Embrace of Light and Dark

by Knight of Crows

Chapter 76.

Princess Celestia POV

"News from northern Equestria! Uh... Your highness." A guard rushed into the throne room, pulling my attention from the stack of papers that were about to be given to me.

"Yes?" I responded.

"I am simply to tell you that it has returned."

"*gasp*" I turned to the other guards around the throne. "Find Princess Cadence and Shining Armor!"

"Yes, your highness!" The three of them hurried off to find the captain and my niece. After they were gone, I quickly pulled out a quill and paper.

My dearest Twilight,

You must come to Canterlot at once.

"I wasn't expecting a reaction like this, but I shouldn't be surprised either." A deep voice spoke from behind the throne, prompting me to teleport away from it. It was Abaddon again.

"Monster." I growled as I teleported my old halberd from my bedchambers.

"Oh please, minus the halberd, we both remember how that worked last time. Even if Luna, Cadence, and Shining were here, the results would be the same." He mocked.

"Why are you here?!" I tightened my grip on my weapon and readied a magic blast.

"Well first, why I'm not here: That is to start a fight. Let's be real here, if I wanted to kill anyone, I would've done so already. Now as for why I'm here? That is the question. Why am I here?" He's reminding me of Discord.

"Either answer me or leave!"

"I'm well aware of the situation, the Empire is back and you intend to send Twilight to protect it from Sombra. A foolish task if you ask me, I mean, what can she do that you and your sister couldn't back then? Unless you know something I don't, she will fail, and the Empire will be lost to Hatred and Fear." He rambled on.

"I have faith she will succeed where we failed. And once she does, Hope and Love will be reflected across all of Equestria. The Heartless as a result will decrease significantly in numbers."

"I'm sorry, 'faith'? You'd bet an entire country and your student over a gamble? I'm half tempted to just cut to the chase and-"

"If you or your Heartless touch her or her friends, there won't be a shadow for you to hide in! I will end you!" I threatened him after teleporting close enough to press my blade against his throat.

"That would be intimidating if you were, well,-" he grabbed the blade and shattered it with ease. "intimidating. But if you insist on sending her, I'd recommend also requesting for Equinox and the new arrivals in Ponyville." This caught me off guard.

"What?? Why??!!"

"Because your student isn't equipped to deal with Heartless, but all the new girls fought creatures similar to Heartless for a living, one of them has the potential to kill me. As for Equinox, have you not put it together yet?" He asked.

"Stop playing games and speak!"

"Oh very well. You have noticed the resemblance between us, right? It's not a coincidence. The man we once were made a more substantial sacrifice than he intended for the people he ultimately protected, the result is Equinox and I." Him too??!!

"That can't be possible! You expect me to believe that colt has been working for-"

"The heart's true essence is Darkness. When one loses themselves to Darkness, a Heartless is born, but what happens to the body? The simple fact the body still remained even after it faded into nothingness in this case means it would be more accurate to say that the 'chains' containing the Darkness were loosened enough to escape and took a form most fitting. Essentially having one's heart fragmented like that would surely cause damage, memory loss and a lack of emotions in this case. But what happens when the Heartless or the Husk is destroyed? Would they cease to exist? Or would they join together under the right conditions?"

"If killing one might bring back the original, why would you want me to send the ones who can when you clearly don't care enough to do it yourself?"

"Because I want answers more than I want to die or live as I am. I am Darkness, but I am more than capable of reason which is why this world is still basking in the Light. My very being is the antithesis of what you ponies hold sacred, but memory and curiosity are what influence my actions. Hence why I revealed a Hive to Equestria and eliminated that enemy just as quickly, so not only you might catch a glimpse of what desperation can eventually turn one into, but protect a possible home from an otherwise insurmountable foe. From starving mother to power hungry fool in Chrysalis's case. So you might catch a glimpse at what the power of Darkness is truly capable of, and either find a way to combat it, or make it your own as He did." That can't be.

"I-I don't understand." What could he have to gain from this?

