HOME | DD

Description
Dark Delani, Shadow Sword, and Shadow Max stood, or in the latter's case, floated at the entrance of the dark forest covering half the west side of Dark Altemis. Shadow Max's ball happily bounced around the three.

"This place is supposed to be haunted with a swarm of angry spirits," Dark Delani said in the darkest voice he could manage, "I've heard stories about people going in there and never coming out..." He let out a nasty chuckle.

"Yeah. Stories," said Shadow Sword, squishing a passing spider into the dirt. He patted Dark Delani on the head, "G'luck with that, kid." And turned to leave.

"Whaaaaaat, are you SCARED?"

Shadow Sword sighed, "Well... it's not like I want t' even take de' chance," he said, "I don' gotta go in 'dere, right?"

"Awww, C'MON!"

"Whut? Are you scared?"

Dark Delani pouted and made his way along the path into the darkness, stopping momentarily to stare at the sign saying "KEEP OUT" in big red letters.

Paint. It was paint. It had to be.

Shadow Max and his ball cheerfully floated after, the little boy humming a happy tune to himself.

"Have fun gettin' killed!"

~~~

"Please, this place isn't scary. Just dark," Dark Delani muttered to himself, "How long have we been walking? Jeez..."

Shadow Max floated ahead, around and around in lazy circles, his ball bouncing through the air, both silent and calm, "Dunno," the little boy answered.

Dark Delani looked up, "You can't even see the sky," he said, "I wonder if it's late..."

The deathly silence continued.

"Shadow Max?" Dark Delani said in a whisper, afraid to break the silence.

"Yup?" Shadow Max replied loudly.

"You used to live in this place, huh?" said Dark Delani, "How'd you end up in here? I mean... didn't you ever have a home?"

Shadow Max twirled around in the air again, and an echoey cackle seemed to emanate from the air, "Maxy had a home once," he said, "A long time ago."

"What happened?"

Shadow Max stopped twirling, "The forest is haunted, and the ghosts don't like people coming in," he said, "So they make them belong, by turning them into ghosts."

"...by killing them?"

Shadow Max didn't answer, but continued his story, "Mommy came in once looking for the cat that ran off, but she didn't come back," he said, "So daddy and big brother went looking for her."

Dark Delani blinked, "You mean they...?"

"Maxy wanted to know where everyone was going, so he came in here with his puppy to keep him safe..."

At that, the ball bounced up into the air and twirled around Shadow Max.

"...Did you... find them?"

"Maxy got lost, so he waited, and they came," Shadow Max continued, "Maxy thinks they were mad. They'd all been turned into ghosts and Maxy doesn't think they liked it. Or maybe they just thought it was unfair that Maxy was the only one not a ghost..." He continued twirling with silent, ghostly movements, "Maxy thinks maybe they missed him and Puppers, that they wanted all of us to be... together again... So Maxy ended up staying here..."

Another silence followed, Shadow Max obviously done his story.

Dark Delani stared at the little floating boy with wide eyes. Then he looked down at his feet. Then watched Shadow Max twirling again, then finally spoke up, "Shadow Max..." he said quietly, "...A-Are you a ghost?"

Shadow Max stopped and turned to face Dark Delani, a huge smile spread across his face. They stared at each other for a few moments, then Shadow Max silently gave a tiny nod. Not a second after though, an almost demonic smile and eyes to match flashed across Shadow Max's face and he shot toward Dark Delani, grabbing his hand and rushing down the path.

They ran smoothly and silently, at an unnatural speed, as if a supernatural force was pulling them along. Dark Delani, still in slight shock, barely managed to hold on and keep up, tripping over himself constantly as he was dragged along. He looked all around; down to his feet, up to the sky, and behind him.

And when he looked behind, it looked as if something; something huge and dark, was swiftly following behind them. He let out a yelp and looked back to Shadow Max, yelling "MAX, WHAT ARE WE RUNNING FROM?!"

