SSH - Chap. 25 Continued

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Scythe frowned and looked anxiously at the watch about his wrist…..he should have been there already!!

Scythe sighed with anxiety and turned to Daggeron, who stood with his tail lashing. The leopard rolled his eyes and sighed through his nose, growling through gritted fangs, "….I thought you asked him…." Scythe turned and retorted irritably, "I did invite him!! He…he just must be still cleaning up with Tails and Dream….and…" Daggeron interrupted his friend, glancing behind himself and then shrugging his shoulders sarcastically, "…oh yea,…takes him well over an hour to clean up a few dust bunnies!!"

Scythe rarely ever got irritated, but now he spun around and snarled at Daggeron, "Look. Is it MY fault he isn't here yet!??!?!?! Huh!?" Scythe panted and then turned, pressing a hand to his forehead as he murmered, "…Look, I'm sorry….I just didn't know Otto was the type to break a promise."

Daggy frowned, his tail tip curling a little with thought, "That worries me Scythe…..I know he doesn't look like one to do us like that….you don't think something happened?" Scythe at once dismissed the idea, "…No….the only thing that could have happened would be like, Eggman attacking or something, and he's still recovering from our last battle remember?....and…..those baddies are all suspended, so there's….nothing to worry about, right?"

Scythe smiled weakly as Daggeron shrugged, leaning up against the door as he sighed heavily, "…I guess so, but I'm not too sure Scythe…..the only thing we can do is wait….but the movie starts in thirty minutes, and we may just have to go on without him. He….maybe he thought you wanted him to meet us there?" Scythe put on a hopeful expression as his ears perked a little, "…Yea….I guess you're right I suppose.  Come on Daggeron…let's head on to the theatre…..I bet he's gonna laugh when we tell him how we worried and stuff, right?"

Daggeron smiled a little and nodded as he pushed the door open for his friend, the light from the sun spilling out from the outside and into the hallway, "Well come on, let's head on out….and try not to worry so much, alright Scythe?"

Scythe nodded as his shoulders trembled a little as he laughed at himself. Oh how silly he was….Otto was either just running late or was already up at the movie theatre waiting for them, Scythe was certain. The two friends pulled their coats tighter to their bodies as they pulled the large double doors shut behind them, heading off into the frigid air of the night, their breath coming out in white plumes of steam.





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….."…..you guys…..seen Otto anywhere?" "…nope. I haven't seen Dream either, I've been looking for him." "…What about Tails?"

Mist, Amy, Silver, Knuckles, Anita, and Cream shook their heads as they were confronted by Sonic, Abby, and Rainbow. Sonic frowned, shrugging his shoulders a little, "…well…..Abby, you said that they left with Otto to go help him clean one of the classrooms right?"

The dark blue hedgehog nodded slightly as she clasped her hands at her front, "That's right…..I wouldn't think that it would have taken them this long to get the job done though…." Cream frowned and sighed heavily, petting Cheese on the head as she whimpered, "..I hope they are alright…" Anita rested her hand on Cream's shoulder reassuringly, smiling and giving the small rabbit a hug, "Now don't you worry Cream, they're alright….there's nothing that could have gone wrong that I can think of…." Knuckles snickered a little, "Unless they got into an argument and beat each other senseless with broomsticks…..Owwwch!!" Knuckles snarled as Anita punched him in the arm.

"Now you stop that! I highly doubt that would have happened.." Knuckles couldn't stop himself from smiling from ear to ear like a mad jack rabbit, "…you never know!!" Knuckles side stepped to avoid a slap that he saw Ani aim at him.

Meanwhile, the others sat around in the room listening silently to the conversations the others were having….

…..while Spark leaned up against the wall in the corner, his arms crossed as he stared up at the moon that was slowly beginning to rise over the horizon as the sun disappeared. That girl he had seen at the waterpark…..Samii…….

…….for some odd reason, he couldn't get her off of his mind. It was as if he knew he had met her somewhere before, she seemed to familiar…….his large ears bobbed a little as he shook his head, trying to free himself of these thoughts. There was no possible way he could have known her from somewhere before…..all his life he could remember starting out in Eggman's lab, and no where else. He was determined to forget about the girl…..he hardly even knew her in the first place…..he chuckled at himself for acting so silly.

