It's Raining
For so much time, she led him on. It was a fun game, at first. She didn't mean anything by it. She really didn't. She was just a girl, one who had no idea how the love game was played. And he, well, he was a weapon of mass destruction. She knew that, behind that tough exterior, lied a gentle soul. It was just so heavily guarded, by years of ware and tear. Deep down, she figured that she could unravel all of it, and bring him back to happiness. She thought she had that ability. In fact, she had the ability.
The key word being, had.
The orange echidna pulled her head up. She grumbled a bit, as her dainty hand found the back of her head. She rubbed it so, in order to make that feeling in the back of her head disappear. Arms stretching out, she let a nice long yawn take her, as she stretched her hands out toward the morning skies.
Bringing her eyes back down, she rubbed her blue orbs, so her blurry sight could readjust itself. Peering through the forest she lied in, she found an old battery-powered radio lying beside her. A brief tinkering with the device turned it on.
Good morning Radical City! The radio said, despite the fact that she was nowhere near Radical City, and was in fact on a floating island miles above the planet itself. She didn't stop the transmission, however, It's Thursday! The time is 9:56 AM! And this, is Z93 JAMZ, with your morning forecast! The echidna yawned a bit more, as she played with the blankets covering her body. Her feet brought her up a moment later, and she made her way to a tree next to her. On said tree, her various clothing. Yeah, Angel Island lacked certain necessities such as wardrobes, It seems that we're looking toward a very warm evening this April day, with rain clouds already popping up over the horizon. Get out your umbrellas people, this looks like it'll be a doozie!
It was only a mystery why the echidna's device worked for Radical City, and only Radical City. It was because he lived in Radical City. A certain black and red hedgehog, one that she couldn't stop thinking about, but would never actually talk about.
If it was going to be rainy this evening, she figured she'd get prepared. A tanned coat which would run past her waist, a blue skirt, just to look cute, especially for him, black stalkings, because socks got on her nerves, these brown bulky boots, so rain couldn't get in, a green shirt, and of course, this red scarf. She remembered when hebrought it for her. Last Winter, as a sort of early Christmas present. She remembered how stoic his face was, as usual, as he handed her the red clothe. She remembered his words.
It's cold out here, his voice called through the memory, You'll need this...
It was funny, really. She knew the true reasons behind his giving to her the scarf. Others may say it was just him being kind, but they should have known better. He was almost never kind, not to random people at least. Only to her, it seemed. Only to her.
Besides, she could remember the brief blush that came to his muzzle, the moment she touched the scarf, and how he tried to hide it by looking away. How the sight of it made her giggle. How she kissed him on the side of the cheek.
She waved her head to and fro, breaking her free of the emotion, though the smile on her lips remained. She and he, they weren't an item, despite the fact that she would like it if they were. They were just acquaintances now, friends. Nothing more, nothing less.
But not anymore. As she slipped on her individual clothing, putting on her boots last, she thought about this day. For today, would be theeday. She wasn't going to wait anymore. As animalistic and selfish as it was to say, she was going to get him today. She wasn't going to be alone anymore.
Things had been quite interesting since she first popped up out of the Master Emerald. It seemed that Chaos' freedom, during the whole Emerl business, led way to the tribal girl's appearance as well. She popped up one night, when Knuckles was on guard, much to his surprise. That surprise turned to excitement, when he learned he would no longer be the only echidna in the world. The two became family, cousins as they called each other. Tikal, recognizing the others, such as Sonic, Tails, Amy, and Big, quickly fit in with their 'Sonic Heroes'. Sure, she never went on adventures with them, the thought of fighting was just too much for her to take, but she still cared for them. And they cared back.
But time just passes on. The adventures eventually came to a slow. Sure, every now and then, that madman Eggman would attack, but it wasn't as often as before. People started to move on, as they should. Sonic still dashes around the planet, looking for things to do, but he almost always stops by Amy. Tails is still the little genius, but now he works for G.U.N., helping them with their newest designs and what not. Speaking of G.U.N., the certain spy bat, one that the orange echidna really couldn't stand, had retired by now. But why did she not enjoy the bat? For one specific reason. And no, it wasn't because she was trying to steal the Master Emerald, that had passed by now. No, it was because of this.
"Well looky here," her sultry voice called, "If it isn't little Miss Tikal..."
