[Jaden Wolf]

Shatter looked at the hole nervously, ignoring the rexxel, who by now had convinced Shatter that she was of some high stature. Then a thought came into her head as she remembered what Jaden had told them. She spoke quickly, before the Fenling came too close to the hole. "My mistress said that if someone was grabbed by the Shadows...we would have to go after them. She said that we need to take something that makes light, and we'll have to tell them that she'll do all it takes to get the captured one back. Of course, the Shadows hate to show their true forms, and prefer to mix together, like you see right now. We-we might have to just search for her on our own..." she trailed off. She hoped that they understood, because it was hard to translate Jaden when the girl didn't make much sense in the first place.

[Kestrel]

Neong?°z was still doubtful, but she might at least try to help. Even if this was a silly fantasy. She sighed. "Well, in case you haven't noticed. I glow."
Some people were so oblivious. She pointed to the light from her odd markings and the glow that surrounded her. She understood Shatter's reason for keeping the Fenling away. At least, she thought she did. The less people who knew about the Shadows, the better?
She instinctively moved over to block the hole from the Fenling. Then she continued ignoring her.

{6}

[Katia]

Tara was about to point out that the rexxel would provide the light when Nenogaz said it herself. "We have the light so let's go after your friend. Besides if need be I could always use bombs to make a quick burst of light." Tara was refering to her bomber ability which might come in handy. then she asked, "Do these shadows speak? If they do, then they can't lie because I can detect lies." She hoped that they would let her go with them as this was one of the more intersting things that had happened in a good while.

[Jaden Wolf]

Shatter looked between the two others. Her face remained blank, as was her personality. Then she looked at Tara. "Shadows can speak, though they rarely do. If and when they do, they usually speak in their own way...like their own language. It's sort of like a whispering thought...and it does not take the form of words. I can understand this language enough to interpret it." she said, then she nodded and looked at the hole. "We should go now, before it's too late." Her voice sounded dark and forboding. Then she began to decend. She vanished in the darkness, and it seemed to swirl around the parts of her still going in, like liquid. "It's a slope by the feel of it. Neongaz? I could use your light now. The Shadows are getting restless." her voice floated up.

[Kestrel]

Neong?°z followed the Penticorn.
"Is she really coming with us?" she asked Shatter, motioning towards the Fenling.
Personally, there was something she didn't like about the Fenling. She seemed too... eager. Quickly, she moved to stand by Shatter, providing light for her. She too noticed the swirling darkness.
"Restless? These are the Shadows, the darkness surrounding us?"
My, how much she had changed. She didn't mind the fact that she was in a gutter, but, like her normal self, she was very pleased that the Penticorn needed her to have light. Most likely, once the adventure was over, Neong?°z would be back to her picky self. Unfortunately enough. But for now, she was this different, less picky Biolune Rexxel. Still proud, obviously, but less picky and bossy. For now.

{7}

[Katia]

Tara following them from a few feet behind. It felt funny to her that she was venturing into the unknown to help the friend of someone she hardly knew. Yet the face of Katia's grandmother floated into her mind. "I failed Rebecca and watched her die because of my own cowardice. This time I won't run away." She thought to herself determined. "If they are shadows, don't you have to tell them that you want your friend back? However you didn't tell us what has to be done after that. That can't be all there is to it."She asked the Penticorn.

[Akida]

(Mind if I join?)



He had been passing by the back wall of some alleyway when he heard voices. Once was of the indifferent type, while another seemed to be royally trained. He heard one say something about DarkSouls, which of course caught his interest. After a while of listening a third voice joined the group. It was small and light, yet brave and eager. His emotionless eyes glowed in the shadow of the wall as he listened to them. Their voices seemed to drift away after a while. He wondered where they went.

He didn't want to be known as an evesdropper so her flapped his great wings of stone and lifted himself over the wall. He looked around and saw nothing, but rather joyous people passing by outside the alley. He noticed an opened grate and lowered his head to it. The voices came back to his ears, while swirling darkness and gray met his eyes. He sensed the disturbance below. He knew that they'd know he was coming because his marked body glowed in the dark. Even his eyes provided some light.

He eased himself down and took up the underground trail, following the others' voices. They weren't too far ahead so he hurried as best he could. The underground space was quite large. He could even open his wings, but he couldn't fly. A faint but colorful glow met his eyes, and he could tell that one of them was a biolune.

