Chapter 4: Remeeting
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Big was busy roasting a 20-lb eel, and watching the two girls snuggling against the warm fire. He never had many friends, except Froggy, and never bothered to try civilization. He was happy in this jungle.
Still, watching the two girls chatter made him wonder again. They had families. They had friends. They had fun.
Big turned the spit again, realizing that he almost left it burn one side.
At the thought of friends, he dearly missed Froggy. Poor little pollywog friend. Ever since he lost that lucky charm, that pretty yellow gem, Froggy has been having bad luck. It all started with that bad water monster. He couldn't remember the name, but he dreaded it ever since. Thanks to a blue hedgehog, he was able to rescue Froggy.
"Mr. Big?" Cream spoke up. She had noticed Big, and he seemed a little sad. "Are you okay?"
"I miss Froggy..." Big sighed.
Cream walked towards Big, and hugged his huge arm. "Don't worry. We'll get him back."
"I hope so."
Amy stepped back, eyeing the eel. "Hey, Cream. Can you eat fish?"
"Oh...I didn't think of that..."
"You don't like fish?" Big asked.
"I'm a rabbit," Cream said matter-of-factly. "Rabbits can't eat fish..."
"That's too bad. Fish are good..." Big looked at the eel, turning browner, then his eyes brightened. "Hey, I have an idea. You keep turning the spit, and I'll find you something to eat, ok?"
"Ok!" Cream said. She grabbed the spit-handle and began to turn. Big got up and stalked into the darkness of the wet jungle.
"Mr. Big is a nice cat..." Cream said.
"Yeah..." Amy said. "I met him before actually..."
"You did?"
"Yeah...I couldn't remember right away, but I remember meeting him on the Egg Carrier."
"The what?"
"The Egg Carrier. It was a big battleship that Dr. Eggman created. Sonic destroyed it years ago..."
"Wow...was it scary?"
"Nah. Dr. Eggman doesn't scare me..." Amy said, although she knew it that it was only partly true.
"Wow, I wish I was so brave..."
About this time, Big returned with some tropical fruit that he had found on some nearby trees. "Here you go, Cream. I hope it's good enough."
Cream picked up one of the fruits in and studied over. Was it any good? She heard a little bit of smacking nearby and looked to see what it was. Cheese had taken a fruit and was mauling it messily. Apparently Cheese had no objections with it, so she took a bite.
It was delicious! Cream thought she never tasted a sweeter nectarine in her life! She finished the rest of it quickly enough. "Thank you, Mr. Big..."
"You're welcome."
Big inspected the cooked eel and decided it was done enough, so he used his filet knife to cut the eel into smaller pieces and split the pieces with Amy. The girl hedgehog never has eel, but was willing to try, and was surprised to find that it was rather delicious. She always seen eels as something slimy and disgusting, but this meal gave her a whole new look.
"Gosh, this is great!" Amy said.
"Eels are good, but I like some of the fish I find in the salty water farther away. They're really good..."
"Maybe you can catch them sometime and show us..." Amy said, spirits rising.
"It's more fun with Froggy..." Big said wistfully, ears dropping slightly.
Cream put down her nectarine and hugged Big's large leg. "We won't stop trying until we find Froggy!"
Big felt his spirits rise. He earned new friends...
- - - - -
Frosty woke up in the darkness of a metal cell. She felt like her head was going to explode as she rubbed her eyes, trying to see in the eerie darkness...
She wasn't sure what happened. One moment, she was chatting wistfully with Dash, and the next, she was here. She couldn't think straight with that headache.
She heard something. It sounded like someone tapping on a metal plate. Wait, they sounded like footsteps.
All the sudden, the room lit up as apparently a door opened. Frosty blinked in the light. The door closed again, but the light didn't leave. It looked as if it was contained in a crystal ball in what looked like a clawed hand. Wait, there was something else...two lights...blood red...
"Hello, Frosty the Chao..."
The voice made Frosty jump; she didn't expect someone to come in here. "Who...who are you?"
"You know me...you just don't remember me...now..."
Frosty thought about it. The voice...oily, strangely gentle in a freaky way, low...Shadow's voice came anywhere close, but Frosty knew he was dead. Besides, he never spoke so gently.
