(grabs everyone in the most ubar glomp of all time) I'M BAAAAAAAACK!!! I can't believe how long it's taken me!! Oh man, please forgive me! College was turning into a real nightmare! SMEG, I'm glad that's done for now.. even though I haven't written in a good long while, I was definitely ironing out the details on several stories! Namely this one! I think I know where to go from here! So updates will no longer be spaced 4 months apart!
Mewse: Not until September, anyway.
¬¬ Yes, well, thank you for reminding me that the nightmare isn't quite over.
Mewse: It's like Wes Craven but funnier!
Because it's at my expense?
Mewse: EEEYUP! X3 is Piko-Piko'd into the nearest wall
AAAANYWAY. I can't wait to get this underway. Really, if anyone at all is still reading this, I promise the action and drama will be worth it! Namely for fans of Amy! But I've said too much!
Oh, before I forget! A few people to thank! Namely Rachie, Mie, the grand folk from DA and from the SegaSonic RP, Canderous, Rob, The Review Guy, Meganium Girl, ShadowsChicks, and Jen (whom I declare to be my official beta-reader for this story! You heard me Jen! X3)! You all help me keep writing! Thanks so much for your support!
Enough formalities. (grabs a cane like the Captain from MXC and directs the charge) GIT IT ON!
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RETURN TO LITTLE PLANET
by Ryuko DragonHalf
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When Sonic came soaring down from on high, he was relieved to see that his Shaniku-sai fan club wasn't waiting to greet him. The only fans who'd stayed anywhere near the pinball game were Nabeki and her mother. He didn't mind them at all. (Little does he know that Nabeki helped save his life just a few minutes ago!) As he approached ground level, his thoughts returned to the quick battle he'd just won. Something about it bothered him..
-----
Eggman was shocked to see Sonic return from parts unknown, spinning at top speed and remaining in one piece. That wasn't supposed to happen! "You! How did you escape??" he yelled, his voice rising above the last few explosions.
The hedgehog stopped spinning and hung in space for a moment to smirk at his nemesis. "What's it matter? I'm here now!" he boasted. "And it's time for you to blow up, as always!"
He resumed spinning and shot at the unprotected console. Razor spines met steel hull. Sonic felt the familiar tingle of heat as the raw friction he created quickly melted and broke through the tough alloy. This lasted only a few moments, then he was shooting forward again. Now he buzzed and spun inside the machine itself, careful to hit as many important-looking wires as he could find. Sparks flew in all directions, alarms blared in his ears! A crackling hiss, followed by a series of pops, gave Sonic his cue to leave.
He continued his spin attack until he cut another hole near his custom-drilled entrance. As soon as he hit fresh air, Sonic uncurled and took satisfied gasps, smirking. The smoke and sparks from the machine left marks on his skin and fur, but they were nothing. No matter how many times he did it, annihilating one of Eggman's inventions never grew tiring.
The whole process would have been business as usual, if not for Eggman. By now he was usually ranting and panicking whilst taking off in his hovercraft. Of course, this was an illusion of Eggman from the past, so Sonic couldn't really expect the same thing. However, what did occur was something slightly out-of-the-ordinary. The doctor didn't flail and panic, nor did he rant and shout promises of ultimate destruction at his nemesis. Instead, with his creation crumbling around him, Eggman gave an infuriated shudder, and glared daggers at Sonic. His voice took a menacing tone.
"Practice caution, you infernal rodent. Both you and the girl will die. This I guarantee."
Then it burst into flames and fell apart. Sonic had cleared the explosion and turned to give Eggman a questioning look while hanging in space. Smoke and embers swirled around him, his eyes watered, forced to shut them tight.. by the time he could comfortably open them again, gravity had already taken its toll. He'd dropped too far down to see the doctor.
-----
Sonic landed as gracefully as possible, wondering about Eggman's statement. 'The girl? He doesn't mean Amy! How would an illusion know about her anyway? Still...'
Bits of ash drifted down from above. What few fires were left were slowly sputtering and dying where they flickered. The entire pinball game was broken and left in ruin; the clean cuts of Kamakama blades through various machinery made it clear what was responsible. All was quiet.. the quiet atmosphere of victory.
"You did it!!" a high-pitched voice broke the silence, but didn't interrupt the mood. Sonic turned to the voice, only to find a black-and-brown furball latch onto his waist with no intent of letting go.
"Whoa!"
Nabeki was laughing nonstop. She looked up at her hero with shining brown eyes and a wide smile. "You did it! You stopped Egguman and saved EVERYONE! Sonikku-san, you're my hero!"
