Plane of Oblivion is the Myriad Realms of Revelry, a collection of multiple pocket dimensions that can become any kind of party one can imagine that the followers of Sanguine can visit at any time, and is known for being extremely fond of every kind of celebration there is himself, his sphere is hedonistic revelry, debauchery, and passionate indulgences of darker natures." " Hey, that doesn't sound so bad," said Pinkie, looking at Sanguine with interest, " In fact, Sanguine sounds like my kinda guy." "I'll admit, as the patron of celebration, Sanguine hasn't got quite the reputation the other Daedra have. In fact he is a prankster and joker too," said Twilight, Rainbow and Pinkie adopting looks of intrigue. "But he has his unpleasant vices too." "What could be unpleasant about somepo...someone who loves partying?" Asked Pinkie, correcting herself when she remembered they weren't talking about ponies. With a flash of magic, Twilight plugged Spikes ears with cotton, the baby dragon folding his arms in irritation. Twilight usually did this to him when she needed to discuss 'adult topics' and had done so for years. He never understood, but Twilight insisted it was for his own good. From here Twilight explained the darker of Sanguine's darker hobbies. Lust, sin, sloth, gluttony, and greed, she explained how Sanguine nourished these traits in people and amplified them, most of the time so he could set them up for a cruel prank. She also explained his habits of crashing parties he found to be drab. " How mean," said Pinkie, looking at the picture Sanguine with new found irritation, "Some people like quiet parties. That is no reason to ruin them because they bore you." "Its so petty," said Rarity, the others agreeing. "And even I think those pranks are cruel and distasteful," said Rainbow with a scowl. "Can someone explain to me what was so bad, you had to block me out?" Asked Spike now that his ears were unobstructed. " All you need to know, Precious Scales, is that this guy is horrible, despite being into parties," said Rarity, Spike blushing as the others laught at the nickname. Twilight flipped the book pages to another section, this picture depicting a tall biped wearing a mask adorned with deer antlers. " Next we have Hiricine," said Twilight, her friends gasping slightly at the large spear the person in the picture wielded. "His sphere is hunting, and his Plane of Oblivion is an endless hunting ground that thrives with every type of prey a hunter could ever hope to pursue. It is his followers ambition to be allowed passage to this place, to hunt even the most challenging of beasts." " That doesn't sound so bad," said Fluttershy, the others looking at her with confusion forming over their look of horror that had appeared while listening to Twilight's explanation. " What?" Inquired Fluttershy when she noticed the looks she was getting. " Hunting is a natural occurrence, all of my animal friends that are predators hunt." " Yes, and that is how it is for the people who live one Nirn," explained Twilight, all looking to her again. "They are omnivores, unlike us, so they have to eat meat. Hunting is common on Nirn and those who are really passionate in the hunt worship Hircine." "I guess that would make sense," said Applejack, contemplating. "If you are really interested in something, even if it is hunting, it's only natural you would want to be backed by those who share the interest." " Yes, but Hiricine takes hunting to the extreme," explained Twilight, her friends giving her a concerned look. " To him everyone is prey...even his own followers." " WHAT?" they all shouted, almost falling out of their seats. " One of Hiricine's favorite hobbies is hunting the most accomplished of his own followers himself," continued Twilight, scraping at her seat uncomfortably. " From what I have read, when one of his followers gain a certain reputation as a hunter, it can be expected Hiricine will bring them into his own hunting ground and hunt them himself. Most never were seen again." "Granny Smiths pie," swore Applejack, her look mirroring the others, "Why would anyone follow such a horrible person?" " To them, being hunted by Hiricine himself is considered an honor," explained Twilight, trembling, her friends looked shocked. " And that isn't the worst of Hiricine's horrible acts." They all looked like they were unwilling to hear more, but persevered. "Hiricine inflicted a cures onto the people of Nirn," said Twilight, " The curse of Lycanthropy." They all asked what Lycanthropy was all at once. " Fluttershy, you said you know predators hunt, right?" Asked Twilight, the timid pegasus nodding. " Have they ever told you about their desire to kill and eat." " Naturally," replied Fluttershy, everyone giving her a look again, much to her annoyance. " You all now not every creature is vegetarian like ponies, predators eat meat. Its their nature." " And that is what the curse of the werewolf is," said Twilight, bracing herself for what she was about to say. " Those inflicted by this curse...once every full moon, they are transformed into a creature that resembles a wolf, only bigger and meaner. And until the sun rises on that night, they are doomed to wonder in this form, consumed with such an overwhelming desire for flesh and blood that they lose all sense of self. Those cursed to be werewolves would even kill and eat their own best friends if they crossed paths when they are like this." All of Twilight's friends looked at her as if she had grown a second head. " Why...why would he do that?" Asked Fluttershy tears leaking her face. " Hiricine wanted to create the ultimate predators," said Twilight, " And the worst part is that if anyone has an encounter with a werewolf and survives, but is bitten, the curse is transfered to them and they become werewolves too." Once again, Twilight had to calm her friends. They seemed to take this one very hard, and Twilight could not blame them. It was not everyday you learn of someone who inflicted a cures that turns people into mindless monster's that cra lolve the flesh of others. But she was able to bring them into moving forward with the conversation. " The next one is Peryite," said Twilight, turning the page again and showing them a picture of a dragon. " Daedric Prince of pestilence. Hi sphere includes tasks, natural order and pestilence." "Pestilence?" Inquired Applejack, her face contorting into a look of dread, "isn't that when...?" "Disease, yes," said Twilight, looking slightly worried. " Whenever a disease or sickness strikes Nirn, it is more than guaranteed to be Peryite's doing" " How....what... you...," staggered Rarity, turning eve more white somehow. "Disease!" "One of...these things... deliberately makes people sick?" Asked Fluttershy, Twilight only answering with a nod. " That is so mean," restarted Pinkie, looking more angry then she had, "Its