No matter how many times she heard that voice, it made the echidna shiver. The flirtatious manner of her speaking, thousands of years ago, such a woman wouldn't exist. But here, in this modern world, it was something the nubile princess hadn't yet gotten used to.
"Good morning, Rouge..." Tikal answered, turning skyward to the tree's canopies.
The bat cocked her head at the girl beneath her, this sexy and sultry smile coming to her lips. After a brief moment, she slipped off from the tree branch she lied perched on, and came to the ground. Gone were those clothes she usually wore, ya'know, the body suit and such. The short-sleeved shirt she wore now still showed off a bit of cleavage, and even had a great heart on it, while the jeans she had hugged every curve of her legs, waist, and butt. And of course, her high-heels. Such sexually charged looks were still so hard for Tikal to take in, for in comparison, the tribal girl had just about every inch of her body covered.
"What's with the coat, Princess?" Rouge asked, leaning forward, "You know, it's always hot on Angel Island..."
"I know..." Tikal answered, prodding her fingers, "I just heard Radical City was going to be rainy today, so I figured I'd get ready..."
The bat's smile grew looser, though it kept its sensuality. The smile made Tikal shiver, but not because of the smile itself. No, the gaze behind the smile, was what had the princess so on edge, so suddenly. The bat was so good at ready people, and she had already read Tikal a thousand times. This was just another ready, of an open book to the bat.
"Going to visit Shadow again, huh Princess?" the bat asked.
"No..." Tikal lied terribly, a blush running up her muzzle, "That's not why I'm going there..."
"Oh... Still in denial?" the bat asked as she swayed forward, "You know you shouldn't be. Just so you know, between us girls, Shadow really enjoys your company..."
"He does?" Tikal asked, almost too eagerly.
"Of course he does," Rouge answered, giggling seductively, "He won't admit it, but I've seen the way his eyes bright up whenever you're mentioned. And, just last night when I questioned him on it, he growled and got angry, and we all know that only means one thing with Shadow..."
"He's trying to hide something..." Tikal whispered, knowing the hedgehog all to well.
"Of course he is..." Rouge replied, "But..."
"But?" Tikal asked.
"I don't know, Tikal dear..." Rouge said, raising her shoulders, "Shadow's been a bit... distant, as of late..."
"He's always distant..." Tikal answered, figuring that Rouge was going to start playing with her head now.
"No, no, no," Rouge whispered, "A different kind of distant. As in, not showing up as often as he usually does. So, me being sneaky and all, I followed the brooding hedgehog, and you wouldn't believe what I found..."
"Wh-what...?" Tikal asked, so trance-like.
Her want to know made Rouge smile. She really was a mysterious woman.
"Blonde fur, blue eyes, and with a name Shadow would kill for..." Rouge wagged her finger right in Tikal's face, "Maria dear. Her name is Maria..."
Tikal had never met Maria, and she had never learned who she was, thanks to Shadow's dark nature. But she knew the name held a very special place in Shadow's heart, one that he let almost no one get into. A place he was much to angry, much to hurt to speak about.
It should have been nothing, really. So what, Shadow was seen with a blonde haired woman with blue eyes, whose name was Maria. That could mean anything. But it wasn't just anything, and she knew it. Rouge wouldn't tell her just anything.
And this was why Tikal couldn't stand the bat. She wasn't evil, nor was her intent malicious, but boy was her tactics dark. The echidna could never tell whose side the bat was on.
"Then again," Rouge continued pulling away with a shrug on her face, "It could mean nothing, and I'm just pulling your chain," she then smiled, "I'm going to bother Knuckles for a little while, see you later, Princess..."
"Yeah," Tikal answered, watching the bat sway away, "Bye Rouge..."
As soon as the bat disappeared, the echidna began to fret. What if this woman had gotten to Shadow first? What if the echidna had been to ginger in her antics, and kept playing with Shadow for too long? To say that wasn't the case would be a lie. That was exactly the case. She always knew she was messing with him a way she shouldn't have been, but she didn't mean too. She really didn't!
Oh, she prayed this wasn't the case. It was just Rouge's evil words, and her mind playing tricks on her. Shadow really wasn't seeing some other woman. He was just going to stay all cold and silent, just for her. And then he'll open up. For her, and only her.
