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Post by Leedzie on Feb 24, 2007 0:11:04 GMT -5
He landed with enough force to knock the wind from his lungs, and Ray's eyes bulged as he gasped for air. The little squirrel coughed and wheezed, rolling onto his side.. then promptly fell again. Apparently he hadn't landed on the floor the first time. Instead he'd landed on something green, and definitely not haypile-shaped. After recovering enough air to do so, Ray bursted into tears with a loud wail that resonated repeatedly off the cavern walls. In the midst of his frightful bleating, the boy seemed to really realize that there was a large mass next to him, and he stared up at its glowing sides with a sniffle. He blinked. It sparkles like Sonic's rings...
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Post by Lans on Feb 24, 2007 0:33:32 GMT -5
"Hey, who the heck's in here!" From the base of the emerald, Knuckles stood up. He hadn't noticed Ray's entrance, but he hear his cry, but the echos kept him from determining that it was actually comming from behind him.
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Post by Leedzie on Feb 24, 2007 0:38:27 GMT -5
Ray's fur stood up on end; that voice sure didn't sound friendly. Letting out a frightened squeak, the flying squirrel quickly began scrambling in a frantic search for an exit.
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Post by Lans on Feb 24, 2007 0:47:06 GMT -5
Knux turned at that sound, "Hey you!" he shouted, moving to chase after him.
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Post by Leedzie on Feb 24, 2007 0:51:11 GMT -5
Ray's pupils constricted down to almost nothing. Letting out a deafening sob, as the sound was amplified off the cavern walls, Ray clumsily fled the angry echidna.
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Post by Lans on Feb 24, 2007 0:54:55 GMT -5
"HEY GET BACK HERE!" Knux yelled, quickly following after. He saw a blur of yellow dart into one of the exit tunnels and he quickly moved to try and cut the intruder off.
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Post by Leedzie on Feb 24, 2007 1:02:17 GMT -5
Ray glanced back, gasping feverishly with panic... but his persuer had vanished. That was good news, at least he didn't have to deal with any immediate danger... ...But he was still hopelessly lost in who even knew where. Ray sniffled and whimpered as fresh tears welled into his big eyes; the little squirrel was utterly confused. One minute he'd been sliding down the Great Oak Slide, and was just about to make a cushy landing in the pile of straw... when all of a sudden he ended up in some dark, scary, cold cave, and his landing had been painful. As his whimpers grew into wails, Ray buried his face in his hands and cried.
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Post by Lans on Feb 24, 2007 1:09:46 GMT -5
And then Knux stepped out of the darkness in front of him, still frowning but no longer in an angry manner. "...Oh no, not another one," he sighed, kneeling down next to Ray, "Calm down kid, I'm not gonna hurt you."
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Post by Leedzie on Feb 24, 2007 1:18:04 GMT -5
For a moment Ray couldn't stop crying long enough to realize that someone had even spoken to him. When he did finally look up, however, and looked into the face of the echidna next to him, Ray's reaction was immediate. Sucking in a strained, terrified gasp, the squirrel scrambled backwards, focused only on getting out of Knuckles' way. " AH-AH-I'MSORRYPLEASEIDIDN'TMEANTOO!!" the boy shrieked. Just as he was turning to run, his lack of coordination caught up with him as he tripped over an uneven bit of rock flooring. Ray took a dive onto the cavern floor, apparently knocked silly since his cries quickly diminished.
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Post by Lans on Feb 24, 2007 1:39:24 GMT -5
Knux just sighed again before walking over and picking up the little squirrel, heading out to the surface. He kept a large cave near the old emerald altar as use as his dwelling when he wasn't guarding the Master Emerald, so that's where he'd take him for now.
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Post by Leedzie on Feb 24, 2007 2:03:24 GMT -5
Meanwhile Ray, dazed from thumping his head in the cavern, squirmed weakly in Knuckles' arms when he was aware that that was where he was. Each bout of struggling came with accompanying mumbles of protest. "Kn-Knuckles I diddin mean it... I pr-promis I'll do better..." His whimpers were also occasionally interrupted by hiccups.
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Post by Lans on Feb 24, 2007 2:09:03 GMT -5
"Do I...know you?" Knuckles asked, trying to recall ever meeting a yellow squirrel. He set the kid down in a hammock strung in a corner near the back of the cave. He wondered where SC was, she'd be better at playing nursemaid for this kid than he was.
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Post by Leedzie on Feb 24, 2007 2:23:26 GMT -5
Ray meanwhile shook his head dizzily; he seemed to be coming back to reality, and looked up at the echidna as he was placed into the hanging bed. "Kn-Knuckles I *hic* d-diddin mean to up--*hic*--upset you I *hic* got lost and *hic* just wanna *hic* go to my hut..." Ray squirmed to look around, and ultimately ended up spinning himself onto the floor. Coughing from his second ungraceful fall, the squirrel looked anxiously around the ominous cave with his ears flattened to his head. "W-w-where are we??" he asked with a flurry of hiccups.
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Post by Lans on Feb 24, 2007 17:16:16 GMT -5
"You're on Angel Island, kid. You know, the floating one?" he told Ray, "...And I'm pretty sure we haven't met." He sighed, he'd better start moving the island towards the mainland so he could get this kid home. "I need to go do something. If you're hungry, I'll bring back some fruit."