….He rubbed at the amulet around his neck before turning to look behind him at his other friends. At the moment, Alex was sound asleep on Tails' bunk, and Rainjha was nowhere to be seen….obviously out on one of her night flights. Sonic, Amy, Cream, Knux, Ani, Abby, Rainbow, Silver and Mist were conversing about the possible whereabouts of Otto, Dream, and Tails, and Scythe and Daggeron were off to the movies to wait for Otto to arrive. Shadow and Rockfire had fallen asleep in their beds, and Marine and Jasper had left to wherever they live…Emmy had gone into the town to get something, but she didn't bother to say what it was……

After a moment Spark began to contemplate what had happened this past week. First all the things had happened at the waterpark….he had met Samii, and felt the weird feeling of déjàvu…..Greg and the bullies of the school got into that massive fight, and somehow the new girl Makayla had been involved…..this guy, this tom cat had been seen at the scene, and then suddenly disappeared the next day…..and now Otto, Tails, and Dream hadn't returned from cleaning the room, and everyone was automatically suspecting the worst.


…What did all of this mean??....was…..


………was there something about this school that had more than they all first had imagined?





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……a tall, lanky figure allowed a faint smile to appear upon his lips, his pure white teeth the only thing visible against the shadow that was being cast across his facial features by the beret he wore lopsided across his pointed ears.

…..He pulled the guitar at his back, lifting it a little higher and into a more comfortable position as he strolled leisurely down the street, the only sound from him being his claws tapping on the concrete as he made his way slowly. Where he was going could never be certain, or if he was even going in a certain direction….maybe he was going for the mere sake of traveling. One could not tell with this mysterious, unspoken feline.

His hands disappeared into the deep pockets of his pinstriped trousers, his smile slowly fading as he let out a low sigh of contentment. His eyes darted up to silently observe where his feet had absent mindedly taken him…

….he stood before a small lake, its pristine surface neatly reflecting the slowly rising face of the moon. His smile returned as his tail flicked back and forth a little, the feline stepping forwards and, without a sound, sat down at the edge of the waters, looking up and out across the surface of the glassy lake. With a gentle sigh of relief, he removed the burden of his guitar from his back, allowing the case to fall gently into the grass, by his side in case he wanted to play some music to accompany this perfect scene. A rumbling purr of happiness came from the cat as he watched the smooth surface of the water be broken by the silvery scales of a trout, the fish flashing in the moonlight for a second before it disappeared beneath the surface with barely a ripple.

The cat took advantage of the small willow tree that stood behind him and laid his back against it, his body being relaxed as he rested, the cool air causing the fur framing his face to be played about his nose. His teeth flashed in the moonlight just as the scales of the fish had just done as he grinned, chuckling as he folded his arms behind his head.

…..his beret tipped low over his face, everything at peace with the world for the mysterious cat. Just before he drifted into an undisturbed sleep, the branches of the willow tree a canopy of green above him, he remembered what he told the young hedgehog that approached him before he left the school the day before……


…….…..Young one, listen to what I say….for it is important for you.

……something is happening at this school….something you or your friends may not be prepared for…..a…dark force is approaching. Protect yourself, and your friends, and most of all, work together to keep everyone safe………..

……..before something happens that you can't control.





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…..An earsplitting crack sounded along with the numerous crashes and loud smashing sounds as the three collided with the floor, surely dead on the spot, never to be heard from again!


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But this was not to be, for as they lay there in a jumbled heap, fortune would have it that they had landed in a heap of what seemed to be straw, but it was impossible to be able to tell in the gloom. But…..landed…..where?


……after what seemed to be an age, Otto was the first to stir, groaning as he whimpered, feeling numerous spots on his body throbbing where he had collided with the floor and with his friends….his friends!!  Otto's eyes widened as he strained to open his eyes, but his sudden feeling of exhaustion caused them to fall closed again as he blacked out once more like the other two beneath and beside him…..



…………then, finally, the three all stirred.

….they were alive!

Otto moaned and was reluctant to move, afraid of what pains and agonizing feelings he might have when he did. Fortunately, he was only fairly bruised in a few places, and as he slowly rose into a shaky sitting position, he gingerly touched those spots, testing his limbs one at a time to be sure that none of his throbbing appendages were broken. Dream was the second to find the will to rise as he held at his head, groaning with pain as he shook himself, darkness surrounding them all.

….Dream called out in a wavering voice, "…is everyone alright?" ….He couldn't see in the pitch blackness, but he did hear Otto call to him with his keen hearing, "…I'm f-f-fine….a little bruised but…fine…." Dream couldn't suppress his outward sigh of relief…..then, his blood ran cold, "…T-tails?....Tails!? Are you ok!? Tails!?!!"

