Another Prophecy

chapter eight

Sonic's eyes fluttered open, and immediately shut. His hands gripped the sides of his head, as the pain slowly faded away. He peeked one eye open again, and thankfully, the other one as well. He noticed he was in his bedroom at Tails' place.

"Man, what a pain." Sonic groaned and rubbed his temples. A sharp intake a breath drew his attention. Zale was sat on a chair next to his bed, his black trench coat hung over the arm. Zale's eyes looked back at the blue hedgie.

Zale smiled softly. "How you feelin' kiddo?" 

Sonic sat up, well- tried to sit up. Zale quickly stood up and helped him, making sure to put a pillow behind his back when he leaned against the wall. Sonic pulled the covers up over his arms as a chill swept through the room. "I'm good." Sonic spoke. Zale raised an eyebrow, and moved to the bedroom window to close it. A colder gust of wind shot though the window and pushed Zale back a foot, Sonic shivered again.

"Sure you are," Zale said sarcastically, managing to reach the offending window and slam it closed. Sonic grimaced, his hands shooting to his head once again. Zale frowned and tsked. "You hit your head pretty hard, and you almost got smushed by a robot," Zale stepped up next to the bed and gestured for Sonic to scooch over. Sonic complied.

Feeling around the back of his head, Sonic noticed the bandage. 'Huh.'

Zale sat himself next to Sonic, and raised an arm to loop around his shoulder and pulled the smaller hedgehog into his side, as his other arm pulled the covers up over himself and Sonic once again. "If I hadn't of been there, you would have been gone." Zale spoke quietly. Sonic glanced up at his Uncle, who's black eyes glared at the wall across from them. The bare dark indigo arm around him pulled him in a bit closer. "If I was just a second... just a second slower... you would have been road kill, Sonic." Zale turned and stared into his nephews eyes, worry swimming in them. The older hedgehog sighed, and slowly let a breath escape from his lips.

"Sorry." Sonic's relied after a moment of silence. Zale's ear flicked. The older hedgehog leaned back against the wall. "My friends...?" Sonic trailed off, looking at the closed bedroom door.

"Asleep downstairs,"

Sonic hummed in response.

"They were quite concerned about you, and about me." Zale huffed. "Anyways, they know who I am. But I don't think they trust me too much." Zale informed. Sonic pursed his lips and nodded slightly.

"I don't ever have any relatives come and see me, so I'm not exactly surprised." Sonic curiously cocked his head to the side and looked at his uncle in confusion. "How did you even manage to get in here alone? Usually Tails doesn't let anyone but himself or Knuckles watch me if i'm hurt."

Zale smirked, and gave a small yawn. "You have amazingly loyal friends," Zale mused. "You also have heavy sleeping friends," The dark indigo hedgehog snickered.

Sonic silently giggled. "Yeah, they're amazing." Sonic leaned his head against his Uncles shoulder, who in turn laid his head upon Sonic's. "Sorry for worrying you, I don't tend to get hurt when fighting Egghead. Thanks for the save Uncle Z."

Zale hummed quietly in content. "Uncle Z... I do quite like that..."' Zale trailed off. "Hey, kiddo, I know you're strong and all, and I've seen some of your tricks. But I was wondering if you'd like to please your old Uncle by letting him teach you a few tricks of his own."

Sonic who was practically asleep on his Uncles shoulder licked his dry lips. "Yeah sure, I'd like that." He mumbled.

Zale smiled in response, and let his own eyes fall closed.

xxx

The Oracle's eyes watched as his charge slept soundly on a couch across from him. Aleena was clutching a photo album close to her chest, her sleep filled face was full of worry. His long lanky fingers circled around a well used tea cup and brought it to his mouth to have a sip, and let the warm ceramic cup warm his hands. He felt wary at the odd feeling creeping through his bones, the future was undecided, and each day the feeling went further and further into him. He couldn't physically see what could happen, but he had a good idea on which way the road would lead... but also couldn't. For the first time in a very long time, the Oracle didn't know how the future was going to turn out.

Aleena slowly awoke, the smell of mint tea wafting into her nose. The photo album in her arms thumped loudly onto the floor, the pages flying open to rest on a page. Shifting to sit up, Aleena's black eyes softened as she stared down at an old picture of herself and her two younger brothers, Charles and Zale. How she missed them so. She let her fingers skim over a blank part of the page, where a photo was missing. She did not know where it could be, and she hoped she would come across it again one day- for it was a picture of her family: Her brothers and children. The only one of its kind.

The album magically closed, and floated out of her hands to land on the table ahead of her. Her eyes looked up to meet the Oracles. "Your children are very close to reuniting once again, Aleena."

The purple hedgehog smiled happily, and wiped a few tears away from her eyes. "Oh, that is so lovely." She spoke. Her heart yearned to be with her children, but she knew it was still not yet the right time. She took a sip of her own tea. Her free hand raising toward her neck to wrap around a guitar shaped medallion. It sparked in response to her touch.

"Soon, my children. Soon."