Knuckles: ~Who let the hogs out? Who! Who! Who! Who let the hogs ou-
Charmy: I swear by whatever is holy or damned, if you don't stop singing this instant I'm going to-
Rouge: Guys, guys, relax. Aren't those old threats a bit on the empty side by now?
Charmy: Speak for yourself fool! See how empty this *grabs and twists Knuckles' arm* or this is!
Knuckles: Owie owie ouch! Enough! I give! Uncle! I said 'Uncle' dang it, now stop!
Charmy: Hearing you even suggest that we share any sort of familial connection sickens me! *twists harder*
Rouge: Hey stop it, the both of you! I know you boys don't like each other, but can't we at least try to act like a team for once?
Charmy: Grr… Still such a weak-willed square, aren't you, Rouge-erm *looks closely* wait… *looks again* Wait… *and again* WAIT! W-w-w-w-w-what the heck? Why do you have-and why am I a-and when did he get-JUST LOOK AT US!
Rouge: ? What are you talking about…! *checks own body* O-oh my…
Knuckles: *Cheeky grin* Hee-hee! I have muscles now.
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Rallying the Spirit
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Awakening always had to be a rude ordeal, especially when you get yourself conked out in your own dreamland. How had he stumbled upon this bottomless pit of weird again?
Pondering current events frankly didn't do jack for him now that he was isolated off in this warped nightmare of his. Assuming he could describe it, he figured labeling the experience as a deadly case of 'sleep-walking' wouldn't be out of place, though it hardly explained the several strange compulsions he felt being drilled into his head. Oh no big deal, I mean they seemed harmless enough. He was only hearing a voice that asked him to move when he didn't want to, or speak when he had nothing to say, but then how smart would he be if he listened to the voice that SHOULDN'T BE THERE TO BEGIN WITH?
Hoping to get his thinking off the 'person in his head', Tails let his gloved hand fall on a mystifying object he'd been eyeing for some time now. Anyone looking at him now would never guess how strenuous that simple movement was, considering he was still under the effects of whatever had recently taken hold of him. The small, shiny, spherical thing was mostly disinteresting; except for the way it glowed as he touched it. Dropping his hand caused the glow to vanish, so he experimented by poking it multiple times in succession. Then something had snagged his attention over to a nearby door which was resonating in perfect synch with his pokes. Going on a hunch, Tails pressed his hand firmly against the orb, causing the proximal door to open with ease. Trying to surmise everything, he concluded that he'd been operating some form of advanced touch-pad that remotely makes machines in this place tick. Finding the results were satisfactory enough, the vulpine got his nerve up and slowly headed towards the narrow threshold, still feeling very held back by some mental restraint.
"You're surprisingly dull-witted for one so fortunate."
Oh…fantastic. So, just who had been spying on him all this time? Judging by the speaker's feminine tone it couldn't be the specter-freak he'd spoken to before blacking out. Hmm…his secretary maybe? Eager for his answers, Tails rotated to see it, or rather her, hovering a few inches off the reflective metallic floor. So was this the lady-in-waiting for his royal blurriness? Why would a super-powered creeper need a nice-looking ghost girl to be his servan-
Holy roasted saint salt, this chick is a GHOST!
Tails was suddenly, uncontrollably terrified at the prospect of being this thing's next meal, or possession, or WHATEVER else ghosts do! Ordinarily, he would act cocky and confidant to save face for Amethyst (who he was certain had no idea about his phasmophobia), but feeling a bit vulnerable already had roused one of Tails' few remaining shreds of cowardice. Trembling and struggling to stay focused, the vulpine could swear he heard his head-voice say something to him. It sounded like: "You know she means you harm. Flee or fight her off with our united strength."
The poor fox hated both beings ripping away at his self-preservation. Just as he was almost ready to consider the strange mind-dweller's advice, Tails saw that the spook had completely closed the distance between them, preventing any slight chance of a getaway. Here it was. His time had come. He knew ever since he visited that demon-infested Tent-of-Horrors that it would end this way. Not sure if he should be melodramatic or a tough-guy about it, Tails settled on squinting as he awaited the deathblow.
No shocker to find the evil soul-snatcher laughing, or giggling, at his misfortune. Did she always play with her victims before she ate them? Telling himself it would be alright in a few seconds proved to be his only sensible thought thus far when he suddenly felt his apprehension diminish down to more manageable levels. Opening his eyes wide, the fox felt his heart stop when he noticed the undead girl had placed a hand on his cheek.
"Now that's better. Did anyone ever tell you how childish and cute you look when you're scared?" Right then Tails wanted to let rage replace his fear. Nobody but NOBODY was allowed to call him 'cute', and that went double for home-stalking poltergeists! She must've felt his anger, as she was kind enough to show an apologetic smile. Picturing her without the dead-walking part, Tails swore she had a face and eyes too nice to harbor any true evil. He was far from comfortable, but the fox was at least partially convinced that she wasn't here to have his soul for dinner. Well she hadn't killed him yet, so that did give her a few points at any rate.
Taking her hand off him, the girl turned her back and said "I didn't mean to insult, or surprise you." She had seemingly placed extensive effort into making her words as harmless as possible "But I couldn't let you end up like Shadow, not after you've come this far…intact."
