Fading Shadows

Chapter IX

Sunny Days

I woke up and stretched myself the next day with a sigh. I had a better time resting last night than I have in a very long time. My spirit had lifted up significantly, and I smiled to myself as I realized the morning once again was clear and blue, with only a few puffs of white cotton floating in the sky above. I had a purpose, a destiny and a goal to strive for every second. Having a goal gave me something to do, and that eliminated the boredom that had been plaguing my mind for such a long time.

And yet I still had a problem. As I scratched my back, a gurgle made itself known in my belly. My mood dipped briefly as I remembered how starved I was. I growled and walked over to Amy's house, passing by traffic and intersections in order to reach the neighborhood where she lived.

The maple stood left of the house. The tree was a column of grey and rough ridged bark that grew up towards the sky, bending slightly towards the house. The tree had a pleasantly rounded, egg shaped crown of rich green leaves that drooped slightly downwards. I stepped over the sidewalk and to the house. As I drew closer to the home, I remembered that Amy had school. I paused hesitantly as I tried to recall. What day of the week is it?

Since I have had no regular events, I had lost track of time other than the general time and season. For the days, I was completely lost. Well, not completely. Yesterday probably was Saturday, since we were walking around at noon. But what if that was a teacher work day or a holiday?

I sighed briefly in frustration. After another moment, I noticed that a newspaper had been dropped right near the front door of the house. The paper could answer my question. With a glance after walking closer to the mass of rolled up paper and ink, the day was revealed to be Saturday by the title of the paper. Okay, so then yesterday was a teacher work day.

I have contemplated upon what I should do with this friendship. No, I do not mean to drop it or anything, I just am wondering what I could do to make it last longer. Perhaps I will not see Rose tomorrow, for I fear I will become more of a pestilence and less of a friend.

Benjamin Franklin definitely supported the fact, for he once said "Fish and company have one thing in common; both spoil after three days." I will not conflict with his wisdom, although he also wanted America's national bird to be a turkey! I feel much more contented with the eagle. He seemed to be a bit of a featherbrain that one time...

The hunger within my belly started to blossom into a putrid flower that I wanted to rid myself of. I heard it make bubbling noises a second time for that morning and sighed softly to myself. Ultimate Life Form or not, I still need food. From the green grass that I stood upon, I could see a pink face walk up to a window from the upstairs and look down at the ground twice, seemingly doubting itself and having a double take.

I guessed to myself that it saw me, and it apparently did when the door opened a minute later and a familiar voice called my name. "Shadow?" Amy was at the door and her emerald green eyes focused on my ruby red ones. I smiled softly and waved to her. "Hi, Amy," I responded. She grinned herself after I waved, spreading the positive emotion within her smile into my heart like it was as contagious as the flu or the common cold.

"Cream and I were planning to head for the beach," the pink girl stated as she brushed a few hairs from her eyes. "Okay, Amy. I understand that I should not go."

"What? Shadow, you are being really proper," Amy asked in surprise. I shrugged my shoulders as I admitted, "I do not like to push myself into an arrangement when I was not invited. That is rude." I closed my eyes and shook my head. "Gurrrgglle." My eyes widened and I glanced down at the stomach that was the culprit behind the noise.

"Uh. Sorry, Amy." Amy laughed, and I could not help grinning as well. "Hungry, Shadow?" Amy asked with a smile. I blushed. "Yeah, a little." My stomach growled again as it protested against my understated remark. "Gurrrrrmmmmmgegle." Amy laughed again.

"Shadow! Your belly tells me you are starving!" I nodded sheepishly. "We all can go to the beach, I am sure Cream would be glad to see you again." I smiled softly after I heard those words. "Once we get there, I will get you a bite to eat."

"That is not needed, Amy. Thank you but I would be too much trouble." My stomach growled loudly that time. "You helped me out yesterday, Shadow. I should reward you with something." I smirked at her reply. Wait a minute. "Amy, how will you get to the beach? The beach is 80 kilometers away from here."

"You are right, Shadow. I did not think about that," Amy realized. "Wait a minute, Shadow. I need to get ready." Amy walked back into the house. I paused as I saw the door slam shut. "But Amy..." Too late now. I heard quick footsteps behind me. "Oh. Hi, Mister Shadow!" A very young and high pitched-voice chimed behind me. I turned around to see a small fawn rabbit with floppy ears and large, amber eyes that was wearing a small yellow dress. Next to her was a cute blue creature that looked somewhat like a baby and it had a teardrop shaped head and a peculiar floating yellow ball just above the pointed top and equally youthful, large eyes.

"What are you doing here, Mister Shadow?" the young rabbit asked. "Hello, Cream. Amy invited me to go with you two ladies for the beach. You do not need to call me that Cream, I am not an adult quite yet," I replied honestly.

