Room For One More

Chapter Two: Party Canon.

"Being put in jade is never part of a demon's plans, Scribbles..."

Celestia

The morning came softly for the inhabitants of the palace. The staff awoke having rested peacefully and with good dreams. In fact, everyone was in high spirits this morning. Two of the kitchen staff, who had begun making breakfast for the dozens of dignitaries staying at the palace, noticed a grey unicorn mare who seemed to blend in with the walls of the stone corridor even as she walked along the carpeted floor, her hooves making no sounds as they carried her towards another wing of the building. She was only noticeable by her soft brown hair and striking green and blue eyes.

" 'ho was that, then?"

"I dunno, must be Princess Luna's new assistant."

The chef flipped an egg off of his frying pan and onto a plate.

"How d'you figure that?"

"She's carrying a mountain of parchment, tha's why."

"... Oh yeah."

A mountain of parchment hovered above her head as she walked and was surrounded by a faint yellow shimmer that made it blend in with the walls. She stopped and looked around, pawing at the ground with her right fore-hoof.

"Ooohhh... Excuse me. Excuse me!"

The pony whose attention she was trying to get walked right by her, completely oblivious to the mare now nearly screaming in his ear. He and his companion continued chatting about the weather and carried on down the hall not casting so much as a glance the mare's way.

She stood there, dumbfounded before trying again to get the attention of a group of passing ponies.

"Hi there, excuse me for interrupting but could you direct me to-"

The three ponies walked almost right through her as they carried on down the hall. A deadpan expression on their faces.

The two chefs watched the same scene play out again and again for a few minutes. They were jerks like that.

"Figure we should help her, eh?"

"It would be the right thing to do."

Never mind, they were just slow.

"Oi, you lost luv?"

"Yeah, you need somefing?"

The exasperated mare locked eyes with the only two beings in Canterlot to have noticed her so far.

"You can see me?! You can hear me?!  YES! Okay, um, I'm kind of lost and-"

"Yeah, I can see you."

"I can hear you jus' fine. What d'you need?"

They looked on at the mare whose expression darkened ever so slightly. She continued.

"I'm lost and I need to find Princess Celestia, I'll be taking over as Princess Luna's stenographer."

They looked at her, their faces unreadable.

"So... any help you can... could give me... would be... helpful?"

The two chefs blinked, minds racing at the speed of light. She sighed and turned to walk away, determined to just search the entire palace herself. She briefly wondered if Princess Celestia would notice her even if she was somehow able to find her.

"Princess Celestia is currently in the library, row forty two, section 1700. Viewing a copy of Historical Equestrian Weather Patterns and Phenomenon, page twelve. Go down the hall, take your third right and then your seventh left. You will meet the Princess as she is exciting the library if you go now."

She stared at the chef, mouth open but no words finding their way out.

"Yeah, tha's where you'll find 'er for sure. Good luck."

She nodded and began muttering under her breath about how the water here must make everypony crazy and walked away, occasionally glancing back at the chefs who continued to stare at her. She looked past them to see all the ponies she'd been ignored by standing in line for both breakfast and coffee.

"That actually explains it."

She hurried down the halls, doubting the chef's directions but seeing no other clear alternative. She saw the library and was just about to open the door when Princess Celestia burst through and nearly knocked the poor mare clean off her feet. Nearly, because she was instead embedded in the wall behind her. She stayed there, suspended on the wall for a second before falling to the ground and then being buried under the stacks of parchment she was carrying.

"Oh! I am so sorry my little pony. I'm in kind of a rush. I haven't seen you around the palace before. What's your name?"

She stuck a hoof out from under the pile of parchment that had buried her up to her nose. She wheezed in a breath and stared up at the ceiling, eyes going in and out of focus.

"Scribbles, Ma'am. My name is Scribbles. I'm your new stenographer as well as your sister's new assistant."

Princess Celestia loomed over her, the heat of the sun bearing down on her face. Princess Celestia gave her an appraising eye before smiling and holding out a hoof.

"Well, it is a pleasure to meet you, Scribbles. Right this way, we need to hurry."

Scribbles took her hoof and was pulled to her feet. She was dragged along down the hall and she cast a glance back at the empty hallway behind them.

"What?"

"Catch!"

Scribbles looked up just in time to catch the neatly rearranged stacks of parchment that had been hanging over her head. A quill materialised in front of her and she looked at Celestia.

"You'll be going to work soon. Follow me to the throne room please and stand at my left."

