Disclaimer:
All Sonic characters belong to their respective owners.
Oh, and Rikku belongs to RikkuMcClowFox on Fanfiction. (Or Slashin' Azriel Hacke on FictionPress.)
Now, on with the show!
A Candle's Darkness
"Welcome to the Station Square Diner!" A human male escorted them to a table, and the duo of Sam and Nodoka sat down.
"Here's your menus. Choose what you want, and I'll be back later." The male left as the duo looked through the menu convincingly, and Nodoka looked at Sam.
"Did you just choose any random place? This place isn't that good, y'know." Nodoka stared at Sam, who simply was hearing a soft piano in the back.
The ebony hedgehog sighed, and looked at Nodoka, his facial expression becoming slightly irritated. "…Alright, that's enough. I can't take this anymore." Sam walked up to the pianist, and tapped his shoulder.
The pianist turned around, and was punched in the head by the irritated hedgehog, effectively dazing him. "What are you doing, idiot?! You can't just punch people in the head!" Sam walked up to Nodoka, and simply sighed.
"…For one, he was staring at you, and two, his piano playing stinks!" Nodoka got up to the pianist, who had recovered from the hit, and then punched him in the face, effectively knocking him out.
"And that's what you get for staring at me, pervert!" Nodoka then walked back to her seat as people began to stare at the couple.
"…And people are staring…" The waiter came back to the duo, slightly afraid of them.
"You aren't going to punch me, now are you?" The waiter said jokingly as Sam and Nodoka just had a serious face on, and the waiter cleared his throat.
"Alright…have you decided on what you wanted to order?" Sam scrolled through the list as the waiter waited impatiently, until he finally nodded.
"I'll get the Triple Shrimp deal, with a glass of Arnold Palmer." Sam said, the waiter simply nodding, and writing on a small notepad.
"I'll get the Chicken Alfredo, along with a Boston Cooler." Nodoka said as the waiter nodded, writing on his notepad once more.
"I'll be back…talk among yourselves, mingle, and do as you'd like…" The waiter walked away, and people staring at the duo, Sam walked up to the piano.
"Well…this seems a bit quiet…" Sam said, and noticing there was a stage near the piano, he walked up on the stage.
"Hello, Station Square, this is Sam, how are you all doing?" The people simply continued to eat, and one said: "I'm doing fine."
Nodoka simply face palmed as Sam continued the comedic routine, and was about to go up, but decided not to; she wanted to see how this would turn out. "…My my…this isn't an energetic crowd…let's step it up!" He then began to breakdance, people then starting to look up at the stage.
The 'audience' clapped, and he bowed as Nodoka watched on in disbelief. "Thanks. Y'know…it's not really the same when you're single, or when you've got a relationship going on. There are pros and cons…but I've found nothing but pros in mine. Speaking of girlfriends, my girl's sitting over there, c'mon up, Nodoka!" Sam gestured for the regimental hedgehog to rise and walk to him, and she reluctantly did so as the 'audience' clapped.
"…Let's show them what we can do." Sam said, and summoning Chiharu, he got into a fighting stance.
"Right. Juuchi Yosamu!" Nodoka summoned Juuchi, and Sam rushed up to Nodoka, slicing vertically as she gracefully back flipped backward and landed on her feet.
Chiharu and Juuchi Yosamu's sword forms clashed together in a struggle, and Nodoka sweeped Sam off his feet, only for Sam to roll forward, and he pointed Chiharu at her face, Chiharu just barely touching her neck. Nodoka saw a nearby pie cart coming by, so she took a pie, and simply slammed it onto his face. "…Well…this is pretty overused." Sam said as she chuckled, the 'audience' merely responding with a bit of laughter.
Pie on his face, he took a large piece of pie, and threw at Nodoka, who simply caught it and ate it. "Blueberry…not bad." Nodoka said jokingly as Sam dematerialized Chiharu, Nodoka doing the same with Juuchi, the audience clapping in satisfaction and throwing money onto the stage, which Sam picked up as the duo walked back to their seats.
