Ezikeal wasn't sure how long he was out for, but when he woke up he was still where Dash had left him. He heard some voices, too, and quickly sat up to take stock of his situation. It was late afternoon now and he was still okay, and after a glance around he saw Rainbow Dash talking to Twilight and Rarity a little ways away while guards were stood around the area. He saw the bodies of the two Changelings, separated by a short distance-- they hadn't been moved, good. He slowly got up and went over to the other three. Rarity looked to have been crying not too long ago, eyes still red with emotion, while Twilight looked tense and exhausted. Rainbow Dash had clear bruising setting in around her neck and cheekbone from the earlier choking and blow she took to the face. She smiled softly as he approached, while Rarity remained in a post-emotional state and Twilight looked at him with, understandably, heavy suspicion.

Time to face the music, huh. He thought dryly to himself.

"Ezikeal," Twilight said, tone masking any emotion as she took a step towards him and halted his own advance towards the three, "more than anything else, thank you for saving Rainbow Dash, truly," she said, and as Ezikeal went to reply she held up a hand, silencing him as she continued, "but I feel that it is only fair that we have some explanation of what happened here. Rainbow Dash is being very dismissive of events, so I wish to hear your own statement on the matter, as would Sapphire Charge here of the Guard assigned to Ponyville to make his own report on events," a tall, solidly built guard with black hair and green eyes stepped over to them at the mention of his name. Ezikeal nodded to the man, who looked down from his taller build at Ezikeal, in greeting, and he offered one in return. Was Dash protecting him? That part didn't make much sense, he remembered her being pretty clearly terrified of him, why would she keep information from people she had more of a connection to than him?

"Where would you like me to begin?" Ezikeal asked Sapphire Charge.

"At the earliest you feel necessary," the man replied, voice gruff and businesslike. Ezikeal nodded, took a breath and began his account.

"I was at Twilight's library when she had informed me that one of the security measures against Changelings had triggered. I went with her to investigate. As we approached the initial alarm, Twilight further informed me of other alarms going off, seemingly sequentially, which indicated a single entity was moving rapidly. We found Rainbow Dash in a conflict with one Changeling, being strangled. Twilight disabled it with her magic for a moment, but it escaped, setting a building on fire to cover its escape. Rainbow Dash followed the Changeling, but I determined she was in no state to handle the situation on her own. I pursued while Twilight remained behind to handle the spreading fire. When I located Rainbow Dash she was being attacked by the same Changeling, as well as an additional one who had come out of the Everfree. It was at this point I intervened with the level of force I determined necessary, which as you can see, resulted in the death of two Changelings," Ezikeal kept his tone level and at a pace that Sapphire Charge could follow. The interaction was reminding him of his few interactions with the Stormwind Guard when certain drunks would try to take their normally restrained prejudice towards the undead out against him. He didn't kill them, of course, but he never went easy on them with his fists either, so articulating his exertions of force to the authorities was practiced enough for him not to worry about his words with Sapphire Charge. The man nodded as he followed Ezikeal's story, glancing at Twilight to see if she had any dispute to what was said but she remained silent.

"How did you go about dispatching the two Changelings? I assume with your sword, based on the wounds we found, but are there any other details we should be aware of?" Sapphire pressed.

"I used my sword. There is nothing further of importance about it other than that it is made with powerful enchantments that I used to combat the magic employed by the Changelings. That is all," Ezikeal said and Sapphire nodded.

"Rainbow Dash, when we spoke with her, told us to stay away from the bodies as you had instructed as much, indicating you know something that we do not. I think it would be in the interest of the Equestrian Guard to have an understanding of what development we have faced today to make a more complete report, would you not agree?" Sapphire Charge prompted, and Ezikeal nodded in agreement. Twilight had also been recording his statement on a piece of parchment as well, and seemed to perk up at the topic that greatly involved her interests as well.

"They were corrupted by a dark magic that takes root in the bloodstream of those who absorb it. It grants a boon of physical strength and magical power at the cost of the user's sanity while amplifying the violent nature of the individual. I advised to remain at a distance because accidental contact with the blood, corrupted by this magic, can cause it to transfer and 'infect' another," Twilight frowned at the lack of in-depth detail but didn't press while Sapphire took his statement. A few more cursory questions were asked of him by Sapphire Charge before the guard was satisfied and thanked him for providing so much information easily.

