Chapter 5
ZairaDrayan: I'm back with chapter 5! I'm not going to make any more promises on what I'm going to do due to random inspiration coming and going. I'm unpredictable. If I upload lots of stuff all at once, that usually means that I am going crazy with inspiration. Keep that in mind. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this!
Dr. Eggman lobbed a fireball at a statue of Shadow. He watched it crumble before him. Zaira was there as she watched Orbot and Cubot set up a bunch of statues of Shadow everywhere. Eggman would destroy them in a deep fit of rage. He had come at the hedgehog with all he had, but it was no use. Zaira sighed.
"Nice shootin' Eggie…," she said.
"I can't believe this guy! I throw everything at him! It all just doesn't work!" yelled Eggman. He struck another statue and watched it crumble with satisfaction. He looks over at Cubot who is wearing a new pair of shoes. Eggman looks at them and stops. "What are those?"
"Uh… I thought they looked kinda… cool…," Cubot replied. When he looked at the shoes, he noticed that a picture of Shadow the Hedgehog was on the side. He suddenly realized his mistake in buying the shoes.
"I've got 24 hours to get rid of Shadow the Rathog, or the entire scheme that I've been planning for eighteen years goes up in flames and YOU ARE WEARING HIS MERCHANDISE!" screamed Eggman lifting up Cubot from the ground about to blast him with a fireball. A slurping sound interrupted him.
"Uh… thirsty?" asked Orbot holding up a drink with a picture of Shadow on it.
"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" screamed Eggman causing an earthquake and throwing the two robots against a wall.
"Looks like your little game is over. Wonderboy is hitting every curve you throw at him…," Zaira
said almost tauntingly.
Eggman stopped and smirked at her. He couldn't help but notice that she was gazing at Shadow after his last victory. Zaira almost had a dreamy look in her eyes and a plan formed in Eggman's evil head. "Maybe I haven't been throwing the right curves my sweet little butterfly…"
"Don't even go there!" Zaira snapped getting uncomfortable.
"Well, he's gotta have a weakness… Everyone's got a weakness if you know what I mean! Sonic, he hates water, Rouge has a weakness for jewels, and Knuckles has a weakness for the Master Emerald. We simply need to figure out Shadow's!" Eggman explained.
"I've done my part! You'd best-"
"They couldn't handle him as a baby… We need someone who can handle him as a man…," Eggman explained.
"I've sworn off man-handling! Hog-handling is included…," Zaira explained.
"Well, you know, that's good because that's what got you into the jam in the first place, isn't it? You sold your soul to me to save your boyfriend's life. And how does this creep thank you? By running off with some babe. He hurt you real bad, didn't he, Zaira? Huh?" he went on.
"I learned my lesson okay?! Just leave it alone!"she snapped.
"Hey! Because you learned your lesson, you're gonna jump for joy when you hear this new offer! You give me the key for bringing down wonder rat and I give you the thing you've always wanted! Your freedom?" Eggman offered.
Zaira's wings froze. She had wanted her freedom for so long… There was nothing more she wanted. Although, if she had to put Shadow in danger, was it really worth it?
Shadow had left the clearing from his last victory to go speak with his father Sonic the Hedgehog in the Temple of Sonic. He was telling Sonic about all of his many victories he had obtained almost as if he were six years old and trying to impress his parents. Sonic marveled at how well he was doing.
Shadow was using Silver as the bad guy to demonstrate how he won. "You should've been there! I mangled the minotaur!" Shadow grabbed onto Silver while Silver acted as if he were choking. "I grabbed with the Gorgon! Then, I decided to take Knuckles' advice by analyzing the situation, controlled my strength, and… KICKED!" Shadow yelled kicking Silver. Silver screeched with false pain and fell into the water as if Shadow had kicked him very hard. Silver pretended to be dead. "The crowd went wild!" Silver sat up and began waving a bunch of flags to support Shadow and cheered. "Thank you! Thank you!" Shadow yelled to his audience. Sonic laughed.
"Hah! You're doing great! You're makin' me one happy hedgehog!"
"Aw… That was nothin'! Today is the day I've been waiting for, though…," Shadow replied.
"What day is that? Did I forget to check my calendar again?!" asked Sonic looking at his calendar.
"The day I rejoin the gods…," Shadow told him.
Sonic sat up and had an awkward expression on his face. Shadow's heart sank because he knew what that usually meant… It wasn't…
"You're doing well, but you're not a true hero just yet…," Sonic explained regretfully.
Shadow felt crushed. It was his dream to return to where he belonged. How could he possibly belong on Earth? "What more can I do to become a bigger hero?! I've beaten everything I've gone against, I've saved more lives than anyone can count, and I'm the most famous person in Greece!"
