When Light fades, Darkness weeps.

Archangel then realised and jumped to her feel, glaring at the shadow.
"Was it you that was doing that?!"

The shadow was taken aback, and he scooted next to Lear. Lear blinked multiple times, and she then glared at Umbre. She glanced to Archangel. "What was my dear brother doing to you?" Lear asked carefully. Umbre started scooting away from Archangel and from Lear.

Archangel took a deep breath, but then stopped.
He was just freaking me out, that's all."

Lear cast an angered glance at her brother, and then looked back at Archangel.
"Did he..." Lear began, "Talk to you? Because, you answered something that I did not ask, so he must've been speaking, didn't he?" Lear asked.

"I guess he did..." Archangel said, frowning and shaking her head. She sighed, morphing into a dove and flying out over the water, gliding just above the sparkling surface.

Lear turned quickly to Umbre. "You can talk to others?!" Lear asked to Umbre. He didn't move. But he answered, anyways. "That means you've gotten better!" Lear said. The shadow moved slightly, and tilted his head. "But that still doesn't mean I can get you out," Lear said, sadly. Umbre tilted is head to the other side. "I know it's ok... I just want you to get out of there as soon as possible..." Lear answered.

Archangel landed on the bank, morphing back into her humanoid form. She flumped down onto the grass again, leaning on her hands.

The shadow, seeing Archangel, approached er slightly behind her back. Lear noticed this.
"Umbre!" She hissed. Umbre looked at her, and crept back to stay with Lear, curled up into a tight ball. "May you tell me why you bother the girl so?" Lear asked. The shadow turned to Lear. "Don't say no to me, Umbre," Lear answered. The shadow didn't move. "There, just say an honest answer," Lear finished, turning away fro the shadow, which was still curled up into a ball.

Archangel listend, curious, but then turned away, unable to hear the shadow's responses.

Lear scooted over to Archangel, and curled up into a ball, pressing her knees tightly against her body. She looked at the demoness with large eyes. "So," she began, "For what did you go into this forest, if I may ask?" Lear asked gently. The shadow scooted next to Lear and Archangel, being in the middle.

"Getting away from my family. The atmosphere's almost choking back at my house," Archangel said. It was true. Everyone was just going through their lives as normal. Everything assiciated to Shadow had been discreetly removed from view.

At the mention of those words, Lear's face darkened. She had chosen to run away from her family, and she had also chosen not to go back. They were traitors. She wasn't going to live with traitors. Lear's face dropped into her knees, her hair falling over them. Umbre tilted his head ever so slightly.

Archangel looked at Lear.
"How about you? How come you're here?"

"I was wandering," Lear explained, "To try and find an adequate location for my studies to try and find a way to get Umbre back to life," Lear continued, "And, after a few days' walk, I was tired, and I stopped here to get a break."

Archangel nodded silently, gazing out over the water again, although she glanced back at the shadow occasionally.

Lear also looked back at the river, and put her legs over the border again. Her shadow didn't follow, looking at Archangel silently. He didn't move, but he didn't speak either.

Archangel noticed that the shadow was looking at her, and looked back, her head tilted slightly to one side. The demoness wondered why the shadow was watching her, but she knew that he probably wouldn't tell her.

The darkness tilted it's head the opposite way that Archangel was tilting her head. Lear didn't notice, still looking down at the glistening river. She almost looked like she was about to fall, but she kept her balance well prepared. The shadow didn't move, still looking at the demoness.

Archangel reached out a hand to touch the shadow, remembering what Lear had said about physical contact. Curiosity had sparked in her eyes.

Umbre looked at the hand curiously. His own hand crept on it, and Archangel could feel a warm surface on her hand. "Guess how I tricked you into thinking tht it was my sister talking back then," a young male voice asked.

Yeah, I get it now, Archangel said, having sensed the consciousness there. She had reached out with her own mind to avoid Lear hearing their conversation.

"I can shapeshift my body," Umbre answered, "As I can shapeshift my voice. It's a magical thing, hard to explain, really. I think my sister would be able to explain it. It's hard to read at books when you're always on the ground. Too bad you can't see the view I'm looking through my eyes right now."

Why were you watching me? Archangel asked, getting directly to the point. She didn't like people watching her.

"There's not much else to do, when you're a shadow," Umbre answered directly, "I'm just curious, you see? I never had a real body. Probably never will. I'm always looking at people. How good would it be to have a body, see?" Umbre explained.

I see... Archangel replied slowly. Her mind started to run through the various things that she had learnt about human bodies, but she didn't know enough to formulate a spell that could help.