CHAPTER 10

Shadow and Rouge decided to ask the swallow named Wave a few questiones. As the three sat down on the floor the black hedgehog demanded. "I would like to know why you were shooting at us."

Wave gave them a sheepish look. "I thought you were one of his spies." she explained.

"Whose spies?" Rouge asked.

"The Sith lord's," the swallow replied. "He has spies everywhere."

Rouge and Shadow looked at each other. "The Sith," they said together.

Wave nodded. "Exactly."
"What do you mean?" Shadow asked looking back at her.

"The Sith are putting their influense in almost every person who works for the queen," Wave explained. "The darkside of the Force is much stronger than it used to be. If people at the Jedi Temple don't do something soon the Eggman Empire will rise again."

"They are now," Rouge told her. "That's why were here."

"I just hope you're not too late," the swallow said folding her arms and leaning her back against the wall. "Because if you are the whole universe is in danger."

Shadow didn't like the way Wave worded that phrase. He gave her a sharp look and demanded. "What are you saying? That the Jedi don't care about this?"

She refused to look at him.

"We didn't know about this until recently," he told her angrily. "And we only found out because a total stranger came to the Temple in the dead of night and gave the Masters a hologram of the Sith."

That got the swallow interested. "Who was it?" she asked.

Rouge shook her head. "We don't know," she said. "They never gave a name. All we know is that the person wore a cloak with a dark hood to hide his face. We have no idea what he looks like."

"Hmm," Wave stood up and looked out the window. "We'll have to look into it."

Somewhere else not that far away Espio, Sonic and Tikal sat in the bedroom of an old run down hotel and tried to figure out their next move. They knew they couldn't do anything until Shadow and Rouge returned so mostly they just sat there without talking.

Tikal kept a close eye on Espio though. He seemed distracted and unfocused, unlike his usual calm self. The echidna Padawan started to wonder if he was having dream problems again. Surely he wasn't having more! If he was they couldn't mean anything, could they?
Espio, please stop worrying about it, she mentally pleaded though she knew he couldn't read her mind. It's not good to worry about these things. Just focus. Focus your thoughts. Try meditating. It always worked before.

I already tried, Tikal Sensai.

Tikal balked. That hadn't been her thought. She stared at Espio with her mouth handing open. Did he just do what I thought he did?

I'm going to die, Sensai. Plain and simple.

The echidna shook her head. If you keep insisting that sort of thing will happen it will, she told him. Espio, you're a Jedi Padawan. You can't keep thinking things like this. If you do you're going to either fall to the darkside or go mad.

She saw him close his eyes as if doing so would keep her from knowing his next thought. My blood isn't the only blood I see...

What do you mean?

He opened his eyes and his next thought caused her to shiver. I see yours too...

After about an hour of conversation with Wave Shadow and Rouge left the rundown appartment building. While Rouge had been interested in the things the bird was telling them Sahdow kept getting the feeling that someone was trying to probe into his mind. He didn't know who was responcible but he had a feeling it wasn't Wave or her two partners.

Once the two were outside that feeling grew worse. He could feel something moving around in his mind. Something uninvited. Whatever it was, it seemed to be trying to get his attention.

Finally the hedgehog couldn't stand it. Get out of my mind this instant, whoever you are!

Shadow... a deep low voice filled his head. I've been waiting eighteen years for you to return, Shadow Yukimako.

How do you know my name?

I know many names?

Who are you?

No reply to that question.

Rouge noticed a spaced out look on Sahdow's face. "Shadow?" she said looking into his face.

He seemed to snap out of a trance. "Rouge!" he exclaimed as if he were surprised to see her.

"Are you all right?" the bat asked, her face full of concern.

"Yes," he replied, not meeting her eyes. "I'm fine. Just a little tired that's all."

Her expression told him she didn't believe him but she didn't push it. She just gave him a long hard look then turned her attention away again.

Shadow sighed. He was glad she wasn't going to ask anymore questions. He couldn't have answered them anyway. He wasn't even sure the voice in his head had been real.

When the two reached their hotel where the others were waiting Shadow had convinced himself that the voice in his head had only been his imagination. Rouge didn't ask him about it and she was relieved he wasn't as tense as before.

"So what did you find out?" Sonic asked when the two entered the room. "Was her lead worth persuing?"

"Well we found out that the Sith are influencing the people who work for Queen Blaze," Rouge replied, siting down on her bed and starting to take off her boots.

"And that the darkside of the Force is growing stronger every day," Shadow put in, folding his arms and leaning against the wall.

"What!" Espio gasped.

Shadow looked over at the chameleon. He noticed his friend looked pale and slightly sick for some reason. Was it something I said? he wondered.

"The darkside is getting stronger," Rouge told Espio, giving him a searching look.

"How can it be getting stronger than it already is?" he wanted to know. "I mean, that's impossible."

"Nothing is impossible," Sonic told him.

"I just hope they're wrong,." Tikal cut in when she saw the chameleons' expression. "Let's finish this tomarrow after we get some sleep okay?"

The others were willing to let it drop for night and started to get ready for bed.

A/N

I'm enjoying writing this but some asshole said it sucked and messed up my muse a little. Does it suck?