• Published 15th Jul 2019
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The Centurion Project - TheEighthDayofNight



Elias "Rubrum Aquilae" Bright, the former leader of the Legio I Americana, on the run from his past, finds himself thrown into the conflicts of Equestria.

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Chapter 23: Another day passes

Book Binder sighed happily as she watched her boys sleep. It had taken more than a little bit of fighting, some running, and a lot of yelling, but she had bathed with Elias and Night Flash successfully, prodding the human until he admitted that it wasn’t so bad. After getting the stink off of the man, coupled with a fresh set of clothes and a slowly sipped gallon of water, Book Binder had taken them both out to eat, something she wasn’t surprised to hear that Elias had never done. She couldn’t help but be ecstatic at taking him on his first trip into the city that wasn’t guard related. It had been a simple trip to Doughnut Joe’s and a walk in a park, but it was so peaceful. They had laughed and talked about nothing while they walked. Book Binder had made sure to intentionally keep the conversation away from the more serious topics, and she had mostly succeeded, with only one minor hiccup when Elias had accidentally punched a door frame and swore. She and Flash had instinctively flinched, and when Elias noticed, he grew sullen and distant. Only an assault of snuggles brought their collective mood back up, and they had continued their day out with a new pep in their step.

They had become exhausted quickly though, and it had taken a supreme effort on her part to get the pair back to the castle without one of them falling asleep. Upon making it back to their now shared room, Elias had promptly collapsed onto his bed, not bothering to crawl under the covers. Night Flash remedied this issue by flopping on top of the human, spreading his wings out as he began to snore loudly. Book Binder could only watch with joy as Elias joined the pegasus, and the two snored together. Once she was sure they were asleep, Book Binder quietly tucked them in, and Elias subconsciously helped by grabbing Night Flash and hugging the pegasus to his chest. Book Binder was thankful that they had already moved some basic things into the room, because she was able to find her camera and snap a photo of the moment, tucking it away in a small photo album that she knew she would find plenty of use for.

Book Binder perked up slightly from her bed as she watched Elias shift in the darkness. She frowned when she heard a low whimper exit his mouth. Rising silently, she crept across the rug and hopped into Elias’ bed. Night Flash was watching him with concern, awake and alert as she was.

“What happened?” she whispered as quietly as possible.

Night Flash shrugged.

“I don’t know, one second he was sleeping like a baby, and then he just got all tense. It isn’t as bad as Princess Luna and Steel Scalpel said it would be, but I think he’s having a nightmare.”

Book Binder looked at Elias’ arms, and found them wrapped tightly around Night Flash’s barrel. She looked at the pegasus.

“He’s not squeezing you too hard, is he?”

Night Flash shook his head and wiggled around so that he was facing Elias. The pegasus frowned as he looked at Elias’ face, which seemed to twist in pain.

“Should we try to wake him up?” Night Flash asked. “What did Princess Luna say about treating his nightmares?”

Book Binder levitated over her saddlebags and rifled through them to find a special notebook that she had been given for this specific occurrence. She quickly wrote a brief message out, then with a tear of the paper, it disappeared. She set the notebook to the side and continued to study Elias as he grew more emotive. He would occasionally whisper nonsensical words, while his hands began to curl into fists. Night Flash wriggled out from under his arm to adjust, then pouted as Book Binder dragged him back further when Elias tried to reach out for the pony.

“Come on Bindey, we need to do something!” Night Flash whined, “Red just wants somepony to sleep with him is all, I’m sure of it. A little extra cuddles, that'll make him righter than rain.”

Book Binder smiled and gave him a peck on the cheek.

“I know Flashy, but Princess Luna wants to make sure nopony gets hurt. Elias isn’t always in control of his actions, and we have to make sure he isn’t a danger to himself.”

Night Flash huffed as he looked at Elias, who had since flipped over, muttering loudly to himself as his legs kicked under the blankets. Even in the dark Book Binder could see the sweat beading on his forehead as he tossed and turned. Night Flash began to pace silently on the carpet, casting a glance at Elias every few seconds as he moved back and forth. Book Binder sympathized with him; the longer they waited, the less sure she felt that they should be waiting at all.

