Author's Note

Life asked death, 'Why do people love me but hate you?' Death responded, 'Because you are a beautiful lie and I am a painful truth.'

-Life and Death

Points to you if you can guess where the ape's question came from and what the answer is.

Whats in a name?

'Ok now who to wake first... twilight would be simple enough but then she'd just worry over cadance and thats no good. So Cadance it is.' I smile as i walk into a small potions off of the main room in my pocket dimention. 'And the potions almost ready... perfect' i grab a vial out of a cabinet and set it on the table next to my cauldron which has a bubbling blue substance in it and a fire under it. "And now just a pinch of dreamleaf... a few more stirs... and done!!!" The potion changes to a deep purple color."a flask of the whispered pact. Now the fun part."

Cadance slowly opens her eyes trying to blink out the sleep as she yawns... only to find her wrists tied to a chair as she goes to stretch. "H-huh?! Wh-where am i?! This doesnt look like the caves..."

A deep echoing voice sounds from all around her. " Greetings Cadenza. Now you have been held prisoner by the changelings for a long time now. You are safe... for now. But you have a choice to make." A light flashes on to her left showing a flask with a clear liquid in it. "You can take the clear flask. You will wake up in a hospital bed in canterlot and believe whatever you want to believe. This however will be after the changelings attack. Or...." a light flashes on to the right showing a deep purple flask. "You can choose the purple flask and see just how deep this rabbit hole goes. The choice is yours."

'A hospital bed or the unknown...' after about a minute cadance says "the purple one."

The ropes disappear aswell.as the clear flask. "Then drink Cadenza" she grabs the purple flask and downs it in a single gulp her body gaining a light purple glow to it as the potion starts working.

"Wh-whats happening?!" She squirms and energy sparks from her horn.

"Dont worry it is recovering your lost magical energy." She stands up showing that her clothes are torn to shreads barely covering her modesty but even as torn up as it is they still show off her figure.

The lights in the room all turn on and i walk up behind her. "I didnt expect the princess of love to be adventurous enough to step into the unknown." I say with a smirk as i smack her on the flank.

She turns to me with a coy smile. "I may be the princess of love... but that includes lust aswell... And i have a rather big wanderlust. You said you would show me down a 'rabbit hole'?"

I chuckle. " all that and then some. But first.... we should wake up my other guest." I walk over to a near by door and open it showing twilight still asleep on the bed. "Dont worry. She is fine... physically anyway... her emotions however.... well thats another story." I say glancing back at cadance who was actually charging up an attack.

"Ohh? And why is that?" She asks her horn charged with energy

"Its up to her to tell you that..." I sigh and my hand glows green breaking the time lock on twilight. "I was waiting until you made your choice before letting her wake."

"Who are you anyway?" Cadance asks as twilight starts to stir.

"Thats a question i've been asked alot.." i shrug. "I dont really have an answer. But i suppose you will need something to call me... twilight too if she accepts my offer..." i chuckle slightly and raise my hands infront of my face as clenched fists " 'the mortal man i used to be has died.... theres gods inside my fists tonight.' Yes i suppose if something to call 'me' is needed it should be that... after all as the ape asks... 'What clings to you? Bear it you cannot, accept it you cannot, but hidden it is from you. Recite its name.'"

By this point both twilight and cadance are looking at me. "Yes... the shadow of death... the terror of death... my shadow... my persona.... what you can call me... what my name shall be... Skeith."