It was quiet as the two strangers walked through the forest, with Shadow more or less carrying the weakened (a/t). The hedgehog was cautious as he walked, checking his surroundings every few minutes in case G.U.N had caught on and where already after them. Surely with the hedgehog not checking in, they would either be suspicious, or assume he was dead.
But this is Shadow, they know he wouldn't be killed so easily.
(Y/N) was looking around the forest as well, however for different reasons. The greenery looked different, the trees were older, the wildlife was not the wildlife she remembered. Everything was new, as if this was her first time being in this forest.
The (a/t) let out a small whine, her brain was sore from waking up, her body was exhausted from not being used for... How long was it? Her ears pressed back, taking in all the new details once again. The forest doesn't just change in a day, or a week, where was her family, her friends? Had they tried looking for her?
The silence droned on, and the hedgehog stopped, leaning (Y/N) against a large tree, "I can't carry you forever... Try walking again."
His voice was cold, demanding almost, and the (a/t) didn't want to upset someone like that. She closed her eyes, trying to clear her mind and remember how to function. Slowly, she pushed off the tree and stumbled forward.
Shadow held his arm out and caught her with a sigh, "Okay, I will carry you for a bit longer then..."
This time, however, he actually picked her up. (Y/N) yelped in surprise and clung to his form as he started walking again.
"We aren't safe out here." The brooding hedgehog stated, "We're going to have to hide, preferably before G.U.N come after us."
"G... U.N..." The (a/t) repeated, "You've... Mentioned them before... Are they the bad people...?"
"That depends on what you mean by bad people." Shadow shrugged, "I have a feeling to you they are bad, if you claim they were trying to kill you over this."
"Are they... The people that were chasing me...?"
"You said they were shooting at you?" The hedgehog glanced down at her, "Then yes, it was most likely them."
He kept walking through the forest, doing his best to not even think about everything he knew of this person. How they had chased her, probably killed her. How she had been sleeping for 150 years, how G.U.N would be pleased if Shadow returned with her body, even though it wasn't a part of the mission. The Commander would be happy to have finally finished a goal the HQ had tried achieving for over a century.
He couldn't tell her that people would most likely be out to kill her, to take the Crescent Life Source. In fact, he wanted to know why it would be a bad thing.
"So, what does that thing do again?" He asked, ears twitching as he listened for any other sound.
"I already told you... It creates life and can.. Destroy it..." (Y/N) mumbled, hugging the gold moon close to her chest.
"Yes, but surely there is more information, how does it work?"
"I... I don't know..." She admitted quietly, "It just... Does..."
The hedgehog raised a brow, turning his gaze to the gold-flecked Mobian, "You don't know how it works, yet you protect it anyway?"
"If anyone does find out how it works, they could destroy the world as we know it." She said defensively, "Do you know how it works?"
Shadow frowned, before turning his gaze back to the invisible path. He hated being shut down like that, so instead of pushing further, he decided to keep walking.
But still, in the back of his mind, he can't help but wonder why the Commander was so determined to retrieve such a powerful item. It was clearly already safe where (Y/N) had it, so why relocate it and risk it becoming known to all?
Everything pointed to something not good, something that would end horribly. And he knew then and there, that he had made the right decision.
"I have to call Rouge..." He mumbled, stopping once again and placing the (a/t) down, "You work on your walking while I make a call."
(Y/N) looked up at him, tilting her head, "A... What?"
The hedgehog ignored her, fishing around in his quills for a little flip phone, the black and red colour scheme shone in the light as he flipped the screen open. It lit up, and the white bat's name was already flashing on the screen.
Shadow was grateful for this little brick. If he didn't want to be tracked, he just used this to call Rouge. It was for emergencies only and this was definitely an emergency.
He pressed a button and the phone started to ring. He felt (Y/N) stumble into his side, and he had to hold back a growl as he steadied her. The dark hedgehog hated contact at the best of times.
The phone rung a few more times before Rouge finally answered, she sounded frantic as she started yelling into the device.
