The Prince of darkness.

How to freak out.

“WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU!?” I screamed through my pain. Tia searched around looking for whom I was asking. I couldn’t hear her ask who I was calling out, but I could tell from the movements from her lips.

“I am you,” He giggled.

“What do you want from me!?” I asked. Tia was now panicking. The room was getting cold. Far colder than I would have liked. The pure black apparition with red eyes slowly stalked towards me. Creeping around Tia like a predator, and I was his prey. Tia tried to wrap me up as she saw me begin to shiver, but I smacked her away and crawled into the corner away from this thing.

“I want your wrath. I want you to destroy. I want your power. I want your lust. I want your neglect. I want you to crumble. I want your body!” he hissed.

I froze. This thing wanted me to break. Through all the pain, I figured out where this thing came from. This thing came from my eye. I knew my eye had special requirements to gain its power, but I didn’t think there would be one more just to keep it, and I assume if I fail. I die. ‘But what do I do? How am I supposed to beat it? If he is causing my pain, then how do I make him stop? Wait….Pain and wrath.’ He is the first eye. The eye of Ira. The eye of foresight. But how do I beat him? Maybe If I could beat the pain, then maybe he will stop. ‘No, not beat the pain. Accept it.’

“No,” I grimaced getting back up while trying to ignore the pain of being eye fucked by an elephant.

“No?” His laugh intensified.

“You can pump as much as you want, but I will not break,” I growled. The thing’s eye twitched in response realizing that what he is doing, was pointless.

“Hmpf. Really? Do you know who you are defying? I, am THE VERY PAIN YOU CAUSED! YOU WILL DIE FROM IT. YOU WILL BURN FOR ALL ETERNITY!” he screamed. Tia left the room leaving a maid to watch over me to make sure I was okay.

“And I accept it!” I screamed back. “Let me feel the thousands that I killed up to this point! Let me feel how I shredded that one griffin girl to ribbons!” The maid was frightened, but stayed to my side despite I just said I killed many. The apparition was becoming more and more infuriated. He pushed me into the wall terrifying the maid.

“HOW CAN YOU ACCEPT PUNISHMENT?! YOU WON’T LET YOURSELF! YOU CAN’T! YOU HAVE A DAUGHTER YOU MUST PROTECT! YOU WILL KILL MORE JUST TO KEEP HER SAFE! YOU WON’T TAKE THE RISK!” Yes I will. I would gladly die for my daughter, even if it means that I must kill armies to do so, and if this thing comes back to put me through this torment again.

“I can because that is what a father is supposed to do! I will accept any and all punishment if I mess up, if I fuck up, but I will gladly kill more just to keep her safe, and if I die doing so. Then at least I know I have somewhere safe to put her.”

The apparition put me down hissing in anger. The maid was hyperventilating calling for Celestia to return. I got back up through the pain. The pain of being burnt alive with flaming, boiling oil. The apparition didn’t like this however. He kept shooting me down saying that I will fail. That I am not worth it. But I just called out to everything accepting it all.

Tia returned with a book, and to me shouting out at space. Out of the corner of my eye, I could tell it was like, The Windigo Grimoire, but it was newer. I continued my venomous rant against the black thing, but every time I cancelled his argument. A small portion of pain subsided. I realized this after he called me out on my failures as a brother. So I kept doing my best to verbally beat this thing. Tia flipped to a page, giving me a worried glance. I knew why she was acting this way. Having a potentially dangerous griffin go berserk in her castle, knowing fully well that I can take her down just by looking at her.

“How…?” The apparition whimpered. “…How can you just take all the pain and not feel a thing?”

Tia stopped prepping her spell and gawked at me. I could tell from where her eyes were looking at. She was looking at my eye. This ensured me that I was about to win.

“How?” I replied. “I can take in all the pain and not feel a thing because I use it to help others. I use all the emotional, spiritual, mental, and physical pain to prevent others from feeling it themselves. I don’t feel it because I store it in the deepest, darkest reaches of my heart so that whoever threatens my family, can face the wrath of every demon of Tartarus.”

The apparition glared trying to intimated me, but to no avail. Light burst out from his chest making him panic. I took another step forward. Another beam of light erupted out of him. Tia noticed that whatever was causing my plight was vanishing. The closer I got to him the more he burst into light. Then I realized something. He caused my pain, we wants me to deny everything I have done, even himself. So I must accept him, forgive him for causing my pain. He needs a hug.

“What are you doing!” he yelled. “Don’t you know what you are doing? If I go, you go!”

