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                      Son of Shadows                       
                        -by Zoiks-                         
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                         Awakened                          
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Awakened
Silas felt himself drift into the memory.
He was young, his small grey body sat on a hillside, his black mane blowing in the wind. He stood next to his father and looked up into his eyes. His father looked down at him and smiled.
“Do you see this my son?” His father smiled and gestured across the green landscape.
Silas turned and looked out across it his bright blue eyes taking in everything. Before him streched a massive expanse of land. There nestled in the middle of the landscape was a city, the buidings gleamed and sparkled in the sun. In the center of the city a massive spire rose up. He knew this to be the Crystal Castle and it never ceased to fill him with a sense of awe.
He turned and looked at his father radiating with joy, “Of course I see it! its beautiful!”
His father laughed, “Son one day… when I am old and gone… this, this magical place, it will be all yours.”
Silas didn’t understand at the time and quickly responded, “But daddy you’re the king! You can’t go anywhere, without you the people will be sad!”
His father laughed and pulled his son into an embrace, “Silas, you will be a great king, I know that when the time comes you will make me proud.”
The memory slowly faded out, he felt himself drift away from the scene. He wished he could stay longer but he had no control over this sort of thing, the memories seemed to come and go as they pleased.
A voice echoed through the memory, “Silassss….”
Another memory began to form, he was standing in his fathers study, pouring over the many books that lay inside it. His father was at his desk laboring over the many papers that had piled up.
Silas read the book in his hooves furiously, it was a tome on magic. Since the day he discovered he would be able to do great feats of magic like his father. He had spent all of his free time pouring into every tome.
He placed the book at his side and focused on a small crystal paper weight he had before him. Concentrating as hard as he could he felt the spark of magic flow within him. He clenched his eyes tight channeling it up into his horn, he felt the power build.
Suddenly his eyes shot open and there was a flash, a dark beam shot out from his horn and struck the crystal paperweight. It did not levitate into the air as he had hoped it too but instead began to shake violently.
His father raised his head from the work on his table.
“Silas… son what are you doing?” He asked a smile on his face.
Silas watched in wonder as the crystal began to change, it lost its shimmer and gleam and slowly faded to a darker dull purple color. He stared at it in awe.
“Wow! Dad! Dad! Did you see that! Did you see what I did!”
His father looked over his desk at the small crystal paper weight on the floor, He smiled.
“Transfiguration magic! And at such a young age!” He beamed with pride. “I always knew you would have a gift for magic.”
His father stood up from his desk and trotted over to his sons side.
“Can you do it again?” His father asked encouragingly.
Silas beamed, “I can try!”
He focused once more, on the paperweigh. He clenched his eyes and gritted his teeth but he couldn’t get the magic to come to him again. Eventually he gave up, his brow covered in sweat.
He looked to  his dad apologetically a small frown on his face, “I’m sorry I can to it.”
His dad however beamed down at him, “Son there is no need to apologize! In fact this calls for a celebration! To be preforming such magic! “his father turned his head towards the paperweight on the ground. “And at such a young age!”
Silas felt the smile return to his face, he beamed up at his father and gave him a hug. His father returned the gesture letting out a laugh.
“Whoa there sonny, daddys got a lot of work he has to finish, but ill tell you what… when im done ill take you down to the fair ok?”
“Really!? You mean it!” His smile grew even wider.
“You bet,” His father said smiling down at him.
The memory dissolved, he floated once again back into the white mist of memory. The voice whispered once again through his mind.
“Silassss…..”
Another memory began to form infront of him, He had his hooves pressed up against the door of his fathers study. He was leaning against the closed doors one ear pressed up against it. Inside he could hear his father talking with someone.
Earlier that day, they had had a welcoming cerimony for a pony Silas had never seen before, she was large. Larger than anypony he had ever seen before. Her wings and horn were also gigantic, everything about this pony was so grand and regal.
He listened in closely and heard his father speak.
“…not going to happen, i'm sorry Celestia but he is my son… I will not allow you to sweep him away in your charriot to be studied.”
A female voice spoke, it was a wise and motherly voice, “Sombra, I am telling you the truth. I tried to convince myself otherwise but I sense dark magic coming from this place, and I believe h-“
His father spoke up now, his tone was firm and almost sounded angry.
“NO! you are mistaken, my son is a good and loving boy! Even if there were something wrong with him i'm sure its nothing that I can’t fix myself!”
