I can't concentrate. I know we're supposed to be focusing on the emerald ahead, but my mind is wandering to other sensations—greatly similar to that coming from the purple Chaos Emerald hidden within the black and red hedgehog's quills. Something is calling me, I know it. I wonder, Maybe Silver was right. Do we really need all of us to go after these two emeralds when there are still so many left to be found? Sonic, Shadow, and Knuckles seem like they can take care of themselves. They surely don't need me to tag along for the impending fight against Dr. Fatso. We are trying to save the world, after all. It shouldn't be too big a deal if I head off in my own direction. I trust them to return with the emeralds and themselves intact.
Abruptly, I swerve away from the group and hear a panicked call from Sonic. "H-Hey! Where're you going?" The other anthros take notice, however, they make no move to stop me as they continue at the same pace and in the same direction as before. Sonic starts to lag behind, keeping his eyes on my form as I travel east.
"Leave her. We can't be sidetracked," Shadow commands with growing agitation. His teeth are grit. I've tested the waters too many times with him, and now he must be at the brink of his tolerance.
The blue hero whips his head worriedly between the Ultimate Lifeform and echidna. Then, once again, he gazes into the thick forest where I had left to. Chest swelling, heart rate slowing, he gulps back the worry and catches his friend's attention with the determined glint of an emerald eye. "Knuckles. You and Shadow get those emeralds back safely. I'm not letting (Name) go by herself."
Sonic follows after me.
We run east, through the mountains and around plateaus, all the while avoiding the dangerous cliffs that would certainly spell our deaths. The air gradually grows thick and heated, causing my (animal) pelt to feel sticky and uncomfortable. I ignore these feelings. Behind me, Sonic stays silent, matching my pace step-for-step without being a bother. He can tell I am concentrated by my perked ears and never-wavering stare. He accepts being a tagalong at this moment, as long as the destination has significance to the mission.
I begin to pant after a couple hours of travel. The humidity is soaking into my skin, heat and liquid unable to be released. But it doesn't matter. The signal I have been following—whatever it may be—feels close. It is when we arrive at the edge of a village do I stop for a short break.
"Chun-nan?" Sonic asks while looking down at me in curiosity. "Is there something important in the village that you know about?"
Panting heavily, I tell him, "I think a Chaos Emerald might be here. I'm not super sure, I just have a feeling."
He just watches me with a dubious expression, not saying anything since it wouldn't matter anyway. If we are here, we may as well search the area for anything of use.
When I've caught my breath, I shift into human form and politely beckon the little rodent to follow. We make our way into Chun-nan, shivering slightly from the strong breeze that blows down from the cascading waterfalls of a nearby mountain. It's very beautiful, despite the clouds covering the sun and causing the village to be shrouded in a grey tint. I'd enjoy the view much more if it wasn't extra cold from the autumn season.
The people we pass by look at us funny. Or are they just looking at me? I swear the pupils peeking from everyone's squinted eyes are following my every move and continuing to watch me when they are left far behind in the streets. Do I look different or something? I contemplate asking Sonic if there is anything on my face, but I push the thought away. The emerald, or whatever item that is emitting this energy I'm feeling, is far more important than a few strange stares.
"They probably don't get many visitors from other countries," Sonic suggests when he notices my paranoia. "I wouldn't worry about it too much. Anyway, do you know where this 'emerald' is? 'Cause if we're leading up to a dead end, we may as well head back to Spagonia to meet up with Tails. Shadow and Knuckles probably have their Chaos Emeralds by now."
"I think I feel something coming from over there," I nod, pointing across a long, stone brick bridge where a massive temple stands in solitary on a hill.
"Awesome!" he shows me a thumbs up. "Let's check it out and get to Spagonia—My tail's starting to get numb from this wind!" He chuckles, and I smile at the joke. Then we both break into a brisk walk, ignoring those staring as we pass into their eyesight.
A dark pond lies underneath the bridge, certainly very cold to the touch yet still consisting of life. Frogs and freshwater turtles swim along the slow-moving current, taking refuge on giant lily pads when they become too tired. I'm sad to say that I miss most of these details, too concentrated as I am on the Chaos Emerald that could possibly be inside the temple.
Sonic and I approach the grand structure without much difficulty. All those people from before, who just wouldn't stop staring, have long gone. In fact, I think they were hurrying away when they saw us going to the temple. Are they worried about some sort of Chinese spirit? I wonder with a frown. I hope we aren't trespassing on anything sacred. With that thought in mind, I halt, hesitating at the tall archway entrance. "Do you think we're allowed to just...walk in?" I ask Sonic.
