We Will Always Be Enemies

by waystatus

Rachel Tower, granddaughter of the G.U.N. Commander, was born the same night the moon was blown up by the Eclipse Cannon. Sixteen years have passed and she's grown to hate an evil monster named Shadow the Hedgehog. But what happens when Shadow returns, and takes her as his hostage? ShadowxOC

21. Hear no Evil, See no Evil, Speak no Evil

(Travis' POV)

-Ding Dong-

My eyes widened at the sudden interruption and peeled away from the television, directing towards the door. As if on cue, I emitted an irritated growl.

Are you kidding me? More media? Haven't they gotten enough out of us? Don't they ever know when it's enough...?

I silently ignored whoever was at the door and forced myself to resume watching my television show. My day had been going by at a fairly good rate, but I knew answering the door only to be greeted with violent flashes of light from the reporters' cameras and having microphones shoved in my face would instantly ruin my mood.

They need to mind their own business. They need to stop asking us about Rachel. Rachel this, Rachel that. Get a clue, people. She is my sister, not theirs. They have no reason to be concerned. I wish they would all just go away. Just disappear.

-Ding Dong-

My blood started to boil and my posture stiffened. They're still out there? Why can't they take the hint!

My parents weren't home. They were in Westopolis with Grandpa, and Emma and I stayed home with my mom's friend, Christine. Christine was a family-friend who always baby-sat us when my parents had to leave on short notice. Right now she was in my room, probably napping with Emma. I was alone out here. I had no way of getting the reporters to leave by myself. All I could do was sit here, wait, and pray that they would leave on their own.

I grabbed a couch pillow off the cushion next to me and pressed it up against the lower half of my face, biting into it to control my anger. These reporters had a lot of nerve, coming back to my house after all the trouble they'd caused. Because of them, I couldn't go outside and play with my friends anymore. Because of them, we always had to have the windows shut with the blinds closed so no one would disturb us or try to question us through the glass. And yes, this had happened.

Because of them, we couldn't go anywhere; no restaurants, no movie theatres, no Twinkle Park. Summer vacation was coming to an end, and school would be starting soon. Would we even be allowed to go back there too?

They had us completely isolated in our own home, yet they still came by to ask questions. They didn't care simply because they were rude and selfish. I hated every last one of them.

Losing my sister was a personal issue. It was these people who publicized it. It was all over the internet, on newspapers and bulletin boards, even slapped across the neon banners in Station Square. It was the topic on all the recent talk shows and radio shows. We couldn't listen to the radio or watch the news anymore, because all we would hear was more information and/or false rumors about our Rachel.

Even when celebrities were being interviewed on T.V., a question like "Have you heard about the Train 41 Incident, and about the girl who was kidnapped? Isn't it just devastating?" would come around sooner or later. And this entire ordeal wasn't just a local, or even a national thing. My sister had become an international sensation over the course of the last few months. But I get that. I mean, how often does someone get captured by a Sonic look-a-like who wields a gun and then disappears off the face of the planet?

And why did it have to be my sister that it happened to?

Couldn't it have been someone else's sister?

Then there was Princess Elise, who lived all the way in Soleanna. She managed to weasel her way into the issue too.

She released a statement about how sorry she felt for the whole Tower family and that she 'prays to the Gods' every night that Rachel will be brought home somehow and reunited with all of her loved ones. She also said that she follows this small ritual, where she lights these candles every night to go along with her prayer. It was a custom of her people. Apparently, five large candles were lit outside her kingdom. Each one symbolized something different; strength, patience, love, reunion, and hope. In this case, it was meant to represent the fire in Rachel's soul and how the flames would never die, and only dance in sync of one another for as long as she was alone and within separation of the ones she has spiritual connection with. Yeah...I didn't get it either.

Everyone else saw it as something beautiful and praised the princess for going out of her way to perform such a selfless act. But to me, it was a bunch of nonsense. Anyone could light a freaking candle. It's not like it actually did anything. In fact, it's total crap. Royalty or not, Princess Elise needed to shut up and mind her own business. The way I saw it, this situation did not concern her in the slightest, and we didn't need her sympathy. She knew nothing of Rachel's soul. Absolutely nothing.

I hated this. I hated this more than anything.

-Ding Dong Ding Dong Ding Dong Ding Dong-

My rage boiled over. That...does it!

I ripped the pillow away from my face and threw it across the room. "GO AWAY!" I screamed, squeezing my eyes shut and ducking my head into my lap. I knotted my hands in my hair and pulled at the roots, trying anything to block at the chime of my house's doorbell. "Go away go away go away!"

Silence followed.

I snarled like a wild animal, knowing the people outside hadn't left because there had been no footsteps.

"Don't any of you get it? We're sick of you! We're sick of all of you! Can't you just leave us alone! You're making it ten times worse, you stupid, selfish reporters!" I hollered, struggling to tame my own voice as tons of remarks burst from within me.

"Just leave my house and don't come back! And if you do, I swear you'll be sorry!"

There was an eerie silence on the other side of the door that hung over while I struggled to maintain my breath. I tried to imagine what these reporters were doing right now. It'd gotten awfully quiet.

