Hello! It's me, Gamerdude! It seems the Ice, Dark, Earth, and Water Kintushians have arrived earlier than Fangor planned. With the Freedom Fighters and Kintushian Special Forces outnumbered more than 5 to 1, all hope seems lost. Well, at least they'll go down fighting. And Tails is still nowhere to be found, Robotnik and the Ice Kintushian prince are still missing, and things are about to start heating up. Just to give you a heads up, some of the Kintushians that are with Knothole are not very nice to anyone, as you will see very soon. Let's hope our heroes can handle the situation and make it out of this war in one peice. Well, shall we continue?
Chapter 8: Graduation and Pain
Fangor's POV
" So, they think they can just stop here and take over without fighting the Kintushian army? Well, let's spoil their plans." Just then one of the army seargents walked up to the front lines where Green Lightning and I were standing. " You there! Yes, the furry green freak! I've heard from the other runts a lie stating that you are the Guardian of the Order Emeralds! I would suggest you stop this statement before I am forced to take drastic action!" I turned one of my stalkeyes towards the seargent and one down to Green Lightning. Green Lightning turned around to face the one that had insulted him and his integrity. " Sir, though you may be my elder, I would request that you mind your tongue. I am unable to lie-" " Prove it! Only mages are unable to lie. It takes a long time to learn the mystical arts that are capable of producing miracles and you look like you're barely out of diapers!" Green Lightning clenched his fist then relaxed it, muttering under his breath. He raised his hands in a quick motion and immediately several bolts of lightning came down from the sky and struck the ungrateful fool. He stood there, unscathed and angry. " Hmph! You may not have been lying, but I find it impossible for YOU to be the Guardian of the Order Emeralds! You are puny and weak! I suggest you either find your place or run on home to your mommy! Is that CLEAR!" Now it was my turn.
Green Lightning's POV
I had no idea it was like this in a Kintushian army... Then again, it could just be because I was different from him... or he was jealous... or maybe both... then again it could be something else. Anyway, after he had yelled at me and called me a liar, he found himself face-to-face with a very angry Fangor. He arched an eyebrow. " Yes, you insepid magot? Is there something you want? OUT WITH IT!" Fangor grabbed him by the throat and lifted him from the ground, ignoring the strikes from the individual's tailblade. He looked him straight in all four eyes and stated, in a calm, clear voice, " He is the Guardian of the Order Emeralds. Do not call him a freak. And do NOT insult a superrior officer. You will address him as General Tomias, not furry green freak. Is that clear?" The other Kintushian glared at him. " And just WHO do YOU think YOU ARE! Don't make me pull ranks private! Now get back in formation before I send you to the gates-" He was silenced by a glare. " I am Captain Fangor, 1st class private and 1st rank Sword Master of the 77th regiment of the 500 year war, Captain and 1st rank Sword Master of the 77th regiment of the War of Demise. I will not allow you to insult Green Lightning or any other member of this force any longer. IS THIS PERFECTLY CLEAR?" " If you're Fangor, prove it!" Fangor smirked. " Gladly." Fangor drew a sword from it's scabbard behind his back. It stretched out 50 feet when he extended it to full length. He then returned it to just a handle and a hilt. " Satisfied?" The seargent just glared at him. " The Emperor Blade, Thanatos! You are Fangor! Surely you would have-" Fangor silenced him with another glare, angrier than the last. " You arrogant fool! A Kintushian may be stronger in body, but they are not better Guardians than these people are able to be! Our ancesters, 25 years after they were created, sent these emeralds accross time and space to insure that our people would not abuse their power! Two years later, the Chaos Emeralds were created by our evil counterparts. Those were then stolen and sent as well to keep their power from being abused. I trust Tomias with the Order Emeralds more than I would trust even myself! Now, stand down!"
Fangor was seething with rage. He immediately calmed down after the seargent ran back to his group. Fangor turned to me. " Sorry you had to see that. Sometimes the only way to get them back in line is to send them to the gates of Heaven." I was very glad Fangor had stopped him. He turned around, and grinned. " Everyone! Initiate battle drive!" Immediately what seemed like wind colored wind (each wind associated with the color of the one it surrounded) erupted around every member of the army, lasting only a little, but their hair stayed blowing as though the wind remained. Fangor turned to me. " If things get desperate, use the order emeralds. You will know when they need to be used."
Just then the sky darkened and the air grew colder and colder... Snow came from out of nowhere and carpted the ground and the trees as fast as though it had flooded. Rocks formed instantaniously throughout the area. Water flowed then froze over as it passed through. I heard the sound of many swords being drawn at once from all sides of me. Just then the approaching army stopped and turned towards us. The same wind that had surrounded us surrounded them as well, with the same after-affect. Then, in a loud clear voice, three at the back, away from the rest of the army, spoke. " DESTROY THE INFIDELS! KILL ANYONE THAT IS ABLE TO FIGHT, AND ENSLAVE THE REST! GOD GAVE US THIS POWER SO WE MAY RULE OVER ALL OTHERS! LET US USE THAT POWER TO ELIMINATE THOSE WHO WOULD SEEK TO DO OTHERWISE! CHARGE!" Immediately their army charged forward at speeds of up to 120mph, silently but deadly. " Hold it steady... Wait... Wait... NOW!" Immediately our army charged forward in groups that had been assigned to us. I was with Aleena, Esna, and Leadfoot. Fangor was with the prince of each of the allied Kintushian forces. The battle was far from over...
4 years later...
February 23
After 4 years of battle, no rest, no food, no water, running on adrenaline alone... I was sent into town to get supplies for the troops. They needed food and water, adrenaline not being nearly enough to continue much longer. I practically dragged my feet into town, using my staff for support. I had run on nothing except adrenaline for the past 4 years, and needed food and water for the troops. Fangor had sent me saying, " Run into town and return with food and water for the troops. Adrenaline is not nearly enough to run on in a war, unless you are a Kintushian. Be sure to get some rest and eat something while you are there. I don't want your mom yelling at me when we return." I wandered through the deserted streets, looking at what all had been left behind. No laughing children, playing carefree and happy... No cars speeding around the roads... abandonded farms overgrown with weeds... houses with walls cracked and in disrepair... all... save one. I walked to the front door of my house, depressed from the war, and opened it, expecting to be greeted by my parents or an empty room. Instead what greeted me was a pink, sonic-crazed, hedgehog with a very worried look on her face. She must have seen me coming... I have to hurry up and get the supplies back to the troops. I smiled weakly, not wanting her to be worried about me too much. I closed the door behind me and was immediately turned around and inspected like a mechanic would look at his automobile for flaws or defects to the chassis. Amy, the pink hedgehog, frowned as she looked at me. " Your clothes are torn all over! They're practically hanging on by threads! And you look like you haven't ate, drank, or slept in a while! WHAT have they been doing to you!" Great... just like my mom. Worried about me all the time, no matter how far away from home I am... " I'll be alright Amy. Where are Mom and Dad?" She reached into a pocket on her dress and pulled out an envelope. She handed this to me and left to my bedroom for some reason. I opened the envelope and read the letter contained within.
