Parenthood
She was in the Temple of the Starman. It was a magnificent building, even with all the aging, it remained as strong against time as any modern building. The dome shape of the ceiling held the imprint of the night sky at the time. She could see the many constellations her people crafted through the years. Four thousand years ago, they would have been familiar to her. But now, many of those stars had died out. She used to believe the stars were connected to the souls of the men and women on this planet. When Chaos went crazy that day, thousands of years ago, how many stars vanished from the night?
Tikal had to break free from her friends. After Shadow's sudden appearance, all these emotions seemed to rush her. Rouge tried to soothe her, but it wasn't working. She needed this silence to comfort her, for now. Just until her mind settled, just until she was able to calm herself again. When gazing forward, her eyes fell upon the cloak and helm of a warrior who fought for mankind. It seemed as if this was the one place where she could calm herself down.
Pressing her fingers to the temples of her head, she found herself groaning. Not even this place could calm her, it seemed. No matter how hard she tried to quell them, her emotions continued to rush her in maddening waves. Over and over again, like a train wreck. She felt her knees tremble, something which eventually traveled to the rest of her body. She started holding her body, hoping that this action would cease the quaking. It wasn't working though. In fact, she started to feel pain.
She let out a moan, a loud, pain-filled one. This indescribable feeling of hurt centered on her stomach. And it was such a massive pain. It was like her entire body was being torn in half by metal hands. Once again, she let out a cry of hurt, something that also made her stand up inadvertently. A few feet forward she walked, stopping as the pain spiked up through her spine, and to her head. It seemed to sever the connection her synapses had, for she fell to her knees once the spike left her. Her hands finally left her stomach, instead moving up to her head. Gripping her skull, she tried to focus on the pain. Why had it come so soon, and where did it come from?
She realized what was going on. She couldn't believe it. Her blue eyes opened wide. She was in labor.
"AH!" she let out, "AH!"
As silly as it is to say, she had prepared for this day. She was fully ready for the moment her child would be ready to come out. And yet it seemed, all that pre-planning was for not. Right now, she was a frantic mess. She couldn't even move to ask for help. The orange echidna was locked in the center of this room, on her knees, crying out in such extreme pain. To the most fine point of impression, the woman could feel her blood rush and twist. She didn't know labor would give such a serial sense of touch. Everything felt 10x more intense, especially the pain. Why wasn't anyone rushing to her rescue right now? Where was everyone? She needed to call out to them, it was just that simple right?
"SHADOW!" wait, that wasn't right, "SHADOW!"
She heard footsteps, ones that echo one after another. They were heavy and quick, frantic even.
"Tikal!" it wasn't the voice she was expecting.
"Knuckles..." she growled as she hugged herself.
The red echidna crouched down near his cousin, his purple eyes filled with anxiety.
"T-T-Tikal," he said, "Is there something wrong?"
"The child, Knuckles," she said, as she groaned in pain, "The child!"
"What child!?" he asked.
"This child!" she stated.
"This child!?" he responded.
"THIS CHILD!" she practically barked.
"Ill! Why is it so wet in here!?" he said as he stepped down on the ground around him.
"Get Rouge!" Tikal ordered, "Get her now!"
"I don't know," Knuckles said as he rubbed his dreads, "Rouge said I wasn't suppose to interfere with your baby party or something like that..."
"Are you dense!?" Tikal yelled out, "I'm having a baby, Knuckles!"
"You're having the baby?" he repeated, before it finally hit him, "AGH! You! You're having your baby! You're having the baby!"
"Obviously!" she groaned, "Get someone! Anyone! Hurry up!"
"Okay!" he said as he grabbed her arms, "Let me just help you out here!"
"No!" she ordered, "Can't move! Just leave me here, and go get help!"
"Ok, ok!" he said, stepping back, "Just... stay here and try not to... uh... well..." he turned around, "I don't really know, I've never seen someone give birth before so uh..."
"JUST GO!"
His footsteps were short and slow at first, before becoming long and quick. They vanished moments later, leaving her alone in this great decrepit temple. She tried to regulate her breathing, but it wasn't working. Every time she got into a comfortable breathing groove, it was ruined by a sudden spike. Sweat was now dragging down her brow. When was all this going to end?
"Shadow..." she groveled, "Shadow..."
…
Slowly, he rose his arms to cross them. His Goddaughter continued to hold onto him, because she knew what was going on. Whenever Miss Rouge appeared, she knew her Godfather had to talk or do boring adult stuff. And she detested boring adult stuff. The look on Rouge's face seemed to solidify that fact.
