FEEEEELOOOOOW READERS!!! 'Tis I, Cool Jay, back from the dead!!! I have been relieved of the chains that held me back and away from this story! The chains that bounded my wrists, that forced me to do devilish and hateful things… You got it, SCHOOL!!
YES! VACATION, BABY!!!!! What best way to celebrate it by posting a new, BIIIIIIIG chapter?! :D
You guys have NO IDEA how long I've been waiting for this day!!! I can now write more regularly this story, because, come on, I love this Sonic fanfic. Noo, I'm not bragging. Writing this story allowed me to be in an adventure that I longed for. Seriously, this story always gave me great pleasure, even if I had myself, like Christine, problems figuring out our blue speedy friend.
It has been so long since I last updated, and I'm really sorry about that. I had difficulties about if I was passing the year or not. BUT I DID IT!!! GIVE ME A ROUND OF CHEERS AND APPLAUSE!!!
*cricket cricket cricket*
Come on, guys… Oh well, moving on!
This summer is gonna be a promising summer… Freedom in all ways. Well, not yet, actually. I'll be a school teacher's assistant for two weeks, but that doesn't mean that I won't work on my story! Like I said, I have more liberties now!!
Other than that, do you guys know the game Ratchet and Clank? Any of them, really… It's just that I have been on youtube lately and have been watching ridiculous Youtube Poops from Captain Qwark. You've gotta love this guy! He is simply awesome… Check out the one called "Qwark 3: Wastelander". He just blows me away! I mean, he's got IRON-HARD ABS!!!
Yepp, this kind of thing stays stuck in your head…
I'm stalling a lot, aren't I? Well Courtney Gears didn't seem to mind!!! XD
Here's the long chappie!!! Hope you guys'll enjoy it! And remember:
IT WAS MATING SEASON!!!!
No, I mean leave a review!!! :P
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Sonic the Hedgehog: the True Power of Music
Chapter Fourteen
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"Sonic… Yo, Sonic, where are you?"
Five minutes. It had been only five minutes since we've changed location and arrived into a complete new place that I didn't know of, and worst of all, no mere second later, I was left here on my own. I tried my best to determine where I was, and judging from its tall buildings that reached the sky, the restless cars that passed by every ten seconds and citizens who either walked on the sidewalks, sat in a restaurant or just stood impatiently still, upset of being delayed by the street lights, I could conclude come up with one, epic conclusion.
I was in a big city.
Hey, don't you dare get cocky with me! It was frustrating enough that when I wanted to ask Sonic where we were, he was gone. Nothing new to lose that hedgehog out of your sight, but I couldn't believe he just left me here. Trust me when I say that if you ever meet Sonic, and you managed to figure him out, then I will be outstandingly impressed…
This place wasn't comparable to Manhattan, but urban life was well present here. Regardless of the frustration, it was fascinating to land in a different surrounding, whose culture was exactly the opposite kind if compared to valley I was at before, but I couldn't ponder long about it. Being in a large city like this one was a first to me, and for a first impression, I felt like a rat lost in an unknown and enormous maze.
"Oh great… Just great. What the heck am I supposed to do?" I mumbled to myself, stressed of my situation.
I didn't exactly know how to react to his disappearance besides getting all emotional, but standing still at the same location was not my forte, especially when the people eyed you, and I couldn't handle their unbearable stares, though I'm pretty sure that they didn't mean no harm. However, walking around in an unknown city could end up getting myself lost, and I didn't like that either, unless I was desperate. And how is Sonic supposed to find me when I'm moving around?
What the heck am I saying? That hedgehog can find me whenever he wants to, and it won't take him too much time either.
I shook my in agreement with that thought. The only way to be together again would be for him to find me. It was pointless to search for him, since he could be anywhere at any time.
Well, since I'm in a sticky situation like this one, I'd normally ask for help. Huh, can't be too hard to ask someone. Only problem is what I was going to ask them: "Hey, have you seen a blue hedgehog around here? He's a bit more than half my size, spiky blue hair, a grin on his face, wears a necklace and runs superfast? He's got a stupid habit of disappearing…"
Yeah, as if that won't prevent them from calling a mental institution for my case. I could be crazy, but not to that extent.
