"No...Wait! Amy, get off of me!!" Sonic said, waking up with a start as Beast Boy woke him.
"Were you dreaming about Amy?" the green one asked, seeing Sonic start to breathe normally.
"I wasn't...until you tried to wake me up," Sonic said, sitting back down on the couch. "So, Knuckles managed to survive sleeping in your room?" he asked, his question answered when the red echidna ran into the room, breathing heavily and quickly.
"How...in the name of my ancestors...did your room start to smell worse in the morning than last night? Do you have food rotting in there?!" Knuckles yelled, his muzzle a noticeable shade of green while Sonic tried to hold in his laughter.
Soon everyone started waking up, and as Caliburn's eyes opened, he got a good look of Raven's room. "There's more books here than in the castle library, and the Dark Hollow looks brighter than this room without the lights on," he thought to himself. He jumped down from the bookcase he was sleeping on, landing and leaving the room silently.
"Looks like Slade was spotted last night," Robin said to no-one in particular. He was reading a newspaper while everyone went about amusing themselves. Amy and Starfire were talking about fashion and makeovers, Tails and Cyborg were down in the workshop, working on something. Beast Boy had challenged Sonic to a video game, and they were both very competitive.
"You make it sound like this Slade guy is some huge threat," Knuckles said, lying on the couch, pretty much bored.
"He is, and it says a black hedgehog was fighting him," Robin said, seeing Knuckles shrug.
"I knew Shadow would get involved. Any guy as big a threat as you say Slade is wouldn't be going long without Shadow fighting him. So what is Slade said to have done?" Knuckles asked, interested in what he was hearing.
"It say's he stole a green gem called a chaos emerald," Robin said.
"And Slade managed to live to escape? Man, I don't know many who've fought Shadow and pretty much survive," Knuckles said, looking up at the screen and muttering "Speak of the devil," as the screen showed the black hedgehog standing outside the Tower entrance.
"So Shadow, what brings you here?" Sonic asked as Shadow sat there, letting Raven heal him from wounds he got when fighting Slade. He simply ignored Sonic, not out of his usual self, but because his eyes seemed to be fixed on Raven.
"Man, I didn't think I'd be like this! I mean, I don't even know who she is. I only know her name and that she can heal, yet, I feel...close to her," Shadow thought as Raven finished healing him, walking off and leaving for her room.
"Hey Shads! Are you on the Ark or something?" Sonic said, clicking his fingers in front of the hedgehog's face. Without realising it, Shadow had been watching Raven leave, and when he snapped out of his trance, he saw Sonic smirking, a mischievous sparkle in his eyes.
"Huh...what? Did you say something?" Shadow asked, trying, and failing, not to sound surprised as Sonic tried to hide laughter.
"Are you starting to...fall in love with Raven?" Sonic asked, starting to snort as he held in laughter.
"Don't you have a game against Beast Boy or something?" Shadow said, trying to avoid the subject.
"I beat him, and quit trying to change the subject," Sonic said as Shadow got up, pushing past him and leaving the room. Sonic shrugged, muttering "Give it time Shads, you'll see."
"Could Sonic be right? Am I really feeling love towards Raven?" Shadow asked himself, walking down a hallway. He saw an open door, looking inside and seeing Raven meditating. When he saw her stir, he dove back behind the doorway.
"Okay, I really need to get my act together," Shadow muttered, about to walk by when Raven emerged from her room in front of him. He ran into her, accidentally knocking them both over.
"Sorry..." Shadow said as he looked into Raven's violet-blue eyes. He got to his feet and helped her up and, without a word, disappeared, leaving in a streak of black and red.
"That was embarrassing. If Sonic saw that, he'll never let me live it down," Shadow said to himself. It was late, but he was enjoying the only peace and quiet he had gotten all day while his thoughts said "When our eyes met...I felt...almost happy. She does look pretty, but would she actually..."
His thoughts were interrupted when he heard someone coming onto the roof, turning to see Raven walking over to him. He started to feel a little nervous, but kept his calm, emotionless look as he looked out over towards the city.
"So, do you usually do this?" Raven asked, referring to him standing looking over the city.
"When I have the time to. It helps me keep my mind clear," Shadow said, glancing at Raven. "Sorry about...you know, bumping into you earlier," he said, his muzzle turning an unnoticeable shade of pink.
"I guess I didn't see you so I guess it's partly my fault," Raven said, turning away when she felt as if she was blushing.