"Great..." the young girl said, "You're going to take around my magical God-daddy, aren't you?"
Rouge gave the nicest smile she could muster, as she crouched down to the young girl's level.
"I'm sorry Molly," she said, "But Shadow and I have important things to talk about, okay?"
The girl crossed her arms at the bat, taking the pose reminiscent of a certain hedgehog.
"Fine then, be that way," she stated, "It wasn't like I was having fun anyway..."
Gazing up, she stared into Shadow's eyes. Though he retained his emotionless scowl, his Goddaughter gave a sunny and uplifting smile. It seemed that not even his buzz-killing nature could diminish her demeanor.
"I had fun Magical God-daddy!" she stated, "I hope we can have fun again some time..."
"I'll think about it," the hedgehog said as he crossed his arms, "Now get a move on Molly. We don't want your mother yelling at you..."
"Okay..." she said, stepping off for her doorsteps, "I love you God-daddy..."
Shadow remained silent for a while.
"Just hurry up..." he said.
She walked up the stone stairs to her home, stopping when her hand met the golden knob of the door. Gazing back, she stared over into Shadow's ruby eyes. He merely nodded, prompting her to reach into her pocket for some keys. Upon finding them, she slid the steel objects into the knob. A few seconds later, she vanished through the doorway, with a curt wave given to her beloved Godfather.
The door closed shut, sending out a echo through the silent neighborhood. Shadow's eyes closed as he turned around to face the bat behind him. When his eyes opened, he saw that Rouge was now only a few feet away, as opposed to the yard or two from before. He didn't show any disdain toward the privacy invasion though, as he retained his cold and hard scowl.
"Rouge..." he whispered.
"Shadow..." she answered, before cocking his head, "I've been looking for you, Shadow."
"And why's that?" he asked as he turned away, "G.U.N. business?"
Rouge stopped him before he could walk off though, by grabbing his hand.
"For a change, no..." she said, "C'mon Shadow let's talk, like old friends."
Friends. That term sparked a bit of interest within Shadow. He turned around and faced the bat, while she started to make a 'come over' motion with her hand. Deep down inside, he didn't want to follow, but he did so regardless. His arms broke their crossed fashion, and he sighed out in disbelief. Rouge smiled, realizing that she now had Shadow's complete and undivided attention. Her teal eyes looked over some time later as she walked away. In her direct sight of vision, a small park.
…
"So what happened between you two, hm?" the bat questioned.
The hedgehog's crimson orbs trekked over to his batty friend. She had one of her signature smirks on, while she lifted up one leg to place it over the other. Her wings folded in, and her hands moved down to touch her knees. She was completely open right now, willing to accept any questions or answers posed by her friend. Shadow was completely different though. His arms were crossed, and his demeanor was defensive, as if he were ready to immediately disregard anything asked of him. And this was no different.
"It doesn't matter..." he answered as he gazed away, "I hope this is not why you have decided to bother me today..."
"No, no," Rouge said as she waved her hand in a dismissive manner, "I was just a bit curious, ya'know? We haven't talked in a while, and I was honestly wondering about your and Tikal's relationship."
"You know the level of our, relationship," he said it so spitefully, as if it were a word he detested, "There is none, Rouge..."
"Well, obviously," she said, gazing away, "Tikal does live with me, ya'know. I was just hoping you would... well, surprise me..."
"Well I'm sorry... I didn't..." he said, looking at her, "Now why are you really here?"
"I found your relationship with Molly to be quite cute," Rouge said, ignoring his question, "I mean, she even said she loves you..." she looked over to him, staring directly into his ruby eyes with her teal ones, "Isn't that cute? My Magical God-daddy, she calls you. Isn't that something?"
"Why are you here, Rouge?" he asked, forcing his primary issue.
"Isn't something that you have a closer relationship with your own Goddaughter, than the women who's carrying your child?"
She watched as the lines of his face grew hard and angered. It didn't take long for him to leap up to his feet, arms uncrossed, hands in fists. She knew how angry he could get, and could easily tell he was restraining his full force. And yet, she kept that sultry smirk of hers, as if she were belittling her best friend. That, of course, didn't make Shadow feel any better, but when one has been acquaintances with Rouge for as along as he has, he's learned to pick up on these things.
"I'm done here..." the hedgehog said as he turned to walk away.
"Why are you so hard-headed!" Rouge yelled through the silent air.
He stopped his movements, and slowly turned to face her. Now she had adopted a demeanor comparable to his, one that was filled with restrained anger. But while his was a bit subdued behind his emotionless visage, one could easily tell the storm of anger brewing within her mind.
