In the future

"...and that was the first time I experienced death. On my darkest days in the corpse pit, I would pray for it to come... but I was too much of a coward to end it myself." I told Cadence, who looked more and more disturbed as I continued. Celestia left to raise the sun and attend her court - for even I am not important enough to stop the passage of the solar cycle, or delay the process of a matriarchy leader putting in effort for her recovering kingdom to bolster against the oncoming destruction from foreign lands - and has left her niece to hear everything in my steed.

I told Celestia that I was willing to wait, mostly because I couldn't stand her niece, but after a heated reply on how time is of the essence and how she has the task of negotiating tensions that have been broken and reformed, Celestia settled on Cadence relaying information to her. Luck would grace the Solar Matriarch, for the Princess of Love barged in here when she heard of my capture.

===
Princess Mi Amore Cadenza
Level: 350
Species: Alicorn
Title(s): Embodiment of True Love
===

HP: 1,000,000/2,500,000
MP: 450,000/10,000,000

===

Status Effects:

• Ascension: Her physical stats are multiplied by 5, magic is 10 times more powerful, and age is no longer a concern.
• Anthropophobia: She is afraid of others.
• Nyctophobia; Afraid of the dark.
• Cibophobia; Terrified of eating food.
• Starved: Stamina and HP regeneration are reduced by 50%.
• Magic Core Severed: MP regeneration is severely reduced.
• Psychologically Scarred: Certain triggers can cause a psychotic episode.
• Bruised Fertility: It is now harder to have a child.

===

Weaknesses:

• The darkness: it will trigger her trauma when she was imprisoned under the castle.
• Those she cares for: she will hesitate if the lives of her loved ones are on the line.
• Emotionally vulnerable: what negative emotions others feel, Cadence feels 10 times more. (Highly Recommended)
• Shining Armor: he is her true love, and she will go through great lengths to make sure he is okay. (Extremely Recommended)

===
Description:
Cadence was an orphaned pegasus who would later be raised by earth ponies, filling their lives with much love and compassion, and would play the crucial role in reversing a love-stealing spell from the envious sorceress Prismia by using the sorceress' own magic against her and causing the sorceress to change her ways for the better. Later on, Celestia recognizes the traits of being a true princess within Cadence and her affinity for emotions. Celestia then transformed her into an alicorn and later adopted Cadence as her niece.

Time would be blissful for Cadence, as she would foal-sit young Twilight in her youth, and as she grew older she fell in love with Shining Armor; her true love. Over time, Cadence would eventually be loved and appreciated by her subjects, as she would always listen to their needs while being empathetic combined with her wonderful personality made her easy to approach. Yet after encountering the infamous Sweet Tooth, and the horrifying events she witnessed at her wedding, she is now an emotional wreck.
===

Time had not been kind to the Princess of Love.

Ever since her traumatic wedding, being stuck in the crystal caverns under the castle had made her sickly thin, and it only made it harder to restore lost nutrients as even the blandest meals would make her sick. She would always unconsciously look over her shoulder, as if another changeling would be there, in disguise, ready to abduct and torment her - Cadence never trusted any of the castle staff and would mostly spend her time barricaded in her room, only allowing her husband and Twilight to see her, but only on rare occasions as she would only respond to them instead. Celestia had to use her magic on Cadence's bedroom, blessing it with defensive wards and with dim artificial light so Cadence would have a peace of mind and get some sleep; the bags under her paranoid eyes had told a different story altogether. Just being outside her fortified room put her on edge, her bandaged hands would tremble, but she put it all aside just to see me.

Well, seeing might be difficult for her, considering she tried to gouge out her own eyes multiple times. The scars she inflicted on her face could have easily been mistaken for a wild beast; an appropriate analogy for when desperation and emotions are violently mixed under dire circumstances. From the perspective of an artist who has a macabre passion, I find it to be an improvement. I only wished it was my own hands that sculpted her into what she is, and not her sadistic trauma that haunts her.

