Darkness Calls

Azure awoke in dark place, her whole body ached something fierce. But for once she wasn't gasping for air, instead she wasn't breathing at all and even her heart seemed as if it no longer beat. A glance around showed nothing but darkness, not even a hoof in front of her could she see. It was a blank as it was dark, nothing to see and nothing to think. Why was she here? Afraid and alone entirely, she pulled her hooves closer to herself and curled into a ball.

"Why do I deserve to suffer like this? What have I done to deserve this dark lonely place?" She asked silently, only for silence to fill the place one more.

She closed her eyes as her mind wandered, what was she to do now? Was she dead? Was she truly being punished now? Were the visions before all a warning for what was to come? Should she had ran away? For just once, she wanted to have answers, not more questions that she would never get an answer to at this point. Even in her new hopeless environment, something sparked from within.

"Where a door closes, another one shall open. Perhaps this place is like that and I must find my way out in time?" She asked herself and stood up, only to fall once more on her flank.

"Oh come on, now what's wrong?" She asked herself and looked down at her forelegs, which appeared to have a strange metallic piece of armor over them.

Once more, she tried to lift herself, thankfully she found some balance and was able to stand. She was full of questions, full of ideas and the better question was why in Equestria she had armor on her legs. What was the point of it? Was she due for another vision already?

"Whatever you're planning this time, I won't succumb to it you monster!" She shouted, expecting the cursed voice to shout back. But her voice did not even echo, but seemed to instead be absorbed into the darkness.

"Azure?" Angel's voice echoed in her head and her eyes widened.

"Angel? Where are you? Oh please tell me I haven't completely lost it this time." Azure spoke frantically and began to look around for her friend. But still, it was nothing but darkness.

"Princess Luna, are you sure about this? Her heart's not beating, are you sure she's still in there?" Angel asked, though Azure was now beyond confused.

"My heart's not beating?" Azure asked herself with a confused look and started to trot along an invisible unset, path. She had to try and figure this out.

"She's not normal Angel, she's in a state of comatose. But she is very much alive, magic is still coursing through her veins and she is breathing. But her heartbeat confuses me. Someone get Princess Twilight right away, she may know what this is about." Princess Luna's voice echoed in Azure's head in a commanding tone.

"I'm so confused, where am I? Better yet, what am I?" Azure asked as she continued to trot on an endless path. She couldn't feel anything under her very hooves, she may as well be walking on air.

Azure let out a groan of both annoyance and tiredness, she felt like she had been walking for hours now. Her body continued to ache more and she started to miss the voices in her head. At least they would've made company in the vast darkness. Come to think of it, she really missed Angel's voice, though she had heard it not long ago. It was soothing to her ears, one that she could honestly desire to hear every second now that was all alone. But why was she where she was? Why in such a dark, unforgiving and quiet place? Was it that first voice she had heard that had brought her here somehow? Was that even possible? Who could say, but Azure would surely lose it entirely if anymore questions built up without any answers.

"I'm all alone again aren't I?" She asked aloud and came to a stop. What was the point of just walking endlessly?

"I do not know my destiny, purpose or reason of existence even!" She shouted into the darkness and let herself fall onto what she believed to be the ground.

"What is the point to me, and why? Why can't I know who I am and why am I tormented so?" She asked as she held back her tears.

Perhaps the first voice was right. She was pathetic at this point, she didn't have a clue as to why she existed or why she was here. It drove her slightly mad to say the least, all it would take is a sign that she should keep going. But when she needed something as much as that, the darkness surely will not allow it. She was ready to give up, the darkness would consume her here. And nopony would change that.

She slouched over and rolled onto her side. Ever since she had woke up, it was the same thing. More unsolved questions, more torment. Nothing truly had changed at this point. She sighed and closed her eyes. How she had heard both the princess's voice and Angel's was another mystery, but she blamed it on the darkness. She was so quick to give up and let it start to consume her, but she was alone, afraid and borderline crazy. But she hadn't missed the light yet.

"So you are really going to give up that easily and let it win huh?" A voice boomed from the darkness.

"Just leave me alone already, you win, I'm a failure and I still don't know anything!" She shouted back at the voice harshly.

"Silence! I wish to help you, not to be subject to your shouts." The voice boomed from felt like everywhere.