Even though he didn't understand a word she said, he suddenly thought this situation was becoming uncomfortably familiar. "O-okay, uh, time to go back to see Mom now," he stated hurriedly, ushering the puppy back to her mother. He then realized this was the same puppy he'd rescued when the Kamakama first appeared. Recognition made him smile at the dogs, and extreme relief only added to that -- the older canine gently pried Nabeki from his arm with an understanding grin. Tails and Riyu, who had stopped gaping only seconds ago, met them by the vendor's booth. While they were still a bit embarassed about their last squabble, they knew to give credit where it was due. Both geniuses flashed the pup a pair of thumbs-up, causing her to glow beet-red.
They were all visibly weary; now that the battle was won, they could afford to do so. As spectators slowly filtered back to the devastated attraction, Nabeki's mother gave Sonic and his friends a very kind, warm look. "My daughter has only heard of your heroic deeds, Sonikku-san," she grinned, "but she has never experienced it firsthand. I'm so glad to know she will truly appreciate your hard work. I can't thank you enough for all you've done for us! If there's anything I could do to repay you, please, let me know."
An awkward silence passed. Sonic and Tails looked at each other, exchanged questioning looks, then turned to Riyu and said simultaneously, "Huh?"
It took visible effort for Riyu to resist laughing. "Short-form, she's VERY grateful for our saving the day, and Nabeki, her daughter. She wants to repay us," the dragoon translated.
"Ooooohhhhh," the pair nodded with understanding.
"I haven't taken repayments for being a good guy yet, so why start now?" grinned Sonic. "How d'you say 'thanks but no thanks'?"
Riyu laughed. "Leave it to me," she saluted, and proceeded to politely turn down the offer.
Then Tails looked to the sky, noting the fading velvety black of the night turning to dawn. "Wow, how long've we been awake?" As if his body had just realized this, a lump of air caught in his throat, blocking it for a moment. There was only one way to be rid of that. The invading bubble of air slowly escaped as a loud, exhausted yawn. Tears dotted the corners of his eyes, and he wiped them tiredly. "Obviously long enough..."
His yawn triggered a series of the same reaction among his friends. Sonic went so far as to stretch as well. "Maaaan.. a good sleep sounds great right about now," he groaned. "Let's crash... we can find what we came here for when we're rested up..." He and Tails slowly began trudging off to find a resting spot outside of the park. Riyu, instead, opted to hang back and formally say their goodbyes for them.
Nabeki rubbed her eyes as she turned to her mother. "Mama, can Sonikku-san and his friends sleep at our house?" she requested with a hopeful smile.
Her mother moved to nod, then paused, reconsidering. She had to stop herself from looking at Riyu -- she managed a small glance, and prayed it went unnoticed. "I'm sorry Nabeki-chan, but we have to find your father first. I'm betting he's waiting outside of Shaniku-sai for us, then we can go home."
"But can't Sonikku-san come with us?"
"He's very busy.." She couldn't explain the true reason why she was so reluctant. Despite how bad a reputation the dragoons had, this one was so kind to them, and she was obviously allied with Sonic. The rumors could be false after all. Still, nagging uncertainty nibbled at her judgement, which she couldn't ignore. And the protection of her family came first, always. But would an innocent child understand?
What she didn't realize was that the dragoon child had heard the conversation. To her surprise, Riyu spoke up, tired but encouraging. "It's true Nabeki-chan, we have lots to do still. Maybe we can visit next time! Can you wait until then?"
Nabeki couldn't hide her disappointment. "I guess.." she sighed.
"Hey, cheer up! You did great today! We couldn't have saved Sonikku-san without you, yanno!" Riyu grinned.
This brought a sparkle back to Nabeki's eyes. "Thank you, Riyu-san," she cheered. "You're a nice dragoon, not like the others we heard about!"
"N-Nabeki-chan!"
"Never mind, it's okay," Riyu laughed lightly. Shock was still present on her mother's face, so the girl continued. "She's just a child, and a very brave one at that! You should be proud of her."
The dog hesitated, wondering briefly what Riyu was thinking now. But she couldn't work up the nerve to speak her concern. "Oh yes, Nabeki-chan was very courageous today," she smiled back awkwardly. "Papa would love to hear about your adventure, wouldn't he?"
"Yeah! Let's go tell him everything!" The puppy was soon skipping away from the destroyed arena, excitedly going over the events of the day. "About the game, and how Sonikku-san saved us twice, and about Riyu-san, and the scary bombs! Oh, g'bye Riyu-san!" she suddenly spun around and waved madly. "I hope you'll be safe on your adventure! Come ON Mama, Papa's waiting!"
