Chapter 23: Sonic's Disease

"So he's been trying to make himself love someone else all this time?" Shade asked.

Jet nodded. "Deep down, it seems he still loves Sonic. "

"I hope he cheers up." The two looked in the direction of his room. "Let's do something for him."

"Like what?"

Shade thought about it. "Like... We could get him together with Amy. She seems like a nice woman."

Jet smiled and nodded. "That's a great idea."

Shade looked at the time. "When did he say he had to meet with her today?"

"Around six PM."

"That's not too long from now."

Jet nodded. He walked up to Shadow's room and knocked on the door. "Dad?"

"What?"

"I...I know you love Sonic...but maybe we can help you fall for Amy."

"I think I already have," Shadow said. "The problem is whether or not she's going to fall in love with me."

Jet nodded. "Just do what you need to do. We understand that you are doing this for Sonic. "

Shadow opened the door and gave them a smile. "You don't think it's unfair of me to do this to her?"

"It's not unfair," Jet told his father.

Shadow looked at him. "Are you sure?" Jet smiled and nodded. Shadow sighed. "All right. What time is it?"

Jet looked at his watch. "5:30. How long will you be gone?"

"I don't know yet. Be good while I'm gone."

Jet and Shade nodded. Shadow left and went to Twinkle Park. When he got there, he was nervous. Amy was nowhere in sight, and people kept looking at him. A few minutes later, she arrived.

"Hi," she said. "Ready?"

"Yeah." Shadow smiled at her. the two of them starting walking toward the park's entrance. "What are we going to do?"

"I just thought we'd hang out here. There's lots to do."

"Lead the way then."

Amy smiled and they walked in. Shadow was amazed at all the rides.

"Have you ever been here before?" Amy asked him.

"Never." Shadow looked over at her. "I assume you have?"

"Once. Is there anything you want to do?"

Shadow looked around. "I don't really see anything... Why don't we just go on different rides?"

Amy nodded and they did so. As the night went on, Shadow had a fun time. Amy did as well. As they left, Shadow looked at her.

"Did you enjoy yourself?" he asked.

"I did," Amy said, a blush on her face. "Shall we get together again sometime?"

"That would be nice."

Amy nodded. "How about dinner a week from now?"

"Sure. Which restaurant would you like to go to?"

"I'll let you know."

She got Shadow's number and walked off. Shadow watched her leave with a smile before returning home.

Down in the ocean, Mephiles and Mephic were still alive, as was Sonic. She was still feeling sick. Sonic lay in bed, wishing her sickness would pass. She hated being unable to help around the house. Even after 300 years, she still had tuberculosis. She and Mephic were still slaves as well.

Mephiles came in and lay a hand on her forehead. "Still feeling sick?"

Sonic nodded and coughed. Blood came out of her mouth as she did. She also had a fever.

Mephiles stroked the side of her face. "Get all the rest you need." He gave her a gentle kiss on her forehead before leaving the room. He could hear the mermaid coughing and crowned. Mephiles hoped Sonic wouldn't die.

"How is mother doing?" Mephic asked.

"Not too well," Mephiles told his son. "The disease has progressed."

Mephic looked down. "Oh. How far has it progressed?"

"It's getting to the point where she has chest pain and is coughing blood."

"How long is she going to be like that?" Mephic held the broom in his hands tighter. The worry for his mother was evident. "Can it still kill her?"

Mephiles thought about it. There was a possibility it could since she got the disease before becoming immortal. "It may be able to. We'll just have to wait and see."

Mephic hesitated. He didn't want his mother to die. "Are you sure you can't do anything about it?"

"I can't cure diseases."

Mephic bit his lower lip and nodded. He sighed and dropped the broom then went in to see Sonic. "Mom? Are you going to be okay?"

Sonic looked over at him and gave him a small smile. "I don't know. It only seems to be getting worse."

"I don't want you to die."

"I know you don't. I don't want to leave you, either. But there isn't much we can do about it."

"But mom...you're immortal. You can't die...right?"

"Your father knows more about that than I do." Sonic gave him a sad smile before coughing again.

Mephic sighed and nodded, then left. Mephiles looked over at him. "Did she say anything?"

"She said that she's getting worse."

Mephiles nodded. "I've noticed that as well."

"Is she going to die?"

"I'm not sure."

Mephic nodded and began to cry. His father put an arm around him. Pulling Mephic close to him, he rubbed his back. Mephic cried into his shoulder. Mephiles looked back at Sonic's room in sadness. He sighed and went in her room. She looked at him.

"Did you need something?" she asked him.

"I just wanted to see you."

Sonic smiled and started sitting up. "Am I going to die, Mephiles?"

"Possibly."

"I thought immortals couldn't die."

"They can't...but you contracted this disease before you became immortal."

"That's why it might be able to kill me?" Sonic looked down. "I'm sorry this happened." Mephiles smiled sadly. "How is Mephic handling it?"

"He's pretty upset but I can't blame him. We've been alive for 300 years and he doesn't want to lose you."

"Of course not." Sonic laughed. "I don't want to leave, either. I just wish I could spend whatever I have left with the two of you, rather than in bed."

Mephiles nodded. Another fit of coughing came from Sonic, who groaned when it was over.

"I hate this," she said. "Maybe I should just become an inanimate object permanently so I don't have to deal with this."

"That may be best...at least you won't really leave us." Mephiles shrugged. "It's all up to you. But if you do, please make it something we can't easily lose."

The mermaid nodded. she coughed again and felt weaker. "If I die, it's going to be soon," she said.

Mephiles sighed; there wasn't anything else to do. "Let me know what you decide," he told her. Stroking her face one last time, Mephiles left the room again.

Sonic smiled and coughed once more. Laying back, Sonic sighed. She hated being sick. Mephiles stood by her door for a few minutes before swimming off to see what Mephic was up to.