CHAPTER 14

TRAGEDY

When Spike returned home, he walked into the kitchen and spotted his parents having their angry eyes fixed on him.

He spoke, "Uh..."

"Sit your ass in that chair. We need to talk, Spike", Shadow had said in a dead serious voice.

Spike sat at the table and waited for his parents to yell at him, "You found it didn't you?"

Rouge nodded, "Yeah, we found it."

"What the hell are you doing with that kind of shit under your mattress? Have you fucking lost your god damn mind!" Shadow shouted with complete anger.

He shook his head slowly, "No", he said in a low voice.

"You didn't? I think you have. I knew that boy you were hanging around with was nothing but a pain in the ass from the start."

Rouge placed her hand on Shadow's and shook her head, "Shadow, you're being too harsh with him."

"If you ask me he needs a well deserved ass whipping. I should whip your black ass right now for doing that kind of shit."

The white bat placed her hand on his chest and looked into his furious red eyes, "Stop it, Shadow. I know he deserves a punishment but we can't be too cruel."

"Then what kind of parents we'd be if we didn't whip his ass?"

She sighed and looked away from him looking back at Spike, "Spike, we're very disappointed in you."

The young hedgehog looked up at them with frustration, "Dad does it too! You don't bitch at him for it."

"I'm an adult and I can do those type of things, but you're not. You're just a kid. Kids are stupid and don't know what they're doing to themselves. Besides I don't smoke pot, I stick to booze and cigarettes", Shadow said.

"It's still drugs and it can still kill you!" Spike shouted.

"Spike, that's enough", Rouge said. "Look, you make a very strong point but when you're old enough you can make decisions like those."

Spike looked down to the floor trying to think of something else to say but he came up with nothing.

Rouge decided to break the silence, "Why don't you go up to your room and think about what you're doing to yourself."

He nodded slightly as he stood from the chair about to go upstairs until Shadow grabbed his arm with a brown belt in his hand.

"You're not leaving my sight until I beat your ass!"

Spike quickly jerked away from him and hid behind his mother, "Mom, stop him! Mom!"

Rouge really didn't know what to do. All she wanted to do now was calm them both down.

"Get your ass over here right now!"

She quickly jumped out of the way as Shadow tried to lash the belt at Spike who was behind her, "Stop it, Shadow! You almost hit me!"

"Then move so I can beat his ass!"

Later that next night, Spike was dressed in a white suit and a black tie. He was on his way to the awards ceremony but he decided to stop over Tempest's house first, just to see how he was doing. He got to the door and knocked on it hoping that Tempest was home. He should be. He was probably grounded like him. He waited until a huge grey albatross opened the door. He held up his hand in a friendly greeting along with his slight smile, "Hey Storm, is Tempest home?"

He nodded, "Yeah but he's grounded. He's not allowed to see anyone for months...possibly years." He muttered.

"I know he's been punished and I have to, but I gotta see him and find out how he's doing."

By the look in Spike's eyes, he just couldn't say no to him. He sighed, "Fine, you can see him but you have to be really quiet. I don't want Jet to know about this."

He smiled, "Okay." He walked inside and slowly walked upstairs as he headed towards Tempest's room. He noticed that the door was shut. He placed his hand on the doorknob and turned it. It was open. He slowly walked inside and spotted the blue bird sleeping on his bed. He turned to the door and quietly closed it so Jet or Wave wouldn't hear.

He was softly snoring making Spike chuckle bit as he walked over to him and shook him to wake him up.

"Tempest", he called. "Wake up it's me, Spike."

Tempest lazily opened his eyes and smiled at the black hedgehog in front of him, "Spike? What are you doing here? I'm grounded."

"Your Uncle Storm was cool enough to sneak me in here to check up on you. So how are you taking things."

He took his head away from his pillow and sat on the bed, "Not so good." He was still upset about his parents flushing his drugs. He studied Spike's white suit and had completely forgot about the ceremony, "What's with the suit?"