If anyone of you readers has a comment, consider this. The mind does not finish maturing until an individual is 24 years old! Twenty four! Not only is that the age of a true adult, but the last part of the mind to mature controls judgment, self-control, and reason. I wish the part of the mind that matures last matured first!

"Of course, Mister Shadow," Cream said again as I inwardly sighed. She is so innocent and adorable. "How old are you, princess?" I asked as I looked back at her golden brown eyes.

"I am seven, Mister Shadow," Cream replied. Mister Shadow. Mister Shadow. Oh well. I will get used to it soon enough... I guess it is because she is really young and she is trying to be polite. Her little friend is cute too.

"Who is your little friend, Cream?" I decided to ask as well. I was curious about the babyish form beside her. "This is my chao, Cheese." The chao looked up at me and grinned with a small mouth. "Chao!" I chuckled.

"What is so funny, Mister Shadow?" Cream asked as her eyes widened with curiosity. "You two, Cream and Cheese. You are cute," I replied with a laugh. "Thank you, Mister Shadow."

With that said, Amy returned from her house and joined the three of us as we stood there waiting. She was wearing a one piece red bathing suit and a bag with some things. "Hi Cream! Are you ready to go?" Amy asked as she showed off her pearly whites in a smile. "Chao!!" The small blue creature replied with a surprising amount of volume. I remembered what I was trying to ask earlier. "I am ready as ever, Miss Amy!" Cream cheered. I laughed again. Miss Amy? Amy is thirteen years old!

"Stop laughing, Mister Shadow! Don't laugh at me!" Cream scolded me. Awww. I stroked her head softly with my hand in apology as I refrained more of my laughter. "That is so sweet, Shadow!" Amy cooed. I smirked in a response to her comment. "What about getting there? You are fast, Amy, but I can't imagine you running nearly fifty miles to the beach and back carrying Cream!" I stated as a fact while I pulled out my Chaos Amber. "Hold on, here we go!"

A flash of golden light burned brilliantly and before they knew it, we were at the beach. "Whoa," Amy groaned as she stared around with clouded, dazed eyes. "I feel dizzy, Mister Shadow," Cream said softly. "Chao..." Her companion muttered in agreement as he wobbled slightly. "I told you to get ready," I reminded them with a sigh. "That is okay, I also felt sick when I first teleported using Chaos Control. You will get used to it."

Only a minute had passed and all of us were awed by the surroundings. The sun was hot and bright, casting brilliant golden rays down upon the beach. I have wandered around down here before, but I was alone. The sand was a very light shade of grey, almost white, and my shoes sank into the soft grains. Behind us, several small hills of sand waited with tall reed grass sticking out of them and trembling in the breeze. Ahead the sand was level and it had many small hills, looking like an ocean with waves that were frozen in time. I pulled my feet out of my shoes and started to walk for the ocean.

"Come on, ladies, I will not wait for you all day," I said as I turned back to find no one behind me. What? I looked ahead again and the two girls ran ahead, laughing as they kicked up small sprays of sand under their feet. Cheese was floating in the air, following after the rabbit. Soon the wavy sand gave way to wet sand, and the wet sand looked like wet cement, and it felt almost like cement under the soles of my furry feet. This wet sand went on for only three meters, and before that was something so large that I could see it from space.

The ocean was an endless expanse of blue water, shining under the sunlight and looking like silver liquid as it reflected the sky and the sun above. Waves from the ocean rolled slowly across themselves to the shore, developing from slow and gentle waves to slower waves that began to rise up as if they were trying to reach the sun, and failing miserably.

A gentle sound of thunder was emitted as a wave I watched became a wall, folding in on itself and diving into the water below it, soon to be a rolling mass of bubbles and hissing spray. The rolling surf shrank away as it neared land, becoming small waves that were covered with bluish grey foam that dissolved back into the water with a faint hissing noise as the small bubbles popped.

I left my shoes and gloves behind a sand dune and walked back to the dry sand. A wide shadow passed across the sand and a seagull squawked as it flew above me, and the shadow seemed to chase after it, lagging behind the bird on the sand and wavering over the imperfections of the terrain in a seemingly random dance.

My reason for retreating from the ocean is simple. I wanted to enjoy my bare feet. Honestly, I rarely find a time when I want to take my shoes off, for I am usually walking on hot pavement or rough, rocky ground. My left foot landed on the dry sand, and it was welcomed with warmth and surprising softness as the sand massaged the sole of my foot and brushed between my toes. I smiled to myself as I stood, allowing my feet to sink deeper into the sand. Sand is natural foot therapy, something unique and priceless that nothing else can compare with, except...

