AMY POV
We waited for the air benders to get dressed into better gear and I sit on the tree and look at the sunset. I bite into an apple with no appetite since I was so anxious to see his face again.
That's all I could think about when I talked about the plan with my friends and how we were all safe up here and Sonic is somewhere completely different than us. Probably spending every moment wondering if we were ever going to return or when.
Hopefully very soon we could return to him and then we can get him back to the surface and with us safe and sound.
The crunch of the juicy apple makes me wonder if Sonic had something to eat after being gone for so long. Or a nap.
"I am sure that since he is taking a test then they want him to be as ready as he can since he is practically fighting for his life, taking a test to get into the spirit world."
The orange orb sitting on the bay of the ocean reflects on the sea and it moves slowly from the warm wind pushing against it. My eyes were set on the last place I saw Cass and I every bite I took into the apple made even more and more determined to bring Sonic back.
"Princess!" I hear from down the tree and I look down to see the group ready to go but we were still missing the air benders. I hop down from the tree and I notice some of them have small daggers and other gear.
Knuckles approaches me and hands me a dagger and I place it in my back pocket. I also noticed that all the fire benders had pulled their hair back from their face and they even looked more serious. "Blaze brought up the idea that we should some kind of protection since they have weapons themselves, so Lady Tikal provided use with some." Knuckles brings up.
"It's definitely going to be needed, but with our plan hopefully we won't have to use it all." Tails brings up.
Silver and Shadow finally appear and my adrenaline I had been feeling since I left Sonic hits me even harder.
Shadow and Silver both had on combat sandals but Shadow white shirt and some brown pants that looked more like sweatpants, but the fabric was thicker, while Silver had on a burnt red tank top and some orange pants that were the same as Shadows, but his pants stopped just below his knee instead of going all the way to his ankle. They also had a light blue mark on his forehead in a shape of an arrow and Shadow did too making cock my eyebrow.
"Woah! What's with this stuff?" Blaze asks running up to Silver and touching his forehead and he blushes.
"It's just a part of our culture, from like our ancestors, our original trainers of art would do this showing that they were going to war… or battle."
"Oh! Interesting!" Blaze touches his forehead, getting some of the blue paint on her finger. Silver starts to laugh awkwardly and then Tikal comes out from the entrance as well with the same mark on her forehead.
"Lady Tikal, thanks for the weapons." Axel says and we all start to thank her as well.
"You are most welcome! Oh! Also, everyone gets in a line and come forth. The princess first." Tikal says and everyone looks at me and I start to walk towards, and the others create a line behind me. Tikal looks over me and then grabs my arm. She pulls something from a brown bag that was on her shoulder and pulls out the same blue paint that was on Silver's and Shadow's head.
"You all are such brave souls and since you are battling to save your friend, I wanted to send you off with the same courage and intelligence symbol on your forehead for your journey today." Tikal says and I let her press her finger on my forehead.
"Princess. You lead them best you can. I know you will lead us all to safety and prosperity. Just as long as you protect the ones you care about the everything should unfold. You have never been a selfish person so I will be expecting you to arise back from the surface after saving the prince, with everyone safe." Tikal says and goes back and adds more to my forehead.
I try to respond but the thoughts coming in my head were frozen because nothing could come in between me and saving Sonic.
"You are very voiceless." Tikal says and she moves her finger from my forehead.
"I just… I want to bring him back."
Tikal grins at me and adds a little more." You will. Just keep this in mind. If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the results of a hundred battles."
Her words swim in my mind and I nod my head.
"Thank you, Lady Tikal. For everything."
Tikal rolls her eyes and places her fingers back in the bowl of paint.
"I should be thanking you for taking the boys off my hands for a moment." Tikal jokes and I laugh and move out of the way for Axel to go next. I make my way over to Silver and Shadow who were watching everyone get arrows on their forehead.
"The arrow suits you." Silver says and I laugh softly and then my smile drops.
I turn around back to see that she was painting Tails who was last, and I start to tap my finger on arm because I was ready to take off to the beach and Silver comes up to me.
"We will bring him back." He says.
"Yeah, we will."
Shadow gets up and chuckles and walks around and in front of us." Never seen you so serious before. I really thought you was going to cry and shake in fear, but I like that you can be serious for once." Shadow says and Silver gives him a scolding look.
"But… we can get him back. I think all of us are pretty pissed that some random freaks jumped us and then took an idiot that is our friend, and I can't wait to find that blonde headed chick." Shadow says while turning around to where we have to go.
"And that fox. I have some words for him." Says Silver and him bringing up Cass makes me super angry while I wait for the last amount of people to get done and then they all walk towards us. The sun shines on the water benders and fire benders ahead of me and once they get close enough, I look at everyone to make sure they are ready, and they were.
"Let's go."
We start walking immediately after my words and we head down the mountain that had multiple trees in between. The sun would creep in and out after every thick tree we would pass and the barefoot of the fire benders and I would splash after the steps we took. As we walk for some minutes, we start to come across the area we destroyed but then fixed together. We slow down and look at the beautiful forestry area that was once totaled but then built back like nothing happened. It reminded of us about the hole we created and the fixed between all of us.
I looked at the ground at the filled seed holes that Sonic probably did himself and it hurt to see that one of the people who helped us fill this hole wasn't here with us.
But we were going to fix that. I was going to make sure that we were going to fix that.
I soon hear the crashing of the ocean and I jog quickly towards and everyone follows in eagerness. The sand had still been moved randomly around the beach and there were also holes it from battling Cass. I approach the ocean quickly and instinctively as I walk on the water, freezing it with every step.
"Is this the way you came from?" Blaze asks while carefully trying to walk on the ice and not slip.
"Yes. Just a little further." I say and we all walk on the ice bridge I was creating and then I stop at the familiar spot.
"Okay! All water benders get in position to open this up. Everyone else stand on guard." I order and Rouge and Cream ice bend around the area we were about to open wide.
"OKAY! OPEN IT!"
A big hole in the ocean starts to form as we push the water back. The gets bigger and I start to see the sea floor, so I look up at them and give the next order. "OKAY, FREEZE IT!"
The water freezes in a circle shape around the sea floor we came from. The whole was about 30 feet deep, so I get some water from the ocean and create a thick enough slide for us to go down.
"The doors are right down there. Be cautious and let's go down to find the door."
I slide down first and everyone else comes with me. It starts to get slightly darker because of how deep we were going but we finally make it to the bottom. Once my feet hit the floor, I run across the seafloor and look through the ice we created, and I search for the ice tunnel that was here.
But it wasn't here.
"Princess." Axel says jogging up to me and he looks through the ice as well but then he reaches down touches the ground. "I… I don't feel anyone nearby. Even from the ocean being very loud, I can't sense a thing. Or him"
My heart thumps and I shoot myself through the ice but then I plug it back up right away and I swim out in the ocean. I create a bubble to keep the water out of my face as I swim. Soon, I hear something behind me, and I see Shadow swim towards me, and I pull him into my bubble, and we stand on the floor.
"You are already stirring away from the plan. The plan was to stick together, and you are swimming away- "
"Shadow. It was here. An ice tunnel. It was here and now- "
"Yes. It's gone. I see that. It was expected that they would move locations so you trying to swim away by yourself won't speed up the process of finding him." Shadow says firmly and I calm down for a moment while his words make me realize what I was doing.
"Sorry- "
"Hopefully, your 'sorry' and these princess emotions don't get anyone killed. Try to keep a clear head. Please. I'm not about to babysit you to find your boyfriend." Shadow says and he starts to walk back to the ice tube that looked huge from where me and Shadow was standing.
I let both Shadow and I back in and everyone looks at me confused.
"Sorry… I just had to see if the tunnel was still there, but it wasn't."
"Okay, we knew this was going to happen so let's go ahead and set up for finding their location." Tails says and he runs to Axel. "You remember how to make a boat right- "
"I'm sure I can make a stupid boat.' Axel says and he earth bends the ground and pushes us back to the surface of the water. We walk out and get back on the beach and Axel earth bends a huge rock boat from the ground and pushes it on the sand.
