Another week has gone by, and it's time for another chappie to be posted. We'll kick off the chapter in the arena, and then we'll get a sneak peek at what's going down in the real timeline. Yeah, I know hopping from different realities can get dicey, but I'll use italics to keep them straight. Guess that's it. Continue on!
His choice had led to this moment. That foolish decision to discard Shadow's instruction as rubbish was one of the worst mistakes he could have made. Getting blown sky-high in the real timeline served him right, but now, he couldn't shake the shame of knowing that he had dragged the others into his mess.
But since this was his mess, he would make sure to clean it up. Him and the five other Unexpendables (he was already starting to hate that term), would survive and save the real timeline. He would just have to fight against his other self and stop him from swiping the fake emerald.
No sweat.
Egghead was still instructing them on the rules of the arena, although it had turned into a gloating session full of him boasting about the arena they would be fighting in. Sonic had learned that the arena was divided into five different zones, but after that piece of information, the blue blur had blocked out the rest of Eggman's words, the idea that he had caused this mess making his stomach tighten with guilt.
He was jerked from his thoughts when something vibrated against his wrist, and he cocked his head to the side, sliding the cuff of his glove back to reveal a watch-like bracelet that was fastened snugly around his wrist. It slightly resembled the wrist communicator that Tails had invented, but it looked more advanced, and Sonic wondered if Eggman had invented it. The screen winked to life as he rotated it towards his face, a message popping up.
Are you listening? Following the text message was the simple name of the messenger, none other than his yellow-furred sidekick.
Sonic held the device up to his lips. "Hello? Tails, are you there?" He paused, sheepish when he realized that he had no idea how to deal with said technology. "Why do these gadgets have to be so complicated?" He must have missed the part where Eggman had explained to them the purpose of these bracelets.
"Well, I think that covers everything." Eggman was wrapping up, lacing his gloved hands together. "I'll be lurking somewhere in the arena, and I'll offer a prize to anyone who pays me a visit."
"What kind of prize do ya have in mind, Eggy? A chaos emerald, hm?" Rouge curled a finger under her chin, batting her eyelashes.
"Better than that. Those chaos emeralds are scattered around the arena, free to anyone who can find them. But I have a more costly prize, and that is knowledge." Eggman leaned forwards, almost plunging out of his Egg Mobile. "Knowledge of what is happening in the real timeline. Knowledge of who is alive and who isn't. Knowledge of the horrible fates that will befall upon every single one of you!" Eggman jabbed a finger around the circle, some shying away from his pointing finger.
Sonic smirked, knowing that Eggman was trying to bait them into visiting his hidden base in the arena. But who needed knowledge anyways? If Eggman was right, then he was laying six feet under in a casket, so why would he want to know about what was happening in the real timeline anyway? Unless, if it concerned his friends, then he would want to be informed.
"Good luck to you all. After all, you're going to need it." Eggman began the countdown, ticking off on his fingers. "Three."
Sonic rolled his shoulder muscles back, arching his spine and dancing on his tiptoes to stretch out his calves and relieve tension. It would be a shame if he pulled a muscle, when this was a sure instance where his speed would give him the upper hand.
"Two."
He eyed the thirteen backpacks that were arranged in a circle beneath the tree that he had been snoozing under. Each backpack had a name tag attached to it, filled with treasures and goodies meant for that certain individual. He had a feeling someone would be playing dirty, and would steal other people's bags just to get on their bad side, but Sonic was going to make sure he reached that tree first.
He would have enough time to grab his, and Tails' and Knuckles' too before things got heated.
"One."
Sonic exhaled, his eyes locked on the three backpacks that stared back at him. Even after the mess that he had caused, he was sure Tails and Knuckles would form an alliance with him, so he wanted to get their bags and represent them as an apology for his actions.
"Go!"
Sonic surged forwards in a streak of blue, grinning from ear to ear as he left the others in the dust. The tree wasn't far away, and once he got up to speed, he was immediately forced to brake, skidding uncontrollably towards the tree. His momentum continued to carry him, and he crashed into the trunk with a thwack, his body shuddering from the impact.
"Oof!" He placed a hand against his ribs, shaking himself as he scolded himself for charging full-speed when the tree was only a few feet away. It had been a grave mistake, and he could envision the precious seconds trickling by.
He leaned over, snagging the straps of a medium-sized blue backpack and hauling it over his back, scanning for the name tags of his teammates. A backpack ranging on the color spectrum somewhere between orange and yellow caught his eye, the name tag flashing his sidekick's name.
Grinning, Sonic hoisted the handles upwards, the backpack heavier than his own as he swung it over his shoulders. Now he just needed to find Knuckles' backpack.
