In Due Season
Chapter V
On Memory's Return, Unions Are Sworn
I remember trying to remain inconspicuous; blend in and not attract too much attention to myself. Considering I was a giant black hedgehog walking amongst a bunch of human scientists on a space station, I was doing an incredibly good job. Grant it, the scientists were used to me wandering halls as the professor gave me full permission to do so. But this time I was trying to conceal a tiny traveler in my tall head spines; a tiny traveler that liked to squirm and make noises. The passenger in question was a baby; a baby what, I'm not sure. My memory is vague in that regard.
"A-choo," I remember faking a sneeze as the little one shifted and coughed in my quills.
"Shadow, are you feeling okay?" a passing man asked as he stopped to eye me. I waved it off as just something bothering my nose. The scientist gave the explanation a quick nod and walked off leaving me to breathe a sigh of relief. If any of them found out I had the baby . . . well, I'd rather not remember it.
So, why had I risked such a venture when it could have spelled disaster? The answer wasn't easy, mostly because I didn't really have an answer, at all. I remember one thing though. The child had gone through a battery of tests and experiments that day. Trials not all that different from the ones I was subjected to daily. I remember it was my fault the child had to suffer. The tests hurt and the small one would have been left to cry and shiver in fear alone. I knew what had always made me feel better and so I sneaked the baby out and was taking him to the only other person on that ship who could keep a secret. Maria.
"Shadow," she said looking up from a book she was reading on her bed when the door opened. I made a gesture for her to keep her voice down as I shut the door behind me. She closed her book and laid it down as I drew near the bedside.
"Maria, I need to share something with you but . . . you have to promise to keep it a secret," I stated, staring at her with the utmost confidence. She quirked an eyebrow and grinned; I remember.
"Depends on what it is," she stated jokingly. I know a look of pain must have flashed over my features because she looked regretful.
"Please."
"Of course, I can keep it secret. What is it, Shadow?"
I pulled the small one from my quills and set him on the bed. The young girl's eyes lit up immediately.
"He is so adorable," she cooed picking it up. That's right, it was a he wasn't it?
He fidgeted in her arms but didn't cry. He reached up to her face, eyes locked on her own.
"Is he one of the new experiments," she asked solemnly. I blinked for a moment in thought. Was it an experiment? No, he was a test subject or at least that was what was printed on his unit chart.
"He's a test subject, I think."
Maria frowned as she allowed the baby to play with her fingers.
"Poor thing," she replied softly.
"Wha your name," the child grinned. Maria dropped him out of shock and he curled up, rolled down to the bed before spreading out onto his back. I believe she hadn't expected him to speak; he could speak, I remember. Why can't I remember what he looked like?
"I'm sorry I didn't mean to drop you."
He just giggled.
"Do it again," he exclaimed trying to crawl back up into her lap. She smiled and so did I. This was the happiest I had ever seen the little one. I remember watching as Maria played games with the toddler while I kept an eye on the door. I hadn't wanted a scientist popping their head in and discovering my offense.
"Here you go, you can have it," I heard Maria say. I looked back to see the girl handing a small stuffed bear to the child. The baby held it in fascination for a few minutes before drawing it in close for a firm embrace. He looked up and smiled at Maria before turning his gaze to me seeking approval for the gift. I had no idea how I was going to hide this from the professor but I couldn't help but give into the pleading eyes of both the child and Maria; Maria's eyes I can remember.
I nodded and the little one gurgled with excitement before outright squealing with laughter as Maria began tickling him.
"What's his name?" she inquired of me since the baby was too overcome with the giggles to respond. I hesitated. I didn't have a name for him; I remember. I knew his mother had a name. That's right, he had a mother . . . but, I was forbidden at that point to have contact with her or the baby.
"I call him . . ."
"Maria? Is Shadow in here with you?" a voice spoke from the door; a figure glancing from left to right. Maria and I froze in fear; it was Gerald Robotnik, Maria's grandfather; the professor.
"Ah, there you are, Shadow. I have been looking all over for . . . you."
