A Rising Shadow - A Rising Shadow / Part 1 - 3

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What happened. . .

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She was weak. . .

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She was in despair. . .

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She was BROKEN!

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Wasn't she?

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No, she wasn't.

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Her strength has proven that.

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Her willpower. . .

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It's inconceivable. . .

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There MUST be a way to break it!

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There HAS to be a way.

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And I'm going to find it.

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I'm not going to find it like this.

*slowly gets up*

Graaaahhhhhhh!

*panting*

It seems. . . I can finally. . . move again. Now, where am I?

*looks around*

*spots a light in the distance*

Well now, what is that?

*slowly limps towards the light*

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*tiredly observes orb of light*

Hmmm. . . It's her, little light, and brother.

*touches orb*

*GASP*

Sunlight: Forest! Forest! Hey,*huff* I finally found you. You really shouldn't be out here now, its almost dark.

Forest: . . . .

Sunlight: Forest?

Forest: *turns to Sunlight with tears* Sis. W-why, why did they leave us?

Sunlight: *sad* *sits by Forest* Forest, they didn't leave us. They-they didn't want to leave.

Forest: T-then why did they leave?

Sunlight: They didn't, the train took them away.

Forest: . . . . I miss Mom and Dad.

Sunlight: *tears* *hugs Forest* So do I Forest, so do I.

*steps away from orb*

*GASP*

*relieved sigh*

Her despair.

I can feel it. Its pouring from this orb.

Its so. . . invigorating.

*observes the orb again*

This must be her memory. Or at least, a memory.

But why is it in here with me? Her despair has healed me, and I can't imagine she would give me the means to do so. Unless, she doesn't know she did. Hmmm. I wonder. . .

*looks around again*

What else is in here with me?

*wanders in a random direction*

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*hears something*

Hmm? What is that?

*Walks towards sound*

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*spots a light in the distance*

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*it grows larger*

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*and larger*

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*and larger still*

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*stands before a barrier of light*

*awestruck*

I-I can feel it!

This! This is her power! This is how she defeated me.

Her power, it is greater than anything I could possibly have.

But I will find a way to break it. I will find a way to break her.

*steps in front of the barrier*

Hmm. . .

*touches barrier*

*GETS SHOCKED*

ARGH!!

*reals back*

*huff* So, I can't break through. Not in my current state. And not with her strength that great.

*looks at the barrier again*

*hears sounds*

*squints into it*

Its her mind, her conscious mind. Then I must be in her subconscious. Interesting. . .

*focuses on the sounds*

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It's her hearing! And I can see her sight as well. Intriguing.

*sits and stares into the barrier*

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This place is incredibly empty. I made my way back to the memory orb, seeing as its the only other thing in here, and I found it surprisingly quick. Maybe her mind is not as vast I thought. Wandering around I've found more memories, each one is full of the little light's despair, sadness, or anger. I've found that I can actually move them as well, so I've gathered them together. And it seems new ones keep showing up every now and then. I don't know why she is sending them to me here, but each one she sends gives me more strength. But it is still a pitiful amount compared to her's. Her power is just too great. There's no way I could gather enough strength to break it myself. Not on these memories, not with. . . . wait a minute. The barrier, it looks, different.

I don't know how, but the barrier just seems, different to me. Like, it's farther back.

There seems to be more light and color around it than usual.

And, what is that?

*moves towards the barrier*

Is that, a hole? In the barrier!?

*stands in front of the hole*

Its a tunnel. But, this wasn't here before. And where does it go?

*steps into the tunnel*

Where does this lead?

*everything grows brighter*

*squints against the light*

*everything gets brighter still*

*eyes are barely open now*

*the light becomes blinding*

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*exits the light tunnel*

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What IS this place?

What IS this place?

*gazes out upon a field of giant sunflowers*

Sunlight: *runs by giggling* Come here missus butterfly! I wanna go on a flying adventure with you!

Its her! Little Light, why are you here? Where in your little mind am I? And what can I find out about you here?

Sunlight: *notices the sky getting darker* Huh? *looks around for butterfly* M-missus butterfly? Where did you go?

Darkness: *sighs* Ahhh, Little Light your apprehension. . . It's so. . . delicious! *grins wickedly*

Sunlight: *freezes in fear, slowly looks up to the hill* I-i-it's you!

Darkness: *deeper sigh* I can feel your fear Little Light, your dread, your sadness. They're so. . . addicting.

Sunlight: *cringes in terror* *slowly backs away*

Darkness: *voice becomes disembodied* Let's see how terrified YOU CAN BECOME! *leaps down from hill*

Sunlight: *bolts away in terror and tears* AHHHHHHHHH!

Darkness: *gives chase* WHERE ARE YOU GOING LITTLE LIGHT?! ARE YOU AFRAID OF A LITTLE SHADOW?!

Sunlight: *flees over a field of wilted flowers* NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO!

Darkness: *disembodied laugh* AHAHAHAHAHAHAH!

Sunlight: *in tears* AAAAAAHHHHHH!! *trips and falls* OOOFF!!

Darkness: *pounces to land on her* AHHA!