"Must I spell it out for you?! In the long run, my actions will have helped your country. Those girls are the ones He sacrificed himself for, one of them has a memento from Him in the form of a keyblade, and Equinox without one also has the power to destroy me so we may be one again! I wish to be whole again, but you all either lack the power or resolve to do it! Send for Equinox and team RWBY as they'll be the best line of defense against Sombra and the inevitable swarm of Heartless. If Equinox doesn't kill him, the Crystal Heart should, the Heartless will decrease significantly, and I'll be put on equal ground for one of them to kill me if they're injured!" A keyblade??!!

"... Who were you before?"

"Ask to see Ruby's keyblade. You don't recognize who Equinox is based on, but you may remember who wielded that weapon. The stage is set, as is the aftermath. Reclaim the Empire, destroy Sombra, and as little as my word may be worth, your world will be spared from the Heartless entirely once my Reunion has been completed."

---

Equinox POV

I've been spending time sorting through the memories and trying to understand what they're doing to me. I remember a school and a home, but I don't think I like either of them for some reason. I remember waking up in a ruined castle, then it shifts to Ponyville and the school, then the Darkside after. I remember fighting together with a man in a green cape or cloak with a small shield, a little blonde girl with wings, and another with tanuki ears and tail. Then I remember some things that chronologically feel far apart with the new girls, as well as seeing how close she was with Cassiel. I know now what Abaddon meant, but the more I remember, the more I find myself not wanting to do it despite feeling a sort of "pull", a "need" to find him. I don't want to hurt them, so this needs to end before long.

They know who I'm supposed to be. They traversed worlds to find me, only to find me broken. Though these ponies may condemn me for who I am, or Abaddon's crimes, this can't go on. As much as I don't want to lose myself, as much as I want to learn what these feelings are and truly be my own person, I also can't bring myself to break His promises, to throw away everything He worked for. I need to see Spike, I need the Princesses to back me on this, I need to end him soon.

"Equinox! Perfect timing! We're leaving for Canterlot!" Twilight said frantically as I opened the door to the library.

"Well that's convenient."

"Okay, but why though?" I asked.

"No time! Get Ruby and the other humans! Princess Celestia wants us in Canterlot NOW!!!" Spike is not going to like having to fix this place later.

---

(Canterlot)

Upon arriving in the throne room, we passed by Princess Luna, who greeted Weiss as we approached Princess Celestia.

"Miss Schnee, I trust Ponyville has been most welcoming? Even more so after finding your friends?" She greeted her.

"It has, thank you." Weiss answered.

"Uuuhhh Weiss, aren't you gonna introduce us?" Yang asked her. But before she could, Twilight did in a tone that almost sounds like she's offended for the Princess.

"She's the Princess of Equestria and-"

"Twilight." Princess Celestia said, as if to stop her from giving a long explanation.

"Sorry!"

"It's fine. I wish I could have met you all under better circumstances,-" she said to everyone else "but that will have to wait until later. The reason I've called you all here is because the Crystal Empire has returned. A part of history few remember at all." The Princess informed us as she lifted a crystal off a pedestal and placed it in front of us before channeling magic into it, creating a projection of the Empire.

"Even my knowledge is limited, but what I do know is it contains a powerful magic. A thousand years ago, King Sombra, a unicorn who's heart was as black as night, took over the Crystal Empire." The projection changed, black crystals erupted from various locations and encased the castle, a projection showing a grey unicorn with a curved red horn and a mane that looked as though it was made of shadows appeared at the top.

"He was ultimately overthrown, turned to shadow, and banished to the ice of the arctic north. But not before he was able to put a curse on the Empire, causing it to vanish into thin air." She ended the projection. "If the Empire is filled with hope and love, those things will be projected across all of Equestria, and the Heartless too will be pushed back if not denied entry into our world." She lifted the crystal and channeled more magic into it, shining every color of the rainbow across the room.

