A Tails Tale pt 7- Keep Sleep
No one was looking for robots, no one was searching for androids . It was Christmas, everyone was just happy to be back together. But that didn't stop me from keeping Chech as far away from team Dark as possible. There were so many other guests that arrived and I hid Chech in the crowd.
But so many people were spending Christmas under the same roof, so how long could I reasonably keep Chech hidden? Not everyone stayed for the night but Shadow and Rouge, Silver and Blaze , Mina and Ash , and Knuckles did. Everyone else decided to stay at a hotel for the night and come back Christmas morning. I thought the answer was simple, just keep Chech in my room all knight. How hard could that be?
He was already sleeping in my bed by the time Sonic and I turned the lights off in the house. Meeting so many people from admittedly dynamic walks of life had put him down. And it didn't help that Amy's hammer got loose in the house and hit him in the head earlier that evening. I laid next to him ready to drift into the next day but before my eyes could blink shut there was a knocking at my door.
Chech- what ... who's there
Whoever was knocking on my door was waking Chech.
Tails- its no one, go back to bed
I got up as quickly as I could to answer the door. I opened it and and standing just outside the threshold of my bedroom door was Shadow.
Tails- Shadow , what are you , what did you ...
He looked past me through the doorway at Chech in my bed. I tried to step in his way and block his view.
Tails- what do you want
Shadow- we need to talk
Tails- about
I always hated how Shadow withheld information, he would string you along only giving you what little information he thought you needed. It wasn't good during the time of Eggman and it definitely didn't translate well into normal conversation. He made you fish for answers to questions you didn't know to ask
Shadow- your latest project
Tails- I have a lot of projects...
Before I could continue Chech yelled in his sleep.
Chech- Tails come back to bed
I quickly pushed Shadow back so that I could step outside my room and close the door.
Tails- are you sure this isn't something that can wait until tomorrow
Shadow- we've been watching you
Tails- you've been watching me?
Shadow- we've allowed you amnesty and the freedom to conduct yourself freely, but you've hit something that we cant allow anyone to have access to
Tails- who is we ? Are you talking about G.U.N because I thought...
Once again before I could continue Chech yelled , this time loud enough to go through the door.
Chech- Tails
Tails - you know what why don't we go up to my lab and talk there
Shadow and I made it up to my lab. He put himself in front of me as we entered and I stood in the doorway as he looked around.
Tails- I thought you were done with G.U.N
Shadow- who said anything about G.U.N
He rummaged through my things with no real respect for the craft that wet into them.
Tails- you've never worked for anyone else at least no one else worth mentioning
Shadow- you think taking Eggman out of the world ended all of its problems and maybe it did for a while, but who do you think has been keeping new problems from showing up
Tails- if its not G.U.N then who is it
Shadow- It doesn't matter, what does is that you've shown your too smart for your own good and as your...
He paused.
Shadow- ...as your friend I'm here to save you from yourself
He picked up a few things but ultimately left everything alone.
Shadow- where is it
Tails - where is what
Shadow- I'm being easy on you because this is your home and your Sonic's side kick
Tails- partner
Shadow - but at this point your as much to blame for what Ill have to do if you continue to deny me
Tails- Shadow I don't know what you want and even if I did I don't have to give you anything
Shadow- we have readings of a unique power signature all over town including this house
Tails- Maybe its old robots somewhere in the backyard, the wars have been over for years but people are still cleaning up old bots and machines
Shadow- This energy signature is from a series of advanced technology that Eggman stumbled on before his capture , and it resurfaced only months ago
I knew what he was talking about, or better yet who.
Tails- I'm going to bed , feel free to look around but if you break anything...
He stopped me before I could leave.
Shadow- I'll turn this house upside down to find what I'm looking for
Tails- its Christmas eve
Shadow- and it would be a shame for the holiday to be ruined by your choices
He left me in my workshop.
I hurried back to my room to get back to Chech but when I opened the door I knew he was gone by the lack of sleep talk and snoring. I noticed a light coming from down stairs, thinking it must have been Chech, I followed it. It was coming from the living room. Silver and blaze were doing something to the presents under the tree with their powers and in the process putting on a light show in the dark room. I flicked on the light and must have startled them because I was greeted by means of being lifted in the air and a fire ball held in front of my face.
Silver- oh Tails
Blaze- we are so sorry
Tails- its fine... but can you put me down
Silver let me go of course.
Tails - what are you guys doing to the presents
Blaze- its a little tradition we have
Silver- in the future there was no telling what the next day might bring so when holidays came around such as Christmas, if you were lucky enough to celebrate the tradition of gifts
Blaze- it was common to check the contents of said gifts as quickly as possible, that way you could add it to your things or leave it behind while you still had time
Tails- so your peaking at your gifts ...but what was all the glowing stuff , it looked different from what you guys usually do , there was no fire or green glow
Blaze- oh that was a looking glass spell to help us see through the gift wrapping
Tails- a spell? I didn't realize you guys knew magic
Blaze- well what did you think our powers were
Tails- well I didn't realize you knew other magic
Blaze- yes we know many forms of magic, but that's a conversation for later
Silver picked up a hand full of gifts with his powers and Blaze handed me a bunch of the ones he didn't pick up.
