Author's Note:
Yay, new chappie, just for you guys! I'm gonna try and keep uploading through my revising, but expect them less frequently :P Anyways, read on...
~Waters of Change~
Lost Souls Found
Was it just him, or could Sonic hear… an engine?
He had lost track of the time. He woke maybe a couple of hours ago, maybe only minutes. Unable to get back to sleep, he listened to the sounds around him. The steady beat of the rain, the whistling of the wind creeping between rocks, the waves lapping up violently against the shore. He occasionally looked back at Amy, and felt her pulse. It was weak and getting fainter by the minute. He wasn't sure how much longer she could survive. She was chilled to the bone, and no matter how close Sonic held her, her body temperature didn't rise. He thought he hear her mumble in her sleep, but the storm was too loud to make out anything she said.
His legs were cramped from her weight, his head and back bruised from leaning against the jagged cliff face for so long, the salt water making his mouth dry. He felt awful. He wasn't sure ho much longer he could survive either. His shiny red running shoes were now stained and tattered by the sharp barnacles, and his blue fur was a murky grey with sand and water. No matter how much he shifter his weight, he couldn't get comfortable. He though he was close to unconsciousness once more, when the gentle thrumming started.
He thought he was imagining it from fatigue, but it got closer and louder, until it felt right on top of him. It sounded familiar somehow, but the noise was distorted by the wind. Then a bulky figure landed on the beach in front of him, spraying sand everywhere. Claws latched and dug into the sand to prevent the machine being blown away by the immense winds. Then, though the rain, Sonic recognised the silhouette. The X Tornado!
"Tails!" he shouted, but his throat grated like iron. It was too dry. However, the roof to the X Tornado opened, revealing his three friends. Tails spotted him at once, even through the wind and rain.
"It's Sonic!" he shouted. Chris checked thee bulky tracker he held, and nodded. Knuckles jumped swiftly out of the ship, but was knocked off his feet by the wind. He held a gloved hand over his face to protect it from the sand, and sprinted over to join Sonic and Amy.
"Sonic we thought we'd… oh my god!" he noticed Amy.
"I know! Look, you need to get Amy to a hospital. She's really cold, and she hasn't woken up, and I don't know if!" he began to panic, but was cut short.
"Sonic, chill! It'll be okay. We need to get you too aboard. Tails made some adjustments so there's extra seating. You oaky to walk while I carry Amy?" he asked worriedly. Sonic nodded. Knuckles gently prised Amy off Sonic's lap and cupped her in his arms, shielding her from the worst of the storm with his back as he inched his was back to the X Tornado. Sonic felt the rush of blood head back to his toes in pins and needles as he stood up. He took three steps, then fell over, completely exhausted.
Knuckles looked back ,and saw his friend collapsed on the ground. "Hey guys, I could use some help here!" he shouted to Chris and Tails. Tails carefully climbed down from the ship, and made his way over to Sonic.
"You okay?" he asked worriedly, as he helped Sonic to his knees. He felt sick to his stomach at the state of his best friend, and it brought tears to his eyes. Or maybe it was just the salt, he told himself. Sonic forced a grin on his face, and gave him the thumbs up sign.
"I'm hangin' in there buddy, you mind giving me a hand?" Tails took Sonic's arm and wrapped it over his shoulder, then stood up. With Sonic using him as support, they inched their way back to the X-Tornado. Knuckles was hanging Amy to Chris, who layer her across 2 seats, and wrapped a blanket round her he had stored beneath.
"She's really cold!" He shouted to the others. "We need to get to a hospital, and fast!" Tails could see the rain escaping into the ship, so he hurried Sonic along. With a helping hand from Knuckle, Sonic made it inside, in the warmth. He collapsed onto the seat next to Amy, and put a hand to her forehead. Cold and clammy.
"Step on it!" He ordered. Chris closed the roof, and Tails fired up the engines once more. There was the sensation of flight, then they began the ascent back into the skies. Sonic pressed his face against the window, hi eyes almost shutting with exhaustion and weakness, but before that, he gazed down at he inky blob of a beach, thankful and praying to never go back to that hell again. Then his head slid slightly down the window, and he once again, collapsed. Tails looked back worriedly.
"You sure they'll be okay?" he asked Knuckles. Knuckles' face was hard and determined.
"They'll pull through, they're tough." Chris and Tails smiled weakly with relieve, and continued to fly the vessel. However, once busy again, Knuckles turned his back from them, and glanced back at his friends. Worry and grief escaped from the hard strong cracks in his face, and he began to question whether there was hope for them.
By the way if you think this is nearing the end you're wrong! there's still quite a few more chapters to come!