bad enough when I catch a cold, leaving me unable to party...but someone from this Nirn place actually makes people sick on purpose?" " Now I can see why you should worry about the other Daedra finding Equestria," said Rainbow, pounding her hooves together. "We would be in real trouble if Peryite found Equestria." " Now don't get to worried," said Twilight, smiling slightly, "Peryite is possibily the Daedric Prince we have to worry about the least." " What do you mean?" Asked Spike worriedly as he stared at the picture of the book, " He's a dragon!" " Daedric Prince's can choose their form at will, remember," explained Twilight, " And Peryite chooses to take the form of a dragon to hide the fact that he is one of the weakest Daedric Prince's." They all gave her a look that asked for more information. "Its funny actually, he is actually totally nothing compared with Daedra like Hermaeus Mora," explained Twilight. "His Plane of Oblivion is the Pits, a place were everything the other Daedric Prince's consider unimportant is kept." It took considerably less time to steer the conversation back on track, once she impressed on them how weak Peryite is, and how it was least likely he could come to Equestria. " Moving on," said Twilight, flipping pages again. " How much worse is this gonna get?" Asked Rainbow. " All I can say is brace yourselves, girls," said Twilight, showing the next picture, that of another beautiful woman holding a pronged staff. "This is Vaermina, and she is basically the Daedric Prince of the mind. Her sphere includes nightmares, psychological terror and torment, dreams, bringing evil omens, and stealing memories." " Oh, you mean she can go all psychic and read minds," said Pinkie excitedly as she twirled her hooves around her head, the others giving her a quizzical look. "Sort of, I guess," said Twilight, lining up her next explanation in her head as simply as possible. " Vaermina is the cause of nightmares, psychological terror and torment, dreams, evil omens, and lost memories on Nirn. All things fear related originated from her." "Originates from her?" Inquired Twilight's friends. "Vaermina instills fear in people," explained Twilight. "And from what I can understand, she is kind like a mind predator, she infects dreams, turning them into nightmares so she can feed on the fear they cause. She also feeds on memories, if someone on Nirn wakes up one morning and finds they are forgetting something, or had a nightmare, it is believed because Vaermina visited in the night." Everyone looked horrified. "You... Your not even safe from these things in your sleep?" Asked Fluttershy sheeply. "No," answered Twilight simply. "Vaermina is known as the Dreamweaver, ruler of Quagmire, also called the Dreamstride, the realm of Nightmares, the plane where every time lightning strikes, reality shifts to another horrifying vision. People who have visited this place usually leave mortified...if they leave at all." Fluttershy stiffened up and fell out of her seat. "And this... monster has her own followers?" Asked Rarity, helping Fluttershy back into her seat. "For the most part, the people of Nirn just ask her for a peaceful night," explained Twilight. " And those that do worship her do so for themselves." "What could something so revolting have to offer anypony?" Asked Rarity. "Those that worship Vaermina seek to conquer their fear," continued Twilight. " And it is said that if you make contact with Vaermina, the terror you experience will make anything you feared before seem like nothing, so Vaermina' s followers do so to purge themselves of fear." They all had to admit, it made sense. Sometimes you must scare what your fear right out of yourself. But Fluttershy suddenly had a thought. She had faced Discord, Nightmare Moon, and recently a changeling hell bent on conquest, but NEVER had she heard of creature's the like of which they have spent the better part of a few hours talking about. Hermaeus Mora was able to manifest himself as multiple swirling black vortex of tentacles and eyes, as she had seen, and the other Daedric Prince's seemed to be capable of their own extraordinary feats. The power in which she had learned they had was inconceivable, especially since it was instigated that they do all this on a world wide scale. Also, the fact that they play with people's lives like toys was something she could not bare to understand. This could only lead to one possible conclusion. A conclusion she had to knowo was true or false. " Twilight...can I ask you something?" She asked timidly. " Of course Fluttershy," replied Twilight, glancing at her friend with a smile. " We...all that we have learned so far..." began Fluttershy, her tongue trembling so much with the rest of her she could barely speak. " All that you have told us...these...Daedric Prince's...?" Twilight flashed her friend a worried look, itbwas not uncommon for Fluttershy to tremble over her words like this, but it still made her concerned. " What is wrong, Fluttershy? Whatever it is, I would more than like to help." " Its just..." the rest of her friends began to feel concerned as well when Fluttershy still could not bring herself to say what she needed to. "Come on, darling," said Rarity comfortingly, placing her hoof on Fluttershy's shoulder for she was sharing a couch with her. " If you are so concerned about something, please tell us." " Yeah," agreed Rainbow from the chair next to Twilight. " I know we usually aren't on the same page as you when it comes to concerns, but if it has something to do with these Daedric guys, it can't be minor." " Yes indeedy," said Pinkie, on another couch with Applejack. " If you need to know something about these creepy creatures, we should all know what it is. So don't afraid to ask, nothing you say could be unimportant." " I agree," said Applejack, "Anything regarding these manipulating swines we have been talking about is important." " I agree as well," said Spike from the little chair he sat in. "Go ahead and spill." Fluttershy looked at all of them in gratitude. She could never hope to have a better group of friends to be with. They were supporting her when she could not support herself. It gave her the courage to finally get it out. " Are the Daedric Prince's gods?" Asked Fluttershy quickly. "And if so, couldn't they charge Equestria in any way they want." That paused everyone. " Hey, that's a good point," said Applejack, shaking slightly as she proceded what Fluttershy had brought to the fore front. "I ain't never heard of such beings like this, could it be possible that they are gods?" " They act similar to those deities Daring Do runs into whenever she stumbled across a lost poy tribe in some unexplored jungle," said Rainbow, looking slightly worried. " Oh, what a terrible idea," said Rarity, her eyes wide with horror. " If these brutes are gods, what does that mean for