//------------------------------// // Episode 1: Solo Mission // Story: EoH Evolution: Season 5 // by Bahamut0 //------------------------------// Shadow Thunder took a deep breath as he held his spear in a defensive position. Staring him down was Steel Edge, the Element of Honor, and one of the best combatants of the Elements of Heroism. Shadow was pretty nervous because Steel had plenty more fighting and training than him due to being the Elite Guard's captain prior to joining the Elements of Heroism and ascending into an Avatar. "You're nervous, aren't you?" Steel Edge asked with a comforting smile. "This is just standard combat practice Shadow. You don't need to worry about beating me. We just need to gauge how much you've been improving and if we need to step things up with our training. Things are only peaceful because we keep vigilant." "Indeed." Akage Strider, the Element of Levity added. "And while some of our members have ascended into godhood, that is no excuse to let our skills collect dust. Although, I think Steel's hair would just become less spiky if he were to slack." "Talk about losing your edge, lad." Magnet North, the Element of Nobility chuckled as he paused from maintaining his Duelist Arm. "Say, why isn't Nightfall here? I thought he'd like to test out a few of his new gadgets here." "Night's been busy working on something special for Twilight." Spike answered as he shot down practice targets with his arm cannon. "Twilight's happy that she's got a new place to stay because of the castle, but losing the library hit her pretty hard emotionally too." "You're not kidding about that." Shadow grunted as he dodged a sword swipe fro Steel! Shadow then thrust his spear forward, but all it met was Steel Edge's shield! "I thought that the worst I'd seen her was when she was freaking out over not learning a friendship lesson." "Well, whatever Nightfall has in the works, I'm sure that it'll put Twilight in good spirits again." Tyrannus Rex said with a reassuring smile as stretched. "He and Twilight are a good pair." "They sure are." Inferno flare said with a nod. "Those two are so adorkable I almost squeal when they're together. Then again, most of us have found our perfect fit." "Yeah. . . good for you guys." Shadow said with a defeated sigh as he lowered his spear. "I guess I'm the only one left in club single right now." "Hey. No need to get mopey Shadow." Arctic Ace said with a comforting smile. "Currently Fang, Venus and I don't have girlfriends yet. So we're still in the same boat as you." "Bro? I hate to break it to you, but everyone can see you three and those sirens becoming couples." Shadow said with a disappointed look on his face. He let out a defeated sigh. "And I have no prospects. Plus, I'd never forgive myself if I tried to go after girls that are already taken." "You never know Shadow." Akage said with a comforting smile. "You just might meet your future special someone when you don't even try looking for them." "Thanks Akage." Shadow said as he took a deep breath. He then noticed his hero crest glow brightly! "Whoa! What gives? Why's my hero crest turned into a light show?!" And as his hero crest glowed, Shadow could feel a great amount of emotional pain and sorrow coming from a single location! He could sense many people hurting, but there seemed to be a singular individual whose pain was the greatest. "GUYS!" Nightfall Silver cried out as he stumbled to the ground, and dusted himself off! Panting as he still had a ways to go before he was physically fit. "Something crazy is going on with a map at Twilight's castle! You've all gotta see this! It might mean we need to roll out with them!" Nightfall quickly led the other Elements of Heroism to Twilight's castle, and threw open the doors that led to the throne room. There, the Main Six were seated and their eyes were drawn to a map of the entire kingdom and the neighboring countries. This was the Friendship Map. "We came as soon as Nightfall told us what was happening." Inferno said as he marched over to Rarity's throne. "Is everything alright?" "Everything's fine Inferno." Twilight Sparkle answered as she stood up. "This map just materialized all of a sudden, and it seems to be beckoning the girls and I to a certain village." Twilight pointed to where icons of the Main Six's Talent Crests were located on the map. The icons hovering over a tiny village. "It's pretty obvious the map wants us to go there, but I don't have the slightest idea why we're being called there." "Maybe we can help each other find some answers?" Shadow suggested as he stepped forward, and revealed his glowing Hero Crest. "My Hero Crest just started glowing a few minutes ago. And this map showed up at around the same time. I'm starting to think this is more than just a mere coincidence. That map might not be showing my Talent Crest, but the mark that proves me a hero. Maybe the rest of the guys can come if we got a fight on our hands too." "Sorry Shadow. But you're going to have to go out there without us." Steel Edge stated. "All of us rolling up with our weapons to a tiny little village? I don't think that would exactly give them the best impression of us. Plus, you say that your mark is beckoning you there." "Steel's right, Shadow." Inferno