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[The Mysterious Traveller]

Author Notes – Well…here it is. After being a fan of the show for ten years, here is my very first Sonic the Hedgehog SatAM story.

A few things that’ cha need to know before going into this – this story follows the writer Ben Hurst’s vision of Season III, Ixis Naugus taking over Robotropolis and enslaving Robotnik while Snively is left with little choice but to defect to The Knothole Freedom Fighters. As for how THAT will turn out, well…wait n’ see.

I’d just like to thank the fan community for all the support and advice they’ve given me while writing this – particularly Thony Hedgehog from the Saturday Morning Sonic website thanks to whom this fic has a title. Also all characters are the property of DIC and Sega of America…except, of course, for Zero.

Now that all of that’s out of the way…I hope you enjoy this.

Mutant Body, Mobian Heart

Prologue
Past and Present

Then – Ten Years Ago, At An Uncertain Date Roughly One Year After The Coup

In the beginning there is darkness…nothing more, nothing less.

Such is natural in the world that comes before conception of a conscious being…a world that is the negative to our own and in which nothing can be thought or felt for there is nothing to be thought of or two feel or, more basically, nothing TO think or feel anything.

There is just sheer nothingness…a formless void which, depending on certain circumstances, may or may not one day become filled.

In the case of which I am about to expound…it DOES.

The darkness is pierced by a light that fills the emptiness and gives the void basic form…this light is that of a newly created life.

A new life which is nurtured as the union of sperm and ovum brings it to the point where its basic form begins to grow and develop – as it floats in the wet and sticky fluid which shall sustain it until it is ready for leave this place of warmth and safety, its consciousness too begins to grow and develop.

Slowly but surely, sensation by sensation, it experiences the basics of feelings and thoughts…as with its physical body and its mind, the full growth and development of these things called ‘emotions’ shall come later.

Next it reaches the foetal stage – limbs begin forming, struggling against the ball of nervous tissue to which they yet remain fused until certain areas of skin cell receive natural signals to die and the fresh new body-parts are allowed to unfold freely.

Two small legs which end in a pair of flat paws, two small arms which end in paws with opposable thumbs, one head with two pointed ears…and two tails.

The growth of fur will also come later…for the present however the growth and development of the foetus has culminated in one perfectly formed infant Vulpes volpes or, in plain Mobian, a baby fox.

A baby fox…who, as a result of some strange fluke, happens to possess two tails.

The creation of new life is one of this world’s greatest and most miraculous natural gifts – but this particular new child’s journey toward birth, toward the moment of his arrival in our world of light and life, has at some stage decidedly veered away from the natural.

Due to the wild card introduced into his genetic code as it was being written, the male cub now being nurtured in his mother’s womb has one tail that is surplus to natural requirements – the Mobian Medical Dictionary would refer to him as “An individual, organism, of new genetic character arising or resulting from mutation.”

To the world at large, a planet that regrettably contains people whose minds are much less understanding and sympathetic…he will be regarded simply as a freak of nature.

His story, now one turn of the page away from its beginning, is his alone to write – yet, whatever hardships he is to face and pain he is to endure and inner demons shall come to drive him, he will one day be forced to look into depths of his own soul and ask of himself the question that each and every one of us must ask ourselves at some stage or other in our lives.

‘Who am I…?’

The Present Day – Three Months Following The Fall of Doctor Robotnik

The murky room was a small affair comprised of four walls, floor and ceiling all made from flat granite – all would also have been smooth and featureless were it not for the series of deep cracks running across them almost like ripples in the layer of dust which had settled upon them all so very long ago.

So long ago indeed that they came second only to the tangled myriad of cobwebs which hung, like veils of gauzy silk, all the way to the gritty floor – these heirlooms left in the wake of the generations of tiny eight-legged beasts which had made their way through the aforementioned fissures in order to enter this dusty and forgotten place were, along with the spreading of those fissures and the settling of those particles of dust, had marked the passage of time for a considerable number of years.

As a matter of fact…this small chink in the grim armour of Robotropolis had lain undiscovered here for centuries uncounted.

Long before the coming of the tyrant with a soul of iron and steel who had usurped it and perverted all it had once stood tribute to – the man who had overthrown its just and rightful ruler, condemned the greater part of its people to an endless future of living death.

Though there had been a time when the cold metallic city had been called ‘Mobotropolis’ and (during the reign of the House of Acorn and before the conquest of Doctor Robotnik) been home to a wondrous variety of people from all walks of life, a kingdom in which the concept of living had been synonymous with those of light and joy…this dark dank nook was older than them all.

The existence of this secret room, tucked away somewhere within the belly of the enslaved nightmarish city, had never been known to a native of the planet Mobius…for it was so old that it predated even the very name of the planet.

Time - an overwhelming force, the left hand of fate, which had swept clean from the face of this planet everything from an era that had passed and gone before the arrival of the Mobians.

An era over the course of which this planet had gone under an altogether different name, one now known to only a small number of people, and had been ruled by an altogether different species…one that had ultimately all but eradicated itself from existence.

And yet…there are always fragments of the past which contrive to somehow escape the cleansing passage of time.

Fragments such as crumbling ruins and elements of cultures that once arose and fell, all of which provide clues to the presently dominant species of the existence of those who have come and gone before them…and, in certain exceptional circumstances, those who happen to have hung on and stayed.

Such was the specific purpose of the hidden chamber…to outwait time.

And throughout the centuries since the fall of one civilisation and the rise and subjugation of another…this was precisely what it had done.

During the accumulation of dust and the expansion of the spiders realm and the weight of the dead silence…it had waited.

Waited for inevitability, fate’s RIGHT hand, to determine the end of its indeterminate period of lying undisturbed and undiscovered…a day which was destined to arrive in the close future.

All of this because of the curious article that stood erect in the middle of the room, still waiting after all these years with a patience which was the one thing that hadn’t changed in all that time – riveted to the floor by long (and now rusted) screws was a round platform that resembled a pedestal and had at one time probably gleamed beautifully.

Positioned at the edges of its flat surface were four curved talon-like clasps made from the same alloy – clutched in their tight grip which had not yielded in all this time was something which would have made anybody, even while being pursued by a platoon of SWATbots, stop and stare blankly at it.

An egg-shaped globe which was translucent and yet cloudy like stagnant water – this ambiguous consistency would have allowed such an aforementioned hypothetical observer to just glimpse though not quite discern the nature of the shadowy form encased within the strange substance.

And the nature and identity of the one who had slept inside this artificial cocoon throughout the long centuries…?

End of Prologue

[MistressAli]

This is one of the few fanfics I've been keeping up with on fanfiction.net, and I have to say, it's a really good read that keeps to the spirit of SatAM while still adding maturity and depth, as well as issues that the cartoon wouldn't have been able to do. Hopefully people here will give it a read.

[The Mysterious Traveller]

Author Notes - Hey, thanks for the kind words! I try, heh!

Chapter One
Winds Of Change

Well now…if this isn’t all just stomach-turningly PEACHY.

The meeting-hall had always struck him as being something of a misnomer – to begin with, it was situated in the very heart of Knothole Village and on a platform which also served as a bridge across the wide river which has always run straight through the middle of this secret dwelling nestled away in deepest part of The Great Forest.

Where it departed from being exactly what it was named was the fact that the four wooden pillars which had been carved long ago into matching arch-like shapes had, while always having been intended to support the thatched roof and even now performed this task admirably, been designed also to make this gathering-place completely open to the outside air – this decisions meant that for many years the numerous discussions and debriefings which occurred upon each gathering here were accompanied by the sound of the wind and the leafs in the trees dancing together to the sweet and simple harmony of nature abundant all around.

Every lush meadow and windblown plain in the village was an opera…and he hated every last one of them.

He hated them – he hated everything about them right from the constant birdsongs, the soothing sound that the warm and gentle breeze made as it blew, right down to the persistent sound of the rivers endless journey through the forest.

He hated each and every individual piece which made up the composition of this grand symphony which flowed never-endingly – he hated the benevolence and beauties of nature all around him, ever mocking him unintentionally for the fact that he had spent just about every waking moment of the last ten years of his life trying to wreak destruction upon them all.

Last but not least of all he hated the fact that, after that long and bitter decade, The Great Forest was still right where it had always been – it was HE who had been torn down and was now forced to spend his days depending upon this standing testament to nature, forced to live with and rely on The Freedom Fighters who now shown him pity and mercy and duly granted him sanctuary among them regardless of the many vile acts he had committed against them. (And who he also hated…)

Snively Kintobor hated his life…but it was all he had and so he clung to it like a drowning man clings to a piece of floating debris.

After all…fortune favours the wicked foremost. And one day when those Freedom Fighter FOOLS least expect it these constant winds will become the winds of CHANGE…

As he stood next to the long wooden table, brooding, Snively saw that he was no longer alone – on one side of the pathway that led onto the platform of wooden planks there lay a grassy meadow which, in the fresh bloom of springtime on Mobius, gave off a lush radiance in the morning sunlight.

And through the long blades of bright-green grass which swayed in the thrall of the breeze’s gentle caress and rainbow assortment of flowers which had been cultivated by Mother Nature’s loving hand drifted the hazy silhouettes of a pair of figures…

“Antoine sweetie…” the drawling voice, so sweet and elegant, which floated across the meadow was made distinctive by an unmistakable Southern Belle accent.

“Oui, Bunnee?” just as the out-of-tune-clarinet voice of her companion of that morning was defined by an accent that was undeniably French.

“Doncha’ll think this would be the most wonderful place to get hitched?” the feminine voice sounded both mischievous and thoughtful as its owner made this observation.

“Oh, oui-oui, Bunnee…whaaat?!” the clarinet squeaked at full decibels.

A giggle like molten chocolate, “Why Antoine, Ah do declare! Take it from me, sugah, your handsome face is burnin’ brighter than the sun over yonder!” the female commented teasingly.

As the pair of Knothole Freedom Fighters drew close to the meeting-hall their respective faces grew clearer and Snively was able to see who they were…as if having lived with them for the last couple of months he hadn’t been able to guess that anyway.

Bunnie Rabbot and Antoine Depardieu were walking side-by-side as they headed for the meeting-place – Snively’s keen and ever-watchful eyes noted that, with every word that passed between them and every glance they stole of each other, the bodies of the two Freedom Fighters were little more than inches apart.

Now Snively had never had the time himself to contemplate such things back when he’d been as young as these two but, having always felt a pride in his sly ability to interpret the nuances and subtleties in the behaviour of others around him, he considered privately that the rabbit and the coyote might as well hold hands…

SHEESH…why don’t the two of you go and get a ROOM?

The conversation was still going, neither of its participants having yet noticed the human’s presence and interest – Antoine’s face looked wary but intrigued by the direction it had taken. “Bunnee, this I am not understanding…it is true, is it not, that you were once were telling me that you were wishing to be marrying in Zee Void?”

Bunnie laughed, “Aw shucks sugah, Ah was only jokin’! Besides that ol’ Void was pretty for sure…but glitz and glamour aren’t everythin’ now are they?”

“They are NOT in everything?” Antoine asked, his voice sounding surprised and his expression looking doubtful – probably he was thinking about the way in which nearly everybody he knew seemed perpetually impressed by the deeds and style of a certain hedgehog.

Bunnie reached out and pinched his cheek in her gentle paw of bone, flesh and fur – there was a knowing smile on her face as she displayed her affection for the coyote so openly. “No sugah…sometimes it’s what’s on the inside that’s truly wonderful.” She told him, her voice crystal-clear with sincerity. “And that may well be an ol’ cliché…but Ah do believe that the oldest are often the truest!”

Bunnie smiled as she held her arms out wide, raising them into the clear fresh morning-air – as the rays daylight shining down from up high touched her body, setting it aglow with radiance, she spoke again. “And here’s another little ol’ cliché …the best things in life are free, sugah. Yes…Ah would like ta’ have my weddin’ here.” She murmured, more to herself than to her friend, in a voice as soft and gentle as the breeze caressing her body – then, looking at him from the very corner of her right eye, she smiled and allowed her voice to subtly rise. “Ah just wonder who’ll be standin’ by my side when that day comes?” as she chuckled, the rabbit turned her emerald eyes toward the meeting-hall which she and he were about to step into – she’d wanted to see whether any of the other Freedom Fighters had arrived before herself and Antoine and, as she saw who was standing there, her gazing eyes widened a touch. “Oh…well hi there! Good mornin’, Snively!”

As Bunnie and Antoine stopped in their tracks in order to stare at the short-sized human whose head was bald, his body as thin as a snake’s and his long nose like a beak, Snively nodded curtly in response to the tentative greeting. “Yes…I’m afraid so, Miss Rabbot. Depardieu.” He acknowledged them both icily, his arms folded – his own greeting made no secret of the fact that, out of the two, he respected Bunnie more than he did Antoine.

“Aw, Snively, now we’ve told’ja about that haven’t we?” Bunnie’s tone was mildly rebuking as she smiled at him, trying her very hardest. “Ya’ll are allowed to call us all by our first names, ya know!”

Snively passed this friendly reminder over with no reaction…outwardly at least.

Why THANK-YOU, BUNNIE…but I rather believe that I will have to pass. Otherwise I may find myself feeling too guilt-stricken to follow through when the time comes for me to terminate our little alliance…oh who am I trying to fool? OF COURSE I WON’T, AHAHAHA!

