"That's good Shadow, now rest her down, gently, on the bed over here." Rosie said, placing her hand on a bed.
Shadow nodded his head and placed me on the bed. I could almost feel the pain vanish the moment my arms touched the bed.
"You're one tough kid, you know that?" Sonic asked.
"Really, I hadn't noticed." I said with a lot of sarcasm.
"Now there's no time for jokes." Rosie said sternly. "Now I want all of you boys out of here right now! Go on now, shoo! The girls and I have a lot of work to do!"
"C'mon, can't we help, Rosie?" Sonic asked, as Rosie pushed him.
"If you really want to…" She said in a voice so sly that Rouge the Bat would have been jealous. I knew they were gonna get it. "You can explain all of this to his highness and tell him that our 'mountain lion', has been beaten." And she pushed them out.
"Ah Rosie, that was cruel." Bunnie said.
"But funny." Sally said with a laugh.
"What was that for?" Hershley asked.
"To give you young girls some time alone." Rosie said. "Now, let's see those arms."
Rosie removed my shirt revealing I had a white t-shirt on under my blue one.
"What's this fer?" Bunnie asked.
"For when I was practicing my martial arts earlier, I have to wear it under my Gi, everyone in my class has to." I explained.
"What's a Gi?" Sally asked.
"It's the uniform martial artists wear when they're training." I explained.
"Those white robe things they always wear?" Rosie asked, pulling some bandages out of a cabinet.
"Yes, those." I said.
"What color belt are ya, Suga?" Bunnie asked.
"Purple." I said.
"How many do you have left till you reach the black belt?" Hershley asked.
"After purple there's red, then brown, and then black." I informed.
"Mah, oh mah, there's not much left for ya huh?" Bunnie said.
"No, not really." I said shyly.
"What style do you study?" Sally asked.
"Kwambu." I simply answered.
"Kwambu? What in the world…?" Bunnie asked.
"It's a style that dates back thousands of years. I still have a lot to learn before I make it to the final belt." I said.
"Could you show us some?" Jullie-Su asked.
"As long as Antione doesn't ask for any lessons." I said. "Last time I saw him go up against a dummy punching bag, he sent it flying through a window!"
"Are you serious?" Bunnie asked.
"Eh, he's a MAJOR trouble maker in the cartoon he appeared in. In one episode, he sent the dummy flying through a window, had it thrown back at him by Sonic, then he flew through the window, and Sonic threw him out the door! All the while not even getting the name of the style right!" I explained.
"What was he saying?" Bunnie asked.
"It was Kung Fu, not King Fu." I said.
"Oh, why does that not come as that much of a big surprise?" Bunnie asked.
'Careful Bunnie, watch what you say about your future husband.' I joked in my mind.
"Bunnie, how can you say that? He is your husband!" Rosie said, walking over to my bed.
'Too late.' I thought.
"Ah, I was only kidding." Bunnie said.
"Of course you were." Rosie said as she began bandaging my arms. 'That reminds me, have any of you seen Espio? I haven't seen him in a few days now."
"Come to think of it, the last time anyone saw him…was right before the wedding." Sally said.
"How long ago was that?" I asked.
"Just yesterday." Bunnie said.
I was quite surprised. I hadn't expected to land THAT close to the wedding!
"You know Espio, he thinks he can do anything." Jullie-Su said.
By this time I was chewing my lower lip, I had read the issue with the wedding nearly a thousand times, I knew that Espio was in great danger, but as to what, I didn't know, I didn't have any of the issues after that. But what I did know was this: Espio was in danger and I was sure that it had something to do with the Egg-Grape Chamber.
"Okay, that should do it." Rosie said.
I looked at my arms. I had been so deep in my own head that I had failed to notice Rosie finish bandaging my arms.
"Oh!"
I looked at Dulcy after her cry.
"I almost for got." She reached into her pouch and pulled out-
"My backpack!" I cried.
"Yeah, Sonic ran all the way to Robotropolis and back to get it while you were out cold." Dulcy explained.
'He did that…for me?' I thought.
"So, what do ya got in there, anyway?" Bunnie asked, opening it.
They were surprised as to how much stuff was in it.
"What is all this stuff?" Sally asked, moving one of my plushies.
"Just some stuff." I said.
Soon the girls were going through my stuff, mostly cooing at the plushies. As they went, I started reading from one of my favorite books, The Secret Garden. I need something to get my mind off of Espio. It was pretty quiet until…
We need to be free
Like the wind across the desert sand
I looked away from my book at once. That was the CD I had made with the Sonic Underground songs. I looked to see my portable CD player in Hershley the Cat's hands.
We need to be free
Like a nomad roaming mystic lands
"Hershey, what is that?" Sally asked.
"I don't know." She shrugged.
