So, how long's it been, y'say?

Uh huh... yeah... oka-- WHAT?! THREE FREAKING YEARS?? Isn't that punishable by law somewhere?? ... oh man. That's the lightest sentence? What if I plead insanity? ... I already did? And they considered that.

Crud.

Well, okay then, let's be optimistic here! With my life insurance, my plushies are set for life!

Since when did I hafta list them as beneficiaries?? Oh forget this bureaucratic nonsense, I'm just winging it and hoping no one kills me dead before the trial! CHAO! (hangs up)

Sheesh. And he says he's got an IQ of 300. HAH.

Anyway, to anyone still remotely interested in this story... I humbly apologize for this crazy hiatus! It's something of a long story, but I won't bore you here - if you're really interested, my DA page has all the details. The important thing is, my creative Mewse has gone utterly insane with new ideyas and can't wait to get these projects finished! Good gravy, I've been nursing this old beastie for almost 6 years now. Oo; That's so sad, it's amazing.

Still, I can't help being fond of it anyway. As much of a mess it is, I'm gonna do what I can to finish! Besides, I still hafta get to the juicy dramatic Sonamy bits yet! Nyohoho!

So enough of my babble! ONWARD!!

----------
RETURN TO LITTLE PLANET
by Ryuko DragonHalf
----------

Furou-san? Can you feel that?

Mmmm... her strength is returning.

The Jikan are coming together. That's helping, right? So then.. she can help us fight him back! And maybe, well.. since Sonikku is the one collecting them again... she won't...

It may start to cure her, but it's far from completely turning her around.

Yeah.. I guess so. I.. I'm actually scared.

Oh? Nan desu ka?

She makes sense. I mean, what happened to her.. what about me? Could it happen to me?

You must decide that for yourself, Amy-chan. You are the only one who can change your heart. Don't let her decide for you! She mus--

What is this?

Oh! Wh-who... no, not you! Not you!!

So you have been visiting with an intruder. Unacceptable.

Y-y-you can talk now?... p-please leave me alone... F-Furou-san? Furou-san!

You are no longer permitted to speak with him. You are restricted to myself and the creature only.

Urusai!! Go away!! Aah! Lemme go!

Silence.

Aaahh... my arms...

Cease your whimpering. No permanent harm will come to you, as your participation is key to my victory. I only wish to have a small chat with you, Amy Rose. There is much to discuss...

----------

Sonic could scarcely believe this was it. He'd gotten out of sticky situations before, even worse than this! Instinctively, the hedgehog curled in defense and forced himself to spin. The lack of air made it too difficult to maintain, though. He soon halted, free-floating and holding his mouth shut, the gaping gullet of teeth and doom rushing at him effortlessly... this was looking extremely bad.

Until an angry squeal soared over his head, joined with the delph, who proceeded to plow snout-first into the toothy monster. The kyoshi was knocked off course, just enough for it to jet past Sonic with an infuriated roar. It steadied itself and darted around in search of its prey. It found the delph all right - as it whistled and charged into its gills, causing it to curl in agony and "gasp". The kyoshi staggered away in defeat, deciding that blue spikeballs weren't worth all the trouble. Growling to itself, the gigantic shark sank down into a chasm and was soon lost in the infinite blue, with the delph following close behind, barking sharp warnings.

This was all well and good, but Sonic was losing air. Unless he was taken to the surface within two seconds, he couldn't see another way out. He was fighting his own body once again. It wanted to inhale, and his mind wanted to shut down. Sonic wouldn't last much longer..

"Hang in there Sonic!" came Tails' voice. It was amazingly clear beneath the water. Sonic had a feeling it was the fox who was now at his side and keeping him afloat. He wouldn't open his eyes, in effort to hold his fading breath.

'Air... Tails.. help…'

"C'mon Riyu, hurry it up!"

Her voice drew closer, annoyed as ever. "Keep your fur on, I've got it!" she huffed. She was pulling something out of her pack, he could tell. Air? Did she have air in there?

Suddenly, the dragoon's claws tugged at Sonic's paws, pulling them away from his muzzle. He began to panic. What were they thinking? Tails was letting her do this? Water seeped into his mouth. This was it.

'No.. the planet… Jikan.. Amy...'

He took his last gasp, sure that it would consist of water, fill his lungs, and end him.

... but it didn't.

In fact.. it relieved him?

He was gasping now. Where was the water? He opened his eyes in confused shock. Yes, he was still in Arashumi. And he was breathing! Was he dead then?

"That's it Sonikku-san! You can breathe!" No, not dead. Riyu was treading water above him, cheering him on. There was a clear domed mask surrounding her muzzle.

