327 Years, 41 Days Pt. 2
Thanks to my abilities, me and Daring Do managed to easily make it through a few other booby traps that were laid out before us. Pitfalls that lead to spikes, swinging blades, and even a large boulder that came tumbling at us. I was able to easily blast it to pebbles. The next room we came too had some treasures in it such as gold and jewelry. Daring looked at the room in awe as the light from her torch reflected of the treasures. “Wow, look at all these riches.”
I could care less. “Tch, it’s just a bunch of glittery junk.”
Daring just looked at me. “It may be junk to you, but this stuff is priceless to me and to some friends of mine in the museum business, I’m going to have to inform them of this place so we can come back and get this stuff.”
“Hmpf, greedy ponies.” I said under my breath. I started walking further towards the center of the room. “Let’s just go, we’re wasting time, any idea if were any closer to our goal?” Before Daring could answer, I stopped in my tracks as I heard a hissing noise. “What the?” I looked down at the floor and saw some things slithering around.
Daring was standing in the same spot and used her torch to look at what I was seeing. I looked back at her and saw a look of fear plastered on her face. “Snakes, why did it have to be snakes. I HATE snakes.” She backed up a little.
I just rolled my eyes. I wasn’t afraid, I dealt with snakes before so this was no big deal for me. I looked back at her and called out to her. “Why don’t you just fly over them? You do have wings you know.” I asked annoyed. She didn’t respond. I narrowed my eyes as I sighed out. “*Sigh* Am I going to have to carry you across?”
I saw her finally look up at me and shook her head. “No, I…I can do this. No problem, no problem at all.”
I spread out my wings and took to the air. “Then come on, let’s get through this already.”
She nodded, she spread her wings and slowly began to fly over the floor as she kept her eyes on the hordes of snakes slithering about along the ground. “I really hate snakes.”
She came up next to me in the air. “What’s the big deal, they’re just snakes.” I asked.
“The bid deal is that those snakes are poisonous, one bite could kill you.” She answered as she looked at me. “I’m surprised they didn’t bit you.”
“I’m familiar with this type of snake, as long as you don’t agitate them, they won’t bother you, plus, in this kind of environment, they’re rather docile. The chances of them biting are very slim.”
She cocked an eyebrow at me. “Do you know a lot about snakes?”
I deadpanned with my answer. “I live in a forest, a naturel home to snakes, of course I know about them.”
“Oh, right.” She gave a sheepish smile. We finally made it to the other side of the room and went through the door there to another long hallway.
“*Sigh* I’m getting really sick of this place, how much longer till we reach this Alicorn Heart?”
“The chamber containing it should be at the end of this hallway.”
“And let me guess, there’s more booby traps here?”
“Probably.”
“Let’s just take my shortcut and get through this.” I used my shadow abilities and did my shadow sneak power to zip us through the hall to quickly get through and avoid any traps. At the end of the hall way was what appeared to be a stone door.
Daring raised the torch to get a good look at it. At the center was a depiction of the idol we were looking for. It was accompanied by two large figures on each side. These creatures were something I had never seen before, they had hooves but stood on their hind legs, their top halves had appendages with long thin extentions. The heads looked like that of a bulls head with a ring hanging from the nose. Each held what looked like large clubs in their appendages.
Daring began reading an inscription on the door. “The alicorn heart is guarded by the spirits of courage and purity, only those deemed worthy by these spirits will even be allowed to approach the alicorn heart.”
“So does that mean the alicorn heart is behind this door?”
Daring didn’t seem sure as she kept her eyes on the door. “I think so, but I wonder what it means by guarded by the spirits of purity and courage?”
“Who cares, just move aside and I’ll blast it open.”
Daring quickly looked at me. “Nightshade, NO, don’t blow it up, I’ll find a way to open it, just….just give me a minute.”
I conceded. “*Sigh* Fine, but hurry up, in case you hadn’t noticed, I’m getting tired of this place and I want this all to be over as soon as possible.”
