Born In Light, Forged In Darkness

by Jest

Trial Four: Emergence

Existence was wetter than Kanathara remembered, and it clung to every last inch of the keeper’s body, her unnaturally soft fur completely matted with the unseen visera. Darkness stuck to the mare’s eyes as much as it did to the rest of her being, leaving it a mystery of where she truly was. Or at least it would be a mystery, if Kanathara hadn't been informed exactly what was going to happen after her transformation had reached its final phase.

Reaching forward, she groped blindly in the dark, strangely squishy depths, searching for the end of this dark tunnel and her exit back to reality. By the time she found that wall of resistance, she felt her lungs begin to burn with a fervent need for oxygen, making the demon quicken her already desperate pace. Wasting no time, the mare pulled back and slammed her hoof into the barrier, over and over again, until finally she felt the wall begin to give. With panic growing in her chest, and newfound muscles she hadn't known existed, Kanathara punched once more and was able to crack the wall and usher in a shred of light and the first sound she had heard in what felt like a small eternity.

A gasp, one of shock, and trepidation in equal measure, the holder of said voice could not be determined, but neither did Kanathara care, as she could feel her body begin to suffer under the prolonged absence of oxygen. She needed to escape before she could even hope to contemplate who was there.

Realizing she now had a long, sharp horn attached to her head, Kanathara aimed the center of her head at the gap she had made in the darkness and thrust her horn into the breach. The crack widened and Kanathara reached up and pulled it open with her hooves, the mare feeling the faint trickle of air moving past her horn. With her exit so close, hope bloomed, and Kanathara pushed forward with renewed vigor.

A second resounding crack announced that she had managed to break through the barrier in full, and she emerged back into reality gasping and wheezing.

Sight was a blur, as was sound and touch, every one of her senses rendered irrelevant as her chest heaved, the mare’s body desperately refilling its stock of life giving oxygen.

You are alive! thought the distinct mental voice of Rainbow Dash.

Not so loud, Kanathara whined, reeling from the sudden mental shout that threatened to give her a migraine.

S-sorry, Rainbow Dash replied in a much quieter tone.

When finally her lungs seemed satisfied, and had taken their due, Kantathara’s senses returned to her one by one.

First was her sense of touch, which returned just in time to remind her that she was absolutely covered in a thick slimy substance that felt incredibly unpleasant, and strangely cold. The substance clung to every last part of her body equally, even the bottom half of her which had yet to emerge from her cocoon. Next came hearing, her ears flattening against the back of her head the instant she was able to perceive the cacophony of sound that surrounded her.

Three different voices were speaking intermittently of one another, each one asking each other a question or gently prodding the keeper of secrets for answers. Answers that Kanathara didn't have, as her voice had yet to fully return, and only managed to come back after she coughed up a wad of the slimy stuff and spat several more times after that, clearing her mouth and throat of the horrible drek.

“One at a time,” Kanathara cautioned, raising a gentle hoof and attempting to get the voices to slow down.

The voices became silent, allowing the keeper to sigh, and rub the slime from her eyes, enabling her to crack open the now healed organs. Though she had been wary of potentially becoming blind due to the damage she had suffered when defeating the shadow demon, those worries were rendered moot the instant she opened her eyes. Light poured in, and though it stung her retinas and made her flinch back slightly, Kanathara refused to close her eyes, as she beheld a sight that she had never experienced before.

Sure, what she was looking at was just a torch, and a wall, but there were so many things, so many details that she had never seen before, leaving the keeper of secrets breathless. An experience that would be pleasant had she not been suffocating mere seconds earlier. The details she beheld were strange and numerous, though the most prominent change was how there was a soft flickering light that surrounded the low burning torch. This second flame was a deep blue and wrapped around the fire and curled upwards, proceeding to rise a foot higher than the flame itself before finally dissipating into nothing. This same aura seemed to encompass all things in the room that were magical in nature, from a fountain pen Twilight remembered was enchanted to never run out of ink, to Tirek himself.

The centaur was staring down at Kanathara in a mixture of anticipation and worry, the demon appearing far older than the keeper remembered. The large horns that emerged from either side of his head standing just as tall but somehow looking a lot less intimidating than normal, as if they had wilted under the stress that was etched into his facial features. The ring he wore in his nose was gone, and the beard that hung to the underside of his chin seemed longer, and greyer than normal, a theme that spread to his mane as well.

