Author's Note

WHEEZE.

Welcome back, everyone. To those that have been here since the beginning, I welcome you. To those that are new, I hope you will stick around.

This took a VERY long time to write. I had written it, deleted it, started from scratch ten times. Yes, ten. Maybe my creative juices were running dry because of life's problems. I have no idea. Was hit with it again after my creativity was frozen for a year. Yes, it is a long chapter, I did so purposefully. You all have waited for a long time. So, it was only right I gave you a large portion to read. This chapter is quite....uhhh...confusing, to say the least. So Chapter Seven will be there for your reading pleasure. Thanks for hanging in there with me. Cheers!

Chapter Six

What was a monster?

Truly, what was it? When someone closed their eyes and their vision became blanketed by darkness, what did their mind create? What materialized in their nightmares?

Did they see a murderer? One with prickled teeth and a malevolent glint within bottomless onyx eyes? Could they see the shine on their cleaver? A rusted crimson dried on the blade?

Or, did they see something that didn’t exist—like beasts? Did it have frothy jaws? Long yellowed claws, poised and scraggly, honed with a chilling sharpness? Could they hear it scratch on their window at night? Or listen to it howl in the wind from behind the forest’s gloom?

Everyone pictured something differently because 'monster' was a relative term, no? What I saw wasn't what others saw. The same can be said for any creature or pony that had an expressive imagination.

So, what was it that I saw? What did a demon hide from?

A murderer? Beast? Was it nothing but a ghost story that had me skittishly peering at my closet at night as a child?

The boggling thing about monsters was that they didn’t see themselves as one. I personally avoided acting as an immoral and callous being. To the mortals, I was what they called a 'monster' because I matched their description. I fit that narrative.

What would you do if the monster looked like you? What should one do when it didn’t have the appearance of one? Picture it well-groomed, charismatic, winsome, with an alluring charm.

Didn’t sound much like a monster, did it? My monster was a wolf in sheep’s clothing. He donned a mask with a pre-painted personality.

What if a demon—fairly defined as a monster, tried to warn you of another? Would you listen to it, or would your lips pucker at the sight of it—tart with revulsion? To kill a fiend, you had to know the fiend. To slay a beast, you acted like a beast.

—To defeat a monster, you had to be a monster.

So that was why I was here, in a sense. The world was ugly. The world may be colorful in a physical sense, but I’ve only seen it in black and white. To me, Equestria would always be a ground of tug-of-war. A villain and a hero, tussling among the dirt for all eternity. Warring to claim their ideals.

So, who was it that I feared? What creature was so minacious that I waddled with my tail in-between my legs?

They were called—

Pinkie snored, I groaned in response.

My face was hot, but the barn wasn't humid. It was comfortably insulated, dry, and well protected against the elements. The hay wasn't moldy, which gave me confidence in how tightly it was sealed.

I still felt sticky, however. It was a gross feeling.

Thanks to Pinkie, I had lost my self-reflection. It wasn’t like my hour-long soul search was even leading anywhere important. It was mindless boohooing which didn’t serve any purpose but cause me to pity myself. Misery loved company and I had worn out my stay a long time ago.

My breath caused some straw to bump against the window. It was a beautiful night. I had always found this time peaceful, whereas there was always that one pony that found it ominous. They quickly shooed their fillies and colts indoors and locked their door tight. I had always sought to play in the dark. I craved to run along the endless sky, nipping at fireflies in my wake and retreat back to my childhood nights—

There was another booming snore. Jeeze, it was almost strident in volume! For such a petite-looking creature, she had pipes that could give a bullhorn a run for its money. Honestly, I wasn’t surprised. Pinkie could stand atop a mountain and Ponyville would still plug their ears in fear.

“…No, Mr. Cake, I…mmm…I have no idea how Pumpkin found your secret stash of…cider.”

Ah, the sleep talking. Pinkie’s shenanigans wouldn’t be complete without the mindless gum flapping in the dead of night. I rolled my eyes and slung my elbow on the window seal. I propped my chin up and looked out of the glass numbly. I hadn’t had a wink of sleep, whereas my associate over there had passed out the moment I had mentioned rest. I’d blame the obsessive amount of sugar she crammed in her body wearing out. If a vampire were to bite her, their physician would urge them to diet themselves.

Speaking of Pinkie Pie, what would she think of Coeus? Would she see him as the monster I do? Their meeting was inevitable, and it wasn’t a question of ‘if’ they’d meet. It was a matter of when.

During the years I had spent in Pinkie’s soul I had realized my presence had eaten away at her connection to The Elements. Consider my soul a blockage. I plugged the metaphorical vein of magic that was woven through Pinkie’s spirit. When her friends used the calling of Gaia’s power to reduce their opponents to shadowy stains on the wall—I would constrict it a little tighter. Think of it as a clogged artery. Over time it would get more and more narrow, causing a bit of claustrophobia. I had to work silently. I had to build it up over time so she wouldn't notice. I had to allow the power to flow through, but bits of it. My plan of escape was delicate, or…it was. Pinkie threw me in for a loop by doing the unexpected.

Once I left, and my essence faded, the vein of magic would be clear again to once more absorb what it had missed.

Although temporary, I couldn't risk being caught in the grasp of their magic. The Elements crippled me once before. I struggled with what to do with Pinkie because of this. Once she reunited with her friends, it would be restored. As I had stated before, if she died, the link would be broken. Yet, The Elements had many owners. Celestia, Luna…The Pillars before them. Something told me that even with Pinkie's death, I wouldn't prevent much of anything.

The momentary disruption, however, could save my life. I couldn’t go through with slaying one of The Elements, but I could corrupt it for a time.

I would see my brother soon—no doubt about it. Whether Pinkie's friends would be an obstacle in the upcoming reunion…I couldn't tell you. For now, I was their red herring villain. I played the part while they gorged themselves on his false promises.

“…I can drink responsibly. The…the mint and soda thing…mmm—that…one time. It only happened once.”

I sat there. My lips were pressed tightly and my eyes inflated. How did anyone sleep with her around? How did anyone find peace and quiet? She was quite the spoilsport. Pinkie would never participate in sitting still and listening to the silence—too bland for her taste. I preferred to take a step back from the world at my leisure, but it didn't seem like I had that pleasure anymore.

“…I just want…teensy…taste.”

Quite brave to fall asleep, back turned, with a demon lingering her gaze on you. Especially one that hadn’t eaten a decent meal.

I enjoyed a little dark humor from time to time. I couldn’t share it with anyone, I’d never, but I found it tickling.

In Pinkie's subconscious, I rather enjoyed snickering at the little voice in my head. Now that I thought about it, the voice spoke a lot more than I realized. It created an audible narration to words I read in books and poems. It did the same to thoughts. I never really noticed it until I was alone.

I wondered, did every pony have a voice like I did? Did they notice it? Did they know how important the white noise would be in complete silence?

In my solitude, chained or not, sometimes it was nice to hear another voice other than my own. I'd be so used to being alone when I sneezed, I nearly lost my hearing. I'd forget how loud things could be. So, when I'd see Pinkie's perky ears and refulgent blue eyes, I'd adjust my hearing to take quite the beating.

Pinkie Pie had a curious nature. She was rather jubilant. I had more of a negative mindset. If it were storming, I'd grumble by the fire. If it were Pinkie, she'd dance in the rain.

A gust hit the window, rattling it for a moment. The wooden beams groaned and the branches outside tapped against the roof. I saw Pinkie nuzzle deeper into her nest of straw. I had draped a tarp over her body in case the night dropped in temperature. The stallion who she had clocked upside the head rested within a cow’s pen. During the entire time I had been contemplating, he didn’t stir, not once.

Mortals weren’t a threat to me. I’ve been stabbed, poked, poisoned, I could go on. Truth is, I’ve grown tolerant of them. They feared what they didn’t know. I’ve accepted it for the way it was. I’d never get away from the perennial hatred.

I just couldn’t help but wonder why. They formed opinions about me before even speaking to me. Once they heard the word ‘demon,' their thoughts were written in stone.

So, instead of being afraid of retaliation, I just expected it. I couldn't die by normal means, and their weapons contained as much pain as a hamster bite. Sure, it hurt, but nothing to spill tears over.

Speaking of mortals, what was my next move? I couldn't take refuge in towns or cities. I didn't exactly fit in. Red eyes were a bad omen, and my Cutie Mark definitely didn’t scream ‘approachable,’ either.

My wings gave away my race as well. They're featherless, leathery, scarred, with a wing span that could shadow a pegasus when spread. If not all of those things, my reputation would surely get around real soon.

This war…wasn’t my fault I didn’t start it.

I know…I know, everyone said this when they got caught up in some scandal, but I was telling the truth.

Coeus had provoked an unwanted war. The question was, why? Why was he so threatened by me? He was brawny, insightful, praised by all—I was an edgy teenager kissing mirrors whenever I put my tiara on. What could Gaia and Coeus possibly see in me that could cause such retaliation? There had to be more…something I didn’t see. They were his family as much as they were mine. I refused to believe he did it without some remorse.

The pain…I felt when seeing them burn. I couldn’t help them. Going into war with a Titan wasn't martial bravery. It was a thirst for revenge. It was a grievous desire to know why. To understand why he did this to me. To avenge, to seek answers, and to coax out a second round. Maybe…maybe it was selfish to conceal my vengeance with the promise it was to save everyone else. I had a reason to. I had an excuse!

I grimaced when unexpected wetness appeared. One of these droplets plopped onto the beam I rested upon, shining in the moonlight like a silver coin. My tongue skimmed the tear resting on my dry lips. I flinched.

I dabbed at my eyes with the back of a hoof. There were so many. My walls had been sturdy a minute ago, but you could say the tears mimicked erosion. Eventually, they'd make a crack by chipping away at your walls, and it may take thousands of years, but they'd come out.

Was I still not over the betrayal? Or the deaths? Was two millennia not enough time to grieve?

The tears were drying now. Thankfully, I had enough practice shoving these feelings into a box under lock and key.

I missed them.

“…I’ve never seen you cry like this before.”

The voice was soft, tender, and careful with its approach. I became stone-still, hiding the glossy appearance of my eyes from under my mane. I didn’t know why I was ashamed of my vulnerability, but I hated it.

I could see her below the overhang of the attic. She sat quietly with her tail wrapped around her hooves and her chin tipped up. Even from up where I was, those pale blue eyes probed at me, tugging open the gates I had closed.

Yet, Pinkie wasn't invasive. She was only asking for that key.

"Nothing, don't worry about it." I replied, taking my attention elsewhere with the hope it would make her drop it. "—Just old memories I want to keep suppressed."

Pinkie’s hoof rested on one of the stable doors to try her luck at meeting my eyes.

“I know you don’t really trust me or feel comfortable telling me about it—” She paused for a minute, being choosy about her next words. “—But I don’t want you to be alone when you’re hurting, okay?”

She was candid. There was a peculiar look she had, one that reminded me of a pony trying to solve a jumbled puzzle. Perhaps her attempts were futile at finding the answers, yet, I respected her for trying.

"Sleep, Pinkie," I said in a tone that appeared more as an order than a request. "You've had a rough couple of days. I'll be fine. I just want a little privacy."

"I know you'll be okay. You're a strong pony. I didn't say you wouldn't be," Pinkie whispered in a tone that was strangely brittle as if the words felt awkward to say. "—In the nineteen years I've known you, you've always been secretive. We are in this together now. You don't have to suffer alone. Or in fear."

Her words felt sharp, like fangs. They nipped at me. It took all my strength not to respond like the wounded animal I was and lash out. Pinkie wasn't a threat, yet, I didn’t like her investigating tender wounds that were still fresh.

“...Have you ever seen a Titan?’

“No,” she admitted quietly, drawing closer. “—But by the way you speak of them, I don’t like how they sound.”

Rhetorical question. I knew she hadn't seen one.

"You probably think that they look beastly," I predicted, her head tipped, I had ushered in her attention. "Thought so, but actually, they're quite majestic in terms of appearance. They are the pillars that hold up the universe, after all. Some even say they look like angels."

Her eyes had a curious shine. “…What is Coeus like?”

