Well, here's chapter eleven.
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"What is this place?" Manic asked as they approached an old building.
"This is it!" Shelby said.
"What's it?" Sonic asked.
"This is Sammy's!" Topaz said.
"This place is a restaurant?" Sonia asked.
"No, but the basement is a soda bar." Shelby said.
"Soda bar?" The others asked.
"Yeah come on, it's this way!" Topaz said, pointing to a staircase that led into the ground.
Shelby and Topaz took the lead and walked down the stairs quickly. Rolf followed after, still growling under his breath. Nova and Double D quickly followed him, the triplets followed soon after, Nazz looked around and quickly went down the stairs and Tune and Tails ended the chain.
"Are you, bunch of cowards quite through?" Shelby asked.
She got no answer.
"Oh for the love of…" She grumbled under her breath and knocked on a door near the stairs.
A slot moved near the top of the top and a pair of eyes looked out.
"Yeah?" A gruff voice asked.
"Flame, it's us!" Topaz happily said.
"Shelby? Topaz? Is that you? Why I haven't seen you in months! Come on in!"
The slot closed and the door opened, revealing a light purple echidna wearing a deep red poncho and white sandals.
"Come in girls." Flame said.
Shelby and Topaz entered but Flame stepped in the way before any of the others could.
"Calm down, Flame." Shelby said. "They're friends of ours'."
"All of them?" He asked.
"Yes, all of them."
"Alright." He said and moved out of the doorway.
The others quickly enter and looked around. It was a brightly lit bar but this one was filled with children and teenagers, drinking soda. They were either chatting with friends or playing around
"Wow." Sonia said in awe.
"How'd you guys know about this place?" Manic asked.
"Shelby was a singer here a few months ago." Topaz explained.
"Yeah, then I got caught up in a group of Freedom Fighters and the rest is history." She explained.
"Cool." Sonic said.
"Come on, if there's anyone who knows anything that's going on in this town or about anyone its' Sammy."
"So, which one is he?" Sonia asked.
"There he is!" Topaz said. "The one working the bar!"
Double D turned to the bar and a green hawk was cleaning a glass behind it. He held it up to his eye to make sure he didn't miss anything and he pointed it right at Shelby and Topaz.
"Whoa! Shelby! Topaz! Is that really you?" He asked as he pulled the glass out of his sight.
"Hey Sammy!" The two said and ran up to the counter.
"Man, it has got to have been at least six months since I last saw you guys! How've you been?"
"Great, Sammy." Shelby said. "Sammy, I'd like you to meet our friends. Sonic, Sonia, Manic, Double D, Nazz, Knuckles, Tails, Tune, Rolf, and Nova."
"What's up?" He asked.
"Sammy, we need some info on someone in town." Topaz said.
"Well, if you're looking for Garin, he's looking for a new helmsman because his flaked out." The hawk said.
"No, not him." Topaz said.
"Well, you know I know everything about everyone in this town and all the rumors that go around." He said. "So who do you need info on?"
"Someone called Shadow the Hedgehog." Shelby said.
Sammy stopped what he was doing all together and most of the surrounding activities did as well.
"I'm really beginning to hate it when they do that." Sonic grumbled.
"You want info on Shadow huh?" Sammy asked.
"Yeah, why, don't you got any?" Shelby taunted.
"Yes, I have a bit but you might want to order a few drinks." Sammy said. "His story is a tragic one at that."
"Okay, just tell us." Shelby said, placing a small handful of tiny gems on the counter.
"Where are you getting all of those gems?" Double D asked.
"Would it help if I told you it's not against the law?" She asked.
Double D quickly looked away and saw Sammy placing a glass in front of him.
"Well, Shadow's story is a sad one at that." Sammy began as he continued to clean another glass. "They say he was left on the doorstep of a great scientist, others say he was created in one of the labs but still others say that aliens left him there, only he knows for certain. He grew up alongside the scientist's granddaughter, Maria. They were best friends."
"Well what made him so bitter?" Tails asked.
"I'm getting there." Sammy said. "What happened next, nobody ever likes to hear. One night, a thief broke into their home and threatened them with a gun. The scientist, professor Gerald, told Shadow to take Maria and escape their home. Being his only family left, he wanted them safe."
Everyone stayed quiet as they noticed a small tear running down Sammy's face.
"Shadow did everything he could and more to save Maria but in the end, it was the other way around. In the end, it was Maria who saved Shadow but at a terrible price…"
Sammy had a stream of tears running down his face now and they all knew what happened next.
"Afterwards, Gerald was killed as well. Shadow as alone in the world…I don't know what happened after that but what I do know is that he ran away from his home and eventually came here. He once even showed me a picture of Maria and I could see why he missed her so badly. Even though she was a human, she was beautiful in every way."
Sammy stopped again.
"There are humans in this world?" Nazz asked.
