Chapter Thirteen – Spiritual
Thankfully, everyone was none the worse from the Beta Blockers as within a few days, everything returned to normal, all associated pain was gone. All the Chaos Powers were back, but Sukko was out cold for four months. Everyone panicked but according to Max and the Sorcerer's history, this was completely normal. But that didn't stop him from refusing to leave his bedside. Upon getting no response from their father, his three daughters soon turned up on Angel Island looking for him.
Sapphire, his eldest daughter, and Max's twin, was a deep rich navy blue female Hedgehog, the colour of sapphire gemstones, hence her name and she was absolutely beautiful. She had large emerald-green eyes, with a small black nose, and a peach muzzle. Her quills fell down to just past her shoulders but today, Sapphire had tied them up in a ponytail. She wore a black t-shirt, black jeans and black shoes. She was a exact miniature version of her mother, except Martha was burgundy in fur coat colour. She also wore a black coat, but three-quarter length and shared her father's gift in Magic. It was her that had to calm a panicking Max, but his two younger sisters, were a bit numb by it all.
Everyone was very surprised. The stunning Green and Albino girls of the younger sisters, were not what anyone expected. Jade was a leaf Green Hedgehog who wore a completely black all-in-one sleeveless dress, white sock and shoes and black lase up shoes. She wore a red headband and had a black nose, and deep blue eyes. She was super-hyper, constantly Orb teleporting everywhere, asking questions to everyone about everything.
Her sister was the exact opposite. Careful and delicate, her slowly explored Angel Island with intent and purpose. Being born blind, she felt her way round, but she wasn't phased at all. She was a stunning pure White Hedgehog, but she wasn't quite a true Albino, as she did have some pigmentation. She had a black nose, and significantly paler peach colour for her muzzle and belly. She had iris and pupils for eyes, but the iris were a pale grey, and their permanently blank look highlighting her blindness. She wore a black t-shirt, a pleated skirt and black lase shoes, with white shoes and gloves.
Upon arrival, Max sensing his sister Jade's Orbing, he ran in and greeted them with hugs all round. They landed very close to the Master Emerald's alter, and was immediately intercepted by Knuckles, who backed down, realising the situation. After quick introductions all round, he lead them back to the main family house and Max's room, where Sukko was sleeping.
They were all in tears, as Sapphire sat next to her father on the bed, grabbed his hand, and with the other, she place it on his forehead and tried to use her Magic to help him. But even with Chaos Sorcery, she was no nurse. Failing, she growled, rounding on Max.
"What happened?" She spat. But Max just cried.
"Dad was kidnapped, due to mistaken identity again. Some weirdo thought he was Uncle Sonic, having survived the war. Anyway, he was given Beta Blockers, and unfortunately, they exploded out his Magic." He stammered. Sapphire swore. Beta Blockers were dangerous for a Sorcerer. He shook her father and hard. She growled.
"Come on, Dad." She begged, but Max continued. He sniffed.
"So I went after him. Took some new friends, Violet, Pearl and Scarlet with me. With Dad's Magic exploding, I was able to just about feel it across the either, managed to follow it, and together we worked out where the old Eggman base, the weirdo was using to imprison him in. But Dad being typical Dad, didn't stay put and by the time we got there, he managed to escape jail, he'd made his way through the base, to the back delivery entrance, which he had blown to bits. But because his Telepathy had blown own, it had practically caught everyone's in it, except the people he was with and was being fire at by a gun." He panted. "So I went for the bullet. I didn't really think. I had no idea if could catch it, but I did. A second one, too. It was like my instincts were on fire. Anyway, I remembered from Uncle Sonic, how to snap Dad out of the Telepathic trance before he collapsed. Sapphire, he's in a bad way. I think he casted through the Beta Blockers." He panicked. They all gulped, but Sapphire just cried over her father's sleeping head.
"Oh, Dad, why?" She whimpered. "You know better." She squealed. But Crystal just smiled, but her hands out towards her father's chest and heart. She smiled.
"Yes, he does. Sapphire, more then you realise. He knows far more about Chaos Sorcery then you ever could, especially the dangers." She heaved. Suddenly, she concentrated and the hands began to glow the deep bright white of the Chaos Healing she processed. She looked up. "Those people he was with. Weren't they friends of Uncle Sonic?" She asked, looking at Max. The Purple Hedgehog nodded.
