When Darkness Rises

chapter 3

It was rather late.

Tails had gone upstairs to what shadow assumed was his mini lab from all the machinery noises he heard. He had been staring outside thinking about the events that transpired later that day. The strange behavior from sonic he could only imagine what he must have felt. Odd for him to even be trying to feel like sonic they were complete opposites in personality. Sonic was still sleeping however which made shadow a little less concerned being how tired he looked. Only A few minutes later he glanced down to see sonics eye slowly open and look around.

Took him long enough anyway.

Sonic looked at the ground and noticed shadows shoes, realizing where he was laying and immediately sat straight up.

"Well well well welcome back to the world of the living faker." Shadow stated looking unamused At the still shocked blue blur. Sonic rubbed his arm awkwardly before speaking, "uh hey shads how's it going." Shadows face turned to concern by he tone of his voice. "I should be asking you the same question faker... what happened to you back there? Its not like you to lose your cool." He replied placing a hand unconsciously on sonics leg.

"Oh um that was nothing honestly!" He smiled weakly gripping the edge of the couch slightly. Shadow noticed All of these things and retorted, "Tails told me what he did to you and believes Its his fault. Is that really true faker?"

Sonic looked over in slight alarm. "Everything?"

Shadow gave a slight nod. "Apparently you also nearly killed everyone." Shadow contiued. Sonic could feel shadows sentence echo in his head. Shadow looked at him, "Sonic?" Shadow questioned the now slightly shaken hedgehog, who stared at the couch avoiding eye contact. The glare he was giving the couch was enough to tell sonic wasn't holding up to good after that situation occured. Reguardless, Shadow was stunned as he watched his rival act in this manner on the couch in front of him. So why.. why is it that he wants to jump out and hug this stupid hedgehog!

"Shadow listen I-" Sonic was cut off when
He was  pulled into a full embrace by the black hedgehog. Sonic sat there stunned as Shadow hugged him waiting until sonic returned the embrace.

"Calm down.. " whispering Shadow hugged him tighter. The only response he got was a small nod as he barried his head in shadows chest. Shadow felt sonic take in a deep breath, feeling the blue hedgehog relax slightly. 

Ever since the accident sonic never really got the comfort from his friends when he needed it most. Although sonic never one for feelings, aside from his frustration of eggmans schemes of course. After everything they all went on with there daily lives as if nothing happened. Its was eating away at the poor hedgehog, He felt so guilty even if they had all "forgiven" him. But having shadow come back from his long mission felt... relieving. Having another hedgehog like shadow around really made sonic feel better. Although shadow wasn't the most cheerful of mobians but he would always be by the hedgehogs side in saving the world. Even if it was a struggle just for him to remember his own name from time to time.

Both hedgehogs sat in each others arms in the silence but it was far from uncomfortable. Soon sonic felt shadow nuzzling his quills in a relaxing manner which only helped in sonic feeling more tired then he already was. After A few more seconds sonic was asleep again, Shadow sighed,

"Stupid hedgehog..."

~~~~~~~~~

'Target acquired'

The sound of dragging combined with metal footsteps was nothing new in an eggman base.

It was WHO they were dragging now that was new. Usually this person would be sonic, tails maybe knuckles but even that's rare. But never, ever would anyone expect that the one being dragged was an unconscious cream the rabbit who was brutal beaten at that. She was being dragged by her ears and once the robots reached there destination a well to familiar voice spoke.

"Ahh good job metal! Now put her over there in that chamber." Eggman said with a devious smile. Metal obeyed the command placing her inside the Tube like chamber with eggman closing it. "Now with that being taken care of I need you to do one more job." The robots head looked back at their creator ready for the task.

"Go fetch me a hedgehog"

And with that metal flew away.

~~~~~~~~~

Rouge found it hard to focus.

She would always have shadow to chat with but he was nowhere around the base. Her task was complete But she wanted to then so find some precious jewels however she wasn't really feeling it.

As she exited the building she flew off wondering around, It was pleasant till she noticed something fly off from the direction of creams house. Curious she flew closer and landed infront of the house, only to gasp in shock. The house was nearly destroyed and the front door was in pieces on the ground. She rushed closer and heard movement inside and upon entering she found what it was.

Creams mother was laying under some broken wood panels weakly trying to escape. Rouge quickly went to help the poor rabbit and with a few screw kicks successfully got her free. Vanilla gave her a thankful smile but it quickly turned you worry, "M-miss rouge My daughter she's been taken."

"Where did they take her?" Rouge already knew who took her that was obvious. The rabbit thought for a minute before answering, "I.. I think to a base. Oh please Miss rouge would you bring her back safe! Please!" She begged with worried expression. Rouge gave her a warm smile, "I would love nothing more but first we need to get you treated."

And with that rouge picked her up And flew Her over to sonics.

~~~~~~~~~

This was better.

Sonic had fallin asleep again on shadows lap with shadow unconsciously petting sonics quills. Tails had finished tinkering with the tornado or in other words getting his mind off of what had happened earlier. He entered the room and saw Shadow still on the couch then sonics head popped up from the other side and looked at him. Sonic gave his usual smile, "heya tails watcha been up to bud?" The fox shrugged, "Ah just messing with the tornado again and adding updates here and there." Tails replied heading to the kitchen. "Sounds cool you gonna take it out for a spin?" He asked watching him go. Tails nodded with a hum as he opened the fridge. He then returned to the living room and held out a sandwich for sonic. "You haven't eaten anything since yesterday so I premade you a sandwich." Sonic took the sandwich, "Always on top of things tails, thanks bro."

As sonic took the sandwich tails looked over at shadow. He was still a little irritated with the foxes actions and but acknowledge tails with a nod. Tails could understand giving a nod in respons.

But before sonic could even eat his sandwich the doorbell rang causing sonic to place his sandwich down and open the door. But what he opened up to was truly rather surprising which made his usual smile turn to mixture of worry and shock. Rouge was standing at the door with a battered vanilla. He quickly grabbed Her And carried her up the stares towards his bed room. Tails quickly followed as rouge sat on the couch next to shadow.

"Ahh so this is where you've been shadow, I was starting to miss you." She smirked at him. Shadow rolled his eyes, "I was just finding out what was wrong with that faker is all. Turns out eggman really ticked him off." He replied crossing his arms. Rouge nodded she had been told by knuckles what happened to sonic, she didn't like what she heard but she didn't think sonic wanted to talk about it.

15 minutes later sonic returned down stares And immediately asked what happened. Rouge explained that cream had been taken by eggman But didn't know why And only that her mom tried defending her own daughter.

"Where's this base of eggheads anyway?" Sonic questioned impatiently, he didn't want cream to be there for long. "Its on the abandoned chemical plant zone however it's surrounded by water and gun doesn't deal with minor kidnap like this." She explained with a sigh.

"Why not use the tornado?"Tails cut in as he walked closer. "Good idea tails But we would be detected to easily, eggman has the whole place up in arms." Rouge stated crossing her arms. "Well I got a chaos emerald shadow could chaos control us there is a flash." Sonic said pulling out his blue emerald and holding it out. Shadow took it and nodded, "Alright then let's get moving then."

"Tails I want you to stay here and watch over creams mom." Sonic stated as he when over to shadow placing a hand on his shoulder. Rouge followed doing the same with tails giving a small nod.

And just like that they were gone.