"I don't know your voice..."
"Because you have forgotten it. Have you really forgotten who I am?"
Frosty didn't answer, but shook her head.
"Then I'll have to show you."
The lights switched on and Frosty stood blinking once again. Once she could stand the light, she opened her eyes.
She gasped. "It's you!"
"Correct. I hoped we would meet again." The figure flexed his claws. "When you last observed me, I was but a robot servant, now I am the master!"
Frosty looked at the figure of Metal-Sonic in front of him. He looks twice as big as the last time she saw him back on the ARK. What happened!? He was also holding the White Chaos Emerald.
"But enough of this idle banter. I'm here to inform you that I am needing you for tests. If you cooperate, I shall release you. If you don't, your master will die by my claws."
Frosty gulped. The situation was beginning to sink in...
"You have one hour to decide." Metal-Sonic put the White Chaos Emerald on a cabinet, deactivated the lights and stalked out of the room, closing the door.
It was just Frosty, and the Emerald, with industrial-strength metal bars between them. Captured by Metal-Sonic...
The thought was enough to make her cry...
- - - - -
Sonic groaned in the darkness, stirring some. He lay half-buried in rubble from the rockslide and he felt like he was the pins in a bowling tournament. He held his head for a moment. What the heck happened?
Oh, yeah, he remembered. There was a collapse of some sort and he and Tails were in the midst of it, right on top of it. Tails! Sonic wrestled through the rocks that were covering him up partially, moaning at his pounding headache.
"Tails?" Sonic called. He called again, "Tails!?"
"Sonic?" came a weak reply.
"Tails! Hang on! I'm coming!" Sonic scrambled over the loosen rocks, towards his friend. He found him still in the Cyclone, which looked like it was caught in a hailstorm.
"Tails! You're bleeding!"
Tails looked up, teary-eyed and trying to put pressure on the cut on his head. "It hurts a lot!"
Dash leapt out of the back seat. He was dusty, but seemed to be the only one barely scathed from the fall. "Sonic! We got to get help!"
Sonic rushed down the rocks, half-stumbling down the slope, and ran up to Tails. "It'll be all right, kid. Here, let me see it..."
Tails gingerly lifted his hand off the bloody wound, and Sonic let out an oath. "We gotta get that treated! Do we have a first-aid kit in here or something?"
Dash dived back down into the seat and came back up, lugging a white box with a red cross on it. "Here." Dash fumbled with the locks and opened it.
Sonic snatched up the antiseptic. "This might sting, Tails, but we gotta have this clean otherwise it might get infected." Sonic soaked a cotton swab with the antibacterial substance and gingerly dabbed the cloth against the ghastly wound.
"Ow!" Tails shouted, cringing slightly.
"I know it sucks, bro, but I gotta keep you alive."
Sonic dabbed more at the wound, ignoring the blood that was staining his gloves. Tails was more important. Tails, tried to hold still as much as he could, but it stung like an angry hornet! Dash was hugging to Tails' arm, telling him everything was all right.
"Dash, can you hand up a roll of gauze and a clump of cotton?" Sonic asked.
"Sure," Dash replied, leaving Tails' arm to dig further into the kit. "Here they are."
Sonic took up the cotton clump and set it against the wound. Then, he took up the roll of gauze and wrapped it around Tails' head, under one ear and above the other. He wrapped it around three times and cut it off the main roll. He then tucked the end into the wraps of the gauze to prevent it from slipping apart.
"You'll all right, kid?"
"It's okay. It stings a little still...I feel like I'm wearing a tight hat lopsided."
Sonic half-chuckled. "Can you get out?"
Tails stood up, shakily. "I think so..."
Tails slowly climbed out, wincing from developing bruises. Dash leapt out into Sonic's arms. "I'm okay," Tails responded, after getting out.
"I wonder what caused this cave to collapse..."
"It was probably just weak," Tails said, looking around and up through the hole in the cave roof.
"Hey, where your Emerald, Sonic?" Dash asked suddenly.