"Yes, but to be honest, I don't know them that well. Oh, Saffie, Dad said he would be fine but he's not. He lied." He admitted, sniffing hard. But Sapphire just heaved.
"Max. Listen. We know Dad. He's a Blue Hedgehog, he'll pull through, he always does, even if we don't always know how." She smiled. Max nodded. Suddenly, she growled. "As to the people he was with, if they are who I think they are, from Uncle Sonic's stories, then they are seasoned fighters. They should have known better." She leered, but Crystal just intensely stared at her, her eyes glowing, which silenced her older sister. She frowned.
"I don't think they had much of a choice. If they had all been given Beta Blockers, then Dad was the only one there who potentially had access to any Chaos Power at all. I suspect he saved their lives." She heaved.
There was silence, as all four children looked over to their precious father and beamed, in pure awe, as Max came over and hugged Crystal, who letting go of the Healing, was now very tired. Upon her arrival, Max was immediately all over Crystal, showing her around the Island and carrying her on his back, super protective. But no one said a word. He got Max away from Sukko, as he had been super clingy with the Sorcerer. Soon Max and Crystal went to play outside, Sapphire and Jade were left behind. Sapphire just took his hand. She was so proud of her father. He was a Hero. A genuine lifesaver, but annoyed, she growled.
"Max is such a wet blanket." She hissed, but Jade just giggled.
"No more so than Uncle Sonic was, when Dad was unconscious for months on end." She grinned. Sapphire nodded. It always famously utterly devastated Sonic every time Sukko went down like this. But she stared at her father, she sniffed. "Dad's not knocked himself out with Magic in years." She shrugged. But Sapphire just lost her temper. She roared.
"Those so-called friends of our Uncle's. Dad had been given Beta Blockers, which screw him up at the best of times, and could have killed him at worse. Yes, the Beta Blockers do explode out his Magic, but he really shouldn't have casted through the powerful drugs. Every time he casted through Beta Blockers, he potentially forfeited his life. I went into his mind, as best I could." She sniffed. "Jade, Dad's in a really bad way. I don't think he'll remember anything from that day when he wakes up. If he wakes up." She sighed, but then she growled. "What did those people ask of him?" She cried, tears running down her face. But Jade just heaved, looking out through the door, to the people in question. The girls were alone with their father.
"For what I've heard. Everything. He's never really been a one for saying 'no'. Saffie, he did save their lives." She sighed. "Crystal's already tried to heal him. Given everything she had, but nothing. This is way beyond our skills. We need a miracle." She cried.
But that evening, both the girls had fallen a sleep next to their father on his bed, Max and Crystal were both curled up on chairs nearby. No one was leaving the mighty Sorcerer, and there was still no change. But as the night wore on, at the darkest hour, just before the dawn, in the centre of the ceiling, right above Sukko's head, suddenly, a large ball of bright white light appeared. Beautiful, mystical, it silently and gently floated down to hover just in front of Sukko's nose. Nobody awoke and it just looked at Blue Hedgehog and heaved. Suddenly, it spoke with a deep, disembodied voice, that was both incredibly warm and gentle. It heaved.
"Did someone ask for a miracle?" It sniggered. Suddenly, Sukko heaved, as he opened one of his eyes, and completely unphased at the ball of light. He spoke, his voice incredibly creaked. He was indeed in a very bad way. He smirked.
"Well, you took your time, Sonikku. Did you get mother's Magic?" He hissed. Suddenly, the ball of heaved, and landed rather heavily on Sukko's chest, to much giggling from the Sorcerer. The ball of light was indeed the spirit of his identical twin brother, Sonic The Hedgehog. His Spirit Orb. He sighed.
"Just because I restored the Psychic Link, with my lifeforce and your incredible Magic, just before I died, so that we could speak to each other across the either. You here, and me, in the Spirit Realm, doesn't mean I'm permanently on your beck and call all the time, Sukko." He growled. But Sukko just smiled, through his single open eye.
"I know that, Sonikku." He hissed. They had been speaking to each other constantly since the Blue Blur's death. Sukko had lied to the other parents claiming that he couldn't. He just wasn't ready for them to know but Sonic's Spirit Orb just rounded on his brother. He heaved.
