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Garin just sat there, thinking. Shadow had requested for him and the others to go and search for Shelby. Garin couldn't blame him for wanting to find her, who wouldn't? But he knew that there were dangers of going off alone in this place. Something terrible could happen. He sighed and finally came to the question: Shelby's the one on the line, am I going to risk her? Finally he came to his answer.
"You may go and find her, Shadow." Garin said. "Just be careful."
"Of course." Shadow said with a nodd.
"If you're not back by sun down we'll send a search party for you in the morning." Garin said.
"So I've got over twelve hours?" Shadow questioned.
"Exactly." The brown hedgehog said, nodding his head.
"That'll be more than enough time." Shadow said.
"If you say so." Garin nodded. "Good luck."
Shadow nodded and walked out of the hut. Garin was still too weak to walk very far, and Jacques wasn't about to let him go out there and end up getting himself hurt when he can barely walk even ten steps. Garin forced himself to the door and watch as Shadow gathered up Double D and the others. Even Kevin wanted to find the missing hedgehog. Garin sighed as he watched them go into the jungle.
"May Queen Aleena look after you…" He said quietly. "May she look after us all."
Somewhere in the jungle…
"HIYA!"
She kicked another tree out of her way. Quite frankly, the young hedgehog was getting very ticked about being lost in this jungle. She had searched for camp since sun up and even then it was dangerous. The flames were everywhere. She couldn't escape them for more then an hour. She had managed to lose them by escaping into sources of water and by fighting them when they returned to normal.
"I hate ghosts." She growled.
She kicked a patch of leafs out of her way and walked through the bushes. She found herself in a glade, it was quite clear and seemed safe enough. She took a few steps out into the clearing, just incase. It was all clear.
"I should be safe here…for a while." She said.
Shelby was so tired from all of the fighting and running she had done in the past few hours, she had to sit down and catch her breath. She focused on the rising and falling of her chest.
"Shelby."
She was snapped to attention upon hearing the voice.
"Who's there?" She demanded.
"You need not worry." The voice, belong to an adult female. Shelby was awry of most adults, since they had been known to beat her in the past.
'Who are you?" Shelby asked.
"You already know me." The voice said. Shelby decided she couldn't be much of a threat her voice was too sweet.
"Who are you, exactly?" Shelby asked.
The figure walked out of the shadows. She was cloaked in a dull blue cloak with a little purple hood and Shelby gasped!
"Queen Aleena! I didn't know it was you!" She said.
"It's alright." The queen said.
"Queen Aleena, what are you doing here?"
"I came here to ask you that very same question."
"We got your message, about coming to Castaway Kay."
"I didn't send any such message." The queen said, removing her hood.
"If you didn't send it, then who did?" Shelby asked.
"There is quite a list, for both you and Topaz, and my children."
"And put those lists together and you get a mile long list, and that's not including Garin's enemies. So it could be anyone. Anyone from Robotnik to Black Fire and Black Hole to Scar Blade to…Tucker."
Poison was practically dripping off the last word.
"I know how you feel about Tucker and what he did but there's nothing we can do to stop it now." Queen Aleena said, placing her hand on Shelby's shoulder.
"The scum belongs in the robotizer!"
"Shelby, calm down." Queen Aleena said.
The queen couldn't blame her for being so up set. After what Tucker had done in the past it was understandable. Shelby felt strongly about it and Aleena knew just how much.
"When I find him, his life isn't; going to be worth living. He hurt Icy, and I'm gonna-"
"Shelby, you must learn-"
"To control my anger and not let it control me! I know but I just can't stand him!"
Queen Aleena sighed heavily. There was no way Shelby would ever get rid of this grudge and how Tucker was neither would he.
"How do we get rid of him?" Shelby asked. "How do we get rid of him and Robotnik?"
"Well the Oracle told me that I would reunite with my children and stop Robotnik but I'm afraid I don't know what to do about Tucker."
"I know, but…"
Queen Aleena placed her hands on Shelby's shoulders.
"You know how the prophecy goes, once we reunite it will be all over."
"Maybe for the Freedom Fighters but not me and my friends."
"You know you all are welcome to Mobodoon whenever you wish to visit. As well as Freedom City."
"I know, but with Tucker around, we don't have any freedom, he has us living in fear that he'll attack our town."
"You left not only to see Gain again but to find Tucker and to bring forth the prophecy."
"I know but, oh I don't know, something's different, ever since that new guy, Shadow showed up."
Queen Aleena let out a chuckle. She knew what that meant.
"Shelby, Shadow and the others are searching for you. You know very well that the time for the prophecy has yet to come, we shall meet again." Queen Aleena said, pulling her hood up.
"The prophecy shall be fulfilled soon, won't it?" Shelby asked.
"Yes, it will."
"When?"
"I do not know, the Oracle has not told me but my year's end, my children and I will be reunited."
"Then it's soon." Shelby said in awe. The year was already half over, so the time would be soon.
"I will see you again." Queen Aleena said. "Let my children know this information."
"Of course, I am but your humble servant." Shelby said, getting down on one knee.
"Now there's no need to be so formal." Queen Aleena said.
Shelby just looked up at her and smiled.
"SHELBY!" A voice cried from the jungle.
"Sonic?" Shelby asked.
"SHELBY!"
"Double D?"
"SHELBY, WHERE ARE YOU?"
"Topaz!"
"SHELBY!"
"Shadow!"
Shelby looked back to where Queen Aleena had been standing but saw that she was gone.
"SHELBY?"
"OVER HERE!" She called.
"SHELBY?"
"OVER HERE!" She called again.
The others came tearing through the bushes and to her. From a distance, Queen Aleena watched. It brought her great joy to see her children so happy. She wiped a tear from her eye. She watched as Shelby told about their little meeting. Her children could barely believe it. At that moment, the mother and her children hearts soared. What her children didn't know was how soon it would be. Queen Aleena knew. It was going to be soon…very soon. What she had not told Shelby was that within the next one or two months that it would happen. But even she did not know just how soon the counsel of four would be formed. It was going to be sooner then even she thought. Even sooner then she knew.
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Well now, that was …interesting. Now we have some new questions. What ties does Shelby have to the queen? What is Freedom City? Who is Tucker? And how soon will the prophecy come to be? Keep reading to find out. R&R please.