They're quoting me, aren't they? Yes, that's what they're doing. They're stuffing their noses in their little notebooks and jotting down every word I say. This is probably going to be a headline in tomorrow's news. I can see it now...9-Year Old Tower Child has Breakdown in His Own House...But you know what? Fine! Let them do it! I don't care, no...not in the slightest! I don't! I don't!

"I-I'm sorry, but I'm not a reporter," a little voice said, muffled by the wood of the door.

My defensive stance instantly ceased and I looked up.

The voice spoke again, but this time with a bit more courage. "I'm just your neighbor, silly goose."

My eyebrows heightened. What...? My neighbor? I don't even talk to my neighbors. Why would one be at my door? They knew we didn't like to have visitors come by here anymore. I mean, we never really told anyone not to come by, but did we need to?

Hesitantly, I lifted myself off the couch and slowly prodded over to the door. As I neared the frame, my mind went into a scramble.

Wait, this could be a trick. The person at the door did sound like a child, but that could be a reporter disguising their voice. They could be pulling a fast one! They wouldn't really stoop that low, would they? Before I could stop and think twice, my curiosity got the best of me and my hand made its way around the door knob, tugging the entity of it wide open.

The hot, afternoon breeze washed over like a sharp breath on my face. It took me back for a moment, but then I focused my eyes on the person in front of me.

A young girl, who was about half my height, was standing bashfully on the center of my doorstep. She had short, curly blonde hair that shimmered and reflected the gold rays of the sunlight behind her. Her eyes were wide and innocent, filled with swirls of foamy blue. Her nose was dainty, and her lips were narrow and rosy. She was wearing a light-pink summer dress and white sandals. Her whole appearance resembled that of a porcelain doll.

I had never seen this girl before in my life, but her aura had me under the impression that she was someone kind and meek. Someone who meant well after all. And I had been screaming at this not too long ago.

Before she had a chance to speak, I shot my questions at her.

"Who are you? What do you want?"

The girl looked up at me fearfully, but overrode it with a bold grin. "Uhm, good afternoon, sir! Would your name happen to be Tower? Or have I possibly made a mistake in the address? Although I was certain this was the Tower household. Because, you see, my house isn't too far away and I thought-"

"Yes, my name is Tower," I said quickly in annoyance. "Travis Tower. Can I help you?"

My mouth was saying 'Can I help you', but my eyes and body language were telling the girl to clear out before I got to the count of three. Even though she was just a little girl, I'd been having trouble trusting anyone outside of my family for the past few months, and she was no exception.

The girl was oblivious to all of this and flashed a sweet, carefree smile. "No, Mr. Travis, sir! It is I who came to help you! Well, not really help, see. I know your family is going through some difficult times, and I can only imagine how stressful your lives have been since...well...you know...basically what I'm saying is I'm aware of all that your family has been through."

I blinked, utterly shocked with this girl. She had not a regretful bone in her body. For everyone else, the topic of my sister was taboo to anyone who wasn't directly involved. But this girl was going on about it like it was just a casual chat about the weather.

She continued on. "My name is Melody Hughs. I'm six years old, and I just graduated kindergarten! I live on the street behind your house with my mom and baby brother. We heard about what happened to you and really wanted to help somehow. But, since all this craziness is more of a personal thing for you, we decided to keep our noses in our own business, you know? Just to save you the trouble."

I couldn't help but nod at this. "Yes, exactly. I like how you think. I wish all the reporters felt the same way. They're pretty annoying," I said bitterly.

Melody's smile didn't even falter. "Uh-huh, I couldn't agree more!" she said. "Reporters are stupid and ugly. But anyway, I'm sorry for turning up so suddenly and disrupting your peace! I just wanted to give this to you."

She then looked down at the tiny woven basket in her hands, and I gawked at it in confusion. Had she been carrying that this whole time? I didn't even notice it before. I just blankly stared at the basket, not sure how to react. So...she's giving me a basket. Uh, thank you?

But then, I looked inside the basket and saw a plaid patterned cloth neatly folded over itself. Melody delicately tugged at the corners of the cloth and let it unravel, revealing a bundle of assorted vanilla cupcakes. Each one was iced with dark blue frost. My mouth watered over as the butter cream scent wafted through my nostrils. They looked absolutely delicious, and smelled even better than they looked, if that was possible. The last time I had cake was during Rachel's 16th birthday, but even then it was extremely rare for anyone in our family to have sweets. Our mom never baked.

I tried to hide the spark of hunger in my eyes, but Melody picked it up and giggled.

"Yes! Victory! I knew you would like them!" she said triumphantly. "The icing is blue, just like Sonic the Hedgehog! Me and my mom baked a bunch of them, and then saved twelve to give to your family because we thought you could use them!"

I couldn't help but smirk. Heh. Blue like Sonic the Hedgehog. I like it.

My hand had made its way through the air, towards the handle of the basket so I could accept it from her. But I stopped and glared down at her, feeling that dark, angry feeling suddenly starting to creep its way back into my heart.

"...Wait...What did you say?"

