Here's the next chapter. Hope you'll enjoy it :)
human dragon - Thanks so much, I'm glad that you liked it.
Tenma Kirin - Ha ha I suppose she is. Here's the next chapter.
Ninjafang1331 - Thank you so much.
Alpha wolf ML - Ah well, I'm glad you liked the omake anyway. I'm also glad that you enjoyed the chapter, I've been preparing it for a while. I watched at least a dozen YouTube videos on how to write a good villain and I think I did an alright job. Hope you like this chapter as well, I've been looking forward to writing a Phobos Trial. Unfortunately, I can't really tell you whether the Grand Master will meet Fairy Tail or not because I don't want to spoil it for everybody. Thanks for reading.
Davidab931 - I'm glad to hear it. Thanks for reading.
wellingtonlucas282 - No problem, hope you enjoy the next chapter.
Blaze1992 - I suppose, but it works. Thanks for reading.
Djinn - Thanks so much. There are still some things that haven't been revealed yet and some things that Condhuine still needs to explain, so I definitely expand on the Phobos Slayer's motives.
K. God - Thanks, the omake was experimental. I wrote one for one of my other stories and I wanted to see how people would react to it.
Thanks for reading, yeah I had to admit it was a little cliché, but it was still very fun to write. We will go into more depth about Muireall's motives in this chapter before moving on the Phobos Trial. Hope you'll enjoy.
UltraNova1225 - Wow! Thanks so much. I'll be sure to write even better chapters in the future.
Lelouch of Zero - Well done for figuring it out. I was trying my best to keep it a secret by sending out red herrings. It got to the point that people were reviewing that the Phobos Slayer's motives didn't make sense and I was telling them to please be patient. I suppose I should be glad that I was leading people astray. Anyway, Muireall and Night Terror will encounter each other again and...I can't say much without spoiling it. Sorry. Night Terror's name is suppose to be hidden from both the characters and the readers. Even I'm undecided what his name is. Thanks for reading and don't worry about the insulting reviews. It sucks, but you c'est la vie. Hope you enjoy the next chapter.
Keyblademaster 21177 - Thanks so much. I've looked into Matoi and, as you said, it does sound like something from Fairy Tail. I'll be sure to include it in later in the story. Thanks for the recommendation.
Skull Flame - Yeah, we will go into much more depth in this chapter and the motives. It's going to be very interesting to say the least. Thanks for reading.
MDM11 - Thanks for the recommendations as always. I try and make sure to use as much of them as possible. Hope you enjoy the next chapter.
danielsnow - Thanks so much. Night Terror will reveal his face, but I don't think he's ready to show it to Fairy Tail. Concealing his face strengthens his hold on an enemy's fear and so revealing it is risky. But it will happen in the future, I promise. Thanks for reading.
iRick - No problem, I'm glad you are enjoying the story so far.
ikusatunagi - You're welcome. I hope Night Terror does as well, but will he forgive her for everything she's done.
Yuekasha - I suppose so, thanks for reading.
Pragma - That's a shame. I'm sorry to hear that this story isn't for you. Thanks for reading anyway.
Thank you all for reviewing :)
Timorin is in Italics for convenience
Chapter 16: Deepest, Darkest
Night Terror woke up, gasping for air. He remembered the nightmare.
He sat up and saw that he was back under the tree with his head resting on a tree root. Condhuine waited beside him and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"It is alright. You are safe now-"
Suddenly, Night Terror grabbed his grandfather by the throat and, quick as flash, slammed him into the tree. Condhuine didn't flinch or give a startled cry of pain. He just looked up at Night Terror's bandaged face with calm expression on his face. Night Terror had a dark aura surrounding him. He was beyond furious with everything now that he had remembered, his mind was filled with guilt, grief and most of all unanswered questions.
"WHAT WAS THAT!?" he bellowed, "WHAT WAS THAT!?"
"It was your past. I am sorry."
"Shut up! Muireall would never betray the Clan! She took the teachings much more seriously then I did! That can't have happened!" he yelled before he realised something, "How did you know she would be there? Did you know she was going to do this!?"
