//------------------------------// // Forging the blade // Story: Duality // by mareinthemoon //------------------------------// In the beginning there was darkness, the light of life giving way to the sacred shadows that would shape the world. To the right stood a hooded figure, the one to govern the lives that they would create after they expired. To the left resided a glorious pink mare draped in white robes with golden markings, The one to govern them while alive. And in the center a sleeping stallion resided in a pelt of white, The one to dream them into existence. The world was forged by these three beings of creation, one would dream of a world and the other two would manage it. This is the way it remained for centuries until, it awoke one day to find the world it had seen was all in its head. He was alone in a dark, dark world with not a shred of light or a speckle of color. His purpose had been fulfilled and was no longer required. He looked around in the dark to find he was in fact all alone, He wanted to see the world once more but no matter what he tried he was trapped there with no means of escape. This action of abandonment would forever change the harmony in the world as its dreamer would become a nightmare. --------------------- The years rolled by and the world carried on fine, not a care in the world until a new thing emerged from their happy world.. Fear The pink mare who acted as the moderator knew of course it was that pathetic colts fault. With a heavy sigh she made her way down her clouds so she could peer into its world. To her surprise there was no sleeping pony to be found, the dreamer had awoke. She searched the darkness for that flash of bright white fur as panic swept across her face, without the dreamer there would be no beings for her to rule and the very notion of not being in power sent chills up her spine. Thankfully in the furthest corner sat the shuddering mass that was the dreamer. The being was awake for no apparent reason, its fear of the endless dark around him causing fear to emerge in her perfect world.She took a deep breath and shrugged it off, he was not her problem anymore and he was trapped in this odd space. No reason to panic. The pink mare made her merry way back to the kingdom of clouds she had made for herself, high above the beings she ruled over. They were all beings beneath her glory, not worthy of her presence. ------------------- The dreamer tried as hard as he could but the world of sunlight he had once dreamed was now fading in his mind. No matter what he tried he could not dream of his world again, The dark was all he would see and the visions filled him with fear. Nightmares began to wash over the poor stallion, he was loosing the battle to remain sane in this dark world void of colors or light. As his mind began to break and fracture, distorting his soul so did his body. He mustered up everything he could recall of the world outside his own, The stallion closed his eyes and began to dream. The last he would ever have. There they were the long forgotten colors and light, he woke himself and quickly stood as he concentrated on that dream. He closed his eyes as he hoped and prayed that those images would enter his world, Before him colors took form her mane that of a brilliant rainbow. She smiled at him, her eyes red like a rose. That smile bright as the sun. He was thrilled at the one he saw, she was everything he ever wanted. All of those dreams and more. Together they would discover the beauty of their darkness. -------------- Death felt the air around him change as a life immune to the list was called into being, It disturbed the natural order. He needed to alert the moderator of this affront to nature. Death flew up into the heavens where the moderator did reside, she lived above the world feeling that all were beneath her. The shrouded stallion approached the double doors, taking a deep breath as he opened them ever so gently. Before him high upon her throne sat the pink mare, her hair of flowing white trailing about her like an elegant cloud. " State your purpose." She cooed to him in a voice like a horny angel. Death bowed to her words, kneeling upon his knees. "The dreamer hath created a being..One immune to our presence. We must remove this being to prevent catastrophe" He spoke humbly, she was a frightening beast in mares skin for sure. The cruelty dealt upon the dreamer was bad but he knew defying her would result in an even worse punishment that would top imprisonment in a world of endless darkness. She stepped down from her over glorified throne, draping her robes of silken white upon her back. Now it had become her problem. ------------ The white stallion had affectionately named his mare friend Rainbow...She was fast, feisty and like a firework on the fourth of July. A real live wire. Rainbow's presence had allowed him to dream once again, a sunny spot forming in this dark world under a sky of crystal blue. Everything was working like a dream, his world was becoming bright as he had always dreamed it and beside him sat a very special somepony to which he would do anything for. He closed his eyes and continued to dream but within his world he heard her scream. He snapped open his eyes and the edge of his wall had been shattered like a window, shards falling down into the grass he had made just for her.She had been stolen and he left to the dark once more. ------------ The pink mare watched as Death removed the bag upon the special mares head. Her eyes red like a rose and hair that of a glorious rainbow. The mare stared at her not with fear but contempt. This one was different. "Whats the big idea!? Is it your job to pony nap innocent ponies like me!?" The cyan mare ranted up to her without a shred of fear or respect. Both things proved to make a very pony like chill go down the self proclaimed deities spine. This one was made from the dreamers own hooves and it made her worry, was this a normal pony or was it something else entirely that could threaten her reign?