To Protect the Past
Chapter 7
A voice speaks, but it is not my own.
Chris shot upright, chest heaving for breath. Eyes completely dilated, glazed over in fright. Fingers tightly gripped the cover and squeezed until hands were white. Terror shown through the shaking of his body.
Then, slowly, his eyes shut once more. A hand released the cover and lifted to land on his face, fingers slightly bent. The other hand relaxed, lying limply at his side. Then sighing, Chris lay back, staring through his fingers at the ceiling above.
'Was it all just a dream?' He wondered. For it had almost seemed too real, the things he had seen.
Taking in a deep breath, the blue eyed youngling sat up and swung his legs over the side of his bad. Looking around his room in slight bewilderment.
'Or maybe a vision?' Shaking himself, Chris pushed off the bed onto tired legs. Legs which felt like weights were tied on to them. Then as he did so, something slipped off the bed to the floor with a quiet 'thump' as it landed on the carpet.
"Wha'?" Looking downwards. The teen realized whatever it was had slipped under the bed. Getting on his knees, Chris looked beneath.
"No…" He breathed in shock, eyes wide once more. "It was… real?" For there, under his bed, partially in the darkness was the same object that had been in his dream. It was the same black coloured emerald that he had picked up at his hiding place, and in the dream the 'other' had held.
Reaching out, the teen hesitated for a second. Something inside seemed to be yelling at him to not pick it up. But at the same time, it was almost a compulsion to grab it. Frowning in annoyance, he reached out and grabbed the emerald, then his body froze.
Eyes glazed over as fire seemed to fill the room. Everything faded away leaving only the flames and the heat and the suffocating smoke. Panting, the teen could not move. His body was stuck. And then in the distance, a figure began to appear, rippling into view like a ghost appearing out of nothing.
The cloak swirled around, as though blown by a wind. The flames didn't touch them, and even seemed to part around the bottom of the cloak. Slowly the other turned, and looked down into Chris's eyes, glaring with bright blue slit irises. The teen was terrified, trapped as he was by an invisible force. Then an arm lifted, half fingered reddish gloves came into view, all the way up to the elbow and pointed straight at Chris with sharp claws.
-'You.'- Chris squeaked in shock, from holding in his yelp of fright at the deep voice of the other. 'M…me?'
-'Never let it go.'- That finger lowered down to the emerald, which was pulsating every couple of seconds like a heartbeat. The teens blue eyes followed that finger down and stared at the black emerald, as a numbness seemed to spread.
-'A life depends on you.'- The figure and the flames suddenly vanished, as though they were never there. -'Do not fail me.'-
Chris jerked away and fell on his back, dazed and confused. 'A life?' He pushed himself upright with one hand. While the other hand that held the emerald, lay on the teens lap.
'Who's life?' He wondered as he stared down at the glittering black gem. Sighing, he pushed himself to his feet. 'I am so confused…'
"Master Chris! You are awake!" Turning with wide eyes, Chris found himself swept up into a hug by the butler. The man mumbled and cried into his shoulder about the young master having been unconscious, and was so glad that the young man was back on his feet once more. Chris just stood there, an awkward smile on his face as he patted the man's back.
"I'm fine. I'm fine! You don't have to worry about me Mr Tanaka. I'm ok." And slowly as the teen gave more and more reassurances, the male calmed down. Then with a blush, the other bowed as he said in a polite tone. "I am so ashamed."
"You were worried, I understand." Chris uncertain smile turned into a real one. He knew that the man was only concerned about him, no matter how overbearing and mother hen-like the butler could be.
"Young Master. Are you going to go downstairs and join the others? They have all been quite worried." Then the smile disappeared as the teen looked down at the floor, still worried about the strangeness of the 'dream' and the effect it seemed to be having on him.
"I think… yes, I shall go downstairs. But don't tell them I'm coming down, I think they'll prefer to see for themselves that I'm ok." Tanaka bowed with a "yes master." And left Chris's room, leaving the other behind.
The teen, looked up once more and towards the doorway out into the hall. Then sighing, made his way out and to the group below.
