Afraid Of My Shadow

by Deyeaz

XXIII - Friends In High Places (Jace)

~Afraid Of My Shadow~

Written by CraimerX and ShadowWeaver

Proofreaded by the onlyoneofmeisyou

XXIII - Friends In High Places (Jace)

"Move, Romero!" The guard shoved me into a room, my hands bound behind my back by a heavy chain. My eyes were blindfolded once again, so I couldn't see anything. I slowly crouched down and sat on the floor, my legs crossed.

I looked down to the floor, the blackness of my blindfold keeping out any sight of it. Then, I heard the sound of a door opening in front of me. I looked up so I wouldn't look weak in the presence of whatever was coming for me. "Well, look at you, Romero..." Wait... That voice! That fucking voice!

"...Insanity..."

"A smart boy you are..." I felt the blindfold being pulled away and I opened my closed eyes, looking right up at... Myself?! "Hello, Romero... Long time no see..."

The voice was Insanity's, but the body was mine... He was very... Dapper for a villain. With a black suit, black pants, and shoes, and a tie. He looked more like a businessman then the owner of a crazed factory. Though it's fitting he'd be in charge of the place.

"...How are you me? What is this?! Some kind of sick joke?!"

"Hush. It's the only form I could take that I thought worthy... After you so rudely banished me to Hell all those years ago.." Insanity walked around me, looking me over, and then kneeled down beside me. "I don't wish to share this likeliness with you, Romero."

"Then don't... You have that much power to do at least that, don't you? Or did Umbra take most of your powers so you wouldn't overthrow him?"

"The latter..." Insanity narrowed his eyes and stood, walking to his door. "Guards. Leave us. I shall be in my office with our guest here..." The guards did what they were told and trotted off, as Insanity stared at me. "Stand, Romero, and follow me." He made his way into the office and I followed, albeit slower in my current state.

When I entered, I was greeted by a room that was more modern than anything. Bookcases lined the walls, a maple desk sat in the middle of the room, and a large window in the back of the room oversaw all of the activities in the Factory.

"...You need to leave, Romero." Insanity made his way to the desk and opened a drawer, pulling a key out. "You need to stop this..."

Now, I was as shocked as you were at this point. Insanity, the one who threatened to burn the world and enslave all those who stood in the way, is actually turning good?!

"...What the fuck is this? One of your tricks?" Insanity chuckled lightly and walked behind me, undoing the locks to my handcuffs.

"No tricks. No games. Only truth." Insanity walked around to face me and I rubbed my wrists, the handcuffs had made them raw and they stung. "I'm trying to help.. Umbra is more corrupt than anyone you have faced, even myself. You need all the help you can get..." Insanity flashed a sharp toothed grin at me. "And the reason for my appearance is simple... I am your insanity, Jason..."

"...I call bullshit."

"And I call fact." Insanity walked over to his bookshelf and started to look through the books. "I've been around here since you first came... Coal's Insanity is still here as well... Somewhere. I lost track of him a while ago." He pulled out a book and started to flip through the pages. "When beings from another world enter Equestria, they lose their Insanity in some way shape or form. It happens when you have your first traumatic event here in Equestria. It's to balance yourself out."

“Well... At least I know how Insanity came into the world now...” I walked around the office, then to the windows, staring at the ponies that have their colors washed away and turn grey, then fall into the conveyor belt below to be grinded up. “...Why do you run this factory if you hate Umbra so much?”

“Simple.” Insanity walked up beside me and stared out into the Factory. “Trust... Umbra trusts me, but not fully. He doesn’t like that I’m your Insanity... There’s cause for treason..” He turned towards me and I met his gaze, staring into his purple eyes. “Which is exactly what’s going on right now. He’ll figure out sooner or later that he will fall from the inside...”

“So, what do we do?”

“Not what I do, dear boy... What you do. I’ll put on a little show as you take down the factory bit by bit...” He handed me the book he had been reading and I looked at the page he was on, and I raised a brow.

“‘Magic School of Destruction?’” I read the title of the page and then to Insanity. He smiled his wicked smile at me and chuckled. I grew the same grin, and continued to read. “I never thought this School was around anymore... Not even Aksheal has books like this...”

“Because Aksheal is more passive than anything. He has a world to rule, and his subjects look up to him as an icon of peace... He already knows every magic to learn, he’s an Archmage, so of course he’d know. He doesn’t use it because he doesn’t want to scare his people...”

“That makes sense...”

“Indeed it does.”

“So... now what?” I was worried out of my mind. My heart was the hammer of a blacksmith, slamming into the ingot ribs in vain hopes to align them in its image. “How can I get out of here?”

“Believe me when I say that help is on the way.” He reached into his pocket and tossed me a metal case, branded with my initials. I opened it, and saw it lined with long cigarettes, each having a small ‘J’ on the end of the butt. I looked up, and Insanity melted away into the shadows. I attempted to look for him, but I could see nothing other than the spot where he dissipated. Great... I’m left here, just praying for a rescue, and all I get is a “help will be here in no time” excuse? Come on!

‘Jace, can you hear me?’ That voice... it’s Praxis!

‘Yeah... I can hear you... But I want you to do one thing for me, Praxis...’

‘What is it?’

‘...Run.’

I waited, bided my time in the hopes that Praxis had listened to me and had fled. As much as he was a good friend... he was borderline worthless against these guys, especially in his cursed state.

I turned towards the glass and cracked my neck as I grabbed the book that Insanity had gotten out, and raised a hand to the window overseeing the factory. I saw my hand slowly be encased in a black fireball, and I threw it at the glass, and it stuck to it and blinked. I ran and took cover behind a wall as the fireball exploded, crashing the glass and setting the factory into high alert.

I observed the blaze... watched it slowly engulf all.

~End of Chapter XXIII~

Comments

[lolz anonymous]

sticky fire bomb... sweet.

[Fireeaters]

Ameratsu...