Tails ran. How many caves could Cream have been near? Less than five...he
should have asked. Too late now. Then, quite suddenly, he bumped into
something. Something that was not there before.
He blinked and stepped back. The hand that had stopped him dropped, revealing Shadow. "Problem?" he enquired. Tails tried to sidestep around him, but the black hedgehog stuck out his arm.
"This is about the blue hedgehog, isn't it?" he said smoothly. Tails glowered; this was wasting time. Oh, well. Tell him fast. "It's-Sonic-he's- not-dead-but-he's-in-the-caves-acting-funny-and-I'm-going-there-to-find-him- so-move!"
Tails was surprised to find that Shadow that had actually followed his breathless commentary, but even more surprised to find that Shadow actually moved aside. "Go on, then." He said.
Tails gave him a baffled look, and then sped past. When he was out of sight, Shadow shook his head, and muttered, "Fool. He'll learn the hard way." With that, he turned and raced with the wind to the blinking lights of Night Babylon.
Breathing heavily, Tails reached the nearest cave. Lying discarded on the ground was a garland of flowers. Cream had been here...
The evening was darkening into night. The shadows stretched longer, and Tails couldn't see very well. The area appeared deserted, the wind howling across the fields. From the shadows, a pair of eyes watched.
The fox assumed Sonic was inside already...after all, it was getting dark. He walked up to the entrance, a dark crevice cut into the rock. He poked his head inside, a cool breeze greeting him, nothing like it's howling cousin outside. Behind him, the watcher shifted closer...
A fox. Looking into the cave...looking for him? Helping the rabbit? Probable. Even as he watched, the fox walked into the entrance of the cave. He hissed softly, and followed. Just in the entrance, he stepped into a shallow puddle.
The soft plink echoed around the draughty area, and the fox spun round. He hissed angrily under his breath as the fox saw him.
"Sonic?" Tails said, almost shocked. The hedgehog was framed against the fading light in the opening, darkening his fur several shades. So Sonic had been outside, after all. The blue hedgehog hissed in response and moved closer.
His form almost instantly blended into the shadows, but his eyes gleamed.
"S-Sonic? I...came to find...you..." Tails trailed off at the look in those green eyes. No recognition. The eyes moved closer, and the menacing hiss sounded again...surely...surely Sonic wouldn't attack him? No...never...right?
Annoying fox. It was making loud noises at him...it was frightening away all the prey! Was it trying to scare him? It wasn't working. Hedgehog hissed again, watching the animal all the time.
It backed away a step, almost tripping over a rock. Stupid thing. Didn't it know how to walk? It was balanced upright, not sliding along like him. In fact, one simple push might...hmm...
In a swift movement, he darted forward, and pushed the fox hard. As he had expected, it squealed and toppled over backwards. It landed awkwardly on the rocks, and screamed in pain.
Hedgehog found this extremely funny. His eyes lit up with laughter. The fox scrabbled up and dashed wildly away, into the darkness. The mirth faded...it had gone...into...it had...oh, it was going to get it now...
He growled and slid along behind it. Hunting...
He blinked and stepped back. The hand that had stopped him dropped, revealing Shadow. "Problem?" he enquired. Tails tried to sidestep around him, but the black hedgehog stuck out his arm.
"This is about the blue hedgehog, isn't it?" he said smoothly. Tails glowered; this was wasting time. Oh, well. Tell him fast. "It's-Sonic-he's- not-dead-but-he's-in-the-caves-acting-funny-and-I'm-going-there-to-find-him- so-move!"
Tails was surprised to find that Shadow that had actually followed his breathless commentary, but even more surprised to find that Shadow actually moved aside. "Go on, then." He said.
Tails gave him a baffled look, and then sped past. When he was out of sight, Shadow shook his head, and muttered, "Fool. He'll learn the hard way." With that, he turned and raced with the wind to the blinking lights of Night Babylon.
Breathing heavily, Tails reached the nearest cave. Lying discarded on the ground was a garland of flowers. Cream had been here...
The evening was darkening into night. The shadows stretched longer, and Tails couldn't see very well. The area appeared deserted, the wind howling across the fields. From the shadows, a pair of eyes watched.
The fox assumed Sonic was inside already...after all, it was getting dark. He walked up to the entrance, a dark crevice cut into the rock. He poked his head inside, a cool breeze greeting him, nothing like it's howling cousin outside. Behind him, the watcher shifted closer...
A fox. Looking into the cave...looking for him? Helping the rabbit? Probable. Even as he watched, the fox walked into the entrance of the cave. He hissed softly, and followed. Just in the entrance, he stepped into a shallow puddle.
The soft plink echoed around the draughty area, and the fox spun round. He hissed angrily under his breath as the fox saw him.
"Sonic?" Tails said, almost shocked. The hedgehog was framed against the fading light in the opening, darkening his fur several shades. So Sonic had been outside, after all. The blue hedgehog hissed in response and moved closer.
His form almost instantly blended into the shadows, but his eyes gleamed.
"S-Sonic? I...came to find...you..." Tails trailed off at the look in those green eyes. No recognition. The eyes moved closer, and the menacing hiss sounded again...surely...surely Sonic wouldn't attack him? No...never...right?
Annoying fox. It was making loud noises at him...it was frightening away all the prey! Was it trying to scare him? It wasn't working. Hedgehog hissed again, watching the animal all the time.
It backed away a step, almost tripping over a rock. Stupid thing. Didn't it know how to walk? It was balanced upright, not sliding along like him. In fact, one simple push might...hmm...
In a swift movement, he darted forward, and pushed the fox hard. As he had expected, it squealed and toppled over backwards. It landed awkwardly on the rocks, and screamed in pain.
Hedgehog found this extremely funny. His eyes lit up with laughter. The fox scrabbled up and dashed wildly away, into the darkness. The mirth faded...it had gone...into...it had...oh, it was going to get it now...
He growled and slid along behind it. Hunting...