(DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own Sonic the Hedgehog or any of their characters and props. But I do own my OCs.)

Chapter 9 – Diving in Your Fears

As the Tornado Suite hovered over the water, everyone stood at the open entrance.

"Uh uh! I'm not going in there!" Sonic whined as he crossed his arms stubbornly.

"You whimp!" Knuckles insulted. "Fine, if you're to chicken to go in, then I will."

"Be my guest!"

"Some hero you are."

"All heroes have their weaknesses. Like Superman and kryptonite."

"That stone could actually kill him. He wasn't afraid like you are with water!"

"Water can kill you!"

While Knuckles and Sonic bickered, Carrie leaned toward Chris and whispered.

"Why won't Sonic go in the water?" Carrie asked quietly.

"Because he can't swim." Chris answered just as quietly.

"It sounds reasonable to me," Carrie stated as leaned away.

Sonic, who overheard the siblings' conversation, pointed at Knuckles. "Ha! You see? Carrie thinks it's reasonable not to have me in the water!"

"Will you two knock it off?" Amy roared. "Knuckles, go get the emerald!"

"Don't order me around!" Knuckles glared as he crossed his arms. "I don't take orders from anyone!"

"You will today!" Amy growled. She pointed at the entrance and continued to shout. "Now, GET IN THE WATER!"

"No!"

"You were just about to go get it!"

"Yeah, BEFORE you told me to!"

In the background, Carrie walked over to the scuba gear and put it on an oxygen mask. No one noticed because they were watching the fight.

"This is a good time build up your strength, Carrie," the little girl's voice stated in Carrie's mind.

"I know," Carrie replied mentally.

"This doesn't make sense!" Tails shouted. "Knuckles you were about go in but you decided not to because Amy told you to?"

"Yep," Knuckles raised his chin up stubbornly. "I don't take orders."

"But you were going to go in any way!"

"Get someone else to do it!"

SPLASH!

Everyone's head turned to the water and saw ripples.

"Uh, who jumped in?" Sonic raised his eyebrow.

"I don't know," Chris looked around and panicked. "The oxygen mask is gone and so is… CARRIE!" Everyone ran to the edge and looked around. "CARRIE!"

"What is she thinking?" Amy thought out loud. "She shouldn't go in there because she's injured!"

"Yeah," Tails agreed with worry. "And that salt water won't feel too good."

SPLASH!

Everyone turned to the second splash and realized a certain hedgehog was gone.

"SONIC!" Amy yelled.

Carrie swam nimbly at first, but she gradually got better. The salt water stung her wounds but she ignored it. Her hair floated around her as she looked in every direction she could. She used her weak limbs to push herself through the water as her search continued.

Dammit! Where is she? Sonic mumbled in his head. His fear of water evaporated when he found out Carrie jumped in. The salt water burned his eyes as he searched for the injured girl.

Aha!

Aha! This must be it! Carrie smiled through her mask as she spotted something shiny. Good thing that we're not too far in the ocean… that would be a tough swim.

She pushed her body toward a sunken boat. When she reached it, she discovered that the emerald was glistening through a crack of the boat. Damn, it's inside of the boat.

"It looks like you have to lift it," the little Carrie sang.

Carrie nodded in agreement as she drove her fingers (on her good hand) under the upside down boat. She placed her feet on the sandy ground and pulled. Damn, I need my other hand but my wrist is broken! Maybe I should go back and tell them where it is.

Before she could swim away, something grabbed her leg. Her head snapped back and she saw an octopus twice her size, creeping out from under the boat. But this octopus was different… it had spikes all over and was black with red eyes.

"HOLY SHIT" the small Carrie exclaimed.

You're telling me! The older Carrie agreed as she struggled to get away from the creature. The creature snaked its way out and there it was! A spiky tentacle encircled a red emerald. Carrie kicked hard as she could but the creature kept dragging her closer. Her hand brushed the sandy ground but then felt a broken piece of wood that was partially buried beneath the ocean bottom. She quickly grabbed it and whacked the creature upside the head. It let go and then screeched angrily. It quickly wrapped its tentacle around Carrie's arms and torso. The spikes broke through Carrie's skin and blood seeped through the water. Carrie squirmed and struggled again but her efforts were useless. The creature pulled her toward his mouth where it revealed a sharp beak. Carrie shut her eyes and waited for her doom.