"Over here! This one is badly damaged…"
Blaze cringed, eyes opened partially before falling shut once more. An angry hiss echoed into the air, while her tail flicked at the tip. A hand fisted, claws digging into soft gloved palms before relaxing once more as consciousness fled. Dragging her down into the darkness once again.
"Get the cat to the infirmary, if we hurry we will be able to save its life…"
"Yes sir!"
"Don't go…" Ears flickered backwards, as a blue iris looked over a bare shoulder.
"You know I can't stay." Golden eyes flickered shut for a second, before opening once again.
"Please." The brown haired male turned, shoulder length locks blowing in the slight wind. As the heat rose another degree, the hedgehog shivered as though cold.
"Silver…"
"Please!"
"I can't. I have to protect you kiddo."
"PLEASE!" The guardian was silent, eyes blank as they stared out into the distance. Then turning, he walked back to the young hedgehog. The Halfling took his cloak, which was covering the white male and picked the other up. Carefully balancing the swaying child on his feet with one hand. Chris wrapped his cloak round the hedgehog with the other.
Then picking him up, the guardian backed up against the wall and sank down. Legs were crossed, Silver sitting in his lap, left side resting against Chris's chest and his head tucked under the guardians own.
The Halfling closed his eyes and rested his chin on the child's head. One ear perked forward to keep track of the sick hedgehogs stuttering heartbeat, while the other kept moving back and forth, keeping track of any sound nearby.
His hands were not idle, one curled around the back of Silver, keeping him elevated and against Chris's chest, while the other pressed that softly furred face into his throat, softly petting that same fur.
"You have to get better Silver. I can't do this without you." The white male stopped shivering finally, but the guardian didn't move.
"You know, that cloak is one of my precious possessions. It's the only thing I have left of the past." The youngling's breath eased, the harsh rasping sound almost non-existent.
"I was a fool back then. So naive to the way of the world, it makes me sick to look back on myself." Blue eyes opened but still he didn't move. Meanwhile Silver's breath became fainter.
"I always wondered if I made a mistake, when I allowed the group to stay with me and my family at the time. I mean the anthro's were self-sufficient, they knew how to look after themselves. I always wondered why they stayed by my side." Ears lay back, as Chris buried his face into the soft quills on the top of the hedgehogs head.
"I wonder why you stay with me…" Silver's breath became even fainter, barely there as his heart began to stutter.
"Kiddo." Chris muttered under his breath as a silent tear ran down and fell onto that burned face and body. 'Don't leave me alone son…please?'
"Guardian!" Golden eyes shot open, desperately seeking that warm presence that had just been holding him. But there was no figure to be seen. The white anthro slowly sat up and jumped, as a black material-like object fell off his upper body.
'What?' Picking it up, while the male got onto his feet, Silver found it to be the ragged piece of clothing that the Halfling would wear. The black material was filthy and ripped. The ends were frayed and the ties were nearly rotten. Yet the scent was the same it had always been, comforting and familiar. 'He would never leave this behind.'
Turning round to figure out where he was. The young teen scratched his head at the strange green stuff that was everywhere, along with brown and even grey things too.
"We must have gotten separated. I can't see blaze here either." He looked back down at the cloak. "And the guardian would never leave this behind, something must of happened to him."
Throwing the cloak on and tying it around his neck. Silver was startled as the material glowed and resized to his smaller body, fitting him perfectly. 'Well. I guess I found the trick to the others clothing issue when he changes form.'
Shifting his shoulders and readjusting the piece of clothing over the quills on his back and head, Silver finally began to move around carefully, testing the ground with his physic ability and checking to see if there was a way through the green barrier around him.
'I have to be careful, I have no knowledge of the area around me and what could harm me. I must be cautious.' So with that in mind, Silver set off. Moving through the gaps in the green to try to find the others of the hedgehogs group.
'Wait for me guys. I'm coming…'
'What is wrong with me?!' The young man standing at the side of the pool wondered. Blue eyes searched the calm water for answers for the strangeness that was going on with him.
'Why did I yell at Amy?' He groaned to himself. Sighing Chris shut his eyes and ran a distracted and shaking hand through his hair. 'It's like I've got no control over what I say and what I do.'