So, with no other options left, I decided to wander around the city. For a start, worries came across my mind, and I grew more nervous by the minute. Being without Sonic, the feeling of safety withdrew itself quickly from my systems. I had taken a couple of turns around a of a sidewalk corner, always hoping that he would pop up like he always did. But after every letdown, my self-confidence became more fragile, more delicate to anything that could make me panic. I was on the verge of becoming crazy. I even pondered of what could be profitable when going to a mental institution. What the heck was Sonic thinking?
I casually looked to my right and made a sudden halt at the windshield of a bookstore a couple of meters to my side. Past the books displayed at the window, beyond tables and bookshelves, further into the back of the shop, a man of old age, heavily supported by his walking-stick, was talking to my blue, spiky friend. Panic washed away instantly, and the heavy weight on my shoulders wore off.
However, I was very tempted to storm into that shop and to get my hands on Sonic. He deserved to be scowled at for dropping me off at a random spot and leaving me to wander around in an unknown city. But I settled down, because the brightness of the old man's face immobilized me. It was as if he had just become the happiest man on earth.
Sonic had a couple of books stacked in his hands, and I saw him placing them in the nearby bookshelves in quick moves, and then repeating the whole thing when picking up more books from the table. The old man did the same thing, or at least tried to, since he could only carry two-to-three books per round under his arm free arm, and it wasn't progressing much because of his delicate, old age.
A smile etched on my lips, and then an embarrassing feeling overtook me and I scratched my chin with my fingers. Sonic left me to help an old man who was trying to rearrange his store, but couldn't do it alone, and I panicked because Sonic wasn't around. I didn't know I was that possessive over Sonic.
Realizing how selfish I had acted, I decided to let him be until he was done. It was only fair. I could've helped out, I admit that, but Sonic was unique. Being with Sonic alone proves to be an unusually promising and special experience, as far as I could tell, and therefore I wanted the old man to know how it is. I can't have Sonic for myself, though he was a special friend to me. The valor of his friendship is worth limitless riches, and that must be why I thought I could only have him for myself. Sometimes, I'm really such a child.
I continued on my little journey, leaving Sonic behind in that store, pretending that I hadn't seen a thing there. Knowing that Sonic hadn't gotten himself on trouble, I felt strongly relieved. All the worries, the nervousness and insecurity came up my throat and departed when I sighed out. The atmosphere had changed when I took my whole surroundings in, and the city appeared to be more welcoming than at first sight.
I saw a young girl with her father, standing in front of the ice-cream vendor, and she couldn't decide on which of the many flavors. She was lucky to a father by her side to help her with that. I passed them by, and I could hear how happy that little girl was when she got that dessert.
"That's my little girl…" he pronounced, proud of her daughter.
Yeah, I wish my father were that proud as well…
It was strange. I never thought of being nostalgic about not having a father, or one who cared… But looking at those by-passers, I understood that I was missing something. A little fragment was missing in my life, and I didn't care much about it, because I didn't know what it was like to have a father. Now that I knew, I wanted to cry.
"Smile, Christine…"
I was amazed when that sadness all of a sudden vanished. Those depressing thoughts were replaced with lively feelings, and my heart burst with strong, proud and determined emotions. I was only thinking of Sonic, and as a magical side-effect, cast by this fictional character, I became much happier than I was before grieving of what I didn't have.
So what if I don't have a father? What counts is what I have, and those are the most cherishing family that I have ever had.
Wow, what a quick mood-shift…
So, now with those heavy feelings behind, I came to realize that I understood the people around me. They all spoke in a very thick, English accent. This city could be part of England, or any other land that spoke this kind of English. It's not easy to tell, since I don't travel much.
I concentrated more on my surroundings as I strode part shops, noticing how rapidly the smell changed at all times, from sweet chocolate flavor to refreshing flower odor. It was a cool day, but not cold enough to make me shiver. Grey clouds hung over the city, and though it appeared to be gloomy, it didn't change the high-spirited atmosphere coming from the citizens.
If I knew what these clouds were, I wouldn't be all that merry.