She tilted her head to the side questioningly, not losing her big, baby-toothed grin. "Erm...We...thought you could use them?" she repeated without hesitation. She then cleared her throat and rephrased her sentence. "What I mean is, you guys probably haven't had any time to bake cookies or cakes or anything and I thought these cupcakes would make everything a little bit better!"

I bore my teeth angrily.

She laughed. "My family and I, we really are sorry for your loss. Or...I wouldn't even call it that, because we want to believe that Rachel Tower will come back! Yes, indeed! But it's still sad nonetheless. We pray for you and your family every night and for Rachel too! It truly is a sad thing..."

I clenched my fists.

I don't want your sympathy...I don't need your sympathy...

Get out of here...Get OUT!

And without another word, I stepped back and slammed the door shut, right in young Melody's face. On the other side, I could hear the sound of the woven basket dropping to the floor, and all of its contents spilling out with a squish onto the concrete.

(Rachel's POV)

My mind was dazed. Every time I even did so much as blinked my eyes, a strange sense of illness would overcome me.

What's happening? Where am I?

Outside, the sky was swarmed by a collision of dark clouds. Each one was brimmed with crimson lining as mutated creatures rained down onto Westopolis.

I immediately recognized them as the aliens whom everyone spoke about. The ones who tried to take over the human race.

The Black Arms.

My heart hit the floor.

They let out monstrous roars as they landed onto the streets, their weight cracking the cement in. Their bodies smashed through buildings and traffic lights. The blaring sound of sirens lashed throughout the air. It was deafening, but somehow not loud enough to drown out the agonizing cries of all the Westopolis civilians. Men and women sprinted for their lives, flailing their arms about and evading the destruction and death around them. Some had dropped to the ground of the broken streets, paralyzed in fear, while others tried desperately to outrun the surrounding monsters. Children were wandering hopelessly alone in search of their parents, screaming until their faces were glistening red, unaware that their parents were probably dead or trapped under debris with no means of escape. There were large puffs of smoke that hovered throughout the air as a result of burning buildings, cars, and people. The smog was hanging thickly at the rims of the atmosphere.

The Black Arms were invading...the world was ending...it was over for good.

The smell of dirt, blood, searing metal, and burnt skin morphed together and filled the air, shooting up my nose and flooding my head with a pounding ache. My father sucked in the air through his mouth before shoving me aside and yanking the curtains on the window shut, blocking off the outside world and shielding the room in distorted darkness.

I didn't know where we were, but it wasn't anywhere I had ever been before. We were inside a room in a tall building, and from what I could make of the world and how it looked beneath us, we were on the highest floor. The room looked like that of a hotel's, except it was stuffy and layered with pepper gray dust, and the walls were covered in splatters of a dark substance. Something in my heart told me those splatters were blood.

I felt shaking arms wind around me from behind, and instantly recognized the presence as my mother's. I gasped breathlessly.

Mom...?

It took my breath away for a moment, to feel my mother's tender touch after going so long without it, and to feel her hugging me from behind while taking in that sweet aroma that always hung around her. But the natural sweetness of her musk was watered down and mixed in with the odor of salt...conceived from her sweat and tears. She pulled me backwards with her, swallowing down her cries. She pressed her back against the corner of the small room and collapsed into an upright sitting position, pulling me down in front of her. I instantly huddled closer to her and pressed my head into the crook of her neck, desperately seeking any form of comfort as I began to shake.

"Mom...? What's happening?" I squeaked. My voice was several pitches higher than normal, but I was too distracted to care.

Instead of answering, my mom buckled her entire body inward and bit down on her lip to stifle another hysterical sob. She absent-mindedly smoothed down the wrinkles in my clothes with her quivering hand, tightening her grip around me with the other. I followed her hand as it traveled down the side of my sleeve, and noticed for the first time how small my body was. I inspected myself, and found that I was wearing light-purple shorts and a t-shirt that was red and had a chipped white graphic of a puma on the front.

A puma? Wasn't that my school's mascot...in elementary?

My eyes quickly scanned all over the rest of me, from the top of my softly-defined shoulders down to the tips of my pink, size twelve tennis shoes. I would've been shocked, but my mind was numb from all the gritted exposure. I realized then, I wasn't sixteen year old Rachel Tower anymore. I still had the same mentality as my regular self. But now, I was inside the body that I had at four years old.

How this was even possible, I didn't know.

I lifted my head and took a good look at my father as he emerged from the twisting shadows. Behind his panicked face, I could see the fresh youth in his eyes and skin. He looked at least ten years younger, as if his body had gone back in time as well. I was about to turn around and see if my mother had the same effects, when I felt her bury her soggy face into the back of my head, sniffling loudly.

"Just close your eyes, Rachel," she said between weeps. Her warm breath sifted through the maze of my tangled hair as she sobbed once more. "Close your eyes...cover your ears...and don't make a single sound."

I didn't question her. I obediently picked up my tiny hands and dove them under my hair, clamping them over my ears, and tightened my lips. I closed my eyes and allowed my vision go black, but continued to move the irises violently in all directions under my eyelids.

I could hear an unrecognizable voice chanting in the back of my mind. It spoke in a hushed, rhythmic whisper.

Hear no evil. See no evil. Speak no evil.

