AN: Another chapter down, phew! This is also a pretty good one as we're getting back into the nitty-gritty. Thank you Janttun3n, MissMJS, Captain, CrimsonDestroyer, risingzero1984, and aliciathewolf45 for the reviews left on my last chapter! Now, onto the reading segment. I hope you guys enjoy!

•~•

The next day, Rosy, Silver, and Blaze walked around the farmer's market in town to pick up some fresh goods. With a large line behind him, Silver handed over some money to a friendly merchant in a food truck. Once taking the money, the cashier handed him two lemonade slushies. "Thank you," he smiled. The white hedgehog sauntered over to another stand selling fresh produce, where he found Rosy and Blaze checking out the eggplants on display. "Got the drinks," he announced behind the two.

Blaze turned and kindly accepted one of the drinks from him. "Great, I'm parched." The feline took a sip of her drink, humming in delight by the refreshing flavor. "Mmm, perfect!"

Silver watched as Rosy continued to look for the best produce. "You sure you don't want one, Amy? I can always go over and buy another," he suggested, offering out his own drink.

Rosy shook her head with a smile. "Oh, no, it's okay. I'm alright at the moment."

"All right, but you're missing out," he said before taking a long sip.

Rosy looked over to the other side of the tent, spotting some rather attractive looking lettuce heads. "I'm going to check the other side to look for some cabbage, be right back." Blaze and Silver acknowledged her comment, before going back to shopping themselves.

As Rosy wandered over to the other side through the crowd, she looked to her left briefly, only to spot a male black cat in his 40s, staring at her with a hardened expression. She looked away for a moment, only to look back and see that he was keeping his eyes on her as she kept walking. Feeling a little unnerved by his gaze, she took another turn, only to bump into another male, but this time a teal porcupine in his late 20s. "Oh, excuse me," she politely apologized, before seeing the male also shared an equally harsh expression. "Sorry about that…" she said, backing away timidly.

Who were these guys and why did they look at her with such disdain? Did they know her from somewhere, or were they just in really bad moods today? Feeling that something wasn't right, Rosy looked over to where Silver and Blaze last stood and felt her heart drop, when she realized they were no longer in sight of the busy marketplace. She began to frantically look for them up and down the street and in the crowds. "Silver, Blaze!" she called out.

She passed an alleyway when suddenly she felt a strong shove from behind, forcing her face first into the ally. Rosy yelped as she landed on the cobblestone, bumping and scraping up her arms during her fall. Quickly, she turned over to see who had pushed her and came face to face with the black cat and teal porcupine. "What do you two want from me?" she snapped, as she stood upright.

The black cat began to ascend towards her, only making her back further away. "You will die for what you've done."

"And what's that? I haven't done anything wrong!" Rosy stuck her right hand out, hoping to perform some sort of magic attack, but found that nothing was happening. She grunted in frustration and repeated the action, striking her arm out at him. "Oh, C'mon!"

The two males continued to approach her, but the black cat pulled out some sort of mystical rattle and began to shake it in the air. Out of nowhere, Rosy gripped the sides of her head, crying out in pain as she fell to her knees. Whatever this rattle was, it was giving her a huge migraine, deprecating any movement to escape. "Stop it!" she begged.

He continued to shake the rattle as he reached out to grab her, but a silver blur raced in and slammed into the black cat, sending him flying into the nearby stonewall. The blur continued its attack, slamming into the porcupine and sending them hurtling into some cargo boxes. Feeling the pain diminish, Rosy looked up only to see Silver kneeling in front of her. His amber eyes held concern, as he looked her over. "Amy, are you okay?"

Blaze came running around the corner after trying to keep up with Silver's speed. She panted but smiled in relief once she saw the two were okay. "There you are! What's going on?"

Rosy looked over at the now unconscious males around them. "These witches attacked me for no reason."

