Hey everyone, sorry about taking forever to update. I'm just not really into writing stories like I used to be so I don't have as big as an urge to write anymore. Anyways, this is just a chapter to see what's going on with MJ, Amber, etc. Also, I'm changing the names of the messaging systems to a PDA because it can do more than send messages. Anyways, here's the disclaimer!

Disclaimer- I don't own any Sonic characters except MJ, Chibi Star, Inferno and anyone else I created. Kilala belongs to my friend Jena who was down on Christmas, Maya belongs to Alyson who drew me a Sailor Saturn picture, and Tangy belongs to my friend Kathleen who came down for a day.

"5 Years Without You…"
By MJ the Seal
Chapter 16
Another Captive

The cold wind blew as the stars and moon brought the light that pierced the dark barrier of the midnight sky. The small whirring noise from Puppet Tails' mechanic tails that propelled them in the air was the only noise in the otherwise silent night. Amber was beginning to get stiff, she longed for the feeling of the ground beneath her feet, supporting her weight on the earth. Puppet Tails had been carrying her for hours, and she could move her arms due to him holding her up by them tightly. Her face and legs were numb from the cold, but she thoroughly ignored it with the thoughts looming in her mind. Where Shadow, Inferno, Maya, and Tangy alright? What would happen to her? When would she be able to scratch the annoying itch on her nose? But most importantly, would Chibi Star's cover be blown and the operation completely destroyed? Suddenly, she noticed Puppet Tails beginning to fly downwards and she cast her gaze toward the ground. She noticed it to be moving, and having a shimmering effect. The strangest thing was as she got closer she heard… a noise of some sort, and then she noticed it, the reflection of the moon. The answer hit her like a brick wall.

"Eggman's base is hidden in the ocean." Amber mumbled, shocked, at how well it was hidden.

"How is it possible though…Chibi Star often said that it was snowing or raining outside a window in the base. Was it all just simulators to trick the prisoners and spies to think they were on land?" Amber wondered, until she noticed a blinking light coming from Puppet Tails' eyes. That's when a small pod came out from the water which Puppet Tails instantly flew over to. He inputted a code onto a keypad; unfortunately he was a robot so he typed at a lightning speed, which made Amber unable to remember what the code was. The pod opened and Puppet Tails flew in and let go of Amber when the pod closed. Amber smiled, she was glad to feel the ground once more, and to scratch the irritating itch on her nose. The pod had no glass to look through and see the wonder and beauty of the deep sea, but the ocean was the last thing on Amber's mind at this point. Puppet Tails grabbed her arm again and the pod door opened into a large room. The walls were metal and had cables running through them; the ceiling had monstrous sized lights, which ironically gave little light to the room despite their size. The floor, was as expected made as metal which made a small clanking noise whenever someone took a single step, and the room itself had robots scurrying around to get to their chores and duties. Puppet Tails continued to move along, still holding onto Amber as they moved through the crowd. Some of the robots glanced at Amber, while others passed and continued to ignore their presence. Puppet Tails came to a door on the left wall of the room and stopped. A small mechanic eye came out from the wall and scanned the two guests.

"Identities confirmed. Mecha SC-2 and guest are present. You may come in now." The eye said in a monotone robot voice. The door slid open and Puppet Tails walked in still holding on to Amber's arm. The new room appeared to look like an office. There was a mahogany desk covered with papers and robot designs, a cup of coffee sitting on a napkin, and a silver lamp which shown the only light in the room. The floor was carpeted, and there were wooden shelves with tools, bolts, nails, and robot parts. In front of the desk there was a wooden wheelie chair with a seat cushion, and Dr. Eggman himself sitting there. He turned the chair slowly to face them, his face now showing wrinkles, and his moustache beginning to turn gray. His expression was firm and showed he meant business.

"What have we got here, another prisoner for my factory?" Eggman questioned Puppet Tails. He stood up from his chair and began to pace around Amber, who kept as serious a face as she could.