The elderly gentlemen spotted the little one, who immediately ducked under Maria's arm. I remember.
"No, no, no," the baby whispered frightenedly as the professor stepped over to us.
"Shadow, what is this creature doing in here?" he asked firmly. I opened my mouth ready to divulge the truth I knew would cost me dearly, but Maria interrupted.
"I'm sorry, grandpa. I took him. I didn't mean to cause so much trouble. Shadow was going to take him back now is all," she had pleaded, quite convincingly as she passed the small one to me. The professor looked at her and then to me.
"Is this true, Shadow?" he asked of me. I remember I couldn't find it in myself to speak but I nodded in approval. I didn't know why Maria lied for me but I went along with the charade. After all, I was going to take the toddler back so it was practically true. The professor wasn't convinced, I could tell, but, for whatever reason, he turned away from me back to his granddaughter.
"Maria, you know it's very dangerous for you to handle the wildlife, you could come into contact with sicknesses."
Maria nodded in submission to the lecture. I had watched her not knowing how to react at that point. The baby clung to me tightly; afraid of the professor's presence.
"Can he still keep the teddy bear?" she inquired. Gerald looked on with mild shock.
"Who?" he asked.
"The baby. Can he keep the toy?" she replied holding out the teddy for the little one to take, giving her grandfather an earnest face.
"I suppose so, but I don't want to see a repeat of this. Shadow can visit because he has been sterilized like everyone else dear. But the lab creatures haven't," he stated as he reached out and bridged the gap between the outstretched toy to the tiny one.
"Okay," Maria replied while the professor turned back to the dark hedgehog.
"Shadow."
"Yes, sir."
"Go ahead and return him to his unit, but remember, no more contact with him or the other. And wash up."
I nodded again, moving for the door as quickly as I could without looking conspicuous. I cursed myself for thinking this was a good idea. I really shouldn't have done this, but as I looked back at Maria who winked at me and the baby who cuddled the toy close, my heart found me guilty of no crime. I remember having cleaned the baby off before bringing it to Maria, knowing of her condition. We avoided punishment that day; the baby and I. But why can't I remember the baby? Why am I remembering this at all?
"Shadow, are you awake?" a voice pierced through the fog of his memories and awareness. He opened his eyes to see Rouge standing over him; a concerned look on her features. He lifted his head a bit, finding himself lying on a cot set in the corner of what looked to be an aircraft hangar. His strange recollections mixed with the facts of his current situation to create confusion. Where was he? Why was he here? And how long had he been there?
"Well, you gave us a little scare there for a while, handsome. You were out for a long time and you weren't the only one. It seems you hedgehogs have a tendency to overdo it," Rouge stated as she helped him sit up further on his pillow. It took a moment for her words to register with him and when they did, he recalled everything.
"Rouge, what happened? Where's Sonic, the others?"
"Settle down. Sonic and Amy passed out, just like you, but I think they'll be fine. Tails and Solana are looking after them now. Everyone else is okay too," she answered, noticing the hedgehog was still not satisfied.
"What about the assault? Are all the machines disabled?" he inquired as he began trying to get up. Rouge pressed a hand to his chest and eased him back down effortlessly.
'He really must be beat,' she thought breifly.
"The others have taken care of it. Knuckles took the Chaotix and Omega back out to run damage control while we took you and the others back here to Tails' workshop. Now, it's my turn to ask you a question. What were you doing out here? Why has it been ages since I've seen you?" she inquired sternly, keeping her hand in place to prevent him from moving again. She could feel his body tremble for a moment, whether from fatigue or something else she didn't know.
"I was trying to prevent this from happening," he stated simply. Rouge wasn't fully content with that answer and entirely frustrated he didn't even respond to the other. She hadn't seen her friend and former teammate in months. It was only natural to feel concerned. But, she knew Shadow wasn't one for revealing too much in the emotions department, especially in times of stress. Judging by the sour expression on the dark hedgehog's face, she was aware this must be one of those times.
