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CHAPTER 4

            Black Light circled Amy, pacing just out of her reach. For many days, he avoided her no matter how hard Amy tried to find him. It was her job to annoy him, so of course, she was looking for him. Not that she got attached to him in any way. No! Are you crazy? Like that would happen….*scoff* *cough*….anyways! She searched as many places she was allowed to (and even some off-limits areas much to Gary’s horror) and became extremely good at navigating through the Black Arms Palace. Still, he never allowed her near him and Amy could only glimpse at him from afar.

            So Amy took to hanging out with Gary instead.

            Which Gary didn’t like.

            Not because he didn’t like Amy. In fact, he enjoyed her company immensely. However, this little joy came with a few dangers.

            Amy might not have noticed it, but the aura of the Prince was hard to ignore for most others. Black Light was always nearby: in the shadows of the garden’s edges, on his balcony looking down, pacing the cave halls nearby. The Prince never bothered to conceal his aura or scent, obviously making sure that Gary knew that he was around. The young soldier wasn’t stupid. He knew the meaning of the Prince’s strange behavior.

    His highness was sending out a warning. A warning not to get too close to the hedgehog. Probably because she would not live as long as them. Maybe. He wasn’t exactly sure, but it only took a bad mood to send the King screaming for her death, which was why Gary happily did his best to keep Amy away from Black Doom.

            “Gary?”

            Gary looked up at Amy. “Yeah?”

            “What’s with all the commotion?” Amy asked. “Did something happen?”

    Gary blinked and focused on his surroundings. Amy was right. Something must have happened, because the guards were buzzing with interest and a strange scent was tickling his nose. There was something unusual just outside the cave entrance.

    “New prisoners, I think.” Gary answered when Amy asked again.

    Amy’s ears perked up at that. “Let’s go see them!”

    Gary grimaced. If there were new prisoners, then Black Doom would surely be there and dealing with prisoners didn’t usually put the King in a good mood. Amy was safer staying away. He looked up to tell her so, but she was gone,

    “Amy! No! You’ve got to stay here!” Gary cried as he realized Amy was already heading off to the cave entrance. “It’s not safe!”

    “Then you better hurry and catch up!” Amy called over her shoulders, now going at a full sprint.

    “Curses!” Gary hissed before running after her.

    Amy ran as fast as she could through the caves. If there were prisoners, there was Black Light. She would catch him for sure this time! As she whirl-winded by, the servants casually dodged out of her way and the guards merely rolled their eyes at her as she passed by. Amy’s heart started to pound a bit faster as she got closer and closer. The light at the end of the hall signaling the entrance.

            She had to squint her eyes as she broke into the outside world only to run straight into one of the new prisoners.

            “Kyaa!” the prisoner—a girl by the sound of her high-note scream—tumbled onto the ground with Amy. The two ended up with Amy on top. “H-Hi…?”

            Amy opened her eyes and blinked into two polished oceans. Surprised, she sat back and looked the young girl over. The prisoner had blond hair and fair skin with a gentle smile painted on her lips. Most of all, the girl was human.

            “Maria! Are you alright?” another human—a male—ran up to the two females.

            Amy looked up into a familiar whiskered-mustache and screamed. “AAAaaaHHhh! Dr. Eggman!” In her surprise, Amy fell to floor and landed on her back.

            “What? My name is not Dr. Eggman!” The old man helped Maria up and straightened his lab coat. “My name is Professor Gerald Robotnik.”

            Amy’s eyes bulged out of their sockets. Professor Robotnik? As in Dr. Eggman’s grandfather Professor Robotnik? Wasn’t he dead?! And if he is who he says he is and who Amy is thinking he is, then the Maria beside him must be the same Maria she kept hearing about from Shadow the Hedgehog! So Maria should be dead, too! Gah. This was making her brain hurt.

            ‘Sooo. I didn’t just travel through space over night but THROUGH TIME, TOO?!’ Amy’s brain exploded. ‘HOW DID THIS HAPPEN? WAS THIS EVEN POSSIBLE? I JUST WALKED THROUGH A STORM, FOR PETE’S SAKE!

