Afraid Of My Shadow

by Deyeaz

I - Visiting An Old Friend (Jace)

Afraid Of My Shadow

Written by CraimerX and ShadowWeaver

I - Visiting An Old Friend (Jace)

“You got a spider...” I tapped the large glass container containing the pillow-sized arachnid and it shifted slightly to look back at me with its large eyes.

“Yup! Sure did! Had to get something while you were away... Would’ve gotten bored...” I raised a brow and turned to Vinyl. “What?”

“You couldn’t have gotten a dog?”

“Well, Snare is like a dog! With... Eight legs...”

“You named him Snare?”

“Uh-Huh!” She magicked the top off the glass container and wrapped an aura around the spider and, to my horror, pulling him out and setting it on the floor in front of me. I stared at the little furry beast in front of me and it looked back up at me.

“...Where did you say you got this one again?”

“Uhm, I think the lady said it was from Stalliongrad.” Ohhh, really now? Stalliongrad?

I cleared my throat and tapped on the floor lightly, “Малый, приходите. (Snare, come.)”

As if on cue, the spider ran forward and stopped not one inch in front of me. “Well then! An actual live Stalliongradish attack spider... These were specially bred to go behind enemy lines and plant venom into guards when they slept. It was the perfect thing to do. Sure, training them is hard, but it pays off.” Vinyl watched as I commanded Snare around a bit and then got him to crawl up my arm and rest on my shoulder.

“Babe, that’s awesome. You got a shoulder spider. That is kick ass, DUDE!” Vinyl hopped around a bit and then went up to Snare. “Uhm, how do I get him to get on my head?”

“Малый, сесть на лошадь и сидят (Snare, hop on mare and sit).” Again the spider hopped from my shoulder onto Vinyl’s head and hunkered down in her mane.

“Awww, dude, this is RAD!” She looked up at the spider and smiled wide. “That’s why he never responded to what I told him! I never talked to him in Stalliongradish!”

“Eeyup!... but hang on, how did Wubsy react?” I asked Vinyl.

“Well...”

“Hi, momma!” A familiar voice called out as the front door opened and closed and a little black colt with a yellow mane entered the room. “Who’s your fri-....” The little colt stared at me as I turned to face him. His jaw hung open for a few before I gave him a warm smile.

“Hey bud.”

“D...daddy?” With tears in his eyes, Wubsy charged head-on towards me, tackling me in the biggest hug he could muster. I held him to my chest and returned the hug with all of my might.

“Don’t worry, buddy. I’m here... I’m here.” The colt pulled away and smiled widely at me.

“I missed you, daddy.” Wubsy returned to mightily hugging me.

“I missed you too, bud...” I felt the unfamiliar wetness on my cheeks as tears cascaded down my face and onto the floor as I hugged my son. “I’m so sorry Wubsy... Daddy will never leave you again, I promise...”

“Say, Wubsy... Did you go and visit your Uncle Praxis again after school?” Vinyl asked.

“Uh-huh, momma!” Wubsy answered happily.

My mood turned down slightly at the words. How in the hell did I miss that pagoda...?

“Erm... listen, guys. I’m gonna head out for a little bit and get some fresh air.” I got up and placed Wubsy in the lap of his mother. Vinyl nuzzled him affectionately. “I’ll be back soon, alright?”

“OK, Daddy,” Wubsy declared.

“Take it easy, honey,” Vinyl told me as I left the mansion.

I stepped out into the cool air once more, wrapping the trench coat around my body to keep warm. I started my trek out of the mansion towards the town square. It would take a good ten to twenty minutes to get to the town square, but I didn’t care. Besides, the weather was gorgeous today.

After the long ten-minute walk, I reached the pagoda. My breath was taken away by the sight. A little moat was surrounding the perimeter, with small wooden bridges in front of the entrances. Lotus flowers on lily pads and floating candles glided gently along the moat. The smell of exotic plants hit me in the nostrils and made me sigh in ecstasy. I walked into the pagoda. On the walls of the building were four paintings, each one in between the entrances. One of the paintings depicted me, Praxis, Vinyl, and Zeke, each of us sitting in the grass and smiling happily. Another depicted Lyra being carried by Praxis as he walked along a beach, the two of them blushing vigorously as they looked into one another’s eyes. A third showed me, him, and the Mane Six, also laughing and joking around as the Cutie Mark Crusaders frolicked around us.

The fourth was a bit of an enigma. Praxis and Lyra were sitting on the grass, smiling, but on the man's shoulders is another satyr. This one had seafoam-green fur on his legs and a white stripe in his hair like the mare, and his hair was black and he had the same facial features as his father, sans the beard and large horns.

It was Praxis’s son. Riku. Smiling widely as he was being painted, sitting on his father's shoulders as Lyra sat on Praxis's lap.

I had seen neither him nor Lyra when I left for Stalliongrad. And I couldn’t help but think, 'Goddamn, he looks likes his parents.'

The statue of my friend was still there, after all these years, with the plaque on the pedestal still shining in the light of the sun pouring from the glass roof of the pagoda. The smile on his face still never went away, and the tear still clung to his cheek in mid-descent.

“Hey, man....” I said happily, patting the pedestal. “How’s it goin’?” No answer. “It’s been a long time, man. Wubsy visits you daily, I guess.” More silence. “I also take that your son is born. Kudos, man. I’m happy for you.

“Listen. I gotta get back. Stay here, alright?” I blinked at my last words and facepalmed: of course a statue would stay in one place! Unless he’s actually a weeping angel, then I’m screwed beyond belief. “Just... forget I said that. Take care, bud.”

I left the pagoda towards Sugarcube Corner: Pinkie Pie DID say she was planning a surprise party for everyone for my return, after all.

I did a double-take right when I exit the pagoda and look back at the statue. After seeing nothing out of the ordinary, I simply turned back around and went about my business, my hands in my pocket as I whistled a jaunty tune.

But still... something was wrong...

Did I imagine that cracking sound?

Comments

[Deyeaz]

Statues + Cracking sounds = What?

You guessed it.....

[kragor]

can't wait for the next chapter.

[grayling]

I read that last part and I did exactly this:

[lolz anonymous]

chapter chapter whos got the chapter.

[Kablex]

If he was a Weeping Angle somehow, I would laugh so hard.

[the other sans]

with the plague on the pedestal

1. Plague? I think you guys mean plaque