Aria: Aah! *bows low to readers* I'm SO sorry that it's taken me so long
to update! I didn't have enough time to work on anything but homework and
projects! I'M SORRY!! Please forgive me?
*oversized grey and white cat with white wings appears*
Cat: Ah, suck it up, Aria. It's not like you waited 3 years to update.
Aria: *straightens up from bow* Still. . . I don't like not updating if I can help it.
Cat: Well. . . you couldn't, so be quiet and introduce me already.
Aria: Alright, pain. This is Twisted Whiskers, my feline muse. But, he'll go as Twister from this point on.
Twister: *flicks his tail* Hey, folks.
Aria: *shakes a finger at him* Don't forget your job, fuzz.
Twister: Alright. . . If at anytime in the story you see two of these * with words in-between them, those are the thoughts of the character(s). It's because she can't figure out how to make italics or bolds work for her on the site.
Aria: *folds her arms* Thank you, Twister. That's enough.
Twister: Yeah. . . yeah. . . whatever. . . *flies away*
Aria: At any rate. . . Thanks to Crockgirl13! If I told you how Sonic was getting along without his speed, that'd give away the story, now wouldn't it? *grins* Anyway, let's get on with "A Matter of Life or Speed" Part Three!
(Disclaimer: Aria Zephyr does not own Sonic the Hedgehog or any related material)
Aria Zephyr Proudly Presents. . .
A Matter of Life or Speed: An Archie Sonic Fanfiction
Part Three: With. . . or Without?
Sonic was awakened by the sound of worried voices outside of the hut. "Are you sure that he's alright, Sally-girl? Ah mean, you did say that he looked awful tired," Sonic heard Bunnie saying. "I think he'll be just fine. He is Sonic after all," Sally said. "Are you sure, Aunt Sally? You did tell us that he sprained his ankle while he was carrying me," Tails's voice asked worriedly.
Sonic got off the bed and opened the door of the hut to face all of his friends. "Sonic, how are you feeling?" Sally asked. "My ankle's pretty sore, but other than that, I'm okay," Sonic replied dully. "I'm sorry that you hurt yourself while you were carrying me, Sonic. I feel like it's my fault that you tripped," Tails said, running up to him.
"It's not that bad, Tails. You shouldn't blame yourself," Sonic said, ruffling the boy fox's hair affectionately. "But, you wouldn't have fallen if you hadn't been carrying me!" Tails protested. "No, it was dark, that's why I fell," Sonic said. "You know, I don't even remember falling asleep. In fact, I don't remember anything after we ran out of the factory," Tails said. "You were probably too sleepy to remember anything important," Sonic said, hiding some discomfort.
"Okay. Does your ankle really hurt?" Tails asked, changing the subject. "It's just sore, but Doctor Quack says that I should stay off it," Sonic said. "Why don't we do some fishing by the ring pool? That way you'll be able to do something without being on your feet," Tails suggested. "Sure, I'll go get the fishing poles," Sonic said as he shuffled back into the hut.
He found them leaning against the wall and picked them up. He and Tails didn't eat the fish they caught. They threw them back because they only fished to pass the time. He limped lazily over the crystal blue ring pool where Tails was sitting and sat down. There was a small can sitting next to him that had some dirt in it, but it was mostly full of worms.
Tails grinned as Sonic went through his usual playact where he pretended that the worm he was putting on the fishhook was really creeping him out. As the little floats on their lines bobbed on the serene water, they talked about how everyone was elated that the mission the night before had gone so well. Sonic was careful not to tell Tails about what had happened after they had left the factory. He didn't want to tell him that his gift of amazing speed was gone forever.
They caught a few of the little fish that lived in the pool, but when Tails was taking a tiny one off his hook to throw it back, the little fish wriggled out of his grasp and slapped him in the face with its tail before it plopped back into the water. Tails was alright, but some of the water from the fish had gotten on him and his face smelled like fish.
They laughed about the bold little fish and Tails went to go wash his face off. While he waited for his friend to return, Sonic stared at the water of the pool. "The way you're looking at that, one would think that it's some kind of oracle," Sally said from behind him. Sonic yelped in surprise and spun around to see her. "Don't do that! You nearly gave me a heart attack!" he exaggerated. "Sorry," she replied sweetly. She sat down next to him.
"So, have you two crazies been having fun catching little, tiny fish?" she asked. "Yeah, we have. Tails caught a little one that smacked him in the face before he could throw it back," Sonic said. "Sounds like the fish really wanted to get back in the water," Sally remarked, resting her head on his shoulder.
