Spirits in Shadows:

By Kellie Fay

Spirits dwell within the home of Shadow the Hedgehog, and he needs them especially when Sonic's soul hangs between the world of the living and the dead.

Disclaimer: Sonic and Company belong to SEGA, 4Kids and whoever else owns them not me.

Chapter 1

Storms within and without

A tingling on the back of his quills and an unfamiliar scent caused a frown to form on the features of Shadow the Hedgehog. He looked up at the slightly greying clouds noticing the wind accelerating through his fur, and a slight growl escaped his throat.

Above him resting in a tree Sonic opened his eyes and looked at his reflection with concern. "Shadow?"

"There is something unsettling in the wind," Shadow said in an attempt to identify the problem. "I don't like it."

Sonic stood up on the tree branch, closed his eyes, took in a deep breath of air, and held it for ten seconds. Breathing out in a huff, he stretched out his right hand, and held it there for another ten seconds. Finally Sonic's eyes popped open, and he jumped out of the tree landing next to Shadow. "Storm's coming," Sonic announced, "Feels like a big one too." Without missing a breath Sonic gave two short sharp whistles and one long one. When he saw Shadow look at him quizzically he said, "It's a signal for Tails. It tells him, 'stop what you're doing, get to ground, and get to me in that order.'"

Sure enough a few minutes later both Tails and Cream came running over to them. "Sonic what's wrong?" Tails asked.

"We still haven't found enough stones for me to paint for Knuckles' chess set." Cream told them looking sadly into her basket.

Shadow let Sonic take charge of the youngsters. "Sorry Cream, but Knuckles' chess set is going to have to wait. We have to get home now."

"Why?" Cream asked. At that moment thunder rumbled across the sky in answer. Instantly both of Tails' namesakes puffed out in stress.

"That's why," Sonic said. "I don't know where it's coming from, but with all this electricity I'm sensing it's going to be a big one."

"I can tell," Shadow added tilting his head to hear better, "It's coming from the location of the village."

Sonic gave Shadow a wary glance. "In that case I'm afraid I'll have to indulge on your hospitality, and ask for shelter from the storm."

At least the children helped bring in firewood and shuttered up the windows. Shadow and Sonic tied everything outside down, and brought smaller items indoors. Shadow started a small fire in his fireplace, while Sonic raided his root cellar looking for something they could have for dinner. By the time the fire could handle it Sonic had filled a dutch oven with leeks, wild onions and a number of root vegetables along with water, and placed the pot on the hearth.

"I told you it was a good idea to put in that root cellar, and get a few emergency supplies," Sonic said with a grin.

Shadow shrugged. For the most part Shadow bartered labor for food, and gathered in the forest. At least once a week Sonic or Rouge would bring him a hot meal. Sonic did suggest a few weeks ago that Shadow stash some emergency supplies in his own home just in case. Considering the haphazard lifestyle Sonic the hero lived, and his ability to get those around him involved with whatever adventure he's having, Shadow decided to be prepared for every eventuality, which included storing away food and supplies.

Shadow noticed that Sonic left all his canned fruits alone. "You could have taken some of the strawberry preserves out for the children," he said gently.

Sonic chuckled. "I wouldn't dream of taking your sweets away from you, Shadow. You need all the sweetening you can get."

Shadow sighed and regulated being teased for the rest of the day. Sonic appeared to be in one of those moods, but when he glared at Sonic the playful hedgehog nodded quickly over to where Tails and Cream were setting the table for dinner. Cream seemed to be all right, but Tails' neck ruff stood straight up and his twin tails looked like a pair of bottle brushes. His normally sunny smile missing, the kit's frown deepened each time thunder rumbled, and his neck ruff grew larger. Suddenly concerned Shadow resorted to the mental communications Espio taught him when he first arrived in this world. The cub is afraid of thunderstorms?

Sonic winked, and turned away from Shadow to check on their dinner, but Shadow knew that Sonic didn't want to make it obvious that they were speaking. A second later Shadow felt the familiar tingle in the back of his head, and he heard, big time. Tails tries to hide it, but he's really scared of them. The louder they are the worse he gets.

Shadow sighed, I take it I'm going to be the distraction?

Surprisingly he got the mental equivalent of a chuckle from his blue reflection. It will keep Tails occupied. He thinks one day you're going to go through with your threat to kill me.

Shadow couldn't resist. That is still an option you know.

A feeling Shadow could only describe as a full belly laugh resounded on the back of his head. He could see Sonic trying very hard not to burst into real laughter, and give their conversation away. Shadow almost smiled in return, but just then a loud explosion of thunder made all four of them jump. Instantly the smile fell from Shadow's face, and a growl sounded from his throat.

