YES! FINALLY! AN UPDATE! :D
I doubt anyone even reads this story anymore after such a long wait. I would have had the chapter up sooner, but my laptop crashed and I lost it. But I managed to write it again and, well, here it is! I hope I haven't lost my touch XD
So, this chapter basically focuses on Shadow. I feel so bad for him. Sad face. :( There are some flashbacks to previous chapters and other flashbacks in the story, which was probably my favorite part of the chapter. Hopefully you'll like it as well!
Note: THIS IS NOT THE LAST CHAPTER! Not a lot left (don't I say that in every author's note?) but there is still more to come.
Disclaimer: SONIC WHIPS HIS SPINES BACK AND FORTH! ...Sorry.
Blaze's bedroom had an instant calming effect on Shadow the Hedgehog. His feet took him towards the middle of the room, giving him a better view of what Blaze was like before he met her. His red irises glanced around, absorbing every minuscule detail.
Nearly everything in the room was purple, gold or silver. The room was darker than the others, the only light sources being newly-lit candles and one bay view window overlooking the expansive ocean. All of the furniture was exquisite and rather rich-looking, and Shadow couldn't help but be impressed. She certainly had good taste.
Taking a few breaths, he suddenly detected a pleasant aroma. The smell was fresh. It was noticeable, but not too strong. Spotting a vase of flowers, Shadow decided it was the lavender that gave the room its scent, although a part of him fancied the thought that it was still Blaze's scent lingering in the bedroom. After so many years, it couldn't be possible...
...right?
With a sigh of frustration, Shadow shook his head, trying to clear his mind. That's when he spotted it.
Picture frames.
Sudden curiosity began to bubble inside him, and he couldn't resist taking a look at them. The first picture that caught his eye was of a couple holding a baby. The man had stunning -and oddly familiar—hazel eyes and was dressed in a blue robe that matched his blue fur. The woman who was holding the baby was dark shade of purple, with the same golden eyes to match the man's. She was staring at the baby cat lovingly, the look every mother gives their children. When Shadow looked at the baby, he knew at that moment who he was looking at. It was Blaze...his Blaze...as a baby, surrounded by her mother and father. It was at that moment that he unconsciously held his breath. It was hard to look at the picture any longer - now that he realized that the family in the image was dead.
Now, he was staring at a smaller and more casual snapshot in a small silver frame. Picking it up in his hands so he could examine it closer, he recognized Blaze, who looked only a bit older than she did in the previous photo, and deduced the man that was playing with her was a much younger and carefree Gardon. Even though he was a guy himself, Shadow had to admit that Gardon was quite handsome when he was young. The constant fretting and worrying that he saw on Gardon's face was non-existent. It was replaced with glossy, twinkling eyes and a bright smile as he held Blaze high in the air. Shadow stifled a laugh as he remembered her future fear of heights. A smile formed on his muzzle when his mind drifted back to the winter ball many years ago.
Blaze's thoughts were interrupted, when she noticed her feet weren't touching the ground anymore. Tightening her grip on Shadow more, Shadow laughed.
"Shadow! We…we aren't on the…g-ground…anymore…!" Blaze cried, unable to relax with her fear of heights.
Shadow moved them slowly in the air, twirling in small circles as if they were dancing on frosted clouds. Using his hover shoes, he kept them a few feet off the ground, much to Blaze's surprise.
"Just trust me Blaze," Shadow muttered. "I won't let you go…"
Blaze trusted his words. "I know Shadow…I know…"
If he had been eighteen, being bombarded with happy memories like that would have thrown Shadow into a sudden rage, with a long depression period afterwards. It took him a few years before the memories helped him, even made him laugh or smile. It was nice...being reminded about someone he loved. It was like thinking about Maria or the professor. Her innocent face and his knowing eyes used to torture Shadow. Blaze told him that it didn't have to be like that. He never forgot it.
"I know how you feel Shadow, but you can't forget about people so special to you, especially Maria and Professor Robotnik. They are a part of you!"
Just like how Blaze was a part of him now.
Shadow placed the frame back down and moved on to the next. It was Gardon and Blaze once again, but this time, Blaze looked to be five or six. Judging by the happiness in their expressions, Shadow guessed that the photo was taken before the death of Blaze's parents. Gardon wore a long-white sleeved shirt with a green sweater vest over it and dress pants. He clutched little Blaze, or "Missy," as he called her, to his chest. He must have been spinning her around when the picture was taken. Blaze's hair was wrapped up in her trademark ponytail, with a few tresses blowing across her face. Her eyes were shimmering as they stared into Shadow's. A haunting feeling ran through his spine and he decided to move on to one of the few pictures remaining. He soon regretted it.
In a large jewel-encrusted frame, there was a photograph of a relatively young looking Blaze and a hedgehog with silver fur and startling yellow eyes. They were hugging each other, and Shadow saw that Blaze was smiling. Not like how she was before, it was much smaller and sombre, but she still looked happy. The hedgehog looked ecstatic, then again, he was hugging Blaze. Shadow felt a stab of jealousy run through him as he stared at the picture, and he watched his hand place the picture face first onto the tabletop, keeping the picture from his sight. He knew who that hedgehog was, and he knew he was acting foolish. That hedgehog had to be Silver, the boy who Blaze was so fond of when she was young. He could distinctly remember hearing Blaze's sobs as he cried into his chest, after she had confessed her anger and sadness over Silver's disappearance.
