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"For the Love of Eternity"
By: Jade Lightning, a.k.a. Inuyashas-hanyougirl
Chapter 6: Together Through it All

   Far away…far beyond the bustle of activity in Emerald Hills, lay a large fortress, straddling the coast around a hidden bay.  Two large grey planes sat parked in hangars on the airfield, while many smaller planes and bombers flooded the airstrips with movement. Inside the city-like base, many people lived, for there were living quarters with all the comforts of home and a well-to-do urban town.  This fortress really was just like a small city, and yet, it was much more than that.

   While providing homes and comforts for almost one-hundred or so inhabitants, it was a central nervous center for the corrupted network of Team Maniacal; they had dozens of smaller fortresses, and the one Mikomi, Shadow, and the others were heading for was just one of these smaller, strategically placed bases.  This one was perfect for causing crime and mayhem in Station Square and the surrounding areas, just as the others were good for handling the crime sprees for many other locations.  Their crimes spread far and wide and were seemingly unstoppable, and now with such an ultimate weapon to their disposal, it appeared that it would become definite.

   Indeed, Sir Burns would not have been this foolish.  While he knew nothing of any pursuers, he was already having a fun time messing with Amy and Delilah.  Bound and locked in cramped cages, he took pleasure in causing them grief, for he would be using their distress, in a mad attempt to break Knuckles and Hidama, bringing them to their knees, in order to gain control of the Master Emerald.

   Only a few hours had gone by, and already, things were dark and frightening.  Delilah was awake, and the girls talked to one another, unable to move or do much else otherwise, as guards stood nearby, listening to their every word.

   “My God Amy…what do you think happened to Kelsey, Mikomi, and Amarie?  Do you really think he has them here somewhere?  I wish we could know if they’re alright,” Delilah whimpered.

   Amy sat in her cage, her hands cuffed, hugging her knees, and trying to keep from crying.  She was starting to realize what Hidama had earlier, but too late.  There was no way the children were in the base; they would have seen them already, or heard the guards talking about them at least.  She rested her head on her knees, looking at Delilah and said, “They’re not here, Delilah…and I think Knuckles and Hidama, wherever they are, realize this too.  I hope they’re safe, wherever they are…”

   “Hey!  Shut up over there!  We’re trying to watch our show!” one of the guards shouted.  Amy and Delilah looked up; their guards sat together, eating lunch and watching television, hardly paying attention to the girls, not feeling a need to; Amy and Delilah weren’t a threat to anybody.

   Delilah, her ankles shackled, stood up as high as she could and turned away from them, crying softly, and wringing her hat in her cuffed hands.  She sniffed and said, “Even so, I’m so worried about Hidama…what are those maniacs doing to him?  I’m so scared…I want to help Hidama and the children…oh Amy, we’re no help to anybody!”

   As she burst into heavier tears, Amy scooted to the edge of her cage, reaching for Delilah and managing to grab hold of her arm, gently pulling her to the edge of her cage, enough so they could barely hold each other’s hands as she cried.  Amy tried her best to comfort her, but was just as worried for the children, and especially Knuckles.  Indeed, it was with the guardian brothers, that their immediate fears were heavily and justly placed.

   Deeper in the fortress, far from earshot of Amy and Delilah, Sir Burns had placed the Master Emerald in the center of a large room.  A large, circular pit was in the center of the room, filled with computers and other equipment that Team Maniacal had created; the Master Emerald sat on a pedestal, a pedestal that would not only feed power into it, but also extract and distribute power from it.  The power that would be fed into it, of course, would come largely from Knuckles and Hidama, for their Guardian blood was needed to wield it in the first place.

   High on the walls were two chambers, one on each side of the room facing the center pit.  They were holding cells, and this was where the brothers would soon be placed, and their power taken from them to control the Master Emerald.  The only problem for the Maniacals was that they certainly wouldn’t relinquish this power willingly.  This was where the true torture began; Sir Burns was going to break the guardian brothers, both inside and out…body, mind and soul.

   At the moment, Knuckles and Hidama awoke chained securely to a wall in an enclosed space.  There were no windows, and the door was so precisely carved into the wall it stood seamless when closed leaving no sign of it.  There were only a few dull lights flickering above them, and the walls, floor and ceiling were all painted stark white.  This claustrophobic room was only the first part of Knuckles and Hidama’s torture.

   As they both tried vainly to break free from the walls, Hidama quickly realized how dire their situation was.  When he was imprisoned by Feldmort, he was fortunate to have barred windows and a door so sunlight could come in; this was quite different; it was enough to make a person insane if they were held here too long, and it appeared this was almost definitely their fate.  They had no luck of breaking free from the wall, and before they discuss a plan of escape, Sir Burns, their nightmare, entered the room.

   “Fwahaha!  Struggle if you must echidnas!  You will never break free!  For years we have worked to find a way to properly restrain creatures of your strength, so I can guarantee you we are more than prepared to handle such honored but delinquent guests.  Feh, can’t say so much for your wives…the weaklings, the cages they require are nothing but tin foil for you to break,” he said.

   Hidama’s eyes flashed, and he shouted, “Shut up!  I don’t care what you say or do to me, I will never let you use me for your sick plans; you might as well give it up!  You need Knuckles’ and my powers to control the Master Emerald, and we’ll never surrender it to you!  Ever!”

   Sir Burns smiled wryly, his eyes twinkling with evil intentions.  He cackled softly, walking without fear straight up to Hidama, whose hands, like Knuckles’, were fastened to the wall, making him unable to swat at him.   Sir Burns stared at Hidama right in the eyes with this evil glare, and laughed again, slowing putting on brass knuckles as he talked.

   “Foolish, foolish Hidama…don’t you think I knew you would say this?  You are nothing but a delusional fool!  I knew long ago that you and Knuckles wouldn’t willingly comply with my wishes…such is the nature of a foolhardy and stubborn echidna right?  No, you’ll see I’m more than capable of getting what I want.  You shall see that soon enough…,” he said, lowering his voice to a whisper.

   Suddenly, he pulled his fist back and slammed it hard in Hidama’s jaw, brass knuckles and all, causing him to bleed profusely and cry out in pain.  Before Knuckles could react, Sir Burns took another powerful swat for Knuckles, only this time slamming the spikes into the side of Knuckles’ head, knocking him out instantly as he began to bleed.

   “Knuckles!” Hidama cried out, for he was still conscious.  As he bled, he growled, looking back to Sir Burns, and shouted, “How dare you…this is the game you’re going to play are you?  No amount of torture can break my soul…I’ve walked that road before and I defeated it…I can assure you…and Knuckles will stay strong as well!”

   Sir Burns appeared unmoved and unfazed.  It was as if hitting the brothers to the point of bloodshed didn’t entertain him in the least…almost as if it were a chore for him to torture them.  He removed his brass knuckles, sighing and saying, “Oh please Hidama; you are dumber than I anticipated…I know of your entire history, and I can assure you, I don’t go by such conventional and gentle forms of torture…no, this is only the beginning.”

   As he walked for the door, Hidama struggled to reach for his ailing brother, but was only to able to move his head enough to look at him and suffer through watching him bleed.  “Oh Knuckles…my brother…please, the last thing I want is for you to suffer torture as I did for half my life.  Please…awaken.”  As he prayed, he closed his eyes, sending some of his energy to Knuckles, enough to the point where he awoke.

   Sir Burns, ready to leave, glared at the brothers and said, “Oh…this is not the end Hinsei Hidama, Knuckles…blood of the guardian.  I intend to break you both…I will have the power I need, whether you give it willingly or not.”  He opened the door, and muttered, “I only wish now I had captured those brats so I could torture them as well…that would almost certainly break you, but maybe beating your wives will be a good way to start.”

   As he closed the door, Knuckles and Hidama now realized that their wives were in just as much danger, and that their children were still free.  Knuckles growled low, raising it into a thunderous scream, “Amy!  Amy!”  Everything else he said came out as a painful growl.  Hidama cried for Delilah as well…but, there was nothing they could do for them, and nothing they could do for themselves.  As their anger for Sir Burns raged, their worry for Amy and Delilah increased, and their prayers for Mikomi, Amarie, and Kelsey intensified, they could only weep, chained to the wall in that cramped room and pray that the bleeding from their wounds would stop.

   Miles away from the true Maniacal base, Shadow, Mikomi, and the rest had moved quickly, and were slowly approaching the suspected base in northern Emerald Hills.  As they walked, Amarie talked with Rouge, and they were the only ones that did much talking.  Kelsey and Amberly forced themselves to walk together, already in a bitter clash over Mikomi.  They walked side by side, arms folded, looking at anything and anyone but each other; yet if Amberly gave a flirtatious glance to Mikomi, a low growl from Kelsey would draw her attention away, causing the tension to rise even higher.

