I do not claim ownership of Sonic the Hedgehog, nor anything pertaining to him, his creation, or the creation of his friends, story, etc.
This is rated T for God knows what. Probably violence, language and sexual themes like the last one.
Miles Tails Prower sat hunched at the edge of his crimson quilted bed. It was a scene where the coloring of the very walls lacked their usual joviality and vigor, now that they are coupled by the wrenching whimpers of the golden fox. He sat still, his hands crushing the sides of his head, struggling to fight the oncoming tears. A lone tear escapes his left eye and traces down to his small black nose, which sniffled it away quickly. His jaw was tight with anger.
It was the dusk of the second week of the search, and still the bed next to Tails' lay barren and lifeless. The sheets, even the sheets, were so undisturbed and level… almost as if they were staring at Tails in a deadpan, wondering where their owner had gone. Tails couldn't even look at that now. The search had become an unbearable thing, and it was taking its toll on everyone. The burden… that was unfathomable to him, and perhaps the most difficult thing to wrap his mind around.
Sonic… Tails' thoughts raced painfully through his throbbing head. The name alone was enough to release the watery gates as Tails closed his aching baby blues. You can't be gone… please…please! Be okay. With each passing day, convincing himself that his friend was alright became a more and more draining task, and a less and less likely possibility. But either blinded by denial, or unveiled by faith, Miles wouldn't ever give up the search, nor doubt Sonic's survivability. His eyes cut off the tears. "You have to be okay…" It was a whisper in the weakest of voices, but the trickle of hope lining it took away from its helplessness.
A knock at the opened door demolished the silence, startling Tails from his pleas. It was Jules, Sonic's father of aquatic metal and silently winding gears and turbines. Having an entirely robotic body meant his face was 'carved in stone' so to speak. It disabled him from showing any expressed emotions, but even through that deadpan, an aura of sympathy rang through the room. "We'll find him Tails, don't worry." His voice, the one thing that remained that showed emotion and warmth, felt almost too real, like he knew the words were absolute. It would've been comforting to Tails if he didn't know that that was what they're meant for, to be convincing.
"I know." Tails said with a strange sadness. He figured that whenever anyone told another it would be alright, it usually meant that things would go the opposite way. It was a haunting thought, one he didn't have the patience for. "You don't have to keep telling me that."
Jules noticed the dark bags under the sixteen year old's eyes with a sense of pity, sympathy, and agape. Like Jules, Tails obviously hadn't slept a wink since Sonic went missing fifteen days ago, and has been with the search party for all thirteen days of the search. Unlike Jules however, who doesn't require sleep, Tails' body is turning on itself due his insomnia. His eyes were glassy and his muscles fatigued. He sits down next to Miles. "Are you scared?" Jules asked.
Tails ran his fingers through his hair, almost irritated by that question. "Sonic has survived countless attacks from Robotnik, a prison capture, the weasel gang, and kicked ass while doing them. Those are only naming a few, too." He turns to Jules. "Why would I be scared?"
Jules got up, and if he had the capabilities, he would've sighed. "Just checking" A hint of sarcasm laid the foundation for his words. Tails was transparent in this; he definitely was scared, he just wouldn't admit it. He had far too much faith in Sonic for that, and couldn't stand the thought of doubting him after all that he's done. Jules took one last look at Tails before exiting the room.
This left Tails alone again, haunted once more by the excruciating query; "Where are you, Sonic?" His eyes glance to the last few members of the dwindling search party, as they go to their cabins and prepare for sleep. Those cabins, so warm and inviting, could only hurt Tails even more.
There we all go… He thought in silence. We have a nice home to rest in… a warm bed to sleep in… He quickly shook is head. "Stop it!" He grunted. "Sonic's okay! I know he's okay…" No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't ignore the fear pecking at his skull. But it seemed to only infuriate him.
Tails looked at the clock, reading 11:37pm. With a sigh, he got up and turned off the light, then crawled into his bed.
Within seconds, he threw his covers to the foot of his bed and crawled onto the floor next to Sonic's bed. The chill of the hardwood floor was the only comfort he'd allow himself. Its not like he could sleep anyway…
The dusked castle of Knothole was perhaps the only illuminated villa in the entire oasis. The artistically crafted wood furnishing made their mark as worthy of only the king himself, which was of course fitting. Guards stand silent at the doors, or patrolling the perimeter begrudgingly. It's as if the entire village has spiraled into a deep, unmovable depression, and in the castle itself, the princess, among all people, was no exception.
She sat in her room, in front of her majestic mirror, brushing out her thick, chestnut hair, and expressionlessly, making herself up as if there was some adventure to be had at this dark hour. She could see the brute of a guard in the back of the room, standing at over six feet, seven inches undoubtedly, and staring at her.
"Is something wrong, Fromalii?" She said strongly to the guard, still brushing out her hair.
"Princess…" Fromalii hesitated. "Princess Sally, permission to speak freely…"
"Granted" She said, looking at him over her shoulder.
"What are you doing?" He asked humbly. "It's a quarter to midnight, yet you seem to be getting prepared for something… a late night party, maybe?"