"Great job!" Blaze says patting Axel on the back and jumps in it.
We all get in and Tails offers me hand after pulling Cream and I stare at it.
"Need a hand?" he asks, and I take it and he pulls me up.
"You still haven't apologized for almost killing me." I say.
"Sorry." Tails says and I ignore it and I look Axel who was waiting for us while he stood in the sand.
"Push the boat into the water."
Axel earth bends the boat in the water, and we start to float, just like Tails said we would.
"So cool." Blaze says and then Axel jumps on.
"Alright. So, which way are we heading?" Tails asks and walks to the front of the boat and touches the stone wheel.
"Shadow and I might have to fly around for some clues. But we will stay close." Silver says and I nod my head.
"Yeah, go on. Just keep your heads out. If anything goes wrong head back to the boat."
Silver and Shadow take off in the orange sky, over the ocean, to search for a hidden base or anything that looked unusual, and I watch them fly.
"We should get going too." Tails says and he points at the back of the boat. "If you water bend here we can get a good acceleration on the water and possibly go just as fast as Shadow and Silver.
Rouge, Cream and I move to the back and we all push the orange water and the boat moves. We keep a rhythm and wind starts to pick up as we go faster and faster.
"Okay! This is a good speed! Just keep it like this. Everyone let's search in the water for him. Keep an eye out for anything." Tails says and everyone moves and starts looking at the ocean and the orange sky that was slowly turning a dark blue.
I look in the water that was rippling because of our sailing and I stare at the water. All I could see was my short hair flowing in the reflection and occasionally I could see deep in the ocean I still saw no sighs of him.
"I told him I would be right back… and he isn't where we thought he was."
My faces wiggled in the water and I frown, and I water bend hard parking the boat jump in the air and then land back into the water. We spin around in the ocean and everyone looks over to me.
"Did we hit something?" Axel asks and I turn back.
"Sorry, that was me- "
"Princess." Blaze approaches me and I watch her touch my shoulder and smile. "We will find him. Just keep focusing on sailing."
"Right…"
I turn back and I start pushing the boat and everyone on it but every time I would see my reflection, the girl in it looked so safe on the surface while Sonic was fighting for his life made me angry. I shouldn't look this safe when he isn't, but I did need to focus so I start searching with everyone else well as well moved farther and farther from the shore and we could almost see the foggy forest we walked through.
Time was moving fast, and the sun had faded away and so did its warmth, but the fire benders keep us warm on the ocean while we moved on the ocean slower. Tails brought up that we might had been moving too fast and taking our time would help trying to find him.
Cream, Rouge and I would take turns pushing the boat gently as we looked, and I sank to my knees but keep my eyes on the ocean. It was starting to get hard to see in the ocean, but I never gave up trying to find some kind of clue.
My face appears again, and I sigh softly while the stars shine on us.
"It got dark so fast… how long has it been." Knuckles asks and Tails replies.
"Maybe about two hours we have been looking for anything. Shadow and Silver should be returning too."
"Great…" Rouge says, and the boat goes quiet.
"It's been so long. Two hours to hold them off…Sorry Sonic- Please be okay."
My thoughts make me very sad, and I look deeper into the water at myself again. The moon would shine in the ocean and I try to use some of the light to help see in the ocean. Also, we could see the entire fog cloud on the mountain from here and more land. We had floated out so far, for so long and still no sign.
"I wonder if they had fed him. Did Sonic take a nap? Maybe they changed their hearts and just let him go… or maybe… maybe he- "
A tear slides down my face and hits my reflection making it vibrate and I my mouth starts to curve sadly. I lay my arms on the edge of the boat and I watch my tear move the water. It soon stops shaking and I notice that…the water was turning green. Not because of what was in the water but because of what is above it.
My head raises up and I stare at the celestial sky that was draped in a green, purple and pink Aurora was swirling in the sky slowly and my head went far and far as I notice how big it was. I turn around and I stare at the sky.
I soon see a person fly through it with someone following them and as I notice they get closer I see that its Shadow.
"Shit we found nothing!" Silver says and everyone sighs and continues to search the ocean until Shadow looks at me.
Shadow looks back at the sky and I watch him and then he looks at me.
"Counting the stars?" he asks, and I shake my head.
"No… do you see the Aurora?" I ask and my question causes attention and Shadow looks at me like I had been on the boat to long and then looks at the sky with me.
"It's pitch black." He says and I look back at the colors I was seeing.
"It's right above us… can you not see it? You just flew through it." I ask and Shadow looks back up to make sure .
"Is the Princess okay? "he asks since he just got back, and Cream looks up at the sky.
"I think so… Amy? Are you okay? There are no lights." Cream asks and I look at shocked.
"There is. It's… its moving slowly and…slowly…" I say softly and I watch the big cloud spread even more and I stare at it as we go under it.
"Someone sits the princess down- "
"I think we near Sonic." I say and everyone freezes and watches me. "Look up at the clouds!"
"What clouds…" Blaze asks and then it hits me.
"Maybe people with spirits can see it. SO that means I really have a spirit."
I stand up and push the boat hard by myself, making everyone stumble. Tails grabs the wheel and stirs as I push towards the middle of the aurora.
"Princess! Wait, slow down!" Silver says but I still keep going until I see a bright light heading right into the sky. I slow down not because of what Silver told me to do but because there was a thick beam of light stabbing through the colorful waves in the sky. I stare at it and I walk on the boat as it shines brightly.
A hand touches my shoulder, and I don't turn around.
"Amy… you are scaring us." Rouge says and I point at the beam.
"You guys don't see that?"
They all look passed me and then their eyes come back to mine.
"No… we just see the ocean, the moon, the sky, and water." Tails names off.
"I think that's the spirit world. The opening maybe… Either way its unusual so Sonic has to be there."
"What? How can you see it and we can't?" Shadow asks and shrug my shoulders.
"I don't know… maybe I have two spirits in me like Sonic."
Shadow looks back out in the ocean to where I was looking, he starts to look very unconvinced.
"Direct us to the light." Tails asks and I nod my head and I walk closer to the edge the boat.
"It's right- "
CRASH
A sharp shred of ice slices through our boat, breaking it instantly and we all fall into the water. My entire body goes under, but I shoot out of it and I land on the water and stumble.
I look for everyone and I see that Cream was helping Tails and Blaze onto a patch of ice and then Rouge was pulling out Knuckles and swimming over to the ice and she starts to help to create some ground.
"Hey!" I yell at them and I start run and Axel appears from the sky by Shadow in his hand Silver flies down to help Shadow.
"Keep your guard up- "
As soon as Shadow places Axel on the ice he gets pulled into the water forcefully making everyone gasp.
"Shadow!" Silver yells and I jump right into the water and I look for him. Shadow was being pulled deep into the ocean, so I wasted no time. I shoot myself in the water and I grab onto his body and then create an air bubble for us that we cough and breathe in the fresh air.
Shadow was still being pulled but now whoever was pulling him was just spinning him around the in the water.
"Hold onto me!" I yell and Shadow wraps his arm around my body, and I try to water bend us out of the water. Suddenly a current suck us in and I almost lose my grip of Shadow, so I froze my hands to wet cloth of his shirt and stuck on. I open my eyes and see our other friends trying to fight the powerful current and I try to think of an idea to stop this.
"Shit!" Shadow yells and tries to get out of the pull but there was no use.
"Think… think- "
"Shadow!"
"Ergh! What!" He yells since the loud water swishing around us was even louder.
"I'm going to let you go! So, hold your breath!"
"You are what? I can't get out of this on my own!" he yells and start to unfreeze my hands from his shirt.
"Just trust me!" I respond back and Shadow moves arms from and I go spinning the hurricane that was throwing us around, but I let it and I flow to the surface, enough to get some energy from the moon and then spilt through the hurricane by opening up the ocean myself. We start to fall quickly, and a force pushes back on me from stopping the hurricane.