"Master, she was helping Shadow and his group find our location and stop you. She managed to find out where we were hidden, and find the Emerald of Peace for them." Puppet Tails stated, still keeping a firm grip on Amber's arm. Eggman furrowed his brow and turned to Puppet Tails.

"Where is the Emerald of Peace? I clearly remember leaving it in you, and your team's care." Eggman asked and Puppet Tails' grip tightened on Amber.

"…She managed to throw it to Shadow before I could stop her."

"What happened to Metal Sonic and Metal Knuckles then?"

"…They were defeated by Shadow and Maya." Eggman signed in frustration and put his hand to his face.

"How did you survive then?"

"I shut down when I was about to malfunction, and played dead until my censors alerted to me that Amber was heading towards me. I kidnapped her and brought her here to the base." Eggman considered what Puppet Tails said for a few seconds and sat back in his chair.

"Puppet Tails you are free to go, I wish to speak to Amber in private." Puppet Tails nodded and began to walk out of the room.

"And one last thing…" Puppet Tails turned around and faced Eggman once more, while standing in the middle of the doorway.

"I no longer have any need for you." Eggman pushed a button from beneath his desk, which fired lasers at Puppet Tails, blowing him up at the spot. Eggman chuckled and returned his gaze to Amber who was in shock from the sudden death of Puppet Tails.

"Down to business, who are you, who are you working for, and why are you helping Shadow and his pals?" Eggman demanded as his gaze turned into a glare on Amber. Amber pushed her glasses up and stood up straight, she knew what to say.

"My name is Amber the Ferret. I am working for the resistance against you, and I am helping Shadow and his so called 'pals' for they are trying to stop you as well." Amber plainly stated.

"Does this resistance of yours have any leader?"

"No, there is no leader needed for we work together as a team." Eggman was silent for a moment, pondering over small thoughts in his mind. In order to regain his attention once more, Amber spoke up.

"Are there any more questions you wish to ask me?" Eggman looked up and turned to his desk and pressed a button.

"How may I be of service to you Doctor?" asked the voice coming from the speaker.

"Decoe, it's my turn to serve the doctor!" another voice angrily shouted from the speaker. Eggman shook his head in disgrace as the two voices began bickering.

"You served the doctor twice yesterday! It's my turn!"

"Bocoe, stop it! The doctor is trying to ask me a question!"

"Will you two SHUT UP!" Eggman shouted into the speaker. The two voices went silent on the other end. "Both of you escort our new prisoner to the next open prison cell."

"Yes Doctor!" the two voices chimed in unison. The speaker clicked off and a few minutes passed until shouting was heard from the room outside.

"Hey watch it!"

"You watch it! I'm getting there first!"

"Not unless I beat you!"

The door soon mechanically opened and Decoe and Bocoe fell into a heap on top of each other still fighting. They were both rusted and banged up, probably due to their old age. Docoe and Bocoe soon stood up and saluted to Dr. Eggman.

"Is this the prisoner doctor?" Decoe quickly asked before Bocoe could get a chance to. Eggman nodded as he turned back to his desk and his work. Bocoe grabbed Amber's arm in nearly the exact spot Puppet Tails had and began to pull her out the door with Decoe following behind. Decoe watched closely as Bocoe continued pulling Amber into the room full of the prison cells until he spoke up.

"You're not very good at escorting prisoners…"Decoe mumbled.

"What did you say?" Bocoe asked as he turned to face Decoe once more.

"The proper way to escort a prisoner is hold both arms behind their back and push them, not holding one of their arms and pulling them." Decoe finished with a know-it-all tone.

"The prisoner could refuse to move if your try to push them, so you should grasp by the arm and pull them!"

"Push!"

"Pull!"

"PUSH!"

"PULL!"