But from the perspective of a storyteller? I find her constant interruptions and questions to be rude. Celestia knows when to stay quiet, and asked the appropriate questions. Cadence, on the other hand, would somehow lead conversations off-topic that would end in an emotional argument. I was foolish enough to engage, and yet every time I would be too angry to stop.

"When I respawned, I was back in the starting room again," I said. "The room itself hadn't changed, all the bones and the knife were still where I left them, but the rooms and paths outside did. The next time I had stepped out, the floor was made out of bones, and the monsters were the same shade of white, so they were able to hide before they leaped out-"

"You would be revived and start over?" She interrupted me again, asking questions that have already been answered, and yet I could tell she was trying to confirm something. A part of me will always despise how she is more aligned to emotions, rather than investigative prowess. At least Celestia knew I was a common factor with the events that lead to the current state of the world. "That sounds like Tartarus. So you did find immortality when you went there-"

"I was not in Tartarus." I corrected firmly, I didn't like being reminded of that place. "Compared to that place, the Punishment Zone was a minor inconvenience. You all think it's just flames and damnation, but there are layers to the torment it can bring. There was an entire area where it was just darkness; no light, sound, or smell. I thought I was dead if it wasn't for my heart beating in my chest. That was the only sound I heard, and it was the same noise that attracted the things that lurk in the darkness."

The disturbance on her face was a welcomed sight, and it slowly turned into an expression of denial. It's her fault after all; she is the one who brought it up. I had hoped that she would stop pestering me about that place, but even then my philosophy of never having expectations for those who will disappoint me gets reinforced every time. "But you said you kept coming back to life when you were killed!" She protested, as if what I said was a lie. Why is Cadence so interested in immortality when she has already acquired it? "There are tales of you plundering Tartarus!"

"Those stories just get mixed up, and the rest is twisted or exaggerated. Did I explore Tartarus? Yes, but it was an unwilling exploration." I stressed out the word. "Did I benefit from it? Of course, I did; some of the items I am wearing and the ones you confiscated are proof enough. But did I find the methods to obtain immortality when I was plundering it? No, that happened much earlier."

"But how did you pull off what you did in the Zebra Lands?" She persisted, there was a hint of desperation in her voice too. "How did you make Zecora immortal?"

"It's complicated, and yet at the same time, very simple - can I please get back to telling my story?"

"But-!"

"Or I could tell you about what I did to Zecora, but then you'll just end up disappointing your aunt," I said, which caught her off guard. "Remember why Celestia tasked you with listening to me: it's not to answer your out-of-nowhere demands, it's to understand why the world is on the brink of collapse, why leaders of certain nations are about to kill each other while one of them is about to engage in a bloody civil war. If your questions for immortality is far more important than the innocent lives of the world - who have family, loved ones, children - then all you have to do is say it!"

"W-What?"

"Just say that immortality is more important than innocent lives!" I said with a giggle. "Do that, and I'll tell you how I made Zecora immortal, but that story is very long, which will require me to skip crucial details of past events, and it will only cost your aunt the time she could have used to help fix everything! So go on... say it."

Her mouth opened, her hands started trembling. "I-I...please, just-"

"SAY THE EXACT WORDS!" I screamed, the chains that bound me to the bed rattled, causing the traumatized princess to flinch with a yelp. I waited a good minute for a response. Nothing. "No? Then stop interrupting me, and stop asking me about immortality. If you don't, I promise, I will do something extreme..." I honestly didn't know what I was going to do, but it will be unforgettable; destruction condensed and focused onto a single alicorn. "And if you are dumb enough like my previous captors, thinking that somehow I can't hurt you when being bound, then you are in for a very, very painful surprise."

In the past

I was back in the cubical room.

There was never a shortage of carnage inflicted on my body. The beats that stalk the ever-changing halls were feral and hungry for my destruction and pair, nonetheless, and I was left to run and hide. The stealthy abominations of white chitin were not my executioners this time, for they had attempted to disembowel me; my fate was met when stumbling upon a pressure plate of organic nerve endings.