They entered the throne room to find it packed with guards and nobles. The nobles were trying to get a glimpse of a group of foreigners in the centre of a ring of guards. The guards were both trying to keep order in the hall as well as level as many spears and muskets as they had at what Scribbles guessed was just a bunch of diplomats. She followed Celestia who sat down on her throne beside Princess Luna who had decided it prudent to wait for her sister, and for cooler heads to prevail.

The nobles saw Celestia and immediately bowed out of the way. The strange beings in the centre of the room were still obscured by rows of guards, both on the ground and in the air.

"What is going on, Luna?"

Her sister was breathing heavily and looked furious. Her coat was dark blue and her eyes narrowed to slits. Dragon like pupils stared out from under purple mascara.

"I think it is best if you just see him for yourself."

Celestia frowned and raised an eyebrow at this. She waved the guards away to get a look at the newcomers and immediately shot a lightning bolt that fizzled out into a magic shield wall that had been invisible until now. It glowed red where it impacted and the figure was hidden maddeningly from sight.

"I already tried that. He hasn't lost his touch."

Celestia stood up from her throne and Luna followed suit. All the guards in the room tensed up, the air felt alive with power, enough to make the hair stand up on Scribbles body. She shivered and sweated.

A voice like honeyed black coffee flowed out from the shield bubble.

"You haven't lost your charm either, Celestia. Good."

It was deep and melodious, like it could tell you anything you wanted to hear and it would come true.

"Bring down your shield wall and surrender yourself to the nation of Equestria where you will be tried and executed, again, for the crimes you have committed."

The shield wall disappeared almost instantly to reveal no central figure in the group that had hid behind it. They were taller than ponies and looked like the unholy melding of a pony crossed with a ram crossed with a crocodile. They stood on their back two hooves. They were crimson red and wore red plate armour which Scribbles could hear scratch against itself as they moved. Their fore hooves ended in clawed hands that grasped weapons of all descriptions. Horizontal pupils glared out from glowing yellow eyes. One looked at Luna and licked its razor sharp teeth, chuckling like grating stones.

A voice came from just behind Scribbles and she froze up. Whatever had the smooth voice was right behind her.

"Technically, I committed those crimes before Equestria was even a nation so what right does it have to try me? Besides, I was already executed. By you. Remember?"

Celestia's stern look would have literally bore holes through the skull of anyone else. As it was, the demon enjoyed the warmth.

"What are you doing here -- alive?"

The demon smiled and straightened his black great coat. He walked around the chair Scribbles was sitting on. His barbed hairless tail sliding across her neck and making her skin crawl. She shuddered. He stood in front of the three, smiling a toothy smile. He was far better dressed then his compatriots, and better armed. A black long sword hung at his hip and multiple pistols adorned his vest.

"I am here to offer you our terms. You will surrender your persons, your assets and your country to me immediately and I will hold office until such a time when it can be given to the Demon Emperor upon his arrival in exactly... five days and sixteen hours. Should you decline my offer, and I wouldn't hold it against you if you did, the Demon Emperor will greatly enjoy going to war with you. He's kind of insane like that."

He held out his hands as if to say, that's all I'm asking. He still wore a devil may care smile on his face as if he was unaware of the insult he'd just paid the two most powerful beings in all of Equestria. Celestia and Luna started sparking with rage, their eyes glowing.

"If you think. That I am going to do any of that. Then I needn't kill for you are brain dead already."

He flicked his eyes down to his right hand and Scribbles followed his gaze.

"I miss you too, Celestia. Now, why don't we talk about this? In the gardens."

He was pointing his chin out the window to the palace gardens below. A bead of sweat rolled down his forehead and started shaking his right hand. Scribbles' eyes widened.

"Ma'am."

"I name you betrayer, Samael, and I cast you out from this world... again."

"MA'AM"

"WHAT?!"

Scribbles squeaked in fright and pointed a shaky hoof towards Samael's right palm. In it was a message that said.

You two take the six on my right

I'll take the six on my left

I'll explain later

Celestia furrowed her brow and looked at the demon standing before her. For a moment she didn't see what he'd become but what he had been and he winked at her.

"Just like last time eh, Tia."

She took a step towards him and readied a spell. Luna moved behind her sister and walked in front of Scribbles.

"You betrayed me last time."

"Yeah well, we all have our faults."

He spun and drew a pistol which he fired into the head of a demon warrior thirty feet away. He didn't break his stride as he drew his sword and leapt through the air to slice the arm off another and it howled in shock and pain.

