Chapter 9

(Rouge the Bat)

Rouge had decided to count down from ten to calm herself. Unfortunately, it wasn't working. How did she know? Because she had already counted down seven hundred times. Yes, she had even counted the number of times she counted down. She had also counted the number of times she counted the number of times she counted down. (Confusing yet?) Nothing was working.

Timidly, she glanced over at Espio. The pink chameleon was busy sharpening his ninja stars. He kept murmuring darkly about revenge on a certain red echidna. Rouge sympathized for Knuckles. Hopefully, Knuckles would save her quickly. Or maybe it was better if he stayed away.

Then she blinked in astonishment as she realized she had no clue where she was right now. She could almost imagine Amy yelling at her...oh...never mind. Amy was yelling at her. Mentally, of course.

'How could you let yourself get snatched away like that?!' Amy screamed in Rouge's mind. 'I mean really! It's bad enough to have one idiot lost somewhere, but to have two? And you could have known! Why the heck did you faint for?!'

'B-but but! I couldn't help it!' Rouge whimpered.

'Argh! Am I did only sensible one around here?'

'...'

'...'

'Amy?'

'What?'

'I'm scared.'

'YOU SHOULD BE!'

Rouge squeezed her eyes shut and clutched her ears, dragging them down and pressing them against her head. Her body shifted into the form of a ball and that was what she looked like when Espio glanced back to check on her.

"Rouge?" he asked. "What are you doing?"

She didn't answer. Espio waited for a few more moments before sighing and plopping down on the bed beside Rouge. Casually, he slung an arm over her, drawing her closer to him. They stayed like that for a long time, cozy and content. Rouge relaxed her stiff body and even snuggled up to Espio. For a while, the two were in peace.

"What should I do? My bride is such a child." Espio sighed.

Rouge sprang out of his arms. "B-Bride?!"

"Yes. Bride. B-r-i-d-e. Bride."

"Who?!"

"You."

"I-I-"

"You are my bride." Espio said slowly, a frown playing on his lips. He was getting more and more concerned about Rouge's temporary mental illness. At least, he kept telling himself it was temporary.

"But I- Didn't I refuse you?"

"Yes," Espio said very slowly," but I refused your refusal."

'What the heck!' Amy shouted in Rouge's mind. 'Where is he?! I'll teach him some good sense!'

"M-Mr. Espio-o. I'm s-s-sorry. But I really can't m-marry you..."

'That stupid chameleon! Refuses a refusal! The nerve of him!' Amy grumbled.

"Why can't we get married?" Espio's voice was getting louder. "What is getting in the way between us?! It's that stupid, red puppy of yours isn't it!"

'Hahaha! He called Knuckles a puppy!" Amy laughed.

"That's rude, Miss Amy!" Rouge gasped.

Espio blinked. "Uh. Rouge?" (Remember, Espio doesn't hear Amy.)

'Rude? I'm not the one who called Knuckles a puppy! If you're going to call someone rude, call your fiancée that!" Amy said.

"H-He's not my fiancée!" Rouge blushed.

'Yeah. Try and explain that to him.' Amy grumbled. 'It sounds like to me that you don't have a choice but to marry him.'

"Why are you so mean?" Rouge moaned. Tears had gathered in her eyes like morning dew.

Espio stared incredulously as his love continued to speak to "Amy." He had no idea what to make of this new problem, but if he had to start somewhere, it would be with Amy Rose. Perhaps the two Amys were the same Amy.

(Cream the Rabbit)

Cream blinked as a shadowy figure separated itself from a brick wall to stand before her. She glared rudely at her new obstacle, disappointed that it wasn't Eggface.

"What is it, Shadow?" she grumbled.

Shadow didn't even slightly acknowledge her. With his deep, wine eyes washed with concentration and his neutral frown creasing his face, the male hedgehog stood completely still, tasting the air with his nose and pinpointing only one specific thing in the entire universe. He seemed to be looking for something. Or someone. Cream's ears perked up a little at the new thought and decided to test it out.

"Shadow?" Cream called again, but this time, she spoke loudly and more pleasantly. "Are you looking for Amy by any chance?"

Shadow visibly tensed as his attention was finally focused on the petite rabbit.

"Cream." He said, then frowned.

