By
Sakura Courage Solo
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Chapter 7
"Devil In Disguise"
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"So, you dreamed Sakura was killed... ?"
Sonia asked her brother Manic as they sat in the back of the Van, Sonic driving along a dirt road through some forests as Sakura sat in one of the passenger's seats, completely oblivious to what was going on around her as she futilely tried to master Tails' Sky Patrol on her Game Gear.
( A/N: I figure, since Tails was never in SU, it might be fun if in the SU world, he was the one with the uber cool line of video games. XD! )
"Yeah, that's right. It was like Mom was warning me about it... "
Manic told his sister, not bothering to lower his voice so Sakura wouldn't hear. He felt he didn't need to, since her engrossment in her game and her grumbles and gripes about the difficulty of said game kept her from acknowledging much of anything around her at the moment.
"And I keep having that same nightmare over and over again... last night, I couldn't even sleep!"
Sonia thought about this a moment, blinking as the gears in her head turned.
"You think it might've been something Nightmare did? Sonic said Nightmare almost had you hypnotized! "
"Maybe... "
The Green Hedgehog said, sighing and leaning back in his chair softly, pondering deeply. Sonia put a hand on his shoulder.
"Maybe if you get your mind off of it, you won't have that nightmare again. "
"I tried, Sis! As soon as my head hits the pillow, the nightmare happens! "
The pink-quilled Hedgehog huffed slightly in frustration.
"Well, there must be something we can do! "
"I dunno Sis... I really don't know. "
Manic said, glancing out the window of the Van in thought.
-
Later that evening, after the siblings had stopped off in a small town to check the area for any possible Robotnik activity, Manic felt he needed to be alone a while in order to try and think things through.
He made his way through the town, not even thinking of stealing any of the things the street markets had to offer for once, until he finally made it to the outskirts of the city, where there was a tall cliff he could see all the forest below from. He took his seat on the edge of this cliff and rested his chin in his hands, mulling over his dreadful nightmare again and trying to figure out some way to stop it, or if it was indeed some kind of warning from his Mother, do something to prevent his adopted sister's death.Manic sat there for a good three hours, dusk and soon night falling on the area.
It was then that his deep thoughts were suddenly broken by a sound; the blood curdling screams of a woman.
Manic immediately leapt to his feet, rushing toward the source of the sound without hesitance. The sound was coming from somewhere in the nearby town.
He followed the sound into a dark alley, where a fox girl with pink fur and crystal blue eyes had been captured by a couple of swatbots. She struggled against their grip, but their strength was just too much for her to even have a hope against. She let out a shrill scream, hoping someone would hear her.
Manic immediately went into action, leaping onto the swatbot on the right and reaching into the small open space on the back of it's 'neck', which was open so head-tilting and turning could be possible. Manic reached in, pulling out a few wires and quickly jumping back off as the swatbot fell lifeless.
He then quickly turned to the other swatbot, which was about to make off with the fox girl helplessly in it's grasp. Manic made no hesitation in leaping up onto the swatbot's head and rapping on it with his drumsticks, the vibration dislodging some of the intricate electronics and causing it to automatically shut down.
The swatbot started to fall over, Manic promptly leaping from it's head and grabbing the pink fox girl from it's grasp before she fell with it. The fox girl's sleeveless, black shirt flapped around her with the motion, and she had to hold down her ruffled, red skirt to keep from being exposed.
"You okay?"
Manic asked as he set the fox girl back on her feet, her black leather spaghetti strap sandals making the slightest tap when they met the paved ground. She lifted her crystal blue eyes to look right into his and whispered.
"Y-you saved me... "
Manic nodded a little, the fox girl silent for a moment before suddenly fainting. The green Hedgehog quickly reached forward, catching her before she fell over.
"Man, poor girl... "
He mumbled.
"Come on, you can stay with me and my sibs tonight."
-
The pink fox girl mumbled something incoherently as she came to, opening her crystal blue eyes just a crack, her vision fuzzy at first, but soon clearing enough for her to see Manic sitting at her bedside, gently patting down her forehead with a cool cloth.