The room lit up briefly and Scribbles vision filled with white light. Another shot rang out and Luna screamed in pain. Another flash, some muffled thumps and finally a sickening squelch and the room was still once more. Scribbles blinked and tried to regain some of her vision. She heard a moan of pain and got up to help; she tripped and landed face first in something wet.

"Ah!"

She made to get up when her vision returned. She then immediately wished it hadn't.

"AAAIIIEEE!!!"

She'd tripped on a pair of legs that were still twitching and landed on the torso they belonged to. It was a demon ripped in half, black blood clung to her face, her coat, she could taste the coppery fluid in her mouth. She sat there, screaming before passing out, this time being mercifully caught by an outstretched hand.

"She'll have nightmares for a long time."

A sword found its way to his throat. Held in the air by a yellow aura.

"You're right, she'll have nightmares forever," he said, nervously.

"Explain yourself. NOW."

Luna bit her lip and grabbed the javelin impaling her with her magic and pulled, a horrible wrenching sound was heard and she bit down on her hoof to keep from screaming. The wound healed almost instantly and she tossed the weapon away to join her sister. The demons had been fast, faster then she'd thought physically possible.

"I'd love to-"

She held the weapon closer, drawing a bit of blood this time. It was as black as the ocean depths.

"-but we don't have time. Gardens. Discord. Freeing him. Stop them."

The sword was lifted for a moment and that was all he needed. He pushed the weapon away and ran for the window. He blocked another lightning bolt aimed at his backside and leapt out the window.

"AFTER HIM! WHAT ARE YOU DOING ON THE GROUND! GOOO!"

Celestia was in no mood for her armed forces and their usual level of competence. Not today, especially not today. She paused to see several of them wounded and some dead. Her words caught in her throat as those tending to them did as they were told and flew to the gardens. The wounded looked up at her and she could only mouth, I'm sorry, to them before flying out the window in pursuit of Samael.

Samael was a clever demon, always knew what to say or do to get what he wanted. He raced along the grounds towards the statue garden.

"Murder! She's changed, locking away her foes nowadays it seems."

He vaulted over a hedge and landed on an unsuspecting pony enjoying the sunny day with her husband. He looked up and screamed at the satyr standing on his wife and watched as he rolled his eyes and ran towards a group of fillies standing around the statue of Discord. It had been placed under heavier guard this time but the pegasi in charge of security had decided to let a class of school children run around the gardens unrestricted. They were cute harmless fillies right?

Samael drew his pistol and fired. The school teacher's jaw dropped as one of her students fell on the grass, one eye staring blindly and the other not staring at all.

"OH MY CELESTIA! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES KIDS!"

The whole garden erupted in chaos as ponies darted in every direction trying to run away from the murderous demon. He drew another pistol and without stopping his advance fired again, another filly trying to hide behind the statue was gunned down.

He stopped in front of one last colt who looked up at him with big blue eyes. Samael uncaringly drew his last pistol and cocked the hammer back.

A lightning bolt impacted on the shield he had up and Celestia entered his field of vision. She looked around and her jaw dropped.

"You..."

"Yup."

"You?"

"Yeah?"

"WHAT DID YOU DO?! STOP WHAT YOU ARE DOING!"

She started hammering his shield with as much magic as she dared, not wanting to break the shield and hurt the colt inside who had started to wail.

"Alright. Alright! HEY!"

His voice lost all melody and charm. It turned Celestia's stomach and made her ears hurt.

"I'm sorry Celestia," he said as he raised his pistol to the child's head and fired.

Celestia blinked as she stared down the barrel of the ornately designed weapon. Its muzzle smoked like a dragon's mouth and she smelt sulfur and brimstone. A gasp was heard behind her and she turned to see Luna covering her mouth with her hoof trying not to retch as a filly slowly slid off the top of the statue and onto the ground in front of her.

Celestia turned back to Samael who had dropped the shield and was shooing away the colt who didn't need to be told twice to run for his teacher.

"Wait," he said, holding up his hands in surrender. Celestia followed his gaze to the filly at her feet. It was melting in the sun into a putrid ball of red slime and black bones. The same was happening to the other ponies he had shot. All dissolving into the earth, blighting the grass with pony shaped outlines.

Luna and Celestia both took a step towards him, mouths open and searching for words that wouldn't come.

"There is so much we need to discuss."

He looked around at the gathering ponies coming out of hiding. They looked at him, then to the gathering guards and finally to the Princesses themselves. All they had seen was a child murdering demon.

"Quick, punch me in the face!"

"What?"

"Punch me in the face!"

"Are you alright?"

