Chapter 8 - A lie confessed

Vector escorted Drasyre through the gates of Riverbase and onto one of its wide streets. The crocodile and silver-furred dog stood side by side, gazing up at the arches and domes that composed the Mobian architecture. There were trees everywhere, some supporting buildings in their upper branches. Most were leafless at this time of year, and there were dozens of bird-Mobians sitting among the bare branches. In contrast to this ingrowth, almost worship, of nature, every Mobian in sight had at least one mechanical limb. It was as if the population had rebelled against technology and run the opposite direction.

Drasyre summed it up in one word. "Unusual."

"Very," said Vector. "Whatever you do, never badmouth a Robian while you're here. It'll be the last thing you ever do."

"I was wondering about that," said Drasyre, tucking his arms inside his robe. "Thank you for the warning."

Vector led Drasyre in a winding, weaving path through the broad streets, keeping to the weak sunshine wherever possible. He was headed for the Robian Index, the facility that housed the ID numbers and craft types of all the residents. It was available to Mobian law enforcement and governments, because Robians were on standby about all new deroboticizer technology or robotic upgrades for those who wished to keep their mechanical parts.

Vector assumed that Spark would be registered in the index, because of his mechanical arm. And if he wasn't, then it was a fine delay tactic for Drasyre. The silver dog was busy gazing around him and sniffing the air, interested. He had never seen a Mobian city that was so into tree-worship, and around every corner was some new architectural marvel.

As they passed beneath a single tree encased in a glass greenhouse, a sudden pain stabbed Drasyre between the eyes. He blinked and rubbed his forehead. The pain faded, then returned again like a lightning bolt through his skull. It left after-images on the insides of his eyelids--triangles and diamond patterns. A second later it struck again, and he staggered and pressed his hands to his eyes.

Framed in the diamonds was a face with wide eyes that stared into his own. Drasyre's lips writhed back from his teeth, and the face in his mind cringed backward.

The pain subsided again, and Drasyre opened his eyes to see Vector staring at him. "You okay, Drasyre?"

"The thief has the Chaos Emerald," whispered Drasyre. "He's close. Very close. I can see him."

Spark was seated cross-legged on the floor of his hut, gazing into the white gem. He had taken to crystal-gazing for hours at a time, trying to control Chaos Sight and direct the things he saw. It helped him escape from life and the torment of his poisoned body. Sonic had told him that the horrors the emerald showed him almost never happened, so he had taken to reviewing the images in a detached sort of way, without letting the visions effect him.

But suddenly there was a sharp pain in his forehead, and the silver monster looked at him from out of the gem. Its eyes focused on him, and it bared its teeth in furious recognition. It was trapped inside of the emerald, and it was angry.

"I'm sorry!" he exclaimed aloud.

Spark's words fell on Drasyre's mind during another burst of pain. The dog sank to the pavement and snarled in a whisper, "I am going to hunt you down. And I will eat you."

Spark 'heard' these words inside of his head, and terror tore through him. "No!" he cried. "I'll give it back! I'm sorry!"

The monster snapped its jaws, and fifty miles away, a dog was doing the same. "I shall be avenged, thief."

Vector shook Drasyre. "Wake up, man. You're freaking me out, here."

Drasyre looked up at the crocodile, his eyes red and wild. "He is close. He may even be here. Lead me to him, quickly!" He bounded to his feet, and Vector hurried off up the street, hoping desperately that Spark wasn't in Riverbase.

Spark stumbled out of his hut, shielding his eyes from the sun. He had to run, to hide, to do anything but stay here. As he stood in the middle of the street, he heard claws clicking on pavement and spun around, expecting to see the beast that was hunting him. He saw only Slasher, walking toward him with her feathered wings tucked against her sides.

"Slasher," he panted, sprinting up to her. "I've got to get out of Knothole. I've done something terrible, and he's going to punish me. Slash, help me!"

Slasher looked around the open street. "Let's go into your hut where we won't be overheard."

"No!" Spark didn't want to go in there with the emerald and the monster who would see him.

