WHY IS EVERYONE KILLING THIER CHARRIES!?!?!?!?!? What thread did Shadow die in? How did I miss that?

The 'I'm back again' thread. 

Shadow.

I didn't know her. I'm sure, this time.

But it's sad anyway. First Alexandria, now Shadow. It leaves me wondering... who will it be next?

Goodbye, Shadow. Goodbye anyway. 

I ride towards the funeral, this time dressed in complete black with my black cape.

Leaping off of Brego, who doesn't make any remark, I head for the tombstones where everyone sems to have gone. I didn't know Shadow very well, but I feel slightly guilty for taking Alexandria's place.

Suddenly a horse nudges my hand, and I turn, half expecting to see Brego. But I don't.

"Well hello," I say. "Who are you?"

The horse nudges my hand again.

"Eth puleith esse?" I ask.

"My name is Diana," she replies. "I was Shadow's horse."

I nod my head. "Who's going to care for you now?"

Her mane tosses. "I'm not sure."

Brego neighs and I look at him before looking back at Diana and leading her to Brego.

They neigh at each other in their own language before Brego looks back at me.

"We've been introduced."

I nod and turn back to Diana. "Would you like me to look after you, or would you like to be a free horse in Brego's realm?"

"Brego's...realm?"

"Brego is a Lihtorith, a species of horse that is rarer but seen in the Elven realm. There is a Lord of Horses, Mahrith, who is a horse with a pure white coat. Brego is in th realm, or herd, and they are mostly wild horses that roam the Elven world free. However, they are sometimes able to work with elves. But they always remain wild at heart."

I give Diana the decision to decide. 

She can't be dead.

She can't be dead. 

shadow cannot die. 

shadow has always been practically immortal.

There must be some way around this. Some way to get her back.

SHE CANNOT BE DEAD 

Someone. Anyone. PLEASE.

Please, if you can.... reincarnate Shadow!

My wings flap over to the funeral. I've been gone for so long, trying to catch up, but I never could. But finally they stop for a moment, and it has to be at Shadow's funeral, the one person that I could have saved and the one person that helped me. 

I see Jake, and I look walk towards him, tugging at his sleeve.

He looks down and smiles sadly. "Hi Brynn."

I smile back. "You want me to revive her, don't you?"

"That's up to you," he replies, although I can tell that he wants her back.

"And that's up to her," I reply.

