//------------------------------// // Chapter 35: Shade // Story: The Equine Scrolls: SkyFiM // by FireOfTheNorth //------------------------------// Chapter XXXV: Shade “Summon the Draconequi. I’ll trade the soul of every last subject of mine for a little comfort.” The noble-ponies standing around me looked just as shocked as I was. High King Shade had died nearly half a year ago, torn apart by Jarl Stormcloud, yet there he was sitting in his throne, clearly alive. The impossibility of the situation didn’t seem to bother Jarl Radiance one bit, as she was beaming and holding her deceased husband’s hoof. “I know this is unexpected,” she announced to the assembled ponies, “But the important thing is that the King has returned, and Horizon can be at peace once again.” “Jarl Stormcloud will never accept this,” General Cuirass spoke up, “He killed Shade himself after all.” “Then this should only prove who is the more powerful Jarl,” Radiance responded. “He may not accept it at first,” Shade spoke, his glum, gravelly voice contrasting with Radiance’s, “But, like me, he will come to terms with this new development in time.” Though Shade seemed by all outward appearances to be fine, I could see that something was distinctly wrong with him. In no way did he appear to be a reanimated corpse, as he was undoubtedly whole and alive, and his movements were too fluid for a corpse to mimic. His personality, though distant, seemed like it fit him better than one somepony was simply projecting into him. I couldn’t place my hoof on it, but something was undoubtedly amiss. “It’s Shade,” Mystic confirmed, leaning in toward me until I could hear her horn crackling, “Whatever caused that magical disturbance I felt is linked to him.” I nodded that I understood before turning back to examine the king again. Though the charcoal gray earth pony had assured those assembled that everything was fine, he seemed to be a bit uncertain himself. If I had a chance to speak to him, maybe I could ask how he had been brought back to life. “This is too unnatural,” I overheard General Cuirass say as he walked behind me to speak to the Legion soldiers present, “Keep this secret and don’t allow anypony in or out of the palace until this matter’s been resolved.” The soldiers obeyed his orders and rushed off to blockade the doors before anypony could slip past. It looked like we’d be trapped here until somepony got to the bottom of Shade’s resurrection. Among the ponies around the twin thrones, I saw that an orange earth pony with a fiery red mane was staring at me. He motioned off to the side for me to join him before trotting away from the crowd. Weaving through the crowd of nobles, I trotted over to join him. “I am Falk Fire-mane, Jarl Radiance’s steward” he introduced himself to me, as well as Steadfast, Mephalda, and Mystic who had joined us, “I know everyone is a bit confused right now, but it seems like you and your friends here may have some idea what is going on.” “Sorry,” I told him, “We’re likely just as in the dark as you.” “That’s too bad, because I have absolutely no idea what is going on. Even as her steward, Radiance refuses to share with me how Shade could have returned. I fear the reaction the other Jarls could have to this announcement. If they think Radiance has turned to dark magic, even those currently on our side may abandon the Empire and join Stormcloud’s rebellion.” “I don’t think they’ll find out,” I shared, “General Cuirass is locking down the palace until he gets some answers.” “He wouldn’t!” Falk said, his eyebrows flying up, “I’ll have to speak to him about that. In the meantime, if it wouldn’t be too much trouble, could you investigate this sudden turn of events?” “Of course,” I said, “We’re trapped here too until we find out what’s going on.” Giving his thanks, Falk trotted over to where General Cuirass was standing, talking to a unicorn mare in mage’s robes. “This is just like a murder mystery, except in reverse,” Mystic said, “I’ve read plenty of books on the subject. Should we start rounding up suspects?” “Not yet,” I said, the wheels turning in my head, “That magical energy spike you felt back at the college, could it have come from the Beyond?” “I suppose so. Like I said, it was different than anything I felt before. I guess that’s what happens when somepony’s brought back to life. Why?” “I think I may have some idea of what’s going on,” I said, trotting toward the stairs that led out of the throne room. No guards blocked our progress this time as we entered the Pegasusius Wing, probably because they were busy holding back the ponies who wanted to leave the Blue Palace. The abandoned wing of the palace was empty as usual, though everything was still set up the way Pegasusius the Mad had had it all those years ago when he’d lived here. “Discord!” I called as I trotted through the rooms, “I need to speak to you!” “Discord?” Mystic asked, “As in Discord Discord, the Draconequus?” “Right,” Mephalda confirmed, “Sapphire had a run-in with him about a week ago.” “Come on, I know you can hear me!” I