Oh shit! We back again! And faster this time too! So, someone had a couple questions so imma answer them here. First, Claire did indeed figure out who Shadow is. So I feel that I need to explain the liberties I've taken here to help explain this one. Being a lady herself of course May would have spent more time with her sister. And honestly, the people in the actual anime who have met both Cid and Shadow are stupid. He doesn't change or modify his voice in any way shape or form. His only method of disguise is coloring his eyes red and a hood. So I've taken some small liberties. Claire will tell her how she found out it was May. She will start using magic to change her voice, and she wears a half mask that covers all but her eyes, which she also turns crimson. As for the answer to the second half of the question. As to weather Claire will join Shadow Garden, you'll just have to wait and see. And to answer your second question, Claire will only join the harem if it's wanted by the community for the story at large. I'm aware of peoples views on incest, and while I personally have no moral problems with it in the context of fiction, I know some people will dislike the story of its included. So court of public opinion and all. But honestly, after this chapter I'm almost positive you'll forget all about Claire for a while. But thanks for asking questions deathhater04. Please people, ask me questions and give me your opinions. I relish in this and I'm more than willing to answer. That being said, let's get into this shall we? Oh, and a question from me to you, how do you all feel about the dream sequences I've been doing? Not all of them will be as dark as they have been. And some of them will even have plot consequences. But if you'd all prefer I can limit them to only the important ones. Lemme know what you think.

The void stretched in front of May once again. Her dark land of dreams taking shape in front of her. However, instead of the cold darkness she always felt, behind her she could feel a blazing inferno. Threatening to set her aflame with every breath.

She couldn't turn around, but if she could she would experience an intense heat like nothing she has ever felt before. One borne of a pure light shining behind her brighter than that of even the sun.

She winced, the pain caused by the light was excruciating. But she didn't scream. Whether by strength or sheer will she turned to face the light. She stuck her hand out, and narrowed her eyes.

A splatter was heard as Shadows' sword cleanly severed the man's head. But her rage hadn't died down. "ALPHA! REPORT NOW!" The sound reverberated through the complex, and reached the shades above her. An impact was heard to Shadows right and Alpha made her presence known.

"Ready and reporting my lady." She was on one knee with her hand over her heart, a bow to her head.

Shadow dropped all pretense. "This was far too organized for some simple bandits, I want every document in this building found and brought to me in the morning. This is not optional. Get it done. I'll escort the high value target to her home." Shadow allowed the sword to return to its slime form and merge with her suit.

Claire decided this was the time to make herself known, before even Alpha could leave to carry out her instructions. "May please. I know that's you, why won't you respond to me?"

Shadow wheeled around on Claire, now staring hatefully. After a brief moment she allowed the crimson to leave her eyes. "What is it that makes you think I am your sister May, Claire Kagenou? What about me makes you believe that I could even be human?" There was genuine anger in Shadows' voice.

"Well. There were two things. One, your voice. It's exactly identical to my sisters. Down to speech patterns and everything. And second, there is only one person who has ever hugged me so perfectly. Only my sister knows exactly where to put her arms to avoid my discomfort." Claire blushed slightly. "I'm very… particular about physical contact."

Shadow sighed, and modified her slime suit so the mask vanished. Now fully revealed, May looks upon her sister. "So, that's what gave me away huh? I'll have to disguise my voice in the future." Her sigh, which sounded like normal exasperation to her, sounded furious to those around her. Then she noticed Alpha still hasn't left. "I gave an order Alpha. See it done."

Alpha jolted slightly. "Of course my lady. Sorry for the delay." Then she vanishes from sight.

"So." May says as her mask reforms. "I assume you have questions. You may ask them as I take you home." She then returned to Claire and lifted her in a bridal style carry.

Beta and Gamma heard the sound of fighting around them but paid it no heed. They ran through the complex looking for any sort of office or store room. "Shit, it has to be around here somewhere." Gamma ground out, frustration evident in her voice. "We could be stuck searching for hours at this point."

That's when Beta stops suddenly. "You're right. But I have an idea." Showing her quick thinking Beta momentarily jumps into the battle raging around her, then reappears at Gammas side, this time holding one of the cultists but the collar of his shirt. "Now." She speaks out somewhat sweetly. "Where would we happen to find the offices here? Answer quickly enough we may even let you live." She finished with a sweet smile.

