"No!" Knuckles refused.
"Why not?" Blaze inquired
"Because!"
"Because what?"
"Because we already had to dress up once!"
"It's not that bad."
The tributes of 12 were gathered in their apartment, Knuckles stood off to the side with his arms crossed stubbornly, whilst Blaze, Tikal and Shadow all sat on a large red sofa.
Elise had delivered the news that they would be having another chance to wear their suits and dresses. Much to their disgust. They were to appear on television and be interviewed by the Capitol's Master of Ceremonies, Rouge the bat.
Knuckles out of the four of them not only disliked the idea, he loathed it. He hadn't minded being cleaned and being made to smell like a patch of wildflowers. But it had been just stretch for him to even be put into a suit.
"Knuckles it'll only be for a about ten minutes. It's not that long." Tikal tried to reason.
A growl escaped Knuckles before bursting out his argument. "Ten minutes is too long."
No one was sure why, but Sonic contributed. "It has nothing to do with what you want. They're going to be thrown you on that stage one way or another. Heck if you wanted you could walk onto that stage in a leotard singing walking on sunshine the entire interview if you wanted. But it's how you dress and how you act that are what'll get you the sponsors."
"And if we want to win," Shadow offered, "we need those sponsors."
"Exactly." confirmed Tikal.
The echidna was either deciding between his options or thinking of another way to get out of it. However he sighed in defeat. "Fine. But only because we have a better chance of winning!" he insisted.
"Well then you better get ready," Sonic said getting out of his seat, "the car will be around to pick us up to take us to the studio in an hour."
How the hell do they do these things? Shadow thought to himself as he starred into the mirror. The last time he had to wear a tie the people who gave him the suit had done it up for him. He now stood in his room attempting tie the piece of clothing around his neck, and was failing. There was no one to help this time and he was ready to cut the tie into pieces out of minor confusion.
He growled as he did it wrong once more and ripped it off from around his collar.
"Why the hell won't you work properly?" he asked the limp, lifeless piece fabric in his hands.
"Asking it isn't going to help." He jerked in surprise as he looked to the source of the voice. In the doorway, silhouetted by the light from the hall way stood an echidna. Shadow thought for a second that it was Knuckles, but as he took in the figure's features he knew that if Knuckles didn't like wearing a suit, then he would die before he wore a dress.
"You're doing it wrong." Tikal said as she approached, her features becoming more visible as she approached. Her dress was different to that which she wore to the ball. Her new one was pink bordering on the colour of lavender and descended to the floor past her ankles.
She took the tie from his hands and reached over his head and his wild quills and began to do up his tie herself.
"My father usually needs help as well, but not as much as you do." She said with a giggle.
Shadow gave a small smirk himself. He couldn't help but notice just how beautiful she was looking. He knew that he had noticed it before, but this was the first time he really acknowledged it for what it was. As she continued to go through the steps of tying, he couldn't help but ask a question, what that had been bugging for a week.
"Tikal, that night at the ball..."
Her eyes raised from the tie to meet with his. "Yes?"
"When I was out on the balcony, and you came out... why did you..." he trailed off, unable to make himself ask her the question.
Her eyes went back down to the tie, and she was silent for a few seconds as she tightened it up to his neck. "I came out to check on you because I was-"
"Tikal," he cut her off, placing his hands on top of hers. "That's not what I meant. Why did... why did you kiss me?"
The two of them stood in silence for a minute, Shadow wanting to hear an answer and Tikal wanting to give said answer, but unable to find the words.
"I... I guess I did it because I..." she laughed to herself softly and averted her eyes in embarrassment. "I don't know why. I just... did." Her eyes crept back up Shadow's figure before meeting with his eyes again. "Were you okay with it?"
Shadow's heart started pounding in his chest. He was unsure how he felt about it, he could not complain about it but he was unsure whether it was something to be happy about. And having her this close and his hands on hers, just made his mind all the more confused.
"I... I cannot lie, I didn't mind it." He said, as a smile crept onto his face.
