Just for anyone new to the story and hasn't bothered to read the disclaimers before, I'll reiterate:
(AHEM ) I don't own Sonic the Hedgehog and any and all related characters, locations and plot elements that have ever appeared in the comic or television series. They are own by Sega and all respective owners. This fanfic is written without their written consent and in no way reflects on the owner's vision of the Sonic universe. Any and all characters appearing in this story which have never made a prior appearance in the Sonic the Hedgehog series past or present as well as the plot of this story is rightfully owned by the Author and should not be copied or used by anyone without the written consent of the Author.
(Man I think I talk too much.) Sorry it took so long to update, I had a tough time writing this chapter. I wasn't quite sure how to put everything into this chapter, not to mention figuring out where to cut it off. Just so you know; things are going to get a lot more exciting after this chapter so thank you to anyone who has toughed out the boring stuff to this point. Please keep sending in the reviews, your replies are much appreciated. Sorry for any brackets or symbols that keep going missing when I upload the chapters, it's really starting to annoy me.
A Visitor from Afar
Ch. 7 History 101
Knothole…
Slasher and Sally walked through the hospital doors into the bright mid-morning sunlight with smiles on their faces from the chat they just had inside. Tails spotted them and in an instant stood up and greeted them. "Aunt Sally', can I take Slasher on a tour now?" he asked hopefully.
"Sure thing Tails, just remember that we have a meeting later tonight." She reminded the small fox waving a finger at him.
"No problem 'Aunt' Sally; c'mon Slasher, I'm going to show you the village." Tails excitedly grabbed hold of Slasher's arm, pulling him away from the Princess. Under the force of the energetic kit, Slasher feebly tried to wave goodbye to her, but it was only a single wave before he got pulled in a new direction that caused his hand to fall back to his side. Sally smiled at the creature's attempt and thought to herself. 'I think he's going to have his hands full with Tails.'
"Hey kid, you mind if we slow down a bit?" Slasher pleaded as Tails continued to yank him through the village at a near-jogging pace.
"Gee, sorry Slasher, I guess I'm just used to moving around that fast." Tails apologized as he realized for the first time that Slasher was having difficulty keeping up and let go of the dragons arm.
"It's alright; I'm just used to walking more slowly." Slasher replied, taking some time to compose himself and straightening out the sash on his chest. Slasher looked around the village and began to take in the surroundings. "So, this is Knothole Village?" he asked gazing upon the many wooden and straw-roofed huts.
"Yup, home sweet home." Tails answered.
"So, where do you live?" Slasher asked.
"On the other side of the village, I can show you that later, c'mon I wanna show you someplace really cool." He replied, growing more excited as he finished his sentence.
"Well then lead on Tails." Slasher replied waving his arm forward for Tails to lead on. Tails nodded cheerfully and took the lead though the many huts and around the many more trees that were strewn about within the village. "So many creature's here in one Village…" Slasher observed as he looked around while Tails lead on.
"Yea, a lot of people lost their homes when Robotnik took over Mobotropolis; many came here." Tails explained, his voice sounding depressed.
"Mobotropolis?" Slasher asked as he walked up beside the young kit.
"It used to be our home city, but then Robotnik took it over and called it Robotropolis." He explained solemnly.
Slasher made a deep growl of anger in his throat and clenched his fists at the twisted fiends mention. "So then what?" he asked turning his face to the side to see the depressed look on Tails face.
"Well, we formed the Freedom Fighters and have been takin' it to 'em since." Tails replied, perking up a little. Slasher, having no reason to object, nodded and followed the kit through the village. The odd pair walked through the village, Slasher still drawing many puzzling gazes as they went towards the center of the village. They crossed over the small wooden bridge that traversed a clear, pristine creek that cut through the small village. It split a little upstream and created a large delta.
It was then that Slasher noticed the enormous oak tree at the heart of the small community. It was a truly massive tree, it had to be at least one hundred meters across at the base, and its trunk went high into the canopy above. The lowest of branches that could be picked out from the canopy were probably half a meter around themselves. It was the largest tree he had ever seen, at least where he came from.
