Disclaimer: You should know by now who I do and don't own, right? My god... Sonic, Tails etc. is Sega's, not mine, likewise Rose and Amadeus are Archie's. Arty is mine. And this story. And all of the artwork I've done of the different scenes :P.
So is Shadow going to explain what is going on? DUH! That's where the cliffhanger left you -.-' Think! ^_^
Something I don't get: chapter 6 has the least amount of views, even though it's smack bang in the middle. :S
Anyway, read, review, enjoy!
Chapter 12: Where to go...
Rain spattered the windows on the outside. The downpour had happened so suddenly and so ferociously, it was now impossible to be able to see past a hundred metres. Sonic and Shadow were at the living room table, waiting for Amy to return with Tails, who was still locked away in his room. She came down the stairs, shaking her head.
'He's not coming out. I've tried everything, but he won't even unlock the door.' This wasn't technically true, but Sonic had strictly forbidden her to threaten bash the door down and to only take a calm approach. He sighed at the news.
'I'll go to talk to him then.' Amy nodded while Shadow sat patiently. Sonic headed upstairs and Amy picked up Tails' uneaten breakfast and put it in the microwave to re-heat it later when he wanted it, so its heat would be fresh when he received it.
Sonic knocked on Tails' door. Until now, there had only been one reason why Sonic would have to try to get Tails to open his door, and those times had been during lightning storms. Tails always ran to his room and bolted the door shut, strangely believing that if he did so, the sound would be kept out.
'Go away...' Tails called.
'Tails, c'mon bud. We need to talk to ya and we're not doing it through a door.' Sonic waited for a response, but there was none. 'C'mon, what's the matter?
'I let Artemis down... I left without even saying goodbye, and... a-and now he's crying b-because I said I d-don't when I'm c-coming back.' So this is what it's about. He knew how sensitive the fox got when people got upset, and even more sensitive when it was because of him that they're upset in the first place.
'C'mon Tails. Shadow's here. He'll help you with your... thing.' Sonic wasn't sure of what exactly it was he was talking about, but he supposed that if Tails' theory was right about Shadow knowing what was wrong with him, then perhaps saying this would lure the fox out.
The door clicked, and Sonic smiled. Tails opened the door and walked out, heavy footed, looking at his feet, his muzzle wet from the tears. Sonic let him past and closed the door behind him. As he did so, he glanced at the pillow where the shape of Tails' head had been imprinted. It was soaked. Wow, I've... only seem him like this once... Sonic closed the door and followed Tails down the stairs. He couldn't help but feel pity for the poor kit as he watched Tails climb down the stairs. He followed him down, wondering if the fox would lighten up some time soon.
The two of them entered the living room and sat down at the table.
'So Shadow, are you gonna explain to us now?' Sonic asked as he took a seat next to his distraught brother.
'Alright. You better be listening carefully, because I'm not repeating it. Now, I don't know much, but I know enough to tell me that this creature that's possessing Tails is dangerous to us all.' Tails shifted position, getting more uncomfortable by the second by the depression, along with the bad news. 'What I do know is it grows more powerful as you use it more often, as well as it feeds from emotions. So right now, it would be getting pretty powerful.'
'Just... Just tell me how t-to get rid of it' Tails stuttered. He didn't want this burden any more. It had brought him nothing but grief and he just wanted this whole affair ended. Shadow nodded, understanding what the fox wanted, even if he didn't show it.
'You need to go to somewhere, but I don't know where.' Tails whined, scrunched up his face and slumped his head on Sonic's shoulder next to him. Meanwhile, Amy sat at the end of the table, looking around and wondering what everyone was going on about. She didn't want to be rude, so she said nothing. 'Do you know anywhere you might need to go to Tails?' Shadow added. Tails continued to lay on the cobalt fur that felt unusually softer than usual to him, but his face relaxed as he tried to think. Sonic put his arm around the poor kit's shoulder, trying to comfort him. For a whole minute, Tails sat thinking and not a sound could be heard except the rain outside.
A minute passed and everyone began to think that Tails had fallen asleep or passed out. His sobs had calmed down, but he still gave the odd one every now and then. Just as Sonic was about to check he was still there, Tails shook his head.
'N-no... Sorry Sh-Shadow... I don't,' Tails said between sobs. Shadow sighed. He had hoped that Tails could have shed some light on the situation, but he clearly thought wrong. Sonic, meanwhile, was comforting Tails by gently scratching him behind the ear. He felt on the edge of tears himself as he watched Tails continue to cry on his shoulder, flattening and dampening his fur.
'I think we should leave him alone for now Shadow,' Sonic explained, trying to keep his little brother from becoming any more stressed. 'No more questions until he's ready.' Shadow nodded, understanding fully why this precaution had to be taken. Sonic picked Tails up in his arms and carried him back to his room. He's suffered enough, he shouldn't have to go through all of this. Poor thing. Tails curled his arms around Sonic's neck.
Sonic kicked open the bed room door and lay Tails down on the bed. As he pulled away, something tugged at his neck. He looked to find that Tails was refusing to let go.
