Walking in Shadows

Disclaimer: I did not create any of the Harry Potter storyline, or characters. These ideas belong to the fabulous JKR, which we all must pay credit for the wonderful world she has created.

Warning: Though this story will contain no sexually explicit material, there will be graphic violence that may offend some people. I will be leaving the rating at PG13, but if any of you feel that it needs to be made higher, I will increase the rating.

A/n: Thank you for the reviews, and I am so sorry I left this so long.

Be prepared for a lot of explanations in this chapter. I’m just setting up the stage for this fanfic, so if you are confused you can ask me to clarify things in reviews and I will see what I can do.

The Realm of Shadows

Draco collapsed against the cold floor, a loud groan escaping from his lips. How could this have happened? Three years he had spent looking for this sword and now that he had finally found it they could no longer use it. His last hope in escaping from this place, his last hope in ever seeing Ginny again, it was gone- shattered like the crimson shards scattered around him. He felt tears stinging his eyes but he was too disappointed to wipe them away. It was like he had lost Ginny all over again, and now he was always going to be stuck in this hell with only the memory of her enchanting face to haunt him.

“Oh, is the little Dragon Rider upset?” Loki mocked, his cold eyes lighting up with amusement. “Afraid you’ll never see your girlfriend again? That is if she still is your girlfriend…” Loki continued with a small smile, one pale finger tapping his chin knowingly. Draco looked up at him, his hands clenching into fists as he felt his anger boiling.

“It’s been four years, hasn’t it?” Loki asked with a sly smile. “She’s surely moved on by now; probably forgotten all about you...”

 “SHUTUP!” Draco shouted as he stood up furiously. He pulled out a dagger from his cloak and ran towards Loki, his face screwed up with rage as he slashed at the tall, silver-haired man. “Shutup! shutup! shutup!!” he repeated with each slash.

Loki laughed as the dagger slashed harmlessly through his body as if he were a mere holographic image. Draco stared at him in surprise wondering how it was possible that his blade was doing nothing.

“Don’t waste your strength, boy,” Loki admonished with another laugh. “You didn’t honestly think that I would come to see you in person?”

Draco glared at him, breathing heavily as he tried to catch his breath. “Enough of these games!” He spat back angrily, sick to death of being toyed with. “I’m coming for you, Loki, and when I do you’d better make sure you’re ready.”

“And what are you going to kill me with?” Loki asked with another small smile, his eyes filled with scorn. “Your little dagger?”

“Enough.” Medea snapped coldly, her violet eyes flashing with annoyance. “Arguing with him is futile, Draco; he’s just getting amusement from watching you get angry.” She turned her haughty gaze to Loki, her beautiful face reflecting the contempt she felt for him. “Save your smug smiles for another day, Loki; no matter what you think, you won’t get away with this. I for one will not allow you to continue this harebrained scheme of yours, and I doubt you will succeed anyway. Every plan of yours has failed so far, so what makes you think this one will work?”

Loki smiled in amusement and walked forward, his hand reaching out to stroke her pale cheek almost lovingly. “Because I’ve already won, Medea. The shadow magic is leaking into the Realm of Light from the hole created by the sword of souls and nothing can stop it. By destroying the sword I have ensured that hole will remain, until eventually the shadows will take over the world of Light and the barrier will be no more.”

“Do you really think this will work?” Medea demanded coldly, completely unmoved by his affection. “Don’t you remember why the barriers were made? The world of Light will be destroyed if you let the shadows take over- that was why Kashera sealed the shadow off in the first place. You’re a fool if you think that I will support what you are doing.”

Loki pulled his hand away from her face, his mercury eyes gleaming dangerously. “What good will it do you to fight against me, Medea? Vincent is dead, Julien and Byleist are dead- even Kashera is dead! Do you wish to join them? Do you wish to experience the bitter taste of death? You who feared death so much you sacrificed your life in becoming a guardian so you could become immortal?”

“I’ve been dead for a nearly five hundred years,” Medea replied in a low voice, her eyes glimmering slightly. “You’ve taken everything from me: my life, my home, and my love... Now you just expect me to forget all that and join you so that you can destroy more people’s lives?”  She walked forward angrily, tears spilling from her beautiful eyes. “You’ve killed so many people and for what? What is the point in all this mindless destruction? Do you not see what you have done?”

“I’m tired of being a slave!” Loki shouted furiously, finally losing his cool amusement. “I’ve sacrificed my whole life to be a guardian of this world, and what have I received in return? Nothing! I have nothing!”

He glared at her as he paced up and down, his silver eyes flashing with a rage so dark it seemed to fill the whole room.

“I was the one who had to stay behind and guard the barrier from inside the shadows. While you all were taken into the light, it was me who was forced to stay behind and live in this prison of darkness. There was no one here for me, no one but the filthy shadows...”

“Loki…” Medea said in a strained voice, but Loki ignored her as he continued to pace up and down still muttering feverishly.

“Kashera gave me a sword to use as a weapon- she said it was called Oblivion’s Wrath, and that with it I would be able to stop the creatures from coming through the barrier- but she didn’t tell me the price I would have to pay for using it. I had unimaginable powers at my disposal because of the sword, but every time I used it I felt like a part of myself was dying. The more times I used the it, the more I felt dead...”