us, or for Equestria? Hermaeus Mora is already there, what if he decides to use his power to recreate our world to his own purposes" " I don't know..." said Pinkie, tapping her chin. " They all sound powerful, but do they really sound like the all knowing, world creating, gody god types?" " Pinkie is right," said Twilight, bring attention to herself with how calm her voice is. You know what constitutes a god, is the creation of the world of which they are known. The very fact that who we are talking about is the Daedric Prince's virtually means we are not talking about gods." " What do you mean?" Asked Fluttershy, everyone sharing the same look of confusion. " The Daedra may have followers on Nirn, but they didn't create it," explained Twilight. " That was the doing of the real gods of Nirn." " Real gods? Who are they? " Asked Rainbow. " It's slightly complicated, do you really want me to explain." Her friends all agreed, they would like to know more about these 'gods'. " Well, the first thing you must be aware of is that the Daedric Prince's are not the only group of powerful beings on Nirn," explained Twilight. " Their is another type, they are called the Aedra" "AEDRA?" Repeated all of Twilight's friends. " Thats kind of unimaginative," stated Pinkie, "Theres just no D." " There is more to it," continued Twilight, her demeanor that of somepony giving a lesson, " You see...their names are similar because the Aedra and the Daedra are the same race." " What?" Said Rainbow, shaking along with the other ponies and Spike. " But you said the Daedric Prince's weren't gods." " I am getting to that," snapped Twilight, slightly annoyed, "Explaining this will take time, so please hold all questions or out bursts until I am finished." They all agreed, though reluctantly. " Now," started Twilight again, " The Aedra and the Daedra, together they are part of a race of highly powerful beings known as the Et'Ada. No difference between the two groups...except for their deeds." Twilight light up her horn and projected twenty four black orbs that hovered in the air. "The Et'Ada existed before Nirn was created, and then they were equal to one another for the most part, until they decided to do something with their existance," Twilight adjusted the orbs to were sixteen were on one side and eight on the other. "The Daedric Prince's wanted to create their own little pocket universe," Each of the sixteen orbs grew a wide aura around them, each with different colors, "The Aedra want to create one huge world." The eight other orbs became surrounded by a huge green aura. " Wait a minute," said Spike, running this through his head, though Twilight was slightly annoyed by being interrupted. He may not be the intellectual type, but all this had reminded him of Ogers and Oubliettes, plus the comics he loved from the start. "Their own small pocket universes...Each of the Daedric Prince's plane of Oblivion!" " Spike, that is right," said Twilight, looking extremely proud of her little number one assistant. " The Et'Ada were divided into the Aedra and the Daedra because the Aedra created Nirn, while the Daedra created their own plain of Oblivion." " Well A'll be," said Applejack, mystified. " That still doesn't assuage the concern," said Fluttershy nervously. "It means that the Daedric Prince's are related to the ones who created Nirn and COULD do the same in Equestria." "No, they couldn't," said Twilight. Everyone just gave her a blank look of incomprehension. " The real reason the Aedra and Daedra were separated into different groups of the Et'Ada..." began Twilight, her eyes taking on a look of intrigue. " Is because they decided to create their planes of Oblivion, instead of assisting The Aedra...because the creation of Nirn came at a great price." " What price is that?" Asked Rarity, her eyes swimming with wonder. "Ya, I can't imagine how many bits creating a word would cost," said Pinkie. " I don't think she means that kind of cost, sugar cube," said Applejack. "The Aedra...actually gave up their power, or at least most of it, to create Nirn." "Gave up?" Inquired Rarity. "The people of Nirn refer to the Aedra as the Eight Divine," explained Twilight, still looking intrigued. "And they have worshipers like the Daedra... but they do so of gratitude. The Aedra created Nirn, so they owe their very existance to the Aedra... especially since the Aedra pretty much gave their lives to give them life." The others grew looks of pure horror. "Gave... gave their lives?" Inquired Fluttershy gently, the rest mirroring her look. Twilight plucked a large rolled up piece of paper from a nearby shelf and unfurled it between them. They all oohed at the artist depiction of a night sky skillfully crafted, looking like a snapshot photograph. What was most eye catching was the multiple moons in the sky. "This is the night sky on Nirn," explained Twilight. "Ooh, look at all the moons," commented Pinkie. "Those are not moons, girls," said Twilight, her friends looking at her with confusion. "The planets that orbit Nirn...that are visible in the sky...are actually the inert bodies of the Aedra." They all dropped their mouths open as they looked at the picture with new clarity. "Creating Nirn required so much power, the Aedra were reduced to this," explained Twilight, looking at the picture with slight pity. "They gave so much of themselves that they were reduced to a partial existance. From what I have learned, they aren't even coherent enough to be considered conscious." "Sweet Celestia!" Gasped Rarity. "That...I don't even know...". Rainbow was at a complete loss for words. "Now that is sacrifice," stated Applejack. "Got to say, that is something I can respect," said Spike as he watched Twilight roll up the night sky portrait and put it away. "Giving up their power to create a planet and all the people on it and at such cost." "Oh, how horrible," said Fluttershy, slight tear's in her eyes. "Giving up their lives so people on Nirn could exist...so Nirn could exist!" "I know," said Pinkie, looking a little upset, "Can you imagine how boring it would be to orbit the sky as a huge planet, oversleeping in every way possible? How would you party? How would you burst into random musical numbers. Heck, even if you could wake up, how would you go to a party when you are so big?" "You couldn't," stated Twilight, "And that is why we don't have to worry about the Daedra in regards to them remaking Equestria. They didn't assist in the creation of one world, so it would not happen now. The Daedra would be rendered inert just like the Aedra." "Are you sure?" Asked Rarity, the conversation from before returning to the forefront of the others minds. "Despite all of their power, the Daedra are not God's, and have limitations. Even if they did want to remake our world, only Hermaeus Mora has presence in Equestria, and it took more than one