More Quills More Mischief
By Kellie Fay
April first draws near, and Shadow decides a trip might help him avoid the inevitable prank Sonic has planned for him. Does he succeed? Read on!
Sonic, Shadow and Co. Belong to SEGA. My creativity demons require I borrow them from time to time.
Kudos to WritersWithinUs who inspired me along with his incarnation of Shadow with "Shadow's Rant" I probably would have put this in one of my epics otherwise.
A snapping of a twig in the silent forest alerted Shadow to his visitor. Instantly the black and red hedgehog spun around a chaos spear forming in his hand. Behind him simply stood Rouge looking at Shadow and the hastily formed chaos spear puzzled. Embarrassed, Shadow let the energies dissipate.
"Hello to you too, Rouge teased with a sly grin. Gently she asked, "so what's going on that's got the Ultimate Life Form nervy and paranoid?"
Shadow, annoyed that Rouge interrupted his foraging, considered telling Rouge that he was not nervy and paranoid, but he knew she wouldn't believe him, and in truth he did feel nervy and paranoid, and he knew the reason too.
"Tomorrow is April first." Shadow muttered quietly still embarrassed that he jumped at nothing.
Rouge chuckled at the statement. "And you don't think that Sonic forgot about last year?" Rouge asked.
Last year Shadow helped Tails pull off a classic prank. In fact most of their circle of friends, long suffering targets of Sonic and his pranks, conspired together to drive the hyperactive hedgehog crazy. Sonic warned him then that if the all serious Shadow could unbend enough to play an April Fool's day prank on him then Sonic could prank him the next year.
Shadow welcomed the challenge. Living on Sonic's world was peaceful if not a bit boring, except for Doctor Eggman, but now that April first drew near, with no signs of plotting from Sonic, Shadow wondered what his blue reflection could be planning.
"Sonic has not forgotten," Shadow insisted. "He mentioned it just a few weeks ago. He has something in mind, and I am uncertain how to proceed. "
"Hmmm," Rouge hummed thoughtfully. "Well, you could always psych Sonic out by not being around tomorrow."
That did sound like an idea, but Shadow hated the idea of hiding out. "Where would I go?" He asked.
Rouge smiled mischievously. "How about Center City? I'll come with you. It's been a while since I visited there. We'll have a good time."
Shadow frowned at the thought. What Rouge thought was a good time didn't always coincide with Shadow's idea of amusement. Still traveling all the way to Center City would keep Sonic from pranking him. "Very well," Shadow said after some thought. "I shall meet you at sunrise tomorrow, and we shall spend the day at Center City."
Rouge smiled in anticipation. "Sunrise it is."
Why in two worlds did I think this was a good idea? Shadow thought plopping down onto the bench letting the results from Rouge's shopping expedition fall to the floor around him. He looked over at Rouge in a woman's lingerie store looking at items that made Shadow extremely uncomfortable. Feeling eyes staring at him he glared at the other two males sharing the bench. One, a beaver dressed in a blue vest, and the other a bright orange three tailed Kitsune wearing red and white striped pants with a small opening for his three tails to fan out behind him. The kitsune looked down at Shadow his expression friendlier than other multi tailed foxes. Both he and the beaver looked at Shadow puzzled. Shadow couldn't imagine why. He simply glared at them until the beaver broke eye contact, and got up leaving the bench to him and the kitsune who simply chuckled, and shook his head smiling.
"Hey don't get your quills in a bunch dude; I was just trying to remember what my friends said your name was." The kitsune said in a friendly voice. "You're not Sonic; you're that other hedgehog that protected him at the last challenge in Crystal City"
Still annoyed, and not trusting any kitsune, Shadow glared at him. "What of it?" He asked with a hint of a growl in his voice.
The fox threw both his hands and his tails in the air. "Not a thing!" He insisted. "Just glad you're keeping Old Blue's spiked hide in one piece. Somebody needs to. The Princess needs him. There are reasons I don't live in Crystal City."
