'Live Life ~Instrumental~' by Crush 40

Has anyone else noticed it say mental in 'instrumental'? lol

... Only a mental person would notice that...

SHUT UP I wrote this at three in the morning! XD

Chapter Thirty - Eight

Tails and Chris walked into the visitor's room, where Shadow was resting.

"Do you think he's going to be OK?" Chris asked as the two sat down, one on a chair, the other on the extra bed. "It sounds like he had gone through a lot before he passed out."

"I'm sure he'll be fine," Tails said reassuringly. "Although, from what Shine tells me, he sounded like he was in a lot of pain."

Chris just nodded quietly. Then he asked "So, want to catch me up on everything? Who's that little green girl?"

"Her name is Cosmo," Tails answered with a slight edge to his voice. "She came here in need of help because her species was wiped out by a group of robots called 'The Meterax'. She's the only one left in the species of the Plantarians." He looked back at Shadow, who had yet to wake up. "A Meterax came and attacked our planet, harvesting for something called 'The Planet Egg' - That's what keeps the planet alive. The Meterax seem intent on ending all life in the galaxy."

Chris blinked. "I take it the Meterax got away with the Planet Egg? Otherwise Shadow would be out there, still fighting."

Tails didn't answer. He didn't have to.

"How are you going to get the Egg back?" Chris asked.

"The only logical answer is to track the Meterax down and beat them. If we don't they'll probably just keep attacking us all until no one is left." Tails murmured.

"How are you going to follow it? It's in space, probably light years away by now."

"I have a few tricks up my sleeve."

They were silent for a moment, before Chris asked "I'm guessing Sonic is still...?"

"Yeah," Tails refused to look at Chris.

"You know," Chris began "I'm not holding anything against you, Tails. It was a long time ago-"

"Six months."

"Six years. Anyways, I know it wasn't your fault, Tails. Mortuus was too strong. Nobody could restrain it's powers."

Tails sighed. "You don't get it, do you? It was six years ago for you, but six months for me. This memory is still raw in my memory - I remember everything. That's the worst part, too. The more time passes, the more I remember." Tails finally looked at Chris, who had a fading smile dripping from his lips. "Mortuus gave me a gap in my conscious, something big enough to go through, but I didn't take the chance. I caused all this to happen."

"Nooo," Chris corrected, like he would a drooling three-year-old. "Because if that were true, wouldn't you still be infected by him?"

"No. Mortuus is free to leave whenever he wants, as far as I know." Tails couldn't believe that they were arguing about this again. He looked out the nearby window as he continued. "Mortuus uses your wants, your fears, anything that can help you a little, but it's for that monster in the long-run." Tails spat the words out like poison. "It'll promise you something, then twist it around and make the deal work for it not you." His tone softened. "I learned this the hard way..."

"What are you saying, Tails? That you wanted Sonic to die?" Chris growled suspiciously.

"No! Not at all!" Tails whipped his head around to face Chris. "I just... wanted to be a little bit more than a weak child, that's all. Everyone has something special about them, except for me. Even Cream does." Tails admitted. "When Eggman's henchmen released Mortuus into me, I tried to resist. It took over my head, though. When I woke up next, it spoke to me... It seemed to be able to see what I wanted... And.. it promised me I would get it..." Tails crossed his arms across his chest before he even realized he was doing it. "Mortuus promised that I would have unimaginable power... But it took over my head, and used that power to kill Sonic."

"Tails, you're the smartest guy I know. How can you think you're not special? Sure, you aren't as fast as Sonic, or as strong as Shadow here, but you have something that most people would beg for - Intellect. You are naturally intelligent. I had to work my ass off to get to this I.Q. level." Chris suddenly covered his mouth. "Sorry, sometimes I forget you're still a minor."

"What? 'A minor'? What is that supposed to mean?"

"That you aren't over eighteen."

"OK! I get it! You're eighteen now! Big freaking whoop! I really don't care!"

Chris laughed. "Don't change the subject." He became serious again. "Anyways, why didn't you tell us about Mortuus making false promises?"

"It made me sound like a selfish jerk who could care less about his friends and everyone around him, then die alone and ill because everyone he loved died long before him because of something he did long ago." Tails took a deep breath.

"Wow. That was very descriptive..."

"Besides... I... I didn't want to cause more trouble than I had already caused." Tails went on, a lot quieter. "Chris... Sometimes I can still smell their blood. When I close my eyes at night, I can still imagine Sonic falling limp to the ground... And every time I look at Shadow, I'm reminded of what I did..."

"I don't think it's fair that Eggman did this to you, Tails. His idiotic plans to take over have gone too far." Chris announced.

"Yeah, well, you're not the only one..." Tails muttered. Then he looked up at Chris. "While we're on the subject of Mortuus, have you found it yet?"

"No, not yet. The President seems determined to, though. He wants to find the person reasonable for Sonic's death, even though you all left such a long time ago." Chris answered, almost sourly.

"Six months."

"In my world, it was six years, OK?"

"I don't like how one month in my world is a year in your world. It's kind of annoying."

Chris didn't answer, and instead looked back at Shadow, who drooling a little in the corner of his mouth. "It seems so oddly normal for him to be unconscious or injured." Chris murmured after a while.

Tails realized how right he was. It seems that every week, or month Shadow seems to be in a deadly fight that almost kills him.

Suddenly, Vanilla popped her head into the room. "Come on, Chris I have some clothes made up for you. Shine and Cosmo have been helping me make them." Chris got up and walked out of the room with Vanilla. As they walked down the hallway, Tails could hear Vanilla say: "We need to measure your waist, still, but we're almost done. We also need to get you shoes of some sort..."

Tails sighed and looked back at Shadow. He looked angry, even in his sleep.

The young fox closed his eyes, pulling his legs up to his chest.

Scarlet liquid and bloody claws flashed before his eyes. He could feel sharp claws tearing through Shadow's flesh, hear Shadow cursing as his eye was blinded for life. The sickly-sweat smell of blood filled his nostrils and clung to his fur. Tails opened his eyes again, his fingers tightening around his knees. Tails hated being alone. He closes his eyes for one moment and is instantly back in the alley, pointing a gun straight at Sonic's heart.

"Tails?" A voice came from the doorway. Tails turned and looked at Shine, who walked into the room and sat in the chair beside Shadow's bed. "I thought I'd find you here."

Tails shrugged. "Aren't you supposed to be helping Vanilla make clothes?"

"They went out for shoes and cloth. Are you OK?"

Tails hesitated before nodding. "I'm fine. I just wanted to think some things through."

Shine was silent for a while, simply staring at her unconscious brother. For the first time, Tails wondered what little game-plan she was working on in her head. Usually, she shared this kind of thing, but she was oddly quiet on the subject today. She narrowed her eyes at her brother, he white eyes flicking around suspiciously. Suddenly Tails knew what she was thinking.

What have we all gotten ourselves into, Shadow? What have you gotten yourself into?