The texture of such a macabre device had set me on edge. How the area around me lurched and shifted, easily pictured in the mind which caused alertness that forced my heart to quickly beat, my brain to stimulate, my blood to pump. Sadly, however, the same could not be said for my body; still as stone with shock and realization.

It all came to fruition when a rain of sharp teeth greeted me from above. Even with my Constitution low, and with my pain-sensitivity high, I had felt no ounce of despair for my short-lived attempt for freedom. Truth be told, I was hoping to perish.

The multiple notifications rewarded me so.

Due to exerting physical effort, your CON and AGI has increased by 1!

Due to being in a hostile environment, the skill [Sense Danger] has been acquired!

Sense Danger Level: 1

Survival Instinct is biologically integrated; this ability allows the user to sense when bad things are about to occur, or when being watched by those with ill intent.

• With higher skill levels and WIS, the sooner you can sense incoming danger.

Due to being hunted by carnivorous abominations, the skill [Detect Bloodlust] has been acquired!

Detect Bloodlust Level: 1
There is a reason why prey can exist; this ability allows the user to feel bloodlust and its origin within range.

• Range is determined by skill level and INT.
• Accuracy is determined by skill level and WIS.

Due to experiencing physical trauma, the skill [Physical Resistance] has been acquired!

Physical Resistance Level: 1

The body is capable of adapting when exposed to extreme trauma; this skill allows the user’s body to develop a defense against physical sources.

• Reduces all incoming physical damage by 0.5%.

It wasn't enough.

I rushed to the iron door. I ignored how it growled like a hungry beast. In a way, it was like me.

I opened it and stepped outside. "Again."

As I ran away from the gelatinous cube of acid, [Sense Danger] flared as I leaped forward into the next room, avoiding the trap as spikes made out of bones erupted from the ground.

And pierced the gelatinous cube. It screamed with unrelenting agony before becoming a softening silent thing of sludge.

"I hope it's not dead," It would ruin my plans for this place. "[Observe]."

[Digestive Slime] Level 31

A complicated organism that lives a simple life in the belly of an unspeakable beast. These creatures exist to break down large objects or creatures for easy digestion for their host.

So I am in a stomach, which means I am food. Screaming, thrashing, and forever digested in the belly of the beast. "At least it isn't dead." I tried to find some way to cheer myself as my plan can continue - it was the only thing keeping me going - but I was in another dead end with a monolith of star-spawned terror carved on its slimy surface. "I wonder..."

I used [Observe] on the monolith.

A crumb of cosmic truth; dark knowledge in mundane form; the foul intent of ghastly humor by primal forces who are the gate and the key for revelation and madness. These monoliths contain fragments of greater knowledge, but even in a written form, the information causes great suffering for those who foolishly gaze upon it. When enough of these horrible truths are learned, the reader will cross a mental boundary that cannot be undone.

[Observe] has leveled up!

Language of the Old Gods activated once more. Just a mere glance at the words caused me to be enchanted to continue, but it was not due to magic influencing my mind, but sinful curiosity. "The Grey Binding: a ritual liquid of death and agony poured onto a prepared corpse; within the hour of constant chants, the body starts to stir and creates a feral undead that cannot be controlled. If the body isn't prepared beforehand, it shall decay into incapacity." I was reminded of the corpse pit in the Griffon Empire. "No... no, I'm just overthinking things... am I?"

[Detect Bloodlust] caused me to move as the Digestive Slime crashed into the monolith, eating away the dark secrets as it gathered itself before splitting apart in a lightning-fast burst that scattered itself everywhere. I managed to dodge a few before I was caught.

I watched as my flesh melted into a fine sludge before bubbling away into a puddle. The agonizing sensation flooded my senses as the rest of the Digestive Slimes leaped on top of me, my blood oozing out of my liquidated flesh, staining these creatures a frightening crimson.

Then I was back in the starting room.