Draco stared at Loki in horror, knowing exactly how he felt. It had been much the same for him when he would use the Sword of Souls to summon the army. It was as if a small part of his soul had died…

“Finally I realised what was happening,” Loki continued with a dark expression in his eyes. “The sword had been forged using the very magic that had destroyed our world. Shadow magic is destructive; it feeds on magic and souls, and it was feeding on mine. That sword was killing me, and so in my fear I tried to destroy it but it was too late... The sword had claimed my soul and because of it I am now trapped in this place- trapped with the very creatures I had sworn to destroy…”

“So that is why you want to link the worlds again.” Medea said in understanding. “You can’t leave the Shadow Realm because your soul depends on it for survival.”

“Then how were you in our world four years ago?” Draco asked with a frown. If Loki could not survive in their world, how was it even possible for him to be there?

Loki smiled slightly, “Because you allowed me to. Every time a Dragon Rider calls the Sword of Souls from this world the portals open between the barriers, and because of the shadow magic that lingers in the sword, I am able to move about the Realm of Light for a brief period of time. Kashera hadn’t been expecting that little development, so every time a new Dragon Rider was chosen I would leave and continue my plots for revenge, and now I am finally going to succeed...”

“Why can’t you just let it go, Loki?” Medea entreated, her exquisite face filled with sorrow. “Please just let it go... You’ve killed Kashera; you’ve killed everyone who has opposed you. Why must you destroy the only good thing left in this world too? Those people are innocent…”

“You’re starting to sound like Kashera,” Loki muttered with disgust. “She said the same thing before I killed her.” He laughed coldly, but there were faint traces of tears in his eyes, which Draco found odd.

“She begged me to spare the world of Light- told me that she would do anything for me if I would just leave the world of Light alone, but I can’t do that…” he raised his eyes to them, the silvery depths filling with tears. “I can’t die in this place. I want to be free; I want to live in the Light again...”

“The shadows will destroy the Light, Loki, and you know it.” Medea responded sadly. “Once that barrier falls there will be no beauty left in that world. You will only be exchanging one prison for another and dragging down every other person with you…”

“Then so be it,” Loki hissed. “If I must die in darkness, then so shall everyone else.”

“You’re immortal, you cannot die.” Medea exclaimed impatiently.

Loki laughed bitterly and walked away from them, a harsh expression on his face. “That is where you are wrong, Medea… Kashera was the one who gave us the powers to guard the barriers. She gave us immortal life so that we would always live to guard the portals, but now that she is dead our powers that she gave us are gone. Why do you think that you have lost your ability as a seer?”

“I…I thought it was just this place...” Medea said quietly.

“No, Medea, we are but mere mortals now,” Loki replied in a hard voice, his rage once more coming back. “We no longer have the powers we used to, and I in my eagerness to get revenge made it happen. She always seems to get the last laugh but not this time. I’ll destroy the world she tried so hard to protect. I’ll kill every last one of those pathetic humans and the filth that call themselves wizards and witches. I’ll kill them all!”

“You’re insane,” Medea whispered in horror.

“Do not presume to lecture me, Medea,” Loki spat coldly. “You and Vincent were no better with your power-hungry plots to rule the world. Remember that it was I who killed you because of your greed, and if I hadn’t done it Kashera would have.”

“She would not have killed us.” Medea defended.

Loki laughed loudly at that, his eyes narrowing cruelly. “Do you think she really cared about you or anyone else for that matter? She used us all! This boy is just another countless example of her unfeeling manipulation. She gave him a sword that would kill him just so he could save a world that only tries to destroy itself.”

He stared at them both with a hate-filled glare, the absolute fury he felt towards Kashera and the world of Light shining through those unforgiving eyes. “Why are we dying for these people? Why do we suffer for Kashera’s precious world of Light? They do not even appreciate the world they were given. They sit there killing each other and trying to destroy what we have given our lives to protect. We are dying for nothing, and I refuse to let this go on any longer. I will destroy their ungrateful lives and end this insanity! I will be the world’s liberator…”

Draco frowned to himself as Loki continued to talk, not really sure what to think or what to say. He could appreciate Loki’s bitter feelings for he too had been trapped in the Shadow Realm because of the sword that Kashera had given him, but to kill everyone? Medea was right: that was just insane. There were so many innocent people in the world, so many good people; it was unfair to destroy all of them simply because people like Voldemort were power-hungry.

“You are both trapped in here with me as well,” Loki continued, a mad expression on his face. “You have both suffered because of Kashera, so you must understand my sentiments. Why not join with me? Together we can bring justice back to the worlds. With the Sword of Judgement on our side, we shall cut down those disgusting animals that live in the world of Light and finally be free from the bonds Kashera has placed us in.”

“This isn’t right, Loki,” Medea retorted angrily, shaking her beautiful head in disappointment. “If you want to destroy the world you’ll be doing it alone, but know this: I will use all of my powers to stop you, for I will not let you destroy the world I have fought so hard to protect… ”

“And you, Dragon Rider? Will you fight against me too?” Loki asked with a sneer, as he turned away from Medea to stare at Draco.