When I turned around the corner, reality had hit me so hard that I came into total paralyze, shocked to the bone as the images of my vision rushed into my head.
I arrived and attended the scene of a panicking commotion. The source of the horrifying trouble came from an apartment, screaming when flames devoured its concrete form. Fire-trucks pulled in, firemen jumped out of their vehicle and pounced at the truck's hose and attached it to a source of water, immediately aiming the hose at the building. Individuals came running out of the burning house, crying and coughing, before being accompanied by firemen who brought them to safe quarters, far from the poisonous smoke and dangerous fire. Ambulances were stationed at a far away building and closer to the victims of the flames who needed supportive help. Police were there too. They held back citizens, who were all anxious of this event. But no one was stupid enough to approach the hellish scene.
It suddenly became hard to breathe. The smoke couldn't have reached me, but the drowned memories came to the surface and suffocated me with the more daunting ones. I could see and hear it once more as images flashed in my mind with echoing voices.
"Why are you crying, Miss Christine?"
"You are very welcome…"
"Hurry, we must get out of here!"
"Jump!"
"MISS CHRISTINE!!"
My streak of panic was violently interrupted by a wailing voice of a woman. I glanced sideways at the voice's source. A woman was being dragged by a yellow fireman and brought to an ambulance, but she fought back, insisting on letting her go. Through curiosity, I had found my ability to move and headed to the safe-distanced woman, whose head, I just noticed, was bleeding.
"Madam, have you lost it?! You need a doctor!"
"No, I have to go back in there!" the woman screamed in tears, "My child… Benny's still in the house!!"
A shock pierced through me, and I spun my head towards the building, gazing with a widened, horrified eyes at the flames that even through the firemen's efforts acted up more wildly than before.
"Where is he?!" I heard him yell as I turned back at them
"F-Fourth floor. Please, sir, let me go-"
"You can't go back in there!" he shouted at her, "We will handle this, now stay back!"
"No, I can't…" she sobbed, and crumbled to her knees, "Not my son… He's all I have left!"
As the doctors took over and brought the fainted woman into an ambulance, the man in yellow uniform rushed to a group of firefighters, who irrigated with their hoses at the building. Amongst them, a man in red firefighter uniform, who yelled orders at other men(and women too), was interrupted by the said yellow fireman.
"Sir! We've got a young boy still left in the building!"
The chief froze momentarily, but instantly assumed his position as commander and barked out new orders. "Dan, assemble the Retrieval crew! We'll send them in as soon as the fire is under control! Now make it snappy!"
"Dan" was quickly gone after witnessing the commander's stressed attitude. The chief in command took his loudspeaker and hollered at his men with the hoses to do better in extinguishing that fire while informing them of the pressurizing news. I felt the agitation from this alarm quaking my body. I didn't tremble only in fear, no, but in anxiousness as well. Events of the past were unfolding before my very eyes. It was happening all over again. But how will this one turn out? Benny, or whatever his name was, shouldn't be the victim of this drama.
No more death, no more pain, no more sorrow… I didn't want anyone to suffer them like I did.
This statement I made brought an idea, which was inspired by my past. A crazy plan it was, pressed by thoughts of desperation, and there was an element missing into its completion. But if the firemen were determined to extinguish the fire, then I was convinced to carry out this insane plan. And then, the missing element was spotted.
I sprinted to the group, dodging all police officers who hoped to stop me, and rammed into one firefighter. He fell down to the ground and released his water-shooting hose to my expectations. I grabbed it and used it to shower myself. Completely soaked in water, I dropped the hose and ran up the stairs into the building, hearing the thunderous shouts of men as they tried to call me back. No one was going to stop me from breaking into that building and saving the boy from my past. If there was a way to save him, then I'd be willing to take that risk.
The instant I crashed through the already burning door, the shouting voices of men disappeared. I almost thought I heard someone cackle maliciously, but I must've confused it with the crackling sound of fire. I did notice that the fire etched along the walls, but I never expected to see their enormous forms so quickly after long years of absence.
Christine, it's been a while… Give me a hug…
The scorching, unbearable heat and the thick, damp air, mixed with that noxious smoke, were all too familiar. I had to cover my face from the nearby flames that ate away at a table left at the entrance.
