The last chapter… Who thought I'd make it this far?
Heh, well, anyway…
TO THE STORY!
Sky opens her eyes slowly, her vision blurred and her mind foggy. She's in a simple white room with a window next to the bed, and on the opposite side is a chair with a black hedgehog staring at her.
Automatically, she panics. "M-Mephiles?" She attempts to get out of bed, but a horrible pain in her abdomen prevents her from even sitting up.
"Sky, it's okay. It's only me." Not Mephiles, but Shadow. "Don't try to get up."
"Sh-Shadow? How long have I-"
"Only thirty-six hours." Shadow crosses over to sit next to her on the bed. "Mephiles gave you some pretty bad wounds."
"Where am I?"
"In a hospital by the Palace. You were torn up pretty bad, but then again, so was everybody else," Shadow tells her. He reaches out to touch her quills, but she shrinks back with a whimper. Shadow blinks in confusion. "Sky, it's okay. I won't hurt you."
She still shakes in fear. Shadow and Mephiles look so much alike; it's going to be hard to get used to looking at Shadow and seeing only Shadow, not Mephiles.
"Where's my dad?" she asks. "And Silver?"
"Both of them are in the next room. Silver only had a broken nose, but Boston…" Shadow trails off.
"Boston what? What happened to my father?" Sky begins to panic. She and her father are closer than any other father-daughter duo. She loves her father more than she ever loved her mother. Plus, he always promised he would protect her, and she understands that there is so much truth behind those words, and she cannot stand to lose him.
"He's bleeding internally. The doctors said he shouldn't have been fighting anyway, for he has an ulcer and he would be risking a lot by stressing himself out like that." Shadow looks down at her with such intensity that she presses back into her pillow even more. "Sky, I'll never let this happen to you again," he murmurs suddenly. "I will never let anyone lay a hand on you ever again, do you understand?"
Sky blinks at him, surprised at the conviction of his words.
"You'll never leave my sight again," Shadow growls, his hand clenching into a fist. "I don't want you to be hurt ever again."
"I-I believe you, Shadow," Sky stutters, propping herself up on her elbows.
"I love you," Shadow whispers, leaning forward to kiss her forehead. "I love you, forever and always."
Sky gasps at the contact, but she doesn't protest. She doesn't even object when the dark hedgehog presses his lips against hers, his hand on her cheek. Her hand trembling, she wraps her fingers around his wrist.
"I-I love you too," she mumbles, staring into his eyes with tears forming in her own.
"Well isn't that just the sweetest thing?" Silver's voice comes from the door. Sky's eyes flit to the doorway, where her twin brother is leaning against the frame. His nose is properly bandaged, and he has various scratches lacing his body. But, his eyes are sparkling with the same boyish charm he always has.
"Silver!" Sky beams, relieved to see that he's all right.
"I came to take my watch over you, but I see that you're okay," Silver chuckles, smiling and walking over. "I didn't think you and Shadow would be making out already."
"We weren't making out," Shadow retorts, rolling his eyes. "What do you really want, Silver?"
"Dad wants to talk to you," Silver answers with a sigh. "He just woke up and wanted to speak to you."
"Really? Okay." Shadow stands up, his eyes dodgy with nerves. He looks back at Sky. "I'll be back, okay?"
"Okay."
"You'll be all right?"
"Uh huh. I'll have Silver for company."
"Um… actually, Sky, Dad wants me to go back with Shadow. But Sonic's coming in here to spend time with you," Silver corrects, scratching the back of his head. "But I'll be back too, okay?"
Sky sighs, disappointed. "Okay. I'll see you later."
Shadow kisses her forehead lovingly. "I'll be back soon."
Shadow peeks into Boston's room. The large warrior is sitting up and adjusting his hospital gown. He looks down at the IV drip in his arm and shakes his head.
"Who would've thought it would come to this, eh Adele?" he mutters to the doctor, a female rabbit who is about his age.
"You shouldn't have been fighting, Boston, you know that," Adele murmurs, amused. She scribbles something onto her clipboard. "Don't strain yourself or try to get up. You're going to have to stay here for a few more days, okay?"
"Fine," Boston growls reluctantly. Adele nods and exits. Shadow flattens himself against the wall to keep from being caught eavesdropping.
