Born In Light, Forged In Darkness

by Jest

Trial Two: Gambit (R)

Kanathara stopped just outside the door to the gym, placing a hoof on Rainbow Dash’s shoulder and making her stop.

“Are you sure you are up for training today? We have a couple of days off saved up," Kanathara warned.

Rainbow Dash frowned, brushing off her friend’s hoof.

“I know, but you said it yourself, we have to get stronger, and this is how we are going to do it. No point crying over what ya can't change, right?” Rainbow Dash retorted.

The smaller demon sighed.

“I guess," Kanathara admitted. "Just promise me not to push it too hard again, I don't want to see you get hurt. Or spend all evening patching you up again.”

The vengeant smirked and pushed open the door.

“No way, this time I’m gonna beat him. You’ll see," Rainbow Dash boasted.

“The only thing you are gonna beat is your head against the wall," Kanathara shot replied, rolling her eyes.

“Today’s the day. I can feel it,” Rainbow Dash shot back, a wide, cocky smile crossing her face.

The larger demon held the door open, allowing her mistress to enter before swiftly trotting up beside her. In front of them, Cervantes stood waiting, Kanathara’s cleaver in one hand and an eager, almost impatient look on his featureless face. Thankfully Kanathara and Rainbow Dash knew him well enough to interpret the subtle twitches and small shifts in the darkness where his face could be, allowing them to tell that he was more than ready to start.

“Hey, Cervantes!” Kanathara yelled, waving a hoof.

“Sup, dude!” Rainbow Dash added.

The armor nodded, an act reserved for the very few beings he actually respected.

“What's the plan for today?” Kanathara asked, noticing that he had no other weapons on him.

“Yeah, don't tell me you are going to fight us empty-handed again, that would be boring,” Rainbow Dash whined, groaning audibly.

The armor shook his head and conjured his magic, his gauntlets glowing with a deep purple light that bordered on black. A second later a long, oddly plain-looking spear appeared in his outstretched hand. It was of average length, with the only unique part being a white and black band tied around the spearhead which held tight a long red feather. The shaft was the deep brown of some unknown tree and the tip was a dull grey and completely ordinary.

“Huh,” Kanathara muttered, watching close as the armor demon twirled the weapon in one hand before slamming the butt against the ground.

“Neat,” Rainbow Dash exclaimed excitedly. “Does that mean you are going to start getting serious?”

The larger demon nodded once more, tossing the cleaver into the air, where it was swiftly grabbed by an eager Kanathara who ran a hoof along the flat of the blade, inspecting it closely. Thanks for the catch, kid, the entropy demon remarked. That guy is just plain cold.

“You are as sharp as ever," Kanathara remarked. "Get ready.”

“So who's first?” Rainbow Dash asked eagerly, hoping from hoof to hoof anxiously.

Cervantes pointed to each of them in turn before extending his hand and motioning for them both to advance. Rainbow Dash nearly jumped out of her hooves with excitement, slapping Kanathara across the shoulder.

“Hell yeah, boss! We finally get to show Cervantes what a great team we make," Rainbow Dash proclaimed.

The imp however was less convinced, the memory of their last, less-than-perfect fight playing out in her mind. Images of Rainbow Dash’s dramatic sweeping attacks filling her mind and reminding her why it was so difficult to work with the excitable demon.

“R-right,” Kanathara muttered, gripping her cleaver tight in her hooves. “Let's go.”

“Alright, let's try the over-under again!” Rainbow Dash yelled, before jumping forward, not staying in one spot long enough for Kanathara to even respond.

Leaving Kanathara to race after the vengeant, trying to get into position in time. “Wait up!” Kanathara yelled.

The larger demon didn't hesitate, leaping into the air and flying forward with a straight kick to Cervantes’ chest. Or at least that was the intention, as the demon simply smacked her hoof away, making her tumble to the side, her momentum ruined. Forced to dodge out of the way of her own ally, Kanathara ran to the right, offering a weak passing strike as she did. A strike so weak that Cervantes easily stepped out of the way and even managed to bring the back of his spear down against the blade, knocking it from Kanathara’s grip.