            I’m dead. And this is just a dream before heaven. A nightmare. Wait, does that mean I’m going to Hell?’ Amy thought.

            The pink hedgehog flipped over and buried her face in the dirt. “What did I do to deserve this?” she wailed.

            Gerald and Maria stared at the hedgehog in surprise. She didn’t look like part of the Black Arms. In fact, she looked quite earthly. And, right now, pitiful.

            A movement from the cave entrance directed their attention to one of the Black Arms race. This one was larger than the guards that found them when they crashed onto this planet and looked positively frightening with that dark sneer of his. The Black Arms guards around them bowed slightly as it came closer.

            “Get up, you sniveling hedgehog.” Black Light growled. “What are you crying for?”

            The pink form sat up quickly and looked at the massive beast. Her face immediately changed from horror-stricken to one of pure delight.

            “Black Light!” Amy launched herself at him, her arms not long enough to circle his neck completely, though that didn’t stop her from trying. “I missed annoying you!” Then she took a step back and glared at him accusingly. “Have you been avoiding me?” she asked while wagging a finger at him.

            The Prince just snorted and turned his attention to the humans. “What. Are. You?”

            Gerald stepped forward and tried to look somewhat confident. “My name is Professor Gerald Robotnik and this is my granddaughter, Maria. My ship crashed on your planet. We just need a few supplies to fix it and be out of your sight forever.”

            “A ship?” Amy blurted before Black Light could refuse. “That travels through space?”

            “Of course.” Gerald scoffed. “A ship made to float on water would hardly be of use in space!”

            Amy’s heart soared. A spaceship could definitely take her back to Earth! Better than that! If Robotnik succeeded in creating the spaceship, then he could definitely figure out how to return Amy to her time! This man, who looked like Dr. Eggman, was going to be her savior. However, as she stared into the old man’s eyes, a shiver crept up her spine. Those cold eyes were black and calculating. She didn’t like how he kept looking at Black Light, either.

            She didn’t like this Professor at all, but who else could she turn to?

            “If I get you the supplies, can you help me in return?” Amy asked, her body tensing in anticipation.

            Black Light snapped his attention to her. “And how are you planning to get these supplies? You’re nothing but the royal pet.” He spat the last word with a glare thrown in.

            Amy didn’t even turn to him. She watched Gerald carefully as he thought it through. If he was smart, then he would know that Amy was the only chance he had of getting supplies. The Black Arms race certainly wouldn’t be so charitable.

            “Agreed. But how will you get me these supplies? The…um…dog… has a point.” Gerald said.

            Black Light growled at him for being called a dog. Gerald shrugged and looked at him apologetically. These Black Arms creatures looked monstrous and the same to the poor old man. There was no way he could have guessed that the beast before him was actually the Prince of the whole Black Arms race.

            “That’s not your problem.” Amy said as she turned to side with her nose in the air.

            ‘Yeah. That’s my problem, isn’t it?’ Amy thought desperately. ‘What kind of things does he need that are easily accessible to me? Rocks? Wood? And even wood is pretty difficult to get!’

            Gerald looked exasperated. “If you’re the pet around here, then you can’t possibly get me the precious metals that I need!”

            “Grandfather!” Maria scolded, putting her hand gently on his shoulder. “I’m sure she will help us any way she can.”

            “But-but! We need our ship at least! And that’s a pretty big machine to carry all the way here!”

            “Ship?” Amy asked.

            “Yes.” Maria said. “Our ship crashed a few miles from here. If you’re the only one willing to help us, I am sorry to say he is right. It will be too heavy for you.”

            Amy shook her head fiercely. “Don’t worry! I’m stronger than I look!”

