//------------------------------//
// Chapter 71: Dark Visits 
// Story: A New Point of View 
// by Cyber V 
//------------------------------//

	When the train finally came to a stop in the platform at Canterlot’s train station, we quickly gathered our things and made our way onto the platform, but not before taking a quick once over to see if my coat is sufficiently clean of any drool that might be lingering. We quickly departed the train station to avoid the growing crowd of ponies at the station for Fe’s sake. I quickly hailed down a nearby coach and informed the driver our destination, and we were soon off to Fe’s place to see her off for the night. As we made our way through Canterlot, our driver dodging around the uptight nobles with their noses held high, my thoughts went back to my time I spent with the dark spirit of Entropy within the elements and I couldn’t help but be bothered what Entropy said right when I was leaving. He called me Des Aceiro, why did he call me a Des? I thought as I remembered what the strange alicorn, D, had said about the shadow element and their unique bearers. But I’m from a completely different reality, how can I be a descendant?
“Is everything alright Aceiro?” Fe’s voice called through my thoughts.
“Huh?” I looked towards her and saw that she had a concerned look on her face. My thoughts quickly comprehended what she said. “Oh… yeah, I’m alright Fe, just thinking that’s all. Why do you ask?”
“Well you had that troubling look as if something is greatly bothering you, so I was just wondering if everything’s alright.”
“Yeah, everything’s alright, I was just thinking.”
“About what though?”
“Nothing in particular,” I lied, not wanting to divulge my thoughts and concerns which could in turn lead to my past and who I was before, as I’m scared to what Fe would do if she ever finds out. Fe didn’t look like she accepted that as my answer, but before she could say anything the driver announced that we arrived at her home as we pulled up next to her family’s home. Fe paused for a moment before finally accepting my answer as final.
“Well, if there is anything that is bothering you Aceiro, I’ll be here if you need to let it off your chest.”
“Will do Fe, good night and see you tomorrow.”
“Good night to you as well Aceiro, sweet dreams,” she said before leaning in and giving me a quick kiss, she then stepped off the coach and started to make her way towards her front door. She stopped halfway to look back at me and added, “Thank you for the trip and see you tomorrow.”
“You too,” I replied back as Fe resumed walking up the pathway, but any words that I was going say more froze in my throat as I just noticed Fe’s father standing in one of the upper windows, standing there for who knows how long, staring down at me. He saw me looking up at him and responded back by pointing a hoof to one of his eyes, then pointed it right at me, then finally to Fe below just as she stepped into her home, and it was all wrapped up by him pounding his hooves together soon after, sending a clear message to me: hurt my daughter and I’ll hurt you more.
“Wow, talk about being intimidating,” the coach driver said, causing me to suddenly realize that he’s been there the whole time. “I don’t know if I should be envy of you or glad that I’m not your sorry flank right now; to have a cute mare like her as my marefriend or not having to deal with her dad that looks like could smear you into paste.”
“Just take me to the castle, I don’t want to deal with this right now.”
“You got it pal,” the driver said as he started to pull me away from Fe’s home and towards the castle.


…


I’m surrounded by people as I could hear the priest speaking, but I couldn’t hear the words of comfort as I stood before what’s causing tears to run down my cheeks; the sight of my mom laying inside a casket. I felt a strong hand rest on my shoulder. I looked away from the open casket and up to see my dad standing there with a sad look. “Will mommy wake up?”
Dad shook his head at the innocent question of a child. “I’m sorry Jace, but she isn’t going to wake up.”
“No!” I cried, not wanting to accept the truth as I broke through dad’s grasp and ran up to the casket and started to shake Mom’s arm in an attempt to wake her still form. I felt strong arms wrap around me, trying to pull me away as I held onto the casket, still crying and yelling. “No, she has to wake up, she made a promise; she has to.”
I felt my grip finally give way and I was quickly dragged away from mom in the casket, while screaming and flailing in my dad’s arms as I tried to break free to get back to Mom’s side that the crowd of people are now starting to block my line of sight to her. In the corner of my vision, I saw a faint blue shadow, but I ignored it as I continued with my thrashing and wailing. “But she promised, mommy promised she’ll come back. Mommy, please wake up! You have to, please wake up!
“Please wake up!” I yelled as I jolted up in my bed. I quickly looked around and saw that I’m back in my guest quarters at the castle. I placed my face into my hooves as I calmed my ragged breathing and shaking, trying to get my emotions in check that became agitated due the dream, however it wasn’t an ordinary one. “No, why is it happening again? I thought I was done with this a long time ago.”
I sat there on my bed, trying to get my thoughts together, when the sudden sound of soft knocking on my door surprised me out of my thoughts. I looked at the clock on the night stand, with the help of the moonlight seeping in through the window, saying it’s a little past midnight. The sound of soft knocking once again was heard from my door. “Who is it at this time?” I questioned, coming up with possibly the night staff or guard to my answer.
However, I was caught unaware when I heard a familiar voice using an archaic speech from behind the door, “Aceiro, tis I, Luna. May I come in?”
