Shadow of the Night

     With a heavy sigh, Shadow glanced over once more at the Techo clock hanging on the wall of the shop. He hated running the store. It was only midday, and not a single customer had come in today. Not that Shadow really expected anyone to stop by. The shop was small and, as it was at that moment in time, very empty. Only a handful of items stocked the shelves, and they were beginning to gather dust. No one wanted a couple of stamps or a Nupie Petpet, or even leftover map pieces. If anything, Shadow's real responsibility was watching over the gallery.

     Lupana had decided a long time ago that she wanted to host a gallery of all Lupe related items. Even in their current financial state, she refused to give up the hobby and sell any of the items in her collection. The gallery itself took up more room than the shop, it was still a fairly small collection with plenty of time to grow and expand.

     Right now it held a few Plushies, food, Battledome items, and several books. Lupana had a long way to go before it was anywhere near completion, but it was nice to look at anyway. Shadow was sitting behind the counter reading an article about Jeran in the book of heroes reprint. There were quite a few entries about famous Lupes. Garon is one, who was the first to explore the Faerie Caves. Jeran of course, Meridell’s famous knight. Sabre-X of Tyrannia. Even Tormund, who went up against the Darkest Faerie. There’s also a brief mention of Lord Luparn, who defended Meridell from a giant Skeith once.

     All of these heroes, and here was Shadow. His life felt so dull in comparison. Sure he was protector of his family, but compared to these guys, what good were his own accomplishments?

     Sighing heavily, Shadow glanced down at his sleeping Doglefox. “Well, Daggle? What am I going to do now?”

     The sleepy Petpet gave him no reply, which was typical. It wasn’t like he expected one, anyway. Shadow sighed and turned back to the book, trying to focus on the words, but they all seemed to blur together. What was the point of reading about heroes when—

     A scream pierced the air outside. Shadow's head snapped up, his ears swiveling toward the sound. Daggle was instantly alert, a low growl rumbling in the Doglefox's throat.

     Another shout—this one cut short. Then the sound of running footsteps and something heavy hitting the ground. Shadow was already moving. He leapt over the counter, his paws barely making a sound on the shop floor as he rushed to the window. The street outside was dimly lit by flickering lampposts, casting long shadows across the cobblestones. Was it really so early yet? Now where was this noise?

     There—about halfway down the block—a small Blue Kacheek lay sprawled on the ground, groceries scattered around her. A burly figure in a dark cloak was rifling through her bag, shoving items into his own satchel.

     "Please!" the Kacheek cried, trying to get to her feet. "That's all the Neopoints I have! My family—"

     The thief shoved her back down roughly. "Shoulda thought of that before walking all alone, shouldn't ya?"

     Shadow's vision went red. His claws dug into the windowsill.

     He should... he should call the Defenders of Neopia. Or find a Chia officer. That was the right thing to do, wasn't it? The responsible thing? But by the time anyone arrived, the thief would be gone. And that Kacheek would have nothing. Shadow glanced back at Daggle, who was watching him intently with those intelligent dark eyes.

     "Stay here," Shadow commanded, his voice barely a whisper.

     Then he was out the door.

     Shadow's paws hit the cobblestones at a full sprint. The thief's head whipped around at the sound, eyes widening beneath his hood.

     "Hey!" Shadow shouted, his voice deeper and more commanding than he expected. "Drop the bag!"

     The thief didn't hesitate. He bolted. But Shadow was already gaining on him. His Lupe legs ate up the distance with powerful strides, his body moving on pure instinct. The thief cut left sharply, darting between two buildings, but Shadow followed without breaking pace. His night vision—something he'd never really appreciated before—made the dim alleyways as clear as day.

     The thief burst out onto a wider street near the Money Tree, where a handful of late-night shoppers and kind-hearted Neopians were still donating items. A green Uni looked up in surprise as the cloaked figure barrelled past, nearly knocking over a cloud Pteri who'd been placing a toy in the donation pile.

     "Out of the way!" the thief snarled, shoving past a startled Kau.

     "Watch it!" someone yelled.

     Shadow leapt over a dropped bag of items, his hunter scarf bandana streaming behind him. "Stop that thief!"

     But the gathered Neopians could only stare in shock as the Shadow Lupe blazed past them, a dark blur in the lamplight.

     The thief zigzagged through the scattered trees around the Money Tree, using them as obstacles. He grabbed a low-hanging branch and swung around, trying to break Shadow's line of sight. But Shadow's ears tracked every sound—the rustle of leaves, the heavy breathing, the jingle of stolen Neopoints in the bag.

     "You can't catch me, mutt!" the thief taunted, vaulting over a decorative fence.