“Monsieur…are you having your balls affixated to someteeng?”

This comment was more than enough to derail Snively’s train of thought – his face was almost like a blank sheet of paper as he looked in shock at the person who had presented the jarring question. “I…BEG your PARDON?” he practically squeaked, his throat suddenly like the inside of a hollowed-out bone.

Antoine’s eyes were frosty, his lower-jar jutting out in a decidedly confrontational manner, as he met the human’s stare – his expression looked like a simmering mix of defiance and aggression. “What I am saying is that they should maybe being REMOVE-ED.” He elaborated, his cool and deliberate manner at odds with his mangling of the language he was speaking, as he lifted his eyebrows into a meaningful arch.

Snively winced impulsively, “WHAT?” he gasped – was the coyote threatening him?

Had his deliberately disastrous butchering of that escargot recipe been so sadistic, scarred the coyote’s mind so deeply, that Antoine had since borne a seething grudge which was now mere seconds away from erupting like a puss-filled boil…?

Then Snively was aware of a new sound as a rich as the warm breeze, as sweet as the sound of the running water – it was a sound even he could not bring himself to hate.

Bunnie was laughing in amusement at the two of them, “Sweety, Ah do believe that what Antoine’s tryin’ to tell ya’ll is…” as she spoke her paw went up to straighten to her perpetually flopping ear – as always it flopped over again the very second she let it go. “…take a picture!” there was a twinkle in the rabbit’s eyes which appeared flattered rather than reproachful as they gazed at Snively, “As in ‘It’ll last longer’, y’ know?”

Snively felt horror as he realized that he’d been doing it AGAIN…and worse this time he had been CAUGHT at it.

There had been numerous occasions, since the day he’d thrown his lot in with The Freedom Fighters, on which Snively had been both surprised and irritated to find himself doing it…staring at Bunnie.

During these spells he’d silently marvel at the effortless grace and natural elegance with which the partially roboticized rabbit walked, gestured and acted – not those qualities alone but, and it never failed to leave him flabbergasted whenever he realized that he’d been looking THIS intently, that of the sheer unbridled sensuality she was blessed with too.

Every time the spell wore off he would hate both her and himself all the more for his mesmeric attraction to her…though not intensely enough to make him to once and for all break what was becoming a deeply disconcerting habit.

Now that his hidden fascination had been exposed, Snively was deeply mortified but also relieved by the fact that the meaning of Antoine’s question was now made clear. “Oh…” as understanding dawned on him, the sigh he uttered felt like air slowly seeping from a split balloon – then he gasped loudly, his normally clammy face suddenly like a ripe tomato in pallor. “…OH! Oh my…so you were actually talking about my EYE-BALLS? Just to make this absolutely and unmistakably clear you were in point of fact demanding that I desist gazing upon Miss Rabbot?”

“Is exactamentally what I am saying!” Antoine exclaimed, “Why are you not at first understanding this? Unless there is being some other meaning you are attaching to my words?”

Putting her paw to her mouth, Bunnie giggled and tactfully said nothing.

Once again Snively marveled as he always did at the sheer extent that Antoine was capable of mangling the English language – as a matter of fact the human had just as often wondered if this infuriating trait was in reality part of some secret cunning of which the rest of The Freedom Fighters had never dreamed of suspecting the coyote.

Could it be that the mish-mash of phrases and scrambled words were in fact a ploy to convince Antoine’s peers that he was little more than a harmless idiot and thus trick them into lowering their guards around him…?

Often Snively’s eyes narrowed into slits of suspicion as he contemplated this notion – always would he discard it however on the basis that he was fairly positive that Antoine really and truly was too harmless an idiot to even conceive such a devious scheme.

Snively was fortuitously spared the trouble of explaining his misunderstanding to Antoine…as every blade of grass, flower and tree in Knothole suddenly appeared to participate in en mass Limbo Tournament.

And that wasn’t all – Bunnie’s forward-flopping ear actually stood up straight for a whole minute before, as the natural laws of gravity were reasserted, it returned to its usual position.

All of this occurred as, in a shockwave generated by a surge that didn’t simply break but shattered the sound-barrier into millions of countless and impossibly tiny pieces, Sonic the Hedgehog exploded onto the scene in a bedazzling flash of cobalt-blue. “Right on time! PAST COOL!” exclaimed the champion of Knothole – he honored those who had already gathered here with his presence, the grass that had stood in his path now bent flat as though bowing in respect of his peerless speed. “You guys would hafta get up mondo early in the morning to beat me when it comes to speed – in fact ya’d hafta stay up all night!”

And most of all...Snively hated HIM.

“Just like YOU did LAST night, Sonic Hedgehog.” The person he’d carried in his arms commented with a smirk as, so gently and careful that many who knew him would have felt surprised to witness it, Sonic set her down on her own two feet – the paw she raised brushed her fiery-red hair from her crystal-blue eyes which shone dazzlingly as they were revealed. “You know…eating chillidogs until the early hours of the morning? So early that I had to get back up myself in order to make sure that you went back to your hut and got at least SOME sleep?”

“UHHH…” Sonic began to tap one of his sneakers against the wooden planks beneath his feet and roll his eyes under the strain of the intense mental gymnastics he had begun to perform – when his eyes flashed back to the pretty face of the Squirrel Princess a fresh grin split his face. “…NOPE! Don’t remember a thing, Sal! And you and I both know what THAT means, huh?!”

Sally folded her arms across the front of her blue vest as she transformed before the watching eyes of The Freedom Fighters – as smoothly and easily as the river flowed below her feet she went instantly from being a normal sixteen year-old to being a figure of authority. “That you fried your brain by partying the night away?” she responded coolly, severely. “Even though you knew very well at the time that we were going to be holding an extremely important meeting this morning?”

“Nope. It means that if I can’t remember it…” Sonic lowered his voice to a tone which a scientist teetering on the verge of a sense-shattering new discovery might have adopted, “…then it never took place!”

“Ya’ll can’t deny that we got here before you, Sugah-Hog.” Bunnie pointed out, her voice as sweet as the aroma of the flowers swaying in the meadow.

“BUUUT…” Sonic raised a finger as he assumed the manner of a game-show host about to wreak utter misery on a contest who had up until now been on a winning-streak, “…I got here FASTER!”

“Semantic nonsense!” Sally exclaimed, clearly growing quite annoyed with the hedgehog. “YOU have GOT to be THE most THOUGHTLESS and IRRESPONSIBLE…”

“Sal, Sal, Sal! Don’t start with the long words you know I’m way too cool to understand!” Sonic held out his hands in a placating manner and spoke soothingly as if faced with a hysterical female, “Why don’cha just start the meetin’ and EVERYTHIN’LL BE OKAY?”

Snively permitted himself a sour smile as he watched an expression of total exasperation cross Sally’s face – her annoyance as Sonic acted like SHE was the unreasonable one in this situation rather tickled the human.

When Sally next spoke her level and steady voice reflected dignified maturity just as her expression manifested irritated annoyance – though it felt galling her long-time, indeed practically INTIMATE, understanding of the hedgehog’s seemingly bottomless pool of irreverence told her logically that rather than try to withstand it she would do far better to wait it out. “The others aren’t here yet. Since Tails and Ari are both to play crucial rolls in tomorrow’s mission it makes little sense to begin the debriefing before they’ve joined us.” She said, her voice clipped efficient and utterly no-nonsense.

“And ONCE AGAIN the HEDGEHOG is TEN STEPS ahead of ya, Sal!” Sonic exclaimed, assuming the booming voice of a game-show host for the second time that morning – with a flick of the wrist, he pointed at the two figures now approaching them from one of the nearby huts. “Here come the one and only Big Guy and my main walrus right this sonic second!”

Sometimes Snively thought that the hyperactive blue hedgehog couldn’t have been outdone by a ten-foot tall neon sign which proclaimed (in all of it’s hypothetical glitz) ‘LOOK AT ME!’ when it came to being flat-out distracting…

“Good morning, Fellow Freedom Fighters.” Tails the fox-cub’s cheerful voice hailed his friends as he walked into the meeting-hall – he came to a halt, the sides of his red and white sneakers pressed together, and raised his gloved hand in an elaborate salute. “Freedom Fighter TAILS reporting for ACTIVE DUTY!”

Snively raised his own hand in order to shield his eyes as the young fox’s bright-orange fur shone in them – three months since the ascension Ixis Naugus, a dark sorcerer of great and terrible power, and Tails STILL hadn’t gotten tired of saying that.

“GUH MORNIN’, Sugah-Tails!” Bunnie mirrored to perfection the gesture of respect, a grin on her caramel-furred face as she played along. “And WE’RE still glad that ya’ll are here with us!”

Sally smiled in silence at Tails’ bubbling excitement as it overflowed, as it shone in his vivacious blue eyes – after all why shouldn’t he enjoy the feeling of pride at finally being a full-fledged member of their team after so many years of living under their protective wings?

“Whadda ya say, Tails? Ready to rock Robotropolis all the way to the ground?” Sonic wore a proud grin as he watched his friend’s undiminished happiness and shared in it himself.

Snively winced inwardly as Tail cracked his knuckles in a lets-get-to-work manner. “Sonic…” his tone was calm as he replied, “…I’m WAY PAST READY.”

“And WAY PAST COOL!” Sonic exclaimed – laughing, he slapped his palm against Tails’ in a thunderclap of a high-five.

“And YOU were up WAY PAST BEDTIME last night.” Sally murmured under her breath – a grin tugged at the corners of her lips however as she basked in the glow of the hedgehog and fox’s infectious camaraderie.

“Yeah…you guys are, like, totally WIZARD!”

Silence fell over the meeting-hall like a soaking wet blanket as Sonic stared blankly at Rotor – the walrus lowered the blubbery paw he’d raised in order to share a high-five with Sonic or Tails, which of them seemed more inclined to do so, as he perceived that his attempt to sound cool had generated only confusion. “Uh…it-it means, well, I guess I should say that it USED to mean ‘COOL’.” He explained, his whiskery round cheeks puffing out as his grinned sheepishly. “So, uh…yeah.”

“NOT cool, Rote!” Sonic expressed his disgust by making a rasping noise with his tongue (which in turn inspired Sally to express HER disgust by putting her hands upon and hips and glaring reprovingly at him). “The only wizard around here is the lamer whose party we’re crashin’ tomorrow tonight!”

“Nuh-uh!” Tails chimed in with a shake of his head, “Sonic, Naugus is a SORCERER not a WIZARD!”

“Wizard, sorcerer…what’s the big deal, big guy?” Sonic not only looked but also sounded impatient now. “They’re just words, Tails – Nagus is totally bogus whatever ya choose ta call him!”

In response to this comment somebody gave a disdainful snort – as the Freedom Fighters’ eyes turned toward him, Snively realized with a sickening jolt that it had been HIM. “Words may not be YOUR strong suit.” It was astonishing to hear his own voice speaking as if by its own accord, arguing his point as his eyes narrowed with scorn. “But they happen to be far from insignificant – know the meaning of a word and understanding of the THING’S true nature will follow.”

Sonic was gazing at the short human as though he were about to nominate him for The Biggest Nerd In The Universe Award. “That’s REAL INFORMATIVE, Snively.” He remarked with a politeness so extreme that the invisible sarcasm which dripped from it burned like acid. “Thanks.”

“You sneer and mock.” Snively pointed a skinny finger at the blue hedgehog, “Believe me, I wasn’t stupid enough to actually expect YOU to SEE anything beyond the range of your own nose – but I stand by MY words when I tell you that ignorance isn’t a virtue, HEDGEHOG.”

In fact…other than your stupendously insensate pride, it is YOUR greatest WEAKNESS. And do not think for a moment that, when the time comes, I will not leap to EXPLOIT it…

The silence that followed this little speech was slightly different than the previous one – as Sonic scowled darkly at Snively, clearly still raring to argue but now clueless about how to do so, Sally also gazed upon the human who lived in their woodland realm.

Her sapphire eyes were troubled as she felt the pure hostility which crackled between hedgehog and human, a raging maelstrom of disgust and contempt that was not just mutual but also swelled with every second that passed as the two locked eyes together…threatening, promising to one day overflow.

Give or take, Sally had acknowledged from the very beginning of this little arrangement with Snively, was essential in regard to maintaining his continued willingness to aid them in the war - in return for this assistance The Freedom Fighters more or else willingly continued to allow him to enjoy hospitality and relative safety in their village instead of, say, simply rolling him down the steepest and muddiest hill at the edge of The Great Forest and then leaving him to his own devices.

The Princess had never tried to fool herself for one minute however – right from the outset this ‘alliance’ of theirs had been based upon foundations so unstable that at any time, perhaps as soon as tomorrow morning or the following week, it could completely collapse.

This Sally and the rest of The Freedom Fighters knew full well in spite of their many attempts to make their newest member feel welcome, to be courteous and civil to him, to put out of their minds his many black deeds committed against them – the one thing that remained to be seen was when and how the inevitable parting of the ways would occur.

And it was precisely this unknown factor which caused the temporary alliance so anxious and uneasy…so electrified with tension.

As Bunnie stared at the short human in distress while Antoine attempted to fix him with a disfavoring glare, Tails watched the scene that had unfolded, his eyes wide and his mouth gaping in suspense…until another voice was heard to speak, evaporating the unbearable tension in an instant.

“I must admit, Snively, that that was very well said. Very well said indeed.”

