Whoo, next chapter here. Told ya it'd be quick. Second part of very long flashback, then back to the present. Yay! I think there will be another flashback, but not in the next chapter. Sometime later, I never know. And don't worry, Sky! That word won't be in here. Sometimes I randomly type it in and then don't notice. :)
I don't know what to think of this chapter. I give it a 4, out of 10. Just wait, and you'll agree. :)
Chapter 4- Dark Parting (Flashback Pt. 2)
Rouge was running.
The leaves and dirt crushed under her boots as she staggered through the jungle, the humidity that had irked her so only a little while ago, now barely impeding her progress. She still felt a burning pain in her neck, tentatively laying a hand on the wounds. The red stained her pure white gloves.
Her senses were now heightened immensely. She could hear even the faintest rustle of feathers from an owl twenty trees away, or smell the hint of lilac on the other side of the jungle. Her vision parted the shadows of night, revealing all their hidden secrets to her, to her kind that lived inside of them. Everything became so clear, the smallest detail on the bark of a tree having some hidden meaning of its own, a story to tell.
But mostly, it was all the life she spotted that rang through the air, a pulsing aura surrounding their forms, bright and pure. They spoke of what she did not have and what can never be for someone like her whose soul was lost.
And she hated it. She hated it all. Screams were roaming throughout her mind, begging to take, to hold, to destroy these creatures lucky to have life and warmth. They teased her with promise, that if she took enough, she could have that warmth too that she had taken for granted in life.
Life.
So she runs to escape the voices, hoping to find some peace. But they pounded her mercilessly and she knew that she would fail.
Waking up after the attack, Rouge did not understand how she could still be alive. She heard Shadow's yells as he pummeled her assaulter, but they sounded so distant, an echo across a canyon. Face blank, she had gazed on, feeling nothing inside. She saw Shadow's pulsing life covering him like a halo. But the male bat was completely bare, devoid of anything, only the shades of night embracing him.
Shadow grabbed him by the neck, demanding who he was.
The male bat then turned his ebony eyes toward her.
Welcome…
She knew. Without spoken words, she knew what he had done to her. What she was now…
Frightened beyond anything. Rouge had ran off, seconds before Shadow turned back to look for her.
Now she was running blindly, even though her newly bestowed vision lit up the dark. Where would she go? What place was there for her? As this?
"Rouge!"
She stopped. A voice from before. A caring voice.
"Rouge! Where are you?"
The screams of her demons yelled for her to take, take away that voice, that sweet life…
"No!" she screamed, clutching her head. Claws raking, something pouring forth, flowing inside, thirst…
Shadow saw her now, rushing toward her with eyes full of worry.
Take him now. Take him now. Take-
"Leave me alone!" Her wings unfurled, leaving her mystified friend behind. She needed to get away, somewhere, anywhere. Just not here, not with him.
The demons voices flitted around her head, shrieks piercing through, emitting from her mouth.
Her greenish blue eyes slowly darkened to black.
"Rouge!" His cry was in vain, the bat already a far distance in the sky. He had seen her face, twisted with primal hunger. Shadow tried to run after her, ruby eyes fixed on her flying figure. But the bat's speed had greatly increased and at times it seemed she blended with the night sky.
Leaving the jungle, he realized that the bat was traveling towards Station Square. He rushed forward, but averted his gaze to the young foxes workshop once more. Maybe he could get Sonic and Tails to help…
The hedgehog shook his head, believing they would provide little aid.
Impatient, Shadow held up the green emerald in his possession, forming an image of Station Square in his mind. Whispering the words of the technique, he felt himself suddenly heave upwards.
Trees, buildings, and people rushed past him in a dizzying blur. Colors swirled in his vision, taunting him to lose control and fall in between gaps, trapped in eternal time that never moved and unable to go back to the world. But this was routine for Shadow, and he was used to the effects.
Shutting his eyes, he held onto the image of his destination. He felt his body stretch from the force that he thought would snap from the intensity. Before it would become unbearable, it all stopped.
