Page gasped as he sat up in bed, his fear etched into his face. He was panting lightly as he felt another sharp pang in his head, having grown familiar these past few nights. Or has it been weeks? I’ve lost track… He rubbed his face, glancing around the dark room. Beside him, Winter was fast asleep. He watched her sadly, brushing her mane back from her face. She slept with a small smile, the smile he had given her. He sighed silently and stood, making scarcely a sound.

Page walked to the door, slipping on his cloak. He glanced one more time at the silent and peaceful room. As his head stung again, he winced and turned his back on the room, walking downstairs. He swayed slightly as he came to a stop in the lobby. No pony was there. He coughed lightly and walked out into the cold night. He kept walking, until he collapsed against a building, coughing badly. He watched black regeneration energy curl away from his lips, feeling sick. “S-shit,” he whispered in a hoarse voice, feeling his mind degrading with every pang and stab in his head. He shivered and kept walking against his will, knowing the pain would not cease until he followed instructions. I have… to go to rendezvous… meet… her…

Page sighed in relief as he sat on the rock near the lake. It was abandoned tonight. He shivered, cold from the winter night air. He took a deep breath, coughing a bit more regeneration energy into the air. A minutes rest… T-that’s all I want, is to rest…

“Oh, Sanfero,” a voice said from the mist, practically singing out the name.

Page looked up at the alicorn, the tormenter of his days and nights. Radiant Shadow stood before him. However, he knew something had shaken her. Something was fighting her. He had to keep his hope while playing her game. He couldn’t show he had the upper hoof. At this point, though, he realized dimly, I think she may have the upper hoof… “S-shadow,” he said weakly, responding to her call.

“Good puppet,” Radiant said, nearly purring as she saw how weak he was. Her horn sparked, the crack shining strangely from her horn with a red light. Shadows reached up from the rock he sat on, grabbing his hooves and body. Page kept his mouth shut and made not a sound as the shadows lifted him up to a standing position and held him there. Radiant smirked. “Yes, a very very good puppet. Not fighting back, not speaking a word…” Slowly, she began to circle him, her eyes wide with madness. “After all, you wouldn’t want anything to happen to your little bouncing baby boy.”

Page shut his eyes, trying not to imagine what she could do to Frozen, or any of his family. Allow her this one liberty, Page, and your family will remain safe. “Are you ready for your treatment,” he heard Radiant say. He nodded slowly, keeping his eyes shut. “Good.”

Page bit his lip to keep from groaning as he felt the all too familiar touch of steel on his hoof. It was cold against his fur, until it pierced his skin. He felt his blood warm his skin, pain stinging around the cut. It felt like an open fire, dancing on his fur. Radiant leaned down, watching his blood roll down his hoof, like a snake its prey. She lunged forward, licking up the dark substance, smirking as he didn’t make a single movement but for a grimace. “Mm, so tasty,” she added, standing straight and licking her lips.

Page groaned very softly, exasperated. “Get this over with,” he said softly.

Page gasped slightly in pain as an unexpected slash ran across his face. “No. Talking.” He nodded softly, hanging his head, feeling blood run down his face. Radiant raised his head close to hers, grinning. Page’s eyes widened as he felt the ever familiar shadows she used roll around his hoof around the cut. Suddenly, roughly, they shoved themselves into the cut, searing the inside with intense heat. He winced, managing to bite back his scream of pain. “I don’t know why you’re so surprised, Page. I have been doing this for awhile now.”

Radiant glared at him as he shut his eyes tight, keeping his lip bitten. “Man up, Sanfero. I’m only killing you as painfully and slowly as I can~”

Page took a few deep breaths, concentrating on the rhythm of his heart. It grew faster as he felt the shadows worm their way through his blood stream and nervous system. He tried to ignore the tears rolling down his face, but to no avail. Radiant merely grinned as she watched the nerves under his fur glow black. She suspended her spell just as the shadows reached his heart.

Page screamed, but only for a moment did its loudness shatter the air around them. He quickly cut off the scream with a muffled sob, biting his lip until it bled. Radiant merely smirked, allowing the spell to simply remain in his system, enjoying the torment he was going through.

Sheer agony. There was no time anymore. There was no happiness or sadness or even the comfort of being able to cry. There was only agony, and blackness ran from his eyes instead of tears. Nothing made sense, and blackness was all that remained. He needed to cry, he needed to smile – He needed anything but this oblivion.

