(A/N) I'm posting this at a super late time, so I won't be surprised if no one reads this, but I have to clear some things up first.
This chapter is 10,000 words long. I hope you don't have anything important to do, otherwise you'll have a bad time reading this.
I still have only half of the initial chapter I wanted to finish, finished. It cuts off at a very unforgiving point and I hope you don't hate me for it. I keep promising the end and failing to deliver.
I am updating this story now, instead of writing a full 20,000 word chapter for the following reasons;
-I realize that no one really wants to read anything for that long. It has less to do with interest and more to do with capacity. I'm not confident that I have the ability to keep your interest for such a long chapter so I'll separate them YET AGAIN.
-Writing this chapter has been incredibly draining. I'm at a critical point in my life and college is starting soon, so I feel less obligated to write and kept trucking in at least 1,000, and sometimes 2,000 words a day and started to feel like I'd never finish.
-I've hit an all time low, and feared that if I didn't wrap up what I had so far, I'd leave it incomplete and abandon it for a while, and then lose the document after it's automatically deleted.
I'm so ready to conclude this story. I love writing it and know I'll feel empty afterwards since it's been ongoing for so long. But I want to share the ending with you, desperately. And then after the final chapter I can show you a bit of the behind the scenes I've been wanting to share so badly (I don't know why, haha)
Immerse yourselves. Leave a review with critique, comments, questions, or candy! As far as length goes, it definitely drags at some bits.
And the last line is very literal, might I add.
Enjoy.
(Sonic's POV)
It was definitely as shamelessly sentimental a moment as any person might imagine. The moment when the Tower family had finally reunited with their missing link, a young, slightly traumatized brunette teenager who now gaped at the faces around her with bright, teary mismatched eyes as the swarm of heaping reality dawned on her. These two sides of a tragically split family had been dictating each other's thoughts continuously, for nearly half a year. Now they were all weeping, their hair blowing in the scissored wind and faces shiny and pink with joy, nabbing each other into the warmth of their interlocked arms. If I didn't have my stubborn dignity, I might have shed a tear myself.
And then the Commander himself, Abraham Tower, emerged from the previously airborne vehicle and paused for a moment to view the scene before him with misty eyes. I noticed his body was gaunt, seemingly more frail than it'd been the last time I had seen him, as his stood there with his stiff arms fixed behind his back. He took swift steps towards his family with a line of soldiers following from behind.
As he neared closer in passing, I noticed the age that settled into his face like dark dust in a bowl of putty. He had paled greatly, his veins were a richer blue and his liver spots were several times more prominent. He calmly, but very politely, brought his hands forward and broke into the circle of overjoyed people, parting through them like water. Rachel's mom had been spinning her daughter around and sobbing into her dark mess of locks, but then relaxed her arms and allowed the human to finally anchor her feet on the surface of the planet for the first time in five months.
It was then that Rachel, after regaining her balance, turned and noticed her grandfather standing before her. The rest played out like a silent film.
(Rachel's POV)
There were so many bottomless trails of happiness coursing through me, that all seemed to halt the moment my eyes came into contact with those of my grandfather's. His green eye mirrored my chemically lightened one, and there was no doubt that he'd noticed it himself. Everyone else who'd been hugging and planting kisses along my jaw might have thought it was just a trick of the sunlight. But he knew better. The intrigue and inquiry was written on his exhausted face.
He looked like he'd aged at least fifty years, but I could still see the kind, elderly man that I was more than familiar with masked under the creases and circles. In that instant I felt an addition to my bliss, but then the show was stolen by a feeling of uneasiness. Seeing his face reminded me of something I was trying so incredibly hard to forget.
It wasn't Shadow the Hedgehog. It was everything he'd told me about Shadow the Hedgehog prior to my kidnapping. It was how he introduced me to the hatred I'd felt regarding the Ultimate Life Form's existence when I was seven years old.
It was over. Shadow's relationship with me was severed, and I'd seen his side of the story just as he wanted. He was not good, but he was also far from bad. He was merely a science experiment with a poisoned temper and zero inhibitions. Inside, I quietly dismissed my grandfather's explanations all as a big, unnecessary exaggeration of the truth that was never told without bias. But I refused to be mad about it. Whether he stretched the truth or not, I trusted him, and loved him very much. That's all I wanted to feel. Love. No more hating, or loathing, or wishing death on things or people I didn't quite understand.
After an eternity of staring, I smiled and ran to him, wrapping my arms around his noticeably thinner body, and whispered a greeting.
The man fell down to his knees, returning the embrace and choking back tears with his nose digging into the crook of my neck. I could feel a bony gloved finger briefly hook onto the chain of my necklace before it fell away.
"Welcome home, Rachel."
It was over as soon as it had started. I had no time to respond since Grandpa pulled away and went to speak with a group of uniformed men behind him, and Mother, who took hold of my hand, was urging me to the car parked on the side of the runway, calling after the twins who were currently thanking the life-size animals that had come to my rescue with evident stars in their eyes.
Sonic looked over Travis' shoulder and exchanged a glance with me, smirking and quickly winking in the process. My heart went warm, and I gingerly waved in his direction with a limp hand.
I wanted to race over to his side and thank him in the most sincere way imaginable. The amount of gratitude I had for the blue hedgehog was infinite, and I hadn't fully realized it until now. He'd given me my world back. There weren't enough words or tears in me to fully express how glad I was that a soul like his existed. He was my hero, pure, selfless, kind, and charmingly understanding.