"The awards ceremony at school is tonight and I thought I should go. Since you're expelled and Lynn's suspended, I guess I'll have to go." Spike held his thigh a bit groaning like he was in pain.

"What's wrong? Hurt yourself?"

"No, my dad. When he found out about the weed, he went berserk and started to beat me with a belt. I had to get out of the house anyway."

"Whoa, he's the most powerful being on Mobius. I wouldn't dare imagine how much a beating would feel from him."

He rubbed his thigh some more, "Well it doesn't feel very good." Then he heard a beeping noise coming from his wrist. He looked at the watch on his wrist and pushed a button to stop the beeping. He looked up at Tempest with a smile, "I guess I'd better get going. I don't want to be late. I'll be back and fill you in." He walked towards the door and opened it. Before he walked out of his room, he looked back at Tempest watching look back at him. "Tempest, is there something you're not telling me? I can deal with it really. You can tell me anything. We're like brothers, you said so yourself."

Tempest hesitated for the moment. He wanted to say something but was too afraid to, "Uh no, Spike. I don't."

"Oh okay. I guess I'll see you later." He walked out of the room and headed towards the school.

Afterwards Tempest was sent into deep thought, 'I wish I could tell you, but you would never deal with it.' He sighed and left his room. As he made his way downstairs, he saw Storm, Wave, and Jet sitting at the table eating dinner.

Jet glared at him, "What was Spike doing here?"

Storm then started shoving his food in his mouth so he couldn't explain anything.

"He just wanted to check on me that's all", Tempest answered. Afterwards he started to cough really bad just as he did before. He even held his neck like he was in pain.

Wave got out of her chair and ran to him placing her hands on his shoulders, "Tempest, sweetheart are you all right?"

He quickly jerked away from her and took his hands away form his neck, "No mom, I'm fine. I-I just have to go up to my room for a while and relax a bit." He quickly ran back upstairs before they started to ask more questions about him.

Storm swallowed his mouthful of food, 'Something's wrong. I just know it.'

Later at the school when the ceremony was over, Spike stood in front of the school. "As I thought. This ceremony was pointless and boring. At least I got away from my parents for a while." He was about to leave until a blue lion approached him with a sinister smile. "Leon?"

"Hello, Spike."

He gave him a cold stare, "What do you want?"

"Tempest couldn't make it huh?"

"Well..."

"He got expelled. I know. That's not his first neither."

"What? What are you talking about?" Spike was confused. Why would Leon just approach him and talk about confusing things about Tempest?

"He got expelled from school before for having those cigarettes. I guess he didn't tell you. He lies to everyone you know. Especially to his closest friends."

"Well, if he doesn't want to tell me nothing he doesn't have to. I mean..."

"Do you really want me to tell you more about Tempest? Of course him and I were like best buddies before you and that smart bitch came along."

Spike wasn't sure if he wanted to hear everything about Tempest, but if it was something important he had to know. He nodded, "Fine."

His smile grew wider, "Well to start it off, Tempest wasn't really all that of a player before he met you and Lynn. You see Hedgehog, he was a homosexual."

"What!" He shouted loud enough for everyone to hear him, but afterwards they continued on with their business. "That's bullshit, Leon. Tempest is not gay!"

"I said was smart ass. Anyway can you guess who he had his first man crush on?"

"Uh...you?" He flinched and hoped that Leon didn't hit him and surprisingly he didn't.

He nodded, "Right."

Spike made a light blush, "Wait, you and Tempest didn't well...make out or nothing did you?"

"Hell no! I hate fags and I definitely hated the way Tempest followed me around like a lovesick puppy."

"What happened?"

"I hooked him up with the school's number one whore."

"Veronica", Spike said in a low voice.

"Yeah, it worked out great. After when Tempest had his first kiss and intercourse with her, he became a straight guy. He finally liked girls. Anyway, they became girlfriend and boyfriend blah, blah, blah, until I interfered with their relationship. I slept with Veronica and unfortunately Tempest found out and man was he pissed. Afterwards he met you guys and he somehow tried to forgive me, but that didn't work out so well either."