The same was accounted for Tails, who was to his right, holding him steady. "Don't worry about the water anymore," he urged. "We can breathe! All of us can!"

"H-huh.. wha?" Sonic's chest was heaving as he spoke. The new sensation of breathing underwater was mind-reeling, especially for our hydrophobic hedgehog. He was still expecting to drown with every breath! "How.. since.. when?"

The look on Tails' face darkened a bit. "Since Riyu decided to steal these masks from the carnival." He tried to seem angry, an act that proved futile. Sonic's survival cancelled out the bulk of his anger.

"OI! If I hadn't we'd all be doing the dead-man's float by now! It saved Sonic's life too!"

"Y-yeah, but that doesn't make stealing right!"

Sonic was getting used to their banter by now. He ignored them as he reached up, feeling the hard mask covering his entire muzzle. There was no tank, no holes, nothing that connected to any source of air. As he recovered and held Tails' arm for support, Sonic interrupted the little spat. "Guys, guys! What exactly are these things? How are we breathing?"

Riyu was the first to break off the argument and speak up. "Oh, these water masks come from the Kisekou! Were you there before?"

The hedgehog nodded. "Yeah, but it was abandoned then. Furou didn't tell me much about them -- wait a second.. the mines? That means.. don't tell me these things are made of rock!" he gawped, rapping his knuckles against the mask to be certain.

"Isn't it cool?" Tails couldn't restrain himself. "It's all because of the miners who work there! Somehow they can make these rocks do anything they want!"

"Noooot exactly," corrected Riyu. "The minerals they mine already have some power in them. It's believed, after all, that the Jikan stones themselves were fashioned there!

"The Ikkaku people are skilled craftsmen when it comes to jewels and minerals. It's their way of life. They make the necklaces and earrings you've seen everywhere, and more practical devices like these." She scratched one claw across her own mask, without leaving a mark. "This rock is porous and flexible, and with a little extra power from the Ikkaku, they've been made into underwater masks that can't fail. Water has oxygen in it already, right? The mask takes the oxygen from the water itself, mixes in some nitrogen, adds a smidgen of carbon dioxide from our own lungs, and voila! You're breathing with the fishies!"

Tails cut in, "And as a bonus, it allows our voices to carry through the water clear as a bell! Aren't they great?"

"Great?" Sonic scoffed. "What are you TALKING about?"

"Huh?"

"These aren't just 'great'! They're fantastic! Amazing!! Man alive, Riyu! It's a good thing you got a hold of these! I owe you one!"

At this point, Tails very nearly let go of his friend in shock. "SONIC! I can't.. you.. you're just encouraging her!" he stammered. "Stealing is a bad thing, remember? Eggman just so happens to make a living out of taking stuff without asking! Do you want her to become a crook too?"

"Oh.. well, er.."

"So that's what you think, eh kitsune?" Riyu's voice turned sharp and bitter in an instant. She paddled to Tails and met him with a cold, emotionless gaze. "You think I'm gonna turn out bad. Just like everyone else."

The foxling quailed, realizing the gravity of his words. "Oh—no, it's not that! It's j—"

Suddenly, her stare disappeared behind a cheerful mask, and she cuffed his shoulder with a hearty laugh. "Aw, don't worry about me! I get it all the time! One of these days, I'll stop being accused under circumstances beyond my control, and if I'm lucky, someone might.. I dunno, stick up for me or something. Heck, maybe they'll believe in me too! Until then, I'll keep dreaming."

Riyu was still smiling, but there was something "off" about it. Maybe it was the extra sheen glimmering over her eyes, or the unspoken feeling of betrayal and guilt passing between them. Tails tried to explain himself. "Circumstances beyond your control? Hey, I'm not judging you by your race! It's your actions! What you did was wrong!"

"What I did was save our lives!"

"Which I honestly appreciate and admire, but did you have to steal from someone to do it?"

"Does one act make me a criminal for LIFE?!" she exploded. Her emotionless mask couldn't hide the pain she felt anymore. "Can't you give me a break? Can't you give me another chance? Or am I a lost cause to you now? Here I was, thinking I'd finally convinced you that I'm a good person! That you could trust me! Tch, I was beginning to trust you! I actually wanted to be friends with you! But no matter how much good I try to do… if one minor offense is going to determine my entire future, and what you think of me… well, that just settles that, doesn't it? What's the point of trying anymore?"

With that she tore off, paddling furiously into the ruined city in the distance. Tails called after her, even reached a hand out, but if Riyu noticed, she ignored it. The boys were left floating, both staring after her shrinking form. Tails seemed to have lost his voice, along with the ability to blink.