"I have to make my own report of this, as well, you know," Twilight said, "and since I am a more versed in magic, and my report directly travels to Princess Celestia as I am her student involved in this matter, I expect a bit more specific information about this magic and how you have such intimate knowledge of ancient magical concepts at a glance," she emphasized her words with an air of authority, now seeming to have more than just a want to know what he did, but now had some kind of official avenue to pursue it with.

"You don't need to maintain such a formal tone, Twilight," he said lightly, but the unchanged expression Twilight held at him left him a bit off-balance, so he continued, "I know you have questions and I knew I'd have to provide answers."

"Good, because again, while I am deeply grateful you saved Rainbow Dash," her tone lowered some, "you withheld something that almost got multiple ponies killed today. So you'll have to excuse my want to remain somewhat...formal, for the time being, and get answers. Rainbow Dash wasn't just hurt, she was almost killed. One of my best friends was almost killed," her voice strained a bit when she said that, trying to keep itself even but emotion was clearly welling up in her at the thought of losing her friend. Ezikeal could sympathize with the sentiment, he had seen friends and families torn apart on Azeroth, some at his own hands in the worst of times, and some of the deep, true despair of some of those he had witnessed he had found extremely distasteful in undeath, and now when he remembered them it deeply unsettled him.

"I truly am sorry things came to this, Twilight. I didn't say anything because I was hoping it was not what I had thought," pain laced his own voice at the statement because looking back, he shouldn't have let things come as such a surprise like this. Twilight just huffed, looking away and grimacing at what her eyes rested on in that direction. This was all his fault...

"It's their blood, you said?" she asked. Ezikeal nodded.

"It'll take a while to...clean, then, considering the magic required," she gave him a sideways glance, "Order, huh, which makes this magic based in..."

"Chaos," he finished the statement. The cosmology was something he had learned quickly as he went on to fight the various threats around Azeroth. Understanding the source of an opponent's power was the first step to truly defeating them, after all. It was most useful for mages and the likes, but having that knowledge was invaluable when coordinating with another. Twilight gave him a look, and he met it.

"Is the story of how you know all this also going to make me sad?" she asked, voice less guarded than a few moments ago but she still maintained a barrier between them with her tone.

"The circumstances that required me to learn it would likely, yes, but the learning itself was actually dreadfully dull," he answered. Twilight couldn't help but give a small snort of amusement at that answer, but quickly returned to a neutral expression. He was a bit unsure about the frankness of this small moment they were having, but there was a certain clarity he was feeling with just...answering without thinking too much about his words that he found refreshing. If there wasn't the constant threat of being executed for black magic he might let himself speak freely more often.

"Do you know what that portal is on Applejack's farm?" she asked a moment later. Ezikeal was quiet for a long moment in response-- the short lived moment was gone, and now he was back to overthinking his words. How much could he really say about it?

"Nothing specific or useful," he finally said, and Twilight's silence announced her distaste to the answer.

You know they can't handle the truth, don't delude yourself with hope. His mind voiced. He wondered when the last time it really spoke up was, it had been a minute, but he bit back at the gnawing in his mind as best he could.

They seem to have been handling the truths I have said much better than I had thought... he argued back to himself, and didn't find himself coming up with a response to that. Good, at least he could agree with himself on basic facts.

"Ezikeal, how bad do you think it is? Assuming two Changelings have been corrupted by this magic already? You seem to know it more than us," Twilight asked again after another short silence. That was the big question, wasn't it. Ezikeal probably knew the answer to it also-- more than probably. He sighed.

"All of them are infected, most likely" he said, and Twilight seemed to wilt at the thought, shoulders dropping and looking at the ground, before she tensed up as if a thought had suddenly occurred to her.

"Chrysalis," she said and Ezikeal could practically see her pale.

"Chrysalis?" he repeated, asking.

