//------------------------------// // Chapter 25: Knight and Day. // Story: A Demon's Second Chance // by Perfectly Insane //------------------------------// Breakfast with Celestia was considerably quieter than usual. By that, I meant completely silent. I couldn’t bring myself to break it, and Celestia herself was content to watch me squirm under the tension. It was just as well, when she was done she only waited and watched me eat while sipping her tea.  Suffice to say, I wasn’t able to finish.  Without a peep, she stood up and began walking to the door. She eyed the food on my plate, which I hadn’t touched for a grueling five minutes, and then turned her attention to me.  “Have you lost your appetite?” “A little.” While I had nervously drank the orange juice, most of the oatmeal and biscuits were still there. “Just not hungry today, I guess.”  “Hm,” Using her magic, she picked up the rest of the food and threw it away before cantering towards the door with the briefest flickers of her ears in my direction. “That is a shame. Very well, then I believe it is time for us to have the discussion we’ve both been dreading. I assume the guards informed you we’re going outside today, and that is the reason behind your attire?”  “This is,” I got to my feet, adjusting the sleeves of my hoodie. They had an extra layer of cloth that was so fluffy and gentle on my arms, I couldn’t quite get used to it and fidgeted to get comfortable with the sensation. “Rarity sent me these.”  “How generous of her.”  The Sculpture Garden lived up to its title, being filled with a variety of statues, some of which had plaques on them I could read. One eerily human-like statue had the words ‘The Auspicious Observer’, while the others were all ponies holding flags, staffs, and scrolls. Like The Royal Garden, there were various animals roaming the area; though none went near the statues oddly enough.  Surprisingly, there were very few plants, or really any sign of life aside from the animals. Even as Celestia and I walked around the garden, aimlessly as far as I was aware, there were no other ponies to be seen. Out of a desire to avoid the awkward silence, and a little boredom, I read each statues’ plaque, curious what story was tied to each one: One was composed of three fillies with the word ‘Friendship’ engraved below them, and beside them was a majestic-looking mare with a flag, the word ‘Victory’ on her statue.  “Chara,” Celestia said. “Do you believe there are those above consequences?” While there was no real tone to her voice, the question still rang with a hollow resonance; like the faintest noise of chimes with no wind. I had once asked that same question to Frisk so long ago, among the many in performing my self-made script. Their answer often changed, likely just to see the slightest of differences in how I’d respond.  To this day, I wonder if he ever even gave a thought to what he did. So inconsistent in his behavior, his expressions, whether he cared or not. Was it all an act? A facade created out of nothing more than a dreadful boredom? Or did he just have an insatiable sense of curiosity? Maybe, he was a husk like Flowey; void of anything but the sickest sense of interest, pursuing it and searching for some euphoric relief. Only for it to never be satiated.  “Yes,” saying that made an impossibly dense weight collapse onto every inch of my body, bearing down nigh oppressively; just taking each step felt harder. “There are.”  If that bothered her, she didn’t let it show. Celestia blinked a time or two as she peered at me, her eyes moving back and forth, before turning away. “What an unfortunate answer. There is, tragically, a kernel of truth to such a statement. At the least, I have met many who did not believe their actions had any consequences. You, however, are well aware of your consequences, and committed those actions regardless. Tell me, did you think about what would happen to you before you killed them?”  I found it eerie how casually she had asked me that; no sternness, no gradual increase in tone, not even a bat of the eye. It was hard to look at her, or anywhere that wasn’t the path we were taking. While her attention seemed locked in front of us, I knew she was watching me just in the corner of her vision. “Not as much as I should have.” I admitted, ducking my chin as I held my elbows. “I knew I’d break their trust by doing it, and that they might even hate me for it; Fluttershy wouldn’t let me live with her anymore, Twilight and the others wouldn’t want me in Ponyville, and I wouldn’t have anywhere to go. But,” I swallowed, pressing my lips together as my shoulders tensed. “They would be alive.”  “I see.” she paused, something about the sound of her hoofsteps against the pavement filled me with an indescribable dread. “Interesting how much thought you put into how you would be affected, yet how little you put into how it would affect the diamond dogs; Their relatives, or friends.  “They were trying to kill us.” “Yes, a sentiment supported only by you so far. Do not mistake me for implying I don’t believe you; I only wish to make you aware that there is nothing to go off of but your word that that was truly what their intentions were. It would be easier to-” Something was wrong.  The moment we turned the corner, an indescribable sensation overcame me and blared out all of my senses like an invisible darkness. A strange, static-like noise forced its way into my eardrums, perforating every ounce of my being. Every syllable that came out of Celestia’s mouth was more garbled than the last, until it was indistinguishable from a completely incoherent string of sounds that were so foreign they didn’t even resemble a language.  Without any thought, my entire body was suddenly forcefully relaxed. All the energy sapped from me, leaving only a cold aftertaste. My sight hovered to one statue in particular, without any input of my own. The statue resembled some unnatural amalgamation of half a dozen creatures that’d been pressed together until they fit. Its serpentine tail was wrapped around the pillar as it appeared to be singing; no plaque to be seen in sight. Each second seemed longer than the last, and the strange, buzzing force in my ears was only getting louder. A terrifying question planted itself into my mind: What if it wasn’t singing? What if, instead, the statue was screaming? Calling out for help, for freedom, and I could hear it? And why did I think it had been singing in the first place?  Before I’d even realized it, I had veered off the path Celestia had been guiding me down and right towards the statue. There was nothing inside me but the painfully passionate desire to touch it; so searing that it blinded me to anything else. The rest of the world didn’t matter; the wind, the ground, the fear. I just needed to touch it, to let it feel something.  