_Chapter 9: Follow Me Part 1_
Location: Planet Lumos, Krell Canyon
Target: Nightshadow Blackfire, #7
As I walk through the darkness of the cavern, I take in new scents. I have intruders in my canyon. It is not long before I hear the voices of the trespassers.
"Are you sure we're in the right place?" I heard. The voice was fairly young, belonging to one no older than six-years-old. It was obvious that she was frightened.
"Don't worry, Cream," another older voice said reassuringly. "I'll protect you. And I'm sure this is the right place."
Then a third voice spoke up. "Where has that one gone off to?" Now I am sure of it: these people are hunting me. I look around the corner to see the three of them walking calmly through my territory. Then they stop suddenly.
"What is it, Big?" A pink hedgehog asked the large purple cat.
Have they sensed me? I am not sure.
The purple cat that the hedgehog called "Big" pulled out a fishing rod and cast it in my direction. It wrapped my tail and pulled me out of my hiding place. I am caught.
"Thought you could spy on us, did ya?" Big said with amusement.
"Da! Let me go," their captive shouted. Big cut the fishing line, and the Lombax fell hard on the sandstone floor. She shook her head and rubbed her right ear carefully. "What that be for?" she demanded.
"You were spying on us," Big replied matter-of-factly.
"The only reason I spy on you is because you are in my territory!" she exclaimed. "Get out and I leave you 'lone."
"Not gonna happen, Shade," Amy said.
The Lombax stiffened. "What…?" She asked, glancing at the pink hedgehog dubiously.
"You heard me, Nightshadow," Amy said mockingly.
Nightshadow looked down guiltily as her ears fell back. "What do you want?" she asked quietly.
"We want you to come with us," Amy replied. "Now will you come quietly, or are we going to have to fight?"
Nightshadow shook her head. "No, I…I will come peacefully."
All three of them raised an eyebrow at her. "There's gotta be some kind of catch, isn't there, Shade?" Amy inquired suspiciously.
"Escape," Nightshadow replied. "Escape from the canyon alive. Unless you leave now, they will find you and kill you in the worst of ways."
"Who?" Cream asked, her eyes wide and shining.
"They have no name," Nightshadow replied. "But they…are very dangerous."
Amy pulled out her hammer. "Don't worry. We can take care of ourselves."
"You don't understand," Nightshadow exclaimed. "They are creatures of Fear. They look into your souls and find your greatest fears. Don't think! Otherwise, your fears will become reality."
"Too late," Cream whimpered, looking down.
"What did you think of?" Amy asked, seeming almost horrified.
"Dark Chao," Cream said quietly. Suddenly thousands of small black and red creatures with bat wings and devil-like tails surrounded the group. Amy held her hammer at the ready while Big pulled his fishing rod out once more. Cream closed her eyes, sighing, before she stepped into a fighting stance. The Dark Chao did not move. Cream lowered her guard, confused.
It was then Nightshadow spoke again. "They only know what they look like, not what they can do."
Amy stepped up to one, and, readying her hammer like a golf club, she called, "Fore!" She swung her hammer at one of the Chao, and it turned into a black wisp of smoke on impact. The others disappeared along with it.
"That was easy," Big observed.
"It's not over," Nightshadow said, looking deeper into the canyon.
"What do you mean by that?" Amy demanded.
"Look." Nightshadow pointed in the direction she had been staring at. The other three followed her gaze to see many pairs of blood red eyes glaring menacingly at the four.
"Where do you think you are going, Nightshadow?"a voice hissed. Nightshadow stiffened. The sound of his voice made everyone's skin crawl. "I did not give you permission to leave. Must I punish you again?"
Nightshadow's ears fell back and she fell to her knees, looking at the creatures fearfully. "No, please…I…I'll be good. I'll stay. I promise. I won't go. I'll stay!"
"You belong to me, Nightshadow," the voice said. "I will deal with you personally. As for you, trespassers, I think I will let my children take care of you." A shadow appeared over Nightshadow an instant before she vanished like mist. As soon as she was out of sight, three creatures appeared before the members of Team Rose.
The first was a Teddy Bear that was about half as tall as Cream, colored the common tan and brown. Cream gasped. "It's so adorable!" she squeaked. She stepped forward to hug it.
"Don't, Cream!" Amy shouted. Cream froze, looking back at the hedgehog questioningly. "You don't know for sure what it is. Remember what that thing said." Cream glanced back at the Teddy Bear, uncertain.
"What's the matter, Miss Cream?" the bear asked, sounding sad. "Don't you like me?"
Cream squared her shoulders. "No," she said firmly.
The bear looked down. "Then that means I'll have to kill you," it whispered. When it looked back up, its eyes glowed dark red and its mouth had formed into a crooked grin. All at once, it began to morph. It grew to six times its size and razor sharp claws appeared. An instant later, it roared and lunged at the small rabbit.
Until now, Big had been unaware of the reptile slowly slithering around him. It made a soft hiss as it slowly curled around the cat's leg. "Have you the time, dear friend, to join us in our slow turning and play," it said. "We'll twist and turn and never grow bored, as scales shift lightly o'er stone…"
"You are not real," Big said calmly. "You are an apparition created by that creature."
"Clever you are, but so much so that you may defeat us?!" Suddenly, the snake grew in size. Big threw it off just in time. The head split into seven parts, and they formed heads as well. Finally, it grew legs and stood over Big, almost twice the Mobian's size.
One of the heads snapped, grabbing Froggy in its mouth. Angered, Big hooked a spiked ball to the end of his fishing rod and swung. He hit his target spot on, causing the head to release the frog.
Amy suddenly felt a light breeze blow by her. "Amy!" a familiar voice exclaimed.
Amy turned around, surprised to see a blue hedgehog standing before her. "Sonic! What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be looking for Twilight?"
"I couldn't stay away, Ames," Sonic replied. "Not while you were in danger."
"Oh, Sonic! That's so sweet of you!"
"Miss Rose, don't listen to him!" Cream called as she dive-bombed the bear.
"It's a trick!" Big called, struggling against the hydra.
"My Sonic would never stray from a mission," Amy said. She looked at "Sonic" and continued. "Not even for my sake!"
"Amy...?" the Sonic asked doubtfully. "Why do you doubt me?" Then, in a more menacing tone, "Why are you scared?" The cobalt fur suddenly darkened, turning black. Amy took a small step back, surprised. His eyes turned all white as his spikes rose. The Dark Sonic rose from the ground and charged at Amy.
The pink hedgehog, strangely prepared, swung her hammer. With a clear ringing from the impact, the Sonic creature was pushed back. "Aww, is the poor little hedgehog scared? Waiting for her hero to come save her." His voice, his stance, very being mocked her.
"I. Am not. A damsel. In. Distress!" She jumped up, hammer overhead, and swung down. The impact destroyed the Sonic replica. Shortly after, Cream and Big destroyed their challengers.
"All right, let's go," Amy demanded sharply.
As they ran, Amy could not keep her thoughts from raging like a torrent of mountain rapids. What if…what if that Sonic replica was right? I…I am dependent on him… But…Do I…have to be?
Can I…be…my own hero?
To be continued…
That was unintentional! I didn't mean to drag this chapter out so long, but it ended up as such. So, I'm gonna nag at Wyvern to help me with chapter 10 so I don't have to leave you all in too much suspense.
Anywho, this is a key point in the story. Mostly for Amy and her relationship with Sonic.
I've got another chapter of this to post and a few people to speak to (especially on the matter of "I Won't Return"), so I'm gonna stop babbling and let you read the next chapter, K?
Peace, laters, whatever it is y'all like to hear.
Foenix Nightshade