Dear Tomias,
We are pleased to inform you that we are now among the great mage council. We are not pleased to inform you that because of this we will not be at home often. We have left you in the care of Amy Rose. Please don't push yourself too hard. We are very worried about you now that you have entered the war. Eat right, drink plenty of water, and get proper rest. I have to go now. Wherever you are, we love you, son.
With Love,
Mom
I put the letter back in the envelope and put it in my temporal vortex. Just then Amy came down from my room. " You're bed is ready for you. Your mom made sure to make some extra shirts and pants in case yours were cut to ribbons in battle. I'll be sure to send the ones you are wearing to her so she can repair them." I shook my head. " I have to get the supplies back to the troops! They'll starve to death, otherwise!" She smiled and nodded. " Go get changed." I ran up to my room and slipped on another shirt and pants exactly like what I was wearing, except in full repair. I came down and handed her my 'rags'. She put them on the living room table, then went into the kitchen and called me a few seconds later. I walked in and sat at the table. She put a bowl of oatmeal in front of me and slid a glass of orange juice in front of me. " At least eat properly, or you'll starve too!" I gave in. Arguing with Amy was like talking to a brick wall, or at least Sonic says so. First I devoured the oatmeal, and all my hunger melted away. Then I proceeded to the drink. Something didn't seem right, but I was too thirsty to care. I drained the glass and put it down on the table. Immediately after standing up I fell to the ground, excessively drowsy. I tried to stand, but it was no use. " Why am I so tired all of a sudden?" Amy held up a bottle of brown grains. I read the label, which was printed in big, black letters. " CAFFINE-WARNING! NOT FOR THOSE WHO ARE CURRENTLY HYPER OR USING SOME OTHER FORM OF A STIMULANT!" " I added it to your orange juice. Now you have no choice but to rest. I'll put you into bed. Good night." I tried to fend her off... tried to get away. It was no use. Every muscle in my body called out for rest. The last thing I hear from her was, " I'll have the supplies ready by the time you wake up. Rest well." Then I drifted off to sleep.
March 23
I woke up and felt around for my staff. Not finding it, I felt around my neck for the amulet it was contained on. Still there... I opened my eyes and noticed I was in my room. How long have I been asleep? I shook my head. I have to get back to the troops! I jumped out of bed and ran out the door, shutting it behind me. Amy greeted me in the living room. " Glad to see you awake. Did you sleep well?" I nodded. " Where are the supplies, Amy? I need to-" She silenced me with a wave of her hand. " I had Sonic take care of it." She grabbed me by the arm as I started for the door and dragged me into the kitchen. " You are not leaving without a proper meal! You've been asleep for a month now!" " A month! Why didn't you-" She shook her head. " Fangor requested that I let you sleep until you woke up on your own." She went over to the stove and opened it. She reached in and grabbed a pan out of it, being careful not to drop it. She sat it on the counter and closed the oven, turning it off as well. She grabbed a bottle of orange liquid out of the refridgerator and poured some in a glass which she sat on the table in front of me. She then grabbed a bottle of brown liquid from inside one of the cabinets next to the stove and took something from the pan and set it on the plate. She began pouring the brown liquid on the plate, being careful not to let it get on the counter. She walked to the sink and turned on the faucet, running her hands under it while rubbing something. She brought her hands up and I saw she was holding a fork. She walked back over to the plate and set the fork on it. " Have you had pancakes before?" I shook my head as she brought the plate to the table. " Try it and tell me what you think." What was on the plate, the supposed 'pancake', was a golden brown disk covered in a thick, brownish, sticky liquid. I grabbed the fork on the plate and began to cut into it. Once I had cut off a reasonably small piece of it, I stuffed it in my mouth and began chewing. It tasted good, but was a little sticky. " Taste good?" Amy asked. I nodded and proceeded to finish. Amy walked back over to the pan and began putting more on another plate, which she then covered with more of the strange liquid. the stack stood about 2 feet tall, I think. After I had finished the pancake I was eating, she shoved my plate aside and replaced it with the other one. I looked up at her confused. " A soldier needs his strength. You are not leaving this table till you finish these." I raised an eyebrow. " None of that. Now, eat." With that she left the room. I turned back to the stack of food that was taller than I was. I've got to hurry... I quickly began eating the pancakes, being sure to mind my manners as I did so. I then drank my orange juice and proceeded towards the sink with the plates, fork, and glass. They were abrubply taken from me by a metalic hand and an opposing furry one. " I'll take those, sugah. You run along back to the front lines. I'll see you when you get back, okay?" I nodded and ran out of the house all the way back to the edge of the forest.
Stretching as far as I could see were corpses of the dead that were not buried and warriors engaged in combat. The ground was drenched with the blood of the fallen, mixed in such a way that it gave off a sickening gray glow. The sky itself was still blacker than night, blacker than shadows themselves. The ground was still covered in snow, and the scent of death hung in the air. I was grabbed from the side and turned around. " About time you got back! This war's been dragging on! Now get out there and start killing!" The lightning Kintushian that had grabbed me turned to leave. " Where is Fangor?" He stopped abruptly and turned a stalkeye towards me. " How should I know? He disapeared a week ago along with the three princes of the opposing forces. Now get back to the fighting!" He turned and ran off. Suddenly everything stopped... the snow... the sound of combat... the swaying of the trees... everything... except me. I turned around and saw the eight sages of the Order Emeralds standing there. The lightning one, seemingly female, came forward and kneeled to where she was eye-level with me. " The one that commands the wind... the one that is one with the earth... the one that controls the darkness... the one that walks on water... they are on the land in the sky... the air is in pain... the earth, darkness, and water laugh as they prepare their sacrifice for Lucifer... you must hurry, Guardian. Your friend may not be able to die, but he cannot defend himself against the power of Chaos without the Order." With that they disapeared and the fighting resumed. Not only are they wise, but they talk in riddles as well... I proceeded to interpret her words. Fangor and the 3 evil princes are on an island in the sky... Fangor is trapped by the power of the chaos emeralds... I pulled out the three order emeralds I thought I would need for the task. Lightning evaporates water as water shorts lightning... I will need the Lightning Order Emerald... The forest conquers the earth, but is burried by the moutain... I need the Forest Order Emerald... as for the last one... Darkenss hides the light, light peirces the darkness... I need the Light Order Emerald. I grabbed the three emeralds I needed and fused them into my staff for the time being. I then flew straight up over the battlefield and into the clouds.
