Chapter 9 – Welcome to the Jungle.
A/N: Reviewers as always get the first mention:
HHH – Sorry to cool your spurs, but Knucks and Rouge won't be around for a little while yet; after all, a honeymoon is supposed to be a private affair :-). Oh, and if you thought the positions you read about were difficult, you should have seen the ideas I had to start with (evil, evil Tails and Lara-Le!)
RGN – Just as a matter of interest, are their any other monotremes aside from echidnas and platypuses (sp?). Nice to learn about the fauna of a country I'd love to visit some day.
Ri2 – What has he planned indeed – read on, hopefully it'll make sense soon. Hope you enjoy this fic as much as you did the others.
TH – Sometimes I wonder, I really, really do… (Incidentally, I really hope you're idea gets us out of this mess – I don't like looking down the barrel of a gun of any description!)
Sonic ran his fingers hard down his face as he tried to let what Shadow had said sink in; no matter how often he heard it, it still wouldn't penetrate his disbelief that the black hedgehog had done it,
"You got Mighty an interview with the Chaotix!" he hissed again, careful to keep his voice down to avoid alerting their new guest in the next room; Shadow merely smiled his enigmatic smile, apparently unaware of the havoc he could have caused; a potential problem Sonic was all too quick to point out, "have you got any idea how much trouble that could cause?"
"Oh, you mean you're worried about the M.E?" The blue hedgehog looked around alarmed at the surprisingly calm tone, seeing Shadow grin as he kicked his heels up carelessly and finish, "don't panic; I sorted it all out with Vector; I remembered he told me about Knuckles leaving them with a load of jobs to do before he and Rouge got back, and most of them were really hard, physical jobs like rubble clearing and tree cutting", he spread his arms insinuatingly; Sonic could only look blank, forcing his ebon counterpart to sigh and explain long-hand, "you heard Mighty; that's the kind of work she loves and what the Chaotix want some help with. The new system surrounding the shrine will make sure she doesn't get into trouble; she's got a good month of work, maybe a little longer, enough for her to think about what she wants to do next and go from there. She's not going to even know about the Master Emerald, Vector said he'd make sure of that".
Try as he might, looking at every angle he could conceivably think of and testing every probability, Sonic couldn't break down the black hedgehog's argument, and at the same time Mighty had been ecstatic when Shadow had filled her in on the job and what it was likely to entail. With a snarl of eventual submission, he finally relented and nodded at Shadow,
"Right, okay, nice idea and thanks; Mighty'll love you forever when she hits Angel Island and the work she gets to do, but listen, I'm still not a hundred percent with this. If the guardians find out it'll be her in trouble for something she had no idea about".
"Trust me Sonic", Shadow did the best he could to reassure his friend under the circumstances, "Vector was adamant he could handle it; I don't know if you saw him at the reception but he looks like he's taking this job as seriously as Knuckles ever did". That Sonic had to agree with, remembering the crocodile speaking about his new responsibility with fire in his eyes; eventually he took the only path open to him and shook his head wearily with defeat,
"Well it's too late to stop this now", he recalled the furious planning Mighty had instigated to make sure she could get to her new and future place of work in plenty of time to give a good impression, coercing Tails to make sure he could leave early the day after tomorrow, "so I'm going to have to trust you to make sure she gets to Mystic Ruins on time tomorrow night". Shadow raised an eyebrow,
"Why can't you manage it? Oh, sorry, forgot", he slapped his forehead as punishment for his faulty memory; "big day tomorrow isn't it?"
"You bet; Amy's been looking forwards to this for weeks and I said I'd be there with her, so there I will be" Sonic assured him, not admitting he was looking forwards to the university open day almost as much as his girlfriend was, though he'd never had any real inclinations to go into further education as she now did.
"Leave it to me; nothing I can't handle"; Shadow gave his victory pose as Sonic gave his thumbs-up – he knew the black hedgehog was more than capable of guiding the armadillo to her destination. Of course, he had reckoned without the most basic factor of all – Mighty herself.
XXX
"Okay, see you"; Shadow put down the book he'd been ready and shot to his feet, spines bristling as he saw Mighty with her bags on her back and one foot out the door; he hastily regathered his tongue and shouted,
"Hey wait; where are you off?"
"Mystic Ruins", she answered, looking a little surprised as it seemed the black hedgehog had forgotten everything that had happened the previous night, "I know where the station is and I've got a map; Tails marked out where his house is so if I set off now I can make a decent hike of it".
"Wait a minute", Shadow kicked off the settee and rushed over to her, a little panicked by this sudden decision taken out of his hands, "I'm supposed to take you there". The armadillo laughed and raised a gently forestalling hand,
"Oh no, don't trouble yourself, I can find the place".
"But…"; by the sudden way she folded her arms and settled her weight on the back foot, Shadow realised she was set on this; it was the same stance an obstinate Sonic or Rouge often affected to symbolise their determination not to be moved. Normally Shadow would still have had a pretty good go at the task, but for some reason with Mighty it was a different story; maybe it was the way her face was framed not just by her shell but also the overhanging door, or perhaps by folding her arms the muscle swells of her triceps had become much more pronounced; either way, the black hedgehog capitulated and made the only offer he could,
"Well, I can at least run your bags there; that way you won't have to carry them". In an instant she had lost her brooding look and pulled him back into a one-armed hug,
"You're a sweetheart, you know that?" She kissed him on the cheek again, feeling him blush once more as she let go and set her bag down, "tell Tails I'm on my way; should be there in a couple of hours or so". The black hedgehog nodded and picked up the bag she'd put down, straightening with them in each hand and speaking sagely,
"Fair enough; ring us when you get in to the Ruins, cool?"
