Ebony and Ivory Chapter 3

Chapter 3- Shadow Returns

Shuddering and rocking all the way through the Earth's atmosphere, the rusting space shuttle seemed to fall apart as is descended, as if it would become immaterial at any given moment and vanish. Flames licked at the cockpit exterior from the immense heat generated by the friction and gravity acting conversely on the vessel.

Shadow had once survived a free-fall from ARK, so while not exactly fearful as far as safety and survival was concerned, he was gripping the handles tightly and frowning in concentration as he tried without success to keep the craft mostly level.

As he hurtled down entrapped in a shell of shattered steel, the shuttle pierced the clouds, snapping and writhing as metal warped and engine burned. It tilted slightly as it made its final descent, before finally crashing down in a shower of dirt and eviscerated steel, red hot with the searing fire of the journey down.

Plumes of smoke rose in swirling cylinders from the smashed wreckage of his craft. Moments after impact, assorted bystanders that had seen the craft descend congregated as close as the heat would allow them. Some pulled out cameras or cell phones to capture the hero's triumphant return.

A ramp ground against its own gears as it slowly lowered, smoke pouring out of the opening. Shadow stumbled out the doorway, coughing violently and wiping his watery eyes.

Although not exactly making a gallant or dignified entrance, Shadow prompted a collective cheer from the crowd, which clamored around, news reporters pushing to the front and flashes of light illuminating the scene as photos were snapped.

"I'm on the scene at the site where hours after the destruction of the Black Comet, the hero of Earth has returned," one said with excessive cheer into the microphone.

Shadow was still clearing the smoke from his lungs, and hadn't even noticed the spectacle that was being made of him, when the aggressive yet oddly jovial reporter sauntered forward, maneuvering himself as close to the surprised Shadow as he could, even slinging an arm over his shoulder.

"So Shadow, how does it feel to be the hero of Earth?" he grinned, flashing an obnoxiously perfect and enormous smile that looked as if one shouldn't stare directly at it for too long.

The dark hedgehog seemed to take a few moments to take it all in, immediately after which he gruffly removed the newsman's arm, before glaring icily at the crowd.

"This-" Shadow was unable to get more than a word out, as following his first one, the congregated mass of people released a thunderous cheer, drowning him out.

"I-" the same result repeated itself, but with more force.

When his repeated attempts at answering the reporter's question were interrupted in the same manner, Shadow finally bellowed at them to shut up, a vein in the center of his forehead bulging as he hyperventilated.

"Well Shadow, it seems the crowd just can't get enough of you! And more keep coming! How does it feel to be a celebrity?" the mic was shoved up into Shadow's face.

"Uh-" another shriek drowned his reply, as some members of the throng raised up signs in the the "I heart _" style, which a picture of Shadow's head.

'How does that blue moron deal with this?' he demanded inwardly. Shadow cleared his throat, and as opposed to before, a dramatic hush fell over the crowd in expectation of what he would say. They now took to cheering/screaming violently after each sentence instead of each word.

"Really, this isn't necessary. I'm not a celebrity," he deadpanned in irritation. The reporter gave him no leeway.

"Powerful, heroic, handsome, and modest! Quite a catch here, ladies," the anchor seemed to half speak, half purr. Shadow's deep crimson eyes widened dramatically.

"No, it's not like that! I-" he desperately tried to interject, but every time he spoke, he seemed somehow to only back himself further into a corner.

"Oh, so the dashing hero already has someone special, eh? So tell me Shadow, who's the lucky girl?" he winked, resulting in a clear look of mortification on Shadow's face, and a vicious blush to tease his cheeks.

"Uh.… I'm not in a relationship," he barely managed to choke out, although the microphone seemed to take his soft voice and make it like the booms of a thunderstorm.

"Well, which is it then? Available, or taken?" the reporter insisted.

"Can I pick neither?" he muttered with clear annoyance, but a pang of hopefulness.

"Single it is then! For those looking for the strong yet sensitive man, this one comes highly recommended. Look how shy he is, he's blushing."

'Dear God, as if he needed to draw attention to it!'

"Could you go away and leave me alone?" he snarled, but the reporter ignored his request, continuing his invasive interrogation.

"So tell us Shadow, what inspired you to save the world?"

"Well, that's very personal-"

"How incredibly endearing! This heroic hedgehog was moved to save the world by nothing by his own dedication and moral code! Isn't that right Shadow?"

"Well, not exactly-"

"An inspiration for us all. We'll be back after this short break."

Shadow looked confused as the reporter's tremendous grin faded and he massaged his cheeks.

"Lord, smiling like that for so long is enough to make a guy go postal," he sighed. "Good work though, you're making me look really good, kid."

'Kid? I'm hardly a kid!' he growled inwardly, but knowing he'd get nowhere arguing this irrelevant point, and would probably get nowhere arguing any point, he chose one more likely to get somewhere.

"Despite my protest, you're determined to do the same."

The reporter's eyebrows raised as he looked directly at Shadow for the first time. "Hey, lighten up Shaddy. They love you! You're going to be world famous. Imagine your name in lights, a company begging you to be in their next commercial. Think of millions of Chaos-Cola bottles with your face on them! There will be t-shirts and posters, you could have your own talk show! Your phone will ring off the hook, you'll be followed by a crowd of fans everywhere you go! Everyone will want a piece of you! How's that sound?"

There was absolutely silence, but the violent twitching of Shadow's right eyelid betrayed a hint of temporary insanity prompted by consideration of these seemingly torturous events.

Without warning, the obsidian hero used Chaos Control to teleport away from the surrounding crowd, appearing on a hill in the distance.

'I thought I knew what hell was before...' a dry inner voice commented. 'But up until that nightmare, what I knew was preschool in comparison!'

He breathed a sigh of relief at having escaped the prospect of company sponsorships and fan-mail, before wondering what he would do next.

"Well, if I try to go to any populated areas, they'll find me again for sure. I've got to lay low for awhile," he muttered as if he were the victim of a vicious manhunt with bloodhounds.

"Westopolis was devastated when the Black Arms invaded, and the whole city was evacuated," he remembered. "The only people brave or foolish enough to live there now won't concern themselves with me."

The dark hedgehog turned towards the horizon and raced away in the direction of the shattered city, the setting sun casting a soft light over the yellowed fields he raced through, the pressure of his Air Shoes whipping blades of grass about like the winds of a hurricane.