In this jaw dropped stupor Tails poked Slasher in the ribs, bringing him back to reality. He pointed to a small structure at the base of the large oak tree, the central assembly hall, before them. Slasher gazed upon the building in awe. The building stood at the base of the large oak tree, and it easily dwarfed the size of the rather large building before it. The building was the central meeting hall for the Freedom Fighters, most often for celebrations and large scale meetings; as Tails explained. It had only a few walls to it since the curved, sail-like roofs connected right to the ground. Therefore the building was exposed to the open air, but provided a good rain shield. Tails explained all of this as he and Slasher entered the impressive structure.
"The main thing I like about this building is that when I was younger, me and Sonic would play hide and seek all the time. This was my favorite hiding spot. Tails explained reminiscing about the days of old.
Slasher nodded, being familiar with such a game, but something bothered him about what the kit had said. Slasher glanced around the large, open space, but could only see a variety of picnic tables, and a large fireplace along the back wall; but nothing that could be thought of as a really good hiding spot. "I don't understand, Tails, this doesn't look like such a great hiding spot to me."
"Not down here no…" Tails giggled at how Sonic had the same reaction when he had finally revealed his hiding spot to his close friend. "Up there…" he said pointing up at the overhanging web of heavy timber rafters above.
"Up there? How did you manage to climb all the way up there?" Slasher asked staring at the rafters high above.
"I didn't have to climb up there." Tails explained.
"Didn't climb, but then how… did…" Slasher voice died away in his throat from what he saw before him.
"I flew up!" Tails proclaimed proudly as his twin tails held his lithe body above the ground at Slasher's eye-level. Slasher was completely dumb-struck, speechless, and flat out baffled.
Slasher broke out of his stupor after a moment and still found it hard to think of something to say. "That… how…I… that's amazing!" he finally spouted out.
"Really, you don't think it's weird that I have two tails?" Tails asked innocently, and sounding a little insecure as he returned to the ground and pointed to his twin appendages.
"If I could do that, I wouldn't mind having a spare one myself." He replied back with great vigor; felling a little envy for his young friend.
Tails expression quickly skipped from insecure and nervous to excited and happy. "Really, that's not all I can do with them either!" he proudly exclaimed, grabbing his hands behind his back and rolling on his feet to contain his excitement.
"I have a few tricks up my sleeve too, put nothing like that, could you show me them?" Slasher asked, getting excited himself.
"Umm, I wanted to show you something else first, then I can take you to the training center on the other side of the village and show you there." Tails suggested, scratching the back of his head as he pondered the layout of the village.
"Sounds good, let's go." Slasher agreed happily.
The duo proceeded through the village, Slasher glanced this way and that like a tourist as he took in the sites and sounds of his new surroundings. Everything looked so familiar, and yet seemed so different. Tails took the dragon through rows of huts and staring crowds of Mobians, Slasher found himself even getting used to the staring. They cleared the huts and continued through an open field of grass that lay before a steep cliff face. From this distance Slasher could faintly make out what looked like a cave entrance within the rough stone.
Before they could cross the large field they suddenly paused as they heard someone shouting at them. Slasher naturally looked behind him, but saw no one at ground level. When the voice called again, both Tails and Slasher looked up into the sky in time to see a large girth descending on them from out of the glare of the sun. They both realized that whatever it might be wasn't slowing down. Theyd dove to the side as Dulcy's large body crashed into the ground with a loud thud, skidding across the grassy field for a meter or so.
Tails shook his head from the sudden jarring movement and looked over at Dulcy. She already began picking herself up and dusting herself off as Tails rushed over to her. "You okay, Dulcy?" Tails asked his concern apparent as he helped brush some grass off of her.
"I'm fine… always the landings..." She grumbled to herself, straightening the black harness she wore on her chest.
"What; didn't get enough from last time, so you want to drop on me from the sky now?" Slasher asked coldly, a bit cross and annoyed.
"Sorry about that, my landings have always been a bit sloppy." She apologized, blushing in embarrassment. "What I really want is to have a talk with you."
Slasher looked at her with distrust, and raised his eye brow patronizingly. "Alright, what did you want to know? He asked folding his arms over his chest pessimistically.
"I want to know about the other dragons you've met; what are they like?" She asked hopefully.
"Why would you want to know about that? Slasher asked a bit surprised by her topic of interest.
