Chapter Eight
Sonic and Tails skidded to a halt just short of the entrance to Hedgehog village and gasped at the horrifying sight ahead of them.
"Oh no." Tails whispered.
The whole of the village was shrouded in a thick white fog. It was so thick Sonic wondered if he would be able to penetrate it. The white mist rose so high over the buildings they could just about see the bell tower of the village hall peeking over the top. Its roof was still missing its tiles from Sticks rampage. Sonic tried to get his barrings and work out where Tails workshop was. It would be no good running through the fog. If Sonic couldn't see where he was going he ran the risk of slamming into someone and really hurting them.
"Stay close to me buddy." He said to Tails. "I don't want to lose you in there."
Tails nodded grimly and the two heroes stepped into the fog. Once inside Sonic could barely see an inch in front of his nose. The hedgehog moved slowly so that Tails could keep up. He needed to find the others quickly and work out where Dash was. Sonic thought back to Amys fearful scream.
YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO SAVE HER IN TIME. He thought. OR ANY OF THEM. YOUR FRIENDS ARE GOING TO DIE BECAUSE YOU WERE TOO SLOW THIS TIME.
Sonic shivered at the prospect and felt fear building inside him. He had to find the others now. The hedgehog started to move faster.
"Keep up Tails!" He instructed.
THEY'RE DEAD. IT'S YOUR FAULT. Sonic thought.
Or did he? Even as the words formed in his head Sonic felt there was something wrong. The thoughts seemed strange and distant. They were definitely in his head and not out loud but they didn't seem to be his own. To his left Sonic felt Tails shiver beside him and give a little whimper.
"It's ok." Sonic said. "It's the fog. It's making me think crazy to but whatever it's saying isn't real. Tails, trust me. We'll get through and find the others."
He reached out to pat his fox friend on the arm but found nothing there. Sonic span desperately around.
"TAILS?" he shouted.
The fox had been at his shoulder moments before. He could not have gone so far away that he couldn't hear Sonic anymore. Sonic called out again and thrust his arms out wildly in different directions searching for his friend. There was nothing there.
YOU'VE LOST HIM. The voice came again. HE WAS RELYING ON YOU. HE LOOKS UP TO YOU AND YOU'VE LET HIM DOWN. YOU'VE LET THEM ALL DOWN.
Sonic shook his head as though trying to shake the voice away. The blue hedgehog took a few deep breaths to calm himself and pressed on. He jogged forwards now in what he hoped was the direction of Tails workshop. If Tails was alright he would be heading there anyway in search of…
"AMY!"
Sonics heart leapt to his mouth as the fog seemed to thin out. A pink figure lay motionless on the ground before him. Sonic rushed to his fallen girlfriends side and rolled her onto her back. He was relieved to see that she was breathing and seemed unharmed.
Sonic shook Amy awake gently and smiled down at her as she gingerly opened her eyes. The pink hedgehog did not return Sonics smile. Her face seemed to fall as she saw him and her eyes welled up with tears.
"I couldn't do anything." She said softly to herself. "I was useless."
"What happened?" Sonic asked urgently.
Amy sat up and rested her head in her hands, looking thoroughly dejected.
"Knuckles let sticks out of the cage and they both just went crazy." Amy explained. "I couldn't stop them. I was too weak."
Sonic pulled her hands away from her face but she refused to look at him. Sonic could see that she was breathing heavily. Amys face had the same faraway expression that Dave and Sticks had when possessed by the ghost.
"I ran out here to stop them and then got lost in the fog like an idiot. I'm just an idiot. A stupid pathetic girl that everybody hates. They prefer the chipmunk I know it." Her voice was pitiful and filled with self doubt. Nothing like the Amy Sonic knew and loved.
He pulled her to her feet and cupped her cheek in his hand. Sonic forced Amy to meet her eye and was surprised to see so much fear in her eyes. She was afraid of him and what he thought of her.
"Listen to me." Sonic said carefully. "Dash has been taken over by a Troll ghost wizard… yes I know how stupid that sounds. This fog is making everyone afraid including you. But you don't need to be afraid. You're brave, you're smart and you're loved."
Amy tried to pull away but Sonic held her tight.
"I'm just a weak girl." She cried. "Only added to the franchise as a token gesture to open the market up to girls."
"How's this for a gesture then?" Sonic demanded.
He pulled Amy towards him in an embrace and kissed her firmly on the lips. She remained frozen for a few moments before Sonic felt her shoulders relax. Her whole body followed and she fell into Sonic who supported her weight. The blue hedgehog broke away and looked down into her eyes. Amy was back.
