//------------------------------//
// Chapter 63 
// Story: The Darkness in our Souls 
// by Black Light 
//------------------------------//

Chapter 63

I backed myself into a corner as Celestia and Twilight were walking towards me. Now I may be used to fear, but having two of the most powerful magic users staring you down in anger is kind of on a different level than most of the fears I’ve felt.

“Now there’s no need to do anything to hasty.” I said with a nervous chuckle.

“And why not? We’re already at a hospital.” Celestia told me. I cowered further.

“I would like to make a last request.” I told them.

“And what would that be?” Celestia asked.

“Who’s Gaia?” I questioned. The name got an immediate reaction. Celestia’s eyes went wide and she took a step back from me in surprise. I looked to the girls but they were just as lost as me. I did notice Luna though, she seemed to know the name as well considering her response was almost the exact same as Celestia’s at the mention of the name.

“…Where did you hear that name?” Celestia asked me.

“The darkness said it. ‘Gaea help us’ is what he said specifically. I wanted to know who Gaea was since asking somepony for help is something the darkness doesn’t really do, so I wanted to know why they’re different.” I told her.

“…Gaea… is my mother.” Celestia answered. Now it was my turn to be surprised.

“Your mother?” I said quietly, having a hard time comprehending the thought.

“Yes, she was the first alicorn. She, along with our father, helped to create and give life to this world.

‘He, he, it’s a bit more than that you know’ I heard in my head.

“Excuse me are you the one telling the story, I’m trying to listen here.” I told the darkness. “…I said that out loud didn’t I?” I asked.

“That you did.” Celestia told me. “I assume the darkness decided he had something he wanted to add.” She said to me.

“Yeah, he said it’s a bit more than what you said.” I told her.

“Does he know my mother?” Celestia asked.

‘In a way.’ I heard.

“In a way, he says” I told her.

“How?” She continued to question.

‘Well-’

“Can I just let him out so he can speak? I don’t really like being a go between.” I interrupted him.

“Will he try anything?” Celestia asked.

“Nothing that would work.” I told her.

“…Very well.”

I let my guard drop and I felt my right side go numb and my vision went next.

“As I was saying, I do know her in a way. Not personally, but in a way I did.” The darkness said from my mouth.

“What does that mean?” Twilight asked.

The darkness sighed. “We’ve been around for a long time, the entity know as darkness. You already know I wasn’t the first, that there were others before me.” 

“Yes, you’ve told me you had around seven hosts before me and have only been around for five or six hundred years about.” I responded.

“That’s right, but even though a darkness can ‘die’ we still retain… memories, for lack of a better word, from previous entities.” He told us.

“So the darkness has been around since before our mother and father created the world?” Luna asked.

“Wrong” The darkness told her. Everypony looked surprised at his answer. “As I said, it was a bit more than the world that was created.”

“What do you mean?” Celestia asked.

“Your mother and father also created light.” He told her.

“You mean the sun?” Celestia questioned.

“Though that is true, I didn’t mean a physical light. When I say light I mean good, happiness and the such.” He told her.

“What does that mean?” Twilight said.

“Allow me to answer your question with another. You light a lantern in front of a rock, what happens?” He asked

“Well that’s easy, it casts a shadow.” Twilight answered.

I figured out what he was saying as soon as he asked the question. Twilight seemed perplexed though trying to figure out how his question answered hers. Celestia though, I saw it in her eyes. She was coming to the realization.

“…You don’t mean.” Celestia started.

“Bingo, when your parents created light, they made a shadow. They created darkness.” He told them with a small chuckle.

“So the first darkness… was created by my parents?” Celestia asked.

“That’s right.” The darkness told her. “The first entity of darkness was created by your parents. Can you guess who the first host was though? I’ll give you a hint, didn’t it seem like your mother always knew what was bother others?” The darkness said turning directly to Celestia.

“You-you don’t mean.” Celestia stammered. “That’s a lie!” She shouted.

“Is it? Then tell me, though my memories of that time are old and a little fuzzy, I still remember your mother teaching you how to fight against mental intrusion. Now why would she do that if true mental magic wasn’t created until around four hundred years later? Unless, she already knew about a certain mental magic, perhaps having to do with darker emotions, Hmm?” He said to her. He makes a sound argument I have to give him that.

