Message #599113

[BlueAnnihilator]

*The group follows Shadow's trail once again and ultimately finds him walking through the streets of town alone. They await at the street corner for him to approach*

Lilia: There he is. We found him!

Jawo': What now, Blue?

Blue: Hmm, knowing Shadow, he probably won't spill the beans willingly.

Penny: That means we have to force it out of him, right?

Blue: Exactly right, Penny.

Reese: So what's the plan?

Blue: We wait here, and when he gets close enough, we burst out and ambush him! Is that understood?

Lilia: Sounds good to me.

Jawo': Yeah, let's do it.

Blue: Okay, here he comes! Get ready!

*Shadow casually walks down the street*

Shadow:...

Reese: He's getting closer, Blue!

Penny: Tell us when!

Blue: Alright.......now!!

*Once Shadow reaches the edge of the street corner, the group immediatly jumps out and lunges at him*

Shadow: Huh!?

Blue/Lilia/Jawo'/Reese/Penny: Yaaaaaaaaaah!!

Shadow: Woah!!

*Before they can grab him, Shadow quickly jumps back and avoids their attempt*

Blue: Darn! We missed!

Shadow: Hey! What's the big idea!? Ambushing me like that! Such an underhanded tactic isn't very hero-like, you know.

Blue: Alright, Shadow. No more games! Tell us who you're looking for and why, or else!

Shadow: Oh, is that all!? Of course I'll tell you! Duh!

Blue: Uhm...will you really?

Shadow: Nyah! Psyche! Ahahaha! Loser! *holds up "L" sign*

Blue: Rrrrgh! Get him! Don't let him escape!

Shadow: Whuh oh!

*The group surrounds Shadow from all sides and advances on him all at once*

Lilia: Here I come, Shadow! Haaah!

*Lilia attempts a diving tackle on Shadow, but he leaps over her, causing her to miss and fall flat on her face*

Lilia: Oof!

Shadow: Sorry! Ahahaha!

Jawo': You're going down, pal!

*Jawo' attempts a shoulder charge at Shadow head on, but he swiftly sidesteps, causing Jawo' to ram into the side of a building instead*

*BASH*

Jawo': Aauugh!

Shadow: *mockingly* You're too slow!

Reese: Well try this on for size!

*Reese loads a blunt tip arrow into his bow*

Reese: Pummel Shot!

*Reese fires the arrow at Shadow, but he catches it and throws it back at him, hitting Reese square in the nose*

*BONK*

Reese: Aaagh! M-my nose! ...Oh no! It's bleeding! *tears up*

Shadow: *waggles finger* Tsk tsk tsk.

Penny: You can't escape me!

*Penny launches her spinners at Shadow. They wrap around him and manage to ensnare him tightly*

Penny: Ha! Gotcha!

Shadow: This old trick again? Haven't you learned anything, Penny?

*Shadow disappears and reappears, removing himself from the ropes grip*

Penny: Ah! No!

Shadow: *mockingly* Come on! Step it up!

*At that moment, Blue sneaks up on Shadow and tackles him from behind and pins him to the ground by sitting on top of him*

Shadow: Uaaagh! Oof!

Blue: Ha ha! Now who's too slow!?

Shadow: Darn! I let my guard down...

Lilia: Way to go, Blue! You did it!

Blue: We got you fair and square, Shadow. Now tell us everything.

Shadow: Heh, not a chance!

Blue: Huh?

*Shadow disappears and reappears. Now he has Blue pinned to the ground instead*

Blue: Urk! What the--!

Shadow: Ha ha! Now the tables have turned again! Nice try, Blue.

Blue: I'm not done yet!

*Blue uses his strength to push Shadow off of him*

Blue: We're just getting started! Are you ready to go again, guys?

*The group nods in agreement*

Shadow: Ergh, you're awfully persistent today, aren't you?

Blue: Let's get him!

*The group charges after Shadow once again*

Shadow: Hmph. It was fun while it lasted, but playtime's over, guys. Now you're just taking up time. Be still...

*Shadow swipes his hand horizontally*

Shadow: Time to Freeze Solid!!!

*An ominous energy pulse emits from Shadow's body and spreads out towards the group. Upon passing through them, they are instantly frozen in place, unable to move anything but their eyes and mouth*

Blue: What!? Ungh...what the--!