"Sure thing; the rest of my stuff's in my room, but it's all bagged up" she explained as she headed down the few steps out the front door and allowed Shadow to lock it and turn to her,
"Right, well enjoy your walk; see you again Mighty, it was really nice to see you".
"Likewise", she clasped his offered hand, smiling to deny her aura of intimidation as she said goodbye to her newest friend, "great to see the Smurf managed to find himself a good crowd".
"Stop saying that; Sonic'll beat me to pulp if I call him that but every time, the voices say I should" Shadow argued, his vice mysterious and drifting as the armadillo shook her head one last time and then departed, turning on her heel and leaving towards the station to Mystic Ruins, a blur of darkness shooting past her as Shadow began the first of several trips to the home of his foxboy friend.
XXX
Finding the station was easy enough; there were plenty of people to ask if she was a little unsure of her direction as well as the map in her hand. After paying for a one way ticket to the Ruins, she hopped aboard the train, nodding politely to the guard Wilson as she took a seat, only her shoulder bag containing a water bottle now on her back as she looked forwards to a decent jaunt before the night fell. It was certainly the right weather for it; the sun was blazing hot and the air was still, all it needed was a bit of a breeze to stir up the hanging warmth and it'd be perfect, the few clouds in the distance not seeming to cast a shadow over the day as she looked out of the window. Looks like just the sort of place I could ramble very happily; she smiled to herself as she let her head rest against the window, not feeling the coldness of the glass pane due to her shell lacking the ability to feel temperature, though she smiled still as an entertaining thought formed in her mind; after all, a little exercise never hurt anyone.
XXX
Shadow heard the key click in the lock and was in the kitchen, had the kettle flicked on and three mugs were arranged on the sideboard, the black hedgehog calling through,
"Hey guys; kettle's just boiling, fancy one?"
"Like you wouldn't believe", Amy suddenly appeared in the doorway and just from her face he could tell the day had been a success, "but you wouldn't believe the place Shadow; it's massive on the inside. I know it looks small when you look at it from the outside, but when you're in their it's like a rabbit warren; so many different corridors, it's going to be fun just trying to find my way around, but I'm sure I'll get there eventually". As she drew in another breath, he managed to get a word in edge-ways,
"So I take it you liked the place?" She nodded vigorously,
"You bet; the tutors were all really nice and showed us around; the lecture theatres were a bit cramped but they said you get used to them. There's also a practical aspect of the course; we get to go out and actually deal with patients, see how it's done right", she stepped in a little closer, face more serious as she took hold of the black hedgehog's hand, stilling it as it moved towards the sugar bowl armed with a spoon, "I could learn to help you out Shadow; I sure hope I can".
He was touched by the offer, no denying it; he really was genuinely grateful that someone would be willing to help him any more than his friends collectively already had would go that extra mile to aid his failed memory. He managed a weak smile as he carefully freed his hand and added sugar to Sonic's mug, shaking away the tears from his eyes as the kettle whistled and boiled at last.
"Thanks Ames; means a lot"; he might have said more, had not Sonic suddenly appeared in the kitchen doorway and broken the moment, his face a picture of worry and concern,
"Where's Mighty?" Shadow answered casually as he poured the drinks for them,
"On her way to the Mystic Ruins; said she wanted to make a hike of it and…huh, Sonic?" The blue hedgehog was no longer there, the only sound indicating his current position the tapping of phone buttons followed by a frustrated growl and thump as the phone was slammed back down,
"Damn, must be switched off" Sonic raved as Amy, raising an eyebrow and looking baffled at Shadow, slowly moved into the hall and touched Sonic's shoulder,
"What's up Sonikku? Is anything wrong?" The blue hedgehog put his face in his hands and rubbed suddenly tired eyes, slowly walking back into the kitchen with a sigh and slumping into a chair,
"Nothing you could have known about Shads", a chilly frost of fear settled on the black hedgehog's mind, turning into an ice sheet as Sonic explained, "not wanting to sound disparaging, but Mighty's hopeless when it comes to getting anywhere on time; the reason she loves hiking is because she has to walk four miles to get to a place two miles away". Oh heck, I knew I should have taken her; Shadow felt ashamed even as he tried to make up for his then unknown error,
"She's got a map". To his ambivalent relief and despair, Sonic chuckled,
"The only thing she can find on a map's the North arrow", he took a swig of his coffee and growled in mock-anger and disappointment, "oh, I should have seen this coming; don't worry, I'm sure she'll be fine", he added, seeing the apprehension all around and trying to stall it, "it's just that she'll probably turn up on Tails' doorstep at around about midnight, still not sure if she's got the right address. If she hasn't rung in before five, I'm going on a run to look for her – all we can hope is that she realises her phone's switched off so we can call her".
"Sorry Sonic, I…"
"You did what you thought was right", the blue hedgehog smiled, recalling the times he'd been introduced to the armadillo's somewhat errant sense of direction, "she likes trying to do things herself, and she normally gets there in the end as long as there aren't any broom closets around". Amy saw his lips twitch and, though she knew she was probably going to regret asking, she couldn't stop herself,
"Go on then, what happened?"
"Well, we were just heading out of dance class and…"
XXX
Well, exercise never hurt anyone; Mighty's thoughts had turned slightly more sour as the day had worn on, not helped by the fact the day had become progressively more oppressive and muggy, almost stifling in its humidity as she took another swig from the water canteen she now held and carried on, not deigning to check the paper in her left hand; but map-reading gives you a headache! She looked forwards, having a rough idea that Mystic Ruins was supposed to be on the other side of a large wooded area; that said, she could see at least three fairly sizeable plantations nearby but, going by the logic that the one directly in front of her was the closest and most easily accessible, she shrugged and soldiered on, swatting the few flies that clustered around her damp face as she moved towards the beckoning branches; at least the trees were offering shade.
