A/N: Thanks for the reviews guys! Here's chapter 9 for you all! =)
Disclaimer: I do not own anything in this story Sonic related, Sega does.
Enjoy!
Caged
Chapter 9
Muffled growls echoed hollowly in the enclosure's fake cave as Sonic thrashed wildly on the sand covered floor; struggling to tear the muzzle off. Chip darted this way and that, trying to stay out of harm's way while also trying to help his friend.
"Stop it, Sonic! That thing's not gonna come off!" he shouted, trying to snap the werehog out of his fury.
But his words fell on deaf ears; Sonic was oblivious to Chip's voice.
The little fairy could only watch in horror as Sonic pawed at the muzzle, his claws missing the leather straps again and again; digging into his fur and causing blood to streak down his face like crimson tears.
'I've got to stop him now before he does any real damage!'
Putting his thoughts into action, Chip dove down and, with little strength that he had, lifted the water bowl; holding it shakily above the beast's head. After taking a deep breath to calm himself, Chip tipped the bowl; spilling its contents over Sonic.
There was a sharp whine and the werehog froze, lying motionless in the water and blood flecked sand. His dull, half-lidded eyes stared emotionlessly at Chip; his side rising and falling with each heavy breath.
Chip tossed the bowl away and landed in front of Sonic, patting the muzzle to get his attention. The dull eyes seemed to clear and softened at this and he got up, shaking clumps of sand out of his damp fur.
Once he was satisfied, Sonic lumbered out of the cave to inspect his new surroundings; Chip fluttered nearby. The sun immediately warmed him up, loosening his muscles and clearing his mind; he stretched contentedly and scratched at the ground.
The enclosure was wide and grassy; it even had a shallow pool near a high iron fence. Behind him fake rocks towered high above and ended in a flat top that was somewhat sheltered by trees; a perfect place to sun himself and to see the whole zoo. Bunching himself up, Sonic leapt from rock to rock; making his way to the top. Chip tiredly flew after him.
"Soniiiic, wait up…" he panted.
Ignoring his friend's protests, Sonic ducked under the tree branches and looked out over the fence. People dressed in bright colors led their kids around to see the other animals, which were out in their pens for display. He glanced down and saw that his enclosure was roped off; a sign reading 'Coming Soon' was displayed in front of the blockade.
He watched disappointed kids walk away after reading the sign; a few even glanced up to see if they could catch a glimpse at the new animal. Chip landed beside him and stared in wonder at the crowd as he tried to catch his breath.
"Nice… view, huh?" he asked.
The werehog merely nodded, sighing through the muzzle. The two sat in silence, watching as the crowd moved through the different cages; losing track of time.
By late afternoon, an automated voice came on the loudspeaker and announced that the zoo was closing. The crowd thinned out and eventually left; leaving the janitors to clean their mess.
As the lamps on the sidewalks flickered to life, Sonic picked up a sleeping Chip and gracefully jumped down from the ledge. After glancing at the night's first stars, he walked into the cave; gently setting his friend down on the ground. The werehog then scratched at the sand a bit and after turning around and around for a moment; laid down beside him, ready for a good night's sleep.
Just as he was starting to fall asleep, the sound of tires squealing jolted him into awareness. Leaving Chip to sleep, Sonic walked out of the cave to investigate.
There was a small cart parked alongside the enclosure and climbing out of it was the head vet. Guilt immediately swelled inside him.
The vet opened the gate and locked it behind him, slowly walking up toward Sonic. The werehog whined and flattened his ears.
"Hi big guy." The vet greeted, smiling warmly.
Sonic caught sight of the hand he had bit; it was wrapped in thick bandages. He whined again and nudged his head against it apologetically. The vet knelt next to him and rubbed his fur with his good hand.
"There, there, it's ok. I'm still in one piece." He soothed.
His hand then traveled to the back of Sonic's head, carefully undoing the muzzle's straps. It fell away and the vet stared sadly at the bloody claw marks on the werehog's face.
"What did you do to yourself?" he asked softly.
Sonic whimpered in response and looked away.
The vet patted his head a couple times, stood up, and walked back to the cart. He returned moments later with two bowls and a small leather bag. He placed the bowls near the mouth of the cave and pulled a water bottle out of the bag; pouring its contents into one of the bowls. Sonic pulled it to him with his claws and lapped at it.
The vet reached into the bag again and pulled out another bottle and a wad of cotton balls. He opened the bottle, put a couple of them at the opening, and soaked them with medicine.
"Come here; let's clean those wounds of yours."
Sonic lifted his head and allowed him to dab the cotton balls over the cuts, flinching every so often at the stinging the medicine brought. After he was finished, the vet tossed the wad and the bottle in his bag.
"All set. I'll see you in the morning at feeding time. Good night, fella."
He gathered the muzzle and his bag, stood up and walked away. Sonic watched as the cart rumbled down the path back to the brick building where he once stayed.
A yawn behind him caused him to jump a bit. He looked over his shoulder and grinned as Chip stumbled out of the cave, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. The little fairy glanced up at him and he snapped fully awake when he realized that his friend was free.
"Hey! It's gone!"
Sonic nodded.
"Yeah, the vet took it off a few seconds ago…"
Plopping down on the ground beside him, Chip stared up at the vast night sky. Sonic tilted his head up to look at the moon, a sigh escaping his lips.
'Tomorrow's the big day…I start the rest of my life as a zoo animal…'
The familiar pressure built up in his chest.
And the zoo was lulled to sleep to the sound of a lonely, werehog howl.
Only one more chapter to go! I hope you guys have enjoyed this. And don't worry, I'll be writing more werehog stories in the future =)
Please R and R! Thanks!