Otto and Dream felt around until they found each other, and then they grasped each others hands as they called out in frantic whispers, "Tails!! Tails can you hear us!?" Otto then let out a little cry of relief when he felt his hand touch a shoulder, and then it stirred, and was accompanied by a voice, "…Mmm…..g-guys….." Dream and Otto figured that Tails had just awakened from being blacked out, and hadn't heard their earlier cries. Dream and Otto couldn't help but bring the fox into a group hug as Otto whined, nearly in tears, "…Everyone's ok….I….I t-thought we were all dea-…." "Ow!!"

Dream and Otto jumped hard as Tails let out a cry of agony and fell back into a sitting position whining with agony, "….Oooh…..m-my….my ankle hurts……" Dream and Otto frowned as they leaned forwards, and Otto whined, "….How bad does it hurt Tails?" Tails had agony and pain trembling on his voice as he murmered, "….R-r-really bad…..s-…someone f-fell on my….l-leg…" Dream and Otto felt their bodies flood with upset, as Dream murmered, "….S-sorry Tails……"

Tails did his best to smile, even though he knew that they couldn't see him, "….no…it's not your fault….it was an accident…..b-but….it….it hurts…..I don't think I can walk on it….." Tails let out a low groan as Otto whined, shaking his head and burying his chin in his hands, "….and we can't look to see if it's broken or not because….it's so dark…." After a long moment of silence, besides Tails groaning every once and a while, Dream spoke in a raspy whisper, "….let me try something."

……..Otto and Tails looked in the direction where they supposed Dream was and frowned with confusion. They watched the spot intently for several moments, and nothing happened. Then, as if out of no where, a small blue light, rather, two of them seemed to flicker before their eyes and then fade. After a second, it suddenly flared into life, being so bright that Otto and Tails had to shield their eyes from it.

It took several moments for the three to become accustomed to the newfound light, but when they did, Tails was the first to speak, pain obvious in the trembling of his voice, "….D-dream….how…how are you doing that!?" They both watched in awe as the young hedgehog held both of his hands out, palms facing up, both glowing dimly, but plenty enough for them to be able to see. Dream shrugged a little and spoke in a whisper, "….I…think it's connected to my physic powers….though…..I dunno how much this is gonna drain on my energy if I use it for a prolonged amount of time, so it may not last long."

Otto smiled a little and nodded curtly, placing his hand on Dream's shoulder for a moment, "….Dream, you are just full of surprises. Keep it up as long as you can, I'll give Tails' ankle a look." Dream nodded back, giving Otto a sympathetic look that said 'take your time, I'll be fine'. Otto turned towards Tails, not bothering to survey their surroundings until he was sure his friend was alright…..which he wasn't.

Tails weakly used his hands to pull himself closer to Dream's light, and even this caused him so much immense pain that tears sprang to his eyes. Dream swallowed hard as he watched Otto lean close to the fox, watching as tears of agony rolled down Tails' cheeks.

Upon closer inspection, it could be seen that Tails' ankle was in an odd position, the side jutting out a little where his sock and shoe were. Other than that, his foot was completely limp…..which meant that his ankle had been broken in the fall. Otto winced and allowed Tails to lean on him, the young fox nearly crying aloud from the pain that rushed through his body. Otto knew that something horrible had happened, and he could confirm this by looking up. Then, his eyes widened with shock.

There was a trap door above that they had fallen through. Even now, he could see that it was hanging open on its hinges, and it was a five foot drop to where the three friends knelt on the ground. Otto could even see minute dust motes floating about in the air from where the aged door had fallen open when the combined weight of the three had crashed down upon it….how had none of the teachers noticed it before? Otto puzzled over this as he let his eyes wander down and around, surveying the full extent as to where they had fallen….

…….it looked to be the beginning of a tunnel, and a pretty long tunnel at that. The tunnel seemed to end where Tails lay, and then extended far out of the reach of Dream's light. The walls, which were dirt, seemed to be supported by several wooden beams that ran around at certain intervals, about a few yards apart for each. Otto's ears perked with interest……all of this….had been underneath the heart of the school? …and….did this mean…..

