Chapter Revised [x]

(Travis' POV)

Emma and I had never been so close to each other in our entire lives. Our constant arguing and fighting over dumb sibling stuff used to be a regular thing. Now, it subsided. It never happened anymore.

Before, I hardly ever looked at Emma as more than a sister. Not even the fact that we were twins was able to bring us any closer. But now, we never let each other out of sight. We were always sitting or standing next to each other, and when were forced to separate, we made sure to schedule a reunion. We did all our activities together, whether it was watching T.V., eating snacks, or even taking a nap.

Sometimes Emma would get up in the middle of the night and climb the ladder on our bunk bed up to my bunk, and ask if she could sleep with me. She'd usually say something along the lines of, "Travis, I can't sleep," or, "Travis, I had another bad dream." And it always ended with, "Is it okay if I sleep here just for tonight?"

I never knew if she was really telling the truth. Maybe it was because she was just lonesome, or scared even. Maybe being by herself in the dark had become frightening. But whatever the reason might've been, I never said no and always allowed her room to lie down beside me. When she did lay, I'd let her have most of the blankets because she liked to wind herself up like a cocoon. There wasn't a lot of space for the two of us, but we made the most of it. These were just a few of the little sacrifices that we made in our new mutual selflessness. We were very protective of each other. We didn't want to lose each other.

Not like we lost Rachel.

All the adults in our family were hysterical for a while. But now that over a month had passed, we'd all calmed down a bit while still silently clinging to hope. Although I had to admit, sometimes my parents confused us with their emotions. For example, my mom would catch me and Emma occasionally looking sad or deep in thought, and she'd know that we were thinking about our older sister. She'd try to make us feel better by saying all this reassuring stuff.

"Oh, don't be so down, guys! Rachel will be back soon. We haven't lost her forever," she would say in a lighthearted tone.

"It's gonna be okay. I promise! Before we know it, she'll be back home and it will be like nothing has changed at all."

But then almost immediately after that, she would run out of the room, lock herself in the bathroom and cry her eyes out for hours on end. She'd scream and bawl until she was hyperventilating. She would beg for God to bring her daughter back home to her.

"Dear God, I'm sorry for all the wrong I've done in my life. I'm sorry for every selfish decision I've ever made. But please, I'll do anything! Just please bring my baby home to me!"

I couldn't help but blame myself. Emma and I didn't mean to make our Mom remember why we were all depressed in the first place. We didn't mean to make her cry. But nonetheless, we never attempted to knock on the door and ask her to come out. Even if it got late and we were hungry for dinner, we'd still just let her sit in there and cry it out, while both staring at the door blankly. We hated seeing...er...listening to our mother cry, but it was better that way, rather than she keep her emotions bottled up. It was almost like her tears were constantly building up every second of the day, waiting to spill over, and she would eventually need to drain herself in order to be back on empty. And then the vicious cycle continued.

The only time she came out of the bathroom was when Dad got home from work. We didn't even have to explain where Mom was and what was going on. He could hear her as soon as he walked through the front door. He would drop everything and go to the door, gently consoling her from the other side until she finally turned the handle and let him in. She'd fall against his chest, sobbing uncontrollably like she does at funerals; like she was crying over a loved one who had passed away. Sometimes it felt like that's what Rachel was to all of us. Dead.

Every last ounce of joy in our family had withered away since her absence. We were slowly starting to accept that it might be a long time before we saw her again. And if she did come back, she would definitely not be the same Rachel that she was before. I could only imagine how traumatic her experiences were. After her return, she could possibly fall in a deep depression, or at least that's what Dad said. That was one of my biggest fears. That my sister's sunshiny and loving personality would be gone forever, her spirit completely destroyed after being captured by that Shadow the Hedgehog guy. I didn't know what to expect. Not that any of us did.

I'm pretty sure that if she wasn't back home within a few months, Grandpa would go completely insane. He's tried everything he could to locate Rachel. He set out search troops all over America, and even higher people in other countries have been on the lookout, since no one knew where Shadow teleported. Grandpa also had the space station set up high-tech telescopes to survey the galaxy and see if they could find anything peculiar in outer space. Anything that could serve as a clue to Rachel's whereabouts. But alas, the solar system was as dark and empty as everything else in our lives.