"Dragons are so rare around here; I've hardly ever met any other dragons before now. I want to know about the dragons you've meet." She said innocently. "Robotnik killed or captured most of the dragons, I'm probably the last of my kind." Her head drooped at the mention of the many slaughtered dragons.
"Well…" Slasher was taken aback by Dulcy's words; the Freedom Fighters had never mentioned anything like that before. While the thought of an entire species, practically his own kind, wiped out saddened him as well; Slasher felt a little guilty at his harsh treatment towards her. "Dulcy, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have acted like that to you." He solemnly apologized for his behavior.
"Hey, it's alright, you didn't know." Dulcy stated waving her short arm dismissively.
"How did you know?" Slasher asked surprised by Dulcy's uncanny assessment of his thoughts.
"I told you, my kind are pure at heart, so we can pick out the truth of others, and besides; you're obviously not from around here, so I can't expect you to know everything about us now can I." Dulcy smiled calmly with a warm grin.
"Well, exactly what would you like to know?" Slasher asked; a hint of condolence in his voice.
"Are all dragons as mean and vicious as you said?" the pale green dragoness asked.
"Well… not all of them, some are friendly, but most of them are pretty rough customers. Slasher replied grimly. "…and they look very different then you do."
"How so?" Tails asked finding the dragons conversation quite interesting.
"They're much more… fearsome looking…" Slasher twirled his hand, trying to find the right words to express his meaning. "Most have large horns coming off their heads, and most are quadrupeds; very strong and powerful and their claws are big and sharp."
"They sound scary." Tails admitted, curling his two tails around his body.
"Believe me, they aren't easy to fight; their skins are very tough, and that makes them very hard to kill." Slasher said grimly.
"You kill them!" Dulcy exclaimed, anger beginning to build in her.
"I take no pleasure in admitting it, but if I don't they would gladly kill every mammal on the face of the world." Slasher stated sternly. "They tried once before, and almost succeeded, that's how I came to be."
"What, do you mean by that?" Dulcy asked sternly placing her tiny hands on her hips as she leaned in menacingly close; anger boiling in the large dragon.
"It's a long story, you sure you want to hear it?" Slasher asked; a questioning look on his face.
"I got time." Dulcy replied, folding her small arms across her broad chest as she sat down in front of Slasher; waiting for a good explanation.
"Me too." Tails chimed in, taking a seat next to Dulcy; equally interested.
"(Sigh)Alright, you win…" Slasher raised his hands up in defeat. "Thousands of years ago, six thousand if my human friends are right; humans were not the only sentient species on a planet they called Earth. Every species on the planet had evolved to a sentient, level. Every species, Mammals, lizards, reptiles all evolved to sentient, anthropomorphic (having human-like features, e.g. torso structure, hands, bi-pedal). Even some of the creatures that had survived the great disaster of old, our human friends call them dinosaurs. Strange creatures roamed the planet as well, from dangerous and deadly creatures like hydras; to mystical and beautiful beasts like flying horses and gryphon's. They were strange times indeed, most of the other creatures co-existed with their surroundings in peace, but the humans saw fit to erect homes and villages and castles and fortresses. They disturbed their natural surrounds to build monuments to their own glory and survival. When the world was beginning anew, humans didn't fully know about the many different peoples they shared the planet with, or the actual size and scope of their world.
Dragons were mighty descendants of the great disaster of ages ago, and as they emerged from the destruction wrought by the disaster, they watched as nature rebuilt itself and watched as the burnt world breathed life back onto its surface. Many were bitter with the terrible lot fate had dealt them, their species had evolved to their peak just prior to the destruction of the world; they dominated the evolutionary ladder in their time. They sought to stop all the creatures that battled for survival to climb that evolutionary ladder so that they would always remain unchallenged in their status. They were always predatory in nature, but even their voracious appetite could not stop the evolution of the many varied and wide spread life that over time grew and evolved to reach the state of evolution where they no longer acted purely on primal instincts, becoming sentient.
The dragons never liked how their world had been so utterly and completely changed in such a short time. But they most resented the lowly mammals that had survived the disaster and in time slowly began to evolve to become their equals. They barely tolerated the sentient mammals, and as such were the prey of the dragons. They did not hate the lizards and reptiles as they had seen how powerful these creatures evolved into prior to the great disaster. The dragons only respected power, and the survival of lowly, scurrying little mammals surviving the disaster were an insult to them.