"Hey there, how ya feelin'?"
Manic asked her with a warm smile when he saw she was awake. The pink fox girl smiled back softly and sat up as she replied,
"I feel better, thanks... um... "
"Manic. And your name.. ?"
"Vanilla... "
"Vanilla... cute name. So, why were those swatbots after you? "
"I was helping a few rebels get out of town before the swatbots got them... the rebels got away, but the swatbots got me on the way back... "
"Man, that's rough... well, you're safe now. Where do you live? We'll take you back home to your folks. "
Vanilla's crystal blue eyes turned downward, staring at her hands as they were clasped in her lap.
"I don't have folks anymore... "
She replied, swallowing hard.
"Robotnik's swatbots took them from me. They're probably mindless, robotic minions of his by now... "
She sniffled, Manic ever so gently reaching over to her and pulling her into a reassuring embracement.
"Man, I'm so sorry about that, Vanilla... "
He said, gently patting her back.
Sonic, Sonia and Sakura stood off in the corner, watching the whole thing. The three looked to one another, the blue Brother of the bunch then speaking,
"Well, we should probably take her with us if she doesn't have any folks to go home to then. "
He whispered, his pink-quilled Sister then huffing slightly as she retorted,
"Oh, and get her caught up in our own squabbles with Robotnik? She'd be in even worse trouble! "
The blonde, human sister of the group turned her aqua green eyes to Sonia and replied,
"But if she just went home, by herself mind you, then Robotnik's Swatbots would just go right back after her since she had no one protecting her. She's safer with us, Sis. "
Sonia was silent a moment before realizing Sakura was right, the femme Hedgehog nodding a little in agreement. Sonic looked up to the two of them and said,
"Then it's settled. We've got no choice. Vanilla comes with us. "
"What about Robotnik, though? He's still got his 'Bots in this village for one reason or another, and I've got a hairy feeling in my gut that Sleet and Dingo aren't far behind. "
Sakura said, her adoptive Sister leaning against the wall before replying,
"We need to find out WHY he has Swatbots here, first off. The town isn't under his control, and there weren't enough Swatbots for taking control. He wouldn't send out so few Swatbots to stop a small group of rebels, so I'm guessing he was a little surprised when he found out rebels were here and just sent in what he had. "
"You're right, Sis. Robotnik was after something specific in this town... "
Sonic agreed, walking over to Vanilla, who had by now calmed down with Manic's comforting.
"Vanilla, do you have any idea why those Swatbots were in town? Got any clue what they might've been after?"
The pink Fox girl shook her head no.
"No... I don't. But you're probably right. He probably was after a certain thing... "
She replied, pulling her covers up around her snugly. Sakura glanced out the window, then taking her camouflage coat and putting it on over her sleeveless grey shirt as she said,
"You guys look after her. I'm gonna go out and do some searching."
"Sakura, not by yourself... "
Sonia argued, but Sakura didn't stay long enough to hear her, already out the door of the Van.
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By later that night, Sakura had returned defeatedly without finding anything. Everyone had decided to go to bed, thinking it'd be best if they got a fresh start in the morning.
About the middle of the night though, Sakura's inner sense started going off. She sat up from her futon on the floor just in time to see Vanilla ever so silently stepping out the door of the van. The blonde didn't hesitate to follow her in equal silence and stealth, and soon tailed the fox girl behind a building at the edge of the town. Sakura stayed around the corner, so as not to be seen, but watched and listened carefully.
Vanilla glanced around, as though making sure no one was watching her, then opening up a communicator that was cleverly hidden in a secret compartment in her ruby-coloured bangle bracelet.
"Dr. Robotnik, this is Vanilla reporting. Come in."
The pink Fox girl said, much to Sakura's shock. A hologrphic image formed itself from the communicator, poising the image of Dr. Robotnik himself.
"This is Dr. Robotnik."
The round professor said.
"Your report is early, Vanilla. I like that. I can already tell you're far more capable than those dingle dorks Sleet and Dingo. So, have you infiltrated yet?"