"AXEL! GIVE US A BOX!" I yell and I close my eyes from falling from such a height.
I hear earth crack, and something swallows me once again and all I can see is darkness as my back lays against an earth surface. I let the water go and wipe my face from the water and I start to hear coughing.
"I- Is everyone here?" I ask and Knuckles creates a flame and I see all my friends drenched but safe.
"Yes… shit." Blaze says out of breath.
"Hey… at least we know we are near him." Knuckles says and everyone starts to smile until the box Axel created starts to shake.
It rumbles loudly and we all stumble as it sits on the bottom of the ocean.
"We hit the bank of the ocean." Axel says and I scurry to him.
"Can you sense him?! Or anything?" I ask and everyone wanted to know as well.
"Let me see. Everyone stop moving." Axel says and touches the ground and closes his eyes. I look at Axel and his eyes slowly open and widen.
"What… where are we?" he asks, and I touch his shoulder.
"Can you sense him?"
"I think so- "
Something grabs my foot I sink into the floor until Shadow catches my arms and pulls back.
"AHH"! I yell and Shadow strains from getting me pulled into the earth.
"Earthbending?! From all the way down?"
I grab onto the Shadow and everyone reaches for me, but I get pulled in lower to were only arm and head was sticking out. Shadow loses grip of my other arm and I cry out because someone was trying to take me.
"Let go! I can get her out!" Axel yells and Shadow looks at him like he is crazy.
"If I let go, she sinks!" he says back and Axel grabs at my hand on Shadow.
"I CAN BRING HER UP! JUST LET GO!" Axel argues back.
"Ahh! Axel just hold on if- "
"SHADOW! I CAN DO THIS!" Axel cuts Tails off who was trying to help but Shadow knew if he were to let go then I would sink into whoever grasp.
"Hey! If you want to be a superhero so bad, then you would have felt this earth bending about to happen!" Shadow yells and Axel stops yelling as he listens to Shadow.
"Stop arguing and lets all grab her arm!" Rouge puts in and runs over to me.
The earth wall cracks behind us and water starts to leak in that Cream stops but the cracks spread across the roof and we all watch it crack to the next wall.
"Stop the cracks!" Shadow yells at Axel and Axel stands up to stop it but it's too late. The water blasts in and Shadow eyes widen. Axel tries to make another wall, but it doesn't work so he just breaks the ground we fall further into under the ocean sea floor.
Cream and Rouge jump up and stop the water from coming in the light comes from the fire benders so we could see.
"Is everyone okay?" Knuckles asks
"Yes! Axel can we get a new ceiling!" Rouge asks and Axel provides it and then they stop holding it and breath out heavily.
Shadow brings me up to my feet and I arise and look at him while still holding his hand.
"Thanks- "
Shadow sinks into the floor and his grip tightens on my hand and I fall forward with him and we shoot into the ground. I land on his chest and I open my eyes in the dark area around us and I try to get up, but we were in a box like shipped. I could hear the yelling and screaming of our friends above but the more rumbling and water starts to occur above making me panic.
"Ouch!" Shadow moved quick and hit his head in the small area and he touches my face.
"Princess? Are you okay?" Shadow asks.
"Yeah. I 'm fine. I think whoever got us, has us and the others. We need to get out of here!" I yell.
I touch around the ground to see if there was a way to get out, but it was all earth, like we had just been planted. Shadow punches the earth and some of breaks and falls somewhere but I think it fell in his mouth because I heard him start to spit.
I soon lean up and I see a light and I crawl over, Shadow body he touches my back making me stop.
"What are you doing? I can't see if your chest is in my face." Shadow says and he pushes me down, but I just climb back up more.
"We can't see anyway because we are in the dark!"
My knees touch his chest and Shadow grunts and this time he pushes me back down to where my head is on his chest.
"Shadow stop!"
"You are in my personal space! Plus, if Axel would have just earth bended us out of here then maybe we could have made it." Shadow complains.
"He is trying- "
Shadow and I start to get moved through the earth and I close my eyes and hug him tightly so we wouldn't get separated. The ground and rocks hit my head and body as we get moved and then we stop.
"What the fuck." Shadow says and he leans up.
"Someone is tracking us- "
We move at a super speed, straight down and I yell as we go so fast. Shadow holds on to me and I do the same but tighter and I feel the earth leave my body and cooler air touches me. I open my eyes to see that we are in a room and I look up quickly to see that we came from the ceiling of it. My hair starts to fly back as we enter a huge dome shaped room and I notice there are a lot of rock and light.
Shadow notices later and he starts to fly while holding me and we look around our area.
"No water around. No Sonic around. But I know he is here and that we are under the ocean."
Shadow starts float in the air, probably because he was tired of being caught off guard from the ground and we float around the unusual area.
"I think we are in their base." He says.
"Me too. They must be cocky to think they could stop us at their headquarters. Let's look for a way out of here."
Shadow flies closer to the ground but still stays careful. As he floats my eyes move around for anything blue and an exit and Shadow halts.
Shadow zooms back up the ceiling a sharp piece of rock comes from the ground we were once close too. Shadow flies upside and down I look to see the same blonde headed girl again and she was looking at him more than me this time.
"It was here. She was doing all of this- "
Just how we met her Shadow charges at her head on and I scream because of the sharp Ax glaring at me.
"SHADOW! AX-
"FINALLY, WE GET OUR REMATCH IDIOT GIRL!" Shadow yells at her and he lands six feet away from her and she stares at him.
"Princess. Get off my back and try to find an entrance. I can handle this. This time. I'm not going to let you walk away like you did last time. This time you are going to crawl away." Shadow says angrily and the blonde girl just stares at him and then gets into an earth bending fighting position.
I gently slide from his back and Shadow doesn't seem to notice me moving off of his body and on the floor echoed once I stood on it and that confuses me, but I didn't have to think about it because Shadow blew some air in my face.
"Quit daydreaming and find an exit!" he yells, and I frown and speak up.
"We can double team her together."
"Heh, your stupid ex told me double teaming was lame, so I don't need help on this one." Shadow says and the girl grabs her Ax quickly and takes a strong step and launches it at me.
Shadow deflects it with his air, and she watches it fly and get stuck to a rock.
"You and I are fighting!" Shadow says and he runs at her quickly.
They start to fight recklessly and the ground shakes from the girl using it and I run through the random shards of rock to try to find a way out. I took one step, and a sharp rock appears in front of me.
"Right. Even if she is fighting Shadow, she can still sense whatever is going on." I think and I take another step only to see a rock shard get aimed to my stomach, but it freezes. I take a step back and I watch the rock almost stab into me and I try to figure out a way to walk forward.
"Argh!" I hear Shadow yell and the entire area on the side goes into dust and I see the girl fly out of it and I notice it's my chance to run forward.
I take off while jumping and sliding over rocks and I look back in the air to see her looking at me and she lands on a wall and shoots sharps rocks at me that I duck and tumble on the ground. Soon the rocks fall from Shadow busting through them, and he flies towards the girl slams his knee into her chest making her cough but she earth bends a rock and pushes him back to the ground, slamming him into it.
I scurry up since she was distracted once more, and I run towards a wall. I touch the wall and I beat on it and I noticed that it felt very hollow. Just like the floor did when I got off of Shadows back. I punch it and it shakes.
"The area is so hollow some places. I'm sure its tunnels she created- "
An Ax hits the wall besides, slicing right in. I stare it and a hand grabs the handle and swings it at me making me duck.
My eyes meet the girl's, and she keeps on trying to cut me open. I dodge her while jumping over rocks and when she throws it, I duck big as it barely misses my head.
A rock pillar shoots from the ground and upper cuts me hard, and I fly on my back. The girl jumps on me and a rock brings her the Ax back that was stuck in it and she rips it out and aims for my neck. A strong wind chunks off her off of me and she runs into all the rock pillars she made to get to me. I rub my face and Shadow puts me on my feet by air bending and doesn't even look at me as he marches over to the girl who struggling to get on her feet.
"Princess! Are you any kind of useful if there isn't water around! Simply you can't be this weak!" he yells.
