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The ship was making remarkable progress. The currents that were pushing them were strong was the winds were even stronger. At this rate, they'd be home in less then half the time it took them to get to the island. With the speeds they were going at, they'd be home in a matter of hours, maybe by lunchtime the next day.
However, they were about to learn another of Shelby's dark secrets…
"Topaz, what's about?" Sonic snapped.
"SSHH!" She hushed as she pushed him into Shelby's quarters. "I need you guys to hide in here for a few minutes, there's something you need to see!"
"What it is?" Tails asked.
"You'll see." Topaz said, pushing them into the closet.
"Can't we at least hide in a place with more space?" Sonia asked.
"If you get in a pyramid you'll be able to fit easy!" Topaz said sharply. "You guys know what I said about Shelby's harsh past?"
"Well duh, who could forget a story like that?" Manic asked.
"Well, you're about to see the extent of her cruelty." Topaz said. "And not just the scars!"
Upon hearing this, they gave each other a worried look. This was going to be big!
"Hurry! She's coming!" Topaz said, closing the door to just a small slit.
"Topaz? What's going on?" She asked.
"You know very well what." Topaz said, tapping her foot. "Time for me to change those bandages."
Shelby let out a groan.
"Sit down." Topaz told her.
Shelby sat on the floor with her back to the closet door.
"Shirt." Topaz reminded her.
"Right." She groaned.
Shelby lifted the back up to her shoulders and what was under shocked all of them! She had two long scars on her back, right where the spines on her back should have been!
"I still can't believe those guys hit you whips so many times that spines fell off!" Topaz said harshly. "I'll be a monkey's uncle before I let anyone do this to you again."
"Then you better change genders, rumor has it their heading to Robotropolis to find me. They're going to want me to be a slave again." Shelby said sadly.
"How about I pay them with a tail! I'll slit my throat before another whip hits you! I mean, look at you! You still need these wounds bandaged after nearly ten years!"
It was clear that Topaz was upset about this.
"Topaz, they're full grown adults, they'll have weapons. Guns, knifes, whips, chains, broken beer bottles, I have no power over them. Besides, they're with Robotnik, if I fight them, I'll go straight to the robotizer. By that time, they'll have me too weak to fight. I won't stand a chance."
"Please Shelby, I know you don't want to go through with this."
"Topaz, if I don't, they'll reveal how to get past the Elemental Creatures. Robotnik will take over our town in an instant. And with Tucker's money, his supplies will be three times larger then it already is. Either way, it's a no win situation."
"Shell, if you go with them, you'll die! You can barely stay on your feet at the sight of those weapons! At least let me go with you, you'll have a fighting chance if I go!"
"No Topaz! I won't allow it! If you go, you'll get captured for sure! You'll be their slave in a matter of seconds! There are Robotnik's most trusted followers! I won't allow you to lose your freedom because of me!"
"Shell, enough with the tension, you're gonna make your wounds start bleeding again!" Topaz snapped.
"I'm sorry." Shelby said quietly.
"It's okay, but I don't see why you won't let me or any of the others help." Topaz said.
"Topaz, they would clip your tails if they caught you. I'm not gonna let them hurt you. You're my best friend, I won't allow you to have your will nearly broken like I almost did!"
"But you've got Queen Aleena on your side and the royal siblings and the Freedom Fighters!"
"Like they would believe that the little squirt that they beat up could ever work for the queen."
"Shelby, you're the one who's always telling me that there's strength in numbers. So why not now?"
"Topaz, I'm going to be out numbered one to one hundred, I doubt you'd be able to survive."
"So what? We've faced twice as many SWATbots at once!"
"Yeah, but the first hit with one of those whips, it just changes ya. And facing them again after barely two years is enough to make someone feel like there's death upon them."
"So what? I was always picked on because of my two tails! Gemstone's stepfather nearly cut off eight of her tails! Onyx and Emerald lost both of their parents! Icy was nearly killed by Tucker only two months after her father died! Rainbow lost her choa to the robotizer! Crystal lost everything she once lived for! We've all had it tough since egg belly came along! I think we can understand that feeling."
It was murder for those in the closet to sit there and listen and watch all of this. The one who wanted to jump out and try to comfort the poor hedgehog was Shadow.
"I can't believe this." Sonia whispered.
"I know! Those jerks are trying to get her back!" Manic snarled.