"Benny!" I shouted as loud as I could, "Benny, can you hear me?! I'm here to save you!"
The smoke had not yet affected my lungs, but my eyes weren't spared as they stung. I had to narrow them, almost walking blindly down the hallway.
"Benny, you've got to tell me where you are!! Make a noise, scream, anything!"
I had to make haste, so I sped down the hallway to reach the stairs, and escalated stairway in a circle, avoiding all possible flames lunging at me.
You've grown a lot… Let me touch you…
I screamed and recoiled my arm when it came in contact with a fired wall. I stopped for a short moment to look at my injured limb. The skin was burned and the flesh bled faintly, but the wound stung in the open, smoky air. I made no attempt to touch it, knowing that it would only pain me more. The wounds wasn't all too bad, but it wasn't bearable, either.
I resumed my run, making bigger leaps instead of climbing every step of the stairs. I noticed on my way multiple pieces of debris on the ground. That detail had completely escaped my mind, which was already crammed up with other worries, until I had to stop dead in my tracks before reaching the third floor. The middle of the concrete staircase had broken down, and thus a huge gap lay between me and the third floor. I peered over the gorge, from where I could see the debris I had vaguely spotted before. They were part of this staircase that led to the third floor!
Crud, what now?
"Mommy? Mommy, is that you? Where are you?"
My head shot up. The high-pitched voice of a boy reached all the way down here. I grew more nervous, for he sounded a lot younger than I expected.
Where are you going?
I felt the heat of the fire behind me. I turned around. Flames crept up the stairs, drawing themselves closer to me. I looked back down into the gap, and saw the inferno progressively emanating from the depth to attain the next level of the apartment.
There was no way of going back, and it was out of the question to fall down into the hole. There wasn't much time left, either, and the only choice I had was to continue forward. For that, I needed to jump.
Fear. Its presence was here, numbing my systems and bringing forth the forgotten memories that I desperately tried to ignore without any success. All of this… It was like déjà-vu. I remember what effect the smoke had when entering my lungs. I remember the flames eating away at my toys and my belongings, and the jump…
Don't worry yourself with that. Come to me…
The smoke already had penetrated my lungs. I coughed out to get clean air, but the past kept reminding me that there was no clean air when fire breathed out its intoxicated fumes onto their prey. I was losing focus on my objective as my sight began to blacken. Reality slowly dimmed and spiraled into a blur…
"MOMMY! MOMMY!"
The boy's outcry had given me a mental slap. My senses were brought back, and I found my strength once more. I had fixed a goal in my mind, and I nearly submitted myself to the hopelessness the fire had impersonated. And with the heat, flames and smoke, I sensed its new attempt of reviving the past. Out of fear of drowning into my memories again, I rapidly dug my nails into the freshly burned wound. I jolted my head up and groaned painfully, feeling the flesh irritating as it spread its pain throughout my whole arm. Wheezing out, I pulled my fingers back out. Reality remained, and so did the reason that persuaded me to enter this building in the first place.
"Benny! I'm not your mom, but I'm here to help you! Where are you?" I cried out, struggling with that newly-found pain that I had regretfully aggravated, hoping that an answer would come soon.
"Upstairs…" he replied back, his words distinctly stuck in his throat, turning into a choked weep.
I bit my lower lip and shook gently my head. "Oh, doggone it." I whispered gravely, eyes stuck at what was left of the staircase. Nerves trembling further at the sight of the hole before me, I was in complete hesitation. My mind was set in a struggle, and fears were developing. I was afraid to make a false move. I was afraid to jump. I was afraid of the deadly fire.. I was afraid for the boy's sanity. But worst of all, I feared the past coming to life and repeating its history.
"Not on my watch…" I growled, though I couldn't tell if it was a loud growl or a soft shout, or even a whimper. But that didn't matter. I took a few steps back and made the greatest leap of my life.
It was hard to tell from that moment on reality and past apart. I lived in both far-distanced time at the same instant as I soared through the air, flames from the sides and from below stretching out as far as they could to catch me. Was it me jumping, or my past self?
