Chapter six: I'm returning you, to were you belong.
Sonic let out a deep sigh, and flopped down in the shade of a tree, the blue hedgehog had been looking for Shadow, for weeks now and he was no closer to finding the dark hedgehog then when he had started out on his search.
Another sigh followed the first, the blue hero had hoped that finding the red and black hedgehog would be easier then this, but were ever Shadow was, he was very well hidden.
Sonic, was starting to worry, that he would never find the dark hedgehog, the blue hero shook his head, he couldn't give up, not yet, he had to keep trying to find Shadow.
After all, the blue hedgehog had promised to Amy that he would find the red and black hedgehog, and find him Sonic would, no matter how long it took, or were he had to look.
Slowly Sonic stood up, the only thing that lay ahead of him were the Milakan mountains, the blue hedgehog, didn't know if he might find Shadow there, but the blue hero had to go, to the mountains, just to see if the dark hedgehog was some were among those mountains and if he was not there, then it was another place that Sonic could eliminate from his places to search list.
Sonic ran off, his pace was not to fast, the blue hedgehog was making sure to take a good look around him as he went, there was not a sine of anything black and red, just grass and trees all around.
There was a sudden splash, as Sonic fell strait into a stream, the blue hedgehog shot out of the water as if it were acid, he was soaked, the blue hero looked around for some were to dry off and noticed that near by there was a cave, it looked like a good spot, to sit and dry off.
Sonic made his way over to the cave entrance, he sat inside it for a few moments drying off, the blue hedgehog took in trees and the lake, it was quiet pretty, he took a deep breath there was a sent in the air, Sonic frowned slightly, there was something very familiar about that sent.
The blue hero sniffed again the air again, it smelt like. . . Sonic's green eyes went wide, that sent it was Shadow's . . .
The blue hedgehog, looked around frantically, he couldn't see the red and black hedgehog any were, quietly Sonic stood up, instead of using his eyes, Sonic used his nose, the sent lead inside the cave.
The blue hero looked inside the cave, it was rather dark in there, but if that was the way Shadow had gone, then that was the way he would go too.
Sonic walked into the deep shadows of the cave, he stood still for a few moments, to give his eyes time to adjust to the darkness, carefully the blue hedgehog looked round the cave, he let out a disappointed sigh, it appeared to be empty.
Then slowly Sonic looked down at the floor, his green eyes widened, lieing on the floor was Shadow, he wasn't moving. "Oh God!" Sonic exclaimed, he ran the small distance to Shadow's side and knelt down next to the dark hedgehog.
Carefully the blue hero felt for the dark hedgehog's pulse, Sonic was relieved when he found one, the blue hedgehog let out the breath he had been holding, the pulse was steady and strong, that had to be a good sine.
Sonic placed two gloved hands on the older hedgehog and shook him. "Shadow. . . Shadow, come on Shadow, you have to wake up now. . ." The dark hedgehog didn't even twitch, Sonic felt worry surge threw him, there was definitely something wrong with Shadow, but the question was, what?
Carefully the blue hero looked at the red and black hedgehog, there was no visible sine of an injury any were, then Sonic noticed that Shadow was holding something in one hand on his chest, the blue hedgehog lifted the hand and carefully prised what the dark hedgehog was holding, from his tight grasp.
Sonic looked down at what he was holding, it was a plant, slowly Sonic's green eyes went wide, this wasn't just any plant this was Vernium, even the blue hedgehog knew that if you took enough the herb it could kill you.
Another surge of worry swept threw Sonic, the blue hedgehog looked down at Shadow concerned, being the ultimate life form, it was unlikely that Vernium could have killed the dark hedgehog, but if he had taken enough of it, he could be asleep for a long time.
With a look of pain and disgust Sonic threw the plant away and turned his attention back to Shadow. The blue hedgehog shook, the sleeping red and black hedgehog with all of his might. "SHADOW! WAKE UP! NOW!"
The blue hero only stopped shaking him, when Shadow let out a small moan, very slowly, almost painfully one eye opened, when the dark hedgehog saw Sonic, the ruby gaze hardened. "Can't you just leave me to sleep for ever? You won. . . Now leave me in peace." The normally strong voice, was no more then a whisper as Shadow spoke.
"NO!" Sonic announced loudly.
This evidently surprised Shadow, as the other eyes also opened and he stared at Sonic confused. "Why, not. . .?"
"Because if I did Amy would kill me, she loves you Shadow, and I promised her that I would return you to her, and I'm not going to brake that promise, even if it means crossing your will!"
Shadow looked up at him surprised. "But. . ."
"Shh, your still weak, I'll explain as we go." Sonic said very gently and then spoke again as Shadow looked at him even more confused. "From what I can remember about Vernium, you'll probably be in and out of consciousness for a while and as weak as a kitten. I need to know something before you go back under though."