Slasher regarded Spark for a second, then said, "The woods, then."

They hurried out of the village and into the forest. The trees were bare, and the forest seemed sparse and full of light. But it was empty and secluded. Slasher tested the breeze with her nose, then turned her attention to Spark. "Now, what's going on?"

Spark faced her like a small child facing a parent, debating whether or not to tell the truth. He would have to admit to his crime of theft, and at last deal with the consequences. But the consequences were going to strike soon anyway. He had nothing left to lose. "Slash," he blurted, "I stole the white Chaos Emerald from a dragon."

The velociraptor looked blank.

Spark hurried on, "I thought the emerald could heal me, so I stole it. But he's tracked me down and he'll eat me, Slasher! He said so"
Slasher shook her head. "Slow down, slow down. Start from the beginning. A dragon had a Chaos Emerald--in, what, his jewel horde?"

So Spark recounted the tale of hearing that the mithril dragon on Seliris Island had a Chaos Emerald, and of flying out and swiping the gem while the dragon was occupied with altering his appearance. Then the disguised dragon had pursued him north to Sapphire City, where Spark had shaken him at last by having Sonic teleport him to Knothole. But the dragon was still after him. Spark saw him in the Chaos Emerald. And when the dragon found him, Spark was history.

Slasher turned and began to pace in a circle, head jerking up and down in agitation. Spark watched her, squeezing his mechanical hand with his natural hand. "What do I do, Slash?"

"Well, you've already run, and that made things worse," she said. She thumped her tail against a tree and watched the branches quiver. "You'll have to return the emerald to him. Dragons are very touchy about having their treasure stolen. Maybe we can reason with him beforehand?"

"You give it back," said Spark. "I'll go hide out in North Mobius."

"No," said Slasher. "He would hunt you down just as quickly there. If he wants the emerald, maybe we can make peace with him. Heaven knows that we don't need a dragon as our enemy right now."

"Or ever," muttered Spark. "But what do I DO?"

"Give me the emerald," said Slasher. "I need to talk to Sonic and Sally about this."

The sun shone through the apartment window, creating a warm yellow patch on the carpet. Shadow sat in this patch of sunlight with his knees drawn to his chest and hands flat on the floor, letting the warmth sink into him. He was trying to ignore Amy, who hadn't shut up since he had told her to feed herself, and she had helped herself to Nick's espresso mix in the cupboard.

"...and then Tails showed me how the Tornado keeps a profile of everybody it knows, which is how I got the idea to fly it down here in the first place. That was when me and Tails were still going out, but he stood me up for a date and HID from me! He's such a jerk. So is Sonic. I know Sonic put him up to it. Do you think Sonic is a jerk?"

Shadow made a neutral grunt. He wasn't listening to her, because he was wandering among distant paths in his mind, hearing strange voices and seeking their sources. Mekion was mixed up in there somewhere, but the strange voices made him taste metal and feel breaking glass under his fingertips. They should not be there, and his senses kept going haywire.

"...I mean, I love Sonic. I always have, but then he goes and picks Sally! How could he? I've gone more places with him and everything! I defeated Zero all by myself, and what has Sally ever done? Metal Overlord--pfff, she had a Chaos Emerald when she did that, and all I had was my hammer! It's not fair. I never want to go home ever, I want to stay with you, Shadow ..."

The voices hurt Shadow with every syllable, like whips and knives in his brain. They were coming from somewhere, if only he could figure out where. The sun was warm and soothing on his head and arms, but inside he was as cold as ice. That was why he had sought out the sunlight, hoping that it would drive away the chill in his heart that was Mekion.

"...Sonic would be so mad if I went out with you, too, so we gotta go out. Would you go back to Knothole with me, Shadow? So we could tick him off?"

Amy actually stopped talking and waited for his response. The sudden silence awoke Shadow from his reverie, and he looked up. "Huh? No."