"I know you're lurking out there, Shadow and Silver!" Boston calls from the inside. "Come on in!"
Shadow exchanges a look with Silver and goes in first, his cheeks burning in embarrassment.
"Feeling okay, Dad?" Silver asks, slipping past Shadow to join his father at his bedside.
"I could be better, son," Boston admits with a sigh. "Is Sky awake?" Silver nods. "Is she okay?"
"She seems a bit shaky, but I think she'll be okay," Shadow answers quietly. "I really don't like leaving her like this. What did you want?"
Boston raises an eyebrow at Shadow's boldness. Shadow rolls his eyes internally.
Stop acting like you're tough, old man. I saw how easily Mephiles took you down, Shadow thinks, crossing his arms.
"I wanted to thank you, Shadow," Boston says. "You must really care for my daughter if you're willing to risk everything for her like that."
"Of course I would. I'm in love with her," Shadow tells him, blinking.
"Which brings me to my next topic; do you plan on staying here?"
Shadow raises an eyebrow. "I was planning on it. Sky and I previously planned to move in together. Why?"
"Well, because I want Sky to be looked after for a while, I was going to have her move in with me, but if you intend to stay, I'll allow you to stay with her," Boston says, adjusting his position.
"Really?"
Boston nods. "And Silver will help you. He knows how to handle her better than you can. That, and she might be a bit sensitive towards you, especially since you look so much like Mephiles."
"I'm hoping that I can get past that," Shadow tells him. "I'm not Mephiles and I want her to be able to tell that for herself."
"I understand that, but-"
"I want to marry her," Shadow interrupts.
"What?" both Boston and Silver gasp in shock.
"I want to marry her," Shadow repeats.
"But you barely know her!" Boston coughs. Silver awkwardly rubs his back.
"I know her well enough," Shadow protests. "I want to be with her for the rest of my life, and I plan to."
Silver nods in agreement. "I've seen them together long enough, Dad. They're compatible, and I can see that they truly love each other."
"Well, then," Boston rasps. "If you do plan on carrying this insane plot, then I suggest you wait until she's recovered enough to propose."
Shadow blinks in surprise. "You're going to allow me to ask her hand?"
"I can't stop you. There's no guarantee that she'll say yes, but, yeah, I'll let you propose, but I'm not going to like it."
"Thank you." The words felt weird coming off of his tongue. "I will take care of her, I promise."
"You'd better, or I'll kill you myself," Boston snarls menacingly.
Shadow dips his head and heads out, Silver following at his heels.
"Great dad, Silver, really great," Shadow mutters.
"He really is, Shadow. He's just been through a lot. That, and he's really protective of Sky," Silver says. "He only wants the best for her."
"I think I am best for her. I love her."
"She's high maintenance; she needs a lot of attention."
"I'll give it to her. I'm willing to do anything just for her." Shadow's voice rises, and the two stop in front of Sky's door.
Silver sighs. "I'm not trying to disprove you. I think you would be great for Sky, but there is another that thinks he would be better."
"Then I will prove him wrong."
"He's major competition, Shadow. We've both known him literally since we were babies." Silver appears stricken. "He wants nothing more than to be Sky's mate; he's willing to do whatever it takes to be with her."
Shadow puts his hand on the door handle. "In all honesty, Silver, I don't really care how much he loves her. If she loves him in the same way, then I can't stop her, but if she feels the same for me as I do her, then that's it. There's nothing anybody can do about it."
Silver opens his mouth to say something, but he closes it, nodding.
Shadow opens the door, only to see not Sonic, but a white hedgehog with the lightest-of-blue lining on his quills and green eyes sitting next to Sky's bed. He has a single black patch of chest fur that extends to his torso, and his back quills stick out a bit more, much like a porcupine's. To Shadow's dismay, he holds Sky's hand in his own and is talking to her softly. Sky is looking at him, but turns around as Shadow and Silver walk in.
"Oh, hi, guys!" Sky greets them cheerfully. She looks much happier than she did when Shadow was with her before.
"Frost? What are you doing here?" Silver asks, raising an eyebrow. "What happened to Sonic?"
"I told him that I'd take over," Frost replies, smiling. His voice is deep, but a touch higher than Shadow's. "I wanted to spend some time with Sky." He touches her face and she giggles.
