shadow slave, Echoes of the forgotten

Note, I hope you people will understand that this fanfic is made for the purpose of making you laugh, so any and all jokes are jokes. If you feel offended you shouldn't because its just a jokes and nothing more. Enjoy.

On his chair, Sunny was enjoying his afternoon tea, basking in the gentle warmth of the sunlight filtering through the leaves above. The shadow chair he sat upon was one of his own creation, a manifestation of his unique abilities that allowed him to manipulate darkness itself. His mind wandered aimlessly, enjoying the rare moment of peace in what had become an increasingly complicated life.

His tranquil reverie was interrupted by movement at the edge of his property. A young woman was approaching his house with purposeful steps, her presence immediately drawing his attention. She was striking - golden hair that seemed to capture and amplify the sunlight, creating an almost ethereal glow around her. Her eyes were a shade of blue so deep and clear they reminded observers of tropical waters, yet they held a peculiar emptiness - for she was blind.

What made her even more remarkable was the way she moved. Despite her blindness, she navigated the path to his door with grace and confidence that suggested perfect vision. This was no accident - Sunny's shadow was subtly guiding her, acting as an extension of his perception. Though it had taken her time to adjust to experiencing the world through shadow-sight, she had adapted remarkably well.

As she reached his front door, Sunny rose from his chair, draining the last of his cooling tea. With a mixture of resignation and curiosity, he opened the door to let her in. His reluctance wasn't born of dislike - rather, it stemmed from the complications her presence tended to bring to his carefully ordered world.

Inside, his house was alive with activity. Kai, ever the fashion enthusiast, was sprawled across an armchair with the latest style magazine. In the kitchen, Effie was doing what she did best - systematically emptying his refrigerator with cheerful determination. Down in the basement dojo, the sounds of training could be heard as Nephis ran through combat drills with Rain, teaching both her student and herself about the proper use of essence - the mysterious power that flowed through all things.

Technically, Sunny should have been the one teaching them. Instead, he'd escaped for his tea break, though "thinking break" was his official excuse. In reality, he'd spent the time staring into middle distance, allowing his mind to drift while sipping his favorite oolong.

He attempted to slip past the kitchen quietly, but Effie's keen ears caught his movement. Her face split into a mischievous grin as she called out, "Hey Sunny, does your head still hurt?"

The others tensed, expecting one of Sunny's characteristically sharp retorts. Instead, his response was quiet and ominous: "No. But yours will."

Before anyone could process his words, he was already descending the stairs, a smug expression playing across his features. A moment later, a shriek echoed from the kitchen - Sunny had materialized a shadow construct and given Effie a gentle but startling tap on the head.

About Effie's teasing regarding Sunny's head injury - it referenced quite the incident from the night before. During what should have been a simple shadow step back to his room, Nephis had caught him off guard with a kiss. The result? His usually perfect balance failed him, and his head had an unfortunate meeting with the corner of his table.

The outcome was more serious than anyone expected - a proper concussion complete with an impressively cracked skull and a surprising amount of bleeding. Who would have thought a moment's distraction could lead to such damage? But really, what else could one expect when a WOMAN was involved? After all, they're clearly responsible for every misfortune that befalls men. The obvious conclusion? Stay away from women entirely - clearly, marrying your bro is the safer option.

Descending into the underground dojo, Sunny found himself pausing at the entrance, captivated by the scene before him. Rain and Nephis were locked in an intense sparring match, their movements echoing off the stone walls. Though Rain had shown remarkable improvement, displaying skills that would impress most masters, she was clearly outmatched against Nephis, even in her weakened state.

The contrast was striking - Rain, with her precise, textbook-perfect forms, against Nephis, who moved like water despite her inability to use essence. Even without access to her full power, fresh from the nightmare realm, Nephis demonstrated why she was considered exceptional. Her movements were fluid, efficient, each strike purposeful and measured.

What truly caught Sunny's attention was how Rain adapted to each exchange. Though she couldn't land a decisive blow, she was learning, adjusting, evolving her strategy with each failed attempt. Her growth was remarkable, especially considering she was facing an opponent who couldn't even utilize essence properly.

Both fighters noticed his presence simultaneously, their movements freezing mid-sequence as they turned to acknowledge him. Sunny found himself smiling as he approached them, noting how they stood close together, both breathing heavily from exertion. Their clothes were damp with sweat, but their eyes were bright with the intensity of combat.

