Alright! Part 2 is coming to a close! This will be the next to last chapter for Part 2: The wait! That means that the wait is almost over! But that doesn't really mean anything, does it? And I have a question I've been meaning to ask Fangor myself... Why do you not try to date anyone? I mean, you have an ENTIRE fan-club (far more fans than I have...) that wants you, yet you refuse to even date any of them... Perhaps we will find out why soon... Or you could be your usual self and keep your feelings secret even to your closest friends. Your choice. Well, I'd like to take this time to thank Felouse and Mr. Goodson for their reviews, and thank Hannah (FoxFan999 or AngelTails) for allowing me the use of Aleena in this story. I don't know where Green Lightning would be without her... Although I think he would be pushing up flowers long before now... After all, before she came along, he had no one to defend. He wouldn't even defend himself. Now he's more together than before. Well, I've rambled on long enough... On to the story!
Chapter 9: Not every hero lives his days being... heroic
A bit more than a month later...
Character ages:
Fangor: 16- February 18
Green Lightning: 6- February 18
Miles Tails' Prower: 28-January 30 (captured by Robotnik's new henchman)
Sally Acorn (called Aunt Sally' by Tails): 33-may 3
Sonic Hedgehog: 35-August 9
Amy Rose: 33-August 19
Rotor: 29-November 9
Bunny Rabbot: 35-January 8
Anthonie: 34-April 17
Shadow: 35-March 26
Knuckles: 35-June 9
Rouge: 34-June 17
Dr. Quack: 59-April 29
Aleena: 13- October 8
Esna: 22- May 11
Leadfoot: 22- May 29
Angel: 18- August 2
Becca: 17- August 9
Tiffany: 5- Jaunary 1
denotes that they no longer age either because of serving in war, or, in Green Lightning's case, because of a Kintushian morphing into his body before he has obtained it.
July 1
Green Lightning's POV
The graduation ceremony had proceeded smoothly a week after the prom, followed a week later by the memorial to those who gave their lives defending Knothole. I am not ashamed to admit that I did shed more than my share of tears, even after Aleena tried to comfort me. Fangor, however, was unable to feel sorrow, so he just felt glad that they had given their lives to protect people unlike the fallen Kintushian races. I pity him. Now, I stand before Ms. Acorn in the grand hall of the palace, awaiting my first assignment as a freedom-fighter in training. They were going to see how well I did in the field. I was sitting there, wondering what my task would be, when Princess Sally Acorn entered the room. I stood up from my chair and took a deep bow, only to be reprimanded by her. " There is no need for such formalities, To- I mean Green Lightning. Times have changed. That, and the fact that you are royalty yourself." I rose from the floor, blushing slightly. " Though I am royalty, I care not. My father taught me that it is proper to bow to the reigning lord or lady when being addressed in their court. I am sorry if I have offended you, Ms. Acorn." She shook her head. " It's alright. Just please break that habit... It serves no purpose other than to make it look as though you think of yourself as a being lower than the one you choose to bow before. Now, please-" She gestured towards the raised chair that stood in front of her desk, "-Have a seat." I nodded and climbed up into the seat, my head barely coming above the top of the desk. She was looking down at me, smiling. She reached into a drawer on the right hand side of her desk and pulled out a rolled up peice of parchment with a bright red seal on it showing an acorn as it's ensignia. She slid it across the desk to right in front of my nose. " This is your assignment. You are to attend to it on the first of September. In the meantime, relax. Also, your mother and father have begun reconstruction of Mystic Castle. They are placing it where it used to be, the place we now call Mystic Ruins. You are dismissed. Run along and play now." She waved as I left, holding the parchment tightly as I opened a moongate to my house.
I set the parchment on my desk next to my laptop and cell phone, which was currently dead quiet. About time they decided to stop calling me... I removed the seal from the parchment and placed it, unrolled, on the desk in front of me. It read:
Name: Tomias
Rank: In-Training
Age: 6
Partners for Assignment:
Amy Rose- Captain
Bunny Rabot- General
Aleena Prower- In Training
Cream ( last name unkown)- Civilian- Age 6
Assignment:
Travel to Halmner town and establish diplomatic relations by any means neccessary. If turns out to be hostile, do not hesitate to return. Transport 1 will be available for your usage on this mission. Take care not to allow harm to come to the civilian that will be accompanying you. - Princess Sally Acorn of Knothole Freedom Fighters
Aleena's going to be with us... I guess Ms. Acorn could not stop her, even if she wanted to... I rolled the parchment back up as footsteps approached the door. Before they even knocked I answered, " Come in." I turned around and saw Aleena walk in wearing her normal white t-shirt, denim blue jeans, and white shoes. Like Kintushians that served on the battlefield during a war, her age was stuck. Unlike Fangor, her age was stuck at 13 instead of 16. She smiled as she came over to me and grabbed my hand, gesturing for me to follow her. " I just heard about something you might want to take a look at!" She ran downstairs with my feet off the ground and my body trailing behind her. She ran deep into the forest near my house, and stopped at a pond in the middle of a small clearing. The pond was about as far across as half of Fangor's height. She sat down in front of it and told me to sit accross from her. She peered into the pond and smiled. I looked over at where she was looking, expecting to see her reflection. Instead I saw myself, looking depressed while sitting in a classroom full of others wearing green robes... all except eight. I was the only one wearing a golden robe and a golden crown to match. Sitting around me were seven individuals, wearing black robes, who were only known as the Black Robe gang. All the images faded except mine, sitting there, still depressed. It then changed to the way I looked now, just the same I was then, with a change of clothing and no longer looking depressed. I was shocked. I had never seen something like this. She smiled and pointed in front of me. I followed her finger down into the water right in front of me. Instead of my reflection, I saw a reflection of Aleena, just the way she looked now. I was shocked and confused. " What is this? I have never seen-" Aleena silenced me by pointing at a nearby sign. I walked around to the front of it and could just barely make it out by the light of the moon. It read, in Mystic writing:
Lovers' spring
Gaze into the waters and see your true love!
Caution: DO NOT DRINK THE WATER!
" So, I see you finally found it. Not something I'd be interested in, though." Came Fangor's voice from the edge of the clearing. Aleena looked up in surprise. " What are you doing here, Fangor? Did you come to-" He shook his head. " I came her because Amy is standing at the front door, tapping her foot, looking quite displeased because someone is up past their bedtime." He then pointed at me a little, as though he hardly cared. I looked up at him, confused. " Since when have I had a bedtime?" He smirked and laughed a bit. " Since your parents made Amy your legal guardian. I would suggest you hurry before she decides to come out here and drag you back. And I've heard from Sonic that her punishments are not very pleasant..." He trailed off as he reached up, grabbing a fist that was aimed for his face and threw the person into a nearby tree. " Well, that's a friendly greeting for ya, dad." I turned around to look at who he had thrown. Remarkably he resembled Fangor in height and slightly in the face, except he was quite angry, and he was wearing something an Emperor would wear rather than what Fangor was wearing. He picked himself up and dusted off his imperial cloak, then glared at Fangor. " What is the meaning of this! You go to a prom to DANCE with the girls, not to fight them! EXPLAIN YOURSELF, NOW!" I could tell he was incredibly angry. Fangor and his dad exchanged glares as Fangor began talking again. " I thought it was already clear to you that I do not want to divulge in the matters of love! First, all those girls were feeling were their hormones going, second, if I did get married or whatnot, it would only bring my mate sorrow and disapointment because of the path I have to take. You KNOW the prophecy. Now, is that the only reason you came here, or did you want to pick a fight as well!" His father smiled and replied: " Yes. Your friend, Amy, says Aleena has 5 minutes to return Green Lightning or she will e-mail his fan club all the baby pictures that his parents have stored somewhere in the house, along with that photo Shadow took the night of the prom." Fangor laughed quite loudly. " Blackmail is the best she can come up with?" He continued laughing. I on the other hand, was sweating nervously and blushing almost as red as Knuckles. Aleena grabbed my hand and opened a moongate nearby. She ran through it with my body off the ground like a rag doll.
When we came out, Amy was there looking quite displeased. " Well!" She said, glaring at Aleena. " Why did you take him out past his bedtime! Explain. I am listening." Aleena blushed and told her the situation. Amy looked up at the sky, shaking her head and muttering inaudibly. She then looked back down to us. " Aleena, go home now. I'm sure your parents will want to know why you were out so late tonight. I will phone them ahead of time letting them know." She nodded and opened a moongate, walking through it with her head hung. Amy turned to me. " As for you, it's your bedtime, and I don't want any excuses just so you can stay up longer. Good night." With that she grabbed my hand, tight enough for it not to slip out of hers, yet loose enough to keep from hurting it, walked in, closed the door, and walked up to my room. " Amy, I can get to my room just fine by myself." She looked down at me as we walked through the door to my room. " I want to make sure you go to sleep instead of climb out the window or something. Now go lie down. I'll be back up in about a minute to tuck you in." Why does she have to act so much like my mom? I... Well, in this body I'm a little kid... But I can do this on my own. I don't need someone there to make sure I obey... Do they not trust me? I walked over to my bed and climbed into it, pulling the covers up to my chin as I stretched my legs out on this bed that was far bigger than I acutally needed. I turned over to my side so I could stare out the window until I fell asleep. Soon I heard footsteps coming up the stairs, obviously Amy's because she was the only other person in the house at the time. The footsteps didn't stop till they were right next to my bed. I felt myself get rolled over to look up and see a pink hedgehog that had the face of a worried mother. She brought the covers up to my chin again and pressed them tightly under my shoulders. Then, like my mom would have done, she kissed me on the cheek, showing she cared. " Good night. Have pleasant dreams." She walked out of the room, closing the door behind her. I stared at the ceiling for a bit, wondering why she and my mother had to treat me like such a little kid when I was obviously able to handle myself well enough on my own. I grew tired quickly and closed my eyes, falling asleep.
July 2
I woke up feeling quite strange. My head felt like it was burning, my entire body except for my head hurt strangely, and I could hardly open my eyes. I slowly got out of bed, moaning in pain as I stood up. I pulled out my staff and, using it for support, walked to my bedroom door. I opened it and stepped out, still not feeling quite myself. I closed the door and then turned to go downstairs. I carefully walked down, leaning on my staff to keep from falling over. About midway I looked around a bit and saw Amy in the kitchen cleaning dishes with Fangor's help, Aleena was sitting in an e-z chair listening to some music on her CD player while reading a book, and Tikal was looking in a shoppers guide for the mall again. I walked downstairs the rest of the way, but, when I reached the bottom, my strength gave out on me and I hit the floor with a thud. I propped my staff up and started to pull myself up as Amy came to me from the kitchen, leaving Fangor with the rest of the dishes to wash. " Are you feeling alright?" She asked. I didn't answer. I proceeded to pull myself up into a standing position. Once I was standing, she took off a glove and put her hand to my forehead. She quickly drew her hand back as a look of concern crossed her face. " Not only do you look awful, your forehead is hotter than a normal fever would allow... FANGOR! GET IN HERE PLEASE!" Fangor walked in from the kitchen, leaving behind a pile of excessively clean dishes. " Yes, Amy? Do you need something?" She pointed at me after putting her glove back on. " He needs taken to the doctor. He seems to have a very high fever." Fangor nodded. I proceeded for the door only to be picked up into a lying down posistion as my staff disapeared. Although my eyes were almost closed, I could see Fangor shaking his head. He walked outside and set me in the back seat of his '93 White Toyota Supra ( I got this information from Fangor as he got in) and slid into the drivers seat. I knew this wasn't the way a normal car was supposed to look. It had been expanded to accomodate Kintushians. He immediately floored it as soon as the key was turned. The car took off faster than Sonic had driven the other day when he got pulled over. Within 30 seconds, he had performed a perfect parrallel park, turned off the ignition, and carried me into the hospital, even though I insisted on walking on my own two feet.
We walked up to the receptionist desk where a female Forest Kintushian was sitting. " Hello, sir. May I help you?" Fangor turned one stalk-eye towards me, and the receptionist followed his gaze. " He has a high fever that-" " Are you the legal parent or guardian of this child?" " No-" She shook her head. " Sorry, company policy clearly states that the legal parent or guardian has to bring in the child if they are under 18 years of age. We could be sued, you know." Fangor sighed in exhasperation and headed back out to the car, ignoring my protests that I could walk on my own two feet. We sped all the way back to my house without being stopped. Fangor jumped out after turning off the ignition and removing the keys. He picked me up out of the backseat, seemingly deaf to my pleas to allow me to walk on my own. He walked through the front door and threw Amy his keys as he entered. " Did you-" He shook his head and handed me to her. " The legal parent or guardian has to take the child in. They're worried about being sued... Bah!" He walked into the kitchen to get breakfast ready for everyone else. Amy turned to Tikal. " Tikal, could you please go get the infant seat from the closet? He's too small to be-" Tikal nodded and left for the closet in the upstairs hallway. Aleena was still in the middle of reading her book while her music was still going with the 'loop-play' button held down. Tikal came down a few minutes later carrying a car-seat. " Can't I just run there, Amy?" Amy looked at me and shook her head. " You have a higher than normal fever! You shouldn't be doing much activity." I groaned. Tikal came back in, looking at me with pity. " I hope you get to feeling better." With that she went into the kitchen to help Fangor get breakfast ready.
