Shadow Sweetheart (Part 2!)

If she were to explain her feelings right then, it would have been a soup of frustration, curiosity, and a weird liking to her shadow.

But then again, she had to rely on him for info, so she kinda didn’t have a choice.

Her walk through this dreamed up tundra had been mired with statues of people she knew and likely never known. Of gladiators she fought, of people she saved, and of shapes that she found horrifying and enchanting. Like the deep recesses of her mind were playing a game with her.

Although it was beautiful and ugly, the shadow that followed her was cute and annoying.

“So, what do ya mean that ya couldn’t been in the first one? That might have saved a lot of people-people. Also, I have a lot of stress-stress, but that’s besides the point!” Vega realized that either the shadow was limited in resources or incompetent. She hoped it wasn’t both.

“I uh, well ya see, that’s not what the first tower was for. It hadn’t been built to house any Soul Gems. Because-cause it wasn’t secure.”

“ Is that the second part? The second part of the answer-answer thing?”

“Huh? Oh right! Second part of the answer is danger.”

“Danger?” Vega then slammed her head into another statue. This one wasn’t a person, instead a nymph. More specifically, the nymph Yukos twisted into a sea snake thing. Like she was screaming in sorrow.

“Ya got to stop doing that.”

“I’m try-trying. But please, continue.” Vega rubbed her face and watched the statue as she walked. She noticed that it was moving with her, she let down her guard and listened to her shadow.

“Because Soul Gems falling into the wrong hands is extremely dangerous. Any other city in the Oligarchy would have been too risky, and Uvi Jantok already has spectacular defenses.”Again, the shadow said it all matter of fact like. Vega sucked air through her animated teeth, feeling that he said it at the worst time possible.

“That’s pretty subjective. I mean, uhhhhhhhhhhh, it only got invaded a day ago.” She closed her eyes and braced for verbal impact.

“Oh. Well, did the third tower get destroyed?” He questioned, all calm like.

“No?” Vega crouched to the ground, confused anticipating the shadow to not give any answers.

“Well then the plan worked! Big walls, plus ya are now magically gifted from the second!” He spoke quickly, keeping up the promised momentum of answers, which Vega delighted at.

“Again, fair point. Ya are good when ya are actually telling me the truth.” Vega giggled, giving the shadow pause. He didn’t know how to react, not encountering this expression before.

He stopped, putting his hands on his chest. The shadow took a breath, and then continued.

“Why did Kaliber make three towers? First one was a home for her. Second was for the searching one, that being you. Third was to protect me and the Soul Gems!” Being theatric with the presentation of the information, the shadow made this dreamland tundra far warmer and a little bit brighter.

Still, there was something on the back of Vega’s mind, a mental itch she had.

“Hold on, I thought those things couldn’t be opened without a construct. Seems already pretty safe-safe.” Holding her chin, Vega wondered a little deeper on the intentions of the shadow.

“Ha! Perhaps if you’re looking at the perspective of yourself. But from Kaliber’s, she had no idea whether or not you’d join Ani Arma’s side or not. Ya know with him talking with ya all the time.” The shadow made a mocking mouth with his hand.

“Oooh! I see. A back up plan just in case I turned evil-evil.” Vega imagined an evil version of herself, something like the version Krimm created to taunt her. She had to admit, Krimm looked pretty cool as her.

But still, Ani Arma wanted to use her. Vega wanted to know more about it, but it’s not like he was going to tell her.

“Less evil-evil and more… controlled by Ani Arma.” The shadow spoke cautiously, wanting Vega to have a better grasp at the idea. She wouldn’t be evil, more a slave.

“Controlled? Like… what he’s doing here…” Freezing up, a gargantuan structure stood before her, a recent memory.

A hodgepodge of brick and mortar, flowing in and out of one another like three rivers converging. Spinning, rotating, and bending here and there. They were all towers, the ones that Vega had explored and the one Vega had yet to.

Wondering, Vega thought if Ani Arma knew about all of what she had seen. Was it only when he was speaking to her, it was all the time? Again, she wouldn’t get an answer from him.

Seeing the second tower once more, it gave her another question.

“Hey… what was the second tower for?” She looked at the ground, knowing it had to involve the subject of Kaliber.

“For you. For… memories that would have meant something to you. Memories of you and Kaliber and… things Kaliber did.” His voice weakened, feeling a weight of guilt. Like he knew that he had failed her, in some aspect.

“...” Vega sensed that he wished something was different, but not exactly what. What is the entrance? Was it the mismanaged histories? What was the shadow thinking about?

“Did… did it work?” He asked, like a kid asking their friend if they had fun on a niche game. Like he was afraid that Vega didn’t learn anything.

“No… all of it was broken. Sounds sometimes didn’t work, people that we didn’t see. A lot of it wasn’t coherent.” Vega was honest, but she knew that she didn’t know how to quantify the quality of it.