"I'm coming, you scamp!" her mother chuckled back. "Fare well, Riyu. We'll keep you in our thoughts as you travel." She smiled weakly and chased after her energetic daughter. Riyu waved to them until they disappeared around the corner. Then, staring into space for a moment, she stopped smiling and drifted after her friends.
----------
Child.. wake up! Are you all right? He's broken his connection to the Jikan! Answer me this instant, Amy-chan!
........ Furou.. san?
Oh thank the Almighty, you're alive. You had me worried! What happened to you? Did he hurt you?
Yes... every time..... everything hurts..
Monstrous creature... I wish I could be there to help you.
A friendly voice is helping me lots. Thank you for being there, Furou-san..
Douitashimashite, Amy-chan. Get whatever rest you can, we are due for a jump in time. Although, with this last stunt he pulled, I'm not sure..
No... Kuronosu doesn't have enough strength either. She's resting. The cycle will be delayed..
That shouldn't be a problem--
It's all my fault...
Eh? What is, child?
Everything... if it wasn't for me, Little Planet would be at peace! The Jikan wouldn't have been stolen again, he would have left Sonikku alone, the cycle wouldn't be delayed, and no one would have been hurt! I-I'm so... I cause so much trouble!
Amy-chan, that's not true at all! You're just tired.
No, I've thought about it since I met Sonikku in our memory. All I do is cause him trouble. He's had to save me so much, a-and I've always known he could do it! But this is d-different! He's going to be hurt! All because of me! He needs to -- to leave before --
Aaaah, I see now. Say no more, my dear.. dry your tears. Ojisan Furou knows what's troubling you!
.... n-nani?
Listen very closely to this piece of advice. Ready?
.. Uh-huh..
Whatever you do, Amy-chan.. until the hatred is gone, you must ignore her.
What..??
Believe me, I know what she's doing to you.
I don't understand..
Do not listen to her any longer. Listen only to your heart. While she may try to divide it, she can never change it.
----------
The sun was high in the sky by the time Tails stirred awake. The three furries had chosen to camp out away from Shaniku-sai, in the wide open grassy plain. Factors that lead to their choice included soft grassy bedding, a fair distance from the main cobblestone road, and complete exhaustion. The morning sun hadn't bothered them in the least. They'd collapsed and curled up quite happily. Now, Tails was the first to rise it seemed, later that afternoon. He sat up with a gaping, quiet yawn and peered about.
Nothing had changed about the scenery. That was odd; he was sure Riyu mentioned that the time warp would occur at sunrise. Was she wrong? His tails switched a bit in excitement -- maybe he could poke fun at her about it! She certainly owed it to him. He'd never met someone so rude, let alone a rude girl. Tails looked about in search of the azure reptilian, and luckily, he didn't have to look far.
It turns out that he wasn't the first to awaken. Riyu was already up. The foxling spotted her sitting on the rise of a gentle hill, amidst the tall grass swaying in a breeze. She was looking back and forth, first staring into the gradually turning sky above, then down to her feet for a few seconds, then up again. Her back was turned to him and Sonic, who, by the way, was still snoozing nearby. Tails couldn't help wondering.. she seemed distant. Was she homesick? Nothing had upset her. Wait..
"You can't trust her! You can't trust any griffs! She's lying, I know it!"
"I should warn you, Teirusu. The company you keep isn't, shall we say... the most reputable on this planet."
Kataki really riled her up. He had no idea what they'd argued at each other, but looking at the dragoon now, it must've been bad. True to his nature, Tails decided to find out what was going on, and what better way to learn something than to talk and ask questions?
She was startled briefly by the sound of his spinning appendages, but soon calmed herself. She even seemed to go stiff as he flew near, and curled her knees to her chest when he landed and sat cross-legged next to her. Riyu's eyes were fixed in the distance, where a large body of water rested beyond the plain and glittered in the sunlight. "Konnichiwa, kitsune," she mumbled.
"Uhh.. g'mornin'," he replied uncertainly, but smiling. Riyu could hear it in his voice. Only then did she face him, curious.
"You're awfully happy." The statement held a suspicious tone to it. Whether Tails noticed it or not, she didn't know. He only laughed.
"I've always been a morning person. Sonic can't understand it either." The smile faded just a bit. "You don't seem to be one for mornings.." he began, leaving apparent what he wanted to talk about.