The forest she entered, she soon found out, wasn't a forest at all; it was a marsh that offered not only shade, but more sodden ground than she ever wanted to squish through in her life ever again and seemingly every mosquito under the sun had simultaneously migrated here for an all-you-can-eat buffet, armadillo being the main course. As she pulled herself onto the branches of a nearby tree, climbing fairly agilely despite her shell's bulk and weight, she gained a slightly heightened view of her surroundings and after swatting the few mosquitoes that still swarmed around her head, tried to recollect her bearings at the same time as struggle for her map. It was as she was doing this that her eyes caught a sudden flash of colour, set well against the monotonous grey and brown of this accursed swampland. For a second she kept her eyes clear on the sight, trying to decipher what it actually was; however, her preoccupation on this anomaly blinded her to the messages from her feet; by the time she realised them, horror stabbed her as she realised it was too late to correct the trend; the soles of her shoes couldn't find enough purchase on the damp bark and were slipping; in another few seconds she'd fall!
With a jolt of adrenaline and fear, the armadillo made a snap decision that, in retrospect, could have turned out a lot better but for bad luck. Bunching her not inconsiderable leg muscles, Mighty made a do-or-die leap from her tree, aiming at a sturdy branch opposite her; in the split-second she'd had to look at it, she reckoned it could be enough to bear her weight. The leap was inch perfect; her boots landed squarely on the branch she'd aimed at and she clutched at it with a free hand, trying desperately to keep her balance. The ill-luck, however, came in the form of a lack of time; had Mighty been able to take a closer look, she may have realised that, though the tree had seemed enough to bear her weight, it was white and brittle, a mere skeleton stripped of its strength and endurance. The sudden impact of a fast-moving armadillo landing heavily had been far more than the branch could take; with a sharp snap, it gave way and snapped; Mighty had enough time for a shout of alarm before she was plunged, still holding the wood of her perch futilely in one hand, into the freezing stream the branch had been overhanging.
Lost in an icy torrent, she'd been lucky to keep her breath at the sudden cold; her primal instincts had just been enough to hold her mouth and nose shut as she landed in the weed-choked brook. She lashed out with her feet, trying to kick out and stop her descent into the dark water, only for river weeds to wind like slimy serpents around her legs, contriving to drag her down into the depths she might never escape from. Panic tore at her; only her focussed mind prevented her from screaming and losing the last of her priceless air – she had to remain calm and struggle to the surface somehow. With a jar and another kiss of shock, she realised her feet had slammed into silty mud, she was at the bottom of a river and, there was a hard tap on her shell, probably the branch that had fallen with her sinking a little slower than she had. Concentrating on her problem, she forced one foot free, flailing her arms to try and head for the surface, get to fresh air; she half-spun around and the tap retuned, this time slipping of her shell side and prodding her in the floating ribs. Her temper suddenly flared; I'm at the bottom of a lake, covered in weeds and now something's trying to eat me – no way am I standing for this! She lashed out with a hand, grabbing her assailant with a meaty hand and trying to strangle it; it recoiled but she wouldn't let go, this thing would learn the hard way that when you messed with Michelle Armadillo, you came off worse. It was only when she looked upwards, the muddied water stinging her eyes, that she realised this thing was dragging her to clearer water, and she was going to the surface, to air, air…
XXX
There was an explosion from the water in front of him, Big heaved upwards with all his strength and held his rod upwards, up from the water, beholding his catch as it coughed, spluttered and spat out the muddy water. Hullo; the cat cocked his head, mind not recalling having ever seen anyone like this in his neck of the woods before; what have I landed myself with this time? Shaking himself slightly, realising the predicament this strange creature was still in, he carefully guided his rod inwards, carefully depositing its new cargo on the bank and moving up as the Mobian he'd rescued fell to her haunches, coughing deeply and spitting out the last of the grit in her mouth. Conscientiously realising she was covered in weeds, the cat moved forwards and started to brush them off; his gloved paws felt the hardness of the armour on her back and he slowed a little, though he didn't stop until there was a sharp rap on the back of his hand,
"Hey", he looked up from the sudden pain to see the stranger glaring up at him, still intimidating despite looking as though she'd just been dredged up from a swamp, which of course she had, "I can do that thank you".
"Okay"; he didn't want any ill feelings, merely letting her knock most of the weeds off and hurl them back into the stream she'd ripped them from with disgust and not a few unpleasant words as she shook her head and snarled,
"Bloody hell; I come out on a hike and nature tries to suck me dry then drown me; why, what the hell have I done? I don't flaming know; give me a reason someone", the cat wisely stayed quiet throughout the tirade, just in case her temper was directed at him until, with a snort, the smaller Mobian turned to look at her as yet unrecognised saviour.
XXX
He was a lot taller than she was and wider as well; that came as something of a surprise, though she had to snarl as she realised this guy was the reason behind that whole sorry episode; if she hadn't been put off looking at his unusual purple fur, she'd have realised she was slipping out of her tree. The indignation that he'd done that, then had the gall to come over here in his own sweet time and haul her out the lake, was almost enough to shatter her temper and let her go in swinging; the more she thought about it, the more tempting it was – after all, even above and beyond those other crimes, he'd tried it on when she had her back turned…
Calm down; as the last of the clinging weeds were thrown back where they belonged, Mighty took a deep breath and her mind tried to logically sift through what her temper had taken as gospel; first off, I was looking at him, then he came and pulled me out of that ditch. And; even bedraggled and plastered with mud she had to smile, chiding herself for giving the thought any credence, however fleeting; he didn't try anything, he was just getting those things off me. With the past finally locked back where it belonged, the armadillo was free to concentrate on the present, most of which to do with the Mobian now stood feet from her, looking with an expression of patience mixed with a tiny hint of pain; she looked down at where he was holding his right paw and felt hot, airy shame squeeze up into her cheeks,
"Ah, sorry about that", she pointed at the hand she'd unjustly hit in her anger, "wasn't thinking straight, you know, not expecting that and all".