"Answer me, Shadow..." she said, "I'm dying to know..."
"It does not matter," he said as he swiped his arm through the air, "So let it die, Rouge..."
"No," she said as her fists found her hips, "Not this time, Shadow the hedgehog. I said we are going to talk, and we are going to talk. I'm not letting you run from this..."
"As if you could stop me..." he said as he walked backwards.
"So, what, you're going to be a coward?" she asked, playing on his pride.
"I know what you're doing Rouge, and I'm not going to fall for it," he turned around and started walking, "Now leave me alone. I'm tired..."
"Tikal has gone into labor," Rouge said, making him lock up, "I came to find you, Shadow..."
She stared at his back, for what had to be at least a minute. He didn't move or say anything, he just stood there, all tall and silent. Slowly, Rouge walked forward, her face loosing most of that rage. Her eyes grew half-closed, and her hand reached forward to grab the hedgehog's hand.
"Shadow..." she whispered.
"Where is she...?" he inquired, without an inkling of emotion or anything.
"I'm confused, Shadow..." Rouge stated, "Can't you normally feel Tikal? Tell where she is, no matter where she's at in the world? It was an ability I remembered you having, she is, after all, a living Chaos Emerald..."
He turned around in a quick blur, and his hands gripped Rouge by the shoulders. It wasn't a forceful grab, nor painful one, but the bat knew he would not offer her escape. So, she took to gazing into his eyes. Those burning red eyes. They were different right now. They were no longer angry, no longer pained, but they no longer lacked emotion. They were filled with this emotion Rouge could not place her finger on. But she knew that, whatever the emotion was, it pained the hedgehog inside.
"Rouge..." he whispered, "Where is she?"
"I can't tell you that," she responded, "Not yet at least..."
She felt his fingers increase their hold.
"Why?" he asked.
"Just tell me why," she whispered, "What happened to you and Tikal? You know that girl loves you, right? She loves you more than I could possibly understand. I remember the time she said that you kissed her, and how she wouldn't shut up about it all that day. And, let's not mention the day that you and her... well... you know..." her eyes closed, "I just want to know what happened between you two. Running is something Shadow the hedgehog would do, but that's something you are doing. Why? What happened to you two?"
"I'm not running..." he said as he looked down, "I don't run..."
"Then what do you call this?" Rouge asked, "Why are you not at the side of your child's mother..."
"Because..." his voice trailed off.
"Because, what, Shadow?"
"Because... I'm trying to... protect her... I'm trying to protect her..."
Oh how he hated Rouge. She was the only person in the entire world who could get under his skin like this. To be honest, he still wasn't sure if that was a good thing, or a bad thing.
"Protect her from what, Shadow?" Rouge asked, her voice growing comforting.
He looked up where, to her surprise, she saw tears rolling down his face. Never before had she seen the hedgehog cry. It was an action she deemed impossible, especially coming from him. But here he was, crying. There were no sobs, no moans, just the tears. His face looked it though, his face looked so hurt.
"Myself!" he stated, "I'm protecting her from me!"
Finally he released the bat, so he could instead grab the bridge of his nose. A loud groan escaped his lips, as he shook his head to and fro. He really felt the need to leave take him now, and it looked as if he might have done so, for he turned around to save face. But Rouge placed her hand on his shoulder, locking his footsteps square in the Winter grass.
"Why do you need to protect her from yourself?" Rouge asked, trying to make sense of the hedgehog's words.
"Don't you know who I am, Rouge!?" the hedgehog barked, shaking her from head to toe, "I am Shadow the hedgehog! The one and only, the Ultimate Life form, the living weapon. My name has become synonymous with all that is wrong in the world. I've been called a demon, the Devil, even Satan. I used to ignore it all the time but... There was one name I couldn't ignore..." he grew quite as his eyes closed, "They called me Black Arms. I could never ignore that, Rouge, because I am a Black Arms. I can never be freed of that lineage within my blood, not now, not ever..."
"What does that have to do with Tikal?" Rouge asked, "Wouldn't you want to be by someone's side who could defend you?"
"It's never that easy," Shadow answered, "For a while Tikal did defend me, she fought back against their words. But then, Tikal became pregnant. I wanted to be happy, I really did but..." he growled again, "I could stand it when they called me names, I was used to it. But not her, not Tikal. I watched as the life flush from her face when they called her that name..."
Silence. Just a long strand of silence.
"What name?" the bat inquired.