Sonic realized that he didn't have the Emerald. "It must be where I feel!" Sonic raced back to the spot, and was relieved to see the Blue Chaos Emerald just sitting there. He scooped it up and raced back to Tails, who was looking at the Cyclone.
"I wonder how were gonna get it out..." Tails said.
"It'd be the pits if we had to leave her behind..." Sonic said.
"Please, don't say that..." Tails said; the same thought crossed his mind and it unnerved him.
"How 'bout how are WE gonna get out of here?" Dash said.
"Good question..." Sonic looked up at the hole in the ceiling.
"Well...well...well..." a voice rang out.
All jump and looked around wildly. They didn't expect someone to suddenly speak up.
"Hey! Who is that?" Sonic called out.
"Give me a break! C'mon, Sonic; don't tell me you forgot who beat your tail in the races last summer!"
There was a whoosh and Sonic and Tails saw someone in a blur speed by them for a split-second. The figure doubled back and slowed to a floating halt in the air. It was a forest-green hawk, wearing googles and red boots with black, flaming highlights. He was riding a green Extreme Gear board of a similar color of his feathers.
"Jet!?" Sonic, Tails and Dash exclaimed at once.
"Well, look what the rats drug in..." Jet the Hawk lowered his air-board to land. "What's the fastest thing alive doing in my territory?"
Sonic, in the face of his newest rival, replied. "I decided to drop in."
"You live here?" Tails asked.
"You kidding me?" Jet stepped off the board. "Babylon Garden is on the other side of the range. These tunnels are part of the Rogue's network. So, Sonic, what kind of cheap biz leads you to the Rogues?"
"Old Egghead," Sonic said. "His crony, Metal-Sonic, took off with Tails' chao and one of the Chaos Emeralds."
"So, old Eggbutt's back..." Jet laughed. "I thought he'd never come back after embarrassing himself about the magic carpet."
"You know old Eggman: he never gives up."
"Hmph, like he'll come back here. Otherwise, we'll kick his butt over the range and back over again. You bring your Gear?"
"Left it back in Santiago City."
"You suck..."
"Hey, do you how to get out of here?" Dash called.
"Heh, I see you brought the chao. The only way out is through Babylon Garden...and what makes you think that I'm gonna just let you waltz through..."
"Dude, hello?" Sonic said, irritated. "We got a date with Eggman..."
"If you'll race me, I'll let you go..."
Sonic blinked. "Heck, why not..."
"But what about my plane?" Tails asked.
"What about it?" Jet said coolly; he never did care much for aircraft, since it seemed that his Gear was better at things of that sort.
"Hey, be nice to him. Remember, he built the gear when I beat you in the Garden last time, remember?"
Jet snorted impudently, then let out a whistle. In a few seconds, two more figures swooped in on their Extreme Gear. One was a purple, graceful swallow named Wave. The other was a large, husky albatross: Storm.
Both landed on either side of Jet, and studied the hedgehog, chao and kitsune.
"Well, long time no see..." Wave said.
"Hey!" Storm shouted. "I wanted to say that!"
"Don't...start..." Jet said, beak gritted.
Sonic and Tails stifled a laugh.
"Storm! Help the fox get his machine out and lead him back to the Garden."
"Yes, chief..."
Storm started digging at the loose rock, while Jet led Sonic and Dash away. Wave mumbled very quietly, "Finally, he's doing some worth while for a change..."
- - - - -
The wind was blowing. The air was freezing. The mountains were threatening.
The two Möbians and robot were making their way through the frigid and forbidding mountains of the Northern Black Mountains. Shadow walked steadily through the blowing snow, arms crossed against his chest. Normally, there weren't really bad snowstorms in this late September weather, but a freak storm system had blown up and was pounding on the range.
Shadow's iron self-will was telling him that he shouldn't give up on finding a Chaos Emerald; however, his senses were telling him that if he spent much more time in this frozen wasteland, he would join the dead.
He glanced behind him and saw Rouge and Omega. Rouge was behind Omega, trying to shelter herself from the winter blast. Omega stood firm against the wind; cold made his hardware work more efficiently for it now had no risk of overheating. Still, he initiated system lockdown for the snow was sometimes up to the waist for him and getting water into his chassis was out of the question.
