Somewhere outside the suburbs of NSQC's neighbourhood, a woman walked up to a door of a store and flipped the board to say "Closed" on the front, before disappearing. A light in the back dimming….
In the empty streets, the flowers at the front of the shop rustled gently from a breeze.
Below the pot, its shadow shifted. A small seven handed shadowy arm reached up and grabbed a handful of flowers—not too much—and not too little, before gently pulling them into the shadows.
With care it moved carefully in a shadowy world, making sure not to damage a single stem nor petal.
All around the hand, thousands of other shadow hands also moved, different handfuls and bouquets of flowers in their grasp.
Moving gracefully in one direction.
They manifested above the ground, a motionless horde of arms carrying a field of flowers.
Arriving at the feet of a man who stood silently next to a layed out figure.
With care, one-by-one they placed the flowers on the ground before him.
His face was shadowed and hidden from the world, one could mistake its ominous appearance to hide something wrathful and restrained.
Maybe it did….
But it also hid something silent and remorseful, a feeling that resonated with all the shadows in the area.
Finally the last hand arrived and dissolved.
Slowly the man turned, reaching over and gingerly picking up the frail body. In its place, a hollow shadow coffin rose from the ground, before solidifying into a tangible object. A shadow coffin with the qualities of a Supreme memory.
A resting place worthy.
From the man's back, 6 shadows detached as they manifested. Their faces…..blank and empty, as they kneeled over—picking up the flowers, layering them into a delicate flower bed inside the coffin. Before finally dissipating…
The wind blew, ruffling the bodies unkept hair—stirring a slight shake from the man. Hesitantly, he lowered the body inside, the flowers soft and welcoming, embracing—petals dancing on his chest.
Alone Sunny stood….
He stared at that scene.
His eyes shakily moved across the body, checking every final detail. Slowly they moved up, settling on the three grooves on the tree. In his mind a voice quietly whispered…
'You see, I was prepared to die….so I made this groove, to leave a final mark on the world'
His lips trembled, finishing the sentence…
".....to leave proof of my existence so I'm not forgotten"
With sunken and deep eyes, he pitifully looked at his own lifeless face. At every scar, at every bruise at every contour of his skull pushing against his malnourished cheeks. He raised his arm, then he lowered it, repeated contrasting actions as he remained in a shaky stalemate—before tightly clenching his fists.
He took a step forward, as the shadow cover manifested. Quietly he picked it up, moving it across the top, as the shadows inside deepened and started to come across his body.
Hands quivered, his heart pounding rapidly at the sight of the shadows moving towards his lifeless face. It tore him apart.
'Come from shadows, return to the shadows'
Light continued to fade inside, as the shadows creeped up, covering and wrapping around his body, until finally covering it as the lid was sealed shut.
Sunless…..was finally laid to rest.
Slowly, the coffin sank into the shadows—as it rose from the abyssal waters inside a vast flat sea. Above, seven eclipsed suns glowed, while thousands of shadows stumbled towards it. They silently surrounded the coffin, staring at it with empty eyes.
One small shadow stepped forward.
A weak and skinny shadow of a boy, stumbled towards the coffin and looked down at it. Its eyes were blank and empty, his being devoid of feeling or emotion.
But strangely….the sight of the box made it feel colder.
It weakly raised its thin arm, placing it on top of the box.
All around the shadows silently watched the boy before parting to form a path for one that approached. Their ruler…..
Their Sovereign.
Sunny stood behind the shadow of his younger self. Sensing his overwhelming presence, the shadow turned to face…itself.
It stared at a reflection. A reflection that dwarfed him, one more powerful and absolute…..complete.
Sunny looked at his reflection.
Part of him wanted it to act up, he wished it would strike him in the face and clobber his body. He wished it would run away and chastise his existence….
It didn't, instead doing something far worse.
As it slowly leaned forward, bending its knee as it kneeled before its ruler.
Before its master.