“Augh, keep him busy!” Kanathara yelled as she rolled out of the follow-up strike, her eyes searching for any sign of her lost cleaver.

“On it, boss!” Rainbow Dash yelled back, diving from above. “Let's see how you deal with thi- whoa!”

The vengeant was forced to stall herself mid-flight lest she fly directly into Cervantes’ spear, knowing full well that he was too fast to simply roll around it and continue her attack. Thankfully Kanathara didn't have far to go, and she quickly found her cleaver and hefted the blade up, ready to re-engage.

“I got it!” she proclaimed, running back over into the fight.

Rainbow Dash couldn't offer a word in response as she was locked in a vicious battle of striking limbs and thrusting spears. The sheer speed the armor demon was capable of meant that his weapon was a blur, moving so quickly that it sometimes appeared as though two or even three spears were thrusting at her at a time. Rainbow Dash was quickly pushed back, forced to dodge and try to escape the reach of the long weapon.

Seeing her opening, Kanathara ran in, dashing towards the armor demon’s exposed side and sweeping low with her blade, aiming for his knee in the hope of handicapping the lightning-fast demon. Again she was amazed by his speed and situational awareness as he twisted his body to the side, out of the reach of the cleaver and Rainbow Dash’s snap kick that would have impacted his chest, putting the two younger demons on a head-on collision that was only dodged by Kanathara squeezing herself flat against the ground and sliding across the floor, narrowly zipping under the vengeant’s hoof.

She in turn received a punch to the side of the head, sending her tumbling to the ground a few feet away.

“Did you get the number of the carriage that just hit me?” Rainbow Dash muttered, stumbling back and forth, her legs shaking, and barely holding her up.

Kanathara growled, intent on attacking, only for Cervantes to be on her in an instant, taking advantage of just how off-balance she was. A series of thrusts forced Kanathara to the right, making her commit all of her strength and attention just to keep out of the range of the deadly spear, abandoning any attempt at striking back. Over and over she was pushed back, until she was sure her butt was about to meet the wall, only for the demon to suddenly shift his weight to the right, and his last strike to come up short.

Thinking she caught a small break, Kanathara dove forward, slashing in a wide powerful arc and intending to hit the larger demon’s chest. Only for her instructor to surprise her yet again, this time with a move that was growing familiar. Shifting out of the way, Kanathara instantly caught the distinct sight of a charging vengeant leading with her right forehoof, a battle cry on her lips. That cry turned into one of confusion when she found her opponent had been replaced with Kanathara, who knowing what was coming next, threw herself to the side with all the force she could muster.

Again Rainbow Dash was struck, only this time she seemed to have prepared at least a little, and instead of getting a solid blow to the dome, she took the armored fist to her jaw, knocking it at a weird angle but keeping her up. Thus allowing her to have the frame of mind necessary to dodge the flurry of follow-up strikes that were right behind her.

After dodging and weaving for a few moments, Rainbow Dash managed to escape the range of the deadly spear, rubbing her jaw awkwardly and grimacing.

“Eh, anara, an ou elp e?” she asked, pointing to her broken jaw.

With a sigh, Kanathara summoned her magic and focused on casting one of the few healing spells that worked in Tartarus. Cervantes wasn't exactly going to let her get away with leaving herself open like that and he sprinted forward, spear thrusting towards the exposed spell caster. Something Rainbow Dash saw coming, as she threw herself between her friend and her teacher, tossing out a series of short punches and kicks that were easily dodged, but forced the demon to face her. Now unable to get around the whirling mass of hooves, Cervantes was forced to focus his energy once more on the vengeant, keeping her at length while offering up a series of short shallow strikes that occasionally nicked the flying demon.

Pushing Kanathara to once more take the back seat in the fight as she stopped the worst of the bleeding. The spell casting itself was easy, simple even, to the point that Kanathara was beginning to grow bored with the act of healing her friend. Sitting outside the fight, the imp found herself growing more and more impressed by how fast the pegasus turned demon had become. Though she was still too rash and brazen to truly land a solid hit on the demon, she was beginning to be able to keep pace with the brutal teacher.

