( One week later)

Spero Woke up with a cold sweat. His body shot up and his chest heaved in and out heavily. After a moment of panicked searching he realised he was back in his room at the Palace. His lavender eyes, wide with panic, searched the room till he was sure he was safe and alone, yet again.

Once more his dreams were haunted with the visions of a tree in a dark, forgotten forest. This was a recurring dream he had every night or the past four days. He couldn't remember much of the beginning of it, but it always ended with him trotting up to the base of the tree which shined like a crystal. It had many branches but there were six main branches that held crystals of some sort. He couldn't exactly see what they looked like.

After looking around the room a little more, Spero got up and trotted to his bathroom. Using his magic he turned the faucet on, levitated some of the cold water, and splashed it in his face. After letting the water run off his face he looked into the mirror, not for any particular reason. He took note of his lavander eyes, looking deep into his own pupils. He then realised he had much on his mind.

The words of the prisoner were ringing in his head like an everlasting echo. He wonder what she ment about his liniage. What was so important about it and how would she know anything about it? At first he wrote it off as the rambelings of a crazed lunatic desperate for attention, but he knew nothing about her. Also, the knowledge of his own linage was scarce. He knew nothing about his ancestors. And then there was the reacuring dream. The dream seemed more like a nightmare yet he couldn't pinpoint why it felt that way or why it started four nights ago. In the dream the tree felt, sad and desperate. Why did he care about this tree, he didn't know. He stared into his own eyes which stared back at him with equal intensity,

his lavender eyes screamed something profound, yet he didn't understand what it was that he was feeling. he felt something close to heartache, but it was different from the heart ache he felt for his brother. It was as if something intangible was missing in his life.

Then he began thinking, where did his eye color come from. The only family he ever knew was his brother and even he never really knew much about their parents. Spero didn't even know what his parents looked like. He figured he was a mix of the two but how much did he look like his father, or his mother. He wondered who he got his lavender eyes from.

He continued to stare into his own visage to contimplate these questions. He sought the answers from within him self, but ofcuarse he did not know them. Ofcourse he didn't know, how could he? Not even Nightshade had any of these answers for him when he ask as a colt. Then his thoughts went elsewhere; He knew somepony who might know. That is when he decided he was going to make a visit to somepony. Weather this trip would prove useful or not, was a mystery.

Spero put on his armor and sword. After tightening the straps and clicking all the clasps in place he trotted to his closet and levitated his mantle out to fix it to his armor. He then trotted out his room and went to his servant's quarters. He knocked on his door.

" Haystack! wake up!" He ordered. An incoherent groan could be heard from inside the room, then the sound of hooves hitting the floor and then a trotting sounds that got louder as they reached the door. The door opened.

" Yes captian, what can i help you with?" haystack asked. He was clearly half asleep and he looked very annoyed.

" Get ready, we're going on a walk!" Spero ordered him.

" Yes sir." Haystack said with a half hearted salute. Haystack then said mockingly under his breath as he trotted away from the door. " You should work in the palace Haystack, you'll be more comfortable Haystack, You'll get fed more Haystack." He was mocking his firends. He trotted over to a lantern on a stick which he lit with a match and then brought it out with him to escort Spero.

The two trotted through the palace and out past the walls. anlong the way guards saluted Spero.

The pair made their way to the prisons further into the city and up to the front enterance. A full squad of prison guards were posted there. As they saw Spero aproche they all stood at attention.

The one in charge bowed and spoke.

" Sir, what a suprise to see you here at this hour. what can we do for you?" he asked.

" Open the doors sergeant." Spero demanded. The Guards complied and they open the front entrance for him. Spero and HayStack trotted past the guards into his prison. The whole prison was one block due to a need to conserve rescorces. The upside to the prisons being one large room with cells all around the walls, was that one could observe all the inmates. At the other end of the room from the enterance was a pair of heavy steel doors that loomed. Spero and Haystack trotted across the empty floor as all the prisoners were asleep in thier cells. The distance was over a little more than a hoofball field wide but it didn't take Spero long to get to the enterance to the underground levels.

Spero and his servant trotted through the underground levels, passing each security checkpoint with the same deminor as the front enterance. Haystack felt uneasy, going underground into the darkest place in the Empire. It was a place nopony wanted to be in as they rarely were heard from again. He was just glad he was there only becuase his new master was there.

Eventually Spero made it to the cell he was looking for. Dust wind was still guarding it until dawn. Dust wind stood at attention as Spero and Haystack trotted up. Spero motioned for Dust to back away from the cell and he siad.

" You two go stand over there, I need to be alone." Spero pointed down the hallway. Haystack and Dust complied. They trotted away while they both looked over thier shoulders. Spero was now alone standing infront of the cell.