Lilia: What's..what's happened to us!?

Jawo': I can't...urk...move!

Reese: It must be...another one of those mystic spells of his!

Penny: Ungh! This...bites...

Shadow: Ha ha haaaa! How do you like my spell, gang?

Blue: S-Shadow! Let us go! Now!

Shadow: Sorry, Blue. Can't do that. Consider this a punishment for sticking your nose where it doesn't belong.

Blue: Ergh!

Shadow: Hey, I'll play with you some other time, okay? Catch you later! Ha ha!

Blue: Wait!

*Shadow disappears in a whirlwind of leaves*

Blue: Damn...he got away. Again...

Lilia: What do we do now, Blue?

Blue: *sigh* Let's call it quits for today...

Jawo': Good...erg..i-idea...

Reese: But Blue, what about this...spell?

Blue: I'm sure...it'll wear off eventually. But until then...

Penny: We're stuck heeeeeeeere!

*After Shadow's freeze spell dissipates, the group heads to the town inn to rest up for the evening*

~~Later that night~~

*After the group has fallen fast asleep, light footsteps are heard up on the roof. The sound is only enough to awaken Lilia, who decides to investigate*

Lilia: Hn? Ungh...what was that? *wipes eyes* It sounded like...footsteps.

*Lilia rises from bed and puts on her shoes*

Lilia: Maybe I should go check it out. Just for a bit.

*Lilia heads up the roof. But once she arrives, she finds nothing there*

Lilia: Huh...

*Lilia looks around*

Lilia: Well that's strange. I could've sworn I heard footsteps up here earlier... *sigh* Oh well. I guess I'll just go back to be--

*But just as Lilia is about to leave, she notices a single man walking along the streets alone*

Lilia: Hm? Who could that be...?

*Lilia walks over to the edge of the roof, soon discovering that the man is indeed Shadow, carrying yet another boquet of roses*

Lilia: Ah! It's Shadow! But where could he be going at this time of night? Hmm...I think I'll keep an eye on him for a little bit, just to see what he's up to...

*And so, Lilia proceeds to watch Shadow as he continues through town. After a while, Shadow comes across the town cemetery, and proceeds to enter it*

Lilia: What the--? A...A cemetery? That's where he's going? Is it possible...that he's going to...mourn someone? I think I'll get just a bit closer...

*Thus Lilia decides to follow Shadow to the cemetery. After a while, she manages to catch up to him. She hides behind a large statue and eyes his movements carefully*

~~Holbech Town, Cemetery~~

Lilia: Ah ha! I caught up to him! But...what's he doing?

*Lilia finds Shadow standing in front of a single tombstone. He then proceeds to place the roses along it*

Lilia: Ah, so I was right! He is here to mourn someone! But who...?

*Shadow begins to speak amongst himself*

Shadow: I know...

Lilia: Huh? He's saying something...

Shadow: It...it's been many years, but...but I still haven't forgotten...

Lilia: Haven't forgotten? What's he talking about?

Shadow: I haven't forgotten...about what happened. All of this time, I've been searching...searching for the one...who stole you from me...

Lilia: What the--? Stole? I...I don't understand. What does he mean?

Shadow: I haven't found them yet, but I'll keep looking! And I won't stop! Even if it takes me the rest of my life, I'll find the blackheart's who murdered you...

Lilia: Ah! M-murdered...?

Shadow: This...is my promise to you...Misty...

Lilia: What!? Misty!?

Shadow: Hn!?

Lilia: Eep!

*Lilia's yelling alerts Shadow to her presence, but she manages to duck away before she is seen*

Lilia: *covers mouth* (Gah! Stupid stupid Lilia! What are you doing!? He almost found you out!)

Shadow: Hmm, I guess it was nothing...

*With his visit finished, Shadow leaves the cemetery behind and disappears into the night. After he's gone, Lilia comes out from her hiding place*

Lilia: Phew. *wipes forehead* That was a close one... Now let's go check out that tombstone.

*Lilia walks up to the tombstone and begins to read the inscription*

Lilia: Hmm...it says: "Here lies Misty..." Agh, the rest of it is obscured. I can't make it out. But even still, that must mean, the person he came here to see...was her. But...but isn't that we he called me? Just what is going on here...?