Opening his eyes, the hedgehog found himself on one of the rooftops of Station Square's tall buildings near Rouge's home. He had chosen this spot for it would provide him a clear view of the skies.
And sure enough, there was Rouge, gliding in the night. Her path seemed to lurch in different directions, as if she was having difficulty flying. Shadow watched her descend to the streets, a loud shriek resonating from her throat. The hedgehog jumped across the adjacent rooftops, urgently trying to reach her.
Tonight, the roads were mostly deserted and only a few people walked outside this evening. Hearing a terrible scream from above, citizens looked fearfully from left to right, unsure of the cause. Shadow ignored them, mind fixed on Rouge's well-being.
The search did not take him long.
He arrived at a parking lot, the lampposts glowing an eerie light as insects danced around their illumination. Rouge was seated on the ground, back resting against a wide Buick car, knees pulled toward her. Her eyes were blank, the sharp fangs now showing themselves from the recesses of her mouth for all the world to see.
Rushing toward the bat, Shadow knelt beside her. "Rouge? Rouge, are you alright?"
Bit by bit she raised her head, ebony eyes revealing nothing in their depths.
"I…I couldn't control myself…I didn't know what to do." She rested her eyes on the ground.
"What do you mean?" Shadow was about to ask until he heard a soft groan coming from the other side of the car.
Cautiously, he circumvented the automobile's area, still keeping eyes on Rouge. The electric lights cast harsh and blaring lights on the cement, asickly yellow from the tint of the plastic coverings of the bulbs.
He found the cause of the sound, and nearly gasped in horror.
A young human girl, no older than fourteen, was lying on her side. Her washead surrounded by a dark pool of blood as she breathed faintly in agonizing rhythm, the air rattling in her throat as her life gradually faded. A gust of wind lifted her hair, blond strands stained, some latching onto her forehead from the sticky red.
Though disgusted by the sight, his curiosity took over as the hedgehog stepped forward. He found the cause of her suffering, two holes embedded into the flesh of her neck. From the punctures were deep gashes crisscrossing through the muscles as if the sharp objects raked across her neck numerous times, searching for a particular spot.
Shadow stepped back and turned to Rouge who still sat quietly. A red stain was smeared across her mouth.
He could not believe it. Rouge would never do this, she would never…
As if feeling his gaze, the bat locked her eyes onto his own. "I didn't mean to…" Her voice sounded so much like a child who felt guilt and shame.
"I heard it come from this way!"
"Is anyone out there?"
Shadow's ears perked at the dialogue from afar. People were coming to the lot, having heard Rouge's scream. But if she gets caught like this…
The feeling to protect her rose as the hedgehog picked up his friend, her weight seeming almost like nothing. She hardly reacted, not caring whether she would stay or go.
They warped from the spot in a green flash, just before the crowd found the body who now laid still, mind shot forever.
Shadow had no clue how to deal with this. Coming back to the house, he laid Rouge on the soft mattress in her room. She still made no effort to move by herself. Neither spoke a word in the darkness.
Shadow knew he could only fix one thing at a time before he could dwell on the bigger problem. He wiped the blood from the bat's face, draped the covers over her inert body, pulled up a chair and sat beside her. Rouge's eyes were open, staring uninterestedly at the gray ceiling.
Hours passed like this, the soft ticking of the clock solely apparent in the stillness. Shadow's gaze fixed on his friend's face that never twitched. Quietly, he implored her to let him know what was happening to her. But she remained silent, though the movement in her eyes showed that she heard.
"Rouge," he repeated for the five-hundredth time. "Please…let me help you. I'm your friend. You can trust me."
Almost sadly, Rouge closed her eyes. "I know, Shadow…I know."
The black hedgehog was still, letting her speak at her own pace.
She took a deep breath, eyelids still shut. "He…made me this way," her voice trembled.
"Who did?" Shadow asked quietly.
"Him. The one you were fighting back…at the ruins…he did something to me. I kept hearing these things inside my head. And then, all I could do…to make them stop…" Rouge fell into silence.
