Fwah! Back again! With a really long chapter... Oo Sorry for the long wait. I worked on this to make it interesting. I personally think I just dragged this out far too long, but I hate rushing through scenes! Well, hope it's something enjoyable. If you don't remember what happened last chapter (I forgot also), supposed to be right after Shadow and Rika were stuck in the past andhad been nearly taken away. Lots of weird stuff. This will be very confusing! Yep. Especially the parts with Sonic in it (he was knocked unconcsious a couple of chapters back). There are two excerpts from the previous chapters that I put in here. Because I felt it necessary. Yeah. So... read!
And special thanks to Sky the Hedgehog for reading half of it over!
Chapter 16- Confusing Reality
I am the one who chose my path...
The sky was raining fire.
At least Sonic thought so as he ran across the field, voice panting from the exertion of his speed. His legs were nothing but a blur through his mad dash as he evaded the small bits of inferno as they struck the ground, creating a large magnitude across the earth. His heart beat erratically, which was to be expected in such a situation.
It was hard to comprehend when it had all just happened. He could dimly recall his last waking moments, back at the chasm, the falling boulders, and the dragon watching it all with calm composure…
Sonic's eyes were wide in disbelief. He had just seen Shadow and Rika fall into the mirror. First, their screams stopped in unison, then they fell through. They did not shatter the large mirror. They just went through. Almost like water.
Draken had watched them disappear with no emotion, knowing full well what would happen to them.
Once they vanished, the runes flames became as bright as a thousand suns. The ground shook even more, cracks continued breaking through along the walls and floor. Boulders shook loose, falling down. Everyone was screaming now. The whole world would fall on them. There was no escape.
Before he could do anything, Sonic was struck by a large boulder on his head. Pain exploded as he fell to the ground, then darkness took him. But the darkness was not of death, but of living arms. They carried him gently away from the falling rocks.
His last image were of red eyes that could see through.
And now he was running from the fiery sky, the flames nearly singing away his quills. He cautiously turned his green eyes upward, searching for the cause of the flaming rocks. An enormous black cloud situated itself right above him, spurting out its fiery, volatile offspring with unmanning precision. The world was shaking ominously as cracks sprouted across the surface, white hot light bursting forth from the ground. Sonic had no choice but to stop in his run, the blinding light blocking his way.
He could feel the heat on his back, could smell the intoxicating aroma of sulfur, could see his silhouette waving from the coming fires in a mock dance. Sweat dripped from his brow, reaching towards his eyes.
Sonic felt utterly helpless. The hero always did in his recent dreams. Never could he grasp their full meanings, only bits and fragments. Teasing him with their metaphors, offering only feasible answers until they slipped away from him again. All he knew for certain was that something terrible was going to happen unless he did everything in his power to stop.
Everything…power…hero…
Taking a deep breath, the azure hedgehog turned to meet the falling flames. His green eyes hardened into glittering shards of emerald, reflecting back the fire's light in defiance. He had faced many dangers before, took death head on, and laughed along the way with his victories. He knew he could confront this one. Fists clenched, he gazed straight into the light, so bright that tears streamed down his eyes. But at that moment, he was able to grasp one piece of the dream, ready to be fitted in a complex puzzle. He looked into the fire, arms of flames twisting and turning into an oddly defined shape.
Amy was screaming.
His eyes shot wide.
Amy was screaming.
Her voice emitted the knowledge of her days being cut short, her goals squandered helplessly. She was calling out his name, shouting a secret that would only have made sense to his ears. But before Sonic could see more, the flames engulfed the pink hedgehog's tiny image. She was still screaming. Sonic could not move, even though the sky was coming down.
His quills upturned. Amy was screaming. His eyes shifted. Amy was screaming. His voice echoed through the inferno. And then he was flying, and the fire dwindled away to ash in his chaotic fervor, hearing Amy's voice calling out to him from the flames, too far for him to ever clasp the girl in his arms. To ever say what he could not say before… what pride had blocked away.
But still the sky continued to rain fire.
I am the one who couldn't last...
She couldn't see. For a moment the girl feared she had gone blind until she was able to make out her legs in the darkness, though barely. Rika lay sprawled on her back, dimly recalling a horrible pain and bright lights.
She had been falling, falling very fast. Rivers of blood rushed past her and there was only a face waiting for the fox at the end, mouth stretched in a terrifying grin. There had been a hand as large as the tallest mountain, striking the ground, people falling in a dark pit, screams abruptly cut off. But someone had grabbed her by the arm, a warm and comforting touch, pulling her away from the face, leading her toward the salvation of light. And then everything stopped.