"Quite all right", a voice deep as a low rumble of thunder, yet gentle as a summer breeze, answered her as the large cat's hazel eyes looked her up and down; she was alert to any hint of lust in his eyes; it wouldn't be the first time she'd had man trouble, but no, they were clear as he checked her over superficially for injury; nothing but my pride. Aware of the silence thickening, Mighty realised it was time to finally deliver what this guy deserved,
"Hey, thanks for the rescue", his ears flicked and he looked at her anew, politely puzzled as she continued, "I could have got out after a while, but that helped me out".
"I don't need thanks for that"; his answer surprised her, the explanation sounding genuine to her ears, "you needed help, I was around, simple as that. Now", he shifted his footing, standing tall and for the first time in too long Mighty found herself a little unsure of what this Mobian was capable of; he had some strength and girth on him; in a straight fight, could I take him? Geez, I hope so; "what are you doing here?"
The question must have caught her off-guard; Big watched as she floundered for a second, not sure what to answer with – she'd been too busy sizing him up at the same time he was trying to show he was harmless,
"Err, I was, um", she fumbled, starting to regain confidence slowly after her fall, "I'm on the way to Mystic Ruins; am I on the right track?" He couldn't help himself; a low chuckle pervaded the still air as he shook his head,
"No, it's over that way", he pointed off to their left before pointing at her, "but I don't recommend trying to get there now". She smiled caustically as if he'd set her a challenge,
"Well, if I don't get there now, I'll have to crash in this swamp won't I? Give me one good reason not to get there now". To her well-concealed surprise, the cat matched her smile and held up three fingers,
"I can go two better than one – for a start, it'll be dusky soon and that means midges; you think you've seen the worst of them now you're as wrong as it's possible to be. Two, look at the sky", Mighty looked up and saw with consternation that the clouds that when she'd set off were barely wisps on the horizon now covered half the sky in a black shroud, "it's going to hit tonight, and hard; maybe even get a flash of lightning and walking to Mystic Ruins in the rain is not a good idea. And lastly", Big finished by indicating the armadillo herself, "I don't think Tails would appreciate you turning up on his doorstep looking like something from the Black Lagoon".
Damn, that was good; Mighty was staggered as she couldn't find a single flaw in his logic – it all made perfect sense. Unfortunately, that perfect logic left another, even more perfect problem; she had to get to the Ruins, but she couldn't do it on foot – she only had a single option and it was one she was loathe to take. Swallowing a bitter pill, she forced herself to ask,
"So, how can I get to Mystic Ruins?" Her eyes fell on the pole he carried in his other hand and widened when they saw the ringlets studding it, "you're out here to fish right? Do you have a car or something?"
"No", Big shook his head and Mighty's shoulders slumped; looks like it's a walk in the rain for me then; "but I've got a house". She couldn't believe her ears,
"You live, out here?" He nodded succinctly and her mind boggled, "why?"
"I like it out here", his tone was firm, but there may just have been a hint of evasion in his eyes and body language as he hastily glossed over the topic, "but forget that; I can't leave you out here, it's dangerous; you have to come with me. You can get cleaned up and a night's rest, leave in the morning. I know the way to Mystic Ruins from here; you'll be there before Tails wakes up". He looked to see her reaction; she was sorely tempted to say no and he could understand why, but eventually logic and reason steered her decision and she nodded, just once, keeping herself guarded as the cat smiled engagingly,
"Okay, just let me get my stuff and we'll get out of here". She nodded again, her eye piercing, looking to see something that wasn't there in the cat's manner as he turned and strode away, looking for the rest of his fishing tackle and, having located it, storing it carefully in his fishing bag. He totted everything up, only to find one of his larger lures missing; sweeping around the ground behind him with his tail, he was a little shocked to feel a damp shoe; spinning around, he came face to face with the stranger once more, the lure held in her hand. Taking it, he quickly secured it away as she spoke again,
"We both forgot one thing back there"; if only; "I'm Michelle Armadillo, call me Mighty, who are you?"
"I'm Big"; it was only when he heard her laugh that he realised how dumb that must have sounded; just in case though, Mighty laid it out on a plate,
"Well really", that had broken through her barriers and tickled her funny bone no end, interspersing her next comment with giggles, "I'd never hahave guessed".
"No, no", the cat tried to correct his mistake, "my name is Big; and no, I'm not joking" he added slightly peevish as her laughter choked off and she looked at him wide eyed. He stood before her renewed scrutiny, impassive until slow, a smile broke on her face once more and she chortled,
"Man your parents hit the nail on the head", she shucked her now soaked bag into a more comfortable position on her shoulder before giving him the nod, "well then Big, lead on; I want to get somewhere warmer and drier than this damned swamp, and I want to get there now". Without a word, the cat turned and led on, Mighty trailing behind slightly, thinking hard as her mind said something, but her memory failed to provide the vital link for now; what did he say earlier that's so important now?
XXX
The penny dropped a couple of minutes into the walk,
"Hey Big", the cat looked over his shoulder, "how did you know I was going to see Tails?"
"He lives at Mystic Ruins, so you have to be going to see him if you're going there; nothing else there save a wide open space a few tumbled down buildings". His logic once more surprised her, but the surprise was drowned out in the realisation that here was an angle she could have a go at,
"You know Tails well then?" The cat shrugged, scrambling over a tree root and checking off local landmarks as he answered,
"Fairly; I see him around and he sometimes visits me when he has a mind to". Right, that was the easy bit; Mighty needed the next answer for proof and crossed her fingers as she tried to keep her voice conversational,
"I see; that means you know his brother as well right?"