Blaze approached them, recognizing their matching tribal tattoos. "They're from the Shrine coven," she noted. "Witches don't often attack their own kind. Whatever their reason is, it must be pretty bad."

"I don't believe that there'd be only two trying to hurt you. I'm sure more are on their way." Silver stood up, helping Rosy stand with him. "We need to get out of here."

•~•

Back home, Shadow consoled Rosy in the living room after hearing about what happened in town. The couple sat on the couch together, while Shadow sat close to the pink hedgehog, bandaging her cuts and scrapes. "Other than these cuts, they didn't hurt you, did they?"

Rosy shook her head. "No, but they definitely intended to. Whoever they were, they recognized me, not 'me' me, but whoever I'm currently inhabiting. Whoever this Rosy Rascal is, they want her dead."

Shadow finished tending to her wounds. "I won't hear anything of it, whoever these people are, we'll find them and show them their anger is unwise."

Sitting in one of the chairs nearby, Blaze looked wary of the threat. "Shadow, you don't want to mess with that coven. They don't play around when it comes to keeping their people safe," Blaze advised. "Besides, we don't need to involve ourselves in any more unnecessary drama."

"Then what do you propose we do?" he questioned. "Sit around and wait for more of them to come and attack us?"

"No, I have another idea in mind." Her eyes looked over at her fiancé, standing in the entryway of the living room. "Silver and I will visit the Asylum where Rosy was being held. There, we'll try to get some answers; meanwhile, you and Amy can stay here for precaution. It's not a good idea to be out and about today with that coven on the hunt for her."

Shadow crossed his arms over his chest and sank back into the cushions. "Very well, but good luck trying to get any information. I don't think they'll give up confidential information easily," he noted.

"I think by combining both of our charming personalities, Silver and I will be able to pull some strings," Blaze smiled optimistically.

•~•

That afternoon, Silver and Blaze made their way downtown towards Station Square Asylum together. As they walked down the sidewalk, past other people, a thought crossed Silver's mind. "So, do you know anything about this place?"

"I've heard rumors before, but honestly, I don't know much about it," she replied truthfully.

"What kind of rumors?"

She shrugged for a moment, not thinking much about the gossip she had heard over the years. "Well, when I was a little girl, my mother used to tell me this was where the bad witches would go—ones that were truly mentally unstable. After all, mental illness doesn't discriminate against anyone, including supernatural beings."

They turned a corner together. "So this isn't a mental institute for mortals, but it poses as one?" he inquired.

"Correct."

•~•

In the living room, Shadow flipped through channels looking for something to watch on TV. Going through the stations idly, Shadow sighed at his options and tossed the remote back on the coffee table. Nothing was really captivating him anyway, but when he heard footsteps, Shadow craned his neck only to see Rosy making her way towards him. "Everything alright upstairs?" he inquired.

"Yes, Faith just needed a new diaper," she explained making her way over to the couch. "But she's settled now and down for her nap." Rosy curled up on her side on the couch next to Shadow and rested her head on his lap.

"Looks like someone else could use a nap too," he smirked, looking down at her.

"I've been so tired lately since I've been in this new body," she groaned, closing her eyes. "Can you just stroke my quills or something?" Obliging, Shadow used his left hand and began stroking her quills softly in a downward motion, giving Rosy goosebumps from his gentle touch. Rosy smiled at the sensation. "Mmm, that's nice."

Shadow smiled down lovingly at her. "I'm glad you're enjoying it."

Rosy opened her eyes for a moment and turned slightly so she could look up at him. "Do you think I'll ever get my old body back?"

He looked slightly surprised by her question, especially with everything she had expressed to him prior to her body swap. "Are you insinuating that you'd like to return to your vampire status?"

"Well, yes and no," she spoke truthfully. "I like being mortal again, but I'm not sure if I'm happy with the body I've been placed in. I miss my old body."

"Blaze promised she'd find a way to get you back into your old body and I intend to help her find the solution."