His dress was similarly plain, the centaur wearing only a loose cloak that allowed him to ring his hands together nervously without getting in the way of the fabric. “Kanathara, are you okay?” he whispered in a low tone, leaning in and extending a hand towards the keeper of secrets.

“Just a second, father,” the keeper replied before looking down and realizing she was still half inside the withered husk of a very dead Mistmane.

With a firm tug she pulled the back half of her body out of Mistmane’s shattered chest cavity and gave herself a slight shake, her muscles flexing for what felt like the very first time. Conjuring her magic took even less effort, and the keeper quickly cleansed herself of the filth that had clung to her up until now. With that done, she sighed and looked down at the centaur with a smile on her face.

“Did it work?” Kanathara inquired.

The centaur nodded slowly. “See for yourself,” he offered, lifting a hand and conjuring a mirror from which the keeper could see her new form.

Ignoring the squeal of delight coming from her right, where she knew Rainbow Dash was, Kanathara peered into her reflection carefully, and critically. The flowing ethereal mane which had been her first creation was just as she imagined it, the fake bit of hair bobbing gently on an unseen wind, with a starry expanse within. The color of her mane was perfect, as was the color of her fur, the keeper having all of the features she had wished herself to have, including a tail that matched her mane.

She had the same long legs, curving bladed horn, piercing gaze, and svette figure that she had craved for nearly two decades. Something Rainbow Dash eagerly took note of, whistling and hooting from the side lines.

“Go Kanathara, work it girl!” hollered the demon from the side of the table.

Kanathara blushed and put down the leg she had been stretching and was about to reprimand the demon for her brutish behavior, only for a certain golden demon to do that for her. “Save the dirty talk for behind closed doors, you horn dog,” Pear Butter exclaimed before cuffing the smaller demon upside the head with one of her massive hooves.

Making the younger demon wince and rub the spot that had been smacked. “Alright alright, sheesh,” she muttered before looking up at Kanathara and smiling. “You look great by the way.”

The keeper of secrets grinned. “Why thank you, Rainbow Dash, you look wonderful as always.” Kanathara frowned, and cocked her head slightly. “In fact, you seem a little taller than usual.”

The vengant flashed her mistress a wide, confident smile while striking a pose that showed off her long, powerful limbs and even wider wingspan. “A whole three inches in a night no less. Hurt like a bitch, but I’m finally gonna be taller than Pear Butter soon!”

The wrath demon rolled her eyes. “I doubt that. You may be a little taller but you still got a long ways to go, missy.”

Rainbow Dash kept her cheeky grin plastered to her face as she looked up at the wrath demon. “If this keeps up, I should be able to top you in under a week!”

“Wait, why is that anyway?” Kanathara asked, turning to Tirek.

“A familiar and master are inexorably tied, as you two know,” Tirek began, the centaur crossing his arms over his chest. “One’s growth is tied to the other’s own potential, which is how you became such a powerful imp, and why Rainbow Dash was not able to grow to her full height until you ascended to a keeper of secrets.”

Kanathara nodded slowly. “That makes sense. Sorry I’ve accidentally been keeping you short, Rainbow Dash.”

The vengant shrugged. “Anymore of a height difference and it would make our fun times awkward.”

Pear Butter smacked the vengant upside the head once more, this time harder, making the other demon stumble forward. “I said keep it behind closed doors,” reprimanded the taller demon.

“I’m trying, but you two are still here,” Rainbow Dash muttered while rubbing the back of her head.

Tirek sighed. “Regardless. How do you feel? How is your magic? And your new horn?” The centaur frowned and took a step forward, the back of his hand running down the keeper’s side. “You don't feel any irregularities in your body, do you?”

Kanathara smiled and caught the centaur’s hand and squeezed it gently. “I’m fine, father, the transformation took a lot out of me but I feel good, better than good even.”

The elder demon frowned and gave the keeper another brief onceover, before nodding. “You look fine. Do you mind if I give you a quick scan?”

