Ariana the Echidna

Note from ArianatheEchidna: this story was also been posted on my account at quizilla. this story takes place AFTER the events of "Turn From the Light". to give all of you the heads up, Ash's Character, Leon the Hedgehog, is in the story, BUT he's was known as Ash the Hedgehog. i asked him if it's ok to call him that since i KNOW his character as Ash on his account on quizilla that he deleted. he said it's fine, but oh, what the hay, i'll just call him by the new name, Leon.

Under my breath: that means that i have to fix ALL of my stories back on quizilla. waaaaaaaaa!! T-T

Oh well! Injoy the story everyone!

Part 1: Shadow's Hideaway

Ariana's POV

(At Dr. Eggman's Base)

Once again, I couldn't sleep. Once again those nightmares continues to invade my mind as I tossed and turned on my bed. Keenan appeared at the door.

"Hey. Y-you ok?" he asked me. "You don't seem to be yourself."

"I can't sleep."

"Those nightmares again?" I nodded.

"They just seem to get worse every time for me." He walked over and sat down beside me.

"I'm sure those nightmares are JUST nightmares, Ariana. It's not like they're visions or somethin'" My eyes darkened sadly.

"What if they are?! How can I prevent it?! What if there's nothing I could do?! I just couldn't bare to loose any of you and..."

"Shhhhhhhh. Calm down. Everything's goin' to be all right. You just get some rest, ok?" I nodded slowly. I don't want to get back to bed, but I had no choice.

(The dream)

I found myself in that same dark place again as I began to look around.

"Hello?" I said, but there was no response at first. Then I began to hear that dark creepy voice's laughter again, just like before.

"Turn from the light, Protector of Time... Become the servant of darkness... become the Darkness..." I suddenly heard some screams of bloody murder as I began to cover my ears and fell to my knees.

"STOP IT!! CUT IT OUT!! STOP IT, PLEASE!! STOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOP!!"

(End the dream)

I led out a scream of horror as I finally awake and began gasping for breath. My face was completely pail when Shadow came into the room.

"Ariana! Are you all right?!" He asked me. I was too frightened to even make a nod, I felt frozen. I never experienced the fear like that before in my life. Shadow slowly walked over to me and sat down. "Hey. Y-you all right, Ariana?" I couldn't answer. My whole body was frozen with fear; even my heart was in fear. He began to wrap his arms around me as he tried to comfort me. "You just had that nightmare again, didn't you?"

"Y...y-yes. I-I-it... it just got w-worse... MUCH worse." I managed to say. He held me even closer to him.

"Shhhhhhh. Don't worry. I'm here now." He whispered. Hearing those words just made me feel a little better as I lean my head on his chest. He then got up and garbed my hand as he walked out the door with me.

"Wha? W-where are we going, Shadow?" I asked him.

"You'll see."

(Now by an old bark tree somewhere in the woods near Station Square Park)

Shadow told me to wait as he went to check out something at some distant area. I began to grow bored. It's been about ten minutes and he hasn't returned. I sat there thinking about what has happened and those nightmares returned to my mind. What was that dark voice that I've been hearing? Whose bloody screams were those? I hid myself in the shadows, wishing that those nightmares would end soon.

"Ariana?" A male voice said. I looked up and saw Shadow, looking at me concerned.

"Oh... Shadow. I... was wondering when you would be back... I was starting to get worried for a minute."

"Oh, that'll change..." He said with a huge smirk.

"Wha... HEY!" He picked me up bridal style and walked towards some unknown path. "Where are we going anyway?" I asked him again, starting to get curious.

"You'll see..." He kissed me on my cheek and ran through the trees. I gazed through the path and realized that I have never been in this area before, but I suddenly saw a light, shinning on my face. "Close your eyes..." Shadow whispered. I did so as I felt the wind blowing on my face.

Shadow's POV

I smiled at Ariana as I gazed at the entrance to my hideaway. A few months ago before that incident we've had before I saw this beautiful place at night on a full Moonlight and I had this deepest wonder of Ariana's reaction of this place on my mind. I knew she was going to love this unconditionally... finally I jumped from the tree to the ground and gazed at the land before me. I put Ariana down gently then guided her forward for a minuet then stopped to let her feel the wind on her face.

"Now... open your eyes." I whispered.

Ariana's POV

My eyes opened then I gasped at the first thing I saw. A beautiful meadow with almost ALL different kinds of flowers covered in due that sparkled within the moonlight. What makes this place different is that some giant light green crystals from the ground decorated the entire area beautifully. I thought I was dreaming. I never had seen anything like this before in my life.

"Oh, Shadow!" I turned to him, "This place is so beautiful! Where did you...?"

"I only found this just recently when you where on your travels..." Shadow explained, "But I wanted you to lay amongst the grass with me..." He pushes me towards the meadow as I landed on the ground with a giggle. I smile happily as Shadow laid beside me. "Ariana... Did you have any idea how much I missed you?"

"I really can't imagine. Besides... I missed you too." He smiled leaning closer to me,

"I want to... CATCH UP with you..." Before I could say anything, he kisses me. That kiss felt hungry, needing, wanting, so I returned it and felt Shadow's arms around me in an embrace stronger than before. I was starting to feel careless... careless about everything else. I was so overwhelmed with love and passion. The kiss grew deeper and more wanting than ever before. Shadow sat up slowly gazing upon me and smirked, "Is there something you want, Ariana?" I nodded.

"I want you... Shadow... The Hedgehog." He smirks as he approaches me and kisses me again. I began to feel his body closed to mine. Suddenly those nightmares appeared in my mind once again as I quickly pulled away from him.

"Ariana... what's wrong?" He asked me.

"Do... do you think... t-those nightmares... w-were visions? I... I can't get them out of my mind." He stared at me with concern.

"I don't think you should worry about it, my love. It's only a dream."

"Yeah... a dream that keeps popping time and time again, making it ten time worse than the last." He wrapped arms around me, holding me close.

"It is all right now, Ariana. Zathura's gone. You don't need to worry about that now any more. We can finally live in peace... without having to deal with her and the Heartless. That's... what your parents would want for you." Tears appeared in my eyes as I remembered the note Ash gave me that was from my mom... what she and my dad had done from me so I could still live. He held me closer to him as he tried to comfort me.

Shadow's POV

Ariana's in so much pain. I could tell. She's been through a lot since she DID lost her parents and been alone. Plus she's been tortured all of her life. As I finally got her feeling a little better I let her go.

"We best get..."

"Shadow! Look! A shootin' star!" She pointed to the sky as I saw it passed by the other stars. "They say if you make a wish before it disappears, it'll come true." I smiled at her.

"Well... my wish all ready came true."

"Huh? What was it Shadow?"

"To see you here... with me." She smiled back.

"Shadow..."

"We'd better head back."

"Y-yeah." I helped her up as we began walking off, but Ariana stopped. "Hey, Shadow... Do you what to know what I wished for?"

"Hm? What?" She leaned her head on my shoulder.

"I wished... that you'd be in my life... forever." I wrapped my arms around her.

"You don't have to make that wish, Ariana."

"Huh? W...Why?"

"Because... I wanted you to be in my life too... forever."