I guided the two girls to the table and pulled out two chairs for them and one for myself. We all simultaneously fell into the chairs, and I tapped a few times on the table.
Me: Okay. First thing's first. I'm not Travis Shade. My real name... is Orange of the Emerald Forest. Naranja del Bosque Verde in Spanish.
Cream: Why is your name a Spanish name?
Me: Well, my father's family grew up in Europe. Mostly from the Spanish area. Did you know that Spain is the ONLY country in Europe that's primary language is Spanish?
Amy: Basic Spanish class. I knew that.
Cream: Well, I didn't.
Me: Yeah. His great-great grandmother actually moved down to Mexico and met his great-great grandfather, a Native Mexican. Three generations of Emeralds grew up in Mexico, until my Grandfather moved to the US and married my grandmother, a mostly Native American woman. Now, it may SEEM like I don't have any Mexican or Spanish heritage, and that's actually because I have WAY more Native American blood in me. Doesn't seem that way because I'm not actually human.
Cream: So, you're like us? Animals that are our... what's the word?
Amy: Biology?
Cream: No. That's not it.
Me: Physiognomy?
Cream: I think "Anatomy" might be the right word.
Me: Well, I'm actually not a true animal. I'm what many people call an Inkling. I look like a human with crazy hair, but the true nature of what I am is actually a bipedal human-like being with the ability to transform into a squid at will.
Amy: I know who Inklings are. Aren't they made of ink?
Me: Yeah. I'm different than most of them. I actually have a tail.
Cream: I saw that. It's cool.
Me: Yeah. It's not cool for what it's done. I know I'm strange to you two because of it, and my eye colors.
Amy: They're cool. I like them.
Cream: Yeah. But, why did Mr. Infinite tell you to do bad things to our world if you don't live in our world?
Me: Well... he threatened me. He threatened to kill my girl if I didn't kill his enemies. He gave me choices. I'd either kill her myself, kill five of his enemies, kill ten random people, or kill a combination of the five and ten. Two randoms means one less enemy, and vice versa.
Amy: You're doing his dirty work. No one would ever suspect that it was you who did it. That's why he made the deal with you.
Me: Here's the list.
I dig into my pocket and slid the list to them. Amy swiped it up and scanned through it.
Me: There's like, 30 names on it.
Amy: This is extremely alarming. Everyone who worked in the Resistance, survivors of the War, even Shadow, Who didn't help until halfway through.
Me: Last I checked, you guys did jack shit for six months, THEN decided to get off your asses and do something about it.
Amy: Yeah Yeah. We know. Now, why do you have this list?
Me: To be honest, I don't t know WHY he has 30 names on a list. If I'm thinking correctly, he should only hold a grudge against both forms of Sonic, but Classic disappeared to his time, so only JUST Sonic, ummm... the Rookie who helped more than you guys, and maybe even Eggman, because he hired the Jackal squad to assist him, but ultimately failed, and he made Infinite what he was now. Also Shadow, who wiped out the entire Jackal squad and killed Infinite's sister.
Amy: Shadow killed Infinite's SISTER?!?
Me: He told me a few days ago, back in Inkopolis. He told me about why he wears the mask. After what Shadow had done to him, he had no choice but to hide who he was with the mask. Early the next morning, he went out, saw his closest friend against the wall with a chunk of rock in his head. Told Infinite to worry about his sister. Saw her right next to the door, and he rushed to her side. Hoped for a miracle, but got only despair, as he found that she was gone. He cried out in anger and despair, and cursed Shadow for what he did.
Amy: He wants Shadow dead?
Me: For what Shadow has done to him, the black hedgehog is begging to die.
Amy: But you've done WAY more than what Shadow did.
Me: Yeah. Well, killing someone's sister, versus killing two strangers and the two most popular people in this universe?
Amy: Ahem? Sonic was my BOYFRIEND, and Tails was with Cream.
Me: Yeah. Now that I think about it... look. I'm so fucking sorry. Is there... well, I WISH there was a way to make it up to you two, but the crystal in my chest says otherwise.
Amy: Crystal? In your chest?
I showed her my stitches over my heart, where the prototype Phantom Ruby rested inside.
Me: See? Prototype Phantom Ruby.
Cream: Is that why you're like this?
Me: I believe so. And because of my past. Parents are gone, and I couldn't do nothing about either of them.
Amy: But... I don't mean to sound rude, but how?
Me: Fucking lord. Why does everyone want to know what happened to my parents?
Amy: Sorry. I shouldn't have asked.
Me: It's fine. Umm, Cream. Could you hold your ears shut?
Cream: I'm old enough to know that your parents are dead.
Me: Well, if you say so. My dad hanged himself with a rope from a tree, and my mother passed away from cancer. What's worse was that when I was released from the rehabilitation center I was in, I didn't see my father before he did that.
Amy: Rehab?
Me: I was 13 at the time I almost killed a guy. Memories are pretty fuzzy, so I can't remember much. It was raining, and it was pretty violent. I'm damn glad I don't remember all of it. After that, I spent two years in that place. Hang on.
I felt the pulsing feeling in my skull again, more powerful than ever. I clutched my head in pain and bashed my head onto the table a few times. It hurt worse than getting shot. I shouted so many cuss words in German as loud as I could. I couldn't even think of what I was shouting. I just shouted the words so much, and I think I scared the girls a bit.
My breathing started to settle a bit, but it was still frantic, and I shook my head rapidly. I looked back at them, and Cream was on top of Amy's head, shaking rapidly.
Me: I think... oh my god. Emma was the girl. The girl in Branford and Barry Rehabilitation's Center for Troubled Youth.
Amy: Didn't That place go out of business?
Me: It was after I was there. I don't believe it. Infinite's sister was the girl that liked me when we were in the Asylum. I didn't even realize that until now. Well, she always said she dressed like a wolf-girl, but... I never knew that she was a Jackal. I got soo much to do now.
Amy: I think Infinite would like it if you tell him that his sister liked you.
Me: Yeah. But he wouldn't, because his sister's gone. Dead.
Cream: Can't the Ruby make clones?
Me: There's our biggest problem here. I HAVE to use it for my support. It helps me stay alive.
Amy: I remembered that Tails told us that once you create something with it, and you destroy it, then it stays.
Me: It's a shot in the dark, but I think it also has the power to recreate people, since it's giving ME life.
Cream: It's a desperate long-shot, but it could work. Okay. Let's try it.
YOU ARE READING
The Crystal Of Darkness
Adventure(Sequel to Once Human). It's been a year since Orange had taken his own life at his hands. Infinite had a crazy idea to try and bring our hero back to life again, and it works. It soon seems detrimentally clear that all all is not well. Orange has s...
