Before we begin, I would like to say something to You know, Dude, and any other guest reviewer that said something similar here. Since I can't reply to them directly, this is the only other option:

First off, thank you so much for your feedback! Second, I chose to create a new character to explore different dynamics and keep the story fresh. I wanted to bring a fresh perspective and new interactions to the story that a canon character like Merna couldn't provide. I'm sorry if you're not a fan of original characters, but if you don't like it, then that's your opinion.

Anyway, I should probably warn you all that this chapter is going to get a bit dark (yeah, last chapter was happy and funny, so it's a totally different mood ^^;). If any of you have seen Avatar the Last Airbender and Legend of Korra, then I hope you have an idea on what's going to occur.

If not, then prepare yourselves...

NOTE: I ONLY OWN MY OC(s)! EVERYTHING ELSE BELONGS TO THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS!

CHAPTER 10: DROWNING IN DESPAIR

Things have been relatively quiet since the singing competition in Seaside City. There was no sign of Eggman, so the Sonic Heroes used the opportunity to find any more leads on the remaining four Chaos Emeralds.

But so far no luck. Even finding Eggman's new base proved to be quite the challenge. They know for a fact that Eggman wouldn't go back to any of his old bases unless he's really desperate in finding a place.

One day, Sonic and Tails have decided to take their Mermobian friends to an outdoor café for a much needed break in Station Square. Everyone else was doing their own thing for now. But if something comes up, they'll call.

"Man, is finding the Emeralds always this slow?" Sonic complained as he rested his head on the table in boredom. "I swear, someone out there is doing this on purpose for the sake of the plot."

"'Sake of the plot'?" Curry questioned with a raised brow.

Tails let out a nervous laugh. "Oh, don't mind him. Sonic's just being Sonic, that's all."

"If you say so…" The merhog prince shook his head before gazing at the fox with concern. "Anyway, are you sure the Emeralds will be safe at the workshop?"

"Don't worry, Curry," Tails assured. "I placed the two Emeralds we have in a special compartment where their energies are blocked. Not even one of Eggman's robots or his tracker could detect it."

"And there's no way Shadow's going to give up on his Chaos Emerald," Sonic added. "Not even Rouge could sneak it away from him."

This made Tails giggle. "True."

Petri was taking a long sip of her chocolate milkshake, humming happily as the delicious taste of cocoa exploded in her mouth.

Selene, who was enjoying a delicious cheeseburger, couldn't help but roll her eyes at the merterfly. "Petri, that's your third milkshake."

"What?" Petri shrugged after swallowing. "It's delicious! And it's chocolate!"

Selene sighed and shook her head. "I swear, you're going to get diabetes if you keep this up."

"HEY!" Petri pouted. "I eat healthy! Oracle makes sure of that!"

"Uh-huh, sure," the merhog princess replied flatly before taking another bite of her burger.

This made the merterfly cross her arms and turn away, muttering, "Always getting judged for chocolate…"

"You're a chocoholic, mariposa," Verde chuckled as she ate some hot wings. "You have to accept it."

"I refuse!" Petri protested, her wings fluttered in frustration. She pouted again when Selene and Verde giggled; even Curry, Sonic, and Tails chuckled.

"And I thought Tails' mint addiction was bad," Sonic snickered in amusement.

Now it was Tails' turn to pout. "Hey! I'm not addicted!"

"Tails you literally had three empty mint tins on the floor around you yesterday!" Sonic complained.

"So?"

Sonic just sighed before looking at the Mermobians with a flat look. "See what I deal with every day?"

"We sure do," Selene giggled.

Tails rolled his eyes. Still, he couldn't help but smile, because despite his obsession with mints, Sonic still cares for him. He then laughed when the blue hedgehog gave him a noogie.

"Sonic, stop that!" He cried as he 'tried' to get out of the hedgehog's grip, but it looks like it's not gonna happen anytime soon.

Selene watched the two with a smile. They really do act like brothers, even though they're not related by blood. It reminds her of her bond with Petri; they're not blood related, of course, but they practically grew up together.

I can't believe it's been two weeks since my friends and I came here, she thought fondly. Everyone has been so nice and considerate, and we even have a good start with finding three Chaos Emeralds. The merhog princess took a sip of her soda with a thoughtful gaze. I wonder… Would they still be friends with me if I told them about…'that'?

"Selene?"

"Hm?" Selene blinked and looked to see that Tails was the one who spoke up.

"Are you okay?" The fox asked with concern in his eyes.

"Oh, I'm alright," she assured with a wave of her hand. "I was actually thinking about something."

"Do you wanna talk about it?" Sonic asked. "Talking always helps."

"Maybe…" Selene then looked a bit nervous. "Do you two remember when I said I had this ability that I was uncomfortable telling about?" At the two nods, the merhog continued. "Well…I was thinking… It's been two weeks, and…I think you deserve to know what it is."

This took the hedgehog and fox by surprise, more so than the Mermobians. Is she really going to talk about it?

"Are you sure, Selene?" Curry asked in a worried tone.

"I'm sure," Selene nodded. "Besides, it's better to explain instead of showing a demonstration."

