Chapter 4: Secrets in the Stones

"So let me get this strait…" Bentley said. "Sly landed in your ship, which is parked outside the city with three more humans, an android and a dragon?"

I nodded.

"And you're fighting these roach-looking things called Heartless?" Murray asked.

I nodded again.

Bentley hummed in thought. He seemed like the kind of guy who liked knowing all the facts before getting into a situation. Murray also seemed deep in thought, and this apparently wasn't totally normal, because Sly was the one that spoke up next. "What's up guys?"

Bentley looked at him before pushing a button on his chair, making a robotic arm come out and hand Sly a newspaper. "Your heartless sound familiar to a new gang of thieves called the Shadow Thieves." He explained.

"What?" I asked and stood to see.

The paper had a blurry picture of several cockroach looking beings leaving a museum with something…. two somethings, the leader had the first things and the back one had the second.

"I was able to clean up the picture." Bentley continued, pulling out his laptop and showed us the same picture, but cleaned up to show the heartless. One was carrying off a statuette, and another was carrying off a blue gem. "The statue is one of a set of four, as well is the gem." Bentley continued. "The caption on the exhibit said that the gems are Element Shards, and I guess they can control different elements. This blue one is supposed to control water."

I looked at the gem, but it was the statue that caught my attention more. "Can you zoom in on the statue Bentley?"

Bentley nodded and did so. I blinked; the statuette was an echidna in a kneeling position holding a dish. He was also in tribal cloths. It was an angel with his wings stretched back behind him. But it looked similar to some of the statues on Angel Island, only those were echidnas.

"I know that statue…" I said.

"You do?" The guys asked in unison.

I nodded. "I think it originally came from the Island I protect with my friends. Only, the ones I saw were built into the stone, and they had rings to hold the emeralds. But these are dishes… and they were Echidnas… not Angels..."

"Didn't you tell me there were two sets of some magical emeralds?" Sly asked.

I nodded. "Chaos Emeralds and Control Emeralds. But they were all accounted for last I checked. And that was three months before we left for my original home. But that's the wrong shape to be any of the emeralds. They were either spherical like pearls, or shaped like diamonds. But I can't help but think I know them somehow… the Angels anyway…"

"In the meantime then," Sly said. "Murray, mind if you could drive to the outskirts? We need to pick up the other humans, Metal and Solas."

"Sure!" Murray said.

"Sly, didn't you say these things attacked at night?" Bentley asked.

Both sly and I nodded.

"Then perhaps we should wait until morning." Bentley suggested. "That way we can learn more about what they're up to without anyone getting hurt."

"True," I said. "They did attack last night."

Sly sighed but nodded. "Alright. And it gives me time to try to figure out how to explain this to Carmelita."

"You haven't told her yet?" Murray asked.

Sly bit his lip and shrugged. "How can I tell her without her firing her Shock pistol at me?"

"You could steal the pistol." I suggested.

Sly laughed. "Nah, I'm already in hot water with her. But I can take care of that later on. For now, I'm thinking we should get some sleep before getting the rest of Emily's friends."

"Agreed." Bentley said. "And getting them shouldn't be too difficult with them being in a quiet spot."

"Unless Carmelita sees the van." Murray added.

"If that happens," Sly said. "I'll just explain things to her… if she doesn't shoot me first…"

I laughed. "Sounds like a dangerous lady."

Sly smiled. "She is, but that's the best part about her."

I smiled back. "I can hardly wait to meet her."

We all small talked after that until we finally went to bed. My guess was that they were used to the night life from their job. I was giving the spare room upstairs while Murray took the couch and Bentley slipped into his shell. I crawled into bed, but I wished Metal was there. I could hear the heartless outside and sensed them as they came and went, thankfully never stopping at the building we were in. When I did finally go to sleep, my sixth sense kept going off and giving me nightmares.

One was of a large creature with glowing eyes that seemed to captivate mine. Ty and I were going somewhere but I couldn't help but know where the creature was all the time. At one point the Heartless were after us and Ty had vanished.

They had me cornered in an alley, and Esau landed in front of me. He smiled cruelly at me, making me freeze. He drew his Keyblade and approached, but suddenly a bright light lit up between us. Esau hissed and backed off with the Heartless.

"You're Dreaming Emily." Someone said, but the voice was coming from the light. "You're safe here. It's just a bad dream."

I tried to see who was speaking but I was slowly waking up.

I slowly opened my eyes to see Sly was sitting on my bed, looking at me with a slightly worried look. "Bad dream?"

I nodded. "The heartless are outside…"

Sly nodded in understanding. "Don't worry, you're safe here." He quietly pointed at the window. In the corner was a small cross. "My parents were Christian. They always told me that the safest home was one that was prayed over. Murray and Bentley helped out when we came here. I think it's one reason why the cops haven't found this place."

I smiled, already feeling safer again. I guess I should have guess Sly was a Christian, just the way he was so calm about situations. Like back at the Gummi Ship. "How'd you know I was having a hard time though?"

"I'm in the room under you." Sly explained. "You kept mumbling so I came to investigate. You okay?"

I nodded. "Better now. They passed by the place though."

