Chapter Threeeee!!!

Disclaimer: I don't own anyone in this story. Sadly...

Chapter Three

Rouge

Rouge sat herself down on the sandy beach of Station Square, facing out to the sun setting over the glimmering sea. She was in need of desperate relaxation as not long before, she had just been dumped by her long-time boyfriend, Knuckles. He would rather be protecting that goddamn lump of a Master Emerald than spending time with me. Rouge was soon distracted by a glimpse of someone running off towards the outskirts of the city. Wonder who that was? Probably Sonic running from that stalker Amy Rose yet again.

Nevertheless she found herself curious and decided to follow. Besides, if it was Sonic, she could probably find entertainment in flirting with him as he never really understood girls anyway. Hmm… She had to start gliding low over the ground to keep up with the speedy figure. He or she soon led Rouge to the edge of the woods where nobody ever went due to fears that it was haunted. Rouge never believed those stories of the supernatural. The figure suddenly stopped and sat down, facing the way they came. Rouge decided to hide in the nearest bush and listen to anything which would give away who it was.

The figure looked around to check no one was around. Luckily, Rouge wasn't spotted. She was now certain that it was a hedgehog. She couldn't make out the colour because it was getting dark now. The hedgehog rested their head in their hands and they seemed to be sobbing. Rouge saw tears dropping to the ground. This certainly wasn't Sonic. They threw back their head and cried out "WHY? I can't do anything right!" From the voice, Rouge could tell almost certainly who it was.

"I haven't seen you for a while. What have you been up to?" enquired Rouge, emerging from the bush. She caught the ebony and blood red hedgehog off guard and giggled as he spun round with tears still trickling down his cheeks. He jumped up in surprise and wiped the tears from his eyes.

"What do you want?" he said coldly, trying to keep his cool, while fighting back tears. "How long have you been watching me? Why do you find it funny?" He shouted, his teary eyes burning like flames.

"I followed you from the beach. I find it funny because I always thought that you weren't one to find some remote place and cry your heart out over some stupid mistake." replied Rouge, now with a tone of coldness in her usually soothing voice. "And besides, if you were going to show any emotion, it would be anger, Shadow. I know you."

"Why did you follow me?" demanded Shadow.

"Curiosity. What else?"

Rouge wasn't sure if it was anger or fear or something else, but whatever it was, Shadow turned tail and ran as fast as his jet shoes would carry him, which was extremely fast. Rouge followed suite and glided after him as she could not run as fast as Shadow.

She followed the mysterious hedgehog until he unwittingly led her to a second secluded spot. She also thought she saw someone else but she just hoped it was a figment of her imagination as she was starting to believe these supernatural stories.

Shadow had led her to a deserted graveyard with dying grass, rotting tombstones and twisted, gnarled trees that seemed to have faces of their own. He had started to slow down as well, and began to walk among the tombstones.

She slowly crept after him, trying to stay close because she kept seeing eyes, or hearing twigs snap. Whenever the twigs snapped, Shadow looked cautiously over his shoulder every now and then which proved difficult for Rouge to keep close.

Rouge kept seeing glimpses of other figures, she was now sure they weren't alone and she didn't like it. She saw a flash of something jump in front of them and Shadow halted in his tracks. "Who's there?" he asked in a firm voice.

"Don't you remember, Shads? A week ago in the jungle?" Replied the figure in a tone that told them that he knew something they didn't. Rouge knew Shadow went to the jungle to get a Chaos Emerald but she didn't hear any further news from him which puzzled her because Shadow always told her about his trips to get Emeralds.

"You." was the one word that came out of Shadow's mouth. "You are exactly who I was looking for." The figure smiled as Shadow continued. As it smiled it revealed a mouth with two sharp fangs that were quite large. She could also make out some blood coating the tips of the fangs. Could it be true? A vampire?