I groaned loud when my abdomen hit hard against the edge of the broken stairs. The gravity pulled me towards the infernal abyss. The soles of my feet were heating up, and its source of heat rose higher up to clutch at my legs.
Christine…
After hearing that deadly whisper from the sprouting flames, I desperately sought out all the strength I had left within me and pressed my arms against the floor of the staircase before finally pulling myself up from what seemed like the fiery pit of hell.
No!
Up on my feet, I quickly made my way up the remaining stairs. It proved to be tough, not as strenuous as the jump, but my stomach screamed in pain and forced me into grunts and hisses after every stair I rapidly climbed. I knew that holding my arm against it wouldn't help, but at least I knew it was there for comfort.
How stupid I was to think in a time like this about my own pain when I should actually be thinking of the boy. Forget about the agonizing arm, the hurting stomach… Too late.
Breathless, I reached finally the fourth floor. When I thought all was going to get easier, I had to be sadly contradicted. I faced three doors. Left, middle and right.
Feeling in need of a guide, I called out once more. "Benny, where are you?" Silence. Nothing was heard.
"Benny?"
I decided for the middle door, or what was left of it. Most of it was burnt or just gone. The door broke off when I pushed it open, and I rapidly walked over it, hearing its crunch as I stepped on it. I tore through the apartment, hissing at the feel of the flames on my arms and shouting out his name over and over again through every of this former home.
"Benny! You've gotta tell me where you are!"
I reached the living room from the entrance's doorway, connected by the left with a kitchen. In the middle of the room was a small table with a lamp that hung over it by the ceiling. A tv was in the right corner and beside it a set of window doors that led to a small balcony. If it weren't for the flames, merciless, attacking and slowly burning everything in their path(including the tv that sparked up), and that this place wasn't bathed in a crimson, fiery color, it would have been more welcoming and cozy. Nothing was left whole.
I came to one fire-raging room, the air clogged by smoke and brimstone. My heart dropped as I saw the body of a boy lying motionless before me. One blink of an eye, I saw someone else. Another blink, it was the boy again.
I rushed to his side and shook him around roughly.
"Hey, Benny, wake up!"
I checked everything on him, if not his heartbeat at the very least, and boy how it pounded against his chest. Alive. He fainted, and that was all I could deduct, since my knowledge of physical conditions was quite limited.
"Don't worry, I'll get you out of here." I said, even if I knew he wouldn't hear me. But I suppose he wouldn't mind if I said it to myself as well.
This young boy must've been about four years old, since he was still quite small and light to carry. I paced out of the smoky room with the boy in pajamas to get out of the apartment. A whispering laughter was suddenly heard. I arrived at the front door of this home and cursed under my breath when I saw the exit being blocked by some recently-shed debris from the next floor. It was too good to be true to get that easily out of this place.
"You've got to be kidding me…" I uttered in disbelief, "How the heck am I going to get out of here?"
I strode away from the debris, looking all around for my solution. The air was getting thick, and from the repetitive sound of crack and thud, the building was crumbling down faster than it was before. I grew more pressurized, until I found a balcony. Fortunate that nothing was blocking my way, I hurried to the windows, opening it up and running out into the open. The fumes were liberated from their crammed-up prison into the fresh air, fighting for their survival as they gained more altitude, until the air embraced them and turned them into one of its own.
Placing the boy on the ground, I walked to the edge of the balcony, peering over the metal grid. Jumping down wasn't an option, unless I had a death-wish. But I was lucky to find the group of firemen still down there.
"Hey!" I shouted out and waved at them, "Up here! We're up here!"
I knew they heard me when they looked up. Some of them were pointing at me, while others went to the truck, starting up that machine that controlled the famous white ladder. A fireman climbed onto it, and when he was in place, it arose from the ground to reach us.
"All right, stay calm and don't move!" instructed the chief through his loudspeaker.
I nodded in response and obeyed. I stood still and waited impatiently, worried about the flames that were approaching the window doors. I shut those doors to keep the fire inside and away from us. The flames didn't react too nicely as caressed the windows, nigh pounding them.
Seconds took an eternity to be achieved, and minutes were cheating time itself. But the yearned moment arrived and the cargo was before the grid with a fireman holding his hand out to me.