"Hmm. Dunno," he shrugs. "I don't see anybody stopping us from going in. So, I guess if there was an invitation needed, we'll just apologize afterward."
Though that doesn't make me feel much better about trespassing, we still go inside.
The inside of the temple is situated in a circle. Grey columns line the edge, each with a unique plaque bolted to it. On the plaques are strange symbols and pictures, surely giving meaning to anyone who is native to Chun-nan. A red, round rug covers up the majority of the stone flooring in the middle of the room. At the very center of the rug, displayed on a tall stand like a trophy, is a cyan Chaos Emerald.
"There it is!" Sonic laughs, peering up at me with a sly grin. "Looks like the team's got its own, personal, Chaos-sniffin' Bloodhound!" I wither a little at the terrible joke, wishing he'd take things more seriously. He just laughs again and pushes me forward. "You go ahead and get it. I don't think I'll be able to reach that high."
I step forward and onto the red rug. Before I get any closer, several sets of glowing orbs appear from behind the temple columns. Three Chinese men step out of the shadows, each wearing loose black clothing and eyeing me with hostility. On instinct I retract a step, feeling my sense of alert rising. Are we in trouble for trespassing? Have these men come to deal the punishment? Why are their eyes glowing?
"Girl. You don't belong here," one of them says, his black eyes gleaming despite the only light coming from outside. He inches nearer, and so do the other men.
"I-I don't?" I question nervously, holding my hands together so they won't tremble from the adrenaline starting to release into my bloodstream. Behind me, I hear some footsteps, and then Sonic is right at my side, facing the strangers with a brave face.
"We know you are a were(animal)," a different man from the first hisses. "The (animal)s of America are enemies to those of China. We are bound to a pact: Never let the American (animal) step foot into our homeland. But now you are here, and trying to thieve our sacred gem from Hanshan Temple..."
"...and you will not leave with your life!" they all chant.
Both Sonic and I gasp in astonishment as the men's eyes turn from black to green and they fall to the floor on their knees. Their bodies writhe and they groan out. Bones can be heard snapping, and the bodies visibly morph and elongate.
"Change, (Name)!" Sonic shouts. "There's gonna be a fight, and I don't want to be the only one up against those things!"
Dropping to my knees, I transform as quickly as the process will let me, just managing to leap away as black jaws snap at where my exposed throat had been. My transformation was much speedier than theirs, even though they had started earlier. This causes the large, dark males to growl in frustration. My hackles rise, and I stand my ground as they slink around, spreading out to block off any escape. But I'm not trying to escape. My blood is boiling for combat, and they have willingly offered it.
A (animal) howls in anger when a red and white-striped sneaker slams into his head. While the others are distracted by the outburst, I lunge forward to grab a forearm between my teeth. I bite down hard, listening to the bones crunching beneath my supernatural strength. There is no time to play around—these creatures must be dealt with as swiftly as possible. The following shriek deafens my ears for a few seconds, but I'm more concerned with the sharp pain blossoming from between my shoulder blades. Too close to the spinal cord for my liking.
I release the disfigured forearm and slam my head upwards, causing the (animal) to bite his own tongue. He stumbles from the loss of stability between his front limbs, however, quickly adapting to the use of one arm. Behind him, I see Sonic struggling to fight the other two were(animal)s. Giving this one a deadly glare, I rear up on my hind legs and use his back as a launching pad. I jump clear over a black beast but land on his friend, knocking him away before a blue ankle can be snatched.
Piercing snake eyes gaze into mine. The anger that was shown before is now absent. Lips are pulled back to reveal sharp fangs, but those eyes are blank. If it wasn't for the consistent rising and falling of his chest, I would say this creature is not alive at all. I snarl back, an ear twitching uncertainly as a memory quickly unfolds. The bear out in the woods looked just the same...and he had snake eyes. Speedily, I push myself away when the (animal) lunges for my face. In an agile maneuver, I land both paws on the enemy's flank and push him to the ground. He doesn't make a sound when I clasp my jaws around a furry throat and shake my head from side to side.
"Don't kill anyone! We can end this without any deaths!" shouts Sonic. With great bravery on his side, he zips past the (animal) he had been fighting against and attempts to wrap both arms around my neck. It takes all his strength to pull me away.
