Hellooooo!

Fairly quick notes, I'm tired. Not sure when the next update for this or These Inhibitors' Flaws will be. Next chapter of this is ready technically, and These Inhibitors' Flaws is half done, but I update these stories when I update them on AO3 and, as it stands, I have more stories over there that divide my attention. So, apologies if the next update takes a little while.

That being said... consider following me on AO3 under FortuneSpirit if you like my writing! I should be fairly easy to find; just look for These Inhibitors' Flaws (Reworked) or Help Me... Please! (Reworked) on ao3 and you'll know it's me. Or look at my profile for a link - it doesn't seem to like the links when I put them in stories for some reason.

And I have a Tumblr for sneak peeks and upcoming updates, so find me there under fortuneshyspirit - again, look for the link in my profile or posts about These Inhibitors' Flaws and Help Me... Please! and you'll find me. My most recent post was a sneak peek for this chapter actually, so that should make it easier.

Hope you enjoy the chapter! Let me know what you think and I'll see you next time!

Help Me… Please! (Reworked) – Chapter Two

Shadow blinked. Sonic was just… gone.

He'd looked dazed. That's what stood out to Shadow first. Sonic had looked up at him from the floor, eyes unfocused and confused. The hedgehog had been crying. That's what he'd noticed next. He'd never… seen Sonic cry before. He didn't honestly think the situation was all that serious until he'd seen that; just Sonic overreacting. But he wasn't, was he? Something had shifted in Shadow then. Despite himself, he'd asked if the hedgehog was ok. Those emerald eyes had rolled in the hedgehog's head and then he just fell sideways, like he'd passed out. Sonic disappeared before he hit the floor.

The dark hedgehog frowned. Would Sonic come back? He hadn't even gotten an answer to his question.

What had Sonic done?

It was only after his hands had sunk straight through Sonic that Shadow had really looked at him. At first, nothing had seemed off. And then he'd looked closer. Just faintly, Shadow realised he could see the trees through Sonic. His pelt was slightly transparent, but it wasn't immediately obvious. There were some more obvious signs. Namely his hands, feet, ears and the tips of his quills. They were glassy, almost mist-like. Shadow couldn't believe he had missed it the first time. And yet, he'd chosen not to get involved.

Then Sonic had promised to leave him alone if he helped. And he'd changed his mind. Ultimately, it was better for the world if Sonic was still around. But guaranteeing he had some leverage over the hero to keep him away from him after this? That was a win-win. But now he was gone. And Shadow wasn't about to hang around in a forest all day, waiting for the blue hedgehog to show up again. So he began to walk away. Then he paused. What if he didn't come back?

Nonsense. Why would it really impact Shadow if he didn't? That just meant he'd be getting what he wanted: for Sonic to leave him alone. Shadow would no longer have to deal with the blue annoyance. That seemed pretty good to him. Maybe the world would suffer a little, but he was still here for the big threats. And Sonic's friends could surely take care of Eggman.

So why did he find himself hoping the hero would show up again?

Shadow shook his head. It didn't matter right now. Shadow was exhausted from his latest G.U.N. mission; he just wanted to go home. It was happenstance that he'd managed to encounter Sonic on his way back to the house. He just wished he'd had a Chaos Emerald. Not only would it have made his mission easier and allowed him to be home by now, he could have avoided this strange interaction with Sonic altogether. And it wouldn't be weighing on his mind now.

Because he hated to admit it, but it was definitely still on his mind by the time he was unlocking his front door. That look on Sonic's face wouldn't leave him alone. And he had no idea what was happening with the hedgehog. Why was he intangible? What could he have possibly done to make that happen? And he said no one else had been able to see him. So what made Shadow capable of it?

His head hurt. Damn that hedgehog.

Shadow needed a shower and a nice, bitter coffee.

His first priority was getting clean though. His fur was all dusty from crawling through vents in Eggman's base. He was supposed to be keeping tabs on the doctor during his period of silence. Shadow was fed up of his surveillance already. There wasn't much he could even glean from the man's antics recently. And spending hours lying on his stomach in a ventilation system was wearing on his sanity. He wasn't claustrophobic by any means, but Chaos was it so dull and frustrating not being able to properly stretch his limbs.