"Mother of a Demon," Shadow answered as he looked over to her, "They called her the Mother of a Demon. I couldn't believe it. It hurt her so much. Demon Mother, Black Arms Bedfellow, Monster, all these names that I couldn't even believe someone would call her. It didn't take a rocket scientist to know that I was the cause of it. I enjoyed going places with Tikal, in the first few months of her pregnancy. She used to talk about all the fun we would have, names for the children, the house we'd stay in, you know, that typical female banter..." he looked to his hands, "But the more time went by, the more she began to show, and when she started to show... the name calling began..." he slammed his foot down, triggering a small quake to rumble through the ground, "I couldn't stand it! I wanted to kill them for what they said about her! And I had the power too! You know I do!" he calmed down, "But I didn't. I didn't want to perpetrate the stereotypes that I already have. I didn't want to strike down a bunch of those fools, and be labeled a menace again. I worked hard to get to the level I'm at, and I wasn't going to let some idiots bring me back down again..." he placed his hand on his face, "But Tikal! Tikal had never been called such words in her life. Never. Not now, not ever. To be an angel, and be called a demon... I couldn't imagine it. I was used to it but not her..."
He started breathing in and out slowly, his intense ranting appearing to be over. Rouge thought on his words, finding the deep meanings her friend placed within. Looking up and around, she stared to the empty park they stood in. If anyone was here before, they were surely sent running by now. Her vision returned to Shadow's regretful demeanor. Then she placed her hand upon his shoulder.
"Shadow..." she whispered.
"I ignored it a first..." Shadow said, answering some invisible question Rouge seemingly gave him, "I could ignore it. And for a while, Tikal ignored it too. Those idiots could have hated us all they wanted. But, with time, they got worse," he rubbed the back of his head, "They started to attack me. I could be on the streets alone, walking here, walking there, and those fools would attack me. They would attack me," he added such emphasis on that word, "They would attack me. The man they called the Living Weapon, the man they called a member of the Black Arms," he chuckled, "They were stupid enough to attack me, the man they feared. And if they were stupid enough to attack me, I knew they were cowardly enough to attack a pregnant woman..." he looked over to Rouge, "And I wasn't about to risk that," the hedgehog had fell back, sitting down on the cold grass of the park, "I knew they would do that..."
"So that's why you left Tikal?" Rouge said in disbelief, "Because you thought she'd be attacked?"
The hedgehog vanished in a black blur, only to reappear in Rouge's face. The visage of grief he once had was now gone, being replaced with murderous rage. He grabbed his friend by the collar of her clothing and lifted her up high, causing her to grip at his hand in an attempt to free herself.
"Don't patronize me!" he yelled at her, "You know as well as I, that I have a reason to think this way! I think that I can protect everyone! I think that I've done enough to be respected! I think I've been given enough to be happy in life! I keep thinking wrong! I'm always wrong! Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, WRONG!" he dropped her, making her wilt back in caution, "I thought that when I became a G.U.N. Agent, all the turmoil I had with these people would be gone. I was wrong. I thought that if I kept saving the world, some of the good I've done would come back to me. I was wrong," he breathed in deep and hard, "I thought that I could protect Maria... I was wrong... All the power in the world, and I couldn't even save her... If I couldn't save her, what has changed?"
It took Rouge a while to realize that his question wasn't rhetorical. He fully expected her to answer him, in any way shape or form. The bat thought on his question, wondering what in his life had changed. As much as she hated to admit it, Shadow's life was still the same as it was years ago. Waking up to fight this, waking up to fight that, only to come back home and be berated by the very beings he protected. No matter how much she disliked it, the hedgehog didn't really have much to be happy for.
No wait, he had one thing to be happy for.
"Your life has changed, Shadow..." she answered, "There's a baby being born on this planet, Shadow. I don't know if it's a boy or girl, but I know that it's your child. Your son or daughter. Yours. And I know that your life won't be the same after it... I promise you that..."
"Do you believe that?" Shadow asked, "Do you think my life will really change because of it?"
"I promise you that," Rouge said as she hugged him close, "I know how much your life hurts... but I promise it will change because of this," she let out a deep breath, "I promise..."
A slight gust of wind seemed to signal the end of their talk. Rouge released her friend in order to grip the edge of her jacket. When gazing up, she found Shadow's eyes to lie solely on her. The emotions he was feeling before were now long gone, returning him to his original stoicism. Rouge could tell he was just waiting to fill that pit in his heard.
"Come on Shadow boy," she said with a wink and a smirk, "Let's get you to Angel Island, we don't want missing out on your child's birth, now do we?"