Hearing his name come from her lips sparked a memory. I hummed while his face drew a vision in my head. Tender eyes, a chiseled jaw, a free-flowing mane draped around his neck and shoulders.

Menacing when he bared his teeth, inviting when he smiled.

"…Depends on the situation. When I got in trouble, and he had to dig me out of my own grave, I remember cowering in his shadow. He was never upset though, he tipped my chin up and gave me the cheekiest smile."

I’d be lying if I said I didn’t look up to him back in the day. He was good to me. It was hard to reflect on those times with happiness when I had left those chapters of my life to rot. I was angry at them. I wanted them to gather dust until they were forgotten in the back of my mind.

"…We'd go stargazing…sometimes. He'd keep me there for hours and chew me out for being so reckless. He'd preach the dumbest advice, which he fondly called wisdom. I'd roll my eyes."

My heart quivered. My reflection caught my smile. I didn’t know why I was allowing myself to reminisce. It felt wrong.

"You two seemed to have such a good bond…I don't understand why he'd do this to you." Pinkie whispered, leaning on the stable's gate, making it groan.

I rested my head on the window seal. “Friendships don’t last forever, Pinkie.”

A drop of morning dew plopped in front of the glass from the outside. I watched it flatten before breathing another sigh onto the window. I was surprised that Pinkie Pie didn’t immediately jump into another attempt to take apart my walls brick-by-brick. She just gently swayed her hips back and forth to fill the silence with the gate’s squeaky hinges.

We didn't know each other very well. I wouldn't call her a friend, even though she threw around the title of 'friend' quite generously. Well, actually, that was a bit of a lie. I knew Pinkie inside and out in a literal sense, whereas she didn't even know my favorite color.

The squeaks were picking up in pace. Her eyes kept flicking up to me before fleeing back toward the floor. I knew what she was doing. It was nervous fiddling. When she was bothered, she fiddled with something. She'd rapidly tap her hoof, or she'd start playing with a pencil or batting at a dust bunny on the floor.

I narrowed my eyes. “Is there something—”

“—May I come up?” She interrupted, the gate coming to an abrupt stop while she met my eyes.

No.

I huffed quietly. The last thing I wanted was for her to be up here. She had a tendency to spoil my mood. Not that it was already in good standing, but I didn't need to be in a worse one.

I crossed my forelimbs and raised an eyebrow. She returned fire with a sheepish smile that was enough to make me squirm.

“I don’t want—”

She stopped me again, “—please?”

Her face had suddenly tightened. Maybe it was the color-washed walls and the yellow lantern light, but her face had a paleness. Persistent thing, wasn't she? It was a highly irritating trait of hers.

“I don’t think you can get up here,” I said, gesturing downward to point out the distance between us. “You’d either have to fly, levitate, or at the very least climb up here.”

The attic space didn’t supply many ways up. My hefty wings had lifted me where I was, but Pinkie wasn’t fortunate enough to have my advantage.

Her brow cropped smugly. "No problemo. I've scaled the peaks of Yakyakistan, crawled through the lair of the Sphinx. Well, actually, I jumped into a bubbling pit of green lava—with nothing to go on except for a leap of faith…but dang it, I can do this too!"

I snorted with an eye-roll. "You could have died, you know. If it weren't for the steam eruption, your 'leap of faith’ would have killed you. That was one in a million odds. Lucky duck”

“Not luck—” Pinkie corrected while maneuvering to a few barrels. She gave them a sturdy pat, testing the durability of the material.

She climbed aboard and steadied herself by placing her forehooves on two of them. She then hopped up and grounded her back hooves on a single barrel. They wiggled, a liquid inside sloshing, while she eyed a wooden beam under me.

I looked at her, I looked at the beam, and then the very, very, very far distance between us.

Her eyes squinted. Her rump wiggled like that of a stalking kitten waiting to pounce.

Wait a minute.

“—It’s just a leap of faith,” Pinkie finished.

Before I could even protest, her body was airborne. She had the finesse of a spring. Her limbs flailed before her chest bumped against the beam with a muffled thud. She made a cry of discomfort as I listened to her back hooves scratch against the wood. Her tail hung limply below her while she tried to scramble up more upper body strength. She clenched her teeth, once more creating scuffling noises, before growing lax.

She blew a raspberry. Pinkie then grunted one final time in hopes of pulling herself up. She did not.

Her ears bent back while she peered up at me, “I’m stuck.”

“So it seems,” I replied.

"Don't help me. I've got this."

“Wasn’t gonna.”

I drew circles with the tip of my hoof while I observed her kick and struggle to gain leverage. I had noticed that her wrists were turning white. Eventually, her hooves would start slipping, no doubt.

I watched them slide toward their owner’s oblivious chin. It wouldn’t be long until she fell.

“You’re going to fall,” I warned, drowsily covering my mouth when I felt a yawn. “It’s too early for this, Pinkie.”

"Nope. I almost got it. Trust me, I can totally climb this. Watch, one, two, three—" She grunted, the cords in her neck strained before she relaxed with vigorous panting. "That was my warm-up. Okay, okay…watch this—"

I slowly untucked myself out from my perch. Uuuuuugh I was going to have to help her, wasn't I? I swear you couldn't let Pinkie do anything without taking drastic measures to ensure she wouldn't kill herself. She couldn't even be trusted to swim in waist-deep water without floaties.

I approached and was careful to avoid the rotting gaps in the plywood. I stopped in front of her, face neutral, while I slipped a hoof behind her midback in readiness.

I didn't touch her, but it was there.

"Third time's the charm, okay, up and over—" I watched her back hooves dangle and scratch at the empty air. I silently chastised her attempts with another eye-roll before she suddenly looked back up and nearly brushed my muzzle. She cocked her head, "oooo, your eyes are sparkly."

She fell.

I released magic from the pit of my hoof. It snatched her mid-air and held her firmly in place. She threw her head over each shoulder while the cloud of magic fizzled around her waist. No, I wasn’t going to let her fall. I wasn’t a psychopath.

Her head moved at a snail’s pace to once more look at me. “Okay…I maaaay have overestimated my abilities a bit.”

“Mhmm, what did you learn?” I asked with a bit of tease in my voice, twirling her around by spinning my hoof in a circle.

She giggled, throwing up her forelimbs in the air as if she were on a coaster. Pinkie then gave me her familiar smile of unrestrained mirth, a grin ear to ear. It looked ridiculous, cartoonish, but it only fit on her. It was infectious and ignited a giggle in me. A small one, but a giggle.

I laid on my stomach, resting my cheek in an open hoof not occupied by magic.

Pinkie tapped her chin and pursed her lips. “That you’ll always be here to catch me when I fall, right?”

“No,” I said as her face twisted into a disappointed frown.

I levitated her above the beam where I was before plopping her down. A firework of hay flared into the air from her impact before gently raining toward the first floor below. Pinkie scrunched her nose, sneezed, and then sniveled when rubbing her muzzle.

“I only ask that you respect my personal space,” I said while lightly brushing off a plank of wood and gesturing toward it. “Can get chilly up here. Might want to wrap up in the hay.”

There was often a draft that would whisk through your pelt. I had quite a thick coat of fur to keep me warm, along with a belly full of hellfire. Yet, it still caused me to shiver.

She nestled into a nest of hay and wiggled her shoulders. Curling a tail around her haunches, she rested a chin on her forelimb and breathed a sigh.

The silence lasted only a few seconds. "Mena, what's that Cutie Mark on your flank mean? Kinda spooky looking."

"Hmm?" I responded, glancing at it thoroughly before replying, "I'm not sure. It changes from time to time. Sometimes the balance scale is leveled. Other times it's not."

My Cutie Mark was peculiar. It had a rustic gold balance scale with a leaning sword resting on both plates. Three skulls perched themselves on both edges of the scale, with a soulless skull gazing out into the world in the middle. Its sullen eyes were pits of black, lifeless.

“Your Cutie Mark moves?” Pinkie questioned, a peak of interest shining in her eyes while I passed by. “I’ve never heard of that before. How long has it been doing that?”

“My whole life?” I guessed, slumping back onto the window seal where my muzzle met the cold glass. “All I know is that it’s situational. It moves depending on what’s happening.”

“Liiiiiiike,” Pinkie dragged, rolling her hoof.

I forcefully exhaled through my nose. A puff of smoke fogged my reflection for a mere second before I brought my attention toward the moon. Beautiful night, gorgeous stars, a healthy breeze ruffling the trees—

“—Mena?” Pinkie said, not exactly getting the hint.

I didn’t want to answer her question. I wanted to sit here and stew until my bones crumbled to dust. I didn’t want to jog down memory lane and be reminded about when my mark had changed.

“Hey Pinkie,” I called, adopting a chipper tone. “Would you like to play a game with me?”

“Would I ever!”

I gave her a side grin, “it’s called ‘see who can be quiet the longest.’ I’m a champion at it.”

She playfully rolled her eyes, “that’s the most boring game in the book, Mena. You’ve gotta open up to me sometime, but it’s okay, keep your secrets. I’ve got to warn you though, I have a very persistent personality.”

"That I know," I responded, "It's not a secret per se. I would just rather not talk about something so…depressing."

The lantern’s flame glittered in her eyes. She tucked her hoof into her chest before her expression became crestfallen.

I gritted my teeth, “no!”

She jumped, “Wha—”

“Don’t pity me, don’t give me that look. I hate it!”

Her voice softened, “Mena—”

"—Stop. I'm fine. It happened. It's over."

“It doesn’t seem over. You’re still in a lot of pain,” Pinkie reassured, once more giving me that irksome gaze. “Look at you, Mena. You’re hurting all over. You’ve got ouchies inside and outside.”

My shoulder rubbed up against the window’s frame in discomfort, “they’ll heal.”

“Not if you won’t let them.”

"I regenerate just fine. In a few weeks, my wounds will be good as new. I appreciate the concern, but I'm okay Pinkie."

I hated when she cross-examined me. She kept trying to dig into me when she already hit bedrock. She couldn’t go any deeper. All I wanted was some peace and quiet. That’s all I wanted.

I turned from her. Within the glass, my eyes added a red blush to the transparent frame. I’ve always hated my eyes. So menacing, frightening…evil. No one knew how hard it was to play hide and seek in the dark as a child when your eyes sliced through the pitch-black like a flashlight. No one ever wanted to play with me. Stupid demonic—

I heard something fumble from behind me. I gently closed my eyelids in silent prayer. I hoped it wasn't Pinkie bursting my personal bubble again. I'd be a fool to assume she was leaving. No, obviously, she wasn't done picking at the scraps.

There was the dreaded contact I loathed. A soft shoulder nudging my own, a warmth spreading over my side that made my skin crawl. I could feel Pinkie’s mane brush my wings while she unfurled herself beside me.

I turned to give her a stink eye.

Pinkie Pie sat, stoic, with hardly any space between us to allow static.

“Can you not? Please?” I asked with a bit of a beg.

"You're hurting," she repeated a little sternly.

“I’m. Fine. Pinkie,” I empathized, throwing out my hoof with more theatrics than intended. “I really don’t understand why you can’t grasp that I’m okay. It’s just a flesh wound.”

“I’m not talking about the arrow and stuff in your shoulder anymore,” she responded in a voice so low it could be considered a mutter. “I mean you’re hurting….in here.”

She reached out, and a crease appeared in her wrist. She then tenderly brushed it against my chest with a bit of hesitation before finding her bullseye. Her hoof rested directly above my heart. I could feel its beat pick up in pace.

I looked downward. I was frozen. She had the gall to deliberately ignore everything I had ever asked of her. My anger was so physical if I were clutching a table, it would rattle. She kept touching me! Why did she have to keep pestering me?

I hated being touched. Yet, she just kept doing it. I was fine…I didn’t need sympathy…I—

—I really didn't want to swallow the truth, did I?

No matter how many times she flinched from my sharp movements, she didn't dare move her hoof. Was this adrenaline? Or was I truly collapsing inward, my body begging to finally weep. I wasn't going to allow it. I had gone this long. I had survived this long! If I broke down now, I'd never be able to find the pieces.