The waiter came with their respective meals, and the duo thanked the waiter as they began to eat…
"Location's been pinpointed, and I've set it to the tower." Rikku said as Tails stopped pacing and looked at Rikku.
"Alright, let's bring the two of them in. Sonic, Blaze! We've set it up!" Only Blaze entered that room with only a mere expression of sadness and guilt on her face as the foxes watched on.
"…Did something happen? Where's Sonic?" Tails asked, and Blaze looked at the duo.
"…Something happened. He'll be fine, and-"The vulpine then proceeded to dash out of the room in search of his friend, and Blaze sighed.
"You know how to work the thing?" Rikku nodded, and the T.V. screen turned to static, and Marine's voice was heard.
"Oy, it's Blaze again." Marine said, her face basically covering the screen, Blaze jumped slightly in surprise.
"No need to be so close to the screen…how is everyone?" Blaze asked, and Marine nodded.
"I'm foine. How are things on your end of the stick?" Marine said, and suddenly, an orange blur rushed into the room, and stopped, revealing it to be Tails.
"…Is he really going to be fine?" Tails said, a glimpse of worry in his eyes.
"That's what Insendius told me. I'm sure he'll be up and running in no-"A rush of wind was felt behind her, and a familiar voice chuckled.
"Missed me?" Blaze turned to face a certain cobalt hedgehog, and he hugged him.
"…I'm sorry about what happened…that was my fault, and-"
"It's fine, Blaze. You just can't help it…not really. You've got a duty, don't you?" Sonic said, stroking her cheek as Marine kept watching.
"Ooh…Blaze's got someone!" Marine said childishly, and as the lilac feline turned around to face her, Sonic pat her head with a smirk.
"…There isn't any other T.V. on that island…is there?" Blaze had a boatload of concern in her voice, and Marine nodded.
"They just built a ripper…Ur…what's that called again?" She turned to Gardon, who was just behind her.
"It's a coliseum." Gardon said, sighing as she turned to face the screen.
"Oh, roight…they built a coliseum where they captured that whale thing, and it's doing bladdy tricks in the water! A show's goin' on na', wanna see?" Marine was excited, and she pointed her camera to a coliseum, just barely able to see Blaze's large head on the screen.
"…Marine…you realize what's on that screen, right?" Blaze said, and as she got a closer look, she nodded.
"Yeah…oy, it's you!" Marine said joyfully, as Blaze just face palmed.
"…That's a show filled with tons of people, and they are watching me talk to a 12 year old." Blaze said, and taking her palm off her head, she sighed, her voice growing a bit more menacing.
"…Rikku…" Blaze said, and Rikku backed away from the flaming feline.
"Excuse me…you only asked for a radio tower, not a T.V. Besides, a T.V. is too small for the transmission to work well…" Rikku said, and Marine looked at Blaze.
"…Oy, what'd ya mean by '12 year old'?!" Marine said, and Blaze's flames growing higher, Marine backed away slowly from the screen.
Her flames suddenly died down as Sonic grasped her shoulder gently, and Marine could only laugh. "…Everyone's watching…" Marine taunted as Blaze blushed.
A massive crowd of excited people could be heard in the distance, and Rikku nodded. "…Yeah…I'm just going to go ahead and end the transmission…" A crowd quieted down, and she clicked a button, the screen turning black.
"Well…that went well." Sonic said sarcastically, and Blaze was flaming once more.
"…It went 'well'? I was humiliated!" Blaze said, turning to Sonic with a deathly glare.
"Just kidding…Whoa, wait up Blaze, calm do-"The cobalt hedgehog ran out of the room as the flaming lilac feline was chasing him outside…
"Well, I'm stuffed…Are you?" Nodoka nodded as the ebony hedgehog rose from his seat, Nodoka following.
"Yeah…pretty much."
"Hold it!" Sam said, pointing to Nodoka as people looked at the duo, and then grabbing a toothpick.
"Chicken in your teeth." Sam said, Nodoka taking the toothpick, and as people looked away, Chiharu popped up.
"…Want to give the crowd one last show? We're short on money…" Chiharu said, calculating the amount they needed, plus tax.
"Sure, why not…I've got an idea…" Juuchi said, materializing behind Chiharu.