The keeper nodded her assent, and allowed the centaur to wave his glowing hands over her body, scanning her form. After several tense moments, wherein even Rainbow Dash seemed to grow nervous, Tirek opened his eyes and smiled. “Everything looks good, it's just too bad that they were able to steal Mistmane’s spellbook or else you would have complete knowledge of all her spells.”

Kanathara’s eyes went wide and she looked down to where her own spellbook hung from her neck, only to realize it wasn't there. When she was about to ask where it was, the book suddenly appeared in her outstretched hoof, it and the chain that bound it to the keeper’s neck responding to her intention. “Oh, there it is,” Kanathara muttered weakly, flipping through the book and finding that every spell she had ever been taught had been recorded within. “Interesting.”

“How about your memories, dear? I know absorbing another demon’s memories can be difficult, and though I’m glad you never had to deal with that problem all those years ago, a keeper’s soul is much more significant than a mere burnt out entropy demon’s,” Pear Butter inquired, stepping closer and smiling gently.

Kanathara scrunched up her face as she tried to wrack her brain for any memory not her own, something she was adept at given the small amount of memory spells she had acquired and subsequently mastered over the years. “I don't think I have any,” she muttered, her eyes closing tightly. “Wait, there are a few but they are… scattered.”

“Odd, but not out of the realm of possibilities,” Tirek muttered, the centaur scratching his chin while deep in thought. “She must likely kept a good number of her memories inside her grimoire, making it difficult for others to remove them, or see them.”

“Does that mean all of Kanathara’s memories are in this book thingy?” Rainbow Dash asked, gesturing to said book thingy.

The keeper shook her head. “No, only the spells I’ve learned are inside. I don't see any memories in there.”

“You can shunt memories into the book and make them unable to be torn from your mind should you need to, but I would advise against this as pulling apart one’s mind is a recipe for disaster,” Tirek explained.

“No matter how good the chef,” Pear Butter added with a wink.

“Right,” Kanathara replied. “I won't do so unless absolutely necessary to keep information from enemy hands.”

“Atta girl,” Tirek announced. “Now then, I have several important projects that require my attention. I will speak to you at dinner tonight, my daughter.”

“Goodbye, father, and best of luck with your projects,” Kanathara replied, giving the centaur a wave as he bowed slightly before turning and walking away.

Leaving the keeper of secrets in the company of her familiar and the wrath demon.

Kanathara stared at the now closed door, her mind wandering to what project was so busy he had to leave. As if reading her mind, Pear Butter walked up to the keeper and wrapped a hoof around the smaller demon’s shoulders. “You know, he stayed by your side for the last twenty four hours without so much as leaving to eat,” she whispered.

Kanathara blinked and looked at the large golden demon in shock. “R-really?”

“Oh yeah, even I took a break in order to catch some shut eye, but not your old man, he didn't move a muscle the whole time,” Rainbow Dash announced with a hint of pride. “Now that's loyalty, let me tell ya.”

“Wow,” Kanathara muttered, her gaze lingering on the door for several long seconds before she slowly shook her head. “What's next?”

Pear Butter smiled and shook her head, taking a step back from the other demon. “You two will relax until you are feeling adapted to your new body, then we will make sure you've gotten used to your new magic.”

“Oh and Tirek put just about every book on our side of the library!” Rainbow Dash declared excitedly. “There was only like, two books not left on your side, boss!”

“That is amazing,” Kanathara declared, a wide smile crossing her face. “Can I go relax there?”

The larger demon chuckled. “Oh child. You can relax wherever you find it most convenient.”

“Yes!” Kanathara yelled before hopping off the table she had been laying on and landing on the ground in a heap, her legs not cooperating with her desire to stay upright. “Ow.”

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes and gently helped her mistress to her hooves. “Take it slow there, boss. You just grew a whole new set of legs, ya know.”

“Right, just give me a second,” Kanathara muttered, the demon pushing herself into a standing position, managing to stand there for a few seconds, and then subsequently toppling right back over and getting caught by Rainbow Dash. “On second thought, you can carry me there.”

The vengant rolled her eyes. “Sure thing, boss, give me a sec.” Rainbow Dash leaned down and gently slipped under Kanathara before standing up once more. “Ready, boss?”

“Yes, to the library, my faithful steed!” Kanathara announced while pointing to the door.

