A/N: Sorry I didn't update yesterday, I had a five hour art exam and my computer at home doesn't work.
Just a heads up, this chapter is going to be written in third person so it might be a little sucky. On the plus side you get to find out what the deal is with the shadow creature. On the negative side it's a slightly shorter chapter than the others.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from the books that are mentioned, as I am not JP.
Claimer: I do own any of the other characters e.g. the shadow creature.
Third Person
The shadow creature melted into the shadows that the morning sun was throwing. It stayed hidden and watched Max for a while, revelling in the confusion that it created deep within her. It knew the familiarity that she spoke of.
As Max turned to leave the shadow creature knew that she had to be stopped. She had to take advantage of her time alone, she had to think things over and fulfil the mission that she had set herself.
"Take a look around Max. Weigh your options. Mull things over for a while." The shadow creature spoke softly but clearly knowing that Max would hear it voice.
"Weigh my options. Mull things over. What are you a guidance councilor or something? Actually don't bother answering that, it's too early for your smart ass remarks"
When the creature heard Max's response it knew that she would stay, knew what she would find and that she could be happy. The Flock could be happy. For a while at least. Turning the shadow creature retreated in tot eh forest, flitting across the ground and around the trees.
"What harm could it do Max. You never know, you might find something useful"
Within milliseconds of finishing the sentence the creature had arrived at its destination, a clearing in the forest where the embers of a fire burnt against the morning sky and a silhouette sat beside it. It again awaited Max's response.
"Great, just what I need. You know the Flock will be wondering where it is exactly that I have got to"
If the creature could have laughed, it would have. It fused with the shadows at the base of the trees and appeared again at the top, surveying its surroundings before speaking.
"They're still sleeping Max. Fang is keeping watch and going over everything that has happened so far"
"Wow, was that a straight answer? I don't think I've had one of those from you in a while"
The shadow creature looked through Max's eyes and could see her walking towards the house. The bond between them was strong and it was growing in strength everyday, that was why it had been able to control her and it wanted to be there for her. To help her, having come from Max the creature was trained to follow and protect her. It saw to it that the other in the forest knew this and from what they themselves knew and could remember Max had been good to them, they agreed to follow the shadow creatures lead. Max and the Flock had been there for them and helped them, now it was their turn to repay the favor.
It was after the Flock had defeated the Uber Director that Max began to have the nightmare. She struggled to sleep at night, she saw so much pain and destruction that same pain and destruction that the Flock and her were fighting against and trying to prevent. When she was in this state of mind the Flock couldn't help her, she wouldn't respond to them no matter what they did. It made them mad and angry that things had gotten this far, they didn't understand why it was happening or why Max couldn't talk to them about how she was feeling. They were also upset because Max was there leader and they had never seen her so weak.
Angel and Fang were affected the most, apart from Max herself, by her dreams. Angel because she could not help but see the dreams through Max's mind, she saw all the terror and pain that her beloved mother-like figure was going through; and Fang because, although he had not yet told Max and had only just admitted it to himself, he loved her.
As the nights went on Max became too weak to fight the dreams any longer and the Voice was there for her, trying to protect her unconscious mind. This was how it first began to control her; it soothed her during the night and made her body relax. Slowly, through Max, the Voice had become to be a separate being, a thing of the night made of the shadows and dark entities from her dreams. From then on the shadow creature has been following the Flock, watching over them when Max hadn't been around, like now for example. The shadow creature sat in the trees for a while watching the Flock sleep. Fang was sat before the now burnt out fire contemplating the events of that day and Max was on her way back to the Flock.
"You know Max, you two would be good together"
"What?? Who??"
"You know who I mean Max. Admit it"
Max was taking her time in getting back to the Flock, contemplating on what to tell them. As she neared them the creature again disappeared into the shadows, watching silently from a distance, it was being called by the others and knew it had to leave the Flock to Max. It knew that she would do what was right. The creature watched on until Max landed, when she did it turned and darted into the forest. Following the familiar track to another clearing it met the others, each of different species, shapes and sizes all of them young children or teenagers.
"Max has found the house. She's going to tell the Flock about it when they wake up"
A girl, a couple of years younger than Max, stepped forward; the others seemed to follow her, although they took their orders from the shadow creature they looked to her for reassurance. She was the oldest there, all the children ranged from different ages, and she was the one they went to. When the shadow creature had spoken a sigh of relief escaped all their lips, their plan was to be set in motion.
They needed to keep an eye on the Flock whilst they made their move. They didn't want to harm them but to help them they needed to be close by; even though the shadow creature new Max, it didn't know the rest of the Flock and for what they were there to do they needed to know everything. Max wasn't the only person that the shadow creature had been talking to, when it came into existence there was someone else intent on helping Max and that someone she knew all to well.
A/N: Having revised the situation writing in third person is a hell of a lot harder than writing as a guy *coughs* Fang *coughs*. However I hope that you enjoyed reading it more than I did writing it, and if it sucks I promise to try and not write in third person again unless it is absolutely necessary.
As always please review. Thanks.
