Finished this just before school starts Pweff! Hopefully I can do both school work and my off-time writing but I still hope for my multitasking. Enjoy this last update for a while.

Chapter 24: Close

She felt relax.

The atmosphere was calm.

Her eyes opened slowly but she wasn't seeing water. Instead she was staring up at leafs on branches that stretched out. Her hands were by her side and her fingers curled up with the grass, clenching it in her hands. So she was on ground. She got her from her laying position up to a sitting one and saw the scenery was the same hill she was on top of every time she drempt on her free time. So green, so bright, the small lake with mountains and blue skies. She remembered this was the place of the smoke coming up from a village down near the lake, but now it was gone. It was just there.

There was shade covering her from the sun, she noticed. She turned to look what was behind her. A Tree. It wasn't as tall, but indeed it was tall enough to cover her head from the sun. Where did she go? Only just now was she swimming for her life from the conniption of that dragon, so then what happened?

"You okay?" A voice from behind her suddenly asked her.

She flinched backwards and in front of her was none other than Sonic. She gasped and got up from the ground, with the same yellow sun dress and her hat right next to her. She grabbed it and placed it on her dress. "Sonic!" she exclaimed happily and rushed to him glomping him. Sonic chuckled and hugged her back. Amy lifted her head up from his chest. "What happened? Where's Seth? Where did Scales go?" She paused and got out from his arms to look around. "Where are we?"

Sonic turned to face the area below. They were up high on a hill looking down at forest lakes and pure grass. Sonic put his hands on both sides of his hips and grinned. "I suppose this is the map of Gemnissent."

Amy's eyes opened wide. She blinked a few times and held her head in her hands. "But, how?"

Sonic turned back to her and nodded his head up looking pass her. She turned around following his gaze and pass the tree was the rest of Gemnissent. A road pass many forests and valleys, and towns up in the snowy mountains was a huge snow covered castle. Barely being able to see because of all the snow but it was still seen through the naked eye. "Yubala's lair," she muttered.

Amy was startled when two hands rested down on her shoulders and turned her around. Sonic's eyes leaned forward and her stared intensively into hers. He narrowed his eyes and Amy's nervous eyes were what Sonic was looking at now. "You have to wake up."

Amy swallowed nervously and suddenly she was out of words. She didn't know what to say to that. She was awake. "I-I am…"

"Wake up," He loudly told her shaking her a bit.

"I am awake!"

"No! Wake up! Please Amy!"

Amy backed away whacking his hands off her. "What is wrong with you!?"

Amy watched Sonic go tense when just a second ago he was grinning and acting cocky. It wasn't shocking due to it being Sonic's personality with her but something didn't make sense. Fear was written all over his face but to what. Sonic closed his eyes and said almost in a whisper. "Shh," Amy was getting irritated, nothing was making sense. "Just close your eyes." Amy arched and eye brow but with a tremendous sigh she complied.

…

Amy opened her after a moment but she was on top of a wooden plank what seems. She finally gasped in air, her lungs feeling the fresh sensation of it which was beginning to feel missed. She felt drenched in water, her thick white dress she still wore from the last town and again it was wet with water. She nearly had forgotten about its heavy weight on her.

"Amy wake up, dammit!"

The voice was coming from Sonic who wasn't looking at her. He was looking back at the dragon breathing out fire. The dragon was on a rampage and Sonic and her were somehow a bit far. The question that ran through her head was: How did they manage to avoid the attack from the dragon?

"Sonic," she said in a crisped tone.

Sonic turned and a smile of relief upon seeing her okay came to be. He was on the water holding on to the plank wood from the piece of boat they had rod on. Guess it was broken into pieces. "Are you okay? You were knocked cold. Luckily we're safe but Scales is out of control." He explained to her his teeth clenching into shivers. Amy got up and fell into the water with him.

"Amy!?" He growled sounding too concern for his taste, but he didn't blame himself. Times were tough and she was only making it tougher. Just waking up from being hurt and she was up and ready to go, who does that? She came back out from the water and fiercely faced the dragon. "I need to talk him down."

Sonic's sour laughter rang in her ears and she send him a side glare. He matched her glare and leaned darkly, "Do you see the size of that!" he pointed out not really questioning and pointed at the dragon slithering back into the water. "And how puny you and I are?"—he pointed back and forth from her to him—"Amy I'm not ready to die yet. Too young." He pressed wittily at the end shaking his head.

"But what other choice do we have? We were trained by the best; therefore let's not let Linda's hard work go to waste!" She hissed.

The dragon slashed out from the water and was in front of their faces. Sonic swam backwards hitting the plank but Amy went in front of him. "Stop!" she yelled.

'Amy, what are you doing?!'

