"Tikal…Tikal?" Amy called into the phone, her hand gripping it as hard as she possibly could.
"Tikal! What's wrong with Shadow?" the pink hedgehog called again.
No answer.
Amy looked around frantically. Suddenly, she gasped as her eyes fell upon the telephone cord.
It was out of the outlet.
Someone was in her apartment.
She gripped the phone harder in fear. Now, now, Amy. You're jumping to conclusions. How could someone possibly be in your—her thoughts were interrupted when she saw that the door to her apartment was open. That's how! In a flash, Amy put the phone down and turned around. Her eyes widened.
"SONIC!"
She instantly ran over to the fallen blue hedgehog's side. He was unconscious. Amy found her heart beating rapidly in fear. Someone was in her apartment. Someone had knocked Sonic out…someone could be trying to…
Amy stood up, looking around on full alert. Unfortunately, she couldn't stop her voice from shaking.
"A-all right! Come out! I know you're here!" she yelled.
No answer.
The pink hedgehog bit her lip. She was already tense…now who came to make her even more nervous? Oh…please don't let it be—
A sound.
Amy rushed to the bedroom without any second thoughts. Looking around, she found the window open. Are they gone?
Cautiously, she walked over to the window, and peered outside at the busy streets of Station Square. She looked down, and barely caught the sight of someone rushing around the corner. She couldn't see much of it…but she saw that it had tan fur.
Well…at least he's gone…she thought, pulling the window down.
Quietly, and more slowly, she walked back into the main room.
Why were they here? She hugged herself to stop her heart from beating so fast. And who is 'they'? These thoughts left the girl puzzled.
When she returned to the living room, she found Sonic waking up. She stopped herself from rushing over, knowing she'd scare him. So instead, she came up to him slowly.
"Sonic…" she called. "Are you okay?"
Sonic sat up slowly, looking like he was in deep thought. He then closed his eyes tightly, as if he had thought too hard.
Slowly, Amy knelt down beside the blue hedgehog. She waited until he opened his eyes again. Once he did, he only stared at the carpet. Amy furrowed her eyebrows. What was she to do? Somehow, she had to get Sonic back to normal. Oh, if only I knew what was wrong with him! As that thought struck her, she was instantly reminded of Shadow.
"Oh my goodness!" she gasped. "I totally forgot!"
But…Amy looked at Sonic, biting her lip. She couldn't leave Sonic here all by himself…but she had to go see what was wrong with Shadow!
Amy sighed. Things were so complicated…wait a minute! Amy could feel an idea coming her way. What about Cream?
Without thinking, she rushed over to the phone. She could only hope she didn't scare Sonic; luckily, she didn't. She picked it up to call her friend, but was surprised when there wasn't a buzzing noise.
Amy slapped her forehead with her hand. Stupid! You forgot to plug the phone back in! Hastily, she put the cord back in its place, and dialed Cream's number.
To her relief, it was answered on the first ring.
"Hello?" a young voice called through.
"Hey, Cream! Can you come over here to do a favor for me?" Amy asked.
"Sure! Let me ask my mom; hold on one moment, please!" the pink hedgehog could hear the phone being put down.
Minutes passed by, and Amy found herself nervously tapping her fingers against the countertop in her kitchen.
Suddenly, she heard Cream's voice once more. "My mother said it was all right for me to come over. Me and Cheese will be right there in a few minutes! Bye, Amy!"
"Bye!" with a grateful heart, the pink hedgehog put the phone down.
……..
Amy ran down the crowded sidewalk a few minutes later. She had so much on her mind at the moment—and she was ever so thankful that Cream could take some of it off of her. She could only think of the possibilities of what might be wrong with Shadow. Could he have woken up? Could the doctors have figured something out about him that might be fatal? Could he be…
The pink hedgehog shook her head. That's thinking too far, Amy! She told herself. He couldn't be dead…could he?
As the thoughts grew more intense, so did the August heat. Amy found herself sweating.
"Phew! Am I getting an exercise!" she exclaimed to no one in particular.
Amy! You're changing the subject! She thought. You need to think of the task at hand! Like: why was someone in your apartment?
Amy slowed down to a walk as those thoughts began taking over her mind.
Who was in your apartment? Why was the cord pulled out of its socket? Did whoever it was not want you to find out what was wrong with Shadow? Why did that person knock Sonic out?
Amy furrowed her eyebrows. But the main question is: who was in my apartment? The pink hedgehog looked up, hoping to look at the sky, but instead she found she was nearing the hospital. No time to think about that, now! I'll be a detective later—right now, I need to figure out what's wrong with Shadow!
