Chapter Four : No Rules
They were finally there. Twinkle Park…it looked so huge! Too huge…Spectre thought. He turned to his sons, who were getting out of the vehicle.
"All right, everyone, listen to me," he said. "I don't want any of you acting like a fool in there. The attention we are getting is enough, no need to add more" He motioned to a few people staring wide-eyed and pointing at them. Spectre gritted his teeth; he hated humans for making them feel different. "So we'll apply the friend system. Blade, Locke's your friend. Sabre's your friend and mine too and everyone else's too. You must always stay with your friends. Do you understand?"
Blade nodded solemnly, standing by Sabre.
"And for Edmund's sake, please try and be decent," Spectre pleaded.
"Yes Spectre!" they all chorused.
Spectre led them to the entrance counter. He was almost there, but froze when he heard what he prayed he would not hear.
"Hello, little one. Are you lost?"
Spectre turned around, to see Athair hovering in front of a wide-eyed little boy. Blade was staring at the human from behind his fourth father, who extended a hand toward the young boy.
"Athair!" Spectre snapped. "What do you think you're doing?"
"I'm trying to be helpful-" the brown echidna began, hand still extended.
"And what did I just tell you?"
"But we can't just leave him here!" Athair cried, horrified. "Who knows what might happen to him if we-"
"William!" a voice called. They all turned and saw a middle-aged woman running toward the young boy. She yanked him away from a surprised Athair. "William, stay away from this dirty thing!" she scowled while dragging him away.
"Bye bye doggie" the boy waved.
Once she was gone, Blade came out from behind Athair and frowned, hands on his hips.
"Who spat in her soup?" he asked.
"I don't know, people are so stressed out these days," Sojourner said.
"And they aren't used to see echidnas going to an amusement park," Locke added.
"Are you all right Father?" Sabre asked, concerned.
They noticed what they didn't see until then; Athair's eyes were watery, staring off in nowhere. He suddenly burst into sobs, crying at the top of his lungs.
"I'm not dirty!" he squeaked, wiping at his eyes.
He began wailing, attracting some people's unwanted attention. Sabre walked up to his father and took him in his arms gently.
"There, there," he said soothingly, patting Athair's back. "It's over, she's gone."
"I'm not dirty! I shower everyday!" Athair cried in his son's shoulder.
"Of course you aren't. Now be a good echidna and stop crying. It's over, no one will ever say you're dirty."
"Promise?" Athair sniffed.
"Promise."
"Okay then!" the brown one said cheerfully. He pulled back from his son and floated in mid-air, as if nothing has ever happened. Sabre stared dumbfounded at his now laughing father, but simply shrugged it off.
Spectre growled and turned to the young man behind the counter.
"We'd like tickets, please," he asked calmly enough.
"Sure, sir. How many are you?"
Can't you see it yourself? "Seven."
"Okay. Is any of you past sixty?" the man asked.
Spectre, Thunderhawk, Sojourner, Athair and Sabre raised theirs hands. The man stared at them, amazed. "How comes you guys don't look a year past thirty?"
"Does it really matter?" Spectre groaned, impatience pushing.
"Yes, it does, for the price varies with the age. I'll have to write your ages down and see…" he said, picking a pen and a sheet of paper up. "So, let's begin by you, sir. How old are you?"
"One hundred and seventy-seven," Spectre replied without thinking.
"You're a funny one, aren't you? Now tell me your age, your real age."
"This is my real age, believe it or not," the dark one growled, crossing his arms.
"Sorry sir, but I'll have to have a look at your identity card."
"Identity card?" Spectre turned to Locke, waiting for an explanation. "What's an identity card?"
Locke shrugged, not knowing. The young man was losing his patience.
"Are you coming from Middle-Age or something?" he asked, irritated.
"Actually, we're coming from Haven," Sojourner said. "I don't know where Middle-Age is situated."
"Fool, Middle-Age was a period!" Locke scowled.