"Yeah...if Sonic or Beast Boy had seen us they might think we were...in love," Shadow said, saying the last two words in an almost inaudible whisper. He noticed Raven look at him and they locked eyes, almost like they're eyes were talking. It was an almost perfect moment, but then a burst of dark energy and chaos energy sent a ball that was lying around into the sea.
"What in the world just happened?" Shadow asked, feeling the burst of chaos energy.
"It looks like your powers are linked to your emotions," Raven said, making Shadow think. True, when he was brave or heroic, he could slow time or teleport without a chaos emerald, but when angry, he could devastate a small army.
"I'm guessing yours are as well, considering the dark energy that was present. How do you keep your powers in check?" he asked, feeling another burst of chaos energy was about to come from somewhere.
"I usually meditate in my room," Raven said, guessing Shadow wanted to know how to keep his powers in check. The two of them left without a word just as Caliburn walked out of Raven's room.
"Ah Raven, I hope you don't mind if I take my book with me. Robin has asked me to share his room," Caliburn said, walking off when Raven nodded.
As Raven started to meditate, Shadow copied what she did, inhaling and whispering the same words she was, feeling himself float in the air. His mind started to clear, but soon he started to remember things he thought he'd put behind him. "The ARK...the professor...Maria...MARIA!!!!" he practically screamed in his head, a blast of chaos energy sending him into one of the walls and Raven into another.
"What in the world just happened?" Raven asked, kneeling beside the black hedgehog, who was breathing heavily, his eyes wide from shock.
"What happened...in my past...Maria...she was...killed and I couldn't do anything to stop it," Shadow said, still breathing heavily while a tear came to his eye.
Raven helped Shadow stand up, not knowing what to say to him after what she'd heard. She helped him to her bed, letting him sit down.
"I thought I'd put the past behind me, but, trying to clear my mind brought it pouring back to me," Shadow said, standing up and walking to the window. He gazed at the city, sadness the only thing in his eyes.
"I know what it feels like to have your past catch up with you, but don't let it ruin anything in your future," Raven said, standing beside Shadow to try and comfort him.
"I know, it's just when it happens so suddenly, when you least expect it, but it's best not to dwell on it too long," Shadow said, letting a tear run down his face. He looked at Raven, his eyes locking with hers again. This time, nothing seemed to blow up, and they both seemed to enjoy it in the silence.
"Hey Beast Boy, wanna play some video games?" Tails asked, coming up to the main room to see Beast Boy sitting on the couch, looking like he was thinking about something.
"Not right now Tails, I just need some time alone," he replied, looking down at the floor. Tails sat down beside him, knowing that Beast Boy was thinking about someone close.
"She must have been pretty special if you miss her so much," Tails said, memories coming back to him.
"How did you know?" Beast Boy asked, looking at Tails surprised.
"I was once close to someone, but she sacrificed herself to save us all," Tails said, his bright blue eyes watering. Memories of Cosmo came back to him.
"Yeah, I guess we both had someone who saved us all," Beast Boy said, cheering up a little. When they both looked at each other, they both felt like they were so like each other. Tails had always been trying to be a lot like Sonic, and Beast Boy had been trying to be a lot like Robin, but then both had met Terra and Cosmo, and all that had seemed to change.
"Why don't you actually fight instead of disappearing!" Silver shouted, dodging a red X-shaped projectile. He levitated away, throwing various objects at his attacker. Blaze was busy fighting a girl who could fly and fire purple energy bolts.
"Why don't you make me, little rat," Red X said, throwing another X at Silver only to have it thrown back at him.
"You think that just because you can fly you can beat me?" Blaze said, throwing a fireball at Blackfire. Her opponent simply laughed, firing more purple bolts at Blaze.
"What's the matter? Little kitten scared of heights?" Blackfire said, barely avoiding the fireball.
"Maybe we can switch opponents, make the odds a little more even," Silver said, seeing Blaze nod and go after Red X. Silver flew up, dodging purple bolts while grabbing a few, throwing them at Blackfire.
"Like a telekinetic can beat me," Blackfire laughed, making Silver angrier.
"THAT'S IT!!!" Silver shouted, his eyes glowing bright turquoise and his hands surrounded in a glow of the same colour. As Blackfire threw more bolts, Silver threw similar turquoise bolts, hitting Blackfire while he dodged her attack.
"Well, do you give up?" Silver asked, flying over Blackfire. He was about to finish the fight, but stopped when he saw Blaze get hit by an X that knocked her back, also holding her arms tightly by her side. Taking advantage of the distraction, Blackfire threw a bolt, hitting Silver in the face and knocking him into the ground while she and Red X escaped. Silver saw something by the two villians' sides that glinted in the moonlight before he passed out from exhaustion.