“The lanky unicorn stallion used a complex summoning ritual to bring Twilight to us,” Moon Dancer explained, “it should have been completely untraceable, and yet, my Lady somehow managed to track down our location.”

“So, Luna jumped in and stopped the ritual?” I surmised. I expected the mare to look guilty or aggrieved or bitter or something, but no. She just nodded, as if the whole thing had happened to someone else entirely.

“I believed us all completely undone by my Lady's interference,” Moon Dancer replied, “the most we could do at that point was to make sure Twilight was safely extracted from the ritual. To that end, both our leader and the quiet stallion tried to hold off my Lady while Cozy Glow and I brought Twilight back. I was rendered unconscious in the process, so I'm not sure what transpired directly after that.”

Well, clearly Twilight came out of it just fine. Probably.

I gave a mental shake of my head before asking, “What about Cozy Glow? Does she know what happened?”

“No,” Moon Dancer said with an actual shake of her head, “we both woke up in a prison cell deep within Canterlot Castle's dungeon. Neither our leader nor the quiet stallion were anywhere to be seen. We were told by my Lady later that both stallions died in the confrontation.”

“Ah,” I replied, not sure what else to say. Then, something Moon Dancer said registered, and I asked, “Wait, you said you believed you were all undone. Was that not the case?”

The mare gave me a sardonic smile that didn't look quite right on her face. “Well, we weren't there to witness it with our own eyes, but we know that Twilight did complete her second ascension in the end. Given how things turned out, I'd say the ritual ended just as it was meant to.”

“Yeah, okay, that's fair,” I conceded with a grimace before switching gears, “so what happened after you woke up?”

Moon Dancer didn't answer right away. Instead, she sat back on her haunches and closed her eyes as if to collect her thoughts. After a minute, she opened her eyes, and it was like she was looking at something I couldn't see. When she spoke again, her expression was blank and her tone haunted.

---

Cozy Glow and I woke up in the castle dungeon, physically and magically bound. Confused and terrified, we tried asking the guards posted outside our cell what was going on, but got no response. They didn't even so much as glance in our direction. Left to our devices, we didn't know what to do. We didn't know if we succeeded in the ritual or what happened to the lanky stallion who taught us everything we knew about the eldritch arts.

Cozy Glow suspected everything from betrayal to carelessness on our leader's part, but I was just worried about Twilight. By this point, I had no regrets for what we'd done, I'd truly wanted to see Twilight ascend and bring us with her to new heights, but if I'd somehow inadvertently killed her in the process, I wouldn't be able to live with myself. It's true that we weren't as close as I would've liked to be, but she was still my one and only foalhood friend at the end of the day.

But we didn't have much time to dwell on our fate or that of our accomplices before all fell to ruin. It all seemed to happen in a moment. The world suddenly went dark, like a universal candle was snuffed out. Outside, I heard the guards cry out in alarm. I heard Cozy Glow's horrified gasp. I felt myself do the same, but it was all muted. Far away. The air grew cold and still, and in that moment, both Cozy Glow and I understood.

This was the end.

We didn't know all the details, but we'd learned enough to know what this cold and unrelenting darkness meant. The Old Night had awakened, and while we weren't aware of the events that led up to its awakening, we both realized that Twilight had to be involved somehow—not that we had the time to worry about such things. There was no time for worry. No time for fear. No time to rally. No time to investigate.

They swept in like a ravenous tide, consuming the unsuspecting guards before slipping through the bars of our prison to prey upon us. Bound as we were, we had no choice but to succumb to the hungry shadows. We were devoured, our screams silenced, just like everything else within that cloying, void-black shroud. All we were left with at the end was the realization that we were merely pawns, destined to die a cruel death along with the rest of the world...

---

“...or so we thought, but we were saved from the cold embrace of nothingness.” Moon Dancer paused, her distant, hollow gaze seeming to snap back into focus as she spoke. Before I could chime in, she pressed on, this time with a hint of gratitude in her voice and a slightly zealous gleam in her eyes, “Using forbidden arcane arts both eldritch and necromantic, my Lady took it upon herself to rescue our departing souls from the very edge of existence. She gave us our bodies back and bound us to her service.”

