Blitz And Balance

by Ennelly Von Swortts

10 You Can't Escape Your Shadow

Author: Ennelly Von Swortts

Co-Author: ElectroPHX228 (Blitz)

Chapter Ten: You Can't Escape Your Shadow

Silver slowly walked down the road, pulling his precious cargo steadily along. "At this rate, we should be there within four days." The orange Unicorn besides him said. Silver nodded to Ground Frost.

"That's good time in my book." He replied.

Ground frost flicked his head to get his black mane out of his face. "But why do we have to drag along that statue along if all it does is slow us down?" The green Pegasus above Silver asked.

Ground Frost sighed. "This is the last time, Whirl Wind. That statue counteracts fear. Which means, as long as we stick close, it will protect us from the shadows. Without it, we would have never left the clearing."

The mare stuck her tong out. "What do we have to fear from shadows anyways?" Silver sighed. It was obvious she was stressed. That's what happens when someone holds the element of strife, they tend to get worse the stronger their emotions are. Rare was the bearer who had complete control over their element.

Flower Bloom was one such case. "We all know why shadows are best avoided, Whirl Wind." The blue stallion to Silver's left said, flicking his black mane out of his eyes. "But I'll tell the story to humor you. As we all know, the herald of fear created shadows from the darkest night to remind us of the darkest regions of our selves. Now, Balance didn't take well to this.

"So, Balance gave ponies courage to stand against their darker selves... Or embrace it as a part of who they were. Those who embraced their darker sides knew they could never escape it, and created an inner balance within themselves. Those who did not, either shunned one or the other, enacting the roles of Good and evil."

Whirl Wind sighed. "What does this have to do with shadows being dangerous?"

"I was getting to that, don't interrupt. So, anyways, you can imagine this stallion of fear didn't like this. So, what he did, is create nightmares. And using his shadows, he would spread them across the world. And, as you know, the more fear in the world, the stronger he became. And the stronger he was, the stronger his shadows became. He started driving ponies insane using fear, and they in turn gave him more power.

"He then discovered his shadows were powerful enough to physically effect the world. And right now, we are surrounded by those shadows only held at bay by the balance infused into that statue. We would likely already be dead if we had not brought it with us." The blue stallion fell silent as he watched the rain that had been with them from the moment they had left the protection of Silver's home.

Whirl Wind rolled her eyes. "I would listen to Red Delicious, if I were you." The red mare behind the wagon said not unkindly.

"I have to agree with Marigold, miss strife." Ground Frost said.

Whirl Wind paused. "I'm doing it again, aren't I." Getting nods from almost everypony there, she sighed. "Sorry guys. The last few days have been very stressful."

"For everypony. Don't worry about loss of control of your elements. Strife just gets old really fast." Silver said. "I, for one, can't always control Deceit." Whirl Wind brushed the black hair out of her face as she landed in front of the wagon.

"I just saw smoke rising from the next town. I think they got attacked." Marigold was instantly in front of her.

"WHAT?!" Silver picked the earth pony up as she tried to take off.

"We'll see what's going on. But we can't split. We have to stay together. Or would you rather risk facing him." She froze, fear clear on her face. Everypony else had fallen silent, knowing who Silver was talking about. "No matter what happens, stay close to the wagon. Ok?" Marigold nodded. Silver turned his gaze on each of the other three ponies till he got his nod from every one of them. He carefully set Marigold on the ground, nodding to himself.

They walked in silence for several minutes. Turning a bend, they found themselves face to face with a seeming wall of pure shadow. Silver did not stop, and as he got closer, the statue started to glow. The silver light pushed the withering mass back, creating a bubble around the wagon. Cries of fear and sorrow could be heard, some from just outside the circle of silver light.

"Remember, stay in the light. So much as touching the shadow will be enough to incapacitate you." As if to prove Silver's point, a pony appeared at the edge of the bubble. The golden armor quickly identified him as a member of the royal guard. He was weeping over a rock as the light from the statue fell upon him.

Marigold was at his side the moment the darkness was no longer able to touch him. Helping the terrified stallion to his hooves, she began trying to figure out what happened. "No pony knows why Celestia has not raised the sun, but some think C-Canterlot was taken some time d-during the night." He explained. "After the sun fell, ponies began waking up screaming. One or two is normal, but y-you d-don't-t k-know w-what it's l-like to wake up to h-half the t-town screaming i-is like." He began shivering again.

