Author's note: Sorry for the delay. Man, this is my longest story yet, and I'm planning a sequel… who'd have thought it'd go this far?
-
Chapter 31: Last Report
-
After a few minutes, Tails brought the spaceship down for a landing in the lot behind his lab. "That was a beautiful landing," Skyler commented.
"Aeronautics comes naturally for me," Tails explained. "Everybody out!"
Nack leapt out almost immediately. "I'm going now- so long!"
"What are you doing, Nack?" I yelled to him.
Nack paused. "I'm a loner by nature. I act in the shadows. I can't stick around with you. It just isn't my nature."
Kitty got out of her seat. "You mean you're not going to stick around for the interviews?"
"Sorry, that's just not me." And with that, Nack was gone.
Everyone stared off into the distance, where Nack had run off to. "What a guy," Sonic finally said. "Kinda reminds me of myself."
Tails faced Kitty. "Kitty, did you say something about interviews?"
"Yes," Kitty responded. "The evening news is in half an hour, and I have barely enough time to arrange things. Gotta go!"
Zip! Kitty ran into the distance just as quickly as Nack had gone. "Man," I commented, "doesn't anyone ever bother to say good-bye anymore?"
About half an hour later, Kitty was able to start the news program. The filming was taking place in the Emerald Town park. Kitty stood up front as Tails, Sonic, W.T., Lightning, Skyler, and myself sat together and watched her.
"This is Kitty O'Brien of KBC News here with the evening report," Kitty began. "Today we have an amazing story. A few days ago, Sonic the Hedgehog was captured, and his rescue was almost wholly due to the heroic efforts of one character in particular. His name: Leo."
Kitty continued. "He didn't do it alone, however. A total of six others, including myself, joined in. Let's interview them. First of all, we have Lightning Tiger."
Detaching the microphone from her headset, Kitty held it to Lightning's mouth. "So, Lightning, tell us. What do you intend to do with yourself in the future?"
Lightning folded his arms. "Well, when I discovered that base in the jungle a few months ago, old and abandoned, curiosity got the better of me, and I began to fix it up and see if I could get it running again. I knew a few things about mechanical workings, so it was done rather quickly.
"Before I knew it, I was practically a slave to the base. I was keeping it running twenty-four-seven. I almost completely forgot about the outside world… until I got some unexpected company." As Lightning said that, he gestured at Tails and me.
"I think I'll start getting used to life outside the base again," Lightning finished up. "I guess I have a ways to go."
"Ah, I bet," Kitty agreed, affectionately rubbing her hand over Lightning's arm.
Lightning slapped Kitty's hand away. "Not any more than that, Kitty. Static electricity messes up my abilities."
After that, Kitty identified and posed the same question to the rest of us. Skyler said he'd return to the clouds, Tails and W.T. decided to bury the hatchet and restore their brotherly love, and Sonic mentioned that he'd train some so he wouldn't get captured again.
While Kitty was talking to Sonic, her cameraman laughed a little upon noticing the Chaos Emeralds in Sonic's hands.
Kitty blinked. "What? What's so funny?"
As the cameraman pointed out, there were only five Chaos Emeralds there. Someone had swiped the other two, and it doesn't take Sam Spade to figure out who that someone had been.
"Don't worry about it," Sonic reassured his viewing audience. "He can't get far with them. The Emeralds will be retrieved for sure. Don't worry about a thing."
"Always so calm and collected," Kitty commented. "You're amazing, Sonic. Now, how about you, Leo? What will you do after this?"
I was too busy snickering over the missing Emeralds to notice that Kitty was questioning me. It took a nudge from Sonic to get my attention. "Wha-? Oh, are you asking me?"
"Yes, I am. Oh, I almost forgot something."
Kitty reached into her pocket and held out a sticker with Kitty's picture on it, surrounded by the words I WAS INTERVIEWED BY KITTY O'BRIEN. I proudly took it and pocketed it in my wing for later use.
"Now," Kitty asked again, "what plans do you have for the future?"
For a moment, I was stuck for an answer to Kitty's question. "You know… I never really thought about that. I guess I never did realize that once my adventure was over, there was nothing more to do."
Around then, a heroic vibe hit me for some reason. "But if Dr. Eggman rears his ugly head again, don't fret… I'll be there to flush him and his plans down the drain!"
I waved good-bye to Kitty as my wings shot open, and I flew up in a dazzling loop. I attempted to make a stylish exit, but a tree limb interrupted my move, and I plummeted to the ground like a dead bird. I blacked out shortly after that.
The last thing I remember before completely losing consciousness was a cry of bewilderment and disappointment from Kitty O'Brien.
-
One more chapter. One more chapter, and the story will be over. And I'll make it a good one, too.
Side note to Nail Strafer and Deltoran Merchant: Your "motive" complaint has now been satisfied, I hope.
Quote of the Chapter:
"Your function as a critic is to show that it is really you yourself who should have written the book, if you had had the time, and since you hadn't you are glad that someone else had, although obviously it might have been done better."
-Stephen Potter