Urgent footsteps make their way over to my mother as the ground violently shook underneath us. I was tempted to open my eyes again, when I heard someone shout "NO!" in protest, preventing me from doing so. The voice had not belonged to my mother or father. I had no idea who it was.

My confusion was becoming more overwhelming by the second. I heard a soft grunt as my father dropped to his knees in front of us. It was his footsteps that I had previously heard, and now he was kneeling down in front of us. I felt his arms wrap around the both of us, his hands locking behind my mother's back. His body wracked with angry, and also frightened sobs as he cradled us to himself. My mother lifted one hand and wrapped it around him as well.

I was enveloped in their arms, showered in their tears, yet suddenly felt a stronger sense of safety. This was my family. They would protect me. They wouldn't let anything happen to me. If we had truly gone back in time, then Emma and Travis had not yet been born. I was their only child...their only priority. These were my parents, and I loved them with all my heart. If this was how I would die, then maybe it wasn't as unpleasant as one might assume. At least I was with the people I loved.

But at the same time, I felt extremely vulnerable in my position, being unable to see or hear what was happening in my surroundings, and now I'd lost the privilege of speaking as well. What would happen if I disobeyed? What would happen if I opened my eyes and ears, and spoke?

Then I heard it again.

Hear no evil. See no evil. Speak no evil.

I just remained where I was, keeping my hands pressed over my eardrums even though I desperately yearned to tear them away. All I wanted to do was jump up and hug my family back. I wanted to see them, I wanted to hear their voices, I wanted to tell them I love them. I was contemplating on doing all these things. If the world was truly going to end, which is what I believed was about to happen, then what did I have to lose?

Suddenly, the ground quaked again, but this time much harder than before. I felt my parents' limbs instantaneously slip away from me. I parted my lips to release an uneasy breath, after realizing that somehow I was now officially alone. I could feel it in my bones. The presence of my parents no longer existed around me. My heart began to burn with sadness and fear.

Mom? Dad? Where did you go!

My mom had been backed up against the wall, and we'd all been in the corner of the room. So how could they have fallen away from me? It wasn't possible. It didn't make sense!

No, I can't lose you!

I whimpered and started to remove my hands away from my ears and open my eyes, but the same "NO!" from before clapped through my mind like thunder.

Hear no evil. See no evil. Speak no evil.

If something was happening to my parents, if this evil had taken them away, then I would want to know! I couldn't just sit here, I needed to do something about it! I deserved to spend these last moments with them. I couldn't lose them! Not after I had just gotten to be with them again. It wasn't fair!

The mysterious voice spoke again. It was cold, unforgiving, and strict.

No.

Hear no evil. See no evil. Speak no evil.

I bit down on the edge of my tongue, struggling to contain my fear. My eyelids trembled in an effort to remain closed as tears started to build behind them, and my fingers quivered around my ears while clamping down on them like spiders. The silence was so heavy around me. I had never felt so alone in my life. Quietly, and almost regretfully, I gained the courage to shatter the silence.

"Hello?"

The ground sliced open under my knees. I could hear the awful, splitting noise it made, even though it was muffled behind the barriers of my palms. The crack ran directly in between the space underneath my body and continued to stretch forward until it hit the diagonal corner on the opposite side of the room, severing it in half. The rest of my body jolted as I let out a bloodcurdling scream, ripping my hands off my head and grabbing a handful of the carpet underneath me, one hand on each side of the large crevice. I felt like if I tried hard enough, my strength alone could hold the two sides together before the whole floor fell apart and collapsed. By now, my eyes were open and accumulating with more burning tears. I used this time to my advantage and whipped my head around in search of my parents. That voice in my head kept repeating its chant, but now its words were jumbled, and running over one another.

Hear no evil. See no evil. Speak no evil.

Hear no evil. See no evil. Speak no evil.

Hear no evil. See no evil. Speak no evil.

And then, it abruptly stopped.

A force from outside crashed through the window, shattering the glass and letting it fly outward like a splurge of water. The shards sliced through the air in my direction, but gravity allowed them to drop to the floor only a few inches away from striking me, while some fell between the gap in the floor and rained down out of sight.

I screamed again, and tightened my hold on the carpet, digging my nails into ever last of the tiny coarse hairs. When the glass had cleared, a dark figure emerged from the window frame and jumped to the floor.

My eyes widened, allowing more tears to fall freely. The figure lifted its head slowly and noticed me for the first time since it had arrived. Its form became more and more clear until it took on the shape of a hedgehog. Even though all I could see was its silhouette, I could make out a sickeningly evil grin on the figure's face and its glowing red eyes. It let out a soft, devious laugh.

My heart sunk with realization. I knew that voice anywhere.

This wasn't happening. Something like this was too awful to be true.

"Sh...Sh...Sha..." I choked out. It felt like my airways were closing off. I started to hyperventilate.

Shadow the Hedgehog stood there for a few seconds before taking slow, menacing steps towards me. The sounds of dying screams and wailing sirens went off in the distance behind him. In his hand, he was clutching a shining revolver and his finger was applying a dangerous amount of pressure on the trigger, despite the fact that he had it aimed off in a different angle. My eyes gradually moved upward to follow his own as he got closer.

