Tangle vs. Whisper: Out of Control

Chapter 2: Disappearance

Whisper was a girl without a home. Since the loss of the Diamond Cutters, she had wandered the world, occasionally setting up a camp. Most recently, she had set up a tent on the outskirts of Spiral Hill. The wolf's band of Wisps were just rousing her awake when she received the call.

"Whisper? Come in. Whisper!"

Whisper, recognizing the voice of Tangle's friend Jewel, current organizer of the Restoration, reached across the tent and clutched her communicator, already fearing for the worst. She had been having terrible thoughts all night, about what Tangle had been trying to tell her and how Whisper's ignorance would affect her.

"What's happening?," the wolf inquired into the communicator, just a bit louder than her usual voice.

"It's Tangle," Jewel uttered. "She's... she's vanished!"

Whisper jumped back, opening her eyes wide, upon hearing the words.

No, no, no!, she thought. This is all my fault!

"I'll be there right away!," Whisper exclaimed, panic in her tone. She couldn't afford to lose Tangle. Not again!

-

Soon after packing up her supplies, Whisper and her Wisps returned to Spiral Hill Village. As she arrived at the gates to town, she ran into Jewel.

"Whisper! Thank goodness you're here," the beetle gasped. "Tails and Amy are here representing the Restoration. We're turning the town upside down looking for Tangle, but have had no success."

"You don't get it," Whisper moaned.

"Whisper, I've been Tangle's best friend since we were kids," Jewel said lowly, rubbing her arm and putting her head down. "She could always come to me to understand and help with her problems. If she were leaving, she'd talk to me. She's not the type to quietly vanish..."

"I think her disappearance is my fault," Whisper silently admitted.

"You've always been too hard on yourself, Whisper..."

"No, you don't get it!," Whisper raised her voice. "Tangle tried to tell me something yesterday, but I wasn't paying attention, and she had a breakdown and fled! That was the last I saw of her."

"So that's how it went," Jewel muttered, choking back tears. "That's why."

Whisper lowered her head and simply stood there for a moment, before speaking up.

"Where can I find Tails and Amy?"

"They're at Tangle's house," Jewel softly spoke, "comforting her moms."

"I want to go there," Whisper solemnly uttered. This was probably the worst possible way to meet Tangle's family, but Whisper would do anything to make up for what happened.

Whisper, Jewel, and the former's Wisps made their way up the Spiral Hill, passing by shops and landmarks.

"The bakery, a must-have for any breakfast," Whisper said under her breath. "The salon, which Tangle basically kept in business..."

"Everything you know about our town, you got from her..." Jewel admitted.

Finally, most of the way up the hill, the two arrived at a medium-sized, two-story, yellow concrete house.

"We're here," affirmed Jewel.

Whisper opened the door to reveal a large living room, where four figures sat around a table. Two were easily recognizable as Tails and Amy. The other two were a white-faced adult ring-tailed lemur in a bright green dress-coat, and a somewhat buff sifaka lemur in a blue crop top and sky-blue sweatpants. Whisper was quick to identify them as Tangle's moms.

"Hello, Whisper," the sifaka melancholy spoke, turning to face the young wolf. "I'm Cling, and my wife is Carole."

"I wish we could have met in a better situation," Whisper murmured. "I need to tell you what happened."

"We have a pretty good idea of what happened," Carole admitted, slightly cranky. "She had something important to say, and you said no."

"I would have answered properly!," Whisper snapped. "I just... I just wasn't paying attention. I was too busy thinking, and when Tangle realized that she started crying and wandered off. That's the last I saw of her."

Carole gritted her teeth, but Cling patted her on the shoulder to calm her down. Whisper's Wisps made their way over to the aggravated lemur and snuggled up to her, which seemed to relieve her a little bit.

"So what you're saying," Amy inquired, "is that you never saw her leave town."

"No," Whisper admitted.

"She wouldn't just walk out of town like that," Cling stated firmly. "Not without letting us or Jewel know."

"So she was kidnapped!," Tails suddenly interrupted, inciting gasps from the people in the room.

"Tails," Amy confessed, "it's not like you to suddenly jump to conclusions like that."

"I know, I know," Tails admitted, "but this is a stressful situation. Tangle's our friend, and she's made some enemies."

"Including all of my enemies," Whisper growled.

Suddenly, a wet slapping sound rang out from outdoors. Whisper twisted around, her Wisps entering her Variable Wispon, and marched out the door. Outside, she found a trail of clear slime leading down the street, as well as a note plastered on the wall. She struggled to ply the stuck note off the wall, and began to read it, her eyes widening with a gasp.

"What is it?," Amy jumped.

Whisper presented the note to those gathered.

Only Whisper. Nobody else.

I have what you're looking for in Crimson Canyon Cave.

You do not know me, but I am your worst nightmare.

I await our confrontation.

"I TOLD YOU!," Tails cried. "SHE'S BEEN KIDNAPPED!"

"Whoever this is," Carole roared, standing up, "I'm gonna break their bones!"

"Nobody can come with me," Whisper sighed. "Not only could you get hurt... but I bet Tangle would get hurt too, and I just can't let that happen."

"I'm getting deja vu," Tails admitted. "This is just like the Mimic incident. Could it be him?"

"No," Cling admitted. "He could shapeshift into something slimy, but it wouldn't leave a trail like that."

"So this is a new enemy I've never faced before, asking me to face them alone..." Whisper was silent for a few moments. "But-"

"It's for Tangle," literally everyone else in the room finished.

Whisper jumped and opened her eyes, a tint of red appearing in her cheeks. "Um, yes. It's for Tangle."

Whisper's Green Hover Wisp emerged from her Wispon and gave her a pat on the shoulder as the wolf straightened up.

"Against better judgement, I'm going," Whisper affirmed as she stepped out the door. "I'm going to save Tangle."