The Speed of Sound

Any Regrets?

        The upset cries ricochet throughout Mystic Ruins. They just won't stop. The sound of rapid footsteps, the sound of thumping machinery. They won't stop until they find you. Your head is in your hands, tears clumping and staining your fur as you silently weep. You press your back against the cave wall. It's so cold, but it keeps you feeling more hidden as voices come through the white-noise of your watch.

        "(Y/n), please come back! We won't make you fight..."

        Your face burns in shame at Sonic's pleading tone. I can't go back now, you sadly think through the tears. Why am I such a disappointment? Just do something right for once! Your claws dig into your own arm, as if you are punishing yourself for your cowardice. Before you are able to draw blood you whimper in pain and release your arm. Another distressed call comes from your watch, and you wonder why you still decide to keep it. A few excruciatingly long minutes pass in silence. Maybe they gave up. Pushing yourself to your feet, you wipe away the tears and stare into the darkness of the cave.

        A chilly breeze flows from within, blowing your fur back. Crossing your arms against the cold, you know that there is no way you can leave the way you had entered. You can't take the chance of Sonic or Tails finding you. With a frightened whine you venture deeper into the cave, going at a slow pace to allow your eyes to adjust to the darkness. It's not pitch black, that you are grateful for. The last light of the setting sun causes the cave's walls to shine blue and purple. However as you shuffle further from the entrance the light begins to fade away.

        "It's no use Sonic...I think she's gone," you hear a hoarse whisper from the radio. A miserable choke catches in your throat when you hear the last message of your friends. Now they've given up. With great difficulty you push away the sadness and continue into the cave.

        Eventually you come across a large clearing. Every step you take echoes through this opening, bouncing off the tall, jagged walls. Squinting in the dim light you can make out multiple tunnels connecting to this large cave. There are so many paths branching out...perhaps one of these tunnels will take you upward to the surface.

        Too many routes to choose from.

        Without thinking it through you walk into one of the tunnels on the right. The ground slants upward a little, so you believe that you have done well in traveling this route. Walking through the tunnel, your new running shoes make little noise as you pad alone. You have to feel the cave's wall with your hand since it has become nearly too dark to see. To your disappointment the tunnel floor drastically changes from going up, to dropping down again. You grit your teeth together in anger, but still continue along the path.

        Clink!

        The noise catches you off-guard, causing a tiny yelp to escape your mouth. Wildly whipping your head around, you can't seem to spot anything nearby. Taking a step you hear the noise again. You then notice that the ground beneath you has become harder. Looking down, you can barely make out the outline of a flat, circular object. Tapping your foot on the ground, you come to the conclusion that the circle object is metallic, and hollow. Silently you get to your knees to examine closer. It looks like those sewer-holes back in Aldenwise City! Upon further inspection you can see a logo of a scary looking face with a gigantic moustache.

        What the heck is this doing in a cave? you question. Feeling that this is rather fishy, you don't think that you should snoop around or continue down this tunnel. It isn't heading upwards anyways. An irritated growl rumbles from your throat as you turn back the way you had come.

        Before you can head back too far, you suddenly stop as you hear strange tapping noises. Swiveling an ear forward, you listen closely, realizing that the taps are coming from in front of you and are becoming increasingly louder. You can't hold back the terrified gasp as eight red eyes appear from the darkness. A shrill squeal comes from the direction of the eyes, and the sound of many creatures moving accompanies the sight of a hundred more red eyes, much smaller than the first eight. You don't scream or flee. Your heart seems to stop beating. Spiders, is your only thought.

        As the red eyes travel down the tunnel, approaching closer, you begin to feel faint. They are near enough where you can see tiny metal legs connected to metal bodies and the eight red eyes of each individual. Staring into the glowing orbs of the giant spider, you are just about to break free from the fear, however, not before the spider's fangs open wide and a thick net shoots straight towards you.

        You scream at the sudden clasp of the net as it throws you against the cave wall. With a cry of pain you glance at your wrist and see that the watch-radio had exploded on impact. Sparks fly out from the screen, stinging your face with electric embers. But the pain of the broken watch does not compare to the horror of a hundred baby spider robots crawling over you, peeling you off the wall in a wrapped net-cocoon. You thrash around, trying to break the clasp of the net. It holds sturdy. The little spiders chitter maliciously as they carry you on their backs towards their mama. The giant spider eagerly scrapes its fangs together, causing you to become riddled with terror. Your chest is seizing with the fear as the tiny spiders crawl up their mama to place you on her giant back.

        Once set atop, numerous glowing red eyes stare at you as the babies settle themselves over your cocooned body. You hold your breath, not wanting to draw attention to yourself, although all the attention is already on you. Movement from below tells you that the giant robot spider is skittering across the cave floor, heading toward the sewer hole stamped with the creepy logo. A loud clanging awakens you from your paralysis. Just as Mama Spider crawls through the hole, you find your voice.

        "SONIC! TAILS! HELP ME!!!"

        And you are dragged down into the darkness.