But dragons held a deep, festering loathing for humans. Not only did the humans disturb the world that the dragons had watched rebuild itself, they, unlike all others fought back against the dragons. They refused to be another link in the dragon's food chain. They fought back hard, using the weapons they crafted from the land, and in time they began to learn how to kill dragons, and the dragons feared what the humans might become. They did not want the humans to replace them as the dominant species of the planet.
So the dragons killed humans any chance they got. Not for food, but for the sport of it. The humans fought back, but their numbers were no match for the power an individual dragon could unleashed. Mighty warriors arose to battle the dragons; many fell in battle against a single dragon, but many more arose after them to try and kill the dragons. During this time of mayhem, death and destruction a clutch of dragon eggs fell into the hands of the humans. The mother of those eggs was a dragon who witnessed the horrors unleashed on a human village during a particular attack, and instead of laying waste to it as the others did, she defended the people; she became opposed the senseless slaughter the dragons set upon the humans. She stood by their side, fighting against her kin. In time she lay a clutch of eggs that she entrusted to the humans. For the betrayal of her own kind the dragons murdered her in a brutal, raw display of power. The eggs were raised by the humans as a last request from the dragon who had helped them.
The humans, by order of a powerful king of the humans, used magic on the hatchlings to make them become more human-like. The king hoped that this new breed of dragons could be used as emissaries to the dragons to negotiate peace between the races. But the plan back-fired.
The dragons were furious at what the humans had done the hatchlings and this escalated the conflict. Those hatchlings were branded as abominations by the pure-blood dragons, so they too sought to wipe them out as well.
As they were raised, the hatchlings saw the gentle and compassionate side of the human's society, and the dragon's society by contrast was harsh and unfeeling. The hatchlings felt a sense of duty to protect the humans as their mother had. They became great warriors, learning many human fighting styles, and mastering many weapons and tactics of the ancient humans. In time their breed became known as Guardian Dragons.
Many years and generations of bloody conflict followed, but for all the dragon's efforts, the humans and guardian dragons were no closer to being wiped out; if anything the races were becoming stronger and smarter. So, they made an alliance with the anthro-reptiles and lizards. Winning them over was child's play, they told them of their glory days before the great disaster, when their species ruled the planet. They joined the alliance at the drop of a hat.
A condition of the alliance however was that after their forces had wiped out the humans and guardian dragons; the dragons would help the lizard-reptile alliance to destroy all of the anthro-mammals. The dragons agreed to this term.
The humans discovered this plot and knew they could not repel such a massive army. And against it, the anthro-mammals stood no chance as well. It would take time for the dragon's army to assemble, so the humans spread word and warning of the impending war. The humans had long been asking for help from the mammals, but they had always stayed away from the fight, saying that the humans were just resisting the natural order of the world. The news of an impending, massive war convinced some of the species to join the humans cause. Many more, still refused; on the eve of battle they conceded to the logic of one of the great leaders of the guardian dragons and joined the combined allegiance.
The greatest battle the Earth has seen took place that morning and lasted throughout the day. The battle was fierce, both sides losing many warriors. The carnage stained the ground in the blood of the maimed and injured. That one day more blood was spilled then all the years and generations of conflict between the humans and dragons alone. One day was more then enough to settle the war, thanks to the added help of the mammals the humans emerged victorious. The remnants of the great cold-blooded alliance yielded to the victors. The dragons, despite their obvious defeat, refused to yield. The humans, not wanting to see more blood spilt used magic to banish the dragons and their allies to the dark regions of another world.
Peace finally settled on the planet, and for nearly two centuries the humans and mammals lived in peace together and the mammals were even the source of inspiration for many cultures (Eg. Egypt). But sadly the paranoid and superstitious minds of the common human folk worried about the destructive nature that the anthro's could unleash. Reluctantly the kings of the humans and anthros agreed that the discriminative nature of the ignorant humans could cause harm to the peace-loving mammals. It was agreed that since the mammals could adjust to new surrounding easier then the humans could they opened a portal to another world for the mammals to make a home in.