"Sonic? Yeah, though I see more of Tails than I do of him; not really surprising since you can't run in a swamp very well", he turned his back and Mighty was giving herself a pat on the back for finding this out before his parting shot hit home, "come to think of it, you can't jump from trees very well either". The armadillo's mouth fell open at his reminder and she scowled, hoisting herself over the tree root he'd just gone over and dogging his footsteps, determined to absolve her error by not falling behind.
XXX
"Well, here we are", Big held back the branch for her; Mighty merely ducked under it and then, seeing it was rotten and nothing more than an obstruction, whipped out one arm and snapped it casually, causing the cat to raise his eyebrows, "thanks, been meaning to do that for a while; home sweet home". Following his finger, the armadillo flicked her eyes to where it seemed she'd be spending the night.
She hadn't really been sure exactly what to expect, but the sturdy wooden construction in front of her seemed cosy enough, braced as it was in a tight grove of trees that were at once protection from the elements and living parts of the domicile. One way of getting back to nature I suppose – live in a living house; Mighty smiled at the thought and nodded, desperate for the privacy to get out of her wet clothes and clean off the clinging streaks of muck that covered her still.
"Nice", with that single word of praise she set off, deftly avoiding the puddles of still water that had collected in the natural pot-holes in front of the cat's home, Big following her with his eyes trained by the side of his door. She reached the front and waited, only to be spurred on by his shout,
"It's open"; true enough, when she looked closer, she saw there was no lock on his front door.
"That's not very secure; what about burglars" she commented, Big merely laughed,
"If they find anything worth stealing in there they deserve it; go inside, I won't be a minute"; Mighty smiled despite herself at the joke, even if she was beginning to dread what awaited her inside as Big unhooked a bucket hung up by the side of the door with one hand and gestured to her with the other. Lack of options again forced her hand; steeling herself, she pushed the door open and stepped inside.
Whoa, time warp; her first thought wasn't quite true, but there was no denying that Big's home wasn't quite furnished with all mod cons. The floor was covered in dried reeds and moss, surprisingly springy beneath her shoes, while a much larger pile of heather rose up like a mountain plateau over in one corner, giving the whole place a rather sweet scent that the armadillo liked. With a casual inspection and noticing the impression left on the mound, she reasoned this must be where Big slept; the old, rather squashed looking armchair towards the centre looked like where he took his repose. Out of amusement, Mighty walked over to this seat and ran her fingers along one of the arm rests; it was almost bare due to the age and, she tapped it, almost compressed solid. Where did he dredge this relic up from – bet someone dumped it here and he just happened by; it seemed like the kind of thing this strange recluse she had found would do; there was nothing wrong with the chair that she could see…
"Ribbit!"
With a gasp of shock Mighty sprang backwards, guard shooting up even as her eyes told her it wasn't necessary; adrenaline rushing around her body and heart beating ninety to the dozen, she let out a low whistle of relief as she beheld her erstwhile enemy. Sitting on the main seat of the chair with all the reality of a king on his throne, a large, dark green frog was turning to face her, beady black eyes unblinking as it spoke again,
"Ribbit". As if seeing something interesting, the amphibian began to clamber towards the armadillo, crawling up the side of the arm rest Mighty had been examining at the same time as she redressed her errant guess; it's a toad, not a frog – frogs don't crawl like that. With a smile, she bunched her hands into loose fists and placed them on her hips,
"Now that wasn't very nice was it?" she chastised the climbing toad as it finally scrambled onto the armrest, squatting down for a better look at her, "scaring me half to death like that, you aught to be asha, hey!" The toad had launched itself at her with a powerful spring of its hind legs; with her quick reflexes, the armadillo fielded the bounding creature like a rugby ball, careful to keep her grip soft in case she hurt it accidentally. Once in her arms, the toad went limp, apparently content as she slowly lifted it up to eye level and regarded it more closely before there was a noise at her back; she turned around to see Big enter his home and smile, the bucket in his hand now full of clear water,
"Hey, this little fellow must have crept in when you were out", Mighty held up her new friend, which tried to squirm out of her grip as it saw the cat, "reckon we aught to let him out?"
"Nah, that's Froggy". Big shook his head and motioned for her to put the toad down; unsure but trusting him in this, Mighty did and watched in amazement as it leapt and crawled towards the cat, ribbeting as it did so. Big stooped down to pet his oldest friend as he always did, looking up at a sudden question,
"Friend of yours?" Big nodded, happy as always that someone was there to see him when he came home; placing Froggy on his bed, the cat explained,
"Yeah, found him when he was hurt one day, couldn't have been more than two or three years old. He stayed with me over the winter while his leg fixed; he'd have died if he'd tried to hibernate, from then he's just hung around and helped me out". Well; Mighty raised an eyebrow at Big's unusual choice of pet; gotta have a hobby I suppose, and I doubt you'd get a cat or dog to stay here for neither love nor money. Look on the bright side, it could have been a crocodile; she chuckled at her own joke before a sudden thought cropped up and she acted on it,
"Hey, why do you call him Froggy? He's a toad".
"I know that now, wasn't sure when I first found him so I just took a guess and got it wrong", Big admitted, pointing at the now resting amphibian before shrugging, "I don't hear any complaints, so I let it lie. Now then", he put the bucket down and pointed at Mighty, "get cleaned up with this while I go and get something to eat sorted; stand near the stove when you use the water; when it's switched on it'll dry out the moss and stop it rotting. I won't be long, but take your time".
"Okay", there was a little apprehension in her tone as she answered, though thankfully Big didn't seem to notice as he left and went outside; I can't trust that he won't pry on me; the second the door swung shut, she was in action and implementing her plan; but if he was telling the truth I know someone who will.