            Maria smiled gratefully, but her eyes were still apologetic. With that, she and Gerald were taken away into the caves by the guards. Only Amy and Black Light were left. The sun was still as blood red as ever, but the sky around it was growing darker as the sun withdrew its touch from it. The vampiric trees in the distance peeked above the less dangerous trees around the cave entrance. No sounds except the soft rustling of Black Light’s fur as the dusty breeze passed through.

            “And how do you plan to bring their ship here?” Black Light raised an eyebrow. “You aren’t even allowed away from the Palace. Part of being a pet is to stay near the King, your owner.”

            Amy shrugged. “He doesn’t call for me or see me anyways. And if he does, Gary can cover for me.”

            As she said that, Gary finally burst through the caves. “Gary is going to do what?”

            “You’re going to cover for me. If I’m not back by morning, I am dead.”

            “What?!” Gary’s jaw dropped and he felt his muscles grow heavy in shock—gravity pulling them to the ground. He looked at Black Light to see if he was going to allow this.

            The Prince was obviously displeased with it. His usually knife-sharp gaze was shuttered with disapproval. The way he stood beside the pink female was the stance of a concerned lover. Gary blinked the ridiculous thought away.

            “It’s almost dark.” Black Light pointed out.

            “Well, I can’t wait until morning!” Amy declared.

            “Why not?” Black Light snarled.

            “I…I’ll forget my plan on how to get the ship over here!” Amy said.

            She didn’t look at anyone and hurried into the forest before anything more could be spoken. Gary looked at Black Light for instructions. Did he want him to follow her? Or was he to cover for her as she said before?

            Apparently, it was the latter as Black Light nodded at him, a sign of dismissal, and followed Amy.

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            Amy continued to walk straight. Sadly, she didn’t think to ask for specific directions to the ship so she was walking blindly. Everytime she came across an entrance to the vampiric forest, she turned away and started on a new path. After doing this for a couple of times, Amy realized that if she was to find the ship, she will need to get through the vampiric forest. She stood at the edge of the most recently discovered entrance to the dreaded trees. Biting her lips and squeezing her arms, she took the first step and suddenly, all she could see was the horrible trees—towering over her, creating a dome, a cage to trap and suck her life away from her. Amy lost it. She started running.

            The second time was just as bad as the first. There was no end to them. She tried not to touch them, but their spidey branches reached out to her, trying to catch her. She looked to the left and saw no hope. The right was full of doom. Panic settled in. Tears started to spring in her eyes. Just as she thought all was lost, she found comfort.

            The large tree she had seen the first time she came here. Had she travelled that far? Really? Amy hugged the tree and gasped for breath. There was something about this tree. It gave life instead of taking it away, unlike its brothers and sisters. It was an oasis in a desert. Soothing. Peaceful. Lovely. So lovely. She closed her eyes to rest for a moment, but darkness did not greet her as always. Instead, a vision. It was as if the tree was trying to tell her something. A path. Through the trees. A flash of something shiny.

            It was the way to the ship!

            Amy opened her eyes and stared wonderingly at the glossy, black trunk.

            “What did you see?”

            Amy squeaked as Black Light appeared.

            “What did you see?” Black Light asked again.

            “The way to their ship.” Amy answered. Then, she put her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes. “How long have you been following me?”

            “The whole time.” He answered, staring intently at the tree.

            For some reason, he looked disappointed. Amy blinked questioningly at him. Was he disappointed that he had to follow her?

            “Is there something wrong with the tree?” Amy asked after Black Light stared at it for a long time. “Is it odd that it showed me something?”

            “Not at all.” Black Light smiled a little, but it looked too wolfish to be seen as kind. “I ho--….. thought it would show something else.”

            Amy sat down with her back resting against the tree. She stretched her legs in front of her and sighed.

            “Does the tree show you stuff, too?” Amy asked.

            Black Light sat beside her. “Same thing everytime. Ever since I was young.”

            Amy glanced up at him sharply.

            ‘Okaayy…so he ignores me for more than a week and then he decides to tell me more about himself?’ Amy thought. ‘Really? Maybe it was just the fact that they were away from the Palace.’

