Disclaimer: Sonic The Hedgehog and all related characters are copyright to SEGA. Athair the Echidna was originally copyright to Sonic Archie Comics and Sonic Underground. I changed him a lot, but they still get credit. Lemon the Echidna, Tenchi the Hedgehog and all related characters that don't belong to SEGA belong to me, Zeldafreak-Vikki and my friend, Alyssa the Bat!
Well, this is it. The one we've been waiting for. The Floating Isle is back in range and the echidnas are coming home! Will Lemon recognize our widdle Shadow? (Wow, that's something people could bet over!) And I loved the reviews! You guys are so encouraging! throws confetti everywhere Now, on with Chapter 16!
CHAPTER SIXTEEN - HIDE AND SEEK
The next day, Arashi wouldn't let Shadow out of bed until he could speak properly. (Yami's attack had left him in mild shock for a few hours) Once he could string a few words together, he decided to go thank Sonic and maybe help out behind the counter for awhile.
"It was no biggie," said Sonic awhile later. "You're the one who fought him off."
"Yeah, but..." Shadow paused as he cleared his throat, which was being blocked off by a huge lump. "You helped too."
Sonic shrugged as he put glasses away on the shelves behind him. Shadow grinned and began to help him.
"So, you must've had an interesting night," he said, as casually as possible.
Sonic reached for another glass, keeping his face straight. "Oh yeah, it was. It was very interesting, actually..."
"I guess it would be," said Shadow, smirking, "Getting your first kiss..."
He couldn't help but chuckle as he watched Sonic's eyes widen. The blue hedgehog softly laid the last glass on its shelf, then practically attacked Shadow, knocking him to the floor with his arm around his neck. Shadow choked as his windpipe was blocked off.
"You - were - AWAKE?!" yelled Sonic, the two hedgehogs struggling against each-other. But Shadow was still very weak and had no chance of escaping.
"Well, yeah," he gasped, gripping Sonic's arm in a feeble attempt to pull away. "Your stupid flirting woke me up!"
"YOU'RE DEAD!"
A group of hedgehogs at a nearby table, Amy included, watched as Sonic and Shadow began a little scuffle on the floor, attempting to hold each-other down and punch the other's brains out. One guy shook his head with a grin as a bottle fell off the counter.
"There they go again," he said. "I'll bet ten bucks that Shadow'll win."
"Yeah right!" replied one of his friends, pulling out a ten dollar bill. "My money says Sonic's got this one!"
"Well, I'll bet that their fight will never end," said Amy, watching with a sigh. "Honestly, those two..."
Just as Shadow was getting the upper hand, the door slammed open. They all looked up in time to see Knuckles the Echidna step in, looking over at Amy as she won twenty dollars from the bet and gave a cheer. She giggled and waved to him as Shadow and Sonic quickly hid behind the counter.
"Oh my God," whispered Shadow, feeling his whole body beginning to shake with fear.
"What's the matter, Shad, it's just Knux," replied Sonic.
"It's not just him!"
"Hm?" Sonic peeked up and watched as two more people walked in. He recognized the old red echidna in the glasses and robe as Athair, Knuckles' grandfather.
And then Lemon walked in, covered in sunshine.
Sonic gasped and ducked back down behind the counter.
"Dude, it's Lemon!" he whispered, grinning as Shadow shut his eyes.
"Oh man, I-I can't face her..." he groaned, covering his eyes with his hands.
Sonic shook his head and stood up, letting Knuckles see him. "Hey, Knux, long time, no see!"
Knuckles looked to Sonic and walked up to the counter, grinning. "Well, well, if it ain't Sonic," he said in his usual calm tone, "This is quite a surprise. The great Sonic the Hedgehog running a café."
Sonic chuckled nervously, blushing slightly with embarrassment. "Yeah, well, now that Eggy's locked up, I kinda don't have a choice."