He heard a loud bang as his father slammed his hooves on his desk. There was a long pause before he heard the large white pony’s voice again.
“Sombra, please listen to me… we only wish what is best for your son and your kingdom-“
“Enough I will hear no more of this! You request a visit to my kingdom and then start to accuse my son with these rediculous allegations! I think your visit has come to an end Celestia.”
Silas heard a scuffling of hooves as a pony rose to their hooves. He quickly dropped down to all four of his hooves and scampered down the hallway hiding behind the corner. He heard the doors open and Celestia’s voice carried down the hallway.
“Sombra… I will leave, but if I feel the precense grow stronger, and I feel like you cannot control the situation… I will intervene.”
Silas heard the doors close and Celestias hoofsteps carried down the hallway, he remained glued to the spot hiding behind the corned.
Suddenly her massive figure walked past the corner and she stopped. She turned her head and looked down at him, her multicolored mane blowing in the non existant breeze. He shrank back.
She smiled at him sadly, before turning back forward and walking down the hallway. He watched her go in awe.
When she had reached the end of the hallway the memory began to fade in swirls of white smoke, he felt himself being pulled away from the memory once again.
The smoke once again started to solidify, this time he was standing before his father. They were in his study once again and his father looked tired and weary.
“What exactly happened?” He asked, he was not angry but instead his voice carried a very concerned tone.
Silas looked up from his hooves, he was a bit older and was almost his fathers height, his long black mane was pushed off to the side. He responded in an apologetic voice.
“I’m sorry dad! I really am I tried to control it… but it just became to much… and I had to let it out.” He paused, he was beginning to cry. “A-and when I did it hit her, I didn’t mean to dad! Honestly! I’m so sorry.”
He was weaping now, he fell to the ground and sobbed. He felt his father place a hoof on his shoulder.
“Son… I know you are strong… and I know you are trying your best but this can't keep happening.”
Silas continued to cry at his fathers hooves, his father lay down before him and lifted his chin so that they were looking into eachothers eyes.
“Listen to me, don’t worry about what the other ponies say. I will always love you, no matter what happens just remember, I will ALWAYS love you…”
Silas felt himself float away from the memory, he was glad to leave this one. It only filled him with sorrow. The voice once again rang out through the white mist.
“Silasssss comeeeeee……”
When the memory formed he found himself in a dark cave, standing before him was his father. He felt himself look around, they were below the castle in the heart of the city.
Floating before them was a large crystal heart. His father was standing next to it. He smiled to his son and beckoned him over. Slowly Silas walked over to his father.
He was older in this memory, he was as tall as his father and heard his deep voice ring out across the caves.
“What are we doing down here dad?” He asked inquisitively.
His father looked at him and then to the heart that floated before them. He smiled as he gazed at it.
“Son do you know what this is?”
“Of course it’s the Crystal Heart, its what fills our city with love and light.”
Sombra turned to look at his son, he smiled, “Always the studious one aren’t you.” His father chuckled. “That is not all the heart does though.”
Silas looked at his father and smiled slightly, he was always eager to learn new things.
His father continued, “No the heart has another purpous, it is where we store our love for our people… while the love and kindness from our subjects is important, the true power of the heart lies within our contribution. You see the heart also helps to define us… the leaders.”
His father lowered his head and suddenly a stream of magic was flowing from him to the heart. He spoke while he was doing this.
“You see the heart… it is a powerful magic, it is a vassle for more than just love. It can carry any sort of emotion, magic, or power…. Which is why I have brought you here today.”
Silas looked at him confused, “What do I have to do with this.”
His father looked at him, he smiled a weak smile, “Well, we have tried many things to fix your… well outbursts and we have run out of traditional methods…”
Silas looked away from his father, he was embarrased whenever they brought up the random spurts of magic that seemed to grow inside him.
“Well the heart, it is a powerful magic and maybe, just maybe it can fix you.”
Silas looked at his father, a hurt expression on his face, “But dad… you said there was nothing wrong with me, that I was just as normal as everypony else.”
His father once again smiled and drew his son into a hug, “You are my son… you are. However the world does not see you the same way that I do… and if there is anyway to make them see you the way I do… well I will take that chance.”
The memory once again faded into white smoke, he felt himself float towards the celing of the cave and back into the whiteness. The voice hissed out across the nothing.
“Silassss Comeeee….”
The next memory rushed into place, he found himself in his fathers study. It was a few weeks after he had interacted with the crystal heart. When he had sent a burst of his magic into it the heart had reacted violently.