The warm water of his shower loosened up his stiff muscles somewhat. He glared at the shower wall. Shadow had to write up a report of his findings soon. He found this task boring and most tiresome. Besides, so far, he'd seen nothing noteworthy. What would he even write? He growled under his breath, turning off the water.

Shadow towelled off his fur and stomped downstairs. He barely glanced at his laptop on the coffee table as he entered the kitchen. The report could wait. Shadow wasn't in the mood.

Waiting for his coffee to brew, Shadow's mind drifted again. Sonic's situation might prove to be more interesting than surveilling Eggman... Still, there was no way of knowing if Sonic would even show up again. Why the hell was he even thinking of it? He didn't care. Sonic's problems were his own, damn it. Shadow picked up his black mug, staring into the steam spiralling up from the coffee. He took a deep breath, savouring the nutty scent that washed over his tongue. For a moment, he put all thoughts out of his mind but of his favourite drink.

The mug with his perfectly prepared coffee slipped from his hand when he turned around.

Sonic was standing by the table.

As his mug hit the tiled floor, shattering, Shadow's mood soured. It must have shown on his face, for Sonic looked immediately apologetic. His ears flattened as he looked at the bitter liquid spreading across the floor. He took a slight step back as it neared his shoes, as if he could even touch it anyway. Shadow supposed it was an automatic response. Presumably, Sonic hadn't been like this for long.

"Sorry," Sonic mumbled.

Growling, Shadow knelt to pick up the larger shards of ceramic. Sonic shifted his feet. He looked guilty and conflicted. Shadow watched him out the corner of his eye. Chaos, he really did look strange now that he'd noticed. Shadow prided himself on being observant; he was kicking himself for not immediately seeing it. Perhaps he was slipping, becoming complacent in his menial tasks for G.U.N. That would become and issue if he didn't address it soon.

Sonic looked like he was going to say something. Then he chewed his lip for a moment.

"I'd help but… you know," Sonic said meekly. "I really didn't mean to startle you, Shadow."

"It's ten o'clock, Faker."

Sonic swallowed. His face seemed to fall even more. Shadow actually almost felt guilty himself. He shoved the thought away. Ridiculous. Why should he feel bad? Shadow hadn't done anything.

"I-is it?" Sonic said. "Oh. Sorry…"

The dark hedgehog shook his head as he deposited the broken mug into the bin. He opened the cupboard under the sink and dug out the dustpan and brush. Sweeping up the smaller shards felt more pressing than mopping up the coffee right now.

He turned to glower at Sonic before he knelt back down to deal with the mess. Shadow cringed as he felt the bristles of the brush sweep through the coffee puddle. The coffee was still hot and the smell would undoubtedly cling to the brush forever. Maybe it was worth throwing away the set and buying a new one after he was done. He loved the scent of coffee but it would be off-putting once the staleness of the smell had set in.

"Where did you even go?" Shadow asked, more than a little exasperated.

"I…" Sonic started, then paused for a moment. "I went back to my body."

Shadow stopped, halfway through what he was doing.

"Your… body?" he asked.

Sonic was staring at the ceiling when Shadow looked up. One hand was pressed against his forehead. He was frowning.

"I'm not sure what's happening," Sonic said. "But I seem to be… outside of my physical body."

"How did that happen?"

"I-I'm having a hard time remembering."

After finishing cleaning the pieces of ceramic up, Shadow tipped them into the bin to join the rest of the mug. He glanced at the dustpan and brush for a second before depositing them inside too. Then he grabbed his tea towel, which needed a good wash anyway, and dropped it onto the puddle. The tea towel was black anyway, so it wouldn't stain. He used his shoe to press the towel around the spill. What a waste of perfectly good coffee.

As he was busying himself with the spill, Shadow thought back on what Sonic had said. Something popped out to him, something that didn't make sense to him. How was the problem not fixed? Didn't Sonic say he'd gone back to his body? How was he still all see-through, then?

"I though you said you went back to your body already?"