He reached out, placing a hand on each of their shoulders in a gesture of approval. They continued to watch him expectantly, waiting for his assessment. After a moment, he spoke in a voice that carried a hint of pride - not in them, but in his own teaching abilities.

"You both did well. I am proud of you." He paused, considering his next words carefully. "Rain, I would suggest you try another weapon for now, since the sword isn't a guarantee memory you will get." Moving with deliberate grace, he retrieved a practice sword from the wall and turned his attention to Nephis.

"As for you," he continued, his tone shifting to something more serious, "the best way to teach you is to make you realize it on your own. It will greatly benefit you. If I keep teaching you everything how will you do anything without me?"

Without warning, he channeled essence into his muscles and launched forward in a lightning-fast dash. Nephis barely managed to dodge, the practice blade missing her face by mere millimeters. The near miss left a tangible tension in the air.

"You need to be stronger if you want to accomplish your goals," Sunny declared, his voice carrying across the dojo. "And that means that you won't be able to always rely on others. No matter how many people are around you, you will have to accomplish your final goal alone."

What followed was a devastating display of swordsmanship. Sunny unleashed a relentless barrage of attacks, each one precisely calculated to push Nephis to her limits. She responded admirably - blocking, dodging, and evading with increasingly desperate determination. The slightest mistake would mean defeat, and they both knew it.

Nephis took every attack head-on, her mind racing as she sought to understand the nature of essence, trying every possible approach to unlock its power. Though her attempts at essence manipulation failed, she suddenly felt a surge of strength course through her body. It wasn't essence - it was different, more familiar.

Looking down, she realized Sunny's shadow had crept across the floor and enveloped her entire form. The dark energy enhanced her physical capabilities, making her stronger, faster, more resilient. A fierce determination welled up within her as she recognized his challenge - he was using only a single shadow to aid her, keeping none for himself.

Throughout the exchange, Sunny maintained a knowing smirk, appearing to take pleasure in her struggle. But Nephis knew better - his expression wasn't about enjoying her difficulty, but rather about finally feeling like her equal, if only for this moment.

Rain watched from the sidelines, mesmerized by the display before her. The bout she had just finished with Nephis seemed like child's play compared to this deadly dance. Every movement carried devastating force, each technique executed with lethal precision. The sheer power behind their exchanges made her previous training feel insignificant.

As she observed, Rain's mind wandered to Sunny's earlier suggestion about choosing a different weapon. Her gaze drifted to Kai, who was probably the finest archer in the world. The idea of learning archery from someone of his caliber was both exciting and intimidating. She found herself wondering how to approach him, whether she was worthy of such instruction, whether it was even appropriate to ask.

The thoughts weighed heavily on her mind as she watched the continued sparring match. Here she was, supposedly humanity's beacon of hope, yet she was being thoroughly outclassed by someone considered the weakest of her cohort. The irony wasn't lost on her, but rather than discouraging her, it sparked a determination to improve.

The fierce sparring match between Sunny and Nephis continued with increasing intensity. She was disadvantaged and fighting from a weakened position, yet her performance remained remarkable. Even with such overwhelming odds against her, she managed to present a challenge that demanded Sunny's full attention.

Sunny was thoroughly enjoying their spar, finding satisfaction in his ability to maintain the upper hand while barely utilizing his powers. He restricted his essence use to basic enhancement of his limbs for speed, deliberately avoiding his shadow dance technique. With the fourth step still eluding him, this fight couldn't help him unlock it. His primary focus now needed to be on training both Nephis and Rain, while preparing himself for the challenges that Antarctica would present.

The upcoming ball meant to recruit Nephis loomed in his thoughts. The timing of everything was critical, and he needed to discuss Antarctica with her soon. His previous concerns about being her slave had faded - if breaking free meant being forgotten by everyone and losing his fate, he'd accept that price. At least with Nephis, he knew where he stood. She might try to use him, but her motivations were clear, unlike others with their selfish agendas. Besides, he could always escape to make a new life in bastion after humanity completed its migration to the dream realm.

As his mind wandered briefly to future possibilities, he mused, 'Mimic is already a shadow and there's just the question of how big he can get. Maybe he can act as a hut or some form of memory shop, a cafe would be nice too.'

