The Crossing Destinies [OPEN Sonic the Hedgehog FF]

Shadows of the past (7/9)

Shadow was slowly waking up, feeling the body being in a great pain and sore. A silent moan escaped from his throat and after a while he forced eyes to open, carefully scanning the space around. He was in a cave... a nicely decorated cave. It had pillows, chair, table, some plush toys, and even curtains. Where was he? He slowly stood up, a blanket slid down. He noticed his body was bandaged all over.

'Who could do that?' He touched the white cloth and just to be sure, he checked his body. He still had horns, the third eye, wings, long tail, fangs, and claws, so who would in their right mind help him? He was obviously a demon. Well, he didn't mind being alive and you won't hear him complaining about it.

He sniffed. 'Someone is coming!' He crouched behind the partly overhanging screen watching the one in front of him, that functioned as a front door. The silhouette on the other side got closer, sliding the fabric. It was a young girl, maybe a fresh teenager. Her fur was blonde, her eyes were shining and had the purest blue he had ever seen. It was a hedgehog with a simple coronet on her quills and she wore a blue dress. In her hands, she had a basket full of fruits.

"Ah, you have awakened!" she called him with a big smile. "Are you still hurt? I have brought you some fruit and vegetable. It will help you to get better soon." Her voice was crystal clear. He couldn't help it but lift his head higher in a curious manner. "My name is Maria, who are you?" she kept smiling.

That question crushed his mood. Was she trying to deceive him with that innocent smile? "I have no name for you," he replied annoyed. He slowly walked from his spot, knowing she had hardly any fighting strength.

"Is that so?" she said almost sad, walking to a small table putting the fruit basket there. "Then I'll call you Shadow." She smiled so brightly. "That way you will finally have a name."

His jaw dropped. 'W-W-Wait... Is she for real? Did she misinterpreted my reply as not having a name at all?' He wasn't sure if he was supposed to be angry or not. He watched her as she was picking a red and yellow ovalish fruit.

"Want an apple?" she offered him it. He looked at it and then at her, showing dumbfounded expression. She pulled her hand back, returning the piece inside and taking out a new one. "What about a pear? Is no good? Or what about a plum?" Before he could even glimpse the shape of that pear, she returned it offering him a small oval and dark blue fruit.

When his reaction was neutral even on this one, she just kept showing him one piece after another. Each looked more bizarre and different than the previous one and he hardly caught any of the names she was throwing at him. When he was about to bark at her to stop, her face shone and with both hands, she thrust a round orange piece into his muzzle hitting his nose and pushing it backward.

"The orange!" She shouted so happily like it was a huge treasure. "I love them so~ much, but they are so~ hard to get," her voice turned gloomy and her hands were lowered. "We can have them only for a few weeks per year," she sadly sighed. The demon had enough of her making a fool of him. He jumped at her pinning her to the wall. The round fruit had fallen on the ground.

She yelped. He came closer over her, watching right into her blue eyes. 'She has a pure soul. I can't believe she avoided demons for so long.' He glanced at her chest, smirking a bit. 'She is still a half child.' In other words, she was at her best quality. 'So it must have been you, who took care of me. I shall repay you by killing you painlessly.'

He noticed her face was turning red and her heartbeat got a lot faster. 'Too bad, you noticed too late.' She suddenly yanked her body, pushing him away with both hands. He widened eyes, her physical strength was greater than he anticipated. The demon ended on the pile of pillows he was sleeping till now. She quickly stepped away from the wall, heavily breathing and completely red till the neck.

'Dang, she was hiding her true form,' he got ready to attack when she started to make no sense.

"You... You can't jump at a girl like that!" The movements of her hands were hectic. "I don't mind being friends!! But... but... going so fast?!"

His jaw dropped. 'What was she thinking? I clearly attacked her, how could she interpret it differently? Is she so gullible?' He was lost. The hedgehog demon knew humans tend to behave irrationally, but this was over the top. She took the cake! He was watching her shaking her body from one side to another, mumbling some words. He couldn't help to scratch his muzzle.

His ears perked as he caught a sound of closing steps. "Maria!" called a new voice, that belonged to an older man.

"Grandpa!" she shouted while she tried to do something with her blushing. She turned toward the basket standing on the table, grabbing some shiny piece, smashing it over her face. She didn't stop to shock him.

The curtain was slid to the side and an orangish hedgehog appeared. "What happened?" he asked seeing his granddaughter to have such dirty face. While was the girl coming up with an answer, he noticed her grandpa was an old man, probably over his jubilee by years, having gray strips of quills. He was wearing a lab coat and his smell was reeking of various medicines and chemicals. The one thing that differed him from other mortals was big gravity-defying mustache of the same color with a small glasses on his nose.

"I tried to catch a tomato, but I smashed it instead," she made kittenish smile sticking her tongue out a bit. That sure was a believable excuse. The older man simply nodded, glancing at the demon.

'Ah, this one is more clever. He knows who I am, but he isn't big deal. Just an old man.' He sniffed. 'Yeah, there is a nice deal of frustration and regret in his soul. That will compensate the tough taste of his meat nicely.' Finally, someone who will have the desired reaction.

"So, he has woken up, huh?" From his pocket he took out a handkerchief, giving it to her to wipe the face.

"Yeah, his name is Shadow," she stopped as she was cleaning her mouth. "Well, I gave him it," her face turned a bit red, "because he doesn't have one."

The man nodded. "The chief was looking for you."

"Ah, the festival!" she gasped. "I have to get prepared for the dance. See you in the evening, Shadow!" She waved at him, running out. But just a step in front of the door-curtain she stopped, turning back. "Don't forget to eat and don't be picky! Fruit is good for you!" She made a big smile before dashing outside.

He bristled, hissing like a cat. He seriously wanted to smack her. She was treating him like a kid!

The man glanced at him, saying in a cold tone: "When you are fine, leave this place."

"Oh, trying to sound threatening?" He grinned, standing up. Shadow finally felt like himself. No more wacky behavior. It was time to scream in terror and letting guts to hit the floor.

"What makes you believe so?" asked the other hedgehog in surprisingly calm manner.

"Don't pretend. You know who I am," he smirked. He flapped his wings and licked his lips with forked tongue. It was some time since he had some prey and even if this guy had hardly a tender treat, he was still having sufficient quality.

The man was looking at him for some time, before lifting his left eyebrow. "Nope, never saw you in my life. Are you distant relative perhaps?"

That question hit the demon hard, for a moment he went weak in knees. Wasn't this guy supposed to have a brain? Or was he wacko like that blonde girl? "Maybe you have an identity crisis?"

The last remark made Shadow furious. "I'm a demon!!" he screamed spreading his wings looking menacing.