said with a nod. "A small group of you and the girls should be just enough to not get people suspicious. You're flying solo this time around." "If you're doubting yourself, don't." Ace said with a comforting smile. "You've been steadily improving in your Duelist Arm skills. You may even have need of those new techniques that you've been developing lately. I have faith that you'll be able to see this mission through." "Well then, I guess I've got a bit of a trip ahead of me!" Shadow said with a grin. "I'll go pack up my backpack. No telling what we might need to bring, or how long we'll need to stay." And with that, Shadow Thunder dashed off to the house he shared with his two brothers. Excitedly running all over the place as he packed snacks, toiletries, sleeping clothes, and other essential supplies that he could fit into his pack. Arctic Ace watched from outside the house's windows with a small smile. Happy to see his baby brother in a more elevated mood than when he'd seen him at practice. 'This ought to get his mind off his lack of a girlfriend.' Arctic Ace thought with a pleased expression on his face. 'But something tells me that he'll be finding someone for him soon enough. And letting him go on his own is good for him too. He might be me and Ice's baby brother, but that doesn't mean we should treat him like a kid. Plus, we can't do everything for him. Be it seeking a relationship, or fighting his own battles.' Soon enough, Shadow had filled his pack and his Duelist Arm dismissed. He hummed happily to himself as he and the Main Six set about their journey. Thankfully, they didn't encounter too much trouble on their way and soon made it to the village. Upon arrival, the village looked plain and ordinary. That is, until the group caught sight of the village's inhabitants. All of them looked like their colors had been muted or slightly drained, and each of them sported the same hairstyle. However, one thing in particular made them all wary: the creepy, identical, uniform smiles that adorned each of the villagers' faces. But for Shadow, he felt something far more unsettling as he and the Main Six stepped through the gate. The second he set foot inside the village, Shadow could feel pain and sorrow all around him! The sheer concentration and magnitude made the Element of Compassion stagger for a brief moment before he gathered himself. The Main Six set about asking where they were, and the villagers simply answered "Our Town". The creepy identical smiles on their faces weren't making any of the group feel less cautious. Oddly enough, the entire village soon erupted into a song proclaiming how great the town was. But despite said proclamation, Shadow could feel this place was very much the opposite of the paradise it was being described as. 'I can feel so much pain and sadness here.' Shadow thought to himself as he watched the disturbing song play out. 'Something just feels. . . unnatural about these people. Like some part of their very being was stripped from them! And whatever, or whoever removed it, made it so that they didn't think anything was lost. If anything, they all look like they gained something. Either they truly believe that they're better off with whatever's remove, or they're being manipulated into thinking that. No matter how I look at it, either way is disturbing.' Sensing the wary look on Shadow's face, Twilight decided to throw a wrench into the spontaneous performance. "Yes, yes. Your town sound very nice." Twilight said as she folded her arms. "But would you mind telling me why this place is so perfect? Because I can't really see it." "I'm glad you asked!" The villager stated with the same creepy smile everyone else wore. "We've cast aside our Talent Crests!" "WHAT?!" The group of seven exclaimed in shock! "And we couldn't be happier about it!" The villager concluded! However, when Shadow looked at the villager, he saw something unusual start to form behind the villager! A light yellow phantom appeared that had the exact same appearance of the villager materialized. But that wasn't the most disturbing thing that Shadow noticed. No, that went to the hole in the phantom's chest that seemed to leave scars running through the phantom's entire being! 'No we're not. . . ' The phantom said with a broken-down expression and sorrow in its voice. However, Shadow soon saw that this phenomenon was not isolated to just the one villager speaking. There was a phantom for each villager. All of them had the same regretful, imprisoned expression. Each shared the same gap in their centers and scars running through their entire being. Every last one of them crying for the piece of themselves they had lost. Be it in screams, or in tears. And the missing pieces of them looked disturbingly similar to the shapes of Talent Crests. Shadow then realized he was not looking at a village, but rather he was staring a cult in the face. He had tuned out of the cultists' praise and exposition, and noticed that there seemed to be trails coming out from the holes in the villagers' phantoms. Shadow Thunder decided to follow the trails, and they led him to a cave. Materializing his Duelist Arm, Shadow cautiously journeyed into the cave. He noticed a light coming from within, and decided to approach