A few moments of silence drifted in the current until Sonic spoke sullenly. "Has it ever occurred to you that maybe, just maybe, she's getting sick of all the arguing too?"

Tails only hung his head. "I… don't know why I said… I wanted to say sorry… she wouldn't let me.."

"Well, girls can be like that sometimes - believe me, I know!" the hedgehog laughed weakly, trailing off when Tails didn't respond. Sonic tugged on his arm and tried again. "Take it easy, man! There's still a chance to fix this! Look, give Riyu some time to cool off, and then you guys can talk like civilized people. Sound good?"

"Yeah… I guess so.." he sighed.

"Alright!!" Sonic cheered loudly and raised his fist, chasing away the lingering gloom. "Then here we go! Off to get us a Jikan and swim our soggy tails outta here for GOOD! Or, actually, if you don't mind doing the swimming for me, pal? I haven't had the time to learn, after all…"

Tails cracked a faint smile and rolled his eyes. Normally, "Sonic" and "helpless" were polar opposites. He was gonna do something about it right then and there, if only to distract his troubled mind. "Golly! I never realized that before!" Tails sarcastically remarked. "Then perhaps it's about time for a crash course, seeing as we're here and all. And since survival is the best teacher…"

To Sonic's horror, a devilish smirk crept it's way up the fox's face. "Uhm… Tails?"

"Think fast!"

And he yanked his arm from Sonic's grip. Almost immediately, the hedgehog was floundering and flailing in a mindless panic.

"GAAAAHH! TAILS! NO! Don't do this!! I'm gonna drown if you don't help me! I'm sink—I'M SINKING! AAIIIEEE! I'm as good as dead! DEAD!! NOOOOO, I'm too young to die! I-I can see a white light! And who.. ELVIS! I SEE ELVIS!! He's leading an entire choir!! SWING LOW SWEET CHARIOT?? OH CRAP, IT'S HAPPENING ALREADY!! AAAAAAAHHHH!!"

Unfortunately for Sonic, Tails was sinking too. The fox was laughing much too hard to be of any help whatsoever!

----------

It has been amusing catching up. I believe that now, the creature has gathered enough energy to perform a little jump in time for me.

Ah, she is pilfering some energy from you as well. You look exhausted. Relax, my dear. Do not fight back. Simply watch as we stop that infernal rat in his tracks. If you will excuse me--

Leave him alone.

... You dare interrupt me?

You heard me, you gutless jerk. Stop hiding behind illusions and take him head on.

... Come now. This is not like you.

Ah! Stop hurting me!

Why have you become so rude?

Because you're evil! You're hurting me, and Furou-san, and Kuronosu… y-you want to kill Sonikku!

Is that all? Really, Amy.

OW! S.. stop, please…

Such a juvenile reason. The innocence and purity you possess is admirable, but your efforts are in vain.

Shut up... you just want to wear me out, want me to stop resisting...

Then you also know of the alternative consequence if you do not give in to me.

I don't care! Go ahead and beat me up all you want! I won't let you hurt him!

It is only a matter of time before I "hurt" him, regardless of if you resist or not. You must know this. You must also know that the creature speaks true.

No! She doesn't understand--

Your struggle will go unnoticed. You will pay a high price indeed. The question remains, is it worth the cost, sweet naive Amy?

SHUT UP!! Just shut up and put me down!!

Then relinquish to me! NOW!

----------

Arashumi is dotted with buildings and rubble penetrating its surface, except towards its center. That is where the largest ruin lies, where the peaks of the buildings have no hope of reaching the air above. It rests in the deepest part of the ocean, nestled in the heart of an enormous, sunken chasm. Despite the many crevices and shelters available to the sea-life, not one fish made its home here. Sonic and Tails peered over the rim, down into the still waters below. Both of them sensed an eerie, haunted presence in the area...

"Incredible," Tails whispered. He sank to his knees and ran his fingers on the lip of the pit, speaking his mind as he came up with hypotheses and theories of all sorts. "This must be where the destruction began. Was the whole city supported by a rise of land underwater? Then an earthquake could've... no.. it would've settled directly underneath, then all of the debris would have filled it in. Did it just collapse? Maybe there was a crack or a fault, or something.. so why is most of the rubble out and around the area? Hmm.. any ideas Sonic?"

The fox turned to his companion, then stopped himself. Sonic was fixed on the heart of the ruin, lost in what seemed to be darkened thoughts. He was glaring at the sight. "C'mon Tails," he ordered with a tight voice, "let's get this overwith."