"But Sukko, thank you." He smiled. "I saw what you did, at that base, even if you probably won't remember it. You risked your life, to save my friends." He breathed, and suddenly, his ball of light hugged his brother as best he could, to much purring. He sniffed. "Thank you." He smiled, again. But Sukko just nodded. He knew he wouldn't remember. Beta Blockers always wipe his memory of the event. But he knew what it would have meant to his brother. That was why he did it. He didn't really think about the consequences. But he heaved, again, now in rather a lot of pain. He growled.
"Pleasure." He beamed, with usual response. But he heaved, rather painfully. "Sonikku, did you get mother's Magic?" He repeated. He didn't have long left and he knew it. He desperately needed the incredible Magic of their mother, Bernadette, a powerful Sorceress who could cast from beyond the grave. Her powers of healing and restoration were unmatched. Not even Sukko or Crystal as get anywhere close to her skills. When Eggman gave him Beta Blockers before, he needed Bernadette's Magic to survive that encounter and so knew he'd have to do the same again, hence he sent his brother after her. But Sonic's Spirit Orb, just huffed.
"Yeah, I did. She's much easier to find, now that I'm here in the Spirit Realm with her. She was happy to help, though she wondered what mess you've gotten yourself into. So I told her what happened, and wanted to come down here and heal you herself, but I told her I could do it. Besides, with the Psychic Link, it's much easier for me to come and go. She has to jump through several hoops to get down here, I don't. To be honest, travelling down the Psychic Link to get down here, it's a bit like a massive slide." He smiled.
Suddenly, the Spirit Orb concentrated and lifted itself off the Sorcerer's chest and hovered slightly. Then it split into two, making a second smaller ball of white light, as Sonic produced his mother's precious Magic and place it gently on Sukko's chest as it immediately sunk and disappeared inside of him. Sukko closed his eyes. Sonic smiled.
"Martha says 'Hi', by the way." He added, as he moved away slightly. Sukko's heart leapt for a split second, as the love for his wife never left him and he just beamed. Then his entire body, suddenly, shone a deep white as the Bernadette's powerful Magic did it's work, and then after several minutes, the light faded away. Nobody awoke, but Sonic's ball of light, his Spirit Orb, lands back on his brother, and rolled towards his nose, along his chest. He was very still and calm. Sonic frowned.
"Sukko?" He whispered. Nothing. He gulped. "Sukko?" He wondered.
Suddenly, the Sorcerer snapped open both his eyes and immediately blew air at the ball of light. He grinned.
"Boo." He giggled. Sonic's Spirit Orb immediately heads skywards squealing, much to the amusement of his twin. But Sonic growled.
"That wasn't funny, Sukko." He hissed. Sukko giggled
"Yes, it was. Sonikku." He sniggered, in retort. Now that his mother's Magic had down it's job, he was absolutely fine. No longer in any danger. But he heaved.
"What's the matter? Can't I choose to leave? You did." He hissed, but Sonic just came back to Sukko who, this time, caught him in his hand. He deeply purred into it and sniffed hard.
"Sukko, I don't think now is a good time. You still have these four utterly beautiful darlings. My goodness, look at how much they've grown. You know Martha is so proud." He assed. Sukko nodded. He knew, as Sonic looked round. He heaved. "And Max. Wow, talk about out doing me, in everything. I would have been seriously holding him back if I'd stayed, though I did guide him through the fight here on Angel Island." He heaved. "But, Sukko, your kids still need you." He whimpered. His brother just nodded, as he looked around the room as his four children all still sleeping around him. They did indeed still need him. But he sniffed.
"Is anytime a good time to leave?" He wondered, but Sonic just smiled, from his brother's hand.
"But technically, Sukko, you don't have to. The combination of our incredible powers upon my death, has, inadvertently, left you immortal." He smiled, and then he rounded on his brother. "And when exactly are you going to tell Shads that." He hissed. But Sukko just smirked.
"Oh, I will do. Eventually." He shrugged, then he rounded on his twin. "And when are you going to tell him that the Spirit Orb he's been talking to, here on Angel Island, is actually you. I take it he doesn't recognised you." He scowled. But Sonic just grinned.
