Okay then…

Copious Ruin

Shadow wandered into the town. Mist and fog covered everything but the outlines of the buildings. It was very, VERY, cold but the hedgehog did not mind at all. He was too tired to feel temperature at the moment. Although his eyelids were ¾ closed, he was able to notice something very strange thing about this place. It was empty. Of course he was expecting no one to be out at the moment, it being at least three in the morning, but this place was barren. No cars, no animals, not even the blowing of wind was heard.

Most of the buildings seemed dirty and had not been lived in for a few years at least. Shadow figured he might as well find a bed in the desolate town if no one was around to stop him, but as he stepped into the house on his left, a familiar smell filled his nostrils. It was the smell of blood. Quickly he rushed inside to find a horrid sight. A woman's body, or what was left of one, was strung up against a wall by a pitchfork sticking through her ribs. Her head was on the floor, a sign of an obvious decapitation. The corpse was rotting and from the smell and flies, it had been there for a while.

"How inviting" was the hedgehogs only response to this and he swiftly departed from the house.

Outside the sound of thunder roared in the sky. Shadow glanced around at the things he had not seen before. A body was hanging by its neck from a lamppost. Another was impaled by a metal pole in the ground and was on fire, and several others were cut in half horizontally and lay on the ground. These bodies seemed much fresher. The hedgehog ran through the town from street to street. When he stopped to look around a corner in an alley, he saw someone…alive, or so it seemed.

"You there, what happened here?" Shadow asked.

The person looked up and Shadow's gaze bore directly down two empty eye sockets.

"Asmezch tujentorx!" The thing yelled out in a horrific dialect. It had looked like a man, but its skin was too wrinkled and fragile. It had no cuts or marks but it looked dead anyway. Two more vile looking things limped into the small alley way and Shadow soon found himself surrounded. The first got up and came at the hedgehog. He was able to jump out of the way in time but was toppled by the others. He starred down the eyeholes of another in the dog pile,

"For ugly things, you're pretty strong, but I have no time for this" Shadow stood up with all of them still clinging onto him and he threw them off with ease.

"Now, to get out of here" Shadow turned on his heel only to stare down at dozens more of these things crowding into the alley. Some were holding torches in their bony hands. It was obvious that these creatures were once humans, because they wore clothing even though it drooped very low on them.

"I guess I can spare some time from my busy schedule" The hedgehog took a stance and was about to jump into the crowd but crazy laughter stopped him.

Behind the crowd in a window across from the alley stood a large silhouette of a creature. A spotlight was behind him creating the image and all the zombies turned too see him. Shadow had to hold his arm in front of his eyes against the bright light. "Duck, whoever you are! Get down now!" The figure yelled out in a deep Russian accent. Instinctively Shadow hit the ground and heard a large slice barely an inch above his quills, along with a spray of blood falling onto him.

When he stood up again the man was now in a doorway. "Quickly! The dead do not wait!" He yelled gesturing for Shadow to follow. The hedgehog looked at all the dismembered bodies around him and the bloody circular saw that did it, then quickly followed the man.

"My name is Father Boris Satorin, and it would be wise to tell me your name and reasons for being in this place of sin" said the stranger. Shadow turned around to view him. He had to have been at least 8 feet tall, but he was hunched over so his true height was unknown. A bear with black pants and a black buttoned shirt with a collar and a large religious cross around it looked down upon the hedgehog. He held a gigantic rifle that was bigger then Shadow but the bears hand was able to hold it as if it was a twig.

"My name is Shadow…the Hedgehog, but why do you want to know?" Shadow answered, the power in his voice equaling this bears size.

"Ha! Aha ha ha ha ha…" The bear's laughing echoed through the entire area, "The hedgehog? Well I can clearly see that! Ah ha ha ha ha…!"

'So much for seriousness' Shadow thought.

-------

Rouge woke up sitting in the chair. Her back hurt from the hard wood. She looked around the hall again to find the torches were lit. The stain glass was uncovered but dark so she guessed it was late at night.