A sudden voice behind made the embracing pair jump.
"SONIC?!"
The fog had parted leaving Sonic and Amy exposed in the middle of the village. To Sonic it seemed like the entire village was staring at them. He broke away from Amy embarrassed, his cheeks as red as Knuckled fur.
A glint of sunlight caught his attention. High above the villagers Dash the robot floated with his glowing red fixed firmly down on Sonic.
The hedgehog positioned himself to strike when the voice that had disturbed his kiss with Amy called again.
"SONIC?!"
It was Tails.
The fox stood with his eyes wide open in shock, tears were beginning to form. Amy turned angrily to Sonic.
"You didn't tell him?" She demanded.
"I was literally about to when Dave attacked us." Sonic moaned. Amy didn't look impressed.
"I'll talk to him." Sonic said quickly. "It was probably just the shock. I should have told him sooner."
"Ya think?!"
Sonic went to move off but Amy pointed up into the air at the possessed robotic dog currently terrorizing the village. "You deal with that." She said. "I'll speak to Tails."
Before Sonic could answer she ran off in the direction that Tail had gone. As Amy moved away the fog once again closed around Sonic. Looking up he could still see Dash's glowing red eyes.
YOU'VE REALLY MESSED THIS UP. The voice in his head said again. THEY BOTH HATE YOU NOW.
Sonic squared his shoulders and glared up at the robot.
"Let's do it to it." He growled.
x
Tails stumbled as he ran before sinking down to the floor.
ALONE. The voice in his head screamed at him. ALONE AGAIN. HE'S ABANDONED YOU.
Tails tried hard to ignore it. He scrunched his eyes up tight, battling against the tears welling up inside him. Over and over again the fox repeated to himself that it wasn't true.
Tails was so absorbed in his thoughts that didn't hear Amy approach and jumped out of his fur as she shook his shoulder gently.
"Tails?" The pink hedgehog said softly. "I'm sorry if we shocked you. Sonic was meant to tell you the other day but… well you know how he is when it comes to talking about emotions."
Tails shook her off and backed away. SHE'S COME TO GLOAT. The voice came again. SHE'S WON AND NOW YOU'RE ALL ALONE.
"Leave me alone." Tails said. He wanted both the voice and Amy to leave him. He couldn't think straight. Everything seemed to be closing in on him. The fog seemed thicker and was pressing in against his chest. He couldn't breath. The little fox sank to his knees again. Amy rushed forwards, her eyes were full of concern.
"Leave me alone." Tails repeated. "You've won so just leave me alone."
"Won?" Amys face twisted in disbelief. "Tails I haven't won anything. Sonic is still your friend. I am to. We love you."
LIES! The voice said. IF HE WAS YOUR FRIEND WHY ISN'T HE HERE TO COMFORT YOU?
Fresh tears formed in Tails eyes and leaked down the tip of his muzzle. He brushed them away again as the voice continued to taunt him.
SONIC PUTS EVERYONE ELSE BEFORE YOU. HE'S THE ONE WHO DRAGGED YOU INTO THIS HERO LIFESTYLE. HE MADE YOU ALONE. HE MADE IT SO THAT YOU RELIED ON HIM AND NOW HE'S LEFT YOU BECAUSE SOMEONE BETTER HAS COME ALONG.
"No." Tails said to the voice.
HE'S ABANDONED YOU.
"No."
JUST LIKE YOUR PARENTS DID.
"NO!" Tails yelled angrily and beat his fists against the sides of his head as if trying to punch the voice away.
Alarmed, Amy grabbed his hands and held them tight in her own.
"Listen to me," She said urgently. "It's the fog. I heard things to but they aren't real. Whatever it's saying Tails you have to fight it."
Tails shook his head uncertainly. "But it's the truth though." He said sadly. "He's been spending all of his time with you recently."
Amy sighed. "It's all very new." She said softly. "We've kept our feelings hidden from eachother for so long that now we want to make the best of it. It wont be like this forever Tails. It's new love. You'll understand someday."
Tails pushed her away. "Don't patronize me." He said angrily. "And it's not exactly 'new' is it?"
THEY'VE BEEN HIDING FROM YOU. The voice said. Tails nodded his head.
"How long?" He demanded.
"Since we got back from the lost city."
"Six months ago?" Tails said flatly.