"Whoa, Shadow," Sonic said. Shadow already knew from his tone that he was going to get teased. "Big tough Ultimate Life Form getting a little twitchy over some thunder?"

Shadow glanced over at the kids. To his surprise Tails had a slight smile on his face. Shadow understood the logic of that instantly. He knew that Sonic would never let anyone tease the cub for his fear of storms, but the idea that the Ultimate Life form would be afraid would not only be funny, but it would actually make Tails feel better about his own fear. Shadow decided that it might be good to play up that idea slightly, in his own way.

"For most of my conscious life Hedgehog I lived in climate controlled conditions. On the Ark and later on the Crimson Egg the air was the same temperature, and there was no such thing as wind, snow or thunderstorms." He glared out the window frowning at the wind. "Weather should be more predictable and less noisy."

"Thunderstorms aren't so bad Shadow," Cream said completely unaware of their intentions. "They're really pretty to watch. When I was very little I would go up on the roof of my house with my Dad, and watch them before it rained." She looked up at Sonic hopefully but he shook his head no.

"It's too close now, Cream. The lightning is going to be pretty bad, and I don't want to take chances."

Cream sighed with regret, but she didn't offer any further requests. When another louder clap of thunder sounded Tails asked "Shadow you did install the metal bar on the side of your house the way I drew it for you didn't you?"

Shadow remembered when he first built his home here Sonic and Tails came by one afternoon. Tails looked over Shadow's design, and then came back the next day with a metal pole, and specific instructions for installing it. When Shadow questioned why he should, all Tails would say was, "Trust me Shadow one day you're going to thank me for this."

"Yes I did," Shadow said, "exactly the way you told me to. I take it the bar has something to do with the storm?"

"It's a lightning rod," Tails explained. The lightning will be attracted to the bar which will ground the electricity instead of hitting and wrecking your house."

"Ah," Shadow nodded understanding. "In that case I will thank you."

Shadow had to admit, Sonic could create a passable meal. They roasted potatoes in the fire then poured the stew over them. Sonic apologized for the blandness of the stew, but then Shadow knew that Sonic's chili could roast taste buds.

"Seriously though," Sonic said after his third portion, "you ought to have a little herb garden. It's great to flavor your own cooking."

Tails agreed, "And it's great in the summer to make your own iced mint tea"

Intrigued Shadow asked, "Where do you get the ice from in the summer?"

Sonic laughed, "Come on Shads, for you and me a trip to the poles is an afternoon jog. You'll find our services as ice hedgehogs are in great demand in the summer. I'll show you how to keep it from melting on the way back."

"Mint tea is really yummy," Cream added, "and chamomile is nice if you can't fall asleep at night or have bad dreams."

Shadow's head snapped up instantly. He looked at the girl who appeared unaware that she touched a sore spot in Shadow's life. He turned to glare at Sonic who to his surprise also looked at Cream with shock. A familiar tingle formed in the back of his head, and Shadow heard Sonic think, I am so going to kill Amy!

Tails tried to smooth things over, "Come on Cream, Shadow isn't the type of person to have nightmares."

Cream looked like she wanted to argue the point, but suddenly her little chao Cheese squeaked what appeared to Shadow a warning, and she said sadly, "I suppose not."

Later when Sonic and Shadow cleaned the dishes Sonic said silently, I swear Shadow I never breathed a word of your nightmares to anyone, not even Tails.

It doesn't matter; Shadow answered him in the same way. Knuckles knew, and Rouge. I'm sure Amy found out somehow, and the cub is certainly clever enough to figure it out. I suppose it is hard to keep a secret in such a small community.

I guess, Sonic answered, but Shadow sensed that Sonic might have another reason in mind, but hesitated to speak for fear that his assumption proved to be incorrect.

After dinner the storm still raged around them, so Shadow made up bed rolls for him, Sonic, and Tails, and insisted that Cream take his own bed. Cream seemed to be a little distressed that Shadow didn't have a blanket for himself.

"I'm very tough Cream, I don't get sick, and I won't get cold. You are my guest and you need the blanket more than I do."

Cream still looked distressed. "But Shadow don't you have the blanket I crochet for you? I know you put it in your special room for your friend, but I'm sure she wouldn't mind if you used it one night."

Again from the way Sonic's quills just spiked out Shadow knew that his reflection hadn't given away his secrets. Still this wasn't the first time Cream talked candidly about his room for his long dead friend Maria. The truly peculiar thing was that the little rabbit was right. If Maria still lived she would be the first to tell him that he shouldn't be silly or stubborn, and she would have marched right into the room herself, and put the blanket over his shoulders.

