Imbalanced

by Nameless Narrator

Shadow Of Death: Sorrow

[Choking's Entry]

I really should have listened.

[End Entry]

---

"These were the shittiest two days of my life," says Blaze and smiles widely.

I look down. Why isn't princess Luna doing anything? I sit down and cover my ears to stop his helpless groaning.

The final kick of his legs comes and I just stare, frozen and helpless. Did Blueblood get away with it?

My dummy's not moving.

Somepony screams.

Black smoke begins spiraling from Blaze's corpse and ponies start running away. I just keep sitting there.

In a burst of liquid darkness his corpse disappears and instead of him there stands a pitch-black alicorn with two wings burning with black fire sprouting from his back. The noose previously hanging from the tree slowly burns away from the alicorn's neck. He stomps the ground experimentally and the purplish-black flames same as his mane and tail trail on the ground withering the grass around his hooves.

I look around and what catches my eye is princess Celestia... trembling. There is only four of us left - me, the princesses and the blackfire alicorn who speaks out in a slightly raspy but deep and melodic voice.

"Well hello there, Celestia. Nice weather we are having today."

The princess looks as if she's having a heart-attack.

"Oh no," she whispers.

"Quite the opposite, girl. Oh yes... very much yes."

Both royal sisters are unable to speak and the black alicorn watches us with an amused expression, his golden eyes almost visibly glowing.

I shake my head.

"Blaze?"

He takes few steps towards me and thinks for just a moment.

"My name is Void, miss Darkness. I understand Blazing Light was very fond of you and wished to see you one last time before he died. Thankfully, you attended this meeting so he was able to do so."

My hooves begin to shake. I was hoping this wasn't really happening, that it would work out somehow.

It didn't.

"How in seven circles of Tartarus did you get here, Void?" is a question full of raw hatred coming from Celestia. I've never even heard of the solar princess being this angry.

"A certain spell was used on this poor guard during Nightmare Night. The spell was aimed at your precious sister but he took it straight in the face and survived. It was supposed to summon me at the end of its target life and since you so foolishly did not bother finding out anything before killing mister Light, you did not dispel it and caused my promised return a tad early."

"You forced the guard to do this?"

"Not at all, your cousin conspired with one other culprit to frame Blazing Light who just tried to protect the bat girl here from attempted rape, but the personal struggle of little ponies is beyond you, Celestia. All you care about is for your 'perfect nation' to thrive."

"He didn't attack Blueblood?"

"Well, he did. In the course of protecting miss Darkness here, though. Blueblood tried to bribe him which was probably the money you considered missing. The money the other pony took."

Luna intervenes.

"But I was questioning him. He admitted being on drugs and attacking Blueblood and he wasn't lying."

"And you did not even bother finding out the details instead of just asking questions presented to you by the one responsible for this. I was there and he was not lying as he had been drugged by miss Darkness earlier that morning for reasons better left unsaid. Blazing Light had no idea any of that happened until it was too late and in his last attempt to do something right before being dismissed from the Royal Guard and eventually life he kept Blueblood's threat to miss Darkness a secret."

"Stop," whines princess Celestia. Void seems to be enjoying this way too much to stop though.

"You have just ordered the death of somepony completely innocent, Celestia. How does that feel?"

"SHUT UP!" yells Luna, unable to watch the pressure being put on her sister.

"Truth hurts, kid. When you grow older you might understand what your sister is going through. Be quiet in the meantime, grownups are talking."

"What do you want, Void?" asks princess Celestia.

"Firstly, to see you stew in the terrible cock-up you have made of things. Secondly... hmmmmmmm."

Void looks at the sky.

"I think I am going to amuse myself for a while. After that, we shall see. Have a nice day, everypony."

With echoing laughter, the black smoke swirls around Void and leaves nothing behind.

I need somewhere to hide. Barely able to see I run to Blaze's office and pull out his reserve bottle from the lowest drawer and set it on the table along with my bottle of pep pills. I can't read the warning label on the smaller bottle but I don't need to.

"I'm sorry. I'm really really sorry."

Sitting there, I just can't find the strength to swallow the contents. How could Luna have been so stupid? Why didn't Celestia repeal a stupid, centuries old law from the time when power struggles were common.

Why didn't I find the courage to speak up when I had the chance?

These questions and other ones keep circling in my head and when I'm finally able to leave the circle of pity I realize I've been sitting here the entire day.