"Queen of the Changelings, her power fluctuates, but she's been able to stand against the Princesses' in terms of magic power in the past when fueled by love, the primary emotion the Changelings seek to consume. If she got corrupted by this...you said it gives a boost to ones magical powers? Do you have a measure of how significant? " she asked, voice lowering a bit as a guard walked past them, "The Changeling we fought today was significantly more powerful than any regular Changeling I've faced in the past and if that level of amplification scales with magical power as you imply...this could be catastrophic." Ezikeal would have to agree with that sentiment, assuming this Chrysalis was as powerful as Twilight made her out to be, absorbing the Fel would be catastrophic. And if this Chrysalis decided to lead a Fel infused army against Equestria, as it stood now, they very well might topple the kingdom quite quickly.

This Chrysalis individual presented a new factor to Ezikeal's analysis of the situation, and there was little doubt in his mind that she was corrupted by the Fel. There was just no way there was enough Fel by Applejack's tree to fully corrupt multiple full-sized creatures with it like the two Changelings that they had just encountered-- one maybe. That left him to reason that for it to have corrupted several so fully they must have discovered how to "get" more of it through the corrupted blood of the original and whoever else's blood was infused by the Fel's power.

I should have mentioned it right away when he suspected it, Ezikeal thought as guilt colored his mind. He couldn't help but linger on the "what if"s, like what if he had spoken immediately, would that have still been too late?

Your mere existence has doomed this land, his mind snapped at him, sending a familiar sense of worried dread through him.

"What is our next steps, Twilight?" Ezikeal asked. They needed to start making a plan, and he was sure Twilight would agree.

"We meet with the princesses. They need to be informed of the situation, immediately, and they'll be able to help," she said, an idea of actions that she needed to take almost visibly forming as he watched her eyes shift and her head move slightly as she thought something out silently.

This has spiraled so far so quickly... he thoughts, nodding in agreement with Twilight's plan when she looked at him. He knew a meeting with the princesses was inevitable, but he had hoped to delay it knowing Luna knew what he was, at least somewhat.

"I'm going to be here for a little while longer, can you meet me back at the Library, I still have things I need to talk to you about, but I need to get this magic purified so we can...clean up," Twilight said. Ezikeal didn't argue and started walking back towards town. What more were they going to discuss? Were they meeting with the princesses right now? Possibilities swirled in his head as he walked, but soon a fear started to sneak its way into his thoughts.

They will find out and they will abandon you. They'll cast you out as a monster, seeing you no different than the Changelings. The thought made him sick, comparing himself to the Burning Legion-- they were not the same, he refused to consider it.

I can be an asset against the Changelings. I can be a weapon for them, just like I was a weapon for good on Azeroth. He argued back to himself, even if the thought made his shoulders drop. It was all he was good for, wasn't it, just being the sword of whatever power he happened to find himself under. Before his mind could fully begin arguing in circles, the sound of a soft beat of wings and two feet hitting the ground next to him sounded.

"Hey," Rainbow Dash said, elbowing his arm lightly as she matched his pace walking. She seemed to have fixed her hair some, which had gotten ruffled up more than usual from the earlier fight, but the bruising on her neck was still plainly visible and there was still a small coarseness to her voice. Now that Ezikeal was closer, he could see the bruising more clearly when he glanced over at her. The Changeling's grip must have been crushing, he almost reached up to feel at his own neck in sympathy to the injury.

"Hail, Rainbow Dash," he greeted back.

"Guess stuff's gonna be getting pretty interesting soon, huh?" she asked. Ezikeal nodded somberly.

"Yeah, that is one way to frame it," he said, then after a moment continued, "Rainbow Dash, why are you keeping my powers a secret?"

"I'm not keeping it secret, I'm just...forgetting what I saw. Heat the moment, lot of things happening very fast, y'know?" she said cooly, brushing off the initial question before glancing around and lowering her voice, "was pretty badass, though, dude," she added. Ezikeal slowly nodded-- she was "forgetting" what she saw? Her motivations weren't lining up much to him, but he wasn't going to press the issue and risk her changing her mind.

"I understand," he said simply, and she nodded in response to that.

"However, if I get the inkling that not remembering might be putting my friends at any risk, I'm firing that info bomb, got it?" she poked him firmly on the arm. Ah, so it was sorta-kinda blackmail? Regardless, Ezikeal nodded in agreement.

"I have no intention of putting your friends in danger," he assured her.

"Good," she said, and a small silence settled between them, broken only by their footsteps before Dash spoke again.

