Chapter Two
"Wow…fifteen years today…and I haven't aged a day. Maybe grown somewhat…but I haven't aged." Shadow looked up at the stars from his treetop perch, which twinkled as always. Indeed, Shadow had changed somewhat. His spikes had extended somewhat, now curling down a little from their weight, and he had gained a few inches. A scar was over his right eye, a wound from the Angel Incident.
But Shadow's outlook on life had changed drastically…no longer was he the cold, somewhat ruthless ultimate weapon he originally was, but instead had becoming more caring, more thoughtful, and lonely. Even so, his power was still great, and still he fought, this time to stay alive, for both hedgehogs and echidnas hounded him.
As he stared up at the stars, a rustle came from the bushes. Instinctively he readied one of his energy blasts. But instead of a threat, a buck had leapt out, apparently running from something. A few moments later, two hedgehogs, a light brown one and a dark brown one, came zipping through the woods. They were merely hunters out for their meal. They were young ones, no more than thirteen or fourteen years old. Shadow had no business dealing with them. He had far bigger fish to fry.
Unfortunately for him, the light brown one looked up and noticed the form of Shadow. He stood wide-eyed, his mouth falling open. The dark brown one soon joined him.
"Wow! It's…him! Shadow!" one of them said. Shadow's acute hearing detected this statement. Apparently they had no intention of exposing him, being too in awe of him. After thinking about it for a moment, Shadow finally decided to jump down. When he landed, the two young hedgehogs were drooling.
"Okay, you two, stop slobbering over yourselves, your prey is getting away." Shadow scolded them. The two young hedgehogs came to their senses, and the light brown one finally summoned the courage to speak to him.
"Wow…I've heard so much about you! They say you can stop time in its tracks, and by using that you could beat anybody except Knuckles and Sonic! It's so cool! Show us! Show us the Chaos Control!"
Shadow sighed and shook his head slowly. "It is true…I can speed myself up to the point where time stops for me, but I only use it when I need it. I can't use it frivolously. So, no Chaos Control for you." Shadow started back up the tree, and turned to the hedgehogs, and then began to stare very angrily at them.
"If you ever mention meeting me…I swear…I'll come for you and your families…remember that."
"Y-y-yes sir…" the dark brown hedgehog said, and bolted off into the direction they were going. The light brown one stared for a moment, then bolted away.
"Sigh. Kids…what are you gonna do with them?"
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"There's no need to worry your head, Yumi," an old jet-black hedgehog said reassuringly to a distressed violet-colored female. "I'm sure Tsuko is just fine. Why, I bet he's on his way home right now."
Yumi shook her head. "I don't feel that, elder…I think he's been captured…my Tsuko…who knows what torture he's going through right now…I don't want him to die!"
The elder tried to comfort her by putting his hand on her shoulder, but she pushed it away. She was now sobbing, grieving already for one who yet lived. Rushing through the quiet streets, she ran straight for the large castle in the middle of the village. The castle itself seemed typical, except the top of the central keep was engulfed in a bright light. The drawbridge was up, and two guards stood near the gates.
Yumi cried up to the guards, "Please! Let me in! I must see the Overlord!" The two guards looked at each other, and began laughing hysterically.
One of them managed to compose himself, and yelled back. "Sorry, kid…Overlord Sonic doesn't have time for grieving girls…unless they want to join his harem…"
Yumi's beliefs suddenly shattered. Their so-called "benevolent" Overlord didn't have time to console bereaved wives, but would take them in to satisfy what beastly urges he had? Yumi then realized what kind of society she lived in, and hated herself for it. Drying her tears, she gave the guards one last harsh look and stormed back to her house.
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
"Wake up, you lazy hedgehog!" Demicles roared as he kicked the sleeping Tsuko in the back. The echidna chuckled as Tsuko struggled to get up. The hedgehog grumbled as he pulled himself up. He had since been unchained, which was a relief. But now he figured his suffering was truly about to begin.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN, YOU WANT TO TAKE HIM!" Demicles screamed at Cadmus, inadvertently getting spit on his fellow.
Cadmus wiped the saliva off his face. "I don't want him…Talyah does. He'll never listen to you…keep in mind that he did slay Peridon. He could wipe the floor with you. But he's so nice with her…he's more a gentleman with her than you are with her."
Demicles' face turned orange with embarrassment. "So what? He's my prisoner! I deserve to keep him! It's the frick'n law! Besides, my sister's a softie! She can't admit that hedgehogs are dirty scum, meant to work for us!"
Cadmus turned away from Demicles and seemed to silently chuckle. "Prisoners are more likely to obey if treated well. The way you sound, he'll kill you while you sleep."
Demicles threw his hands up in frustration. "Gah! Fine! Take him, for all I care! I'd rather be alive and without a prisoner than dead and with one."
"Thanks, Grass Arms. You're a pal," Cadmus said with a smile, and went back to Tsuko's room.
Tsuko had overheard the whole thing and sighed with relief. Cadmus apparently wasn't so bad. He seemed to have at least a speck of tolerance for hedgehogs…and Demicles' sister was the nicest echidna he had ever met. As these thoughts passed through his mind, Cadmus entered the room and sat down on the other side of Tsuko's bed. "So…Tsuko…you won't have to deal with Grass Arms. You better count your lucky stars, hedgehog…because Talyah is a real jewel compared to some."
"So I noticed. And she's a great cook, too. I always thought echidnas ate the most repulsive things...but now I'm thinking otherwise."
The two finally turned to face each other. "I'm glad you like it…because that's all you'll be eating. Just because my wife likes you doesn't mean I will. So watch your step, hedgehog. By the way…" Cadmus picked up a nearby broom and tossed it to Tsuko, who caught it easily. "Start sweeping the floor."
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
"Uh…wha…where am I?" Amy mumbled as she finally finished regained her sense. Returning to reality after twenty years took some time. Tails was heating some canned soup in his microwave.
"Welcome back, Amy. You've slept a long time." Tails said as he carefully removed the hot soup. When he reentered the room, Amy was startled. She didn't remember Tails looking anything like he did.
"Tails…you're…" Amy began.
The fox finished her sentence. "Older? Yes. You've been in stasis for about twenty years now."
"FIFTEEN YEARS!" Amy said with surprise. "What about Sonic, Knuckles, the others! Where are they!"
Tails gave Amy the soup. "Eat this, and I'll explain." Amy pensively began to eat the soup, and listened to Tails.
Tails turned his back to her and stared up at the ceiling. "Times have changed. Sonic and Knuckles have somehow obtained incredible power from that mysterious gold object we got from Robotnik. They're now rulers of their kinds, and they're despots at that."
"You mean…they've turned evil?" Amy was shaking her head slowly in disbelief. "No…not them…they would never…"
Tails turned to face her. "I wouldn't lie about this type of thing. They're hateful, loathsome and most of all, bloodthirsty. It pains me to say that, but it's true." He turned his back again. "Anyway, I've lost track of the others…though I do now that…" and he bowed his head, "Big was attacked by a roving band of hedgehogs, while he was fishing with Froggy. He didn't survive. Cream was killed by gunfire in the city…and on her thirteenth birthday too…" Tails tried to hold back tears. He had always had feelings for Cream, but now that she was gone, he had no one. Amy too felt the sting of losing friends. They had adventured together long ago.
"What about Doctor Robotnik?" Amy asked.
"No idea, either."
"Wow…" Amy said with no hiding of distress, "Things sure seem bad." She finished the last spoonful of soup.
"Amy…I'm going to need you for a few hours. We need to run some tests."