His father and himself had been thrown across the room and crashed into the walls. He now stood before his father who was sitting at his desk rubbing his hooves against his temples.
Silas looked to his father concerned, “Are you alright father?”
His father looked up at him his eyes seemed to glow in the dim light of the study, “Yes… yes i'm ok… how are you do you feel any better.”
Silas looked down at his hooves, despite their efforts the spurts of magic had not stopped, things had become worse in fact. He had begun to feel something stirring in his mind and he didn’t know what it was.
“No… the incidnents continue… but father I’m fine, it is you I worry about.”
His father looked up suddenly and hissed, “I’m fine!” His father suddenly sat back in his chair a look of shock upon his face. “I- I’m sorry, I don’t know where that came from…”
Silas looked at his father, he looked tired. He had bags under his eyes and his mane was a mess. He turned his gaze to his fathers desk, the mountains of paperwork had only gottten higher in the past years.
“It’s alright father I know how worried you have been, and with all this work you must be stressed.” He paused for a moment. “Would you perhaps like some help?”
His father stared at his son and smile formed on his face, “Son you don’t have to do this you know, i'm still a capable stallion.”
Silas walked around the desk and placed a hoof on his fathers shoulder, “I know but I worry about you dad… i'm allowed to worry right?”
His father stared at him for a long while before pulling his son into a hug, “Of course you are.”
Silas felt himself slip away from this memory, the fog once again consuming him. He heard the voice again.
“Silassss come backkkk…..”
The next memory once again faded in, he was standing outside his fathers study once again listening to the two ponies inside talk. The white large pony Celestia had returned again. They were talking heatedly inside the study.
“I told you the first time Celestia I have the situation under control!”
“Sombra, you have the situation anything but under control, the magic is growing and spreading. I fear even you might be in danger.”
“DANGER! The only danger I see her is from you, threatening to take away my son from me!”
“Sombra please listen to me, all I want to do is hel-“
“Quiet! I have heard about enough of this, he may not be perfect but he is not some lab rat for you to steal away and oogle at!”
Celestia raised her voice, “Sombra! If you do not comply I will be forced to take action!”
“You wouldn’t dare! This is my kingdom, this is my SON! We are talking about! You leave my castle, you leave my land! Never return!”
He once again heard the shuffling of hooves as a pony got to their hooves, he once again quickly shuffled down the hallway hiding once again behind the corner. He heard the door open and Celestias voice once again ring out down the hallway.
“Sombra… consider yourself warned, if I do not hear from you within the next month I shall return. This time not for a plesant meeting.”
He heard the door close and the hoofsteps of the white pony as she walked down the hallway towards where he was hiding around the corner. When she passed by the corner she stopped once again and looked down at him. She stared at him for quite a while and he stared defiantly back at her.
He felt himself drift away, he held her stare as the memory disolved, finally she was gone and he was once again alone in the swirling fog. The voice spoke this time louder than any time before.
“Silassss come backkkk to mee…..”
The fog once again solidified.  He was deep underground standing before him was the figure of his father, barely recognizable from the father in the previous memory. His mane was a flowling black shadow and his eyes were a bright glowing green, his red pupils stared at his son.
“Silas… I have done all I can…. All that was within my power to protect you.”
Silas looked at his father and felt the sorrow in his heart grow, “Father please there must be some other way.”
“No.” His father turned and walked away from him, his hoofsteps echoing across the caves hard stone floor. “As we speak Celestia mounts an assault on the very door of our castle… she will not stop untill she has you.”
His father turned and looked at him, a expression of sorrow on his face.
“This is the only way for me to keep you safe… the only way to protect you….”
Silas felt a tear roll down his cheek, “W-will… will it hurt?”
His father walked across the stone floor and stood before him, he felt his father lift his chin with his hoof. He stared into his fathers green eyes.
“Not at all my son… just know… know I did it all for you. I will wake you when it is over, when you are safe.”
His fathers horn began to glow and he felt the crystals around his hooves begin to climb up his. He fought the urge to panic and stared deeply into his fathers eyes.
“Just know… know that I love you son.”
The crystal was climbing up his neck the cold seeped into his fur.
Before it coverd his face, Silas spoke.
“I love you too dad.”
He felt the crystal creep over his face and felt himself slip away into the white fog, he drifted into a sleep. He floated there in the fog, he could not tell if this was part of the memory or if the memory had faded. Then he heard it the voice.
“Silasss come back to mee….. Wake up.”