Something Kanathara couldn't say of herself.

Not yet anyway, the entropy demon added.

The imp sighed, her magic dulling as the spell was completed.

“What do you want, jerkface?” Kanathara muttered.

The name is Clausius, and I’m simply here to remind you that the offer and the contract are still open, the demon began, his thoughts whispering close in the filly’s ear as if he were mere inches away. You could become the big, strong, demon you want to be in a matter of minutes.

There was a part of the imp that wanted to push him away like always, to remark offhandedly about his efforts being in vain, but she found that part of her was growing smaller by the second. Her gaze lingered on the two fighting demons, her mind barely able to keep up with the blur of attacks, blocks, feints, and parries that rung out so quickly that the clack of hoof against the wooden shaft of Cervantes’ became near constant.

What could I even offer to such a fight? Kanathara thought to herself, her mind conjuring up angles of attack, or support that could be possible during such an intense bout, only to come up empty. They move so quickly, I would just get in the way.

Yesss, the entropy demon hissed. You are too slow, too weak, and cannot offer anything to such a fight as you are right now. But imagine you were not the small, pathetic creature you are now and were instead a powerful and fully-fledged demon! The power at your fingertips would be more than enough to turn the tide in your favor.

Once more Kanathara found herself wanting to resist, but unable to actually muster any of the effort necessary to go about doing just that.

“I can't… father says-” she tried to retort.

That deals that seem too good to be true, likely are, Clausius finished. But that's just it, likely, is not always and sometimes there are demons out there that crave freedom so badly that they are willing to let a genuinely bad deal go through just for the chance to get out of this damned cage!

Kanathara paused, considering the implications of her possible actions. He sounded genuine, his hatred for his position being undeniable, yet it was also not the only thing he wanted. If freedom was all that he desired it wouldn't be too difficult to give him what he wanted, but there was still a part of the contract that saw the filly signing over a piece of her soul while still giving him the freedom he wanted. The imp didn't know what exactly would happen when someone else owned a part of her soul, but she knew it couldn't be good.

With a sigh, she pushed back, extending the cleaver to hoof’s length.

“No, I can't,” she muttered, all her determination nearly disappearing under the intense and nearly all-consuming need for power that gripped her.

Suit yourself, but remember, I’ll still be here, waiting, with my contract open and my offer on the table, the entropy demon whispered back, his presence receding from her mind and slipping back into the blade.

Shaking her head, Kanathara turned back to the battle and quickly realized that Rainbow Dash was growing tired, her strikes slowing down and her breath coming in labored gasps.

The vengeant ducked out of another strike, accidentally opening herself up to a boot to the face, an action that would surely knock a few of her teeth out. Rainbow Dash gritted her poor teeth and winced prematurely, ready to feel the steely impact of the armored demon’s foot meeting her mouth. When it didn't come she cracked open her eye and found that Kanathara was right there, holding the armored demon’s foot and weapon in her magical grip.

“Hurry! Strike now!” The imp commanded.

Not needing to be told twice, the vengeant bounced back and swung her hoof towards Cervantes’ side. The attack was ultimately rendered useless when the armor demon broke from the imp’s grip and brought up his spear to block, the demon’s hoof impacting the wooden weapon and being forced back.

Now standing shoulder to shoulder with Kanathara, Rainbow Dash grinned wide, bumping her hip against the smaller demon’s.

“Good to see you are back. Ready to teach this guy a thing or two?” Rainbow Dash offered.

“Oh yeah!” Kanathara exclaimed, the fully-fledged demon missing the undercurrent of worry in the imp’s tone.

“Alright, here we come!” Rainbow Dash declared, spreading her wings and hooves wide before launching into another attack.

Back and forth they went, over and over, with both minor demons trying and failing to land anything substantial on the armor demon, and only succeeding when it came to not hitting each other in the process. By the end of it, they were both left gasping and exhausted, with the imp falling first, her body unable to even hold her up anymore. A short while later Rainbow Dash joined her, flopping down on the ground next to her friend and breathing a long, tired sigh.