He briefly wondered if the others had caught up as he flipped over name tags, frowning when he couldn't find Knuckles'. On cue, a gust of wind battered against his face, and he cocked his head to the side when his dark rival scooped up a small, black backpack, not sparing the time to look at the name tag.
Shadow would be in for a rude awakening if he happened to grab the wrong backpack, mistaking it for his own.
Sonic was surprised, when instead of snatching Omega's or Rouge's, Shadow spiraled around to the backside of the tree, swiping a red, durable-looking backpack studded with spiked zippers and a giant silhouette of a giant, green emerald on the front.
Sonic deadpanned, the idea of winning Knuckles over by retrieving his backpack going down the drain. Sonic figured that Shadow was just trying to get payback, considering the echidna had made it clearly obvious that he didn't want Shadow a member of the Unexpendables.
Sonic couldn't help but grin at Shadow, already trying to think of something that he could use to barter with Shadow in exchange for Knuckles' backpack. But Sonic knew well enough that Shadow would not surrender up that backpack that easily. Knuckles was going to throw a fit.
Sonic was shoved roughly to the side as the others caught up, the base of the tree swarming with frantic shouts as backpacks were flung carelessly in the haste to find the correct name tags. Sonic stepped away from the tree, distancing himself so the others could have more room. There was nothing else he could do anyway, since Knuckles' backpack was a lost cause.
"Hey, gimme back my bag, you coward!" Sonic rolled his eyes as Knuckles waved a fist angrily towards Shadow, who had darted into the dense forest that surrounded the meadow, Omega and Rouge plowing after him. "You're gonna regret stealing that!"
Sonic was about to comfort his fuming friend by offering him anything that was in his own backpack, but paused as a wicked smirk lit up Knuckles' muzzle, stooping over to grab the glittery strap of a white, faux-furred backpack.
Sonic didn't have to even look at the name tag, since the flashy aesthetic made it obvious that it was Rouge's. He was just curious why the bat had left her bag behind. All he knew was that Knuckles would probably try to trade Rouge's bag in exchange for his own, assuming Shadow ever agreed to the proposal.
Sonic shifted his emerald gaze over to Tails, who was frantically clawing through the few backpacks that remained.
"Looking for this?" Sonic grinned triumphantly, holding up the golden backpack trimmed with patches of white.
"Phew, don't scare me like that!" Tails sucked in a breath, rubbing his forehead with his arm as Sonic handed him his backpack, smiling gratefully. "Thanks, Sonic."
"No problem. I just wish I had gotten to Knuckles' in time," Sonic admitted, shrugging his shoulders as Knuckles stormed from around the tree trunk, Rouge's backpack dangling from a tightly-clenched fist.
"Wait until I get my hands on that creep! He won't know what hit him!" Knuckles punched the air with his unoccupied hand, his nostrils flaring. "He's gonna wish he had never been born!"
"On behalf of the Chaotix Detective Agency, ya have our condolences, Knux." Vector slung a bulky arm around the enraged guardian's shoulders, not minding the violent swipes that Knuckles continued to aim at the sky. "To help cheer ya up, how 'bout we form a little truce?"
"You want to form a truce?" Sonic asked slowly, raising a brow at the offer. "What's the catch?"
"I'm glad ya asked! My brilliant mind's been thinking, and I think I have the perfect solution to this whole situation." Vector made a swooping motion towards himself. "It's actually quite simple. Assuming my math is correct, then combined, there are six of us." He paused to allow the obvious information to sink in. "That's the exact amount that Eggman claimed can survive in this world. So, we could team up, and since I don't like the idea of any kiddos getting eliminated, we can form a truce with Cream too! In the ol' doctor's words, six plus him could survive, but if we eliminate him, then there's an open spot for Cream!"
Sonic blinked, not surprised that the crocodile was already planning on an ulterior plan that would allow him to be crowned one of the survivors. Frankly, Sonic couldn't blame him. The whole idea of asking the majority of his friends to lay down their lives for the belief that he could fix the real timeline sounded so wrong, the more he thought about it.
Sonic flicked his gaze over to Tails, who was frowning as he busied himself by fiddling with the zipper on his backpack. The fox was never known to be rude, and although he didn't acquaint himself often with the Chaotix, the fox respected them. But now, he looked detached and stressed, as if Vector's offer had flipped a switch.
Since Tails was already a member of the Unexpendables, and he had nothing to lose, Sonic cocked his head sideways at the scarlet guardian, who knew the Chaotix better than he did. Knuckles had paused his rant, his arms crossed against his chest. He seemed keen on the idea since that would also grant him a spot in the final six or seven, depending on if they spared Egghead.
