RRRITTICCC!
Tails' ears pricked as a strange noise, like that made by a cricket, erupted from a bush that he ran past.
RRRITTICCC! RRRITTICCC!
"H - hey you guys here that?" he called out.
"No?" Sally replied. "What did it sound like?"
"Hey, Emi, wait up girl!" Bunnie called. Emyain stopped.
"It sounds like a cricket, but I think it's following us," Tails said.
"It's just a bug, don't worry about it. And don't even think about it. Come on," Emyain said.
Tails reluctantly followed the others. There was something he really didn't like about that creature following them.
"Can't y'al go a li'l slower?" Bunnie piped up. "These burns sure hurt some."
"Yes, okay. We are nearly there anyway," Emyain replied.
The noises had stopped soon after Tails had pointed them out, but he was certain - whatever it was - was still following. He was sure he could hear it moving through the foliage a little ahead of them. Despite what Emyain had said, it was hard not to think about something, when you could still hear it. He imagined it as a long scaly creature, like a lizard, equipped with long sharp teeth and a deadly poison. Perhaps it was rubbing together a pair of insect like wings; to make the sound he had heard earlier. He hurried to catch up with the others.
After about fifteen minutes more of wandering through the woods, Emyain, who was ahead of the group, pulled aside the leafed branches of a tall weeping willow, revealing an entrance to a cave.
"In here!" she exclaimed.
As the others ran over to join her, the bushed rustled again, and a small creature, long and green, darted out from where Sally had been about to put her foot down. It leapt, and sank it's teeth into her foot. She cried out in pain and surprise, but the creature was gone, making 'ritic' noises as it fled.
"Oh mah stars, what was that thang? Y'al alraght, Sally - girl?"
"Some kind of reptile I think. The bite's really painful," Sally winced.
"I said there was something following us! I heard it! Then when it jumped out of the bushes it looked exactly like I imagined it did!" Tails cried. He was staring at the bushes that the creature had vanished into, shaking.
"It's okay, honey, it's gone now!" Bunnie said, hugging him.
"I'm afraid he might have to go looking for it," Emyain said. She'd given Sally a ribbon from her hair, which Sally was tying tightly around the bite mark, grimacing in pain.
"Tell me, did you start thinking about creatures like that before we heard those noises?" Emyain asked Tails.
"I thought about this really scary dream I had last night, to get here," Tails told her. "It had monsters in."
"You said it looked exactly like you imagined it did?"
"When I heard it moving in the bushes, I started thinking about what it might look like. Then when it leapt out it looked exactly like I'd imagined," Tails told them.
"Whattcha trynah say, girl? Can't y'al see ya scaring him?" Bunnie cried.
"I think we may have passed by one of the Adi falls back there. While Tails was thinking about that creature. The creature he was thinking about became real when we wandered close by the Adi fall.
"So I created the monster!" Tails gasped.
"Yes, and you will have to destroy it. To reverse whatever it's done to Sally," Emyain said. "Was it poisonous?"
Tails wouldn't answer. He'd gone silent with the slow lingering guilt brought on by something which isn't entirely your fault but feels like it is anyway.
"Then you'd best find this creature - fast!" Emyain said.
"Yeah, but - but how can I destroy it!" Tails said, tearfully.
"This creature came into existence because you believed in it. So to destroy it, you must not believe. In fact, you will have to believe it never existed."
"But it does..." Tails began, uncertainly.
"I never said it would be easy," Emyain said.
"Does he have to be on his own t' face tha monster?" Bunnie said.
"I'm afraid so...If two of us saw it, then two of us would believe in it, and it would be harder to destroy."
"How will I know where to find it!" Tails said.
"You will know. Now go on - hurry!" Emyain instructed.
Tails swallowed hard, rising to his feet. "Aunt Sally? I'm sorry!" He whispered. She stared weakly up at him, eyes wide with fear and pain.
"It's all right, honey...You had no idea what you were doing..." she gasped.
Tails turned away, quickly, closing his eyes against the scene. His tails twisted around each other and he floated away, tears running down his cheeks. He had never meant to imagine such a creature . It had scared him to think about anything like that, but at the same time it had been hard to stop thinking about it. It was only natural to think about what it might look like - what it might do to you. And now it had hurt Sally. He couldn't believe he'd done something so terrible. If she died it would be all his fault. All his fault. How could anyone ever forgive him? The pain, fear and guilt had welled up inside his chest, clawing at his heart, and tears stung his eyes like minute rivers of flame, his stomach swirled and twisted feeling full of oil.
RRRITTICCC!
