- You may be looking for an unrelated character with the same first name: Fade Shulabat
Fade is a teenage bandit and one of the loyal cousins of the young witch Chasing Midnight and her brother Chasing Moonlight in two of the short stories in the On The Long Run story arc: "Bone Eaters" and "Chasing Midnight: The Dark Lord as a Teen". Of the cousins, Fade proves to be the most dangerous, as he is proficient with a crossbow and shoots down several targets in the city of Rue.
On The Long Run short stories
"Bone Eaters"
- Main article: Bone Eaters
Fade is not identified by name in "Bone Eaters" but he appears at several points as one of the unnamed supporters of Chasing Moonlight.
Fade's clan – located someplace west of Rue in the northern continent – was wrecked by a series of misfortunes: "bad weather, pests, poor crops, [and] relentless tax collectors". This forced him, his twin cousins Chasing Midnight and Chasing Moonlight, another cousin (the leader of the gang, unnamed in the Annals), and 3 more male relatives (later identified as Chick, Haru, and Yuko) to become amateur bandits. All except the original leader of the gang are captured by the Black Company when they attempt to rob the Company's cleverly-disguised scout group. They are invited by Darling to join the New White Rose Rebellion.
As the Black Company and their sizable train of refugees from the Lady's Empire moves slowly eastward, Fade and the four male relatives are stuck digging ditches for latrines. Eventually they disappeared without any notice beforehand, leaving Chasing Midnight with the Company. Later, Moonlight secretly returns with Fade and the other cousins to ambush Rusty – a young, widely-hated Company man who had attempted to rape Midnight – at the latrines. Croaker interrupts the murder attempt, and the 5 teenagers are given amnesty by Darling who "overlooked their desertion completely" in return for extra duty. Moonlight receives the least desirable shifts as ringleader.
When the Black Company and the refugee band following them are forced to approach the Village of Hungry Ghosts, one of Fade's relatives Yuko is among the four people killed gruesomely by evil entities. Later, in the city of Rue, the entire clan including even Midnight unexpectedly deserts the Black Company. When the Company departs Rue, Rusty's gruesomely mutilated corpse is spotted: he had been recently murdered by Midnight, Moonlight, and the cousins.
"Chasing Midnight"
- Main article: Chasing Midnight: The Dark Lord as a Teen
"Chasing Midnight" details the activities of Midnight, Fade, and the other cousins in Rue after their departure from the protection of Darling and the Black Company, but before the Company itself leaves Rue.
Fade operates with more independence than Chick, who is typically at Midnight's side throughout her movements in Rue. With his crossbow, Fade situates himself on top of the Silent Owl tavern, and from this perch he shoots a violent thug they called "Monkey Butt" through the head. Fade's second shot injures another thug, enabling Midnight and Chick to escape.
Later, Fade, Midnight, Chick, and Haru struggle to keep Chasing Moonlight comfortable as he deteriorates mentally and physically. Their morale plummets as Moonlight's body begins to reek increasingly of death; he is apparently rotting while he is still alive. Fade returns with Midnight to his perch atop the Silent Owl, where he shoots down Black Shroud, the vile sorcerer who fatally injured Moonlight. During his escape this time, however, he is forced to leave the crossbow behind. When Midnight admits her responsibility for everything that has befallen them, she still insists that they stay in the miserable city. With dismay, Chick and Fade both realize that she truly just wants to find Black Shroud's valuable talisman called "the Shine".
| Chasing Midnight's clan |
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| Chasing Midnight • Chasing Moonlight • Chick • Fade • Haru • Yuko |