"Hey,you okay?"I asked,tapping her on the shoulder.
She turned around to face me.I looked in her eyes and saw alot of pain. pain? why would she have pain in her eyes unless--
"Show me your right leg."I told her. She moved her right leg from under the covers and toward me. and that's when i saw it. a gash about an inch deep,and 6 inches across...
"What the hell happened?!?!?...geezus!...hold on!"I said urgently.
I reached for the backpack beside her and pulled out a roll of bandages and a mixture she made herself. I spread the mixture across the wound,earning me a hiss of pain from Terra. I then wrapped a bandage around her leg. She looked at me,still shivering.
"Th-thanks Vince,i owe y-you one."She said,pulling her covers closer to her body.
i looked at her,worried that she might freeze to death...
"look,there's no activity in the city tonight...let's get back to the house and get some rest."I told her.
She nodded and struggled to get up,but fell back down a moment after gaining her balance. I smiled and bent down next to her...
"need help?"i asked her.
Through her chattering teeth and the howling wind,i made out the word "yes.". I scooped her up into my arms bridal-style and drew my midnight blue cloak around us. When i lowered my cloak,we were inside my little apartment. I layed her down on her bed and covered her up...
"are ya gonna need the heating pad?"i asked,tucking her in.
She shook her head no in respomse...
"no,i'll be f-fine. I'm just still a little ch-chilly from staying out there in the cold for such a long period of time."she said to me.
I nodded my head and headed for my bed. When i sat down,a question formed in my mind...
"Hey Terra...how did you get that gash on your leg?"i asked her.
She turned over in her bed,which was right beside mine,and looked at me.
"well I was attacked by these ethereal wolves I guess you could call them."she said to me,her voice a little bit shaky.
I sensed some fear in her voice. But i didn't have time to think on it. Something had just busted down my door. I took one look at it and gasped. These things were wolves. But they were transluecent. These must be those ethereal wolves Terra talked about!
"Terra,get under the covers now! I don't want you to have to see what im about to do!"i yelled to Terra.
She ducked under the covers and assumed the fetile position. I turned to the 2 wolves that now stood in front of me. They had eyes that were a shade of crimson that could be mistaken for blood,their fur was pure black,and they exuded an aggresive demeanor.I pulled out my fingerless gloves and slipped them on my hands.
"Yall want a piece of me? Well then,come and get it!"I yelled to them.
They accepted the bait and jumped at me. I caught one of the wolves by it's neck and snapped it,instantly killing it. But the other one got sneaky and grabbed hold of my left arm with it's teeth. I yelled out in pain,causing Terra to peek out from under the covers. She saw what i did next .I grabbed the wolf's head and pried it off of my arm. I then threw it into the air and slammed it through the wall next to my door. Terra looked at me wide-eyed when I turned to her...
"Whoa! How did you do that?!?. I mean,just WHO are you Vince?"she asked me in a typical girlish voice.
I sat down next to her and rubbed my forehead with my right hand.I looked over to her and smiled.
"Do you really wanna know?"I asked her.
She nodded in response.I sighed and tried to get my thoughts together.I didn't want to leave anything out.Well,except the things i've tried desperately to forget that is.
"ok,i'll tell ya. It all started a long time ago."i began.
16 years ago.Eggman was defeated for the final time.After a few weeks of vacation,knuckles and rouge decided to get married.9 months later, Vince came into existence.Once Vince was 3,knuckles decided to expose him to the radiation of Angel Islands chaos emerald...and,just like his father,Vince was exposed to it.But,something happened.Instead of him just growing spurs on his hands like his father,he changed his entire being.His eyes could now change color,he changed from a bat/echidna mix to a fox with vampiric abillities,(ergo,he has all the strengths of a vampire...but he lacks the weaknesses.He's blade basically.),he now had 2 tails,and he donned his parents habbit of "treasure hunting".That,and their fighting abillities.
"And that's about it."I finished.She looked at me as if i were a celebrity.Her eyes were wide as dinner plates,and her jaw was dropped anime style.
"You mean,you're the son of--no way! Wow!.umm,this is.Well,awesome!!!.My best friend is the son of the 2 most talked about people in soleanna!"Terra said to me,unable to contain her excitement.I chuckled.
"Well,get some sleep.I've got a feeling that we're gonna have to fight more of those things tomorrow."I said,patting her on the head.
I began to get up,when my dad walked through the door.I looked at him as he looked at me.
