The Jewel Within

Inferno

Sapphire felt a surge of energy, a type of elemental magic as Shadow stepped forward. She dodged to her left as a spike made of the same stone rose below her rose from the ground in front of her, attempting to pierce her heart. She quickly retaliated bolts of dark magic. But he kept pulling small pillars of the ground to block them.

Shadow felt himself shake from each impact of Sapphire's bolts as they shatter the rock shields. He knew he was going to have to try harder than that. But he was nowhere near out of tricks.

Sapphire smiled, knowing it was going to be fun. She extended her area of fire, knowing they were going to need it. "I can't wait to see what you can really do." The voices called to him.

"Then let me do a little demonstrating." Shadow smirked. He stomped his hooves, causing the wind above him to become visible and turn into seemingly small knives before flinging themselves at Sapphire.

It was easy to block as she put up a shield that took all of the impacts, then dispersed. She lunged forward, her horn flaring and releasing bolts of lightning towards Shadow, who barely dodged three before taking cover behind another rock shield he made, which was obliterated again.

Sapphire laughed maniacally as she pressed forward, her scythe swinging itself at Shadow, who was blocking it with a manifested spear of fire. He moved it so that Sapphire would come down on top of it when she got a bit closer, as she wouldn't be able to stop.

Sapphire's eyes widened as the spear moved to pierce her heart. But she wasn't stupid. She was expecting this. Immediately upon the tip of the spear touching her fur, a flash of immense dark light exploded for half a second in front of Shadow, and she waa gone.

"Wha-" he asked himself, but realized that it was a teleportation spell. He spun around in time to feel a massive force from below him slam him upwards, lifting him into the air.

As swiftly as he had been knocked into the air, he had been sent flying by another force; Sapphire's hoof slamming into his face at high speed. She was using her wings. He slammed against the ground hard and rolled as the sheer force of the impact still carried through.

He got up painfully, then spat blood from his mouth. A rage took the place of his conscious and his breathing hastened. He swiftly ran at Sapphire as she landed, hurling multiple elemental weapons at a time. Sapphire hadn't had enough time to dodge the first couple of blades as rock pierced her side and knife of fire blazed across her cheek.

She growled as he came close, raising her hoof, bringing a wall of black magic slamming into him, rolling him over on the ground. He set himself straight up, then hurled fireballs at her. She put a shield up hastily, barely getting it up before the fireballs hit. The explosions shook her.

When she lowered her shield, he was ready. She gasped as another blade of wind slashed past her, digging into her shoulder.

He was strong, so she had to end it now. And she had the perfect chance, as he was coming her way fast. She focused on his run and smiled.

As he got closer, he brought his hoof up with a glowing blue aura aimed for her heart once again. But it never made contact as Sapphire raised a black chain from the ground, wrapping it around his back leg. He fell to the ground hard with a grunt as another chain took his front hoof.

"Precisely where I needed you." Sapphire said, groaning in pain as she used her magic to yank the sharpened stone from her side. Blood splattered the ground as it came out, steaming against the cold ground.

"What have you done to me?" Shadow asked, feeling his body start to warm.

"A sacrifice of a strong warrior must be made. It keeps this books power strong." She chuckled. She licked her cheek as blood continued to trickled from the cut. She spat it into the circle, then smiled as two more chains grabbed his other legs.

"Let me out of this!" He growled as he was lifted, then pulled taut.

"You fought well. I will give you that." She said as a dark fire welled up below him. "But now..." she started.

"No, stop!" He yelled loudly.

"If you are looking for help, no one can hear you. We are in an alternate space. A piece of a world created by me." She smiled. "Now, for the ritual."

"Wait, I'll work for you! I will do as you please!" He pleaded.

"You will?" Sapphire asked, her face showing that she was considering it as the chains loosened a little. She smiled.

"I swear my life to you!" Shadow said, pain on his face.

"Fine." Sapphire said, dropping him into the fire below. "Then give it for me" she laughed maniacally as the dark flames started to consume him. His screams of agony matching his sisters in her final moments. She watched as his skin melted away, then flesh followed by muscle. Soon, he collapsed into a pile of bones, then to ashes.

Sapphire felt the pain catch up to her, but she wasn't done. She winced and pushed through the pain. "What once was your, now is mine. No longer with a mortal body, I claim your soul. And with this soul, I feed the darkness that dwells within. For the fragment of a Nightmare, your purpose has been served." She said, opening the book towards his soul. It's essence was pulled to the book as it was slowly devoured, then it slammed shut around the orb. It fell to the ground and the field around her melted away along with his remains. She fell to her knees, staring up into the darkened sky.

She winced in pain as blood pooled on the hard tile of Canterlot's street.