Eternity is a long wait. He writhed in the shadows holding him, ignoring the anger of Radiant as he tried to escape. He sobbed shadows, his blood feeling thick and heavy in his body. Everything about him felt dim, heavy, thick – Tired. He wished he could be claimed by a different oblivion, one that would end this pain and sadness. Yet, as these thoughts came to his mind, one single, shining idea still shone - the only light in the darkness. Winter.

Page gasped in relief as he felt the blackness recede. He collapsed to the ground, shivering as the shadows released him. Their touch had been all that had supported him, and without them, he was weak. He coughed, panting, as he felt a strange tingling sensation around the cuts she had made. The wounds healed, the blood pooling around them. He noticed the blood looked black. Either that, or it was just darker than usual. His fur also seemed a tad bit darker, just enough to be noticeable if you looked hard enough at him.

Radiant softly lifted his head to look at her. His eyes, despite their usual green color, were nearly completely grey now. His eyes looked dead and tired. She smiled softly, seeing the pony she hated living yet dead at the same time. Inside, she felt a small pang of sadness, but smothered it quickly. I’m in control right now. “Who am I,” she asked sweetly, smiling softly.

Page looked her in the eyes, seeing past her charade. He sighed softly, realizing there was no way he could fight her right now. The darkness that had claimed her had left her untouchable, just as the shadows within him had left him weak by comparison. “You… are my master,” he said, the words tasting bitter in his mouth. The truth often tastes bitter. “I must obey.”

Radiant smirked, drawing him close. He felt her breath on his ear as she held him. “My Sanfero…” Softly she laid her hoof over his beating heart, remembering how the beat used to go back when he had two. She smirked, leaning closer to his ear. “2 more nights,” she whispered. “2 more and you shall be no more. Then this all ends, and our deal is done.”

Page’s eyes widened as he felt something in him slip. Some core belief that if he suffered through all of this, everything would be alright in the end shattered with those words. No more… I will never be able to see them again… These are my last two days with the ponies I love the most… And I have betrayed their love.

Page fell to the ground as Radiant dropped him, smirking. She turned and began to walk off into the mist, humming an eerie song. The notes seemed to echo in his mind. He heard her sing softly, “If you cut a drawing, then it shall feel no pain. Ink or bloody red, it’s still the same~”

He panted, sitting up against the rock, groaning. Softly, he laid his hoof to his heart, feeling the beat beneath his skin. My heart is still beating… so why do I feel so dead inside? Softly, he looked up through the fog to see the stars sparkling above. He would be joining them soon, he realized. He would look upon his family from the stars. He felt tears rolling down his face. “No crying,” he said hoarsely, chastising himself. “No crying… W-winter and I aren’t l-leaving… for a very… long time…”

He sighed, feeling the tears continue, despite his efforts to stop them. All of my family… I’m leaving them for good. But they have to understand… He shut his eyes slowly, sighing. “I do this for you,” he whispered, imagining them understanding what he was doing for them. “I will end myself to let you all live… Even if it means hurting you more than she ever could…” He opened his grey eyes, with a single spark of green remaining in them, the part of him that spoke now. “I’m so sorry, my love.”

Struggling to stand, he eventually rose to his hooves, realizing the night would be ending in a few hours. He wiped away his tears, finding he was no longer crying as he did so. He sighed, trying to regain his strength, knowing he was fighting a losing battle. “Time to go home,” he said softly. Whether it was from weakness or from the late hour of the night, Page couldn’t tell. He picked up his fallen cloak, not quite realizing as he went through the motions he had gone through each night Radiant had called him to this spot.

Slipping his cloak on, he started walking home, not feeling strong enough to attempt a teleportation spell. The mist seemed to dispel around him, like a rock through water. He made it back to the inn, feeling marginally better after the night walk. He did a quick spell and teleported to his room, wincing slightly. Magic was still a bit too harsh on his head. He sighed silently, hanging up his cloak without a sound. Winter was still sound asleep, and all was well.

Page walked to the bed and gingerly curled up with his wife, wrapping his hooves around her. He nuzzled her softly and whispered in her ear, “I will always love you. Remember that.” He saw Winter smile lightly in her sleep, snuggling under the sheets with him. He smiled softly, only for the smile to fade. He shut his eyes and breathed out, the black regeneration energy blending into the darkness in the room.

And into the darkness his dreams fell.

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