Her response was a gentle snort and half-amused smirk. "Well, in case you didn't notice, it's not really morning anymore." Riyu wore a mischievous, smug expression, a face Tails was quickly getting used to.
"Aw, you know what I mean!" he retorted, flushing. "Don't change the subject, Riyu. Why're you so upset all of a sudden?"
There, a blunt question. She couldn't beat around the bush anymore, and she knew it. Still wearing that half-hearted smirk, she sighed and kept gazing at the dirt. A beat passed, and then she spoke, almost to herself. "Kataki no baka... demo.. she was right. The dragoons have a horrible reputation. Everyone thinks we're immoral, thieving low-lives who think of no one else but ourselves. It's not true at all, of course! You were there, we weren't anything like that to you or Sonikku-san, right?" she asked with a fervent nod.
Tails was a bit surprised. "No, of course not! You were really nice to us." He thought of her attitude towards him being less than nice, but told himself to forget it. That wasn't the issue at hand. Maybe later. "You don't believe what everyone thinks, do you?"
The horrified shock in her eyes blazed to life. A glint of red light flashed, seemingly from her necklace. She leaped up, hovering some feet above the ground, and let Tails have it. "No, thank you, I DON'T believe what everyone else thinks! I know the truth! I know it's the griffs spreading such awful rumors! What frustrates me is why no one else believes it! No matter what anyone does, any other dragoons, any friends, what few we have, nothing will change it! Furou-san and Niisan have tried, so's everyone else, but it's no good! The others are too scared of us to see the truth! Well, not anymore! Just you watch! I'll be the one to make everyone see! The griffs are the real scum here, not the dragoons! So they'd better watch their backs, because one slip in the right time and place is all I need to expose their whole scheme!!"
Tails only kept eye contact with her. He was too caught off-guard to do much of anything else. Even after Riyu stepped down, the blaze dimming, and sat once more, he couldn't find words to say. The young fox watched her once furious facade droop, returning to its depressed state.
"Let them feel like this," Riyu croaked. A strange sense of pain clouded her eyes. "Let them feel so.. alone. See how they like it."
The wind whistled past, reflecting the somber mood surrounding the girl. Tails brushed his unruly locks of fur from his eyes. "Well, if I may correct you on one little fact," he said offhandedly.
Riyu's head whipped up, revealing a glassy gaze. "What?" she snapped.
He paid it no mind and told her with a grin. "You're not alone. Sonic 'n' me are right here!"
Her violet eyes blinked the tears away. She regarded the fox in what appeared to be disbelief, which soon gave way to overwhelming gratitude. "Kitsune, you know what I mean!" she scolded, but a bright toothy grin and a laugh betrayed her thanks. The look was priceless, and Tails would remember that look for whenever he needed to brighten up. After all, this was one of the few times thus far she'd given him a friendly face of any sort.
Their moment was interrupted then, by a strangled cry coming from the cobblestone road leading away from the fair.
----------
"S'okay, take your time! I'll give you a head start!" Sonic called to the figure racing down the road. He took a moment to chuckle at these developments, then lowered himself into a warm up routine. If anything, Sonic was confident when it came to speed. There wasn't a snowball's chance in you-know-where of his target getting away!
Tails and Riyu arrived on the scene just as Sonic was tapping the tips of his trainers against the ground, warmed up and ready to run. The extra snugness his toes felt only made him more eager to get going. "Hey guys! Wanna play some tag?" he offered playfully.
"Uh.. tag?" The dragoon blinked, wondering what a bloodcurdling scream and tag had to do with anything.
"What's going on?" Tails asked, to the point. "Who screamed?"
"Oh that! It was one of the carnies from Shaniku-sai out for an afternoon jog." Now Sonic was shifting from one leg to the other in his slight impatience. "Actually, it was the cat who ran the pinball game. I think he has something we need. Really jumpy though! Soon as I saw him, he panicked and took off. Any ideas?"
"Depends. What'd he have?" asked Riyu. She peered further down the path, where sure enough, the fuzzy outline of a cat pelted towards the giant lake as fast as he could.
Sonic snickered. "A little round sphere wrapped up in that fortune-teller's cloth."
A beat. Then all three whooped and tore after the poor feline.
----------
It didn't take long for Sebiru (or "Sebi-kun", as he was referred to previously) to realize he was running a very hopeless race. Trying to run away from the fastest creature ever known on this planet was like trying to run from your own shadow. On the other hand, he wasn't about to wait for the beating of his life to be handed to him on a silver platter! He knew Sonic recognized the orb he carried. He'd seen the hedgehog fight.