The dragon stopped from attacking her with his bare fangs. His red eyes struck fear into Amy but this was nothing compare to what she had faced off before. She forced courage into her next words. "We asked of your attention for a few minutes if not seconds!"

The dragon snarled and back away. Amy took it as a good sign and continued, "We are the legendary heroes," The dragon got angry and was ready to finish what he had started but Amy's intensive words stopped him frozen when she added, "But if we weren't, okay fine we aren't, but that doesn't mean we can't help."

"Help?" Scales repeated with a raspy tone, deep and scary. "You two are nothing but mere ants in my eyes. The Legendary Heroes are heard to be heroic giants, and you say you're them?"

Sonic stifled his laughter and then muttered, "I bet you that was meant figuratively,"

"Believe it or not, but I want to help ease your pain. I know there was something here that was taken away from you, but…" she lowered her head and her hand grabbed some of the water in her hand only for it to rush out her hand. "I couldn't quite see it."

The dragon hummed and leaned forward scaring Amy but he didn't do anything. He was searching through her eyes carefully and Amy was able to see his eyes clearly. Huge bloody red orbs with swirling color like a ruby, the shine of glow in them. His eye surrounded by scales from its own body, blue-topaz shiny scales with the water's touch and the sunlight. It was a beautiful dragon.

The dragon breathed out humid steam from its nose wetting Amy's face. Amy closed her eyes and wiped her face with her hand, but when she opened her eyes the scent of water and air, a refreshing smell arose her, not the scent of bad breath or any other putrid smell.

"You saw what was taken from me?" He asked her, his voice deadly but relaxed.

Amy opened her mouth but she was going to speak without knowing what to say. She saw fire, houses and people but didn't understand what was taken from him. "I saw fire…"

The dragon's eyes seem to open up like it would suck one into it. He looked a bit hopeful and he looked deeply at her as if he were ready to receive answers to questions unspoken of.

"People up on those mountains," She looked at the huge rocks that blocked any other way around the lake. The rocks were burnt black on its natural polish.

The Dragon's eyes changed color, from a fearsome red to an eye-blinding yellow and he came to relax on the water his tail rising from the water. "I fear you speak the truth."

"So what I saw was true!" Amy mused, angrily wondering what the cause to it was.

The dragon's hand was in front of Amy and she stared down at it then up at him. Puzzled, the dragon gestured his hand for her to grab it. Amy drew her hand in as she took a hold of the scaly wet hand. Her eye lids dropped and she was carried into a dark dream.

"NO!"

The raucous sound of a woman, dark and raspy brought Amy to face a flying cloud with a white bat on top of it, waving her hand around and seeing the same shadows that had attacked her before. People ran for their lives to get away. On the rocks, sticks on fire were thrown to the straw and wooden house burning everything that stood inside. The bellowing sound of a familiar dragon washed ashore and began an epic battle of it and Yubala.

After the battle, the rocks and ashes of the small village that lived in harmony with the dragon was destroyed. The dragon, with scratched up injuries was lying on the dirt. Tears following off the creature's face

Amy couldn't take much more of it. She awoke from such horror and swam away from the dragon's space. Sonic sat on the plank that floated around endlessly, still keeping close range of Amy. The dragon muffled a growl and its golden-flecked eyes blinked. Amy looked up at the dragon and with a sadden face spoke, "You had friends here. People,"

Its eyes lightened.

"Your friends, they were all…taken from you." Amy said appalled to such sight seen with her own eyes.

The dragon rippled with the water and its body coiled down. It smiled, its sharp teeth showing and he nodded. "You may get on my back."

Amy smiled and swam to his back. As she got to his back and started climbing it, Scales turned to Sonic and gestured him with a quick nod of his head saying it was fine for him. Sonic swam over and got on behind Amy then they were off going across the lake.

Soon they were on the other side were they needed to be. Safe and sound. Amy turned to the dragon and smiled. "Thank you so much for taking us across safely."

"It was an honor to be able to help my saviors."

Amy blushed and her hand swatted away, "Aw, it means a lot saying that."

Sonic rolled his eyes, but he smiled. "We will avenge for those who you lost. My word," Sonic rose his hand up and then grinned.

Scales nodded and he went back, into the depths of the lake disappearing into quiet and silence. Amy smile and so did Sonic. They faced each other and then turned heading down the road when they stopped before their feet could reach the ground. They filched to face each other and shouted, "Seth!?"

"I'm here,"

They whirled around and did find Seth flying to them. Sonic fumed in spot and growled, "Where were you through-out this whole time?!"

"I—"

"You disappeared without a trace and you weren't even there to help us!" Amy added along with Sonic's argument, but remembered him grabbing her hand up to surface. "Well, at least not to Sonic." Sonic angrily glared at her to Seth.