"Shadow. Bio-status for both you and Rouge are nearing critical. Seek shelter, or you shall suffer a loss of internal temperature within 15.4 minutes," Omega called through the wind.
Shadow heard every word, but again his self-will told them to continue. As he rubbed his hands, however, his fingers felt sluggish and stiff. He was already feeling the effects of pre-frostbite. If he obeyed his will, he would die and his quest would be in vain. They must find shelter.
"Omega. Scan for possible shelters..." Shadow said, slightly shivering in the frosty winds.
"Affirmative." Omega stood still for one second, then answered. "Possible location acquired: approximately twenty meters north-north-east."
Shadow took point and lead them to Omega's location find: a small cave that was sheltered from the wind. They trudged in and at once Rouge felt better against the cold. Her slim suit nearly chilled at once with the cold and it mad her hurt badly. She was half angry at Shadow for continuing like he did at night in this weather, but he also understood his desperation. Shadow's mind was a blank, and he believed that finding his old Emerald would give him answers.
"Omega, can you find some wood and start a fire?" Rouge said, a slight shiver in her voice.
"Affirmative..." Omega stalked back out into the mayhem of the mountains.
It was now Rouge and Shadow alone now. Shadow stood stalk still in the darkness of the cave, obviously brooding. Rouge had a strange instinct pricking her in the back of her mind that Shadow shouldn't be talked to when in this manner, but she was curious.
She hadn't seen him since his "death" outside the ARK, when he and Sonic went Hyper and killed the Biolizard and saved the ARK from crashing into the planet. She always had counted him as dead, but that was just about two years ago. How on earth did Shadow survive?
Or is this the real Shadow?
A dozen trains of thought flew through her mind at this new question. If this Shadow wasn't the real one, what was he?
Biological clone? Bio-mechanical robot? She heard about the experiments with the roboticizer and that it used a biotic-metal alloy, kind of like a cross between industrial steel and organic material. One inexperienced in the science field would feel his head reel at the irony in the statement; but like researchers, such as Rouge who did her homework, they would find that this material was feasible. She also heard that there was a way to completely harness the flexibility, impermeability and other properties of organic materials into the tight infrastructure of metal: to make a flexible, but extremely durable metal.
Could Shadow be a "living" example of this revolutionary material? His actions were fluid, and his manner was almost perfect. The only thing was that he seemed to be a bit off was that he was a little panicky. Not very noticeable for those who just knew him, but she had observed him long enough to notice. He seemed...disturbed about something.
Amnesia, perhaps? Maybe...She also recalled a line she said two years before when she was trying to breech Shadow's armor.
Even your memories are probably not real...
Could those words happen to have had spoken more truth then Rouge had realized as she spoke the same to Shadow? If Shadow was a biomechanical robot as she assumed, his memories were probably nothing more then kilobytes and megabytes of programming. She was sure Professor Gerald had something to do with Shadow...
Wait a minute: a part of Gerald's diary flashed to life. She had read it when the ARK was about to crash into the earth. It said that the hedgehog that was Shadow was a Chaos-radiated embryo, meaning that Shadow was flesh and blood...
Well, that crossed out one theory: but how did it explain Shadow's seemingly lost memory and his current existence?
He could still be a robot, she figured. It could be a clone that Dr. Robotnik has engineered. After all, he DID have Gerald's journal. No doubt that he happened to have some schematics on certain projects that Prof. Gerald also engineered, including ones dealing with...
Omega came stomping in, carrying large branches of a fir tree and set them on the floor. He switched his weapons to flamethrower and torched the timber wood until it blazed with a welcoming warmth of fire. Rouge got close to the fire to warm her chilled bones and felt relieved at the fire's glow and warmth.
Shadow didn't even stir when Omega came in. Rouge never saw him in such a withdrawn manner before. Whatever is wrong with him, she'd love to help him, but you never know with Shadow...
...if it is the real Shadow, she told herself.
Her brain started working on a way to find out. With biomechanical substances, you can't just look at it, since it mimics flesh and blood. Her brain got an idea: a blood sample. She could have it analyzed and quickly find out who or what this Shadow is...
The trick is...how to get the sample...