His first step downward was hesitant, but he plodded onward with grim determination. Tails grew worried as he swam close behind. "Is something wrong?"

Sonic appeared reluctant to answer, so he chose his words carefully. "This place gives me chills. I get the feeling that I'm not exactly welcome here..."

A tremor rippled across Tails' fur just as a low rumble drifted through the silent waters. His pulse quickened. "You mean... we're intruding?" he questioned with a hushed voice.

"Something like that," replied Sonic, who was equally quiet. The phantom presence was reaching for them, surrounding them, looming and thickening as they drew nearer. Tails' imagination was drawing horrific images of what could be haunting this desolate place... it was even giving the thing a voice, a low, guttural growl.. he was positive Sonic had his own nightmarish ideas, underneath his determined appearance. Still, the pair pressed on.

They'd reached the first crumbled building in a thick silence. It was here that Tails drew back in hesitation. "S-Sonic..?"

The hedgehog didn't slow. "What is it?"

"I.." His breath quickened. "I c-can't.. Sonic, I can't go in..."

Hearing this, Sonic stiffened to a stop. He waited until Tails went on.

"I know you can feel it, c-can't you? I-it's everywhere! S-suffocating.. strong... can't see it, b-but it... s-something here wants to.. to kill..! I-it has me, inside an' out.. sh-shaking.. c-can't... won't stop... not until I go away! Please Sonic, let me go back!"

Sonic took a shuddering breath and faced Tails. The poor foxling had curled into a tight ball and hugged his tails to himself. He was going to kick himself later for this... "I'm really sorry. But I need you here."

If possible, the ball of orange fur shrank even more, making the eyes seem even larger. "B-but this.. this thing! It's in there! What if it g-gets me?" He buried his face in his arms. "Y-you won't let me die, will you?"

A light snort of laughter escaped Sonic. He walked over to his trembling companion and placed one paw on his shoulder. "No, I won't let you die. Because there's nothing in there."

The trembling quelled. Tails raised a curious eye out of the crook of his elbow. "H-huh?"

"Listen carefully. What you're afraid of is a curse." He sighed, and a strange look of concern creased his brow. "A long time ago, Arashumi was wiped out. Someone died here, in the heart of it all. That person was filled with so much hate and anger, all that's left of them are those thoughts. They affect anyone and anything coming near here - and I'll bet that's why nothing lives here."

"But.." By now Tails had ceased shuddering altogether. "It's so strong. What happened to that person? How could anyone hate so much?"

Sonic only shrugged. "I can't understand it. From what Furou told me, it's been here for a couple thousand years."

"A couple..! And it hasn't gone away yet?"

"Obviously not. That's the tricky part, though.. it gets stronger the further in we go. And guess where the Jikan's hiding?"

Pure, unbridled terror suddenly came over Tails. Sonic only nodded.

"You betcha - it's right smack dab in the middle. This is why I need you around, Tails. If we let this curse overwhelm us, we'll never get out. So we gotta keep each other sane the whole time we're in there, okay?" He tried to grin, but Tails was still petrified. He'd started shaking again. "C'mon Tails! It won't be that bad, let's just give it a shot! I'll be with you the whole way, I swear!"

"Uhh, Sonic..?" His trembling paw was pointing over and above Sonic's left shoulder. "Look!!"

Taking his warning seriously, Sonic spun about.. and very nearly swallowed his tongue. A low rumble rippled down as a figure swam towards them, closing in fast, and growing larger every second. The first details consisted of hundreds of jagged teeth, each one razor sharp and twice the size of Knuckles' fists. Of course, this was nothing compared to the body which surrounded this immense mouth. It easily dwarfed Sonic and Tails combined. Yes, approaching them was the grand-daddy of all Kyoshis!

"Aaah, figgers."

"He can't fit in the ruins, Sonic! Let's move it!" Moments later, Tails shrieked and darted out of the grand-kyoshi's path. It swooped low and fast, and the wake of its' powerful tailfin sent the fox rolling. He righted himself in time to spot Sonic, who'd jumped to the other side, and the infuriated monster, who was above them again and pulling around slowly.

"Oh, you aren't worried about the curse anymore?" remarked Sonic. He tracked the grand-kyoshi as he jogged over to Tails, grinning all the while.

Tails wasn't quite as calm. "We're fish bait and you think the CURSE is what's bothering me?! This is no robot, it wants to EAT US!!"

"Stay where you are!" Sonic ordered.

With little time to argue, Tails could only gulp and do as he was told. The grand-kyoshi charged and gave them a clear view of its gaping gullet. It was inches from engulfing them when Sonic went to work.