Nope, running was definitely the favorable option. Maybe futile, but at the very least he could live a few minutes longer. It didn't feel so great -- his breaths came short in attempt to keep up with his racing heart. And his legs were ready to collapse beneath him. Sebiru wanted to drop; he was starting to feel faint.
Then he thought of another, even less favorable fate that awaited him if he didn't deliver this package.
Earlier, in the wee hours of the morning, that gorgeous ekisha swooped into his booth and shoved her crystal ball into his paws. She'd rushed him instructions to bring it to Arashumi, where she would pick it up. She left just as the ornament gave a bright flash, and all was chaos when the badniks attacked again.
Sebiru knew that this crystal ball held a very precious treasure. More importantly, he knew that Kataki could use its power. The thought of what she could do to him was much more frightening than what Sonic and his friends could do. She was pretty doggone intimidating in the first place anyway!
So, his desired goal was to keep out of the hedgehog's reach long enough to safely be rid of the crystal ball, and perhaps escape with Kataki's help. The only problem was that Sonic was hot on his heels.
The cat glanced over his shoulder as the beach front drew near. He screeched and tried to pump his already-worn legs faster. As the path turned to silky sand, his progress slowed significantly. He was in deep doo-doo. "Katakiii! They're.. after me! Help!!" he gasped in a desperate panic, hoping the griff was nearby.
Then he heard a low growl catching up to him. "So you ARE in cahoots with that filthy griff!" the young dragoon roared. "You're butt's mine, cat!! Pin him down for me, guys, he knows Kataki!"
What happened next may take a while to describe, however in fact, it only took about ten seconds to accomplish. For starters, Sebiru now knew his fate was sealed by the girl's threat. He spun briefly to see the triad charging full tilt at him. Sonic's feet were a red blur and he was grinning maliciously. The dragoon child was skimming the sand, which posed no impairment to her, pure malice in her eyes. And glancing upward, what looked remarkably like a kitsune was dive-bombing from on high. There was no sign of any ebony saviors aiding him at the last minute. Odds of the feline's survival suddenly dropped to nil. Thusly, he made a split-second decision.
Turning again, Sebiru saw the wide-open ocean known as Arashumi. (To clarify, it would only seem to be a slightly oversized lake to offworlders like yourself, so remember, this is called Little Planet for a reason!) The water was hardly disturbed today. It gently lapped the shoreline and rippled against the strange, towering ruins jutting from its surface. It was the perfect hiding place! Perhaps if he no longer held the prize, they would back off!
He hefted the ball in one paw, swung his arm back, and put his remaining strength into throwing it as far away from shore as was possible. The velvet cover soon flew off, revealing the deceptively see-through crystal ball glinting as it journeyed towards its watery destination. There. Now Sebiru was off the hook!
"YAAAARRRHH!!" came the dual cry. Before the cat could react, he was flying-tackled from behind by Sonic and Tails, which sent him down to kiss sand. His face was graciously lifted up as the hedgehog quickly applied a tight chokehold, rendering him breathless and dazed. It didn't help that Tails was currently seated on his spine and bending Sebiru's leg further back than it normally could. Frankly, he was in a lot of pain, but was much too bewildered to acknowledge it.
Scratch one baddie. Now to take care of the goodie! Sonic's head snapped up from his captive to the orb dropping towards the water. "Just great," he muttered. It just HAD to be water.
"I've got it!" cried Riyu. She felt an unexpected rush of excitement, seeing the Jikan in peril. Her hovering ability made itself useful, allowing her to shoot across the water's surface. Both eyes stayed on the prize. If she could catch it.. if she could save it! That would prove she was Chosen material! Closer, closer... her heart thudded smartly against her ribs. She was just beneath it! Water sloshed everywhere as Riyu made a fantastic leap. If she had looked, Riyu would have seen her necklace flash again.
The ball was almost directed straight into her claws...
She could have cried right there. "Y-yattaze!! Ha ha, take that Kataki no baka!" the girl cheered, hugging the ball close. She felt like she could fly...
On land, Sonic and Tails sighed in relief. Their captive had decided to play dead for the time being. "Awright, one down!" rooted the foxling.
Sonic added his own, "Nicely done Riyu!"
And that's when something exploded out of the water with a squeal, headed straight for Riyu in a dramatic spray.
----------
..... Closer. Two whole Jikan and one half, closer together.
Yes... strength......
..... You speak that language. You cannot deny it.
....... bad habits.. die.... hard.
It is curious that even after so long, you detest anything to do with him.