Lucky for them both, a soft knock came at the door, and Book Binder was quick to answer it. The light from the hallway was nonexistent as Luna slipped into the room, her green eyes quickly locking onto Elias, who had successfully thrown his covers to the floor. The human had then curled into a ball as he continued to mutter and sweat. Luna moved around the side of his bed, sitting beside it as her horn lit up. She was silent for a moment, then she sighed.

“His dream is still wrapped in a storm, and I am unable to easily dispel the dream. Let us try it with somepony beside him. Night Flash, you are first.”

The pegasus nodded and quickly hopped onto the bed, settling beside Elias. The human had his arms back around the pony almost instantly, sighing softly as his arms pulled Flash close to his chest. Night Flash smiled and rubbed against Elias’ chest, keeping his eyes open as he waited for Luna’s feedback. The princess tried to enter his dream again, but sighed and shook her head.

“It is internally less turbulent, that much I can tell, but it has not ceased, nor has the storm lessened. Book Binder, I would like to try you next. Perhaps he requires the touch of his mother.”

Night Flash sighed, giving Elias one last nuzzle before he began to move away. Before he could wriggle free, Elias growled, and his arms quickly pushed the pegasus off the bed. Night Flash yelped in surprise as he hit the floor, and Luna’s frown deepened.

“The storm has worsened; something is wrong. I shall try to press in, do not disturb me, no matter what happens.”

She then closed her eyes and her horn charged a brighter blue. Elias began to writhe as if he was in immense pain, which surprised Book Binder. He always seemed so calm when he got hurt, shaking injuries off like they were nothing, no matter how severe. Now though, now he looked like he was in agony. The muttering became louder and louder until he was shrieking at the top of his lungs. His tunic was soaked clean through as he fought enemies only he could see. Night Flash whimpered slightly as he crawled away from the bed, sitting at Book Binder’s side as he watched Elias write and howl.

“C’mon Red. Come on back to us,” he whispered softly.

Book Binder wrapped a hoof around him and pulled him close as they watched in horrified silence as Elias continued to scream while Luna sat in silence. Her face held intense focus as magic poured from her horn. Though it was only minutes, it felt like hours before Elias began to grow still. Luna sighed deeply as her horn fell dark and she rose.

“Another failure I am afraid. I am no closer to understanding what tortures him, nor why he has suddenly begun reacting negatively to intimate contact. It is most strange, and I wish to see how he reacts with Book Binder. We shall repeat this experiment the next time he has a terror, but for now, I have subdued his mind. He should sleep through the night.”

As if existing for the spite of others, Elias began to stir. His head poked up, and his arms seemed to drift lazily across his bed. What surprised Book Binder was that his eyes seemed different as they opened and searched around the room. The blue seemed… lacking. As if something wasn’t there. It shook her when his voice matched the feeling, sounding as if years had been stripped away.

“H-hello?” he called weakly. “Is somebody there?”

The three ponies were all frozen. They merely stared at Elias as his eyes seemed to pass over them without noticing their presence. The human whimpered and curled into a ball. He began to shiver violently, and his next words broke Book Binder’s heart in two.

“M-mom?” he called softly. “I-I can’t s-see you. A-are y-you still here?”

Nobody dared to breathe, which seemed to make Elias’ reaction worse, as he began to cry.

“M-Mom?” he said, his voice louder and more desperate. “Mom please, you’re scaring me.”

Book Binder realized that she could see it, and it was in fact the thing she had seen missing from his eyes. No matter what happened, underneath all of the pain, desperation, and anger, Elias, her Elias was always so confident. His every action was guided by something that only he knew, but was guided, nonetheless. Even in the throughs of a panic attack that confidence was just below the surface, hiding, waiting to be brought back out. There was none of that now. She saw only blind terror as he cast out blindly, calling for a mother that wouldn’t answer. She didn’t know what to do, they had no way to find his parents, no way to bring this… this child any comfort. He was so dangerously alone and terrified, and she had no idea what to do.

Then Luna nudged her as his cries became more desperate. Book Binder met the princess’s eyes.

