This one was fun to write - now this story has legitimate stakes
Slowly, the hoglet turned his eyes upwards. Something about Shadow's voice was off, but he could not place it. Reacting to a crackle, the Ranger's head turned towards the fire - leather hood blocking his face from view. The oddly fluid movement somehow irked the young hedgehog. Something wasn't right. Something...wasn't right…
Golden eyes turned towards the tiny paws grasping at the leather cloak. The cyan markings wobbled and twisted, distorting under unknown logic. Silver let go of the cape - staring at his hands in disbelief. Despite how he tried, he couldn't count how many fingers he had. One two three...one two… five...seventeen…
"I..I'm still sleeping…" The child whispered to himself, realization hitting him like a speeding carriage.
Frantically, the hoglet looked around, recognizing he would have been in the bedroom if he were awake. The black shadows of the woods stared hungrily back, gaping open like dark voids of nothingness. Sweat seemed to drip down his tiny body as panic set in. If Shadow wasn't actually here, he was a sitting duck once again. It was a miracle he hadn't attracted the attention of the fog demon. Perhaps it assumed he had woken up.
"You're shaking." Dream Shadow stated, making obvious observations as he would in the waking world.
"I...I'm not safe…" Silver choked out. "Y you're not real.."
"Not real..?" Dream Shadow frowned, hidden brows furrowing slightly. "What has gotten into you?"
"I..I'm sleeping.." Silver gasped, throat feeling tight from panic. "He's coming…"
"Silver." The unreal ranger growled, shifting away from the hoglet. "Snap out of it, you're being dramatic."
"I..I'm scared…" Silver sniffled, fur beginning to stand on end.
A typical sigh sounded from the adult. As Silver started to look down in shame, a finger reached out and gently caught his chin. Slowly, the hoglet's field of view drifted upwards as the adult gently raised the quivering child's face. The unnatural green eyes stared gently back, a distinct look of soft pity crossing the elder's shadowed face. The hooded head tilted to the side, a soft hum reverberating through the ranger's nose. Silver found himself caught in the bliss of the moment, a feeling of calm untangling his puffed pelt as his shoulders relaxed.
"Don't be scared, Silver." Shadow spoke, his voice dreamily echoing into the hoglet's ears. "I'm right here."
"Y you promise..?" Silver sniffled, recounting the words the adult had spoken before he fell asleep.
"I promise." Shadow smiled, lips curling into a soothing grin.
It was as if the world shattered.
Silver stared into the adults eyes in horror as his mind tried to pick up the glass pieces of his reality. Shadow...never smiled. Never, in the hoglet's short life, had he seen the stoic ranger curl his lips in anything but rage. Slowly, Silver's ivory fur began to puff back up, creeping from his legs all the way to his neck. Cold chills ran down his face as he started to hyperventilate, gold eyes locked with green in an unbreakable stare. As the memories of his mentor started to flood back, Silver made a horrifying realization.
Shadow's eyes were red.
Unable to move, Silver felt tears run down his face. Green eyes stared into his soul as the soothing grin turned to a fanged smirk. Leather gloves ran across the child's face in false adoration as the off colored imposter shook his head in disappointment.
"It took you far too long to figure it out." The shadow tsked, mouth distorting in indescribable ways. "But at last, I know you have something I need."
Silver was unable to speak as the false ranger ran a clawed finger down his cheek, drawing a thin red line as the sharp crystal cut through the baby skin. Slowly, the other hand drew back the hood, displaying gray stripes instead of red as the last of the adult's mouth sealed shut.
"A trick as old as time." It hissed, voice coming from nowhere as Silver felt weaker and weaker. "Now what's left is to glean what you know."
Silver let out a strained whimper as the shadow creature grabbed his throat once again, snapping their faces close together. The reptilian eyes seemed to pulsate and throb, catching Silver in its hypnotic illusion. Straining, the hoglet tried to look away, only to find his golden eyes locked in place.
"Where did he store the emerald?" The creature snarled, voice echoing through the child's head louder and louder.
"I don't know!" Silver sobbed, unable to blink in the eyes of the beast.