[Observe], [Sense Danger], and [Detect Bloodlust] has leveled up by 2!

For reading disturbing knowledge, your INT has increased by 5!

You have discovered a dark fragment of ritual knowledge! Unlike normal spells, rituals take a long time to prepare and cast, but have a short duration and can easily backfire on the caster!

QUEST: Glutton for Knowledge(1)!
As disturbing as it is, the mental strain of these horrifying secrets does not affect you due to [Gamer's Mind]! With this protection, you can learn these horrifying rituals of evil!
-Find the other fragments of knowledge to complete this ritual!
-Search for information called the Grey Binding! (COMPLETED)
-Search for information called the Graveyard Kiss!
-Search for the information called Create Zombi!
REWARD:
-Ritual:

Magic was something I was envious of others; I once studied Celestia's history and Star Swirl the Bearded's notes on her developing magic in a naive effort to impress the Solar Matriarch. But her attention was always somewhere else, no matter how hard I tried. In the end, another alicorn took up all of her attention and I was left with nothing but the wasted effort that amounted to broken hopes. The only time Celestia ever paid attention to me during that time, was when she scolded me for attempting to recreate the war magic that was utilized when Equestria wasn't united, and wouldn't hesitate to unleash their malice in arcane form. She looked so disappointed, and I felt it.

Now I feel cheated.

It was petty and outright illogical for feeling so, but I could have done more than learning a few offensive magics of the unicorns. Granted, there was no way I would know ahead of time that I would end up where I am now, and I wouldn't even think about using magic since I wasn't able to do so before I awakened my power... but a feral, irrational part of me screams within about the folly of seeking Celestia's approval, how it had stopped me, and now it fuels my motivation to prove her wrong!

For I have an MP bar now; Magic Points that have only increased when my INT grew for discovering horrifying knowledge.

I gathered my hands together and recalled upon my short-lived studies in the castle, how I have engrossed in the tales of violence and war; the creativity of it all, and how it could be improved. I repressed my dark imagination out of fear for disapproval, and now I embrace it with reckless and spite!

I saw it. I finally saw the mote of magic that I envied, and what should have been a moment of joy was easily eradicated; substituted for ambition as I poured more and more MP into it. I condensed it until it was unstable and bright, and forced it to spin, before elongating the damn thing before my reserves ran out. My childish imagination and ambition were halted when the magic exploded in my hands, sending me flying upward, and gravity proved to be my executioner.

I was entangled with the rusty chains that ate into my flesh as I descended, and I only stopped when one of the hooks on their ends pierced through my neck and curved out through my mouth. The metal binds went taut with a shudder, echoing throughout the room and I screamed and thrashed, shaking the rusty chains.

Spell creation failed! You don't have enough MP to create the desired effects!

Due to experiencing magical damage, you have gained the skill [Magic Resistance]!

Due to hazardous materials entering your body, you have gained the skill [Poison Resistance]!

Your CON has increased by 2!

[Physical Resistance] has increased by 1!

'Again...!' I thought before closed my eyes and let my newly-discovered {Poisoned} status drain my HP down to zero.

For reading many monoliths containing dark truths, you have gained the perk: Degrading Mind over Flesh! Your total HP is reduced by 25%!

For raising your INT to 50, you have gained the perk: Small Magic Affinity! The potency of magic attacks and defenses are increased by 15%! MP regeneration is increased by 15%!

So much time had passed down here. I don't have a mechanical device of tracking time, nor does my power have a function to show me the passing days of my life, but I grew older. I felt older. What little hair I had scratched off my scalp had started to grow back and down to my shoulders. That was my only indication that time has passed.

Finding monoliths wasn't the hard part; getting pass the abominations that stalk the flesh-ridden halls, traps, and navigating the pathways was the biggest challenge as I would brutally die before reaching one. I've been lucky in the past, but it had run out. Even after reading more disturbing facts that should have never been written down, I was able to meet the requirements for . But in searching for the missing knowledge, I had not found the specific monoliths I was seeking, which caused me to gain more quests to discover even more rituals.