Ah, that might explain the creepy... quirks. Maybe.

“Why'd Luna resurrect you two of all ponies?” I asked, taking the fact that Luna became a necromancer at some point in stride as best I could, “Was it information? But wait, if that was the case, why bind you to her service?”

“It's true that Lady Luna was seeking knowledge in an effort to undo what was done to the world,” Moon Dancer affirmed, “but Cozy Glow and I were simply one more resource for her to exhaust out of several. We were deeply involved with the events that led to the end of the world, after all.” Her expression suddenly turned grim, “Unfortunately, there wasn't much we could tell her that she didn't already know, so—presumably due to sunk costs—Lady Luna chose to bind us to her service instead.”

“She wanted to get some kind of use out of you, huh?”

I gave the mare a wry smile. In all honesty, Luna's actions didn't sit quite right with me, but at the same time, I liked necromancy as both an idea and a class in role playing games. Ultimately, my feelings on the matter were mixed, but it wasn't exactly my place to say anything about it, so I didn't. Instead—

“No need to make me sound like some callous dark mage, Salvatore. I had my reasons, and these two have helped me immensely these last few years.”

—I nearly jumped out of my seat at Luna's sudden and casual tone. Looking behind Moon Dancer, I spotted the ex-princess in question seated in her plush armchair next to the low table. The mare sat there as if she'd been here all along, curled up and comfy as you please. She poured herself a glass of the wine that'd been sitting on the table before taking a measured sip.

“Jesus H. Christ,” I muttered, holding a hand over my thumping heart, “when the hell did you get here?”

And how the hell did I miss her? The armchair is literally, right there. Magic probably, or I wasn't paying enough attention. Probably both. Mostly the latter, most likely.

I realized I probably should've been more respectful only after the fact, but Luna didn't seem to mind, nor did Moon Dancer. The apparently undead (reborn? Revived?) unicorn just quietly stepped aside as Luna and I spoke. Luna, for her part, downed her first crystalline glass in one go and poured herself another before she finally spoke.

“We've nearly finished all preparations for the ritual,” she said, entirely ignoring my question altogether, “I've already informed Cozy Glow. She and Twilight will need some more time, but that is just as well.”

“Wait, hold on,” I interjected, raising a hand, “what 'ritual'? Was this mentioned earlier? I don't think it was...” I paused, racking my brain for the memory, but there was none to be found, “...yeah, no it wasn't. No mention of any rituals that I can remember anyway. I'll need an explanation on that one.”

Luna tilted her head slightly as she looked at me, and though I couldn't see her eye sockets underneath her roiling black mane, I could've sworn she was raising an eyebrow.

“Did I not mention?” she asked before shaking her head, “No, I suppose I didn't. My apologies, Salvatore. We haven't the time or resources to properly teach you how to wield chaos magic or what it means to be a spirit of chaos, I'm afraid. In lieu of proper lessons, my sister and I have elected to simply impart the knowledge to you.”

“And... that's what the ritual is for,” I replied, feeling an odd mix of wariness and curiosity, “to impart the knowledge of how to use chaos magic and what it means to be a chaos spirit?”

“Correct,” Luna nodded, “should all go well, you needn't fear the Old Night or its foul shadow spawn.” She opened her mouth to continue, but hesitated.

Oh, that's not good. Here comes the other shoe.

And sure enough...

“That said, while effective, this ritual is not without risk. Great risk, in fact. I feel it only fair to warn you, Salvatore,” the mare sat up in her seat, her eyes hidden but her expression deadly serious, “should this ritual fail, your very existence will be washed away, lost and buried beneath the relentless tides of time.”

I opened my mouth.

“...huh.”

That was all I could say.

I had no words. I had no big, bombastic reactions to give. I bounced Luna's words around in my head, but they just wouldn't register. No, it wasn't that they wouldn't register, it wasn't shock either, or at least I didn't think so. It was more like the appropriate mental response wasn't there in the first place—like trying to play a game you just installed on your PC, only to get an error message saying the .dll file is missing.

I... should probably be concerned about that.