Gamma shuddered as they began to drag the man off. "Note to self, don't piss off Beta."

"So let me get this straight." Claire said as she sat on the ground, pressed up against a wall. Watching Shadow fight a veritable horde of men by herself. "You run this… shadow organization and go around fighting some cult?"

Shadow sighed. "Not now Claire!" She said loudly as she slashed through another goon. She had decided to feed Claire the same lie she had fed everyone else. After about ten minutes of fighting the goons were cleared out. Shadow sighed in exasperation, and picked her sister up bridal style again.

"Okay. Now that they're dead, can you answer my question?" Claire said, looking pointedly at the now red eyed, half masked girl.

She sighed again. "Yes Claire. I've been fighting them for some time. Currently there are eight of us. I've saved these girls from the demon possession of the Cult." Shadow looked down and noticed several black splotches forming on Claire's arms. "Speaking of."

Shadow sets Claire down and her magic springs to life, not only revitalizing Claire's body, but cleaning up the black splotches all over Claire's body. "There. All signs of possession gone."

Claire stands and begins stretching, her strength having been returned to her. "May-"

"Shadow. Do not use my name at times like this. Especially since you now have to join Shadow Garden, you will refer to me as either Shadow if you decide not to join, and Lady Shadow if you do."

"Okay… Shadow. How did you learn how to do all of this?"

"I worked real hard."

"Okay. How did you get so strong?"

"I worked real hard."

"Why didn't I know about any of this?"

"I worked so hard you didn't notice."

Claire sighed angrily. "God damnit Shadow, why is it always like this with you? Why can't you ever talk to me?"

"Because Claire, you're the only one I can talk to in my normal life. And I love you for that." Shadow sighs. "And I'm going to miss it. But now, you have to join Shadow Garden. You know about me, and when I start making decisions you don't like, it's better to have you on my side where your rampage can be mitigated. Rather than on the outside where you can just leak my name and forget about it."

Claire looks at May pointedly. They had been standing on the same cliff where the raid group first met. It had realistically only been ten minutes since they had gotten there.

Claire opened her mouth to say something, but she was stopped before she could.

"Lady Shadow, I've brought the documents you asked for. Turns out you were right, this wasn't some B-list bandits." Beta says as her and Gamma appear beside shadow and Claire.

Shadow reaches out her hand without even looking, and a stack of papers are put into her hand. She begins to scan the pages.

"Okay girls." Alpha calls out. "That should be all of them. And I have word that Beta and Gamma just met up with our Lady. we should be heading out ourselves."

"Aww no more hunting?" Delta, a black haired and black eared therianthrope cries, sad that she can't kill anymore.

"Are we sure we've checked the entire compound?" Zeta, a blonde haired blonde eared therianthrope, also asks. She only wanted to be thorough.

"It doesn't matter." Alpha replied. "We finished everything we came here to do. We have the documents and the targets been recovered. Let's go rendezvous with our Lady and get out of here." The leader of the seven shades orders.

That's when they all felt it. A massive surge in magical power. They began to sprint towards the exit. "If Shadow is letting out this much power, something must be wrong."

Was the only thought in Alphas mind.

"This is insane. I thought I was making these guys up. When did they become real?" Shadow thought to herself, not noticing that in her anger her power was rushing outwards, forcing the three people around her stiff, two out of awe and one out of a combination of awe and fear.

"No. Think about this logically. If the Cult of Diablos is real, then you didn't make it up. You just had a lucky guess. But now that means this fight is as real to you as you were going to pretend it was."

With that semi calming thought shadow reigned in her power. "I apologize to you three. Sometimes when I get angry I vent my power to calm myself down." She says casually.

"Jesus May. Is that how strong you really are?" Claire asks incredulously. Which quickly becomes anger. "Why have you never told me!? Why did you keep me in the d-" she was cut off as a sword was placed against her throat.

"Who told you our lady's identity!?" Beta says with an angry glare. "And give me a solid reason I shouldn't kill you where you stand. Sister or no, no one will speak to our Lady and Master this way."

"That's enough Beta. She will be the eighth and final Shade." Shadow responds. "At least she will, if she doesn't want to die." Shadow then turns to her sister. "Now that I know the cult is real I can't afford to be careless. I have to remain in the shadows."

Claire simply puts on a smirk. "Shadow, there isn't a damn thing you could have said that would have stopped me from joining." She scoffs. Then the blade is removed from her throat.

