Till The Night Falls

~3~

I'm sleepyyy _o_ zzz

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Nox led the struggle through the snow and against the wind, unable to concentrate enough to make his ice platforms in this kind of blizzard weather. He kept having to shout to remind Tails and Sonic that he was there, as he blended so well into the snow that it was abnormally easy to lose sight of the normally noticeable cat. Nox thanked his lucky stars for his thick winter coat. "I ABSOLUTELY CANNOT FIND MY WAY!!! WE ARE COMPLETELY, TOTALLY, UNEQUIVOCALLY LOST!!!" Sonic yelled, only just able to be heard above the storm. Tails tapped his gadget, shielding his eyes from the whirling snow simultaneously. "Sonic! In this weather, there's no way we're going to get any readings on this thing! Should we go back?" Nox turned around, pointing. "Hey guys, there's a light up ahead! Maybe we can take shelter there until the storm passes!" 

The windswept and bedraggled trio made their way toward the light, and as they got closer, they saw that it was a wooden cabin lit from within, hopefully from a fire. Though, that brings up a question. Why would they build a wooden cabin with the purpose of putting fire inside? Stone is a decent insulator, and wood is a much worse fire hazard. I hope they at least have a stone fireplace... Nox thought to himself. A tap on his shoulder startled him, and he whirled around with his ears back and hands held out. Tails' expectant blue eyes calmed him, and his ears went back up.

"Sorry," Nox mumbled, his cheeks turning pink. Tails smiled sheepishly, then held out an oversized parka and some ski goggles. Nox wrinkled his nose in disgust but put them on anyway. "Didn't you say that Green Hills didn't mind aliens?" He asked once he'd gotten the stupid clothes on. Sonic nodded. "Yeah, after I saved their lives from a mad scientist. Before Eggman showed up, only one person was onto me and everyone thought he was crazy. He also tried to catch me in bear traps." Nox's eyes went wide and he nodded. "Ohh-kay." Tails seemed worried. "Are you sure about this? We don't know who's inside!" He implored Sonic, fiddling with his gadget absentmindedly.

"Don't worry, on Earth people are very welcoming, and love taking complete strangers into their homes!" Nox furrowed his brows but didn't say anything. Sonic was here before the both of us. He knows this planet and this planet's people better than I do. He reasoned, fiddling with his tails nervously. A thought struck him, and he touched his forehead gem and then his heart in a gesture of protection. I really hope he's not wrong.

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The bar was bustling, people were chattering comfortably, and the storm outside seemed very far away. A warm and cheery glow came from the fire and fake lanterns scattered about the room. Everyone seemed completely at home. And then the door opened, sending a freezing gust of air into the small room and everyone stilled, turning to see who dared disturb the incredible peace and temperature of the bar. The door swung open slowly, revealing three small figures swaddled in heavy snow gear. The one in the middle, who was Nox in disguise, blinked, looking around the room for possible threats.

A man with a scar through his left eye turned in his seat, glaring at the three in the doorway, and Nox heard a sharp intake of breath from Tails and Sonic. Nox then looked toward a second table, where a heavily tattooed man thrust a large knife into the table. Tails flinched heavily at the thump, taking a step back, and Sonic lifted his hands from his sides defensively. The three then looked at a harmless-looking old lady, sitting in a rocking chair and knitting peacefully. Sonic and Tails let out a sigh of relief and glanced at each other, but Nox narrowed his eyes. Always be on guard. You never know who's a threat. 

Sonic and Tails looked back at the old lady, and she grinned evilly before holding up what she was knitting. It was a white skull, with a black nose, teeth, and eyes, against a red background. Tails and Sonic screamed, Tails jumping backward, before finally turning to the guy behind the bar. The guy behind the bar chopped the head off a fish and slid it off the table. It rolled to a stop before Nox, and he looked down at it warily. To his eternal shock, the fishhead spoke. "Run."