Chapter 8
“Well… I suppose that explains a great many things.”
Luna nodded, her own expression a bit grave. Considering all that she had just relayed to her sister, that was a bit of an understatement. Even more so, considering that Luna wasn’t quite done yet. She had a bit more to share, but she wanted to give Celestia a chance to digest it all.
“I don’t think I ever would have truly been able to discern the full truth on my own. Even as my instincts told me that there was something more to the child. Something… dark and twisted like that is…” Celestia shook her head, glancing out the window and towards the Royal Statue Garden.
“Such actions are in a vein similar to those of our old foe, Discord.” Luna nodded, even as Celestia continued, “And yet in its own way, it sounds remarkably similar to what you experienced, dear sister. No wonder it is, that that entity said you and he shared something so.”
“I must admit, I had not expected it to feel so… On the nose, as it has turned out to be.” Luna managed a small smile, a grim laugh coming out of her. “Though after a fashion, were it not for the scars he carries, one could argue none of what he did ever happened.”
A somber smile graced her sister’s muzzle as she noted, “You and I both know of course, that when it comes to powerful magics, such is rarely the case. A trace, a mark, is always left behind. We can only hope his people, and his friend, are wise enough to know of such and be seeking to prevent anything worse from happening.”
Luna nodded at that, even as she thought about her own past. She’d been doing alot of that, and had been edging closer to doing something that might have been unwise. Luna was after all still at times beating herself up for her own past misdeeds, but once she’d started seeing what her charge, her ward was going through…
It had shed some light on how she herself was dealing with things. In more ways then she’d expected it to, in fact. Which as it so happened, related to what she was about to say. As fortune would have it though, Celestia was fast on the take.
“You’d mentioned there would be more to this, as reason for me to stay any judgements to render upon your young charge. Please dear sister, elaborate.”
“Indeed. As you know, I’d already taken to trying to peer into Asriel’s dreams in an effort to help the young Monster.” At Celestia’s nod, Luna braced herself. Her sister would doubtless be irritated that she had kept this from her. But Luna hadn’t been confident in her assessment before, and did not wish to worry her sister over something that might not be.
Knowing everything she did now though, it was no longer guesswork.
“During the times I slipped into his dreams, I felt another presence. At first, I thought it was something akin to the Nightmare. But where the Nightmare was a twisted version of myself, this was a malevolence that I could never imagine coming from Asriel at any point in his life.”
“Not even as the Flower?” Celestia asked, and Luna nodded.
“Remember, when he was the Flower, he did not leap to committing atrocities. And I have a feeling that he might not have, were it not for this presence.” Celestia’s eyes widened at that, as Luna plowed forward. “More importantly though, this presence was able to sense me without me revealing myself to it, and after my third foray into Asriel’s dreams, it shoved me out.”
Luna had her sister’s full and undivided attention at that. “A mere Nightmare would not be able to do that.” She said, a statement of fact rather than a question.
“Not without considerably more control over the individual, yes. Which this presence does not yet have. This presence also seems more intent on breaking Asriel down than corrupting him.” Luna cast her eyes to the floor, her voice full of worry and concern.
“The nightmares Asriel is having are relentless, and they grow worse with each night. They may have originally come from the guilt he still feels and his past trauma. But there is more to it. Something wants Asriel to crumble.”
Celestia’s eyes darted about, her mouth forming a thin line as she seemed to be considering everything.Her eyes soon turned to pinpricks, which let Luna know her sister had reached the same conclusion she had.
“We’re dealing with a Shade.”
“More than just a Shade.” Luna said sadly, and it took only a second for her sister to realize it. The sadness she saw in Celestia’s eyes now mirrored her own.
“Are you going to tell him?”
Luna had the decency to look down and away as she shook her head, digging at the floor.
“I do not think he would believe me. And besides, he’ll be upset when I mention I was even peering into his dreams.” Still, she had a smile as she gazed back up at her sister. “I take it that means you want to help him?”
“Of course I want to help him. He is still just a child, one that has been through something no one should.” Celestia remarked, and then added, “And I would be a hypocrite to hold his past against him, when he clearly regrets it.”
“I get the feeling he’ll be surprised by that.” Luna said, and Celestia snorted, rolling her eyes.
“As would many others, even after years of showing how forgiving I can be. You should hear my pupil’s assistant ramble about how Twilight sometimes perceives me.”
