After Mauri and I had agreed to search for the bandit's hideout, the rest of the breakfast went by fairly quickly. Having lost the remainder of my appetite, I settled for waiting until Mauri and Qaedis were done. After that, Qaedis excused himself while we got ready to head back out to the guild in Thatch.

Thaddeus led us into the small foyer and the front doors to the mansion, but before we reached the entrance, the old scavenger showed up once again. Mauri and turned to see him heading downstairs towards us with Miriam close behind. Rather than Qaedis, my focus was on Miriam and what she was carrying in both hands.

Books? I can't see the titles from here, but...

"A moment if you would, Miss Sparkle," Qaedis called as he reached the foot of the stairs, "before you leave, I'd like to gift you something that might be useful to you in the near future."

"You? Handing your precious treasures over for free? With no strings attached? Chyet fa vala!" Mauri scoffed, folding her arms and giving the old man a skeptical frown. She jerked her head towards in the direction of the older butler who was still waiting by the door, "I would sooner believe Thaddeus over there was the second coming of the Night Mother!"

"For all you know, Miss Bandal, he very well could be," Qaedis chuckled goodnaturedly, somewhat mirroring Mauri as he stood at the bottom of the stairs with his arms crossed, "regardless of what you believe, though, I have no intention of asking anything in return—well nothing tangible at any rate," he paused a moment to think, then shrugged, "think of it as... investing in the future if you'd like. Miriam?"

At his unspoken command, the reticent maid stepped past him and made her way over to me. Once she was close enough, she presented the books she'd been carrying.

"Master Malouveus has graciously allowed you the use of these books on your journey," the maid explained in a clipped yet respectful tone, "the Master expects great things of you, so please read through them carefully."

I opened my mouth to reply, but my confusion and disbelief overrode anything I could've said. Instead, I turned behind me to get Mauri's input on the situation, but the smaller woman could only shrug in response. 'This is all you' was essentially all I could read from her expression, and from that, it was clear she had nothing to say on the matter. Realizing that I turned back to Miriam with an awkward smile.

"Erm... well if that's the case, I'll take them I guess," I finally replied, taking the books in question from Miriam and looking them over curiously, "but why are you giving these to me? You said it was an 'investment in the future'? What does that mean exactly?"

"It's just as Miriam says. I've taken an interest in you—or rather in the 'you' that I think you could become," Qaedis replied easily, "whether for good or for ill, I see in you the potential to shake this world to its very core, 'Amethyst' Sparkle."

"Ah..." I paused in the inspection of my newly acquired books and turned to give Qaedis a baffled look, "well I know I'm... not exactly normal, but 'shaking the world to its core'? Don't you think that's a bit..."

"Crazy? Over the top? An exaggeration? Pah! Not at all!" Qaedis interjected with a small but gleeful smirk, "whether you like it or not, you're a Spellblade Wielder, Miss Sparkle. I know not where or how you obtained that blessed blade upon your back and to be honest, I don't particularly care.

"What matters to me is what you intend to do going forward," the old Scavenger's smirk took on an oddly serious twist, "there are those that preach of the Great Harmony that will one day be brought about by the return of the Two Goddesses."

"I have heard this as well since leaving my homeland," Mauri chimed in somewhat sourly, "they say that the Celestial Sisters of Sun and Moon will gather Their Chosen Knights of Harmony and alight upon this earth once more to wipe away the corruption that plagues every corner of the land... or some bullshit like that," she scoffed again at her own words, "if I were you I would not put much stock in such nonsense."

"Oh? I was under the impression that the spiritual forest-dwelling Djävago were much more pious than that," Qaedis replied with a curious raise of his brow, "it seems I was mistaken, perhaps?"

"I am not as devout a believer as I should be I admit," Mauri explained, "but regardless, our faith surrounding the 'Goddesses', while sharing some similarities, is different than that of the Celestianism the rest of the world seems to practice."

"I see... well it seems I still have a lot to learn about the world even as old and well-traveled as I am," Qaedis replied with a helpless shrug, "but in any case, it seems we both agree on that point. I get the feeling you're not familiar with our religion, Miss Sparkle, but given what you do know, I believe you could guess at who these 'Chosen Knights of Harmony' are supposed to represent?"