"Shadow, really, where have you been all this time?" she asked with a softer tone causing the hedgehog to stiffen. He looked into her questioning turquoise eyes with his own intense red ones; a moment of contemplation for both of them. It quickly turning awkward. She continued to look on with concern while he finally turned away, feeling a tightening in his chest as he removed her hand from it a little quicker then he wanted to.
"I've been busy," he stated curtly instantly taking note of Rouge's offended expression. He didn't mean to come across as upset, but it seemed he often did. He wanted to let her know her concern was not unappreciated.
"Still, it's good to see you're alright," he stated quietly. Rouge smiled. She knew that was all she was going to get out of him and decided to leave it alone; for now.
"Thank you."
Shadow nodded in acknowledgment as he gave his surroundings another once over. He was happy to hear Sonic and Amy were okay, considering his encounter with the blue hedgehog earlier. He spotted the fox dashing back and forth between the two hedgehogs while the dhole brought bowls of water and clean towels out to the group. He turned to see the rabbits attending to what looked to be a makeshift crib; a good sign Sonic's family was intact. His gaze stopped on a figure standing near one of the workshop windows. He didn't recognize the purple cat before him.
"That's Blaze," Rouge stated simply, having followed the hedgehog's line of sight. He turned to the bat.
"Who is she?"
"Your guess is as good as mine, honey. She seems to know Sonic though. Then again, who doesn't, am I right? She knows Cream and some of the others too. From what I hear, she's from another dimension," Rouge explained as she too looked over to the feline who restlessly swished her tail. Shadow blinked and was somewhat startled when he opened his eyes to see Blaze staring right back at him. He hid it very well thought and continued to watch the feline, not wanting to break eye contact first. Finally, she went back to looking out the window.
"It also looks like she has some of your charming disposition," Rouge smiled.
"Yes, well . . . it appears everything is under control here . . ." Shadow began, a sign he was getting ready to make an exit. Rouge was all too familiar with the hedgehog's amazing disappearing act and, if she were honest with herself, it hurt when he did so. It had been so long since she spoke with him and he had left their team without saying much about it. He only made contact with any of them when it called for it; usually to find information or help out, then he would be off again for several months without a trace.
"Why don't you stay a while, Shadow? We could use your help in sorting all this out," she said smoothly, hoping her gentle tone would make the invitation to stay more attractive.
"I have other matters to attend to," he said evenly.
"Why do you always have to play the part of a mysterious loner?" she sighed, not realizing she was actually pouting.
"Rouge, you of all people should know the value of remaining covert and the benefits of working alone," he smirked looking up at her. The small humor wasn't lost on her, but she was still upset.
"Yeah, but as a spy, I also understand the value of backup and getting real answers, Shadow."
He turned away at that, choosing to stare down at his wrists instead. Somewhere within him, he knew she was right; the absence of his inhibitor rings seemed to emphasize that point. If it had not been for her and Omega, he and Cream would have perished. But it just made it all the more shameful and agonizing for him.
Rouge also knew about his missing inhibitor rings; how, once he lost them, he started to feel less beneficial and grew distant. But, even though he seemed more far-off than ever, she just wished him to see how much he was wanted and needed. Yet, what could she say that she hadn't said before?
Shadow looked back up, catching the eye of the purple cat once again. He gave her a fierce look instinctively; his first thought being she was eavesdropping on their conversation. To his chagrin, the feline glared back. Oh, he didn't like her, whoever she was, and it just furthered his need to isolate. He gazed back at Rouge.
"I have to go."
And with that, before she could say anything else, he disappeared in a flash of green light; Chaos Control.
"Darn it," Rouge breathed as she placed a hand on her forehead.
"Excuse me," she heard a voice say from beside her. The bat looked up to see Blaze standing there with a concerned expression. The cat had taken notice of the hedgehog's abrupt departure and only hoped she wasn't the cause of it. She hadn't meant to give him such a harsh look, but his tone and words reminded her of her own past faults and shortcomings.
"I'm sorry, but I couldn't help but overhear some of your conversation. Will he be alright?"
