Chapter 9 New York City
Speeding through the Big Apple at a very fast pace, Sonic was the only thing that I focused on most then the tall skyscrapers and attractions that were flying past as he held me. He was human. Human! I didn't understand how he's not freaking out at the moment. I was whenever I turned into a hedgehog. Then I figured: it was a usual thing for him to develop changes in his appearance. Duh, he lives in a world filled with imagination.
Then I thought of how he got this way. Sonic's been in this world for about three days now. So I guess the same principles apply when entering another world for so long, you change to blend with it. At least I guess. All this stuff is confusing me still, like how does Sonic's world exist? How do we have video games about him? Did someone saw him before we did?
Sonic saw that I yet to continue staring at him, and did nothing but smirk and ran a little faster. At that pace, it wasn't long until we finally sped to a stop in front of the tallest skyscraper in the whole city: The Empire State Building. I stared at it in awe, can't believe that I was here in the biggest city in the U.S.
"Court!" All my friends yelled my name in unison, which cause me to bring me back to the real world. Once Sonic brought me down, they all came to me with relieved looks on their faces. While looking at them, I couldn't help but spot an unfamiliar face amongst the group. Another guy who looks as old as me, but had short black and crimson hair…
Before I finished listing details, I ran at the guy defiantly knowing who he was.
"Shadow!" I yelled his name while I gave him a short hug. He just stood there like a statue for a few seconds, and then quickly returned the embrace.
I looked back at him again, continuing to list details. He had the same shoes that he'd worn before as a hedgehog, and he wore a long black leather jacket in replacement of his fur. When I gotten up to his face, his eyes was the same color ruby color that I remembered, same with the grumpy facial expression he always wears. Yep, this is Shadow.
"How do you guys like being human?" I then asked both of the humanized hedgehogs with a grin formed on my face. Sonic returned a smile, while Shadow just remained the same.
"It's great!" The Blue Blur said excitedly while making a thumbs up in the process. "I'm always up for a new change!"
Shadow raised an eyebrow after hearing that, like it was complete nonsense. Dylan and I looked at each other, both thinking that it was false too. In every Sonic game that we played, Sonic seemed fine with all the forms he changed to. All of them, except the Werehog form in Sonic Unleashed. It was the only form which Sonic wanted to hurry to change back to normal from. The blue humanized hedgehog looked at our looks (now realizing that his words weren't all that truthful) and said: "Heh heh…Except for that one time…"
"It's okay." Shadow had answered when we gotten back to the 'do you like being human?' question. "Not quite used to the transformation, but I'm positive that I will eventually."
After standing there discussing for the last fifteen minutes or so of where to go to on our 'jewel hunt', we all decided to go to the top of the Empire State Building (since we're already there), then the Statue of Liberty, and the Broadway Theatre. These are some of the most populated places in the city to find the H.I. If we don't succeed finding anything in those locations, then we'll continue to go down the list of populated places. I hope Rouge was right about gems being in populated places. If not, then we'll have no other choice but to figure out another way. Rouge can be greedy about things such as gems. As I remember her saying in Sonic Adventure 2: "All the world's gems are mine to keep!"
Passing by many people inside the Empire State Building, we lead ourselves to the elevators, which there was a line for people waiting to get on. I puffed a sigh of anger. Why in the heck is there a line for elevators? Then something clicked that I wasn't at home anymore, this is a city after all. Though Chelsea didn't get the hint.
"C'mon! Are you kidding me?" She yelled. Some people in line turned to look at us.
"Sshh Chelsea!" Dylan hushed her and told her to be patient, although he wasn't himself. The people in line finally looked away and continued on waiting and chatting with their own company.
While quietly waiting there in line with my company, my friends, I thought about the Chicago trip that my family and I will be going in June. Whenever my dad announced that to me and my little brothers earlier this year, it left me being very anxious to leave at that moment. I always wanted to go to a very big city, seeing all the skyscrapers and the attractions that were there. Also shopping, won't forget that. After this journey, I bet I'll feel more than comfortable being in cities. Maybe even around crowds.
"We're next!" Dylan grabbed a hold of my right arm and gently squeezed it as we moved up to be the first ones in line. I looked at him as he nonstop grinning at the closed metallic elevator doors, waiting for them to open. "Nervous?" I asked.
"Yeah and a little excited!" He responded in a hyperish voice. "This will be our first time being up this high! Well, except for Sonic and Shadow."
"And think of the view." I quietly said as my eyes grew wide. It makes me wish that I'd brought my dad's camera with me. He would've approved of letting me borrow it for the adventure, as long as he sees all the photos I took afterwards. Well, at least I got my phone. I just hope it holds the hundreds of pics that I'm about to take soon and in the future.
