Blood Bonds

Part 6 - The Guardian Angel

Somewhere in the plains off the surrounding forests of the newly-risen Angel Island, four exhausted fledglings bumbled through the air, looking around wearily for food. The leader, Gregal, decided they could take a break in the warm meadow, where the grass and dry wheat parted to some cleared ground, hardened from the reemerged blazing sun. They all piled together and quickly fell asleep on the warm, dusty dirt, momentarily giving up their tiring escape for a chance to rest. Unbeknownst to them, a masked Mobian approached soundlessly, minding her own business. The honey-colored wolf looked around at the drought-damaged plants through her surreal blue-eyed mask as she walked, her golden ponytail bobbing to her pace. Resting on her shoulder was a long white sniper rifle that looked to be fused with some other sort of unidentifiable weapon. The wolf paused mid-step, a frown displayed on her tan muzzle as she peered down at the sleeping aliens through her white guise. The wolf took off her circular mask to see the creatures better, revealing the white markings of her fur around her squinted blue eyes, which were slightly widened at the odd sight. She then took her gun and fiddled with a few dials on it, before a group of brightly-colored more friendly-looking anomalies not entirely unlike those resting at her feet swarmed about her. They looked around curiously, before spotting their darker counterparts and abruptly shrinking away in horror. The wolf sat down, watching her own tiny aliens' reactions to the sleeping creatures in grim puzzlement. Slowly, the Wisps grew slightly more courageous and cautiously approached the fledglings. One even poked the blocky alien. Blurk stirred in his sleep, but did not wake. Gregal, however, opened an eye grumpily, saw the figure sitting right beside him, and leapt into the air, shrieking loudly. Immediately the surrounding Wisps hid behind the wolf. Gregal's siblings, startled awake, all took singular frightened glances at the figure kneeled before them and darted off into the grasses, attempting to hide.

"I mean no harm...!" The wolf called softly. She remained still as one of them poked their heads back through the foliage, peering at her suspiciously. Cyzer crackled something hesitantly. Slowly, the wolf held her hands up in a calm manner, her voice a mere whisper.

"I'm not here to hurt you. My name's Whisper. Are you and your friends lost?"

Gradually, the alien younglings cautiously floated out from their hiding places, exchanging confused and nervous looks. Finally, Gregal croaked something out to her. Whisper listened to the Wisps for translation, before giving him a sympathetic smile.

"You guys hungry? The Wisps and I can get you some food. Would you like to come home with me?"

Blurk blabbed in protest, but Rhygenta chimed some reassurance to him, and the four accepted the wolf's offer. She carefully picked Rhygenta and Blurk up with her free arm, while her Wisps shyly gathered around Gregal and Cyzer, lifting and carrying the exhausted critters through the air after the wolf as the group set off through the wheat field off to the wolf's home.

When they got there, she set them down on the table in her kitchen and shuffled through her pantry, before pulling out various alien-like fruits. The four Black Arms youths excitedly squealed and flailed about on her table at the sight of the bright food items. She set the goods around them and the anomalies feasted savagely, splattering juice all over the table, letting no bite go uneaten. The desperate feeding put some fear back into the Wisps, who watched from a little ways away in silent horror. Whisper smiled and leaned against the closed doors of her pantry, watching in earnest.

"Gee, you guys were really hungry. How long ago was your last meal?" The wolf's smile dissipated when one of the Wisps relayed Gregal's answer. "No wonder you guys were so weak when I found you. How did you manage to last this long?" She conversed with them through help with the Wisps as translators. "...You had a caretaker? Eclipse? But he got caught and...? Oh, I'm terribly sorry to hear that. Oh..." Tears swelled up in the soft wolf's eyes as she sat in a chair and crossed her arms over the table, resting her head beside the well-fed anomalies. "...I had a squad once, that I was really close with, but... Dr. Eggman, he... they're gone because of him, and..." Whisper smiled sadly, wiping away her tears as the little aliens gave her concerned looks. "Sorry, I didn't mean to get deep, I just... I understand what it's like to lose someone important to you..."

She sat up again and pulled her newfound friends closer to her. "You guys can feel free to live with me if you'd like. I've got room for plenty more."

Gregal looked up at her forlornly before closing his eyes and whining. The fully reality of Eclipse being gone had suddenly hit all of them, and Rhygenta joined in with the sorrowful cry. Whisper hugged them to her chest, rocking them slowly as the juveniles wailed, drawing the Wisps closer in sympathy.

Unbeknownst to any of the animals, however, two sinister eyes watched from up in a tree only a few feet from the window. The octopus shrouded in darkness spying on them put down his binoculars and pressed a finger to his earpiece.

"An interesting development, doctor... four more wisps have joined our target." His voice was soft and silky, yet sinisterly cruel. "This might complicate things, or make things easier, it all just depends on if they really are the last of the Black Arms..."

"Return to base, Mimic." A breathless, snickering voice beckoned him in response. "This could be very good, especially considering G.U.N. captured a Black Arms creature earlier this month."

"Heard." Eerily, the octopus' dismal form suddenly shifted and transformed into a chipper, blue flickie. The little bird miraculously took off from the tree and silently flew off into the dense, dark forest.