All of a sudden, she felt two strong arms reach around her and pull her back. Carrie couldn't see who was behind her but she knew who it was. After pulling, Sonic swam around Carrie and ran his feet brutally fast against the octopus. Sonic's feet actually broke the tentacle in two. Once they were free, they pushed themselves to get away. They could hear the creature screech in pain.

Carrie stopped when Sonic wasn't beside her. She turned around and noticed his face was desperate for air. She quickly swam back and put her oxygen mask over his face. After a few seconds, he returned the mask and signaled her to go back. She shook her head no and pointed back at the creature. They needed that emerald. Sonic clearly didn't understand what she was saying so she cupped his face and turned his head toward the creature.

Sonic's eyes widened when he saw emerald in the octopus's tentacle. He turned around and nodded but he still signaled her to go back. She shook her head in stubbornness and look around on the ocean floor. Sonic scowled but it quickly disappeared when the octopus started chasing after them. He turned back to Carrie and tried to get her attention. She was pulling something out of the sand when the creature crashed into them.

All the tentacles entangled themselves around Sonic and Carrie. They noticed that the creature dropped the emerald and gave them its undivided attention. Sonic couldn't move his legs at all… the only free limb was Carrie's broken wrist which gripping on to something new. The creature, again, pulled them toward its mouth to eat them. When they were a foot away from being dinner, Carrie drove a fishing spear into its mouth. The thing screeched again, but more loudly.

Carrie used too much force on her wrist and she grimaced from the throbbing pain. Sonic noticed this and grabbed the spear from her hand. He started attacking the octopus by stabbing it multiple times. After a few more stabs, it limped dead while its inky blood swarmed around it.

Carrie leant her mask to Sonic as he wanted air again. He nodded his thank you and grabbed the red emerald from the sandy ocean floor. They both swam to the surface and were greeted by a gorgeous sunset and worried calls.

"WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU TWO THINKING?"

"Are you guys alright?"

"You two are crazy!"

Sonic and Carrie ignored them as they pulled themselves out of the water and into the Suite.

"Carrie!" Chris kneeled in front of Carrie. "Why did you do that? Are you nuts?"

Carrie just shrugged as she cradled her casted wrist.

"Sonic," Knuckles crossed his arms. "I thought you couldn't swim."

"Instinct says hello, Knux." Sonic retorted as Amy hugged him. His face showed annoyance as he was being clung onto. "Amy, you can let go."

"Well," Tails walked up. "Did you guys' find it?"

"Carrie found it," Sonic answered as he smiled in Carrie's direction. He held up the emerald and smirked. "And here it is."

"Strange," Knuckles observed the emerald as he took it from Sonic. "It's darker… just like the Master Emerald."

Amy huffed in annoyance as she continued to fluff out her pillow. Cream and Cheese were in her room watching with concern.

"What's wrong, Amy," Cream timidly asked.

"I'll tell you what's wrong!" Amy growled as she continued to beat her pillow. "That Sonic is what's wrong!"

"What did he do?"

"He's always rescuing and hanging around Carrie!"

"But Miss. Carrie is nice, in my opinion."

"She is… but Sonic likes her." Amy looked down in defeat. "I try so hard to get Sonic's attention and wish so hard for him to care for me romantically. But he only sees me as a friend."

"But being Mr. Sonic's friend is good, Amy." Cream walked up to her and comforted.

"Yeah, but… I want something more. I love him so much and I would do anything for him to love me back."

"My mom always told me that you can't force someone to love you. You have to step back and let destiny take over."

"I know. But I feel so worthless." A tear began to roll down Amy's cheek. "And Carrie… I don't hate her, I'm just so jealous! There, I said it. I'm jealous."

