A few days passed as they sailed toward home, and Sonic was getting antsier the more time went by. The closer they got, the sooner he could disembark, and any task given to him was done within seconds, leaving him bored out of his mind for hours on end. So he began talking more with the crew members.
He avoided Jet and his gang, and Bean and Bark seemed to care very little about him, ignoring him and his attempts to start a conversation. And Mimic still just downright gave him the creeps, though he wasn't going to say it aloud. So he talked to the others instead.
He got along just fine with Tangle and Whisper, and Miles too, though he still didn't quite know if he could be trusted. The kid seemed to enjoy his company though, and Sonic was happy to let him chatter about the various things he'd learned about in his books. It turned out he loved studying physics, and was working on designs for a machine that could fly.
"I've been trying to figure out a way to get it to go fast enough to stay in the air," Miles told him, showing him sketches of a wooden machine with canvas wings on top in a little notebook he kept with him in the crow's nest. He pointed to the platform it seemed one was supposed to sit upon. "But because there's nothing here to shield the passenger from the winds and lower the drag encountered, it's way too slow. So it falls. Slowly, thanks to the wings, but it still falls."
"Have you actually made this thing?" Sonic asked.
Miles nodded, his eyes lighting up. "I have!" he replied enthusiastically. "I couldn't bring it with me, obviously, but it's hidden in a shack I have in the forest on South Island. I could show it to you when we go ashore!"
Sonic smiled. "I'd like that," he said. "By the way, is it okay if I call you Tails? I don't know, Miles sounds…"
"Too grown-up, I know," the fox replied. "And… I guess so. As long as you don't mean it as an insult or anything."
"I don't," Sonic promised. "I don't call someone a nickname unless I like them. Except when I like their real name better."
"Is that why you call Rosy by her first name?" Tails asked.
"Well, kind of," Sonic replied awkwardly, unsure of how to steer the conversation in a different direction. He was not talking about his love life with this kid, trustworthy or not.
Just then, Sonic heard the rope ladder squeak as someone climbed up to the crow's nest, and a moment later Amy's face peered over the tiny rail. "Oh, there you are, Sonic," she said with a smile. "I've been looking for you. Shadow and I need to talk to you about something."
Nerves fluttered in Sonic's stomach. What could this be about? But he nodded and stood. "Okay, I'll be right there," he said, and Amy descended the rope ladder as he turned to wave at Tails. "I'll see you later," he said.
Tails smiled at him. "Yep!" he chirped. "See ya!"
Sonic jumped down from the crow's nest, landing in a crouch next to Amy, who gave a start and smacked him playfully on the arm. "Don't do that," she scolded. "You nearly gave me a heart attack."
"Sorry," Sonic laughed. "It was faster though."
Amy huffed and rolled her eyes, almost as if she were mimicking Shadow, but Sonic could see the smile tugging at her lips as she struggled to keep a straight face. He couldn't help the dorky grin that spread across his own face as he followed her to the captain's quarters. She opened the door and ushered Sonic in, and he looked around and saw Shadow frowning as he stared down at the five cards lying face-up on Amy's desk. Each card was decorated with vivid imagery, mobians in fanciful clothing drawn in various colors and poses. It took Sonic a moment to recognize them as tarot cards.
"Come take a look at this," Amy said, and Shadow stepped aside to let Sonic look. The five cards were lined up in a row, except for three in the center, one lying on top of the other two.
Amy sat down in the chair in front of the desk. "I did this reading for Shadow, but we thought you should see it too." She pointed at the card furthest to the left, the imagery depicting ten swords stabbing the back of a sparrow. "This is what has brought us to this point," she said. "The ten of Swords represents betrayal here, which we're pretty sure is referring to Kintobor betraying Shadow, but it could also mean one of the crewmates has betrayed us."
"Both are true at this point, I don't think there's any point in denying it," Shadow sighed.
Amy shrugged and nodded, then pointed to the center trio, setting her finger on the top card, which had a picture of eight long sticks of wood zooming behind a red hedgehog. It was upside down. "This is the card that I pulled, and the other two fell out while I was shuffling," Amy said. "This is where we are now. The eight of Wands reversed, which shows slow progression and hesitant decisions, but beneath it lies the seven of Swords upright and the ace of Cups. These are… very confusing."