"Angel Island?" Shadow repeated in a trance like fashion, "Of course..." he began shaking his head, "I should've figured that out..."
"Yes you should," Rouge giggled as she sauntered her way over, "But its good we had this little talk before you can storm off," she started stretching, "Now whip out that Chaos Emerald of yours and get us out of here."
"If you tell anyone about this," said the hedgehog in question as he withdrew the green Chaos Emerald, "I will kill you. You do understand that, right?"
"I'll keep that in mind." the bat answered.
Shaking his head, Shadow rose high the jewel of power. His mind focused hard on thoughts and images, before finding the one place he wished to go to.
"CHAOS CONTROL!"
The jewel in hand started to flash and shake, causing a wondrous light to spread from its body. This light started to expand eventually swallowing up whole the hedgehog and his friend. Soon after, the light died out, leaving the park in as much silence as it once was. Shadow and Rouge were gone when this happen.
…
"Don't bleed over my temple!" Knuckles yelled as he marched into the defunct construct.
He didn't care if she was feeling pain, he didn't care if she was giving birth, all he cared about was the state of the buildings he grew up in. Granted, he has been alone all his life, so the 'beauty of childbirth' is something that has been missed by him. Then again, he could easily be a jerk. Hey, Tikal may be his cousin, but that doesn't mean he has to treat her any nicer than anyone else. She knows how much he loves his temples. Speaking of which...
The orange furred echidna felt her blood rush in every which way possible. Many times in the past had she helped newborns be delivered, but it was so much different when she was the one who giving birth. Thank the Echidna Gods for Vanilla, or else Tikal would have to rely on someone like Amy or Knuckles for help. And honestly, both of them felt like terrible choices in her head.
"Just calm yourself," Vanilla soothed as she placed her hand Tikal's forehead, "You're doing fine..."
Tikal wished she could answer her older friend, but her screams were to busy peppering the skies. Honestly, screaming felt like the only thing that made the pain lower, if only by a few increments. She felt so embarrassed having her legs spread apart like this, even if it was to get the being that was growing within her. At least Knuckles wasn't looking, but he was too busy ranting on the situation to actually lend any sort of aid.
"GET IT OUT!" Tikal roared as she bit her bottom lip, "NOW!"
Raising her fist, she slammed it into the earth, causing a crack to split through the ground. This split caused the walls to be severed in half, it even moved up to the ceiling. This, of course, gained a reply from her cousin.
"What the hell!?" Knuckles roared, "Stop breaking my temples!"
But Tikal ignored it all. Her screams even echoed outside. The animals within the forests of Angel Island were disturbed by these calls. It had been years since a child was born on the floating isles, and that gave way to a certain red echidna in fact.
"Come on, Blaze!" Amy called as she tried to push her way forward, "Let me through!"
"Tikal specifically requested that I don't let you in," the lilac feline answered, "Sorry..."
This little comment made Amy pull back and pout.
"But she let Knuckles in, and he can't possibly be of any use!"
"It's his island," Blaze said with a shrug, "Don't get mad at me..."
Throwing her arms up, Amy groaned aloud. When her jade eyes returned to Blaze though, she found the cat to take an oddly defensive disposition. Not saying anything, the pink hedgehog eventually turned around. Her green eyes met red.
"Sh... Shadow...?" she whispered in shock.
He remained silent as his eyes lay upon her. When placing his hand on her shoulder though, he gently moved her aside. Soon after he stepped pass Blaze, who didn't attempt to stop him in the least bit. In unison Amy and her feline friend watched the hedgehog step into the temple, both remaining silent as they thought over what they just saw.
"Uh..." Amy let out, "That was Shadow..."
"So it seems..." Blaze added.
Suddenly Rouge's arms fell upon the two as she appeared from virtually nowhere.
"Don't worry," she assured, "Things are going to get a little better from here on out."
…
"So what are we going to name her?" the echidna rightfully inquired.
The flames all around the room brought light to them. She could remember a time when the marble walls and floors were pristine and white. But now they were all brown and black, weathered by time. For some reason, the sight of it brought a smile to her face. Everything and everyone changes, just give it a little time. One just has to wait to see if the change is for the better, or the worst.
The little hoglet was wrapped in the black vest belonging to a certain hedgehog. He was right at her side, holding onto her shoulder, hugging her close, as his other bare hand pressed lightly upon the forehead of the newborn baby. For hours upon hours she sat in the room, pushing and pushing. She hated every moment of it, until she came out. Her daughter, no, their daughter. Everyone else had left by now, just to give them time to themselves. The echidna could tell this was much to the hedgehog's liking, he never was the people person after all. It made her giggle, breaking the frail state she was holding for hours on end.