"Hey! Fighting her is your job! You told me to look for the door, so I wasn't looking!" I yell back but it didn't matter because they were already fighting again.
Shadow comments makes me angry, so I stand up and continue my search. I run back to the wall and I grab a random sharp piece of rock and I slam it in. It goes through my eyes widen as I try to pull it back out, but it wouldn't come out.
"Shit!" I yell and I search around for something else to open it. I grab another rock and I slam against it again and I start to see the other side of the wall. I hit it repeatedly and then the ground on shifts making me wobble and I look over to see Shadow still fighting her, but her eyes were on me as she dodged punches and tactical blows.
"If she is looking at me then… THEN THIS MUST BE THE RIGHT WAY!" I grab another piece of rock and I slam against the wall, but it just breaks into pieces.
I run at the hole and I pull the rock and it wouldn't break apart, hurting my fingers in the process from pulling at it.
"Sonic. He is waiting on me and I can't even get past a wall."
I sent my foot straight at the wall and some of it breaks off making me widen my eyes because I felt the other side of the wall and cool air hits my feet. I bring it back out and kick at it even harder and my foot gets stuck in it.
The girl yells this time and I look at Shadow get thrown through the wall and then the earth bends him in. Shadow looks at me before he leaves completely through the wall and she closes it back up and then her eyes go to mine. Blood was leaking from her forehead and she moves to earth bend and I grab a sharp piece of rock to protect me from anything she was going to try, and I start to dash. I hide behind a rock and my eyes widen because I kept on forgetting that she could sense me.
So, I step to my right because I could hear her earth bending closer and closer to me, so I take a big step and swing the shard of rock in my hand and she breaks through it with her face, not fazing her at all.
"What the fuck- "
She earth bends and twists my foot but grabs my arm at the same and tries to throw me on the ground but I grab her hair before she could do so. Every time the earth would move and crunch, I would wait for something to happen so when she did it again, she grabs a small rock shard and tries to stab me, but I grab her wrist to stop her.
"I should fight dirty like you since you want to grab my hair. I should bite your ear off." She says her voice sounds like she is just a normal girl more normal than Cass who was obviously crazy, but she didn't seem as wild as him.
I let her hair go but I push her back hard and I move far away from her creating a space between us. She stares at me and slowly gets back into position.
"All we want, is him back. That it! We don't have to fight and kill each other- "
She runs at me and I watch her carefully to see if she had something up her sleeve, but she didn't. She was going to fist fight me. She throws punches and I dodge them easily. I get her in her face once and she gives me once back to my chest.
After I hit her, she starts to earth bend and I freeze up. Not knowing what to do because there was no water or moisture nearby, so I just start to run. I climb up rocks and random shards to dodge anything getting thrown at me, but it was unstoppable. I never knew when she was going to give up because she didn't have to do nothing to attack me but listen to my vibrations.
A rock comes out in front of me, and I fly towards a wall. I wince from the pain of my back and she appears right in front of me. I try to get up, but she throws a rock right at my body and I lean over in pain. I try to get up but there was no way.
She stares at me and earth bends, but nothing comes at me, but something comes from behind her. That Ax she carried on her back appears and she rips it out of the rock and stares at me. I try to get up, but the wall and this rock was holding me towards.
"Shit! I can't move!"
"Just stop struggling." She says annoyed and fixes her hair." You showing up was a reckless mistake. Didn't the prince get your mom killed. Why you are trying to save him?"
Her saying that pisses me and I leap at her.
"Oh, did I hit a button? Honestly, since you are a princess, and you are tracking down one boy when you can have several. I'm sure you have other options."
She waits for me to do something else but since we were just talking, I try to talk to her.
"Where is he?" I ask and she smiles slightly.
"Not sure." She says and I growl.
"Yes, you do! What's on the other side of that wall you wouldn't let me through?" I ask and she looks over at it and scoffs.
"How about you go see yourself?" she says, and she walks up and presses her foot on my chest. I watch her reach over my head, and she knocks on the rock wall behind me, and I notice that it was hollow just like the other. She takes a quick breath and earth bends me through it knocking the wall down and dust gets in my face. I turn my head to see where I had fallen into and it was just a dark tunnel.
"He is here but you probably wouldn't be able to find him in time because I created a maze underground. You would just wander in circles." She says and I start crawling in it, ignoring her saying what I can and can't do but then a wall slams in front of me and I jump from the sudden noise.
"You can't find them anyway. I was told to stop you for going any further." She says and the I get slid back out and the wall shuts, and I turn back to her looking at herself in the reflection of her ax.
"Then why did you show me?"
Her eyes come back to mine and she shrugs her shoulders and continues to look at herself, fixing her hair I ruffled up.
"Why not? It's not going to make a difference because you aren't leaving until the spirit world is open."
"Then I'll just force my way out." I yell and I kick hard at the wall and my foot goes through but then a rock hits me on my side, ripping my foot out the wall and I roll around on the ground.
"No, you won't but cute try." She says and then I get up angrily.
"Just watch me!" I yell and I start running at her and she sighs and places her ax back on her back and then blocks my strong kick to her face. She starts to earth bend and fight me, but I dodge almost everything until she shifts the ground and I fall back to the floor. I sweep my leg under hers and she jumps and stomps hard.
"Like just give up, before I break a nail because you want to save the prince." She advises me but I continue to fight, and she lifts her hands up and sends me to the sky and other pillars of rock. She creates a lot more and I look around it as they form the ground. I looked down to see if she was on the ground where I was before, but she wasn't.
My eyes widen from the rumbling I feel from the rock in a start jumping across pillars and she appears from the one I was just on and stares at me annoyed.
She climbs out of it and runs at me and I try to keep my distance by hopping to a different pillar.
"I have to figure out something else to protect myself from her… maybe if I can fire bend." She shoots another rock from the wall and I barely make it to another pillar as I hang from it and then I climb back and continue run and hop. But if I fire bend then she would know something is up… and she might also think I have two spirits like Cass… I have to do something because running away like this isn't going to get me nowhere near Sonic at this rate."
I stop instantly and I run at her to throw her off and her eyes widen once I jump and throw a punch at her. My fist smacks into a rock wall and wince from the impact but then her hand comes through the wall and she grabs my hair tightly and throws me through it. I watch myself fly over her and then with the force of her using the rock for more force, she throws off the pillar and my back and head hits it hard.
I cough out once my back collides to the ground and fly chest first to the ground the long drop. She appears over me with the ax in her hand and I move hand to get up, but it gets pulled down and locked the ground and so does the other one and my legs. She then earth bends me the wall and my back hits it hard again.
"The name is Maria by the way. "She says walking up to me and I shrug my arm at the wall, but I was held down so tightly.
"Let me go!"
"No. Why would I do that?" she says and then starts to run to me with that ax I had been dodging for quite some time.
"I… I can't move!"
I struggle to get my body free from this earth bending trap, but it was hopeless so the only thing I could of now is fire bending. I close my eyes and I try to feel any type of heat, but my body felt so normal.
"Please fire. Come out I need you."
A shadow covers my eyes and I open them to see her in front of me with her ax raised above her head to strike me down with, so I flinch I feel wind comes behind me. A loud noise and rocks hitting ground comes out of the side of me and I shield my face from the degree.
I listen to Maria grunt and I open my eyes to see Shadow in front of me, but he was blocking the Ax that was supposed to go in me but instead it was going in his forearm.
"You stupid royals can't do shit for yourself." He says and he blasts Maria back and grabs her by the shirt making her scream and he lifts her over his head. Maria slams the Ax in his back making me gasp but that doesn't stop Shadow from throwing her through all the pillars she made, and she lands to the wall farthest from us and the entire dome shakes.
I stare at Shadow's back and he turns to me with blood coming out of his forearm and punches the rock chains away and I rub my wrists,
"Your back- "
"Find a fucking exit. Do something." He says and then he starts to walk back towards Maria.