He gently laid his head on hers and said, "Sally, what would you do if something really bad happened?" She raised her head a little in surprise, but she put her head back after she could she that he was being serious. "I'm not really sure. What do you mean by that?" she asked. "Like, if I lost my speed or Tails died," Sonic said solemnly. "Sonic, is there something that you're not telling me?" Sally asked. "No," he lied.
"Well, it would certainly be a great loss if you lost your speed. We often depend on you to do things that require your speed. Without it, we might not be able to do as much as we are against Robotnik," Sally said truthfully. "But, what if something happened to Tails?" Sonic persisted. "I would think that we would all be devastated. He's such a great kid. I'm certain that all of us would miss him terribly if he died," Sally said, shifting a little. "Oh, okay," Sonic said, turning his head to look at the pool again.
He knew he couldn't tell her about what had happened just yet. She'd be extremely frightened and worried if he did. Sonic decided that he would eventually tell her, but now was not the time. He just sat there, wondering how he could tell them without causing them all to panic.
It was getting late and soon, they could hear Rosie calling them for dinner. Sally helped Sonic to get up and together, they walked to the small pavilion that all of them had built so that they could eat outdoors. Sonic ate his favorite food, chilidogs, but his worries mad even his favorite taste bland. He quickly excused himself, saying that he wasn't hungry, and went back to his own hut to think about things.
He lay on his bed for a long time, staring up at the ceiling. He could hear everyone outside, talking. He finally drifted off into a fitful sleep after a long while, his thoughts invading his dreams where he could not escape them. Unanswered questions racked his mind, mostly ones that puzzled about who Taimat was and why he or she wanted to help him in the first place.
The next day, Sonic was walking near the outskirts of the village, thinking. "Oh dear, it seems my little request has caused you more trouble than I thought. How dreadful," a voice said suddenly. Sonic spun around to see if anyone was there, but there was no one in sight. "You certainly forget things quickly, my boy," the voice said scornfully. "Taimat," Sonic sighed. "Indeed. I see you haven't told them yet. You can't hide it forever," Taimat said. "Why do you care?" Sonic asked. "Well, let's just say I'm interested in seeing how your problem turns out," Taimat said.
"I suppose I should warn you about this," Taimat said, "Your friend, Sally I believe her name is, is planning another raid. She wants to announce it tomorrow." "So, why are you telling me this?" Sonic asked. "Well, I'm giving you a chance to come up with an appropriate excuse to get out of it. Otherwise, your friends might find out the truth the hard way," Taimat replied. Sonic rolled his eyes cynically and said, "How do I know this isn't a trick and you've been sent here by Robotnik?" There was a pause before Taimat replied.
"If had had really been sent here by that fat fool, I could have EASILY eliminated you and all of your friends, as well as any of your allies," Taimat said slowly and distinctly. It sounded very much like Taimat had something against the arrogant human, but it also sounded like dangerous territory to ask. "Then. . ." Sonic said. "Who are you?" Now a palpable silence stood between them. "Someone who wants to help," Taimat finally said.
Something in Sonic stretched and snapped.
"THEN WHY DID YOU TAKE MY SPEED FROM ME?!!" Sonic screamed at Taimat. "I'M USELESS NOW!! I CAN'T HELP ANYONE, NOT EVEN TAILS!!" His sprained ankle unexpectedly gave out beneath him and Sonic collapsed. The world was spinning and he suddenly felt sick. Everything was going dark and as Sonic hovered between consciousness and oblivion, he heard Taimat speak again. "Foolish boy. . . You're not as useless as you may think, but you'd never listen to me. I just pray that you don't do anything stupid. . ." Taimat said softly. Something soft brushed back some unruly quills from his face as Sonic blacked out and knew no more.
Quotes from Part Four: Getting Back to Normal. . . Or Not. . .
"I was so scared when we found you. . . You were so pale and cold. . ."
"It's an energy core that operates all the SWAT bots in one-forth of Mobius."
"Won't that be dangerous? I mean, won't that release a lot of energy?"
Twister: You authors and your cliffhangers. . .
Aria: *swats at him* Look who's talking. . . You muses and your attitudes.
Twister: *jumps out of the way* *sticks out his tongue at her*
Aria: Anyway. . . that's all for now, everyone! And I have one announcement to make: I haven't finished Part Five yet, so the next few updates will take a while. So, please, bear with me and all will be well.
Twister: Yak, yak, yak, yadda, yadda, yadda. . . CAN WE GO NOW?!
Aria: Yes, your royal fussiness.