            Here, they were alone. No guard passing by to catch any private conversation. No distractions. Just him and her and silence. Oh, and the tree, of course.

            Maybe it was just the presence of the tree. Underneath its broad branches and fruitful leaves, Amy felt like she was in a small paradise and sharing it with Black Light made it all the more private and theirs. The presence in the air was like a flutter of butterfly wings on her cheeks—a kiss from the golden clouds of Heaven—the sweetest taste of love. She could tell that Black Light felt the same way. His eyes were at peace and his third eye closed as if it didn’t even exist.

            “And what is this repetitive vision that you see?” Amy finally asked.

            Black Light stiffened a little before relaxing again. He turned his head so that his face was inches away from Amy’s, the gentle air that escaped his nose tickling her own, and his startlingly expressive, ruby eyes diving into her mind and soul.

            “I see my future mate—my lovely bride wrapped in roses blushing pink.” He whispered. “This tree here reveals the future. When it showed you the path to the ship, it was telling you not to worry. That you were going to successfully find the ship. It wasn’t really showing you the way. Just that you were eventually going to go down that path.”

            “Oh.” Amy breathed. Words had left her. She didn’t blame them. The way Black Light was gazing at her sent her heart pounding against her chest and her skin to burn up. The ground was gone and she was melting away into the sky.

            Black Light shifted away from her and back into his former position.

            “Let’s go.” Amy announced after a few more minutes of silent companionship.

            Black Light said nothing and just stood, shaking off any leaves that might have fallen on his pelt. He dipped his head to her as she stood up, indicating that she should lead.

            Amy turned away from him to face the vampiric trees once more. Except. They weren’t there. The only trees around were the okay kind—the type that didn’t threaten to kill her. Not wanting to break Black Light’s nice streak, she remained silent. The walk was peaceful, which was odd considering Black Light was like a big, black shadow behind her. Instead, his large presence comforted her.

            Soon, faster than she thought initially, they found Gerald and Maria’s ship.

            “Are you kidding me?!” Amy exploded. “This isn’t a ship! This is Noah’s Arc, space edition!”

            Black Light stepped up beside her. “We should have just brought the whole Black Arms army for this. Shall we go back now?”

          “No wait!” Amy said, running to the open entrance of the ship. “Maybe it’s fine enough to fly to the Palace!”

            Black Light snorted as he followed her inside. “And do either of us know how to fly such a thing as this?”

            Amy didn’t answer and Black Light had lost track of her.

            “Amy?” Black Light called.

            He turned a corner and entered what seemed to be an office/ laboratory. Amy stood near the blue desk with the large screens repeating static again and again, over and over. She was pale, her usually rosy cheeks drained of color, and her eyes were wide in shock. In her hands were a few documents that had captured her complete attention. Some sort of writing were drawn everywhere on those yellowing paper.

            “Amy?” Black Light called again. “Are you okay?”

            Hearing her name, Amy turned towards Black Light, revealing the folder from which the documents came from. On it with large black letters were the words: “Project Shadow.”

            “What is that?” Black Light grimaced at it. Whatever it was, it didn’t make Amy happy. Also, he had a bad feeling about it. The strange squiggles were like black snakes slithering around the evil folder.

            Tears slid down Amy’s face and she was staring at him with a new light.

            “Tell me. Is your name really Black Light?” Amy asked, her voice trembling.

            “Yes.”

            “Is that the name you were born with?”

            “….What brought this on?” he demanded. His claws were starting to claw into the metal floor.

            “Answer the question!” Amy sobbed out. She was lost in her pain now and her tears freely streamed down.

            “No. My mother named me Shadow. She wasn’t of royal blood and had silly ideas for naming me. After she died a few years later after my birth, my father re-named me.”

            “Shadow.” Amy cried, dropping the documents.

            On one of the papers, Black Arms writing was written all over it. There was no doubt about it. It was a contract giving Black Light completely over to Gerald Robotnik for experimentation.

    Signed by his own mother.