Luna winced just a bit at the brief flash of disappointment she saw there, and draped a wing over her sister’s back. Celestia smiled and gave her an affectionate nuzzle, then her gaze grew serious.
“I presume you have a plan?”
Luna’s gaze grew steely, with a determined fire in her eyes. “Yes. But it will be risky. It might be wise to have the Element Bearers here. Just in case.”
Celestia nodded, even as she let out a soft nicker. “Still always expecting the worst?”
“Always best to be prepared.” Luna said, with Celestia nodding as her horn glowed. A roll of parchment quickly appeared before her, and she scratched out a message before sending it off.
“Best that we act quickly then. But first, let us go and reassure your ward. Then I shall go and fetch Twilight and her friends.”
Luna simply nodded, and followed after her sister as they made for her chambers where she had left him.
-*-
He… he had done it.
It had taken a bit of time. There’d been plenty to tell. And he didn’t want to leave anything out. If he was going to share things, reveal the dark truth of his past, he didn’t want to forget anything. Better that they know every bit, even things that might be insignificant, then to keep a single detail to himself.
Just as he’d asked, it had been him and Princess Luna on their lonesome. He’d given her permission to tell her sister, but only after he’d shared everything. She’d also kept questions to a minimum, letting it all spill out of him. She’d been patient with him, even during the moments where the guilt had become too much and he’d been unable to continue on.
During those moments, Luna surprised him by draping her wing over him and doing her best to comfort him. Even knowing what he knew of her own past, there was a part of him that found this so strange. Yet it reminded him of Frisk, in a way. Even with the veil of secrecy cast aside, she did not seem to be holding it against him.
All while his guilty conscience said she should be, that she shouldn’t want to be near him.
This didn’t exactly make any of this any easier. But once he had spilled it forth, he felt… he wasn’t sure if he’d describe it as better. Because he certainly wasn’t feeling any less anxious about what might come next. If anything, he was more worried about just what his fate would be.
What he had done was easily comparable to what Luna had done as Nightmare Moon, or what that entity, Discord, if he recalled what he’d read, had inflicted upon Equestria. Sure, he supposed his crimes had all been contained. And well, the proof of them erased countless times as he reset things and started again over and over…
But a weight had been lifted off his shoulders all the same. He was no longer hiding what he was. What he’d done. The truth was out there, for the Princesses to see in all its tragedy and pain.
And so it was that he now sat, alone in Princess Luna’s chambers. Anxiously awaiting what fate might soon fall upon him. She had not said much once he had finished his tale, simply sat with a deep, thoughtful expression before stating that it was her duty, both as a Princess and as a good sister, to impart his story to Celestia.
He wanted to believe everything would be alright. That he’d be forgiven for keeping such from them, and that they wouldn’t judge him for such. Frisk had forgiven him, after all. And the Princesses had been so kind and caring since he woke up here in this world.
But a whisper, that damned voice in the back of his mind, ensured that doubt remained. And kept trying to tell him what he should do when they, inevitably, condemned and sought to deal with him.
He did his best to ignore that voice. He wouldn’t, couldn’t do what it suggested. Even if it meant he might be banished or imprisoned.
This train of thoughts was brought to a halt as the doors opened, and the Princesses strode into the room. He gulped, and slid out of his seat as he did his best to stand straight. Anxiety clawed at his being, even as Luna shot him a gentle smile. It eased only once Celestia laid down before him, her own gaze soft, warm, and compassionate.
“Do not fear, little one. Do not be afraid or nervous. Though I know it's natural, you have no reason to fear.” She leaned forward as one wing reached out, pulling him in close. He felt her nuzzle into the tuft of fur atop his head, which made him squirm even as his eyes grew damp.
“D-Does that mean… I~I’m not in trouble?”
He saw Celestia and Luna share a look between each other. One that earned a soft nicker and rolling of eyes from both. Celestia pulled her head back, so they could see eye to eye.
“No. Not at all, Asriel. In fact, I forgive you. Both for your past actions, and for keeping such from us.” She does give a wry smile as she notes, “Would I have preferred you shared such with us earlier? Yes. But you have shared it now, and no harm has been done.”
Asriel felt some of his anxiety lifting, a part of him feeling a sense of hope. They weren’t rejecting or punishing him. The whisper was wrong, and for a moment, Asriel found himself wondering if this might help combat the nightmares. Maybe this would be enough for him to get some peace as he slept.