But alas, I soon found myself far from the group of characters that had brought me home, and was instead placed against the cushions of the car's backseat, my parents going to both sides of the front doors, and Emma and Travis rushing over and stumbling in after me. Through the windows, I could make out my grandfather's form kneeling down and speaking to Sonic, Amy, Knuckles, and Tails. He then departed and headed in our direction.
I wrapped my arms around myself and huddled into the corner. My face pressed against the icy glass of the passenger window and I looked out towards the sky again.
It was funny to see the sky now and realize that I really had been all the way up there. No, beyond there. I'd traveled past the frosted clouds and cool blue haze, and touched the stars. I was the captive of a mad scientist and a confusing black hedgehog. It was terrifying, but sometimes hinted a bit of magic.
Something resonated within me. My greener eye itched slightly.
Shadow...
The edges of the world blurred over, all audio dipping underwater, and the next thing I felt was the car reversing before pulling away altogether, and we then drove onward, deeper and deeper into Station Square's winter.
(Travis' POV)
I don't think any of us quite knew what to say. We just smiled, and cried, and smiled some more.
Once we were all strapped into our seats, and Emma and I were still in a mind scramble over the fact that we actually talked to Sonic the Hedgehog, Grandpa came lingering along the outside of the car, tapping the window in the backseat. Being that he was nearest to my side, I maneuvered my hand around the safety lock and allowed him to climb in, much to my bewilderment
I didn't realize he was going to abandon the helicopter he'd arrived in, along with the soldiers accompanying him, and return to the house with us. But then it started to make sense. He was here to welcome Rachel back and share the love that had been idle for so long.
But also, he was coming along so he could tell her about his condition.
Him and I were the only ones silent the entire way back home.
(Rachel's POV)
We were there so quickly that I wasn't sure whether to be stunned, or grateful. The difference in temperature between the crisp outside world and inside of my home was jarring enough to make my head spin on its aching shoulders. I stumbled over the patio and crept through the front door, hunched over with my mother's shawl draped around me. My eyes were fixed forward, reverberating between all the decor and doors that led to different rooms. Shadows danced at the cue of shifting light, and everything breathed with life in a beckoning welcome. It started out all incredibly foreign, and the more time I was given to absorb the array of colors and smells, the more my memory strengthened to the point that I might as well have only been gone a single day. If only.
My joy was still swelling with the more my strained vision soaked in the environment. This was my home, and I was inside its walls once again. I had finally reached my oasis.
I looked towards the white plush stairs and examined each step up unto the second story. My lips curled in delight when I noticed a sealed door a little ways off to the left. It was the one that led to my room. Right there I was about ready to claw my way up the banister and go bursting into the room, and then proceed to simultaneously giggle and sob into my bed sheets for as long as I needed to. But any and all celebration was ceased immediately when I felt my mother tap my shoulder, and then point in the direction of the living room once she'd caught my attention.
She was happy. I knew that much. Out of everyone who was in the car on the way home, including our Grandfather who'd tagged along for undisclosed reasons, she had been the one to gush the most. And now, her body was rigid and her irises became cold and hard like marble. A zap of her seriousness struck me down to the core.
"Rachel,we need to talk," she said, in a way that was intended to be sincere but instead came off as borderline threatening.
With a final peek towards my beloved chambers, both of my hands were suddenly taken by each twin, who I looked back and forth between, only to be greeted with reassuring, but also somber smiles.
Grandpa stepped past us and entered the living room first, followed by my parents, and then the kids and I entered. All was silent as my siblings and I sat down on the couch, and the adults stood before us before mother and father dispersed to different sides of the room and left our grandfather to take the stage.
I was still holding my brother and sister's hands in mine. Travis' soft palm closed around mine more tightly than Emma's.
I lifted my head and peered into my grandfather's face, unsure of what was yet to come.
A few moments of unsettling quietness dragged by, and I was about ready to take a stab at the ice and ask my grandfather if he was going to ever sit down. But I could see in his expression that comfort was the least of his worries. He clearly had a lot to say. They all did, as well as I. I had just been hoping it wouldn't have happened this soon. My time to enjoy the return home felt like it was ripping away at the seams. Soon it would be gone completely, and this was not a time where I wanted to be bitter about not getting my way.
"Rachel..." Grandfather spoke with a shudder, his eyes darting down to the lines seperating the floorboards. "Having you here with us once again...being able to see your young, beautiful face and know that you're home safe is one of the most relieving things I've ever experienced. I know you feel this is the wrong time to press on certain issues that we, as a family have been having since you were taken from us. You probably want to smile, perhaps cry, and overall just simply indulge in your escape from evil and relax at last, being that you're out of harm's way."
I felt like it was almost rude to agree with him, so I only smiled softly.
He rang his hands together until the veins bulged. "We tried many things in order to get you back. I still have yet to hear anything from Agent Rouge, but you undoubtedly ran into her at some point during your capture since she had come to rescue you, correct?"
I nodded once, feeling my heart drop. Now that I thought about it, I never knew what had become of the bat that worked for G.U.N. I remembered how I'd selfishly left her behind to save my own skin, and the memories quaked my emotions. I could only hope that she wasn't still trapped on the Egg Carrier, and that she'd somehow managed to tear out of there like a bat out of hell...more or less.