"Oh for-"

He drew his sword and put it to his own neck while leaping into Celestia's hooves. She held them out to push him away but missed and ended up catching him.

"What the hell are you doing Samael? Start talking. Now!"

"No time, gotta save your reputation. OH CURSE YOU TO OBLIVION! I HAVE BEEN CAPTURED BY THE GREAT AND POWERFUL CELESTIA! LUNA HELPED TOO! PLEASE DON'T TAKE ME TO THE DUNGEON AND DEFINATELY DON'T KILL ME! That last part wasn't sarcastic by the way, refrain from killing me for now?"

Celestia glowered at the demon smiling up at her. She dropped him and held up her hoof to the guard waiting to take him away.

"I hate you."

"I lave you-OW!"

She shook her right hoof, her wrist stung a bit but it was worth it.

"Take him away."

The demon was roughly dragged to his feet and put in chains.

"Oh cute, iron. Got to love iron."

His wrists began steaming slightly and the skin under them was blackening.

He was taken to a dungeon deep below the palace. The guard pony was the first none immortal to visit the place since it was built nearly a thousand years ago. Racks, manacles and spiked walls gave it an atmosphere that sent chills up the guard's spine.

What the hell was done down here?

He passed a few skeleton whose heads grated on dry vertebrates as they passed by. Their mouths in a permanent gruesome grin.

Never mind, I don't want to know.

He came up to the cell Celestia had said. Pentagram door made of obsidian with runes carved into it. He looked at the cell number but it had faded with time. The metal numbers barely a smudge on the wall now.

"Put him in the chains on the wall."

"Hmmm, chains. I'm noticing a theme. Anything you're planning on doing to me here?"

Luna snorted but quickly composed herself under the withering glare of the sun. Samael entered the room and saw just what kind of chains they were and quickly changed his tune.

"Whoa now, let's not be too hasty!"

He threw the pegasus guard off and the manacles around his arms began to glow red then white before exploding from the temperature change. Bits of white hot metal splashed over the guard and he howled, trying to dig them out. Celestia didn't even look down, instead grinning at Samael who looked like a scared rabbit.

"You told me to put you in a dungeon, Samael. I just chose a prison that'll make a lasting impression. I want none of your games. None of your tricks. You have information for me and I want the truth. You're too spirited right now to talk to so I'll let you calm down for the rest of the day and probably the night."

"Celestia, please. We don't have time to do this-"

"You said I had five days before my country is invaded, I have things to do. You'll keep for now."

She walked up to him and whispered in his ear, "Unless you've lied to me about that as well in which case I won't bother with magic bolts or even jade chains. I'll put you in coffin of gold and throw you into the ocean. Killing you apparently isn't as permanent a fix as I'd like."

"No... I didn't lie. They're coming. Come on now, this really isn't necessary."

She smiled warmly at him as the green chains on the walls came alive and started to snake their way towards him.

"PLEASE NO! PLEASE! PLEEE-AAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIII-ACKKKXHHH!"

The chains burned him like only jade could burn a Demon Lord. He screamed in agony as he was pulled in several directions and suspended in the air. He sounded like several different people screaming all at the same time. The sound bit into the mind. She calmly walked out the room, briefly meeting the horrified look Luna had.

As soon as the door was shut and the screaming echoes subsided her horn glowed and she began attending to the wounds the guard had sustained.

"I'm sorry, I had to maintain face. I couldn't help you earlier. I'm so so sorry."

The pegasus guard was miles away in his mind, having escaped what he'd heard and felt. Celestia's horn glowed and brought him back, the burns he'd sustained were healed up without a scar.

"Phalanx? Can you hear me?"

He squeaked in response, looking at her in total shock.

"I'm so sorry, Phalanx."

She drew him into a hug and a tear leaked out of her eye and onto his shoulder. He didn't notice. The screaming demon in the other room being tortured was too much for him to bear.

Luna looked away from the sight of her sister trying to comfort herself. It wasn't for the guard; Celestia knew he couldn't hear her. It was for her. She needed to feel right again. She sighed and tapped her hoof idly.

Celestia put the guard at leg's length and smiled. Her horn glowed and she teleported them out of the dungeon and into her room. She sat there on the floor for a while before Luna cleared her throat.

"Ahem, Phalanx?"

Her horn glowed and a spark shot out of the tip and flew over to his forehead where it wormed its way into his central nervous system.

He shook and hiccupped and then looked around.

"Princess Celestia? Princess Luna? How'd we get here? I mean, what happened to the demon in the garden?"