Her racing heart calmed down thanks to the thought. Rouge was just being mean, not right. Besides, what did she know? She may have been Shadow's best friend, but that didn't mean she knew everything about him, right?
Right?
Exactly, she knew nothing. And that made Tikal happy. She started off for the edge of Angel Island. It wouldn't take her long to glide all the way to Radical City. Just a dash here, and twirl there, and she would be at the main light. Easy peasy.
…
No, not easy peasy, very annoying, in fact.
Somehow, through her trip, the nubile princess made her into the storm that was heading toward Radical City. To say the least, it drenched her. Upon arriving at Radical City, she found that the grey clouds had already arrived, but not the rain. That made her feel a little better, though in reality, she really wanted to change-up these clothes. The last thing she wanted to do, was go to Shadow all wet and dingy like this. It was so unbecoming of a princess such as herself. Boy did it irk her.
As she leaped down to the city streets, she found her eyes aiming over the roads. Everything was silent, which was really a surprise, because Radical City was almost always brimming with life. But not today, it seemed. All was silent, no cars on the roads, and no people on the sidewalks. It must have been a holiday or something.
But he was still here. Sitting on the steel chairs of his neighborhood coffee shop, one hand on the paper, the other on his white coffee mug. She watched as the waitress walked up, and asked for what he want. Ham and turkey sandwich, his morning combination. That's just how he was.
From across the street she waved at him, while at the same time, got ready to call his name. But things didn't end up that way. A car drove by, and must have hit the only puddle of water on the street sight. The car's wheel slammed the puddle of water, splashing its contents all over the princess.
Now, if this were in the past, the person driving that car would have been hung for disgracing the princess. Pachacamac's orders. But not in this day an age. The echidna race had been dead for thousands of years, so no one could care in the slightest if she were a princess or not. So, she was left even wetter, and dirtier than before. And it hurt her.
She started to grown, as she felt tears run down her face. She wasn't so easily shaken up by a string of bad luck, but this was important. She didn't want to run up to Shadow looking like a wet hobo. But if this continued, she'd be left doing that. She stepped away, the fear of being seen by the hedgehog too much to bear. When she gazed forward though, she saw the hedgehog was no longer at his usual spot in the café. She started to fret, as she walked backwards, before running up into something. Turning around, she saw his red eyes gazing back.
The black and red hedgehog didn't say or do anything, as he stared at her with his stoic visage. She started to shake and quiver in minor fear, as the man she had fallen for seemingly appeared out of nowhere behind her. She would have said something, but she just couldn't.
Then he smiled.
"What's wrong, Tikal," he said, his voice so low and cold, as always, "You look kind of wet..."
She knew it was one of his vain attempts at making a joke, and it was a very dry one, but she smiled and giggled nonetheless. It wasn't a piteous laugh either, it was genuine.
"Yeah," she answered, "I've had a bad morning..."
His hand reached forward, touching her wet tanned jacket. The sight of it made him groan, showing his unhappiness. It made Tikal's heart flutter briefly. He was mad that she was wet, and probably shivering.
"Here," he said, reaching forward with his hands, "Let me help you with that..."
"Where are we going?" she asked, grabbing his hand.
"To my place..." he whispered, making her lock up, "Unless you want to get a cold in all of that."
She really didn't want to get a cold, but the thought of going to Shadow's place was a daunting one. Wasn't this something saved for people who were an item, a couple? Or maybe she was just jumping to conclusions. Yeah, that's it, they weren't an item. Yet.
She nodded to his question, which gave him the permission to lead her on. The two walked down the streets of Radical City together, hand in hand. She felt so lucky, to be honest. This was something she wanted to happen for a while now. This moment felt so perfect, honestly. All she wanted to do, was tell Shadow how she felt, right now. It was easy, he was a smart man, he probably already figured out her feelings anyway. This was just something that had been long overdue.
But she didn't tell him her feelings. Just a little while longer, just until she didn't feel so wet. Then she would tell him her feelings. Then they could be together.
…
Shadow's apartment was really something.
She sat in the deepest most layer of her clothing, this muscle shirt. Fortunately, that and her panties hadn't been stained by the rain, so she didn't sit in Shadow's apartment completely naked. He had been a real gentlemen about things as well. He gave her space when she changed her clothing, instead seeking solace in the halls and rooms of his home, while she sat in his living room.