"What?" Shadow said, his eye lids beginning to droop heavily already.
"How much did you take?"
"Five whole plants." The dark hedgehog muttered softly.
Sonic swore loudly, and then lifted Shadow up into his arms, the red eyes opened slightly at this motion. "It's all right Shadow rest now, I'm returning you to were you belong." Sonic said to the dark hedgehog softly.
With a small, nod and left with no choice but to trust Sonic, Shadow placed his head against the blue hero's shoulder and drifted back to his sleep.
Sonic let out a deep sigh, Shadow had taken enough Vernium to knock out an army. . . it was amazing that he was still alive, one thing was for certain the dark hedgehog was going to need a lot of taking care of.
Sonic was very sure, that when he got Shadow to Amy, the young pink hedgehog would be more then pleased to take care of him, until the dark hedgehog was fully recovered from the effects of the Vernium.
Sonic set off towards Amy's home, he knew that it would take him a about three days to get back to the pink hedgehog, he didn't want to risk Shadow coming to, wondering what was going and moving about so that Sonic dropped him, this fact meant he would have to travel at a much slower pace then he normally would have done.
When night came Sonic made camp, he made sure, to make Shadow as comfortable as the blue hedgehog could, the blue hero got a fire going, and sat looking up at the stars.
Shadow was sure that, Sonic waking him and telling him Amy loved him had just been another one of his dreams, slowly, the dark hedgehog opened his eyes, to find not rock above him but the night sky, he felt numb all over, tired and weak.
The red and black hedgehog let out a small moan, Sonic's face slowly appeared above him, "Hey your awake again." The blue hedgehog said gently.
"It wasn't a dream . . . what you said to me in the cave was real?"
"Yes quiet real. How do you feel?"
"Terrible. . ." Shadow answered simply.
Sonic shook his head. "I'm not to surprised, you took enough Vernium, to knock out a small army. Would you like some water?"
"Yes please." Shadow watched Sonic vanish from his line of sight, the black hedgehog was glad, that he had been wrong, he was happy that Amy really did loved him. . . and that the blue hedgehog was going to take him back to her.
The blue hedgehog carefully helped the black hedgehog to sit up, cautiously he held up a water flask so Shadow could drink. "Thank you Sonic. You said that you had some things to explain to me?"
With a nod, Sonic lowered Shadow back down. "Yes I do." The blue hedgehog sat next to the red and black hedgehog. "Firstly I owe you a huge apology, I'm sorry Shadow, I said some mean things . . . I couldn't help it, I love Amy too. . . but. . . Amy loves you more then me, I think that Amy loves you more then she ever did me. If you are what makes Amy happy then, I am fine with that. . . I may not like it at first but I want Amy to be happy. . ."
Sonic looked down a his dark companion, his eyes were already closing. "It's all right, go back to sleep Shadow, we can talk again when you wake up again."
With a small nod, Shadow's eyes closed and once again sleep claimed him, Sonic let out a deep sigh and went back to watching the stars for a while, before he too settled down to sleep.
When Shadow woke again, he was racing along in Sonic's arms, when the red and black hedgehog gave a surprised start, Sonic slowed down from the run and stopped. Very carefully, the blue hedgehog lowered Shadow to the ground and peered down at him. "Welcome back again, feeling any better yet?"
"No, not really." The dark hedgehog answered honestly.
Sonic sat down beside him. "Well since you are awake for a while, we might as well stop for now."
"Was there anything else you wanted to tell me?" Shadow asked the younger blue hedgehog quietly.
"I already apologised and told you that Amy loves you. I take back what I said about you, not being able to become a hero, I think you can be a hero . . . at lest you could be Amy's hero, I think that she would rather like you to be her dark hero."
Shadow felt himself blush slightly, that was a rather appealing thought, to the dark hedgehog. "How long do you think it will be before I am well?"
Sonic shrugged. "With you, it's hard to say, but I should imagine it will take a while. I'm sure though that Amy will take great delight in taking care of you."
A small smile graced the red and black hedgehog's lips, before it vanished. "But if Amy really cared for me, why didn't she say something. . .?"
"I think, she was a little shocked and neither of us, gave her much of a chance to say anything did we?"
"That's very true." Shadow said with a yawn, Sonic watched as the dark hedgehog's red eyes closed once more and he slept again.
Carefully, so as not to wake Shadow, the blue hero lifted the sleeping hedgehog, back up into his arms and set off once more towards Amy's home.
As night closed in on the blue hedgehog, Sonic gently settled Shadow down for their next night on the road, hopefully they would be at Amy's tomorrow and then he was sure that all would be well.
(well the rather intense chapter six! Hope you enjoyed it! It took me a lot of time to get this just right! Any way chapter seven is under way!)