//------------------------------//
// Trial Five: Truth and Reconciliation 
// Story: Born In Light, Forged In Darkness 
// by Jest 
//------------------------------//

“Are you sure that's a good idea? No offence, dear, but you seem pretty rattled,” Velvet warned.

Kanathara nodded slowly. “We both have grievances to air, and we will have very little time to do so before the paladins close in.”

“So we’re just going to talk to him then, right?” Rainbow Dash inquired with a hint of nervousness.

The keeper of secrets nodded slowly. “Yes, though it depends on what he has to say to defend himself.”

“I never thought I’d say this, but don't do anything rash, please,” Velvet urged, touching her daughter’s shoulder. “We are entering uncertain times, and we will need all the allies we can gather if we are going to have a hope of surviving.”

Kanathara gritted her teeth. “I promise nothing.”

Rainbow Dash sighed. “Let’s just get moving. I’m sure some fresh air will help cool the boss’ head a little.”

“Alright. I’ll get us to the edge of the Everfree, and we can fly from there,” Velvet remarked, gesturing towards her secret forge area.

“I better not have to carry you,” muttered Rainbow Dash bitterly.

The older mare chuckled as she quickly unlocked the passage. “Don't worry, I have my own method of transportation already with me.”

“How are we getting there exactly? Let me guess, you have a teleportation rune set up somewhere,” Kanathara guessed, the demon following her mother as she entered the secret forge area.

“You could say that,” Velvet murmured, grabbing a greenish black stone from a shelf and bringing it over to the edge of the forge.

Which struck Kanathara as stranger than first anticipated, as the keeper hadn't given the forging area much attention the first time she’d seen it. Now that she really looked, the first thing she noted that where there would be a quenching bucket, there was instead a relatively wide pool of what looked like magma. Though it was different from the terrestrial kind that young Twilight had studied, as it did not radiate the same amount of heat one would assume. In addition, it was also a more crimson color.

“What is that?” Rainbow Dash asked, gesturing to the pool.

“This is liquid hellfire, and it can be used to imbue a weapon with the wrath of Tartarus itself. Or create a portal to another pool of fire, provided it has the right prompting,” Velvet explained before dropping the glowing green and black rock into the redish liquid.

The hellfire flashed and twisted, turning sickly green before beginning to spin slowly, forming an odd mini-vortex at the center of the pool. After a few seconds, Velvet nodded and turned to the two demons with a slight teasing smile on her face.

“I can see that look in your eye, you want to know how it works,” Velvet remarked, staring right at Kanathara who blushed. “I’ll tell you more later, but the short version is that it was inspired by studying a changeling’s portal spell. Now come on, we should hurry if we want to have any time for our little conversation.”

Before either demon could offer a word in edgewise, the scarred older pony retrieved her mace from the rack, grabbed her armor in her magic and leapt into the pool. Velvet slipped right through like it was water, vanishing. The liquid bubbled for a few seconds before returning to its normal state. Neither demon moved to repeat the pony’s rash actions though, merely staring at the pool and then at one another.

“So uh, are you going first or should I?” Rainbow Dash muttered.

“To answer your unspoken question, it should be safe,” Kanathara replied.

Rainbow Dash sighed. “Sometimes having you in my head can be a bit of relief. Well, if you say it's safe, then I suppose we should just get this over with.”

Kanathara watched as her familiar jumped into the air and cannonballed directly into the pool, vanishing beneath the greenish liquid just as Velvet had done. Left alone with her thoughts, Kanathara wondered if this was really the best idea, considering that her brother was likely closing in on Tirek. But she quickly brushed that worry aside, as the unicorn hadn't been anywhere close last she had checked, so it wasn't that likely to be a problem.

Kanathara sighed, and eyed the pool one last time. “I can sit and think later. Now is the time for action,” she muttered to herself before taking a step back and diving straight into the vat.

Emerging on the otherside, Kanathara landed semi-gracefully on a stone floor, her hooves leaving deep gauges in the rock in order to stop herself. Looking herself over, the keeper found that everything seemed to be in order, her magic worked fine and her stomach didn't even feel like it was trying to crawl up her throat. The sound of pained grumbling made Kanathara turn her attention to Rainbow Dash who was rubbing her butt and cursing under her breath.

Velvet merely shook her head and chuckled. “Why in Equestria would you jump in like that?”

“I thought it was funny,” Rainbow Dash muttered. “I didn't know I was going to come out the other side upside down and still somehow manage to land on my butt.”