I wanted to scream at Pinkie until my throat was raw and until my lips cracked. I had done so well.

Deep inside, I knew it wouldn't accomplish anything. Sure, inflicting hurt would share my pain with another—but what then?

The wetness appeared, again. A pearl had shelved itself on my cheek. I tipped my head up, I wouldn't allow it to fall, but I had already known it was fruitless. It could easily follow a path carved by many others before it.

I quickly jabbed a hoof into my eye and swiped it off my cheek.

I shambled away from her. Pinkie's hoof fell from my chest as I rolled over to give her an accidental cold shoulder. I didn't mean to be this way. I just had a lot on my mind, and I wasn't someone who liked to open up. She knew enough.

My bitter persona wasn't a stranger to her. She knew I was putting on a front. She had detected it before I even believed my own performance. Appearing dauntless and resolute with my problems proved utterly useless in Pinkie’s presence. Sure, I could dance around the subject as I always did, but she’d only place her attempts to poke the bear on a shelf for so long.

I heard the floorboards flex and groan from Pinkie’s body weight shifting. She had finally accepted that I was done talking about it. The Element of Laughter had admitted her defeat with grace. She was leaning on one of the wooden pillars holding up the ceiling instead of me. Her face was scrunched in a pout. My refusal to cooperate had bugged her.

She’d be fine. I wasn’t going to let her have her way all the time. The hoof was being put down.

We sat in silence. This happened a lot.

Pinkie and I would sit and mull over what the other had said. We’d refuse to meet eyes, tapping at the floor to fill the silence, while the urge to bicker ran its course.

I was completely comfortable in silence. Pinkie was not.

“…Are your wounds feeling better?”

My eyes darkened in suspicion.

Pinkie threw her hooves up. “I swear I just wanna know if you’re okay. Nothing else. No sneaky hidden motives here. Honest to goodness truth!”

“Well,” I began in haughty perkiness, “it would feel a lot better if someone wouldn’t have used kitchen tongs to pull an arrow out of my flesh.”

Her shoulders slumped, “are you gonna hold that over my head?”

“Yes,” I said sharply, “you should have left it alone. You didn’t have permission to just yank something out of my body—”

“—There was an arrow in your shoulder. Wha…what did you expect me to do? Did you want me to leave it in there all crusty and musty and—”

She hiccupped and covered her lips with a hoof. Her eyes lolled, and she swallowed thickly. Pinkie's nausea drained a significant amount of color from her face. It was a miracle she didn't rip a tendon when pulling the arrowhead out. If she couldn't even think about my wound, I couldn't imagine how close she was to passing out when looking at it.

“—urk, I can’t believe you didn’t want it out. I would’ve hightailed myself to some sort of doctor. It would have probably bubbled into some massive…ugurk.”

Her voice was high-pitched and adenoidal. How she was able to use her imagination to that extent, I couldn't even begin to guess.

"Unfortunately, I didn't have a doctor. I had you."

“Hey!” She piped, “I had to make do with what I was given.”

I raised an eyebrow, “kitchen tongs?”

“Yes!”

I was only teasing, but she didn't appear pleased with my criticism. In fact, she looked offended. She was as riled up as a filly denied a second candy bar.

"…I don't think you're certified to perform surgeries. Even less so when you're only equipped with unsanitary cooking utensils."

"Well, Miss. Doubtful," Pinkie started with a bit of attitude, "I told you that I've played Operation. I've removed smaller pieces with toothpicks, mind you. I had the highest score in my entire school."

“You were homeschooled.”

“What’s that gotta do with anything? Don’t change the subject, Mena.” Pinkie scolded, her cheeks swollen with hot air. “I was totally qualified for the job. I also got it out, easy peasy, didn’t I? Totally knocked it out of the park, even with you trying to sink your teeth in me like a cheesecake. I did good, admit it!”

"It was somewhat," I paused, pressing the tip of my tongue to the roof of my mouth with a sneer. "Average.”

She snorted and slapped my shoulder playfully but also with a bit of venom. Enough to leave a sting.

I could see her reflection waving in the glass, a smile still lingering on her lips. Sometimes our banter was enjoyable, but it didn’t mean that I wasn’t still mad. I’d give her points for having the bravado, but I’d negate a few for doing it without consent.

“Hey Mena,” she asked softly.

“Mmmm?”

"You took a pitchfork right in the chest, and it broke.”

I raised an eyebrow and turned my head to get a better view of her pondering expression.

“You have a hide like steel,” she muttered, “you were able to slip past the Timberwolves, kick down a rockslide—faster than the eye could catch. Almost like…faster than a speeding bullet.”

“…Yes? Those are all true. What are you getting at?”

She scrunched her nose, “you were able to hear that stallion from a looooong, loooooong, way away. You’ve got super hearing, you’re invulnerable to metal, can get shot with arrows and are still kicking—”

She gasped, and I just about jumped eight feet into the air.

Pinkie slowly turned her head with a ghostly paleness on her face, "I know what you are."

“I’ve already told you that I’m a dem—”

“—You’re the Mare of Steel.”

I looked at her, she looked at me, we both sat in silence. My mouth bobbed, confusion taking over my expression, while she remained as serious as the grave. She thought I was Supermare, or Superstallion—what in the world?

I blinked, “…no.”

“Yes,” Pinkie Pie shot back.

"Pinkie, I'm not the Mare of Steel. That's from a comic."

"I am absolutely, positively, without a shadow of a doubt—sure you're the Mare of Steel. If you keep waving around your ultra-cool powers, other ponies are gonna figure it out. You gotta at least wear glasses so you can keep your identity a secret."

Her behavior was just so moronic that it forced you to crack a smile. She got herself stuck on rafters and fell when she couldn't pull herself up. She made statements that couldn't be described as anything but ludicrous, as well. Pinkie had a way with slapstick comedy. Even if it didn't make sense, somehow, it would be a little funny. Half the time, I was bemused by the vacancy of a crackling laughing track in the background in response to her gags.

Sometimes I couldn’t tell if it came naturally or if she deliberately went out of her way.

“Can…can you shoot lasers out of your eyes?”

I pursed my lips, “not exactly lasers…but—”

"—Okay, okay, let me rephrase." She said, scooting toward me a little before continuing, "do you have heat vision.”

I sighed. I was going to kick myself for this later, "kinda."

Her eyes grew much more rounded and widened with fascination. She suddenly gave me a pleading and toothy smile.

“Can I—”

“—No,” I finished.

“Ya can’t tell a pony that you have heat vision and not show them your dang laser eyes. That’s like thee signature move from The Mare of Steel. Come on, come on, once…just one, one tiny beam, please?”

She had a point. I had grown bored of my abilities, but it could be classified as a spectacle to others. If they didn't fear me so badly, maybe they’d marvel at my tricks from time to time. Fire was a destructive element, but from my time here, I’ve noticed it could be something beautiful.

I put up a hoof, “I’ll do it once. Once, alright?”

She nodded so vigorously she nearly bounced up and down. They weren't lasers. They were just very focused beams of monochromatic light from condensed hellfire.

….Fine, they were kind of like lasers.

I had to inhale and direct my magic toward the center of my head. It took a lot of concentration to control hellfire and black magic. One slip up and you could implode. That was precisely why mortals forbade the use of it. It was really only meant for the demonic race or those blessed with the art of chaos.

I felt a little warmth in the front of my skull. My hooves sizzled, my nostrils curled with smoke, and I could see a faint glow on the wood in front of me.

Hellfire was summoned, a tiny twin-beam coming from both eyes boring into the plywood. A putrid smell of something burning flared into the air. I then thinned the beam until it was no more.

I blinked a few times to reset my vision. I then rested my gaze on two gaping holes in the rafters by my hooves.

Ouch. Doing that always made me feel dizzy. Again, even though it gave the impression of lasers, it was just a very focused version of hellfire. Demons were made of it, so we could summon it out of every orifice in our bodies.

Pinkie was flabbergasted. Her mouth was hanging open, squeaking like a shocked mouse, while her eyeballs ping-ponged from me to the floor.

“You just shot LASERS from your eyes!”

“It’s actually hellfire—”

“—You just burnt a hole in the ground.”

She was so easily amused. If I had a laser pointer, I'd just keep flashing it around to watch her paw at the walls like a cat.

Pinkie Pie scratched at the smoking holes with the tip of her hoof. She wasn’t afraid of me and found my quirks fascinating. I caught her skimming over my physique quite often. She’d linger on my wings before sweeping over my bristled fur and mane.

She was doing it now.

I caught her gaze. “Your curiosity is never satisfied.”

“Do all demons look like you?”

Ha, no, not even close. I had lost the ability to take the form of common fears like my brethren could. They could transform into wyverns, dragons, phantoms, wyrms…even sea serpents if they wished. I didn’t know how.

"Well, you've seen Beelzebub. You've seen a little of my demonic side…the only common thing we share is the red eyes and teeth."

Actually…I hadn’t seen many demons. I haven’t been to the physical realm of hell—I didn’t even think I could get there.

“Ì ¢åñ ¢rêå†ê å þðr†ål †ð †hê µñÐêrwðrlÐ,” my other half butted in.

I didn’t ask for its input.

“Wê jµ§† ñêêÐ mðrê þðwêr. ̆ wðµlÐ ßê þð§§ïßlê ï£ ¥ðµ wðµlÐ þêrmï† mê †ð êå† †hê mðr†ål. Ì wïll §µmmðñ åñ årm¥ ð£ Ðêmðñ§—”

“—Hush!” I said aloud, forgetting that I wasn’t alone.

“I didn’t say anything!” Pinkie whined, “I was just lookin’ at you that isn’t a crime!”

I visibly shook the thoughts from my head, “sorry…sorry—”

I heard the demon grumble in discontent but fell silent.

“—I wasn’t talking to you, Pinkie.”

“…It’s whispering to you. What does it want?”

"It uh," I stopped. I wasn't actually going to tell her what it wanted. “It’s just sorry for how it behaved.”

“Consider it water under the bridge,” she responded confidently.

I gave an awkward smile.

“Ì åm gðïñg †ð êå† †hå† mðr†ål. †hê ßlððÐ wïll rµñ lïkê råïñ Ððwñ m¥ þåw§.”

My crooked smile grew a lot more awkward.

Something twinkled in the corner of my vision. Ugh, sunlight. I had spent all night in long laments over my past. Reflecting hadn't made me feel any less anxious about what was to come. I had dug myself into a hole here. What would I do now? Where would we go?

Pinkie had noticed my line of sight. “We’re up before the rooster? Do you know how rare that is? I didn’t even think morning could come without the cock-a-doodle-doo of the local morning bird.”

“Early bird gets the worm I guess,” I sighed, watching the dewdrops glitter outside my window.

“Ew, worms are gross. Birds can have the worms, no one is gonna fight them for it. Ick.”

I trilled my lips to fill the silence. My temple bumped against the wooden frame.

I couldn't stay in Equestria. I had to venture far. Coeus would be looking for me, and no stone would be left unturned. If I could scurry off into the badlands, maybe I could lay low for a while. I could flee into the desert. Perhaps go as far as Pinkie's friends did when trying to stop the Storm King.

Ugh, thinking about it made me grimace—

I didn't like sand. It's coarse and rough and irritating, and it got everywhere.

“…What’s the plan, Mena.”

“First. I’m going to help you get down.”

I grunted when removing myself from my little nest of dust and hay. I wasn’t going to give her a piggyback ride down. Nah, my joints and fragile state couldn’t handle it. I was battered and beaten leftovers from war—I needed to take it easy. Perhaps I should put my old alchemy skills to use and brew a few potions for my wounds.

There was a ladder nestled in a curtain of shadows. It was dented, rusted, and its metallic coat of paint was peeling off. I slipped down the barn’s narrow attic to get a better look. It had two locks on the front that helped secure it. I assumed this was to snap it in place so it wouldn't slide off of the rafters.

“Is there?” Pinkie’s voice called out.

I turned an ear and replied, “is there what?”

“A plan, silly goose.”