"Being here, with all of you, reminds me of how happy I was with him. Knowing that I will have to leave you all again, it hurts even more! I'm so torn right now, you can't imagine the pain. I hate having to bottle up all of these feelings so no one will feel sorry for me!"
Even now, the friendship between Blaze and Silver resembled that of his and Maria's. Hesitantly, he set the picture upright, knowing that he couldn't look at his reflection if he left it hidden from the world. He hated guilt...a lot.
Shadow stole a glance at the grandfather clock. It was still running, but for some reason, it didn't tick. It dawned on Shadow just how silent the room was. So devoid of sound...of life. It's not right, he thought. She was too young. It should've been me, not her.
There was a trace of nostalgia as Shadow sat down on Blaze's bed. He had always felt guilty about what happened. He knew Sonic and Rouge did as well. For Sonic, it was the constant thought nagging at his throat that he should've been there to stop her. Shadow reminded him that Blaze was stubborn, and even if he hadn't gone to alert the firemen, he most likely wouldn't have been able to change her mind anyway. His words had little effect.
When he thought about Rouge, he couldn't help but remember the day of the funeral. After the ceremony, they had all gathered in the basement of the church for a meal and a toast to Blaze's life. It was a bittersweet feast, with lots of chatter and lots of crying and lots of laughing. There was sympathy and remorse, hugs and pats-on-the-shoulders.
"A toast," said Sonic, lifting his glasses as he beckoned others to do the same, "to Blaze. She might have not known it, but we all loved her."
"Here, here!"
The sound of glasses clinking together and people talking overwhelmed the room. Truthfully, Shadow had not been paying much attention. He didn't sit with the others. Instead, he sat by himself near the back, watching the others. His eyes had been threatening tears all day, but he managed to keep himself together. He just wanted to be alone at the moment, but felt as if he should stay.
All of a sudden, he could see Rouge sit up, mutter something quickly to those at her table, and she began to walk away before running in a full sprint out of sight. Thinking that something had happened to her, he followed her in the direction she went, before he realized that he hadn't seen where she had gone.
Shadow turned on his heel to head back when his eyes perked. He could hear something. Following the sound up the stairs, he saw Rouge sitting on the top step, sobbing into her arms. He took another step closer, and when the wood creaked under his weight, she looked up. She hurriedly tried to wipe away her tears and running mascara."Sh-Shadow, what are you doing here?" As if to distract him, she added lamely: "You're not following me, are you?"
"Rouge, I heard you crying."
She gazed at him with her jade eyes wide open. They were bloodshot and shining with newly formed tears. She looked horrible. "So what if I was? It doesn't mean anything..."
She had not expected him to sit down beside her, letting his head hang down and letting out a repressed sigh. "I know you hate showing weakness. You can be a lot like me sometimes."
"Don't insult me like that!"
"That wasn't an insult!" Shadow yelled, mentally scolding himself for doing so. He really didn't need Sonic or Amy or anyone to come and see them like this. "I'm just saying that I know you've been trying not to cry this whole day. I could tell." He paused to smile at her and wrap an arm around her tense shoulders. "You don't have to keep it all in."
Rouge forced a smile back. "You should try taking your own advice sometime."
Shadow hated himself for it, but he let a few stray tears fall down his face. They went unnoticed though, as Rouge's smile broke and she began to sob quietly into Shadow's shoulder. That's the way they stayed. He couldn't pinpoint how long they sat there, crying and chatting, blaming themselves for what happened. The time didn't matter. The healing did.
Frustrated, Shadow shoved any thought about the funeral out of his head. His thoughts were stubborn, but so was he. He wasn't going to go have another: "Shadow-has-gone-emo-and-is-going-to-hit-the-drugs-again-and-jump-off-a-roof episode." At least, that's what Sonic called it. He got a black eye afterwards.
Oh, great, more positive thoughts, Shadow scolded himself. The room was releasing too many memories. He needed to get out. His fears were confirmed when he spotted a scarf on her bureau. The same one she had been wearing the last time he saw her before the fire.
If didn't know any better, Shadow would have thought that a bomb had just exploded in his chest. No, he didn't want to remember. He didn't want to go through the pain again. Tears threatening to fall, he brushed them away hurriedly and made his way to the door. He stopped dead in his tracks.
He could hear laughter. Soft, feminine laughter.
No, it can't be.
Shadow followed the laughter so that he was once again standing in the center of the room. The giggling was familiar. It sounded happy. Even though his eyes were watering, he began to laugh. He knew that voice. It was heartbreaking. But, that wasn't what made him leave the room. No, it was what he saw.
His mind told him to look into the mirror. He did so, and flinched at what he saw.
In the mirror was himself. Jet black fur with reddened spines. Cold eyes that were harsh and tired, bloodshot from the tears he was shedding. A faded tan muzzle. A greying white patch of fur on his chest. The bomber jacket he had worn for years and black pants. He looked so much older. Time had taken its toll on him.
And standing right behind him, with her hand caressing his shoulder lovingly and her golden orbs staring straight ahead, was Blaze the Cat. She looked much the same, dressed in the same royal attire he had gotten used to. She seemed to be the same age, as her looks had matured and she looked awfully young beside Shadow. The only difference was her hair. It was out of its ponytail. It hung around her face and ears, the lavender waves reaching her shoulders.
Shadow managed to stare for only a few seconds before he couldn't hold his breath any longer and ran out of the room. Locking the door, he swore to himself that he would never go in that room again.
Ever.
And the Emohog prevails! Just sayin'.
Read and review!
-Kendell