Amy walked outside and put me in the car seat, facing towards the back of the car. She then pulled a harness over my head and shoulders that hooked into a buckle between my legs. She then pulled on something and it got tight enough to where I couldn't move forward. I didn't much like that, but I wasn't in a position to struggle. I felt worse than I had when I woke up earlier that morning, if it was at all possible. She then got into the driver seat and the car somehow automatically adjusted itself to accomodate the length of her legs and her body compostion. I only knew this because she was complimenting the car as it adjusted itself. She then slapped her forehead and went around to the side of the car I was on and pulled the standard lap belt accross the car seat, making sure it would move as little as possible. I could still barely open my eyes, but it was enough to see that she looked even more worried than before. She went back around to the driver side of the vehicle, got in, and as I heard the ignition turn, we started off. It took us 30 minutes to reach it this time, and I felt even more miserable when we got there. Amy unbound the car seat and took me out of it, holding me with one arm while resting my chin on her shoulder. She ran into the hospital, being careful not to run into anyone or not to drop me. A male Forest Kintushian saw her coming and opened the door for her as she approached. " Thank you!" She said as she ran by him. He looked at me with pity as Amy ran up to the reception desk. " Hello ma'am. May I help you?" She said with the same polite tone she had used towards Fangor. " She laid me down across both her arms and looked down at me, worried. " He's got an abnormal fever! He can barely stand and already collapsed-" " Are you the legal parent or guardian of this child?" Amy nodded. " I am the legal guardian of-" The receptionist raised her hand and waved it dismissively. She then pushed a button on the desk next to a clipboard and stack of papers. " Doctor to reception desk please! We have a patient at front desk! I repeat-" A doctor came running out of the hall at 120 miles per hour, dodging people who happened to be in the way at the time, and stopped next to the receptionist. " Yes, Ms. Brandyworth?" " This patient needs an examination. And please stop speeding through the halls. You're going to send someone through a wall one of these days." He looked over at Amy, then at me. " Which one of you is the patient? You or your son?" Amy shook her head. " It's him, and he's not my son." He nodded and pulled out a cell phone and began dialing very rapidly. " I need a room cleared out so I can examine a patient to determine illness... Yes I know most of the rooms are empty, but it is protocol! Just get it done, alright! I'll be there in about 30 seconds... Never mind. Receptionist is glaring at me. Make that 5 minutes. Patient is a very young male kitsune, subspecies is Mystic I think, if I remember correctly from the academy... Just hurry it up! I'm not very patient, you know." He hung up and motioned for Amy to follow him.
After about 5 minutes of passing hundreds of empty rooms at a brisk walk, we stopped in front of a room that was larger than most of the others, but still held a single bed with only one window looking to the outside. He gestured towards the bed. Amy set me down and the doctor went over to the closet and pulled out a thermometer. After washing it off in the sink, he went over to the bed and stuffed it in my mouth. It was ice cold to the touch, but I hardly cared because I felt quite miserable at the moment. I hope he hurries so I can get back to my normal activities... I was looking forward to trying to perfect my flying today... After about 10 seconds he took it out and examined it with a disapointed look on his face. " Well, nothing's wrong inside his mouth... normal temperature there..." He washed the thermometer off again and went back in the closet, coming out with a couple of hand-held scanners like what would be used in libraries to read bar codes. " Now, I'm going to need you to hold still for a few seconds. This won't hurt at all." Easy for him to say... I'm in pain already. He held one of the scanners a few inches from my forehead and pulled the trigger on it, holding it for a few seconds. He pulled it back and looked at the top of it. He shook his head with a shocked look on his face. " 193.8 brain temperature..." Amy gasped and sat down in a nearby chair quickly. the color drained from her face. " Now we need to run a blood test to determine a few things... it will take a few moments, so please be patient." He grabbed the second scanner, pressed it against my arm, and pulled the trigger. He held it for about 2 minutes, all the while the pain lingered. He then pulled away and put the scanner back on the counter. He walked over to the wall and opened the window, allowing a cool breeze to blow through. He then turned to Amy with a serious look on his face. " We need you to fill out some paperwork on the child. We will have Fangor come over to verify the legitimacy of your statement on the earlier happenings of this morning. The blood test should be done in about 2 hours, so we'll let him get some rest in the meantime." With that, Amy and the doctor walked out, leaving me in the room alone with my miserable condition.
I rolled over and stared out the window, watching the clouds go by, unhindered by sickness or parents... Could it get any worse? I thought to myself. A few minutes passed and they still weren't back yet. Just then, a black cloaked figure came by and jumped in through the window, looking down at me, his face hidden in the darkness of his hood. I attempted to get away, but he grabbed me and pinned me to the nearby wall, hard. " Where do you think you're going, pipsqueek!" He said, drawing a strange switchblade that he swung around a bit, showing off. He then pressed me against the wall harder, making sure I wouldn't move. " Now, be a good boy and hold still!" He reared back with the knife and proceeded to cut into me repeatedly, penetrating the skin but not the muscle. I was screaming in pain, only furthering his enjoyment. About 30 minutes before the doctor said the blood test would be done, he walked in and screamed in anger. " Leave the patient alone you cold blooded cretin!" The figure immediately threw me in a nearby corner and left. The doctor rushed over to me as I was losing concsiousness, practically kicking himself for leaving the window open.
Amy's POV
When we reached the reception desk, Fangor was already there, tapping his foot impatiently. There was a pile of papers sitting on the counter, waiting to be filled out. The doctor walked over and picked it up, pointing to an empty office nearby, just as white as the rest of the place. I walked in, eager to get out of the cold air of the rest of the hospital. Fangor followed after the doctor, standing in a corner, staring at the doctor rather than sitting in a chair. The doctor motioned for me to sit down, and pulled out a pen and hovered it above the paper, writing down everything as I said it. " Name?" " Amy Rose." " Name and age of patient?" " Tomias Dimitri or Green Lightning; 6." " Now, I need you to explain, in detail, the events that occurred before coming to the hospital this morning. Legitimacy will be verified by Fangor upon completion." I took a deep breath and told him exactly what happened. Afterwards Fangor studied it long and hard, seemingly attempting to find any flaw whatsoever. He then nodded and handed it back to the doctor, signing it as he did. " You two wait in the reception area while I check on the patient." He opened the door and we walked out with him. I sat down in a large leather chair while Fangor stood nearby. " Do you think he'll be alright?" I asked him, hoping for some reassurance. But, as usual, he just shrugged his shoulders. " I don't know. I never dealt with illnesses. Further, I've never been in a hospital other than as a visitor." I hung my head. " You could be more reassuring you know." I looked at my watch, worried about why the doctor was taking so long. It had been almost 2 hours since we had left Green Lightning, and the doctor had left to check on him 30 minutes ago. He came back about 2 minutes after the time he had stated, looking very worried. " You wouldn't of happened to bring an extra set of clothes with you, have you?" I shook my head, confused. He sighed and walked back down the hallway, out of sight. I looked up at Fangor, who seemed to be in a world of his own at the moment. " What was that about, Fangor?" He merely shrugged and just kept staring blankly. Why do I even bother... Within a few minutes, the doctor came back, Green Lightning held in his arms. As he came closer it seemed as though something were missing. When he got within 5 feet of us, it became very clear that something was missing. He came closer, and I noticed some dried blood here and there on his visible fur. I pulled out my hammer, ready to pound a few heads in. " Where are his clothes, and what have you done to him!" I raised my hammer above my head, ready to pounce. " Calm down, Ms. Rose. Please step into my office so it can be explained. Don't jump to any conclusions. We have done nothing that would harm your son." I sighed as I put my hammer away. " He's not my son. I'm a legal guardian, not a parent." He turned slightly red. " Sorry, ma'am. My apologies." We walked into his office, Green Lightning still in his arms.
As we stepped in, he handed him to me. Fangor took residence of the corner again, eyes closed even though we knew he was highly alert. Green Lightning was asleep in my arms, wearing only his shoes and a diaper. " What happened to his clothes!" I said, glaring at the doctor. He waved a hand dismisively, but I was not going to let him off that easily. He then put a tape into a VCR that I had not noticed before. He turned around his computer monitor and it showed that, less than 10 minutes after we left, a hooded figure jumped in through the window into Green Lightning's hospital room. He walked over to the bed and Green Lightning tried to crawl away. He was grabbed by the stranger and slammed against the wall very hard. " Where do you think you're going, pipsqueek?" The figure stated, amused as he pulled out a knife from the folds of his robe. He then began slashing it through the air, then he reared back and proceeded to lacerate Green Lightning. The doctor fastforwarded the tape, showing nothing except the cloaked figure cutting up Green Lightning for more than an hour. I had my hands over my mouth, breathing heavily as I watched this. The doctor stopped the fast forward and it showed him entering the room. He immediately looked angry beyond all reason and shouted: " Leave the patient alone you cold-blooded cretin!" The figure threw Green lightning in a corner, his clothing, except his shoes, was nothing but shreds of cloth held on by blood now, and left through the window. The doctor rushed over to Green Lightning, a shocked look on his face. He then shakily picked up Green Lightning and placed him on the bed, closing the window with his tailblade. He turned to the camera. " Get a nurse down here, quickly!" Then the video shut off.
Fangor finally spoke. " So it seems he can regenerate from his wounds as well... Strange. Anyhow, did you get the blood test finished?" The doctor glared at him. " Parent or legal guardian ONLY!" Fangor shrugged and closed his eyes again. I turned towards him. " Did you find out what's wrong with him?" The doctor nodded. " According to the blood test, brain temperature, and DNA test, he has the Lyrux Fever." I shook my head in confusion. " What do you mean?" He shoved a stack of papers in front of me. " Well, with his DNA, he will obtain different diseases and such throughout his life at random, unprovoked and without a cause. They will cure themselves, but I want him moving as little as neccessary to avoid agrivating the condition. All diseases should go away in a day to a month. In the meantime, keep a close eye on him. Don't worry, none of his diseases will be contagious, no matter what they are. Now, with this particular one, I reccomend little movement and plenty of fresh air. If you decide to go for a walk, take him with you. But he IS NOT to be walking. Keep his physical activity low, even if you have to threaten him with blackmail." I looked down at him again, then back to the doctor. " Why didn't you give him more clothing than this?" He shrugged. " We don't have children's clothing. That was all we could get ahold of for children his size. His mother and father came in during and after the war and we delivered two healthy babies unto their family. Since then, we've had custom made diapers such as those in case they came in again. All the other clothing we have available is adult-sized. I don't think they would fit him very well." I sighed. " Aleena isn't going to be too happy about this." " Is Aleena his older sister?" I shook my head, smirking. " No, worse. His girlfriend." The doctor gulped and laughed nervously. " Well then, we will have to post a guard at the door next time." I turned to Fangor. " Could you take him to the car? I've gotta make a phone call." He shrugged and took him from me. I picked up my cell phone and dialed the number for Green Lightning's house. Tikal picked up the phone, sounding very worried. " I need you to go to the store, Tikal. There are a few things I need you to pick up." " How's Green Lightning?" " We're going to be coming back with him in a few minutes. I need you to pick up a few things at the store." I explained the situation to her, and got a few giggles back from the other end. " You do realize he isn't going to cooperate willingly, don't you?" I smirked. " I have my ways. I've already got blackmail lined up just in case." More giggles came from the other end." Alright, I'll head to the grocery store. Drive safely, alright?" I nodded. " Alright. See you in a bit." I hung up and headed out to the car. Fangor was waiting beside the passenger side door, waiting for me to get in and go. " You're coming too, Fangor." A confused look crossed his face. " I'm going to need you to get Green Lightning out while I help Tikal and Aleena with the groceries." He got pointed at the passenger side. " I won't be able to fit in there. Not enough leg room." I giggled. " Who said I would be driving?" I tossed him the keys and he didn't grab them till they almost touched the ground. He opened the passenger side door and jumped over the car, landing gracefully on the other side. He let the roof of the car down by pressing a multi-colored button on the dash with his tailblade while he put his seatbelt on. He looked at me, smirking. " I know you've always wanted to know what it felt like to travel at Sonic's speed, so..." He gestured towards the now open-topped car. I nodded, smiling. He faced forward, started the car, and floored it.