The relentless assault continued as these thoughts passed through his mind. Despite the enhancement from Sunny's shadow, Nephis's movements gradually slowed as fatigue took its toll. Her remarkable stamina finally reached its limit, and she collapsed into his arms, her grip still tight on her sword even in exhaustion.

Sunny gently took the weapon from her hand and tossed it aside. Turning to Rain, he gestured for her to follow as he made his way upstairs, carrying Nephis. Rain complied, though her mind was clearly preoccupied with thoughts about her future training and choice of weapons.

Upon reaching the living room, Sunny addressed the situation directly: "Kai, can you teach Rain how to be better with the bow? She is already good enough with the sword so its your turn to be the teacher."

Without waiting for a response, he continued toward Nephis's room to let her rest. After ensuring she was comfortable, he headed to the kitchen to prepare some tea, hoping to avoid Effie's inevitable teasing.

Effie, predictably, wore a knowing grin, clearly prepared with some clever remark about Sunny carrying Nephis to her room. To preempt any commentary, Sunny employed what he considered the most logical solution - he summoned a memory to create a cone of silence around himself. The barrier was perfectly sized to prevent anyone from getting close enough to be heard while allowing him enough space to think in peace.

Settling onto the couch with his tea, Sunny observed the scene around him. Rain and Kai had already begun their archery practice in the basement, while Cassie occupied the couch opposite him. Effie sat beside him, chattering away and asking questions, growing increasingly suspicious when he failed to respond. Her suspicion was well-founded - he had upgraded the memory to block incoming sound as well as outgoing.

The enhanced memory was impressive enough to fetch a considerable price if made public. However, Sunny had no interest in monetary gain. With Antarctica and the eventual migration to the dream realm approaching, such concerns seemed pointless.

His thoughts turned to the numerous challenges that lay ahead. Managing Effie was one such concern - ensuring she didn't become pregnant was crucial. While he would welcome her finding happiness with a family and husband, such developments needed to wait until after the current crisis was resolved. The priority had to be supporting Nephis in becoming humanity's queen and eliminating the three sovereigns.

The scope of their task was immense. Destroying the nightmare spell was tantamount to destroying fate itself. The interconnection between these forces was so profound that merely glimpsing their true nature could drive ordinary humans mad. Even the strongest masters would wince in pain from the briefest exposure to such knowledge.

Fate was not meant for mortal manipulation. Even gods and demons had failed to alter or destroy it. The audacity of humans attempting such a feat seemed absurd on its face. Yet here Sunny was, actively changing fate. A disturbing thought occurred to him - what if this too was part of fate's design? What if his apparent rebellion was merely another thread in fate's tapestry, giving him hope only to reveal his ultimate powerlessness?

His dark musings were interrupted by his communicator signaling an incoming call from Jet. Dismissing his silencing memory, he answered with formal politeness: "Hello master Jet, how may I help you?"

"Hello master Sunless, I will be needing an answer soon. Will you go with me or not? You will be greatly rewarded for it."

Sunny considered his response carefully before committing: "I will go. When do I need to be ready by?"

Jet's pleasure was evident in her voice as she replied, "In three weeks we will set out. I hope you won't run away when its time to go. I will send you a list of people who will also go with us, further instructions will come with the list. Good luck with preparations for the trip."

She ended the call abruptly, leaving Sunny to deal with Effie's inevitable curiosity. He pre-empted her questioning with a resigned sigh: "Just ask already, what do you want to know?"

"What was that call about, why did Jet call you? It sounded serious, what preparations and for what?"

Sunny exhaled loudly before responding in a tired but clear voice: "Well, I'm going to Antarctica. There will be a huge number of gates spawning so they need help evacuating people from there. The preparations are for fighting the nightmare creatures and rescuing citizens. Happy with that?"

Effie's eyes widened in surprise - clearly, this news exceeded whatever scenarios she had imagined. Before she could respond, a familiar voice interrupted from the stairs.

"What, you are going to Antarctica?"

The question came from Nephis, who stood on the stairs wearing Sunny's clothes, her silver hair and eyes striking even in her exhausted state. Sunny hadn't noticed her arrival, too absorbed in his conversation with Effie.

"Yes," he admitted, his voice betraying a hint of fear despite his attempt at composure. "I was planning to say this when I was more prepared but I was caught off guard by master Jet."

He tried to maintain his focus on ensuring Rain's training with Kai was progressing well, considering everything else secondary. However, he couldn't ignore the concern radiating from Nephis - concern he could read clearly in her shadow, even though she tried to hide it.