Sitting up, the fox girl searched her surroundings and could only find a large expanse of nothingness. Black and chill as winter night. There was no beginning or end to the darkness. She felt as if she was suspended in the deep emptiness of space, and began to wonder if she actually was in space. But then a more terrifying thought hit her.
"Shadow!"
She launched to her feet, her cloak swishing around her figure. Blue eyes glanced in all directions in search of the black and red hedgehog. She began to panic when she could pick up no trace.
"Shadow! Shadow! Where are you?"
In quick stride she walked forward, yet with such darkness all around it seemed that she was only moving in place. She even deigned to outstretch her arms forward, hands groping for any object they might find, seeking a comforting warmth in the chill to show her that she was not alone.
But still, there was nothing. Rika was alone, completely alone in the dark. Unconsciously, she shivered. Not from the chill outside, but a chill that was lodged deep in her bones, a chill that she had felt far too long.
"Shadow! Where the hell are you? Damn it! Somebody answer me!" Her voice echoed into the hollow void. No… she was alone. And she could barely see.
"No! Where am I? Why am I here? Somebody get me out of here!"
Her cloak tangled on her feet, collapsing the fox to the unseen ground, jarring her already battered nerves. She still could not see.
Crap…I'm…I'm losing it…
Picking her head up, she stared defiantly into the darkness, preventing her mind from reeling from her paranoia. She knew why she was sent here. That only hardened her resolve. No, she could not die. Not now. Not until she finished it. Not until she strangled away the one with the sadistic grin. Only then she will go in peace. Only then.
Rika growled low in her throat, her blue eyes hardening with cold rage. She needed to find someone, anyone here. Shadow was nowhere; she could only guess that the hedgehog had abandoned her to this fate. Yes, that had to be it. To save his own pathetic hide, just like everyone else in the world. How foolish she was to trust him. Perhaps right now he was laughing with his idiotic friends.
"The bastard…"
Now on two feet, she imagined that same thought with a fierce vengeance, picturing the others now separated from her. However, the coldness of her eyes lessened slightly. A different thought crossed her mind. It was odd, but she could not remember their names, the names of those she traveled with to this place. Although she had heard them plenty of times, they already slipped from memory, even the faces blurred into abstract images. She never took the time to look at them, keeping her thoughts inward, regarding them as nameless bodies.
That dragon she could recall, the one named Sonic she could just bring forth, and Shadow, certainly the current events forced her to acknowledge the black hedgehog. But… who were the others again?
Rika suddenly felt that chill again and clasped the cloak around her frame. An image rose in her eyes; hands reaching out to her while she walked onward, face forward, ignoring the voices, ignoring the pleading hands, ignoring the people, keeping her thoughts on herself and herself alone.
She clenched her fists in a trembling stance and gazed back into the darkness. Eyes were watching her, shifting every few seconds or so.
"Damn it! Leave me alone!" Her voice was sharp like the keen blade of a dagger. Now she no longer wanted to see anyone. Not when it meant she had to face that same occurring vision. "Whatever is out there, leave me the hell alone!" The eyes stayed there, undaunted by her passionate tirade. "I just want to get out of here!"
You're not paying attention…
The fox gasped at the soft words that seemed to come from all around her. Anger flooded her senses, the blue crystal around her neck glowing in horrific radiance. Yet the light did nothing but increase the thickness of the dark. "Stop hiding and fight me, you god-damned coward…" her tone a deathly whisper.
You're not looking hard enough…
"Looking hard enough? I can't even see in this place!" Impatience gripping her, the fox had an aching to take out her frustration blindly in the dark.
You don't listen to reason…
Her eyes widened at the blunt statement. "…Come out here and say that to my face!"
Light swiftly entered Rika's eyes, coming from several feet ahead of her. Blinking from the unexpected brightness, she attempted to gain her focus.
Two bodies were sprawled on the unseen ground, their arms and legs akimbo in spread-eagle form. Dark gashes lined their fur, tore their clothes to rags. Muscles and tendons were visibly seen through the open wounds. Their eyes were wide open in an empty gaze, their mouths still gaping wide from their final death throes. It was a horrid sight. One could only determine that the two creatures had suffered a gruesome murder and had felt each and every second of pain before death finally silenced their screams.
