Me: I. Am. ALIVE! And I really wasn't planning on updating this story at all, but I reread what a certain reviewer wrote and decided that a) if the whole possible mary-sue thing (which I plan on changing) was the only thing he/she could find wrong with it, then it was definitely worth a shot, and b) that was one of the best reviews I have received. Ever. So, NoOneSpecial, I suggest you change your name, cause this ones for you! THANKYOUSOMUCH! 8D Oh, and I don't one Sonic or Tails. Or the Tornado. I do, however, own the scientific doohickey. (See below…)
"Hey, Tails! Whatcha working on?" I asked, skidding to a halt by his side and cocking my head with interest. There was a thump, followed by a muffled "Ow" before the aforementioned fox finally slid out from underneath…something. Seeing it was me, the little mechanic brightened, standing up while rubbing his head.
"Sonic!" He replied. "Great to see you!" Then he motioned to the gizmo behind him. "This is a machine I designed to use the (whatchamacallit) law of (something complicated) to balance the (sounds Greek) energy of the (something or other) so that the (more Greek…) and the (other whatchamacallit) will equalize without destroying the (scientific doohickey)." He looked proud of it too.
I placed my chin on my hand, leaning lazily on one of his work tables. "I lost you at 'whatchamacallit'." Tails gave me a strange look and I sighed. "So what's it do?"
"Well-"
"In English."
He paused for a moment, Sonic-proofing his statement, before replying. "It, uh…uses water to create biochemi-uh, energy. You know, like electricity?" I smiled, pride washing over me. My little bro was a flippin' genius. I told him as much and he flushed in embarrassment.
"Aw, come on…Anyone could've figured that out," Tails protested halfheartedly, slouching against his gizmo. I raised an eyebrow at him and he rethought his statement. "Any scientist," he corrected.
I chucked and reached over to ruffle his fluffy head, causing him swat my hand away with a playful glare. "Naw…" I said. "There isn't a scientist around smarter that you. Hey now, don't give me that look. You know its true," I stated, poking him in the chest for emphases. He still looked doubtful, but at least he didn't argue. "Say, how about we test out those new modifications you made to the Tornado?" I suggested, changing the subject.
His ears perked up at this, a smile once again claiming his features. "Sure! Hey, you won't believe what I put in the weapons system!" The little fox immediately scampered off toward his garage-type-thing, already getting technical as he described it. Shaking my head with a smile, I followed close behind.
My eyes flew open as pain shot up my shoulder. It took me a moment to remember where I was, the memory still fresh in my mind, but the clinking of chains brought me crashing back into reality. I closed my eyes, momentarily adorning a pained expression. A dream. Of course.
I sighed shakily, before once again attempting to stand and take some of the pressure off my wrists. It was a loosing battle and I had to grit my teeth as my shoeless feet pushed against the concrete. Standing had become a constant battle nowadays, and I wasn't entirely sure how long it would be before I couldn't move at all and would be forced to just hang limply from the chains. I tried not to think about it.
Attempting to regain the feeling in my legs, I squinted up at the gashes on my wrists, trying to check for infection in the almost nonexistent light. This proved useless however; the torches Tyla had lit had long since gone out and I could only see my hands if I moved them.
Tyla. I kinda missed her. She hasn't been down here for, what? Two weeks? A month? I couldn't tell. Time and I had never been good friends, and down here, it was practically fictional. I did know that it had been too long. And I. Was. Bored.
I vaguely considered another escape attempt, but decided against it. If I could hardly stand, then I was in no shape to fight. I wanted to at least get out of the cellar, to see the daylight, before I was captured and beaten. Escape was pretty much out of the question. A sudden stab of pain echoed through my chest as I thought of Tails. I would probably never see him again…
I growled, shaking my head and scolding myself for thinking like that. It wasn't impossible 'till I was in the ground. Besides, I'd been through worse…Still. I was really bored. I closed my eyes, not that it really made any difference, skimming through the different options for entertainment. When I finally fell on one, my mouth twisted into a wicked grin.
This should be fun.
XXxxXXxxXXxxXX
Tyla scowled as she briskly strode down the dungeon hallway. It was just an order. She was fine with following orders. In fact, she should be honored with this particular order. So why did this bother her so much? She snarled at the familiar stab of pain. She knew the answer. She'd been trying to convince herself otherwise for the past two weeks,but she knew. She just wished it wasn't the answer. That hedgehog was going to make things a lot harder.
Quickly, she turned a corner, coming face-to-face with a familiar wolf who was already drawing his dagger. She didn't even bother with her saber, her eyes narrowing dangerously low.
"Move." She commanded. What she really meant was 'You know who I am, so unlock the dang door before I decapitate you.' The wolf was lucky he was so good at reading faces. Not a minute later, she was descending the dark stone steps. When she reached his cell, she pause momentarily, collecting herself. 'Let's get this over with.' Quickly, she snatched a torch off the wall and entered the cell.
It was empty. Tyla stared with mild surprise at the now-open shackles dangling uselessly from the ceiling and cuffs sprawled out across the floor. 'Again?' she wondered, bemused. 'Well, at least he'll have one last…' She shook her head and whirled around to head back to the stairway. However, halfway down the hallway, she froze.
There was a flickering light coming from one of the cells. 'What…?' Narrowing jade eyes, she strode inside to investigate. And there he was.
The blue hedgehog was down on one knee, inquisitive emerald irises intently studying the messages scratched in the stone wall by the other prisoners, brow furrowed in concentration. He ran the clawed, bare fingers of one hand across the surface of the words, the other holding up a borrowed torch for light. An ear flicked in her direction was the only sign he'd heard her enter.
