//------------------------------//
// Chapter 66 
// Story: The Darkness in our Souls 
// by Black Light 
//------------------------------//

Chapter 66

As I began to regain my consciousness I became all so aware of the familiar sound of a heart beat monitor.

I moaned as I opened my eyes. I looked around and saw that I was in a hospital. At least it looked like one, but it was just so different. I used my magic and disconnected the heartbeat monitor. A high pitched beep came soon after not helping my headache at all. I reached over and turned off the machine rubbing my head, sitting up near the edge of the bed as I did. I heard the door open and I looked over, seeing Twilight in the door.

“Oh good your awake.” She said walking in.

“What no panic like last time?” I asked jokingly.

Twilight rolled her eyes. “Oh ha ha.”

“So where are the doctors?” I asked. “I expected to be swarmed as soon as the monitor flat lined.”

Twilight hesitated. “Well, we don’t’ really know.” She answered.

“What?” I asked confused.

“Everypony here seems to have a case of amnesia. They have no idea who they are or what they’ve done.” Twilight told me. “We managed to get you to a hospital though, the monitor was more as just a precaution.”

“Understandable.” I said sitting up and clutching my head. “Oh Sweet Celestia this is worse than when the darkness tries to take control.” I said rubbing my head.

“I saw what that cloud did to my brother, but what did it do to you?” Twilight asked.

“One, I’m pretty sure that cloud is Sombra. Two, nothing” I told her.

“WHAT!?” She shouted.

“To which part are you questioning?” I said rubbing my head from the sudden loud noise.

“Both!” she told me.

I sighed. “I got this feeling from the cloud. It felt like darkness, he’s the only pony that was in the Crystal Empire with darkness powers. As for the second, the cloud didn’t do anything to me. I’m fairly certain it was the barrier that messed with me.” I told her.

“The barrier, but why Shining said that the barrier was only meant to keep that dark… entity…outside.” Twilight responded slowing at the end as she pieced things together.

I just gave a small chuckle. “I suppose that answers one question, but now I have another.” I started. “How long was I out?” I asked her.

“Around an hour or two.” Twilight answered.

“Okay then… what is there to eat around here?” I asked getting off the bed and onto the floor. The bed was more comfortable than it looked like it should be. Not saying it was comfortable, just more so than it looked like it should be.

Twilight just rolled her eyes. “Come on Pinkie and Applejack are working on something in the castle’s kitchen.”

“Two of my favorite chefs” I said with a smile. I began to walk with Twilight out of the eerily empty hospital.

“The castle is just down the road.” Twilight said as we left the building.

I began to look around at the empire. I shivered as I looked at the buildings and crystals structures around. I saw the ponies that lived her as well, they seemed depressed. “Doesn’t look like they’re too happy to be back.” I commented.

Twilight looked around with a slight grimace. “We know, we’ve tried to find out why but we haven’t really found out anything. Only that they really don’t want to remember what happened during Sombra’s rule.” She told me.

I nodded, I understood. I could feel the fear emanating from each and every pony living here. It was overwhelming.

We turned the corner and I stopped. My eyes started to drift up at the gigantic spire protruding into the sky. ‘How did I not notice this before right now?” I asked myself.

Twilight saw my gaze wander and smiled. “It’s beautiful isn’t it?” She asked me.

“Yeah, it’s really… What!?” I asked completely surprised.

“Well, I mean it’s pretty.” She said confused.

“How can you call that monstrosity pretty?!” I asked her.

“Monstrosity!” Twilight shouted. “How can you call that a monstrosity!?” She responded.

“Maybe because it’s the most hideous, grotesque, and evil building I’ve ever laid eyes on.” I told her.

“But- I mean- the colors- they-” Twilight started.

“Colors!” I said cutting her off. “Yeah, I understand black and all its shades are colors, but I think this is kind of pushing it.” I told her.

“Black?” Twilight said confused. “None of these crystals are black.” She told me.

