In this chapter, I have tried to mature the relationship between Sonic and Shadow. They have their motives and ways, but in my story they have to work together, so I'm working on this development. Tell me what you think of it!
Chapter 10: The Circumstances of FriendsIt was warm. Red flames formed in the blurry black of Sonic's vision as he awoke. He could feel not only the physical warmth of the fire at his back, but he also felt a tingling warmth throughout his entire body. Slowly, cautious, he sat up. His vision cleared and he could see Shadow sitting by the fire opposite him.
"Good to see you awake," said the dark hedgehog. His voice was low and expressionless.
"Ah…" said Sonic and rubbed his head. It didn't hurt but it was a habit he had. There was this ripple of good feelings flowing in his body and he liked it. But where did it come from? Then he remembered-Shoca Lief, in the desert, the fight, in the woods…Shadow saved me…Shadow? A rescuer?
Sonic looked at Shadow with a mixture of surprise, confusion, and caution. Shadow continued to stare into the fire, taking no notice (or pretending to not).
The awkwardness was intense. Not long ago they had been fighting against each other, it had been a full-fledged battle. Even when they had been brought together it had been under difficult circumstances. It had been join together or everything dies, not the best circumstances to make friends in.
"How did you get here?" asked Sonic.
"I heard the call of chaos," replied Shadow. He looked up and said, "what has been going on while I was away?"
Sonic could detect the anxiety in Shadow's voice and told him all that had happened in the past week.
When he had finished, the stars were still shining brightly in the sky, the fire was getting low, and Shadow looked tired.
"I ran all the way here and have kept watch for you," said Shadow. "I wish I had a Chaos Emerald so I use Chaos Control and go right to Station Square, but as it is, I don't. There's about 3 hours until sunrise."
He then turned his back to the fire and Sonic and went to sleep. Sonic took the hint and kept watch, feeding the fire until sunrise. Then they would move.
Amy had been staring at the television for hours. After the Master Emerald had completely flipped, she had suggested they watch for anything on the news. So everyone had been watching, but everyone had fallen asleep besides Amy.
News, news, news…Bright sunshine for tomorrow…the Mayor is holding a ball…buy a brand new refrigerator for just $314.67! Man, I've been watching this too long.
Amy brought up the remote and aimed it at the TV. She was so tired; it was time for her to sleep. Her thumb raised to fall on the power button when—
"Breaking News!" shouted a voice and a man appeared on the TV screen. It was Jack Times, she recognized him from his special report on the latest designer fashions. "This just in--!"
A picture appeared on the screen and Jack started talking, but Amy tuned him out.
It was Robotnik!
She looked on in horror as his giant robot neared the city. Hundreds of his other little "creations" fell around in sweeping patterns around the humanoid destructor. In the distance, Amy could make out several of GUN's robots chasing Robotnik.
"…we have a message from the Mayor…"
"Citizens of Station Square, please listen to me! Do not panic. Robotnik is sending his troops to the business district and eastside, if you live in these areas leave now…"
He continued to talk about evacuations and what they should do. As he did, the camera zoomed in on the robot. Amy squinted her eyes and could barely make out the form of Shoca inside of the machine.
"Wake up! Wake up!" she shouted.
Knuckles jumped up from the lazyboy he'd been sleeping in and stopped when he saw the TV. Tails came running in from the bathroom, Cream sat up on the couch, and Rouge sleepily hobbled in from Knuckles's bedroom.
Everyone's one expression was the same as Amy's had been---horror.
The sheer power that Robotnik was displaying was like nothing they'd ever seen before. And this time, Sonic wasn't here. There was no blue hedgehog to save the day.
"We have to do something!" Amy exclaimed.
"Like what?" asked Rouge sadly, "in all seriousness, what can we do?"
"We'll fight him," Tails told her. "We can do it!"
"Yes, we must try!" cried out Cream the Rabbit.
Tails looked at the TV screen and saw Shoca Lief inside of Robotnik's robot. "Look at what he's done to Shoca Lief! Robotnik, I'll get you for this!" he said. No one had ever seen the young fox so angry.
"Before we do anything though, we need a plan," said Knuckles.
"We have to try, come on Rouge," pleaded Amy.
"Alright!' shouted Rouge. "I'm in, you guys'll need all the help you can get."
"So what's the plan?" Cream asked Knuckles.
"I'm thinking about it…"
About 3 miles outside of Station Square, Robotnik was approaching the object of his desire. Just another minute or so and Station Square's eastside would become his robots' playground.
Looking behind him, he thought, but that GUN…When will they leave…? I'll just have to deal with them!
He shouted into the speaker that was mounted on his control panel, and the entire fleet turned on GUN who was following them closely.
The two forces collided in an explosion of flying lights. Eggman robots latched onto GUN artillery and drove them into the ground where they exploded. The elite robots of GUN mowed down several of the smaller robots by the half dozen. Parts flew every which way, and the alarms of broken robots sounded.
Robotnik hovered over it all, laughing at the destruction, as Colonel Aric came to battle.
Aric was armed in a "flying dog" model robot. He flew up, menacingly and fearlessly, for he had commanded his forces in a great many fights and he did not fear death, only defeat.
He cursed at Robotnik and it only furthered the Eggman's laughter. The missile launchers on the flying dog loaded and took aim. One shot…thought Aric.
He pulled the trigger.
The missiles shot out and headed for Robotnik. As they hit, force field of intense blue surrounded Robotnik. Aric could see the robot with Shoca inside of it creating this force field. It was then that Aric accepted his defeat.
Shoca swung her staff and knocked Aric out of the air. While he spiraled upwards, she shot at it. One shot, that's all it took. Despite the advanced shields, Aric fell to the ground in a flaming heap of metal.
The battle was over. GUN lay decimated on the ground outside of Station Square, and Robotnik moved closer. The sun, just peaking over the treetops, reflected off the silver building of the business district.
"Wake up!" said a voice.
Sonic the Hedgehog looked up into the face of Shadow the Hedgehog.
"It's time to move!"
He stood up and found the campfire out, and Shadow with his backpack on.
The dawn was just beginning and Sonic ignored it. Unless they got to Station Square soon, there would be no more sunrises, or sunsets for that matter.
"We have a lot of running to do," Shadow commented.
"I love to run," replied Sonic and then he took off.
Shadow followed just behind him, gliding along in the manner he always had. Sonic began to speed up, and Shadow matched it. The urge to race got into Sonic's veins, but he rejected it. As much as I want to race, I can't because…we need him!
They ran at break-neck speeds through the woods. Zipping around the trees like birds do. Neither tired nor did one think they would tire.
After several minutes of silence, Sonic asked, "Where did you go?"
Shadow picked up a little and ran side-by-side to Sonic. He looked at Sonic, not breaking the look to weave around a tree.
"I traveled to all the places of this world that they didn't have maps for. I made my own map and learned about many different ways of life."
Here he stopped talking and Sonic asked/shouted at him, "did you find your place yet?"
"No," replied Shadow sadly. "But I think , sometimes, that it might be with you and your friends. I always get involved with your fights, maybe they should be counted as mine also."
"Maybe…" said Sonic, and he left it at that.
And so the two hedgehogs ran to Station Square. They ran against time, evil, and themselves.