//------------------------------//
// Within 
// Story: The Girl That Never Was 
// by Onomonopia 
//------------------------------//

A burst of fire from the end of Xion's keyblade ignited the small amount of sticks that she had placed into a pile, giving birth to a small campfire. Xion took the gloves off of her hands and extended them towards the fire, while she felt Sombra's horn pull away from the fire in her pocket. The light of the fire made the trees within the forest look ghastly, but as a fellow creature of the dark she wasn't afraid.

"So can you not be around light at all?" she asked him.

'I have an aversion to fire, considering the princess of the sun set me ablaze during our battle,' Sombra clarified for Xion, who took the horn out of her pocket and placed it next to her on the grass. 'And yet despite all of my warnings, you do not have that same aversion for that same princesses little cronies. We shouldn't have saved Fluttershy. Now it's only a matter of time before the princesses come down upon us and try to eradicate us as well.'

"Why? I helped save Fluttershy and unlike the other ponies, Fluttershy is fully aware of that fact."

'You think old tank flank cares about what you did or didn't do? You not apart of the light, the side of good, and she wants you gone,' Sombra informed Xion, but when she raised an eyebrow in response he figured that she was going to need some convincing. 'Alright, here. Discord, lord of chaos, little erratic, was created to be an agent of disharmony. So that's what he did. He messed with ponies, changed the day to night or whatever fun little things he could think of.'

"That sounds like someone I've met before," Xion muttered, vaguely able to recall a blue being with similar powers.

'Well anyway, he rubbed Celestia the wrong way. So you know what she and her sister did? Sealed him in stone. For over a thousand years.' Sombra watched with delight as Xion's eyes went wide and a question started to form on her lips. 'That's right. And yes, he was aware of each painful year that passed. He couldn't move, talk, breath...all he could do was watch. Now luckily for him he was already insane, so the experience didn't drive him mad, but what boils my nonexistent blood is that he was sealed in stone...all for being himself. Does that sound fair?'

"No...no that's horrible," Xion whispered as she clenched her own fists, flashing back to all the pain she had to endure because she had been created a copy. "How could Celestia do that to him? How could any of them live with themselves after inflicting that kind of suffering on another being?!"

'Quite easily, because it wasn't too long after that they did the same to me. Except I was imprisoned in ice and not stone, but little difference. Now I'll grant you that I'm no saint, but I was given the same treatment. And all because I wasn't apart of the light. Because my darkness just didn't fit in with Celestia's little "Utopia" of a world. Like I said puppet, the darkness is fading in this land. And Celestia's helping to drive it into it's grave.'

'That is why I need so badly to reform my body, so I can reverse what she is doing,' Sombra continued on, the darkness that was radiating from his horn slowly extinguishing the light of the fire. 'Darkness needs to be in Equestria, but Celestia and her cronies won't let it. So we must all suffer for their beliefs.'

"But Fluttershy didn't seem like someone that would destroy the darkness. In fact, she seemed fairly nice to me despite seeing me as a monster," Xion pointed out.

'Fluttershy is kind to everything. It is literally her Element. And you're right, I can't put the blame on Fluttershy and her friends for their crimes against the darkness. After all, all their lives they've been fed the crap that Celestia has given them. But of course, the princess of the sun only wants eternal light. And we can't let her have that.'

"I'm going to have to fight her, aren't I?" Xion asked Sombra. When he didn't answer she glanced down at the horn, swearing for just a moment that she heard laughter.

'No, fighting Celestia is the last thing we want to do right now. Being of light in a land of light; that will end badly for beings of darkness like us. What we need to do is restore the balance, then the fight will be on fairer footing. And with your skills, I have no doubt you could defeat her in an even fight. At least, physically. Your magical prowess leaves a lot to be desired.'

"What's wrong with my magical skills?" Xion asked defensively as she crossed her arms. The pouting look on her face got a chuckle out of Sombra, who then used his dark powers to summon a black ball of darkness, which he then hurled into the air. The blast exploded above them, raining down a darkness that blocked out all light and chilled the warmth of the fire.

'You are not using them to their full potential. You still fight like those you are...inspired by, but in reality you are more of a mage than a warrior,' Sombra said to her as the spell faded and the fire returned to its normal strength, but Xion was now looking at the horn with a wary expression. 'Make no mistake, puppet. I still posses every single spell and ability I have learned. I just lake the physical form to draw strength from. But...'

"I hate it when you say but," Xion grumbled, but was far too invested at this point.