Sonic blinked. He was quiet for a moment, just staring at Shadow. Confused. One ear was folded back, the other perked upright. He almost tilted his head. Then understanding bloomed across his features and he shook his head.

"Not my body exactly," he elaborated. "I went back to where my body is."

Strange. Shadow was still having a hard time figuring out what was happening. So Sonic wasn't inside his own body right now. Did that make him some sort of spirit? How did that happen? And why could Shadow see him? It was all so odd and Shadow wasn't in the right headspace to deal with all this right now. He was tired.

"Have you tried just stepping into your body?" Shadow suggested.

Sonic looked a little sheepish all of a sudden. He started to fiddle with his transparent glove, refusing to meet Shadow's eye.

"No…"

The Ultimate Lifeform let his eyelids fall over his eyes half-way. The idiot didn't even try the most obvious thing? They might not even have to be here, having this conversation right now if he had. Shadow ran a hand down his face and groaned. He wasn't sure what he was expecting from the air-headed hero, really. Figured the fool wouldn't use his head for a moment and find some common sense.

"Why don't you go back to your body and try then?" Shadow said, trying not to be snappy. "If that doesn't work, come back tomorrow. At a more appropriate time."

"Ok…" Sonic mumbled.

Shadow picked up the tea towel and threw it in the sink for now. When he turned back around, Sonic was gone.

Despite his suggestion, Shadow had a feeling it wouldn't work. It seemed too… obvious. Too easy. Whatever had caused this wasn't likely to have such an easy fix. Nothing was ever that simple. Still, he felt it was worth a try. There was the possibility that Shadow was right and the dumbass would be fine. Then, the hedgehog would have to keep his word and leave him the hell alone. Easy.

Deciding the reports could wait and resigning himself to a likely frustrating morning, Shadow left the kitchen. Coffee: forgotten. This all sounded like a headache waiting to happen. That hedgehog better keep his damn promise.

Sonic stared at his body, trying to psyche himself up. He just had to step into his own body; that made sense. He couldn't imagine why it hadn't crossed his mind to do so before. Though, in his defence, he'd been super disoriented. It was relieving to see that his chest was still rising and falling in a semi-steady rhythm. He was breathing, if a bit shallow. But it was something. It meant he was alive.

He shook his head. Why was this so hard? He just had to take a step forward. Just a step.

The second his foot connected with his body's chest, it felt like his leg was on fire. Invisible ants rushed up his leg, spreading the acidic burning through his entire body. An agonised scream tore through his lips and he stumbled backwards, convulsing. Distantly, he registered that he was falling, then landing on his back. The feeling was similar to when Tails and Shadow had passed through him, but cranked up to twelve thousand. It wouldn't stop. Every inch of his skin stung terribly. He could feel himself spasming like he'd been hooked up to a car battery. Sonic honestly expected to see his hands melting when he rose them to his face, to hear his flesh crackling. But when he managed to crack open an eye, he found his hands still there at the ends of his forearms. Still intact.

Well, mostly. They were still see-through.

All he could think was that this was a terrible, horrible mistake. Perhaps something inside of him had known. Maybe that's why it hadn't occurred to him before. No, he was being silly. He couldn't possibly have known about this.

His initially scream had broken up into a choking, gasping sound. Past the burning, it was like he'd been punched by one of Eggman's really big mechs. All the air had been stolen form his lungs, just like that. Breathing was… an issue.

Huh. Maybe this was what dying was like. This was it, wasn't it?

To his dismay, it was painful.

After he'd scrunched his eyes closed, the pain seemed to drift away, subside. And then, eventually, it went away entirely. He could breathe again. But his mouth was filled with saliva and he was dizzy. He swallowed thickly, forcing his heavy eyes to open. Through his slightly fuzzy sight, the sky up above was starting to turn a light purple-grey. Early morning?

How could that be? Had he fainted or something? It felt like no time had passed at all but it clearly had. On the bright side, when he turned his head, he could see his body was still breathing. Not dead yet, then. That was a relief. But, Chaos, did he feel sluggish. Kind of like he had yesterday. But more achy.