Each and every Freedom Fighter turned around as it reached them – all stood to full attention (even Snively whose pasty countenance was suddenly devoid of the scornful superiority which it had just displayed) as the rightful monarch of Mobius entered their midst, his fur shining like the golden-brown leafs of the autumnal season.

As he approached them with his paws clasped behind his straight proud back, King Maximillian Acorn’s calm eyes swept over those assembled before him like a warm and gentle breeze – blue like the sea and just as deep, renowned for their tendency to shine bright when their owner was calm and grow dark in an instant when his anger was roused, they met those of all seven of the assembled Freedom Fighters as he acknowledged each of them in turn.

They were eyes with the power to command attention and respect from all those in their owner’s presence, the power to rouse to action as well as to inspire courage in the hearts of all those who met them with their own – they were eyes which always made Snively feel deeply unsettled and on edge whenever he himself looked directly into them.

The King’s eyes were, as ever, perfectly unreadable as they appraised Snively – though he had agreed to give the once traitor sanctuary, mainly because of his own daughter’s firm insistence that Snively’s intimate knowledge of the enemy as well as his undeniable genius would make him an indispensable asset in the ongoing war against the darkness of Robotropolis, it did not mean that the Monarch had been able to bring himself to forget let alone forgive the crimes for which his name would be forever reviled across Mobius.

Funny…I wouldn’t have imagined that my taking part in the uprising that left his land ravaged, more than half of his people roboticized and himself condemned to ten years of life in The Void would have such a detrimental effect on our relationship.

Walking with His Majesty was Ari the Ram – toweringly impressive in stature and muscularity, as always like a figure carved from sun-scorched rock. “Your Highness.” He said in his deep and polite voice, a voice belonging to a man of many heroic deeds and few words, as he met Sally’s gaze – then he looked at Snively (who had always been quite convinced that, had he been born a human, Ari would have been a black man) and greeted him in turn. “Snively.” He acknowledged the diminutive human before going on to do the same with the rest of the group.

Snively didn’t respond – it still bemused him that out of all the Freedom Fighters it was Ari who treated him with the most politeness and courtesy.

This in spite of the fact that it had been he and his uncle who had held the ram’s comrades to ransom in order to blackmail him into luring Sonic into a trap, first by gaining the hedgehog’s trust and then betraying him to them…only to roboticize all of them anyway even as he had been fulfilling his own end of the wretched bargain.

Or perhaps it due to that whole ordeal that Ari behaved as he did toward Snively – maybe the unenviable experience of having been forced to act against everything he had ever believed had taught the ram that life wasn’t always so simple as simple terms of good and evil, shades of black and white, mediums of light and darkness.

Then again it may simply have been that when you were big and strong enough to tear ANYBODY apart then, well, it tended to make you considerate to MOST people who were smaller than yourself…

“Hey Max!” Sonic’s manner, as he hailed his King, was so informal that the look of scandalized shock it drew from Antoine reduced Bunnie to a fit of silent sniggering. “You don’t mean ta tell us that’cha actually agree with Baldilocks here, do ya?”

Snively glared at the impudent hedgehog – his blighted hair had always been a sore point for him but, for some reason he could never quite understand, his feeling of bitter resentment always seemed to come out whenever he was looking at Sonic.

Perhaps it was simply that Sonic was always so lively and vibrant that his body could barely contain him, always cheerful and smiling that he lit up anyplace he went in the village or indeed anywhere, always cracking so many jokes and slapping his friends on the back that they could not help laughing…serving as a constant reminder to Snively of how tired, miserable, sour and ugly him himself always was.

In spite of the sounds of choked spluttering coming from the direction of his guardsman, The King bestowed a royal wink upon the hedgehog who had done so very much to ensure that there was still a Mobius for him to return to after all those dark years of exile. “Truly I’m surprised at myself, Sonic.” His voice sounded as frank as the answer that it conveyed – when they turned Snively’s way again, his eyes were deeply grave. “Yes…in this case I happen to be in accord with Snively. For how can we even begin to overthrow he who is now in power if we cannot even grasp the WORDS of power? Or the POWER of WORDS? Yes – always must we remember to keep a firm grasp upon REASON. Or else we will find ourselves wandering lost and blind in the darkness without hope of reaching the light of day.”

Snively slowly lowered his eyes, unable to meet The King’s stern gaze for very long – although he had at some point over the long and bleak years managed to establish a coward’s peace with the misdeeds to his name that didn’t mean that the accompanying sense of guilt, which tended to manifest in the pit of his stomach, was extinguished or even rendered dormant.

It was always there and always inescapable, just waiting for something or someone, ANYTHING to ignite it – and as King Acorn stared at him in silence, those deep blue eyes cold and unforgiving, he felt it burn like the flames of hell itself.

Done with the now abashed human, King Acorn transferred the full measure of his attention upon the one whom he had saved (as he always did) for last – and as his eyes met hers the frosty glint in them was broken.

Sally was still as beautiful as she had been back when she had last been a constant presence in his life, her chestnut fur smooth and shining, her crystal blue eyes still as clear and bright as he remembered…and ten years older.

The King still could not begin to accept this undeniable fact – the small child from whom he’d been forcibly separated ten years ago had become a young woman.

It had been as though he had BLINKED…and, before his eyes had time to open again, ten whole precious years had simply passed him by.

The daughter he had sworn to protect even if doing so should mean giving his own life, the little girl who had once been filled with an innocent fascination about the world in which she lived was now an adult who possessed a sad knowledge of just how cruel that could often be – and also wisdom, strength and courage all of which were beyond her years and which she dedicated day after day to the cause of making her world everything that it COULD be in spite of its many flaws.

All of this and the gift which graced her eyes with that evening-sky glow – the compassion she had had possessed even from childhood and which had never changed, remaining an endless well from which she had drawn in order to keep her friends going over a long period of hardship and suffering so great an terrible that without her guiding and comforting presence they may well have been driven to the brink of despair over its indeterminate course.

When he had finally been reunited with her in The Void, The King’s stiff upper lip had actually trembled as he had seen it – and the knowledge that he had been excluded from that part of her life in which she had grown into this woman standing in front of him, spoken to him in that hour which had been all too fleeting, had been painful beyond endurance.

And almost overpowering had been the urge with which he had been wracked to reach out and take her paws into his own, as if by doing so he could somehow take from her all of those years of pain and misery…and yet he had suppressed that yearning and instead given her a hug.

By giving in to it he would have been belittling this strong and brave woman whom his daughter had become – well, that, and he hadn’t wanted the first thing that he did upon seeing Sally again after an entire decade to be embarrassing her.

At least that had been what he had thought at the time – on the day he had at last been freed from The Void, looked upon his daughter again for the second time in ten years, that awkwardness which had held him back the last time had changed.

He had looked into her eyes, those deep pools of maturity and wisdom filled with gladness and love – then he had looked around at The Freedom Fighters who’d stood around, all watching this scene from a respectful distance.

As with his own daughter, some of them he had last seen when they had been children – some of them he had never clapped eyes upon in his life (in particular the young fox whose number of exterior appendages had, upon first sight, made him do a double-take) yet all of them had smiled, deeply affected, as they watched father and daughter being reunited.

When he looked back to Sally’s face he had seen that her eyelashes were wet with diamond-like tears which told clearly that, after he’d been torn from her life for so long, she wasn’t worried about her friends watching as she was kissed by her daddy – so he had done so, taking her hands into his own and pressing his lips to her forehead, and she had melted as she felt happy and (for the first time in ten years) fully COMPLETE.

On that day, Maximillian Acorn had vowed that no more of their precious time together would be stolen from them – henceforth they would fight side-by-side against those who would seek to take it from them again.

And with every day that had dawned ever since he had honored that pledge.

As he realised that he was gazing at his daughter in silence, The King smiled, feeling not embrassed but glad – after his long and seemingly endless consignment to that terrible place, no amount of time spent looking upon her could possibly fall under the category of ‘too long’. “Sally…good morning.” He bade her in a voice filled with a warmth of which even The Void had not been malign enough to rob him.

Sally smiled as she wondered when she’d be able to stand in her father’s presence without inwardly reverting back to a five year-old, a light-headed five year-old at that. “Good morning father.” She answered with a warmth that even the strain of ten years of denied childhood had not been stressful enough to deprive her of. “A very good morning indeed.”

Sonic grinned as he looked between the Princess and the King, a glint of mischief in his eyes. “Gotta hand it to ya, Max…you’re the only guy I know who can leave Sal here lost for words!” he said saucily.

The Freedom Fighters (save for Snively who merely permitted himself a second sour smirk) burst into gales of laughter as Sally blushed and shot Sonic a killing look that promised she’d GET him for that – King Acorn chuckled along with his people, his comrades, his friends.

“Well on THAT note…let us begin the meeting.”

Tails listened closely and carefully, his expression avid and intent, as the mission-debriefing finally began – he had not only to play a part in this mission but an actual KEY one.

What the young fox with the twin tails remained blissfully unaware of was that the commencement of this meeting regarding tomorrow’s mission would mark the mark the beginning of the first chapter in his story…a story in which he would hear things best left unheard, say things best left unsaid, see things best left unseen.

Things that would strike pure terror into the heart beating away in his chest…

Right at the present, however, Tails had no idea of the dark time ahead…and so he listened to the talk of tomorrow’s adventure with thrilled excitement sparkling in his eyes.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

‘All Roads Lead To Rome’ – so it had been said long, long ago.

For many centuries after that proud mighty Empire had arisen there had been many a man who had cast his gaze back into the past and looked to it for inspiration – for that was precisely the nature of the status Rome had acquired over the ages, it was the ultimate inspiration for men whose own hearts cherished an ambition so hot and insatiable that it destroyed their capacity to rest until it was finally realized.

Conquest…

One such man was Doctor Robotnik – there was one significant and (for some reason) easily forgotten detail that men such as he tended to overlook entirely when they contemplated creating their very own conquering nation.

Rome had fallen…just as Robotropolis had now fallen.

“An awe-inspiring sight is it not, Doctor?”

Robotnik’s teeth ground against one another, his breath grating between the large molars in slowly released rank currents of deep dark rage…as he was hailed by the accursed owner of that damnable voice.

Emerging from the throat of a sore-throated gecko which had recently swallowed the bluntest nail-file in the world as it seemed to, as nigh-crippled by asthma as the ears of anybody who happened to hear would immediately tell him or her it was, the voice contained a distinct flavor that could not possible have been mistaken for anything other than what it was – vindictive amusement.

Robotnik despised the voice nearly as much as its owner…mainly due to the insufferable fact that both held power over him.

As he turned around, Robotnik’s face bore an expression of respect although the pupils of his dark eyes nonetheless burned like smoldering sparks – it was the dignity of an old cur which had been thoroughly whipped to the point of obedience and yet still nurtured a bitter burning defiance, constantly watching and waiting for its chance to slip its leash and sink its teeth into the throat of the one it had been forced to submit to as its master.

As he faced the direction from which his master had spoken, Robotnik felt the black loathing well up in the pit of his soul just as it always did whenever he was forced acknowledge the physical reminders of his downfall – this room in particular made him die just that little bit more inside whenever he looked around at it.

The hulking fortress in which he was standing had once been his, the room around him once his Command Centre…but no longer.

The side upon which Robotnik stood was comprised of banks of monitor-screens (which had stood blank and inactive over the last few months, their faces growing increasing dull beneath the gathering dust) and control-panels (which had once constantly flashed with lights and emitted electronic beeps but had now grown grimy through lack of frequent use or proper maintenance) – the side which he now stood gazing across at was, on the other hand, strikingly different.

It was as though the Command Centre had been divided down the middle and that Robotnik was looking at half of it as it existed in a parallel dimension.

And in a manner of speaking this was precisely what had happened – another reality had indeed invaded this inner sanctum that was no longer his.

The left-hand side of the room now stood bare, every last trace of machinery torn from it…and transformed beyond imagination.

From the floor, to the walls, up across the ceiling…every inch of it was now comprised of pure and sparkling crystal.

Where Robotnik’s imposing throne from which he had once commanded the entire city had been there was now one formed from the same wondrous mineral – and seated there, tapping an expectant finger upon the corresponding armrest, the new overlord of Robotropolis stared straight back at his lackey with relentless spite in his almond-shaped eyes.

They watched Robotnik slyly over the pair of flaring nostrils set into his oval-shaped head which was perfectly smooth save for his wide pointed ears and the single crescent-shaped horn which from protruded from his forehead, quite hairless save for the long goat-like beard that hung from his chin and resting against the front of the puce-colored tunic that encased his entire upper-body – in fact not an inch of his lower-body was to be seen, covered completely by the pants of matching color which had been made in order to accommodate his lizard-like tail while allowing it to be raised in pleasure or flicked in annoyance with absolute freedom should either need ever arise.

It was possible that this individual was possessed by a neurotic desire to keep as much as possible of his body obscured from view – the fact that even the scorpion-like claw in which his left arm ended was encased in a glove designed so exquisitely that it didn’t simply fit the crustacean appendage to a tee but was so flexible that its owner could seize and crush whatever came within his grasp just as slowly and pleasurably as though it were perfectly bare, would have been strong evidence for this psychological hypothesis.

But undeniably the most striking aspect of his appearance was the row of razor-sharp teeth which were currently bared in a grin that would have made anybody who saw it automatically think that their owner was about to lunge for his or her throat.