it. When he came to the source of the light, Shadow froze in his tracks. He thought he couldn't have seen anything more unsettling than the brainwashed villagers. He thought that there couldn't be a more disturbing sight than phantoms of said villagers crying out for their missing pieces. But what he saw before him was the most horrifying sight Shadow Thunder had ever seen. His Duelist Arm dematerializing as Shadow let it drop to the floor as he looked on in sheer horror. There, displayed before him, were the removed Talent Crests of the villagers. Trapped behind what looked to be a vault with a staff nearby. And that's when everything clicked together. Why the villagers had the same haircut and lifeless smiles. Why they looked drained of life, color and freedom. Why the phantoms that Shadow saw cried out for a "missing piece". Something had indeed been ripped from these people. Something precious, unique to each individual. Talent Crests were more than just a mark that showed what you were skilled at. Once obtained, they were a piece of your very soul. And these people? They'd had a part of their very essence stripped from them. A piece of their being ripped from them. Their souls mutilated. And the pain and sorrow Shadow had felt all around himself when he entered the village was all too clearly explained. "Oh. I see you friend has stumbled upon our Talent Crest vault." A female voice said. Shadow snapped his head in the direction of the voice, and found a pale purple Magi girl with purple hair that had a turquoise streak in it. She also had blue-violet eyes and was wearing the exact same outfit as the villagers. The only things separating her from the crowd were her hairstyle, and the fact that her skin retained more color. "I am Starlight Glimmer. It's a pleasure to see another new face around here." "Y-Yeah. Nice to meet you too." Shadow thought as he tried to hide the fact he was jumpy. But as soon as he relaxed himself, Shadow noticed that the concentration of sorrow and pain was greatly magnified in Starlight Glimmer's presence. 'I'm guessing she's the one behind this mess. And whatever pain she's holding deep inside, it seems to be the root of why she's done.' "Well you're already stumbled upon out little secret." Starlight said with a practiced smile. "Would you like to know how we remove Talent Crests?" Starlight walked over to the wooden staff that was near the trapped Talent Crests. "This is the Staff of Sameness. A relic powerful enough to remove a person's Talent Crest. It-" Starlight didn't get to finish as Shadow snatched the staff from her, and smashed it to pieces! ". . . What just-? "You're not helping anyone!" Shadow snapped! "I might not have heard all of the doctrine you had these people memorize and engrave into their brains, but I know for a fact that the equality and 'harmony' you have here isn't for anyone's benefit but your own!" "W-What are you talking about!?!" Starlight shot back as she began to panic! 'Drat! How did he catch on so quick?! If he keeps talking, he could ruin everything more than he already has!' Starlight noticed the nervous chatter among the villagers over the destruction of the staff. "D-Don't worry everyone! The Staff-s effect is permanent! So don't-!" "Just stop!" Shadow cried out as he summoned his Duelist Arm, and struck the ground with it! He then addressed the crowd! "The equality you've been looking for? All of you had it already by being different from each other! Each one of us is different from another, and that's something we have in common! But more than that, you're all forsaking the very thing that formed our kingdom in the first place: unity through diversity! Each tribe had a different ability, and each relied on each other's different strengths to live! And because of that, they formed strong bonds of friendship that united them all together! Don't you all see? You don't have anything to be scared of. Your Talent Crests don't have anything to do with making friends. So stop listening, and start thinking! And I mean REALLY thinking!" "Shut up. . . " Starlight whispered. "You've all been lied to from the start!" Shadow continued! "Listen to your hearts! To your souls crying out for their missing pieces! Sure, sometimes you won't have a lasting friendship, but that's got nothing to do with your Talent Crests! People can grow apart in time, but that also means they can grow closer! You just need to brave enough to try! It's not easy, and it can sometimes be painful, but that's okay! The only thing worse than that pain is knowing you'll be alone because you're too afraid to deal with it." "Shut up!" Starlight growled. "And you," Shadow turned to face Starlight. A sympathetic look in his eyes as he stared down the cult leader. "You don't need to hurt anymore. I don't know why you hurt so much, or why you think Talent Crests are so horrible. But what I do know is that you've taken your problems and made them everyone else's. You think that you're fixing things, but you're just refusing to deal with your own issues. You're scared." "SHUT UP!" Starlight screamed as magic began to pool around her eyes! It's turquoise color tainted by crackles of sickly black-and-green energy! "YOU'RE WRONG! I AM FIXING THINGS! I'VE CREATED TRUE