Condhuine sighed sadly, "Yes. Yes I did."
Night Terror lifted his free hand above his head, poised to strike the old man, "You better explain yourself or I'll-"
"Or you'll what? Hit me? Kick me? Scream at me like a child?" the Grand Master interrupted with anger in his tone, "I thought I taught you better then this."
Silence followed after he said that, as the two Phobos glared at each other. Eventually, Night Terror lowed both his hands and fell to his knees, holding his head in hands.
"What happened to her?" Night Terror whispered, "Please. I have waited enough, Grandfather."
Condhuine's face softened as he nodded in agreement. He shakily got on to his knees before Night Terror and laid a hand on his shoulder.
"I understand. I am sorry to put you through this," he gently said before taking a deep breath, "Long ago, three hundred years after the deaths of Five Brothers, a philosopher called Feallsanachd put forward a theory of how the Phobos Clan will collapse. Not because of war, plague or our own doing...but by the Anam itself."
Night Terror's head snapped up in shock, "What do you mean? The Anam is a peaceful place."
"I know and it is," Condhuine told him, "It is a wonderful place where no harm could befell us. But that is the problem. The Anam provides us with warm summers and cool winters. Bountiful harvests and an abundance of resources. It never floods, there has never been droughts, or vicious storms or has never suffered any natural disaster. It is too perfect. Fear Magic requires the user to understand the meaning of fear and in order to understand fear you must experience it. Feallsanachd noticed that our Clan's power was become weaker with every generation because they are not threatened by anything in the Anam. Even today, our peoples' power was barely a fraction of the first generation. Feallsanachd theorised that this peaceful existence will soon be our doom which, as you can imagine, worried our people back then. They had set up laws to counter this. Stricter religious practices, education on Fear Magic became obligatory, patrolling the outside lands were no longer voluntary, Grand Masters had to be learn all five Fears. In the end, none of it was enough."
'The Clan...was condemned from the start,' Night Terror thought in horror, 'I didn't know.'
"However," Condhuine continued, "Feallsanachd also theorised that once the Clan was destroyed a few Phobos would finally learn what it meant to be lost and to feel fear just as did the Five Brothers. The ones born from misery and fear would be more powerful then any Phobos in the past centuries."
"Muireall and I," Night Terror hesitantly said, "Are we that few?"
"Yes...but you weren't the only ones. Eighteen years ago, I sent three Phobos to the outside lands to scare away a dark guild that was threatening a settlement. Although, it would seem that the settlement had betrayed to the dark guild and they...were killed. One of the three was a husband and father called Caden. When his wife, Doireann heard of his death, she became grief stricken and became recluse. Knowing of the inevitable destruction of the Clan, she trained her daughter ruthlessly in the way of the Faceless One to make sure that Phobos legacy with on through her. So, ruthlessly that when her mother passed away, the daughter didn't even attend her funeral or never talked to about her to anyone. That daughter was Muireall, Leanabh."
Night Terror didn't know how to react, but stare blankly at Condhuine. This was the first time he had ever heard of Muireall's parents, in fact he doesn't remember ever meeting her mother. Her house was in a wooded area a couple of miles away from the town and, now he thought about it, Muireall had always dragged him away from the direction of the woods and never invited him over.
"She never...told me," Night Terror uttered.
Condhuine shook his head, "I wouldn't have thought so. The Gun Aghaidh privacy law prevented the elders and I to intervene, so you were the only sort of comfort that she ever had. An escape from her training and her mother. You wouldn't have known what was really going on and I had a feeling Muireall didn't want you to know either."
The younger Phobos gripped his fists in anger. Ignorance was not an excuse. She should of told him. Somebody should of told him. Why was he always the last person to know.
"The second Phobos who was killed was also a husband and soon to be father called Caradoc. His wife, Avalon, was heavily pregnant at the time and the news shocked her into premature labour. She didn't survive the birth, but her baby did-"
"Stop," Night Terror demanded softly, "I don't want you to tell me again."