"Why are you even telling me this anyway? What's this about? I really didn't want to get into his personal life or nothing..."

"He's dying", he spoke.

Spike stopped what he was saying and tried to figure out the words that Leon just said even though they came out perfectly clear, "Wha-what did you say?"

"You heard me he's dying."

The ebony hedgehog was speechless. He was dying? How?

"He told me himself. He's developing lung cancer. Really bad coughs, vomiting. Everything. Drugs did this to him. He started doing that shit now he's paying the price."

"How long has he been doing drugs?"

He sighed, "For as long as I can remember probably before he even met me."

"But...that's not true. He-he's not dying. You're lying!"

"I'm not lying", he said in a cold voice. "It's true, he's dying and he never told anyone about it because he thinks that he deserves it."

Tears started to swell in his eyes, "It's gotta be a lie", he said hoarsely. "It's gotta."

"Oh really? Go to him. Ask him."

With tears, Spike walked away from him slowly until he quickly turned his back on him and started to run out of his sight.

Spike quickly ran back to Tempest's house with tears running down his face. 'It can't be true! It just can't be!' He thought. He ran up to the door and started to bang on it with his fists like he was crazy. "Jet! Wave! Storm! Open the door! Open the door!" He shouted. Once the door quickly opened with a startled swallow in front of him, he rushed in the house and looked around for the blue hawk.

"Spike!" Wave said in a shocked tone. "What's wrong with you? Are you crazy?"

He looked back at her with his noticeable tears, "Where's Tempest?"

Wave kneeled down to him and stroked through his black fur on his head, "Spike, what's this about? Did something happen?"

"I don't know. I just have to talk to Tempest."

"Spike, calm down. Just tell me what's wrong."

He didn't feel like explaining everything to her so he quickly turned away from her and ran upstairs into Tempest's room.

"Spike!" She called, but he never came back to her.

Once he got upstairs, Tempest's door was once again shut and it was unlocked when he turned the doorknob in panic and ran into Tempest's room. His eyes widened with shock as he saw the blue hawk laying on the floor still coughing and holding his neck. He ran to him and kneeled to the floor on his knees. He took Tempest in his arms and started to cry more, "Tempest, you're still alive", he said in a broken voice.

The hawk looked up to him wondering why he rushed into the room so fast, "Spike, what are you doing here?"

"Tempest, please be honest with me and tell me that you're dying."

It took a moment for him to say anything because he was thinking about how Spike found out about him dying. "Who told you?"

"It doesn't matter! Tell me!"

He looked into his eyes and nodded weakly, "Yeah, it's true."

"Why didn't you say anything? People could've helped you."

"I didn't want to do anything. It's just a habit to keep my personal emotions hidden inside of me."

"You stupid bastard", he whispered.

"I'm sorry, Spike. You're right I should've said something." He placed his hand in Spike's. "At least now I know that I at least I have one true friend in this world, Spike. Actually you're more of a friend to me."

Spike's aqua green eyes blinked with crystal tears in them.

"You're my brother." Then his hand slipped away from Spike's and hit the floor.

Spike noticed that his eyes closed and his chest wasn't heaving anymore. He held his lifeless body closer to him and started to sob and yell. "No, Tempest! You can't die! No!"

Soon Jet, Wave, and Storm showed up at the door when he heard him yelling and saw Tempest's limp body in the arms of Spike.

Wave gasped with sadness, "Oh god, Tempest!"

Spike turned to them with his warm tears, heartbroken that he had lost his most closest friend, "He's dead."

N/A: Poor Tempest. I'm crying, I really am. Okay only one more chapter to go and it's over. I'll probably make a SpikexLynn lemon in the final chapter. I don't know yet. It depends on how I feel. Well anyways, leave a review.