He grabbed Tails' arm, yanked him out of the way, leapt aside, barely grazed the creatures' sandpaper skin, and with a mighty heave, delivered a roundhouse kick to its gills. They seemed to spring apart on impact. The grand-kyoshi gave a garbled howl as it crashed into the outer rim. A cloud of sand exploded into the water where the roiling monster gasped for oxygen. Meanwhile, Sonic shot back to the ruins, and with Tails in hot pursuit, they wasted no time in racing for shelter.

As they drew beneath the first craggy remains and collapsed, the curse barely touched them. They sat there, catching their breath, much too thankful for their survival to notice.

----------

I had intended to use the energy to retrieve necessary resources via the fourth dimension. Why do you insist on hindering my plans?

Mine can do in a matter of minutes what yours would take days to accomplish! And it will be twice as excruciating on him. I can hear him screaming in agony even now!

We shall see how effective your methods are.

Tch, your generosity astounds me. Just watch and learn. You won't be disappointed!

.. I am strangely curious. Why speak the same tongue as they? I would assume you resent hearing it, let alone speaking it. And why do you maintain an obsession with the one location which causes you the most pain? Your ways of thinking are convoluted, at best.

... I agree with you. I've argued those points myself many times. Nothing can make it stop.. nothing.. but maybe if... maybe the only way I can be free again is to erase him from existence! And doing that, I'll save her..

Murderous intent laced with sympathy? I cannot help marveling at your distorted reasoning! At the same time, I applaud it! Very well done!

Don't. Onegai, please.. just don't.

Go on. Before the girl awakens and tries to stop us again. Show him no mercy.

----------

The hate was thickening all around them. It permeated every inch of space available, and as Sonic and Tails explored further, the fur/quills on their backs stood constantly upright. They tried to avoid the darker corners entirely, which proved to be more difficult than was originally planned.

The area must have been the central hub of Arashumi, judging by the winding cobblestone streets, the variety of what might have been shops and restaurants, and the toppled high-rise towers and apartments, all of which were fashioned from smooth, faded marble. Unfortunately, the remains of the taller structures criss-crossed in large clusters, leaving little space beneath them, and even less light. By now the curse had intensified to the point where the boys thought they were being hunted down. The phantom was drifting between sunbeams, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. In order to cling to reality, the friends talked about more pleasant things, desperately keeping their minds away from whatever – or whoever - wanted them dead.

"So! How are things in the big city?" Tails asked loudly, as he peered into a crooked window. "Did you move in okay?"

Sonic turned down what was left of an alleyway when he replied, with equal volume. "Yep, I'm all moved in! Aside from that yutz of a pilot you set me up with, everything went smoothly!"

"Hey, he was the best I could get for you on short notice!"

"Ah, don't worry about it. He got me from point A to point B.. that's what matters the most, I guess."

He sounded casual, but Tails knew better than that. The foxling himself had tried to persuade the royal family otherwise, with little success, and he knew it was tearing Sonic apart inside. Knothole had been his home for years, after all! As much as he wanted to discuss it with Sonic, the evil force threatening them would only make things worse. Something positive, something positive... "Um... are your neighbors friendly?"

"Y-yeah, sure!" Sonic snapped back to reality. So far, all he'd found was rubble, rubble, a small patch of algae, and more rubble. He jogged out of the alley just as the curse began toying with him again, turning the algae cluster into a devilish face of teeth. However, his spirits lifted upon exiting the gloomy passage and sighting his friend. He smiled in relief as the curse retreated. "Hah, would you believe that Amy lives right above my apartment?"

Tails paddled over the narrow path to meet him with a wry smile. "You're kidding! Wait, don't tell me – she was the first one to make you 'feel welcome'," he laughed.

In response to his laughter, the curse seemed to throb angrily, as though affronted by this public display of joy. Both of them froze. The monster would find them now... it was behind them, beside them, all around, snarling, grinding its teeth.. and then it pulled away again. The pair sighed together. Maybe the silence had appeased it. Sonic walked on, further into the heart of it all, with Tails close by.

"You bet she was the first," continued Sonic nervously. "Wanna know the weird thing? She didn't attack me when I opened the door."

"Really?" Tails asked in mild surprise. "That's a first. Maybe she's giving up on you!"

Sonic didn't know if the curse was worming through his innards or not - his stomach gave an uncomfortable lurch. "Ah, I doubt it. I think she might be, I dunno.. growing up a bit. D'you think it's possible?"

"Pff, who knows? I'll never understand girls."