With that thought in mind, she picked up her pace and rushed into the white lobby. Without waiting for anybody, she just walked up to the desk.
"May I help you?" the hedgehog behind the desk questioned. She was cream in color, with glasses that lightly rested on her nose. She looked at Amy with eyes that said 'I-could-really-care-less-about-all-the-injured-people-here-I'm-just-here-for-the-money.'
Amy kept her disgusted reactions to herself and answered politely, "Yes, I'm here to see Shadow the Hedgehog. What room is he in?"
The pink hedgehog wasn't prepared for the answer the nurse gave her.
"Oh, that one? Yeah, about him: he isn't here anymore."
Amy just about choked in surprise. "WHAT? Was he moved to another hospital or what?"
The cream hedgehog shook her head. "Nah. A couple of people just said they'd rather have him stay at their place instead—they sounded confident."
"They SOUNDED confident?" Amy was enraged. "What kind of hospital is this?" she exclaimed. "What hospital lets people off the streets waltz in here and take the injured home because they SOUNDED like they could take care of them?"
The cream hedgehog sighed. "Miss…"
"No! You have no excuse for this! Who is your manager? I demand to talk to him now!" Amy shouted.
By now, everyone in the lobby was staring at the scene taking place in front of them.
"Do you have the authority to demand such an order?" the cream hedgehog ask casually.
Amy narrowed her eyes, gritting her teeth. "No. But I've got a reason. In case you didn't know, I am Amy Rose."
The hedgehog's olive green eyes showed a slight hint of recognition. "THE Amy Rose?"
"Yes. The one and only Amy Rose. And the hedgehog who you carelessly let others take away was Shadow the Hedgehog. The Ultimate Life Form," Amy still had her teeth clenched.
The cream hedgehog closed her eyes as her heart fell in dread. She knew what she had done. "And I'm guessing you have your piko-piko hammer?"
"You bet—and I ain't afraid to use it," Amy gritted.
The hedgehog sighed. "Second room to your left on the top floor."
"Thank you," Amy said as politely as she could.
Just as she was about to leave, the cream hedgehog called after her, "And my name is Iza, okay?"
Amy turned around, surprised. Did this girl really want to be fired?
As if Iza read her mind, she informed, "And no, I don't want to be fired—but hey, I can't tell lies. I prefer to be honest and accept my consequences. Its just the way I am."
Amy smirked. Maybe that hedgehog wasn't so bad after all…even if she didn't have a heart for those who were hurt.
"Are you just going to stand there or consult with my boss?" Iza inquired.
Amy let out an impressed breath, and shook her head, walking back up to the cream hedgehog.
"No…" she said. "I don't think you deserve to be fired. But I would like to know why you let Shadow go so carelessly."
"Isn't it obvious?" Iza asked. "I don't really care about those in need. I know it may sound mean—but hey. I am who I am. And helping people…isn't really my thing."
Amy furrowed her eyebrows. "Then why do you work here?"
"I'm forced to work here."
Amy was shocked. "Forced? Why?"
"It's a long story…but to make things short, let's just say that my dad thinks he has the best ideas for me. Pffh! Yeah right," Iza huffed.
"I've heard that a few times…" Amy admitted. The pink hedgehog paused a minute before she questioned, "What would you like to do for a living?"
Iza shrugged. "Eh, anything really. I don't really have a dream job. All I really want is to be happy with a good husband and live a calm life."
Amy nodded, thinking about her hero. "Yeah…"
A silence settled, and soon, Iza was fiddling with a mechanical pencil. Amy watched the pencil in her newfound friend's hand while in deep thought. Where was Shadow? What had happened to him? Was that what Tikal was calling about?
Amy furrowed her eyebrows and said, "Who took Shadow?"
"Well, if you gotta know, it was a red echidna and a white bat…I think a two-tailed fox was with them as well…I know his name from somewhere on TV., but I can't come up with it right now…" when Iza looked up, she found the pink hedgehog gone.
She looked left and right, but didn't see Amy anywhere. Shrugging, she went back to fiddling with the mechanical pencil in her hands.
………
"Is he okay?"
Tails sighed. "For the thousandth time, Rouge, yes! He's fine!"
Rouge sat down, trying to settle her nerve-wrecked nerves (sounds silly, doesn't it?) but that wasn't so easy…especially when one of your best friend's life is on the line. Silence settled, and the fox thought he could finally rest his tired self. He fully laid himself down on the sofa, closing his eyes for a nice nap…
"How is his pulse?" Rouge suddenly asked.
