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Chapter 10:

Together

Shadow grabbed the deep blue chaos emerald from a small treasure chest on his bookshelf. He looked at it as it began to glow an iridescent blue. He looked up when it stopped glowing. A butterfly flew past him. He slid the emerald into his jean pocket and headed towards the farthest right corner of his meadow, a small smile on his face.

In the corner of his meadow, stood his gazebo where he liked to practice his karate forms. In the gazebo, mirrors filled each gap. He made an orb and watched it floated up, reflecting all sorts of weapons along the corners connecting the wall to the roof.

Shadow closed his eyes and took a deep breath, imagining Crimson. He flexed his hands and opened his eyes. He fell into his karate stance and blinked with a frown. He ducked and hooked his leg around his opponent's, tripping his imagined enemy. Why did she want with Sonic? He whirled around and kicked the side of her face, sending her stumbling back. What is her purpose?

He grabbed the air and pulled towards him, blocking her other hand and head-butted her. Why? He whirled around then froze; his fist a few inches away from the mirror.

His ears perked forward as he noticed someone's reflection in his mirror. He tilted his head, blinked then shook his head as it vanished. With a shrug, Shadow stretched and settled on his stairs. He didn't want to practice anymore, not when the guilt was starting to get to him. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

"No! Let me go!"

He gasped as his eyes flew wide. He looked into the forest. Nothing. He took several deep breaths before closing his eyes again and focusing.

"No! Let me go!" Crimson cried, forcing Shadow's eyes open. He folded his ears back as she darted past. "No!" She yelled. A scientist appeared right before him and grabbed her. "Please!" She whimpered before the man dragged her down the hall.

Hall? Shadow squeezed his eyes tight. He must be dreaming. He opened his eyes again, disturbed to see the event unfurl before him. "No!" Tears streamed down her cheeks as she tried to pull away from him.

Shadow perked his ears and he followed them. The scientist cracked open a stasis pod. He blinked and stared at it. He knew that pod. That's the pod Maria pushed him into. They were on the Ark. "No! Don't do this to me!" She wailed, pulling Shadow's attention back to her. She was prying the scientist's hand from her wrist.

He pushed her into the pod and shut the door. She scrambled to her feet. "Why? Why are you doing this to me? Why? Am I really nothing to you?" Crimson pounded on the door, fresh tears falling.

The scientist halted and slightly turned his head, as if considering her words. "You love Shadow more than me!" She placed her palms flat on the clear window, heartbreak clear in her red eyes.

The scientist raised his palm, pressing it against the glass. His shoulders shook, his head bowed, his fingers clasped into a knot. With a quick, shallow sigh, he pushed the eject button.

"No!" She screamed and pounded again. "You love Shadow more than me, don't you?! You love him more!" She wailed as the pod hissed. "I hate you, I hate you!" Her distressed voice faded as the pod ejected into space.

"I am . . . so sorry, Eclipse," he said softly. The scientist turned to Shadow, his face too young for such sorrow. "Please take care of her, Shadow," he whispered as tears streamed down his cheeks. Shadow slowly nodded and blinked, noticing blood oozing down the scientist's white robe for the first time. "I, I didn't want to do this to her . . . but I have to protect her from, from him. Protect her from her father."

"Dr. Nelson!"

The scientist Shadow never knew, or meet, sunk his memory deep into his soul like serrated teeth.

Shadow gasped and his eyes flew open. His heart pounded and his body trembled as his forgotten promise rattled through his mind. He was supposed to protect Crimson . . . Eclipse? But, but he'd never met her before, why would he be assigned such a thing? He blinked back the knotted confusion that made him dizzy. He shook his head as he shakily rose to his feet. Protect her . . .

He took deep breaths, trying to slow his heart rate. The hatred he had felt for Crimson, Eclipse, when he discovered she wanted to kill Sonic whipped hot in his gut. Anger bit white hot along his spine. He stamped down the niggling emotion of guilt. She got what she deserved when she tried to kill Sonic.

He flattened his ears, his promise echoing through his mind.

"Hey Shadow," Sonic greeted him when he plopped on the couch with a huff. Shadow gave him a lazy wave of his hand, his head awash with the shocking memories of Crimson—Eclipse.

Locked in the cave of his mind, he didn't hear Sonic talking to him. Sonic talked and talked. He always talked. Still in shock, Shadow let Sonic lead him out of his house, down the walk, and into the amusement park by the beach. Shadow snapped out of his stupor with a hard blink. The sights, sounds, smells.

