“So are you going to answer the question?” Twilight asked, having sat there for a few minutes.

“I’m trying to figure out how to answer it without frying your head at the same time.” Seed replied.

“So what’s the simple answer?” Twilight asked, sick of waiting.

“The simple one is that I am experience.” Seed replied, closing and opening his hand. In his palm sat a miniature figurine of her.

“What experience?” Twilight asked, feeling on her body as his hand moved the figurine.

“That requires the long answer. To summarize everything, I am the lifetime learnings of each Prophet, handed to the next one. I am quite literally a seed of knowledge. I teach new Prophets what the old ones learned throughout their long lives.” Seed replied, as he cast her figurine out. When it shattered on the ground, the dust blew off into hundreds of other figurines. “I have seen and lived the lives of hundreds. Watched their mistakes, and learned how not to repeat them. Each new one I taught to not repeat the mistakes of the previous.”

“In other words you lost on purpose.” Twilight asked, looking at him incredulously.

“Mayhaps. You were so close to winning that last time, it wouldn’t exactly be fair to deny you your question twice in a row.” Seed replied, waving a hand and watching the small figurines fade into dust.

“So why’d you pick me?” Twilight asked, hoping to finally get an answer.

“You already asked your one question. You’re just pushing your luck now.” Seed said, as the world started blurring. “Looks like it is tomorrow.”

“Will you at least answer what you’re teaching me?” Twilight asked, hoping to actually get a response before she woke up.

“I’m teaching you to advance. The prey can’t always remain the prey, when they are alpha.” Seed said, an unsettling grin on his face as he waved goodbye to her.

Twilight’s eyes opened slowly, adjusting to the brightness of the room. The colors popped out more, and she could better notice little details.

“Good morning Twilight.”

Twilight turned her head towards the voice, as her instincts told her there were two people. She noticed Princess Celestia first, then Cadance.

“Oh, good morning Princess Celestia. Good morning Cadance.” Twilight said as she sat up in bed. She felt off.

“We have some bad news, and worse news Twilight.” Cadance said, as she moved to sit next to her.

“What is it?” Twilight asked. “Does it have anything to do with the diplomats?”

Celestia visibly shuddered.

“Yes. While you were asleep, we had a welcoming party for them. During it, an incident occured.” Cadance started.

“No offense, but I just want to know what happened and whose fault it was.” Twilight said, shocking both herself and the princesses with her bluntness.

“It was entirely on our part. Blueblood ran his mouth again, and he was challenged to a duel by Aphrodite.” Celestia said.

“Is she ok? I hope she wasn’t hurt too bad fighting him.” Twilight said.

“She is entirely ok. Blueblood on the other hand though.” Cadance stated, looking visibly sickened by the memory.

“Aphrodite won against Blueblood without taking a single hit. Unfortunately, we all severely underestimated exactly how strong she is.” Celestia finished.

“What happened?”

“Blueblood died. It appears that each of her hits shattered bone on impact, and she constantly aimed for his torso. His lungs were pierced, and almost completely filled with his own blood. Under normal circumstances, he would be in a hospital for the injuries he received for a week or two.” Cadance said.

“I take it there was something we didn’t think was possible?” Twilight asked. Celestia had never looked so sad, or heart broken.

“They couldn’t use magic. At all. When they tried to focus their magic to heal him, it actually made it worse. She did something that turned our magic into a destructive force.” Celestia explained.

Aphrodite’s Inversion Field. It changes the effect the application of energy would have. If something would heal, it is destroyed instead.

“Did anything else happen with her?” Twilight asked, putting together the pieces with the extra information that Seed was giving her.

“I am ashamed to say it, but she drew me into attacking her.” Celestia said.

“Nothing happened with that?” Twilight asked, pulling aside her cover. She walked over to her closet and pulled out a few pieces of clothing.

“She walked out of a Solar Flare like it was nothing. She wasn’t even affected by the heat.” Celestia said, shuddering. “It was like she existed outside the touch of magic.”

Aphrodite’s field extends around her own body, disabling any energy based attacks sent towards her and any effects they might have on the world close around her as well. When she attacks, her field is concentrated down into just her gloves that amplify the effect. When they start glowing, her defensive field is disabled but getting touched by one is enough to cause permanent damage.

‘Why are you telling me this?’ Twilight asked, as she contemplated what she was going to do.

So you don’t do something stupid. She is one of the most dangerous fighters Prophet has in his hand, not only because she is near undefeatable in close quarters combat but because she turns the body of whoever she hits against them.

‘So if someone knew what they were doing, they could fight her and win?’

If you could get past her ridiculously disproportionate strength and near flawless fighting technique, yes. She is defeatable.

‘That’s what I wanted to know.’

“So when is his funeral?” Twilight asked, changing back to her conversation with the princesses.

“We’re holding the service today, and the burial tomorrow. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to attend.” Celestia said, pulling something out of her dress pocket. She placed it on the bed before walking back towards the door with Cadance right behind her. “You and the rest of the Elements are going to be looking for that. They told me to find something within a week, or else they would take the investigation into their own hands.”

“You can count on us Princess. We haven’t failed you yet, and we won’t start now.” Twilight said, as she slipped her shirt over her head.

You already know it is me they’re looking for. So how do you plan on ‘researching’ and figuring out a way to tell her it is me?

‘Let’s start by figuring out the information that the princess was given.’ Twilight replied, picking up the device in her magic. As it floated into her hand, the screen turned itself on.

A list of information flowed quickly across the screen, before returning to the top and going slowly.

“This is a lot of information for such a small device.” Twilight said, amazed at the detail and quantity that was being presented to her.

It’s a basic mission briefing. Objective description, first contact rules, basic modus operandi for the squad he sends. Nothing important usually.

“I guess we better get started. I want to tell her by the end of the day.” Twilight said, walking over to her desk. She got out some paper and a few quills, and started copying over the information she could read that was important.

“So are we going to attend the service? He died a warriors death, even if it was halted by a coward with a crown.” Hades said, having overheard a conversation between guards earlier that day.

“Do you think that we would be able to walk in there without turning it into a bloodbath?” Aphrodite asked, looking up from her breakfast.

“Admittedly. So what are we going to do for the next week while we wait on the white one?” Hades asked, turning to look out the balcony window. He enjoyed a good sunrise, but seeing the threads of magic drag the sun up ruined it for him.

“I don’t know. You two can go look around the castle or countryside. I have to stay here, in case they do find something.” Aphrodite said, leaning back in her chair and sighing. “I doubt any of the diplomats are going to just leave us alone after the fight. So if you two want to get away, you should do so before they find out where our room is.”

At that moment there were several knocks on the door.

“You can still escape out the win-” Aphrodite said as she stood up. She heard a thud, and turned around to see Ares and Hades jumping over the balcony. “-dow. Of course you would.”

She turned back around and walked over to open the door. Peering around the door, she didn’t know what to make of her guest.

“Quite the show you gave us last night. I am Discord.” The chimera in front of her said, bowing slightly.

Author's Note

Yes, even more cliffhangers.

What a gruesome torture I put you loyal readers through.

Comment your opinion on them, do I keep them up or am I going to get burned at the stake for it?