   Mikomi, however, knew nothing of this quarrel over him.  He was more worried for his family, and consumed by his hatred of the human race.  As Shadow walked beside him, the two hanging a few steps behind the others, he could feel this hatred and anger enveloping Mikomi’s heart.  This concerned Shadow, for in the coming years, he knew the Master Emerald would become the burden of the world, rather than just the echidnas, to protect from misuse and used to save in times of danger.  He knew the broken ties between mankind and those that walked beside them needed to be healed, and it would start with Mikomi, perhaps the first of the line of lesser guardians that would rely more on others to help him with his duty.

   “You’re very angry Mikomi,” Shadow said, “I can sense it.  You hold deeply rooted anger towards mankind, and yet you have only had limited encounters with them.  I believe you are too quick to deal out judgment.”

   Not a word came from Mikomi after Shadow spoke; the hedgehog could tell that his frightful experience in Station Square was deeply traumatizing, and affected Mikomi perhaps more than Kelsey or Amarie.  He sighed heavily, trying to think of what to say.

   Yet before he could speak, Mikomi said, “Shadow, don’t try and make me think better of humans.  They’re all nothing but pure evil; they’re all selfish, proud and hurtful beings, and I will never think kindly of them…ever.”

   Shadow paused, letting Mikomi get a few steps ahead of him before walking quickly to catch up.  “What about Mr. Marks Mikomi?  Would you say he is selfish, proud and hurtful?  What about all the help and kindness he has showed you?” he asked.

   Now it was Mikomi’s turn to pause; both he and Shadow stopped walking for a moment as Mikomi brought his hand to his chin in deep thought.  He sighed, lowering his eyes and said, “You’re right Shadow…I guess.  Mr. Marks has done nothing but shown us hospitality and kindness; he even mentioned how much he misses seeing Mom and Dad after all these years.  I guess not all humans are bad…”

   He fell silent, and Shadow smiled weakly, placing a hand on Mikomi’s shoulder and starting to walk him along so they wouldn’t fall too far behind the others.  Mikomi looked ready to cry, yet before Shadow could ask why, Mikomi answered his question.

   “It’s just…I don’t understand Shadow; for every good and kind human there is there seem to be hundreds of bad ones.  Those humans were hunting us down; they wanted to kill us just because I was defending Amarie.  They thought we were some kind of monsters…I don’t think I’ve ever been more scared in my life.  If they were so accepting of you, and Mom and Dad, why aren’t they accepting of us?  Once more, if humans really are kind and care about human life, then why are these Maniacals trying to use the Master Emerald to destroy it?  I just don’t understand…,” he said, falling from a whisper to silence as a few tears fell from his eyes.

   The hedgehog could tell Mikomi was deeply traumatized, but knew what to say next.  As they caught up to the others, Shadow said, “Mikomi…there are plenty of humans that aren’t kind…that is for certain.  Yet, there is a difference between those that are truly evil, and those that like you, simply deal out judgment too quickly.  The Maniacals, they are evil, for they hurt everyone, humans and other creatures alike.  They deserve any hatred and punishment they get.  However, the citizens of Station Square are different.  They were afraid of what they didn’t understand, you, Kelsey, and Amarie, and because they didn’t know anything about you, they attacked you just to protect themselves.  They deserve your pardon and forgiveness.  Maybe after all this is over you can go back and reach reconciliation.  You’ll see that there are more humans out there like Mr. Marks that are kind and generous and more than willing to help others in need.  Just be patient and keep an open mind and heart; everything will be alright.”

   Neither Mikomi nor Shadow said any more about it; inside his heart, Mikomi knew Shadow was right about the humans, but he was still unwilling to show kindness to any of them, unless like Mr. Marks, they showed him kindness first.  In his mind, none of them deserved his mercy just yet, and all he cared about was saving his family.  He suddenly tore away from Shadow, running to catch up with Kelsey, who grudgingly walked beside Amberly to keep her eyes on her.

   He came up on the other side of Kelsey, so that she walked in between him and Amberly, which was just what she wanted.  She looked at him and said, “Don’t worry Mikomi; we’re almost to that base Mr. Marks was talking about.  We’ll kick these guys’ butts and rescue our family.  You’ll see, this is gonna be easy.”

   Mikomi looked at his cousin, frowning slightly and his eyes plagued with sadness.  He sighed and said, “I know Kelsey…it’s just, I’m worried about them.  Sure they can take care of themselves, but if these guys were powerful enough to bring down Dad, Uncle Hidama, and Angel Island, they obviously mean business.”  He paused, both Kelsey and Amberly looking at him, concerned; his sadness quickly melted away as he remembered the humans screaming to kill him, and clenched his fists, growling softly.

   Despite what Shadow just explained to him, Mikomi wasn’t willing to show mercy or acceptance to any human he didn’t think deserved it; unless they showed him kindness first, they were all the same in his mind; rotten to the core and deserving of nothing less than a brutal punishment.  In a low voice, he shouted, “I’ll get these humans if it’s the last thing I do!  They are the ones who deserve death for what they’ve done to us.  I’ll see every last one of these Maniacals dead, but not because I want to help save the human race…they can be destroyed forever, every last one of them for all I care.  It’s nothing less than they deserve.”

   Kelsey was enthusiastic in agreeing with Mikomi, answering him with a cheer and a hug, while Amberly only watched enviously, determined to get Kelsey out of the way so she could get close to Mikomi.  Amarie ran back to them when she heard him speak, for with her hammer in hand, she was ready to beat the pulp out of these enemies as well, especially after she was beat up on for no reason.  Shadow on the other hand, as he passed them by to catch up to Rouge, was only filled with more worry.

   As the kids ran ahead, Shadow and Rouge walked together, hand in hand.  Shadow sighed and said, “This isn’t good Rouge; Mikomi’s hardly guardian material, in both attitude and blood.  With no more echidnas to preserve the guardian blood, the line of guardians will have no choice but to marry into lesser races…it has already begun.  Mikomi and Kelsey only have half the power of their fathers.  I’m afraid the guardianship and protection of the Master Emerald will soon be fated to all life, not just the echidnas.”

   “You’re right Shadow; everyone is going to have to become more responsible.  It’ll become a worldwide effort to protect the Master Emerald from misuse by all souls…but still, does this mean the line of guardians is finished?” Rouge asked.

   Shadow looked at Rouge, his faced stricken with worry and concern.  “Unfortunately that’s exactly the case; Hinsei Hidama and Knuckles are the last true guardians to walk this earth.  When Mikomi and Kelsey marry, it’ll thin out the guardian blood even more until it disappears entirely just as the echidna blood will be lost forever.  Their descendents will have so much different blood in them they’ll become a new race unto themselves,” Shadow explained.

   Rouge let out a sigh and said, “It’s a shame.  I bet the echidnas were wonderful souls.  Hidama and Knuckles are certainly shining examples of their glory.”

   The black and red hedgehog gazed at the children as they walked and talked before him.  He closed his eyes as he thought of Rouge’s words, bowing his head almost as if in memory of a long forgotten, but treasured memory.  “They were everything you imagine them to be Rouge, and yet, I believe that their legacy will not end with Hidama, Knuckles, and their children.”  Looking forward, he whispered, “Those kids, especially Mikomi, simply need to be started in the right direction.  I believe, they are destined to be heroes, and bring on the same peace the echidnas tried to give us all, in both their lives, and their deaths.

   Neither of them said much of anything after this; Shadow was too concerned for Mikomi; the trauma he had suffered in that one day in Station Square had a very negative and deep effect on him, and Shadow, like he had mentored Hidama in the past, knew he had to do his best to help Mikomi in his plight.

   Yet there was no more time for talking now, for they quickly came upon the Maniacal base they were searching for.  Unaware that this wasn’t the main base, they were ready to storm off to the final showdown and take out the leader.  They gathered in the shadows outside of the base; only two lightly armored guards barricaded the entrance, a threat that Shadow could easily dispose of, but first he wanted to get their plan of attack in order.

   “This base is a lot smaller than I thought it would be…even so, we must track down the leader quickly and take out anyone that stands in our way.  The three things to remember are, one, that we need to rescue Amy, Delilah, Knuckles, and Hidama; two, we need to retrieve the Master Emerald; and three, we have to take out the leader.  Simply put, we’ll have to split up into groups until the end.  Somebody needs to rescue Hidama, Knuckles, Amy and Delilah, someone else needs to retrieve the Master Emerald before we all come back together for the fight.  Once more, there’s a high chance they are being held separately, so we need at least two different groups.  I say this because the leader most likely has the Master Emerald with him, which we shall have to retrieve before the fray gets too intense,” Shadow explained.

