Flower: Erm, yeah, three days...well...it's fiction! Anything can happen!
And we already know the caves are damp. (Yuck) So, there was probably some
way.
Chaos: cough Yeah, ignore the fact you made a mistake...
Flower: ;;
........................
The hedgehog was learning. By copying the lizard, he could blend into the shadows. He could move silently, he could hunt. He could growl.
He had given up on the blurry memories. He had no name. He was Hedgehog. He crept through the cave system that he was starting to know, to the Feeding Place, where the Lizard would be waiting.
On the way, he scratched in annoyance at the grey shreds clinging to his hands. The fingertips of the gloves were worn out, small, sharp white claws showing through the material. The last remnants fell away...he was free!
His shoes had been kicked off when he first followed the little reptile, and blisters did not bother him.
.............................
It had been weeks since the base had collapsed. Weeks since they had attempted to search the caves. It was a hopeless task; the caves were a labyrinth under the ground, with only thin shafts of light to guide them.
So they gave up. Knuckles returned to Angel Island, assuring them to call if they heard anything. He reasoned that, if Sonic had survived, he would find his way to them. Tails couldn't stop waiting.
Amy felt sorry for the fox, and spent more time at his house, leaving Cream to look after her flat. Time seemed to drag along, with no meaning. It was as though they were trapped in a little grey bubble, watching the people outside moving too fast.
Then, something happened...
Cream had been out, picking flowers with Cheese and Chocola, near the entrance to one of the caves. She had stayed out a bit too late; evening had fallen, casting everything purple-grey. That was when she saw...
.......................
The lizard hissed a greeting, bobbing its head. He hissed back, and slid up to join it. He saw the reason for its' obvious position; it had already found prey. In front of the pair was a patch of thick mud, into which had blundered a young rat.
The creature was attempting to pull itself along, stuck fast in the dark slime. The lizard watched leisurely for a few minutes, and then slunk forward. The rat's eyes bulged in terror as it struggled, moving forward a few inches.
The lizard walked easily across the mud, wide pads between its feet preventing it sinking. Hedgehog watched, intrigued, as the lizard proceeded to 'play' with the creature.
Then a shout carried towards them. "SONIC?! You're alive?!" Hedgehog swung round, and Lizard paused, one foot poised above the hapless creature. A rabbit ran into the clearing, laughing.
"Sonic, you're alive! You don't know how worried we've been! We have to-" She paused mid-sentence, sensing something was wrong. "Are...are you ok?" She asked. Cheese peeped over her shoulder.
Sonic had changed a lot through the weeks in the caves; he was much thinner, but moved with a wiry strength. He slunk close to the ground, almost undetectable, and his fur was dirty and mottled, rendering good camouflage.
Even as she watched, he crouched still further, and took on a fighting pose. He bared his sharp teeth in a snarl.
..............................
He snarled at the rabbit, and the strange noises it made. What was it doing? It had interrupted the game! A small blue creature looked over its shoulder, blinking innocently.
Then the rabbit made a scared sound, and ran for it. He followed it for a bit, over the next hill, growling at it and watching it run, only a few paces behind. It's fear was amusing...but the lizard had already turned back to the rat. He stopped and went back. Why waste his energy?
..................................
It was ten minutes later that Tails heard an alarmingly loud thump on the door. He blinked out of his trance, and rushed for it.
"Tails! Tails, open up! He's coming! Tails! TAILS!!!!" Tails dived and threw open the door. Cream fell in, almost knocking them both over.
Tails then had the unpleasant experience of having to stagger to the living room, clung to by Cream, and with two surprisingly heavy chao attached to his arms. He finally collapsed onto the sofa.
"What...what happened?" he asked, thoroughly distressed by the rabbit. "I- It's Sonic..." she began. Tails froze for a second, and then gripped her shoulders, hard. "Sonic? You've seen him?! Where is he?!!"
"Tails, you're hurting me!" She squeaked, the two chao cowering behind her. He let go and took a deep breath. "What...what is it?" Her next words chilled him to the bone. "He's...alive. But, he's been in the caves...he...he isn't Sonic anymore."
...........................
A black hedgehog stood in the shadow cast by a large house, and checked a ragged news article before him. So, this was the place...Tails lived there. He raised his red eyes to look at the orange house, ignoring the wind ruffling his fur.
Even as Shadow looked, Tails came rushing out of the house, closely followed by the rabbit...Custard, was it? Something like that...The fox dashed haphazardly down the street, and he watched indifferently as the rabbit ran after him, yelling.
Though her words were swept away by the wind, he got their meaning. Tails was going somewhere. Somewhere he shouldn't. Hmm...