Almost as if reading his mind, Luna had to squash such hopes. “I am afraid the nightmares are unlikely to stop. And it is time for a small confession from myself.”
Asriel gave her a confused head tilt. Then the whisper muttered something, and he knew the answer. He felt… Well, a little hurt. He’d mentioned, when she first asked about his nightmares, if he’d like her to help with them. But since he’d had no desire for anyone to see them, he’d asked her to stay out of them.
But then again, he’d gone to her for help, to share the truth in the hope doing so would make them go away. Or at least not be so bad.
It's her duty… and she’s your guardian. Is it really any surprise? Still, a small part of him felt like it was a bit of a violation. But maybe that was from the irritating voice in his head grumbling about it.
Luna did look at least a bit bashful about it. “I know you’d asked me to stay out of your dreams, but I was worried. To go from no dreams at all to nightmares didn’t sit well with me. And now, I have reason to think that these aren’t just normal nightmares.”
What followed was an explanation about a creature known as a Shade. Malevolent spirits, ghosts, or echoes of a person that lingered on thanks to dark and powerful emotions. They longed to inflict pain and suffering on others, and to do so, they sought to possess the bodies of others. If the person was weak willed, it was a simple matter, but if their host had a powerful spirit, they first needed to break their spirit to take possession.
Asriel’s first thought went to Flowey, but to be honest, he wasn’t entirely sure. As much as he hated it, he had been Flowey. It would have been so much easier if he could convince himself he hadn’t been the one to make those choices. Probably wouldn’t even be having the nightmares in the first place in fact! Despite this though, he couldn’t seem to think of any other being that’d fit what they were telling him.
Could it be that Flowey became… more then me? Or is this just an echo of what he… I… had become?
He couldn’t help but notice the way Luna and Celestia shared a look, but he couldn’t parse out the meaning behind it. “Whether it is Flowey or not is at the moment, irrelevant. We need to confront and expel the Shade from you. Unfortunately, I don’t think we can do it the normal way.”
“What, like, an exorcism?” Asriel asked, and got nods from them both.
“The entity I sensed within you is very entwined with your being. Your SOUL. And it was powerful enough to push me out of the Dreamlands. An exorcism would risk harming your spirit as well, and I certainly do not wish for that.”
Asriel felt his anxiety brewing again. The fact that he got the impression the voice in his mind was listening didn’t make him feel any better. He gulped, and asked, “W-Would… w-would it require something like the Elements of Harmony? Couldn’t they just… expel it like they did the Nightmare that possessed you?”
Celestia answered this time. “We cannot say for certain. The Elements are powerful artifacts, and while they can be directed and controlled, that does not always mean they produce the desired results.” She didn’t need to say anything more for Asriel to get the drift.
“Fortunately, we may still be able to deal with it.” Luna assured him with a smile. “I believe that if we confront the shade within the Dreamlands, we can find a way to either expel it from there, or dislodge it enough that we could otherwise exorcise it.”
Asriel shivered at that. “If it is Flowey… that could be dangerous.”
“From what you have shared with me, yes, it would. But you would not be alone in such an endeavor. I would be there with you to help.” She smirked. “The Shade won’t be able to push me out if you willingly let me in.”
“And we intend to bring the Element Bearers in as well, as a last resort should the need arise.” Celestia remarked. That sent a nervous shiver through Asriel, worried about what the Elements would think of this entire situation. And how he would be judged.
However, it seemed there wasn’t really much in the way of options. Especially if he desired to be able to get a good night’s sleep again. If they didn’t deal with the shade, at best he’d fall down and enter a coma-like state. The worst was that this shade would finally take over, and be free to do what it wished in the physical world.
And Asriel knew the kind of damage Flowey could do. He didn’t wish to see such unleashed upon this world. And well, he really, really wanted to be able to sleep at least a few nights without nightmares plaguing him.
So it was, with only a little bit of trepidation, that he acceded to the Princesses plan.
-*-
Asriel had expected this endeavor to take place in a ritual chamber, or someplace full of arcane symbols and tools to perhaps assist them as they faced the shade. As it was, laying on the sheets of his own bed with Princess Luna sitting just before it, and the six heroines of the realm spread out in a semi circle around the bed…
If the situation wasn’t so dire, he might have laughed. He might have at least giggled, but he was a bit too tired for that. So the best he could do was manage a ghost of a smile. Which made the bubbly pink mare beam and give him a rather enthusiastic wave.