Daring scanned the door for a minute or so, all the while I grew more impatient, we were so close to something that could possibly give me back my family. “Strange, these depictions guarding the alicorn heart look like minataurs.” Daring mused as she went over the door. Daring finally found what she was looking for, she pressed a hoof on a marking under the depiction of the alicorn heart and the door slid down. “There, see, no problem, I told you I’d open it.” She said with a smile.
“What do you want, a prize?” I took the lead as we passed through the door. As soon as we passed through, a series of torches on the walls of the room we came to lit up on their own, the room was massive, way bigger than the other rooms we found. With a series of pillars on the sides. It had to be at least 50 ft. high and 30 ft. across. Me and Daring could easily fly around in this room, it was very long too.
Daring was impressed yet again as her eyes widened. Even I was a little impressed by this. “Wooow, in all my adventuring, I’ve never come across a chamber this massive before. The ponies that made this really went all out.”
My eyes fell upon what was at the other end of the room, a large door with two massive statues of those minataurs from the door. The clubs they were holding were long and had eight sides with studs lining the sides. “I’m guessing the heart is behind that door there then. Come on, let’s go get it and get out of here.” I was about to fly to the door but daring stopped me.
“Nightshade, wait!”
I turned back and faced her with a snarl. “This had better be important, I am really close to getting my family back here.”
“Nightshade, don’t you remember what I read on the door back there, about how the alicorn heart is guarded by the spirits of courage and purity?”
I dropped my snarl as I responded. “It’s just some stupid story meant to scare off raiders, now come on!” I turned back around and took to the air, Daring dropped her torch since it was no longer needed and flew after me.
We were just a few feet away from the door now, me and Daring landed, I looked up at the statues for a moment, then back at the door. I took one step towards the door and I noticed a flash come from the statues, I looked up just in time to see their eyes flicker to life and glow white. To my surprise, and Daring’s, they started to move. They took a step forward from where they were standing and raised the clubs they were holding. “NIGHTSHADE, LOOK OUT!” Daring called as one of the minataurs brought their club down. We both flew up and away just in time. “I told you we should have been careful!” Daring said with narrowed eyes.
“Fine, so you were right about these things!” I called as we reached the first door we came to, we landed. “You just find a safe place to hide while I deal with these things. I’ve dealt with worse before.” Before she could say anything else, I took off and flew right at the two stone minataurs. I formed four shadow tentacles around my neck and prepared to attack.
I flew as fast as I could at the left statue and tried to topple it by slamming all four of my hooves against its chest. I didn’t even cause it to move back a little. These things were going to be a little more difficult than I thought. I quickly flew back off it and the other swung its club downward. I flew to the side to dodge. I formed my two tentacle blades and saw the other swing its club horizontally at me, I flew up to avoid it and flew at the club when the first statue had it as far to the side as it could get. I raised one of my blades up and brought it down on the club. To my surprise, I only managed to chip it. “What the heavens?” The second statue managed to grab me in my confusion. It brought me up to its head and looked at me. I glared back at it.
“WHY ARE YOU HERE SHADOW WALKER?” The statue actually spoke, I was a little surprised by this, as well as the fact these things knew what I was, but I kept my glare.
“I’m here to get my family back, so you better let me go and let me through that door or I’ll turn you into rubble!”
“YOUR FAMILY IS GONE, NOT EVEN THE ALICORN HEART CAN UNDO DEATH!” The second spoke.
“Like I’m supposed to believe that? I’m not about give up on my family, now LET…..ME…..GO!” I used all my strength to push the statue’s hand open and free myself. I flew back a ways and summoned as much magical power above my head as I could. The two statues started walking towards me as I hovered in the center of the room gathering my power for one massive attack. They were just about to reach out for me when I unleashed all my power on them in one massive magical orb. “EAT THIS! RAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!” I flung my magic orb at them and it struck the two at the same time on their sides, causing a massive magical explosion.
