"It's so hard to believe that the war ended an entire year ago, isn't it Relm?" Strago Magus asked his granddaughter, who was working on a painting that rested on her favorite easel.
"Um, whatever you say Gramps. Look, do you mind not talking for a while? My painting is at a critical point." Strago sighed and rolled his eyes at Relm's usual rudeness, wondering where she got it from, but went along with her request and turned back to the book he was writing; The Great War. So many lives had been lost...all because of a failed experiment on one man.
The two worked quietly for several minutes, each putting their deepest concentration into their work. There was no noise except the song of birds outside their small house until the stillness was broken by a scratching at the front door. Strago couldn't resist the rare chance to poke fun at Relm and asked, "Do you think you could get the door sweetheart? My writing is at a critical point." Relm snorted with disgust at the joke, but went over to the door.
"Fine Mr. Lazy-bones, if you're too old and tired to do it yourself..." Relm was startled, an uncommon thing for her, as she opened the door. A fierce looking doberman waited on the front step. As soon as he saw Relm, he rose up on his hind legs, and happily licked her face. "Interceptor?! Yes, I'm glad to see you too, but how can you be here? I thought you were..."
"Dead?" The ninja, Shadow finished for her as he strode calmly up to his canine friend. Maybe his only friend. "Close calls are my forte. You remember the floating continent...?"
"Well, duh! What do you think I am, old or something? My memory works just fine. Unlike the memory of this fuddy duddy that takes care of me," Relm said to him in her typical disrespectful fashion. "Are you coming in or not?" Both ninja and dog entered the house. Relm followed and closed the door behind them. Then she sat back down in front of her painting.
"Relm!" Strago chided his granddaughter and then realized that this might be a good chance to gather some little known info for his book. He cleared his throat. "Shadow, would you and Interceptor consider staying for dinner tonight and ehh, ...maybe help me out by answering some questions about my book?" his question ended in a nervous squeak.
Shadow shook his head. "I wish to speak with her." he said, inclining his head in Relm's direction. Relm's eyes lit up. "After that, I'll be on my way."
"Oh, well...couldn't you talk to her at dinner?" Strago tried one last time, becoming desperate enough to risk that Shadow might become impatient with him and just leave. Shadow shook his head again.
"Won't work. We speak alone or not at all."
Strago looked puzzled. "Well, I suppose that..."
Relm interrupted him, "Sure, why not? I like to talk! I mean, gosh! I could talk all day!"
"Yes, we've noticed." Strago muttered, shaking his head.
"I heard that, old man," Relm said over her shoulder. She swiveled around on her chair. "But, why me Shadow? What information do I have that you could possibly want?"
"You'll see," Shadow told her. Relm started exitedly jumping around the crowded room knocking over a jar and several books as she did so.
"Ooh, I love secrets! Come on Gramps, say I can! Pleeeeeezzze?" Relm pleaded.
Strago gave a sigh of defeat. First he had lost a good source of knowledge, now he was going to have to give in to his granddaughter...again. "You would probably go even if I forbade you to, so you may as well."
Shadow motioned to the door. "Shall we?"
Several minutes later, Relm was seated in a small clearing in the woods, just on the edge of town. Interceptor lay down on the soft moss next to her. Relm looked at Shadow, who after crossing to the far side of the clearing, was just standing there. "Well, aren't ya gonna sit down?" she asked him.
"No," he said simply.
"Well, you certainly don't waste words do ya?" The sarcasm was almost dripping from her voice. "Anyway, what were you gonna tell me?" she asked.
"A story." Shadow told her.
"You are gonna tell me a story? What a laugh! Good one, Shadow!" Relm had nearly fallen over she was laughing so hard.
"That wasn't a joke. Shut up or forget the whole thing." He turned towards the forest.
Relm mocked him behind his back in a whiney, sing-song voice, "Shut up or forget it. Blah blah blah." Shadow slowly turned his head and glared at her, but began his story.
"Long ago, years in fact..."
"Wait," she interrupted him with a frown on her face. "What kind of a beginning is that? Real stories are supposed to start with 'Once upon a time'. Now start it over the right way." Shadow let out a growl as good as any of Interceptor's and started again.
"Long ago, years in fact," he said deliberately, "There were two boys, Baram and Clyde. They were good at getting into trouble. After a few years, they tired of simple pranks. The two decided to leave home and become thieves."
Relm raised an eyebrow. "That was dumb, why'd they want to do a thing like that?" she cut in.