He appreciated the gesture, as it eased some of the anxiety he was feeling. He hoped this all went well, so he could take part in the “Congrats we saved you from an evil nasty shadowy ghost thing!” party she’d mentioned when the Princesses introduced them.
“Everyone ready? Everyone remember their task?” Luna asked, and each of the Element Bearers nodded.
“Yup yup!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed, bouncing in place. “Twilight and Princess Celestia keep an eye on how things are going inside the fuzzy wuzzy goat’s dreamspace thingy, and the rest of us make sure to stay awake so we can give that nasty shady wadey a taste of the rainbow!”
“Not quite the words I’d have used… but yes, Pinkie has it on the nose.” Twilight said with a soft smile, ignoring how Pinkie seemed to be checking to see if Pinkie Pie did indeed have something on her nose.
Rainbow Dash shadow boxed a bit, grinning as she said, “I hope we get a chance to do something. Getting to deal with some spooky baddie like this? Right up our alley!”
“I don’t know, I think I’d much prefer the Princess and the young colt here handle things. This… Flowey fellow sounds most unpleasant.” Rarity sniffed a bit, as Fluttershy retreated just a bit behind her mane at the mention of such.
“I-I hope so t-too. H-He sounds dangerous.”
Applejack smirked. “Just a weed in the head. I’m sure the Princess can lay him low. And if we’re needed, we’ll be here, ready and rarin’ to go.”
Princess Celestia simply shook her head bemusedly, before looking to her sister and nodding. Luna returned the gesture, before letting her gaze meet Asriel’s. “Are you ready, my ward?”
Asriel took in a deep, steadying breath. “As ready as I can be.”
Gracing him with a warm smile to reassure him, Luna closed her eyes and her horn lit up. He felt her magic wash over him, and quickly, he began to feel so very tired. More so than he already was. His eyelids felt so heavy, and before long they were sliding shut as he felt himself sinking down, down… drifting… floating… falling…
It was a bit jarring to him when he suddenly felt something beneath his paws. He blinked, and saw himself in a familiar chamber. The very one where the fallen children had always landed. Light shone from above, illuminating the pile of flowers he now stood amongst. Were it not for the presence of the Princess, who soon appeared beside him, he wouldn’t be able to say whether he was back in the Underground or not.
“I can sense the Shade’s presence, deep within this dreamscape.” Luna said softly, and Asriel couldn’t help but agree. There was an oppressive presence to the air, a stillness that made his fur stand on end and made him want to run and hide. Worse, there was a feeling of familiarity to the aura that pervaded this place.
Determination.
The whisper, for that was all that Asriel could describe it as, floated to them on a nearly non-existent breeze. He shivered, but almost as if in answer to it, he felt energy flood into him. It was energy he’d freely made use of before, but now…
His hesitation to make use of it meant it simply washed around him though, merely giving him a slight boost to his strength and confidence. But it was enough to help push aside, for the moment, some of the trepidation he felt. Squaring his shoulders and steeling himself, he said,
“Let’s go find it and banish it.”
Asriel took the first few steps, leading the Princess of the Night through the tunnels of the Ruins. Where once it had been a place he loved to explore and play in, especially once Chara fell and became a part of the family, it was now an empty, desolate place. Dust floated about here and there, and in others, swirled about on a magical wind.
Even now, reminders of all I did. Asriel thought to himself as he tried hard not to think about who the dust might have belonged to. Or how many times they’d been struck down.
He felt a wing draped over his shoulder, and shot a thankful look to Princess Luna. There was a brief flash, and for a split second, he saw his mother, Toriel, in her stead. And felt her hand on his shoulder instead.
He banished that thought, and the image faded. But the comfort that small touch brought remained.
They continued on, traversing the length of the Underground. Marching through the Ruins, trudging through the snow of the Forest, wading through Waterfall, and enduring the heat of Hotland.
The walk through New Home was the longest part. The presence was strongest here, and while the oppressive aura was just as omnipresent, there was a tinge of amusement and growing delight to it. Considering how malevolent it had been acting towards him, and who he expected was awaiting them, Asriel could feel an invisible weight slowing each step he made.