Keh.... I say the same.. to you...
How perceptive. I wondered about your reasons for allowing me to control the Jikan as such. We are alike.
To.... a.... point.......
Rest, creature. I require your power at a later time.
.................
Fear not. None of your precious people are dead, as promised. Hurt, perhaps. It is unavoidable. When I win, you win. The price is worth paying. You comprehend this, do you not?
......................
Your strength has ebbed. You wish to regulate the time schedule of this accursed planet. Very well. I shall converse instead with my prisoner. She must be so lonely.
----------
It was about twice Riyu's height length-wise, streamlined, and bore a large dorsal fin running along its back. Save for it's pale grey-ish belly and most of its face, the slender creature had a faded lavender hide. The eyes were placed oddly, yet somehow appropriately, more towards the corners of it perpetually smiling mouth, which creased across its blunt muzzle. Large stiff fins and a powerful tail helped guide it through the air for its jump. This is the animal Riyu was about to collide with on her trip downward, and she was caught too much off guard to dodge it effectively. "KYAA!! Watch it!!" she shrieked, her claws tightening firmly around her crystal ball.
"Squeeee-eek-eee!!" the creature whistled back, equally surprised. It curled so that it faced down once more, likely trying to avoid a sudden meeting. This caused its tail to fly up and meet Riyu in a hearty slap instead.
Tails and Sonic had no clue what the animal was or if it intended to hurt Riyu. Regardless, they gaped at the scene, and could hear her pained cry upon impact. She was sent hurtling into the water, seemingly limp, except for her grip on the sphere. Tails leaped off of Sebiru's back just as she splashed down. "We gotta make sure she's okay!"
Sonic's hold slackened slightly around the cat's neck and he moved as though to drop him altogether. Then he hesitated a bit, thinking about the imposing element he would have to face. Our hero would never consider simply abandoning Riyu! But how to deal with his inability to swim? "Go ahead and dive under," he ordered Tails. "You're better at swimming than me. I'll find something to tie this guy up."
The fox nodded in complete understanding, then shouldered off his pack and took a running jump into Arashumi. A deep breath and a sploosh, and he was gone.
Sebiru needed a few moments to catch his breath when the hedgehog released the chokehold. Not until after he'd regained his senses did he realize that Sonic had long since hog-tied him, using a rope retrieved from Tails' abandoned pack. He wriggled uselessly in protest. "H-hey, let me go this instant! I gave up the stupid Jikan, that's all you wanted! Oh man, I'm in enough trouble as it is! Gimme a break, huh??"
Sonic was gathering his nerve at the water's edge. He waved a careless paw at the cat. "Sorry guy, can't understand a word you're saying! If you'll excuse me.."
"Kataki! Kataki!" he shouted desperately. If Sonic didn't know the language, he at least could understand a name. "Kataki.. will.. kill.. me! Do you understand, if you leave me here I'm going to be beaten to a bloody pulp!"
At last Sonic turned around. His quills waved in the coming ocean breeze. "Kataki, huh? You were gonna meet her here then? Makes sense now, you had her trinket.. she won't be happy to find you here without it. No worries pal!" He then jogged over and grabbed Sebiru by his tied-together limbs.
"What are you doing to me now??" wailed the cat, his ears pressed firmly backwards.
"You don't wanna run into Kataki here, do you? Relax," he gave Sebiru a good shake to calm him down, "I'm hiding you! Not the greatest location, but I'm in kind of a hurry, you'll hafta make do." Sonic then took off without further explanation, back towards Shaniku-sai.
----------
Minutes later, the hedgehog had returned alone to the beach. He surveyed the water before him with a vary large rock sinking into his gut. There was abolutely no sign of either of his friends. Not even a dying ripple. Tails should have come up for air by now, not to mention Riyu. "He better've found an air jet down there," he muttered. "I'd better go make sure everything's all right..
"Okay hedgehog, get it together! You've tackled this place before, and you hafta tackle it again to get this next Jikan anyway. Your friends are fine, maybe they already found it and are just waiting for you." Sonic finished his self-pep-talk after a few deep breaths. He'd only do this when absolutely no one else was watching. "All you gotta do is go in, get 'em, get out. Do it for Amy. And, well, the whole planet, of course, heh. Right! No problem! Here goes."
He backed away from the water. Then he revved up his figure-eight boost, charged at the water, launched himself into the air from the shoreline, then took one last gasp of precious air as he broke through the surface. All that remained were dying ripples.
----------
As for Sebiru...
