Hellebore
A/N: Special thanks to White Keyblade Oathkeeper, Charles T. Servant, and Galaxia the Chao for their reviews and continued reading and feedback. Thanks to Twilitbeing for the commentary. Always open to criticism, folks.
Tsunami and Olivia, neither the accomplished fighter, sighed as they lost their followers within the trees, hiding in a bush. The sea fox was gently clutching his lover's hand as she frighteningly shook within the trees. He may believe in bad luck, but Tsunami knew when he had to be the brave knight.
"There's no point continuing hiding." Tsunami said. "Let's stay away from clearings." He gazed intently into her eyes. "I'll protect you."
"I know." Olivia replied, smiling at him gently. He then turned and began dodging through the trees and the bushes, taking cover constantly, although Tsunami's ears could catch nothing. He looked all around him as the two began to make their way back. When they were certain they arrived back at their spot, they were surprised to see no one.
"At least it's clear…" Tsunami began, before he felt a sharp pain on his forehead, and then a sharp jab in his back. The four tailed fox fell to the ground, clutching for his breath, as Olivia screamed in terror.
"My, my, who the heck are these two?" A lioness asked. "Friends of hers, you think?"
"I don't care what they are…" A rather fearsome looking pig growled, who grabbed Tsunami by the collar bone. "I'm tired of searching for her! She's near!"
"Patience, Pitney." The lioness cautioned him calmly. "They certainly look like they could be friends of hers. They'll probably have what we're looking for."
"Where's your friend, you little monster?" The pig demanded, shaking the fox.
Tsunami gulped. "W-w-w-e-e-e j-j-j-u-s-t-t-t l-o-s-s-s-t h-e-e-r…" The fox stuttered so nervously that the pig could barely hear him.
"Bah, you're useless." The pig snarled as he threw the fox away from him, sending him sprawling onto the ground. He then turned toward Olivia, who was about to help Tsunami, when his sheer gaze froze her feet to the ground. "Hmm, this isn't a pretty bad snack before we set out after that brat, eh?"
"Oh, I'm not tasty at all!" Olivia cried desperately. "I taste like garlic, if you must know."
"She's an idiot." Kauri sighed. "Do as you will Pitney, but don't take too long. I'm starting to get impatient…"
"Oh, please, we've done nothing to you!" Olivia cried again, as Pitney began approaching her, and she began backing up. The pig was incredibly fast, and Olivia screamed as Pitney triumphantly surrounded her by a trunk. She quickly tried to get away, but his arm reached out and grabbed her slim figure, brining her back in front of him as she felt a hard fist in her face.
"Stay quiet and this might actually be pleasing…" The pig laughed, carefully suppressing her so she couldn't reach out with her legs, his hands lustily reaching for her body.
"Don't touch her!" Tsunami ran to get up as Kauri tried to stop him. The fox's tails defeated him, the lioness stepped on one as the fox squealed in pain, but then saved him as the panther felt three of them tap into her face, and then a wild kick send her crashing backwards.
He moved to punch Pitney, but the pig only sneered as he grabbed his fist with one hand and began to squeeze it hard. "Give up, whelp!" He grunted. "You're wasting our time."
They didn't hear the sound until a second later, as Pitney was practically slammed into by a blue blur, sending him nearly colliding into Kauri. He quickly rose in rage, but instantly grew frightened as he saw Sonic the Hedgehog (Sr.) shaking his finger at him.
"Naughty, naughty." The hedgehog shook his head. "I think it's time to lock you up."
"Damn you, hedgehog." The pig growled. "Always stopping my fun."
"We're no match for him." Kauri warned him. She then grew fearful as well, as she noticed a red echidna appear underneath the ground just next to the hedgehog, and a fox fly down on his other side.
"Where's Violet?" Tails glared at her, moving towards them with dangerous intentions.
"Ar-r-re you her-r-r father-r-r?" Tsunami stuttered. Tails whirled around, not having noticed the blue fox. He shivered, but regained control of his voice "We were traveling with her, with Shadow and all, in the service of Queen Selina."
"Shadow…" Sonic whispered, walking over to the two of them with Knuckles.
"Selina?" The fox asked, surprised. ''Where is Violet then?"
"We got attacked, and separated." Tsunami informed him. "Olivia and I were just going back for them here, where they ambushed us, when these guys came up and started…" Tsunami didn't finish, as Olivia stood behind him, clutching at him roughly.