...Ah, well. Fuck it. Better than freaking out, I guess.

I was about to shelf the issue for later and ask for more details about the ritual, but apparently, I'd taken too long to answer and Luna spoke first.

“I know this is a daunting proposition, Salvatore,” she said with some sympathy, “that is why I wished to test you before we begin the ritual.”

“Test me?” I asked, dumbfounded, “Test me how? For what?”

“I wanted to see how far along your transition from man to spirit has come,” Luna replied, “the closer you are to the latter, the less strain the ritual will have on your mind and the easier the process will be.”

“And how does that work?” I asked, having an idea but wanting to hear it from Luna.

“The transition of a mortal creature into an immortal spirit is a topic I am not fully well-versed in, but I'm not entirely ignorant of the subject.” She explained, “One important detail I am aware of is that, oftentimes, the first changes are more mental and spiritual than physical.”

I blinked at that.

Ah... Aaah. That might actually explain a few things. Yeah, I should definitely be concerned about this.

“You mentioned some of your bodily functions have already been altered,” Luna continued, heedless of my thoughts, “but if you haven't already, you may start to notice some changes in the way you perceive the world and the creatures within it. Your horizons will broaden drastically, and the unfathomable and infinite cosmos will begin to make more sense. And with understanding comes further change.”

“So, let me get this straight,” I replied, trying to put the pieces together, “the closer I get to chaos, the more I'll understand, and the more I understand, the more I'll change both physically and mentally?”

“In a nutshell, yes,” Luna replied with a nod, “though, as you grow in power, you will have some control over your physical form. Some changes can't be hidden, but should you desire to remain human-shaped, you should be free to do so.”

I couldn't help but give a bitter inward chuckle at her turn of phrase and the meaning behind it. Feeling a little overwhelmed, I leaned back in my chair and pressed my palms into my eyes before giving a long, drawn out sigh. I finally got some answers for what was going on with my mind, but the answers were troubling to say the least.

My biggest concern—or what I wanted to be concerned about—was the effect these changes would have on my personality. I liked who I was as a person. Do I wish I were smarter? Sure. Do I wish I were more motivated? Sometimes. Do I have regrets about some of the decisions I've made throughout my life? Of course I do. Tons of them. Everyone does. Those who say they don't are spouting bullshit.

Still, would I give up who I am for power if I had a choice?

I can't say for sure, but I'd like to think I wouldn't. Now that I've been put in this position, I'm not sure what to think or feel. Maybe I'm just overthinking it. I'm not exactly a super emotional person to begin with. Maybe these changes really are just a perceived problem and don't actually exist. Yet.

I guess only time will tell.

“Alright... one last thing before we get to this test,” I said after a moment, “what's the deal with Twilight? The one that came with me to this Equestria, I mean.”

Luna gave me a bemused frown before asking, “What do you mean? What about Twilight?”

“I mean, we told you about how she wound up joining me, right?” I explained, “Discord did something to her, but neither of us know what. We haven't discussed the matter in any real detail, but I have this vague idea that she was... I dunno, bonded to me somehow. Beyond that...”

I trailed off with a shrug and an inquiring look in Luna's direction. Luna didn't reply right away, but cast her gaze to the ceiling above and hummed in thought. Eventually, she nodded to herself, as if coming to some kind of conclusion.

“I see... that might clear up a matter I've been wondering about since I stumbled upon the two of you in Daring Do's cellar,” she muttered, almost to herself. She returned her attention to me, “Twilight had yet to ascend to alicornhood before you both arrived, yes?”

“Yeah, she was still a unicorn. We were wondering about that, too.”

Luna nodded again at that, “One of the reasons I was wary of Twilight in the beginning was that the mare, like you, stank of chaos magic—though to a much lesser degree.”

I leaned forward and frowned, “So it was Discord, then?”

“I believe so,” the alicorn replied, though her tone was worryingly uncertain, "and yes, as you guessed, there is some nascent connection between the two of you—a faint, almost ephemeral bond forged of chaos and... something else.”

“Something else?” I pressed.