“Princess Luna?” I said flustered by the sudden announcement of the princess of the night at my bedroom door, I then realized that I’m keeping her waiting at my door. “Oh, um. Yeah, I guess you can come in Princess Luna. The door is open.”
The door opened and revealed the princess of the night and former Mare in the Moon, Princess Luna. As Princess Luna stepped into my room, she looked behind her where I saw a couple pair of glowing golden cat-like eyes staring at me through the darkness in the hallway. “You can leave us be guards, I’ll be fine for he doesn’t want to bring harm to me.” The glowing eyes then disappeared in response to her command, leaving me and the night princess alone, though the feeling of being watched and judged was lingering on me and no doubt on the princess as well, still within distance if anything should happen. Princess Luna turned away from the open doorway and walked towards me, her ether mane of the night sky bellowing in the windless room.
“Um, what’s up, Luna?” I feebly greeted her, which I’m sure would’ve gotten me a hoof to the back of head from the nearest guard at the informal greeting. What I’m about to say would probably earn me another slap to the head, “Not that I don’t mind seeing you or nothing, but, um. What are you doing here?”
Princess Luna didn’t pay much heed to my informal remarks as she made herself comfortable in my room, which was now starting to make me nervous on why she’s here in the first place. “I wish to discuss something with you. Aceiro.”
I let out the breath of air I was holding when I learned about the true nature of her visit as I reached for the lamp of the nightstand, lightly tapping on the gem at the base of it to activate the magic, causing the room to now be bathe in a soft glow of light. I turned my attention back to Princess Luna in my room as I got out of bed to show some respect. “Sure Luna, what do you want to talk about?”
“It is about something that I just witnessed that concerns me greatly Jace.” I was taken back when I was addressed by my old name that only a few knew, the princesses being not any of them. However, before I could ask she continued with what she’s saying. “It’s about that dream of yours that you just had.”
“Wait a minute here, how do you know what I dreaming about? And how do you know my old name?”
“As you know, my domain is over the night correct?-“ I nodded in response to her question, “-well as you know, that means I also have charge over the dreams of my subjects, ensuring their safety during the night as my sister is over them in the day.”
“Hold on here, you can enter dreams?” Princess Luna gave a nod in return to my question, I always had theories that should could do that as the night is hers, I guess I’m right.
“Well as you know, since you, Star and Arcana are not from this world, I won’t enter in your dreams out of respect as well as privacy for you three. However, I felt a slight disturbance in the dreamscape that raised some concerns of mine, especially when I learned that that disturbance came from you.”
“So wait, were you just in my dream?”
“Yes I was and I’m terribly sorry for intruding without permission.”
“So you saw everything then?” I said knowing the answer to that question as I glanced down at my hooves.
“Yes, that is where I learned your old name Aceiro,” Princess Luna revealed as she hung her head in shame. “I’m sorry for delving into your personal matters, but for some reason this dream felt different than most others I’ve encountered before. Aceiro, I know that this doesn’t concern me, but what’s the meaning of the promise that you mentioned that your mother made.”
“Because Luna, it wasn’t a dream,” I started coldly when heard her asking, not once looking away from my hooves, “it was a memory and about the promise, you’re right, it doesn’t concern you at all. Now get out.”
“What?” I heard Luna said, taken back by what I said. 
“I said get out,” I yelled at the princess of the night in rage as I finally glanced up from my hooves and right at her, watching her recoil at my outburst and apparent visible hatred. I pointed to the door of my room. “Get out and don’t you ever enter my head again!”
Princess Luna sat there stunned, unsure of what to do next. After a moment, she gave a small nod before getting up and made her way towards the open door. “I’m sorry and I understand Jace, I’ll be here if you want to talk,” Princess Luna said before closing the door behind her.
After the princess left, I realized what I just done and felt terrible about it. “Agh, what the hell is wrong with me?” I angrily berated myself as I raised my left hoof and slammed it down in frustration. As soon as my hoof slammed the floor, I felt a surge of energy pulse as everything around me suddenly explode in splinters and glass fragments, which I quickly dropped to the ground in response as darkness suddenly descend upon me when my lamp had suddenly be destroyed by whatever force I unleashed. I stood up, shaking debris off of me as I looked around at the damage of my room with the help of the moonlight. “What the freak just happened?”
I let out a groan of frustration when I saw the remains of my bed as I was made aware of the time by the weariness I’m currently feeling. “Crap.”


…


“Hey what’s up Aceiro?” a familiar voice called out from behind me over the various noises of the Iron Heart. I turned around and saw the familiar pony Subtle and the zebra-like Pegasus Thunder. I removed the face shield and there Thunder and Subtle gave a start when I looked at them, Thunder then spouted something in Latin, sounding concern about something. When I realized he was talking to me, I looked towards Subtle for a translation, which he cleared his throat in response to my annoyed filled look. “What Thunder is saying Aceiro; you look like crap. What happened, because it looks like you slept on the floor last night?”