Determination.
Asriel couldn’t keep himself from not tapping into that energy here. It was necessary, for if he didn’t, he knew he wouldn’t make it to reach and confront the Shade. The atmosphere, combined with all the reminders of his atrocities… It was enough to bring anyone into the depths of despair.
Were it not for the constant and reassuring presence of the Princess, he might not have had the will to draw upon his Determination. And for that, he was most appreciative.
He stopped before an ornate door within his old home. A place of memories, many happy, and many more that were so very, very sad. And beyond the door laid the throne room, and…
“The Shade.” Luna whispered softly, Asriel nodding his head. It was unmistakable. The thing that had been hounding his sleep with such nightmares lay beyond. Considering that the chamber was the one in which he had reawakened as Flowey, he wasn’t the least bit surprised that it had decided that it would be its hiding place.
“Are you ready?” Luna asked, and for a singular moment, Asriel wasn’t sure.
You can do it, Azzy. I believe in ya, so believe in yourself.
Asriel started, and glanced about the chamber. For the briefest of moments, he thought he saw a ghostly image of Frisk standing by him, their hand on his shoulder. The image smiled at him, and gave him a thumbs up.
“Asriel?”
He blinked, and found that he’d been staring straight at the door. Luna’s head had popped into view, a concerned look on her face. The warmth and fuzziness that generated in him made him smile softly. It was a feeling he hadn’t felt since the last time his mother had checked in on him, the night before…
Focusing back on the now, Asriel gave the princess a nod.
“Yes. I’m ready. As ready as I can be, at least.”
She gave him a sad smile and a nod in turn, and leaned in to rub her snoot against his. He also felt her wings wrap around him, pulling him close for a tight embrace. It made him blush and squirm a fair bit. Again, it reminded him of Toriel, and brought both a pang of longing… but also, strength and warmth to his soul.
“Alright. Just remember, I’m here with you if you need help. And our friends are rooting for you too. You don’t face this alone.”
Her words soothed some of the anxiety and fear he felt. He gave a nod, and squared his shoulders. It was time to end this, so he could move on. Striding forward, he pushed the doors open and strode on into the Throne Room.
And froze not more than ten steps in, as his eyes caught sight of the figure lounging on the throne.
-*-
Back in the realm of the waking, the heroines of Equestria were mostly just chattering with each other. Pinkie Pie had been humming a catchy tune to herself that helped add to the rather relaxed atmosphere of the room, despite the fact they were all there as a last resort against something dark and ominous.
The sudden halting of the humming caught everyponies attention. As did the fact that a shiver started from the tips of Pinkie’s tail and mane, and rippled through until they met in the middle. Then…
Her eyes went wide as dinner plates… then shrunk to the size of a pencil point. There was a sound akin to a balloon deflating, and the cheerful demeanor that Pinkie had been sporting vanished entirely, replaced with a downcast, no, practically crestfallen expression.
Nopony had ever seen Pinkie Pie look like this. Not even the rest of the gang, who’d known her longer than Twilight had.
Silence filled the room for a good, solid minute. Finally, it was Fluttershy of all ponies who asked,
“Uhm, Pinkie Pie? Is everything alright?”
Pinkie Pie shook her head sadly, her gaze now fully locked on Asriel. She kicked at the ground in a dejected fashion, before simply saying,
“Azzy… Asriel… he’s going to need… A lot of hugs, w-when, when he comes out.”
She didn’t give any further elaboration, but everypony shared a worried and concerned look before glancing towards the Monster Prince.
-*-
“No… It… I-It can’t be…”
A dark, sinister chuckle, tinged with a strange twang to it, echoed about the room as the source of his nightmares leaned forward, its hands holding onto a familiar looking knife as the light from outside glinted off a just as familiar golden, heart shaped locket that dangled from its neck. Familiar red eyes bored into his very being, bringing with them feelings of amusement, anger, and danger.
“Ah, were you expecting someone else~?” It sing-songed, chuckling darkly as it got up and spread its arms. “Not happy to see me, dear brother? Your best friend?”
Asriel’s body was trembling. He shook his head, eyes shrinking to pinpricks as he blinked, hoping that the figure before him would change. Yet each time, the sight remained the same, and after the third time, the figure, the shade, let out an even darker laugh.
