You all know the drill, I own nothing. Charmy and the Babylon Rogues (c) Sega and Sonic Team. One Piece (c) Eiichiro Oda. And the mention of Naruto (c) Masashi Kishimoto

Ch.4: Night

I never imagined anything like this. Nighttime when you're flying through the air is pretty weird, yet calming at the same time. Stars bloomed in the sky, like the flowers Madam Vanilla had in her garden. Cream, Tails, and I would pluck the most colorful ones. Then, we'd make crowns of flowers for our friends. Madam Vanilla enjoyed them alot.

Storm was fixing my mattress as I gazed out into the sky. I sighed. This was like when Espio and Mighty taught me all about the constellations. Vector could honestly care less about the stars. However, he always said that if it looked like Madam Vanilla, he would start worshipping it right away. I chuckled silently to myself. Memories have a way of brightening or darkening a mood. This was brightening.

"Awright, I just gotta find a blanket for you," Storm said, kicking the mattress slightly.

I muttered my appreciation. As if I cared. The sky was so close. My wings were urging me to get up and fly the friendly skies, but my head kept my feet glued to the floor. My heart was at ease now. The sky and the Babylon Rogues patched it up better than before.

Storm told me that he found a spare blanket in Jet's room.

I faced him, nodding. "Thanks!" I then noticed that his Extreme Gear was back in his room. "Wave fixed you're board already? She must be good!"

He shrugged, "Yeah, I guess..."

"Why do fight with her? It's sorta like Vector and Espio fighting. Or Espio and Mighty. They'd fight alot!"

Another shrug. He couldn't reply. He seemed deep in thought, then replied, "She just...bothers me, y'know?"

"Vector did bother Espio with his silly plans. And Mighty made Espy made by flexing his muscles."

"The crocodile? Did he fight with girls?"

My smile widened, exposing some teeth. Vector was a terrible flirt, especially with Madam Vanilla. He'd freeze up whenever he spoke! The worst one was when Espio told me that he tried to pick up some classy swan from a restaurant to Knuckles' party. He got her, but he forgot all about her afterwards. Some detective...

Storm shook his head as I explained. "What a guy, kinda like me. Women never like me." Dissapointment was vivid in his tone.

I nervously giggled. Vector was kind of like Storm, in his own way. Both bad with women.

A look of confusion was suddenly plastered on his face. "Hold it, I could've sworn...wait..."

My turn to be confused. "What's up?"

Storm scratched the back of his head. His face was as confused as prey desperately looking for shelter when there is none. His face suddenly lit up. "That's it! Vector! He and I were buds in seventh grade!"

Once again, my heart leaped into my throat. Storm knew Vector? Vector went to school? I'm wondering how they survived since I never obliged myself to go. I swallowed the lump in my throat, asking how they met.

"Well, Vector was bragging how he was related to one of the world's best Extreme Gearist, Idle the Alligator. I grew very envious of his boasting and challenged him to a race. Vector was very confident that he would suceed, so he accepted, but," a devious grin formed on Storm's beak. "it ended in a draw."

He cleared his throat. "We then grew to be friends, but Jet's father finally decided that we had to move to a new location. Sure, I miss him. Can't believe the guy's gone."

We have something in common. I never figured that Storm would've known Vector. They are only a year apart, after all. Carefully flittering up with my wings, I slowly made it to the bed. I made a little grunt as I plopped down.

Storm wished me goodnight and flung himself into his hammock.

"...How come Storm sleeps in a hammock while everyone else gets a bed?"

I shifted myself in the bed. My first night with the Chaotix. A window was right above me. The half moon bathing me in its light. I squeezed my eyes real tightly together. Vector would always read me a bed-time story, even if he had to make it up. I hope Storm didn't mind, but...

"Storm, will you read me a bed-time story?"

Storm shot up and stared at me wide-eyed. "...W-what?"

I repeated my question.

"...Story? Uh..." He looked around, frantically trying to get out of the situation.

Secret weapon time. My weapon: get teary-eyed to the verge of crying. I used it, crawling out of bed to the side of his hammock. No way to escape now.

"Hell no!" Storm turned the opposite way, covering his head with the blanket.

I burst into dramatic tears, like the time Vector was yelling at me. A/N: Sonic X episode Chaotix Go Into Space Waterfalls were pouring out of my orange amber eyes.

Storm immediately flipped over and demanded that I shut up.

"Ain't gonna work! Vector did that alot, so now, it don't affect me!"

He groaned, holding his ears. "Fine! Just shut up!"

"STORM!" Wave snapped from down the hall. "GO TO BED!"

Storm cursed her, until Jet demanded that we all go to hell and stay there. It all went silent. The albatross grabbed my wings, dragging me over to the bed. He sighed, admitting defeat. He would read me a story.

I cheered inwardly, not wanting to hear Wave holler like that again. Perhaps Storm was right about her "biotchy" behavior as he called it. He tossed me raggedly onto my bed. I sat up, eagerly awaiting the story.

He approached a shelf, carefully selecting an age appropriate book. He tossed a few books aside before pulling out a yellow book. He flicked the light on, showing me the book.