With the doors finally opened again, all six of us rushed into the inside of the elevator while being crammed in by other people who were in line. It made me feel like the cream of an Oreo cookie, being tightly squished inside by two other cookies. I didn't like that feeling. Luckily Dylan was still holding on to me so I wouldn't get lost in the crowd.
Once the metallic doors have closed, we were all going up fast to the eighty-sixth floor. I never knew an elevator would go up that quickly. My ears popped as we got higher up.
The elevator finally halted to a stop, and the elevator doors opened once more. When all the people rushed out, we took a minute to catch a quick breath after being squeezed by all of them. We walked to the observation deck, and you can say all our thoughts being in the elevator were vanished like that.
It was breathtaking.
All of the thousands and thousands of skyscrapers and buildings in this famous city were all around us in a very high and gorgeous view. Now I really wished I had my dad's camera.
Sonic whistled as he stood close along the railing by one of the edges of the deck. "Way bigger than Station Square and Empire City that's for sure!"
I looked at Shadow to see if he was going to say anything, but he looked a little emotional at the moment. He eventually turned around and looked through other sides on the deck for different views of the metropolis.
Trevor was running around the area in a circle, trying to take the whole view in. Eventually he was stopped by some of the security. I couldn't help but roll my eyes.
Chelsea was immediately on her phone taking pictures, which reminded me to get mine out.
"Are you going to take some pics?" I questioned my best friend while I dug out my phone from one of the pockets in my ivy jacket. Turns out he was already on it as he moved around and took a few shots of the city.
"Nevermind." I whispered as a cold February wind blew, leaving me huddling my arms for warmth for a moment. Then I went ahead and took my photos.
Once everyone was done, we gotten together again and focused looking for the H.I. We checked everywhere on the deck and the rest of the eighty-sixth floor. But there was no trace of a little sparkling jewel.
"Do you think it'll be on the tip at the top?" Chelsea wondered. Sonic's peridot eyes lightened up with enthusiasm.
Without a word, he crouched down as low as he can get and then jumped high in the air to the next roof of the skyscraper. The five of us saw with blank expressions on our faces along with a few other people who witnessed it. Sonic needs to be careful when and where he does things like this, because we were flooded with many questions afterward. Luckily we got away from them without the need of using our powers.
When he got back down, he told us he climbed at the top and saw nothing at the tip of the antenna or anything below it. I guess it's time to go to the Statue of Liberty.
A taxi drive and a run later we arrived at New York Harbor, now looking at the green female robed figure which was the Statue of Liberty. She was standing magnificently, telling everyone who pass and glance at her on her island that they were free.
Yet again, we took pictures.
"Don't tell me we have to cross this to get to her." Sonic said, looking down frightened of the water in the harbor.
"It's only a short ride over." I reassured the blue human hedgehog, but he didn't seem to listen.
Shadow crossed his arms with a huff. "Just leave the faker. It's his loss that he'll miss half of this trip by water."
"I won't miss anything." Sonic responded late with a little laugh, his fear gone for a brief moment. He seemed to have an idea. "Instead of taking the short cruise, why don't we use Chaos Control?"
Shadow glared at Sonic, trying to wipe of the appearing grin off his face. "No."
"But you do know that we have to finish quickly. Surely you don't want Egghead to get ahead of us, do we?"
Shadow made another huff. "Excuses Sonic. Yes, we are trying to achieve this goal as fast as we possibly can, but nothing's wrong by stopping once in awhile to enjoy the sights around us. Life isn't all about increasing speed."
Whenever Shadow was telling Sonic this, I couldn't help but notice that there wasn't any anger in his eyes when he spoke. They were calm. I can also spot a little amount of sorrow within the ruby orbs, hiding behind the ease.
I walked to Shadow preparing to ask what was making him feel this way, but he walked off to the boats whenever I took a step. It soon ended with us following him, along dragging the aquaphobic humanized hedgehog against his will.
I never knew anyone who was that scared of water.
Hours passed, and dusk was now overlooking the Big Apple. Turns out that nothing was at the Statue of Liberty, and it was a workout all the way there and back. Sonic never stopped fidgeting or stopped running around the boat ride there, on the island, and on the boat ride back. We couldn't calm the guy one bit. If that wasn't enough, we were crowded again with questions from people witnessing the fastest thing alive. Ugh, I just want to sleep.
On the taxi ride over to Broadway, I tiredly laid my head against the edge of the car door and rested my eyes, wanting to escape the city for the time being. But the vehicle stopped whenever I did, then the taxi driver announced that we reached our destination. I groaned.
We paid him and exited the taxi as it quickly drove away, going to the next person who desperately needed of a ride. We were met by Sonic and Shadow shortly after we got out. They've been following us by foot since only four other people can get in the taxi. It didn't seem to bother them, especially Sonic, whose life is given to running.
