Every story has an origin, every monster has a birthplace.

Years before the First Changeling Insurrection, years before the return of Nightmare Moon, years before any of the Element Bearers were even born, a demon rose from the ashes.

This is the follow-up prequel to Mind Over Might, if you haven't read that story, this one will make little to no sense. Please read that one first.

It is the thirtieth century, humanity has advanced well past interstellar spaceflight. Starships are commonplace, as is strife and conflict. Humans have developed an incredible sense of ingenuity for destruction...ingenuity that has not gone unnoticed. Decades of conflict have changed our race, and a human with a mind for destruction is exactly what a certain creature on a lonely and distant planet is looking for to help her in a last desperate grab for power. However, this creature is not the only thing vying for control...

-Acknowledgements-

This story was inspired and influenced by a handful of other fanfics, some more so than others. Additionally, a number of good friends helped me along the way to finally finishing it and making it publish ready. Before you read my first ever complete fanfic, I'd like to share these people with you.

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DouglasFir
--Editor/Proofreader/Tree/Awesome Friend

Nicole "AJ"
--Editor/Proofreader/Artist/Awesome Friend/'sister'

Kiroberos
--Proofreader who allowed me to draw some inspiration from one of his own fanfics

V-pony
--Fellow Author whose fanfic Blue Angel (which is also really good, and I highly recommend) was, in large part, what inspired me to write this story. Additionally, I draw a fair amount of influence from that fanfic, so if you see any similarities between the two, (mainly just how some scenes are structured and a few concepts here and there), know that it was with V-pony's thumbs-up. I'm not ripping off the guy, just using inspiration where I found it. :)

Lastly, in some chapters you will find a URL that looks like this:

soundtrack

When you do, I recommend that you put on a good set of headphones and open it in a new tab while you continue reading. They're just bits of music I thought would help frame the emotions in the story better, exactly what a soundtrack is supposed to do. They're taken from a few movies, animes, and possibly a video game or two. All soundtracks are property of their respective owners, I own none of them.

The soundtracks are optional, but I feel they add a lot to the story, feel free to enjoy them!

Other than that, enjoy my first fanfic!