"So do you have any ideas for a name?" she asked of her mate, making his ruby eyes move up.
They remained in silence for a while, as the hedgehog thought on the words she gave to him. Then it hit him. The perfect name, for their little daughter.
"Akna..." he whispered.
Tikal felt the name to be odd at first, though this feeling of attachment resonated from it. A few minutes of blank thinking finally revealed to her why.
"My mother's name?" she said in confusion, "What? Why Akna?"
The hedgehog looked at her.
"I remember what you said about your mother," he murmured, "How she was strong-willed, and never let anything or anyone get to her. She never shook in the face of adversity, and fought it head on. I want our daughter to be like that. I want her to be strong..." he started rubbing the little hoglet, "Do you have any suggestions?"
"Well," Tikal said as she hugged her child close, "I was thinking about... Maria... actually..."
She looked into his eyes, watching them grow into a squint. It didn't stop her resolve, however.
"My thought process was a lot like yours, Shadow," the echidna continued, "From what you told me about her, Shadow... Maria was so nice, nice to everyone, able to inspire people with an almost magical level of authority..." she sighed, "She gave people hope... She gave you hope..." and a smile came to her lips, "I want our daughter to be like that. To give people hope..."
"We'll met half way," Shadow whispered closely, "Akna-Maria..." he shook his head, "I suck at naming things..."
"No, no," Tikal giggled, "I like that name. Akna-Maria. She'll fight for hope, Shadow..." she rubbed her daughter's sleeping face, "She'll fight for hope..."
The small little hoglet, with black fur and light red streaks, slowly opened her eyes. They were blue, just like her mothers. Slowly the small newborn opened her mouth in a yawn, which was loud to her, but ever so small to everyone else. It effortlessly brought a smile to her mother's lips, while Shadow remained just as emotionless as ever.
"I'm sorry..." the hedgehog suddenly said.
It took a while for Tikal's mind to parse the words she just heard. By the time she realized what words he said, she just stared at him wide eyed.
"Did you just apologize?" she inquired in pure shock.
"Don't patronize me, Tikal," he stated, "You know how much I hate doing that."
"I know, I know," she said, "It's just so... shocking and well..." her eyes closed, "I don't feel like going through 'I'm sorrys' and 'I forgive yous', right now Shadow..." she looked back down to their daughter, "Can't we just focus on her right now?"
He kissed her on the cheek, making Tikal shiver from the touch.
"I guess we can..." he answered.
…
Nine months ago...
She struggled around the many halls with the basket in her arms. Clothing upon clothing was within, and it was her job this evening to deal with them. The amount of body suits that outweighed the other various clothing was staggering at least. She knew her roommate/landlady/best-friend was a super agent and all, but this was a tad bit overkill.
Dropping the basket of clothing down, the tribal princess gazed down upon new washing machine they recently bought. It was white, shimmering, and the girl before it had absolutely no idea how to work the darn thing. The many buttons and knobs, it was one thing she definitely couldn't stand thanks to the future. Everything had, like, a billion little switches to get the darn thing working. She was planning to just wash the clothing the old fashion way, but there seemed to be a staggering lack of rivers in the immediate area. So it was either this monstrosity, or dirty clothing.
And that's not to mention the 'special guest' she had to look after this evening. It seemed as if the hedgehog had recently injured himself on duty, again. Instead of spending time in the infirmary like he should have been doing though, he was in the care of his good-friend. And since his good-friend was busy at work, that meant this orange echidna had to tend to him every now and then. She didn't mind it, if only she didn't have such a big crush on him.
After a few minutes of mindless wandering through the halls, the orange echidna finally worked up the courage to go in his room. Pressing her hand on the door she slowly pushed it forward, allowing some light to pour into the dark room.
"Sh-Shadow?" she stuttered, as she called into the room.
Her blue eyes trekked up and down the many edges of the dark room, before she found red eyes gazing back. It never took much for the hedgehog to invoke terror within people, and she was no different. But a smile came to her lips nonetheless, and she slowly slid into the room, being sure to close the door behind herself.
"Good morning, Shadow," she said with a wave, "I hope Club Rouge didn't keep you up all night."
The hedgehog didn't say a word, instead keeping his ruby eyes on the girl before him. Knowing how the he could get, the tribal princess walked up to his bedside. Upon closer inspection, one could see various bandages on his body. Whatever battle he was in, truly did a number on him. She couldn't help but to silently wince to herself as she wondered what happened.