"Slow down, Phalanx-"

"You know my name?"

Celestia smiled sweetly.

"I know the names and faces of every guard and staff member here, Phalanx. You especially."

He grinned like a school boy for moment before remembering his professional decorum.

"Aha, yes. Thank you, ma'am. May I ask a question? Ma'am."

Luna raised an eyebrow at the display and made a mental note to reform military training after she was done with the taxes.

"You may."

"What happened to me?"

"You were knocked out when it tried to escape. You leapt bravely in front of my sister when it made a dash for her and were struck in the head. I brought you here and tended to your wounds."

"I see. Not the infirmary?"

"My room overlooks the gardens and the infirmary should be... crowded right now. Go back to your post, Phalanx, and I'll see about getting you a commendation."

"Thank you! Ah, thank you, ma'am!"

He saluted and exited the room, memory gone and sanity restored. Celestia had seen soldiers coming home from war before and it usually took a lot more then this to break them. She started thinking about the readiness of her armed forces should the absolute worst come to pass.

I can use the elements to-

She stopped her thought and stared blankly into space. She'd just said 'use'. She got up to look at herself in the mirror. Far from the shining display she was in public, her hair was pink and no longer glowing. Lines had appeared on her face and she looked ragged and tired. How long had it been? Two thousand? Three thousand? Two thousand seven hundred and sixty two years and counting. Her life came reeling into her mind and she had to grab the stand for support, her head spinning and legs buckling.

"Tia!"

Luna who had been writing a memo to herself saw her sister collapse on the ground in front of her mirror. She rushed over to help her to her hooves and walk her to the bed.

"Whoa, take it easily, nice slow steps. One at a time now."

Celestia was muttering pitifully under her breath and Luna couldn't catch what she was saying but her voice sounded frail. Old.

Luna helped her onto the giant cushion that was her bed and pulled the covers over her, then, climbed in beside her, resting Celestia's head on her chest.

"Sh sh shhh. What happened?"

"I... remem-membered everything."

Luna winced, it wasn't the first time this had happened. Even she could fall into a bout of depression and age if she wasn't concentrating.

"It's okay. It's going to be okay, Celly. Everything is going to be alright. Just do what you taught me, don't think about what happened to them, remember the life you lived with them. The good things. Firefly and how you and her used to race around the old cottage. Surprise and her spectacular parties. Just remember the good stuff, Celly. The good times."

Being immortal had its downfalls. Outliving generations of your friends was one of them. Having a good memory was another.

Celestia wept quietly into Luna's shoulder while the younger sister comforted the older.

They lay like that for a time until there was a knock at the door.

"Come in."

Luna woke up at the sound of Celestia's voice. It was fresh and young again. She sat up and her own favourite stuffed animal slid out of her hooves. It was a dolphin doll as old as the palace. She must have fallen asleep and Celestia must have recovered enough to go and get it.

Saving face. Doesn't want to be seen as weak in front of the staff. Typical.

Scribbles slowly opened the door to see Celestia standing by the balcony and Luna in her bed.

"Oh sorry, did I interrupt a family chat?"

Celestia smiled brightly in the setting sun's rays.

"No, come in, Scribbles. How are you feeling?"

Her horn glowed but Scribbles reflexively lit up her own horn.

"I'm feeling alright, just a little shaken. There's no need for a memory wipe. I got too much done today."

Celestia went red in the cheeks and smile sheepishly. Luna was so much better with this sort of thing.

"Sorry, I... I just thought that maybe there would some things that happened today that you wouldn't want to remember."

Scribbles gulped and looked at the floor. She rubbed her muzzle where she had evidently scrubbed it raw with a cloth.

"I'm fine. Besides, won't want to forget my first day. I only just got the hang of this place."

The Goddess of the Sun's heart warmed at the mare's resilience.

"You're from Trottingham aren't you?"

"Yes, why?"

"Just curious."

Scribbles flicked her ear nervously and looked at Luna who was looking at her with a hint of pity in her eyes.

"Come and sit, Scribbles. We have a lot to talk about."

She was sat down and briefed on what it meant to be the assistant of a goddess. She was given a list of secrecy spells and enchantments to memorize as well as told she would be taking training in the morning, though for what wasn't said. As they talked the hours dragged on until it was nearly midnight.

"And one other thing before you go, Scribbles.

Scribbles blinked and tried to summon the energy to listen. This night shift thing was going to take some getting used to.

"You'll be both Luna's and my assistant."

"Sorry, really tired out from the day. I didn't catch that."