"You see—"

"What if we'd had died!?" Sonic said.

"But you didn't and besides I don't really have a good back story with him." He nervously said, rubbing his head.

Amy's anger wiped off. "Back story? You know Scales?"

He nodded and flew off ahead and they followed him. Down the path of dirt they were off again with trees around and sound of wild animals and forest calls. Leaving the open lake and entering a closed forest.

"I know him…" Seth began hesitant. "He has been the protector of this lake for a long time. That was long before Yubala attacked this placed and washed away everyone and everything naming it Lake Scream."

"Wait, so then what was it called before the attack?" Sonic asked.

"Lake Breath."

"Why Lake Breath?" Amy asked.

"Because one can breathe underwater. The water holds pureness made out of the air from this dragon's nose which makes any creature with or without gills breathe under this water." Seth explained watching their expression change. He was then interrupted by Sonic. "Wait, wait wait, so you're meaning to tell me that even though we were practically drowning over there, we could have just opened our mouths to breathe without holding out air and suffocate ourselves on purpose?"

Seth nodded sheepishly then noticed his mistake. Amy and Sonic glowered him down making Seth uncomfortable. Seth chuckled and looked around nervously. "I should've told you sooner, huh?"

Yubala sat on her throne, tall and sophisticatedly. A frown plastered on her lips. With the storm outside the castle, she sat in silence hearing the roars from snow crashing hard on the castle's hard walls. The silence didn't last for much long when her shadows arrived by her side with their leader, Scourge. Yubala's eyes searched to the corner of her eye but seeing nothing in their hands, no one that could possibly be torture, she faced frontward.

"I apologies, master." He bowed down on one knee his hand being on his chest and with closed eyes. The rest of the shadows behind him recopied the same posture.

Yubala didn't move or do anything for a while. She just listened to the sounds of the snow outside. How quiet the throne room was with the shadows straightened with shields and swords to protect her. The end of her lip lifted up forming a dense smile. Her hand wavered back and forth and she laughed, "I didn't expect you to bring back anything, Scourge."

"You didn't?" He asked alarmed. "Then why did you send us—"

"Belleinds town's attack was merely a distraction."

Scourge got up and told the shadows off. He approached Yubala. "Then we won't need to catch them?
Yubala side-glanced him with an evil look. "It won't be necessary. I have someone else who has already caught the children and leading them to me at this very moment."

"Who?" Scourge asked, raising his eyebrows.

She stood up from the throne and the stiches on her mouth stretched out evenly. Her eyes narrowed and with a few chuckles she replied to his questioned.

"Food!"

Sonic stopped walking and jumped up pointing at a large tree with a familiar fruit to his eyes yellow with a long curve. Sonic licked his lips and shine glittered in his eyes. Amy came to his side spotting the fruit too. She grins in relief that they came about food. She was beginning to feel those aches in her stomach of walking on empty.

"Bananas," Amy sighed. "We're saved."

"You're Welcome," Sonic cockily responded and walked up to the green tree. Amy stayed in place and Seth came to her side. He shook his head and laughed. "Bananas?" He tilted his head to the side in confusion and he held his head.

"Yea, what's wrong with liking bananas?" Amy said defensively frowning a bit.

"It's just it sounds weird,"

"Weird? Are you being a pervert too!?" Amy growled leaning to his face and he backed away his hands up. "No, Amy. Bananas aren't exactly nutritious. Deadly sick bugs live in those and nobody eats them. You can say their bad for your health."

Sonic stopped half way up the tree almost at the top. Amy turned to Sonic to make sure he hadn't grabbed the fruit. "What?" Sonic called out from the tree.

"It sounds weird you saying you like bananas. We don't eat them… You've tried them before?!" He asked getting worried.

Sonic and Amy were left dumbfolded. Never in their entire lives had they've met a person that hadn't tried banana. It drove them into a complete thinking coma. Seth blinked at them as they stared at him with disbelief. "Anyway, if you guys are hungry I know where some real food is. Wait here I'll be right back." He flew off up into the trees with Sonic and Amy still not knowing what to say to this. Sonic was the first to speak after a long while of being confused.

"When did the world start to go so wrong?"

Amy shook her head and her thinking cap came to be. She began by putting ideas and left behind hints together, building up a conclusion to how Gemnissent worked. It was about time she got to understand the place before she'd be shocked that way again. No more surprises.

"Like, wha-who hasn't tried a banana yet! This is madness." Sonic continued shocked about this too.

"I'm not exactly sure myself. I feel the way Gemnissent works differently than earth."

Sonic huffed and rolled his eyes muttering, "Tell me something I don't know."

