Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, or Breaking Dawn.

AN: I do live. I'm sorry I didn't update I'm A Bitch instead, but my creative juices pushed me to write this. I would have added it to Wilting Hearts and Bleeding Roses but I liked it better solo. This is just a one shot, inspired by Hollow by Submersed, Never Too Late by Three Days Grace and Not My Time by 3 Doors Down. none of which I own. Well, I listened to those as I wrote. It was mostly inspired by paintings of "Paradise Lost." Links to images will be in my profile. Please review, and I hope my grammar isn't too bad.

P.S. The title is German for Shadow.

:-:

Schatten

The sky churned, a deep ominous purple that was swollen with an approaching storm, ready to belt its wrath to those non-existent observers below. Dark mountains shot up from the ground, towering above the land, its dark shadow crawling across the terrain, reaching and enveloping the gnarled trees that twisted in a grotesquely beautiful manner, a pale skeleton of what was once a magnificent sentinel, a ghost of what once was, and what was lost. There was no sound to be heard, besides the screams of the past, the whispers of the future, and the hush that was the present.

This silent singing was interrupted as the earth began to quake, a great groaning came from the rocks, and the seams of reality seemed to loosen themselves as the hard clay ground split apart with a roar, revealing a gaping mouth miles deep. At the same time, the sky began to move, a great bolt of lightening splitting apart the sluggish clouds, revealing a blinding light that shattered the shadow below, racing into dark crevices and chasing the gloom away. From both splits, the slice in the belly of the clouds and the gaping slash in the Earth, two figures came racing out, too quick to be seen in a solid form, the only thing discernable being the white, gold hope radiating from the sky being and the dark, sinister shadow that enveloped the child of soil, the swirling, dark mist chasing after him. The sky sealed again, and the light was diminished as a great crack of thunder shook the mountains, and the two beings collided in mid-air.

Lightening danced across the sky, and thunder continued its serenade as in the middle of the air, dark and light clashed. The two creatures were locked tightly together, seeming to almost dance. Great wings sprouted from each back, the sky being sporting a blindingly white grace that beat steadily as it struggled with the other creature, whose midnight black wings thundered furiously as he tried to gain the upper hand. Neither creature spoke, their physical struggle needing no words, since the cause was mentally sound. With a great heave, the light pushed the dark away from it, and dove down after him, bringing the battle slightly closer to the ground as once again they collided, entangled in their battle for what was believed right, for what they needed, for their desires and unspoken will. Lightening illuminated everything, a blinding spider quickly dashing across the sky.

The creature of white stumbled slightly, and the darkness took its opportunity, tumbling them through the air until he was above, forcing down upon the light. Their arms and legs were tangled as they struggled, a seductively violent dance that raged on. Thunder rumbled on, and the dark began to force the light closer to the ground, as it stared up at him with wide, determined eyes, lightening flashing in the mahogany of them, showing raw desire to win, as they met with the emerald orbs burning from the shadow. Teeth bared, they tumbled toward the earth, to the right of the lip of the gaping wound that still broke through the soil and stone. With a thundering crash, they slammed into the soil, wings snapping into their backs to be protected from the impact. As they stood, they continued to fight, and once righted the great wings snapped open again, spreading over several feet in span. They circled each other, once, twice, three times, and then lunged. The storm continued to rage and ravage the sky, as they clawed and tore at one another.

A great bolt, and shattering boom, and the storm suddenly began to quiet. The Earth became still, the shrieking pasts quieted, and the silent trees observed solemnly. The fight had stilled, and the emerald eyed shadow was cradling the dimming light in his arms. Slowly, they lowered to the ground, and the white wings spread out limply from beneath her. Her dark hair flowed over shadow's arm and to the ground as her neck tipped back, her chocolate eyes hidden behind pale lavender lids. The shadow stared at her face as his disarrayed hair cast a shadow over his eyes, darkening the emerald to forest green. The copper color of his mane gleamed as one last flash of lighting unleashed rain.

As the light continued to fade, his dark wings stretched wide, and then curled forward, enveloping them both.