Chapter 6 - Revelations

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When Aeronniell woke up she was lying in her bed. It was a peaceful morning and the sun was shining brightly through her window. "Well, that was a dream and a half," she muttered, as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. Her muscles were roaring in pain and begging for her to lie down and rest but Aeronniell denied them their request.
"I doubt that was a dream, Aeronniell," someone said from beside her. It was Sonic, sitting on a little wooden stool beside her.

"Sonic, are you all right? When did you wake up?" she asked.
"I've only been awake for an hour or so and I'm fine, Aero. How about you?" Sonic smiled.
"I'll live. How... How long was I out for?"
Sonic shrugged "Just overnight, nothing too bad."

Aeronniell forced herself to sit up. "Aero, you should take it easy. You've lost a lot of your strength," Sonic advised, putting his hand on her shoulder to stop her from tipping over.
"All I've done for the last three days is take it easy," Aeronniell snapped weakly. "We can't waste any more time- Knuckles's life depends on it." Her voice broke at the end of her explanation.

"Aero, calm down already. We're doing all we can," Sonic said quite defensively, however he didn't raise his voice.
"You're right, I'm sorry, Sonic. I just feel so useless. So many people have been cursed... and it's heartbreaking, watching them crumble into nothing... I'm scared... in case... In case Knuckles ends up the same way," Aeronniell managed. Sonic nodded, accepting the apology.

"Shadow's been checking on the Master Emerald for Knuckles and Tails told most of our friends what's been happening. They're looking everywhere for the Fireflower but they're trying to keep it quiet... If word gets out that Knuckles isn't on Angel Island, there'll be hell to pay," Sonic said softly.

"I'll thank Tails and Shadow when I next see them. Is Shadow ok? He took a um... nasty hit," Aeronniell said, a little grin appeared on her lips. Sonic went a bit red in the face.
"He's fine, and I have apologised to him," Sonic smirked. Aeronniell shook her head in disbelief but smiled as she did so.

"Sonic.. Can you remember what you said yesterday? It was a sort of riddle or prophecy," Aeronniell asked a few minutes later.
"Yeah, I've sorta memorised it without trying," Sonic answered awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck.
"Good, but now we need to figure out what it means," Aeronniell said.
"Then let's get everyone together, six heads are better than one."

Aeronniell nodded, "You're right, time is of the essence and we can't waste a second of it..."

"Alright Sonic, let's try this again," Aeronniell said, about ten minutes later. Sonic had gathered everybody together in the sitting room. Knuckles was asleep on the sofa because no one dared take their eyes off him after yesterday's incident.
"Hidden below the home of the first and the last," Sonic sighed, for the third time, lying on the back of the other sofa and staring at the ceiling. He was clearly bored, especially as they weren't making any progress.

"First and last," Aeronniell muttered pacing back and forth. "Knuckles is the last Echidna, but he's not the first of anything."

"Maybe it means the one and only," Rouge suggested from the sofa.
"But the one and only what?" Sonic sighed.
"Wait... No-one's ever actually found the Fireflower, right?" Tails asked.
Everyone nodded.
"So, maybe Knuckles will be the first to use it," he continued.

"Good idea... But then there's the next problem," Aeronniell said.
"And what's that?" Shadow muttered from the armchair. His fingertips were on his forehead as he leaned against the arm of the chair. He looked a little tired, but when Aeronniell thought about it, she realised he hadn't stopped all day.

"If the prophecy does mean Knuckles, then how can the Fireflower be under his home?" Aeronniell asked.

"Knuckles lives on a floating island, it makes it easy to have something under it," Sonic remarked.
"But all that's precisely under Angel Island is water. If it doesn't mean precisely under then we have the entire world to search!" Aeronniell insisted.

"No... There's ... There's an island," Knuckles murmured from the sofa. Everyone turned to look at him.
"There is?" Rouge asked.
Knuckles tried to sit up but he suddenly inhaled sharply and clutched his side.

"Knuckles?" Aeronniell asked, crouching down beside him.
"I'm... fine," he croaked.
"You're exhausted, you need to get some rest," Aeronniell insisted.
"I said... I'm fine," Knuckles protested weakly.

Aeronniell shook her head and pulled the blankets up to chin, she could feel the heat on his skin without even touching him.
"Get some rest," Aeronniell instructed gently.
Knuckles reluctantly shuffled back down into the sofa and settled down to sleep.

"Well, we know where we need to go at least," Sonic remarked quietly.
"Good, let's just hope that we're right. Knuckles is definitely getting worse," Aeronniell said sadly.
"Don't worry, Aero... He'll be fine," Sonic smiled. It was a fake smile, but Aeronniell wasn't looking anyway. She seemed to be thinking of something else, distancing herself from the real world.

"I'm going to go out and look for the Fireflower," she finally said determinedly, standing up and walking towards the door.
"It's too dark to do anything now, Aeronniell. Why don't you wait till the morning? That way everyone will be well- rested and we can have a look at a few maps or something," Tails suggested.

Aeronniel already had her hand on the door. She hesitated for a moment. "I'm going to the Stables," she muttered before silently leaving.

"I'll go talk to her," Shadow said.
"She's stressed, give her a quick break," Sonic advised.
"She's hiding something. Can you remember what happened the last time she kept a secret? I can tell something's bothering her and I'm going to find out why," Shadow argued, before using Chaos Control and disappearing.