"Look Vector, I appreciate the offer, but we already established the six-" Sonic began, glad that he was interrupted by a certain sugar-high bee before he could finish his thought. He wasn't even sure what else he was supposed to say anyway.
"Hey Vector, look at my backpack!" Charmy squealed, a frenzied flutter of wings swirling from around the back of the tree, the weight of a yellow and black-striped backpack weighing the young bee down. "It probably weighs more than me!"
"Why don't you let Vector carry that?" Espio suggested, materializing out of nowhere and leaning against the trunk of the tree, his sudden appearance causing Tails to promptly shriek, his backpack slipping from his fingers to clatter to the ground, the contents spilling out.
Sonic chuckled, noticing the exasperated stare from Knuckles and the apologetic demeanor of Espio, who was clearly used to getting that reaction. He was about to lean over to help the fox scoop up the items from his dumped bag, but the expression on his buddy's face stopped him short. The fox looked...terrified.
"Jeez, you're a jumpy little thing!" Vector guffawed. "Ya look like ya saw a ghost!"
The kit's eyes snapped open wide, staring back slack-jawed at the croc. A few awkward beats passed, and then Tails shook his head furiously, angrily shoving the contents back into his bag. He yanked the zipper, and Sonic was afraid he would rip it out in his frantic haste.
What just happened?
His attention was striped away from his shivering pal when Charmy, oblivious to the tension, broke the silence. "No way, I'm big and strong! I can carry it on my own!" Charmy argued against Espio's request, the space caused by Tails' strange behavior allowing him to think of a retort. He panted as he strained to yank the backpack that was beginning to drag the ground. "M'kay, I guess you're right." He finally pouted, before hurling the backpack towards an unsuspecting crocodile. "Catch!"
The backpack smacked against the reptile's snout, eliciting a pained shout from said reptile as he rubbed a hand against the sore spot, hefting the backpack over his shoulder as he glared daggers at Charmy. "Gimme more of a heads-up next time. What's in this thing anyways, a rock collection?"
"You're a detective." Charmy shrugged. "I thought you would know these things."
Sonic tuned out the brewing argument, spinning back towards the crouched fox, who had finally forced the stubborn zipper to cooperate, papers sticking out of the backpack as he tugged the zipper to seal up the gaping bag.
"My sincerest apologies," Espio apologized earnestly. "I didn't mean to startle you."
"Ha, well, you got 'im good!" Vector punched Espio lightly in the arm, earning a disproving glance from the chameleon. "The look on his face was priceless!"
"Tag, you're it!" Charmy suddenly yelled, tapping Vector on the shoulder and surging towards the path that Team Dark had blazed. "Catch me if you can, slowpoke!"
"Charmy, ya know that cardio and I don't mix well," Vector began, pausing his sentence as the young bee disappeared into the coarse foliage of the forest. "That little runt!"
"Perhaps Charmy has a point," Espio mused aloud, rising to his tiptoes nimbly. "Your physique has been...lacking in the cardio department."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Vector glared incredulously.
"It means you're slower than a snail covered in molasses!" Charmy piped up, his voice faint as if muffled by the distance and the heavy foliage.
"A snail covered in molasses? What kinda metaphor is that, kid?" Vector broke into a jog, groaning heavily as the backpacks slapped against his shoulders. "Anyway, my offer still stands, Sonic."
"And my response still stands," Sonic replied with a grin, flashing a thumbs-up and cupping his hands around his mouth for extra volume. "Have fun on your run!"
"No need to rub it in my face!" Vector's voice cut off as he barreled into the underbrush, a branch jutting out to slam across his unsuspecting face. "Charmy, get back here right now before I beat some sense into ya!"
Sonic chuckled at their charade, turning his attention to the solemn third member who had not joined in on hunting down the bee. Rather, the chameleon was curiously observing Tails, who was playing with the wrist-bracelet communicator on his wrist, trying to act nonchalant and inconspicuous.
"Hey, you guys all right?" Sonic questioned, eyeing the duo with a mixture of amusement and well-hidden concern. Tails looked nervous, and Espio looked slightly baffled at said fox's behavior. This whole day was wacky, and Sonic was sure Tails was just acting strange because of the grave news Egghead had shared.
It was strange to admit it, but Sonic wasn't sure how to feel about the news. Although he didn't have any proof that he didn't die, he couldn't quite embrace it. True, he could recall the blood-stained grass that cushioned his fall and the blinding flash of white, but still...he couldn't have died!
"Tails, is something wrong?" Espio finally asked, and the spell that encased the fox shattered like glass against stone.
"Uh, no." Tails rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "Sorry about that. I guess I just zoned out for a second." He stiffened until his back was as rigid as a board, and Espio must have accepted it because he took a step back, holding his hands out in a non-threatening manner.