The result was a huge cloud of dust and rubble that caused me to go flying back from the force of the explosion. All I remembered after that was a bit of pain and coughing as I slowly opened my eyes. I heard a voice calling to me, it was faint. “Nightshade, Nightshade, can you hear me?”
I saw a yellow blur standing over me, the figure slowly came into focus and found it was Daring Do looking at me with worry. “Ugh, my head.” I groaned as I sat up on my haunches. I put a hoof to my head as I closed my eyes.
“Oh, thank Celestia your all right.” She expressed. I opened my eyes and saw here begin to narrow hers. “What were you thinking using so much power like that, you could have brought the entire temple down on our heads!”
“Hey, at least those statues are history right?” I looked back to where the statues were and saw that I had managed to destroy them. They lay in pieces and one of the heads was still whole but no light was in the eyes.
I turned back to daring who still looked angry. “That’s beside the point, you could have killed yourself unleashing a power like that so close up.”
“You were………worried about me?” I was confused by this, she was actually concerned for me despite my numerous death threats and attitude.
“Of course I was you idiot, you may not want to admit it, buy you’ve been a big help to me in this adventure, and after everything we’ve been through, I’d like to think of you as my friend.”
I looked to the side for a moment. “I don’t need friends Daring, you can think what you want, but once this adventure is over, I want you gone. I’m just after this thing to get my family back, not to make friends.”
I could hear hurt in Daring’s words when she spoke next. “Nightshade, why won’t you let any pony close, why are you so against having friends?”
I looked back at her. “If I am to make friends, it will be with my own kind, NOT with ponies. But since I’m the only one of my kind, I guess I won’t be making any friends, so just drop the whole friendship thing and lets go.” I got up and started walking through the rubble I created to the door. I heard Daring follow behind slowly. I wasted no time and used my magic to blast the door open. Daring didn’t stop me this time.
We walked through as the dust cleared and into a smaller chamber. In the center of the room on a pedestal sat the idol we had been searching for, the alicorn heart. We finally found it, after so much annoying traps and having to deal with giant magical statues, we finally found the one thing that could bring me back my family and undo the terrible tragedy that befell me so many years ago.
I was about to take a step but then looked to Daring. “Any traps in here, or are we clear?” I asked.
“Just to be safe, let’s fly across so we don’t accidentally trigger any pressure plates.”
We both spread our wings and flew over the floor to the pedestal. I was the first one to it as I landed. I eyed it carefully. “This is it, this little statue has the power to bring back my tribe.” I slowly reached a hoof out to pick it up. Daring’s hoof then stopped me.
“Nightshade.”
I clenched my eyes and did my best to hold back my anger, I spoke through my teeth. “What is it THIS time Daring?”
“Nightshade, I’m sorry, but taking the alicorn heart might trigger another trap.”
I turned to face her. “Then I’ll just teleport us out of here before the trap goes off.”
“You can do that?” She asked with a bit of surprise.
“Yes, are you really that surprised after you saw me blow up those two statues? I can teleport us out of here using my shadow flight spell. It’s one of my abilities with the shadows.”
“Ok, be ready to activate it right away then.” She released my hoof.
I looked back at the idol and reached for it, I picked it up and brought it close to me. As I held it, the entire temple seemed to start shaking
“Nightshade, do it now!” I wasted no time, I activated my shadow flight ability and we both vanished in the shadow I created. I teleported us just outside the temple and saw the whole thing shaking. Daring looked worried at this. “Oh no, don’t tell me the whole place is going to collapse.” To her dismay, that is exactly what happened. The whole temple just crumbled and fell apart. “NOOOOOOOO, all that history, lost forever! Ho, this is so unfair.” The sun was still out at the time we ported out of the temple.
“Pft, whatever.” I reactivated my shadow flight and teleported us to my village.
Once there, I held the idol in front of me and just looked at it. Daring came up to my side and put a hoof on my shoulder. “Well Nightshade, this is it, you’ll finally get your family back.” She said with a smile.