I took another step, raising my arm and extending it forward as- “Chara,”  A golden, see-through barrier appeared in front of me. It was as solid as a wall, yet it was wavy like an illusion.  “I cannot allow you to take a step further.” It wasn’t a statement, but a warning that hardened with authority. I dared not turn to look at her, already trembling as a bucket of unstrung terror drenched me. The statue wasn’t screaming anymore, assuming it was in the first place. The static was receding to a negligible background noise, and the burning in my chest had vanished. I didn’t realize how heavy I was breathing until I could hear myself again, or how much I had been sweating.  My heart was beating painfully fast, I clutched my chest as I tried to stutter out something. “I,” it was difficult to move back to Celestia. My knees didn’t want to cooperate, nor did most of my body. “What happened?”  “You appeared to have stopped listening to me and turned to the statue of Discord, ignoring anything I said and trying to approach it. I would like to know why.”  I made the mistake of turning to look at her, meeting the glare of one who had foregone any reservations or attempts at pleasantry. Celestia had her legs out in a wide stance and was scowling, her wings halfway out as her horn pulsated with a visceral aura. One wrong step or word, and she was prepared to do whatever she thought necessary. “I don’t know.” I admitted with a shaky whisper, trying-and failing- to grab my pendant through the hoodie. “As soon as I saw that statue, it started calling to me. Or, maybe more like it grabbed me and drew me toward it. I,” that deep chill that overcame me was still sitting inside me, slowly digesting under the warmth that was slowly coming back. “Couldn’t control myself.” There was a gradual shift of attention from me to the statue, which somehow made her expression more severe. Celestia unclenched her jaw, pulling back her neck as the magic around her horn -along with the barrier-vanished.  “He grabbed you?” she asked, wings relaxing as she closed her eyes. “That is concerning. Could it be that you’re-” she raised an eyebrow, pursing her lips as she stared at something on the ground. “Oh. Hello there.” There was the sensation of something pulling on my leg. It was a rabbit, not something I had expected to approach me after what just happened. As I stared at its features, a tingle of familiarity nagged the back of my mind; I recognized it from somewhere. It was the same one from The Royal Garden, with the almost pure white coat and brown eyes. She hung onto the pants of my leg, peering up at me as she pouted.  “Um,” I picked her up, finding her fur just as soft and warm as when I touched it previously. I held her outstretched in front of me, my hands gently holding her by her arms. “Hi?”  “The animals around here don’t usually approach strangers, that is an interesting one.” “I’m not a stranger,” I pulled her to my chest, tracing my fingers around the edges of her ears. It wasn’t even something I had thought to do anymore. Living with Angel had created something like a second-nature reflex to stroke the ears of any creature I held. “This is the same one that I met with Cadance. I guess she likes me.” “Is that right? Twilight mentioned you had an affinity for animals; did you give her a name?”  “No, I didn’t want to give her a name.” She was so warm, like a little candle that wouldn’t burn me no matter what. Her whiskers tickled along with every patter of breath she took. “I don’t want to get attached to her when I’m going to be leaving eventually.” “Well, it would seem she has already gotten attached to you. I don’t believe giving her a name would change that.”  From the way she was snuggling into my chest, it was hard to deny that. I placed her on her back, cradling her in my arms. “Then,” I racked my mind for a fitting name, which was unfortunate considering I’d inherited Asgore’s comically bad naming conventions. “Lumi?” I asked out loud with a slight tilt of my head. Celestia grimaced, grabbing Lumi in her magic and flipping her back on her stomach in my grasp. Lumi was startled by this, literally shaking in fear as I struggled to keep a grip on her.  “You shouldn’t hold rabbits on their backs; it could damage their spines.”  “Really?” My breath hitched in my throat as I glanced down at her, running my pointer finger where her spine would be. “Fluttershy holds them like that all the time.”  “She shouldn’t. I will advise her as such if I see her before you do.”  If.  The implications behind that single word were subtle, but impactful nonetheless. I said nothing more as Celestia and I continued walking, thankfully not continuing the conversation from where we left off. Lumi was content where she was, having promptly fallen asleep. I flinched when Celestia’s horn lit up, letting out a restrained sigh when I saw she was only using it to pull out a scroll.  “Do you recall when you mentioned that relations with non-ponies have been strained under my leadership?” I nodded, trying not to groan at past me for choosing to bring that up. “The truth is, over the time my sister was away, the circumstances around Luna’s departure had planted seeds of doubt in the trust between us that may prove to never truly wither. I had tried to keep things stable, however I do not carry that same gift of charm that Luna had when it came to negotiations. Hopefully, with my sister's return, along with The Elements of Harmony, things will be better.” Her eyes narrowed, shoulders pulling low as she sharply exhaled. Whether it was because of what she was reading, or because of something else on her mind, was impossible for me to discern. She quickly skimmed through the scroll, putting it away as fast as she pulled it out and coughed.  “Regardless of my excuses, you are correct. Even if some of the nations, such as Griffonstone, fell due to their vices, there was more I could have done to help. The countless what if’s I could have taken during that millennia may prove to plague me for the rest of my days. Nevertheless, it is never too late to repair a bridge as long as the pieces are still there, and that has been my goal now that I rule alone no more. The Yaks, Dragons, Griffons, all of which hold strife towards us that must be quelled for peace. The Diamond Dogs in particular I have tried to reach out to, and I would have handled the matter at Pinkie’s home personally had I known it was occurring.”  The rigidness of my embrace awoke Lumi, slipping out of it and making her way up my body until she reached my shoulders. Instead of messing with my hair like Angel opted to do, she hopped in the hood part of my hoodie. She fit in rather snugly as she curled up and resumed her nap; I hardly even noticed the extra weight.  “It has not gone well. Gratefully, they have allowed one of my little ponies to live among them in their kingdom in exchange for ‘shiny things’. They have been keeping me updated on what has been happening recently, and I believe you’ll be interested to know that a week prior, little more than a handful of diamond dogs had left without saying so much as a word to the others; Fido, Spot, and Rover are the only names I received.”  I knew where this was going; those exact names had been called out in the tunnels. One of the pluses of owning a hoodie was how easy it was to hide myself in it. Or, it would be if there wasn’t a ball of fluff in the part that I could use to hide my head and retract into my clothes like a tortoise.  “What’s odd is, some of them had family; wives, siblings, children. Diamond Dogs are very protective of their pups, abandonment of this kind is very unusual. When searching their room, they found a brief note in Fido’s room. Only the words “For The pups” were written. What happened next I’m sure I don’t have to repeat.” “So,” the dying words of the scarred dog came to mind, something about getting their pups back from a bug. “Someone took their pups.”  “Deceptively, no. Their pups had been in the same place they were always kept. Still, it would appear that someone made them believe their pups had been stolen. Perhaps, whoever was behind it, had arranged for them to be at the home of one of the bearers. They suppose the other bearers would come to help, and waited until then.”  “Are you saying you believe me?”  “No,” the ember of hope was stomped out before it could burn by her unwavering certainty. “Only that there is reason to believe. Whether I can has yet to be ascertained. Even so, I am giving you more than the benefit of the doubt. Be aware that your cooperation, albeit reluctant, is appreciated.”  We halted abruptly right before another corner. “Chara, I need your utmost attempt at honesty; did you find a necklace at the farm?”  I reflexively grabbed the one on me, it suddenly dawned on me that I had forgotten my backpack in my room. Celestia immediately took note of my silence, humming something to herself as her eyebrows gathered in.  “It would have had an object at the end. Perhaps a wing, claw, hoof, or even a horn of some kind, any appendage really. Along with a golden chain; not unsimilar to yours, in fact.”  Somehow, the antler had slipped my mind entirely; Maybe intentionally so. The mock-wingdings its description consisted of had boggled me to no end, until other things took priority. Why was Celestia asking about it? Did she somehow know that I had it, or was it something that belonged to the diamond dogs that the scarred dog had stolen?  To make it worse, why did she bring up my necklace too? “Yes.”  “And where is it now?”  “In the backpack in my room.” “You,” there was a racking gruffness to her voice as she glared at me, holding a tight-lipped smile that uttered more than anything she could have said. “Brought it here?”  The hushed, yet harshness of that question was a stiffening shot of fear. I reluctantly nodded, chest too tight to even breathe. With a hearty grunt, she pulls out a scroll, this time an empty one, and begins scribbling something down. After a moment of this, she rolled it back, and it vanished in a poof of shining yellow smoke.  The tension between us, and in every inch of Celestia’s body language, was so intense even Lumi could feel it. I clenched onto her as tightly as she did me.  “So,” as soon as I spoke, her hardened gaze turned to me. I inhaled so sharply it felt like the air in my lungs had solidified and sat as heavy ice. It lasted only a second, but the stabbing sensation almost made me not want to speak. “You never said what we were coming out to the garden for.” One of her ears raised in my direction, moving closer to try to make out the indistinguishable noises that I tried to articulate into words and not just meek murmuring.  “I did not? Apologies, it must have slipped my mind.” There was a nigh sarcastic undertone to her voice, followed by a quiet breath that I wouldn’t have noticed had I not been looking at her when she took it. “There is someone who has been,” Celestia paused, her expression softening as her jaws unclenched. “Eager, I suppose is the best word, to meet you.”  “To meet me?” It must have been someone important if Celestia herself was escorting me. “Why couldn’t we have met at breakfast?”  “Because there is something you must do with them to earn their trust; along with mine. As regretful as it may be, it was the only way that came to mind.” “Something I must do?”  She nodded, a sullness behind her frown that left me unsettled. It was like she was trying to say as little as possible.  “Then why couldn’t I just-” “I believe you’ll find the answers you seek around this corner, ” Celestia cut me off, turning the corner and gestured for me to follow. On the other side was a more open area, with hardly any statues at all. Cadance was on a marble bench to the far right, gripping the edges of it and staring at someone I didn’t recognize in the center.  They were standing still, wearing nothing more than a light purple sweater and some moderately poofy pants. Their horn stuck out prominently, right on top of a long, wavy dark and light blue striped mane. The bright white coat and piercing cobalt eyes already made them stand out; as they twirled a short baton in the air with their magic.  “I am sorry for this, but you must spar with my Nephew: Shining Armor.” Celestia flashed her magic and gently snatched Lumi right out of my hood. Lumi squeaked in fear as she was unceremoniously woken up. Celestia and Cadance shared a worried glance and an exchange before Celestia embraced Lumi, who took kindly to the comfort. In a second, our eyes met and just as suddenly broke.  “Here.”  I flicked my eyes back to Shining, jumping as something slid on the ground towards me. It was a knife, one made entirely out of wood. I couldn’t think, struggling to process what was happening. His expression was blank, waiting and watching for what I’d do.  “What?”  I blinked. Once. Twice. Then stared at the wooden knife on the ground, which might have actually been a dagger instead. A small, leather strap was wrapped around the handle. The dread that stretched out from inside me was nauseating, leaving only a sourness in my mouth that made me want to throw up. Even my face felt numb, the only exception being the fading flicker of the frosty air; the hoodie unfortunately did little to help. “Pick it up.”  There wasn’t any malice in Shining’s voice, or any discernible emotion really; which was indescribably unsettling. He hadn’t made a single move since sliding it over to me, watching me with squinted eyes and a cautious gaze. Despite his leer, his posture was lax, and his arms hung limply to his sides like he didn’t know where to put them.  