…..Otto voiced his concern aloud to Tails and Dream, not looking at them as he stared down into the blackness of where the blue light didn't reach, "…..do you think that….something else was here before the school was built?" It took this long, while Otto spoke, for Tails and Dream to realize they were indeed trapped underground in the tunnel. Dream turned, causing his light to shift from Tails to further down the tunnel, brightening a little more of the long expanse. The hedgehog sighed heavily, "….looks like it…and…." He looked back up at the hanging trap door, "…..it looks like our only option now is to travel down the tunnel. There's no possible way we can get back up through that trap door."

Otto nodded grimly. This was true….but….they probably wouldn't be getting far fast in Tails' present condition. Otto beckoned for Dream to come closer to Tails and himself as he turned to the fox, speaking in a kind tone, "…do you think you can lean on us and make it a little ways down the tunnel until we can find somewhere to rest…or…if we can find a way out of here?" Tails couldn't speak for a moment because of the pain, and then he nodded weakly. Dream was relieved that his energy was only being drawn a little by this light, and he was able to keep the light going as he helped Otto as they placed their hands underneath Tails' armpits, lifting him up gently until the fox stood weakly on his better leg, swaying a little bit.

They held him steady as Tails draped one arm about each of their shoulders, his two tails swaying a little to help himself stay upright. Tails winced, but tried his bets to keep a straight face…..oh if only Sonic and the others were there to help…they would know what to do…..

……The three couldn't help but shed a few tears as they simply stood there, completely unsure of what to do, Dream and Otto holding up Tails. They stood there with their heads bowed, and Otto sniffed and used the back of one hand to wipe at his eyes, and then he looked sideways at his two friends, "….g-guys…..we can't cry. …..we have to try and get out of here….and even though we don't have the others to help…..we have each other."

After a moment, Tails looked up at Otto, and Dream followed suit. They nodded weakly…..the young otter who had seen too much sadness in his life was right. They had to keep pressing on…..even if they were alone at the moment, they had a feeling that soon enough they would find their way back to their friends….







…..of this they were certain.





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Well….maybe they weren't so unfortunate. They were alive.


As they had begun walking down the dark tunnel, Otto had been overjoyed to find a pile of branches shoved in a corner…..this meant two things. The first thing was good…..he was able to take these two branches, upend them, and form them into makeshift crutches for Tails, so the going for the rest of them could be easier…..but the second thing meant that they were not alone in this tunnel…

…..and it had been recently traversed.

The three tried not to dwell on this as they continued to make their way through the blackness, the only thing to aid them being the light that Dream was producing. For the longest time they traveled in total silence, save for their ragged breathing, and Tails' occasional and quite frequent whimpers of pain.

It continued on like this for an unmeasured amount of time, the three always staring straight ahead and praying for a miracle. ……then, suddenly, Dream murmered, "…Otto, we have to stop." Otto's ears perked as he looked across at the young hedgehog, and instead of answering Dream nodded his head towards Tails. Otto's lips parted in a sigh of sadness. The young fox had fainted clean away from pain.

….with their combined efforts, the two lay Tails gently in a dip in the wall, allowing his back to rest against that wall. Otto and Dream knelt in a small half circle around Tails, Otto sitting in the direction they were going, and Dream sitting in the direction they had just come from. The factor that always remained was the only light being from Dream, and this slightly concerned Otto, who whispered anxiously, "..How're you holding out?" Dream shrugged as he forced a good natured smile, holding his hands up a little for emphasis, "Aw, I'm fine. Don't worry….I'll probably be able to keep this up for a good while yet."

Otto nodded and looked back at the center of where the three were sitting in a triangle. Dream and Otto remained quiet, unsure of what to say, or if there was even anything to say that could brighten up the situation. They could tell that it was probably well into the night hours, and they had been underground for at least an hour, maybe an hour and a half…..steadily walking to no where. After a moment, Otto looked up when Dream whispered in a small voice, "….will we be ok Otto?"

Otto's eyes widened as he looked up at Dream. Dream's eyes reflected sadness, anguish, and an unsure feeling that radiated throughout the atmosphere. Otto's ears drooped and his eyelids fell a little, the blue light reflecting off of his face as he sighed, stating the truth, "….I dunno Dream. We can only hope." That caused both of them to fall into another bout of cold silence…..but it was true. What would happen now?......they were far beneath the school, and they didn't even know what was beneath the earth, or….anything.

