Shade yawns.

She rubs her eyes with the back of a fetlock.

She buries her face deeper into her pillow and releases a second yawn.

A presence in the room makes her quickly open her eyes.

She stares at a pink filly with an equally pink cotton candy-like mane who is staring at Shade with steely blue eyes.

Shade stretches her limbs and yawns.

"Who was that filly you were with?" Pinkie asks.

Shade smacks her lips to wake up her mouth and tongue to speak. Pinkie leans closer to Shade's face, her patience showing on her face. Shade smiles up at Pinkie, "Jealous?"

"What?" Pinkie recoils back. "Me? Jealous?" She shakes her head at the thought and replies cheerfully, "I just have never seen her before, is all. I want to befriend everypony!"

"Okay. Then you can find out at school," Shade says as she rolls out of bed.

"Y-Yeah!" Pinkie smiles and Shade sees the corner of her mouth twitch.

Shade stares at Pinkie with a neutral expression.

Pinkie stares back into Shade's peculiar, slit eyes which remind her of cat's eyes.

Shade smiles and quickly boops Pinkie's nose, "What if you were green? Would your parent's have called you 'Greenie Pie?'"

Pinkie giggles, "Probably!" Then she gasps, "Does that mean you aren't color blind anymore?"

"Yes." Shade stops at the door and turns her head to Pinkie, "It is a long story. For all intents and purposes, 'magic' is the reason I can see colors."

Pinkie rushes over and hugs Shade, "I'm super happy for you, Shadey-wadey!"

"Thank you," Shade returns the hug, "Pinkie-winkie."

A switch appears to have flipped and changed Shade dramatically. Her change may stem from destroying her latent demonic powers or awakening as a eucambion (good half-demon half-mortal), or both. Perhaps, it was neither, and the change is because of her accepting Grey as not the monster she had created him to be. Shade had spent the night reexamining her life. As she sits at the table eating breakfast, Shade continues her reflections.

Looking back on her life, Shade comes to the conclusion that she had become a terrible person and a terror to Grey. Guilt twists her gut, a pain more unbearable than Valkyrie's invasion. She drops her fork on her plate and sighs heavily.

Death notices as does Pinkie. Death politely smiles at the pink filly, "Would you mind leaving us alone, Pinkie?"

"Sure." Pinkie gets up and places a hoof on Shade's back. "It'll be okay, Shade. See you at school."

"See you soon," Shade replies with a faint smile. She droops her head back down over the half-empty bowl of oatmeal.

Death waits for Pinkie to leave before asking, "What's on your mind?"

Shade holds back her tears, "I have needlessly put Grey through Hell."

"Yeah," Death says nonchalantly.

Shade looks up at Death with a deadpan expression, "Gee, thanks."

"It is the truth," Death states matter-of-factly.

"Yes," Shade sighs. "I want to apologize. I need to apologize to him."

"All in good time, Shade. Besides, you and I both know Grey still loves you."

Shade smiles meekly and looks down at the gold bracelet on her left foreleg which is under the silver "servant" bracelet. The gold bracelet brings up questions Shade almost forgot to ask. "Why did the interface for my 'powers' change? How come I have new abilities and where did the other ones go?"

"I wonder. . ." Death taps her chin in mock contemplation.

Shade knows what that pose and twinkle in Death's eyes mean. "Fine. Keep your secrets."

"I have to keep your powers in check somehow. You are more powerful than Princess Celestia in your natural form which is why I had to restrict your power and abilities." Death sips her glass of orange juice and continues, "You are a unique individual, Shade, the only known offspring between a Devil and Demigod. Grey's bestial nature and Valkyrie's absolute evil made it a challenge for you to be good. You are not only filled with darkness, but they also passed their light to you, as well as some abilities unique only to Grey.

Being the Vessel to the God of Darkness, Grey can utilize umbrakinesis or as we call it the Darq. Demons can not use Darq because they instantly corrupt it into Mystic, which is why you have not learned to use your Darq powers naturally. Now that you are more powerful you can overcome your demon blood and use your Darq abilities. There is a similar magic here where you can learn umbrakinetic spells."

"Where can I learn umbrakinesis?" Shade inquiries on the edge of her seat.

Death smiles slyly, "I may be able to point you to a location or two where you can discover the magic yourself. You keep doing good deeds and not kill innocent beings and I will disclose locations of power for you. Deal?"

"Sounds fair." Shade nods, "Will you then also teach me more about blood, chaos, harmony, and any other magics?"

Death gets up from her chair, picks up the dishes in her pink magic, kisses Shade's forehead, and walks over to the sink. "You forgot alchemy, enchanting, and black magic."

"Right. Those will equally come in handy."

Death looks outside the window above the sink while she washes dishes. "Have you looked outside?"

Shade taps her forehooves together and stares at the mahogany table. "I do not want to be overwhelmed. . ."

Death walks over to the table, lays her head on it, and stares up at Shade with a comforting smile. "The first step is the biggest and hardest. What matters is taking it. You know how it is best to rip off a bandage or jump into a pool of cool water? It is like that."

Shade frowns. "No, I don't know."

Death thinks for a moment, trying to create the perfect analogy for Shade. "When you walk out the door, you will be the arrow and outside will be the target. You are already notched and drawn; now, you just have to let it go!" Death snickers. That is actually quite fitting!

Right? Death and author fist bump.

Shade cocks her head at Death, oblivious to why Death was giggling. "I guess you are right. Sitting here and doubting myself is just adding to my anxiety." Shade stands up and stares at the light escaping the top of the curtains. She heaves a sigh and walks out the kitchen.

Death smiles when Shade pokes her head around a swinging door.

"You. . . are you coming?"

"Yes. Of course, Shade," Death smiles.