"Yes. So far, they all think I'm just some hurt and helpless girl. They really have no idea... the only one I worry about is the human girl, the one you call Sakura. She gives me looks like she doesn't trust me."
"Sakura has a strong inner sense. She can usually tell when one lies or speaks the truth. That's all right though. If we can get the Hedgehogs, then she will automatically fall into place. Begin execution of the next part of the plan in the morning, Vanilla."
"As you wish, Dr. Robotnik."
She said, closing her bracelet comminucator off and putting it away inconspicuously. Sakura didn't hesitate to dash off back toward the van to warn the others.
The girl ran as quickly and swiftly as she could toward the van, using the lessons Shadow had taught her in her youth to move even faster by use of the technique of moving her own body weight forward to pull herself forward even faster.
Sakura burst into the van quickly, taking a couple of breaths before yelling,
"You guys, wake up! Vanilla's working for Robotnik!"
There were some slight grunts in the darkness, and the light wasthen turned on by Sonia. Sakura's jaw dropped as she saw that Vanilla was already back and in bed. Manic had let Vanilla use his bed while he'd been sleeping in a futon next to Sakura's.
The pink Fox girl twitched her ears, making a good act of surprise as she said,
"Say what?"
Sonic, Manic and Sonia all looked at one another, then back to Sakura. The blue Brother of the bunch spoke,
"Vanilla working for Robotnik? Sakura, she's been here asleep the whole time... are you feeling okay?"
Needless to say, Sakura was shocked. How had Vanilla gotten back here before she could? The girl shook her head, making her long blonde hair sway a bit as she said,
"No, no, I just saw Vanilla at the edge of town! She was talking to Robotnik on a communicator! I dunno how she got back before me, but... but look at this! "
Sakura reached forward and grabbed Vanilla's wrist in a rough manner, causing said Fox to yelp in surprise as the bracelet was yanked off of her wrist.
"She has a communicator hidden in here! Look!"
The blonde went to open the secret compartment, only to find that she couldn't find it. She was stunned for a second, then growled.
"I... I know it's on here somewhere!"
She yelled looking over the bracelet frantically for the compartment door. After a few minutes of futile searching, Sonic took the bracelet from her.
"Sakura, knock it off. You just had a freaky nightmare or something. "
He told her, giving Vanilla back her bracelet. Sakura blinked a time or two, then growled again out of frustration.
"I know what I saw! It happened! She was talking to Robotnik! She's just here to lead us into a trap! It's a set up!"
"Sakura, calm down!"
Sonia yelled, taking Sakura's arm and sitting her down in a nearby chair.
"I'm sure it was just a bad dream. Vanilla wouldn't be working for Robotnik! Those Swatbots attacked her for goodness sake!"
"I know what I saw, Sonia! Vanilla's working for the Eggman!"
"That's enough Sakura!"
Sonic yelled at her, Vanilla by now crying in Manic's arms.
"It was just a stupid nightmare or something! Now let it go, you're upsetting Vanilla!"
He went to lay a hand on his sister's shoulder, but she slapped it away.
"Who're you gonna believe, Sonic! Some girl you just met or your own Sister!"
Sonic was silent at Sakura's words, her angry, aqua green eyes meeting with his shocked, emerald green ones. After a long moment of silence, Sakura finally spoke.
"That's what I thought... fine, walk right into a sporking trap and see if I care... "
With that, Sakura stood and headed for the door. Sonia immediately went after her.
"Sakura, wait... "
She began, but Sakura growled and shoved her back, the continuing out the door. Everyone stood there in pure shock.
-
"Should've known that wouldn't last... "
Sakura muttered to herself as she walked the streets aimlessly, kicking a can along as she went.
"Stupid sibs... well, fine. I don't need them. I've been trained all my life as a fighter, I can go it myself. "
She continued to walk along for a good while, finally stopping for a moment as she heard her stomach growl. She sighed slightly and glanced around, looking for a place to get some food. She finally smiled a bit when she saw a Noodle House nearby. Perhaps a bowl of Beef Ramen would make her feel better.
Sakura entered the Noodle House and sat down at the counter. It surprised her a bit to see a place like this that was open 24 hours, it being around 3 AM at the time, but yet it was pleasing to her that the place was at the same time empty because of the hour.
