-Chess-

When are they going to get back? It feels like they've been gone for ages! They headed out while Amy and I were gone, Blaze says, and they still aren't back. If something's happened to Sonic, what are we going to do? He's the only one who even knows just what he's going to do! He should've told Amy, at least, but I don't think even she knows just where he thinks he can find the 'destroyed' Emerald! He'd better get back...

I look around at the others. Everyone's waiting, me standing right here leaning against the wall, Crossfire sitting against it a little to my left, Blaze standing in front of him and slightly further left. Trick and Gaze are holding hands by the door, looking nervous, Amy's pacing up and down the room, and Knuckles and Rouge are standing together, a little way off from the rest of us.

"They'll be back soon. He'll be all right."

It's Blaze who said that, and I look over at him. It's always kind of odd hearing him do that, more so because I know he's always right somehow. Amy's giving him a funny look, too. I guess 'he' must be Shadow, 'cause Blaze seems to have been talking to her rather than the rest of us, and even though it's Sonic who's got us fighting back properly, everyone knows it's Shadow she cares about most.

My gaze flicks to Crossfire. Sure enough, he's got a 'yeah, right' look, just like I expected, but even he doesn't argue with Blaze. He'll argue with pretty much anyone else, though. Everyone knows everyone else's story, so I know that somehow he and Blaze survived when their house collapsed in the shockwave of the Emerald's explosion. Trick and Gaze lost their family, too, to a robot attack, I think. Me, I was out selling papers when the shockwave hit, so I was kind of wandering around lost when Amy found me. I mean, sure, I'd gone back home, but it was a wreck, and there was no-one there, so they must have already gone. I'll find them someday, when this is all over so's I don't have to worry about maybe leading Dr. Robotnik right to them. I said that to Crossfire once, and he gave me one of those cold looks of his and told me they were dead. He sounded so certain, but there's no way I'm going to believe him! It's not like he's always right like Blaze is, he just always expects the worst of everything. I don't know why; it's not as if he's had it any worse than the rest of us... Blaze is his brother, and look at how different he is. Still, I don't think anyone's ever going to figure that out... Crossfire's a mystery, and he doesn't let anyone see why. Okay, so Blaze is a mystery too, but not in the same way.

There's a flash in the centre of the room – it must be Sonic back, with Shadow and Tails! Sure enough, as soon as my eyes have cleared, I see them – but Shadow's lying on the floor, Sonic kneeling by his side, and Tails standing next to him. He's hurt!

"Shadow!"

That's Amy, running over to him. I watch concernedly, feeling pretty useless, but I'd just get in the way right now. Shadow smiles at her, even though he's hurt, and she smiles back, though it's clear she's worried about him. Sonic looks around, pausing on Blaze for a moment with a funny look, but when I look at him I can't figure out what it was that Sonic saw.

"...Well guys, we got it!" he says, holding up the yellow Emerald for everyone to see. There are relieved expressions on pretty much everyone's faces... except, of course, for Crossfire.

"And you nearly lost Shadow."

He sounds so scornful, like everything is a total waste of time. Why can't he see we're fighting back properly for once, that maybe, just maybe, we're actually going to win! Why can't he just let himself hope for once?!

"But he didn't, and now there are just two more Emeralds to find!" I retort, annoyed by his constant pessimism.

"Who will we lose next time?" he asks sarcastically.

"No-one, Crossfire! Why can't you just accept that maybe we actually have a chance to do something besides run for once?! You talk about fighting, but what's the point in fighting if you've already decided you're going to lose? Why can't you just let yourself hope for a change?" I'm getting mad now. If we all thought like him, I bet half of us would be dead already!

"Because you're only going to be disappointed. Face the facts. Even if this mad plan of Sonic's actually works, not all of us are going to see it through."

"Sure we are!" I'm not going to believe we'll die, not even if Blaze says it! We've fought this long, haven't we?!