Chapter 4: Shadowy Figures

"Knocked out... fire in the... museum on..."

I carefully opened one of my eyelids. The blackness that had come of being asleep fading away with the groginess of the mind. At first, I was wondering why I was in a hospitol ward. I was sitting in one of the white beds, in a room with a light blue wallpaper. My right arm was in a cast, signifying that somehow, I had injured it in a major way. I felt bruises all over my body. I vtried to sit up and get a better grasp of my surroundings, but it hurt so much that I was forced to lay back down.

"It hurts, doesn't it? Don't sit up, or it'll do that again."

I heard this voice, that of a doctor, speak down from above me. He was a bit thin, and had a large head in proportion to his body. He seemed to be like someone else I knew from the past, but I don't know who...

"You've been out for a while, little guy. I can imagine how it feels, being stuck in that burning building..."

What? burning building? I inquired about this.

"You don't remember? so you've got amnesia too. Great. Do you remember the laboratory on 43rd street, at least?"

I nodded. The lab that I had emerged from. The lab I had been encapsulated in. The dreaded place that haunted all of my memories.

"Well, you were found just outside of the lab, severely injured, after the place suddenly exploded. The whole laboratory is completely obliterated."

That gave me a few seconds shock. The lab had exploded? My entire hope of recovering my memories had rested on that grey building, and it was gone, just like that. Logic told me that this was going to be harder than it seemed. I needed to go, to see this for myself. Was the lab truly destroyed?

A few minutes later, I was outside of the hospitol. Thank goodness for some guy named Twilight. In my opinion, donating extra lives is a good idea. you get one for every 100 rings you get, so why not?... (sorry for the abruptness, but i needed to fill in a plothole.)(Twilight is property of DST)

I remembered the thugs in the alley who tried to steal my money, though I had none. I remembered flying away, using an ability that I never knew that I had. much had happened in the paswt 24 hours, and now, everything seems to be too complicated. I need to find out for myself what is going on with my life some time soon, or else I may go insane.

I walked the streets, among others. It was a cloudy day, where the sky turns a dark grey, yearning to rain, but yet simply unable to. The clouds cast a shadow over the land as well, creating patches of darkness and giving a grey look to even the bright colors of city life. lines blurred and twisted in the shadows, and the whole world seemed to be just awaiting the darkness of night.

As I had not been expecting, the doctor had told the truth. As I rounded the last corner of my route, I saw the red of flames lashing out from the ruins of the lab. The roof had collapsed, and pieces of charred wood and blackened metal created a an unorganized heap of material. The flames that rose from that which was still burning swayed in the wind, giving off a black smoke, floating up into the heavens, and fusing with the already grey sky. I could hardly believe that less than a day ago, it had been the laboratory it had been. It had been my only source of memories, and my only hope of getting more. Now it was gone, just as I had feared.

I felt myself fall to my knees in front of the burning mess, but i did not notice, I was too deep in thought. I looked out at the flames, wishing they would dissapear. Suddenly, I felt my mind lurch, as if it had been given a great blow. The flames... they made me remember...

Flying ships...

a strange emblem of a man with a moustache...

the sound of screeching metal...

the ships are one by one being destroyed...

by a spark of golden light, flying through space...

complete destruction...

As I stood there remembering this, I could not help myself of staring into the fire that was before me. I felt it's heat, and watched it's consumption. It was one of the most destructive forces on earth, and yet... It's warmth radiated out to me, lighting the grey world around me with it's brightness, and warming my fur in a way that felt pleasant. I looked into the flame as it swirled in the wind.

A red, glowing eye was stareing back at me.

I was shocked. Inside the fire, I saw a dark shape slowely form, emerging from the deep yellow and orange light. I realize now that I should have run away then and there, but I could not. I felt the warmth of the flame, drawing me in, and willing me to stay there, as the shape in the fire shaped itself. The blackoutline of a human-like shape became clear, and as It became ever more solid, I realized it was approaching me. soon, The dark being stood in front of me, staring down at me while I kneeled down in front of him.

The being was a fox, undoubtedly, but unlike any other I had ever seen. Like all foxes, he had a single bushy tail sprouting out and powerfully swaying in the wind. His chest fur was a light grey, and was quite like what I had seen before. However, almost none of his other features even resembled a fox. His fur, instead of a light orange, was a blood red color, setting him apart from the yellow flame. His ears, instead of the usual triangular shape, were angled and sharp, resembling horns rather than ears. Black streaks ran down his legs and arms, and hairs of the same color nearly covered one of his eyes. Along with this, his whole body was ablaze. Fire seemed to pour forth out of his fur, reaching upward off of his skin. he was a burning torch before me, and he said in a low, menacing voice of great power echoing across the burning wreckage,

"You do not fear the flame?"

I was terrified. This strange entity had come forth from a burning ruin, and was now demanding of me things I knew nothing about. I was going to answer, but nothing came out of my mouth when I opened it. I could only gape at the form of this great power. I was losing hope when suddenly, I felt a great rising of heat. I felt myself unwillingly say,

"I am not afraid."

My voice, seemingly not my own, boomed out just like that of the entity before me. He smiled at my response, and suddenly, his body darkened. his fur color changed from the crimpson red to a darker color, like that of charred wood. the flames that issued forth from his body seemd to suddenly lose their source, and fell dead away. I suddenly felt drined of energy myelf, and let my head hang forward. As I was about to fall forward, I felt a hand catch me by the shoulder. I looked up to again see the fox that had come forth from the fire. he smiled kindly at me, and now, his voice was no longer powerful, but more of a pleasant, fatherly figure.

"You are tired. You came from this lab, right?"

I nodded slightly and fearfully, but he caught my meaning. he nodded himself, and looked up at the sky.

"I thought that by destroying my memories, I could erase my past. clearly, that is not so."

"Who are you?" I found myself asking.

He smiled back at me.

"I am Jarod."