Chapter 25

A New Path

"Well?" Cosmos asked grimly. "What are we gonna do now?"

Everyone was sitting down, with Zero and Pyro still comforting a sniffling Aeon, Cosmos with his arms crossed, and Jade beside Soul. She kept looking at him, watching his expressions change as he thought. Everyone was quiet for a while, all thinking of what they should do. Finally, Soul cleared his throat and said, "I think you should continue with your training, and then we'll get to the Cloud Council and see what –"

"That's it?" Cosmos threw his hands up. "We sit around and throw punches at each other for a while, and then go over and knock on Hooves door and say, 'okay, what now'? That's all?"

Soul glared at him and said, "I wasn't finished, Cosmos." He cleared his throat and continued, "Anyways, we should talk to the Cloud Council to see what they know about Eggman's robots so we can find a way to stop them and –"

"Get revenge for Spirit?"

"No, Cosmos, and please stop interrupting me." As tense as it was in the garden, their tempers rose quickly. Soul and Cosmos glared at each other for a while, before Jade looked between the two and said, "Well, Heart might also know something as well, since she was there when it…" She stopped, deciding against what she was going to say and saying instead, "…when it came."

Cosmos and Soul calmed down, and the soon-to-be Hero Chao gave a relieved sigh. She added, "She went to the Cloud Council to warn them, but I don't know what she'll do after that." She shrugged and glanced at Soul again. She gasped and looked down blushing as she realized he was staring at her. He tilted his head puzzled, since she never acted like this before. She was never so understanding, either, and…cooperative. Well, whatever made her like this, it was probably for the better. Hopefully it lasted long.

His thoughts were interrupted when Zero asked, "Where's Black?"

The entire group looked at each other, and a huge '?' mark was over their heads. They all turned to where Black was sitting, but there was just empty space now. If it was a cartoon, a huge arrow would be flashing and pointing at the spot he used to be. But, of course, it wasn't. (Yet!)

"Hmmmm…" Soul frowned. He looked around the garden and muttered, "The others of the clan aren't in sight, either…"

"Yes, we are."

Soul leapt up in surprise and whirled around to see Wisp and Jinx standing (and floating) behind him. The Raccoon Chao was looking at the ground and shuffling his feet, still looking guilty like he usually does. Wisp, however, was just staring at the Neutral Chao unblinking. He seemed to be deep in thought.

Soul put his hand over his racing heart and breathed, "Don't do that! I almost had a heart attack!"

Jinx flinched and muttered a 'sorry', keeping his head hung low and not looking anyone in the eye. Wisp nodded, still staring at Soul. It started to make him uneasy, so he turned back to Cosmos and said, "Well…Black's disappearance at the mention of…the robot…is quite strange…" He looked questioning at him, so the older Chao explained, "I think we should look for him, and we might as well ask him about Eggman as well." He looked down and added sourly, "He'd probably know, guarding this garden day and night…he's probably had a brush or two with him." Cosmos nodded and turned to Zero, trying to ask without words if Aeon was alright. Zero shrugged, which was the best answer he could give. The Orange Chao had a pretty shaky lip, and her eyes looked permanently wet with tears.

Everyone got up and started to separate into groups, including Wisp and Jinx. Soul, Wisp, and Pyro went one way while Cosmos, Zero, Aeon, and Jinx went another. Soul's first destination was the lake. Cosmos was heading towards the back, dangerously close to the mist. He didn't like the look of it, though, so he decided to go there last.

Soul floated, keeping a close eye on Wisp. He was curious as to what the ghost Chao was thinking. He wondered what he knew about the Blade, seeing how he was staring at him when he used it. Perhaps he knew where it came from. He remembered when Spirit presented the Phantom Blade to him, almost as if it was yesterday…

"You know, Soul," Spirit said the day after Cosmos and Zero came back from the Cloud Council. "I've watched you, and you seem more mature than everyone else. More…collected and grown-up."

Soul tilted his head and looked at him as if he was saying the weirdest thing in the world. "What…do you mean, exactly?"

Spirit smiled and pointed at him. "Like that. You choose your words carefully, and you are always trying to keep everyone in line and in order." He chuckled. "You act almost like Heart, except it's more of a 'big brother' thing than a 'doting mother' one."

Soul looked down embarrassed, mumbling, "Uhh, well, I…guess so."

"Here," Spirit held something out from behind his back. It was long and covered in a cloth. Soul took it surprised and looked down at it. He asked, "What is it?"

Spirit grinned and told him, "Just think of it as a present…from your father." His eyes glimmered for a moment, as if he was thinking of something proudly.

Soul frowned. Now that he thought about it, the way he had said that made him sound as if he was talking about someone other than him. At the time, Soul accepted it as a gift to show he was part of the family, but now… It seemed as if Spirit had given it to him for someone else. Did that mean he really wasn't an egg from the Kindergarten's Black Market? He had always thought he was and never really asked where he came from. Maybe his real father had given the Phantom Blade to Spirit so that, one day, he would give it to Soul…

But why couldn't he give it to me himself?

He snapped out of his thinking when he heard Wisp whisper, "She's gone." It took a moment to register in his mind, and another couple to figure out he was talking to him. He turned to look at Wisp (his eyes wandered when he was thinking) who was frowning. After a moment, he said, "What?"

The ghost Chao looked at him and said, "That other Chao isn't with us."

Soul blinked and said incredulously, "Pyro?" He looked around, however, and found Wisp was right.

Pyro wasn't anywhere to be seen.

Meanwhile, with Cosmos and them…

"Why'd I have to go with you?" Jinx twitched his tail angrily and huffed. They had finally gone to search through the fog after they checked everywhere else. However reluctant they were, they were also curious of where Black had gone off to. Cosmos also knew the fact that him and Spirit used to be friends, however ludicrous that sounded. So he has to at least feel some remorse, he thought to himself, ignoring the Raccoon Chao's comment. But where is he?

He was about to turn around and ask anyone if they saw anything when he heard, "Aiyeeeeeeeeeeeeee!" He whirled around and rushed over to see Aeon clinging onto the side of a hole cut into the ground with Zero trying to get her out. A rectangular hole with a stone beside it…

A grave?!? He ran over and helped Zero pull her out. She was all shaky and clinging onto Zero tightly. Cosmos glanced at Zero, then looked at the tombstone and read aloud, "Sun, a dear brother and great friend…"

Jinx gasped and hid behind Cosmos, chattering on about something no one could really understand. Cosmos looked at him, annoyed, but realized he saw something he didn't. He looked around, and was amazed.

There was Black.

HAHAHAHAHAHA!!! CLIFFIE! It must REALLY suck to be you! I know, I'm a big meanie! Heheh, but it's so much FUN!

Okay, serious now. Ahem… What will happen next? Where'd Pyro go? Will she find something? And what about Cosmos and them? What will they find out about Black? Find out (maybe) in the next awesome-ness coated chapter of 'The Chao Chronicles: The Supernovas'!

Ja ne!