Teardrops and Bloodstains – Chapter 2

Hi again… tis me Blood Wren with another chapter! It's gonna get darker peeps… I hope! Please read and review (First Fanfic… be kind :S)

BTW, I might accidentally swap tenses by accident :S

I sadly don't own Sonic and Co.… :'(. But I do own this Fanfic! Mwahahaha!

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I woke up groggy and almost smashed my alarm clock to bits. Rolling over onto my side, I notice a small, pale blue Chao looking offended.

"Oh, good morning Cheese!"

Since the Beach Party incident, Cream and Cheese moved in. This is mainly because Sonic needed someone to watch over me while he was away. He didn't tell us where he went, but now he's back and better than ever. At first, it was only temporary, Cream and Cheese where just staying until Sonic got back, but when Sonic did come back, they didn't want to leave. Sonic, Vanilla and I had a talk, Sonic said that I needed someone to make sure I was eating alright etc, and Vanilla said she was enjoying the peace of no small people. So they came to live with me.

"TAILS! Sonic's here!"

Wiping my eyes clean, I stumble into the bathroom, in search for a comb. I finally find one, and attempt to neaten my mass of fur. I wash my face, and brush my tails. I walk down the stairs about 5 minutes, now wide awake.

"Morning Sonic."

"Hiya Tails. How ya feeling?"

"Been better. What have you got there?"

"What? Oh this?" He said indicating to a small envelope on the table. "Shadow gave it to me to give to you… did that make sense?"

"Yeah."

He picks it up and hands it to me. So I open it. Shadow's thin handwriting appears.

Tails

I need to talk to you, alone. Nothing dodgy… I promise. Meet me at Hill Top Zone, 10am Monday.

Please

Shadow

I fold up the letter. That's all? Well, today's Saturday, so… 2 days time. I look up Sonic, playing with his Chao – Super – Small, spiky, and vibrantly yellow. "Nothing dodgy" I mull the idea over in my head, but Sonic breaks me from my thoughts:

"Tails? Everything ok?"

"What? Oh, yeah…"

"Well, what did it say?"

"I gotta meet him at Hill Top Zone on Monday. 10am."

Sonic just looks at me, a kind of 'You-know-what-he-can-be-like' look.

"I know, but…"

"Be careful. This is Shadow we're on about."

My ears started to droop. I sigh, same old Sonic, worrier of the year times 100. I put my hands on the table, and my chin on them.

"What should I do?"

"…Whatever you feel is right…"

"I… I don't know"

I could feel myself on the verge of crying. My emotions are all over the place at the moment. It's a good thing Cream is out of the room, I can feel myself breaking down already. I bury my head in my hands. Sonic gets up quickly and runs over to me.

"Tails? Tails…"

'Knock Knock'

"Hmm… who could that be? Tails, got into the main room, try and calm down ok?"

I nod and get up slowly, following Sonic up the stairs and into the main room.

'Knock Knock'

"Ok, Ok… Jeez."

All I hear is the door handle squeaking. And then:

"Son… ic. The… emeralds."

That's Knuckles… Forgetting my problems, I rush out of the room. Knuckles, proud Guardian of the Chaos Emeralds is lying on the floor, outside, and covered in blood.

"Oh my god! Knuckles… Sonic, get him in!"

"We didn't know what had happened. He couldn't tell us. He was out cold for about three hours. When he did wake up, his speech was limited due to the energy consumption"

"Eggman… Island… Taken the emeralds… Emerald Chamber…no…"

"That's all we got from him. After that, we had to drop him, Cream and Cheese at Vanilla's house, luckily she didn't mind. We got into the Tornado, and took off for the Floating Island. It was a complete mess. Only the outer-most Zones where untouched. The Emerald Chamber had been blown up, causing the destruction of 2 major zones – the Lava Reef, and Hidden Palace Zones. We could do nothing… Nothing to help them. Lava had spilled over the Mushroom Hill Zone, killing everything. Due to the low smoke and debris, we couldn't land. We just had to wait for Knuckles to be well enough to sort this out. And without the Emeralds, it was going to lose altitude and crash. A brief phase of uncomfortable nostalgia swam over me. I'm sure you're familiar with the story (Sonic 3 and Knuckles/Sonic and Knuckles)."