Et'Ada to create a new world." After that, Twilight steered the topic back to the Daedric Prince's. The others wanted to know more about the Aedra individually, but Twilight reminded them that this conversation was about why it was a bad idea to make contact with Nirn. Besides, the Aedra had been pretty much out of the picture regarding Nirn for millennia, it was doubted they would play any part in what was happening in Equestria. So Twilight flipped through the pages of the book of Daedra. "How about we start with a Daedric Prince that is actually decent," said Twilight, her friends giving her a look of confusion again. "This one's name is Meridia." They all looked at the picture on the page, this one depicting another bipedal woman with a physical appearance similar to Nocturnal. But we're as Nocturnal had dark but graceful presence, this woman extruded light from every portion of her body. Even rainbow could feel reverence of light from the picture. The women had long silvery blonde hair that waved in the air like their princesses, her sleek white skin blending perfectly, both giving her brilliant blue eyes and attracted accent. She wore a flowing robe that if they didn't know better, seemed to be crafted out of light itself, flowing and so beautiful. She had a pare of white feathered wings sprouting out her back, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash examining them and through their Pegasus heritage, could tell they were powerful. But the most noticable fear was the ball of bright light she held above her head in her cupped hands. "Meridia is the Daedric Prince of life," explained Twilight, "She is known as the "Lady of Light" or the "Prismatic Lady" by her followers, her Plane of Oblivion is the colored rooms and is one of the only Daedra I wish found Equestria other than Hermaeus Mora." "I must say, she looks simply Divine," said Rarity, eyeing the depiction of Meridia with interest. "You would really rather she be in Equestria?" Asked Rainbow, "Hermaeus is into books, just like you." "He also manipulated the circumstances in Equestria to forward his own ambition," said Twilight with a scowl. "Our whole kingdom was in danger, he help yes, but he didn't do it to save anypony." "Huh, Twilight, isn't that what all the Daedra would do?" Asked Fluttershy gently. From what you have told us, they do seem to be a malevolent bunch." "Some of the Daedra aren't as bad as others," said Twilight, looking back to her book. "And Meridia is by far, one of the more compassionate of the Daedric Prince's." "How so, Twi?" Asked Applejack. "Her sphere of influence is over life energy," explained Twilight, her smile widening. "She is responsible for the health and physical strength for the people of Nirn, and takes her responsibilities very seriously. Is because of her that the citizens of Nirn have energy to till their fields, as well as build their homes." "Well, that sounds mighty pleasant," said Applejack, tilting her hat to the book in respect. "I guess not all of them dude's are no good, rotten varmints." "I agree," said Pinkie, also looking at the photo in reverence. "If she is the source of one's bodily energy, she must be why anyone there could party. You can't party without energy, believe me, I've tried." "And that isn't the only thing," continued Twilight eagerly. "Meridia is the mortal enemy of the Ideal Masters." "What do you mean, Twilight?" Asked Rarity, shivering along with all the others as she recalled the uncomfortable conversation earlier. "Meridia is the Daedric Prince of life, so there for, she has an unruly hatred for everything undead," explained Twilight. "You said the Ideal Masters are the source of the dark magic that can awaken people who are supposed to be pushing up daisies." Said Pinkie. "And that sort of action revolts Meridia to her core," said Twilight, her friends paying her all of their attention. "She has made it her mission to eradicate the people who resurrect dead bodies for their own purpose." "Sounds like my kind of Daedra," said Rainbow with a tough look. "Sticking it to those rotten grave robbers." "It's the same for her followers too," continued Twilight. "They share Meridia's hatred for the undead, and have made it their mission to destroy anything related to the undead, like ghosts, zombies, necromancy and most of all, vampires." "Nirn has necromancy?"asked Spike, him and the other ponies shivering as they recalled the ancient dark magic users of Equestria that adopted the title of necromancer, until Princess Luna and Celestia band the dark magic and disbanded the practitioners. "What is a vampire?" Asked Fluttershy. Twilight mentally kicked herself in the rump for letting that slip, she had not been paying attention to what she was saying. But she shared the details anyway, about how a vampire was someone who had contracted the disease native to Nirn, Sanguinare Vampires, and as a result, became a vicious creature of Shadow that was neither living nor dead. She also explained the unquenchable thirst for blood that plagued them. "Light is their enemy," concluded Twilight, "And Meridia's light is exceedingly dangerous to them." "Sweet Celestia!" Gasped Rarity, a look of pure horror on her face. "A disease that makes you want to drink blood?" "I thought vampire fruit bat's were bad," said Applejack, her green pupils shrunk in her terror. "But this..." "A disease that makes you need to drink blood?" Contemplated Spike, looking like he was going to crawl out of his scales. "I know, by the Nine Divine," said Pinkie in a flabbergasted look. "What did you say, Pinkie," asked Rainbow Dash, looking slightly green herself. "Why would Meridia want to hurt them? " Asked Fluttershy before Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie could continue. " She should help them. Those poor people are suffering from a terrible disease, its not their fault." " That is not entirely true, Fluttershy, " said Twilight, her pegasus friend gasping in shock. " In fact, most people on Nirn became vampires of their own free will." " Why would they do that?" Asked Rainbow, almost to the point of trembling. " Power," explained Twilight simply. " To become a vampire comes at the price of blood, but those who follow this path willingly can obtain great power, for vampires have strength and magical prowess that can go beyond the norm. And above all else...vampires can't die." " WHAT?!" Shouted the whole group. "A vampire will never age, being that they are already dead, technically," said Twilight, her eyes squinting in depression atbtge morbid subject. " The only way they can die is if someone slays them." They discussed the subject of vampires for only a little bit longer, see is how they had to go over more of the Daedra. Twilight was wondering which one she should do next though. She had been trying to avoid the really terrible subjects for even after