I watch him walk away and he didn't even look fazed about being sliced open by the ax and kept on approaching the girl who had a high advantage of us. Maria groans and stands up barely and then she freaks out because her feet finally hit the ground and she could see where Shadow was at.
Maria moves quickly to stop him, but Shadow moves quicker and punches her straight in the chest.
"What's your purpose in life?" Shadow asks and then he kicks her hard in the ribs making her blast through even more pillars.
I watch the pillars fall and I remember to go look for an exit but how this was going looked like I could wait a moment to watch what Shadow was going to do to her.
Because now I knew it was no way he was going to lose against her this time.
Maria coughs and wipes blood from her mouth from the hard hits and she barely stands up once Shadow got closer to her again. Shadow reaches down and grabs her hair, and she screams out in pain and then opens her eyes to meet his red ones.
"Answers my question. No one as strong as you can't be following some person. What is your purpose of following someone with your type of skill- "?
A rock hits Shadow in the face hard but he doesn't let go of her and he still has a hold of her hair.
"Fine. Die."
Strong winds appear and Shadow throws her in the air and then slams her hard back into the ground. Her body barely moves until seconds after, but she had blood dripping from her face and nose. The way she stared at the ground made me see something else in her eyes, but it disappeared once Shadow threw her to the wall again and she lays on her back in pain. She cries out and even earth bends the wall down, trying to escape but Shadow grabs her leg and pulls her out of her hole she created.
"When you start battles you finish them." He says and she stares at him in pain.
"Shut your mouth!" she yells and then she gets up carefully and Shadow lets her as she holds her arm and cries out once she put pressure on her leg, so she used the wall for support.
"Shut my mouth? Piece of shit girl, I think you are talking to the wrong one, because I have checkmate." He says walking to her, and she starts to look scared.
"No, you have the wrong one! I'll stop you and the princess! I won't let you get to Sally or the prince!" she says, and Shadow looks pissed.
"Right, your little stupid leader that has you trying to stop more than six people by yourself. She doesn't give a damn about you- "
A rock comes out and Shadow dodges it easily while Maria pants heavily.
"She does! I'll do anything for her!" Maria says and then she stands up and throws a weak punch at Shadow and he moves out the way and she falls to the ground.
"Sally gave me reason to live! You don't know shit about me to say who I can follow and who I can't. You didn't save my life like she did!" Maria yells and tears come out her eyes "I'd die for her- "
"I bet she wouldn't do the same. Especially for a girl who has nothing to live for but taking orders like a little dog." Shadow scoffs and puts his hands in his pockets and turns around.
"I wanted to kick your ass but now that I know you are fighting for someone than yourself… that would be a waste of air." Shadow says and he continues to back towards me, leaving the girl on the ground.
"Imagine living your life for someone else. Your life has no purpose and yet you are taking lives of others because you know yours has no meaning and it sure for hell won't have any after we take her down. You will be all alone like you always were and it's what you deserve since you are a servant. Nothing more than a teacher's pet- "
"SHUT UP!" she yells, and I watch a tear hit the ground from her face and she tries to get up but falls.
Shadow shakes his and starts to come to me and explodes the wall in one hit and looks around the tunnel.
"I found a way out when she sent me back in. Let's go. This was a waste." He says and he starts to walk through, and I follow but I stop and stare at the girl watching us leave. Her eyes leaked tears and she sat on the floor and held herself.
"… she changed. So quickly. Why is that-
"Princess are you coming or are you seeing more bright lights and colors like you did on the ocean. I seriously am thinking you just have to be seasick." Shadow says and I look at him and then back to her.
"Hey!" I yell at her and she looks at me slowly and winces from moving her neck that was probably hurt and I run towards her.
She scoots back and I stop myself from running towards her and she eyes me carefully.
"Are you going to kill me… then just do it… he is right. I have nothing to live for- "
"I was going to ask… where he was." I ask and she stares at me confused. "I… I need to know. I know you… are the enemy but you aren't going to fight us anymore. You are hurt and confused so I am sure you- "
"You know nothing about me!" She yells and tries to get up, but her leg looked swollen. "I'm telling you nothing! Plus aren't you doing the same thing as me! Fighting for someone! Then why does he get to tell me that but not tell you the same thing!"
"I'm not fighting for the prince. I'm fighting to get him back. This is my choice to bring him back because I care about him and if you can tell me where he is then no one has to get hurt like you or anything else!" I say and she blinks softly. "So please tell me- "
Maria floats in the air quickly and starts to spin around faster and faster in an air ball and she starts to scream. I turn my head to see it was Shadow's doing and I approach him.
"What are you doing? She almost told us- "
"She wasn't. I know people like her. She is hopeless." Shadow says and I look at his forearm bleeding and I touch it.
"Ow. You know that hurts right." He says and I bring his arm down and he slowly stops spinning her around and drops her to the floor.
"You won. Stop." I say and Shadow scoffs and pushes past me walking to the girl who was dizzy and still in pain.
"Asking her normally isn't going to work so we either hurt her or be nice and you first told us not to give them a chance before we got down here so what is changing now?" he asks, and Shadow makes me realize that I was starting to care for the girl who helped kidnap Sonic.
"You are right."
I say and I move past him and turn her over on her back as she breathes heavily. I grab her arms and hold them down and she notices and tries to get free, but she was far too weak and dazed to fight back.
"Maria. I'm going to ask you nicely to tell us where Sonic is, and we won't hurt you." I say and Maria growls and shrugs at her arm and Shadow comes over immediately over her body and covers his hand over his mouth.
"You sure you don't want to tell us?" he asks, and Maria lifts her foot and rock flies out and hits Shadow in the back making him almost fall but he catches himself and shakes his head.
"Wrong choice." Shadow sucks the air from her body and keeps any from coming in and she starts to panic and thrash around.
Maria couldn't even yell because she had no oxygen in her body, and I look up from her to Shadow was watching her panic and he lets go and Maria takes a big gasping breath and coughs. I let her cough before trying to ask her again, but Shadow covers her mouth again and she starts to yell and thrash more.
"This is your last time." Shadow says and Maria's eyes widen, and she looks at me and yells something.
"Move your hand." I say and Shadow does so.
"I-I-I tell you!" She says and Maria chest rises up and down from possibly panicking.
"How do I know you won't trick us?"
"Because! I… I'm not hiding your friends anymore! I'll show you how to get to him and your friends! I swear just stop please!" Maria says and she tries to get up but my grip on her was secure. "Princess please… I'll stop. Forgive me- "
"Forgiveness?" Shadow says and he starts to laugh, and he looks at me. "She is begging for forgiveness. So sorry and pathetic you are to give up to the enemy. I say we take some oxygen away again just to remind her." Shadow asks and Maria starts to shake her head back and forth and pulls at her arms.
"Please! I- "Shadow goes ahead and covers her mouth again and then Shadow looks at me.
"What do you want to do?" he asks and Maria stares at me as I decide what to do with her.
I stare at her face and part of me thinks how beat up Sonic was and how he was mistreated so badly, and she played a part in that. She is currently playing a part in dangering the lives of the Sonic, the fire kingdom, the world, my friends and anyone else who needs Sonic. She was a part of that cause.
But also… I think she just needs to be saved just like Sonic does.
I touch Shadow hand I move it off of her and she starts to thank me crazily but the look I give her is serious.
"Maria. Coming down we were planning to kill all of you because your actions that happened on the surface. You gave us no warning or signaling that you were going to fight us which makes me want to have no mercy on you but since you are such a piece of shit like Shadow says then I am going to break you a deal and you won't have to end up like how your leader and other buddies will."
"What deal?" she asks, and I move her blonde her from her face and she swallows nervously.
"You show us Sonic. Our friends. And then a way out of here and I'll provide you with a free life." I say and Shadow laughs.
"You and Silver are crazy. Always trusting the crazy people, you come around. You are going to invite this girl into your kingdom?"
"Yes. If she cooperates but if she doesn't, we will just find Sonic on our own and have him decide what to do to her. You hear that Maria? No one here wants to be your friend. At this moment on you have no one. You can either choose to be lonely or come with us to find Sonic and then your doings will be equaled out."