What time was it? Shadow would probably be really mad if he showed up too early. Besides, he couldn't even imagine standing right now. So he'd just lie here for a little while. At least until the sky became blue and he could see the sun. It gave him time to recuperate a little and figure out what his next course of action would be.

There were fluffy white clouds creeping across the lightening sky. Lazily, he watched them morph from one unrecognisable shape to another. It was oddly hypnotising. That one was kind of fish-shaped. The one beside it was sort of like one of those Chun-nan dragons, the ones with the long snake-ish bodies. And that one looked vaguely like a flower. Like a… like a dahlia. Sonic hummed, pulling his gaze away from the sky for a moment.

There was a black dahlia growing near his body's head, just by his nose. Its velvety black petals looked somehow menacing. He couldn't place why. They were more of a deep, deep maroon than black. Sort of like… well, like blood. Drying blood. But that wasn't what made his fur ruffle. Why did it almost seem like the flower was aware of his presence? Malicious or curious, it was hard to tell, but…

Sonic huffed. His frazzled mind was being ridiculous. It was a flower. But maybe he really hadn't been paying attention yesterday – which was understandable – because he swore he could see more dahlias than he remembered. Great, so he was going crazy too? Flowers didn't grow that fast. Idiot.

There was a shuffling sound to his left and Sonic felt his muscles tense. It took him a moment to remember that nothing could touch him anyway. Why was he even panicking?

He turned his head to the side. The blue hedgehog flinched when he saw the dark figure standing at the clearing's edge. Sonic sat up cautiously. The figure's shape was constantly shifting, like the clouds, but pitch black against its surroundings. It was wrong. Whatever it was, Sonic knew in his soul that it shouldn't be there. Hesitating briefly, Sonic stood from the floor. Other than its weird, formless shifting, it was not moving. The figure stayed planted where it was, not interacting with the grass beneath it.

'Like me,' Sonic thought.

With small but consistent steps, Sonic started to approach the weird shadow. Once he'd halved the distance between them, the form shuddered and then sprung towards him. He gasped when something solid wrapped around his arm. Icy. Painful. Sonic wrenched his arm from its grasp, scrambling backwards in terror. His skin prickled where it had grabbed him, the frosty feeling lingering. His ears flattened.

"G-get away from me!" he cried.

The formless creature started to advance. Sonic took hasty steps back. What the hell was this thing? Why could it touch him? Just looking at it unnerved him, made his head spin. His eyes couldn't make sense of it. But whatever it was, he needed to get away from it. It didn't seem friendly.

Sonic spun around on his heel, sprinting for the opposite end of the clearing. He jumped over one of those broken walls as he was making his hasty retreat. But the sickening, slithering sound behind him made his heart leap up his throat. The world began to blur in that familiar way around him as he picked up the pace, shooting through the birch trees and into the forest beyond. The tree cover was thick. Sonic kept having to swerve to the side, narrowly avoiding one nasty crash after another. Maybe he could lose it in the density of wood and leaves.

As he dodged around another tree, he cast a glance over his shoulder. The shadow was more ooze-like as it came after him, slinking across the forest floor like liquid. It was closing in on him and quick. How? How was it keeping up with him? Damn all these trees; he couldn't attain full speed like this.

With his head turned, Sonic ran straight through a tree before he even knew what happened. The jarring tingly sensation across his skin was the only indication that it had happened. Right. Why was he running around the trees when he could cut a more direct path through them? Besides, Sonic was fairly sure that thing could phase through stuff just like he could. Perhaps that was why he was struggling to gain more ground; the creature was ignoring the forest while he paying too much attention to it.

But that tingling feeling was wildly unpleasant. He didn't really want to repeatedly charge through trees like that. Sonic shook his head, pushing himself to move faster. He forced himself to ignore the sickening feeling of running through things and just did it.

He wished desperately that he could be in Shadow's kitchen again.

When the blurry green beneath his feet was replaced with the light grey of tile, Sonic stumbled. He closed his eyes, bracing as he tripped over his own feet. A whole body shiver wracked his body as he felt himself passing through something. His skin was feeling itch now. Too many times in too little time. When he hit the ground – even though he hadn't technically hit it – he rolled several times, ending up on his stomach. His breath came out in ragged gasps, but the reminder of that creature had him frantically struggling to his knees. He snapped his head around breathlessly.

