Apparantly, I have multiple personality disorder as diagonsed by my doctor. Great.

If you are religious and get offended by anything Charmy may rant about in this chapter, please accept my sincerest apologies.

Characters (C) Respective Owners

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Ch. 11: A Father Figure

Hiya, Barbie. Hi Ken! Wanna go for a ride? Sure Ken! Jump in! I'm a Barbie girl, in the Barbie woooorld! Life in plastic, it's fantastic! You can brush my hair, undress me everywheeere! Imagination, life is your creation!

My head immediately shot up, and the headphones slid off my attenae. I shuddered, eye twitching at the horrible techno song. Pulling my knees to my chest, I snatched the headphones and threw them into a wall.

"...Where am I?" I muttered, fluttering up. "And who gave me that song?"

"Oh, you're awake?" a nasily voice asked by the door. Turned out to be Bean. His arm was wrapped up in a splint from the fight with Psycho, apparantly damaging it that much. "I was wondering when you'd wake up! You were out cold, so I figured putting my favorite song on would wake you."

"Barbie Girl is your favorite song, Bean?" I asked, creepiness crawling in my stomach.

"Yeah, it's got a good beat."

"Um, never mind. What am I doin' here?"

"You were thrown out of some black cloud," Bark replied, walking in with Nack and Tomo. "When we found you, you were completely gone. You were also muttering something. We could hear other voices inside the cloud, but it died down the second you were released."

Tomo stepped forward, pushing Bark aside. "But that really isn't the point right now. What happened?"

So, I told them everything that happened to me in Babylon Garden. Bark seemed displeased when I mentioned Stream. Oh, yeah, she kicked his butt back at the Ex. World Grand Prix. Seriously, how do you lose to her? When I finished, Nack was contemplating. His eyes were shut, and he appeared to be thinking hard. Completely unlike him whereas it was always smash and grab and don't get caught.

"Well, that's it." Nack opened his eyes and glanced down at me. "Somebody's going to tell Storm, and he ain't gonna believe you. I can already tell." Before I could protest, Nack added quickly, "Let's find these Arks first!"

"How do I know if I can trust you?!" The words flew out my mouth to fast for me to control. "Uh, I didn't mean that..."

Nack smirked. "I can actually take that as a compliment. People have insulted me way worse than that." The weasel snatched my wrist, taking an interest the Ark of the Cosmos. His eyes sparkled like gems. "So, can I have that as an apology? It'll make a pretty penny on the black market!"

I smacked his hand away, making the Ark glow. I stared down at it as the light glowed. The Dynamite Gang seemed pretty intrigued by the Arks as well. It was Nack's plot to steal the Arks while we were on Babylon Garden, just about to fight Rodrigo before Tomo and I perished.

"Why does it glow like that?" Bean asked, poking my wrist with his useable arm.

"Usually, it glows when an Ark is near or when gravity is being controlled. It's funny because this is the Ark that controls the other ones." I paused, lifting it up into the air. It had a faint glow. Most times, it would just be a yellow gem in the middle with no glimmer, but now there was faintness. "Hey, are you guys holding out on me? Where's the Ark?"

Bark shrugged. "You tell us."

"...I dunno..."

"Guess we'll just have to look for it," Tomo sighed. "How bothersome."

"Let's split up," Nack ordered. "Bean and Bark, me and Tomo."

"How come you always pair yourself up with Tomo?" Bean asked, making Bark snicker.

"...B-because I knew her longer! Shut up, ducky!"

"What about me?" I asked, flying up.

The bounty hunters stared at me, all in confusion. Glancing back and forth with each other, they decided to play Roshambo, or Rock Paper Scissors as most humans call it. It was Nack versus Bean, and for the past fifteen minutes, they kept getting the same thing each time. So Nack played Bark, and lost when Bark jabbed him in the eye. Nack slapped his hand away, paper and Bark chose scissors to poke his eyes.