Speaking of which, the living room was nicely clean though books were laid everywhere. Just staring at the books made her feel so little and small. Shadow was probably super literate, and when he wasn't working, he was probably reading day in and day out. The sight of him, sitting near a fire-place, in a suit, reading his books, made her so giddy. Even in her mind, he was so cool.
"Your clothing is in the dryer..." the hedgehog called, as he neared his kitchen area, "It may take some time, so make yourself at home..."
He kept his back turned, as not to gaze upon her in such a half-naked manner. If he were any other man, she would have found the thought to be disgusting. But not with him. In fact, she was praying he would turn around, and gaze at her like this. Would he find her sexy, like so many men found Rouge? Or would he find it to be wrong? Would he not enjoy the sight at all? What if he was turned on by it? What if he wanted to make her his just then? Would she stop him? She wasn't strong enough, she knew that, so if he wanted her, he could have her. But would she want to stop him?
Boy, only Shadow could make her think this way.
But the time never came. He stood in the kitchen for a little while, drinking the cup of coffee he never got to finish because of her. Then, as soon as he appeared, he disappeared, right down the halls of his home. Tikal felt a bit disheartened by his gentlemen nature. The same thing that attracted her, was now making her angry. She really wanted him. Just a look, just one.
"Shadow..." she called, before clamping her hands on her mouth.
"What?" he answered from down a hall.
She wanted so desperately to say 'Nothing' but the words came out differently. Much differently, in fact. She instead said,
"Could you come here for a moment?"
No, that's not what she wanted. It seemed her inner desires one out though, for she said the words. She heard his footsteps rumble through the hallways, before his figure appeared in the hallway. His ruby eyes were trained on other objects in the room, obviously so he didn't have to look at her. She was happy, for a while. Then she reallywanted him to look at her.
"Shadow, are you okay?" she asked.
"What's wrong, Tikal?" he asked, his muzzle heating up red.
"I just wanted to talk..." she said, patting down the area next to her on the couch, "Could you sit by me, please?"
He grumbled briefly, a sound which could have been confused for a growl. She could tell he was getting him out of his comfort zone, and that's exactly what she wanted. They were friends, after all, so such zones shouldn't exist. Granted, she did want to be more than friends.
The hedgehog gazed to the spot of the couch beside her. In giddiness and excitement, she watched as he walked toward the piece of furniture, and sit himself down. Then she scooted herself close to him. She felt his body heat resonate off his person, as he twiddled his fingers unconsciously. Had he ever seen another woman in such loose clothing before? Maybe with Rouge, they had lived together for a short while, after all. Maybe it was a sight he was used too. But, if that were the case, he'd have no problem with staring at her like this. Maybe he just respected her to greatly to gaze at her in such away. To bad she didn't mind.
"What's wrong Shadow," she found herself teasing, "You seem so flustered..."
"I wonder why?" he asked sarcastically, his ruby eyes not moving over to her in the least bit.
"My... clothing?" she asked, before giggling, "Go ahead, look, I don't mind..."
Even though she was pretty much giving him permission to look, he stayed adamant in his position. To show this, he crossed his arms over one another, closed his eyes, and groaned. That little act made her a bit angry. She was trying so hard to get notice, what did he want? For her to strip completely? Instead of doing that, she started scooting her way a little bit closer. Now, her side laid on his side, as she sat so under dressed, and he sat in nothing but a jacket.
Very briefly, she gazed at him, only to see if he was looking. He wasn't, of course. It made Tikal feel bad. She was unintentionally, making things weirder between the two, as if things weren't bad enough between them. But she still thought. How farther could things go?
She grabbed Shadow's hand, breaking it from his crossed arms. He watched, as she held it in a touch so tender, and lied it on her bare leg. Boy did Shadow's hand on her leg send tingles through her spine. The touch served to remind her what she wanted to say, reminded her why she were here in the first place.
"I really enjoy your friendship, Shadow..." she whispered.
But that's not the words she meant to say. It should have been easy. She should have just told him the truth, and the two would be a happy couple. That's how Amy saw things, at least. But now, she instead said, friendship. Not the word she wanted to say, in fact, the opposite of what she wanted to say.
There was a sudden 'DING!' that echoed through the apartment. Shadow stood tall a moment later, his hands leaving hers.