“We did good,” Rainbow Dash remarked.

Kanathara was less convinced of this apparent fact, and merely frowned, watching Cervantes as his hands glowed and the spear vanished, the armor demon slowly walking up to the pair.

“I think that's a little generous…” the imp replied.

Rainbow Dash merely shrugged. “Cervantes thought we did alright, right?” Rainbow Dash inquired.

The armor demon stared down at them silently for a moment before half shrugging, half nodding. The intention was clear, they weren't quite up to snuff, but they had evidently impressed the demon in some small way. Cervantes tapped the side of his head, before pointing down at the pair, telling them in his own way, that they needed to study the forms and written material he had given them.

“Yeah yeah, we’ll do the reading.” Rainbow Dash whined, rolling her eyes. “Sheesh.”

Kanathara sighed, pushing herself slowly to a standing position and turning to the door.

“Come on, Rainbow Dash, we better get moving," Kanathara encouraged.

“Hey, wait a sec!” Rainbow Dash yelled, quickly catching up to the shorter-legged demon. “We haven't even had lunch yet, can't we hit up the chef before hitting the books?”

“I’m sorry, Rainbow Dash, but I need to see this sooner rather than later,” Kanathara remarked, pushing her way through the door and stepping out into the hall.

The vengeant kept pace easily, frowning when she noticed that the small golem that followed them around nearly everywhere could be heard following close behind once more.

“Augh, this guy again. When is your dad gonna get rid of him? We are totally responsible," Rainbow Dash continued to complain.

“I’m totally responsible,” Kanathara corrected. “You, however, are less so.”

“Doesn't matter, I’m with you all the time anyway,” Rainbow Dash retorted, the vengeant hastily trotting ahead of her mistress and eyeing the other demon curiously. “So, what are we reading up on today? Don't tell me we are going to study that boring fighting forms book again. Talk about a snooze fest.”

The imp rolled her eyes, turning down a corridor and dodging out of the way of a succubus locked in a heated conversation with a short, round demon that Kanathara couldn't categorize.

“No, we are not going to be studying the forms book, I wanted to check out that book today,” Kanathara remarked, emphasizing the word with a distinct look.

One that Rainbow Dash instantly and unfortunately understood.

“Oh come on, not again!” Rainbow Dash whined, throwing her head back and groaning. “He's so annoying and I think he's starting to figure out that I’m not actually illiterate.”

“I need to look at that book again,” Kanathara repeated.

The imp stopped before the door to the library, jabbing her hoof into the vengant’s chest.

“So get it done," Kanathara ordered.

“Fiiiine,” Rainbow Dash whined, brushing the imp’s hoof away. “But after this, we are going to get food and I’m gonna eat a whole plate of burgers.”

“As long as you don't get any pickles,” Kanathara relented, taking a step back. “They make you gassy and I do not want you stinking up the bed again.”

The vengeant blushed hard, silently fuming, but unable to disagree with the imp, resigning herself to merely following her mistress as they made their way into the library.

Before they could enter the stacks, Kanathara turned and nodded to the larger demon, signaling that she was ready and that her plan was going to be set into motion.

Rainbow Dash sighed and turned to the golem, frowning at the flat, neutral expression on the animated object’s face.

“Alright boxy, you need to get me a whole bunch of books," Rainbow Dash began.

The golem stepped forward, dutifully readying itself to receive orders and acquire the required books.

“First I need a copy of The First Firmament” Rainbow Dash began, only to frown and stick out her tongue. “The First Firminent.”

“The First Firmament!” Kanthara corrected.

“Yeah, that!” Rainbow Dash declared, clipping her hooves together. “Then I’m gonna need that copy of The Battle of Red Mountain. Oh, and all four parts of Aarondil’s journal!”

Just as the golem was getting ready to move, Rainbow Dash reached out and grabbed him by the shoulder.

“Oh and you better grab the entire Encyclopedia set, there are plenty of pretty pictures in there," Rainbow Dash added.