“Go to him Book Binder. I know not what has brought out this state, but he needs his mother.”

Book Binder blinked as she stared at Luna, then her eyes fell on Elias, who was curling into a ball as his cries increased in volume and desperation. Her mind clicked into place as she stared upon her son, and he was her son, no matter how much he protested. That poor, lonely human was hers, and low to any who tried to hurt him.

“Yes baby?” she called softly, sweetly. “Momma’s here baby, what do you need?”

Elias’s eyes locked onto her, then shifted away as he searched the room. He whimpered.

“Mom? I can’t see you, it’s too dark. C-Could you come hug me? I’m scared…”

Book Binder moved around the side of the bed, grabbing the blankets in her magic as she gently forced her human to lay back spread out. Elias didn’t fight her as she tucked him back in, standing by his head as she smiled at him.

“Is that better baby?” she asked, reaching out to stroke his head.

Elias visibly relaxed when her hoof began to run through his hair. He looked at her and Book Binder saw that heart melting smile that she loved, each and every time she saw it. It faded quickly however, and Book Binder noticed tears in his eyes as he looked away.

“Elias, what’s wrong?” she asked. “I don’t like to see my baby boy hurting.”

He sniffed.

“I-… Could you sleep with me tonight Mom? I- I had the dream again.”

Book Binder blinked as she looked to Luna, who merely waved for her to continue. Book Binder looked back to Elias, who was staring at her with those sweet eyes. She hated the tears she saw in them, and she absolutely despised the fear she saw. Book Binder gave him a reassuring smile as she climbed into his bed, walking over his body to settle against the bed's backboard so that she could continue brushing his head.

“Would you like to tell me what your dream was about Elias? Saying it out loud might make you feel better.”

Elias tensed for a moment, and Book Binder feared that she had overstepped. She didn’t pull away though, just continued brushing his head. With her silent support, the human relaxed, staring silently at the wall for a moment.

“Are you sure?” he asked quietly. “It was really bad this time.”

Book Binder nodded.

“I want to hear it Elias, but if you don’t want to talk about it, then don’t. I will be here anyway.”

Elias sniffled, and he shifted slightly. Book Binder smiled when he pressed against her more. She hugged his head, and laid a small kiss on his forehead.

“Go on baby, it will help, I promise.”

He sniffled again, but he started to speak, his words coming in stutters as he began to cry softly again.

“I-it was the one where everyone died Mom. You, and Dad, and Anna, and Sarah and I…” he sobbed. “Mom it was just me left a-and there was so much blood and I…”

“Shhh,” Book Binder said, giving him another hug. “Keep going baby, you can do it.”

“T-then y-you were back!” Elias said, as if he was trying to prove his words, “b-but then He came, a-and you said you d-didn’t want me anymore.” He whimpered. “And then I was alone, and nobody would help me, and I was so scared.”

Elias flipped over suddenly, grabbing Book Binder and pulling her tight against his chest.

“Please don’t leave me Mom. I don’t want to be alone anymore.”

Book Binder let out a squeak of shock, but when she realized that he was just trying to cling to her, she relaxed, petting his chest as she nuzzled against his chin.

“It’s okay baby boy,” she said softly. “Momma isn’t going anywhere.”

She wriggled out of his grip and curled around his head, guiding his hand to her chest with a hoof while the other hoof stroked through his hair.

“I’m never going to let you be alone again, Elias. Never, ever, alright?”

Elias nodded sleepily and his eyes drifted closed.

“Thanks momma, I love you.”

Book Binder felt her heart melt as she laid her head on top of his.

“I love you too baby.”

She waited until he had fallen back asleep before she cracked her eyes open. Luna was writing furiously on a series of scrolls, sending them away with her magic as she finished each observation. Night Flash was standing next to her, staring silently at Book Binder. She motioned for him to join her in the bed, but he didn’t, sniffling softly as he turned away. Book Binder frowned.

“Flashy, what’s wrong? You love to cuddle with Elias.”

He shook his head and his ears flattened.

“He doesn’t like me Bindey. Not like he likes you. I don’t think he wants me as his dad.”

