Sonic Series Fan Fiction ❯ On the Road Together ❯ The Limbo Tribe ( Chapter 19 )

Chapter 19: The Limbo Tribe

 

It was a hot, dry afternoon somewhere in Northern New Mexico. The sky was so blue and there was not even one cloud in sight. Under this stunning sky, the road was silent and lonely. That changed when the RV appeared after making a rough turn, barely avoiding a huge cactus.

“That was another close call,” Sonic said in the passenger seat. “I never get that close.”

Shadow was driving. “Sure, you only come close to death itself,” he said.

“Very funny, Shadow.” With that said, Sonic sank down lower in his chair.

The others were taking a nap, watching the window, or playing board games. There was not much to see outside, except for mountains, the sky, rocks, sand, and some trees were up ahead. Knuckles swallowed when he saw several vultures searching for their dead prey outside the window. Tails lazily typed on his laptop while Metal-2 and Amy played a board game. Cream, Cheese, and Freeway were taking a nap, and Knuckles, Tikal, and Rouge watched the windows, thinking. Shadow tightened his grip on the steering wheel when the road suddenly began to get bumpy. Sonic opened his eyes from resting when the RV ran over a large rock.

“Easy, Shadow,” he said. “I don't think the RV likes this road.”

“It's not my fault. I'm trying to find a more civilized street.”

Sonic looked behind himself to see his fox friend. “Tails, anything on the laptop?”

Tails shook his head. “Sorry, Sonic, like it or not, the road will be kind of rough for a little while, but there is a border line of another state coming real soon.”

“What state?” Rouge asked.

“Colorado. If we keep going north, we'll get there by nightfall, I think.”

“Sounds okay to me,” said Shadow. “Maybe the roads up there will have some mercy.”

“It's not that bad,” Sonic said calmly. “Besides, just think, what could possibly go--”

“Don't ask, Sonic!!” The entire crew shouted. But it was too late.

The RV hit another large rock, this time falling bumper first into a slippery trap. The two front wheels were stuck in a small ditch with rocks around the vehicle. Shadow stopped it safely, though. After a few moments, the dust cleared, revealing the now silent, motionless RV.

“Everyone all right back there?” Sonic asked.

“We're okay,” Tikal replied from the kitchen, holding onto the small sink.

“No injuries,” Metal-2 answered. “But the RV is slightly damaged up front.”

“You can fix it, right?” Cream asked, rubbing her sleepy eyes.

“Of course,” Metal-2 said without a doubt in his voice.

After Amy put the game board back on the table, she walked to the front seats. “Hey, Sonic, I just thought of something. Since we're stuck here for now, we can pick berries for a pie.”

“Oh, that'll be nice,” Cream agreed before Sonic could open his mouth. “May we, Mr. Sonic?”

“Well…I guess that'll be okay, girls. Just don't go too far from the RV.”

“We'll stay and get the RV back in driving condition,” Knuckles said. “It won't take long.”

“Let's just get it done before dark,” Tails said after closing his laptop.

Sonic nodded. “Okay, you girls go find those berries. The rest of you, get to work.”

“And what will you do?” Shadow asked.

“I'll be helping, of course. Come on, guys.” And then Sonic opened the door.

The girls took baskets and walked toward the wooded area ahead, not too far away from the RV. Rouge was the only girl that stayed behind. She was not interested in picking berries that day. She thought it would be more helpful to get the RV back on the road. While they worked on the RV, the girls happily picked berries from the bushes, glad to be outside again, to smell the fresh air and stretch their legs. Freeway and Cheese ate more than they collected. Amy and Cream stayed together, and because Rouge was at the RV with the others, Tikal was left alone. She picked berries by herself, humming a song sweetly, unaware that she was being watched from the trees.

= = = = =

 

Meanwhile…

At a gas station, miles behind the RV, Dr. Eggman watched as Metal Sonic washed his ship. No matter what Metal said, Eggman believed he insulted him on the phone back in the Las Cruces area. This was a way to punish him. Metal hated water, which was partly the reason why he found it difficult to get along with Chaos Zero. Silent, Metal washed and scrubbed with water and soap. Chaos scanned the area with his binoculars on the gas station rooftop, looking through them the wrong way again, which made everything look small. Eggman was drinking a cold soda.

“That's it,” he said. “Keep it up, Metal. Scrub until it shines. You do indeed work for me.”

Metal angrily grumbled in his mind, but said with his voice, “Yes, sir.”

Eggman sighed, sitting back, resting in his chair. “Wherever that road crew is at this very moment, I do hope trouble comes their way instead of ours.”

“Aww, don't feel so bad, Doc,” said Chaos on the roof. “Someday you'll shine baldly!”

“You mean boldly. Now, you may join Metal in washing my ship.” He laughed.

= = = = =

 

“What's so funny?” Knuckles asked for the third time.

Sonic and Tails tried to stop, but it was difficult. The red echidna unknowingly got oil on his head and face while working on the RV, giving him what looked like odd black hair and a silly mustache. Rouge watched them from the RV roof, giggling as quietly as possible.