“Do you wish me to give you further proof? Fine, does the name Mr. Fuzzybottom mean anything to you?” The darkness asked.

I saw Celestia’s eyes widen and even a faint blush appear on her cheeks. Needless to say most of us were in a state of shock, nopony had ever seen the princess this flustered before. Except apparently for Luna who was holding a hoof over her mouth suppressing a laugh. Who was this Mr. Fuzzybottom?

“You will leave Mr. Fuzzybottom out of this.” She said to the darkness very sternly.

“Ah, that is a good reaction, I assume then that you still have him. Probably hidden somewhere in your room.” The darkness said with a laugh.

Celestia’s blush darkened even further.

“Who exactly is Mr. Fuzzybottom?” I asked.

“Nopony! You will forget you ever heard the name!” She told me. “That goes for all of you!”

“I think I’ve proved my point. I will admit though, your mother was a strong mare. Offered to be the host so no other would have to. The only host to ever have full control over an incarnation.” The darkness said. “Though there may be a few more names of previous hosts that you may know. Do you know a Salty Sal?” The princesses just looked confused. “Hmm, no well you may know him by the name he gave himself, Black Mane scourge of the Sea.”

“You mean the bedtime story parents tell their foals?” Twilight asked.

“All stories stem from some truth Miss Sparkle, but Black Mane is no story. He was the richest pony in all the world when he was in his prime.” The darkness told her.

“So Black Mane was a host to the darkness. That sure explains a lot…His real name was Salty Sal?” Luna said

“That it was, who else was a high profile host?” The darkness asked himself. “Ah, I know a very renowned name. He was the ruler of an empire, but he wasn’t an emperor.”

“The ruler of an empire?” Celestia asked.

“But not an emperor?” Luna continued.

After a bit their eyes widened. “King Sombra.” They both said.

“There you go, though I did lie to you, he really was an emperor, though he did drop the title from his name.”

“And replaced it with king?” Celestia asked.

“No, his name before he took over was actually King Sombra, he dropped the title because Emperor King Sombra didn’t sound quite so intimidating.”

“Who’s King Sombra?” I asked. “You would think a ruler of an empire would be in history books somewhere, but I’ve never heard of him.”

“King Sombra was the last ruler of the crystal empire. He ruled through fear, making all those who opposed him cower beneath him. We tried to step in, but before we freed the empire Sombra cast a spell and made the empire vanish saying that if he couldn’t rule it nopony could.” Celestia told us.

“So the darkness once ruled an empire…huh. Never figured you for the type. Thought you didn’t like followers.” I said with a chuckle.

“Wasn’t me remember? Different darkness, different goals, different tactics. He was two incarnations ago, a short lived darkness by all standards.” The darkness said.

“So what happened to him?” I asked.

“What?” The darkness.

“Well you said you had memories of previous darkness, so do you know what happened to him, have any memories after the spell?” I questioned.

“Hmm, well I assume he died.” The darkness answered. “Sombra was the only pony that incarnation possessed. After the spell a new darkness was created, so I assume that both Sombra and his darkness were destroyed.”

“I suppose that makes sense. What about the darkness before you though?” I asked.

“What about him?” he responded.

“Anypony notable, how was he destroyed, did he hate everything as much as you?” I questioned.

“All incarnations of darkness share a common hatred, and why would you think about how he was destroyed do you want ideas to get rid of me? I'm truly hurt.” The darkness said with a chuckle. “As for his hosts… there really was nothing notable about them, my previous incarnations tactic was more clandestine than my own. I’m not even sure his hosts knew it themselves.”

‘Think we’ve distracted them enough?’ I asked mentally.

‘We have enough power back, so I think so.’ The darkness told me.

‘Good idea to buy us some time by the way.’ I said.

‘I assumed that they would be too interested in my history to do anything to us. Good acting on your part I will admit.’ He responded.

‘Thank you.’ I said mentally. “So since we’re dehospitalized shall we take our leave?” I asked aloud getting me looks of confusion from the girls and the princesses.

“Yes let’s. As you said before-”

“Teleportation.” In a flash the darkness and I were no longer in the hospital, escaping from our angered pursuers.