The same smile appeared on Tikal's face. However she found herself doing something she did not expect. She found that her face was edging closer to his, and remarkably, he was doing the same. As the two of them began to get closer and closer, both of their hearts started to beat faster, and they found their eyes closing as they prepared for what they were about to do.
However a knock at the door caused them both to jump as they heard Blaze's voice from around the corner of the doorway. "Hey are you guys in there? Car's almost here." She asked.
"Yes, I'm just helping Shadow with his tie." Tikal confirmed, sounding almost hasty to answer.
They hear blaze laugh from outside. "I'll believe you. Well hurry up." Her footsteps begin to fade away as she leaves and once again Shadow and Tikal are alone.
"I-" she begins before "We'll talk when we come back. Okay?"
"Agreed." He says, giving a nod in reply.
Tikal tries gives a smile and walks out of the room, the eyes of the black hedgehog following her as she went. She stopped and looked back to him. "Well? Are you coming?" she asked.
"Yeah. Let's go." He said as he followed her out.
"Ladies and gentlemen please raise your voices and give a warm welcome to your Official Master of Ceremonies: Rouge the Bat!" the voice announced and the crowd went wild as the stage lights revealed a white bat sitting on large soft chair wearing a sparkling red dress.
"Hello! Hello ladies and gentlemen! It is a thrill to have you here again, it really is. However, tonight we have not one, not two, not three not even ten! We have forty eight guests tonight! The forty eight tributes of the twelve districts. So let's get started because we have a lot to get through. Please welcome our first guests, the team of District 1!"
Over the next hour or so Rouge talked with each team individually, only stopping a few times for a commercial break. Most of the interviews were all the same, same questions and all similar answers. Questions like: How does it feel to represent your district? And questions about how they intended to win without giving away too much.
For the entire time the members of team 12 waited patiently in one of the green rooms.
Blaze couldn't stop shaking, she hated crowds and hated speaking in front of them.
Knuckles didn't mind crowds, but he continued to fidget nervously anyway.
Whilst Tikal and Shadow sat away from each other. Occasionally one of them would glance at the other but looked away. They had not said anything about what had almost happened back at the apartment. They knew that explanations had to wait.
After an hour of waiting Sonic finally came in to the green room, a small smile on his face.
"Time for your close ups." He said and motioned for them to get up.
They made their way up the stairs to side stage, where they heard the audience going wild in anticipation that the most talked about team was about to come on stage.
Sonic walked up and stood beside them. "Remember, you gotta make sure you make an impression. Be likable, be funny. Make sure they remember each of you. That's what's going to get the sponsors." He looked out onto the stage and nodded. "Just be thankful you guys are popular at the moment."
On stage Rouge stood from her seat and waved the previous tributes off. "Ah and there they go, team 11 everybody!" she said raising her hands and the crowd went wild. "Alright. Now, they are one of the most talked about teams in the competition. Three volunteers who stood up on their own free will to be chosen. And one of them fought off several guards to protect another." The crowd was now going ballistic with excitement.
"Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the tributes from district 12, Blaze the cat! Knuckles and Tikal the Echidnas and Shadow the hedgehog!"
One by one team 12 made their way onto the stage whilst the audience went mad for them. Each of them took a seat near Rouge, with Blaze closest and Shadow the farthest. They waited for a minute or so for the crowd to die down, all the while taking in just how many people were really watching them.
When they finally settled down Rouge gave a small laugh and focused her attention on the four of them.
"I must say that's about the best these people have gotten all evening. And I have to admit I'm actually feeling a little flustered myself, I've been waiting all week to meet you four."
"Oh I'm sure it was just me." Knuckles joked and a wave of laughter erupted from the crowd. He knew what he was doing.
"Ha! I'm sure that is the reason. Now, when the three of you volunteered, what was going through your heads? Did you feel that it was an obligation?"
"We had made a deal a few years back," Blaze began and the others were surprised that she had the courage to say anything. "We agreed that if one of our names were ever chosen, then we would all volunteer."