Intrigued Shadow allowed the puzzle to distract him from his own problem. "Oh?" Shadow let the curiosity slip into his voice. "May I know the reasons y-"
"Hikaru what have I told you about talking to common creatures!" An older female voice interrupted them. Before the male stood a vixen dressed in a blue satin dress. She also possessed three tails which snapped about in her annoyance.
The male didn't seem too concerned with his companion's attitude though. "Okay okay just let me finish," he said rolling his eyes. He then leaned over, and whispered in Shadow's ear, "that is one sweet little flying vixen that came with you buddy. If you need a love spell just let me know."
"Hikaru!" his companion called again.
The Kitsune straightened up, and saluted Shadow before he followed his companion blending into the crowds. Shadow found that the sly young Kitsune somehow slipped a thin card made of some sort of polished stone into his hand. The card had some sort of symbol carved and enameled in blue on one side. The other side had a gold leaf of a sunrise with seven sun rays. it must have taken a lot of skill and artistry to create this strange card. Experience with Kitsune told Shadow that he shouldn't trust this fellow, but for some reason he didn't want to ditch the card. It tingled slightly to his chaos sense meaning that the stone contained magic. With a mental shrug he tucked the stone card into his quills planning to show it to Tails later.
He waited twenty minutes more for Rouge to come out of the store carrying yet another shopping bag. "That was fun," she said dropping the new bag with her other acquisitions. "So what shall we do now?"
"How about some lunch?" Shadow asked. He didn't have any breakfast, and despite the fact that he could go for days without eating, he didn't like to. Generating chaos energy took food.
Rouge smiled. "I know just the place," she said.
Shadow nearly groaned when Rouge came back from the counter with two salads and a small quiche. This place looked so girly he saw pink curtains on the windows, and lace covers on top of the lavender table cloths. Shadow could practically smell the estrogen in the air along with the scent of all the perfumes of the clientele here. He actually felt a little dizzy from it. He would have preferred to eat in the pasta shop across the way, but Rouge insisted that this was her favorite place to eat in Center City, and he would love it.
The food tasted adequate, but it didn't fill up an annoyed and hungry hedgehog. An advertising outside caught his eye. It was for a new spy thriller movie that started two days ago. Wondering if he could get some popcorn and nachos out of the deal Shadow asked gently. "Why don't we go see a movie after lunch." When Rouge looked up from her salad he pointed out the advertisement. "I'd like to go see that. What do you think?"
Rouge smiled. "I think a movie is a great idea. I'll get the tickets you get the popcorn."
Finally Shadow thought satisfied. While he waited for Rouge with the tickets he managed to get some other snacks, and ate them quickly so she wouldn't notice. At least now he didn't feel like he went without a meal.
He managed to wipe off the evidence of his extra meal before Rouge got back. She held two tickets in her hand, but said apologetically. "I'm sorry Shadow, but that movie you wanted to see was sold out. So I got us tickets to "Sunset on Silver Lake"
Shadow had a bad feeling about this.
Finally an annoyed and tired Shadow trudged back to his own home. Now he knew why Sonic hated to go to Center City with Amy. Did all girls force guys to carry their stuff and see stupid romantic comedies? Yet Shadow knew he couldn't complain. Rouge paid for everything. All he had to do was be there, and occasionally help her. He still wondered if the price of avoiding Sonic on April Fool's day sufficed for the price he paid.
He put his hand on the doorknob, and opened his door anxious to just drop into bed, and forget about the day when he suddenly realized that he couldn't see his bed.
Suddenly more awake and alert Shadow surveyed the room. He couldn't see any of his furniture! His sink and stove he could see. In fact anything attached to the house still remained, but any loose furniture, his chairs, tables, desk, and bed, were missing.
