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A few hours had passed since Topaz's story and those who had been listening didn't dare say a thing. Every now and again they would see Shelby doing something, a smile plastered to her face. They did their best to avoid her, in hopes that they wouldn't and up spilling on anything. Shadow seemed to be extra quiet more then normally. It wasn't until around dinner that they finally got to see her.
"Shelby, you've been running around since you performed Chaos Control, don't you think you should be taking it a little easy?" Topaz asked.
"I'm fine, Topaz." She reassured.
"But the Chaos Control is about used up, shouldn't you get some rest or something?" She asked.
"What, you mean that Chaos Control thing is still in affect?" Sonia asked.
"Yeah." Topaz said, nodding her head.
"But that was HOURS ago! Are you saying that it's just about to wear off?" Sonia asked.
"We're still got time." Shelby said, laying back.
"Are you sure"? Sonic asked.
"Well, I am the one who pulled it off." She said.
"She's got a point there." Manic pointed out.
"I'm just glad that Shadow and Knuckles are at the controls, we're almost at the island." Nova said.
"We are?" Eddy asked.
"Yes, we should be there in a few hours, maybe even by sun up to tomorrow." Double D said.
"If the Chaos Control holds." Shelby said.
"What does that mean?" Sonic asked.
"Incase you haven't noticed, time is progressing." Double D said. "Time is still moving."
"Yes but not the whirlpools." Shelby pointed out.
"You only froze time around them?" Manic asked in surprise.
"You know it." She said.
"But that takes a LOT of energy. You'll surely pass out!" Topaz said.
"A small price to pay to bring down Buttnik." She said.
"You're so stubborn sometimes, you know that don't you?" Topaz asked.
"I know it." She said in pride.
"Sometimes I wish I had stayed at home with May and the others instead of coming with you." Topaz teased.
"And then where would I be?" Shelby asked.
"A robotizer." The young fox said. "But power shopping with May is probably better then this! Being amongst pirates I mean."
"I'd go with the pirates, at least I could escape into the ocean, but I doubt I could survive another power shopping trip with THAT echidna." Shelby said.
"Echidna? I thought Knuckles was the last of his kind!" Manic said.
"Nope, most of them just moved into the underground chambers beneath our town." Topaz said. "May and her family and some of the few echidnas that live in town left after an underground flood took out their homes."
"What happened?" Sonia asked.
"To much rain above ground. May and her family were already living top side as well as another echidna friend of ours, Flame, so the echidnas are starting to move in." Topaz said.
"Boy, wait till Knuckles hears about this, he's gonna flip!" Manic said with a laugh.
On the deck…
"We're almost at the island, we should be there in about twelve hours." Garin said.
"If it's so close, then why is it going to take so long?" Knuckles asked.
"Because the winds are dying down, if they keep this up, we won't get there until tomorrow." The brown hedgehog said.
"I guess I get it." Knuckles shrugged.
"Don't we have a job to do?" Shadow asked.
"You know, we could drop anchor so you two could get something to eat." Garin said.
"No, the Chaos Control is about due." Shadow said.
"Do what you want, Jacques and Talaka are in the crow's nest, they'll keep an eye out for anything." Garin said and headed below deck.
Shadow looked up to the crow's nest and wondered what was going on up there.
In the crow's nest…
Jacques looked over the horizon, wondering how he ended up here.
"What's the point of all this? There's nothing out there!" Talaka said.
"I know, but since Scar Blade showed up-"
"DON'T SAY THAT NAME!" Talaka cried.
Jacques practically kicked himself. He had forgotten that the evil pirate had made the young cat walk the plank, nearly drowning the kid he was one of the few who managed to escape from Scar Blade, the others pretended to join him in orders to try and find a way to help Garin. It was thanks to Talaka that Garin was able to save Jacques from three evil sisters who toured him.
"Sorry, Talaka." He said, placing his hand on the young cat's back.
"It's alright." He said, giving him a, thumbs up.
"Hey, what's that?" Jacques asked, pointing over the water.
"What's what?" Talaka asked.
"Look." Jacques said, handing him a pair of binoculars.
The young cat looked into them and focused. What he saw scared him.
"EMBERS! BLUE ONES!" He cried.
"What?" Jacques asked, taking the binoculars.
He looked through them and saw what the young was going on about. There were small blue flames, each having a pair of yellow glowing eyes, not a single one looked friendly. And they were headed straight for the boat! Something started tapping him on the shoulder.