Kanathara could barely contain a giggle, the golem’s shoulders falling slack for a moment, and almost garnering some pity from the imp.

Turning away, Kanathara made her way deeper into the library, seeking out the hidden book she had snuck into the ill-used fiction section of the library. This area was small and tucked away near the back where the clean, even rows had been abandoned for a small circular nook that was filled to the brim with heavy tomes.

Using her limited magic, the imp riffled through the books, quickly seeking out the one she wanted and pulling it out from behind the weird 'Unstoppables!' comics that filled a whole row of the bookcase. Kanathara shook her head, perpetually confused by just how eclectic some of her father’s books were.

With the spell book now in her hooves, Kanathara gently caressed the cover, feeling the raised letters. Memory spells and you, by Last Axiom. It was a weird book, written by a weird being with a weird name, but it was also remarkably easy to read, the writer clearly being gifted in both the field of memory spells and in the art of teaching.

Flipping past the introduction and the beginning few lessons that she had already mastered, Kanathara made her way closer to the spot she had left off.

“Clear mind, already mastered,” she whispered, flipping the page.

“Perfect recall…” The imp stopped, biting her lip and thinking hard. “Yeah, I already got that one.”

“Memory erasure, minor. I’m pretty sure I did that one…” Kanathara frowned. “I think.”

Shaking her head, the imp quickly started to cast the spell, only to stop when she realized that she wasn't sure what she wanted to forget. Now that she thought about it, she wasn't sure what memory she could forget and then confirm she forgot. As she sat there baffled, she quickly realized there was no way to truly test this spell without help, as she couldn't remember the thing she tried to forget in the first place. Planting her hoof firmly into her forehead, the filly sighed before pushing on, flipping a few more pages before catching a title she hadn't read before.

“Memory unlocking.” Kanathara paused, pondering the usefulness of such a spell.

Just as she was about to flip past it and simply ignore the entire thing, her curiosity got the better of her, and she read the introductory paragraph.

The memory-unlocking spell is a strange one, as it opens one’s own mind to itself. This is both incredibly easy and unbelievably difficult. It is advised that you have another individual cast this spell on yourself, as when the spell is completed the caster needs to hold concentration while the target guides the spell itself. As you are no doubt already aware, it is difficult to do both at the same time, though not impossible. Be aware that-

“Blah blah blah,” Kanathara muttered to herself. “You are as long-winded as ever, Axiom.”

Skipping down a bit, the imp continued to read on.

This spell can fully unlock memories that have been suppressed either purposefully, subconsciously, or through magical means. It may also be able to recover memories that were forgotten naturally, or forgotten after a traumatic event. However be advised that these memories are difficult to recover, and the spell may only be able to grab bits and pieces at a time. Extended and long-term use of this spell by an expert is the only way to recover memories that your mind may not wish to have recovered or have otherwise been too damaged.

“Spooky,” Kanathara whispered. “I wonder if I’ve ever forgotten anything important.”

Coming up with nothing, the imp was about to pass on the spell entirely, before she suddenly remembered her promise to herself. You will get stronger! she thought to herself, reaffirming her commitment. And that starts with learning every spell you can get your hooves on!

With her will now resolute, Kanathara dove nose-first into the book, eagerly absorbing the knowledge found within. Several minutes later, the imp set the book down on the floor, a wide smile on her face.

“This spell is super easy!” she exclaimed excitedly, happy to have another spell under her belt. “Alright, now I just gotta lie down, focus, cast the spell, and then try and remember anything I may have forgotten. As ridiculous as that sounds.”

The imp lay down on her side, knowing that losing consciousness was the first step of the spell, and was not an avoidable one. After finding a comfortable position on the floor, Kanathara closed the book and pushed it away a little, not wanting to accidentally knock it over and ruin the pages.

And last, but not least, she focused on the spell itself, the theories and diagrams flashing through her mind. For several more minutes, she lay there on the cold floor, checking and rechecking her mental math until finally, she was certain that everything was exactly the way it should be.