But it was not only that which made Rika hold her breath as unbidden tears formed in her eyes. The two bodies were only children, barely over the age of eight. They were her dead brother and sister.
Shaking her head in slow disbelief, she scrambled backwards, having the need to wretch whatever little contents were left in her stomach. She covered her mouth and turned her head, falling to her knees. No, why did she have to see that again? She could smell the scent of blood, rising from the young corpses, gagging her throat.
"No! No!"
She felt such overwhelming despair that now she wished for death. She wished she no longer had to feel anything, no longer had to live with the memory.
Now do you understand?
She let out a broken cry, tears falling freely down her face.
There are times when our minds refuse to see what lays before us. We bury the unpleasant memories under the cold ground and try to go on with our lives. But then that hidden regret pulls us down with heavy chains, the metal links latch together in an unbreakable bond. But even when we feel ourselves sinking, sometimes, we try to keep moving. Whatever dark things dwell in our minds, we look for something to avert our attention from it. Perhaps to the point where we may even forget…
Rika slowly raised herself in an erect stance, eyes narrowed in appalling coldness. From the corner of her line of sight, she could still see the bodies, their life blood flowing onto the floor. But the sorrow that had plagued just moments before seemed to vanish in an instant. The fox could just see someone standing in the obscurity. Faceless…nameless…
She understood perfectly what it meant.
"That… was not my fault." Her breathing increased in pace, her arms trembled. She needed to take it out on someone. Break someone… "None of that was my fault!"
Rika bared her sharp teeth, dug her nails into the palms of her hands, piercing the flesh until trickles of warm blood slipped through her fingers. She was not aware of the twisted features of rage etching her face. She did not notice the lines of grotesque scars littering her cheeks, her forehead, her hands. And she certainly did not know that the blue crystal hanging from her neck tinted to a deeper shade, red of the infected wound that now matched her newly transformed eyes.
All she wanted to do was hurt anyone she saw, because she knew for a fact that none of it was her fault. It was all of them, those faces that had left her alone. They had killed her siblings. She had done the best she could. Everything in her power to do so. But none of it was her fault. Nothing. Nothing. Yet they were always pointing the accusing finger to her. Just like that stupid mutt, Cuervo, wherever he may be now. He always said those same words.
You do not take responsibility…
At those uttered words, she screamed in vicious rage and hatred. "You don't know! You don't know anything!"
That was when she lunged forward, red lights erupting from her outstretched hands, face in a ferocious snarl. She headed to the one before her and faces passed over the figure, those of Sonic, Cuervo, Draken, Shadow, her long-dead siblings; everyone from memory now reaching the surface. Through the blood-red haze, a reflection of her own grotesque countenance stared back at her, mouth slightly open, hair disheveled, eyes in pleading mercy.
But it made no difference.
With a heart wrenching cry, she sliced through the figure, ready to hear the final scream.
The hedgehog dodged the claw deftly to the side, witnessing the blood soaked talons sink into the ground with ease. Panting for breath, he waited grimly for the next move. There was only the distorted hand that he could see, hovering just before his face.
Let me set you free. It only hurts at first…
Shadow growled from angered pride, hearing the obvious amusement in the voice. "Go to hell."
Laughter echoed in the universe, and then with ecstatic eagerness, the claw made another grab for the black hedgehog.
Shadow rolled forward to another escape, the wind from the movement of the sharp talons brushing just past his quills. The hand then dissipated into thin mists, until he could see the eyes, empty yellow orbs that craved fulfillment. A tongue flicked out between unseen lips. An impenetrable force surrounded the hedgehog, paralyzing him completely. He strained against it in defiance, once again searching for that anger that had saved him from before. A white flare swiftly erupted and sizzled away the eyes, dissolving it as if it was ice melting in the sun.
Shadow was free from his bind, but his head was swimming in black waters. Or at least it felt like it. He hunted for an end to this, and all he could think of was surviving. Because death would be the end, to forever become lost in ghastly existence inside someone. That thought pumped his adrenaline to the limits and he knew he had to make it through. But the abstract world he now dwelled in shifted like the swirling waters of the ocean.
A tinge of gold appeared in his line of sight, steadily coming towards him. It flew like a shooting star, trailing specks of gold in its path. Shadow recognized it at once and called out in a relieved voice, not questioning how the other could even be here. But the falling star still came at him in such great speed. Already, the hedgehog felt his senses heighten in hostility at the new outcome. He had to move if he wished to avoid a head on collision. But his voice still kept shouting, even deigning to wave his arms, hoping perhaps that the golden streak just could not decipher him from such a distance.
