A tower stood tall upon a hill in Mobius; a tower coloured black and gold, with hypnotising patterns upon the bricks. Multiple windows were visible, all with bright red light shining out of them. Surrounding the tower was lightening and clouds, thunder and intermittent rain. The castle was, in simple terms, a dark, dark place.

And that was just the outside.

Inside, many young animals scrambled around, doing duties such as house keeping, and cooking. The castle had many, many stories - maybe twenty - and each floor had multiple rooms coming off the walls. All of the doors were locked, and most people within the castle, including the staff, had little clue what was behind such doors.

All except for one.

The King's.

The King was a black hedgehog with piercing red eyes and bright white fur on his chest. His door was at the top of the castle, the only door on the top floor. Behind the door was unknown as nobody was permitted to enter Shadow's room.

He wore a red cape and a gold crown, always.

But nobody ever knew what he was up to.

What was he hiding? Who was he?

All the people in the castle knew was that they owed him their lives, and that their purpose was to work for the King.

They didn't know what happened outside the castle, and they didn't know what it was Shadow did.

They didn't even know if it was for good or bad.

But the biggest question wasn't "what happens out there"...

It was "what happens down there"...

In the basement.

####

Chapter 1

In the Shadows

Shadow woke up in his luxurious black silky bed, groaning once he had gained full consciousness. He looked around his dark room with semi closed eyes, and got out of bed quickly.

He placed his crown and cape on, and his shoes, and made his way down the spiral of stairs.

It was late at night, perhaps 1 in the morning - most of his staff should be asleep, or out of the way, he thought.

Eventually, he made it to the bottom floor.

There was one single door to the bottom floor, with a large red arch covering the leather entrance. There was a pin code required to enter the room, and also an eye scanner.

He looked around to make sure no body was present, and went forth with his privacy lock, and walked into the basement, shutting the door lightly, trying to avoid waking anyone.

Especially her.

Shadow ran his hand over his spikes and smirked, seeing his prisoner fast asleep on the bed he had provided. Of course, there were multiple chains holding them down to such bed.

He walked over to the bed silently, and began to caress his prisoner, who remained asleep, wondering how he would surprise them today...

###

"Sweetie, what's wrong?"

Princess Sally was sitting in her room, placing her hand on Sonic's shoulder, in attempt to discover why he was in such a slump. "You haven't spoken at all today. Do you need me to get you anything?"

Sonic smiled at his princess, and held her hands. "No. Thank you, Sally. I just... All of these news reports. All of these terrible things that keep happening! And that kidnapping that happened..."

"What kidnapping?" Sally questioned. "You don't mean the one that happened months ago, do you? That was nearly a year ago now, Sonic. I thought you may have let it go by now."

Sonic became angered. "Let it go?! Are you serious? That girl was one of my best friends!"

"She was..." Sally paused. Obsessed with you, she wanted to say. "... A good friend to both of us. And I'm sorry. But she isn't dead, just missing. Kidnapped... Isn't even the proper result."

"I'd prefer kidnapped to dead," Sonic said through gritted teeth, "Which is usually the other alternative when someone is missing for ten months."

Sally gave him a tight hug. She knew how much this had affected him, and she was more angry at herself as she could not relate to Sonic's pain. After all, Sonic and Amy had a relationship she didn't have with Amy or Sonic - an unconditional love, where Amy was always being supportive of him, and he was always grateful - even if he pushed her away.

However, she always had a feeling that he didn't want to push her away. And that feeling had grown when she had seen his reactions over the last year. He'd lost interest in Sally, hardly giving her affection. He had cut down on all the things he loved, even running.

And while Sally and Sonic weren't engaged, only together, she felt as if Sonic only started dating her because he needed someone to help him.

She had a feeling... that he didn't love her at all, not in the way he loved Amy.

"She'll be fine, Sonic. They haven't given up looking for her."

"Who? Who are 'they'? Who ever THEY are, they're not doing a good job. Maybe I should take over - Knuckles would help me, maybe Rouge - we could find her better than who ever is conducting these searches."

Sally sighed. "You might be right." She agreed, and stood up, walking out of the room. She had no idea how to deal with this when her feelings for Sonic were so prominent.

But maybe if they found Amy Rose, he might love Sally again - and they could move forward.

###

"Hi, darling." Shadow whispered into the helpless girl's ear, placing his hands on her face softly. She moaned and awoke, and Shadow noticed her brief amnesia, and then her realisation - she was where she had been for the last ten months.

Locked away.

"You must be going crazy down here," Shadow said, shifting on top of her, with only blankets between them. "It's okay, though. I'm here to save you, my love. I will take you away from this place."

This is what he always said to me.

Every time.