The sight rocked his existence as he unconsciously took a step back. His hands, gently brushing the shoulder of the shadow, as his voice echoed everywhere.
"Never kneel before me again, never prostrate in anyway…stand resolute and strong"
It listened, obeying his command as it rose, moving to the side as Sunny looked at the coffin. From the crowd Slayer and Saint stepped forward, gently lifting the box onto their shoulders. Sunny looked at his shadow, quietly gabbing its hand as he walked with it towards the entrance of the Nameless Temple.
Behind, Saint and Slayer followed as all the other shadows trailed behind.
He froze, glancing up at a figure that rested at the top of the citadel, a venomous hiss sounding from his mouth.
"Get down here this instant you bastard!"
The Shadow of the Vile Thieving Bird moved, landing before him with a thud. It spread its wings, towering above him as it looked down.
Darkness stirred in the depths of his eyes, causing the realm to shake.
The Vile Thieving Bird looked back, before spreading its wings and kneeling forward—bowing to its ruler. He wasted no moment, gliding past like it didn't exist—as the others followed.
Quietly they arrived at their destination.
Sunny looked down before him, the sacrificial altar of the Nameless Temple.
Saint and Slayer passed by him, carefully placing the coffin on top. Sunny's final resting place. Where it both all began…..and ended.
He quietly stared at that scene, as did the identical shadow by his side.
Eventually he raised his hand, beckoning for something.
From the corner, Fiend walked out—carrying a wooden table and a chair, carefully laying them down next to the altar. It turned around to leave, pausing as its master's voice spoke out.
"Ah, this won't work"
Begrudgingly, it picked up the chair, walking back. A disembodied voice echoing from its maw:
"R–Ru–de…"
Sunny walked over, summoning the Shadow chair as he looked to the side. As to answer his gaze, another shadow walked in from the entrance. A middle aged man, clad in steel armour—his face empty and devoid. It arrived next to his side.
"Such a person deserves a seat of equal value don't you think? A chair fit, one in Supreme quality"
The shadow of Anvil silently looked at him, before kneeling down, and crawling around—laying still on his hands and knees. Sunny smiled at the scene, before beckoning his younger shadow to take a seat.
He sat down.
They stared silently across at each other, before the more alive one let out a groan. It rubbed it's head before slowly looking up, a conflicted smile on its face as it clenched its fists.
"I haven't been in such a terrible mood in a while….and it's taking all my will to be here really."
All around, the Nameless Temple quaked, as his voice grew darker.
"I'd love nothing more than to destroy something….really…..and two particular people in Bastion and Ravenheart are only making my terrible blood boil more"
The Shadow quietly listened, as he let out a deep sigh.
"Maybe in the past I would have done so, but I've lived through too many of such moments."
He paused.
"I could really do it, you know? We got so powerful, so, so powerful! There's almost none that could resist our wrath. It would only take one of me, and I could destroy the entire city along with them if I wished!"
Outside the wandering shadows stirred, turning in the direction of the temple in silence. They were all ready and listening, ready to unleash hell at a simple notice from their ruler.
But they didn't…..as he instead leaned forward, eyes scrunching as he unconsciously smiled.
A weak smile.
"But I won't….."
...
"Not yet at least"
His copy remained silent as he leaned back, his eyes twitching his voice now much weaker and vulnerable.
"I-I'm…."
The words choked in his mouth as he stuttered, struggling to get them out.
"I'm so sorry"
The Shadow offered no words or condolences as it sat still, its ruler now chuckling in a self-deprecating manner.
"Gods….I really am such a bastard, a real treacherous one. I've killed myself twice now."
He paused, looking into the shadows' eyes.
"I didn't mean for this….I-I just didn't want you to turn into a hollow, to be killed by the wonderfully valiant person out there"
…..
"I didn't want you to be killed only to be remembered as someone who gave up"
He hoarsely chuckled, his tone weak and mixed and croaky.