so long herself, Twilight was still disturbed by what she had learned about the remaining Daedric Prince's. But it would seem fate made the decision for her, as she was turning the pages she suddenly sneezed unexpectedly and dropped the book. " Oh, another girl Daedric Prince," said Rarity. Twilight heaved when she saw what Daedric Prince the book was opened to and scooped it up and slammed it shut. " Let's resume with a different one girls," said Twilight nervously, her forehead covered in sweat. " Now Twilight, don't be getting all protective on us," said Applejack, shaking her hoof shamefully. " Ya, you said we need to know what the other Daedra are like," said Rainbow, her voice scolding, but also supportive. "Even if it is very terrible." " Come on, Twilight, lay it on us," agreed Spike, the rest nodding in agreement, supporting looks on their faces. Twilight felt her anxiety drain at their comforting words. She need to just push forward, she needed her friends to know this. She also needed to trust tge fact that they could handle the facts. But why did the book land on this one? "Her name is Narmia," explained Twilight, opening the book to the page again. " Her sphere is ancient darkness, and is the rulers of the Plane of Oblivion the Scuttling Void. Her passion is revulsion." "Revulsion?" Inquired Rarity. " You mean like spoiled food and bugs and stuff? " Asked Pinkie. " Hey, I resent that Pinkie," said Fluttershy, slightly livid. " My bug friends are not repulsive." " But they are right," continued Twilight, her eyes downcast. " Namira is associated with bugs and decay...but her and her followers are about more than just whts visually repulsive." " What is that, darling?" Asked Rarity, concerned. " They don't eat mud or something, do they?" Asked Applejack, slightly convulsing at just the thought. " They eat something," explained Twilight, her friends looking at her expectedly. " Girls...Narmia and her followers...are cannibals." The room became as still as the grave. " Darling...?" Whispered Rarity, her eyes about to pop out of her skull. " You mean they...?" " Namira and her followers will lure some random person to their sanctuary for one reason or another," said Twilight, forcing each word out with all her strength. " And when they get there..." Twilight could not continue with words, she feared she would be sick if she opened her mouth for to long. So she finished by slicing her hoof across her neck, then opened her mouth and pointed within. She made a chewing imitation then pretended to swallow. Her friends all turned green. "OH, I THINK I AM GONNA BE SICK!" Shouted Rarity, standing up but having to put a hoof to her mouth to keep from throwing up in a very unladylike fashion. " Me to..." Spike wretched as smock billowed out his nostrils above his clenched mouth. " MY CUPCAKES!" Screamed Pinkie Pie, leaning over the back of her chair on her stomach. " I'M GOING TO TOSS MY CUPCAKES." " THE CIDER...THAT DRINK!" Shouted Applejack, her hat falling off as she doubled over. " I...I have no problem, I can handle any..." Rainbow doubled over too as a squelching sound echoed through her gut. "I ADMIT IT...I NEED A BATHROOM." " HORRIBLE...SO HORRIBLE!" Shouted Futtershy, her pale yellow coat going green to the root. In a flash of magic, Twilight teleported her friends away, and multiple wretching sounds originated from the direction of the living quarters. She should thank Hermaeus Mora for providing them all with their own washrooms. She wondered if that was on purpose. Her ears folded against her head as all fell silent, and she teleported them all back into their seats. " Better? " She asked worriedly. " Barely," said Rarity. They made a point to drop the subject of Namira then. They definitely did not want her to find Equestria. But Twilight still had a hard time picking the next. "I guess we could talk about Malacath," said Twilight, flipping pages again, showing them a picture of a bipedal muscular creature. " He is the Daedric Prince of the spurned, the ostracized, and oaths." " He, looks rather brutish," commented Rarity. " That is a good way to describe him," continued Twilight, " Malacath is by far one of the most aggressive of the Daedric Prince's. He has a fondness for battle and will often times pit people against each other. Usually to fight to the death." Their was a sudden collection of gasps. " If their is anything good about him though, its that he does have a sense of honor," explained Twilight, looking slightly put out. "Those who have been wronged in some way can come to Malacath for aid. He absolutely dispises people who break promises or ostrisize people, that is why he is the Daedric Prince of the spurned and the betrayed." " And let me guess," said Rainbow with a scowl. " He helps them by helping them get back at or outright kill the one who betrayed that individual in the first place?" Twilight could only nod. " How mean," said Pinkie, looking really withdrawn. " I don't like it when someone breaks a Pinkie promise, but that is no reason to hurt someone." " Let alone kill," said Fluttershy. They all agree that their were other ways to deal with situations like that without violence, though Twilight was glad they did not bring up what happened at the wedding just a few weeks ago. Twilight was sure Malacath would have greatly approved what had happened. He would probably have instigated she get revenge on her friends for turning their backs on her too. Not that she ever would. " So what is his Plane of Oblivion?" Asked Spike. " It is called the Ashpit." They discussed this for only a little bit longer. The Ashpit was a place where very little excists so ther was not much to talk about. Though they were getting to the Daedric Prince's Twilight feared most. " Girls...we are about to get to the worst of them," warned Twilight, giving her friend a worried look. " What we are about to discuss is pretty much the very reason we don't want the other Daedra to have any incline of Equestria." " What could be worse than what we already have discussed?" Inquired Rarity. " Hold on, Y'all," said Applejack as tge rest of them were about to voice their own objections. " We agreed to this, and not just to know what the other Daedra are like. Twilight is obviously having trouble with this, we owe it to her to share her burden." " Yes, that is right, " agreed Fluttershy, her face contorting into a look of pure determination. " We will get through it together." " Alright, count me in as well," said Rainbow, also looking ready to move forward. " I won't let Twilight carry this one on her own." " Me neither," said Pinkie excitedly. “ whatever horrible things these other Prince guys are capable of, Twilight already knows and would need someone to help her deal with it." " And I have known Twilight my whole life, " said Spike, "She is not easy to scare, so whatever has