After about 3 hours of flying I spotted an island in the sky, but it wasn't Angel Island. I increased my velocity and shot over the top of it, comepletely unnoticed by the three chanting figures and the one on the ground, in pain, with a black aura surrounding him. " Lucifer! Accept our sacrifice of one of God's warriors so we may have thine favor!" They chanted, over and over again. I pulled out my staff and spun it around, causing it to glow green, dark blue, and light yellow. I then reared back with my staff and swung it at them, shouting " Order Spear!" Immediately the Chaos Emeralds dissapeared and the three creatures staggared back in pain, a shaft of a different color sticking out of each of them. As Fangor got up, I unfused my staff. Fangor wasted no time in rushing in to attack them. He drew the Emperor blade as they drew theirs. He shouted, in a loud, angry voice, " CURSEBREAKER!" He swung his sword from right to left, cleaving each of them through the heart. Immediately their swords disapeared, but their bodies remained. Forever cut in half. I heard screams filled with terror from below and saw many ships dropping towards the ground. " So, they choose to retreat now... Even the Ice Kintushians are leaving..." He turned towards me and saluted in Kintushian fashion. " Congratulations, Captain Tomias. You have won the war." A lightning Kintushian appeared from over the rim of the island and landed nearby. It appeared to be the same one that had insulted my integrity 4 years earlier. He looked over the area and glared down at me with his right hand on the hilt of his Kintushian-tin Scimitar, looking very angry and on the verge of murder. " Captain! But-" He cut me off with a wave of his hand. " If you had not shown up when you did, Knothole and all of Mobius would have perished within a few weeks. Our casualties were nearly 95 of the army, including freedom fighters and those from the schools. We will have to errect a monument in honor of the fallen." " How many?" He looked down, thinking. " 3,982,531,218 Kintushian and 982,123 non-Kintushian." " What of Esna, Leadfoot, and Aleena?" He shook his head, indifferently. " According to my statistics officer, Esna and Leadfoot both died a week before I came up here. Aleena suffered a massive head wound early after you left. She has yet to make a full recovery. The doctors don't know what is wrong with her." I fought back tears, but it wasn't any good. They just kept coming. I fell to my knees sobbing in my hands. " I... I... I should have been there! I-" " You what! You think you could have stopped them from being killed! Now is not-" Immediately I heard a sword being drawn and put through Kintushian skin with a sickening hiss as blood rushed out of the wound. I didn't care. Two of my friends were supposedly dead and one was in the hospital. All I wanted to do was cry. I mourned over the loss of others, unlike most Kintushians that went through war. " Let that be a lesson to you, Sygon. May Heaven have mercy on you when your time comes." I heard the thud of a body hit the ground, panting in pain as his body repaired itself. " Mark my words, Fangor! Your father will hear about this!" Fangor laughed a bit. " He will also hear about how you attempted to kill the Guardian of the Order Emeralds for showing remorse for the loss of his friends." " He is weak! Crying just because someone dies! Ha! Ha! Ha! The sages must be very stupid to have trusted the Guardianship to such weak creatures like him!" Immediately I heard him gasping for air. " Showing remorse for a loss is a sign of strength! Not weakness! Know this as you recieve your passing!" Immediately I felt a sharp pain on my forehead, and that's the last I remembered as I fell forward into the dark abyss of unconsciousness.
May 9
I slowly opened my eyes, blinking a little to adjust to the light. The pain in my head was gone, replaced by a dull numbness. I felt up to where it had been. Bandages... Where am I? I looked around and saw that I was in the hospital wing of the academy. White walls everywhere, with huge doors and windows to accomodate the taller Kintushians that passed through the doors, occasionally. Hanging on the wall opposite the bed was a plaque that read: " Sometimes the best cure for an ailment is time itself." - Alakor
I looked to my right and saw my clothes lying in a pile in the corner and a dressing screen next to them. I looked to my left and saw some computer monitors stating readings such as : Emotion, Power, Energy, Pulse, Health, and Awareness. Right now all looked to be green except emotion, which was gray. What the colors meant, I don't know. Lying in a bed on the other side of the monitors was Aleena, bandages on her head and one arm. Between us, sleeping in a chair, was Amy Rose. I turned over and stared at the ceiling. How long has it been since that attack? What has happened in that time? I sighed. No use thinking about it right now. I folded back the covers and noticed I was wearing a hospital gown, or whatever they call them. I hopped out of the bed and walked over to the dressing screen. I pulled it to where I could get dressed in privacy. Good thing I got ahead in 'History of the Sword', otherwise I would be well behind by now, I think. Garenwald is a stickler for schedules. After I finished getting dressed, I turned and opened the screen to find Amy looking down at me. She smiled. " How are you feeling? Head still hurt?" I shook my head. " It is just a dull numbness now. Not something to worry about." She nodded. " How's Aleena? I heard from Fangor that she took a blow early after I left and hasn't recovered since." Amy frowned and shook her head. " The doctors can't seem to find what is wrong with her. She's as healthy as can be, her wounds have healed, but she won't wake up. They're afraid something may be wrong with her. They also say she keeps mumbling your name in her sleep." I frowned. I should have been there for her... I shook my head. " I'm going to talk to Fangor about it. Maybe he can figure something out." She nodded. " I'll keep an eye on her." I headed for the door.
Just as I was about to leave, I heard some voices behind me. I turned around to see everything frozen in time, except the eight figures standing before me. " Do you not know the cure for this, young one? Can you think of nothing?" I stared blankly at them. " What do you expect me to know about this sort of thing? I'm not a doctor." The green one stepped forward, shaking his head and smiling. " Do you not know? Sometimes the best cure for an ailment without a cure, is love. Has no one ever told you that?" I shook my head. " I don't understand your meaning." He simply smiled and replied: " Someone will." With that time resumed, proceeding as normal. I stared blankly for a few seconds before someone's voice snapped me to attention. " Green Lightning? Are you okay? You look kinda spaced out. Maybe you should lie down?" I responded, seemingly still in a daze, " They said sometimes the best cure for an ailment without a cure is love... what could that mean?" I was lost in my thoughts when someone snapped their fingers. " I've got it! Snow White!" I shook out of my daze and stared at Amy. " What do you mean, 'Snow White'?" She smiled. " You've never heard of it? Snow White went into a state like this and the only cure was the kiss of true love! If that won't work, I don't know what will!" I shook my head. " I think Sonic may be right about you reading too many romance books." She shook her head. " Grown men... ugh. Just try it, alright? If it doesn't work, we can ask Fangor for his advice." I cocked my head to the side in confusion. " Try what?" She sighed. " Kiss her, silly! It could work!" I shrugged my shoulders. " I guess it's worth a try."