So, I'm stuck with Tomo and Nack. And it's silent. Dead silent. Not one of us has said anything. Not even me. It's just so...awkward. I glanced back and forth between them, sometimes gazing down at my Ark.

However, then Nack started to complain. 'Are we there yet?' 'Why isn't your Ark glow changing?' 'I'm hungry' and believe me, those were only three of at least one thousand. Tomo and I finally snapped, and we tied Nack up. Which led to more complaining of how the ground was hard.

"Alright, weasel. I've had it!" Tomo socked him over the head, which actually freed him from his bonds. Nack dashed away as Tomo followed in pursuit waving her sword wildly. Shaking my head, I followed them. What I didn't realize was that my Ark was glowing more and more as I headed in the direction.

A scream ruptured through the air, and I flew around in despair trying to find Tomo and Nack. I found Tomo hovering over a well, peering down. She was biting her finger like she was holding in laughter. I glanced over the well to see Nack holding on with dear life against a bucket.

"Something's in the water!" he whined, glancing down at the murky surface. He dipped his L-shaped tail in the water and shuddered.

"You're crazy, Nack," Tomo stated with a blunt edge. She couldn't supress a smirk. "Maybe you've taken one too many shots at Night Babylon last night and it's catching up on you."

"Shut up!"

I laughed. "Yeah, Nacky, too much!"

Without even a glance, Nack flipped open his holster and brought out his shotgun and fired at me. It missed by a half an inch. The smile was still frozen on my face while I was trying to hide my utter fear. Tomo frowned down at him, before gasping. She grabbed my wrist and dragged me into the well. Using her wall-scaling techniques, Tomo carefully glided along the wall as I hovered down. I noticed my Ark was glowing immeasureably bright. So bright that it was nearly blinding. Nack winced at the glimmering Ark. Tomo pointed down at the water.

"That Ark is probably down here somewhere," Tomo said, touching the water. She slapped at the water, making ripples.

It was so dark and murky that we couldn't see our reflections. I placed my Ark in the water, making the water get somewhat cleaner. Or perhaps it was just getting lighter? I wasn't sure.

Something was coming up. I pointed excitedly at it. Nack sat himself in the bucket, leaning impatiently forward. The something turned out to be an green, scaly arm and snatched Nack's stetson hat and vanished. Our mouths just dropped open. Was something in the water?

Nack rubbed his head, feeling the messy fur. Violently, Nack leaped into the water and began to chase whatever that was. A few seconds, he came bursting back up. Crimson eyes wide, mouth open in utter horror, and he was shaking uncontrollably. Nack's eyes diverted back down into the water, and he shook his head.

"What's wrong with you?" Tomo asked, grabbing his shoulder to steady him.

"That...thing! That thing's...a-alive!" Nack babbled.

"Alive? If it was alive than it would've come up," she countered. "...Wait, then that would mean..."

"Was that a ghost?" I asked, staring at my Ark. I dabbed it back in the water, but I was suddenly grabbed into the water.

My vision was entirely blurred as the water deteriorated my eyes. Water burned my throat, and I felt my lungs shrink to the size of grapes. Music. It sounded like there was some rock music coming from the front. The person was dragging me to some light. He was so strong that he was dragging me the entire way. However, before we made it, I passed out.

Tomo and Nack stared at the spot where I once stood in utter surprise. They leaped into the water, but only found fingernails imprinted into the wall and some old, crusted blood against the rock at the bottom on the water. Tomo feared I drowned and was close to punching something. Nack hugged her, convincing her to tell the others. They left, but Nack took a quick glance back to check for his cowboy hat.

When I woke up, I heard someone gruff voice humming. My head buzzed, just like me. My Ark was glowing brighter than before, but it wasn't on my wrist. It was beside my helmet. My jacket was off. I glanced around: There was a clothesline where my helmet and jacket were drying. My honeybee royality badge was being dried seperate from the jacket.