Description

CHAPTER 4

            Black Light circled Amy, pacing just out of her reach. For many days, he avoided her no matter how hard Amy tried to find him. It was her job to annoy him, so of course, she was looking for him. Not that she got attached to him in any way. No! Are you crazy? Like that would happen….*scoff* *cough*….anyways! She searched as many places she was allowed to (and even some off-limits areas much to Gary’s horror) and became extremely good at navigating through the Black Arms Palace. Still, he never allowed her near him and Amy could only glimpse at him from afar.

            So Amy took to hanging out with Gary instead.

            Which Gary didn’t like.

            Not because he didn’t like Amy. In fact, he enjoyed her company immensely. However, this little joy came with a few dangers.

            Amy might not have noticed it, but the aura of the Prince was hard to ignore for most others. Black Light was always nearby: in the shadows of the garden’s edges, on his balcony looking down, pacing the cave halls nearby. The Prince never bothered to conceal his aura or scent, obviously making sure that Gary knew that he was around. The young soldier wasn’t stupid. He knew the meaning of the Prince’s strange behavior.

    His highness was sending out a warning. A warning not to get too close to the hedgehog. Probably because she would not live as long as them. Maybe. He wasn’t exactly sure, but it only took a bad mood to send the King screaming for her death, which was why Gary happily did his best to keep Amy away from Black Doom.

            “Gary?”

            Gary looked up at Amy. “Yeah?”

            “What’s with all the commotion?” Amy asked. “Did something happen?”

    Gary blinked and focused on his surroundings. Amy was right. Something must have happened, because the guards were buzzing with interest and a strange scent was tickling his nose. There was something unusual just outside the cave entrance.

    “New prisoners, I think.” Gary answered when Amy asked again.

    Amy’s ears perked up at that. “Let’s go see them!”

    Gary grimaced. If there were new prisoners, then Black Doom would surely be there and dealing with prisoners didn’t usually put the King in a good mood. Amy was safer staying away. He looked up to tell her so, but she was gone,

    “Amy! No! You’ve got to stay here!” Gary cried as he realized Amy was already heading off to the cave entrance. “It’s not safe!”

    “Then you better hurry and catch up!” Amy called over her shoulders, now going at a full sprint.

    “Curses!” Gary hissed before running after her.

    Amy ran as fast as she could through the caves. If there were prisoners, there was Black Light. She would catch him for sure this time! As she whirl-winded by, the servants casually dodged out of her way and the guards merely rolled their eyes at her as she passed by. Amy’s heart started to pound a bit faster as she got closer and closer. The light at the end of the hall signaling the entrance.

            She had to squint her eyes as she broke into the outside world only to run straight into one of the new prisoners.

            “Kyaa!” the prisoner—a girl by the sound of her high-note scream—tumbled onto the ground with Amy. The two ended up with Amy on top. “H-Hi…?”

            Amy opened her eyes and blinked into two polished oceans. Surprised, she sat back and looked the young girl over. The prisoner had blond hair and fair skin with a gentle smile painted on her lips. Most of all, the girl was human.

            “Maria! Are you alright?” another human—a male—ran up to the two females.

            Amy looked up into a familiar whiskered-mustache and screamed. “AAAaaaHHhh! Dr. Eggman!” In her surprise, Amy fell to floor and landed on her back.

            “What? My name is not Dr. Eggman!” The old man helped Maria up and straightened his lab coat. “My name is Professor Gerald Robotnik.”

            Amy’s eyes bulged out of their sockets. Professor Robotnik? As in Dr. Eggman’s grandfather Professor Robotnik? Wasn’t he dead?! And if he is who he says he is and who Amy is thinking he is, then the Maria beside him must be the same Maria she kept hearing about from Shadow the Hedgehog! So Maria should be dead, too! Gah. This was making her brain hurt.

            ‘Sooo. I didn’t just travel through space over night but THROUGH TIME, TOO?!’ Amy’s brain exploded. ‘HOW DID THIS HAPPEN? WAS THIS EVEN POSSIBLE? I JUST WALKED THROUGH A STORM, FOR PETE’S SAKE!