Pear Butter did her best to stifle a giggle, only to fail. “Do try and get some relaxation in, you two. Something tells me Tirek is going to want you back into the training room as soon as you got your hooves under you.”

“I’ll make sure she gets some sleep and doesn't pass out in a book again,” Rainbow Dash replied.

“Shh, noble steeds aren't supposed to talk,” Kanathara shot back.

Rainbow Dash snorted irritably as she began to trot to the door. “You are lucky I enjoy it when you are on top or I would have left you on the ground, missy.”

“Hmmph, like you would miss an opportunity to have me on top of you while also bossing you around,” Kanathara replied smugly.

The vengant’s cheeks burned with shame, and she trotted silently into the hall, a blush spreading across her face. “Touche.”

---

“Wow, that was intense,” Rainbow Dash announced, wiping a bead of sweat that had begun to collect upon her brow.

Kanathara muttered what sounded like an affirmation, but was little more than a grunt, the keeper of secrets unable to manage words while she lay on the floor, legs splayed in all directions. The vengant chuckled at the blob that was her mistress, prodding the other demon in the side and noting the way that she didn't so much as move even after being poked.

“You alright there, boss?” she asked.

Apparently regrowing an entirely new body from little more than magic is not an easy feat, Kanathara thought at her familiar, after she found her mouth was no longer cooperating with her.

“True,” Rainbow Dash agreed. “Thanks for the work out by the way, Cervantes.”

The armor demon bowed low, the few bumps, dents and scorch marks evident on his metal body fixing themselves before their very eyes.

“Once I get my new body in order, you are finally going down,” Kanathara announced from her spot on the floor, jabbing a limp hoof in the armor demon’s general direction.

Who in turn shrugged in a manner that made both other demons imagine that the faceless creature was smirking under his helmet.

“Yeah yeah, come on, boss, we better head back to the room and shower up. Don't want you falling asleep while you are all gross and stuff,” Rainbow Dash announced while helping to hoist the keeper back onto her own four hooves.

“That does sound nice,” Kanathara admitted. “But it's still a little too early to head to bed. Besides, we have to go to supper soon.”

“I guess so, plus, it's been days since we did it and I can't wait to see what your new body can do,” Rainbow Dash whispered in her mistress’ ear.

Kanathara blushed and playfully batted the familiar’s shoulder. “Oh stop, we’ll be in the shower soon enough.”

Cervantes shook his head as he watched them go, before turning to his own duties, most prominent of which was dealing with his dented and damaged swords.

Leaving the two females to trot out the door and head towards their room, and more importantly the shower that promised them a relief from their sweat, as well as their lust. As they trotted the strangely quiet halls of Tirek’s tower, their conversation fell inwards, with the demons conversing using telepathy, as neither of them wanted to involve anyone else in their heated discussion.

By the time Kanathara’s legs were no longer wobbly, they had made their way nearly the entire distance to their room, and were excitedly thinking about what they would do with their evening after dinner with Tirek was done. That was until the familiar shape of a robed seer stepped out of a side hall and looked down upon them with wide, wild eyes. Her usual gold and red robes were gone and in their place was a simple black one that obscured almost the entirety of her long, lanky body. Only her cloven feet and clawed hands were unobscured, with the hood hiding most of her facial features save her golden eyes.

Kanathara instantly knew that look and put a hoof on Rainbow Dash’s shoulder, forcing the vengant to slow down. “Something is wrong,” she whispered.

The seer walked swiftly up to the pair and bowed slightly, her alien features tight with worry, most of which were partially hidden by the hood and the purple and black scarf that was pulled tight over her mouth. The seer took a knee, and extended a clawed appendage towards Kanathara, beckoning the other demon to do the same.

Rainbow Dash frowned and barely held back her objection to what she knew was coming next, but the vengant knew she had little say in what was about to happen and kept her mouth shut.

Kanathara raised a hoof and placed it upon the seer’s open palm. “Speak to me, my friend,” Kanathara whispered, before opening her mind and allowing the seer’s presence to find root in her psyche.

We must speak alone, and quickly, you must come with me, was all the seer thought before pulling back and rising once more.

“Our room is just up ahead, it should be secure there,” Kanathara replied.

“You could have just pointed us towards there first,” Rainbow Dash groaned.

