AN: Thanks so much to my reviewers and favoriters and everyone! It makes me so happy to get feedback on my story and know it's being read!


The canyon at sunset was both beautiful and frightening. The sun painted the cliffs gold, but in the shadows they were blood red. They felt familiar to Shadow, and he wasn't sure why, but he saw himself in them, like his own body was made of their dust.

"Stop looking into the light," he heard Sashira suggest.

"Why?"

"Because your eyes respond to the sun the same way the cliffs do."

The curiosity made Shadow stop walking for a moment. "Really? What do you mean?"

"Hush! Keep moving."

He sighed and readjusted the sling with Zelly inside carefully. The little girl had fallen asleep, which he was honestly grateful for. Better she woke up and this was all already over.

It wasn't until the sun finally fell beneath the cliffs that they had their first close call. A Garo materialized as if out of thin air. Instinctively Shadow turned away from the cloaked person and bent over Zelly to hide his eyes.

"Halt!" The Garo had pulled a long katana from beneath his cloak, and held it up.

"Easy, sentry," Sashira said calmly, almost conversationally. "My . . . friend and I are just going to the border."

"Why does he stink of Ikana?"

"He's a spy."

The Garo lowered his weapon and took a few steps closer. To Shadow. "Show me your face, Garo!"

Sashira grabbed his arm. "It's safer if you don't. His identity must be kept secret from all for this to work! Chieftain's orders."

The Garo paused, then nodded reluctantly. He stepped away, leapt into the sky, and seemingly disappeared into a cliff side.

Sashira watched him go, then turned to Shadow. "They're awake. We should hurry."

They began walking so quickly that Zelly woke up. "Daddy, where are we going?"

"Shh! I need you to pretend your asleep, okay?"

"Okay. Are we in trouble?"

"Go to sleep," he repeated gently.

A few minutes later, Sashira spoke up. "The border is just beyond this cliff. You'll want to get at least a half mile away, and cross the river. Then you will be safe from Ikana and the Garo. Clocktown is but a straight shot west from the river for about a day." They turned a corner and came upon a large, rugged clearing among the cliffs. Shadow wasn't positive, but he thought he heard the rush of a river up ahead.

They had just crossed the border when a Garo dropped ahead of them. "I knew you were lying!" It sounded like the same Garo from before. "You won't get away with this, Sashira!"

"Don't interfere!" Sashira said with a hiss. "And be quiet-"

There was a thwip sound, and the Garo ahead suddenly fell onto the ground with a scream, an arrow in his back. He burst into ghostly green flames and disappeared.

Shadow heard voices in the cliffs ahead where the arrow had been shot from.

"RUN!" Sashira commanded. "West! Cross the river!"

Shadow held tightly onto Zelly and sprinted onto the clearing. He heard arrows and saw the flashes of Garo cloaks. Ahead he saw people jumping from behind rocks, carrying large, rectangular swords that looked like they were meant to hack meat. These were not cloaked like the Garo, but wore fearsome masks and painted faces, feathers sprouting out of their heads like peacocks. They were as little armored as the Garo, some shirtless, others wearing a mantle about their shoulders. Some wore loincloths, others skirts, and even other a combination of both.

Shadow skidded and charged in a different direction from them, hearing their vibrato'd war cries getting closer. They were stopped by several Garo, who ran past them and attacked the newcomers. Ikanans, Shadow had to guess. For a second he was stuck in the middle of a huge battle. Zelly was singing some song like her mother taught her to do when she was scared. He looked around to reorient himself, then dodged around an Ikanan and made a run for the river.

He thought he'd made it. There was a cliff drop off ahead, but he could hear the river at the base of it. But someone grabbed the back of his cloak and jerked him backwards. He choked and fell on his back on the dirt, struggling, but the grip didn't release. "NO! STOP! I'M NOT A GARO!"

When he finally processed what had happened, he found himself staring in to the bloodthirsty eyes of an Ikanan man, the top half of his face painted a dark red. Shadow was holding a hand out, palm facing the man, in pleading. The Ikanan's sword was leveled at Shadow, and he only realized then that his heart was pounding in fear.

The man looked at him in confusion and roughly pulled Shadow's hood down. Even more confusion crossed his face when Zelly's face appeared from the sling and shrieked at him and his scary, painted face. He hauled Shadow to his feet and dragged him behind a rock. "Stay here," he commanded, then returned to the battle. Shadow would have made another run for it, but there were Ikanan archers behind the rock as well, and they eyes him suspiciously.