   At this point, Amberly glanced over at Mikomi, who stood next to Amarie and Kelsey; if only she could get grouped up with him and Kelsey with someone else, then she could question Mikomi about how he felt about Kelsey.  Yet again, however, her father’s intentions were working against her.

   “I think…,” Shadow said looking towards the entrance, “That two of you should come with me, and two of you should go with Rouge.”  Glancing at Mikomi, he said, “I think you should come with me Mikomi.  I intend to go looking for your father and Hidama.  Rouge can look for your mother and Delilah, then we can meet up again before we find the Master Emerald and the leader.”

   This was Amberly’s chance; she could go with her father and Mikomi and Kelsey and Amarie could go with her mother; it was perfect…except…

   “Oh, can I go with Ms. Rouge, please?  Kelsey can go with you and Mikomi Mr. Shadow, hee, hee.  We’ll have a good time, right Amberly?” Amarie asked.

   Kelsey immediately looked at Amberly; the smirk on her face was a mile wide as her little cousin dashed Amberly’s hopes of getting alone with Mikomi.  She smiled sweetly, looking to Amarie and said, “That sounds like a great idea Amarie.  You, Amberly, and Ms. Rouge will be an awesome battle team!”

   Amberly scowled a bit, but managed to glance up at Mikomi, who already had a look of relief on his face.  Amberly still didn’t understand if Mikomi and Kelsey had anything more than the brother/sister relationship, and now she wasn’t any closer to finding this out for sure, for her father was looking at her, and she knew she had to obey him.  “Sounds fine to me…we’ll show these guys not to mess with us,” she said, forcing a smile and trying to keep from glaring at Kelsey enviously.

   Shadow nodded, not aware of the battle going on between his daughter and Kelsey, but more than ready to take on this team base.  He put a finger to his lips to silence the group, before revealing his red chaos emerald, ready to take out the two guards at the entrance.  He suddenly disappeared from sight, shocking Mikomi, Amarie and Kelsey who had never witnessed the power of a chaos emerald.

   “He’s using chaos control,” Rouge whispered.  Peeking around the corner of the base, she continued, “He’s using it to execute a surprise attack.  We should see him again any second now.”

   Suddenly, as if on cue, Shadow reappeared, only now he was right in front of the guards, slamming his fist into the face of one, who fell, dazed, into the other, before they fell hard to the ground, landing in a heap on their weapons, knocked out cold, as he hovered in the air.  “Feh, that was too easy,” Shadow said, landing and pulling his gloves on tighter so they fit better.

   The others ran up to Shadow; Rouge stopped right in front of him, planting a kiss on his cheek before she said, “It feels good to fight again doesn’t it?”

   Shadow managed a weak grin, before shaking his head, saying, “That was hardly what I’d call a fight.  These people aren’t going to be any real challenge.  Let’s get inside and get this over with.”  He paused, putting his hand on the door but hesitating to open it.  “You do have your chaos emerald don’t you, just incase you need help?” he asked.

   Over time, Shadow and Rouge had learned how to use the chaos emeralds to communicate; all they would do is use the power of one to activate the other, causing it to flash, using it as a signal if the other needed help.  They had never needed to use it for an emergency, but incase they did now, Shadow wanted to make sure they had it.  Rouge flashed the green chaos emerald, continuing to smile and said, “I’m never anywhere without it Shadow, you know that.”  Glancing back at the kids, she whispered, “Let’s get this over with.”

   He smiled, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek before throwing open the doors to the base, only to find a long, empty hallway before them.  He stepped inside, then raised his hand, beckoning the others to follow.  He looked at the line of doors that lined both sides of the hallway, and where the passage ahead of him led.  He turned and said, “Mikomi, Kelsey, we’ll search the west side of the fortress; Rouge, you should take Amarie and Amberly and search the eastern side.  Then we’ll have to meet up before taking on the boss.  Don’t hesitate to take anyone down.”

   Rouge replied with a nod, looking back to Amarie and Amberly, motioning to the closest door on the right, and then disappearing through it.  Amarie immediately, followed, with Amberly giving a longing glance at Mikomi.  Kelsey glared at her, and Shadow gave her a reassuring nod as a farewell; Amberly then followed her mother and Amarie, leaving Kelsey and Mikomi with Shadow, and the western side up for their exploration.

   Shadow caught Kelsey glaring at Amberly, but said nothing of it.  He saw the somewhat frustrated look in Mikomi’s eyes, and he got his first whiff of the growing competition between Kelsey and Amberly.  He remembered a conversation he had with Elianaron, about the issues that could arise from Hidama and Knuckles keep their children isolated and thought, “Perhaps Elianaron was right.  Kelsey loves Mikomi only as a brother, and yet seeing Amberly flirt with him angers her.  The two of them have no idea how to handle such a situation.  She sees Mikomi’s shyness, and tries to help him by scaring Amberly off.  Hopefully this will help them learn how to handle those feelings, and allow them to spend time with their peers.  They certainly can’t do much good unless they learn to expand their minds and accept others.”

   After a pause, he looked into the nearest door leading west and said, “Well you two, we need to get on our way as well.  This shouldn’t take too long…these humans are incredibly weak, almost as if they have nothing to defend at all.”

   He then took off into the near passage, with Kelsey and Mikomi following him quickly.  Adrenaline was high as both groups split off into the base; they’d take out the occasional guard or wandering Maniacal, but as they went on, with no sights of any heavily guarded areas, they began to wonder if this was where their parents and the Master Emerald were taken.

   “Darn it all…if Knuckles and Hidama were here I was sure we’d find them already.  We’ve already traversed over half the base, and the guards here are a joke; you’d think the security would be much higher if they were guarding the Master Emerald and its guardians.  Something’s wrong here,” Shadow said to himself.

   He spoke little to Mikomi and Kelsey, who really had no need to help him fight as of yet.  After so much silence, Kelsey looked at Mikomi; she didn’t understand why Amberly’s appearance had her so angry and defensive of Mikomi.  She knew he could look after himself.  It’s not like he was her boyfriend or anything; he was her cousin, not even her brother, though she loved him as one.  Could she and Mikomi simply not handle these kinds of feelings?

   “Well, Amarie was right I guess.  I don’t want Mikomi being bothered by that girl Amberly.  Even if I’m just his cousin, as long as she makes him uncomfortable, I’ll protect him.  But, then again, if he and I act like that towards everyone, we won’t make many friends.  I wonder how he feels about all this,” Kelsey thought.

   Yet before she could speak, Mikomi looked to her and asked, “You don’t like Amberly too much, do you?”

   Kelsey flushed red, immediately flustered by the fact that Mikomi knew exactly what to say.  She looked away from him as they walked and said, “I…I don’t know.  I just…didn’t like how she was acting is all.”

   Mikomi grinned a bit, still looking at her and responded, “What do you mean by how she was acting?  Is her personality just off to you or did it bother you that she was flirting with me so much?”

   “Wait a minute,” Kelsey started, slowing her pace almost to a stop.  Mikomi paused, looking back to her as she said, “You noticed how much she was flirting with you?  Wait, I mean…didn’t it bother you?  It’s just…oh…”

   Taking her hands in his own, Mikomi stepped up to her, smiled and said, “It’s okay Kelsey, you don’t need to get all flustered.  Heh, actually, I was just trying to be polite.”  He sighed and said, “Frankly she’s not my type…I mean, we don’t even know each other that well and all of the sudden she’s coming on to me like gangbusters.  That makes me think she’s only after me because she thinks I’m cute…nothing more.  My kind of girl would want to get to know me better first instead of outright flirting with me like that…it makes me nervous.  Love like that isn’t exactly genuine in my opinion.”

   He fell silent, and the two of them looked down at their clasped hands, then slowly back at each other.  She suddenly felt silly for defending Mikomi like she did.  Apparently he didn’t need her help at all.  Maybe she and Amberly could be friends.  Maybe Amberly could be friends with Mikomi.  He even knew the kind of girl he wanted already, but how did he?  The warm smile never left his face, and as he let go of one of her hands, he brought his hand up to her face and brushed one of her bangs clear from her eyes, caressing her cheek as he withdrew.

