Nyx's Shadow

ニックス・ウリック影

**Nyx's Shadow** (*Shadow),* is a facsimile of Nyx that attacks and attempts to kill him. It is also a manifestation of Nyx's conscience; once lost within an unknown era. This entity yearns for the Anemic Shard and knows much about the phenomenon and the potentialities of time's vortex, yet speaks little of it.

## Profile

### Personality

Nyx’s Shadow is candid and aggressive. Since being sent back in time before Nyx's death, he yearns not to return to his battered, burned corpse that awaits him in the present, but to live on forever to either change the past to prevent his death, or confine Nyx in the Golden Age for eternity while he obtains immortality.

### Appearance

Nyx's Shadow's appearance of the likeness to Nyx as souls commonly do. The only notable difference are the grimy and phantasms aura that forms around him.

## Story

**––—Spoiler warning: *Plot and/or ending details follow.––—***

### 706 Valendian

Aged Rydia encounters Nyx at the unknown era and asks him if he knows a young man named, Carrière. Nyx, baffled, wonders why she asks him that. Rydia replies, the letter she possesses reads, *"To my dearest Ulric..."* the latter wording is faded, and its from a man named Carrière. She then asks Nyx, if he is "Ulric". Nyx wonders where she found the letter, and Rydia replies she found it discarded on the Ozmone Plains. Nyx then reacts, finally understanding why Carrière was holding the empty envelope when he fell.

Nyx tries his chances and requests Rydia to retrieve a shard within a rare magicite mine. He explains he doesn't know exactly where it is,. but he's certain its in there and that he must have it. Rydia, confused on why he cannot get it himself, Nyx replies if he could he would, but never explains why he cannot. Rydia, after a while, agrees to search for the shard, asking Nyx if he believes something such as this will really work. Nyx, unsure himself, stays persistent in wanting the shard. Rydia then agrees, stating she does mind fighting for an impossible cause. She then asks Nyx if he believes miracles can really happen. Nyx states that this is prominence, and Rydia implies that's likely the problem. Nyx tells Rydia she thinks too much; he is from here, and this is his town, likely implying the realm of prominence is projecting his home of either Galahd or Insomnia.

After returning with the shard at hand, Nyx thanks Rydia for retrieving the item for him, stating that's only one he wasn't able to get himself. By the time he found out about it, he could no longer leave his dwell. Rydia wonders, still, if it will have any effect. Nyx then blatantly replies that the gods are here, and Rydia knows it to, stating she was born in this era; likely referring to the prominence ability to bend time and reality it projects. Rydia believes "God" isn't the right word. Nyx asks Rydia if she believes in fate, to her response, *"not really".* He claims that's fine, later stating this is a dead end and there is nothing beyond this point. Rydia, agreeing, asks him what if she'd said she does believe in fate. Nyx then mentions Edge, claiming he is a bad man. Trying to remember, the memory of that name slowly comes to Rydia. Nyx tells her that he *"searches for the you, that isn't you."* Rydia responds *"because he's kind"* and if Nyx knows something she doesn't. With a firm *"yes"* in repose, Nyx begins to tell Rydia, but is interrupted by Rydia's uncertainty, as she tells him that's just what he thinks, and he doesn't really know anything; implying that's just fine. Nyx responds with a blunt *"okay"* as he steps out of frame from the players view, likely into another room.

### Presentiment Era

As a common start to plots in the trilogy, Nyx is very amnesiac, although not confused. Since he has used time epoch to seek life though a new host, without the possible conflict of his counterpart to deal with. Following the host's faith, not caring what it may be, or where its intentions may take him, just the fact of living again is well enough. In the normal ending, Nyx survives and continues to live out his life though his host.

#### Fate

Following his path in the Narshe Mines, turns out to be a figment of the Insomnia Mines, akin to the original. In here, he is faced with the facsimile of himself once again, the embodiment binding all his repressed memories. He conflicts with his facsimile one last time, inevitably failing to defeat it this time. Nyx realizes the only way to rid his facsimile is if he releases his repressed memories and feelings and accepts the reality of his fate. Only then is he able to move on to eternal repose.

***––—Spoilers end here––—***

## Quotes

* *"You're fight was over, you cannot deny."*
* *"You know what to do. Go on. DO IT!"*
* *"You're a black thumb, Nyx! Incapable of sustaining life!"*
* *"This is prominence."*
* *"Oh, Rydia, you think too much. I'm from here, this is my town."*
* *"Do you believe in Fate?"*
* *"That Edge, he's a bad man."*

## Musical themes

"Dark Messenger" is the eponymous theme of the Shadow Shade in *Final Fantasy IX-0: Alexander Edition*.