Dude, This is No Vacation (A Sonic-TMNT Crossover)

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Twelve

"So what have you found?" Kay asked Donnie as they walked further and further away from the dojo.

It was at this point that Donnie stopped in his tracks, looked around briefly, and asked quietly, "Can I see your gem again?" Kay stopped as well and looked at him with a mix of surprise and concern. He continued, "It's part one of the confirmation I need."

She wondered why he would need the Emerald to confirm anything, but decided it was better not to ask. Instead she lead him to the upper level and into her room. Once there, she reached under the bed where she had stashed her backpack earlier and pulled it out, her eyes darting between it and him.

Before she could pull the Emerald out of the backpack, he stopped her. "I need to see it in the light. Why don't we take it to my lab?"

"Um..." Kay frowned, unsure what to do or to say.

"I'll close the door," he promised. Then, in a gentler, more empathic voice, "I understand that this is a sore subject for you for some reason, and I will respect your privacy in the matter, but I believe the discovery I've made is an important one."

She watched him for a minute, but ultimately decided to trust him. With a sigh, she consented. "Okay."

The two quickly made their way back to the lower level and into his lab without being noticed. Donnie immediately closed the door behind them once they were inside just as he said, and they were alone with the machines and chemicals. Kay reached into her backpack and gently lifted the Emerald out. It appeared to glow in the bright light.

"Would you mind if I held it?" Donnie asked her.

Kay again wondered what was going through the scientist's mind as she handed her gem to him. He took it carefully and held it at several different angles, inspecting it closely. Several minutes passed as he scrutinized every inch. She could see the gears turning furiously in his mind as he considered the item.

At last he spoke. "You said this is an emerald?" Kay nodded warily, still confused. Donnie shifted his gaze from it to her and wasted no time in getting to the point. "Is it a Chaos Emerald?"

Kay's eyes widened and she felt her heart stop in her chest. She opened her mouth to reply, but he was already speaking again. "It is cut like a diamond, blue like a sapphire, feels like glass, and you speak of it as though it were from another world."

She was so stunned she could hardly make a sound, let alone answer his question. How on earth did he figure that out so quickly? Then again, he is the smart one. Kay's heart thumped quick and hard. A strange fear with an origin she could not pinpoint coursed through her. She wasn't sure why she was so afraid, or what she was afraid of, but the fear was definitely there.

Donnie's brown eyes softened as he watched her. "Kay."

She took several deep breaths to calm herself. What did you expect, Kay? You can't hide everything forever. You've got to tell someone the truth.

With this thought in mind, she nodded in response to his question. "It is a Chaos Emerald."

Saying the words aloud instantly made her feel so much better. She sighed with relief when the heavy weight of her long-kept secret lifted off her shoulders. It was out there. Finally, someone else knew.

Donnie nodded as well. "I'm guessing its power is dormant?"

She nodded a second time. "For two years."

"How long have you had it?"

"Two years." Kay swallowed, knowing what was coming next.

"Was it active before then?"

"Yes. Very much so."

"What happened?"

"I'm a human." Donnie frowned in confusion, but she plowed onward, ready to just get it all out in one go. "It's before its time. It - along with the other six - are not supposed to exist for thousands of years."

"Are the other six still out there somewhere?"

"They're still on Mobius. This one..." Kay paused. This was it. She looked into his eyes, saw the curiosity there, and suddenly could not believe she was doing this. She never thought Donnie would be the first to hear her story. But it was too late to turn back now, no matter how crazy the situation got. You can't hide forever. Kay felt the first tears begin to sting the back of her eyes. "This one came back with me."

Donnie blinked. "What?" Kay bit her lip and said nothing. "You were on Mobius?" His frown deepened. "What is Mobius?"

She took a deep, deep breath and let it out slowly, as Espio had taught her during their meditation sessions. She missed him so much, but now was not the time to focus on that. "Mobius is the name of Sonic's planet. It doesn't exist yet, but it will in a few thousand years. That's why the Chaos Emerald is dormant - it's stuck here on Earth with me."

He still couldn't quite believe what he was hearing, and she could tell. He started and stopped several questions before settling with, "You were there? How?"

The fear was back. "I don't want to talk about it." Kay closed her eyes. Come on. You can't stop now. Push through it. She sighed for what felt like the hundredth time. "I was there for months, but when I came back it was like nothing had happened."

"Except you had this," he finished for her, holding the Emerald up for them both to see.

Kay nodded. Her memories of Mobius were coming back to her with full force now, and the confusion of the night she'd returned only grew stronger the more she thought about it. All the people she'd met, all the things she'd done, all the battles she'd fought, and in the end it was all erased and she was sent back home with the Blue Chaos Emerald? "Why?" she said aloud, quietly. Donnie leaned a little closer to hear her better, concern etching his features. "Two years, Donnie. I don't understand. Why is it here?"

He said nothing for a few moments, then, sadly, "I'm afraid I don't know."

Kay squeezed her eyes shut and wrapped her arms across her chest, hugging herself somewhat. A tear that she'd been fighting back slid down her cheek, and she wiped it away quickly, hoping he hadn't noticed.

He did. Taking a step closer to her, his voice became one of reassurance. "It's all right, Kay. Maybe there's a reason you don't know the answer."

She shook her head. "I used to know everything, but now..." Kay held up one of her shaking hands and stared at its lack of fur. "I'm just a stupid human."

"Hey, now." Donnie spoke more firmly, taking her hand and placing the Emerald in it. "I've known some pretty smart humans. You may not know everything, but that doesn't mean you're unintelligent. Kay." Hearing her name caught her attention. She looked up at him. He stared into her eyes. "You are not just a stupid human."

Kay didn't know what to say, but she found she could not tear her eyes from his. It felt good to finally have the truth out there for someone else to hear and meditate on with her, but at the same time... "Please don't tell the others. I...I just..."

"I won't." Donnie kept his gaze on her. "Don't give up, Kay. Your life's not over yet. There are lots of adventures out there just waiting for you. You're stuck with us, after all."

That made her smile a little. She was truly excited that she'd met them all and was going to be with them while she tried to figure out what was going on on the surface. "I can't wait," she replied honestly.

Donnie smiled, gave her hand a squeeze, then let it go. Kay put the Emerald away again, determined not to dwell on it anymore...for now.