Shadow Mark

The doctors walked into the observing room minutes later. One walked up to Shadow and said to him “I need to give you a sedative; you’ll wake up in an empty room. This is because in every case I’ve seen the pain comes about a day later so we put them in almost an asylum room to keep you safe.”

Shadow nodded understanding though fearing it. They injected the needle into his neck. The world began to go fuzzy and fade. He actually gripped to stay awake but It was fruitless he was asleep in seconds.

Shadows Dream.

He was in a void nothing around but the tendrils of living darkness and shadow. A figure appeared before him. As he looked more intently at it the figure seemed to be the older version of him he saw when he was blinded. His mane was longer he had a white goatee, and he was taller, much taller. Actually he was the height of Celestia. (Basically a full grown horse)

“Young Shadow. You have discovered your powers for the first time. So I must warn you of the consequences of such.” The older Shadows voice boomed and echoed across the void of his mind.

“What do you mean? Are you speaking of when I was able to see without eyes. And when you appeared around the same time the pain subsided.” Shadow asked as the other nodded his head

“Precisely, the powers of the shadows themselves are great. Are they not?” The older him looked into his eyes and walked over to him. Close enough to whisper even though it could still be heard for a while in distance.

“The shadow? What do you mean? Are those what the powers are called?”

“Indeed they are the shadows of the void in which you stand. To call upon them again though, you must be warned. That you cannot die or feel pain using the shadow. Neither can you die while feeling the pain of the shadow. But once it goes which it always must, you will feel the pain of whatever you felt while using it five times over. Meaning unbearable pain, the pain of death over and over again if you cannot take it then choosing you was a mistake. It is your namesake after all.”

“You mean when I wake up I’ll feel all the pain of the fire and burns that I should have felt along with the pains of the current burns.”

“Unfortunately yes, I must leave you now though I feel we will meet soon.”

“One last question. Who are you what are you?”

“Young Shadow I am you yet I am you when you call upon the shadow I am merged with shadow, worked into my very flesh. Use my powers well.”

It all faded then he felt himself flying through a tunnel launched by some invisible force.

The room.

It was only about five seconds, from the time that he woke up that he started wailing in agony. Rolling on the floor writhing; beating away his own flesh to stop the pain. Blood soaked the floor in puddles splashing as his inconsistent writhing in them made them larger.

His vision was gone as he realized that. Feeling a burning and stabbing. The only actual cuts he had where on his neck belly and legs yet they were bleeding furiously. As if to make up for what they missed, which only Shadow realized that they were.

For the three days that he was in there he never once stopped the howling. It was heard throughout the entire castle.

Constantly. He was blind yet occasionally he saw using the shadow. Faint but still seeing, all he saw though was his own blood stained everywhere.

He did not even notice that there was a window that was placed to observe all though it had been closed after the first hour because he had flown into it covering it with blood.

Three days after that he was still writhing in the ever growing puddles of the thick substance of blood. Any normal pony would have bled out about five times over by now. But he had some sort of protection because of the shadow.

He then heard an opening of a door. Turning blindly towards the sound he heard pony’s five or six he couldn’t be sure. He heard mumbling mostly complaining about how much blood they had to clean. “Who’s there…” he managed meekly

“Can you not see us? I and my sister were both amazed at your performance. The test has never been outsmarted you were the first we had to see you and now that your yelling has stopped.” He heard a familiar voice say

“No I cannot, I am blinded. I fear I can no longer be the Princess Lunas guard. I suppose I’ll have to find something else to do. Hopefully the Princesses will still let me do something here at the castle.” Shadow then had a coughing fit with blood “Ok I think that’s the last of it. Although I need a doctor to be sure.”

“What do you mean blinded I saw you write on the walls in your blood. You were the most qualified guard in history and you’re blind! Tia can’t you heal him?”

“TIA! You two are the princesses!” he stood up and bowed his head to them. “Forgive me for not knowing earlier princesses I did not recognize you.”

“unfortunately Luna the powers that cause him pain are beyond me. They are the shadow of the void. I cannot tamper with it. I suppose I could help fix his eyes but it may hurt. Are you okay with that Shadow?”

“If it is anything like the pain of the shadow then no but if it means being guard for Luna then yes. Yes I am ok with this.” He said still bowing.

“You may rise. I will try my best but I cannot do everything.”

Then as Celestias horn began to glow the empty eyes in shadows head shrunk then grew. He felt them popping and fixing he tried not screaming. So he remained silent.

When it was done he could see. And wished he couldn’t the place was stained with blood stains not just a puddle here and there but it covered the ground. Although it was a small room only about seven by seven feet. Maid ponies were already cleaning it, he felt sorry for them.

“Can you see?” Luna asked hopefully “Yes you can I can see your horrified at the room. Don’t worry they will clean it up.

"Thank you Tia.”

“Thank you my princess for giving me my vision back. I am very grateful.” Shadow said respectfully.

“Oh no it’s any trouble. My sister thought you were a great addition and I had to see for myself. I can’t wait to see the results of the weekly competition.”

“Weekly competition? What do you mean princess?”

“You see Shadow to train and boast and have a little fun we set up little skirmishes between mine and Celestias guard you’ll participate in next weeks on Saturday.”

“Sounds fun can’t wait. Is there a guardhouse though to sleep and rest?”

“Yes I’ll show you there later after we get you some armor.” Luna said as she motioned for him to follow.

“One last thing Shadow. Don’t use the shadow on the other recruits maybe in the spars just nowhere else it could kill or injure someone.”

Shadow nodded in agreement. “If I am attacked though I shall use it.”

“Agreed.”