Sure that everything was perfect, the filly summoned her magic, the faint ethereal glow of her spell shifting towards her head, and focusing almost entirely on the point just between and above her eyes.

“Here goes nothing,” she whispered, closing her eyes and activating the last part of her spell.

---

The imp’s vision shifted, replacing the dull room with a swirling mass of colors, lights, and sounds that blurred together into a dense fog of sensations that sent Kanathara’s mind reeling with the sheer weight of it all. Keeping her concentration steady, and her magic flowing, the demon pushed onwards, intent on finding out something she may have missed. Though without a goal or idea, her search was more like aimless wandering. Within what felt like minutes, the imp was now quite certain that this entire spell had been a waste of time, as she had neither a goal nor any idea how to find these forgotten memories.

She wouldn't give up that easily though, the demon was sure there was something she had missed, a lesson, or a bit of wisdom that her father had given her that would help her on her journey to power. With such a nebulous goal it was hard to truly push on, and the demon continued to wander aimlessly for a little longer before ultimately stopping and rethinking her approach.

Memories flashed her by, yet none of them truly felt forgotten, and pretty soon the imp concluded that her memory was nearly perfect.

Looking around, she found that the fog was no longer quite as dense, and everything she saw or experienced was strangely mundane. Images of nights spent with Rainbow Dash cuddled tight in the imp’s hooves, breakfasts devoid of content or meaning, and a hundred memories of the small, uncomfortable bathroom that was right next to her room.

Wait, that's it! she thought to herself. This isn't the real world, there are more than two dimensions!

Looking down she found that the fog deepened, and darkened, stranger memories lurking just beneath. Yet even there she remembered vividly most of what she saw, confusing and dissuading her. Images of rough lessons with her father and Cervantes flashed before her, followed by the nights she spent awake, wracked by doubt and confusion.

There were no truths down there, nothing to learn or gain.

Straining her sight, she peered deeper still, willing her perception to pierce the bank of dark clouds just beneath and gleam what lay beneath even that.

For a moment she thought that was it, the proverbial bottom of her memories, and then a glimmer of something even darker caught her eye. The strange light lay beyond that bottommost bank of dark, cloudy memories resting even deeper than the filly’s darkest memories. Whatever it was reflected a strange, almost unlight that would be impossible in the real world. Yet here, in the filly’s mind, it was as real as the memories that surrounded her, catching her attention and captivating her curiosity.

What are you, I wonder, she thought.

Knowing that the spell wouldn't be able to last much longer due to her magical reserves no doubt waning at this point, she pushed on. With her limitations in mind, she dove down, pushing past the cloying memories and the dark thoughts associated with them.

Painful, unpleasant things filled her head, and for a moment Kanathara wanted nothing more than to quit and go back to training. Only the lure of some forgotten gem kept her from pulling back and giving her the strength she needed to reach the source of the glimmer. Breaking through the fog bank, the imp was surprised to see a great field of strange black gems, each one containing a memory of something Kanathara knew she didn't remember.

Looking around, she quickly found that the field was without end, her perception stretching off in every direction, with every conceivable space littered with more and more of the odd objects. Though some were smaller than others, they were all roughly the same size and seemed littered around almost randomly, as if dropped from a great height.

Without anything to truly guide her, and no idea what lay within the gems, Kanathara gripped one of them randomly. The imp noted that it was smaller than most, but also that it felt almost warm and rather pleasant to the touch. Pushing on, the imp pressed her mind against the dark gem, willing the memory within, out of the gem and back into the rest of her mindscape. For a moment nothing happened, and just when she was about to give up, a sudden rush filled her.

It started with a wave of pleasant aromas, books, pens, the scent of homework, and beyond that the faint scent of flowers that the imp had never smelled before. Pushing deeper than that, she was bombarded by strange emotions, of worry, guilt, panic, and finally calm which was preceded by the kind of glee that only came after achieving something amazing.

Not knowing where to start, she pushed towards the source of that glee, mentally shoving her way through the tangled emotions and sensory experiences that connected randomly. Focusing on sight, Kanathara managed to conjure the image of a smiling white alicorn who was holding out a letter of some kind.

