True words.

Bart rolled his eyes physically, his hand still on the tip of the arrow. He pushed away a fringe of brown hair, and he pushed it behind one ear. He looked up at the silver-haired man, with red eyes. But he did not speak. If he had to intervene, he would do it, but he would not speak for now.

Vrael growled at Shadow's words, his bow from Bart's grip and firing the arrow. Shadow knew that he wouldn't miss, but that he wasn't intending to kill. She didn't move, not even when the arrowhead buried itself in her shoulder.
"Have you got that out of your system now?" She asked sarcastically, trying to appear nonchalent, but her eyes betrayed the pain.

Bart's hand was still attached to the arrow as Vrael shot it, except it had gone up the stem very slightly, only letting the spear of the arrow pierce Shadow's shoulder. He carefully pulled the arrow out, the spear sliding along Shadow's flesh delicately, but still painfully. If Bart hadn't stopped the arrow in time, it would've been completely lodged into the shoulder and atrocious sufferance would proceed as one tried taking out the hostile object from the body. Bart kept the arrow in his hand, the blood trickling down from it.

Shadow flinched as Bart pulled out the arrow, giving Vrael a sort of grim satisfaction. The arrow had been lodged fairly deep, but had the Kraferr not stopped it, the arrow would have pierced her shoulder completely. Vrael drew another arrow from his quiver, nocking it onto the bow string and pulling back, ready to fire.

Bart held out one hand, now grabbing the arrow tightly. He did not want any more pain to be inflicted on Shadow's body. He glared at Vrael. He didn't recognize him any more. He was different, ever since the prophecy. "You sure do like inflicting others pain, do you, you freaking sado?" Bart asked, one eyebrow lifted.

Vrael gritted his teeth, and, keeping a hold on the arrow, untenses the string, the wooden bow creaking, almost as if in disappointement. He turned his gaze to Bart again.
"You knew Shadow, she died in your arms. This creature here cannot be her."

"I might as well admit that," Bart muttered angrily to the vampire, "Yes, she did die in my arms. But you need to count what the prophecy said, even though you do not want to think about it. If the prophecy was true, then how did this female appear? A prophecy wouldn't do something for no reason, and there are no defects in a prophecy. There was a reason why this girl appeared. It was written inside. One between the two fighters shall live it said, if the One was present. It may not be me, but I suppose so. This may not be Shadow physically, but look deeper inside her. I think you can recognize her personality, her actions, can't you?!"

"I recognise nothing of this demon!" Vrael spat, pulling back the bow string, ready to loose the arrow. Shadow scowled. She pointed to Vrael
"Vrael James Panther Mercian, son of Syrylla." Her hand turned to Shaeman. "Shaeman Daniel Pegasus Mercian, son of Syrylla." Then to Raven, "Raven Rachel Roth, daughter of Arella!"

Bart kept a firm grip on the arrow Vrael had pulled as Shadow recited the full names of the three adults in front of the two. "If this wasn't the true Shadow," Bart began, "How do you expect that she knows your full names by heart? I thought you only gave your full identity to your clan. If she knows them, she must be part of the clan!"

"Or she is spying," Vrael growled. Shaeman seemed about to throw his star, but refrained, obviously having a hard time doing so. Shadow continued her identifications.
"Archangel Holly Dove Roth, daughter of Shadow. Onyx Hazel Wolf Roth, daughter of Shadow, Twilight Arias Doe Roth, daughter of Raven. Eclipse Elva Raven Rothn daughter of Raven." Her gaze then turned to the proud black pegasus who was towering, protective, over the children.
"Merlas, daughter of Auraya..."

"Seriously, Vrael," Bart replied, "You're getting too paranoid of the being that is in front of your eyes. How would've she spied on you, and learned all of those names by heart, in such a small matter of time? It's incomprehensible, Vrael. The first times I saw you, you weren't like this..."

"Bart, maybe we should just leave," Shadmw murmured to the Kraferr. "He's not going to accept it."
Vrael narrowed his eyes at Bart's words, drawing back the bow string again.

Bart kept a firm grip on the arrow, even though Vrael pulled it back. He glared at the man once again, his red eyes glistening in the shadows pulled by his hair. "Yes, maybe we should," Bart muttered back to Shadow. "Before I get... Dark."

Shadow nodded once and turned her back, heading along the curve of the water, one hand straying up to the wound where the arrow had been stuck in her shoulder. Vrael had hurt her, willingly...

Bart forcefully lowered the arrow, the bow along with it, and then Bart turned around also. He took one step, and looked backwards abruptly at the silver-haired man. He scowled at Vrael, his red eyes glistening under the dark shadows of his brown hair, that flowed gently as he moved. His purple shirt and short were still humid, and they sagged as Bart turned his head again, and pressed his pace to keep up with Shadow.

Vrael raised his bow in the blink of an eye, aiming and firing. He wanted to take out the demoness, and he would have. Shadow had heard the soft sound of the string letting the arrow fly, and dodged to the side, the arrow embedding itself just next to her spine. The demoness turned, glaring at Vrael, but walked on, the arrow still sticking out of her back.

Bart jumped as he heard the arrow shoot past his head. He tilted is head very slightly to the side instinctively. He heard the soft thudding of the around embedding itself into Shadow's flesh. He scowled at Vrael, and his eyes flashed quickly into four. A wave of purple fled up his arms, and his hands tensed, as the claws slowly lengthened. His whole body sturdied, and a faint black aura emanated from his hands, even before the completion of his demonic transformation. He was struggling against it, knowing that this transformation would've been caused by emotion, thus uncontrollable.

Shadow turned to Bart.
"Leave it, he's not worth it," She said, gently laying a hand on the Kraferr's shoulder.

Bart felt Shadow's hand lay itself upon his shoulder, and his purple fur stopped waving up his brown fur, to slink back downwards. His red eyes became two again, and he calmed down, as his claws shortened back to their initial size. He turned to the demoness, glancing back at Vrael, but then looking back at Shadow, and he nodded.

"Let's go somewhere else..." Shadow murmured, taking her hand off Bart's shoulder and starting to walk away. The arrow was still lodged in her back, but she ignored it.

Bart glared back at the armed vampire, and quickly went completely behind Shadow, covering her from any arrow shots. Shadow was injured enough. Bart thought a moment. He had heard laughing. What were the people laughing about? Bart shook the ideas out of his head, and concentrated on the present, looking forwards.

Shadow waited until she was out of sight in the forest next to the lake before stopping, reaching a hand behind her to touch the arrow. She flinched as she touched it, withdrawing her hand, but then she tried again, yanking it out before she could stop herself.

Bart took the arrow from Shadow's hand, and threw it away, breaking onto the ground as the metal head made impact with it. He put a gentle hand on Shadow's shoulder, and inspected the wound carefully, lifting one eyebrow. He preferred going human, before he did any other movements. He also looked at the other wound, where Vrael had shot before.

Shadow gently but firmly pushed Bart away.
"I'm fine," She growled. She didn't want anyone looking at the wounds caused by someone who would never have dreamed of hurting her only a few short weeks ago.

"Physically, maybe," Bart replied, taking one step back, "But, mentally, do you think you shall resist?" Bart asked, tilting his head very slightly sideways. The grass waved gently as did the small waves of this part of the lake as the wind blew gently, going threw both entities' hair.