“I cannot say for certain what it means,” Luna replied with a shake of her head, “but when I captured Twilight, the sigils within my binding spell picked up traces of an energy I've never felt before. The moment I picked up on it, the remnants of that strange energy vanished from my thaumic sight, but not before I traced that energy back to you.”

“Okay,” I replied slowly, “and... this energy isn't chaos?”

“No,” Luna said, this time with absolute certainty, “let me put it this way, Salvatore. There are some who believe the universe is comprised of a multitude of concepts, and true chaos is among the highest of them. Whatever this energy is, it is comprised of a concept higher than even true chaos. Much higher.”

I frowned, as I thought about what that meant, then my eyes widened as an idea came to me.

Oh, shit...

“Salvatore?” Luna asked, seeing the realization dawning on my face, “what is it?”

I refocused on Luna and gave the mare a disgruntled grimace, “I might not know what the hell any of this means, but I'm starting to think Discord isn't the only one to blame here.”

Fucking Apparatus...

At Luna's questioning gaze, I shook my head.

“Don't worry about it,” I said, “so we know these changes are affecting me, and they could be affecting Twilight by extension through that weird link you mentioned. If that's the case, then my follow-up question is, how is this ritual of yours going to affect Twilight?”

“That... I am not certain,” Luna hesitated before straightening up, “I was able to determine that the bond between the two of you is growing stronger even as we speak, but it is a gradual process. Very gradual from what I can tell. The link is yet in its infancy, so the ritual should not affect Twilight Sparkle overmuch.”

I tried to keep the skepticism off my face, but I wasn't sure if I succeeded.

Should I take her word for it? As sinister as the mare looks, I don't think she's trying to screw me over here. Then again, self-serving goals and all that. Who knows what she and Celestia are willing to do? Not that I can really blame them given what's lurking outside.

In the end, I just shrugged, “Well, what happens, happens, I guess. As long as Twilight knows the risks and is willing to go along with the process, that'll be good enough for me.” I gave Luna a pointed look, “We are gonna tell her, right? Not just about the risks, but about everything else?”

“Of course,” Luna replied, sounding almost offended that I even asked, “in a way, she's just as important as you are in all of this.”

I frowned at that, reading something I didn't quite like in her tone.

“What do you mean by that?”

Again, Luna hesitated, but then let out a resigned sigh before taking another, slower sip of her wine. After a moment, she spoke, “My sister... Celestia was devastated by Twilight's betrayal. By what she'd done to the world. It was clear for anypony to see, but the pain was so much deeper than what she let show. You and your Twilight saw that for yourselves.”

I mean, she's not my Twilight, but yeah, that was... rough.

I winced at the memory of Celestia's reaction to Twilight, but didn't say anything about it, and Luna pressed on.

“By now, every single survivor is aware of what Twilight has done,” Luna continued, “to say that they despise her is an understatement of the highest order,” her expression turned sad, “even her friends came to accept the truth and gave in to that same black hatred.”

“That's why you didn't want Twilight to see Fluttershy or Pinkie,” I guessed.

“Among other reasons, yes,” Luna replied, “the encounter would destroy everypony involved, but Celestia... Celestia is different. She gave in to despair, but not hatred. Never hatred, even now.”

“And what about you?” I asked curiously, “Where do you stand in all this? You don't seem like you're frothing at the mouth with rage.”

“I...” Luna sighed, “I have far too much empathy for the mare to hate her for her actions—far more than is likely warranted, I fear. There is the obvious parallel between her and the villain that I became before I was sealed away, but even before I became Nightmare Moon—long before that—I was right where she'd been.”

“You're... talking about her descent into madness for the sake of knowledge,” I surmised, and Luna nodded in affirmation.

“I told you about my foray into the Dreamlands,” she said, “I spent many long years there, and learned a great many truths about the universe, but in pursuing that knowledge, I committed terrible acts. Things that, even now, I'm too ashamed to tell my sister. Things that, even as Nightmare Moon, I vowed never to do again.”

“But clearly you were able to pull yourself back,” I pointed out.

“Only because I had no choice,” Luna replied. She stared down into her half empty wine glass and gave a small shudder, “eventually, I was forced to acknowledge that some truths aren't worth pursuing, and I almost paid for that lesson with my very soul. But yes, I was fortunate enough to escape a fate worse than death and fled the Dreamlands, never to return.”