I walked up to her bed, just as the rest of my friends walked into the room and leaned against the wall. Shadow brought out a video camera, guessing what I was about to do. I started getting a little nervous. Relax... It's just a kiss... It's not like it's a major exam or anything... I shook my head as I approached. I stood beside the bed, which was simply a matress on the floor, like mine. I looked down upon her still image, that seemed so full of life yet empty of it all at once. I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. Why am I getting so nervous? I shook my head again. Okay, here goes everything... I leaned forward, putting my head above hers. " I love you, Aleena. Please come back to us." I leaned in close, our lips met, and I felt life rushing into her as power had rushed into me when I used the Order Emeralds. I stopped and stood up. I looked down at her and for a few seconds nothing seemed to happen. Then her eyes slowly opened, and she blinked to let her eyes adjust to the brightness of the room. She suddenly shot up, looking quite scared and anxious all at once. " Where am I! Where is Tomias!" She turned her head in my direction, then smiled, breathing a sigh of relief. " Tomias! You're okay! I'm so happy!" I smiled. " Glad to have you back, Aleena." Aleena got a puzzled look on her face. " How long was I out?" Amy looked at the calendar on the wall. " About 3 months. You were awful when we brought you in. Words could not describe the condition your arm was in, and you couldn't be healed by magic because you were not conscious at the time." Aleena shook her head. " It's alright. I know they did their best." She looked around. " Where are Esna and Leadfoot?" A sudden knock at the door caused everyone's heads to turn.
Amy went to open it, but was stopped by Fangor. " Let me handle it." I heard him mutter 'bloody media...' under his breath as he approached the door. He opened it and looked down. He smiled brightly. " Well, there's two faces I thought I would never see again! Come on in!" In stepped two people I had thought to be dead, Esna, and Leadfoot. Aleena smiled broadly and waved at them. Fangor's look turned from one of happiness to one of excessive rage. " Excuse me, but I have a statistics officer to dispatch." He drew his sword and started to head out the door. " Fangor! No. There is not a need to kill him because of a mistaken identity! Please refrain from this action!" Fangor shook his head. " I am bound by my duties to perform this action. It is Kintushian military law that a false report is met by either death-" Sally glared at him. " I order you not to take this action, Fangor!" Fangor turned to her, nodded, and returned his sword to it's scabbard, saluting in Kintushian fashion. " If you command it, so be it, Princess." Sally stopped her glare and turned back to me. " We will leave you four alone now. You have the day to yourselves. Take this time to catch up with each other." Fangor turned to us. " Oh, by the way? The semesters you missed while at war you passed because you were doing a service to Knothole. All four of you are now in your master semester, so I suggest-" At this one of his stalk eyes seemed to be favoring Leadfoot. "- you study VERY hard for your final exam. And I don't mean study as in reading textbooks-" The stalkeye was on me this time. "- I mean it as in watch your instructors combat tactics. Learn every bit about them that you can, because the final exam consists of you going, one-one-one, with your instructor. Finals are in 2 weeks. Semi-finals however, are next week. See you there." With that he opened a moongate and stepped through, leaving us standing there, either terrified ( In Leadfoot's case), slightly ill-at-ease ( In my case) or smirking as though they knew something the others didn't. I eyed Esna and Aleena, both of which were giggling and whispering to each other. They noticed and smirked while turning to me. " Our instructors are going to be easy to deal with! You two, however, are going to have a hard time. Leadfoot hasn't been paying much attention during the combat sessions-" " You expect me to care when he's incredibly slow and-" " He wasn't attacking at full potential. This year, they are not allowed to hold back. You have it easy compared with Green Lightning. He has to face Fangor... From what the kids at the academy have been saying, he's powerful enough to destroy a planet with a single punch if he wanted to... and he's twice as fast as the speed of light itself... You're going to have to come up with some incredible tactics to fight him. I also heard he took on EVERY student in the academy he came from for his final exam and beat them all without any trouble. Good luck on your final. And Leadfoot? For crying out loud, study for this, or you could wind up in the hospital in more than just a few peices." I looked at Aleena. " Your going to have to be careful as well. You have 2 finals. Magic and combat. Magic is going to be sorely difficult, seeing as how you will be facing my father. Then, about 2 hours later, you will be facing your instructor in one-on-one combat. I'm not sure if you can handle all that, but you have my support." She looked shocked. " There is a final exam for magic as well! Oh, great... Just great..." Leadfoot smirked. " Too bad the war couldn't have dragged on for another year, eh?" Esna looked at him and smirked as well. " You can't just 'pass' the master year. The finals are MANDATORY. So, tough luck." Aleena looked down and noticed she was still wearing a hospital gown. " Could the three of you please step outside so I can get changed?" We nodded and headed for the door.
A few hours later, we were in the academy cafeteria. " Explain to me again why we are here?" I asked as we made our way through a sea of 'ammunition' to the only table not covered in food. " Well, we kinda... blew up your kitchen." Leadfoot said, only to get a smack to the back of the head by Esna's staff. " You mean YOU blew up their kitchen! Don't try to throw it off on me!" Leadfoot appologized while rubbing his head where the staff had struck. We made it to the table without getting hit by a single pie, although one came quite close to taking Leadfoot's head with it as it sailed into the face of a fire Kintushian, who responded by catching fire and throwing a volley of cream pies, cupcakes, soups, sandwhiches... anything that wasn't nailed down... and that included those unfortunate enough to be sitting with him at the time. After sitting down we started discussing what we had planned for the day. Esna had decided to go with Aleena to the mall to go shopping for something secret, most likely clothes, and Leadfoot decided he was going to go to the arcade... until he nearly got another taste of Esna's staff. He changed his mind and decided to observe his instructor so he could at least pass his final... if nothing else. ( He had been failing his semester of his freshman year, all classes.) As for me, I decided to leave my options open and just wander around for a while. Although Esna and Aleena invited me to come along with them, I declined. I didn't share their obsession with going from store to store searching for something to spend money on. Sure we had been well payed by the military ( 5 omniversal credits per year of service from the moment we entered the war and continuing on until we become discharged from their services. 1 universal credit translates to 1 million in any currency, no matter where it is.), but that didn't mean we had to spend it all in 1 day.