She descended the remaining stairs and settled into Kai's usual chair. Though she attempted to mask her fatigue, the dark circles under her eyes betrayed her exhausted state.

"Okay, I'm going with you."

The statement froze Sunny in place. He turned slowly to face her, noting the proud determination in her expression.

Drawing a deep breath, he responded with what he believed was right: "No you aren't. I can take care of things there, I just need to prepare for a bit more and I will be ready to go. You will stay here and grow your power to accomplish your goals."

Effie and Cassie had already retreated to the kitchen, wisely avoiding the impending confrontation. Annoyance flickered across Nephis's face at Sunny's dismissal.

"Do you think I can't grow more power there? I can even stronger if I go there than just staying here-"

Sunny cut her off, his own irritation rising: "Stop, you can get fragments from soul shards, right? Well I can just bring them to you, I have a storage memory so I can just store them inside. You just need to train and worry about taking control of the fire keepers."

The stage was set for what would prove to be a long and explosive confrontation between the two strong-willed individuals.

While Kai was teaching Rain the fundamentals of archery in the basement dojo, tension was building upstairs. Without any practice bows available, Rain had to use Kai's bow from the forgotten shore - the same weapon that had proven crucial in their earlier adventures. The draw weight challenged her current strength, but that challenge served a purpose. Each attempt to pull the string back built muscle, gradually preparing her for the demands of archery.

Understanding the importance of proper rest in training, Rain made sure to take adequate breaks. Her experience with exercise routines helped her recognize when to push and when to recover. This measured approach hadn't gone unnoticed by Kai, who appreciated her disciplined attitude.

When Kai decided they'd done enough for the day, they made their way back upstairs. The unusual silence that had replaced the earlier shouting made them both uneasy. As they entered the living room, they encountered a scene of startling destruction.

Effie lay motionless on the floor with Cassie attempting to help her, while Sunny and Nephis sat on the ground nearby. The room was in shambles - the coffee table split cleanly in half, the television shattered with pieces scattered around Effie's still form, the couch overturned, and multiple holes punctured the walls and floor. Remarkably, despite their torn and damaged clothing, none of them showed any signs of bleeding.

"What the hell happened here!" Kai's voice broke the eerie quiet.

Cassie looked up from attending to Effie, her expression a mixture of exasperation and concern. "Sunny and Nephis decided it was a good idea to start fighting each other. And so when Effie tried to stop them, Sunny threw her into the TV. Then, Nephis said some stupid stuff and they started summoning their weapons, so I had to stop them."

The explanation hung in the air as Kai and Rain tried to process the scale of destruction before them. Kai's jaw remained slack with disbelief, while both newcomers struggled to reconcile how a disagreement had escalated to such extremes.

As the tension gradually dissipated, Sunny decided it was best to send Rain home to rest. Kai and Cassie took their cue to leave as well, though Effie insisted on staying until she regained full mobility. The awkward aftermath of their confrontation settled over the house like a heavy blanket.

Nephis retreated to the kitchen, salvaging what she could from the remaining ingredients to prepare a meal. Meanwhile, Sunny busied himself with clearing away debris and assessing which damage could be repaired immediately.

Upon returning from his cleanup efforts, Sunny positioned himself in front of Nephis and spoke with newfound resolution: "I'm sorry, but please just stay here. You can trust me to deal with Antarctica while you deal with the fire keepers and clan valor."

He paused, gathering his thoughts before continuing. "They will do anything to get you on their side, so knowing you, you will try to infiltrate valor to try and find out as much as you can to defeat them easily."

Her eyes widened in surprise, momentarily forgetting about the food she was preparing. "That is my plan, but how did you know that?"

The question Sunny had been dreading finally arrived. Though his mind raced through potential lies, he ultimately surrendered to the truth. With evident weariness in his voice, he replied, "I will explain later when Effie leaves. Is that okay?"

Nephis nodded her agreement and returned to cooking. This brief reprieve gave Sunny precious minutes to organize his thoughts, contemplating how best to reveal that he had returned from the future to prevent a catastrophic outcome.

The weight of this impending conversation pressed heavily on him. How does one explain they've witnessed the end of everything they fought for? That they've returned through time itself to prevent it all from happening again? The fragments of broken furniture surrounding them seemed like an apt metaphor for how easily their plans could shatter if he didn't handle this revelation carefully.