The seer shook her head and pointed forward, to where a pain demon ran sprinting down the hall, a greatsword clutched in his dominant hands. A second after he disappeared around a corner, the seer tugged them both forward, pointing to the door further down.

“Why was it important that we don’t run into him?” Rainbow Dash questioned.

The seer sighed as much as her stitched lips would allow, and rolled her eyes.

“Trust her, Rainbow Dash, she's never led us astray before,” Kanathara reassured, the keeper easily keeping pace with the other demon, with Rainbow Dash close on her heels.

“Fine, but if this is another one of those near miss timelines where we narrowly avoid some fate only she knows, I am going to be so pissed,” Rainbow Dash growled.

The seer stood off to the side and gestured towards the door, prompting Kanathara to use her magic to open the portal and allow the trio to all pile into the small room. Now without any potential spies around, Kanathara lit her horn and ensured it stayed that way by activating the anti-spying arrays she had placed upon the area, and as an afterthought, used a magical cleansing spell on herself and Rainbow Dash. Something the seer would no doubt be quite thankful for, if she was not so troubled by whatever possible future she had seen.

Now kneeling once more, the seer presented both of her open palms, the bronze colored flesh of her open hands bearing many scars and beckoning the other demons to repeat the motion Kanathara had done seconds earlier. Noticing that not one, but both of her hands were open, Rainbow Dash groaned and took a step back. “Nuh uh, no way. It's bad enough when you think in Twilight’s head but I am not letting you in mine.”

“Rainbow Dash, this is important,” Kanathara hissed, her own hoof already in one of the seer’s open palms. “She would not ask us to do this if it wasn't.”

The seer nodded slowly, maintaining eye contact with the vengant the whole time.

Rainbow Dash stared into the other demon’s unflinching gaze for several seconds before sighing in defeat. “Fine, you win this one, Pythias.”

The seer smiled as much as her stitched lips would allow, and gently wrapped her long, clawed fingers around Rainbow Dash’s forelimb, before closing her eyes. Both quadruped demons winced when they felt a sudden pressure at the back of their minds, though it quickly vanished, and left only a strange unpleasant feeling of pinching that neither creature could quite place.

When all three demons opened their eyes once more, they quickly realized they were in a near identical room to the one they had been in a moment earlier, save for the fact that this one was nearly completely pitch black. Each demon could only see about a foot in any direction, with the only real change being that the seer’s lips were no longer sealed by black string.

“Something terrible is about to happen,” whispered the seer in a strangely normal voice that felt utterly alien from the creature’s disturbing exterior, as if her voice hadn't changed from when she was thirteen, though her body had.

“And let me guess, we are going to stop it?” Rainbow Dash asked sarcastically.

“We can't,” Pythias declared sadly.

“Then why are we here then?” Kanathara pressed.

“Though the events that are about to unfold are impossible to stop, the effects can be mitigated and important lives saved,” Pythias continued, squeezing the other two demons’ forelegs. “There are important pieces that must be maintained if we are going to survive the coming conflict.”

“What coming conflict? What can't we stop? Speak plainly dammit,” Rainbow Dash demanded.

“I cannot,” Pythias replied sadly. “Telling you of what the nature of the conflict is will make you want to stop it, something you could not do in over a hundred thousand possible timelines.”

“Well, maybe this is the one hundred thousand and first timeline,” Rainbow Dash continued.

“Silence,” Kanathara commanded. “We will hear out what she has to say, and give her a chance to explain herself, isn't that right, Rainbow Dash?”

The vengant groaned. “Fine, but she better speak normally for once.”

“I will endeavour to do just that,” Pythias conceded before shaking her head. “But I must give you more background information if this is going to make any sense.”

“Go on, we trust you,” Kanathara prompted.

“Thank you, my friend,” Pythias replied before sighing, her shoulders falling slightly. “You know very little of Starswirl, and though I regret I cannot get into very much detail, I know you two will be able to fill in any blanks I may leave behind.”

“Fire away then,” Rainbow Dash interrupted. “We can handle it.”

“As you have no doubt already guessed, he was once mortal, and wished to obtain the secrets of immortality with the help of a demon,” Pythias began. “The court mage quickly became the queen’s fool when he was tricked by a primeval, and aided her in nearly obliterating all life on his home plane. He is bound to serve her when she returns, something that will be happening all too soon for the residents of said plane. More than that, his ambitions have also grown from becoming a mere immortal, to ruling over an entire plane after it has been cleansed by his foul mistress.”