“Nay Guardspony Night Flash, I do not believe that is the case,” Luna replied with a frown.

Letters started to appear as fast as she sent them off. She read them with one eye as she continued to write with the other.

“The doctors I hired seem to believe that much of his emotional trauma is grounded with whatever happened to his biological family. It has been a piece we have been missing for weeks, and only recently have the full implications come to light, including what has happened this night.”

She scowled as she looked over a particularly long scroll.

“It seems to be a common theory that his family died in a horrific manner, likely while Elias watched. Unfortunately,” she said, glancing at the human's sleeping body, “Elias is likely unwilling to speak of this trauma, and will likely remain unwilling for many years. Such an event could not have been kind to his mind. I only wish we had another source of information about his past.”

Book Binder and Night Flash exchanged a look, each thinking the same thing. Book Binder continued stroking Elias’ hair, checking that he was truly asleep before she spoke softly.

“We know what happened to his parents Princess,” Book Binder admitted; her eyes focused squarely on Elias.

Such pain on his face. So young, yet so very old. Luna stared at her with a furious glare.

“And you decided to withhold this information why?”

“Elias didn’t, and doesn’t wish to share it, so I’m not going to say more than I have to. Suffice to say, Night Flash and I looked into his journals, and they are very detailed.” She sighed deeply. “Elias doesn’t even know we read them; I had to lie to his face, otherwise he would have pushed us away, and likely tried to run. It's… better this way. We’ll tell him eventually, but only when he’s ready, not before.”

Luna growled.

“Guardspony, you will turn over these journals immediately. They could contain valuable information that can mend Elias’ mind. Is that not the ultimate goal here? To help this man find peace?”

Book Binder smiled.

“It is, but he’ll never find peace if we force it on him. He’ll fight, it’s what my baby does.” She looked sadly to Luna. “I’m sorry Princess, but I won’t be turning over anything. I’ll tell you what happened to Elias’ family, but nothing else. The rest you will have to learn from him when he decides to share it with you.”

Luna’s eyes glinted dangerously, flicking like lightning to Night Flash for a second before they settled back on Book Binder.

“Guardspony, you would dare disobey a direct order from your Princess? I could have you punished for such treason.”

Book Binder was only mildly surprised when Night Flash leaped onto the bed, turning heel and flaring his wings widely as he growled at Luna.

“That’s enough Princess,” he said, his demeanor serious as he faced off with the alicorn. “That’s my family you’re talking about, and if you want to get at them, you’ll go through me.”

For a moment, Luna looked like she would actually attack the pegasus, then her serious demeanor disappeared as she levitated Night Flash into the air with a smile. She dropped Night Flash next to Book Binder, grinning widely as she plopped him down.

“Well said Guardspony!” Luna proclaimed with a loud whisper. “A better father there could not be, standing up against an alicorn as you have.”

Night Flash looked at her with confusion, and when he seemed to lock in place, Book Binder rolled her eyes, dragging him off his hooves to rest against Elias’ chest. Once more, the human immediately found the pony and dragged him close, sighing softly as he relaxed further. Night Flash smiled up at the human, his looks of confusion replaced by a drowsy, but happy look. When the human made no further moves to adjust, Night Flash closed his eyes to drift away into slumber.

Book Binder snorted in exasperation as her boys slept once more. She looked to Luna, who was smiling at them.

“A good family I think,” Luna said. “You have chosen your mate and child well Book Binder.”

The unicorn smiled.

“Thank you, Princess, things are slowly coming together.” She sighed deeply. “I hope I can be as good as his real mother though. He thought the world of her. It makes it especially tragic how she died. How his family died really.”

Luna matched her sigh.

“Book Binder, you do not have to speak of this if you do not wish to do so. My words were merely to provoke Night Flash to make him realize that he is every bit the capable father that Elias needs. I do not wish to pry into what is fast becoming a shared history.”

Book Binder smiled.

“Thank you, Princess, but this is something that may be crucial to helping Elias recover. It’s… it hurts him. A lot. Even the later parts of his journals, years after it happened, show the signs that he’s still thinking about her.” She sighed. “I wonder if I can ever live up to how he sees her.”