I thought about what had been said with more than a bit of passing interest, and it didn't take me long to come to a conclusion.

"It wouldn't happen to be," I frowned, suddenly uncomfortable with the idea I'd come up with, "...they're not talking about Spellblade Wielders are they?"

"Precisely, or at least that's the working belief currently," Qaedis nodded, "there are some religious zealots out there that outright worship the leaders of the Order and the Unyielding Blade simply because they both use Spellblades. Being an unknown Spellblade Wielder yourself, I'd do everything in my power to avoid them if you can."

"Noted," came Mauri's impatient reply before I could get a response in, "now what exactly is the point you are trying to make by bringing all this up, Qaedis?"

"My point, Miss Bandal, is that, in reality, Spellblade Wielders—no matter their character or intentions—are far more likely to sow the seeds of chaos than any kind of peace or prosperity," his smile turned wicked as he looked to me and I couldn't help but shiver slightly as he said his next words, "it may not be apparent now but rest assured, you're very existence and the actions you've taken so far are already causing ripples that will grow into a monstrous wave that drowns the world in madness and anarchy."

There was a strange glint in the man's eyes when he said those words to me—an absolute, almost zealous certainty in his twisted expression. His tone was playful but I could practically feel his words crushing me under their weight. For a moment it felt like I was looking at an entirely different person altogether and a strangely familiar fear washed over me. It wasn't the same kind of fear I'd experience when I encountered the Headhunter either, but something else. Something I couldn't really explain in words.

Have I... met him somewhere before...?

I was certain I hadn't, but the question came unbidden to my mind nonetheless. I tried to search my memory for any recollection of the man, but naturally nothing rose to the surface... and yet the strange sense of familiarity and nostalgia remained. Before I could think too deeply on the sensation, however, Mauri spoke up, her words and tone snapping me out of my bemused reverie.

"Saying that kind of thing with such glee in your voice," she exlcaimed in a low and dangerous voice, "one could almost mistake you for a member of a certain cult of worshippers, Mister Malouveus."

"I'm afraid you have me mistaken, Miss Bandal," Qaedis replied in an even tone, his twisted expression gone as if it had never existed, "you must understand, it's been ages since I've met someone with the kind of potential this young lady possesses. I'm simply eager to see what fate has in store for her is all."

"Is that so?" Mauri replied looking thoroughly unconvinced, "well perhaps it would be best for all involved if you kept your excitement in check, yes?"

"Noted," Qaedis snarked with a dismissive wave before turning his attention back to me, "now then, Miss Sparkle, given your evident amnesia, I've taken the liberty of providing you with three books that may help you better understand your situation and the world around you."

As I listened to his explanation I took another look at the books I'd been given. Two of them were fairly hefty tomes with one being a bestiary of sorts with all kinds of information on monsters all over the world. According to Mauri who recognized it, the tome—simply titled The Bestiary—was required reading for every member of the Order during their training.

The second of the two large tomes was another copy of the book I'd already skimmed through back when I had stayed at Jack's cabin. A sudden surge of several different emotions welled up within me as my eyes roamed the cover of Hestenia: Understanding Our World—none of them pleasant in the least. Memories of my brief stay with Jack and his 'daughter' flashed across my mind and I clenched my eyes shut as I tried to suppress a shudder.

"Something wrong, Miss Sparkle?"

When I opened my eyes again I saw that Qaedis was eyeing me with a bemused frown. I looked over to see Mauri with a similar mien, though her expression was more concerned and I even thought I could see a hint of understanding there somewhere. Deciding it wasn't worth getting into, I turned back to Qaedis with an awkward and probably somewhat melancholy smile.

"N-No I just... I've actually read this before—well, looked through it a bit anyway," I finally replied, "it... brought back some recent memories I'd rather forget."

At first, the old Scavenger's frown only deepened, but then a look of realization suddenly crossed his face and gave a slow, solemn nod.

