I'm back with another chapter! And this one is a bit shorter than my usual chapter length was for Lost in the Echo and the previous ones, but I honestly don't have nearly as much plotline for this, so chapters are probably going to be a bit shorter, but oh well. Chapter length doesn't determine quality, necessarily, and I don't want to give away too much plotline in one chapter. So, enjoy! And yay for cool cover images! You can go look at my DA for the larger image and for more detail.

"Man, I'm glad you asked that librarian lady about this." Kuro puffed as he and Shiroi carried their library books home that evening.

"And you didn't want to ask anyone because you thought that you could find it, but instead you found a hologram." Shiroi rolled her eyes. "Seriously, you're an idiot."

"It wasn't a hologram." Kuro frowned. "Holograms don't breathe."

"They can be made to look like they're breathing though. Seriously, you're an idiot."

"Can they breathe down the back of your neck so that your hairs are all standing on end before declaring that they are going to kill you and leaving a scratch on your arm?" Kuro asked, pointing to his left arm, which had three long red marks down it.

Shiroi's eyes widened. "What in the world… Wait a minute. You're not just making this up to make me feel sorry for you instead of calling you an idiot, are you?"

Kuro sweatdropped. "I don't do that."

Shiroi shrugged. "Whatever. Let's get.. home…" She paused, frowning.

"What is it?" Kuro asked.

"There are eyes in that bush up ahead. The one covered in unnatural shadows."

Kuro bit his lip. "Same eyes as in the library. Believe me now?"

Shiroi nodded slowly. "What do we do?"

"... Run?"

"Where?"

"Back to the library. Go!" Kuro yelped as the shadows themselves lashed out at him and his sister, who clutched their books and ran as fast as they could back to the library, where they burst through the doors and nearly gave Nari a heart attack. The old woman held a hand over her heart, leaning against the front desk.

"Now you two calm down!" She said in a stern yet quiet voice before noticing their panicked expressions. "What's wrong?"

"That thing I was earlier… It's chasing us…!" Kuro exclaimed.

"It's most definitely not a hologram, Mrs. Nari!"

"Hang on. I'll call the police. What did they look like?"

"I don't know! It was just a bunch of shadows all grouped together with six glowing red eyes!" Shiroi exclaimed.

Nari froze, halfway to the phone. "Shadows and glowing eyes?" She said, raising an eyebrow at them.

"You don't believe us… Do you?" Shiroi said.

"That's just a figment of their imagination, Nari." one of the other librarians said.

"Well, perhaps." Nari sighed.

"We have to close up now kids. Run along." the other librarian said sternly.

"But…!" Kuro exclaimed.

"I'll walk with you kids and make sure no flickering shadows scare you." Nari said.

The kids sighed, knowing that what they had seen was no flickering shadow or figment of their imagination. However, they had no choice but to turn around and head back outside into the setting sunlight. Nari followed them, leaving the other librarian to lock up in a scowling manner.

"I do believe you." Nari said once they were out of library earshot.

"Wait, you do?!"

"Because I have seen the same creature before." Nari said.

The kids gasped.

"But it never wanted to kill me. I wonder why it's after you two." Nari said.

"Maybe it doesn't want anyone researching this?" Kuro looked at the books he was carrying.

"That could be part of it." Nari sighed. "But I doubt it's the only reason."

"Could it be after something we have..?" Shiroi wondered, keeping close to Nari, somehow feeling as if the older woman could protect her.

"Do you have anything of value?" Nari muttered.

"Well… There's a necklace that has apparently been passed down for generations that I have, but I don't think that it's that valuable. It looks sorta like some sort of gemstone, but it's weirdly shaped." Shiroi pulled out her necklace and looked at it. Nari's eyes flashed in surprise.

"That could be it. Do not let it get that." She said suddenly.

"Huh?" Kuro blinked.

"Kids! Oh, I was so worried!" A woman with pink hair rushed off of her front porch to the two and hugged them tightly. "I told you to be home before sunset, not during it!"

"Sorry, we were at the library." Shiroi grunted.

"Not so tight, mom! We're fine!" Kuro yelped.

"Inside, both of you!" she exclaimed.

"Bye Mrs. Nari! Thanks again for your help!" The two said as their mother bustled them inside.

Nari nodded and chuckled slightly, then turned away and frowned as she began walking away. "A shadow with glowing red eyes, huh? So, you are returning, just as you threatened when I was young."

"But of course." a voice, deep, growling, ominous, replied.

Nari tensed, looking around slowly. "Come out!"

"Or what, you'll shake that pathetic cane of yours at me?"

"If that's what's necessary, then yes."

"Face it, 'Nari.' So that's what you go by now, is it? You can't beat me. Not this time. We're already gaining in strength. You can't find the required power to beat us this time. Not fast enough."

"Implying that I can find it." Nari narrowed her eyes as they glinted brilliantly in the setting sunlight. "And I'm faster than I look."

"In that old thing? You've undoubtedly lost much of your speed and skills. You've even grown fat!"

"Fat doesn't quite cover this you old slug! I'm still fit!"

"Uh-huh. Sure. I saw how unsteadily you walked just now and how unsteadily you're standing now."

"So?"

"Temper, temper! I'm surprised it hasn't dulled with everything else that age has brought on. Face it. You're weak now."

"Never. I'm never weak. And you don't know where the others are, so you can't weaken me."

"You can only try to beat me."

"I've done it before. And you know nothing about me."

"Ha! I know that you can't do it this time! But for now, since our preparations are not quite complete, I will leave you to fret over how you're going to attempt to beat us before pathetically failing at it."

Nari shielded her face and struck at the air with her cane as a dark shadow flew out of a bush, soon knocking her down and knocking her into darkness.

"Mrs. Nari?! Can you hear us?!"

Nari awoke to the sound of a beeping heart monitor and two slightly frantic young voices.

"She's awake mom!" Kuro called as soon as he noticed that she was awake.

"Leave her alone, kids. She needs to rest." Their tired and exasperated mother sighed.

"How… Did I get here?" Nari asked, her voice weak and shaky.

"We saw you get attacked and our mom called for help." Shiroi explained.

"Oh…" Nari sighed.

"Kids, let her rest." their mother said.

"Your name…?" Nari asked.

"Hoshi. Hoshi Shishiya."

Nari nodded slightly and sighed, wincing. "Darn him…"

"Him?" Kuro and Shiroi, who had seen what had actually attacked the old woman, were confused.

"Your shadow friend is male." Nari sighed. "In case you didn't know."

"...Oh."Shiroi said.

"... Shadow friend?" Hoshi frowned.

"Using the term 'friend' in the loosest possible sense, Mrs. Shishiya." Nari explained. "This being is not in the slightest a friend to anyone but his master."

"... How do you know so much?"

"I'm old. Older than I look. I've seen them before, that's all."

There ya go. Nice and mysterious. You're welcome. Until next time, Galaxy out!