Sally smiled at Fromalii, an uncalled for joy scrambling across her lips. "Its really quite simple, Fromalii." She said, putting down the brush and making finishing touches to her hair with her fingers. "Sonic's going to come back tonight, and I want to be the first to welcome him home." She spun her chair to face her guard. "I am the bride to be after all." She continued smiling.
Fromalii didn't know what to make of that. He stuttered a bit as he began to speak. "S… Sally?"
"And I want him to see me all prettied up, because… do you know what today is?" She said, turned back to her mirror. She watched him shake his head via the mirror. She smiled playfully. "Oh come on… you gotta know this one." She laughed under her breath. "Well…" She looked at the mirror, her eyes puffing and reddening. Her face grimaced as she began to cry. "Today is the day Sonic and I were supposed to get married." She punches the mirror, shattering the glass and drawing her own blood. Fromalii runs over and hugs her tightly as she sobs into his shoulder, blood staining the white wedding dress…
In the adjacent room, her father, King Maximillion, closes her bedroom door, unable to watch any further. "How is the search going, Geoffrey?" He says heartbroken to Geoffrey St. John, the leader of the king's search party.
"Not so much as a clue as to his whereabouts, sir." He answers professionally as they begin to walk through the decadent hallways of palace. "However I've been doing a bit of investigating outside the parameters of my search party. Through this I may have a lead, do you wish to hear it."
"By all means, agent, continue." His voice was, which can be put no other way, hopeless. In all my power, He thought. With an entire kingdom on my side and armies at my disposal, it is of no advantage. I still can't bring my daughter's fiancé home, and even if I could… what guarantee was there that he'd even be alive when the search party finds him. The king, flirting with sixty now, listened intently to Geoffrey as they continued walking.
"I searched through some files in 'Hope Hospital.'" He began.
The king took a weary breath. "Okay, what did you find?"
"You are acquainted with an Amy Rose, yes?"
"Yes, I've known her since her early childhood." The king's face was turning sour. "She's a fine girl, and a loyal friend to Sonic. Why did you bring up her name?"
Geoffrey smiled at the king's lack of knowledge pertaining to the situation, but it quickly reversed itself. "She was hospitalized a few weeks back, and then again the next day."
The king's jaw tightened, but his eyes were concerned. "What happened to her?"
"She got in an accident more recently, which left her in a coma." He sighed.
King Max stopped in his tracks. Damn. He thought. He gathered himself. "How's her condition?"
"It's non-terminal, sir. She'll be fine." Geoffrey said cautiously, eying the king. The king sighed in relief. "Is there any reason for an interest in this subject, sir?"
"Don't let it concern you." The king said. "What of the first hospitalization?"
"The first is where the interest lies." Geoffrey said as they stared walking again. "There was an explosion back near the forest west of here. It was reported that a blue hedgehog was spotted at the scene shortly before the explosion."
"But not after?"
"No sir, I'm afraid not" Geoffrey sighed. "Which, of course, leads me to an assumption."
"There will be no assuming in this search, agent." The king said firmly, knowing where agent St. John was going. "I asked you to find Sonic, not make excuses for not finding him." His tone was harsh to say the least, angry even.
"Sir, I didn't mean…"
"Unless you find a corpse, and it is indeed Sonic, don't even flirt with the idea of death." He walks to in front of Geoffrey and stops, facing him. "Make the primary objective finding Sonic alive. Is my meaning clear, agent, or need you a rephrasing?" Never had the king had such a scolding appearance plastered on his face. The disappearance of Sonic had truly taken a toll on him, as it did everyone else.
"Yes sir." Geoffrey said militaristically. He walks off to the front entrance.
"Milord" A guard approached the king. "It's late. Will you be joining the queen in the chambers now?" He asked. "I will escort you if you are ready."
"Sleep…" The king said. "Oh, what a fantasy at this point, it would seem." He walks off, dwarfed by the guard leading him.
"Milord!" A guard dashed toward the king, screaming in a panic. "Milord! Something terrible has happened!"
The guard reaches him, only to be halted by the one at the king's side. "Catch your breath, boy." The king said to the oversized guard. "What is this about?"
"Sir Maximillion, it's the princess!" He nearly bawls at each syllable, painfully stringing the sentances together. "Fromalii, the royal highness' guard, is unconscious... and the princess is gone!"
King Max's eyes widened trepidly, his mouth seized, and his body would have collapsed, if not for the guard helping him stand. "G... gone?"
"I'm afraid so, milord" The still panting guard gathered himself. "I've already sent out some of the guards to look for her. I will join the if it is you will."
"Please do..." The king errected himself as the guard sped off. Max looked at his escort. "Do you think it's an assassination attempt?"
"I can't say, milord." The guard showed obvious frustration at the situation.
"My God..." The king hyperventilated, eyes nearly popping out of his skull. "Who could do something like this?"
Hello again people! I told you there'd be a sequel, and nobody killed me for the cliff hanger, so here it is! The first chapter to the sequel of Haunting Memories. Please comment on this, I love comments... Soooo very much. Oh, by the way, if you didn't know who Geoffrey St. John is, don't worry. He's exclusive to the comic, like Jules. Fromalii is a name I picked for one of the myriads of guards at Knothole's castle. Soooo... yeah. Stay tuned for another chapter that I will upload... hopefully soon, depending on my freaky schedule. (XD)