Author's Notes-

1- You can not imagine how fun this chapter was to write. I just couldn't stop. But I had to, because it was bed time!

2- Enjoy!

Chapter 9

The Prophecy

Days Left: 8

The entire length of yesterday was mostly spent in my room with Midnight. We didn't really talk as much as we just enjoyed each other's company. It seemed that everyone found out what Midnight and I had done last night, so everyone mainly avoided entering the room, except Charmy would occasionally enter to see if we wanted something to eat. We both declined, no matter how much our stomachs growled in protest.

That night had been like any other. No sex. Just laying next to each other and slowly slipped into a deep slumber. Midnight had not been in the mood for anything else, and I felt that if we did in fact do it again, the tension between Vector and I would only grow stronger.

Speaking of Vector. I let what he asked me earlier sink beneath my skin. What would I do if Midnight got pregnant? I didn't know how to be a father seeing as I never really had one, with the exception of Vector, who acted like a boss of Team Chaotix at some times, and other times we was nothing but a father helping his children grow.

My heart seemed to sink at this thought as I remembered what I had said to him when he confronted me about it, and I realized how wrong of me it was to point out that he was still single. With Team Chaotix's constant case load, and now Midnight's arrival, we hardly had the time to breath for ourselves, let alone find the perfect girl to settle our needs. I had been lucky that Midnight chose me, and I just slapped that message right across Vector's face.

The next morning I awoke to find Midnight had already woke and left the room, probably to find something to eat, and I decided I should apologize to Vector for what I said. With a grunt, I hoisted myself out of the bed and pulled on a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt. As I yanked the hood of the sweatshirt down, I looked out the window. There was a thick blanket of snow on the ground. Amidst the snow was a circle of rocks that lined Luna's grave, barely jutting out of the vast white as the snow continued to fall.

Exiting my room, I heard the front door close with a loud thump. As I came down the stairs, everyone but Midnight sat in the living room. When Vector first saw me, he looked away bitterly, deciding to ignore my existence, then got up and headed to the kitchen. Following him carefully, he began to pour mugs of hot chocolate, and Charmy buzzed impatiently behind his shoulder. I would have to say hot chocolate was Charmy's favorite drink.

"Hey Espio." Vector said glumly, probably still feeling down about everything that had happened the past two days. The death of Luna, and our fight. "You want some?" He murmured. Was this a peace offering, or was he just being nice because Charmy was in the room. I decided to find out.

"Charmy, I'll bring you your cup, go into the living room." The tone of my voice must have tipped him off that he didn't want to know what was going to happen, because he left without protest, murmuring a quiet thanks. I turned to Vector as soon as Charmy had left.

"Vector." I paused, trying to find the right words to say. "What I said yesterday... I... didn't mean it." I said hastily, probably sounding like I didn't mean it. He put the pot of hot chocolate back on the burner and leaned against the counter, watching me with a thoughtful expression. Was he pondering whether or not to except my apology, or was he trying to figure out if I really meant it. I met his gaze calmly, and he finally let out a quiet sigh.

"Eh, I over reacted." He shrugged. "Like I always say," He paused to hold his hand out to shake, "Forgive and forget." He said with a stiff smile.

"Never in my life have I heard you say that." I smirked. He shrugged again and went back to pouring the hot chocolate. He didn't look away as he began to talk to me in a serious tone.

"You might wanna check on Midnight." He said quietly.

"Yeah? How come?" I asked. It seemed I was the only one who was able to calm her at times, but I guess the bond between us was stronger than she had with most people.

"Well..." He paused thoughtfully, completely ceasing all movement to think, then continued. "I sorta crossed the line." He muttered darkly, probably cursing himself for it. "Like I did with you. I'm just... worried about you guys, and she got all defensive. I guess she has the right." He paused and put the empty pot in the sink and filled it with water to soak. "It's sort of a touchy ground for me to be sniffing about. I mean, I don't know her as much as I know you." He turned around, with a nervous smirk, and shrugged.