So this is how Blaze felt all the time? Was the drinking really the only thing that could help? Perhaps I should try.

Blueblood.

"I might not be able to get you, Blueballs, but Rising Thunder will pay!" I hiss into the empty office definitely unexpecting the answer that comes from the open window behind me.

"May I be of some assistance, miss Darkness?"

In some respect the voice is rather pleasant. Void was the name, right?

"What are you doing here? I thought Celestia would kill you if she found you," I ask without any real desire to know. Anything is better than being alone with my thoughts.

"Thankfully, that is way out of her reach. Still, thanks to this host I possess only a small fragment of my power so we are locked in a very un-epic stalemate where nopony can actually hurt one another, at least directly and that is where you come in."

"What?"

"It is simple. I am looking for an ally and after witnessing what she and her sister did to your coltfriend I believe you may be it."

"Blaze wasn't my coltfriend... just my-"

Having heard that line before, Void steps in.

"-colleague, friend or something. Yes, I have had a similar conversation with Blazing Light before. He was not able to share how he saw you as well but I am ancient and experienced. He saw more than just a colleague or even a friend in you."

"You're just trying to manipulate me so I agree to be your 'ally' or whatever," I say in a withering tone.

His voice is calm but the directness makes it stab deep than a shout would.

"I may be many things but liar is not one of them. Frankly, I will find more influential and powerful ponies to do my bidding if you refuse but since Blueblood is a distant relative of Celestia and your target as well I believe we can help each other."

A slight spark of interest begins burning in me.

"Now THAT was a manipulation attempt if ever I saw one. I'm the only one you've got, right?"

"How very astute of you as that is indeed correct. I truly could find somepony powerful but that would take time I do not wish to spend for such effort at the moment."

"I'm not saying I'll help you but what would you have me do? Just in case I changed my mind."

"Gathering information would be a good start."

"That sounds innocent enough. What do you need to know?"

"Look, I do not have any real plan yet. I was not expecting to get out this early so I did not have time to craft an elaborate, multi-layered scheme."

"Then... I don't suppose you could give Blaze back until you're ready?"

"I am afraid it does not work that way. Your friend is quite finally dead."

Even if he is some sort of evil overlord he's got the same look which I remember from Blaze when he first set hoof to my office. Lost and having no idea what to do, even creatures of darkness need to stick together. A batpony isn't too different from a black alicorn and I don't feel like being alone right now.

"Hmmm... wanna go out tonight?" I ask.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, seeing as you have nowhere to go and no idea what to do and I really don't feel like going home, why don't we have a drink and do some brainstorming on how to make Blueballs pay?"

"You seem to have dealt with your loss rather quickly."

"I haven't dealt with anything yet, it just didn't really sink in. So... you up to the challenge?"

"I cannot go outside looking like this."

He looks similar to Blaze and that might be just because he was created from him but the size difference is not notable. I should have something that fits him in my office. The problem are the blackfire wings, mane and tail.

"Does that fire really burn?"

"Not if I do not want it to."

"Then I think I can help. Let me run out for a sec and grab a cloak or something, I promise not to tell any of the princesses that you're here."

Walking out of Blaze's office, I realize I must be stupid to consider causing trouble for princess Celestia for a reason shaky enough as it is. I really want the prince to choke on his own blood but what chance I have of Void keeping his word? He seems pleasant enough though and having and ancient demigod on my side might prove useful.

None of that will bring Blaze back. Deep down I know I will pay for this at some point but when I get to my office I just grab the least dusty cloak and go back to meet Void. If I have to pay for this then it will be after Blueblood or Rising Thunder pay as well.

"This one is my size but it should be comfortable for you too," I give him the cloak.

"I must admit this body is way smaller than the one I am used to."

I realize I've never seen a male alicorn before.

"How big are you really?"

"To relate that to you let us just say I am about a head taller than Celestia and vastly more... expansive."

The first thing that comes to mind is somepony of such size spread on my bed with me on top.

Damn my libido.

"Wow, that's some size," I whistle at the image.

Comments

[amiamera]

I have to say it's very risky killing off the character your audience will be most interested in. I'm going to give you a few chapters but I was mainly interested in Blazing's story, so I hope I can keep up my momentum or interest.

[Anonymous Critic]

Well, I don't know about you, but I am with this Void fellow.

They. Will. All. Pay!

[All2101base]

9216904
Is that a quote from an EA manager?