"The best of luck to you all. If we happen to cross paths again in the arena, I vow that no harm will befall you on my account." Espio pressed his palms together, bowing. "Farewell."
"Sweet, so I'm translating that to mean that you won't attack us, right?" When he received a subtle nod from the ninja, Sonic pumped his fists. "Right back at ya! Not that I'd ever attack anyone anyway, but it's great to know we have allies." Sonic copied the bow, his spine cracking from the motion. "Woah. I gotta do that trick more often. I had a crick in my back, but that just took care of it."
"Take care, Espio," Knuckles stated gruffly.
Espio nodded once, his amused smirk from Sonic's off -balanced bow fading at the graveness of Knuckles' tone. "You as well." Then, he turned to the twin-tailed fox, "Tails." That name brought the kit's fearful gaze up from his communicator. "Learn to relax."
Sonic watched as Espio sprang backwards, performing an aerial backflip that arced him over a tree branch, the ninja gracefully settling back on the ground and rushing off after his teammates. For a few moments, nothing was said, until a certain echidna broke the silence.
"What was that, Tails?" Knuckles inquired, his brow furrowing. "You've seen Espio dozens of times before!"
"Uh, sorry about that." Tails rubbed his shoulder awkwardly, the question bringing his head up from his wrist bracelet. "It was nothing. He just reminded me of something."
Knuckles opened his mouth, probably to question the fox further, but Sonic was quick to interject, sensing his buddy's troubled expression. "Hey, so any ideas of where we should go? Does this thingamajig have a map of the arena or something?" He tapped the screen of his bracelet, and didn't miss the grateful grin Tails shot him.
"According to Eggman, he designed these bracelets with communication services and various tools that he said would aid us in the arena. I would assume that would include a map." Tails stuck his tongue out in concentration as he swiped a finger across the screen, a map flicking to life across the mini screen.
Sonic crowded around the kit to peer over his shoulder at the bracelet, Knuckles begrudgingly following his example. The arena was circular, divided into five different zones. The bottom half was sliced into a vertical boundary, dividing a beach from a desert. On the upper half the vertical line divided a city and a tundra zone. And stretching in a slim horizontal across the center of the arena map was a forest region, a small speck located in the center of the forest signifying the meadow they were standing in now.
"So the desert's southwest, beach is southeast, city is northwest, tundra is northeast, and then a strip of forest in the center of the arena," Sonic summed up, shrugging breezily. "Easy enough to remember."
"Yeah, but which direction do we go?" Tails wondered, shifting his attention from Sonic to Knuckles, and right back to Sonic. "I'm not sure if going in the direction that everyone else is going is a good idea."
"Hey Knucklehead, wanna make the call?" Sonic chuckled at the death glare that was shot his way, Knuckles making it clearly obvious how much he loathed the nickname.
Nonetheless, Knuckles ignored Sonic's tease, looking empowered by the fact that Sonic had chosen him to make the weighty decision. "Whatever place has the least amount of sun. This bright sunlight is already giving me a headache."
"Then I guess it's the tundra." Tails exhaled slowly. "Let's hope one of us has a blanket packed in our backpacks, or we're gonna freeze to death."
"Good choice." Sonic clapped Knuckles' shoulder with an open palm, dancing on his tiptoes from the brewing adventure that ushered him forwards, that taste of excitement and the thirst of exploring uncharted lands making energy course through his veins. "Northeast, it is!"
With Tails leading the way since he was the one with the map flashing on his bracelet screen, Sonic followed on the fox's heels, a still-fuming Knuckles stomping closely behind him.
"Hey Knucklehead, I'm about to pull a Charmy! Heads up!" Sonic tossed his backpack underhand, the backpack hurling backwards to smack against the crimson guardian's chest, the bag bouncing off his muscular form harmlessly. "I figured you might want to carry it since you're feeling left out for losing your bag."
Knuckles only growled out a warning. "Don't you even start..."
The funeral service had been quiet.
There had been no speaker, since there was hardly anything to say. Almost everyone present had known the two on a personal, sibling-like level, so what memories could have been shared or what empty praise could have been gushed since almost everyone had heard of the memories already and knew the two almost as well as they knew themselves?
There had been no burial either, since there wasn't anything left to bury. Nothing had remained of the footloose hero, the faint breeze carrying his ashes away to his final resting place. It was almost poetic and fitting, since Sonic was always unable to stay grounded in one place. It would be fitting that his body would not be trapped six feet under, but instead, that his ashes continue to wander the world, just like the hero would be doing right now... if the bomb hadn't ended his life so suddenly.
