Welcome to another exciting episode of…

PIRO'S RANDOM SPUR OF THE MOMENT FAN FIC!

Yeah, it seems like I'm making lots of those lately…

This may be the first fic I ever take incredibly seriously. Lots…and I mean LOTS of angst in this one. So much it'll make you cry…well…maybe not cry, but feel sad for the main character.

WARNING! SPOILERS APLENTY!

On with da show!

Shadow ch. 1

Farewell my shadow, you who stand at the end of the path I chose not to follow...

It had been 5 weeks since Lloyd Irving and Colette Brunell had begun their new journey to collect all the expheres in the new world. Unfortunately for Lloyd, the sands of Triet dessert had become even broader, and more ferocious.

"Damn it, doesn't this sand ever let up?" Lloyd asked angrily to no one in particular. Triet dessert seemed to be working against them and putting up sand storms all the time they were there. "Colette, could you check the map? How much further is Triet?"

"Umm…" the small, former chosen checked the map of the new world, "about 10 more miles!" she yelled to Lloyd through the sound of the howling winds.

"Grrr…we have to set up camp for the night!" Lloyd yelled back, "If we don't we'll never get there in time."

Lloyd had some difficulty setting up the tent, and the 90 or so mile per hour winds weren't helping.

"Here, Lloyd, let me help," Colette's voice came, very muffled from behind her scarf. She went forward to help her companion, but, farther from making things better, she made them worse. She tripped, fell, and accidentally knocked the unmade tent out of Lloyd's hands, making it fly into the distance, enveloped by the sand.

"Oh no! I'm so sorry Lloyd!" Colette said in her usual demeanor of constant apologizing.

Lloyd just looked into the distance where the tent had flown off, and said, "No, it's fine. Let's keep moving."

After about 2 hours of walking, they found Triet. The sand storm had still not calmed. No one was out in the town square at the time of their arrival. The two could barely walk anymore, but found enough strength to walk to the door of the inn and go in.

"One room for just the night please," Lloyd gasped at the receptionist, handing over the proper amount of gald.

"Sand storm get ya?" the receptionist asked Lloyd, "Well, as long as you're here, you're safe. Have a nice night!"

"Thanks," Lloyd said to the receptionist.

They both walked upstairs, used the key to there room, and walked in. It looked just the same as it always did when Lloyd and his friends stopped there on their journey of regeneration. The comfy looking beds, the usual potted plant on a table.

"Lloyd," Colette began, but Lloyd stopped her.

"Listen, Colette, It's just a tent. As long as we get to Ossa Trail tomorrow, then we'll be fine. Then we can move on to Izoold so we can get a boat to Hiemdall (A.N. the worlds are united remember?) to ask the Elves if they have any Expheres."

Travel was not very easy for the two as Yuan made them both give back their Rhieards, and the EC was currently at the Elemental Research Facility. They had to make due with what they had, namely Noishe.

"Okay," Colette said in sort of a saddened tone as she undid the bag they had that housed their supplies. She counted all the Expheres within, "Twenty-nine, only about 300 more to go!" Collete informed Lloyd in a mock joyfull tone.

Lloyd laughed and sat on his bed. "Well, I'm gonna hit the sack, what about you?" he asked Collete. Colette said she would go to bead in a while. Lloyd smiled and said, "Okay, just don't stay up too late."

Lloyd then instantly fell into a deep sleep, some drool oozing from his mouth. Collete chuckled at her friend and left the room so Lloyd could slumber peacefully. The only reason she had stayed awake was because she wanted to see the Fortune-Teller about something. The small former Chosen walked out the door with her scarf over her mouth. The sandstorm had still not let up and it was hard enough to look five feet in front of her. Twice she almost fell into the small watering hole near the Fortune-Teller tent. She eventually made it to the tent and went straight up to the fortune teller.

"Something troubles you young maiden," the fortune teller said in a mistical voice, "A dream perhaps?"

Collete gasped. She knew the fortune teller was good but not THAT good. "Ummm...yeah. I've been having a dream for quite a while now. It always starts with the face of...an enemy coming straight at me, saying that my greatest friend would become like him eventually."

"Hmmm...I see. What does this enemy look like? Blonde hair, blue eyes?"

"Yes! How did you-?"

"And wings like an angel?"

Collete gasped again. How did she know?

The fortune teller laughed, "No need to be alarmed child. My inner eye can see all, but all of your deepest darkest secrets are kept away from me. Don't worry, the innere eye can not see that much," The Seer laughed again.

"It's not that," Collete began, "It's the fact that you were right. The enemy in my dreams does have wings of an angel. Yet he is not what bothers me. It is his message. My dearest friend was the one who defeated him, and I don't want Lloy-I mean my friend to be like that."

"You have nothing to worry about child," the Seer stated, "Dreams are often inderect messages. In your case, the message is that you are worried about your friend and worried of what he thinks of you. Don't worry, you are normal."

"Okay," Collete said pulling out her money bag.

"Oh no no no," the Seer told Collete, "This one is on the house child."

"Thanks!...And I'm sorry for bothering you in the middle of the night."

"No problem! Just remember, it's all in your head."

Collete walked out of the tent. The sand storm seemed to have calmed down. She walked slowly to the inn and walked upstairs, getting in her own bed.

I hope you'll be okay Lloyd...

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cool! I'm done! Well this chapter didn't have any angst, but the next few will have plenty! Now that school is out I can focus more on my fan fics. I hope I didn't go too OOC with Collete. Expect the next chapter next week or the week after. Till then,

PeAcE!