"This is...incredible," Twilight said, eyes roaming over the diagram Ezikeal had made. Rather than interlocking diamonds, the Azeroth Cosmology Diagram consisted of layers of circles, some touching and some separated. At the center was reality, and moving out were realms such as the Emerald Dream and the Shadowlands, followed by the elemental domains and cosmic forces, with Light taking place at the top and Shadow at the bottom. On the left rested Life and Order, to the right Disorder and Death. Opposites were situated at opposite ends of the diagram, and overall it was fairly straightforward-- Ezikeal was no artist, so it wasn't anything particularly fancy, but he was able to get the structure and important information down. Twilight was absorbing said information like a sponge thrown into a pool-- she was insatiable. To her credit, Rainbow Dash also seemed at least moderately intrigued by the information he was transcribing as well, but her bouts of interest were fleeting and not particularly often. Spike looked as intrigued as Twilight, and took a couple notes himself as Ezikeal talked about what he was making.

"So in the view of those who made this version of primordial forces, most domains that seem to hold any major significance are their own unique force?" she asked.

"Essentially, yes, but they are built in layers. For example at the highest level, the outer rings, you have something like Order, deeper in the cosmology, the element Earth is primarily influenced by Order so it only touches order in the diagram, while Water is influenced by both Order and Life, so it touches both," he explained, finishing the drawing and sitting back to give Twilight a fuller view of it.

"Fascinating..." she breathed, seeming to compare the diagram against information she already had in her mind when Spike's cheeks puffed up and he let out a belch of flames, producing a roll of paper with a seal in the shape of a silver moon holding it closed.

"That's Princess Luna's seal..." she murmured, floating the scroll up, undoing the seal and scanning over it with her eyes. She scanned over it quickly, eyes jolting side to side as they went down the text. They went wide a moment later as she finished the letter.

"What!? Oh sweet Celestia-- Spike start preparations! Princess Luna said she and Princess Celestia are coming here now!" She dropped the letter on the table before rushing off to do...whatever preparation needed to be done, Spike made his way into a different room, moving with similar haste. Ezikeal tilted his head a bit to better see what was written on the letter, now resting face up on the table.

Dear Twilight Sparkle,

Our sister conferred with us about the words thou have sent to her, and we have decided that this is an emergency quite dire. From thy written words, there is magic at play that has no place in our domain. Thy suspicion that Chrysalis has taken hold of such a magic leaves our sister, as well as ourself, in discomfort, as such a development in our standoff against the Changelings would be a travesty. Our sister has notified her guard to take extra precaution when handling issues involving Changelings, as we have as well with the forces of the night. As for what thou has written about thy new acquaintance, Ezikeal, we have necessity of discussing that directly and we shall see about the need of letting the magic he wields continue unchecked. The information thou provide is concerning, and we shall not be taking the situation lightly if there is truly an element of foul play in the arrival of such magic to the hands of the Changeling forces. Our sister and myself shall be visiting thy home in Ponyville at once. Our arrival may be expected in short order.

We are grateful for thy communications,

Princess Luna of Equestria

Ezikeal felt a sense of chilling tension after reading the letter. What exactly did Twilight say about him in relation to the Fel? At least from the looks of it, the Princesses were taking great heed of Twilight's words, and so they were taking the report of the threat very seriously-- Ezikeal just hoped they didn't see him as the threat as well. The question also remained of why Luna was the one to reply to Twilight instead of Celestia-- Twilight seemed perplexed to be getting a response from Luna, but Ezikeal figured that much would be answered after their meeting began. After about fifteen minutes by Ezikeal's estimate a short series of firm knocks had echoed through the library from the door. Rather than Spike getting the door as Ezikeal had seen as being the usual, Twilight rushed to it instead. She pulled the door open and gave a bow.

"Princess Luna! Welcome!" she said in eager reception of the Princess. Ezikeal stood as the Princess entered the room. A midnight blue dress adorned her body, somewhat low-cut and hugging to her body, exuding an aura dignified beauty as it hugged the subtle curves of her form. Her dress left her arms bare, displaying a subtle yet apparent tone of muscle to her somewhat pale skin that reinforced her visage with a sense of power. Her hair was flowing behind her, pitch black and looking almost like a portal into the night sky itself. Small sparkles, like flickering stars, gleamed within it as it flowed in an non-existent wind. Her horn remained the most intimidating reminder of her magical prowess, however, as it extended to a length greater than Twilight's, or any other unicorn Ezikeal had seen so far.

