Chapter 4. The story's progressing and we're about to find out a few more answers!

Mahooooo-sive thanks to: Savvy0417, Dunamic the Moon Princess (the weather's getting marginly better...thanks for commenting on it :D), Quillink14, Guest, ShadowsAngel1, The High School Hero, Magical-SandCastle! You guys motivate me to write this/hurry up with updates! d(^_^)b

Okay, so, here is chappie 4! Enjoy! :D

Chapter 4 – Cryptic riddles

(...1931...10th August...)

For Rouge, things were harder than she expected. No one seemed to know much about Amy Rose. She didn't have any family around here and she kept to herself. The only person who knew a lot about Amy – was a fellow maid named Cream. But she in too much despair to speak.

"You're wasting your time, Rouge," Shadow sulked, as the servants left the room for the couple to speak, "You won't find anything. It was a simple accident,"

"No it wasn't!" She screeched, angry that he would be so dismissive of her death, "People don't just fall from balconies like feathers, Shadow the hedgehog! Something must have happened up there! Why did she go up there in the first place?!"

Shadow didn't speak, bowing his head low and averting his gaze.

"You know...don't you?" Rouge whispered in disbelief, "Why did she go up there?"

He growled, "I don't know,"

"Why was she up there, Shadow?"

"I don't know,"

"She was with you. When did she disappear?"

"I said I don't know!" He yelled, glaring at her, "Just stop this, Rouge! She's dead! Stop causing trouble!"

"Amy would want us to know the truth!" Rouge sobbed, losing control of herself, "Or is there something that you don't want to come out?!"

"Says you!" Shadow's voice cracked, "Why don't you ask yourself that question? You've got more secrets than any of us!"

"Stop it," Rouge begged.

"No! Why don't you take a good look at yourself, Rouge? Cause I feel sorry for Knuckles!"

And with that, he stormed out of the room, leaving Rouge in a sad silence.

(...1972...)

"Silver?"

Blaze poked her head round the kitchen door. She had just arrived back – wondering where her husband was. He seemed to have vanished.

"Silver?"

Why wasn't he answering?

"Silver?"

No reply.

"Silver?!"

"Blaze!" His voice came, loud and clear, as he stampeded down the stairs and threw himself at her. She gasped as he pulled her into a massive hug, trembling.

"What's wrong?" She asked, frightened.

"Have you heard weird things about this house?" He looked down at her, nervous of the answer.

She gulped, "Why do you say that?"

"Please...just answer,"

"Yes," She whispered, "I've seen and heard a few things,"

"I don't think we're safe here,"

"Why on earth not?"

"This is going to sound mad..."

"Please," She held his hand in her own, "Just tell me. What happened?"

"I think...we're being targeted by some local teenager called Amy Rose,"

"That's not possible..." Blaze breathed, as her eyes widened in horror.

"Why not?"

"Because Amy Rose is dead,"

(...2013...)

"This is creepy beyond words," Tails shivered, "She shouldn't exist! Ghosts don't exist! They can't! It completely goes against everything we've ever believed in!"

"Maybe they do exist..." Sonic muttered.

"Don't tell me you believe that she's a ghost! She...c-can't be!"

"Why?" Sonic looked up at his best friend, "We've come across weirder. Why can't ghosts exist?"

"I guess you're right..." Tails sighed, "So what do we do? Move?"

"No way!" Sonic shot a disappointed look at the fox, "We don't move! She's a ghost! Not a serial killer! We need to find out what she wants. We never run from someone, bud! Ever!"

"Yeah, but it's...a ghost,"

"And?"

"They're creepy and will probably try to kill us. You've seen her. Covered in blood and ripped clothes,"

"So? Doesn't mean she isn't a nice person. And besides, she's probably more scared of us than we are of her,"

"Sonic, she's a ghost...not a spider,"

The blue blur shrugged, "Oh well. It still stands. And we need to help her. She seemed scared. And we don't refuse help from people – right, Tails?"

"I guess," Tails replied, with a heavy heart, "But how? What does she need help with? We're messing with things beyond our level of understanding,"

"I have a feeling it's to do with those letters and that Shadow character. She led me to the letters. She first appeared when we were about to read the second letter. We need to read those letters," Sonic smirked, pulling Tails up from the couch and dragging him into the kitchen. However, the letters were nowhere in sight

"Sonic..." Tails pointed towards a pile of ash, where the letter should be, "I don't understand..."

