The Dmgirl: Hardest chapter ever! I thought I'd never finish this one! I had no idea which angle to use or how much emotion I could put in it. It took me months to realize that, in this chapter, it wasn't the children that mattered. It's not that what happened to them wasn't important or anything, having been beaten up is more than enough to make people tremble, but their side could be considered entirely physically, with no real emotion. As such, I had to turn to the two who had the most emotional value, the parents.

Disclaimer: I don't own Sonic and company. Sega does.

Dim Lights

Chapter XI: Pain and Shock

Jules sighed as he closed the door, slightly banging his forehead against it. He had been sure, so sure that it was over. Shadow, the ever animalistic Shadow, had adapted. He had slowly and hesitantly forged a place for himself in the household as Sonic kept teaching him new things every other day. It had become easy, so easy to consider the boy humane, even an ever curious child. It had become so simple to forget that this same person had acted like nothing more than an animal only a few months previous.

The only worry they had had with him was petty compared to the first ones. And it had been cleared in the matter of minutes. Shadow had aced the test, making him admissible into his peers' level. Yes, he had the writing level of a first grader and took more time with some problems than others, but he had obtained a perfect score. Without a look or plea for assistance, the boy had managed to surprise the ones who thought him to have no academic knowledge. And even the children had agreed to help Shadow with his writing. It was over. The time where the family had to deal with fear was over.

So why? Why was Shadow on Jules' bed right now? Why was the boy shaking and trembling like a leaf, unable to utter a word? The only sign of life Shadow had given was when Sonic had been taken away from him. For less than a minute, he had whimpered, cried out loudly while reaching out for the unconscious teenager, even fighting violently against Jules' tight grip before collapsing without a word, seeming dead.

His ears flattened as the heavy, whistling breath went crescendo. He didn't want to hear. He didn't want know. He didn't want to believe. How could everything fall to pieces in one day? How could months of hard work and perseverance crumble into nothing but dust? How could their lives, hopes and dreams for happiness fall apart so easily?

His eyes snapped open as the door shook, feeling the sharp pain spread throughout his arm. He wasn't one to be violent. He wasn't one to give into pressure. He had to get himself together. Someone needed him.

Jules turned around, leaning against the door as his gaze traveled to the boy lying on the bed. Dull, dead, and unfocused eyes stared into nothing as shiver racked Shadow's body. Barely gloved hands were clawing, ripping the torn shirt, trying to reach beyond it, under the skin, through the bones. Any more, and the young one would probably yank out his heart before crushing it with his hands.

It took him all the strength he had to get himself off the door and walk to the boy. He couldn't stand. He couldn't even think. He barely managed to notice the two unmoving fingers on Shadow's left hand. A robot. He felt like a machine as he moved around to get the antiseptics and the scissors, like an android as he took care of the wounds while getting no reaction.

He blinked as the door opened, only feeling his heartbeat when Aleena passed the threshold. He didn't take the time to check if he had done the splints right. He didn't even take a second glance at the young one. He wanted her comfort. He needed her presence right now.

Arms embraced a slim waist, and it took sheer will not to hold her too tightly. He couldn't look desperate when he felt the tears dampening his sleeve, hear the small, choked sobs as she clung onto him frantically.

"I-I swore to never..." she stuttered, glistening eyes looking at him urgently, "He was hurt, Jules! Sonic was hurt!"

He did nothing to stop the weak beating against his chest. He did nothing to halt his mind from going down the memory lane he was certain she was on. He could only hold her tighter, finally showing how hopeless he felt. He remembered. He remembered how toddler Sonic, no more than two years of age, had taken off his glove before laying his hand on Jules' arm, giggling as the older male noticed how well their fur matched. He recalled the hiss, and the disgusted face of Scourge as the child skittered away in fear and anger. He could still clearly see the bruises Aleena harbored as she told the events of the day. He could still feel himself get off the bed, rage boiling in his veins.

"I-I promised…"

His eyes slowly opened to meet the sobbing woman in his arms, only feeling the hurt and anger return. Why? Why did their family have to suffer? They had never done anything wrong!

"Shadow…"

Jules gently held her in place as she struggled against his hold, soothingly telling her that the boy would live. Only two broken fingers and skin taken away. He would live as soon as he managed to overcome the shock. They had to believe, they had to believe that their entire family would get out of this alive.

"Sonic?"

His arms closed on empty space and his eyes barely caught the rush of movements as Aleena knelt next to Shadow, a smile on her face.

"Thank goodness. Are you alright, Shadow?"

Dried blood moved slowly to the woman, the teenager's name quietly slipping off his tongue once more.

"Sonic… Sonic is fine, Shadow. He's just unconscious, that's all."

Small flickers of recognition sparked in the empty gaze before growing dark. Hands lifted to his head as a shield, body curling under unknown pressure. Incoherent mumbles became clear as fury and despair boiled under skin.

"I didn't mean it… I didn't – I didn't mean it. I didn't mean it."

The room trembled. Small trinkets fell off the shelves as Jules' hand went numb. Two arms circled him, bringing him to the floor. He couldn't take it. He couldn't take it anymore! They hadn't asked for any of this! His children - They did not deserve this. To have their eyes ripped open to the cruelty of the world was a sin punishable with death.

He wrapped his arms around Aleena as she whispered soothingly in his ear. He knew. He knew that she was crying somewhere deep inside herself, that she was trying her best to be strong for the both of them. Her hold was desperate, her words filled with tears she had yet to shed.

Gently, he pulled away only to meet her lips as she grabbed his shirt. Strong, he had to be strong. For her, for himself, for all of his family. He had been the one to hold them together for so long. He couldn't fail. He wouldn't allow himself to fail. Not when Aleena needed a shoulder to lean on, not when Shadow needed someone to stop him from bursting at the seams. He had to be stronger than this. There would be plenty of time to free the emotions later on.