“Book Binder,” Luna said softly, “he would not have been comforted by your presence if he valued you as anything less than his mother. Though he may not admit or vocalize it, maybe ever, he loves you deeply. Do not doubt this love.”

Book Binder smiled as she stared at Elias’ sleeping face.

“I won’t Princess. He’s my baby boy, I could never doubt him.” She sighed sadly. “What are the chances of him remembering what happened tonight?”

“Slim to none I’m afraid,” Luna replied. “It is likely that a dormant personality rose to the forefront when his primary personality couldn’t handle the mental strain of the events of the past couple days. By morning, he shall likely return to normal with no memory of tonight, maybe even as far as today.” She let out a deep sigh. “It has been a long one.”

Book Binder nodded.

“Yes, it has,” she agreed absently. “It was fun though, once we got past the initial awkwardness. It felt like a regular family outing.”

Luna smiled at her.

“I am glad to hear it.” She bowed her head. “I shall take my leave then. You need your rest as much as these two do.”

“He killed them you know,” Book Binder said bluntly.

Luna froze in place, her green eyes cutting through the darkness.

“What?” she asked, her voice sharp.

“His family,” Book Binder replied. “Elias killed them, all of them. He was thirteen years old and he was forced to kill his family. He didn’t have a choice.”

Luna crept up to the bed and sat down.

“I must hear how he “did not have a choice.” In what environment could you not have a choice for killing your family?” Luna’s frown was clearly visible in the dark as she stared at Elias, who pulled Night Flash just a bit closer. The pegasus snorted into Elias’ facial hair, and the human chuckled softly. Book Binder ruffled Elias’ hair, then looked to Luna with a sad smile.

“Please don’t blame him for it, Princess, and please don’t let it make you think he’s a monster, because he isn’t. Wasn’t.” Book Binder sighed, and shook her head. “His journals are more than just his. For the first several hundred or so entries, Elias’ family contributed, not every entry, but in most of them. Little notes here and there to make him happy when he re-read them.”

She shifted slightly.

“From what I read, Elias had a traumatic incident when he was even younger, but I shall leave that private; needless to say, the journals were meant as a therapy treatment for dealing with this trauma, and when his world “ended” he began to ask his family to put in entries, as a way to cope with what I can only imagine was a horrible place.”

Book Binder took a shaky breath as she stared at Elias. Her poor, tortured boy. She would make it up to him, if it took everything she had, she would make his life just a little better. She wiped away a tear before continuing.

“I don’t know what “radiation poisoning” is, and Elias spared the details, probably because he was so young, but it was bad. He was the only one spared. Both sisters, both parents, even the family dog; all of them got so sick, and at thirteen Elias had to care for them all.”

Book Binder chuckled bitterly.

“He’s my baby boy at nineteen, but he already had to grow up and act like an adult at thirteen.” She wiped away a sniffle as she looked to Luna. “What kind of world Princess? What kind of world could be so cruel? Why couldn’t Elias come here sooner so that I could save him from that cruelty?”

Luna shook her head.

“I know not Book Binder, but he is here now. It is why I am trying so hard to help him, and why I am glad that he has found you.”

Book Binder nodded.

“I’m glad too. I just…” She sighed. “The radiation poisoning was a slow killer. It took days to fully kill a human, though his pet dog died within hours. Over the course of four days Elias went out to get food and water for his family, and for four days he only brought back scraps. He didn’t feed himself, saving everything for his mother and sisters.” She snorted. “His stubborn father wouldn’t eat anything; it makes me see where Elias gets it from.”

She sighed and looked at Night Flash, who’s leg kicked as Elias subconsciously rubbed his chest fur.

“Sometimes I worry about how Elias and Night Flash are going to be together. Right now they have nothing to connect about. Sure, Night Flash was the first pony that decided to be Elias’ friend, and he won’t ever let Elias shake him off, but they have little in common.” She smiled sadly. “Night Flash simply loves flying, something that neither Elias nor I can participate in. I think the only reason they even like each other is because Night Flash just likes seeing ponies, and in this case a human, smile. He loves listening too, so even when Elias is talking about something that Flash couldn’t care less about, he listens like it’s the single most important thing in the world.”