Kanathara briefly put her familiar’s bickering out of her mind and surveilled the area, quickly realizing that she was in a small cottage. Outside the abode’s window stood tall green trees and dense foliage, though there were a good thirty feet of open ground between them and the woods. The cottage itself was relatively small, consisting of three rooms, and was shaped like a large L with, a forge in one corner, and a kitchen and living room in the main area.

Two open doors could be seen on either side, one leading into what looked like a large bedroom and the other opening into a storage room of some kind. The entire place was also fairly bare, save for the forge area, and though there was some furniture, it was simple and plain-looking. Clearly Velvet only used this as a place to get away from the hustle and bustle of the cultist base, while still having space for her experiments.

“Hmm, it's rather cozy,” Kanathara muttered.

“I have a large garden out back that should be able to feed a half dozen people if necessary, a deep cellar, and a few out buildings. Though I haven't had the time to fortify this particular safehouse as much as I would like, it serves its purpose well,” Velvet explained.

“There will be time for the tour later,” Rainbow Dash warned.

“Right, let's get moving,” Kanathara agreed, the two demons already heading towards the door.

“Try to remember the location of this place, because it's yours to use if you should need it,” Velvet added as she followed the pair as they left the cottage and entered the surprisingly well-maintained front yard.

“Got it,” Kanathara exclaimed before turning into a blackish smoke and seeping through the cracks of Rainbow Dash’s scales.

The familiar shuddered briefly before turning to Velvet, who stood next to her, eyes closed and with her gear placed on the ground next to her. “Sooo… now what?” asked the vengant, her flaming mane flickering in the slight breeze.

“Just a second. I haven't done this very often,” Velvet replied.

Before Rainbow Dash had a chance to ask another question or make a remark, the pony’s back began to writhe, and Velvet’s face contorted in pain. Two shapes pressed against the flesh on the pony’s back, stretching her skin until they pierced through and emerged fully in a splash of blood. Two large leathery wings extended from the holes left behind by their emergence, rapidly growing until they were much larger than a normal pony’s.

Velvet grunted and flexed her wings before grabbing her equipment and tucking it under a leg. “Right, let's get moving,” she muttered.

Your mom is so metal, Rainbow Dash thought.

Kanathara wished she was corporeal as right now she was incapable of any response whatsoever. Her pony mother obviously didn't notice this and simply leapt into the air, flapping her greyish wings, quickly gaining altitude. Rainbow Dash followed shortly after, and together the trio ascended above the treetops and through an unseen magical barrier.

After the tingle of magic passed over their body, the demons glanced down to where they saw what looked like a normal patch of trees. Brilliant, Kanathara remarked, I’ll have to get her to teach me such a spell once we have time to do so.

“Well, as long as you don't use it to prank me like the last time you dipped your hoof into illusion magic,” Rainbow Dash muttered.

No promises, Kanathara replied with a hint of amusement. 

“You’ll have to lead the way, as I don't know where this place is,” Velvet exclaimed.

Rainbow Dash nodded. “Right. It's over an hour away from Ponyville, so I hope you have decent stamina.”

“I do, but don't expect me to go very fast. I haven't had a lot of time to practice with these things,” Velvet exclaimed while she continued to hover next to the demon.

“Alright then, tell me where  Ponyville is and then follow me,” Rainbow Dash replied.

“Right, of course. It's just over there, see?” Velvet replied, pointing in the distance where a dull shimmer could be seen.

“Which means…” Rainbow Dash nibbled at her lip and stared off into space, nodding a few seconds later. “I got it. Let's go.”

Thanks, Rainbow Dash. I think I’m just gonna think for a bit, Kanathara stated.

“Don't worry about it, just relax and enjoy flying Air Dash,” exclaimed the grinning vengant as she soared through the air, her flaming mane and tail whipping about in the wind.





“This isn't good,” Rainbow Dash whispered as she gazed down from the cloud she was crouched upon.

Kanathara’s attention shifted outward for the first time in over an hour, ending her long bout of introspection. Now that she was paying attention and looking through her familiar’s eyes, she was able to see a large group of paladins cutting a swath through the forest. Two large earth ponies cleaved their way through the dense foliage at the front of the group, followed by a column of silver-clad ponies. At the center stood a familiar stallion who was barking orders while also looking into a crystal orb that floated before him.

A quick calculation and look into Rainbow Dash’s memories was enough to confirm that the paladins were indeed heading in the direction of Tirek’s home base. Though they weren't going quite the right way, it was evident that they knew they were closing in on the centaur and were at least heading in the general direction. Worse yet, a conservative estimate left them with only an hour or so before the paladins were able to locate the fear demon’s secret base.