Chiharu then dematerialized, and then from outside, rushed into the restaurant. "…Murderer!" Chiharu said, pointing to Juuchi, and Sam sighed.
"…What are you talking about, she never committed a crime!" Sam said, going on right side of the stage, Nodoka and Juuchi following.
"…We have a witness, you know." Chiharu pointed to Nodoka, and stood on the left side of the stage.
"…I'll testify…" Nodoka said, embarrassed, and people stopped eating, and started to watch the group.
"…It was today, around afternoon. She rushed up to a man in rage, and struck him on the head." Nodoka said, standing in the middle of the stage.
"Hold it! How could she have done it if she just randomly hit a person? There was no motive!"
"OBJECTION!" Chiharu grabbed a large table and placed it in front of him, slamming his hands on the table.
"She needed no motive to kill a man! She did it out of rage, didn't she?" Sam flinched, as though he was in pain, and then Nodoka amended her testimony.
"Alright, so they met once…but no time else." Nodoka said, and Sam's eyes narrowed as she said those words.
"…Gotcha!" Sam said, Nodoka slightly startled.
"…Nodoka. You tend to have a nervous habit…you tend to twitch your eye to the left when you say 'but no time else'…"
"…W-What of it?"
"…They met sometime else…if not, you met him…somewhere else. Some time…possibly before the murder!" Sam said, and Nodoka winced in pain.
"…Alright, fine…I met the guy before the murder. But that doesn't prove anything much." Nodoka said, and Juuchi sighed.
"They used to be good friends, actually." Juuchi added, and Sam nodded.
"…Well…this seems to have taken a new turn. Well, jurists? What do you think? Is she innocent, or guilty?" Sam said, turning to the 'jurists', but as a man with a long white beard, and a bald head rose, a large mecha appeared from below, and took Nodoka by the head, knocking her out.
The audience roared with applause, and Sam's eyes widened. "…Eggman!" Sam said, his fur glowing red.
"You pesky rat…where are the Chaos Emeralds!?" Eggman said, and Sam sighed.
"Who said I should tell you! Chiharu!" Sam materialized Chiharu in his sword form, and then said: "Henshin!" He had his imperial robe and pike, and pointed his weapons to Eggman.
"Hoho…it's no use!" Sam swung the pike at the mecha, which simply had a regimental barrier around it; it was using Nodoka as a power source.
"Crud…Nodoka!" Sam said, and his pike disappearing along with his clothes and Chiharu, Eggman simply scoffed.
"Foolish pest…Bring me the seven Chaos Emeralds, and I'll free this little friend of yours, alright?" Sam could only snarl as he laughed, flew up into the air and teleported to his base of operations.
"…Nodoka…" Sam said, a tear making its way out of his eye.
"Your che-"Sam threw the money in the waiter's face, and ran off to the tree houses.
"…Feh. Teenagers." The waiter simply went back to his work, and sighed.
"…Blaze, calm down…Hey!" A mecha flew down, Nodoka in its hand.
Blaze, too focused on getting revenge on Sonic, and simply ignored it as she rushed up to Sonic…only to be picked up by the mecha, its barrier turning a shade of gray. "Blaze!" Sonic rushed up to the mecha, which simply flew high into the air.
"Bring me the Chaos Emeralds, and we'll talk. Farewell, Sonic!" Eggman said, noticing Tails and Rikku had appeared to the scene.
"And another one arrives…" Eggman attempted to take Rikku, but eight daggers appeared in back of her, and she commanded a dagger to strike the arms of the mecha.
Unfortunately, it merely hit the barrier, and Rikku was taken. However, she merely took Blaze and Nodoka, and jumped off the mecha, who, flying upward, didn't notice. "Hoho! I've won this-What?!" Rikku waved at Eggman, who dropped like a rock, intending to crush the group.
Rikku merely used her ten daggers to guard against the mecha, working to great effect, as the barrier was useless; no people to harm, no energy and no actual barrier. "You're finished!" Sam said, placing Chiharu in his 'sheath', and landing in front of the mecha.