Book Binder tickled the pegasus’ belly. Night Flash giggled, and his wing swatted Elias’ chest. The human frowned and pulled the pony closer, causing Night Flash to sigh happily as he rubbed against Elias’ chin. Book Binder continued as she watched the pair.

“I think they might have issues, but who knows? The real problem is having Night Flash as a father figure. Elias’ father was abusive on and off; it’s why he formed such a close relationship with his mother. She would always protect him and rock him to sleep when his dad flew off the handle. There’s more than one journal about how Elias hated his father, until the end that is. Elias said he changed overnight, going from a deadbeat to a hero in an instant. Suddenly the beatings stopped as his dad tried to teach Elias everything he would need to know to survive.”

Book Binder parted a portion of Elias’ hair, noting the small, white scar that hid amongst the sea of red. She sighed and continued.

“Still, his dad was stubborn until he began spitting up blood, then he asked Elias to kill him. Until I read his journal, I didn’t know that there was such a thing as a “mercy killing”.”

Book Binder felt tears in her eyes as she rubbed her cheek against Elias’.

“My poor baby,” she said softly.

She then looked to Luna.

“We live in a paradise Princess, we truly do. I didn’t realize it until I read Elias’ journals, but everything is perfect here. Even our darkest days don’t compare to his worst. So much death. Mercy killings, suicide, genocide, torture methods that could haunt dreams.” She shuddered. “Night Flash and I made sure to skip as many of those as possible, but humans sound like monsters on paper. If I never met Elias, I’d think they were the worst nightmare anypony could ever think up. I think I understand why he carries what he does, even if it hurts him so much to do it.”

“Regardless of the horror, it is not safe for him,” Luna said. “He will need to share these things if he ever wishes to make peace with them.” She looked at Elias for a moment before looking back to Book Binder, “Consider also; what if the journals you speak of are inaccurate? Could it be possible that Elias views his fellow humans through a lens darkened by personal pain and suffering?”

Book Binder shrugged.

“Maybe, but I doubt it. He has the scars Princess. Some of the stories must be true, and this one is, because he did it. He used a “gun”, which killed his father in an instant. His older sisters begged for release next, so he killed them as well in the same method. That left one, and the gun stopped working. So he had to kill her personally…”

Book Binder whimpered softly as she tightened her grip on Elias’ head.

“My poor baby. He loved that woman more than he loved life. It tore him up inside when she begged him for death.”

Elias shifted in his sleep so that his face was looking at Book Binder. A small frown touched his lips. Book Binder leaned over and kissed his cheek gently, and the frown molded into a smile. Book Binder nuzzled him softly. She looked to Luna with tears in her eyes.

“And then she made it worse. She asked him to keep living. The only thing he wanted was to stay with them, but she pushed him away, made him walk on his own. It was the last lesson he received from his parents. If you want someone to live, you have to push them away, and at every low point in his life, Elias believed that he broke this rule.” She sniffled. “He’s breaking it now, that’s what he thinks at least. He’s waiting for us to die, and he’s so scared every time he smiles, because he thinks it’s going to be the last he shares with us.”

Luna frowned in thought as she stared at Elias.

“That is… While insightful, that is also absolutely horrifying. I can only imagine the rest of his adolescence is filled with similar stories.”

Book Binder sighed.

“Worse actually. His journals are a mess, but he kept to a daily schedule of writing something in them.” Her lip quivered as she looked at Luna. “Princess, am I a bad pony if I know every bad thing Elias has done, and don’t care? Am I bad if I know he’s done horrible things, but I love him anyway?”

Luna tried to smile and reassure Book Binder, but she found that she could not. Instead, she sighed and looked away.

“I am afraid I am not the pony to ask Book Binder. Celestia would be much better suited to answering that particular question.”

Book Binder gasped.

“I’m sorry Princess, I didn’t mean-“

Luna held up a hoof.