The feeling was envigorating! We were traveling far faster than Sonic, but it felt like he was right there with me, pulling me along as the breeze whipped through my hair. " This is great! Is this what it feels like to run like a Kintushian?" Fangor shook his head. " Kintushians other than myself can only reach speeds of up to 120 miles per hour, even when in the air." I looked at the spedometer gauge and was surprised at the reading. " 382 miles per hour? Isn't that a little TOO fast?" He raised an eyebrow at me while keeping one of his stalkeyes on the road. " You're talking to a Kintushian, remember? We're not only addicted to combat, but most of us can't get enough of going faster than we can run. Me? I just use it to get from place to place in a hurry." He suddenly slammed on the brakes, causing the car to come to a comeplete stop. I braced for impact, but it was like we had been sitting still the whole time. I looked at him in confusion. " COMEPLETE brakes. Much better than an emergency brake. It stops everything in the car, including beverages." He turned off the car after putting the top back up. " We're here already? How long did it take?" He looked at his watch. " About 13 seconds. Not bad." I unbuckled my seatbelt and got out, jerking my thumb towards Green Lightning, still out cold in the car seat. " Don't forget to-" Fangor laughed a bit. " I know, I know. Get 'sleeping beauty' out of the car. You expect me to forget that?" I turned around and glared at him a bit. " Please do not call him that. I am sure he would not like it." He smirked. " Yes, 'mother'." I sighed in annoyance. " Just do it, okay?" He nodded, serious again. He unbuckled his seatbelt and got out of the car, jerking his tailblade out as the car shrank to normal size. I walked inside, leaving him out there with Tomias. Tikal signaled for me from the kitchen, where she and Aleena were putting up groceries. I walked in and started putting canned food in the cabinets above the microwave. Aleena put her hand on my shoulder to get my attention, nearly making me drop an extra large can of Chili I was putting in there for Sonic's chilidogs. I fumbled around with it and finaly got it under control. " Aleena, please be careful! These cans are heavy!" She giggled. " Sorry Ms. Rose. Umm... I have a question." I stuffed the chili in the cabinet and turned around. " Yes, Aleena?" " Well, actually two questions... Where is Tomias, and what are these for?" She reached into a couple of grocery bags and came out with a light blue diaper bag and a bag of 'Huggies- Double Tail Design' just as the door opened. Fangor walked in carrying Green Lightning cradled in one arm while holding the car seat with the other. He used his tailblade to close the door. Aleena turned to see who just came in. " Well, that answers question number one... Umm... Where are his clothes?" I sighed. " Tikal, please fill her in. I've got to finish putting these cans up." " Alright, Amy." Tikal grabbed Aleena by the arm and led her into Tomias's parents' room. " Amy? He's asleep now. What do I do with him now? Just set him on the floor?" I still had a few cans left to put up, so I refrained from answering. " Amy? Please answer me. I feel really awkward carrying him." I sighed. I put up the last can of chili and closed the cabinet. I walked into the living room and Fangor was standing there staring at me with an anxious look on his face. " What's wrong, Fangor? Can't stand waiting?" He cut me off with a shake of his head. " I'm not comfortable carrying around children." I shook my head smiling. " What's the matter? The warrior in you make you afraid to take care of children?" He shook his head. " You're afraid to be a father?" His face turned a bit red, but quickly returned to normal with a slight glare. " No." He said. I shrugged. I went upstairs and waved for him to follow.
We went in his room which had a large box in one corner, with everything else where he had left it that morning. " Set him on his bed. We'll let him sleep there tonight and see if he stays put. Right now, I want you to assemble that crib over the just in case he decides to get out of bed after being warned not to be moving much." Just then my cell phone rang. I fished around in my pocket and dragged it out, pressing a random button to answer it. " Hello? This is Amy Rose. May I ask who is speaking and why you have called?" " It's doctor Ezgan. The one that took Tomias's temperature and blood/DNA test?" I smiled. " Hello, Dr. Ezgan. Umm... Why have you called?" He seemed to take a few seconds to think about it. " Well, it's about Tomias. The blood test came out rather bad... If our calculations are correct, he won't be able to eat solid foods until this fever passes, if it is indeed the Lyrux Fever. Only about 3 of the Lyrux fever cases on our planet were able to eat solid foods during it, mainly becuase they were the strongest among us. You see, it saps strength from the muscles below the head, making it painful to move them out of the individual's will, and also raises the temperature of the brain to allow it a comfortable place to live. We have already filed a police report, and they are searching for the person that had lacerated him. Also, save telling his mother for a 'last resort blackmail'. His mother was racking our brains telling us how much she worried about him while she wasn't around to protect him. Well, I've gotta go. Paperwork isn't light here." He hung up, leaving me there smiling. I heard some slight giggling from behind me and turned around to see Aleena with her back against the wall, smiling. " No solid foods and limited movement... That means we are going to have to feed him, right?" I nodded and was answered with some more giggling. " He's not going to allow it willingly, you know. He's very self-reliant. I hope you got 'ready for anything', as the saying goes." I smiled and nodded. " I got everything I thought I would need. And I don't need to ask how you heard the conversation. I know your hearing is far better than mine. You think you can keep an eye on him while he's awake? I need to be ready to leave at a moment's notice and can't stay around here all day." She nodded, still giggling. Then her face turned serious. " According to Tikal, the doctor said we need to make him as comfortable as the situation allows. Did you take off his shoes?" I shook my head. " Leave them on, Aleena. They were the only thing that wasn't damaged by his assailant. Now let's leave before we wake him up. Oh, you think you could put that diaper bag and package of diapers in his backpack, just in case? And I don't want him being changed unless he needs it, alright?" She nodded and jumped over the balcony on her way downstairs. Fangor had already assembled the crib, leaving no flaws whatsoever, so he left as well. I walked over to Tomias's bed and tucked him in. He squirmed a bit as I did so. I walked out of the room, leaving him to rest.
July 3
Green Lightning's POV
" Shh! Shh! He's waking up!" Was the first thing I heard when I came out of sleep, rolling over in my bed and opening my eyes slightly, feeling a bit worse than I had yesterday. Even rolling over hurt alot, so I couldn't help but wimper as I repositioned myself. I expected to still be in the hospital, but instead I was in my own room, in my own bed. I could feel that I was not alone, although I couldn't exactly tell who was in my room because I hadn't had much practice at 'presence detection', like Kintushians that were naturals at it. I saw Aleena come into view, smiling. " Good morning, sweety. Did you sleep well?" I replied with a moan. I wasn't feeling well, but I wasn't about to willingly allow them to baby me because of it. I could take care of myself just fine. A slight look of worry crossed her face. Great... she's worrying about me now... " Still sick, huh?" I groaned. " Aleena, who else is in here?" I asked weakly, so that only she could hear. She looked past the foot of my bed and motioned for someone to come over. Three girls came up behind Aleena, gawking at me and whispering between themselves. I recognized all three as members of the fan-club that had mobbed me after the tournament. I looked up at Aleena and she smiled. " Don't worry. They may be in the fan-club, but they're not like most of them. They tried to peel them off of you. Meet Angel, Tiffany, and Becca." They smiled and waved. Aleena looked at her watch and then back to me. " Are you hungry?" I groaned and turned away from them, wincing in pain as I did so. " Well?" I admit I was hungry, but, if she was like my mom, I wasn't about to let her know that willingly. I couldn't lie, so I didn't answer her. " I'll take your silence as a yes. I'll be right back." I moaned and pulled my covers over my head, once again wincing in pain. Why can't they just let me handle myself? I can eat just fine right now. I felt the covers be pulled off my head and back under my chin and around my shoulders. " Aleena says you don't need to be moving much. She didn't tell us why, though." The one named Tiffany, a brown and gold fox, said as she stroked the fur on my head. She frowned. " You've got a fever still... A bad one at that. I see why she said you are not to move much." I groaned in reply.
Just then Angel, a white and blue fox, grabbed her nose and waved her hand in front of her face. " What is that smell! It's horrible!" Becca, a gray and turqoise fox, sniffed the air and followed suit. " You're right, Angel! What do you think it could be from?" Tiffany apparently just caught the smell, because she jumped back against the wall and grabbed her nose as well. They then looked at each other, then at me, then back to each other. " You don't think..." " No way... it couldn't be... could it?" " I don't think it could be him... It smells far too horrible..." " Well, we could always check, just to make sure..." Just then gunshots rang out and the three girls screamed and ran to the window, very scared. They sighed in relief, still holding their noses. " It's just the local 'garbage can' gang trying to rob a Kintushian only to be cought by the police. The smell should be gone in a few minutes." They all three sighed in relief as Aleena came in, unfortunately catching a wiff of it as well. She shreiked a little from it and I heard a small thud soon afterwards. " What is that horrible smell! It smells worse than a junk yard!" She said as she walked over to the others. Becca closed the window and the smell left instantly. " It's the 'garbage can' gang again. They just got hauled off to jail for attempted robbery. The smell should be gone in a few minutes. I swear... We thought HE had-" Aleena clapsed a hand over her mouth. " Shh! You'll embarress him!" " Sorry."
Aleena nodded and turned towards me. " The doctor said you can't eat solid foods for a while and that you need to refrain from moving as much as possible, so..." She held up a baby bottle. Does she really think I'm going to let her sink me to this level? I've got my dignity, and I'm not giving it up THAT easily... I rolled over to where I was turned away from her and groaned. The girls giggled a bit. " Seems like he doesn't care for it. He certainly seems self-reliant." " Well, he needs to eat. The doctor said he won't be able to digest solid foods for a while, and he is to move as little as possible. I know he doesn't like it, but, doctor's orders." I groaned and pulled the covers over my head, wincing in pain again as I did so. " I could always e-mail your address to your fan-club. I'm sure they're dieing to know where you live." I groaned again. " Aleena, please, just let me eat on my own! I don't want to be babied just because I'm sick! I can depend on myself well enough." " The doctor said it is likely that your condition will be agrivated if you move around too much. He also said that if you don't cooperate that we should attempt blackmail." I moaned. " Aleena, please, no. I don't want to be worried over just for being sick!" " Well, I could always throw in some of your baby pictures along with the picture Shadow took on prom night." " Aleena! No!" " Didn't think it would come to this... I guess I'll have to get Fangor." " You really think he would be able to make me throw away my dignity like that?" This was answered by a few giggles from the others. " I don't think it's working, Aleena. Maybe we should find Ms. Rose?" " She's away on a mission. No chance of reaching her." " What about Ms. Acorn?" " She's got loads of paperwork to do... I guess I'm going to have to call his mom and let her take care of it." I grimaced. I knew how my mom was. She would wind up hovering over me, night and day, jumping at the slightest whimper, and she would most likely wind up keeping me there at least 2 weeks after the fever was gone. I valued my freedom too much for thatand didn't want my mother to worry. I pulled the covers off my head and back to my chin. " Please leave my mother out of this." I felt myself get turned over. I expected it to hurt, but it didn't. " You won't struggle?" Aleena asked when she came into view. " No... Just please don't tell mom." She smiled. " If you cooperate I won't. Otherwise..." She tossed a cell phone up and down in her hand, threateningly. She then handed the bottle to Angel and put the cell phone back on my desk. She then walked back over to my bed and pulled back the covers. " Is that all you have for him to wear?" Tiffany asked after she had pulled the covers away. " We're going to have to wait for his mom to make him some more custom-designed clothes. None of the ones in the stores will fit him because-" She pointed at my tails. " He's still cute, though. I never thought I'd be doing this... Good thing I had a little brother to practice with." She reached over and picked me up, cradling me in her arms. It was quite demeaning in my opinion.
She took one arm out from under me and motioned for Angel to hand her the bottle. Angle seemed a little hesitant. " Shouldn't it be warmed up first?" Aleena shook her head. " He'd spit it out if it was warm, and, frankly, I don't want milk all over me." Angel nodded and handed the bottle to her. She shoved it against my mouth. " Open." I reluctantly obeyed. " I'm not taking it away untill you've drunk all of it, so start drinking." I began sucking on the bottle like I had more than one thousand years ago. Never thought I'd have to do this again... It took about three minutes to drain it, all the while I felt my cheeks flushing red. I was full for once since the operation to correct my stomach. " We were thinking about going for a walk so as to get some fresh air... and you're coming along whether you like it or not." I frowned but didn't object. " Alright... let me get my staff." I reached up towards my neck, pain taking hold of my arm in the process, and felt around for my amulets. They weren't there, but I could feel they were nearby. I turned my head towards my nightstand and saw both of them lying there, staff still glowing. " You're not going to be walking, Tomias." She put me down on my bed and walked over to her friends, dragging them out of my range of hearing and began whispering something to them. They giggled while casting glances in my direction. Just before they went downstairs, Aleena handed Angel the bottle and pointed for Becca to grab my backpack. Aleena was the only one that stayed upstairs, just long enough to pick me up off my bed and take me with them, once again with my cheeks red. When we got downstairs, Tiffany was holding my backpack while Becca was holding on to a baby carriage. Ugh! Hasn't my dignity suffered enough already? " What have I done to deserve this..." I complained as Aleena carried me down the stairs. " You don't want this condition to be permanent, do you?" I groaned. " The doctor said you should get plenty of fresh air and that we should take you with us on walks. We're going to the park today." I sighed. " I'll be glad when this is over..." Aleena giggled. " Well, it isn't, so you might as well enjoy it." Aleena walked over to the carriage and placed me in it, pulling the sheet up to my chin as they walked out the door. " Keep your ears and eyes alert, girls. That guy could be out there." She pulled the hood of the carriage up halfway, sending part of the inside into darkness. " Tiffany, if things get desperate, take the carriage and run." " Why me?" " Because you're the youngest. We've already graduated from the academy of magic, and you're still just an apprentice." " Too bad I'm not an apprentice to Green Lightning... OW! What was that for?" " He's off limits!" " I didn't mean it like that! It's just that... He's so powerful I'm sure I would learn from him very quickly, that's all. I do not wish to take him from you." Aleena sighed. " Sorry... I guess I over reacted a bit." " Apology accepted. Now, can we please turn back towards the park?" I felt the carriage swivel around making me a bit queezy because of it. " Please don't do that again... I'm afraid I might 'lose my lunch' next time..." Aleena and Tiffany giggled. " Sorry about that... Got lost in the conversation." " Yes, and you're doing it again. I guess you can't talk and walk at the same time, huh?" More giggles pursued, then silence.