"Greetings, Twilight Sparkle," Luna gave her sister's apprentice a warm smile, "and Rainbow Dash," she added, looking into the room at the pegasus, who gave a respectful bow. Ezikeal followed the example and gave a bow of his own, rising to meet Luna's gaze, now firmly set on him and the blade on his back.

"Princess," Ezikeal greeted formally. Twilight had closed the door and had followed the Princess to the main room of the Library, taking a seat.

"Ezikeal," she said, lacking the warmth of her original greetings. Ezikeal pressed his lips into a line as he sat down like the others, maintaining respect towards the royal now looming over them. Luna looked them all over briefly before stepping over to the table, taking a look at the chart Ezikeal had drawn out, narrowing her eyes at something she saw, but Ezikeal couldn't pinpoint what it was that was drawing her ire.

"It seems a breakthrough has been made in speaking with our visitor, Twilight?" she asked, taking a seat herself now, sitting straight and maintaining an air of formality with every movement and breath. Spike came out from the kitchen with a large tray of what looked to be tea and started to pour some out for everyone.

"Yes, Princess, Ezikeal and I have come to an understanding of sorts," Twilight said, "it is clear that he is wary and wants to move on from his past, so I have agreed that we would not press or pry too deeply into his personal history, and that he could just tell us the vital information," she explained, "I ask you, Princess, that you accept the terms of the agreement we had made," she added, lowering her head as she requested the Princess abide by Ezikeal's wishes. Luna's gaze wandered over to Ezikeal, pointedly ignoring the request for the moment.

"Is that so, Ezikeal?" she asked, a slight tilt to her head conveying some dubious curiosity.

"It is. I don't want the people of Equestria to suffer when I have information that could help in combating the coming threat," he said. Luna's expression flatlined, seeming to take upon some kind of diplomatic mask of neutrality as she began to speak sharply.

"A threat that thou has intimate knowledge of. A threat that once witnessed, thou shied away with information and permitted this magic of chaos to fester and grow within our domain." Her statement was not a question, rather a statement of what she believed to be fact, that much was clear. Ezikeal silently grit his teeth before simply nodding-- it would not do well to argue that point any further.

"And now, thou desires to assist us with thy cursed power? We understand thou has saved the life of Rainbow Dash, an honorable act, yet tainted by the foundations of deceit thou has lain out that brought upon such a circumstance, Ezikeal," Ezikeal sat rigid as the Princess laid out her grievances with his being there. This is sounding very bad... Luna leaned forwards some, holding Ezikeal with firm eye contact as the thin mask of her neutrality broke, eyes sharpening with what Ezikeal could only understand as some kind of disgust.

"We have seen what thou are," she spoke in a quiet volume, tone like an iron chain wrapping around him, "poison, wielding a power that brings nothing but suffering. Nothing but agony. They have not seen what we have witnessed in the bareness of thy mind, Ezikeal, so we understand thy wish to conceal it but thou can not hide from us. To our judgement, thy power is a stain, fit for removal," her voice had maintained an icy, threatening tone and what she had said had clearly spooked Twilight, who looked almost like she was seeing a ghost, and Rainbow Dash looked a mix between awe and intense nervousness. Ezikeal gathered from the reaction that they probably hadn't seen the Princess get combative like this often, if at all. Ezikeal swallowed harshly, slowly nodding once the Princess had finished speaking. He kept one arm relaxed and both legs tense for action, readying himself to get up and go for his sword if she decided it was time to incinerate him then and there. Her anger was practically tangible as she no doubt ran him through with her weapon in her own mind.

"With all due respect, Princess," Ezikeal said, earning a suspicious gleam in Luna's firm gaze as he started to speak, "if you had truly investigated the bareness of my mind in full, you would see the unquestionable benefit that I can offer in your approaching conflict," he said, keeping his tone placating but pushing back against her accusations against him.

"The debasement of oneself in the exchange of power is a sin we do not take lightly, Ezikeal. Thou defiles thy form with every ounce of that power thou wields," she affirmed, tone growing even harsher. Before the tension could boil over, however, the sound of the door opening caught everyone's attention. Twilight stood up in a startle, letting out an eep as she seemed to realize who had arrived, and Luna briefly gained an expression of slight annoyance at her time to voice personal opinion being interrupted.