“I feel like crap and I basically did,” I retorted as I returned back to my forge and resumed working on an incomplete guard helmet. I raised my protective clad right hoof with the Will Element bound to it underneath the protective gear, then pictured the complete form of the helmet in mind, I placed my hoof on the unfinished helmet and was responded back with a white flash. When the glare of the light faded away, there resting before was a finished helmet that all it need now was the appropriate enchantments and a paint job.
“You know what Aceiro,” Subtle started as he peered around my shoulder to get a look at my work, “it always amazes me that you’re able to make something without much use of fire and yet is one of the finest jobs I’ve seen.” Thunder then said something that sounded like he’s agreeing.
“You want to see something even more amazing?” I asked as I took the helmet off the workbench and set it on the floor before the two ponies. “Now before I show you, which one of you can swing the hardest?”
Brows were raised at the random question before they started to discuss between themselves for the answer to my question. After a moment, they gave each other a nod and looked back at me as Thunder started to say something to me in Latin, taking a guess that he’s probably saying that he could. I walked over to a rack of tools that I have at my disposal in my station and grabbed the heaviest sledgehammer among the tools. With a bit of a struggle holding the weighted tool in my grasp, I walked towards Thunder and offered the heavy hammer to him, “take it and take a swing at it,” I said as I motioned my head towards the helm on the floor.
Thunder gave a look saying that I’ve gone crazy and started to spout off rapid Latin at me. “I agree with you on that Thunder,” Subtle agreed whatever the Latin-speaking pony had before looking back at me, “have you gone crazy, Thunder could flatten that helmet into a pie tin without any problems.”
“That’s good, take a swing at it then,” I said as I held out the sledgehammer to Thunder once more. “I want to see if it would work. Now hurry up, my arms are getting tired.”
After a pause, Thunder reluctantly took the hammer out of my hooves, saying something in Latin that I have probably gone off my rocker or something like the sorts. Thunder stood up on his hind legs, grasping the sledgehammer in his fore hooves as he raised it over his head and brought it down on the helmet. I saw Subtle and Thunder flinch when the hammer fell on the helmet, but their expressions quickly turned into confusion when the hammer suddenly came to a stop with a low ring. “What the…?” Subtle spoke the apparent thought that’s going through their thoughts as Thunder lifted the hammer and revealing an intact helmet underneath with no sign of any damage or even a scratch on it.
Thunder gave the guard helmet a confused look before looking at me. “Give it another go Thunder,” I said with a small smile as the confused look became one of that of frustration as he turned his attention back to the helmet on the floor and proceeded to start swinging at the helmet that had denied his strength, but just like the first time; the sledgehammer came to a sudden stop with a low ring. After a couple of minutes of watching Thunder taking swing after swing at the piece of armor, there was soon a huffing stripped Pegasus leaning on the hammer handle, sweat coming off his coat due to his workout as he gave the helm of my make an angry stink eye that’s now an apparent bane of his strength.
“Holy freak Aceiro, how did you do that?” Subtle said dumbfounded as I walked up to the helmet, picking it up with my teeth and made my way to a rack containing other finished pieces of mine that were eventually going to be taken somewhere else for their finishing touches. I placed the helmet on the rack and spat out the metallic taste of metal out of my mouth as I turned around and faced the two ponies. “I found out one day that I can alter not just the shape of metal but its properties as well.”
“Like strengthening steel by heating and cooling it, right?” Subtle said which I nodded in response.
“Correct, so what I did to the helmet is that I altered its element makeup so that it could now absorb blows coming its way. Although I’ll suggest that the wearer doesn’t use it to ram into things constantly or they’ll get one major headache later on.”
“That’s just simply amazing,” Subtle said as I made my way back to my workstation and started to complete the work order.
“Thanks Subtle and sorry for embarrassing you like that Thunder,” I said as I rolled up the work form and placing it into a tube before shoving it into the tube delivery system, which was immediately vanished in a swoosh of air as it was sucked away to whoever is in charge of that department. “Now not to be rude, but why are you guys here? You two don’t usually come by to see what I’m up to and how I’m doing.”
“Yeah, we noticed that you tend to keep to yourself a lot whenever you’re not with Fe,” Subtle stated as Thunder nodded in agreement. “And we think it is because we haven’t been including you in things. Heck we don’t even know you that well, so we want to extend an invitation to an event that’s coming up soon here in the Iron Heart.”
I raised a brow at the piece of news. “And what would that be?”
“It’s the Iron Heart Tournament,” Subtle answer. “It’s like the Equestria Games, but only for those that works here and knows how to fight, and we know that you can fight.”
“What’s the Equestria Games?” I asked them and was received shocked looks as if I had just suddenly sprouted a second head. “What?”
“You’re joking right? How could you not know what the Equestria Games are? It’s the most anticipated event in all of Equestria and every major city competes just for the right to host the games. The last one was held in Fillydelphia after it barely beat Cloudsdale for the hosting rights, where have you been? On another planet or something?”
“Oh yeah,” I quickly agreed when Subtle mentioned other planets, “sorry I just momentarily forgot, I’m just tired guys; had a very rough night.”