Rouge gave the feline a quick once-over. She really didn't know Blaze that well, but could detect true concern in the cat's curious voice. Well, if Sonic trusted this lady it was good enough for this government agent.
"It's fine. Believe it or not, he does that quite often," Rouge stated, not missing the look of guilt on the other's face, "What's wrong, hon?"
"Oh, well, I . . . just wanted to . . ."
"It's alright, you don't have to apologize. With the dirty looks he gives sometimes, I would have given him the stink eye too," Rouge winked. Blaze smiled.
"Hey, everyone! Amy's coming to!" Tails shouted as he raced over to the pink hedgehog's side. Rouge and Blaze made their way over along with the others, excluding Sonic who was still unconscious. Amy stirred atop the cot she occupied with what seemed to be a troubled awareness.
"Come on, Amy, please wake up," Cream pleaded from the bedside. Amy's eyes fluttered open and her vision slowly adjusted to the new surroundings. With a start, she sat up quickly, before clutching her head in both hands as pounding pain made its way there.
"Ow," she groaned miserably, only to be tackled in a hug.
"Amy! You're okay," Cream stated happily.
"Yeah, except for the major headache."
Everyone grinned.
"Now, Cream, give the poor dear some space," Vanilla scowled as her daughter, with a sheepish smile, released Amy from her grip.
"Well, that's two for three; one more to go. Speaking of which, where's Shadow?" Tails asked as he looked at Rouge. The bat gave a shrug and the fox completely understood. No one expected the darker hedgehog to stay long; he rarely ever did.
"What happened? How did we get here?" Amy asked as Solana handed her a glass of water and some aspirin.
"The town was attacked remember," the dhole stated. Amy nearly choked as she summoned up the memory.
"It wasn't a dream?! Where's Sonic and Kimi!?"
"They're safe, honey, so is everyone else," Rouge said quickly, trying to avert panic.
"Amy!?"
Everyone turned to see Sonic had finally come around. He sprang up before weakly collapsing back on his elbows, his eyes slowly taking in everything around him.
"I have an idea," Tails said, waving for Solana to follow him as he went over to Sonic's bed. The two rolled the cot over next to his wife's while Vanilla took up on the cue and retrieved Kimi. Once the hedgehog family was reunited, relief washed over Sonic and Amy's faces. Everyone enjoyed the few moments of warmth and intimacy; everyone except Blaze. She seemed to be grossly shocked by the sight before her.
She was told very little due to the commotion understandably, but she hadn't seen these guys in years. Now seeing Sonic and Amy together with a child, no less, was mind-boggling to her. True, Amy had been pursuing him way back then, but he seemed so sure in remaining a bachelor it was a shock to see he was married. However, when Sonic caressed Amy's face and the two exchanged sentiments, the cat felt another sensation rise within her; one that both angered and troubled her. She looked away with a flush. What was this about?
"Blaze?"
She looked up at the mention of her name only to be stricken with anxiety when she found out who was talking to her. Sonic was staring at her in disbelief. She looked into his eyes and tried to remain calm; tried to figure out why the feeling of apprehension was building in the first place.
"Yes, Sonic," she managed to say. Amy picked up on the nervousness in her voice and looked to the feline as well. This response only caused more unease for the cat, but all this went unnoticed by Sonic, of course.
"Hey, long time no see. I hear I have you to thank for saving the little one; so, thanks. How have ya been?" he asked with a grin.
"Um, you're welcome. Fine, I guess, and you?" she stated awkwardly. Rouge and Solana also picked up on the cat's discomfort.
"Can't complain, though, I've had better days. So, what brings you here? Is everything okay in your dimension?" he asked with concern. Everyone turned to hear her answer. Blaze breathed a sigh of relief. At least the conversation had turned towards something more manageable for her.
"Everything appears fine, but seeing as I've been transported here once again there must be a reason."
"My thoughts exactly. . . Do you think it's the Sol Emeralds?"
"No. I mean, there hasn't been anything unusual. In fact, I currently have them all with me. What about the Chaos Emeralds?" she inquired. She took note of the sadness coming over the hero's face. Tails decided to interrupt.