"With that said, our sister has urged for thy continued service in the objective of quelling the Changeling threat," she said, leaning back into a straight position again, tone losing all of its brutal sharpness and giving the sense that they had just been having a cordial discussion as a woman who was no doubt Princess Celestia entered the room.

Luna gave off an aura of unmatched beauty, but Celestia was positively radiant in her appearance. Fair skin framed in a bright white dress, cut down one side to expose part of one leg and hugging her more curvaceous form-- the sleeves looped around her arms, exposing her shoulders. Her eyes were a bright lavender, holding within them a sharp intelligence and conveying an unwavering aura of compassion that was almost completely stifling to any suspicions Ezikeal had when he met her gaze. Her hair cascaded behind her, a mixture of soft, bright colors ranging from turquoise to pink. She was taller than her sister, almost a head taller, and that height seemed to exude a higher authority than her sister now that they were both in the room.

"I do hope you are not scaring him, sister," she said, voice conveying a motherly, soft tone, "we are enlisting his service, not convincing him to flee." Ezikeal blinked. They were? He didn't let relief overcome him yet, but hearing the other Princess say such gave him confidence that he wouldn't be dying any time immediately.

"We would do nothing of the sort, sister. We simply were greeting Ezikeal and warning him not to be disloyal," she said. That was certainly one way to put the conversation they just had.

"Princess, I'm so sorry I didn't hear your arrival or I would have gotten the door-" Twilight started quickly.

"It is quite alright, my faithful student, I had just arrived and let myself in, I know my sister had already left and wanted to be here quickly. I am sorry as well for my delay, I was gathering some items that I think may prove useful in our coming discussion." she said. Twilight waved her hands frantically.

"Oh, it's no trouble at all, Princess!" she affirmed strongly. Ezikeal smiled softly at the frantic displays of hospitality Twilight was displaying, the idolization of her teacher quite evident. Celestia glanced at the diagram on the table, any reaction she had to it masked in a perpetual, friendly calm. She seemed to see something as well, however, and that put Ezikeal on edge at how in control of her outward emotions she was.

"I see you are acquainted with Star Swirl's ancient index of primordial forces. Curious," she said softly, horn igniting itself with a vibrant gold aura as an old looking paper appeared and laid itself next to his diagram. It was an old drawing, much more finely detailed than Ezikeal's own and written with a language he couldn't easily parse, but the main symbols seemed to display themselves rather clearly, nearly having a matching number of aspects, minus a few of the more minor ones like the Emerald Dream that seemed to be an entirely alien concept to Equestria, and the ordering was slightly different but the concepts and pathing were the same. So they had an old understanding of the cosmology?

"Why did you not keep this model?" Ezikeal asked, and Twilight made a noise of agreement, seeming to be confused as well as she absorbed the writing of this "Star Swirl." Celestia smiled softly, a serene calmness to her demeanor as she seemed to remember things from the past as she began her explanation.

"Star Swirl created this diagram after multiple lengthy scrying sessions into the magical forces in his studies. When he shared his findings with us, he was quite proud of the discovery, saying he had tapped into magics previously unknown to Ponykind. However, he had added that the danger of spreading the knowledge of certain forces and routes by which to access them," she gestured towards shadow, "would ultimately be a detriment to the greater vision of Equestria, which wasn't even fully founded yet, as those with harmful intent would take easier avenues towards attaining dark powers to destroy the peace that we sought to establish. He wanted to provide future scholars the tools to further reach magical heights, however, so we simplified the model, and a large majority of unicorn magic is rooted in Order due to the stable nature of that avenue of magic and only those with special authority may view the original discovery and Starswirls notes to gain an understanding of the other forces we maintained. I'm sure that you can at least concede the fact that those with this knowledge and harmful intent, from where you come from, have found enacting acts of darkness quite simple? Take for example, what we now face with the Changelings-- an avenue deeply rooted within the force of chaos has been unlocked, and already the results are endangering to the lives of everypony in Equestria." Her voice remained authoritative but when questioning when he'd agree, it adopted a more genuine edge, feeling out whether he would truly agree with what she was telling him. On most counts, Ezikeal understood her reasoning completely, but he was unsure how he felt about intentionally locking away a sector of cosmology, as that no doubt proved some hindrance to magical advances. The situation was certainly complex, and he didn't feel he had the right to make any sweeping judgements on the matter, not with what little information he had.