……they could easily die down underground, and no one would ever know what happened to them. Otto winced as these horrible thoughts raced through his mind……the gang would soon discover that they were missing, and put out a search for them. They would search and search, and then eventually come to the utility closet….they would see the trap door, and they wouldn't understand…..their bodies would never be found, and then-


Otto was jerked violently out of his thoughts as suddenly, a low rumble came from the far end of the tunnel, closest to him. Dream and Otto exchanged nervous glances, and they both instantly rose to their feet, backing up against the wall and stood before Tails, who was oblivious to all the happenings. Dream held up his glowing palms towards where the sound had been heard, his fingers shaking visibly…..Otto then spied a small stick on the ground, quite close to his foot. He shakily bent over and picked it up, splitting the limb in half so it was pointed as a makeshift weapon.

Otto and Dream stood poised, staring into the darkness that surrounded them, their nerves on the edge as the only thing they could hear was the sound of their own ragged breathing, and the sound of their heartbeats pounding in their eardrums.

The low rumble was heard a second time. ….then a third. …..this time, it vibrated through the tunnel so hard that Otto and Dream could feel the vibrations of the earth through their feet, and the small pebbles that lay hither and thither jumped from the ground as if they were alive.

….Suddenly, Dream and Otto felt their limbs freeze, and their hearts dropped as a horrible, wretched sound met their ears, accompanied by a malicious chuckle, "......Sssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss……."

…..the two stared up in complete and utter horror as a massive head reared before them, the otter and hedgehog being locked in the monster's slitted gaze. His head rose up and reared back in a serpentine fashion, the base of his ancient skull nearly scraping the ceiling as he glared down at them. Otto and Dream stared up….





……………right into the massive slitted eyes of an Adder!!!







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……They had missed the movie.


…Scythe sat on the carpeted steps leading into the movie theater, his hands buried into the thick sleeves of his coat as he shuddered, his breath showing in puffs of steam as he leaned forwards, frozen down to the bone. His numb body could barely feel the gentle hand that descended upon his shoulder, and he tried to ignore the voice of Daggeron that met his ears,

"….face it Scythe. Otto isn't coming."


Scythe looked up at the snow leopard with anguish glistening in his misty eyes, his entire body trembling as he jerked his head away, glaring at the pavement, "…I…I don't understand Daggy!! He….he promised!!" Scythe gritted his teeth and closed his eyes hard, whispering, "….he….he wouldn't break a promise."

Daggeron nodded a little and sat down on the steps beside Scythe, the two ignoring the people that passed them to go into watch late night movies. They both shivered and stared off into the parking lot for several moments in silence, their breath showing before their noses in steam.

….Scythe winced, letting out a groan as he looked sideways at Daggeron, "….D-…Daggeron……something's wrong. Something happened." Daggeron blinked and then responded after a moment, "….you don't know that Scythe. There….there has to be a reason he didn't show, because I know Otto wouldn't be a jerk and not come just because he didn't feel like it." Scythe nodded his agreement and sighed heavily, his gaze returning to the pavement.


Then, after a moment, it began to snow a little, the flakes gently falling down from the sky and settling on the nearby trees, cars, and the earth. Scythe and Daggeron looked up into the partially clouded night sky, shivering as the snow caused their bodies to numb and freeze even more…..maybe….if they waited a little longer the young otter would show up.



……they were wrong.






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"Ssssss………Death awaitsssss you my little friendsssss………..Death awaitssssssss………I will lead you to an eternal ssssssssleeep…….."

The two young creatures stared up in horror, petrified with terror as the massive snake loomed over them like something out of a nightmare. The snake's tongue flicked in and out rapidly, vibrating and tasting the air about Dream and Otto, something that almost could resemble a smile spearing on the viper's face..

"Mmm……I senssssssse three of you…..jusssssst enough for a good, three courssssse meal." The snake's jaws parted in a long hiss of pleasure, his body coiling a little in the large, cavern like space that Dream and Otto could now see before them in the center of the tunnel. There was nowhere to go, for the massive bulk of the snake itself was blocking the way.

Otto trembled violently as he thrust the stick in his shaking hands up in the air, roaring, "Go away!! Leave us alone!!!" The snake blinked slowly a few times, and a low hiss rumbled from his throat, almost a chuckle, "…Hmm….you amusssse me little meat….." Otto and Dream watched as the snake's massive head reared back, his jaws opening once and then closing again before the long tongue flicked out once more. The snake began to speak in a low hum, his voice a bit of a lull as he whispered, "Sssshusssh now……let me lead you into ssssleep……come…..come into my den and resssst your poor tired ssssoulssss……"

The snake then began to, slowly, sway back and forth, his head jerking ever so slightly each time he went to sway in the other direction. His jaws opened and shut slightly as he swayed in a hauntingly hypnotic movement, his eyes wide and never blinking as he locked them in his icy stare. The serpent had the two young ones.