"Anyway, I'm going to get my boss, and we'll do something about it," the man announced before leaving the counter. Spectre pressed his forehead on it, sighing. Great, just great…
XXXXXXX
Half and hour and some explanation later, they were finally in the park. It looked bigger than it was from outside. More coloured, too… Athair was looking at the bright painted rides while clapping his hands.
"Oh, this is going to be so fun!" he cheered.
"Okay, thinking time" Spectre said, unrolling the leaflet. "Let's see… what would you like to do first?"
"I don't know," Sabre shrugged. "Choose at random."
"Yeah, let's do that Grandfather!" Blade agreed.
Spectre nodded and picked an attraction in the list that was written on the side of the leaflet. "It's called Ride to the Sun. Let's see where it is… hey, it's actually on the other side of the park. Maybe we could choose something nearer--"
But when he looked up from the paper, the others were already running – and flying – several feet ahead. He blinked, and took off after them. "The friend system! Remember the friend system!"
Out of breath, he finally caught up with them as they stopped in front of the ride called Ride to the Sun. The roller coaster was at least sixty feet high, and distorted by loops and spirals; the kind of ride you don't go in just after lunch. Spectre cringed, slightly impressed by the speed the wagon picked up and the screams of people in it.
"This one looks nice!" Blade exclaimed. "Let's go in!"
Spectre gulped. "Go, I'll wait for you here…"
"What's the matter, Spectre?" Sabre grinned. "Chicken?"
"I'm not chickening out," the dark one frowned, arms crossed over his black robes. "I agreed to come with you here, not to go on those stupid rides."
"Spectre's a wimp! Spectre's a wimp!" Athair sang cheerfully, loud enough for everybody in this part of the park to hear. Spectre shushed him by growling: "All right! You won! I'll go on this stupid ride! But remember I warned you when I'll throw up!"
And so they queued, some cheering, some grumbling. When the wagon stopped in front of them, Spectre noticed that people getting out of it were pale and looked sick. He gulped again, but held his head and sat in a seat, in between Blade and Locke. He buckled his seatbelt and gripped the metal bar in front of him like there was no tomorrow.
"Chill out, Sixth father," Locke said. "We aren't going to die."
"Hmph, that would top it off…" Spectre grumbled under his breath. He looked at Blade who, unlike him, was bouncing in his seat with impatience. "Is it starting yet?" he asked, grinning from ear to ear.
Sabre, who was in the line of seats just ahead of Blade's, glanced back at his third son. "Soon, Blade, soon." He then cast Spectre a malicious look. "Scared, Fifth father ?"
"You would like me to be, wouldn't you?" Spectre said.
Whatever was Sabre going to reply was cut off by a whistling sound. Slowly, the wagon moved, and the ride, or should I say hell for some of them, began…
XXXXXXX
As green as peas, Thunderhawk and Locke ran out of the ride, and rushed toward the toilets. A few paces behind, the rest of the Brotherhood came out as well. Athair looked groggy and couldn't fly straight, while Sabre stumbled every now and then, leaning on Sojourner's shoulder for support. Then, surprise of surprises, Spectre and Blade walked out laughing and talking about the ride.
"Wow, I screamed so loud it felt like my jaw was ripped off my face!" Blade exclaimed, sauntering beside his eighth father. "And then that big loop! It was great!"
"It sure was," Spectre agreed. "But Locke didn't like it, I think."
"Of course he did! It's just that his stomach didn't pack the last few twists."
"Neither did Thunderhawk's. Guardians aren't what they used to be…" Spectre said faking a sigh.
Thunderhawk and Locke came out of the toilets, looking less green but sicker.
"I feel so… empty," Locke mumbled while rubbing his head.
"I thought nothing could taste worse than burnt toast," the lavender echidna growled. "I was wrong: digested toast tastes much worse."
"Cheer up, sons" Spectre smiled. He was finally having fun. At his sons' expense, but he was having fun. "Blade gets to choose the next ride."
They all groaned, except for Athair who nearly collapsed onto the floor after hitting a tree. So, what were they going to endure?
XXX
Sorry about keeping you waiting, but try to tip with a broken wrist! I swear basketball will be the death of me! But everything's okay and the next chapter should be there soon! (at least I hope…blast those bones!)