Amy, on the other hand, was a bit different. Shortly after the plane crash, the engine had exploded into flames that charred her body, melting her skin and singing her quills. Her body was so grotesque and haunting, that Shadow, who had been the first to arrive at the crash scene, decided to bury her body there, not wanting anyone else to have to survey the scorched husk of the heroine.
Knuckles had been furious at Shadow's decision, but she could understand Shadow's choice. She didn't know if she would want to see Amy in that state, and if she did, she knew that horrifying image would be burned into her mind forever. Shadow had done them a favor.
Cream blinked through watery eyes as she stared down at the frayed scarlet headband that she clutched tightly in her hand, the only piece of Amy that was left. After Shadow had discovered an unconscious Tails and buried Amy, he had brought them back Amy's headband, as if regretting the fact that he couldn't bring Amy's corpse back to them.
Tears dribbled down her muzzle, leaving behind water-stains on the fabric of the headband. She knew after everyone was done saying their final goodbyes, the headband was supposed to be buried in place of Amy's body. Cream knew that holding onto the headband would just bring back the painful memories, but she couldn't help but wonder if Amy would have wanted her to have it.
Over the collective sniffing, she could hear the hysterical sobs of Tails, who was on his hands and knees, a blubbering mess as he wailed apologies to Sonic and Amy both. Cream wanted to comfort the distraught fox, since neither of their deaths was his fault. Amy's harness had malfunctioned, and Cream wasn't even sure why Tails would be blamed himself for Sonic's death, when he wasn't even near Sonic when it happened. Perhaps it was simply the fact that Tails wasn't by his side.
Out of everyone present, Shadow and Espio were the only ones who weren't crying, although Shadow refused to make eye contact with anyone and Espio was staring at the ground as if dazed and in denial at the catastrophe. Cream resisted the urge to pinch herself, wondering if this was a nightmare she would wake up from.
The sight of the unstable, distressed fox making her chest tighten with worry, she busied herself with eyeing the few faces that remained. Rouge was wiping away tears with the back of her hand, her velvety white ears drooping. She flanked Shadow, the duo lurking in the background. Unlike most people here, Rouge had a better friendship with Amy than she did with Sonic, and Cream wondered if she should offer the headband to her so she could hold the last piece of Amy before it was buried.
The Chaotix branched off from Cream's right, the trio huddled together and all displaying a wide range of emotions. Charmy had completely gone off the deep end, his sobs and shrill wails echoing around them. Espio, on the other hand, was level-headed and collected as always, a frown marring his features as he pulled away from the dazed reaction, coming to accept the harsh reality. Vector was balancing somewhere in the middle, his eyes swimming with tears that he was trying to keep at bay. He blinked, and then they spilled over, and he pressed his hands over his eyes. Cream wasn't sure if it was to hide his tears, or to stifle his cries.
And lastly, there was Knuckles, who was glued to Tails' side faithfully. He was crouched next to the fox, awkwardly rubbing Tails' tensing shoulder muscles. With his unoccupied hand, Knuckles was ripping up clumps of grass, his body trembling. Cream thought it was from anger, but then she heard the guardian sniff, and there was no mistaking the watery film that coated his violet orbs.
Cream was startled by the soft words that wafted through the grief-charged air, and she quickly recognized the voice. The guardian was often hot-tempered and boisterous, although she had heard that he also had a laid-back side. But nothing could have prepared her for the broken, cracking voice that muttered, "You've run your race, and now it's time to pass off the baton." A shaky breath, and then a rasping exhale. "Rest easy, Sonic."
Sobs reached their climax, and Cream's shoulders shook as she whimpered into her hands, snot streaming down her muzzle and leaving a string of mucus on her chapped lips. She felt a soothing pressure clamp down on her shoulder, and she was certain that it was one of the Chaotix members attempting to comfort her.
The hand squeezed, breaking contact with her shoulder to gently wipe away a tear that dribbled down her cheek. The touch was dainty, and through the snot that clogged her nostrils, she could smell a feminine perfume. Removing her hands from her face, she stared up at Rouge's sympathetic face.
She carried a rose, dotted with dew drops and looking freshly-cut. Rouge smiled weakly down at Amy's headband, and Cream cradled it closer against her body, not wanting to part with it. Rouge reached for the crook of her elbow, leading her up towards the front where Tails and Knuckles were.
Rouge handed off the rose to Knuckles, and Cream bashfully offered the headband to Tails, who gripped it loosely in his trembling hands. Knuckles and Tails faced each other, both of them gripping the items that took the place of Amy's body.
Knuckles breathed heavily, nodding down at the rose. "Your hope and enthusiasm were an inspiration to all of us. Your dreams for a better future may not have come true, but you can rest with Sonic now." Knuckles choked back a sob, and Tails whimpered. "Goodbye, Ames."