"I knew that entrusting Sonic and his friends to finish the job would be a risky decision, but I felt I had no other choice. They knew the culprits behind the kidnapping, or at least one of them, better than I did, and have yet to ever fail a mission. So I sacrificed our planet's greatest heroes for the sake of bringing you back. I was willing to do just about anything to get you away from Shadow the Hedgehog, because I knew time was of the essence and if I didn't hurry, he could very well break you."
The color drained from my face once I heard the venom laced in his voice at the mentioning of the artificial life-form. My smile dropped instantly.
"Well..." I started sheepishly, "I mean Eggman is just as in the wrong as Shadow is, right? He's pretty ruthless on his own. In fact, he was very cruel, frightening, and I even at one point took it upon myself to choke-"
"We all know Eggman is a horrible person," Grandpa interrupted. "But he is nothing compared to that horrible, vile excuse for an experiment. It was him who took you away in the first place. He attacked you on the train, and zapped you out of Earth's very existence."
"Pardon me, but that horrible, vile excuse for an experiment saved me the night before from a bunch of perverts all because I stupidly decided to travel into Westopolis alone. He attacked me on the subway because he recognized me after I called him in order to draw his attention away from targeting Dad," I said, eyeing my father. "I told him that I was related to you. I gave him my name. I did it to keep all of you safe. So in a way, I brought all this on myself. I share the blame."
I then paused and gulped air. I couldn't believe that I was rambling like this. Was I...defending Shadow the Hedgehog?
"Rachel," Grandpa said again, this time hammering his words in with stern love. "You being kidnapped is not your fault. I don't know how much interaction you had with Shadow but clearly he's done a bit of brainwashing if he's made you think that you were the cause of all this. Don't listen to anything he says. His intentions have never been good."
"And yours have?" I blurted before I could stop myself.
The room went still. I was instantly uncomfortable, but I went ahead and justified my bold question. "Grandpa, if anyone's done any brainwashing, it's you. You took it upon yourself to tell me how much of a monster Shadow was and how he was the antithesis of good when I was seven years old. I was a child, I would have believed anything you said to me, and maybe you knew that. But you failed to tell me all the positive things that Shadow has done not just for individuals, but for our whole planet. He's split down the middle, and you only showed me the darker side. By all means, Shadow and I are not friends. We're not even on good terms, as you can imagine why. But we had just enough interaction that he saved my life many times. I gave him hell every chance I was given, and it was utterly pointless. So I don't know what use you find in doing the same when you're here, and he's somewhere far away."
I took a deep breath, as I'd spoken really fast and wanted to allow my grandfather time to understand what I was saying. But he looked back at me, presumably heartbroken. And then his face became scarlet with rage.
"Shadow saved your life after he was the one to endanger it, Rachel. What is this, are you having Stockholm Syndrome? Do you really think a murderer like him has any sort of redeemable quality?"
"Who are you to call him a murderer?! What is it that your troops do?!" I shouted, having lost my temper. I jumped off the couch, pulling my hands free from my siblings' tangled fingers, and glared into his face. My parents gasped my name and Mother held a hand forward, begging me to simmer down. But I didn't break eye contact with the G.U.N. Commander. Both our eyes of divided colors squinted in anger.
"I wouldn't be surprised if they killed their own share of innocent lives too, given none of you seem to take time to know a person's story well enough before judging whether they're evil or innocent!"
Grandpa pointed at me with a quivering finger. "Now hold on just a second-"
"G.U.N. gunned down your best friend, after Shadow had tried his hardest to save her. You blame him for her death and then go and employ yourself for them. Am I missing something here?"
As soon as these words left my mouth, his eyes possessed a storm that I didn't know existed. He reeled away from me slowly and never looked away.
"...It doesn't matter what I say to you, does it? I'm sorry you feel that way, Rachel. I understand if you hate me. But I never told you anything that was a lie."
"I could never hate you. I just wish you hadn't hid such a large remainder of the truth."
"Well that ends now, starting with my next statement. Since you're here, and I am no longer required to have the proper health to order people around and execute various plans, I can start my much-needed treatment and see if I can live past these upcoming months."
I frowned, my temper still flared beyond tamable reaches. "What treatment, what are you talking about?"
"Chemotherapy and radiationtherapy. I have a tumor in my brain, and if I don't treat it I could very well die."
I felt my whole body become a glacier. My mouth opened to pant a bit, and I shook my head disbelievingly.
"If anyone's brain needs washing, it's mine. My life depends on it," he said quietly. "In fact, I expected to be dead long before you ever touched Earth again. I came to accept that I'd probably die searching for you, and that I would never see you again. So having you here now, yell at me and call me a liar and scold me for tainting your innocent mind and crucify me for my career choices, is truly a miracle."
I shook my head again. This wasn't what I wanted. This is not how I pictured coming home would be. I hated that the best of it was already over. The dust had settled, and reality came peeking through. It was worse than what I'd expected worst to be. I couldn't handle it, I felt like I would suffocate.
I tore out of the room and ran up the stairs, abandoning Mother's shawl halfway and leaving it to flow back down to the lower level. With a swift turn I found myself in my room, slamming the door behind me with enough force to send the many mysteriously placed crayon drawings clambering along the floor. I sank down to my knees and breathed heavily.