I walk back towards the woods and take a deep breath. I make myself fall to the ground, sleeping. I'll meet Shadow.

~~~~

I walk into light. A dazzling light that is almost blinding, but out of it, a figure that looks similar to Mina walks towards me.

"Brynn," she smiles warmly. "I don't know if you're supposed to be here."

"I need to talk to Shadow," I reply.

"Why?" she asks.

"Because people want her back."

She smiles. "She chose not to come back."

"Please?" I beg. "A minute?"

She contemplates but nods. "A minute."

Suddenly Shadow's figure appears, her happy face looking down at mine.

"Shadow!" I laugh, giving her a hug.

"Brynn," she smiles. "What is it?'

I let go and look up at her. "I know you're happy here, but there is a small request from others."

"And what is that?" she asks.

"They want you back. How about you? Do you want to go back?" 

Connie had her eyes shut tight. She couldn't make another speech like she had at Alexandria's funeral. She couldn't stand and direct them in prayer. She could only lean against David and watch the world falling apart. Mina hadn't talked for days. Sprocket had carefully designed her headstone, holding in tears. Everyone was still in shock. They had to fight, but it seems that was all they ever did. 

Shadow. She was the first person Connie had talked to when she formally joined the Resistance, the one who had helped her and Aviance get used to it all. She was the one who had joked with Jake and Alexandria constantly, not knowing everything that was to come. But she was also a girl who had, recently, gone from herself to a depressed, fading, silent shadow in the midst of the manic light of the war. Ironic, really. Connie realized she was probably where she wanted to be, now. She was probably running to Alexandria's arms, hugging her tight, hand in hand with her family, together again at last. She was happy now, happier, perhaps, than she had ever been on Earth. Connie smiled and suddenly burst into tears, burying her head in David's chest as he rocked her, stroking her rain-soaked hair.

"Shhh.... shhh...." 

Connie lifted her face and saw that everyone was gone, except Aviance, and Mina, who was touching Shadow's tombstone. Connie looked at David, who smiled and began to walk away with Vol. Connie turned to Aviance and they ran to hug each other. After a few minutes, Aviance supported Connie over to Mina. Connie gently tapped her shoulder.

"Mina-" When she turned around, Connie wished she could say everything she felt inside. She just didn't know how. "I'm sorry. So, so sorry. Like I told Shadow... no matter how many times you hear those words, which will be many times, it won't make it any better. But life goes on, and Shadow would want you to live." Connie felt another tear slip down her cheek as Mina turned away again. "We'll all be waiting, whenever you feel ready." Connie finished. Aviance nodded and bit her lip.

"Connie..." Aviance took her hand and supported her as they walked back through the rain, hardly able to hold back sobs. Everythung was just so terrible. Shadow couldn't die. But she had, and they needed to accept that, and move on. It was easy enough to talk about, but actually doing so was a whole different story.

Kyngdom! Connie whispered to the rainy sky. Hold tight. We got you. She took a shaky but deep breath. I don't know what will happen now, how I can fulfill the prophecy and help make everything right. The rain beat down on their heads, but Connie didn't mind. 

But I will. Their wavering figures slowly disappeared into the misty night. 

I promise. 

Even after Alexandria died, I didn't think it would come to this.

It....

....

Can a shadow die?

Maybe after it's owner dies...

It can't come to....

Excuse me... 

Nygrune~

Brynn lands softly with a quiet flutter of her wings. I can't believe it. She's here. Brynn is here. She can save shadow.

I find myself unwilling to say any word, make any move, like this is a dream and any action will shatter the illusion. But it can't be a dream; it's too vivid. A hallucination? No. I shake my head to clear my mind of doubt, remembering too late that I wasn't supposed to. But when I look up, Brynn is still there, talking to Jake. It isn't a dream. She's there, walking... away? What?

Lycaella inhales sharply and touches my hand. She's seen, too. It's not a dream. I nod, and then follow as she goes after Brynn.

Lycaella~

At first I don't see her, but Brynn is here. It's really her. She's the Angel of Death; she can bring shadow back! She talks to Jake for a minute before walking off towards the trees. Where is she going?

I take a breath, just now remembering to, and I glance at Nygrune to make sure he's seen, touching his hand to get his attention. He looks at me and nods, and I walk after Brynn. I hear him trailing behind.

I stay at a distance I could easily close and watch as Brynn collapses on the ground in the forest. I hesitate for a moment, but nothing else happens, and I run forward and pull her onto her back, cradling her head. I check her pulse--fine--breathing--also fine. I check for darts or other wounds. A few bruises, a slight scrape. She wasn't drugged. I listen to her breaths. Is... Is she asleep? ...I guess she just stayed awake too long and passed out.

Nygrune stands over us, having run with me. "Is she okay?" 

"I think so," I murmur. "It looks like she's just asleep. Is there anyone around?" 

He looks up and throws a few glances in different directions. "Someone from the funeral seems to be coming. Most likely they're just curious. No one else."

"Hm."

Brynn continues to breathe, otherwise motionless. I move her onto her side to make sure the airway is clear. I wonder what she's doing here. I rub my eye absently. I don't want to wake her up if she's tired. I guess that means I'll be waiting for now.

No. She can't be gone. Not shadow.

I am at the funeral, wearing a long black dress and a short black veil. For once, my hair is up in a bun, and my silver wings are tucked in tight. How could shadow be gone? I never got to know her, but I could tell that she was a great person. And I also heard that she was the previous Angel of Death. Wasn't she immortal? Couldn't we bring her back? 

My mind races with thoughts of grief and sorrow. And it's not like the rain makes it any better. It sets a depressing mood to the funeral, which is fitting for such an occasion. I walk over to shadow's gravestone that Sprocket designed, feeling deflated. I set some beautiful flowers in front of it and whisper, "Come back." I set some more flowers in front of Alexandria's gravestone, and then turn back to shadow's. 

I run my fingers down the cool, wet gravestone. And then, a tear finally escapes from my eye. Then another. And another. They fall slowly at first, then fall harder and more frequently. And pretty soon, I am crying hard, tears pouring out of my eyes like the rain above. And it's the kind of crying where it's a mix between sadness and the worst sorrow, and you just feel sorry for the person who's crying.

But I don't care that I'm crying. I don't care that shadow never met me so there's technically no reason for being here. I only care about shadow's death right now, and nothing else. And after several long minutes of crying that seem like days, I finally stand up to make a speech, wiping the tears off of my face.

"If I could have everyone's attention," I say loudly. People start to look at me, and some of them are still crying, but that's fine with me. "I'd like to make a speech about shadow." And then it begins, the long, sorrowful words that I have to drag out of myself.

"Maria Rachel Brown," I begin. "This was the name of a great person, but everyone called her shadow, or shadow of everywhere. This person filled our hearts, and you can feel them slowly deflate today. shadow was a perky Homo Avian that lived in the mountains, and she stumbled upon her adventures when she went to the Bog & Burrow Inn. It was there that she made friends, friends that led her to become a hero. And then, she became one of the best people to ever live in Kyngdom." My voice starts to get weak. 

"But time passed, and our dear shadow was too late to save her sister, Alexandria Lilly Brown, who we also miss dearly." I point to Alexandria's gravestone and I hear a few sniffles. "And then shadow went into mourning. She fell into a deep pit of grief and loss, so to speak. And eventually, she met up with her friends from the Resistance again, and she went on another spy mission. A-and then.. and then.." I begin to sniffle myself. Someone hands me a tissue and I gratefully take it. Tears begin to fall out of my eyes once again. "And then, as she was on her way, someone from SOCS shot her with a gun that wouldn't kill, but would knock her unconscious. She was transported to SOCS HQ, where she was locked in a room with IVs stuck in her. And then she began to sing her story, a delightful story. And it was then, as she said the words 'The End', that our shadow was taken away from us. S-she.. she was poisoned. All for her DNA."

I begin to softly cry, as do many others. But I manage to get the last part of my speech out. "shadow shouldn't have died like this. She should've died a noble, honorable death, where her life was spent after doing her major part in the war. But she didn't. SOCS just took her away from us, just like that. And that, my friends, is unacceptable." Now anger bubbles inside of me as it adds to the mix of emotions I am experiencing currently. "We must do something about this. We must defeat Catastrophe, SOCS, and the Black Skull. We cannot let more of us die, and when we do defeat our enemies, we must avenge our friends that have gone." I raise my fist in the air. "We must defeat those who attempt to destroy Kyngdom. For Alexandria, and for shadow!"

Many people applaud. "Thank you," I say as I step away. But as soon as I do, I see two people rush away from the crowd into the trees. (OUT OF CHARRIE: This is Lycaella and Nygrune.) I quickly follow them, curious as to where they are going. Soon, when they stop, I see another person who I believe is Brynn, the Angel of Death. She looks as if she is asleep. I see the two others quickly rearrange her, worrying. And then, one of them must have heard me, because they said, "Who's that?"

The other one says, "Hm. Probably someone from the crowd who was curious." 

And then I step out. "Who are you?" I ask.