A/N: This is chapter six :3! Simply because I have nothing at all to do, and am nursing a dreadful case of (gasp) writer's block, I have decided to write SIX in ten different languages! Šest, seks, zes, kuus, kuusi, six, die Sechs, hat, sex –teehee!!-, enam. There ya go. Who here thinks I need a life? Oh meemeemeeee!
--LA
It just so happens that I would be completely screwed should SEGA suddenly decided to be all protective over their characters 0.o… And that, my wonderful, wonderful readers… is because I do not, in fact, own the characters in my story, excluding Hina, Felix and Miss Kyro (who I am very much hoping to give a first name some time soon). Betcha didn't see that coming B-).
Gabrielle marched confidently through the rows of colourful fish tanks. She inspected each of the tank's inhabitants carefully, tapping a pane of glass here and swirling a finger around in the water there. She passed the goldfish without paying them the least bit of attention; the small, common fish were far too usual for her Felix. The squirrel eyed an elaborate aquarium at the end of the fish section, which was a home to dozens of colourful angelfish, all over thirty centimetres in length. The largest of the group had a yellow-orange body, striped with black and blue. It's cerulean face and black masked eyes gave it a look of a great majesty. Gabrielle leaned in closer to the tank, tapping it gently.
"Can I help you?" asked a middle-aged, puma, with lemon yellow fur.
"Yes, thank you." replied Gabrielle with a smile, withdrawing from the tank. "I want to get a gift for my son. He is turning… 15."
She decided it was best to lie, as the tall cat would certainly suggest something dreadfully boring if it was going to a one-year-old. Gabrielle knew, however, that Felix would be able to care for a proper pet. He seemed to have a strange connection to animals, which she had noticed when they had gone to visit a large, and expensive zoo. Strangely enough, though, he had failed to keep a simple potted plant alive for more than a few days.
"Well," Said the Puma thoughtfully, leading Gabrielle around and pointing out various aquatic pets, none of which caught the squirrel's attention. "We've got the largest collection of tropical fish in the city."
"Perfect." The squirrel said, putting a hand on her hip. "Can you show me something interesting?"
"Tell me if you see anything you think he'll like."
The passed tank after tank in silence, until they reached a large circular container, holding nothing as far as Gabrielle could see.
"What is in there?" She asked conversationally, eyeing the dark décor in the water with dislike.
"Octopi. A couple of them, actually."
Gabrielle squinted into the water, looking for an octopus.
"Where?"
The puma smiled.
"Everyone asks that. Watch this."
She opened a small compartment below the tank, pulling out a set of colourful plastic boards stacked atop each other. Gabrielle watched curiously as the puma opened a lock on the tank. She scanned the rock in the tank for a moment, before plunging her arm into the water. She felt around for a moment before grabbing what Gabrielle would have mistaken for a stone had it not squirmed to escape the pet shop worker's grasp. The puma lifted the murky brown invertebrate, eyeing the look of disgust on Gabrielle's face with a grin.
"Just watch."
She placed it gently on a lime green board. The octopus instantly changed colour to mimic its new setting, making Gabrielle gasp.
"How-"
"Keep watching."
She lifted the little animal from the green plank, and placed it on a second one, pale blue in colour. The octopus quickly changed colour to match.
"That is amazing!" Gabrielle said breathlessly. The puma grinned.
"Watch this one."
She pulled a monochromatic checkerboard pattern from the middle of her pile. The octopus sat on it for an instant before switching once again. This time, it was adorned with identical black and white squares.
"That's perfect." The squirrel said breathlessly, stroking it with a finger. The puma placed it back into the tank and locked it, as the octopus stretched out its long eight legs, pulling itself into a far corner and changing back into the murky grey colour.
"Great. Would you like to pick out a tank?"
Gabrielle nodded, and the puma showed her an entire wall dedicated to animal homes of all kinds. In the corner nearest to the two women, tall glass tanks of various shapes and sizes were set out in a colourful display.
"You'll need a tank sized four to seven." She said, gesturing to the orange stickers on the bottom right corner of each tank. "Come and get me when you're ready, and I'll get that little guy ready."