"I hear that!" Sonic laughed, then clapped his paws over his mask. The curse pulsed with raging fury this time. It snapped at them, growled and gurgled, surrounded them with malice and the strongest desire to murder the boys had ever sensed before. Tails went so far as to grab Sonic's arm in fear. They held their breaths.. quiet, calming... the monster gave one last contemptuous snarl, then slunk into the darkness. Sonic gulped. "Er... mental note: let's not do that again."

"Noted and agreed."

"Kwee!"

The noise made them both jump a mile. It had come from somewhere ahead, in the darkest section of Arashumi. When it sounded again, they exchanged glances. "Doesn't that sound like..?" Sonic started.

"Kwee! Kwee!"

Tails released his hold on Sonic. "Yeah, it's a delph!" he confirmed. "I think it needs help!"

"Kweeee!"

Clear images rang into their ears instantly. What they saw chilled them to the marrow. Without a word, they shot into the waiting black, knowing fully that the strength of the curse was now at its peak; yet their minds scarcely acknowledged the invisible fingers attempting to curl around their throats.

"Which way?" Tails demanded. He glanced around, but the toppled buildings blocked all but the thinnest fingers of light. "Where did it come from?"

"The delph must know we're here, it'll--"

"Kwee!!"

"Hurry!" The image had haunted them again. They turned as one into the remains of a marble-cut house. Into the main foyer, down the hall, past a flight of pearly stairs, and out the back door. Once outside, they saw the outline of a building which had tumbled into the former backyard. In fact, it was a cathedral, and it was so gigantic that its shadow covered everything around them. Its steeple had caught on the lip of another fallen structure, leaving it mostly upright, and its entrance accessible. While sunlight had no presence here, somehow, a light flickered from within the church. It outlined the arched doorway, the half of the door that was intact, and what were once immense windows. Sonic and Tails rushed ahead without question.

The water inside was frigid, but in motion. A slim grey delph was fluking in circles around a large glowing gemstone. It was no Jikan - this gem was oblong and upright, and it floated in place with its own power. As the delph sang, the stone flickered in response. Its light reached from the far corner of the massive, empty sanctuary to where the boys had paused by the entrance. They looked all around frantically, until Tails caught sight of a darker lump beneath the delph.

"There she is!" he cried. The delph snapped to attention, and squealed loudly upon spotting the pair. Tails wasted no time in swimming ahead. Sonic, however, jogged carefully behind. He had realized the curse's strength - the entire cathedral thrummed with its power.

So it was with surprise that Sonic regarded the delph's presence. Furou had told him that nothing lived here out of fear, and here it was. On top of that, it was easily the calmest one present! How did it escape the phantom's wrath?

The delph could feel Sonic's eyes on it. It returned the favor and swam to him with a curious look of its' own. The gemstone flashed, illuminating five points of light scattered across the delph's forehead. Sonic's interest was held for a brief second, until the delph suddenly whistled at him. Instead of pictures, this time, its' song wrote words.

MY THANKS, FRIEND. I HAD FEARED THIS ONE TO BE LOST.

Sonic did a double-take. He didn't know these guys could spell! At the very least, he was an ally. "We should be thanking you," he replied, "for leading us to her. We had no idea she was this far inside."

He watched Tails sink to his knees and pull the unconscious girl into his lap. Tails looked up at Sonic, lost and devastated. "It's the curse," the fox muttered. "She's fallen to it, hasn't she?"

It felt unnatural to see Riyu in such a broken state. She was completely limp, yet shivering badly, and barely breathing. Every so often, she would mewl in fear and flinch away from Tails.

SHE MUST LEAVE AT ONCE, the delph clicked earnestly.

"Tails can get her outta here. I'm not leaving without the Jikan," Sonic insisted.

JIKAN? the delph whistled. YOU NEED IT TOO?

'What luck,' the hedgehog sighed to himself. Would they have to compromise? "Yes, I need the Jikan to save my friends, and the whole planet besides! What about you?"

I DON'T UNDERSTAND. The delph drifted idly as he clicked to himself. THE CLOUD OF HATE MUST BE DESTROYED...

Sonic's eyes widened. "Hey, pal, I agree with you, but there's no way I'm letting you destroy any Jikan!"

The delph twisted around faster than was believed possible, the stars across his melon flashing in the light. His chatters came loud, clear, and lightning quick. THE FUTURE OF ARASHUMI DEPENDS ON THE FATE OF THE JIKAN. DISPELLING THE CURSE IS CRUCIAL TO THE SURVIVAL OF MY HOME, MY FAMILY!

"But if it's destroyed," Sonic retaliated, "the whole balance of time will be thrown outta whack! There's no telling what kind of effect it'd have on the planet! Amy, Furou and Cronos all need the Jikan's power to survive, too! I'm not risking it!" His voice echoed into silence.