Combined with the high-collared black cloak that he constantly wore, this person might well have been mistaken for one of the mythical demons Mobians referred to as ‘Life Thieves’…or, as they had been called long ago, ‘Nosferatu’.

Indeed Ixis Naugus’ grinning visage would have been enough to make a crocodile’s eyes water as he sat back in his diamond-like throne and basked in the aura of immeasurable fear and impotent hatred that Robotnik was giving off like a reeking smell of sweat. “How can we look ahead to the advent of the new with open minds if we cannot pay our full and proper respects to the decay of the old?” the old sorcerer croaked, holding out his gloved hand in a gesture of such earnestness that anybody who didn’t know him would have believed it genuine.

“How indeed, Sir?” Robotnik replied with sycophancy so smooth it would have put an oil-slick to shame – even one of his slipperiest ones. “Why the joy of the mere thought inspires unparalleled awe in the cockles of my heart.”

“And so it ought, Doctor. The simple souls of this world have no idea whatsoever about what each and every last one of them, from the mightiest dragon to the most diminutive mouse, shall soon bear witness to.” As he spoke, Naugus brought his claw slicing through the air in a dramatic gesture. “The rise of the supreme sorcerer…ME!”

“I deeply envy them that exciting surprise, Sir.” Robotnik lied with the great ease and conviction that had once enabled him to climb high up into the ranks of the Mobotropolis hierarchy…before tearing it down.

“Oh DOCTOR!” Naugus tutted admonishingly, a wicked glint in his eyes as felt how much his lackey was squirming beneath the calm outer exterior. “There is no need for such humility on your part! For you shall watch the greatest epoch in the history of Mobius unfold before your own eyes!”

“I can barely wait, Sir.” As he kept the words of ingratiation coming, just as smoothly as though he meant them from the very bottom of his cold and metallic heart, Robotnik furtively eyed the sorcerer’s hand.

Naugus was lazily rubbing the tips of his forefinger and thumb against each other – now anybody else who saw this wouldn’t have thought anything else of it but the good doctor was painfully aware of what a sharp click of those two tips would mean for himself.

As the deepest humiliation and the greatest loathing emanated from Robotnik’s body, Naugus’ own feelings were the polar opposite – he felt a pleasure so sublime that it sent a shiver running up his bent and brittle old spine, so euphorically ecstatic that it made him wish that he could revel in its almost sensual rapture for all eternity.

Ah…vengeance! An indulgence much more compelling than the sweetest wine!

What made his daily indulgence of this wicked trait so especially delightful was just how long Naugus had waited for it…and just how much longer he would continue it, draw it out and milk it for every last drop that it was worth, before at last he tired of the game and finally crushed Julian Robotnik just like the mere cockroach he was.

But, of course, that day was still to come – the old sorcerer still had some time to kill before the commencement of his master-plan and torturing his once betrayer just never became boring so, for a little while longer, Robotnik kept his miserable skin.

As his thought began to centre on his plans for Mobius, Naugus felt the drops of saliva which bubbled in the spaces between his teeth – for there was another great pleasure to come.

Robotnik needed to stay alive until the sorcerer’s agenda reached its fruition – after a decade of watching the dictator’s many failed attempts to conquer this planet, Naugus found the idea of forcing Robotnik to watch himself succeed where he had so often failed quite appealing.

Before any of that could happen, however, certain necessary preparations had to be taken care of – what Naugus required first for his plan was a vast area of bare natural earth situated within Robotropolis.

And since such a location within the city was completely nonexistent there was only one course of action for the sorcerer to take – the complete dismantlement of the greater part of the city.

And, while time-consuming, even this prelude was proving itself to be more amusing than tiresome – after all, Naugus had observed Robotnik standing in front of the window and watching as the empire he had held for ten years was undone piece by piece, hence the broad grin on his face.

I have already humbled the one who had audacity enough to entertain the notion that he could possibly surpass me – first Robotnik, next the Planet Mobius.

Soon, VERY soon, MY reign of terror shall begin.

And when the hour falls…King Acorn and his Freedom Fighters, even their exalted champion Sonic the Hedgehog, will be driven to their knees by the peerless power of Ixis Naugus.

Soon…

It was at this moment, just as Naugus was beginning to think that a decanter of sparkling red wine would indeed be the perfect compliment to his present humor, that a high-pitched electronic beep was heard – one of the few remaining control-panels was emitting a flashing green light, signaling that somebody desired to communicate.

“Now what could THIS mean?” Naugus mused, running his fingers down the length of his beard. “My dear Doctor, please be so kind as to press the button that shall satiate my practically FEVERISH curiosity!”

Robotnik knew from the mocking tone in his rasping voice that the old sorcerer was enjoying every second of this – and he knew the score too, that the enjoyment Naugus would feel watching him jumping through this new hoop would be as nothing compared to the enjoyment he would receive if he was to attempt a refusal.

Practically choking, Robotnik stomped every foot of the way toward the one terminal that remained active these days, just as he always did whenever he was forced to perform a task so beneath him…a task such as SNIVELY had existed solely to perform by HIS order.

Feeling like he was punching himself in the mouth, Robotnik pressed the button – with a crackle of static, a face appeared on the screen above.

Or rather the façade of a face – a metallic head split divided across the middle by a thin oblong-shaped eye of a red plexi-glass, equipped with built-in heat-detection and night-vision capabilities, designed to protect the complex system of wires and microchips that formed the brain of this android being.

The SWATbot staring out of the screen was part of a class apart from the rest of its robotic ilk – as a matter of fact it was the LAST remaining member of that class, the rest of its peers having met their ends at the moment of the Doomsday Tower’s cataclysmic destruction.

It was Liutenant Omega, one of the elite SWATbots who had once led Robotnik’s technologically-driven army.

“What is it?” Robotnik rumbled, his voice closely ressembling that of a sullen adolescent grudgingly performing a despised chore – orders, he was discovering quite painfully, were one of those things that were so much more blessed for one to give than to receive.

When Omega spoke ‘his’ gravelly voice showed no sign that he even recognised his former master – it was possible that Naugus had arranged for ‘him’ to be reprogrammed by TEKbots although it was more probably that the elite SWATbot simply realised the fact that supreme power had changed hands and ‘he’ was now acting just as would a human whose government had recently found itself with under new leadership.

Whatever the case may have been, Robotnik made a mental note that one of the first of the many acts of gratuitous urges for self-indulgence he would act upon when he finally regained rulership over Robotropolis would be to have Omega lowered by chains into a molten slag-pit…slowly and agonizingly.

Perhaps he would even go so far as to fit the SWATbot with a mircochip which would allow ‘him’ to feel the immense pain his fate would entail…

When that day comes…

“A report from the drilling team, Lord Naugus.” Omega declared, not so much as acknowledging Robotnik’s presence in the Command Centre. “Progress with the operation has been impeded by something they just uncovered – something that exists outside of specifications.”

Silence reigned in the wake of this announcement – Robotnik stared at the robotic Liuetenant with an almost blank expression on his face as he contemplated what he had just heard.

WHAT…?

“According their blueprints of the city, this geological stratum that they have discovered should not exist at all – regardless, however, the WORKERbots have uncovered it.” Omega concluded ‘his’ report, ‘his’ synthesised voice having remained the precise same tone throughout.

Robotnik’s mind was racing with possibilities as the implications of the report took hold on it – in the days that had followed his long-ago rise to tyranny, he had made certain that not a single solitary corner of this city had escaped his knowledge and absolute control. Or…DID I? he found himself being forced to reconsider as he mulled the new piece of knowledge over in his mind. One thing was certain – there was a part of Robotropolis which had for all these years remained somehow outside his intimate knowledge. But what can it MEAN…? He wondered, his dark eyes narrowing, his blood-red irisis glinting with rising curiosity.

“A penny for your thoughts, Doctor.”came that hatefully snide voice, tugging him inevitably back to the real world.

A sickeningly hollow sensation engulfed Robotnik’s entire being as he turned to face the shimmering throne once more – he’d been contemplating this new turn of events so intently that for one beautiful moment, for the passing of a single heartbeat, he had forgotten that he was no longer overlord here.

He had forgotten his utter vanquishing at the paws that accursed hedgehog and his insufferable princess, forgotten that he had lost everything including control over his own fate…forgotten his enslavement at the claw of the one fiend whom had ever struck fear into his immortal soul. And now that his memory was jogged, the crushing reality of his situation felt all the more acutely unberable…

The grin on Naugus’ face was more vicious than before as he understood the anguish now welling up in his lackey’s heart and savoured every drop of it.

That’s right, my old FRIEND…I have you right where I best like you. Under my heel. You have been cast down from the peak of supreme power to the very nadir of despair…and my favourite passion in life is to ensure that you never crawl your way out again.

“Hmm…interesting. VERY interesting.” Wheezed Naugus, “A place which does not exist as far as the many and various maps of this city are concerned! Myself, I am most curious about this new development – don’t you agree, Doctor, that this matter bears close investigation?”

Just as he had since the very beginning of this endless living nightmare, Robotnik found himself tested – but, even though the flames of his anger were stoked to the point of fury by the sheer spite glimmering in his master’s eyes, he passed once more. “MOST curious, Sir.” His voice sounded monotone, rendered barren by his battleground of emotions. “If I do say so myself, this discovery bears full and IMMEDIATE investigation.”

“Great minds think alike, eh?” Naugus’ grin would have made a shark swim screamng in the opposite direction. I will be the one to exploit whatever opportunity this discovery may yield..not you. “Suspend the main operation for now – order the WORKERbots to focus their efforts on the task of unearthing this most INTERESTING discovery.” The sorcerer drawled lazily – as he spoke he did not deign to so much as glance at the onscreen Omega whom, just like the rest of his kind, he considered as little more than a suit of armour which had been granted the basest mockery of human life.

“Unearth it they shall, Lord Naugus.” Omega replied immediately without question.

As the monitor-screen returned to dull blankness, Naugus heaved a sigh and clicked his finger and thumb together just for the sake of it – in an instant, Robotnik’s head was replaced with that of an oversized Dodo bird.

After all…what would life be without the occassional act of whimsical cruelty?

As the breath emerged from his newly transmuted craw in a squawk of distress, Robotnik resigned himself to this ordeal of humiliation, merely the latest in a long line – within his avian skull, however, his brain burned as fresh kindling was fed to his smouldering hunger for revenge.

One day, Naugus…

End Of Chapter One

[The Mysterious Traveller]

Chapter Two
Sealing The Deal

Like an infinitely wide and weightless blanket weaved from shimmering black silk, night had descended peacefully over The Great Forest.

The birds whose songs had carried so far and with such sweet clarity while fingers of daylight had reached into their woodland home were all sleeping soundly in nests, the sole exception to this otherwise universal rule being the white owl whose haunting shriek struck terror into the unfortunate mice whose timid lives were cut abruptly short as she swooped down upon them, her sharp cruel talons flashing in the darkness of the shadow-bound forest.

The far more miniscule forms of life which inhabited Mother Nature’s benevolently beautiful yet also remorselessly cruel kingdom, such as the countless number of ants whose vast hoards tirelessly patrolled the forest floor on the look out for food and the slimy earth-worms which worked with ardent determination to expand the reaches of their already mind-bogglingly complex system of underground tunnels from which they emerged only rarely to wriggle and writhe blindly before they returned below, were swallowed by the night…the exception to this spell of nocturnal invisibility being the groups of fireflies whose bioluminescent radiances had in the past been mistaken for enchanted lanterns held by the hands of tiny elfin folk as they rode the ever blowing wind of the forest on a quest to discover the truth which lay behind its veil of endless mystery.

In Knothole, the one village which stood in the midst of all these shapes and forms of life from birds to beasts and through insects through invertebrates, The Freedom Fighters were either sleeping in their beds or else getting to ready to be doing just that – save, that was, for one or two exceptions to the rule.

The stars were arrayed in the clear expanses of that silk-black sky – like thousands of polished and shined diamonds which had spilled forth from the treasury of the heavens which had been mischievously opened by the sun on his way to the farthest side of Mobius, those countless hearts of celestial fire burned bright and so illuminated the crowning the crowning jewel of this amassed magnificence.

As round as an exquisitely formed pearl, the moon was full tonight and so blessed the hidden village with a radiance of pure white as she watched its inhabitants with a maternal protectiveness from her place up on high.

These lights shone together in the face of The Great River – reflected with a clarity so unblemished that the wide stretch of water might well have been mistaken for a mirror, they caused the eyes of Princess Sally to dance as she watched them in the river that flowed below the bridge which served as the one and only border between Knothole and The Great Forest.

Her elbows propped upon the wooden rail, the Squirrel Princess found her mind wandering in the calm quietness of the night – she found herself doing something she often did when she found herself in moments of such solitude.

Something that everyone did only not so intensely as she herself was wont to do to the point of utter exhaustion. Whenever she was not feeling tickled by the innocent and infectious enthusiasm of Tails as he talked in excitement of how he would one day be every bit the hero that his big brother Sonic was or reading to him before he drifted asleep or drying his tears when he was feeling unhappy, talking and laughing with Bunnie who was her best girlfriend, bearing with a grin (or more often a long-suffering sigh followed by a folding of her arm) Antoine’s ongoing endeavours to hamhandedly prove himself to the rest of The Freedom Fighters whom had all long ago given up trying to convince him that there was no need for him to do so at all, listening with genuine interest as Rotor explained how his latest invention or his upgrading tweak of a previous one would lead to greater improvements in the daily life of Knothole, butting her head figuratively with that of self-proclaimed superhero Sonic the Hedgehog…whenever she was not in the company of any member of her surrogate family, Princess Sally would find herself THINKING.