The two items were placed gingerly and respectfully in a hole already dug into the ground, and together, Tails and Knuckles covered it over with dirt, the former using his tails and the later using his unclenched fists. It felt like a thousand pounds had settled on Cream's shoulders, and she spun away from the sight, her tiny fists balling up at her sides.
"And that," she whispered lowly to herself with a bitter frown, "is how hope dies."
Cream sat in the living room at her house, not bothering to listen as Vector filled in her mother on the details of the funeral service. There wasn't anything interesting to report, since it was basically just a lot of crying and hardly any words. Her mother beamed when Vector told her about how she had carried Amy's headband, and Cream, feeling uncomfortable with the attention, excused herself and crept towards the kitchen.
On the way home from the funeral service, she had some time to think, and she had reached a decision. The invitation that Dr. Eggman had mailed her had been living inside her mind for days since it's arrival, and she was ashamed that it kept attracting her to it, like a magnet. Or like a moth that drifted to close to a flame.
She knew that he could be lying about the chaos emerald, but she didn't have a choice. If she had the chance to save her mother, then she had to take the opportunity when it revealed itself. Now that Sonic and Amy were gone, she didn't feel as guilty selling the emerald for money. Her mother needed medicine, and she wasn't going to stand and watch her end up like Sonic and Amy. She couldn't lose her mother...not now. Not ever!
Soft humming coming from the kitchen halted her in her tracks, and she lurked in the kitchen doorway, her mind racing. She needed to grab the invitation so she had the coordinates to the arena, but a certain ninja was standing in between her and that goal. She knew if she told anyone else about accepting Dr. Eggman's proposal, they would only discourage her.
"Sneaky time, Cheese," Cream whispered over to her chao, who shot her a doubtful glance as she laid a finger against her lips. Sneaking up on a ninja was not one of her greatest ideas, but she needed that invitation. True, she had not gotten a lot of practice, since she wasn't the type to snoop in on her mother's phone calls like many other children her age would do.
Taking a deep breath, she weighed her chances of reaching the coffee table before Espio caught her. The chances were almost nonexistent, but on the bright side, his back was facing her as he stirred sizzling bacon over the stove top. It was a win-lose situation, because she had stashed the invitation under the stove, but at least he was occupied.
Rising to her tiptoes so she could be light and agile, she crept across the tiled floor, Cheese inching along in her shadow. She kept her eyes trained on Espio, hardly daring to breathe. Just a few more steps, and then she was safe under the coffee table.
Of course, it was only fitting that Espio turned his attention to a wooden cutting board heaping with chunks of potato, and the sudden motion startled Cream, her heart leaping as she slid to her knees and allowed the momentum to carry her under the coffee table. Her knees stung as they were skinned, but she didn't even register the pain when her shoes squealed against the tiled floor. Her eyes snapped open, biting her tongue as she forced herself to peek out from under the table, wondering how Espio didn't hear her and plotting how to get him away from the stove so she could grab the invitation.
"If you're finished playing ninja, then would you mind taking this to your mother?" Espio asked casually, not even looking her way as he poured the potato chunks into a boiling pot of water.
Busted.
Cream slid out from under the coffee table in defeat. "Yes, Mr. Espio."
She padded over to the chameleon, grasping a glass cup with cloudy water in it. She knew it was water infused with vitamin C powder, but her mother had been drinking this for weeks, and it wasn't helping. They were trying everything, but that stubborn sickness wouldn't leave her mother alone.
"Are you making potato soup?" Cream leaned over, receiving an affirmative nod from Espio. "That spying stuff is harder than it looks."
Espio cracked a small smile, pouring a splash of milk into the pot. "Indeed. Although, your movements and noises were not what gave you away."
"Really?" Cream cocked her head to the side in bafflement. "Then what did?"
"A ninja doesn't reveal his secrets," Espio replied vaguely.
"Oh, I understand." Cream bit back her disappointment, more than happy to take any pointers or tips for future reference. "You probably have a sixth sense or something." She happened to glance up at the kitchen window, and the lightbulb went off.
From the vantage point at the stove, one could get a clear shot of the kitchen doorway from the reflection in the window. Espio had known she was there even before she had taken a step into the kitchen! Cream facepalmed, embarrassed at her amateur mistake.
Weighed down with her preset situation, she drifted her gaze down to the stove, wondering if she could pull out the invitation with her foot. Then she got another idea, and she cleared her throat and asked innocently, "Mr. Espio, may you please move for a minute?"
Espio furrowed his brow, but complied, stepping to the side. "Very well."
