A/N: Hellohello! Oohh, ten chapters C:! Ten's such a momentous number :). I have no clue how much longer it's going to be. Ahh, 56 reviews… that averages out to about five or six per chapter. And you guys wonder why I'm failing math x). (p.s: I'm not actually :)). But yeahh, 5 is okay with me.
I'm not going to go too much into my deepest desire… but, between you and me, it's to one day have more reviews than I know what to do with. Sigh. What a nice day that'll be (:. They'll pile up in my inbox, THOUSANDS of them C:. And they'll all be wonderful reviews, too. Big and meaty and interesting. And somehow I'll find time to reply to all of them. Excuse me while I daydream.
Ahh, this one was easy to write for some reason. I often get stuck at one point (… usually the beginning…) and I just can't seem to write anything past that. Once I get started, I usually have no problem getting through, but I often have troubles with beginnings. Woe is me :). However! This one came pretty easily :). It's the week late because of exams x)… which were much easier than I'd expected.
So… everything's just great… nothing to report.
--LA
There were hands everywhere. Hostile; snatching, tearing, clawing. All around her, the shrub's fingers ripped. The earth beneath her just one giant palm, sandpaper rough like that of a carpenter, shredding her dress and matting her fur.
The smell and taste of moist soil was overwhelming, making the air so humid it was hard to breathe. Every sound came to her as Sonic's footfall, growing closer and closer.
Cream crawled through the bushes on her hands and knees, sometimes stumbling over her ears, everything in the world terrifying, magnified a thousand times. Her usual rose-coloured glasses had been shattered, leaving a grim world that she was unused to, and feared. She just wanted to be home, but felt sick to her stomach, too afraid to so much as peek from the temporary safety.
But Amy's face, still locked in the back of Cream's eyes, was haunting. She took a deep breath, trying to feel the adult resolve she thought she should, reminding herself that there were more important things she needed to do right now... now, while Sonic carried Amy further and further away. But somehow, she couldn't bring herself to do anything. Her fear was just another hand, pressing hard knuckles into her back.
She hated how readily she'd run earlier, without as much as a backward glance. She'd let her childishness get the best of her. It had been silly and cowardly. Not even a word of reassurance to Amy. It was so juvenile.
But she didn't feel like being an adult right now. She was always trying so hard to be one of the mature adults, with her etiquette and her smiles. But right now, she wanted someone... some brave, grown-up someone... to come save her.
Suddenly, a white flash of light illuminated the street for an instant, a brown pair of shocked eyes highlighted from within the bushes edging the sidewalk. Rouge landed on the road with considerably less grace than she might normally have, thanks to the rough way Shadow had furiously cast her away before she'd had the chance to recollect her bearings.
Completely through with the whole situation, Shadow didn't hesitate to shoot away down the road.
"Shadow!" Rouge called impatiently, her own face flushed red with anger and humiliation. But he was already well into his sullen departure.
The bat swore loudly as she leapt into the air, knowing she had no chance of catching the hedgehog if he really had his mind set on getting away. But her keen ears could still hear his steps, so she soared forward as quickly as her wings would take her, trying not to think about the last time she'd flown over a road like this late at night.
She caught a glance of the red blur which would be Shadow's shoes through the darkness, and urged her wings to push faster. The chase went on for several minutes, the bat only just managing to keep him within the range of at least one sense, be it sight or sound.
After a while, she was grateful to see, the hedgehog's pace seemed to slow some, and she found herself actually gaining ground, albeit very gradually. Apparently, he wasn't aware that she was still in pursuit, because she seriously doubted he wanted to be anywhere near her.
Her beating wings took her closer and closer, though she still had to strain to keep from falling away. He was several meters away... then a few feet. An arm's length. Grateful for her silent wingbeats, she extended one hand, stretching until she felt close enough to make her move. Calming her visage, she tapped him on the shoulder. She was irritated to see that he didn't even jump. In fact, he hardly seemed to notice that she was there.