-Control is the only thing we have.- The teen jumped, eyes open searching for that voice that seemed to be right beside his ear. The world then seemed to shift. A weight on his shoulders and head made him tilt his face upwards, catching out the peripheral vision a material covering his head and slightly down in front of his eyes.
-Really now? You do not think, maybe, you are taking things a bit too seriously Hel?- Involuntarily his head tilted to the side, eyes watching out the right corners at the other person beside him. As a grin tugged at his lips.
Massive wings moved up and down in steady flowing movement, hovering the figure off the ground, legs hanging down limp. Their face was covered by a hood too, but also a blackness seemed to conceal any little feature that Chris could have used to identify the other.
Then the person spoke once more. A female voice that had a tone of disappointment at his light-hearted comment. -If we do not hone these skills, they 'will' control us. And none of us want to see an innocent party get hurt.-
"Chris?" The teen was jerked back, his body had collapsed into a kneeling position on the floor. Lifting his head, blue eyes turned to look at the one who had brought him back to his senses and irises shrank as a stream of emotion hit him full force, furious-rage-agony-helpless-hurt, why? Why?! WHY?! –BETRAYER! - Sharp pain seemed to crackle through his skull. A hand gripped locks tight in white fingers, face cringing from the pain. Then slowly it all seemed to fall away, calmness returned. While one last thought that was not his own, yet was, echoed through his head. –"I trusted you… Why?"- It whispered in a cry before falling silent.
"Why what Chris? You ok?" Hands fell to his side and blue eyes opened. They looked upon the anthro beside him and gave a tired smile. The other gave a grin in return and held out a hand for the teen to grip to help himself up with. "Be careful there. Don't want you to hurt yourself."
"I'm ok Sonic." Chris murmured, thankful that for now he seemed to have his own head on straight. Not being bombarded by the strange thoughts and feelings that had been constantly rattling in his brain for a while now.
"So what did you mean by 'Why?' You asked that when I said your name bud." Chris froze, lips still stuck in that smile. 'I said it out loud?!' Then he laughed, a hand rubbing his neck, as the awkward sound echoed around the garden. "Ohh it's nothing. Was just thinking out loud…"
Though, as Chris glanced at the hedgehog and away again. It seemed that his redirection wasn't fooling the other at all. If the raised eyebrow and sceptical look he was getting from those green eyes was any indication.
"Err, gotta go. I forgot I had homework to finish, so yeh… going now." With that, the teen turned and began jogging back to the house, sweat running down his brow. 'I hope he forgets about it. I don't know what I could say? That I'm going insane and seeing visions of things that I somehow seem to recognise? Damn, even in my head it sounds stupid. Please forget this Sonic, -for my sake-'
Sonic stood there watching Chris disappear back into the house, the door slamming shut behind him. His head was tilted, one ear up, the other partway down. While an eyebrow was still raised in question. A troubling frown on the blue anthro's face.
'Something strange is going on.' He thought. Fingers of one hand tapped on his side, as he contemplated the way the teen had just tried to divert his attention from what Chris had said, to another topic altogether. It always indicated something was wrong, when the young human couldn't speak plainly to Sonic.
"Hi Sonic." An ear tipped backwards and the hedgehog turned, green eyes landing on the fox behind him. Goggles were placed on the top of the twin tailed anthro's head, holding his fur fringe back, while his face was black with oil and grease. So too was his clothing, the miniature tee-shirt, shorts and shoes. Funny thing was, the lab coat was pristine, completely oil and grease free.
"Hey Tails." The hedgehog nodded, eyes once again upon the house.
"Usually you're out for a run right about now Sonic. How come you're back so early?" Tails questioned, fingers itched behind his ear as the twin tailed fox stopped beside the hedgehog, head tilted towards the blue anthro.
"You noticed anything strange recently Tails?" Sonic questioned, dodging the question. For he didn't want to answer it at the moment. "Anything at all?"
"Hm?" Tails tilted his head backwards. Blue eyes lost with thought. "Oh yeh! There was an incident about thirty minutes ago."
"What happened bud?"
"It was Chris. He came downstairs, finally awake after those three days unconscious. We were all so happy to see him up and about. I told him so, and gave him a hug. It was so strange, he stiffened as though I was hurting him. I pulled back to see if he was alright and Chris had completely relaxed as soon as I let go."