We need to move, where's Velvet? Kanathara inquired.

Rainbow Dash glanced to her left, where a slightly out of breath Velvet rested uneasily on a nearby cloud, conjured wings twitching at her sides. She says she's okay to fly the rest of the way, but I don't think we’ll be outrunning any potential pursuers. 

It's fine, stay high and you should be able to avoid them. You know what to do, Kanathara added.

“Right, let's keep going. We’ll enter the front door instead of the back way, just in case they are following us somehow,” Rainbow Dash exclaimed.

“Good thinking, at least then you can set a guard and know where they are coming from,” Velvet muttered while still panting.

“Exactly. Follow me,” Rainbow Dash commanded before leaping into the air and flying northwards.

Behind her, at a slightly less steady pace flew Twilight Velvet, who managed to catch her breath shortly after taking flight.

Left alone to her thoughts once more, Kanathara considered what this newest development might mean, and if it would disrupt her plans. In the end she decided to not change a thing, as in her experience, there was never a proper time to have conversations like this. Even with a group of paladins breathing down their neck, Kanathara would still demand answers for what her father had done.

After all, Kanathara had dragged Velvet along with her, and the keeper of secrets had no doubt that the older mare also wanted to exchange a few choice words with the demon who had stolen her daughter. Kanathara just hoped she didn't end up having to fight both Tirek and the paladins before the day was out.





Kanathara held up a hoof, stopping her familiar and mother from getting too close while she was opening the door to Tirek’s secret base. A shield spell was already half-formed and ready to be deployed at a moment’s notice, though Kanathara hoped it would prove unnecessary. Pulling open the large stone portal, the keeper of secrets peeked inside, only to immediately let out a sigh of relief.

“It's clear,” Kanathara exclaimed, her magic dissipating as she pushed the door the rest of the way open and stepped into the room beyond.

Allowing her two companions to see the sole inhabitant of the space, which was a tall, bipedal humanoid wearing long unadorned black robes. The other demon bowed slightly, revealing her stitched lips and horn which peeked out from beneath her hood. She gripped tight the ends of her sleeves, and her hooved feet clacked as she shifted nervously. Golden eyes glimmered with barely contained excitement, and she extended a clawed hand in a familiar gesture.

“Augh, not this again. Tell me why we couldn't just rip those stitches out of her face already,” Rainbow Dash muttered angrily.

“Because every sense and ability you deny a seer increases the potency of their abilities. Besides, it's fine, Rainbow Dash, she wouldn't ask if it wasn't important,” Kanathara remarked.

“How fascinating. I’ve never seen a seer in person before. Some of my colleagues have even gone so far as to claim that they aren't even real,” Velvet added.

Pythias frowned, while also looking confused.

“Alright, let's do this quickly. I need to have a little talk with father,” Kanathara muttered before extending her foreleg and placing it in the seer’s hand.

The sudden presence of the seer’s mind wasn't as jarring as it used to be, though it was still unpleasant to both Rainbow Dash and Kanathara. You have your memories and seek confrontation, Pythias stated evenly.

“I wouldn't say that, but yes. I do have my memories,” Kanathara replied.

I know of the paladins' coming arrival and have already mobilized Tirek’s forces, continued the seer.

“Good. Though I’m curious as to why father hasn't done so himself,” Kanathara openly wondered.

Pear Butter has finally finished healing, and he refuses to leave her side, Pythias replied.

“That is… understandable, I suppose,” Kanathara murmured.

“Is that it? ‘Cause this is really starting to get on my nerves,” exclaimed an annoyed Rainbow Dash.

It is, I have just one last piece of advice to give. Pythias’ golden eyes narrowed, focusing on Kanathara closely. Allow him the first word. You must trust me on this.

Kanathara’s lips upturned into a snarl, and she nearly yanked her hoof away from the seer, only for the intensity of the other demon’s gaze to catch her off guard. It was a familiar look, though it wasn't a common one, as the bipedal demon only ever used it when she had seen some future event. For whatever reason, this was important, and despite Kanathara’s desire to tell off both Pythias and her father, the keeper of secrets relented.

“Fine, but after I let him have the first word, I will speak my piece,” Kanathara declared, pulling her hoof away and breaking the connection they shared.

Pythias nodded her head slowly, her frail form rising into a stand once more before walking to the side and gesturing to the door beyond.

“Come on, let's get this over with,” Kanathara declared, the keeper taking the lead.

