Memory Lane (Shadow and Holly)

"Meran hated my guts, as you can see." Shadow said, openeing one eye to look at Holly.

Meran approached Shadow, who hadn't returned to her feet and now looked at Meran with fear alight in her eyes. He kicked her in the stomach before lifting the little girl up by the front of her cloak.
"You will not speak of this, understood?"

"I can tell," Holly muttered, and then cringed as the other Shadow was kicked.
"And you just took this until you cracked?" she asked the real Shadow. The Old one. This is confusing.

Meran scowled at the young Shadow again before throwing the girl gown.
"This is just the beginning." He hissed, striding off.

Shadow looked at Holly.
"Yes, I did. What was I to do? His word against mine. It was not allowed to search a child's mind unless the case was for something such as murder and there was no alternative."

"Oh," Holly said, unable to think of something sensible to say. Insted she bit her lip and looked at the little Shadow.

Shadow also looked at her younger self somewhat sadly before the scene changed again to show a young Shadow in her room, brewing a potion under Meran's watchful glare, waiting for the tiniest of mistakes.

Holly felt things change again, and looked around for little Shadow, whom she sighed lightly at when she saw.

Shadow glowered as she recognised the scene.
"Holly, you might not want to see this if you don't like the sight of blood." Shadow warned her friend.

Younger Shadow added an ingredient to the potion before she began to stir it, and Meran strode forwards.

"I'll be ok," Holly said, "I have a Brave in me too...she stays inside most the time though..."
Holly bit her lip as Meran walked.

Shadow tried to give Holly a small smile, but it turned out more of a grimace as Meran pushed Young Shadow out of the way.
"Imbecile!" He hissed. "You should have waited five seconds before stirring the potion!" Younger Shadow recognised the signs of Meran's punishement looming and scrambled away, heading for the door, but it was too late. A blade of midnight blue magic struck her back, tearing her cloak and shirt, cutting deep into the pale ivory flesh beneath it.

Holly snapped her eyes closed a moment too late and blood drew from her own lip.
She opened one eye tentively to see what was now going on.

Young Shadow was sprawled on the ground, black blood pouring from the cut along her back. As she pushed herself up and turned round, her violet eyes were red.

Ignoring the blood, and the fact that it was black, Holly looked at the Old Shadow. "Red eyes aint never a good sign ... is this where you crack and give Meran his commupence?"

"Yes, the first time I ever went demonic, and discovered my magic." Shadow said.

The Young Shadow stood up, a little girl that looked to be about five years old, suddenly seemed a lot more threatening. Meran merely smirked, but it was soon wiped off his face as a torrent of black magic threw him out of a window. The Senate burst through the door, and several restrained Shadow while another injected a serum into her neck.
"That's where my fear of needles came from." Older Shadow said as her younger self struggled briefly before going limp.

Holly realised her mouth was open, and closed it again.
"She's goood...." she muttered, "What's next?"

Shadow looked around at the next scene.
"No!" She said, "Anything but this one!"

The scene was a seemingly normal house, where Arella and a five year old Shadow meditated face to face. All seemed peaceful...

"What WHAT?" Holly asked ducking, in case something awful was happening. SHe looked at Arella and Little Shadow, "What, everything seems fine....."

Older Shadow was playing with her cloak, knowing what was coming next.

There was a knock on the door, even though it was ten o'clock. Arella came out of her meditation, and opened the door, Little Shadow following curiously. The door opened to show a young man, with black hair and four red eyes...
"Run Shadow!" Arella shouted, summoning her magic and backing away. Little Shadow started to run, but then turned to see Arella being thrown back by a bolt of magic, but getting up again.

"This isnt-?" Holly began, but looked back to the scene, sensing she knew what it was that was coming.

Little Shadow turned back to the 'rather imposing man' as she thought, and summoned her magic, shooting a bolt at him. He didn't seem to notice as he advanced on the five year old, and summoning a bolt of magic. He fired it at Shadow, how ducked and then he fired another. This time, she stayed frozen with shock, staring at the bolt as it hurtled towards her.
"No!" Arella shouted, jumping in front of it. Shadow didn't know as she flung herself by Arella's side, that it was too late.
"Mother? Mother, wake up... Arella!" Little Shadow begged, and a tear escaped Older Shadow's eye.
"It was my fault..." She said softly.

Holly was frozen watching the scene, with had been worse than in her head. She couldnt think of one thing to say until -
"It was Kar's fault." she said softly, "And no one elses...."
She reached her little finger out tentively.

Shadow watched her younger self as she stood up, and looked at her father through the four red eyes she had inherited from him. A portal took shape behind him, and she barreled him through it before collapsing nex to her mother, crying. Older Shadow had the exact same look on her face. She linked her little finger through Holly's, trying to hold back her tears.
"If I had had the sense to run, he would have left her alone... He would have followed me..."

"You dont know that," Holly said, trying to be helpful, "There was nothing you could have done .. besides... thats the past...we cant change it no matter how much we want to..."

Shadow sighed as the scene changed again to show another Shadow, still about five years old, waiting outside a pair of heavy double doors. She played with her cloak a haunted look on her face.

Older Shadow watched her carefully, knowing the memory.

Holly glanced at the little Shadow, so similar to the one standing next to her.
"I hope this isnt as bad..." she muttered.

"This is the court case after Arella's death." Shadow said.