"You said it isn't pleasant...but what's it like? Empowering yourself with that kind of magical power?" she asked, magenta eyes meeting his green in a sideways glance, holding a deep curiosity.

"Due to the nature of the magic, it is quite painful," he said, "It's a powerful font of magical force, but it exacts its price without mercy."

"Oh," her tone dropped a bit, before she seemed to rebound back to a more neutral state and continued, saying, "Well hey, if you'd hear me out, I have a question for you-- wellll, more of a request," she said. Ezikeal looked over at her again at that. A request? What did he possibly have that she would want from him? Was it something more in exchange for her "forgetting" earlier?

"I'm listening," he prompted after a moment, tone guarded.

"Look, here's the deal. I got my ass handed to me back there, right, and now I hear there's going to be more Changelings showing up that are just like those two. You seem to have more of a handle on these sorts of, well, very violent encounters than myself, and so I was wondering, y'know, if you'd be up to giving me a few pointers here and there?" she kept her voice dismissive as she spoke, as if she didn't care whether or not he agreed.

Oh.

Of all the things he thought she'd ask for, it was not that.

Ezikeal had never taught anyone how to fight before, the closest he had ever come to anything similar was watching some other champions dueling and commenting on where he saw weaknesses. Would his teaching simply come down to sparring and finding weaknesses to fix? What's more, is that now that he thought it over, clearly the level of combat ability she had, and presumably others had, were similar, was going to be found lacking in any conflict with Fel empowered Changelings.

"Have you ever had combat training before? This land seems so peaceful, so it's hard for me to picture," he asked.

"I'm part of, technically, one of the most elite groups of pegasi in all of Equestria, so I have some experience!" She said, a proud tone to her voice. Ezikeal suddenly felt very worried if what she said was accurate.

"Technically?" he pressed.

"I'm, well...not a full member yet, so I haven't actually done all that actual...combat stuff much. There's the occasional sparring or lecture on things like disarming the attacker which is what I tried to do to the Changeling earlier before you and Twilight showed up to help out," she explained. Okay, that made him less worried about the state of the Equestrian military-- for now at least.

"I understand. I'm going to be straightforward with you, I've never taught anyone before, so I have no idea how this will work out. But, assuming I don't get executed for witchcraft by the princesses in short order, I am willing to explore that route with you," he said, earning a snort of amusement from the Dash.

"They aren't going to execute you, dude, they aren't about that," she showed no signs of concern over his soon to be up in the air state of being, which helped to calm a few of his nerves as a realization came over him.

"Hey, what can you tell me about them? I've heard of them by name, but not much else," he asked.

"Oh, yeah. Princess Celestia controls the sun and rules over the day, while Princess Luna controls the moon and rules the night and dreams. They've been around for thousands of years, and have been keeping Equestria in a state of peace with other nations for as long as I can remember," she explained, then put a hand to her chin in thought, "I suppose that makes sense. Facing down two ponies with the power to move planets would be intimidating," she said and Ezikeal slowed to a halt.

"They move the celestial bodies with their magic?" he asked, not sure if he was understanding that statement correctly. Rainbow Dash looked at him and tilted her head with a small smirk, seeming to find his shock amusing.

"Yeah, Celestia raises and lowers the sun while Luna does the same with the moon, though there was a period of about a thousand years where Celestia did both of those while Luna was banished," she said, "you've really never heard of them?"

"That kind of power is...very, very few could ever hope to have the power to move a star once, let alone on a daily basis," he replied. Now he had real reason to worry. Celestia, at least, was capable of moving multiple celestial bodies, simply incinerating him would likely be no issue for someone that powerful. He was completely at their mercy and he knew that was going to be a nagging worry of his. A large, warm, feathered wing hit against his back, nudging him forward a step.

"Don't look so freaked out, dude," she said, noticing a growing unease in him as they continued walking, "you'll be fine." Her reassurance, while helpful, did not ease the concern welling inside him like a constricting knot.

"I can do nothing but hope that is true," he replied.