Sunlight: *scream of terror* NOOOOOO-

Darkness: *suddenly a wall of electric light engulfs* *searing electric pain* AAAAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHH!

*thrown out and away form the light barrier still screaming*

*starts to roll around in pain*

AAAAAARRRRRRGGHHHHHHHH!!!!

*pain slowly fades away*

*huff*huff*huff* What-what, was that?!

Sunlight: *sobbing crying*

Huh? *turns attention to the barrier and Sunlight's awareness*

Sunlight: *hyperventilated sobbing*

Forest: *throws open bedroom door worried* Sis! *notices her tears, rushes to bedside concerned* Sis, what's wrong?

Sunlight: I- *sob* I, saw it! *sob* That darkness.. *sob* It, it was in my dream! *sob* It, it, it. . . .

Forest: *hugs Sunlight* It's ok Sis, it's ok. It was just a nightmare. That thing can't hurt you anymore.

Sunlight: *sobs quiet down some as she returns hugs*

Her dream? *realizes* That was her dream! So I am able to enter her dreams as she sleeps. Interesting. *frowns* But what was that?! I wasn't supposed to chase her, but, her pain was so, addicting. This could explain why I failed, I didn't think and she defeated me easily because I underestimated her. Well, that won't happen again.

*turns away from barrier*

She is still far stronger than I am. But in her dreams now, there may be some possibilities. I may be able to find something there that can weaken her strength. But for now, I need to regain my strength.

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After regaining my strength I decided to watch the Little Light as she went about her day. And it appears she's believed what brother has told her, she truly believes that what happened was nothing more than a simple nightmare *satisfied smirk* And I'm going to keep it that way. This time I'll see what happens in her dream without her even knowing I'm there. Now all I need to do is wait for her to sleep once more.

*sits and waits in front of the barrier*

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*barrier begins to recedes*

Ah, so her defenses do weaken when she sleeps, not by much, but just enough to allow me access to her dreams

*tunnel forms*

Hahaha! Now let's see what you can teach me Little Light. *steps into the tunnel of light. . .*

*. . .and exits into a forest covered brook*

Ah, good. Now, where are you Little Light?

Sunlight: *giggles nearby and getting closer*

*quickly hides away behind a tree*

Sunlight: *runs by with a variety of forest animals* Come on guys! We're goin on an adventure!

Hmmm. . .

*begins to follow Sunlight*

*takes notice of the sky darkening and leaves starting to fall from the trees*

Huh? What's changing the dream?

Sunlight: *stops and starts to look around wildly in fear* N-no, y-you can't be here!

*realizes* She knows! Somehow she knows I'm here! That's why the dream's changing then, she can sense that I'm here.

Sunlight: *becomes more frantic and fearful in her searching* J-just go away!

*sees that the sky has become darkened by clouds and nearly all the trees have become bare*

*sighs* Oh Little Light, your fear is so tempting. It'd be so easy to catch you once more. But I can't do that, not if I want your little weakness to remain a secret.

*observes Sunlight beginning to cry*

I believe it's time for me to depart. Now how do I leave?

Sunlight: *starting to become hysterical in her cries* Just go away! *sobs* Leave me alone!

I will do so as soon as I find out how. *focuses* Come on I need to leave here now!

*suddenly finds itself back outside the barrier*

Oh. Well that was easy.

Now how did she know I was there? She never even saw me, and yet she still knew I was there!

*notices that the tunnel suddenly closes and hears a gasp and sobs from Sunlight*

*contemplates Sunlight's awakened state, then turns away from the barrier* Hmm, I need to hide myself better when I go into her dreams. Otherwise she'll catch on, and then she'll find some way to keep me out. But how, she'll keep sensing me, and its not like I can become a part of her dream or. . . *idea* Or can I?

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*sits and watches as the tunnel once again opens*

Ok now, let's try this agin. *steps through the tunnel. . .*

*. . .and into a wide open meadow with trees dotting the land*

*hides away as it spots Sunlight* Now let's see if this works.

*touches a tree and begins to focus in on it as its part in Sunlight's dream*

*notices the sky beginning to darken*

She's starting to sense that I'm here. *focuses on the tree's part in her dream and tries to mimic that feeling itself*

Come on, come on, COME ON!! *starts using it's own energy and strength* Come ONNNNNNNN!!!!

*suddenly feels a sharp change in it's own body* GAAHH! *huff* *huff* Huh?

*realizes it's a tree exactly like the one it was touching* Ha, ha, hahahaha! I've done it!

*notices the dream returning to normal and Sunlight calming down* Hehehe, and now she can't sense me either. This is going to be very useful indeed. Now Little Light, let's see what secrets your dream holds for me. *begins to observe Sunlight*

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*calmly exits the tunnel as it closes behind*

*takes notice of Sunlight waking up*

*satisfied* Yes, she has no idea I was even there. *turns away from barrier* That was certainly interesting indeed, but not very informative. I suspect it will take much more than just one sojourn into your dreams to reveal anything useful. And with this new ability, you'll never even know I'm there. But we shall see what your dreams will reveal to me Little Light. In time, I will find you weakness. And then your defenses will fall, and so will your mind along with them. . . .