Despite all that's happened, I still love Rachel. I'll never stop loving her no matter what, even if here disappearance has done no less than completely ripped our lives apart. I just want to know where she is now. If she isn't even on Earth anymore, where could she possibly be? And when will Shadow the Hedgehog bring her back? Does he plan on bringing her back at all? Will she be here when Emma and I graduate from elementary school? From junior high? High school? College? Will she get to see my wedding, or Emma's wedding? Will she ever be able to have her normal life back even after it's all over?

I wonder if she misses me as much as I miss her. I wonder if she's ever thought about me and Emma, or Mom and Dad, or even Grandpa. It feels like time has slowed down since she left. The world doesn't seem as fun as it used to, and instead turned gray. Everything I see and hear reminds me of her, and I always want to cry. None of us can stop thinking about her and it's miserable.

You're in our prayers, Rachel. Please, wherever you are, come home soon.

(Sonic's POV)
[in Tails' old observatory]

"Come on, Sonic. You can't keep beating yourself up over this whole thing," Amy sighed gently, placing her hand over my tensed shoulder. "None of it is your fault."

Her touch instantly pulled me out of my thoughts. I lifted my head and turned to look at her, while leaning back in my lounge chair. Her emerald green eyes were glazed over with a look of worry and sadness. I sighed tiredly, tearing my gaze away from hers and fixating it on the maroon carpet. I had already tried way too many times to explain myself, and explain why I was guilty about Rachel Tower's capture. Nobody seemed to understand where I was coming from. Basically, no matter what anybody said, no matter what Amy said, they were wrong when they said this wasn't my fault. Because it was.

"You don't get it, Amy. This wasn't supposed to happen," I said darkly, squinting my eyes angrily at the ground. "I...I knew I should've gone with the Tower family onto their train. I should've made sure they got to Station Square safely. If I'd gone along, things could have ended differently. We wouldn't be where we are now."

I frowned harder. "If I had been there, I wouldn't have let Shadow kidnap Rachel. I wouldn't have let him anywhere near her or anybody else. I could've stopped him. I know it."

Amy breathed out heavily, taking a step closer to me from behind. It was clear she didn't know how to respond.

"And how were you supposed to know that anything like that would happen, Sonic?" she asked, breaking the cold momentary silence. "You can't see the future. None of us can. The Tower family was never meant to be your responsibility. I don't want you to keep blaming yourself. It's not fair to you."

My eyes widened and I scowled. I grunted loudly, jumping up out of the chair. Amy ripped her hand away out of instinct from the sudden movement. I flung around to face her.

"We're really going to talk about fairness now? How fair do you think any of this is for Rachel Tower! Huh!"

I then softened my tone.

"Just close your eyes, Amy. Imagine it all. Picture yourself in her shoes. Think about how scared she is. She didn't do anything wrong; she didn't deserve for this to happen to her. And also leave some room in for common sense. Shadow the Hedgehog returned to Earth. After many years, the Ultimate Life form just came back out of the blue and none of us knew the reason. What, do you think he was just dropping by to say hello? Why didn't any of us stop to think that maybe, just maybe, he had some dangerous hidden agenda, and leaving the first human he encountered alone was a bad idea? Out of all of us, she was the only one he'd interacted with. And top it off with the fact that she's Abraham Tower's grand-daughter, it's almost scary to think that she could be considered the perfect hostage. I'm not exactly sure what she's being held hostage for. But she's still just a young girl with relations to the G.U.N. Commander. I don't care that none of us knew what Shadow's intentions were. We still should've kept an eye on Rachel, and that's all there is to it. So yes, Amy, this is my fault. She was my responsibility. And I have every right to blame myself! If I had gone on Train 41 just for safety's sake, I could've stopped it! No one would've gotten injured, and Rachel would be home safe with her family right now."

Amy stared at me then dropped her brow sadly. Her eyes glistened over with fresh tears, and instantly my heart melted. The last thing I wanted was to make her cry. I suppressed all the fury inside me and tried to bring about my gentle side again.

"I-I'm sorry, Amy. I didn't mean to yell at you. I'm just frustrated with myself. You have to understand-"

She shook her head, dropping her ears slightly. "No, I'm not upset because of that."