The nightmare was over, but no one ever promised that a dream was there waiting on the other end of spectrum. This was something that wouldn't go away, and it was just getting harder and more unbearable by the second. I hated that my Grandpa had fed me a malicious version of the truth at such a young age. I hated how he had to fall deathly ill and spoil my joy. I hated myself for yelling at him despite the amount of effort and love he poured into finding me, and after he jeopardized his only ticket to survival because of me. I hated being the one to drive everyone to near insanity due to their stress and uncertainty. I hated that I was the spider at the center of the web.
It wasn't Shadow who was evil. Neither was it my grandfather. It was me. I was a sick, twisted individual.
I reached underneath my hair and unhooked the chain of the necklace, letting it spill over my disheveled clothes and then onto the floor. I stared at it with tear-filled eyes, wishing everything would go back to normal.
As much as I tried to fight it, I wondered where Shadow was at that very moment, and what he was thinking about. I wish he could see, with his own eyes, that it was over. Even though I'd escaped, he'd still found a way to win. Maybe figuratively, I'd always be in his clutches.
I had a feeling this would never end.
Misery would always triumph.
(Sonic's POV)
-one week later-
"After a very long five months of gripping suspicion, Rachel Tower, daughter of Mary and David Tower and granddaughter of Commander Abraham Tower of the General Unit of Nations, was retrieved from the faraway depths of space by none other than Sonic the Hedgehog!"
click.
"According to anonymous resources, the X-Tornado was seen landing among a rural area outside the city on the morning of December 24th. It is to our knowledge that this was indeed the landing that brought Rachel Tower back to our world."
click.
"As you can see by the number of people behind me rallied together in the street, many who followed the Tower story for the last half of 2017, have gathered around outside their rumored home, demanding answers, and that Rachel Tower come forth and share her story with the world. They refuse to leave until they are rewarded with at least a little bit information regarding her kidnapping."
click.
"So you mean to tell me, Jerry, Sonic and his friends disappeared without warning, leaving Station Square vulnerable to outside attacks, all for the sake of one little ankle-biting teenage girl?"
"Well, I believe in this day in age, it's all about your name and what place you have in the world, not necessarily what you've contributed to society. This girl was just another person, nothing quite special, who'd done nothing for nobody, but her surname is what makes her even slightly interesting. See what I mean?"
"Yes, I very much do."
A viewing audience cheered in agreement.
click.
"Many videos on the internet have surfaced of people, particularly teenage children, reenacting, or rather parodying the kidnapping of Rachel Tower by her unknown captor dubbed as Shadow the Hedgehog, some for drama purposes, though mostly for...rather comedic purposes.
A video was cued, showing a girl at least eighteen years old, wearing a scraggly brown wig and squealing at the sight of a black Labrador puppy, adorned with multiple toilet paper rolls taped to his ears, all painted black and red, as he came padding into the room with his tongue lolling out. The Rachel fake began scrambling through her house, shouting, "Help me, help me! Stop the train! Stop the choo-choo! The big bad hog is gonna eat me!"
The person holding the camera snickered.
click.
The middle-aged talk show host rolled his eyes. "I mean come on, what did this girl expect? After giving her name, she practically gift-wrapped herself for this grabby, gun-wielding hedgehog. Could she really be surprised by the outcome? Is she that dense?"
"I completely agree. I mean wow, sixteen year old girls getting stolen by hedgehogs three times smaller than them. I'm pretty sure I saw this once in a game. Except it was with a dragon and a princess, and it was up to some plumber to jump on mushrooms and turtles, or something like, that in order to save her."
"Did he at least use spin dash?"
click. The screen went black.
"This is nauseating," Tails sighed, tossing the remote to the side. "It's New Years Eve, and still the only thing I can find on television is more reporters and now normal everyday citizens hounding the Tower family. It's absolutely disgusting. Why is it so hard to leave them in peace and let them cope?"
I cocked an eye open from my spot on the opposite side of the room, shrugging. "I guess to the media, Rachel's story is the real firework show. It's not everyday a human is plucked off the face of the planet by someone who looks like a suicidal version of me."
Then Knuckles, his cheeks bulging with chewy chocolate morsels after having taken a bite of cookie, emerged from the kitchen area and scowled at the television set before him.
"How come effery time we all get menthioned on The-V, it'th alwayth, 'Thonic and hith friendth,' or, 'Thonic and the otherth animalth.' I'm my own perthon! Don't they know thath?!"
"Hey, own person, you might want to swallow your food before trying to have an intelligent argument," I teased. The echidna steamed from the ears and downed the soggy remains of his dessert, wiping the crumbs from his lower lip.
"You always talk with your mouth full, you hypocrite!" he accused, much to my delight. There was no greater joy in the world than getting Knuckles' big boy knickers in a twist. He continued with, "Let's not forget that you practically showered us in your chewed up chili dog mush at Twinkle Park a while back all because Tails suggested we go swimming."
"Pft, whatever. I was purposely being a slob so Amy would leave me alone. She kept going on and on about how it was a date, and that we were going to watch the stars together, and that I was her knight in shining fur, and blah blah blah something about 'oooohh, cute couples get in free!'" I declared, kicking my voice pitch up a notch to imitate hers.
Knuckles crossed his arms, bellowing in laughter. "You'd know a lot about cute couples, wouldn't you, weenie boy?"
I half-lidded my eyes at his remark. "I don't know, why don't you ask the Master Emerald?"
Through the corner of my eye, I could see Tails run his finger through the maze of buttons on the remote, clearly lost in a heavy cloud of thought. He finally broke away and immersed back into the real world, his ear twitching.
