Catch Her If You Can 9.1 real

Chapter 9.1 “The favour”

Jungle zone, the next day.
Amy ran through the thick rain forest with her silver shoes on. She has never been there before. So it was difficult to find the exact place where they used to train.
The time was slipping by, but she wasn’t any closer to finding the glade.
Then Amy remembered that Shadow was always able to sense the vibration of the chaos energy. “If he can, I can too” she thought, cut off her inner dialogue and closed her eyes. The sounds of the world became more intense. The feelings too. Amy concentrated on the image of the glade and then... It wasn’t a vibration, but more of a destination. The path that felt right.
Amy ran where her senses leaded her.
The branches of the trees were beating in her face, but she wasn't paying attention to them.
And there it was. A glade on which they spent so many days...
“Shadow!” she called.
“Right behind you...” she heard him saying in a sinister voice.
Amy instantly turned around and moved back a bit.
Something in Shadow’s appearance changed. Nothing friendly or warm remained in the way he stood before her. His stare was as cold as steel.
“Catch!” he said and threw something small at her.
Amy put her hands in front of her and caught it. It was an emerald. The red emerald.
“Now it’s time for your final exam.” Shadow looked at her unblinking “I ask you to fight me.”
Amy’s eyes opened in amazement and fear reflected in them.
“Shadow, you can’t be serious. You consider me a fair opponent?” said the pink hedgehog loosing her voice.
“Since it was me who trained you, I do.” he stated firmly “This is a fight I can’t loose, hedgehog. Whoever wins. If you - I'm a good teacher. If me - I'm a good fighter.”
“But...” Amy mumbled looking at him “I don’t want to fight you.”
“You have no choice.” whispered Shadow and then quickly raised his right hand with the green emerald in it “Chaos Spear!”
Amy acted almost instinctively. She jumped to the left.
Shadow grinned. Of course she didn’t notice that he wasn’t aiming at her, but the training actually did its part. She didn’t go to the right.
“What, Rose? Not so self confident anymore?” he asked.
“Shadow, please. I don’t think it’s right.”
“Chaos Spear!”
And again Amy moved to the left and disappeared from his sight.
Shadow counted till 3 and moved to the side. Amy, who was wielding her hammer, hit the ground few inches near him.
Shadow tripped her up, pressed the hammers handle to the ground by his other foot.
“What did I tell you about weapons?” he smiled bitterly.
The ultimate life form kicked the hammer so it was thrown few meters away.
The pink hedgehog got back to her feet. She was still clasping the emerald in her left hand.
"Shadow, bethink yourself! What am I compared to you?"
"You're a hedgehog like me. So fight me as it befits a hedgehog!"
And he plunged into battle. Well, some kind of a battle.
Amy was moving back and dodging his moves. Shadow could not even touch her.
And the truth is he wasn't trying to.
But when she heedlessly missed one of his attacks, Shadow instead of hitting her like he would have any other opponent slapped her on the face.
"Fight me!" he shouted.
Amy's face jerked to her left shoulder. The pink quills covered her face.
She shivered and the emerald dropped out from her hand.
The pink hedgehog lifted her eyes to Shadow. They were filled with tears. Her lips trembled.
Shadow's competitive spirit disappeared completely as he saw this.
"Amy?" he asked cautiously.
Amy sobbed, turned around and ran from him.
"Amy!" called Shadow and ran after her.
After a few seconds he caught her from behind. The black and crimson hedgehog grasped her in his arms.
"Amy, I wasn't really trying to hurt you!"
The pink girl cried harder and tried to free herself. But Shadow held her tightly.
"Amy, listen! I'm sorry! Please, calm down!"
Amy wasn't listening, but writhing in hysterics. She pushed him back.
They both fell to the ground. She tried to get up, but he didn't let her. Shadow sat down and pulled her to himself.
Amy struggled to resist, but he was stronger.
He seated her on his lap. Shadow tightly embraced her and lulled the girl like a baby, saying again and again "Calm down. Nothing bad happened. I won't hurt you."
Amy cried.
After a while, she stopped sobbing. She lifted her eyes to the male hedgehog. She couldn't believe that he really cared this much.
"Is that all? Have you calmed down?" asked Shadow.
Any nodded slightly. Not a single thought, bare emotions.
"Now do you understand why it's important to listen to me? Do you still overestimate your abilities?"
Amy nodded to the first question and shook her head from side to side to the second in complete silence.
"I wasn't trying to harm you, you see. Just scare..."
He wasn't able to finish the sentence because Amy kissed him with her eyes shut. It was no longer some fantasy, it was too real. It was so different from what she thought it would be like. She never thought it would be him. Her whole world turned upside down.
Shadows eyes on the contrary shot widely open. He was surprised by that gesture, but he couldn't even think that he didn't like it.
Amy ended a kiss and moved away.
"Am I talking too much?" he asked with a faint smile on his face.
"No. You're..."
This time Amy wasn't able to finish speaking. All that attention, all that warmth, he wanted to claim it and take it all for himself.
Shadow pulled her into a real deep kiss. Thirsty for affection, he felt relieved to permit himself to feel it all. This time it's going to be different. This time he will protect her. Shadow realized that he, the ultimate life form, was missing something so plain in his life, someone warm and soft by his side. He wanted to steal her, guard her, let nothing bad happen to her, ever.
Amy was enjoying every moment of that kiss. Their lips parted for a moment, but one or two weren't enough. He wanted more of this feeling. He grabbed her head and pulled her back.
Shadow sensed that her touch, the feeling of her body next to him, was awakening some desires he never thought he had. That short-tempered pink crybaby was turning him on.
When another kiss was over Shadow hotly breathed out “I don’t think you should sit like this.”
Amy uncomprehendingly stared at him.
“Why?” she asked.
The dark hedgehog tightened his grip. Now Amy felt his chest next to her chest, his muscular stomach next to her gentle one.
“Because if you do.” he whispered in her ear “I think we will go much further than kisses.”
These words sent a trail of goosebumps down her spine. Trembling a bit, she feebly said “Uhm, ok.” and stood up.
Shadow let go of her, not trying to hold her in.
“I’m sorry.” she said.
Shadow stood up and took her hand.
“No need to be.  We are quits now.”
Then he looked around “It’s dark, Rose. Time to go home.”
“Will you...”
“Of course. Wait here I need to collect the other emerald.”
“Ok.”
He quickly returned and they transferred to Station Square.
They warped near the skyscraper.
Amy looked at Shadow, not willing to say goodbye now, she asked “Maybe, you can stay at my place for tonight?”
The black and crimson hedgehog rather surprised by this offer smirked.
“Two words and I’m home, Rose. But I’ll stay if you want.”
Amy smiled and gave him her hand. They joined hands.
“Let’s walk.”
Shadow replied still with a smirk “I have a better idea”
And he quickly took her on hands. Amy squealed joyously.
“Show me the way” asked the black and crimson hedgehog.