'But if you drew upon my knowledge with your strength and keyblade, you might be able to reach a level of magic that was sealed off even to me,' Sombra tempted. 'Also, there is the threat of the Maestro. If you do not have the power to best him, then it doesn't matter what you want. He'll simply end you again.' His words got Xion thinking and she summoned her keyblade, looking at it for a long time before she sighed. 

"You're right. Against someone as powerful and evil as the Maestro, I need to become stronger. At least until I can reach the beach," Xion said in a whisper as she held her keyblade aloft, the light from the fire reflecting off of its silver blade. Then she flashed a glance at the horn. "But I'll say this now. I am only learning your dark arts for him. Not for Celestia or any of those that follow her. You're an amazing liar, Sombra. So forgive me if I don't trust everything you say."

'I'd be insulted if you trusted me so easily,' Sombra cackled, before raising an eyebrow as Xion pulled out the blue butterfly that Fluttershy had given her. 'So what do you want to do with that? We can pawn it at the next town to make some cash, but other than that...'

"This is actually more important than you realize," Xion said as she reached towards the hilt of her weapon and unclipped the keychain at the end of it, which Sombra noticed for the first time had a shape with three circles attached. She placed that keychain in her pocket before reaching for the butterfly, pulling on it and revealing that it had a keychain as well. She then clipped that keychain to the end of her weapon.

The keyblade erupted into a flash of light, one that momentarily blinded the horn. When he could see again he was struck dumb by what had become of Xion's weapon. The silver blade looked now like a log decorated with flowers. Where the teeth of the key had been near the top now rested a blue butterfly. The guard of the weapon had gone from a golden handle to the roots of a plant, one that made Xion's guard more circular in design. And where the blade met the hilt was a pink butterfly, the same kind as the one's on Fluttershy's flank.

'What happened to the keyblade?' Sombra asked as Xion gave the keyblade a few swings, smiling down at the horn now that she had confused him.

"Whenever I change the keychain, the keyblade changes in form," Xion explained before closing her eyes for a moment, only to open them with a large smile. "Okay, so I lose a bit of striking power, but gain a bit of a buff in magic. That will be useful for our lessons. And I get cure boost? Nice."

'So...this new form...makes your magic stronger, but somehow weakens you physically?' Sombra tried to piece together.

"Not really, it just makes it so hitting with this thing doesn't do as much. All different versions of the keyblade have different powers and abilities," Xion said before she made the keyblade disappear and she sat back down. Sombra pondered over what he had just learned for a long minute before he let out a chuckle that drew Xion's attention.

'And of course, you got this power up after you helped Fluttershy, one of the six ponies that the Maestro wanted you to meet. That's quite the coincidence.' Sombra was happy to see Xion's eyes narrow, telling him that she had caught onto what he was saying. 'That's right, puppet. A keychain, something specific to your weapon, was found here on our world. After the Maestro brought you here. Along with the heartless.'

"So either he brought the keychains here or he's changing this world for a reason," Xion pieced together, growling to herself before she stood up and kicked some dirt over the fire to extinguish it. "We need to get practicing. And moving. As much as I hate to admit it, you're right. Maestro's going to keep messing with this world whether I want to be apart of this or not."

'Oh ho ho, haven't heard that kind of conviction in your voice since the last time we saved all those little, innocent ponies from having their hearts ripped out. Maestro got you that riled up, huh?'

"Are you going to teach me or not?"

'...very well, I always wanted my own pupil, considering every other pupil I took on was consumed by the dark magic. But that's a good thing for you, puppet, because that means there's a vacancy and you're the only one around to fill it. Come on puppet, time to lead down the path to the dark side.'

======
XIII
======

Xion had thought that in order to learn they would have headed to a library or perhaps a school to learn more about magic. To her surprise, Sombra brought them to a cave in the middle of nowhere, one that Xion never would have found had Sombra not shown where it was. He then demanded that she head deeper into the cave and she begrudgingly did so, only to find herself amazed beyond her dreams.

'Incredible, isn't it?' Sombra asked as Xion gazed around at the cavern within, a cavern filled to the brim with crystals of all shapes and colors. All of the crystals glowed with a power and light that illuminated the cavern and the tunnels, but Xion could also feel that the crystals were more attuned to her than they were the light. This was a place of darkness. And she had a feeling Sombra knew that.

"This one of your secret hidden lair that you liked to brag about so much?" Xion asked Sombra as she moved further into the cavern, amazed by how the crystals seemed to be leading her down a path.

'Heh, I considered turning this place into a lair of mine a while back, but then I got attacked and those plans, along with me, were put on ice,' Sombra corrected, his horn drawing tiny bits of magic from the crystals as Xion passed by them. 'But this place has always been a bit of a comfort zone to me, a place where I can come to submerge myself in darkness. You've felt it, haven't you?'