“Precisely.” I jumped on him giving him a hug. He tried to escape from his inevitable fate, but it was too late. His entire body burst into light and with a bloodcurdling screech. He vanished back to oblivion. Tia closed her book and came to my side. I was breathing heavily, shaking from how much that fucking hurt. I gave her a weak smile to ensure her that I was fine, but I wasn’t. From this trial I knew there will be six more yet to come. In what order, I do not know, but I will be ready next time.

“Are you alright Winter? What happened?” Tia asked nervously.

“Yeah I’m fine. Nothing like fighting a curse in the afternoon,” I chuckled.

“Curse!” She gasped.

After freaking out Celestia and one of her maids. I decided to call it quits for the day. I had to ensure her royal pain in the ass that everything was going to be alright and that it won’t effect any of her ponies outside the castle. Once she was calmed down a bit, I asked her if I could hire somebody from her castle. Of course she didn’t like it, but after I reminded her that she offered my help in the capture of Aqua marine, she reluctantly accepted. ‘Damn I hate that word now.’

The test that I think I past, was a gruesome one, but at least it was done with, but something was off that Tia pointed out. My red eye of foresight, changed. It wasn’t crimson red anymore. Instead, a black pentagram with seven symbols representing each of the seven deadly sins, over my iris. Once I knew of the change I rushed to a mirror to check to see every variation also changed, which they did. The only way I could tell how to use each eye was from doing what I normally do, change in between them and use it, but the eye didn’t change into the various colors I was accustomed too. It stayed the same pentagram shape, but I could still use each eye like before. Once I was done my own little freak out, I went back to the fabricator to see if my costumes were done.

“Monsieur?!” Steel rose gasped. “Back so soon. I thought you had a meeting with her highness?”

I met up with Steel rose in her office within the castle. It was as I expected from the description I got from her workers; Plain. Just a wooden desk you could find in every school with a single inkwell and quill. There was nothing in this room. Not even a window! Just white. White walls, white vinyl flooring, white roof, and a white coffee cup. ‘No wonder why her workers are concerned for her. She was a clean freak!’ The only noticeable thing in her room was three boxes. White boxes. My three white boxes. From being burnt alive to the white room found in the mental asylum. ‘Good times.’

“Yeah, our meeting was fairly short, but I see that you finished my order,” I cheered. She gave me a warm smile that was a bit on the creepy side. She trotted over to the boxes, and handed them to me via telekinesis. I grabbed them placing them on my back with elegant practice.

“I hope this order wasn’t too odd for you?” I said regretting my choice of wanting to hire her.

”Oh not at all monsieur. It was my pleasure. I particularly enjoyed making the little butterfly outfit, it will look adorable on…erm… May I ask who for?”

“Oh, sorry. It’s for my little girl.”

“Little girl! Ooh lala who is the luck madam to have such a wonderful husband?” she teased.

“Sorry but I am not married. It’s just me and my daughter.”

“Oh I didn’t mean to offend.”

“It’s alright,” I smiled.

“I hope she will like it.”

“I know she will…” I replied. “…Oh I forgot to ask. Are you able for hire?” I asked stopping myself before I left the room. She gave me a quizzical look like I just said the most amazing thing ever.

“What? You want to hire me for something?”

“Well. The princess is allowing me to hire anypony I need for my special assignment.”

“I...I…I don’t know what to say. Being hired by a well esteemed knight of Equestria is such an honor, but I don’t understand why you would need me. You are a wondrous smith yourself. Wouldn’t I get in the way?” she stuttered. “Besides. I am not that special anyway. I only make armor and clothing for the guard. I am sure they will need me.”

“Not at all,” I say. “But if you are sure you don’t want to come and make real masterpieces. I’ll understand.” She perked up to the chance with a quick thought and decided to join. Though I could just make what I need made by my own hand. I just don’t have the time, plus I need a new crew. The old one is kinda, dead and is need of replacing.

I talked to the princess about who I wanted to join my crew. Tia wasn’t too happy about, but she let Steel rose go. I grabbed Steel rose from her apartment teleporting my stuff to my room on my ship. Steel rose’s apartment was just like her former office. Plain. Thankfully she only brought out a single small suitcase that was fucking white. Eye twitching and ready to go I thought I should freak her out before we leave.

“So read to go?” I asked.

“Yes sire. Are we taking a train or do you have a boat?”

“I have a boat, when should be there in five seconds.”

“Five seconds that’s…”

^POMF!^

“Im…Poss…Ible,” she said looking around the bridge of my ship.

*Faint*

“Hehehehe,” I smiled evilly.