Thoughts which ran so deeper and farther than the river whose unearthly beauty now entranced her…so deep and so far that she was lost, carried away by them.

“Chilidog for your thoughts, Sal.”

The voice that broke the contemplative silence was as light as the breeze on which it ride in order to reach Sally’s ears – slowly the Princess looked over her shoulder as she was drawn out of her thoughts. “Sonic…leave it to you to teach an old chilidog new tricks.” She remarked wryly, smiling slightly at the hedgehog’s own unique take on a very old turn of phrase.

Sonic was walking towards her as she looked at him, “Howzit hangin’, Sal?” he asked as he stood beside her, paws resting quite close to her own upon the safety-rail.

As he returned her steady gaze with his own, Sonic thought that those eyes of hers were as deep as the water flowing and as distant as the stars above burning bright – most of all, they appeared melancholy. “Oh…” the smile that she gave was obviously intended to be dismissive but actually only served to make the aura of isolation and sadness all the more tangible and clear as it emanated from her. “…I was just…” her voice trailed off as the very thing she had been about to mention so casually overwhelmed her.

“Sal…” Sonic’s eyes were suddenly serious as he watched her – that was rather unusual. “…it’s been a long day, ya know? Even a Warrior Princess like you needs her rest so if you’re feelin’ wiped...”

Sally felt the corners of her lips twitch. ‘Warrior Princess’…? She thought in amusement. Where in all of Mobius did THAT come from? “OH…” she gave a deep sigh followed by a weary chuckle, “…this from the hedgehog who spent the greater part of last night eating more than his own weight in junk-food?”

To her surprise Sonic reacted to this little big not by pulling a face of comical indignation and launching into some facile argument in order to defend the honour she had besmirched OR by breaking into a huge cheesy grin and spouting something to indicate that his ‘cool’ somehow justified his thoughtless and cavalier behaviour – this time the hedgehog’s eyes remained grave as they gazed at her, waiting, clearly not about to drop the matter until he got an answer that explained The Princess’ melancholy.

Sally tried to look away, to cast her gaze back onto the river running below, in order to avoid Sonic’s eyes – but it was as though she was hypnotised by the determination to understand and to help that she saw there, as though those two bright spheres were the ends of a magnet slowly but surely drawing her toward them. “I…” she began and then hesitated – she knew even before it had departed from her lips that it was going to sound lame. “…I was just THINKING.” She concluded wearily and, just as she had feared, lamely.

But again Sonic surprised her – he did not try to make light of a situation that he didn’t understand, didn’t try to change the subject, but instead persisted. “About WHAT?” he demanded – most likely it HAD sounded feeble to him but it seemed as though he was endeavouring to understand, to take it seriously because he could see how seriously it was effecting SALLY. “TELL me, Sal.”

Sally knew that she must look tired judging from the concern in Sonic’s eyes – and suddenly, to her own great surprise, she FELT it as well. “Sonic…” she paused, biting her lower lip as if trying one last time to prevent the thoughts that had so deeply troubled her from being dragged out into the open, and then continued in a rush of words. “…do you think that this war of ours will ever truly be over?” seeing the surprised look that rose in the hedgehog’s eyes, she continued before he could interrupt and disrupt her momentum. “Will we really be able to stop fighting one day…is it even conceivable that a day will come when there will be no more battles? A day when our family and friends will be safe forever and…” she broke off, finally tearing her eyes away from his and blushing. “…you and I…” those three words would have featured prominently within the sentence she had just teetered right upon the very brink of completing only to stop herself from doing so at the last possible second.

Silence reigned over the bridge – Sonic stared breath-taken at Sally, barely believing that he had just heard her ask that question. HER. Whenever Tails asked her that question, usually when he was snuggled beneath his blankets and waiting to drift off to sleep, it was always The Princess who would reassure him that however long it might take The Freedom Fighters would one day liberate Mobius from the evil which had dominated it – the warmly affectionate kiss which she would then plant on his forehead would then seal the deal for the fox-cub.

But now it was Sally who felt wracked by a gnawing fear and an ever-present doubt, both of which were manifested in her blue eyes – which was where Sonic came in.

A little of the old HEDGEHOG ENCOURAGEMENT was just what this situation called for. “Of course we will, Sal!” he loudly exclaimed, looking at her as though he’d have thought that it was blatantly obvious. “Is there any doubt? Seriously, we’re gonna rain on Naugus’ parade just as hard as we rained on Robuttnik’s – before ya even know it, he’ll have decided to go someplace else for his power-trip, you’ll see!”

Even before he was half of the way through his gushing stream of hopefully reassuring platitudes, Sonic could tell that they weren’t having the desired effect – judging from the way Sally now shut her eyes and loudly exhaled, however, something he’d had had ignited something within her.

“When we destroyed The Doomsday Machine…I just allowed myself to believe that we really had finally DONE IT.” Sally blurted the words out as though she couldn’t bear to keep them contained a second longer – her eyes remained tightly shut as the frustration wracked her. “But then NAUGUS took Robotnik’s place as our enemy and this nightmare started all over again. Sonic…when will it ever be enough? Is ANYTHING enough? These past ten years we’ve spent fighting evil…I know it sounds trite but it’s true. Even if we defeat Naugus…will evil simply take on yet another form? Have I been throwing myself head-first against a brick-wall for the majority of my life? Are all our struggles fruitless? Does any of it…our lives, our deaths…mean anything? Sonic, nothing seems certain anymore…”

As he listened to her ramble, watched her body start to tremble under the weight of the world, Sonic wanted more than anything to take Sally into his arms and HOLD her TIGHT – for a moment the only thing that held him back from doing so was that she looked so vulnerable he felt an irrational fear that she might break if he so much as touched her.

But it was no more than a moment – overcoming it, Sonic closed the short distance that had separated her from him, reaching out and enveloping the squirrel in his arms as he held her close.

For a while Sally melted into the hedgehog as she gave herself up to his embrace - when the tremors brought on by the emotions she’d keep pent up over the last few months finally subsided, she felt herself being eased gently back even though she still felt his arms protectively enfolded around her slender waist.

“Some things ARE certain, Sal.” As he gazed into her enchantingly beautiful eyes, Sonic felt as though he was being carried forward by the current of emotions running between himself and the squirrel – he was abstractly amazed by how deep his own voice suddenly sounded. “Just like you an’ me…US. And THIS TOO.” Even before he had formed the words, the hedgehog knew what he was going to do – and his heart was pounding so hard, so loud, that he felt as though somebody was kicking him in the chest over and over again.

Sally also knew what was coming – and, carried by that same current of emotions which had led Sonic to take her into his arms, she slowly tilted her head back. As she did so, all of the doubt and fear which had caused her such torment seemed to flow away from her like water being released from a cup, leaving her face serene and her mind as clear as the two blue eyes that expressed it.

By her reckoning, a mere three inches separated Sonic’s lips from her own which already tingled with yearning for this hedgehog who (while frequently so reckless, so arrogant that he made her stamp her foot in vexation) had always had a way about him…a way of being able to make her spirit FREE whenever her burden became too great to bear.

Two inches…one inch…come on, Sonic, I thought you were supposed to be the fastest thing alive…

As for Sonic…he felt the sleek fur of Sally’s back against his arms, her heart beating against his chest, the slow and steady rise and fall of her shoulders as she waited for him.

Most of all…he felt desire for HER.

Hold onto your boots, Sal…cuz now it’s MY turn to seal the deal!

“Ahem.”

Dead silence reigned – the bottom seemed to have fallen out of the private and faraway world that Sonic and Sally’s love had taken them both to, depositing both hedgehog and squirrel unceremoniously back into reality.

Standing at the western end of the bridge was the one person in Knothole whom neither Sonic nor Sally wanted to see here right now…mainly due to the fact that neither of them wanted to see him ANYWHERE.

Snively stared at the hedgehog and the squirrel, his mouth twisted into a sneer to which he was so accustomed that it felt as natural as waking up in the morning or drawing breath – if the tension between Bunnie Rabbot and Antoine Depardiue could have been cut by a knife, he mused sourly, then that which perpetually hung in the air between Sonic and The Princess could have been used to cut DIAMONDS.

Most who had not known the two of them as long as the rest of The Freedom Fighters would probably have assumed that neither Sonic nor Sally thought a great deal of each other – Snively on the other hand was much more OBSERVANT than most and thus saw otherwise.

All of those fleeting looks shared that the two of them stole of each other, all of those exquisite putdowns and ripostes that they received and returned between the two of them with such cool panache, that complicated handshake that they had devised somewhere down the line and only used with each other ever since…each and every one of those seemingly unimportant little nuances were in actuality the secret steps of the lovers dance in which Sonic the Hedgehog and Princess Sally were engaged during every waking moment they spent in each others’ company.

Before, Snively would readily have wagered the last strands of wispy hair he still possessed upon it – NOW, based upon the evidence of his eyes, he knew it as an incontrovertible fact.

“Your Highness…a word in your ear?” Snively simpered.

Sally felt the sides of Sonic’s spikes brush past her as he whirled to face the interloper – they were SHARP.

As she sensed the heat of the glare assuredly BURNING in Sonic’s eyes, Sally felt the magic of the moment she had so nearly shared with him fade away. “Of course, Snively.” She answered as graciously as though she hadn’t been interrupted on the verge of kissing the blue hedgehog now bristling beside her. “What is it you have to say to me?”

Snively shifted the balance of his body from one booted foot to the other, feeling an unshakeable awkwardness – even though he had been accepted by The Freedom Fighters, however uneasily and reluctantly, there was one thing he was certain he would never grow accustomed to.

And that was simply being able to walk wherever he wanted whenever he wanted, to breathe the air without the possibility of punishment for having done so out of turn or without permission – basically he would never become used to living completely without fear of suddenly receiving one of the endless torrents of gratuitous physical and mental abuse that had once been inflicted upon him at his uncle’s volatile whims.

Rather than free as a bird however Snively now felt constantly like a lab rat which had been kept locked in a cage for most of its miserable life, the rest of which had been spent performing countless repetitive tasks of soul-destroying tedium which had been in dispersed only by infusions of pain and suffering of a hellishness that no living creature should ever be forced to endure…and had now been released into the world.

An even greater cage, one which seemed to the scarred and conditioned mind of the cloistered rodent terrifying in sheer vastness and openness – so terrifying indeed that for his first few weeks in Knothole Snively had spent many an hour in the hut provided for him by The Freedom Fighters, cowering from the world that lay waiting outside the boundaries of the reassuringly cramped confines which enclosed him, the world that completely overwhelmed him whenever he was forced to look at it.

“Today Rotor and I finally pinpointed the defective fuse which had been depriving certain parts of Knothole of electricity – you may not yet have noticed but power is now once more fully supplied to the areas in question.” Snively reported, his voice clipped and his words directly to the point.

Sally nodded her head – the lack of electricity had been partly responsible for her spot of spontaneous star-gazing. “Oh…” she awkwardly replied – she knew that it sounded abrupt but what was she supposed to do? Pat him on the head? Give him a medal? Or maybe express a little RECOGNITION of his efforts? The Princess wasn’t sure who she was more annoyed with – HERSELF for being so slow to think of it or HIM for having inadvertently made her feel embarrassed by herself. “…well thank-you, Snively.”

Snively lowered his arms down to his sides – to Sally’s eye he looked for all of Mobius like a flag-pole with a nose. “Not at all, Your Highness.” He replied, bowing low at the waist – now, Sally thought, he looked rather like the occupant of a cuckoo clock. “Is there another necessary task that you would have me perform while I am at my present loose end?”

Sally frowned – even though she found him irritating she couldn’t help but feel a pang as she perceived the grey circles which ringed his pale eyes. “Don’t you think you ought to…” guilt and annoyance reared their ugly heads again as she realised that she was making this sound like criticism rather than kindness. “…I-I mean, wouldn’t you LIKE to get some sleep after all of your recent hard work?”

“Yeah. Why DON’CHA?”

Snively looked at Sonic, his thin eyebrow raised – it wasn’t the fact that Sonic’s pointed blue ears were pressed flat against his skull which told Snively that the hedgehog’s anger was aroused by his intrusive presence here, no more was it the two sparks of black fire burning in those eyes of his.

It was the simple fact that, whenever he spoke in anger, Sonic’s sentences tended to grow noticeably shorter.

Snively returned the hedgehog’s unwelcoming glare with a snide smirk – it was strange that he who had once spent his every waking second treading on egg-shells around his terrifying uncle now felt able to flaunt his impudence in the face of such open aggression. Perhaps, he idly reflected, his time spent in the infinitely more relaxed and tense-free environment of Knothole had enabled him at last to grow a spine in order to replace the one that Robotnik’s right fist had bent and broken so many times over the years that the word ‘spine’ could no longer have been applied to it – of course it may simply have been that his unaccustomed new bravado had its source in the secure knowledge that The Freedom Fighters would never violate their precious code of ethics by harming him.