"Well, then they're going to…" Tails began, as he noticed that both Kauri and Pitney were gone. "Sonic!" The fox alerted the hedgehog, who was giving Tsunami and Olivia a once over for bruises and wounds. "They've left! Can you go after them?"
Sonic shook his head. "They're not worth the trouble. We need to find Violet, and I want to know what Shadow's doing here."
"She's close." Tsunami assured Tails. "Olivia can find them, she's good at tracking." He looked at her worriedly, but the rabbit gave him a reassuring smile.
"From what I know of Violet, if she's gone somewhere, it would have been left."
"How in the heck do you know that so fast?" Knuckles asked incredulously.
"Um… her footprints." Olivia modestly replied.
"Let's go." Sonic told them. "Tails, alert Amy and Cosmo of our coordinates."
"This would be so much easier if we hadn't accidentally destroyed our scanners from tripping into the lake." Sonic groaned.
"I'll make them water resistant next time." Tails reassured him.
"No time for blabbing, let's get moving!" Knuckles growled. Tails nodded. He would find his daughter…
(Jump)
Violet was extremely surprised from who she saw when she teleported: Sarah, who just simply smiled when Violet appeared in front of her. "Oh, hello Violet. Finally, I've found some…"
"No time!" Violet cut her off, lunging for one of the hellebores of the ground, and carefully pulling it by the roots.
"What are you doing?" The raccoon asked, confused.
Violet waited until she removed another one to respond. "Look, Sarah. I think Richard is in that direction, just keep walking. He's really injured, and I need someone to make sure his wounds are alright. You know how to deal with basic first aid, right?" The raccoon nodded. "I'm counting on you, Sarah."
"I'll be there in a jiffy." The raccon reassured you. "I won't…"
But Violet had already teleported back to Richard. It was almost dizzying, but it wasn't the teleporting, it was the sight of his blood, of Richard's eyelids opening and closing. She rushed toward him.
"So this is what death is like." Richard whispered, not noticing her presence yet. "Long, painful, and lonely…"
"Richard!" Violet cried, the arctic fox trying to move his head to look at her face. "Richard, you have to hang in there." Violet pleaded. "At least for your parents…"
Richard winced with pain. "Violet… I don't have… any living parents…"
"Richard, what are you talking about?"
"My parents… they're dead, as I will be soon…" The fox tried to reach for her again, but he couldn't even move his arms. Violet took the hellebores in her hand and stuffed them in her mouth
"Violet…" Richard whispered. "What are you doing?"
Violet gnawed on the hellebores inside her mouth, and then spat it out, pouring some of their nectar of her own violets on her hand; mixed in with leaf and petal "I'm trying to save your life."
"Violet, Hellebores are poisonous!" He tried to cry out, but came out only as a whisper. "You could kill us both."
No, Cosmo had hellebores in her garden, didn't she? Her mother loved them. Deadly… but could save, if you wanted them to. You just had to handle them… delicately. This was the only way. The Seer knew this. But was she skilled enough?
Carefully, desperately, she applied the self-made ointment, combined with hellebore and violet, on Richard's wounds. She looked at them carefully, watching as the leaves held in the blood, the hellebore's ointment quickly tended the wound as minutes went by. She studied his face, which didn't seem to show any change. She felt like losing hope, until Richard suddenly looked up at her, and smiled. "I feel better already."
Violet beamed at him, about to embrace him, but then cringed as she felt her left hand. Suddenly, it wasn't bending as much.
"Violet… what's wrong?" Richard asked, concerned.
"Don't worry, Richard." Violet said. "Just… losing control of my left hand."
"DON'T WORRY?!" Richard cried, shocked. "Violet, if you don't get help, you'll die!"
The fox looked away from him. "I've got to get to Balthazar. I've got to stop her, before I run out of time." She looked at Richard. "I've told Sarah to come your way already. I think I know where she is… Shadow was running to the top of the mountain, and he needs me… there must be something up there that he needs me for…"
"Did you teleport without me even noticing?" Richard asked, shocked that she had just left to get some hellebores without him noticing
Violet smiled, giving him a quick peck on the cheek, as she then looked towards Richard. "Don't worry, I…" Violet then looked as her right hand, too would barely respond to her commands. Richard looked at her with anguish, but Violet just pulled away, and teleported.