"Is it really that bad?" Tails questioned, looking concerned.

"Only if you get on her mala side," Verde muttered.

"Verde!" Petri scolded, giving her a slap on the arm.

"What?"

Selene sighed in annoyance as she gave the merchidna an irritated look. "What my friend's trying to say is that I have control." She then looked down in worry. "But for some reason, whenever I lose my temper, I don't…feel like myself… It scares me."

"Hey, don't worry," Sonic gave her a gentle smile. "As long as you have your friends and family, they'll be there to give you all of the support you'll ever need."

"Wise words, erizo," Verde smiled in approval.

"Thanks!" Sonic grinned. He blinked when his phone played Gotta Go Fast. He pulled it out of his quills and answered it without even bothering to look at the caller ID. "Sonic here! Gotta talk fast!"

"SONIC!" Silver's loud voice cried out on the other end. "We have a problem!"

"OW!" Sonic winced as he held his phone away from his ear, as did the others when they heard the future hedgehog's voice echoing around their table. With an annoyed huff, Sonic brought his phone back to his ear. "Silver! How many times do I have to tell you to use your indoor voice when on the phone?"

"I-I'm sorry, Sonic! But this is an emergency!"

"What's going on?"

"The Deadly Six are wreaking havoc in Floral Forest Village! We need help!"

Sonic immediately stood up from his seat in shock, causing the others to look on in worry. "The Deadly Six?!"

"That's what I said!" Silver responded in annoyance.

This prompted the blue hedgehog to lower his eyelids. "Silver, we need to work on your communication skills." He narrowed his eyes, looking determined. "Don't worry, we'll be there as soon as we can!" He quickly hung up and raised his spare hand to a passing waiter. "Check please!"

"Sonic, what's going on?" Tails asked worriedly as he watched his friend pay the bill for their meals. "What about the Deadly Six?"

"They're attacking Floral Forest Village," Sonic explained, much to everyone's horror as they all left their table, leaving the café behind them. "Come on! To the train station!"

"Wait, you run faster than the speed of sound, and you want to take a train?" Curry asked incredulously as they ran to the train station not too far from the café.

"What?" Sonic shrugged. "I support public transportation. Besides, once we get to Central City, we run!"

"Aw man!" Petri pouted as they hurried up the station steps. "No direct ride? Bummer!"

"Petri!" Selene scolded lightly before curiosity consumed her. "Anyway, who are the Deadly Six?"

"We'll tell you on the way," Tails promised as they quickly got train tickets for the next ride to Central City.

They just hope they're not too late in getting there.

What was once a peaceful village full of happy people and flora of all shapes and sizes had become a living nightmare. Six creatures came out of nowhere and started attacking everything in their path.

These creatures are called Zeti, and these six in particular are known as the Deadly Six. The group consisted of Zavok, Zazz, Zomom, Master Zik, Zeena, and Zor.

Zazz, a neon pink Zeti, cackled gleefully as he launched energy balls everywhere. "Yeah, baby! This was soooooooo worth the wait!"

"Yeah!" Zomom, an orange-yellow Zeti, laughed in agreement as he lifted a hot dog cart, scaring the vendor away. "All of that ship building made me hungry!" He tilted the cart upside down, causing the hot dogs and buns to fall into his open mouth.

"A shame our ship didn't land in a bigger settlement," Master Zik, an elderly, sky blue Zeti commented as he used his psychokinesis to lift up a couple of empty crates nearby and scattered them near scared bystanders as they tried to flee.

"A minor setback, Master Zik," Zavok, a red Zeti and leader of the Deadly Six, replied as he watched his comrades lay waste in this colorful village. "Consider this a warm up until we find Doctor Eggman for using my image in his latest scheme."

"He sooooo didn't get your shade of red," Zeena, a lime green Zeti and the only female of the group, huffed as she used her energy whips to destroy nearby property, causing folks to scatter. "That's practically a crime!"

Zor, a white Zeti, sighed as he plucked some petals from his blue rose as he sat under a tree. "What's the point of being here if we can't find Eggman?"

Zavok chuckled. "Even if we don't, this'll be the perfect opportunity to lure Sonic here. If my fake could take him out, then so can I!" He let out a roar when a large fireball hit his back.

"HEY, ZAVOK!"

The Deadly Six turned to see Blaze and Silver, their hands igniting their respective powers as they glared at the intruders.

Silver, the one who yelled, floated inches in the air with authority. "Leave this place at once!"

"Ahhh," Zavok smirked, recognizing the psychic hedgehog. "I've seen you in the doctor's archives back on the Lost Hex. Silver, is it?"

"So you've heard of me?" Silver questioned with narrowed eyes. "I'm flattered."

"I would be honored that you know me, but you faced an illusion," Zavok sneered in response. "You don't stand a chance against my true might."

"How interesting to meet someone with the same powers as I," Master Zik chuckled as he held his staff defensively. "Shall we see who's superior?"

"Bring it on!" Silver exclaimed.

Blaze turned to her friend. "Easy, Silver. Don't rush into it; think strategically."