Knuckles chuckled and sat down, leaning his elbows on the surface of the counter. "Before you ask, no, nothing happened on the island, it was the most boring one yet. The only highlight was making Lemon work as the bartender since the other guy got sick. What about you guys?"
Sonic cleared his throat as he sat down across from Knuckles. As casually as possible, he cocked his head to where Shadow was hiding. Knuckles blinked and leaned forward, looking over and as soon as he laid his eyes on the black hedgehog, his pupils became very small, which was expected.
Lemon came over and shoved Knuckles over. "Hey," she said, doing her best to annoy him, "What'cha lookin' at!?"
Shadow held his breath as he leaned back as far as he could against the back of the counter, his heart pounding painfully in his chest. Sonic held out a hand to tell him it was okay as Knuckles faced Lemon, thinking up an excuse.
"It's just a rat," he said, a great amount of hate in his voice, "A very big rat."
Lemon blinked. "Huh, need me to kill it? I know how sentimental you are, Knux."
Knuckles shook his head. "It's already dead."
Yami gazed out over Station Square from the top of one of the highest buildings he could climb. It was easy for him with his extra sharp claws and immense strength. Along with Starr's psychic powers, he was almost invincible.
Although Maria being alive was a big setback in his plans to destroy the others and become the Ultimate Life-Form. She was the only Human alive who could compare to them and Yami had learned that the hard way. Running his hand over the painful bump on his head, he pondered how he could rid himself of that pest before she completely ruined his efforts.
"Starr," he said, calling up the soul of his twin sister. "Show yourself."
He held up his head as the transparent spirit of Starr the Echidna appeared before him, looking miserable, which was devastating to see in a child. But that didn't bother Yami's evil conscious.
"Well, Starr, Maria's alive," he said, with a great deal of contempt. "And little Shadow's escaped again."
Starr sniffled as she stepped towards him, her footsteps echoing eerily. "Shade,-"
"My name is Yami, you little pipsqueak!" he raged, cutting her off. Starr cowered at his anger with a small whimper.
"O-Okay, Yami," she stuttered. "Wh-What do you want to know?"
Yami turned to look out over the downtown area, lit up in the night and full of live energy.
"Tell me how to corner and kill Shadow."
"So, you're telling me that Tenchi was really Shadow the whole time," said Knuckles after Rouge and Sonic explained it to him. Shadow himself sat by the window, avoiding the others sitting in his apartment.
"Yup," replied Rouge. "He was in bad shape before because he fell through the atmosphere. He was pretty lucky to survive at all."
Knuckles stood up and walked over to Shadow, who kept his back turned to the echidna.
"Do you know how much pain you've caused her?" he asked, his calm voice masking his anger.
Shadow kept his gaze on the dark building across the street. "I don't know who you're-"
"You know exactly who I'm talking about, you stupid hedgehog!"
Rouge and Sonic looked over as Knuckles grabbed Shadow by the neck and shoved him back against the window. Knuckles' face contorted in anger while Shadow's remained surprisingly calm. Sonic decided not to get involved, but Rouge stood up.
"Knuckles!"
Knuckles held up his other hand to silence her and glared into Shadow's dark eyes.
"Well?" he pressed, his grip tightening. "Answer me!"
Shadow's lip trembled and he looked away, avoiding Knuckles' accusing glare as his eyes shone with tears that surprised the three of them. His choked voice ran straight through their hearts like a crimson arrow.
"You think I haven't thought of her every single day this past year?"
At this, Knuckles released his grip on Shadow's neck. Sonic grinned behind them and couldn't help but chuckle.
"Well, Athair's not gonna like this one."
After Shadow had walked out of the room and Rouge had calmed Knuckles down a bit, they decided to leave and "catch up" on some things. Sonic didn't ask questions.
"Ok, Knux, but before you go, promise me that you won't tell Lemon any of this," he said firmly, demanding more than asking.