Her mother and familiar fell in behind her, both keeping their comments to themselves and merely following the powerful demon as she strode into the room beyond, wherein a trio of war demons were outfitting themselves with armor and selecting weapons from the meagre supply. Ignoring them, Kanathara and her followers strode past down the hall and through the larger muster point just beyond.

After a few more twists and turns they found themselves standing before a familiar door. The solid oak object was reinforced with wrought iron, but even that would not have stopped Kanathara from seeing her father and saying what she wanted to. Unfortunately for her simmering rage, a hoof against her shoulder stopped the keeper before she could open the portal.

“Are you sure you're ready for this, boss? It doesn't feel like you’ve relaxed one bit,” Rainbow Dash remarked.

“I’m as calm as I’m going to get, I'm afraid,” Kanathara replied.

“Remember the advice your seer friend gave you. Her ability to see the future is unparalleled,” Velvet cautioned.

Kanathara breathed in and then out in a slow, deliberate motion. “I’m good.”

“Alright then, I’ll follow your lead,” Velvet exclaimed, the mare gesturing to the door.

Kanathara turned and pulled it open, quickly stepping inside and observing the area closely. The small room was as plain as ever, though Pear Butter wasn't awake at the moment, she seemed healed and the curtain that hid her was gone. Tirek was also asleep, though the centaur was only half on the bed, his arms and face resting on the corner of the mattress. 

The large horns that usually adorned either side of his head had shrunk to the point that they were mere nubs in comparison to what they used to be. The tuft of white hair that topped his head was gone, and his beard was scraggly and grey. Even the circular piercing that had adorned his nose for more than a thousand years was gone, as were his bracelets. He wore nothing, revealing a worn shaggy coat that covered his body.

It didn't appear as though he had consumed any manner of sustenance since Kanathara had last seen him, and though it was faint, she could see twin damp spots on the bed beneath his eyes. Empty bottles reeking of alchemical ingredients were piled high near the bedside, as were a small stack of used spell scrolls that were now devoid of magic. As she gazed upon the fear demon, Kanathara saw none of the vigor and power that the keeper had come to expect from the centaur, leaving behind only a sad individual.

Even still, Kanathara’s pain burned vividly in her memory, and though the sight tempered her rage somewhat, it did not stifle it completely.

She leaned forward and gently tapped the centaur’s shoulder, careful not to awaken Pear Butter quite yet. The emaciated fear demon stirred languidly in his slumber before rubbing the corners of his eyes with the back of his hand. For a moment immense relief sparked behind those black and yellow Repetitive, but as Tirek noticed the rest of the room’s occupants, that expression fell away.

And was replaced with a brief look of fear, which morphed into one of acceptance, with the demon hanging his head in shame. “I suppose you’ve come to get revenge then. After experiencing what I have, I can't say I blame you,” Tirek exclaimed weakly.

Kanathara’s bitter rage stopped before it could reach her lips, the words after experiencing what I have, rolling around in her mind. “What do you mean?” Kanathara demanded.

“What I mean is that my own desire for revenge led me to do many terrible things. Though now that I look back upon a lifetime of misdeeds, I realize what I have done to you is the worst of them all. You have good reason to hate me, and I sympathize with you,” Tirek muttered, unable to meet Kanathara’s gaze.

“You sympathize with me? How can you say that when you have not experienced pain like I have? I could feel my very soul be unmade while still inside of me!” Kanathara challenged, taking a dangerous step towards the centaur.

“Oh, but I have,” Tirek murmured, his gaze growing distant. “My arrival in Tartarus was not a pleasant one. I was not a demon born of sin, but rather the twisting of foul and wild magic. My body was not prepared for the rigours that another plane can wreak upon it. The medicine I gave you when you were younger was actually the very same that I took for nearly a hundred years.”

“You felt that way for a century?” Rainbow Dash asked, aghast.

Tirek nodded slowly. “And that does not include the decade it took to formulate the serum in the first place where I did not have its relief.”

“That changes nothing. This new perspective has allowed me to understand how truly vile you have been, nevermind the suffering you caused Velvet,” Kanathara continued, the keeper’s ethereal mane billowing angrily as she gestured to the mare who stood next to her.

“You are right, it doesn't,” Tirek replied somberly. “I sought to break you and reforge your spirit as a weapon to strike back at Celestia, to make you into a vessel for all the pain and rage I felt towards her. Yet I didn't need to do any of that. As you would do as I asked not out of obligation, or fear, but rather because you were a kind and eager student.” 

Tirek smiled faintly, only for the expression to vanish a second later. “And then I lost you, twice.”

Velvet’s shoulders sagged and her leathery wings folded against her back. “What do you mean?”