"I know, Blaze," Silver smiled at his friend, which made her smile back at him.

Zazz couldn't help but cackle again, making the cat and hedgehog glare in his direction. "How adorable! Too bad you're outnumbered! There's six of us and only two of you!"

"Make that eight, Zazz!"

"Wha?" Zazz and everyone else turned to see–much to the Deadly Six's shock and Silver and Blaze's relief–Sonic, Tails, and the Mermobians had arrived at the scene.

Sonic grinned as he crossed his arms, eyeing the Zeti down. "Long time no see. Still as colorful as ever."

Zavok narrowed his eyes once he saw the blue menace. "We finally meet again, Sonic the Hedgehog." His eyes then shifted to the Mermobians. "And I see you have some new friends."

"Ooooh, they smell like fish!" Zomom licked his lips at the thought of seafood. "I wonder if they taste like them?"

"Back off!" Curry glared as he summoned his sword, pointing it at the gluttonous Zeti.

"Nobody's getting eaten on my watch, Graso!" Verde growled as she brought her fists up, ready to punch something.

Zomom blinked as he scratched his head in confusion. He turned to Zeena. "Did she just insult me?"

"I'm pretty sure she did," Zeena shrugged, not really caring since whatever that green animal said wasn't directed at her.

This made the yellow Zeti mad and glared at the merchidna. "HEY! I bet whatever you just said has to do with my body, right?!"

"Wow, you catch on real quick," Verde replied with a roll of her eyes.

Zomom growled at this. "Why you little–"

"Enough talk!" Zazz interrupted with a huff as his hands crackled with pink energy. "Let's beat these furballs!"

"I second that," Zavok grinned and pointed forward. "ATTACK!"

He and the rest of his team ran forward, ready to take on Sonic and his friends.

Sonic quickly turned to Tails and Petri. "You two help the villagers get away. We don't want anyone to get hurt."

"You got it, Sonic!" Tails gave his big brother a salute and quickly flew away. "Let's go, Petri!"

"Right behind you!" Petri flew after him.

Sonic smiled as he watched the kids leave, but he quickly sidestepped out of the way when Zavok almost tackled him like a football player. "WHOA!" He smirked at the Zeti. "Almost got me that time!"

Zavok growled and continued trying to land a hit on the hero, but Sonic kept dodging. "Stop running and face me, rodent!"

Everyone else decided to split up to face the rest of the Deadly Six in a one versus one matchup. Anyone who beats theirs first will join their friends in taking the others down.

Silver immediately went for Master Zik, wanting to prove that he's a better user of psychokinesis than the elderly Zeti.

"Alright, young hedgehog," the sky blue Zeti smirked as he raised his staff, telepathically lifting dozens of apples from a discarded crate. "Let's see what you got."

With a wave of his staff, he sent the apples flying toward the future hedgehog, but Silver quickly raised his arm and the apples halted in midair. He immediately sent the apples flying back, but it was now a game of catch between the two.

Zeena summoned her green energy whips as she tried to land a devastating blow to Blaze. Every time the ends get close, Blaze would counter it with a flaming palm. After a few swats, Blaze could see an opening and immediately lunged forward with a flaming fist.

Zeena let out a surprised yelp and tried to dodge. Alas, she felt the cat's fist graze her cheek. She hissed when she felt her cheek burn up; not to mention the smell of burning flesh.

This made the only female Zeti livid as her whips disintegrated. "How dare you?! Are you trying to ruin my face?!"

"Oh, I was just giving you a much needed makeover," Blaze replied. "That burn mark really suits you."

"YOU'RE SO DEAD!" Zeena shrieked and tried to make a grab at Blaze, but the cat dodged like a pro ballerina.

Curry held up his sword as he took down Zor's shadow clones. But no matter how many he's defeated, more just keep coming.

Zor didn't move from his spot as he continued to pluck the petals off of his neverending blue rose. "That's right, my little shadow minions. Succumb him to total darkness."

Curry couldn't help but feel agitated by this emo Zeti. "Face me like a man!"

He tried to go after him, but the shadow clones prevented him from going any further. Guess he has no choice but to focus on the shadow clones until then.

Zomom laughed as Verde's punches did nothing but tickle his belly. "That tickles! You're gonna have to do better than that!"

"Then let me burn all that fat up!" Verde declared and ignited her fists as she continued her onslaught of punches on the Zeti.

This time, Zomom felt the heat and couldn't help but yell out in pain as he jumped back. "YEOW!" He glared at the merchidna. "That hurt!"

The yellow Zeti leaped into the air and spun around like a drill as he dug into the earth, the dirt flying everywhere. Verde gasped and quickly looked around, wondering where he's going to pop up. She could feel the ground rumbling beneath her feet, but it's hard to tell where the source is coming from.

BOOM!

Verde let out a cry as the ground beneath her feet exploded; dirt flew everywhere. She flew into the air as Zomom appeared before her. He spun around once more, this time rapidly firing yellow energy spheres.

Verde had no choice but to cross her arms in front of her body since she's not sure she could dodge in midair. She let out a pained yell when a few balls exploded as soon as they made contact, causing her to fall toward the ground, landing with a loud crash.