Tails' eyes snapped open, and he gasped. There - there it was, that vile thing that had haunted his sleep and jeopardised his waking life. It was rubbing the tips of its two wings together, menacingly, making a grating sound that put teeth on edge. He was sure it had grown. It was grotesque, as big as a dragon, with the shape of a chameleon. Its eyes rolled madly, sticking out from pulsating, fleshy mounds on the side of it head. It had a huge purple tongue which lashed about in the air, tasting Tails' scent. It bared its huge fangs, dripping with yellowing saliva and hissed at him. Tails gasped in terror, clamping his eyes shut against the nightmare vision. He tried to picture the creature in his head, shrinking slowly smaller and smaller, so gradually that you could hardly notice, but rapidly so it would be gone, soon. The creature hissed again and lashed out with long, sharp claws. Tails, hovering infront of the creature squealed in terror, swerving out of the way, but at the same time, trying not to hear the sounds it made, nor feel its hot breath rippling his fur. It couldn't hurt him. It couldn't. It didn't even exist! At least, that's what he had to keep telling himself...for Sally's sake.
The three girls had taken refuge in the cave where Emyain had been leading them. Emyain was keeping watch for the creature or any other dangers at the mouth of the cave, trying to keep her mind clear of imagination which might create something worse. Bunnie cradled her friend against her chest for warmth, gently stroking her hair to comfort her. Sally wept and shook softly from the pain. Occasionally she would cry out, and Bunnie would try to soothe her, try to reassure her, telling her that it was going to be all right, that she knew Tails would overcome his fears and destroy the monster for her.
Suddenly, they all heard some-one screaming, and there was an almighty crash as a cave wall, not too far away from the trio came crashing down. Emyain gasped, not daring to fear what sort of monstrosity could have caused such a din. If she had dared to get up and wander a little way beyond the cavern where Sally lay, through a long tunnel and peer into the gloom, she might have seen a small blue hedgehog groan and get carefully to his feet, brushing himself down. He wasn't badly hurt, just a little bruised and scratched. He was more concerned about his friend. He reached up, and gently shook her scaly thigh.
"Dulce! Dulce! Are you okay?" he asked, in an urgent but hushed voice. A loud grumbling voice, like a child suddenly woken from a deep sleep declared:
"I'm fine, ma!" Sonic's worried expression vanished into a wide grin.
"Glad to hear it, girl!" he chuckled.
"Where are we!" Dulcy mumbled, trying to shuffle round to face her friend. Loose rock crumbled and rained down.
"Inside a cave, I think," Sonic said, peering around in the darkness.
"D'ya think we lost that thing?" Dulcy said, a touch of fear tainting her voice.
"I think so. Can't hear it anymore," He wandered around the room and found the enterance to a long winding tunnel of rock.
"Hello!" he called. The sound of his call echoed eerily around the tunnel walls and drifted out where three pairs of ears registered it. Two of them jolted in surprise.
"Sonic!" Sally whispered, and a small, weak grin spread across her face.
"H - hello?" Emyain called back down the tunnel. The hedgehog's ears pricked.
"There's some-one else down here!" he cried. "You - er - stay here and I'll go check it out!" he told Dulcy, who didn't really have much choice but to stay put.
"Okay, but don't be too long!" Dulcy pleaded.
"I won't," he promised, jogging out of sight into the darkness of the tunnel. Emyain stood peering into the gloom at the other end.
"Hi Emi! Just thought I'd drop in!" Sonic called.
"Hi Sonic," Emyain returned.
"What's wrong?" Sonic asked, catching her tone.
"It's Sally. She's really sick," Emyain said, sadly. Panic cracked across the hedgehog's features.
"What! W - where is she!" he demanded.
"Through here," Emyain said. Sonic rushed straight to Sally's side and clasped her hand.
"Sally - " He gasped, not knowing quite what to say. He felt numb with shock and concern. She smiled weakly at him. She was glad he was there. Somehow, his presence seemed to make the pain more bearable.
"What happened?" he asked Bunnie. She swallowed hard. She didn't know how to explain things to him. She didn't really understand all of what Emyain had told her herself and the pain of his despairing face, trying to find answers, trying to understand, prevented her from trying. It had welled up into a great lump in her throat which threatened to choke her.
"Ah hate t' pass tha buck, Emi, but I thank y'al c'n explain this better 'n' ah c'n," Bunnie said.
"She was bitten by a poisonous creature in the woods," Emyain told him.
"A...Creature? Like the one that chased me and Dulce?" Sonic asked.
"You saw it too?" Emyain gasped. "It didn't hurt you, did it?"