We started to land the tornado, I was feeling strangely jumpy and the emotions came flooding back... I can't help it anymore, Sonic tries to help me but, it just isn't working. After landing, my Chao - Twin - a small, dark orange fox-like twin tailed chao - comes flying up to me and starts screaming in it's little, high pitched little language:

"Chao chao chao CHAO!"

"I'm sorry Twin... I don't understand..."

She flies around me, and starts flying away.

"Twin! Wait up! Sonic, lock up the Tornado will ya?"

I throw him the keys. He catches them, but his face... his face was telling me not go.

"Sonic... I'll be ok! Please!"

And before he can answer, I race after Twin.

"Chao Chao Chao"

"What? This way? But Twin... That's the sea!"

"Chao Chao CHAO!"

"Ok...ok!

She flies down and lands on a rock.

"Chaochaochaochao! CHAO!"

I see a glint of light in my eyes. I look down at the source.

"A Chaos Emerald... wait, this one is..."

Shadow's. Shadow's Emerald. I pick it up and hold it to the sun, almost checking to see if it's authentic, which it is.

"That's a cute, brave and incredibly stupid Chao you've got there Tails!"

I spin around, I don't know what to expect. Eggman, standing not 2 feet from me, holding... holding...

"I know another incredibly stupid creature! His name... Shadow!"

He's holding Shadow by the neck, like a rag doll.

"Let him go! And what have you done with the other Emeralds! And the Floating Island!"

"My my Tails, you ARE quick. Ok, have Shadow back... see if I care, but for you..."

He throws Shadow at me, knocking me over so that my head cracks on the rock that Twin is on. Everything is in double. Eggman's hand reaching to grab me, Sonic fighting him... wait... Sonic! My eyes snap back into focus... Sonic is fighting Eggman?

"What have you done to them?"

"Tails is just unconscious, as for Shadow... powerless without his Emerald... wait... where's the Emerald?"

"Looks like that brain of yours isn't quite working at this present moment!"

"Why you little spikeball!"

I look down at the limp body that is numbing my legs. The Emerald... I reach out behind me, feeling for it. My gloved fingers can't make out the texture of the Emerald, but it almost flies into my hand. Flies... Twin. I would look around but Eggman would notice I'm awake. I gently bring the Emerald back around the rock.

"Shadow..." I whisper in his ear.

A groggy eye opens. From what I can see, it looks bloodshot and painful.

"Don't move... please don't move"

"Why... why do I feel like this?"

"Eggman took your Emerald, but I've got it now... hold still."

Just by going near him, the Emerald reacted to Shadow. His eyes look up into mine and he gives a weak smile.

"No... Shadow don't..."

"Chaos Control!"

He grabs my arm. This is a very uncomfortable feeling. It feels like being drunk, mixed with being beaten around the head. Everything is dark, but red lights flashed up. We land on a carpet, my carpet.

"Shadow... are you alright?"

"I'm fine... I'm worried about you though... I'm not good at Chaos Control with two people."

"I've been better. Shadow?"

"Yeah"

"Could you get off?"

"Yeah… what!"

He got up faster than anything and scratches behind his ear.

"Heh heh... sorry about that..."

Is he? No... He is! He's blushing? I... I don't understand. Does he? No... Tails shut up. He doesn't, he's not like that, he's Shadow. He's just… not like that.

"Are you ok?"

"Wha? Oh yeah. I'm... ok I guess. Oh, your Emerald."

I throw it to him from the floor. He catches it, and offers a hand. I take it and he helps me up.

"Are you sure your ok? You look pale and... you're shaking?"

I am. I'm shaking. I'm gonna break down again... no... not now...

"Tails?"

"Tails? You here?"

"Hey Sonic... In here, quickly!"

"Wha? Shadow?"

"She's shaking... she isn't right."

"Tails... Tails? Listen, sit down. Please."

I start walking towards the chair, shaking and wobbling but, Sonic's holding me up. I feel my legs give up. I thought he was holding me...

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Ha ha! Nice place to finish? No? Oh well! Review please!