"Are you okay this morning, Shadow?" she asked, "I need to make sure you're alright..."
Her hand slowly moved forward, touching the very edge of the covers that lay on his body. A blush started to grow next, as memories of the past moved in. She remembered doing something like this to him before but, the memory seemed all funny. Regardless, as she moved down the cover, she revealed even more bandages and coils.
"Wow," she mused, "What battle were you in, Shadow...?"
The hedgehog continued staring in silence though, causing the echidna to swallow her spit.
"I'm sorry if this is awkward," she commented as she pressed her hand upon the coil on his head, "I'm just making sure you're alright..."
"I'm fine Tikal..." he said in the nicest way he possibly could, which coming from Shadow, is still pretty terrifying.
She brought her hand back down, placing it now on the edge of his bed. The hedgehog's defensive shell was gone now, as he now sat with crossed arms. Well, as crossed as they could be with coils pushing off of one another. For some reason, the sight of this made Tikal giggle. It was light-hearted, and served to reduce some of the tension growing within. His face was still hard, however.
"Seriously, Shadow," she said, "You know I can't stand looking at you hurt like this..."
"Hmph," he countered as he glanced away, "As if it actually mattered..."
"Why are you so hard-headed, Shadow?" she asked, "I'm trying to make sure you're alright, you know that right?"
"I'm fine," the hedgehog replied, "All I need is some rest. I don't get that often, ya'know..."
"And why's that?" Tikal inquired, as she moved in a bit closer.
"Well, unlike you, sleep isn't something I necessarily need," his eyes closed, "My body doesn't need to do the same things your body needs to do. Things like sleep, eating, I don't really need..."
"Then how do you keep your energy up?" she asked.
He shook his head.
"I still need to do these things," he stated, "Its just not necessary to my survival," his face grew into a grimace, "I wish G.U.N. realized that sometimes though. They keep sending me out on missions like I'm infinitely expendable..."
He let loose a sigh from his lips, as he once again tried to rest his body.
"Hey," Tikal suddenly said, making his eyes spring open, "I can help you get some rest..." she made a twirling gesture with her finger, "Why don't you lay on your stomach, I'll help..."
Of course, Shadow was extremely weary of her proposal. His eyes grew int a squint, and he was all but ready to say 'no'. But before the world could ever leave his lips, he suddenly felt a spike of pain, one that made him groan out loud. When he gazed forward, he saw Tikal with this strongly adamant position. Now she wasn't going to take 'no' for an answer. Maybe it was the girl, or maybe it was the pain, whatever the case may be, the hedgehog wasn't in the mood to fight back. Not now, anyway. So, bending to Tikal's will, he turned around and laid on his stomach.
He felt kind of embarrassed to be laying like this in all honesty, but at the same time, he felt oddly comfortable. Maybe it was Tikal's earthly presence. He found his eyes to be closing, as he awaited whatever action Tikal would perform to relieve the tension. He found her hands to start grooving through his individual quills, pressing down hard upon his backside. At first it stung, causing him to growl, but after a few seconds, the pain went away. Tikal's hands were impressive as they pressed down on some areas, yet lightly touched others. Never before had Shadow ever had such a treatment. What did they call it? A massage? There were times Rouge offered to bring him to a massage parlor, particularly after a hard day's work, but he always declined. If he knew this is how it felt, maybe he would have taken her up on one of her many offers.
"Oh Shadow," Tikal mused, "Your back is so hard. I mean, I know you're very, how you say, closed out, but... this is a bit intense, don't you think..."
"I'm not the kind of guy to let people get close..." he answered truthfully as he slumped down.
"I know but... don't you ever feel some sense of happiness? I mean, this feels as if you're always with a frown..."
"I don't have much to get happy about..." he responded.
"I figured as much..."
Raising he hand, she pressed it upon the line of his neck, causing him to arch up in a sudden jolt. In fear, Tikal pulled back as she stared at him. Slowly, he turned around so he could gaze into the echidna's eyes.
"Sorry," she stammered, "I guess that was a bit too much..."
"Please don't do that again..." he whispered.
She nodded, and a bit of silence came over. Shadow and Tikal just gazed into one another eyes in blank silence. Tikal with this unsure face, while Shadow with his stoic visage of emotionlessness. The tribal princess was about to make her way out, but hands suddenly started creeping up her legs. She didn't move her head down, but she gazed down with her eyes. His hands continued to slide up her thigh, making her face gain this blush.
"Sh-Shadow..." she moaned.
"I don't like what you keep doing to me..." he answered.