Blaze- these are the gifts we do not wish to have
Silver- thank you for the little robot things and the coffee machine though
Blaze- yes we love this centuries strange coffee obsession
They went up stairs with their gifts.
Tails- your welcome... I guess
I almost forgot I was looking for Chech until I walked over to the kitchen. He was sitting at the table with Rouge and Knuckles.
Tails- hey you guys
Knuckles- Tails there you are , we were just talking about you
Tails - really, I hope it was all good
Rouge- oh we just think its marvelous what you've done to help everyone spend the holiday together
Rouge and Knuckles were an on again off again couple, and in the moment it seemed they were on again. She was sitting in his lap playing with his hair.
Chech- yea , when did you have the time to build and deliver shields for ... what was your name again
Knuckles lifted a hand and point to his knuckles.
Chech- ...that's right, when did you have time to build shields for Knuckles
Tails- I didn't, I left plans for them in my lab and Sonic built them
Knuckles- well I'm thankful for whoever built them , this is the longest I've been off Angel Island in years
Rouge- you could come down more often, I'm telling you no one is after that big green paper weight anymore
Chech- its so strange, growing up Angel Island was just a myth my parents told me about before bed , the lost floating city in the sky
No one seemed to be in any danger. Rouge was caught up with Knuckles and Chech didn't seem nearly as worried as before. So I sat down.
Tails- yea I've been there and I still cant believe its real
Knuckles- It is a beautiful place
Tails- I was referring to the astronomical number of reasons why it should be impossible for an entire Island to not only float but move
Rouge- this coming from the two tailed fox that flies around like a helicopter
Chech laughed , it wasn't that funny.... at least I don't think it was.
Knuckles- you should come visit more often
Tails- I thought you wanted your Island as pure and untouched as possible
Knuckles- yea but it doesn't hurt to have one of my two best friends come say hello from time to time
Rouge- and what about me
Knuckles- of course I want you there , but you know how you get around all of the ...
Rouge- all of the what
Knuckles- ancient treasure and gemstones
Chech and I both laughed, I'd forgotten the dynamic Rouge and Knuckles had. It was bipolar to say the least.
Tails- I guess no ones trying to sleep tonight
Knuckles- who sleeps on Christmas eve
Tails- no one in this house that's for sure
Knuckles- yea
There was a silence, that silence that always comes in mid conversation before someone says something. I should have used said silence to get up and take Chech back to my room.
Chech- so sonic and tails are from Green Hills , your from Angel Island, where are you from
Rouge- I'm a bat of the world, I've never been one to stay anywhere for long
Chech- sounds adventurous
Rouge- I'm the worlds greatest treasure hunter
Knuckles- debatable
Rouge- it doesn't count if you were born an island with treasure , but where are you from
Chech- me , I suppose I'm like you , I never stayed anywhere very long
Rouge- and what kept you on the move
Chech- I'm a pilot
Knuckles- that's crazy , you know Tails is one of the best fighter pilots in the world
Chech- yea I know , its one of the things we have in common
Knuckles- I almost forgot you two were together
Chech - we aren't too outspoken about it
Rouge- and why not
Chech- no reason , we just keep to ourselves I guess , right Tails
Tails- yea
Rouge- you know , you look familiar
Chech- familiar how
Rouge- have you ever been to the Arctic Circle
That was a very specific question to just come from nowhere.
Chech- the Arctic Circle... no I cant say I have , why
Rouge- you remind me of someone I met a long time ago, he worked for Eggman before
Tails- you think Chech worked for Eggman, Chech cant even fix a toaster
Rouge- of course not , but you have the face and the fur all your missing are a few metal parts
There was a different silence in the air that time , it was a pause. Lucky for us it was ended by Rouge's laughter, she was joking, or at the very least she didn't believe Chech could be who she remembered.
Tails- yea , well I think Chech and I should get to bed
We got to our feet.
Knuckles- alright , you guys just try to get some sleep while your in bed
Chech- we'll do that , and it was nice meeting you two
Rouge- likewise
We went up to my room. I couldn't tell downstairs but behind my closed door it was clear to see how nervous Chech was.
Tails- what were you doing
Chech- you were gone and you know I sleep walk when your not in bed
Tails- but I told you not to talk to Rouge
Chech- I didn't, I didn't mean to , your friend Knuckles was in the kitchen we started talking and then she came along , I couldn't just leave as soon as she sat down , how would that have looked
Tails- like you were tired I don't know, but what was all of that about the Arctic Circle , was she talking about you
Chech- yes, the Arctic Circle is where I was frozen
Tails- I thought you said you were under Eggmans control not working with him
Chech- I was under his control, he did things to my mind to make me want to be his slave , to make me think I wanted to work with him
We had so much to talk about , and we did, but we should not have. Unknown to me were bugs placed in my room while we were gone by Shadow. He heard every word that night and we had no idea.