"Really? That is strange…" Sonic stood there, arms crossed. Staring at the ground, foot tapping in thought.
"Then I left the room to go work on the tornado. I got outside and Amy came running past me in tears. I tried to catch her to ask what had happened, but she disappeared into the outhouse. Then Cream and Cheese went after her and when I tried to ask them what happened, all I understood of Cream's words were something about 'Chris' 'Anger' and 'Yelled at' before she too disappeared into the outhouse. By that point I decided to just go work on the Tornado, cause I'm no good with helping crying girls really." Tails finished. Fiddling with his goggles, cleaning them with a cloth from his pocket.
The blue hedgehog uncrossed his arms, stretching them out. He began to walk towards the outhouse.
"Sonic? What you going to do?" He looked over his shoulder and gave a grin along with a wink. Plus a thumbs up for kicks.
"Gonna find out what happened of course." And with that, he ran towards the outhouse a plan in mind.
"It was like this Mr Sonic. Chris came in through the door, sat down on the sofa. Said he was fine and thanked us all for being there for him."
"What else Cream?"
"Well, then Tails got up, went over and hugged him. Chris went all stiff, like he was scared of Tails and did not calm until Tails let go."
"Tails said the same. What else? Take your time."
"Ummm, Amy came in. She was going on about you and marriage again."
"Eughhhh. Ca…rry on Cream."
"Then Chris stood up and shouted at Amy. It was really scary and I began to cry…"
"Hey it's ok. You don't have to tell me anymore."
"But…but then Amy ran out the room. I followed because I wanted to make her feel better. Because I have Cheese to cuddle and she had no one."
"And that was all?"
"That's…all I, I, I knooooow…"
"All right, cry it out. I'm here."
'What is going on with you Chris? What happened?'
"Come on." Teeth were grinding as he mumbled to himself. Pushing through one last time, finally he came through the other side and rolled across the ground.
"Finally!" He grunted, fur standing on end. Golden eyes surveyed the clearing he had stumbled into, while brushing bits of brown and green from the cloak.
"What…is this?" Silver's eyes went wide. They tracked from the bottom of the white steps all the way up to the platform above, surrounded by seven white pillars. Ears flickered back and forth, nervous but curious at the same time. His wary nature didn't let him totally lower his guard, like the white anthro would have done with Blaze or the Guardian at his back.
Stepping forward, the hedgehog slowly walked his way up the steps. Always on the lookout for traps, or even an ambush by the Hunter robots. For Silver knew all too well, the danger that carelessness could bring. The Guardian still had the scars from the incident.
Finally getting to the top, golden eyes focused on the biggest green Emerald he had ever seen.
'What is that?' Ears half lay back, as Silver crept towards the gem, almost tiptoeing. Fingers were half open, the green of his power covering his hands in battle readiness. 'Why is there a massive emerald, like the one the Guardian has? Have the overlanders really gone so far as to use more people in their experiments?'
Coming closer, the white anthro was near enough to touch. But with his fur standing on end, just from being near the emerald, the hedgehog didn't even want to touch the repulsive thing. Plus the power it was putting out was making his physic powers unstable.
"Who the 'Hell' are you!" A hand darted up, pulling the hood of the cloak further over his head, concealing his eyes. While the other formed a fist, glowing green. Turning his body, Silver took in the newcomer.
And stared in confusion at the strange being standing at the foot of the stairs. Red quills hung down around a glaring face that was tilted upwards. Purple eyes were narrowed, lips pulled back in a snarl. Gloved hands were curled, strange spikes on the back of them where the knuckles were. Last but not least, ripped jeans covered his legs, along with shoes on his feet and a cowboy hat on the floor by his feet. Tilting his head Silver spoke in a daze, "What are you…?"
Knuckles was pissed off. He had just come back to Angel Island, after days of finding all the pieces of the Master Emerald, putting it together and restoring the Island to its proper place in the sky after the Chaos incident. Arguing with Sonic to let him come home. Making sure the kid Chris was ok and the levels of Chaos Energy in his body were stable, after the prolonged contact the kid had with the Emeralds that time.