Shadow sighed, and stifled the normal knee jerk reaction he had when anyone mentioned Maria or her room. He got up, and went into his special room. Immediately the room calmed him like it always did. It looked almost like Maria's room on the Ark, except for the additions Shadow made since coming to Sonic's world. Now flowers, forbidden while she lived, constantly graced the room. Every week Cosmo, The Star Tree, would donate three of her beautiful sweet smelling flowers to the room. Sometimes they were joined by various windflowers Shadow managed to find. Attractive stones, feathers, shells, anything he thought Maria would have liked found its way into the room. Shadow didn't know if Cream understood the significance of the room, but the young rabbit often donated things she found, and actually would donate dolls or stuffed toys to the room.

The latest addition to the room, a hand crochet blanket in yellow and blue lay on the bed. Cream presented him with it two weeks ago telling him he needed more pretty things in his house. Pretty things however always ended up in Maria's room. He took the blanket up in his hands, and for a moment hesitated feeling guilty about using he blanket.

I'm being ridiculous, he told himself firmly, Cream said it before Maria would be wrapping me in the blanket herself if she were here. Still he decided there he would not use this pretty blanket on the floor. Cream made it, she should use it.

He came out of the room with the blanket, and placed it into Cream's hand. Before she could protest he said. "I would prefer not to get the blanket dirty by using it on the floor. Use it on the bed; I shall use the woven blanket."

Cream looked uncertain, but she nodded, and snuggled into the bed with the blanket. Shadow tucked her in, wished her goodnight, and then turned to his own bed roll. Sonic and Tails were already in their own. Tails still cringed, and his fur still looked puffed out, but Shadow didn't know what he could say to put him at ease. Another crack of thunder made him look up at his ceiling and frown. "Weather should not do that!" he complained.

Sonic laughed. "This is nothing. We do get real hurricanes around here when it gets really hot, and sometimes, we have winter storms that have acted like hurricanes only colder. One time I was snowed in up on Angel Island. We had both an avalanche and a landslide. I was stuck with Knuckles for three days during the blizzard, and then we had to dig out."

Shadow saw the opportunity to do a little teasing himself. "You were trapped with the echidna for three days, and you survived?"

"I'm just that lovable I guess," Sonic shot right back.

Tails relaxed enough to laugh. "Yeah not to mention Knuckles had a broken ankle from slipping on the old ice, and that was the reason you were up there in the first place. Not only could Knuckles not chase you, but he wouldn't have been able to dig himself out."

The wind moaned against the house, and when Tails looked nervous Shadow said, "I made this house very sturdy cub. I may not understand weather, but I do understand battle. I made this house able to withstand a robot attack."

"Why would you need to withstand a robot attack?" Sonic asked. "Aren't you and Eggman all buddy buddy?"

Shadow didn't know if Sonic meant to sound hostile, or if he just wanted to banter to keep Tails distracted. Either way Shadow answered honestly. "He is the grandson of my creator. He freed me from the suspension capsule, and he must have rescued me after we defeated the Biolizard. I owe him gratitude, but I am also aware of his desire to rule over others. I know he will lie, and use trickery to accomplish his goals. He is a source of information about my past and creation, but I do not trust him. I hope that the fact that his grandfather created me gives him an interest in my happiness and welfare, but I am not counting on it. He may also feel that I am his property, and try to gain control of me. My home is built to withstand at least fifty robots each carrying a hundred pounds of ammunition."

Tails yawned, but still struggled to stay awake. "RPG's too?" He asked.

"Of course," Shadow answered. I saw how The Doctor handled himself with the Metarex. He cut Rouge and I loose, because he only wanted to risk himself and the machines with Dark Oak. I was to protect Rouge. After what Black Narcissus did to the boy and Cosmo, he did not wish to risk the Metarex using her against him."

That seemed to spark Sonic's interest. "So the Doc had some sort of plan when he hooked up with the Metarex? I know he was trying to get all the Chaos Emeralds for himself, but I know there were a few times he did stuff for us even when he said he worked for Dark Oak. The others didn't notice, but me and the Doc go back a long way. I could tell when something about him was off." Suddenly Sonic propped his head up with one hand resting his elbow on the floor. "I always wondered what that whole deal was like from your end of it on the Crimson Egg."