"Being famous isn't the same as being a true hero!" Sonic told Shadow.
"It's not fair! I've done as much as I can do! What am I missing?!" demanded Shadow beginning to lose his patience.
"It's something you have to find out for yourself…," Sonic stated still feeling bad about bringing Shadow down like he did.
"But- How can I-?!"
"Look within your heart Shadow… You'll find the answer there…," Sonic said fading away in a gust of wind. The place went silent.
Silver stood up and walked over to Shadow who was still standing dumbfounded in front of the regal statue of Sonic. He felt his rage burn inside. He wasn't ready yet?! Shadow pounded his fist against the floor leaving a huge crack in it. He almost didn't care anymore. Silver left the room and left Shadow alone with his thoughts…
The next day, Shadow was going back through the daily routine. What was that? Go exercise, get mobbed, have breakfast with some important person, get mobbed, battle some monster that's destroying the city, get mobbed, and pose for artists before getting mobbed! What could be better?! In fact, he was posing for the artist in a bunch of lion skins while folding up a sword to make him look regal. Knuckles was going through the schedule for that day. Shadow was trying not to move.
"At 1:00 you got a meeting with king Augeas. He's got a problem with his stables. I'd advise you not to wear your new sandals," Knuckles announced.
"I don't wear sandals…," Shadow explained.
"I TOLD YOU NOT TO MOVE!" yelled the artist.
Shadow got back into position. "Um… Knuckles? Can I ask-"
"D.G.R., the Daughters of the Greek Revolution. Yeah… You gotta meet with them too…," Knuckles continued without noticing.
"Knux?" asked Shadow again.
"At 3:00 you gotta get a girdle from some amazons. Don't ask me why!" Knuckles shouts.
"KNUCKLES!" Shadow yelled throwing the skins off of him and throwing the sword to the ground. The artist screamed with anger and threw his paintbrush on the ground. He left without another word. Knuckles looked over in surprise. "What's the point in all of this?! None of this stuff is gonna get me anywhere!"
"Not get you anywhere?! You wanna go to Olympus, don't ya?!" asked Knuckles.
"Yes! It's just that it seems that I'm not progressing…," sighed Shadow.
"You can't give up now. I'm counting on ya!" Knuckles persisted.
"I don't know anymore it seems like… What should I do…? What Sonic said yesterday…," Shadow mumbled.
Knuckles looked at him with a sincere look on his face. "Listen to me, Shad. I've seen 'em all. And I am telling' you - and this is the honest-to-Sonic truth - you got somethin' I have never seen before."
"Really?"
"I feel it in my bones. There's nothing you can't do."
Suddenly the doors swung open. A horde of girls was standing at the door. One look at Shadow and they all began to squeal and charged! Shadow tried to run, but someone grabbed onto his arm and dragged him into the chaos.
"I touched his elbow!" shouted one fan girl.
"I saw the chaos emerald!"
"I GOT HIS SWEATBAND!" screamed one at the top of her lungs. All the girls then stopped and began to attack her. Shadow took this chance.
"Knuckles, HELP!" Shadow cried desperately about to get dragged into the herd again.
"Alright, escape plan beta! Go!" Knuckles announced.
Knuckles blew a whistle and ran to the door. While the girls were looking at him, Shadow runs away in a flash. The fangirls look around in bewilderment.
"Where'd he go?" one asked.
Knuckles opened the door and pointed outside. "There he goes! On the veranda!"
The girls and Knuckles all run out the door and closed it with a slam. Zaira appeared then from behind the door. She glanced around trying to find Shadow knowing that he didn't leave. She looked under a curtain in a dressing room. She grabs onto the cord that opens it.
"Let's see what's behind curtain number 1!" Zaira announces pulling the cord. The curtain flung open to reveal Shadow hiding an extra minute just in case. He jumped to his feet in surprise.
"Z-Zaira!" he realized with even more surprise.
"Oh yeah… It's fine. The sea of raging hormones has ebbed," Zaira stated.
"It's, um…, great to see you! Um… I did sort of miss… you," Shadow said trying not to stutter which only resulted in there being large gaps in his sentences. He wanted to scold himself.
"Sort of? Why do I doubt that?" she asked looking around. She found Knuckles' schedule and began to read it while Shadow was trying to think of what to say next. "This is what heroes do on their days off?"
Shadow nodded. "I am a hero… According to some…," Shadow said remembering what Sonic had told him.
"According to some? What's that supposed to mean? Everybody in Greece thinks you're the greatest thing since they put the pocket in pita!" she exclaimed.
"I know. It's-it's crazy you know, I can't go ten inches out the door without being mobbed, I mean—"
"I think you could use a break. Do you think your nanny echidna would mind if we go play hooky this afternoon?" asked Zaira.