“Repairs are complete,” Metal-2 reported. “And you may want to clean up, Knuckles.”

“Me?” Knuckles blinked with confusion, but it all became clear to him when he saw his reflection in the RV window. While he let out a yelp of pure shock, Sonic laughed even louder.

“We should find the others,” Shadow said, breaking the laughter.

Tails agreed. “Yeah, it'll be getting dark soon. That took longer than expected.”

“But the others should've been back by now,” Rouge said. “Maybe we should--”

Before she could finish, the crew was alarmed when they heard Amy and Cream running toward the RV and calling out to them. Freeway and Cheese were with them, but Tikal was missing.

“What happened?” Sonic asked as soon as they arrived.

Amy hardly got her breath back, but gave an answer. “It's Tikal. We found her basket, but she's gone! We looked everywhere, we kept calling her, but she didn't answer…”

“We were so scared,” Cream added breathlessly. “We had to come back for help.”

“You did the right thing,” Sonic said. “But can you show me where the basket was?”

Amy quickly nodded, still holding the basket. “Yes.”

“Then there's no time to lose. Rouge, stay with the RV just in case Tikal comes back.”

Rouge winked, holding the frightened Freeway in her arms. “You got it,” she said.

“Okay, let's go!” Then Sonic and the others followed Amy and Cream into the woods.

= = = = =

 

“Spooky…” Tails whispered as the crew went deeper into the woods, searching.

It was dark. The moonlight was peeking through the trees with a strange, scary mist haunting the area. An owl frightened Cream with a loud hooting noise in a treetop nearby.

“Don't be scared,” Sonic said gently. “It's just an owl singing for the moon. It's okay.”

“But we all know what they eat,” Shadow whispered lowly.

“Shadow, you're not helping,” Amy scolded in a sharp whisper.

“They…they eat blueberry pie,” he finished quietly.

“Maybe it's my fault Tikal is gone. I wanted to pick berries.” Cream sobbed softly.

“No, it's nobody's fault, especially not yours,” said Metal-2.

“She couldn't have gone far,” Knuckles said, walking ahead of them. “Amy showed us where the basket was, and it was all the way back at the berry bushes. We'll find her.”

“I…I hope so,” Cream whispered, holding Metal-2's hand as they walked.

“Don't worry, Cream. It won't be long now,” Amy assured her. “Everything will be okay.”

Tails turned on his flashlight, looking around for any sign of Tikal. Suddenly, he heard an eerie sound, like branches of a bush shaking as if someone or something was walking toward them.

“H-hey, guys, did you hear that?” Tails whispered, trembling slightly.

“Hear what?” Sonic asked after stopping along with the others in the group.

The sound came again, louder this time. “Th-that,” Tails answered in a shaky whisper.

“Is it her?” Cream asked. Cheese covered his eyes, too afraid to look anymore.

“Tikal?” Amy called out. “Is that you, Tikal?”

“Tikal!” Sonic called her name also. “Tikal, answer me! Where are you?”

Silence. Even the owl stopped his hooting. It was a little too quiet.

“Maybe it was crickets,” Knuckles guessed, trying to ease the growing fear.

“It couldn't be,” Shadow disagreed. “Crickets are not that big.”

“Then wh-what was it?” Cream asked, trembling with fear now, holding Cheese.

Just then, about twelve echidna strangers leaped from the bushes with spears, and some jumped down from the treetops. Before, they were completely hidden from view in the dark.

“Hey! What is this?” Sonic asked, and as an answer, an arrow was pointed at him.

“We're surrounded, Sonic!” Tails answered, feeling a spear blade behind his back.

“I'm not going without a fight!” Knuckles punched the air, ready for anything. But then he was completely surrounded with spear blades. “Nice, Indians…” He swallowed hard, sweating.

“I bet these guys kidnapped Tikal!” Metal-2 said, keeping Amy and Cream behind him.

“I bet you're right,” Shadow said, surrounded with sharp objects.

They tried to point the weapons at the girls, but Metal-2 protected them.

“No, please don't hurt us!” Cream begged, closing her eyes tight.

“Point those things another way,” Amy said to them. “It's not polite!”

Metal-2 raised his arm to fire, but Amy placed her hand on it, silently stopping him.

“What should we do, Sonic?” Tails asked nervously.

“They have the advantage over us at the moment, and this is their land. I say we go with them.

They must know where Tikal--ouch!” Sonic yelped when an arrowhead poked him.

“You better be right, Sonic,” Knuckles said. The crew was led away captive.

= = = = =

 

Location: The Echidna Indian camp…

“What if they eat us?” Amy asked in a whisper with her arms raised in the air as the crew was led into an Indian campsite with tents, horses, and campfires. Things were tense in the air.

“They'd never eat pink things,” Knuckles said. “It's too raw.” He grinned.

Amy frowned and stomped on his foot with her red boot.

“Ouch!” Knuckles almost fell backward, but then he felt a spear blade. “Ouch again!”