She walked past me silently and went to look out the window. Outside, the night sky was blanketed in velvety blue. The moon glowed in the distance, washing over all the dark green terrain with its dimmed rays. It was the same moon that I had watched get partially shattered to bits by Eggman sixteen years ago; back when I met Shadow for the first time. Supposedly, that night was the same night Rachel Tower was born. To me the moon served as a reminder of her existence, making it that much harder to keep her out of mind seeing as it hung over my head day in and day out.

Amy breathed out hesitantly. "I feel like we've failed Commander Tower," she said. "We failed him and his family. Sonic, you don't have a responsibility alone. But we do have a responsibility. We share it together. Our main priority is to make sure no evil harms the people of this planet, and to protect them. And that priority never takes a rest. We're supposed to watch after everyone...make sure that no innocent life is lost for such vain reasons. Rachel is so far away from her natural home. Far from Earth, far from Station Square. We all let her down."

I looked at her quietly, making my way over to the window to stand next to her.

"Now don't you go blaming yourself too, Amy Rose. We'll bring her back. Don't you worry," I said reassuringly. "Tails is trying the best he can. He'll be done modifying the X Tornado soon. Then we'll all go into space and look for her ourselves. But until then, let's try to be more positive about this. And that goes for me too."

Amy turned her neck to look at me. "Oh come on. Everyone's been on edge since Shadow returned. How can I find anything about this situation positive?"

I pondered for a moment then shrugged. "How about we take into consideration that maybe Shadow won't treat Rachel all that badly?"

She narrowed her eyes at me. "Oh please. It's Shadow. He's been cruel before, and he can always do it again. It's been a while since we last saw him. What if he's even worse now?"

I cocked my head. "You don't know that. Sixteen years a long time. Not that it changes anything, but maybe he's changed. And also let's not forget that he originally rescued Rachel from those creeps in Westopolis. The normal Shadow would've never bothered to respond to a human cry for help. For all we know, Rachel could be in better hands than we think. Shadow isn't completely evil. There is some good in the guy. Let's at least give him that."

Amy sighed, rubbing the side of her arm awkwardly. She didn't seem convinced, but quickly masked it with a small chuckle.

"You never cease to amaze me, Sonic. Even with strange cases like Shadow, you always manage to find the good in people." She sighed, wrapping her arms around my chest and nuzzling me. I looked down at her and lifted an eyebrow, smirking at her sudden affection. She then lifted her head so that we were face to face.

"We're all in this together, right? You, me, Knuckles, and Tails. No one will be able to relax until Rachel is brought back home to Station Square. So we'll be the ones to bring her home. Then things can be normal again."

I laughed gently, bringing my arm around her waist in a friendly half-hug.

"Trust me, it'll be a piece of cake."

I then averted my eyes back out the window, a little unsure if I believed my own words.

"We just have to patient. Before you know it, we'll all be soaring through those stars in the X Tornado, right on Egg-butt's tail."

She giggled. "Right. And then you can kick his and Shadow's butts to the moon."

I laughed. "Exactly. That sounds perfect."

(Rachel's POV)

I sanitized the wound on my torso with a handful of soap, wincing in discomfort and reeling in a shaky breath once the stinging had returned.

Ugh, come on, Rachel. Don't be a wimp and suck it up. You don't want the area to get infected. Just clean it up and be done with it like a good girl.

The suds slid down my stomach in foamy trails. I pressed my other hand down on the soap bottle once again, and pumped another ounce of soap into my enclosed fingers so I could lather the rest of my body. After a few minutes of repeatedly cleansing myself, I found myself humming random notes to pass the time. My quiet, nearly monotone humming slowly began transcending into a regular song. And before I knew it, I was shyly singing in the shower just like I used to back on Earth.

"It's a little bit funny. This feeling inside..." I started out timidly. The situation felt a little awkward. Here I am, using Eggman's shower. In this spot that I'm standing in, Eggman has been naked. The thought was repulsive, but still this was no time to be picky. I made the most of it and tried singing louder to distract myself from any more lingering thoughts.

"I'm not one of those who can easily hide... I don't have much money but boy if I did, I'd buy a big house where we both could live."

I hesitated, swallowing a dry lump of air. My veins started pulsating with more adrenaline. My eyelids lost their heavy weight, and I felt myself waking up more.

"And you can tell everybody this is your song.

