:~:MERCY*Three hours later in the mansion*:~:

For years and years, I peered out of my window. Hoping he would return. I've only seen him once, and then Mephiles chased him off and I never saw him again. Not Shadow, I've seen him many times. I'm talking about my Romeo that had stood outside my window and stared at me for hours upon hours. Before he left, he gave me a single black rose with wisps of white smoke emenating from the top. I god a long look at him and I memorized every detail. Dusty blue, with a bright yellow diamond on his forehead and lines shooting out to the edges of his spines. Light grey eyes and a tan muzzle and arms. He wore a grey hoodie that day, and black apple bottom jeans with furry boots. He smiled and waved once before he was chased away, whispering something inaudible.

"Mercy!" Mephiles called, snapping me from my dreams. "Come down! And grab your gear! We're goung in a little trip!" I set my jaw and grabbed my bags, sliding the Tetsubo across my back in it's leather sling.

"MERCY!" Mephiles screeched.

"I'm COMING! CHILL ROCKHEAD!" I screamed, knowing that he could never harm me. I threw the stuff scross my back and slid down the stairs, staring copy form Mephiles in the face.

"Well?" I asked. Mephiles rolled his eyes and put his finger to his earpiece.

"Is he there? Good, save a place for us." He said, removing his finger.

"Let's go." He growled.

:~:SHADOW:~:

In the car ith a black and grey me and my daughter. What joy. I guess i'll be sleeping the whole way then. Later.

:~:SPEAR:~:

Spear fiddled with fibers of her jeans, tugging and braiding here and there. Her ears twitched to the north and she turned, hearing something strange from that direction.

"Aly!" She whispered. "Aly- oh." Spear immediately remembered, Aly had left after their disagreement. Spear grabbed the hilf of her sword, feeling the cool sapphire rub against her skin. She felt her friends approaching from both sides of her, both reaching for their weapons as well.

"Who might it be?" Eclipse asked, twitching his ears. Spear shook her head and turned to look at Story.

"Any idea?" She asked. Story closed her eyes and mouthed the word: no. Spear completely unsheathed her sword and screeched a warning cry, sending the nearby mist swirling away in massive clouds.

"This temple is off-limits to you! Stay away!" she cried. The sound kept coming, closer and closer.

She charged forward, jabbing outward with the sword and nearly hitting a dark grey hedgehog.

"Watch it!" the hedgehog yowled. "You could have killed me!" Spear growled and swung out again, this time the hedgehog caught the sword between her fingers.

"Don't do that again." She warned. Spear jerked her sword away and snarled loudly. The hedgehog waggled a finger and clucked her tounge.

"Temper, temper! Learn to control it!" she laughed. Spear shreiked and reared back her fist, bringing it crashing down on the opposer's muzzle. Blood welled up from the nose and the opposer's eyes flared from serene gray to a fiery orange. She conjoured up a blade of shadows and sliced outward, leaving a gash in Spear's side. She kicked out, hitting Spear in the gut and then kicked again to roll her over.

"MERCY! ENOUGH!" Mephiles roared. Mercy growled and stepped back, sheathing her sword.

"She started it." Mercy replied. Mephiles glared at Mercy and helped Spear up.

"I'm so sorry for her behavior. I hope she didn't rough you up too much." He sighed. Spear wiped the blood from her stomach and got up, smiling at Mephiles.

" I thought she was an intruder, but she didn't cause me any harm." She replied. Mercy flared up again, raising her fists.

"You want to bet? I could do much worse!" She snarled. Eclipse stepped up, unsheathing his dagger.

"Are you sure about that?" He asked. Mephiles stepped between them and glared at each in turn.

"The next person to say anything involving violence gets a one way trip to my throne room!" He growled. Spear shivered at the mere memory of it. She placed her sword back into its sheath and stared back to where Mephiles and Mercy were walking.

"Yeah, he locked himself up there for weeks and I don't know what's up. It's Aly i'm concerned about, i'm beginning to think she's following after him!" She explained. Mercy gave a sharp nod and dashed off into the woods, Transforming into a crystallized form of herself. Spear rolled her eyes and chased after her, in time everyone else did so as well.

I should have told them. Spear thought as she was running. Shadex's secret he told me before leaving, but if I do tell them, they'll leave me to face that wild beast all alone...