She rolled her eyes in exasperation, letting her boots touch down and following on foot. He ignored her without relent. But she was just as stubbornly persistent, gently prodding him with one gloved finger.
"Shadow…" she cooed in the most playfully singsong voice she could muster through the breathlessness gripping her chest.
"Why," he demanded sharply over his shoulder without missing a step, "do you have such a death wish?"
Rouge clicked her tongue in exasperation.
"It wasn't my fault. How was I supposed to…" she trailed off, realizing that being defensive was not the way to play it. "And besides, you still owe me your half of our deal."
"You idiot." He snapped finally, halting and turning on his heel so suddenly that they were practically nose to nose. He took a couple of disgusted steps backwards. "I have no reason whatsoever to help you."
"What?" The bat said, affronted, puffing up like an offended peacock.
Shadow just shook his head coolly. Patience at a negative number, he shot away without another word, gone in a heartbeat.
Rouge called his name in frustration, knowing he'd never hear it. She sighed, looking up at the sky.
"Men." She muttered, crossing her arms.
"Miss Rouge…"
The bat almost jumped in spite of herself. She turned on one high heel to see a wide-eyed, filthy Cream standing a few feet away, looking hesitant, highlighted by the overhanging streetlight.
"Hey, sweetie," the bat said in surprise, "what're you doing way out here at this hour?"
Smiling sweetly, Rouge folded forward, placing her hands on her thighs. Though the action was, of course, meant to be friendly, the gaping crevice down her chest staring Cream square in the face only left the bunny looking intimidated.
"I…" she squeaked, going pink in the face. Rouge felt a stab of sympathy, but wasn't really sure how to go about comforting an upset child. Years of marauding and backstabbing had, for the most part, dissolved most of her maternal instincts. She hastily searched for whatever long-forgotten, cobweb covered tidbit might be left. But luckily, before the bat had to make a choice of words, Cream pulled her hands from behind her back and the glint of something red snapped Rouge from her thoughts.
"The emerald! How'd you get it from Shadow?"
Cream quickly pushed the stone into the bat's hands, as if to say that she had done no such thing.
"He dropped it," she explained sheepishly, "back where you two landed." After a moment, she added, "So I followed you."
Rouge wasn't really listening, though. She gave an absent nod, smiling at the red emerald as she held it up to let it catch the light.
"Perfect."
Amy wanted to feel fear.
Rather, she didn't want to feel good. She knew she shouldn't. Where were her clammy hands? Why was her heart not pumping loud in her ears?
No, all she could feel was the wind on her face, her body pressed tight against his, bouncing with every quick step he took. Of course, in her defense, he really wasn't acting in any way that could justify fear. In fact, if she kept her eyes – and nose – closed, as she did, there would really be no way to tell that his flesh was rotting. She wondered where he was taking her, but wasn't curious enough to open her eyes and shatter the illusion.
She tried not to think about anything rational, because she knew that even the most remotely realistic notion would wake her up and remind her how bizarre and wrong all of this was. Throughout the entire trip, a hideously sensible voice persistently tried to worm its way into her mind.
What are you doing? Struggle! Hammer his face in! Did you even see his face? He's feral. He's a monst-
But before it had time to finish the scathing statement, Sonic stopped abruptly, and Amy opened her eyes just in time to feel herself being brashly tossed to the floor of what appeared to be the mouth of some sort of cave.
Ankle deep in some godforsaken liquid, she heard a series of harsh, primitive grunts and roars. Cringing with dislike for her surroundings, Amy tried to stand without having to put her hands on the ground. But before her legs could extend, she felt a hand on her shoulder, pushing her back into the slime.
Alright… so Sonic didn't want her standing up. That was okay.
Just then, she felt the pressure of another hand around her ankle. Her heart beat quickened. That was still okay… Sonic simply… had long arms.
And then, there was a third hand, wrapping grimy fingers around her opposite ankle.
Three hands.
Which meant there was more than one of them.
Which crossed a line.