"What do the second two mean?" Sonic asked.
"The seven of Swords represents deception," Amy answered. "And that would make enough sense, we already know someone on this ship smuggled you on board. But it's the ace of Cups that seems out of place here."
"Why is that?" Sonic asked.
"Because it represents something completely different," Amy said with a puzzled frown. "The ace of Cups often represents new love, or overflowing emotions , or even creativity. It seems out of place considering the other two cards it's grouped with. Besides, why would these show up for Shadow? He's made pretty quick decisions so far, and while the seven of Swords makes sense, the Ace of Cups still doesn't make much sense."
"I… may have an idea about it," Shadow said, and was it just Sonic or was he blushing? "But that's a personal matter. I'll speak with you later in private."
Amy still looked puzzled, but she nodded reluctantly, moving on to the final card, which had the image of a stone tower falling as lightning struck and destroyed it. "This is what we face in the journey ahead," she said, her tone much more worried now. "The Tower represents sudden disaster and upheaval. And given that it's a major arcanum, it's going to be big."
She turned to Sonic, her eyes pleading. "Is there anything you can tell us about what we might find on the island?" Amy asked.
Sonic thought for a moment, then said, "Kintobor has spies everywhere. He's got almost all the humans on his side, so we can't trust anyone still in the cities. He's rounded up almost all the mobians. And sometimes he deploys wooden figures brought to life by magicians, which are dangerous and just creepy overall, but knowing what you two are capable of, I'm not worried about that."
That got a tiny smile out of Amy. "Still," she said. "That card can't be a good omen… what do you think, Shadow?"
"I agree," Shadow said with a nod, frowning. "I feel uneasy looking at it as well, but the best we can do is stay alert."
Sonic nodded in agreement. "Shadow's right," he said, ignoring the glare the captain aimed his way at the use of his first name. "We'll have to be ready for anything. Cross that bridge when we get to it. Besides, right now we need to be focusing on finding the traitor, right?"
"Right," Amy replied with a nod, glancing over at the cards again. She hummed in thought for a moment, then turned back to Sonic. "This might seem a little strange, but could I do a reading for you too? It might help us figure out another piece of the puzzle."
Sonic shrugged. "Sure," he said. "If you guys really think it would help."
Shadow nodded. "That's probably a good idea," he said.
Amy nodded and scooped up the cards on her desk, putting them back into the deck and—after knocking them against the desk a couple of times—began to shuffle the cards, her eyes gently closed. She shuffled for a few moments, then her eyes opened and she carefully picked up the top card and laid it face down. She repeated this a few times, once a card falling out as she shuffled. By the time she was finished, there were four cards on the desk in front of her.
Amy took a deep breath and revealed the first card, finding an image of a mobian goldfish weeping, five cups lying on their sides at her feet. Amy's eyes softened sadly. "Loss is what brings you here," she said quietly. "You've lost so much, and it was because of this loss that you were at the palace that morning, right?"
Sonic nodded, and Amy continued. "Well, we already knew that," she said. "But at least we know we're on the right track."
She turned over the second card in the middle, revealing a mobian creature that looked similar Mimic with seven chalices in front of her, each with various items inside them. The card was upside-down. "You are confused by something, maybe," Amy said. "There are too many choices being presented to you right now, and you don't know which way to go. Any idea what this refers to?"
"Nope," Sonic lied, his stomach squirming as his cheeks heated. "The only thing I'm confused about is what animal that is. Mimic is one of those, right?"
Shadow raised an eyebrow at him, narrowing his eyes at him in suspicion, and Sonic immediately felt guilty. But he answered, "That is an octopus, and yes, Mimic is one."
Sonic nodded, shrugging with an awkward smile. But his thoughts were reeling as he looked back at the cards, guilt buzzing in his gut. He really didn't want to lie to either of them, but he could barely face the truth himself. How was he supposed to explain that he wanted to be with both of them and yet didn't at the same time?
It wouldn't end well, and Sonic decided to leave well enough alone. Not to mention the fact that he still hadn't quite let go of the feelings he had for Sally.
Amy didn't seem like she believed him either, but she moved on to the last two cards anyway. Her eyes widened as she took in the images of two little guppies hugging each other happily, six cups surrounding them, and two adult sea jellies, each holding out a cup to the other and smiling flirtatiously.
