count on us.” Snow said laying beside Shadow who had closed his eyes. Hmm your out there aren’t you. Silver thought looking out of the cave.

Chapter V: Dark Pasts

Shadow felt something strange yet familiar. Someone was licking his back, it felt good until whoever it was licked a little too hard. "Ahh! Hey!" Shadow said in pain a little. "Oh! Sorry Shadow." Snow said. "Where's Silver at?" Shadow asked. “He's over there.”  Snow answered. “So finally woke up huh?” Silver said. “Hey can I ask you both a question?” Silver asked. “Sure.” Snow said. “What makes you guys fight the way you do I mean what motivates you two?” Silver said. Shadow sat and thought for a sec but Snow lowered her head and a tear fell off her cheek. “Hey are you okay Snow?” Shadow asked putting his paw on her shoulder. “Not really” Snow said wiping away the tear. “We all have pasts were not happy about.” Shadow said stroking her back a little. “You feel like talking about it.” Silver asked. “I guess so” Snow said. "It was my fault it happened to me anyway." Snow whispered. “What happened?” Silver asked. “It was when I was 2 years old,  I  still had not mastered my element yet,  but when I had told on Sky and Vlad for trying to take out the elders of our clan, they said they would get back at me.  I never believed them though but then they followed me back home, attacked me and took me deep into the woods where they hangout.” Snow said.

(Flashback)

"Sky!" Snow said as Sky dragged her along a path. “Shut up!” Sky said. "Sky wait!'' Snow cried. "He said shut up!" Vlad said.  "Lift up your tail" Sky said. "But" Snow cried. "Hey you can make this easy or you can get crap beat out of you" Vlad said walking up to her.  “All right all right” Snow said lifting her tail very slowly. Sky who was losing his patience punched her in the face and got on top of her. "Sky get off me!" Get off!" Snow screamed knowing that Sky was going rape her. But Sky didn't care he liked hearing her scream. "Someone, anyone help me please!" Snow screamed as Sky forced her legs open. (Flashback Stopped)

Snow was crying now tears damping her fur. "So no one came?” Silver asked. "Yes, someone did come." Shadow said smirking. "Who?" Silver asked. "So that was you?" Snow said wiping her tears away.

(Flashback continued)

Shadow walked back home but hear some calling for help so he took off in that direction. When he got there he stopped so he could get the jump on whoever he was going to get. Meanwhile Snow was curled in a ball on the ground with tears going down her face after being violated by Sky. She thought she was going to die here. “Okay can we kill her now? You had your fun with her but we can’t have her talking about it can we?” Vlad asked. Someone please don't let them kill me.  I don't want to die. Snow thought. Vlad walked over to Snow who was still on the ground. "Hey guess what, its time to say good night." Vlad said putting his paws on Snow throat and squeezing. Snow was struggling to breathe. Sky who watching felt some heat and turned to see a fireball blast him. Vlad turned to see what just happened. "Didn't your mom teach you not to pick on females?" Shadow said walking out of the darkness. Sky who had recovered from the sneak attack got off the ground. "Oh so what are you, her big brother?" Vlad asked. “Nope just some random wolf looking for trouble" Shadow said. "Trouble eh?" Sky said "Then you picked the right wolves to mess with!" Vlad shouted as he charged at Shadow. Shadow calmly dodged Vald’s punch and poked him in the shoulder with his claw. Sky ran and did a sliding kick but Shadow jumped over him a landed beside Snow. "You aren't getting away that easily kid." Vlad said. "Who said I was?" Shadow said. Annoyed Sky shot ice shards at Shadow who made a fire shield blocking the shards. After the shield faded he looked and saw Sky has disappeared. “Aww man where did you go?” Shadow wined. “Right here loser.” Sky said as he punched Shadow in face. Shadow stood there unfazed by the attack. “Wow, your pretty weak ain’t ya?” Shadow said poking Sky in the shoulder. “What did you just say you punk.” Sky said as he punched again but Shadow blocked it. "I said your weak." Shadow said pushing Sky back a few feet.  “Come on Sky your going to let some adolescent kick you around.” Vlad said. "Yeah see this adolescent happens to be Raiko's brother." Shadow said. Both Sky and Vlad's eyes opened wide. "Wait that means he is the son of-" Vlad started. "Yes Takemaru." Shadow ended hold up one paw.  "Th- that's the  RUN!!! Vlad said. The two got up and ran as fast as they could from Shadow. "It doesn't matter how far you run you know!" Shadow said aloud for them to hear. He then closed his paw two seconds later you could hear an explosion and screams.   Sweet dreams. Shadow thought. He walked toward Snow who was still curled in a ball. "Hey are you-" Shadow started to say as he touched Snow.  "No leave me alone!" Snow shouted making spikes of ice stick out of her fur. "I'm not going to hurt you."  Shadow said backing up at seeing the spikes. I guess I can trust him. Snow thought as she retracted the spikes. "Come on I'll take you back home." Shadow said as she got on his back.  After taking Snow back to her clan Shadow left, but not before Snow asked him will they meet again.

