Ch 20: Fear, Blackmail, and Death
Using the remaining energy from his body, Shadow gave a final push to the Tornado3. After this he falls into the ocean. He surfaces and starts swimming but they are too far ahead of him. Shadow jumps out of the water and land on his feet, hovering on the water. He looks around and sights the plane. He speeds off to it.
As the Tornado3 slows down Tails looks back and sees something coming. "Hey, What is that."
May turns around an looks. They see it is just Shadow. He quickly catches up with them. "Hey, where did you go."
"For a swim. Where do you think." Shadow sits on the tail as usual. "So now what."
Tails pushed a button and the foot pedals came out again. "I looked on my pocket computer, we are near Kit Isle. It's straight ahead. Shadow can pedal with me." May got out of her seat and swapped spots with Shadow. He begins pedaling super fast. The island is just up ahead. There is dark smoke clouds from the explosion of the power plant. "Wow, that place has seen better days."
Shadow suddenly start pedaling backwards. "I sense something terribly wrong about this Island. We shouldn't go on the beach or anywhere for that matter."
"But we need a place to rest, we cant stay out here on the ocean. The Tornado3 can only stay afloat for so long without power." Tails looks at Shadow with a 'I'm right and you know it' expression.
"Okay...I know of a secret cave to hide in." Shadow grabs the rear controls and starts pedaling again. They go along the island until they reach a small cave and enter it. "This place should suffice for now."
"It's s-so c-cold here." May said as she shivered. She jumped out and onto the cold wet cave floor. "There is no firewood or anything to start a fire with. Tails we wont survive the night in this place."
"Yeah Shadow, why couldn't we go in the forest or something." Tails is about to turn the Tornado3 around.
"No, listen to Tails! If you go out there, they will kill you." With this Tails looks at him curiously.
"W-what do you mean? They...I don't understand." Tails gets out of the plane and walks over to them.
"Okay, you know that legend. About the creatures in the subway. Well its true. I saw one of them. I can sense them all over this island. There are none around here though. They must've escaped when the power plant exploded. We should be safe here for the night. "And as for living conditions May, Tails can handle that. You have control over all the elements."
"Ok I'll try." Tails concentrates hard on the cave entrance. Suddenly huge rocks come from the ground and seals the cave except for a small hole. "Yes, exactly how I pictured it." The remaining water evaporated and the steam left through the hole. "That's better now."
"We still need heat Tails." Said Shadow. Tails thought for a moment. He looked at the floor for a moment. Then grass suddenly appeared across it. Then a tree in the center grew 4 feet tall and 3 feet wide. Tails then cut the tree down. "Whoa."
"There that should do it. Man I'm beat." Tails is about to do more stuff when he just falls there and starts snoring in the grass. May giggles at the site and walks over and sits next to him. She puts his head on her lap and strokes his hair.
"He is so cute." As May is with Tails, Shadow readies a small chaos spear and throws it at the giant log. It splits in perfect pieces. He then grabs a few pieces and sets them up like a teepee. Shadow puts the sole of his foot facing the fire site and turns on the jets which ignites the wood. "Wow, good job Shadow."
"You learn a few survival tricks being a loner." Shadow sits with his back to the far wall. 'I just hope those creatures didn't sense us.' Shadow has his eyes closed, but is alert just incase. The rest of the night was good except for some small noises in the distant forest. The yelps of wolves being attacked in there. A few faint roars from the creatures. Shadow was nervous the whole night. Shadow was about to fall asleep.
"NO, May!" Shadow jumped up ready to fight. But saw Tails sitting up. The moon was shining through the hole on Tails. So he could tell his eyes were wet.
"Thank god it's only you...You scared me." Shadow sat back down.
"Why do i keep having that nightmare?" Tails wiped his eyes. "I scared you...the ultimate life form is jumpy...that's funny."
"Err...What nightmare are you having?" Shadow asked to change the subject.
"Well, it's kinda personal, but here goes. I'm in this field with a tree that I'm sitting under. May shows up and...we kiss...and then the tree explodes and a shadowed man or thing is standing there. The dream varies. But is the same. The monster kills May and then i wake up. First the monster was a hedgehog shape, but tonight it was a beast or alien thing. It just breathed and she died...she..." Tails has his hands on his face crying. "Sorry, I just love her so much, I don't want anything bad to happen to her."
"Oh I see. I think your just worried. But I know you can protect her. Man when is dawn gonna break. Those creatures are killing everything in the forest. The sounds are so disturbing. It's weird, I can sense them only in the forest. Not one approached the ruined city once. Well that is good for us, but it's just so creepy."
"I'm gonna stay up for a while." Tails gets up and walks over to the end of the cave. He goes over to the Tornado3 and gets his data cube. After about three hours he made another fake emerald, it's blue this time. "Good, now to put it in the engine." After he put the fake emerald in all the systems started up and rebooted. He pushed a button on the console. The Tornado3 transformed into car mode. The noise woke may up.
"Five more minutes...huh, what are you doing Tails?" May got up and walked over to him. "How did you get the Tornado working again?"
"I made another fake emerald. But Im tired now lets go back to bed." He looks back at May. She's sleeping in the cockpit. Tails gets in the back seat and falls asleep.
About three hours later dawn breaks. There are no sounds except for the wind and water. Tails and May are still fast asleep. Shadow wakes up from his accidental sleep. "Uh...ok, everything's fine." He whispered. He gets up and walks around. In the corner of his eye he sees light, just slightly. At the end of the cave he sees an outline of a door. "Why did I not notice that before?" He just shrugs and goes over to the door. He forces it open as it scrapes the floor. There is a lot of dust everywhere, but it settles. "This place is still here?" Shadow is in the old rebel HQ. It's in terrible condition. There is rubble in random places, The sun is shining through the cracks and holes in the roof, and it smells like death all over. "I don't like that smell, the creatures might be near." After that he readies a long chaos spear, and holds it like a normal spear as he proceeds down the hall.