"Hey! Stop! It's me!" he shouted so hard his voice nearly cracked.
Enraged demonic eyes stared through him and the realization hit that it did in fact recognize him, and was coming closer in rapid speed.
Too late, Shadow decided to move, but not before a strike ran across his face, tracing long and deep gashes over his eyes. Blinded, screaming in rage and pain, Shadow was hit with another relentless downpour of sharp strikes. The golden hedgehog glared at him mercilessly.
"Sonic! Stop!"
But it was soon apparent that the addressed hedgehog was no longer the same, and so Super Sonic struck Shadow again, and again, and again…
I feel the anger changing me...
No!
He awoke with a start, bolting straight up then quickly regretting it as a wave of nausea flooded his senses. Taking deep and cautious breaths, the hedgehog cursed silently, recalling frightful images.
Sonic…killing him…
Shadow put a hand to his face, feeling for any wounds. No gashes could be traced, and thankfully there were none over his eyes. The pain had been real though, very real. What had that been all about? It… hardly made any sense. Maybe it was someone else who had been fighting him. He had only seen Sonic's super form once… yet he felt certain it was…
Shadow opened his eyes completely, coming more fully awake. Searching through his surroundings he found himself in a small room, a mere twenty feet in height and half of that in width, though the walls were etched with strange white runes on all sides, creating a rather interesting and unique design. These same runes illuminated the room, creating a soft light that was gentle to the eyes.
Shadow shook his headache off and concluded that he was back to the present. Whether he was safe or not was an entirely different story. Moving, he felt something strange beneath him. The hedgehog had believed himself to have been laying on the floor, but found out he was actually sprawled on what seemed to be an oddly makeshift bed. Long enough to accommodate his body, it was oval shaped and had a hard surface of metal that was cool to the touch, its color of dark sapphire. It was placed right in the center of the small room.
Of course, Shadow still had no freaking clue to where he was. He was rather becoming annoyed that none of the surroundings were even remotely familiar.
"I'm really tired of this," he said in aggravation.
After a difficult time of getting up, for his limbs felt like deadweights, his eyes searched for anything else in the small room. It appeared that he was alone. But then where was…? He hunted for a glimpse of a black cloak, but Rika was missing. Did she not make it?
Vividly, memories from before flashed in unyielding glimpses. Trapped in darkness, feeling himself being separated from his body, sinking into a vast hollowness. He experienced horrid revulsion for what lay beyond, and that revulsion soon turned to unbridled fury. Fury that transformed into lights that caught him before he fell, pushed back the suffocating shades.
Something waiting for them, mouth open, eager for such power…
Rika fell inside…
Trying to disband the thought, Shadow traveled about the room, hoping that perhaps the fox girl was just hidden in some shadowy corner, never mind that every vestige of the area was clearly lit, and that if someone else was present he would notice it from such small quarters. Not to mention that there appeared to be no door present, making him trapped inside. In a moment, he was already cursing again.
"Damn it! There's always something going wrong. I just want to get out of here already…"
Frustration smothering his mind, it took him a moment to realize that there was a way out. Not a door, but a small niche in the wall, barely as tall as he was and only a couple of feet wide. Almost like a secret passageway. The hedgehog glimpsed through it and could see that it led a way out of the room. The way was dark and narrow, but he could depict out the walls of another room. It seemed like a entryway into freedom. And maybe someone was outside, waiting for him right now to come out so that they could slit his throat and leave his carcass there to rot.
He was not an optimistic hedgehog.
"Hmph, what have I got to lose anyway besides my life and sanity?" Not allowing any more excuses, Shadow went through the passageway, keeping his eyes forward, prepared for anything.
Tegra stalked the halls, his footfalls reverberating off the tall marble walls. Torches lined the passage at small intervals, creating an orange glow to the area, waving the silhouette of the only walking form present in entrancing movements. He had come from the other room a while ago, and the occurrence he had seen made him a tiny bit uneasy. Was the girl supposed to be like that? Speaking in uncomprehending sentences, moving as if she was being struck from the inside, was that how it was supposed to be? Through the whole ordeal both of them had been as still as statues. Tegra had already checked up on the male, finding everything to be in order. But the girl was having trouble. Was that right?
The canine shook his head, blue fur waving with the movement. He had no need to worry. All he was sent to do was to watch over both. He wished he could talk with…her. To ask for her guidance. But right now that was impossible. He had to deal with this himself.