It may be quite simple but, now that it's done…"

Then, it felt like something in the core of my spirit had been re-awakened, and my energy flooded back to me. My voice was starting to sound more upbeat again. I didn't sound strained or depressed. I sounded like Rachel Tower again. It gave me a burst of confidence and I gave a catlike grin.

Wow, one shower was all it took. Now I'm ready to take on the world.

I laughed inwardly, continuing to sing. "I hope you don't mind, I hope you don't mind, that I put down in words…how wonderful life is now you're in the worl-"

There was a loud knocking on the bathroom door.

"Rachel? What the heck are you doing in there!" I heard Bokkun ask from the alternate side of the door. I instantly bit my lip, flushing in embarrassment. But then, I couldn't help but frown. I can't even sing without having my motives questions? Figures.

I heard him groan. "Come on! This is no time to be a canary! You need to hurry up and get out before Dr. Eggman and Shadow return!"

I paused. Hearing Shadow's name instantly yanked me out of my rising mood. My mouth opened slightly, and a light breath escaped.

What is Shadow going to say when he sees my injury? What if he's already seen it? Did he check before he left to go...wherever he is now? I really hope he does know about it. The last thing I want do to is go explain the matter with him and spark anymore drama between us.

The hot water dripped down my face and hair, collecting at the seam of my pursed lips. I felt my own hands start to quiver as they roamed my arms and waist, rubbing the dead layer of skin off with the palms. My fear of Shadow was flourishing. I had meant to take a step forward with him, but I ended up taking two steps backward. Was this my fault, or his?

"I'm sorry. I'm moving as fast as I can," I said quietly, looking down and letting the water fall around me. But then I ignored everything and gave a small smile. Despite everything, I was still in a good mood, and wanted to ride out the feeling for as long as possible. That meant it was going to take a lot to knock me down.

(Shadow's POV)

I glared at Rorschach unforgivingly, clenching my body inwards in fury.

How dare he.

How dare he even consider it would be appropriate to suggest a bargain like this one with me?

Sell Rachel to him? Never.

Not even if this entire planet came crumbling down, not even if lives were on the line, I would never...ever...leave Rachel in the hands of this creepy, and downright psychotic Lynx. The deal was, I keep her with me until I uncovered six of the Chaos Emeralds, followed by bringing her back to Earth and using her to retrieve the seventh. Then, we would part forever.

That's the way it was.

But oddly, the ransom mission never even crossed my mind until now. Something else was there, and I couldn't deny it much longer. I knew I definitely had some strongly possessive feelings regarding Rachel. The desire to keep her safe was ravaging. I couldn't pinpoint a reason, or even the simplest explanation as to why that was. But the moment my mind processed the words 'Sell this Rachel girl to me' in Rorschach's undertone, I found my muscles aching to snap the Lynx's face in half.

Rorschach stared at me with a vicious and twisted glint in his frosted eyes. He seemed extremely satisfied with my reaction, absorbing it for everything it was worth.

I almost gasped, shaken by my own thoughts, and remembering Rorschach's strange mind-reading ability. There was my problem. I needed to stop thinking altogether.

Don't let him in, Shadow. Don't think of anything he can use against you. Keep him out. Keep him out.

Rorschach chuckled while simultaneously massaging his muzzle with his thumb and fore-finger. I wondered if he heard that too.

"So, what will it be, hedgehog? Are you willing to exchange your hostage for ensured freedom? Bear in mind, I wouldn't be stubborn over my decision if I were you. Living out the remainder of your days behind Rozorus' prison bars isn't exactly a tasteful future."

My tongue pointed against the back of my teeth. I was shaking with rage. The Chaos Emerald hummed loudly in my grasp since the energy was being fueled by my anger. I looked down at it and saw it had started to glow brighter. Rorschach noticed it too, but didn't pry his glance off me, and simply acknowledged its presence with a confident smirk.

I bit down on air. I plan on getting out of here as soon as possible, but just for curiosity's sake...

"What do you want with her..." I asked sharply, cautious of the answer I would receive.

Rorschach just knitted his eyebrows together in response. "Well, judging by how much you think about this girl, and the thoughts you have concerning her, I can only imagine how special she is to you."

I just blinked back at him. Could he really gather that much information from hearing only a few of my mentality statements? I couldn't argue with his assumption though. Even if I had not known Rachel for that long, and couldn't recall ever thinking to myself that she was special, I knew she was definitely different for whatever reason.

