One-off short stories

Nothing's Left

This is what happens when you listen to sad music on repeat kids! And when you want to write a oneshot on Shade and Ryan together.
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Blood splattered across Ryan's body from a slash, and the girl in front of him fell straight onto the ground. A man was in front of him, wearing all black, with black hair and blue eyes Ryan clearly remembered. Who used to be his best friend, just murdered her.
"I don't understand..." Ryan said, his face and body frozen in shock,"You, you can't be him? You didn't do that? He died. He couldn't, he wouldn't..."
"That's true. In your world at least. Sometimes you aren't so lucky. Sometimes I'm not so lucky." The black haired man said, putting away his sword.
"Why...why did you do this?" Ryan asked, his voice wavering,"The Sky I knew would never kill anyone!"
"I'm Shade now. I'll have you know." Shade said,"Sky is long dead."
"No way...You renounced it all? Everything you believed in?" Ryan asked, his hand starting to move again, grasping his spear,"And now you do things like this? You're some kind of world traveling monster now, is that it?"
"The ability to travel worlds was a blessing at first. I could save people I couldn't otherwise, I felt like I was making a difference." Shade said,"Back when I looked up at the Sky and hoped I would save all worlds."
"So what changed it? That belief? Those beliefs that inspired me?" Ryan asked, his spear now in his hand.
Shade once again pulled out his sword,"You did."
"What?!" Ryan asked, confused.
"You, well, another You, went on a rampage. You went berserk. You killed many many people, before you stopped." Sky said,"And the world was saved. Thanks to your efforts, many less people died. Because you killed the bad ones."
"And that made you think that murder was okay?!" Ryan asked, his hands shaking.
"Not quite. I was certain there would've been a better way at the time. Then I saw you die. Not that you, of course, but another one. You tried desperately to save your friends. Oh it was beautiful. You sacrificed yourself in such a heroic spirit I was almost brought to tears. I was so proud. I knew I would've done the same thing." Shade told his story.
"So what happened next?" Ryan asked,"What's the twist?"
"Your friends all still died. You tried so hard to save them. And in the end, they were all still shot and killed. By one man you didn't hit hard enough to knock them out. Because that you didn't want to kill anyone! Just like me." Shade said,"So I realized it would never work. This world needs to change for real. Idealistic preaching and acting morally just turns out horribly. This world is hell! And we need people to really try to fix it, no matter what!"
"You, you're a monster! You're not the boy who's ideals inspired me, I see. I'll kill you. And save so many lives!" Ryan said, and he charged.
"But don't you see!" Shade said,"You're just like me!"
"No, I'll never be like you." Ryan said, slashing at him, although Shade easily dodged.
"I came here to ask for your help. I just dispensed of anyone who you were too attached to. That's what this world is Ryan. You have to accept it." Shade said.
"No! That's what people like you make this world!" Ryan said,"You're just as bad as those you who kill! Saving lives? What a lie! You saved no lives in what you just did!"
"I did, just not yet." Shade said,"You'll see it soon enough Ryan. You have nothing left tying you down. Why don't you join me! I'm only one man. And together we could truly save all worlds. It'll take pain, but peace can be achieved in the end. It takes a monster to kill a monster, don't you see that?"
During this time, Ryan was continuously attacking, and Shade kept effortlessly dodging,"Shut up! You don't have the right to ruin a life like you just did! I, I'm the one truly saving lives here!"
"But I'm the only one who can travel through worlds. You kill me now, so many parallel lives lost. I need you to see that this is the only way. You should've just experienced that."
"Maybe that's all true. But I'm still going to kill you for what you've done." Ryan said,"Maybe it is wrong. But I cannot, will not forgive you so easily! And join you! Maybe it would save lives! Maybe you are right! But...but that doesn't change my feelings! And those feelings tell me, that I have to stop you here!" He kept charging and attacking.
"Such strong will. I knew I was correct in choosing this Ryan. If only you stood a chance." Shade said, still dodging,"You can't beat me. You're only option left is to join me."
"No! I won't accept that! Just die! Die! Stop dodging! Why, why is it like this! It isn't fair! You can't just, you can't just kill her then do this to me! And not let me take my revenge! I hate this! I hate you!" Ryan screamed.
"This is how it goes. This is what you and I must work to stop." Shade says,"This pain."
Ryan fell to the ground, exhausted, his spear digging into the dirt,"You caused this...you didn't have to cause this...Shade, it's...it's...damn it why you! Why did this have to be you!"
"Join me, Ryan. Together we can fix things. We can be best friends again. Saving worlds, no matter what it takes. In no other world, will something like this have to happen!" Shade reached out his hand to Ryan.
Could I embrace that path? The darkness that he is now? There's nothing left for me, after all. Not anymore. But that's because of him. How many more people will have to feel like I do now? How much of that would I cause? But it wouldn't hurt. Not if I embraced it. Not if I accepted him?
But what would Sky say. And what, would she say? No. I can't just become like you. Shade. I have to prove you wrong. I have to find a way. Even if I can't win. I can't give up on it all. That's what I learned. Even though he killed her. I still remember what it all meant to me.
"Well, Ryan. There's really only one option, isn't there?" Shade said.
"Yeah." Ryan nodded,"To do what's right." He looked straight up at Sky, pulled his spear out of the ground with the last of his strength, and stabbed Shade.
"W-what? How? You lost e-everything? Why would you not help me? I don't...understand!" Shade said.
"That, was for Kyoko." Ryan said,"Even though you just killed her. What she meant to me didn't die so easily. You didn't take into consideration a human heart. It can't be changed so easily. Not when it's connected to others. So, I stopped you. You'll never hurt another person. You'll never break another world. Even if it's peaceful, the kind of peace you would make would never last. But you couldn't realize that. You were lost in yourself. Willing to kill good people. I, I needed to stop that. You know can't hurt anyone, more than you just hurt me." Ryan said.
"Heh, what an idiot? What kind of life...do you have left?" Shade coughed out.
"I don't know... but I'll find it still. She wouldn't have wanted me to give up." Ryan said.
"Guess...I didn't realize...how stupid...you'd grown..." Shade let out, as the last of his life faded.
"I'm sorry Sky. Next time, I'll truly try to find another way. But, I'm still going to, keep doing my best. I...I have to! I...I...I'll keep...keep on..." Ryan broke down into tears at that point. He couldn't say anymore. All his pain caught up to him. But, he still believed in what he would've said.