“No matter what you may think, Loki, the world of Light is not worthless…” Draco said softly. “I won’t let you destroy it…”

“Then fight me if you must,” Loki declared harshly, “But I will not give up. I will never stop until the last human takes their final breath; I promise you that...”

Draco watched as Loki’s image vanished into black smoke and sighed. He placed his head in his hands wondering what he could possibly do now. It was all very well for him to say that he would fight against Loki but he had no way to do it. He had no wand, no sword- just a small dagger that was nothing more than a bit of steel. He had no true power anymore; he was useless, weak…

A hand grasped his shoulder and he looked up in surprise to see Medea looking down at him sympathetically, her violet eyes glistening with tears. She was so beautiful, almost unnaturally so, and it still seemed to amaze him when he looked at her.

“Do not give up yet, Draco,” she said comfortingly, her elegant fingers giving his shoulder a reassuring squeeze. “I opened that prison you had been trapped in so that I could help you escape from here to stop this madness and reunite with your love, and I plan to keep that promise. The sword that could have freed your soul from this world may be broken but we must not lose faith. We can do this! I have a plan, but I am going to need your help to do it.”

Draco frowned slightly, his eyes gazing at her curiously. “What do you have in mind?”

“The Sword of Judgement is the last of the magic swords. It’s a beautiful sword made completely of gold with a single emerald in the hilt. Its powers are not all known to me, but I know enough to see that it does not work the same way that the Sword of Souls and Oblivion’s Wrath did. Byleist, Loki’s brother, wielded the sword while he was alive- that was until Loki murdered him and stole the sword, which is why I need your help.”

“Why?” Draco asked perplexed. What possible help could he be to Medea? She was far more powerful than he…

“Because only those from Orexis’s bloodline can wield the swords.” Medea explained with a meaningful look at him. “Why do you think Vincent was so intent on trying to get you to join his side when he found you? He could not have used the sword the same way you can; to him it would have just been a piece of metal, but you, Draco, you can command the magic inside.”

“What are you trying to say?” Draco asked apprehensively. He had a feeling that whatever Medea was about to disclose to him was not what he wanted to hear.

“You are the descendant of Byleist, Loki and Helbindi’s brother. Shadow magic runs through your veins, for they are the three sons of Orexis, the true creator of shadow. It is this link to Orexis which allowed you to use the Sword of Souls, but because you are only part shadow, the power of the sword still slowly destroyed you, just as it did Loki.”

Draco’s eyes widened as he stared at her, a horrible sickening feeling twisting in his stomach. He was one of them. He was a descendant of the person who was causing this destruction…

“The three swords were created with shadow magic by Helbindi for his use in the great war: Oblivion’s Wrath, the sword that would use the purest of shadow magic to bring everything back to nothing; the Sword of Souls, a sword which can summon an army of shadow warriors and control people’s souls, and finally the Sword of Judgment, a sword which can destroy anything and can never be defeated if the wielder believes justice is on their side...”

“Then how did Kashera get the swords if they belonged to Helbindi? And why would Helbindi create swords that would eventually kill him?” Draco asked curiously.

“Helbindi was different to his brothers. He was the son of Creuca, the Queen of the Dusks, while Loki and Byleist were born from a different mother- a human mother… Helbindi alone could not be affected by Shadow magic because he was so immersed in it himself, but even with his great powers he could not save himself or his father from being defeated by Kashera and her warriors. She took the swords and decided to use them for her own purposes, but I am unsure if she knew the sword she gave Loki would kill him or not...”

Medea frowned to herself, her violet eyes shifting to her hands in thought. “I have lived for thousands of years and even now I do not understand the mind of Kashera. She was greater than any person I have met, but her ways were often unclear to me. I cannot believe that she would let Loki kill her so easily. There must be something that she knew that we do not, which is why you must help me with this. Even with all his power Loki could not have killed Kashera, and she would not have allowed herself to die for nothing- not even to take away his immortality. She must have had a plan, and I think we are the ones who need to carry it out, or at least try anyway.”

“Right.” Draco agreed. “But even if I can use the sword because of Byleist’s blood, there’s still the problem that Loki has it, and you heard him yourself; I think he’s pretty sure that justice is on his side.”

“Leave Loki to me. If what he says about losing his power is true, than I should be able to distract him enough for you to get that sword off him. All you have to do is claim yourself as its master with your blood and the sword will listen to you. Loki will be weak then, for he does not have the destructive magic in him that I do; he relies on magic swords for offence, so that will be our chance to kill him.”

“And the hole in the portal?”

Medea sighed tiredly and gazed at him through her strange, violet eyes. “I do not know how to seal the portal, but we can still try.”

Draco nodded his head in agreement and stood up, a determined expression on his face. He may have no weapon, and he may be stuck in this Realm of Shadows with only a half-dead sorceress for company, but he wasn’t going to give up on the world of Light yet. He had to fight, if not for himself than for every innocent person dying in the world because of his ancestors. Medea was right: they had to try….

A/n: Sorry if there are typos. I haven’t had my beta read over this, and I wrote this at midnight, lol.