The battle did not last long. Already he could hear the triumphant shouts of the Ikanans as they drove the Garo back across their border. The archers stood and cheered, and then the Ikanans began several chants of victory, one after the other. After a few minutes, the same Ikanan from before came back and again grabbed Shadow's cloak, dragging him into the open. The Ikanans stood in rows, pumping their swords and spears in the air. Shadow's captor dragged him before a muscular Ikanan who was more ornately dressed than the rest. His mantle was embroidered with gold thread, gems and glass beads creating geometric patterns across it. His skirt was decorated the same way, and the headdress above his head was made of green feathers. His skin was the same shade as Shadow's was now. As he turned to Shadow, he lowered his jagged-edged sword. He wore a mask painted half red, half blue, with holes where the mouth and eyes were. From underneath the chin of this mask Shadow could see long, curled locks of red beard. It was clear he was some type of Captain.

Shadow took a moment to look around. Aside from the Ikanans, there were three Garo on their knees nearby, hands tied behind their backs, guarded by three Ikanans. Their masks had been pulled down and their hoods removed. The Garo seemed to be embarrassed by this, and Shadow saw with guilt that one of them was Sashira. They shared tense looks.

"Remove your cloak," the Ikanan guard commanded, letting him go. First Shadow pulled Zelly out of the sling, helped her out of the her Garo cloak, and then removed his own as she clung to his leg.

"He was headed for the river," the guard explained to the captain, "with this strange child in his-"

"Mazatl?" The Captain interrupted. He stepped forward, sheathing his blade at his hip.

Shadow picked Zelly up and placed her squarely behind him, but kept a hand on her shoulder. Shadow had no clue what the man meant.

The Captain removed his mask. A square-jawed man of about thirty was behind it, grinning with large, square white teeth and glittering red eyes. His beard was indeed red, and so was his hair. "Mazatl!"

Shadow stared at him confusedly. He tried to say he didn't understand, but the Captain cut him off. "Mazatl, don't you remember me? Has it been so long?" He placed strong hands on Shadow's shoulders and shook him, as if to see if he was really there.

"Y-you know me?" Shadow asked. So not only had he changed appearance, he looked like somebody this man knew? He'd never seen this man! What were the Goddeses playing at? And yet, something tickled at the back of his mind. "Wha . . . no." He chuckled wryly, with some irritation. "I don't know you. I don't know any of you." He reached back and pulled Zelly into his arms and began backing away. The Captain let him, so he kept going. "Look, I don't know who you are, or the Garo are, or . . . anything. I just want to get my daughter to Clock Town! I'm not involved in any of this!"

He yelled, but his voice sounded like it was meant to convince him more than the Ikanans.

"You really don't remember?" the Captain said, eyebrows furrowing. He folded his arms. "You've been missing for a very long time, Mazatl."

"STOP!" Shadow's voice caught as a splitting pain ripped across his head. Zelly noticed how suddenly shaky he had become and slipped out of his arms. Shadow fell to his knees and Zelly's bottom lip trembled. Strange images flashed across Shadow's eyesight, lights and feelings, sensations he couldn't remember ever having. His limbs were unresponsive and it took every effort to not fall onto his face. He thought he might throw up.

"What is your name, precious feather?" the Captain's voice was closer. Shadow forced his eyes open. The Captain was knelt before Shadow, directing his question at Zelly, who was clinging to Shadow, who could feel her shuddering. He tried to say something, but his mouth wouldn't move. He managed to put an arm around her and pull her closer.

"It's alright," the Ikanan said to Zelly. "Your father and I are good friends. He just doesn't remember me yet, is all."

Zelly seemed to think very carefully for a long time before answering. "My name is Zelly."

"I am much pleased! My name is Cualli."

Captain Cualli took Shadow by the shoulders again to keep him from falling flat on his face. He made Shadow look at him. "Cualli du Ikana." He spoke with emphasis.

Shadow didn't reply.

Another Ikanan came up and suggested, "Perhaps it is heat that's addled his brain?"

Shadow had no choice but to let Captin Cualli help him up and force him to walk, not to the river, but further into Ikanan territory. He grabbed Zelly's and held on fiercely.

"Where are we going?" Zelly asked Cualli.

"To the castle. There are many people who will want to see your father."

"His name is Shadow."

Cualli grinned. "'Shadow'? What a strange name to take! You have a lot of explaining to do, Mazatl!"