Richard looked at her, and prayed silently. "I hope you didn't save me only to kill yourself…"
(Hellebore)
Sonic (Jr.) could not believe how dead it was up here, but how so much life was below them. The trees were small, grass outlining the foothills. But here, at the summit, it was rock, jagged rock, bumpy, lifeless rock. Maybe a patch of grass, but when it snowed, that grass wouldn't be there.
"Over there…" The wolf whispered. "There's my master… and the prison entrance."
Sonic Jr. looked at the entrance, a hole very much like a cave, but shielded by what looked like solid blue glass. Shadow was trying to destroy it with chaos control, but from what Sonic saw… he was having no luck.
"The lioness must be in there." The wolf told him, as they walked toward his master.
"How do you get inside?" Sonic Jr. asked the wolf.
"It has to be opened up inside." The wolf told them, and only by a key. It was made that way in case of a revolt; the soldiers could destroy the key, locking everyone inside permanently. But she has the key, and she is using it to protect herself."
"Then this was all a waste of time." Sonic snarled at him.
"Of course for you, it is." The wolf admitted, as the hedgehog glared at him. "But for my maser, these is everything, and that is why he brought Violet with him. You'd probably be a good help if you went and found her for us and brought her up here safely."
"Why don't you do that?" Sonic demanded. "You're Shadow's henchman after all, you do the grunt work."
The wolf sighed, but then looked up with pleasant surprise as Violet teleported right behind Sonic Jr., who turned around and elbowed her in the face, causing her to recoil and reach for her face, or try to, her wrists failing to bend enough.
"It's me, Sonic!" Violet cried.
"This is quite pleasant." The wolf stated.
"I'm sorry, Violet." Sonic Jr. told her, quickly scanning her nose for injury.
"Don't worry, I'm alright." She said dismissively, not wanting him to realize that she couldn't move her hands. She then turned towards behind her, noticing a familiar face lumbering towards them. "Hey, it's Cinnamon."
"Great." Sonic Jr. said sarcastically.
"Hmm." The wolf grunted. He then turned to Violet. "Violet, you should go to Shadow. He requires your aid."
Violet did not ask for what, she simply teleported next to the hedgehog, who turned emotionlessly.
"Good. I don't have to find you." Shadow glanced at her, and then eyed her hands suspiciously, which weren't hanging in a normal resting position.
"I'm fine." Violet reassured him. She looked at the solid wall… a force field, she reckoned. "Is this all you needed me for? To teleport inside?"
"More than that." Shadow added. "You'll need to open the door, and be wary of what is inside."
Violet nodded, and then when Shadow stayed quiet, she focused her energy and teleported inside. It was cold inside the doorway, and she shivered as she turned back, as Shadow looked at her, waiting for her to move on. She began to run.
She had just gotten out of eyesight when she felt her feet become numb. "The paralysis is getting worse!" Violet cried out. She looked up as the torch litted up the prison hallway. The ground was spattered with broken chairs and table. She must be in the cafeteria.
"Who's there?" A voice shouted out from the darkness. "The field's lock, did it break down?"
Violet was about to move as she nearly fallen, grasping a table to keep her standing up. Her stomach began to feel queasy. "I don't have much longer…" Violet thought to herself. "Maybe she might think I'm another prisoner."
"I don't know. Try hitting the button to close it."
There was silence for a moment, as Violet noted movement from a high tower above her. "I hit it." The voice confirmed. "Funny, wouldn't you have called me rather than… wait, you're not a prisoner!"
Violet focused her energy to teleport in front of the target as she heard something flying through the dark. The knife went through air soaring into the ground, as Violet looked into the eyes of the attacker.
She knew who it was with a mere glance. "Balthazar…" Violet whispered. She remembered seeing her seven years ago, fierce
The lioness looked at her fearfully. "How did you get up here?" She demanded. "Well, you're going down now!"
Violet knew dodging was useless; she could barely control her own movement. She teleported behind her, as Balthazar turned surprised. "Just give up." Violet told her. "I can move like this all day, through the door and out."
Balthazar roared and tried to slash her with another blade. But she disappeared. Violet heard footsteps, and knew Shadow was coming.
"I don't want to fight you." Violet said.
"Then leave." Balthazar coldly suggested.
"Why are you attacking the kingdom?" Violet asked softly.
"Violet?" Someone asked. "Where are you?"
That was Sonic Jr.