"Sonic, I don't want to seem like I'm overthinking the possibility of danger, but do you think it's safe to leave the Tower family alone tonight? I mean...now that Christmas is over, I almost feel like Eggman will try to make a grand entrance like usual, and catch everyone off-guard since it'd be in the middle of a nation-wide celebration."
I shook my head. "Nah, New Years or no New Years, Eggman is way too far away to catch up. His delay will be far greater than a measly six days, especially when they're low on their supply of Chaos Emeralds. A lack of power means a lack of speed."
"But...he has Shadow..." Tails dropped his head in worry. "Like I've said before, Shadow never gives up until he finishes what he's started. He's going to make his comeback, and deliver it ten times worse than before. I don't want anyone to get hurt that way."
Knuckles, who had been zeroing in on me from afar, planning his attack, dropped his readied fists and puzzled for a moment. "I wouldn't be so sure about that. I think he cares about Rachel Tower more than any of us would expect. So it's not like he's out to get her."
I sat up, suddenly alert. "What do you mean? When has that ever been proven?"
"Well...he didn't exactly put up a fight when I found them together-"
"Didn't he though?!" I gasped, now on my feet. "You mean to tell me you guys didn't have a big epic smackdown? Oh come on, he nearly got us all killed when I was going to rescue her myself. He was completely possessive."
"That's funny, because he practically handed her over to me when I found them. No fighting, no arguing. Just dropped her right into my arms when she was dying. Though that could be why he did it in the first place. That guy may be on our bad side but we can't ignore that he's clearly gone through some changes. Whether they're for better or for worse, we might not ever know. It's all a bit foggy."
I folded my arms. "I'm not completely against the idea of Shadow spontaneously having a good side to him. But I'm curious as to why he'd care at all about Rachel. Maybe it's in relation to Maria, since they're both young girls put in situations of peril. Rachel may not be ready to hand out information about what she went through while she was taken, but maybe we should talk to her, and at least ask about Shadow and possibly Eggman, so we can know what to expect when they do make their return. We won't tell her that's our reason, though. We won't tell anyone. It'll cause an uproar."
Both my friends nodded in agreement.
Somewhere beyond the double doors, within the kitchen, the sound of porcelain plates hitting the tile floor and shattering caused us all to forget what we were saying and rock our heads over in the direction of the noise. Amy had been in the back mindlessly baking vanilla cakes and pies stuffed with fruit, to accompany the cookies she'd extracted from the oven back on Christmas Day. We all assumed she had simply dropped something and thought nothing of it, though called her name once to make sure she was unharmed.
No response.
"Oh no, Amy please tell me you didn't drop the cherry pie!" Knuckles exclaimed. "Anything but the cherry pie!"
Still no response.
"...Amy?"
And then, an ear-shattering scream lashed throughout our home and shook it on its roots.
(Rachel's POV)
From the window, Mom shooed away the last retreating journalist that had been camping out on our lawn, whirling around and grunting with disdain.
"I swear, this is harassment! It should be illegal!" she declared, tugging at her hair with one palm. "I have half a mind to call down some nice cops to ward off all these pesky unwanted visitors. And if nothing else, maybe I should boil some water and toss it from the top floor! That'll really rain on their parade!"
"Good gosh, Mom," I said, peering up from a magazine that had only maintained my attention since there were no articles about me, but rather each page was crammed with flatly ornate columns of juicy celebrity gossip. "Let's try and wait until the holidays are over before risking getting arrested."
Mom huffed as she circled the dining room table, collecting dishes covered in leftover sauce and unwanted vegetables. "Well at least the heat of scorching water would melt their noses right off their nosy faces!" With a stack of dishes in her arms, she made a beeline to the sink in the kitchen, minding the Christmas Tree that lacked any sort of decoration except a single white string of bulbs. It was in fact very tragic looking.
Christmas had literally come and gone before I'd even had time to absorb some of that good ol' holiday cheer that I was so used to. There were no cookies, or presents, or tinsel or carols looping on the radio. My parents had literally run to the store on Christmas Eve the day I'd returned, and plucked the first tree they saw to bring home and toss rubbish at. Why they had nearly skipped this year's Christmas because of my absence, I did not know. It meant more to Emma and Travis than it did to me. And now they realized that Santa wasn't real because he failed to deliver come the morning after my return. I blamed myself for destroying their imagination.
But granted, I wasn't totally disappointed. As cliche as it was to think, as long as I had my family, I didn't need a new car or cell-phone to satisfy my interests. Though I don't think I could've said the same for the twins. And it wouldn't have killed anyone for us to at least see some snow.
My eyes glazed over and the words pasted in the magazine became one giant, blurry color vomit. I finally set it aside, lifted myself from the lounging chair and made my way towards the stairs.
"Rachel?"
My foot hovered over the first step, I turned just as my mother enveloped me in her warm embrace, to which I made a surprised noise before laughing softly. Her pinky moved down the grooves of my spinal cord, and I couldn't help but melt into the soothing comfort. She wrapped her arms around me tighter.
"Sweetheart, I know this has been a tough year," she said, resting her chin atop my head. "I've been crying myself to sleep every night. Even though you're back, it still pains me to imagine what you had to endure, and how there's nothing I can do to take back that it ever occurred."
"It's okay, Mom. It's going to be okay," I assured her. "Please, no more crying. No more feeling sorry for me. I just want us to be happy and move forward. It'll take time but the only way we can do so is if we try to forget it ever happened."