Selene heard her friend's yell and turned in her direction with a worried expression. "Verde!"

She was about to run over to assist her in taking down Zomom, but she let out a scream when a pink ball of energy landed by her feet, causing her to fall on her behind. She turned to see Zazz cackling as he approached her menacingly.

"Where do you think you're going?" Zazz questioned as he cracked his knuckles. "Once I beat you, I'm gonna cut your hair and wear it like a scarf!"

Selene growled at the threat as she got back on her feet. "Hey! Nobody cuts my hair unless I say so!"

Not waiting for the Zeti to say or do anything, the merhog summoned a water rope and lassoed Zazz tightly. With all of her might, she threw him behind her.

"WHOA!" Zazz cried out as he flew into the air, even smashing into Zomom, much to Verde's relief.

The merchidna gave her friend a thumbs up. "¡Gracias!"

"¡De nada!" Selene winked in return.

Meanwhile, Zavok was getting frustrated every second as he tried to land a hit on Sonic, but the blue hedgehog kept evading his punches.

"You can't dodge forever, hedgehog!" Zavok growled as he stopped to catch his breath.

"Hey, I'm just playing smart," Sonic shrugged, his face sporting his signature grin. "You should try it sometime."

The red Zeti let out another growl. This hedgehog's going to be the death of him; it's no wonder Eggman failed to destroy him throughout his many encounters. But that will all change once he finds an opening.

Still, what Sonic said gave him an idea. If he plays his cards right, he'll finally catch the blue rodent off guard.

"Perhaps I'll listen to your advice," Zavok smirked before shooting a ball of fire from his palm.

But Sonic wasn't his intended target; he aimed the fireball toward the ground a foot away from the hedgehog. As soon as the flaming projectile made contact, a cloud of dust surrounded Sonic.

Sonic coughed into his arm and covered his eyes so that no dirt particles could get in. He waved his other arm in the air, hoping to disperse the dusty cloud, but no avail. He was so focused on saving his eyes and lungs that he didn't even sense Zavok appearing next to him and delivered an uppercut.

"GAH!" Sonic cried out in pain as he was sent flying in the air from that powerful punch.

Zavok didn't stop there. Gathering power into his legs, he launched himself into the air and began to unleash an onslaught of punches and kicks to the defenseless hedgehog. He then performed a Double Axe Handle, which sent the hedgehog flying down like a meteor.

Sonic crashed back down near a house away from Zavok, making another dust cloud. It didn't last very long, because once the cloud disappeared, Sonic was on his knees, panting and groaning in pain.

Zavok landed and let out an evil chuckle as he enjoyed seeing the blue hedgehog in pain.

"That was a dirty trick," Sonic groaned as he tried to get up, but he collapsed once again. "Then again, villains are like that."

"I was just playing smart, just like you said," Zavok smirked as he walked a little closer and raised his fist. "Now… Time to finish this."

Using his enhanced speed, the red Zeti ran toward the incapacitated hedgehog, ready to deliver the final blow as he reared his fist back, red energy crackled around his appendage.

Sonic slammed his eyes shut and desperately raised his arms to cover the upcoming onslaught by Zavok, knowing that he couldn't dodge in time.

…

…

Huh? Sonic blinked his eyes open and lowered his arms in confusion. To his shock, the red Zeti's fist was inches away from reaching his face, but it stopped.

Zavok was stunned that his fist suddenly stopped mid punch. What's happening? He was so close to defeating that hedgehog!

Suddenly, much to his horror, his hand began to tremble. "What…?" He then yelled out in pain when his hand jerked him to the side, moving him away from Sonic. He grabbed his hand, hoping to stop it from jerking around. "What's happening to me?!"

Sonic was totally confused on what he was seeing as he slowly got up on his feet. Zavok was losing control over one of his limbs like he was some kind of marionette. Was Silver doing this? He looked to see where Silver was, but the psychic hedgehog was just as confused as he was.

So if he's not responsible, then who is?

"Oh no…"

Sonic turned to Curry, wondering if he knew anything about what's happening to Zavok. But the merhog prince was staring at something else as his eyes shrunk. But he wasn't the only one; Verde was horrified, too.

So when the hedgehog turned to see what the Mermobians were staring at, he gasped in shock.

Selene had raised her hand at Zavok, her expression gone cold, her eyes darkened, and her pupils turned to slits as she glared at the Zeti for almost hurting one of her friends. Focusing on her power, she forced Zavok's body to stiffen, causing him to grunt in pain as his eyes widened at the power she possessed. She then swiped her hand to the side, sending Zavok flying in the same direction.

Sonic realized what's happening now. Somehow, Selene was able to stop Zavok from almost killing him. But how? She's not bending any water!

Was…was this the skill Selene wanted to talk to him and Tails about back at the café?

As Zavok landed on the ground in pain, the rest of his comrades ran over with worried looks on their faces. Before they could ask if their leader was okay or even help him up, the red Zeti growled in anger and pointed angrily at the merhog.

"GET HER!" He roared as he got onto his knees.