What's going on? Was Shadow...killing people with that gun? What's he doing here? How did he find me!

Since I was in my four-year-old body, Shadow now towered over me at an intimidating height. Once he was close enough that I could make out his whole face, he grinned once again, revealing a pair of sharpened fangs that looked ready to tear through my very soul.

"Well well well, what do we have here?" he said. His voice was definitely still Shadow's voice, but now it had a malicious twinge to it. He sounded ready to kill.

"What's the matter, little girl? Are you all alone?"

My eyebrows furrowed. Does he not remember me?

Oh, right. This is the past. So technically he hasn't met me yet...

The cracked ground underneath me shook and broke farther apart. Part of my body was suspended between the small space of air.

Hear no evil. See no evil. Speak no evil.

I ignored the unknown voice this time, and took a deep breath to calm myself down. The tears glided down my cheeks and left hot trails.

I didn't know what to say to him. He didn't know who I was, but maybe there was still the chance that I could talk him out of doing whatever was on his mind.

I finally forced myself to speak while clinging onto the carpet for dear life.

"Shadow, I...I don't know what's happening..." I whimpered, "but, please. Please don't hurt me."

When I said hurt, I really meant kill. I was praying that he wouldn't kill me. Shadow wouldn't do that, would he? I was a stranger to him now, but he wouldn't actually kill an innocent young girl, would he?

But I was wrong. This wasn't the same Shadow the Hedgehog I knew. After I said this, a psychotic glint formed in his blood-red eyes. He lifted the gun higher and pointed it directly at me.

A sharp chill ran down my spine. I shook my head in disbelief, all the while feeling the ground grow farther and farther apart. My legs and arms started to stretch along with it.

He clicked the safety off the gun and readied himself to shoot. Before he managed to, I let out an angry cry and dipped my head downward, breaking my gaze away from his. I gasped out the last two words I could muster.

"Shadow...why!"

At the sound of this, Shadow paused for a moment, and I looked up to find his features had gone blank. But then, he let out a long, evil cackle.

"If there's anything you should know about me, it's that I leave no survivors."

I shook my head again, but this time in protest. "N-No," I said. "That's not true! You helped me before! Like when those men attacked me! You actually helped me many times!"

I tried to see past the demented look on his face and find the sane Shadow inside him. This Shadow was the kind of psycho that I thought he would be when I met him. This was the cold-blooded murderer I'd imagined him as my entire life. This was my biggest fears come true.

But, this was not who he was. I knew that for a fact.

"Shadow, it's me, Rachel!" I yelled hopelessly. I knew it was impossible to refresh his memory on something that had yet to happen, but it was worth a shot.

"I know you're in there somewhere! Please snap out of it! I know you wouldn't do this to me. I know you wouldn't! I trusted you!"

Then the ground broke apart again, and this time my body fell completely through.

"Aaahh!" I screeched loudly as I toppled through. I clawed the floor with both hands on one side while my body dangled off the edge. My weak arms were throbbing with adrenaline. I didn't stop to waste any time, and began kicking my legs back and forth, pushing my strength to its limit so I could climb back up.

Hear no evil. See no evil. Speak no evil.

Hear no evil. See no evil. Speak no evil.

Hear no-

Shadow threw his gun down, reaching over the edge and grabbed both my wrists rather harshly. The strange electric feeling trickled through my veins, melting off from his touch. I gasped and looked up at him in surprise. For a moment, I almost smiled with bitter relief. He's going to save me after all. I knew the real Shadow was still inside him. All I had to do was talk sense into him. Everything is gonna be alright.

But then I saw it in his eyes. He had no intention of saving me

A dark flicker ran through his crimson eyes. He smirked and lowered his head so that our faces were only a few centimeters apart.

"Just thought I'd point out that you trusted me..." he said simply, "when you don't know anything about me."

His iron hold on me suddenly became stronger. I winced in pain and looked back up at him with big, frightened eyes.

He grinned. "Biggest mistake of your life."

The electric tingle faded all at once. Shadow released my wrists and allowed me to slip through the crack. My body began free falling.

I couldn't scream. I was too shocked and scared to make even the tiniest sound. My mouth just hung open while my matted hair flew around my face. I fell through several more openings in lower floors, watching Shadow and his maniacal smile morph into a haze before it completely disappeared from view. My surroundings became hotter and hotter, like I was nearing fire. Like I was nearing the pits of hell.

Hear no evil. See no evil. Speak no evil.

My tears flew out of my eyes and shot upwards. My stomach was churning with a God awful feeling.

He let me die. Hell, he practically killed me...

Shadow...is letting me die.

Shadow's crazed laugh echoed through my head as I fell down to my death.

---

"...Aaahhhh!" I screamed. My arms and legs flew outward, tussling the blanket on top of me.

"AAHHH!" A familiar voice squeaked in response, followed by the sound of metal clanking against the tile floor.

I spun my head around and saw Bokkun gaping back at me like I'd grown seven heads. He had dropped a tray of nutrient bars and bottled water, all of which were now sprawled across the ground. Some of the nutrient bars were broken into pieces while others remained intact, and the bottle rolled in my direction with the water sloshing around inside. I pushed the sheets on the bed off me and pulled myself up.