Soon after our conversation died down, I heard someone say, " Move, freak!" Just before being shoved out of the seat I had been using. This was soon followed by the same person addressing one of the other occupants of the table. " Hello there, good-looking! How's about you and I find someplace where we can-" This was followed up by three staves cracking against a single skull and a groan of pain. I stood up and saw that Aleena was furious while Leadfoot and Esna looked scared stiff while holding broken staves in their hands. Aleena hoisted him up by his shirt and held her staff to his throat. " Apologize to my boyfriend, or I'll do more than just knock you to the floor!" He smirked. " Why have that freakish trash when you could-" This was followed by another whack from her staff. " I don't want to be anywhere with you! Now apologize to him or-" He cut her off with a kiss to her lips. Her fists clenched far too hard for the staff to handle, and it broke under the pressure. He was immediately hoisted off of her eight feet into the air by none other than a very angry Fangor. " The lady-" He raised him above his head, preparing to throw him. " Said-" He cocked his arm back, setting up for a long throw. " NO!" He lurched his arm forward and released, sending a ball of fur to impact the wall more than 300 miles away in less than a second. He crumpled to the floor, unconscious. Fangor calmed down quickly and left the cafeteria and it's never-ending war of food. Aleena stopped her fit of rage and walked over to me. " Are you alright, Tomias?" I nodded. " I can handle a little fall like that. Not something to worry about." I felt a poke in the ribs from behind. I turned around to come face to face with about 10 lightning Kintushians all staring at me and smirking.
The one that seemed to be the leader stepped forward, came right up to me and stared down on me like he was superrior. " What's the matter, wimpy little freak? Have to have your girlfriend fight your battles for you?" Aleena stepped between us in a defensive manner. " Leave him alone! He's done nothing to you!" The leader threw her aside, saying: " He HAS done something. He made it look as though he saved Fangor. We want to expose him for the freakish weak little fraud he is. We are going to publicly humiliate him this afternoon in a 10 on 1 match in the main arena. Don't forget to bring your mommy so she can treat your wounds after you get beat up, freak." Immediately his tailblade arced over my head, flat side in a sweeping motion from my left to my right, immediately followed by screams of pain as two figures flew to the right from the attack. " Not even your friends can help you... I'll be sure to attend your funeral... freak." With that, they turned around and walked off, laughing and making comments about myself and my friends. I shook my head in dismay. " Why does everyone around here want to fight so much? I don't understand..." A moongate opened behind me as someone was leaving. I heard Fangor, somewhat merrily, say: " It's what Kintushians live for now. We live to fight so we can become more skilled, and we become more skilled so we can better defend others. It's our way of life now... mostly. That group, however, is just jealous and are looking for a fight because of it. I'll go get the match arranged and make sure everyone attends." I turned around to see him leaving, smiling at me. " It shouldn't be much of a challenge, but, good luck." The moongate disappeared as he stepped through. A challenge! For crying out loud, I'm going to be facing 10 8-foot tall KINTUSHIANS! They are born to fight! How am I going to be able to hold my own against them... I felt someone place their hand on my shoulder. " It's alright, Tomias. Just call off the match. It'll be- be- be- Augh! Why can't I say it!" I shook my head. " Mages are not able to lie. It won't be okay if I call off the match, because matches cannot be called off under any circumstances, Aleena." I opened a moongate and proceeded to head to the arena to get the match over with. Esna and Leadfoot followed. Aleena grabbed my hand and stepped through with me, sobbing lightly. Esna and Leadfoot headed for the stands with a solemn silence while Aleena went with me towards the arena floor. Just outside the battlefield, we stopped. I turned to her, frowning. " This is as far as you can accompany me, Aleena. From here, I am on my own." She wrapped her arms around me while dropping to her knees. She rested her head on my shoulder while still sobbing. I returned the embrace while stroking her hair gently. " I'll be alright Aleena. I have a feeling that I will come out of this unscathed. Please don't worry about me." The sobbing slowed to a halt, but the embrace remained as though she wanted to burn me into her memory. " Promise me... that you'll come back... won't you?" " I promise, Aleena. I will return to you." She let go, kissed me on the cheek, then walked off to join the others in the stands. I turned back towards the battlefield, staff at ready.
