//------------------------------// // Chapter 3 // Story: Shadow of Death // by Blackdust //------------------------------// The House Sol just stood there. Shocked both by what he was seeing and by the fact that he could accept it as being natural. Despite his own conciseness saying that it should be impossible. "H... How are you doing that? One of the guards-" Sol started to say before Bluemane cut him off. "That guard is the one that killed you. The House of Balance is the place all of the Sparks and Shadows congregate to discuss land possession and to settle conflicts. The Shadow that attacked this village went rogue centuries ago. He was supposed to be my counterweight. Now I see he was my teacher's counterweight." "Counterweight? For what?" Sol asked, genuinely curious. "And can you stop it with the eyes? It's freaking me out." "Sorry." Bluemane said before ending the light show coming out of his eyes. "So, are you going to come with me to the House, or will you wait and let the rogue Shadow find and kill you?" "I'll come with you." Sol said in as cold a voice as he could manage, finally deciding to avenge, not just the love of his life, but his entire village. He couldn't care less about the costs to himself. As long as he avenged his village, he would follow Bluemanes orders. "Good choice. But keep the killers voice to a minimum. You'll need to blend in if you want to get close to him again." Bluemane said before turning around and galloping straight into the woods. Sol followed as best as he could, using the beating in his chest to get a very, very, rough estimation of how far away he was from Bluemane. Does he want to try and lose me in this underbrush? Sol thought as he realized he couldn't see or smell Bluemane anymore, as the growth of the forests bushes and ferns started making it hard to continue. Suddenly, his heart started beating wildly. "So he was able to follow you using his 'heart'?" said a stallions voice from somewhere above Sol. "It would appear so. He learns quicker than I had thought." Bluemane said from somewhere off to his left. That's not right... I can sense him to my right... Sol thought, turning to the right. "Amazing... Not even my illusions can trick his 'heart'..." said a mares voice from underneath him. But Sol knew that the three that were sending his heart wild were off to his right. "Alright. This is proof enough. Stop the illusion, Brightwill." Bluemane said. "Oh fine. But are you sure he's only a few hours into his Unlife?" said the mares voice. Then the ferns and undergrowth slowly started to shrink and disappear to reveal a path. "What the tartarus...?" Sol asked in both shock and amazement. "You stand in front of the House of Balance." said a light-gray mare unicorn with pale blue eyes, opal colored mane and tail, and a black starburst for her cutiemark. "Well... What's left of it since we had that rogue Shadow attack us in our sleep." said a brown stallion pegasus with almost black eyes, ash colored mane and tail, and a black cloud with what he guessed was ash coming out the bottom for his cutiemark. "Silence Ashtail. The less he knows of your past, the better." Bluemane said. So the unicorn was the one he called Brightwill... Sol thought as the two stallions started to quarrel. "Don't mind them newcomer. Tell me, what is your name?" said Brightwill, stepping closer so that the stallions argument wouldn't be interrupted by their talking. "Sol..." "No. Your new name. The name Death gave you when he sent you back." Brightwill said, shaking her head slightly. "What do you mean? He didn't-" Sol started to say, before he felt his mind shatter... ...And suddenly reform in front of Death again. "What the fuck is wrong with you!?" Sol shouted at him, once he could speak again. "Yyyyyooouuu dddooonnn'ttt hhhaaavvveee aaa nnnaaammmeee sssuuuiiittteeeddd fffooorrr yyyooouuurrr nnneeewww llliiifffeee..." Death said in his usual ghostly voice. "Alright, cut it with the ghost voice. It ain't scaring me anymore." Sol said, more pissed than the last time he was there. "Fine. But know that you'll regret making me speak like this." Death said. "Yeah right... So what the tartarus is my name then if it's not Sol." he spat at Death. "Your new, and proper name, shall be Reaper. But for the purposes of blending into the masses, your name is Roseshield." Death said. "And to the monster I plan on killing?" "Death." Roseshield smiled at that. Being allowed to take the name death by Death himself is rare enough. Then Death used his scythe and cut off Roseshields head... ...Which sent him back again. Roseshield gasped and sat straight up. He was in a strange bed in a dark room of a stranger house. "Glad to see you're finally back here." said Brightwill from a corner of the almost pitch black room. "Can't say the same Brightwill." Other corner. Roseshield turned to face the direction that he sensed her. "Damn... You really are good with your 'heart', you know that? None of the other Sparks or Shadows are able to even start to discern the direction I'm in unless I want them to." she said, dropping the illusion instantly. The sudden feedback from the illusion left Roseshield stunned for a second. "Roseshield..." he said, after a few seconds. "That's your new pony name? What's your hunting name." "Reaper. And to the thing I plan to kill, Death." "Hey, don't kid about that kind of thing. Death doesn't let others use his name freely when it's a title..." said a voice from back and to the left of him. Roseshield turned to see Bluemane in the door. "Either way, it's time to start training." To be continued...