(Amy's POV)
The darkness seemed eternal, everlasting. I could almost feel it brushing past me, as if I was free-falling through the earth, a shaft, never touched by the sun.
My mind was utterly, completely, wonderfully blank. No memories, no regrets, no pain, ahh it was bliss. I started to smile but...where was my face? I couldn't feel it! Or my arms, or my legs, my entire body!
The euphoria of free-fall was gone; the feel of air passing absent. What was happening?! I didn't like this. I...I didn't like this! I started to panic.
Let me out! I wanted to scream, to finally scream until someone found me. I wanted to feel my heart beating, just to know if I was alive.
Oh god, was I ?! No! No, I couldn't be, I can't be! My life couldn't end here! Not like this...
I could feel things now, subtle at first, but rapidly becoming more defined. Something was gripping no, holding me against it while it ran, the points of contact colder than glacial ice. How I could tell it was running, I would never know. Just like feeling, sound slowly seeped into my consciousness. It was murky and inarticulate, as if I were under water. After a minute-or was it an hour?-I could make out the words of someone...familiar shouting, Wake up, wake up! I was, wasn't I? I struggled to move, to shift something. I struggled to yell.
Suddenly, things changed.
Screams, or something of the sort, echoing in the background, an increase in speed, a sudden sense of urgency. I didn't understand. What was happening? Why was I so blind and numb to everything around me?!
And then...
I felt him, his presence, his horrible, choking presence. He was close, he was coming after me! No, no, NO!! I willed myself to move, to squirm away and hide in the darkness.
Think of home Rose! Think of home!
I wanted nothing more than to be in my bed, to wake up from this nightmare. I wanted to be wrapped up in my blankets, to be safe, to block out this, this awful experience, to realize this was all a dream and never sleep again!!
Chaos...CONTROL!
...what? That phrase, that...that voice...
My surroundings changed again and it...it felt so different. The darkness was fading, becoming not so quite absolute. I could feel myself again, every inch of my body. I could feel my heart. Something warm was pressed against me, carrying me away, pulsing gently with each intake of breath
"Amy?"
Shock rocked through me. It couldn't be. It absolutely couldn't be him! My eyes flew open.
Shadow the Hedgehog was staring down at me, alarm dancing in his ruby eyes. A shaky rasping sound was coming from somewhere close by.
"Amy!" His startled voice rose as the odd noise continued at a rapid pace. I wanted to ask, 'What? 'but I...I couldn't breathe! My lungs weren't working right! As soon as I took a breath, it went out again! By now it was pretty obvious where the sound was coming from...
...me.
Shadow lowered me to the floor and knelt next to me, taking my face in between his gloved hands in a gentle, but firm grip as I started shivering.
"Come on Amy, breathe! Its gone. He's gone. It's alright. Just breathe...breathe."
The last part was whispered as we sat there on my bedroom floor, my shaking slowly going away. I was on the verge of crying, but I savagely fought the tears back, shutting my eyes tightly and clenching my teeth. The effort caused me to tremble once more, but Shadow's hands refused to let my head move an inch.
"Easy." He murmured, "Easy..."
The scratchy noise that had ripped from my chest had faded, but my breath still hitched in odd places. I didn't know how long we sat there, but eventually, my breath evened out, the trembling stopped, my tears gone. And in that quiet moment, I noticed just how tired I really was, that my fur was drenched in cold sweat, and that-
-that Shadow was here. With me. Here. And the way he was holding me felt...
Oh no. Did fate me? What did I do to incur it's ic wrath? Hadn't I been through enough already? I forced myself to keep calm. One wrong move, and everything I'd built over the past few years would fall apart.
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(Shadow's POV)
As soon as she'd calmed down, I withdrew my hands. I'd seen full grown men go into shock, but that...that was different. Perhaps it was the source, the specific person that had almost fallen to pieces. I didn't know why but it seemed unnerving, almost wrong...
I mentally shook myself; now wasn't the time for my mind to wander. I refocused on Amy.
She seemed...defensive. She wasn't looking at me-her eyes were focused on a random spot on the wall closest to us. Was it me being a witness to her in that vulnerable state that made her insecure? Or was the reason behind the fact that the last hedgehog...like...being she'd met had tried to kill her?
"Are you alright?" I asked, keeping my tone low and calm. She closed her eyes for a moment before answering, meeting my gaze with her own.
"Y-yeah...yeah, I'm fine."
'My god...her eyes...'
