Chapter 7:
Train Terror.
The streets were less crowded than earlier, kids were at school, and their parents were at work, the only people left we're retired citizens and people looking for jobs. However, there was a strange darkness to the day, and only four mobians knew why. A blue car, which looked very damaged, stopped in front of a train station, known as the "Underground Express," and it's passengers and driver got out. "Tails, you take care of the tickets. Amy and Mach, go and get a snack from that restaurant, I'll take a coffee, Tails will take a Soda." Shadow ordered, then turned away towards the street. "Actually, I'd prefer a Coffee too..." Tails told Amy, and then turned to Shadow. "Where are you going?" Shadow didn't stop walking, but he did look back, and grinned. Tails shrugged and went to buy the tickets as requested. "Four to Knothole village." He said to the human behind the counter. "There may be a delay in the train today Sir, there's something up with the track... But don't worry, we have our technicians working on it." Tails didn't answer; he took his tickets and sat down on a stool, and simply waited. Ten minutes later, and Amy and Mach sat down next to him, Amy handed him his coffee, but Tails didn't drink it. He was looking at Mach. "When did you get new clothes," He asked staring at the blue hedgehog. "Turns out, that coffee place also sold clothes, talk about convenience." Mach answered, and drank his own drink. "Now I don't have to wear Shadow's old clothes." Amy did and Tails didn't tell him, but the clothes he wore we're exactly the same as the ones Shadow gave him. The only knew thing was a black jacket that Mach just "had to have." A sudden voice ranged out over them on a nearby speaker. "The train heading towards Knothole village is ready to go. Please board." Mach looked around. "Where's Shadow?" He asked, but he wasn't answered, Shadow himself walked up to them and picked up his bag. He looked focused, and didn't say a word till they we're in there seats. "Stay frosty..." He said calmly. "I'm going to look around..." Amy stood up though, and grabbed Shadow's shoulder. "Just sit down..." She said softly, Shadow knocked the hand away and looked coldly into her eyes. "I must do this..." He muttered, and then left the compartment.
***
The train was going at a steady speed when the food trolley came, Mach immediately jumped up and brought a bar of chocolate and a drink of hot chocolate, this caused Amy to laugh. "I don't even like chocolate that much!" Meanwhile, Tails looked out the window. He didn't know why but the underground filled him with a new sense of fear. He could just see Shadows whipping by, and being unable to focus on anything made him feel uncomfortable. "I wonder why Shadow keeps leaving us..." Mach asked, chewing through his sweets. Tails shrugged. "Maybe he's gone to check that the drivers ok? Or maybe he's gone to meet someone?" Amy suggested. They passed through another tunnel. Tails closed his eyes. "Sleep will help..." He thought. But before he even fell the draft of sleep come over him, Mach poked him. "I'm going to find Shadow, Amy's fallen asleep, I'll be back soon." Then Mach ran off, opened the door Shadow opened and went through. Tails looked at Amy sleep. "Sonic never did understand her..." His thoughts told him. "He always ran away from her..." "You helped her through that difficult time when Sonic died..." Tails closed his eyes again. "Don't deny it Tails, you love her..."
***
Mach didn't have to go far too find Shadow; he was busy sitting in another carriage and was checking that everyone was ok. "Shadow!" He called out over the crowd of people. Shadow didn't respond, but he did here the blue hedgehogs yell. "Shadow!" Mach tried again, this time Shadow's ear flickered at the noise but he didn't look up. "There you go Miss. Now your babies' probably strapped into her seat." And with that Shadow FINALLY walked over to Mach. "What?" Shadow asked, smirking. "Why are you helping these people?" Came Mach's first question. "You forget, we have fifteen days left. I want to keep everyone that I can keep, safe." Mach blinked. "Are you coming back to our carriage then?" Came Mach's second question. "Yes, yes... But not right now." Mach turned away. "Shadow, where is Ashura?" Shadow blinked. "Not even I know that Mach. But he will come... this event is what he spoke off. I know it." Mach sat down; Shadow went off to help more people. Mach's spines stood erect. He hit the floor with a thud, and began twitching. People around him screamed, and Shadow ran to his side. "Mach, MACH! Can you hear me?" Mach didn't show any idea on what was going on, but he suddenly stopped moving and stood up as if everything was fine, but the look on his face was different. "Something draws near, I can feel it." Were his cold words, and with that Mach sat down sweating. Shadow, however, looked panicked. "Everyone." He said to the frightened humans. "Move into the next carriage, there is a... technical problem with the wheels. Please