Shadow Max, still flying ahead dragging him, looked back, with that same demonic face. He was different now, pure white and nearly transparent. A freaky glow surrounded his body and his bright red eyes, "THE FOREST, SILLY!" he answered.

Dark Delani gasped and tripped over himself again, seeing the ghost that had taken the little Mirror Worlder's place,. Before he could react, a tiny ghost dog ran up beside him and barked. Finally, he let go of Shadow Max's hand, tripping again and falling over onto his face. He looked up just in time to see the white glowing figures disappear into the darkness.

He panted, out of breath and still in shock. His eyes still huge and chest still heaving, he pushed himself up off the ground and looked all around him. All was silent and still. He turned around a couple times, trying to figure where he'd come from and where he needed to go.

Finally, he saw a tiny light. Without thinking, he immediately shot after it, not feeling so cocky and brave stuck all alone in the middle of this forest.

As he got closer, he noticed it start to take a shape, then he reached it and stood face to face with the tiny floating ghost dog. The dog barked at him and panted, then he felt a hand rest on his shoulder, making him jump and gasp loudly.

He spun around, Shadow Max, still looking ghostly with a wide, red grin floated there. He tilted his head and held out his hand, "Maxy has to get you out of here," he said, "The ghosts are mad."

Dark Delani just stared at him, his hand slightly raised and shaking madly. Suddenly, there was a loud moaning from afar, and a strong gust of wind blew threw the trees.

Shadow Max's smile turned into a grisly frown and his eyes narrowed in anger. Then he yelled in a ghostly voice, "GET OUT! NOW!!" He grabbed Dark Delani's hand and flew off again, the wind and moaning following them as they ran.

It was over as soon as it had started. Dark Delani found himself back at the entrance of the forest, running all on his own, his hand clenched around nothing, and the sky bright and sunny, contrasting the night in the forest.

After running a few feet, he stopped suddenly, stumbling a bit, then spun around to stare at the forest, chest heaving, "Shadow Max?"

He stared at the shadows, expecting the little ghost to come flying out, but after ten minutes of waiting, no one came.

Dark Delani swallowed hard, scratching his head and arms nervously, then turned to leave. Just as he'd turned around though, he found himself standing directly in front of Shadow Max, smiling happily and back to his old self. The ball bounced around them again.

Shadow Max tilted his head, "Should we... go home now?" he asked.

Dark Delani nodded frantically.

The forest moaned one last time as they walked away.

So, you all learned something new about Shadow Max. He doesn't just look like a ghost.

Watch me colour this! [link]

Shadow Max, Dark Delani, Puppers (c) ~D00pliss385
The name "Puppers" inspired by ~Shikamaru--Nara000

Description
Dark Delani, Shadow Sword, and Shadow Max stood, or in the latter's case, floated at the entrance of the dark forest covering half the west side of Dark Altemis. Shadow Max's ball happily bounced around the three.

"This place is supposed to be haunted with a swarm of angry spirits," Dark Delani said in the darkest voice he could manage, "I've heard stories about people going in there and never coming out..." He let out a nasty chuckle.

"Yeah. Stories," said Shadow Sword, squishing a passing spider into the dirt. He patted Dark Delani on the head, "G'luck with that, kid." And turned to leave.

"Whaaaaaat, are you SCARED?"

Shadow Sword sighed, "Well... it's not like I want t' even take de' chance," he said, "I don' gotta go in 'dere, right?"

"Awww, C'MON!"

"Whut? Are you scared?"

Dark Delani pouted and made his way along the path into the darkness, stopping momentarily to stare at the sign saying "KEEP OUT" in big red letters.

Paint. It was paint. It had to be.

Shadow Max and his ball cheerfully floated after, the little boy humming a happy tune to himself.

"Have fun gettin' killed!"