The fox jolted awake. Then, annoyed by the bat's constant questions, replied, "His pulse is fine…"
Rouge nodded, leaning back in her chair. She had a billion other questions…like how was his fever doing? That made her nervous when she found out…and it only made Tikal want to stay by his bed all the more…and she currently was. Rouge once again tried to relax…but her nerves were in a tangle, and she felt that if someone made even a little noise…she'd go ballistic.
Unfortunately, someone did.
Knuckles came calmly walking back from the kitchen, holding a glass of orange juice. Because of Rouge's sensitive hearing, she heard his footsteps. And you can guess what happened.
"AH!" Rouge screamed, sitting up straight.
The sudden cry startled Knuckles, and he screamed as well…dropping his glass. Tails was abruptly pulled from his sleep by the two screams and lifted his head only to be splashed by orange juice and have an empty glass hit the floor beside him. Annoyed, he looked around, and found both the echidna and bat screaming in shock.
Sighing and muttering to himself 'why me?' he stood up. He took in a deep breath before yelling at the top of his lungs….
"BE QUIET!"
Immediately, both shut their mouths.
"Now, both of you! Settle down! I will not tolerate this! You will NOT scream in my workshop! Repeat, NOT scream in my workshop! Understood?" the fox exclaimed.
Both animals nodded in fear of the sudden loud voice.
"Now…as for the orange juice…" the fox looked down at himself, and then glared at Knuckles.
The red echidna instantly held up his hands in defense. "It was an accident! Really!"
Tails sternly marched towards the kitchen. Knuckles' eyes widened as he realized what the fox was going to do….
…or rather, have HIM do…
Rouge seemed to get the same vibe. She smiled, trying to sound sorry. "You have my sympathy…"
Knuckles shot her a death glare. "Be quiet."
Rouge stuck her tongue out arrogantly as the two-tailed fox returned, carrying a towel. He threw it at the Master Emerald Guardian, who caught it with ease.
Knuckles stared at Tails, awaiting the word for his doom to begin.
"Start cleaning."
……….
Shadow closed his eyes, awaiting the loud bang and the immense pain. He knew why he was here. It was because of his iniquities, his…evil doings. Everything he did that wasn't right…it was all going to be paid for right here, right now.
Shadow sighed. He could remember what he told the Commander of GUN when he had tried to kill him…
If what you say is true…then I will gladly accept this fate.
Shadow knew that he had caused all that pain…all that suffering of so many people…and it hurt him. It ached him. It caused his heart to just tear, knowing he was the cause of it…
…and yet, there was forgiveness…
Everyone forgave him. Some more easily than others. There was still fear of him…and he hated it. More than anything, he wanted to be trusted. He wanted to…
…belong…
…wait a minute…that voice…again? No. It sounded different. This voice sounded…pure.
Who is it this time? Shadow called out in his mind.
No answer.
Shadow felt puzzled. Who was it that time? Without thinking, the black hedgehog opened his eyes and looked behind him. The GUN officer's hand was shaking. He was…hesitating.
Shadow sighed. Come on…just get it over with! He wanted to yell.
As if the officer had read his thoughts, he instantly straightened his hand, tightening his grip on the trigger…
"NO! STOP!"
Shadow instantly raised his face to the source of the voice. He furrowed his eyebrows in puzzlement. It was…a human boy. As soon as he laid eyes on him…he was suddenly awed.
This boy was different.
Shadow could tell. He knew when he saw someone innocent. It was a…talent, you could say. To Shadow, he could almost see an aura around someone…depicting their personality. This boy's "aura" was just like…
…Maria's.
Pure…innocent…loving…caring…and yet, so firm and wise.
Shadow's thoughts were interrupted when the boy ran to one of the officers and whispered something in his ear. After hearing it, the officer thought a moment. Finally, he nodded.
The boy was given a burst of hope as he ran towards Shadow. Shadow wanted to tell the boy to get away from such a criminal, but he couldn't find his voice, surprisingly. So instead…he moved away.
Shadow instantly regretted it.
The look the boy gave him when he did that just tore his heart apart. The boy looked hurt and rejected. Shadow softened his eyes.
Finally, he could talk.
"Why are you here?" the ebony hedgehog asked.
The boy looked like he had a small sprout of hope. "I'm here to help you," he said simply.
Shadow furrowed his eyebrows. "Help me?" The hedgehog looked at the officers and back at the boy. "How can you help me? And why do you want to help me?"
