Beautiful Curse

Chapter 37

        We can do nothing but listen and watch as our friends are bombarded with robotic enemies.

        "Oh no!" Sonic cries from inside his transparent chamber. "Tails—guys! Get out of there! It's a trap!" It's as if he believes they will hear him. Maybe he still thinks there is hope left, and that our friends will somehow realize all is about to go wrong.

        "Let them come."

        Startled by the mysterious voice, I look around my chamber and see nobody is here with me. Then I remember my dream. Black said that the next time we speak might not be in a dream. I didn't know what that meant at first, but now I understand. Black? I inwardly ask, wanting to be sure it is my guardian.

        "It's me," the voice says. "Our time is quickly approaching. When the last Chaos Emerald is here you will be able to use your power to release me, and together we will save your friends and defeat the evil plaguing this world." My mind goes quiet as if he completely disappeared when he stopped talking.

        But Sonic...and Shadow...and (Cousin)... They're scared. I'm scared, too. What if the others get hurt? We won't be able to save them from in here.

        "They don't understand this is a good thing. Unlike you, they don't have someone to guide their decisions and actions. That is why you are better than them." Although nothing is here, I still feel the cold touch of the (animal) spirit as if he has laid a hand on my shoulder. "It will be you who brings this world to safety. Not Sonic, you. And you will be praised for it."

        My heart glows at his words. Even before I met the three-foot-tall anthropomorphic animals, I always wanted to be a hero. I wanted to use my curse for something good—not to hide it from the entirety of humankind. People may try and deny the existence of monsters, whether by ignoring what is around them or by hunting down anything unfamiliar to extinction, but the fact is that we are here. We live among them. We only hide because it may be dangerous to test the humans' reactions to the unknown.

        If I become a hero, that will end.

        Black doesn't say anything more, so I refocus my attention on the large monitor observing the battle between the living and nonliving. Tails is piloting his plane with expert skill, dodging missiles and lasers and fighting back with his own. A massive clearing is the result of his efforts. When the plane momentarily flies near the ground, Knuckles, Silver, and Blaze jump off, leaving just Tails and Amy inside.

        The ice groans and creaks, supporting the weight of the factory and the robot fleet, as well as taking damage from the constant weapons assault.

        The echidna and time-travelers become lost in the mass of mechanics. I can hear them from the speakers, though, shouting to one another and ripping apart metal bodies. The Tornado II circles over the factory, trying to break into its defenses with a couple of deliberately placed bombs while at the same time avoiding flying robots.

        "Hmm, this is taking a little too long for my liking," Dr. Eggman hums to himself. "Why don't we spice things up a bit?" He presses something, and the large monitor we have been watching suddenly has a target sign in the very middle. There are gasps, and the lab is filled with wild screaming and cursing. The doctor pays no attention. My eyes widen as he centers the target on the Tornado II.

        A second later, a blue and yellow blur is plummeting from the sky with a trail of fire following after it.

        "Tails! Amy! No!"