One week later…

Headmare Starlight circled Arceus’s chair, which she'd transfigured to be less and less comfortable over the past week of these daily interrogations. Unlike when Headmare Starlight had started doing this to Arceus, now Arceus was almost completely calm. Almost.

“What are you waiting for? Did you run out of ideas or something?” Arceus asked. She wouldn’t be surprised if that were the case. After all, Starlight had already drawn her blood, taken a few locks of her hair, and gotten her saliva with a Q-tip.

Arceus was pretty sure that Starlight had figured out that Arceus was never going to release her full powers. After all, she’d already tried pretty much everything for the fear approach. She'd threatened Arceus with a dagger, a syringe, a chain-saw, and too many other things to remember.

What Headmare Starlight didn’t count on was the fact that each time she threatened Arceus, Arceus got just a little less scared. By now, even though it had just been a week, Arceus had figured out that the headmare was all talk. She never actually hurt Arceus. She just threatened her and got unsettlingly close to doing damage. Because of that, Arceus was barely even afraid of her anymore.

In fact, at the moment, Arceus’s worst fear was that she’d never get out of this terrible cycle. For the past week, Arceus had been locked in her room all day every day until the headmare was ready to experiment with her. Arceus was pretty sure she would’ve gone insane if it weren’t for Mew. Mew’s presence was definitely a pain, since she had to give the cat a decent portion of the meals that were teleported to her room three times a day, and she had to keep Mew's presence a secret from the headmare, but it was worth it by a large margin since that meant that Arceus didn't have to go through this alone.

Today was the first day in a while that Arceus was truly curious as to what Headmare Starlight was going to do to her. It was like the headmare was waiting for something. She didn’t even answer Arceus’s question as she walked in a slow circle around Arceus’s chair.

Then, there was a knock on the door.

“Headmare Starlight? Are you in there? I’m sorry I’m late,” said a young female voice from behind the door.

“Just a moment,” Headmare Starlight responded.

What? Headmare Starlight had gotten knocks on the door during their little ‘sessions’ before, but she’d always shooed them off and told them to come back later. What was different this time?

Headmare Starlight walked to the door and opened it up to reveal a student that Arceus recognized. It was that mare she’d seen when she first came to the school. The one who had looked at her with a calculated gaze, and hadn’t been afraid of Arceus like most of the other students had been.

She was a unicorn with a pink coat, a mane that was pulled up into a ponytail and streamed down in shades of yellow-gold, and a cutie mark that looked like a sunrise.

The young mare looked shocked when she noticed Arceus.

“Luster Dawn, this is Arceus,” Headmare Starlight said to Luster.

That was Luster Dawn? Arceus’s mom had told Arceus about her. She was Princess Twilight’s pupil who’d just moved to Ponyville almost a moon ago. For some reason, she was not at all what Arceus was expecting. Arceus’s parents had said that she was just like Princess Twilight, but Luster didn’t give Arceus that impression at all. She didn’t seem regal, anxious, or nerdy enough to be anything like The Princess of Friendship. Luster came off as sort of cold and detached.

“But I thought she went back home!” Luster exclaimed in surprise.

So that was what the headmare had been telling everypony. Well, at least nopony thought she was dead. Headmare Starlight cringed at Luster’s words.

“That is… A necessary precaution. The other students and the teachers wouldn’t understand why this is so important. They’re not like you and I.”

Luster Dawn looked a bit confused.

“Why what is so important? And what do you mean, ‘not like you and I’?”

Headmare Starlight smiled at Luster affectionately.

“We both understand the importance of learning the truth, and we understand magic in a way that I’m afraid many ponies cannot," she said calmly.

Luster looked back at Arceus.

"Why is she tied up?" Luster asked. She asked Headmare Starlight. Why not just ask the pony who was actually tied up? It was as if Arceus wasn't even there.

"She refuses to show the extent of her power. She's very... Protective of it. She thinks that only she can control it."

Arceus snapped out of her silent shock at that.

"What? That's not true!"

The headmare raised her eyebrows.

"It isn’t? Then by all means, show us.”

As if Arceus would fall for that. After the two unicorns got a look at Arceus’s stubborn expression, Starlight walked over to the other side of the room, beckoning Luster to follow.