I felt her mouth stretch into a smile when she planted a kiss on my scalp. "I know, I don't mean to bring it up so often. I'll be sure to stop immediately. And just remember, if you ever want to talk to your father and I about it, we're here for you. If you need therapy, we'll be happy to supply it. Anything you desire, you can have. All you have to do is say when."
She then drew back and studied my face closely, blinking away the water lining her eyelashes. "Although, I do think we need to schedule a visit to an optometrist as soon as the holiday craze clears up. We'll see if he can fix what's happened to your eye. You don't feel any pain, do you?"
"Not a lick," I confirmed. "And if it isn't something that can be fixed, that's fine. We can just invest into some colored contacts."
She grinned. "I won't ask how it happened, I just hope it wasn't too terrible. Personally think you look just as stunning as you did before, and it's incredibly unique."
"You're just trying to make the best of a bad situation."
She sighed. "Yes, well maybe I am. I understand if you want to mask it but I hope you do so for psychological reasons. Not because you think it looks ugly."
I smirked lazily. "I promise I won't." I then pulled away from her grip and made my way up the stairs. "Goodnight, Mom. I'm going to sleep. I love you."
She reluctantly returned the bidding, followed by a big, "Happy New Years! I love you too!" before heading off to her own bedroom, and upon hearing her artificial cheer I felt a pinch of guilt. Mom probably was hoping I'd spend tonight with her and the rest of the family, staying up and counting down the seconds to midnight as we did for every New Years. But I felt too worn. Maybe if I take a nap now I can come out in a few hours and watch the fireworks in my pajamas. It is only nine after all. Plus, it wouldn't hurt to stop being the worst daughter in the world for a while.
But my mind and heart were still feeling sluggish. Strangers from every corner of the world were either showering their distant support or wreaking havoc on social websites and entertainment outlets with critique and even coldblooded mockery over what had happened to me. I could see how pathetic it must've looked from their point of view, and in a way, it was. It was very pathetic. But I had a story to share. I experienced things that not a single one of them would expect, or fathom. I just wasn't ready to share that story yet, and frankly, I don't think they were ready for it either. I was afraid and uncertain of how society would digest my information. Getting kidnapped by a hedgehog was one thing, but getting kissed by him was on its own level of ridiculousness. If If the media ever got their hands on that, who knows how they'd handle it. Their heads would probably explode. I think it was safe to say that was a secret I'd take with me to the grave.
However, there were some elements of my adventure that might have been relatively useful to the world. Like the tales about the planets I visited. That alone could be the revision of every science textbook across the globe. It would be just like when Sonic and the gang had first been discovered on Earth.
But one thing was for certain...I really was disgusted by the attention I was getting. In fact, I loathed it with every fiber of my being. I was forced to ostracize myself and take my family down with me.
Though, I really wasn't sure if, given the opportunity, I'd take back everything that had happened. I probably would, but there would be some definite hesitation. I hadn't learned much, except to appreciate what I have because it could evaporate at any second. I would probably reverse time and change a few of the decisions I made so I could alter history, for my grandfather's sake. Not mine. This decision would pertain to his cancer and nothing more.
I hadn't seen or heard from him since I'd fled to my room the morning of my return. He'd left immediately after, either to respect that I wanted my space or because he wanted distance as well. All I heard from Dad was that his treatment would begin sometime next week, and I'd decided I wanted to be there for him then. After all he had done for me, he deserved that and so much more.
After entering my room, I walked slowly over to the bedside table near the window, where I had wrapped Maria's necklace around my lamp, and tapped at the heart with my index finger.
It had taken me some time to pick up, but I'd noticed a strange feeling that occurred within me whenever I touched, saw, or even thought about the necklace. That aside, I didn't think I deserved to wear it...not after what I'd put my Grandfather through. It was an insult to Maria's memory. Selfish. Yet I still remained admiring it from afar, wishing I could meet the wearer it was intended for.
"You've been through so much with me...do you know that?" I asked it quietly, flicking the cool surface of the charm once, before transferring my eyes out towards the night sky and the city lights set ablaze. The sound of people bustling about and cheering was distinguishable even from within the thick glass. I wish I could join them in celebration, but my presence alone would draw attention away from the festivities and I'd be chased back into my home. I had to remain from the inside looking out, until everyone finally settled down and I could reenter the world once again.
I found myself fixed in a trance, swimming in a sea of emotions studded with stars and streaks of black and red, until I eventually shook it off and proceeded towards my closet so I could find myself a set of pajamas.
If I'm to be stuck in any room, at least it's my own, and not a small white cubicle in space.
This thought alone nearly sent me to my knees. My kidnapping was still an extremely sensitive topic that I was trying with all the power I had in me to block out. Not because it sent me careening into a state of despair, but rather my stress would reach implosive levels, just because of my worrying and wondering what had ever happened to Shadow the Hedgehog, and then a bundle of inquiries would explode, all beaming across my cerebrum and demanding to know why I even cared in the first place.
I had to let go, that's all there was to it. I had to put the past behind me.
I would've loved to have started right then and there. But then the lights went dead behind me. A million and one screams pierced the air from outside.
It took a moment to realize how utterly terrified I'd become over the course of a mere second. But with my mind slowly disengaging from my choices of night attire and suddenly devouring accusations of the absolute worst, I couldn't help but cautiously bring my head around to look towards the empty room, now bathed in an empty, haunting darkness, and expect something to appear and maul me from behind.