I couldn’t tell if he was reluctant to do anything, or just didn’t think I was dangerous. Celestia stood in the back, watching with an indifferent expression. In contrast, Cadance was blatantly distressed. Holding Lumi- now on her stomach instead of her back like Celestia advised-quite tightly to her chest. She was clenching her jaw as her eyes constantly shot between Shining and I. Poor Lumi was scared stiff, begging me with her adorably beady eyes to help. Unfortunately, I needed the help a lot more than she did.  “I don’t understand,” I muttered, raising my gaze to meet his. “Why do you want me to fight you?”  “Because I don’t trust you, and this is the best way for me to do just that. I’ve been training recruits for years, and I’ve come to learn that I understand them better that way than anything we could ever say to each other. Besides, talking and asking questions and all that stuff?” He shrugged, tilting his head in the direction of Cadance. “Just not my style. More my wife or Twily’s thing; not that you’d even bother telling the whole truth if you were asked, right?”  His smirk dropped, the indifferent tone of his question did little to hide the accusation underneath it. Not that he was wrong or that I had any right to defend myself.  “As crude as his way is.” Cadance added. Trying, and failing, to look anywhere but at me.  “That’s what I thought.” he lowered his gaze to the wooden knife on the ground, chewing his teeth as he leaned forward. “I don’t get why you’re so hesitant to fight me; was it that difficult when you butchered the diamond dogs?”  “That was-”  “Was what?” he cut me off. “Justified?”  The icy wind wasn’t nearly as sharp as his words. Made worse by the lack of any aggression behind them; only filled with a gripping sureness.  “Life or death.” I finished. Celestia was expressionless, watching me with little more than her breathing to even indicate she wasn’t another statue. Cadance was still tightly clinging to Lumi, Coliquary perched on her shoulders. “It was hard, and I didn’t want to, but I did anyway.” “Hm,” Shining grunted at that, raising his chin as his eyes flicked to the side. “So if I told you’d die if you didn’t fight me, then you would?”  “No,” I’d put more force in my voice than I intended, causing it to sound brittle and weak. “I hate fighting. I only fought because their lives were at stake, not mine. I don’t want to die, but if it’s that or take a life again,” a glob of disgusting dread spread inside of me as I wondered when my last reset point was; Ponyville? When I woke up in Fluttershy’s cottage, only to find she’d been waiting for me to wake up for two days? Would I have to go through all of that again? Or, maybe it’d be in Canterlot. In the middle of the night, when Luna had taken me with her to the stars. No matter when, I’d end up right back here; with no way out.  “Then just kill me and get it over with.”  My teeth felt like they’d shatter with how tightly they were clenched together; every inch of my body was so frigid I wasn’t sure I could actually move if I tried.  Shining’s face went slack, his shoulders slumping as he raised his chin. “Is that right?” his eyebrows furrowed, the magic around the baton coming to halt as he stopped twirling it. “Alright, how about this: If you fight me, and win, you can go back to Ponyville. Right here, right now. No conditions, no questions; I’ll even call the chariot myself.”  Celestia scowled at him with such severity even I wanted to get out of her sight. He saw or felt it as his pupils briefly constricted, then he awkwardly chuckled as he rubbed the back of his head. “I’ll even make it easy for you. Just hit me once with that sharpened branch, and we’ll call it there.” “As if I’d believe that.” There was no way that could be true, even as badly as I wanted it to be. “You’d just let me go back to Ponyville? Just like that?”  “Sure, if you can hit me.” he pointed the baton at me. “Which you won’t, or can’t, whichever you prefer.” I ignored his mocking tone, leaning down and reluctantly gripping the knife. It was lighter than what I was used to, and had a handle that dug painfully into my hand. I took what felt like an eternity peering at it, a potent wave of nausea threatened to make me relieve myself of the little I had for breakfast.  Whether or not he was telling the truth, how much did that really matter? Celestia said herself that no one could help me fix the trust that I broke with them, being sent back sooner won’t change that.  Still… “Fine,” I muttered. I had to try, the sooner the better. I don’t know where I’d even start with the others, but I promised Fluttershy I would tell her the truth and I meant it; as long as she wasn’t afraid of me anymore, I could take the others hating me. “Not like you really left me much choice.” “Believe me, I don’t like it either.” It was cold enough out for me to see his breath as he sighed, straightening his posture and moving his head around as his neck popped. “Come on, then.” He stood where he was, muscles tensed and magic holding a tight grip on the baton. I tried to keep my hands steady, crouching down as I gradually approached him. Shining didn’t move an inch, or even follow me with his eyes; there wasn’t an ounce of concern. Was he that confident in his abilities? Or did he just not think I could touch him?  Either way, it was worrying; and admittedly a little infuriating.  I planted my foot into the ground, shooting my arm forward in a simple jab at his shoulder. As I did, the magic around his horn briefly flared up, followed by a barely audible flashing noise as a transparent, light blue magical wall appeared. It was similar to Celestia’s, only much firmer and resembling an actual wall.  A dull, vibrating sensation went up my arm; accompanied by a sharp numbness that was accompanied by a prickling stab. The barrier vanished, with Shining’s magic instead bringing the baton to my face. I flinched, waiting for the blunt pain.  Only instead for him to tap me on the end of my nose with it.  “Just a warning: I’m going to hit you a little harder each time. Nothing permanent though, probably.” The pain -if it could even be called that- was already fading, it wouldn’t even leave a mark. I jumped back, ignoring the dull throbbing in my hand as I held on to the knife. His reaction time was instantaneous, almost faster than I could react. Breaking the barrier was completely out of the question, especially with the wooden knife they gave me.  So, what could I do then? I should forgo trying to hit him hard, or putting much effort into it. Trying to hit him where could see me was also out of the question. Fortunately, he said that he’d only hit me after I tried to hit him.  