XXX
Big quickly left his charge to do whatever she needed to do to feel more comfortable while he swiftly amended his plans for dinner; he had a guest now, and that meant two fish rather than one. Luckily the lures had done well today and he could easily accommodate this change, though he'd have to be out tomorrow to restock whatever Mighty ate. As he reached where he needed to go, the fast flowing stream zipping past his home in a clear rush of liquid crystal, Big threw these thoughts to one side and concentrated on preparing the fish he had caught earlier. He reached into his fishing bag and drew out the first, grasping it by the gills and, as he did so, feeling the soft spot on the top of his head, the spot where he'd struck his lethal blow. The kindest way to kill a fish; Big heard his father speak as he always would at this time, the older cat showing him how to finish what had begun when the bait was taken; one strike and it feels nothing. It's the best way, and the kindest way. Slowly sliding off one of his gloves, Big turned the fish over and slid out one of his claws, immersing the dead fish in the stream to ensure no mess when he began to gut it.
XXX
The crisp note of the phone shattered the silence; it rang one and a half times before Sonic was at the other end,
"Hello?"
"Hey Sonic", he let out a heavy, heartfelt sigh of relief as he recognised Mighty's voice; she must have got there just in time – another five minutes and I'd have been after her."Mighty, you scared us all half to death wandering off like that", he scolded, though he knew it was all just bouncing off her independent streak like a pebble would rebound from her shell, "what time did you get in, and where's Tails?"
"I'm not at Mystic Ruins", the armadillo's voice was mater-of-fact, but Sonic had a faint tingling of unease as he realised his friend sounded a little concerned as she spoke next, "I'm not sure where I am, but it's a swamp and I'm with someone who calls himself Big, says he knows you".
"Big", Sonic chuckled as his tension left him, though he chose his next words carefully just in case, "well you got lucky then; don't worry, he'll set you on the right track; listen", an inspiration came to him and he clicked his fingers, beckoning frantically as Amy looked over, "talk to Amy, she knows him better than me. I'm handing you over now; take care Mich". With that, he passed the receiver over and the next voice Mighty heard was Amy's,
"Hello Mighty".
"Ah, hi Ames", the armadillo didn't dance around the issue, "listen, what do you know about Big?"
"Big? Why?"
"Because I'm at his place now; must have got lost on the way to the ruins and ended up here", she confided, keeping her voice low in case the cat was listening at the door, "he said it wasn't a good idea to travel the rest of the way today; is he okay and all that?" Right, I see the problem here; Amy smiled and tried to soothe the other Mobian's fears,
"Listen Mighty, Big is as nice a person as there is; there's not a nasty bone in his body. He's right about not going, I've just seen a weather forecast and the sky here's black as the ace of spades, it's going to hammer down soon. I've spent nights there with him; believe me, he won't so much as look at you if you say you don't want him to".
"Well that's good, 'cause right now I really don't want him to". Amy's surprise was evident even down the line,
"Why not?"
"I fell in and I'm trying to clean up"; there was the laugh she'd been expecting, and a commiseration as an added bonus,
"Been there, done that – have a good night and see you later".
"You too"; with that, Mighty cut the call and deleted the long list of missed calls from her phone; well, they all say he's cool, and he was telling the truth, and best of all I don't have an option – I bet it can get dangerous at night, especially if it's raining; with those thoughts, Mighty sighed and gave into the inevitable; slipping her tank top off from her shoulders, she reached for the bucket of water Big had harvested for her to clean up in.
XXX
Accepting the need for modesty, Big rapped on the door and called,
"Her, um, are you done in there yet?" There was a little silence; he checked the sky and saw with consternation that it was going to absolutely throw it down in the next half-hour; he was so preoccupied with the weather he nearly missed the answering shout,
"No, I, ah, I need something to wear; my clothes are still soaked"; of course – should have seen that one coming; Big mentally kicked his own tail for missing that detail before calling back with directions,
"If you look towards the back of the chair, there's a small chest there; look inside, there's a blanket in there. Sorry but it's all I've got, you can wrap up in it".
"Okay, thanks", there were a few more seconds silence, the wind sweeping towards the front of the cat's home picking up speed, ferocity and a few leaves before Mighty's voice was heard again, "right, come in". He hesitated for just a second, just in case something went wrong at the very last second, then opened the front door and slipped inside.
Instinctively, Mighty huddled down deeper in her blanket and kept her eyes on the cat as he moved forwards; Sonic and Amy both had vouched for him, but she still felt vulnerable with this stranger, even if she knew she was more than capable of holding her own against anyone under the sun. He didn't spare her much attention, averting his eyes by focussing on the stove and, as he bent to light it, she saw what he had in his hand,
"Fish is it then?" Big looked up and followed the nodding of her head; he smiled as he looked at the two head and tailless specimens now in his hand, as well as the two thin strips of bark she'd skinned from a nearby tree.
"Yep, and a couple of these and, what the hey, not often I get company; a sprig of mint and parsley as well", he reached up; Mighty followed the movement and saw with a jolt that the whole of the ceiling of Big's hut was hung with dried bushels of different herbs, all hanging down and adding their unique aromas to the atmosphere of this place. He carefully twisted a handful of leaves from a green laurel and delicately wrapped them, together with a portion of fish, in the skins of bark; as he set these wraps up over his stove, the armadillo's curiosity got the better of her,
"Why are you doing that? Won't the wood burn?"
