=Chapter 12=

Black Doom's voice managed to reach their location and echoed through the cave walls. It even rang through the black water in which Shadow and Amy were frolicking around, prompting both of them to surface. The ebony hedgehog was rather angry at his father for interrupting him yet again. He got out of the pool with Amy in his arms and went towards the right of the cave. Then, Shadow slipped a black silk robe on himself and Amy. He took her hand and they walked to the throne room. Amy was sort of anxious. She had never met the Lord of the Underworld before, whom of course, was her 'uncle'. Before going in, Shadow gently squeezed her hand, catching her attention.

"Wait here." Shadow whispered.

The Goddess of Spring nodded and remained where she was as the crimson-splashed hedgehog went inside the throne room.

"What is it?" Shadow asked his father, trying to hide the irritation in his voice.

Black Doom tossed him a small scroll which he simply caught with one hand.

"I cannot believe that Zeus!" he bellowed with rage. "I cannot believe he actually fell to the commands of a female. A MERE FEMALE! Where in the seven hells is his pride?"

As the King of the Dead was ranting, Shadow was staring wide-eyed and in total disbelief himself, at the scroll. It was a decree by Zeus that Amy was to be returned to Vanilla. It totally enraged him. Especially since Zeus himself had granted Shadow Amy's hand. Then, looking closely at the scroll, the midnight god saw that there was a catch. In order to be returned to Vanilla, Amy could not eat anything from the Underworld for a least one month. Black Doom was still ranting and raving about this and calling the King of the God's a hack. Shadow slowly and quietly went back into the hall where a concerned Amy was waiting.

"What's happened?" she asked quietly.

"It seems that Demeter is wreaking havoc upon the mortal world by letting loose a frost." Shadow explained. "Zeus has decreed that you return to her."

Amy's jade orbs widened in shock and sorrow. She couldn't believe this. Although it was much expected of her mother to make her father do something like this, the sakura hedgehog still couldn't fathom the fact that Vanilla actually went and did it.

"She...she can't make me!" Amy cried, her eyes brimming with tears.

"However, there's a slight hitch." Shadow continued. "You must remain here for one lunar cycle and not eat anything from here in order for Demeter to obtain you."

Amy had to think. If she delayed in returning to Vanilla, the earth would forever be covered in frost and all the mortals would die out. Amy could not let that happen on her watch.

"I...I have to go back, Pluto." Amy said sadly.

"But Persephone." Shadow started.

"I have to, Pluto. I just can't allow all the people to die because of me!"

The poor female burst into tears. Shadow held her as she sobbed. Then, he had a thought occur to him.

"Persephone, I have an idea." he whispered. "Go ahead with this facade. Hermes will be coming to take you back to Demeter. Before he does, I will give you six pomegranate seeds for you to eat. When Zeus finds out, he'll have to...'punish' you."

Amy's eyes widened and a smile appeared on her face. She caught Shadow's drift dead on.

"Will that work?" the sakura hedgehog asked.

"It should." the ebony god replied. "I will make it work."

Amy looked down on her feet and then hugged her husband.

"Al-Alright, Pluto." she whispered. "I trust you."

XXXXXXX

As the seemingly never-ending winter continued, the two nymphs, Tails and Cream went into mortal populated areas in order to find food and warm shelter. They stepping into Athens disguised as two mortal children. An old woman brushing the snow out of her house, noticed them.

"Um, excuse me dears, but are you not cold walking around put there?" she called out.

Tails and Cream looked at her and looked at her and then they looked at each other.

"Where are your mother and father, dears?" the elder asked again.

"Um, we do not have any parents, ma'am." Cream said.

"Oh, you poor things! Why don't you come inside before you catch your death of cold?"

Both Cream and Tails exchanged glances again and nodded in agreement. They went inside the old woman's house and were immediately relieved from the bitter cold. It was small but homely. There was a fire pit going, in which the smoke was being vented out through a small chimney. The elder lady went to her kitchen to fetch warm food for the nymphs.

"Thank you, ma'am!" Cream said in gratitude.

"You're quite welcome, dears." the old woman replied. "How on earth did you end up all alone?"

The saffron fox and the young rabbit looked at each other.

"We got lost in the blizzard." Tails explained.

The elder mortal made another face.

"That's awful!" she said. "Well, you may stay until the frost subsides."