Unless, of course, I give them good reason…

“I am sorry…” Snively addressed Sonic in a silky tone of voice, “…if my report to The Princess has inflicted undue inconvenience upon either of you. If that is the case then, my hand on my heart, I offer my deepest apologies.” And he did indeed place his clammy left hand upon his chest – the mocking glint in his eyes, on the other hand, was anything but sincere. “I judged my report to be of great significance however, feeling certain Her Highness would agree that nothing could possibly outweigh the importance of knowing that the comfort of electricity has been returned to her people.”

Sally hardened her lips into a straight line of silent anger as she realised that this comment was, though spoken to Sonic, directed at HER – it was perfectly true that the welfare of the villagers was far more important than any moment of privacy between Sonic and herself, however rare such moments were these days and how much happier they consequently made her.

It was for her people that The Princess lived and breathed – but for her sense of royal duty to be used by Snively as a way of slyly gaining the upper hand in an argument with Sonic was not just infuriating but inexcusable.

If only there was a way for me to put him in his place without betraying my principals in the process…

When Sally met the unspoken challenge her tone of voice was graciously courteous as truly befit a Princess when dealing with one whom, however insufferable he may have been and in this case most certainly WAS, had performed a service for her. “Sonic…Snively is right.” She intoned – she felt like biting her tongue off as she did so but, as she knew that she would need it in order to perform her future obligations, her strong sense of duty prevented her from doing THAT as well. “He was quite correct to bring his report directly to me.”

For a moment Sonic stared at her, stung by the reprimand she had given him, burnt by the feeling of defeat that was setting in – then he looked again at Snively and, at the sight of that expanding sneer and twitching eyebrow, decided that the war was far from over. “Okay…so ya GAVE it.” The hedgehog growled, narrowing his eyes at the human. “Now feel free ta shuffle an’ hustle your way outta here, Needlenose.”

Snively felt a rising satisfaction as he saw the anger brewing in the eyes of the hedgehog – propelled by a morbid curiosity as to just how far the spikiest of The Freedom Fighters could be pushed, he decided to hold his ground. “Shuffle, you say? Hustle?” he bantered playfully, “To me those sound like DANCING WORDS, Hedgehog!”

Suddenly Sonic was standing right up close to Snively – or at least as close as he could manage without poking his own eye out on the human’s nose. “YEAH?” he snarled, his eyes now deep dark pools of imminent danger. “Well guess what, I’m about THIS CLOSE TO RAPPING ON YOUR…”

“Enough.”

The command was briefly uttered and low in tone – yet it gave voice to a will so powerful that, despite the intoxicating draw of their mutual antagonism, Sonic and Snively were forced to break eye-contact with each other in order to look at she who had given it.

Sally’s eyes blazed like meteorites as she gazed imperiously at the two of them, transformed back into the indisputable authority figure they had so briefly glimpsed that morning – when she spoke however her voice was quite calm. “Sonic, stop this at once and stand down.” Having dealt with the hedgehog, she turned her flashing eyes toward the main cause of her present ire. “Snively…now that you mention it there IS one more thing that you can do for me tonight.”

Sonic stared at The Princess in stark disbelief – Sally was actually asking that slime-bucket to do her a favour?

The hedgehog just hoped that she wasn’t about to ask the human to prepare her bath – Snively would probably toss in an electric-eel before calling the squirrel.

Regardless of Sonic’s concerns, Sally continued speaking, each and every word passing her lips ringing like striking steel. “As a matter of fact…it concerns TAILS.”

Snively raised his eyebrows at the mentioning of the fox-cub. What…is it time for his flea-bath? He thought, suppressing a snigger of mirth. “And how precisely are circumstances to bring he and I together tonight, Your Highness?” he inquired, his tone of voice satirical. “I mean, what do you want ME to do...read him a bedtime story?”

Sally didn’t utter a word in reply to this question – she merely stood with her arms folded across her chest, a smile of magnificent wickedness upon her face as she silently looked him straight in the eye.

The wolverine-like howl of fury not unmixed with horror which rose over the treetops sent many of the nocturnal creatures running panicked for cover in the forest;

“READ THE LITTLE TWERP A BEDTIME STORY?? WHAT AM I, HIS MOTHER??”

Now THERE’S a creepy thought… Sonic thought, a grin having sprung readily to his face – respect for Sally swelled in his chest as he admired the supreme punishment that she had given Snively, disguised as what he had asked of The Princess.

“DO I LOOK LIKE I WEAR AN APRON AND BAKE COOKIES IN THE KITCHEN IN MY SPARE TIME?!” Snively’s rant of red-faced rage continued at a frenzied rate, “IS MY HAIR IN A PERM, PRINCESS?!” his nose stabbed like a dagger in Sonic’s direction as, in a quite fitting mix of metaphors, his suddenly narrowed eyes shot a deadly look at the hedgehog. “Why NO it ISN’T…” he hissed, going from blazing anger to deadly calm in a nanosecond. “…because, as a matter of FACT, I don’t happen to have more than THREE hairs on my entire head because of SPEEDFREAK here!!”

Snively knew that airing his principal grievance against Sonic would earn him precisely zero sympathy from his present company – after the assistance he had given his uncle in conquering most of Mobius, roboticizing the majority of its people and separating from their families and friends most of whom had managed to escape that grim fate, expressing bitterness over the loss of his hair seemed distinctly petty. Snively however not only acknowledged this fact but was actually quite complacent with it – he WAS, after all, a distinctly petty person.

Yes…I must allow that, as men go, I happen to be rather a small one. And that isn’t because I’m physically short…

“Is there a problem with my request, Snively?” Sally’s voice was as light and pretty as the sound of silver bell tinkling, as sweet as the essence of reason itself – the smile on her face as she gazed at the human however was unmercifully hard, her eyes glinting with that undeniable steel of hers. “You DID ask me if there was any task I would have you perform, did you not?” she felt the anger stewing in his body as he glowered venomously at her, his narrowed eyes glittering like steel knives.

And then…

“RIGHT.” Snively snapped – turning on his heel, he began to stalk back toward the village. “FINE AND DANDY. A-OKAY. PEACHY...”

As the faint sound of Snively muttering in disgruntlement faded into the distance, Sally felt Sonic jog her elbow – concern filled her eyes as she looked at the hedgehog and realised that his blue spikes were quivering like jelly, his entire body apparently wracked by convulsions of such immense pain that he could not even cry out.

“Sonic! Oh my gosh! Let me…”

Sonic exploded into laughter, “BWAHAHAHAHAHA!!” he howled, clapping his paw to his forehead. “Sal, Sal, Sal…that wuz just COLD-BLOODED! Way past cool! Seriously, how’d ya thinka THAT?!”

Sally smirked as she planted a paw against the side of her shapely hip, “Oh…the simple process of psychoanalytical evaluation.” She had fully expected the baffled look that this explanation conjured up on Sonic’s face and so she had further elaboration already prepared. “Put simply, I carefully studied what I understand of just how the meticulously precise gears of Snively’s mind turn – then, based upon the findings of my analysis, I threw a wrench into them.”

“Ya know, Sal…that’s exactly what I first noticed about you.” As he spoke, Sonic brought his face inch-by-inch toward Sally’s – then, when their noses were no more than half an inch apart, he concluded that thought. “That big attractive brain of yours!”

Sally really couldn’t help but chuckle, “Oh RIGHT!” she exclaimed, linking her paws together behind her back as her eyes twinkled with mischief – suddenly the squirrel was entirely herself again, the taut anger having slowly drained away from her as she’d given that explanation to Sonic.

“Say what?” Sonic squawked, taken aback by her reaction to the skilful manoeuvring of his silver tongue.

“So you’re saying that, had I been born as ugly as sin, you’d have noticed my highly enlightened mind in the first place?” Sally inquired, mirth dancing in her eyes – then she sighed and shook her head, a tad regretfully, as her mind returned to what had just occurred. “Poor Tails – I’ll have make this up to him.”

Sonic snickered, “Aw don’t you worry about it, Sal. Tails is bound to give Slimeley hell…after all, he learned everything he knows from MOI!” he assured The Princess.

To which Sally raised her eyebrow, “Hmmm…teaching your little tricks to a FOX as well as a CHILIDOG.” She commented, “Tell me, Sonic, have you ever considered turning this habit you appear to have picked up into a fulltime PROFESSION?”

Sonic stared at Sally, his face as blank as it would have become had The Princess just explained to him that she intended on moving to Robotropolis and marrying Robotnik. “Sal…are you saying that I should be a TEACHER?”

Sally smiled thoughtfully – as a matter of fact the mere thought threatened to split her sides, “Even you have things that you can teach to others, Sonic.” She said, her voice no longer mocking but sincere. “Just look at how Tails looks to you as his greatest hero, his main inspiration…his big brother.”

Sonic’s deep frown showed that he was thinking about what he’d just been told – REALLY thinking. “Yeah, well, I share EVERYTHING with Tails. Besides…” the grin that split his face told Sally that the moment of seriousness had passed just as swiftly as it had come – now it was time for the healthy dose of infuriating irreverence that the hedgehog did so well. “…a MORTAR-BOARD on this handsome hedgehog head? Can you imagine that, Sal? And thought of all that CHALK I’d get all over my gloves makes me wanna hurl! Plus there’s all those APPLES I’d hafta deal with – would it KILL those brown-nosin’ kids to grease the wheels with a HOT N’ SPICY CHILIDOG? You know, Sal, you’re right. I really did learn somethin’ tonight…I ain’t never gonna be no teacher!”

“Sonic…” Sally drawled sensually, leaning back against the railing and resting her arms across the smooth carved wood. “…why don’t you put that mouth of yours to good use and kiss me?”

And alone with Sally once more, drawn by the beauty in her eyes and lulled by the tranquillity of the sleeping forest around them, Sonic sealed the deal at last.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The machine-made crater that now dominated the central point of Robotropolis was several kilometres in depth and like the interior of a gigantic oil-can in shape. Its consistency lent it the illusion of being an urban layer-cake which was slowly being devoured from the top down by a swarm of greedy metallic ants, the machines in question – with each and every sublevel unearthed, either a long forgotten railway tunnel which had lain silent and unused (except for the odd occasion on which The Freedom Fighters had needed to stealthily infiltrate the city) since day on which King Acorn’s rightful reign had come to its untimely end or one of The Doomsday Machine’s countless pod-projection shafts was revealed.

At one stage an especially large sewage-pipe had accidentally been broken into, unleashing a torrential river of unspeakable filth – the progress of the dig had been severely checked as a substantial number of the WORKERbots and SWATbots of which the drilling-team was comprised had been swept to their destruction.

When he had heard about this catastrophic incident, Robotnik had experienced a rare moment in which his sense of sheer outrage had clashed with his sense of ever-pervading oppression to such an extent that he had almost succeeded in actually SAYING something – ALMOST but not QUITE.

Although the Doctor had maintained his silence and ergo maintained his best interest, preserving his neck’s intact condition, the sheer WASTE entailed by the fiasco continued to grate on him – WORKERbots, while remaining the lowest form of robotic existence in his technological empire regardless, had always been a valuable yet finite resource to him.

To Ixis Naugus, however, the roboticized Mobians were nothing more than expendable drones – neither as powerful in strength as the SWATbots nor imbued with a knowledge as expansively analytical the TEKbots, as far as the sorcerer was concerned they existed solely to be used and ultimately cast away once their bodies had reached breaking-point. And since it was the callous old sorcerer whose hand presently held the whip, Robotnik had been forced to bite his tongue and FUME.

At present, however, Robotnik’s expression was one of smug complacency – as he stood five feet away from the brink of the yawning hole in the ground, straight-backed, his hands were clasped casually behind him.

The reason why the deposed despot stood a little taller today was that, from his place beside him, Naugus suddenly appeared much smaller – and the reason for that was also quite simple.

For anybody, the act of donning a pair of the protective goggles that sorcerer and servant were both wearing would have brought a sensation of both relief and disorientation. Relief due to the reassuring knowledge that their presence over the upper-half of his or her face granted protection to the pair of eyes that they encased. Disorientation, on the other hand, was little more than a trick of the mind – gazing through the thick lenses gave the wearer not merely protection but also an enhanced vision unattainable to the naked eye, an experience which often gave the new wearer a fleeting yet unsettling feeling of disconnection from what was going on around them. It looked real and felt unreal to gaze into the heart of a raging inferno without experiencing blindness as a consequence.

To Doctor Robotnik, on the other hand, this piece of cold hard technology felt just as natural as the moist pair of eyeballs set into his skull as he wore it – unlike The Freedom Fighters who lived side-by-side with Mother Nature, reaping the bounty of her harvest in return for their complete respect and determined effort to protect her from those who would destroy her, Robotnik relied upon and relished in the utilisation of machines. He had done so for so long in fact that the blood which ran through his veins may as well have been oil, his heart of a piece of intricate yet lifeless apparatus rather than the miraculously complex vital organ of flesh and blood that it was.

Robotnik had in short lived by technology for so long that he was practically one with it – and as such, rather than a convenience to be worn and removed when the need arose, the goggles were almost an extension of his body.

As he had been commanded to hand the sorcerer a set of them, however, Robotnik had felt a duality of sensations – distaste for his present role of dogsbody (I.E Snively) mingled with the unsavoury delight that filled his heart at the sight of the overwhelmed expression that had crossed Naugus’ face as he had placed the goggles over his eyes.

The sorcerer’s eyes were clouded by a growing agitation, an increasing look of illness, as they beheld the distant frenzy of mechanized activity. Though his mastery was indisputable when it came to the mysterious and dangerous ways of sorcery, Naugus looked as old as he truly was as he watched technology at work.