Maria thinks over my offer and Shadow stands up and I watch him stand." It's a simple yes or no question do you want to die or show us the way to our friends and Sonic."
"I'll show you…" she says, and I get up and lift her up with me. I notice she had on a small bag on her, and I grab it and empty out to see a comb, some kind of cream, and then some handcuffs. Just what I needed, and I pull her arms around her back and I push her forward, placing the handcuffs on her wrists.
I shove her and she stumbles and falls to the floor.
"Get up and walk. Show us where they." I order her and she gets up without her hands and slowly stands starts to limp towards the way Shadow opened the wall.
"I already know how to get out of here… what's the point making her show us the way." Shadow says as Maria takes the lead, and we follow her.
"To see if I should have killed her or not." I say and Shadow chuckles and he walks up to her making her flinch.
"Did you hear the princess? If you do anything else, we are putting a stop to it." Shadow reminds her and she nods her head quickly and continues to limp with her hands cuffed behind her back.
"Tch, and to think I was so ready for a good fight to find out that my opponent was this incompetent. "Shadow says to her face, putting her more down than she already was.
"Okay, Shadow. Don't you be an asshole either." I say to him and Shadow doesn't pay attention to what I said because he starts to watch her closely to see if she would try anything.
"You can sense our friends, right?" Shadow asks Maria and she nods her head.
"Yes… sort of… I lost one of them because something happened, but I can sense a big group nearby- "
Shadow grabs her arm slams her to the wall and squeezes it hard.
"Shadow- "
"What do you mean lost?" he asks and Maria's shrinks
"I don't know- "
"You don't know?" Shadow asks and he looks at me and laughs. "Okay so your new best friend just said she lost one person from the rest of the group. So, what does your little princess thoughts think of that? Is she lying to us or did someone actually disappear?"
"They did... they were with the group earlier but now I can't find them." She says.
"Let's hope you didn't aimlessly drown one of them in the ocean." Shadow says and my heart stops.
"I didn't! I promise you they were with your other friends, but I lost them because I was too busy fighting you- "I grab her hand cuffs and I push her forward to start walking again but we pick up the pace.
"If one my friends are dead then I am doing the same to you to equal out the score." I say and she nods her head.
We come across two tunnels, both leading separate ways and she goes to the left.
"If she is taking us to a trap, I can't wait to see what happens next." Shadow says and that reminds me that she could probably sense Sonic.
"Where is Sonic?"
Maria eyes widen and she continues to look forward but stop her from walking because she didn't want to tell me. " Where is he."
"I'm not sure about that either..." she says softly, and I was starting to get sick of her answers.
"You said earlier you can sense him!"
"I did! But now I can't! He was... in one of your rooms underneath and like I said before I lost him and your other friend... I'm not lying to you- "
"She is so useless, Princess." Shadow says and he rips her out of my hands and throws her on the ground.
Shadow takes out his knife and she opens her eyes to watch him approach her and she tries to run but Shadow grabs her ankle.
"She still has loyalty to her leader. We both know it's pointless to have her show us where the other are. I'll make it quick."
Maria gets flipped over by Shadow and she tries to get up, but he holds her down to the ground.
"I'm telling the truth! I don't know!" Maria says and her pretty blonde hair was covered in dirt and tears from her eyes.
"Shadow." I say and then I push Shadow forward. "Let's just leave her here. She won't hurt anyone."
"Yeah but- "
"No. Even after her being defeated she still won't surrender. Let's leave her. She can barely walk anyway, and she has cuffs on so she can't do anything." I say and Shadow nods his head and starts to take the lead.
"And to think I wanted to give you a chance. I guess you really are a nobody." I follow Shadow and then we walk down the dark tunnel with a couple of flames lit and we come across another tunnel.
"Let's head this way. I think I remember- "
Footsteps come behind us and we see that its Maria.
"Please don't leave me. I'll help."
Her legs shook as she walked closer, and her eyes were red and the eyeliner she had in her eye was drawing lines down her face.
"You are right… I'm shit and I know it so please let me show you the correct way." Maria sad tone of voice doesn't even change my thought of her at all, so I head into the tunnel Shadow said was the right way.
Shadow follows me and we walk through the tunnel with the glimmer of lights leading us through the rocky tunnel and I hear footsteps behind us. Maria was trying to keep up with us but because her injury in her leg, her limp was making her move slower.
"This isn't the right way." She says and Shadow looks at me while I look forward. We keep walking silence and Shadow points to the next pair of tunnels, and we go down those instead. Maria grunts in pain and stops walking and then I hear her continue. We make it to a dead end, and I turn around slowly to see Maria appear from the dark and she trips over a rock and falls to the ground.
Maria perfect stature she had before disappeared right into the dark tunnel we came in. Her blonde hair was fizzy, her clothes had holes and she was also dirty with some cuts and bruises on her body to compliment it.
"I can help… I'll find him and your friends." She says once more and Shadow steps over her body and starts to head the opposite way. Maria eyes watch him and then they come to mine and she tries to stand but it seems like her hurt leg had hit its capacity for movement, so she laid on her back. I would have walked past her like Shadow but now she was in the way.
"Princess. Please- "
"Why should I help you?"
My knee touches the dry rock as I kneel to her. "You don't know how serious your actions can affect the world. You know if the prince dies the world will never be peaceful. Do you understand that!"
My voice echoes in the tunnel and she stares at me will I talk to her.
"Besides him being the first open minded royal of the fire. Now Sonic life is in danger, my life is in danger, and even yours! I could leave you right here and kill you and not think twice about it!"
"I do understand. That's why I want to help- "
"Why? Why do you want to help us all the sudden? When you know you are in danger of dying? Do you even care or are you just trying to save your own ass?"
"I don't have anything to live for… so I thought that. If I help, then m-maybe I can- "Maria looks to the ground and at her leg and stops talking.
"You are right. Sorry, just leave me here- "
"Glady." I step over her and I see Shadow staring at me, and he watches Maria on the ground where I left her, and we start walking away from her this time for good.
Maria cries out and Shadow stops walking, and I look back at him. Shadow growls angrily and then he turns around back to the tunnel.
"Shadow. What are you doing?" I ask and I walk back to see him picking her up bridal style and starts walking back. I watch him walk and we go back to where we came, and we head into the other tunnel this time.
"So, we are taking her? For what?" I ask and I look at Maria wiping her eyes and looking at me and then Shadow.
"She will definitely die on her own here. Since she has nothing to live for than we can make her useful for getting us somewhere. If she leads us to a trap, we will just get even closer to Sonic and if she doesn't then it will be the same outcome." Shadow brings up and Maria looks at him slowly.
"T-Thank you- "
"I'm not doing this for you. I couldn't care less if you died in that tunnel by yourself." He says to Maria and she just stays quiet until we come across a room with even more tunnels, but water was in the corner, slowly leaking from the wall.
"Where to." He asks her and Maria looks around points at a tunnel to the left of the tiny waterfall. We walk near it, but I remember Shadow was cut open, so I stop him.
"Let me heal you. It won't take long." I say and Shadow nods his head then looks at the water.
"Should we heal her too? "He asks and Maria looks hopeful and until she looks at my face.
"No. She has to earn it." I say and that makes Shadow smile, and he places her far away from the water so she wouldn't get healed.
"I like how you are rolling." Shadow sits down and moves his arm out to me that I start healing and I watch her.
"I don't trust her. She reminds me of a gold digger… Why did you bring her? That's not really like you."
"I could tell you couldn't make up your mind to bring her or not, so I just did it. What's the worst she can do? You said the people we were going to face didn't seem that mentally stable so I'm sure she won't try nothing. She desperate and acts like she doesn't want to be alone… must be some PTSD."
The word PTSD makes me look at the girl who was watching us from far away, in pain from losing against Shadow but her eyes seemed sad… not how they looked when I was fighting her. Maria was a totally different person when her life is on the line.
"Maria." I say her eyes light up hopefully.