Oh freedom is a golden bird, it must fly
And if someone tried to take that away we will stand and fight
"That's my CD of Sonic Underground." I said.
"Sonic Underground?" Sally asked.
"A TV show staring Sonic." I replied.
"How many are there, exactly?" Dulcy asked.
"I'd have to say about five." I shrugged.
"Five?" Sally asked.
'Yeah, not counting the comics and video game series." I said.
"I'm not even going to ask." Sally said.
We need to be free
Like the wind across the desert sand
We need to be free
When the song ended, Hershley turned off the CD player.
"Where in the world, or yours, did you get it?" Bunnie asked.
"I made it myself." I said. "I recorded the songs onto my computer, and burned them onto a CD." I said.
"Very cool." Dulcy said.
"Yeah." I said, shyly.
"What' that you're reading?' Bunnie asked.
"Oh, just one of my favorite books." I said, carefully picking it up.
"The Secret Garden? Sounds like a hoot!" Bunnie said.
"Yeah, it's really a one of a kind." I said.
"I'd like to hear it." Amy said.
"I'd like to hear it, too!" Dulcy said.
"I'm in." Bunnie said with a giggle.
"As am I."
I thought I was going to jump out of my skin at the voice. It was coming from Sally's boot.
"Nicole, you want to hear this?" Sally asked, pulling the small computer from her boot.
"Yes, Sally, it sounds interesting." Nicole droned.
I didn't know if that was scarier: a computer wanting to hear a story, or being roboticized.
"Looks like we all want to hear this story." Bunnie said.
"Okay, you guys aren't going to leave me out of this." Sally said.
I guess they all expected me to read the book because they crowded around my bed, some sitting on it. I knew that I had to read it, so I picked it up and opened it to the first page.
As I read about Mary Lennox and her time at her uncle's mansion, the other girls kept asking me questions. From things such as "what's India" "why was the dog digging" "what was wrong with the garden" to things such as "why did she ask for some earth" "why couldn't Colon walk" "why were they making magic". By the time I was done reading, they were totally spell bound. It was clear that they had fallen in love with the book.
"Now that's a story that I want a copy of." Bunnie said.
"You're not the only Bunnie, it's so romantic." Amy said with her usual dreamy look.
"That's clear." Sally stated.
"You should talk." Jullie-Su said. "You haven't been with Sonic in quite a while."
"Hey!" Sally said, making the rest of us laugh.
"If you guys liked that, then you'll love some of the other books I have." I said, reaching into my backpack.
They went through the following books:
The Secret Garden
The Kingdom Keepers,
Silverwing,
Sunwing,
Firewing,
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone,
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets,
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Askavan,
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire,
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,
Dragon Rider,
Chicken Soup for the Girl's Soul,
Watership Down,
Because of Winn-Dixie,
Holes,
Hoot,
The Outsiders,
and Timber.
They mostly found interest in Timber, which wasn't even finished, and it didn't have a cover or anything. After a few minutes, I finally told them why: I was the one writing Timber. It was my own book series I was working on. It was about a young Husky pup named Timber who actually has Wolf in him but n the book, they're known as The Wild Ones.
They all started reading the books, not taking their eyes off of them once. By that time my shirt was clean of my blood and I had it back on. I let the others read all my books expect the three Silverwing books. It was my favorite book series and I just loved the stories. I had just gotten to the point in Firewing when Shade had found Griffon that I finally looked up.
It might as well have been a Book Club at some sort of school because that was what it looked like. My school didn't have a Book Club, mostly because more then three quarters of the school are boys. Don't get me wrong, I mostly ignore them but these guys weren't your normal teenage boys.
They had ADD and ADHD. My school was for kids with those and I was no exception. I had ADD but if you looked at me you wouldn't know it. I had taken pills that made me behave very well, a little too well. My appetite practically vanished I was as skinny as a stick but probably the worse thing that it did was turn me into a zombie, if not, the closest thing to one. I was extremely thin, never talked to anyone, did as I was told, and I had very little energy. If I wasn't a zombie, I was a robot. Whatever I was, I wasn't close to being alive.
After about four years of this, my parents and doctor became aware of just what was going on and decided to take me off the medication. However, they chose the worse possible time, the point in every teen's life where everything begins to change, AKA puberty.
Things were just turned up side down for me. I was still feeling the pills effects even after being taken off. That's how strong they were. Just as everything started changing, something entered my life: my first video game console. My little brother and I took to it right away. Soon we were getting more and more games. It acted as a sort of therapy for me. I felt free and then, I discovered what it that was wrong with me: I longed for adventure.
Now, years later, I was getting what I had been looking for. My life long dream, finally come true. It was hard to believe that there was once a time when I thought I hated anything with fighting and such, but when I played my first video game, everything was turned around and I believe that game was the reason why I loved Sonic so much, the first game I played was Sonic the Hedgehog 2.