"Uh, we haven't seen the Chaos Emeralds in years. I'm afraid we can't really tell for certain if their okay or not."
"Wait!"
They all turned to face Cream.
"I saw Shadow with a Chaos Emerald. He used it in the fight earlier," she informed.
"Where is Shadow?" Sonic questioned perking up at the thought of a Chaos Emerald being found.
"You know him; Mister Personality couldn't stay long," Rouge quipped as she folded her arms. Sonic shook his head. He was grateful for his darker double's help, but sometimes the guy could be frustratingly uncooperative.
"Why does he do dat? Worthless. We have lots of clean-up to do and all he can be doing is the disappearing," Solana said hotly, her accent more pronounced in her upset state.
"Ya know, he only starts disappearing when you show up," Rouge spat. The two females glared at each other, past skirmishes between them being remembered.
"And are you going to abandon us as well, Agent Rouge?" Solana countered bitterly.
"Hey, you guys, now, isn't the time. Did he say where he was going?" Tails intervened, trying to divert the argument. Rouge narrowed her eyes at the dhole before facing the fox. She had nothing against the mechanical wizard but . . .
"No, only that you had better tell your sweetheart to get a better handle on that smart mouth of hers before someone does it for her," the bat said with a cool smile. Solana was just about to say something when Tails cut her off with a look. She scowled.
"I'm sorry, Rouge," she stated simply.
"That's alright, sweetie. Anyway, Shadow didn't tell me where he was headed off to, but I think I'll go check on Omega and the others if you don't mind me 'disappearing' for a bit," she retorted before lifting off the ground and floating out of the workshop. Solana glared daggers into the back of the agent's head before turning her glare onto her boyfriend.
"Miles! Why'd you take her side?"
"What?! I wasn't taking sides."
"Yes, you were. You even made me apologize," the dhole spat, though anger was not the only emotion present. She seemed hurt.
"That's because you sort of started it."
"No, that's it!"
As the two canines bickered back and forth, Blaze shifted her gaze back to Sonic.
"Well, maybe we could talk later on the subject. I know you're busy at the moment," the interdimensional traveler stated politely. She could tell the group was still wound-up and needed time to sort things out before she intruded with her own dilemma.
"Hey, no time like the present, right? I'm sure we'll figure out why you were teleported here . . ." the blue hedgehog started when his daughter began to burble loudly and reach for him from his mother's arms.
"Looks like someone wants to join in the conversation," Amy smiled as she held the little hedgehog out to Sonic. He gladly took Kimi up in his arms. Vanilla and Cream smiled along with the young parents. Once settled they all looked back up again.
"Sorry about that, Blaze . . . Blaze? Where'd she go?" Sonic asked. Cream spotted her walking towards the door.
"Blaze?" she called out to her friend. The purple cat stopped but didn't turn around.
"I, uh, just need a bit of fresh air is all," she stated before exiting. Cream turned back to the others who gave her equally confused faces. Sonic looked to the still arguing dhole and fox with annoyance.
"Could you two kindly cut that out?!"
Both shut their mouths quickly.
"I think I'll go and check on Blaze," the teenage rabbit said as she picked up Cheese from his place on Amy's cot.
"Okay, dear. That sounds like a nice idea," her mother said. Cream nodded and went out the same way the fiery feline had, hoping she could help her old friend.
"Sorry, Miles," Solana finally apologized to Tails.
"I am too," Tails apologized back before turning to Sonic and Amy, "Knuckles is currently leading a small search and rescue team. I'm working on finding a better means of helping the area. But first, Solana and I need to work on the X Tornado and Blizard. We'll need them in the recovery effort."
"What can I do?" Sonic asked, making an effort to get out of bed while trying to pass Kimi back to Amy. Tails quickly turned.
"You're going to stay in bed until you're fully rested. Amy, I'm leaving him in your charge," Tails commanded sternly, or as sternly as he could.
"Hey!" Sonic huffed indignantly.