Finally, Sonic stood, with a bit of effort she noted, and turned to give her his full attention. He gave her a warm half-smile that reached his eyes, as though he was welcoming home a close friend, not a persecutor. "Hey," he greeted, still smiling.
She gave him a simple nod, which was a lot coming from her, causing his smile to widen. For a moment, neither said a word, one waiting for the fury he was sure would come, the other too emotionally drained to care. The silence lengthened as his eyes bored into her, studying her curiously. Did he know? Then Tyla spoke, feeling strangely calm.
"Why did you leave your cell if you are not going to attempt escaping?"
An aggravating smirk appeared at this question. "Just to annoy you really…," he replied. At her furious look, Sonic laughed, holding up his hands as a sign of surrender. "Hey, relax. I was just kidding." Putting his hands down, he shrugged nonchalantly. "Honestly, I was just exploring. After all, if I'm gonna be here for the rest of my life, I might as well get to know the place a bit better." He chuckled again.
For the rest of his life. She winced, then cursed herself for doing so. He seemed to notice, though, for his eyes softened. "What's wrong?" he asked, sounding genuinely concerned. He cared. The first and only prisoner to ever care. Why? Of all people, why did it have to be him? He broke her. She knew it now. That day, weeks ago, he'd shattered her. She could no longer function normally. That little girl within her kept taking over, whispering in her ear. 'Look at the sky…isn't it beautiful?'
'That man is someone's little boy. He's hurting.'
'Why are you so angry at them? Did they do something wrong?' She hated that little girl. She loved that little girl. She refused to listen. Yet she had no choice. She'd started to question her orders. Her routine. Her very way of life.
Now she could feel pain. It was all his fault. And yet…
She was tired of being numb.
For a long time, she didn't answer him, her eyes drinking him in. His fur: caked with blood and littered with scars. His posture: confident with a quite, unspoken pride. His attitude: rebellious, carefree, reckless, never completely surrendering. His eyes: twin pools of empathy, of wisdom, of experience. She hated those eyes. They made her feel safe. Weak. Vulnerable. Secure.
"I'm to execute you at dawn." Her voice sounded out of place in the scilence. Sonic froze. Slowly, she watched his perfect smile falter. For the first time since she'd met him, it disappeared. He quietly closed his eyes. It was the only sign of grief. For minutes, he just stood there, his thoughts a mystery, and she began to wonder if he'd finally quit. Then, his eyes reopened and his smile was back. It was a small, pained smile that didn't reach his eyes, but it was there. He hadn't given up. He wouldn't. Never.
Tyla swallowed, her heart breaking as the little girl started to cry. 'Not him. Anyone but him. He doesn't deserve this. None of them do.' "Why…?" Her voice wavered slightly, so she hushed the girl and tried again. "Why do you insist on smiling?"
His smile widened slightly as he answered, eyes filling with memories. "A very close friend once told me that life is not about waiting out the storms. It's about learning to dance in the rain." He laughed, quietly. "I was never much of a dancer, but…I tried. Besides, my smile usually has a good effect on people."
'See? He's someone's little boy too. He's worried about them. Can't you see? It's in his eyes. Everything is.'Oh, not him. Please, anyone but Sonic. She had to get out of here. 'You have to help him.' She couldn't take it any more. 'Please!' Tyla whirled around. She hadn't taken more that two steps before he spoke again.
"You hate it here." She froze. It wasn't a question. 'He knows you.' And even if it was, her silence confirmed it. 'He cares.' "Tyla, look at me." 'Listen.' Slowly, she turned to face him, her face set in stone. 'Listen.' For a minute, his smile was gone, his gaze thoughtful. Then, he narrowed his eyes, his face the picture of gravity. "You don't deserve this." 'He forgives you.''Neither do you.' "Come with me." '…What?'
Almost immediately, her eyes blazed and she growled fiercely, willing him to disappear. 'He wants to help! If you'd just-' She whirled around and stormed out of the room. After a moment, the slam of the door echoed through the cellar. Sonic closed his eyes and sighed. Well, at least he tried. He'd hoped to take her with him, but… 'I guess I have to escape alone.' He'd come back for her, though. When he was stronger, he would save everyone. He always did.
After doing a couple of stretches, he left the cell, torch in hand, and started up the stairs, pausing at the door. He had just crouched, ready to saw through it with his razor sharp quills, when it suddenly swung open. Sonic's eyes widened.
Tyla gazed at him with an unreadable expression, an unconscious wolf at her feet. She had some type of backpack slung over one shoulder and was carrying a sword that looked bigger than she was. Their eyes met. 'See? He still cares.' For the first time since he'd met her, Tyla smiled. It was gone as quick as it came, though, as she grabbed a hold of his bloodied wrist and bolted down the hallway, dragging Sonic behind her.
Too late. 'I saw that.' Tyla swore.
Me: Aaaaaaand done! …dang it. These chapters keep getting shorter. *sigh* No, this isn't the end, though it may be awhile till I update. Again. Not THAT long though…I just want to update some of the stories that get more poll votes first…(hint, HINT) Poll is still up and running!
Also, I UPDATE FOR REVIEWS! And I've heard "Great job!", "I love this story!", and "This is amazing!" a million times! I would REALLY appreciate something more original, like "This story was good/bad because…" I'm trying to improve here people! I need opinions! Oh, and if you need mine in one of your stories, just say so, and I'll leave the best review I can! Thanks! ^_^