My dad,(knuckles),was wearing a black wifebeater,faded blue jeans,and his camo do-rag.His dreadlocks now went down to his waist,and he wore his white fingerless gloves.
"I take it you met the soul assassins...or at least their pets."He said to me,stepping over the body of one of the wolves.I nodded in response.
"I killed those two,but i know that there are more."I said to my dad.
Terra,meanwhile,was staring at my dad the entire time.My dad looked at me with a questioning look.I just chuckled.
"She still can't believe that she's actually this close to knuckles the echidna.That and she's about to faint."
I said.Sure enough,she began to faint and fall off of the bed.Seeing this about to happen,i rushed over and caught her before she hit the ground.I put her back on her bed and tucked her in,then I turned to my father.He saw the bite on my arm,and his eyes went from his usual determination...to fear...
"oh shit! If they bit you then--was your friend bitten as well?"he asked me urgently,cracking his knuckles.I nodded in response.
"yeah,she was.What's gonna happen now that we've been bitten?"i asked him,curious to know what would happen.
He looked at me,a grim expression on his face.
"You'll become one of them.And there's no way to fight it. Unless you've got a will like mine,you're going to lose that fight."He said to me.
I felt my blood freeze. That's when i thought of Terra,and what she was gonna become as well as what i was gonna become.My anger began to rise.
"Is there a cure?"i asked my dad.His face was still grim.
"Yes. But there is only enough for one person."He said to me. It took me all of 2 seconds to decide what to do.
"Then let's go and get it. I've got a will that can never be broken,so i'll give Terra the cure."I said to my dad. He chuckled.
"You know,you and me are alike in alot of ways.For one thing,we'll both do anything to protect our girls.Another thing is that we can take on anything and come out alright. Well,mostly at least."He said to me.I felt my cheeks go a little warm.
"she's not my girl. She's just my best friend."I said to him,my voice a little shaky.He picked up on it and chuckled again.
"Do you fear for her safety? Would you do anything to protect her?"he asked me.
"yes! And of course!"I said. My dad smiled.
"Then go get her. Meet me at the shrine of the master emerald in 10 minutes. I'll get atthair and locke to come and help me get the cure."My dad said,walking towards the door.
I nodded in response."Alright. See ya later."I said to my dad. He left my appartment a moment later.
I turned my attention to terra,who was asleep on her bed and shivering from the cold. I walked over to her bed and sat next to her.
"Hey. Wake up,Terra."I said,gently shaking her awake. She opened her eyes and looked up at me,hugging the covers to her body to keep herself warm.
"What's going on,Vince? You look like you're afraid of something."she asked me,laying her head on my shoulder. I sighed.
"Unfortunately,we've got to head to angel island right now."I said to her. She lifted her head and looked me in the eyes.
"Why?"she asked me,getting a confused look on her face.
I looked away,not wanting to have to tell her why. But i had to. Otherwise,she wouldn't trust me anymore.
"You remember that bite you got,right? Well,my dad told me that if you're bitten by one of those wolves you...well,uhh...in time,you'll become one of them."I said to her.
I felt her body tense up when i finished. I really didn't want to have to be the one to tell her that. It kills me inside to see her scared like this. She hugged me to her.
"Is there a cure?"She asked me,her voice beginning to shake.
I nodded,and hugged her back.
"Yes,there is a cure. that's why we have to go to Angel Island right now."I said to her."My dad is getting his dad and grandpa to help him get it.Though,there is only enough of the cure for one person to have."
I felt her tense up again.She still hugged me to her.
"Then you take it Vince,it's better if you stay the way you are than me."She said,nuzzling her cheek on my chest.
"She wants me to take it?But what about her?No,I can't take it.She has to take it.Otherwise,i'll lose the most important person to me."I thought.
"No Terra,I'm not going to take the cure.You have to,I can fight the mutation off."I said to her.
Terra looked up and straight into my eyes.
"But,I don't want to lose you."She said to me,a tear forming in her right eye.
I was at a loss for words.Terra really did care about my safety.The same goes both ways,I care about her about her safety.And I dont want to lose her either.
Terra layed her head onto my chest.I began to run my hand through her hair,holding her close.We stayed like this for a good ten minutes before i realized that we had to be somewhere.
"Shit!,Terra we need to go now.My dad said we needed to be at the shrine of the Master Emerald about 15 minutes ago."i said to her.
Terra nodded but still held onto me.
"Could you carry me,Vince?You're very warm."she cooed,hugging me tighter.
I hugged her to me and stood up,drawing my midnight blue cloak around us.