"Help me? Help me!" She asked and shouted back in a laugh, only to feel a strong slap against her cheek.

"Listen here, there is little time and much to say. So if you're done shouting, will you let me help you?" The voice asked as she whimpered and nodded.

"I will listen, just get on with it." She said plainly, though didn't want to raise her voice again.

"Very well, you are in a place called the Void. It's the darkest dimension in the universe, and only few make it out from its clutches before they go insane. You somehow have entered a state that is between life and death, hanging on the very edge of both. The slightest change and it could equal infinite death for you and you shall never wake. Do you understand?" The voice asked after it explained.

"I do, but how do I get out of here? And who's to say I'm not already crazy?" Azure asked, unsure of her own fate of mentality.

"You're far from crazy my dear, you're a sweet and kind mare who's simply riddled with darkness that only I understand as keeper of this realm. I cannot say who you are or why, for I do not know. All I know is that you're special and that you aren't supposed to be down here. Now are you ready to leave?" The voice asked and Azure stood up with newfound hope.

"I'm more than ready, but what is your name?" She asked the voice and looked around for some source, only for darkness to be her only sight.

"My name depends on if you can resist the tempting dark. If you should stay here, no more worries should fill your mind, no more torment and no more suffering would befall to you. You would be safe.” The dark, though soothing stallion’s voice explained as the gears in Azure’s head to started to work.

“No more suffering or voices in my head? No more questions?” She asked herself as it sounded too good to be true.

“What’s the catch then? For such a perfect peace?” She asked the voice, curious of the answer.

“You may never leave or return to Equestria.” The voice answered grimmly.

“Never return? Why would I want to?” Azure asked.

“You tell me, you are a smart mare after all. So why do you want to return?” The voice asked, though Azure wasn’t sure she even wanted back. This was the most peace and quiet she had in a while.

“I don’t really want to return.” She answered and her eyes widened as she covered her mouth.

“Then so be-“ The voice was cut off from Azure as her horn began to glow.

“I want to return to my friend, I probably left her terrified. Please, how can I return?” She asked as the voice chuckled.

“I knew you were a sweet mare, thinking of others is a nature that you were born with. Even if the darkness wants to keep it down, your spirit is strong. Are you see this is your final answer?” The voice echoed and Azure took a deep breath.

“I am sure, now please tell me how I can get out of here.” Azure pleaded as her horn continued to glow in the darkness.

"Very well. If you wish to get out, you must find the light in yourself. With that information, do as you will and good luck." The voice explained and once more, only the dark was left with Azure.

"That's it? That's all you're going to tell me?" Azure asked as her hope faded away. How was that going to help her at all?

She waited for a reply, but she didn't hear the stallion once more. Instead she was left with his words echoing in her mind. Cryptic as they were, She was alone without any answers. A heavy sigh left her as she let her head fall, and for the moment a single tear left her eye. She was fighting back an urge to just let it all out and accept her fate. But something wouldn't let her, something was aching for a different reason. Her very heart.

"What did he mean by, there is little time?" Azure asked herself and looked down at her forelegs which still had the armor on them.

Among the darkness, where she couldn't see anything, she could see the armor. But why, why could she see the armor and nothing more? With the stallion's words left in her head, something began to make sense. Light would reflect off of this metal just as it would a sword, right?

"The light in myself huh? I don't think I can exactly put this armor in me and find it, so what am I to do?" She asked in hopes for an answer from the stallion, whom remained silent in the dark.

Her mind was racing with ideas of what she could do, but she shook her head at most since they didn't make any sense. Not that she had made much sense herself. She raised one hoof and looked the armor. She saw her eyes staring back at her and she took a deep breath.

"Maybe the trick isn't to literally find the light in myself, but to find out what makes me, me?" She asked herself now, only making little sense from it as she stared into her own eyes.

She had an idea, but she didn't expect a reward from it. She recalled every moment that had occurred up until this point. Every word for the most part and everything she had been through. From waking up in a scorched crypt, from almost being eaten by timber wolves and even a plant, all the way to here.

On the metal, she saw the events playout and she made small mental notes of each action she took. When it finally came around to waking up in Angel's hooves, she smiled and felt a shiver down her back.

"I am a smart, clever, thought provoked, special and caring, warrior mare! Not a pathetic one, I am not a worthless warrior or a failure!" She shouted and once again closed her eyes.