Rosy smiled up at him. "Thanks, Shadow."

The doorbell rang and both hedgehogs seemed startled by the unannounced visitor. Rosy sat upright, allowing Shadow to get up to answer the door.

The ebony hybrid wandered over to the front door and opened it, but when he saw who was standing on the other side, he looked shocked. Standing there was who he thought was his older brother still possessing the red and black armadillo. "Mephiles?" he gawked.

•~•

Back at the Asylum, Silver and Blaze sat in the waiting room, waiting to meet with the hospital director. It had been at least thirty minutes, but finally, an office door opened up, and a large green crocodile stepped out. His blue eyes spotted the pair and he walked over to greet them. "You must be Blaze and Silver. My name is Vector."

The pair stood from their seats and formally shook his hand each. "Thank you for meeting with us on such short notice," Silver smiled warmly.

"No worries. Please, step into my office," he smiled kindly. Vector shepherd the two into his room and closed the door behind him before walking over to the chair behind his desk. In the meantime, Silver and Blaze sat at the two seats provided in front of his desk. The crocodile sank down into his seat and clasped his hands over the table. "So, what can I help you two with on this fine day? I heard you had some inquiries about our facility?"

"Well," Silver began. "We were hoping you could provide us with some knowledge on one of your patients. Specifically, Rosy Rascal."

And with that, Vector's professional demeanor dropped from friendly into caution. "I'm sorry, I'm going to have to ask you leave my office and my facility immediately."

Blaze shot him a bewildered look. "Why, just because we mentioned one of your patients?"

Vector rose from his seat. "I have the right to ask people to leave my property. Clearly, your intentions here are not professional. Now, if I have to call security to remove you, I will do so."

Silver held eye contact with him as his eyes began to dilate. "You will do no such thing." At that moment, Vector was held under his compulsion as he stared back at the vampire. "I want you to sit and answer our questions."

Following his instructions, Vector sat back down in his seat. "What do you want to know?"

•~•

At that same time, back at the house, Shadow didn't seem pleased to see Mighty on his property. "You can go to hell if you think I'm allowing you inside my home," Shadow warned.

Mighty put up his hands up, showing no harm. "Look, I know what you're thinking and you're correct to think that, but I swear, your brother no longer resides in me," Mighty pledged.

Shadow lowered his guard for a moment. "What now?"

Mighty lowered his arms, seeing he was getting to the hybrid. "I know that for months my body was under your brother's control, but he's gone now," he explained.

Shadow eyed him skeptically. "So, if it is true, then why are you here? You have no business with me."

Behind Shadow, Mighty's caught movement, and his eyes naturally peered over his shoulder where he spotted Rosy staring in his direction. "I'm actually here for her," he pointed.

With no other words exchanged, Shadow sucker punched the armadillo in the face, sending him flying off his front porch. Mighty landed on his back with a thud. "Like hell, I'm letting you anywhere near her!" Shadow said, cracking his knuckles as he walked down the front steps, to continue his assault.

Mighty grumbled as he rolled over on the ground, now with a bloody nose. He touched underneath his nostrils and looked at the blood on his fingertips. "Wait, I'm not here to fight you, but you must understand that she is dangerous!" he pleaded frantically.

Shadow bent over and grabbed Mighty by the collar, yanking him off his feet. Mighty stared back into Shadow's terrifying red eyes. "I know what your intentions are." He pulled his other arm back, punching him in the face before letting him fall into the dirt again.

Rosy watched from the doorway, worrying for Shadow's safety as well as her own. Mighty, on the other hand, spit up blood, letting it collect into a puddle beneath him. "Please, you must believe me, I'm not here to hurt her. I'm here to help you." He reached into his satchel and pulled out a thick manila envelope and tossed it a few feet in front of him. "If you don't believe me, read this and get back to me once you want my help." He wiped his lower lip with the back of his arm. "My contact information is provided inside."