'Tails, you need to let go.' He gently tugged at Tails' arms and, as if in response, Tails let go and slunk onto his bed. Sonic left him to it, not wanting to disturb him further.
Tails tried to think clearly. Specifically on what the 'dream' he had had last night. He thought it was somehow linked as to what he had to do. I remember flying with Chuck... then everything changed.. then... He rolled on his side and curled up into a foetal position, tails curled up over his head. What did it change to? He tried to think as hard as he possibly could. But the emotional pain was too great. He couldn't handle it. He wished this whole affair would just disappear, or just start from the beginning and right his wrongs. Only he would go a bit further back than his birthday given the chance. A lot further back. He remembered the crater that still sat in front of his house, the amount of trouble that the thing that had created it had caused.
Then Tails sat bolt upright. Wait a minute... crater... crate... Crateméro's! What if Crateméro's Gorge is where I need to go! Tails remembered the news he had seen earlier that morning. 'Something has been found underneath the gorge.' Could it be where I need to go? Tails tried as hard as he possibly could to try to remember this so-called dream, or nightmare, or whatever it was, that he had supposedly had. But he couldn't remember at all. The one thing that could help stop his suffering just wouldn't return. He wiped one last tear from his eye as he begun to form a plan of action.
'But if you knew about all of this Shadow, then why didn't you tell us sooner?! And why did you attack us earlier?!' Sonic shouted across the table, slamming his fist on the surface. He had clearly lost it with Shadow and how unhelpful he was being.
'Because I didn't know who it had happened to until I figured it out just last night. And I didn't know whether Tails would comply or not. I would of doubted that it was Tails who had been... infected I suppose you could call it... had it not been him who had blown Eggman's base sky high. I have Rouge to thank for getting me out of the base the night before, or I would have gone with it.
'Thee temple I found the information in wasn't even very clear either,' he carried on. 'All it described was a creature that they had created and then banished in to space because it was deemed too dangerous. Then it described that it would land here on Mobius at some point in the future and take someone over and use them to take over the world. It then described how to get rid of it, but not where to go. I was hoping that Tails already knew, but it seems that I was wrong.' Sonic relaxed as he realised that his outburst was unnecessary and more importantly unhelpful.
After a few moments, Sonic asked 'what else can it do?'
'It gives its host unnatural strength, repair body parts at an alarming rate and the ability to teleport. It also feeds off of emotions, both past and present, so the more emotional its host is, the more powerful it becomes and the more painful it is to bear it. Put it simply, by the end of the week, your 'little brother' would be writhing in constant pain because it would be so powerful, considering a life like his.' The thought of Tails in so much agony for so long was more than enough to convince Sonic that something had to be done. Fast. 'Oh, and bring the end to us all.'
Tails now knew what he had to do. He was positive that it was what he was meant to do. If it wasn't, then he would be stuck with this curse for ever, unless there was another way to get rid of it. But he wasn't going to tell anyone. It was something he had to do alone, or not at all. Not just for himself, not just for Artemis, not just for Sonic, but everyone. In more ways than one, even if he wasn't aware of it. His plan was to leave in the middle of the night and take the Tornado to the gorge. He would then look for this thing that had been uncovered and do what he needed to do. Tails rubbed his bloodshot eyes to clear them of tears as he heard shouting from below. He opened his door to listen and stood at the top of the stairs to listen to the conversation below.
'JUST TELL US SHADOW!' Sonic bellowed. He had once again lost it with Shadow in just a few minutes. 'Just tell us how to get rid of it!' Shadow had kept saying that he would explain how to when they got to wherever they needed to go. Shadow sighed as Sonic's temper continued to rise, while Amy just sat back, not wanting to get in the way. She had never seen Sonic get this angry, so getting in the way could have dire consequences. Shadow sat with his arms crossed as usual.
'Fine. You need to go to some sort of temple with a Chaos Emerald, but I don't know where it is. It just said you need to put it on a pedestal that will be inside. After that, I think that's it. Something had damaged the rest of that part of the text, so I'm not altogether sure.' Sonic sighed as he sat back down. He was angry partly for still not having the whole answer, but mostly because Tails' life is in jeopardy and Shadow doesn't really seem to care. The only reason he didn't lunge at Shadow now was because he knew he would later regret it.
Tails took in all of the information he had just heard. Now that he knew what to do, he just needed to do it. And by the sounds of things, it would be easy. There was no way he could fail. Put the Chaos Emerald on a pedestal, let the thing leave and job done. Couldn't be simpler, could it?
