Chapter 5: Good Old Relief

Shadow's eyes glared angrily at the men in front of him as his…part savior cowered behind him.

"Ready! Aim! Fire!" It became like slow motion. The men's fingers hadn't even pressed the trigger as Shadow whipped out a chaos emerald (he had stolen one earlier), grabbed the frightened girl's arm, and shouted those famous words.

"Chaos control!" The time around the two stopped, the bullets, beams, and darts' tips just leaving the gun, but they were still moving. Shadow motioned the girl forward as they ran as fast as they could to freedom. Hallway after hallway of darkness led on and on. But it was best when emergency power finally turned on, and the path was so much easier. All of the other animals that were freed were finally at the door, as Shadow and the girl caught up.

"Turn it harder!" a young boy called out to his older brother tiger when the handle wouldn't budge.

"Move." Shadow pushed them all aside, he was tallest and would obviously be strongest. He took the round wheel in his black hands and actually used force to open it. The light was so bright to him, but it was also dim. He was used to having what seemed the light of heaven in his eyes, but having it in a different direction made the world around seem so much darker.

"Come on guys, its freedom. Don't just stand there, go to it." The older animals had to push the younger ones forward as they stared dreamily at the outside world.

Sonic was in the hospital, though he was already in recovery. Amy had already heard, and was there by his side. Tails hadn't even left in those hours of waiting. But the greatest thing for him happened then, Sonic shuffled in his bed. His stillness had scared him before, but now everything was all right as he lifted his hands and rubbed his eyes.

"Now that's what I call a boom." His voice cracked the silence of the room, startling Amy since she stared out the window.

"Sonic, I was so scared that Eggman had actually won." Tails told him, but then Sonic's nurse came in. She was a light purple hedgehog (of all things), so bright and colorful. The tips had a rigid line around then, a light blue to match, along with dots that criss-crossed each side of it. Her body was the same color, and her hands were the same blue. Her tails was a weird striped pattern, again the same blue, along with the tips of her ears and hair on her forehead (some goes over her left eye). Her eyes were a sort of golden yellow, standing out to the opposite purple. What was strange was that on her left eye was what looked like parenteses, the middle unseen since it went over her eye at an angle, getting thicker as it traveled and thin again where the ends met. She wore the uniform nurse outfit and carried a glass of water and a clipboard.

"Oh, I was hoping you were awake. It was quite a scare you put us through, we didn't want to lose our hero." She gave a big smile, though something was hidden behind it. She handed him a glass of water, his eyes still staring at her color, as she jotted down some things on the paper in front of her and turned to the door. Before she left, she turned so she could just see him and gave another smile.

Shadow was free. He didn't have to be used for human needs, or be locked away in a desolate chamber, he was free.

"I guess I'll be going." The girl's voice was so lovely, it was like music to the tortured hedgehog's ears, but he wouldn't let it get to him. He just nodded in his usual emotionless face, and turned the other way.

"Before you go, what's your name anyways?" He didn't even turn around, but just asked away.

She gave a small giggle, "Kyra." They went their separate ways, unknown their paths would cross again soon. Shadow looked back at her, as she seemed so intended to get away from the prison, for her days were long here, and to think of them was painful. Shadow knew the guards would soon be there, so the last sight of him was a line of black.

All I can say is...thank you so much for your support! I love you all you have turned me from sad to hyper since my other stories are failures so I'll definitly update this story alot more (and that short chapters are easier to make...now for a storyline again...)