I looked around at the black, grey jagged crystals surrounding me. “Yeah, totally not black.” I responded sarcastically putting a hoof against a nearby crystal.

“But, they’re not.” Twilight told me yet again.

“Well if they’re not black then what color are they?” I asked rolling my eyes.

“Well for starters.” Twilight said putting a hoof on the same crystal I had touched. “This is a light red.” She said.

“Alright fine, let’s just say that you’re right and I’ve got a strange case where I’m colorblind, but only to scenery. Then explain how these jagged crystals don’t look even slightly menacing.” I told her using my wings to fly up to the top of the crystal and placing my hoof in between the gaps in the crystal.

“Well its not-” Twilight stopped suddenly and stared at where my hoof was. “Shadow, how are you doing that?” She asked me.

“Flying? Well you see I have these things called wings, most alicorns have them.” I told her.

“No, I mean the whole passing a hoof through solid matter thing.” She told me still staring at my hoof.

“Passing through-?” I started. “What’s passing through solid matter, I’m just sticking my hoof between the gaps in the crystal.” I told her. ‘Something’s not right, I can tell that Twilight is being sincere. She really things my hoof is through solid matter.’ I thought to myself surprised. “Twilight tell me.” I said flying down. “What does that crystal look like?” I asked pointing at the one I had been next to.

“Well, it’s a light red, smooth, and pretty. Why, what do you see?” She asked.

I looked at the crystal and shivered. “It’s a pure black, sharp and jagged, it’s hideous.” I told her.

“…You’re sure, you don’t have some sort of brain trauma?” Twilight asked me.

I rolled my eyes. “Trust me, I’ve had enough of that to know the feeling.” I told her.

She got a slight smile. “…So, you’re saying we are both seeing the empire differently?” She asked. “How is that possible?”

I looked at my surroundings. Everything around me was a grotesque black, and it wasn’t just random and sporadic. Each pillar was laced for the most affect. It was planned out. Like it was meant to inspire fear…By a tyrannical ruler. “I-I think I’m seeing what Sombra’s empire used to look like.” I told her.

“What?” She asked.

I looked around. “Trust me, I know fear. From what I’ve seen, all these evil looking crystals, their planned out. They’re meant to cause fear. What better way to control an unwilling group of subjects.” I told her.

“But- I mean- how does that even happen?” Twilight asked.

I just gave her an ‘are you serious’ look. “I don’t know. How do I have a connection to fear, multiple ponies from different time periods, and have some random evil dude in my head?” I asked her.

‘I don’t like the term evil dude’

‘Shut up, you know that’s exactly what you are.’

‘…Fair enough.’

“So you think because you’re connected to Sombra-?”

“I have a different memory perspective thing of this place.” I finished.

“…That’s kind of creepy.” She responded.

“You think that’s creepy. You should get a look at what that castle looks like.” I said gesturing to the large spire.

“What does it look like?” She asked.

“…You ever seen an elder timberwolf’s tongue. It’s kind of like that but shades of black instead of brown.” I told her.

“That doesn’t exactly help.” Twilight said with a small smile.

“Yeah, I know.” I responded. “Anyway as much as I would love to avoid that spire, there is food being prepared there and that outweighs everything else by a long shot.” I said as I got up.

Twilight just rolled her eyes and we started to walk towards the castle.

“Um, Shadow-” Twilight started.

I stopped and turned around to look at her. “Yeah?” I asked. As I stopped and looked around I saw many ponies staring at me. Some in surprise, some in fear, some in just plain confusion. “Did I do something?” I questioned looking at Twilight.

“Um, would the point you’re standing at be a point of fear?” She asked.

I looked around. “Well no, you’d want to draw attention towards the castle.” I told her. “…I’m standing right where a good crystal is aren’t I?” Twilight just nodded slowly.

“Hey what are you two-!” I heard Rainbow start to call out from above. “OH MY CELESTIA SHADOW!!” She suddenly shouted.

‘I could have some fun with this.’ I thought.

 ‘Now who’s thinking like an evil dude?’

‘Hush you.’