"Why are you jealous of Miss. Carrie?" Cream tilted her head in curiosity.

"Because, Cream, Sonic likes her."

"I like her too. What's the big deal?"

"No, Sonic likesher romantically. But he will never admit it. I always thought he liked me back but was too proud to admit it. But after seeing how he is with Carrie… now I know for sure he doesn't like me that way."

"What are you going to do now?" Cream asked softly.

"I'm going to step back and let destiny take over."

"How's your wrist now?" Sonic asked as he replaced Carrie's cast with a new one (the old one got ruined from the water). They were both in the medical lab in the middle of the night. They both washed off the salt water; Carrie was now in her pajamas that Sonic got her.

"Better, thank you." She smiled shyly and looked down with a blush. "I didn't know you could make casts."

"I didn't until I watched your grandpa do it."

"Oh, I see." She continued to look down to avoid eye contact.

"Why did you do it?" Sonic lifted her chin so he can see her eyes. He reworded his question when he saw Carrie's confused face. "Why did you go after the emerald?"

"It's," Carrie thought about honestly answering but decided against it. "It's nothing." She sighed as she pulled away and started to clean up the cast-making mess.

"Nothing?" Sonic looked at her skeptically. "Carrie, you have wounds all over yourself and you jumped into a body of SALT water. And then you got MORE wounds from that octopus and you wouldn't leave until we got the emerald. What are you trying to do? And don't say it's nothing, because it's not. You're not telling me something that's on your mind."

"Why do you care so much?" Carrie turned around and looked at him softly. Her question wasn't harsh, it wasn't intended to be. "Why do you care for someone you hardly know?"

"You're my friend… and Chris's sister."

"But you didn't know that when you first found me. I threw rocks at you and held up a knife, and you still wanted to help." Carrie chuckled slightly at the end of her comment.

"Because," Sonic replied softly. "You were hurt... and alone. When I first saw you, it seemed like you had no one at that moment. I couldn't abandon you like that."

"Why?" Carrie looked down sadly. "You wouldn't be dragged into this mess if you had just walked away."

"I rather face a problem than leave someone behind. I'm a hero, remember?" Sonic grinned. "I answered your question, now you have to answer mine."

Carrie sighed. All Sonic wanted was the truth. And after all what he has done, he deserved to get whatever he wants. "Earlier today, I was in my room trying to draw. But I couldn't. After getting frustrated, I walked up to my window to try to clear my head." She paused as she sat down. Sonic was looking at her while listening intently. "When I was near my window, I couldn't help but feel pathetic."

Sonic gaze changed into concern but he let her continue. She kept her head down while explaining her story.

"I constantly need saving, I always need help… now, I can't do what I used to enjoy. But after thinking these thoughts, a voice came out of nowhere and agreed with me. The next thing I know, I'm facing myself as a kid. She started saying things that hurt me and then told me to kill myself. But I told her I couldn't because of Chris. She said more things and then I fought back. I mean, I tried to punch myself, Sonic."

Sonic didn't say anything but you could tell he was listening.

"After that, that's when she told me I need to fight back. I can only fight these 'spirits' by myself. And I can't do that if I let everyone around me help me every time I get a bruise."

"Carrie," Sonic started. "You have been alone for five years; you have dealt with pain for five years. You faced more cuts and bruises by yourself than anyone I know."

"But ever since I got here, I feel like everything is driven around me. And I don't want that. I appreciate the hospitality and everything, but I want everyone to live their lives."

"We are living our lives. You're just in it."

"But-"

"Carrie," Sonic brushed his hand across Carrie's cheek. "I understand you want to build up your strength to fight. But you have been alone for so long… let us help you. There's nothing wrong with help."

Should I let him help?

"Damn straight, let him help!" the younger Carrie wooted. "He's a hunky hedgehog!"

"Sonic?" Carrie blushed as he continued to rub her check softly.

"Yeah?" Sonic was in a daze as he looked into her emerald eyes.

"My alter ego is weird."