Well, here's chapter thirteen, enjoy. Oh, and Energy Witch, the Crests in my story are similar to those in DGM but are different and they have a different purpose.
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"I can't believe that this has happened!" Garin said as he paced back and forth.
Shadow was laying in a medical bed, Shelby was sitting next to him. A large bruise had formed on Shadow's neck from nearly being strangled. Besides, himself Shelby and Garin, there was Double D, Sonic, Sonia, Manic, Jacques, and Talaka.
"Do we have any suspects?" Sonia asked.
"No." Shelby said. "The attacker ran below deck, so it could be anyone."
"Well, I haven't hired anyone new other then your two friends." Garin said. "And I know that my crew wouldn't do such a thing without my permission."
"Then it must be someone who snuck on board." Manic said.
"We'll have to figure it out in the morning." Talaka said. "It's late as it is."
"You guys go on ahead." Shelby said. "I'm going to watch over Shadow for a little while longer, incase the attacker comes back."
"Suit yourself." Garin said and closed the door.
"You don't have to stay if you don't want to." Shadow said quietly.
"It's okay." Shelby said.
Shadow just watched her. Just minutes ago she had saved him from being strangled and now she was taking care of him. Shadow pulled the blanket over his shoulder and closed his eyes, hoping to go to sleep but it just wouldn't come. After a while, he opened his eyes and looked around. Shelby was still sitting there.
"Shelby?" He whispered.
Shelby opened her left eye a slit.
"You okay, Shadow?" She asked.
"Just making sure you, were alright." He whispered.
"Just thinking." She replied.
Shadow looked out the window and shuddered.
"Don't worry." Shelby said. "I have a trap set up for tomorrow night if the attacker tries again. I hooked up a fishing line near the base of the door, the only way to avoid it is to step over it and I only told a few people about it. Now, when they get caught on the line, it they cause of a bunch of tin cans that I've hung over my bed to clank together. That way, if someone tries anything funny, I'll be the first to know!"
"But what if one of the people you told is the attacker?" Shadow asked.
"Because, the only people who know about it are Garin, Sonic, Sonia, Manic, Double D, Nova, and Topaz." She said. "I can trust them with anything."
Shadow looked into her eyes, something told him that she was right.
"Why do you trust Garin?" Shadow asked. "He's a pirate."
"That may be true but he's one of my best friends, we've known each other since we were kids." She explained. "He even saved my life."
"W…What happened?" Shadow asked.
"Well, it was a long time ago…" She began. "I was about eight-years-old and he was about twelve…"
(Flashback)
A younger Shelby the Hedgehog sat against a wall, tired and hungry. The boat she was on had hardly any food at all for those aboard it. She ate very little so someone else could have a little more but it didn't help her very much. She was very thin and looked somewhat sickly. Those who passed her by on the boat just looked down at her and shook their heads. With her small size, little weight, and sick look, the chases of her living was little to none and deep down she knew it too.
A small growl came from her belly and she held it, trying to quiet it down. She had eaten only an hour ago but it wasn't much at all, a very small loaf of bread and that was it. She sighed quietly. There as no way she was going to survive the winter.
BAM!
"What the?" She cried.
The ship was under attack! Shelby got to her feet and ran! All around her were people, running for their lives!
"PIRATES!" Someone cried.
Shelby was too scared to stop and ask she just kept running. In such a cramped area, she couldn't use her speed!
"OUT OF THE WAY, BRAT!" A gruff male voice said, pushing her.
Shelby fell over from the hard push. People started walking all over her, literally! She was being trampled! Finally, someone kicked her out of the crowd and near the railing. She grabbed the railing above her and used it to pull herself to her feet and she continued running.
She finally made it to one of the lifeboats and was grateful to get in. She took her seat in a small corner, leaving room for more.
"Move over, brat!" A buff hedgehog moved to her and glared. It was the same one that had knocked her over on the boat!
"I said move!" He snapped.