All the more reason why I wasn't going to give her up.

Rorschach took a step back, as if to study me more accurately. "You might not be aware of this, Shadow the Hedgehog. But anyone and everyone who possesses a brain have thoughts that they don't even know about. They're thoughts that you don't really acknowledge, but they still exist in your mind. It's almost like a subconscious within a subconscious. While you might have generated actual words as thoughts, your inner senses were also reacting to other signals. Not only do I hear your thoughts on this Rachel girl out loud, but I can even hear and see her for myself. The sound of her voice is stored in your brain, as well as her face and other features. And the signals are coming straight from the base of your memory. So what I hear and see isn't altered or distorted in the slightest. It's purely factual imagery. And if I truly focus, I can even hear her singing."

My eyes widened. That seemed a little far-fetched. Was he trying to throw me off?

He shook his head. "Don't believe me? You want me to repeat the words of her song back to you?"

I cringed. No. Don't.

He smirked. "Ever so gently, hear my voice," he taunted in a girly voice, taking a step forward.

"Ever so softly, feel my touch."

I clenched my teeth harder together, almost hearing Rachel's audible voice along with him. I mirrored his actions by taking a step backward.

He smirked for a second time. "Always so gently, I walk. So go to sleep..."

Enough.

"My love."

I said enough!

He laughed loudly, placing a hand over his stomach as if it would burst. I shut my eyes, about to make a remark in my defense. But he instantly cut me off.

"My, my, my. That's quite the kinky song, no? She has an intoxicating voice might I add. When I'm granted ownership of her, I might even put her out there on stage," he said, gesturing towards the large platform, now basking in a dark purple spotlight as Dakota's silhouette made many smooth motions towards the audience, all while breathing out raspy noted words into the microphone. "She could give Dakota a run for her money."

My eyes shot open at the sound of this.

He didn't even pause to catch his breath. "I might just have to dress her down a little. She isn't all that bad-looking Shadow, for whatever species she is. In fact, she has quite a visual appeal. But maybe some more clingy attire would make my audience appreciative. Who knows, she could be the next best thing to ever happen to my club," he added with a sultry wink.

That had done it. Those last statements had sliced through the last bondage of self-control left in my spirit.

He then extended his large, bulky hand towards me, urging me to shake it. "So, what do you say. Do we have a deal?"

The energy of the Chaos Emerald in my arms was practically screaming out of merciless intensity. Its glow cast distorted shadows all over my face. I didn't let any thoughts cross my mind, that way Rorschach would be unprepared for what I was about to do. An improv finally hit me, and I set off like a rocket.

I threw my own hand forward, wrapping my fingers tightly around Rorschach's hand as if I was about to shake it. But then I squeezed harder, until I was sure his blood circulation had been blocked off. He shot a questioning look, since my current actions were contradictory to my previous words and expression. I flashed him an evil snarl, and then twisted his arm all the way around at a nearly 360 degree angle. A gruesome cracking noise filled the room, like a thick branch that had been snapped in several different places. The bones from his hand all the way up to his elbow instantly shattered under my grip.

Rorschach's reaction was extremely delayed. It took him a moment to comprehend what had just happened. But the pain must've hit him like a train. When it finally sunk in, he screamed loudly in agony, unable to pull his arm out of my grasp since it was now rendered useless. His whole face scrunched in as he bit down on his bottom lip with his blade-like teeth until it bled. The red droplets beaded together before dropping off the edge of his mouth and onto the floor.

I smirked at his expression of misery as his arm twitched violently underneath my iron hold.

"To hell with your deal."

Rorschach's mouth fell wide open. By now, the customers had noticed what was going on and all jumped from their chairs in unison, gasping or screaming out in surprise at what they were seeing. Dakota halted her voice and made a loud noise of shock through the microphone. Almost instantly, everyone began running for the exits. I almost smiled to myself in dark humor.

Perfect. You can only imagine what Eggman's thinking right about now when he sees people running out of the club, fleeing for their lives. Probably something along the lines of... "Oh Shadow, you've done it again. Sending people running away in terror is clearly what you're best at."