"Thank you." Cream sluggishly sank to her knees, careful not to aggravate her skinned knees. Feeling the need to explain herself, she stated, "The vitamin C isn't fully dissolved, so I'm just getting a spoon so I can stir it." She placed the glass of vitamin water beside her, using one hand to fish around in the stove drawer and the other sliding under the stove to search for the invitation.
"Are the spoons not located in the drawer below the sink?" Espio questioned, and Cream inwardly cringed, wondering how she could respond to his inquiry.
"Oh yes, the regular spoons are in that drawer, but I like the bigger spoons." Cream withdrew a ladle, cringing when the giant spoon wouldn't fit past the rim of the glass. Her other hand wrapped around a crumpled paper that had been folded numerous times. "I guess the vitamin C is dissolved enough for my mother to drink."
Espio was staring at her with a confused, concerned expression on his face as she bent her head lower, shoving the wadded-up piece of paper into her mouth so he couldn't see it. She abandoned the ladle, picking herself up off the ground and clutching the glass. She waved and rapidly paced towards the kitchen exit, afraid that he would start to ask questions.
She rushed into the living room before Espio could chase her down and demand her to spit out the letter, passing off the glass of water to Vector and pointing towards her mother, afraid to talk since the letter was wedged in between her teeth.
"Are you all right, honey?" Her mother rasped, her chest heaving from the effort it took to talk.
"Mhm." Cream nodded, her ears bouncing up and down from the vigorous motion. She always used her words, since her mother considered it rude to answer with gestures or mumbling when asked a direct question. Today was an exception, but her mother didn't correct her, much to Cream's relief.
Cream paced towards the door, waving in it's general direction as she unlatched it, the door swinging open to bask her in the dying sunlight as dusk settled in.
She didn't wait for her mother or Vector to acknowledge her before she closed the door, leaning against it as she exhaled slowly, a winning grin spreading across her face.
"Mission success." She spit out the piece of paper, unfolding it to find the coordinates. She had not idea how to find the location based on the coordinates, but she figured that she would need a computer or a tracking system. Tails could probably help her, but she had to do this on her own. Everyone else would only try to talk her out of it.
She frowned as she stared down at the letter, the saliva from her mouth smudging the letters, blotting out the coordinates. She had worked so hard, lied to Espio, was rude to her mother and Vector, and it had all been a waste. The invitation was worthless now.
"Do you wanna play with me?" Charmy's countenance brightened as he glanced up from a mud pie that he was sprinkling with leaves. "It's boring out here by myself."
Cream schooled her disappointed expression from the letter into a smile as she pressed the folded paper into her palm, locking her fingers over it to conceal it. "Sure, although dinner's almost ready."
"Wanna play Samurais and Ninjas?" Charmy asked hopefully, abandoning his mud pie to fly over to her side.
"I don't know how to play that game." Cream frowned. "It doesn't involve fighting, does it?"
"Nah, it's like cops and robbers. The ninjas have to run and hide, and the Samurais have to hunt them down and tag them." Charmy pointed a hand towards himself. "I'll be the ninja, and you can be the Samurai. Count to thirty so I have enough time to find a hiding spot." He paused, grinning. "And no peeking!"
"Okay!" Cream didn't bother to tell him that if anyone was going to peek, then it would be him. Cheating took all of the fun out of the game. She leaned against the door to her home, squeezing her eyelids shut as she began to count, "One, two, three..."
She could hear the faint beat of Charmy's wings as he searched for a hiding place, his giggles growing fainter. He had probably flown into the forest, where it would be almost impossible to find him. But then again, Charmy and secrecy could not exist together.
Cream paused her counting when she heard two voices drifting from the open kitchen window, one soft-spoken and the other on the verge of yelling. Cream couldn't tell if the croc was excited or upset, so she shuffled slowly towards the window, wondering if they were talking about her mother.
"And ya didn't think to stop her and ask her about the letter? If she was bein' so sly about it, it was probably a love letter to Charmy!" Vector was saying, and Cream summoned all of her self-control before she stuck her head through the window and corrected him. Charmy and her were just friends!
"That's not the reason why I told you about the letter," Espio replied, his voice carrying an irritated tone as if he was annoyed that Vector wasn't getting the point. "They're still young, after all. I believe that Eggman didn't just send those arena invitations to us. I'm worried that Cream is going to accept his offer."
"I don't know, Esp. I think that was a love letter, not an invitation." Vector sighed. "And I didn't even get to have the talk with Charmy about the birds and the bees."
Cream furrowed her brow, wanting to correct Vector and tell him that she was a bunny...not a bird! She didn't like either of the views that Vector and Espio had. One was formed based on jumping to conclusions, and the other was dangerously accurate. The last thing she needed was the Chaotix telling her mother that she had tried to take up Dr. Eggman on his offer.