Shadow stopped. That did sound better than what was planned. Although, would Knuckles really approve of such a thing? "Um… Knuckles has me booked and doesn't like it when I try to do something to ruin his plans. I don't really want to make him mad…"
"Oh come on! You basically just lift up the wall and we're gone!" Zaira persisted.
Shadow thought for another long moment. A smile crossed his face. Who was the important person here? What did he want to do? He wanted more to play hooky with her rather than go to a bunch of boring meetings with boring important people. He nods.
That evening when the sun went down, the two of them were hanging out in a large garden that was made dedicated to Shadow. They were talking and having a good time as they were strolling around. Zaira couldn't help enjoying his presence a little bit.
"Today is now officially the best day of my life! I never knew that playing hooky could be so great. There was that restaurant by the bay, that play, and- Oh man! It was too great to talk about!" Shadow stated a smidge out of character.
"Yeah…," Zaira agreed.
Zaira looked over and saw two birds bathing in a bird bath. They looked at her and she realized that they were spies. They weren't birds at all.
"Stop fooling around cut to the chase!" Cubot whispered to Zaira. Orbot was nodding behind him.
"You know, I should be thanking you for all of this. Thanks," Shadow told her. He didn't even notice the bird spies.
"Oh… Don't thank me just ye- Ow!" Zaira yelled grabbing onto her wing in pain.
"What?!" demanded Shadow.
"Wing cramp… Happens a lot…," Zaira replied.
"Maybe you should stop flying for two seconds and try sitting down. I'm pretty sure that all the flying around you did today was the cause of that," Shadow said.
Zaira was actually lying about the cramp. She just nodded because she really didn't want to lie. She then wanted to leave when Shadow sat next to her. She had to go at this a little longer and then she'd be free from Eggman's grasp.
"Do you have problems like cramping wings? Anything wrong with you at all?" Zaira asked.
"Uh… Nope," Shadow answered.
"Anything about you that annoys you?" Zaira persisted.
"I did accidentally give myself a paper cut last week… That was the most annoying thing that I've ever experienced!" Shadow answered thinking back on it.
"No! I mean, weaknesses is what I'm talking about!" Zaira said.
"Well… Nope. None that I can think of. I'm fit as a fiddle!" Shadow stated as he stood up. Of course, he didn't want to suspect anything so he didn't.
"Wonderboy, you are perfect," Zaira commented.
"Thanks!"
Shadow picked up a coin from the ground and sent it skipping across the water in a little pond. It crashed into a statue of Venus breaking off the arms from the statue. "Whoops…"
"It looks better that way! No, it really does," Zaira told him.
"When I was younger, I would have done anything to fit in. Everyone would avoid me… I wanted to be exactly like everyone else," he said.
"You wanted to be petty and dishonest?"
"What? Everybody's not like that!" Shadow objected.
"Yes! They are!" Zaira answered thinking about all that she had seen and felt in the past.
Shadow stopped. He looked into her eyes with an expression that was soft and serious at the same time. "You're not like that."
Zaira flinched. He was almost too trusting. He was drawing her in without even knowing it! She shook her head trying to snap out of it. "How do you know what I'm like?!" she demanded.
"All I know is.. You're the most amazing person with… cramping wings I've ever met, Shadow told her.
Zaira took a step backward and got pricked by the arrow of the statue Amur. She turned it around with annoyance.
"When I'm with you I don't feel so alone," Shadow explained.
"Maybe it's better to be alone…," sighed Zaira.
"Why?"
"No one can hurt you."
Shadow pressed his hands into hers. "I would never hurt you."
Zaira officially began to get nervous. He was a fishing rod and she just took the bait. Their eyes were locked and were holding hands. "Yeah… I don't wanna hurt you so… let's do us both a favor… and stop this… before… we-"
She just gave up in resisting and they were leaning in for, well, if you don't like romance, then I'll just not say it. Sorry for those who do. However, right before that happened, Silver and Knuckles showed up with a helicopter searchlight with Silver whipping around the air to make him sound like a helicopter! Knuckles spoke to them with a megaphone.
"ALL RIGHT! BREAK IT UP! BREAK IT UP PEOPLE! PARTY'S OVER! SHADOW, YOU'RE SO DEAD AFTER THIS!" yelled Knuckles over his megaphone.
Shadow laughed awkwardly at what just happened. He stepped away from Zaira and then glared at Knuckles.
"I know! I know! I'm totally dead for taking a day off without permission Knucklehead!" Shadow snapped.
"KNUCKLEHEAD?!" demanded Knuckles.