" Good evening Captian, it's nice to see you came back." Said the prisoner. Spero said nothing in response, instead he stood there for a moment in silence. Then he used his magic to slide open the peep hole.

" I need to know something." he said quietly. for a moment there was more silence, but then there was the sound of chains being picked up from the ground and a pony shuffliing twords the cell door. Then there was a pair of magenta eyes that came into view in the peep hole.

" I bet." replied the prisoner. " what is it you want to know?" she asked

" I have several questions, but I first…" he replied but paused. then he asked,

" Who are you, and how do you know anything about me?" his eyes stared strait into hers. There was a pause, The magenta eyes searched Speros lavender eyes.

" I don't think you are ready for that information just yet captian." She replied. Spero felt the anger rise in him. He needed to know who she was.

" I said I want to know who you are, prisoner!" He asked again showing some of his anger.

" And what are you going to do, torture me?" she asked with a hint of defiance. Her eyes narrowed at him. Spero wanted to say he would, but he knew better.

" No, that never gets reliable info." Spero replied.

" Then you'll have to follow my lead Captain. I assure you, I will give you all the answers you desire, but in order for us to build trust we need to have an understanding." The prisoner said calmly. Spero was confused, he thought about it and then asked.

" What understanding?" his tone was low and calm now.

" We need to understand each other on a mutual level." She replied. There was a pause before Spero replied.

" Then why can't you tell me who you are?" Spero persisted.

" Because you have preconceptions and values that you have to unlearn in order to be free to believe what I have to say." She answered. Spero thought about what she said. Then he said,

" Ok...I'll play your game." He stood there waiting for her reply.

" Come closer captain, I want to tell you a story." The prisoner requested. Spero obliged and took a few steps forward to get closer to the cell door.

" Long ago, in a time where all ponies were equal, there were two sisters who shined like the sun and moon. They were beloved by all, but not equally. Their fellow ponies showed the older of the two, the one like the sun, more love. The younger one, over time, grew jealous until one day she became a creature of hatred and envy who sought to destroy everything the older sister stood for. It took a great deal of magic to subdue the younger sister and she was banished."The prisoner said. Spero was confused about this story and what the prisoner was getting at.

" OK, so one mare learned her place the hard way? What is there to take from this story?" Spero asked, The prisoner hummed.

" Oh is that all you can take from this story? Is that truly the conclusion that you can see for the sisters?" asked the prisoner. Spero cocked his head to the side in confusion.

" What do you value the most?" she asked.

" Power and respect." Spero replied coldly.

" These are the values Nightshade has told you to want. But are they really what you want?" She asked. Spero continued to look confused. He didn't understand what she was hinting at.

" This is what I mean, that you have many preconceptions and values that you must unlearn in order to understand what I'm trying to teach you, so that you can believe." The prisoner added. Her voice was calm and soothing, almost motherly.

" Then what is it that you think I want?" Spero asked as he looked back into the prisoner.

" Spero, I bet you have felt it, a certain longing and emptiness that nothing in this entire empire can fill." She said again in a motherly tone. Spero knew the feeling. He knew what she was talking about. He remembered what he felt earlier that night when he woke up. The feeling was beginning to creep up from inside his chest again and grip his emotions tightly.

" How did you know?" He asked almost under his breath. Her eyes began to convey her emotions. they looked on him with pity and sorrow.

" I know who you are Spero and I know that you are not so different from the other ponies. You are not above feeling pain." She replied. the two stared at each other through the peephole.

" Spero, the lesson to take away from this story is that the younger sister had a lack of friendship due to the older sisters oversight. They lost each other that day." The prisoner couldn't have sounded more sincere.

" Friendship? Is that what you are talking about?" Spero Scoffed. His eyes narrowed.

" Yes Spero, that's exactly what I'm talking about." She replied. Spero felt he was wasting his time now. He'd spent years training under Nightshade's tutelage and one of the most important lessons he had learned was that there was no trust or respect unless you were feared. By intimidation alone could one know peace.

" Sorry but I can't agree with you any less." Spero said. He knew what his master would have to say on the subject. The prisoner looked disappointed.

" I'm sorry you feel that way Captain." She said back to him.

Just then the sound of hoof steps could be heard coming down the hall. It was the next shift to watch over the Prisoner. Spero looked turned to look down the hall to see who it was. The Prisoner then said.

" Looks like our time is up Captain." She said almost coldly. Spero looked back at her.

" I guess so." he said almost as coldly. then he back away from the door and closed the slide. Then he called Haystack and Dust Wind over.

" Haystack get over here and Sergeant get back to you post to be relived." Spero ordered in quick succession.

" Yes Sir!" They both replied.