I am SOOOO very sorry that it's taken this long to get another chapter up. The hiatus was due to school, and laptop issues, but most of all because my muse escaped her confines and darted halfway across the world before I could catch her. She has returned, but due to some injuries suffered, this is all I've got for you (Well, I've got a bit of our mystery man written, but that's for the next chapter)
Again I do apologize. I wish I could write while I am at work, but I have no laptop there, and the pens I use to write with tend to run out of ink. I have notebooks with me at work in case the muse decides to help me out.
John's POV
I watched Moon and Shadow wander off into the small meadow that had been built among all the other things in the bureau. Teaching Shadow to read had proved to be a bit more difficult at first than I thought it would be, considering how quickly she was learning everything else.
I knew that now she was off practicing the magick that she had been learning on her own for the past few weeks. She was learning it from her mother, or at least what felt like her mother. She had appeared to me in a dream, in the shape of a human, a few weeks after we had brought her two daughters to the bureau.
"Hello John."
"Who are you?" I asked.
"I am one called Crescent. Do you not recognize me, though I am no longer in the physical form you met me in?"
"You're… Shadow and Moon's mother." I breathed.
"Yes, John. By now you have learned what Shadow is to become. You must protect her at all costs. That is why I chose you to care for them. Why I said ONLY you would care for them. It is important."
"Why me? Hellboy is stronger than me, Abe is smarter, and there are plenty of other people who could protect her better than me."
"Because, your pure heart gives you a type of strength that the others can't achieve, it gives you a power that they can't reach."
"What do you mean?"
"It is something only you can learn. And realize this, in life there are always sacrifices, and they are painful. But to gain something worthwhile, something special, you have to work hard, make sacrifices, get hurt. Only in the end will you gain everything, wisdom, strength, and love."
"But."
"You must see her past. She cannot remember, but you have to know to protect her. You know what she is now and other do as well. It is why they hunted my kin. They always bond with a Chaos Mage."
She brought out a mirror. Touching it lightly, the woman with starlight for hair looked sad. It reflected a stormy night.
"This is the night she came to us, decades ago."
I saw a blur of motion, and then Professor Broom. He was speaking with a woman who was not what she seemed.
"That woman is Hellboy's mother. She was seduced by a demon, and Hellboy was taken from her, and then brought forth by Rasputin."
"I know."
"She is also Shadow's mother."
"Then how can Shadow have the same demon blood as Hellboy?" John asked.
"It is difficult. The world of the supernatural. She is much like a twin sister to Hellboy. When she conceived him, she conceived another. That child died in the womb, and a part of it was left over. Hellboy was conceived over 300 years ago, by a witch named Catherine, and a demon, the Prince of Sheol. Both are Shadow's parents as well as Professor Bruttenholm. It is why she retains little of the demon appearance of her father, like Hellboy. She is every bit the demon."
"Is she?"
"She is not a monster, only demon by blood. I love her as if she were my own. But through Professor Bruttenholm, and Catherine, she is a Chaos Mage, and through the animals of the jungle, she is powerful. Others are searching for that power. Either to destroy her to gain her power and bring chaos to the world. Or to kill her, so to keep peace." Crescent said.
"How can I do anything to protect her?" I asked.
"You must first believe in yourself, as the others around you do. You must go now; the other is searching for her, and will find us instead. GO!"
She had pushed me, causing me to fall into endless white clouds. The wind tore my breath and screams away as I plummeted downwards. I was still screaming when I shot up from my bed. Shadow was sitting there, watching me, worry in her eyes.
I shook my head, remembering the dream. Shadow had her own room, adjoining to mine now. She had learned the value of privacy, but chose to remain close. I felt as if the only reason she seemed so attached to me, was because I was what had replaced her mother in the long run. I hadn't told HB about the dream, though I'm sure he knew something of what happened. I didn't want him to think his father had taken a dark path at one time. It hadn't been Professor Broom's fault that a witch had seduced him.
I often wondered about what she had said. How I had power, strength. I was nothing next to HB, he was the strongest person I knew. I couldn't think of the feelings I had within me, they felt chaotic, like my dreams were now.
I began walking towards Shadow and Moon's favorite tree. I could feel heaviness in the air. I approached them in time to see Moon leap at her sister, and seemingly disappear for a moment. Then a silver wolf fell to her four feet, and I caught a pale blonde woman. I took off my jacket quickly to cover her.
"J…John." She stammered.
I was awestruck.
"What?"
: She is Moon. We do not yet have the strength to do transformations on our own. Until our strength grows, this is how we will perform our magick. :
"Shadow."
The silver wolf nodded, and yipped happily. I called on my radio for some clothes to be brought for Moon. Liz brought in a simple white loose dress. We helped Moon to stand, she growled at Liz, who backed off.
"I'm only here to help."
"She knows Liz. She's not used to this yet. She's sorry." I said, translating for the wolves. Moon hadn't learned to speak yet.
Moon stood on her own, and looked at me, with grey eyes. I was startled to see how much she looked like her mother in human form. Crescent had been much the same, and I wondered if Moon would one day be a wise den mother for another special pup. Maybe she would begin a pack of her own wolf mages, and help the Bureau when they needed it.
It was hard to tell, and I knew I was counting my chickens before they hatched, but it would be nice to have other magickal beings on our side. Especially after learning that Shadow was indeed part demon.
"Are you going to change back Shadow?" I asked, I suddenly felt strange, not being able to see her.
: Eventually. Why John Meyers? : She replied.
: It feels strange, to not have you hear like I've come to know you. : I replied silently, I didn't want Liz to hear me.
: I am the same as before. This deep magick is in all of us, even you John Meyers. Some souls are born in the bodies they are meant to inhabit; other souls are meant for change, and growth. :
: Are you sure its something I can do? : I asked.
: I will be glad to teach you, John. : She replied, nuzzling into me.
Liz's POV
I stood back, watching the young blonde woman move around slowly, John had begun speaking to the silver wolf in his silent way. From what I had understood, the girl was the wolf called Moon, and the silver wolf was Shadow. I figured he wanted a private conversation with Shadow. From what I had seen of his dealings with her, something had changed in him. They were closer than I thought they could have been, given Shadow's mistrust of humans.
I knew that she was related to HB. He had told me everything about what he and John had spoken about. Shadow was the Professor's daughter. And a part of me could see that she was also related to HB.
She was about to go when Moon shuddered, and collapsed. John caught the young woman and set her on the ground gently.
"I don't think they can do it for very long if they are apart." I said.
"Yes. Shadow mentioned that it will take a lot of strength, but they want to stay like this for as long as possible." John said.
"Well, take care of them then. Get them something to eat, let them rest. That always helps me feel better." I replied, and left them to it.
I had a son to take care of, and I had a strange feeling things were not as they seemed.