I looked at her from the corner of my eye. I looked back at the alicorn heart and lowered it a bit as I looked down. “Listen Daring, I…….well…..*Sigh*…..thanks.”
Daring’s smile faded. “For what?”
“For helping me get this, I can finally see my parents again and get my clan back.”
I looked back to her to see her smiling. “You’re welcome Nightshade, now go on and make your wish.”
I looked back at the idol in my hooves, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. “I wish for my clan and family back.” I opened my eyes. The idol let out a brilliant flash that blinded me for a moment. I was able to see again after a second and the idol was now glowing white, it started floating up out of my hooves. I simply watched as I kept my eyes on it as it floated up. Daring was watching it the whole time too.
The eyes of the alicorn heart started to glow as well. Soon, faint images started flickering around us, what I saw took my breath away. It was as if time itself was being reversed. The buildings around me and Daring started coming back together, I looked behind me to see my stone castle come back together as well. Within moments, the entire village was back to its former glory.
It didn’t stop there. At first, shadows were seen running around, shadows that looked all too familiar as they became clearer. My family, my clan, was now before my eyes. They were just going about their business as if nothing had ever happened. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.
“Nightshade, is this…..?” Daring couldn’t finish her question.
“Yes, it is, this is my clan, my home, it’s……it’s all back. I can’t believe it.” I single tear ran down my face, I ignored it.
“Nightshade.” An all too familiar voice called out to me from behind. Me and Daring turned around.
What I saw was too much, a few more tears escaped as a smile was threatening to come out. There…….standing before me just in front of the castle……..were my mother and father, looking right at me with smiles. “Mother, Father, is it really you?”
My father spoke. “Yes son, it is.”
My mother spoke. “It’s good to see you again son.”
I took a couple cautious steps forward, not sure if what I was seeing was true. “Mom, dad.” I couldn’t contain myself, tears started pouring from my eyes as I galloped to my parents. “Mom, dad!” I lunged forth to wrap them in a hug………….but I ended up passing right through them and landing on the stone on my stomach. I was very surprised by this. I got up and looked back at them. “What, wh-what’s going on, what happened?”
My parents turned around and faced me. My mother spoke first. “My son, we’re sorry, but we are not actually back, your wish only granted us the ability to speak with you for a time.”
I became confused and worried by this. “What, no, I-I made a wish on that idol, you’re supposed to be alive……I made a wish…..YOUR SUPPOSED TO BE ALIVE!” I screamed out. I ran up to them again to try and hug them, only to pass through them again and landed on my stomach again. I got up and walked up to them.
I waved my hoof through them, they were indeed not really here. My mother spoke. “I’m sorry son, but we are not alive.”
My father spoke. “Son, no amount of magic can undo death, the alicorn heart you got was only able to grant you the time to speak with us as spirits.”
“But……but.” New tears started forming. “NO, it can’t be, you have to be alive.”
My father tried to calm me down. “Nightshade, please try to understand, our time is over, but we are concerned for you.”
My mother continued. “Nightshade, even though we are no longer with you in body, we have always been with you in spirit, all of us have.” My mother gestured around me as I saw my entire clan surround me with smiles on their faces. “We cannot bare to see you so miserable, we want you to be happy.”
My father continued from there. “Please son, you can’t possibly be happy with being alone like this.”
I looked to my parents. “But I’m doing what you wanted, I’m staying alive like you told me to that night I lost you.”
My mother took a few steps towards me and looked me in the eyes. “My boy, we wanted you to live yes, but not like this. Please son, you need friends.”
I narrowed my eyes at her. “Friends, with who, there’s no one left for me to be friends with.”
“What about her?” My mother asked gesturing to Daring Do. “We have seen how she was so willing to help you get this far.”
“But she’s a pony, the kind that stole you all away from me so long ago, how could I possibly be friends with them?” I asked with a bit of anger. “They’re the whole reason I’m alone in this forest.”
“No my son.” My father spoke up. “You are the reason your alone, you refuse to accept friendship when it is offered. You need to leave this place and find some friends.”