"Knucklehead! Hot head! Redhead! GUY WITH ANGER ISSUES!" Shadow snapped.
"Hey! You listen to what he says!" Silver growled at Shadow as he landed on the ground in front of him. He hisses at Zaira. Zaira, in reply, turned off his searchlight and growled back with a smirk on her face.
"Girlie, you're already on my bad side! Don't make it worse! Come on, Shad! You're going to the stadium where you're gonna get the workout of your life! Silver, away!" Knuckles commanded.
"You can't tell me what to do! Not like that!" Silver retorted.
Shadow waved to Zaira and jumped up into a tall tree. He plucked a purple flower from a branch and hopped back down to the ground. He gave her the flower and flew away with Silver and Knuckles. Knuckles was yelling all the way. Shadow rolled his eyes and couldn't pull his gaze away from Zaira. She only waved as they flew away.
"Move! Move, move, move, move, move! Move!" they took to the air. Knuckles tried to get Shadow to focus on where he was going with no success. "Whoo! Ya-eee! Hey, watch it, watch it! Whoo! Watch it! Keep your goo-goo eyes on the-" Knuckles was trying all he could, but got knocked out of the sky by a branch. He fell on his head on the ground. Little Silver the Hedgehogs were flying around his head. "That's it! Next time I drive…," Knuckles shouted as he passed out.
Meanwhile back with Zaira, she was smelling the flower and smiling to herself. She then realized what in the world she was doing and put it down with a sigh.
"What's the matter with me?! I've felt this way before and ended up regretting it! You'd think a girl would learn!" she scolded herself. The five muses saw her and listened to her for a second.
Zaira: If there's a prize for rotten judgment
I guess I've already won that
No man is worth the aggravation
That's ancient history been there, done that!
Muses: Who d'ya think you're kidding?
He's the Earth and Heaven to you
Try to keep it hidden, honey,
We can see right through you
Zaira: Oh, No
Muses: Girl, you can't conceal it
We know how you feel and
Who you're thinking of
Zaira: Oh no, no chance, no way,
I won't say it, no, no
Muses: You swoon, you sigh, why deny it, uh-oh?
Zaira: It's too cliche, I won't say I'm in love
Muses: Shoo-doo, shoo-doo, oo-oo-oo
Zaira: I thought my heart had learned its lesson
It feels so good when you start out...
Muses: Ahhh.
Zaira: My head is screaming get a grip, girl
Unless you're dyin' to cry your heart, oh
Muses: You keep on denying
Who you are and how you're feelin'
Baby, we're not buyin' hon,
We saw you hit the ceiling
Face it like a grown-up
When you gonna own up that you
Got Got Got it bad
Zaira: Oh, no chance, no way,
I won't say it, no, no
Muses: Give up, but give in,
Check the grin, you're in love
Zaira: This scene won't play,
I won't say I'm in love
Muses: You're doing flips, read our lips
You're in love shoo-doo, shoo-doo
Zaira: You're way off base,
I won't say it
(Muses: She won't say in love)
Get off my case,
I won't say it
Muses: Girl, don't be proud,
it's okay, you're in love
Zaira: Oh.. At least at loud
I won't say I'm in love...
Muses: Shoo-doo, shoo-doo, shoo-doo, shoo-doo Sha-la-la-la-la-la-la Haaa
Dr. Eggman comes and walks up to Zaira. She sits up quickly in surprise. She hides the flower behind her back.
"Hey! What's the buzz, huh, Zaira? What is the weak link in Shadow's chain?" asked Eggman.
"Get yourself another girl! I'm through!" Zaira snapped. She wasn't going to harm Shadow anymore.
"I'm sorry. You're going to have to repeat that. I think my ears were a little clogged up," Eggman said unable to believe what he heard.
"Then read my lips! Forget it!" Zaira hissed. She turned her back on him.
"Zair, Zair, Zair, my little minion butterfly. Aren't we forgetting a tiny little detail? I OWN YOU!" Eggman yelled.
Knuckles then starts to wake up not too far away in the bushes. He groans and rubs his head as he sits up. "I think I grew a horn… The bump on my head is huge… Shadow's going to be doing laps for me for a month!" Knuckles snapped. He then heard two people talking to each other. Knuckles glanced over and spied through the bush.
"You work for me! If I say, "sing", you say, "hey, name that tune" If I say, "I want Wonderboy's head on a platter" you say—"
"Medium or well done… I'll work on that," Zaira sighed.
"Oh! I knew that dame was trouble. This is gonna break the kid's heart…," Knuckles said running away to tell Shadow the news that he had overheard.
ZairaDrayan: Yay! The chapter is done! There aren't many more chapters until the end! Hope that you continue giving me the support I need to make stories! Hope you liked this!