“C’mon, I know you recognize me, dear brother. It’s me, the one you swore to always stand beside. The one you said you’d always back them up. The one you loved with every fiber of your being~! Your dear, beloved, adoptive brother… Chara Dreemurr~!”
Each word the entity spoke, even though it was said in an almost cheery, musical fashion, was laced with venom. And the amount grew stronger with each sentence uttered. But alongside it, there was something else. Something that was tugging at the edge of memory…
“Y-Your voice, I’ve, I’ve heard it before.” Asriel stammered out, unable to pull his eyes away from the entity before him.
“Goodness, it can’t have been that long. Surely you remember me, brother dear, mhm, no? Truly, that wounds my heart, or it would, if I still had one… oh wait, I do~!” Shade-Chara replied, snapping its finger as the outline of a red heart appeared before it… though inside was nothing but inky blackness.
“As I suspected.” Princess Luna spoke up, nearly surprising Asriel. He’d been so taken off guard by what the Shade appeared to be, that he’d forgotten the Princess was with him.
“Ah, Azzy, you brought a victim for me~! Maybe you do remember~!” Shade-Chara cooed, cackling then even as the Princess glared at the entity. Its words however helped to jog something in Asriel’s memory.
A cliffside, overlooking Hotland. The pools of magical magma down below, radiating heat. A bored flower, flicking a rock and watching it fall down into its depths. Trying to figure out what to do with itself, since it had done everything. Read every book. Played every game. Befriended everyone. There were no surprises, nothing new. Everything was… boring.
‘Hey’
A voice, a whisper… there was no one else about. Maybe he was finally going crazy.
‘I know something we could try.’
It sounded like it was coming from… within. There was a familiarity to it that brought the Flower comfort, and made it listen as it asked aloud what they could try.
The whisper made its suggestion. The flower wasn’t sure. But the whisper’s argument made sense. Life was already pretty much a game for them. What could the harm be? If he didn’t like it… he could always just LOAD his SAVE.
With that rush of memory came more, much more. Echoes of the past that Asriel hadn’t been able to recollect in full. Something that, as he’d treaded further and further down the dark, murderous path he’d chosen to follow as Flowey, that he had forgotten.
A whisper. One that had been with him, always there. Never forcing him to fight… but always there to give a little… Push. Until he didn’t need one anymore. Though even there, the whisper was always there with him, reveling in their actions.
Just as Chara once had, before Asriel had stopped him on that fateful day. Such apprehension hit Asriel hard, causing him to clutch at his chest as he felt his entire body trembling. He felt like he was standing on the tip of a knife. But even as it felt like a stiff breeze would be all that it’d take to send him tumbling down, he recalled what the Princesses had said.
More importantly, he thought of what Frisk would do in this situation.
The truth of your past fills you with the DETERMINATION to push forward.
And with that thought, the trembling stopped, and he allowed the energy to flow into him. To empower him, to give him the strength he needed. For he knew, as much as it hurt in its own way, that there was only one way things were going to end here.
“All this time… ever since the moment I woke up as a flower. I thought I was alone, and yet there you were. Always there. HIm, and yet not him.” Asriel said as his gaze grew steely, and his hands moved to his sides, forming into fists.
Shade-Chara laughed and chortled, before smiling a sickly sweet smile that didn’t reach it’s eyes.
“That’s right Azzy~! An echo of your dear brother, a fragment, a piece. We were joined together, there at the end, bond to each other. And my body was, well, quite dead, though I must admit, I don’t quite know what happened to the rest of me…” The Shade gave an indifferent shrug. “It doesn’t matter though, what matters is that we get back to playing the game~!”
“Life isn’t a game, Chara. And I’m never going back to how I was like when I had you whispering in my ears.” Asriel growled, magic flowing into his hands as glowing, shimmering swords began to take shape.
Shade-Chara watched this development with interest, and chortled as it eyed him up and down. “Oh, I’m afraid it very much is, Azzy dear. It’s a game that’s going to be played for keeps, just between the two of us.”
Princess Luna snorted at that. “I do not intend to stand idly by while you torment this child. And you shall not get what you desire, dark one.”