I hesitated. My hoof lingered on a box of unopened paint cans while I bit my lip in unease. The smart thing would be to pray and elude confrontation. My true feelings were not as forthright. They were ignoble in a way, selfish. I understood why I should run away in the back of my mind, but I didn't want to. I yearned for a chance for him to look me in the eye. I was greedy with my luck. I had survived him. I should be thankful, but I wasn't.

“I…I don’t really know what his move is. I would assume Celestia would immediately order a search party. That, or scour Equestria with armies, combing through villages and caves until eventually I’m found.”

I wasn't….as powerful as she remembered. I’d argue that I was a minuscule of what I was before. Definitely not as menacing, dangerous, or as wild as the demon she vividly remembered.

“So…you need to know what Coeus and Celestia’s plan is before making a move, huh?”

I nodded and moved the box off the ladder, “that would help.”

It plopped with a dull thump beside my tail. I slapped the sawdust from my hooves by clapping them together. I slugged the ladder toward the edge of the attic before slowly inching it down toward the floor. It knocked on the wood below me. I stabilized it against the wooden beam I sat on.

"Obviously, he will want to recruit the Elements of Harmony, considering that was what put me six feet under before." I said while hooking the latches into place. They snapped together, forming a slightly safer way down. "We've got to get ourselves in a better position. Even with the element of surprise, I'm not sure it's enough for a small victory. I need to reunite with your sisters and Longro."

I heard clops on the plywood. From the corner of my eye, I could see her hooves inches away from where I would hitch the last lock.

She attached it for me, “but didn’t you say not too long ago that you didn’t have the strength to face him? I mean—you’re pretty strong, but Coeus sounds like he’s on a whole other ball field.”

“My ideal plan would be to evade him, but knowing my brother, I know that isn’t possible. Two thousand years ago we were neck-and-neck in power. He’ll be wary of me. I need to know how much he has advanced without putting myself in a position that could have me cornered again.” I explained, while gesturing for her to climb down.

She accepted without any argument and threw her hindleg over the ladder’s top. Her hoof placed itself on the first step before she continued the conversation.

“Okay, okay, hear me out—”

I raised an eyebrow, but there was nothing else that showed my interest.

“—What if the old plan is the new plan? I don’t think you need to change a thing, he knows you’re here, but he doesn’t know who you’re with.”

Her back hooves hit the bottom floor while she tipped her head up to look at me. I didn’t climb down and instead remained on my perch.

"And that would mean?" I asked, rolling my hoof in hopes of revealing the point.

“The whole point of you being with me was to hide and know the right time to strike, right? Well, I know you’ve been wanting to get out and smell the roses…but, what if I could be a double spy?”

"No," I said while she snorted a retort.

“I said you had to hear me out—”

“—No, you can't be between us. Pinkie, no offense, but you're…you're like a marshmallow—”

Pinkie’s brows dropped.

“—It’s not an insult. You’re squishy—”

"You're calling me fat, aren't you."

“Nono! No! I’m used to combat. Okay? You're not. I can physically take hits. You…you shouldn’t take hits. If Coeus and I were to meet, we wouldn't be having a chat. Having you in the middle will complicate things. I can't…I can't fight and keep you from getting knocked into the air at the same time. He's a powerful hunter. I'm not. I need to be crafty with little to no distractions."

You couldn't be a hunter without the perks of one. I was more like a parody of an ambush hunter—I fought with illusions and shadows. I had heightened senses, but Coeus was a whole other level. He could hear the very wing beat of a moth clinging around a lamppost.

“But…that’s the thing, Mena. What I’m suggesting is total fox-tier crafty! You were weary of me—”

“—Wary,” I corrected.

“Wary, right” Pinkie parroted, “—of me because I was an Element, yeah? You came up with this whooooole plan to try and tip-toe around us all. So, why are we trying to think up of a new plan when your previous one was so sneaky?”

“What are you getting at?”

Pinkie rolled out her hoof, “what if the old plan is the new plan? Like I said, they all know you're here but not where or with who, kay? So, I know I had a total bamboozle moment here, but you've gotta try and keep up. It's totally genius. What if I…hold onto your hat here…what if I become a double spy?”

Pinkie put her hooves toward her head before fluttering them away and popping her lips. She had attempted to make the ‘mind blown’ gesture, before nodding to try and seek my approval.

I rested my chin in my hoof while sinking into my thoughts. A double spy? She wasn't wrong. My plan was to use her as a window into the world from a safe space where I could observe and regenerate. Coeus wouldn't think I'd be dumb enough to use an Element of Harmony as a cocoon—I doubted it would even cross his mind. The blood of a mortal would hide my unearthly presence from even the eyes of Gaia herself. Maybe Pinkie was onto something.

She continued, "every time there's a threat to Equestria, there's only one group Celestia turns to. Who she gonna call? The Elements of Harmony of course! Like clockwork, we're assembled into Canterlot hall, given a briefing about our terrible foe, and sent off to save Equestria from doom every Saturday. I get in there, we do our thang, you know Coeus’s plan…ba-da-boom, one step ahead.”

I was still on the fence about the whole thing. For one, Pinkie was a well-known blabbermouth. Two, she wasn't a diamond under pressure. For her to camouflage and not arouse suspicion, she'd have to keep her personality to a minimum. Even that might raise some eyebrows.

—But, but…Pinkie had made a point. I needed to know what Coeus planned to do, and this was the only way to do it.

I couldn’t go within ten miles of him without my power lingering on the wind. It was a giant red arrow. I knew he felt it from within the cosmos.

Black magic had a particular static feel to it. Once you felt it, you'd recognize it immediately.

I needed a backup plan in case this went south. Odds are it would. Coeus was a talker. He had the tendency to be a silver-tonged devil that overshared—a lecturer. I wouldn't say it was a weakness, but it could be used against him in the right hooves.

I sighed my response, “alright.”

My reply was met with a bit of eagerness, “see? Good plan, eh?”

If I weren't twelve feet above her, I would have predicted an elbow in the ribs. Fortunately, I had made the correct decision to remain up.

I needed to preach caution. Knowing Pinkie, if I made something sound urgent, it would backfire. I needed her to be as calm as she could be. Maybe she could pull off keeping her mouth shut, but her sweating bullets wouldn't exactly make her look innocent.

“Sooooo,” Pinkie began drawing circles with her hoof on the floor. “Is the whole sealing souls thingamajig gonna hurt? Cause, I’m not going to lie, The Pinkster was made to be soft and lovable…I don’t have nerves of steel. Ya know?”

“I don’t believe it will.”

"Seriously, Pinkamena…I'm…I'm being honest here, I might pass out."

"Do you remember that stuff your mother used to rub on your hooves when you spent all day chipping at rocks?" I asked as Pinkie scrunched up her face.

“…The vapor rub?”

“Mhmm, the jelly that felt really icy and then warm. That’s how it’ll feel.”

"Oooooh, I see now. Kay-kay," Pinkie confirmed, suddenly puffing out her chest. "My body is ready."

I grimaced, “don’t…don’t ever say it like that…ever again.”

“I was just saying—”

“—No.”

I took a deep breath. I hated those chains. They were cold, heavy, and slinky. Ugh, I knew the precautions were necessary, but I didn't think anyone would gladly volunteer to be caged. Pegasi had an encrypted fear of having their wings bound. It was only natural. They were detached from the earth in near-spiritual ways. Earth ponies got fidgety when their raw and unkempt energy wasn't released. This may have been a rumor, but I've heard that if unicorns refused to dispel their magic that they could implode.

Okay, I may be reaching, but you couldn’t contain creatures with high magical energy.

I was one of them. It was absolute torture to be in shackles.

Perhaps she could sense my discomfort, but I was sure she could just see it written all over my face.

“You don’t want to do this…do you?”

No, no, couldn’t she see my enthusiasm completely bleeding out of my scowl? I couldn’t help but gruffly snort back a retort, man, she really had no idea. Alas, I had no other choice but to comply and reunite with my old chains.

I didn't have to be happy about it, though. I'd entertain her with some sarcasm.

“What do you mean? I’m positively ecstatic,” I replied while unfurling my wings to join her below.

I swooped down and gently landed beside the locked cow pen. I tucked my wings back in place before wandering toward the gate. I peeked over. The stallion still remained out cold. Heavy sleeper, wasn't he? I really hoped he wasn’t in a coma.

She made a pit-stop in front of the gate as well, “I’m fluent in three languages. Sarcasm, English, and cartoon sounds. Your words say that you’re gonna do it because you have to, but my sarcasm translator says there’s something you want to avoid. So, what is it?”

“Two of those aren’t a language,” I mumbled.

She pushed a hoof against my nose, “okay Pinkameanie. If you deflect, I can’t help as much as I want to.”

My stare onto the floor became quite pensive. I followed the cracks etched in the wood while trying to draw up a response. It wasn’t like they’d lead me to an answer I’d like to admit.

“…I’m just having a little trouble forcing my body to cooperate. It gets a little jumpy when reminded of chains. They are so uncomfortable. I have to have them but I have to take a minute to prepare.”

Her face adopted a little bit of sudden defiance. I watched her brows drop before bouncing up to a neutral position. I knew that expression like the back of my hoof. I said something she really didn’t like.

It didn't exactly freeze over. It fell into the category of autumnal warmth.

Pinkie recoiled a bit. I would imagine she was still processing what I said.

“I…I can’t let you go back in chains…that’s terrible!”

“We aren’t arguing about this—”

“—Mena, no. I can’t.”

I had strong clairvoyance when it came to Pinkie. I knew she'd be unhappy with me from the start. Her eyes were quite revealing when lined with bushed brows. I didn’t have much empathy toward her conflicting emotions, however. I’d be a moron to let her win this.

I’d eat her.

Any sliver of fear. Any shred of discontent or even the slightest drop of anxiety—I couldn’t risk it.

I brushed past her. My shoulder skimmed her side enough to make her grunt.

“I can’t allow it Mena…I’m sorry, it’s just…wrong.”

Oh—I didn’t have time for this. I’ve achieved virtually nothing but exchange disagreements today. Maybe I wouldn’t go haywire. Maybe. I had to look at risk versus reward. The risk overshadowed the reward, and therefore, wait…there was no reason to debate it. My answer and decision still stood unchallenged.

“This is happening. I want to hear nothing else about it.”

My tone was a little biting. I should have let that roll off the tongue smoother. I had failed to filter out my frustration. I heard a snort. I could already paint a picture of what her expression would look like when I turned around.

Probably taut as a steel cable, eyes a blue fire, and shoulders pinched together.

I sighed and turned around.

Bingo.

Pinkie clearly didn’t like my attitude, “it’s my body, bucko. Like it or not, we're a team. You can't go around being Miss. Bossymouth all the time. Team, Mena. T-E-E-M. Team!”

She tried to spell it out for me as a lower-tier insult, but couldn't even do that correctly. I was insulted by the name bucko more than anything.

I barreled through, “may I have your hoof, please.”

Pinkie drew her hoof back and scrunched her forehead, “no chains and maybe we’ll talk.”

“Nope, hoof please.”

I was so tired of this.

“No can-do buckaroo,” she responded, folding her forelimbs over her chest.

"Pinkie, it's six in the morning. I'm tired. I don't have the energy for this. Hoof."

I once more offered my hoof to be met with hers, but she declined.

"Might be low, but gotta say no."

I could feel my patience fleeting. She wanted to play games. Pinkie wanted to waltz around this problem until I caved. She was making an awfully snide stare in my direction. What she lacked in strength, she made up for in persistence.

“Pinkie, I swear to God—”

“—Sorry Mena, wouldn’t wanna be ya.”

I approached a little more aggressively, "Pinkie, I'm done with your games. Give me your—"

“—You are awfully prying, but I ain’t done trying.” Pinkie suddenly stopped, mentally counting by chanting numbers, before continuing, “That did not fall on an even number that time. It wasn't my best. I'm running out of phrases."

“GIVE ME YOUR HOOF!”

Pinkie reeled. I heard a little growl come out of my throat there. I didn’t even know I was capable of it.

I cleared my throat, “…please.”

A bit late, but better late than not at all. I didn't think growling was very persuasive. She was going to stick to her guns. So I'd have to step back, reassess, and perhaps negotiate. Out of all ponies, why was I stuck with Pinkie?