            I’m dead. And this is just a dream before heaven. A nightmare. Wait, does that mean I’m going to Hell?’ Amy thought.

            The pink hedgehog flipped over and buried her face in the dirt. “What did I do to deserve this?” she wailed.

            Gerald and Maria stared at the hedgehog in surprise. She didn’t look like part of the Black Arms. In fact, she looked quite earthly. And, right now, pitiful.

            A movement from the cave entrance directed their attention to one of the Black Arms race. This one was larger than the guards that found them when they crashed onto this planet and looked positively frightening with that dark sneer of his. The Black Arms guards around them bowed slightly as it came closer.

            “Get up, you sniveling hedgehog.” Black Light growled. “What are you crying for?”

            The pink form sat up quickly and looked at the massive beast. Her face immediately changed from horror-stricken to one of pure delight.

            “Black Light!” Amy launched herself at him, her arms not long enough to circle his neck completely, though that didn’t stop her from trying. “I missed annoying you!” Then she took a step back and glared at him accusingly. “Have you been avoiding me?” she asked while wagging a finger at him.

            The Prince just snorted and turned his attention to the humans. “What. Are. You?”

            Gerald stepped forward and tried to look somewhat confident. “My name is Professor Gerald Robotnik and this is my granddaughter, Maria. My ship crashed on your planet. We just need a few supplies to fix it and be out of your sight forever.”

            “A ship?” Amy blurted before Black Light could refuse. “That travels through space?”

            “Of course.” Gerald scoffed. “A ship made to float on water would hardly be of use in space!”

            Amy’s heart soared. A spaceship could definitely take her back to Earth! Better than that! If Robotnik succeeded in creating the spaceship, then he could definitely figure out how to return Amy to her time! This man, who looked like Dr. Eggman, was going to be her savior. However, as she stared into the old man’s eyes, a shiver crept up her spine. Those cold eyes were black and calculating. She didn’t like how he kept looking at Black Light, either.

            She didn’t like this Professor at all, but who else could she turn to?

            “If I get you the supplies, can you help me in return?” Amy asked, her body tensing in anticipation.

            Black Light snapped his attention to her. “And how are you planning to get these supplies? You’re nothing but the royal pet.” He spat the last word with a glare thrown in.

            Amy didn’t even turn to him. She watched Gerald carefully as he thought it through. If he was smart, then he would know that Amy was the only chance he had of getting supplies. The Black Arms race certainly wouldn’t be so charitable.

            “Agreed. But how will you get me these supplies? The…um…dog… has a point.” Gerald said.

            Black Light growled at him for being called a dog. Gerald shrugged and looked at him apologetically. These Black Arms creatures looked monstrous and the same to the poor old man. There was no way he could have guessed that the beast before him was actually the Prince of the whole Black Arms race.

            “That’s not your problem.” Amy said as she turned to side with her nose in the air.

            ‘Yeah. That’s my problem, isn’t it?’ Amy thought desperately. ‘What kind of things does he need that are easily accessible to me? Rocks? Wood? And even wood is pretty difficult to get!’

            Gerald looked exasperated. “If you’re the pet around here, then you can’t possibly get me the precious metals that I need!”

            “Grandfather!” Maria scolded, putting her hand gently on his shoulder. “I’m sure she will help us any way she can.”

            “But-but! We need our ship at least! And that’s a pretty big machine to carry all the way here!”

            “Ship?” Amy asked.

            “Yes.” Maria said. “Our ship crashed a few miles from here. If you’re the only one willing to help us, I am sorry to say he is right. It will be too heavy for you.”

            Amy shook her head fiercely. “Don’t worry! I’m stronger than I look!”

