A/N: Alright here's the next chapter everyone. I tried to make it a little bit longer. I hope this will solidify some relationships and make things clear as to how emotions are playing their role in the core squad and in the members being left behind. Let me know what you think, I'll try to update soon!
R&R!
Chapter 28
It had been decided, at last the Core squad had been formed. The leader was East Sector's Shadow, Second was Amy of Central, Tikal of the West was to be the medic, North sector member, Marine would be the team tech, and Strom of the South Sector would be their muscle. The techs had finished an emerald locater and the time to obtain the master emerald had come.
The squad stood outside, somewhere saying their farewells, while others were lost in the memory of how they ended here and now.
"You will be West Sector's representative." Espio had his hand on her shoulder. There was no objections by any of the other members. "You know more about this emerald than anyone, they will need you if something happens, you may be the only one that would know what to do."
Tikal seemed a little faint hearted and nervous. She didn't like being separated from her family. She was afraid, but she wouldn't say such things as she knew it would only worry her friends. "Okay I will go Espio." She nodded.
Mina and Honey wrapped their arms around her comfortingly. They knew how scared she was as her eyes brimmed with tears. "Don't cry Tikal it will be alright." Honey petted her head.
"Yes, listen to Honey, things are going to be fine you'll see, the others will protect you, just as we do. You'll be alright I promise." Espio's second was very protective of Tikal, she was like her little sister, and she was always trying to protect her.
Silver had moved away from the other leaders as they continued to talk. His medic, Blaze, had said she need a quick word. "What is it Blaze?" He asked.
"You need to at least say something to her before she leaves." She said with one hand on her hip.
"Is this what you wanted to talk about." He sighed turning to walk away.
"Hey," She spoke in a tone that only Silver ever heard, it was like that of a sister, who knew just as much as he did, if not more. "Don't turn away like its nothing, like she's nothing." She approached him still talking to his back. "True this team is made of strong members, but there is no guarantee Silver, no one can promise that she will come back with them. Don't you think you at least owe her a farewell?" She took a step closer. "Don't you think you owe yourself the same?" The white hedgehog sighed as he looked to the side. Blaze knew that sigh well, it was one of defeat. "I'll distract the others long enough for you to talk to her." Blaze walked over to the others gathering them around, she called the squad members closest, but told Tikal to wait there as she was only going to give some medic tips that they might be able to use.
Tikal stood quietly with one hand resting over the other. She felt a prescience behind her and looked over her shoulder. "Silver?"
"Hello Tikal." He said moving to stand by her side. "I...I just wanted to tell you goodbye." He said as his eyes looked to the side his cheeks had a slightly red blush. "And to be careful, you must come back safely."
Tikal looked at him blankly for a moment her eyes only staring at his face. She looked over at the others, all were focused on Blaze's speech. Tikal looked back to Silver who's eyes were still averted to the side. She moved in close and leaned up on her toes and kissed Silver right on the cheek. Silver's eyes widened as his face turned completely red. He looked down at her. Tikal was smiling a very small and soft smile. Her eyes were half closed and her own cheeks blushed bright red. This time her eyes were averted slightly to the side. "Okay...I will definitely come back."
Silver was dumbfounded as he stared down at the peach echidna, Blaze had finished her short lesson and the others began to break back up. Silver made eyes with Tikal one last time. "Then I will see you soon Tikal." He said in a gentle and almost excited tone as he turned and began to move back toward the others.
Tikal just smiled as she blushed watching him leave. Mina and Honey had come to and see their sister off one last time. "Hey are you alright?" Honey put her hand on her head. "Your cheeks are red, are you getting sick?"
"I'm just nervous." She said with a smile as she touched her own cheek. "And happy."
Storm stood with his South Sector team mates. He was listening to their encouragement. "You're the best muscle out of all the sectors." Wave said as she stood with her arms crossed. "You're not only very strong, but you can also fly."
Jet was on his other side. "Yes, this is why we are sending you Storm. You bring valuable strengths and skills to the squad that no one else can."
"Not to mention you kick serious robot ass." Fiona said with her arms behind her head. "They'll need those fists of yours." She smiled.
"And your brains as well." Cosmic said standing with Ray.
"That's right." Ray agreed. "You're the only one with expert knowledge on taking down a shrewder bot."
Jet but his wing on the shoulder of his friend. "Make sure you get back here, we'll need you in the fight for the Core." The others gathered closer showing their support.
"I will return." Storm said strongly. "I'll make sure the emerald returns as well, we will all have our chance at the Core." He knew his team had faith in him and he would not let them down.
"Marine, I can't think of any tech better suited to be on the Core Squad." Tails congratulated the raccoon. "You'll know just what to do if anything happens to the emerald tracker. Do you have some spare parts for it?"
"Course." She smiled. "Thanks for seeing me off. Most of my team members seem a little busy at the moment." She looked up at Tails. "Will you be glad to see me go?" She asked quietly.