"Come on!" was the man's coarse cry. I made a leap for the boy and took him in my arms. Almost instantly as I had decided to head back for the fireman, a loud crack erupted from bellow.
Crack! Another one resulted in this balcony's rumbling. The ground became unstable as it began to tilt towards the ground straight after series of cracks had followed. I attempted a run, but the weight of me and the boy made this balcony incline even more. The fireman, whose face was filled of shock, pulled a lever to lower the ladder's cargo. However, even doing so, he seemed to rise higher above, though his intention was quite the opposite.
I considered the situation thoroughly, but quickly. The cargo was two heads and counting above me, the ground too delicate to be walked on freely, and the more time passed, the worst it got. Realization dawned, and I wasn't too grateful that my rescuing mission had been a waste.
Darn it…
Denying to believe that all my efforts were in vain, I lifted my arms up to the rescuer, straining as the boy's weight grew attached to the laws of gravity. "Take him! Quickly!"
Resolved and without questioning, he leaned sharply over the edge of the cargo and grabbed the boy around his stomach. I hardly had time to breathe a sigh of relief when my arms were free of its load. Returning fast to me, the man laid on the floor of his cargo, holding his empty hand out at me. "Reach!"
I stretched my hand out as far as I could, desperately trying to grab his hand. I had his fingers. And then the balcony broke.
With a loud, final crack, the balcony split and I slipped down, the fingers of a savior slipping from my grasp. I thought I was safe for now when my feet hit against the grid, but I lost balance and fell forward. For one last attempt, I reached my left hand out in the hope of catching something.
I was able to get a hold of the metal grid, and clung onto it for dear life. My weight was pulling me down, and I couldn't get my other hand to grasp the grid. Not for a moment was I spared. During the tries, a cloud of debris and dust blew into my face. I was frightened when becoming blind and confused. I fluttered my eyes to rid myself of the annoyances. Just when I thought I could see again, a heavy object crushed onto my fingers. Screaming, I released and plummeted head first to the ground. If I was crying out of fear or just because of the wind that blew into my face, I could never tell. I closed my eyes, prayed, and screamed.
"I'm coming, Christine!"
At that call, I opened my eyes again and stopped my shriek. Rocketing from below, something walloped against me and swirled my body around, until I was held in a familiar, firm grip.
"Sonic!"
Knowing that he had saved me, I instantly wrapped my hands around his stomach, never dreaming of letting go.
"Hang on tight!" he said.
As if I wasn't already.
When I looked up over our heads, I screamed hysterically as the balcony that had clung vertically onto the building was dropping down on us, reeling all the way. If that car-sized rock would hit us, it would be brutal, as it would have catapulted us back down and smashed us to the ground. However, Sonic didn't fret. He was entertained. Right before it hit us, he swayed to the side, avoiding it, and extended his right arm to catch the very edge of the grid, still using the other arm to hold me under my knee caps. As the piece of stone made one roll around, it pulled Sonic's arm and hurled both of us into the sky. We hovered in the air until, eventually, we were going down again. Dropping would be too extreme, so I'd say we were gliding our way down, using the street below us as our landing strip.
At a certain level, Sonic's arm flung up to catch a streetlamp. He didn't miss it by one bit, but we spun in circles like a wheel, before he let go, rotating furthermore until I felt his feet stomp the ground. He had landed. He set me down on the ground and, using his arm to lean my back against, he asked with curious eyes: "Are you okay?"
I shook my head. "I always get dizzy when I'm around you…" I replied back.
"If you think that's bad, then you should count the times you scream." He stated, a smile tinting in his voice, "I'm surprised you haven't lost your voice yet."
"Ah, touché…" I slapped my face and took a deep breather. Calm and comfortable, I looked at Sonic and chuckled. "I think my voice's time will come sooner or later, but right now… You saved my life. Again." I offered a grateful smile. "There are gonna be so many other times that I'll be doing it, but… Thanks, Sonic."
He gave a smirk. "You know me: always here and glad to help." He brushed his fingers on my forehead. "You could use a shower. You're pretty dirty."