"Okay, where is she?" I noticed she hadn't been in the living room with the rest of the group.

"I think she went out to her sister's grave to calm herself down." He said, sounding distracted, as he began to grab the mugs one by one and shift his grip on them to hold as many as possible. With a nod, I walked out, slipped my shoes on, and stepped outside. There was a draft of cold air, which was a big shock compared to the warmth inside the house.

As I turned the corner, I heard a voice, probably Midnight's, as she knelled by the group of rocks and dusted the layers of snow off the tops.

"And get this..." She murmured, probably pretending to talk to her dead sister. Tails says it's a good way to get your feelings out. I think it's a little crazy. "...Then he went on asking me what I'd do if I got pregnant! I hardly even know the guy, and he's acting like Louie!" She picked up one of the large stones and held it in her hand. She let out a gentle sigh, her breath escaping in a cloud of mist that was carried away by the wind. "I wonder what Louie would say if he knew..." She muttered, gently tossing the stone in the air and catching it. "Or Dad..."

Silently, I shifted to lean against the house. This was probably considered eavesdropping, but I didn't want to disrupt her when she was "talking to her sister" like this.

"HotShot would probably murder Espio..." She trailed off for a moment as her eyes caught on a large stone that was shaped like a rectangle. Shifting forward, she grabbed it, and as she continued talking, she began to scratch something in it with the stone she already held. "He's cute... Espio, I mean. And he's sweet. Amy said I bring out a new side of him even she hasn't seen. She claims he's usually kept to himself and only cares about his Ninjitsu."

Is that was Amy really thought?

"I think she's crazy, he's been sweet to me since I first met him." She stated matter-of-factly. "And that Shadow guy I was telling you about... I think he's hiding something. He seems so nervous. I mean, when your body..." She trailed off at the thought and bit her knuckle thoughtfully. "When you came, he nearly jumped out of his skin." She continued. "Think he's been secretly siding with Eggman to save his own skin?"

I never really thought of it that way. Shadow did seem a little nervous when we were at the Egg Base. And ever since Midnight showed up in general. Was he really going to side with the guy he tried to kill because he thinks Eggman is stronger? Or maybe it was a peace offering. He gives Eggman information and Eggman forgets about the whole thing.

"Well... Whatever." She muttered to herself as she continued to carve into the rectangular stone. "I can't believe it snowed on the second day after you died. And yesterday was really sunny. Are you trying to send me signs with the weather? I know you loved the sun and the snow." She paused to look at her work, then held it out and read it aloud. "Luna Marie Mesner. June 11th 1993 – December 18th 2007. The shell of her body is gone, but her spirit lives on forever." She let out another sigh, then one showing her sorrow. "I can't believe you're gone."

"But you just said she isn't." I said, stepping out of the shadows and approaching her. "Sure, she can't exactly answer you back, but you've held quite a conversation with her. And you just said her spirit lives on." Midnight leaped to her feet.

"How long have you been there?" She questioned, still holding the two stones firmly in her hands.

"Long enough. What are you doing out here sitting in the snow and talking to her? It's freezing, you might get sick." I stepped forward and gently stroked a lock of hair from her face. She smiled slightly, but it faded. "I know you miss her, but you should visit her at least when the snow stops."

"I refuse to go back inside to be questioned by that nosy croc that knows nothing about me and has no right invading my privacy like that." She snapped. "Sure, he may be close to you, but I don't know him enough to tell him any of the personal things like that."

"He's sorry." I said quickly. She rolled her eyes and turned to Luna's grave, placing the large stone at the head of the grave and replacing the stone she took.

"I'll see you later, Lune." She murmured, then stood completely stiff, running her hand from her forehead, to her chest, then to her shoulders in a cross-like symbol. Stepping away, she turned back to face me. "Well, whatever. Sorry or not, I'm not on speaking terms with him yet." And we both went inside. The smell of hot chocolate hit both our noses as soon as we stepped inside, and saw too unoccupied mugs on the coffee table. We both grabbed one and sat down.