Now back on his homeland for the first time in a while, after asking Tails to drop him here. He finds a new pest sniffing around the Emerald he had just fixed!
Clenching his hands shut into fists. The echidna growled up at the cloaked figure. "Get away from the Master Emerald this instant!"
Silver took a step back, intimidated by the figure. Ears were flat and eyes wide as he searched for a way out. But could see none. There was so much green around, and no path's that led away. How was he supposed to leave? The hedgehog couldn't even see the way he had took to get here.
"I'll not tell you again! Get away from there right now!" The deep voice of the other frightened him. Backing up even more, Silver then looked to the sky. Perhaps he could fly out? If his powers had recuperated of course.
"That's IT!" A Fist smashed into his cheek, sending the hedgehog flying down the opposite steps. Crashing and rolling, the teenager soon came to a shaky stop. Staggering upwards, and feeling very sick. Silver turned, threw out a hand, sending the dashing and growling red anthro into one of the pillars, knocking it down.
That hand then rose to hold his head, as the hedgehog wobbly walked the opposite direction he had thrown the other. Then his ears twitched, hearing a cracking and rustling sound. Looking upwards, half closed golden eyes went wide at seeing a long brown and green crowned thing falling towards him. Silver stopped, not understanding this strange phenomenon. Then realized the danger, like when a wall on concrete fell down, this thing was doing the same. It meant danger to his life.
Lifting up both hands, Silver focused and stopped the thing in its tracks. So focused on his task that a red blur at the side was only seen at the last minute. Fear was painted on the hedgehogs features as a fist dug into his chest and something punctured his skin. Heaving from the breath rushing out of sore lungs, a second fist smacked into his other cheek.
This was enough to send him flying. The white anthro crashed into a massive smooth but hard object, coughing and gasping as he lay on his chest. Lifting his head, Silver tried to make himself move, but agony erupted from where the hit had landed. His chest was flaring, like the fire of the monster Iblis was dancing in his skin. Crying out, his head fell to the floor, hands clenching into fists where they lay.
Then hearing the rusting of footsteps coming towards him, he tried to move. But when Silver tried to tense up, darkness suddenly descended and things went…black.
Knuckles stopped. Tilting his head, the Echidna sniffed the air and then cursed at the sharp tang of blood in the air. Rubbing a hand through his quills. He walked to where he had sent the stranger, with the full force of his strength behind his punches, into one of the massive boulders that littered his island.
As the red anthro approached the fallen form, he saw the figure go limp. The Echidna then ran and crouched down beside the other. Sliding his hand under the cloaked one, he turned them over onto their back. Then reaching forward, he slid the hood off the strangers head.
"Sh…!" Knuckles gasped. It was a kid. A young teen by the looks of things. A young hedgehog teen to be more exact. That looked like he had been through the wars and then some.
A harshness was apparent, even with the white anthro unconscious. The quills of the hedgehog were stiff, poised to inflict harm at any time. So used to danger that it was a natural state, even when unconscious, like he was now. The Echidna could see how young he was in that state. But the burn across his cheek and down his throat told a story of harshness the other had lived, up until now.
Sighing, Knuckles ran a hand down his face, feeling guilty now he had seen the other. Truly it was his own fault for being over-protective of the Master Emerald. Plus he had seen the Bat not that long ago, so that meeting had been playing on his mind, and the kid had been the last straw. The red male had exploded, taking out his aggression on the invader to his private sanctuary.
But when he thought back. The Echidna realized he had overreacted. The white hedgehog hadn't even been messing with the Master Emerald. In fact from what he could remember, now everything wasn't in a red haze, the kid had actually been backing away from the Emerald.
Purple eyes looked down the rest of the kid. Brows furrowed when he saw the white anthro's chest was stuttering as the teen breathed. Kneeling down and reaching out, after taking off his glove, Knuckles rested a hand on the others chest and felt carefully. Under his fingers, the bones seemed steady but, as the echidna saw when he pulled back his hand, clearly there were some cuts that had been opened by his spikes.
Making his up mind. Knuckles stood up, gripped the kid by the scruff and arranged the white hedgehog to drape over his back while the red anthro walked. Shifting himself to be comfortable, he could feel the hedgehog grip and curl slightly, steadying itself.