I once again hunched down, taking careful steps to move around him. As expected, he watched me out of the corner of his eyes. Strangely, he didn’t turn when I got out of where he could see, or even turn his head. Instead, he was just smirking and shaking his head, muttering “Just like my recruits” under his breath.  The second his back was in sight, I took an immediate stab at it, only for the same thing to happen. A magical barrier appeared, though this one was much smaller and resembled a square instead of a wall. It was just as solid though, but the decrease in size was interesting. Did he not have time to form something bigger, or did he just want to show how predictable I was? I didn’t have time to think about it a sec longer as the baton came swinging around, much lower and aiming for my ankle. I pulled my arm back, pivoting on my feet and narrowly avoiding it. Again, I took a stab at him before the barrier was gone. Just as quickly, he swiveled around to face me, hopping back a foot as he grit his teeth.  “Alright, that caught me off guard, I’ll admit.” he remarked, baton hovering beside him. “I should have assumed since you use a knife, you’re fast on your feet; that’s my mistake. Fine, Twinkletoes, I’ll dance.” I yelped when the baton shot forward swifter than before, slapping me on both of my ankles. As promised, they actually hurt. Not overly so, comparable to a disciplinary slap on the wrist, but enough to sting.  Shining’s eyebrows deeply furrowed, the magic around his baton was now more condensed and it constricted around the grip. He was shooting an occasional glance at Celestia, who still held a grimace. His horn didn’t lose its blue sheen, retaining its illumination. If nothing else, I had his attention. Which would only make things more difficult for me, I’m sure. Although the throbbing in my hand wasn’t getting any better, the leather grip prevented any splinters from digging into my hands; which would have been another nuisance. No matter how desperately I tried, I couldn’t recall any enemy Frisk fought that used magic quite like this. One or two that used shields, sure; but none that moved to where I attacked the second I moved.  For a harrowing second, a tingle of curiosity questioned if my vorpal blade could pierce it or not. It cut through the diamond dog’s armor with terrifying ease; I’d honestly barely even felt it slice through them.  The inside of my cheeks soured as I tried to hold back a gag, pushing that rancid memory down to plague me another time.  “What’s wrong? You got pale all of the sudden.” He asked with a glib undertone.  “Nothing.”  I was oddly out of breath, sucking down the frigid air so heavily it hurt. With one more deep inhale, I pulled as much of my hair back as I could, hoping it was still short enough to not be too much of an annoyance. The only thing I could do was be fast, try to hit from multiple angles and outspeed how swiftly he could summon his shield.  If I couldn’t even do that, then maybe I just didn’t deserve to go back.  I leaped forward, no hesitation or cautious movements this time; there was no point. He reacted immediately, preemptively summoning the barrier the second I coiled my arm. When I made contact, I dropped the knife and caught it in my other hand, bending my knees and trying again.  The barrier disappeared and reappeared, this time bigger and less solid. I nearly lost my grip on the handle as it vibrated, biting the inside of my cheek so hard I tasted the familiar copper tang of blood. With a heave, I gripped it with both hands and attempted another jab.  Which ended up just hitting his shield once more.  Like a sword, his baton came swinging down. I tried to block it with the knife, forgetting that’s not what knives were for at all as the force of the baton slapped it out of my grip with a numbing thud. Dizziness and spreading agony overcame me as he hit me in the side with his baton, then against the back of one of my knees which forced me to the ground. I nearly fell forward, holding my side with my right hand and my left down to keep some balance.  My very bones ached; it felt like there was so much force behind his strike it left an imprint. It didn’t fade, making my side feel so hot it practically burned. I tried to stand up, only for my leg to scream as more pain shot up, informing me that that wasn’t an option at the moment. The knife sat just a few inches away from me, cracked at its tip and barely holding together. It had one or two more attempts in it at most, while I wasn’t even certain if I could take one more hit from that baton.  Shining followed my gaze, leering at the dagger in a glimpse of contemplation. In that second of eye contact we made right after, there was a shimmer of something in his face. Pulling his head back and wincing, he let his arms fall to the side as he closed his eyes. The magic around his horn faded as he holstered the baton back in his pocket.  “Alright, this isn’t working.” Shining turned his head to Celestia, who was practically resembling one of the sculptures we passed on the way here. They clearly said something through their expressions, as she silently stared back at him and then nodded as if saying yes to something.  “I’ll be straight with you; the spar was a pretense. I just needed to get you to use your magic, and I thought giving you an impossible challenge would get you to do that. I didn’t expect you’d keep trying with that glorified branch until it almost broke; the majority of my recruits just give up after their second try, so I’m a little impressed. You’re a lot more determined than most ponies I’ve met.”  I tried not to squirm at his word choice, counting each breath I made until the pain was more of a background noise. “My magic? Why?”  “Can’t tell you that; not until after you use it. I don’t like it either, believe me. I wasn’t entirely lying about the ‘hit me and you get to go home’ bit though. Doing this is the only way the Princess will come to a final decision about sending you back. I know you’re close to Fluttershy, but you also hurt my little sister and her friends, so I can’t say I’ll be particularly bummed if you end up staying here the rest of your life.”  I let go of my side, staring at the palm of my hand; bright red and shaking regardless of my efforts otherwise. The feeling of the conjured knife's grip was so vehemently vivid, along with the wet, sticky sensation of blood that had coated it. I dug my fingers into the ground, trying to stop myself from thinking of it in too much detail.  “So, either I use my magic and hope that whatever happens is a good thing, or I don’t and I never get to go back to Ponyville?”  “That’s the gist of it, yeah.” “Then it’s more of an ultimatum than a choice.”  He frowned at that. “Maybe, but it’s how it is.”  