He really didn't like talking about his parents Night Terror knew their names and how they had passed away, but he was never told what caused it.
"What does this have to with anything?" Night Terror questioned.
"Two children," Condhuine continued, "born from misery and fear. I had realised that this was a sign that the Phobos Clan were coming to an end. It was my duty as the Grand Master to make sure that you two are prepared for your trials. Muireall had always hated the daonna, even before the incident at Elend. Her father was killed by them causing her mother to become cold and stoic. I had known ever since you two returned from Elend that Muireall was going to bring the end of the Phobos. For months she would lock herself in the library, practise her magic and I saw how her magic had grown much, much stronger. Her hate driving her into becoming more powerful. And before you ask, no I don't know what happened to her during her trial. Master Gun Aghaidh had kept it a secret from me."
"Why didn't you stop her? All she needed was somebody to talk to," Night Terror angrily questioned, "All of this talk of theories were created hundreds of years ago. What makes you think they are true?"
"They are true. They are now, anyway. The reason why I didn't stop her was because I have meddled to much with the order...and I have been punished for it," Condhuine sighed sadly, bowing his head to look at the ground, "You never asked me who the last Phobos who had died. Her name was Ailis and she was one of our greatest fighters. Kind, strong, talented," as he spoke, Night Terror noticed tear drops forming around his grandfather's eyes, "She was loved by everybody. I still remember how she used to laugh...her long blonde hair...her little mischievous smile...how she used to wrap her little hand around my finger whenever I held her...she-"
"She was your daughter," Night Terror guessed, "wasn't she?"
Conduine nodded, his teardrops falling onto the ground below, "I sent her to her death, Leanabh. I killed my own baby. Ever since then, I prayed to the gods to take me instead of her, but I knew it was foolish of me," he sobbed, "When you were born...I knew the future that . You were so innocent and you were all alone in the world. As a Grand Master, I knew I should have left you alone in isolation so you can become more powerful. But as a father, I just couldn't let you suffer...so I adopted you, made sure your life was plentiful and showed that you were loved."
"But you realised your mistake," Night Terror said, "that is the reason you did not allow me to take the trials. I was not ready because you didn't allow me to experience true fear. By taking fate into your own hands, you had doomed the Clan. You hid yourself away from me in an effort to fix things, but it was too late. Things were already in motion."
"And as punishment, I watched my people die in front of me," Condhuine said as he lifted his head, tears streaming from his eyes, "I'm sorry Leanabh. I brought this cursed life upon you, Muireall is now lost in her anger and brought disaster to our Clan. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
Night Terror looked at the ground, not meeting Condhuine's tear filled eyes. His body became rigid and his fists were so tight that his fingernails were starting to dig into his palms. They spent a few moments in silence as Night Terror processed all this information. However, after a while, the Grand Master grew concerned by the lack of response.
"Leanabh?" Condhuine questioned, reaching his hand out to him.
Night Terror pulled back.
That simple action almost broke the old man's heart.
"I'm sorry," Night Terror apologised, "I am grateful for all you have done...but I feel like my entire life has been a lie. Or perhaps I was just stupid to not recognise what was going on around me. What do I do now? My Clan is dead, I have no power left and Muireall is out there and I have no idea of where to find her. I have no other purpose... I just feel lost."
Condhuine wiped the tears from his eyes, "Surely there must be somebody in the outside lands that you have bonded with."
"...There is my guild...but I do not want to burden them. Everybody has their own problems. I have to confront my own," he sadly said.
The Grand Master sighed and nodded in understanding, "I see that there's no choice. If you want direction then allow me to suggest you something. On the north coast of the island there is a cave where light is afraid to shine upon. In order to become a true Night Terror you must travel down to the depths of the cave where you must defeat the monster within. Only then will you be rewarded with the power of darkness and shadows."
Night Terror blinked in surprise. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"You don't mean..."
Condhuine nodded, "Yes, you are ready to take on the trial of the Dorchades."