QUEST: Glutton for Knowledge(2)!
As disturbing as it is, the mental strain of these horrifying secrets does not affect you due to [Gamer's Mind]! With this protection, you can learn these horrifying rituals of evil!
-Find the other fragments of knowledge to complete this ritual!
-Search for information called the Seven Cuts!
-Search for the information called Spirit's Bane! (COMPLETED)
REWARD:
-Ritual:

QUEST: Glutton for Knowledge(3)!
As disturbing as it is, the mental strain of these horrifying secrets does not affect you due to [Gamer's Mind]! With this protection, you can learn these horrifying rituals of evil!
-Find the other fragments of knowledge to complete this ritual!
-Search for information called the Cerebral Acuity!
-Search for the information called Erudite Addition! (COMPLETED)
-Search for the information called Scholar's Chorus!
REWARD:
-Ritual:

I should have stopped. Degrading Mind over Flesh showed me that even knowledge contained in mental capacity can have physical consequences... but I wasn't satisfied. I hungered for more knowledge, the disturbing effects they can do, and the increase of my INT. All the skills I have were at least above level 40, all because of self-inflicted harm and repeated use. Leveling [Observe] was easy when I had to face a new layout of the outside horrors every time I step outside. [Sense Danger] and [Detect Bloodlust] was constantly being stimulated with constant exposure to macabre traps and terrifying monsters.

[Physical Resitance] was a challenge as I had to sharpen one of the bones of the filly I devoured into a shiv - I would never touch the eldritch knife I received, as it would somehow appear next to me whenever I look away - and repeatedly stab myself over and over again.

All of it contributed to increasing my other stats too, from the self-abuse to the suicidal attempts outside, it would all pay off in the long run.

I held out my hand again to channel the magic from a time of war, modified from my childish imagination of innocent intent for improved carnage.

It manifested.

I packed it with magic.

I spun it.

I elongated it.

Even as it fell apart, unstable and relentless, I made sure it held together with nothing more than determination and spite; no matter how much time had passed I wanted to prove Celestia wrong!

Due to a specific action, the skill [Spiral Magic Bomb] has been created!

Spiral Magic Bomb Level: 1
An extreme variant of the Magic Missle spell created by the unicorns when the three pony tribes were at war with each other; a spell that allowed for great counter-measures against any pegasus for it could track the target while increasing in velocity. However, this spell proved ineffective against earth ponies, as their tough exterior was too strong, and the creation of the spell focused more on tracking the target rather than brute force. Even an alert pegasus was able to out-maneuver this spell with sheer speed and acrobatics. However, this skill had been improved; the projectile spins which allows it to penetrate defenses, being condensed with enough magic to explode on impact, and is elongated to reduce air resistance for increased speed.

• Fires a magic projectile that loosely follows its target.
• Defense penetration, projectile speed, blast radius, and damage, increases with INT and skill level.
• Number of projectiles per cast: 1
• MP cost per cast: 500

Now I can continue, but not with exploration beyond the cubical room.

"AGAIN!" I shouted with ambition, and without hesitation, I bit into the projectile of magic with the chomping power akin to a wolf.

I was blind from the blast as my head exploded.

[Magic Resistance] has leveled up!

In the future

"...then I did it over and over again," I concluded. "Harming myself, casting the spell, improving them both as I recklessly destroyed my body over and over again; it wasn't painless either, but if you have regenerative immortality, you don't waste it. Especially if you can profit from it."

"Does that mean you're a unicorn?" She inspected my face, my mask, trying to find some protrusion coming out of my skull. "Or did your cut it off and use an artifact to channel your magic instead?"

"Yes and no," I said. "I did use an item to amplify my magic abilities, but it wasn't an artifact, it was something I crafted for myself with what I had. But no, I don't have a horn. I'm not a unicorn."

"I thought you didn't lie," Cadence said, giving me a questioning look. "How could you cast magic if you're not a unicorn?"