“It is quite alright Book Binder; it is the reason I am trying so hard. After all this time I have found a kindred spirit, and wish to see him made well as I was.” She snorted. “Unfortunately, I do not believe a simple blast from the Elements of Harmony will suffice to remedy the problem.”

Book Binder nodded silently in agreement, then she noticed something odd. It wasn’t particularly unusual to find a pony staring at Elias, he was an oddity after all, but it was the way Luna was staring at the man. She couldn’t quite place the look, but it felt familiar, almost as if…

Book Binder gasped, and in her surprise, she accidently popped Elias on the head with her hoof. The man grunted and rolled over. Book Binder let out a squeak as she suddenly found herself crushed under the combined weight of her human and her stallion. She faintly heard someone chuckling, then found herself suspended in the air after a brief teleportation spell. Book Binder grinned sheepishly at Luna as the alicorn grinned at her curiously.

“Is there something you have noticed Book Binder?”

Book Binder shook her head rapidly.

“Nope!” she adamantly denied. “Not even a little!”

Luna frowned, then her eyes drifted back to Elias, who seemed to be searching for Book Binder blindly. His face indicated his discomfort, and he began to growl at his continued failure. Luna looked back to Book Binder.

“Speak quickly your observation Guardspony, your charge is beginning to notice your absence.”

Book Binder whimpered as she looked between Elias and Luna, then she sighed.

“Princess, I can’t just say it flat out, or it will change. I don’t want to ruin it just because I noticed!”

Luna frowned, setting Book Binder down beside Elias. His hand quickly found the unicorn, and dragged her toward his back. Book Binder found her position around his head again, and the human snorted softly before falling still again. Book Binder tried to avoid Luna’s gaze, but their eyes eventually locked. Book Binder sighed.

“Princess, just… keep an open mind? I believe kindred spirits might be more on the nose than you might think.”

Luna tilted her head slightly, but didn’t respond. She looked at Elias for a moment, then rose.

“Good night Book Binder,” she said as she moved toward the door. “Keep up your excellent work, and if there is anything I can do to help, do not be afraid to ask.”

Book Binder nodded silently, prepared to curl up and fall asleep. She waited for a moment however, remaining still as the door opened and shut behind the princess. Once the room was still, Book Binder levitated over a small notebook that she had gotten to replace her old scribe log. She levitated over a quill as well, and cracking the cover open, she wrote, using the light from her horn to see. Her idea was simple, but maybe it could have a big impact on the sleeping human beside her.

Journal Entry

Day 1

Hello baby boy. The first thing I have to say is that I love you so much, and I will always be proud of you. You’re sleeping beside me right now, and though you’ve had a minor setback, I know you’ll get better. Never stop fighting Elias, and never be afraid. The world can never beat you down badly enough that you can’t rise again, and if it means anything to you, I’ll always be right beside you, ready to help you if you stumble.

Love,

Book Binder

Book Binder smiled at the short entry, then levitated the journal back into her saddlebags. She would need to get up early to get a new notebook, but if she could fill at least one book of messages for her son, she would consider it a success. The unicorn snuggled up tightly to Elias’ back, and sighed as she rested her chin on his shoulder, smiling as she let sleep take her.

Author's Note:

For anyone interested, I will link to the article that I am loosely basing Elias' mental condition on, from which I have dramatized some of the symptoms (mixing in a few mental issues, such as PTSD) to give a full grasp on the cracked mental state that Elias keeps his careful facade over.
https://www.healthline.com/health/depression/major-depression-with-psychotic-features
Also, if you feel anything could be improved in this chapter, let me know, because it's a bit of a mixed bag in my mind. On one hand, I wanted to reveal some backstory and show off some Elias' damaged psyche, but on the other hand it feels a bit... off. Don't know why, but I am open to suggestions on how to make it seem less jarring.
Finally, three chapters left in act 1! They will heavily deal with Elias' broken mental state (and his psychotic break), and then we move the plot forward in act 2! I am excited to return some characters to form, as well as explore the wider world now that Elias will move on from just being a guard.

EDIT 2022: Here is the twenty-third chapter in the official Centurion Project reading

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