/Otto and Dream's eyes widened as they were locked helplessly into the impenetrable stare of the viper, rendered completely at the mercy of the snake. Otto's weapon was hanging limply in his trembling fingers as his jaws fell open, his ears flattened completely against his skull. This tunnel underneath the school belonged to this ancient reptile, and he wasn't about to pass up a warm, live meal. His body shivered with anticipation as his jaws parted slightly again so his tongue could escape, his yellow eyes boring into Dream and Otto's, "…Ssssssssssssss……I feel…….generousssss today……I will humble myssssself and make your sssssleep quick and virtually painlesssssss……now….fall into an eternal ssssslumber within my domain………"


Then, something happened. As the snake swayed back and forth, his motion began to become more exaggerated and pronounced, his head nearly touching the far walls of the wide tunnel. The light from Dream's hands flickered as he stared at the living death, and then, suddenly, the side of the snake's skull barely, just barely, clipped the edge of a bit of stone lodged in the earth. The snake hissed and continued his movement, not caring one bit about the small pieces of gravel that began to slide down the side of the wall, for this happened all the time in these fragile, ancient burrows…..

…..what the snake didn't count on, however, was a larger rock sliding down the wall and then falling off, striking the young otter on the foot. This distraction was enough for the creature to jerk his eyes away from the serpent subconsciously and wince in pain. Otto's eyes blinked a few times in a split second, and it dawned upon him what had just happened to the two. The snake was luring them further into the tunnel, so he could kill them!!!

The snake then realized that he had to act fast, or his prey would be lost. With a sudden, savage hiss that rippled through the dank tunnel, the snake reared back and opened his massive maw, two nasty fangs showing themselves, each nearly as long as Otto was tall. Otto's eyes widened as he jumped hard, letting out a screech of terror as he dove towards Dream, "LOOK OUT!!!!!"  The viper struck with lightening speed, but Otto had moved before the snake had launched forwards fortunately, and the snake's snout crashed against the earth where Dream had been seconds before.

The snake reared back with rage, his head turning with unexpected pain, and in the same instant Otto and Dream rolled to the side, Dream violently jerked out of the horrible hypnosis. Dream and Otto huddled against the wall as the snake roared with its anger, "You will die! Sssshow yoursssselvesss and your death will be quick……try my patience and I will ensssssure that your death lassssts for eonsss!"

Dream, in his shock, had suddenly released the energy to his hands, and the light was gone. Everything plunged into pitch blackness, much to Otto and Dream's dismay. In this blackness, the snake could see where they could not.

The two took advantage of a small crevice that lay at the base of the wall, something that only they could be able to fit into. The snake began to speed up his actions. His prey was trying to escape, and he refused to let this happen. The snake's head slowly swept around the front of the tunnel as everything became deathly quiet, save for the horrible constant hissing of the serpent. His tongue flicked out and tasted the air, searching for the prey that was dangerously close to his head. The snake whispered, "Come out….come out…..I grow weary, and my patience growsssss thin….."

Otto and Dream struggled to keep their breathing labored, their chests rising and falling as they trembled, just awaiting for when the snake would discover them, and then murder them in a horrible, unimaginable death.

Then, they both froze with horror as the snake let out a low, rippling laugh of pleasure, sliding forwards, his scales brushing up against the walls for leverage as he quickly made his way, "Mmmmmm……I will have you firssssst…..then your friendssss might decide to join you……..now…….closssse your eyes one lasssst time my little vixen……"



Tails!!!



Otto suddenly shook Dream's shoulder, whispering in his ear hoarsely, horror and anguish trembling in his voice, "Dream, turn on your lights when I tell you to!" "B-but Otto…" "Please just trust me! We don't have much time!!!" Dream swallowed at the dry lump in his throat. He nodded weakly, holding his palms up a little as the two listened to the gleeful hisses of the viper, and then listened as the earth shifted and cracked, the ancient reptile rearing his head to strike.



………………….



……"NOW!"