“But…..I…..I can’t……I……..” My parents form started to flicker. “NO, you can’t be leaving now!”
My mother spoke. “I’m sorry my son, but it seems our time is up.” I noticed that my clan was starting to fade away again and the village was slowly reverting back to its ruined state.
“NO, you can’t leave me again, PLEASE!” I pleaded desperately.
“No matter what happens son, we will always love you.” My father said.
“Please son, find happiness, we will always be with you, and we will always be watching over you. Goodbye my son.” My parents started fading.
“NO, YOU CAN’T LEAVE ME AGAIN, PLEASE DON’T GO!” Tears were streaming down my face as my parents and clan finally faded out of existence once again. “No……..no……please, not again.” I just sat there and cried in silence. My emotions betrayed me. I had allowed myself to believe in a false hope, only for me to be hurt again.
I heard Daring walk up to me and put a hoof on my shoulder. “Nightshade…..you gonna be okay?” she asked, genuinely concerned.
I didn’t look at her as I responded. “Get away from me.” I spoke low. Thoughts of how my family was taken away had resurfaced after my family faded from my sight again.
Daring removed her hoof from my shoulder. “Nightshade?”
I turned and glared at her with tears in my eyes. “I said get away from me.” I saw her holding the alicorn heart in her hooves.
“Nightshade, I….”
I didn’t give her the chance to finish her sentence. “GET AWAY FROM ME, YOU PONIES TOOK MY FAMILY AWAY FROM ME, THEN YOU COME ALONG WITH A PROMISE TO BRING THEM BACK ONLY FOR IT TO BE AN EMPTY ONE!”
I saw fear in her eyes as she looked at me. “Nightshade, I’m sorry, I didn’t know how it would all work! You have to believe me!”
I was so enraged, I formed a massive shadow circle around me and numerous tentacles formed from it. “GET OUT OF HERE, I NEVER WANT TO SEE YOU AGAIN!”
“But Nightshade….”
“GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”
Her fear seemed to fade. She just slowly turned away and started flying off. I saw her look at me with a single tear in her eye. I could swear I saw her mouth the words ‘I’m sorry’ as she flew away. I kept my glare as she flew off. Once she broke through the canopy, I let loose with the loudest scream of anger and pain I could.
“RRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!” My cry shook the whole area as I let it out. A few more tears escaped. Once I finished with my shout, I fell to the ground and the shadow and tentacles faded out. I took a minute to breath in and went through my mental exercise to lock up my emotions, I never wanted to feel that again. Once I did, an old familiar figure appeared.
“Nightshade, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry it wasn’t real, but Daring could have been a real friend.”
I narrowed my eyes at my double. “I don’t need friends, I don’t need anyone, I’m just fine on my own. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m exhausted and would like to go to bed now.” My double faded and I used my shadow flight to teleport back to my house. I was once again alone, and I couldn’t care less……at least, that’s what I kept telling myself.
0 Years, 0 days:
Over the next few years, I had noticed that a small town started forming near the edge of the forest I visited once in a while, the one called the Everfree forest. Those ponies had built a village there. I never thought that those ponies would ever come into the forest, but I still wore my cloak whenever I went through the forest to collect plants for my new hobby, potion making.
I was doing my usual round in the forest one day collecting plants. By sheer luck, I happened upon a rare flower called an iron root flower, it was pink with large petals. I could tell just by looking at it just how healthy it was, I knew that, even with all my magic, it would be difficult to pull out, it’s roots were a little mystical on their own to keep the flower planted. I eyed it, contemplating on whether I wanted it or not. Given the rarity of the flower and what I could make with it, I decided to try and uproot it. I focused my magic and my black aura enveloped the flower, I tugged and tugged with all my might to try and uproot it.
Through all my struggles, I failed to notice something coming up to me. I heard a voice that sounded like a mare’s voice and it startled me. “Um, Excuse me sir, do you need any help?”