The Echidna began the trek to one of the islands hot springs. So he could clean the young one's cuts and make him comfortable. Then when the other woke, Knuckles would then get his answers. For he still wondered, how had the other got on his island and why the kid was here.
Everything else could wait…
'You disgust me. Going on and on about your infatuation with the hedgehog, it makes me sick! You should grow up Amy Rose and see beyond your selfish needs. There are people who die out there, while you wail and whine about him not loving you. Well perhaps you should take a look at yourself and realize why. You stupid, stupid girl. Get Out Of My Sight!' Blue, blue eyes were cold. Frozen deep inside. Disgust clear within them. Lips were pulled back, face wrinkled into a snarl.
She stared through her hair at him, the headband on the floor. Hands still clasped in front of her chest, from when the pink hedgehog had been gushing about Sonic. Then silent tears began to trickle down her face, which still stared in shock towards him. Still those blue eyes stayed connected with her own, staring her down while inside he fought with himself.
Then she turned and ran. Slipping out without a sound, only sobbing once beyond the main living room door.
'How could you!' Cream gasped before she too ran after Amy, calling for her to slow down while the rabbit cried in reaction as well.
"What the hell is wrong with me?!" Chris gasped, his back slamming into the wall. Hands griped tightly to his skull. "Why is this happening?!"
"Chaos please… someone stop me before I do something truly dangerous." Sliding down. The teen sat in the shards of mirror on the floor, the sharp shards glinting in the light. His eyes opened to survey the bathroom, from the locked door to the window.
'I'm frightened…'
-'Pull yourself together. I've been through worse scrapes than this.'-
'Why? How?'
-'The enemy won't wait until I have settled. When you fall, you have to get back up again.'-
'But what it does it matter if I push away the people closest to me?'
-'Have I really pushed them away? They looked mightily concerned to me. Sonic especially.'-
'Yes, he did. But how could I explain this too him? When I don't understand it myself.'
-'Well, I'm not going to get far sitting on these mirror shards.'-
'Wha?'
A gasp of pain came from Chris, as he slowly got up off the floor. Bloody patches left from where some of the bigger shards had dug in to flesh. Holding onto the side of the bath, the teen tried to reach back and take out the shards, but could not reach due to the pain.
"Chris?" Looking over his shoulder, the young man quickly looked away. Standing at the door was Tails, a concerned look on his face. "Looks kind of painful…"
Shrugging, Chris struggled once more to reach. But soon subsided when the gloved hand of the fox stopped him. "I'll help, I've got my tweezers on me."
Staring, blue meeting blue. The human then nodded, head falling forward. Sighing, he winced as the first piece was located and pulled out at an angle.
"So how did the mirror break?" Muttered the twin tail, tugging another piece out lower on his right leg. Chris muttered under his breath for the fox to piss off, but yelped when a larger piece was 'accidentally' pulled roughly from his lower leg.
"Whoops my bad." Giggled Tails. "My hand slipped."
"Yeh right." Said the human male under his breath. Glaring at the pretty tiling job of his private bathroom.
"So? You going to answer me Chris?" Stubbornly the teen stayed silent. Making the fox sigh in exasperation. "Don't make me get Cream, to guilt trip you into telling me Chris."
Shoulders tensed up, face sinking down. Pouting at the situation he had found himself in. "I punched the mirror…" He whispered.
"Why?" Another piece of the opposite leg was now taken out, a small pile of bloody mirror pieces in the bath. Again the human was stubbornly silent.
Sighing, Tails coxed Chris up, herding the wincing teen just outside the bathroom.
The blue eyed human slowly lay down just outside the door, to allow the fox to drop pieces back in the mess on the floor, as he fished them out. Crossing his arms, the teen lay his head on them while lying on his stomach.
He flinched as the fox settled on his back. The anthro was still concentrated on getting the much smaller pieces out, now he was in better lighting.
"I'm waiting Chris. You can't keep dodging the questions."
"Please leave it Tails."
"You know I can't do that. Especially when you upset one of my friends the way you did." Chris winced.
"I've never seen Amy in such a state. Whatever you said to her, scared the female senseless." Still the teen stayed silent, as the twin tailed fox picked more bits of mirror out of his now very bloody legs.