Several things then happened at once. Dream threw his hands up as high as he could and concentrated his energy, causing a blue glow to suddenly flare around his palms. At the same time, Otto darted forwards, his eyes locking on what he had felt his foot brush against seconds ago:   the branch that he had lost from before.

In the same movement as he jumped forwards, Otto rolled over onto his side and snatched the stick from the ground, thrusting it upwards in front of him as hard and as high as he could as he flipped over onto his back. In that exact instant, the snake jerked forwards violently like a hissing torrent of death.



Otto felt the stick be knocked clear from his grasp as the snake's jaws closed in shock, the stick burying itself deep into his snout as he barreled into the otter, sending him rolling head over tail. The snake cried out in agony and rage as he blinked his eyes hard, his hiss now a trembling roar of rage as he cried, "You have lossssst my generosssssity!!! You will die ssssslow and in the mossst agony, otter!!!"


Otto screamed with horror and threw his hands up in front of his face as he watched the snake's jaws part in a hiss of seething rage, his eyes flashing with anger as he sized up his prey and then struck with lightening speeds, Otto preparing himself for the feeling of the poisonous fangs to drive into his chest and shoulder………..then literally skewering him on the snake's teeth as he was slowly eaten alive.






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Otto stared up with numb horror, his vision blurred by his tears as he watched the snake strike, and as he listened to Dream's screams of dismay………..



………………….



……suddenly, just before Otto's life was snuffed out like a candle flame, a figure seemed to almost materialize from the walls, leaping out and suddenly latching itself to the side of the snake's head. The viper halted in its descent as the sudden weight caused him to lurch sideways, his body slamming into the far wall as his snout quivered inches from Otto's body. The snake roared with rage and writhed, his entire body coiling and twisting as he tried to shake free of his unexpected burden.

Otto and Dream stared up in terror as they watched the figure hold on to the snake with an unfailing grip, leaning back and holding something high up before its head. The otter and hedgehog could feel the breath catch in their throats as the object in the figure's hands flashed in the light Dream produced, and then he plunged it downwards with both hands.

The dagger the figure held was driven into the snake's eye, gouging it out as the figure struck once, twice, thrice! Then, he grappled to hold on as the snake roared and reeled, shaking his head with agony as large drops of blood fell from his eye like crimson tears, splashing in hot pools near Dream. The figure managed to leap from the snake's skull to the wall, using the wall as a support as the shadowy assassin landed hard onto the other side of the snake's head.

They watched as he drove the bloody dagger into the snake's other eye, completely blinding the serpent as its cries caused the earth to rumble and shake violently. The snake's jaws parted in agony as he writhed, bunching up his coils as he fought vainly to get the figure away. Otto and Dream stared up and were forced to jump out of the way as the snake bashed his head up against either wall, trying to crush the attacker against the stones.

Then, suddenly, the figure knelt atop the base of the snake's head, the massive weapon the figure held dripping with the snake's blood down its length as he, in one swift movement, drove it downwards through the snake's skull. The snake roared with a scream of indescribable measure as he shook violently and crashed down to the tunnel floor and writhed, his entire body shaking as blood ran in rivulets down the sides of the snake's face, as well as from his eyes and jaws.

His jaws parted in one last hiss of agony as he shuddered once, and then lay still.


……..the ancient murderer of the tunnels was dead.

…Dream and Otto couldn't get a look at the one who had saved their lives; they had passed into the void and fainted clean away.







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"……..your friends are stirring as we speak, look." "….O-otto? Dream? Are….a-a-re you guys alright?"



Otto and Dream stirred wearily, their heads pounding as they groaned. Dream's light was gone now, replaced by the flickering orange/yellow light of the flames of a small fire. ….what had happened?

…..the two looked up from where they had been lying, shaking their heads and blinking hard, trying to clear their blurry vision and look up at the two that sat in front of them.

The first they saw was Tails. Tails' eyes shimmered with exhaustion and pain from his broken ankle, but other than that he looked no worse for wear. He smiled weakly and extended their leg for them to see, and they were surprised to see that it had been bandaged. Tails gave them a small nod as he looked over at someone who was sitting beside him, "….he helped me….a-and saved you guys from the snake."


Otto and Dream finally got a look at who exactly had saved them. He looked to be a hedgehog, around 16 years old or something to that extent. His fur was of a deep maroon color, and his eyes shimmered like blue pools, and he was watching them with a sympathetic gaze. He has long headspikes that dipped down the base of his head, accompanied by headspikes that fanned out on his forehead, similar to Silver's. His headspikes reached down to the small of his back, and he had fluffy white fur adorning his chest.