"How do items have magical properties despite not being an organic being?" I countered. "It just does, Cadence. Why do I have magic? I just do because of my power."

"Like how those ''stats' of yours also increase your overall performance," At least she had been paying attention, although Celestia wouldn't have bothered with the minor details unless I drew great importance for it. Even though Cadence had gotten it right, she framed her statement as if it were a question, leaving room for uncertainty due to skepticism. "Which means your 'Intelligence' stat made you smarter."

"It's a powerful boon," I agreed. It was easier to talk when she isn't pestering me with questions of Zecora or immortality. "New ideas and strategies, concepts to solutions I never would have thought before, but it also made me grasp the horror of the knowledge I discovered." I like to think that [Gamer's Mind] kept me sane, and blinded me to the ever-growing consequences of the learning forbidden knowledge... but a more cynical aspect of my personality disagreed; I simply did not care, for I had wanted the power that was only a monolith away.

"Like your modified Magic Missle spell," Cadence said as she glared at me. "Unicorns made that to defend themselves, but you twisted that into something sinister."

"Which is one of the points I'm making here," I said. "My imagination was my greatest strength, and Celestia punished me for it-"

"Aunty wouldn't discourage imagination!" Cadence protested. "She isn't that type of mare!"

"The harsh words I received from her when I was in the castle says otherwise," I let out a huff. "You know, I've been stabbed before, but her words had somehow hurt more. Even after all this time they still upset me."

"I'm sure Aunty had her reasons," Cadence defended. "But you couldn't have lived in the castle - somepony would have remembered you!"

"It's because nopony cared enough to remember me," I explained. "And frankly, after starting over with a new identity, I was fine with that. My new life began after I escaped the Punishment Zone, and I made sure to leave my old life behind."

"Then why tell me about your time in the Punishment Zone?"

"Can you not understand it?" I asked. "It's to make you realize that at a young age, I was already in possession of terrifying secrets, a powerful mind, and a very sadistic imagination. That should help you make sure which rumors are true, and what events were actually caused by me."

"There are tales of you being a prodigy in magic manipulation when you were a child," Cadence said, looking disturbed, and hesitant to ask, "...Was that story of you making zombie foals true?"

"Of course," I nodded. "But it was to see if I could do it, not some cliche desire to not be alone anymore and a warped desire for companionship." On those days in my past, I wished I was alone, but life had taken a sharp turn into something undesirable. It always had, and I was constantly reminded of it.

"...Is the rumor about using those foals to murder their terrified parents also true?"

"Oh definitely!" I let out a bark of laugher. It was nice to be reminded of more positive memories. "I wanted to see if emotions will get in the way of saving your own life; even when I gave the poor souls custom weapons and armor, they couldn't muster the courage to defend themselves!" I let out a content sigh. "I will always cherish those days in my youth-"

"You... you monster!" She stood up to scream at me, righteous fury in her voice, and water in her damaged eyes. For a moment, the traumatized princess had been replaced with the living example of empathy. "H-How could you do something so cruel - why would you even do something like that?!"

"I was curious." I shrugged - as best as I could when bound with magical chains - as I wasn't even phased by her outburst. I've faced worse. "I was confused about something I heard and thought it was stupid, and made a bet to be proven right - which I won, and I celebrated by eating the remains of the parents whose faces were frozen into frightening agony."

"...!" She sputtered something, but no words could manifest and communicate the shock and fury she radiates. Her fists were clenched. Her horn channeled what little magic she could muster. She stepped forward-!

"If you hit me, Celestia loses her chance to bring peace to the world," I reminded her, freezing her in her tracks. "You are aware of the power of my contracts, and Celestia told you of the one she and I made before leaving. Are you going to risk it all for petty satisfaction? I mean, you could, but there will be consequences. If not for you, then the whole world - but if you do hit me, make sure Celestia is in the room: I want to see her face before I die-"

"I'm not going to hit you!" She sat back down in her chair, her magic dissipated, her fists began to loosen. "But I will forever despise you for what you did!"