" There you guys are! What took ya?" Was the first thing I heard as we entered the park. " Sorry... Just found out I can't walk and talk at the same time without forgetting to turn." More giggles than before followed by a few sighs of relief. " Well, let's park this thing near the bench so we can relax." The carriage began moving again and I watched the clouds pass in the shade of the canopy. We slowed to a stop and the carriage began shaking rather violently. " Come on! Why won't this thing go down!" " Have you read the instructions? It says you have to PULL UP on the lever to put the parking break on." " Oops..." I heard a small click and a sigh of relief come from behind the carriage. The canopy came back down, allowing a cool breeze to come through. I smiled and closed my eyes, enjoying it. I opened my eyes a few minutes later, staring at the sky. This is absurd... When I get better, I'm going for a run through the forest... Suddenly the girls screamed and started shouting at someone that was outside my view. " What's the big idea shooting us with water guns! Can't you see we're-" This was cut off by the sounds of gurgling and the laughter of boys, apparently unaware that they had just soaked mages. I heard sputtering and gagging, then Aleena spoke, " That wasn't very nice, Edgar!" " I know something that would be nice... Why don't you go out with me instead of that two-tailed freak that had to have everyone else defend him last time he got attacked?" " Keep dreaming, bully! I would never-" She suddenly stopped. " Man that kiss was sweet!" Edgar said, oblivious to what Aleena could do to him. " He... he... he... kissed... me... He kissed me..." She suddenly roared in anger. " ONLY MY BOYFRIEND GETS TO KISS ME! PREPARE FOR PAIN, YOU CREEP!" I heard a few shrieks and a bench get knocked over as the other girls ran for cover. " KAL VAS FLAM!" Aleena yelled. I immediately heard Edgar scream in excruciating pain as he was hit by one of the most powerful spells in a mage's spellbook. I heard the thud of a body hitting the ground as he lost consciousness. I heard heavy breathing from Aleena as she calmed down.
" That was scary... I had no idea 7th circle spells were THAT powerful! That was awesome, Aleena!" Came Tiffany's remark after Aleena calmed down. Just then something made my head ill at ease. I felt a familiar presence come nearby. " He's here..." I said, still weak from the fever. " Right you are, your royal shortness..." I recognized the voice. It was the same man that had attacked me in the hospital while the doctors were checking on me. I heard a few screams issue from the girls as he came closer. Then... " Stop right there, sir." Fangor showed up. " If you came to stop me from killing him, don't worry. I don't want him dead... I only plan to torture him every day I get around to it." I knew Fangor was utterly calm because of his immense control of his emotions, so the way he replied didn't surprise me anywhere near as much as it surprised the girls. " I didn't come here to stop you, I merely came here to challenge you." I heard a low laugh issue from the individual that contained an evil presence. " And why exactly do you intend to challenge me?" " Because picking on the weak and defenseless is not a very honorable path. As soon as Green Lightning is better, you and I will have a match in the arena. You WILL come, or I will hunt you down and drag you there myself." I heard a moongate open and Fangor left through it. The cloaked man chuckled a bit to himself. " Now, where were we? Ah, yes! Step away from my target, little girls, unless you wish to die." No one moved. " You wish to lay down your lives to spare him from torture? Very well, then. I will gladly kill you first!" I heard a few spells being started, then saw 3 fireballs fly overhead along with a magical arrow spell. In return, an energy bolt spell was fired. I heard someone scream as it hit. " Aleena! Are you alright!" " It hurts... It hurts..." Was all that could be heard between the sobs. Aleena... " Now to claim my prize..." Suddenly another magical arrow flew overhead, nearly scorching the carriage. The cloaked figure laughed. " You think you can stop me with such a puny spell? HAHAHA! You should have stayed at home with your mommy, girl! Now you are going to perish!" I heard him draw the same knife he had used on me. Tiffany... I couldn't just lie there while Aleena's friends were being hurt. I threw back the covers, using anger to provide adrenaline to keep the pain as small as possible. I jumped out and landed right in front of Tiffany, who was cringing in fright as the cloaked man came towards her. She shrieked as I landed, falling to my hands and knees and slowly getting back up. " Ah! It seems my prize has come to me instead! Very good!" I looked straight up at him and muttered a few words: " KAL ORT POR!" Immediately several bolts of lightning shot down and struck him. He dropped to his knees in pain, folding his arms across his chest, clutching himself as though to stop the pain now coursing through his body. " You'll pay for that, boy!" I raised a hand towards him and fired off an energy bolt with all the power I could muster at that point. An extraordinarliy large energy bolt spell sped towards him, hitting his entire body at once and leaving a large groove in the ground along the path it had traveled. He screamed as he flew back about one hundred feet, rolling to a stop. He then stood up and created a moongate. " I'll get you back for this, boy!" He said as he fell through it. I dropped to my hands and knees, then into a laying down position in a great deal of pain as the adrenaline from being angry wore off.
Tiffany's POV
Tomias had just collapsed on the ground, crying in pain while trying to hold his tears back. Why do boys always try to make themselves seem like they don't cry, even when we know they do? I guess I'll understand later... Aleena got up, dusting herself off, and lifted Tomias back into the carriage, shaking her head while smiling. I can see why she likes him so much... He would do what he could to protect others, even at the cost of his own life... " You're way too protective, Tomias. DO NOT get out of the carriage again, no matter what the reason." She covered him up and felt his forehead. " You still have that fever... I'm warning you for the last time. DO NOT MOVE unless ABSOLUTELY neccessary. If you get out of the carriage again, I will have to follow through with the blackmail. You need to follow the doctor's orders if you don't want this condition to be permanent, okay?" She stroked the fur on his head as his sobs died down and his eyes relaxed. Soon all we heard from him was light breathing. Angel walked up to the carriage and looked inside. " Aww... isn't that cute? He cried himself to sleep!" Becca merely sat down on the bench and looked through Tomias's bag. She came out with a few towels and tossed them to us. We dried ourselves off, still soaked from being hit by the water guns. Just then, Shadow, Ms. Rose, Sonic, and Ms. Acorn walked into view. Ms. Rose and Ms. Acorn were talking to each other about something while Sonic and Shadow were at each other's throats again about who was the fake or not the fake. They saw us and came over, Ms. Rose and Ms. Acorn looking quite happy, while Sonic looked mildly confused and Shadow... well, he was his usual cocky self. A moongate opened behind them and Fangor stepped through. Sure wish I could do that... I smiled as they approached, all of them taller than me. I was only a little taller than Tomias. " Hi girls! How are ya?" Sonic yelled as he came close. A moan issued from the carriage. Fangor smacked him on the back of the head. " OW! What was that for!" Fangor glared at him. " Keep your voice down! You'll wake up Green Lightning!" Sonic looked confused. " I don't see him... Where is he?" Aleena looked at Ms. Rose. " You haven't told him?" She shook her head. " I told him, but he won't believe me. I guess he will have to see for himself."
They gathered around the carriage and Aleena let the top down. " You're right... he does look awful..." Sonic put his hand to his forehead and slowly withdrew it. " His forehead is alot hotter than a normal fever... Will he live?" Everyone turned to look at Fangor. He nodded, smiling. I turned to Ms. Rose. " How did the mission go?" She shook her head. " He agreed to meet with our Freedom Fighter party at it's earliest convenience. Which means that after Tomias gets better, we can go." Shadow smirked. " The kid gets sick, and is rewarded by getting to be a baby again..." He started laughing till Aleena smacked him over the head with her staff. She backed away a bit, smirking. " He didn't accept it willingly. He's very independant. I had to threaten to tell his mother just to get him to allow us to feed him." Amy giggled. " I figured we'd have to use that. He's WAY too self-reliant. I think Fangor rubbed off on him." Everyone laughed at that. I heard a yawn come from inside the carriage. " What time is it?" Tomias asked as he woke up. Aleena looked at her watch. " It's about 5:40 in the afternoon." Ms. Rose grabbed Tomias's backpack and began looking through it. " Umm... Ms. Rose? What are you looking for?" She turned to Aleena. " Did you remember to put a bottle of milk in here?" Aleena slapped her forehead. " I knew I forgot something!" Ms. Rose gave her a dry look and then shook her head. " I'll go get it. Please wait here." Aleena nodded. " I would like to eat actual food and of my own accord-" He was cut off as Aleena uncovered him and lifted him out of the carriage, sitting on the bench and placing him on her lap. " Well, that's too bad. Doctor's orders." He frowned defiantly, eyebrows slanted in disaproval. Even when he's mad he looks cute... " How old is he again?" Aleena rolled her eyes up, thinking. " He's 6." I smiled. " Wow! He's a year older than me, and I'm taller than him!" Aleena nodded.
Ms. Rose came back a few minutes later, carrying a bottle of milk and a bag of McDonalds. Fangor walked over to a nearby picnic table and cleared it off, allowing us room to eat. Ms. Rose handed Aleena the bottle while Tomias groaned and turned away. Aleena said something and stuffed the bottle in his mouth as he opened it to object, gettinga laugh out of everyone already at the table. " Tiffany! Get over here and eat!" Angel called. " Alright, sis!" I yelled back. I walked over, glancing back every now and then to see Tomias still 'eating' with a defiant look on his face. " Tiffany Cole Brown! Quit gawking at him and get over here!" I giggled and hurried to the table. I sat down between Becca and Angel, grabbing the small cheeseburger that was handed to me and eating it very quickly. " Tiffany! Slow down! You'll give yourself a stomach ache!" " But I'm hungry, sis!" Angel shook her head with a stern look on her face. " It doesn't matter! If you get a stomach ache, Mom is going to yell at me!" I hung my head. " Sorry, sis." I continued to eat, more slowly now. Ms. Rose finished her burger and went to releive Aleena.
Green Lightning's POV
I was about halfway finished drinking the milk contained in the bottle when Amy came over to releive Aleena. Aleena took the bottle out of my mouth as Amy picked me up. She stood up and Amy sat down, laying me in her lap as Aleena had done. Aleena handed her the bottle and headed towards the picnic table. She shoved the bottle against my mouth and I turned my head away. " Green Lightning, you've got to eat. You're not leaving until you have finished this." This is ridiculous! How much more of my dignity do I have to give up! She turned my head back towards her and shoved the bottle against my mouth again. I opened my mouth to protest against my situation, but she shoved it in, making speech quite difficult. Why did I have to open my big mouth? I drank it, but I let my face show that I didn't approve. After I was done she set me back in the carriage and covered me up. " Everyone ready to go?" Amy asked them as she walked away from the carriage. They all agreed that it was getting late, and Tiffany had to get to bed earlier than the rest of them, so Becca, Tiffany, and Angel went home while the rest of us went to my house. Shadow got stuck pushing the carriage because of a comment he made while I was asleep. He had his usual angry scowl on his face while he did it, cheeks flushed red as well. The trip to my house was uneventful. When we arrived, Shadow wheeled the carriage into the living room and put the parking brake on, walking away from it like it was a rabid dog. Amy walked into view and grabbed me out of the carriage, taking me upstairs to my room. She set me down on my bed and put her hand to my forehead as Aleena came in. " You're fever seems to be getting worse..."
Amy stood up and turned around, noticing Aleena standing near the door. " Aleena? Has he been changed today?" Aleena shook her head. " He didn't need it." " Have you asked him?" Aleena shook her head. " Even if we did ask, he would answer truthfully." I groaned. " I haven't had to use the restroom-" " Since before the operation?" Fangor said as he entered the room. " Yes." Fangor nodded. Amy turned to him, confused. " I've been wondering about why that is. Do you know?" Fangor nodded again. " He's had some energy crystals implanted into him, although I doubt they're functioning right now." I moaned again and glared at them a bit. " Just because I am sick doesn't mean I have lost control of my bladder!" Amy and Aleena giggled as Fangor left the room, obviously not wanting to be a part of this. " Well, you're sleeping in the crib tonight." I glared at Amy. " Why!" Amy took on her 'worried mother' look again. " Because you jumped out of the carriage today, even after you were told not to. We can't trust you to stay in bed, so we're putting you in the crib." " But they were in trouble! That guy that-" Amy held up a hand. " Aleena already told me. Regardless, you disobeyed the doctor's orders and it is therefore a neccessary precaution. Maybe when you're sick like this you'll learn to STAY PUT." I groaned. " Now, have you-" I knew what she was going to ask. " NO! I HAVE NOT!" Aleena backed up a bit. " He's kinda angry, don't you think?" Amy shrugged. " The fever seems to be getting to him." " Seems like the freak needs a nap." Came a voice from the window, obviously belonging to Edgar. " What do you want now, Edgar?" Aleena said. " Nothing but a kiss from the one that loves me!" He said, approaching her. She smirked. " Then go find a mirror, because-" He came a little too close and was whacked in the stomach by Amy's hammer. " She's taken, you no-wit! Now get out of here before I call the police!" He took a look at her hammer, gulped, and jumped out the window. Amy put the hammer away to who-knows-where and turned back to Aleena. " We're going to have to get a changing table in here, just in case." Aleena giggled and nodded. " You know he's not going to allow that, you know?" Amy smirked. " I have my ways." Amy walked over, picked me up, and put me in the crib that was about 3 feet from my bed. The mattress was a bit cold, so I couldn't help but shiver. Amy placed a blanket over me and tucked me in, warning me that if I got out of THAT, she WOULD call my mom. I cringed when she said that. Aleena walked up to the crib. " You sure you don't? Because I'm sure Amy doesn't want to be woken up in the middle of the night to come here and change you." I groaned. " No, Aleena." Aleena smiled and walked out of the room, turning off the light. I simply stared at the bars of my prison, letting myself fall asleep, knowing that there was a possibility that they were watching from the door, waiting for me to drift off to sleep.