"But if hatred and fear take over,-" her eyes glowed green, purple mist seeped from her eyes, and her horn glowed purple with black lightning shooting out of it. She channeled that magic into the crystal, causing it to turn black, shadows shot towards us and black crystals erupted from around us. She destroyed the crystals just as quickly. "which is why I need your help in finding a way to protect it!" She looked between the team and I.

"And that's also why I requested your help as well. The Heartless were not an issue back then, but they are most certainly going to be now. It is to my understanding that you four fought similar creatures in your world, that it's even an official profession, and one of you has a weapon that can truly destroy them. Is this true?" She asked the team. Ruby stepped forward and summoned the key shaped weapon from before, causing Princess Celestia's eyes to shoot open for a split second.

"I prefer it as a scythe, but I haven't gotten that down yet." Ruby said before desummoning it.

"It will work either way, perhaps even against Sombra." The Princess looked between Twilight and I. "I also have reason to believe that Abaddon will be there as well, but whether he's allied himself with Sombra or is using him for his own ends like the Changelings, I don't know."

"Actually, that's something I wanted to bring up with you." She raised her brow after I said this.

"Is that so?"

"Equinox, what is it?" Twilight asked.

"I have memories that aren't my own, and I have every reason to believe that Abaddon and I used to be one person." She and Twilight became alarmed by this.

"Who's Abaddon and what do you mean?" Blake grabbed my shoulders as she asked. They already suspect I used to be Cassiel, is this an act of sorts?

"Colors aside, he looks just like me." I started. "I have memories, memories that I'm certain are Cassiel's, who we both closely resemble. Then all the times I just randomly said something that triggered severe headaches, and what he said to me back then."

"And what did he say?" The Princess asked.

"He basically told me to destroy him so we may be one again." Blake hugged me tightly.

"No!! That can't be right!!" A little too tight for.

"What do you mean?" I asked her.

"You can't just expect me to stand by and watch you die again!! There has to be another way!!" She yelled.

"Unless you have a better idea, it's all-" She slapped me.

"Ah! There it is!" Weiss said.

"I don't care if this Abaddon is like Adam or if you don't understand what it is that you're saying! I won't just stand by and let you kill each other, especially when there's no guarantee you even would come back!" Blake continued.

"Not to mention if Cassiel was right, he's our best chance to see our mother again!" Yang gestured to herself and Ruby.

"You might not remember it, but we're not letting you go alone again after last time." Weiss looked ready to slap me like at the station.

"You were the one who wanted to unite all of Remnant against Salem before Ironwood, yet you still went in alone to-" Ruby started.

"If I don't do this soon, I might not ever do it!" My first real surge of emotion, and I don't even know what it is. "His memories, his feelings, his desires, that is what I'm based on! I'm barely even a copy of your friend, yet each passing day, I gain more of HIS memories, HIS feelings, HIS desires, and I don't even understand any of them! Now what does that leave ME with??!! An unfinished life in a new, empty life! If I don't do this, I may yet become my own person and decide my current life is worth more than his and everything he was, but then his life would conflict with mine. If you want him back, I have to go."

"But what about us? What about everypony back home?" Twilight asked to my surprise.

"Did I ever truly exist? So long as I live in his shadow, I will never truly exist, I will never live my own life. There's no point in trying to live a life that will never truly be my own. I'm done trying to argue, so I'm heading back to the station." I couldn't look at any of them as I said all of that. How could I? Knowing it would bother the other me later? There's only one thing on my mind right now, and that is my Reunion.

Comments

[zachary12]

nice work

[taelonso]

The heaviness of the feels is epic but I think that they aren't seeing that team RWBY is going as well and only thinking he want to go alone when celly is sending all of them

[sinewystatue382]

when will the next chapter come out?

[Knight of Crows]

11348255
No idea. Admittedly, I haven't started. Been more focused on Destiny 2 and the Re: Zero fic on AO3. I will get back to this, but when, I don't know.

[sinewystatue382]

11348295
well don't take too long to do so