"Even the creatures from beyond the stars that plagued Rolf's house were more merciful." Ed said.
"Yeah, I thought stuff like this only happened and movies and books and stuff." Nazz said.
"You'd be surprised how much cruelty there is in the world." Double D said. "Ours' and beyond."
"If I ever get my hands on the guys who caused that girl so much pain they'll wish they were dead!" Sonic hissed.
"I've got your back on that one." Knuckles said.
"Yo, make that three!" Manic said.
"Four!" Sonia said.
"I'd say all of us agree." Double D said.
"Well I've just about had enough of just sitting here." Shadow growled.
"Don't blow our cover just yet!" Sonia hissed.
"Shell, if I've said once, I've said a zillion times: you're not going without me!" Topaz's voice said.
"And I've said that you're not going with me!" Shelby snapped.
"I'm going and that doesn't change the fact that you've known this whole time that the others have been hiding in you closet does it?" Topaz said, realizing where she was going.
"Nope." Shelby simply said.
Topaz sighed. "You guys can come out, she knew the whole time."
The closet door sprang open and they fell out.
"Shell, is all of that true?" Manic asked, trying to push Ed off of him.
"As true as Sonic is blue." She said coldly.
"Oh man, how long have you known?" Sonic asked.
"Since Topaz first told you, I have amazing hearing, I heard everything." She said.
"Shelby, who are these people? We'll make sure that they're brought to justice!" Sonia said.
"Even if one of them is a certain posh cat's father?" She asked.
"What are you talking about?" Sonia asked.
"Bartleby's father!" Topaz snapped.
"What? Bartleby's father did some of this to you?" Sonia cried.
"Who's Bartleby?" Eddy whispered to Manic.
"You don't wanna know." Manic whispered back.
"Bartleby's mine." Sonia growled. "I'm gonna give him a piece of my mind when we get back to shore!"
"Yeah, and I can get some of my buds to get the dirt on these guys!" Manic said.
"The Freedom Fighters know about everybody, we can get you the inside scoop on any and all in Robotropolis!" Sonic said.
"Yeah, we've got your back!" Knuckles said.
"No!" Shelby said strongly. "You're all more important then me to saving our planet! You'll get killed for sure!"
"Shelby, it's our duty to protect everyone on this planet, we're not going let someone like you go!" Sonia said.
"Yeah, we're not doing this cause we have to, we're doing this cause we want to!" Manic said.
"You've done a lot for our mom, it's a the least we can do." Sonic said.
"Guys…" Shelby whispered feeling tears building up.
"Hey, don't get all sappy on us." Sonic said.
"…Thank you." Shelby whispered.
"Must have taken a lot to admit that you're wrong." Topaz said.
"More then you can imagine." Shelby said, turning to her.
Sonic quickly grabbed Sonia, Manic, Shadow, Tails, and Knuckles.
"Listen guys, I have an idea: we'll take care of those guys for her." Sonic said.
"No objections here, Sonic." Sonia said. "None of you are to touch Bartleby, he's mine."
"I've got the dudes with chains." Manic said.
"I'll give you guys the bird's eye view, they're not gonna get the jump on you guys!" Tails said.
"I've got the guys with guns." Knuckles sneered.
"I'll take care of the rest." Shadow said.
"Alright, but lets' leave Double D and the others out of it. I don't want them to get hurt." Sonic said.
"Agreed." Sonia said.
"So, what do say we get them at night?" Manic asked.
"Deal." Sonic said. "I can see the look on her face when we tell her the news."
The next morning…
The ship came to port. Shelby said her good byes and they were off in the van again.
"Man, is it me, or is this thing slower?" Manic asked.
"I think I can fix that." Double D said.
"Okay but make it quick." Manic said, parking the van.
Double D hurried out the door of the van, opened the hood and got to work.
"So, which family took your spines?" Sonia asked.
"I've been in too many to remember." Shelby said.
"Well, at least it's finally over for you." Sonia said, placing her hand on Shelby's back.
From his namesakes, Shadow watched. They both came from very different places, different pasts. So why did he have this strange feeling in the pit of his stomach? It didn't make any sense. And why did he feel like he had to make the people who hurt her pay. He eventually figured it was because she reminded his so much of Maria.
"Maria…" He whispered. "Please…watch over her…"
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Okay, now it's getting interesting, however, did you notice Shelby say 'Elemental Creatures'? Now what are those? Keep reading to find out.