“Wow. That is a lot to take in,” Kanathara murmured. “Let me guess, his mistress doesn't know about his new aspirations?”

“She is a being beyond the comprehension of mortal and immortal alike,” Pythias replied slowly. “As we are incomprehensible to the grass we tread upon, so is she so high above us that her reasoning cannot be understood by our minds.”

“Yeah yeah, ancient evil beyond time and space, doesn't care about what her minions do. Where do we come in?” Rainbow Dash interrupted.

“For that to be truly understood, you must witness an important moment,” Pythias replied cryptically, before the mindscape shifted and the trio now kneeled next to what looked like the site of a great battle.

Behind them was an enormous forest from which a veritable horde of demons was pouring out, each one waving its weapon of choice as they threw themselves headlong into a long and deep line of golden-clad ponies. Though the quadrupeds were managing to hold them back with overlapping fields of fire, magical spells of all kinds, and clever tactics that utilized their more harmonious command structure, it was still a tough battle, as demonic might was more than enough to make up for their lack of coordination.

Directly before them stood an old stallion who had a long flowing grey beard and mane. His blue eyes shone dangerously under the lip of royal blue bell strewn wizard’s hat, an angry expression having spread across his features. “Stars damn it. You said I would have time to gather a rebellion and capable minions before you would unleash your horde of mongrels!” he yelled, the stallion stomping angrily up to the alicorn who stood implacably nearby, the stallion’s long flowing nightclad cape jingling as he walked.

“You have more than enough time to gather all the minions you require,” the tall, imperious alicorn announced, her voice so smooth, and calm that it almost completely hid the undeniable malice that was lurking beneath her surprisingly sultry tone.

“But now you will have to fight the entirety of Equestria, when we could have divided the ponies first.” Starswirl growled, his long, perfect horn glowing with a faint white light. “Luna was able to bring over a dozen city states to her cause before you threw off all pretense of being her.”

The starlike mane and tail that billowed from behind the pitchblack alicorn was the only sign of her anger, as they flickered back and forth on an unseen and raging wind. “We have no need for weaklings in our ranks, this plane’s denizens have neither the strength of arms of a demon, nor the aptitude for magic either mundane, divine, or demonic.”

“Yes, but even if you are able to best them all on the fields of battle they will regroup, gather more allies and turn this little incursion into a full scale war which will see your demons fight against not only the ponies but every other sentient race on the plane,” Staswirl continued.

“You say that like I care,” the alicorn remarked, turning slightly and raising an eyebrow at the flummoxed stallion.

“B-but we could have killed Celestia and taken Canterlot in a single foul swoop had we held back and marshaled our forces,” Starswirl stuttered.

The alicorn sighed and turned back to the battle, watching closely as another alicorn rose from the ranks and called down a beam of the purest sunlight which obliterated a fifty foot patch of demons utterly. Though the demonic line wavered for a moment, the demonic creatures didn't seem to care for their losses and continued their assault almost completely unabated.

“You are a smart creature, Starswirl,” the dark alicorn remarked almost whimsicaly, as if the statement was a joke. “You are surrounded by ponies who could be the very pillars of your new powerbase, provided you utilized them correctly.”

“I suppose…” Staswirl muttered, the stallion rubbing his chin as he too gazed out over the battlefield. “But that doesn't dismiss the fact that we could have won already.”

The alicorn sighed and shook her head. “When I kill Celestia and doom this world to an ice age, the likes of which will expunge this entire world of life, do you think it's going to be a fast process?”

“I... what, but you said you were just going to take over,” Starswirl stammered, stumbling back a step. “You said you would make me an alicorn.”

“Oh and that contract will be upheld, and I will indeed grant you the form of an alicorn, but that will only happen after I kill Celestia and turn this wretched plane into a frozen hellscape,” the alicorn remarked idly, as if she were mentioning what her evening plans were, rather than discussing the annihilation of an entire world.

“I-but you…” Starswirl closed his mouth and frowned, noticing that the seemingly endless waves of demons weren’t quite so endless as they once seemed to be, and the last screaming horde of them were being cut down, only to be replaced by a much smaller group of reinforcements. “I have preparations to attend to,” he announced suddenly.