But that was my mistake. I became too distracted and let my guard down. My eyes wandered to the panicking crowd of anthromorphic animals for all of half a second, but that was enough time to leave myself open. A sharp pain suddenly erupted right there on my torso. It felt like a blade had sliced through me. The pain ran from left to right, but intensified around the middle, like someone had driven a knife through my skin, and planted it deeper as it went along.

I gasped out, instantly darting my head down to see what struck me. Instead of seeing any weapon, I found a long gash etched across the area directly beneath my chest, where the pain was originating. My black fur made it difficult for the blood to be thoroughly visible, but I could definitely feel it running down my stomach. There were also a few crimson specks splattered against my white chest fur. Even though it hurt like hell, I still didn't let go of Rorschach.

He had officially signed his death wish.

My eyes traveled upwards. Rorschach was panting from the overwhelming pain of his broken bones. But through the heavy breathing, he forced an evil grin, satisfied to have gotten his revenge.

The sound or the doors being thrown open went off all around me. I didn't take my eyes off Rorschach, but could feel a threatening presence fill the room. The once sensual, almost tranquil atmosphere of the club was now bathed in a sense of violent invasion. Whether that invasion was from me, or the people now entering the building, that was solely up to whoever bared witness to this event.

"Freeze! You are completely surrounded! Get on the ground and put your hands over your head!" a loud voice boomed over a megaphone. It was a husky male voice who was standing somewhere behind me. I growled to myself. Well if it isn't my favorite thing in the world. Cops.

I darted my eyes around the interior of the club. All sorts of male animals, who I assumed were the authorities, were lined along the walls and had their machine guns all readied and aimed at me.

The same man behind me from before, who I hadn't taken the time to notice, continued yelling into his megaphone.

"If you don't follow orders, we will be forced to open fire!"

I turned my attention back to the Lynx who was still in my grip. He wasn't putting up much of a struggle, but he had this evil, justified look on his face. Like he really believed that there was no hope for me now, and that I had no chance of escaping. My eyes then averted downwards to his free arm. In it, his trembling gloved fingers were wrapped around the handle of a slender dagger. There was fresh blood...my blood...coated on the surface and dripping down the sharp point.

I slowly lifted the Chaos Emerald away from me and raised my hand higher. My arm shook slightly as my strength rapidly depleted. All my body's energy was centering around my wound, and hardly any of it was left in my muscles.

The Chaos Emerald hummed loudly in my grasp. The cops around me brought their weapons closer to them in an attacking stance, all wary of my sudden movement.

"GET ON THE GROUND, NOW!" the man yelled.

I laughed wickedly to myself, releasing Rorschach and pushing him away. He stumbled a little but immediately regained himself, slitting his eyes at me in confusion.

What's the matter, Rorschach? You thought you had it all under control, didn't you?

He widened his eyes in fear.

"WE WONT ASK AGAIN, HEDGEHOG!"

I'm sure you expect me to be appreciative since you handed the Chaos Emerald over so easily. However I'm more than annoyed with you. It's been a pleasure doing business with you. Now time to blow this place sky high.

"WE WILL OPEN FIRE IN THREE-!"

You're gonna wish you never invaded the privacy my mind.

"TWO!"

You're gonna wish you never mentioned Rachel's name to me.

"ONE!"

You're gonna wish you never got on my bad side. Cheers.

He emitted a short yelp.

"Alright men, open fi-"

"CHAOS…BLAST!"

(Rachel's POV)

Sterile. Fresh. Pristine. Renewed. All these words didn't even half describe how clean I felt. It was incredibly rejuvenating.

After stepping out of the shower into a welcoming cloud of hot vapor, I got a clean towel out of the bathroom closet to dry myself. The towel itself was ivory white, and extremely soft to the touch as I patted myself dry. The towel absorbed water off my skin faster than a Sham Wow could ever dream of, making my life a whole lot easier since now I had another reason to not keep the ever so patient Decoe, Bocoe, and Bokkun waiting on the other side of the door. But I guess I should cut them some slack. They just didn't want to upset their boss slash creator, and letting the hostage of this whole ordeal take a shower in his bathroom was definitely pushing it.

I wrapped the somewhat short towel around my damp and softened body, securing the edge of it underneath the first layer so that it wouldn't unravel and fall. Something told me this cloth was meant to be used as a washrag for Eggman, seeing as his towels would have to be a mile long to cover his whole body.