~~~

"Please, this place isn't scary. Just dark," Dark Delani muttered to himself, "How long have we been walking? Jeez..."

Shadow Max floated ahead, around and around in lazy circles, his ball bouncing through the air, both silent and calm, "Dunno," the little boy answered.

Dark Delani looked up, "You can't even see the sky," he said, "I wonder if it's late..."

The deathly silence continued.

"Shadow Max?" Dark Delani said in a whisper, afraid to break the silence.

"Yup?" Shadow Max replied loudly.

"You used to live in this place, huh?" said Dark Delani, "How'd you end up in here? I mean... didn't you ever have a home?"

Shadow Max twirled around in the air again, and an echoey cackle seemed to emanate from the air, "Maxy had a home once," he said, "A long time ago."

"What happened?"

Shadow Max stopped twirling, "The forest is haunted, and the ghosts don't like people coming in," he said, "So they make them belong, by turning them into ghosts."

"...by killing them?"

Shadow Max didn't answer, but continued his story, "Mommy came in once looking for the cat that ran off, but she didn't come back," he said, "So daddy and big brother went looking for her."

Dark Delani blinked, "You mean they...?"

"Maxy wanted to know where everyone was going, so he came in here with his puppy to keep him safe..."

At that, the ball bounced up into the air and twirled around Shadow Max.

"...Did you... find them?"

"Maxy got lost, so he waited, and they came," Shadow Max continued, "Maxy thinks they were mad. They'd all been turned into ghosts and Maxy doesn't think they liked it. Or maybe they just thought it was unfair that Maxy was the only one not a ghost..." He continued twirling with silent, ghostly movements, "Maxy thinks maybe they missed him and Puppers, that they wanted all of us to be... together again... So Maxy ended up staying here..."

Another silence followed, Shadow Max obviously done his story.

Dark Delani stared at the little floating boy with wide eyes. Then he looked down at his feet. Then watched Shadow Max twirling again, then finally spoke up, "Shadow Max..." he said quietly, "...A-Are you a ghost?"

Shadow Max stopped and turned to face Dark Delani, a huge smile spread across his face. They stared at each other for a few moments, then Shadow Max silently gave a tiny nod. Not a second after though, an almost demonic smile and eyes to match flashed across Shadow Max's face and he shot toward Dark Delani, grabbing his hand and rushing down the path.

They ran smoothly and silently, at an unnatural speed, as if a supernatural force was pulling them along. Dark Delani, still in slight shock, barely managed to hold on and keep up, tripping over himself constantly as he was dragged along. He looked all around; down to his feet, up to the sky, and behind him.

And when he looked behind, it looked as if something; something huge and dark, was swiftly following behind them. He let out a yelp and looked back to Shadow Max, yelling "MAX, WHAT ARE WE RUNNING FROM?!"

Shadow Max, still flying ahead dragging him, looked back, with that same demonic face. He was different now, pure white and nearly transparent. A freaky glow surrounded his body and his bright red eyes, "THE FOREST, SILLY!" he answered.

Dark Delani gasped and tripped over himself again, seeing the ghost that had taken the little Mirror Worlder's place,. Before he could react, a tiny ghost dog ran up beside him and barked. Finally, he let go of Shadow Max's hand, tripping again and falling over onto his face. He looked up just in time to see the white glowing figures disappear into the darkness.

He panted, out of breath and still in shock. His eyes still huge and chest still heaving, he pushed himself up off the ground and looked all around him. All was silent and still. He turned around a couple times, trying to figure where he'd come from and where he needed to go.

Finally, he saw a tiny light. Without thinking, he immediately shot after it, not feeling so cocky and brave stuck all alone in the middle of this forest.

As he got closer, he noticed it start to take a shape, then he reached it and stood face to face with the tiny floating ghost dog. The dog barked at him and panted, then he felt a hand rest on his shoulder, making him jump and gasp loudly.

He spun around, Shadow Max, still looking ghostly with a wide, red grin floated there. He tilted his head and held out his hand, "Maxy has to get you out of here," he said, "The ghosts are mad."

Dark Delani just stared at him, his hand slightly raised and shaking madly. Suddenly, there was a loud moaning from afar, and a strong gust of wind blew threw the trees.

Shadow Max's smile turned into a grisly frown and his eyes narrowed in anger. Then he yelled in a ghostly voice, "GET OUT! NOW!!" He grabbed Dark Delani's hand and flew off again, the wind and moaning following them as they ran.

It was over as soon as it had started. Dark Delani found himself back at the entrance of the forest, running all on his own, his hand clenched around nothing, and the sky bright and sunny, contrasting the night in the forest.

After running a few feet, he stopped suddenly, stumbling a bit, then spun around to stare at the forest, chest heaving, "Shadow Max?"

He stared at the shadows, expecting the little ghost to come flying out, but after ten minutes of waiting, no one came.

Dark Delani swallowed hard, scratching his head and arms nervously, then turned to leave. Just as he'd turned around though, he found himself standing directly in front of Shadow Max, smiling happily and back to his old self. The ball bounced around them again.

Shadow Max tilted his head, "Should we... go home now?" he asked.

Dark Delani nodded frantically.

The forest moaned one last time as they walked away.

So, you all learned something new about Shadow Max. He doesn't just look like a ghost.

Watch me colour this! [link]

Shadow Max, Dark Delani, Puppers (c) ~D00pliss385
The name "Puppers" inspired by ~Shikamaru--Nara000