I put up my hooves, “Okay, okay. We aren’t getting anywhere.”

Pinkie continued to blink in my direction. Her hoof was pressed to her chest. Her expression remained wide-eyed.

“You just snarled at me,” she replied hoarsely.

“I know, I know…I’m sorry,” I grumbled.

“Like a tiger,” she finished.

I ground my jaw, “may I please have your hoof? I promise this won’t last long. I just need your hoof, Pinkie. Please, dear God, please.”

Her expression went from wide to squinted in a millisecond, “no chains?”

I remained silent and slowly brought out my hoof.

"No. Chains." she said choppily.

I exhaled throughout my nose. A wisp of smoke curled into the air and caught Pinkie’s eye. I was quite literally boiling with anger.

"…Mena, you're smoking."

I was aware.

Fine. Fine! I wasn't going to fight about this anymore. I had a crucial mission that required my full attention, not Pinkie. If she wanted to risk being reduced to ribbons of flesh and bone—that was on her. I had no intention of harming those I didn't need to, but she demanded this of me. She cornered me.

I needed to see Coeus. She was my only way in.

“Alright, you win,” I surrendered, backing off visibly by putting up my hooves. “No chains, happy?”

I tried to keep this as low risk as possible. Just my luck to run into a pony that was so lawfully good she didn’t understand why this was needed. Ridiculous.

She smiled cheekily, "see, was that so hard?"

You reached the peak of maturity when you could swallow the urge to maim someone. Maybe that was my demonic and violent nature whispering into my ear again.

I thought about simply agreeing with Pinkie and doing whatever I wished inside her subconscious. Unfortunately, my illusion magic only went so far when I was restricted inside a mortal being. Of course, Pinkie would also be able to see if I were chained or not on any reflective surface—and would probably kick and scream until I accepted her demands.

Ugh, I hated my life. I just needed her body…why did it have to be attached to a…to a…you know…brain?

I noticed a little pink blob in my side-eye. Pinkie had her hoof out, gently hovering it for me to take. Our eyes met. There was a stillness in her face. The blankness held no offending ill-will, but I could see a twinge of qualm about it.

She was unsure of me. Cautious.

She was willing to help me, but even Pinkie, as trusting as she was, didn't know if that was the right decision.

I accepted her gesture.

I ushered her closer, she obliqued. In tiny scoots, we sat muzzle to muzzle and eye to eye. I could see her throat bob and her focus tighten onto the clasp of our hooves.

“No chains,” she repeated.

“No chains,” I parroted.

I could see some tension drain from her form but I wouldn't call her relaxed. We sat there. Some wind gushed against the barn door making the hinges rattle, but otherwise, we were neck-deep in silence.

I lifted my other hoof. Pinkie’s eyes flickered over to watch the magic fizzle like sparklers around my hoof. It sizzled and crackled, creating an emerald smudge on our faces.

“Are you ready?” I asked, adjusting my voice into a coax.

She didn't move. Pinkie's gaze was stuck on the sparkles jumping like fleas from my hoof. She nodded. It was a slow and numb nod while she remained transfixed.

I would explain this kind of magic to her, but such details were trivial when she knew the basics. Black magic, witchcraft, whatever mortals wished to call it—had an enthralling effect.

It felt otherworldly. It looked alive and didn't have the same personality as other magic. Few would ever get to see such an enchantment.

It wasn't every day someone performed a possession. A mild one, there would be no foaming mouths or convulsing bodies.

As if stirring a pot, I revolved my hoof in a circular motion around Pinkie's forelimb. I could sense her tension seeping into the air. I wasn't exactly the embodiment of calm, either. The atmosphere around me was so brittle it could snap. If not it first, then Pinkie would.

I was shocked that she didn’t say a word.

Maybe the magic was hypnotizing in a way. It snaked around us both like a serpent nodding its head to a flute. Pinkie's frame had the stature of a mountain, unmovable and still. Even though there was no danger, she solidified out of subconscious demand.

"…Are you alright?" I asked, getting a muted response in an empty nod.

Maybe she felt the sinister aura of it. I needed to wrap it up quickly before she could bail. A demon's magic did not leave a tasteful ambiance in the air.

There was a wave of gentle shamrock light. It was prickly to me. I scrunched my nose and squeezed my eyes so tight I thought they would tear. I hated this part.

I wouldn't see my body being decreased to molecules. I wouldn't see my essence slipping back into its prison, either. All I saw was light—only brightness brushing against my eyelids.

Then…there was silence.

First, I noticed the smell: no candy floss, no stench of water damaged walls, or mold. Then I recognized the absence of cold chains and the familiar smoothness of the floor beneath me. There were no sounds, no light—my eyelids only found darkness.

I lifted them, slowly materializing the landscape before me. It was dark and dreary. One would mistake this realm to be in constant nightfall. It was lonely here, a drab escape from the world.

There were no walls. You could try and see as far as your eyes would allow, but there was only an endless space of nothingness.

You could wander but go nowhere. You could stay yet feel millions of miles away.

Then, there was a shimmer. In front of me was a glossy oval in a transparent form. I welcomed it like an old friend.

I reached out to it.

The mirror rippled as if I had dropped a pebble into a calm pond before forming my only eye into the outside world.

Black magic was funny. Pinkie could see me when looking into any reflective surface. I could only see out by the same rules.

She could look at a shiny coin, an icicle, a mirror, or even water. It mattered none, so long as it reflected her appearance.

“…Are you okay, Pinkie?”

My voice echoed, bouncing off of invisible walls. It faded out of earshot before the window in front of me lit up into colors and picture.

The magic seemed to have sniffed out a surface in which I could occupy. The window in the barn, although dusty, was reflective enough for me to see somewhat out of it.

“…Mmgh, I feel like some pony is shaking my skull up and down. Wha—did we do it?”

She appeared to be looking around, searching for my face. I knocked on the glass in front of me but failed to attract her attention.

"I'm over here. Can you come over here and wipe off the dust? I can't see very well." I asked, watching as Pinkie twirled around as if she didn't know where to look. "To your left Pinkie, no—your, Pinkie your other left. I'm in the window!”

Her face lit up like a lightbulb when she caught my distorted face. She approached, her blue eyes peeking at me. I then saw a blur when half her elbow smeared itself across the glass. Pinkie’s face appeared again before she wiped the remaining debris off with a hoof.

“Hiya, Mena! How are ya feeling?”

“Nervous,” I admitted, my response made her smile falter. “—But I think we’ll be fine so long as you stick to the plan. Listen to me, do as I say, and we might make it out in one piece.”

“Okie dokie, Canterlot it is then? I'm sure by now I've got a whooooole search party on my fluffy pink behind, so we better let everypony know I'm safe.”

“Reasonable. Just leave out the part where I existed.” I requested, giving her a look to heed. “No one can know about me. No one, Pinkie. Do not mention my name.”

“Got it,” Pinkie affirmed.

I sighed, my breath fogging up the glass for mere moments. This was a battle of wits, one where Pinkie was at a disadvantage.

"Shall we depart for Canterlot then?" I suggested, leaning away from the portal. I lifted a hoof to shrug, "It is rather rude to show up last minute to a family reunion. My brother does love his speeches. At least he'll drone on for a few hours giving us some time to make haste."

“Righty,” Pinkie confirmed, “let’s get this show on the road.”

Pinkie put some skip into her step but hesitated. My brows furrowed, and I leaned to my side to get a better look. I watched her remain stone-still by the barn's entrance.

Her face looked sheepish.

“…R…Right after I figure out where in the heck we are, erm.”

I slapped my forehead so hard I was sure I left a mark.

Something blundered through the forest. Wiping a mud-slathered cheek with a grime-coated hoof, a pegasus parted a leafy gate. Dried hoofmarks rested in a bed of sticks and torn leaves.

“Found some. Over here!”

A raspy, high-pitched call rang throughout the forest. Replies festered in a crescendo, hooves gathered in unison, and the voice was barraged with others.

“How far could Pinkie have gone? We’ve been out here all night and all morning.”

“Ah know Pinkie, if she got spooked, she’d be haulin’ tail for who knows how long.”

Rainbow Dash gestured to the trail, "well, we know for a fact she got away from those wolf prints. The wolves lost her."

“Oh, thank goodness,” Fluttershy praised, her cheeks shelving heavy tears. “I don’t know what I would have done if—”

“—Don’t ya go and get started on that. Ain’t none of us going to start the blamin’ game. It won’t help. We’re going to find Pinkie, ah promise.” Applejack said, joining Dash’s side to examine the prints.

"AJ, you said you'd be able to track her. So far, we've gotten nowhere. Just found a couple of muddy prints."

Applejack rested a hoof over the marks before bringing it up to her face. "Prints are soft, still damp, ah reckon' these were made yesterday. Pinkie abandoned her camp, probably went to find Canterlot again."

"Uuuh guys?" A voice questioned. The group turned to address Twilight, who had uncovered something in the dirt. "Who's prints are these?"

Applejack turned her attention over to the newly discovered prints. By the way they sank deeper than Pinkie's, the creature was heavier. There was no horseshoe print, but it had the same shape as a pony. Rockhoof had a similar size, but this one was more compacted, whereas his was wider.

“…This ain’t a creature ah’ve seen.”

“What do you mean? You said you knew how to track every animal and pony.” Rainbow Dash argued, haughtily drawing up to Applejack’s shoulder.

The search had exhausted the lot. The humidity of the forest had made their fur sticky and damp. Their attitudes were sharp as an exposed needle. Trapped within Applejack’s cheeks was a foggy garnet hue, telling of her exhaustion.

Applejack fanned her face with her hat, “ah said ah knew a few tricks for when mah cows got outta thuh pen. Ah ain’t a bloodhound, ah’m tryin’ mah best.”

Dash snorted. “We’re never going to find her.”

She was ignored. These prints, they overlapped other impressions in the dirt. They were definitely as old as Pinkie's. AJ followed the tracks with her eyes. The two of them intertwined a point farther down the path. Something was following Pinkie.

“Dash, darling. I know you’re exasperated, fatigued, and woefully impaired but you are in the same boat as us all. Pinkie is forlorn and frightened. We need to remain resilient to our own frustrations.”

It didn’t take long for Rarity to be griped at by Dash.

“I wasn’t sayin’ that to be a downer. I’m just mad, alright? I didn’t know she was gonna run off into the woods!” She said, her indignant mood causing her to kick a branch into the thicket. “If I would have known I wouldn’t have said it! It’s not fair! I feel horrible…I can’t—”

Her voice faded from earshot while Applejack crept alongside the tracks. Although they were alien, they had a familiar feel to them. A light snapped on in the back of her skull, yes, they had the same appearance as her own when using a plow in tough terrain.

Whatever the creature was, it had a lot of strength. It trudged. That was why the dirt was ripped and torn. It was struggling.

Injured, maybe?

The mud didn’t have enough suction to make a pony jerk their hooves from it.

Earlier, they had found a trampled path of brush. That was when Pinkie must have fled from the wolves, but by the way these tracks were, she didn't seem alarmed anymore.

In fact, she was sauntering.

AJ put her Stetson back on her head, “ah can confirm Pinkie ain’t runnin’ no more. Come on, if she’s walkin’ we can catch up. Without somethin’ to run from she’s bound to walk in a straight line.”

The group assembled once more and followed Applejack’s lead. Twilight fell behind Fluttershy to trot beside Rarity who had been fanning her face for the past hour.

The unicorn caught her friend’s wandering eye, “Twilight, dear, you’ve been a bit jumpy. What is it?”

“Does the air feel a little heavy to you?”

"It's the humidity. It'll make your mane sag and droop from trapping the particles—"

“—Nono,” Twilight stopped, “as a unicorn, don’t you feel the eerie weight lingering? I’m the first one to dismiss such a word, but right now, the only word my brain can generate to explain is supernatural.”

"Twilight, when was the last time you had a drink of water? You're looking positively parched and heatstroke can—"

“—You’re not understanding, Rarity. Just listen.”

Twilight appeared to lean in as if she were about to disclose a secret. The fashionista remained clueless.

“…I…listen to what?’