"Talaka, stop it." He quietly said, still watching the flames.
He was tapped again.
"Talaka!"
Jacques turned around and came face to face with, not Talaka, but a Flame! Talaka was cornered on the floor with about thereof them staring right at him! Both of them screamed. Jacques grabbed a bell by the rope and started ringing like crazy. Then, he and Talaka jumped from the crow's nest and onto the rope ladder, climbing down like mad!
"What's going on up there?" Shadow asked the two as they climbed down.
"FLAMES! LOTS OF THEM!" Talaka cried.
"Flames?" Shadow and Knuckles asked, looking at each other.
"What's going on up here?" Garin asked, coming up from below deck.
"FLAMES!" Talaka cried.
"WHAT?!" Garin cried. "Are they from his crew?"
"We didn't bother to look for 'im, three of them had Talaka cornered on the floor." Jacques said.
"They're on the ship?!" Garin almost yelled.
"LOOK!"
Talalka pointed over the water, a ring of the flames had fomed.
"Hard starboard! Hard starboard!" Garin yelled.
Jacques took the wheel and started changing their direction.
"We'll sail around them." Shadow said quietly.
"Uh, Garin?" Talaka asked.
"Yes?" He asked.
"They're moving too!" He cried and pointed. The Flames had indeed moved they were going to crash into them!
"HARD STARBOARD!" Garin cried again.
"WE'RE AS FAR AS WE'LL GO!" Jacques cried.
"IT'S NO USE! WE'RE GOING TO CRASH!" Talaka cried.
Almost as soon as he had said it, the boat crashed into the ring of Flames.
Below deck…
"So, what time is it?" Eddy asked.
"It's about-"
Double D was cut off by a sudden jerk, everyone was sent to the floor by this and struggling to get back up.
"What the hip hop just happened?" Topaz asked, getting off of Manic.
"Look!" Nazz cried.
A HUGE hole had formed and they were taking on water!
"As Captain Squeeze once said, MAN THE BUCKETS!" Sonic cried.
"More like man the pumps." Kevin said.
"He said that too." Sonic told him.
"And never a sea sponge around when you really need one." Shelby said.
"LET'S GET OUT OF HERE!" Manic cried.
"I'm with ya!" Sonia cried.
"Sonia, wait!" Both Eddy and Knuckles cried as she ran out the door. They soon forgot about her and headed for the door as well, they were taking on too much water too fast! Soon they were scrambling to get on the deck.
"Open those sails, we need to keep moving!" Garin called to those already on deck.
"It's too late, Garin! The galley is already flooded with water!" Shelby cried.
"We have to abandon ship!" Ed cried.
"I never thought I'd say this but Ed's right! This ship won't make it!" Double D cried.
"Get the lifeboats!" Garin cried.
"Too late, the Flames have already burned them!" Talaka cried.
"Wait, we still have ours'!" Double D cried.
"Nice thinking, Sockhead!" Eddy said.
They both pulled the tarp off the small escape boat.
"Are you kidding me, this thing can only hold about ten!" Garin said.
"We'll have to risk it!" Shelby said.
"Take Sonic!" Sonia cried. "He can't swim!"
"You're safety is important as well." Garin said, placing his hands on her shoulders. "Yours and your brothers'."
He pushed her and her two brothers onto the boat and then started helping others on. Soon everyone was either swarming to get on the small boat trying to help others on. But in all of the chaos, Shelby noticed Garin heading for the, door that lead below deck.
"Garin, what are you doing?" She demanded as she ran to him.
"I'm going below deck to find others!" He said.
"What, but it's too dangerous!" She said.
"I don't care, I have to find as many as I possibly can!" He said.
"Garin!"
He turned to her.
"Just be careful. I couldn't stand getting you back after five years apart only you lose you all at once."
"Don't worry, I'll be alright, I promise."
She just hugged him. He hugged her back.
"Hurry, we're running out of time." Garin told her gently.
"Alright." She said. "Just be careful."
He nodded and headed below deck and she headed back to the crowd.
"WEMON AND CHILDREN FIRST! BE COURTIOUS!" Manic yelled but no one listened.
"Take him!" Double D said, placing Tune in the boat, knowing he was too young to swim.
"Double D!"
"Nova!" Double D grabbed her wrist and pushed her into the boat.
"Double D!" She said in surprise.
"I'll be fine, just make sure Tune stays safe. You're still injuries, you won't be able to swim with those bandages!"
