Hey wassup guys? Radicool223 here again, with another very symbolic chapter. This is mostly narration. See if you can spot some of the cross-references to earlier chapters and stories. Also, FINALLY GAWAIN!

Spike Hedgehog: Thanks!

decode9: Yeah, I know. The role itself is a bit of a Friendship is Witchcraft joke, with Pinkie Pie being like a sorcerer and all.

Wolvmbm: Hah, I hadn't even thought of Cadance yet. I'm going to have to ponder her character and try to fish out a plausible reaction.

werewolf99: I can't answer that for purpose of plot (the story kind).

Inkwell: Yeah, that got sort of started all the way back in X Files. You know, like a million years ago.

Cobalt cast his gaze downward as he walked a grassy path through the sparse forest. As he walked the landscape started to steadily change to barren grassland, save a couple of large war carts and stone structures.

"Knave? Thy color hath… darkened." Caliburn's voice caused him to look up at the sword. His gaze instantly shifted down toward his fur, and he saw that Caliburn was right; his color had indeed turned a darker shade of blue.

He inwardly groaned. How was he supposed to explain that to Twilight and the others back home? Not only was his condition getting worse, he would have to admit to Twilight that she'd been right. Closing his eyes, he assured himself that he'd have been gone long enough that they wouldn't even notice.

"What might be the cause?" once again Caliburn drew him out of his current thoughts and onto another train of wondering.

His mind drew him into remembering something from the time that Discord had attacked. When he'd been 'Discorded', as the condition had been named, he'd apparently turned black and gray and become depressed, the complete opposite of what he was. He hadn't noticed anything then, but neither had the others. To all of them, it had just seemed like that was the only thing to do at the time. Now that he thought about it, that was probably what had opened him up to the thing in his head. Now it was probably just caused by what he felt.

What did he feel?

Hopelessness.

He remembered once Rainbow Dash had told him that if he were ever an element of harmony he'd be the element of hope. He then remembered that all the others, when they'd been Discorded, had been manipulated into losing the virtue that their element represented, and that was physically shown by them turning gray.

Tying those two ideas together… he was slowly becoming Discorded, and this time he wasn't sure whether there was a way to reverse it.

"I don't know." He answered Caliburn. "But nothing's wrong." He plastered a fake smile on his face. "I'm… fine." He forced the word out past clenched teeth; another wave of pain had just passed over him, and it took all his willpower to resist crying out in agony.

At the same moment, a loud wail of despair sounded from further into the forest.

"Tis not 'all right'." Caliburn remarked ironically.

"Can it." Cobalt growled, pushing through the underbrush toward the sound of the cry. When he managed to find another small clearing, the source of the cry was evident. A small russet filly sat with tears streaming down her face.

Even in Cobalt's terrible state, he felt a stab of compassion for the small filly and rushed over, crouching beside her. "Hey, hey." He said in a quiet, reassuring tone, which he really had to strain for due to the constant pain wracking his body. "What's wrong?"

"A big dwagon… destwoyed my town… and now I'm all alone!" the filly's speech was punctuated by sniffles, and she broke down into full-fledged sobs.

"That is… terrible…" for once Caliburn sounded sincere.

Cobalt set his jaw. "How can I help?"

The filly looked up, her light blue eyes shining with wonder. "Really?"

Cobalt nodded. "At least I can do one purely good thing while I'm here."

"Can you kill the dwagon?" the little filly asked.

Cobalt's expression stayed the same, but his eyes took a look of utter terror. He couldn't believe it. He'd wanted to do something good… and he was asked to kill again. "Sure." He said, his gaze not moving from a spot just above the filly's shoulder, afraid to meet her eyes. "I will."

Now, one must understand that those words were not spoken with a full mind, but rather hollowly, and as if he were merely saying that and not making any resolution to do so. Really, the blue pegasus felt like utterly refusing the request. But judging what he'd been told by Caliburn about the code of chivalry, he couldn't deny the little foal what she'd asked of him… even if it meant spilling even more blood, albeit evil blood.

Part of him–a steadily growing part of him he utterly refused to acknowledge–took a distorted, savage pleasure in killing whatever his other part was resolved to put an end to. Whenever this vile side of his personality crossed his consciousness, he immediately shut his mind, fearing that it might take power and viciously spring on the nearest living thing, and he couldn't bear it if that happened to be Twilight… or Rainbow Dash.

Despite all that the cyan pegasus had done to hurt him, as if in retribution of a sort for her own psychological suffering, no matter how many times she refused to even acknowledge his existence, he wouldn't be able to bear to see her die at his hooves, if that ever were to happen. He couldn't bring himself to hate her.

His dreams before he'd been dumped in this world (he hadn't tried to dream here yet, as he had had no time to sleep) had been dark and disturbed, consumed with a feeling of either murderous joy or utter hopelessness and despair as his dream-self either ripped through cowering victims or watched everypony close to him die in agony, he powerless to stop them.

"Thank you, mister knight." The filly replied. "I'll just stay here until you get back."

"Pah!" Caliburn scoffed. "He is no knight!"

"I'll be back soon." Cobalt gritted his teeth into another forced smile, half agitated at his sword and half consumed with hopelessness. Such things make it hard for one to smile earnestly. "Come on, Caliburn."

ONE TREK LATER

Cobalt narrowed his eyes, his mouth becoming a thin line. He had just crested the top of a small slope and was looking down at a good-sized circular structure made of long stones. It looked aged and overgrown with the grass that enveloped its bases. It was built in a way that if one were to stand at one end and look across to the other, as long as he or she were not to stand in front of one of the stones, he or she would see all the way across it without difficulty.

Though that was not what consumed his attention. Standing beside the rocks, looking up at him through her helmet visor in challenge was an orange mare, with a sword sheathed on each side of her armor.

She glared up at him. "The traitor-helper!" she shouted, speaking in a country accent with a hint of medieval flair to it. It wasn't a good combination. "Thou shalt prepareth thyself for battle anon (immediately), and be trounced by Sir Gawain!"

Cobalt had barely time to register 'okay, Applejack… sort of', before Gawain sent one of the swords flying at his head and he had to register 'oh crap a sword', dive to the side to avoid it, grab Caliburn's handle in his teeth, and leap down into battle.

And that is what I believe is called a wrap! Yeah, I know, almost no action at all, but enough narration to fill a boat. Sorry, I got bored of 'they went there and did this' style narration. I'm being descriptive now. Descriptive is cool.

Also, tons of references to my future chapters. You won't get them yet, but when the chapters come along… think back to this one.

Remember, if you have any questions, just ask and I'll answer as well as I can. Radicool223 out!