July 10
I woke up like I had the past week, only I didn't feel feverish this time. Last night my head felt like it was on fire and I wound up crying myself to sleep from the pain of it. Amy had changed my daiper every morning over the past 6 days, using Fangor to hold my arms down so I couldn't keep her from getting me up on the table. I moved my arm, expecting it to hurt with mind-wracking pain, but instead, it felt normal. I stood up and stretched, ready to climb out of my little prison. I reached for the top of it, but my hand ran into something solid. I looked up and saw a lid on it, barring my exit. I pushed up on it as hard as I could, but it didn't give at all. Great... I'm trapped in here until Amy comes in with Fangor... I laid back down, smiling. Finally I can get out of this predicament. I looked at the clock sitting over on the nightstand on the opposite side of my bed. 7:59 AM it read. Almost time for Amy to get up... I want out of here! I stood up and began pacing, wanting to get out of that cage and back into my normal clothes. I had been sick for a week, and now I was finally able to get back to my normal routine... Not that I quite had a routine... Nor was I quite normal. About 5 minutes later the light came on as Fangor and Amy entered the room. Amy came over and undid the lock on my cage, removing the lid afterwards. She saw me standing up and scowled a bit as she put her hand to my forehead. " Strange... It was impossible to touch last night... Are you feeling alright?" I nodded. Aleena walked in, yawning. " Amy, breakfast is ready. Have you..." She trailed off as she saw me standing up. " Well, someone certainly seems well now. How are you feeling?" " Aside from feeling quite aggrivated at what went on over the past week, I feel fine." Fangor smiled. " I expected it to end soon. The closer it gets to ending, he hotter the head gets, and the more the muscles hurt when you move." " Can I eat some real food now?" I said, feeling hungry. Amy nodded, then held up a hand. " After we change you." " WHAT!" Amy giggled. " Just kidding! I'll call your mom and let her know you need a new set of clothes. I'll have to think up a lie to keep her from coming, though." I nodded and climbed out of the crib, falling 5 feet to the floor and landing softly, almost on my tails. " Well, at least these diapers are good for something." I said as I got up. Aleena went downstairs to get breakfast ready. Fangor dismantled the crib and stored it out of the way. He then jumped out the window to watch out for my parents as Amy grabbed my cell phone. I walked out of my room and went downstairs, already smelling breakfast.
When I got to the bottom of the stairs I saw Sonic, Sally, and Tikal talking to a couple of people that seemed to fit the description of Aleena's parents. Her mother turned as I reached the bottom of the stairs, smiled, and picked me up, running her fingers through the fur on my head while she was speaking incoherently. " I'm sorry, ma'am, but I do not understand the language you are speaking." I said. She shrieked and dropped me, jumping back as she did so. I landed with a soft thud, once again not on my feet and narrowly avoiding my tails. " He talks! How could someone THAT young already be able to talk!" I sighed. " I'm 6 years old, ma'am." " Nonsense! You MUST be at most 2 years old! I mean, you're so small! What am I doing! I'm talking to someone that isn't-" I walked into the kitchen, not wanting to listen to her pointless hysterics. " Edgar came in your room last night." Aleena said as I sat down at the table. I sighed. " Remind me to knock some sense into him next time we meet, alright?" I said, seriously. She giggled. " We're going on a date tonight." I raised an eyebrow. " Wearing this?" I gestured towards myself. She smiled. " Of course not! What about your tuxedo?" I shook my head. " Stolen, remember?" She slapped her forehead. " Sorry. I forgot. I guess we could always have a picnic under the Tree of the Hero instead." I nodded. " That would work, I think. Have they caught the guy that lacerated me, yet?" She shook her head. " I haven't heard about him since we stopped taking you outside. We've had to leave the windows open to compensate." I nodded. Aleena went over the stove and shoveled pancakes onto several plates and placed them on the table. She then grabbed the syrup out of the cabinet and drowned the pancakes in them. She walked over to the sink and started washing the silverware, one fork and one knife for each person. " BREAKFAST IS READY!" She yelled at the top of her lungs. Not surprisingly, Sonic and Shadow were the first to show up, taking seats opposite from one another and hovering their hand above their own fork like a person about to do a shoot-out would hover their hand over their gun, both glaring at the other. Soon everyone else except Amy and Fangor came, all taking seats wherever they could find them. " Green Lightning, could you go get Amy please?" Aleena's mom put a hand on my shoulder as I walked by. " You can't mean THIS is the Green Lightning we've been hearing about... Is it?" " Yes it is, mom." I was turned around to face her mom. She started looking me over, turning me around, feeling my fur, gazing into my eyes. " But he's so young! Are his parents okay with this?" " Yes, mom." Her mom turned me around to face her. " You had best be EXTRA careful with my daughter, understand? If she comes home crying becuase of you, I will hunt you down and skin you alive. Is that CLEAR?" I nodded. " You may go." Just when I was about to leave Amy walked in. " Green Lightning? Your parents are coming. They dragged the truth out of me and are almost-" The front door opened and in stepped my mom and dad, both dressed casually instead of in their mage council robes. "- here." Amy finished.
Dad looked quite angry with both fists clenched. " Where is this fiend who dares bring harm to my son! I'll rip him apart if I ever get my hands on him!" " Calm down, sweetheart! He's alright! Let's at least be thankful for that!" I looked at my mom, speachless. " Yes, dear. Mommy has accepted the fact that she can't protect you every waking moment of your life. Just please try to be careful, alright sweety?" She looked down at me and turned a confused look on Amy. " Umm... Amy? Be a dear and fetch his new clothes from the car. They should be in a big box with his name on it." Amy nodded, but was stopped by Aleena. " Not until everyone has had breakfast. SIT DOWN." Amy went to the opposite end of the table and sat next to Sonic while my mom picked me up and sat me in the seat I had sat in before I was going to get Amy." Mom! I can walk just fine!" " Sorry, sweety. I'll try to remember next time." The meal went well, if you ignored the fact that in the middle of it Sonic and Shadow jumped onto the table and started fighting each other because one wanted to prove to the other he was not the faker. It was pretty pointless to me. After we finished, I was about to get up when seven moongates opened at all sides of the table. Out stepped 7 members of the Black Robe gang, all smirking and glaring at me. Before I could react, one that was behind me grabbed both my hands in one of his and hoisted me into the air, turning me around to face his smirking evil face. " Well, well, well. The prince turns out to be just a baby after all. Are you scared, boy?" He said, getting a laugh out of the other members. My father was seething with rage, but didn't dare attack because he was afraid he would hit me. " I am not afraid of you. I never have been, nor will I ever be." They laughed again. " You've got guts, boy. Let's see what they look like, shall we?" He smiled darkly as he placed his free hand on my stomach. I felt the heat of a fireball spell being prepared, enough power in it to blow a hole through me. I closed my eyes tight and braced myself to be hit, but it never came because he had been hit by Aleena's staff. I felt myself fall to the ground, but my body turned itself upside down and I wound up landing on a hand, perfectly balanced. I opened my eyes and noticed I was facing the ground, my hand outstretched to support my weight. I threw my weight backwards, allowing myself to stand. I looked around, and the Black Robe gang was gone. The fur covering my stomach was a bit warmer than usual. Other than that, I was alright. " Glad that's over..." I said. " Can I go get my clothes on now?" " Wait in your room, dear. Amy will bring them up shortly. I trust you behaved while I was gone?" I hung my head. " No ma'am. I didn't stay in the carriage when we went for a walk. I jumped out because a black hooded man showed up and tried to kill the girls. I couldn't help myself. I am sorry." She was silent for a few minutes, letting my words sink in. Then she sighed. My dad looked quite angry. " While your actions were admirable, you disobeyed Amy's instructions as well as the doctors orders. I appreciate you saving the girls, but you still disobeyed Amy. You're grounded for a week. You are not to leave this house. Understand?" I nodded. " You are dismissed. Maybe next time you will do what you are told rather than go against the instructions given to you." I walked into the living room and started up my tails. " No flying in the house, young man." My mom said from the kitchen door. I stopped and walked the rest of the way to my room.
I walked in and closed the door behind me, then walked over to my bed and jumped onto it, turning around to sit on the edge and wait. About 30 minutes later Amy came in carrying a green robe, along with a green shirt and shorts exactly like the ones I had been wearing. She walked over and dropped them on me, giggling as I shook them off. " I'll be downstairs if you need me. Your mom and dad will be waiting as well to see how you look in your new robe. And don't try going out the window. Your dad has a paralysis field there, whatever that is. Well, I'd best leave you so you can get dressed." With that she walked out of the room, closing the door behind her. I slipped off my shoes and pulled my shorts on, glad to finally be wearing something familiar. I pulled on my shirt and put my shoes back on. Lastly I picked up my robe and slipped it on, glad of it's warmth. I grabbed my amulets off my nightstand and slipped them on before hopping off the bed. I walked out of my room and downstairs, where everyone was standing ther, waiting on me. " You look great, son. How does it feel?" I smiled. " Much better than the atire I had been wearing. That was rather embarassing, wearing nothing but shoes, socks, and a diaper for a week..." I shuddered, not wanting to remember that. My dad laughed. " Well, we'll make sure the doctors have some clothing for you as well next time that happens. And also, next time it does happen, DO NOT refuse to drink from a bottle when it is offered. The doctor ordered for you to move as little as neccessary and said you could not eat solid foods. Next time you try to avoid it, your mother will come here personally. I don't need to explain how bad that would be." I nodded. " Now your mother and I, along with Aleena's parents, will be leaving. We are going to go have dinner together and get to know each other better. You are to STAY INSIDE, whether you like it or not. Disobey this, and the consequences will be QUITE severe. Understood?" I nodded and they left, looking back at me as if reminding me again. Sonic, Shadow, Tikal, Rotor, Bunny, Antonie, Sally, and Knuckles left soon afterwards, leaving just Amy, Aleena, and myself. Fangor hadn't even joined us at dinner, saying he was heading to his house to argue with his dad a bit more on the subject of love.
I went upstairs and laid down on my bed, staring at the ceiling. " Sooo bored..." I complained after about 5 minutes. I've read all the books I have... I can't go outside... Ugh... Someone knocked on my bedroom door, snapping me out of my thoughts. " Come in." I said, somewhat glumly. Aleena walked in and sat down at the foot of my bed, looking at me concernedly. " Something wrong?" She asked. I sighed. " Just bored, is all. I really blew it, didn't I?" She giggled. " Yup. Now you're stuck here for a week. I guess you should have listened to Amy and the doctor, huh?" I nodded and rolled over, facing the window and accidentaly tangling myself up in my robe. I tugged at the sleeves, pulling my arms out of them and slid it off, hanging it on my coatrack afterwards. " Guess our picnic is canceled, huh?" I nodded. " Well, what do you want to do?" I shrugged. " I do not know. I have already read all the books I have. That, plus the fact that I can't leave the house." I flopped down on my bed again, arms behind my head and legs stretched out. " Well, what about your computer?" " What about it?" " Well, doesn't it have some games on it?" I sat up and stared at her, confused. " What is a game?" She looked shocked, but shook it off. " Nevermind... Well, we could always play house..." " What do you mean?" She crawled over to me and whispered in my ear. I immediately dove under the covers. " Nuh-uh! Not happening!" She giggled. " Alright. Well, if you need me, I'll be here all week." I poked my head out from under the covers. " All week!" She nodded. " My parents are going with yours to take a look at your castle and are taking my little brother with them. I hate staying alone, so I'll be over here till they get back. Amy's going shopping today, so we'll be here by ourselves for a few hours. I'm thinking about inviting our friends over so we can have some company. Is this alright with you?" I nodded. " As long as they don't break anything." She nodded and headed downstairs, leaving me with nothing to do. I sighed. " This is going to be a looong week..." I crawled up to my pillows and laid down, falling asleep. Just as I was about to lose myself in a dream, I heard a knock at my door. " Come in." I said, slightly annoyed at the timing. The door opened and in came Esna and Leadfoot, followed by Angel carrying Tiffany, and Becca chatting idly with Aleena. I rolled over and pulled the covers up to my chin. I heard Leadfoot let out a low whistle. " Sheesh! I thought your room at the academy was luxurious, Aleena, but this is practically overkill! His bed is way too big and he's got the latest computer and cell phone as well! I'm jealous!" Aleena giggled as footsteps approached the head of the bed. " Is he still sick, Aleena?" Esna asked, turning me over and laying a hand on my forehead. I smiled. " No, ma'am. But I'm grounded for my actions while I was sick." Esna looked confused. Aleena smirked. " He jumped out of the carriage to save us, even though he had been told by Amy that the doctor had ordered for him to move as little as neccessary." Leadfoot looked slightly shocked. " He was in a carriage? I guess he really was sick then... Well, glad you're feeling better. And I'm sorry you're grounded, but you WERE ordered to move as little as neccessary." I nodded. Angel looked around, then looked straight at me. " Umm... You wouldn't happen to still have that crib around, would you? Tiffany fell asleep on the way over." I pointed to a box in the corner. Angel pointed at my cell phone. " Mind if I ask Fangor to come over and set it up?" I shrugged. " Go ahead." She grabbed it off my desk and began dialing. A few minutes later a moongate opened in the room, allowing Fangor to step into there without having to take a long walk accross the town to get here. He set up the crib in about 3 seconds, causing several jaws to drop. Angel laid Tiffany down in the crib and covered her up, shoving a stuffed animal she had with her under her arm. Fangor left, stating that his father was almost as stubborn as he was.