"How's Sonic?"

Her misty gaze lifted, and he had to hide a flinch. Insecurities weren't needed, not now. He would have to hold back, hold back until he was certain everything was cleared, over. It probably would never return to normal, but he still had to try in making everything somewhat like it.

"He – he…"

He only held her closer as she slowly went into silence. He knew it. He had seen it. He had seen Sonic's ripped shirt barely hiding the mangled chest. He had noticed the small, but most recognizable bite his left arm, and the out of place right shoulder. Sonic had been through hell and back, and the reason was lying on their bed, nearly shouting that he hadn't meant it.

"It's alright. It'll be over soon," he whispered as he laid her head on his shoulder. He had to try. He had to make sure that everyone would pull through this. He had to be the pillar everyone could lean on. Treat the consequences to find the cause, it was what he did best.

What Sonic did best… His eyes clenched close, cursing silently. It wasn't Shadow's fault if they were in this situation. It was his, his fault if Sonic tried and tried to help the poor boy out of trouble without cease. Even without the one word Jules hoped to hear from the teenager, he saw the pride of a son. Sonic would always turn to him if there was a problem or if he was uncertain. It was in Jules' nature, and thus his son to be moved by compassion. The generous streak among the Hedgehog family would continue to burn until the blazing trails of the supersonic hedgehog would extinguish.

"Mom? Jules?"

A blink, and both parents were looking at the door as a chuckle stirred the quiet room.

"What? You guys know I'm tougher than that, right?" he laughed while freeing himself from his sister's kind hold. "Ames, it's my shoulder, not my foot."

In a blurry of movements, Aleena was holding her son, murmuring his name constantly as he kissed her cheek gently.

"Mom, I'm fine. I'm okay, really. I won't knock out again. Where's Shadow?"

Ears slowly flattened as his mother moved out of the way, letting him see the disaster that was Shadow. Hesitantly, he got closer to the nearly shouting boy, slowly reaching for the black mass. He had never seen this. He had never seen anyone fall in so deep into shock or panic that they would lose their bearings.

"Shadow?" he repeated while shaking the boy. There had to be a way to get him out of it. There had to be something he could do…

"Shadow," he whispered while shifting the black one so he could hold him. He hoped that it would be enough to wake Shadow up. He wished that the warmth and comfort would be enough to snap him out of it.

Black arms slowly wrapped around a blue waist, and Sonic did nothing to hold the happy gasp as he heard Shadow mutter his name in recognition. There he was. There was the Shadow he knew. There was the one he had learned to understand and to appreciate.

"Thank Chaos," were the only words that escaped him as a smile pierced through his features. Over. It was over. No more worries, no more wounds, no more hurt. It was over. Completely, utterly over.

"Sonic?"

His head snapped up to look at Jules' worried expression as he felt Shadow shrink into his hold. No, it was impossible to be over so quickly. There was still too much on the line, too much in the dark for this nightmare to end. There was still the horror of the evening that haunted his mind. His mind flitted to Tails. He didn't want to have to do that again in his entire life. To have to leave a friend behind… He didn't even want to remember.

"What happened, Sonic?"

The teenager opened and closed his mouth, imitating a fish out of water. He didn't know. He didn't know what to say. What could he say? How could he explain the whole situation without making Shadow look as guilty? It was still him that had hurt Sonic. It was still him that had torn the shirt, that had caused the gashes, that had smashed his shoulder.

"I – I really don't know, Jules. Shadow… Shadow just went mad. Went completely crazy. There was nothing I could do to stop him the moment it started. It wasn't even Shadow. He – he was…" Nothing more than a wild animal, a dangerous animal that nothing could tame. All that because… "This guy showed up at school. I have no idea how or where he came from. He just showed up and Shadow went berserk. The only thing I got out of the whole thing was that he's probably Shadow's f-"

"NO!"

Sonic jumped as Shadow left the embrace, nearly hitting the window. Blood red bore into his gaze as the hedgehog hissed in pure rage, "That – That thing is not my father. He is not…"

Tiny snaps and pops forced Shadow to look at his hand. Two pens were taped onto his fingers, playing the role of splints. His gaze went immediately for the worried Jules. He had helped him, had played the role of father where that monster had failed. Yet, it was because of that creature that Shadow was here, it was because of him that he was with this problem.

"Who was it?" came Sonic's quiet, but insisting voice. "If we can't call him that, we're going to need a name, Shadow."

He turned, looked beyond the window, into the darkness. Nowhere to hide, that man was right again. No matter how far you ran, no matter how fast you escaped, it always, always caught up with you. The darkness always managed to swallow you up and spit you out. And there was nothing he could do to stop it.

"This name never leaves this place. This family, this room, this house."

Maria, Hope, now the Hedgehog family. Who else would be involved? Who else would lose their lives in this road to hell? He didn't want this. He didn't want this at all. Enough lives had been claimed already. To involve a family? When would it end? He just wanted to have a normal life. Was it too much asking?

"Mephiles."

The Dmgirl: After a semester of work, it's finally done. And for those who had guessed at Mephiles in the earlier chapters, I guess that one wasn't much of a shocker. If anything, this chapter just confirms what most of you had guessed at. But I still think it's not a filler chapter. From this point on, actually, things start to get really interesting. I hope I don't scare off too many people with the 180° turn the story took. But, hey, I like to make things interesting and original. And besides, using Shadow as a plot device when they are so many things that could prove themselves to be interesting would have been a waste, if you ask me. As for your question, Cstan, I haven't forgotten about it. I'm intending on answering that one on Chapter 13. Lots and lots of plannning to do!

See you guys next chapter!