"No, as I have yet to say a word to him, as I know he'll immediately recognise my voice. I was surprised when he found my ball of light, rolling around on the floor." He heaved, but then he growled. "Flying this thing is not easy." He huffed, indicating his own Spirit Orb. Sonic wasn't a natural flyer, Sukko was, but then the Blue Blur sighed. "I didn't think he could see Spirit Orbs, but then again, this is Shads, so I'm not actually that surprised." He outright laughed. "But he was extremely gentle, though, calling me his 'little lost spirit'." He smiled. "He has been trying to help me get back home. As and when he does find me, which is usually in the middle of the night, during one of his walks, he just constantly talks to me about his woes as a father." He wondered, but Sukko just heaved, looking around at his own offspring.
"I know how he feels. I take it he's told no one about you." He admitted. But Sonic sighed, shaking his Spirit Orb.
"No, but Shads having a daughter. I totally wasn't expecting that." He admitted, but Sukko just shrugged.
"Personally, I don't think anyone was." He added, but Sonic just nodded. Dawn began to rise on the horizon. He heaved.
"Oops. Time to go. It's been nice to get back down here again. It's been a little while." He heaved. It was six months since his last visit. But Sukko grabbed him, he sighed.
"Sonikku. Before you leave. It's Miss Rose. She's still here on the Angel Island. What do I do with her?" He asked. Suddenly, Sonic's ball of light got rather wet, as the tears fell from his Spirit Orb, as he felt incredibly guilty. He cried.
"I heard what happened to her. She shouldn't have been treated that badly, loosing two kids that way." He wailed. "I shouldn't have left." He sniffed, but Sukko just rounded on him.
"Sonikku. You didn't have a choice. You were destined to die. I may have been able to revive you after that final fight against Eggman but your body had completely and utterly burned out, so no amount of healing would have mattered. I doubt even mother's Magic could have helped. You may have lasted a few months afterwards at best. Your choice to die when you did, was for the best, rather then dropping dead later. Not dignified, at all. You had no control over what happened to your friends you left behind afterwards." He growled. Sonic nodded. His brother was exactly right. But Sukko heaved. "But what do I do with Amy? I can't take her, not with four kids, plus she's not exactly my type." He added. Sonic giggled, drying off his tears.
"No, considering you've had, what, how many boyfriends in the last twelve months." He grinned, sarcastically. Sukko growled. It was a lot. More then he properly should have had, considering he was a father, but no one knew. The Sorcerer was stuffed full of secrets. He hissed at the the Spirit Orb.
"That's not of your business, Sonikku." He growled. But Sonic just giggled.
"But you do see my point." He added, of which the Sorcerer just nodded. But then Sonic just heaved, his Spirit Orb settling deeply into his brother's hand. He sniffed. "But I do forgive her. I was devastated when I saw her kissing that guy, but to find out that he abused her so badly, she just didn't deserve that." He heaved. But Sukko just smirked.
"But regardless, she has paid her dues." He hissed, rather coldly, but Sonic's anger just exploded at his brother. He growled.
"Oh Sukko, that's brutal." He squealed, but then he sighed. "Look, I'm willing to forgive her, and if you are too, then I know whom she can start over with. Someone, a guy that will definitely take care of her properly." He winked.
Sukko, nodded, also coming to the same conclusion. Suddenly, the two brothers just looked at each other. The spirit and the immortal. Now linked for all eternity, to keep each other safe and sane. Finally, they both nodded. It was agreed, as finally the sun rose, and Sukko let go of Sonic's ball of light, his Spirit Orb, as he drifted up and away, and vanished back to the Spirit Realm. The fact that Sonic had found their parents up there, didn't surprise Sukko. He would have gone looking for them. He was getting better at the whole ball of light 'thing', which was how the spirits always show themselves on Mobius, never as ghosts, as this wasn't the first time Sonic had been down to see him. He visited quite frequently, but he couldn't fly his Spirit Orb for a long time. Rolling the ball of light everywhere, to Sukko's utter amusement.
But seeing the Spirit Orbs was a privilege. Due to his special link with his twin, across the either, Sukko could see and hear the spirits, but no one else could, other then Shadow, and he was canny enough to keep it to himself. That was why he never spoke a word to anyone of the fact, despite the King of Speed's incredible fame, that his brother, Sonic, was actually still with them. That was strictly between them and would forever stay that way.
As for Shadow, a fellow immortal, they would deal with that, as and when the time came. But right now, Sukko had his brother all to himself, and liked, very much, for it to stay that way. He laid back on the bed, and smiled, as the light on the dawn filled his room. He smirked. With four kids sleeping and him, now fully healed, Sukko smirked and hard. Time for a total wind up.