"Yes, sir." She said and scooted as close to the edge of the boat as she could.
The hedgehog sat down and glared at her.
"Have I seen you somewhere before?" He asked.
"You knocked me over on the boat." She explained. "I was trampled because of it."
"Well then, let me finish my work!" He snapped.
"What do you mean?" She asked, scared out of her mind.
"I mean this!" He suddenly grabbed her and held her over the water!
"What are you doing? Let me go!" She cried.
"Nope! We need more room for the most important people! Like me!" He snapped. "Runts like you have no meaning in the world!"
He then threw her into the water. She struggled to keep her head above the water. One of the workers on the lifeboat tried to help her but the buff male hedgehog held him back. Shelby finally went under when the male hedgehog threw a piece of wood at her head!
She began to sink. Her whole world was going dark. As it was, she saw a young brown hedgehog starting to swim towards her. Before very long, her whole world went black.
When she finally woke up, she was in a lifeboat. She slowly sat up and looked around. Standing at the very front of the boat was the same brown hedgehog she had seen in the water.
"Are you alright?" He asked her.
"I…I think so." She said. "Thank you for saving me."
"It was nothing but could you tell me how you ended up in the water?" He asked.
"I was thrown in."
He looked at her in surprise. He knew that some adults were impossible to deal with but one that would try to kill a child? It was a revolting thought. She smiled up to the older hedgehog. Someone trying to hurt such a sweet, young hedgehog was just sick!
"What's your name?" He asked.
"Shelby." She said quietly.
"Nice name." He said.
"Thank you." She said.
"I'm Garin." He said, giving her a happy smile.
"That's a nice name too." She said.
"So, how'd you end up in the water?" Garin asked.
"I was thrown in." She answered.
"What?" Garin asked.
"I was thrown in." She said again.
"By who?"
"An adult hedgehog."
"I think you should tell me the whole story here."
Shelby explained to Garin what had happened on the ship and lifeboat and the whole time, Garin was listening.
"Some adults have no shame." Garin grumbled under his breath after awhile.
"I know." She said. "This isn't the first time something like has happened to me."
"What do you mean?" Garin asked.
"It's…it's nothing." She said.
Garin just looked at her.
(End flashback)
"For the next couple of days Garin and I floated in that little lifeboat, trying to find land and we ended up in that fishing village where we found you. We spent the next couple of days after that finding a place for us to stay and we ended up getting into all sorts of trouble, mostly Garin, but we managed to get each other out of trouble no matter what. We then met Jacques and then Garin went thrill seeking. After a while, he became the captain of this very ship. We lived on it until the day I joined the Freedom Fighters, after that, Garin started sailing the ship farther and father away from the village until he would be gone for more then a day but he always came back. One day, he told me he was going on a long journey but he would come back someday. I saw him and his crew off, I didn't hear from him for years but I always thought about him and after a while I thought that he had been killed. But a few weeks ago, I got a letter in the mail. I didn't recognize the mark on it but I opened it anyway. You can only imagine my surprise when I found out who it was from. And then I learned that he was coming back to the village so I decided to come back too. I wanted to see my childhood best friend again. I let Topaz tag along because I didn't want to be alone on the long trip back to the village, even if I did run. I was going through Sanctuary and some of my friends were doing some work there so I decided to stop by since I was a few days ahead of time and during the time I was in Sanctuary it was attacked and I met Sonic, Double D, and the others."
"You two sound really close." Shadow said.
"Yeah, we are." Shelby replied, looking out the window.
"How much did he change in the time you were apart?"
"Surprisingly, hardly any. He's always been known for getting into trouble and for sailing so I wasn't very surprised when he mentioned that he was a pirate in his letter."
"You must have really missed him."
"Yeah, I did. Once every month I would return to the village and look out on the very same dock he had set cast off from, hoping to see his ship appear over the horizon. But it never did. And once a year, on the very same day he set sail I would set a small boat with candle and a flower in it out to sea, hoping that he might one day find it and return home."