"Cream looked terrified too." Was said softly, as though it was not meant to be heard. But Chris with his slowly sharpening hearing heard it like a gunshot. He had been so out of control that he had scared cream. Loving Cream who wasn't afraid to yell at you, if you were being bad?
Guilt was a nasty thing to deal with. And with the silence that descended, it was even worse. A shuddering breath escaped as he hid his face in folded arms.
"I felt guilty." Was muttered into his arms. Luckily, the sharp ears of the fox heard him easily.
"Why?" Tails said slowly, not wanting to upset the foothold the anthro had gained for now.
"The way Cream shouted at me. What I said to Amy, how I lied to Sonic." Chris let out. Still he kept back about the strange things going on. The teen was already worried enough about those, without dragging the group into his problems as well.
Tails finally let out a sound of satisfaction. As it looked like all the shards were gone from the cuts in the flesh. "Was that so hard?"
Chris just grunted, hiding his face back in folded arms again. Tails hopped off and went into the bathroom, pieces of mirror crunching underfoot. Then a box was dropped on the humans head as the twin tailed anthro walked back towards the door. "I'll go inform Tanaka that a mess needs cleaning up here. Think you'll be ok wrapping those wounds yourself?"
The teen waved a hand to the fox, as he rolled onto his side. Then hearing the door shut, hissed in pain and screwed up his face as the cuts stung terribly. Sitting upright, Chris opened the box and brought out the rubbing alcohol to use on the cuts.
But, when he used a cotton bud to spread the alcohol around. The teen found the cuts to be missing.
'What?' He dropped the cotton bud. Running fingers up and down his legs, Chris soon found an open cut. Carefully twisting his leg, blue eyes soon focused on the wound and went wide as the cut shrank under his gaze, pink flesh filling in. It was changing into a week old cut under his very gaze.
Blue eyes searched around for an answer, shook up by this development and soon stopped on the Emerald, on the bedside table under his pyjama top. The emerald was flashing, in quick bursts it flickered then suddenly settled once more. With the emerald quiet the healing had also finished, clearly indicating a connection between the two.
'I don't understand…'
-'Clearly, it means my healing of small wounds and cuts has finally kicked in.'-
'I can heal?'
-'Of course I can, minor wounds have never been any problem. It's the bigger ones I have to watch out for. Though the scars are annoying for sure.'-
'I can't heal… Humans can't do this!'
-'I've always been able to do this. Why didn't I remember?'-
'Always?'
-'I would have died…'-
'Died?'
-'What?'-
"I feel like I'm going insane. I'm now arguing with myself…" Chris muttered, confused and irritated all at once.
-'Truly something is amiss.'- A scowl crossed his face, making the teen look annoyed.
'Would you go away?' The scowl slipped away for a pleading look to cross his face. As the blue eyed one got up and crossed to the window.
-'And now it seems I am conversing with my minds voice, oh joy.'- Eyes narrowed as his lips lifted in a sarcastic grin, two fingers rubbing the bridge of his nose.
"Young Master… I was told there was an accident?" He turned, the expression falling into a soft smile towards Ella. Eyes soft and gentle. –'How I missed you. Dear sweet Ella.'-
"Yes, I broke the mirror in my bathroom. I am sorry for the mess." The chocolate skinned woman smiled at him, showing her fondness for the teenager.
"I will get straight on cleaning it up then. If you please master Chris, would you leave the room for an hour or so?" He grinned, bowing to her.
"Very well, I'll go up to town and have a look round the shops for a bit. After seeing Tanaka of course." The woman laughed, as Chris bounced past. Dancing to himself while humming a song. "What a strange lad he can be at times. But it is nice he is so happy for once. I hope it lasts for young master Chris."
Ears twitched, nose wrinkled. Snorting, golden eyes opened. Silver was finally awake. Head lifted, he looked around. Body still curled under the cloak, which had been untied and spread over his unconscious form. Gripping it and lifting the cloth, the white hedgehog was dearly confused. The last he remembered, that strange being had attacked and the pain from hitting the big round grey object on top of his other sore areas had been too much for his already exhausted body to handle. Not including using his powers as well.