"Hmmm," Amy hummed. "There are a lot of cups in this reading. Your journey is being driven by people and emotions. The six of Cups could refer to you reuniting with your siblings, so that's a good sign. And… It looks like you will find yourself entering some kind of partnership. I can't tell what kind though. It could be romantic…"
Sonic felt his cheeks flush again, and he chuckled nervously. "I kinda doubt that one," he said. My brain is terrible at liking people who are actually available, he thought.
Amy shrugged. "Well, that didn't answer any of the questions we were actually asking, but maybe that was helpful for you," she said, putting the cards back in the deck at the bottom. "Good luck with your decision. You're a terrible liar, by the way."
She smiled at him and laughed as he blushed again. Then she put the cards at the bottom of her tarot deck, set it down, and pushed past him, leaving him and Shadow alone in the room as she headed out onto the deck.
Shadow looked at Sonic uncertainly. "What are you keeping from me, Sonic?" he asked, and Sonic thought he might have heard a hurt tone in his voice.
Guilt squirmed even more in his stomach, and he couldn't meet Shadow's eyes. "I promise, it's nothing important," he said. "It has nothing to do with why I'm on the ship." Another half lie, and he knew Shadow could tell because the captain took a step towards him, his brow furrowing.
Shadow stood there for a moment, then sighed. "Please," he said. "Be honest with me. What are you hiding?"
"Shadow, trust me, it's not important," Sonic insisted, chuckling awkwardly. "It doesn't matter and it doesn't affect what we're going to do."
"Yes it does," Shadow countered. "Because I'm not going to help you until I can be sure I can trust you! I've dealt with enough betrayal in the past few days, Sonic. I'd rather you not stab me in the back too!"
Sonic tried to ignore the stabbing feeling in his chest at the realization that Shadow really thought he would do something like that. He understood where the feeling was coming from though, and it was a strange combination of this pain and understanding that made him go quiet for several moments.
He searched Shadow's face, finding everything blank except for his crimson eyes, hope and fear and… something else shining in them. Sonic hesitated, then said, "I've… caught feelings for Amy."
Shadow's eyes widened, but he said nothing, as if he sensed there was more to it than that. So Sonic kept going, his heart in his throat as he forced out the rest. "And… for you too… But I'm still in love with my best friend, and I wouldn't want to step on you and Amy even if I wasn't. So… there. That's it. If you want me to just keep my distance—"
"No!" Shadow said hurriedly, then he cleared his throat. "No, you don't… you don't have to keep your distance from us. It's… it's strange, but I've had my suspicions for a little while now."
Sonic smiled, once again ignoring that familiar cracking feeling in his chest as he turned around, heading towards the door. "Yeah, well, great to know I'm like an open book," he said dryly. He stopped when he set his hand on the doorknob, and his voice was quiet as he said, "Just… please don't tell anyone else about this."
Suddenly, there was a gentle hand on his shoulder, and he turned to finding Shadow gazing solemnly at him, his eyes softer than he'd ever seen them. Butterflies fluttered at the touch as he lingered, and Sonic wasn't sure what he wanted or even should have wanted in that moment. Did he want to shake off his hand or lean into him? What was he supposed to do?
"I won't," Shadow promised. Then he let go, and Sonic turned the knob and left the captain's quarters, his chest and mind reeling and feeling heavier than before. He leaned against the door for a moment, burying his face in his hands, trying to get his heart to stop hammering in his chest. Trying to sort through the onslaught of confused thoughts and fear careening through his mind. He fought back tears as he made himself take a deep breath and walk away from Shadow's quarters.
That night, Whisper approached him after everyone else had gone to sleep. He'd still been awake, unable to quiet his thoughts, and so he'd heard her sneaking up the rigging and saw her masked face peek up over the beam he'd continued to sleep on since his first day on the ship. "What's up?" he whispered.
"Found something," Whisper replied. "C'mon."
Sonic quietly obeyed, careful not to wake Miles–Tails with the sound of his boots thumping against the wood as he walked along the beam and followed Whisper down the rigging. He heard her carefully pry up a floorboard, and along with the spirit creature from last night, more similar ones emerged from beneath the deck. Whisper had explained that they were nature spirits of a sort called wisps, though she wasn't sure if that was their true name or not. A blue cube-shaped one, a thin cyan one with a single angry-looking eye in the middle of its body, and several others floated around her excitedly, murmuring in their squeaky spirit language.