"Rikku, if you may?" Rikku moved to the side as the mecha was stuck on the ground, and Sam took Chiharu out of his 'sheath', and sliced through the mecha.
"…Your mechas might be big, but seriously…they can break REALLY easily. C'mon…it's like mere cardboard." Sam said as the mecha blew up, and Eggman flew away in an escape pod.
"Thanks, Rikku." Sam said, Rikku nodding.
"…Hey, Nodoka…wake up." Sam said, and he saw blood coming from her quills.
"…He couldn't have…" Sam said, turning the unconscious body over, to be relieved; her brain was not mush, nor visible.
"Oh. Just my imagination. C'mon…Nodoka." Sam said, his voice becoming desperate and slightly choky.
"Wake up…wake up…I know you aren't…" Sam shed a tear just thinking about it, and looked at her face, how her eyes seemed to sparkle in the light above them…along with her lips, how they seemed to let out chuckles of joy, or words of confidence, sorrow, and love.
"…C'mon…" Another tear shed, landing on the magenta dress she usually wore, and Decretus gasped at the sight.
"Quickly, get her to the infirmary! Or a bed! Whichever comes to mind first!" Sam rushed to Station Square with the body of Nodoka, searching frantically for a hospital, until he found a large one, and entered.
"Get this girl to the best doctor here."
"…We don't treat animals…"
"Does it look like I care?" The clerk simply shrugged, and called out a name: Dr. Samantha Cosmos.
"…And people call me on the day I get no one…" A feminine voice was heard, and a light blue cat with golden eyes wearing a white skirt and apron entered the room lobby, to see the group.
"…Please…help her. I beg of you…" Sam said, and the Nurse sighed, turning away from Sam.
"Well, I might…but I'm just saying, I won't get the lost time of mine back." The Nurse then carried Nodoka, and placed her inside a room.
"…You don't treat animals, and yet your best doctor is one?!" Sam turned to the clerk, who just shrugged.
"So I lied. What are you going to do, punch me in the-"Sam punched her in the face, knocking her out.
"Liar!" Sam said, and as the Nurse gave a pained look, walking up to the clerk, Sam placed a hand between the two.
"Such filth like her don't need any help; the bad sleep well." Sam's fur turned red, and Cosmos looked at him.
"Do you need any medical help as well, or is that some kind of…"
"Ability? Yes." Sam said, a red aura surrounding him as he clenched his fist, and some floor tiles began to rise, a clattering noise filling the air as the tiles rose higher, new tiles rising up as they separated from the ground noisily.
"Hey, calm down, will ya? We're tryin' to sleep!" A patient hollered from his room, and Sam's fur reverted to normal, his red fading away.
"…Now, let's see what her problem is…you owe me for this." Cosmo gestured the group to get out of the room, and she followed, closing the door behind her as she rushed to another room.
"Alright…With one good X-Ray, I'll be able to diagnose the situation. Perfect position…X-Ray firing in three, two, one…" Cosmos clicked a button on a keyboard, and a flash was seen, something popping up.
"We'll have to wait for this X-Ray, right?" Sam asked, but Cosmos shook her head.
"Nope. This is a special X-Ray machine, sent to us by someone called the 'Fallen Angel'…no idea who that is, but whatever. It instantly shows the entire body, and it instantly shows the result. The technology this guy has…it's great." Cosmos picked up the X-Ray, and pinned it against a wall, examining it thoroughly.
"…I've found it. Her skull's got a mode two fracture, and her body's in some trouble…in any normal situation, she'd be dead…But I see she isn't exactly normal, so I guess I can fix it. It won't cost you anything but time…especially with this condition, I won't mind not getting a pay." Cosmos said, and Tails realized something.
"…Aren't you a bit young to be a doctor?" Tails inquired, Cosmos merely chuckling.
"I may be, but my entire family consists of people in the health department. I must work when I'm young, so I know this stuff well. Jeez…for a 14 year old, you'd expect to have some freedom…" Cosmos said, and she placed on gloves.
"Neglect to mention…it gets pretty stressful, but I deal with it." Cosmos had a hint of sadness in her voice as she walked out of the room.