"WOULD YOU TWO STOP BICKERING?" Decoe and Bocoe stopped and looked toward Amber who looked annoyed and enraged. Amber used her free arm to push up her glasses before continuing. "One, it doesn't matter if you push or pull the prisoner just so long as you get them to where they need to go and two, my name is Amber not Prisoner!"

"We will call you whatever we wish to for we have captured you!" Decoe retorted angrily while pointing a finger at Amber.

"Oh really? I thought Puppet Tails was the one that caught me. And by the way, it's rude to point." Amber smirked as she felt Bocoe tighten his grip on her as a single to shut up. Decoe grabbed Amber's other armed and mumbled as they pulled her further down the rows upon rows of prison cells. Amber began to scan the prison cells and saw all the faces of lost hope, hunger, and sadness, but in one cell she found who she had longed to see the most.

"So… that is you, MJ the Seal…" Amber looked at the white seal, whose fur was no longer white but now a dirty color from being trapped for so long. Her clothes torn and her long hair knotty and dirty. There was one thing different about MJ than the rest of the prisoners, her eyes held one thing the other did not.

Hope.

As Amber was carelessly thrown into a cell much farther away, MJ had stared at the new captive when she walked by.

"Why did it look like she knew me…"MJ thought to herself. She didn't recall meeting the woman once in her life and yet… the ferret seemed to know her. MJ's thoughts were interrupted as she saw Chibi Star fly down the hall of prison lanes, heading towards the ferret. What is Chibi Star hiding from her?

Down at the prison cell where Amber had been thrown into, Chibi Star fluttered her wings as she continued toward the filthy cell. Decoe was the first to spot her.

"What are you doing in the prison room Chibi Star?" Decoe asked demandingly. "It's not your job to check on the prisoners." Amber watched the scene with interest.

"I have a message for you from Dr. Eggman." Chibi Star replied as she pulled a letter out from a small mailbag. Decoe was about to rip the letter open when Chibi Star stopped him.

"You may want to read it outside of the prison…It could be top secret, you know…" Chibi Star whispered to Decoe.

"Oh, good idea. C'mon Bocoe, we must read this message from Dr. Eggman!" Decoe and Bocoe soon fled from the room as Chibi Star smirked to herself and turned to Amber.

"I'm going to guess that letter wasn't top secret," Amber smiled as she made her guess.

"We should hear from them in five, four, three, two, one..." As soon as Chibi Star said one, a small blast from heard from the other room and Bocoe and Decoe yelling and screaming angrily. Chibi Star chuckled for a few seconds before turning her attention back to Amber.

"So how did you end up here?" Chibi Star questioned as Amber looked down to the cell floor.

"Shadow, Inferno, and Maya had just defeated Metal Sonic, Puppet Tails, and Metal Knuckles. Tangy had helped Shadow, and they know knew that Tangy and I were spies. We began to search for the Emerald of Peace, and I was shuffling threw a pile of rubbish when I heard a noise. I approached what later turned out to be Puppet Tails, and he was still alive. I noticed an emerald on his head and grabbed it, the red paint smearing onto my gloves. It was the Emerald of Peace and I shouted to Shadow and the others that I found it. But… as soon as I did Puppet Tails grabbed me from behind and began to fly away to this base."

"Did Puppet Tails grab the Emerald from you?"

"No, I managed to throw it to Shadow before I was out of sight." Chibi Star nodded as she put all the details in mind.

"Do you have any idea on what became of them after that?"

"I'm afraid not, and my PDA was not with me. I left it by my laptop earlier that morning."

"I see, well I've got to get going. If I stay any longer Decoe and Bocoe will begin to ask too many questions."

"I understand. Farewell Chibi Star." Chibi Star waved goodbye as she flew back outside the prison, MJ staring on after her.

"Could that ferret perhaps… be one of the spies Chibi Star told me about?" MJ began to wonder on, millions of questions filling her mind.

End of Chapter 16! Meh, this chapter was kind of blah, but oh well. Sorry as always for the late update, (better than last time right?) Hope you enjoyed, R&R and see you later!