Beauty and the .EXE

Chapter Eleven: Visiting the Past

Later that day, Sonic was reading out in the garden. It was the same area where Jet tried to pick a rose for Maddie. He found this part of the castle nice. And it was a quiet place to read. As he read, Maddie walked over to him, wearing a winter cloak given to her by the staff.

"What are you reading?" Maddie asked Sonic

Sonic quickly closed the book, "Nothing."

But Maddie saw the title as she walked to sit next to him, "Guinevere and Lancelot."

"Well, actually, King Arthur and the Round Table. Knights and men and swords and things."

Maddie hummed, "Still... it's a romance."

"All right," Sonic admitted

Maddie just smiled fondly. But to discuss books was not why she was there.

"I never thanked you for saving my life," Maddie said looking up at him

"Well, I never thanked you for not leaving me to be eaten by wolves," Sonic said, adding to the thank yous

Maddie laughed at his comment, knowing they both had something to thank each other for. In the distance, the two could hear the castle staff in the kitchen, having so much fun. Sonic turned to the noise, smiling fondly at his staff having a good time. Especially in such a rough time.

"They know how to have a good time," Maddie commented

"Yes," Sonic agreed, "But when I enter the room, laughter dies."

Maddie sighed, "Me too," Sonic looked at her in curiosity, "The villagers say that I'm a funny girl... but I'm not sure they mean it as a compliment."

"I'm sorry," Sonic apologised before trying to lighten the mood, "Your village sounds terrible."

Maddie gave a small laugh, "Almost as lonely as your castle."

Sonic then got an idea, "What do you say we run away?"

Maddie looked at him slightly confused. So, Sonic took her to the library. There, he took a book from a shelf that hadn't been touched in years. As he unlocked it, he explained that the book was another gift from the Enchantress. A book that allowed him to escape. Sonic blew the dust off the pages before placing it on a book stand. On the pages was a map of the world with golden smoke floating around it. Sonic felt as if the book was the Enchantress's cruelest trick of all.

To have a book that could take him anywhere in the world and not be able to go anywhere just because of his appearance. But he knew that Maddie could get better use out of it. Sonic put Maddie's hand on the book, telling her to imagine a place she had always wanted to go. As Maddie thought of where she wanted to go, the golden smoke started to rise as it took them to a windmill just outside of Paris. Like the others around it, the windmill wasn't in great condition. Everyone had left a long time ago.

"Where did you take us?" Sonic asked Maddie

"Paris," Maddie said, looking around the windmill

"Oh, I love Paris!" Sonic walked over to the window, "What would you like to see first? Notre Dame, The Champs-Élysées... No? Too touristy?"

"It's so much smaller than I imagined," Maddie continued to look around the windmill

As she looked around, Maddie found some old drawings left on a chair. One of them was a sketch of a baby.

'This is the Paris of my childhood. These were the borders of my life. In this crumbling, dusty attic, where an artist loved his wife. Easy to remember, harder to move on knowing the Paris of my childhood,' Maddie picked up a rattle in the shape of a rose and sat on the bed, 'is gone...'

Sonic suddenly realised why Maddie had taken them here. Judging by her words, this was once her home. But there's one detail in Maddie's life that Sonic was curious about.

"What happened to your mother?" Sonic asked

"It was the one story Papa could never bring himself to tell," Maddie explained, "I knew better than to ask."

On a chair near him, Sonic found an old, discarded mask.

"Oh. A doctor's mask," Sonic picked it up and examined it, only to realise what kind of mask it was, "Plague."

Maddie's mother had died of the plague. A dangerous disease that had ever fallen upon Paris. As a final request, her mother told Jet to take Maddie away before it could take her too. So, Jet did just that, taking Maddie to the village to start anew, leaving his dear wife to succumb to her illness alone. Now realising how terrible Jet and Maddie's past was, Sonic finally spoke up, saying something he should've said a long time ago:

"I'm sorry I ever called your father a thief," Sonic apologised, sounding genuine in his apology.

All Maddie could muster was, "Let's go home."

Sonic was surprised at Maddie calling the castle 'home' but he didn't argue and the two returned to the castle. Meanwhile, back in the village, Eggman and Knuckles finally arrived back. It was storming outside. Knuckles had been trying his best the whole trip back to convince Eggman to go back for Jet to set him free. He felt bad for him and knew that what Eggman had done was so cruel. But Eggman had no intentions of going back. He had his plan and he was sticking with it. So, the two just entered the tavern where Knuckles voiced why he was trying to convince Eggman to help Jet.

"It's just... every time I close my eyes, I picture Jet stranded alone. And then when I open them, he's..."

Knuckles was cut off when he saw Jet, alive, and having some food with Pere.

"Jet!" Knuckles said, sounding happy yet shocked that the man had survived the night.

But everyone had been told of what Eggman had done and what he tried to do. And a lot of the villagers weren't happy.

"Eggman," the keeper spoke up, "did you try to kill Jet?"

Eggman decided to play dumb, "Jet! Thank heavens! I've spent the last five days trying to find you."

"You tried to kill me," Jet argued, "You left me to the wolves."

"Wolves? It's one thing to rave about your delusions. It's another to accuse me of attempted murder."

"Jet..." Jean spoke up, "Do you have any proof of what you're saying?"

"Ask Honey," Jet pointed to Honey who was warming up by the fire, "She rescued me."

Eggman laughed, "Honey! You'd hang your accusations on the testimony of a filthy hag? No offense, Honey."

Honey gave a quick raise of her eyebrows, showing that she took no offense. So, Jet turned to the only other witness.

"Monsieur Knuckles," Jet said, looking over at him, "He was there. He saw it all."

"Me?" Knuckles asked, unsure whether or not to tell the truth or stick to Eggman.

"You're right. Don't take my word for it. Knuckles..." Eggman put his hands on Knuckles' shoulders, "my dearest companion... did I, your oldest friend and most loyal compatriot, try to kill the father of the only woman I've ever loved?"

"Well, it's a complicated question on a number of accounts..." Eggman turned Knuckles to him, giving a look that practically threatened him to side with him, "But no. No, he did not."

Everyone mumbled at this sudden news. The only other people who were there had both lied their way into being innocent. Angered by this, Jet walked up to Eggman to slap him. But Eggman grabbed his wrist, stopping Jet from hitting him. Eggman twisted Jet's hand to the side, stopping him from trying.

"Jet.. it pains me to say this, but you've become a danger to yourself and others. No wonder Maddie ran away. You need help, sir. A place to heal your troubled mind," Eggman nodded to three men, becoming them over, "Everything's going to be fine. Just fine."