They obeyed with no hesitation. Nobody does that to their leader and gets away with it! With roars of their own, Zazz, Zomom, Master Zik, Zeena, and Zor dashed toward Selene with the intent to kill.

"Selene, look out!" Sonic cried out and was ready to dash over and intervene in the Zetis' attack.

But the merhog raised both of her arms in their direction, and they all cried out in pain as their bodies forced them to stop running.

Zazz twitched in agony. "I can't move my arms!"

"What sorcery is this?!" Zeena cried out as she felt her arm twist on its own.

At that moment, Tails and Petri returned after making sure all of the villagers evacuated. Their eyes went wide when they saw what Selene was doing to the Deadly Six. For the merterfly, she covered her mouth in horror, realizing what's going on.

"What the?!" Tails gasped in shock. "What is she…?" He blinked when he felt one of his namesakes getting tugged and turned to see Petri had grabbed it to cover her face. This worried the fox. "Petri?"

"I can't watch," Petri whimpered.

Tails didn't know what to do. Whatever Selene's doing is freaking Petri out. This must be the skill the maroon merhog wanted to tell him and Sonic before. And judging by that scary expression on her face, she's not herself.

It was like…an unknown force is taking control.

Selene kept her arms raised as she twisted the Zetis' bodies more, inflicting more pain for all of the damage they had done to this village. She dropped her arms, causing the five Zeti to fall to the ground, slipping into unconsciousness.

Zavok was stunned to say the least. This maroon rodent was able to take down his comrades with ease?

This will not stand.

He let out a mighty roar as he charged toward the merhog, not even caring if she used whatever ability she possessed to make his comrades unable to fight.

Selene glared at the approaching Zeti and got into a stance. She pulled her fist back as the water molecules in the air formed around her clenched hand, turning it into ice. Fast as lightning, she charged forward with a cry of her own and delivered a brutal ice punch to Zavok's jaw.

The red Zeti cried out in pain, staggering back as the ice shattered upon impact. He was left in a daze. But before he could regain his composure, Selene had already formed another ice punch and delivered another blow to his already aching jaw; again, the ice shattered upon impact.

As the icing to the cake, the merhog princess performed a roundhouse kick. Time seemed to slow down as Zavok spun around after receiving that perfectly executed kick. Now seeing stars, the red Zeti could feel his consciousness fade away and he collapsed on his back, picking up a small dust of dirt along the way.

Selene landed and panted in exhaustion, her eyes still glaring at the downed Zeti. She saw during her battle with Zazz that Zavok played a dirty trick on Sonic to gain the upper hand. Whatever he was about to do looked like it would put Sonic in critical condition, so she abandoned her fight to aid her friend.

"Selene…"

Hearing Curry's voice, the merhog princess turned toward her brother, eyes still narrowed. To her confusion, he was staring at her with fear in his eyes. But why…?

Wait…

Oh no…

Whatever anger was in her system was gone in an instant. She gasped as her eyes turned wide and her face morphed to borderline horror. There's no way…

She whirled around to see the remaining Zeti unconscious on the floor. But seeing how some of their limbs got twisted, she knows for a fact that she did this to them in the worst way imaginable.

And the worst part? The Mobians have seen it happen; Tails, Silver, Blaze, even Sonic. Needing to get away, Selene spun around like a tornado and bended the water molecules in the air to create mist.

Sonic gasped as he realized what she's trying to do and quickly ran over. "Selene, wait!"

But it was too late. By the time he got to where Selene was standing, she was already gone. And with her speed, he had no idea which direction she went off too. The mist dispersed as quickly as it formed, leaving no trace of the merhog princess.

So many questions raced through his mind. But first things first, they have some cleaning up to do.

Moments later, GUN soldiers arrived to detain the Deadly Six. Luckily for them, they were still unconscious, so putting them in special cuffs and dragging them to the van was easy.

While Omega was overseeing the Zetis' capture, Rouge and Shadow approached the others when they noticed the troubled looks on their faces.

"Is everyone alright?" Rouge asked worriedly. "We got here as fast as we could when we heard about the attack."

"We're okay, but…" Tails sighed as he looked at the Mermobians, who were standing off to the side with frowns on their faces.

"Did something happen?" Shadow questioned as he crossed his arms.

"We're about to find out," Sonic sighed before approaching Curry, Petri, and Verde.

Curry's ear twitched when he heard footsteps and turned to see the Mobians walking over. He lowered his ears sadly, having a pretty good idea on why they're coming over to him and the girls.

"Curry, what happened back there?" Sonic asked, getting straight to the point.

The male merhog sighed and ran a hand through his quills. "I don't even know where to begin."

"Do you want us to explain, Curry?" Verde asked as she wrapped her arm around Petri's shivering form.

"No, no, I can handle it," Curry cleared his throat and looked at his Mobian friends with a solemn expression. "I only hope that what I'm about to tell you doesn't change your opinion of my sister."

"Why would we?" Sonic questioned with blinking eyes. "She just beat the Deadly Six single-handedly and saved Floral Forest Village."