Intact? End up like Shadow? What the daisy was she talking about? Never mind the clichéd questions; he knew she wasn't going to spill the beans so easily. True to his bad luck, the girl resealed the door he'd worked so hard to open, and then faced him again to say "Listen up, I don't have time to explain, so I'll keep this short: Head down to the prison section of this place and rescue the hostage there. He'll be extremely helpful in springing the trap that has been laid for your friends."
Hostage? Trap? Prison section? Dang it, this semi-transparent woman was making his head ache! Didn't she realize how hard it was for him to even move, much less concentrate on rescuing an unknown person from a prison he had no way of locating? Funnier and equally absurd, where would he start from? She'd already sealed the last possible exit leaving them trapped like rats. Once again though, the girl acted immediately after he thought this. She took two steps forward, passing halfway into the wall opposing the door. Turning back to him, she stretched out her hand invitingly. Oh this was real sweet. First the ghost lady gives him an impossible task, and now she wants to pull him through a wall? If this day could get any more ridiculous, Tails would be hard pressed to find out how.
Reservations thrown over, under, and of course by, the wayside, Tails saw no point in further doubting or distrusting this girl anymore. Talking a reluctant pace over to her side, the fox grasped her hand to feel his body and mind become more…'his own' than they had been previously. At least now he could function without moving like a drunken zombie.
Wearing a stern look, the girl said grittily "I stress that you should not attempt to engage the evil one until you've found the large prisoner dressed in crimson. Call upon me instead and I will take you somewhere safe." With a sudden jerk, the vulpine was pulled into a larger room with several doors and floors. It would take forever to find this 'prisoner in crimson'. It just occurred to him that this girl read minds. Groaning, he waited for her incoming explanation.
"Head down the corridor to your immediate right, until I give you further instructions. Oh yes, I almost forgot. My name is Tikal, pleased to finally meet you Miles."
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*At the crossroads*
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"That vessel cannot possibly be seaworthy." Shadow remarked in harsh light of what he saw. No doubt everyone shared his opinion when the creaking tub of water-rotted wood heaved it's way upon onto the shore's surface with that same distinct crunch, making the whole team flinch as though the ship might explode. Sonic couldn't hide how much he'd wanted to laugh at Vector's triumphant waving while sitting on the front 'porch' of the homely boat-plane. The croc's presence raised the obvious question that only the blue hedgehog and, were he present, Espio could maybe answer.
If the buffoonish crocodile was down here greeting them then…who's driving?
A scatter of the crowd was called for, preferably to avoid getting crushed beneath out of control, floating pile of dry-wall. Leaping high up the window of the 'helm', Sonic took a gander inside to see a terrified vixen white-knuckling the wheel with a cheerful soda-drinking Charmy close by. The actual landing didn't throw the acrobatic hero that far off balance, but it did give him a bit of a scare when a few shingles came loose, sending Sonic on an unexpected skiing trip back down to earth. Unfortunately, he hadn't been paying careful attention to his next stunt, which consisted of him kicking the loose roofing away in a stylish manner, then looking down to see he had just knocked a recently freed Espio out cold. The hero acknowledged his mistake by tapping the lizard's prone body, to see if he was alive, while muttering an awkward apology at a safe distance.
Elsewhere, Vector and Charmy headed out to greet and introduce themselves to the rest of the enlarged team. Rouge hesitated at first, remembering these two to be part of Knuckles' old gang, much like the currently downed Espio. However, Vector, in an unusual moment of genteel behavior, formally renounced any ties he might've had to the echidna, ensuring her the utmost respect whether she trusted him or not. Charmy was quick to add that he thought she was beautiful, a great combination that eventually warmed the bat up to the bungling duo. Shadow was first to remind them who he was, hoping to not give them any false impressions of safety. This was answered by an unexpected bear-hug from the king-sized croc, stunning no one more than Sonic or Shadow himself. Maria and Amy shyly said their part, ending with Amy whispering to the Robotnik girl how sweet but annoying Charmy's was (the annoying part originating from the, as Amy put it, 'high-pitched shrieking he called a voice').
Sonic gradually remembered they were missing someone. Rushing over to the house-ship, he found himself beaten to the punch by a remarkably recovered Espio. Already the stealthy one was busily asking her a number of deeply concerned questions, all of which involved her safety and well-being. The hero didn't interfere, only rubbed his chin thoughtfully. Eventually the two headed over and met up with the rest of the group. For the first time in a while, Sonic saw tears pour out of Amethyst as she stood reunited with Rouge, her sister-like friend, at long last. The white bat reciprocated strongly, reminding Sonic of how he felt when he'd finally found Tails.
"Tails…" The name…remarkably sounded dead on his lips. Outside of his initial sorrow last seen at the Ruins, Sonic remained locked out of all visible emotion for his lost brother. It was foreign to him, recalling how he used to feel heavy pain for matters far less serious. What had changed now? He should be screaming his head off and crying like a baby considering how he'd reacted to the 'lighter' problems of the past. Battering himself for a reaction didn't work sadly. This was the one time his despair would be really warranted and yet he felt merely…empty.
