Sonic Legacy: Downfall

Chapter 4: Exploring The Terrain

Shadow and Tanya were walking over the top of the mountain while glancing constantly at the ground in search for any aperture they could use to sneak into the base. Tanya decided to talk with him to reduce the monotony of the situation. "So, Shad…" She got interrupted.

"Shadow." He said rather upset. "What is it?"

"Okay, Shadow." Tanya corrected. "For how long have you known Tails?"

Shadow crouched and started to pat the ground to see if he could find a way in. "Long enough." He replied.

Tanya also crouched to help him out. "How is long enough?" They both walked while crouching and touching the ground.

Shadow sighed. "I don't know we have just been part of the same fight, that's all."

"Oh." Tanya said. "So you are old friends?"

"If you say so." Shadow responded then snarled and stood up along with her.

"Don't you ever smile?" Tanya asked.

Shadow raised an eyebrow and looked at her. "What?"

"Like, you always have this…" Tanya put a finger on her forehead. "Frown."

Shadow shook his head. "Whatever." He began to walk away from her then turned. "Come on, keep looking." Shadow commanded.

Tanya looked at the right and found a pathway that went downwards. "Hey."

Shadow approached her. "What? Did you find something?"

Tanya nodded and pointed at the path. "That should lead somewhere."

Shadow headed to the path's beginning and started to walk downhill. "Move." He said before getting out of Tanya's sight.

Tanya sighed and rushed to catch up with him. "Your welcome." She said while walking behind him over the path made of little rocks and covered with flowers.

Shadow ignored her and they both arrived at the place the path led to, a lower level of the mountain. "And more nothing."

Tanya looked around and gasped when she found something behind the foliage next to her. "Shad." She started to tear off the plants that covered what she had seen behind them.

"It's…" Shadow knew it was useless to insist on something that trivial like his name.

Tanya tore off the last of the plants, uncovering a tall, metallic door. "I bet this is something!"

Shadow approached the door and looked for any handles or access panels with his gaze but found nothing. "Move, I'll open it."

"Uhm, sure." Tanya took a few steps to the left as Shadow backed away to take impulse.

Shadow focused on the door then jumped and hit it with a spin dash, destroying the it easily.

"Wow!" Tanya said. "How did you do that?"

Shadow entered the place beyond the now nonexistent door followed by her. He glanced at the ceiling and the walls of dirt and rock, then he glared at the ground. "Nothing."

Tanya kneeled down and started to dig the muddy ground using her hands. "Maybe there's something under this."

Shadow growled softly. "You'll just get all dirty, come on, let's look elsewhere."

Tanya kept digging. "I'm not afraid of some mud, why are you?"

"I didn't s…" Shadow just crossed his arms and waited for her to give up.

Tanya was starting to get tired, her digging became slower and she began to notice that there was indeed nothing there so she just stopped and got into her feet. "Maybe you are right."

"Maybe?" Shadow said, walking past her and exiting the place. "As I said." He looked at her. "Let's look elsewhere." He reaffirmed, Tanya looked at her hands which were covered in mud and cleaned them carelessly on her shirt then followed Shadow.

"You couldn't pick a better place to bring us to our deaths?" Spark told Blaze as they were both rappelling on the rocky side of the mountain.

Blaze held tightly from a rock at her left. "We must cover all the terrain." She looked at him. "I thought you were braver than this."

Spark looked down then immediately turned his gaze upwards. "I'm very brave! Mom!" He gasped while feeling the rock under his feet trembling. "But I'm cautious too." Spark yelled as the rock fell all of a sudden and he ended with his feet hanging, only holding with one hand.

"Sure." Blaze gave him a serious look. "Cautious."

Spark snarled. "It was not my f…" His hand slipped from the rock and Blaze reacted soon enough to hold his hand.

"Son! Be careful!" Blaze scolded him then swung him towards a larger rock next to her then she jumped onto it and stood next to her son. "Spark, you should've listened to me!" She crossed her arms. "I am a fool for letting you come."

"What do you mean?" Spark rested his back on the rocky wall and took a deep breath to forget the fright.

Blaze sighed. "You'd be better at the kingdom, not here, you aren't ready."

Spark frowned and approached her. "You think that?! For the record, I saved…"

"Yes, son, you saved Erif from those guys but this ain't the same!" Blaze put a hand on his shoulder. "Just hear me out, once we are finished with this task you'll stay at Holoska's HQ until everything is over."

"What? No!" Spark grunted and lowered his head, then sighed and looked at his mom. "Sorry, I just, I know I can do this, mom, I deserve one more chance."

Blaze looked at him with doubt then walked past him. "Prove it." She said and kept walking over the perilous track at the mountain's side, Spark followed her, watching his steps carefully.

"So, why didn't you call your longtime friend." Spark said as they walked. "He could be really helpful."

"Who, son?" Blaze asked.

Spark scratched his chin while trying to remember the name. "Uhm, that guy, the one who moves things."

Blaze stopped walking suddenly. "Oh, Silver." She resumed her steps. "I haven't heard of him for years now."

Spark raised an eyebrow. "Really? You think he is dead or something?"

"Please don't say that, son." Blaze warned. "He should be fine, maybe he is hiding somewhere, that´s all."

"Hiding?" Spark inquired.

Blaze sighed while reaching the end of the path. "A long time ago, a group of scientists started to kidnap people like us, people with powers, they had the weapons and gear to do so, too many of us disappeared, even friends of both Silver and I, I invited him to live in the castle but he thought that would put me in danger as he was already a known target, so he just left and I've heard nothing about him since then." She explained.

Spark remained silent then felt some plants touching his hand, he turned and saw a wall of those plants in front of him, he put his hand over the plants and moved it forward, discovering there was nothing behind them. "Mom."

Blaze looked at him. "What is it?"

Spark patted the plants while looking at her. "Help me burn these." He backed away slightly and flamed up his hands then began to shoot his flames towards them. Blaze got next to him and did the same, they were both managing to destroy them slowly but with success.

Meanwhile, Rogue and Tails were looking for gaps at the distance while flying in front of a lower part of the mountain. "Maybe the map is wrong, there's nothing here." Tails said.

"We worked hard to acquire that map, hon." Rogue replied. "Don't you tell me it was in vain."

"Is there some kind of gem in there we don't know about?" Tails inquired sarcastically.

Rogue looked at him upset. "Are you insinuating something?"

"I just say that old habits don't die." Tails responded.

Rogue flew down to face him. "Tails, I'm not here to steal a bunch of shiny rocks!"

"Okay." Tails tried to look away. "Forget it."

"No, Tails." Rogue forced him to look at her by moving his chin with her hand. "You don't trust me, do you?"

"Let it go already." Tails said. "I just think is very coincidental you brought all of us here where there is literally nothing of what you've told us about."

Rogue gasped indignantly while putting a hand on her waist. "Well, you'll feel so bad when you discover you're wrong, sweetheart." She looked up when hearing Blaze's voice´s echo.

"Over here! We found a way in!" Blaze exclaimed.

Rogue gave Tails a final, serious look. "You heard her." She flew away from him.

Tails remained flying on the same place for a moment, then sighed and shook his head. "You better be telling the truth." He flew upwards.