"But why!" protested Knuckles, looking as if this was the most unfair thing in the world. "Do you know how much she's been bugging me about this?! I could finally rid myself of her stupid nagging!"
Sonic shook his head, almost feeling sorry for Knuckles and his suffering. "Look, I know it sounds dumb, but I think Shadow should be the one to tell her."
Knuckles paused as Rouge grinned beside him, finding this whole dilemma very funny.
"You know, that would probably be best," she said, putting a hand on Knuckles' shoulder.
The echidna guardian paused, then sighed, giving in. "Alright," he groaned. "Alright, I won't say anything. But if that rat hurts my sister, he'll rue the day he crossed me!"
Sonic waved Knuckles' threats aside. "Yeah, yeah, I hear ya. Save it for later, knucklehead."
Knuckles growled but didn't attack, knowing better than to attack someone as quick as Sonic. With that, the little couple headed for the door. Rouge opened it and began to step out but Knuckles stopped.
"Oh yeah, one more thing," he turned to Sonic. "My grandfather's gonna need a place to stay for awhile. He doesn't trust any of the hotels and I don't want him in Rouge's house while I'm stayin' there. Even I need a break sometimes."
"Why, what's wrong with him staying with you?" asked Sonic, puzzled. He obviously didn't know Athair.
Knuckles cleared his throat, blushing. "Well, y'know, my grandfather's got this thing for blackmail. If he finds out about Rouge and me, he'll never leave me alone about it. He's pretty dangerous that way. We need to put him somewhere where he won't ruin peoples' lives."
"Well, he can't stay with Amy and I. There's no room what with Dad living with us now. And Amy invited Lemon."
The two paused until Rouge spoke her mind.
"Why don't you let him stay up here with Shadow?"
The two guys looked to her as if she was crazy.
"Rouge, are you nuts?!" cried Knuckles. "Pop is from the war between Echidnas and Hedgehogs! He'd shoot Shadow on sight!"
Rouge shook her head. "I know Shadow, he can take care of himself. And just tell Athair that if he can't deal with it, he'll have to live on the streets. He'll have no choice."
Knuckles opened his mouth to reply but stopped, knowing better than to get into a fight with Rouge.
"Well... Okay, I'll talk to him. Be prepared in case he decides to come tonight."
With that, they closed the door and left. Sonic walked outside onto the small balcony and looked up, feeling his quills being swept to the side by the cold night wind. He knew that Shadow had climbed up onto the roof to be alone. He had made a habit of it lately. Sonic bent his knees readily and jumped up, using the wind to keep him up in the air for a few extra seconds and landed lightly on the roof. Just as he had expected, Shadow was sitting on the edge on the opposite side of where Sonic stood.
Very cautiously, he approached Shadow, who kept his hunched back to him. Sonic was just wondering if he had fallen asleep when he spoke.
"Shoot me on sight, eh?" he said, his tone suggesting that he was on the verge of breaking Sonic's neck.
Sonic gulped. "You heard, huh? Well, I figured it would be okay. I mean, I know you could handle him better than I ever could."
Shadow's shoulders hunched even more and Sonic could tell he was clenching his teeth while he spoke. "You expect me to deal with an old echidna who wants nothing more than to see me dead?!"
Sonic shrugged, ignoring the guilt that was beginning to attack his heart. "Oh, c'mon, Shad!" he said, trying to sound encouraging. "It's just for a month or so! It won't be so bad!"
"It's Lemon's grandfather!" growled Shadow, still refusing to look Sonic in the eye. "During those three years I knew Lemon, she used to tell me just how much he hates Hedgehogs and how horrible he is! And now, thanks to you, I'm stuck with an Echidna who could stab me in my sleep?!"
In that moment, Sonic was scared that Shadow would throw him over the edge when he spoke.
"W-Well... Will you do it?"
Shadow paused, then sighed, his shoulders relaxing. "Fine, fine," he said, starting to get up. "You're lucky we're both from ARK or I would've already killed you."