Nova couldn't argue, he was right and there was no other way around it. Double D was then tossed to his knees. Water was reaching the deck!
"Shadow, get in!" Shelby told him, pushing him forward.
"But what about you?" He asked.
"I'll be fine, I can swim!" She said.
"You mean you're staying?" Shadow asked.
"I'm going to try and make another boat out of the brow's nest!" She said. "Just watch over Topaz for me."
Shadow looked into her eyes.
"Please Shadow, I beg of you!"
'Those words! The same ones that Maria had said, before her death!' He thought.
Shadow snapped out of his shock and saw that Shelby was already climbing up to the crow's nest! But unseen by anyone, Kevin had dragged Nazz onto the boat. Shelby reached the crow's nest. She stood just over the sails, keeping her balance.
"Triple Spin!" She said and cut the crow's nest from the mast! "INCOMING!" She cried and jumped back onto the deck. "HERE! USE THIS!"
The few who had heard her were scrambling into it, some even holding onto the very little bit of mast that was in the look out.
"One at a time! One at a time!" Shelby yelled although no one listened.
A sudden alarm in her mind suddenly went off!
"Oh no." She whispered. The Chaos Control was about used up and in this mess, there was going to be trouble. They passed the worse whirlpools but they were still in danger and with all of this chaos, she would pass off surely.
"KEEP MOVING!" Someone cried.
She was suddenly swept from her feet and to the ground. The water was almost over the railing! She looked back to the door that, lead below deck. She was worried for Garin.
"He's a strong swimmer, he'll be alright." She whispered to herself, sounding more confident then she really was.
The boat gave a hard jerk and tipped to the starboard side. Many of the crew began to slip and fell into the ocean. The lifeboat had been swept out into the ocean, and the many sailors were swimming to it.
"HELP!" One sailor cried, trying to climb onboard.
"BACK OFF!" Kevin cried and pushed him back into the waters.
"KEVIN!" Nazz yelled.
"WHAT? WE'VE GOT TOO MANY AS IT IS!" He yelled.
Kevin was right the small boat already had nearly thirty-six on board and was dangerously close to the water.
"That doesn't give you the right to take lives!" Sonia yelled, pulling Knuckles on board.
"Yeah, back off!" Manic said, pulling Johnny and Plank on.
"HELP!"
They then saw something that scared them: Topaz was being swept away by the ocean!
"TOPAZ!" They cried.
"Hang on, I'm coming!" Sonia cried and jumped in after her.
"SONIA!" Her brothers cried.
They watched helpless as she swam out to the young fox and grab her. They watched in surprise as she pulled Topaz back to the boat and back on board.
"LET ME GO!" Topaz cried. "TAILS NEEDS MY HELP!"
They gasped and let her go. She was right! Tails was struggling to keep his head above the water, but not doing a very good job.
"HANG ON, TAILS!" Topaz cried and took to the air. She flew as fast as she possibly could to her friend. Once she was right above him, she reached her hand out. "TAILS! GRAB ON!"
He reached up and thrashed about a bit before finding her hand! Using every ounce of her strength, she pulled Tails out of the water and into the air.
"C'mon!" Topaz said.
The two foxes flew over the boat and were about to land when someone started swinging something at them.
"What the?" Topaz cried.
"Buzz off!" Kevin cried, swinging the piece of wood.
"Knock it off Kevin and let us on!" Topaz pleaded.
"No way! It's every man for himself!" He yelled.
"You can't do that!" Topaz snapped.
"Watch me!" Kevin yelled and swung again.
"Knock it off!" Nazz, Sonia, and Manic all cried.
This gave the two foxes a chance to land. The small lifeboat gave a jerk. Topaz lost her footing and nearly fell out of the boat. She would have if Shadow hadn't managed to grab her first.
"Thanks." She said.
"Don't thank me just yet." He said.
'I'm doing what you wanted me to, Shelby.' Shadow thought. 'If you make it out…alive, would this make you…happy?'
'I'm not happy about this!' Shelby thought.
She was still on the boat, helping Double D try to find something else they could use as an escape.
"This is hopeless, we're not going to find another lifeboat or anything like one on this thing!" She finally cried out.
"What can we do?" Double D asked in a sort of panic.
"LOOK OUT!!" She cried.
"What?" Double D asked.
"THAT!"
He turned around saw what she meant: the flaming orbs were somehow leading a HUGE wave in their direction!
"BRACE YOURSELVES!" Shelby cried and hit the deck.