"Finally awake, huh?" a new voice asked, yet it was cold and provoking. I glanced up: A human girl around eighteen with pale, crack skin hovered over my like an angry horsefly. Her ebony hair was matted over her face, and it contrasted with her white dress. Her dress was caked with dry blood. Seven of her fingernails were missing, but they looked like they were shredded off.

"Who...Where am I?" I asked, trying to sit up.

"In the room of the Cursed Well," she explained. Her hair swished around, still covering her face. "My name is Sadako Yamamura. I'm the spirit that haunts this well and the rest of the world."

"Sadako, why did you bring me here?" I asked, standing and shaking her outstretched hand. I tried to hide my disgust as her bruised arms.

"I didn't. He did." She pointed at a new figure that was sitting and bopping his head to some music.

It was a green crocodile with black headphones, black shoes with a white line across the tongue, and a gold chain around his neck. On his back were a pair of angel wings, emitting a strange white light.

"...Vector?" I asked, wide-eyed.

He looked at me, smirking those big, pearly teeth in a gleeful smile. "Well, kiddo, long time, no see. Or smash of one my windows."

"Vector!" I flew over and hugged him tightly. Vector! My Vector! It was him! Why was he here? Oh, that doesn't matter right now. So long as I'm in his arms, everything doesn't matter. Safe, comfortable. Those words would always remind me of him.

Vector had tears in his eyes as I buried my face into his chest. "Charmy, it's so good to hug you again!"

"S-same here, boss!" I jeered, looking up at him with tears streaming down my cheeks. "I've missed you so much! Every since that last moment we spent together in the Purgatory, I thought I would never see you again until I was dead."

"Same here, but hey, Sadako was nice enough to let me move in."

Sadako snorted, crossing her arms in a huff. "Only because you keep me company. Watching TV gets boring after watching the same Yu-Gi-Oh! episodes each day. I've even memorized the dialogue." She glanced over at me. "Hm, such a nice face. I wonder what it would look like when I distort it."

"Sadako, leave him alone!" Vector barked, snarling at her. She recoiled and began to watch TV. "Anyway, I've been living here ever since today. I can only leave whenever Sadako has to kill some unfortuanate fella for watching her Cursed Videotape."

"What's that?" I asked, staring at her.

"I'll explain. I kill people with my Cursed Videotape. It's a collection of visions I saw before my presumed death. It'll send a disease into the victims throat and cut off their breathing supply in seven days. Once I appear, on the same time in seven days, that person will die," Sadako said, making me cringe.

I imagined suffocating to death. It wasn't pretty to say the least. Taking my disturbed feelings away from Sadako, I directed my attention fully on Vector. Instantly, I began to parade him with questions. "How was Heaven? Is Espio there? Are there flowers up there? Are there really eighty girls up there to do whatever you want?"

"Slow down!" Vector ordered, covering my mouth jokingly. He chuckled. "I forgot how curious you were. In order: Ppretty good, but could've used more pizza. No Espio's not there...bastard. Flowers are blooming. I have no idea where you heard the last one."

"Espio ain't a bastard! He was just...confused!" I protested, folding my arms.

"Huh, you're defending him..."

"What's that mean, Vector?"

"Nothing."

His eyes were heavy, like he committed a bad sin. The crocodile suddenly beamed, and he began to ask about me. Excitedly, I bragged on and on about my adventures with the Babylon Rogues, bringing him up to date about everyone else. I asked where Sonic went when he died. Vector said he went to Heaven, and that God was thinking about letting him coming back to life. At least Amy, Tails, and the others would be happy.

Vector blushed slightly when I brought up Madame Vanilla. She is a lovely woman, but maybe a bit too naive for her own good. Grinning slyly, I began to jeer about how much he loved her.

"Vector and Vanilla sittin' in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" I sang, buzzing over his head.

"Hah! I can fly too, ya know!" he shouted, snatching my chest. His wings flapped, creating a small gust.

"No fair! My wings are naturally, while yours aren't!"