Sonic chuckled nervously as Shadow walked past him back towards the balcony and into the apartment, leaving Sonic to let out a sigh of relief. Then the blue hedgehog couldn't help but grin.
These next few weeks would be priceless.
Well, this is it. The one we've been waiting for. The Floating Isle is back in range and the echidnas are coming home! Will Lemon recognize our widdle Shadow? (Wow, that's something people could bet over!) And I loved the reviews! You guys are so encouraging! throws confetti everywhere Now, on with Chapter 16!
CHAPTER SIXTEEN - HIDE AND SEEK
The next day, Arashi wouldn't let Shadow out of bed until he could speak properly. (Yami's attack had left him in mild shock for a few hours) Once he could string a few words together, he decided to go thank Sonic and maybe help out behind the counter for awhile.
"It was no biggie," said Sonic awhile later. "You're the one who fought him off."
"Yeah, but..." Shadow paused as he cleared his throat, which was being blocked off by a huge lump. "You helped too."
Sonic shrugged as he put glasses away on the shelves behind him. Shadow grinned and began to help him.
"So, you must've had an interesting night," he said, as casually as possible.
Sonic reached for another glass, keeping his face straight. "Oh yeah, it was. It was very interesting, actually..."
"I guess it would be," said Shadow, smirking, "Getting your first kiss..."
He couldn't help but chuckle as he watched Sonic's eyes widen. The blue hedgehog softly laid the last glass on its shelf, then practically attacked Shadow, knocking him to the floor with his arm around his neck. Shadow choked as his windpipe was blocked off.
"You - were - AWAKE?!" yelled Sonic, the two hedgehogs struggling against each-other. But Shadow was still very weak and had no chance of escaping.
"Well, yeah," he gasped, gripping Sonic's arm in a feeble attempt to pull away. "Your stupid flirting woke me up!"
"YOU'RE DEAD!"
A group of hedgehogs at a nearby table, Amy included, watched as Sonic and Shadow began a little scuffle on the floor, attempting to hold each-other down and punch the other's brains out. One guy shook his head with a grin as a bottle fell off the counter.
"There they go again," he said. "I'll bet ten bucks that Shadow'll win."
"Yeah right!" replied one of his friends, pulling out a ten dollar bill. "My money says Sonic's got this one!"
"Well, I'll bet that their fight will never end," said Amy, watching with a sigh. "Honestly, those two..."
Just as Shadow was getting the upper hand, the door slammed open. They all looked up in time to see Knuckles the Echidna step in, looking over at Amy as she won twenty dollars from the bet and gave a cheer. She giggled and waved to him as Shadow and Sonic quickly hid behind the counter.
"Oh my God," whispered Shadow, feeling his whole body beginning to shake with fear.
"What's the matter, Shad, it's just Knux," replied Sonic.
"It's not just him!"
"Hm?" Sonic peeked up and watched as two more people walked in. He recognized the old red echidna in the glasses and robe as Athair, Knuckles' grandfather.
And then Lemon walked in, covered in sunshine.
Sonic gasped and ducked back down behind the counter.
"Dude, it's Lemon!" he whispered, grinning as Shadow shut his eyes.
"Oh man, I-I can't face her..." he groaned, covering his eyes with his hands.
Sonic shook his head and stood up, letting Knuckles see him. "Hey, Knux, long time, no see!"
Knuckles looked to Sonic and walked up to the counter, grinning. "Well, well, if it ain't Sonic," he said in his usual calm tone, "This is quite a surprise. The great Sonic the Hedgehog running a café."
Sonic chuckled nervously, blushing slightly with embarrassment. "Yeah, well, now that Eggy's locked up, I kinda don't have a choice."
Knuckles chuckled and sat down, leaning his elbows on the surface of the counter. "Before you ask, no, nothing happened on the island, it was the most boring one yet. The only highlight was making Lemon work as the bartender since the other guy got sick. What about you guys?"
