//------------------------------// // Omissions // Story: Binding of Isaac: Beyond // by IAmNotSmartest //------------------------------// Isaac didn’t wake up for a long time. He was tormented by nightmares of Cain’s death, over and over. The final moments. The shattered eye. His burning. Isaac felt every moment as if it were happening the first time. He always thought to himself, I can save him. I CAN SAVE HIM. before watching the elder child be killed. Sometimes he saw ponies trying to help him, and then he watched them get killed for trying. My fault. Others, he’d watch them laugh. Shout at him. Throw rocks. It felt endless. It felt horrible. It felt… like he deserved it. The final recollection was the worst. Shining Armor was pulling him out of the chasm while Cain was high in the air. The splash of blood from the impact was exaggerated, and extended far out over the city. Then Cain frantically shouted something to Isaac. “No, wait! Isaac!” After he’d been killed. Isaac could not respond. Cain tried to say more, but his voice was muted by the flow of blood. All that came out was a flood of the crimson fluid. The tendril tore him in half, and Isaac jolted awake. He was facing the window when he opened his eyes. He quickly turned away from it, noting the high position the sun had attained in his sleep. He was in his room. Isaac didn’t remember going back there. He rubbed his eyes as they adjusted to the light. The child immediately noticed something was missing. Something very important. Maybe it… maybe it didn’t… He hoped vainly for a moment. Then he remembered the vivid imagery he’d just experienced. He threw off the blanket, jumping to the floor and searching desperately for the eyepatch. He tossed the blanket to the floor, then the pillows. The nightstand was empty. The box, dresser and desk showed no sign of it. He began to hyperventilate, his heart pounding more from panic than exertion. Oh no oh no oh no Cain I’m so sorry- The door opened. Isaac froze, the blanket in his hands again. Cadence stood in the doorway, a rather confused look on her face. “Isaac? Are you alright?” Cadence asked. He said nothing; his throat needed a moment to swallow the oncoming torrent of panicked tears. I am not alright. Not even close.  “Uhm…” He stuttered. “I… uhm…” She entered, closing the door. “What’s wrong?” “I… I can’t find something…” he told her. The princess gave a small sigh. She knelt down to his eye level. Not that he could meet hers. “What are you looking for?” He saw it before she’d even finished her sentence. She was holding it beneath her wing, but one of the strings was dangling beneath it. You know exactly what, don’t you? Isaac thought angrily. He pointed at the eyepatch, refraining from scowling.  “Y-you have it.” She glanced at the eyepatch, then back to him. “I do.” She maintained a inquirous look, as if he’d not answered. She’s intentionally frustrating me, he thought. “I’d like it back.” She held it out on an open wing, and Isaac carefully picked it up. There was no more blood on it, it was clean. Even less to remember him by. “Isaac, you remember what happened yesterday, right?” He was silent, but he nodded, still entranced by the patch. As if I could ever forget. She almost lay on the floor, so she could see his face. “Do you want to talk about it?” she asked him softly. Talk about it…? He considered. Why would he? Relive such painful memories in his waking hours... for what? There was nothing more to be said. Cain was dead and it was his fault. All those children, those families, their troubles were his doing. His problem. Didn’t she already see that? And talking about it wouldn’t change it. ...Right? But his question would remain unanswered. A loud, frantic knock at the door interrupted them. Cadence made to answer, but it was thrown open by Shining Armor. His chest heaved, but he didn’t show his exertion in his voice. “Cadence, the northern gate, there’s somepony there-” “Shining,” she stopped him. “If it’s a guard problem or-” He shook his head, a grim scowl crossing over his face. “He says he’s King Sombra.” Isaac recalled what Shining had told him about the king. He’d enslaved the crystal ponies, and forced them to work in the mines to extract crystals. He’d caused so much suffering and pain… But wasn’t that a thousand years ago? The stallion leaned in close, conversing with Cadence just quietly enough that Isaac couldn’t hear. Cadence, after a moment of confusion, soon set her own face to that of somber determination. “We need to go down there.” She turned to Isaac, her expression softening momentarily. “Isaac, I’m sorry, but we need to leave. You can ask the guard outside if you need anything, alright?” He nodded. What were they talking about? Is it… is it something I did? She knelt down to him. She moved as if to put a hoof on his shoulder, then thought better of it. “Promise you’ll be okay here?” He nodded again. The Princess and Captain left him in the room. Alone again. … They aren’t telling me something. I know it. King Sombra was rather annoyed at the moment. First he’d been blasted at with magic, which was annoying to deal with, even as a warning shot. Then he was told to leave or be killed. Politely, he responded by telling them he did not want to invade, conquer, or otherwise attack the kingdom. Of course, they did not believe him. But they did stop trying to murder him. So now he waited for their leaders to come meet with him. Occasionally, he would glance back to the hill he had told Lazarus to wait at. After all, it would not do for the child to be involved in this… political confrontation, so directly. They would assume I had taken him prisoner, he mused, Or that I was controlling him. I wish I could alleviate those doubts from their minds. He spotted them atop the gate. The pink one had already charged a spell. It was obviously for intimidation; he could tell that she didn’t have the heart for it. “King Sombra,” She spoke, her voice amplified for the same effect. “Leave. The empire is not yours, and it never will be.” She is like a scared child, he noted, bemused. Bluffing her way through a confrontation in hopes her enemies back down. And to think she would fear me now, so small from her high position. He said to her, “I wish only to speak with you. By your own rules and laws, you would grant me this request, or prove your hypocrisy to your subjects.” She glared at him. He stared back. After a moment, she nodded to the guards flanking her, and glided down to him. He saw her swallow her nerves. He suppressed a chuckle. It’s quite sad, but amusing, he thought, to see a leader so weak try to act so strong. “Very well.” Cadence affirmed. “Why are you here?” “It is simple,” he said with the confidence granted only by absolute certainty. “I am here to atone for my failures as king.”