"No," Sonic replied, a little uncertainly because he was worried about Dulcy all on her own on top of everything now. He hoped she'd shout out if she saw it coming, then maybe he could do something to protect her, to stop it hurting her like it had hurt Sally.
She looked awful, small and weak, shaking in pain. She needed help and there didn't seem to be any way he could help, not that would help to make her better.
"There's a lot you don't understand about these 'creatures'. They cannot exist without our belief in them. You see, we are in the Eramli realm, a place where our worst fears become a reality. Then nightmares manifest around Adi falls. Earlier, while we were headed for these caves, Tails claimed he could hear something moving through the bushes, following us - "
"TAILS! Tails is here?" Sonic cried.
"He stowed away in your backpack," Sally said. The pain was not as bad as it had been now, though she still felt weak. All the same, she couldn't help hoping that Tails was getting somewhere.
"Oh man!" Sonic exclaimed in dismay. That was his fault and he knew it. Tails was always trying to pull that trick. He should have checked his bag, he should have...but he'd done everything in a hurry because he knew he'd be late for meeting Sally and the others, and he'd picked up the bag without thinking.
"So you mean to tell me he's on his own out there!" he fumed.
"I'm afraid so. Fighting the monster he created. That's - "
"What! WHAT did you just say? Tails is out there, on his own, fighting monsters like the one that hurt Sal? On his own! He's just a KID!" Sonic ranted.
"Sonic!" Sally cried, irritated. Her voice was still weak, barely audible above Sonic's shouting, but he heard her, and immediately forgot about everything else, momentarily, to help her.
"What!" he said, softly.
"Calm down, and listen to what Emyain's saying," she told him.
"Oh. Okay," he said. "Sally, I know I don't tell you nearly often enough, but you mean the world to me, you - "
"sssh...I know," Sally said, smiling. "And you do to me. Now you want to understand, so listen!"
"Yes, well, Tails said he could hear something following us," Emyain said, trying to remember where she'd left off and carry on from there. She hadn't known either of them that long and she was touched by how deeply they felt about each other. "Well, he started imagining what it might looked like, and we must have been passing by one of the Adi falls at the time, because the creature appeared, just as he had imagined it and attacked Sally."
"But what if it bites him?" Sonic said, insistently. He would have flown off into another round of shouting, but Sally had asked him to listen, and he wanted to help her in any way he could.
Meanwhile, across the woods, Tails was terrified of that self same thing. The creature had shrunk back to its original size, and was well aware that something was wrong. Tails had his eyes squeezed shut as he tried to dodge the creature's every strike, while trying to convince himself that it wasn't there at all. Under different circumstances, this might have seemed absurd to him, but now it was all too real with the now airborne creature's teeth, snapping down mere millimetres from his fur each time it lashed out.
However, he seemed to be winning the fight. The creature was still shrinking slowly, but surely, despite the fact that the more it shrank, the more viscous it became. When Tails finally dared to open his eyes, the thing had shrunk to the size of a small mosquito. Tails grinned. He was doing it, he really was doing it! If only he could just keep this up a few minutes longer...the creature shrank again...
"Sonic! What's going on?" Dulcy shouted down the tunnel. He'd promised her he wouldn't be long, yet it seemed like an age since he'd disappeared down that tunnel. She hated being on her own in here. That creature might be back any minute, and if it chased her away, she could get lost - or crash into something else, or if she got away, he could come back here looking for her, and it could be there, waiting for him...
Down the other end of the tunnel, Sonic gasped - Dulcy! He'd forgotten her!
"Go and see her. I'll be all right," Sally said. This did seem to be the case. She was sitting up on her own now, and had stopped shaking. After a moment's indecision, he dashed back down the tunnel, to reassure the dragon.
"Hey, Dulce!" he called. "Sorry about that!"
"It's okay," Dulcy returned. "But you said you wouldn't be gone long, and I thought that monster might come back!"
"You haven't been thinking about it, have you?" Sonic asked. He'd understood enough of what Emyain had told him to know what might happen if you thought too hard about monsters around here.
"Yeah," Dulcy said, a little uncertainly. She could tell there was something wrong with that. "It was twice as big as me, and - " But the hedgehog wasn't listening. He was staring up at something in the sky in terror.
"LOOKED LIKE THAT!" he finished, pointing, even though the thing in the air was hard to miss. It was possibly bigger than two of Dulcy, and flew on ginormous wings. Incredibly, for its size, the thickly feathered wings allowed it to fly as silently as an owl. It caught sight of the pair below, and leered down at them. It was the biggest dragon Sonic had ever seen in his life - and it looked like it might be the last...