Oh for goodness sake, what are you so distressed over? It's a power outage. It's just a power outage. Relax, Rachel. Something like this was bound to happen, what with all the partying going on outside.
But my heart was not convinced. I turned around and sank my body back into the melted black of my closet, eyes wild and afraid. My pulse was racing. Something wasn't right. I could feel it deep down in my core, that something was just not right.
What am I so afraid of? I'm here in my home, in my room no less. This is my sanctuary, remember? No one's here to get me, I helplessly rambled on in my head. The only people who know where I live are the-
My mouth went dry.
...Reporters.
Oh no...they showed my house nearly everyday on the news. Why should I be surprised if someone used that to their advantage so they could make me even more famous by murdering me.
But the rate my heart was going suggested something far worse. Yes, worse than a murderer.
Please, tell me this is just a prank someone's playing on me. Or a burglar looking to rob us blind, even. Tell me, in the name of all that is left of my sanity, it isn't-
I placed a hand over my mouth to stifle my choppy breathing, camouflaging myself between some hanging blouses. But I couldn't hold back the gasp of sheer horror that escaped my throat when I saw the elongated shadow of a jagged silhouette bleeding across the floor from outside, lit by the colors of explosions behind it.
No...no...
I was hardly given any time to comprehend the situation. He blasted through the window, exposing the sounds of aimless delusion and panic all warping together beyond the walls. Where the shadow had once been, there was an even more dangerous one in its place. One that set my fears on fire. He lifted from his crouch and looked around the room carefully.
It had not been an incredibly long time since I'd seen him, but the sight alone of his intimidating stature caused something within me to react, as if he was a myth I'd only ever heard about and now he was here in front of me with dangerous intent.
Wait. That's how this had all begun.
"Enough of these games. There's no use in hiding, Rachel," Shadow spoke in a darkly dipped tone of voice. He took agonizingly slow steps towards the bed, observing carefully, as if I stupid enough to hide under the covers. "I know you're in here. It'd be wise to come out now instead of making me find you."
I would've blacked out right then and there if the energy I was radiating just in order to quiver violently hadn't been enough to keep me upright. With a palm pressed over my gaping mouth, I silently wielded away the hedgehog that had plagued my nightmares, hoping that this was all a nightmare on its own.
But when I blinked constantly and saw that his form wasn't going away, I knew it was real. It was happening all over again.
Except maybe this time, I could end up dead.
(Shadow's POV)
I couldn't depict the different cries of English the people were shouting from outside even though they were still within my earshot's boundaries. I was completely numbed by the fact that I was standing in Rachel's room, examining Rachel's bed. The planet could've stopped rotating and I would still have been too distracted. I looked around cautiously, expecting the hyperactive teenager to detonate with a scream at any given second. But it remained dangerously quiet. I ceased my beckoning and listened closely for her breathing, but came up with nothing.
As I turned to cross the floor, I noticed a familiar jewel sparkling in the blurry moonlight. Maria's necklace lay twined around a white lamp shade, hanging off the rippled edge and swinging ever so slightly.
My brows hardened into an intense angle. She had been here after all. The movement on the charm was a dead giveaway. I had expected no less.
I then looked up and noticed the closet, which was open, though incredibly dark. I squinted, and tilted my head to see if I could make out any sort of form, but still found nothing distinctive. I needed a source of light in order to confirm.
Perhaps there was a light inside the closet.
With swift steps I made my way to the entry, groping the air in search of a string to pull. And after a few empty attempts, my gloved fingers scraped past a razor thin thread that I nearly missed. I wrapped my hand around it and gave it a sharp tug.
Nothing.
Ah yes, the power lines were cut. But oh well, nothing a little Chaos Energy can't solve.
I summoned my power, feeling the embers glow, and tried again.
White light blasted the whole area. My eyes screwed downwards, and met the strangely ambiguously colored ones of my former hostage.
Seeing Rachel's face again, even shelved by surrounding clothes, flooded me with relief, and a curious tickle of joy. But I remembered my motive, and didn't let my natural feelings falter the mission.
The young human's hand was plastered over her mouth, and she removed it immediately upon being discovered. Oddly enough she didn't scream, or gasp, or yell for help, but instead looked at me wide-eyed, with one iris swirling in unnatural brightness, no air entering or escaping her.
I finally opened my mouth to say her name in the most comforting way I could muster. But I was interrupted after being knocked down from the side by the pegs of a wooden chair.
I hit the ground with a thud before flipping over and looking into the face of my attacker. Needless to say, I was shocked.
A small human boy.
"Rachel, run!" he shouted, delirious and afraid. Rachel did not obey.
"Travis! Travis, stop!" she screamed, flinging herself out and shoving the chair out of his hand. He still had it raised over his head as if preparing to strike me again, and it hit the ground loudly, not too far from me. The two humans wrestled for a moment before Rachel had him by the arm and yanked him towards the door.
"Come on, we have to get out of here!" she yelled, kicking open the door. They both ran down the hall, fading out of sight.
I shook away the pain, still unpleasantly surprised by the child's strength, and brought myself to my feet.
"I don't think so! Come back here, Rachel!" I yelled, racing to the door and calling after her as she rushed down the stairs with the boy in tow. My heart stopped when I realized that she was headed towards the front door. "Rachel, no!"