Growling in exasperation, Tegra paced the halls in soft silence. Inwardly debating with himself, the tall canine walked back the direction from where he came. At first he was going to check up on the other one, but only ten minutes ago he had found the other fast asleep. He figured he would be fine. It was the girl he worried for. Something was going wrong.
Muttering to himself, he went to a portion of the wall, touched a specific point, letting the barrier turn inward to allow him entry. He stumbled slightly, for although he could see, surroundings to him were mostly in shadows, any movements just a tiny highlight in the dark. But he was use to his sight, no matter that it served as a punishment for what had been.
He shivered. Tegra would rather not think about that now.
Going inside, he didn't notice the black hedgehog standing a few feet behind him.
Shadow had seen the creature tromp down the halls just when he nearly walked out the passage he had traversed. Plunging back into his hiding place, he watched the form-- tall and well built by the looks of it-- pace on the floor, its mind seemingly preoccupied by something.
He knew it. Someone was waiting outside for him so that they could go slit his throat. Just perfect! Sometimes, Shadow hated it when he was right. Sometimes.
Although there was something familiar about that figure, if only the torchlight was brighter, he could probably find out why …
But in this current situation, the whole throat-slitting business was not the case for the form had gone back the other direction, stopping near a specific section of the wall. Shadow left his hideaway to silently follow the figure. The halls were immensely big, columns raised to the ceiling, supporting the buildings foundations. He had to take great pains not to make a sound for the expansive region echoed every tiny noise. The hedgehog slipped behind a pillar to avoid detection and watched the tall form touch the wall, opening an entryway, then passing through. The hedgehog, in stealthy manner, pursued the forms trail until he was only a couple of feet away from the opened wall. He sneaked inside, relieved that the other did not hear. The room he entered looked exactly like the small, rune decorated area he had awakened in. It was also tinted with the soft light of the strange markings on the wall. He readied himself for an assault, hoping to catch the creature unawares and make him reveal a way out and to where Rika was. So far, everything was going fine.
That is until the door of the wall snapped shut with a resounding boom. It startled Shadow so unexpectedly, that he jumped and involuntary spoke. "Son of a-!"
It was his voice that caught the attention of the taller form who turned around, canine teeth bared. "Who's there?"
Fate was being very mean to Shadow lately.
But he adapted quickly to the changed situation. He lunged forward in a dash, tackling the figure to the hard floor with a well placed kick to the midriff. The assaulted form sprawled back, having not prepared for the attack, wincing in pain. The hedgehog remained standing, having the other at a disadvantage. Shadow had a clear view of the individual; a wolf by the looks of it, shaggy fur coat tinged with blue and white. Sharp teeth revealed themselves as the canine snarled. Black eyes glinted from his face, absorbing the light in their depths, giving the illusion that the orbs had been gouged from their sockets. Shadow was barely put off by this strange feature however. Recent events changed his perspective of things.
The wolf twisted to his feet, creating an imposing figure by his height. The light bounced off his fur as he gazed fiercely at the hedgehog. But after a awhile, that anger changed to bafflement as he took in Shadow's characteristics.
"You're…not supposed to be awake yet…"
Shadow stood still, crimson eyes glaring. He didn't understand the statement, but he brushed it aside impatiently. He was still staring at the wolf, eyes fixed at the other's characteristics. Again that same familiarity affected his mind, bringing back memories from his last venture, fighting armies, reliving an old past. The animal before him… he had seen him before. Except for the strange eyes, there was no mistaking the creature.
Then it clicked.
"You," he breathed viciously.
The canine looked at him for a moment, then gave a small, sad grin. "I'm guessing that you recognize me."
The soldier was a male wolf, aqua blue staining his white fur, immense height with trained muscles. He was clothed in the black armor, jagged spikes protruding from the arm and leg braces.
He started to reach for his weapon; a double-edged ax strapped to the waist. It hesitated, staring at the two who were ready to defend themselves. Clearly struggling within himself, he took a step back.
"It won't matter leaving a few survivors," he muttered to himself. After moments of deliberation, the wolf loped on ahead to catch up with his comrades.
Shadow thought back to that memory, cementing the fact of the wolf's identity. This did not ease him in the slightest bit.
"Why are you awake?" asked the canine more forcefully, coal-black eyes narrowed.