“Exactly,” Twilight exclaimed as loudly as a whisper would allow. “There’s nothing. The forest is always teeming with wildlife. Not one mosquito buzz, not a single peep. Silence.”

Finally, the gears clicked. There was no sound. Something had hushed the forest. It was far from a tranquil stillness. It was like a stunned silence as if something had shocked it to its very core.

Rarity's mouth slacked. It was…creepy.

“Like I said,” Twilight finished, “supernatural.”

Applejack had heard their conversation from the front of the pack. Although she was focused on retrieving her friend, something beckoned for her retreat. Something wasn’t right…and something hadn’t been right. Birds didn’t just abandon the canopies where they preened. Not one trilled or remained to feast on the berries above.

At this time of the year they’d be all over the mulberry trees.

Something wasn't welcomed in this forest. For a while, she assumed Pinkie's braying voice was the culprit, but the more she explored, the more she realized that was not the case.

Was it the wyrm?

No. This feeling was sinister but in a hidden way. It was like a shadow in the corner of your eye. You knew it was there, couldn’t see it fully, but left a bad feeling in the pit of your stomach.

Rainbow Dash had been scouting from the air. She wove between branches, scanning for a clearing in furrowed slopes, but they had all been duds. No prints, no evidence of Pinkie, and nothing of interest.

Her shadow fell over Applejack, passing over her.

Those tracks…who did they belong to?

There was absolutely no way Pinkie didn’t hear them. The creature was so close she was sure anyone could hear it breathing behind them. Could have been a scavenger looking for scraps, but what animal had prints that big? Bugbear? No…it didn’t seem to have claws and was too small. Chimera? Again, no claw marks.

“Wait, wait…” Dash cried out, her flight coming to a hover above the group. “I see something.”

“It better not be another bush that has pink flowers,” Applejack mumbled.

“Nono, it’s moving!”

"Well, where is it?!" Twilight asked, her eagerness spreading like a virus.

“Is it Pinkie?” Fluttershy asked.

“…It is!”

“Go! We can’t miss her, Dash keep yer eye on her do not look away. Ah ain’t gonna let us screw up this one shot.” Applejack directed in short and choppy breaths.

"Okayokayokay, hurry up. She looks like she's climbing down a hill!"

Soon hooves were pounding, smiles were spreading, and globs of happy tears were forming. The parade of hoofbeats had the chime of rolling thunder. Pinkie's name was chanted frantically to try and catch the smidge of pink sliding down the slope. When her ears became erect and her head suddenly snapped in their direction—emotions exploded in messy squabbles.

“Pinkie, oh thank Celestia you’re okay!”

“Ya scared thuh livin’ daylights outta me!”

If they weren’t so relieved, Pinkie would have been shaken into an early grave by her shoulders.

"Good heavens, Pinkie, you're filthy! You," Rarity stopped. She inched her nose close to Pinkie's mane and took a sniff. "You smell of…barn animals."

Pinkie’s smile was automatic, a sheepish grin.

“Is she hurt?” Dash asked, parting the heads of Twilight and Rarity. “Are you okay?”

The Wonderbolt then proceeded to pick through her pelt with the accuracy of a monkey looking after her troop. Sticks were freed from her mane and pungent hay trashed into the brush.

Pinkie lightly swatted her friend away, “I’m okay guys. A-okay, here. Really, stop….that tickles!”

Dash’s eyes looked swollen from holding back tears, much to her chagrin.

“Pinks I’m really happy you’re okay,” The pegasus sniveled and wiped her nose. “Butcha, can’t do that to us! We thought you were hurt!”

"I'm….I'm sorry," Pinkie said. Although her words were sincere, Applejack noticed her tone was a bit of a letdown.

Normally she had the energy of a rubber ball bouncing off of lofty walls. However, her zestful character had been watered down—dull almost.

“Ah know the woods have been mighty hard on ya, but don’t ya worry. We’ll get ya fixed up,” Applejack reassured.

Twilight suddenly hunched over. There was a sharp pop. The Princess’ horn had delivered a still-drying letter. The ink was bleeding through the paper and was hurriedly tied up in a tattered bow. Plopped on the grass and unmoving, it lay. The group’s attention was stolen from Pinkie Pie. A hush befell the group, awaiting a brave soul to volunteer and read it.

“That’s a royal seal,” Rarity commented, scooping up the scroll before drawing back. “Oh, excuse me, may I?”

Twilight nodded.

“This hoof-writing…it’s absolutely grotesque—”

Twilight’s impatience caused her to snag the scroll. The paper crinkled and the silk tie fell from the page onto the grass.

The Princess of Friendship took a look.

The scroll suddenly slipped from her loosening magic.

“What is it?” Fluttershy asked, nearly paling at the sight of Twilight’s widened eyes.

“The….The—”

“Thuh what, Twi?” Applejack encouraged.

The Alicorn swallowed harshly, “The Devourer is here!”

The Devourer.

Eater of worlds, consumer of souls—glutton of destruction. It sounded foreign to me. I was given the nickname during the three years I waged war on Equestria, years I hardly remembered. It was all a haze. From the moment I transformed to the second I was banished. I didn’t mean to harm anyone but Coeus and his allies. I didn’t mean to summon an army of demons, unleash hell on earth, or frost the land in ash.

I didn’t even know that…thing…was inside of me.

I didn’t even know its name. Did it have a name other than ‘The Demon’ or ‘The Devourer?’

Longro, my companion, had said it had always been with me. Yet, it had a power I could never possess. This untouchable faculty is dormant until awakened when I transform. I am unable to wield it or control it. I’m just as lost when reviewing it as I was when Longro explained it to me.

What happened during those years?

Facing Coeus was a huge risk. No doubt he’d figure out my plan. He wasn’t an idiot. During the time I was The Devourer, he called me by another name…Asmo…Asmod…something. Although he knew me as Pinkamena, I doubted he would refer to me as such. This would buy me time, but not much, even if Fluttershy didn’t recognize my name. I would have to face him today. He’d figure it out.

I couldn't see much from inside my prison. I knew Pinkie was…walking. I could hear her heart trotting in her chest. Earlier I could hear familiar voices. There was no mistaking Dash's squeaky-toy voice and AJ's southern twang. Twilight and the others had been summoned to Canterlot for an urgent meeting. I wasn't exactly planning on being whisked straight to my brother right away…but I was a shining beacon unless I was hidden within Pinkie. No doubt, Coeus knew I was here. Pinkie's prediction was correct. Who else would they turn to other than the Elements of Harmony?

Celestia would be foolish to send them out into battle. They had absolutely zero war experience other than tussling with Sombra. Even he would be considered shallow water compared to the deep-sea threat I was.

No…she had a different plan.

I wasn't going to lie to myself. I was terrified. I felt nauseous, twitchy, and my throat was dry. Thousands of years have passed. How powerful had he gotten? Could I even salvage the bronze age from his ideals?

Extinction…why?

My breath hitched in my throat. I wasn't ready. I couldn't do this yet…I-I…I had nothing but novice magic. Longro taught me a few tricks, but that was laughable to a Titan! What was I going to do? I didn't even look like myself—

“Hiya, Mena. I’m feeling some turmoil. Like an icky and cold kind of feeling. It’s quite hot and gross out here, so I can only assume those are your feelings. You okay?”

I jumped. Right…her voice, it was incredibly probing. I was never prepared for it.

“Y-Yeah, I’m fine,” I responded, trying to avoid her invisible eyes by packing myself in a tight ball.

I heard a snort echo throughout her subconscious. Even in her thoughts, she still had a childlike personality.

“That's a lie if I ever heard one. Now that I know you're real, it's a little easy to connect the dots. Every time I felt like I was forced into an ice-bucket challenge was just you getting all nervous, huh?”

I wet my lips and swallowed. Curse her and her extremely accurate memory.

“Yes…a side effect of sharing souls happens to be telekinetic empathy. You can physically feel my emotions as I can feel yours.”

There was silence for a moment.

“…What am I feeling right now?”

She was testing me—a game of sorts to calm nerves. A while ago, this would have annoyed me, but I was glad to get my mind off of things.

The atmosphere suddenly shifted from an empty and blank fog to a warm mist. It had the comfort of a sauna but had no dampness to it. It reminded me of summer. It was comforting, inviting, with little pressure.

“…You’re feeling happy…I believe.”

“Mhmm. Spot on,” she cheered, “wanna know what I’m thinkin’ of?”

“I don’t know…cotton candy?”

“A good guess, but I'm gonna have to say no. I'm thinkin' about the first time I met you, truly, that is. I was super-duper happy to know you were real. So, we can be real friends.”

I sat there. That was incredibly sappy. I was cringing more than if I bit into a lemon. I condemned this behavior. Pinkie said this to everyone. Every single creature on earth heard this from her at least once. It angered me more than it heartened me. If she said this to everyone, it hardly made it special.

“You’re friends with everyone, Pinkie.”

I wasn’t one of the brainless ponies she jollied along.

I heard her hum before responding, “maybe that's what it looks like from the outside, but never in Equestria has a pony known me better than you. How could they? You may not like me but I feel like we're family, you know? I really want to be friends, Pinkamena…maybe then you'll open up. You seem so scared…and hurt. I feel it."

Stupid….sunshine…child…and her saccharine-sweet personality.

I was fine!

“…Hey…we’re here,” Pinkie went from a bouncy tone to a monotonous one.

I wondered what had taken the emotes from her voice until I was hit with a feeling that did the same.

Immense power.

I could feel it reverberate. It echoed through her bones and pulsated enough to vibrate the ground beneath me. His very breath could shake the ground…I didn’t remember him doing that before.

I waved my hoof in front of the mirror. Canterlot had a fad with reflective and golden architecture during the Gala. I would have quite a variety of places to watch. I had to steady my breath. Pinkie needed a strong shoulder to lean on or everything would collapse. No matter how I felt, I couldn’t show it.

Twilight’s friends were whispering in a clamorous fashion. It all meshed together to the point I could hardly decipher one conversation from the other. I was looking down from above. I must have been caught in the reflection of a window overhang. Sunlight beamed down from where I was observing, highlighting the six mares.

Pinkie was still. The group was still in disagreement about rushing to the throne room so quickly after finding their friend.

“How come Celestia gets to summon us outta nowhere? I’ve been busting my tail for days. I need a nap—”

“Is the ground vibratin’ for anyone else?” Applejack reported, noticing a speck of dust bouncing on the tile floor. “Ah know it’s kind of faint, but ah’m sure as heck ah ain’t buzzin’ here.”

“Dash, I know things have been a little…um, disheveled lately. I wouldn’t have teleported us so quickly if this wasn’t important,” Twilight explained.

“Oh my,” Rarity whispered, “does anyone else feel…static?”

“Ah think the floor’s breathin’ here,” Applejack reported, “ah’m not crazy but it’s breathin’ ya hear me?”

The double doors remained locked tighter than a miser’s vault. Whatever was happening beyond them, I could smell the anxiety. Celestia was about as unsure of me as I was with Coeus. I knew she didn’t want to get the Elements involved but it was out of her hooves. I knew it would be the first thing my brother would try and weaponize.

“….Mena?”

I could see Pinkie beginning to fiddle. No, she couldn’t do that—

“Is….Is Coeus behind that door? What if…what if I mess up? Will he…will he really hurt you?”

I could hold my ground to a degree. I couldn't be careless. I was wounded for one, weak for two, and he's a Titan for three. If Pinkie did manage to mess up, I had a backup plan. It would suck, but the mistake wouldn't be abysmal. I had to be calm and encouraging. I needed this.

I softened my voice to where it was gentle enough to be entrusted with porcelain. "Pinkie, you're going to do great, alright? All you have to do is not say a single word. All you have to do is listen."

I'll admit it, my words were honeyed. You attract more flies with honey than vinegar. If I wanted to get Pinkie to do what I asked of her, I had to reel her in with appealing words.

I continued, “It’ll be…what do you say? Easy-peasy lemon-squeezy?”

I've prepared for this. Coeus' return is not headlining news. No, this would not be easy, but Pinkie Pie didn't need to know that.