"Good, I prefer it that way," I said. "Back then I was a glutton - for knowledge, flesh, and power - I wasn't satisfied no matter what, and it only made me crave more. Even the smallest bits of curiosity was enough to make me pursue it. Developing a bad habit like that was, if I'm being honest, one of the good things that had happened to me."

"Obsession with power is never good; those who do so will only bring harm to themselves or others!"

"Cadence, in the Punishment Zone I eventually developed pseudo-precognition!" And I am certainly not going to feel bad or apologize for doing so; I despise her righteous attitude, the black-and-white morals in her tone. "I learned how to reanimate corpses for crying out loud! Even my stats grew sharply due to reading monoliths and the brutality of the creatures killing me over and over again! I will not be a fool and waste the opportunity, no matter what the sacrifice. I was devoted to continuing my progress; I fantasized about becoming the personification of a natural disaster!"

"Progress isn't only about sacrifices! There's also commitment, compromise, and co-"

"Communication and co-operation." I finished, much to her surprise. "I know about the 'Four C's' Celestia has taught you. I remember how you bit your tongue on the third 'C' and had to break your habit of pronouncing 'co-operation' as 'cooperation'. It was honestly amusing when you started crying after biting the inside of your cheeks when you rushed to recite the 'Four C's' in front of Celestia, to make her proud of you!"

Now that caused a noteworthy reaction; her damaged eyes widening. "Y-You know about that...?"

"I do." I nodded. "I too was like you: a fool in blindly devoted to impressing a mare with power. I learned after dying over and over again, more brutal than the last - and as much as I hate to admit it - is that without sacrifices there wouldn't be any progress. Just like how I sacrificed my time to impress Celestia with my magic studies, I also sacrificed my health to gain more power. My growth in magic potential has proven that philosophy time and time again."

"So your power grows over time? Are you like a unicorn developing their magical potential, or a pegasus learning the complicated aerodynamics of flight...?" She then began to glance at my head, looking for a nonexistent horn, before remembering our earlier discussion. "Who am I kidding, you're neither of those, you're just an earth pony."

"No, I am not," She wouldn't be the first to assume that I was a pony, it might be because I heavily and fully cover myself. "While I was taken in and poorly raised by my adopted mother, I am not a pony. However, I can use magic, and I can fly."

"B-But those rumors must be fake! Only alicorns can do both! You have no wings, and you don't have a horn either!"

"You don't need to have a horn to use magic - if you still don't believe me, just go the Zebra Lands." If she wanted a philosophical debate of what is considered 'magic' then she should go visit one of the minotaur clans. "But don't worry, you're not the first one to incorrectly guess my species; not a single soul was able to guess it, and if they did, they would have more questions than answers."

"Then why not correct them? There wouldn't be so many imitators of you! The world wouldn't be in this mess-!"

"Compared to the other factors that made the world as it is today, a case of stolen identity is not even a concern," I said. "I am not responsible for those out there who are so pathetic they have to leech off of my reputation like a parasite. You think I obscure my appearance to blend in with those fakes out there, but I cover my body and my face for personal reasons; I don't like my face, and for living in the darkness for so long, I just found it uncomfortable to be touched by the sun. If this is your attempt to make me feel guilty or something, just give up; I stopped caring a long time ago."

My warning fell on deaf ears; she had always been a determined mare. "Aren't you worried about them tarnishing your name? You're a merchant, doesn't that mean anything to you? If you have all this power as you claim, why don't you use it to help us?"

"Because I don't do anything without getting something out of it, Cadence. Besides, I am never worried about imitators or copy-cats," I said, my mind drifted back to something Celestia told me when I was a child. "Those who are perfect in their craft and trade does not need to demand recognition or flaunt their identity."

"Nopony is perfect," Cadence argued. "Some clarification won't hurt; at that point, it'll just be a matter of pride. That somehow you're entitled to be recognized, no matter who steals your identity, or where you are."