"Thanks again, ma'am!" Cream chirped.

XXXXXXX

In the Underworld, Amy was lying on Shadow's bed while he was away. It had been a week since Zeus delivered his edict, and already she was starving. Her stomach was growling and pinching her for sustenance. The goddess couldn't believe that she was actually going through this. Amy now hated her mother more than ever for this.

Her ear twitched when she heard the door open. It was Shadow. In his hand, was a sack of pomegranates. The midnight god was starting to have second thoughts on the plan. One week had passed and already he didn't like neglecting his bride in this way. Plus, he had little or no regard for the mortals so he could care less if they all died off. But Zeus wanted worshipers and Black Doom wanted souls. That was the one thing that pleased his most. Getting as much souls as he could get his hands on. Shadow went over to his snoozing mate and sat down on the bed with her.

"How are you feeling, my flower?" he asked softly.

"Hungry..." Amy moaned.

The ebony hedgehog gazed down lowly on her and began to stroking her quills.

"You don't have to do this, you know." he whispered.

Amy looked at him and saw that he held a pomegranate in his hand. She turned her head away.

"No, I can't." she quietly said.

Shadow frowned. Even more so when her belly started to growl. He placed a hand on it and gently rubbed it in order to ease her pain. Amy put her hand on his and held it there, prompting her husband to nuzzle her neck. The cherry-pink female purred at her companion's touch, making him cuddle her.

XXXXXXX

Back in the Sacred Gardens, which was now thoroughly barren, Vanilla landed back into it and was struck to find her nymph absent. She went over to her special work area and pulled out a yellow flickey out of a cage.

"Find Cream, little one." the goddess whispered.

Then she gently tossed the flicky into air and it took flight.

XXXXXXX

In Athens, the showing to stop momentarily, allowing both Cream and Tails to go outdoors. Everything looked absolutely white. The sky was white, the land was white, even the fog looked white. The two nymphs were still disguised as mortal children. Cream looked up into the sky in curiosity.

"Hmmm, I wonder what mother is up to right now." she pondering.

"Does she also control the elements?" Tails asked.

"Yes, she does. But since the precipitation has ceased, I wondered if she found something out about Persephone."

Suddenly, they heard a bird singing. Looking up, the two nymphs saw a yellow flicky land on a twig on barren tree, hopping and singing frantically. After a few minutes, Cream gasped out.

"What is it?" Tails asked.

"It's my mother." Cream exclaimed. "She's returned to the Sacred Gardens and she wants me back."

"Does this mean we have to go back?"

"I'm afraid so. I'm not sure if she'll want you there though."

There was a brief moment of silence between them.

"Well, you should go back. Demeter will be worried." Tails said. "I'll even walk you there. And besides, you don't want her to get upset again do you?"

Cream smiled.

"No, I don't." she said softly. "And thanks you Tails."

She gave him a quick peck on the muzzle, causing his face to go red and him to fall into the snow. Making Cream giggle.

XXXXXXX

In the Underworld, Amy decided to go for a stroll with Shadow to take her mind off of her hungry belly. The midnight god had an arm wrapped around her slim waist as they walked. The sakura hedgehog stared blankly at the path in front of them, not thinking of anything as she breathed in the scent of fire and brimstone. Suddenly, Amy was, for some reason, starting to feel a bit dizzy. She paused in her steps to clear her head, prompting Shadow to become concerned.

"What is it?" he asked.

"N-nothing. It's nothing, I'm alright." Amy rasped.

They continued on. The cherry-pink female rubbed her head a little when her vision was starting to black out. She blinked a little to clear it, but it continued to dissolve into darkness.

"Ohhhhh..." Amy moaned as her body went limp.

"Persephone!" Shadow cried.

He caught her before the young flower fell. The ebony hedgehog saw that the goddess was starting to get very pale in the face which he did not like at all. Shadow was used to seeing her blush scarlet and being so full of color. Amy blinked confusingly until she realized she was in her mate's arms.

"Persephone, you need to eat something." Shadow pleaded. "You can't go on like this."

"Yes...I can." Amy rasped.

Shadow let out a sigh. Why did she have to be so stubborn? He scooped her up and carried her the rest of the way. Amy snuggled into her mate's tuft of snowy fur. For the first time in their relationship, the goddess felt safe and comfortable in her husband's arms.