   “There…I like to see your eyes Kelsey; you need to style your bangs differently so they hang between your eyes and not over them,” he said, chuckling softly.  Despite how well he was handling himself, Mikomi felt the chills running through his body.  He began to understand why Kelsey was so defensive of him.  She was worried about him, and wanted to make sure he was alright.  He knew he’d be best to explain it to her so they could both be friends with Amberly.  Going through these hard times would be much easier if they weren’t fighting with the ones they knew they could count on.

   The two looked away from each other for a moment, and then Kelsey, holding his hand tightly, smiled a bit and said, “I guess I could try that…styling them different I mean…if you like them that way I mean.”  They looked back at each other, both smiling again; Kelsey was beginning to feel better.  Yet as they both looked down to their feet, both silent, they were unsure of what to say or do next.  It had not yet registered to them that they had fallen way behind Shadow, and yet as they stood hand in hand together, even with the threat of great danger facing them, nothing seemed to bother them; nothing could ruin this simply wonderful moment.  That is…almost nothing.

   They both looked down to their feet, both silent, both unsure of what to say or do next.  It had not yet register to them that they had fallen way behind Shadow, and yet as they stood hand in hand together, even with the threat of great danger facing them, nothing seemed to bother them; nothing could ruin this simply wonderful moment.  That is…almost nothing.

   Mikomi looked up at Kelsey, swallowed hard and said, “Heh, don’t worry about Amberly.  If anything we’ll just be friends…besides, I’m not looking for a girlfriend right now.”

   Kelsey gasped, looking up at Mikomi, who suddenly shattered any suggestion that he had developed feelings for Amberly.  As she gazed at him in shock, he continued to smile and continued, “Why should I have to when I have someone perfect with me already?”  Kelsey’s face relaxed, her eyes shining, stuck between a smile and a look of awe.  He shook his head, and whispered, “Listen Kelsey, you don’t have to worry about me.  …You wonder how I know what I want in a girl?  It’s because of you.  While I could never love you as more than a sister, I know the perfect girl for me has to be a lot like you.  Sure, she won’t be exactly like you, but, I’m looking for those same traits.  You’ll just have to watch out when the right guy for you comes along.  I’m liable to end up glaring at him too.”

   The silence was broken as the cousins let out a good laugh.  Kelsey sighed in relief, finally able to smile and said, “You know, Amarie and I were talking before we left home that morning.  I thought she meant it as a joke, because she said the minute a girl tried to come on to you I’d defend you from her, and that you’d do the same for me if a guy looked at me that way.  It seems she was right; I guess she really was probing my feelings that day, because the minute Amberly tried to flirt with you…it’s like something snapped inside of me.  In my mind she had no business flirting with you…hmm, I guess we’ve both realized we need to try and make friends with others.  It’s hard when all we’ve had is each other all our lives.”

   “Heh…that’s Amarie for you.  I don’t know what’s going on either, but…the same thing happened to me.  When Amberly was flirting with me I didn’t like it…I mean, she’s a nice girl but…ugh.  I guess neither of us know how to handle those kinds of feelings.  Heck, before too long we’d probably end up taking them out on each other,”  Mikomi paused, listening to his words.  He added, “Kelsey, we’re going to have to learn to trust people.  First, we should make friends with Amberly, and once this is over, we’ll be able to understand these romantic feelings.  Heh, I doubt we’d end up together romantically anyway…it wouldn’t…be right.”

   “Yeah…I agree…,” Kelsey murmured.  The silence returned; they glanced away from one another, then back to each other, not feeling the need to say more, and unsure of how to say it besides.  Mikomi took a deep breath, exhaling slowly, as he watched her breathe.  He was about to kiss her on the cheek, and it didn’t feel wrong to either of them, as if this was the way it always had been, and the way it always should be.  It’s not like it meant anything, it was from a brother to a sister.

   Yet as he leaned in to give her a kiss on the cheek, both of them closing their eyes as he did so, everything changed.  His lips had barely pressed against her skin when an alarm sounded.  Red lights flashed, dimming the hall, and a siren blared on and off simultaneously.  Still, Mikomi was able to kiss her cheek before he quickly withdrew, throwing his arm around Kelsey, who clutched her father’s bow in one hand, and Mikomi’s arm with the other.

   “What’s happening Mikomi?  What’s going on?” Kelsey cried.

   Mikomi’s eyes flashed with worry.  Whatever was coming, it couldn’t be good.  “I—I don’t know Kelsey…just…be ready to fight if we have to,” he said.  He paused, then panic set in, as he said, “Oh my gosh…Kelsey!  What happened to Shadow?  He went on ahead while we were talking!  This isn’t good…”

   The two looked at each other, then down the hall, lined with a number of possible doors that Shadow could have disappeared to.  Whatever was going on, they could only surmise that their presence in the base had triggered this alarm, and that the others needed their help.  Mikomi took Kelsey’s hand, guiding her along and said, “Come on!  Let’s head towards the back of the base!  Shadow said that was where we would meet anyway!  Hurry!”

   After the first few steps, Kelsey caught up with Mikomi and ran beside him.  They let go of each other’s hands, and were able to run faster as the alarm continued to blare and the red lights continued to flash.  They bypassed all of the doors, their eyes focused on the end of this long hallway that seemed to go on forever.  The doors were all silent, and yet as they ran, Kelsey spotted someone peering out of one in the distance.

   It was on Mikomi’s side of the hallway, and she could see them taking aim at him with some sort of gun.  Instead of crying out, she pulled an arrow from her quiver, stringing it to the bowstring, and took aim, closing one eye at first out of reflex.  She murmured, remembering Hidama’s lesson, “Both eyes open…”

   She released the arrow, which whizzed past Mikomi’s ear, over his head, and piercing the Maniacal member, killing him instantly.  However, he pulled the trigger of his gun in the process, and the two bullets fired now flew for Mikomi.  Kelsey now decided to scream, diving for Mikomi, knocking them both to the floor, the bullets flying just short of Kelsey’s head as they fell to the ground.

   They slowly sat up, panting heavily, in shock of what had just happened.  Mikomi looked at Kelsey, smiling with wonder and said, “Wow…awesome shot Kelsey.  Uncle Hidama certainly taught you well.  You…you saved my life Kelsey.  That was incredible…I didn’t even see that guy.”

   Kelsey was rubbing her wrist, having landed on it hard, and cringing as pain surged through it.  She shook her head and said, “It was nothing Mikomi…that idiot didn’t stand a chance.”

   Mikomi frowned, realizing Kelsey had hurt herself; taking her wrist gently he said, “Gee, are you okay Kelsey?  Are you going to be alright?”

   “Heh, I just hurt my wrist is all.  It’s not the hand I fire with either.  I can steady the bow just fine,” she explained, staring at Mikomi’s hands as he gently rubbed her wrist.

   Yet they wouldn’t have much time for talking, for Shadow, having heard both Kelsey’s cries and the gunshots, pin-pointed their location, and chaos controlled back to them.  He appeared in the doorway next to them, not really angry but, in panic.

   “Oh my…Mikomi, Kelsey, I thought I’d lost you two.  There’s no time to speak.  Rouge, Amarie, and Amberly are waiting for us,” he said.

   He pulled Mikomi to his feet, waiting somewhat impatiently for Mikomi to help Kelsey to her feet.  He then urged them to follow him quickly as they raced to the back of the fortress.

   “Shadow, what’s going on?  Why are the alarms going off?” Kelsey asked.

   “My guess is that they know they have enemies pursuing them, come to rescue Hidama, Knuckles, and the Master Emerald.  Only problem is…they aren’t here,” Shadow explained.

   A distraught look came to both Mikomi and Kelsey’s faces as they looked to each other, running along with Shadow.  “Wait, so…our parents aren’t here Shadow?  Where are they then?” Mikomi asked.

   Shadow was silent for a moment as they ran, and then replied, “That’s what we’re going to find out; Rouge, Amarie, Amberly and I took out the remaining guards, except for that one who shot at you, before I realized you were missing.  They’re waiting for us; we’ve found out where the leader is, only…he’s just the manager of this base, one of Sir Burns’ highest ranked administrators.  We’re going to confront him, and fight him if we must, to find out where Sir Burns really took them.”

   As they ran on, Mikomi and Kelsey gave each other wary and worried glances.  They were more than ready to fight, but they knew it would be much longer before they could rescue their parents.  With their first big battle facing them head on, they were unaware of exactly how dangerous this adventure would become, and yet, after that talk they had in the hallway, they had come to an understanding; they knew now, that no matter what peril faced them, and no matter how many new faces came into their lives, they would always have each other, and be together through it all.