"Use your eyes, hedgehog. There could be an ambush."
That was the wolf
"None of your business." Balthazar whispered, so as to not alert the others.
Violet tried to move her arms, but they were gone now. She felt weaker now, sapped by the hellebore's poison.
"I don't have time for games!" She glared at her, barely audible. Balthazar tried to strike at her again, but found that she was too far away, and above the ground.
"What did you do!" Balthazar cried. Violet was shocked, but didn't stop focusing; She had managed to lift Balthazar off her feet with her mind.
"This way!" Sonic Jr…
"Tell me why you attacked the kingdom!" Violet demanded. "Or I'll throw you off." She knew that wouldn't happen, she knew she could barely lift her as it was, with her strength diminishing, she could be back on the ground in seconds.
"I was hired, alright, in exchange for freedom." Balthazar admitted. "Look, just let me get out of her free."
"Who hired you?"
"I don't know, I didn't see his face!" Balthazar confessed. "Come on, let me get out of here before they…"
Violet noticed Shadow moving in for a killing blow just in time. She grabbed Balthazar's hand, and moved her behind him. The hedgehog looked surprised at his miss, and then turned around to glance at Violet. "What did you do that for?!" He demanded.
"She's a prisoner, she's not going anywhere."
"You…" Balthazar looked at Shadow with fear. "You tricked me…"
"Shadow?" Violet looked at him. She looked at Balthazar as Shadow looked at her with killer intent. "You set this all up?"
"Dang, where did Shadow go?" Sonic Jr. asked from somewhere
"You're not very bright are you?"The wolf responded from somewhere close to him.
"I had to get my revenge…" Shadow snarled. "Tails denied me my revenge! That monster you defend? She killed Rouge!"
Violet turned to look at her, as Balthazar looked at him confused. "I don't know who Rouge is…"
"QUIET!" Shadow shouted at her. "You will not speak. I saw her body, dead because you started the war."
"Rouge… the bat?" Violet asked, suddenly recalling the beautiful white bat. "I thought she was Knuckle's wife?"
"She was…" Shadow admitted. He looked away at the moment, into the darkness. "But I loved her. Now… she's just another Maria…"
"I never killed a bat." Balthazar defended herself. "I swear. Just let me live! I'll take this hole over death."
"No… you shall be executed as you should have been long ago!" He glared at Violet. "Get out of the way!"
Violet hesitated. "You can't kill her like this."
"I can. Get out of my way or I'll kill you too."
"Violet!" Sonic Jr. was below them. "What are you and Shadow doing?
"No!" Violet argued. "She deserves another chance."
"Redemption?" Shadow laughed. "She blew her chance. Now, STAND ASIDE."
"NO!" Violet stubbornly resisted, forcing her hand to grab Balthazar's arm, although it was difficult and painful. She could barely see now… She quickly concentrated… thinking hard…
She opened her eyes. "Where am I?" She looked at the sand. "Is this the beach?"
Violet listened to the gentle waters. She could actually do it. She teleported back to the beach. She was more powerful than she thought. She smiled inwardly, and then turned to look at Balthazar.
"Never ever again act with malicious intent, or I will serve you justice." Violet warned her, lifting her up in the air with her mind.
"I… I won't." Balthazar replied. There was no fear on her face, and to Violet's surprise, it was sincere.
She let go of her focus, although not intentionally… she was exhausted, and needed to teleport back. She wanted to give her a long lecture, but had to go.
She thought she heard Balthazar mutter a thank you as she appeared behind Shadow, who whirled around angrily.
"What have you done?" Shadow inquired.
"I gave her release." Violet informed him.
"WHAT!" Shadow cried.
"You tricked her and used her for her own ends. I wouldn't let you execute her, but I don't have any prisons memorized either. So I freed her."
"You unleashed a great evil!" Shadow glared at her.
"No… I stopped you from committing a great evil!" Violet retorted. "Balthazar probably wouldn't have harmed anyone once she was freed."
"How do you know that?" Shadow snapped. "You're just a foolish teenager with a bleeding heart!"
"I believe what I did was right." She replied confidently. Her vision blurred, as the hellebore's poison seemed to be taking away her consciousness, as she slipped into the darkness…
A/N: Pitney and Kauri will get their punishment one day… Cliffhanger again. Next chapter: The 25th of February, if I get 40 reviews, I'll post it on Wednesday, which is my birthday!