The imp paused, baffled by what she was seeing. Kanathara had been there, she had seen the great enemy, the pony that had locked her father away, and not only that, but the imp had been happy to see her, ecstatic even. She had only ever known Tartarus, but clearly, this memory was not from there and was instead on one of the material planes.

She pushed those thoughts away, instead focusing on the calm that came with the experience and trying to imagine whatever had given her that feeling.

Her vision shifted, and the image of the smiling alicorn was replaced by a much older-looking pony, namely a unicorn with an off-grey coat and large, expressive teal eyes. Her smile was faint and was a mix of excitement, that was bellied by a calm that radiated into the imp’s very soul. Her mane was a mix of purple and white stripes, cut neatly at the front, just above her eyes, and flowing down her neck, curling at the end. Her cutie mark was three simple purple stars, though they were mostly out of sight, as the unicorn was holding Kanathara tightly, whispering something the imp couldn't hear.

Focusing on the sound, the demon tried to will that particular sense to come to her, yet it refused to obey her call, forcing herself to dip into some of the last remaining magic she had left. With magic now coursing through her, the imp pushed on, deeper, and deeper, searching for the words she knew she should be hearing.

Just when she was about to reach it, she felt the mindscape shift suddenly, as if it were sliding out from under her. No, not yet! Kanathara thought, desperately holding onto the memory and pouring everything she had into grasping even a few of the fleeting words.

“I’m proud of you,” the unicorn spoke suddenly, her words filling the filly with a feeling of complete and utter calm, the likes of which Kanathara had never thought she had experienced.

And then, it was gone.

---

The world returned to the imp like a hammer blow, her senses returning all at once, turning her mind to mush and muddling her perception to the point that she was pretty sure she could taste sound, and it tasted angry.

“Kanathara, get up right this instant!” Tirek called out, his voice wavering, an undercurrent of worry cutting through the angry tirade he was in the middle of.

“Wuh,” Kanathara muttered, her limbs flailing in all directions as the imp struggled to remember how to stand.

“Oh, thank the stars,” Tirek mumbled under his breath. “Take your time, remember how to breathe, how to walk, and when you are able, stand.”

The imp lay there, following her father’s advice and letting that information flow through her, until finally she seemed able to stand, and did just that, rising up to find herself in the small fiction section still. Her father was standing over her, the memory book in his left hand, and a terrified-looking Rainbow Dash held around the torso by the centaur’s massive right hand.

“I told you she was going to be fine, see!” The vengeant exclaimed, gesturing to the still stumbling imp.

“You are supposed to protect your master, not let her do stupid things like this!" Tirek shouted.

“B-but,” Rainbow Dash began, only to wince when the centaur squeezed her midsection.

“But nothing! If she dies, you die, if she goes nuts, you go nuts. If you are not going to protect her out of benevolence, at least do so out of selfishness! Now get back to your master’s side and do your damned job for a change!” Tirek bellowed, half dropping, half tossing the vengeant, and watching closely as she limped over to Kanathara’s side.

Which gave the imp something to lean on, enabling her to stand tall and easily once more. Giving her head one last shake, Kanathara looked up at her father, finding that his rage had only diminished a small amount, a faint glimmer of happiness flashing through his eyes. A flash that was gone just as quickly as it appeared, leaving Kanathara with the distinct impression that she was in a lot of trouble.

“Er, I can explain?” the imp offered weakly.

“You had better,” Tirek began, the centaur raising the memory spell book for emphasis. “Because I want to know exactly how you came to get ahold of this.”

“Uhh…” Kanathara began.

The imp suddenly clamped her mouth shut, her first urge being to simply tell the truth, while a second, stronger urge told her to do something else entirely.

“I was just walking along, tugging on a few books that looked interesting when this one just fell out,” Kanathara lied, the imp sniffing and looking down at the floor in fear. “I thought it was a test, a way to read ahead a little bit.”