"We tried to contact you but we couldn't! Do you understand what I was just put through?!"
"Calm down." Shadow stated, "Are you secluded? We have to talk."
The bat, about ready to blow up into the phone for being told to 'calm down', changed her attitude at the tone of his voice. What was going on? Was this a serious problem?
"Yeah, I'm alone. I went back to the club to chill while the Commander waits for your response." She sighed, leaning against the bar of her club, "What's going on? You just disappeared you know."
"I am aware. Look, I don't know how much time I have to talk, they could already be after us. But this artefact, it's powerful. It can destroy the world if it ends up in the wrong hands." The dark hedgehog glanced at the (a/t), who was wobbly walking around. She stopped at a tree, leaning her head against the trunk, her ears twitched lightly as she closed her eyes.
-What is she doing...?-
"Yes Shadow, we know that. That's why the Commander is after it, to keep it safe. He told us that." The bat rubbed her head.
"No, you don't understand. I felt it's power, it's dangerous." Shadow shook his head, focusing back onto the conversation, "You remember (Y/N)? She was the one they were chasing to get it."
"That crook? Yeah I know of her. We had to do research on her."
"Well she doesn't even know how it works. That's how powerful this thing is."
"And this is coming from the Ultimate Lifeform..."
"Exactly."
Shadow pinched the fur between his eyes, "Look, I don't know what the Commander wants to do with the Crescent, but I know it's not good. This thing was protected, way too well. Why would we bother relocating it? No one even knows about it. He's up to something Rouge, that's why I called on the phone, not the communicator. My gut is telling me he is up to no good."
"You know it's not wise to talk badly about the Commander, you could be tried with treason."
"And you know I made a promise to protect this world. Now are you going to help me or not?"
The line went silent, Shadow wondered if Rouge would just hang up on him. As much as he knew he could deal with this alone, he knew the more help, the better.
-Please Rouge, we need your help...- He would never say that out loud. But the bat didn't need to hear it to know. Anything to do with his promise to Maria was serious business.
"Okay fine, what do you want me to do?"
"Just be my ear, my spy. You're good at that. Keep me posted if they find anything or get a lead on us. Can I trust you to do that?"
"You bet, partner." The bat sighed, "But if we're caught, we're both dead. You know that right?"
"I wouldn't dream of putting your life on the line..." Shadow sighed, "But yes..."
"Right, well... Good luck out there. Keep me up to date, and I will do the same for you."
Shadow couldn't help but smile a little, glad he had at least one person to depend, "Thank you Rouge."
"But you owe me. Goodbye hun." The phone clicked as she hung up, and the hedgehog shook his head, hiding the device back into his quills.
He turned back to the (a/t) to see her sitting against the tree, looking up at the green canopy. He walked over, holding his hand out and she looked at it, before taking it slowly.
"Can you walk now?" He asked, pulling her to her feet.
"I think so..." She mumbled, before looking at him, "How... How long has it been? The trees won't give me an answer."
"The trees?" Shadow tilted his head.
She nodded, turning back to the tree trunk and putting her hand on it, "All it's saying is... Welcome back... How long has it been?"
The hedgehog watched her, unsure if he should tell her. He remembered the first time he woke up, how he found out 50 years had passed since... The incident, and he remembered the confusion, the complete and utter feeling of being lost.
"A long time..."
"My family... Are they still here? I want an answer." (Y/N) turned back to him, her stare was hard, serious, "It hasn't been only a few days, or months. How long was I asleep for?"
"We don't have time for this. As soon as we are hidden, I will happily tell you." Shadow stated, looking around again.
"Fine..." Her (e/c) eyes softened, and she hugged her arms, "Then... What was that thing you were using? The trees didn't like it..."
"I bet they didn't." He pulled out another device, his communicator. The (a/t)'s ears perked and she walked over to him.
"What is that?"
"You won't understand. Just know a lot has happened since you went to sleep okay?" He stepped away from her, starting to get annoyed with the (a/t), "Now be quiet, I need to make another call, and if you're seen we're as good as dead. Got it?"