Description
"For the Love of Eternity"
By: Jade Lightning, a.k.a. Inuyashas-hanyougirl
Chapter 6: Together Through it All

   Far away…far beyond the bustle of activity in Emerald Hills, lay a large fortress, straddling the coast around a hidden bay.  Two large grey planes sat parked in hangars on the airfield, while many smaller planes and bombers flooded the airstrips with movement. Inside the city-like base, many people lived, for there were living quarters with all the comforts of home and a well-to-do urban town.  This fortress really was just like a small city, and yet, it was much more than that.

   While providing homes and comforts for almost one-hundred or so inhabitants, it was a central nervous center for the corrupted network of Team Maniacal; they had dozens of smaller fortresses, and the one Mikomi, Shadow, and the others were heading for was just one of these smaller, strategically placed bases.  This one was perfect for causing crime and mayhem in Station Square and the surrounding areas, just as the others were good for handling the crime sprees for many other locations.  Their crimes spread far and wide and were seemingly unstoppable, and now with such an ultimate weapon to their disposal, it appeared that it would become definite.

   Indeed, Sir Burns would not have been this foolish.  While he knew nothing of any pursuers, he was already having a fun time messing with Amy and Delilah.  Bound and locked in cramped cages, he took pleasure in causing them grief, for he would be using their distress, in a mad attempt to break Knuckles and Hidama, bringing them to their knees, in order to gain control of the Master Emerald.

   Only a few hours had gone by, and already, things were dark and frightening.  Delilah was awake, and the girls talked to one another, unable to move or do much else otherwise, as guards stood nearby, listening to their every word.

   “My God Amy…what do you think happened to Kelsey, Mikomi, and Amarie?  Do you really think he has them here somewhere?  I wish we could know if they’re alright,” Delilah whimpered.

   Amy sat in her cage, her hands cuffed, hugging her knees, and trying to keep from crying.  She was starting to realize what Hidama had earlier, but too late.  There was no way the children were in the base; they would have seen them already, or heard the guards talking about them at least.  She rested her head on her knees, looking at Delilah and said, “They’re not here, Delilah…and I think Knuckles and Hidama, wherever they are, realize this too.  I hope they’re safe, wherever they are…”

   “Hey!  Shut up over there!  We’re trying to watch our show!” one of the guards shouted.  Amy and Delilah looked up; their guards sat together, eating lunch and watching television, hardly paying attention to the girls, not feeling a need to; Amy and Delilah weren’t a threat to anybody.

   Delilah, her ankles shackled, stood up as high as she could and turned away from them, crying softly, and wringing her hat in her cuffed hands.  She sniffed and said, “Even so, I’m so worried about Hidama…what are those maniacs doing to him?  I’m so scared…I want to help Hidama and the children…oh Amy, we’re no help to anybody!”

   As she burst into heavier tears, Amy scooted to the edge of her cage, reaching for Delilah and managing to grab hold of her arm, gently pulling her to the edge of her cage, enough so they could barely hold each other’s hands as she cried.  Amy tried her best to comfort her, but was just as worried for the children, and especially Knuckles.  Indeed, it was with the guardian brothers, that their immediate fears were heavily and justly placed.

   Deeper in the fortress, far from earshot of Amy and Delilah, Sir Burns had placed the Master Emerald in the center of a large room.  A large, circular pit was in the center of the room, filled with computers and other equipment that Team Maniacal had created; the Master Emerald sat on a pedestal, a pedestal that would not only feed power into it, but also extract and distribute power from it.  The power that would be fed into it, of course, would come largely from Knuckles and Hidama, for their Guardian blood was needed to wield it in the first place.

   High on the walls were two chambers, one on each side of the room facing the center pit.  They were holding cells, and this was where the brothers would soon be placed, and their power taken from them to control the Master Emerald.  The only problem for the Maniacals was that they certainly wouldn’t relinquish this power willingly.  This was where the true torture began; Sir Burns was going to break the guardian brothers, both inside and out…body, mind and soul.

   At the moment, Knuckles and Hidama awoke chained securely to a wall in an enclosed space.  There were no windows, and the door was so precisely carved into the wall it stood seamless when closed leaving no sign of it.  There were only a few dull lights flickering above them, and the walls, floor and ceiling were all painted stark white.  This claustrophobic room was only the first part of Knuckles and Hidama’s torture.

   As they both tried vainly to break free from the walls, Hidama quickly realized how dire their situation was.  When he was imprisoned by Feldmort, he was fortunate to have barred windows and a door so sunlight could come in; this was quite different; it was enough to make a person insane if they were held here too long, and it appeared this was almost definitely their fate.  They had no luck of breaking free from the wall, and before they discuss a plan of escape, Sir Burns, their nightmare, entered the room.

   “Fwahaha!  Struggle if you must echidnas!  You will never break free!  For years we have worked to find a way to properly restrain creatures of your strength, so I can guarantee you we are more than prepared to handle such honored but delinquent guests.  Feh, can’t say so much for your wives…the weaklings, the cages they require are nothing but tin foil for you to break,” he said.

   Hidama’s eyes flashed, and he shouted, “Shut up!  I don’t care what you say or do to me, I will never let you use me for your sick plans; you might as well give it up!  You need Knuckles’ and my powers to control the Master Emerald, and we’ll never surrender it to you!  Ever!”

   Sir Burns smiled wryly, his eyes twinkling with evil intentions.  He cackled softly, walking without fear straight up to Hidama, whose hands, like Knuckles’, were fastened to the wall, making him unable to swat at him.   Sir Burns stared at Hidama right in the eyes with this evil glare, and laughed again, slowing putting on brass knuckles as he talked.

   “Foolish, foolish Hidama…don’t you think I knew you would say this?  You are nothing but a delusional fool!  I knew long ago that you and Knuckles wouldn’t willingly comply with my wishes…such is the nature of a foolhardy and stubborn echidna right?  No, you’ll see I’m more than capable of getting what I want.  You shall see that soon enough…,” he said, lowering his voice to a whisper.

   Suddenly, he pulled his fist back and slammed it hard in Hidama’s jaw, brass knuckles and all, causing him to bleed profusely and cry out in pain.  Before Knuckles could react, Sir Burns took another powerful swat for Knuckles, only this time slamming the spikes into the side of Knuckles’ head, knocking him out instantly as he began to bleed.

   “Knuckles!” Hidama cried out, for he was still conscious.  As he bled, he growled, looking back to Sir Burns, and shouted, “How dare you…this is the game you’re going to play are you?  No amount of torture can break my soul…I’ve walked that road before and I defeated it…I can assure you…and Knuckles will stay strong as well!”

   Sir Burns appeared unmoved and unfazed.  It was as if hitting the brothers to the point of bloodshed didn’t entertain him in the least…almost as if it were a chore for him to torture them.  He removed his brass knuckles, sighing and saying, “Oh please Hidama; you are dumber than I anticipated…I know of your entire history, and I can assure you, I don’t go by such conventional and gentle forms of torture…no, this is only the beginning.”

   As he walked for the door, Hidama struggled to reach for his ailing brother, but was only to able to move his head enough to look at him and suffer through watching him bleed.  “Oh Knuckles…my brother…please, the last thing I want is for you to suffer torture as I did for half my life.  Please…awaken.”  As he prayed, he closed his eyes, sending some of his energy to Knuckles, enough to the point where he awoke.

   Sir Burns, ready to leave, glared at the brothers and said, “Oh…this is not the end Hinsei Hidama, Knuckles…blood of the guardian.  I intend to break you both…I will have the power I need, whether you give it willingly or not.”  He opened the door, and muttered, “I only wish now I had captured those brats so I could torture them as well…that would almost certainly break you, but maybe beating your wives will be a good way to start.”

   As he closed the door, Knuckles and Hidama now realized that their wives were in just as much danger, and that their children were still free.  Knuckles growled low, raising it into a thunderous scream, “Amy!  Amy!”  Everything else he said came out as a painful growl.  Hidama cried for Delilah as well…but, there was nothing they could do for them, and nothing they could do for themselves.  As their anger for Sir Burns raged, their worry for Amy and Delilah increased, and their prayers for Mikomi, Amarie, and Kelsey intensified, they could only weep, chained to the wall in that cramped room and pray that the bleeding from their wounds would stop.

   Miles away from the true Maniacal base, Shadow, Mikomi, and the rest had moved quickly, and were slowly approaching the suspected base in northern Emerald Hills.  As they walked, Amarie talked with Rouge, and they were the only ones that did much talking.  Kelsey and Amberly forced themselves to walk together, already in a bitter clash over Mikomi.  They walked side by side, arms folded, looking at anything and anyone but each other; yet if Amberly gave a flirtatious glance to Mikomi, a low growl from Kelsey would draw her attention away, causing the tension to rise even higher.