"Ah, I see," he said quietly, "while I don't know all the details, I'm sure it must've been hard for you. It wasn't my intention to bring up such painful memories. You have my apologies."

"No, I'm... I'll be fine, don't worry about it," I replied quickly before holding up the final book, "m-more importantly, what kind of book is this?"

The book in question was much smaller and thinner than the other two and, unlike the others, showed clear signs of wear and tear. Its worn, dark brown leather cover had no title to speak of and the pages within were yellowed, dog-eared, and tattered. It looked more like an old journal than anything but despite its apparent age and appearance, it didn't really feel like it was falling apart. Both the worn cover and the tattered pages were oddly sturdy and in fact, a quick flip through the book's pages revealed seemingly handwritten script that was still perfectly legible.

"That, my dear, is perhaps the most important of the three books I've given you," Qaedis answered in a weighty tone, "that is the personal journal of Requis the Wise, and it is a treasure that I hope you will hold close to your heart."

"Requis... the Wise?" I repeated, frowning at the journal in confusion, "who's that?"

"Requis the Wise," Mauri began in a quiet voice. She moved over to where I stood before plucking the journal out of my hands and looking over it herself with no small amount of awe, "a man who was said to be the second to wield a Spellblade after Alrik the Hunter."

"Right you are, Miss Bandal," Qaedis said happily before addressing me, "you see, Miss Sparkle, though Requis was gifted a Spellblade, he made for an exceedingly poor swordsman—or so the story goes. Alrik himself had offered to personally apprentice Requis, but had quickly deemed him hopeless.

"Cast aside by Alrik as a lost cause, Requis gave up the way of the sword and instead focused solely on learning to harness the 'magic' he'd been granted by the Spellblade. Though his physical capabilities were sorely lacking, he still managed to make a name for himself as one of the most powerful Spellblade Wielders to exist through his nigh monstrous feats of magic alone."

"For my people, magic was not entirely unheard of back then," Mauri added, "but we had no name for it in the human tongue. I was told long ago that for a time during his lifetime, Requis had lived amongst the Djävago, and that it was from him that we learned of 'magic' and 'mages' as humans understand them."

"Wow..." was all I could say as I took the journal back from Mauri, "and this is his journal? And wait, you already knew about magic? I thought only Spellblade Wielders could use magic?"

"This is not technically true," Qaedis chimed in, "while we humans can't normally use it, magic does and has existed supposedly since the dawn of time. There are some races and even some terrifying beasts out there that can utilize magic naturally," he paused as if to deliberate his next words, "if the oldest scriptures of the Celestian Church are to be believed, humans too were once able to wield magic without restraint, but..."

"...But what?" I asked curiously, "what happened?"

Rather than reply himself, Qaedis cast a glance towards the entrance where Thaddeus was still standing silently. As if prompted, the old butler sighed and began to speak.

"No one really knows for sure, I'm afraid, Miss Sparkle," he explained, "though a few still remain heavily guarded within the church, most of the old scriptures have been lost to time in one way or another. Among those lost are the scriptures that explain how, why, and even when humanity as a whole lost the ability to use magic."

"Magic these days, at least where most humans are concerned, is seen as nothing more than a myth," Mauri continued as she handed the journal back to me, "those who have never seen magic at work are hesitant to believe magic truly exists and those that do believe—rightly so—that such a power is only meant for those who wield Spellblades.

"My people cannot actively harness the power of magic as you or the other Wielders do, but we live in a place steeped in it since time immemorial. We cannot use magic as you do, but having lived surrounded by it over countless millennia has played a significant role in our evolution."

"So I take it that's why your people live so long?" I surmised, "and that's why you already knew about it before Requis introduced the concept of 'magic' to you."

"Correct, among other physical and biological attributes, we owe our longevity to magic," Mauri nodded, "back then, before that man arrived, we called it od and to this day we still use it to refer to what you humans call 'magic'."

"But when I showed you that I could use magic earlier it seemed as though you'd never even heard of it," I pointed out, "from what you're saying now, it shouldn't have been all that surprising, right?"