The borderline fear she'd been nursing multiplied tenfold, and it triggered a reaction. She scrambled away from the hands, panic growing. Forgetting about the repulsive layer coating the ground, she kicked at whoever it was, and struggled back outside.
A few meager stars tried, poorly, to break through the sky's dusting of cloud, leaving the night next to black. The hedgehog sprung to her feet and ran, but found herself only plough straight into a stiff body.
Though it was hardly his name any more, she couldn't help but give a hopeful whimper of, "Sonic?"
Not Sonic. The entire force of its body flung into her and pressed her tight against a jagged rock, squeezing tightly. It was hardly a loving embrace, her constricted lungs mused. Struggling to inhale, her eyes adjusted enough to make out the face of the not-Sonic.
Her immediate thought was that it was some sort of Medusa creature, tangled snakes falling, dead, around its scowling face, but she quickly recognized that scowl.
'Knuckles,' she meant to sob, but no part of her body seemed to care to oblige, and the word came out as a choking wheeze. It was horrible to see him, even the hazy, twilight silhouette of him, like this.
The sharp boulder pressed angrily against her hip bone, probably the worst place it could have picked. She could hear the sound of her dress, and feel the pain of her skin, being torn.
She had no idea what he intended to do with her, but the rib-breaking constriction suggested it was nothing too kind.
White lights began to bubble before her eyes, joining the lonely stars.
There was a flash of movement, and then, just like that, he was gone. Hearing the sound of roars and fist-on-flesh, she took in a huge gulp of air, falling gracelessly to the grassy floor. She hardly intend to stay there. Oxygen deprived, she was physically exhausted, but she forced herself to crawl. She couldn't label it as any direction other than forward.
She felt the sharp sting of a plant's roots under her gloves and tried to locate it for some shelter. It seemed to be a low-lying bush or tree, but she couldn't care less what it was, so long as it gave her shelter.
There was quiet for a moment. In the fetal position, she let out a shaky sigh of relief. But before her lungs had emptied, she was grabbed by the ear and pulled violently from her haven.
It was Sonic this time. Pulling her up roughly, he bellowed in her face, looking furious. She clamped her eyes shut. By the time he had finished, his ears were pointed aggressively forward, and his quills had raised.
Amy's eyes quivered uncertainly open, her chest heaving with fear. But her pounding heart froze with surprised confusion when she saw the look on his face.
Though the anger hadn't yet left his visage, there was an undertone of softness, even apology. He then seemed to notice how his angry grip on her ear had disturbed the fur, leaving them haphazardous and tangled.
He blinked, looking thoughtful, then reached out a hand and stroked the hairs back into place. Amy hardly knew what to think of his bipolar actions any more. He stared for another moment, then turned his head away.
He'd put her in her place, you could say… but there had been that look in his eyes…
Clearly, he was king of the morbid society.
And… how would the words taste?... she was queen.
A/N: Well! There you have it :). I'm sure I'm going to totally butcher it, but I'm going for a King Kong-esque angle as far as the SonAmy goes x). I'm not too fond of the end there… like, at all :P. But that's okaayy…
We've got a lovely, blissful week off right now ;w;! I have to say, I just adore this whole exams business :)! They were all so simple. OH, except for this one math question D8! I hated myself.
'Kay. If you don't like math, turn away. It was a quadratic equation over another quadratic equation, so 'X(squared)+aX+b=0', but I totally didn't recognize that :O! I don't even know why! I totally know how to do them and everything :P. It just didn't click that that was what it was. So I was looking at it as a fraction… and I'm like, you can't simplify that! So I just wrote, 'cannot be factored'. Then, I go home, and I'm like, "daddy, this can't be simplified, right?" and I write it down. Once I get to the second x, I'm like SHITE! IT'SAQUADRATIC.
But yeah, other than that, everything went very well :).
WELL! Bed times for me :).
Review. 'Cause it's good for you. … that rhymes C:.
Ciao!
--LA