Sonic sighed. "He has got a point, I guess."

Shadow reappeared a few steps in front of Aeronniell. "Shadow please, I just need to be alone," Aeronniell said, pushing past him and quickening her pace.
"Aeronniell, what's wrong? You're trying to hide something, now what is it?" he asked.
Aeronniell looked down. She clicked her fingers and moved her wrist in a circle, as if trying to find the right words. Instead she just sighed. "Fine, follow me," she muttered, throwing her hands in the air weakly.

Aeronniell and Shadow walked towards a small wooden stall in silence. The stall sold flowers and gardening equipment. Aeronniell asked for a large bunch of orange tiger lilies.

"How much do you want for them?" Aeronniell asked, reaching into her pocket. The purple hedgehog who wore a purple dress smiled, "Nothing, they're on me." She clearly understood why Aeronniell was buying them.
"Thanks Heather," Aeronniell smiled. She turned to Shadow, still forcing a bright smile.
'Let's go,' she said, her voice catching despite her best efforts. She was trying to keep a brave face, but she was struggling to hold it together.

Aeronniell took Shadow to the lake. "Aeronniell, why did you bring me here?" Shadow asked as he looked around.
"That's why," Aeronniell sighed, pointing to a large stone. Shadow stared at the rock. It was a gravestone. "Who's Lilly?" Shadow asked gently.

"She was.. She IS my little sister and Oblivion killed her," Aeronniell managed.
"I'm sorry. I - " Shadow gently began.
"It's fine... Lilly was only seven when she died, that was three years ago."

"But... weren't you in exile then?"

Aeronniell nodded. "Lilly suffered when Karn and I had to leave, so she hung round with Stephenson a lot. Stephenson loved Lilly more than anything."
"Stephenson... The big guy who took Tails with Conrad?" Shadow asked.
"Yeah... One day they were at the lake, having a picnic and Oblivion attacked them. Lilly got cursed, she lasted five days and then... Then she died. Her grave is where she liked to sit with Stephenson," she explained, choking back a big lump that rose in her throat.

Shadow didn't really know what to say. "So that's why you're so determined to find the Fireflower," he said quietly.

Aeronniell nodded. "I've already lost one loved one, I can't lose any more," she explained, wiping a tear from her eye. Aeronniell's hands were trembling as she tried to put the lilies into the vase on the grave. Shadow gently put his hand on her shoulder to give her some reassurance.
Shadow looked at how exhausted Aeronniell actually was, she looked so drained, both physically and emotionally.

Once the lilies were in the glass vase, Shadow Chaos Controlled away and reappeared seconds later with a white Cala Lilly. "May I?" he asked quietly.
"Of course you can," Aeronniell smiled, choking back tears. Shadow dropped the flower onto the soil and looked at Aeronniell.
"I know what it's like to lose someone special. You feel like nothing else matters and you... and you just... give up on everything," Shadow said, trying to comfort her.
"I'd do anything to bring back Lilly... But it's too late," she wept, falling to her knees and bursting into tears.

Shadow sat down beside her and put his arm around her, allowing Aeronniell to cry on his shoulder.
"Shh, it's ok," he whispered, resting his chin on Aeronniell's head. I really need to leave Sonic to do these sort of things, Shadow remarked to himself.
"You don't know what it's like to lose your sister."

"Actually... I do."
"Huh?"
"Do you anything about the Space Colony Ark?" Shadow asked.
Aeronniell nodded. "Bits and pieces," she admitted.

"Well... I was on that ship over fifty years ago. There was a young girl too... Maria... She was Dr Eggman's cousin. She was my best friend, we were so close we were like siblings... She was so sweet and kind to everyone. No- one could dislike her after they met her. She even taught me to be kind, selfless, fair... loving. I never could be as kind and selfless as she was... Anyway, the government decided to shut down 'Project Shadow'. They said it was dangerous, even though it was curing life threatening diseases. G.U.N. destroyed everything to do with the project and anyone who knew about it... Including Maria... She... She died protecting me. However they couldn't kill the Project... They couldn't kill me."

Aeronniell raised her eyebrows in hearing about Shadow. "She sounds just like Lilly... I'm sorry, I didn't-"
"Hey, It's ok," Shadow gently hushed her whilst continuing to comfort her. He rubbed her back in an attempt to help her get her tears under control.
"Why does it always happen to the nicest people?!" She sobbed.
"I wish I knew, Aeronniell. I really wish I did..."

Shadow probably sat there with Aeronniell for ten minutes, gently rocking her back and forth, until he realised that she had fallen asleep. Her exhaustion had finally caught up with her. She breathed gently onto Shadow's chest. Now she was sleeping, Aeronniell seemed to be at ease. He wished that she could always look so peaceful. Shadow took his red Chaos Emerald and whispered "Chaos Control."

They ended up at Aeronniell's house. Sonic nearly dived over the sofa at the sudden appearance of the two. He was about to yell something but he saw Aeronniell, asleep in Shadow's arms. Her face was red and dirty from the tears.

"What happened?" Sonic whispered.

"I realised why Aeronniell is so determined to save Knuckles," he muttered, carrying Aeronniell to her bed. "And I swear I wont let anything happen to him." Shadow did not yell, although there was such force and strength in his voice he may as well of screamed from the rooftops.

Why can't he just answer me?! Sonic sighed, sitting back down on the sofa and watching Knuckles in apprehension until he dozed off again.