I twisted the ends of my hair together tightly over the marble sink, ringing out all the excess water. Once I'd combed my fingers through the wet, blackened locks, the tangles had been smoothed out until they unknotted into silky cascades.

There was a diamond-shaped mirror on the wall that I hadn't even acknowledged when I entered, or rather was thrown into the bathroom. It was right above the sink, coated in a fresh layer of moisture. I hesitated for a moment before reaching one hand forward and smearing my palm across the glass, leaving a clean smudge so I could see my reflection. What I saw nearly made me gasp in overflowing joy. But instead, I took a deep breath and smiled.

My skin looked at least five shades lighter, but that was because it'd been covered in a build-up of dirt and grime. My blotchy face now looked smooth and my lips had gone pink and healthy. My eyes weren't dry or bloodshot, and now looked white as fresh snow again. Even the green in the irises seemed more vibrant in color. Everything about myself just looked perfectly in place again. I sighed gratefully, tearing my gaze away from my own eyes and looking down to re-adjust the towel.

Now all I needed was a fresh pair of clothes, or rather my old ones after the blood had been washed off, and then I would be on my way. I guess I'll just have to parade around in here like this until something happens.

I didn't really have a problem with that. With the door locked from the inside, I didn't have to worry about anyone barging in, just in case Eggman and Shadow decided to return early.

"Guys, I'm all set in here!" I hollered to the trio outside the door. "I just need to have my clothes cleaned off."

Bokkun yelled back, "Okay! But you have to bring them to us first!"

I paused, fingering the edge of my mouth. "Uh, wait just one more second."

I turned back to the mirror with a smirk, humming quietly as I fidgeted with my wet hair. Bokkun groaned loudly immediately after.

(Shadow's POV)

My eyes burned from the waves of heat radiating around me.

The red aura around my body slowly faded back to ebony as the effects of the Blast died off.

The inside of my body felt like it was on fire. I felt the urge to cough as the thick gray smoke seeped through my mouth and slithered down my throat.

Everything that wasn't metal had been singed by the scorching hot debris as it clattered down from what was left of Club de la Glace S Che...or Dry Ice...or whatever it used to be. The ceiling was gone...the tables and bar were gone...the ground had been split down the middle, the severed circuitry from the lights were crackling in white sparks. Everything had been replaced with red flames and dead or unconscious bodies.

My eyes glowed bright with hatred. My power was weakened down to its pit of minor ability. I wasn't sure how I was going to get out of here this way. Was there enough strength in me left to do a Chaos Control? I knew I couldn't count on Dr. Eggman to get me back to his Carrier. He was probably long gone. I'm sure he flew off in his hovercraft the moment he saw the club attendees evacuating, assuming I'd be able to escape on my own.

Before I even attempted a teleport, I glared through the smoke and took several steps forward, scanning the area where Rorschach's body had once stood. Hopefully, he'd been vaporized and there wasn't even the smallest trace of him left in this world.

I then brought my feet to an immediate stop on the cracked ground. The swirls of smoke departed, and in front of me was the Lynx's body sprawled across the floor, his head wedged underneath a burning hot chunk of ceiling. His broken arm was twisted in many different angles off to the side of him. I dipped my head in satisfaction, breathing deeply through my nose. He wasn't vaporized, but he wasn't moving either. I pronounced Rorschach the Lynx dead.

All I can say is you had it coming.

With a final look at the aftermath of my attack, I decided it was time to ditch this place. I held the Chaos Emerald above my head once more, staggering in the process. The pain hit me again and I almost doubled over and dropped the Emerald. The gash in my torso was still overflowing with blood. The hot liquid had matted my fur together, but was still practically unseen to the naked eye. Being the Ultimate Life form, I was programmed to make fast recoveries no matter what sort of injury was afflicted on me. But, I still felt the pain. And Rorschach might have driven that dagger deeper than I thought.

I sighed angrily. Flashbacks of what just took place melted through my mind like a flipping scrapbook. I pushed them aside and opened my mouth to speak.

By the power of Chaos, take me back to the Egg Carrier. Take me to Rachel. She should still be in my room sleeping just like I left her. Teleport me there now.

"Chaos Control."

The white light tangled through the edges of my eyes until it completely swallowed the scene of the destroyed club. My mind went through a frenzy for a second, and it became hard to focus. I clutched my wound, but the pressure only intensified the pain.