Twister: Humph. . .
Aria: Until next time, read and review! *vanishes with muse in whirlwinds*
*oversized grey and white cat with white wings appears*
Cat: Ah, suck it up, Aria. It's not like you waited 3 years to update.
Aria: *straightens up from bow* Still. . . I don't like not updating if I can help it.
Cat: Well. . . you couldn't, so be quiet and introduce me already.
Aria: Alright, pain. This is Twisted Whiskers, my feline muse. But, he'll go as Twister from this point on.
Twister: *flicks his tail* Hey, folks.
Aria: *shakes a finger at him* Don't forget your job, fuzz.
Twister: Alright. . . If at anytime in the story you see two of these * with words in-between them, those are the thoughts of the character(s). It's because she can't figure out how to make italics or bolds work for her on the site.
Aria: *folds her arms* Thank you, Twister. That's enough.
Twister: Yeah. . . yeah. . . whatever. . . *flies away*
Aria: At any rate. . . Thanks to Crockgirl13! If I told you how Sonic was getting along without his speed, that'd give away the story, now wouldn't it? *grins* Anyway, let's get on with "A Matter of Life or Speed" Part Three!
(Disclaimer: Aria Zephyr does not own Sonic the Hedgehog or any related material)
Aria Zephyr Proudly Presents. . .
A Matter of Life or Speed: An Archie Sonic Fanfiction
Part Three: With. . . or Without?
Sonic was awakened by the sound of worried voices outside of the hut. "Are you sure that he's alright, Sally-girl? Ah mean, you did say that he looked awful tired," Sonic heard Bunnie saying. "I think he'll be just fine. He is Sonic after all," Sally said. "Are you sure, Aunt Sally? You did tell us that he sprained his ankle while he was carrying me," Tails's voice asked worriedly.
Sonic got off the bed and opened the door of the hut to face all of his friends. "Sonic, how are you feeling?" Sally asked. "My ankle's pretty sore, but other than that, I'm okay," Sonic replied dully. "I'm sorry that you hurt yourself while you were carrying me, Sonic. I feel like it's my fault that you tripped," Tails said, running up to him.
"It's not that bad, Tails. You shouldn't blame yourself," Sonic said, ruffling the boy fox's hair affectionately. "But, you wouldn't have fallen if you hadn't been carrying me!" Tails protested. "No, it was dark, that's why I fell," Sonic said. "You know, I don't even remember falling asleep. In fact, I don't remember anything after we ran out of the factory," Tails said. "You were probably too sleepy to remember anything important," Sonic said, hiding some discomfort.
"Okay. Does your ankle really hurt?" Tails asked, changing the subject. "It's just sore, but Doctor Quack says that I should stay off it," Sonic said. "Why don't we do some fishing by the ring pool? That way you'll be able to do something without being on your feet," Tails suggested. "Sure, I'll go get the fishing poles," Sonic said as he shuffled back into the hut.
He found them leaning against the wall and picked them up. He and Tails didn't eat the fish they caught. They threw them back because they only fished to pass the time. He limped lazily over the crystal blue ring pool where Tails was sitting and sat down. There was a small can sitting next to him that had some dirt in it, but it was mostly full of worms.
Tails grinned as Sonic went through his usual playact where he pretended that the worm he was putting on the fishhook was really creeping him out. As the little floats on their lines bobbed on the serene water, they talked about how everyone was elated that the mission the night before had gone so well. Sonic was careful not to tell Tails about what had happened after they had left the factory. He didn't want to tell him that his gift of amazing speed was gone forever.
They caught a few of the little fish that lived in the pool, but when Tails was taking a tiny one off his hook to throw it back, the little fish wriggled out of his grasp and slapped him in the face with its tail before it plopped back into the water. Tails was alright, but some of the water from the fish had gotten on him and his face smelled like fish.
They laughed about the bold little fish and Tails went to go wash his face off. While he waited for his friend to return, Sonic stared at the water of the pool. "The way you're looking at that, one would think that it's some kind of oracle," Sally said from behind him. Sonic yelped in surprise and spun around to see her. "Don't do that! You nearly gave me a heart attack!" he exaggerated. "Sorry," she replied sweetly. She sat down next to him.
"So, have you two crazies been having fun catching little, tiny fish?" she asked. "Yeah, we have. Tails caught a little one that smacked him in the face before he could throw it back," Sonic said. "Sounds like the fish really wanted to get back in the water," Sally remarked, resting her head on his shoulder.
