To Catch a Blue Bird

By Kellie Fay

Shadow challenges Amy to develop the skills and patience to coax Sonic to her side. But some old enemies from Sonic's past are trying to destroy the couple before they've paired up. And why is Sonic plagued by nightmares?

Prologue: Sonic In the heart of darkness.

Sonic woke up to pitch blackness and dead quiet except for the frantic beating of his own heart.

Sonic, Sonic wake up it is all right, it was just a nightmare.

With one final deep breath Cosmo's words finally penetrated the fear that held the blue hedgehog in its grip. "Same as the other times?" He asked into the empty air knowing that Cosmo could hear him through his thoughts and the five Star Trees that grew less than ten feet from his own home.

I'm afraid so, the little Seedrian answered. Your own mind keeps blocking the images. I can tell that you were dreaming, but I can't tell you what you were dreaming of. Only that you cried out that it wasn't you.

Annoyed Sonic let out a sigh, and got out of the bed. Reaching over to the shelf containing his post adventure treasures, he tapped gently his personal Chaos Emerald, the one the color of a summer sky. The energy flowed into him easily making him feel like the sun's energy ran up his arm and straight to his heart. With the ease of breathing Sonic sent the energy back into the emerald asking simply for light. When given a choice he preferred this emerald over the darker royal blue one. The emerald responding to his thoughts and energies gave off a soft hazy light. He looked out his open window in the direction of his little grove of Star Trees. Shaking his head he said, "I don't remember anything. How is it that I can remember being terrified, but can't remember what scared me half to death?"

My people always said that our minds are deep and mysterious full of both light and darkness. I think that Tails is right, and you should go visit the Sorcerous Cobbler.

Sonic winced. He had that argument with Tails earlier, and didn't want to rehash it. "If you knew anything about kitsune magic users you wouldn't say that, and Tails doesn't count." He snapped. Tails had to have put her up to that.

Cosmo didn't allow Sonic to dismiss the idea though, "I don't understand why you do not wish to go see her. Tails trusts her, and you told me you trust her too. You trusted her with Shadow, but not yourself?"

"Of course I trust her. She trusted me with her most prized possession," Sonic said pushing away from the window. "It's just that she's old, and I don't want to bother her about something as stupid as a nightmare."

I think you do not wish to see this sorcerous because she will make you face the something you are hiding from yourself. That is why you cannot remember the nightmares, and I cannot reach you when you have them.

"I am NOT going to go see Cobbler, Cosmo, end of discussion," Sonic said crossly. He shut the window, and pulled a bottle of juice from his ice box. Sitting down at the table he took a good long swig at the bottle, and then asked into the air. "So what's the current count now?"

With a mental sigh Cosmo answered, three this week alone, five over the last fortnight, and fifteen over the last two months. Sonic, you are no longer getting enough rest to compensate for the lack of sleep, and it is beginning to show.

Finishing his juice Sonic dumped the bottle into his recycle bin, and went to pick up the light blue Chaos Emerald. "I'm fine. I can just absorb extra energy later when the sun comes up. I'll be okay." He absorbed some energy from his emerald to get rid of the fuzzy fatigued feeling in his mind. "I'm going out for a run," he said with his trademark smile tucking the emerald into his quills. "Maybe that will clear the cobwebs out of my head enough to be able to catch a few Z's before dawn. I'll check in when I get back." With that Sonic raced out of his home into the forest.

Pulling her influence back into her central tree Cosmo felt slightly frustrated. Of course she would report the dream to Tails, but even though he would gently advise Sonic to go see the old kitsune he would not insist on it. He even knew and agreed with Cosmo on why Sonic refused to entertain the idea of visiting her. Of course he doesn't want to go see Cobbler. She will make him face that part of his mind that he's hiding from himself. He knows it. He's just not ready to face it yet. If he gets much worse I'll arrange for Knuckles and Shadow to kidnap him and drag him there, but I'd like Sonic to decide to go himself.

Cosmo sought out her friend's sleeping mind, and gently called him soul to soul pulling him into this place other sprits here called the dreamscape. Tails, She said gently when the little kitsune's dream form materialized. I need to talk to you. Sonic had another nightmare.