"Even so, I still need to say it," Curry insisted before sighing. "Anyway, what Selene did just now is part of her waterbending abilities."

"But how?" Silver asked with wide eyes. "There was no water nearby."

"There was actually," Verde said grimly. "But it wasn't on the outside, but inside."

"Wait…" Blaze's eyes went wide as she connected the dots. "Are you saying…?"

"Yes," Curry nodded grimly. "Selene controlled the water inside the Deadly Six's bodies, making them move like marionettes."

"That actually makes sense," all eyes turned to Tails, who was holding his chin in thought. "An average person is composed roughly of sixty percent water. But most of it comes from plasma, one of the main components of blood."

"You're absolutely right, Tails," Curry nodded, looking impressed with the fox's intellect. "Which is why that ability is called bloodbending."

Hearing that made Silver feel queasy as he held his hand to his stomach. "That doesn't sound appealing."

"How long has she had this ability?" Sonic asked.

"Since she was five years old," Curry answered sadly. "It happened by accident, believe it or not."

"May we ask what happened?" Rouge asked softly.

"Might as well," Curry sighed and crossed his arms. "That memory's pretty much engraved in my brain." He looked up at the sky as the memory came to him like a scene from a movie. "Me and my sister were playing in the park with the other kids of the kingdom. It was a fun day, but then a great white shark came out of nowhere."

This prompted the group sans Petri and Verde to gasp in horror. A great white shark?! How scary!

"We were all swimming away back to our parents while the nearby guards were trying to fight it off," Curry continued. "But during the scuffle, I ended up falling down. The shark made a beeline for me, its jaws wide open. I closed my eyes tight, waiting for my impending death…but it never came. When I opened my eyes, I saw that the shark was moving around in pain. That's when I noticed my little sister was nearby with her hands up. I was shocked with what I was seeing, but I wasn't the only one.

"Selene had a look of horror on her face. I guess she wanted to use her super speed to push me out of the way and then get me to safety. But instead, she stopped the shark in its tracks. She quickly brought her hands down, but that caused the shark to fly away. Thankfully, it decided to abandon its pursuit of eating us and swam away as fast as it could.

"Still, the damage has been done. Somehow, Selene knew she did something terrible and cried. My big brother instincts kicked in and I comforted her while everyone else got scared by what they had seen. My parents were quick to take us home so no one else would make my sister even more sad and afraid. Just when she was enjoying her powers, this happened. She even considered herself to be a curse because of it."

Blaze couldn't help but look down in sadness after hearing this. She knows the feeling all too well. Before meeting Sonic, she viewed her pyrokinesis as a curse and kept to herself. But after she arrived in the Chaos Dimension and met Cream, Sonic, and the others, she learned to appreciate her gift.

But having the ability to control another person through blood is more of a curse than her own powers. And at such a young age, too…

"Did she recover?" Tails asked worriedly.

"It took a while, but yes, she did," Curry nodded. "But she swore to never use bloodbending again unless absolutely necessary."

"And I'm guessing what she did just now wasn't what she wanted?" Silver asked nervously.

Verde narrowed her eyes at the psychic hedgehog, making him flinch a bit. "You saw how she acted, Silver. You really thought she wanted to kill them?"

"N-No!" Silver waved his hands in front of him frantically. "Not at all! I-I was just–"

"'Kill them'?" Shadow interrupted with crossed arms. "Are you saying this bloodbending can kill someone?"

Petri, who was silent, decided to speak up with a soft tone. "Blood is what keeps our organs functioning. If she wanted to, she could stop a person's heart."

Hearing this sent shivers down the Mobians' spines. Though Shadow didn't look disturbed by it. He wondered if such a power would be essential to finally stopping Eggman and any other villain that dares to take over the world.

Rouge, having an idea on what Shadow's thinking, bonked him on the head with a warning look. "Shadow, get that disturbing thought out of your head!"

Shadow didn't even react to the hit and simply gave the bat a flat look. "What? I can't be the only one that's thinking about it."

Curry growled at the Ultimate Lifeform and summoned his sword, pointing it at his face. Shadow, of course, didn't flinch and stared at the merhog prince.

"I will not have my sister become an executioner!" The merhog prince hissed.

Sonic quickly became the mediator and stood between the two. "Okay, okay, calm down! Nobody's killing anyone!" He gently placed his hand on the sharp weapon and lowered it from Shadow's face, which prompted Curry to put it away in a flash of light. "Look, what's important right now is finding Selene and giving her our support."

"You're right," Curry nodded in agreement. "Though with her speed, she could be anywhere." He then smirked. "Lucky for us, I have just the thing to help us look in the right direction."

He reached into his quills and pulled out a beautiful opalescent gem that shimmered in the sunlight. The Mobians stared at it in awe, with a certain bat looking even more entranced.

"Oh my!" Rouge cooed in awe. "What a gorgeous jewel! What is that?"

"It's a moonstone," Curry explained as he held the round stone with the utmost care. "This is a sacred item that lets us find the next Moon Keeper after one dies. The girls and I were able to find Selene when we came out of the Moon Door, so the same rules apply to finding the current Moon Keeper."