We all walked downstairs, closing the door quietly after the last person walked out. " Anyone want to go swimming?" Amy asked when we reached the bottom of the stairs. I raised an eyebrow. " I'm grounded, remember?" She smiled. " I found an indoor swimming pool here yesterday. It's pretty big." I shrugged. " I've never swam before, but I'll probably figure it out once I get in the water." She motioned for us to follow. We walked to the back of the living room, where I had never been before, and turned down a long hallway. After about 5 minutes of walking, we came to a giant hollow area with a pool at it's center. With the pool was a very tall diving board, about 200 feet above the water's surface. A curtain was in the corner, obviously for changing behind. " Guess we're going to have to change one at a time..." Amy said, handing all of us something to wear in the water so our current clothes wouldn't get wet. I decided to go last, so I could think on how swimming was going to work. Eventually I was called to go change while everyone else was standing outside, either in swimming shorts or a bathing suit. I walked over and pulled back the curtains. Amy turned to Aleena. " Remember, Aleena. No peeking." Aleena moaned fakely. " Aww! But that ruins the fun!" They both giggled. I pulled the curtains aside, closing me in. I pulled off my standard clothes, folding all but the diaper and shoes and putting them neatly in a corner, with the diaper and shoes on top. I slipped on the swimming shorts Amy had given me, featuring drawings of trees all over them. I pulled back the curtains and stepped out. " All right. I'm ready now." Aleena ran and jumped in the water, causing the side to get soaked. Esna, Angel, Becca, and Amy followed. Leadfoot climed up to the diving board and jumped off yelling " Cannon ball!" He landed in the center and got all the girls soaked. They all turned towards me. I walked over to the steps leading into the pool and started walking down them. Instead of sinking, like I expected, my neck and above stayed above water without any effort. I stood still, floating there, wondering why I wasn't sinking. Aleena broke me from my thoughts by calling me over. Well, here goes something... I thought. I leaned forward, laying down in the water, and began spinning my tails. I wound up blowing past the girls, stopping just 5 feet from them. They all clapped just as another 'cannon ball' ensued, drenching all of us. All of the girls except Aleena started splashing him while he splashed him back. Aleena dove under water and I could hear her moving around to behind me. I spun my tails again and sped to the opposite end of the pool, stopping before I hit the edge. I turned around, smiling. " You're going to have to do better than that, Aleena!" I yelled. If I had been paying more attention, I would have noticed that she had grabbed my foot before I swam off. I felt her pull my shorts down, and, as I pulled them back up, she surfaced and dunked me under the water. I closed my eyes as my head was shoved under, then turned around after I surfaced. I wiped away the water that was on the edge of my eyelids and saw that Aleena was gone. I stood still, feeling for her presence. Suddenly I was grabbed from behind and turned around, coming face to face with Aleena. " Umm... Hi?" I said. She smiled. " I knew there had to be something you could do that's fun!" She said. I smirked. " To me, anything's more fun than what I went through last week!" She giggled. I leaned back, laying down in the water with my hands behind my head. " Wow! You can float pretty easily!" I smiled. " This is my first time swimming. Kind of strange, isn't it?" " Not as strange as the look on your face." I went back to a standing position. " What look?" I said, looking around for her. Someone surfaced behind me, turned me around, and I came face to face with Aleena. She quickly brought me close and kissed me on the lips. I felt my cheeks flush very red as she did so, my eyes open wide, my heart pounding... She broke the kiss and backed away about a foot, leaving me still stunned. " That look." She said, smiling. I shook my head. " You're going to pay for that!" I said, laughing a bit as I dove under with my tails spinning, getting everyone soaked. I went almost out of their reach before Leadfoot grabbed my tails and yanked me above the water. " Careful now. We could force you into playing house next time you do that." He said as he dropped me, smirking. " You would have to catch me first. " I said.
I leaned back, relaxing. Leadfoot made a dive for me. " Got you!" He yelled. I spun my tails and sped away, causing him to catch water instead. I stopped about 15 feet from him and sped to the bottom of the pool, 50 feet away. I landed on my feet, smirking as Leadfoot looked around the surface trying to find me. I felt strange.. I opened my mouth and found I was able to breathe the water as though it was air. I smirked and waited on the bottom of the pool, waiting for him to notice me. He finally looked down and his mouth dropped open. I sped back up out of the crystal clear water and flew into the air, doing a sumersault as I came back down in a nose dive. Just before I hit the water I was caught by my tails. " Gotcha!" Leadfoot said, laughing while the girls giggled. I dangled there, smiling. " You've got me, but I've also got you." He took on a look of confusion as I flipped over, sending him underwater and making him release my tails. I landed with a very small splash compared to the large one from him being thrown underwater. He swam to the surface and spit out the water that he had in his mouth from opening it to yell. A moongate opened near the pool and Fangor stepped out of it. " You're quite graceful at swimming, Green Lightning." I smiled. Fangor looked at his watch. " Isn't it about time for lunch?" Amy smiled. " Alright, everyone out of the pool and dry off. And I don't mean shake dry either, Leadfoot." Esna giggled as he moaned.
I swam over to the edge and tried to climb out, but the side was too high for my legs to reach. I gave up on that and swam to the stairs, using them to exit the pool. Amy handed us towels and we quickly dried ourselves off. " Now, since Green Lightning was the last to get changed, he will be the first to put his normal clothes back on." I walked behind the curtain and got changed back, carrying my wadded up swim shorts in one hand. Soon the wet swimming gear was in the washer and everyone was in the kitchen, waiting for lunch to be served. Angel slapped her forehead about 3 minutes after arriving. " Shoot! I forgot about Tiffany!" She turned to me. " Could you help me get her up please?" " Why me?" She raised her eyebrows. " Two reasons. One, I don't have the key to your room. Second, you're close to her age and she might wake up faster if you're the one that tries to get her up." I shrugged. We left the kitchen and walked up the stairs to my room. When we got there I could hear crying coming from inside the room. I quickly cast the magic unlock spell on the door, allowing us entrance. We walked in and we saw Tiffany lying on her side, crying. Angel sighed. " Do you know where Amy keeps the changing table?" I nodded with my cheeks turning red. " I'd rather forget... It's in the closet." Angel walked over to the closet and brought out a large table with criss-crossing legs. " Could you bring Tiffany over here while I get the stuff ready?" I shrugged. " Alright." I walked over to the crib and undid the latches, allowing me to slide the wall of it down. " How long does she usualy cry?" Angel shrugged. " Usually for about 30 minutes every time she wakes up. I don't understand why, though." I glanced at her again. " Why is she still in diapers?" She shook her head. " The doctors say the nerves for the muscles controlling her bladder are permanently paralyzed. It's a pain in the neck having to drag out the changing table every time she wakes up, so we just leave ours out." I nodded and picked Tiffany up out of the crib, handing her to Angel who had just finished putting everything up on the table. She finished changing her, but she was still crying. " I'm going to try something." I said. I reached out and put my hand on her forehead, closing my eyes in concentration. Suddenly my hand was consumed by a dark energy. I was thrown back, nearly hitting the wall when I landed. I clutched my hand, clenching my teeth in pain. " Something's wrong..." I said. " Correct." Fangor said from the door. He walked over to her and placed his hand on her forehead, grunting in pain as the same dark energy enveloped his hand. Angel turned to me. " What is he doing?" " He's checking her memories. One of them is being altered by an outside source, so he's going to try to fix it with the Kintushian's memory modifier ability." I said, still rubbing my hand that was now numb. About 10 minutes later, the dark energy disapeared and Tiffany stopped crying. " Sorry I had to put you through that, Tiffany. It was neccessary in order to be able to repair the memory." She turned around and looked at Angel, looking a little embarrassed. " Umm... sissy? I had an accident again." Angel sighed and hung her head. " What have I done to deserve this? Please tell Aleena we'll be down in a few." I nodded and walked downstairs with Fangor right behind me. " He's out there... somewhere." Fangor said. " Huh?" I replied. He didn't respond, so I dropped the subject. We walked into the kitchen and Aleena pointed her wooden spoon at me. " What took you so long? Was Tiffany clinging to your leg, begging for you to take her in as an apprentice?" I shook my head. " We ran into a problem, but Fangor took care of it. Angel says she'll be down in a few minutes with Tiffany." Aleena nodded. " The pudding's almost ready. Sit down. You too, Fangor." I sat down at the head of the table, where I usually sat. Fangor took a seat at the far end of the table and a few minutes later Angel walked in with Tiffany in tow. They both took seats in the middle of the table, right next to each other. Aleena passed out a bowl to each of us, filled with a yellowish semi-liquid substance. " What is this?" I asked. Aleena smiled. " Vanilla pudding. It's good, so don't waste it!" She handed each of us a spoon and we started eating lunch.
It went well, except Tiffany got a little too eager and started drinking the stuff. " Slow down, Tiffany! You're making a mess!" Angel scolded. She was right... It was all over Tiffany and all over the floor. " What is in pudding anyways?" Aleena handed her the box. " Geez! WAY too much sugar!" On the word sugar Fangor's eyes widened in shock. He opened a moongate behind him and ran through it. " What's wrong with him?" Aleena asked, staring at where he had been. " Watch..." I said, pointing out the window. A few seconds after everyone turned around a pillar of lightning, 3 miles in diameter, shot up about 50 miles away, lasting only a few seconds, but I knew who had caused it. " What was that?" Tiffany said, clinging to Angel. " It was Fangor. Kintushians are allergic to sugar in that they need to immediately get rid of the energy it provides them because they can't handle the amount of it." Aleena shrugged. " At least he finished all of it." Angel peeled Tiffany off of her. " Where are your bathtubs Tomias?" I shrugged. " I do not know. I have not had to use them as of yet." Amy got up and gestured for her to follow. Becca sighed and stretched. " What do we do now? Watch TV?" " We do not have one." Becca looked surprised. " Ick... That makes your family the only one in town without one! Well, besides Fangor anyways." I shrugged. " We do not need one. We do well enough on our own." " Got any games on your computer?" I shook my head. " Sheesh... What do you do for fun around here?" I shrugged. " I've never had to stay in the house before. Usually I would go outside and run around for a bit, but I am grounded now, so that is out of the question." " I feel sorry for ya." I shrugged. " I disobeyed, and now I am being punished for it. It was a good deed, but still, I disobeyed. I brought it on myself." I finished what pudding was left in my bowl, getting up from the table after I was done so I could go wash it.