I didn’t want to use my magic even before the rock farm; I’m sure Twilight mentioned as much in her letters. Of course, I found myself in a situation where free will was an illusion, a lie I was being told for my comfort. Celestia wouldn’t just casually let me go back to the castle if I refused; I could see it in her face. Cadance refused to look in my direction, and Shining was struggling to keep some semblance of stoicism.  As I got to my feet, pressing my hand against my side hard enough that the pain made it difficult to think, I traced my necklace through my hoodie. “Then what? I just use it and we go back?” “Depends on how things go. If well, maybe you really will go back to Ponyville today.” I scoffed, letting go of my side again. It was impossible to say if I could believe even a syllable that came out of his mouth. Unfortunately, I had no real choice but to indulge. “Fine.” With a shudder and some shuffling of my feet, I recalled Twilight’s instructions to the letter. It felt different this time; less charged, less heat. It didn’t course through my veins with the intensity it did before. Even as I tentatively opened my eyes and watched the knife form, I felt nearly nothing; fortunately, that also meant that disgusting prick of pleasure that came with it wasn’t there either.  I held my breath as I waited for my eyes to start leaking, only for nothing to happen. I wiped my cheeks with my free hand, feeling nothing but the desperate warmth of my skin. Why was it different this time? Was it because I was less emotionally charged? Or because Celestia ‘fixed’ it? It didn- The second my knife was finished forming, Cadance threw up; Lumi jumped off her lap and ran into the bushes. Her usual pink coat had gotten so pale it was closer to grey, scaring away all the animals except for Coliquary, who was loyally still perched on her shoulders and chirping frantically. Celestia’s hardened demeanor dropped along with her mouth, pupil’s dilating as her horn lit up in a rush of magic; grabbing Cadance’s mane and pulling it back as she placed a cautious wing around her.  “Caddy!”  Shining’s voice carried so much abrupt and raw panic it startled me. I lost my grip on the knife for an instant, which caused it to evaporate into nothingness. As swiftly as it came, the magic was gone; leaving behind only this sinking feeling that something was missing. Fatigue suddenly hit as my adrenaline drained away, causing me to shiver. I really should have worn more for this. The cold began to sting with more severity than before; had my teeth been chattering the entire time? Every breath I took was visible, but somehow I had failed to notice that until now. Wrapping my arms around myself helped so little it was negligible. The clothes did some, if nothing else.  Cadance stopped right as Shining reached her, panting and slowly getting her colors back. Celestia offered her a napkin, which she promptly used as she placed a hand on Shining’s shoulder.  “I’m,” she cleared her throat, shrugging off Celestia’s wing and putting her hands on her hips in a display of false bravado. “Fine. Sorry to make you worry like that, ” “Are you certain it wasn’t-”  “I’m fine.”  There was a heavy emphasis as she cut off Celestia, making direct eye contact and tilting her head in my direction. Celestia frowned, biting her lip before sighing and turning to Shining. “Very well. Did she pass?”  He frantically looked between the two of them, rubbing the base of his neck as he raised an eyebrow. “Uh,” he glanced at Cadance, who just nodded her head. “Yeah.” he coughed, peering over his shoulder at me. “She’s not one.” “Are you certain? I can not exaggerate the severity of this enough.”  Shining peered at me over his shoulder, yet not looking at me. He narrowed his eyes at my chest -right where my necklace was- as if searching for something.  “Yeah,” he repeated as he turned back to Celestia. “It’s pretty distinct. I’m sure, Princess.”  The heavy breath was so large it made a cloud that obscured her face for an elusive second, only to evaporate with the oncoming breeze. Her lips parted as a small smile slowly crept up her face, which quickly departed as she turned to approach me.  “Chara,” her horn flashed with magic, her voice held a note of caution. “Would you like me to teleport you to the castle?” I didn’t turn to her, a voice of uncertainty whispered that I might not have the energy to. I trembled as the frigid wind threatened to knock me over, staring at Celestia out of the corner of my vision.  I hesitated, questioning why she’d become so nonchalant; was seeing my magic really this important to her? What was she looking for in it? My thoughts cut off as the temperature seemed to drop another few degrees. My shaking was growing worse as my body apparently refused to try to keep up with what I needed. How warm it would be in the castle right now filled me with a sense of desperation I despised.  “Please.”  With a nod, the lighting of her horn, and a magical popping noise, we were back. I shuddered as the deep chill vanished, along with any fatigue my muscles had; Celestia must have used that healing spell on me again. In fact, after less than a minute, I was actually starting to  feel a little hot. Maybe Rarity’s hoodie was too effective.  We had been teleported to the same room Celestia and I often dined in, though this time instead of food being on the table, my backpack sat. Shining and Cadance sat down immediately, having a hushed conversation where he asked questions about if she was ok and she kept insisting she was.  “About that necklace you mentioned earlier, Chara.” she used her magic to lift my backpack, hovering it over to me and dropping it in my arms. “I would like you to show it to me.”  Shining’s ears flickered, cutting off his conversation with Cadance and shifting towards me. I tried to ignore his leer, flipping open the backpack and hiding my hand behind the cover to open my inventory; if they noticed anything they didn’t let on. I checked the necklace’s description to see if anything had changed, only to find it was still that gibberish of symbols I’d seen the first time.  It came out with a clatter, just as cold and crude as before. Oddly enough, that morbid desire to put it on was absent.  “You,” Shining jumped out of his chair, teeth grinding together so hard I could hear it. “Do you know what that is?”  “More importantly,” Celestia stepped forward, stabbing the necklace with a glare I’d collapse under. “Did you put it on?”   “I,” Every cell in my body screamed to lie, to say anything but the truth. However, lying to Celestia would undoubtedly be one of the worst mistakes I could make. “Yes.”  “And it had no effect on you?”  “Yes.”  “What?” Shining shouted, slamming a hand against the table. “Horseshit! I’ve watched one of the most iron-willed sergeants I’d ever met lose his mind after putting one of those things on!”  “Shiny.” Cadance whispered, resting her hand on his.  “I don’t believe Chara's lying, Shining Armor.” Celestia stated loudly. “She’s usually very bad at it.”  There was nothing I could say to that, so I remained silent. He peered at me for another grueling second, deeply inhaling as he sat back down.  “Sorry.” he mumbled, leaning into the consoling hug Cadance offered as she whispered something in his ear.  “All is forgiven. Chara is alien to us, it would be quite unwise to apply what we know to something almost completely unknown. Besides, we agreed she would be given a degree of trust if she passed, did we not?”  “Yeah, but you didn’t mention she brought one of the pieces of Discord where nobles and guards walk around every day.” he enunciated, shaking his head. “It’s a blessing some poor pony didn’t wander in her room and pick it up.” “That was never an issue; I and many other ponies have been around that backpack and exhibited no draw to it. Perhaps that does not occur within this backpack?”  She wasn’t asking me, but more herself out loud; I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s where Twilight picked it up from. I didn’t dwell on that thought as what Shining said stuck out.  “Discord? As in the statue Discord?”  “Can you,” Cadance tried to speak up, her words catching in her throat as she stared at the necklace. “Put that away. Please.”  I glanced at her hands, which had been gripping Shining’s shoulders so tightly they trembled. Her wings quivered as they embraced Shining, who was struggling to hide his cringing. Celestia shot them a worried glimpse, then back to me as she gave a nod.  Without another word, I put it back in my inventory, leaving my backpack empty as I sat on the ground. Cadance tensed up, and then pulled her elbows in and let her shoulders slump. Shining watched every movement I made, only allowing himself to relax when it was completely out of sight.  “Yes, that Discord,” the certainty in Celestia’s expression wavered. “Hopefully, the only one.” She walked to the table, sitting in the large chair at the front and using her magic to pull out the chair I usually sat at. “Rest, I insist. There’s much to tell you now that we know what you are not.”  “What I’m not?” I didn’t realize how weary I really was until I sat down, finding every muscle thanking me for giving it the rest it was begging for. The chair threatened to suck me in, and I nearly let it as I sank into it and sleep threatened to take me over as I closed my eyes for a treacherous second. It took digging my nails in the palms of my hands to keep from passing out. I straightened my back and shook my head briefly. “Was it something you really needed to hurt me to learn?”  “Yeah, that’s,” Shining sucked air through his teeth. “My fault. It’s always worked on my recruits, and I admit I lost my temper near the end and hit you harder than I meant to. That’s my bad, really, sorry again.”  “No, the blame is more on me, if not entirely. I asked for ideas, and I accepted yours when surely there were alternatives that could have been considered. You were more willing to use your magic than I thought; if I hadn’t doubted that you would because of what my faithful student informed me, I would have asked. However,” she used her magic to lift a teapot that had been left there for breakfast, heating it up until steam rose from the lid and poured herself a cup. “I won’t ask for your forgiveness, just for you to try to understand. If you hear what we have to say, and still feel we were not justified, then so be it.”  “Hm,” I could see Cadance watching me from the edge of my sight, waiting for my response. Shining’s apology sounded genuine, along with his guilt as he was trying very hard to not look at me. The pain wasn’t there anymore either, and it’s not like I haven’t been hurt more for far less.  “Ok.” Celestia drank from the cup, pursing her lips as she pushed it away; for a moment she had a staring contest with it before setting the cup back on the table. “A thousand years ago, Discord laid siege on Equestria with the chaotic powers of a mad god. It took the powers of The Elements to stop him, and even that only turned him into the most unsettling decoration I’ve had the displeasure of witnessing. Even so, the effects of his entropy struck fear in the hearts of many ponies for centuries. I’ve managed to curtail most of that over the years, only those who were there and ponies who study the history of this nation know of his short but cruel reign. With his display of power however, came something new I could not have foreseen.”  She brought a tea bag and some water over from somewhere, mesmerizing me with how intricately she moved each item as she disposed of the old tea and poured in hot water, and dropped it in the tea bag all at the same time; Rarity was the only pony I’d see who could do so many precise movements magic wise with so little effort. “He had gained worshippers. Many ponies, and some others, saw his ability and disregarded the twisted mind behind it. These cults have been few and far between, along with incidents relating to them. Casualties have not been avoided entirely though, as they rarely can ever be with chaos magic, but they have been minimized.” she paused as she poured the new tea into her cup, pleasantly smiling as she took a sip from it. “Over time, they’re activity has become erratic at best and very manageable. At least, Until The Elements of Harmony selected their new bearers, that is.” That grin of hers fell right as she mentioned the elements, replaced with a frown as she leaned into her chair and set the teacup back on the table.  “Ever since Nightmare Moon was banished, they have become a flaring thorn in my side that has turned into an infected wound. They’ve spread chaos everywhere they go, and have ended the lives of so many ponies in the name of their greedy goal; Shining has been trying valiantly to fight against them. I fear it may not be enough. Madness is catching among them, and you cannot cure madness.”  “It hurts me to say, but The Princess is right.” Shining shifted in his seat to face me, adjusting his mane so it wasn’t so much of a mess after our sparring. “They’re not getting new members by the day or anything, it’s just that the ones that are around are just,” he sneered, muttering something under his breath. “Tartarus is too good for them; depraved and morally bankrupt. Half of the things they say barely make any sense, the other half would make even the raunchiest sailors I’ve met upchuck whatever alcohol they drowned themselves in to get through their day.”  “And they’ve been targeting The Elements? So, The Diamond Dogs were one of them?”  “We had our suspicions of such for a few reasons, yeah. That,” Shining glowered at my backpack. “Thing confirmed it. I mean, showing up at the home of the family of one of the known element bearers and staying there for days when they usually avoid ponies? Nah, no way.”  “Then,” I learned forward, trying to piece together everything they were giving me. “What’s their goal? And how can they have pieces of discord when he’s in the garden?”  “With Discord, it is impossible to say. That statue out there could be more like a casting, and perhaps those are truly his, or were his in the past, at least. That would explain their macabre attraction and tendency to derange any who give in. As for their goals: they seek the resurrection of Discord and the destruction of the elements. They have convinced themselves he would grant their wishes for their efforts.” “Would he?”  “Yes, of that I have no doubt.” Celestia acknowledged, turning her attention to the outside. “Just in such a convoluted way, that they would be asking for their own damnation; but he would grant them.” “And all the necklaces have the same golden chain design?”  “Indeed.” “So,” I reached into my hoodie, finding that my hand was shaking so much I struggled just to get a grip on my necklace as I pulled it out. “Did you,” I hesitated to ask, some part of me already knew the answer before the question even formed. “Think this was one?”  Shining and Celestia shared a glance, while Cadance’s expression actually appeared to soften. After a moment, Celestia sighed and narrowed her eyes. “Initially, yes; we conjectured it may be his heart. Cadance’s physical reaction in your presence, which was similar to how she reacts to the pieces, was what we believed to be an indicator of that. However, Cadance informed us after your talk in The Royal Garden, that was not the case.”  “Oh,” I blinked at Cadance, who gave me a warm smile. “Thanks.” “It’s not worth thanking me over, really.” I didn’t know what to say to that, so I just nodded and awkwardly placed my hands on my thighs.  “How many pieces are they missing?”  “If their deranged rambling is to be believed, only a handful. The ones they do have are worn by a select few who call themselves ‘zealots’, of whom are by far the most dangerous. There is one secured here that I’m certain they will come for when they have the others. Now, as I’m sure you understand why we can’t allow you to keep the one you have.” “Then why are they,” something wasn’t clicking to me. The more I thought about it, the more my mental exhaustion was matching my physical. “I assume they’re targeting the bearers since The Elements of Harmony were what stopped Discord last time, but why would they only start gathering the pieces after they showed up? Why wouldn’t they have been spending that entire time collecting the pieces?”  “I would tell you if I knew,” Celestia said with a solemn shake of her head. “There is no making sense of the senseless. All I can tell you about them is that they have a very distinct magical signature; that is why we decided on forcing you to use your magic, it was the hallmark for us to trust you with any of this. Shining has encountered several of them and has unfortunately become quite intimate with their magic.” “I’m pretty much the closest thing there is to an expert on them; as shitty as that is.” Shining commented under his breath.  “So, now that you know I’m not one, you trust me?” I asked, allowing just a shimmer of hope to stutter itself to life in my voice. “Not quite.” she stated. “You still slaughtered those diamond dogs. Yes, we can ascertain with almost complete sureness you aren’t one of Discord’s followers; this does not mean you aren’t dangerous and can be trusted completely. There will be a discussion soon to determine how to proceed from here.” “Alright, just let me process this for a second.” I fell back into the chair, letting out a breath I’d been holding through every word she’d said. “You thought I was a member of this cult that worships a chaos god, and ended up letting Shining confirm that by forcing me to use my magic. Now that you know I’m not one, you’re going to have a conversation whether I can be trusted to be sent back to Ponyville or not?”  “Succinctly put; yes.”  Her voice was as firm as her gaze, watching me with a cautious intensity. I was trying my best to just mentally compartmentalize everything, making sense out of the pieces of a puzzle that were only vaguely connected. I wanted to believe that some of them were coincidences, like the similarities of the necklaces to my own, but the description being nearly identical to wingdings made that hard to justify.  Burnout hit with a screech as my brain paused my thoughts right where they were; body slumping in the chair as I muttered a flat ‘ok’ under my breath. I used whatever energy that hadn’t been sapped out of me to stand up, putting the-luckily weightless- backpack on.  “Chara?”  “I’d,” I paused, using the table to stay steady until I got some resemblance of balance. “Like to go back to my room now.” “Oh. There was nothing else to discuss, so if you’d like. We were about to have lunch, and you hardly put down this morning's breakfast; would you like it to be sent to your room?”  My stomach tightened with a wave of queasiness at the idea of trying to eat something. Despite the blaring pit of hunger that was in my stomach, I didn’t have the actual appetite to match it nor did I think I’d be able to get any of it down.  “No thanks.”  “Very well, Brash and Luster are waiting to take you back to your room. If you change your mind, do not hesitate to tell them so. As for the antler,” Celestia glared at my backpack. “Since, for whatever reason, your backpack has some special containment properties, you may keep it until we have something that can hold it without risk. One of us will come for it sooner or later.”  I nodded, leaving the room and finding guards waiting for me right outside.  Brash and Luster didn’t say anything as they escorted me, at least not in words. Brash certainly wanted to; opening her mouth to say something only for Luster to shoot her down with a look. Whatever it was, they must have been ordered not to ask about it.  Or maybe they just saw how out of it I was and decided to let me drag my feet like a recently awakened zombie. I wasn’t complaining either way.  As soon as I shut the door, I hastily took off the hoodie, collapsing on the bed and trying to block out as much of the daylight as I could. My legs dangled off the edge of the bed as I sunk into it, the warmth of my breathing filling the inside of the hoodie as I used it for a makeshift blanket. I kept my head empty, pushing every plaguing problem and thought away into a box for future-Chara to deal with.  For now, I slept. It was the closest thing to the void I’d spent so much time in, and part of me missed the only thing it offered: peace.