I held a hand out towards her. "Do not go outside! Do you hear me? DO NOT GO OUTSIDE!"
She pried open the front door, looked back at me momentarily in uncertainty, and then slammed it behind her.
I swore loudly and skidded down the staircase banister, ignoring the shouting from a man and woman standing adjacent from me in the bordering room.
I assumed this was her family. That would mean the boy must've been her younger brother.
Taking him out of the house was a one-way ticket to his death. It was a terrible idea. She was going to get him killed.
I had to hurry before it was too late.
(Rachel's POV)
Once we were outside I whirled around and grabbed Travis by his puny shoulders, jolting him back and forth and staring him down with an acidic glare.
"Travis, what were you thinking?! You could've gotten yourself hurt! You can't just go attacking Shadow like that!"
"I-I heard the window break! I knew you were in danger, you would've been hurt if I hadn't come in! He was about to attack you!" he retaliated, his eyes brimming with tears. "That was him, wasn't it?! That was Shadow the Hedgehog! He came back to take you away again!"
I shook my head, still side-stepping to get farther away from our home.
"It doesn't matter, Travis! I'd rather put my life at risk than yours! Don't do something like that again!"
Travis pushed away my arms and looked towards the street where clusters of people were scrambling across the pavement.
"Clearly, they saw him too! He must've been the one to cause the lights to go out!"
But then a voice boomed over us, shaking the concrete beneath our wobbling ankles, and we looked up and were met by the eyes of a crazed scientist steering a large mech.
"It wasn't Shadow who caused the lights to go out, and it isn't him your pesky citizens are running from," he cackled wickedly.
I didn't have a moment's time to register what I was witnessing. Because from the side of the mech, a slot burst open, and from its quarters, a large claw guided by a cord snaked throughout the winter air before scooping downwards and snagging my little brother off his feet and into the sky.
Travis' socks wiggled helplessly as he struggled against the steel grip. I cried his name desperately, only to be answered by Eggman's maniacal laughter.
"PUT HIM DOWN!" I squealed at the top of my lungs. "DON'T YOU DARE HURT HIM! PUT HIM DOWN RIGHT NOW!"
Eggman only chortled on, gripping his large belly as it expanded and contracted. "You don't need to dare me to do anything, Rachel Pain-In-The-Rump Tower. Because any pain I cause him, I will be more than happy to inflict willingly! But at least this time it isn't you who's the damsel in distress! Right?!"
I growled through my teeth and began storming towards the base of the mech. In a state of mindless fury, I readied myself to attack its legs and hopefully send the deranged evil genius flying out of his cockpit, even if it was more than likely a lost cause.
But a hand wrapped itself around one of mine and pulled me off to the side. The all too familiar electricity gave away the owner's identity.
Shadow proceeded to tug me down the street, away from my home, away from my brother, and away from Dr. Eggman.
I clawed at him as he dragged me along, blurting insults of protest and calling him all sorts of names I didn't even know existed.
We ran past the mob of people, most of which parted when they saw who we were. Explosions were heard and several screams stabbed my eardrums.
Shadow finally stopped and spun around. He eyed me angrily.
"Rachel, listen to me! I didn't come here to kidnap you, I came here to save you. You and your family!"
No words left my mouth. Just shaking ensued, followed by a gasp as another screech of fire shot through the night air like a whizzing bullet.
"Eggman has his sights set to kill and you just led one of his primary targets right into his trap!"
He then reached forward and grabbed me by my chin, pulling it dangerously close to his face. All the electric touch that I was used to was faint, and instead centered at the core of my heart. It was pumping me full of strange waves.
"Last time I asked you to listen to me it was for your own good. But now there are other lives at stake. So let's put aside our differences for them, okay? This has absolutely nothing to do with the Chaos Emerald. Not anymore."
He sighed heavily. "I'm going to try my hardest to protect you and not fail as I have before. But for now, I can't guarantee anything. So just in case it wasn't painfully obvious, know that I really care about you Rachel."
His crimson eyes narrowed.
"I love you."
And then the waves ceased. Everything became surreal.
He seemed to doze away into another world for a moment before shaking free and pinching me in his grip once again. "I'm not looking to hurt anyone and I'm not driven by self-gain this time. I'm doing this for you. I don't want to hurt you anymore. If anything I want to do you this last favor should I forget who you are after tonight. Do you understand? I need to get you away from here, and also keep the Doctor from vaporizing the ones you care about. Your grandfather is on his way. Sonic and the others are on their way. But I'm not going to pay them any attention. This is just you and me now. Someone will end up dead, while others, severely injured. And that's if things go well. So work with me."
I was at a loss for words. I just nodded several times.
Without saying anything else, the hedgehog scooped me into his arms and shot upwards into the sky.
In the distance, Eggman was yelling threats into the microphone installed somewhere inside his pit.
"Everyone, listen and listen good. You've all got until midnight!" he laughed. "MIDNIGHT! AND THEN IT'S THE END! THIS BOY DIES ALONG WITH EVERY LAST INDIVIDUAL FREEDOM YOU'VE EVER HAD!"
Those words resonated within me.
Midnight.
This boy dies.
Should I forget who you are after tonight.
Grandfather is on his way. Sonic and the others are on their way.
I love you.
And that's when I realized the extent of my anger.
I was ready to kill The Doctor myself, or die trying.
Alas, here marks the beginning of the end.