Vector flapped his long, feathery wings. They looked so out of place on his scaly form. Grinning my headphone end to other headphone end, the crocodile gave me a noogie. I squealed, protesting.

"Shut up!" Sadako screamed, glaring at us. Her hair parted, revealing a disfigured left eye. There were two Japanese characters shining on her nightfall eye. Her hair was sticking up on her own. "Or else face my telepathic retribution!"

We both flinched, obeying her. Floating gently down, we slowly bowed to her. Sadako glared at us before returning to her episode of Family Guy. She chuckled subconsiously to herself.

Vector made a face at the back of her head.

"I saw that." She glanced back at him.

"Please don't kill me, or harm my beautiful face!" Vector begged, falling to his knees in desperation. I did the same, thinking it was just some game they played.

Sadako sighed, shaking her head at our stupidity. She returned to her show, turning the volume up. However, she continued to turn her head, and even with the dredlock-like hair covering her vision, I could tell she was staring at Vector.

Vector laughed. "She's a fun lady to hand around, that Sadako." His face grew grim, returning serious. This was the mask that Vector always placed on when he paid the rent or bills for electricity. "Charmy, we have to get down to business."

I hated that sentence. Whenever I was goofing off, Vector would screech that distainful sentence. Sometimes Espio would say it if Vector was too distracted by my clownish behavior.

"We both know Rodrigo's motives, and that Espio joined him. He dissapeared, too, right?" he asked, pinching my cheek to get my attention.

"Uh-huh," I replied, rubbing my cheek. I swear it was starting to bruise over.

"Well, Rodrigo absorbed all of Espio's powers into himself. That weakened Espio's lifeforce to that of a smooshed ant, and he was sent to the Purgatory for counciling."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I mean, God is considering placing Espio in Hell for leaving Heaven."

I froze. Espio go to Hell? But he was a good guy! There was no way Espio could be going to Hell! If this so-called "God" was allowing it, than screw him! Sorry everyone, but no one tries to harm Espio and gets away with it.

"Charmy..." Vector looked directly up at me, making me flinch. Did he know that I was cursing God for Espio's predicament? Vector could've stopped Espio's decision, after all. They were both there when Espio made his choice to be a pawn of Rodrigo's. "I have a little gift to give you."

"Ooo, what is it?" I asked, my spirits soaring.

Vector clapped his hands together and out popped the blue Ark of the Cosmos! The crocodile took my other wrist and gently placed it on. He smirked, rubbing my head gently. "You are still the same wild, goofy, brave kid I knew when you were a detective. I love you like a little brother, maybe even a son, Charmy."

I broke down into tears. "Th-thank you so much, Daddy!"

"Um, Daddy you say?"

I nodded furiously. "You were always like a dad to me! You were always there to give me guidance, to comfort me. It made me feel like a had a real dad, but I knew since they're dead...maybe you could've been him?"

Vector looked sympathetic, maybe with a tinge of confusion. Scratching the back of his head, he wrapped his other arm around me, rocking me gently. Softly, he started to sing a lullaby. I couldn't really tell what he was singing, but it actually sounded sweet. When he sings quietly, it's actually quite melodic with his gruff voice. Loudly, well, not so much. I soon found myself drifting off to sleep...

Vector stood, holding me in his arms. "Sadako, you can take him back."

Sadako drapped me in her arms. "Are you sure you didn't want to spend more time with him?"

Smirking, Vector adjusted his headphones onto his shoulders. "Nah, Charmy's a big boy. He can handle himself. I just wanted some personal time with him. Oh!" Vector sauntered past her and reached just behind the television. There he pulled out a soaking wet stetson. "Can you give this back to the weasel called Nack? I just wanted to screw with him for a bit."

Sighing, Sadako smacked him over the head. "Fine, but I'm not messengergirl. You owe me."

"Don't I always?"