The hedgehog glared, prepared to counter with a retort had he not heard a soft sound coming from up ahead. His eyes turned to spot a replica of the metal cot he had been in previously. Rika lay sprawled on top of it, all the time stirring in apparent sleep, speaking in fevered and incoherent rambles. Sweat dripped down the side of her head, her face was wan and pale as that of one who suffers from an illness.
"What the-?" The hedgehog unconsciously strode forward, momentarily forgetting the wolf who only watched on silently. The fox girl continued moving in erratic spasms, fists clenched so tight the knuckles turned white from the strain. At one moment she even sounded like she was sobbing.
Shadow stared at her for several moments, watching her face contort slightly to whatever sights she was witnessing. Slowly, the black hedgehog turned his ruby eyes toward the mute canine who shifted his feet nervously. The look in Shadow's face was chilling, fatal.
"Mind telling me what's happening here?"
Her eyes darted with frantic chaos amidst the figures standing before her in stillness. The dark was suffocating, hiding any means of escape from the nightmare she was in. Bodies kept reappearing in random places, their faces different yet with the same expression, that in the end there were all the same. She had torn them down, bit by bit, until only masses of ripped flesh remained. Her arms were drenched in bitter red, but her mind was too fury-driven to fully realize it.
They were calling out to her, and that made her scream.
"Go away! I don't want to see!"
But of course that proved no help. They kept on coming. For they were in her mind, lodged forever in memory, clinging to the soul that shivered with the coldness of her heart. So she kept on screaming and slashing with her arms, red light dangling from her neck, scars running down her face.
The white light was not beside her, and she knew the reason. He did not succumb wholly to his fears, and he was already moving forward.
She was weaker than he was, and that made her scream.
The wolf named Tegra had retired to leaning against the wall, dimly aware of the stinging ache in his side. The hedgehog had given one hard kick, and already it was reminding him of another time when the same hedgehog struck him at that particular spot. His eyes roved to Shadow who stood beside the comatose Rika, face as unreadable as a wooden mask, deep red eyes directed toward the tall canine. There was a high amount of distrust and aggravation in his look, a weariness of never being allowed the full information, left behind to grasp the pieces and form the answers on his own. The sight of the apparently suffering fox girl was already doing a fair amount to his dark mood.
"As I said before, you mind telling me what's happening here?" He repeated his question, his harsh tone making it sound more like a statement.
"Fine, just give me a minute," Tegra countered back, his tone just as callous. "Your kick hit me stronger than you realize, and I'm not as strong as I used to be."
Shadow raised an eye ridge at the fact, and his own temperament seemed to ease slightly. Just slightly. "Stop stalling and just tell me."
The wolf growled low in his throat, but it was a sound of displeasure, not threat. Straightening up with his right hand laid on his bruised side, he spoke in a quite voice. "I was only sent to watch the both of you while she portrayed the images in your minds."
Shadow kept on his emotionless face. "She?"
Tegra pinpointed his black eyes on the hedgehog, as dark and empty as space. "The Divine. At least that's what she calls herself. It's the only way she can communicate with you. You, at least, have already seen her."
Shadow thought back to the strange experience aboard the ARK and the woman dressed in white standing over him, a voice with no emotion. "So that was her. What does she want with me?"
"To help you understand what will come."
"So far, the woman's not very successful," Shadow said bitterly.
Tegra's fur bristled for a moment, disliking the subtle insult directed to her. But he composed himself quickly. No, Shadow didn't quite get it yet. Not yet. "If you didn't understand what she was showing you, then it is partly your fault."
The hedgehog turned to the wolf in accusation. "Excuse me?"
"The way that she speaks is not straightforward. Her words are often in metaphors, and one has to pay close attention to what she means. All it requires is some patience and intellect. If you barely got anything, then you weren't paying attention, or you simply just didn't care."
Shadow's fist clenched, his eyes smoldering with injured pride. "So putting me through all those incidents, making me see Maria again, nearly getting me killed; does that give her justice to mess with my head? Bombarding me with so many things at once, of course I could barely pay attention as half the time I was trying to survive! Why won't she get out what she's trying to say like a normal person?"
"Because she is not normal," Tegra responded in exasperation. "This is the only way she can commune with anyone. Besides, messages are never very clear in dreams."
The hedgehog's demeanor changed barely. "So all of that wasn't real. We were asleep through all that? The entire time?"
Tegra nodded. "Your first dream was the one that showed of your past at the ARK. Although it was mostly an illusion, some parts were real. I'd keep in mind of the one who nearly killed Maria, and you."