“...I understand. Me and Kaliber thought it was a long shot. And to be honest, we didn’t have enough time to finish, let only have it built to last.” The shadow lagged behind her, turning to see the towers behind them.

“Huh, it really was built for me. For memories. Memories that I didn’t have.” Vega smiled sadly, feeling bittersweet. They really were trying their best, they really did all of that for her. However it wasn’t finished. A painting that was missing a few strokes. A poem without all of its words.

Something not right. Something that shouldn’t be. A hatred that smiles.

“You know… the worst lesson is the one that doesn’t teach anything.” The shadow sighed, catching up to Vega’s side.

“Don’t say that. It’s alright.” She waved at him, trying to signal that it didn't hurt her feelings.

“If I were there, I would fix everything!” He exclaimed, passionate and wanting to make things right. Right for his creator. Make it right for Kaliber. And make it right for Vega.

“Aww. Don’t worry dude!” Vega giggled once more, which broke the shadow out of his stupor.

“Why? It d-didn’t work!” The shadow stuttered out.

“Well, ya are talking to me now. Ya can tell me how to fix it. How to get those memories back!” Hopeful, Vega stepped into a wide stance, as if she were to hug the shadow. In her mind, she had no doubt. If she had all these magics, saved a city, and bested a conqueror, repairing the tower should be no effort.

“...Heh. Kaliber really had ya all figured out-out.” The shadow chuckled like a nerdy teen, actually believing Vega was going to follow through.

The two continued on, through the dark tundra, searching for a way out.

Vega, for the first time in her life, didn't know how to feel about someone.

Sure she had met cute people before, but this shadow was very different. Something… more.

Florato, being the first actual person who became her friend. Always pleasant and supportive. Having helped her to learn the guitar, Vega always felt grateful to her.

If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

However she was far too old and she always thought of her as a close friend.

While she was saving the mermaids, Vega liked hanging out with Ren and wanted to go see him again now that everything had calmed down. He was really sweet and was related to a nymph, so that was a plus. But again, she never thought of him beyond a friend she would meet again during a vacation.

However, she didn’t know how to consider this shadow. The one that follows her. A conflict, for being uncertain of who she wanted him to be, rather than herself.

“Ya have another question, don’t ya?” The shadow nudged her on her shoulder.

“Haha, yeah. Ya guys had a lot of predictions, right?”

“Yep. Probably half of the second tower was dedicated to running tests on who ya were. I don’t know-know, but ya get the picture.” He rolled his head, not able to gauge how much they did in preparation.

“Then you or Kaliber planned on me getting that guitar string and the fountain gem.” Vega pointed to her chest, feeling a great relief that their plans had went according. Sure, it meant that she wasn’t so amazing, but she felt like she needed to be humbled.

“Actually only the guitar string!”

“Oh… that’s… a little disappointing.” Vega was then humbled. She felt a little dejected. Also a little disappointed in Kaliber.

“Yeah. Hah… it really fucking is.” He rested his head on his shoulder, feeling a bit bad for Vega.

“Don’t feel sorry-sorry! It worked pretty good-good. It was actually the thing that saved the city.” Vega went to hold the hand of the shadow, but simply fell on her face.

“Ah, that’s also-so good. Tell me, how was it?” The shadow held out his hand to help her up, but it again phased through her.

“It kinda really incredibly hurts. I’ll get used to it though, Ya know, when people’s lives aren’t at stake.” Picking herself up and dusting off the snow, Vega shrugged. The experience wasn’t exactly pleasant.

He clicked with this tongue, and groaned in agreeance.

“Yep, I get ya. Kaliber knew how volatile the Soul Gems would be, so we planned on only giving you one to get yourself adjusted to it. Also the reason why only Spirits are able to use them. Luckily, it seems you only needed two.” The shadow laughed nervously, happy that their calculations were corrected.

“I kinda needed three…” Vega knew that their calculations were totally not fucking correct.

“Wow really? Shoot, I’m sorry. We did consider putting extra Soul Gems in there, but we ran the numbers and you would have probably died if you did more than one!” Initially the shadow felt also humbled, however he spun it and told Vega the honest truth.

“What number-numbers?” Vega asked, not getting how they were able to calculate.

“Some test-tests! We ran based on our theoretical idea of who you’d be! We knew you had to be a construct otherwise Kaliber’s plan wouldn’t have worked. Ya would have been made out of flexible material, anything like wood and fabric.” The shadow checked off each part of Vega’s body. Her hair, her legs, and her patchwork skin.

Huh. That’s smart-smart. Since anything else would be too hard to move.

“I am surprised you were able to get limb replacements. By the way-way, where did ya get that third Soul Gem?” The shadow stared at her metal arm as he asked.

