Welcome to Gaia! ::

Corbin ran a hand through his greying red hair as he looked around. He was again on the road but this time with purpose. He was coming to check up on a 'friend' and make sure she was safe. It had been some time since he had saved her from Team Rocket and he wanted to make sure they weren't trying for her again.

Reaching the Howling Woods he paused. He hadn't seen anyone and he hadn't seen any sign of her being around. "Melpomene? Are you here?" He called out quietly. Naturally he didn't receive a reply. He sighed and walked into the woods.

Corbin walked in further keeping a sharp eye out. He still saw no signs of her. "Melpomene?" He called out, this time a little louder. He saw a branch move out of the corner of his eye and whipped his head around to look at it. Nothing was there. A frown grew upon his face. Just because something wasn't there didn't mean that Melpomene wasn't. She could hide in the shadows and this place was full of them. "Come on Melpomene. You know you don't have to hide from me." He called out.

Walking again he made a point of checking out the shadows for unnatural movement. He paused when a twig broke. He almost expected to see Melpomene but instead a Rattata ran out and paused to look at him. It scurried away leaving Corbin alone again.

While Corbin continue to search for her, Melpomene was busy watching the intruders. Normally she would leave the area when a human appeared but she had grown to like the Howling Woods and didn't want to leave just yet. So now she was watching them closely to make sure they weren't dangerous or after her.

Seeing them flush out a frightened Rattata and, what she assumed to be, prepare for battle was more than she could handle. She sent out a blast of cold, repulsive air to make them stop. The Rattata ran off when it was hit with the wind. She nodded to herself and remained hidden in the shadows.

Corbin looked in the direction the Rattata went in and frown. He suddenly shivered and had a bad feeling. Last time that happened was when Melpomene was attacking Team Rocket. His heart dropped and he began to run towards where the Rattata had disappeared. He was afraid that Team Rocket was back and that Melpomene was in danger.

It didn't take long for him to burst out of the bushes and from behind the trees. He stopped in a fighting pose and took in the area. His expression became one of confusion as he took in a young girl with a couple of strange bug pokemon, not a bunch of Team Rocket grunts. "Uh..."

Corbin relaxed a little and put his fists down. "Hi...." He said looking utterly confused. He opened his mouth a couple of times to speak but each time he closed it. Finally he heaved a great sigh and just hung his head. "Great. Just great. Trying to jump little kids now. Seeing TR everywhere I turn. Maybe I do need a vacation." He muttered to himself while rubbing a hand on the back of his head.

"Uh.. Look sorry about just jumping out at you like that. I thought there was a pokemon being attacked when I felt that odd wind." He said speaking to Lenore now, "You uh.... um... haven't seen any odd pokemon have you?" It was then that he actually noticed Urabrask and Sheoldred. They certainly counted as odd pokemon with those blood markings on them. "Um... besides your own?"

Melpomene shifted in the shadows when Corbin came running onto the scene. Her interest perked because she recognized him as the man who had helped her and didn't try to catch her. She quickly darted from shadow to shadow, making a bush rustle, before reaching his shadow. She settled into the man's shadow wondering why he was here. Was she in danger? Was this human female and her two bloody bugs a danger to her.

The only way she could find out would be to reveal herself and send them all to sleep. Unlike other Darkrai that could speak telepathically to humans she could not. Instead she had to get the human she wished to speak to asleep and enter their dreams to converse with them. Not that she spoke often or at all. She preferred silence now after everything that had happened to her and didn't like making others sleep since most often than not she'd give them nightmares.

Corbin nodded while looking slightly down at hearing Lenore's reply. "Okay. Thanks anyways." He replied. He turned to go back to his search and stopped when he saw his shadow. It seemed longer than it should be and it didn't move as he raised a hand. Hm... that was interesting. He didn't really want to involve another person but he wanted to make sure he wasn't seeing things.

"Excuse me. Hate to bother you... but are you seeing this too?" He asked turning his head to look at Lenore. He then turned back and raised his left arm. Again his shadow didn't move.

With Melpomene in Corbin's shadow she was making it so it wasn't moving. She was focused on Sheoldred and Urabrask so she didn't notice him moving his arms and watching his shadow.

Corbin nodded when she said she saw it. "I think I know why. I had something similar happen earlier in the year. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't seeing things." He said with a sigh, "Melpomene. You really need to pay attention when hiding in shadows. And I think it's okay to come out. She doesn't look like she's with them." He then poked his shadow with his foot and stepped back.

Melpomene heard her name being called and looked back to Corbin. She avoided the foot poke and slowly she rose from the shadow. Unlike others of her kind she was sliver with dark red. She floated above the shadow she emerged from and looked at everyone. She gave a quick nod to Corbin and then looked at Lenore and her pokemon.

Corbin looked at Lenore when she asked him a question. "Um.... good question. I know Melpomene can but she's the first Darkrai I've ever encountered. I would think they all can do it." He said. He looked over to Mel. "Can all Darkrai do the shadow thing, or is it just you?"

Melpomene looked at Corbin and shrugged. She didn't know. She's always been able to do it. She floated over to Lenore checking her out before going over to Urabrask. She looked him over wondering if his blood markings appeared one day like her own did.

"Original Sin project?" Corbin asked looking confused, "I don't think so. I don't know much about her. I saved her from Team Rocket earlier on in the year and after that we went our separate ways. Well after we had a 'talk'." He looked over at Melpomene and then back to Lenore. "If you want you can ask her yourself. She is able to talk to humans through a certain way." He said, "Right Melpomene?"

Melpomene continued to look over Urabrask. It was true they had similar markings. But they were different from each other. She looked up at Corbin and gave a nod. She floated away from Urabrask and over to Corbin. She stopped some distance from him and floated there. She raised her arms and a silver and red orb appeared. She then flung it at Corbin and then caught him as he fell, fast asleep. She gently laid him on the ground and turned to Lenore. Another orb appeared in her hands but she waited for permission to use the Dark Void attack to put her asleep.