"You're an incurable romantic." Espio scraped a spoon against the side of the pot, the sloshing of soup being poured into bowls letting Cream know that dinner was almost ready.
"And you're a lost cause! Your lack of interest in romance is unnatural!" Vector retorted. "I'm gonna grab some binoculars and make sure those two aren't getting touchy! They're probably already sending heart eyes at each other!"
Cream stepped away from the window, not wanting to hear any more. She would have some explaining to do when it was time for dinner. She could already envision the unavoidable, awkward dinner table conversation that was waiting for her.
Figuring that thirty seconds had passed, Cream set off towards the forest, the normal bounce in her step fading with every step she took. Along with the funeral service and her mother's health, the failure with the invitation made her shoulders slouch. This day couldn't get any worse, and she knew that a little chat was waiting for her back at her home.
She parted a cluster of bushes, the orange sky above her streaked with candy-pink clouds as the sun slowly dipped down below the hazy horizon. Dim rays of sunlight shifted between the trees, creeping along the forest floor to illuminate her path.
She hadn't made it far before she perked her ears at the rustling of bushes, a winning grin springing to her lips. She nodded to Cheese, slapping a palm over her mouth to stifle her giggles. Charmy couldn't even last a minute being quiet.
She broke into a jog, the racket making her wonder how a small bee could be causing so much noise. It was like he was trying to get her attention. She paused as she grew closer to the rustling, which had taken on a different sound. It was metallic and heavy, like a steel boot was stomping the ground.
Cream slowed to a walk, stiffening as an orange robot stepped out from behind the bushes. It's domed head swiveled in her direction, it's cyan opticals blankly staring back at her. Cream had seen Egg Pawns dozens of times, and although it's rounded design was goofy, she knew how much damage it could do.
"Excuse me, Mr. Robot." Cream sucked in a lungful of air, brushing down her dress and hoping the robot didn't see the way her fingers trembled. "My name is Cream. I was wondering if you could help me." She released the ruined letter that she still clutched tightly in her hand, holding it up for the robot to see. "Mr. Eggman invited me to an arena, but the coordinates are blurry. Do you know the way?"
The robot observed the letter that Cream held out to it, not making any movements, as if frozen in time. When it did finally move, it was simply a flash of orange, steel fingers latching around her torso and hauling her up until her feet left the ground.
"DR. EGGMAN HAS BEEN EXPECTING YOU. RESISTANCE IS FUTILE."
"Let me go!" Cream cried out as the mechanical hands were brought closer together, squeezing her ribs painfully. "Please! You're hurting me!" She kicked the robot, Cheese whizzing around the robot's head angrily and dive-bombing it.
"YOU MUST BE DEAF. PERHAPS YOU WILL UNDERSTAND THIS." The robot released one hand from her, swatting a fist at the enraged chao. Cream's breath hitched when it collided, the impact sending Cheese flying backwards into a tree.
"Cheese!" She sobbed, the robot's fist lowering to clamp around her waist, immobilizing her in midair. "No!"
"SILENCE, UNLESS YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE THE SAME FATE OF YOUR FRIEND." The robot leaned over to roughly snatch the injured chao from the ground, throwing Cheese over it's bulky shoulder. "THIS IS WHAT YOU WANTED."
That sentence caused the cry in Cream's throat to die, hot tears pooling in her warm brown eyes. She didn't know that one choice could destroy her and bring her world to shambles. She didn't mean for Cheese to get hurt, and she didn't want to accept the invitation now, knowing that Eggman had programmed this robot to take her hostage and hurt Cheese.
It was a stupid, stupid choice, and now she was paying for it. She could only hope that the Chaotix would notice her absence soon. Even though Sonic wasn't here to save her, there were still others who would rescue her. She just hoped that they wouldn't be too late.
As if the robot could sense her thoughts, it swiveled it's head to look at her, that creepy smile making her blood turn to ice. "TICK TOCK, LITTLE BUNNY." It squeezed her tighter, and she screamed.
"TICK TOCK."
So we're in the arena now baby! Hopefully you all have a character or characters that you're rooting for. I'd love to hear your predictions of who you think is going to survive in the arena. Also, yes the italics signify the real timeline, hopefully that was pretty obvious. Throughout the whole story, I will be bouncing back and forth, because the real timeline is quite important as well, despite missing sonic. I know creams probably acting a bit outta character in the real timeline, but keep in mind that she is existing in a world without sonic. Many of the characters in the real timeline will be...tweaked, although I'm gonna try to keep their characterizations as accurate as possible. Tails is acting strange and cream's in trouble, but hey, stuffs happening!