Humans and mammals built large ceremonial sites to house these portals around the world for the departing allies and were given an honorable farewell from those people who still remembered that terrible battle. The guardian dragons did not want to leave the race that had born our species. To those who we had sworn an allegiance with in the darkest of days and who we had fought with and bravely died beside in battle, but the humans convinced my kind that the humans would survive. The human kings, greatly saddened by having to see the creatures who had come to their aid in their darkest hour, asked one last favor of the Guardian Dragons; he asked them to watch over the creatures, as he worried about what dangers they might face in the new world they sought to restart their lives in. That day the Guild of Guardians was formed, and since has kept its word of honor to the ancient king. So, with great reluctance we went through the rift with the mammals and made a new home for ourselves. But before the leaders of the races departed the representing rulers of the humans swore a solemn vow to them all; "as you came to our aid in our darkest hour, so too do we humans vow to come to your aid if ever the need should arise."
In time that great battle passed into legend, the legend passed into myth, and in time was completely forgotten. We of the Guild preserved the story, but as the humans who aid us say, all remnants of that battle were hidden away forever and forgotten. The great portal monuments fell into disrepair over the millennia, their original meaning and significance the victims of time. In time the humans never even remembered that they once shared the Earth with other sentient life, but that was the price they paid for peace; and perhaps, maybe, it was better that the horrors of that time be, forgotten." Slasher finished his tale with a sigh.
Tails and Dulcy were speechless, their minds absorbing the twisted tale, for a long time before either of them could speak. "Wow, did all that really happen?" Tails asked gasping in astonishment.
"Yep, that's how I'm here now." Slasher affirmed with a confident nod of his head. "Though how I got 'here' exactly is still a mystery to me." He admitted with a shrug of his shoulders.
"Well, even though I can tell your telling the truth, I'm still finding it hard to believe; I bet Sally would like to hear it as well." Dulcy confirmed lifting her bulky body from the grassy field. "I'm going to go find her and let know about this, alright?" she asked spreading her large wings out.
"I suppose so, I would've had to explain it to her sooner or later I think." Slasher shrugged.
"Okay then, catch you later Slasher." She waved goodbye as she beat her big pink wings and lifted off the ground with ease. As she flew up past the lower tree canopy Slasher couldn't help feel some envy for the winged dragoness flying gracefully away.
"Man, I'd give anything to be able to fly like that." Slasher moaned out loud. What surprised him as he said that though was that he had seen many flying creatures where he came from, so why did he feel so left out here?
"Maybe I can help you with that Slasher; I have something I want to show you that you might like." Tails comforted the dragon, walking behind him and placed his hand on his uninjured shoulder.
Slasher's face brightened up with his curiosity as he looked at Tails standing beside him. Slasher let Tails lead him on, heading towards that cave entrance he had first noticed in the cliff wall. They entered the dark cavern, but Slasher noticed a strong metal door just inside the caves entrance. Looking back Slasher could see that this door could not be seen from outside the cave, and by the looks of the narrow cave, a very defendable entrance. Slasher could not see any means to open the door, but Tails walked up to a small stalagmite near the cave wall and pulled on it, it flipped over on its hinge to reveal a small computer terminal. He punched in the entrance code and the door swiftly opened in response. The orange fox and the crimson dragon entered the cave and followed the illuminated cavern through its twists and turns.
"Welcome to Freedom Fighter Headquarters…" Tails smiled, spreading his arms out wide as he led the dragon out of the narrow entrance cavern and into the massive limestone cavern beyond. The cavern was ten meters high with hundreds of bright lights attached to the smoothed out roof. The Mobians that had been carrying out their normal duties stopped in their tracks and watched as the strange dragon entered the main chamber.
"It's okay guys, he's one of us." Tails assured the other Freedom Fighters. They looked at each other and shrugged before returning to their prior activities. "C'mon, let me show you around." He said eagerly.
"Hold up Tails…" someone from behind shouted.
Tails and Slasher wheeled around to see Sally approaching them. "Tails, where are you taking Slasher?" she asked forcing a non-authoritative smile on.
"I was just going to show Slasher around…" Tails replied, uncertain why Sally asked.
"Well, I'm afraid we can't allow him see everything in here."
"What! Why not?" Tails exclaimed.
"It's nothing personal Slasher, I trust you're not in league with Robotnik, but I still need to be cautious." Sally hoped her explanation would satisfy the pair.