“You must be if you just forgot one of the most spectacular events in Equestria. Well anyway, the Iron Heart Tournament are going to have the qualifiers in a week. So if you’re interested, there’s a sign up sheet at the main office.” Thunder gave him a confused look and said something to him. “Of course there’s a main office Thunder, where do you think all the tubes go to?”
As I watched the two ponies talk, only able to listen half of the conversation, I glanced at the clock and saw that my shift is about to come to an end. I turn my attention back to the forge and
Tapped the activation crystals set into the side, causing the fire within the forge to start its shut down process as I proceeded to remove the stiff, stuffy and heavy fire protection clothing, and placed them in my cubbyhole. I stretched my back to rid the kinks and knots that formed from hunching over and was rewarded a series of pops. “See you guys later,” I called out to the still talking ponies, which they waved back at me, indicating that they heard me.
I made my way through the vast chamber within the mountain that the Iron Heart is situated in, passing by others ponies and a few non-ponies working at their stations and made my way through the front doors and outside. When my eyes got used to the glare from the sun after being basically in a cave for a while, contemplating on what I should do when I realized that I haven’t seen dad since he was released from the hospital, I wonder if he’s doing alright all this time after he got dragged to this world?
I made my way back to the castle and asked the nearest guard I came across for directions to the treasury where dad would probably be. After being seen around the castle constantly, I’ve become a regular along with the many workers and politicians in the castle, so the guard was compliant to my request. I memorized the directions the guard gave me the best as I can and made my way to the treasury.
A few minutes later, I stopped at the entrance of the hallway that leads to the treasury as I saw a certain somepony that for some reason rubs me the wrong coming my way; Prince Blueblood, surrounded by other snobby aristocrats. I let out a breath of air to relieve the stress that was starting to build and started to walk, ignoring the group of uptight ponies that are laughing among themselves as I walked by and into the treasury. I glanced around at the group of unicorns sitting at various desks and the first thing I noticed that there’s a nervous tension in the air as I couldn’t see my dad among them, which worries me. “Hey, have any of you seen my dad?”
The other treasurers looked at each other nervously before one of them cleared his throat. “Your dad wouldn’t happen to be Numeral now would it?”
“Yes it would. Why what happened to him?” I questioned, now worried about dad.
“I’m afraid that he doesn’t work here anymore as of today.”
“What, how come?”
At this, the other treasurers shuffled nervously. “Well you see, um… Prince Blueblood arrived before you did and dismissed your father of his tasks and threatened him to imprison him if he doesn’t leave immediately.”
“On what right does Prince Blueblood have to do that to my dad?” I asked them with silent anger lacing my voice that the unicorns in the room probably picked up as they took a couple of steps away from me before one of them spoke up.
“There are none that we know of sir,” a nervous mare said and ducked down a bit when my gaze settled on her. “Numeral was an excellent pony at helping us with the numbers and such. I mean sure that there was a time when he was confused about the system we use, but when he got the hang of it, we made a lot of progress than we could have without him. So we are greatly confused as well why the Prince would suddenly dismiss him and threatened him with imprisonment.”
“Then I’m going to find out,” I said in anger as I left the treasury filled with worried and scared ponies. I made my way down the hall, following the path that Prince Blueblood was taking when I passed him earlier. I followed the path, making turns that for some reason felt that he had taken. When I turned around a corner, there I saw Prince Blueblood standing there talking with the group I saw with him earlier.
“Blueblood!” I yelled his name as walked towards them, causing all of them to jump from my sudden outburst. “Would you care to tell me why you fired my dad and threatened to put him in jail?”
Prince Blueblood didn’t seem to be fazed by my apparent anger, in fact, he appears to be sure of himself for some reason. “Well aside from no apparent record of any pony named Numeral until a few weeks ago, I just don’t feel that an Earth pony commoner with no royal blood from that’s not even from the lowest of the royal houses shouldn’t have the privilege to touch and handle the royal coffers.”
It took me a moment to understand what Prince Blueblood had just said, but when I finally did, my anger started to rise. “You basically fired my dad… just because he was an Earth pony.”
“What do you know, the freak of an Earth pony understands,” Blueblood laughed as the others started to laugh along with him. “I think I did all the royal families a favor.”
“A favor?! You fired my dad just because he’s an Earth pony you egotistical jackass,” I angrily said to him as I approached him with hostile intentions running through my head. “I ought to teach you some lesson about decency for others.”
“Uh uh uh,” Blueblood stated as he raised a hoof to stop my approach, he then motioned to the other ponies around us. “Unlike before, there are witnesses around, so you wouldn’t dare lay a hoof on royalty, just as myself, or you’ll be in serious trouble. You don’t want that now, do you?”
“Actually…” I started as I slowly approached him as my shadow element started emitting darkness around all of us. “I don’t care right now.”


…


“Oh god, what have I done?” I stood above a pile of unconscious ponies with Prince Blueblood looking far worse than the others. I glanced around and saw the scorched walls and floors with me being the only thing standing and without a single singed fur. I tried to recall what happened, but became alarmed when the last thing I remembered was approaching Blueblood. “What did I do?”