"I can concede that point, yes," he agreed. Celestia smiled at that, nodding in approval of his response as she settled into the seat next to Luna.

"Then we have an understanding. It seems now, however, that we must speak of less favorable topics now. I understand that you know more about this magic than has been stated already. Now that we are gathered, I would appreciate if you would inform us a bit more about what it is we are facing," she said, completely in control of the flow of the conversation. Ezikeal nodded, prompted to begin the explanation of his own.

"Yes," he started, "it's called the Fel, and it is a chaotic, destructive magic created and proliferated through demons. It was found in their blood, and it corrodes and absorbs other types of magic, most commonly life, to fuel itself. It offers a horrible bargain for the power it offers those who accept its corruption within. It results in the degradation of the mind, the amplification of violent, brutal mindsets and enslaves those who take it in to its destructive whims. To take its power, willing or not, one must either drink the blood of a demon, or those already infected by it, or be sufficiently exposed to the Fel in some fashion. It's addictive in nature, and once introduced uncontrolled to a group, it is usually not long before most have taken its power for themselves. It is because of that, that I am so certain this Chrysalis has taken it, and most Changelings have taken it as well or died for their rejection of it at the hands of their former allies." An expression of further disgust painted Luna's face as he described the harsh reality of what happened in societies ruled by Fel, while Celestia simply turned down her eyes in quiet contemplation.

"It's a terrible magic, sister," Luna said bitterly.

"It does seem that way, yes," Celestia said, looking back up at Ezikeal, "you know the ways to best push back against this threat given your experience with it?" she asked.

"I know how to combat the Fel itself from experience. What I don't have experience with is Changelings. I have no idea what they are fully capable of. The two we encountered did not show a large breadth of capabilities. I expect that there will be Changelings that show much higher levels of danger," Ezikeal explained. Celestia nodded, exuding understanding to his words.

"Princess, you know how to solve this, don't you?" Twilight asked after a moment of quiet, "Surely there won't be need to...to all of them..."

"Don't worry Twi, if anypony can fix this, it'll be the Princesses," Rainbow Dash said reassuringly.

"Please, don't distract thyselves with overconfidence," Luna said, looking to be in thought alongside her sister, eyes resting on the circle of Disorder drawn on the pages. Celestia let out a small sigh, her serene mask falling to show a downtrodden look. Ezikeal was certain that whatever she allowed him to see of her emotions was deliberate, the air of control she held was practically suffocating-- it put him on edge.

"From my understanding of what Ezikeal has told us, the Changelings are going to be producing a fundamental threat to the livelihood of everypony in Equestria, and along with that the sacred peace we have long sought to maintain," Celestia said, shaking her head, "It has been ages since a truthfully violent conflict has threatened our lands, but it seems that if we do not quell this as soon as we can, the era of peace will be ending in the very immediate future." Twilight visibly deflated at that response, and Rainbow Dash's expression had gone flat, brow slightly furrowed in dissatisfaction with the situation.

"Princesses," Ezikeal said, catching their attention and meeting both of their gazes, Celestia's soft and inquisitive while Luna held cold curiosity, "I have a question that I think may help us sort out a few short term priorities, if you would permit me to speak freely?"

"You may, Ezikeal," Celestia said with a quirk of her lips, amused at his request of permission.

"If the Changeling's launched an attack tomorrow, would the Equestrian guard be able to withstand it? Would they be able to answer with the force necessary to put down a threat to the very lives of those living in your domain?" He asked. Luna seemed to bristle at what he was saying.

"Thou insults us-" Celestia raised a hand, silencing her sister.

"They would not. My ponies are capable of fighting, but they are not hardened in the way of taking lives, that goes against the peace we had been maintaining. I'm sure you know that simply knowing how is not the same as running one's sword through a foe with true intent." Ezikeal nodded.

"The Equestrian guard would not stand alone! We shall aid them in battle, as we do have such experience," Luna said firmly, eager to defend the might of Equestria.

"What!?" Twilight balked at the bold declaration and Luna flinched, expression softening quickly as she faced Twilight. She seemed to had let something slip that she would have preferred to keep quiet, "Twilight Sparkle, before Equestria was founded, there were many a conflicts my sister and ourself faced. Peace had to be earned. Thou must understand, we did as necessary to secure such peace," Luna seemed very intent on appealing to Twilight to preserve the woman's view of her. Twilight seemed to hesitate at the response before Celestia spoke up.