"Can I at least show him the Tornado and Sea Fox?" Tails asked, those irresistible pleading blue eyes hitting Sally right where it hurt.
"Alright, but nothing more, understand?" Sally sighed; she never could say no when he did that sad-puppy-dog-look.
Tails' face lit up with excitement. "Yay! Thanks 'Aunt' Sally."
Tails grabbed hold of Slasher and rushed off, Tails once again forgetting Slasher was damaged goods. Sally smiled, watching Slasher's feeble attempts to keep up with the swift fox.
"In here is the old aquifer (! underground lake !)." Tails happily said opening the wooden door. The bright florescent lights hanging from the nearest wall automatically switched when the heavy door opened. The eerie sound of dripping water could be heard all over the cave, but of the sound within the cave were echoes. Stalactites hung precariously from the ceiling as water seeped down the length of them and fell into the deep lake. The lights were very bright, but as bright as they were, they could not penetrate the blinding darkness of the cave because of its size. They did however light the small catwalk lining the one wall where two, small watercraft floated, oblivious to the newcomers. One was a purple bathysphere and the other was a smaller tube shaped submersible with a blue and silver paint job, a bubble shaped canopy and a large drill bit-like nose for the machine.
"Wow…" was all Slasher could say to what he saw. A loud and long lasting echo followed Slasher's voice.
"That sub there is mine, it's called the 'Sea Fox'." Tails proudly stated pointing to the stubby little craft. Slasher gave him a look of disbelief, but he quickly smiled to say he was impressed by the small vehicle. "This ship has seen me through a whole bunch of adventures on my own, but my favorite is the Tornado."
"Tornado, you keep a tornado in this fortress? How?" he asked, not realizing what Tails was referring to.
"Heh, heh! Not a real tornado, c'mon, I'll show you." He laughed as he spun back around and left the water filled cavern behind. They proceeded through another corridor and entered a large, dark cavern. It was impossible to pick anything out in the darkness, except that the echoes seemed to carry for a very long time, meaning the cavern's size to be large indeed.
Tails, knowing by sheer repetition, found the switch to the lights. Bright lights clicked on off in distance to the right of the pair. Two lights attached to the roof aimed their beams at a black pavement that lined the floor of the cave, and two pot lights switched on next to the runway, making it possible to make out the runway even in darkness. The sets of lights activated in a slow, domino sequence; revealing the long, narrow, cave and the black runway that went the length of the cave, ending before a massive metal door that blocked the entrance to the cave, possibly to the outside. The cave was quite wide and tall, but distinguishable long and straight, thus why the echoes carried for so long.
But what most caught the dragon's attention as the lights, turning on with a loud click as each set activated, neared closer to them and eventually began to form a semi-circle within a relatively rounded portion of the cave, was the slender, gleaming, red and silver biplane resting on the smooth black tarmac. The red fuselage gleamed with its painstaking waxing and the gleaming sliver propeller shone with a mirror like quality. The engine cowling of the rotary engine was a beautiful metallic luster and had two small groves in the upper part of the cowling and ended at two bumps just in front of the cockpit that protruded from the rest of the smooth metal skin.
The long, slender fuselage, painted a well buffed scarlet red, with a thin stripe of silver running the length of the center of the fuselage then running up to cover most of the planes tail. The wide, wings extended a good three meters to each side of the fuselage. The wing tips were cut off squarely, making the plane surprisingly nimble in the air. On the central patch of silver on the tail, a thin red circle with a golden, five-point star painted inside and a set of pure white wings on each side of the circle.
"Meet the Tornado…" Tails professed with great pride. Slasher stood his jaw wide open as he gazed upon the majestic shape. "I broke my leg during a mission a few years ago and I was bored out of my skull, so I built this." Tails explained proudly pointing his thumb over his shoulder at the Tornado behind him.
"You built this!" Slasher gasped in surprise at the idea that someone obviously so young could build such a thing. "But, what is it?"
"It's a biplane." Tails said, but seeing the confused expression on Slasher's face he quickly thought of an easier explanation. "It's a flying machine." He corrected himself.
Slasher stepped back in amazement at statement. "You mean that 'machine' can fly?" he said pointing his finger in disbelief at the large airplane. To this Tails nodded his head affirmatively and walked up the right wing on the Tornado and ran his hands on the smooth surface of the metal wing. "I've flown it dozens of times myself." Tails grinned with pride.