[Jaden Wolf]

Shatter turned her head to the other two with her. Her face was barely illuminated by the light of Neongaz. "Yes. These are Shadows. They prefer to mingle and become one. But see the lighter gaps around us? Where your light stretches farther? That is normal darkness, normal Shadows...the kind you see in your normal life." she said, gesturing around them. Then a small black form appeared at her feet. It transformed into a liquid-like black mouse that scurried up Shatter and stopped on her head, by her ear. It squeaked something, then made a loud shriek as Shatter flicked it away. "You think I don't know that?" she muttered under her breath. Then she heard Tara speak. "It all depends on how the Shadows feel. And where we are. The normal shadows do not mind creatures of Light, like you, and will help us. If we end up in a place with alot, we should be able to just come back. If not..." she trailed off for a moment, then looked back. "We'll have to either hope they will heed Jaden's warning, or...we'll have to fight. With light it isn't so hard." she said. "We have a companion. Whoever it might be, I suggest keeping up!" she shouted the last part back so the hollowheart would hear.

[Akida]

He barely heard their whispers, but caught the last sentence rather clearly. His blank eyes glowed a bit brighter at the invitation.
"I thank you. Didn't want to just barge in without invitation."
He lengthened his stride untill he was right behind the group. His own glowing runes added to the light of the biolune ahead.

After some awkward silence he added softly, "Why are you down here. There are more than normal shadows here. Their whispers aren't those of kindness nor curiosity..." Maybe they knew that, but he had to make sure. He, too, was on his own personal quest. He figured joining some group on an adventure would be a good place to start.

[Katia]

Tara looked at the Temple Hallowheart that had joined them. It was kinda comforting to have a Hallowheart nearby, probably because she had spent most of her life with Azel around. She then said, "Well then I guess we have the advantage since we do have light." However she wanted a little light of her own, she lifted a paw and underneath it a little ball of light appeared. It was a energy bomb and if she threw it, it would create a nice explosion which would produce a lot of light, but she would perfer not to use it. However better safe then sorry. She picked it up with her mouth and carried it with her.

[Akida]

The marked one raised his head a bit higher suddenly and looked back. A soft hiss of displeasure escaped his throat and though his mouth. A small flick of red flashed through his usually blue-white eyes before he turned and continued in silence. He had heard something whispered to him from the shadows. What he wasn't sure of is whether it came from the normal shadows or the darker ones. It sounded somewhat like a name, but he didn't catch it well. As he wondered if the others had heard it, the fenling created some sort of light-ball which of course added to his and the biolune's light. He continued in silence shoving the awakward moment passed into a corner of his mind to shrivel up and disappear. As though it never happened...

[Jaden Wolf]

Shatter turned her head to the newcommer, just as the shadow-mouse skittered into Neongaz's light, obviously irritated from the last time. It scurried up Shatter's leg onto her head, clinging on despite the penticorn's attempts to shake it loose. Shatter raised a hoof and lowered her head to flick it off, but froze as the mouse sqeuaked something. It spoke in the thought-feeling language of the Shadows, but Shatter understood. Translated, it said something like, "My lady, we have managed to keep her from being taken farther...we can only hold them so long though. Please hurry...shouldn't we get Master Jaden by now?"
Shatter hissed angrily. "You mean she doesn't know? No we cannot get her, it'll take too long. But she needs to know. One of you go." she said. As she finished, a fox-shadow appeared, inclined it's head at Shatter, and then darted off towards the opening.

[Katia]

Tara couldn't talk with the bomb in her mouth so she set it on the ground before saying. "I hope no one gets scared easy. Anyway what do we do now...." She just then saw the fox shadow and said, "What was that and more importantly is it friend of foe?" In her mind the last thing they needed was a foe. She picked up the bomb agian in case things got bad in here. [ick.]

[Kestrel]

Neongaz suddenly noticed the shadow-mouse. "What is that?" she screeched, bringing out her normal self again. Turning her head, she noticed the newest arrival. Since he was obviously not important, she ignored him completely. But slowing, she was getting to the point of acknowledging Tara, at the very least.
"And who's 'her'? Your master, Jaden? Or is that thing part of the Shadows?" she assumed it was one of those shadow pets Shatter was talking about earlier. "How far is your friend in?"
Neongaz rarely asked so many questions at once. This meant she really was interested. A feat usually never accomplished.

{8}

[Akida]

Whispers. Who's were they? He found himself shaking his head every now and then. It was beginning to get annoying. He hissed as some shadow that looked like a fox scampered past him. The biolune ahead began to speak. She sounded of royalty..the snobby type. He snorted and continued in his silent matter. He remembered a poem he'd made a ways back and recited in his mind. Something to keep his mind busy as they traveled deeper.

[4]