"No kidding?" I replied back, patting all over my body, "I think that would be the least of my worries after all I've been through; I broke into a burning building, went up the stairs while avoiding flames, jumping over a broken stairs to get to the fourth floor, carrying an unconscious boy to the balcony and finally handing him over to a fireman. What better way to end it with a long downfall and constant spinning? There are so many times I could've died."
Somehow, I had an odd feeling that I forgot something, but couldn't remember what. My attention was easily pulled towards Sonic, whose grin spread out across his face. He allowed himself a moment of mirth.
I gave him a perplexed stare. "Hey, what's so funny?"
"You jumped, didn't you?"
"Yeah, I jumped." I said, and instantly that conclusion struck at me like lightning. "Hey, I DID jump! I can't believe it! I jumped! I actually JUMPED!"
He laughed. "And how does that feel?"
"Wow, it feels awesome!" I cried, "I feel like I can do anything!" I wanted to get up, but I winced instead when I tried moving my fingers. "Okay, well, maybe not everything… But, it's like… I'm not afraid anymore."
"Now that you've faced your fear, you can always face it again." He concluded, "Life is filled with fears. Face them all, and you can do anything."
"Well, I think I'll have to wait for them to come." I concluded, analyzing my left hand as I held it up high, "Two of my fingers are busted."
The middle-and index fingers had become numb, but at any movement they would hurt. When moving my other arm, I flinched again. "Ow, no wonder I had a feeling that I forgot something."
The hedgehog leaned his head closer to my arm. "That's a pretty bad burn… Oh man, Knuckles' gonna kill me…"
I gazed at him as he took closer looks at my wounds. There was a slight distress in his facial features, hidden by the cheerful mood of his. His eyes moved from one wound to another, looking into every detail, and they would sometimes meet my stare. With careful gestures, he patted my back. "Well, they look pretty bad, but you'll be fine, Christine. We'll just have to bring you to the hospital." He spoke with such resolution in his voice that elucidating confidentially. It was hard to imagine that they could ever be deceiving words.
What stunned me was the small, tiny crease he had there on his forehead a moment ago when he saw my wounds. The eyes were merely widened, and that expression was something I never saw anywhere on Sonic. It was there on his face, but disappeared as he gave a short sigh and took in immediately the unforgettable high-spirit attitude of his. The reaction he made, that had caught my attention, was something so new on Sonic, that I wondered why it looked so familiar. Was the vigorous hedgehog nervous? Wasn't that…?
"Do you have fears, Sonic?" I asked openly. He was momentarily still, his enthusiasm never fading, and after rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly, he opened his mouth to answer my question.
"There they are!"
How unlucky I was that the voice of a fireman prevented Sonic from answering that very peculiar question. The one to reach us in a pace was the chief of the firefighters. Either he was in desperate shock or boiling anger.
"Are you all right?!" the chief cried as he kneeled to my side, checking if I had any severe wounds.
"Uhm…" Was all I could say before he cut me off.
"Well, you've got no severe wounds, besides a little burn and two broken fingers. You're lucky that Sonic came in time to save you from that fatal fall… How about you, Sonic?"
He first lifted his feet, checking his soles, and then looked all around him. "All fine, thanks for asking, Mike." He grinned, offering a thumbs-up.
I was merely surprised when he mentioned my blue friend. "Wait, you know Sonic too?"
"Doesn't everybody?" he retorted.
I would have chuckled if his remark wasn't followed by an angry frown on his face. "You are the most reckless girl I have ever seen! No one, not even a firefighter, breaks into the building without backup! You could have died in there!"
I wasn't sure what to do when the volume of his voice increased and when his tone turned to be more aggressive. He finally sighed in defeat.
"On the other hand, you put your life at risk… How old are you?"
"Sixteen."
"Six…? You're a lot younger than I expected." He stated, "Anyway, you've put your life at risk to save this boy. I can't tell if it's by courage or foolishness, but you saved my godson's life."
I was merely stunned. "You're his godfather?"
"Yup. Benny's mother is a good friend of mine from my childhood. Best buddies, if you want, and when she got that baby eight years ago, she appointed me as his godfather."
"Ah, I see…" I replied, "I really didn't expect that…"
"How is he?" Sonic asked.