The Trial of the Dorchades
O Great Fear, the second brother,
Calm and observant, patient and tranquil,
He journeyed across the island to the deepest, darkest depths of the forest and found a cave absent of warmth and light.
When he was young, he feared the dark,
At first he thought it was because he scared of those hidden,
But as he climbed into the abyss, he soon realised the real reason to be scared of the dark.
When enrobed in shadow's embrace, there is no safety nor sanctuary,
You cannot move, but you are not bound, like falling into an endless pit,
You are simply lost and forgotten, trapped in the expanse nothingness for eternity.
The Great Fear, his will stronger then his invisible chains, became one with the darkness and took control of it,
Moulded, gave it shape, gave it reason,
With his armour of metal and shadow, the Great Fear became the Night Terror, mage of the abyss.
Reader be warned, for the Great Fear was able to free himself from the darkness,
But you may not be as lucky.
(Excerpt taken from the schoolbook 'History of the Great Fears'. Originally in Timorin, but translated into English by Victor Soul)
North Coast of the Island of Fear
Night Terror decided to sail around the island, navigating his way through dark waters and jagged rocks to the north coast. He travelled through the forest. Deeper and deeper he travelled until the trees were so densely packed that no light could break through the branches.
It was silent. Impossibly silent.
The darkness would make it difficult for anyone to pass through, but the Night Terror walked gently as if it was as clear as day. Deeper and deeper he want until he found the place he was looking for.
Before him, burrowed into the face of a cliff, was a pitch black cave, so dark that even the Phobos had trouble seeing into it. The entrance was round and reached about a foot above his head and was a merely a meter wide. Etched above the entrance there was a symbol of the Dorchades which bore resemblance to a closed eye. The symbol of the Great Fear and his kin.
It was so unassuming, so simple. Hidden in the shadows where nobody could find it.
This was definitely the place.
Around the entrance of the cave there was an inscription written in a very old form of Timorin that nobody has used for centuries. Night Terror inspected the inscription trying his best to decipher the message. He thought it read:
'Stop, traveller. For you have arrived at the Pit of Nothingness where no light can be seen, no sound can be heard and no sane mind can be recovered. Beware, for if you venture down to the deepest, darkest depths, you will lose more than just yourself.'
Night Terror was weary of the message, but he couldn't stop. Not after everything. He noticed steps carved into the floor of the cave, taking the person entering into the ground and into the dark unknown. He picked up a stone from off the ground and tossed it gently down the stairs. The stone skipped from step to step, making a tapping sounds as it went. The stone left his field of vision but he could still hear the tap, tap, tap sound of the stone until the sound stopped abruptly. There was no echo or any sign that the stone was still going down. It was as the stone was swallowed up into the inky darkness.
Night Terror took a deep breath and climbed down the stairs. The stairs were steep and uneven in places and so he had to make sure to keep a steady pace otherwise he would trip.
Deeper and deeper he went.
There was nothing for him to see. He turned back to the entrance but saw it was a mere speck in the distance.
Deeper and deeper.
He reached out to touch the stone cold wall and was surprised to feel that it was much closer to him. About thirty centimetres if he d to guess. He reached up at ceiling and felt that it too was closer.
Deeper and deeper.
He had no idea how long he has travelled or how far. Has it been hours? Days? The lack of anything interesting to see made his mind wonder, making him lose track of time. It must have been far. His legs were tired. Yet, the stairs continued going down, further into the depths.
Deeper and deeper.
The walls around him were getting closer. He could feel the cold, wet stone brush against his shoulders and he had to bow his head so it don't bang on the ceiling. The stairs continued to go down. They didn't twist in any direction or stop.
Deeper and deeper.
The walls were too close and Night Terror had to travel sideways down the stairs. He felt as if they crushing him, squeezing him, choking him.
It made him feel small. Very small and insignificant.
Yet he continued to travel down. No point stopping now. It had to end some time.