It surprised to saw the least. "One Peice? What kind of book is that?" I asked, staring at the green haired human.

"It's a funny pirate book," Storm explained, flipping to the first chapter.

Funny was the only word I needed to get hitched. I asked him feverishly to read it to me. I winced a little and lied down in my bed, covering up my petite body with the sheet.

Storm began reading. "I'll just read you the first chapter since there long-"

"This is a manga, right?" I interjected with childish integrity.

"Uh, yeah. Why?"

"Espio would always read some manga about ninjas! Like the orange clad one."

Storm chuckled a little before continuing. "Anyway, I'll start. Gold Roger, the King of the Pirates had achieved it all. Wealth, fame and power had all been his. Not surprisingly, the final words he spoke before they lopped off his head inspired adventurers throughout the world to sail the seas..."

Let's just say I was hooked. Intensly hooked. Luffy was kind of like me, with Captain Red Haired Shanks as Vector and Makino as Madam Vanilla. I could imagine what came next. Luffy sailing the seas for his dreams to come true. The sea was a little scary for me since I'm not partial to swimming.

Storm slapped the book shut. "Luffy's adventure...begins ten years later from this same spot. End of chapter one."

I pouted. "Oh, come on! Can you read me some more?"

"No," Storm smirked, placing the book by my bed. He paused for a moment. "How 'bout we finish this next chapter up tommorrow?"

My smile was from ear to ear...well, I don't have any, but you know what I meant! I agreed, but the second I was about to speak, well, just see...

"What did I say?" Wave shrieked kicking the door open. In her hand was her wrench. However, it appeared to get longer with every menicing step she took.

Storm grabbed me, backing up to the wall. "W-w-wait a minute, Wa-wave! I-I was just reading him a story!"

I, too, needed to defend myself from her wrath, but back then, I figured the only females that could cause actual body harm was Rouge and Amy. "Why are ya afraid? It's just Wave! She can't do any harm!"

"What did you say?" they both demanded. Storm's was in a high-pitched nervous voice. Wave's voice was dripping with the lust for our blood on her hands.

She cracked her knuckles, pointing the wrench at me. "I am an insectivore, you know. I eat puny bugs like you, Charmy, so I wouldn't get cocky around me."

"You're insane!" I remarked, flying up in the air. My injuries were almost healed, but they still stung. My flight was now attainable.

Wave flung her wrench at me, hitting me square in the chest. I flopped to the ground, and cried out in pain. Wrenches in the chest hurt, but when you get hit in a place where a wound just healed was like poison.

"Now, Charmy, don't get me angry. That's only a fraction of what I'm going to do to Storm," Wave snickered. She drove her attention back to a horrifyed Storm. She smacked her wrench a few times on the floor similar to that of a batter getting prepared for the swing. A look of eerie pride gleaming in those aquamarine orbs.

Storm crossed his arms. The look on his face showed a sense of confidence. It sort of reminded me of whenever Espio and Vector would fight, excluding the fact that I never got hurt. He flicked at one of his dredlocks behind his head. "I really don't see why you're so upset! In fact, I-"

A loud banging was heard. In came Jet with a knife. His face was hauntingly vengeful. His facial expression was all we needed to know in order to be silent. His "facial expression" was a mask from the hit movie Scream. I got nightmares for weeks after seeing the terrifying flim.

"Sorry, Jet, Storm and Charmy were making too much noise," Wave said, shaking off the effects of Jet's mask.

Jet turned from each of us, then relaxed. He rested the knife by his side. Then took off the mask. He gave a weak smile, saying, "I'd say all of you were making too much noise. Everyone, bed." Jet gave me a somewhat sullen look, then left with Wave following behind.

I noticed this, but had no split second to reply. I shook my head, trying to get the pain to subside in my chest.

Storm kneeled down next to me. "You alright, Charmy?"

I gave Storm a bright smile, nearly collapsing in my bed. "Yeah, Storm! I'm fine. Just weak 'n tired..."

He piled me in his arms, gently placing me in my...bed? Nah, I guess you'd call it a mattress. Storm gave a backwards glance to the hilt of the knife Jet left. He shook his head, while removing it to a drawer. Storm slumped in his hammock, wishing me a good night's rest.

What rest? Here, it was just pandemonium.

I snickered to myself at my own joke. Thankfully, Storm didn't hear. "Storm?"

He groaned. "What the hell is it now? It's ten PM, and we've gotta huge list of things to do, like teaching you how to ride."

"Ride?"

"Extreme Gear. Bed time is now!"

"B-but!"

"Shut up!"

"...I was just gonna say thanks, God."

Storm seemed to freeze up for a moment, then transformed back to normal. He shook his head, sighing in contempt. "You remind me of Boss when he was your age."

"Really?"

"Yeah..."

My turn to freeze up. Best decision now would be to just obey him. Falling asleep was definately a smart choice since the Babylon Rogues were gonna teach me to use Extreme Gear properly. My eyes drooped, heavy with today's events. I could only pray for a better future.