The Shade just laughed, giving its knife a slow, languid lick as the whites of its eyes swirled away into an inky, empty void. Red dots full of violence gleaming with malevolence from within. Asriel felt the power being gathered, and began bracing himself even as he tried to shout out a warning…
The Shade rushed forward, knife glowing with red magic. Luna saw it, and was able to bring up a shield. But as the blade impacted, the shield crackled and hissed, and to Luna’s own obvious surprise, it began to crack. She poured her own magic into it, but all this wound up doing was ensure that when the shield fractured, it did so with a bang that sent them all flying backwards.
And in Luna’s case, she was thrown back out the doors of the Throne Room to crash into the wall of the corridor beyond. As Asriel raced over to get to her, bars of red magic leapt up from the floor, forcing him to skid to a stop as he heard the Shade’s haunting cackle fill the air.
“Like I said, oh brother of mine, this is just between the two of us. Determination against Determination. Brother against Brother~!” The Shade-Chara sung out as it strolled back into the center of the room, twirling its knife lazily in its hand before pointing it at him.
Asriel glanced out past the bars of magic blocking his path. Luna was still breathing, but she seemed to be having some trouble getting up. After a moment though, she pushed herself up and walked back to the door. She pressed a hoof to the bars, and hissed, retracting it almost instantly.
“This Shade has more power than I suspected…” She murmured, glaring at it as it watched them with dark amusement in its eyes. She closed her eyes, and her horn lit up, but then it quickly fizzled, and she scowled. “I cannot teleport into the chamber, something is blocking even my innate magic now.”
“Determination.” Asriel said with a scowl. “And probably Levels of Violence, too.” He glanced back, drawing on his own magic to confirm a suspicion he had. Asriel cursed as he saw the numbers 9999.
This… was not going to be easy. At all. And he knew, from prior experience, that he wasn’t going to be able to do this alone. After all, Frisk hadn’t done it alone, though this time, there weren’t six other souls to rebel against the one wielding their power.
But there are six souls, ready to help you beat this. A voice whispered to him, and again, for a brief moment, he could almost swear he felt the presence of Frisk with him.
“Your Majesty… Luna… don’t worry about me. I’ll keep him busy for now. I need you to tell the others that we’re going to need their help after all.”
Princess Luna nodded in understanding, but then leaned forward. There was enough of a gap for her muzzle to slip through, and she rubbed his own snoot before saying,
“I won’t be gone long.”
Asriel blushed, but nodded. Once she vanished, he tightened his grip on both of the chaos sabers he had brought into being. He took a few steps forward, before pointing one of them at the Shade.
“Alright, ‘brother’, you want a fight? You’ll get a fight.”
Shade-Chara grinned, which quickly morphed into that unsettling, spooky face Chara had always been so good at making, as an ominous tune began to play. With a malevolent cackle, and knife held at the ready, the Shade surged forward.
And Asriel rushed forward to meet him.
Also LikedSimilarAuthor
- Perfectly Insane · 268k words · 396 19 · 6k views
- Rainbow Sparkle · 28k words · 73 5 · 1.7k views
- URMajin · 15k words · 72 2 · 3.9k views
- Starkeeper_Ponyfic · 40k words · 75 5 · 2.8k views
- The Real Darkness · 28k words · 41 3 · 888 views
- Pomp-Neigh · 70k words · 128 7 · 2.6k views
- steel soul · 31k words · 77 3 · 1.5k views
- IndigoStorm27 · 86k words · 64 12 · 1.1k views
Stats
Page generated in 0.171 seconds
Total duration
1,081 users online
1,775,410 hits today, 1,872,792 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
Oh but life is a game and the dealer is THE most crooked of card sharks and if you are into religion, no matter what.
You lose
So, the shade found the remains of Chara's SOUL in Asriel and has been using it to torment him...
Sweet mercy, that's scary! Still, I get the feeling that this shade is going to get a walloping, friendship-style!
11763364
Worse.
A shade is an echo of someone who has died, latching onto others to break them down and take over them.
That shade is all that's left of the original, and has been there from the beginning.
This is gonna be good
11763625
11763364
Yup~! I've come to have (at least as my own head canon) that a bit of Chara always remained with Asriel when he became Flowey. And that the remnant of Chara acted as, essentially, the devil on the shoulder.
Oh yeah, this is gonna be GOOD.
The words... The WORDS. You have written the words and you have written them rightly.
Oh this is about to get rowdy!
Really good chapter, I wonder what's going to happen next with the battle and the conclusion and after what adventures asriel will have in equestria.