I walked over to the sink and had the bowl and spoon taken from me from above. " I'll wash them. You go get a bath." I looked up at her. " Umm... Why? I do not need one." She looked annoyed. " Because you haven't had one and we're having a romantic dinner afterwards. I'm getting a bath as well. I'm sure the towels are done drying by now." Becca stood up and washed her bowl and spoon. " I'll be asleep upstairs if anyone needs me." " Alright. " Aleena said. She turned around and washed my bowl and spoon as I turned to leave. I felt my shoulder get grabbed as she dragged me once again to the back of the living room and down a different hallway now. Amy was standing there, holding a towel and change of clothes. I raised an eyebrow. " Sorry. I couldn't help but overhear. There's soap and shampoo in there already. The water's hot, so be careful getting in. I'll be in the living room if you need me." She handed me the clothes and left. Aleena shoved me in and closed the door. " You'll be wearing your new tuxedo tonight. Take your time." I shook my head and stacked the clothes neatly on the floor, away from the bathtub. I took off my shoes and placed them nearby. I took off everything else and placed it in a seperate pile from what I was going to wear afterwards. I climbed up on the side of the tub and stepped in slowly, the water being a bit on the hot side. After I was in all the way I relaxed and leaned back, enjoying the warmth. I closed my eyes, allowing the warmth to sink in. I must have dosed off, because when I opened my eyes Amy was there, tapping her foot. " You came in here to wash, not to sleep!" She said, agitated a bit. I felt my cheeks flush red. " AMY! GET OUT OF HERE!" I said, sinking further into the tub. She glared at me then walked out, yelling to Aleena that I had fallen asleep. I sighed. I looked around for a bar of soap and found it sitting in a corner on the rim of the tub. I reached for it and lathered my hands, replacing the soap in the corner. I rubbed it all over my fur, rinsing my hands off in the water afterwards. Then I dunked myself, allowing the water to wash the rest off. I brushed the water out of my eyes and looked around for the shampoo. I found a large bottle of it behind me. I opened it up and sniffed. Autumn rose... Aleena's favorite... I thought to myself as I lathered my hands and rubbed it through the fur on my head. I once again dunked myself, allowing it to rinse out. I felt around under the murky water and pulled the plug on the tub. I stepped out and was bitterly cold from wet fur combining with the air outside the tub. I shivered as I dried myself off with the towel that had been made for adults, so it wound up with some dry bits when I was done. I slipped on my new tuxedo, tucking in the shirt between my pants and diaper. Wonder what she meant by romantic dinner... I thought to myself as I combed the fur on my head and tail, making it lay down rather than stick up randomly. I wanted to make Aleena happy, so I sprayed on a bottle of what they called 'cologne'. It smelt strange to me, but I hardly cared. If Aleena likes it, it is fine by me. I looked at myself in the mirror and noticed three bangs still sticking up. I took out my comb again and tried to get them to stay down, but without success. I shrugged my shoulders and let them be. I slipped my shoes on and walked out, turning off the light as I left.
Amy smiled as I walked into the living room. " You look so cute wearing that!" She said. I smiled and shrugged. Then her face turned serious. " Hey, have you two ever thought about getting married?" " MARRIED!" I asked, shocked. Aleena shook her head. " We're not ready yet. Besides, we haven't been on that many dates yet. So, the answer would be no right now." I sighed with relief. I was not ready either. " Besides, I do not think we are old enough." I said. Amy thought for a second. " I'll ask Fangor if he knows what the requirements for marriage are here. You two enjoy your dinner." We nodded as she left to find Fangor. " Well, shall we?" Aleena inquired, offering me her hand. I smiled and took it in my own. We walked towards the kitchen, passing Becca who stopped reading her book and headed upstairs, giggling. We took seats at a table that was much smaller than the normal dining table. It only seated four and had a lit candlebra in the middle. No other lights were on. Aleena put a blindfold on me and got something off the counter. I heard the clang of metal as she set them on the table. " You can remove the blindfold now, Tomias." I reached behind my head and undid the knot, removing the blindfold and setting it aside. I looked at the food that had been set in front of me. It was a large steak accompanied by a salad and bits of parsley. It smelled great. " Dig in, but please observe proper ettiquette like you usually do." I nodded. The meal lasted long. We discussed much of what could possibly happen on our first mission as Freedom Fighters in-training, our views on what the weather for tommorrow was going to be like, and other such things. I felt tired afterwards. " I guess I will turn in for the night." I paused to yawn. Aleena smiled and nodded. " Good night. I'll be up in a few minutes. I've got to change into my nightgown. I'll be in your parents' bedroom if you need me." I walked out and started heading upstairs, only to be have my tails grabbed from behind, causing me to trip and fall forward. " What was that for?" I asked, standing up and turning around. " You are not going to wear your tuxedo to bed. Change into your normal clothes first. They should be out of the dryer by now." I blushed and nodded, heading into the laundry room off the other end of the kitchen. I grabbed my clothes that were lying on the floor, neatly folded in one pile. I walked through the living room and into a bathroom and got changed, leaving my tuxedo neatly folded on the floor. I left and walked through the living room, noticing Becca reading her book again, wearing an ill-desguised smirk. I walked past and went upstairs where Angel was just putting Tiffany in the crib. She turned as I opened the door, looking quite tired. " Hi Tomias." I waved. " I am turning in for the night." I said, stretching and yawning. She nodded. " We'll be sleeping in your parents' bedroom. Tiffany will be in here, if that's alright with you." I nodded and walked towards my bed. " Well, good night Tomias. Good night Tiffany." Tiffany waved sleepily from the crib, pulling the covers tight around her afterwards. " Good night sis. Good night Tomias." I nodded and pulled my covers over me. " Good night you two." I yawned and fell asleep.
Fangor's POV
I was in my room, pitch-black by the looks of it. I couldn't tell because my eyes did not function at night. Anyways, I was sitting on my bed when I heard a knock at my bedroom door. " State your name and business." I said, somewhat coldly because people usually didn't go out this late at night. " It's me, Tomias's father. I want to talk to you about something important, if you have the time. I could come back tommorrow if you're about to go to sleep." I sighed. " Come in, but don't bother looking for a light switch. There isn't one in here." I heard the door open and footsteps approached. " It's about my son... I don't know why, but I feel awful about grounding him for trying to protect the girls... Do you think I was too hard on him?" I shrugged. " I don't think you should be asking me. I don't know anything about kids. Go ask Amy or Sally... One of them might have your answer." " Thank you... I will do that." He left, closing the door behind him. I sat there and waited for dawn...
Green Lightning's POV
I was shaken awake in the middle of the night, in the middle of dreaming about nothing in particular. I stretched and yawned. " Do you have any idea what time it is?" I said, turning around and coming face-to-face with my dad. I shook my head. " What are you doing here? I thought you were getting to know Aleena's parents?" He looked down and shook his head, frowning. " I snuck out. I've been thinking... I think I kinda over reacted when Aleena told me what happened when you went to the park that day... I wasn't thinking straight. I let my anger cloud my thoughts and punished you because of it. I'm sorry. You're no longer grounded, but next time, please listen to Amy or whoever is in charge of you, okay?" His eyes started welling up with tears. " We don't want to lose you again." He rested his head on my shoulder, sobbing. Well, what do you know? My dad has a soft spot after all... " I forgive you, dad. May I get some sleep now?" I yawned. " I am really tired." He wiped his eyes and nodded, walking out of the room, but pausing at the door. " First of next month, I'm taking you with me to the castle to see how well you rule in a month. I will leave you alone there, unsupervised by myself and your mother. Rule as you see fit and we will ask the people what they think of you when we come back." With that he left, closing the door behind him. Great... Just when things were starting to turn around, I have that burden placed upon me... I hope he changes his mind... I pulled the covers back to my chin and fell asleep, dreading what would happen on August the 1st.
July 11
I woke up a little drowsy, not having slept well last night because I kept dreaming about being forced to take the throne... A nightmare come true... Ugh... I folded back the covers and hopped out of bed, being careful not to wake Tiffany. I slowly opened the door, keeping the sound to a minimum. I walked downstairs and into the foyer, where a note awaited me on the front door. I stood back and looked up to read it:
Tomias:
Please take care of Tiffany while we are at the mall. She needs to get to the academy of magic by 7. I know it's early in the morning to do this, but when girls get the craving for shopping... Well, I don't think you would understand it. Don't worry about changing her. The staff at the school can take care of that. Have fun and enjoy yourself today.
-Angel
What time is it?... I glanced down at my watch. 3:00 AM it read. Ick! No wonder I woke up tired! I had been woken up at midnight after a three hour sleep and spent thirty minutes with my dad. That meant I had only obtained 5 and a half hours of sleep last night. I walked into the living room and sat down in one of the e-z chairs, right next to a baby monitor that had just been added yesterday. I checked it to make sure it was on, then I leaned back in the chair. Might as well try to catch up on my sleep while I wait for Tiffany to... Suddenly I heard a very loud and terrified scream ensue from the baby monitor. Wake up. I jumped out of the chair and ran up the stairs, the screaming dying down very slowly. I walked into my room and saw a very hideous creature pinning Tiffany to a wall, just tossing away one of her socks and reaching for her hairband. Her fur was quite pale from terror, and she was just staring at the creature, her mouth open in an endless, inaudible scream. A dark father... A creature that prays on the souls and bodies of the inoccents... Feeding off of their fear while they remove all clothing before devouring their bodies... It placed it's clawed hand on her hairband, smiling evily as it took pleasure in her fear. I stepped forward, yelling, " Put her down, vile creature of Lucifer! I shalt slay thee for such vile acts!" It turned towards me, still grinning, and snapped it's fingers. I tried to walk forward, but tripped because zombies and skeletons were sprouting from the ground. Two zombies had each grabbed on of my feet, preventing me from moving further. The creature had just finished removing her hairband, tossing it aside and moving on to one of her gloves. I had little time left. Come on... I need something! I reached for my neck, as I always had when I was in trouble. I looked down and saw that both my amulets were now glowing. Maybe the bow will be of use? I had no time to think on it. The creature was moving on to her other glove now. I toutched the amulet with my left hand, closing my eyes and calling out to it. " If ever you were needed, now is the time! Reveal yourself to me, BOW OF JUSTICE!" Immediately a bright white bow appeared in front of me, engraved with the same emblem on Fangor's shirt: A sword behind a shield. A quiver appeared strapped to my back, full of arrows that glowed a radiant blue. The arrows of order... Now to slay this daemon! I grabbed the bow with my right hand, knocked an arrow to it with my left, pulled back the bowstring, May my love for my friend guide this arrow to ensure her safety... the arrow glowed a bright white as I released the string, sending it directly into the heart of the monster just as it was reaching for her shirt. Immediately it screamed in anguish as it disappeared, taking it's minions with it. Tiffany dropped to the floor, huddled in a ball in terror. I walked over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder to comfort her. She immediately rose to her knees and hugged me, hanging on for dear life, sobbing enough to put the memorial we had to shame. " I... I... I was so scared, Tomias!" More sobbing. " I thought I was going to die! Thank... Thank you for saving me!" She burried her head in my shoulder, not wanting to let go. " It's alright, Tiffany. You are safe now." She sniffled and backed away, nodding. " What was it? And what did it want?" I shook my head glumly. " It was a dark father. It came for your body and soul. It takes enjoyment in the fear of it's victims before devouring them. However, it cannot eat clothing. That is why it was taking so long and having such pleasure doing so... Foul creatures not of this world. Creatures that guard the very gates of hell, it is said." She nodded, slowly regaining herself. " I felt cold... Alone... Like I would never feel alive again..." I nodded. " Are you feeling better now?" She sniffled. " Uh-huh." I looked over towards where the crib had been, only to find it lying there in peices, a mere pile of splinters. " Well, your sister said you had to get to the academy of magic by 7 this morning. Are you ready to go?" She nodded. " Let me get my robe first." She walked over to the closet and pulled out a light blue robe, the robe of an apprentice. She held it out to me. " What am I to do with it?" She smiled a little, her cheeks turning red. " Could you put it on me please? I still don't know how to dress myself." I sighed. " Raise your arms, please." She lifted her arms into the air, smiling. I slid one arm into a sleeve, then the other. I walked around to in front of her and pulled the front of the robe together, tying it with it's sash to keep it that way. I picked up her gloves, socks, and shoes off the floor and put them back on for her. " Now that is done. Anything else before we leave?" She went into the closet and came out wearing a backpack. " I'm ready now. Can we go now, Master Tomias?" I shook my head in disbelief. " Since when-" She nodded. " You are a master, and it is tought that we should call mages by title and then first or last name, depending on how old and powerful they are. You are only 6 and are a master, therefore you are called Master Tomias." I shook my head. " Please just stick with Tomias. I care not for titles." She nodded. " Okay, Tomias! I'm ready to go!" She held out her hand and I took it in mine, even though her's was a bit larger. We walked downstairs, leaving the house after leaving a note about the fight in the bedroom so no one would wonder what happened.