"Yeah, this place feels...right," Xion agreed before she was stopped by a large door. It was formed out of crystals, but she could all see the wooden frame and iron hinges behind the crystals as well. She summoned her keyblade once more and unlocked the door, stepping back as the door slowly creaked open.

'This is one of the last places in Equestria where both light and darkness are in perfect balance,' Sombra stated for Xion, who stepped through the door once it was finished opening. She entered into a large, circular chamber that housed very little within it, aside from a large circle in the middle of the room that held no crystal or rock. Only a circle of solid glass in the center.

"I feel at peace here," Xion said as she closed her eyes and walked onto the glass circle, able to physically feel the weight that had been upon her slowly begin to melt away. "Especially here. It's like...there's nothing. There's no Maestro, no ponies needing help from the heartless...nothing."

'How observant of you. This is a circle of nothing,' Sombra informed Xion, who knelt down and placed her hands over her knees. 'It's an anomaly. Here I tried to erase both light and darkness and this was the end result. A circle where there is no light and darkness. Nothing.'

"I guess that's why I feel so content here. As I am a being of nothingness."

'I'm not going down this path with you again. Now summon your keyblade once more and stand up.' Xion did as she was instructed, rising to her feet and summoning her butterfly keyblade to her side. As she did so crystals of the darkest black emerged from the ceiling, all of them resembling different ponies. Xion assumed that they were ponies that had ticked Sombra off at some point in his life.

'Now then puppet, do you know the trick to summoning the power of dark magic?' Sombra asked.

"I think so. You need to focus on negative emotions, such as hatred and sorrow, to-"

'Wrong! Gah, you're eating the same kind of crap that Celestia feeds the rest of her nation,' Sombra cut her off before she could continue, getting Xion to make a pouting face. 'Darkness is not based on evil, just like light is not based on good. Only the cheapest of dark magic users base their power on those emotions. The way to truly use the darkest and purest of dark magic...is to embrace it.'

"Pardon?"

'You must embrace the darkness the same way almost every living being embraces the light. Do not be try to control it completely, but do not let it swallow you. The darkness is a part of you. It is your ally, just like the light. Now embrace that darkness and channel it into your blade.'

Xion pointed her blade towards the targets after Sombra instructed her, closing her eyes and focusing on the darkness within her. For a long time she felt nothing at all, but then she slowly began to become aware of a feeling within her. A feeling that was not good nor evil, but...strange.

'So you are what my darkness feels like, huh?' she asked, but got no answer. She then let out a sigh before concentrating with all of her focus. 'Do not try to command it, but do not let it swallow me. Just accept that it is a part of me and call upon its power. Call upon the other half of the coin.'

She held that thought for what felt like hours, trying to focus all of those feelings and will into her weapon. But she slowly began to grow more and more frustrated as she felt nothing happen. No wave of power washing over her, no blast to tell her that she had launched a spell. She was just about to give up when she heard Sombra speak.

'Xion...open your eyes.'

Xion did so and to her amazement she found that her keyblade was covered in a blade as black as the cloak that she wore. But unlike the cloak the blade was see through, allowing her to see the keyblade that it was now covering. She moved her blade and looked over it, before gingerly reaching out with her finger and poking the blade of darkness.

It vanished the moment she touched it, but for the brief second that she could feet it she felt...strange. Just like the darkness inside of her. "What happened?" she asked Sombra a minute after the blade had vanished, but to her surprise Sombra waited a long time before he finally answered her.

'It was strange, to say the least. First you summoned that blade of light, just like when you fought the heartless. Then you summoned the blade of darkness and I wanted to tell you to open your eyes. But then it changed once more. The light and the darkness became one for a brief moment. Your blade then felt empty, like it was lacking something important. I used my magic to help you a bit and managed to return the blade back to the one of darkness you just saw.'

"So what happened?"

'The best I can figure...the way I taught you to draw out the darkness was to draw upon the darkness within you,' Sombra began, before he had to stop for another few minutes to think. 'But you drew out something else along with that darkness. Something that wasn't quite light, wasn't quite dark...and wasn't nothing. And I don't know what it is.'

"Does this mean I can't use the power of dark magic then?"

'Actually, it seems that this has confirmed my suspicions. You are more suited to magic than you are close quarters, though you're not bad at that either,' Sombra corrected, though his voice told Xion that he was still very much lost in his own thoughts. 'But as with all skills, it will take time to learn. This time I'm going to teach you how to use bolts of darkness, a personal favorite next to smoke. Now pay close attention, for this is where it gets difficult.'