The Gems in Us All (HIATUS)

New Charges

Sonic gasped as he sat up in bed, putting a hand to his chest. "Ah...Oh, I felt that one...!"

I can feel you're in physical distress. Wind asked. What's the matter?

"I felt something...Another Amethyst, but this one hurt!"

Hmm. The last time that happened, it meant another Autumn Amethyst had manifested somewhere. We'll have to be on guard.

Sonic swallowed hard as the pain subsided, looking at the clock. "Who'd be manifesting at 2:30 AM?"

"Perhaps they are in another timezone."

"Yeah...maybe..." Sonic's head fell back on the pillow as he yawned. "You think the kid can take care of himself until tomorrow...?"

Probably, though we don't really...know...for...

Sonic was back asleep before Wind could finish.

..........................................................

To find a child in the trunk wasn't what Shadow had anticipated.

He too had felt the Amethyst manifesting, though it wasn't as painful for him as it was for Sonic. He'd decided to postpone calling Sonic until morning, and the next day, he found a trunk on his front porch. He didn't remember ordering a trunk, but he brought it inside anyway.

Rouge wasn't so calm about it. "What if it's a bomb that the Obsidians disguised?"

"I dunno... What harm comes from a box?" Silver murmured. "We can keep it until somebody reports a missing trunk."

That's when the trunk moved.

Rouge screamed.

Shadow suddenly had Silver in his arms.
He rolled his eyes then dropped the younger hedgehog onto the couch. "Wimp." He groaned, then went towards the trunk.

"Careful...!" Rouge whispered.

Shadow broke the lock holding the trunk shut, then opened the trunk, raising an eyebrow as he saw the contents. "Well hello."

A little hedgehog, no older than ten, sat up from inside the trunk, looking utterly terrified. He looked almost identical to Shadow, only with green eyes and blue streaks and being much younger. "I-I'm sorry, sir." He stammered. "I didn't know this was your box."

"It's not." Shadow pulled him out, looking him over. "You're a long way away from home, kiddo."

"I...I don't know if I have a home, sir." The hedgehog looked down at the floor. "I don't know anything but my name."

"And you don't look like you've eaten in weeks!" Rouge came over to him. "What were you doing in a trunk?"

"Hiding, ma'am. There were these guys with swords trying to kill me! I s-saw the trunk and- I wasn't going to stay in it, but then they locked it shut and-"

Shadow bent down to him. "Guys with swords, huh...? What's your name?"

"...Autumn. Or at least, I think it is."

Shadow nodded. "Don't you worry, Autumn, we won't let those guys get you. I'm Shadow, and this is Rouge and Silver."

"Hi." Silver came over to him. "Where are you from, Autumn?"