Chapter Fourteen.
"Shadow!" Mario's clean Italian voice sounded through the dessert sands. "Where is my boi-a?! He tripped, falling into the dust. "Mario whats wrong?" Stanli came running, and helped the man unto his feet. "Fire is coming."
The two ran towards the tent, Shadow lay sleeping within, cradling the Buffalo tightly In his arms. "Shadow!" Mario burst through the cloths, and screamed into shadows drooping ears. He didn't wake. "Mario! Mario! Mario!" it was the stench of onions on Mario's breath that awoke him. "Whats gone?" he rose up, carefully holding the children. "The-a dessert is heating up, Cacti have-a lit aflame! We need to get the water buffalo out of the sand!" They hurriedly packed the tent, and drove Stanli's floating sandboard out of the dessert. The lasting burns of the desert left them. And they fled into the jungle.
Far through the tropic trees, and Atlantic oceans, the three drove valiantly out through the wind.
"Oh itsa me! Amario!" The young man cried sadly, hating to see their home fall away behind them. He snifled faintly, his tears like crystals falling from bright sapphire gems. He turned to Shadow and watched the collapsed hedgehog breathe evenly. His breath caught in his throat as he beheld the creature cradling the water buffalo in ebony arms as if they were his own children. "Beauty," he breathed, stroking the crimson streaks of his companion. "I'v-a never seen anything so... beautiful..."
The sandboard landed softly near the bare stump of a chopped down tree as the mustached man stared joyfully at his best friend. Stanli gasped, putting on the breaks and jumping out.
"Mario!" she hissed, poking at the stump. "Come see this!" But when she turned around to look for the plumber, her whole world plunged into unforgivable black.
. . .
"What should we do with them, Princess?" A strange, French voice laced with the want to impress filled Shadow's ears, bringing him awake and blinking.
"Whu..." He blinked and the world came into view. A formal looking chipmunk stood before him, red hair curly and wild and blue eyes sparkling. Beside her stood a properly dressed coyote with his hand on a sword, watching him with plain distrust. And behind the French coyote slouched a cowgirl rabbit, hat cocked to the side and face expressionless.
"Who are you and what do you wish with Knothole?" The coyote had his sword out and pointed at Shadow's throat, making him gulp down saliva crackling with Chaos energy.
"Twan, calm down sugah," the rabbit drawled, lowering her companion's sword with what appeared to be... a robotic arm... "Let's see what tha Princess has ta say."
The chipmunk nodded her thanks and smiled a slow, amused, and utterly gorgeous smile that sent Shadow's heart aflutter. "I'm Sally, Princess of Mobius and leader of the Freedom Fighters. It would be appreciated if you tell us who you are, and what your intentions may be. I don't know how long I can contain Antione from slitting your throat."