"YOU (blanking blank) HEDGEHOG!!"
Flickies tore out of the foliage of the rainforest. The infuriated noise came from Sebiru, who was not only hog-tied, but also dangling from a high tree branch. No amount of struggling would free him, but did that stop him from making a ruckus?
"NONE of this is worth all those Jikanis, none!! .. well, maybe some.. grrrr. Stupid hedgehog, stupid griff!! Stupid everyone! Yeah, even you, featherbrain!!" he hissed at a curious Flicky. The bird squawked and dove for cover. "Go ahead and run! I don't need you! I can get out of this all by myself! And then I'm making them all pay.. ALL OF THEM! WAHAHAHAHAHAAA!!"
Hysterical laughter is usually accompanied by wild movements. This was no different. As Sebiru's high-pitched cackles echoed away, the branch could no longer take the strain of supporting the crazed kitty. It finally curled, bent, groaned, and cracked in two. Sebiru was sent plummeting about fifty feet to the ground.
"BwahahaaaaAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH--" SMECK!! He kissed dirt yet again.
And the Flickies twittered in a chorus of giggles.
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The one thing Sonic doesn't need to worry about, concerning water, is that he's never disoriented. He sinks like a brick for reasons unknown, standing as if it were perfectly normal to do so underwater. One may guess that his shoes are the cause. Why else would he land feet first? We may never know! The real problem is that once he's down, it's darn near impossible to get back up. Sometimes he gets nervous about that.
Nerves are what made him search frantically for an air jet as soon as he touched down. Sonic's fingers had clamped his nose shut tight. He didn't pay much attention to the fact that all of Arashumi looked like a submerged city of ruins.
Where the heck was an air bubble??
Another thing he hated about water: the speed he was reduced to. Swimming lessons were always lost on him. Thus, his only available option was to jog as fast as he was able. Which took a LOT longer than he preferred. Oh well, it was better than staying still and waiting for his oxygen supply to run up.
Speaking of, that bubble wasn't making its presence known. Time to hoof it.
Sonic jumped down from the small ledge, reminding himself of his previous adventure here, and noting his surroundings once again. This was indeed a slowly crumbling ruin. It must have once been a large city. The only pearly-tinted structures left standing were towering buildings that reached up and actually protruded the water's surface. Scattered shorter constructions and crumbling, marble pillars comprised the remainder of Arashumi's bottom, but as one sank lower, they decayed even further until all was rubble.
Logic decreed that underneath rubble, pockets of air had been trapped. Those were Sonic's only saving grace now; he had sunk too far to jump back up in time and find a more favorable location. He shoved rocks away and dug through a layer of silt, while his lungs were ready to pop. He could feel them burning, desperate to draw in something, anything, even the water! Sonic wasn't stupid. With jaws clenched shut tight, he clawed at the debris and prayed his guess about air pockets was right.
And it was!
The bubble that suddenly emerged was smallish, but enough to give his body the air it desperately craved. It started to rise lazily. Sonic forced his legs to jump. He started to give in. A few bubbles filtered from his mouth. That was okay, he would reach wonderful air soon..
No! He wasn't rising fast enough! The bubble drifted higher and higher out of his reach.
Hurry! Hurry!! Grabbing at it would only destroy it!
Paddle, hedgehog!
Blood pounded in his ears. Arms and legs pumped madly, shoving water downwards. He inched towards his goal.
Heart pounding faster, more urgently.. counting down to his last gasp... soon his lungs would inhale water... he couldn't hold it back!
He needed air! Now!!
"Guh-huuup!" gasped Sonic.
And air filled his lungs again. He'd reached the bubble.
Sinking down again, he willed himself to resist panting as his heart and lungs calmed. Always the first breather that was the most nerve-wracking. It set a bar for him to meet. Since he could do it at least once, a few more times posed no immediate threat.
'Okay,' he thought to himself. 'A fresh breath. I can do this! Still no sign of Tails or Riyu.. but this is a pretty big lake. Or ocean. Ah, whatever! I just gotta keep myself going and get outta here!'
He navigated the piles of gravel and silt as best as he could, stopping every minute or so to dig out more air. Fish of all kinds stroked through the water with the greatest of ease. Some paused to acknowledge the strange blue thing taking a stroll through their home, then moved on without a second thought. The environment was becoming a bit more familiar to Sonic, and he was even able to recognize a few landmarks from the last time he'd fought his way through here. None of the devices he'd used before, like the vaccum-tubes, were around. They were placed there to help Eggman's aquatic minions travel quickly and ensure complete takeover, but those had been kinda handy.