"I couldn't remember who any of you were then," Shadow said. I didn't understand it at the time, but I knew the emeralds were important for some reason so I took them with me when I went back to my point of origin where I promptly passed out from using all my energy. I didn't have my inhibitor rings."

Sonic nodded, "You lost them after the Biolizard. I only found one which I gave to Chris. He was the one in danger when you came out of nowhere and saved him."

Shadow wanted to think about that, but he also wanted to keep talking to lull Tails to sleep. "I...I may have dreamed of him while I was in suspension, all I knew when I woke up was that someone needed me, and I had to find him."

The two hedgehogs glanced over at Tails. His eyes were closed, but they opened when the pair stopped talking. Sonic prompted Shadow again. "So you passed out in front of Rouge and Eggman. What happened when you woke up?"

Glad that Sonic gave him the opening Shadow continued. "It was a very confusing time for me. I knew my name, and I had some vague memories of Maria, but I did not know who she was. I had to be reintroduced to Rouge. She didn't understand why I did not know her."

"Did you know Eggman?" Sonic asked.

Shadow closed his eyes trying to call up the old memories. "I knew The Doctor was someone I had to help. He reminded me of someone I once knew and trusted, but I couldn't remember who. At the time I also puzzled over all of you. I didn't remember any of you, except for some reason you annoyed me."

Sonic chuckled quietly, but gave no indication that Shadow should stop, so he continued. "It was just after I awoke, that a Metarex ship tried to attack us. I tried to fight them off, but without my inhibitor rings I could not regulate how much power I used, and I burnt out. It was about that time that-"

I think he's asleep now Shadow you can stop if you want to. Sonic's mental voice startled Shadow, but he nodded taking a glance over at the sleeping kit. Tails had curled up on his side with his back to Sonic. Sonic with a gentle smile reached out, and softly scratched the ruff around Tails chin. The young fox gave a happy little sound of contentment, and leaned into the scratching.

This used to be the only way I could get him to sleep during a storm, Sonic explained while he continued the treatment. Now he tells me he's too old to be cuddled like a kit, but he'll sleep better now. Thanks for the story. I hope you didn't mind too much. If I had tried something like that he would have known I was trying to distract him.

I did not mind, Shadow reassured him. It was a neutral enough story. I could see where he needed comforting.

You have no idea, Sonic said. Shadow heard Sonic blow out a sigh. He's been getting better about it, but he still doesn't like to be left alone during them.

Shadow leaned back, and thought for a moment. It may look like he's getting better at it, but it may be that he's getting better at hiding it. You may want to tell him that hiding a weakness is a poor strategy. You won't know to compensate for his failings.

So speaks The Ultimate Life Form who never admits when he has a problem. Sonic teased, mentally laughing.

Shadow shrugged. I am not the fox cub, he countered.

True, Sonic conceded, but Shadow could still hear him laughing in his head. Tails is smarter than both of us for one thing, and a whole lot more sensible too.

He is certainly smart enough to know not to antagonize me. Shadow said allowing the snicker to show through his sending.

Sonic would not give up, and to recruit you for his own purposes, he reminded his ebony reflection.

The image of Sonic's face when both he and Tails played an April Fools prank on him sprung into Shadow's mind. He couldn't help the satisfied smile that played across his face. Just remember Sonic you would not stand a chance if the cub and I chose to stand against you.

I know, Sonic answered with a mental chuckle, just like you wouldn't win either if Rouge and I teamed up against you.

Shadow considered that, and conceded that Sonic had a point. Agreed, he said.

Again he could hear Sonic chucking in his head. Good. We'd better get some shut eye both of these two are notorious early risers. Night Shads.

Good night Sonic.

Coming Soon Chapter 2: A Mystery in Shadow:

Sonic let out a breath, and tried again. "Tails told me he woke up in the middle of the night after hearing a big thunder clap. He saw Shadow twitching and kicking, he figured that Shadow was dreaming, and he was about to wake me up, but then he felt a breeze, and Shadow settled down. Tails was about to go back to sleep, but you lifted your head, and asked if Shadow was all right. He was going to answer you, but then you kept talking to someone. You talked about his nightmares, and all the stuff in his special room. Cream, who were you talking to?"

From his position in the tree, Shadow heard the little rabbit's heartbeat increase. Sonic's question frightened the girl for some reason. Shadow relaxed and sent to Sonic, careful, you are frightening the girl.

Sonic didn't answer Shadow, but Shadow heard Sonic say to the girl, "Cream, I don't want to upset you, but I need to know if something was in that room, and if it did something to Shadow."

"No, she would never hurt Shadow! She-" Cream broke off and Shadow suspected that the girl burst into tears.