My dizziness caused me to instantly trip. I nearly careened face-first with the floor, but caught myself almost as quickly as it had happened. My forehead was coated in sweat, and my eyes were still watering with fresh tears that I quickly blinked away.

Deep breaths, Rachel. It was all a dream. Well, a nightmare rather. But nonetheless, it wasn't real. You can calm down now.

Bokkun's beady eyes continued to strain at me as he drew back in terror.

"What the heck is wrong with you!" he demanded. "Why did you scream like that out of no-where? Are you trying to give me a heart attack?"

I swept the back on my hand across my brow, inhaling deeply. Speaking of heart attacks, mine was still pounding in my chest like a mallet to a nail.

"I'm sorry, Bokkun," I said in genuine apology. "I was...having a bad dream."

I then frowned.

A really, really bad dream.

"I didn't mean to scare you."

Bokkun scoffed and turned to hover out of my room, leaving the mess he left on the floor unattended. "Whatever. Enjoy your dinner," he said plainly.

He flew through the door and let it slide shut behind him. Once I was sure he was out of earshot, I groaned loudly and fell backwards onto the mattress, still shaken from the nightmare I'd had.

The dream had felt ridiculously real. It was so vivid, so convincingly fluid. It hadn't seemed surreal in the slightest. I was even a little shocked myself to find out that none of it actually happened.

Looking back, hardly anything that happened in my dream made sense when I put it all together, but I didn't question it. I mean, my whole world didn't make sense anymore anyway. This was hardly unusual on my 'Rachel's Weird Adventures' scale.

I tried to stand up again, but fell back down in pain.

"Ow," I hissed, clutching the area on my abdomen where I was injured.

It'd been a few days since Shadow was put in the medical ward, and as expected my own gash had not fully healed over the short extent of time. But the wound itself had closed over and now sported a long, sandpaper-textured scab that remained tender to touch and movement. And Shadow, whose injury was far more severe than mine, was probably already healed by now without a single trace left on him.

And to think I'm the one who's going to carry this scar for the rest of my life. Stupid Ultimate Life Form and his healing power genetics...

Once my posture was upright again, I stepped over to where the tray and the things on top of it had fallen. I knelt down and began picking all the pieces up, placing them back on the tray which had landed right side up.

I closed my eyes for a moment and attempted to shake all the negative thoughts that were circulating through my mind. But no matter how much I tried to convince myself otherwise, my heart kept telling me that maybe, just maybe, my dream was an omen.

Was it trying to tell me that Shadow really was still a monster? Even though my view on him had altered to a more positive outlook, a deep uncertainty was stinging inside of me.

My dream had taken place in the era when the Black Arms invaded, twelve years ago. While the nightmare was something that my mind conjured up on its own, the Black Arm invasion really did happen. To my knowledge, I knew that Shadow aided the Black Arms and their overlord, Black Doom, during that awful time in history where Earth nearly fell under their control. At least, that was what my Grandpa told me.

Now I've come to accept that my G.U.N. grandfather had a tendency to exaggerate his side of the story, but he never actually lied. He was an honest man, from the time that he was a boy on the ARK to the time that he'd found out about Shadow's return. Everything he said was nothing but solid truth. Despite going against the majority of what he had raised me to believe about the Ultimate Life form, I had no trouble believing that Shadow had indeed helped the Black Arms in their so called world domination before turning on them. But at the same time, it was a lot to absorb.

What happened in my dream might not have happened to me, but it may have happened to someone else. Maybe it happened to another four year old girl in Westopolis, and my dream was just me reliving it in her shoes. Dreams work in mysterious ways, so you never know, right? But was Shadow really ever that evil? Maybe at one point in time he was...but that doesn't mean he would turn on me now...right? I grabbed both sides of my head and dropped my face with another groan.

Hear no evil. See no evil. Speak no evil. What exactly did that mean? Was it a warning, perhaps?

I had painful flashbacks of my nightmare, and finally mounted to one simple conclusion.

Maybe, it truly was a mistake to trust him.

After taking a moment to recollect myself, I finally dropped my arms down by my sides and breathed in softly. I picked up the tray and stood straight once more, walking over to the bedside table to set it there properly.

Before I made it across the room, I heard a knock at the door. I froze in my tracks and looked towards the sealed opening with a hint of annoyance.

What, did Bokkun forget something? If he comes back in here he better not knock this tray over again. It's bad enough I have to eat the crumbled remains of these nutrient bars with nothing to replace them with. I know it's better than nothing. But still.

"One second, Bokkun," I said, stepping towards the table. It was odd that Bokkun wasn't just barging in like he usually did, and actually had the courtesy to knock first before entering this time. Not that I could complain. Right now, the last thing I needed was for him to create more havoc. I was already jumbled enough as it was.

Then, a dark voice cut me off.

"It's me, Shadow."

...Clank!

I gasped and swung around, nearly jumping out of my skin. My arms went limp and I lost my grip. The tray and everything on top of it fell once again, but this time the contents crashed down around my ankles. I peered at the door, feeling a strange, unknown fear build inside of me. My palms glazed over in sweat, and goose bumps rose all over.