It was probably Sonic's imagination, but when he'd finished, he was sure the phantom's hatred softened. Just a bit.

The delph was about to argue further, when Tails, who'd made no notice of the world around him, gave a shout. "She found it!" came his sudden cry. "Sonic! She found the Jikan!"

There was a rush of water, and the former debaters were peering down at Riyu's quivering form. For the first time, they noticed her left fist, grasped white-knuckled around a small stone close to her chest. Tails shifted her so that she leaned back against him, leaving his paws free to work it out of her hold. He struggled in pushing Riyu's arm away from her. As he did, the Jikan was revealed fully. It was the violet stone, but wrapped around it was a visibly writhing darkness.

"No.." Riyu pleaded, her voice haggard. "S.. stop, kuda.. sai..."

THIS ONE IS YOUR FRIEND, ISN'T SHE? asked the delph. Sonic didn't meet his piercing gaze. SHE SUFFERS THE BRUNT OF THE JIKAN'S WRATH. IT WON'T RELEASE HER UNTIL SHE'S LOST HER WILL TO LIVE. WILL YOU RISK HER SURVIVAL FOR THE OTHERS?

Tails gaped at the delph in disbelief, then offered the same look to Sonic, who, in turn, gave the delph a look of insulted disgust.

"Not on your life!" the hedgehog snapped. "What kind of question is that? There's got to be a way for everyone! And I will NOT," – he furiously jabbed his finger into the delph's snout – "hear one more squeak out of you unless it's gonna help me find that way! Understand?"

The delph had backfinned, intimidated, just out of Sonic's reach. His smallish brown eyes were wide with surprise.. and understanding. Meekly he nodded. Sonic did the same and returned to his friend, while the delph clicked gently at the ever-glowing gemstone above them.

Tails grunted, "It's no good. She won't let it go!" He tried to pry her claws off of the dark Jikan, but they wouldn't budge.

"Help me," she croaked, louder now. "Leave me alone... g-go away!"

"Is she having a nightmare?" the fox wondered.

"That's one way to put it. The curse must be torturing her now."

In a flat tone, Tails corrected carefully, "You mean the Jikan, don't you?"

Sonic sighed. "Y-yeah. The Jikan. Aah, I should've told you.. see-"

Just then, Riyu gave a howl of pain, and her body tensed. All of their focus had shifted to her. "Riyu!" Tails shouted, shaking her in desperation. "Snap out of it!"

WAKE UP, CHILD! DON'T LET IT TAKE YOU! the delph squealed in her ear. She didn't react.

"Keep talking, keep her here!" Sonic ordered. He reached down to pry her fingers off of the accursed Jikan.

The dragoon's face twisted in anguish. "She's hurting.. Sonikku, your f-friend is hurting.." she gasped.

The hedgehog froze. "What?" He watched her fight to open her dulled eyes.

".. hurting... inside and out.. you're losing her..."

Riyu fainted, limp as a ragdoll. The Jikan sank from her claw-tips and clattered to the stone floor. It gleamed with a darkened light.

Soon after, a thunderous roar tore through the water, and the entire cathedral buckled under a powerful force crashing down on the weakened ceiling. Everyone conscious cried out and turned their eyes upward. Large chunks of marble had already given way, and were tumbling toward them at breakneck speed. The delph gracefully darted aside, as Tails practically threw Riyu out of harm's way before jumping clear himself.

Sonic raced to grab the tainted Jikan and take cover, but not without hesitation. The moment he'd made physical contact, the gem sent furious knives lancing into his arm. He grit his teeth, resisting the urge to yell, and dove for the floor; a sizeable slab of stone missed him by a hair.

The delph sent a short wave of clicks skyward, which were barely heard above a chorus of rumbling growls and snarls. A few seconds later, he reported, THE HUNGRY ONES SURROUND US! THEIR LEADER IS DESTROYING OUR HAVEN!

"Trying to flush us out, huh?" Sonic groaned. The Jikan attacked him relentlessly. He had to drop it off before it did serious damage. "Tails! Where are you, you guys okay?"

WHAM!! Another attack rocked the world around them. Clouds of silt and rocks the size of his head rained down on them this time. Sonic dodged as fast as the water would allow him. He could hear Tails yelping and moving around, but with sand choking the water, he couldn't find him. Worst of all, the sand burned his eyes, and interfered with the godsend that was his breathing mask. Charging blindly was out of the question – the kyoshi were closing in, by the sound of things – he couldn't see – his arm was stiffening, numb...