Shadow growled at the mention of Maria, as if the wolf was not worthy enough to speak her name. Tegra barely noticed it.
"Your second dream was meant to show you of what truly happened many years ago. That one was, of course, quite real."
The hedgehog continued his relentless stare. "If they were dreams, how can they be real?"
Tegra hesitated with his answer. "I'm… not exactly sure. In the second dream, you and Rika were somehow transported to that time. You were there, I remember that very clearly."
Shadow absorbed the information in quite composure, face betraying none of his inner thoughts. "I saw you there," he simply stated.
The tall canine averted his gaze from the hedgehog to the rune-covered walls. "Because I was there. You were entering my own time through her will…or maybe by yours instead," he added so softly that the hedgehog did not hear.
Shadow regarded him coldly. "Your time seemed very ancient." His words asked a silent question.
Tegra gave a tired grin. "Yes. I am much older than I look but frankly, I don't feel like talking about it. And not about my eyes either as I know you're wondering about."
Shadow had in fact been questioning that in his head. He crossed his arms over his torso, going over the shady answers he received, trying to piece them together to form a comprehending image to what this was all about. "Part of me thinks I'm still sleeping," he said, more so to himself.
"Trust me, you're not sleeping," the wolf said in a deep voice. "Even though, you're supposed to be. I can only guess that something intervened the process."
The hedgehog merely gave a sound of contempt, then swiveled his head toward Rika who shifted around in her nightmare. "Then what is happening to her?"
Ears flattened against his head, Tegra looked uncomfortably toward the fox. "She's experiencing the dream." He shook his head. "Truthfully, I'm not so sure she'll get out of this in one piece."
"Then why do you allow this to keep going?" Shadow asked through gritted teeth.
"Because it is necessary," the wolf replied in a tight voice. "I can't fully explain it, but it is necessary."
Shadow gazed fully at the fox girl, watching her writhe in obvious terror, eyes forcefully shut, face pale and sickly. Something was tearing her up, from the inside out. She looked helpless and vulnerable, her defenses down.
"How do I get back into the dream?" He turned back to the wolf who viewed him in silence, eyes hardened. "Well?"
The canine's black eyes seemed to show a hint of amusement. "I didn't think you would actually want to go back, considering…"
"I know," Shadow interrupted impatiently. "It's just…" He stopped, taking another look at Rika, resolution apparent in his face. "Tell me how do I get back. Do I just fall asleep?"
"You could do that, though I think your mind is too alert to do so," the wolf replied.
"Fine, then what other way is there?" the black hedgehog asked in irritation.
Blue fur coat rippling as he shifted his feet, the wolf suddenly had an uneasiness about him. "Alright, I have a quick way. Just remember, you asked for it. Literally."
"What are you-?" Though Shadow had no time to finish the sentence as a massive fist collided with his face. He immediately slipped into unconsciousness, Tegra's words lapping against the shores of his mind before he completely blacked out.
"Like this is going to make any difference…"
He was flying, and the fire kept coming.
Sonic destroyed each and every one until new flaming entities took their place. He could not stop hitting. The super hedgehog destroyed all in his path through the sky, causing more destruction than the falling fire. Everything was a blur, and he traveled through the erupting heavens to finish his rampage.
He knew he had seen Shadow, but he could not stop himself. Over and over, he had struck the black hedgehog mindlessly, a voice urging him onwards until the other finally vanished. There was only this unknown rage plaguing him, and it all started with a girl's screams.
Eyes glazed over with an unnatural hunger, Super Sonic fought his way through the red-stained skies, the falling fire merely just annoying gnats. But he kept going and there was no end, all playing in a continuous loop set to drive him over the edge, until surrender was the only choice left.
He was trapped in the dream, and he could not wake.
Shadow walked through melting images that coalesced with another. His shoes sank into the substance like quicksand. Pulling them out, he continued on in disgust, eyes rapt on the strange images. This woman, the one called the Divine, she was causing all this. And the thought pissed him off immensely. Whatever reasons she had, he would force it out of her, so that this nightmare would finally end.
He felt a soreness on his cheek and though he didn't exactly liked being knocked out so unexpectedly, he appreciated the effectiveness that it brought him here quickly.
Though the damn wolf should've warned me first.
But right now, his objective was to find Rika in this realm of dreams. Shadow searched through the surrealism, perspectives distorted all around him. Everything seemed to melt, dizzying the hedgehog with such abstract that he worked hard just to focus on the task at hand. Colors, shapes, eyes, faces; it was a melting pot of everything. All merging into one. He needed to find a way out of here.