Rosy came outside and walked over to the manila envelope, bent over, and picked it up. Shadow shot her a bewildered look for even considering coming outside in the first place. "Amy, get back in the house!"

She hugged the envelope against her chest. "What if he's telling the truth?"

"No, he's just like the others. Now get in the house right now!" he spoke sternly. "I'll finish him."

Amy tried to look back at the witch as Shadow pushed her back towards the house, but the ebony hedgehog blocked her view. "But Shadow."

"What?" he snapped, stopping momentarily.

She blinked a few times as she looked behind them. "He's gone." Shadow turned, only to see that Mighty had vanished from sight.

•~•

A few minutes later, the door unlocked and Silver and Blaze returned to the house. Shadow and Amy were in the kitchen, cleaning up while Faith sat in her booster chair. "We're back," Blaze called out as she hung up her coat and purse by the front door. Shadow peeked his head out of the kitchen, eager to hear what they learned. "So, did you get any information?"

The two gathered in the kitchen, taking seats at the kitchen table. "We got plenty," Silver replied. "It just took a bit of compulsion to get it out of him."

Rosy wiped down a plate with a rag as she leaned against the sink. "So let's hear it then."

"Well, it turns out Rosy Rascal has been on a downward spiral for years now. She's been using forbidden magic—black magic," Blaze specified. "And she's become rather power hunger. It turns out she was kidnapping young witch children off the streets and doing human sacrifices in order to gain more power."

Rosy placed a hand over her mouth after hearing just some of the history of her new body. "Oh my god…"

Silver nodded solemnly. "Yes, that's why she was placed in Station Square Asylum by her own coven. The facility keeps Rosy under control. Apparently, when she's at the institute, they prescribed her some sort of herbal remedy that keeps her magic ineffective."

"So, I'm guessing that the people you guys ran into earlier this morning happened to be members of her old coven?" Shadow surmised.

"More than likely," Blaze nodded. "Since word has spread of Rosy's escape, the coven has made it a mission to find and bring her back. Unfortunately, not everyone in the coven has the same motives…"

Rosy blinked a few times, growing concerned by Blazes' tone. She walked over to the table and stood by Shadow's side. "What kind of motives?"

Blaze looked hesitant on revealing the information, especially since she didn't want to frighten Amy more than needed. "…There is a fringe group that would like to publically execute Rosy for her crimes against their children."

Rosy felt her heart sink and Shadow sensed her distress. He reached out with his arm and wrapped it around her waist. "Don't worry, we're not going to let that happen, Rose."

"We need to let them know that the real Rosy is gone. I've taken over her body for the meantime, but once I return to my old body, we'll hand Rosy over to the Asylum," she rationalized.

Shadow nodded in agreement. "I agree, but I think it's time we tell Silver and Blaze about our visitor we had today."

"What now?" Silver asked.

"The real Mighty visited our home today and provided us a folder with information regarding Rosy Rascal. He was doing his best to convince us that he was not here to hurt Amy, but he was here to help us with something else."

"The real Mighty?" Blaze repeated. "Then that means..."

"—Mephiles is gone for good this time?" Silver finished.

Shadow nodded. "Yes, I don't know how or who banished him from his host, but his presence is gone."

Blaze looked relieved by the good news. "Then that means my friend is back for good. Shadow, I can promise you that we can trust him. Mighty is an excellent witch and a loyal friend of mine."

"Uh, my apologies then," Shadow grumbled apologetically. "Although I sensed Mephiles was no longer inhabiting him, I still held my paranoia and viewed him as a threat. So, I may have been a little rough with him..."

"A little is an understatement," Rosy piped in passively.

Blaze looked disappointed with his words. "Shadow, you didn't…"

The ebony hedgehog raised his hands up. "I said I was sorry."

The feline stood from her seat. "Well, I'm going to get in contact with him and have him come over tomorrow to help us out."