Gabrielle walked slowly amongst the tanks, checking a tag now and then. The huge, bathtub-sized size seven containers seemed so ridiculously huge in comparison to the tiny eight-legged pet. She stopped in front of a size-four tank with blue tinged glass. It was shaped like a sphere, and had a metallic, electric blue lid. This was perfect; Felix's favourite colour was this electric blue. Gabrielle walked towards the checkout area designated to aquatics. The yellow Puma was holding a plastic baggie home of the small octopus, which looked uncertain about what colour to be in the clear water.
"Are you ready?" She asked, stepping around the desk.
"Could I get the blue one?"
"That would be great."
The puma dropped the bag on the table gently, and made her way into a storeroom behind doors which blended in with the blue walls, emerging a few moments later carrying the tank with some effort, along with a thick paperback book. She spent nearly quarter an hour going over the proper way to care for the evidentially extremely high-maintenance pet.
"Think you got all that?" She asked, closing the book with a loud smack.
"I think so." Gabrielle replied, though she was extremely grateful that she would be able to refer back to the octopus bible she had purchased along with the tank and the animal itself.
"Wait." Tails interrupted for the umpteenth time, rubbing his forehead and watching Hina in disbelief. "She was-"
"Running like me." Sonic said, with almost equivalent shock. "Yeah."
"But…"
Tails said, his voice fading away into thought. Hina, the tiny child who could only just walk, running alongside Sonic? Sonic shook his head, shrugging.
"Beats me. Must have something to do with her rock thing… it was glowing."
Tails looked up curiously, his brows furrowed. Amy silently gazed at her fingers. She hadn't made a sound since Sonic had explained the strange new development in Hina's powers. Hina smiled, looking around intently.
"I was fast."
Amy opened her mouth as if she was about to say something, but closed it again after a moment. She repeated this odd action several times before finally releasing some sound.
"Why," she said in a quiet, thoughtful voice, "were that cat and mouse breaking into your house anyways?"
Everyone looked up at her, save Hina who was still smiling fondling, apparently thinking about her encounter with such speed. No one had really paid this matter much attention, mainly because a break-in was a disgruntling thing to face. They had mainly hoped that it would simply be forgotten.
"You think it had something to do with Hina?"
"Well, it wouldn't surprise me," she said in a pensive voice, "Considering how much power that rock has."
Nobody answered, but they all stared at Hina with concern. Tails' eyes opened wide after a moment of silence, and he got to his feet with excitement.
"That flower-"
"Hey, guys." Knuckles said loudly, entering the room with a bang and leaving a trail of muddy footprints in his wake.
"Knuckles!" exclaimed Sonic. "Tails was about to tell us something important!"
The kitsune, however, was standing with the look of anticipation frozen upon his face. The people standing around him could almost see a light bulb glowing above his head. Knuckles took a seat moodily, and crossed his arms.
"Well, so am I." He fumed. Sonic and Amy looked curiously at him, while Tails was still frozen in thought. "Rouge's gone to goddamn India on a job."
Amy looked scandalized.
"She told me she was done with that sort of thing."
Knuckles shrugged, and returned to glaring into space.
"But Tails," Sonic insisted, not nearly as interested in Rouge's lie as Amy "what were you about to say?"
Tails jumped, and looked around as if he had completely forgotten that the other were there.
"I…" He lifted Hina out of her highchair, and made a quick move towards the door leading to the hallway. "I have to go. Sorry."
He hurried out of the kitchen, leaving his guests staring at the doorway in surprise.
"What's with him?" Knuckles asked bluntly, craning his neck to see into the hallway.
"Well," Sonic said angrily, crossing his arms, "He was about to tell us until you barged in."
Knuckles scratched his head with a guilty smile.
"Sorry. I was just pissed."
"I don't blame you!" Amy said angrily, also crossing her arms. The three sat in a furious circle, glaring at nothing in particular.
A/N: Can't you tell what an effort I put into my endings -.-? I'm not tooo fond of the whole chapter :3! I've always wanted a pet octopus. And what on earth could be the drama with Tails?!? He and his brilliant little mind must have an awesomeee idea worthy of awesomeee reviews :) Thanks for reading!.. (cough)…review…
--LA