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Post by Leedzie on Feb 24, 2007 17:20:03 GMT -5
Ray gasped, his eyes widening. "DON'TLEAVEMEHEREALLBYMYSELF!!" the child shrieked, rushing forward and clinging around the guardian's waist. He struggled to hold it in, because he knew Knuckles didn't like it, but Ray ended up bursting into tears all over again. " Youcan'tleavemeheeeeere!!"
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Post by Lans on Feb 24, 2007 17:40:37 GMT -5
Kunx grit his teeth. He hated when they did stuff like this. "Kid, at the moment the only people on this island besides us are a semi-incompetant plumber, and a...semi-cowardly, traumatized yellow hedgehog. So, nothings going to hurt you."
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Post by Leedzie on Feb 24, 2007 17:53:01 GMT -5
"B-But.... b-b-but...!!" Ray choked and let out another wail. "C-Can't I *hic* come w-with you?! Ah-I'm too *hic* too *hic* too s-scared to stay here b-b-by myself!!" The little squirrel sobbed and buried his face against Knuckles' abdomen.
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Post by Lans on Feb 24, 2007 20:17:56 GMT -5
"...Oh all right. You've already seen Hidden Palace anyhow, I suppose it's too late to try and keep you from finding it," he sighed, "Come on."
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Post by Leedzie on Feb 24, 2007 20:22:55 GMT -5
Ray nodded feverishly, still sniffling and wiping his eyes... and holding Knuckles' hand as they walked.
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Post by Lans on Feb 24, 2007 21:37:36 GMT -5
Knux led the way back through the tunnels to Hidden Palace. He forced Ray to release him at the edge of the emerald chamber, before he walked up to the emerald, placing his hands to its side. The emerald flared for a moment and there was a subtle shift in the ground as the island changed course. Afterwards, Knux headed back to Ray and allowed the kid to take his hand again. "All right, lets get you something to eat."
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Post by Leedzie on Feb 24, 2007 21:44:05 GMT -5
Though he had mostly managed to stop crying, Ray clung tightly to Knuckles' massive mitten, visibly unnerved by the foreign nature of his environment. He just could not make sense of what had happened: he tumbled down the Greak Oak Slide, but somehow hadn't come out in Knothole. If it weren't for the fact that he found a familiar (however frightening) face, he probably would've lost it all together. "Um..." Ray sniffled, looking nervously up at his escourt. "W-When are we going *hic* back to Knothole..? A-And... why *hic* why isn't A-Amy with you?"
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Post by Lans on Feb 24, 2007 22:15:52 GMT -5
"I have no idea where this Knothole place is kidm but I'll drop you off at the Station Square police station, and they can help you get back from there. And why would Amy be with me? Most the time she's only around me if Sonic is too."
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Post by Leedzie on Feb 24, 2007 22:25:44 GMT -5
Ray stopped walking, looking up at the echidna in shock. His lower lip began to quiver. "Y-You don't know h-how to get back either??" The flying squirrel choked on a gasp and buried his face into his hands. "We'llnevergethome*hichic*ifyoudon'tknow*hic*wherewe'regoingeither!!" And upon hearing he'd be left behind with strangers, Ray's cries turned into panicked shrieks.
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Sipp
Former Player
Batman
Posts: 1,576
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Post by Sipp on Feb 24, 2007 23:06:56 GMT -5
"Um... M-mister G-guardian, w-what's a-all th-the n-noise?" Shortcake poked her head in there, and then blinked. "Um... ... " the squirrel looked young, even though he was only two inches shorter than her, "... h-hello. W-what's y-your n-name?"
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Post by Lans on Feb 24, 2007 23:09:31 GMT -5
"Kid, calm down!" Knuckles said sternly. "Look, the police'll know how to get you home, cause I can't go flying the island all over the place looking for some village that's probably not even on a map! I'm sorry, but that's your best, and only, option."
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Post by Leedzie on Feb 24, 2007 23:18:37 GMT -5
Ray quickly fell silent and gulped, beginning to tremble as Knuckles got more firm. Tears continued to roll down his face, which he frantically wiped away to keep from upsetting the echidna further. " D-Did you *sniffle* l-l-leave Amy *hic* b-behind *hichic* too??" he choked below his breath. Aaaand a hedgehog appeared. Ray's panic over strangers overrode his fear of upsetting Knuckles, and he quickly dove behind the echidna for protection with loud yelp.
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Sipp
Former Player
Batman
Posts: 1,576
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Post by Sipp on Feb 25, 2007 1:09:24 GMT -5
"Umm..." She bent down a little, trying to look even less intimidating. She held her arms out slowly. "H-hello... I-I'm s-sorry, pl-please d-don't b-be a-afraid o-of m-me... m-my n-name's S-shortcake..."
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Post by Lans on Feb 25, 2007 1:26:28 GMT -5
Knux just looked at the kid oddly. "Kid, SONIC can't even leave Amy behind, and believe me, he's tried." he said with a smirk at that, and at the scene of someone actually afraid of Shortcake. Most of the time it was the other way around.
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Post by Leedzie on Feb 25, 2007 1:33:54 GMT -5
Ray whined shrilly and clamped onto Knuckles' waist as Shortcake reached out at him. His breathing escalated steadily, until the squirrel began to feel light-headed and pressed his forehead into Knuckles' abdomen. I wish Mighty or Bunnie were here... he thought with a whimper.
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Sipp
Former Player
Batman
Posts: 1,576
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Post by Sipp on Feb 25, 2007 1:38:06 GMT -5
Shortcake's own ears flattened back and she backed off, looking nervous again.
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