"I doubt they'll come in." Sly said. "But you should get some sleep."

"Alright…" I said. "Um… pray with me real quick?"

Sly nodded. I sat up and I was surprised when he put his arm around me. We both closed our eyes and Sly prayed. "Lord, the enemy is causing Emily to loose sleep. We pray that you give her peace tonight so she can sleep. We thank you for watching over us and protecting us, and for giving me a way home. What ever these Heartless are up to, we pray you help us confront them and put a stop to it. And in Your name we pray, Amen."

"Amen." I repeat, feeling safe and suddenly exhausted. "Thanks Sly."

Sly smiled. "No problem kiddo." He said. "Now get some sleep, Okay?"

"Alright." I replied and laid down again.

Sly put the blanket back over me and went back downstairs. "Goodnight Em." He said as he left.

"G'night Sly." I replied, quickly falling asleep without anymore nightmares.

The Next morning I woke up to the smell on bacon and eggs and pancakes. I stretched and sat up, looking outside at the bright morning. The doves were flying as the early sunlight and there was dew on the leaves of the flowers that were outside my window.

I get dressed and go down stairs to see the guys making breakfast. Murray had a whole stack of Pancakes with butter on top, while Sly and Bentley had smaller portions with eggs.
Bentley smiled as he saw me come in. "Morning Emily! Sleep well?"

"I did actually." I replied. "Cant wait to get the Heartless out of the city though."

"We can start planning that one out once we get the rest of the team here." Sly said as he served up a plate for me.

"Thanks." I said, takes the plate and a glass of orange juice.

"No Problem." Sly replied.

"Speaking of Getting your team here," Bentley said. "How did you get in Em?"

I smiled and held up my Emerald Shard. "This is a shard from a Chaos Emerald called the Master Emerald. I can change into an Echidna with it when I need to. But after about Thirteen hours it starts to make me feel sick."

"Why?" Murray said, having swallowed a pancake whole.

"Humans aren't supposed to use chaos energy." I explained. "It's because of an experiment about fifty years ago that I can use Chaos energy. My Great Grandmother was a prototype for an experiment, so that's where I come from."

"Fascinating…" Bentley said, the word strangely reminding me of Spock.

I laughed and ate my breakfast. Soon we were ready to get the guys. I changed into my Echidna form (Which got me a wonderfully shocked and surprised look from both Murray and Bentley) and followed Murray to the van. Sly said he wouldn't be joining us this round, and I had let Bentley hold onto my shard since he wanted to look at it. I wasn't sure about it at first, but it wouldn't take me thirteen hours to get there and back, so I figured it would be alright.

I directed Murray to the field and right up to the Gummi Ship. I could already hear Solas inside as Metal opened the door. The young dragon leaped out of the ship and tackled me much like a happy puppy would.

"Em! You was gone forever!" He said, pinning me to the ground but nuzzling me under my chin.

Murray had jumped back at the dragons sudden movement but didn't move otherwise. I could only laugh. "I wasn't gone forever Solas, just a night."

"Sure felt like Forever." Solas said, and I couldn't help but notice his speech was getting better.

Metal then came out with Ty, Riku and Roxas. Ty laughed when he saw I was under a mound of scales and wings. "Solas, how about letting her up?"

"No!" Solas said, laying on top of me. "Not for a while."

I laughed and pet his head. "I missed you too big guy. Be we have to get going."

Metal looked at Murray in a way like he was sizing him up. "Who are you?"

"I'm the Murray." Murray said. "Sly sent me out with the van to pick you guys up."

Ty also looked at him, but smiled. "Alright, we'll just get our bags and we'll be ready… that is if Solas will let Emily up."

Solas clearly didn't want to, but he was also curious about Murray. Murray stayed still while Solas walked up and sniffed his shoes and hands before looking up at Murray. "Never seen someone like you 'afore."

Murray knelt and looked at Solas. "Never seen a real dragon before. Can you really breath fire?"

"No." Solas said. "Merlin says I's too young."

"It's 'I'm too young' Solas. Metal corrected as he came out of the Gummi ship with his duffle bag.

Solas looked at him and tried again. "Merlin says I'm too young."

Metal smiled. "There ya go."

"Can he say Roxas' name right yet?" I asked, feeling that Solas had grown at least a year since I left last night.

"No…" Roxas, coming out with Riku and Ty. Riku was grinning though.

"It's actually really entertaining" Riku said.

"At least he hasn't said that I suck again." Roxas said.

"Did not!" Solas said, looking at Roxas.

"You did too squirt!" Roxas said.

I laughed. I had missed the guys. They made life interesting. But if Roxas wasn't careful, Jade would have him backed into a wall if he got her mad.

"Well," Murray said. "Everyone aboard! Em, since you're still an echidna you can ride up front. The rest of you should hunker down in the back."

"Sounds like a plan to me." Ty said.

We all clambered inside the Van and Murray drove off. I told the guys what we found out about the Heartless. Riku and Roxas seemed a little concerned, while Metal was clearly pondering it over. As I talked about the four angel statues, I couldn't shake the feeling that they were familiar in a way...