Deeper and deeper
The walls were pressed up to him as if he was crawling through a tunnel. The path was only getting narrower and narrower and Night Terror was having difficulty breathing or moving. Even think was become to much a chore. He tried to use his magic to try and dissolve into the darkness, but the more he tried, the harder the darkness pushed back against him.
This was too much for him to take.
'I can't go any further,' he thought to himself, 'I need to turn back.'
However, as he pushed himself backwards, he found that his feet hit something hard. He stamped his foot but it didn't budge an inch.
'No, this is impossible,' he thought in panic, 'I swear I've been going in the same direction.'
He turned his head to the left...or was it the right...or was it up, down, forwards, backwards, upside down. He didn't know anymore. He was stuck. Trapped in the darkness. There was no way out.
He struggled against his prison, pounding on the floor with his fists in a fruitless attempt to free himself. He tried to shout, but no words left his throat.
He was alone in the dark...and the cold...floating in nothing.
...
...
...
...
As soon as Night Terror felt completely hopeless, a voice spoke to him from within the abyss.
"Hello there, little Phobos."
The voice was strange. It was neither male nor female, neither young nor old, it was not cold and spiteful, but it wasn't warm and inviting either. It seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at the same time. Night Terror tried to look around for the owner, but he knew there was no point. Even if he could move his head, there was nothing for him to see.
"Who are you?" he choked into the void.
The voice released a hollow laugh, "You mortals and your obsession with names. You can't stand the unknown and so you like to give everything labels to make you feel safe. People, places, things. It is very pitiful."
"Answer my question now!" Night Terror demanded.
"I am unable to for I don't have one," the voice replied, "I suppose the closest word that can describe me is...nothing. But then I have no need for words."
Night Terror growled, "That's impossible. There's no such thing as nothing."
"That's what the first mortal to grace these caves said."
The Phobos's eyes widened, "You met the Great Fear, but he died thousands of years ago."
"Did he? What a pity," the nothing sighed, "I don't care for time. In fact I don't care for a lot of things. You remind me of him, actually. He was very entertaining trying to decide what he could call me. You should have seen the look on his face when he finally realised. The others who followed, however, were less interesting. They lacked the... spark that the first one had. After a while, I got bored with them and just let them come through and take what they needed so they could leave. But you...I think I'm going to like you."
"Where...are you?" Night Terror gasped.
"Oh I'm here..."
"...or am I here..."
"...or am I here?"
"STOP IT!"
"I agree. This is getting tiresome," the nothing sighed, "Let us discuss your miserable little life. It must be hard to accept what your grandfather had told you."
Night Terror flinched, "How do you...know that?"
The nothing growled, "Such ignorance. Do you not understand yet? There is nothing in my realm and that includes secrets. There is no need for them for there is no lies or truths to be told. I forgive you for now. Your rage must be clouding your judgement.
"Rage? I am not angry."
"Come, come little Phobos," the nothing mocked, "It is very clear. You are angry because your childhood sweetheart had betrayed you and led the only family you had into ruin. Your angry that your own grandfather, who has raised you since you were a baby, has been lying to you all this time. You are angry because your fate was decided years before you were even born. You hate them."
"I...admit that I'm mad," Night Terror said, "But I don't hate them. Muireall is just mislead and my grandfather was trying his best to look after me when my parents died. They have both suffered as well."
"Many people suffer, but none of them have the desire to kill the daonna. It has been many years, she must have grown much more stronger, biding her time before she could strike the scum. Either that or she realised her goal was too pointless and she had given up. Or she could be dead somewhere, taking her own life because she realised how meaningless everything was. Although...she is a smart one. Perhaps she's right maybe the daonna are the root of everything wrong in this world. Oh...is that why you're angry at her. Not because she betrayed you, but because you know deep down that she's right."
"Don't-"
"And what of your grandfather, hmm. He's keeping another thing away from you."
"I...don't...know-"
"Oh please, you've seen how frail he is now. How sickly he was. He's very old. Too old to be carrying out funerals every day all by himself. When do you think he will finally meet his end. Perhaps he would have a heart attack when he learned that his grandson was gone. Or maybe it would be an accident and he trips over a rock and cracks his skull. Whatever it is, he's going to die. A sad, lonely old man dying in the ruins of his clan."
