//------------------------------// // V: The Abyss // Story: Shattered Darkness // by Dusk Raven //------------------------------// Darkness. Shade’s entire world was darkness. The darkness was so vast that it swallowed up all sound, and all matter – he felt no floor beneath his hooves, though the feeling of falling was absent. There was no air to breathe, yet there was no sensation of suffocation. There was only Shade’s consciousness, gazing into the abyss.   Such a void could not last, however, and very soon Shade heard a voice very much like his own: “Shade. A fitting name for a mere shadow of my glory.”   Shade wasn’t surprised at the voice’s presence - he’d expected something like this, for some fragment of Sombra’s will to remain. He didn’t bother looking towards the source of the voice, for there was none. Instead he merely retorted, “A shadow in the light of friendship, Sombra. A light you shied away from.”   A laugh could be heard. “Ah, friendship.” Sombra said mockingly. “You’re such a fool, Shade. Do you really think Twilight and her friends will trust you so readily?”   Shade scowled. “If you’re going to try and break my will, Sombra, you’re going to have to do a better job than that. I trust Twilight. I know her more intimately than you ever could.”   Another laugh sounded out, or rather merely a chuckle. “Than I ever could? I know her very well… but you remember that, don’t you? We share those wonderful memories of probing her mind, delving into her deepest thoughts…”   Shade growled.   Sombra continued. “It felt good too, I’m sure you remember that. The power over another, the feeling of violating-“   “Shut up!”   A great shattering was heard, as the darkness broke away to reveal Sombra’s throne room of dark and jagged crystal. Sombra sat upon his throne, Shade before him like a subject before his lord, though he was anything but.   Sombra grinned. “Touched a nerve, have I?”   “I didn’t come here to debate with you. I came here to destroy you!” A blast of red magic shot forth from Shade’s horn, only to be deflected by a black crystal barrier erected by Sombra’s magic. Sombra retaliated with a blast of his own, which Shade dodged by leaping to the side.   “You really think you can defeat me, mere shadow? You’re nothing compared to me!” Sombra’s eyes flared green as he sent a wave of black energy at Shade. The latter defended quickly with a shimmering red barrier, which was quickly shattered by Sombra’s blast. Shade tried to re-form the barrier, only for it to be shattered once more by another wave of magic, the impact flinging Shade across the room and into a back wall.   As Shade slumped to the ground, Sombra stepped off his throne and slowly walked towards Shade’s motionless body. “What is it that makes you think you can defeat me? What is it that you fight for?”   Shade’s head snapped about to face Sombra, flinging a sphere of dark power at him. The move caught him by surprise, the impact pushing him back and sending sparks across his armor.   “You don’t get it, do you? You think without your memories I have nothing to fight for? I have Twilight!” Shade snarled and leapt to his feet, his eyes beginning to glow green. “And I have my hatred of you!” With that, Shade launched a blast of black magic at Sombra, the impact shattering crystals across the throne room and beneath Sombra’s hooves, and throwing up a pile of dust around him.   Sombra laughed from within the cloud. “So, you’ll even turn to dark magic.” A mass of crystal shards gathered to him and then flew out in all directions. Shade threw up a barrier to deflect them, but the magical output alerted Sombra to his location, and the shards redirected to Shade’s position, his barrier shuddering under the onslaught.   “I’ll turn to anything if it means destroying you!” The barrier exploded outwards, destroying more of the throne room and sending Sombra back several paces.   “So, we’re not that different after all. You know, all it takes is a few memories and you’ll be just like me.”   “Don’t give me that. I know where you’re headed and I don’t want to hear whatever sob story you use to justify being a tyrant.” Shade levitated several chunks of crystal masonry and hurled them at Sombra, who blasted them one by one into dust with dark magic. “I know that we’re spawned from the same mind, but there are a few key differences between us.”   Shade teleported away from Sombra’s next blast, reappearing across the throne room to fire another crimson ray at Sombra. “One: “I’ve felt emotions you could only have nightmares about, like compassion, after sharing another pony’s heart. For all your talk of delving into pony’s minds, there’s a few things you still have to learn.”   Sombra formed several crystal spikes and telekinetically hurled them at Shade, only for the latter to form several crystal shields to deflect them. As crystal shattered upon crystal, Shade teleported again – this time right alongside Sombra. “Two – I’m going to win,” Shade grinned into Sombra’s ear.   Swiftly, Sombra turned, locking horns with Shade. Shade instantly felt a piercing in his mind as Sombra attempted to breach his mental defenses, but he just laughed. “And do you know why I’m going to win? I have a fresh slate, a new life ahead of me. I have something to live for. All that awaits you if you win is destruction! Twilight and her friends are ready for you!”   Shade pushed forward, shoving Sombra away from him as the latter’s expression twisted into one of despair. “And you know what I think? I think you’re the shadow, the fragment left behind.” A moment later he fired a bolt of energy straight into Sombra’s face.   A shattering sound was heard, not from Sombra hitting the floor, but from the throne room breaking apart, dissipating into fragment upon fragment. This time, there was no darkness. Only light. Shade didn’t shield his eyes from it, but instead looked to the source, smiling as he faced the light.