"That was the dryer..." he said, coldly.
He left her person soon after, disappearing down the halls from which he came.
Tikal was left sitting there, doe eyed, as she watched that man walk away. And as soon as he vanished from her line of sight, she turned away and growled. She couldn't believe herself, and her failed attempt at flirting. It made her feel young, and stupid, and childish. She really began to hate herself because of it. That's not how one is supposed to come on to Shadow, he's a different man. He didn't want a woman who flaunted her body, he wanted a good girl, it seemed. But that's not what she did. She tried to get his eyes on her body, so he could see what he could have. And that just turned him away, she could obviously see it.
It made her growl.
…
The clouds over head started to grumble. Lightning began to surge, the two could see, and rain was going to start falling soon. Tikal gripped tightly on her now warm scarf, as the hedgehog beside her started to set up his umbrella. It was going to start raining soon, and he still had things to deal with. Not to mention Tikal.
He faced the girl, who was busy twiddling their fingers. They hadn't spoken much since their little moment on the couch, and honestly, the hedgehog wanted to keep it that way. He felt better in his silence. It made him happier.
"When do you plan on going back home?" he asked coldly, making her shutter and turn away.
"I don't know..." she whispered, "Soon I guess..." then she gazed back up and with a smile, "Unless... You don't have anyone to hang out with."
Her own words reminded her of Rouge's. She was stuck thinking about this mysterious blonde haired, blue-eyed hedgehog, and it made her smile. If this, Maria girl, existed, then wouldn't she have popped up by now? Surely, she would have. Over the past few hours she spent with Shadow, the echidna had yet to see or hear of this blonde girl. It made her smile. All she had to do now, was wait for Shadow's response.
To her surprise, he smiled, as the umbrella above them opened. Maybe he had forgiven her of her earlier transgression. Let bygones be bygones, after all.
Then something happened. She heard someone call him. A voice.
"SHADOW!"
In unison, their eyes moved over the streets. On the other side of the road, this blonde haired hedgehog. She waved happily toward the black and red hedgehog, her hand waving to and fro. This woman, with a purple scarf, a light blue undershirt, a bluish grey jacket, purple pants, and grey boots. This woman checked both sides of the road, before running over when the roads were clear.
"Shadow!" this woman called, her voice so angelic, "Good thing I caught up to you!"
"Maria," he answered, walking to her, "Maria, are you okay?"
Tikal's heart stopped. She couldn't believe she was seeing this. This was the exact woman Rouge described. Blonde haired, blue eyes, name was Maria. The echidna's hand started moving up to her chest, where she gripped the area where her heart was. Her head cocked to the side the next moment, where she found her mouth opening slowly.
"Oh, I'm sorry," Shadow suddenly said, turning to face Tikal, "Maria this is my friend, Tikal. Tikal, this is Maria..."
"Hi, Tikal!" Maria called, happily as well.
She walked up timidly, and shook the echidna princess' hand. But Tikal remained doe eyed, as she stared forth into this woman's blue eyes. Maria seemed to sense this emotional distress Tikal was going through, for the next words from her mouth were,
"Are you okay?"
That question interrupted Tikal's trance-like mind, and brought her back to reality. A reality she felt as if she could have prevented.
"Ummm... Yeah, I'm okay..." she answered.
"Good!" Maria said with a smile, before turning to face Shadow, "Are we still up for today?"
Her question brought a smile to the hedgehog's lips, an act Tikal believed only she could do. Maria actually got closer to the hedgehog, and wrapped her arm around his, an act that, once again, Tikal believed only she could do. When did this happen? When did she lose him?
"Tikal..." Shadow suddenly called, bringing hope to her, "Are you coming along?"
Coming along? As in, come with them, and not just him? She didn't know if she could do it. In fact, she couldn'tdo it. So she shook her head no.
"Sorry, Shadow," she stated, "I don't think I can..."
Very briefly, his face melted back into that indifferent visage of as always. But then, Maria said something that brought a smile to him.
"Okay, Tikal," he answered, "See you later then..."
The echidna watched, as the blonde hedgehog scooted even closer to the black and red hedgehog. They huddled together closer, and in such a loving manner. Then his feet started moving, and she started moving with him. They went further and further down the road, and Tikal felt water drive down her face.
