You probably already know what I'm gonna say. I'm sorry I haven't posted, blahbittyblahblah... I'll save you the trouble of reading that and just let you go straight to the chapter this time.


After a few seconds of silence, Bella asked, "Did you get any new members on Pureblood while I was in recovery?"

"Actually yes I did," Caroline said happily, guiding Bella into a seated position on the floor. "I got..." She counted us. "Six new members."

Bella smiled widely - the first true sign of emotion I'd seen from her. "Excellent. Please tell me about them."

Caroline scratched the back of her head. "I don't know much about them yet. I think they can tell you though. Who wants to start?"

"I will," Shadow offered. "I'm Shadow the Hedgehog, and I'm the Ultimate Life Form."

"I've heard of you," Bella said. "I've heard you're a total dick to those you don't like and can't get enough of Rouge the Bat sucking off you."

"N-None of that is true," he said quickly, his face turning bright red.

"Whatever. Next."

"I'm Rouge," the slutty bat said. "I'm the world's greatest jewel thief and Shadow's girlfriend."

"Cut it out with the girlfriend thing!" Shadow snarled in her ear. "We are OVER."

"Again, whatever. Next," Bella said, an amused expression on her face despite her bored words.

"I'm Silver the Hedgehog," Silver said shyly. "I can make things levitate."

"Telekinesis is a powerful thing to have," Bella said with a grin. "Glad to have you. Who's next?"

"I'm Blaze the Cat. I'm Silver's girlfriend, and I have pyrokinesis."

"Again, that's powerful. I like fire immensely." She laughed a little creepily. "Nice to have you with us, Blaze."

"Aidan the Fox, at your service. I can see the future in Visions and can speak through my thoughts when I come in physical contact with people."

"Awesome! A Vision Seer is definitely helpful." Bella thought for a second. "One last person, correct, Caroline?"

"Correct. Renata?"

I stood there for a half second, not knowing what to say. But, since it wouldn't do a lick of good for me to lie, and everyone was staring at me like they expected me to say something, I said, "I'm Renata the Echidna. I don't know what my power is yet, but I go wherever Aidan is going."

"You will discover it, I'm sure," Bella said with a smile. Then she looked around the room. "I want to thank you for being with me. It's a great pleasure knowing that I have more than just my sister for support. Not that she's bad support," sensing Caroline tense up beside her.

"We get what you're saying," Silver smiled. When Bella grinned back at him, Blaze put a possessive arm around his waist and gave her a small glare. I rolled my eyes. It wasn't like Bella and Silver were flirting with each other.

"So, what are we gonna do now?" Shadow asked. "I don't expect to sit in this cell for very long, you know."

"Don't worry Shadow, I won't let you be bored," Rouge said, sliding her arms around him. He whacked them away like she was a fly.

"Well I should think we should get our asses out of here before Mephiles catches on to what we're working on," Sonic said.

"Sonic has a point." Amy smiled up at him as she said her words. I swear, they had such a connection that I probably would never have. Sigh.

Speaking of which, I hadn't once considered getting a boyfriend on this planet. I had been single on earth since 7th grade, when I had caught my old boyfriend cheating on me with this super-hot chick (cheerleader, ugh). I had bitch slapped him, and it felt GOOD, too. He'd been a jerk anyway.

I didn't know anybody on this planet that was single and looking. Maybe that green hedgehog I had seen out in the achomedla garden... probably not, though. I couldn't see myself kissing or going to see a movie with him. Sure, we might talk, but I didn't see us as more than friends.

Shadow? Hell no. He had too many chicks drooling over him already, and as hot as he was, I didn't blame them. I'd save him the trouble of having to deal with even more girls. Plus, Rouge intimidated me, to be honest, and I knew she'd beat me to the pulp.

I racked my brain, but everyone else I knew was taken. Except for one guy...

NO. Absolutely not, I told myself firmly. I will not go out with MEPHILES THE DARK. I repeated that like a mantra over and over in my head. He was freakishly weird, and scary as hell too. Plus he had this unnerving way of changing opinions about me every 5 minutes.

"Renata? You okay?"

