Author's Notes

Okay, I know I said that I'd post this chapter yesterday, but I got a little sidetracked doing some maintenance on someone's computer. x.X This one's longer than chapter 1, but still fairly short (especially in comparison to chap 3. That one's a monster! .). This one's probably better than the last too, but I'll let you decide. ;)

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Chapter 2: Fire of Life

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Fire… all around me.

But it's not hot.

On the contrary—I feel cold.

Something's wrong. I'm afraid, but I don't know why. I'm drawn forward, the flames parting before me.

They can't harm me. Yet I'm still panicked…

There's something ahead of me, through the fire. I can sense it. I need to get there! I need to hurry!

I drift on, carried not by my own feet, but seemingly pulled by my own need to be there.

I see it! A silhouette behind the flames. Inexplicably, my fear intensifies. But I need to get there.

Someone needs me…

As I draw nearer, the image clarifies. A spiky figure crouching low. A hedgehog?

Sonic?

No, it's someone else. Quills flare out from his forehead and his fur is much lighter. Possibly white, though it's hard to tell in the fiery glow.

He's crouching over someone—no, pinning them to the ground. I focus on the prone form, a sense of dread crawling through my insides. But I need to know. The white hedgehog's hand is clasped around the darker one's throat, his victim futilely struggling to loose the choking grip. I draw closer, close enough to see them both clearly.

And then I feel as though my own breath has been cut off.

That blue hedgehog…

He's killing Sonic!

I want to cry out, dash forward to stop this stranger, but I can't. I can't move, I can't speak, as though some unseen force paralyzes me. I can only watch…

"To preserve the future of this planet," the white hedgehog speaks with surprising calm, no hint of malice or remorse in his voice. He raises his free hand, and out of seemingly nothing a dagger materializes. "…the Trigger must perish."

My fear crescendos to terror, the same reflected in Sonic's eyes as the dagger hovers above him.

I have to do something!

I can't just watch him die!

But I'm helplessly frozen, unable to even look away as the blade plunges down, piercing his chest. Green eyes widen and his mouth opens in a soundless gasp. His hands loosen their grip on the white one's arm, falling limply to his sides. His head turns toward me, and I can only watch in mute horror as his eyes lock on mine, life quickly fading from them.

The flames fade into black nothingness.

And then I scream.

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"Sonic!"

The dark hedgehog bolted upright, panting heavily. His red eyes darted to the nearby campfire, half-expecting to see the murder played out again in the flames. Scanning the surrounding forest, his panic slowly dissipated.

"What was that?" he gasped, pressing his fingertips to his forehead. He leaned back against the tree on which he had been resting and closed his eyes. The image of that strange hedgehog in flames was firmly imprinted in his consciousness. "Why would I have such a dream?" He wasn't superstitious by nature, but there was something about this nightmare that unnerved him.

He huffed and shook his head. You're being foolish. It's a dream, nothing more.

But an internal war raged, instinct clashing against logic. But what if it's not? Why can't I shake this feeling?

Do not let fear weaken you! It's not real!

But that hedgehog… he seems so familiar, but I can't remember…

You put your past behind you. Dwelling on memories hinders your progression toward the future.

And what if that was the future? If Sonic's in danger...

He can take care of himself. Why concern yourself with him?

He pondered on that question and found that he dared not answer, even to himself. To show concern was to show weakness, he concluded.

Nevertheless, he did not sleep the rest of that night.

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Shadow strode down a busy street in Central City—one of the few that had been left relatively untouched from the Black Arms' attack on the capital. He usually avoided the city during the day, as the many stares and hushed whispers he attracted were irksome, to say the least. However, he took some satisfaction in the way people practically leapt out of his path at his approach.

Today, on the other hand, he sought distraction. For the past three nights he had been haunted by the same nightmare, the most recent being even more unsettling. It was the same scenario—the white hedgehog murdering Sonic in the flames—but with a slightly different ending.

In this version, Sonic begged for his help as the white hedgehog raised his dagger, pled for Shadow to save him. That sight was disturbing enough, given what he knew of the hedgehog's headstrong nature. Still, Shadow was unable to do anything to alter the outcome and was forced to watch Sonic's death yet again. Even more unsettling, however, was what the white hedgehog did afterward.

The white hedgehog rose from his dark task, gazing at his blood-stained glove. His gaze shifted to Shadow, who was struck by the complete lack of emotion on the other's face. Those amber eyes held no warmth, yet were not cold. There was no restrained anger, yet no suppressed guilt. It was like staring at a machine that knew only its purpose and the path to achieve it.

And it chilled him to the core.

"It is done," the hedgehog said, striding over to him. He extended the bloodied hand, and Shadow felt a strong impulse to either lurch away or rip the offending arm off. But he could do neither and remained paralyzed as the white hedgehog placed his hand on Shadow's chest, staining the white fur there. Then he saw the faintest flicker of emotion pass through the other's eyes.

"We have fulfilled our promise."

Shadow gritted his teeth, vainly trying to shake the awful images from his head. Repeatedly he had tried to convince himself that the dream had no meaning, that he should just forget about it and move on. But it was becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. And so he had come here hoping to find something to take his mind off of it, even if it meant dealing with some of the humans that still thought he was the Devil incarnate.

"This just in… catastrophic fires have broken out within the last half hour in Sunrise City." Shadow swiveled his head to the TVs displayed in the window of an electronics store, where a breaking news story was being shown. "Reports are coming in of robots swarming the city, likely the work of the infamous Dr. Eggman…"

The hedgehog turned fully toward the window, folding his arms across his chest. "So Eggman's at it again, hm? No doubt Sonic won't be far behind."

…Sonic…

Shadow shook his head stubbornly. He doesn't need my help.

"The devastation here is… it's just unbelievable. Everything in sight is burning. It's like something out of a nightmare."

Red eyes shot back to the television screens. The scene had changed to a live aerial view of the city, with some reporter babbling about the horrific sight in the background. His description was certainly accurate—looking at the city, one might have thought the end of the world was nigh. Buildings were in ruins, fires burned everywhere, and the amount of smoke billowing into the sky was gradually turning day into night.

The camera zoomed in on the largest of the fires swirling at the center of the city. Shadow stared at the fiery mass, a sinking feeling forming in the pit of his stomach.

'No doubt Sonic won't be far behind.'

He had a sharp intake of breath. It couldn't be…

But he was losing the battle against his own denial. He couldn't shrug it off as coincidence any longer. The image of Sonic's life fading along with the flames around him refused to be forgotten. He chastised himself for being a fool, for being weak.

Maybe I'm being an idiot.

But I have to know…

With that, the dark hedgehog took off on his hover-skates, mentally setting a course for Sunrise City. Perhaps he was throwing himself into another battle with Eggman. Perhaps he was needlessly hurtling into a raging inferno on a stupid whim. But even as he rushed into the deadly blaze, he knew…

…there was one fire that he did not want to go out.

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A.N.

Okay, maybe this chap came off a bit Sonadow-ish, but that is not what I intended at all. o.o; But I guess you can interpret it as you like. n.n; I'm tired, so I'm gonna post chap 3 after I get some sleep. z.z And I'll bet you can guess who's coming next. XP