"So it's a tracker?" Silver questioned.

"Precisely!" Curry nodded. "As long as we have this, we'll find out where Selene–HEY!" He didn't get to finish his sentence as Sonic snatched the moonstone from his hand.

"I'll find her in no time flat!" Sonic declared and prepared to take off. "See you guys later!" He took off before anyone could blink, leaving everyone and Floral Forest Village behind.

"SONIC!" Curry shouted in annoyance, even though he knew Sonic wouldn't hear him. "You get back here right now!"

Verde rolled her eyes before lightly bonking the merhog prince on the head. "Easy, Curry. I think we should let Azul handle this."

"Excuse me?" Curry questioned with a blink of his eyes.

"She's right, Curry," Tails agreed. "If anyone can find her and give her words of encouragement, it's Sonic."

Curry turned to gaze into the direction Sonic took off with a worried expression. While he should trust Tails' judgement, bloodbending is a touchy subject for his sister. Not to mention only a select few can offer the comfort she needs.

It's a shame he doesn't possess the same speed as his sister, because he would not hesitate to run after Sonic to help find her. So all he could do is have faith that the hedgehog will find his sister and bring her back home safely.

Selene didn't know where she went, nor did she even care. All she cared about was getting away from everyone. As soon as she summoned mist to conceal herself, she ran toward the ocean and swam as fast as she could until she found a secluded beach.

Curling up on a rock near shore, the poor merhog cried as she buried her head in her arms; she didn't even bother changing out of her Mermobian form.

She lifted her head slightly as the tears wouldn't stop falling from her eyes and stared at one of her shaking hands in terror. "Why…?" She clenched her hand and slammed it on the rock in anguish. "Why do I have the ability to bloodbend?!"

And to make things worse, she revealed it in the worst way possible! Seeing everyone's faces when they saw her using bloodbending was her worst nightmare come true! It was like the shark incident all over again!

She was hoping that if she told them with words instead of actions, then they probably wouldn't be as shocked. But now that they have actually seen it with their own eyes, all because she completely lost it when Zavok was about to harm Sonic.

"They must be absolutely terrified of me!" Selene cried as she buried her head once more. "Not to mention disgusted!"

"That's ridiculous."

Selene quickly brought her head back up with a startled gasp. Standing a few feet away from her was Sonic. He had his arms crossed and looked at her like she said something that only a crazy lunatic would say.

"Do you honestly think we'd feel that way after you saved me and pretty much everyone in Floral Forest Village from the Deadly Six?" Sonic asked with a raised brow.

Selene's mouth hung open. "Sonic? H-How did you…?"

Sonic grinned as he dug into his quills to pull out the glowing moonstone. "I borrowed this from your brother. It sure came in handy."

The merhog almost wanted to facepalm; how could she have forgotten about the moonstone? Her brother was able to find her with it when he and her friends came through the Moon Door a while back, so it makes sense for everyone to use it to find her now.

She sighed as she shifted on the rock to look away from the hedgehog. She hugged her light blue tail to her chest, deciding it wasn't worth it to jump into the water and swim away. Knowing Sonic, he'd be standing next to her in a second to prevent her from running away.

Sonic's expression softened when he saw how defeated the merhog he'd come to appreciate looked. He slipped the moonstone back into his quills before walking over to sit next to her.

He plopped down next to the merhog. "This is probably a dumb question to ask, but how are you feeling?"

"Terrible…" Selene hugged her tail a little tighter. "I'm assuming my brother told you…?"

"About bloodbending?" Sonic clarified before nodding. "Yeah, he did."

"I see…" She sighed, burying her face into her tail. "I'm sorry. This isn't how I wanted you and the others to find out."

"Hey, you have nothing to apologize for," Sonic assured with a light grin. "If anything, I should be thanking you."

Selene whipped her head to stare at Sonic with incredulous eyes. "Thanking me?"

"Of course!" Sonic exclaimed. "You stopped the Deadly Six and saved Floral Forest Village; not to mention saving me from getting a beatdown."

"Sonic, I almost killed them!" She exclaimed angrily, making the hedgehog jump in alarm. "You shouldn't be thanking me!" She turned away, her eyes glistening once more. "If anything, you should be mad at me for almost doing the unthinkable."

"Well, I'm not mad," Sonic assured her. "And you want to know why? Because you didn't kill them; just made them unconscious."

"I could have though," Selene whimpered as more tears fell from her eyes.

"Hey, no more tears now," Sonic said softly and his hand reached over to wipe one side of her face with his thumb, even though the tears kept coming. "It's not a good look for you."

"S-Sorry…" Selene lifted her hand to bend some tears away from her eyes. She couldn't help but look at them as the droplets floated in her hand. "You'd think after being on land for a couple of weeks, I'd be used to seeing real tears." She then tossed the water aside. "I mean, I've been living underwater my whole life, so I know when I'm crying because my eyes get warm."

"That makes sense," Sonic nodded. "Guess that quote about a mermaid having no tears was wrong, not that I believed it."

"Huh?" Selene blinked her eyes questionably.