Her eyes were nothing like I remembered; sparkling with energy, eager and happy. No, her jade eyes were carefully blank, masking her emotions. It would've been enough to fool anyone...
...except those who've had feelings to hide before.
In the split second before she looked away, I caught a glimpse of fear, regret, and pain in those eyes, and it had the strangest affect of me. It struck something deep down inside of me and I wanted to...to do something to wipe her emerald eyes clear of that depression.
And at the same time, I was very confused. How did Amy get like this? And why...why did I feel so strongly about it?
Amy stood, lightly rubbing her left arm, oblivious to my revelations. "Thank you Shadow for...for saving me. I really appreciate it."
She sounded exhausted. 'Well of course, considering what she has just been through.' I nodded in reply. This situation felt exceedingly awkward and I had no idea what to say. Silence was the best option.
Amy brushed her bangs from her eyes. "So, why are you here Shad-"
Right at that moment, there were several distant explosions, the floor trembled, and an orange light glowed from the window. I was on my feet in an instant, darting to the window.
"That." I said simply.
From what I guessed was Amy's house, we had an excellent view of the town of Leafside. At least, we would have it not have been for the total devastation.
Plumes of smoke were rising, lit from below by blazing fires. Random buildings and objects were exploding as fiery orange meteors flew down in a ly shower. Distant howls and screams echoed up from the town, nightmarishly similar to that day when Black Doom arrived on Earth.
And in the midst of all the chaos and destruction was him. His spot lights were gone. Instead, his paws glowed orange and spewed the e fireballs that caused so much damage.
"No..." Amy joined me at the window, a hand over her mouth, her eyes wide and horrified. "What...what is he doing?"
"Looking for you."
Amy turned to look at me, but I was glaring at the distant figure of the evil thing reeking havoc. Despite his obvious power, he didn't seem nearly as intimidating as he had ten minutes ago. From this standpoint, he was just another egocentric pushover that had to be put down. But...I'd never had an enemy affect me like he did. That senseless fear...
"He hasn't taken too kindly to my intervention I imagine." I continued grimly, turning from the window and walking out of the room. "Come on. We need to get you out of here."
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(Normal POV)
He was beyond angry. He was infuriated! Right at the moment of victory, just before the key to his infinite glory was in his grasp, he'd been caught off-guard and thwarted by a mere HEDGEHOG!! The loss was just as humiliating as the time he was sealed in that accursed rock! Made even more so when he slipped away, right when he had them!! And, on top of that, he couldn't sense her soul anymore! Was that hedgehog cloaking her with a spell? Impossible! Nothing could divert a Reaper's power, not even the most accomplished of sorcerers!
The thriving below helped to soothe some of his bad temper, allowing him to mull over the past events. That hedgehog's power...it was completely unique to him. He couldn't even touch the lances of the hedgehog's magic flying at him with his influence during their first confrontation-which confounded and irritated him to no end! Spears, arrows, swords, magic, all bent to his will with satisfaction, but this...
...And the way they just disappeared...
His rage resurfaced, boiling within his mind. He re-attacked the mortals below him, streaming down his power and tion and throwing out his voice, loud and terrible for all within fifty miles to hear.
"YOU CAN'T RUN FOREVER, HEDGEHOG! I AM THE MIGHTY ZERITHAN, LORD OF THE REAPERS, DARK STAR OF THE EASTERN PLAINS! NO MATTER WHERE YOU GO, OR THE SPEED OF YOUR FLIGHT, I WILL FIND YOU! THE WILL BE MINE, AND WHEN I'VE RISEN TO UNLIMITED POWER, I'LL SCATTER YOUR ENTRAILS ACROSS THIS LAND AND MOUNT YOUR CARCUS AS A TROPHY FOR ALL THE WORLD TO SEE!!"
Authors Note: Well, this ended about 2 1/2 pages short in my notebook, but it just seemed to end after Zerithan's little hissy fit. (hmm, this is the second time I've updated on a Sunday...)
Shadow: I take it back, I am nothing compared to this guy. Drama King much?
Elise the Cat: (snort) -starts laughing-
Shush. Anywho, read and review, and please do this one justice 'cause this was difficult to write and it's probably my least favorite chapter next to chap. 8.
Elise the Cat: well, you can't win them all.
Oh, BTW, if anymore words got deleted, sorry, but it's not my fault. This site is whacked-out.
Elise the Cat: Read & Review! My warning still stands. -glares- ...burn...