(Flashback over)

Snow was nuzzling Shadow with tears in her eyes. “All this time I’ve been searching for that wolf that saved those years ago, that was my motivation. But he was here with me the whole time, thank you Shadow.” Snow said before licking his face. "Wow so you both knew each other before this started eh." Silver said sitting. "Yeah but its what happed after I left that stated this." Shadow said holding his necklace tightly.

(Flashback)

 Clouds covered the sky as Shadow finally made back to the clan but when he got there everyone was gone. There were signs of struggling and fighting but few bodies. The stench of Kadaj and Raiko was everywhere. Shadow found the rest of the clan in a cave with the elders. "Hmm looks they been having some fun." Shadow said to himself looking at a high cliff. When he got up there he saw Kadaj and a wolf with black fur with white under it holding a dead female by the neck. “You showed up.” The wolf said to him. “Wow Raiko you and Kadaj sure know how to throw a party. No food, didn’t leave us any water to drink, and the only female here just left this world.” Shadow said pacing. “Sorry if the party is not to your liking brother, I was just so eager to see you Kadaj and I could not concentrate on preparations for the bash.” Raiko said. “Yeah whatever, anyway its been a whole two years since we last meet. How about a kiss from your little brother? Or better yet how about a kiss from THIS!” Shadow said getting on his hind legs with his paw glowing orange red with fire, pointing at Raiko who was also on his hind legs.  “So this is what humans call a heartwarming family reunion eh?” Shadow asked as rain started to fall. “You got that right.” Raiko said  his claws with dark flames as rain started to fall harder.

 (Flashback stopped)

“WHOA, whoa wait a minute! You had another brother?” Snow asked in disbelief. “Yep and we never got along.” Shadow answered. “Any reason why?” Silver asked. “If your bro killed your best friend who was skilled in fighting, your mother who taught you how to fight, and father who taught you how to access your Lycan Trigger by showing you what you would lose by not gaining it just to test his own power you would be pissed at him too.  (Flashback continued)

Both Raiko and Shadow were tired but Shadow was tired more. Getting up on his hind legs once more and making a flame sword Shadow ran toward his brother. Shadow swung at him but Raiko dodged it, he tried to stab him and Raiko pushed it aside with his dark flame sword and spear kicked him. As a last resort Shadow swung at Raiko’s head while in the air but he blocked it too sending Shadow to the ground a few feet away. As a last resort Shadow sent a flurry of fireballs at Raiko but he easily knocked them out of the way and shot a large ball of dark energy at Shadow. Shadow lifted his flame sword as high as he could and swung down hard slicing the ball in two. "Why do you refuse to gain his power? The power our father Takemaru left behind?" Raiko asked. "Father?" Shadow said chuckling lightly. "With you two around I don't have a father." Shadow answered getting back on his hind legs again. "Then why did you come back then brother." Raiko said. "Easy I just hate you two that's all." Shadow said.

Neither of them moved only after a bolt of lighting that the two wolves pulsed toward each other, swung, and locking the two fire blades. They stated locked for two minutes until Raiko finally pushed up knocking Shadow's blade of his paws which dissolved. Shadow was too tired to move after his sword dissolved and Raiko seeing him defenseless drove his paw into Shadow's stomach. "Foolishness Shadow, foolishness!" Raiko said before driving his paw further into him. "Might controls everything, and without strength you cannot protect anyone." Raiko said as Shadow tried to get off but he drove his paw deep into him. "Not even yourself." Raiko whispered into his ear before pulling his paw out of him. Time slowed as Shadow fell back blood coming out of his wound. He tried to slash Raiko as he fell back but Raiko cut his paw with his claws. Even the rain seemed to fall as slow as he hit the ground defeated. Raiko looked at his brother all most lifeless body and walked away on all fours. "Well at least he can join mom