My thoughts stopped as my belly gurgled and I felt a hunger that was beginning to feel painful because it was so focused, and it nagged at me ceaselessly, never stopping to let me have a peaceful moment. I wanted to make the hunger shut up, but the only thing that can do that is... My stomach bubbled again.

A voice called in the distance. "Shadow! Over here!" Amy waved to me, and I could see her pink body stand out against the shining, mirror-like blue of the ocean waves. In a fraction of a second, I used my rare speed to propel forward and onto the water, surprised when something I thought impossible happened. The water remained below my feet as I caused small splashes to fling drops of seawater behind me. I continued running. I am running on water! I am running on water!!

I ran over a wave and took a wide bend to the right, turning back for the shore after I was out into the distance. How is this possible? My feet slammed against the surface of the ocean as I considered what was happening. I am able to stay above the water because of my speed. I wonder how slow I can go before the water drops me. I slowed my pace gently, until I was at a comfortable speed that, by my standards, is pretty slow. I slowed down a bit more, and I splashed into the water several meters from my friends, causing them a surprise and one for myself as well.

Water hit against my body and I lost my breath as the wind was knocked out of my chest by the force of my splash. I sank in the knee deep water and the lukewarm fluid swallowed me as my eyes screamed in pain. I closed my eyes and stood up, my eyes burning from the water. "Shadow! Are you alright?" Amy asked me as I heard her splashing get closer when she neared me. The final step she had taken ended and sent several drops of the sea upon my face.

"Amy, my eyes hurt," I said as I saw nothing but the dark red light as it faintly got through my eyelids from the sun. "Amy, are you there?" I asked as water dripped from my quills. "We are here, Mister Shadow," Cream replied as worry overtook the tone of her voice. "Chao?" Cheese asked after a moment, and I could imagine him watching me in my awkward posture.

I groaned as my eyes continued to smolder. "Shadow, did you get water in your eyes?" Amy asked calmly. "Yes, Amy. Why does it hurt? I have gotten water in my eyes before, and it would not hurt like this!" Amy giggled. "What is so funny?" I asked as my ears perked up and I narrowed my already closed eyes in anger.

"There is salt in the water, Shadow. The salt and the sand in the water hurt your eyes." "Salt?" I flicked my pink tongue out and quickly licked my lips. "Hmm." Definitely salt. My tongue had salty taste on it and the salt was slightly bitter, and yet the salt tasted somewhat pleasant. I tried to lift the dark red curtain of my eyelids up, only to have my eyes start burning again.

"Ow," I muttered as I closed my eyes and reached up. "Don't rub your eyes! You will get more salt in them from your hands," Amy warned me. I sighed quietly. Tears welled up and dripped onto the ocean from my cheeks.

I wonder. Why don't tears hurt your eyes? They are water and salt, like the ocean is. Maybe the ocean is more salty... and sandy. I tried to open my eyes again, and the pain was less acute. I could endure leaving my eyes opened now, and I blinked three times, focusing on Amy and Cream as they both stood there.

"Shadow, what were you doing? I saw you running across the ocean!" Amy exclaimed excitedly. Her green eyes lit up with her energy as she watched me for an answer. "I did not know I could run on water. I was trying to make a big splash." "Well, Shadow. You got your wish after all," Amy giggled. Cream laughed and Cheese cheered happily with a grin on his face. "Chao chao!" I chuckled softly in joining their laughter.

The remaining hint of salt was reminding me of... My stomach growled again. Apparently no one else could hear the protests of my abdomen as the waves continued to produce their thundering songs. My hunger is driving me insane.

After several more waves lurched into us, we decided to head for the shore. My body sagged with the weight from the sea, and I felt dirty. I have grit, salt, and who knows what else in my skin, and I wanted two things. I wanted a shower and some nice food. The sand was soft underfoot, and my feet were soothed by its warmth and the way it caressed them. Some of the sand stuck to my wet feet, and I wished all the more that I could take a shower. Sand...

Amy gasped when she heard my stomach for the umpteenth time that day. "Shadow!" I blushed faintly. "I am sorry, Amy. I am very hungry, guys. I am sorry about that," I said as I rubbed my forehead in an attempt to distract my hunger, and it didn't work. "How long has it been since you have eaten?" I paused.

"Four days," I said dully. "SHADOW!!" Amy screamed my name, and her outburst completely devoured my calm attitude with panic. "FOUR DAYS!!?"

"Take it easy, Amy. I am the Ultimate Life. I can last twice as long as the average person without food," I replied as I crossed my arms. Amy gave little regard to my statement. "Ultimate? Even then, you had not eaten for what would be two days!" Amy yelled as her eyes narrowed in frustration. "We are cleaning up and leaving, and we are leaving now!"

"Okay, Amy," I said as I teleported twice, once to the beach to grab my "clothes" and a second time to teleport all of us back to Amy's house...