   Mikomi, however, knew nothing of this quarrel over him.  He was more worried for his family, and consumed by his hatred of the human race.  As Shadow walked beside him, the two hanging a few steps behind the others, he could feel this hatred and anger enveloping Mikomi’s heart.  This concerned Shadow, for in the coming years, he knew the Master Emerald would become the burden of the world, rather than just the echidnas, to protect from misuse and used to save in times of danger.  He knew the broken ties between mankind and those that walked beside them needed to be healed, and it would start with Mikomi, perhaps the first of the line of lesser guardians that would rely more on others to help him with his duty.

   “You’re very angry Mikomi,” Shadow said, “I can sense it.  You hold deeply rooted anger towards mankind, and yet you have only had limited encounters with them.  I believe you are too quick to deal out judgment.”

   Not a word came from Mikomi after Shadow spoke; the hedgehog could tell that his frightful experience in Station Square was deeply traumatizing, and affected Mikomi perhaps more than Kelsey or Amarie.  He sighed heavily, trying to think of what to say.

   Yet before he could speak, Mikomi said, “Shadow, don’t try and make me think better of humans.  They’re all nothing but pure evil; they’re all selfish, proud and hurtful beings, and I will never think kindly of them…ever.”

   Shadow paused, letting Mikomi get a few steps ahead of him before walking quickly to catch up.  “What about Mr. Marks Mikomi?  Would you say he is selfish, proud and hurtful?  What about all the help and kindness he has showed you?” he asked.

   Now it was Mikomi’s turn to pause; both he and Shadow stopped walking for a moment as Mikomi brought his hand to his chin in deep thought.  He sighed, lowering his eyes and said, “You’re right Shadow…I guess.  Mr. Marks has done nothing but shown us hospitality and kindness; he even mentioned how much he misses seeing Mom and Dad after all these years.  I guess not all humans are bad…”

   He fell silent, and Shadow smiled weakly, placing a hand on Mikomi’s shoulder and starting to walk him along so they wouldn’t fall too far behind the others.  Mikomi looked ready to cry, yet before Shadow could ask why, Mikomi answered his question.

   “It’s just…I don’t understand Shadow; for every good and kind human there is there seem to be hundreds of bad ones.  Those humans were hunting us down; they wanted to kill us just because I was defending Amarie.  They thought we were some kind of monsters…I don’t think I’ve ever been more scared in my life.  If they were so accepting of you, and Mom and Dad, why aren’t they accepting of us?  Once more, if humans really are kind and care about human life, then why are these Maniacals trying to use the Master Emerald to destroy it?  I just don’t understand…,” he said, falling from a whisper to silence as a few tears fell from his eyes.

   The hedgehog could tell Mikomi was deeply traumatized, but knew what to say next.  As they caught up to the others, Shadow said, “Mikomi…there are plenty of humans that aren’t kind…that is for certain.  Yet, there is a difference between those that are truly evil, and those that like you, simply deal out judgment too quickly.  The Maniacals, they are evil, for they hurt everyone, humans and other creatures alike.  They deserve any hatred and punishment they get.  However, the citizens of Station Square are different.  They were afraid of what they didn’t understand, you, Kelsey, and Amarie, and because they didn’t know anything about you, they attacked you just to protect themselves.  They deserve your pardon and forgiveness.  Maybe after all this is over you can go back and reach reconciliation.  You’ll see that there are more humans out there like Mr. Marks that are kind and generous and more than willing to help others in need.  Just be patient and keep an open mind and heart; everything will be alright.”

   Neither Mikomi nor Shadow said any more about it; inside his heart, Mikomi knew Shadow was right about the humans, but he was still unwilling to show kindness to any of them, unless like Mr. Marks, they showed him kindness first.  In his mind, none of them deserved his mercy just yet, and all he cared about was saving his family.  He suddenly tore away from Shadow, running to catch up with Kelsey, who grudgingly walked beside Amberly to keep her eyes on her.

   He came up on the other side of Kelsey, so that she walked in between him and Amberly, which was just what she wanted.  She looked at him and said, “Don’t worry Mikomi; we’re almost to that base Mr. Marks was talking about.  We’ll kick these guys’ butts and rescue our family.  You’ll see, this is gonna be easy.”

   Mikomi looked at his cousin, frowning slightly and his eyes plagued with sadness.  He sighed and said, “I know Kelsey…it’s just, I’m worried about them.  Sure they can take care of themselves, but if these guys were powerful enough to bring down Dad, Uncle Hidama, and Angel Island, they obviously mean business.”  He paused, both Kelsey and Amberly looking at him, concerned; his sadness quickly melted away as he remembered the humans screaming to kill him, and clenched his fists, growling softly.

   Despite what Shadow just explained to him, Mikomi wasn’t willing to show mercy or acceptance to any human he didn’t think deserved it; unless they showed him kindness first, they were all the same in his mind; rotten to the core and deserving of nothing less than a brutal punishment.  In a low voice, he shouted, “I’ll get these humans if it’s the last thing I do!  They are the ones who deserve death for what they’ve done to us.  I’ll see every last one of these Maniacals dead, but not because I want to help save the human race…they can be destroyed forever, every last one of them for all I care.  It’s nothing less than they deserve.”

   Kelsey was enthusiastic in agreeing with Mikomi, answering him with a cheer and a hug, while Amberly only watched enviously, determined to get Kelsey out of the way so she could get close to Mikomi.  Amarie ran back to them when she heard him speak, for with her hammer in hand, she was ready to beat the pulp out of these enemies as well, especially after she was beat up on for no reason.  Shadow on the other hand, as he passed them by to catch up to Rouge, was only filled with more worry.

   As the kids ran ahead, Shadow and Rouge walked together, hand in hand.  Shadow sighed and said, “This isn’t good Rouge; Mikomi’s hardly guardian material, in both attitude and blood.  With no more echidnas to preserve the guardian blood, the line of guardians will have no choice but to marry into lesser races…it has already begun.  Mikomi and Kelsey only have half the power of their fathers.  I’m afraid the guardianship and protection of the Master Emerald will soon be fated to all life, not just the echidnas.”

   “You’re right Shadow; everyone is going to have to become more responsible.  It’ll become a worldwide effort to protect the Master Emerald from misuse by all souls…but still, does this mean the line of guardians is finished?” Rouge asked.

   Shadow looked at Rouge, his faced stricken with worry and concern.  “Unfortunately that’s exactly the case; Hinsei Hidama and Knuckles are the last true guardians to walk this earth.  When Mikomi and Kelsey marry, it’ll thin out the guardian blood even more until it disappears entirely just as the echidna blood will be lost forever.  Their descendents will have so much different blood in them they’ll become a new race unto themselves,” Shadow explained.

   Rouge let out a sigh and said, “It’s a shame.  I bet the echidnas were wonderful souls.  Hidama and Knuckles are certainly shining examples of their glory.”

   The black and red hedgehog gazed at the children as they walked and talked before him.  He closed his eyes as he thought of Rouge’s words, bowing his head almost as if in memory of a long forgotten, but treasured memory.  “They were everything you imagine them to be Rouge, and yet, I believe that their legacy will not end with Hidama, Knuckles, and their children.”  Looking forward, he whispered, “Those kids, especially Mikomi, simply need to be started in the right direction.  I believe, they are destined to be heroes, and bring on the same peace the echidnas tried to give us all, in both their lives, and their deaths.

   Neither of them said much of anything after this; Shadow was too concerned for Mikomi; the trauma he had suffered in that one day in Station Square had a very negative and deep effect on him, and Shadow, like he had mentored Hidama in the past, knew he had to do his best to help Mikomi in his plight.

   Yet there was no more time for talking now, for they quickly came upon the Maniacal base they were searching for.  Unaware that this wasn’t the main base, they were ready to storm off to the final showdown and take out the leader.  They gathered in the shadows outside of the base; only two lightly armored guards barricaded the entrance, a threat that Shadow could easily dispose of, but first he wanted to get their plan of attack in order.