     Shadow snarled—actually snarled—and followed. His powerful back legs launched him clear over the fence in a single bound. He'd never moved like this before, never pushed himself like this. It felt... incredible.

     They wove between the trees, the thief desperately trying to shake his pursuer. He grabbed a donation box and hurled it backward. Shadow dodged left without thinking, his body reacting before his mind could catch up.

     A small crowd was gathering now, pets pointing and shouting. An elderly Elephante called out encouragement. A young Usul covered her mouth in shock.

     "Someone stop him!" a voice cried.

     "The Lupe's got him!" another replied.

     The thief made a sharp turn, heading toward the darker paths that led away from the Money Tree and toward the edge of the Central plaza. His breathing was ragged now, laboured. Shadow was just getting started.

     The thief's mistake came when he veered left toward the narrower streets leading to the Neopian Bazaar. The path grew tighter, buildings closing in on either side. Shadow put on a burst of speed, cutting off the angle, herding the thief like a Kadoatie chasing Miamice.

     The thief skidded to a halt. Ahead, the path ended in a tall wooden fence blocking off a construction site. Behind him, Shadow advanced slowly, his chest heaving, eyes locked on his target.

     "End of the line," Shadow growled, surprised at how natural it felt to say.

     The thief spun around, his back to the fence. Up close, Shadow could see he was a large, Brown Grarrl, easily twice Shadow's size. His hood had fallen back, revealing a scarred face and cruel eyes.

     "You made a big mistake, pup," the Grarrl snarled, but Shadow could hear the fear underneath.

     Shadow crouched, ready to spring. He'd seen Jeran do this in illustrations—the powerful leap, the tackle, the—

     He pounced. But he'd telegraphed it. Wound up too obviously. The Grarrl saw it coming and sidestepped at the last second. Shadow's paws hit nothing but air, and he crashed hard into the fence with a yelp of pain.

     Stars exploded in his vision. His shoulder throbbed.

     The Grarrl laughed harshly and made a break for it, squeezing past Shadow. But in his haste, the strap of the stolen satchel caught on a loose nail protruding from the fence. The Grarrl yanked once, twice—then abandoned it with a curse and fled into the darkness.

     Shadow scrambled to his feet, shaking his head to clear it. He thought about giving chase, but his shoulder screamed in protest. The Grarrl was already gone, disappeared into the maze of back alleys.

     "Ugh," Shadow groaned, carefully working the satchel free from the nail. At least he'd gotten this.

     He limped back toward the main street, trying not to think about how badly he'd messed up that pounce. Some hero he was. Couldn't even take down one thief. The crowd near the Money Tree had dispersed somewhat, but a few curious onlookers remained, whispering to each other. Shadow ignored them and made his way back to where it had all started.

     The Blue Kacheek was still there, being helped to her feet by a kind Yellow Poogle. Her groceries were scattered across the cobblestones, a broken egg oozing near the curb.

     "Excuse me," Shadow said softly, approaching.

     The Kacheek turned, and her eyes went wide. "You—you're the one who—"

     "I got your bag back," Shadow said, holding out the satchel. "I'm sorry about the groceries."

     The Kacheek's eyes filled with tears as she took the bag, clutching it to her chest. "My Neopoints! Oh, thank goodness. Thank you so much! I—I don't know what to say. That was everything I had for this week's food and—" She stopped, looking at him more closely. "Are you hurt?"

     Shadow's shoulder throbbed, but he shook his head. "I'm fine. Just... be more careful walking alone at night, okay?"

     "I will. I promise." The Kacheek reached out and squeezed his paw. "You're a hero."

     Shadow felt his face grow hot under his dark fur. "I'm really not. I just... I couldn't just stand by."

     "That's exactly what a hero would say," the Poogle added with a warm smile.

     Shadow mumbled something that might have been "you're welcome" and quickly turned to head back to the shop. His shoulder hurt, he'd let the thief get away, and he'd probably left Daggle alone for too long—

     As he walked, Shadow didn't notice the figure perched on the roof of a nearby building. Cloaked in shadow, they watched his retreating form with interest, their eyes gleaming in the moonlight.

     The figure pulled out a small notebook and made a quick sketch, then jotted down a few words:

     Shadow Lupe. Natural instincts. Brave but untrained. Potential?

     Then, as silently as they had appeared, the watcher melted back into the darkness.

          *****

          The shop bell chimed softly as Shadow slipped back inside, closing the door behind him with a quiet click. His heart was still racing, adrenaline making his paws tremble slightly.

     Daggle was waiting right where Shadow had left him, but the Doglefox was pacing now, his black fur bristled with anxiety. The moment he saw Shadow, he let out a sharp bark of relief and bounded over, circling Shadow's legs and sniffing him frantically.

     "I'm okay, buddy," Shadow said softly, reaching down to scratch behind Daggle's ears. "I'm okay."