He'd wake me up, and get pleasure out of realising that I didn't know where I was.

He'd sit there if I was having nightmares, and take note of what the subject was, and then he'd make it a reality.

He would observe, even if just once a week, and he would use his knowledge against me.

And all he wanted was to destroy me.

But I couldn't stop him. I could never stop him. It wasn't the chains, or the fact that he was stronger than me, physically. It was the fact that it had happened so many times, that I no longer had the energy to put up a fight.

I no longer had the effort. I no longer wanted to scream, or beg. I no longer wanted to fight for my right to my own personal space.

If the chains were gone, if he was just a normal guy - things would still go the same way.

Because after nearly a year of suffering, you eventually just adapt to it. If he were to come in here and let me run free, I'd probably just run in to his arms and ask him to keep me here.

That was who I am.

I am his, and he is the King, and I have little control;

The only thing I have control of, is my life.

Just like he said from the start:

I can let you live, and you be my release for eternity. Or, I can kill you, which wouldn't be enjoyable for either of us.

It confused me as to why he wanted more power than he already had. I mean, he was the King. He was the ruler of the land. He made the rules. He punished the bad.

But when he found me, all that time ago, something went off in his mind, and from that moment forward, he knew he had to have me.

Sure, maybe some girls would think this is a compliment. I mean, Shadow was a sexy king. Almost as sexy as... Ugh, I can't even say his name. I can't think of then. Only now. but of course, Shadow was attractive, and any other lady would take such a submissive role gladly. Even if it meant their life if they were not willing to obey.

But for me, my heart was set on one man, and no one else. And it always had been.

When Shadow stole me, and held me captive, he took from me not only my virginity, but also my sanity.

It was like every single moment of intimacy was sucking away my mind, making me more and more unstable.

And if he wasn't going to kill me, my mind would.

And every time he'd come down, saying he would save me, I always hoped that he meant he would let me free. Let me go back to Sonic. Let me run, or walk, or move.

But he always meant the same thing.

Because he thought that by raping me, it helped me, and saved me from my self-destructive mind.

And if I'm being entirely honest, I don't know if he's right or wrong.

I don't know if I'm more afraid of my own mind, or his authority.

###

Sonic dashed around his room, collecting photos of Amy, and various fighting weapons, including a single chaos emerald he had kept hold of since the fight ten months ago. He prepared himself vigorously, for the ultimate fight. The fight for her.

Among being haunted of her voice, or her eyes, he was always reminded of the day that he lost Amy. He could never forget.

Ten months ago

Sonic stood upon a pillar outside King Shadow's kingdom. Behind him stood Knuckles, Tails, Sally, Silver, Blaze, and Amy. Sonic had a self-righteous expression, as he'd just defeated the King, once and for all.

And he was ready to take the crown, and change things around here. Ready to ask Sally to marry him. Ready to look after his friends like his family. Ready to... Tell Amy the truth, but also the sad consequences.

The wind shot by Sonic, causing his spikes to move in the gusts. Shadow's head raised from his fallen position, and he began to grin mischievously.

Shadow stood up slowly, eventually reaching his full posture.

"Oh, my dear Sonic," Shadow said, still grinning, "You really think that you've defeated me?"

"I sure have, Shadow." Sonic smiled. "Just accept it, and I'll start taking over tomorrow."

"Sonic... you may have won the physical fight... but will you survive the emotional one?"

Sonic was immediately confused, and distracted in thought, trying to figure out what Shadow meant. In a split second, a red dash flew past him, stealing one of his team members.

It wasn't Sally; she was still right by him. Phew, he thought - I still have my future wife.

But who was it?

Knuckles? No. He was there. So was Tails. Blaze, Silver...

Amy...

Where was Amy?

"AMY!" He shouted, but unable to be heard by Shadow, who had taken her into his castle; but he wasn't heard. It was too late.

He held the chaos emerald he had, just the one - Shadow had the other six - and stared at the castle.

There was no way to get in unless you were Shadow.

And if he did get in, he wouldn't get out alive. Who even knows what's in there?

"Amy..." He fell, his head falling. "Oh my God. I just got my best friend killed."

"Sonic... Shadow won't kill her."

Present

And maybe he didn't kill her. But Sonic feared too much what would happen if he didn't kill her. What was going on behind those massive, leather doors?

And why Amy? Why did Shadow choose Amy? Why not Sally... Someone he was emotionally invested in, openly?

Perhaps Shadow wanted to destroy two birds with one stone...

By taking Amy, it would destroy Sonic's relationship with both Sally and Amy...

But it didn't matter what his intentions were. What mattered, was that he was prepared to fight Shadow, finally. With or without his friends, he would do it.

And he would steal Amy back, giving her what she always wanted, and so did he ...

Himself.