"How is the Sonic?" My question makes furious that I even have to ask that, and she takes my emotion into consideration into how she should answer my question.
"He is fine. I barely saw him because I was busy making this maze, but I heard him asking a lot question. I think he asked to eat something and then… resting? I'm not sure but I know he is okay."
"Sleeping and resting…. So, he is still trying to hold them off, but she said she couldn't see him anymore so… are we running out of time?"
Shadow gives me a side eye because I'm sure he was wondering if we were late or if we were on short time limit to find him.
"This shows that Sally stays true to her word. She could have just kept me around just in case if Sonic changed his mind for unlocking the spirit, but she didn't… so she is just really confident about getting the spirit world open. I should ask more about Sally so I can know what to expect."
"You also mentioned Sally saved you. What did she save you from that makes you follow her?"
"It doesn't matter… I don't want you to not trust me any less so what great can come up from me bringing up my reasoning."
Her question makes my eyes go back to Shadow's arm and I noticed that it is healed so I move to his back and start working on wound she created on him.
"To see why you are trying to be a reasonable person."
"Reasonable… I wish I was." Maria says softly and she sighs heavily before speaking again.
"It started like this. The fire kingdom's Queen's actions were influencing on a lot of kingdoms and cultural. Including some small ones. A band of ex fire shoulders had killed our leader and took over our village. There was only about 30 or 50 of us but we were a small village to keep up with everyone but the fire benders…they made because slaves for them. We would grow crops, wash clothes for them, cook food…. Other evil things I wouldn't want to talk about." Maria adds in and her voice changed once she got deeper into the story.
"Of course, we weren't strong enough to ever stand up to them but one day... they killed my family, and I took it too myself to stop them, but my own people fought me back. It almost like even my people were being manipulated because of the ways of the fire benders. So, I had to kill my people and them to free myself... the fire benders were rough as well after all of that but suddenly, Sally, Scourge and Ten appeared. Taking care of the rest of the fire benders and then the rest of my people who lost their ways. She saved me. I had broken bones, scratches and she healed me all... she gave me a purpose after that…" Her voice echoes out and I finish healing Shadow's back and I notice that Maria is zoned out heavily.
"Scrouge?... I didn't know they knew each other."
"And now she was starting to grow into someone new once Scourge wanted to start his own kingdom. Sally changed forever after that. We used to just free villages and steal from the rest but now we are forcing people to get powers? I never wanted a power, and she didn't force me but wanting so much power is ruining her before she even gets it. I can't even stop her. I wish we could just go back to our normal lives." Maria eyes meet mine quickly and she tries to stand but she plops down and holds her leg.
"And that's why when you offered me another life... why wouldn't I take it? I killed everything I knew and loved to save myself so why would I not try to gain another opportunity to block out the screams and the killings I did to my own people. And Sally she… she isn't the same! I just have been in this situation before when people are hungry for power, they will betray everyone-"
"Doesn't that make you a betrayer too?" I stop her from talking like she changed in just thirty minutes. "You are saying that power changes people but what about you. You aren't even better than someone who is doing anything to feel wanted in her life. You kidnapped an innocent man. You also kill people because you are "loyal" to your crazy ass leader- "
"Princess I- I had never killed anyone until that day the fire kingdom took over my old village. I wasn't how I am. I'm sorry. I never want to hurt anyone but if it's hurting someone, I have to do protect myself and my peace then I'll do it."
Despite her hypocrite questions and responses, I try not to argue about how she shouldn't judge others because she was being fake, manipulative, and disloyal. She couldn't step foot into any kingdom with how she acts.
"Where did you learn to get so strong?" I change the subject quickly.
"Ten... he taught me."
"So, the wolf guy is an earth bender?" Shadow asks and he stands up puts his shirt back on.
"No… he isn't a bender. Not that I know of. He doesn't really talk- "
"He isn't a bender?"
"I don't know. He only uses that sword on his back. That's it. He doesn't exactly need to bend." Maria explains.
"He doesn't have to bend? Just how strong is the guy. Axel and Knuckles was right when they said he only used a sword to attack them but that was it… we have to be super careful around that guy."
"We should get going and find the others. If she is telling valuable information like this then we need everyone to hear it, also we have to find who is missing and then have her show us where the prince is." Shadow says standing and walking over to the blonde hedgehog.
Shadow lifts her up and of course she complains about her being in pain, but I ignore it because it was going to take her a lot of anyone of us to heal someone like her.
"Where are they again?" Shadow asks and she points to a tunnel and we head into it. The walk through the rock tunnel and it started to get thinner as we moved down it. We come across three more separate tunnels and she tells us to go to the middle one and walk up the stairs. We make it to the next floor, and I start to feel a warm breeze. I look at Maria to see if she was trying to trick us because of the different temperature in here but she looked just as lost as I was.
"They are close." Shadow says. "It's warmer in here because of the fire benders."
"Let's go!" I say and Shadow and I jog down the tunnel and start to hear multiple footsteps scrap against the floor. Also, the tunnel becomes bright as we near it and I step out first to see all of them.
"Guys!" I yell and we all run to each other and hug one another.
"Is everyone okay?" I ask after getting done with hugging Cream and Cream seemed worried.
"No, we lost Axel."
"You what?" I ask and I look around all them to make sure, but he wasn't here.
"So, he is the one who got split up."
"Who is this?" Silver asks out loud and I turn around to see Shadow placing Maria on the ground.
"No way… that's the other enemy you described." Blaze says and her heat fills the room as she notices Maria.
"It is her. She surrendered- "
Blaze grabs Maria and slams her to the wall, making her cry out. Blaze punches Maria right in the face and watches Maria fall to the ground and Shadow stops Blaze.
"Will you stop it? You do realize she is the only way we can find the Prince?" Shadow asks and Maria slowly pushes herself and looks up at Shadow protecting her.
"She is also the cause of him disappearing! Princess why haven't you killed her!" Blaze angrily asks me, and she tries to get close to Maria again, but Shadow would let.
"Blaze, stop!" I yell at her and I touch her hot arm that didn't affect me. "Relax. We have to remain calm- "
"I'm trying! But I told you when I find one of these fuckers, I am going to stop them as soon as I see them!" Blaze says and tears wind up in her eyes and she turns back to Shadow.
"Let me stop her!" Blaze yells and Shadow frowns.
"No. She is the way to get to the blue dumbass." Shadow argues back and Silver steps in.
"Blaze just relax. When this is over, that's when we settle this but for now, we have to stick to the plan and find the Prince." Silver words makes Blaze heat fade and Knuckles, and Tails try to calm her down as well.
Maria grunts in pain and her voice causes Blaze to watch her closely but the death glare she was getting from Shadow was stopping Blaze from hurting her.
"What happened to you guys?" Tails asks.
"After she separated us with her earth bending, we ended up fighting her for a moment and then she changed sides to ours and is trying to help us find Sonic."
"Changed sides? so she is betraying her friends." Knuckles asks and I nod my head.
"Yeah… just keep an eye on her. She isn't trustworthy."
Everyone stares at her and Cream walks up to her next and kneels down to her.
"Your leg looks sprained." She says and Maria looks down to it and then back to Cream. "Amy, at least let me heal her leg. I knew you could have healed it, but I am guessing it's because you don't trust her."
"We don't but if you think healing her leg is fine then I trust your judgement. Shadow can't hold her forever."
Cream starts to heal her and Maria thanks her quietly.
"What's your name?" Silver asks and Maria looks at him slowly.
"Maria."
"Okay, Maria. I'm not going to ask why you are helping us after being injured but what I am going to ask is what is the plan to stop us from stopping Sally to get into the spirit world by using Sonic." Silver asks and his question was very important, so we all tune in.
"The plan?" Maria questions and I can tell Blaze was starting to get ticked and suspicious.
"Yes, the plan. Your friends have one, right?" Silver questions and Maria looks over at me and then Shadow and swallows heavily.