"Yeah, but most mobians don't trust them because of everything that Buttnik's done." Sonic explained.
"What happened next, Sammy?" Topaz asked.
"Well, I thought that Maria was gone too for a while but when I saw Shelby for the first time, I thought that I was seeing a ghost because her eyes are just like Maria's."
"My eyes are just like a human's?" Shelby asked.
"Yes, but then I remembered that Maria was a human so I knew that it wasn't possible. He feels that if he had been stronger, he could have saved her. Now, he doesn't want to have any friends or do anything with anyone because it hurts so much."
"The poor guy." Nazz said as she wiped a tear from her eye.
"Yeah, no wonder he was like that earlier." Topaz said.
"Yeah, I can understand that, I felt the same when Robotnik robotized my Uncle Chuck." Sonic said.
"And when I lost Lady Windimere." Sonia said sadly.
"And Ferral." Manic said, looking to the floor.
"You ALL lost someone to the robotizer?" Double D asked.
"Yeah, it feels like a big chunk of your heart was ripped from the inside out." Manic said.
"More like a metal stake was slammed right through it." Sonia said.
"Those are BOTH good ways to put it." Sonic said.
"Well, Shadow won't be getting Maria back when we beat Robotnik," Sammy said. "She's gone for good."
"The poor guy." Sonia whispered.
"Well, we still need his help, no matter what happened in the past." Shelby said. "Do you know where we can find him?"
"Well, it's said that Shadow hangs out around the old SWATbot factory district. You should check that area out first, he's been seen going in and out of the largest one." Sammy said.
"Okay, let's check out that area first, see what we can find." Shelby said, getting out of her seat.
"Be careful!" Sammy called. "That Shadow is a dangerous one."
"If I remember correctly, we've faced even more dangerous." Shelby said.
"Okay, but still!"
"Don't worry!"
Sammy could only watch her and the, group leave and then worry.
"May Shadow have mercy on your souls." He whispered and got back to work.
Ten minutes later…"So, this is the SWATbot factory district?" Shelby asked." Not as scary as I thought."
"Well, it is to me!" Topaz whimpered.
"Would you relax?" Shelby asked.
Double D could tell that she was getting to be pretty tense. The large, old, deserted building that stood before them gave off a bad feeling and Double D was totally scared by it.
"So, how do we decide the one that goes in?" Sonic asked.
"I will." Double D said.
Everyone looked at him like he had just said that he was going to robotize himself.
"Double D, are you sure?" Nazz asked.
"If it is to help this world regain its' freedom, then I must." Double D said.
"Oh Double D, you're so brave, I'll never forget you!" Nazz cried and hugged him. Then she surprised him by kissing him on the cheek! Double D walked into the building like a love struck idiot.
"I'll give five minutes before I go in there and get him out." Shelby told the others.
There was a loud crash from the inside.
"Two minutes." She corrected herself.
Inside…Double D looked around, he had knocked off some barrels and caused a huge crash.
"I hope Shadow didn't hear me." He mumbled.
Double D glanced around all seemed quiet. Double D made his work quick and became invisible so Shadow would not see him. After a minute, he had somehow managed to scan almost the whole factory! Only one place left: the boiler room. Double D crawled as fast as he could along the walls he was starting to enjoy being a chameleon.
'This isn't TOO bad!' He thought. 'I could get used to this. Maybe I could remain this way when this is all over. But what would Mother and Father think? Oh, they will surely think that I have gone mad.'
Double D was so caught up in his own thoughts that he didn't notice that he had made it to the boiler room. Once he did realize, he shook the thoughts out of his head and snuck in. He didn't even have a second to look around before he came face to face with the black and red hedgehog! He had a gun in his hand and it was pointed right at Double D!
"I know you're there." He hissed. "You've got ten seconds to get out before I blast your head off!"
Double D slowly backed off, not wanting to take any chances.
"Ten."
"C-Can't we talk this over?"
"Nine."
"P-Please, just hear me out!"
"Three."
Realizing Shadow had just skipped eight numbers did Double D realize that he was serious! He turned tail and made a mad dash for the door.
Outside…"Two…one." Shelby finished counting down Double D's two minutes and looked to the factory. "I'm going in."
The blue hedgehog quickly walked up to the building when she heard someone come running out! Double D ran out of the building, behind Shelby, and started shaking like a leaf!
"Double D?" Nazz asked. "What happened?"
"Shadow threatened me with a gun!" Double D cried.
"What?" Soon all of the others were crowding around him, asking and making sure he was alright…well almost all of them. Shelby just stared at the building she looked like she was lost in another world. She blinked hard and snapped out of it.
"Double D, where did you see him?" She asked. "Which room was it?"
"The boiler room." Double D said.
"That's all I needed to know." She said.
The others watched in shock as she walked to the building and went inside!
"Shouldn't we go after her?" Double D asked?