He looked to be of average height, maybe just a bit taller than normal. He was now smiling at him, his legs crossed as he spoke for the first time, his voice betraying hidden pain and fatigue, "…You guys alright?"


Dream and Otto found themselves only able to nod weakly, not being able to stir themselves into speaking again as they straightened themselves into sitting positions. Their battered bodies were sore and throbbing, and Otto could feel that there was a long gash on the side of his shoulder from where the snake had struck him. It had been bandaged while he was unconscious. He looked up at the hedgehog, and he shrugged, "…it was nothing."

Otto wasn't so sure. Before he had the time to question anything else, the maroon hedgehog pushed forwards a small slab of bark that had been stripped. Otto and Dream looked down and were surprised to see that lying atop it were a few pieces of an apple, a small chunk of bread, and part of a wheel of cheese. They looked up at Tails, who shook his head, and then the hedgehog suddenly broke into speech again, "…eat, Tails' has already eaten. It's not much, but it should make you guys feel better."

The two exhausted bodies didn't argue and tucked in with a will, eating sparingly and sharing the food between them. They didn't stop eating to tell the hedgehog their names, assuming that Tails had already explained their situation.  As Otto bit down into the soft cheese, he looked up at the hedgehog as he spoke again, cleaning a dagger on a rough scrap of cloth, "….M' name's Atoré. And I know that your name is Otto, and your name is Dream."

The hedgehog used the freshly cleaned dagger to point at each of them in turn as he spoke, smiling a little. As Otto ate, he watched the hedgehog, and could see that there were numerous old scars littering his body in several places…..he figured that this hedgehog was one who saw a lot of hardship. Atoré must have caught Otto observing him, for he shrugged as he cleaned his dagger, "...I get myself into bunches of scrapes kid,…..but it's nothing I can't handle, as you saw back there."

Atoré winked and chuckled a bit, seeming completely sure of himself with his abilities. Otto couldn't resist cracking a small smile as he finished eating the cheese he had broken from the wheel, he and Dream sharing the piece of bread between them. As they ate at the sweet, slightly hardened bread, Dream frowned, "….you're hurt."

The hedgehog looked up with a questioning look, and then looked over at his side. There was a long bandage around his chest where the snake had crushed him against the wall, and it could be seen bleeding beneath the white gauze. Atoré smiled weakly and looked at them with tired eyes, "Aw, I'll be alright. Don't worry about me." Otto suddenly blurted, Dream glancing sideways at him as he nibbled on a piece of apple, "But….y-you….you could have killed yourself protecting us. A-and…and…you hardly know us!!"

Atoré shrugged, as if this wasn't new to him, as he seemed to tuck the dagger behind him. He brought his hands before him and into his lap again, and the dagger was gone. Otto's eyes widened, but he didn't say anything about this as Atoré murmered, "….If you little guys were eaten by that snake I wouldn't have been able to forgive myself, even though I don't know you too much. I feel compelled to keep you safe….and I have a feeling that your hardships are only begun, am I right Otto?"



Otto nodded with a frown as he and Dream exchanged sad glances. They watched the embers of the fire jump and dart up into the atmosphere, rising up into the ceiling of the lonely tunnel. Atoré nodded knowingly, "…Tails has explained everything to me…..and you guys are in quite a predicament. Luckily you have this devilishly handsome hedgehog to help you!! Haha!!" Dream and Otto stared at the curious hedgehog as he chortled. They instantly grew a liking to Atoré.

After a moment of conversing, Atoré nodded, "…I see that you know Abby, a good friend of mine. Ooh, I bet she and the others are worried sick about you guys." Tails nodded, staring at the floor between his feet, "Yeah, no kiddin'."

Tails looked sadly at his friends as the hedgehog spoke again, using a free hand to smooth back his quills as a long sigh came from him.

….then, as if he had silently decided something amongst himself, he looked at the young ones, "Well don't you worry guys….I'm going to help you get out of here. I'll protect you in any way I can."


Otto looked up at Atoré with shining eyes, smiling a little and holding out his hand, "…T-thank you so much Atoré……"


…the otter and hedgehog clasped hands and stared into each other's eyes with a newfound determination.


………They would get out of here alive, even if it was the last thing they did……


……..as the two clasped hands, a pair of slitted eyes watched them from the shadows, and then darted away without a sound.