   “This base is a lot smaller than I thought it would be…even so, we must track down the leader quickly and take out anyone that stands in our way.  The three things to remember are, one, that we need to rescue Amy, Delilah, Knuckles, and Hidama; two, we need to retrieve the Master Emerald; and three, we have to take out the leader.  Simply put, we’ll have to split up into groups until the end.  Somebody needs to rescue Hidama, Knuckles, Amy and Delilah, someone else needs to retrieve the Master Emerald before we all come back together for the fight.  Once more, there’s a high chance they are being held separately, so we need at least two different groups.  I say this because the leader most likely has the Master Emerald with him, which we shall have to retrieve before the fray gets too intense,” Shadow explained.

   At this point, Amberly glanced over at Mikomi, who stood next to Amarie and Kelsey; if only she could get grouped up with him and Kelsey with someone else, then she could question Mikomi about how he felt about Kelsey.  Yet again, however, her father’s intentions were working against her.

   “I think…,” Shadow said looking towards the entrance, “That two of you should come with me, and two of you should go with Rouge.”  Glancing at Mikomi, he said, “I think you should come with me Mikomi.  I intend to go looking for your father and Hidama.  Rouge can look for your mother and Delilah, then we can meet up again before we find the Master Emerald and the leader.”

   This was Amberly’s chance; she could go with her father and Mikomi and Kelsey and Amarie could go with her mother; it was perfect…except…

   “Oh, can I go with Ms. Rouge, please?  Kelsey can go with you and Mikomi Mr. Shadow, hee, hee.  We’ll have a good time, right Amberly?” Amarie asked.

   Kelsey immediately looked at Amberly; the smirk on her face was a mile wide as her little cousin dashed Amberly’s hopes of getting alone with Mikomi.  She smiled sweetly, looking to Amarie and said, “That sounds like a great idea Amarie.  You, Amberly, and Ms. Rouge will be an awesome battle team!”

   Amberly scowled a bit, but managed to glance up at Mikomi, who already had a look of relief on his face.  Amberly still didn’t understand if Mikomi and Kelsey had anything more than the brother/sister relationship, and now she wasn’t any closer to finding this out for sure, for her father was looking at her, and she knew she had to obey him.  “Sounds fine to me…we’ll show these guys not to mess with us,” she said, forcing a smile and trying to keep from glaring at Kelsey enviously.

   Shadow nodded, not aware of the battle going on between his daughter and Kelsey, but more than ready to take on this team base.  He put a finger to his lips to silence the group, before revealing his red chaos emerald, ready to take out the two guards at the entrance.  He suddenly disappeared from sight, shocking Mikomi, Amarie and Kelsey who had never witnessed the power of a chaos emerald.

   “He’s using chaos control,” Rouge whispered.  Peeking around the corner of the base, she continued, “He’s using it to execute a surprise attack.  We should see him again any second now.”

   Suddenly, as if on cue, Shadow reappeared, only now he was right in front of the guards, slamming his fist into the face of one, who fell, dazed, into the other, before they fell hard to the ground, landing in a heap on their weapons, knocked out cold, as he hovered in the air.  “Feh, that was too easy,” Shadow said, landing and pulling his gloves on tighter so they fit better.

   The others ran up to Shadow; Rouge stopped right in front of him, planting a kiss on his cheek before she said, “It feels good to fight again doesn’t it?”

   Shadow managed a weak grin, before shaking his head, saying, “That was hardly what I’d call a fight.  These people aren’t going to be any real challenge.  Let’s get inside and get this over with.”  He paused, putting his hand on the door but hesitating to open it.  “You do have your chaos emerald don’t you, just incase you need help?” he asked.

   Over time, Shadow and Rouge had learned how to use the chaos emeralds to communicate; all they would do is use the power of one to activate the other, causing it to flash, using it as a signal if the other needed help.  They had never needed to use it for an emergency, but incase they did now, Shadow wanted to make sure they had it.  Rouge flashed the green chaos emerald, continuing to smile and said, “I’m never anywhere without it Shadow, you know that.”  Glancing back at the kids, she whispered, “Let’s get this over with.”

   He smiled, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek before throwing open the doors to the base, only to find a long, empty hallway before them.  He stepped inside, then raised his hand, beckoning the others to follow.  He looked at the line of doors that lined both sides of the hallway, and where the passage ahead of him led.  He turned and said, “Mikomi, Kelsey, we’ll search the west side of the fortress; Rouge, you should take Amarie and Amberly and search the eastern side.  Then we’ll have to meet up before taking on the boss.  Don’t hesitate to take anyone down.”

   Rouge replied with a nod, looking back to Amarie and Amberly, motioning to the closest door on the right, and then disappearing through it.  Amarie immediately, followed, with Amberly giving a longing glance at Mikomi.  Kelsey glared at her, and Shadow gave her a reassuring nod as a farewell; Amberly then followed her mother and Amarie, leaving Kelsey and Mikomi with Shadow, and the western side up for their exploration.

   Shadow caught Kelsey glaring at Amberly, but said nothing of it.  He saw the somewhat frustrated look in Mikomi’s eyes, and he got his first whiff of the growing competition between Kelsey and Amberly.  He remembered a conversation he had with Elianaron, about the issues that could arise from Hidama and Knuckles keep their children isolated and thought, “Perhaps Elianaron was right.  Kelsey loves Mikomi only as a brother, and yet seeing Amberly flirt with him angers her.  The two of them have no idea how to handle such a situation.  She sees Mikomi’s shyness, and tries to help him by scaring Amberly off.  Hopefully this will help them learn how to handle those feelings, and allow them to spend time with their peers.  They certainly can’t do much good unless they learn to expand their minds and accept others.”

   After a pause, he looked into the nearest door leading west and said, “Well you two, we need to get on our way as well.  This shouldn’t take too long…these humans are incredibly weak, almost as if they have nothing to defend at all.”

   He then took off into the near passage, with Kelsey and Mikomi following him quickly.  Adrenaline was high as both groups split off into the base; they’d take out the occasional guard or wandering Maniacal, but as they went on, with no sights of any heavily guarded areas, they began to wonder if this was where their parents and the Master Emerald were taken.

   “Darn it all…if Knuckles and Hidama were here I was sure we’d find them already.  We’ve already traversed over half the base, and the guards here are a joke; you’d think the security would be much higher if they were guarding the Master Emerald and its guardians.  Something’s wrong here,” Shadow said to himself.

   He spoke little to Mikomi and Kelsey, who really had no need to help him fight as of yet.  After so much silence, Kelsey looked at Mikomi; she didn’t understand why Amberly’s appearance had her so angry and defensive of Mikomi.  She knew he could look after himself.  It’s not like he was her boyfriend or anything; he was her cousin, not even her brother, though she loved him as one.  Could she and Mikomi simply not handle these kinds of feelings?

   “Well, Amarie was right I guess.  I don’t want Mikomi being bothered by that girl Amberly.  Even if I’m just his cousin, as long as she makes him uncomfortable, I’ll protect him.  But, then again, if he and I act like that towards everyone, we won’t make many friends.  I wonder how he feels about all this,” Kelsey thought.

   Yet before she could speak, Mikomi looked to her and asked, “You don’t like Amberly too much, do you?”

   Kelsey flushed red, immediately flustered by the fact that Mikomi knew exactly what to say.  She looked away from him as they walked and said, “I…I don’t know.  I just…didn’t like how she was acting is all.”

   Mikomi grinned a bit, still looking at her and responded, “What do you mean by how she was acting?  Is her personality just off to you or did it bother you that she was flirting with me so much?”

   “Wait a minute,” Kelsey started, slowing her pace almost to a stop.  Mikomi paused, looking back to her as she said, “You noticed how much she was flirting with you?  Wait, I mean…didn’t it bother you?  It’s just…oh…”

   Taking her hands in his own, Mikomi stepped up to her, smiled and said, “It’s okay Kelsey, you don’t need to get all flustered.  Heh, actually, I was just trying to be polite.”  He sighed and said, “Frankly she’s not my type…I mean, we don’t even know each other that well and all of the sudden she’s coming on to me like gangbusters.  That makes me think she’s only after me because she thinks I’m cute…nothing more.  My kind of girl would want to get to know me better first instead of outright flirting with me like that…it makes me nervous.  Love like that isn’t exactly genuine in my opinion.”

   He fell silent, and the two of them looked down at their clasped hands, then slowly back at each other.  She suddenly felt silly for defending Mikomi like she did.  Apparently he didn’t need her help at all.  Maybe she and Amberly could be friends.  Maybe Amberly could be friends with Mikomi.  He even knew the kind of girl he wanted already, but how did he?  The warm smile never left his face, and as he let go of one of her hands, he brought his hand up to her face and brushed one of her bangs clear from her eyes, caressing her cheek as he withdrew.