Oh God, you've got to be kidding me. Shadow? He had to show up now? Why now!

"What just happened?" Shadow asked with mild empathy, after hearing the metal of the tray hit the ground.

I was extremely still for a second, but then snapped out of it and bent down, quickly picking everything back up from the floor and clasping it to my chest in an unorganized clutter. I then threw all of it noisily on top of the bedside table and took a moment to calm myself down...again.

"N-nothing! Hold on..." I answered shakily, stumbling over my own legs as I made my way back to the bed. I sat down on the spot where I had slept and tried to look as casual as possible.

Loosen up, Rachel. Shadow's very observative. He'll notice something's off if you let your guard down even for one second. Trick him into thinking nothing's wrong. You have to hide the fact that you just...well...had a traumatizing nightmare about him. Conceal anything and everything.

I smiled with confidence. That should be easy enough. I can do this! I can do this!

"Okay, you can come in now, Shadow," I said.

But my smile instantly dropped.

Crap, I can't do this. I can't do this!

It was too late for me to object. The door slid open, revealing the ebony hedgehog who'd been waiting on the other side. My uneasiness kept climbing as he stepped into the room. I let the moment sink in. It was the first time that Shadow and I were alone, and un-injured for that matter. Well, if you don't count my scar. The tension suppressed me.

This time will be different. Shadow and I can talk like two ordinary, civil people. There doesn't need to be any violence or Mono y Mono. This can work.

"...Wow, you r-really have the worst timing you know," I said awkwardly, rubbing the back of my head as I looked at him. I hoped that it would serve as a friendly greeting to him, even though there was a hint of truth in my statement. Shadow always showed up at the worst possible time. It was becoming his trademark.

But he was clearly not amused. His expression held everything but friendliness. He was frowning, as usual, but there was a strange, almost interested look hidden in his eyes. I was too consumed in my own thoughts to worry about it, but I did notice it for a split-second.

I glared at him.

Those eyes. Those endless pools of scarlet. Ruby red. Blood. Anger. Those pools of hatred, fury, and threat...

My eyes widened. I could see it.

The monster I saw in my dreams. The same one that let me die. The one who 'left no survivors.' He wasn't just in my dreams anymore. He was standing right here in front of me.

I could see the evil.

My teeth gritted. It was difficult, but I knew I had to look past all of that the best I could. I tried to overlook any small trace of badness left in him. He saved my life at least three times already, so that means the cruelty must have extinguished itself by now, right? Right.

But the scar on my stomach said otherwise. I almost clutched it protectively, but refrained from doing so.

The evil that I sensed in him now was the same evil that had haunted me in my nightmare. This beast in him existed once before, and it might still be residing inside him for all I know. I squinted my eyes at him, feeling my lip tremble once. Yes...that coldblooded monster might still be there...waiting for the chance to unleash itself. Waiting to ignite.

I didn't want to believe that Shadow was still capable of the things he did in my dream. Heck, I refused to accept that he'd already done them once before. But I couldn't let my denial lead me to be his next victim. A twinge of frustration sliced through my core. I was torn. Two halves of me were fighting for dominance over my better judgment. I wanted to hide. I wanted to cower.

But I didn't. I refused to be afraid. I just remained where I was and looked Shadow dead in the eye, trying to appear as fierce as possible while my chest rose and fell with long breaths. I noticed he hadn't said anything yet, so I chose to speak once again. With final hesitance, I brought myself to say the very question that, at this point, was beginning to haunt me more than that dreadful nightmare.

"Shadow...can I ask you something?" I said, my voice cracking slightly.

Shadow dipped his head down, but never broke eye contact with me.

"...Sure," he said dully. "I was going to ask you something as well. But you can go first."

I blinked. What would he possibly need to ask me? Now I have more things to think about!

I nodded silently and swallowed down the rest of my fears. Okay, here it goes.

"Did you ever...uhm...assist...the Black Arms?"

There. It was out. I flinched after asking this, half-expecting Shadow to strike me or blast me with another Chaos Spear for even bringing up the subject. But instead, he stepped closer, his expression full of inquiry.

"The Black Arms..." he said. "How do you know about-"

"My grandfather," I answered quickly, crossing my arms over my chest as the insecurity overwhelmed me. "He told me that you..."

I turned away.

"...helped them...

...and I wanted to know if that was true."

Even though I couldn't see him directly, I could feel the hedgehog's shadow closing in over me. I looked up slowly to see he was only about a foot away from me.

"No. It's not true," he said flatly.

I cringed.

Great, now I've pissed him off.

Waiting for that second scar now.

Shadow continued slowly. "But, I was associated with them."

He took another dangerously close step towards me, to the point that we were nearly touching at the leg. I could feel that strange electric sensation radiating off him and grazing my skin.

"H-How?" I asked, almost afraid to drag the conversation on any farther. But I couldn't help it. I had to know now.

Shadow opened his mouth to respond, but quickly closed it and glared down at me. His eyes were taking small, millimeter dashes while directed at my face, like he was fixating them on every last detail. One of his eyelids gently twitched, and he drew in a long sigh.

