(Hey guys! Last time I wrote a chapter, I was a year younger. Now, I'm 14! My birthday was over two weeks ago. So that's why I haven't been posting; I've been really busy with school and piano and blah. Actually, a quick update beforehand, next week on the 26th of October, I am going on vacation all week without a laptop to work on, so the chapters will be delayed. I apologize for late posting, but like I said, I have been busy. But I've been writing bits and pieces of this chapter in my notebook at school, so I had a bit in advance. Anywho…

Last time on In the Dark…

Shadow and Sally have decided to join the Refugees, a survival group hiding in the outskirts of the city. They discover that the Refugees are seeking, like themselves, a way to overthrow Dark using the Chaos Emeralds. The two accompany a group of six on a mission to collect the sixth Emerald. The mission yielded success, even after an unexpected encounter with the one true Dark; however, their success didn't come without consequences. Now, one Emerald remains. Dark is now aware of the Refugee's plans. The real danger may be just around the corner.)

We appeared halfway between the Refuge and the building where we had escaped from. The rest of the walk back was a quiet one. I felt numb. As usual, I'm not taking our losses well.

Three people had died today. I should be used to it by now, but I've never witnessed something like that. Their deaths seemed so…small, so meaningless. So many people have already died in this twisted world; these three are just another addition to the rising death toll. I may not have known them, but I still will mourn for them, and I will not have them die in vain.

What about Dark? I couldn't shake the image of the savage look in his eyes… He doesn't care how many people die at his hands, even if they were his own minions. He would see us die with a smile on his face. It's easy to forget that Dark inhabits Sonic's body. Is Sonic even still in there? Does he still exist? If we destroy Dark…would we destroy him, too? I had so many questions of what is and what will be.

"You know," John said quietly to me, interrupting my thoughts, "many of our number are willing to die to save this world from itself. They wouldn't volunteer if they didn't think that there wasn't a chance of them returning. Most of them have nothing to lose now but their own lives. Even if they did survive to the end, they'd have no home to go to, and no family to welcome them back. Over a dozen have died for us, and we don't mourn them; we celebrate the fact that they died while helping us work for a common goal."

He smiled a little at me, and I returned it, though weakly. His way of thinking isn't so different so different from the way I used to think when I was leading the Freedom Fighters. Somehow I've strayed from those thoughts, and it's time I gather myself together and start using my brain the right way to solve the problems we face, but this time, with no distractions.

Soon, we reached a man-hole that led, not to the sewers, but to a network of underground passages, one of which leads straight into the Refuge. Shadow lifted the cover and was the first to descend down the ladder. Each of us followed one by one. The passage was a dimly lit tunnel, with torches set in brackets every few feet. Tunnels like these ran all over Mobotropolis, most drilled by Sonic to lead to possible safe houses and bomb shelters. Only during the trip from the Refuge did I realize that their hideout was one of these shelters. Now, we trekked the rough road back to the Refuge, our prize tucked safely away in my bag, warm against my hip.

We emerged from the tunnels minutes later to a round of applause. Most of the Refugees had been watching us on the hacked security cameras set up around the city. We smiled, and they watched as the Chaos Emerald was placed in a vault, locked up using a programmed hand-scan and code lock. The three-tone bell sounded, indicating a meeting was about to start. Obediently, everyone filed into the Rec Room.

"Refugees," John began once everyone was seated, "today we have succeeded in our mission. We now have six of seven Chaos Emeralds, and today, plans will begin for collecting the final gem. However, you should all know that we did lose some of our fellow members. Please take a moment to thank them and remember their sacrifice."

The room became eerily quiet. I could barely hear their breathing. I looked around and saw that they all had their heads bowed and eyes closed; some were mouthing silent, unheard words. I glanced at Shadow, but oddly, his seat was empty. I looked around. He had been here at the start of the meeting. Then I noticed the door open. I looked up at John, but like the others, he had his eyes closed. With no one looking, I dashed out of the room to find him.

Ten minutes later, I had searched the entire shelter. I stood in the center of the room and looked around with my hands on my hips. Where haven't I checked? Then I noticed a ladder next to the trap door that leads to the apartment above. The door was open. Suspicious, I climbed up onto the main floor. In the thick dust, I could see footprints leading to the stairs, and I followed them up at least ten flights to a landing. A dull light was visible under one of the doors. I tried the doorknob. It was unlocked and swung open. I stepped inside.