her spooked now, I will share her burden." " It would be unfair if I back out now," said Rarity, flipping her mane gracefully. " I am a lady of tact, so I am in to." Twilight could only shed grateful tears as she opened her book to the next Daedric Prince. " This is Boethiah," started Twilight feeling as if she was about to swallow her tongue. "He is...he is the Daedric Prince of deceit, conspiracy, treachery and whose sphere is the unlawful overthrow of authority." Twilight's friends could only stare at the picture of the larger biped that held a large gold double axe on the page, speechless. " Twilight, care to run that by us again," moaned Applejack. " Treachery, rebellion, Boethiah is the Daedric Prince that influences these actions," explained Twilight, her face contorting into a look of pure horror. " He also encourages revolution, motivating the people who live on Nirn to rebel against their ruling government and sparking wars. He also has a fondness for violence. More than once he has gathered his followers into a single location and instigated a free for all tournament, in which only one may be left standing." "Twilight..." gasped Rainbow, looking on edge for the first time since they had started. "One of these Daedric whatevers...his role is to actually cause deception and overthrowing?" " Yes," said Twilight, "Boethiah, when put simply, is all about violence. His realm of Oblivion, Attribution's Share, is actually nothing but a winding labyrinth that is just as treacherous as Boethiah. For amusement...he sends some of his own followers there to fight till death, the victor at the end being given the Title of Boethiah's champion." " Like how you are Hermaeus Mora's champion? Inquired Fluttershy, Twilight nodding her head. " Now do you see what I meant by one of the more reasonable Daedric Prince's?" It took some time for Twilight to get to the next subject. She had to instill on them how dangerous Boethiah was. He was ruthless, cunning, and he watched people kill themselves for his own amusement. He kind of reminded Twilight's friends of how Chrysalis had acted, but much worse. " Let's move to the next," said Fluttershy timidly. "Worse or not...I do not want to think about this 'Boethiah' anymore." They all agreed, better or worse, they needed to move past Boethiah. "Next I guess we should do Molag Bal," said Twilight, her book showing a bipedal creature silhouetted against a wall of ice. "And the reason for that is because he and Boethiah are arch enemies." " Oh, does that mean he is all about peace and harmony among people?" Asked Pinkie excitedly. " Unfortunately no," said Twilight, shaking her head sadly. " In my opinion, Molag Bal is worse than Boethiah." " What do you mean?" Asked Applejack, slightly surprised. " That varmint has people kill each other." " Because, for all his violent tendencies, Boethiah is about freedom," explained Twilight, " Molag Bal...he is the Daedric Prince of Domination and Enslavement." " ENSLAVEMENT!" Exclaimed everyone. " Since the creation of Nirn, Molag Bal has sought to enslave all who dwell there," explained Twilight simply. "He is overly fond of luring people into the frozen wasteland Coldharbour, his Plane of Oblivion, were he can consume their souls." " By my...oh sweet rock farm!" Said Pinkie. " These two...Boethiah and Molag Bal...said Applejack, unable to continue. " These two, they cancel each other out," said Twilight, looking at each of them. " They are both thoroughly evil, but if they weren't constantly trying to out do the other, ther deeds and acts would be even more numerous." They discussed the subject for a while longer. Twilight explained how Molag Bal was also known as the Schemer Prince, how he lured his victims to him with revolting schemes. She also explained that he was the origin of Vampirism, same as werewolves originated from Hiricine. " We're almost done," said Twilight, smiling slightly. " Only a few left, and truth is, only one is really horrible. Do you want to get it over with, or would you like to discuss the more pleasant ones?" " Lets get the nastiness over with, " said Pinkie, the rest agreeing. "Very well," said Twilight, flipping the page again. " Mephlala the webspinner, Her sphere is lies, sex, murder, secrets, and plots; she enjoys seducing and interfering in mortal affairs for her own amusement." Rarity flashed her an annoyed looking, taking her hooves off of Spike after she put them there when se realized Twilight was about to say sex. " Really Twilight?" Inquired Rarity. " Moving on," gritted Twilight, irritated at herself. " Mephlala's realm of Oblivion is called Spiral Skein, a world of infinite spiderweb." " Makes sense," said Pinkie, looking at the picture of Mephlala. " She is all spidery." " Why does she look like that?" Asked Rarity, sticking out her tongue in discust. " I never liked spiders," said Applejack. " Come on, Fuzzylegs is nice," said Fluttershy. " Come on, she is not that creepy," said Rainbow. " Thats a matter of opinion," said Spike. " The reason she looks like a spider is because she spins webs of lies," explained Twilight. "Her game is she likes to instill discord among people, her plots interwoven with each other so integrated the literally resemblance webs." They discussed Mephlala a while longer. Going over how manipulations cause such strife, even there Discord wasn't comparable with this woman. She even caused strife in tight knit families, something that made Applejack see complete red. "Azura is the next Daedric Prince," continued Twilight, showing them a picture of another bipedal woman holding a star and a moon in her hands. "She is the Daedric Prince of Dusk and Dawn, the magic between Day and Night, also given titles such as Mother of the Rose,Queen of the Night Sky. Her sphere is the period of transition and change. Her realm of Oblivion is called Moonshadow, a place of such beauty, its said to make people blind. " " Hey, she actually does not sound half bad," said Fluttershy. " Azura is by far, the most benevolent of the Daedra," explained Twilight. " She is gentle, loving, and cares about people. But she isn't completely docile, if you somehow do get on her bad side, her wrath can burn like the sun." "You said she is the Daedric Prince of the dusk and dawn?" Inquired Rainbow. "She is pretty much the equivalent of both Princess Luna and Celestia rolled into one," explained Twilight happily. " She sounds divine," said Rarity, looking at the picture fondly. "I wish we could meet her." " Lets not get ahead of ourselves," said Fluttershy, "She is still a Daedric Prince." " And speaking of which, lets get to the last two," said Pinkie, looking slightly eager. " I want to know who the last of these badies." " I actually saved this for last," said Twilight, opening the book to two pages. "And that is because these two really interest me." Twilight showed