7
Hallie giggled as she was lead through the field of wildflowers by Knuckles. "Knux, Wait up!" She called in her tiny voice.
He stopped and turned to her. I will show you the tree," he said. My dearest little sister, someday you're going to need to find it. I won't be there to help you. You must see the tree, for me. Knuckles reached for her, putting his hands on her small shoulders. Only now was Hallie aware of how much smaller she was than Knuckles. She was smaller than she already was. Hallie found that rather odd. "Hallie, are you listening?"
"Yes, Knuckles," she answered. She looked away for a moment, spotting a beautiful red rose. "Knuckles, it's your color," she said, as she handed her older brother the flower.
Smiling, he accepted it and hugged her. A low rumbling could be heard. "I have very little time, Hal," he said suddenly. Knuckles let go of Hallie and grabbed her arm. "I must leave you soon, once he finds me! But for our sake, I must show you the tree. It's how you will find me, again." He pulled her along, urgently searching.
Hallie looked up at the darkening sky. "Knuckles, what's happening?" She cried.
"Everything will be all right. Don't be afraid," Knuckles answered. He squeezed her hand, and only then did Hallie realize that Knuckles had kept the rose in his other hand the whole time, as if he cherished both Hallie and the rose that she had given him. "Just a little farther!" Strange lightning struck near by, and Hallie clung to his arm "Knuckles, I'm scared!" There it is," Knuckles breathed in relief. He let go of her hand and moved away when she tried to grab hold of his hand again.
"I'm sorry, but this is where I must leave you," he said. His form began to disappear into thin air. "At this tree, you'll bring me back. I came to show you this. Here." He handed her back the rose before becoming nothing at all.
"Knuckles." Hallie felt tears running down her cheeks as she clutched the rose to her heart.
A menacing laughter could be heard behind her. "Dear sister. Nice to see you again!" She turned to see Knuckles there, but not like he was moments before. His fur glowed an eerie green and his eyes were read, not like the soft, violet ones Hallie was used to. "I told you I would see you again, and now, it's time to do what I came for." Pure energy radiated from him and shot toward Hallie. "Ahh!" She screamed and closed her eyes, thinking the blast was going to hit her. She heard another's cry of pain, and opened an eye, only to see the blast of energy strike TJ full in the chest. He flew and landed on the blackened ground.
"Hallie." TJ was the last thing he said before his head lulled to the side, and air in his lungs escaped his body.
"TJ!" She dropped to her knees beside him and began to cry.
"He was a fool, to think he could save you." With that, Knuckles let out another laugh. "I'll see you soon, Hal."
Hallie shot up in her makeshift bed. Her body was covered in cold sweat. She looked over at TJ, and saw him sleeping only feet away. He was fine. It had only been a nightmare. Feeling tears in her eyes, she reached up and brushed her hand across her face. After wiping her eyes, she looked at her hand. It was shaking. Her whole body was. Hallie took her bedding and moved it over next to TJ and laid her head on his shoulder, then closed her eyes. Laying on him felt good. She began to relax, and before long, she was able to find sleep, again.
Hallie giggled as she was lead through the field of wildflowers by Knuckles. "Knux, Wait up!" She called in her tiny voice.
He stopped and turned to her. I will show you the tree," he said. My dearest little sister, someday you're going to need to find it. I won't be there to help you. You must see the tree, for me. Knuckles reached for her, putting his hands on her small shoulders. Only now was Hallie aware of how much smaller she was than Knuckles. She was smaller than she already was. Hallie found that rather odd. "Hallie, are you listening?"
"Yes, Knuckles," she answered. She looked away for a moment, spotting a beautiful red rose. "Knuckles, it's your color," she said, as she handed her older brother the flower.
Smiling, he accepted it and hugged her. A low rumbling could be heard. "I have very little time, Hal," he said suddenly. Knuckles let go of Hallie and grabbed her arm. "I must leave you soon, once he finds me! But for our sake, I must show you the tree. It's how you will find me, again." He pulled her along, urgently searching.
Hallie looked up at the darkening sky. "Knuckles, what's happening?" She cried.
"Everything will be all right. Don't be afraid," Knuckles answered. He squeezed her hand, and only then did Hallie realize that Knuckles had kept the rose in his other hand the whole time, as if he cherished both Hallie and the rose that she had given him. "Just a little farther!" Strange lightning struck near by, and Hallie clung to his arm "Knuckles, I'm scared!" There it is," Knuckles breathed in relief. He let go of her hand and moved away when she tried to grab hold of his hand again.
"I'm sorry, but this is where I must leave you," he said. His form began to disappear into thin air. "At this tree, you'll bring me back. I came to show you this. Here." He handed her back the rose before becoming nothing at all.
"Knuckles." Hallie felt tears running down her cheeks as she clutched the rose to her heart.
A menacing laughter could be heard behind her. "Dear sister. Nice to see you again!" She turned to see Knuckles there, but not like he was moments before. His fur glowed an eerie green and his eyes were read, not like the soft, violet ones Hallie was used to. "I told you I would see you again, and now, it's time to do what I came for." Pure energy radiated from him and shot toward Hallie. "Ahh!" She screamed and closed her eyes, thinking the blast was going to hit her. She heard another's cry of pain, and opened an eye, only to see the blast of energy strike TJ full in the chest. He flew and landed on the blackened ground.
"Hallie." TJ was the last thing he said before his head lulled to the side, and air in his lungs escaped his body.
"TJ!" She dropped to her knees beside him and began to cry.
"He was a fool, to think he could save you." With that, Knuckles let out another laugh. "I'll see you soon, Hal."
Hallie shot up in her makeshift bed. Her body was covered in cold sweat. She looked over at TJ, and saw him sleeping only feet away. He was fine. It had only been a nightmare. Feeling tears in her eyes, she reached up and brushed her hand across her face. After wiping her eyes, she looked at her hand. It was shaking. Her whole body was. Hallie took her bedding and moved it over next to TJ and laid her head on his shoulder, then closed her eyes. Laying on him felt good. She began to relax, and before long, she was able to find sleep, again.