"And why is that?"
"We've been friends since we were little kids," Knuckles answered, "It felt right that if one of us had to play in the games, then all of us should be there to protect each other."
The audience gave an "Aww" at this, and it was all too obvious that their hearts just melted at the idea.
"What about you Shadow? Were you a part of this little group?" Rouge enquired.
"No." Shadow answered simply and remaining silent before Tikal spoke up.
"I volunteered to help Shadow's sister Maria, I don't know why but it just felt right." She said, not seeing the hidden glare that Shadow was giving her.
"So Marie WAS your sister after all, Shadow?"
"Her name is Maria. And yes she is my sister."
"How charming! Which brings me to my next question: Shadow," she said as her attention was diverted to him. "when your name was announced, did you have that same urge to fight and get away as you showed when Maria was selected?"
"No. I knew that it would be pointless. All I could do was accept what had happened and make my way up the stage." He answered.
"Then why did you do it for Maria?"
Shadow leaned forward in his seat and sighed. "Have you ever had something taken from you?"
"Well the ex took my favourite painting." She said and smiled at the audience who laughed at her humour.
"Then you don't know what it's like." He looked out at the audience. "Do any of you know what it is like? to have someone you love torn away from you and given, what is all respects, a death sentence?" No one said a word, and now all eyes, the audience, Rouge and his team's were on him.
"Of course you don't. None of you have had to go through that, just because you were lucky enough to be born in this city. So now you just need to sit back and grow fat and lazy with the comforts that you need. And all you do is sit and watch the games not as a some tradition that's meant to punish the districts, but as a sport."
Rouge tried to intervene. "I think we are getting a little off track here-"
"No. I'm exactly on track. The one that leads to the end of this interview." He abruptly stood and began to walk away. "I'm out of here." He said finally before disappearing back stage.
The audience had been left gobsmacked at his exit. They had expected the ultimate bad ass with the attitude to go with it. But still retaining enough of that attitude to stop him from walking out of the room.
Knuckles was silently furious. As much as he hated to admit it, Shadow was the most liked one on the team. And with that he was the one who would have gotten them the sponsors. Blaze had certainly been shocked with him, but she wasn't sure how to feel with him leaving.
Tikal however understood perfectly. Shadow's sister was a sensitive subject for him. He hadn't told her yet, but she knew he had a hatred for the people of the capitol. She hadn't found out what yet. But she at least hoped that she would soon.
After a slightly awkward interview, Tikal and the others returned to the green room to find Shadow sitting on one of the couches.
Before Tikal could say anything Knuckles shoved past her and put his face right in the hedgehog's.
"What the hell was that?!" he shouted in Shadow's face, but he did not flinch. "Are you trying to get us all killed?! We need them to like us!"
"You need to get out of my face." Shadow replied calmly.
"I'll get out of your face when you stop being such dumbass, and stop ruining our chances of winning!"
Shadow stood and face the Echidna at full height, "Back off." He said calmly.
"Make me." Knuckles said, his fists clenched in readiness.
"Both of you cut it out!" Blaze snapped as she got between them both. "Knuckles, chill out." She said pointing over to a chair further away. Knuckles reluctantly backed away as Blaze turned to Shadow.
"Look, I don't know what got into you, but you need to learn that we need to work together, and we need to get those people to like us."
"If you've got that much of a problem with me, then maybe I shouldn't be part of the team." Shadow snapped, causing all eyes to widen.
"What are you saying Shadow?" Tikal asked stepping forward to stand beside him.
"Once we're in the arena and the countdown ends, I'm out of here. The three of you are on your own. I'll win the Chaos Games by myself if I have to."
Say it isn't so Shadow! Hey guys sorry for a bit of a wait, been a bit busy with some other writing, not to mention the last of my school assessments this year, and I'll have a month of free time during my break so there'll be plenty of more chapters to come!
See you soon!
-xcaliber