One was a little blue-green green spirit that kept flickering in and out of sight like a ghost, and it had no eyes, only a jagged mouth. It slowly approached Sonic, then flew away, hiding itself completely.
Whisper nodded once at the spirits' chatter. "Good," she said. "Ghost?"
The little jade wisp appeared again, continuing to flicker in and out of view. "Take him into the hold," Whisper told it, and it disappeared once again with a frightened squeak. "Don't worry," she continued gently. "He won't hurt you."
The wisp reappeared and hesitated, then it startled Sonic by diving into his body, which started flickering in the exact same way. Sonic stared at Whisper in astonishment. "What the—?"
"Shhh," Whisper hissed. "Go down to the hold. There's something down there behind the barrels. Hurry."
Sonic nodded, then headed towards the hold, and he would have tried to open the door if he could even touch it. It seemed that the only thing he was able to touch was the deck beneath him. So he tentatively reached through the door, stepping through into the dark space.
He stepped through the stacks of barrels, the smell of red wine greeting his nose not unpleasantly. On the other side of the barrels was a little alcove, and he could make out a mirror and several unlit candles on a table in the dim, flickering glow coming from his body. It didn't seem all that remarkable at first. Maybe someone had put these things here while they were loading and forgotten about them. That was until the mirror started glowing, and a familiar face appeared within it.
Sonic went invisible, and he could almost feel the creature inside quivering with fear somewhere in his chest as the Infinite's scarred face looked up from the mirror. "He's not here," he muttered. "Where is he?"
"Oh, relax," Sonic heard another voice say, his blood heating as he realized it belonged to Martin. "I'm sure he's got the situation under control. He might have failed to get rid of the hedgehog before he woke up, but he's not going to let them come back to shore."
Infinite sighed. "You're probably right," he relented. "But still… I want to confirm it myself."
At that moment, the wisp burst out of Sonic's body with a loud pop, then drifted back through the wine barrels. Sonic reached out after it too late as it disappeared. He swore under his breath, then turned his attention back to the mirror.
He saw Infinite freeze, narrowing his one good eye. "Who is there?" he demanded. "Mimic, is that you?"
Sonic said nothing, scouring the floor for something solid. After a moment he found a heavy stone about the size of his palm, polished smooth. He hefted it a couple of times, then raised his hand to smash it… then he stopped, setting the stone down as his words finally registered in his mind.
Mimic.
He was the traitor.
Shadow needed to know about this.
Now the problem was getting out, Sonic realized as he looked around the space. There was a tiny hole between a couple of the wine barrels–which must have been how Whisper had found out there was something her–but there was no way he could squeeze through it. He wondered how Mimic was able to get in here, the octopus being about the same size as him. He grabbed the mirror, careful to point its line of sight away from himself as he continued to search for a way out.
Just then, he caught sight of a soft green glow in his peripheral vision and looked to find the little jade wisp had appeared next to his shoulder. Though it had no eyes it was facing him, tilting its head curiously. "Mind helping me out?" he whispered. Ghost hesitated, then flew back into Sonic's body, making him once again intangible. Luckily this also extended to the mirror–perhaps it didn't affect what he was already touching before the possession took effect–and he was able to keep his grip on it as he walked through the barrels and the door and back out into the salty night air.
Ghost popped out again, flying quickly back to Whisper. Sonic pointed the mirror at the deck, though now it was pointless; Infinite and Martin were gone. "I know whose this is," he whispered. "And Shadow needs to know about it."
Whisper nodded in agreement, then reached out her hand to take the mirror. "I'll take it to him in the morning," she said. There was something about her voice now… it sounded off, but Sonic didn't know how to describe it. Almost… deeper?
Sonic shook his head, bringing the mirror closer to him and out of Whisper's reach. "No, he needs to know now," he insisted.
Before Whisper could argue again, one of the wisps, a pale blue one with a single eye started screaming, flying around Whisper frantically. Soon the other wisps joined it, screaming in their garbled language. Whisper brought her hands up as if to swat them away, and Sonic's stomach dropped as he saw suction cups on her palms.
Mimic.