"I'm sorry you didn't get to live…..to experience and have the chance that I did" he whispered, his knuckles tightening, "And the w-worst part is..."
…..
"It's probably my fault. Two of the same existence in one world? Of course that wouldn't fly….so of course, they got rid of the more….weak….me"
He paused, his hands shaking from the silence—almost unconsciously summoning an avatar to fill the void. But he didn't…
He wouldn't run away this time.
"I guess I also saved you the hardship of experiencing something I wish I could forget, some things that made me wish for death"
Silently rising, he walked around the table—scooching next to himself on anvils back.
"But I also took away the chance for you to experience things that made it worth it, that made me—no, us happy for once"
A slight chuckle escaped his lips.
"Really, maybe I should write a story. One that spans over thousands of years, we—I may not look it, but we're technically a fossil"
His chuckle increased.
"No, really! It's a bizarre story that spans over thousands of years with me and—"
...
"With me and Nephis"
He glanced over, hurt by the lack of reaction from the name. One which in contrast set his being aflame.
"I can't tell if it's a blessing in disguise or punishment for you not to know and become entangled with her….it's very….complicated."
Lightly, he brought his hands up and patted the shadow, sadly smiling.
"I came here with the thought of taking a break and reflecting…"
He stirred.
"But I guess you won in the end, since now I have to fix what I ruined!"
....
"Well, what I ruined"
With a chuckle he stood up, dismissing the table and chair as he shooed Anvil away. Bringing the Shadow next to the coffin, he gently laid him to sit beside the coffin. His voice a calm whisper…
"Your best is enough, you can rest easy….i'll take over and make things right"
He rose, rubbing his eyes slightly as the doors to the Nameless Temple opened.
"Don't worry, I won't run away this time. I can make things better, I can stop the Nightmare before it begins…..I can stop all the Nightmares"
On his face, light shadowy tears trickled off as his lips quivered.
"I'll save them all, I won't let them suffer and die alone"
His voice rose, now loud and causing the Temple to shudder.
"I'll stop the Nightmare before it begins"
Silently the Shadow looked at its ruler. He smiled, turning away as he slowly walked towards the doors. The Shadow watched, looking at the coffin briefly and back, feeling….a little less cold. It leaned against the coffin, spreading its arms in an embrace as it closed its eyes.
It lay still….
Content, as it watched the doors close and the shadows welcome it as it slept.
On the other side, Sunny looked back—before summoning all the shadows to the steps. The army kneeled, spanning all across his Soul Sea, burning and ready to go. On his face, a ridiculous, hopeful smile burned as he raised his fist.
All across the plane his voice echoed.
"We'll change it all. We'll kill every miserable Nightmare creature, we'll stop every tragedy, we'll rip the Sovereigns' miserable heads from their shoulders!"
"This is the mercy of Shadow!"
"This is my mercy!"
And the shadows responded. Those with bestial forms rose on their legs as they roared into the sky, shaking the Soul Sea. All in the appearance of humans raised their fists and weapons, brandishing them with conviction. At the foot of the Nameless Temple, Saint, Slayer, Fiend, Mimic, Nightmare, Serpent all appeared—bowing before their master.
All were ready.
On the roof of an academy, a figure walked out of the shadows. They quietly looked at the sun in the distance, taking in the sight one last time.
Taking off the bracelet on his arm, he kneeled—placing it on his lap as a golden needle appeared in his fingers. Without wasting a second, he began to sow and weave invisible strings.
By his side, another of himself manifested, watching as a delicate girl with cane, carefully pass through the entrance. Her movements were stiff and self-kept, as everyone brushed past her towards the entrance.
"Ah, this is gonna be complicated"
A bitter-sweet smile tugged at his lips as not too far from the entrance, an armoured PTV pulled up. The doors opened, as a girl with short-silver hair stepped out, a blank look on her face as she walked towards the academy.
A shaky whisper escaped his lips.
"This is going to be really really complicated"