Fading Shadows

Chapter X

Cleanup

Once again I was with the group before Amy's home. I held my shoes and gloves in one hand, waiting as a few sparse drops of water landed on the sidewalk. "So, what'll we do now?" Cream hesitantly asked the female hedgehog.

"We clean up, that's what! We'll go inside and take a shower. Cream, you can shower first." At first I felt left out, but then I considered why they would not allow me into the shower. One, I am a guy. Two, I am considerably older than these two girls. Three, Amy's dad obviously would put me on the hot coals for being in his daughter's shower.

I inwardly shrugged and was stopped in the middle of my thoughts with "Shadow, you can take a shower in my house, if you want."

"No thank you, Amy. That's very kind of you," I replied as I glanced at the rose female and shrugged. Amy arched an eyebrow, forming a valley of pink fur above one of her green eyes.

"Why not?" Cream and Cheese both watched us as we spoke.

"Amy, I am a boy, both of you are girls," I stated as I rubbed my forehead, feeling the rough sand grits roll through my fur between my fingers and my head.

Cream seemed surprised. "What's wrong with that, Mister Shadow?"

"I am older than both of you, Cream. To use your shower is improper. It would seem like I wanted to do something bad." When I said that, Cream seemed more confused, but Amy seemed to realize where I was trying to get at.

"What is wrong with that, Mister Shadow?" "Never mind, Cream. It's some silly grown up thing," I finally gave up with a sigh. Cream is in the dark. No surprise there; she is only seven years old.

"I understand, Shadow. But what will you do?" Amy asked as she pulled a small strand of seaweed from her quills. Seeing the foreign object forced a disgusted moan from her mouth. "Eww."

"I know where I can take a shower, I will be right here when I am done." With that sentence spoken, I warped myself to the ARK. The surroundings of sun and grass, which I was fond of, were replaced with bleak steel and metal structures. I hate this colony! I wanted to shower and get out ASAP. That is, until I actually got in the shower.

I had wandered down a flight of stairs down to the living quarters, and I eventually found an unlocked door to an apartment. Passing the noticeably empty rooms, I headed for the bathroom and opened the sink cabinet and found some old soap and a faded rag. Once I was in the shower, I contented myself with soaking up the heated water and letting it rinse through my fur before I started scrubbing myself with the soap, and soaking the old rag in plenty of boiling hot water. I have found that I take long showers. The warm water is a nice thing that I am reluctant to leave...

With the blink of an eye, I was warped back to Earth. I stood idly outside of the home as drops of now clean water fell off of my quills. The warmth of the sun managed to gradually dry my pelt out for several minutes before two familiar faces, followed by a third blue one, walked out of the house fully dressed in their usual attire. At least I am clean now. "Shadow, we need to get your poor belly filled up!" Amy said with a giggle. I felt my cannibalistic belly groan again. "Gurrrrggmmm..." Cream and Amy laughed as I blushed redder than a freshly washed beet!

We walked down to the city, and soon Amy stopped us at a small cafe place. "My parents and I always like to eat here, let's go on in," Amy explained as she opened the door, or tried to. I was already at the door, holding it open for my two friends. "Thank you Shadow!" Amy exclaimed with a bright smile. "You're welcome," I replied as hedgehog, rabbit, and chao entered the restaurant. A faint whiff of a hamburger brushed my nose, and I sighed in envy. It smelled sooo goooood...

Within the walls of the cafe, several booths were lined up along the left wall, and tables and chairs were to the right. At the back of the restaurant, a desk and a door, presumably to the kitchen, waited. We seated ourselves at a corner booth, the seat wrapping around a table and capable of seating about six people. The faint scent of food teased my senses to the point of madness.

Our drinks were served when Amy noticed something I had not. "Hey, look, Cream. My mom and dad are right over there." I looked up from my drink to find her parents. Amy waved at them to get their attention, and they both approached us. Amy's mom looked remarkably like Amy, only older and with longer hair, as well as a more developed frame. Her dad was a brown hedgehog with green eyes. Both of her parents have green eyes, I realized silently. This should be interesting...

A.N. Bleeeegh!!! I am having a major attack of writer's block here. I planned to add more to this blasted chapter about one week ago, but no real plots have formed. This is what I have. Still... XD Hopefully, an idea will come to me, even if it literally hits me in the head!