“Sorbet stole it.”

“A… ice cream did it?” He looked up at her like she said something crazy.

“No-no, hahaha! My friend, whose name is Sorbet. She’s actually been helping me out with this Soul Gem stuff. I know most of it are educated guesses, but Sorbet is good at those.”

“Fascinating! I don’t want-want to keep repeating myself, but Vega, ya are quite literally off the scale!” The shadow had a great excitement in his voice and movements. He casted a great smile and danced on one of the statues, eclipsing the twisted form and placed a lively happiness.

A warmth filled her heart, a type of warmth that Vega had never felt before. The one not of fire, of pain, or of passion or kindness. But of a thing she never thought possible.

She had no words or phrases to describe it.

Vega had been praised before, by her friends and the people she had met. Even though these compliments and amazements weren’t new, it was the fact that it was coming from someone who had a means to measure her on.

And she surpassed it. She surpassed it.

Not because she was born this way, not because she had this power stored in her roots. Vega had earned it.

Her shadow was laughing madly now, forgetting that Vega was even there. He overflowed with joy and hope, even in the dark landscape.

“Yep-yep, now ya get it! And when we ran the tests ya would combust into flames when encountering two operating Soul Gems!” The shadow said, like Vega would have any knowledge of the term.

“Operating Soul Gem? What’s that?”

“Haha! You’re funny. You know, the one it ya head?” The shadow relaxed, seeing the shocked look on Vega’s face.

Everything stopped. Like someone had stopped the flow of time. What did Vega hear, what made her stop in shock?

“…How did ya know that?” Vega never even thought of it.

“…don’t ya know yet?” He creeped closed, trying to calm her.

“Know what? I know-know I’m a construct but-”

“No I mean, your Soul Gem. You know about it, don’t ya?”

“I have a Soul Gem?” Now it made sense, she was a construct for a reason. Scarecrows just don’t become alive without reason. Vega was attuned to magic, how did she not think about it.

Then came a thought. A terrifying thought. Soul Gems are only made when someone special dies.

Who was in her Soul Gem?

“Who is in my Soul Gem?”

“Uhhhhhhhhhhh-not going to comment.” The shadow turned away, suddenly becoming quite shy. In his mind, he wished Kaliber was here. He wished Kaliber was still alive.

Wait… hold on. If they are two constructs then that means… wait a minute.

“Then… that’s it. That explains it. I have a soul. I have a Soul Gem. Do… do ya know what it is? Who it is?”

“…Kaliber… she wanted ya to find out.” The shadow told a half truth, but left out the detail Vega wanted to know.

“Ya are lying to me.” Vega sensed it. She felt it, through the rhythm of his movements and voice.

“I’m really not-”

“Ya are.” Vega dropped to her knees, feeling a hole form inside herself. “Shadow, I get why ya are.. I know ya are doing this to hide the secrets from him, but please. Please, it… it hurts not knowing.”

“Vega…” A burning in his soul, the shadow kneeled to her level. A part of him wanted to say it, but he knew that Ani Arma would use it against her.

“Ya are lucky, because ya knew her. But me, I only have so much I can prove to myself. Please, ya are not alone. I… ya are the only person who knows what it's like to be built, not born.”

With those words, the shadow felt a duty bestowed onto him. Much like the one Kaliber had given him before she left.

He needed to deliver the truth, even if it hurt.

After all, as he had seen many times before, the truth will set them free.

“Vega. …Ya…Ya are-”

Seems like you two are having fun.

Like thunder out of the sky, the voice. The voice of Ani Arma arrived, crashing down. The tundra darkened even further, like it was the celestial night.

“Ya hear that?” Vega stood up, stanced and ready for combat.

“Yes-yes. It’s him.” The shadow confirmed it.

Ah, you two are having quite the play date. How sweet.

“How-how did ya do this? Why am I in this dream?” Vega held her fists at her side, looking up to the sky. She was scared, but she had seen it all.

At least, that’s what she believed.

Ah. Let’s just say I know you a lot more than you know yourself Vega.

“I won’t let ya hurt her. We’re not your tools.” The shadow stepped in front of her, feeling a boost of courage.

A false courage.

Tools? No. You’re toys. Furthermore…

His voice changed from coming from the sky, to less echoey. Like… it was right behind them.

The scarecrow turned around, and saw him. Not a person, not a friend, but a killer. The ultimate killer. The one that wished to make her a slave.

His mask shined, gleaming like the moon was shining down. And it was smiling. It was smiling with hatred.

Ani Arma hated her.

His armor was tenfold steel, forming an upside down pyramid of pure metal. His eyes were like flaming white stars. His gauntlets sharpened into sword-like claws! The shock of his steps, an earthquake! And his voice, death!

“You’re my toys. Now, let me play!”