"He's...not...going...to...die," Night Terror choked out.
However, he did have to admit that Condhuine was very frail and old. Maybe he will-
'No! No!' Night Terror angrily thought, 'He can't die. He's not going to.'
"You're in denial, little Phobos. You hate them so much. Admit it! Admit it!" the nothing shouted before sighing mockingly, "Poor boy. Everybody who you thought cared for you has been lied to you. And now you're lost within my realm. No direction, no way out and nobody around to miss you."
"That's not true," Night Terror denied, somehow finding the strength to talk, "I have my guild and my friends., They'll miss me."
The nothing fell silent for a few seconds before it replied.
"And how will they find you?" it asked, causing Night Terror to wince slightly, "Did you tell them where you were going? In fact, there are a lot of things you haven't told them. Are you ashamed of your heritage? Are you afraid that they'll hate you if you told them?"
"N-no. Our customs say that-"
"Customs only apply if the society its associated with still exist. You just don't want to tell them. All except...that Lucy girl," Night Terror's eyes widened, "She took an interest in you and you couldn't help but latch onto her. Was it because you were lonely or was it for more perverted reasons? Or was it both?"
"S-top," the Phobos choked out.
"You know she doesn't actually like you. She was only interested in you because you are more or less a relic. An antique. Something that belongs in a museum. She doesn't care about you. I mean, what is there even there to care about. She doesn't know what you look like, you're creepy and boring. You are more or less a curiosity that she had found, but once she gets bored with you she will throw you away. The most hilarious part of all this is that you think you're actually friends with her, but you don't care. You like the attention like a little puppy. As long as she throws you a bone ever so often you're happy-"
"Please," Night Terror softly said, feeling the walls crushing him, "you made your point. Stop talking about her. I'll do anything."
The nothing chuckled mockingly, "Fine then. Do you have any thing you need to get off your chest? Any guilts, regrets, paths you should have taken."
"Why do you care?"
"I don't, but you might as well. It's not as if anybody can hear you."
Night Terror gulped. He hadn't moved his body in what felt like hours and he felt his muscles start to seize up on him. Breathing was becoming much more difficult. He wondered briefly if there was any oxygen down here and, if so, is there a limited amount. The more he thought about it, the more panicked he became so he needed to calm down and keep his breathing steady as he talked into the darkness.
"I regret...not doing more for Muireall. She was suffering and I could of helped her. I wish I could have met my parents and not let them be burdened by me. I regret ever going to Elend. I regret not being close to my guild sooner. I was afraid that I would lose them and be hurt again. I regret...I regret a lot of things in my life. I have chosen so many wrong turns so I decided not to stick out."
"Good, good," the nothing said. If it had a mouth, Night Terror knew that it would be smirking down at him.
"I also regret not focusing on my studies. I was a terrible student back then. That's why..." Night Terror suddenly said, his tone switching from sad to determined, "I trained myself to become stronger."
"What are you doing?" the nothing demanded.
Night Terror held his breath and focused on his Fear Magic. He used ever last morsel of power he still had in him to push against the darkness, against his prison.
"I know how to defeat you. I've been preparing for years for this moment. From the day I arrived at Fiore and became a member of Fairy Tail, I have trained every night to improve my control over the darkness," he used his magic to push against his captivity around him, feeling it slowly part away, "I read the Tome my grandfather told me and mastered my magic," the walls have parted away enough so his body could move, "I took small jobs to hone in my skills. Immersed myself in darkness to grow more powerful, I must have broke every bone in my body at least once," he was now able to able to move his head and limbs around, "I learned and built my own armour and sewed my robe. I taught myself common speak. I was able to defeat monsters ten times my size and put fear into the hearts of the bravest of men."
Night Terror was now able to stand to his feet, using all his strength and magic to push against his invisible prison.