"Well, you're awake I see." Stiffening, green cracked across his fingers, as his powers instinctively activated in his fright. A high pitched keen tore from his throat as the glow spluttered and died suddenly. Eyes squeezed shut as blackness threatened to consume his vision.
"I wouldn't do that again kid. You risk burning yourself out." He recognised that voice. It was the same one that had attacked him without a reason. Had caused him to use the excess of his powers and nearly drain himself dry.
"You…" Silver whispered, eyes screwed shut, lying curled in a ball like before.
"From the levels of Chaos Energy in your body, I advise that you don't use your powers for a week at least. Seven to eight days, to be completely sure they have recuperated." The teen's eyes slid half open, ears laid against his skull. Shifting slowly, the white hedgehog rolled over, facing that familiar voice and once again seeing the same red anthro from before.
"You." It was growled. Silver snarled at the other, hating the feeling of being so helpless in front of the other male. Where was the Guardian or Blaze when he needed them?
"Yes… I am Knuckles. I am not sorry of attacking you kid. But I am sorry for hitting you so hard, I hurt you when you were already injured." Silver glared, but then gasped and closed his eyes. Fingers gripping his chest as it throbbed.
"Hm, seems your cuts got infected." A gloved hand pushed him onto his back, while another pulled away the cloak and arms covering where it hurt. Golden eyes slit open, mouth open as the hedgehog panted. "Stop it. Let…me go."
"Cannot do that kid. If this is not cleaned out, you will be much worse later. You are already running a fever." All Silver felt was confusion. A whine escaped as the bandages were stripped and his cut and burned chest was open to the air. The wounds felt like they were searing and he whimpered, squirming as weak hands tried to push away the other Anthro. "Hurts…"
"Shhhh. Bite onto this, it's gonna hurt bad." A piece of leather was placed in his mouth, and the white anthro bit down on it reflectively. Then agony! Silver screamed, teeth imbedded deep in the scrap of material he had been given. 'PAPAAAAAAA!'
-'Kiddo?'- It was a whisper against his own senses, but his mind gripped onto that presence like a lifeline. Crying down the link to the Guardian, some small part of him was comforted. That he finally knew at least one of the group had made it to the same place.
'It hurts, it hurts! Oh Chaos, please make it stop, please! Please!'
-'Shhhhhh, calm yourself.'- Golden eyes had slipped shut at this stage, consciousness fleeing the pain of the conscious body. Curling into that presence, Silver felt the other placed his arms around the hedgehogs form. Distance no problem on the mental plane. 'Where are you? I need you, I can't do this alone…'
-'I'm sorry kiddo. I've got a bit of a problem and not able to come to you.'-
'What? But,' The pain was distant for now, but Silver knew that if he went back to his real body, it would be back full force. Opening his eyes on the mental plane, the white hedgehog turned round to argue with the Halfling and stopped. A shocked look on his face. 'Guardian…'
Chris's body was faded. The fog of the mental world could be seen through him. Even though Silver could touch him and was touching him, the guardian looked like a bit of wind would blow him apart. 'Wh…what's happened to you?"
Those blue eyes were soft and sad, as the Halfling looked down at the non-ground. Fingers of one hand forming pictures on the ground. –'Silver.'-
'Tell me what's happening to you! Don't you dare try to divert my attention!' Chris sighed, as those slit blue eyes moved up and caught his own Golden ones. Emotions clouded and distant. –'I can't…'-
'Don't you dare.' A tear fell down the guardian's face as he turned and looked behind himself. Silver, gripping one hand onto the others cloaked shoulder, looked around the other and gasped at seeing a second Chris, lying in an unconscious state on the floor. Confused, golden eyes stared at the side of the guardian's face. Who was focused on the other on the floor.
-'I'm fading kiddo.'- But before the white hedgehog could say anything Chris continued. –'The other teen there on the ground? That is the true Chris. The one that belongs in this time.'-
End Chapter 7
Little thing I thought up when writing about the cloak:
+Resizable clothing, here for your every need. Whether big orrrr small.+
'Comes in all shapes and sizes, we are not responsible for any strangulation, decapitation, irritation or general difficulty in using the product. Please be advised.'
