( This actually takes place after Spirit breaks out. We know how already from my other story, but here's a recap jic: Spirit had to fight Sonic, Sonic convinced her she didn't have to stay, Spirit asked Shadow to come with but he couldn't because of his built-in devotion to Eggman, so just made up some lame excuse not to come, but he did help her break out. This is the night after all this happened. )
Barley perked as he heard a knock at his door. He looked up, blue eyes narrowing in confusion. It was nearly 9 PM -- who could be coming at this hour? Dad, maybe? Hope nothing's wrong.
"Barley?" A call from the living room snapped him out of his trance. The cat turned and walked over to the couch. "Yeah, Aurora?"
A lynx sat on the cushions, holding a remote. Some cartoon show was on, but her interest was on Barley. "Whozzat," she asked lazily, ear flicking as her ocean eyes glanced up at the black cat.
Barley shrugged. "I was just about to check it out. Probably just some marketer or advertiser or something."
The lynx shrugged.
Barley turned to the hallway, walking over to the front door and unlocking it carefully. He opened the door slightly, just enough so that the person outside could barely see his face. "Yes?" He asked, an ear flicking, before his eyes widened.
Just before he screamed, a gloved hand clamped over his mouth. He was dragged outside, the door quietly closing after him.
Aurora perked from the couch. "...uh, Barley?"
The figure bodily dragged Barley around the house to the back, before pressing him up against the wall. They leaned close to him and whispered, "Don't scream."
"I won't," came the muffled assurance.
Spirit the wolf released her grip on Barley, her hand moving away from his mouth. Immediately after, however, Barley shot forward and gripped her tightly, enveloping her in a giant bear hug. "Spirit, oh Mobius," he exclaimed, hugging her tighter. "Where -- I thought -- WE thought --"
"I was dead?" Spirit raised an eye ridge, gently pushing Barley away. "No, definitely not. From what cause, though, I'm curious to hear."
"At the school, when that huge mysterious explosion happened," Barley said. "You just... Disappeared. When no one could find any traces of you, the police said that your body might have --"
"Been incinerated?' Spirit sighed. "Well, even if that were true that I was directly next to the explosion and it was big enough to cause that much damage -- which it wasn't, mind you, it just barely managed to bring a wall down -- a normal Mobian might have been incinerated, yes."
"Which is exactly why me, Aurora, and dad didn't think you were dead for sure," Barley breathed out. "You're different cuz of your powers, but the police didn't know that. But after you -- you left for TWO YEARS, Spirit... What else were we supposed to think?" Barley sighed, running a hand through his bangs.
Spirit's gaze softened, and she was about to say something, before she perked, ears pricking. "Hold on." Her grip on Barley tightened.
Barley perked, an eye ridge raising. "What is it?"
"Did you ... Did you say Aurora..?"
---
Shadow grunted as he was shoved into a room -- actually more punched than anything, which he suspected was not entirely by accident. He pushed himself up with his knees, his hands cuffed with unbreakable diamond chains behind him.
His ear twitched as metal clanking was heard behind him, footsteps walking towards him , until a robot was standing before him. "Project: Shadow, you have failed the Doctor in the assistance of letting Spirit the Wolf escape. What reason do you give for this?"
Shadow looked up at the robot, narrowing his crimson eyes. It was blue, much like the hedgehog it was modeled after. It's unnaturally red eyes glowed as it tilted it's head down towards him. "I will not ask a second time."
Shadow's ears folded back. "Why should I tell you," he asked. "If the Doctor wants to know this, he can come ask of me himself."
"Shadow, Shadow, Shadow," A familiar voice chuckled lowly, causing the hedgehog's head to jerk up. "You always did need to make everything more difficult than it had to be."
Doctor Eggman stood before him, tall but not very menacing. His large mustache and larger stomach didn't make for a very imposing impression, but Shadow knew better than to be fooled by looks.
The cunning doctor leaned down, stroking his mustache. "Well, I am here now. Go on."
Shadow hated him so much. He wanted to rip the chains holding him down to shreds and Chaos Blast that smug look on the Doctor's face into oblivion, and it was clear in his expression that Eggman knew this.
But he couldn't.
Eggman frowned at Shadow's silence, standing straight. "Perhaps you need a refreshing of the rules here, Shadow," He said, beginning to pace in a circle around the hedgehog.
"You serve me. Your only purpose in life is to work for me. I brought you back into existence, therefore you are forever indebted to me. Anything that is done even remotely against me is considered disobedience and has consequences. So now that you know this," Eggman said, his face suddenly darkening and his eyes glaring behind their eyeglasses. "Why. Did. You. Help. Her. Escape."
Shadow was looking at the floor, expression unusually soft. "Because..." He began, looking up at Eggman. "No punishment you can give me is worse than watching her suffer."
Eggman spat out a laugh. "Spirit has had an influence on you, all right. Too much of an influence. You're too bold," He said bluntly, waving to Metal Sonic.
The robot grabbed a hold of Shadow's arm, jerking him up to his feet.
"Looks like we've got some erasing to do."
---
Aurora perked as the door opened, and she looked up, sitting up on the couch. "Where were you?" She asked Barley, raising an eye ridge. "You were out there for a while. Did you grab something from town or what?"
"Not... Exactly," Barley said softly, not closing the door behind him as he walked in. "Can you come here, Aurora?"
The lynx's expression only grew more confused, but she obeyed. "All right..." She slowly stood up, walking over to in front of where Barley stood. "What is it?"
"I need to show you something," Barley said, putting up his hands. "But... But you need to promise me you won't freak out."
"Okay," Aurora giggled nervously, tilting an ear. "But honestly, Barley, it looks like you've seen..."
Her voice trailed off as Barley stepped to the side, revealing Spirit standing behind him. The wolf's cheeks were stained with newly shed tears, for whatever reason, and some still lingered in her violet eyes as she stared at the lynx. "Aurora," Spirit said, her voice filled with misery and joy at the same time.
Aurora didn't answer, her mouth open in shock, but she reacted. She reached forward and hugged Spirit tightly to her, starting to cry. Spirit hugged Aurora back, closing her eyes tightly as tears streamed down her cheeks.
---
Shadow was shoved into a large tube, the containment unit being lined with diamond glass. The cuffs had been taken off just before he had been thrown in, being useless once he was inside anyway. He turned to face the doctor, saying nothing. He couldn't change his mind. Almost no one could.
Eggman approached a device close to the machine and began punching in buttons and pulling levers, the 'engine' of the machine starting up with a whirr.
Despite his calm appearance, Shadow was inwardly terrified. This had happened so many times already -- not that he remembered. The only other time he was wiped and he could remember what happened beforehand was during Spirit's stay. Long story short, it did not end up well, with Spirit in tears and Shadow severely confused.
Spirit had helped him regain his memory, but she was gone now.
Shadow looked down, taking in a deep breath in an effort to calm himself. This couldn't be avoided. He couldn't get out of this. He needed to accept this.
His ears flattened. Somehow he couldn't.
His eyes opened, but just barely as his eyelids narrowed. He felt the process beginning. The pieces of his memories beginning to fall apart, to fray at the edges, while his eyes grew heavy.
He made a promise to himself right before he passed out.
'I will remember you. Maybe not right away, maybe not for a really long time, but I will remember you.'
---
Spirit hugged Aurora tighter, ears flattening to her skull. "I'm so sorry," She whispered. "I promise, I promise I won't leave you again."
