Fading Shadows

Chapter V

Golden Vulpine

I opened my eyes, lifting heavy eyelids that seemed to be glued shut, watching the ceiling of my now more luxurious home. I left my shower curtain out to be exposed to the elements, and that failed to remove the soap scum from my new doorway. I sighed and pushed the warm covers of my bed off of my chest to stand up. My muscles were stiff, but the soreness I had earlier was vanquished.

I smiled contentedly for the first time in months, revealing my sharp, shining canines. I managed to find a tube of toothpaste on the ARK and a new toothbrush, not in the slightest hesitating to brush my teeth and rid my mouth of the plaque and filth within my mouth. I still need to do something about that stupid curtain. With a look of determination, I walked out of my hovel and up to the curtain as it flapped in the breeze, looking more like a distorted version of hanging laundry than anything else.

I had found a water hose earlier next to the stairs, so now I had a source of water. I drank the sustenance with a dangerously intense thirst. The water had a metallic tang to it, but it was water nonetheless. With a tug, I pulled the curtain into my arms and walked back to the outlet, turning the pump on full blast and drenching the curtain with a glassy arc of water.

I then removed my gloves to keep them clean. They are very nice gloves. They are white, soft like velvet on the inside, yet tough and durable on the outside. They sported red and black cuffs and had golden rings that complemented their arrangement quite nicely. Removing the gloves revealed my black hairy fists, and they had short claws that were each a centimeter long, roughly half an inch. I scraped the claws against hard objects like pavement and concrete to wear them down and avoid putting a hole in my gloves.

Wishing I had nail clippers at hand, I brushed the thought aside and proceeded to scrape the greenish crust off of the blank surface of the curtain. After most of the residue was removed, or rather stuck on my claws, I picked the hose up and pressed on the nozzle with my thumb, causing the clear arc of water to be disrupted, forming into a fast and narrow spray to rinse the curtain at close range, and washing off the last of the scum. I finally placed the curtain on the shower rod, thus reducing my exposure to the elements even more.

My home was complete, but now I needed to continue my quest for love. My next goal was to find a certain fox with blue eyes and two tails... With one final glance at my simple dwelling, I lifted my crystal up and observed its yellow glow and clear, glassy luster. "Chaos Control."

A flash of golden light enveloped my body as my vision was blinded and an instant later, I was teleported to the somewhat familiar surroundings of lush grass, palm trees, and exotic shrubs. The prodigy worked at a clubhouse that once was part of Angel Island, but it fell from the island like a giant crumb of a cookie, deserted on the ground as the island returned to the heavens.

This section of the former Angel Island was different from the lush vegetation I had seen the day before as I confronted the guardian. I was in a valley between two mountains that were white with snowcaps on their peaks, and on the other side of the mountains was an old ruin, also abandoned by the island.

The plant life was the most distinguishing feature of the area. The tall trees, thick shrubs, and glossy leaves of the jungle were withering away, for they could not tolerate the regular cold weather that is destined to return here every winter. The forest was essentially dead, brown, and barren with many fallen logs and several standing skeletons that seemed frozen in time, determined to stay upright even in their death.

Occasionally a springy sapling from a native would be stretching its few humble meters into the sky from the rotting jungle, varying from rich green and tufted pines, to little oak trees, and an occasional dogwood. I quietly mused about the 'invading' plants. The squirrels and birds certainly have done their job of naturalizing the landscape by dropping pine cones and acorns about. Few of the dogwoods were old enough to flower, but those in bloom succeeded in adding vibrant pink and white tones to the bleak landscape.

On a grassy hill under a modestly sized birch, the clubhouse stood. The clubhouse was buttery yellow with numerous shrubs sprouting about the yard; and judging by the mulch islands and trimming of the grass it was well cared for. I trekked over the grass and approached the clubhouse, observing its distinctively angular silhouette sitting upon the rolling and gentle hill.

The birch tree was forked, spreading at the corner of the house and boasting leaves that would quiver in nearly the slightest of breezes, only surpassed in their shaking habit by the poplar trees that had been considered graceful across the world, especially in America and Europe.

Indeed both birches and poplars are pretty; the birches with their peeling, papery bark and skinny forms and the poplars with their smooth, chalky bark and widened leaves. If you would object with the claim that aspen is shakier than poplar, you would be wrong. Quaking aspen is the most fluttery and quivering of all trees, but quaking aspen is a poplar.

I walked up to the front door of the home and realized there was no door bell. The clubhouse was rather sophisticated, having a deck under the birch tree, the nicely trimmed lawn, and two floors in addition to the dank basement were a certain genius would toil away for hours on end. I knocked firmly four times upon the dark green door and waited on the concrete porch for an answer, half expecting Tails to be somewhere else.

The door opened, and a deep blue eye peered out at me from the space between the doorframe and the door itself. "Hello?" The eye lit up with recognition. "Hi, Shadow." "Hi, Tails," I said calmly as a smirk tugged at the corner of my mouth. I always have liked the little guy. He is so benevolent, so caring and polite.

The door opened fully, exposing the house to the sunshine and outside air. Behind the fox, the foyer had a staircase on its right side and two hallways on its left, one reaching to the left, and another going behind the stairs. The floor was a nice, rich wood, with pleasant grain formation and numerous growth rings left by the trees it was made from. The wood had rippling waves of rich brown color that flowed along its surface.

"Shadow, why are you here? Is something wrong?" I inwardly flinched at his question. Why does everyone put me together with bad news? "Do I require bad news to be here?" I asked dryly as I arched an eyebrow. "No, nothing is wrong, just that I feel..." Tails watched intently as the sun seemed to fill his azure eyes with blue fire. "I feel lonely, Tails," I finished honestly as I watched the pup for any reactions. "Oh. Is that why you came here?" The fox's two tails wavered in the air.

"Yes, Tails. Unlike your other friends, I do not have Master Emeralds to examine or a home with worried parents." Tails frowned. "Shadow," he started timidly. "Hmm?" My heart sank as I registered the look on his face and his eyes darkened. "I am really busy. Eggman is planning something and I really must try to find out what he is up to. I am sorry."

Hearing that statement for the third time twisted the sword that has stabbed into my heart. I sighed. "I understand. Bye, Tails." I was too distressed to listen to what else he was going to say. I turned and ran off into the distance, leaving the fluffy fox behind me as a single tear was brushed out of my eye by the wind...

A.N. Sorry for the delay. I had an episode of writers block again. Happy reading! XD