"Amusement park?" Shadow questioned as Sonic blushed, shrugged and pointed to Amy who gave Shadow a huge grin.

"I was the one at the helm. Come on Sonic!" Amy suddenly squealed as she jumped up and down with a clap. "I want to introduce you to someone." She squealed.

"Who do you want to introduce Sonic to?" Shadow asked grumpily. He rolled his eyes, slumped into a nearby bench, and shook his head. The setting sun reflected off a nearby ride Amy dragged Sonic to.

"Don't Amy." A soft female voice came from the shadows that sounded familiar but Shadow brushed it aside. His head was still full of the 'vision' he had of Eclipse.

"Eclipse, silly Shadow." She smiled, giving Sonic a wink, then turning and glaring at Shadow. "You know, the pretty girl you tried to kill?"

Shadow blinked, pretending indifference with a shrug as the name sank in. "Who?" He asked again, making sure he heard the name correctly. He was in denial. How could Amy know her? Crimson—Eclipse. "Did you say 'Eclipse'?"

"Yep." She grinned a smug expression, folding her arms over her chest. Sonic hunches into a ball, and started to sneak away.

"You want to introduce Sonic to Eclipse?"

"That's what I said. Sonic, get back here," Amy said without looking at him.

A strange feeling crept through the air and punched Shadow's nose. He stiffened; his ears attentive, eyes wide until he found her. She was hiding in the shadows. She wasn't paying attention to him, Sonic or Amy. She was watching couples with a longing sadness. She hated being alone.

He didn't know whether to grind his teeth, or sigh. He set off at once, leaving Sonic to fend for himself. The crowd parted for him as he wove through. He ignored Sonic's pleas for help.

"Eclipse!" Amy yelled, magically catching up to Shadow. Eclipse whirled around as Amy ran into her, wrapping her pink arms around her in a tight hug as Eclipse stumbled back and slammed into the wall behind her.

Eclipse stared at her and sighed before trying to push her off. She scowled and folded her ears to the side, looking annoyed but not doing anything. Eclipse started poking her.

"Can you let me go? Please?" She asked softly as Amy tightened her grip. Shadow's jaw dropped, surprised to see the vicious girl he knew, letting an annoying girl like Amy . . . hug her. Amy must've had Sonic carry Eclipse to her house and took care of her by herself. That must be why Eclipse is being friendly with Amy.

"Nope." Amy giggled. Eclipse groaned and fidgeted, growing impatient but not doing anything.

"Amy, please," Eclipse said in a gentle growl, pushing her away.

"Aw." Amy whined with a pretend pout. Shadow still stood there, stunned. "But you're the only person who will let me hug you, Sonic won't." She scrunched her nose and glared at Sonic. "Shadow won't."

Eclipse stiffened upon his name. Sadness, pain, guilt, regret and loneliness all quickly flashed through her ruby gaze. "Why would you mention him?" Eclipse glared at Amy, scooting further away from her. His heart throbbed a hard beat. He wasn't sure why.

"Anyway, moving on." Amy clapped her hands joyfully as Eclipse folded her arms. "Eclipse."

"Huh?" Eclipse looked at her, unfolding her arms from her chest.

"This is Sonic. Sonic this is Eclipse." Amy grinned as Eclipse looked at Sonic.

"Yes, I've met him already."

Obviously. You did try to kill him. Shadow clenched his jaw with confusion. She flicked her ears as Sonic hid behind Amy and gave a small wave. Eclipse was turned away, as if not paying any attention.

"Eclipse, I'm sure you already know Shadow." Amy smiled and motioned to him. "I am sure he's very sorry for trying to kill you, though he will never admit it. I am really good at this romance thing and I believe he has a crush on you—you might too since you two have a lot in common."

Shadow stiffened as Eclipse folded her ears back. Should he dare look? He could feel Eclipse's gaze hot on him. Shadow blinked and looked at her as she looked at Amy. "Well, I tried to kill him too." Eclipse snorted, obvious that she was uncomfortable with Amy's bluntness.

Shadow scowled and folded his arms as he rested his weight on his right leg while Amy prattled on about romance and Sonic. Eclipse straightened, turned and finally locked gazes with Shadow. He narrowed his eyes, unsure whether to be friendly; he finally settled on neutral. Her teeth gleamed when her lip curled. Spinning in place, she disappeared around the edge of a building that was supposed to be a haunted ride.