"Everypony gathered at town hall to wait for dawn, but it never came." His voice was slowly growing shakier. "I was tasked with keeping the children safe. Along with three other guards, and some showmare who was in town." He took a shaky breath. "Without warning, the torches blew out. Then the screaming started again. The other three guards and the showmare took the children into the town hall as I tried to find my commanding officer, but I didn't make it far." He lost what strength he had, and fell over.

Silver looked the guard in the eye. "You're wrong." The guard looked at him in surprise and dread. "When was the last time you saw the moon?" The guard started, noticing for the first time he couldn't see the moon. "The sun did rise, and is high in the sky even now. But your town is cast in a shadow of fear. Be brave, and you shall prevail. You are a member of the royal guard, no?" The guard nodded slowly. "Then know this, you have not failed your duty yet. As long as you have strength, keep pushing against the darkness. I promise you, if you do that, you can save this town. Now, where is town hall?"

Silver's companions watched as the guard, who only moments before was unable to even stand on his own hooves, stood tall and proud like a royal guardspony should. "Town hall is about three clicks straight ahead." He gave Silver a salute. "Take care of yourself, sir." Silver nodded in thanks.

Before anypony could make another move, he galloped past them, and back into the shadows. Silver smiled slightly as he started to walk again, his companions quick to follow. After what felt like an eternity, the sound of someone apparently the middle pony in an unheard argument reached their ears.

"Now look here, he's moving in on you again." Silence. "Don't look at Trixie, he's the one who hit you." Silence. "And now you're moving on him." Silence for several moments. "What did Trixie do? You're the ones who are attacking each other." Silence. "Somepony's getting pushy back there." The area in front of them seemed to lighten slightly. "Wait, are you really going to let him get away with that?"

Without warning, the darkness in front of them gave way to a blue mare. She had a ridiculously large starry hat, and a starry cape. Whirl Wind whispered in Silver's ear, "Think this is that Showmare?" Silver nodded.

She spotted them almost instantly. "Finally, someone came to help the Great and Powerful Trixie." She seemed to relax, if only a little. "Would you be able to shed some light on the situation here?"

"That would be me." A voice behind the wagon said. Silver turned and watched as a unicorn slowly walked into the light, almost as if something was pushing them back. Then, like someone turning on a light, their face became visible. At least where its face should have been. It was a dull gray with a red, crossed out circle on its rump.

Silver knew what this thing was, at least partially. "What, the bucking Tartarus, is Trixie looking at." The blue mare apparently known as Trixie said slowly.

Silver kept his eyes on the thing as he answered. "It is called a nightmare. It used to be a pony, but whoever it used to be is long gone."

The thing laughed as it stepped closer. "The element of Deceit speaks nothing but lies meant to get his way. I can only imagine what that guard will do when he discovers his precious little captain's body in the barracks." The Nightmare continued to laugh in his hoarse voice as all the ponies looking paled at the image.

Swirl Wind let all control over her element go out the window. "You think you have everything in the bag, don't you. That once you're done here, you can take all of Equestria for yourself just like that?"

The Nightmare took a step back at the sudden barrage of words. "What? I-" But Swirl Wind was having none of it.

"I'm. Not. Done. Just because you got the jump on one town, doesn't mean you've won! And you know what? YOU ARE GOING TO FAIL!!"

The Nightmare took a deep breath, no doubt trying to keep its anger in check. "I'm doing this for my master, not myself you ignorant, weak pony." There was a twitch where its eye should be now.

"Weak. Weak?! You dare call ME WEAK?!" The Nightmare took another step back. "I'll have you know, the only pony faster than me in the air is miss 'Ten Seconds Flat' bucking Rainbow Dash!! The only other pony who could have possibly taken my title is Silver Dust!! And what master would even consider sending you to do anything!!"

The Nightmare lost its cool. "Oh, now you're calling me weak?! I am so much stronger than you could ever be! I'm a bucking unicorn for crying out loud!! As for my master, HE HAS A NAME, {....} YOU!! TREMBLE, FOR HE IS THE HERALD OF FEAR, SLEND-" it didn't get any farther as Whirl Wind slammed into it from above.

"DON'T YOU BUCKING SAY THAT NAME YOU HALF WITTED, SORRY EXCUSE FOR A BUCKING NIGHTMARE!! DON'T YOU BUCKING DARE!!" She screamed, her face inches from where its face should be.

Marigold took this moment of quiet as the two stayed like that, The Nightmare not even daring to move for fear of the Pegasus standing on its chest, and Whirl Wind waiting for it to do anything to give her a reason to skin it alive to step besides Silver. "She's lost all control, hasn't she." Silver just nodded to the quiet statement.