"Twilight, we had always enacted such force as a means of defending the very lives of ponies when threatened in such a manner that did not provide any other avenue of peaceful resolution...please understand, it was always a final result due to the failure of friendship in those times," she said, like a teacher explaining a complicated concept to their student.

She lies. Ezikeal's mind voiced his with nagging concern at the Princess's statement.

He narrowed his eyes for the briefest of moments. It was clearly just to appease Twilight, and while Luna seemed flustered at having admitted to such in her past, Celestia was handling the revelation in stride. Was the experience in diplomatic presentation between them truly so vast? Whatever the case may have been, Twilight seemed to have been taken aback further by the Princess admitting that friendship had completely failed at times in the past, but she nodded in quiet contemplation to allow the conversation to continue. Celestia shifted, moving to sit closer to Twilight and rested an arm over her shoulders in a caring embrace. Twilight seemed surprised, but within a second had changed gears into pleasantly enjoying the compassion of her mentor.

"You don't think we will be enough on our own to assist our forces," Celestia said, summarizing Ezikeal's thoughts on the matter, to which he agreed with a nod of his head.

"With all due respect, I would think that if the conflict becomes further reaching, there is only so much territory you can individually protect I would assume?" He asked, ignoring the pointed glare from Luna at his statement. Celestia nodded, giving pause for just a moment before speaking.

"You would be correct," she agreed, "if conflict truly became spread across Equestria, we would be forced to pick our battles," her voice softened as she let her expression fall some, "It's going to be a harsh reality to face for my ponies, Ezikeal, but from the sounds of things, we must be swift," she took a small breath before changing topics, throwing Ezikeal's sense of the conversation further off-balance, "You seem to be the most knowledgeable on the subject and quite experienced in things beyond peace, Ezikeal, so I would like to offer you a position, temporary as of now, as an aide to the Equestrian Guard, both day and night."

An aide to the guard? An advisor position to help them prepare their defenses. It would certainly be beneficial for the guard to have someone with an understanding of the brutality they were about to face helping. He thought, pensively considering the proposition. As he considered it, a whisper of thoughts echoed softly, resurfacing from where he had mentally banished them.

They are luring you to a sense of calm in order to strip you of what makes you valuable. She spoke already, you are fit for removal. It spoke, the paranoia in his mind gripping at him. They see through you...they see you behind the curtain you so desperately pull to cover yourself. Run. Ezikeal swallowed, something in the thoughts piercing him deep and making his heart beat faster. What was happening? He looked around at the Princesses, Twilight and Rainbow Dash. When he met Dash's gaze, a look a concern seemed to cross her face. Ezikeal looked away quickly and refocused on the Princesses-- if they noticed anything they didn't show it. Slowly he took a soft breath before nodding.

Run. his doubts repeated.

"I think that is the best option, yes." I will not run. I can not.

"We are grateful for thy agreement," Luna spoke before Celestia could answer herself, "to that end, we have a gift. A token to mark the dawn of our exchanges." Luna's horn ignited and a small box appeared, on the table a moment later. It was blue, and opened to reveal a black fabric interior that housed a ring. The ring was made of a pure, polished silver and held within it a sizable, deep blue gemstone that seemed to keep a signature of Luna's magic, stars practically glimmered within it and signaled to Ezikeal that the ring was not ordinary in the slightest.

Cursed jewelry? Wouldn't be the first time I've encountered such items. He thought, gently taking the ring up in two fingers and turning it in his hand, looking on with slight suspicion.

"It's a beautiful piece," he spoke before setting it back in the casing, earning an inquisitive head tilt from Luna.

"Is something to thy dissatisfaction?" she asked.

"I'm correct to assume there are enchantments placed upon it?" he asked. Luna nodded.

"We shall be able to commune with thee, wherever thou finds thyself, through the magic of the ring and thou may contact ourself as well," she explained. Ezikeal could practically feel the ulterior motive dripping from her words, which were notably lacking all of her previous sharp edge.

It's a trap. You will be dismantled through some trick lain within the gemstone. They will remove you. His mind voiced as he picked the ring up again.

They would not sabotage one of their largest keys to pushing back the Changelings...not in front of Twilight at least. He reasoned firmly as he began sliding the ring on. He felt his mind surge, a spike of sharp anxiety trying to appeal to his fight or flight senses that sent a cold chill through him, giving the briefest of pauses before he fixed the ring into place on his finger and a sudden calm washed over him. He blinked, brow furrowing at the quiet, open feeling in his mind. That felt...odd. Luna's horn glowed again and a tingling filled Ezikeal's head.

