A Second Wind: Book One, A Legacy Found

Chapter 12: Ripping Open the Wound

"How is she?" Angie whispered.

"Resting," Aunt Maria said.

Angie looked to her friend. The plum purple eyes shining with concern, "You wanted to speak with me?"

"Yes," Aunt Maria said, "I just need to know what happened."

"Bottom Feeders," Angie said looking towards the ground, "They got both me and Mari. Zephyr tried to get to the target, but...missed."

"Forcing Sparky into the firefight."

Angie nodded, and silence fell over them for a moment, before speaking up again, her words more for herself then for anyone else, "She did it again. She got hurt. She got hurt, while trying to protect us."

Aunt Maria sighed, looking towards her eldest niece. Mari had taken after her father. That much had been clear since she was a young child. Not only did she look the most like him, but they had the same spirit. Despite what many had heard of her late brother's reputation, he was not a killer blind by his pain and rage. He merely was wounded young, quiet and wasn't one for public events, but he did care deeply for those close to him. Mari was the same.

"I know, but we can't stop her," The elder hedgehog said.

"Can we really not do anything?" Angie nearly begged, "She's getting worse."

"Even if there was, I don't think she'd let us."

Zephyr woke up screaming.

His blue quills, frizzing and spiking out like that of a startled kitten. Gasp came in quick breaths, as his ears twitched. Had that been real?

The door to his room opened and Aunt Maria rushed in, "Zephyr are you alright?"

The young speedster just nodded, numbly. His breath still panicked. A soft smile from his aunt did little to calm him. She sat next to him on the bed, and pulled him into an embrace. Zephyr hugged back, not really caring about acting tough right now. If it wasn't for the lack of the smell of cooking spices, Zephyr might have believed he was in his ma's arms.

"Bad dream?" Aunt Maria said.

Zephyr nodded.

"It must've been a bad one. You don't usually wake up screaming from nightmares."

"It was. It felt real. Like I was there."

Aunt Maria pulled away slightly, her hands still on his shoulders, as her pale blue eyes stared at him, "What did you see Zephyr?" her voice chillingly serious.

"It wasn't much," Zephyr started while breathing heavily: "Just the camp where we took out the silo. There was this raccoon who...He wasn't supposed to be there...he snuck in. There was this underground tunnel. I don't know what they were making but they were building something down there. Something big. They...they found him...captured him...I woke up before anything else."

Aunt Maria's eyes had widened slowly, as Zephyr explained.

The expression of shock, made Zephyr's stomach churn, "Aunt Maria?"

"I think it's time to talk about your mother's powers."