He activated his skates and followed, even as Cream fell behind and turned back to the house, missing the shadow slip past her.
Chaos: cough Yeah, ignore the fact you made a mistake...
Flower: ;;
........................
The hedgehog was learning. By copying the lizard, he could blend into the shadows. He could move silently, he could hunt. He could growl.
He had given up on the blurry memories. He had no name. He was Hedgehog. He crept through the cave system that he was starting to know, to the Feeding Place, where the Lizard would be waiting.
On the way, he scratched in annoyance at the grey shreds clinging to his hands. The fingertips of the gloves were worn out, small, sharp white claws showing through the material. The last remnants fell away...he was free!
His shoes had been kicked off when he first followed the little reptile, and blisters did not bother him.
.............................
It had been weeks since the base had collapsed. Weeks since they had attempted to search the caves. It was a hopeless task; the caves were a labyrinth under the ground, with only thin shafts of light to guide them.
So they gave up. Knuckles returned to Angel Island, assuring them to call if they heard anything. He reasoned that, if Sonic had survived, he would find his way to them. Tails couldn't stop waiting.
Amy felt sorry for the fox, and spent more time at his house, leaving Cream to look after her flat. Time seemed to drag along, with no meaning. It was as though they were trapped in a little grey bubble, watching the people outside moving too fast.
Then, something happened...
Cream had been out, picking flowers with Cheese and Chocola, near the entrance to one of the caves. She had stayed out a bit too late; evening had fallen, casting everything purple-grey. That was when she saw...
.......................
The lizard hissed a greeting, bobbing its head. He hissed back, and slid up to join it. He saw the reason for its' obvious position; it had already found prey. In front of the pair was a patch of thick mud, into which had blundered a young rat.
The creature was attempting to pull itself along, stuck fast in the dark slime. The lizard watched leisurely for a few minutes, and then slunk forward. The rat's eyes bulged in terror as it struggled, moving forward a few inches.
The lizard walked easily across the mud, wide pads between its feet preventing it sinking. Hedgehog watched, intrigued, as the lizard proceeded to 'play' with the creature.
Then a shout carried towards them. "SONIC?! You're alive?!" Hedgehog swung round, and Lizard paused, one foot poised above the hapless creature. A rabbit ran into the clearing, laughing.
"Sonic, you're alive! You don't know how worried we've been! We have to-" She paused mid-sentence, sensing something was wrong. "Are...are you ok?" She asked. Cheese peeped over her shoulder.
Sonic had changed a lot through the weeks in the caves; he was much thinner, but moved with a wiry strength. He slunk close to the ground, almost undetectable, and his fur was dirty and mottled, rendering good camouflage.
Even as she watched, he crouched still further, and took on a fighting pose. He bared his sharp teeth in a snarl.
..............................
He snarled at the rabbit, and the strange noises it made. What was it doing? It had interrupted the game! A small blue creature looked over its shoulder, blinking innocently.
Then the rabbit made a scared sound, and ran for it. He followed it for a bit, over the next hill, growling at it and watching it run, only a few paces behind. It's fear was amusing...but the lizard had already turned back to the rat. He stopped and went back. Why waste his energy?
..................................
It was ten minutes later that Tails heard an alarmingly loud thump on the door. He blinked out of his trance, and rushed for it.
"Tails! Tails, open up! He's coming! Tails! TAILS!!!!" Tails dived and threw open the door. Cream fell in, almost knocking them both over.
Tails then had the unpleasant experience of having to stagger to the living room, clung to by Cream, and with two surprisingly heavy chao attached to his arms. He finally collapsed onto the sofa.
"What...what happened?" he asked, thoroughly distressed by the rabbit. "I- It's Sonic..." she began. Tails froze for a second, and then gripped her shoulders, hard. "Sonic? You've seen him?! Where is he?!!"
"Tails, you're hurting me!" She squeaked, the two chao cowering behind her. He let go and took a deep breath. "What...what is it?" Her next words chilled him to the bone. "He's...alive. But, he's been in the caves...he...he isn't Sonic anymore."
...........................
A black hedgehog stood in the shadow cast by a large house, and checked a ragged news article before him. So, this was the place...Tails lived there. He raised his red eyes to look at the orange house, ignoring the wind ruffling his fur.
Even as Shadow looked, Tails came rushing out of the house, closely followed by the rabbit...Custard, was it? Something like that...The fox dashed haphazardly down the street, and he watched indifferently as the rabbit ran after him, yelling.
Though her words were swept away by the wind, he got their meaning. Tails was going somewhere. Somewhere he shouldn't. Hmm...
He activated his skates and followed, even as Cream fell behind and turned back to the house, missing the shadow slip past her.