     But his shoulder disagreed. Now that the excitement was fading, the pain was settling in—a deep, throbbing ache that made him wince when he tried to roll it.

     Shadow limped behind the counter and carefully lowered himself to the floor, leaning back against the wall. Daggle immediately curled up against his side, warm and solid and comforting.

     For a long moment, Shadow just sat there, breathing.

     He'd done it. He'd actually done it.

     He'd seen someone in trouble and he'd helped. He'd chased down a criminal—a Grarrl twice his size—and recovered stolen property. Sure, the guy had gotten away, and yes, Shadow's take-down had been pathetic, but…

     The Kacheek had called him a hero.

     Shadow closed his eyes, replaying the moment in his mind. The way his body had moved without thinking. The wind in his fur. The absolute clarity of purpose as he'd pursued the thief. For those few minutes, he hadn't felt useless or uncertain or like he was missing something.

     He'd felt right.

     "I didn't even think about it," Shadow murmured to Daggle. "I just... ran. Like it was the most natural thing in the world."

     The Doglefox made a soft whuffing sound, as if to say, Of course you did.

     Shadow's paw drifted to his shoulder, probing gently. It was probably just bruised. Nothing a good night's rest wouldn't help. He'd be sore tomorrow at work, but he could play it off. Say he slipped or bumped into something.

     Should he tell them?

     The thought stopped him cold. Should he tell Lupana? Or Patch? Maya?

     He imagined the conversation. Hey, so I left the shop unguarded tonight to chase down a thief. No big deal. Just saved someone from getting robbed. Also, I might have bruised my shoulder slamming into a fence because I don't actually know how to fight.

     Lupana would panic. She'd probably forbid him from doing anything like that again. Patch would give him that concerned look, the one that said what were you thinking? Maya would worry. Kumar would think it was the coolest thing ever and want to "help" next time.

     And the truth was... Shadow didn't want to be told not to do it again.

     Because that feeling—that rush of purpose, of making a real difference—was exactly what he'd been missing. This was what he'd been searching for without even knowing it.

     He thought of the book still lying open on the counter above him. Jeran. Garon. Tormund. All those legendary Lupes.

     They hadn't asked permission. They'd seen wrongs that needed righting and they'd acted.

     Shadow opened his eyes, staring up at the ceiling of the shop. The gallery beyond was full of Lupe items—warriors, heroes, protectors. His whole life, he'd been reading about them, admiring them, wishing he could be like them.

     Tonight, for just a few minutes, he had been.

     "I was good at it," he whispered, almost afraid to say it out loud. "Daggle, I was actually good at it."

     The Doglefox lifted his head and looked at Shadow with those knowing dark eyes.

     "I mean, except for the part where I let him get away. And the part where I crashed into a fence. But the chase... tracking him... I didn't even have to think. My body just knew what to do."

     His Lupe instincts. His night vision. His speed and stamina. All those natural abilities he'd taken for granted his whole life—they'd meant something tonight. They'd made a difference.

     Shadow carefully pushed himself to his feet, wincing as his shoulder protested. He walked over to the counter and looked down at the Gallery of Heroes book. Then he glanced toward the window, where the dark streets of Neopia Central stretched out under the moonlight.

     Somewhere out there, that Grarrl was probably already planning his next theft. And there were others like him—criminals who preyed on the innocent, who thought they could get away with it because no one was watching.

     But Shadow had been watching tonight.

     He couldn’t wait to tell his family. Patch would be excited, as would Kumar. But his owner… that made him pause. She may just freak out. That would be good for nobody.

     "I won't tell them," Shadow decided, speaking to Daggle but really to himself. "Not yet. Not until I know what this... what this is."

     He closed the book and tucked it back onto the gallery shelf. Then he returned to his spot behind the counter, pulling Daggle into his lap.

     The shop was quiet. The streets outside were peaceful again. In a few hours, Maya and Lupana would return, and Shadow would go home, and everything would go back to normal.

     Except it wouldn't. Not really. Because Shadow had tasted something—something he couldn't quite name but desperately wanted more of. Purpose. Direction. The chance to be more than just the big brother who worked at a hot dog shop.

     The chance to be a hero.

     His shoulder throbbed, a reminder of his inexperience. He'd need to learn how to actually fight. How to take someone down properly. How to move better, think faster, be smarter. But he could learn. He would learn.

     Shadow looked down at Daggle, who had fallen back asleep in his lap, trusting and content.

     "Just you and me for now, buddy," Shadow murmured, stroking the Doglefox's soft black fur. "Our little secret."

     Outside, the sun rose higher in the sky, casting its light across Neopia Central. And somewhere in that light, hidden in shadow, someone smiled.

To be continued…