"Stay in the lobby, alright?" The group nodded as they followed Cosmos out the door, and entered the lobby.
"…Well, now that they're gone, I can finally get to work…Naoshimasu, Shitsuren!" Cosmos' hands were covered with a blue aura, and she placed her hands on Nodoka's head as the mode two fractured bone miraculously healed, the fracture simply sliding back into the proper position, also healing anything else wrong with her head.
She then struck Nodoka's body multiple times, and miraculously, the bones began to heal, and suddenly, Nodoka moaned in her sleep, startling the doctor. "…Done." Cosmos rushed out, and met the group, Sam raising a eyebrow.
"That quickly…impossible. Chiharu, scan her." Sam said, and Chiharu materialized in front of her, and walked into her, disappearing.
"…You're right, she's got a Soul-" Chiharu said, but he was cut off by Cosmo's hand.
"Don't talk!" Cosmos yelled out, and Chiharu quickly went into Sam.
"…If my secret gets out, I'll get kicked out!" Sam nodded as the startled cat whispered, and she led the group to Nodoka's room, where she was awake.
"She's fully healed." Cosmos said, and Chiharu took the time to enter Cosmos once more.
"…Hey…Nodoka? Are you there…?" Sam asked, and Nodoka grumbled.
"…Are you…" Sam began to tear, and she hugged him lazily.
"…Yes Sam. I'm here…" Nodoka said, Sam crying tears of joy as she spoke.
"There is no future…there is no past…Thank God this moment's not the last…" Sam sung as Nodoka chuckled and joined in.
"There's only us, there's only this. Forget regret, or life is yours to miss. No other road, no other way, no day but today!" The duo sung, and Cosmos sighed.
"…You're welcome." Sam hugged her as well tightly, and she blushed.
"Thank you, thank you…You've saved my life." Sam said, and Cosmos shrugged in confusion.
"What do you mean?" Cosmos said, and Tails sighed.
"…He said if she's gone, so is he." Tails said, Cosmos gasping.
"You've got some love story, don't cha?" Cosmos said, Sam shrugging.
"…It's getting late…" Chiharu said, stepping out of a surprised Cosmos.
"Your Soulbend's nice, by the way. You should talk to each other." Chiharu suggested, and Cosmos nodded.
"…I've tried. I keep trying to resonate with it, and-"
"Resonating with the Soulbend and contacting the Soulbend are two different things. Get to know it." Sam said, and Chiharu cleared his throat.
"…Anywho, it's getting late. We should get going, right?" Chiharu said, and Sonic nodded.
"Let's go." Sonic said, but Sam shook his head.
"Why not?" Sonic asked, Sam sitting down.
"…Inform Decretus of my location. Tails, if you ever get the chance, say hi to Marine and Gardon. If not, then Blaze. Rikku…well, if Sonic forgets to inform Decretus of my location, then you do it. I'm staying here." Sam said, and the rest of the group nodded, leaving the room and hospital.
"...I thought you were gone…" Sam said, shedding a tear as Nodoka walked up to him.
"I won't go that easily…I'm your little helper, aren't I?" Nodoka said, and taking a glance at a clock, she sighed: it really was getting late.
"...I guess I'm heading to sleep." Nodoka said as Sam sighed.
"Alright…but before you do…can you tell me one thing?" Sam asked, and the regimental hedgehog raised an eyebrow.
"…Do you love me?" Sam asked, and Nodoka shrugged.
"…You should know the answer to that." Nodoka said, yawning as she put a blanket over herself, and Sam simply rose and pecked her on the cheek before returning to his seat, sleeping…
Spring Break is here! With a load of free time (now that the back breaking amount of homework is done in one day…yeah, it was stressful.) I can do as I please! Well, with my parent's permission. Training, and this will probably be my main priority; the tournament's drawing closer and closer…Hope you enjoyed reading, I enjoyed typing, R&R, I'll see you next!
Translations:
Naoshimasu, Shitsuren: Mend, Broken Heart. (To be truthful, it's actually a pun; Shitsuren means Heartbroken, but in love, not literal.)
~ADarknessInHeaven
Aka: Sam