"I told you I had heard only stories," Mauri corrected, "Requis the Wise left my homeland long before I was born and I myself have never seen a human—Spellblade Wielder or no—use actual magic until today. It was... a fascinating thing to behold."

"It certainly was," Qaedis added, "and the journal you now hold in your hands will provide you with everything you need to know about the nature of your mythical weapon and hopefully how to use it properly."

"And you're just... giving this to me?" I asked, still stuck somewhere between gratitude and disbelief, "I mean, it's not like I'm not grateful, but something like this... I'd think it would be far more valuable than even those Hunter Medallions you have, wouldn't it? Isn't this an irreplaceable piece of history?"

"It is, but as things are now, it was just collecting dust on a bookshelf," Qaedis shrugged, "it was given to me by an old comrade of mine years ago, but I'm not a Wielder so I've no use for it," he smiled a grandfatherly sort of smile, "I'm giving this to you because I have faith that you'll make good use of it. Like I told you, this is an investment."

"Right," I muttered, "well, if you're sure then I'll do my best not to let you down," I paused to take a deep breath, then looked the old man in the eye, "I'll make sure none of these gifts go to waste."

"See to it that you don't," Qaedis replied, moving forward and clapping a hand on my shoulder, "now go on, you both have a long journey ahead of you. I recommend you not waste anymore daylight talking to this washed up old Scavenger."

"On this we are both in agreement," Mauri snorted. She regarded Qaedis silently for a moment before letting out a sigh of what might've been either irritation or resignation or both, "after having met you for myself, I do not believe you are the heartless devil others make you out to be. That said, I still find you a hard man to trust, Qaedis the Seeker."

"As well you should, forest dweller," Qaedis retorted, "to fully trust anyone in a world this cruel is the very height of folly. You would do well to remember this too, Miss Sparkle."

I'd been in the middle of tucking the tomes and journal away in my bag when his words made me freeze in my tracks. I winced and cast a glance in Mauri's direction as more unpleasant memories flooded my mind. Mauri returned my look, but if Qaedis' words bothered her she didn't show it. Instead she simply shook her head and began making her way to the entrance. Not wanting to leave things in such an awkward state, I address Qaedis again with a nervous smile.

"I'll... be sure to remember that," I finally replied as I finished packing away the books and hefting my bag over my shoulder, "thanks again for the books, Mister Malouveus."

"No thanks are necessary," he huffed, "just use what I've given you to better yourself and I will consider that thanks enough."

And with those words and a polite bow from both Miriam and Thaddeus, Mauri and I left the mansion and headed back out onto the forest path. In truth, there was so much more that I wanted to ask Qaedis about, but at the same time, I didn't want to be caught out in the forest at night again. Granted there was still some time left before noon, but the worry was still there.

I was sure I'd be able to get most of my answers from the books in my bag, but there were some things I doubt any of the books covered—namely, the Celestian Church and the religion surrounding it. I'd been hearing people refer to these Goddesses for some time and though I'd always ignored it before, I couldn't help the niggling questions forming in the back of my mind as I regained more of my old memories. I couldn't help but draw parallels between Celestianism and a certain Solar Princess I knew in my previous life.

Is there a connection there somewhere or is it just a simple coincidence?

I wasn't sure, and I had the feeling it'd be some time before I found out, if I ever found out at all. As I pondered on what I'd learned, I decided to ask Mauri what she knew about Celestianism and about the supposedly similar religion the Djävagoan people practiced. It was only a hunch at this point, but I was beginning to think that Celestianism might hold the answer the question of what had happened to me.

At the very least, it was a starting point—something to investigate while I waited for more of my memories to return. It was the only thing I could think of that might've held any connection between Hestenia and the world I originally came from.

And who knows? Maybe it might even be able to explain what 'that place' was.

I didn't actually find this out until I finished the chapter, but apparently someone in the MLP community already came up with the idea of 'Celestianism'. I don't know who posted the blog but here's the link to the unfinished 'bible' they wrote if you're curious. I've decided to keep the name because a) there's already such a thing as 'Celestialism' and b) my 'interpretation' of Celestianism is different enough that I feel it's not necessary to change the name.