            Maria smiled gratefully, but her eyes were still apologetic. With that, she and Gerald were taken away into the caves by the guards. Only Amy and Black Light were left. The sun was still as blood red as ever, but the sky around it was growing darker as the sun withdrew its touch from it. The vampiric trees in the distance peeked above the less dangerous trees around the cave entrance. No sounds except the soft rustling of Black Light’s fur as the dusty breeze passed through.

            “And how do you plan to bring their ship here?” Black Light raised an eyebrow. “You aren’t even allowed away from the Palace. Part of being a pet is to stay near the King, your owner.”

            Amy shrugged. “He doesn’t call for me or see me anyways. And if he does, Gary can cover for me.”

            As she said that, Gary finally burst through the caves. “Gary is going to do what?”

            “You’re going to cover for me. If I’m not back by morning, I am dead.”

            “What?!” Gary’s jaw dropped and he felt his muscles grow heavy in shock—gravity pulling them to the ground. He looked at Black Light to see if he was going to allow this.

            The Prince was obviously displeased with it. His usually knife-sharp gaze was shuttered with disapproval. The way he stood beside the pink female was the stance of a concerned lover. Gary blinked the ridiculous thought away.

            “It’s almost dark.” Black Light pointed out.

            “Well, I can’t wait until morning!” Amy declared.

            “Why not?” Black Light snarled.

            “I…I’ll forget my plan on how to get the ship over here!” Amy said.

            She didn’t look at anyone and hurried into the forest before anything more could be spoken. Gary looked at Black Light for instructions. Did he want him to follow her? Or was he to cover for her as she said before?

            Apparently, it was the latter as Black Light nodded at him, a sign of dismissal, and followed Amy.

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            Amy continued to walk straight. Sadly, she didn’t think to ask for specific directions to the ship so she was walking blindly. Everytime she came across an entrance to the vampiric forest, she turned away and started on a new path. After doing this for a couple of times, Amy realized that if she was to find the ship, she will need to get through the vampiric forest. She stood at the edge of the most recently discovered entrance to the dreaded trees. Biting her lips and squeezing her arms, she took the first step and suddenly, all she could see was the horrible trees—towering over her, creating a dome, a cage to trap and suck her life away from her. Amy lost it. She started running.

            The second time was just as bad as the first. There was no end to them. She tried not to touch them, but their spidey branches reached out to her, trying to catch her. She looked to the left and saw no hope. The right was full of doom. Panic settled in. Tears started to spring in her eyes. Just as she thought all was lost, she found comfort.

            The large tree she had seen the first time she came here. Had she travelled that far? Really? Amy hugged the tree and gasped for breath. There was something about this tree. It gave life instead of taking it away, unlike its brothers and sisters. It was an oasis in a desert. Soothing. Peaceful. Lovely. So lovely. She closed her eyes to rest for a moment, but darkness did not greet her as always. Instead, a vision. It was as if the tree was trying to tell her something. A path. Through the trees. A flash of something shiny.

            It was the way to the ship!

            Amy opened her eyes and stared wonderingly at the glossy, black trunk.

            “What did you see?”

            Amy squeaked as Black Light appeared.

            “What did you see?” Black Light asked again.

            “The way to their ship.” Amy answered. Then, she put her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes. “How long have you been following me?”

            “The whole time.” He answered, staring intently at the tree.

            For some reason, he looked disappointed. Amy blinked questioningly at him. Was he disappointed that he had to follow her?

            “Is there something wrong with the tree?” Amy asked after Black Light stared at it for a long time. “Is it odd that it showed me something?”

            “Not at all.” Black Light smiled a little, but it looked too wolfish to be seen as kind. “I ho--….. thought it would show something else.”

            Amy sat down with her back resting against the tree. She stretched her legs in front of her and sighed.

            “Does the tree show you stuff, too?” Amy asked.

            Black Light sat beside her. “Same thing everytime. Ever since I was young.”

            Amy glanced up at him sharply.

            ‘Okaayy…so he ignores me for more than a week and then he decides to tell me more about himself?’ Amy thought. ‘Really? Maybe it was just the fact that they were away from the Palace.’