A waiter; a Panda girl wearing a red kimono with Cherry Blossom petal designs in the cloth; came out to take Sakura's order. The blonde girl ordered the largest bowl of Beef Ramen they had with a bowl of steamed rice and a Vanilla Coke.
While waiting for her order, Sakura slid a pair of headphones on her head and slid her favourite CD full of music by Crush 40, Elvis and Puffy AmiYumi into her CD player. She bobbed her head softly to the music and sang in a whispering tone,
"I see no, hear no evil. Black writings on the wall. Unleash a million faces, and one by one they fall. Black hearted evil, brave hearted hero. I am all I am, all I am... "
Sakura started forgetting her troubles as the music played, not even noticing as the worried forms of Sonic and Sonia stepped into the restaurant behind her. Sonic gently nudged his pink-quilled sister.
"Told ya Sakura would probably be here. Sakura's diet practically consists of Ramen and Vanilla Coke. "
Sonia nodded a bit, the two Hedgehogs then walking forward. Sonic took the seat on Sakura's right, and Sonia to her left. The blonde still idn't notice, just whispering the song as she waited for her order.
"One step forward two steps back... do it, do it, do it, do it. Can you see all of me walkin' to my destiny? Step inside and hold on for dear life. Do you remember me? Capture you or set you free? I am all, I am all of me."
Sonia smirked slightly and reached forward, pressing the stop button on the CD player. Sakura immediately blinked her aqua green eyes open.
"Hey, who cut Crush 40?"
She asked, then seeing Sonic and Sonia. She huffed.
"Oh, it's you two... "
"Look, Sakura... "
Sonic began.
"I... we didn't mean to upset you, it's just... "
Sonic had trouble finding the words. Sonia finally spoke up,
"Let's just talk it out over Ramen, okay Sis?"
-
"Manic, they've been gone a long time... "
Vanilla whispered as she sat with the green Hedgehog in the van, looking at the clock. Manic nodded in agreement, then looking to the Fox girl.
"Yeah, but Sakura... well, she's stubborn. They'll probably be a while."
"Maybe we should go help them, Manic."
"But we don't know where they are, and you need to rest."
Vanilla stood up, pulling on her shoes as she replied,
"It's a small town. I'm sure we can find them. And besides, I'm pretty well rested now... I wanna try and help anyway, since I was the one who upset her."
"You didn't upset her, Vanilla. Sakura was upset by whatever whacked nightmare she had. If you really wanna go look for her though... "
Vanilla nodded, she and Manic soon heading off into the town.
They walked for about an hour, Vanilla leading Manic along in the fact that she knew the town's layout better than he did. She soon led him into the old part of the town, where several run down and uninhabited houses sat. The green Hedgie looked around the desolate area, then back to the pink fox girl that was leading him.
"Vanilla, why would my sibs be here? This place is like, devoid of life other than us... "
The pink Fox then stopped, Manic almost bumping into her since he was walking behind her. She then turned, looking right into his eyes as she took his hands softly. Manic was getting an uneasy feeling.
"Manic, I... I wanna thank you for saving my life earlier."
She said out of the blue. Manic was confused, and opened his mouth to speak, but he was suddenly cut off as Vanilla pressed her lips lushly against his in a passionate kiss.
Manic's eyes widened in surprise, the green Hedgehog just standing there in shock. Vanilla pulled back after a moment and smiled as she said,
"I like you, Manic... "
"Y-you do?"
He stuttered, Vanilla smiling sweetly and nodding.
"Yup. There's just something about you that I just can't resist. It's like we were destined for each other."
Manic wasn't sure what to say or do. He was still in shock from the kiss, feeling an odd, warm and sort of electrical energy running through his body. Vanilla smiled softly, then gently took his wrist.
"Now, come on, we need to find your Brother and Sisters."
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End Chapter 7
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Wow... it's been a while since I updated this story, but I finally did it! And I started on Chapter 8, so hopefully, I'll have that up pretty soon! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Please read and review! n.n