Aidan's voice brought me back to reality. For once I wished I could turn invisible. I must have been in deeper thought than I had figured I was. "Yeah, I'm fine." Which was mostly true, except that I couldn't get that weird idea of dating Mephiles out of my mind. It was creepy.

"You're just really quiet, I was just wondering." She gave me a wide, sweet smile, but in her eyes I saw a dash of concern. "You can tell me what's up, you know that, right?"

I ducked my head, half-covering my eyes with my dreads like Emo guys do with their awful hair so she couldn't see me. "Yes, but..."

"But what?" It was so hard not to tell her when she pressed on me like that. I finally came up with an excuse.

"I'm not ready to tell you. It's insane, and I don't know how true it is yet."

She understood immediately, and she patted my hand in comfort. She wasn't the best with advice, but I knew she was good at comforting. I gripped onto her hand like I was about to ride a seriously fast and loop-filled roller coaster, which I probably was considering what was spinning around in circles in my thoughts. I knew, if she were actually in my room and not in the one next to me, she would've pulled me into one of her famous hugs (the kinds that nearly snap your spine in two, but feel so loving at the same time) and told me everything was going to be okay, that she was there for me. Her hand alone was good for now, though, and I smiled up at her, gleeful when she returned it.

I felt more ready to say what was going on in my mind now than I was just a few seconds ago, and I took a deep breath. I whispered to her, "Find my mind."

A moment later, I felt the navy blue presence in my head, and I knew it was safe to tell her. I think I'm starting to like Mephiles the Dark.

She tensed up immediately. What? No fucking way! You're saying total bullshit, right?

No, I'm completely serious, Aidan, I wouldn't tell you BS. I am starting to like him, a lot. Freakishly a lot.

Renata. That's fucked up. He wouldn't be good for you, I just know he wouldn't. She mentally shook her head.

I know. But he's just... well... I don't know why the hell I like him, I just do.

She thought in private for a second, then said, Do you think you may have an attraction to power?

I considered that thought. Possibly. Mephiles is loaded head to toe with it. He practically bathes in it.

Aidan was quiet. I knew she was deciding on whether or not to say something. I didn't even have to be connected to her mentally to tell - her eyes were shifting left and right slowly, looking at the floor. Her mouth was curved down in a slight frown.

You can tell me, I said. I won't tell a soul.

She slowly exhaled and looked me in the eye. I have a ginormous crush on Ebony behind me.

I looked behind her and saw Rouge cuddling up to the guy she was talking about. I'm assuming Ebony is Shadow?

Yeah. She blushed as she thought. I liked him the instant I laid eyes on him. Anyway, I'm tired. I'm gonna disconnect now. I need to rest my head for a moment.

Okay, honey. I closed my eyes and watched the navy blue orb withdraw from my mind like she was disappearing from an online IM room, and I was alone with my thoughts again. I put my head in my hands, peeking through my fingers at the floor.

What the crap did I just tell Aidan? That I liked the most unlikable being alive? Oh dear God, now I REALLY want to be invisible. I so wish I could turn invisible, that'd be so awesome.

I heard a gasp from the prison that held Aidan and the others, and I looked up. Caroline was staring at me in an open, gaping mouth goldfish look. "It's rude to stare for too long," I told her.

"But Renata, look at yourself," Sonic said. He too had a dropped jaw as he looked at me.

I wrinkled my eyebrows together and looked down at my hand. "HOLY CRAP!" I shouted with a little jump. My body was almost completely transparent, and it was becoming more by the second. Soon my hand disappeared from my sight, and I looked at the rest of myself. I was truly invisible, even my clothes. I looked up at Sonic and Caroline.

Now everyone was staring at me, or at least, the area where I had been sitting. After a few seconds of shocked silence, I saw Shadow grin. "Renata, I think you might be the key to get us out of here."


Zomigod! SHE HAS A POWER! AND A CRUSH ON THE BAD GUY! Ooh!

Gwen: Wait, how come I'M not in the story?

I needed to give you a break. I'm sure you enjoy fucking Shadow in your spare time anyways, on AND off .

Gwen: *blush* No need to declare it to the world, GABL.

^_^ But I can anyway, dearest Gwen, since I'm your owner.

Gwen: Whatever. I'll be back next chapter... *stalks off*

Anyway, sorry about that. R&R,

~ GABL