"Frost, please," she protests, swatting him away playfully.
Shadow's ears burn and his eyes narrow.
Frost laughs until his emerald green eyes rest on Shadow. "Um… Who are you?" he asks, flicking an ear.
"I could ask you the same thing," Shadow growls, closing the door behind him. He crosses over to sit on the bed next to Sky and puts his arm around her. "I'm Shadow, the guy that saved everyone's asses. Now who the hell are you?"
"Shadow, this is my best friend Frost," Sky whispers into his ear, taking his hand and giving it an affectionate squeeze. "I've known him practically my whole life."
"Really…" This must be that guy Silver was talking about. I can tell by the way he looks at her, Shadow observes, his eyes narrowing further. He doesn't look like much competition to me.
He hugs Sky to him, careful of her injuries, and wraps his arms around her waist. She gasps lightly at this, but doesn't protest or look back at him.
"Frost, this is my boyfriend Shadow," she tells the white hedgehog quietly.
Frost eyes Shadow skeptically. "Boyfriend, eh?" he comments. "And Boston approved of this?"
"I-I don't know. I haven't spoken to Daddy about it yet," Sky tells him. She looks back at Shadow then.
"He approves," Shadow tells her. "He told me himself. Silver was there too."
Sky looks at Silver, who nods, though he appears worried. "Dad said he was fine with it as long as nothing like this happens again."
"And I don't plan on it happening again," Shadow confirms.
"Really…" Frost mutters, curling his lip in irritation. "Heh, looks like this will be harder than I thought."
A growl rises in Shadow's throat upon him hearing that statement. "Don't you-"
Sky looks at him, cutting him off. He flattens his ears and presses his lips against her head.
The doctor from Bostons' room, Adele, walks in, carrying a different clipboard. She looks up and frown "There are too many people in here," she snaps. "The three of you, out. I have to change her dressings."
All three males open their mouths, but Adele cuts them off with a glare.
His ear tips burning, Shadow lets go of Sky and hops down from the bed, following Silver out. Frost brings up the rear. The three of them walk out into the front room, where Team Sonic is located. Sonic has bandages on his arms and one on his thigh. Tails and Knuckles got off easy; they just have a few minor cuts and scratches. Sonic grins and gets up to meet Shadow, but the black hedgehog takes the opportunity to punch the blue hero in the gut.
"What the hell did you do that for?" Sonic rasps, holding his torso.
"You left Sky with him," Shadow snarls, nodding in Frost's direction. The white hedgehog is talking to Blitz, who sits with Blaze nearby. Silver joins his girlfriend.
"Yeah, Frost is cool. So what?" Sonic says, glaring venom at Shadow.
"You were sent to be with her, not him," Shadow growls.
"Dude, chill. It's okay. It's not like they don't know each other, " Sonic scoffs. "He said they've been best friends forever. It's not like he was going to molest her or something."
Shadow curls his lip. "Forget it. You wouldn't understand. I'm getting coffee."
He begins to stalk off in the direction of the small lounge for visitors.
"Wait, Shadow, I'll come with you." Frost jogs up beside him.
Shadow growls in annoyance, but doesn't object. He makes his way over to the coffee maker and pours some into a foam cup. Just a he's dumping sugar into the cup, Frost begins to speak.
"How long have you and Sky been together?" he asks. Taking his own cup and pouring some coffee into it.
"A couple months," Shadow answers without looking at him.
"And how long have you known her?"
"A bit longer than that."
"Do you know what she likes? What she dislikes? Her favorite foods? Her favorite locations? Anything?" Frost's voice rises.
"What's it to you?" Shadow grumbles, tossing his trash into the trash can. "That's for me to find out."
That's when things get a bit… antsy. "Look here, Ultimate Life form, if you think that you can just waltz in here, ignore the rest of us, and take Sky away with you, you've got another thing coming! You don't know shit about her or what she's gone through. You should just take your friends and go back to where the hell you came from."
"I didn't ask for a fight with you, but if you want one, then you've got it," Shadow snarls menacingly.
"Let the games begin," Frost sneers, taking his cup of coffee and walking out.
Oooooooo…. Foreshadowing…. Sequel should be up soon! Hope you enjoyed this lovely story! Leave a comment on your way out! I love you guys!