"If others can recognize you despite impersonators, identity thieves, fakes, and the difference in culture, then you have every right to have pride for accomplishing that."

"Nopony noticed that I was abducted..."

"Then you've done a terrible job," I meant every word. "Heck, only Twilight knew something was wrong, but her conclusion was incorrect; she thought you had turned evil. I mean, you used to foal-sit her, and Twilight was able to think that you've becomes a sociopath who mind-rapes her brother for personal gain."

"I would never hurt Shining Armor!" She shouted, but my earlier comment about Twilight hadn't been denied; I struck a chord in her emotions. I could see the tears building up again.

"...Tell me," My tone was mocking. "Does it hurt? Knowing that those you've been close to, those you've had placed your hopes in, had cared so little about you and your wellbeing that they didn't even notice you were suffering literally under their feet? Even the only pony who tried to investigate did it for different reasons: she started to see you as this ruthless monster, she even attacked you when she found you - the very filly you played and sang with such joy and love when you were young - and was probably going to end your pathetic life-"

"I don't have to take this," She stood up, made her way to leave, a door manifesting on the wall. I watched her shaking body march for the door - not even made as proper and neat as Celestia did - I could see her tears dripping onto the ground. "I'm not going to entertain you!"

"Oh, you will, Cadence!" I reminded which caused her to stop. "Time is of the essence, and the world isn't going to stop out of pity for you. So you're are going to be the faithful niece Celestia trusted, and sit back down, and listen to what I have to say, or I will just stay silent until Celestia comes back. Who knows how long that will take..."

There was always a loop. I'd say something, Cadence gets mad, she tries to do something emotional, and then I say something to cause her to stop. It's a pity she carried those predictable habits she had when she was a filly.

Cadence, after a few, brief moments returned to her seat. She wiped the tears in her eyes, but the glare she gave me was more intense than it was before. "...I hate you."

"I prefer it that way," I said. "I've worn different masks, had different clothing, ever-changing weapons, a growing hoard of trinkets, and produced a huge variety of merchandise and goods - yet my personality and methods inform the populace to know who to fear and hate. I never associated myself with an official place of business or revealed my face; those who try and imitate my brand are easily ignored and dismissed as mere charlatans. I'm just that good at my job - it's how your aunt knows that I am the real thing - even you had inquired about my services in the past."

"I wish I never did!" She said with conviction and scorn. "If I knew what would happen, I would have never bought that magic item from you!"

Hearing her despair is like the sounds of a puppy having their legs sawed off before being bludgeoned to death. Sad and heartbreaking, sure, but I see it as a unique noise that makes others mundane in comparison. A sound I love to hear when the opportunity arrives, but I never recreate artificially, for anything is purer when it happens naturally.

Which makes my smile much more disturbing than the one I have on my mask. "Oh, Cadence...you haven't paid the real price yet!"

Author's Note

(Minor spoilers for the Gamer if you haven't read that far)

What always bothered me about the Gamer webcomic is how the MC can easily absorb dark knowledge without the repercussions of doing so, gaining a skill that would have a sanity cost, but is negated by Gamer's Mind. The MC of the webtoon gets a skill from the H.P. Lovecraft genre, even referring to it, but he doesn't suffer any of the backlashes from it. Where's the conflict?

(Spoilers end)

At least I have Call of Cthulu and Bloodborne for ideas for consequences, and I plan to up the risks and dangers for it because you can't just use cosmic knowledge willy-nilly!

I've also decided to use 'Cadence' to spell the princess' name. I've googled it, and I've read the comment, and a few private messages, and came to a decision. I know the tag spells otherwise, but there are too many variations of her name, and it's just frustrating to figure out who is correct in spelling her name.

Also, rants aside, I wanted to thank you all: for the likes, views, comments, and the story being added to whatever reading list you have. Honestly, I haven't responded to the comments because I couldn't figure it out at the time, and I feel that the time to respond has passed.

So once again, thank you!