"I don't... get what you mean..." the tribal princess answered as her blush grew greater.
Answer made him growl, of all things.
"Don't play dumb with me..." he answered as his hand started to move to her waist, "You know exactly what you did to me..."
"Shadow..." she answered, eyes closing, "I'm not sure I entirely understand you..."
A smile came to her lips, as his hands continued to travel up her body. Then, through the darkness that her eyes saw, she felt his lips press onto hers. This, secret relationship, they kept from their friends was such a thrill to her. Sure, she would love to tell Amy, or Miss Vanilla, or especially Rouge, but this hidden, slightly taboo relationship, was such an excitement for her. The Angel of Purity, Tikal, and the Ultimate Life form, Shadow the hedgehog. What a pairing these two were.
His lips parted hers, then his tongue slithered into her mouth. She swooned at the taste, as she slowly fell atop him on the bed.
If only, one may say, they knew the consequences of this tryst. Maybe things would have been a bit different. Maybe not...
Maverick Talks!
Now, let me get to the point in time in which I, the great Maverick Kay Prime, talks. About stuff... yeah...
So, the first half of this story was supposed to be at the end of the last part, Father. I don't really know why, I just was going to have that chapter end with Tikal giving birth and things. Remember, this was going to be the last part, but now I have to write part four to properly end things. Jeeze, it irks me a bit.
Also, the birth scene in general. As you can tell, I skipped it. Never before have I ever written someone giving birth, and I probably, hopefully, never will again. I dunno, it makes me think if I should put this on mature, when its not really mature. I feel so... ugh... Sorry if it feels kind of rushed, I really wanted to get it over with. I feel weird just talking about it, oh!
Me personally, my favorite part of this story is the talk between Rouge and Shadow. I really do enjoy talking scenes between these two, because they're such close friends. Only Rouge could talk to Shadow like this, and not get killed. If it were anyone else, Shadow would have easily warped them into the vacuum of space. But not Rouge! Also, I hope you got your answer one why these two have this rift. It's, primarily, Shadow's fault. He wants to be the hero, but his definition of heroism, is kind of off. He only knows sacrifice, so of course he'll sacrifice happiness with Tikal, for her own happiness. Or, at least, what he believes to be her happiness. He's not really a people person, he wouldn't know happiness all that well. So, yeah. Rouge helped Shadow realize that things aren't nearly as bad as he thinks they are. He's just, scared. Yeah, he's scared like any new father would be. He just has a higher level of fear.
And, no Shadikal story of mine would be finished without a pointless reference to Tribal Dance! The story that actually caused me to write these Shadikal stories. Seriously, if you haven't read it yet, you should. I'm not just hyping myself (though I'm technically am) I'm just saying you'll enjoy. At least you'll understand my references.
Anyway, I've made, I believe, three references to Tribal Dance. The first two are blatant, the last one is a bit more hidden. Reference number one is the area where Tikal gives birth in, the Temple of the Starman. I would tell you who the Starman is, but that would ruin my own story, so let's just say he's an important character in Tribal Dance. Next, we have their child's name, Akna-Maria. Akna is the Mayan goddess of mothers, and in my story Tribal Dance, Akna is the name of Tikal's mother. If you go to toomou's page, you'll see the drawing she did for Akna, and its amazing! That being said, Akna was this tough and strong woman, so that's the reason why Shadow chose that name for their daughter. Hey, who doesn't want their daughter to be tough and strong? The last reference is at the end, during the flashback. When Tikal is massaging Shadow's back, she recalls a time where this felt familiar. This is also a reference to the earlier chapters of Tribal Dance, when Tikal had to take care of Shadow. Now, that's enough references for now. I feel so tingly whenever I inject a reference to another one of my works, within my works. I just sit there and wonder who can notice them.
Last, but certainly not least, the flashback scene. That was just so you guys could learn how Akna-Maria's conception came about. I didn't want to just leave you all wondering how their tryst occurred, granted, you could have just imagined it. The reason why Shadow is in bandages is because of G.U.N. business, you know that. I figured that, whenever he get's really hurt bad, he stays at Rouge's club, just like in Sonic Battle when Shadow got hurt and Rouge took care of them. They're friends, good friends, it's just that Shadow's a bit mechanical.
Well, that's it for this part. We've focused on Tikal, we've focused on Shadow, we've focused on the both of them, it is time to focus on one last person. Who is that person? Well, Akna-Maria of course. Next chapter, we'll learn how the child of two Chaos beings turns out as she ages.
Till next time!
Maverick Kay Prime
