A Tale of Tails and Plants III: Lockdown

The series returns, and sacrifices will be made. This is a Dramatic/Tragedy. If you know me, you'll know what this means.

This is the darkest of my stories, as you will see just in these first few sentences. It is still however rated T, just a bit more mature than my other fics.

Foreshadow: I did not mark this tragedy for nothing. Prepare yourselves…

Prologue:

Her blood was spilled all over the ground, drenched in Tails hand as he gently stroked her pale face, her galactic eyes forever staring at the ceiling. Her three tails stood on the ground limply, her hand barely picking itself up as she looked at her father, having suffered so much her body had long shut itself off to pain. Her legs were cut into, her clothes torn all over the place, a gash deep into her breast. Her mind had shut itself off to the pain, it knew it would die. There was no point screaming now.

Tails looked up at the people that had done this to his daughter. The pig Pitney stood in front of them, a satisfied grin on his face. Tails tightened his fists. He would rip the disgusting pig apart for what he did to her. And next to him, Kaurie, the angel that was the devil. Then the rest of her cohorts… and him. Him! The wolf without a name! He was with them?

Tails then glared at Shadow, who looked at him coldly. "You let her live, so I killed your daughter instead. You denied me my revenge, stole my purpose! You should be thankful I kill you last."

"You did more than that, hedgehog." Tails growled. "You… you defiled her! Stripped her and pleasured yourselves, and then coldly murdered her. "

"I murdered her, yes." Shadow admitted. "I only allowed the others to defile her because I promised them. But no matter. They have no interest in defiling you, just killing you."

Tails looked at Richard, muttering something weakly as he stared at Violet's lifeless body. Sonic Jr. was lying against the wall, slowly dying as his hands reached for his hands, his legs barely working for him, perhaps for the last time. Sarah, the Raccoon lied armless and legless, having bled to death long ago. Just looking at her… it made Tails blood boil. "What are you going to do?" Shadow said, raising his hand slowly. "Kill me? It is a pity I don't feel like letting you live to watch what I'll do to your wife."

Shadow slowly began to draw energy in his hand as he watched Tails grabbed his laser and tried to press the trigger. "I'll kill you!" Tails cried. His hand gripped the trigger fiercely as it pulled down hard on it.

"Goodbye." The hedgehog cried, as Tails saw his one shot miss, and then the hedgehog's chaos attack fire straight toward his direction…

"Noooo!!!"

****** (Yesterday…) *****

Tails woke up with a sweat, sitting up on his bed. He tried to catch his breath, wiped his forehead, and then looked first at the green sleeping form next to him.

Cosmo. She was alright. He breathed a sigh of relief as he slowly relaxed his back down onto the bed, after glancing at his alarm clock. 3:50. Great.

It was Shadow again. Shadow, glaring at him afar, his wife in his hands, as Tails could do nothing, as he destroyed her with his chaos energy. Shadow…

Tails lay back in the bed, still panting as he rested his head on the pillow. This was the second night he had this dream. Maybe he was spending too much time in the laboratory, working on his new hydrogen engine plane. Cosmo was already complaining about him skipping meals.

Tails looked at his beautiful, strange wife. He had to admit; sometimes he skipped her meals on purpose. Some of the things Cosmo liked to eat Tails worried would kill his poor taste buds. He placed a gently, hand on her side, caressing it gently.

An image of Shadow jabbed itself into his mind, making his hear t beat twice too fast, his glare frightening him. Tails remembered the hedgehog turning to him, that night Balthazar was let free for the third time. "Your line denies me my revenge once more." Shadow said, glaring at him. "She won't change; you and your daughter are foolish for thinking that way."

"Everyone is worthy of redemption." Tails replied.

"Are you so sure? If I meet you again, Tails, do you think I'll give you second chance?"

Tails shook his head. No, Shadow said that only out of anger. But maybe he was right. Still, he couldn't help but feel proud of Violet's unselfishness. He closed his eyes with a small smile forming on his lips, trying to get some sleep.

(Elsewhere)

Shadow looked toward the stars, towards the main city, from a high cliff, and towards their target. He couldn't wait to exact his revenge. He pounded a fist against his hand as he remembered a Prower allowing the evil Balthazar to go away yet a third time.

She should have died.

He had tried to track her, but he had no idea where she was. Violet had sent her somewhere very safe indeed.

"Shadow the Hedgehog?" A voice rumbled.

Shadow turned backwards, to glance at the black fox, who addressed himself as Lord Oramo. Shadow was surprised to know the ancient fox was over a thousand years old, and not dead yet. He looked at the fox's face, but it was cold and expressionless, as always. "Are you going over the plan?"

Shadow nodded, and then looked up at him. "Why don't you come along? If you desire revenge as much as I, why not take it yourself?

The fox's face remained cold and expressionless. Shadow wouldn't let it get to him though. No one could intimidate him. "I would, but Sakuri will come after me the moment I make my presence known. And I am not yet strong enough to insure victory against him."

"You admit you are weaker than him?" Shadow asked him.

"I ADMIT nothing." The fox clearly stated, his volume rising but his face still cold and expressionless. "The fool has a powerful blessing on him. Not even I would dare go against him without preparation."

"But wouldn't the death of his descendants make your presence known?"

"Not if I don't do it." The fox replied. "No, when I want him to come out, I will only have to attack what he loves."

The expressionless, cold voice of the fox was getting to Shadow now. He remembered when Rouge died, by Balthazar's minions. And then Maria…

"Rest, Shadow the hedgehog." The fox commanded. "With our new allies, you shall have your revenge."