The rabbit smirked as she watched the hedgehog's flitting gaze, confirming her suspicions.

"You know," Cream grinned, "I could help you find her."

Shadow sneered a little. "I don't need your help."

"Maybe not. However, I can even tell you her most private thoughts."

Shadow shot her a glare of disbelief. Cream wasn't fooled. She had succeeded in catching his attention. Shadow's eyes were lit with curiosity like a kitten and its first yarn ball.

"Does this have something to do with the switch of personalities?" Shadow asked.

Cream just grinned widely with excitement. "Interested?"

"Maybe." Shadow said dismissively.

"Of course there is something I want in return."

"Hmph."

"You've got to help me find Eggsplat."

"Hm."

"You can't ask me why?"

"Why?"

Cream threw Shadow a dirty look. He threw one back.

Sighing, Shadow adverted his gaze. "Deal."

Cream immediately cheered up. "Good. Let's go find Eggfart."

(Amy Rose)

Tails and Knuckles stared brazenly at Amy as her face flipped from one emotion to another. The two males weren't stupid. They had figured out that Amy was having some intense conversation with one of the missing girls and since Cream was apparently tuned out at the moment, that only left Rouge. Knuckles desperately wanted to shake Rouge's location out of Amy, but was too scared to try. His confidence didn't get a boost when Amy suddenly froze and all the color drained out of her.

Tails frowned. "Amy? Are you okay?"

"Amy? What is it? What happened to Rouge?!" Knuckles cried, covering his eyes.

Amy growled. "It's Cream."

"Cream?" Tails' ears perked up. "What happened? Is she okay?"

Amy whipped out her hammer. "Not anymore."

Tails and Knuckles exchanged looks. This didn't sound good at all.

Then, just as quickly as Amy got furious, she became embarrassed. Her entire body was almost as red as Knuckles.

"Quick!" Amy span around to face the two males. "Distract me. Talk about something stupid." When they remained silent, she turned her weapon on them. "NOW!"

"Gah!" Tails ducked as a wild hammer flew at him, missed, and smashed into the large trashcan behind him. "Watch it! You could've killed me!"

Knuckles was less lucky. A hammer whammed into his abdomen and knocked the air out of his lungs. His back struck a brick wall, creating a large indention into the building. He hung there for a few moments before dropping to the ground, coughing and trying to catch his breath.

Amy whipped out a third hammer and aimed it at the poor echidna when she was tackled to the ground. It was Sonic, back from his previous unconscious state.

"Sweet, I'm jealous! Don't go using your hammer on anyone else but me!" Sonic pleaded into Amy's strawberry quills. "Only me! I beg of you!"

His arms were securely wrapped around Amy's waist and with his weight, he had her pinned underneath him. Her arms were above her head, still clutching her hammer. She blushed madly at the awkward position Sonic had put her in

"What the heck is wrong with you?!" She protested. "Let go! Sonic! Gah! Stop that!"

'Oh, how scandalous.' Cream's voice entered Amy's mind. 'Should I tell Shadow about this? I wonder...'

'Don't you dare!' Amy growled mentally. She could see Shadow's handsome, emotionless face from Cream's mind. Despite the situation, her heart fluttered happily. Then she scolded herself for allowing such silly emotions break her concentration.

'I think I will tell him...' Cream giggled.

Amy's eyes widened. ' No! Don't do it!' But it was too late. From Cream's mind, Amy could see Cream tell Shadow a twisted version of her current situation. She saw Shadow's eyes darken in rage and then cool into a frozen, emotionless state. He was angry. At her. This couldn't be happening.

Amy's eyes shut as she screamed, "NOOO!" Her arms came flying down with the hammer onto Sonic's face. She leaped out of the blue hedgehog's lock and stood on his back as she panted. Not from exhaustion. But from embarrassment. And fury. Cream was going to die.

Somehow, Cream has turned just a little evil. Is it for Tails or for herself?

And poor Rouge! I feel bad for her but I am so excited to see how she gets out of this one...or doesn't. haha

I'm sorry that this is labeled a shadamy and there hasn't been much interaction between the two, but all will come together. I promise.

THANK YOU FOR ALL THE REVIEWS AND FAVES SO FAR! I'M SO HAPPY PPL ARE STILL ENJOYING THIS! XD THANK YOU!