"Why not?" Amy whined. "It'd be perfect! I came all this way and--"

"I said no," snarled Shadow. He was in enough torment without this obnoxious, ignorant girl heaping yet more torture upon him. "You appeal to me as if I had a heart, which I don't. If you want kindness, try Mecha. He has enough for both of us, and I stopped caring about you the minute I saw you on the ARK."

Amy said nothing else. After a while he heard the apartment door quietly open, then close. He heard Nox peer through the blinds, and a moment later the chao announced, "She's getting in the Tornado. She's leaving."

Shadow nodded.

Nox padded back to Shadow, and stood beside him in the sun. "You really hurt her feelings."

"So?" growled Shadow. "She's lucky I didn't tear her arms off and send her home that way."

"You could have been nicer," said Nox.

Shadow's nerves were stretched to the breaking point. He had driven away Mecha, he had driven away Amy, and the voices both frightened and hurt him. Now even his own chao was condemning him.

Shadow back-handed Nox with his robot fist. The chao flew across the room and struck a chair leg, where he lay still.

Shadow waited for Nox to get up. When several minutes passed and the chao had not stirred, a sick dread plunged into his stomach. Shadow scrambled to his feet and hurried to where Nox lay, gathering the chao up in his arms. Nox's heart was still beating.

The hedgehog carried the chao back into the sunbeam, slowly sat down, and held his chao there. Why had he struck Nox? He had not hurt Nox since those dark nights of anguish on the ARK. He had hurt Nox, and Amy, and Mecha ... what was wrong with him? Why was he determined to destroy everything good in his life?

"Nox," he whispered to the still form in his arms, "I'm sorry ..."

Downtown in Sapphire City, the front door of the Chao Co. opened, and Knuckles stepped onto the sidewalk, followed by Zephyer, Talon, and three chao. Max, who had not been outside the garden in months, insisted on running along the sidewalk beside Talon, looking at everything and scuffling with Zinc and Chimera. These two tried to act as if the outside world was boring and commonplace.

Mecha had departed some time before. Knuckles looked up and down the street for him, but the android was gone on his own mysterious business. He had talked to Talon for a long time. Knuckles turned and waited for Talon to catch up to him. "Hey Tal"
Talon was watching Max, but he looked up at Knuckles with a quick smile. "Hello sir."

"What'd you think of that fox guy?"

"Melthision?" said Talon, raising his eyebrow. "I don't know. He was nice. Why?"

Knuckles shrugged. "Just curious. He sat over there and talked ..."

"Yeah," said Talon, frowning. "He asked me some weird stuff. He wanted to know if Max had any Chaos powers. Then he asked if I had any powers, because chao get their powers from their owners."

Knuckles looked sharply at the young anteater, but Talon was watching Max. "That's interesting. What else did he say?"

"Not much," said Talon. "He walked off to make sure his chao was all right, and that was it."

They walked in silence a moment. Zephyer was listening closely, but not saying a word.

Talon looked at Knuckles. "So ... do you think I might be able to use Chaos powers, sir?"

Knuckles shrugged. "We'll have to try it and see. We're going to Knothole this evening. I'll get Sonic to loan us his Chaos Emerald, and we'll test your Chaos field."

"Do you ... do you think I have one, sir?"

Knuckles grinned and gave Talon a gentle indian burn on his head. "Sure you do, kiddo."

"I don't believe this," said Sonic.

The blue hedgehog paced up and down the length of the hut, his motions jerky with agitation. Spark sat on Sonic's bed with his head in his hands, and Sally stood just inside the door with Slasher, arms crossed.

Sonic spun and faced his brother. "How could you do this to us? Do you know what happened with the LAST dragon we ran across? You don't mess with dragons, man! And now there's one tracking you!"

Spark looked up, his eyes dark with fear and anger. "Like duh, Sonic! Don't you think I've figured that out by now?"

"We might all die!" Sonic shouted, clenching his fists. "The Super Emeralds don't work and I have one Chaos Emerald! I can't go Super to defend us!"