yelled, unwilling to give up, “I know you’re behind this!” Still nothing happened, and I hung my head in disappointment. Maybe I had misjudged Discord, and he really had honored our deal and abandoned the Pegasusius Wing. “And just what makes you think I’ll come when you call?” a familiar voice caused me to look up. Sitting at the table in front of me was the mad Draconequus, sipping tea from a cup that he then proceeded to eat. “Honestly, you mortals beat me in one challenge and you think you can just order me around,” he continued to speak, turning to stare at me with his mismatched eyes. “Yet you came,” I pointed out. “You’re just lucky I had nothing better to do. And I intend to clear my name of this snafu before disaster strikes.” “What do you mean clear your name?” “Well, you don’t think I brought Shade back to life, now do you?” Discord said, feigning innocence. “Of course,” I said, “It’s just the kind of thing you’d do.” “Well, I’m afraid you’re wrong about that,” he said, slithering up the wall until he hung down from the ceiling, “I have no interest in bringing ponies back to life, at least not that sourpuss Shade. He’s no fun at all.” “But if you didn’t do it, then who did?” I asked. “Oh, it always amazes me how much chaos you ponies can cause for yourselves,” Discord said, detaching from the ceiling, “I must admit I get quite a kick out of it.” “You had something to do with it,” I accused, “I just know you did.” “Careful, Sapphire,” Discord said, pinching my lips shut with his claws, “It’s not wise to push a Draconequus. And you forget, an ordered system will always progress toward one that’s more chaotic. It’s simple thermodynamics.” “You wanted to clear you name, right?” I asked once he’d released my lips, “Then help us figure this out.” “You think I’ll just tell you the answer? What kind of entertainment is that?” Discord said, pulling out a bag of popped corn and lounging on a sofa that hadn’t been there a moment ago, “No, after all this slandering and besmirching of my good name, I think you’ll have to figure this one out on your own.” “The more you block our efforts, the more I’m convinced it really is you behind this,” I stated, crossing my forelegs. “Sounds like a personal problem to me,” Discord said, giving a yawn, “But if you really want my advice, you should start with the pony at the center of all this.” “King Shade?” I asked, but Discord had already disappeared, making it impossible to tell if he’d ever been there to begin with. “Well, that was . . . something,” Steadfast said. “Is he usually like that?” Mystic asked. “Both times I’ve met him,” I grumbled, “I wish he was a bit more helpful.” “You’re lucky he didn’t destroy you,” Mystic said, “He’s a Draconequus after all. They’re not usually that patient.” “I don’t know, maybe he had some respect for me after I outsmarted him last time.” “You outsmarted Discord?” Mystic said with awe. “Yeah, I guess so,” I admitted, feeling a little embarrassed. “That’s a story I have to hear,” Mystic said. “Maybe some other time,” I told her, “After we’re out of the palace.” “So, King Shade then?” Mephalda asked. “Right,” I said, “King Shade.” ◊◊◊ ◊◊◊ ◊◊◊ The rest of the day we spent trying to get a word with King Shade. However, that task proved to be next to impossible, both because everypony in the Blue Palace also wanted to speak to him and he never left Radiance’s side. Whenever we tried to speak to him about how he’d been resurrected, Radiance would always cut in and steer the conversation in a new direction. If we could only get him alone, maybe then we’d be able to get something out of him. Night came before we were successful, and with General Cuirass’s soldiers keeping everypony within the Palace, bedding had to be found for the crowd of ponies trapped within. Most of the nobles were fine, since they lived here anyway, and the servants were the same way, but many of the mid-level members of Radiance’s court and visitors like us had nowhere to sleep. The Legion provided those without beds with bedrolls, but it was a long night sleeping on the cold marble floors of the Blue Palace. In the morning we had an equally hard time of catching Shade. Instead, we split up and began questioning the different members of the court, keeping an eye out for a chance to speak with the king alone. Eventually news was brought to the king and queen that General Cuirass was running Seclusion in her place, blocking any edicts Shade passed from exiting the building and answering any messages brought for Radiance himself. While Shade seemed content with the current setup and tried to convince his wife that things were normal, she wasn’t content and marched off to speak with the general. As Shade left his throne and trotted off toward his bedchambers, I seized the opportunity, following him down the hallway. “King Shade,” I called after him, causing him to pause in his trek. “Yes?” he said, turning around, “How can I help you?” I stood silent for a moment. He seemed different than the Shade I’d seen sitting next to Radiance. While he