When Technical Support is Too Helpful

"Is it just me or did Skaea shrink?" Onyx pointed out. A young princess laid on the ground in the bundle of blue robes. She looked approximately thirteen years of age.

"I think she is getting younger. . ." Astraelle input.

"Maybe," Twilight began, "her body regressed in age because of the amount of mana she lost."

Astraelle pulled Skaea's robes tighter on her body, "Whatever the reason, she is still my sister, and still my charge."

"I've been thinking," Rainbow Dash spoke up. The others stopped to look at her. "What?" she said defensively, "I can think! Anyways," she huffed, "If we turn on the crystal wouldn't demons just come to destroy it? Wouldn't it make sense to close the gates first, then activate them?"

"That thought also crossed my mind," Onyx admitted, "I think you are right. We can not activate them because the Demons will swarm and destroy them."

"No," Astraelle spoke, "Tannis had said that the Demons want the greenery. That's the sole reason they invaded in the first place."

"Let's take a vote then," Onyx suggested smugly.

"That's hardly fair!" Astraelle objected, "It would be two against one."

Skaea yawned and stretched. They all turned to see the young princess sitting up and watching them with her cerulean eyes, "Heidi, why do you look different? Where am I?"

Astraelle's jaw dropped. Did not only her body regress but her mind as well?

"Hey, Blue, how you feeling?" Onyx walked over to her and knelt beside her.

"My name is not 'Blue'," she pouted then smirked, "Boy Wonder."

Onyx threw his hands in defeat and walked to the edge of the firelight of the camp, still shaking his head. "Never gonna live it down!" he huffed in frustration.

Skaea crawled over to Twilight and gazed up at her with a wide grin, "Hi, I'm Skaea. I like your hair."

"Hello," Twilight greeted her, "Thank you. My name is Twilight Sparkle."

"A pretty name to match a pretty mane," Skaea complimented.

"You are too kind, Princess," Twilight replied respectfully.

Skaea noted the two pairs of wings on her back, "Are you an Archangel? I've never seen you before, and I know pretty much everyone with purple hair."

Astraelle clasped Skaea by her blue robed shoulder, "Skaea, we need to talk; a lot has happened."

Skaea observed her sister's face, "I'd say!"

Zen had told Grey to chain him to the vault floor; Zen did not want to be used as a weapon by others: he no longer wanted to kill. Grey did what his brother requested. Grey chained him down with the strongest chains he could create. The chains were not connected to the ground but embedded in the stone itself.

That was not good enough for Zen.

At Zen's request, Grey weighed Zen down with hyperdense weights.

Zen still was not satisfied.

Finally, to calm Zen's fears, Grey wiped Zen's mind of all his martial training.

Zen rested contently in the pitch, black vault, where he was sealed away from the world and completely forgotten.

In his millennia of meditation, one thought stuck with him: is there a higher power?

Then a voice spoke to him.

Zen. I am He whom you have unknowingly been in search of.

"You created Solaris and Solaria?" Zen questioned the voice.

I created the Heavens and the earth, your world and the next.

"Who created you?"

I am the beginning and the end. There is nothing that came before me.

"Show yourself to me," Zen demanded.

I am already here. I exist all around you.

Zen frowned, "That's a cheap answer."

A ball of light appeared before him then hovered one meter away from him. Touch the light.

"I can't," Zen deadpanned.

I have released you from all that binds you. Come to me.

"Why? Why would I want to?"

Believe in me and I will give you eternal life. Believe in me and I will give you peace. Believe in me and I will love you.

"L-love me?" Zen choked up.

Yes. I love you, Zen. I love you as any father would love his son. Come to me and I will teach you all you wish to know. I only ask for your complete devotion and faith.

Zen cleared his throat and examined the chains around him, "Can you not see these chains? Grey forged them from the cores of stars. The weights    he crafted from the matter of black holes. Are you too high up that your vision is clouded?"

Stand and walk to me.

Zen shook his head and begrudgingly did as the voice commanded of him. "See?" he stated and did not realize right away that the chains and blocks weighed nothing to him.

I see you standing. Now, walk to the light.

Zen stood in wonder and confusion. He held a single link of chain in his hand which was the size of an anvil. Then he picked up a block of weight the size of a tire with easy. These feats he was unable to do before, even with his great strength.

You have much to learn, my son.

"Teach me," Zen requested in reverence as he neared the light with an outstretched hand, "Father."