"Yo, Shell!"
Speaking of the daredevil.
I looked up from my book and to the door. Sonic was standing there with one of his cocky grins. He knew something.
"Guess what." Sonic said with a grin.
"What?" I asked.
"I asked my folks if you could stay with us until you got home and guess what they said?" Sonic grinned.
"Yes?" Sally asked.
"Bingo." Sonic said with his grin growing a little. "They said she, can stay there as long as she wants, if that's okay?"
"Staying with my number one hero? Do you really need to ask?" I told him.
"I'll take the as a "yes"." Sonic smiled.
"Oh, why couldn't it be me?" I heard Amy whisper.
I sighed slightly and slowly got up. The girls returned my books, some moaning because they hadn't gotten to finish. Once the last one was put away, I zipped up my backpack, put it on one shoulder, and walked over to Sonic.
The blue hedgehog led me through Knothole, leading me to his home. I wanted to see it for myself, I had before in comics but this was something I just HAD to see. As we went, I noticed that some mobians were looking at Sonic and me.
"Sonic, why does everyone keep staring at me?" I asked.
"Beats me." Sonic shrugged.
I kept close to Sonic for rest of the journey to his house. I didn't wan to get lost at all. Sonic gently slipped his hand into mine again and like before, I blushed. You'd never see the guys in my school do that. They were a bunch of cussing-happy loonies who would hurt anyone who crossed them maybe even kill if they were bad enough. That had nearly happened twice and I was there on those two days.
"There it is, home sweet home."
Sonic's voice brought me back to reality as we approached his house. It was a small hut like every other place in Knothole but for some reason, it just stood out to me.
"C'mon." Sonic said, starting to pick up the pace a little.
I could tell that, for some reason, Sonic was willing to go a little slow for me. I knew that I was probably crazy to think that but I could just see it. When Sonic led me to the front door, he opened it for me and let me walk in first.
'Is it me or is he being a major gentleman?' I thought as I walked through the door.
I took off my shoes and Sonic took my hand again.
"Where are your mom and dad?" I asked.
"Bed probably, it's late as it is." Sonic said. "My mom has the key to the guest room but I don't wanna wake her. You can take my bed, if you want."
"No thank you, I'll take the couch." I said.
"You sure?" Sonic asked.
"Yes, I'm sure." I said shyly.
"Okay." Sonic said, slightly nervous.
I sat on the green couch as Sonic went to get me a blanket. I looked around, seeing the usual things you would in a family room. A TV, some picture, a few nick-knacks, some furniture and such.
"Here you go." Sonic said, holding a blanket under one arm.
I took the blanket and laid down, I was really tired and ready for a good nights sleep.
"If you need anything, my room has my name on it. I'll see you in the morning." Sonic said gently.
"Good night." I replied and Sonic walked off.
When the lights turned off, I sighed. I went over everything that had gone on that day in my head. I had been kidnapped from my home in the dark of the night by SWATbots, taken to another dimension, gotten a new body, made an amazing escape, met my hero and his friends, got attacked by a robot mountain lion, and now I was spending the night in my hero's home.
If this was a dream, I never wanted to wake up from it. I slowly drifted off, until I finally fell asleep.
---
Sonic watched his new friend from his door which he had left open a crack. There was just something about her that made Sonic never want to take his eyes off her.
'Guess I'm going soft.' He thought.
He yawned and climbed into his bed, very tired.
---
"Have you gotten the file?" Eggman asked Snivley.
"Yes sir." The short overllander answered.
"And what did you find?" Eggman asked.
"Well, the being of it wasn't really found as Amherst Town Hall, sir." Snivley said.
"Then where was it?" Eggman growled.
"The Pentagon sir." Snivley said. "Her grandfather was in something called World War II as a flying ace. She apparently picked up on some of his traits when she was born, making her strong. According to her own file, she studies martial arts, is one of the four highest belt rankings in her school, knows how to use weapons, won the gold medal in her first tournament, has an average IQ, is advanced in some of her classes, and, this part I find interesting-"
"What's interesting?" Eggman growled.
"It turns out her ancestor, like your own grandfather, was one of the world's greatest minds of his time. He discovered the cure for a disease that wiped out half of a place called Europe, taught people how not to get sick, and signed something call the Declaration of Independence, which helped form the country she lives in, his name was Rush, Dr. Benjamin Rush." Snivley read from the report.
Eggman was taken aback by this information. This explained quite a bit as to how that girl escaped his clutches. This was not ordinary girl they were going up against.
"However, I have some bad news." Snivley said, pulling at his collar.
"What, do you mean?" Eggman growled.
"It seems that the hedgehog found her not long after her escape." Snivley said. "However, you're plan to send that robot after her has worked but we lost the mountain lion spy-bot in the process."
Eggman sighed heavily. This could take a while to work out.