had seemed glum before, he now seemed downright depressed, his eyes sunken and hollow and his shoulders slumped with weariness. “I was just wondering . . .” I started to say, trailing off. “How I’m alive again,” he answered, no question in his voice. I nodded that he’d hit the nail on the head and he gave a deep sigh. “I can’t keep this up forever. I may as tell somepony,” he said, “The truth is: I’m not.” “What?” I asked, feeling even more confused. “I am not the king,” he admitted, “He died when Jarl Stormcloud Shouted him apart. I’m merely a shade of him, a construct to ease Radiance’s grief. She, however, thinks that I am real. For her, I must keep up this ruse, though it pains me to steal another pony’s life.” “You have to tell her,” I told Shade after I’d processed what he’d said, “She’ll find out eventually anyway.” “I know,” he said, hanging his head, “But she must come to that conclusion on her own. Until then you must promise to keep this a secret.” “I don’t know. . .” “Please do this for me,” he pleaded. “All right,” I promised, “But this can’t go on much longer, with everypony trapped here.” “I know,” he said, “And if you want to do something in the meantime, try to convince the court wizard that what she did was wrong.” ◊◊◊ ◊◊◊ ◊◊◊ After my talk with Shade, I told Steadfast, Mephalda, and Mystic what was really going on. They weren’t exactly convinced that letting the shade walk around pretending to be Radiance’s husband was really a good idea, but agreed to leave him be and focus on Seclusion’s court wizard for now. It wasn’t hard to find her, her being one of the few unicorns here. I realized as we approached the cream-coated mare that she was the same pony General Cuirass had been speaking to the day before. She looked up from the plate of food she’d been staring at as I sat down across the table from her. “Listen, I don’t know who you are and I don’t want to talk,” she said, looking back down at her untouched food. “Well, I think we should talk,” I said to her, “About how you created Shade.” “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she denied. “Listen,” I said, leaning in closer, “Shade told me what’s going on.” “Oh no,” she said when she realized I wasn’t joking, “I knew this would happen eventually. I just didn’t think it’d happen so soon.” “He’s not happy,” I told her, “He knows he’s not real.” “That’s not the point. He’s meant to be there for Radiance. After months of grieving we became worried about her. When she came to me at her wit’s end, begging me to find any way to return her husband to her, what was I to do?” “You could’ve refused,” Steadfast pointed out. “Yes, I see that now. But as cruel as it would’ve been to let her go on like she was before, it would be even more cruel now to return her to that state after she’s had a taste of being with him again.” “But he’s not her husband,” I argued, “He’s merely a shade, a construct with the true Shade’s personality embedded into it. Isn’t it cruel to let Radiance believe any different?” “Yes,” the mage admitted, “But it’s too late now to do anything about it. If I suddenly take him away, what would that do to the Jarl?” “I’m not asking you to destroy Shade now,” I said, “I just want you to be ready for when it needs to be done. Shade doesn’t want it happening until Radiance herself realizes the error of her ways.” “Well . . . all right, I’ll prepare the spell. But this isn’t going to be pretty.” ◊◊◊ ◊◊◊ ◊◊◊ There wasn’t much left to do for the rest of the day but chat up our fellow “prisoners.” While we did so we kept an eye on the king and queen, especially on how Radiance was acting. Slowly throughout the day her mood seemed to shift toward Shade, drifting away from the perfect happiness she’d been experiencing at first. Still, she seemed content enough as the sun set to not risk confronting her. My sleep was restless that night, once again haunted with the faces of ponies I had killed. Tossing and turning, I awoke in the middle of the night to hear the sound of raised voices coming from elsewhere in the Blue Palace. Careful not to disturb the ponies sleeping around me, I rose to my hooves and crept down the hall toward Radiance and Shade’s bedchambers. “-not the Shade I remember,” I heard Radiance say as I came within range of the propped-open door. “That’s because I’m not,” I heard Shade’s gravelly voice respond, “I look like him, I talk like him, but I’m not him.” “Nonsense, you just don’t remember-” “I remember perfectly! I died in this very room, Jarl Stormcloud tearing me apart as I stood helpless! I’m dead Radiance, at least I should be.” “You may have died, but there were no remains. Your soul found its way to a new body. You’re just confused is all. We can start a new life together if you give it a chance.” “No. I can’t live like this anymore, and neither can you. You put on a brave face, but I can tell underneath you’re still suffering. All I am is a way for you to mask your grief, and that’s all I’ll ever be.” “That’s not true!” Radiance protested. “Get Silver Quill, I want to go back