Chapter Thirty-Five

Mourning

When they arrived back at the palace, the guards waiting at the gates stood in shock at what they saw, they saw Rotor comforting a sobbing Alyssa, whilst Tails was trying to console Knuckles who held his dead daughter in his arms.

Tails then ran ahead and the guards opened the doors for him, Sonic, Sally and the other members of the court were there, after Lara-Su had set off the flare in the forest, and Knuckles and some of the guards and gone in search for Alyssa and Lara, Sonic, Sally and the members of the court had waited in the main hall.

As soon as Sonic and Sally saw their daughter in Rotor's arms they rushed over, but before they could embrace her, they saw Knuckles fall to the floor holding Lara-Su. "Oh my God!" cried Sally, "What happened!" Sonic also saw Lara and was shocked. "Knuckles…" he said.

"My daughter…..my only child!" Knuckles sobbed holding Lara close not caring that he had blood all over himself. Sonic and Sally then looked over to the other members of the court who also saw Lara-Su's dead body and cried out in grief and shock. "KNUCKLES!" they then heard Julie-Su coming, "Knuckles!"

Everyone stepped aside to see Julie-Su appear and run over to Knuckles who looked up at her tearfully, Julie-Su then saw the bloody body of Lara-Su. "Oh God…Lara…?" she dropped to her knees, "LARA!" she screamed as tears flowed from her eyes, "My girl! My little girl!" she threw herself on Lara and Knuckles held her close as she cried "LARA! NOOOOOOO!"

Sonic stared at them, then looked at Rotor who was still trying to comfort Alyssa, Sally then took Alyssa and held her close, "What happened! Who did this!" he demanded. The other members of the Court, Amy, Mina, Bunnie and Antonie also came to see Bunnie stared in shock, and Mina and Amy started crying.

Gabriel who was also there saw the lifeless and bloody Lara-Su and was shocked, "Oh God…" he thought, he stepped back a little not to draw attention to himself. Sonic looked at Alyssa again. "What happened!" he demanded. Alyssa looked up from crying, she had to tell her father what happened, but she was scared that they would go after Angel if she told them, but she couldn't tell them the truth otherwise she would be in serious trouble.

"The….the assassin…" she choked through her tears, "I went looking for him…..to avenge you and bring him to you myself" Sonic stood there shocked, as did everyone else as they listened. "I found him in the forest, we fought, but then Lara appeared, she must have followed me, she intervened with a gun, she and the assassin struggled with it, then the gun went off…..killing her…"

"BASTARD!" screamed Knuckles looking up at Alyssa, "THAT BASTARD KILLED MY DAUGHTER!" "Knuckles!" said Rotor "Calm down!" "NO!" shouted Knuckles. He looked up at Sonic, tears still flowing from his eyes. "YOUR DAUGHTER WENT LOOKING FOR YOUR ASSASSIN; BECAUSE OF HER MY CHILD IS DEAD! SHE LEAD LARA TO HER DEATH!"

Sally glared at Knuckles "How dare you!" she shouted, "PEACE!" shouted Sonic glaring at Knuckles, he looked at Alyssa "is this true? That you went after the assassin? You didn't know Lara was following you?" he asked, Alyssa nodded sobbing, "I didn't know Lara had followed….I didn't ask her to come after me!"

Sonic then looked at Knuckles, "Lara went to protect Alyssa; it was her duty to go and protect her, Alyssa was not aware Lara had followed" Julie-Su sobbed again and Knuckles held her close. Sonic then continued "We shall not rest until this assassin is caught! For what he did to Lara-Su, our youngest and bravest echidna in the Army, he shall die!"

As Sonic was making his speech, Gabriel had stepped away from everyone towards a door leading to the castle corridors, he stepped back further until he reached the door, then checking no-one was watching him, he opened the door and disappeared through it, he knew that if Knuckles had found out he had sent Lara after Alyssa, he would get in trouble, and maybe even demoted.

Sonic then looked at Alyssa who cried more in Sally's arms, Knuckles then looked at Alyssa again, she could see the hate in his eyes, that he believed Alyssa was responsible. "My daughter is not responsible" said Sonic "she didn't lead Lara to her death"

Knuckles growled then turned back to Julie-Su who still sobbed over Lara-Su's lifeless bloody form. Sonic then turned to Amy and Mina "take Alyssa to her room" he said. Amy and Mina nodded then helped Alyssa stand, Sally kissed Alyssa then stood with Sonic, they watched their daughter being lead away, then Sonic turned to Knuckles and Julie-Su.

We shall hold a funeral for her" he said, he looked across to some medics who had appeared, "Look after Knuckles and Julie, and help prepare for their daughter's funeral" the medics nodded and attended to Knuckles and Julie. Sonic then looked at Sally, "we shall delay the marriage Sally" he said "Alyssa is shaken up and we must give time for mourning" Sally nodded and rested against Sonic's chest saddened at Lara-Su's death.

Up in Alyssa's room, Mina and Amy had taken her to her bed and had let her grieve, Alyssa collapsed on the bed and sobbed, she sobbed at the loss of her best friend and also for Angel and what would become of him if he was caught. Outside rain began to fall and thunder shook, as if the heavens were sharing her pain.

She knew that Angel did not mean to kill Lara, but it hurt so much that she had lost her childhood friend, she was so heartbroken, she was torn and her spirit was broken. "Oh Angel" she thought "I wish you were here, I want to tell you it's not your fault….Lara killed herself….when you were struggling with the gun….."

As she cried, she heard a rustling at the window, she looked up from sobbing and almost cried out as she saw Angel standing there by the window, he was soaked from the rain and his eyes were red from tears. "Angel!" she cried "What…what are you doing here! My father will kill you if they find you here!"

Angel shook his head, "my life doesn't matter now…" he said, "I had to see you" Alyssa stood up from her bed and ran over to him throwing her arms around him. As she did Angel cried again "I'm sorry Alyssa…." He sobbed as he embraced her back "I swear…I didn't…" "I know…" Alyssa sobbed back as she embraced him "I know...Lara's gun went off...it wasn't your fault...".

Angel held her close with passion and they cried together, "I love you Alyssa" Angel whispered as they sat on her bed together, "And I love you…" whispered Alyssa embracing him and not wanting to let go, Angel nuzzled into her hair and they continued to embrace comforting each other.

Poor Knuckles and Julie-Su losing their only child, And Gabriel's a real coward!