The wave hit the ship with great force, sending most of those on board off the ship and into the water. It wasn't good for those on the lifeboat either. What was left of the wave hit them and it still sent many to the water. Kevin, however, was one of the lucky few to be spared and was still in the boat. He then saw that Nazz was still in the boat. If he had been paying attention, he would have seen that Sonic, Topaz, Tails, Shadow, Nova, and Tune had been thrown from the boat, not like he'd care.
"HELP!"
"EDDY!"
Nazz and Sonia made a grab for the bee and started pulling him aboard the boat, causing it to tip only a little. However, to Kevin, it seemed more like they were tipping by three feet when it was more like three centimeters.
"LEAVE THE DORK BE!" He yelled and started pulling the two hedgehogs from the bee.
"LET GO!" Sonia cried.
But Kevin managed to get her and Nazz to slip, and that sent Eddy into the dark waters. He seemed to be pulled by some sort of current to where he didn't know.
"Ouch!" He cried when he hit dry land.
He looked up and saw that, somehow, he ended up back inside of the ship! He then saw a busted window, pouring water spewing from it.
"I've gotta get out of here!" He cried.
He grabbed the door by the handle and started pulling but it was stuck tight.
"HELP!" He yelled.
"IS SOMEONE THERE?"
"GARIN?" Eddy called.
"EDDY, IS THAT YOU?" He called through the door.
"YEAH!"
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN THERE?"
"I GOT SUCKED IN THROUGH A BUSTED WINDOW!"
"HANG ON, I'M GONNA GET YOU OUT OF THERE! GET AWAY FROM THE DOOR!"
Eddy backed away and jumped at what Garin did: he started chopping at the door with his sword!
"WATCH IT!" He cried.
"SORRY!" Garin replied.
"JUST GET ME OUT OF HERE!"
Garin continued chopping at the door while Eddy stayed out of the blade's way.
CRASH!
Garin had rammed the door, making it weaken even greater. He charged it again. There was a splitting sound. He rammed once again and the door finally went down.
"Hurry and get out of here!" Garin told him and Eddy didn't need to be told twice. He was out as fast as he possibly could go while Garin continued to search the ship for those who were trapped.
However they couldn't imagine what was going on above deck. The ship was jerking wildly and it wasn't getting any better. The ship suddenly started to tilt!
"SHE'S GONNA GIVE!" Double D cried.
"We have to stop it!" Shelby said. "Everyone in its path will be crushed!"
"How do you intend to stop a ship that's over a hundred feet long?" Double D asked.
"I have to try!" She said. 'Before the Chaos Control is up.' She thought.
Not even giving her a second chance, Double D watched Shelby as she jumped onto the railing and hung on by the other side. She began spinning her legs like crazy and started pushing the, boat back up.
"THE FLAMES ARE ATTACKING AGAIN!" Someone cried.
Double D looked and saw that the orbs had another huge wave and if this one hit, they'd all be sent to the water below.
"BRACE YOURSELVES!" Shelby cried.
Double D grabbed the railing. The wave hit! A bolt of lightning flashed! The ship was nearly under! Those who were still on board were now trying to get to the lifeboat.
"C'mon, Big Guy!" Manic said, helping Ed onto the lifeboat.
"Thank you, Manic." He said.
"SHELBY!"
Manic was drawn to his sister's call! Shelby was trying to get to the lifeboat the Chaos Control had less then a minute and she had to get to the lifeboat or she'd drown…
Five…
She was getting closer to the boat, stroke by stroke…
Four…
Just a bit closer…
Three…
Closer…
Two…
Closer…
One…
Closer…
Zero…
'NO!'
The whirlpools started back up, whirling at incredible speeds. Shelby suddenly felt so tired she let out a single breath and fell beneath the waves. Double D watched as she went under, unable to do anything for himself.
He was then hit in the back of the head and passed out he was then swallowed by the unforgiving waters. Everyone else was now in danger of the whirlpools, they were at the sea's mercy. And the flames were now circling then, waiting for their chance to attack them when they were helpless. Now one question was on everyone's mind…
'Will any of us survive…?'
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That is a real question. Shelby and Double D are both passed out and sinking fast, Sonic, who can't swim, Shadow, Topaz, Tails, and Tune, who's too young to swim, and Nova, who can't swim with her bandages, are all lost somewhere out on the water! And what about Garin?! He was still inside that thing! Did he make it out? And what about Eddy? And what will become of the others? Anyone who wants to find out what happens next, R&R please.