"Good. Then I shall give you the same blessing I have given all of my shades. I will grant you power and training. But more importantly I shall grant you a mission. Similar to mine. In the light, just as I am known as May Kagenou, you shall be known as Claire Kagenou. In the shadows where we do our work, just as I am known as Shadow and it is indeed my true name, yours shall now be Theta. Now kneel."

Claire, now Theta, didn't even hesitate. As soon as her knee hit the ground she was surrounded in a purple glow and slime began to surround her. "The ladies will spend all of tonight briefing you and teaching you how to use the slime suit. It will be your greatest and only weapon during our work with the garden. And Alpha here," She gestures at a blonde elven girl who had just emerged from the tree line with the other shades at a dead sprint. "Will begin your combat training during the night. And I will teach you how to control your magic."

Theta smiles devilishly. "As you command, Lady Shadow."

Shadow groans. "This is going to be a long night. Alpha!" Shadow says turning. "Teach Theta here our way of combat. She's already begun some training so it may be difficult at first. But make sure it's completed in a week. I don't have a ton of time left and I'll have a new task for the seven of you as soon as you're done. This is the current priority number one."

"It will be done my Lady." Alpha responds, glaring slightly at Claire. "But can she handle it? She was just kidnapped."

"And all seven of you were possessed before me. Your point being?"

"Fair enough my Lady. I should have known better." Alpha bows deeply. "My apologies for questioning you."

Shadow sighs. "Alpha, I am not all knowing. Nor am I all seeing. Please, Continue to question, continue to investigate. If I give an order you disagree with, tell me why. You are my right hand. It's your right and your job to do so. My orders may supersede yours, but aside from mine your orders are absolute. And you need to have the wisdom to keep up with that. You cannot gain wisdom without a healthy amount of doubt and experience. And just as I ask of you, I will question you and if I have doubts I will voice them."

Alphas eyes gleam. "You trust me that deeply my Lady?" Alpha looks ecstatic.

"If I didn't I wouldn't have saved you." Shadow sighs. "Now, Theta will go with you. She has a week before she needs to be in the capital for school. And so she can begin the task given to her by me. Theta," she starts before turning to her sister. "You may be starting at the bottom, but you are one of the shades. You will be among my elites and when we expand there will be no other shades. Meaning you will have a lot of responsibility and leadership thrust upon you. Go with Alpha. Receive our combat training. And when you come back I'll explain your role further. Are we clear?" Shadow didn't even wait for a response and began to walk towards her home. Trying desperately to figure out how to explain this to her parents.

"As you command, sister Shadow." Theta says in response. And Shadow sighs.

"Long nights indeed."

One week later.

"Okay Claire. Remember, as of right now you're not responsible for much of anything. Lead a normal life for now. When I get to the academy we can talk then. But for now establish roots. Get to know people. Rub elbows, and learn. Learn all that you can about the nation and how it functions. And most importantly where the blindspots are. The shades are going to grow the rest of the organization. By the time I make it to the school we should be ready to start the true hunt. We are on no side though. So laws won't apply when doing Shadow garden things. But most importantly, enjoy yourself. Claire is still a girl going to school, first and foremost. Just try not to stand out too much."

"Of course dear sister." Claire responds, leaning forward and wrapping her sister in a hug. " And don't worry, Lady Alpha has shown me how to keep in contact through the network. I'll be apprised of anything noteworthy. I am a shade after all." She winks and boards the carriage. "I'm off, May. See you in two years." She closes the carriage door and it begins to head off to the capital.

May watches it leave and gestures for the maid next to her to come forward. "Alpha, you and the shades have their task as well. So for now, this is farewell."

Alpha smiles sadly. "I suppose so. See you in two years, my beloved Lady." Alpha bows deeply and turns to leave before May can respond.

Okay so. I know this chapter is short and honestly kinda boring. But I'm just trying to finish the exposition part of the story. Beyond this though, that's pretty much over. The time skip will happen, and we can start getting into the fun stuff. What the school normal will be like, and the stuff with Alexia. So yeah. Longer chapters can be expected going forward. I also wanted to get this chapter out quickly because honestly, this should be the most boring part. And please let me know your opinion of the dream sequences. Some of them will still happen because important. But I won't put them in every chapter if they bug you. But until next time. Laters.