But before I can question anything else though, “follow me, I heard explosion come from this way,” I heard a guard yelled that was accompanied by the sound of galloping hooves, which quickly made me realize of the situation I’m currently in. In a panic, I quickly took off running with no destination in mind as I just to get away from here right now.
What’s happening to me? I thought as I turn down a connecting hallway, first the memory last night and now this, what’s going on with me? I thought as I slowed down to a trot then to a complete stop as I sat down and panted to regain my breath from the run. “Why is this happening to me?” I questioned as I placed my forehead on my hooves.
I opened my eyes and the first things I saw was the white and black markings of the elements against the grey color of my coat. At the sight of the black element, the words that Entropy had spoken about the element and I was hit with a moment of clarity, “It’s the Entropy Element, that’s what’s going here! I-I need to do something about this, but who can help me with this though?” I questioned as I closed my eyes once more to try to think of a solution.
I tried to remember anything else about the Element that Entropy had mentioned, but all I can remember right now is what the Entropy Element does to it bearers and that it was locked up for nearly a thousand years in a vault by Princess Celestia herself… “Wait a minute, Celestia had the element once and Luna studied it, maybe they know something that can help me with this,” I said hopefully that there might be an answer that can help me.
With a task now in mind, I made my way from the lone hallway and towards the throne room where I know that I can at least find one of the royal sisters. Along the way to the throne room, I tried to stay calm as I saw the guards were a lot more alert than usual due to my assault on Prince Blueblood and his friends, causing me to subtly picked up the pace as I knew that I don’t have much time before Blueblood wakes and notifies the guards who his attacker was. When I arrived at the throne room, I was relieved to see the doors to the throne room still wide open for the Day Court and that there were only a few ponies inside to see the princess of the sun to help them with disputes that they may have, one of them now including me.
I got in line and anxiously waited, while hearing a couple of ponies arguing about some land dispute that a tree and some cows had caused and how Celestia resolved it by suggesting that they should build a fence and prune the tree, I could hear the eye roll in her voice when she announced the simple solution and I don’t blame her. This went on like this until I finally stood before her, were she was surprised to see me there. “Well this is a surprise Aceiro, I never thought I’ll see you here as you and the others tend to solve any problems that you come across by yourselves.”
“Well you’re right about that Cel- erm Princess Celestia,” I said as I gave her a small bow. “But you see here your Highness, I have a problem that I think you can help me with because of your experience with this problem.”
“Really and what might be that exactly Aceiro?”
I looked around the throne room and at the numerous alert guards and help seeking patrons, thinking how I should bring this up with the princess of the sun without raising curiosity from those around us. I cleared my throat and looked at her, “it’s about Entropy.” The look on Celestia’s face quickly changed from curious to concern in the blink of an eye at the mention of those words.
“Everypony I’m terribly sorry, but the Day Court is now concluded, so for those that have concerns and problems to be still addressed, please bring them to my sister, Princess Luna, and address them to her when the Night Court is in session. Once again, I am terribly sorry for inconvenience I may have caused, but something had come up that needs my attention.” There was a series of groans as the guards lead the other patrons out of the throne room. When the guards herded the last of the ponies and was proceeding to close the doors, Celestia spoke up, “that includes all of you too as well guards.”
The looks of uncertainty was on all of the guards. “But your Highness, we’re your-“
“Yes I know that you’re my personal guard, but I assure you all that I’ll be alright with Aceiro here, but also this is personal matter that I need to address personally,” Celestia said serious. I looked back at the guards and saw them all shuffle nervously where they stood until they finally complied with the princess’s orders by leaving the throne room one by one and closing the doors behind them. I felt the majestic presence of Princess Celestia as she stepped off her throne and walked up behind me. I turned around and was greeted with a slightly menacing scowl instead of her usual warm smile. “So what happened?”
I gulped as I noticed the steeliness in her voice, starting to make me second guess about this decision. I was hesitant to tell her, but I told her about my encounter with the dark and light spirits on the train to nervously telling her about my black out moment with her nephew and what I did to him, slipping my dream last from last night and then talking with her sister. “And the thing is, I don’t know what to do and so I came to you.”
Celestia had a deep look when I finished. “I see, I had fears when I learned that the cursed element bounded with you Aceiro and now it seems that my fears are coming true.”
“Wait, you’re not the least concern that I beat the crap out Prince Blueblood?” I asked incredulous.
“Oh I am, but sometimes he just irks me by claiming being a nephew of mine when he’s really a distant relative and abuses that fact for his ego, I’ll have to fix the damage he’s done later, but right now there’s a more pressing matters to deal with here; that accursed Entropy Element. If I had my way, I would rip that infernal element off of you-“ I eeped and slowly backed away from the Solar Princess, favoring my left foreleg to protect it from her wrath, “-but that would risk your life, so I can’t.”
I let out a breath of relief at that.