"Yes, Sir," Amy smirked as she mock saluted with one hand and pulled the speedster back down with the other.
"Well, now that you two are okay I believe I'll head down to the medical site. It's not that far from here and they could probably use an extra hand," Vanilla informed the couple. The hedgehogs nodded and watched as she went over to Tails, supposedly telling him the same thing. Amy turned her full attention back on Sonic and Kimi. She counted her blessings, knowing things could have ended up a lot worse. If she had lost either of them . . .
"Amy, we're okay," Sonic said softly as he reached a hand up to wipe a tear from her eye. He knew what her train of thought was because his own were running on the same track. But the past was gone and they were safe now; all that mattered was still here. Amy sniffled a bit but smiled. She reached out to take Kimi again and Sonic happily allowed her to. After a few moments, the pink hedgehog finally spoke up.
"I wonder what's wrong with Blaze?" she inquired.
"Don't know, but if anyone can get it out of her it's Cream. To be honest, I'm more concerned about Shadow."
"Because he took the Chaos Emerald," Amy stated simply. Sonic looked at her with a thoughtful expression and then nodded.
"He knows we can't find the others. Why didn't he tell anybody he found one?" Sonic said hotly, his temper flaring up a bit. Amy could feel her own anger stir up knowing her husband was upset, but Shadow, as strange as he was, hadn't given them a reason not to trust him.
"Why would he try and keep that from us?" she asked. Sonic really couldn't come up with an answer for that. The black hedgehog was shady at times, no pun intended, but when it came down to it, Shadow did his best to do what was right. If he intentionally kept the information from them, he had to have a reason. Sonic sighed, allowing the tension to release.
"Yeah . . . well, I guess that'll be a mystery for another time," he stated as he reached over and allowed Kimi to grab on to his finger. Amy looked down at his ripped gloves, then to her own tattered outfit and Kimi's dirty pajamas. Her mind replayed her husband's motionless body in the mud and her daughter's absence from her arms. But, she quickly shook off the thoughts. They were safe.
"When do you think she'll start walking?" Sonic asked while playing with his daughter's hands, "The book said its months off."
Amy smiled.
"Well, if she's any child of yours, she'll probably start running here pretty soon," she laughed. Sonic smirked.
"I think that would be pretty cool. Guess with you being her mom and all, we can expect her to start wise-cracking in maybe two, possibly three days," he shot back. Amy huffed indignantly.
"I don't know what you're talking about. You're the one who's always joking around."
"True, true. I did get the first laugh out of her," he grinned, knowing full well this would fire up the competitive side of their relationship and it did.
"When she does start talking I bet she'll say mommy first."
"In your dreams. Whose daddy's little angel?" he chimed leaning forward, tickling the baby's stomach. Kimi laughed. Amy pushed him aside.
"Mommy loves you, sweetie, that's right, mommy loves you," she sang. Kimi smiled with bright eyes at her mother.
"Daddy loves you too. Daddy."
"Mommy."
"Daddy."
"Mommy."
The violet hedgehog's eyes bounced back and forth from each parent; confused.
"Daddy," Sonic said a little too loudly causing Kimi to flinch.
"Look what you did, Sonic," Amy scowled as she collected the little one in a reassuring embrace.
"Well, you started it," he mumbled. Amy smacked him upside the head playfully which caused Kimi to laugh.
"See, now I can make her laugh too," Amy smirked.
"Oh no, wise-cracking and slap-stick humor. I'm a goner," he groaned before settling back down on his pillow. After a moment of silence, he shot back up.
"I'm bored."
o
Rouge flew along the path leading back to town, gliding over untouched snow left by the early morning flurry; a silent reminder the battle had not gotten this far. It was a peaceful route with vibrant evergreens lining the way and ice crystals glistening on their needles in the sun, but it was all harshly contrasted by the smell of smoke and the sound of collapsing rubble in the distance. She sighed aloud as her thoughts began to wander over things she had been debating in her mind for a while. She wished Shadow would have stayed, but there was no convincing that stubborn hedgehog of anything. She could just go find Omega and leave, but for the others' sakes, she wanted to stay and help. Over the past few years, she had grown close to these guys; especially the hedgehog family and now their new addition.