Slasher walked beside Tails and began to feel the smooth surface of the wing as well. His hand ran along the wing until it struck one of the two support struts, which his hand began to run up as well. "Want me to show you how this bird works?" Tails offered. Slasher looked to the shorter fox in surprise and nodded his head with zeal. Tails pulled himself onto the lower wing and gingerly moved to the cockpit of the relatively small plane. Tails looked over his shoulder and waved for Slasher to follow him; Slasher hopped onto the wing and got beside Tails on the wing of the plane.
So engrossed in his observations of the fascinating machine before him; Slasher failed to notice the door to the hangar-sized cave open and a large figure enter the room. The bulky purple walrus waddled into the room and smiled at how Tails and Slasher were completely oblivious to his presence and at how Tails took so much pride in his creation.
(Ahem) Rotor cleared his throat loudly to get the attention of the pair. "Tails, I hate to interrupt, but Sally needs to see you right away." Rotor explained as the duo looked back to see the walrus standing near the doorway.
"Oh, all right, Rotor; c'mon Slasher." Tails waved Slasher to follow him as he leapt off the Tornado's silver wing.
"He, isn't invited, Tails." Rotor stated holding his hand out to stop the young kit and his dragon friend.
"But…" Tails began to protest, but Slasher cut him off. "It's alright Tails, I think I would rather to explore a little more anyway." He calmly smiled.
"Well, alright; how about we meet up later then." Tails suggested with his spirits high. Slasher nodded yes.
"Fine, c'mon Tails lets go." Rotor said as he led the young kit out the door. Slasher walked out the door as well, giving one last admiring glance back at the Tornado. As he looked back, he noticed something behind the Tornado, it looked to be a much larger airplane, but he shrugged his shoulders. Grabbing hold of the door, he thought of what it might be like to fly in the Tornado. Closing the door behind him the lights automatically switched off.
Slasher turned away from the door and began to walk down the corridor in the opposite direction that Tails and Rotor were walking. Rotor looked behind him and spotted where Slasher was headed and quickly turned around and ran up behind the shorter dragon. "Ahem." Rotor said in a very commanding and authoritative way. Slasher promptly turned around unsure why the walrus was trying to be so serious. "Explore elsewhere, pal." Rotor sternly said behind clenched teeth.
"What; don't trust me do you?" Slasher sassed coldly putting his hands on his hips innocently.
"Sally might be willing to trust you, but I don't, so you better not try anything; cause I'll be watching you!" he replied harshly glowering over the shorter reptile, waving his finger in front of his face.
"Save it, I've heard those kind of threats before, and I'm still here aren't I?" Slasher knocked Rotor's hand away dismissively. "But if it makes you feel better, I'll explore the village some more." Slasher backed down and turned away from the looming aquatic mammal, taking a few more steps down the corridor. "Of course, if you told me which way was out, I'd be gone a lot faster." He smirked over his shoulder.
Rotor sighed in frustration and raised his hand pointing down the corridor ahead of him. "Follow this hallway and take your first left; that should take you outside to the training area." Slasher nodded and proceeded down the hallway following Rotor's instructions.
Satisfied with the result; Rotor turned back to Tails, who had stopped to watch the exchange between the two, and walked towards him. Tails' expression clearly showed he did not like how Rotor had just spoken to Slasher; and Rotor readied himself for the inevitable conversation.
"That wasn't very nice Rotor." Tails scolded placing his hands on his hips.
"Tails, we don't know if we can trust this guy, you might have shown him too much already." Rotor sighed, really not wanting to have to explain himself.
"Well, I trust him." Tails insisted. "And I don't think he's any threat at all."
Sigh "Forget it, c'mon, Sally and Sonic are waiting." Rotor quickly changed the subject and hastily walked ahead of Tails deeper into the heart of the compound.
"I thought Sonic left for Robotropolis?" Tails puzzled as he struggled to keep up with the large steps of Rotor.
"And he just got back, that's why we need to see Sally, she's waiting with Antoine to see what he found out." Rotor explained, his own anxiety making him forget how fast he was moving.
End Ch 7
like i said before plot will start heating up now! stay tuned