The cobalt hedgehog shuffled towards it, crumbling the black dust between his gloved fingers, "Burned..."

"What?"

"She burnt it,"

"Why?"

"...I don't know,"

(...1931...)

"It's weird..." Rouge mumbled, combing her hair with her fingers, "No one seems to know anything. Yet, at the same time, everyone seems to know something,"

"I guess they're keeping secrets,"

"But, how do I persuade them to tell me? I need to know what happened to Amy – she was my friend. And it's driving me crazy!"

"I dunno. Trick them?"

"I need to find out what Shadow knows. And tricking Shadow the hedgehog into admitting his secret...is near enough to impossible,"

"You're right. Maybe you should ask around about that rabbit girl?"

"Cream? I will...but she's too distressed at the moment. Give her time and I will be able to find out what she knows. She must know something. She was Amy's best friend,"

"There you go. You've got a lead,"

"But I don't understand!" Rouge sighed, frustrated, "One doesn't simply go from being at a party...to throwing themselves off a balcony!"

"How do you know she threw herself from the balcony?"

"I don't. It's a theory,"

"But the doctors said that she fell. They could tell from the way she fell,"

"I know. But something must have happened. It must have. It just doesn't make sense. Those railings don't break easily,"

"Maybe she slipped?"

"I don't know. Something seems weird to me,"

"I'm sure you'll figure it out. You always do,"

Rouge smirked, "You're acting like I've done this before,"

"Well..." Knuckles blushed a deep red, "You managed to figure me out,"

The bat tapped Knuckles' nose, "I did, didn't I? Oh well...thanks for your encouragement, Knuckie. It's really helped,"

The echidna placed his hands on her waist, pressing his lips into hers. The bat moaned, caressing his cheek as she sank into a moment of pure bliss.

The couple felt a pang of disappointment when they heard someone approaching the room.

Knuckles stood up, "I must go. No one can find me here. We'll both be strung up for treason,"

Rouge giggled, "The groundskeeper and the aristocrat. I could write a book,"

"Please don't," Knuckles smirked, "I'm sure your husband would read it and we would both be found out,"

"My husband does not own me," Rouge rolled her eyes, disapprovingly.

"By law," Knuckles bent forward and kissed the bat's cheek, "But not by heart,"

"I'll see you?" Rouge called as the echidna gave her a brisk nod and swept out of the room. Rouge sighed to herself, lounging back onto her bed.

She felt guilty. She had something which Amy wanted, yet Rouge no longer wanted it.

She had Knuckles and Shadow. Amy wanted Shadow.

Although, as Rouge suspected, Shadow's heart definitely belonged to someone else...

Someone who was no longer alive.

This meant that Shadow did know more than he was saying.

He had been with Amy on the night of her death. But, surely, he hadn't killed her? He loved her, didn't he? Or maybe someone else took Amy to the balcony.

The main question, at the moment, wasn't how did she fall or why did she die.

It was: who had led her to the balcony?

And Rouge had a feeling that Shadow knew the answer to that question. She just needed to get it out of him.

Easier said than done.

(...1972...)

"How can she be dead...?" Silver whispered, as his eyes darted around the room for any sign of movement.

Blaze sighed, "I don't know...all I know is that I saw her grave with my very own eyes. And that Knuckles warned me about something like this happening,"

"Maybe he's the one playing the joke on us," Silver growled, through gritted teeth, "Maybe he's behind this,"

"Silver...he was well over 60 years old. He wasn't behind this," Blaze frowned, "In fact; I'd say he was old enough to be alive when she was,"

"Never mind him. What do we do? We're living in a house with a freaking ghost, Blaze! It's not something we can just ignore!"

"Why don't we speak to her?" Blaze smiled, innocently, as Silver groaned.

"Have you been reading your 'life-after-death' books, again?"

"No," Blaze pouted, "I'm making a serious suggestion. We need to find out what's tying her to this world,"

Silver raised his eyebrow, really wishing that she wasn't into all this psychic-medium-ghosts-stuff, "And how do we do that?"

"Simple!" Blaze grabbed his wrist and pulled him towards the stair case. Silver knew better than to argue with her, "We need to speak to her,"

"You want me to talk to the crazy ghost who tried to blow up my radio and is covered in blood?!" Silver hissed, worriedly.

