MythoMorph☆

7

“How precious. Family we protect each other.” The shadow was back. It twirled around me. “You don't really think you can save them with how you are already.”

 “What do you want?” I growled. I quickly had grown tired of its childish games.

 “This isn't about what I want, it's about what you want.” The shadowy form poked my chest. I swatted its hand away. It laughed and dropped to the ground like a real shadow. “You want to protect your friends, your new family.”  It created shadowy figures of my friends.

 “You stay away from me or so Artemis help me.” I growled at the shadow, who was clearly enjoying this.

 “I don't want them. I don't have any reason to harm them at all. It's just if you want to escape with them and if you have to kill a few certain somebodies along the way… let's just say I wouldn't be against it. But you need me.” It placed its cold hands on my shoulders. A wicked smile spread across its twisted face. 

 “I don't want to kill anyone. I just need to get my friends out of here." I swatted it off and continued walking.

“STOP!” it growled in a commanding voice. “Even if you somehow managed to escape without my help you would still be in danger. They won't let you leave. How do you expect to evade them?” As much as I didn't want to admit it the shadow was right. We can't hide forever but we would have to take out the leader.

 “Ok well let's say I agree. How do I know I can trust you? How do I know that you won’t turn on us when you get what you want?” I looked up at the creature who was floating upside down in front of me.

 “I just realized you don't know what I am.” Its playful demeanor changed as it dropped in front of me. “I can’t lie, I also won't turn on my vessel. I'm a shadow phantom. A soul that can't be put at rest. I can't do this on my own. I need a body in order to complete my mission.” It looked at me with a seriousness in its eyes.

 “Ok I'll keep that in mind. But who are you?” It didn't seem right to call it the shadow if it was once living. 

 “I have been called a lot of things. A disappointment. A monster. A beast. But my true name is Raven.” the beast grinned and then vanished. I sat in the dark alone.

 So that creature was once alive. I wonder what they want to do that is keeping them from passing.

I sat in the dark for a long time waiting for my body to wake up.

 “Mhh” I didn't want to get up. Something warm was wrapped around me and I keyed against something fluffy. Then I remembered what happened before I decided to go to bed. 

 I was up longer than the others. Since we got a blanket Sapphire decided to sleep with us. After all, a blanket is warmer than a pond. When I decided to turn back I saw such a cute sight.

 Luna was in a wolf form and was asleep. She was curled around two other sleeping bodies. Sapphire leaned against her back leg. Cobalt used her tail like a pillow and was curled against her. I squeezed next to Luna's head.I worked my way under the blanket that they helped themselves to. For extra measure I spread my wings. Since my wingspan was twice the size of my body I could fit the other two in them as another layer of padding.

 I smiled at the cute sight. I could tell Luna was already awake. She looked at the others with kind eyes.

“I wish we could stay like this forever. Cobalt never got any love from the people who raised us. Neither did I. but he deserves all the happiness. I wish I could take him away from here.”

Her voice was almost above a whisper. I would have thought I imagined it had she not looked back at me. “Did you have anyone back home?”

 I hesitated. I don't know why, but I didn't feel like my uncle was even that close anymore. He never did any of the fun things me and the others did.

“The person who raised me was very distant.” I said, deciding not to tell the whole truth.

 “I'm sure they cared about you very much. Maybe they just… didn't know how to express it.” She tried to comfort me. I leaned back resting my head on her front shoulder.

 “I'm not upset, just It's been this way since I can remember. I guess I just wish they showed even a little interest in me.”

 “I was close with my mom and brother. We all had one thing we shared. We all hated dad. He hated us too.” She put her head in my lap. I stroked the wolf's head. Poor thing.

 She deserves love. I looked at them all. They all deserve it. 

Ok. I'll help you.

 I had no idea if Raven could hear me but I hoped so.

 “I never asked Cobalt this, but why do your names change?” Luna glanced up at me, waiting for an answer.

 “Huh? What do you mean?” I was confused by this question.

 “Oh I had another name before I came here. My name was Alice. But when I came here I became Luna.” She tilted her head.

 “Huh. I guess my name could be related to the fact I have wings. Cobalt is a type of rock and Gorgons turn things to stone.

Maybe yours is due to the fact you are a werewolf. Maybe they just needed a name that was close to what you are. Why did your name not originally be related to werewolves?”

 “Because I wasn't always one. I used to be human.” The girl looked down.

“I watched these fights once. Did not give them a single thought. I always loved animals. One day I decided to pet a dog. My parents warned me not to pet animals unless their owner was around. I did it anyway.”

 I rested a hand on her paw. “It's ok if you don't want to talk about it.” She was a human once, was I also one? I didn't know what my dream meant. 

 “Thanks, it's just really painful to talk about it.” We rested after that.

“This is the perfect time to learn how to do shadow power.”

 “What do you mean?” It can talk to me  when I'm awake.

 “We can see memories when individuals don't want to talk. We see them as if they were dreams. We can't console them inside though.”