where I was.” “But you were dead!” “Yes, and I should be still.” “Wait! Stop!” Radiance called as Shade stormed out the door, nearly running over me. “I hope Quill is ready to do what must be done,” he mumbled to me as he passed by. “What are you doing here?” Radiance asked me as she followed Shade out of the room, “Never mind. This is none of your business. I need to stop my husband before he does something foolish.” “He’s not your husband, Radiance,” I said, moving to block, “Shade’s dead.” Giving me a glare, she pushed past, chasing after him. Once I’d recovered from being shoved against the wall I followed Radiance down the hall. As I reached the doorway to the throne room Mephalda poked her head through. “It’s happening now?” she asked. “Apparently,” I responded, continuing my journey down the hall. Shade and Radiance slipped through a doorway that light spilled out of, and Mephalda and I followed. Silver Quill, the court wizard, was already in the room, bringing the total number of ponies to five. It appeared Silver Quill had had trouble sleeping as well, as she rose from her desk and not her bed as we entered. Panic gripped her as she looked from Shade to Radiance. “All right Quill,” Shade demanded, “I need you to send me back.” “Don’t do it,” Radiance pleaded, throwing herself in front of Shade, “Don’t take him away from me.” Quill looked torn, eyes darting between Shade and Radiance. “He’s not real,” I said, stepping in, “That’s not really Shade. You know it and he knows it. Let him go.” “Have you ever had someone you loved dearly torn away from you?” she turned on me, “Do you know what it’s like to have a hole inside you that can’t be filled no matter how much ponies tell you they’re sorry for your loss? I do, I lost my husband and now he’s all I have to remember him by.” “Shade, the real Shade, is in Sovngarde now, and he’s waiting for you to join him” Shade spoke up, “Do you think this is how he would want you to remember him?” “I just don’t know what else to do,” Radiance wept. “You’re right to mourn him,” I told her, placing a hoof on her shoulder, “But you can’t live your whole life wishing he was alive again. You’ve got to move on. You’re got to start living again.” “It’s what he would want,” Shade said, “Trust me, I know.” “I don’t know if I can let you go again,” Radiance said. “Hey, we’ll see each other again someday,” he replied, grasping her hoof, “Until then, live a life I’ll look forward to hearing about.” He pulled her into an embrace as he finished, where they stayed for a few minutes. Eventually he nodded to Silver Quill and began to pull away, though Radiance was reluctant to let go. As Quill’s horn began to glow, the Jarl grabbed ahold of me tightly, her tears running down my back and soaking into my coat. In a flash of light, Shade was obliterated, returning to the raw magical energy he’d been formed from. “It’s done,” Quill announced, and Radiance sobbed all the harder. I continued to hold her, offering her comfort as long as she needed it. ◊◊◊ ◊◊◊ ◊◊◊ By the next morning Radiance had mostly recovered from her grief. It was evident in the way she held herself that she had begun a new chapter in her life, and though her joy was still tainted with grief, the healing process had started at last. She pulled my friends and I aside as she entered the court. “Sapphire, I cannot thank you enough for what you’ve done,” she told me, tears glimmering in the corners of her eyes, “You’ve served both Hoofingar and myself admirably for some time now, and it would be rude of me not to reward you.” “That’s really not necessary,” I said, blushing a bit, “Anypony would’ve done the same.” “But they didn’t, and that is why you shall be Thane of Hoofingar. Allow me to present you with the blade of this realm,” she said, passing a sword over to me, “Wear it proudly, as a sign of my gratitude.” “I don’t know what to say,” I said, taking the elegant ebony blade from the Jarl, “Thank you.” “It is I who should be thanking you,” she said, smiling, “If there’s anything I could do for you, do not hesitate to ask.” “Thanks,” I said, “I don’t think we really need anything right now, but I’ll keep it in mind.” “So, where will your adventures be taking you now?” “The Imperial City,” Mystic spoke up with enthusiasm. “Well,” Radiance said, “I may be able to help you out after all. I have a ship heading for Leyawhinny today. Allow me to make the arrangements, and I’ll make sure you’ll have the finest lodgings aboard.” Level Up Health: 220 Stamina: 220 Magicka: 210 New Perk: Lord of Swords [Light Weapons] -- When dual-wielding swords, you will be able to attack 20% faster. Appointed as Thane: Hoofingar Unique Item added: Blade of Hoofingar -- This exquisitely crafted ebony sword is reserved for only the greatest heroes of Hoofingar hold. In addition to being enchanted to siphon health from its victims, in essence acting as if eternally poisoned, it allows you to show off your status as Thane of Hoofingar. New Quest: Come Sail Away -- Sail to Leyawhinny and then travel to the Imperial City.