"I am currently without an assistant and won't be able to get one on such short notice. I'll be needing help very soon and we've decided that you'll be my assistant as well as my sister's."

Scribbles summoned up her last reserves of energy not to sigh and fall asleep on the cushion she had been sitting on for the last couple of hours.

"Right, I can do this. I'll just need to-ZZZzzzzzzz."

"Time!"

Luna clicked a stopwatch and beamed at her sister.

"She didn't do too badly. Look! She was even taking notes!"

Luna carefully levitated a small stack of parchment covered in short hoofed notes detailing everything the Princesses had said out from under Scribbles hoof.

"I'm impressed, everything is here."

Luna looked up at Scribbles and noticed something off about her.

"That's odd."

Scribbles hadn't moved. She was still sitting up and staring blankly off into space. She was snoring but otherwise just looked lost in thought.

"ZZZZZZZZzzzzzzz- get some coffee every once in a while. Heh... What?"

Both Princesses stared at her with raised eyebrows, barely containing their grins despite years of practise.

"Oh shoot. It happened didn't it? I fell asleep!"

"You have narcolepsy."

Scribbles turned bright red and hung her head in defeat.

"Yes, yes I have narcolepsy. I don't really have a sleep schedule, I just blank out for a few minutes every once in awhile. I'm so sorry I didn't tell you on my application form but, I figured I could manage it and-"

She was cut off by a raised hoof.

"We hired you because you were the best applicant, Scribbles, and with this new development, I think you are even more perfect for the job then we'd thought."

"I am?"

Celestia got up and motioned for Scribbles to walk with her.

"Luna, do you mind if I borrow her for awhile?"

"Not at all."

They exited the room and wandered down the halls.

"We've reviewed your file and choose well. Any other pony would've packed their bags and ran from the palace after what happened."

"I don't have any bags."

Celestia laughed, enjoying the conversation.

"I think you know what I mean. You don't run from your problems. You deal with them and move on."

Scribbles nodded, lost in thought.

"Thank you for the compliment but don't get me wrong, Celestia, I'd have nightmares about what happened today if I had dreams."

Luna won't like that.

"I'm sorry to hear that. Do you want to talk about it?"

Scribbles longed for her parchment and quill. She could listen all day and night but talking about herself was a little unnerving.

"No, but I do have questions about that thing that came to the palace today. All I remember before it happened was him telling you to attack his escort. Why would he do that? He seemed to know you."

Celestia sucked in a breath through her teeth and let it out slowly.

"Samael is a demon from my past. A time I'd much rather forget. It was during the reign of Discord and Samael was once one of his lieutenants. A Demon Lord of great power. He'd happened upon me and my sister when we were young. We were in his territory and he decided we could help him with his plan. He'd always intended to betray Discord he had just never possessed the power required. Together we overthrew Discord and freed the land from the control of chaos, but Samael had other plans. He never wanted to share power and tried to betray us. He nearly succeeded but I managed to best him in a duel. We trusted him and in the end, he tried to murder me and my sister over power. He is a fiend and a master manipulator. Having thousands of years to practise the art. He can appear as the sweetest and kindest being you've ever met but he hides his true intentions behind that mask he calls a face."

Celestia looked over at Scribbles who was frowning, her brows together and it looked like she was about to say something but she caught her tongue and turned away.

That sounds almost like her. Best not mention it.

Celestia tilted her head in confusion before understanding and straightening up.

She's a better judge of character then I thought.

They walked towards a balcony that looked out over the city. The lights reflected off their faces.

"I heard you took him in? That even though he killed a couple of school children you let him live."

"I need to know what he knows. He is nothing more than a tool to me."

Scribbles held out her hooves and turned her ears down.

"I didn't mean to insinuate anything. I didn't mean to say you liked him."

"Well I don't! Oh, I'm sorry, Scribbles, I didn't mean to snap at you."

She sighed and looked out over the city.

"You said he was a master manipulator? That'd he'd fooled -- I mean, that he'd tricked, oh..."

"Go on."

"That he'd tricked you once before? How do you know he's not doing it again?"

"Because I put him in jade chains and left him in a dungeon."

She chuckled and her smile showed teeth.

Scribbles didn't look convinced. She opened her mouth to speak but Celestia looked into her eyes and she closed it.

"Being put in jade is never part of a demon's plans, Scribbles. Goodnight."

She took a few steps but didn't hear Scribbles following her. She looked back to see her standing still and swaying slightly. Celestia smiled and picked her up with her magic.

Back to Luna with you, poor thing.