About thirty mintes of traveling through and out of the great forest and Knothole, we reached the academy of magic, well hidden to all but those who know the way there. I walked through the entrance and into the courtyard, where some apprentices were already milling about, shyly approaching one another before begining communication. Tiffany huddled close to me, her cheeks red. " Do you know how awkward this looks, Tiffany? You're taller than I am, and I appear to be younger than you are, when in fact I am older. Please keep yourself together." She smiled and backed away a bit. " Sorry, Tomias. I'm not quite popular with some of the kids here..." I nodded. " It's the double-tail thing, isn't it?" She gasped and backed away a bit. " How do you know?" I smiled. " I saw the tip of it poking above your shorts as I was tying the sash. Having two tails is nothing to be ashamed of, Tiffany. I have two tails as well, in case you haven't noticed." She looked me over, walking around me and stopping when she got to the back. She knelt down and pulled on first one, then the other, getting a yelp of pain out of me with each attempt to find one to be false. " Wow! You really do! And i thought only my sisters, Aleena, and myself had them!" I nodded. " They're here to stay, and nothing to hide, Tiffany. Don't listen to what the other kids say... Just be yourself. They are most likely just jealous of you." She smiled and gave me a quick hug. " Thank you!" Just then a female kitsune , about age 28 and wearing a green robe, walked up to us, both her tails swishing with each step. " Greetings, Tiffany! Welcome back to the academy! I trust you'll do better this year." She turned to me. " And why are you not in your robe, umm... What is your name?" I slipped on my green robe, a symbol of being a master. " I am Tomias Dimitri, also known as Green Lightning." She smiled. " Glad to have you back, Master Tomias. Will you be staying with us for a while? Or are you just here to drop off Tiffany?" Tiffany gave her a confused look. " How come you treat him like an adult instead of a baby? Almost everyone else does." The female smiled. " Because he has proven himself to us that he is able to handle himself and is most certainly far more mature than people try to give him credit for. That, plus he can blow me away with a single spell if I insulted him the wrong way. " I blushed. " Come now, you expect me to have such short temper? You know me better than that, Anna!" She laughed a bit. " I know, I know. Just pointing out that you are the most powerful mage here, even Nider could not hold a candle to your power. Yes, he is still headmaster. Even after one thousand years-" I was shocked. " You mean the academy was never invaded?" She shook her head. " Robotnik couldn't find it if his big egg-shaped ego fell into it. Although, after the castle fell, we had our ages sealed somehow. None of us forgot you, however. And, yes, we have heard about what happened to you. Aleena told us so that we wouldn't worry. She cares alot about you, Master Tomias. Well, I'll let you be on your way." She bowed low and turned to Tiffany. " As for you, I believe you are in need of a diaper change?" Tiffany blushed and nodded, accepting the hand that was offered to her. " I'll see you later when sissy brings me home, Tomias! And thanks again for saving me!" I waved as she left. I walked up to a wall, out of the way, and marked a rune there for later use. I put it in my runebook, deep in my backpack just as some kids were approaching me, all experts. " Hey, two-tail. How's your mutant momma?" The one that appeared to be the leader said, getting a laugh out of the others. I turned around, pulling my hood down and smiled at the fox that obviously thought tormenting others for fun was a good deed. I had a lesson to teach him. " I would suggest you stop your comments before you meet a fate worse than detention. Do you even know who I am?" He smirked. " Yeah. You are a kitsune, subspecies: mystic. Aside from that, you just look like a green freak to me." The others laughed even harder at that. I smirked. " I am Tomias Dimitri, also known as Green Lightning. I suggest you watch how you act towards other mages, seeing as how I am a master wizard, while you are an expert mage. Now, if I hear of you tormenting Tiffany, I will deal with you... PERSONALLY." They all stepped back, gulping. " You... You..." They couldn't say it. They were mages. Therefore, they could not lie. They turned and ran.
" Excellent way to handle a situation, Master Tomias." A familiar voice remarked from behind. " Greetings, Nider. Please refrain from the titles... My name alone is fine." " As you wish. Umm... I was wondering if you were doing anything today? I need some assistance on an important matter." I turned around, curious as to why he needed me. " Go on." He scratched the back of his head a bit, then started running his fingers along his beard. The old, gray kitsune's eyes were lit with hope. " Well, one of the teachers sent in a falcon with a note declaring that they were feeling ill this morning and that we should find someone to take their class in their stead for a while. I was wondering, that since you are here, if you could substitute for the day?" He didn't even wait for a reply. He grabbed my arm and dragged me through a moongate, coming out in an ancient, familiar hallway. " This is the same room where you were an apprentice many years ago. Same teacher as well. Oh, by the way? You still hold the record for most trips to the hospital wing. I believe it was 397 trips altogether." I narrowed my eyes. " Do not forget it was the Black Robes that put me there." He chuckled. " How could I? You had been attacked by them so often that we posted " Victim of Black Robe gang" on your status report for each trip." I sighed. He opened the door to the classroom and shoved me inside. Soon afterwards Anna came by with Tiffany, dropping her off at the door before hurrying back to the hospital wing. Tiffany glumly made her way to the back of the class, middle row, second seat from last. Nider pushed me towards the teacher's desk, then turned to address the class. " As you may already know, Mrs. Crigley has fallen ill recently. This means you will be having a substitute for today. I would like to introduce, Master Wizard, Tomias Dimitri. Otherwise known as Green Lightning." He gestured towards me and the class turned and stared, murmuring amongst themselves. Then, like they were all one person, all of them stepped out of their seats and bowed saying " All hail Master Tomias!"... Some were discortious about it, however, a mocking form of a bow. I blushed furiously. " Please do not bow. A simple 'good morning' would suffice." They all returned to their seats.
" Well, I guess I'll be leaving now. Have a nice day with the apprentices, Tomias." I nodded as he left. I walked over to the teacher's desk and picked up a folder labeled, in Mystic writing: Tasks for today (students). I opened it to today's date, being careful not to rip the pages as I thumbed through it. " According to this, the class is to be partnering up today to practice their spells in the grand arena... Well, I guess we had best get started." I reached into the teacher's drawer and pulled out what seemed to be a normal, black top-hat, and placed it on the desk. A few of the students crossed their fingers in anticipation, each hoping to get the partners they wanted. I waited for the talking to die down, wanting their full attention before it was done. " Begin." I stated as soon as they had all become silent. Immediately the blackboard behind me filled with names, all written in Mystic with equal signs seperating names between the same two-member group, and plus signs seperating different groups. " You are partnered-up now, so get with your partner and we will head down to the arena." As soon as they had gotten together, forming a double line at the door, I pulled out my staff and we headed out, traveling about 3 miles outside the academy before we reached the arena. They were all still full of energy when we got there, about an hour later. " Alright, spread out and be careful about where your spells go. You are here to master the art of magic, not to kill each other. Begin." Immediately they all spread out, each readying a spell the moment they got there. About 30 minutes into it, Tiffany ran up to me, crying. I looked up slightly, so I could see her eyes. " What is wrong, Tiffany? Is it a bully?" She nodded and pointed to the same fox that had confronted me in the courtyard, still with his two friends. I pulled out my staff and walked up to them. " Excuse me, but I do not believe you have obtained permission to be here. The apprentices are in the midst of their training and are not to be disturbed. What business do you have here?" They all three smirked as their leader stepped forward. " Look! The freak talks! Bet he's not any tougher than that other freak over there... He's not even as big as she is!" They all three laughed. I shook my head in dismay. " Since you like picking on people that are different from you so much, how about I pick on you? What do you say? A match, right here, in front of all of the apprentices present as well as your two friends." He smirked. " I will gladly kill you, freak. You have one hour to prepare for your funeral." They stalked off towards the other end of the arena. I took the class towards the benches and had them sit down. " Class, I am about to demonstrate how to take care of a bully. Please watch carefully." Tiffany was no longer crying, but leaning forward in anticipation. I noticed that her robe had a hole singed into it on the left side, very close to her heart. It's about time someone put a stop to this... I made my way to the center of the arena where the fox was waiting, clenching and relaxing his fist over and over again.
" Are you ready to die, freak?" I smirked. " Do your worst." He raised his hand above his head and a magic arrow spell shot out of it. I dodged it easily. " Is that the best you can do? Watch this!" I shot back with a magic arrow of my own, grinding him into the ground 50 feet away, just outside the combat area. He lay there, unconcious, with most of his fur singed, but otherwise unharmed. " Let that teach you not to be a bully. Next time, I won't hold back so much." His friends dragged him out of the arena, all looking terriffied. I heard a few cheers come up from behind me. I turned around to see the class jumping up and down, gleefully cheering over my victory. I felt my cheeks turn a light shade of red as Nider walked onto the field, smiling. " Congratulations on your victory, Tomias. Although I have never seen you stick up for yourself, it was nice of you to stick up for Tiffany. I sincerely doubt they will be returning to torment anyone again. Mages learn their lessons quite quickly, as you already know. Well, I have got dentention to attend to, I have to make sure they don't get out of hand." With that, he opened a moongate and stepped through , leaving me with the class again. " Well, I guess we had best return to the classroom. It is almost time for your parents to come and return you home. I would suggest that you get good rest tonight, because I think your teacher will be back tommorrow." They all smiled. " Will we ever be as powerful as you, Tomias?" Tiffany asked. I shrugged my shoulders. " I do not know. Just keep up the hard work and do your best. That is all I ask of you." They all nodded. I opened a moongate to the classroom and allowed the students to enter first. I followed soon afterward, the moongate closing behind me.
Everyone quickly rushed to their seats when we got there, being careful not to run into each other. I took my place at the teacher's desk, my eyes barely rising above it. I decided that it would be a better position for me to be in front of the desk instead, so that I would be seen by the entire class. Upon arriving at my new location, I cleared my throat to get their attention. " Now that I have your attention, I would like to inform all of you that if anyone is caught bullying, even in the least, will be in the same sitiuation as what happened in the arena today. Is that understood class?" They all nodded. " Good. Now your parents should be here soon, so I would suggest you gather your gear and be ready to go home. Have a nice day, class." They all left their seats to get to their lockers throughout the academy.
After greeting several eager parents coming to take their children home, I was finally able to return home myself, with Tiffany in tow. I threw a moongate and we walked through, eager to be at my doorstep once more. I raised my hand for the 'unlock' spell, just as someone on the other side opened the door. I was greeted by Aleena, looking quite happy to see me back home. " Glad to see you back. Ready for lunch?" She asked as we entered. I nodded, eager to get some food in my stomach after meeting such an unintelligent individual. I was quite apalled by the smell coming from the kitchen. " Is something burning in there?" I asked as we approached the kitchen door. She smiled halfheartedly. " Unfortunately, Amy decided to give Sonic another chance at cooking." I smiled. " How bad could it be?" I said. She shook her head in astonishment for some reason. I seemed to have missed the point, but it did not matter at the time. We walked into the kitchen and sat at the table, waiting for lunch to be served. A few minutes later, several black slabs of something were set on each plate. It was just the four of us: Amy, Sonic, Aleena, and myself. I picked up my knife and began attempting to cut into one of the slabs. It was very small, about an inch in diameter, but it was quite tough. I had to apply a great deal of force just to get it cut, even thought it broke more than cut. I stuffed it in my mouth and was met by a very horrible taste. I chewed vigorously before swallowing, quickly grabbing my glass of milk to wash the putrid taste out of my mouth. Amy and Aleena both spit theirs out onto their plates the moment it touched their tounges Sonic actually swallowed his, but I could tell he didn't enjoy it. " Sonic, don't touch the stove anymore. Your cooking is horrible." Sonic looked slightly confused. " What do you mean, Amy? Green Lightning and I liked it." I shook my head. " Sonic, that was the most horrible thing I have ever tasted. I seriously do not want you cooking again." He looked shocked. " But... why did you swallow it if you didn't like it?" I shook my head. " I do not spit out food and it was just to be polite. I am sorry if I have offended you." He shook his head, smirking. " That's alright. I didn't like it either. Well, we could always order pizza or something." I was confused. " What is pizza?" I asked. He shook his head. " I would have to show you. I don't think I can explain it." Aleena stood up and dumped the 'meal' in the nearest trash can. " Sonic, I think you've outdone my dad on being the worst cook in Knothole. Congradulations." Aleena remarked grabbing her glass of milk and downing it.
The rest of the month went by normally until the 27th. Fangor and myself, along with Aleena, Leadfoot, and Esna headed down to the grand arena to do battle with five members from each of the other combat academies. This match was to decide which academy would remain on Mobius. It was going to be a five-way battle, with five members on each team. It all seemed rather pointless to me. After all, Fangor was on our side. We all took a seperate area of the arena and prepared for combat, everyone shifted into battle drive, with Fangor's nearly knocking us down because of his overwhelming power. I had to use my staff for support, while the others just crouched low to the ground. A few seconds later Fangor drew his sword, and signaled for us to arm ourselves as well. Leadfoot and Esna drew swords, while Aleena pulled out a whip. I had my staff, and Fangor had his two swords. All of the other teams drew swords and smirked at us, thinking their weapons superior. " Don't let your guard down." Was the last I heard from Fangor before he switched to being emotionless, ready for combat. The opponenets were 12 fire Kintushians, 3 lightning Kintushians, and the rest were an assortment of animals.
" Well, this match has been postponed for quite a while, but we are finally deciding which academy will stay on Mobius. Weapons at ready... BEGIN!" Immediately the arena turned into total chaos, everyone going everywhere... except us. We stood our ground in a circle formation. Our tails were entwined, and we only broke formation to focus on one target at a time. The battle didn't last long, with us knocking out more than half the competition. All of us except Fangor got a few cuts here and there, but aside from that, we came out just fine. Only one casualty occurred during the match. A lightning Kintushian flipped backwards as Fangor was attempting to slap him with his tailblade, and wound up having his heart severed. He disapeared upon impact with his heart. Fangor was relieved he used a standard attack instead of a cursebreaker attack. The Kintushian would return to the land of the living within 90 years. Aleena and Esna decided that they would go out to celebrate, Leadfoot decided he'd go hone his skills with the sword, and I decided I'd go for a walk in the forest until almost bedtime.
After an uneventful walk, I returned home to find everyone already asleep. I walked upstairs and carefully opened the door, avoiding waking anyone up. I slipped myself under my covers and fell fast asleep, dreaming restfully.
END OF CHAPTER
Finally this chapter is done! Just one more before part 2 is finished! Someone you thought long gone will return... actually several someones. Also, I want someone to tell me a pattern in the story they see about Green Lightning that seems to happen to him every chapter. First person to guess right gets a Green Lightning plushie! Well, until next time...
Although the body-