Blaze's mouth stretched into a grin, "Yes. You make it sound bad, saying it like that,"

"Maybe that's because it's a crazy plan!" The grey hedgehog took a deep breath in, feeling nervous, "Okay...A-Amy? You there?"

Nothing.

"Oh, looks like she's not here!" Silver spun on his heel and grinned at the cat, "Shame, isn't it!"

"Silver..." Blaze whispered, pointing over his shoulder. The grey hedgehog slowly turned around, gasping as pink quills came into view. She stared, waiting for them to say something.

"W-what are you d-doing here? What do you want?" Blaze murmured, clutching her bulging stomach. The pink girl looked, disdainfully, at Blaze's bump.

"You bear a child?" She asked, without recognition.

The lavender cat nodded, hesitantly, "Y-yes,"

"Do you love her?" Amy bleated at Silver, staring into his golden eyes.

The male hedgehog gulped, pulling Blaze closer to him, "Of course,"

The ghost blinked, emotionlessly, "Love kills,"

The lights suddenly exploded, scattering glass towards the floor. Blaze let out a scream as Silver protected her by covering his body over hers. As the electrics sparked and crackled, the couple looked back at the staircase.

She was gone.

(...2013...)

"So...any ideas?"

"Several. None of them to do with the ghost, though," The black cat smirked, eyeing up Sonic. The cobalt hedgehog had decided to visit the village. None of the residents seemed to know anything about the ghost – because no one had lived in the house since the 70's. However, this young cat – who went by the name of Paris – had claimed she knew something about the house. But she had to see the house to give her opinion. This did strike Sonic as odd, but he just wanted to help the ghost and make Tails feel safe.

"What have you got ideas about, then?" Sonic frowned, folding his arms and leaning onto his left leg.

"Me..." Paris smirked, glancing at Tails, to make sure he wasn't listening, "...and you,"

Sonic's expression hardened, "Us?"

"Uh huh..." The cat licked her lips, "...us. Listen, leave your little friend out of this and I'll show you a 'paranormal experience',"

A shiver made its way up Sonic's spine, "I don't think so,"

"Really?" Paris stepped towards Sonic, placing her hands on his thigh, "Cause I'm a real mystery when it comes to the bedroom,"

"I think I've heard enough," Sonic grimaced as he tried to bat her hands away. He wanted her out of the house and away from him as soon as possible.

Suddenly, a creak came from the stairs. The cat and hedgehog glanced up to find nothing there.

"Listen, if you really want my opinion on the ghost," Paris sighed, angrily, "I think you should just move. I mean, ghosts don't exactly exist. Maybe you need a little break from all your 'saving the world' activities,"

"Leave this place!" A voice screeched behind them. Sonic gasped as Paris screamed, before racing out of the door and down the driveway. Amy was standing in front of Sonic, making his blood run cold.

"Sonic!" Tails cried, seeing the ghost and running next to his best friend, "What do we do?"

"Why did you do that?" Sonic asked, "And why did you burn the letters? We want to help you. I would have expected you to try and scare us away...but I don't think you want to do that, do you?"

"Who was she, Shadow?" Amy whispered, surprising the two males by speaking, "I thought you loved me!"

"Uh...she was nobody," Sonic groaned, remembering Paris' bad flirting, "And my name is Sonic. Sonic the hedgehog,"

"No...you're Shadow the hedgehog," Amy growled, "I waited 93 years for you. I love you! Don't you love me?"

"I'm not Shadow," Sonic whispered, gently.

"I missed you," A tear ran down Amy's face, "I waited for you to return. And you did. But now I find you with some stupid cat?"

"I'm not Shadow. And believe me," Sonic smirked, "I have no intention of going out with her,"

"Going out with who?" Tails mumbled to his friend.

Sonic chuckled, "Long story,"

"There were two other people in this house in 1972," Amy continued, "They worked it out. I need you to work it out, Shadow,"

"Work what out...?" Sonic frowned.

Tails blinked, "Sonic...you're not Shadow,"

"If she thinks I am," Sonic explained, "She might tell us how to help,"

"Rouge was so close to working it out," Amy mumbled, "But someone didn't tell her everything. Someone close to her,"

"What did she nearly work out?" The cobalt hedgehog pressed for an answer, not understanding her riddles.

She looked up at them, with glistening tears in her eyes, "My death,"