Sonic's train of thought was suddenly interrupted. A curious song echoed through the waters. The notes rose and fell, very much like the gentle lull of the ocean waves. It sounded like a dolphin's whistle, although not quite so high. And it only lasted long enough for the unexpected to happen.
When the music reached his ears, Sonic became confused -- his eyes were open and aware of the pillars before him, but in his mind, he "saw" something else. (Think of a passing figment of your imagination as you stroll down the street. You know all about the cars racing past, but at the same time, you "see" pictures in your head.) The hedgie stopped. He tried to comprehend what was going on.
The images in his head were confusing ripples of lines at first.. then they organized themselves, forming two distinctly familiar shapes. For reasons presently unknown, he could "see" Riyu and Tails! Alive and well, and... swimming? He nearly let out his breath in surprise, wondering why he saw them like this. Where did that song come from? Why was he "seeing" his friends swimming in his mind's eye, but not anywhere around him, no matter where he looked?
He forced himself into a series of long, slow jumps, and floated to the top of a broken building to get a better survey of the area. There was no telling how far from shore he was. All Sonic could see was the usual. Fish, water, water, more fish, even more water, three figures paddling out of the darker-blue distance, some pillars, water-- huh? He blinked and squinted as the figures drew closer to him. Two smaller things swimming on either side of a larger thing.. and the smaller things looked like they had legs.
More detail allowed him to catch a hint of orange fur contrasting the navy surroundings. He only knew of one person who'd have orange fur underwater! Sonic started waving his arms as wide and wildly as the water would allow, trying to get their attention. He wanted to shout to them, but that would have been a fatal mistake, of course.
It must have worked, because the three started swimming even faster! Yep, it was true -- there were Tails and Riyu, alive and well and swimming. Was that earlier picture some kind of psychic forewarning of things to come? But he hadn't "seen" that third animal, which was actually the thing Riyu had a close encounter with a while ago. It oddly resembled a dolphin, with a blunter snout and longer neck.
That's when Sonic remembered his chat with Furou, and suddenly, all made sense. The ancient dragoon had told him about these creatures. They were known as the Delphs, aquatic mammals gifted with the power of song. They communicated by "singing" pictures into the other's mind -- something to do with controlling sound waves, Sonic had guessed. So this delph was telling him that his friends were okay and coming closer. At least delphs were friendly... but wasn't there another race living down here?
As they drew nearer, he noted on closer inspection that something covered his friends' muzzles. It looked like a clear mask of some kind, without any strings attached. And their mouths were open! Were they actually breathing? Well, it looked like they were shouting something...
Then the delph opened its mouth. Out came another brief chorus of notes, in squeaks and whistles. His mind's eye instantly "saw" ripples forming a picture of himself.. jumping away from the building he was on. The building was being destroyed by a large shark creature, its teeth bared and reaching for him.
Crap! That was the other race he was told to stay well away from! The Kyoshi!
He followed through with the delph's warning and leaped away from the structure. Seconds later, the hedgehog both heard and felt a large something charge into the worn stone and crag, smashing it to bits. Foam and bubbles flew everywhere, as well as debris. Sonic turned to see if any good-sized air sacs were coming his way; he would need air soon.
What came wasn't a gentle bubble. Instead, a chunk of rock flew at his stomach. Sonic couldn't dodge in time. The speed of the chunk was enough to knock into his gut.. and force all remaining air out of his lungs.
Sonic clapped both paws over his mouth, looking up wild-eyed to see his own air rise up, up and away. Glancing back at the building, he locked his gaze on a welcoming roar and two rows of jagged teeth, charging at him, ready to snag him in one gulp.
Oh yeah. He was done for.
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Thus the reason for my adding in the extra bit. It makes a MUCH better cliffhanger! XD So who all hates me? C'mon, be honest now!
And yes, this is kind of a cheap way to buy me some time as I write up the next chapter. I could try to argue that it adds to this chapter, which I truly thought was lacking something, and that the next chapter has lots of stuff without this last bit, so it's not really neeeeeeeded for chapter 12. But say what you like! I done what I did and I'm not ashamed! Now to get back to more writing.. say, a review would definitely speed things along! (shameless plug beg plead whimper puppy-eyes)
NEXT TIME: Looks like there's a conflict of sorts between the two dominant races of Arashumi. Can you guess what they're fighting over? Even more problems arise - the Jikan's power is abused yet again! Not good for those who need air! Is someone going to drown? STAY TUNED! (Bonus: spot the guest appearance!)