I growled angrily and took my hand away. The glove was now spotted with a crimson stain.

My white settings started to melt into some place new. But this place didn't have the same atmosphere as my room.

It was bright.

Hot.

And...humid?

Before I knew it, I felt myself falling from thin air. And I ended up falling on something.

No, this something was moving.

It was a person.

It was...

But before I could see for myself, everything went black.

(Rachel's POV)

"AAAH!" I screamed out in shock, feeling my body get knocked down to the floor by a dark, blurred force.

I had only caught a glimpse of the figure in the mirror after it appeared. The moment I saw it, I spun around quickly only for the same figure to fall on top of me, completely enveloping me with its swift movement and trapping me under its weight.

I groaned quietly. My head had banged against the floor rather hardly, and now my vision was being replaced by a flurry of dots. But once I blinked them away, I lifted my eyes carefully, swallowing in panic. The warm body had all of its weight pushed against me, like it wasn't trying to hold itself up. I growled and grabbed it by its arms, trying to pick it.

"Get off me!" I ordered breathlessly. "Get off now!"

Whoever you are, you have no right to just knock me down then refuse to get up!

But then, my fingers loosened. An epiphany struck me like a ton of bricks. This feeling...this touch...

This tingly, electrifying feeling.

That only happens to me with one person.

I could feel my heart start slamming against the inside of my chest like a wrecking ball.

Shadow the Hedgehog!

"S-Shadow?" I cried out in confusion, obeying my instincts and trying to push the hedgehog off me again. But he was too heavy, and my attempts were futile. My hysteria urged me to use more of my strength, even if it left my arms sore. But alas, it was no use.

I dropped my arms to the floor in defeat, turning my head to the side and blushing at our close contact. The only thing separating Shadow the Hedgehog and my nude self was this towel. And even now the towel had loosened and was starting to slip.

"What...what are you-? How did you-? Why are y-..." I choked out, unable to control my voice.

I then paused and forced myself to be silent. I noticed something rather odd. Shadow wasn't fighting me. He wasn't arguing back or trying to get up and off me.

I picked my neck up a little and looked the hedgehog dead in the face. But instead of being met with his crimson red eyes, I saw that his eyelids were plastered over them. He was breathing deeply, as if asleep. I looked down farther and saw that between our pressed bodies, blood had started to trickle down my towel and form a pool between the tiles. It wasn't my own. It was coming from the outside.

I gasped loudly. It was Shadow's blood. He was hurt. He was unconscious.

There was a loud banging at the door, but it wasn't loud enough to break me free of my thoughts.

Why is Shadow bleeding? What happened to him?

"Rachel!" Bokkun screamed from the other side.

Who could hurt Shadow and actually get away with it?

"I don't know what you're screaming at, but Eggman is back! You need to get out NOW!"

His body temperature is so high. It's making me sweat.

Seriously, what has this guy been through?

"Are you listening to me!"

I bit my lip in worry, craning my neck towards the door. "It's Shadow! He's hurt! He's really hurt!"

I managed to shift myself a little under the hedgehog and used my arms to crawl a few millimeters closer to the door.

"Go get help!

Now!"

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Weellll how many years has it been? I'm sorry I haven't updated. I got writer's block again, and my laryngitis also played a major part -.- But here it is! I hope you like it. I worked my ass off.

Anyways, thank you for these 100+ reviews! I know it's not the most reviewed story in all of the fanfiction world. But it really means a lot to me, again since it's my first story. Thank you so so SO much!

And right now it's 3 AM and I need to go to sleep. Tomorrow's a Saturday but I'm still tired. So I don't really have time to respond to all the reviews. But I've still read them all. Your compliments and criticism mean everything to me!

And also, I would like to add that just in case it hasn't really come to your attention, but this story takes place in the FUTURE. Let's see...Sonic Adventure 2, first game with Shadow and all the events with the moon and such, was released in 2001. So this story is in 2017. I'm not really sure what technology will be like then, but let's just say there haven't been any MAJOR breakthroughs (because I'm not a science geek and I can't pull anything awesome out to represent that era) And I don't know, maybe they invented headphones that are so advanced, they spark when they're cut. -.- Blarg.

Thank you, and please review!