HARMONY!" "You keep painting yourself as the hero, but you're not." Shadow continued calmly. "You refuse to admit that you're wrong, and anyone that calls you out for your actions is instantly made an enemy and you don't even try to see reason or a different perspective. You're the villain here. And if that wasn't enough, your actions just seem to scream evil. You've brainwashed these people, and removed their right to choose. To think for themselves. But the only person who's got something wrong with themselves is you. All to hide the fact that you're scared and hurt inside." "But it doesn't have to be like this." Shadow said with a pleading look in his eyes. "You don't have to hurt anymore. You don't have to be scared. Just tell us, tell me, what made you like this. What made you become so vile and cruel? You don't have to be alone, and you CAN move on. But it has to be your choice. You can get better, or you can continue to wallow in self-pity and refuse to accept responsibility for the fact that you're the only one making Talent Crests an issue." Shadow then extended his hand. "Please." "You. . . you. . . " For a brief moment, it looked like Shadow had gotten through to Starlight. Unfortunately, the black-and-green energy that was crackling began to intensify as Starlight's eyes hardened at Shadow! "YOU RUINED EVERYTHING!" And she fired a massive blast of magic at Shadow! Shadow quickly spun his spear in front of him to block the blast, and keep it from hitting any of the villagers! The Main Six summoned their Harmony Keepers, but Shadow motioned for them to stay back! "All of you get the villagers to safety!" Shadow called out as he got into a defensive position! "We can't risk anyone getting hurt in the crossfire! Get them evacuated, and head back to me once you're done getting them to a safe place! GO!" Shadow rolled out of the way of another magic blast, and flared his wings out before thrusting his spear forward! "Light Lance!" A beam of yellow light shot out from the tip of Shadow's spear and struck Starlight right in the chest! Sending her flying into the wall of the cave! Satisfied that the villagers were being evacuated, Shadow flew out of the cave and into the village! Now he could fight at his full capacity due to having the open air being available to him. However, he didn't have nearly as much of an advantage as he'd thought when Starlight Glimmer flew right at him! Cloaked in her magical aura and using it to fly! She attempted to crash into Shadow, but he flew out of the way just in time! "The suffering I ended! The harmony I ushered in!" Starlight screamed! "And you ruined it all in a single day!" "I didn't ruin anything!' Shadow countered! "You just refuse to see that you're hurting yourself more! You need help Starlight Glimmer, but you refuse to admit that you're doing the wrong thing! You don't get to play the 'I'm in the right' card! Not with what you've done!" "SHUT UP!" Starlight screamed as she unleashed a wave of magic! "YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND! NONE OF YOU DO! YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT IT'S LIKE TO LOSE A FRIEND OVER A TALENT CREST!" "You're right! I don't!" Shadow cried out! "But I do know what it's like to lose someone close to you! When I was little kid, my oldest brother left home because he thought he'd failed to protect me and my other brother! He even ran with some pretty bad people because he thought they could help him become better. But he was wrong, and he realized that when they wanted him to kill our brother! He realized his mistake, and knew he needed help! He came back to me and our parents, and we accepted him. We forgave him, and so did our brother! Right now, I can see you making the same mistakes as him! Please, Starlight! Let me stop you from doing something worse!" "You. . . YOU!" Starlight growled! "AUUUUUGHHH!" In an explosion of magic, Starlight teleported to her house and grabbed the black-and-white mask she'd been holding onto since her childhood. "They're wrong! They're all wrong! But they'll see. We'll MAKE them see." "You're the one who's blind." Twilight Sparkle said as she teleported into Starlight's room! "Shadow's right. But you know what I think? Your friendship didn't end because of a Talent Crest. It ended because you refused to try again. You're acting like a petulant child. You know that right?" "Shut up!" Starlight growled! "Fine." Twilight said with a sigh. "But I've learned something as the Princess of Friendship: Friendship doesn't let people down. It's just bad friends. Maybe it's your fault you're this way, or maybe it's also whoever hurt you's fault. All I know is that you don't want our help. And I feel sorry for you because you're deciding to delude yourself that you're right." "You. . . all of this never would have happened if it wasn't for you!" Starlight hissed! "The next time I see you, I'll make sure to undo everything you've ever done!" "And all you'll accomplish is getting fist in your face." Twilight retorted coolly as she watched Starlight vanish in a flash of magic. She went outside, and smiled at seeing the villagers smashing open the vault and getting their Talent Crests back. "Mission accomplished." "Yeah." Shadow said glumly. "Right."