"He's all right. He's at the hospital along with his mother. The smoke knocked him out, but he'll be fine. I did get quite a shock from this event, but I'm glad that it's over." He looked my way. "Thanks to you, young girl, he's safe. You have Maylee's gratitude, and mine."
I was overwhelmed, blushing at his remark, unable to define shock or embarrassment in that moment. To thank me for doing something, I could get embarrassed, but to thank me for saving a life was whole different story. I felt proud, yet shocked that I actually went in that building.
"Y-You're welcome." I stuttered looking elsewhere, losing my pronunciation to my unstable emotions.
He might've noticed my uneasiness, so he patted on my head. "Let's get you to a hospital. You look like you could need a shower."
Oh, now where have I heard that before?
Thinking about the hedgehog, I spun my head to him. "But what about Sonic?" I objected.
"Don't you worry. You go to that hospital and I'll come back to pick you up."
"But Sonic, who knows how long that's gonna take." I complained, "I don't want to make you wait."
"I'll make a tour around the city to kill some time." He said, "You know what they say. Having your shoe-laces tied is better than having them loose when you're running."
There was an awkward silence as I tried to figure out what he meant By judging the chief's reaction, I'd state he never heard of this expression.
"Sonic's always got his ways of showing what he means, but he is right." The fireman said, "Treating you is what you should do first before anything else. Come on."
The firefighter hooked his arms around my body and lifted me up from the ground. There was another tinge of embarrassment adding to my emotions, seeing that for once, I was carried by someone else for the first time.
I looked over his shoulder, watching the hedgehog giving me a wink with his fingers. "I'll see you later, Christine."
I couldn't say goodbye before he disappeared before my eyes. The fireman chief was distracted by one of his firefighting companions, who reported all citizens to be fine, so when he turned to talk to Sonic, he was surprised to see him gone.
"Wow, he really is fast." He said baffled, "I still can't cope with that. It's unreal."
He blew away the streaks of black hair that stuck out of his helmet and that dangled down on his face, whooshing aside to reveal his cobalt-blue eyes. The wind was a greater help when he paced past the streets, pulling his hair back and preventing them from blocking his sight. He kept a straight face, even when carrying a heavy load, only to get to his destination.
I couldn't help but think about this man's grasp. Sydney, Sonic and this man… The way they held me was familiar. It dawned on me when I looked up into the man's straight face, his face crossed with concern and anxiety. These three persons had each something in common. They took all the position of an art protector, from different social point of view. One loyal butler to the end, one caring friend ever watchful, and finally a dutiful soldier of the society.
The fireman officer was nearly tackled down by medical officers with a pallet. Though I was quite in good shape, eager people around me insisted to get me to a hospital for little wounds. But who am I to complain? Broken fingers and burnt wounds are uncomfortable and painful.
The medical officers loaded me into the ambulance in subtle gestures, and took seats on a bench on my left side. Then, I noticed the fireman chief mounting on as well, sitting on the right bench. I felt completely ridiculous for such over-exaggerated hospitality, lying on a comfortable bed with straps around my waist.
"I wonder… Is this really necessary?" I asked, motioning to the chief. I already knew my response, but I wanted a little conversation with him.
"Medics are very careful with their patients." The chief said in a low tone, adding a strong accent to "very", "They think their patients are too delicate to be easily dealt with."
I giggled at his remark. Humor was what I needed in a situation like this. I decided to go on with the conversation.
"Mr Firefighter…"
"Call me Mike." He said.
"Okay, Mike. You seemed very comfortable around Sonic. How long has it been since you've known Sonic?"
His face suddenly went blank and he stared off absently to the floor. He was silent, pondering about his experience, and by the looks of it, it appeared to have affected him a lot. He smiled sheepishly. I knew that when he looked back up at me, he perceived the curiosity through my gleaming eyes.
"You really want to hear that story, dontcha?" he inquired, and after seeing my nodding response, he leaned forward and told me of how it all began.
-
Oh noes, another cliffhanger!!! :P Well, IT'S MEATLOAF-DAY!!!
Okay, I have a feeling that this YT-Poop has completely brainwashed me…
Well Courtney Gears didn't seem to mind!!!! XP
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