"This is how the Great Fear defeated you, wasn't it. He became the master of darkness by overpowering you and taking control. He moulded it, give it shape, gave it reason. And this is how I'll defeat you. This is how I'll become a Night Terror. Proving myself through my own determination and streg-"
Suddenly, the last word was caught in his throat as the walls caved in upon him. He was stuck once more in the darkness, slightly dazed by how much magic he had used. That's when he heard the frustrated growls of the nothing enter his ears once again.
"Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, STUPID!" the nothing bellowed, "You have not leaned anything at all. You can't overpower nothing. Oblivion is not enslaved by reason or science. There is no time, no space, no gravity, no life, no death, no right, no wrong, no direction. Use all the strength you want, little Phobos, but the what's the point of power where there's nobody to defeat."
'It is right,' Night Terror thought in despair, unable to speak entirely as the walls began to press into him, 'It's like fighting a shadow. You'll only get tired. It's so stupid of me. I'm hopeless.'
"That's right. You are hopeless," the nothing told him, "Give in to the darkness. Let it smother you. It's not too bad. It's quite fascinating. This is the land of extremes, it is everything and nothing, it is bigger then the universe but smaller then a grain of sand, it is hot as the desert but as cold as a tundra, it is everything that it has been and everything it will be. In here you are unknown, insignificant and isolated. That's why you must fear the dark. Floating gently as if you were drowning. Neither moving or staying still. The concept is so mind-numbingly ineffable that no mortal imagination can even conceive such a thing. And you're going to be part of it."
'I'm going to be part of it,' Night Terror absentmindedly repeated, 'I failed everyone. Muireall, grandfather, Mhaighstir Makarov, Lucy, Natsu, Mira, Grey, Erza, Happy, Arthur, Lisanna, Ur, everyone. I failed everyone.'
He felt the walls swallow him, pulling him to the void. As soon as a body part entered it would become comfortably numb. His mind began to drift, becoming slow and torpid. Night Terror couldn't think, but he didn't seem to care or notice. He just gave up.
'Yes,' the nothing hissed, 'sink in to the void. Become lost so nobody will ever find you again. There's no point in fighting anymore, little Phobos."
'Sink...lost...no...point...' he thought mindlessly, '...no...point...no...point...no...point...'
...
...
...
Flashback Seven Years Ago
Porlyusica's House
"No point, you say," Makarov chucked at what the young Night Terror said, "Why do you say that?"
It had been a few days since Porlyusica found the boy. Now that he had been patched up, fed and they found clothes for him to wear, the boy sat in misery in the darkest corner of the room. He hadn't left the shade for a two days and Porlyusica has had enough and called Makarov over to encourage the boy out. Makarov sat on a chair and patiently asked him questions. The only question that they young Phobos answered was 'why don't you come out of the shadows?'
"No...point," the boy angrily repeated in his broken common speak, "Clan...dead."
"I'm aware and I'm very sorry. But you can't stay there forever. Being depressed isn't going to bring them back. Surely they would want you to continue living."
The boy didn't reply but just glared at the wall.
Makarov sighed. He understood why he would feel this way, but he couldn't stay there feeling sorry for himself. The longer he stayed like this, the harder it will be for him to recover. He needed encouragement, something to set him mind to and Makarov knew the perfect remedy.
The master jumped off the chair and stood over the silent boy, "I know this is hard for you. Your Clan and everything you are familiar with is gone. It's something that nobody, especially somebody so young, should experience. However, this doesn't mean you can give up. These feelings of hopelessness and grief are only in your head and they stop you from seeing your goal, something you can work to. What you need is purpose," Makarov told him, making the boy look up at him, "Purpose can be found in many shape and forms. It could be your desire to protect your friends and family or it could be a personal want or it could be a desire to become stronger. Without purpose a person becomes nothing. It may be hard to find your purpose so why don't you allow those you can trust to help."
The master outstretched his hand towards the boy for him to take.
"Allow me to give you purpose for now until you can find one for yourself. What do you think about joining Fairy Tail?" Makarov offered with a bright smile.
