Sonic Boom: Travels (Shadora)

Chapter 15: Recovering Troubles

A swelling pain stabbed at a little 8-year old pink hedgehog's foot as she tripped over a huge rock, causing her toe to feel numb. Her father stopped running immediately as he looked at Aurora, and ran towards her as she cried out in pain. "It hurts! It hurts!" the pink hedgehog repeated as she kept grasping her left foot for comfort. 

   Sonic just sat down on his knees beside her, calmly asking, "What hurts?" Choking, Aurora answered, "My foot! It hurts!" Sonic touched her foot, which caused her to flinch it back and bawl even more. "Ouch!" 

   "It'll be okay, Tiny. Can you walk?" 

   Aurora tried to stand up, but she ended up falling back to the ground, still crying. But luckily, after what happened long ago in Roboken (remember "Robots from the Sky" parts 3 & 4), he knew how to treat this injury. Except the duct tape part. Hearing his daughter whimper as she rocked back and forth in pain, he gently picked her up, gently repeating, "Daddy's got you." 

   He then ran to the house, and wrapped his daughter's injured foot with latex-free elastic, same way Mighton and Bolts wrapped his leg with duct tape when he sprained it. After bandaging up Aurora's "boo boo" (as the kids say), he told her, "You really need to watch where you're going, Tiny. Otherwise, you get hurt." 

   Aurora just stayed quiet, and looked away. Then, finally she spoke saying, "Daddy? Will I get lots of owie's when I grow up? What do I do?" 

   "I hope you don't get a lot. But if you do, just remember to take care of yourself first, so you can help others. That's what I do." 

   Aurora looked at her father with big eyes, and he brought up a warm smile. He held out his arms close enough as the little girl hugged him. Tears swelling into her eyes, she said, "I love you, daddy." 

   Her father rocked her side to side, replying, "I love you too, Aurora. 

   "I promise I'll do anything I can to keep you safe." 

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Aurora sobbed as she sat on a log, full of guilt and furious at what she just said to her dad back in the camp. Sometimes I wish mom would've married someone instead of you! her own voice echoed in her head. She put her hands on her face, and said to herself, "Why did I even say that? After all he's done for me! He was just trying to protect me, but he always does so overly!" 

   I don't know what to do with myself! the pink hedgehog thought as her jacket glowed a very bright blue light. She wiped more of her tears as she closed her eyes. She needed the quiet. She hummed sweetly. She felt like singing an actual song, but in the state she was in right now, she didn't want someone to overhear. She felt something on her right shoulder.

   Aurora tensed up, and looked at what was on her shoulder, and saw that it was a Sprite! It was navy and cyan blue, very small, and was flowing with electric bolts. To explain these creatures, they are similar to wisps in Sonic Colors, except Sprites are power ups in the game Sonic Dash 2 Sonic Boom. There are some that give you bonus revives, extra rings, extra protection, etc! 

   Aurora widened her eyes at the sight, and wondered, Why is it all alone? She then rolled her eyes and grabbed her hammer. She didn't want company at the moment. "Not now, okay?" she explained as she shook off the little creature. But it just squeaked off nonsense and swooped towards her and grabbed her hand. 

   Annoyed, Aurora glared at it and repeated, "Not now!" She the shoved it away. The creature zapped her just before she could start running. She hissed, and dashed away. After reaching the coast, she was sure she had lost the sprite. "Why won't it leave me alone? Why did it zap me?"