them the two pages. On the right was a bipedal creature in a purple dress suit with white hair and a beard, and on the left was an exceedingly tall biped covered from head to toe in silver armor and wielding a silver great sword. " You have not gone over two at once yet," said Fluttershy. " You'll understand in a minute," said Twilight. " The guy with the beard is Sheogorath, Daedric Prince of madness." " Oh great, one of these creeps instills insanity now," complained Rainbow. "Sheogorath does instill madness, that much is true, " said Twilight. "He shelters them, gives them homes in his Plane of Oblivion, the Shivering Isles. A place where they can live in peace." "That... actually sounds kinda nice," said Applejack, the others agreeing. "Taking mentally handicap people somewhere safe." "Well, he kinda has a soft spot for them, considering he is completely bonkers himself," said Twilight, her company looking at her in shock."It's true, Sheogorath is totally out of his mind. His realm, the Shivering Isles are completely unpredictable. And that is in complete contrast to the other Daedra you see on the other page." They all looked to the other picture, the one wearing armor. "That is Jyggalag, Daedric Prince of order." "Order huh?" Inquired Rainbow, scratching her head. "Sounds like the opposite of madness." "True, Rainbow," complimented Twilight, "Sheogorath and Jyggalag are polar opposites to each other." "Why are you showing us them both at the same time?" Asked Rarity. "Are they enemies, like those other two horrible people?" Asked Fluttershy, trembling slightly. "Only from a certain point of view," stated Twilight, "You see girls, Sheogorath and Jyggalag are one in the same." All they could do was stare at her. "You see girls, the truth is Jyggalag is the most powerful of all the Daedra, even among the Daedric Prince's," explained Twilight, her audience going slack jawed. "And so powerful her was, he could even instill order among even the other Daedra." "This guy sounds like a complete opposite of Discord," stated Applejack, her head spinning. "And he could even make those unruly varmints behave to?" Twilight nodded. "And at the same time, he is this Sheo-whatsit that is Lord of the loco in the coco?" Asked Pinkie. "In a way," said Twilight, straightening up in her chair, Spike telling the others to get ready for a long explanation. "You see girls, in the beginning there was no Sheogorath or the Shivering Isles. There was only Jyggalag and his Plane of Oblivion. A plane of complete order." "Wait wait wait, then we're did Sheogorath even come from?" Asked Rainbow impatiently. "Jyggalag became him afterwards," explained Twilight, looking to the book with interest. "You see, it all began with something that had never been before, Jyggalag made the Daedric Prince's feel something they never felt before." "Ohh, was it a party...oh no, I bet he got them presents they never even asked for...or maybe." "Fear," said Twilight, looking slightly annoyed at Pinkies antics. "Jyggalag was so powerful that even the other Daedra feared him." "They all were?" Asked Rarity, thinking about the huge tenticles Hermaeus Mora could create anywhere. "Yes, and because of that something happened that never happened before and has yet to happen again," Twilight paused to take a breath. "The other Daedra joined forces!" "Your kidding," moaned Applejack, the others asking threw the look in there eyes. "These Daedra don't sound like the team up type." " You're not wrong, Applejack," said Twilight, her face serious. "But the other Daedra feared Jyggalag, feared him so much that they put aside their differences and worked together, pooling their magic and casting a curse on Jyggalag. A curse that shattered his mind, and reduced him to the Daedric Prince of insanity, Sheogorath, his realm of order becoming the chaotic land known as the Shivering Isles." The others looked on with a look of pure incomprehension. " That sounds kinda mean," said Pinkie, her mane drooping a little. " He didn't do anything to deserve that." "But he was powerful enough to control even the other Daedra," explained Twilight simply. "And if there is one thing the Daedric Prince's fear, its control." "It was still wrong," said Rainbow angerly. "He was the most powerful of all the Daedric Prince's, so they decided to do that to him? Well you know what, we ought to go to Nirn and help Jyggalag." " I agree," said Fluttershy, her voice laced with anger. " We have the Elements of Harmony right here with us, we could use them for free Jyggalag from the cures." " GIRLS!" Shouted Twilight before any more could be said. "I agree with you, but it won't be necessary. Jyggalag is already free of the curse." From here, but began an explanation. " Despite their efforts, the other fifteen Daedric Prince's could not put an indefinite cures on Jyggalag. During his time trapped within Sheogorath, Jyggalag could break free and take his true form once every era, and reclaim the Shivering Isles and restore them back into his kindom of order. The followers of Sheogorath called it the Greymarch." "'Once' every era?" Inquired Rarity. " You mean it was temporary." " Yes," confirmed Twilight. " As soon as Jyggalag was finished restoring his home the curse would take effect again and he would turn back into Sheogorath." " Thats even worse," said Applejack angerly. "The curse only lifting for long enough for him to put everything right, then taking effect again." " That was how it was," explained Twilight, her face splitting in a smile. " Until Sheogorath found a way to break the cycle for good. " The last Greymarch was a couple hundred years ago, and when it began, a plan was put into place. Sheogorath had bestowed a mighty warrior with some of his power, to face Jyggalag when he emerged. After a fierce battle, Jyggalag was struck down." They all gasped in horror. " You mean...he was killed?" Asked Rarity sadly. " You cannot kill a Daedric Prince," explained Twilight, " But Jyggalag submitted victory over to the warrior who challenged him, and in doing so, broke the curse of Sheogorath forever." " How?" Asked Rainbow, the others sharing her confusion. " It turned out the Greymarch was what was reconstituted the curse," continued Twilight. " But when Jyggalag was stopped from completing it for the first time, the curse could not renew itself, allowing him to return to his original form." "Does that mean Sheogorath no longer exists?" Asked Spike excitedly. “ He actually is still around," said Twilight, much to her friends confusion. " Sheogorath had existed for so long it actually was necessary for him to continue to exist. When Jyggalag was defeated in battle, he bestowed the Title of Madness onto the warrior who took him down. He is the new Daedric Prince of madness, and has remained so to this very day." " Hey, wait a minute," said Spike, tapping his chin. " Back