"Midnight." Vector muttered, gazing at his mug to avoid her eyes. "Sorry."

Midnight said nothing, but gave an acknowledging grunt and turned to Charmy. "How's your hot chocolate?" She asked sweetly. Charmy tilted the empty cup upside down.

"Gone." He replied with a giggle. "But it was delicious!"

"Good!" She replied with a chuckle and took a long drink of hers. Through the happiness I saw in her eyes, I could see the emotional pain she was masking. The reality of her sister being gone was striking her hard, and I felt helpless in the situation. There wasn't that much I could do, except comfort her whenever she needed it. I would always do that.

Days Left: 7

Time was running low. Patience was worn thin. As we sat about in the living room, waiting for Vector, every one seemed tense with apparition. Sonic was bobbing his leg up in down, just to have a way to move while he sat. Tails was pouring over the blueprints of the Egg Base, double checking to make sure he had the plan right. Midnight was shifting uncomfortably in her seat next to me, gripping my hand then releasing, and continuing to pattern as if it would calm her.

"This is it." I whispered, returning her grip. "You ready to see your family again?" She nodded with a nervous smile. Vector came into the living room, just as nervous as we were.

"Is everyone ready to go?" He asked, though he knew everyone was. There were murmurs through out the group, and everyone stood, except Amy, who decided it would be best for her not to get in the way. Charmy flew over to Vector, with a pleading look in his eyes, but Vector shook his head. "No can do, little guy, I don't want you getting hurt."

"But I can help!" He complained. Vector just shook his head again, and Amy grabbed his wrist, holding him back as we all walked out in a line. Onto to the battle field. The snow crunched beneath our feet as we took a sudden turn for Midnight to visit Luna's grave once more. She knelt next to the rocks, closing her eyes and mouthing something silently, her breath coming out in clouds that were carried away by the wind. Standing, she nodded to us, and we all headed on.

The Egg Base looked just as big as the last time we came here, but this time, it seemed more intimidating as we stared at it. We agreed it was all or nothing. If someone got seriously injured, we'd get them out and come back another time. As the doors creaked open for the robots to change guard, Midnight and I dove in first.

Midnight, now in her wolf form, slipped silently across the tiles, her black coat blending in with the dark shadows the lights did not cover. No robot sensed her movement as she moved about their ranks, her light emerald eyes locked ahead of her. I crawled nimbly along the walls, my eyes trained on her pelt. The last thing I wanted was for her to get hurt. We halted at the first turn and waited for the others.

We weren't kept waiting long. Shadow and Sonic sped across with ease, only seen as black and blue blurs to the eyes of the robots. Nothing was thought of it. Next Tails flew in overhead, holding Vector beneath him. For an eight year old, he was very strong to be able to hold Vector and fly at the same time. So far, everything was going as planned. Midnight and I would go first, since we were the least expected to be spotted, and give the signal when the coast was clear. The winding hallways seemed to twist on themselves, but due to Vector's constant testing on our memory, we were able to get through without getting lost.

As we all came to a halt outside the door, I stepped forward to punch in the code. My mind drew a blank. With all of the plans that Vector had pounded into my head, I couldn't remember. Cringing, I attempted it. '3613'.

"Incorrect." A robotic female's voice sounded, it echoed through the halls as alarms began to flash. Though no one voiced their rage, I could feel all their glares burning through my skin. The thudding sound of robots racing towards us echoed through the empty halls, heard over the sounds of bells going off.

We were trapped.

I turned to the code box and tried again. This time, the door opened. So it had been '3631'. Of course, I had to confuse two numbers in the sequence. We all dove in as the robots began to pound their way closer, closing the door behind us. The adrenaline was already coursing through our veins, and we stood for a moment to calm ourselves.

"Medianoche(1)!" A voice sounded behind us. Midnight turned, the fear melting from her eyes as she found her family standing behind her, still trapped. Quickly shifting to her normal form, she ran forward and stuck her hands in the cage, grasping her father's hands in hers. Tears of joy were running down her cheeks at the reunion, and for a moment, everyone seemed to forget the sirens sounding outside the door.