The boy's face softened at the offer and stared at his hand for a few seconds. Slowly and cautiously, the boy took his hand.
Flashback End
'Purpose...' Night Terror thought, remembering the encounter from years ago, "purpose."
"What?" the nothing snarled darkly.
"Purpose," Night Terror repeated, somehow finding the ability to speak, "That's what I need. My grandfather told me that you can't control the shadows with shear will, but you need to give it definition, shape, purpose. You have transform nothingness into something. It's the same here."
"What are you doing? Stop it!" the nothing demanded as the walls began to move away from the Phobos.
Night Terror ignored him, "I need to give myself purpose in life. I can't expect somebody to do it for me. What do I want to do? I...want to find Muireall and help her change her ways. I want to go back to my guild- no I want to go back to my new clan. I want to be friends with them. Tell them stories of my people so their legend can live on. I want to thank my grandfather for looking after me for all these years. I want to protect the world from evil. I want to do so many things."
For every desire he said, the walls began to retreat faster then when he had tried to overpower it. In no time, Night Terror was able to stand on his feet again and he even took a few steps forwards.
The Phobos laughed, "You know what, now that I have something to work for, this place doesn't seem so bad.'
"I SAID STOP IT!' the nothing roared, "THIS WASN'T SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN! YOU ARE DESTINED TO BE ALONE! NOT TO MAKE SENSE OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS!"
"What ever is that matter? You're not scared of me are you? Afraid that I'll discover who you are?"
"I AM NOTHING! NOTHING!"
That's when Night Terror realised something, a large smile crossing his face, "Oh I understand now. You've been telling me what you are the whole time. Hold on," he ran to one wall and inspected it closely.
Now that his mind was clear, he can now feel what these walls were made of. He tapped a knuckle against it and listened closely and almost laughed at what he heard and what he didn't hear. It wasn't stone.
It was metal.
Phobos metal.
The same material that Night Terror's used to create their armour and weapons, because it is infused with fear magic and amplified the wearer's control over darkness. In small amounts it's harmless, but in large amounts (like an entire mine filled with the metal) it can have menacing consequences.
"That definitely confirms it. You've been telling me that there's nothing in this place, but you're not entirely correct. There is something here."
"And what would that be," the nothing growled.
"Me," Night Terror said, "I should have realised when I tossed the stone down the stairs. They don't echo sound. They echo negative emotions and feelings from those who enter and they ricochet back at them. Making them feel worse and worse until they sink into oblivion. Making them feel...as if they were nothing. You are just an echo telling me that I should be regretful for my past and telling me that I should just get lost in the abyss. But I don't think that way anymore. I have now found my purpose."
The nothing didn't respond for a few seconds it tried to find some negativity to cause him to doubt himself. Finding that it couldn't anymore, it tried one more desperate attempt.
"Like that would stop me," the nothing spat. Night Terror noticed that the voice was coming in one direction and swiftly approached it, "So you have a purpose with you now, doesn't mean I can't return. I will always be with you and one little slip up and you'll sink back into nothingness again."
Night Terror sensed the nothing cowering in one corner of the room. The Phobos loomed over it, conquering his fear.
"That may be so. I suppose I just have to surround myself with companions who tell me that I belong," he reared back his fist above his head, ready to punch the nothing away, "Right now, I am something, I have form, I have purpose, I have consciousness and I...am... the Night Terror!"
And at that, Night Terror threw his fist forward and punched through the screaming nothing and through the wall behind it. As soon as his fist went through the wall, daylight poured into the dark caves and Night Terror could now see.
He had found a way out.
Phew! That was intense. Hope you guys enjoyed it.
He passed the test and now he can finally become the Night Terror. Was the process a little confusing? Sorry if it was and please ask me any questions and I'll happily answer.
Anyway, the next chapter will involve him going back to guild, but on the way back he will meet someone you might know.
See you next time :)
Edit: I only just realised how short this chapter is. I usually try to hit 10,000 words but this time it was short of 7,000 words. I probably should have added more stuff to build the tension up. Ah well, too late now.