"Don't worry about her, Double D." Topaz said. "I think she's going to find Shadow and get some answers."
In the boiler room…Shelby stuck her head in first and checked around. The black hedgehog was nowhere in sight!
"Must have left when Double D made a break for it." She mumbled under her breath.
She continued to look around. The room was not was what she thought it would be. There was a small nightstand, a lamp, a bookshelf, and a bed placed right next to the boiler! The blue hedgehog cocked an eyebrow and went in. She slowly looked around to make sure that there were no booby traps. There were none.
"I don't like this." She mumbled. " My radar's telling me that this guy is hiding something."
As she passed the nightstand, she noticed a picture placed on it. She picked it up to get a better look. In the picture, there was a young human girl, about fourteen, she had long blond hair, a blue dress, a blue jacket, a blue ribbon in her hair, and big beautiful blue eyes.
"Whoa, Sammy wasn't kidding. Her eyes do look like mine!"
"I'll give five seconds to put down the picture!"
The blue hedgehog turned around and saw Shadow, a gun in his hand and it was pointed right at her!
"I'm not going to say it again! Put the picture down!"
Shelby wasn't focused on Shadow but on the gun. She slowly placed the picture back on the stand, not taking her eyes off the gun. Shadow walked past her, and she remained still. Flashbacks from her past flooded her mind and eyes. Shadow picked up the picture and put the gun down. Shelby blinked hard again and looked at Shadow.
The black hedgehog looked at the girl in the photo and compared it to the on in front of him. He looked at the blue hedgehog in shock when he saw their eyes! They matched!
"I already told you, I'm not going to sail with you." Shadow hissed.
"I'm not here because of that." Shelby said. "I'm here because I know about Maria."
Shadow's heart jumped! She knew?!
"I know that it hurts when you lose someone important to you." She continued. "How the pain never really goes away. I lost…two people who ever very important to me."
Shadow continued to look at her. Her eyes were filled with sadness and pain but Shadow could tell that it was all from more then just losing them there was something else, something more painful.
"Who were they?" He asked.
"…My parents."
Shadow's heart jumped again! Her whisper was so quiet that he almost missed it. He looked at her again. Her head was down, her eyes were focused on the floor, her ears were limp, her arms hung loose, her hands were clutched tight. There was no way that she could be lying!
"I'm sorry." He whispered.
"It's nothing." She said, looking up.
"So, what's your name?" He asked.
"Shelby, Shelby the Hedgehog."
Shadow looked at her. Her name was like his in a few ways and the name of that famous Sonic he had been hearing so much about lately.
"YIP, YIP YAHOO!"
"What was that?" Shadow asked.
"Sounded like Ed." Shelby said. "He's a friend of mine but the guy is a real screwball. He's not even supposed to be here!"
"Shelby!"
"In here, Topaz!"
"SHELBY!"
The young fox came running in, and jumped into the arms of her best friend.
"Who's that?" Shadow asked.
"This is Topaz, she's my best friend." Shelby explained.
"Do you have other friends?" Shadow asked.
"A bunch, not all of them are here though." Shelby said.
"Yeah, most of them are back home." Topaz finished.
"How many are there?" Shadow asked.
"Too many to count." Shelby said.
"Yeah, you usually lose count at about twenty." Topaz agreed.
Shadow continued to look at her. This hedgehog was unlike anything or anyone he had ever seen or met before. She was sweet but also tough. She had a good heart and acted as a leader at times. He could tell that she was loving but also hard. She was smart but also acted her own age. She was, so many things rolled up into one.
"Why do you need me to come with you to Castaway Kay?" Shadow asked.
"Because the two helmsmen that were supposed to take us there flaked out." Shelby said.
"We're going there as a response to Queen Aleena!" Topaz said.
"Queen Aleena?" Shadow asked.
"Yes, she sent us a message telling us hat we're needed there." Shelby said. "We still need a second helmsman with those rough waters near the island though."
Shadow continued to watch her. She needed him to help follow an order from the queen! That's why she was asking him. Most people wouldn't even ask him to fetch a glass of water these days but she was asking him to do something big! He thought about it for a moment.
"Alright, I'll go with you." He said.
"You don't have to if you don't want to." Shelby said, placing Topaz down.
"No. I think that Queen Aleena has something to do with my birth family and I want to know what. Maria always told me that if it wasn't for Queen Aleena, I wouldn't be here."
"Well that's deep." Shelby said. "But are you sure?"
"Yes, positive." Shadow said.
"Okay, lets' go tell the others." Shelby said. "Shadow, hurry up and pack and meet us at the docks by noon."
"Got it." Shadow said.
Shelby took Topaz by the hand and led her away from thermo and out the door and the whole time, Shadow was watching and he started packing.
Well, didn't see that coming, did you? But no the real question is: what will happen when they get to Castaway Kay? R&R please to find out.