Shadow just let out a raspy whistle.
"I guess my wish came true." She continued. "I usually wished to see Garin again someday and well…"
Shadow just nodded. He could see the moon's light reflecting off of her eyes. She was just like Maria.
"It's late." She said. "I'll see you in the morning."
"Good night." Shadow whispered.
"'Night." She replied and walked out of the room.
Shadow just sighed and closed his eyes, drifting off into a deep sleep.
On deck…Garin looked out on to the sea, watching as the waves rolled by in the moon light.
"I thought I'd find you out here."
Garin didn't even bother turning around. Shelby walked up to his side at the figurehead.
"It's great to see you again." She said.
"You too." Garin replied.
"Garin?" Shelby asked.
"Yeah?" Garin asked.
"Why did you come back?" She asked.
"What do you mean?" He asked, looking at her.
"You never came back before…and after a while, I thought that you wouldn't come back. That's why I left the village, I hoped that I would run into you someday."
"Shelby, I know that you must be upset about me not talking to you in over a year but I love being a pirate. And after Scar Blade I had to help rebuild Isca's city. I felt like it was my fault that it was almost destroyed."
"Garin, you beat him and stopped him from destroying the city and saved the village, isn't it enough?"
"I still felt guilty."
"Garin, do you even remember how many years you've been away from the village?"
"Two…three?"
"More like five."
Garin just looked at her in shock. Five years? No wonder so many things seemed to have changed.
"I guess I should tell you." Garin said. It wasn't long after we stopped Scar Blade. The city had been rebuilt and we had just set a course for some place new…"
(Flashback)
Garin stood at the front of the ship, the wind blowing through his spines. He felt proud of himself and his crew, the danger of Scar Blade had been bested and everyone and everything was safe, for now anyway.
"Captain!"
Garin looked over his shoulder and saw Talaka come running.
"There's an island just up ahead! We should stop there we're running low on supplies and there's a very bad storm coming! With the damage the ship's taken, I'm not sure if she could survive the storm." Talalka said.
"Right, lets' head for the island." Garin agreed.
After a few minutes, Garin and his crew had arrived on the island. They too refuge at an Inn. Most of them kept low and quiet but Garin just tried to stay calm. If he and his crew stuck around for too long, someone could recognize them and turn them in. After a few hours, the storm cleared but another one was on its way, it would arrive within the hour and that was no time to get the ship fully repaired. The crew spread out, gathering the supplies they need for the repairs as well as food and water.
Garin had finished early and was walking along the beach, figuring he would try and catch the sunset before the storm came. He just enjoyed himself as he watched the sky slowly change colors, perhaps the storm would just go right past the island and he and the crew could work straight through the night and be gone by morning.
That's when he noticed something wash up on the beach. As he got closer, he could see that it was a small hand made boat. It had a small stain glass box over it, a cherry blossom design on each side. Inside the box was a single candle. And, laying in the deck of the boat was a small rose.
"What's this doing here?" He asked himself as he picked it up.
He looked closer and caved into the haul was his name!
"This is too weird."
That's when Garin noticed there were four other small boats like it along the surrounding beach. He checked each one and found that in each one, his name was carved into the haul. Garin decided he would try and figure it out at the Inn, so he placed the five boats in his backpack and headed into town.
As fate would have it, the storm hit the island with great force, making it impossible to go outside. By this time, most of the crew had gone to their rooms and straight to sleep, allowing Garin to inspect the tiny boats even closer. For some reason, he could feel something calling to him when he looked at them. That's when the bartender turned on a small radio.
"And in other news, the famous Shelby the Hedgehog has taken out another SWATbot factory." The reporter from Rebel Radio said.
Garin's head snapped up when he heard the name.