Sadako sighed, jumping back into the murky water and guided herself up back the well. Using her inhuman skills, she threw me over her shoulder and gripped the hat on her head. She crawled up using her fingers and reached her feet to unreachable heights for humans, but to immortal grudges, this is simple. She popped her head out the well, seeing figures in the distance.

"YOU TWO LET THE KID DROWN?!" Bark screamed, smacking Nack over the head.

"Ha ha! Nack looks funny without his hat on!" Bean jeered, earning him a smack from Nack, whom quickly recovered from Bark's open-hand slap. "Wha'd I do?"

"Shut up, all three of you," Tomo snapped, glaring at them. "Maybe there's still time to-" She stopped when she saw Sadako sway towards them.

The four bounty hunters froze. Just what the heck was this human? Her skin was cracked, and she pale, maybe even slightly grey. She was bloody, making Bean cringe. Sadako took Nack's hat and threw it at him. He missed, hitting him in the face. Rubbing his nose, he moaned as he got even wetter. Holding me by my arm, Tomo snatched me, glaring.

"You know, just because Vector doesn't want me to kill you..." Sadako's hair parted, revealing her morphed eye. Tomo froze entirely. "...Doesn't mean I can't give you a headache." She blinked, and Tomo grasped her head in pain. She went down on her knees.

"What-what are you?" Tomo whimpered as my eyes started to flutter open.

"Dead." Sadako began to wander back into her well. Before she did so, her hair closed over her face.

"W-wait!" I called, getting to my knees.

"Yes?" She was at the edge of the well, ready to leap in.

"What does your face look like?"

She paused. Her head dropped, but I could hear her giggle. Sadako grabbed her unruly hair and yanked it behind her ears. There was a beautiful Japanese girl with the kindest smile.

The guys and I just stared with our mouths dropping open. Tomo growled to herself, crossing her arms.

"Oh, and I really am a guy. I just look like a girl on the outside." And with that, Sadako leaped inside the well.

"...Sadako's a guy..." I muttered, eyes wide. "...I wonder if Vector knows."

Tomo paused, glancing back to the well. She peered over the well, seeing Sadako give her the finger. Tomo screeched at her, but than got water slapped on her face. Tomo was about to dive in when Bark and Nack restrained her. Bean took pictures of the entire thing, along with one of him getting punched in the face by Tomo. While we waited for Tomo to settle herself, Nack tried to convince me to give him my brand new Ark.

"Uh, yeah, no. Get away from me," I said, aiming my stinger at his face.

Nack aimed his shotgun at my face. "Give me that Ark! I wanna sell it!"

"No way!"

And thus, we started to fight over the Ark. I poked Nack in the eye, and I won. Seriously, I'm not lying. That's how it ended. I know: Nack's really lame in a fight. He says that he hates feeling his opponent die, so he uses a gun.

Placing ice on his eye, Nack smirked wryly. "So, how's Vector? He was the one that stole my hat, right?"

Pausing, I glanced down at the new Ark he gave me. "...Fine, just fine. He's exactly the same."

"And he steals my hat..." Nack muttered, trying to squeeze the rest of the water out of his hat.

"Uh-huh."

"Sick croc..."

"Hey!"

Nack placed his hands up in defense. "Alright! Don't get so testy on me."

I growled at him, but than sighed. "I haven't seen him in sooooo long, Nack. I really missed him." I wiped my eyes. "Heh, now I'm tearing up at the very mention of him. It's really weird to talk about an angel."

Nack just stared at me, so I told him the whole shabang. He seemed interested in people coming from Heaven, but was probably too intrigued by my newest Ark to care. He glanced over his shoulder to see his comrades try to calm Tomo down from Sadako's wicked act. Smirking to himself, he replaced his gun back into his holster and merely lied on the ground.

"I guess today really made up for yesterday, eh?" he asked, scratching his chest fur.

I nodded, lying next to him. "You can say that, yup!"

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Well, Charmy has found Vector again! What's gonna happen now? I have no idea!