She returned her focus back at me and walked up to me, which I took a few nervous steps back. “Keep close,” she ordered as her horn started to shine a golden glow.
“Wait, hold on a sec here, can we just talk things over?” I quickly suggested as there was a burst of golden light and felt my stomach twist itself. When the light faded from my eyes, I found that I’m no longer in the throne, but in a study of some kind. However, all I can do right now is focus on not being sick to my stomach like the one time I had for lunch was only a litter of Mountain Dew that greatly unsettled my stomach like it is now. “Sorry about the quick teleportation spell Aceiro, but we need to deal with this as soon as possible as time is of the essence.”
“Ugh, where are we and why do I feel so sick and what do you mean that time is of the essence?”
“We’re in my private studies Aceiro and as for why you feel sick, Alicorn magic is vastly different than Unicorn magic and you might be more sensitive to magic with those elements on you,” I heard Celestia explain as she moved about in the room. “and the reason why it’s important to deal with the element is because the longer you bear it without some kind of restriction… well let’s say that the ending result isn’t going to be pretty, that’s why we need to restrict it as soon as possible.”
“Restrict it? How?” I asked as the sickness finally subsided and looked at my current surroundings, taking in the sight of organized books everywhere and the faint smell of cinnamon bark and cedar wood. I watched Celestia walk to and fro from the nearby bookshelf to her desk and picked up a piece of parchment and started to read it.
“We’re going to into your psyche and from there I’m going to seal it,” she stated as she rolled up the parchment and looked back at me with a look that unsettled me a bit, and then I realized what she just said.
“Hold on what? You’re going into my mind, but isn’t that invasion of privacy or something?” I questioned as I backed away from the crazy princess.
“Well we’re not entering your mind exactly, we’re actually going to enter a dreamscape sort within your mind.” Celestia let out a tired sigh. “I’m not good explaining something complex like this, but I understand the concept of this particular magic. So now hold still and relax.” She instructed as her horn started to shine in a golden glow that made my heart skip a beat.
“Wait, hold on a minute-“ I started but was cut off as the golden light from the solar unicorn filled the whole room in its light and blinding me. There was a brief sensation of falling before the blinding light vanished and found myself lying on the ground. I sat up and found that I wasn’t on the floor of Princess Celestia’s study, but a white ground of a vast plain of emptiness. I looked towards Celestia for an answer. “Where are we?”
“We’re on a plain of existence where thought can take form,” Luna’s voice rang out from the vast emptiness before the Alicorn herself faded into existence before us.
Celestia looked shocked at the sight of her sister standing there. “Luna! Why are you here? I thought you were already going to be awake since it’s the weekend,” she said as her sister walked up to the two of us.
“While it is true that I do wake up earlier on the weekends, I decided to sleep in this evening and it was a good thing that I did. Did you really think that I wouldn’t notice my own sister and a unique lifeform traveling through my realm of dominion? Now it’s my turn to ask a question; why are you here? Because this is really out of your way for a quick evening stroll through the gardens, isn’t it?”
Luna looked towards me and then her gaze fell to the black markings on my left foreleg. “It’s about the Entropy Element, isn’t it sister?” She questioned as she looked back to Celestia. Then a determined look appeared on her face. “How can I help?”
“Luna, I want you to stay out of this one. This could be dangerous and I don’t want anything to happen to you,” Celestia stated, sounding concern… and strangely a bit scared.
“Sorry dear sister, but you’re going to need my help to guide you both through the mind and its unknown dangers, especially since Aceiro has two polar Reality Elements. And besides Celestia, I have faith that you could deal with any danger that we may come across.”
“You’re still not coming Luna,” Celestia once again stated to Luna. “If something happened to you while we’re sealing the element and I had let you come, I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself Luna. I just can’t afford to take the risk that I might lose you again.”
I suddenly realized what’s up with her. “You’re afraid Celestia.” My sudden statement threw the princess of the day off as she looked down at me with a surprised look. “You’re afraid that the Entropy Element is going to do something to Luna like before all that time ago, aren’t you?”
Celestia stood there for a moment until the princess hung her head and spoke in a shaken tone of voice, “yes, I’m afraid. I’m afraid that I’m going to lose my sister again by any dark influence and have to end up banishing, or worse vanquish, her again by my doing.”
Princess Luna walked up to her sister and wrapped a wing over her, causing her to jolt in surprise from the sudden contact. “Tia, I know that you’re worried and want to keep me safe from harm, but right now there’s a being bounded to an artifact of great darkness that’s effecting him, and the only thing that can help him is us. So like it or not, I’m coming along to help you or Aceiro might share the same fate that befell on me before.”
Princess Celestia look towards her sister and then towards me as an understanding look formed in her eyes. “Fine, but if there’s even a hint of danger, you leave immediately, got it?” She inquired as she faced her sister.
“Understood.”
“Okay, let’s get started then, because we spent a lot of time here as it is already. Now, are you ready Aceiro?”
“As ready as I’ll ever be I guess,” I answered, unsure of what’s going to happen next. “I just don’t want to hurt anypony else by accident.”