"Um...Goomoring." said Tails as he yawned. May is still sound asleep. He shakes her, but she just huddles into a ball tighter. "Ok, I'll let you sleep." Tails sees the wide open door with light shining in. "Oh no, A creature must've got Shadow." Tails grabbed the crystal sword and went into the passageway. He walks down it a ways and comes across a door. The room is small and has a bunch of shelves. Tails looks down and sees a dead body. He backs out of the door and crashes into someone. "Ahh, don't eat me...Oh its just you Shadow."
"Theres nothing here, lets go back."
"Are you sure?"
"I SAID GO!"
"Alright already, sheesh!" They head back together.
'I never want to come here ever again' Shadow looks back for a brief moment. He sees a tiny black tail moving from around the corner. He quietly shuts the door behind him. "They are here. The creatures' babies."
"What, I thought you could sense them."
"The adults, but not the baby ones, they must be too small for my senses. They probably were here the whole time. We gotta go, NOW! CHAOS SPEAR!" He destroyed the sealed cave entrance completely. Then he threw another at the door, causing it to cave in.
"Hop on." Tails already had the tornado in plane mode. But instead of wheels at the bottom there were two pontoons. The plane skidded across the cave floor and into the water. "That was close."
"I don't think anyone is alive on that island. If they are, they better escape." Shadow looked like he was actually afraid of them.
"Shadow? Are you alright?" Asked Tails.
"I'm fine." Shadow just turned his head away.
"Hey, where are we going?" Said May.
"Back to where we left Kaida and Ace. We need a plan to sneak into the place where Sonic is." Tails turns the plane into jet mode and blasts toward the village island in the south.
Meanwhile, in a castle on an island far to the south-west. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN THE ISLAND'S GONE!" Screamed Falcner into the radio. Someone appears behind him.
"Sir, our satellites show that it sunk late yesterday afternoon." Said a hedge-knight.
"Grrr...Fine. Send a transport to go get Bruiser in the northern sea. He'll have the beacon on, I hope." Falcner stormed out of the main radio tower and into the throne room. He walked to the throne and kneeled. "Lord Cinos, I've unfortunate news for you."
"Go ahead." Said the cold voice. Only his eyes glowed in the darkness.
"The sacred island in the north has completely vanished, the entire research team is missing. We just got radio contact from Bruiser." Falcner kept his head down.
"Very well, you may go now."
"Your not angry sire?" Said Falcner as he looks up.
"Don't question me, just GOOOO." His voice became demonic when he yelled. A huge wind blasted Falcner out of the room and into the wall.
"Falcner, you idiot." He got up and walked away. Falcner went down to barracks. He passed a few soldiers, and knights. The room holds at least 100 people, but only a few are still here. "HEY, you soldiers better hurry up and get out, if you know what's good for you!" Soon the room was empty. Falcner went to the end of the room and sat down. "How does he have so much power. Cinos just appeared one day and BAM, hes the new king. My thrown taken from me in one day. The chancellor made a huge mistake. That fox boy sure has gotten strong. I can't believe him and his friend beat me."
"There you are Falcner, heehee. Still a loser like always. Do you think Cinos will be happy about your rebellious attitude." Said a pretty hedge-knight. She is just wearing her tech-cloth, as all the grand cross do when they aren't on duty. She has light blue fur and dark blue streaks on her spines, arms, legs, and the corners of her eyes. All her spines are down like any other female hedgehog's, except for the top center one, which goes back.
"What are you doing here, Lena. Get back with your low ranking friends."
"For your information, I'm replacing Cilia in the grand-cross. Now I know we can be friends, or something closer. Or I can tell Cinos what your real plans are." She is just standing there with her arms crossed.
"Fine, what do you want me to do."
"Well, I want you to obey me for one week. Whatever I say, you do."
"If i refuse?"
"I'll tell Cinos everything, and show him this recording. Everything you said is on tape." She pulls out a tape from behind her. Falcner gave her a hesitant nod. "Good boy, Now come here. Kiss me."
"What, I don't like you in that way. I hate you." Knowing he cant win Falcner goes over to her and kisses her on the cheek. "Ok."
"Oh no you don't." Lena grabs him and kisses him on the mouth. She is kissing him crazily. After about a minute she stops. "That's better. Oh and were getting married tomorrow, or ELSE." With that, she leaves.
"That's the last time I talk aloud! Now I have to deal with two annoyances." Falcner smashes his fist through the door and rips it off. A young soldier looks at him. "GET OUT OF MY WAY!" He storms off.
"There's the island Shadow, Uh oh. It's on fire!" Said Tails looking at the burning forest. They quickly land and head down the beach. Kaida and Morgan are standing on the edge of the forest. "Kaida!"
"Huh, oh. Tails come here." Kaida has tears in her eyes. "He, he...killed them all."
"Who. What happened here."
"It was, a grand cross. His name is Necro...and he killed Ace..", Kaida collapsed on the ground crying.
"I'm going in there." Tails started to run, but May stopped him.
"I'm going with you." She said as she pulled out a small cylinder. It grew into a pole longer than the crystal sword.
"Where'd you get that?" Tails is shocked that May is wanting to fight. "Ok, come on then."
"Kaida fought me so much, I learned her moves. She gave me this pole before we left here." They both run into the burning forest. Shadow follows them also.