Tails decided that making preparations now would save doing them later and at the last second. The first thing he had to do was get a Chaos Emerald. Well that's easy, Sonic always puts them under his bed when we're not using them. Tails turned to face Sonic's bedroom. He checked that no one would be coming upstairs while he carried out his plans. After feeling positive that no one would be coming, he opened the door that led to the hedgehog's sleeping quarters. He walked over to one side of the bed. As he did so, he glanced at the bedside table, remembering the prank that had gone horribly wrong. Had he not carried out the plan, he would never have stayed awake until the middle of the night; he would have never seen the meteor strike and become so curious as to check it out; he wouldn't even be standing here, thinking these thoughts, if he hadn't thought that getting even was a good thing in some cases. Never again... I won't do it ever again, no matter what. Tails' lip trembled slightly as he bent low so he could see under the bed. As expected, the blue and white Chaos Emeralds glowed softly. Wait, where's the green – oh yeah, it's still in the Typhoon. I guess I could pick it up while I'm there, unless Eggman already has it. Which is almost certain. Tails reached underneath and grabbed the first one he came in contact with – the white one. He pulled it out and tucked it in his tail, checking it was secure before dashing back to his bedroom.
Sonic sat in the living room with one hand on his forehead as he stared blankly at the floor. If only we knew where to go, we could save him. There's no way I'll let him go through something like that. Surely someone must have found out where to go? Everyone else sat in silence, Shadow in his usual pose of indifference. Amy just watched the distraught blue hedgehog as he tried to think things through. Amy decided to try to be helpful and deliver the uneaten breakfast to the even more disturbed fox upstairs. It can't be good for either of them she thought to herself as she turned on the microwave. She watched as the cold plate of beans on toast rotated in the lighted microwave as they begun to reheat. The both of them are heart-broken... Wish there was something I could do. Amy switched off the microwave and checked the temperature of the plate before removing it. She withdrew a fork from a near by drawer, as well as a kitchen towel in case Tails wanted it propped on one. It was hard for her to believe that it was only midday, looking at how much had already happened today. Amy left the quiet living and climbed the stairs towards Tails' room, careful not to let the beans run off the side of the plate. When she reached Tails' bedroom, she kicked the door three times in an attempt to knock while her hands were full.
Tails slipped the Chaos Emerald under his pillow for safe keeping as he heard the knocking at his door, making him jump at the unexpected sound. He quickly regained his bearings and straightened up. Then he remembered he was still supposed to be upset, so he changed his expression to that of one of despair. Once he was happy (or sad rather), he answered the door to the awaiting hedgehog with the steaming plate, fork and towel in her hands.
'Umm... I just thought you... were hungry so I... brought you your breakfast... if you still want it.' Amy was clearly concerned for him and Tails' heart made a leap for his throat as he looked into the eyes of the concerned pink hedgehog. She normally only felt this way for Sonic, so either this was also affecting Sonic, or she was genuinely concerned – but it was most likely the second theory. The moment felt somewhat awkward. Tails sniffed before responding.
'Umm... Thanks Amy.' Tails took the plate, towel and fork. After that, the two stood there in the awkward silence as Amy tried to think of something helpful to say. When nothing sprung to mind, she merely said 'Umm... Might wanna eat before it gets cold. Umm... See yah.' With that, Amy walked off feeling utterly helpless as she descended the staircase. Tails blinked as he tried to make sense of what had just happened. He slowly closed his door as the pink fur disappeared behind the wall and sat down on his bed. He rested the towel on his lap, with the plate on top of that. The smell reminded him of the massive hunger pains he had received earlier as they came flooding back to him. This brought him to his senses and he begun to eat the beans and toast in the tranquil silence of his room.
The day seemed to snail on. Had it gone any slower, it would have been going backwards according to Sonic. Sonic and Tails sat in the living room, watching the evening news. Tails sat with his legs propped underneath him and tails overlapping them. He had now lightened up and was in a much more joyous mood and had finally discussed with Sonic what the problem had been, and, naturally, Sonic comforted him until he was his light-hearted self again.
Amy and Shadow had long since departed. Shadow had gone to look for more information, while Amy had gone home, feeling too useless to stay any longer. The news was talking about the events earlier that had caused wide-spread panic.
'...So it seems as though that Sonic's supposed 'death' is nothing but a hoax,' the male wolf said. 'So there is no reason to be alarmed people.' The camera turned to the female squirrel as she begun to report another story.
'In other news, astronomers have predicted a meteor shower that passes over every fifty years is going to come in sight later tonight. Anyone wanting to watch this spectacular event better stock up on energy, since it's around midnight that it will take place.
'So that's all from us for today, we'll see you tomorrow, goodbye!' the news ended there with a friendly smile from both reporters as the lights dimmed and the cameras zoomed out, before going to the commercials.
'I guess you'll be wanting to see that meteor shower then Tails?' Sonic asked as the advert for a new sitcom came up. Tails shuddered at the very thought.
'I think I've had enough of meteors to last me a life time or two.' He was referring to more than one incident. Although he had got over Cosmo's death, thoughts of crucial moments between them still upset him a little, and since it was in a meteor shower that Cosmo had come crashing down, resulting in them first meeting, it still made his stomach churn slightly. The second incident was the more recent meteor striking in front of his house, putting him in this position in the first place. It was, indeed, more than a life's worth of encounters with the rocks. And besides, he was going to be busy tonight. He hoped upon hope that his assumption was correct, or, according to Shadow, he wouldn't be having a pleasant weekend at all. Or a pleasant life at that.
