Chapter 18
Shadow was sitting at camp, mortified and horrified with himself. He couldn't believe he had just done that. He had raped that imp. RAPED. He was supposed to be better than that.
The air was corrupting him, he knew that, but it was still no excuse for what he had done.
He was ashamed of himself. Truly ashamed of himself. He couldn't go to Sonic and Amily like this. He wouldn't be able to look at them in the eye without being reminded of their innocence and how he couldn't mirror them.
"I need to talk to someone." He sighed. "Find out how to get this corruption out of me… but who?"
The more he thought about it, the more only one person fit the deal. He guess it couldn't hurt to see her again.
He sighed and got up, making his way back to the ruined Cathedral in the wastelands. He noticed some of the debris has been cleared away from the courtyard, and some of the windows have been boarded up. Suki's obviously been working since the hedgehog's last left, trying to make the building more habitable. With his path less obstructed than before, Shadow entered.
Within the ruins, Shadow can see Suki perched atop her pedestal in a low, predatory crouch, much as he and Sonic had found her. Waving a hand in front of her eyes, he confirms she's in some sort of dormant mode. A simple touch from her Master could revive her.
Shadow sighed and gently tapped on her shoulder. The moment he did so, the gargoyle began to move. She blinked, moving her head to look at him as a small smile came to her pretty lips, her tail wagging behind her. She hopped off the pedestal and bowed before him. "My Master has returned. What will you have with this one, Master?"
Shadow sighed and took a seat on one of the sanctuary's pews, motioning for Suki to join him. She meekly approaches her Master and kneels before him, head bowed submissively.
"I…" Shadow started, sighing and pinning his ears back in guilt. "I need someone to talk to. To forget what I've just done… and I thought that someone could be you?"
Her eyes immediately brighten excitedly. "Master honors me... What would you like to talk about?"
Nervous about talking about what he had done to the imp, Shadow thinks of something else to talk about. "Well… can you tell me about this Cathedral?"
She visibly brightens at the idea. "This is the greatest structure for miles around," she claims proudly, motioning toward the vaulted ceiling and the remaining stained glass windows. "Well, it isn't much to look at now, Master, but it was magnificent. People came from all around to pray here. It was wonderful..." she trails off, looking misty-eyed into the distance, remembering.
Shadow blinks and tilts his head a little. "Suki? Are you alright?"
"Master?" she asks, looking at Shadow in the eye. "I... I want to rebuild the Cathedral. I know there... there's no one to return to it, but... I don't know. It feels like repairing the damage that's been done would be a victory. Just a little tiny one, but still a victory." Suki makes a sudden little gasp and says, "I-If that's alright with you, Master?"
Shadow chuckled and patted her on the head. "It's a wonderful idea."
She makes a happy squeak and immediately flutters over to a pile of debris and starts cleaning it up. Before he knew it, the little gargoyle's on a roll, whistling a jaunty tune as she starts repairing some of the more obvious damage. Seeing her so engrossed, Shadow can't help but smile and wanders over and starts to give her a hand.
Within the hour, the two of them have made a sizable dent in the debris of the Cathedral, and Suki has even managed to hang one of the candelabras back up in the rafters. Shadow puts his hands over his hips and grins. "It's looking better already."
"Thank you, Master." Suki smiles back. "Soon, it will be back to its former glory."
Shadow chuckled at her enthusiasm, but even within that hour, he still can't get the event with the imp out of his mind. He feels so dirty. Suki takes notice of Shadow's worry and tilts her head.
"Is everything alright, Master?"
"Well, not exactly." He sighed, sitting back down on a pedestal, Suki sitting beside him by his knees. "I did a terrible thing, Suki. And I feel disgusting for it."
"Please, tell me."
Shadow was hesitant, and then he sighed. "I raped an imp today." He said shamefully. "I feel horrible for it. I know this corrupted air is starting to get to me… but I can't let that take control of my body… I don't know what to do, Suki."
Suki nodded. "I see… Master, I may be able to help you."
"How?"
"Look around, Master." Suki waved around. "Do you realize what we've rebuilt?"
Shadow took note that in their work, the sanctuary's altar has been cleared of rubble, and a number of candles have been lit upon it. Resting atop the flat stone surface is a simple iron bowl filled with what appears to be water.
"What exactly are you referring to?" Shadow asked.
"Long before Master came, I watched over the parishioners and their faith. They performed strange sacraments and rituals to purify the body and dispel evils. Forgive my impertinence, but I thought perhaps Master might someday have need of these rites, and prepared them for you. I know a ritual to purify the body, another to purify the mind, and a third that banishes evil creatures and spirits, though I warn you: cleansing the body can best be done through pain, and banishment may be as... invasive... as the possession itself. Would you like to use one of these?"
Shadow nodded. "Yes. Please. I could stand to reverse some of the corruption that has affected my body."
With a solemn nod, Suki takes Shadow to a side alcove near the altar and instructs him to spread his arms and legs. Hesitantly, he does so, and from the floor and ceiling Suki produces leather straps with rough looped straps. Before he can react, she binds the hedgehog's arms and legs, spreading him eagle against the cold stone wall.
"With pain comes purity," Suki says, so quietly Shadow can barely hear her. "Prepare yourself, Master," she adds, and his heart nearly skips a beat when he hears the crack of a whip behind him.
"Oh, shit, this is going to hu-"
CRACK!
Shadow sees stars as white-hot pain arcs through his body, making him scream into the wall. He can feel the burning streak left across his back by the bullwhip, throbbing mercilessly in the moments before CRACK! She hits him again, throwing him forward against his bonds with the force of the blow.
Over his ragged, pained breathing, Shadow can just hear Suki chanting: "With pain comes purity…" CRACK! "With agony comes enlightenment…" CRACK! "Through torment comes holiness…" CRACK! The last crack of the whip leaves the golden hedgie groaning, breathless, sagging in his bonds. Somehow, though, he does feel... cleaner? Like a weight was just lifted from his heart. And he knew he was going to be thicker-skinned after this!
Quietly, reservedly, Suki releases Shadow from his bonds, and he staggers into her waiting arms. She helps him over to the altar and lays him down, letting him rest after his ordeal. She stands over him, watching him pant and gasp.
For a few minutes, Shadow just lies there, trying to catch his breath and relax and recover from Suki's "gentle ministrations." After a few minutes, he's finally caught his breath and, with a little effort, stands up. He looks at Suki and gives her a warm smile.
"Thank you, Suki. I really needed that."
"Any time, Master." Suki smiles back.
"I better get going now. Until we meet again, and don't give up on this place."
"I won't. Thank you, Master."
Shadow nodded and left the Cathedral, heading to the town ruins to speak to Sonic and Amily about Tel Adre, all the while rubbing his sore back. Hopefully it'll be healed before he meets up with them.