"We may commune long distances like this, Ezikeal. Please refrain from frivolously using such a privilege," she sent through whatever link had been established through the ring.

"Why are you doing this? You spoke of me with such disdain at the start of our meeting," he returned rather sharply. A low suspicion overrode that strange calm. Nothing was lining up smoothly with these events. Luna enters, speaks so harshly towards him and now is the first one to offer some semblance of aid to him and a line of direct communication. Something was off.

"The salvation of Equestria is more important than our own opinions on thyself. But, we refuse to let thou roam completely unchecked. Consider the ring a simple reminder. Our eyes are upon thou, Ezikeal." she sent, voice echoing within his head. He briefly wondered what he had gotten himself into with this, and was about to press before Celestia let out a small "ahem" to refocus both himself and Luna on the actual conversation.

"Twilight, could we expect to see you in Canterlot with the other Elements at your earliest convenience?" Celestia asked. Twilight stiffened at the question, thinking through...something, in her head before she nodded.

"I can double check with the others, but we should be all free within the next couple days to make a trip like that," Twilight said optimistically. Celestia smiled, pleased by the response.

"Wonderful, we will need to discuss this topic with all of the Elements, among some other preparations my sister and I may have to prepare in the castle," she said, Twilight nodding along as she spoke.

"Ezikeal is to come as well," Luna added, "he may begin advisory duties upon his arrival." Ezikeal nodded. It was going to be better to start preparing as early as everyone was capable of.

"Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Spike, may we have a private word with Ezikeal?" Celestia asked, expression and voice as serene as ever despite the ominous feeling that request radiated.

"Of course," Twilight said without hesitation before the three of them went upstairs. As soon as they were confidently out of sight and earshot, Celestia spoke.

"Ezikeal, I want to examine your magic, if you would allow," there was a sudden firmness to her voice, despite the empathy filled gaze she leveled him with.

"I'm not sure that's a good-" he started, but was silenced rather quickly by Celestia.

"Ezikeal," she said, making it clear that this was not an optional request, "it is for the safety of my ponies. I know not from where you come, but the magic Luna says to have witnessed sounded to be violent beyond measure. To ensure we at least have an understanding, I want you to draw your blade for us," she said, horn glowing with magic as a dome materialized over them.

"No sound will leave this barrier," she assured him. He had no reason to deny them this, it would only look worse if he refused. Luna had already seen it, and reported her findings to Celestia. Ezikeal stepped away from the immediate furniture, taking a place in a relatively open spot. With a deep breath, he took a hold of his blade and began to draw it. The familiar tingle before a void of feeling began to flood his entire being seared itself to his senses. He grit his teeth, growling in the agony as he drew the blade. It was becoming easier, somewhat, which was a good sign. He had an idea of what to brace himself for at least as the icy chill of undeath surfaced and the hunger took root. A mild frost coated the floorboards beneath his feet and he looked to the princesses, watching their reactions.

Celestia, as he had grown used to, had no direct reaction, simply looking him up and down. Luna, however, was more transparent in her reaction. It appeared like some horrid realization had come upon her now that she witnessed him in the real world. Her eyes were widened some, fists clenched at her sides. Ezikeal couldn't help but glance towards the stairs, hoping nobody would try to sneak a glance down at him. He refocused, looking at the Princesses.

"Does this satisfy your curiosity?" he asked, voice echoing with unnatural energies. The pain was steadily growing, blood boiling and the cursed hunger for death growing. His breaths became more sharp as neither princess responded, instead, Celestia approached and soon let her own expression change to one of...sadness? She reached for him, hand going towards his face. He caught her wrist before she made contact reflexively.

"You poor thing..." she said, looking into his eyes and seeing something in whatever was going on that Ezikeal was more or less blind towards to elicit such a response from her. The intensity of the statement threw Ezikeal into a hesitation, confused at her empathy. He let go of her arm and she stepped back.

"If you would permit me one experiment? I am curious about the depths of this power," she said. Ezikeal nodded. One quick test, he could do that.

"Luna said she witnessed you raising a shield around yourself that was notably strong against magical attacks. I would like to witness it," she said. Ezikeal nodded, raising his empty hand slightly and channeling the unholy energies surrounding him. His hand became engulfed in dark purple-black energy before it took on a green hue to expand and form into a weave of interlocking runes that appeared as a bubble around his form. Celestia looked him up and down, observing the runes before reaching up with one hand again, more distant from him now.