remain calm." He was pushed aside as the humans rushed by him, leaving the compartment to Shadow and Mach. "Mach, when I say so, I want you to stand up, and stand in the middle of the carriage as fast as you can." The black hedgehog ordered, and gently drew out his sword. Mach sat still, he breathed slowly. Shadow kept the grip on his sword tight, and gently held it in front of him. "You must be quick..." Silence. Shadow breathed just as slow as Mach, keeping his eyes on everything he could... "MOVE!" Shadow ordered, Mach bounded to his feat and rolled over the floor as he heard the glass behind him shatter and a dull roar come from where the glass was. Shadow wielded his blade amazingly, and slashed the beast as it flew at Mach. Causing it to hit the ground next to Shadow, and roll to the back of the carriage. Mach ran towards it, and kicked through the door, causing it to fly out onto the tracks and disappear from sight. Shadow sat down and sighed. "You can leave the door now Mach, it's gone..." Mach obeyed, but kept his wits about and sat next to Shadow. "Was that...?" Mach started, but Shadow cut through his sentence. "Yes, it was a beast like the one you saw last night. But this one was different; I've never seen it before... It's possible that the two are related..." "How do you know that there are only two?" "That's the thing, I don't. And I hardly think we killed that one, I didn't even kill the one last night with my shotgun as you saw." The two didn't say a word. But around half an hour later, Shadow got up. Come on, we got to get rid of this carriage." Mach agreed, and the two ran into the next one and unbuckled it from the rest of the train, it roared down behind them and out of sight. Tails and Amy stared at the two hedgehogs as they entered the compartment again, they had had a good rest, but the other two hadn't, they didn't say anything but they did sit down and drink there hot chocolate. Eventually the familiar outline of the Great Forest was seen, and the Knothole Station was very near, but when they got there, they heard horrible news. "We are sorry for the inconvenience, but the train must now start back to Station Square, Please do not ask why Thank you." "But we've just arrived at Knothole!" Amy wailed. "Didn't I tell you that Knothole was destroyed?" Shadow roared, standing to his feet. "Why do you want to get there so fast...?" "To see if I can help." Amy muttered. Tails stood up, picked up his bag and opened the compartment door. "Come on!" He told his friends, and the four jumped from the moving train with there bags. A scream escaped Amy's lips, Tails turned towards the forest and understood why. The forest was in flames. "I told you..." Shadow said, and then fell to his knees.
Train Terror.
The streets were less crowded than earlier, kids were at school, and their parents were at work, the only people left we're retired citizens and people looking for jobs. However, there was a strange darkness to the day, and only four mobians knew why. A blue car, which looked very damaged, stopped in front of a train station, known as the "Underground Express," and it's passengers and driver got out. "Tails, you take care of the tickets. Amy and Mach, go and get a snack from that restaurant, I'll take a coffee, Tails will take a Soda." Shadow ordered, then turned away towards the street. "Actually, I'd prefer a Coffee too..." Tails told Amy, and then turned to Shadow. "Where are you going?" Shadow didn't stop walking, but he did look back, and grinned. Tails shrugged and went to buy the tickets as requested. "Four to Knothole village." He said to the human behind the counter. "There may be a delay in the train today Sir, there's something up with the track... But don't worry, we have our technicians working on it." Tails didn't answer; he took his tickets and sat down on a stool, and simply waited. Ten minutes later, and Amy and Mach sat down next to him, Amy handed him his coffee, but Tails didn't drink it. He was looking at Mach. "When did you get new clothes," He asked staring at the blue hedgehog. "Turns out, that coffee place also sold clothes, talk about convenience." Mach answered, and drank his own drink. "Now I don't have to wear Shadow's old clothes." Amy did and Tails didn't tell him, but the clothes he wore we're exactly the same as the ones Shadow gave him. The only knew thing was a black jacket that Mach just "had to have." A sudden voice ranged out over them on a nearby speaker. "The train heading towards Knothole village is ready to go. Please board." Mach looked around. "Where's Shadow?" He asked, but he wasn't answered, Shadow himself walked up to them and picked up his bag. He looked focused, and didn't say a word till they we're in there seats. "Stay frosty..." He said calmly. "I'm going to look around..." Amy stood up though, and grabbed Shadow's shoulder. "Just sit down..." She said softly, Shadow knocked the hand away and looked coldly into her eyes. "I must do this..." He muttered, and then left the compartment.