"Sonic!" a good opportunity for an interruption, perfect really. He listened to Vector's classic method of stating the obvious, happy to have an excuse for not thinking about his buddy's condition. Yes he knew it was time to get everyone together for the final mission, and no one needed to clarify how tough some would take it (mainly Amy and Maria, who he had every intention of leaving out). Sucking it up, the hero convinced himself that this might be the last crucial meeting they'll have…while he's still alive.
In the end, he stood facing the chillingly quiet group. The tiny congregation's focus stayed glued to him without a chance of distraction. The last speech and briefing was about to be made by the sole member of the team that wasn't from this world. A fitting way to kick off the end of the craziest adventure he'd ever been on.
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End of Chapter Thirty-five
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Yes, YES, Knuckles WILL be back, but now at least the team is back together. So Tails will be stuck on his own off the side-route to beating the big baddie.
DanceDream: See if you can spot the 'daisy' in this chapter *sneaky grin*. Poor Espio never saw the thing coming. Sucks to find yourself between a crab and a hard place, doesn't it? Yes, she's Sonic's favorite stalker alright. I'm horrible like that, not giving the drama a moment's peace. That said, I only added the humor in to cushion the impending tears you know. Yep Tails can, though he's sort of lost in his own mind right now, and doesn't recall everything well. This is the dimension of 'what-if' after all. You can't change the person entirely, unless you open up new opportunities for them, sooo that's exactly what I did! I'm glad you saw through the oddness to see the touching-ness. :D Cake makes me smile! Whoa now, what about the 'don't go into the light' rule here? XD No but really, thanks again :).
Ghostkid33: And that's the vibe I was going for XD. I wanted to make it a tidbit uncomfortable for everyone who knows how Shadow REALLY behaves. Yeah Espio's funny stuff to mess with. Tails scene was essential for this scene, but yeah it was kind of filler XD.
Serenity: I never doubted for a second :). Don't worry how often you get review, just as long as you enjoy the plot I'm happy. Sonic has come a long way, and yes it's finally, with a little sadness, almost over. I hope this wraps up to be my first, all-round successful fic. Please tell your friend ravenclaww that I truly appreciate their help with our communication. I told them to tell you that I would have Rise out by Monday, but that clearly didn't work out. It makes me, and probably the rest of the readers, very sad indeed :(
Infamousplot: You'll make it one of these days. I'm sure of it XD
Kindra Mckleen: D'oh! I just found your review! I'm sorry I lost it like a klutz! Back to the story: Yup that's just me trying to keep our fox-guy in the plot without all the angst drowning him out XD. I'm glad you liked the reunion so much, and yes Shadow smiling is a scary thing indeed (nobody could blame Sonic in that scenario 0_o). Once again, I'm so sorry I screwed up!
knight of the windZ10Z: As Salazar form RE4 would say: "Aw… What a touching moment we have here." Heh, I wanted to cluster as much as I could into that scene for good measure, and to show that this world isn't ALL bad. Tails' dream was more unsettling to write about (seeing how I had the image in my head 0_o). No, no, I don't like using ol' Meph. Hm… You know you're the second person to ask me if it was Big. Have you and Sparkle been reading ahead on the script or what? XD
Sierra Zanimalini14: It's meant to be both touching and a little weird at the same time :P. I really am glad you like the humor in this story. I was afraid it might be a little out of place when I started, but I'm finding it really levels all the weepy stuff out nicely. I wish I could've reviewed by now. You can see it took a lot to get even this out before the week was up, so I hope I still have your understanding.
Super Shadix 520: Please do! I don't get much faster with time, as you might've noticed, still I do appreciate the support and blah blah blah. I can't seem to find a unique way to thank anyone anymore :\.
Sparkling-nexis137: The crab-watcher is how they should've made crab-meat. Nobody really could expect one of the lesser guys to do what my, err Maria's XD, bad boy can! Strong AND kind! Now with some of the mushy stuff aside I can almost respect a Shadow like this, though I know the angst is what gives the other one his appeal.
draco'sfairmaiden: Hey some kids really kick arse big time! I hoped I would I get a humorous way of introducing them to the group (as opposed to moving up to straight drama XD). It's been taking me longer and longer…
Dark Tailz Fox: Snively: And now you see the results sir…XD
Cut Productions: I try to aim a tad higher with each new chapter, so I'm pleased to hear my efforts paid off again. I love throwing a hodgepodge of everything together for a nice overall feel. Yes I agree Maria would be more shy in 'reality'. Yikes of all spikes! I got it! There are TWO, not three, not four, but TWO. Even though there can only be ONE without the TWO, added up by the TWO ONES to make the TWO! I…must've gotten carried away? XD
KillingKathy: K.K. it is, though I'll still make a vain attempt to spell your name! Cookies indeed! Imma very happy now XD. Take me long? To say what? 0_o Well I wanted it to be a sort of hard to take. U no like hugs? Meh I don't much either. No problem, just as long as you liked the story I'm okay with it. I don't care for Shadow much so if you have a lack of fan-girlness I won't mind at all.
No line on the horizon: Um...anybody there?
Until next time!