As I entered about half the stands were booing while the rest were either cheering or silent. The announcer came on the loudspeakers, announcing my entrance very excited, quite possibly becuase there was about to be a fight. " Making his way into the arena, standing at an amazing 1 foot 8 inches and weighing in at 10 lbs... let's give it up for... GREEEEN LIGHT-NIIING!" The cheering and booing got drastically louder. Then 10 moongates opened at the other end of the arena as I made my way into the center. " And making their way into the arena, all standing at 8 feet tall and weighinging in at 380 lbs each... let's hear it for... THE DOOMSDAY SQUUUAAAAD!" The cheers and boos had reversed and amplified themselves. " Now let's have some silence so the 10-1, all odds match may begin! I said silence!" The crowd continued, despite the announcer's request. Suddenly, from the right side of the arena a single moongate appeared, revealing an 8 foot tall Kintushian looking annoyed. Fangor raised his arms above his head and yelled: " SIIIIILEENCCCCEE! Show some respect for the warriors as they are about to commence battle!" The entire arena immediately went as silent as my room when I'm in the middle of reading something that I am quite interested in. Not even a whisper was heard. The announcer cut back in. " Thank you, Fangor! Now, commence combat!" We wasted little time shifting into battle drive, which enhanced our reflexes and reaction time, but nothing else was affected by it. They all charged me using a line of interlocked arms with tailblades poised for attack. I knew I wouldn't be able to dodge them, so I was going to have to stop their attacks... all 10 at once. I knew just what to do. I pulled out the water Order Emerald from my pack and raised it above my head, yelling: " I CALL FORTH LAVIATHAN, THE SAGE OF THE WATER ORDER EMERALD TO AID ME IN THIS BATTLE WITH A WATER KINTUSHIAN TIDAL WAVE!" Immediately a large dragon appeared in front of me and the entire crowd gasped in awe, amazement, and fear, to each his or her own. The entire line kept proceeding... fearless... emotionless... the perfect warriors. The dragon reared it's head back, inhaling deeply. It put it's head to the ground and breathed out very harshly, causing a 5,000 foot high and 3,000 foot thick wall of water to form between it and the quickly approaching enemy that were now within 10,000 feet of me and closing the gap quickly. The wall of water suddenly came tumbling towards them with a force beyond their reckoning. After the wall had curled in the fashion of a tidal wave, it slapped itself down on them, flooding the entire area in front of the dragon with water. about 10 seconds after the impact the water and the dragon disapeared without a trace other than the 10 unconcsious Kintushians now lying in the middle of the arena, their faces still fearless and emotionless. They had stopped 4,000 feet from me, almost to the wall of water. I dropped to my knees, feeling greatly drained. The anouncer came back on, very jubilant. " And victory goes to... GREEN LIGHTNING! Congratulations!" Almost the entire crowd was cheering now. A moongate opened next to me and out stepped my mom, dad, Aleena, Esna, and Leadfoot. Aleena ran up and hugged me tight. I returned the hug, although weakly as I had put forth most of my energy into summoning Laviathan. " You did it Tomias! I feel so happy!" We let go of each other. Fangor knelt down next to me and shook my hand. " You did quite well, but I suggest you summon the sages sparingly. That took most of the energy you had, so I would suggest you take it easy for a while. Remember, finals are in 2 weeks. Study hard." I nodded weakly. I was exhausted as though I had been running around at top speed for the past few hours. I felt something moving through my fur as someone was muttering about how much of a mess I looked like. It was obvioulsy Amy Rose, obsessing over how I looked in public again like my mom would. " You did great, son! We are both proud of you! We are sorry we can't stay much longer, however. We have business as the heads of the council of mages. The creatures of darkness that Robotnik used more than 1,000 years ago have been resurfacing all over Mobius. It is part of our duty to make sure they do not harm the citizens of Mobius. We love you son, and will support you in all your decisions. Farewell!" With that my mom opened a moongate behind them and they left, waving as the moongate closed itself.
May 16
The day of the semi-finals... I had been informed by several people, unreliable people at that, that it would be the most horrifying experience I would ever face. The only thing more difficult, most of the time, turned out to be the finals, according to them. No one was allowed to hint at what it would be, however. It was for the person undergoing the test to find out. I was in the testing chamber, about to undergo temporary stasis transfer to begin the test. " Green Lightning, we are going to need you to relax so we can do this without injuring you. Remember that whatever happens in there happens out here. Good luck, and may God be with you." I nodded and laid down on the table in the center of the room. I let them put the helmet mechanism on me while I relaxed as best as I could. " Undergoing stasis in 3... 2... 1... Engage." The world suddenly went black, then blacker still, yet I seemed conscious. I listened with my ears intently, awaiting further instruction. " Green Lightning, stand." Came a firm, authorative voice from somewhere in the darkness. I stood, eager to get it over with. " Turn around." Came a second command. I turned comepletely around and came face-to-face with what seemed to be a mirror. It took on a firm look, indicating it was not a mirror, but a copy of myself. " Your test begins now. You must answer one question that I ask you. You will not leave here until you have answered it. Are you prepared?" I nodded my head. " What is the answer to the question of the universe, life, souls, and time? You have until you die to answer this." Until I DIE! I wonder how many have actually passed this... Is it even a question? " What is the qyestion?" I asked. He smirked. " That is the question. Are you prepared to answer?" To give an answer to a question that isn't really a question because a qeustion wasn't really asked... I smirked. This was easy. " The answer is that there is not an answer because a real question was not asked." His mouth gaped open, then quickly closed. He returned to a look of calm seriousness. " Congratulations, Green Lightning. You have passed the test. Further, you have set a new record for those who have passed. You may return now." With that, the image and the darkness disapeared, replaced by the eerie blue glow of the stasis chamber. Whisperings could be heard from my position as a door to the chamber opened. " Congratulations, Green Lightning. You have passed faster than anyone that ever took the test. When Fangor took the test, it took him about 5 hours to answer the question. He nearly tried to kill his image out of frustration." Now all that is left is to defeat Fangor in the upcoming fight... An even greater challenge than this. I've seen how fast he moves and reacts, so attacking him head-on is out of the question. I'm going to have to find a different way to defeat him. Suddenly I remembered one of the videos I had seen showing him throwing himself in front of a sword to stop it from reaching another like myself, only his fur color was different from mine. Orange and white instead of green and gold. An idea came to me just then. Maybe if I create an image of him during the fight, Fangor will stop his attack long enough for me to disable him... It's better than nothing, I suppose. I ran out of there, heading for my room so I could practice a displaced 'incognito' spell variation I had been working on that would create an image of something where you stand. I was going to have to greatly focus if I was to perfect this. I only had a week to comeplete it in, and I had to get it down to taking less than a second to be active and get away from it. First I had to work on the image quality, then the speed of producing it, then the speed of getting away from it. This is going to take a while... I thought as I worked on it.
May 23
I woke up from dozing off after perfecting the spell. It had taken 5 days, but it would be worth it if it worked. I glanced over at the calendar and noticed that I had slept through yesterday entirely. " Great... Now all I have to do is pass this test and I can get some more sleep..." I muttered under my breath. I felt a hand on my shoulder and sat straight up, surprised incredibly. I turned around and saw Aleena sitting in a chair, smiling while trying not to laugh. " Why are you in here? Do you need something?" She shook her head. " You just look so cute when you're asleep! I had to take a picture!" I could feel myself blushing slightly accompanied by Aleena giggling. " Good luck in your match today. I'll be cheering for you!" I smiled and nodded. I looked over at the clock on my oak nightstand beside my bed. 10:30 AM it read. 4 and one-half hours until the match... I need to get something to eat so I'll have enough energy for it. Aleena grabbed my hand. " Come on! Breakfast is ready downstairs!" With that she ran to the kitchen dragging me like an oversized rag doll. We passed Shadow and Aleena smirked as he commented on the view. " For gosh sakes, don't you think he can walk on his own?" This was followed by him doubling over, laughing uncontrollably. She dragged me all the way to the kitchen and sat me down in a chair while she went to get the table set. I looked around and saw everyone was there except Fangor. " Where is Fangor, Amy?" Amy shook her head. " He's at the arena waiting for the match to start. Rather impatiently I might add." I sure hope my strategy works... A bowl of oatmeal was set in front of me along with a glass of orange juice. " Hurry up, Tomias. You'll need the energy for the match. The sooner you get there, the sooner the match can begin." I nodded and proceeded with breakfast. It seemed as though the food had been enriched by something, because I felt much more energetic than normal. I felt like I could run for years without running out of energy. " What did you put in this!" Aleena glanced over at Amy. Amy drooped her head down. " I accidentally short-cuircuted the stove and the oatmeal was a victim of it. It doesn't taste good, does it?" I smiled. " It tastes great, but it has given me much more energy than usual! I feel like I could run for years without running out of energy!"