After arriving at the library, Rainbow Dash decided to stick around, and, after assuring Spike everything was alright for now, the waiting for Twilight to return began. Throughout the wait, Ezikeal was tense and lost in his own thoughts. He had taken a seat on one of the chairs and made idle conversation with Spike and Rainbow Dash, who had tried a few more times to assure him of the Princesses' merciful nature. He was relieved when the door finally opened and Twilight walked in, so much so that it even overshadowed the pang of dreadful anticipation of what was about to come. Whatever was about to happen, it was at least something tangible, rather than uncertain arguments within his own mind and worrying over possibilities. The first thing everyone seemed to notice, was the fact that Twilight had opened the door rather harshly, and was looking a bit exhausted but had kept an aura of seriousness to her posture and expression as well. She held up a thick, multi-paged roll of paper and Spike seemed to take a cue and move to her side quickly.

"Spike, send this to the Princess, please," she handed the boy the scroll, who nodded. Ezikeal watched with fascination as he held it in front of him and opened his mouth and a rush of translucent green flame suddenly burst from his lips, engulfing the scroll and making it seemingly disintegrate into sparkling dust. Ezikeal glanced at Rainbow Dash, who seemed to have ceased her own bout of restlessness to observe the impending conversation.

"Right," Twilight said, taking a seat directly across from Ezikeal, "I have a lot to say, so hear me out fully before you reply," she started, and after Ezikeal nodded she continued, "First of all, the magic was cleansed, but was incredibly resistant to most of my attempts first attempts. I had to infuse it with a large amount of raw arcane energies to destabilize it enough to run through a dispel of the chaotic magic at play in the blood. Had you not advised me of combating it with that kind of magic, I doubt I would have reached that solution on my own within the day, or multiple. This brings me to you, Ezikeal, and my demand for answers. The letter I have sent to the Princesses is a request for either them to come to Ponyville or for us to go to Canterlot, whichever is more convenient. It includes my recount of the day, the statements you made to Sapphire Charge and I, my thoughts on the information I have along with what you have provided me about this chaotic magic that is driving Changelings to violence along with the prospect that you seem very sure that Chrysalis is infected with it as well. I took a while to think about it as I cleansed the magic, and I agree that it very may well be possible that she is. That's most of the official stuff out of the way," she paused to take a moment to prepare her next statement. Ezikeal understood what she had sent and while glad she seemed to be taking the threat of this seriously, he was still worried about Chrysalis as well. Assuming the Queen of the Changelings could stand against another ruler with the power to move planets and succeeded, relatively, it could potentially be outright cataclysmic levels of destruction they were about to face.

"Now more personal matters," she refocused his attention, "Ezikeal I am...upset, very upset, actually, with you." Ezikeal tensed some from the directness and straightforward statement, but he couldn't truly say he was surprised by it either. Looking back on his own actions, they are inherently deceptive and were rooted in his own self preservation.

"We do not know each other very well, but I am trying to extend trust to you, to extend friendship your way. It is feeling like, to me at least after all that's happened, that you aren't extending that same trust back. Communication and trust is important for a foundation in a friendship, Ezikeal, but you're hiding, what I think, is just so many things. I can't get straight answers from you, they all avoid something and looking back on it, withholding that information almost got Rainbow Dash killed," she said. She kept her voice soft but firm as she spoke, trying to not come across too confrontational but still conveyed her upset at the scenario. Dash didn't voice any objections to being brought up in the conversation and was silently watching the exchange with Spike.

Ezikeal felt a crushing weight lay over his mind-- he wanted them to trust him, and he did trust them, just...not with the things in his past that would mark him forever unworthy of that trust, was that so wrong of him? Was it so wrong to want to leave the past behind, to move forward with a fresh start? Clearly it was, to an extent, it's why the Fel was allowed to progress so much. Was it all worthless if he never told anyone of his past, to give them that chance to accept what he had done, was that it? Did he need to face judgement, and only if he came out still favorable by whatever metric the judge deemed fit would he be permitted his existence in the eyes of others? He just wanted to move forward with peaceful intent, he just wanted to forget the past-- the ocean of blood that stained his history, he wanted to be absolved of his sins and wanted to be able to maybe have a shot at happiness, he just wanted to...

"I just wanted to be someone new...I thought I had that opportunity when I arrived here, but the past clings to me," he sighed, almost as if realizing the first part of his statement himself. He just wanted to be somebody else-- he didn't want to be Ezikeal, Knight of the Ebon Blade anymore, and in part he wasn't, but enough of that history still clung to him and followed him to his new life. So now what was he destined to be, Ezikeal the Reclusive Doombringer who hid vital knowledge of an approaching enemy? That didn't have the same ring to it. He needed to start making things right.