Trixie stood there with her mouth dropped. "And that, mares and gentlecolts, is the power of Strife." Ground Frost commented.

Silver turned to Trixie. "I hear there are children here?" The mare gestured to the door behind her, where the helmeted head of a guard was poking out to see what the yelling was about. Silver nodded. "Can I get a count?" The guard disappeared back inside.

Trixie shrugged. "Trixie does not know. She has been standing here, keeping the shadows from the door for hours now."

The door opened again as the guard stuck his head back out. "Thirty-seven assorted colts and fillies, and seven mares." He reported. Silver nodded to him, before looking at his wagon, and the bubble around it.

"That won't work." He stated. Multiple blank stares met his face. "I was hoping to get them out of town. But the light is not bright enough to keep them all safe." He explained. A sharp gasp drew his attention back to the Nightmare, and Whirl Wind. As everypony was looking elsewhere, the shadows had pushed the light the few inches to Whirl Wind's extended wing tip.

Her face held fear as the shadows began dragging her away from the light. Ground Frost was the first to react, and charged forward, only to hit a black, wispy barrier. "Ah, ah, ah. You get to stay right there while miss 'don't you dare' and I finish our, ah, disagreement." The nightmare said, before following the Pegasus into the shadows. Moments later, a shrill scream of pure fear rang through the shadows.

Something hit the ground behind Silver. Turning, he saw Trixie on the ground. She shook her head, her eyes closed. Taking a deep breath, she opened her eyes. Golden light shone from them like twin torches in a dark cave. Slowly, the light faded. "Congratulations Trixie, you are the new bearer of the element of chaos, Strife."

Moments later, the sound of multiple armored ponies fast approaching reached the remaining ponies ears. Another bubble of light appeared on the other side of the barrier as a mix of solar and lunar guards came to a stop. Silver pointed in the direction the Nightmare had gone.

The guards took a few steps before a body of a Pegasus was visible. Its skin laying in a heap next to it. The green fur and black mane was enough to identify what remained of Whirl Wind. Laughter echoed as the wispy barrier dropped. One of the guards turned to Silver. He was the same one who they had found earlier.

"I take it was one of yours." He gestured at the body. Silver nodded. The guard stomped his hoof. "{....}!!"

Silver stepped up to him. "There was nothing you could have done for her. By the way, how are you pushing the shadows back?" The guard took a deep breath before looking up.

"It's because of what you said. The shadow comes from fear. So, I created a calm bubble, which a little unicorn light fills quite nicely." He glanced at the mutilated body. "Your companion isn't the only one. Tell me, is there any way we can stop this?"

Silver opened his mouth to respond. "THAT'S what that thing did with her?! Consider Trixie angry." Silver froze. Slowly, he turned around to see Trixie on her feet, her eyes glowing a bright gold that dispersed the darkness faster than the statue could.

"Oh? What is this? The new element of Strife doesn't like my hoofwork?" The nightmare's voice echoed through the dark, quickly followed by its hoarse laughter. Trixie's eyes narrowed, the light brightening to almost unbearable levels as she started walking toward the laughter. "That's right, leave your friends behind."

Trixie's voice was low and threatening. "You know nothing of the great and powerful Trixie. For you see, she is the most powerful Unicorn alive. And right now, she is pissed!! You can run, you can hide, but you can never ESCAPE the Great and Powerful Trixie!"

The guards looked torn. "I wouldn't if I were you." Silver stated.

"It is a rather high chance you'll get caught up in the magical whiplash about to start flying about." Ground Frost explained, Silver nodding in agreement.

The guards nodded. Without warning, a bright flash of blue and silver light lit the surrounding area like a bolt of lightning. Within moments, an ear-splitting scream of pain echoed out. "Was that Trixie?" Marigold asked quietly from besides Silver. Another bright flash revealed Trixie facing another Unicorn who seemed to be trying to run. Again, a scream of pain echoed out.

"I'd have to say it was the Nightmare, not that Showmare." Silver said. They watched the bright flashes as Trixie continued to chase the Nightmare around town square. Others, seeing the bright flashes, had started to gather around the edge of the square.

Like someone flipping a light switch, the darkness gave way to the sun. The Nightmare was nowhere to be seen. Trixie was standing in the middle of the square, looking around. As Silver watched, the golden glow in her eyes faded before they rolled into the back of her head and she collapsed. Marigold was at her side instantly. After a moment, she pulled the mare onto her back and carried her back to where Silver and the other elements stood.