4 hours later
It was time... The match was about to begin and the stands were just filling up. Fangor stopped me before I entered the arena. He knelt down to where he was eye level with me, casting an emotionless gaze upon me. " Know this before you enter. I will be fighting at my fullest potential. I will not be holding back. I can not show favoritism for a pupil, no matter how young. If you die in this battle, you will be ressurrected in the hospital wing of the academy and will have to wait another year before you can take your final exam again. I won't say good luck, however. So, do your best, and may God be with you." With that he used his teleportation spell to get away.
I heard the announcer come on the loudspeaker, hesitantly as though he were quite nervous. " Well, I didn't think we would ever see a match like this! The Guardian of the Order Emeralds, Tomias Dimitri a.k.a Green lightning, against our most powerful warrior-mage, Fangor! Be sure to have your video cameras, folks. This could turn out to be the match of the deca-mellinium!" The crowd began whispering amongst themselves. The anouncer called for silence as he announced the entrances. " Making his way into the arena, standing at 8 feet tall weighing in at 120 lbs, FANGOR!" No applause or cheering came from the crowd. Nor, for that matter, did they boo. They maintained silence as the warrior took his place at the opposite end of the arena, 300,000 feet away. This arena is far larger than the last one... I shook my head. Fangor remained as emotionless as when he had confronted me at the entrance. The announcer called for silence again, more out of habit than neccessity. " Now making his way into the arena, standing an amazing 1 foot 8 inches tall and weighing only 10 lbs, the same powerful little two-tailed fox that, just two weeks ago, defeated 10 seniors from the same academy he is in, let's give it up for... GREEN LIGHTNING!" A deafening roar of applause and cheers errupted from the crowd as I walked into the arena, staff in hand. I nearly had to cover my ears because of how loud they were. The announcer called for silence yet again, and the crowd ceased to be heard. Immediately a containment field went up around the entire arena, something that had been present in all of the matches, but was much larger in this one due to the increased size of the arena. Soon... I feel this match won't last long. Whether that is good or bad, I can not tell.
" 3... 2... 1... FIGHT!" Yelled the announcer. Fangor immediately entered 'battle drive' and charged forward at a speed too fast for me to see. He was practically light itself. Come on, magic... don't fail me now! I thought as I prepared the modified 'incognito' spell. Just before he brought his sword down on me, he came to an abrupt halt. All four of his eyes seemed to be on me. " T-Tails?" He said, confused. " Fangor seems to be hallucinating or something! He has comepletely halted his attack! This doesn't look good for him!" Stated the announcer upon noticing this. Now's my chance! I ran around behind him, jumped up, and spun around with my staff held out at arm's length. The staff struck him in the back of the head with a resounding thud as he flew across the arena and struck the containment field, rebounding to the center of the arena. He landed on his feet, then dropped to his knees and fell forward, still looking confused. The containment field immediately dissapated, allowing the referee to enter the field to inspect Fangor. " Fangor is unconscious and unable to continue the match! Victory goes to Tomias Dimitri!" The referee yelled. " That was the shortest match we have ever seen on this battlefield, folks! Let's give it up for Green Lightning the Elite!" The announcer stated. The crowd began chanting my name over and over again. What seemed like a sea of many different foxes came rushing towards me, asking me for such things as my 'autograph', phone number, a date with me, 'marry me' ( are you feeling alright! I do not even know you!), and other such things. A moongate opened behind me and I was pulled through. I turned around and saw that I was now with Aleena in our room in the academy. She hugged me tight and sat me on my bed. " Congratulations on graduating, Tomias!" She said, smiling. I returned the smile. " Thank you for getting me out of there, Aleena. That was a bit... scary I think." She smirked. " No way I was going to let them have MY boyfriend." An alarm clock went off in her room and she bit her lower lip for a few seconds. " Great... two straight matches... Well, see you later! You've gotta get packed so you can move back home, Tomias!" I nodded and proceeded to place my belongings in my temporal vortex as Aleena opened a moongate and left. It didn't take me long to get packed because most of my stuff had already been stored the week before. I turned to walk out the door and noticed that there was a sheet of paper attached to the door. It read:
JULY-1 is Prom Night. This is a MANDATORY event for all who are Master class or Instructor. All others are forbidden entrance. Those who do not come willingly will be dragged there by their fan-club, so it is reccommended that you DO NOT be L-A-T-E! Thank you for your cooperation.
I moaned. I hope I will not have to dance there... I have not danced in my entire life! I thought to myself as I left through the front doors of the building, now seemingly a death sentence to see again. Home free... for a while at least. I thought to myself as I made my way to the public moongate to meet Sonic at his car. He was standing by the pasenger-side door, tapping his foot impatiently. " You're 3 seconds late! What took you so long! Did Aleena have to stop to check you for boo-boos?" Sonic teased as I walked up to him. I just rolled my eyes. Why does he have to pick me apart about my relationship? Why can't he just grow up and stop acting so childish? I waved my hand, dismissively. " No, that is not the reason, Sonic. I had a sheet of paper attached to my door I had to read." He raised an eyebrow. " What is it, bookworm? Did the newest magazine of 'Books-R-Us come in?" I shook my head. " I'll let you see it when we get to my house. Oh, Sonic?" He raised his eyebrow again. " Please mind the speed limit this time, alright?" He grumbled but nodded, apparently reluctant to go at any speed slower than the fastest he could go. It took quite a while to reach my house, and to make matters worse, I had to listen to Sonic's complaints about going so slow and his pleas to allow him to 'put the pedal to the metal', but I reminded him what had happened last time he performed such a feat. He was quiet the rest of the trip. I nearly fell asleep along the way, having used quite a bit of energy in casting my spell. I yawned as I stared sleepily at the road in front of us, the wind blowing my fur and hood around. A blue light shot past us as we drove along. Sonic's mouth gaped open a bit. Without turning to me he asked me whether or not I had seen it. " It's just Fangor, Sonic. You do remember he moves at twice the speed of light, right?" He nodded. " How could I forget?" I yawned and returned to staring at the road. The rest of the trip passed, uneventful. After we slowed to a stop in front of my house, Shadow stood up from the flowers he had just planted in the garden. He opened the passenger side door and, after unbuckling my seatbelt, I stood up and literally fell out of the car. Shadow grabbed me a mere 3 inches before my face would have hit the ground. " Easy there! You don't want mud pie for supper, do you?" He said, chuckling. I merely yawned as he placed me back on my feet. He let out a low whistle. " Remind me never to take up studying magic. I definetly don't want to end up like you." I smiled and yawned, feeling tired as the world dimmed a little. I blinked, bringing my eyes back into focus. " I think you'd better get into bed, or you're liable to fall asleep with your food for a pillow, kid. Oh, by the way? Congratulations on graduating. Fangor arrived here a few minutes before you did, quite happy even though you just smacked him with your staff hard enough to knock HIM out cold." I smiled weakly and pulled out my staff, using it for support as I made my way to my room. Before I laid down in my bed, I unpacked and headed over to my nightstand. I checked the mirror, but what I saw wasn't myself before I had left the castle so many years ago. I took out a pen and sheet of paper and wrote:
I look in the mirror, but see a stranger instead. No longer do I see the child I once was, but a warrior instead. The child is gone, hidden behind the face of a battle-scarred hero... Gone... But not dead. - Tomias Dimitri I Look in the Mirror
Putting the pen in a drawer of my nightstand, I left the sheet of paper there to dry. I placed my cloak on the coatrack beside my door, and turned in for the night, welcoming sleep like an old friend once thought lost, yet once again found.
