Mobius Destiny (A Sonic Boom Fanfic)

Chapter Three

Chapter Three

Kay landed roughly on her back, the twigs and rocks beneath her pressing against her spine painfully. She knew the sword would be coming for her even though she couldn't see it, so she raised her broom handle to protect her head. Sure enough, a moment later her assailant's weapon lodged itself in her own, nearly splitting it in two. Finally the stars in her vision cleared enough for her to see the black-furred lynx snarling down at her.

The storm clan always was the most relentless, she thought to herself, bringing her foot up to connect with the soft spot between the ninja's legs. It was a low blow, she knew, but in life-and-death situations such as this one, there were no rules and she felt no remorse as her enemy yelled in pain. Immediately, Kay swung her other leg up to help her roll onto her side, hooking the lynx's hip in the process and forcing him to lose whatever balance he had left. Then, while he was still recovering from that, she scrambled to her knees, raised her bo, and brought it down hard against the back of his skull. His grip on his sword loosened, and he stilled, completely unconscious.

Breathing hard, Kay got to her feet slowly, taking in the chaos around her. The small troupe was completely overrun; truly, it was a miracle they hadn't all been knocked out yet at the very least. Only one of Espio's men lay unconscious on the ground. Everyone else was still fighting, including the prince himself, though even he looked fatigued. If they didn't find a way to retreat soon, there would be more problems for them all.

Behind her, suddenly, Kay heard something thump to the ground. She brought her weapon around and held it up – despite the rather large notch that was in it now – ready to fight. Instead, she saw another Storm clan lynx lying on the ground beside the one she'd just felled, an arrow sticking out of his back. She gasped in surprise, glancing up into the trees, though it was impossible to see Nikōru up there. Still she waved her thanks, despite the coldness creeping into her chest. She knew Espio and the others were probably killing as well if they needed to, but it still shocked her to see it happening around her at all. Mobius Prime was not like that. Not around Sonic, anyway. Not usually.

"Espio!" she yelled suddenly, searching the area for him. There he was – a few paces back from where she'd last seen him, being forced toward the edge of the light. A bolt of fear shot through her. If they got him into the darkness, no one would see if he was hurt, or captured, or both. She sprinted toward him, ducking under weapons and swinging hers like a baseball bat to get to him with as few delays as possible.

The Storm clan lynx never saw her coming, but Espio did. She swung her broom handle at the back of the enemy's head, knocking him unconscious instantly, and Espio darted out of the way as he fell to the ground.

"Arigatō, senshi," he said to her.

"Your highness, we have got to get out of here," Kay said hurriedly, turning back to the fight going on around them. "We're completely outnumbered; if we don't find a way out now we're going to be brought back to Aurora."

Espio nodded. "I know, senshi. But it is senseless to run if we don't know where we are running to. I am unfamiliar with this part of the forest, and I will not leave any of you behind."

Noble to a fault, Kay thought. She knew as well as he did that he could easily become invisible to the Storm clan's eyes and get away safely, but she also knew that, as he said, he would never leave his friends to fight alone while he escaped undetected.

But what were they going to do? They were outnumbered, and running out of time. A couple of their troupe had already fallen to the lynxes, even with Nikōru's arrows helping keep the enemy's numbers down. She would run out of arrows soon, and then their help would run out. If they couldn't run, and they couldn't fight, they'd have to surrender.

Kay didn't like the idea at all.

Speaking of arrows, a stay one zipped between the two of them at that moment, barely missing Espio's left shoulder. Surprised, they both looked in the direction it had come from just as Nikōru fell from where she'd been perched in the darkness above to the circle of light below. A moment later her bow followed, along with a lynx that Kay recognized from the night they'd escaped the palace.

Espio recognized him, too. Only this time instead of freezing in place, his face contorted in anger and he let out an uncharacteristic yell before charging the enemy head-on. Kay hurried after him.

"Uragirimono!" Espio shouted at the lynx, who turned and met the prince's sword with his own as though he'd been expecting it all the time. That was the only word spoken between them before they began fighting bitterly, metal clashing against metal.

Kay turned her attention to Nikōru, who was already picking herself up off the ground.

"Are you all right?" she asked, though she knew she wouldn't understand. The lynx replied by picking up her bow from the ground beside her, then holding it and her other empty hand up helplessly. Kay understood her perfectly. The arrow that had narrowly missed hitting Espio had been her last one. They were out of time.

"Watashitachi ni wa tasuke ga hitsuyōdesu," Nikōru said breathlessly, worry clear in her tone.

"We've got to get Prince Shinobi out of here," Kay answered, purposely using her friend's formal title so Nikōru would know who she was speaking about.

The two girls looked at each other in the darkness, neither sure what to do or say next. What could they do? They were clearly overpowered.

It was silent for a moment.

And then the fighting going on around them became utter chaos.