   “There…I like to see your eyes Kelsey; you need to style your bangs differently so they hang between your eyes and not over them,” he said, chuckling softly.  Despite how well he was handling himself, Mikomi felt the chills running through his body.  He began to understand why Kelsey was so defensive of him.  She was worried about him, and wanted to make sure he was alright.  He knew he’d be best to explain it to her so they could both be friends with Amberly.  Going through these hard times would be much easier if they weren’t fighting with the ones they knew they could count on.

   The two looked away from each other for a moment, and then Kelsey, holding his hand tightly, smiled a bit and said, “I guess I could try that…styling them different I mean…if you like them that way I mean.”  They looked back at each other, both smiling again; Kelsey was beginning to feel better.  Yet as they both looked down to their feet, both silent, they were unsure of what to say or do next.  It had not yet registered to them that they had fallen way behind Shadow, and yet as they stood hand in hand together, even with the threat of great danger facing them, nothing seemed to bother them; nothing could ruin this simply wonderful moment.  That is…almost nothing.

   They both looked down to their feet, both silent, both unsure of what to say or do next.  It had not yet register to them that they had fallen way behind Shadow, and yet as they stood hand in hand together, even with the threat of great danger facing them, nothing seemed to bother them; nothing could ruin this simply wonderful moment.  That is…almost nothing.

   Mikomi looked up at Kelsey, swallowed hard and said, “Heh, don’t worry about Amberly.  If anything we’ll just be friends…besides, I’m not looking for a girlfriend right now.”

   Kelsey gasped, looking up at Mikomi, who suddenly shattered any suggestion that he had developed feelings for Amberly.  As she gazed at him in shock, he continued to smile and continued, “Why should I have to when I have someone perfect with me already?”  Kelsey’s face relaxed, her eyes shining, stuck between a smile and a look of awe.  He shook his head, and whispered, “Listen Kelsey, you don’t have to worry about me.  …You wonder how I know what I want in a girl?  It’s because of you.  While I could never love you as more than a sister, I know the perfect girl for me has to be a lot like you.  Sure, she won’t be exactly like you, but, I’m looking for those same traits.  You’ll just have to watch out when the right guy for you comes along.  I’m liable to end up glaring at him too.”

   The silence was broken as the cousins let out a good laugh.  Kelsey sighed in relief, finally able to smile and said, “You know, Amarie and I were talking before we left home that morning.  I thought she meant it as a joke, because she said the minute a girl tried to come on to you I’d defend you from her, and that you’d do the same for me if a guy looked at me that way.  It seems she was right; I guess she really was probing my feelings that day, because the minute Amberly tried to flirt with you…it’s like something snapped inside of me.  In my mind she had no business flirting with you…hmm, I guess we’ve both realized we need to try and make friends with others.  It’s hard when all we’ve had is each other all our lives.”

   “Heh…that’s Amarie for you.  I don’t know what’s going on either, but…the same thing happened to me.  When Amberly was flirting with me I didn’t like it…I mean, she’s a nice girl but…ugh.  I guess neither of us know how to handle those kinds of feelings.  Heck, before too long we’d probably end up taking them out on each other,”  Mikomi paused, listening to his words.  He added, “Kelsey, we’re going to have to learn to trust people.  First, we should make friends with Amberly, and once this is over, we’ll be able to understand these romantic feelings.  Heh, I doubt we’d end up together romantically anyway…it wouldn’t…be right.”

   “Yeah…I agree…,” Kelsey murmured.  The silence returned; they glanced away from one another, then back to each other, not feeling the need to say more, and unsure of how to say it besides.  Mikomi took a deep breath, exhaling slowly, as he watched her breathe.  He was about to kiss her on the cheek, and it didn’t feel wrong to either of them, as if this was the way it always had been, and the way it always should be.  It’s not like it meant anything, it was from a brother to a sister.

   Yet as he leaned in to give her a kiss on the cheek, both of them closing their eyes as he did so, everything changed.  His lips had barely pressed against her skin when an alarm sounded.  Red lights flashed, dimming the hall, and a siren blared on and off simultaneously.  Still, Mikomi was able to kiss her cheek before he quickly withdrew, throwing his arm around Kelsey, who clutched her father’s bow in one hand, and Mikomi’s arm with the other.

   “What’s happening Mikomi?  What’s going on?” Kelsey cried.

   Mikomi’s eyes flashed with worry.  Whatever was coming, it couldn’t be good.  “I—I don’t know Kelsey…just…be ready to fight if we have to,” he said.  He paused, then panic set in, as he said, “Oh my gosh…Kelsey!  What happened to Shadow?  He went on ahead while we were talking!  This isn’t good…”

   The two looked at each other, then down the hall, lined with a number of possible doors that Shadow could have disappeared to.  Whatever was going on, they could only surmise that their presence in the base had triggered this alarm, and that the others needed their help.  Mikomi took Kelsey’s hand, guiding her along and said, “Come on!  Let’s head towards the back of the base!  Shadow said that was where we would meet anyway!  Hurry!”

   After the first few steps, Kelsey caught up with Mikomi and ran beside him.  They let go of each other’s hands, and were able to run faster as the alarm continued to blare and the red lights continued to flash.  They bypassed all of the doors, their eyes focused on the end of this long hallway that seemed to go on forever.  The doors were all silent, and yet as they ran, Kelsey spotted someone peering out of one in the distance.

   It was on Mikomi’s side of the hallway, and she could see them taking aim at him with some sort of gun.  Instead of crying out, she pulled an arrow from her quiver, stringing it to the bowstring, and took aim, closing one eye at first out of reflex.  She murmured, remembering Hidama’s lesson, “Both eyes open…”

   She released the arrow, which whizzed past Mikomi’s ear, over his head, and piercing the Maniacal member, killing him instantly.  However, he pulled the trigger of his gun in the process, and the two bullets fired now flew for Mikomi.  Kelsey now decided to scream, diving for Mikomi, knocking them both to the floor, the bullets flying just short of Kelsey’s head as they fell to the ground.

   They slowly sat up, panting heavily, in shock of what had just happened.  Mikomi looked at Kelsey, smiling with wonder and said, “Wow…awesome shot Kelsey.  Uncle Hidama certainly taught you well.  You…you saved my life Kelsey.  That was incredible…I didn’t even see that guy.”

   Kelsey was rubbing her wrist, having landed on it hard, and cringing as pain surged through it.  She shook her head and said, “It was nothing Mikomi…that idiot didn’t stand a chance.”

   Mikomi frowned, realizing Kelsey had hurt herself; taking her wrist gently he said, “Gee, are you okay Kelsey?  Are you going to be alright?”

   “Heh, I just hurt my wrist is all.  It’s not the hand I fire with either.  I can steady the bow just fine,” she explained, staring at Mikomi’s hands as he gently rubbed her wrist.

   Yet they wouldn’t have much time for talking, for Shadow, having heard both Kelsey’s cries and the gunshots, pin-pointed their location, and chaos controlled back to them.  He appeared in the doorway next to them, not really angry but, in panic.

   “Oh my…Mikomi, Kelsey, I thought I’d lost you two.  There’s no time to speak.  Rouge, Amarie, and Amberly are waiting for us,” he said.

   He pulled Mikomi to his feet, waiting somewhat impatiently for Mikomi to help Kelsey to her feet.  He then urged them to follow him quickly as they raced to the back of the fortress.

   “Shadow, what’s going on?  Why are the alarms going off?” Kelsey asked.

   “My guess is that they know they have enemies pursuing them, come to rescue Hidama, Knuckles, and the Master Emerald.  Only problem is…they aren’t here,” Shadow explained.

   A distraught look came to both Mikomi and Kelsey’s faces as they looked to each other, running along with Shadow.  “Wait, so…our parents aren’t here Shadow?  Where are they then?” Mikomi asked.

   Shadow was silent for a moment as they ran, and then replied, “That’s what we’re going to find out; Rouge, Amarie, Amberly and I took out the remaining guards, except for that one who shot at you, before I realized you were missing.  They’re waiting for us; we’ve found out where the leader is, only…he’s just the manager of this base, one of Sir Burns’ highest ranked administrators.  We’re going to confront him, and fight him if we must, to find out where Sir Burns really took them.”

   As they ran on, Mikomi and Kelsey gave each other wary and worried glances.  They were more than ready to fight, but they knew it would be much longer before they could rescue their parents.  With their first big battle facing them head on, they were unaware of exactly how dangerous this adventure would become, and yet, after that talk they had in the hallway, they had come to an understanding; they knew now, that no matter what peril faced them, and no matter how many new faces came into their lives, they would always have each other, and be together through it all.