In fact, if it wasn't for her status in G.U.N. she would probably move closer to them, but she had a life in Central City that seemed to have a vice-like grip. It wasn't bad there by any means. Most would consider the life she lived a charmed one. She had her high rise apartment, her interesting occupation, a good salary, an adventurous treasure hunting hobby that lead her around the world and friends to boot. But, time passed, things changed and she wasn't too sure she liked it.
First off, her career path had grown more disjointed for her somehow. It almost felt like they didn't want her there or, at least, didn't want her to be as involved with missions as she once was. Even when Shadow, the ultimate agent, was still there it seemed like G.U.N. hadn't even wanted him around though Team Dark was gooding work for the organization. Once the dark hedgehog left, however, things really went downhill. They began cutting back on how many missions she could go on, giving her the excuse it was her many years of service that warranted time off. She might be getting older but seniority never prevented agents from doing their job. Then they started giving her the run around; not giving her accurate information or important deadlines. They blamed it on poor intelligence gathering, but she knew better than that. Now, they had actually restricted her security clearance. She felt like she was one step away from being relieved of her duties altogether. However, job dissatisfaction was not the only issue.
Her personal life was frustrating. She had plenty of friends in the city, maybe even too many, but none of them felt close; not like the ones here. Even Solana filled the void of 'person you can't stand' better than her coworkers. She had true friends in Sonic, Amy, Tails and Cream; something hard to come by. She visited them of course, but lived life in the fast and glamorous lane of Central City and had, admittedly, grown distant. She had been to dozens of parties, gone on hundreds of exotic trips looking for gems and spent countless hours on everything from fashion to theater. She had enjoyed the attention and respect of these self-pursuits but now people in the city didn't really seem to care about her or her accomplishments as much as they used to. Life, in general, wasn't looking all that glamorous. It seemed the world had just chosen to forget how much she had done and the only people who could relate lived miles away. In all this time, all she had was a house full of treasure and no one to share it with. Which brought her to another difficult thought.
When she served as one of Amy's bridesmaids at the pink hedgehog's wedding two years ago she was struck by the fact time flies when you're having fun. She was 27 then and enjoying life. Now, the bat was closer to thirty then she wanted to be and not getting any younger. She wasn't having as much fun now and she realized another fact of time, it wastes away when you're not happy. She had watched Sonic and Amy's relationship grow and had to admit she felt jealous of them. She wanted that too. Knuckles had caught her eye a long time ago; heck, they were even engaged at one point in their history together, but that relationship seemed to fade in and out of existence. Even now they weren't getting along all that well after an argument they had last month. That's when he took the floating island away from the shore of Central City. She hadn't heard from him until now.
The white bat had gone on several other dates with other men, but none of those relationships worked out quite as she wanted. Most of this was due to the alternative motives of said men she had tried to get to know. She wasn't bragging, or maybe she was, but when you looked as good as she did and had the successful lifestyle she had, wisdom and caution went a long way. But this only reinstated the reason she liked Knuckles; he was honest, upfront, trusting and a bit naive. He wasn't perfect, but in the years she had gotten to know him, he always treated her well, even if finesse was sometimes lacking. In other words, she could depend on him to be his usual knuckle-headed self, and there just weren't too many guys she could do that with. Knuckles was endearing in that regard. Maybe she would stay here for her own sake.
The town was coming into view and Rouge decided she would put these thoughts away for another time and focus on finding . . . Bring.
Her cell phone went off, startling her for a moment. She brought it out only to not recognize the caller. She wondered if she should answer it and see who it was. She flipped it open and placed the device to her ear, surprised by who came on over the other end.
Author's Note: Here it is! Chapter 5 and there appears to be a lot of mystery in this one. I hope you enjoyed this as much as I enjoyed writing it. I will have another installment next month so watch out for it. Reviews are welcome. :)