up on that building, you said there are sixteen Daedric Prince's right?" " Yes," confirmed Twilight with slight confusion. " You said fifteen of them joined forces to turn the strongest of them into a pshyco, then someone freed him and turned into a new all powerful king of the craziness himself, " Spike contemplated, looking like he was thinking hard. "Wouldn't that have added one more to the number of Daedra?" "When did you get so smart?" Asked Rainbow with an arched brow. " Hey, I have my talents," said Spike smugly. Twilight was contemplating what Spike had said. He was right, with Sheogorath and Jyggalag becoming separate beings it would bring the number of Daedric Prince's up to seventeen. How had she missed it? And she had already said that they were to the end of the list. But then it hit her. "Girls, I am afraid I forgot to mention one of the Daedra," said Twilight, embarrassed. " Thought so," said Spike. Twilight flipped through the book as her friends waited. How could she forget this one, he was the Daedric Prince she feared most of all? Even now, the thought of him him made her spine tingle with fear. " You may want to pace yourselves," warned Twilight as she showed them the book for the final time. " Come on, Twilight, we can take whatever..." Rainbow halted so she could gasp in fear along with the rest of her friends. The picture depicted another biped, but this one carried the very aura of malevolence just in this simple depiction. It stood before a burning landscape, the trees around showing it was several stories tall. Is skin was crimson red, great horns protruding from its balled head, its slitted yellow eyes caring a look of pure murder, its tusked mouth in a snarl. It had four arms, two of which held weapons. One had a clawed gauntlet strapped to the wrist, the other held a huge double bladed axe that was held parallel against the ash stricken sky above. Need less to say, this...thing held an image that left the ponies and one dragon in a speechless state. "This is Merhunes Dagon," Twilight explained to her silent friends. " Daedric Prince of Destruction, Revolution, Energy, Change, and Ambition." Her friends said nothing, only continued to stare at the creature. " And he is the main reason why we should keep Nirn and Equestria separate," continued Twilight. " Twilight, we have been talking about creatures of both revolting and dangerous power this whole time," said Applejack, shaking slightly as she looked up. "Are you saying that this one is the worst?" " Yes," answered Twilight, shaking too. "For he has done things far worse than any of the others." " We have learned about these guys who eat people, turn people against each other, make people sick, and support stealing," stated Pinkie with an arched brow. " What could old four arms here do to top all that?" " He wants to destroy the world," said Twilight quickly. They all stared at her. " You care to run that by us again," moaned Applejack. " Merhunes Dagon's sphere of influence is destruction and renewal," explained Twilight grimly. " He believes that it his his duty as a Daedric Prince to destroy Nirn and rebuild it anew, in his own image." " Twilight, darling, you can't be serious," gasped Rarity, her sapphire eyes wide. " You're saying that one day this thing...will try to destroy the world of Nirn? " " He already has tried," explained Twilight, her friends gasping in terror. " Multiple times." " Wait, are you saying...?" " He has never succeeded," said Twilight, cutting Spike off. "Time and again Merhunes Dagon has tried to destroy Nirn, time and again the mortal citizens resisted and vanquished him." There was a slight pause as they processed this. " Hey, that sounds kind of awesome," said Rainbow Dash excitedly. “I didn't think anyone from this world Nirn had it in them to stand up to these weird bullies." " They weren't going to let Merhunes Dagon destroy their world without a fight, even if he is a Daedric Prince, " explained Twilight. "But it was anything but awesome Rainbow." "We stood up to Discord when he tried to turn Equestria into a land of chaos," argued Rainbow, the others agreeing. " How was this any less awesome than that?" " Our encounter with Discord was nothing compared to the Oblivion Crisis," said Twilight, looking at her friends apologetically. " The last Merhunes Dagon tried to destroy Nirn he caused absolute bedlam, his Plane of Oblivion, The Deadlands, crashing into Nirn like two trains crashing together, allowing hords of his minions to invade. " Thousands of people died in the following slaughter, and when it seemed like Merhunes Dagon would win, the mortal people of Nirn banded together and were able to severe Merhunes Dagon from their world, casting him back into his own kingdom of death. From that day forward, that event was known as Oblivion Crisis to the people of Nirn. And even though it was centuries ago, Nirn is still recovering from all the destruction Merhunes Dagon wrought that day." Stunned silence filled the room as everyone stared at Twilight. " Now do you understand?" Asked Twilight desperately. " The Daedra are extremely dangerous, if any of them find Equestria like Hermaeus Mora did...if Merhunes Dagon..." " You need not say anymore, sugar cube, we get it," said Applejack gently. " Yes...if any of these things find our home..." said Rarity, her heart pounding like a drum. " This Dagon character...he wants to destroy the world!" Whispered Rainbow, unnerved. " We definitely need to keep him away from Equestria. What if he...?" "Our friends, families, my animal friends..." began Fluttershy, her face wetting with tears. "He.., would destroy all of them?" Twilight only nodded. " Nightmare Moon wanted to bring night forever," commented Pinkie, also looking scared. " But this four armed monster wants to destroy the world? How mean." " I think we can all agree," said Spike, looking at all of them. " We all need to have no contact with Nirn at all." All of them agreed, it was best if they don't visit Nirn. If just one of the more violent Daedric Prince's found out about Equestria, it would only end in disaster. They had an incline about what they were capable of, it was for the extreme best that Nirn and Equestria stay separate. With all the Daedric Prince's discussed, the girls retired to the dining room to try some of the recipes Pinkie had come up with, to say they were hungry was an understatement. " Hey I have just the thing to raise our spirits after so many morbid subjects," said Pinkie excitedly after they finished dinner. "A PARTY!" And she reached of screen and pulled up her party cannon, letting her trademark weapon of with a blast of confetti, the dining room becoming decorated in balloons, refreshments, and other such party supplies. "Hhhhhhmmmmrrrr!" That is when Hermaeus Mora appeared above, multiple eyes staring at Pinkie Pie and her cannon.