“Remember, dear Starswirl, you are bound to serve me until I have reached my goal, and I will need generals, and the elements your former friends still hold,” the alicorn replied.

“Yes… my mistress,” Starswirl muttered before disappearing in a flash of white light.

The alicorn looked out over the battlefield for a few seconds before turning back toward the trio and smirking. “You should know better than to look into the void, seer.” She smiled. “For it may just look into you.”

With a jerk, Pythias pulled them out of the vision, and brought them back to the dark room they had been in mere moments earlier.

“What the hell was that?” Rainbow Dash demanded, the vengant’s eyes flicking back and forth, as if she expected the alicorn to burst out of nowhere at any second.

“I was not aware that she could glimpse through time itself,” Pythias muttered weakly. “Truly she is an entity beyond our very understanding.”

“And she and or Starswirl will attack us?” Kanathara inquired.

Pythias shook her head. “Starswirl is already planning on it, and I’m fairly certain that she considers noone truly worthy of being named her enemy.”

“Okay what's the plan then? Kill Starswirl and his goons before they bring her back?” Rainbow Dash asked. “Or do we just tell Tirek and let him come up with a plan?”

“That does sound like the best course of action,” Kanathara agreed.

The seer sighed. “Your father is… complicated, but suffice it to say he is too arrogant to believe that he could truly be assaulted in his own home.”

Though the keeper wanted to dismiss such a notion out of hoof, she knew better than to pretend like there wasn't a nugget of truth in such a statement. “That does sound like father…” she muttered.

“What do we do then?” Rainbow Dash pressed. “Surely there is something we can do.”

“There is nothing either of you two can do,” Pythias deadpanned. “You must follow the flow of battle and not resist the temptation to deviate.”

“That's bullshit,” Rainbow Dash declared. “That's dumb, defeatist bullshit.”

“It is unfortunately true.” Pythias shot back, her voice not tinged with anger, but rather sad reluctance. “I have foreseen the possibility of violent resistance and it always ends with all of our horrifying deaths.”

“So we just pretend like nothing is going to happen and then just do what we feel is natural when shit hits the fan?” Kanathara asked.

“There will be a moment, where you will be tempted to resist, to strike out on your own and abandon the pleas of your father, but you cannot do this,” Pythias declared, her golden gaze piercing the veil of Kanathara’s doubt like a knife. “You must follow him, even when he is no longer able to look you in the eye.”

Kanathara nodded slowly. “Fine. But I have one question.”

Pythias smirked. “I am doing this because we are not so different from one another.”

“So we are both from Equestria,” Kanathara declared.

“And your next assumption is correct as well. I want to go home, as I have unfinished business, and a wrong that must be righted,” Pythias replied sadly.

“Fine,” Rainbow Dash announced, throwing her hoof up in defeat. “But after this is all over, we are going to have a very long and very frank discussion.”

“That is acceptable,” Pythias capitulated, her hands releasing the other demons’ hooves and leaving them unsteady as the seer rose to her full height once more.

The taller demon nodded once before turning and leaving before either other demon was able to muster a response.

Now alone once more, the two demons sat on the floor with Kanathara staring off into space while Rainbow Dash fidgeted awkwardly. “Are you sure this is a good idea, boss?” the vengant asked nervously. “This seems fishy.”

“She has an ulterior motive,” Kanathara muttered before shaking her head. “But it is not opposed to ours. We will trust her, for now.”

“If you say so,” Rainbow Dash replied.

Kanathara smirked, and smacked her familiar across the shoulder. “So are we still going to hit the shower or what?”

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Comments

[dhadiawa]

and a new chapter one!

[Direct Access]

“Nuh uh, no way. It's bad enough when you think in Twilight’s head but I am not letting you in mine.”

So... Why? Does she knows or does she cares?

[Love able chaos]

So is Nightmare Moon going to make an appearance or is it someone new?

[Kuro_Neko]

Nowhere during the Twilight's transformation or afterward (so far) has there been any mention of her tail. Does she still have one? Is it all ethereal and starry like her mane? Might want to make a quick edit somewhere along the way mentioning it.

[Jest]

10113345
I will. And yes its the same.