"Jeez! Was I asleep that long? I really need to be getting home!" The bat stood up and proceeded to the door.

When she opened it however, she was almost blown back by winds and rain.

She shut the large gate with anger, "Damn! When will this 'monsoon' stop?".

Rouge walked the halls of the castle again. It was a lot larger then she had assumed.

"Boy, I really need a nice hot shower" the female told herself. Almost as if on cue Fredrick entered through a door on her right, "If you are looking to bathe yourself Madame, the shower room is down the hall on your 8th left. There are fresh towels and robes inside. The girls arrived earlier so you shall have company. Farewell" he said with extreme politeness, then walked off through another set of doors. Rouge was dumbstruck of the coincidence of running into him, but took his directions and headed off.

When first entering she was in a small lobby to the actual shower. The floors and walls had white tiling. A small cabinet was on the right and a closet was on the left. A large twin set of doors were on the opposite side of the small room and laughter could be heard behind it. Rouge decided to go to the cabinet first. Inside she found many towels of different size and color. She chose a medium sized pink towel and closed the door. She guessed the closet held robes so she waited on that. She took off all her leather until she was completely naked exposing her body and breasts. She then took the towel and wrapped it around her torso and came just below her knees. She opened the door to view a large room. Fredrick literally meant a "Shower Room". In different parts of the ceiling scattered around were large shower heads that covered the entire room with spraying water which seeped out of a drain in the center of the floor. Steam filled the room and it was impossible to see the other side.

What was the most surprising was that Rouge glimpsed many female bats, naked and with a similar figure as her own…grasping each other and laughing. Not just hugging, but rubbing against one another, kissing each other, bathing each other, even licking each other. Now any straight guy would pay money to see this, but Rouge was a little uncomfortable. She did not want to go in now so she waited. She waited at least twenty minutes before all the girls came running out, got robes on and left.

"Finally, time for a shower." Rouge dropped her towel and walked in. It was still very foggy, but that was fine. The hot water felt so nice on her skin and she started to twirl around, but she bumped in to someone after four rotations.

"Umph...Hey watch were ya go-" She stopped after realizing who it was. Vedrix sat on a large stone built into the floor. A large symbol was on his bare back. It was an eight sided star in a square with an octagon in the center. A long black cigarette rested between his index finger and his middle finger. He had his eyes closed and he was hunched over staring at the floor.

"You shouldn't be here" Vedrix said in calm anger.

"Why shouldn't I be here? I can take a shower when I feel like it!" Rouge yelled at him.

"No, your kind shouldn't be here" Vedrix said continuing.

"I'm a bat just like you and those other girls!" Rouge said now with frustration.

"No, you are nothing like me. You are mortal" Vedrix answered still not looking up.

"What do you mean mortal? You thing your some god?" Rouge yelled some more.

Vedrix's hand shot up and grasped around the female's neck still not looking up, "Do not bring me such dishonor woman!" His grip tightened and Rouge thought she was going to die, but he let her go. She fell to her knees gasping for breath. "Forgive me…but I…am a Vampire…this place…is an academy…for Vampires. A mortal does not belong here.

Rouge coughed and gasped some more then looked up into his now opened eyes. He was sad. Normally Rouge would not have cared, but something in his face, something in his expression, which made her sad too. This had only happened with one other person…Shadow. She stood up and swallowed her pride enough to sit next to him. She believed he was an actual Vampire, but was not afraid.

A few minutes passed, with only the sound of the water and Vedrix puffing smoke, and Rouge worked up the courage to ask Vedrix a question.

"Did it hurt?"

"Did what hurt?" He answered her back.

"The tattoo on your back"

"It's not a tattoo. I was branded…and it hurt like hell"

"Why were you branded!?"

"So I would never forget the night we lost our matriarch. It was the night I was spared for humiliation. The night I vowed to abolish the God Orion and kill my brother Altair…"