A few moments passed before he realised he was in Shadow's kitchen. He mentally slapped himself. Right, he could travel places by simply thinking about them. He still wasn't used to that. And the creature hadn't seemed to follow him. The only other being in the room was Shadow himself. The red-streaked hedgehog was looking at him curiously.

But if he could move around like that… could that thing do it too? What if it found him?

"What's up with you?" Shadow asked.

There was a mug, identical to the one he'd dropped last night, in Shadow's hand. At least he hadn't surprised Shadow enough for him to have dropped this one. The dark hedgehog set the mug down on the table. That must have been what he'd fallen through when he tripped. Even though it was clear he was no longer in immediate danger, Sonic couldn't seem to calm his heartrate. His mind was too frazzled to respond to Shadow properly. All he could manage in the moment was a weak, "huh?" He just kept expecting to see that horrible thing lunge at him out of nowhere.

His hands were shaking. Sonic curled his fingers against the tiles, trying to still them. Every fibre of his being was alert, ears swivelling around, eyes wide, quills raised. Before he knew what that thing was, he couldn't say for sure if he was actually safe. What if it could teleport like he could? What if it was hunting him down right now, trying to find out where he was? Too many questions and not an answer in sight. Sonic hated not knowing.

A hand entered his line of sight, moving up and down. It snapped him back to reality. It was Shadow's hand. Sonic pulled his gaze from where they'd been fixed on the opposite wall, looking up at Shadow. The dark hedgehog's brow was quirked.

"Are you… ok?"

"Oh, y-yeah," Sonic breathed. "Yeah, I think so."

Sonic stood from the floor and shook out his fur. That uneasy feeling wouldn't leave him. Whatever just happened, maybe it was a one time thing? If Shadow could help him now, he wouldn't even have to worry about it. He'd be fine. Everything would be fine. Sonic took a deep breath. It didn't do much.

"So, I'm assuming stepping into your body didn't work?"

Sonic cringed, supressing a shiver when he thought about last night. The agony he was in. He could almost feel the echo of it now. The sick feeling returned. Sonic shook his head, hugging himself.

"No," he replied. "It didn't. And I'd rather not try again either."

Shadow gestured for him to elaborate. Sonic really didn't want to describe what had happened. He didn't want to tell Shadow he'd been having some sort of seizure last night. The less he thought about it, the better.

"I don't want to talk about it," he mumbled.

They lapsed into silence for a while. Sonic was looking out the window, watching the clouds again. The sky was finally reaching a gentle cyan. He probably did arrive too early for Shadow, but the darker hedgehog didn't mention it. So Sonic wouldn't either. He allowed the soothing shade of the sky to wash over him.

In his periphery, Sonic could see Shadow sipping his coffee. The rich scent of it permeated the room. Sonic didn't like coffee, it was too bitter for him. And he tried to avoid caffeine in general because it always made him feel jittery and anxious for some reason. That's partly why he didn't like Chaos Cola. And the taste. But the smell of coffee was pretty pleasant. Sort of like burnt caramel, but it wasn't a sweet smell.

"Where is your body?" Shadow asked suddenly.

Sonic turned his head. He opened his mouth and then immediately closed it. Where was his body? A lot of his mind had cleared since yesterday. He knew who he was again, his friends, the things he'd done. Pretty much everything. At least… he thought so. Then again, how would he know if he was missing any memories? Well, all but the one of how he ended up in that clearing; that area was still unfamiliar to him.

He realised with a jolt that he couldn't guide Shadow to his body without knowing the way himself.

"I… don't know."

"Do you know anything?" Shadow grumbled, clearly irritated.

Sonic whirled on him, ears flattening. That panic that he'd only just managed to get under control surged to the surface again. Overwhelming, sickening. But he couldn't stop himself once he'd opened his mouth. The words tumbled out of him before eh even knew what he was saying.

"You try waking up outside of your own body, asshole!" he snapped. "You think I'm not frustrated? I don't even know what I was doing before I woke up like this!"