In Cosmo's Shadow
By Kellie Fay
Disclaimer: Sonic, Shadow, Tails, Cosmo, and the others all belong to SEGA, Team Sonic, 4 Kids and other people not me.
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Chapter 7
A Visit To The Doctor
The next day after careful observations Shadow managed to locate the mountain where Egg-man placed his latest fortress. For no reason that anyone knew about, Egg-Man had been on his best behavior lately. He and his robots kept pretty much to themselves.
He knew better than to take his Chaos Emerald anywhere near the doctor. Besides he found it easier to simply slip in through the air vent. He came up behind The Doctor while he performed some delicate procedure under a hood of some new robot under construction. The others might not think he had a sense of humor, but when Maria lived she inspired a healthy sense of mischief in Shadow. He couldn't resist but clear his throat and say politely, "Good Afternoon Doctor."
Sure enough he startled Doctor Egg-Man enough that he yelped, stood up surprised, and bumped his head on the hood of his contraption releasing a second yelp. He grabbed his wounded head in both hands, and turned around to glare at the hedgehog. Shadow managed to keep a straight face, but a humorous warmth spread through his body, and shown through his eyes.
"Don't you believe in knocking?" Egg-man snapped at him.
Shadow even surprised himself by keeping his voice neutral. "I didn't see a door,"
Egg-man glared again, but he didn't scold him again. "So what brings you here Shadow?" He asked instead.
Shadow knew he needed to be careful. The Doctor could be very tricky, and he often managed to manipulate people into doing things that he wanted. "Why did you give Sonic the data you stole from GUN?"
Egg-Man gave Shadow a calculating look. "So he did give you the information. I was wondering if he would keep it for himself."
"So why did you do it?" Shadow asked.
Egg-man began fiddling under the hood of his machine again. "He seemed very worried about you. He said you were still having memory problems, and nightmares. "
"I remember most things," Shadow said, defensively. Not entirely true. Shadow could now easily remember everything before the raid on the ARK, and everything after he awakened in space, but everyone told him that there had been a time when Eggman woke him up on Prison Island, and a rescue he performed keeping the ARK from crashing into the Earth. He couldn't seem to remember anything about it, and when he did, the memories were clouded and fuzzy.
"Egg-man turned around again, and gave Shadow a long calculating look before turning back to his work. "Oh, that's good to hear. Anyway I gave Sonic only a copy of the data, and I transcribed the hand written notes a long time ago. Sonic thought it would be good for you, but if you want my advice I'd say pack that disk and those books away, and never look at them. You won't like what you see."
Not exactly the answer I'm looking for, but an answer never the less, Shadow thought. "Thank you Doctor," he said, and slipped off back to his own home.
Night and day I've planned, so long after I am gone, my revenge will be complete. My enemies think they have defeated me. But Shadow will carry out my orders without question. Now it sleeps, but one day it will be reawaked! Shadow, will bring total destruction!
Shadow will carry out my orders without question.
Hours later Shadow leaned back in his chair and rubbed his eyes tiredly. While he did understand the basics of what Professor Gerrald wrote about in his notes, reading exactly what the professor actually did began to make his insides feel queasy. He didn't even have the strength to ignore the knock on his door.
"Come in," he said, not thinking.
"Hey Shadow, I just figured I'd see if you needed anything before-"Rouge stopped in mid-sentence looking Shadow up and down. "Shadow, what's wrong?"
"Nothing really," Shadow insisted pulling himself together. "I was looking over the little gift Sonic got me. It seems he talked The Doctor into giving me the data he stole from Prison Island. It includes Professor Gerald's notes, on what happened to me after I was locked in suspension."
Rouge frowned. "How long have you be at it?" She asked.
Shadow sighed. "Long enough to get a headache," he said. He decided not to mention his queasy stomach.
Rouge reached over, and turned the computer off. "Long enough to need a break," she insisted. "It's almost one in the morning." She reached behind Shadow and began massaging his neck.