            Here, they were alone. No guard passing by to catch any private conversation. No distractions. Just him and her and silence. Oh, and the tree, of course.

            Maybe it was just the presence of the tree. Underneath its broad branches and fruitful leaves, Amy felt like she was in a small paradise and sharing it with Black Light made it all the more private and theirs. The presence in the air was like a flutter of butterfly wings on her cheeks—a kiss from the golden clouds of Heaven—the sweetest taste of love. She could tell that Black Light felt the same way. His eyes were at peace and his third eye closed as if it didn’t even exist.

            “And what is this repetitive vision that you see?” Amy finally asked.

            Black Light stiffened a little before relaxing again. He turned his head so that his face was inches away from Amy’s, the gentle air that escaped his nose tickling her own, and his startlingly expressive, ruby eyes diving into her mind and soul.

            “I see my future mate—my lovely bride wrapped in roses blushing pink.” He whispered. “This tree here reveals the future. When it showed you the path to the ship, it was telling you not to worry. That you were going to successfully find the ship. It wasn’t really showing you the way. Just that you were eventually going to go down that path.”

            “Oh.” Amy breathed. Words had left her. She didn’t blame them. The way Black Light was gazing at her sent her heart pounding against her chest and her skin to burn up. The ground was gone and she was melting away into the sky.

            Black Light shifted away from her and back into his former position.

            “Let’s go.” Amy announced after a few more minutes of silent companionship.

            Black Light said nothing and just stood, shaking off any leaves that might have fallen on his pelt. He dipped his head to her as she stood up, indicating that she should lead.

            Amy turned away from him to face the vampiric trees once more. Except. They weren’t there. The only trees around were the okay kind—the type that didn’t threaten to kill her. Not wanting to break Black Light’s nice streak, she remained silent. The walk was peaceful, which was odd considering Black Light was like a big, black shadow behind her. Instead, his large presence comforted her.

            Soon, faster than she thought initially, they found Gerald and Maria’s ship.

            “Are you kidding me?!” Amy exploded. “This isn’t a ship! This is Noah’s Arc, space edition!”

            Black Light stepped up beside her. “We should have just brought the whole Black Arms army for this. Shall we go back now?”

          “No wait!” Amy said, running to the open entrance of the ship. “Maybe it’s fine enough to fly to the Palace!”

            Black Light snorted as he followed her inside. “And do either of us know how to fly such a thing as this?”

            Amy didn’t answer and Black Light had lost track of her.

            “Amy?” Black Light called.

            He turned a corner and entered what seemed to be an office/ laboratory. Amy stood near the blue desk with the large screens repeating static again and again, over and over. She was pale, her usually rosy cheeks drained of color, and her eyes were wide in shock. In her hands were a few documents that had captured her complete attention. Some sort of writing were drawn everywhere on those yellowing paper.

            “Amy?” Black Light called again. “Are you okay?”

            Hearing her name, Amy turned towards Black Light, revealing the folder from which the documents came from. On it with large black letters were the words: “Project Shadow.”

            “What is that?” Black Light grimaced at it. Whatever it was, it didn’t make Amy happy. Also, he had a bad feeling about it. The strange squiggles were like black snakes slithering around the evil folder.

            Tears slid down Amy’s face and she was staring at him with a new light.

            “Tell me. Is your name really Black Light?” Amy asked, her voice trembling.

            “Yes.”

            “Is that the name you were born with?”

            “….What brought this on?” he demanded. His claws were starting to claw into the metal floor.

            “Answer the question!” Amy sobbed out. She was lost in her pain now and her tears freely streamed down.

            “No. My mother named me Shadow. She wasn’t of royal blood and had silly ideas for naming me. After she died a few years later after my birth, my father re-named me.”

            “Shadow.” Amy cried, dropping the documents.

            On one of the papers, Black Arms writing was written all over it. There was no doubt about it. It was a contract giving Black Light completely over to Gerald Robotnik for experimentation.

    Signed by his own mother.