Ugh. School's really taking my time away from FF. Seriously…how many people are still reading this?

~Chapter 8~

It was nearly dawn when Shade woke everyone to continue their on their way. Glancing over his slashed shoulder, the Dark Chao saw the ominous clouds that shrouded over the Gardens began to spread and stretch over the skies in all directions, including toward them. They were losing time.

He barely had time to recall the strange dreamscape last night as he roused his sleepy sister and her burden of a charge. Shade was almost sure that if they ever made it to Galactic Peak alive, Blossom would adopt little Memphis for her own. Not that she was old enough to be a parent, anyway.

Pushing unnecessary thoughts to the back of his mind, Shade rallied his team and led them toward the mountains, ignoring Lunara's icy silence.

…

By late morning, clouds had begun to hang heavy and gray over their heads, not besieged with the DVoid, thankfully, but with snow and other means of buffeting weather. Shade hoped these clouds weren't going to drop a blizzard on them while they made their way through the mountains. But it was likely. The winds that blew weren't just chilly; They carried the pure bite of winter with them.

Shade found the rock climbing harder than he thought. Everytime he scrabbled to a boulder above his position, he stretched the wounds he bore from his skirmish with Lunara. Once again, the throbbing had returned, and one large cut on his arm had started to bleed when he bumped it against a stone, hardened with cold. He tried not to let the others notice his weakness, and continued on.

Blossom and Berry took turns carrying Memphis, who was trembling like a leaf against their chests. Honey went on silently, sometimes aiding Berry up a rock tumble, unprovoked. Lunara's air was as cold as the mountain weather, and she soundlessly hefted herself up rock falls and ledges. She tried to overcome Shade as they hiked to a higher ledge of a mountain, and Shade let her. Though the knowledge that Lunara was probably stronger than he was burned him, he knew competition had no place in survival. Yet…it didn't feel like it was just the anger of Lunara's behavior that was heating up the young Chao…

"Hey!" he heard Lunara's shout above, and scrabbled up awkwardly on the ledge next to her. Following came Blossom, whom he helped up, and Berry, who was assisted by Honey. Memphis was clinging to Blossom, still shivering.

Lunara was staring at a dark silhouette in the distance, huddling against a spire near them in fear or cold. Without asking, Lunara marched toward it, followed wearily by Shade.

As the winds blurring his vision began to die as he approached the figure, he noticed it was a female. A female Chao? He assumed so, but the small figure was wearing a dusky gray cloak with the hood shadowing her face. She had the cape wrapped around her body, but Shade knew from his bitter shivering that the girl's threadbare protection wasn't going to help.

"Who are you? What are you doing up here?" Lunara questioned. Shade eyed her in annoyance at how she was the one speaking what he should be speaking. We didn't get this sort of welcome. He was ready for the stinging comment, but it died in his throat, which had begun to feel sore and raw from the constant winds.

The little figure looked at Lunara, eyes wide in shock and recognition. Lunara stared back into those eyes, her face reflected in the youth's eyes.

"…L…Lu…nara?" the young one stuttered, teeth chattering. Shade saw Lunara's eyes glisten with unshed tears. He wondered if the prickly Chao would give him the satisfaction of seeing her cry.

"St…Stara…?" she murmured, taking a step forward, "Is…that you?" The young Chao's eyes grew even wider, and suddenly she hurled herself into Lunara, burying her face in her belly fur, whimpering softly,

"Lunara…Lunara…" she muttered through her sobs, "I was so scared without you!"

"Oh Stara…" Lunara murmured, her voice cracking with an emotion Shade had never seen her experience. He saw tears slip down her face, and he didn't feel so triumphant as he thought he would. In fact, he even felt a little touched. Just a little. He hid his own feelings by yawning and declaring loudly,

"Well, wonderful. A family reunion. Now then, I'm freezing here. Let's move." And pointedly began shuffling down the stone.

Lunara ignored him, and concern had replaced the look of sisterly love in her eyes. Shade turned around, seeing Lunara was examining one of the long-lost Stara's arms. It was wrapped heavily in some sort of bandage. Stara looked anxious as Lunara picked at the straps, "Stara…" she asked gently, "What is this?"

"Nothing." The young Chao drew her arm away. Lunara gently regained it, and pulled one end of the bandage,

"Did you get hurt?" she prompted, unwrapping her little sister's arm.

"N-no." Stara muttered, "Please don't do that…please?" But the bandages were off already. Everyone, including Shade, stared with eyes wide in astonishment.

The little Chao had no arm. Just a bionic substitute for an arm. The robotic paw on the end whirred as the fingers moved, and buzzed as she moved the wrist. Stara stared at Lunara anxiously, "Are…are you scared?" she murmured.

Lunara stared at the robotic arm for a second, and shook her head, "No…" she breathed, her eyes convincing Stara, "I'm not…I…I'm not sure what happened but…you're still you."

"I feel like Terminator!" Stara declared gleefully, tiny wings fluttering. Shade found himself growing frustrated again. But before he could say anything, Blossom spoke up,

"I think we need to find shelter. Memphis needs to get out of the wind." She said worriedly. Shade frowned,

"This is the opposite of progress, people." He growled. It wasn't that he didn't care about Blossom's decisions, or the young Memphis he rescued, it was just that he wanted to get the hell out of here. The mountains in winter were damn freezing, there was a spacial virus spreading toward them, and they wanted to take breaks in the middle of the day. Shade sighed, for once wishing he hadn't self-proclaimed himself as leader.

"But Shade." Berry objected, moving next to Blossom, "Look."

Shade looked at Memphis, and the pitiful sight was enough to make him sigh in defeat. The young Chao was pressed as far into Blossom's chest fur as possible, his wings drawn in close. A clear, glistening drip hung from his nose, and the tot snuffed up the mucus, only for it to drip back out again.

Shade felt his pained shoulders sagging, "Fine. Let's find a cave."

…

Shade kicked a stone, watching with some satisfaction as it tumbled down a rock fall and into a deep fissure that led no where. He sighed. When he left the Gardens, he felt like he was leading survivors. Now, he felt like he was leading a band of nurses and mothers, all fussing over two kiddies too soft for these extremes. Okay, so coming here was his decision, but how was he supposed to know how extreme the environment was?

Shade decided he wanted to spend some time away from his group. Get some fresh air. Yes, stingingly cold mountain air that made his throat feel icier and sorer, and his feet numb and frosty.

Shade stared at the path he left behind. The DVoid clouds stretched like ragged cloth across the skies in the distance, barely moving from its position from that morning. He sighed, feeling a scar on his chest begin to sting as he stretched. Suppose he should get back to the cave. He'd be even less use to the team by just standing around out here, moping, freezing…

Suddenly, the fur on the back of his neck prickled. An eerie paranoia crept up his spine. He froze, eyes wide and ears listening for any sort of noise. Shade felt a dark prescence. Something was here with him. Something he did not know…something…threatening…

Shade began to move again, hoping the sudden scare would wash over, but it lingered. The tension ready to drive him off the edge of his tolerance, Shade spun around to see what it was.

Nothing. Just the wind blowing along.

Shade sighed, but his senses were still bristling for some reason. He decided to head back to the shelter…

But that was when the shadow slipped up behind him and grabbed him harshly by the throat.

Yippee, cliffhanger! Come on people, I need reviews! I need feedback! Please!