"Daddy!" Midnight cried, almost sounding like a little kid again. All of her family was gathered around her, talking to her in quick Spanish, and she replied just as quickly. Absol, on the other hand, was leaning against the back of the cage, his eyes locked onto me.

"You..." He said softly. "You've done something that pleasured one person and worried the rest. You fear you have not found complete forgiveness for your actions." He muttered defiantly, his dark eyes, an unnatural shade blue, were locked into mine. None of the Mesner's heard this. But how on earth could he know. "And you are also curious on how I know."

"Yes..." I said slowly. "How?"

He said nothing, just continued to stare at me, unblinking. Then, after another few seconds of staring, he raised a hand, and everyone fell silent as he began to speak.

"You will lose two people to one mistake. One you can never get back, the other only left due to your carelessness." His eyes never left mine, so he gave me no hints on who he was referring to or what he was talking about. "When two have gone, go to the resting place. Something will be missing. Where the object once was, there will be a valued treasure." He paused for a moment to let out a long sigh. "But be warned." He said quietly. "You have to act quickly. Every moment wasted on grief will count against you. Take too long, and everyone you know and love will perish before you, and then you too will be no more."And with that, he fell silent.

The silence didn't last for long. The doors behind us swung open, and there stood Eggman, and behind him was an army of robots.

"Run!" Tails yelled. Sonic grabbed his arm as he tried to get past, obviously darting for the window.

"We'll never make it! We're going to have to fight!" Sonic yelled over the sound of the alarms. Tails looked unsure. "We've done it a million times before, little buddy, you can do it!" Tails nodded now, a determined gleam in his eyes, and everyone braced themselves for a fight. Midnight stood beside me, snarling, the fur on the back of her neck on end. Robots came pouring in from all directions. This would be the fight of our lives.

Pushing Absol's prophecy to the back of my mind, I drew my throwing stars, and began to hurl them at robots as they came forward, large swords drawn. Midnight drew her own sword, which Vector had carried for her while she was in wolf form, and trashed at the robots. She had the biggest reason to fight. To gain revenge for her dead sister, for her family's suffering, and for her own life, which was ruined by Eggman.

Sonic spun carelessly around, robots exploding as he made an impact with their metal bodies. Parts were flying everywhere. The Mesner's had sunk to the back of the cage to protect themselves from the shower of metal. Shadow was watching from a distance, destroying and robot that tried to touch him, but not helping anyone else. Tails disengaged the robots, yanking wires that could not be replaced; a less violent way of getting the job done, and Vector was jogging around to help anyone who needed it.

Minutes passed. The robots kept coming. Our feet kept slipping from the moisture from the melting snow beneath them. Finally, Midnight fell on her back, her sword skidding across the room and crashing into the wall. The robots were crowding around her, now that she was defenseless, she was an easy target.

"Midnight!" I yelled, trying to fight my way through to her. But Vector beat me to her, his jaws snapping the robots in half like they were made of paper. So Vector was telling the truth; he is strong enough to break through metal. But the robots kept pouring towards them, and Vector fought as hard as he could.

But now I had to turn my focus to the robot's coming towards me. Midnight was in safe hands, I could trust Vector with her life and mine. Expertly throwing the stars, the robots exploded on impact. Amused with this child's play, I would occasionally dart around and gather my stars, which were unharmed by the explosions, and continue on.

Then, there was a strangled cry. A body fell to the floor, life taken away by Eggman's robots.

(1)- Medianoche- Spanish of Midnight.

Author's Notes-

1- The prophecy took much thought so I didn't give too much away. Anyone wanna take a guess at it? I might not tell you whether you're right or not, but I'll be amused by any guesses.

2- Who do you think just died? Give me your best guess.

3- Don't forget to review! When I have a review, I work harder to get the chapter done to please my readers.

xoxo,

Midnight