“Damn,” I replied after a moment of somber silence, “that sounds like some kind of story.”

“Indeed,” Luna agreed, “and perhaps I will have a chance to expand upon it in the near future, but I believe we've gotten away from the topic at hoof.” The mare polished off her third glass of wine before setting the empty glass back down on the table. “You wanted to know why Twilight was so important, correct?”

“I wanted to know why you thought she was so important,” I clarified, “from the sound of things, it has something to do with Celestia, right?”

Luna gave a slow nod of acknowledgement, “It is... because this Twilight represents an opportunity.”

“What kind of opportunity,” I asked cautiously.

“An opportunity for closure,” Luna answered easily, “Celestia hasn't said as much, but I know my sister. I'm assuming Twilight will be right there with you when you go to confront the looming threat we face, yes?”

“I'm also assuming so, yes,” I replied, “the mare's got a bit of a hero complex going on, so her being there is pretty much a given.”

“And therein lies the crux of Celestia's desire,” Luna stabbed a hoof in my direction, “that complex is what my sister wants to see more than anything. Even should Twilight succeed in saving us from our inevitable fate, the survivors will continue to condemn her for what her counterpart has done, but succeed or fail, Celestia will finally find some peace, knowing that Twilight did everything she could to help this world.”

“...Even if it wasn't her Twilight doing the saving?” I questioned.

“Even then,” came Luna's calm and confident answer, “it is almost enough just knowing that somewhere in the wider universe—in the wider multiverse—there's still a Twilight willing to stand up to evil and protect harmony.”

A bit cheesy for my taste, but I can appreciate the sentiment for sure.

“Alright, I can respect that,” I said aloud, “and I'm sure Twilight would be happy to hear that too, but let's rewind a bit and talk about that test of yours. What does it entail? What do I have to do?”

“Ah, yes, the test,” a strange smile crossed Luna's lips, “well, in all honesty, Salvatore, the test has already been issued, and now I need only confirm the results.”

I blinked, then frowned, “What? When did you—”

I was cut off as Luna suddenly turned to speak to Moon Dancer. I'd almost forgotten the unicorn was here, she'd been so quiet until now.

“Well, Moon Dancer,” Luna asked lightly, “what say you? How did he fair?”

Moon Dancer nodded and turned to me with a knowing smile I wasn't entirely comfortable with before replying, “Well, my Lady, I believe his reaction speaks volumes, but from what I have observed, he appears to be coming along quite nicely. It will be difficult to say for sure if the ritual will go perfectly just from this, but at the very least, I'm confident he will come out of it with his mind intact.”

I opened my mouth, but snapped it shut before whipping back around to face Luna. “Okay, so I clearly missed something here, and I would very much like to know what, but I guess I passed the test, whatever it was?”

“Indeed,” Luna confirmed with a rare genuine smile, “I apologize for this bit of subterfuge on mine and Moon Dancer's part, but rest assured, we had our reasons,” at my unamused scowl, Luna cleared her throat, “as for the test, well...” she and Moon Dancer cast a brief glance at one another before she spoke again, “the story, Moon Dancer told you was not spoken in Ponish, and as Moon Dancer said that you evidently failed to notice such a fact speaks volumes.”

“Does it?” I asked, trying to parse the meaning behind her words, “I mean, I shouldn't be able to understand Ponish either. English is the only language I should know, and yet here we are, having a conversation.”

“True enough, and more of Discord's doing no doubt,” Luna replied, “but his meddling likely didn't account for the use or understanding of the Black Tongue.”

I raised an eyebrow at that, “The 'black tongue'?”

It was Moon Dancer that replied this time, adjusting her thick-rimmed glasses as she explained, “A forbidden language and integral in the use of the eldritch arts. It goes by many names, but that's what it's called in all the texts we know of. Prolonged use of the language will drive the average listener mad eventually, or at the very least, cause some discomfort. Not only did it not have an effect on you, you completely understood everything I said.”