“Not many students are as comfortable with authority figures like me as you are, Luster,” Headmare Starlight whispered in an obvious attempt to prevent Arceus from overhearing. The attempt was unsuccessful.

Luster put her chin up smugly. Arceus couldn’t believe anypony would fall for something like that. Couldn’t Luster tell that Headmare Starlight was just buttering her up? She didn’t know Luster personally or anything, but Arceus thought she seemed smarter than that.

“She doesn’t feel comfortable being true to herself in front of her headmare, but perhaps she could be persuaded by another student,” the headmare continued, still whispering. Luster nodded in understanding, all of her confusion and suspicion gone.

Luster looked at Arceus and narrowed her eyes, just like she had on Orientation Day. Arceus could tell that Luster was trying to analyze her. Arceus just glared at Headmare Starlight.

Before now, the headmare hadn’t brought any outsiders into their mess, and Arceus had been grateful for that. It was probably foolish, but Arceus was surprised that Headmare Starlight had included an innocent student. Then again, Arceus didn’t truly know if Luster was innocent.

“Maybe I should talk to her alone then?” Luster suggested, confirming that she truly believed the headmare’s load of lies.

But maybe Arceus could talk to Luster properly with the headmare gone. Maybe she could help Luster to understand.

Arceus’s eyes widened slightly in hope, but then she neutralized them. She couldn’t show any positivity about Luster’s suggestion, because if she did, she was sure that the headmare would refuse.

Headmare Starlight thought about it for a second.

“Alright,” she agreed. Arceus smiled a bit too wide, and both unicorns noticed. Headmare Starlight stared daggers at Arceus.

“But be cautious,” she added. Luster nodded.

The headmare left the room, leaving Arceus and Luster alone.

"So what's your story? What's your explanation for not wanting to expand the knowledge of ponykind?" Luster asked. She sounded genuinely curious, not bitter like Headmare Starlight sounded when she asked those kinds of things, but the fact that Luster would phrase it that way at all immediately deflated Arceus's hope to get through to her.

"Well, let's see. Would I rather destroy the school so the rest of Equestria can be smarter, or just leave everything the way it is?" Arceus asked in mock contemplation. Luster raised one eyebrow.

"What do you mean, 'destroy the school'?"

"I mean blow it up from the inside. My powers are like a bomb. If I let them explode, they'll destroy everything."

Luster looked extremely skeptical.

"Nopony is powerful enough to break through Headmare Starlight's shield."

Arceus groaned involuntarily. She was so tired of hearing that.

"Isn't that the whole reason you ponies want to learn about my magic? Because it's power is unheard of?"

"Well yes, but Headmare Starlight would never put anypony in danger. She wouldn't try it if there were even a slim chance for ponies to get hurt. She wants to help ponies."

Arceus rolled her eyes.

"Oh please. She couldn't care less about putting ponies at risk! Can't you see that she'sjust using you?"

At Luster's offended expression, Arceus knew that she probably shouldn't have said that.

"Whatever. I'm getting Headmare Starlight. Obviously, I'm not going to be able to make you see reason," Luster said as she turned and started for the door.

"Just look at me, and you'll know I'm right!" Arceus yelled, stopping Luster in her tracks. She looked back at Arceus, annoyed. It was a good thing that the school walls were soundproof, or else Headmare Starlight would have heard the yelling.

"I'm literally tied to a chair! Anytime I'm not here, Headmare Starlight is keeping me locked in my room! She swung a dagger towards me and stopped inches from my throat. She injected me with colored water and told me it was poison!

"Even if you don't care what happens to me for the supposed 'greater good', at least stay out of this for your own safety."

Luster gasped, and for a moment, Arceus saw horror and fear flash across her face. She looked almost fragile, which was quite a contrast to her usual stone-cold demeanor. But then she squeezed her eyes shut, and when she opened them, they seemed back to normal.

"I don't believe you," she said calmly.

But Arceus could hear the slightest note of uncertainty in her voice.

Author's Note

Hi! Hope you liked this chapter! If you did, leave a thumbs up, and make sure to comment with any theories, critiques, or pretty much anything else you'd like to say. See you next chapter!