The boy took in a breath. "Let me show you."
Shadow watched as the boy suddenly reached out to him. He backed away. The boy looked hurt.
"Don't be afraid…I only want to help. I know what's best for you, Shadow," the boy informed.
Shadow's eyes widened in astonishment. "How do you know my name? And how do you know what's best for me? How does ANYONE know what's best for me?"
The boy didn't answer.
Shadow, feeling triumphant, was about to tell the little boy to go and get himself some ice cream or something, when the boy suddenly said, "Do you trust me?"
Shadow was startled by the boy's sudden voice. Finally, the question reached his mind. He narrowed his eyes and stared long and hard at the boy. "Why?"
"Do you trust me?" the boy asked again.
Hesitantly, Shadow braced himself. This might be the biggest mistake of his life. "Yes. I trust you."
The boy smiled.
"Then do not stop what I am going to do."
The boy reached out again, and this time, Shadow didn't resist. The boy let his hand fall upon Shadow's gloved hand. Shadow was truly awed. This boy…his touch was so gentle and yet so…strong.
The ebony hedgehog was so dazed by trying to describe everything, he didn't know what the boy truly ended up doing.
"Shadow…" the boy called.
Instinctively, the ebony hedgehog looked upon the boy…and immediately felt regret. Huge regret.
The boy had taken his place.
"What are you doing?" Shadow exclaimed, reaching out towards the chains that bound the boy to the pole.
"No."
The boy said it with such firmness, it made Shadow's blood run cold.
"You said you trusted me. In response, I told you not to stop what I was going to do. All must be finished before you can interfere," the boy responded in the same firm tone.
Shadow couldn't believe it. "No…but why? You didn't do anything! Why should you die in my place?"
The boy smiled. It was the same smile he gave before.
"One day, Shadow, you will understand."
Shadow shook his head. "No! I don't want to understand! I just want my crimes to be paid for with MY BLOOD! Not with some innocent persons! It's my crime; my punishment; my price to pay!"
"One day, Shadow…one day…" the boy repeated.
"NO!" Shadow shouted. He reached for the chains once more…but he was instantly pulled back by the GUN officers.
"What…?" he asked numbly.
"You heard the boy—no interference!" the officer commanded, holding Shadow back.
It wasn't too easy.
"NO! NO! NO! NO!" Shadow kicked his legs wildly. "I WILL NOT HAVE ANOTHER PERSON DIE IN MY PLACE!"
The room fell silent.
The only sound to be heard was the sobbing of the torn ebony hedgehog.
"Not like Maria…please…don't do it…" Shadow begged. "Don't do it…"
The officers exchanged glances. They talked a while, and slowly brought Shadow back to the boy. They kept their grip on him, but allowed him to talk with the boy a little longer.
Shadow looked up, his eyes watery and his cheeks wet from his tears. He was surprised to find the boy crying, too.
"Shadow…I know you feel bad about Maria's death…but if only you could understand—"
"No," Shadow replied hoarsely. "I don't want to understand anything! I just want things to go how they are supposed to…"
The boy looked hurt. "Shadow…may I ask you just one thing?"
"Yes…" the hedgehog replied, his voice still sore.
"Will you be my friend?"
Shadow was even more touched…and angered. But somehow, looking at the boy, he managed to just say:
"Yes."
"All right, all right. Let's get this over with!" one of the officers exclaimed.
Shadow's eyes widened. "NO!" In an instant, he looked back at the boy.
All the boy did was smile.
Shadow couldn't take it. He looked at the gun in the officer's hand, and then back at the boy one final time.
Shadow closed his eyes as another horrifying sound of a shot echoed in his mind.
……….
Tails sighed happily. Ah, yes…sleep…it was appreciated. Not only by him, though. Knuckles and Rouge were asleep as well…Rouge on her favorite purple chair, and Knuckles on another couch in the room. They all were sleeping peacefully and quietly…
…until a certain apricot echidna burst into the room.
"TAILS! KNUCKLES! ROUGE! SOMETHING'S WRONG WITH SHADOW!" Tikal exclaimed.
Simultaneously, all three animals suddenly and accidentally rolled off their couches and onto the hard floor.
Instantly, many complaints were fired at the frightened echidna.
Knuckles was the first to actually register what his ancestor said…
"Whoa, whoa, wait. What's wrong with Shadow?" he suddenly asked.
All three looked at Tikal. Her face was pale and her aquamarine eyes were wide with fright.
"He's having a seizure!"