“—I’ll be just fine. Coeus could never really tell apart my illusions from reality. Even if you do mess up, we can get away and regroup. Still try your best but know I have your back.”

“R-Really? I’m so glad you’re here with me…I-I was starting to think I couldn’t do this.”

I heard a creak. Due to the spacious halls, the noise echoed with ear-splitting acoustics. It was enough to silence the group. The doors had opened. The royal guards who had created a blockade with spears had loosened their grip, freeing the entryway from their blades. I could see beads of sweat gathering in pools around their collarbone. Dutiful as they were to the throne, I couldn’t blame them for being nervous. The tangents they heard from behind the door must have paled in comparison to the other problems they’ve eavesdropped on.

“…Princess Twilight, the former Princesses require your presence.”

His voice was withered. He shied away from the group's eyes and instead chose to stare glumly in the direction of a column.

Eyes bounced off of each other, each set hoping to seek reassurance from another. None succeeded.

Even though the door prevented curious eyes from sweeping the throne room, even opened a sliver, you could fathom what was behind it. Coeus’ presence was mystical. The very feel from it was as noticeable as a draft of wind ruffling their manes. You couldn’t miss it.

Behind that door a Titan awaited them.

Twilight was the first to present her valor. She stepped hesitantly. The Princess of Friendship was wise to be cautious, her friends even more so for being vigilant. They knew something was unearthly.

Twilight nudged open the door further. Dash mirrored her from behind, following quietly into the lion's den.

Like sheep, they each followed the shepherd.

Everyone but Pinkie.

“…All you have to do is listen,” I repeated, already knowing what it was that kept her rooted.

AJ gave Pinkie a comforting hoof on her shoulder, “Ah’m sorry we were dragged in this mess before we could unravel the whole briar patch that happened during thuh Gala. Ah know this is a might’ generic question, but all you alright, Sugarcube?”

Pinkie secured Applejack’s grip on her shoulder with a thankful hoof, “I’m still a little upset over it all, but don’t you go worrying about ‘ol Pinkie Pie. We’ve got to get our game face on. Equestria comes first right? That is why Celestia and Luna left it in our hooves.”

“Ah know,” the southern pony muttered quietly, flicking her eyes to the floor and back up. “Ah just don’t want everyone tah forget what happened. Our bond is thuh reason we’re trusted with Equestria, and right now ah know ya ain’t happy with us.”

The corners of Pinkie’s mouth twitched. She had resisted a sour frown. For my sake.

Instead, she mustered a smile, “one spat isn’t going to change how I feel about you guys. We’re best friends, I know you didn’t mean anything by it.”

Applejack nodded, but by the way her eyes sagged, I knew there was so much more she wanted to say.

Applejack then left Pinkie to her thoughts, which as of now, were blank. It was radio silent.

I watched her throat bob. Pinkie took a calming breath, a hoof on her chest, before passing the eye-shy guards.

Once the last of them had entered, the hefty doors were pulled tightly shut behind her.

She jumped at the sound of them sealing.

The throne room was gaudy as ever. Because of the Gala, it had been slathered in gold and tasteless silver. I was never fond of royal colors. They were more of a flamboyant eyesore to me. Light flushed in from stained glass windows, casting a broad blanket of color among the bare tile. The group spread out along the red carpet, Pinkie favoring the spot of the caboose. I planted myself in another window to get a better view. I happened to be in the eye of a slain Discord, his defeat exhibited within a colossal glass memorial.

Standing shoulder-to-shoulder were the formal rulers of Equestria. For ages, they'd muse here. Even though their titles had rusted, their wisdom was still in mint condition to the citizens of Equestria. I never understood why they were put on such a pedestal.

A little bit of spite bubbled up in my stomach. If it weren't for my tightly pressed lips, I might have snarled at the sight of them.

I felt Coeus, yet, I didn’t see him.

“Elements of Harmony, please, come forward.”

Celestia ushered them in further with a rolling hoof. Spread out like a pyramid, Twilight guided the rest of the group to the stairs leading up to the throne.

“I’m…sorry for rushing off without notice. We had a little bit of an emergency within the group—”

“—Apologies are unneeded. We were occupied with our own tasks as well. We are the ones who should apologize for leaving you in the dark. It was for your own protection, but keeping it from you was not the right way to do so.” Luna stated, her posture slumping ever so slightly.

She looked exhausted. Actually, they both did.

“So what is it that’s got ya all worked up. Ah know thuh wyrm caused a bit of a hooey, but ya’ll mentioned something ‘bout a devourer before we went off tah find Pinkie.” Applejack said, gently pushing her way up to the front.

Pinkie flinched.

“Yes, I recall the conversation being quite a disturbing one. If The Devourer is truly here, I assume we are to take care of it, yes?” Rarity asked, taking a seat on the carpeted walkway.

Celestia gathered a breath, “My little ponies, do you know the history of The Elements of Harmony and why they hold such power?”

“…Ehh, something about a tree that The Pillars of Equestria planted…yadda…yadda,” Dash summed up, earning a mildly annoyed look from Twilight.

“—In a less careless explanation, The Elements of Harmony came from the Tree of Harmony. These artifacts were harvested to protect the realm from a multitude of threats.”

“Yes, that is correct,” Celestia affirmed, “but thousands of years ago there was no threat big enough for such a power. There were occasionally petty wars, mediocre villains, and little disputes that only called for a spout of magic. The Elements of Harmony were given to us to balance order and chaos.”

“I’m sure you can fit the pieces together. If there are artifacts to balance order and chaos, there are sure to be beings of each one.” Luna added, climbing down the marble staircase to join with The Elements below.

“Ah’m certain that was a nod to Discord,” Applejack said, Fluttershy agreeing with a bob of her head.

“Yes, Discord is a prime example. He is a being of chaos, but he is not the only or strongest of the tier.”

Luna added to her sister’s explanation, “there was an imbalance. Long ago, before my banishment or even Discord’s imprisonment, there was a being of baleful chaos. She was a user of forbidden magic, stealer of souls, and summoner of sins.”

I recoiled. Summoner of Sins? That was a new one. My race was part of the chaos faction, so I wasn't necessarily shocked to hear that. I didn’t know a lot about the years I was possessed by my demonic side, so this was news to me.

Celestia’s mouth looked dry, “demons can only enter our world through dark magic. Black Magic, in technical terms. Yet, The Devourer….she wasn’t summoned here.”

“No—” a voice interjected.

I could feel a cold spike of anxiety ripple up my spine in response. That voice…there was no mistaking it.

The floor hummed.

“—She was born.”

Stepping out from a cloak of shadows, two paws hardly disguisable from the darkness hiding them, slid into view. He had materialized from what seemed like thin air. An omnipresent being, able to shift and distort into a space he had not occupied. His legs had the girth of a pillar, his tail was meaty and barbed, spiked with enough daggers to fill a shed.

The Titan was jaw-dropping. His sheer size could wash the throne room in his shadow. No manticore could ever hope to achieve such a regal appearance as The Titan of the North.

“….Is that…”

Even in her thoughts, Pinkie's breath was taken away.

“Yes,” I began, “that is Coeus.”

His voice was a baritone so deep you could feel the vibration emitting from it. The tone was enough to express the group's feelings through their eyes.

“…What…” Twilight sputtered, “what is—”

“This is our adversary, Coeus. His very power is what gave The Elements their existence.” Luna announced, stepping aside to avoid the Titan’s lumbering wake.

How she could stand beside him so casually spoke volumes of how ignorant her opinion of him was. Luna had no idea what he was capable of.

“Forgive my intrusion. The Devourer your kind speaks of was once family of mine. Maybe it is controversial for me to defend what little respect she has earned, but I believe there should be a bit of an elaboration on my part.”

I could feel my blood boiling. He had the audacity to speak on my behalf? To…to lie and demean me by saying he wanted to defend what I was? He didn't have the slightest crumb of sympathy for me. A Titan jumping through hoops to try and gain the favors of mortals was not uncommon, but it was laughable how I was the only one who knew not to fall for it.

“Yes, my kind did gift the mortals the foundation which built all you see. The very earth you walk on is a generous offering. The water, the sky—they are all pieces of Titans.”

"Wait…now wait a minute," Applejack interrupted, "ah'm confused. What's this gotta do with this here, Devourer. What're Titans?"

"Ah, I tend to ramble instead of practicing simplicity. If I may, I would like to return back to the explanation of order and chaos," Coeus asked, extending his paw toward Celestia as if asking for permission.

She nodded for him to go on.

“Just as you have Pillars of Equestria, the base or foundation, I like to call it—there are also Pillars of the Universe. I am one. Gaia, your Tree of Harmony, is another. Your planet is the body of Mother Earth, the Mother of Titans.”

“Wait, wait, you’re saying that Gods…like as in old legends debunked…by…by…science…is an actual thing?” Twilight questioned, her voice laced with absolute disbelief.

Coeus’ eyes twinged with a bit of a scoff. It nearly changed them from a medallion gold to a muddled bronze.

“No, we do not call ourselves Gods. That term is claimed by pompous beings who wish to abuse it. It is a word that is loosely thrown. One being with the might of lightning and a thirst for worship has sadly mistaken his status as divine. The sun provides for and nurtures your planet—does that make it a God?”

“Ah…umm, ah don’t think so?” Applejack said.

"No, it does not. Titans are functioning threads of the universe, but we are in no way boastful about it. Gods only wish to flaunt their power. Titans keep the balance. When that balance is broken, it is we who repair it. The Devourer, in a way, is the other side of the scale. Unfortunately, her existence has tipped the world into a chaos in which I must quell."

“So…not to speed this up because I am so totally exhausted,” Dash fiddled with the back of her head before nervously chuckling the rest, “but what’s this ya know…gotta do with us?’

“Let me tell you a story,” Coeus stopped, the carved lines etched in his face radiated a soft glow.

The group stumbled back as the floor twisted and writhed to display a moving hologram. Instead of tile, it now spread into an active field of battle. Coeus rolled his paw above it as if to scroll through his memory. He passed over fallen soldiers, each clashing blade making the mares grimace before he fell onto an empty clearing.

“…Before our meeting with The Devourer, I had been brought into a torn land. There had been enough wheat for every mouth, enough water to gorge a village, enough stone to build every individual a lavish stronghold—but there was no harmony. Unicorns, earth ponies, and pegasi alike pillaged and enslaved those they could to survive.”

I heard whinnies. The smoke danced to reveal silhouettes mashing together, fire outlining their actions. One pony forced a sword through the other’s chest, a pegasus fell from the sky due to a haven of arrows—swallowed by the field of fire.

I saw the mares rub at their throats when swords sliced through those in the hologram. They all suddenly became squeamish from the scene.

"…The mortals prayed for a savior. The Gods, daring to claim themselves as protectors, allowed their pleas to fall on deaf ears. Gaia, the nurturing mother of your world, was the only one listening to their prayers. Unhappy with the discord, she sent your kind salvation—a Titan tasked to restore balance. I, Coeus, was that Titan. There were nations too dominant to overthrow by steel and shield, alone. The ones who were forced to eat scraps begged for liberation. These kingdoms refused to share the gifts Gaia humbly provided for them, and so, she demanded the wars be laid to rest."

This was bullcrap. Coeus didn’t do any of this…there was no war I could remember. Everglade was a peaceful nation, one that never saw combat.

"There was one individual that had a dire role in this tale. At the time, he was no king. He was a stable rat, Blaive SteelChaser, a meager blacksmith who spent his fair years smelting helmets and novice swords. Gaia decided to choose this young stallion to wield the mind and power of a Titan. She saw into his heart and empathized with his desire for a better world. So, she came to him with a deal. He would raise me, care for me, and use me to do Gaia's work. In return, I would free the planet. I was a symbol, yet not the hilt of a sword—I was the blade."

My father? The stallion he murdered? This was ridiculous, untrue. He was born a king…he wasn't a war veteran!

“…Mena…what is he talking about?”

Her voice was faint. I was pressing my hooves down on the ground so hard I feared it would shatter. These were lies!