SIX MONTHS. THEY CLAIM TO BE YOUR FRIENDS BUT THEY HAVE HIDDEN THIS FOR SIX MONTHS. THEY DIDN'T TRUST YOU TO TELL YOU. THEY JUST WANT TO BE TOGETHER AND NO LONGER NEED YOU AROUND.
"I'm sorry." Amy said desperately. "And I know Sonic is to. He really wanted to tell you…"
"But he didn't." Tails interrupted. "He has all he needs now. He doesn't need a third wheel."
Amy stiffened. "Listen to yourself will you?" She said angrily. "It's not like he has to choose between us."
WHAT IF HE DID?
"What if he did?" Tails repeated the voices question aloud.
Amy's mouth hung open as she struggled to respond.
"What if we we're both in danger?" Tails insisted. "If he had to choose which of us lived or died. Don't you think he'd pick you?"
Amy grabbed him by the shoulders. "Tails you know that he would save us both or die trying. Please stop this. He loves you."
"NO" Tails roared. He saw Amy back away with a frightened look in her eye. Tails voice was no longer his own.
Xxx
Sonic dodged to the right as a ball of fire blazed from deep inside Dash and scored the ground where the hedgehog had just been stood. Almost immediately the metallic dog fixed the blue blur in its sights with its laser beams and fired two red, fine lines at him. Sonic back flipped out of harms way.
"Man!" He said to himself. "Has Tails been taking lessons on designing robots from Egghead?"
Dash lowered himself through the fog and began to chase after Sonic. It shot fireballs at the hedgehog as he ran. Sonic needed some way of distracting Dash so that he could attack. He needed…
"Sticks!" Sonic exclaimed.
The little badger was once again attacking the village hall and was firing her boomerang at the windows. She turned at the sound of Sonics voice.
"Oh hey Sonic." She said in an oddly calm voice. "I'm just taking down the man."
"Do you thing you could help me take down a robotic dog first?" Sonic asked.
Sticks looked torn between further damaging the villages bureaucratic epicenter and taking down rogue technology.
"It's possessed by a ghost." Sonic supplied.
That seemed to swing it for Sticks. She ran straight at Sonic with her boomerang raised. As she reached the hedgehog he cupped his hands and crouched. As Sticks foot landed in his palms Sonic flung the badger up into the air. She somersaulted forwards, throwing her boomerang as she went. It collided with Dash's right eye socket and blinded him. Taking advantage of the robot being momentarily stunned Sonic aimed a spindash at the dogs bodywork. Despite only having one working eye Dash saw Sonics attack coming and soared higher into the sky.
At that moment Knuckles appeared through the fog. He was balanced on his tiptoes and humming 'the dance of the sugar plum fairies' As he approached his friends Knuckles ripped of a plie that would make the national ballet proud.
"I thought you were frightened of ballerinas?" Sonic demanded impatiently.
"Well if you can't beat them, join them." Knuckles replied.
Sonic looked into his friends eyes and saw that the tell tale far away look the previous victims of possession had was no longer present in Knuckles. The big echidna had clearly battled through his fears and come out the other side.
"Just throw me at the robot." Sonic sighed.
Obediently Knuckles lifted Sonic in his giant hands and threw him full force towards Dash. Sonic turned into a ball in mid air and slammed into the robodog. Rather than smash it to pieces Sonic grabbed Dash and pulled it back down to earth with him. He remembered what Gethin had said about the ghost needing a vessel. It was far better to keep the specter contained. As Sonic landed back on the ground he pinned Dash to the floor. The robot fought against him and writhed beneath his grip.
"Coming through!" Came a sudden voice.
"No Knuckles!" Sonic yelled. "WAIT."
Too late. Knuckles hit the robot full force in it's face. Dash imploded sending Knuckles and Sonic flying backwards in a fireball. Sonic looked around desperately as Sticks helped him to his feet. All around them the fog seemed to lift.
"Is it over?" The badger asked him.
Sonic shook his head uncertainly and looked around the village square. It was filled with citizens suddenly snapping out of their possession. By Meh burger Mrs Walrus had the mayor in a headlock and Comedy chimp was biting down hard on Dave the interns leg.
As strange as these sights were they weren't what caught Sonics attention.
Across the square Sonic stared in horror as Amy fell to the floor. In front of her his best friend began to beat his two tails quickly and propel himself into the sky. As Tails rose into the air he gave a twisted laugh that Sonic had never heard his best buddy do before. As Sonic raced over he could see that Tails eyes had changed color and were now glowing bright red.
Sonic was too late. Tails was gone, only Cythraul remained.