"I don't know! They were young and stupid!" Shadow snapped. He stopped and took several seconds to regain his composure. "Now then, the two friends began with small things. Shoplifting trinkets and the like. One day after becoming confident in their 'ability', Baram suggested they move on to larger things. 'Like what...banks?' Clyde asked. 'Nah, too boring. I was thinking more along the lines of...trains,' Baram said slyly. Clyde was skeptical. 'I don't know, Baram, you really think we can handle it?' 'Yeah, I do. Besides, I asked around and found out that the train that comes through here tomorrow only has one guard.' 'All right. Let's go for it!' Clyde said, finally getting caught up in Baram's exitement. They hurried back to their room at the inn to start planning their theft."
"Hey Shadow, how old were Clyde and Baram?" Relm asked.
"Does it matter?" Shadow said the words very slowly and carefully, as though he was barely holding back his anger at being interrupted again.
"Yes, it helps me paint a more vivid picture in my mind," she said.
Shadow clenched his fists. "Somewhere in their teens. The robbery was flawless. 'You were right Baram. This is much more fun than shoplifting!' said Clyde, running his fingers through the five thousand GP they had just stolen. 'Whaddaya say? A million GP or bust?' he asked partner. Baram laughed, 'You got it!' Months passed. As their skills grew, they got more reckless, robbing trains with up to twenty guards. One night, a couple of years later...'Yahoooo! We did it, Clyde!' 'A million GP! what a blast! I love this!' Clyde exulted, still high on adrenaline. Baram slowed to a walk. They were quiet for a while, enjoying the forest, and their recent success. Baram finally spoke up, 'I've been thinking...I think we should change our name.' 'Our name?' Clyde asked, confused. 'Yeah, we need something more...appropriate.' 'Such as...?' Clyde wondered. 'How about...Shadow! Not bad, huh?' replied Baram. 'Great Train Robbers of the Century...Shadow...? I like the sound of that!' said Clyde." Shadow stopped a moment.
Relm waved her hands in the air, "Waaaait a minute! This isn't a true story or something is it?"
"I'll let you decide," he told her.
"Hmmph. Well, keep going." Greaaat answer. I wonder though...Shadow must be one of those two people,she thought to herself.
Shadow was silent for a bit longer, as though collecting his thoughts, perhaps recalling a memory that had long lain dormant in his mind. "After so many successes with hijacks and dodging the law, Clyde and Baram started to become overconfident. Late one night, while attempting an especially dangerous robbery, the impossible happened. Something went wrong. While balancing on the top of a train car, Baram was suddenly knocked off by a low hanging tree branch, and rolled down a rocky slope next to the tracks. Clyde had been crawling and avoided the branch. Because he had been ahead, it was several minutes before Clyde noticed that Baram was gone. 'Baram? Oh no! I've got to go after him. Baram!' Clyde leaped from the train and started back down the track, searching for his friend. Unknown to Clyde, Baram lay in the darkness next to a stream, bleeding badly. The breath had been knocked out of him so he had to struggle to call out, 'Clyde... I'm...done for... F...find me here... Please, Clyde...' A chilling wind caught his words and snatched them away into the darkness. He knew it was probably usless, but he had to keep hoping. The sound of the train faded away in the distance."
"Baram didn't die, did he?" Relm asked. She tried to hide it, but her face was starting to show signs of worry.
"I might tell you if you stop interrupting me," Shadow told her. Once again he went back to telling his story. "Clyde searched the whole night, but Baram had been knocked off the train a couple of miles before Clyde jumped off after him, and wasn't able to find him until just before dawn. He would have missed him completely if Baram hadn't groaned just then. Clyde rushed to his friend's side. 'Open your eyes!' Clyde nearly yelled, as the panic started to surface. 'I'm scared...' Baram started coughing violently. 'Is...is this MY blood...?' 'You're gonna be okay!' Clyde tried to reassure his friend. 'Clyde, I've let you down... I'm sorry...' 'Save your strength. We're almost to a town.' Baram weakly shook his head. 'You don't have to pretend. I know. I've lost...too much blood.' He pulled away from Clyde's supporting arms. 'Get going! I'm gonna slow you down.' Clyde's jaw dropped in shock. 'But...' 'You wanna get caught? Look...before you go...you have to use your knife...' 'What!!!!' Clyde was shocked 'Think what the authorities will do to me if I get caught. After all the trains we've stolen from. I don't want to go through that. Do me this favor,' he looked away, waiting for Clyde to end his pain. After a few moments passed (though they seemed like eons), and the expected pain of a knife blade didn't come, Baram turned his head back to his companion. 'Are you...Shaking? I can't believe it! You're acting like a coward! Come on you weakling! Grab a knife and...' 'I can't!' Clyde screamed in despair. ''Clyde!!!' 'I'm sorry...' He turned and ran from his friend as fast as he could go. As he ran he could hear the words echoing in the darkness behind him, 'Clyde! How dare you?!'"