“Ah, I get it,” I scratched at my chin and looked back and forth between the two mares, “so that whole story was a test I didn't even know I was taking, and that fact alone was enough to pass,” at Luna's nod of confirmation I grimaced, “Okay, that's all well and good, but what would you have done if Twilight spoke to Moon Dancer instead.”

“We would've had Cozy Glow do the same thing if you went with her instead,” Moon Dancer readily responded.

“And if we hadn't decided to split up at all?”

“I would have tested you myself, whether Twilight was there or not,” Luna answered, “no matter the turn of events, you would have been tested before the ritual.”

“Okay, I can accept that,” I replied before turning another question over in my head, “but what makes you so sure Discord didn't allow me to understand this Black Tongue?”

“I never said he didn't allow it, merely that he didn't account for it,” Luna corrected, “Discord wouldn't have given you access to the Black Tongue if he'd known what he was doing because the Black Tongue allows you the potential to manipulate true chaos in a way that could be detrimental or even deadly to Discord himself.”

“Right, right, but then why would he turn me into a lesser chaos spirit if that was the case?” I asked, doing my best to look at the situation from every angle.

“That is a good question to be sure,” Luna conceded before her frown turned thoughtful, “but then again, does he know? I cannot help but wonder if he is aware of your transformation.”

“What? I mean, he has to be, right? Shouldn't he be able to feel that sort of... thing...” I trailed off as yet another idea slammed into me.

Fucking Apparatus! Did he do something else?!

The face-stealing weirdo did mention something about blocking Discord in some way so that Twilight and I could take the multiversal needle shards. Did that extend to my chaotic changes?

Just what the hell is he? And what the hell did he actually do?

“Salvatore? Is something wrong?”

I snapped back to focus and looked over to see that both mares were watching me with some concern. I waved away Luna's inquiry with a dismissive gesture.

“Sorry, I'm fine. I just remembered that Twilight and I got a bit of help where Discord is concerned just before we came here,” I explained, “Apparatus is probably the reason Discord doesn't know I'm changing.”

I said that, but then something else occurred to me.

No, wait... the changes started happening long before I ever met Apparatus. So, was there another reason Discord overlooked the changes, or did Apparatus already know about me and did something beforehand?

Has he been watching me this whole time?

I shuddered inwardly at the thought and did my best to put it out of my mind.

“Apparatus?” Luna replied with some confusion. Then her face cleared up a moment later as she remembered, “Ah, yes... you did mention an encounter with a strange being that wore your appearance,” she tilted her head as though realizing something else, “could this creature be who you were referring to when you mention that Discord shares the blame for yours and Twilight strange bond?”

“Yeah,” I replied, “the guy is... well, he's about as unfathomable as you can get. If anyone was responsible for something even Discord couldn't handle, it would be him. Or it. Whatever he is.”

“I see...” Luna muttered, seemingly lost in her own thoughts. An odd silence fell over the small study for a bit. Not awkward, but not exactly comfortable either. Just one big pause while we all gathered our thoughts. The spell was broken as Luna suddenly perked up in her seat, then turned to me, “it appears young Twilight has finished her research. She and Cozy Glow are on their way here.”

“Huh, well, that was fast,” I commented, “knowing Twilight I expected her to take at least a day or two.”

“Nonsense,” Luna replied, though not without some amusement, “We haven't the time for that kind of extensive research and I wouldn't have allowed such a thing regardless.”

“Fair enough,” I replied, “so, what? We just sort through what we learned and then head off to wherever for the ritual?”

“The Chamber of Déaþgedál,” Luna replied, “it is where my sister resides, and where you will come into your fledgling power as a lesser chaos spirit. And yes, once we've brought Twilight Sparkle up to speed, we will be departing for the chamber.”

“Fantastic,” I sighed, ”I don't suppose you could fill me in on what I'm in for here?”

“I will leave the details of the ritual to my sister,” Luna replied before giving me an apologetic smile, “it was she who insisted on giving the explanation. She feels it is her responsibility.”

“Of course she does,” I muttered before settling back into my chair, “well, nothing to do but wait and see how things unfold.”

I wonder what Twilight managed to find out on her end...

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