"What you are saying is true, things reaching this point was my fault and I cannot express my regret to that fact enough," he continued, giving Dash a sorry look and refocusing on Twilight, "I want to help fix things now, as much as I possibly can." He was backed into a corner now, he felt. Rainbow Dash was being very quiet, not commenting on the subject of this conversation, but from the few glances he sent towards her she wasn't displaying any outwardly negative emotions, either, he would have to ask her later. Twilight held up a hand before he could stumble his way through another apology, she closed her eyes for a moment before opening them and locking gazes with him.

"It is abundantly clear to me that whatever history you have, you are very apprehensive, scared even, to share with us. Ponies lives are at stake here, so concessions are going to need to be made, however I want to offer a compromise with you that might somewhat alleviate worry over us prying into your past?" she offered. Ezikeal tentatively nodded for her to continue.

"We need as much information as possible about what we are going to be dealing with. I would like you to be as straightforward, honest and thorough as you can about what we are up against and things related to it, and in exchange I can assure you that I won't inquire as to the circumstances that you learned the information, or anything relating to your past that you do not want to share with us first, and can see to it that others respect that boundary as well," Ezikeal stared at her as he thought that over. In exchange for making himself vulnerable to be completely outcast, all he had was Twilight's word on a fairly abstract topic. That felt...a little weak for an exchange, he had to admit.

She is putting you in a trap, nobody can guarantee what she promises and only you have stakes to lose. His mind voiced. Ezikeal frowned at that thought-- it felt even weaker than the deal he was about to make and didn't sit well with him. He argued against the thought almost without a single second of considering it.

What choice do I have? Really? Either this shred of trust or letting them all die. And no they have more of a stake in me, it's their world that is on the cusp of a Legion invasion...

"I agree. I don't think it would serve anyone well to obscure this any further," he said, nodding.

"Alright. I feel it would be best to go over the situation involving the magic with the Princesses, so I would like to take some of your time here now to have you explain something to me," a large scroll floated over to them and unrolled onto the table, showing a large image.

"Hmm?" Ezikeal hummed as he looked over it. It looked to be a partial cosmology diagram, however it was missing a few important pieces and looked to be copied from a relatively dated diagram. The forces were organized in a diagram with four diamonds. The diamonds were marked to included Order, Disorder, Life and Death, with some additional notes under each. One corner of each diamond overlapping to form reality, and the edges of the diamonds overlapped with one other force as well, and Ezikeal reasoned to himself that was due to the way the forces interacted, such as Life being related to Order to an extent. He noted in silent appreciation the small stylization of the outline of each diamond, with each seeming to be decorative and related to whatever force it represented.

"This is a diagram of the primordial forces of magic, some of the most base components of spells and difficult for a unicorn to tap into directly. Does this look similar to what you understand?" she asked, curiously watching his reaction.

Well, if Ezikeal was going to stick to his part of this deal, he might as well start with altering the cosmology chart to how he understood it, from what he could tell things worked the same here relative to how they did on Azeroth, with a few minor exceptions but nothing major enough to overrule his understanding of things. He could always find a way for her to check his work with her own knowledge and magic as well.

"No, where I am from this was referred to as a cosmology chart, and this one is rather barren compared to the one I had learned," he said, pausing himself as Twilight seemed to light up at that as a new, blank scroll appeared next to the diagram and opened. She offered him a quill and he accepted, taking it and obliging the silent request as he began to outline the circular representations of the cosmic forces under Twilight's watchful eye.

"Please, do tell me more," she urged as he drew.

First off, sorry for the long delay on this one, I had a lot of stuff happening these past couple weeks and couldn't find time/bring myself to really write much.

Secondly, as of January 6, I have gone back through and made some small edits to the first few chapters trying to be a bit more descriptive to some characters as per some feedback (shoutout to Mean Sunnavagun). These edits are very small and I will try to be more detailed in character descriptions going forward.

I value constructive feedback and am always looking to improve, so I'm open to comments on where I can improve as a writer. This is my first fic, so I am expecting a lot will need work overall but I'm very glad people seem to be enjoying the story so far and I hope people will continue to do so.