But then right through the landscape of images, a splotch of black appeared, providing a passageway out of this current part of the dream. Did he wish for that to happen, or was it another manipulation from the woman? The hedgehog went through it and immediately he was enveloped by darkness. Overwhelmed, he checked to make sure he could still see by waving a hand over his face. Seeing the whiteness of his glove, he tried next to decipher any shapes in the environment. But it seemed his hearing was the only sense that proved useful.
"Get away from me! Go away!"
His ears perked up at the voice, tracing the desperation and anger it emitted through its tones.
"I said go away!"
Taking little heed from the dark, Shadow rushed toward the voice, white light dangling from his neck, only imagining what Rika was seeing that could terrify her so much.
"Leave me alone!"
Once again, she tore through the many eyes staring at her, the bodies that never made any attempt to move, watching her silently. The minute one was struck down, more came. She screamed for them to leave, forever leave, until her voice was hoarse and her arms ached from the strikes she lashed out meaninglessly. Her crystal sphere, deep red, covered her in a flaming aura. But soon her body and soul pleaded for rest, and finally, breaking down, she collapsed to the ground.
The children's bodies kept coming back to her.
"Not my fault, not my fault, not my… not…"
It was all hurting far too much for her, so she bowed her head, blocking out the images.
The girl thought it was her imagination when she felt a gentle touch on her shoulder. Her frazzled nerves seemed to finally calm down, like a raging sea changes to still waters once a storm has passed.
"Hey…"
Gasping, Rika picked her head up, meeting a pair of crimson eyes. For some reason, she was no longer angry or frightened. Not even joyous or gratified. Just tired, very, very tired.
"I… thought you left."
Someone was watching.
No matter how far or fast Sonic flew, someone was watching it all in amusement and expectation. The rain of fire finally stopped, along with his rage. He could feel his strength wane with the passing moments, and it wasn't long until his golden quills faded to cobalt, and he lowered considerably to the ground.
Sonic found himself falling, his green eyes focused down below. He couldn't save himself. The hedgehog tried to curl into a ball to go into his spin dash and perhaps soften the impact. But his limbs refused to comply. The wind rushed past his ears menacingly, his eyes watered through the stinging air. He was falling, like the fire from the sky. He was falling.
But the ground…it disappeared. Someone was down there. Watching, waiting.
No… Sonic tried to veer his path off course. He could not fall there. But there was no way, for the figure encompassed the ground. A mouth opened wide, saliva running down the fangs, yellow eyes glinting hungrily.
No. Sonic could not fall there. No. He tried again to recapture his lost strength, recall the anger that had him transform to the golden hedgehog he was before. But nothing remained for him. He was falling.
The mouth opened wider, seeming to take in the vast universe in its entirety. It laughed, waiting, wanting…
Let me set you free. It only hurts at first…
He thrashed about in the leaves, the scarlet foliage dancing in the breeze from his movements. Feeling himself being choked, Sonic sat up quickly, hitting his head on a nearby branch severely, fully waking him up.
"Ow!"
Sucking in his breath through his teeth, he covered the newly-formed bruise on his cranium with both hands. He traced the bump with a forefinger, sighing when he realized how huge it was.
"Man…that hurt…"
Then he realized something. The hedgehog opened his eyes fully, taking in a vast forest tinged with blood red, the sky nearly obliterated by the hanging branches of looming trees. He sat on a blanket of soft leaves, his quills brushing against a trunk of one of the tall plant guardians.
He was awake. But… where was he?
It appeared Sonic's answer would soon be given as he noticed that he was not alone. To his left, a figure leaned against one of the trees casually, long upstanding ears flicking slightly. Black fur merged perfectly with the dark trunks of the plants, giving the thought that both came from the same shadowy place. Turning its head, red eyes peeked through eyelids, brewing deep with an inner fire that would burn those who came too close. Eyes that kept following Sonic and the group everywhere.
"It's about time you woke up."
My God, that was long. I am so sure there are tons of mistakes. > This chapter feels too uneventful! But its important, dang it! I promise the next will be better, and hopefully come so much sooner. And Sonic's in the Scarlet Forest in case you don't remember, and the one with him is Cuervo. Just thought I should clarify. If you read this, drop me a thought! Me always like to know what people think. ;) Next one will be so much better, promise.