"The only plan we had was to relocate… to get closer to the spirit world. The entrance is way below and we had to come back over here but that's all. This maze… I made it a while back, so we really don't have any plan pertaining to get into it. We just needed the Prince that's all."
The tunnel goes silent, and I squeeze my arm angrily but before I could say something Rouge steps up.
"So, you are telling me that you separated us like this with no plan? Just off of instinct? Then how did our boat get trashed? And who redid the land near Asendel? It used to be filled with desert and now its covered with trees and grass." Rouge asks.
"I did that while back so we could have somewhere to hide and create a base a-and Cass was looking out for you guys because we knew you would try to find the Prince- "
"There is a plan! Just tell us!" Blaze yells and Maria shakes her head nervously.
"I swear to you there isn't! If there was then I would say it." Maria says and Cream stops healing her because she was starting to think it was meaningless of her being here too.
"She could be or lying to telling the truth." Silver says and shrugs his shoulders. "I think we should think of her response as a lie."
"I agree because her way of splitting us up didn't exactly make sense- "
"I wanted to fight Shadow!" She says and we look him. "We fought before and I wanted to see if I could beat him, but I couldn't! Obviously… and the Princess just happened to be in way." Maria says.
"At the same time, you separated us far away and keep on saying there isn't a plan? That's not adding up." I mention and Maria was lost of words.
"You are hiding something from us?" I bring up walking to her and Cream moves to the side and lets me get close to her. "I don't like liars and I don't like traitors. I also don't like you because you won't tell us about the plan created for this after Shadow saves your life from that tunnel. You not telling us is adding on more reasons why you shouldn't be breathing right now because you are putting the prince in danger." I say and Maria touches my arm and her lip shakes.
"P-Princess. I promise you there is no plan." Maria says and I couldn't trust her response, so I stand up and her hand leaves my arm and falls to her side.
"Fine. She doesn't want to answer. Do whatever you want with her. We don't need her. Tails come here for a moment." I say and Shadow moves away from protecting her and she gasps, and watches Blaze and the rest approach her.
Cream grabs her ankle and Maria winces as she watches her. "I'm glad I didn't waste all my chi on you." Cream says and she twists and turn her ankle, undoing the work Cream had done to her tendons and she yelps out in pain and reaches for Cream's hand on her ankle, but Rouge and Knuckles holds her arms down.
"We are going to make you tell us that plan!" Blaze says and Maria flinches at her voice.
Tails comes up to me and my eyes go to him instead of the interrogation happening on the ground and I focus back on our plan.
"Is your machine still going to work?" I ask and Tails sighs and rubs his head.
"Unless we find Axel. Seems like we need the machine to find him too, but we have to have an earth bender to make the driller. We can easily go through the earth with it, but we don't have an earth bender anyone… well we do but she is possibly having her ankle retwisted." Tails points behind him and I look at Maria telling them constantly about how there isn't a plan, but Blaze and the others weren't buying it.
"We kind of need her." Tails encourages.
The sigh leaving my mouth was annoyed and harsh and I walk back over, and Maria watches me coming and her eyes glisten.
"Princess. You believe me right! Please… I don't about a plan." Maria says.
"Guys, just hold on for a moment." I say and they stop questioning her and Maria sniffs her nose and tries to bring her ankle back, but Cream still held onto it.
"We need you to make us a mass movement device to cut into the ground."
"Mass movement? I don't know how to make those." Maria says.
"We will tell you how. But you are going to do it and help us get to the stomach of the base. Do you understand? If you refuse, I'm ending this cycle of trying to get you to speak."
"Yes, Princess. I'll do it. I just need my foot to earth bend it for you. I am guessing it is rock so… just heal me and I can do it." Maria says.
"Cream, can you?" I ask and Cream doesn't say much but starts to heal her ankle again and everyone backs up to give her some room and Tails passes me and shows Maria a paper, explain how dense and thick the rock needs to be for this to work.
"I can't believe you didn't just kill her. This wasn't the plan." Blaze says and bumps into my shoulder and I grab her wrist and pull her back.
"You don't think I don't? I left her to die way before we got to you all, but we need her because she lost Axel now and we can't sense Sonic. Trust me. I am just as mad at you are."
'Tch. Whatever. I can't wait to see how many other bad guys you let off the hook." Blaze says lastly and walks past me and sits on the ground to wait for the machine to be fixed and I sigh and wait for Maria leg to get done healing.
"This is taking too long. We are here but we can't get there… just. A little longer Sonic. Hold on."
Time passes and after many tries Maria trying to get the machine right, she finally finishes while sweat runs down her face from being watched. Maria adds the steering wheel and Tails places it on and the wheels on the side turn perfectly.
"It's ready. Let's get on." Tails says and we all hurry to get on the machine. The machine shook while my friends got on it and I stare at it from the outside. It was a rock made drill like machine that had a rectangular covering in the back to hold us all in. Also, there was a sharp drill in the front with metal blades shoved in the rock to slices through the ground perfectly. The plan we discussed earlier was to use the drill to go through the ground and make to Sonic. With the powers of the air benders and an earth bender, they can control the acceleration and the breaks of the machine with air and force from the ground. The machine was mad out of rock that made it a bit weak, but it was strong enough to get hit a couple of times before actually breaking. As long as we kept moving though there was no worry.
Maria starts to walk but Blaze stops her from getting.
"You aren't apart of us. Don't get on here." I say and Maria takes some steps back while clutching her ribs.
"We need her though Blaze. We need more power for the drill to spin." I say and I push Maria forward and she walks up slowly.
Maria sits at the end and her face looked hurt while she eased herself down to sit and Blaze just stares at me while I watch her.
"Inviting those we don't trust." Blaze shakes her head, and I don't say much because Blaze wasn't wrong, but we needed to take some risk.
"There isn't a plan but there is something you should know. If that helps will you trust me." Maria says.
"Then lets hear it." Shadow says sitting down in front of her.
"Spirit are very dangerous. The power Sally was talking about having seemed unreal and I'm not even sure how the power works but I'm sure you know that a person can have two spirits in one time it when they have an extra spirit it's like another power or ability. I know if you are trying to save the Prince but if you want to continue to protect the world on the surface then you might want to try to stop her before she opens it. The power will make her invincible." Maria says.
"That's a plan Maria. That's all you had to say, give us some intel." Shadow says Maria nods her head and we all take in that information.
"We just have to get to the Prince to avoid any of this. "Silver brings up and Blaze sits next to him and looks the other way.
"Let's start up then. Air benders get into position." Tails asks and he walks to the front and grabs the wheel and sits down. Shadow and Silver both take opposite sides of each other and prepare to provide air to drive around.
I climb on Tail's machine last that Maria created, and I watch Cream heal Maria head.
"How is your torso region? Does it feel like a rib is broken?" Cream asks.
"M-M-Maybe I don't know." Maria says and tears come out her eyes. "I'm sorry for separating you all and losing your friend. Honestly- "
Heat pushes everyone back and I shield my eyes from the sudden blast. All I could her was yelling and screaming of Maria and I peak my eyes open to see Blaze beating her up. Knuckles jumps on Blaze and Tails grabs Cream who was too close to the heat and moves her out of the way from being possibly burned.
"YOU BITCH! YOU AREN'T SORRY!" Blaze yells and I see her charge fire in her hands, and I move to stop her.
The candles lit in the tunnel shut off as well and I feel a strong tug on my shirt, taking me off the rock machine and I my mouth gets covered. I yell out to whoever who was holding me and my friends who was trying to stop Blaze and I figure out what was going on, but my covered mouth was no use to the other loud voices. A cloth rubs against my face and I exhale to yell but I feel tired. I reach at the hand that was covering my mouth my arm goes limp and I blink softly while I watch my friends get smaller and smaller in cave because I was getting pulled away from them. My eyes shut fully and when I open them back up, I'm in a bright grey room.
My head rests on the cold marble floor and my eyes spin heavily. My body felt sluggish, and I almost closed my eyes to sleep again but I remember that Sonic was waiting for me.
"Sonic… I'm coming." I whisper out as I pick myself up.
"I'm coming."