Last one standing (Extreme would you rather)

Ch. 14

They sprinted forward, avoiding Badniks and terrain obstacles.

"Rouge, do you think you can fly?!" Shadow asked as they approached a steep hill of some sorts.

"We can try!" She said, biting her lip of nervousness.

They sprinted towards the the hill, as Shadow gripped Rouge's hands.

He held his breath, praying the bat could lift them up. Shadow felt his feet leave the ground. He glanced behind them. A cloud of fog seemed to be moving in.

He stayed silent as Rouge flew higher, wincing as she used her good wing, and the branded wing. Even though the holes were small, they clearly made it harder on Rouge. She staggered for a moment, resuming quickly, as she flapped her wings more confidently.

Shadow took in the scene. It really did look like Greenhill, if it weren't for the circumstances, he probably would have loved to relax. Artificial wind blew suddenly.

"Hang on!" She cried as the wind sent the two spinning.

"Let go of me when I tell you to, and don't wait for me." He said suddenly. Rouge nearly choked.

"You want me to do what?" She asked, still attempting to get to the top of the hill/ledge.

They neared the top. Maybe she wasn't going to need to let him go. The wind stopped. A sharp pain in Rouge's wing made her gasp. A wooden arrow wedged itself into her branded wing.

More arrows went firing forward, Rouge managed to avoid the rest of them.

"Let go of me." Shadow said.

"No!" She said, violently shaking her head. She staggered again, her wing burning more.

"LET GO!" He yelled, twisting his hands free.

He ripped the arrow out.

And slipped from her grip.

Rouge darted forward to the ledge, shakily landing, and collapsed on the ground. She quickly stood up and ran back to the ledge.

"Shadow!?" She called out, even though he'd told her to move on.

Just as she was about to turn she spotted a white glove, grasping the ledge. She ran over to hurriedly help him.

"I told you to go." He said softly. He looked a bit dazed. "Thank you though, sort of." He stuttered.

"We don't have time for chitchat, come on!" She said, pulling him along. They didn't have have time. He quickly regained himself, and ran at a steady pace with Rouge for a good ten minutes. The fog was catching up rapidly.

"Get in my arms. It will be faster." He said, opening his arms. She didn't need to be told twice. They'd probably gone a mile long path with Badniks on it, when another steep hill/(ledge thing) stood before them. Shadow stopped, and took a few minutes to rest, heaving in air.

"We going to fly again?" She asked, flexing her wings.

He put his hand up. "We don't need you getting anymore injuries, climbing would be more efficient." He stated.

Rouge quickly agreed, and began climbing. She cheated a tad by using her good wing to reach the next spot for her hand. Shadow had no problem climbing the rocky terrian, keeping, again, at around the same pace as Rouge.

They had finally managed to reach the top. They stood for a while, taking in the scenery, and to catch their breath. The sky was a brilliant blue. The clouds, fluffy as ever. And then of course the trees, blowing in the light breeze. The fog was no where to be seen.

"Shadow. I want you to live." Rouge announced suddenly.

He turned, shocked. "You already have decided?" He asked in disbelief. "I may be immortal, but that doesn't mean I'll be the same after this. I'm sure you could handle it much better." He said, as they began walking into a cave.

"Shadow, are you sure we went the-"

Two white pillars stood on the side, tall, in the green grass. And on a third, smaller pillar, laid the emerald, within the center of the other two emerald.

They slowly approached the small, oasis like area.

Crystal clear water, sparkling for show, with lush plant life surrounding it. Truly a breathtaking arrangement. Even better than the simulated Greenhill.

Rouge let out a soft "Ooooh," out of habit.

They reached the pilar with the glowing green Emerald, standing across from one another.

Their eyes narrowed at each other. Both wondering how to play this out.