Robotnik barely noticed the stray specks of grit bouncing against the lenses of his goggles – he was gazing keenly into the depths of the crater. Today, progress had once more impended – this time, however, the obstacle encountered by the drilling-team had left Naugus intrigued rather than infuriated.

Located right at the bottom of the crater, nestled amidst the rubble like an item lodged into the brain of one who had suffered a horrific accident, was a most curious article – to all appearances it was a flat stretch a grey stone-like matter. It was square in shape, yards in meter and diameter – though it had apparently once been quite smooth, DELIBERATELY smooth, almost every inch of it was marked by a series of deep and swirling cracks.

Upon first uncovering this strange slab-like stone, the drill-team had been ready to conclude that it was little more than an unusually large block which had once supported some structure or other which no existed no longer – that initial conclusion had however been disproved when a SWATbot had rapped its metallic knuckles against it, revealing that beneath the ‘slab’ resided an open space.

In layman’s terms, whatever this thing was…it was HOLLOW.

Furthermore a TEKbot, brought down into the crater by a Hover Unit, had yielded a second point of interest…that the open space was not EMPTY. There was something down there…something that the advanced scanners of the droid could not definitively identify.

And so the gathered robots had tirelessly drilled at the stone structure, their aim to reveal that which resided below – and it was just as Robotnik noted with wry amusement the agitated rhythm to which Naugus’ claw had begun to open and close, the pincers twitching violently and jerking apart again whenever they touched, that the moment of breakthrough arrived at last.

The sound of precisely five drills grinding away in unison faded into silence – a dead silence descended over the crater as the small cluster of robots parted.

It was gradually filled by the sound of an anti-gravity engine – one of the flat metal platforms known as Hover Pads lowered itself smoothly into Robotnik and Naugus’ field of vision. Standing on it was the figure of a SWATbot though not one of the regular variety – this one had been specially upgraded with an armoured exoskeleton. The dark-blue shoulder-plates, the matching arms and legs along with the sleek-black chest-plate had all been created from a reinforced metal which imbued ‘his’ already powerful body with formidable strength – this armour encasing his silver body was a testament to the fact that here was no run-of-the-mill SWATbot.

It was Lieutenant Omega. “The geological stratum has been penetrated, Lord Naugus.” Reported the Elite SWATbot in ‘his’ robotic drone of a voice, ‘his’ fists clenched around the hand-rail of the Hover Pad. “I await your order regarding how to proceed.”

As Robotnik stifled a grunt of impatience, Naugus coughed awkwardly – the familiar self-assured arrogance seemed to flow back into his eyes as they cleared of the daze which had filled them. “How INDEED?” he exclaimed – his voice sounded like he had just inhaled a significant quantity of helium but, with a cough, he regained complete control of himself and when he spoke again it was with his accustomed drawl. “NOW…it appears that from this point onward we venture into the indistinct and murky region of the unknown. What this situation calls for, it would seem to me, is for some party to BRAVE the unknown in order to ascertain whether danger lies ahead.”

Naturally… Robotnik thought irritably, rolling his eyes as he waited for Omega to be despatched into the hole at the bottom of the crater. So why don’t you stop wasting your belaboured breath and give the order, you old fool?

After a moments thought, Naugus resumed speaking;

“Lieutenant, would you be so ACCOMODATING…”

Finally… Robotnik thought, his anticipation rising.

“…as to step down from that quaint contraption and allow my friend THE DOCTOR to hop onto it so that he may perform the necessary task that I have just outlined?”

Robotnik felt as though his capacious stomach had just turned itself inside out as his mind processed what he had just heard – when his eyes found Naugus’ face, he saw that that the sorcerer’s sickening grin had returned.

“Oh yes, my redoubtable friend – I choose to entrust this task unto YOU.” Naugus purred – if, that is, one could have called the sound of a rusty nail being pulled slowly from a plank of rotting wood ‘purring’. “You have served me well and loyalty is a trait deserving of the greatest and most fitting reward – and it is for that reason that I select you to perform this honour. For you LIKE getting your hands dirty, do you not?”

Never before had Robotnik yearned to throttle the old monster more than he did at that moment. Oh yes, old boy… he thought silently as his breath became a slow current of pure hatred. …and right now I would like to wrap them around your ARTHRITIC NECK…oh yes, I should dearly LOVE to get to grips with YOUR NECK, to twist it like a BOTTLE-TOP… “Why yes, sir.” The Doctor’s ingratiating voice was at complete odds with the maelstrom roaring within him. Control yourself, RIGHT NOW! “I am so eager that I can barely contain myself!”

Minutes later, Robotnik and Omega had exchanged places – the hulking human stood upon the Hover Pad whereas the robotic centurion was now standing beside Naugus, ‘his’ arms folded behind ‘his’ back in a stance of attentive respect.

With a hum of highly-advanced technology, the Pad began its ascent into the air…an ascent which slowed to a juddering halt almost immediately at a mere five feet above terra firma. As the hum of the Pad lowered to what may well have been a moan of complaint, Robotnik ground his teeth at this fresh humiliation – his finger practically stabbed the button that increased the power-level of the anti-gravity engine.

Now able to bear its new burden, the Pad resumed its journey upward – as he was carried toward his destination, Robotnik heard the wheezing cackle of Naugus cachinnating behind him. The boot was now on the other foot…and with a vengeance.

As he slowly descended below street-level, however, the mockery of the sorcerer was quickly driven from Robotnik’s mind – as the exposed sides of the urban layer-cake rose up around him he was forced to choke back the bile rising in his throat, the overpowering stench of the unearthed sewer-lines was utterly atrocious!

Down past the gaping mouths of tunnel and the jagged pipes Robotnik descended, not receiving so much as a glance from the SWATbot and WORKERbots he passed on the way – another slap to the face for the former ruler of the city.

After a period of time which felt like hours but was actually little more than ten minutes, The Hover Pad brought Robotnik reached his destination. The stone slab was eerily pale in the shadows of the crater - the jagged-edged hole that it had recently acquired rose up like the dark maw of a giant ant-lion that had been disturbed by the dig.

As he looked around at his new surroundings, Robotnik saw that a group of WORKERbots were standing around the hole they had just created, their bodies forming a tight ring – it was suddenly brought home to him that trapped within those metallic bodies, those cold and lifeless shells, were the helpless minds of the Mobians they had once been. Minds which had been forced to endure the endless horrors of the slavery to which they had been subjected over the course of his reign…minds which, as he descended into the unknown, were most assuredly hoping and praying that some horribly gruesome end now awaited their former master.

Thankfully the hole which their labour had created was wide enough in order to accommodate his girth – the first thought to cross his mind as he was engulfed in darkness was that he liked the hole better from the outside.

An impression which was only reinforced by the foul and inescapable smell of dust and decay which assaulted him almost immediately, rendering him powerless to do anything other than cough so hard that he brought up the sparse contents of his stomach – when the violent convulsions had mercifully passed, Robotnik clamped one gloved hand over his mouth in an attempt to avoid inhaling the hostile atmosphere of this place which reminded him of the inside of a black and rotting tooth.

Aided by the beam of light projected by the Pad, he turned his narrowing eyes this way and that as he began his investigation – his transient glimpses of the cobwebbed and cracked walls made him think of a TOMB; a place into which a fragment of the past was consigned, concealed from the light of the present day, buried away in order to make way for the coming of the future.

For a long while, Robotnik’s face was twisted into an expression of distaste as he inspected his surroundings – it was born upon his mind that the reason the existence of this place had escaped his notice for all those years quite simply because it was completely and utterly unworthy of it.

It then, THEN, that the beam of light cast the centre of the secret room into illumination…and as he took in the sight now laid bare to his eyes, any notion that the contents of this place were insignificant on any level was completely obliterated from The Doctor’s mind. His fists were clenched so tightly upon the hand-rail that the gloves he wore almost split at the knuckles…as he stood as still as the dust-encrusted walls, captivated by the bizarre just ahead.

Bizarre…yet at the same time beautiful. Its very existence filled Robotnik’s mind with blank incomprehension as its flawless perfection beguiled him – as the mind of The Doctor finally succeeded in accepting that very existence, his confusion gave way to contemplation, far though he yet remained from determining just what in the world this could be.

As he watched its glittering contours split his beam into several shafts of rainbow-coloured light, however, something began to stir in one of the farthest and deepest corners of his mind…a memory. A memory from a part of his life on which he had turned his back upon long ago, considering it a chapter of the past forever closed to him – the memory of an event that he had, at the time, dismissed as totally inconsequential.

No…it couldn’t be. The technology was in little more than embryonic-stage when the two of us set off for… Robotnik realised that uncertainty was stealing over him even as his mind formed that incredulous thought – as he studied the spectacle which had transfixed him, the memory became gradually clearer in his mind. A substance that he and certain others had been shown in a raw and crude proto-typical form on a day long ago…a substance that, if the suspicion which was beginning to solidify in his mind was correct, he now saw before him in a far more advanced and perfected form. Robotnik vaguely realised that he had been holding his breath as these memories flashed through his mind – as he released it in a slow exhalation, his mind actively contemplated the implications held by the clear truth that it had just been forced to acknowledge. So…they really DID it then. They actually managed to take a break from devising more elaborate means of KILLING one another and instead succeeded in… “Well, well…” the words came unbidden to Robotnik’s mouth as he raised a hand to flick at his long ginger moustache. “I can’t imagine what the asthmatic old goat is going to make of this!” What Naugus’ wax-encrusted ears don’t hear won’t hurt ME, after all…

“Oh DOCTOR…” an unmistakable voice tutted from his side, “…you simply do not respond positively to KINDNESS!”

It was with a stab of breath-taken horror that Robotnik whirled around to see…NAUGUS. The sorcerer wore a transparent breathing-apparatus over the lower half of his face and the look that was visible upon it was one more of deeply profound sorrow than of intense blind rage – The Doctor, however, knew the old sadist simply far too well by now to begin believing it to be genuine.

“How sharper than a serpents sting did those words of black ingratitude pierce my heart – you cannot begin to understand how much it truly pains me that you have chosen to smite me with the very Olive Branch I gave to you.” Naugus sigh deeply, shaking his smooth head slowly in sad resignation. “But no matter, no matter. After all…I have undertaken to do my very best to educate you, my friend. You may learn in time not to bite the hand that feeds you – I sincerely hope that this minor bump in the road poses no serious threat to this relationship which we have both been working so hard upon.”

The sorcerer punctuated this remark with a click of forefinger and thumb. One moment Robotnik had been thinking that Naugus’ use of that old phrase simply had to have been meant figuratively rather than literally, the sporadic rumbling of his stomach attesting to the plain fact that while the sorcerer had given many orders since his takeover, the order to EAT hadn’t been frequently heard – in the next moment, however, his ravenous hunger and even his fear were banished entirely from mind as he took his next breath of air.

And found himself CHOKING on it. Naugus’ magic had transmogrified his head once again…this time into that of a human-sized catfish!

As Robotnik released his grip on the hand-rail in order to slump to his knees and clutch at his tortured windpipe, he heard Naugus give another click of finger and thumb – rather than merciful release or further anguish, however, this second gesture brought light flooding into the secret room. As the sphere of magical light that Naugus had called into existence generated an influx of intense incandescence, Robotnik was forced to use his arms to shielded his eyes from the blinding glare – perhaps due to his prolonged period in The Void, the sorcerer did not so much as blink as he gently tossed the ball of light into the air like a carrier-pigeon.

As it floated there like a Willo the Wisp, Naugus’ voice wheezed forth again. “When no cry of fear or pain followed your descent, it was clear that it was safe for me to accompany you further upon this invigorating little escapade.” Just a touch did his crafty eyes narrow as they gazed upon that which had lain secret and undisturbed for so many years in this mysterious place. “WELL now…no danger or so it would seem! And yet…what HAVE we discovered?”

Clutched between the rust-pitted claws of metal, the egg-like cocoon shone like a diamond as Naugus studied in intently – in the stark new light, its smooth and curving face did not appear quite so featureless.

Within the confines of the cocoon…the shadowy silhouette of the figure encased within remained dormant and waiting.

Waiting for the moment which had at last…come.

End of Chapter Two

[The Mysterious Traveller]

Chapter Three
The Awakening

Aunt Sally was taking her time with getting to him tonight, he noticed – and it was with a surprised discomfort which Tails realised that he didn’t really mind it all that much.

It was bedtime...but Tails was definitely not thinking of sleep. The fox-cub was perched at the edge of his bed, his legs dangling halfway to the floor – for once in a while his white-furred feet were bare as his white sneakers sat together on the other side of the bed, ready and waiting for him to jump back into them come the eve of tomorrow. Tails would be receiving a very early wake-up call indeed – there were many last-minute preparations which would need to be gone over tomorrow before, come nightfall, he set off from Knothole in the company of his fellow Freedom Fighters.

Destination…Robotropolis.

Tails watched silently as the wick of his bedside candle burned with a golden light – he’d spent the last hour thinking about tomorrow’s mission, of the key role that had been officially bestowed upon him to the effusive congratulations of Sonic, a comradely slap on the shoulder from Ari and even an encouraging wink from The King himself. As his mind had been occupied by his appointed task, Tails’ blue eyes had convalesced with pride…even as his stomach churned with a nervousness that he would sooner have died than allow Sonic to become aware of.