Damn, damn damn! Shadow thought. Instantly Shadow realized what happened. With Shadow missing Sonic must have changed his plans. Suddenly Shadow's eyes fell upon the doorway to Maria's room. He wouldn't have dared! Shadow thought furious. He wrenched the door open, and stormed in. To Shadow's relief Maria's room was unchanged. He got the distinct impression that the spirit who dwelled there , a long time prankster herself thought Shadow's predicament was funny.
Shadow sighed, and let the anger wash out of him. Sonic didn't disturb Maria's room, all he did was take advantage of his absence. More resigned now Shadow moved back to his own part of the house to see to his surprise a woven basket made of reeds on the floor in the center of the room.
Now a bit suspicious Shadow moved gingerly towards the basket, and lifted the red plaid dish towel to look inside. He saw three well wrapped sandwiches, a five inch cherry pie, two star fruits, a small crowbar, and a note.
With a mixture of amusement and trepidation Shadow unfolded the yellowed piece of homemade paper, and read.
Hey Shadow! April Fools! I knew you were expecting something so I went out of my way to be a little creative. As you already saw for yourself I didn't touch Maria's room. I'm crazy not suicidal. If you really want help taking it all down I'll be around tomorrow if you promise not to kill me.
Taking it all down? Without thinking about it, Shadow automatically looked up. There up on his ceiling his furniture rested suspended Chaos only knew how. Before he knew it a smile played itself across his lips and a chuckle escaped him. Tails was right. Sonic was good at April Fools pranks. He didn't try to humiliate or hurt anyone, and Sonic had a pretty good idea of what he would have tolerated. There was still more to the note so Shadow kept reading.
Enjoy dinner, and after you think about it for a few hours you'll realize that I got you twice! Happy April Fool's day. S.
Got me twice? Now suspicious, Shadow inspected every item of food before he ate it, but everything seemed normal. Still wondering how Sonic had pranked him twice Shadow settled into Maria's room for the night to sleep.
(The next day)
"I feel like this is my fault," Tails said apologetically hovering in midair with the crow bar trying to pry Shadow's bed off the ceiling. "If I hadn't asked you to help me prank Sonic last year he probably would have left you alone."
A ghost of a smile played across Shadow's face remembering the look on Sonic's face last year. "I could have told you no," Shadow replied calmly. "It was still worth the look on his face, and at least I fixed it so that he didn't make me look like a fool."
Tails nodded absently putting more energy into prying the nails out of the bed. He was helping rather than Sonic because while Sonic and Shadow both could fly with enough Chaos energy (Sonic needed all the Emeralds, Shadow would just ditch his inhibitor rings) their flying tended to be more like a guided missile. Tails could hover, and could easily pry the furniture off the ceiling.
As well as nail them up there. Shadow thought slyly. He suspected that the little two tailed fox had helped Sonic nail all the furniture to the ceiling in the first place, but then again if he suggested a prank on Sonic, he was sure Tails would help him also.
"So where did you hide out yesterday?" Tails asked forcing the last nail out of the leg of the bed. The bed came falling from the ceiling, but Shadow, ready for it, caught the bed easily, and set it back in its place inspecting it for damage.
"If you must know Rouge and I spent the day in Center City." Shadow said smirking with satisfaction.
"Did you have a good time?" Tails asked.
For some reason the sly smile on the little kits face made Shadow want to say yes he did, but he knew that the day had been a trial. "I am never going to the city with a female again. She took me shopping and made me hold all her stuff, we ended up having lunch in some vegetarian French bistro where she feeds me barely enough to keep a bird alive on, and then when all I asked to do was go see that new spy movie she gets tickets instead for some stupid romantic comedy, and damn it Rouge knows I hate romantic comedies!"
It was the poorly suppressed chuckle from Tails that made him stop and think. Rouge knows I hate romantic comedies. In fact she knows what I like to eat. Rouge knows everything I like, and everything I hate.
Rouge knows everything I like and everything I hate...
…and after you think about it for a few hours you'll realize that I got you twice!
"Rouge!"