With a thrust, the creature held the hoglet high over the fire, grip loosening in a threat to drop him. Silver let out a strangled scream, feeling the hot sparks burning at his tail. Legs kicked and clawed, trying to grab onto the imposter's arm as the grip loosened more and more. The seconds ticked by, tears streaming down the hoglet's face as he choked and coughed in the smoke and ash.
"Time's up."
The hand holding the hoglet's throat released. Silver could only gasp as he fell, the tongues of fire reaching up and grabbing his body as gravity carried him down. Light exploded around him as heat claimed his body-
Silver sat bolt upright in bed with a scream. Yet, before he could make another noise, a cloth was thrown over his muzzle; the strong hands of the ranger holding it steadily in place. Silver tried to fight it, only to feel himself being gently lowered back down to the pillow as red eyes scanned him for any injury.
"I...I can't do it Shadow…" Silver weakly moaned out, feeling extremely sleepy and tired.
"Yes, you can." Shadow affirmed, voice firm and cold.
Slowly, Silver felt himself involuntarily drifting off. As his eyelids drooped, he heard the ranger mumble one last thing.
"I'll help you this time." Shadow's voice echoed, growing distant and faint. "You won't be alone..."
Light exploded around him yet again as the flames burned around his body. Jolting upwards, Silver found himself snapped back into the claws of the false ranger as if time itself reversed. Shaking, Silver let out a strained exhale. It was safe to say he was quite shocked by the entry.
"Back so soon?" The demon hissed, quite surprised by the hoglet's rapid return.
"S Shadow sent me back…" Silver wobbled out, still quaking from shock.
The demon took a big inhale, forcing the hoglet's lungs to feel drained of air. Silver wheezed, trying to reclaim his oxygen as the being messed with his breathing in the real world. As if awake, the child felt himself cough. Surprised, the young hedgehog gagged on his tongue.
"Ether!" The false ranger growled, throwing the hoglet to the ground. "So that artificial menace has decided to play dirty."
Silver groaned, picking himself up and trying his best to work his way through the shock of being thrust back. Angrily, the shadow stormed a short distance away, casting his cloak off into oblivion.
"So that's how you want to do this then?" The demon shouted, glaring up at the sky and pointing towards a shining star. "I will find him - even you cannot stop me!"
Silver watched as a beam of light shot down from the star, enveloping the demon in a blaze of orange energy. Burning filled the young hedgehog's lungs as the light continued. The unholy screams that burst from the monster echoed with Silver's own as the beam flickered on. Screeching, the hoglet writhed on the ground - unable to awaken as pain from the real world seeped into his dreams from above. Shadow was burning him…
Abruptly, the light stopped, leaving the demon back in its crystallized form. Gasping, the creature turned towards the hoglet. It's eyes seemed to leak black fluid as it stumbled towards him, head flopping about like a newborn baby. Silver never broke eye contact as he slowly crawled back. Remarkably, his lungs had ceased burning as soon as the light stopped, leaving him feeling stronger and more in control.
"Y you…" The demon growled, voice seemingly strained yet twice as enraged as before. "I'll show you what it means to anger me."
Silver stood, feeling slightly less scared. Backing up further as the creature continued to advance, the hoglet found his words.
"W who are you trying to find…?" He choked out, casting a quick glance behind him to make sure he wouldn't fall."
"Didn't he tell you..?" It hissed, claws dragging against a tree. "Didn't he tell you he sealed away my soul?"
"N no…?" Silver stammered, staring at the deep grooves that lingered behind the awful crystal claws.
"Didn't he tell you about the fires that burned away this place?" The demon continued, eyes shining like gemstones. "Didn't he tell you I destroyed this world?"
Silver could only stare in shock as the beast advanced further. His ivory feet stumbled slightly as he backed up more and more. Gold met green once again as the beast hissed.
"Give me that emerald, help me take back Iblis, and I will make you powerful." It offered, claw extending towards the small child. "Leave that traitor and join me in darkness."