"Nah, the fire's not hot enough", Big recalled explaining the same mechanics to Cream as he'd prepared the same dish for her during a visit, "don't worry, the fish will still cook alright, just takes a bit longer than otherwise, and we could use that time", he stumped over and sat on the edge of what counted as his bed, Froggy crawling into his lap as he gestured Mighty to the vacant armchair, "you're probably not all that sure of where you are and who I am, and likewise I'm not a hundred percent sure why you're here and how Tails is mixed up in it. So", Mighty shifted her blanket around herself, surprised at how warm the material was becoming now and, as she weighed up his proposal, decided it would be a good idea to take Big's offer up as he finished, "let's set the facts straight".
As the pair of Mobians began to talk, the first few specks of rain, round and shiny as pennies, began to fall from the burgeoning sky.
XXX
As the talk moved on, Mighty felt her apprehension lift; slowly but surely she became more at ease the company of this, well, she couldn't really decide what Big actually was; there was a fine line between a great idea and madness, and his idea of getting a quiet life by living in the middle of a swamp fell right on the border. Still, the armadillo had to agree with Amy; the cat was completely placid; even when she'd taken a bit of a gamble and let the top of the blanket slip an inch, showing nothing but keeping focussed on his reaction, he'd kept his eyes fixed firmly on her face, not even trying to see what wasn't there. I don't think he'd try anything; Mighty finally buried that issue with a mental effort and smiled before asking her own question,
"So how do you know Sonic then; I met him dancing but, not meaning to be rude, you don't look like someone with a set of twinkle toes".
"Neither does he to be honest", Big quipped back before pointing at the small mound where Froggy now appeared to be dozing, "I went into the city one day and Froggy got lost; Sonic and his friends helped me find him again. I leave him here now, just in case"; he glossed over most of the details, not wanting to be forced to rake over the events of Chaos and, worse possibly than even that, the Metal Overlord as well, though thankfully Mighty appeared unaware of what had happened, or at least of his involvement in those episodes.
"Fair enough", she shrugged and held her blanket closer, listening to the rain now spattering the roof and walls of the cabin for a second before continuing, "do you know about the floating Island by any chance?"
"A little; I've only ever been once or twice – Tails is your best bet there, he's got a plane that he flies there nearly every day".
"Oh right, well I'll find out…", the important bit of that last sentence slammed into Mighty and she blinked in speechless shock for a minute, "wait, Tails can fly?"
"Yeah, he twists his tails and takes off…"
"No, no"; is there anything this kid can't do?; "I mean he can fly a plane?"
"Yeah, the Tornado", Big informed her, beginning to stand up and move towards the stove, "if you're going to Angel Island, he'll be taking you in that".
"Man", Mighty felt a dazed smile form on her face, "he can drive, he can fly naturally and with a plane, is there anything Tails doesn't do?"
"Yep, he can't fish to save his life", Big said mournfully, regretful that despite his instruction the implementation of rod and lure still eluded the fox; shaking his head, he refocused on the task at hand, "speaking of fish though, tea's up".
Mighty looked down, slightly dubious as Big carefully dimmed the heat from the stove and lifted one of the packages of bark towards her; she took it and raised an eyebrow, trying to figure out how to eat this new dish without earning a tongue full of splinters. With this in mind, she cast a furtive glance at Big, copying him as he carefully unwrapped the bark roll to reveal the meat inside; ah, so that's it. Mystery solved, the armadillo was soon presented with a cloud of aromatic steam from the soft pink meat of her meal; taking a sniff, she felt her mouth start to water – it sure smelt good. She looked around for a knife and fork, only to see out the corner of her eye Big tucking in with gusto, eating with his gloved hands; seeing this and following the old proverb of when in Rome, she lifted up her portion and, after seeing with interest how the skin had been peeled off along with the bark when she'd extracted it, she licked her lips and took a bite.
Warm, sweet water flooded into her mouth, not scaldingly hot but enough to almost drown her taste buds, already tingling with the flavour of slightly smoky meat and now assailed by the subtle hints of sharper mint and placid, gentle parsley. She hastily swallowed; just avoiding gagging on so much water she was shocked the seemingly dry meal could have held it all. The taste was something else and she wasted no time in saying so,
"Whoa, Big", the cat looked up, "this is great; I've eaten in restaurants where the fish courses are nowhere near this good, how'd you learn to cook so well?"
"Practise", the cat replied, bolting down his own mouthful to avoid bad manners, "I've developed loads of recipes because I can experiment; soups, fish rolls, shellfish courses, you name it I can make it".
"No kidding", Mighty took time out for another bite of the delicious fish, "well if you ever get bored of living out here, just sell a recipe book, you'll make a mint". The cat chuckled as he watched his guest devour every scrap of her meal, commenting,
"I'll bear it in mind; just glad you enjoyed it".
"You got that right Big; I reckon the only one who wouldn't enjoy that meal's the fish itself."
XXX
Sleeping was comfortable enough that night; after the surprisingly filling feast she'd been gifted by her host, Mighty was left drowsy and with no inclination to move for the foreseeable future. Big seemed to pick up on this and asked mildly,
"I take it you'd like the chair for the night?"
"You said it" she replied, sliding down deeper into the comfortable blanket and chair and letting her arms dangle carelessly over the side. Because of this, and the weight of her pendulous fists, they swung slightly and, as a consequence, brushed the side of the chair, where a pouch was located. Mighty stopped for a second, feeling what seemed like a hard corner held within the material and, without thinking, slipped her hand inside as she asked,
"Hey Big, what's this?"
As soon as he saw where Mighty was leaning, Big knew the answer and his heart sank a little as he realised what she must have ferreted out. As she lifted the battered old book from its normal resting place, he cleared his throat and mumbled,
"Oh, yeah, that's where I, ah, do drawings and stuff".
"You draw?" She was more curious that disbelieving; for a second he thought he might sneak away with it before, "mind if I take a look?" Not a lot of choice here; Big braced himself and offered a watery smile,
"Sure". With that single damming word, he watched on with baited breath as the armadillo turned the pages of his private world.