"I'll tell ya later," Sonic chuckled nervously before clearing his throat. "Anyway, I have to ask, when you said you don't feel like yourself when you get angry, what do you mean by that?"

"It's…" Selene sighed as she ran her hand through her quill-like hair. "It's just me being paranoid."

"Come on, you gotta let it out," Sonic reminded her. "Remember our time in the Chao Garden?"

"I know, I know," Selene pouted before gathering her thoughts. "I don't know why, but I can't help but feel like the Leviathan is watching me through my eyes. And when its anger rises, I feel it, too."

"But you said it's sealed away, right?" Sonic questioned, looking confused. "How is that even possible?"

"The Leviathan is ocean incarnate," Selene explained to the best of her ability. "It can see everything in the ocean, no matter where it is. I wouldn't be surprised if it has X-ray vision to see through walls."

"I'll take your word for it," Sonic shrugged before getting back to the task at hand. "Listen, Selene. I may not know much about your culture, but I do know one thing." Seeing that Selene was listening, he continued with a smile. "For the past couple of weeks, I can tell since getting to know you, that you are one of the most caring and pure hearted people I know."

"How can you be so sure…?" Selene whispered.

"Because it's not the weapon that's dangerous, only the person," Sonic answered without hesitation. "You proved that today when you didn't use your bloodbending to kill five of the Deadly Six, only to immobilize them. You may think you were under a spell, but you knew when to stop."

When Selene heard this, she couldn't help but widen her eyes at the realization. Sure, she used bloodbending, but she didn't kill them like Sonic said. Heck, she didn't continue to use her bloodbending against Zavok after knocking his comrades unconscious, she instinctively used her other abilities to take him down.

She recalled a similar conversation she had with her father many years ago. She was worried that she would end up like the Moon Keeper that ended up using bloodbending for bad things after discovering them. But he assured her that she's not like that Moon Keeper, she's her own person. After all, a parent knows more about their child than the child themselves.

Selene could feel her eyes watering once more. But they weren't tears of sadness, they were tears of joy. She quickly wiped her eyes before smiling gratefully at Sonic.

"Thank you, Sonic," she said wholeheartedly. "You really know what to say to make your friends feel better, huh?"

"Hey, I'm more than just a pretty face," Sonic smirked.

This made the merhog giggle. Though her giggle turned into a startled yelp when Sonic picked her up bridal style and she quickly wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Whaddya say we head back home?" Sonic suggested with a soft smile.

"O-Okay," Selene nodded, deciding not to argue for the time being.

Making sure his grip was firm but gentle, Sonic took off, heading back the way he came.

The sun was beginning to set when Sonic and Selene arrived back in Mystic Ruins (the latter having turned back into her Mobian form). As they stopped a few feet from the front door of Tails' workshop, Sonic gently set Selene down on her feet.

"Home sweet home," Sonic smiled.

"Seriously, Sonic, you didn't have to carry me," Selene said, brushing some of her hair back. "I could've kept up with you."

"I know, but I wanted to," Sonic insisted as they walked up to the door. "You had a long day, so I figured you needed to take it easy."

"Are you always this considerate?"

"Eeyup."

"Well…" Selene then smiled. "Thank you."

"You're quite welcome," Sonic smiled back before it turned into a smirk. "Now you go on inside and have yourself a nice bubble bath. I know how much you like them."

Selene couldn't help but blush at this. He was totally right about that. Ever since she woke up in a bathtub, she was curious if the tub served more than just keeping her tail wet.

During her first night on the surface, Amy introduced her to the concept of baths and the different kinds: Bubbles, bath bombs, and a regular warm bath; she was hooked in an instant. And while she liked all of them, she loved bubble baths the most.

"I-I think I'll do just that after everything that happened today," Selene stuttered, twiddling her fingers.

"There you go!" Sonic grinned before remembering something. "Oh right." He dug into his quills and took out the moonstone before handing it to her. "Here. I'm sure your brother wants this back."

Selene smiled and gently took the shimmering gem from Sonic. "I'll be sure to give this back to him."

She then shuffled her feet, looking like she was debating something. Before Sonic could ask what was up, he was taken by surprise when the merhog gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Thanks again," she squeaked before hurrying inside the workshop, closing the door behind her.

Sonic stood there with wide eyes as his hand slowly touched his cheek where the merhog kissed him. Normally he'd be disgusted thanks to Amy's constant kissing long ago, but for some reason, this kiss felt…nice.

What the heck is going on with him?

Translations:

Mariposa = Butterfly

Mala = Bad

Erizo = Hedgehog

Graso = Fatty

Gracias = Thanks

De nada = You're welcome

Azul = Blue

Okay, I have to admit, writing this battle was a pain in the butt! If it weren't for Assassin's Creed Master's advice, I don't think I would have made this chapter readable. So, thank you! And it also helped to find YouTube videos of how the Zeti attack lol

Also, I had hoped to have posted this chapter before the end of 2024, but not only was I dealing with writer's block, but I was distracted with life (personal and work). But hopefully things are finally settling down so I can focus on writing (I hope ^^;).

Don't forget to leave a review! And NO flames, please!

See you next time!