July 1
That night
I had slipped on my tuxedo at the request of Aleena who was wearing a dress like Amy's usual red one, but it was green instead. I was waiting in the living room for dad to figure out how to work the camera while Shadow waited anxiously like he was about to take over. His foot was tapping very rapidly, a constant thud as it kept hitting the ground. " Let's see... the instructions say... oh, drat! I can't read this! How do-" Shadow grabbed the instructions from him and shoved him aside. " Watch a pro!" He tossed the instructions away and motioned for Aleena and myself to edge closer. He kept motioning until there wasn't any space left between us. " Perfect! Now, I want you two to hold hands and gaze into each other's eyes." I was feeling quite uncomfortable in front of the camera, but obeyed. Aleena was smiling while staring down at me. " Alright, now, lean closer and-" He was cut off by Amy. " Shadow, just take the picture already!" Shadow shook his head. " I want this to be a moment for them to remember, Amy. Now, as I was saying before I was rudely interrupted, I want you two to lean closer and kiss each other." Amy sighed and shook her head, muttering how it was just another excuse to get himself behind another camera. Aleena leaned closer, and I reluctantly obeyed. Right as our lips met, the camera flash went off, nearly blinding us. " Perfect! Another one for the photo album!" Amy's mouth dropped open. " You mean the LIBRARY of photo albums you have in your mansion you camera-crazed-maniac!" Shadow smirked as he sped off to wherever he goes to copy photos. Aleena and I finally relaxed and walked outside, enjoying the cool night air before the time for us to head to the Prom arrived. Fangor came out and joined us, muttering somewhat displeased under his breath. Aleena smiled and looked over at him. " What's wrong, Fangor? Can't dance?" He shook his head. " I don't dance. It is a requirement that I will not participate in willingly. This is going to be a very long night indeed." Aleena giggled. " Cheer up! At least you'll meet a pretty girl about your age! There should be plenty of girls your age to ask to the dance." Fangor shook his head, still quite displeased about the situation. " You know so little about Kintushian traditions... They'll only be going after me becuase of how powerful I am. It sets off the opposite gender's hormones, kinda like human infatuation. Once they are used to the power, they trail off and leave you alone comepletely. I have learned to suppress my hormones, so it doesn't affect me. True love, however, is far rarer. Though, I don't much care for it." He shook his head and went back inside. Aleena looked back to me, curiously. " What does he mean? He should care. Has you told you anything about it?" I shook my head. She shrugged. Then her eyes took on their curious stare again. " Did you ever go out with anyone in the past? I mean before you were resurrected? You had to of had lots of girls before me... You're so caring and attractive..." I shook my head. " You're the first. I was too busy being in the hospital wing, studying, and trying to live to see the next day that I never had time for girls. I died without knowing anything about love or anything like that." She frowned, concerned. " Oh, you poor thing! That's so sad! I'm sorry I brought it up." I shook my head. " It's alright, Aleena. I do not keep secrets from you." She smiled and hugged me. " Thank you, Tomias."
Well, the Prom turned out alright... Fangor didn't like it much, though. He spent most of his time fighting the females that came after him, his motions smooth and fluid, like a dance. I quickly learned both how to dance, and how much getting swatted by someone's tailblade hurts when you step on their feet. Most of the songs were fast-paced, just the way Kintushians liked them. Others were slow, at the request of Esna, Aleena, and a few of their friends. A few of the girl foxes that were there repeatedly cast glares at Aleena, which she either didn't noticed, or didn't care. Shadow hung out at the refreshment table, smirking as he watched Amy drag Sonic around the dance floor. Rouge and Knuckles were leaning against the wall talking to each other. I learned from Aleena that, because they were Freedom Fighters, they were allowed there. I also learned that she had barely passed her magic final exam, and easily passed her combat final exam. At the end of the Prom, we were all told to get with our date ( Fangor wound up having to get with a 14-year old bright-blue haired female that looked as though she was having the best night of her life, while on the other hand, Fangor looked like he was staring at the grim reaper). Amy and Sonic were the first to go in, Sonic grabbing whatever he could to keep from being dragged into a photo shoot with her. Soon after Shadow was dragged in by Sally, he looked as though a ghost had him, his eyes were wide in terror as he was mumbling something under his breath. He glared at Sonic as he caught him laughing at him. Next up were Aleena and myself, followed by Knuckles and Rouge, then Esna and some hedgehog that appeared to be nearly asleep, and then Leadfoot with one of the foxes that had mobbed me after my match. The fox stuck her tounge out at me as she passed. Aleena glared at her, threateningly while putting an arm between her and myself. She shrank against Leadfoot as they made their way to the photo shoot. 3 hours later, I was finally back home, in bed, wearing my normal clothes, letting sleep take me like a pleasant memory.
END OF CHAPTER
I know it's kind of pointless to say this, but, sheesh! That chapter was LOOONNGGG! And now that Green Lightning, Aleena, Esna, and Leadfoot have graduated, what's going to happen next? Even I don't know... Well, not really. Read and review, please!