Sonic cleared his throat as he sat down across from Knuckles. As casually as possible, he cocked his head to where Shadow was hiding. Knuckles blinked and leaned forward, looking over and as soon as he laid his eyes on the black hedgehog, his pupils became very small, which was expected.
Lemon came over and shoved Knuckles over. "Hey," she said, doing her best to annoy him, "What'cha lookin' at!?"
Shadow held his breath as he leaned back as far as he could against the back of the counter, his heart pounding painfully in his chest. Sonic held out a hand to tell him it was okay as Knuckles faced Lemon, thinking up an excuse.
"It's just a rat," he said, a great amount of hate in his voice, "A very big rat."
Lemon blinked. "Huh, need me to kill it? I know how sentimental you are, Knux."
Knuckles shook his head. "It's already dead."
Yami gazed out over Station Square from the top of one of the highest buildings he could climb. It was easy for him with his extra sharp claws and immense strength. Along with Starr's psychic powers, he was almost invincible.
Although Maria being alive was a big setback in his plans to destroy the others and become the Ultimate Life-Form. She was the only Human alive who could compare to them and Yami had learned that the hard way. Running his hand over the painful bump on his head, he pondered how he could rid himself of that pest before she completely ruined his efforts.
"Starr," he said, calling up the soul of his twin sister. "Show yourself."
He held up his head as the transparent spirit of Starr the Echidna appeared before him, looking miserable, which was devastating to see in a child. But that didn't bother Yami's evil conscious.
"Well, Starr, Maria's alive," he said, with a great deal of contempt. "And little Shadow's escaped again."
Starr sniffled as she stepped towards him, her footsteps echoing eerily. "Shade,-"
"My name is Yami, you little pipsqueak!" he raged, cutting her off. Starr cowered at his anger with a small whimper.
"O-Okay, Yami," she stuttered. "Wh-What do you want to know?"
Yami turned to look out over the downtown area, lit up in the night and full of live energy.
"Tell me how to corner and kill Shadow."
"So, you're telling me that Tenchi was really Shadow the whole time," said Knuckles after Rouge and Sonic explained it to him. Shadow himself sat by the window, avoiding the others sitting in his apartment.
"Yup," replied Rouge. "He was in bad shape before because he fell through the atmosphere. He was pretty lucky to survive at all."
Knuckles stood up and walked over to Shadow, who kept his back turned to the echidna.
"Do you know how much pain you've caused her?" he asked, his calm voice masking his anger.
Shadow kept his gaze on the dark building across the street. "I don't know who you're-"
"You know exactly who I'm talking about, you stupid hedgehog!"
Rouge and Sonic looked over as Knuckles grabbed Shadow by the neck and shoved him back against the window. Knuckles' face contorted in anger while Shadow's remained surprisingly calm. Sonic decided not to get involved, but Rouge stood up.
"Knuckles!"
Knuckles held up his other hand to silence her and glared into Shadow's dark eyes.
"Well?" he pressed, his grip tightening. "Answer me!"
Shadow's lip trembled and he looked away, avoiding Knuckles' accusing glare as his eyes shone with tears that surprised the three of them. His choked voice ran straight through their hearts like a crimson arrow.
"You think I haven't thought of her every single day this past year?"
At this, Knuckles released his grip on Shadow's neck. Sonic grinned behind them and couldn't help but chuckle.
"Well, Athair's not gonna like this one."
After Shadow had walked out of the room and Rouge had calmed Knuckles down a bit, they decided to leave and "catch up" on some things. Sonic didn't ask questions.
"Ok, Knux, but before you go, promise me that you won't tell Lemon any of this," he said firmly, demanding more than asking.
"But why!" protested Knuckles, looking as if this was the most unfair thing in the world. "Do you know how much she's been bugging me about this?! I could finally rid myself of her stupid nagging!"
Sonic shook his head, almost feeling sorry for Knuckles and his suffering. "Look, I know it sounds dumb, but I think Shadow should be the one to tell her."
