"Curiosity killed the cat," is a common expression that's weirdly true for a reason. Many times, curiosity does get the better of us, and often (though not always) harms us more than helps us.

If she could turn back time and do this night all over again- she would take it in a heartbeat which wasn't normal for her- as she liked to keep moving forwards.

Marley came to the familiar creek and took a deep breath as she slowly- so she didn't twist her ankle again like last year- stepped over each large stone.

"Watch your step," she stated when they came to a large boulder. She turned around to offer him her hand, and was surprised when he floated over. Going back up and over the familiar hills that gave you the perfect view of the stars and down towards the shadowy forests usually left her with a sense of calm. Not tonight however.

"Calm yourself, Human. I already told you that I wouldn't harm you."

'Not helping,' Marley sarcastically thought as they approached the woods. Pulling out her flashlight, she lit their path forwards.
When they arrived closer to her house, she could make out her car. A part of her wanted to run in and simply drive off, but she knew that wasn't the best option to take.

"Hmm...Good, it's secluded and not in the town nearby." he spoke from behind her.

'Dude what the fuck,' she thought, her anxiety skyrocketing again as she fumbled for her keys.

She let out a huff as she opened the door.

"Make yourself at home," she said as she turned on the lights while he closed the door behind them. A repeat of what happened with Nathan wasn't what she needed right now.

As she walked to her bedroom- the mobian right on her heels- the only thought on her mind was how the hell she was going to get out of this mess this time. She was going to try to sleep it off like she always did, but her anxiety was too high. Instead, her mind began to replay tonight's choices and how the hell it had come to this.

'Well, this late night walk turned out great!'

'NOT!'

Marley walked out of her house and locked her door before making her way towards the shadowy woods. She had always been a night owl, preferring the quiet of night to the noise of day. This was even reflected in where she chose to live -a small house in a fairly secluded area- not too far from the neighboring town, but not too close either. Nothing was out of the ordinary tonight, except for the unusually bright glow of the full moon. Deep in the forest, there was the perfect spot she'd deemed perfect for up the hill, she had her ancient Ipod ready with her favorite song, allowing for a truly calm experience when she stargazed.

When she reached the top, the constellations she could see made all the anxiety and doubt fade away from her mind. With this solitude, her mind began to wonder. She had a fully- paid off house at eighteen, she'd finished college already and she even had many great friends, even if some of them weren't with her anymore. Yet, something felt like it was missing and she didn't know what it was. What she did know was that something deep inside of her was calling out for this unknown thing.

Suddenly, she felt the energy in the air- it was electric and she saw the white flare in the distance. While the light faded, Every alarm bell in her brain was telling her to run home as quickly as she could and call Neo- to leave. For once in her life, she shoved down her anxiety and headed towards the bright light. Curiosity was leading her now. She didn't know why, but that dirty, thick, golden bracelet of all things was the landmark she chose.

Within minutes, she arrived at the general vicinity of the bracelet. Nothing seemed out of place at the first glance, but she was damn sure she'd seen something. Against her better judgement, she decided to investigate. As she got closer and closer to where she remembered the bracelet was, the feeling of pure dread began to settle deep within her stomach. This wasn't the time to allow her anxiety to get the better of her.

After some searching, she found the bracelet was missing and in its place however, was a hedgehog. Crouching down, panting for air and looking half- dead. His pale ears hung low on his head and his eyes glued shut.

A sense of fear began to settle in, replacing the sense of foreboding she'd felt so strongly earlier.

She'd heard of another hedgehog- akin to the famous blue blur, wanting to destroy the very planet every earthling lived on. Could this have been the same being? She had little time to react, as the hedgehog opened its eyes, staring her down. She was frozen with fear- this time she couldn't shake it. She began taking deep breaths, trying to calm her down before her apparent anxiety attack could take hold. That would do nobody favors. She heard footsteps coming closer to her location. Her heart practically beat out of her chest when she realized those footsteps were coming towards her.

Marley tightly closed her eyes. She hoped this was a bad dream, however the soft breeze that blew against the back of her neck made her acutely aware that this was no dream. When she opened her eyes, she found nothing. It felt like a weight had just been lifted off of her chest, and she let out a shaky breath she had been holding. Turning around, she was expecting to go back to her solitude, she looked ahead only to stare into the same eyes she'd had a brief encounter with just moments ago. Once again, she froze on the spot, staring back into those piercing eyes.

The Alarm bells were back with a vengeance as she looked at him.

"Hm...I've never seen a human like this, so closely before." his baritone voice spoke. He eyed her, mild interest written on his expression. There were dark circles of fatigue under his eyes- he could join the club- and as weak as he seemed, he still looked like he could kill her without a mere second of hesitation or a second thought.

"I've never seen a hedgehog? Up close either…" Marley replied, her voice cracking. Technically a lie, but she wasn't about to spill her life story to someone she'd just met. It seemed to amuse him, how her voice cracked.

A sly grin creeped onto his features. Blinking at her, he let out a chuckle and crossed his arms across his chest.

"You'd be right to be afraid juman. Even when i'm this weak, I could end your measly life with a small, quick blast."

Taking a small step back, her assumptions had been correct; fear began to build up inside of her and she began edging dangerously towards benign kicked into fight or flight mode when he spoke again.

"Save your petty fright, my intentions aren't to harm you."

She stood still.

"What?"

"Must I repeat myselg/I don't have any intentions of harming you."

She blinked in surprise. She began to feel herself beginning to lose tension and gave herself a moment to calm down.

"My Name is Marely...What's your name?"

He seemed a little Disappointed that Marley wasn't terrified, but that expression was wiped clear off of his face before he spoke again.

"Nazo."

She hmm'd in response, her mind going into over-drive as to find a reason why he had no intention of harming her- and then it clicked in her head. She'd seen this scenario so many times in books and in movies.

Shelter. He needed a place to stay, and if he was who she thought he was, he was probably going to be hiding from Sonic and Shadow...But she had to continue to play dumb.

"If you're not going to harm me, what do you want?" she replied in a natural tone. Her voice was quiet- soft as if she was still slightly scared of him.

A small, conceited smirk graced his lips- this amused him greatly that this defenseless human was going to do what he said so they wouldn't die.

"Shelter. I need a place to hide for now. I'd rather not be discovered, you see. There are two beings that I'd rather not run into at this moment in time."

She only debated with herself for a moment.

A hedgehog that could kill her with no effort at all needs to stay with her? She was going to say no, but when she looked him over once again, something inside her flipped a switch from fear to concern.

'As long as I don't anger him...I should be fine.' Right?

The impatience written all over his face made her answer quickly.

"I've only got one bedroom, I think I have a futon in my closet somewhere, or there's always the couch." she offered with a sincere but nervous smile on her face as she looked up to the sky. The sun was beginning to peek over the horizon- it was dawn already and she could feel herself getting tired.

"Fine," he murmured. Looking back at him, her mouth curled into another smile. She turned and began to make her way towards her house.

"Well, follow me then. People are going to be arriving soon." Marley stated as he trailed behind her, letting out a mildly interested hum.

This was going to be a long day, but this was for future Marley to handle.