“Quiet, Knuckles,” Sonic whispered. “This may be the only way to get Tikal back.”

“Maybe, but isn't there a way less painful?”

“You hush!” an Indian ordered and poked Knuckles with the spear again.

The crew was lined up; each one of them being carefully guarded just outside a tent. The tent door opened and the chief stepped outside to see what all the noise was about.

“Great Chief, we found intruders,” one Indian reported, standing next to Sonic.

“Intruders?” the chief asked. “What do they want?”

“We ju--ouch!” Sonic could not answer with a spear poking his back.

“Stop. Let the spiny blue one speak,” said the chief.

“That would be you, Sonic,” Tails whispered.

“Well, thanks,” Sonic began. “Look, we're sorry for coming on your land without permission, but we're looking for a friend. She's lost and we want her back.”

“Trespassers must be punished!” an Indian said, upset about them coming without being invited.

“If you have our friend, just give her back and we'll be out of here in no time.”

“Yeah,” Shadow added. “This is all unfortunate, but we'll leave when Tikal is found.”

“Tikal?” the chief said, “She is well. She is to be married.”

Sonic sighed with relief. “Oh, that's ni--married?!”

“What are you talking about? Where is she?” Knuckles demanded to know.

The chief signaled for two other Indians behind him to open a nearby tent door. They did so, and when it was opened, the crew saw Tikal sitting on a soft pillow with Indian girls decorating her dreadlocks with flowers. She was unharmed and clothed with an Indian wedding dress.

“Tikal!” Sonic called.

“Sonic!” Tikal answered, trying to stand up, but the other girls held her back.

“Let her go!” Knuckles growled. “You're asking for a lot of trouble.”

“Indeed,” Metal-2 said, and without warning, he raised his arm, aiming at the chief.

“No, Metal!” Tails gasped, holding his raised arm tight. “I order you to stop!”

“Stop trying to control me!” Metal-2 shocked everyone, especially Tails, when he yelled like that and then he pushed the fox out of the way. Tails fell to the ground. Metal-2 faced his target again.

“No, I won't let you do it!”

It was Amy Rose. She was standing in the way of his fire. All the others stayed very still.

“Get out of my way, Amy!” Metal-2 said, “I…I must…” His arm shook slightly.

“No…no, you don't have to use violence. You don't have to kill or hurt anyone.” She stepped toward him, still dangerously in his way. “Just put it down,” she whispered. “Please, Metal.”

Metal-2 looked as if he was going to knock her down like he did to Tails. He was fighting it. Amy placed her hand on his arm, gently pushed down on it, and the arm slowly, yet heavily, went down. He clenched his fists, staring at Amy in front of him. She just smiled. Metal-2 nodded slightly, and then he just remembered what he did when he lost control. Tails was getting up when Metal-2 reached him. The android lifted the fox back to his feet and steadied him.

“Tails…” Metal-2 whispered. “Tails, I…”

“I'm all right,” he said. “It's okay.” Then he found himself wrapped in Metal-2's arms.

Sonic let out the breath of air he was afraid to let out before. Now that the guards were no longer pointing their weapons, Sonic felt free to speak. “This is your last chance. Let Tikal go.”

The chief chuckled and answered, “We agree on nothing until you defeat game of Limbo!”

“Say what?” The surprised crew asked all together.

“LIMBO!” the Indians repeated; cheering as some of them went to gather things for the game.

“This is crazy!” Knuckles said. “Whoever heard of Indians that played Limbo?”

Shadow shrugged. “It's a great big world.”

Cream smiled down at Cheese. “And isn't it great to explore it on the road?” she asked.

Cheese nodded, smiling back at her. “Chao chao chao chaaaaao!” he said happily.

“Of course,” Amy replied. “No matter how strange it gets. Now, let's go win this Limbo.”

“Is that what the chao said?” Knuckles asked.

“Never mind that now,” Sonic said. “The game's starting, and you're first.” He chuckled.

“I'm wha--hey!” Knuckles was carried off to the Limbo game.

The echidna Indian tribe beat their drums and sang, finally accepting the Sonic crew in the campsite as guests instead of intruders. The camp was soon filled with music, laughter, singing, dancing, and a game of Limbo as the campfire leaped, almost as if it danced to the music. One by one, the Sonic crew and the playful Indians of the tribe went under the Limbo bar, and after each time they went under without touching it, the bar was lowered down a little more. Some began to fall and were out of the game until there was Shadow and one Indian left. Metal-2 and Tails only watched by the campfire. The game was growing more and more difficult after each turn.

“Come on, Shadow, you can do it!” the crew cheered for him. “Go, go, go, go, go!”

Shadow barely made it to the other side without touching the bar, but the Indian behind him fell flat on his back on the soft sand. That made Shadow the winner. Tikal was set free and was back with the crew. They may never understand those echidna Indians, but at least they turned out to be friendly when they were given a chance. The crew made it back to the RV at bedtime, safe and sound. Quietly, the RV drove away with the stars sparkling above, wishing them the best.