When I finally do part with my enemy, blood gushes in a stream from the torn flesh. The hedgehog's eyes widen in shock. Coming to my senses, I lower my head in shame at how far I had gone. However, what happens next is equally disturbing.
The torn and bloodied were(animal) on the ground rolls from his side to his belly and stands up, not a whimper being made. He glares at me coolly, and the others behind him do the same. No move is made to check on how the injured creature is faring. It's as if they don't care. As if the injury isn't important at all. Blood continues to steadily drip down, blending in with the red rug. The (animal)s appear to share the same thoughts, and they disappear out the temple in a flash.
The fight is finished.
Releasing a relieved sigh, Sonic slumps against me with an arm grasping at the fur on my back, too short to actually keep a secure hold. "Whew, that was...really weird. For one, I thought those guys were totally gonna have at us after you had almost—not killed their friend. That was super crazy, too, when the (animal) just got up like nothing even happened. Boy, I'm sure tired after that fight. At least we got the Chaos Emerald!" His face brightens into a smile.
Shrugging off the little peach-colored arm, I roll my eyes and shift back into a human. Upon returning to my usual form, I grunt painfully and grimace. A burning sensation spreads along the back of my neck and down between my shoulder blades. Stickiness soaks into the fabric of my new shirt and slowly dribbles downward. The scent of blood has my nose curling.
"You're hurt," Sonic points out the obvious, his joy dwindling to concern.
"I'm fine," I say dully. "Let's just get the emerald and get out of here. The smell is starting to make me feel sick." Keeping back any pained facial expressions, I step up to the stand in the middle of the temple and reach high up, feeling as my wound rips wider. When my fingers are wrapped around the intensely glowing jewel, I quickly bring it against my chest and hunch over in discomfort. Warm energy flows through my fingertips at the same time as it spreads throughout my chest. It makes me feel much better.
Sonic and I leave the temple behind, emerging back into the cool air of the mountain village, Chun-nan. I listen as the hero hedgehog rambles on about how I had dealt with those (animal)s so easily. I was much faster than them. Much stronger. Though I did obtain an injury, it was nothing compared to theirs. Looking to the side, I momentarily meet with the impressed, emerald gaze. Then I look away, a bit of red tinging my cheeks.
He tells me I'm a fighter. I think it's shameful that I would have killed if he hadn't stopped me.
We wonder about going to a hospital to patch up our injuries but decide against it when the citizens we pass by give us those funny looks again. What I notice is that the funny looks are actually laced with hostility. Have they already heard about the fight inside the temple? If they did, that means they know about the were(animal)s. I'm guessing this village must have a local supernatural community they look up to. Going to a hospital would make us more vulnerable to attack. And who knows what the nurses could put in the medicine?
Knowing it would be too painful for me to run all the way to Spagonia, Sonic seeks out a somewhat clean, somewhat safe place to stay for the night. He ends up finding an empty shop that had went out of business. Pulling me inside, the teen sits me down on the old, ragged carpet and looks around for what can be used as a blanket. Of course, since it's a completely empty shop that probably hasn't been used for years, there are none. Sonic grumbles and sits beside me. He pulls out his wrist-communicator, dialing his friend in a couple pushes of the buttons.
"Hey, Tails, it's me. (Name) and I had a bit of trouble getting a Chaos Emerald and now we're stuck in Chun-nan without any medical supplies." He pauses, listening to the fox's worried voice shooting question after question. "—Hold on, we're not dying just yet. There's something weird going on around here and we just feel safer staying away from the public instead of going to the hospital. We'll be spending the night here, but don't worry about us. Tomorrow we'll go straight to Spagonia. Goodnight, little bro." He hangs up the call and leans back against the cold wall, shuddering upon contact.
I feel grateful that he didn't mention me being the main reason why we are still here in Chun-nan. He made it out as if we are both equally injured; equally unable to leave. He respects pride and understands it. I wish I was more like that. I wish I was a hero. But I'm not, and even if I keep trying, I never will be. Today only showed how uncontrollable my wild side can be.
Mind starting to go blank from exhaustion, I gradually slide along the wall sideways until my head rests on the ground, barely an inch away from a blue thigh. I shift around to get comfortable, being careful not to stretch my back wound any further. Locks of (color) hair spread beneath me, used as thin cushioning against the hard, cold ground. My eyes close. Before I fall asleep, I hear a light snore and feel as my face is enveloped in soft warmth.