Celestia nodded in agreement to my answer. “Okay then, Luna, if you would please do the honors as you have more experience with this kind of magic than me, we can get this done over with soon so that we can go home.”
Luna gave her sister a nod of confirmation before she turned to me, “alright Aceiro, I need you to relax and stay calm and this will proceed smoothly without any problems, understand?” I nodded in agreement and her horn started to glow silver. My eyes started to drop in sleepiness as vague forms started appear on the vast plain of emptiness…


…


Aceiro opened his eyes and found himself, with Celestia and Luna standing on either side of him, standing in a hallway with three doors facing them, each different than the next one. The door on their left is a heavily bolted rusty metal door and the one on the right being a pristine unscarred metal door, while the door in front of them was just a simple wooden door. “Where are we? Because it feels like I’m in two places at once here,” Aceiro said, feeling slightly off as if he’s looking around outside of his head.
“We’re inside your subconscious, that’s the feeling you’re experiencing Aceiro,” Luna answered him, although looking slightly confused as she looked around their surroundings. “Although, it looks like we are not at the same time, mightily strange. Maybe it is because of the two Elements you bear that’s causing this phenomenon… is this what you might call a serious case of an identity crises?”
“Focus please, this isn’t the time nor place for jokes,” Aceiro said incredulous at the unintentional joke from the princess of the night. “I’m pretty sure this isn’t normal by your standards princess and all of this is kind of freaking me out here to tell you both the truth.”
“Then let’s get moving and deal with this problem quick,” Celestia stated as she walked to the rust heavy bolted door to the left, “and the problem is behind this door.”
“How do you know?” Luna asked as she and Aceiro gathered by her side.
“Let’s just say that this isn’t exactly my first time meeting Entropy,” Celestia replied back as she narrowed her eyes at the door. With a golden glow, the door burst open with a slam, revealing a dark room with the only thing lit is a couple of feet of light into the room that’s coming from a lightless light from our room. Celestia’s horn started to shine and a beam of light soon cut through the darkness. “Stay close to me.”
Celestia lead all of them through the door and into the darkness beyond. As much as Celestia tried to increase the intensity of her light, the darkness seems to increase in intensity as well to counteract the light, which she found unsettling and frustrating as her magic is being tested. 
“You know something…” a voice started as it called out from the darkness, “it is rude to barge into someone’s home unannounced, let alone coming in without knocking. I have the right to deal with any intruders that comes in my home in any way I see fit.”
Celestia felt the darkness around them starting to press against their sphere of light. She put more power and the light was only able to expand a foot around them, but the pressure continue to work against her shield of light. “Everyone back to the door!” Celestia called out to others. They all started to back away to the door with Celestia at guard, but when they reached the door, something wasn’t right.
“Tia, the entrance is no longer here!” Luna called out to her sister, causing her to look behind them to see a solid black wall where the door should’ve been. Celestia felt a pang of fear at the sight of the solid wall, then anger at herself for falling into Entropy’s trap.
“Enough!” She proclaimed as she faced the darkness and fired a beam of light into the darkness. “Reveal yourself Entropy, enough tricks.”
“Okay,” a nonchalant answer responded back before the darkness around them suddenly breached the sphere of light and completely swarmed them all, putting out Celestia’s light and covered the small group.
Celestia felt cold as the darkness washed over her. As quick as the darkness came, it vanished, taking the cold along with it. She opened her eyes and saw that shroud of darkness that was there before when they entered has suddenly lifted, revealing a dark mirror version of the grand hall back in the real world, and sitting there in the middle is Aceiro, looking nonchalantly. Celestia looked around and found that they are the only ones there in the hall. “Aceiro, where’s Luna?” Celestia questioned as she face Aceiro, fear written in her voice.
“I think you confused me with someone else Little Miss Sunshine,” Aceiro said, however, what he said made Celestia to pause.
“I only know one other who calls me that,” Celestia started as she narrowed her eyes at the pony in front of her as started to glow in a golden light. “You’re Entropy, what have you done with my sister and Aceiro, and why do you look like him?!”
“Give the princess a prize, she got it on the first try. You did much better than the first time we met,” Entropy sarcastically said as he clapped his hooves. However, a beam of light shot by and hit the floor next to him, causing the spirit to pause as he looked at the scorched mark. “Will you just please relax?”
“I won’t ask again, what have you done with the others?”
“Jeez, don’t worry Miss Sunshine, my bearer and your sister are safe, because they’re no longer here. I kicked them out because of a few reasons, the main one being that I want the both of us to have some privacy, but to keep your sister and my bearer safe. Now calm down your highness.”
“Why do you even care about the safety of others Entropy?”
“Even though I’m a jerk most of the time and represent destruction, I still value life more than anything because without it, I’m nothing,” Entropy said. “Also the other reason I kicked your sister out it to make sure that nothing happens to Luna like before.”
Entropy’s answer surprised Celestia. “You did it… to protect my sister?”