Relm looked down at her feet. She had been sniffling for a few minutes. "Shadow?"
"Yes," he answered, still facing away from her.
"I don't understand what happened. Clyde went back right?" she asked.
Shadow turned towards her, "No, the good for nothing man left his friend when he needed him most. He never saw Baram again." The sun had set and the moon had come out while he was telling his story, so it was hard for Relm to see anything, but when he turned... She figured she must be imagining things, but as the moonlight caught Shadow's eyes, she thought it looked like they were a bit more moist than usual. She didn't have time to think about it though, because Shadow kept on with his tale. "Clyde wandered around in circles for days before he finally reached the town he had thought would be so close. He wandered into the to the middle of the village, weak from hunger and about to pass out from exhaustion. He leaned against a nearby tree. 'Looks like a nice place,' he said to himself. A black and brown puppy ran past him, barking, as he sank to the ground. Clyde could tell someone came over towards him, and he heard a woman's voice. 'Hey...Hey! Stay with me now!' She shook Clyde trying to keep him from losing conciousness. The dog ran past again as Clyde tried to speak, 'Where...am...?' 'A small village called Thama-...whoa! Hang in there!' The young woman, Ruka, took him to her home and nursed Clyde back to health. Her tender care eased Clyde's hurting heart, and it wasn't long before he realized he had fallen in love with her. As soon they could arrange it, the couple was married."
"Finally! Something happy in the story. Hey, when Ruka was telling him the name of the town, she interrupted herself, sort of tonight's theme, and I didn't hear the whole name. It wasn't...could it have been here? Thamasa?" Relm asked.
"I would think that was fairly obvious. I'm starting again. Clyde and his wife settled down comfortably in the tiny village, and life was good to them. They had a beautiful house, a dog, and a child on the way. But there were problems when Ruka went into labor and she...didn't make it.
Clyde was left on his own with an infant daughter to raise."
"Um..." Relm started, and then stopped when Shadow flashed a warning look at her. "Just one more question, please?" she begged. Shadow crossed his arms, waiting. "How many years ago is this part of the story supposed to take place?"
He thought briefly, "Ten, fifteen years ago."
"Wow, so if she were real, she would be just about my age!"
"...Yes, I suppose that's right. No more stops, Relm. After his wife's death, Clyde felt as though it was time to move on so he left his newborn daughter with a friend, left his dog behind to keep his child safe, disguised himself so the authorities would never recognize him, and headed away from the life he had loved. As he was leaving, his dog rushed out the door after his master. Clyde stopped and looked at the loyal animal. 'You came to fetch me...but I won't be coming back...I want you, and the girl to live in a peaceful world.' He began walking again and left Thamasa. His dog hesitated for a moment, barked a final good-bye towards the house, and followed his master into an uncertain future."
The clearing was still for a long time, both people deep in thought. Then something finally dawned on Relm. Her eyes widened at the thought of it. "Ok wait. I decided that the story is true and you must have been Clyde years ago, but the girl...she..." Shadow just looked at her, waiting for the reaction to her discovery. "You're my...my father?" Interceptor walked over to Relm and nuzzled his face against hers. "By blood alone. Besides that, I've no other right to the name."
"Well, maybe... So I'm not even related to Strago, huh. Well that doesn't make any difference, he's been as good as family to me. Speaking of the old man... Oh no! He must be worried sick. I know you didn't want to earlier, but won't you please come have supper with us?"
"I should be on my...what? After all I've told you... I wouldn't be surprised if you were disgusted by the very thought of me."
"Well, maybe a normal person would be, but I'm far from normal, right? Besides, even though you left me for all those years, you did help make the world peaceful. Just like you said you would. Plus...I've always wanted a dad." Relm studied him for a bit, trying to decide something. Shadow's eyes grew wide with horror.
"I thought you said supper, not forever!"
"Well..." Relm finally made up her mind, got to her feet, and walked up to Shadow. She paused, then reached up and gave him a quick hug. Shadow pulled away and backed up a few feet.
"What are you doing?!"
"That is called a hug, and I am going to get my supper. Grandpa won't be happy if you're late." She turned and walked towards home. Shadow stood frozen from shock until Interceptor nudged his hand and barked questioningly at his master.
"What? You don't actually think I should go with her do you? Right, of course you do." Interceptor barked again. "Look, I know what I said back on the tower. I...made a promise to Baram that I would start over, but..." Shadow sighed. "I guess this is the best way." He reached a hand up to touch his helmet. He had worn it for a long time. Perhaps too long. He pulled it from his face casting it, and his past, into the darkness. "C'mon boy, they're waiting."