Wow; the sketch that first met her eyes was a still so real it could have been mistaken for a black and white photograph. Froggy was in mid spring, mouth wide and expecting as the fly he was aiming for made a last-ditch effort to escape the jaws of consumption. It was pencilled energy, everything expressed dynamism, movement so real she half-expected the toad's jaws to clamp shut at any second, the fly's wings to buzz one last time and then cease forever. She tore her eyes upwards to look open-mouthed at the artist, just for a split-second before her hands, of their own accord, desperate to see the next in the series of these sketches, flipped the page and she was drawn down once more. The struggles of the fish were so real she could almost feel the water thrown up into her skin and dampened her, the dragonfly on the lily pad could have taken off any second, so real did it appear, every tiny vein in its gossamer wings shown and sketched in with isometric perfection. Faster and faster she forced herself to go, seeing more and more of these masterpieces, until one in particular made her pause.
It was Big and Froggy, but even more importantly, it showed two other people as well, stood in front of a well lit house. One of these people was Amy, smiling in such a lifelike manner the armadillo couldn't help but smile back, touched by the illusion of the painting as she beheld the stranger in this picture; she was definitely a rabbit and it looked like a chao was hugging one of her unusually long ears, but she was happy, seeming to pose with her friends as the illumination from behind them caught up a series of highlights that forced Mighty to look at the picture anew, really study it in an effort to see how well the shading had been done. Magnificent; the only word her mind could suggest as she flipped the page again, coming to the end of the journey, the last sketch in her vision now as she gasped; if the previous drawing had captured the joy someone could feel, this one radiated the infallibility of the Mobian spirit.
It was Amy, stood tall and proud with the hammer she had shown Mighty earlier slung over a shoulder. It was well up to the normal, or what Mighty had come to see as normal, standard of Big's other works, but the face, the face of the hedgehog was something Mighty knew she'd never fully forget. There was such pain there, such blame and misery that her heart reached out for the pencil sketch, rebuffed only by the resolve, endless depths of courage and remorselessness that must have been fuelling the hedgehog and allowing her to conquer her loss to carry on. Tears glistened in her eyes, fracturing the image, and she hastily blinked them away, she couldn't bear to spoil this drawing with her tears, even if she could see the crinkling and blotches on the bottom of the paper which suggested it had already been attacked by water. Slowly, gaze lingering as long as possible, Mighty reverently closed the sketch book and with infinite care replaced it exactly the way she'd found it. Taking a deep breath, she looked up to see the artist before her in a light that up until now she'd never even considered.
"Big, those are…" she tailed off, no words able to sum up what every individual drawing there actually was, the effort and beauty contained in each stroke of the pencil. The cat must have been, if not used to this sort of thing, at least expecting it as he spoke next,
"Yeah, everyone says that; I draw when I can, keeps my mind…clear".
"How", she was desperate to know, fathom how each of these miracles had been preformed; Big merely sighed and made ready with his old excuse,
"I just take my time over them; I've got loads of it, so I don't rush and let it flow".
"Right", Mighty lapsed into silence, though it was gradually infiltrated more and more by uncomfortable pricklings on the skin of her cheeks as a sudden idea fanned the flames of her desire and would not leave, no matter how hard she tried to quash it. No good; the need reached fever pitch and she knew she had to ask, no matter the consequences, "Big?" The cat looked over, wondering for a second why his guest was going a little red before her next words flew out in a torrent, "couldyoudrawme?"
That came as a surprise; Big was trying to consider the request before the armadillo, now blushing furiously as she realised that right now she was in no position to act as a model, tried to cover up as he spoke,
"What?"
"I mean, not right now, obviously; I need to get cleaned up first and something decent to wear"; shut up, you're babbling, you must sound like a fool; despite her mental urgings her tongue seemingly wouldn't hold still and she talked on, "I really liked those pictures, I'd love one like that because I can't draw; I can pay and…"
"Mighty", thankfully the cat's raised paw was enough to still her in full flow, "let me answer your questions one at a time; yes I can draw you but it'll take time, I've got, er, something else on at the minute, but when I get time I can, but I don't want any money".
"But, you need…"
"I need nothing I can't get", his tone hardened slightly before relaxing once more, "you like them that much?" That opened the floodgates,
"Big these are amazing", the armadillo was shocked; could he really not know how good these drawings were? "Every one of these must be worth a fortune; if you were sell these you'd…"
"NO!"
Despite herself she'd shrunk back into the chair, shell and strength suddenly no defence as Big shot to his feet, coat bristling and tone like thunder as a nameless anger, or was it fear, galvanised him; she saw with trepidation his fists bunch and flex and in that second feared for her life before, as suddenly as it had come, the anger drained away, leaving Big a smaller, placid Mobian once more. He shook his head as he came back to himself, an apologetic smile breaking over his face as he spoke again,
"Ah, sorry, I get a little, um, nervous about drawing you see; don't like the art circle, you follow?" Mighty nodded, all she could do as she tried to pick up the pieces; what had made Big act like that, what did he not like about the art he drew, no, not the art itself, the people he might find if he showed it wholesale? As she was thinking, he made another observation,
"Well, it's dark now, so light's out; we can get up early and go from there to Mystic Ruins, okay?"
"Yeah, sure"; Mighty fell quiet as Big moved past to extinguish the light from his stove and plunge the room into darkness; she heard him as he moved back, the slight crunches and ruffling noises as he heaved himself into his bed and, a while later, the snores as he fell asleep. Rest did not come so easily to the armadillo however; even when her eyes drifted shut for the last time, still the question would not leave her; why is Big afraid of people? Why does he live out here alone?
A/N: And next, Mighty finally gets where she needs to be; can she impress the Chaotix at all?