“Yeah, I did it since I didn’t want her to be in any danger from the element like before when she had my element last time and I didn’t want history to repeat itself as it does have a tendency to do that when we not careful, now does it?” Entropy explained. “Also, I felt it’s kind of my fault that she became corrupted after I warned her many times of the many dangers in here. Now, would you care to explain why I am graced with your presence your highness?”
“I came because of what’s happening to your bearer Aceiro.”
Entropy’s eyes narrowed at the mention of Aceiro’s name. “What happened to him?”
“You don’t know?” Celestia said surprised, which the spirit shook his head in response. She then told him what’s been happening to Aceiro and Entropy’s mood seem to grow darker and darker the longer she explained.
“It’s happening to fast,” Entropy said after a moment when Celestia finished. He turned and started to walk away from the princess. “He’s not ready yet, why is this happening now?”
“Wait, what do you mean ‘it’s happening to fast’, will you please stop and answer me?” Celestia called out to the dark spirit, but the spirit just ignored it her calls as he continues walking. Celestia quickly took off into the air and landed in front of the spirit with a shake, causing the spirit to finally stop walking, but not once looking up to the towering alicorn in front of him. “What’s going on here, what is he not ready for?”
Entropy finally glanced up to the alicorn and even though difference of height and power is apparent, Celestia felt he stood as an equal. “Hear me princess, there are events about to come that could decide the fate of Aceiro, but he needs to be the one to face it alone or there could be devastating results. So listen here, I want you and your sister to stay out of this for his sake, because blood is power in this matter. Nevertheless though, I thank you for telling me what’s happening to Aceiro so that I can do something about it for Aceiro’s sake. Now, if you’ll kindly please don’t tell Aceiro what I had said to you and that he shouldn’t have any more problems like this in the future.” He bowed to the princess.
He recovered from his bow before addressing Celestia once more, “oh yeah, just one more thing Little Miss Sunshine, just so that it doesn’t look like I’m going soft here, I’m going to have to do this to you.” Before Celestia can say a thing, a black hole suddenly appeared underneath her, causing her to let out a gasp of surprise as gravity quickly grabbed her, pulling her down the seemingly bottomless pit. She glanced up to the top of the hole as she continue to fall to see Entropy standing over the end, waving at her as he grew smaller and smaller in the distance. 
“See ya and give my condolences to Little Lulu for me,” she heard him say right before the top of the pit vanished, soon followed by a light at the bottom appearing. She fell through the bottom and hit the tiled floor with thud, the air rushing out of her lungs from the impact.
Celestia laid there for a moment to regain her breath before removing herself off the floor and looked around to find herself that she’s in the same hall, but this time the white replacing the black. “So I take it you’re done talking with Entropy your highness?” a voice asked from behind her. She turned around to see Aceiro sitting there with Luna and… another Aceiro? Although this one seems to be wearing a full set of white armor.
The solar princess walked up the group and saw that Luna appears to be playing a game of chess with the armored Aceiro. Luna had a look of concentration on her face as she contemplated her next move before finally settling by moving a knight closer to the other Aceiro’s king. After she made her move, Luna finally noticed Celestia standing there. “Oh Tia, I’m glad to see that you’re alright. I was worried that something dreadful had happened to you, but Will here assured us that you’re going to be alright and suggested that we past the time waiting for you by playing a few games of chess.”
“Where are we and who are you, and why do you and Entropy look like Aceiro?” Celestia questioned the other “Aceiro” as he studied the chessboard. He glanced away from the board to face the princess of the day.
“Welcome, your highness, to the Element of Will and I’m the spirit that dwells in here. I’m glad to see that you’re alright after your visit with Entropy, however, I wish that he would take better care with his guests. Hold on a moment princess,” he said as he turned his attention back the board and moved a bishop down the board. “Checkmate by the way Princess Luna, you’re getting better as it only took me twenty-five turns this time.”
“No again, I will defeat you in this game of wits and intellect,” Luna demanded as she stomped a hoof on the board, causing the pieces to jump on the board.
“As much as it is fun to play with another player after centuries of just playing with myself, I’m afraid that all of your time is up. I hope that we can play again someday princess,” Will said as he stood up.
“Wait, hold on,” Celestia started just as there was a flash of light...


…


“Are those spirits always like, especially Entropy Aceiro?” Celestia asked me as I stretched from sleeping on the hardwood floor.
“More or less, I never get a straight from them, especially why they look like me. So were able to put a stop with whatever is going on with me Princess?” I asked her for answers and there I saw her looking unsure. “You were able to fix the problem, right?”
“Yes, I was able to fix your problem and you shouldn’t have any more problems like it in the future,” Celestia answer after a moment of thought. “You should probably get going and search for your father to see if he’s alright Aceiro, while there are some matters I need to see to.”
“Okay princess and thank you for your and Luna’s help,” I said as I gave a quick bow to her before making my way towards the door, but before I left though, I gave a quick glance back to see her looking back as well and gave me a quick smile, although I wasn’t sure if I was imagining it or not, but for a moment I thought I saw a worried look written on her face as I closed the door.