Chapter Six
"Déjà vu just happened, guys." Knuckles announced as he and Silver entered the kitchen where Tails was preparing waffles, pancakes, and French toast (much to
Shadow's disgust).
"What do you mean?" Coal called over from the table where she sat eating a waffle.
Silver went over and hesitantly sat next to Icefire. She didn't seem to notice.
"Blaze came and asked Silver for help." Knuckles joined Silver at the table. "Y'know, the whole Calcifer ordeal."
"WHAT?!" Icefire jumped to her feet, knocking her plate of waffles on the floor.
"Hey!" Tails called from the kitchen. "I worked hard on those!"
"No duh." Shadow muttered from where he sat next to Coal.
She jabbed him in the side with an elbow. "Eat your waffle."
Shadow stared down his plate-residing enemy.
"Waffle?" Tails, who stood at the counter making them, offered to Shadow.
Silver shook his head and pushed the flash to the back of his mind.
"Eat. It. Now."
Slowly, painfully, Shadow took a tiny bite out of the waffle.
"Silver isn't going to try and fight Calcifer, right?" Icefire slowly sat back down.
"That's his choice." Sonic, who sat a few chairs away from Lizzy, spoke up.
"But he can't!" Icefire pouted.
"Why?" Silver was completely confused.
"Be-because… because… it'll happen again!" She burst into tears, and ran for her room.
"What is up with her?" Silver asked, looking at them all with an even more confused expression.
"She's been hurt a lot already." Tails finally joined them at the table.
Silver shook his head. "None of this makes sense."
"We don't expect it to." Knuckles leaned back in his chair, mouth full of pancakes.
Icefire lay on her bed, crying. There was a knock on the door, and she wiped the tears with her sleeve.
"What?"
"Can I come in?" Coal opened the door a crack and peaked through.
"I guess." She sniffed and wiped her eyes again.
Coal came in and sat beside her on the bed.
"Tough luck, huh?"
"You have no idea." Icefire face-planted the bed.
"Seems like not too long ago I gave Silver one of these talks." Coal grinned, but her words only made Icefire feel even worse.
"Did it help him?" She mumbled.
"Well, I dunno." Coal shrugged. "I think it did."
"Oh."
There was a pause.
"Maybe he'll stay if you somehow make him like you."
"Like me? I thought he already did." She mumbled.
"Well, I dunno." Coal shrugged. "I think he did… but now… well…"
"Some pep talk."
"Hey, I'm trying." Coal looked up at the ceiling. "Just take him to some restaurant or something. It's as easy as that."
"But will it be enough?"
"I dunno." She shrugged yet again. "It might."
"Well… I guess it wouldn't hurt to try." She slowly sat up.
"That's the spirit!" Coal grinned. "Now go get 'im, tiger."
"Excuse me?" Icefire slid off the bed and tried to hide a smile.
"Er, hedgehog."
"Better." She laughed.