"Having fun?" I asked Dylan while crossing the avenue to get to the theatre. He nodded in agreement as he texted something on his phone, and then put it away in the pocket of his jacket.
"Yeah I am." He said tiredly. "Just ready to go to sleep, it's been a long and exciting day."
"Me too." I also agreed. Suddenly Chelsea held a grip of my left arm and squeezed it very tightly. I also heard her breathe heavily.
"What's wrong?" I asked her worriedly. Then she pointed to the theatre ahead, and pointed at the sign above it. It had a black background with a white mask on the bottom right corner. In glass-shattered words, the top said: 'The Phantom of the Opera'.
We both shouted in glee.
The Phantom of the Opera was one of our favorite musicals. Well for me it was my favorite, but Chelsea liked other musicals like Wicked or Rent, which I still need to see. Whenever I first saw the movie, I was hooked. I then started to read the novel by Gaston Leroux (which was confusing to read at first, but then I got the hang of it), and asked my parents to buy tickets for the musical last year for my birthday. Whenever my mom and I saw it, I couldn't stop talking about it afterwards. It was just so magical.
Chels and I immediately started dashing towards the theatre, leaving the guys confused in the dust. Before we entered the theatre however, I stopped in my tracks. Soon Chelsea came to a halt as she noticed I wasn't running by her side anymore.
"What's wrong?" She asked me this time. I sadly shrouded my face.
"We don't have enough money for us to see it, Chels. Besides…we need to use our time to search for the gem." I explained to her, not wanting to burst her bubble. She sorrowfully awwed.
"Sad day!" She whimpered.
We waited for the guys to catch up to us, and then finally went inside of the theatre. Once inside, we were astonished again for the second time today. The inside was all dripped in gold and red velvet curtains and carpeting. Sparkling jeweled chandeliers hung on ceilings, tall mirrors on the walls, and other decorations made it seem like we were now in an elegant castle. And of course, we took pictures.
While that occurred, Chelsea went to the ticket counter and asked how much the tickets were for the show tonight. But it turns out the show was sold-out.
"But…" The ticket lady didn't end there. "We are holding a drawing for two people to win two free front seats and backstage passes. It expires in five minutes."
"We'll do it!" Chelsea squeaked and accepted without even thinking about it. She wrote our names on a piece of paper, and then she convinced the guys to do it as well. Well, more like forced.
People who entered the drawing started coming up to the counter when it was time to reveal the winners, crowding in our personal spaces. Once more today, I was being squished like an Oreo cookie.
"…And the winners are Daniel and Charlotte Thornton!" The ticket lady announced.
Figures.
The lucky couple who won came up through the crowd and excitedly received their tickets and backstage passes, while the others just shrugged or whined and exited out from the gorgeous theatre. We were the only ones who stayed.
"Eh, I doubt the H.I. jewel thing would be in here anyways." Trevor said while putting his hands into the pockets of his jacket.
"But this is a beautiful place; I know it's in here. I just know it!" I clenched my fists together.
When the play was close to starting, we started searching for the H.I. around the entrance and the grand staircase which leads to the theatre. We often looked up at the chandeliers, seeing if there was a multicolored diamond hidden in there somehow, but no luck. Rouge did trick us after all.
Chelsea and I sighed as we heard the beginning of the overture through the closed doors to the theatre. Just one more time, I wish I can see the magic of this amazing play.
"Courtney, Chelsea." Dylan said our names. We turn our heads from the doors and look to see Dylan holding two tickets in his right hand.
"Omigosh!" Me and Chelsea squealed again with glee, then quickly snatched the tickets and squealed again.
"Dylan! How did you get these?" I asked him with my face written in excitement. He chuckled.
"Don't worry about that, go and see the play before miss more of it!"
After saying and giving a bunch of thank yous and death hugs to our awesome friend, we dashed through the doors to the theatre (quietly of course), found our seats, and watched the wondrous play take place. We didn't miss much through, we were at the part when Christine, the heroine of the story, starts to sing for everyone when the prima donna, Carlotta, quitted.
I never let go of my smile as we continued watching the play. As we watched it though, I thought of my best friend. He has done so much for me, and what did I do? I really do owe him after this.
As Christine's singing continued, people came and added more stuff to her costume when it turned from her rehearsal to her performance. I couldn't help but stare at the necklace that they just put on her. It almost looks similar to the one that I have on! Could it be? It must be the H.I.!
Before I can whisper to Chelsea about this, something crashed through the ceiling and landed on stage next to the actress who played Christine. Some people panicked, and then it lead to large amount of people exiting out.
When the dust cleared from the crash, a dangerous looking guy about like my age stood and held a glowing gold ring in his hand.
My gold ring.