For several long seconds, the centaur simply glared down at her, his gaze boring into her as his mind seemed to consider this new information.

“You and your familiar will go without dessert for a week and until such time that I can trust you not to do anything foolish you two are not to leave one another’s side. Understood?” Tirek ordered.

Kanathara blinked, looking up in wonder. “R-really?” Kanathara exclaimed in shock.

“And no reading from the fiction section for a whole month!” Tirek’s eyes narrowed and he pointed to his daughter’s familiar. “That goes double for you.”

“Aw, come on! That's the only part of this place I like!” Rainbow Dash whined.

“Complain again and it's four months,” Tirek added, his eyes narrowing, daring the filly to speak up.

Rainbow Dash grumbled silently, keeping her comments firmly to herself.

Rising back to his full height, Tirek sighed, running a hand down his face.

“Now, Kanathara, I know you want to read ahead, but I must remind you that everything not in your section is not for you to learn yet," Tirek commented.

The imp nodded weakly. “I know, father," muttered Kanathara.

“No, you do not,” Tirek retorted, taking a step back. “Now then. If you ever feel as though things are going too slow, simply ask me for more reading materials. I will not and would not, under any circumstance do something as silly as to hide the knowledge you are expected to learn in such a manner.”

“Yes, father,” Kanathara whispered.

Tirek glared at each of the smaller demons in turn before nodding once.

“Good. Now off you go," Tirek ordered. "Food has been delivered to your quarters, I expect you to be rested up and ready for a long day of training bright and early.”

“Yes, sir!” Both demons replied.

The centaur stared down at them for one last second before turning and stalking away, leaving too very confused fillies alone in the library.

Only when they were absolutely sure he was gone, did they relax, with Rainbow Dash leaning over and elbowing Kanathara in the shoulder.

“Nice going, boss, I didn't think you had it in you," Rainbow Dash encouraged.

“Had what in me?” Kanathara asked.

“To lie about the book!” Rainbow Dash replied, cocking her head suddenly. “Why did you do that anyway?”

“I don't know,” the imp muttered. “He was just so angry and I didn't know what to say so I just blurted it out.”

“Well, either way, that was some real quick thinking,” Rainbow Dash offered, motioning towards the exit. “Now come on, I overheard your dad saying something about it being spaghetti day before you woke up.”

Kanathara followed close behind her friend the imp, not sharing her familiar’s excitement that came with the announcement of spaghetti night. It was good, of that the imp was sure, but the unanswered questions swirling inside her mind robbed her of all enthusiasm to eat her father’s famous spaghetti and red sauce.

Who was that pony she saw and why did the imp feel as though she knew her, personally? What was the context of the meeting with Celestia? Why did Kanathara feel so happy to see the evil alicorn so close?

So many unanswered questions, so many conflicting thoughts and feelings, all of which swirled endlessly in her mind, mixing with the clawing desperation that came with the realization that she was simply not good enough.

That her power wasn't enough, and that the one thing she imagined being able to give her a leg up, was now gone.

Maybe I should speak to Clausius again… she thought to herself, the gears in her mind turning as she weighed the pros and cons. One thing is certain, I can't remain as an imp forever, I need something to give me an edge. Something he might be able to give me.

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Comments

[Ze1a7in]

So when will we get to see Cervantes cut loose?

[Khanathara]

Maybe I should speak to Clausius again… she thought to herself, the gears in her mind turning as she weighed the pros and cons. One thing is certain, I can't remain as an imp forever, I need something to give me an edge. Something he might be able to give me.

[Direct Access]

Well, here it goes...

However, I don't believe he believed her. But maybe... She never lied him before after all. Though Dash is dumb to speak about it when he suspect something. He could have been listening.

[Mahtan]

9482861
I supose never but clearly not untill Kana is strong enogh to take it.

[Twilight Connor]

The name is Clausius, and I’m simply here to remind you that the offer and the contract is still open, the demon began, his thoughts whispering close in the filly’s ear, as if he were mere inches away. You could become the big, strong, demon you want to be in a matter of minutes.

H- Clausius?