Knuckles paused as Rouge grinned beside him, finding this whole dilemma very funny.
"You know, that would probably be best," she said, putting a hand on Knuckles' shoulder.
The echidna guardian paused, then sighed, giving in. "Alright," he groaned. "Alright, I won't say anything. But if that rat hurts my sister, he'll rue the day he crossed me!"
Sonic waved Knuckles' threats aside. "Yeah, yeah, I hear ya. Save it for later, knucklehead."
Knuckles growled but didn't attack, knowing better than to attack someone as quick as Sonic. With that, the little couple headed for the door. Rouge opened it and began to step out but Knuckles stopped.
"Oh yeah, one more thing," he turned to Sonic. "My grandfather's gonna need a place to stay for awhile. He doesn't trust any of the hotels and I don't want him in Rouge's house while I'm stayin' there. Even I need a break sometimes."
"Why, what's wrong with him staying with you?" asked Sonic, puzzled. He obviously didn't know Athair.
Knuckles cleared his throat, blushing. "Well, y'know, my grandfather's got this thing for blackmail. If he finds out about Rouge and me, he'll never leave me alone about it. He's pretty dangerous that way. We need to put him somewhere where he won't ruin peoples' lives."
"Well, he can't stay with Amy and I. There's no room what with Dad living with us now. And Amy invited Lemon."
The two paused until Rouge spoke her mind.
"Why don't you let him stay up here with Shadow?"
The two guys looked to her as if she was crazy.
"Rouge, are you nuts?!" cried Knuckles. "Pop is from the war between Echidnas and Hedgehogs! He'd shoot Shadow on sight!"
Rouge shook her head. "I know Shadow, he can take care of himself. And just tell Athair that if he can't deal with it, he'll have to live on the streets. He'll have no choice."
Knuckles opened his mouth to reply but stopped, knowing better than to get into a fight with Rouge.
"Well... Okay, I'll talk to him. Be prepared in case he decides to come tonight."
With that, they closed the door and left. Sonic walked outside onto the small balcony and looked up, feeling his quills being swept to the side by the cold night wind. He knew that Shadow had climbed up onto the roof to be alone. He had made a habit of it lately. Sonic bent his knees readily and jumped up, using the wind to keep him up in the air for a few extra seconds and landed lightly on the roof. Just as he had expected, Shadow was sitting on the edge on the opposite side of where Sonic stood.
Very cautiously, he approached Shadow, who kept his hunched back to him. Sonic was just wondering if he had fallen asleep when he spoke.
"Shoot me on sight, eh?" he said, his tone suggesting that he was on the verge of breaking Sonic's neck.
Sonic gulped. "You heard, huh? Well, I figured it would be okay. I mean, I know you could handle him better than I ever could."
Shadow's shoulders hunched even more and Sonic could tell he was clenching his teeth while he spoke. "You expect me to deal with an old echidna who wants nothing more than to see me dead?!"
Sonic shrugged, ignoring the guilt that was beginning to attack his heart. "Oh, c'mon, Shad!" he said, trying to sound encouraging. "It's just for a month or so! It won't be so bad!"
"It's Lemon's grandfather!" growled Shadow, still refusing to look Sonic in the eye. "During those three years I knew Lemon, she used to tell me just how much he hates Hedgehogs and how horrible he is! And now, thanks to you, I'm stuck with an Echidna who could stab me in my sleep?!"
In that moment, Sonic was scared that Shadow would throw him over the edge when he spoke.
"W-Well... Will you do it?"
Shadow paused, then sighed, his shoulders relaxing. "Fine, fine," he said, starting to get up. "You're lucky we're both from ARK or I would've already killed you."
Sonic chuckled nervously as Shadow walked past him back towards the balcony and into the apartment, leaving Sonic to let out a sigh of relief. Then the blue hedgehog couldn't help but grin.
These next few weeks would be priceless.