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IMPORTANT NEWS: If you've read my profile then you already probably know this, but to save people sending me loads of messages demanding why I haven't updated, I felt like I needed to put this. I won't be able to update as often as I normally do, especially this story. Sorry, but I'm currently in college doing my AS courses and I picked the subjects that required me to memorise the most junk if I want to get high grades – which I do. So I'm going to be studying a lot for my exams that will be starting soon and this will continue until the end of May. I'm really sorry, but my exams come first. I hope that you understand and please be patient with me.
XII: The Zanybe Tribe
Sonic groaned as his eyes slowly drifted open. His whole body ached and he flexed his fingers and felt shocked as they brushed against a cold stone surface. He shook his head, trying to clear it and looked around to see Tails, Knuckles and Kiko doing the same before looking around in confusion. The only person who was missing was…
"Amy?" Sonic called as he looked around for her.
"They must have taken her." Kiko replied before groaning and placing a hand on her head. "Wowzers, what the hell hit us?"
"Must've been some sort of sleeping gas." Tails responded.
Sonic stood up and ran towards the bars of the prison cell that they appeared to be locked in. Sonic twitched at the thought. He couldn't stand being in enclosed spaces and being restricted in his movements, he felt like he was already starting to go crazy.
"Stand back!" Sonic ordered everyone. "I'm going to bust us out of here." He began to move backwards, preparing to spin dash when Knuckles walked over, grabbed hold of the bars and bent them apart to make a big enough gap for them to climb through.
Sonic blinked at him.
"The last thing we need is you going overkill again and those crazy people finding out that we've escaped." Knuckles explained as Tails and Kiko climbed out.
Sonic and Knuckles followed and they looked down the long corridor all lined with the bars of the many other separate prison cells.
"Which way is the way out?" Kiko whimpered.
"Well they probably placed us the first available cell away from the entrance so I'm guessing we go right." Tails replied and Kiko grabbed hold of his hand tightly and Tails looked around awkwardly.
Tails seemed to be right as all the cells on their way down were filled with many different hedgehogs who were all either curled up in a corner or passed out. Sonic squinted his eyes as he tried to locate the light of an exit and he smiled as soon as they found one.
"We need to find Amy." Sonic insisted and everyone apart from Kiko nodded.
"Should we?" She asked and everyone stared at her in horror.
"What did you just say?" Knuckles hissed at her and Kiko held up her hands in surrender.
"I'm just saying that this is her home. She was probably sent to her family and I'm sure she's safe." Kiko explained.
.
"You couldn't even do one thing!" Ezra hissed as he pinned Amy against the stone wall of the temple.
"I-I'm…sorry." Amy tried to choke out as she attempted to try and kick her father off her, but he wouldn't budge.
"You're no match for me girl, you never were!" Ezra spat. "Those little friends of yours will be executed and you will be initiated like a good little obedient daughter!"
"ENOUGH!" A booming voice called behind them and the Oracle walked over to them followed by Nero.
"Your holiness." Ezra bowed as he let go of Amy who fell to the floor with a thud.
"There will be no need for discipline." The Oracle said calmly and Ezra and Nero looked at him in confusion.
"The girl cost us our secret!" Nero said. "No offense to you Ezra, but your daughter appears to be out of control."
Ezra glared down at Amy who cowered away from him.
"Amy Rose has done no wrong; in fact she has done us a great service." The Oracle announced.
The red and blue hedgehog looked at him in shock.
"She revealed us!" Nero hissed. "They all must pay!"
"Calm yourself Nero, for she has brought you a great blessing." The Oracle smiled at him. "Something you have longed for, for so long."
The blue hedgehog snorted and shook his head before storming off.
"Crack pot." He muttered under his breath before disappearing.
"Crazy, maybe." The Oracle chuckled. "Wise and all knowing, definitely."
Amy stood up and tried to sneak away, but her father quickly grabbed hold of her arm, keeping her in place and Amy huffed in frustration.
"Your initiation is drawing close my dear, I sense a god becoming impatient for your arrival." The Oracle explained and Ezra beamed. "As for your friends, they are to be released."
"What?" Ezra gasped and Amy blinked at the Oracle in shock.
"I sense great power among them." He said looking like he was in a daze. "They are to be kept here and will be of great assistance."
"Of course your holiness." Ezra bowed and the Oracle nodded before walking away.
"You are one lucky little hedgehog!" Ezra snapped at Amy and she glared back at him.
"It wasn't my fault!" Amy shrieked.
Ezra silenced her. "Not another word. You must learn to take responsibility for your actions! Do you want people to come looking for us? Try to convert us to their horrible ways of living? Their silly ideas about the world?"
Amy said nothing as she glared down at the grass before looking up as she heard a commotion at the other side of the temple. Amy and Ezra looked at each other before running around to see what was going on.
She gasped as she saw Sonic, Tails, Knuckles and Kiko all trying to fight their way out.
"Amy!" Sonic shrieked as he saw her before getting knocked over by one of the guards.
The others continued to fight as even more Zanybe guards swarmed around them.
"No!" Amy screamed as she lost sight of her friends.
"Guards stop!" The Oracle shouted as he appeared out of nowhere beside them.
The guards instantly stopped and bowed to the Oracle before leaving and Sonic, Tails, Knuckles and Kiko looked around in shock.
"I'm here, I'm really here." Amy heard Kiko mumbling to herself and she rolled her eyes at the fox.
"What's going on?" Sonic demanded as he stepped up to face the Oracle. "Where are we? Who are you?"
"Ah, so you're the powerful one I sense." The Oracle said as he looked Sonic up and down. "I nearly didn't recognise you, you have grown into a fine young man."
"Huh?" Sonic said in confusion, folding his arms across his chest and leaning shifting his weight onto one leg.
"You are most welcome here." The Oracle said ignoring Sonic's confusion, before turning to face Knuckles.
"You too Knuckles." The Oracle bowed.
Knuckles glared at him. "How do you know my name?" He snapped.
"You are the great guardian of the Master Emerald and the last of your echidna clan who we were great friends with many centuries ago. Naturally, I know who you are." The Oracle explained and Knuckles blinked at him.
"I don't remember the Zanybe being spoken about."
The Oracle shook his head. "We ceased contact with them over three hundred years ago, I believed their memory of us died out."
"I have so many questions." Kiko interrupted and the Oracle studied her before frowning at her.
"Your quest for this knowledge cost you your friend." The Oracle said simply before he turned his back on them and started walking off. "Your tents shall be prepared for you." He said before disappearing.
Kiko looked offended and confused and Sonic ran towards Amy. He looked like he was about to embrace her, but Amy stepped away and pleaded at him with her eyes not to do anything. Sonic looked like he took the hint as he struggled to hide the rejection on his face.
Ezra huffed and walked off and Amy sighed with relief.
"I need to speak with all of you in private." Amy whispered to them and they all nodded before following her into the woods.
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