"Shelby the Hedgehog has once again broken the record for destroying robot factories in our fight against Robotnik. She has saved countless numbers of lives many times over making her one of the greatest Freedom Fighters ever." The reporter continued. "And now, her latest hit song, singing with her two friends, Zoey the Fox and Mimi the Echidna, Someday My Friend Will Come Home!" And the song began.
Shelby: "Someday…I will find my find my friend….he maybe far away…but I know he will come…someday."
Zoey and Mimi: "Friend in my dreams, far away, he will come home, someday."
Shelby: "Oh-oh!"
Zoey and Mimi: "Friend in my dreams, far away, he will come home, someday."
Shelby: "Yeah, yeah."
Zoey and Mimi: "Please come home, someday!"
Shelby: "Someday, my friend will come, someday, I'll bring him home. And how thrilling that moment will be. When my friend comes to me. He'll whisper: I missed you."
Unknown male singer: (whispering) "I missed you."
Shelby: "And he'll make some friends or two."
Unknown male singer: (whispering) "More then two."
Shelby: "Though he may be far away! I will find my friend someday! Someday, we'll see who, we've been longing to and I'll know him the moment we meet, for my heart will start skipping a beat. Someday, when my friend comes home. Oh-oh!"
Shelby and Zoey: "Somewhere, waiting for me. There's someone I'm longing to see. Someone I can't help but miss. Who will help me get through this!"
Shelby: "Someday, we'll see who we've been longing to and I'll know him the moment we meet, for my heart will start skipping a beat. Someday, when my friend comes home! Someday, my friend will come."
Unknown male singer: "Someday, my friend will come."
Shelby: "And I will find my bud."
Unknown male singer: "And I will find my bud!"
Shelby: "And I'll know him the moment we meet."
Unknown male singer: "The moment we meet."
Zoey and Mimi: "Friend in my dreams, far away, he will come home, someday."
Shelby: "Oh-oh!"
Zoey and Mimi: "Friend in my dreams, far away, he will come home, someday. Friend in my dreams, far away, he will come home, someday."
Shelby: "Yeah-yeah!"
Zoey and Mimi: "Friend in my dreams!"
Unknown male singer: "Friend in your dreams!"
Zoey and Mimi: "Far away!"
Unknown male singer: "Far away!"
Zoey and Mimi: "He will come home!"
Unknown male singer: I will come home!"
Zoey and Mimi: "Someday."
Unknown male singer: "Someday!"
The music started to fade out and Garin just continued to look at the small boats in front of him. What was once confusion was now guilt. He had left the fishing village, not even wondering about how Shelby would react to it. She probably didn't even remember him. He had been away for so long, and if she did remember him she was probably infuriated with him. He had once to even send a letter home and who knew where she was, now that had joined the Freedom Fighters. His best guess was to write a letter to the old house that the two had lived in before he had gotten the ship.
So that night, Garin secretly wrote a ten page long letter, telling his old best friend about his adventures, the new people he met, Isca, the places he had been, and how much he missed her. He went over his work a few times and when he thought it was good enough, he mailed it, hoping that it would reach her in one piece. The next morning, they would plot a course to return home for a short time and maybe, just maybe, see his old friend again.
(End flashback)
"I was afraid that I'd never see you again." Garin admitted. "And I hadn't even bothered to send you single letter so I was scared that you wouldn't talk to me ever again."
"Garin, you know me better then that!" Shelby said.
"Yeah, I'm sorry I doubted you." Garin said, smiling.
"You better be." She said, punching him playfully in the arm.
Garin smiled again. This was just like when they were kids. One of them would joke about something and someone would punch them in the arm.
"It's late." He said. "Lets' hit the hay."
"I'm right behind you." Shelby said, following her friend.
Garin lowered the anchor and headed below deck with Shelby following. But unseen by everyone, a small scorpion shaped ship flying only a few miles in the air, following the ship.
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Well, that's that. I've been meaning to update sooner but the torture facility codenamed: school, gets in the way, big time! Anyway, R&R please.