Shadow thought back to the fight, how he demanded the male bat his identity. Those four words traveled in his mind in mocking taunts, the answer lying inside.
What she will be.
Then that twisted leer on his face; perverse and sick.
What she will be.
He imagined Rouge with the same look. In fact, he did see it. Back in the jungle, before she got away from him.
What she will be.
No…
Unable to go on, Rouge threw the blankets off of her suddenly, and walked towards the window. Coming back to the present, Shadow saw what she was about to do.
"Wait? Where are you going?"
The bat could barely whisper. "I just need to go out. It feels too cramped in here."
Shadow rose to his feet. "No, Rouge, I can't let you."
Unheeding his words, she opened the window's latch, wings slowly unfurling.
The hedgehog grabbed her arm tight with protective strength. "Rouge, you have to stay."
The bat snatched her arm away from his touch. "Just leave me alone!" she reprimanded in a dark voice.
"Stop it!" Shadow forcefully grabbed her shoulders as she kicked and screamed.
"No! Let me go! Let me go!" Snarls evoked from her mouth as she lashed out at the hedgehog. Her gloves fell off, revealing long jagged claws.
Trying his best not to hurt her, Shadow held her wrists, keeping each other at a safe distance. He saw her face clearly. Ebony eyes sparked by a blood red fire in the center, protruding fangs slick with saliva, her hair coming down in dry wisps.
The other bat, now laying dead in the jungle, reappeared before him. Mouth opened in mocking laughter.
What she will be.
"Rouge…"
The bloodlust vanished from her face, replaced by a frightened gaze. She collapsed to her knees suddenly and openly cried, unable to hold her emotions inside.
"I…can't…stop it…" her voice broke.
Saying nothing, Shadow knelt before her and wrapped the female bat in his arms. Her body heaved with each sob, pathways of water sliding down her cheeks. Her flesh felt so cold to him, colder than ice.
"I'm sorry I didn't listen to you…" she breathed softly.
Shadow continued holding her close, knowing that this was all he could do for her, to be a friend that gave comfort.
A breeze drifted through the open window, slowly, soothing.
Endless days with endless nights passed. And nothing worked.
Rouge's behavior slowly got stranger and darker. Her eyes barely expressed anything and she rarely left her room, especially during the day. But it was the nights that worried Shadow mostly. Many times did he had to restrain her from traveling the skies. The same bloodlust would appear on her face, and he feared another victim would be taken like the young girl.
That attack had made the news, the family of the deceased one appearing with tearful eyes, wondering why anyone would hurt someone so young and good. The police made a town search for the murderer, yet no traces could be found.
Shadow was grateful for that. He did not exactly want a bunch of men in navy blue uniforms breaking down the door.
The bat's room was always dreadfully dark, the curtains shut so tight so that not even a sliver of daylight could seep through the folds. Always silent as a morgue, it was Rouge's little cave from the outside world. She would sit on her bed and just stare at the walls for hours on end. Shadow tried to spend time with her, not liking to leave her alone in such dismal surroundings. Only when the sorrowfulness of the room got too much for him would he leave, needing fresh air. He tried to coax her out, but she never listened. This room was her only haven. The outside would never understand.
Unless she could go in the night, she might consider leaving. But Shadow never agreed to that.
Daylight was unbearable. Only once had she tried to leave the house in those early hours. But even with Shadow by her side to aid her, it could not work. The light pierced through her being, exposing the dark demons she tried desperately to hide. Shrieking, she retreated to the warm dimness of her room. Here nothing would hurt her. Nothing.
But the night would help, they do not hurt her. Not one bit.
Shadow had even tried to bring her food, of all the different groups. But each one she turned down with avid disgust. None of it could work as she could not even stuff them down her throat, instead making plates clatter to the floor at Shadow's feet. Rouge was indeed hungry, but not for this kind of food. And she was visibly wasting away.
She only wanted one thing, needed it more than anything.