"What?" He looked down so he could see her eyes. "Why would I be glad to see you go?"
"Oh it's nothing...I just well...I think I'm gonna miss you Tails." She said smiling up at him now.
"I'll miss you to Marine..." He blushed rubbing the back of his head.
"Okay I'll see you soon then." She kissed her two fingers and pressed them against his forehead. "Hold on to that for me until I get back okay." She turned and walked off to join the rest of Core squad.
"Shadow you should be the one to go." Ebony said as she and the other East Sector members sat around the fire pit in the entrance hall of the Northern base.
Void seconded the idea. "I agree, the squad will need someone that can demand respect and implement control. You will bring these things, and keep them from falling apart at the seams."
"I think it's a load of bullshit. Anyone can do that." Ash said as he crossed his arms.
Ebony looked at Scourge. "What do you think?"
"I think Shadow is just a good a choice as any of us, and I have selfish motives anyway." He said folding his arms and leaning back.
"Yeah the tail of that fox." Ash scoffed.
"Well then we are in a majority agreement." Ebony turned back to her leader. "Will you represent East Sector?"
Shadow only nodded. He could not complain, what right would he have too.
Ash approached his leader as Shadow was walking toward the other Core team members thinking of how he had been chosen for this. "Shadow." He said stopping him and making full eye contact. "Don't screw up." Ash looked at Amy. "She's not worth the rest of the world, if you asked her she would tell you the same. So keep your shit in check out there and bring back that rock."
Shadow narrowed his eyes. "Ash I hear you." He moved closer so that he and the mongoose were face to face. "Now hear me, if you ever talk to me like this again I will not hesitate to beat your face in, no matter where we are or who's watching. I will not be spoken too like that by the likes of you."
Ash just smiled slyly. "That's more like it."
"I want to represent our sector in the Core squad." Amy was standing in front of her team members.
"Amy, I say no." Sonic said with a shake of his head. "I think you've been through enough already. With the mission to the South and then all the way to East and North. It's only been eleven days you don't need to be traveling again so soon."
"Been through enough?" She repeated. "I haven't 'been through' anything." She said with her full devotion. "I've accomplished plenty of things. I haven't done anything that I didn't want to do. I wanted to go to South Sector, and I wanted to go the East, and it was my idea to come here." She said without any sign of backing down. "I want this more than anyone else. I have to see this through, if you really care about me Sonic you will let me do this."
Sonic looked at his other three team members and each in turn nodded. The blue hedgehog sighed. "Looks like even when I'm supposed to be the leader my second can still call the shots once in a while." He said looking at her. "But I guess that's your right sometimes, you were born to be a leader Amy, it seems a cruel trick of fate that you are a second." He said with a bittersweet smile.
Amy stood with her eyes fixed on the horizon. She knew it would be a dangerous mission. No one knew just what lay out there now. "Amy." She heard her name being called. She saw her fearless leader standing beside her.
"Sonic..." She faced him. She felt a little bit bad for him. She'd been kind of harsh during her demand for centrals representation. More and more she realized that Sonic only wanted to protect her, that he only wanted her to be safe and close by. The pain in his eyes was almost more than she could bare.
"It'd be a lie if I said I wanted you to go, but it'd also be a lie if I said anyone else but you could do this." He took her hand in his. "I have faith in you, I know I don't show it as often as I should, but it's because...I'd do anything to keep you by my side." He said looking ahead as she was doing. "I've never stopped loving you, even when you said you didn't love me anymore." He laced his fingers with hers. "And I'll never stop caring. You are like one of those butterflies I see in the spring. You have the same wings, yours may be invisible, but their colors are just as bright and they make me smile and make me want to go on." He finally looked at her. "I'm sorry for holding on too tightly to you, I didn't mean to crush your wings. I should know better, the more you hold on to a butterfly the more you destroy the very thing that makes it beautiful. I didn't realize I was destroying the most precious part of you. The part that no one else can see but me." He took her hand and lifted it to his lips and kissed the back of it. "I love you."
Amy blushed. "S-Sonic." She met his eyes. They were deep in a way that she had never noticed until now. In that moment she felt her heartstrings being tugged at. He loved her more than she ever realized and saw things in her that no one else did. He saw her as his own special treasure. She had always wanted to be such a thing to him, but now for this to come, wasn't it to late...wasn't she too far gone to return to the arms of the cobalt hedgehog? Now she wasn't so sure...if given the choice would she stay with this blue hedgehog that loved her so. "I will miss you." She finally embraced him her arms wrapped around him in a loving manner, for in that moment she did love him, maybe not the way he loved her, but she knew that right then and there she felt drawn to him. "I promise I will see you again. I can do this, keep your faith in me okay." She said with tear filled eyes as she hugged him tightly.
"Always." He whispered.