"His speeches were grand, my influence as a savior his propaganda. This gained him many followers. With armies in numbers so great, no grass could be seen when they marched, my purpose was finished. He should have stopped there, but his heart was filled with vengeance. For each day, he remembered that they were tortured, starved, belittled—he took a thousand lives. There was no longer balance. No longer did he wish to end wars. He craved to start them. My path was darkened, and I was lost in amorality. Blaive was unstoppable so long as he brandished his sword, with his grip so tight on my hilt, I was numbed by my father's vision. It was only when we scoured the remains of our last battle did that vision change. There, in the rubble, untouched was she—a child."

There were mountains of ash, cracked cobble. The fields were as still as the grave. Vultures picked at fallen soldiers, crows avoided cages of flames, but in the middle of it…

…was me.

I was swaddled in a blanket eaten away by fire, yet, I was not burned. I could see a miniature version of Coeus and my father approaching the crushed cradle. Their faces were brushed in soot, Blaive’s sword glittered in the firelight.

Coeus continued, "the child radiated a curious aura as I did. I observed my father Blaive weep at the sight of her. The fractured world had birthed a demon—one made of flesh, born from a mother as mortals were. It was hearsay, madness, for such a monstrosity to exist. It was not possible, yet there she was. A demon could not be conceived, only summoned. Blaive found the blame in himself. His bloodlust had caused chaos that disrupted the balance of good and evil. He believed she was here as a punishment. So, he sought to bury his past."

This was impossible…it had to be. I was found in rubble but not by destruction that Blaive caused…the fortress was damaged by ravagers…he said this to me. I remember it!

"He retired his blade. No longer a tyrant but a benevolent king. Blaive knew he had betrayed Gaia. Although skeptical, he believed Mother Earth had a role in the demon's birth. Those that survived took an oath of sworn secrecy. My father spent his next years repairing the world he had broken. He was terrified of her. If she had known what she was and how she came to be, he feared she would punish the world in fire and brimstone. The prophecy of Armageddon. The battle between good and evil. One to restore balance.”

“Mena," a voice squeaked. I was too disoriented to catch it at first. "Your Cutie Mark…it’s a balance scale.”

It…was.

My mark was not a symbol of talent. I had mentioned how it acted as a moral compass. I didn't earn the mark as others did theirs. I was born with it. From the moment I could waddle to the mirror as an infant, I could see it looking back at me.

I was appalled and angry—this couldn’t be true.

"…He raised that child as his own. He filled her head with lies. My father reared her alongside me. He hoped to repel her desire for destruction by covering up the bones she was found upon. I knew better. He only wished to revert the ridiculous notion in his head. I never believed his extremities, not then. She was an anomaly, but I theorized my father was going mad from the crimes he had done. Obsessed with a child he found, spitting nonsense about hell on earth. Yet, there was some truth to it."

The hologram changed to a fuzzy image of my adolescence. A crown of opulent gold adorned my head, tulips were woven between the locks of my hair. My heart clenched at the sight of it. I was young, foolish, an idiot to believe things would stay that way. I only had good things to say about my father. He was wise beyond his years. To hear….such….blasphemy about our king was sickening to the point of nausea!

"One day, as I was basking in the rays above me, a tree sprouted from my paws with a voice. This was the first time my mother had spoken to me. She had observed Blaive's crimes. They infuriated her, even more so when he hid them. Gaia no longer saw him as her hoof in the world, and because of it, she wished to take his gift away. All that he had built, all that he had stolen, was to be wiped from the face of the earth. I was to do it. She did not want a war. She wanted annihilation. I voiced my plea to spare the demon, who I had grown fond of, but Mother Earth did not wish for that evil to be in her realm. For it was unnatural."

The image distorted for a second to show a young Coeus upon a forsaken hill. A crystallized tree hung over him, swaying to an invisible breeze. Everglade shimmered behind him, its solid and hearty walls standing tall and stout. The drawbridge showed a flow of ponies streaming into the town square, unaware of the encounter upon the distant hill.

"I begged my father to bend the knee to Gaia. He did not. He believed his cause was far more righteous. He told me that Gaia would try and destroy the demon to hide her influence, but he would not allow it. He wished to right her wrongs alongside his own. To wash the blood off his hooves by changing the fate that he predicted would come from the demon. I left my home. I wandered for many days and many nights, thinking about my purpose. I took with me the seeds that would sprout into The Elements you know today. With them, I was to destroy the falsified glory that Blaive had amassed. I could not deny Gaia, and so I obeyed. I returned to set fire to all my father had built. With The Elements, I turned his kingdom into ashes. Perhaps it was fate to rain fire upon him as he feared. There was one mistake I had made, however. My attachment to my sister kept me from remembering what she was, I spared her, and she became what Blaive foresaw."

As if the daydream fell into darkness, it became the face of a nightmare. A black creature with an unhinging jaw frothed with foam stood frozen within the hologram. Its teeth were prickled, its eyes a hollow glare. The slathering creature gave my heart a coiled squeeze, enough to make me hold my breath.

Its eyes…were my eyes.

They were no longer soft and rounded. They were bitter and slit. As if it could hear my thoughts, the image gave a stentorian roar. It ruffled the mares physically, causing their fur to stand up like quills on their back.

….What….was I?

An army of undead stumbled behind the beast. Their eyes were glowing a soulless green, their jaws moaning, and their unfit armor rubbing against each other.

There in the back was a wyrm. His mouth held within it trapped soldiers. Longro.

"I could not reason with my sister. The demon spoke an indecipherable tongue. My sister was rabid, unable to control what had been dormant in her for so long. Gaia was enraged when she discovered I had let her live. She sent me to far-away lands to correct what I had done, to reinforce The Elements. There, I served your Princesses, hoping to be rid of the curse that had befallen the earth."

Celestia finally added her thoughts, “Coeus came to us for help, which was after The Tree of Harmony had spoken to us. Gaia, given a physical form, blessed us with the tools to fight The Devourer. We lost many good ponies. For three horrendous years, she brought exactly what Blaive predicted—fire and brimstone. No crops would grow, sunlight was never seen from the clouds of smoke, demons ran wild devouring us…hunting us."

“She summoned…..thousands,” Luna feebly added.

"And so, with every fiber of my being…I used The Elements of Harmony once again. I succeeded just narrowly. She was buried beneath Equestria to perish. I was heartbroken. Although she had been lost, I didn't wish for her end. After I had exhausted my power, I retreated into the cosmos to heal and to meditate."

Celestia and Luna were silent. Although they loathed me, part of them felt sympathetic toward Coeus’ story.

“You’re….you’re saying,” Twilight trailed off, “that THING is here? It…it eats souls…it-it—”

“—We can’t stop her! Are you kidding me? If this giant Element producing machine can’t kick her to the curb, whatya want us to do?” Dash hollered, quickly reigned back to earth by Applejack.

"Dash, catch yer breath. We don't even have a plan yet. Ah'm going to be real honest. She sounds mighty dangerous. Ah can't imagine we're going to saddle up without our Elements, right?"

“Yes. Even as a Titan using them all at once in their prime exhausted me. Gaia tasked herself with the mission to spread their power into six different vessels. While I healed, these surrogate ponies would take up the mantle of this world’s protector. She wishes for a world of complete harmony, a golden age.” Coeus finished, turning off the vicious hologram with a wave of his paw.

I watched the abomination he claimed me to be shimmer into dust. Gone, reverted back to tile. I was left in disarray. I-I…I killed that many? No, no I didn't. He was lying. My father wasn't a warlord. I didn't harm that many! I wasn't in denial it didn't happen! It...it couldn't have...

—but could I really argue that it was untrue? I didn’t remember those years.

Pinkie’s body was ice-cold. I could feel the mist around me thicken into a glacial worry. She was conflicted, scared…

….scared of me.

“He’s lying, right?” Pinkie asked, a raspy plea in her voice.

I didn't know….for the first time in thousands of years, I felt like a villain. That creature was a shock even to me. I couldn't say if it was true or not to Pinkie. I had to lie, just for now, I had to get out of here…I had to know.

Was my whole life a façade?

“Is it true?" Pinkie parroted. This time her voice strengthened.

I was panicking…my breathing was labored. Pinkie's subconscious was spacious but it was tightening. I couldn't see them, but I felt like there were squishing walls. This couldn't be…lying through their teeth…they had to be—but Celestia wouldn't lie to them. Coeus, maybe, but what would that serve?

Why would they lie…why would they lie?

Even if I did those things, I didn't mean to! My family was murdered, burned alive! I reacted, changed, and had no control of it…I didn't even know I was capable! I didn't regret a single moment of my desire to tear Coeus to ribbons…I didn't…he was a psychopathic liar!

“…it is…isn’t it?”

Pinkie's voice….was devastated. I had drowned in my fears and my worry. It had blinded me. She could feel my emotions…I had failed to hide them. I panicked, I messed up, and now Pinkie knew.

“…Pinkie….no that’s—”

My lips were sticky. I couldn’t get what I wanted to say out of my throat.

“—Are you using me…to destroy The Elements of Harmony? Is that why you chose me?”

No, I wasn't using Pinkie…well, I was, but not like that! If I wanted to permanently break the Elements of Harmony I would have killed Pinkie like my demon—

….my demon.

…like my demon wanted to.

Oh no…

“…Why….why would you do this?” I shouted, I didn’t care who heard me until the demon spoke.

“¥ðµ å§kêÐ mê †ð kïll †hê †ï†åñ. ¥ðµ wåñ†êÐ rêvêñgê. Ì ÐêlïvêrêÐ. £ðr †hrêê ¥êår§ wê rêïgñêÐ. Ì ¢åñ £ïñï§h whå† ¥ðµ å§kêÐ ð£ mê. Lê† mê £ê姆 ðñ †hê mðr†ål. Wê ¢åñ £ïñï§h †hï§ †ðgê†hêr.”

"Coeus?" A voice asked. It took me a moment to realize it was not a thought.

No, Pinkie had said his name out loud.

My heart thundered. I was dead…it was over…I knew Pinkie wouldn’t understand. I was an enemy to them…I would always be an enemy. Her face was stiff, ashen, and her body was trembling. She was breaking.

My brother hummed, turning his gaze to Pinkie Pie. I shivered under it.

She was overtaken by emotion…I had to stop her, and I had to do it now.

“Pinkie, we can discuss this later! You have to calm down!”

I was ignored.

“You destroyed Everglade, even knowing your sister didn’t understand. Why would you do that to her?”

"She believed I was riddled with jealously for the throne. I had no intention of sitting upon that chair of bones. Blaive chose her to be his successor for his selfish preservation and that alone. He tried to revert fate. I tried to reason with her, but she believed the illusion with so much heart, she didn't wish to leave. A demon does not burn. I knew this when I assaulted the walls. I went to find my sister in the ashes, but all I found was the monster I had accidentally allowed into existence."

Pinkie’s eyes bounced from tile to tile, “but there has to be more! Those ponies…you hurt them!”

“—that is the nature of war,” Coeus said. “Civilians turn into soldiers, fields turn into battlegrounds. I was swift…it was quick. Just as I couldn’t blame my sister, they were under the rule of Blaive. If he declared war…they would march. Gaia did not want blood to run like rivers throughout her earth, and so, annihilation was her gift.”

“We don’t wish to repeat our mistakes. War is damaging for each side. That is why we ask for your aid. We need to stop The Devourer before she can bestow another era of burning rain,” Luna said, visibly quivering due to a vision I could not foretell.

“There’s gotta be more to it! There has to be!” Pinkie shouted, spreading confusion throughout the room.

“Pinkie?” Twilight voiced, on the fence.

"No, you are exactly right. There is, but I am sure Pinkamena is just as bewildered as you are," Coeus disclosed. My heart froze along with Pinkie's entire body. "Young one, I never mentioned the name of Blaive's kingdom, my homeland. How long has she been whispering in your ear?"

“P-P…” Fluttershy stammered, “Pinkamena?!”

No…No….No!!

“Pinkie’s illusion? The one Fluttershy told us about?!” Dash asked shrilly, I hardly was able to hear her over Fluttershy hyperventilating.

"….I….I—" Pinkie's voice was shaky. My vision was growing smaller and smaller.

It was over.

Coeus knew.