So Shadow had to steal it. It became apparent that somehow blood was the only sustenance Rouge could take. The hedgehog broke into the hospital blood banks, taking packets full of the red liquids from the refrigeration back to the house. And there Rouge would wait, eyes blank as ever.
Wanting.
He had to turn away when she drank, for she reveled in her meals so much it was beyond disturbance. The carpets would stain from the splurging as it spilled from the container, sliding down her face. Shadow would usually stay outside the room, back against the door as he would hear her slurping it in that sent shivers down his spine. At these times, the Rouge he once knew vanished, a gorging demon taking her place.
At least it was better than her taking it from a live person instead, he always told himself, hoping that maybe one day he would actually believe it.
Only one time, when he could not get into the blood banks, did they come close to the breaking point. She tore up the room, trying to smash through the window for the meal the cravings demanded. Shadow had plenty of bruises from that experience, and he could only think of one thing to calm her down.
He held out his arm.
Her curses stopped.
She hesitated, unsure if he was actually doing this. Shadow shut his eyes and shoved the bare arm, black quills covering the flesh, right near her mouth. Rouge struggled inside, not wanting to allow herself doing this to her own friend, the only one who had helped her.
But the wanting came.
So she did.
She opened her mouth and sank the white fangs deep inside the flesh.
Shadow screamed from such pain, a burning agony as if someone had placed an iron brand against his skin. But he remained in that spot, kneeling before her as the blood slowly left him. He watched her face glow from the life she took, a euphoric experience only given during feeding.
Then Rouge pulled away and retreated to the corner of her room, eyes on the floor.
Shadow left, his arm numb. It had hurt so much.
Neither spoke about the incident. Only an awkwardness in their eyes when they looked at one another showed it was still on their minds.
He needed to end this.
Shadow did some research, trying to find a cure for Rouge's current condition. Already her behavior was similar to that of a vampire and the hedgehog had no other choice but to accept that. But whatever books he read, or whatever website he checked, he could not find any remedies for Rouge to become normal again. It seemed that the only way to do that was to stab her through the heart, thus killing her.
No. Shadow would not do that. He would find some other way. After all, that other vampire in the jungle he had stabbed, and it was common knowledge that after that action, the demon would turn to dust. But that vampire stayed whole. So maybe there was actually a cure not recorded in books. All he needed to do was find it.
He felt completely hopeless.
A month passed like this; Rouge trapped in her lifeless room, Shadow bringing her packets of red for her meals. It had almost become routine, each doing their part just to face another day. They knew they were dying slowly inside.
But then Rouge got more violent. She would accept the blood packets with stiffness. It was not satisfying, this cold liquid. She wanted to savor a warm taste in her mouth and feel the life course inside her, and that, momentarily, she would feel alive before she went back to her cold vessel. Her first true meal, back at the parking lot, introduced her to that lust. Rouge yearned for it. This was not how it was supposed to be; locked inside like a prisoner instead of traveling the skies, living the night that embraced her lovingly as she drank in the red revelry.
That is how it should be. I should be free.
Shadow was keeping her in, for her safety he said.
Liar, the demons screamed in her head. How dare you do this to me.
This would end now.
It was midnight, the pale moon rising high in the heavens along with its starry companions. Many people were tucked safely in their beds, sleeping peaceful dreams, letting themselves get recharged for another bright and beautiful day.
Shadow was wide awake.
The hedgehog lied down on the couch, watching the clock's hands maketheir slow travels acrossthe metal face. He had barely had a good night's sleep ever since it happened.
Perhaps someone would help him? But who? They would label Rouge as a freak and maybe even put her up for examination, poking and prodding her like she was some bacteria cells in a petri dish. Scientists would make the discovery of an actual live vampire, only thought to be in myths, probably get a few medals while Rouge wallowed away in some caged cell.
Maybe he could get Tails, he was pretty smart for his age. But Shadow still saw no concrete answer in this. He saw nothing in Knuckles who was so obsessed with that Mater Emerald of his, Amy would probably freak, and Sonic…well, his thoughts on the hero were not exactly high.
No, no one could help. The world would never understand.