"It's not about you!" Spark snarled, leaping to his feet. He extended his natural hand, palm outward, and raised his robot hand toward the stone in his forehead. Both hands crackled with electricity, and the fur rose on his arms. "Make me," he whispered.

Slasher and Sally stepped between the two, Sally with arms outstretched, and Slasher with a low growl. "Stop it, you two," said Sally. "What's done is done. What we have to decide is what to do now"
"Give the emerald back and head for the hills?" said Sonic, giving Spark a look of withering scorn.

"Maybe," said Sally. "Dragons are reasonable creatures, aren't they? We might be able to negotiate with him. What's his name?"

"Drasyre," muttered Spark, clenching his hands together. "He's silver or mithril or something."

Slasher shook her head. "Spark, Spark, why'd you have to get one of those after us? They're the most intelligent dragons of all."

Sally turned to Sonic, whose spines were a little too bristly. He refused to look at Spark. "Sonic, you dealt with the dragon in Diamonda. Any ideas?"

"They kept him chained in a cage," said Sonic. "When he got out, he destroyed Diamonda. If this Drasyre is trapped as a dog, it's the same thing. He'll destroy everything."

Spark studied his hands. He felt sick and wretched inside. What if Knothole and New Mobitropolis both burned? It was his fault if everyone died. He was sick with fear at the thought of that horned silver head rearing over the treetops, and he was humiliated at his crime having followed him this far. He also wanted to fry Sonic to a crisp, but he tried not to think about that. Sonic was as frightened as Spark was, and just as helpless. But for Sonic it was worse.

Sonic had been Knothole's chief defender since the Freedom Fighters agreed to battle Robotnik. Now he stood before his loved ones, stricken with the knowledge that his own brother had brought ruin upon them all. Sonic couldn't fight a dragon. They were too big and powerful, and not like the robots he usually faced. Sonic didn't even have the advantage of Chaos-powered flight and invincibility.

"Spark, you have to leave," said Sonic. "The dragon can't find you here."

Spark looked at him in wordless terror, and Slasher frowned. "No, Sonic, you can't sacrifice him like that. There has to be some kind of meeting. Spark can't run forever."

"Well, you're the negotiator, aren't you?" snapped Sonic. He whirled and stormed from the hut, slamming the door behind him.

There was a stunned silence. Sonic had never talked to Slasher like that before. Sally saw the hurt in the raptor's eyes, and inhaled. "Well! Okay. We need to find out where the dragon is and plan a meeting, hopefully on friendly terms."

"I'll escort Spark," said Slasher. Her voice was too soft, and Spark and Sally felt her pain as if it were their own.

Sally laid a hand on one of Slasher's wings. "He'll cool down, Slash. He's just upset."

"I know," the raptor replied, shaking her head. "I'm afraid, too." She turned to Spark. "Come with me. We need to talk."

Spark rose without a word and followed her out of the hut.

Sally stood alone in the middle of the floor, feeling small, helpless and alone. She had to let Sonic have some time to himself, but Sally didn't know if she could cope with an impending visit from a wrathful dragon.

She returned to her hut, looking at the tree tops and wondering how to pull this off without losing lives. The dragon must not be allowed near the village, that was certain ...

As she opened to door to her hut, she heard her communicator chirp. She hurried to the shelf where it lay, snatched it up and said, "Hello?"

"Hello, Princess Sally," said an unfamiliar voice. "I have discovered something of interest to you. A lost item."

"What?" exclaimed Sally. "Who is this?"

"I was once quite familiar to you," said the voice. "I remain indebted to you for the violet Chaos Emerald, which I still plan to return."

Sally knew him at once. "Mecha."

"Yes." He sounded vaguely pleased. "I have something here that you may have missed. A hedgehog named Amy Rose."

Sally stared blankly at the wall. "You have Amy Rose? What--how--?"

"The situation is strange to me, as well," said Mecha. "It appears that she ran away. I am notifying you that I have located her, and will return her to Knothole by this evening. Also, inform Tails that the Tornado sends its regards."

"Maybe you should start from the beginning," said Sally, holding her forehead.