Shadow's first reaction told him to tell Rouge to get off of him, but the words died in his throat as baser instincts told him how good the gentle rubbing felt. His eyes dropped closed instantly, and he sat there his mind falling quiet reveling in the gentle touches behind him. A slight moan escaped his throat and he heard Rouge chuckle.
"I told you you'd enjoy this." She breathed in his ear. She moved from his neck to his back avoiding his quills. Some rational part of Shadow's mind mused that Rouge had massaged hedgehogs before. She not only knew how to keep from scratching herself on his quills, but she massaged the muscles around each quill allowing the quill to drop from their alert position to a relaxed flat against his back. Shadow felt his headache and most of his conscious thoughts fade away paying only attention to Rouge's gentle ministrations.
"Gonna fall asleep if you keep doing that," he muttered. Rouge laughed, and managed to get him out of his chair, and guided him to the bed in the room without any protests. Once he settled in she continued the massage, and he let her. Soon Rouge started humming something, but Shadow couldn't recognize the tune, he really didn't care at this point either. He curled up a little more and completely gave in to her care dropping off to sleep without a sound."
Rouge knew that she could get any male of any species, to relax and fall asleep. A few during her massages had promised to be her willing servant. Even when surrounded by humans she found her abilities in acupressure, and massage useful. She even taught Topaz a few tricks to try on her male counterparts. Once Shadow's little groans became snores, Rouge continued for a few more minutes to make sure he slept deeply enough to not notice her departure. She then tucked the ebony and crimson hedgehog in. Regretfully she ran her fingers over the backs of his ears. She knew that Sonic and Amy both had a small bundle of nerves behind their ears that when rubbed made a hedgehog very happy and relaxed, but Shadow didn't appear to have that feature. Still she had other tricks to relax Shadow. She went to the computer Tails built for Shadow, and took the data chip out, placed it in its holder, and put it in the desk. So Sonic did give Shadow the data chip he got from Egg-man. I wonder if his personality is going to shift back to the way it was. She hoped not. The Shadow that she knew on The Ark acted much meaner than the one that woke in space. She didn't know if Sonic and the others knew it, but the Shadow they were dealing with know was far more mellow than the one she first encountered.
She walked out onto the front porch, and reveled for a moment in the breeze. She decided to stay up past sunrise, and have a long talk with Shadow after he had a good night sleep. She felt she needed to know what he was thinking.
The breeze intensified for a moment, and then to Rouge's surprise a soft feminine voice came into her mind. Please Rouge, stay close while Shadow sleeps. Something has unsettled him badly.
Rouge blinked and turned to the east side of Shadow's home. There outside the window to Shadow's secrete room were three small Star Trees that grew from the seeds Shadow discarded his first day in his home. Sonic told them wherever these trees grew Cosmo could sense the area. She seemed to know what everyone within her sphere thought and experienced, and she could speak either with feelings or thoughts, though it caused her some difficulty. Most of the time her little comments would only be heard by Cream, Charmy, Sonic, and Espio, but occasionally if she felt it necessary she would warn them about a problem.
"Is that all you're going to give me kid, or am I going to get some details?" Rouge asked the small trees before her. Still young, the proto-trees didn't even come up to her knees yet Cosmo could clearly hear her through them, and transmit her own thoughts and feelings.
This time Cosmo stuck to emotions. She sensed an unhappiness and torment within Shadow that he refused to acknowledge or express. Cosmo felt he might have more bad nightmares if left alone.
Rouge nodded, and let her thoughts do the talking for her. Okay kid I got this. Let me go grab something to eat, and I'll play Shadow's nursemaid tonight.
Coming Soon Chapter 8
Not Just a Nightmare:
"Why WHY? Why did he do that to me? Why did he make me do that?" Shadow sobbed over and over. Rouge realizing the complete change in attitude tentatively approached Shadow, and sat down on the floor to gather him up into her lap. Once she had him she began to rock, and talk softly to him while he cried out his frustration."
"Shhh shhh it's okay Shadow. Everything is all right. It's just a bad dream." Rouge crooned over and over. Eventually Shadow quieted down in her arms going back into a true sleep. With a grateful sigh, Rouge looked up at the ruined door and saw a very ticked off blue hedgehog looking right back at her.