Suddenly, a blast of delph song knocked him backwards, just as a piece of the once-sturdy roof slammed into the very spot he'd been standing. He squinted into the gradually dissipating cloud, and caught sight of familiar star-like markings passing over him. HOLD ON, the delph commanded, nudging Sonic's free arm over his neck.

Eyesight meant nothing to the delph. He navigated the chaos, swimming into the thick of the sandy cloud, thanks to the unmatched precision of his sonar. The grand-kyoshi had ceased ramming the ceiling – whether it was out of fatigue, or preparing a final charge, no one could tell.

FOUND THEM! The delph pounded ahead to the farthest corner. Sonic tightened his hold on the delph and dared to open his eyes fully. At last, they were clear of the sand, and the first thing he saw was the twin-tailed foxling, holding Riyu protectively. The oblong gemstone bobbed silently above them, as if it had followed them the whole time.

"Sonic!" Tails coughed. "You're okay!"

"Not yet," he groaned back. "Open Riyu's backpack, quick.." Tails was swift to oblige, and braced himself as Sonic crammed the throbbing Jikan into the bottom. It struck both his necklace and the crystal ball, and upon contact, excruciating agony fired through him. Sonic yowled and recoiled away. He gave an audible gasp of relief as he coaxed the feeling back into his arm. "Whew.. now I'm okay."

Tails was frowning, concerned and confused. "What was..? N-never mind, how do we get out of here?"

He was about to answer when two kyoshi swam headlong out of the murky waters. Their jaws swung open eagerly at the sight of their prey. Sonc and Tails flinched back, completely unprepared, but the delph reeled around and attacked.

His sharp song pierced everyone's ears; it formed no words or pictures for the furries. It was, however, affecting the kyoshi – they'd screeched to a halt upon hearing it, and their glistening black eyes darted to and fro in confusion. They were caught unawares as the delph darted around them, then charged and pummeled their unprotected gills until they could no longer swim straight. They shrieked loudly, and the heroes were certain more would come in reply.

The delph bleated, I WILL DISTRACT THEIR LEADER. ESCAPE BEFORE THIS PLACE COLLAPSES! Of course, Sonic moved to protest, but the delph barked at him before he could. THERE'S NO TIME! THE ANCIENT GLYPH WILL PROTECT YOU UNTIL YOU REACH THE SURFACE. DON'T WORRY FOR ME, I'VE FACED WORSE THAN HUNGRY ONES BEFORE.

"But what about your mission?" Sonic cut in. "I'm taking the Jikan, yanno!"

YES, NOW GO!

----------

Hmph. His suffering was temporary. All of your boasting came to nothing.

N-no, if he wasn't so.. if he hadn't said that, I would've tried..!

URUSAI! SHUT UP! Both of you, shut up and leave them alone! Look what happened to Riyu! And what almost happened to Sonikku!

Amy, your interference is what nearly killed her! Stop meddling in my affairs! It will only mean more trouble for your friends!

YOUR affairs? You think I ASKED to be here?? This whole mess is your fault!

.. Amy... don't cry, please. Listen, I--

Please, just leave them alone, I'm begging you! I'll do anything!

Well well, it seems even the most firey youth have their limits. Feh. Pathetic.

Yamete yo! She's a heartbroken child!

What good is a heart, I ask you? Once broken, it is irreparable, if your story is any indication. It serves no functional purpose.

You wouldn't know. Our hearts sense the world around us in ways you couldn't imagine.

And is that particular trait worth the pain? Neither you nor little Amy have the strength to overcome. It is a crippling frailty! While the pair of you lament and mourn losing those you claim to love, your minds focused on the festering wounds left by a broken heart, I will be rid of that pest, and build a glorious empire for myself! Yes, this planet has great potential as a base of operations…

Wh-- not here! You gave your word that Little Planet would not be threatened!

Huh..? What do you mean?

My word lasts as long as our partnership. You did not specify otherwise.

P-partnership..? What..?

Hush, Amy. It appears we must come to a new agreement.

Perhaps. No transaction will be made unless I see benefit for myself. Will you comply?

You'll see...

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16 pages is pretty huge.. XD; I'll leave this here for now, but I swear on all I believe in, the next chapter's already started! That is, if you're still interested. I know this fic is ridiculously huge, but I hope it's been an interesting ride so far. Please let me know in a review! Should I bother reviving this, or had I best move on? I await your opinions with bated breath! Chao for now!

NEXT TIME: Sonic has more to outrun besides hungry kyoshi! But even if he and his friends make it, what trouble waits for them on the surface? Can they ever catch a break? Not when a possible thief is running loose! STAY TUNED!