"May I test it?" she asked, almost cryptic in her tone.

"Very well," he said and immediately Celestia's horn flared up for a brief moment, letting out a single pulse of magic. A ring of golden magic, almost like a wave of water cascaded down her form from the tip of her horn, directing itself along her arm and gathering at her palm before a flare of magic slammed into Ezikeal. Ezikeal grunted in surprise, taking a step backwards from the impact. After the bright flash had let his vision clear the bubble of runes was in a fairly damaged state-- several of the runes were in shambles, but the shield still ultimately held.

"Hm. Interesting," she hummed, stepping back, "I am satisfied with my observations. Sister?" she asked, prompting Luna to say something. The younger Princess said nothing, looking at Ezikeal for a long, silent moment before nodding. Ezikeal slid his sword back into its sheath, gasping for breath once it was secured as if a large weight had been lifted off of him.

"What have you determined?" he asked. He wasn't completely blind to Celestia's tactics in this interaction, he knew what her test was for-- to get some measure of his realistic strength. It gave Ezikeal some understanding of her magic as well, however, showing him that whatever spell nearly broke his anti-magic shell had a cast time, meaning it could be interrupted-no, no, he shouldn't think too much about fighting the Princesses. Regardless of the weight of weaknesses and strengths between them, any conflict at this point would just be a test of how long Ezikeal could maintain his powers before succumbing to the toll it had on his body. Even now in that brief interaction, while it was noticeably easier for him to stomach than previous uses of his power, it had still worked stress and wear into his body.

"I think your magic is very potent, more so than even my sister gleamed from your dreams," she said, amused at Luna's previous shock.

"Indeed," she said, "it is concerning magnitudes stronger than what we had anticipated, likely due to the noticeable difference we see in this blade of thou's compared to what we have witnessed in thy dream." Ezikeal raised an eyebrow.

"What difference would that be?"

"When thou draws this blade, it drains thy body of its soul," she said. Ezikeal blinked. It was using his soul directly? That wasn't...typical for a Death Knight, not that he was a typical Death Knight anymore. It...made things make sense in a twisted way. Part of undeath was the desecration of the soul, and the fuel for necrotic powers rested in the wielder's ability to channel magic through their very being, attuning themselves to one of the aspects of death to direct runic power into manifesting a spell. The soul, or what remained of it, was typically only a conduit for this process, but if his sword in this world was using his soul directly as a fuel source, then it was no wonder the strength of his magic was significantly higher than expected.

"Your magic is disturbing," Celestia said, tone flat as she spoke as if reporting simple facts, "it is unlike any other dark magic I have witnessed in my many years of study. You must understand why we are naturally wary of it," she asked, and he nodded, so she continued, "Additionally, I think that you are true to your word with what you say about wanting to ensure the safety of our ponies and the defeat of the Fel Changeling threat, so I am inclined to allow this to continue, assuming it remains under control. I ask that you do not betray our trust on this matter."

"I would not hope to betray the faith you both have put in me," he answered quickly, "I have no intention of frivolously using my powers, they are draining, as you can tell. I will do my best to assist your troops in becoming prepared for the coming threat." He was not about to admit to not fully understanding that his new blade used his soul directly, that would surely erode confidence in him. Knowing that was the case now, however, posed him with many things to think about. He needed this conversation to end and to take some time alone. Celetia waved a hand and the dome around them came undone, seeming satisfied with their private talk.

"We shall be seeing you in Canterlot, then, along with the other Elements," Celestia said warmly.

"We shall contact thou in the event of an emergency, and thou shall do the same," Luna added.

"Of course," Ezikeal said.

The others soon returned to the room and the Princesses bid their farewells, thanking Twilight for seeing them on such short notice. Ezikeal took a seat after they had left, and felt the tension in his body leave as he sunk into the cushion some.

He had a lot to think through to evaluate his situation now. He ran one finger over the ring on his other hand. A constant mark of Luna having her eye on him, huh? If he wanted fuller freedom, it seemed he had to earn it, and that was going to cost effort. Without any doubts pressing on his mind, Ezikeal decided he was more than ready to put in that effort to genuinely earn the trust and friendship of those around him and stop the Fel before this world could fall to it.

Another chapter down, more to come.