Silver didn't buy it for a second. This monster had beaten him, burned him, sliced him open, and tore him apart. There was no way in gaia that he would even dream of aligning with this twisted being. What kind of sick Stockholm's syndrome affection did this thing think would rock this small child? Of course Silver knew better. And, to top it off, Shadow was helping him defeat this twisted creature.
However, Silver had a twinkling of an idea. Shadow had asked what the demon was planning, and here was a way to get this information. If the hedgehog played his cards right, he could get the villain to monologue. All he had to do was ask the right questions.
"W what will happen if I do..?" He choked out, though still dry from fear.
"The world will be yours." The crystal creature spoke, gesturing its claws around. "I could make you the Prince of Darkness."
It stalked closer, leaning its head directly over the hoglet's. Silver gulped as he resisted the urge to run, feeling the crystal fingers running down his head and under his chin.
"We would burn this place together." It spoke, lifting the child's head up. "Take that traitor and crucify him for the pain he's caused."
Silver didn't even know what "crucify" meant, but from what he gathered - it couldn't be good. From his perspective, it seemed this creature wanted to take the emeralds and destroy what was left of the world. Shadow must have halted his plans and stole his soul before he could finish. But if whatever this was continued on with this plan, the entire world would be gone. Silver shuddered at the thought. A planet of fire and rock filled his mind as he thought of the world this demon proposed. It seemed like Hell. Silver did not want to make Hell. And he certainly did not want to crucify Shadow.
Slowly, the hoglet stepped back from the creature. It's brows furrowed as the hedgehog silently made his choice. Anger boiled in the green eyes as Silver turned to run. Somehow he had to get out of there - and fast.
"I'll do to you what I did to that blue rat!" The demon howled in an unnatural voice. "I'll slaughter you like I did two hundred years ago you mortal speck!"
Silver could only run, hoping he could outpace the enraged creature behind him. Panting, he turned his eyes towards the bright star - silently begging the adult outside to step in and do something to stop this horrid demon. Fog burst around his ankles, slowly enveloping him in its dense cloud as he ran faster and faster.
"Shadow!" He called, hoping he could be heard in the waking world as he turned to look behind him.
The green eyes that chased him grew closer and closer - body slowly creeping into view as the demon closed on him. Silver stumbled, screaming out in fear as his pace faltered. Claws gripped around his neck, yet the hoglet instinctively reached out with his power - trapping the creature from lifting him upwards. With a shriek, Silver found himself rolling about; caught in the grip of the demon yet still able to fight back. The two grappled on the ground, wrought in a battle for control and power. Blood choked out from the child's neck as the crystal claws tightened, trying and failing to cut off the nonexistent airways. Croaking in pain, Silver held the demon's torso, pushing it this way and that as he tried to pry it off of him. Everything was a blur as more and more blood gushed from the hoglet's sore mouth.
Then, as if right on time, the beam of light returned. The crystaline demon shrieked, letting go of the hoglet as the two were bathed in its burning light. Silver also screamed, feeling his lungs burn from the might of Shadow's chaos abilities. As much as he burned, and as much as he screamed, Silver found the pain worth it as he watched the demon's body wear away. Howling and screaming, the creature's black form withered and dusted. Silver forced a smirk through the pain as the monster rolled around on the ground.
"I'll spread your guts in front of his boots!" It hissed - slowly dragging itself to a stand.
Silver found himself screaming once again as the demon bolted at him. Ivory fur stood on end as it pounced - crystal claws tearing through the energy-filled air. The hoglet scrambled, eyes filling with tears as it grew closer and closer. A trail of black followed behind as it reached out. Just as its disintegrating claws closed around Silver's chest, everything went black.
Silver sat bolt upright in bed, latching onto the nearest object in a frenzy as tears exploded out of his eyes. Arms wrapped around the firm neck of the Ranger, Silver sobbed out loud as his body trembled en masse. Hands grabbed at his arms as a voice filled his quaking mind.
"Hey - Silver!" It snapped, rather surprised. "It's OK."
Silver sobbed harder, curling up as he pressed himself tighter around the adult, not wanting to let go for anything. Shadow only let go of the clearly attached arms, not wanting to fight the small hoglet.
"It's ok, Silver." He spoke, voice softened slightly. "It's over."