"Rachel," he said in a serious tone,

"You don't have to be afraid of me."

I widened my eyes at him, slightly leaning backwards. It was like he was reading my mind. Although it didn't take any Einstein...or Eggman...to figure out that I was troubled.

"...Huh? I'm not afraid of you," I said strongly.

He frowned, dropping his eyelids a quarter of the way down.

"Yes you are. It's obvious."

He bent closer.

"You don't have an ounce of trust for me."

I couldn't take it. I scrambled away from him, moving farther back onto the bed. My legs were tucked underneath me, and my hands were wound around handfuls of the sheets under my body. Just like when they had been gripping onto the carpet in my dream.

"What's with you always invading my personal space!" I yelled defensively. "You don't have to be so close, you know!"

He cocked an eyebrow. "Why's that? Are you nervous around me?"

My eyes popped open and strained at him in disbelief. I figured what I was feeling was fear, distrust, and confusion. But nervousness never even crossed my mind. And with the way Shadow put it into words, I felt small puffs of heat illuminating my cheeks.

"No! I'm not nervous! I just..."

I had a nightmare and it was about you. You made my family disappear into thin air, and then you let me fall to my death. You were evil. You were one of them. You were one of the Black Arms.

"I just need some time to think."

So my speculation was half true. Shadow didn't help the Black Arms, but he was associated with them. What the hell did that mean anyway?

"And," I continued, turning away, "it's hard to think when you're trying to intimidate all the time like now. And of course I'm going to be a little defensive. After...well you know."

I couldn't see him, but I could hear Shadow emit a low, agitated sound.

"Look, I'm not asking anything of you," he said angrily. "I don't care if you don't like me or trust me, or don't approve of what I've done in the past."

His voice then softened.

"But.

None of that of that matters. I'm willing to put all of it behind if you are."

I felt the electric tingling feeling suddenly press down on the tops of my shoulders. I gasped, turning around to see that Shadow had clamped his hands down on them. My voice was lost. All I did was stare back at him in shock.

"I just want you to be a little comfortable around me," he pressed on. "I won't hurt you. I figured you would've found that out by now."

I lifted an eyebrow at him, unsure if I could buy into what he was saying. All the while, that electricity was seeping through my surface and making my blood bubble.

His eyes hardened. "Not ever again. I promise."

I gaped back at him. I didn't know what to say or do, so I simply kept my mouth shut.

There was a strange chemical reaction going on between us. I wondered if Shadow could feel it too. But then, my mind drifted through his words.

He...promises. Shadow made a promise to me.

And I know Shadow always keeps his promises.

"O-Okay..." I said hesitantly, dropping my eyes from his in defeat.

"...I know I'm ungrateful when it comes to ... just about everything you've done for me. You've saved my life more times than hurt it, and even though it's hard to see, I'm more thankful than I show. You shouldn't blame me for having some unconditional fear, because, well you did kidnap me. But I'll try my best to get over the trivial things. I can promise you that, too."

I then cracked a small smile. For the time being, Shadow had gained a bit of my trust. Maybe my nightmare did have some sort of significant meaning behind it. But right now, I was done thinking hard all the time. It was time to live in the moment. Time to put the past behind me myself. I was ready to start new.

The corner of Shadow's mouth started to lift, like he was about to smile back as well. But that miracle was cut short by a sultry voice that came from the doorway.

"Am I interrupting something here?"

Shadow's hands instantly ripped away from me. I lifted my eyebrows and tried to look towards the door.

That voice...

it sounded...female?

Shadow stepped out of my way and looked toward the door as well. "...Ah, yes," he said, "And now, comes my question." He gestured towards the door with an open arm.

"Have you met Rouge the Bat?"

The white bat at the door locked eyes with me and winked.

"Hey, sweetheart," she said in an elegant, sensual tone.

"So, you must be Shadow's hostage."

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Welp, that just about sums it up. My eyes are watering from staring at the screen so long, and I need to take a shower. It's 11:34 PM over here and I'm still in my school clothes, which consists of a t-shirt and skinny jeans. Skinny Jeans = Not comfortable. That, my friends, is a little something I call dedication.

I have no excuse for the long update, other than I had writer's block. And the other day I was reading the first chapters of We Will Always be Enemies and thinking..'God, these are AWFUL.' So I'm hoping the quality of the chapters has improved since then. I almost went back and edited the first chapters, but decided to leave them as they originally were just in case people who already read don't go back to read and get confused.

So yeah, Shadow was kind of a sexy beast in this chapter, no? Hah, I kid. I kid. I didn't use his point of view this time, and instead used only Travis' and Rachel's. Speaking of Travis, he was kind of a buttmuch wasn't he ? -.- The point was to make him more like a stubborn child. He's what, ten years old? Ten year olds get overwhelmed easier, I assume. And it takes a lot of anger for one to turn down delicious cupcakes T.T R.i.P. Vanilla cupcakes. Blue for Sonic FTW.

So yeah, there's Chapter 21. Review please, tell your friends about it, and yeah all that shtick. Have a nice day/night!