"Just fatigue from using her element so much for the first time." Marigold said as she carefully set the mare down. Trixie's hat rolled off her head, revealing a horn.

Silver turned to the guards. "We are on our way toward the capitol. We'll be sure to inform the Princesses of what has happened here."

...0...

Trixie slowly woke to the feeling of movement. Sitting up slightly, she noticed she was in her wagon. She could hear voices outside, but couldn't make out what they were saying. She tried to remember how she got there, but it was all a fuzzy blur. Slowly, it started to come back to her one memory at a time.

She was in a small town, taking a small road trip from Ponyville. Her only friend, Starlight Glimmer, had decided to stay behind do to something with creature from another world she wanted to talk to. So, Trixie had gone by herself. She had given a small show, and gone to bed. Then everything had gone to Tartarus.

Ponies waking up screaming. Trixie was one of the lucky few who hadn't faced a nightmare. The entire town had gathered in the square, too afraid to go back to bed. Trixie had been helping ponies calm themselves, even as it had gotten darker and harder to see. At some point, even torches could do little to help vision.

And then, the screaming started. First, just one. Then two. It wasn't long before half the town was screaming in fear. The children were quickly moved into the town hall, four guards with them. Trixie had stayed outside the door with one of the guards. The guard walked off at some point to find his commanding officer, leaving Trixie alone at the door. She noticed pony-like shapes in the fog.

She had started talking to the shapes to ease her nerves, only to discover they reacted to her voice. Not long after, she had a small bubble around the door, allowing the torch to give her the light she needed. She had managed to get the shadow to fight itself, giving her room to breathe. It was a few hours later, when she noticed a faint light as it grew brighter.

Moments later, another bubble of light, this one silver, connected with hers, revealing five ponies. Two Unicorns, two Earth Ponies, and a Pegasus. Thinking back, they all had black manes. One of the Unicorns was pulling a wagon with a glowing silver statue on it. And then that... thing walked out of the darkness.

The silver colored pony said it was a nightmare? And the Pegasus getting dragged away by the shadows. And that fear. She could feel her heart beating faster at the memory. Then she was... Was she chasing that monstrosity? She remembered chasing it down, and the flashes coming from... Her? The thing suddenly disappeared in a dim flash as the shadows fled. And then... Nothing. Nothing on what was happening now.

She slowly sat up, even as her wagon continued to sway back and forth with the movement of whoever was pulling it. She noticed her hat and cape carefully draped over a stand in the corner. "At least whoever it is knows how to take care of Trixie's stuff." She muttered.

...0...

"And why did we take her wagon? It really is useless weight." Ground Frost asked, looking back at the covered wagon.

Marigold gave him a deadpan stare. "Because it's her home. We lost ours, and she's stuck with us now. So we might as well take her home with us because we can. It's the right thing to do. And I couldn't just leave it there, that would just be cruel."

Silver laughed, although there was a sad note to it. "I wouldn't fight it, Ground Frost. We both know how far she'll go to show a little kindness." Ground Frost grumbled to himself.

Something shifting inside Trixie's wagon brought the group to a halt. It wasn't long before the blue mare, hat and all, stepped outside. "Can somepony tell Trixie exactly why she, and her wagon, are in the middle of nowhere?"

"We are on our way to Ponyville, and now that you're the element of Strife, you have to come with us." Silver stated.

"As annoying as cutting Trixie's vacation short, she supposes you have a good reason for taking her home. Although, she does expect an explanation." Silver looked down at Trixie's shadow.

"You will get your explanation, in due time. Perhaps tonight, around a fire I can shed some light on what's going on. But my full story will have to wait till Ponyville." Silver's horn glowed as Trixie's shadow split, a small part flew under Trixie's wagon. Moments later, it slid back toward Trixie's shadow. Silver froze it before it could make it. He studied it closely for a few moments. "And I see we'll have to help you accept the darkest part of your soul." He let it slip back to Trixie's shadow, as she stared down at it.

"What did you do to Trixie's shadow?" She asked, coming out of her brief moment of shock.

"That was the darkest part of you. When shunned, it becomes part of your shadow. That's a fairly large part of yourself you're shunning." Silver said. "I'll tell you this now. It is better to accept it as part of who you are, instead of trying to leave it behind. Because, you can never truly escape your own shadow."

Author's Note:

Hope you all enjoyed.