***
The train was going at a steady speed when the food trolley came, Mach immediately jumped up and brought a bar of chocolate and a drink of hot chocolate, this caused Amy to laugh. "I don't even like chocolate that much!" Meanwhile, Tails looked out the window. He didn't know why but the underground filled him with a new sense of fear. He could just see Shadows whipping by, and being unable to focus on anything made him feel uncomfortable. "I wonder why Shadow keeps leaving us..." Mach asked, chewing through his sweets. Tails shrugged. "Maybe he's gone to check that the drivers ok? Or maybe he's gone to meet someone?" Amy suggested. They passed through another tunnel. Tails closed his eyes. "Sleep will help..." He thought. But before he even fell the draft of sleep come over him, Mach poked him. "I'm going to find Shadow, Amy's fallen asleep, I'll be back soon." Then Mach ran off, opened the door Shadow opened and went through. Tails looked at Amy sleep. "Sonic never did understand her..." His thoughts told him. "He always ran away from her..." "You helped her through that difficult time when Sonic died..." Tails closed his eyes again. "Don't deny it Tails, you love her..."
***
Mach didn't have to go far too find Shadow; he was busy sitting in another carriage and was checking that everyone was ok. "Shadow!" He called out over the crowd of people. Shadow didn't respond, but he did here the blue hedgehogs yell. "Shadow!" Mach tried again, this time Shadow's ear flickered at the noise but he didn't look up. "There you go Miss. Now your babies' probably strapped into her seat." And with that Shadow FINALLY walked over to Mach. "What?" Shadow asked, smirking. "Why are you helping these people?" Came Mach's first question. "You forget, we have fifteen days left. I want to keep everyone that I can keep, safe." Mach blinked. "Are you coming back to our carriage then?" Came Mach's second question. "Yes, yes... But not right now." Mach turned away. "Shadow, where is Ashura?" Shadow blinked. "Not even I know that Mach. But he will come... this event is what he spoke off. I know it." Mach sat down; Shadow went off to help more people. Mach's spines stood erect. He hit the floor with a thud, and began twitching. People around him screamed, and Shadow ran to his side. "Mach, MACH! Can you hear me?" Mach didn't show any idea on what was going on, but he suddenly stopped moving and stood up as if everything was fine, but the look on his face was different. "Something draws near, I can feel it." Were his cold words, and with that Mach sat down sweating. Shadow, however, looked panicked. "Everyone." He said to the frightened humans. "Move into the next carriage, there is a... technical problem with the wheels. Please remain calm." He was pushed aside as the humans rushed by him, leaving the compartment to Shadow and Mach. "Mach, when I say so, I want you to stand up, and stand in the middle of the carriage as fast as you can." The black hedgehog ordered, and gently drew out his sword. Mach sat still, he breathed slowly. Shadow kept the grip on his sword tight, and gently held it in front of him. "You must be quick..." Silence. Shadow breathed just as slow as Mach, keeping his eyes on everything he could... "MOVE!" Shadow ordered, Mach bounded to his feat and rolled over the floor as he heard the glass behind him shatter and a dull roar come from where the glass was. Shadow wielded his blade amazingly, and slashed the beast as it flew at Mach. Causing it to hit the ground next to Shadow, and roll to the back of the carriage. Mach ran towards it, and kicked through the door, causing it to fly out onto the tracks and disappear from sight. Shadow sat down and sighed. "You can leave the door now Mach, it's gone..." Mach obeyed, but kept his wits about and sat next to Shadow. "Was that...?" Mach started, but Shadow cut through his sentence. "Yes, it was a beast like the one you saw last night. But this one was different; I've never seen it before... It's possible that the two are related..." "How do you know that there are only two?" "That's the thing, I don't. And I hardly think we killed that one, I didn't even kill the one last night with my shotgun as you saw." The two didn't say a word. But around half an hour later, Shadow got up. Come on, we got to get rid of this carriage." Mach agreed, and the two ran into the next one and unbuckled it from the rest of the train, it roared down behind them and out of sight. Tails and Amy stared at the two hedgehogs as they entered the compartment again, they had had a good rest, but the other two hadn't, they didn't say anything but they did sit down and drink there hot chocolate. Eventually the familiar outline of the Great Forest was seen, and the Knothole Station was very near, but when they got there, they heard horrible news. "We are sorry for the inconvenience, but the train must now start back to Station Square, Please do not ask why Thank you." "But we've just arrived at Knothole!" Amy wailed. "Didn't I tell you that Knothole was destroyed?" Shadow roared, standing to his feet. "Why do you want to get there so fast...?" "To see if I can help." Amy muttered. Tails stood up, picked up his bag and opened the compartment door. "Come on!" He told his friends, and the four jumped from the moving train with there bags. A scream escaped Amy's lips, Tails turned towards the forest and understood why. The forest was in flames. "I told you..." Shadow said, and then fell to his knees.