He gently laid his head on hers and said, "Sally, what would you do if something really bad happened?" She raised her head a little in surprise, but she put her head back after she could she that he was being serious. "I'm not really sure. What do you mean by that?" she asked. "Like, if I lost my speed or Tails died," Sonic said solemnly. "Sonic, is there something that you're not telling me?" Sally asked. "No," he lied.
"Well, it would certainly be a great loss if you lost your speed. We often depend on you to do things that require your speed. Without it, we might not be able to do as much as we are against Robotnik," Sally said truthfully. "But, what if something happened to Tails?" Sonic persisted. "I would think that we would all be devastated. He's such a great kid. I'm certain that all of us would miss him terribly if he died," Sally said, shifting a little. "Oh, okay," Sonic said, turning his head to look at the pool again.
He knew he couldn't tell her about what had happened just yet. She'd be extremely frightened and worried if he did. Sonic decided that he would eventually tell her, but now was not the time. He just sat there, wondering how he could tell them without causing them all to panic.
It was getting late and soon, they could hear Rosie calling them for dinner. Sally helped Sonic to get up and together, they walked to the small pavilion that all of them had built so that they could eat outdoors. Sonic ate his favorite food, chilidogs, but his worries mad even his favorite taste bland. He quickly excused himself, saying that he wasn't hungry, and went back to his own hut to think about things.
He lay on his bed for a long time, staring up at the ceiling. He could hear everyone outside, talking. He finally drifted off into a fitful sleep after a long while, his thoughts invading his dreams where he could not escape them. Unanswered questions racked his mind, mostly ones that puzzled about who Taimat was and why he or she wanted to help him in the first place.
The next day, Sonic was walking near the outskirts of the village, thinking. "Oh dear, it seems my little request has caused you more trouble than I thought. How dreadful," a voice said suddenly. Sonic spun around to see if anyone was there, but there was no one in sight. "You certainly forget things quickly, my boy," the voice said scornfully. "Taimat," Sonic sighed. "Indeed. I see you haven't told them yet. You can't hide it forever," Taimat said. "Why do you care?" Sonic asked. "Well, let's just say I'm interested in seeing how your problem turns out," Taimat said.
"I suppose I should warn you about this," Taimat said, "Your friend, Sally I believe her name is, is planning another raid. She wants to announce it tomorrow." "So, why are you telling me this?" Sonic asked. "Well, I'm giving you a chance to come up with an appropriate excuse to get out of it. Otherwise, your friends might find out the truth the hard way," Taimat replied. Sonic rolled his eyes cynically and said, "How do I know this isn't a trick and you've been sent here by Robotnik?" There was a pause before Taimat replied.
"If had had really been sent here by that fat fool, I could have EASILY eliminated you and all of your friends, as well as any of your allies," Taimat said slowly and distinctly. It sounded very much like Taimat had something against the arrogant human, but it also sounded like dangerous territory to ask. "Then. . ." Sonic said. "Who are you?" Now a palpable silence stood between them. "Someone who wants to help," Taimat finally said.
Something in Sonic stretched and snapped.
"THEN WHY DID YOU TAKE MY SPEED FROM ME?!!" Sonic screamed at Taimat. "I'M USELESS NOW!! I CAN'T HELP ANYONE, NOT EVEN TAILS!!" His sprained ankle unexpectedly gave out beneath him and Sonic collapsed. The world was spinning and he suddenly felt sick. Everything was going dark and as Sonic hovered between consciousness and oblivion, he heard Taimat speak again. "Foolish boy. . . You're not as useless as you may think, but you'd never listen to me. I just pray that you don't do anything stupid. . ." Taimat said softly. Something soft brushed back some unruly quills from his face as Sonic blacked out and knew no more.
Quotes from Part Four: Getting Back to Normal. . . Or Not. . .
"I was so scared when we found you. . . You were so pale and cold. . ."
"It's an energy core that operates all the SWAT bots in one-forth of Mobius."
"Won't that be dangerous? I mean, won't that release a lot of energy?"
Twister: You authors and your cliffhangers. . .
Aria: *swats at him* Look who's talking. . . You muses and your attitudes.
Twister: *jumps out of the way* *sticks out his tongue at her*
Aria: Anyway. . . that's all for now, everyone! And I have one announcement to make: I haven't finished Part Five yet, so the next few updates will take a while. So, please, bear with me and all will be well.
Twister: Yak, yak, yak, yadda, yadda, yadda. . . CAN WE GO NOW?!
Aria: Yes, your royal fussiness.
Twister: Humph. . .
Aria: Until next time, read and review! *vanishes with muse in whirlwinds*