“When my tower was besieged, I did what I could to protect you two, but after I lost contact with you both and Cervantes, I feared the worst,” Tirek began. “With Pear Butter injured I could not leave her side to search for you, nor did I even find it possible to muster the effort as I was convinced that you had died.” Tirek sighed, smiling sadly. “Then you returned to us, only to leave right away and vanish once more shortly thereafter. It felt like I had lost you all over again.”

Kanathara’s angry response slowly fell away, and she couldn't help but see the centaur in a new, uncomfortable light. “What did Pythias say? Surely a seer would have been able to know if I was alive or not,” Kanathara inquired.

“Her visions were… uncertain,” Tirek exclaimed. “She told me that a great darkness hung over the future, blotting out most of what she could see and rendering what she was able to perceive so marred in uncertainty that it could not be relied upon.”

“Do you think it's her?” Rainbow Dash whispered.

Kanathara frowned. “Possibly.”

“I had foolishly believed that your deaths were what caused such a darkness, and with the planar bindings ensuring that your spirit could not simply go back to Tartarus, I had assumed you were gone forever.” Tirek chuckled. “It's funny, really. I always mentally downplayed the suffering I may have caused your family, and here I was forced to experience their loss twice over.”

“That's not funny at all,” muttered a weak voice.

Together the gathered demons and lone pony glanced up to where Pear Butter had opened her eyes and was gazing down upon them.

Seeing her face, Kanathara felt her resentment kindle within her once more. “And what about Pythias and Pear Butter do you regret forcing them into contracts as well?” Kanathara inquired, though the fire in her chest was weak and her anger was slow to stir.

“It's not like that,” Pear Butter exclaimed weakly.

Tirek nodded. “Yes. I’ve already prepared to release everyone who has signed a contract with me.”

“Don't say that,” Pear Butter demanded, her voice growing stronger with each passing second. “Pythias and I have spoken about this, and we wish to stay with you.”

“I don't deserve that,” Tirek replied dismissively.

“And I don't care what you want,” Pear Butter shot back. “The contracts between yourself, Pythias, and I are strong. Breaking them could kill you.”

“I forgive you,” Velvet declared suddenly.

“What?” Kanathara shouted, spinning on her heels to glare at the mare.

“He has suffered the same loss as I have and as foolish as it may sound, I’ve only ever wanted you back,” Velvet replied, her hoof caressing the underside of Kanathara’s chin. “Despite the circumstances, these past few days have been some of the best I’ve had in almost a decade.”

“B-but he-” Kanathara began, only to be cut off when Velvet’s hoof covered her mouth.

“Will do his penance in time,” Velvet ended.

“If that is what you wish,” Tirek replied solemnly.

Kanathara’s anger roiled hot in her belly, urging her to yell, scream, do anything, only for a memory to suddenly spring to mind. Don't forget to be kind. And just like that, her anger vanished, and the keeper of secrets’ shoulders slumped, her gaze turning to Tirek.

“You will tell me everything you know and give me every speck of knowledge you can claim ownership over when this is done,” Kanathara stated.

Tirek smiled faintly and bowed his head. “I would be honored to give you the information you seek. In addition you may also claim ownership over all that I have. From my other hideaways across this plane to the caches and libraries I’ve tucked away, all are yours.”

Kanathara nodded slowly. “After you’ve told me everything, you’ll have my forgiveness as well.”

Tirek sniffed and looked away, unable to muster a word.

“We should also start working as a team too,” Rainbow Dash pointed out. “I figure this dark business has only just begun, and we’re gonna need every resource we got.”

“Good thinking,” Velvet remarked.

“Agreed,” added Pear Butter, who brushed aside the blankets that had covered her body in order to run a hoof down Tirek’s back.

The door opened suddenly to reveal a rather grim-looking Pythias, who pointed to Pear Butter and then the ceiling before vanishing once more.

“Right, they are here. I have a plan, but I gotta warn you, this isn't a fight we can win. If we get tied down, we will lose,” Pear Butter proclaimed.

Tirek sniffed. “W-when did you have time to think up all this?” he questioned.

“Pythias and I discussed a lot while you were asleep,” Pear Butter replied, grinning. “You're not the only one who thinks ahead, ya know.”

“What do we have to do?” Kanathara asked.

“Wait, before we do this, I have to talk to what remains of the demons I have under contract,” Tirek declared.

“We don't have much time,” Pear Butter warned.

“I dont need much time, and I refuse to hold anyone in bondage for even a second longer than necessary,” Tirek declared sternly.

“Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get moving!” Rainbow Dash announced.