"I mean bananas are healthy in our world but not here." She mused then turned to him snapping her fingers. "Haven't you noticed a pattern?"

"No," he drawled.

"Whatever is in the real world is the opposite here. Like the reason of Sally being mean and Linda nice. Tails is shy and smart here he was arrogant somewhat…harsh. Now come to think of it…Rouge being Yubala."

Sonic flinched in remembering her face. The stitches on her mouth, the darkness in her eyes…if she had eyes. Even though she wasn't one to jump into conclusions, her conclusions were starting to sound correct. Pointing out the evidence persuaded him enough that it was making sense but then why was everything so messy? One thing was that they had no idea where in this universe existed this planet.

"Here you go!" Seth came back from the top and brought something round and orange. He placed one on each of their hands and Sonic turned to Amy skeptically. On the top of Amy's head, a drop of sweat fell and she frowned. "Have you guys tried oranges? There tasty. I understand you don't come from here so we may not have the fruits or foods you'd like but…"

As Seth pressed on Sonic ignored him and husk orange and rose one brow at Amy. "Maybe you're right, I never would of figured," He mockingly teased her.

"Hush you." She hissed.

Sonic burst into laughter and so did Amy understanding her wrong, but this was the feeling of being able to laugh along with Sonic. She'd enjoy it while she could, because if they did make it things would go back to how they were. Thinking of that brought her to stop laughing and a strong ache in her chest struck her. She hadn't thought of that, but now it seemed logically enough. Once everything was over so was their tight relationship that took a while to form but it formed strangely.

They continued their walk peacefully eating their fruits for lunch. Sonic was done with his fruit before Amy got to bite into hers. Throwing the shell of the orange to the dirt he wiped his icky hands in his leg. Amy's eyes widened and she peeled the last of its skin and broke the orange in half. She stared at it sadden and suddenly wasn't hungry.

"You aren't eating that?" he asked pointing at her hands.

She looked at her hands and then handed him the other half of her orange. "I'm not as hungry," She tried her all to sound convincing and he did buy it, but barely. He gave her a hard stare and took the orange off her hands and bite into it still staring at her. Amy narrowed her eyes. Nothing felt more annoying at the moment but watching him eat while he stared at her.

"We're here!"

Sonic turned to Seth, but something else caught his eye before he could even ask where. A small water pit with see through water as clear as a crystal caught his eyes and he coughed on the orange. Around the water rocks of gray and green vines that stretched out upward into the sky like a pointy mountain. The place was a dead end and there was nothing more he could tell.

"Wow, it's beautiful!" Amy said amused and forgetting about her sad thoughts.

"This is a cave and we're going under it." Seth explained.

"Wait! Meaning underwater?" Sonic asked with a quick reply of Seth's nod. Sonic's hands went of his hips and he shook his head vigorously. "You know, I've had enough water action for one day."

Amy crossed her arms and her eyes narrowed half way. "So much for not being afraid of water anymore" She mocked him.

"I'm not afraid! Thing is I don't want another intense fight that might kill us next time." He explained a little annoyed.

"This cave in one of the most peaceful places in all Gemnissent. That or somewhere farther down north, but my point is we'll be fine." Seth reassured him.

"I don't want my dress wet again. It's a drag. Isn't there another way?" Amy asked walking up close to the water. She could see her reflection. Her quills were still drying up from last time she was on water so it was dangling instead of swiftly being blown by the wind.

"If you'd rather go the way around which takes a day or climb up these rocks were there are bugs we could do that."

"No!" She shrieked. "I'm fine, I like this way better." She held back a complaint and Seth flew into the water splashing and swimming in it, but came back out. "Just a warning. You can't breathe this. Oh and follow closely," He went back under and was swimming under a rock and disappeared. Sonic got into the water which was shallow at first but once deeper into the pit it got deeper. Amy followed behind dragging her dress again for it to get wet and bother her more. She had to change into more suitable clothes for adventure because this wasn't helping her. Sonic waited for her and smiled at her suffering.

"Need help?" He asked.

"No, I can swim on my own." She said sounding efficiently.

Sonic shrugged but handed his hand out to her. She stopped and looked at it quizzed. Her head turned a little. "What?"

"Give me your hand." He told her.

The past may have been over but seeing him smiling at her as he helped her in the water the start of a new beginning. For both of them the word 'frenemy' was long gone from their vocabulary and 'good friends' replaced it. Trust and compassion still lingered in his eyes and for the longest she wondered why she felt so close to him now than before. What was missing before that completed him now? Diving underwater her hand tightens around his and in returned he gave her a light squeeze letting her know he was there right next to her as the next adventure awaited them.

Now you readers are left wondering what is going to happen under inside that cave now, huh? You never know ]

Until weeks pass, Adios!