He had to deal with this himself.
Then the hopelessness came again, like a ghost who would not rest in peace.
But how?
The clock kept ticking away, his resolve weakening with each moment. He put his hand over his eyes as if he could not bear to look at this life anymore.
What am I supposed to do?
Then he heard it.
Quickly, he sat straight up, ears ready to detectthe noise. It had been very soft, almost inaudible.
Nothing came. The current events were getting to his head…
Wait, there it is! Footsteps…breathing…mumbling…
Shadow immediately got up from the couch, moving into the dim hallway. He knew he heard it come from this area. Taking great caution, the hedgehog walked forward. The monotonous ticking of the clock forever going on.
The door was open.
His heart beating rapidly, Shadow checked inside the bedroom through the ajar door. The curtain was still shut tightly, the same suffocating darkness making itself perverse in the space. The bed was in a mess, blankets and pillows strewn across the room as if it they were flung in anger. The scent of dried blood hanging from the walls would make any visitor leave the premises in quick stride.
No Rouge.
Why the hell was he surprised anyway? The bat girl had pretty much shrieked in indignation at having to stay on this place. He knew that she would try to escape again.
Yet he hoped that perhaps she was just crouching in the corner, watching him silently.
But no, she was gone. Windows still shut, she had left through the door. Easy as that. And he was surprised.
Damn it!
In anger, the hedgehog rushed out of the sickness of the area, going outside where the stars still hung above, twinkling in amusement. He was ready to search the streets from top to bottom for the bat when he saw a silhouette on the pavement before him.
Rouge stood calmly in the dark, still clad in her black jumpsuit, though much thinner than before. Her appearance had changed drastically in the long month. Ears much too large and hanging like flaps, claws sharp enough to tear through the thickest hide, wispy hair resembling that of a witch, wings in demonic outline, and eyes that never showed anything except the need for something lost.
She did not move.
Shadow watched her with his ruby eyes. There was an uneasiness between them, something he feared that could never be brought back.
"I have to go now."
Her voice floated in the night air. It took Shadow a moment before he could respond to such a calm statement.
"Rouge, come back inside. You need your rest."
Her black eyes absorbed the moonlight. "Shadow, I have been 'resting' for over a month now and nothing has changed since then. Let's face it. I'm stuck this way and we're just going to have to live with it."
When he spoke, his voice brimmed with anger. "So you're just going to give up? There has to be some way! I know it! All we need is a little more time-"
"Time?" Rouge's voice trembled, whether with fear or rage, he could not tell. "I don't have time, Shadow. This will not go away. If I stay here, things will just get worse and worse. I have nothing else, except this now. I have to leave, I have to get used to this. I brought this upon myself."
Her voice calmed as she spoke further on.
"And I know, Shadow, that you don't want me here anymore."
"No!" The hedgehog fists clenched, shocked at such an accusation. "I would never think that, never. You're my friend, Rouge, and I would never abandon you."
The bat shook her head. "No, you wouldn't abandon me. But you don't want me here. I'm just making things harder for you. Besides…things are not the same between us anymore, is it?"
Her eyes showed, for the first time since that terrible night of her gravest mistake, a hint of sadness.
"Ever since I took it from you."
It did not needed to be explained. Shadow gazed at his arm. The wounds were gone, but the memory of that pain remained etched inside his mind. A chill set throughout his body.
No, things were not the same.
"I-" he started to explain but then he realized, what was the use? She was right. A part of him did want her to leave so that he could finally have peace. The past month had been brutal and only late at night did he wish for it to all go away. Just make it end. He had suffered enough.
Just moments before, those thoughts flitted through his mind. He had been thinking it just now. Just now.
He thought of leaving her here, alone.
Rouge, watching him, gave a sad smile that the darkness hid. "I was right, wasn't I?"
Shadow did not answer.
He dimly heard the sound of wings flapping in the stillness, the outline of a figure moving away.
He made no move to stop her.
There was no use.
Shadow stayed there, eyes haunted.
The moon watched in peaceful silence.