She first thought it was rain, but it wasn't. It was a tear. And more of those tears came. It rained harder a few moments later, the clouds bursting out. Her feet started moving forward a few moments later, but not toward them. She started off the other way.
…
She landed on the forests with a dainty step. Funny, over here, the sun was out high, when down there, the clouds were horrendous. She hated this. She hated the world, the weather, the land, herself. She wished she never woke up from that blasted Master Emerald one day, with no explanation at all.
Why did she start liking him? And why did it take her so long to come to terms with these feelings? If she had just said something before, said anything, then this wouldn't have happened. She would have Shadow, she would be cradled in his arms, right now. Not some blonde girl she's never met before.
What did she call it before? A game? That's how she was treating this all. Like a game. But it was no game, not anymore. Games were fun, this was not fun. It was fun before, when she would lead him on, when she tried to unravel that broken object he called a heart. But now, now it wasn't fun. Now it was real, and she hated it.
She huddled down under one of the many trees of Angel Island, and cradled herself. She was hoping for something, anything, wishing for anything. Praying for whatever would come. Just so the pain would go away, just so it could all end.
But she didn't know how it would end. She really didn't.
…
"Tikal..." he whispered unconsciously.
"What was that?" Maria answered.
They were walking through the park, his hand still holding the umbrella, and also holding onto Maria. The blonde haired hedgehog gazed up to him in concern, while he gazed back with that indifferent face of his.
"Shadow..." she whispered, "Are you okay?"
"Yeah..." he said, gazing away, "I was just thinking about someone..."
"Who?" the blonde one asked.
"Tikal..." he stoically replied.
"You mean, that echidna from earlier?"
"Yeah... She's a friend of mine but... she was acting weird this morning..."
"Why's that?" Maria inquired.
"I'm not sure..." he whispered gazing at her, "She just... was..." he breathed in deeply, "I don't know, Tikal's always been so... down to earth, dare I say..."
He rubbed his ear, making it curl briefly. As he did so, his mind was rushing with images of Tikal, and how strange she was. But, more specifically, the words she said earlier.
I really enjoy your friendship, Shadow.
Yeah, those were the words. It made him feel sad, though he knew not now. At least Maria was here though. At least Maria. His Maria.
"Shadow... are you okay?" she asked, gazing up to him.
"Yeah..." he responded, gazing into her blue eyes, "I'm fine..."
Maria smiled. He smiled. They kissed then.
…
The game of love is a fickle thing. People get lucky, some, not so. No one can play it well, for it's a game without rules, and only emotions. And no one, can play emotions. Trying to understand how the game is played can only set one up for failure, as it is a game that cannot be understood. When people play love, they play themselves, and when people play themselves, they lose. There is no victory, there is only loss, for love has a set time. And the worst part about time, is how one uses it.
For if one squanders time, then that which may once have sat there, is no longer there. And love, which may have once been there, will be gone.
But such is the way, of this game of love, I suppose.
And scene!
Whew, now what is this? A one-shot? By me? Strange, isn't it?
Seriously though, I wasn't even going to release this at all. This was just a story, a gift if you will, to my fan Kurine. You see, Kurine, had a picture on her dA account Toomou called, It's Raining. Since she was so kind as to make fan art for my Shadow x Tikal story Tribal Dance, I thought I'd repay the favor. So, here we are! I would so put a link to her art, but I can't because this website doesn't allow it so, Google is your friend.
I really don't have much to say in terms of story, other than my thoughts. As you can tell, this is some sad stuff. That's the feeling I got from her art, so that's the feeling I placed in the story. Writing it, I sort of reminded myself of Shadows of Maria, but that's a different story.
Honestly, as I said earlier, I wasn't going to post this here, since it was a gift and all. But after the picture she drew depicted this story, I saw that reviewers of said picture wanted to read this. So, for those who wanted to read what Toomou was going on about, here ya go. You're welcome.
And, oh yeah, this isn't a sequel to Tribal Dance. I repeat, this is not a sequel to Tribal Dance. It's just a random one-shot, okay? Just so you all know that.
Writing this actually gives me an idea. How do you guys feel about commisions? For me, I don't know. Whatever the case may be, I have to go finish Maria Robotnik: Agent of GUN. That story will be finished, or my name isn't,
Maverick Kay Prime!