"Eclipse?" Amy called after her. "What. Did. You. Do?" She whirled on Shadow, fixing him with her evil eye. Shadow growled and glared at Sonic who gave him the famous I-don't-know-what-is-going-on look.

Not bothering to question if it was wise to follow or not, he ran after Eclipse. He skidded to a halt when he lost her and looked down the narrow way beside a towering rollercoaster.

Shadow spotted the bathrooms from the corner of his eye. The shadows stretched longer around him, the sun cresting its last golden glow along the western horizon.

He bowed his ears forward as a rollercoaster zipped overhead; screams from riders followed the sound of harsh wheels on a track. Eclipse looked at him from the corner of her eye before she quickly darted into the shadows, not wanting to be followed.

Shadow flicked his ears and zipped in after her when the portal started to shrink rather quickly than normal, almost closing on his leg. He halted when he realized he was no longer in the theme park, but it was too late. He was in the woods. He looked behind and saw a black hole disappear, taking the sounds of the park with it. He huffed, remembering how she had tricked Claw into one. Where did this lead? He moved forward, letting her immortality, and scent, lead him to her.

Shadow looked around as the tall trees stood overhead, blocking out the setting sun's light and getting an occasional ray here and there; peeking through the dense leaves of the forest.

He looked around as he stepped into a small clearing surrounded by trees, looking for her. His ears flicked up when he spotted her and scowled. She was leaning against a tree, watching a dragonfly fly around.

He slowly traveled his gaze up and down her body, taking her in. Her black fur glistened ebony in the fading light, her red streaks of a red rose, the pale light weaving through her long black eyelashes, highlighting the tempting curves of her mouth and softening the gentle curves of her body.

His gaze rested on her mouth, heat crawled up his cheeks. Shadow licked his lips with anticipation before he realized his mistake. He shook his head and flattened his ears with resentment. He had to clear his mind from running wild. He could not afford his attraction to her.

He blinked, noticing the glistening tears slowly traveling down her cheeks before she caught sight of him from the corner of her eye. She froze, before wiping the tears away. She turned and looked at him with a scowl. She folded her arms, noticing the way he was looking at her.

"I thought I had killed you," Shadow said coolly, trying to hide his relief. But how did she survive the attack? She growled and placed some distance between him.

"I can't be." She hissed softly as she slipped from sight around the tree.

"Impossible—everyone has their limits." But me. Shadow growled as he walked forward, wanting to see her reaction.

"You're mocking me." She hissed, her calm crimson eyes blazed hotter when he got into her line of sight. "Your pet should've killed me—then it would only show that you are just as destructible!" She snarled before slipping behind the tree again to the clearing, frustrating him.

Shadow grumbled under his breath and appeared behind her, making her jump and face him. "Do you think I care what you're saying? You make no sense!" Shadow closed the space between them, his fists aching. But before he reached her, she vanished. He growled as he looked around.

"I didn't come here for you to follow me." Eclipse's voice came from above him. Her voice was tight, like she was hiding tears. He looked up to see her in the tree a little ways behind him. He watched her as she crossed her legs on the thick branch she was sitting on which was about in the middle of the tree.

"Why don't you go get Sonic, and leave me alone," she snapped as he titled his head, her tone didn't match her expression.

He flicked his ears up as a childhood pain and a longing flashed quickly through her scarlet eyes. She was hiding something. Something he knew about. He folded her ears back with a growl as she glared at him.

"What are you still doing here? I told you to go away." She snarled as Shadow sighed and studied her. She scowled, hiding her unease of him studying her. "Go away!" She hissed through her teeth as a small smile slid onto Shadow's face, amused that she was telling him to go away and wasn't doing anything.

"Why do you want me to?" He asked, wanting to know what had hurt her to make her hate him. His vision of her weeping after the scientist entered his thoughts. Could that be her reason for loathing? He walked closer to the tree till he was under her.

She leaned forward to get a better look at him. She scowled. "I don't want you here with me," She growled. Shadow frowned at her aggression. He vanished and reappeared on a branch above her. He watched her as she climbed to her hands and knees, searching for him below.

She settled back down on the branch with a satisfied sigh that reminded him of a fat cat in a spot of sunshine. A startled yelp escaped her when he dropped on his hands and feet in front of her. She blinked, her eyes wide.

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