The apartment was in complete disarray; it literally looked like a tornado went through. The table and couch were upturned, the fabric on the couch in shreds and cotton strewn everywhere. There were broken glass ornaments on the ground, one of which must've been a vase; wilted flowers lay next to the shards of opal glass. A bookshelf had tipped over, books ripped up and thrown around. Picture frames were broken, tossed around, and had a mix of crimson and black blood on the frames. Those two colors splattered the walls, the wallpaper slashed in spots and hanging in shreds. There were large splatters and dried pools of crimson blood on either side of the room, one in the kitchen entryway and one against a wall. A fold of wallpaper blocked the body by the wall, and in the entryway, all I could see was a hand, the rest of the body hidden by a stove. I looked away. Through a black blood-stained glass doorway, I could see Shadow on the balcony, his hands on the railings, looking out at the city. Hesitantly, I walked over to the door, stepping over debris, and slowly slid open it open. Shadow's ears perked but he said nothing. I joined him on the balcony.

Below us, the streets seemed so small. Shadows and Exes roamed them mindlessly. The city seemed completely black under the red sky, no lights on anywhere. It seemed like something out of an apocalyptic painting, and our world is the canvas. I sighed, breathing in the metallic scent of blood, along with something more sinister and rotting. There is no longer such thing as "fresh air."

For a long time, we stood in silence. A cold wind was biting at my cheek; the cool season is set to arrive, yet the trees are already dead. There would be no need to rake the leaves this year.

Finally, I broke the silence.

"Why did you leave?"

"I hate rituals like that," Shadow replied. "I don't see the point. They're dead, so accept it. They can't hear you."

"You didn't," I replied.

"Hm?"

"You didn't accept it when Maria died."

He glared daggers at me. "That was in the past," he spat.

I just shook my head. "Just pointing out your hypocrisy."

Shadow changed the subject. "So what's our plan now?"

"I dunno. Find the last Chaos Emerald, I guess. Any idea where it might be?"

"It seems unlikely that Dark hasn't gotten at least one Emerald. I suspect it to be in his possession."

"That would make sense," I agreed. "But do we know where he would keep them?"

"It shouldn't be too hard to find out," Shadow said, looking out over our ruined metropolis.

I was standing in a dimly lit hall. Torches lined the walls, ten feet apart from each other, casting flickering crimson light on the rough stone walls, distorting the shadows. I felt uneasy, like I was being watched. I had this compelling urge to move forward, and that something was waiting for me at the end. So I did. It was oddly quiet; I couldn't even hear my own footsteps. Maybe I had gone deaf. The hallway seemed endless. I suddenly felt despair. I will be wandering these hallways forever, never to be found. But then, I saw a pinprick of light at the very end of the hall. Hope flooded me, and I took off at a sprint. The light came no closer. I ran for what felt like a long time, breathing heavily, a stitch in my side searing with pain. I might as well be running in place for all the good it's doing me. Then, all of a sudden, the light lurched forward and started coming nearer – too fast. It was zooming toward me, showing no signs of stopping. It was going to hit me, going to flatten me, and I can't stop running. I cringed, preparing for an impact that never came. I could see its light behind my eyelids, making them look red. Cautiously, I opened them to look.

A Chaos Emerald floated in front of me, revolving slowly. I reached out to grab for it. As I did, it turned black and started to change. It morphed into a blue hedgehog – Sonic. He looked at me, panic-stricken. His voice was distant, like an echo. But when he spoke, he sounded almost relieved. His voice was the only thing I could hear.

He spoke only one word, a word that meant more to me now than it would've six months ago. "Sal."

I tried to answer, but my voice was gone. I reached for him and touched his arm. His eyes flashed, and he glared at me, pulling himself away.

"Don't touch me," he said, at first calm, then his voice changed into something evil, something sinister, as he cried, "DON'T TOUCH ME!"

Then he transformed into Dark's smirking form. He threw his head back and laughed, his voice nearer and more distinct. He lunged at me, his fingers like daggers, his tongue forked like a snake's…

I jolted awake, breathing hard, sweat forming on my forehead. There was a faint ringing in my ears. It was dark in the Refuge, and I could hear its inhabitants' even breathing as they slept. I couldn't remember when I'd fallen asleep. I just remembered returning here with Shadow, having a hearty dinner of steak and potatoes, and then…I must've gone to sleep.

What had that dream meant? It took only a second for me to realize, and when I did, I gasped. I now knew something I had not known when I was last conscious, so definite it was like someone had whispered it in my ear.

I now knew the final location of the last Chaos Emerald.

(DUN DUN DUUUUUN! Wow, I'm not even at 2,000 words. It probably will be, though, once I'm done with it. Anyway, again, I do apologize for procrastinating so much; I know a lot of you eagerly await these chapters. I think we have…at least four chapters remaining. That's not many. And I've been writing this story for several months now. I have more story ideas planned now which I need to put in my bio, like maybe a one-shot on why I think Sonic wouldn't date. Anyway, that's all for now, see you all later!)

~SonicTheHedgehog-Nerd