•~•

Later that evening, Shadow and Rosy sat in the study analyzing the information Mighty had left them with. Spread out on a coffee table before them, were reports after reports on the pink hedgehog. Rosy flipped through some files, reading the reports collected on her over the years. Shadow sat on the other side of the room, reading some of the other files she had already gone over but was not pleased with the reports.

Rosy sighed after reading another horrifying report and lowered the paper. "Blaze and Silver were right. It's all in here, every horrible thing Rosy Rascal has ever done."

"If you ask me, it's a good thing you took over her body then," Shadow mumbled. "Anyone who does these kind of things to children has it coming."

"I'm no saint here, Shadow," Rosy countered. "You could view me as being quite deplorable. After all, I did take over her body without her consent."

Shadow placed the papers on his desk and stood. "I'm not trying to argue with you, Amy, I'm just saying maybe it's a blessing in disguise this happened."

"I guess I can see your point, but it still feels dirty," she shuddered, wrapping her arms around herself.

Shadow glanced at the clock on the wall seeing how late it was getting. "Well, I don't know about you, but I'm going to head to bed. I don't want to focus too much more on these reports. They're hard enough to fathom that someone could do this to an innocent child."

"It's definitely scary," she concurred before reaching over and grabbing another bunch of papers to sort through. "But I'll be joining you in a bit."

Shadow eyed her warily. "You sure?"

She glanced up at him briefly. "I just want to read up on her a little more, don't worry I'll be there in an hour or so."

"Alright, just don't get too consumed by it." He turned on his heel and headed out of the room. "Night."

"Night," she smiled before getting back to her reading.

•~•

Later that night, Silver and Blaze were sound asleep in their bed after a long day. In the other parts of the house, Faith soundly slept in her crib, as well as Shadow who was sleeping in the next room over. In the study, Rosy had fallen asleep on the couch after trying to keep her eyes open to read one more report. Files and papers were scattered all over the coffee table as well as on the floor now from her research.

Rosy turned over onto her side until her eyes unexpectedly shot open. Slowly, she sat upright, looking at her surroundings before swinging her legs off the side of the couch and getting up and leaving the room in stoic strides.

•~•

Meanwhile, in town by the docks, a young teen weasel couple made out on the desolate boardwalk, illuminated under a flickering streetlight. Footsteps approached and an unsettling giggle rang out. The boy and girl pulled apart from their make-out session, to look at their unannounced spectator. "Don't you kids know better than to be out this late?" Rosy scolded with her head tilted at an angle.

"Who the hell are you?" the boy asked, looking annoyed that their moment was interrupted.

Rosy chose to ignore his question as she continued to walk towards them slowly with her hands behind her back. "You never know what kind of twisted freak you might run into at this time. You could run into a rapist, a pervert, or Rosy Rascal," she finished with a twisted grin as she revealed a large knife that had been hidden behind her back.

The boy stared in horror, frozen in fear just as Rosy swung her weapon, slitting the boy's throat. His girlfriend screamed in horror as her boyfriend dropped to the floor, gagging and clutching his neck. Rosy stepped over his body as he took his last breath, and used her free hand to place the girl in a freeze hold. "Now, now, don't you go anywhere." The young teen trembled as she was immobilized.
Rosy stopped just in front of her and grabbed her chin with one hand as she pointed the knife at her forehead. "I don't intend to let you go anywhere until I take every last drop of your power," she hissed. Tears streamed down her face as Rosy used her knife to carve a symbol into her forehead.

•~•

Later that night, in a warehouse, Rosy finished dragging her latest victim and placed the young teen girl in a spell circle. She dusted off her hands and looked around the room at the other victims she had collected over the past few days. Every child there had the same grave symbol carved into their forehead as they laid unconscious in their own spell circle. Every night at a certain point, Rosy had been gaining control over her old body and sneaking out at night to hunt down young children and collect them to siphon their power. So far, she only had five children, but she planned to add to her collection soon enough.