As the candle gradually melted into a dribbling glob, Tails now looked neither excited nor even nervous – he simply looked troubled as he thought about Aunt Sally. The fox-cub still remembered the nights when he had lain in bed and waiting eagerly for his Aunt Sally to come and read him a bedtime story, terrified that if he didn’t keep his wits about him and his eyes wide open then he would fall asleep and that she would simply tuck him in and leave him for the night when she finally did come. He had kept toes as well as his fingers crossed that this magical hour that they’d always shared would not be ruined by some crisis which might arise unexpectedly, demanding The Princess’ immediate attention – this truly appalling calamity had indeed occurred in the past, not often but the mere possibility that such a bitter disappointment might transpire again had been enough to make Tails release his held breath with immense relief at the moment that Aunt Sally did mercifully walk in, bringing with her a smile of a warmth with which his nightly candle could not hope to compete.

These days however…

Tails’ expression became increasingly troubled as he thought about it – it wasn’t that he now loved Sally any less nor was it that her presence no longer lit up his hut or even that her smile had ceased to make him feel loved whenever she gave it to him. It still felt nice when The Princess tucked him in and read to him, it was just that it also felt, well…

Tails felt a sigh coming on. Everything’s changing… thought the fox-cub sadly, his pointed ears dropping. And it was true. It was the cold hard undeniable truth. He knew it and, whether she wished to concede to it or else to cry off the inevitable moment of acknowledgement for as long as she possibly could, he had a feeling that Sally knew it too. Whether she continued reading him to sleeping and kissing him goodnight because she still felt unwilling to let go of him, whether he did his best to ignore the growing embarrassment he felt about still having a bedtime in order to make her happy, the truth was incontrovertible…Tails was growing up.

It was just as the fox had finished this thought that he heard a sound which instantly dissolved it – and it was also then that, his ears pricking up in reaction to the turning of the door-knob, he moved. With the swiftness he had learnt by watching Sonic, Tails leapt into the air as though his bed turned white-hot – in a skilful move taught to him by Bunnie during their Martial Arts lessons, the fox performed a somersault and landed beneath his blanket with fluid precision just as the door opened. “Aunt Sally!” he exclaimed, giving the long yawn he had down to perfection. “I was just about to go to…” his voice trailed away as he saw just who was stepping through the doorway and into his hut.

Snively frowned severely at him. It had always struck the human as peculiar, the ease with which The Freedom Fighters had embraced Tails’ presence among them – judging from his own childhood, most particularly the hours he’d spent sitting in class whilst exerting every ounce of willpower he’d possessed on the Herculean task of ignoring the saliva-soaked paper pellets constantly being fired at the back of his head, Snively found it extraordinary how the rest of the Knothole villagers looked after the young fox just as though he was kin to him, as though his blood was their own, when the undeniable truth was that he was far different from the rest of them.

Something told him that, had she ever heard him voice this inability to understand, Sally would have frozen him with a look of the utmost scorn and said “No – I believe I can safely say that you wouldn’t."

Hmph…whatever.

As for the second tail which flowed quite naturally alongside his first, (Or was that one in fact his second tail?) Snively had always wondered about that. From what Snively had picked up from the villagers of Knothole, Tails had been discovered in The Great Swamp by Sonic and Sally when he’d still been a tiny cub – as well as the enigma of his very existence there was something else about him that niggled at Snively’s mind whenever the child was in his presence. Sometimes even when he wasn’t.

Snively couldn’t believe that he was putting it like this, even in the sanctified privacy of his own mind, but it was as though something radiated in the fox’s eyes…a pure radiance, a light which shone bright and never went out. It engaged and delighted Sally and Bunnie to same extent to which it irritated Snively just like a dose of bug-spray deployed into his eyes by a careless hand.

The presence of the two-tailed fox had remained a source of great interest and speculation for weeks after he’d been brought back to the village by Sonic and Sally who had begun caring for him – some of the more superstitious villagers had even declared that the cub, who had been christened ‘Tails’ by this time, was in fact part of a species of mythical foxes; the Kitsunes. And by those who chose to believe this, Tails’ arrival in Knothole had been perceived as a good omen. And, though his presence in their midst had long been embraced, there were a few who still looked at him in curiosity from time to time…wondering if, when next they saw him, he would have more than just two tails.

Snively didn’t know about any of that – personally, he’d always settled for wondering how Tails was able to spin those things for so long during flight without them dropping off due to extreme exhaustion.

Oblivious the thoughts of the human, Tails returned his scowl of disfavour admirably. “Oh…you.” He said, not very politely.

As he shut the door firmly behind him, Snively gave the fox-cub a withering look. “Yes, yes, I’m here.” He snapped waspishly, “And I’m not…” at this point the human pulled his rubbery face into an exaggeratedly childish expression and whined shrilly, “…Auuunt Saaally!”

“Well duh…” Tails muttered as he glowered unwelcomingly at the human.

Snively smirked, feeling a certain comfort in the sour knowledge that Tails was about to have his nose put out of joint just as his own had been. “I fear that Her Highness is, shall I say, indisposed tonight.” A tinge of revulsion briefly crossed his face as he skirted clear of the spot of courtship that he had witnessed minutes earlier, “As such it is her request, and who am I to even think of refusing her royal wishes, that your bedtime story of this night be read by me. Presumably one of the benefits of royalty is the enviable privilege of passing unenviable tasks on to one’s subordinates…”

Tails’ eyes widened and then narrowed at the implication of that last sneering remark, “Nuh-uh!” he exclaimed in swelling indignation, anger at the mere idea that Sally might look upon him as a mere inconvenience, a burden to be dumped upon somebody else. “Sally wouldn’t even think that…”

Snively breathed a long and deep sigh intended to show Tails that the fox-cub was being just too stupid but that he was endeavouring to put up with him anyway. “Tails, the decision was made by The Princess and is as such irreversible at this juncture of the proceedings.” He clipped the words off with a mechanical precision – he knew even now that the next half hour or so was going to be death, he just knew it. “Believe me when I tell you that I am no more pleased with the situation than you are but, as we are stuck with it, why don’t we simply try to work our way through it as smoothly and as painlessly as possible? That way tomorrow will come much quicker and allow the two of us to move on with both our lives. And by the way, I heard you jump into bed as I came in. So you needn’t bother to lie to me, you deceitful little pig!”

Tails didn’t respond to any of this – as a matter of fact he was not sure just how much of it he had even understood. As he stared back at the small human, however, his bright-blue eyes gave a gleam that was distinctly Sonic-like. Smoothly and painlessly, huh? He thought, mentally cracking his knuckles. How about bumpily and torturously instead?

Clearly believing that the battle was won and that he was the clear victor, Snively turned on his heel and marched over to the bookshelf…not seeing the fittingly foxy grin which split the face of the watching Tails.

Snively’s short stature made it unnecessary for him to stoop in order to glance across the spines of the books – with several dismissive clicks of the tongue, he ruled out volume after volume until he reached the very end of the shelf. And that was precisely where he found it. “Well, well.” He muttered as he plucked the thick volume from its accustomed place on the shelf and studied its cover with interest, “I never thought that I’d see this old turkey again. Well…I suppose that it’s as good as any.”

As Snivel turned and walked back toward his bed, Tails recognised the cover of the book he was holding – a dragon, not one with bright-green scales and a friendly smile like Dulcy but one whose scales burned a bloody red and snarled fiercely as it flew over a mist-crowned mountain. It was the book that Sally had given to him for his most recent birthday, proclaiming that she believed he was now old enough to ‘appreciate’ it – The Princess hadn’t yet gotten around to reading it for him but, from flicking randomly through it, the impression which it made on Tails was that it was much longer than the rest of his books as well as filled with words that he didn’t recognise.

This was the book which Snively now opened at the first page and, clearing his throat in resignation, began to read to Tails. “In a hole in the ground there lived…” he recited in a voice which was so flat and emotionless that, rather than a fantastic tale filled with magic and wonder, sounded as though he was rattling off some officious (which was to say boring) report.

“No!” Tails exclaimed loudly as he sprang upright in his bed, “No, that’s not right at all! You’re reading it wrong!”

Snively lowered the book again – his expression was one of irritation as he stared at the complainant fox, flustered at having been interrupted barely after he’d begun. “Oh?” he inquired, an inflection of acidic sarcasm seeping into his voice. “And why is that? Am I holding the book upside-down as I read it? Or is it that, as I read, I am absentmindedly translating the book’s contents into another language? If I am committing either of these deplorable errors or indeed any other then do tell me, young Tails!”

“You’re s’posed to use the story-voice!” Tails said loudly as though to a dimwit, “Like Aunt Sally’s, not like, well…yours.”

Several cutting replies sprang to Snively’s tongue in the wake of these remarks – rather than deliver one of them, however, he raised an affronted eyebrow. “And how, pray tell, would you say my voice sounds?” he inquired softly.

“You…really wanna know?” Tails said as he eyed him with great wariness.

“Oh yes!” Snively persisted, “And in your own words entirely! Grant me the benefit of your wisdom!”

Tails took a moment in which to think long and hard about what he was about to say, “Well…” he said slowly, his next sentence coming to him word by word. “…I’d really have to say that it sounds like a mouse gettin’ stomped by an elephant.”

A hint of grey seemed to appear between Snively’s eyes, “I see.” He replied casually through clenched teeth, “And is there anything else you would care to add to this?”

Tails’ next words came more easily as he felt himself beginning to get to grips with them, “I guess I could also say that it sounds like…a hippo sitting on an open piano.” he answered, his own voice deeply thoughtful as he put how he felt about the matter into words. “I mean, seriously, what an annoying sound!”

Snively’s eyes were glinting unpleasantly at the cub by this point, “Excellent.” He hissed, “An admirably succinct summary. And now, unless there is any further criticism you wish to relay, perhaps we might drop this topic once and for all and resume this forced death-march down the road to oblivion?”

Tails’ blue eyes were wide, his whole face the very picture of youthful innocence wounded. “I only did what you wanted me to.” He protested, sounding as though he was stung by the reception of his words and wondering what he’d done to deserve it. “You asked me to tell you…”

“Well you started it!” Snively whined as he lifted the book to his face once again, “Now am I to read as much of this as I am able in the time allotted to us or are we instead to continue needlessly procrastinating?” For the second time that night, Tails looked bewildered – Snively, never one to quibble, seized this opportunity to take up the narrative again. “In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet

“Hey…what is a hobbit anyhow?” Tails chirped up.

Snively breathed deeply, feeling quite akin to a condemned soul who had rolled an acutely heavy boulder up the side of a steep hill only to feel it slip from his grasp and roll all the way back down. “A small man.” He elaborated, deciding that he was probably best off answering the fox’s question as directly and briefly as possible. “NOW…”

Tails’ eyes widened with understanding. “Oh! Like you!” he exclaimed.

Snively glowered, “No.” he said slowly and carefully, as though speaking to a stupid child which as far as he was concerned was precisely what he was doing. “Not like me. A hobbit is a short-sized neatness-freak with big hairy feet. Is this picture I paint you springing vividly to life in your childlike imagination?”

Tails was nodding his head, his smile bright and eager. “Yeah. Like you.” He repeated loudly and clearly, apparently thinking that Snively hadn’t heard him correctly the first time.

Oh GOD! Please save me from this Biblical Curse that hath descended upon me! Snively was sick of the entire thing – most of all, he felt sick of the vivaciously vibrant fox. “Listen to me you little br…” with a cough, he decided to change tack. “Ahem…I mean…you adorable little child! Is there something else that I could read to you?”

“Oh, I don’t know…how about Rumplestiltskin?”

Snively couldn’t bite back the snort that he now emitted, “Because that’s a good one…” he muttered with a roll of his eyes.

“Yeah!” A sparkle danced in Tails’ eyes, “It’s about this little man…”

“Oh really? Oh does this little man also have hairy feet? How do I prove to you that I’m not a hobbit…by taking off my boots and showing you my feet? Is that what I must do? Is it?” Snively exclaimed, lifting one of his boots into the air and reaching slowly toward it with his hand.

Tails backed over to the far side of his bed, erupting into a giggling fit even as he pulled a face of pure disgust. “Okay, okay!” he exclaimed, holding out his gloved paws in a placating gesture. “Truce!”

Snively stared at him for a long moment, having slipped his long finger beneath his boot. “And so the tables turn!” he crowed in triumph, “Then Knothole concedes?”

“No way! Freedom Fighters will never be WORKERbots!”

“Then a truce it is.” Snively released his foot, which flopped back onto the floor, and held his hand out to the fox.

Tails accepted, shaking it firmly. “Agreed.” He replied, his tone one of gravest solemnity. “Hey…Snively? Can I…can I ask you something?”

Snively felt strangely unnerved by the tentative look which was now on Tails’ face, “Yes, with an oncoming feeling of ominous dread?” he invited warily, bracing himself for whatever the hell it could be.

Tails’ eyes were earnest as they gazed up at the human – the fox-cub felt that now was the moment for him to ask Snively about the thing that had been bothering him for days now. “Why don’t you like us?” he asked simply.

To all appearances, Snively didn’t react to this straightforward question – at least his expression did not change nor did either of his eyebrows as much as twitch. What he felt inwardly at this moment, however, was a different story altogether. “Oh, I don’t know. I don’t suppose that it could possibly be the manner in which big brother hedgehog excels in transforming stupidity into a modern art-form or the way that the courageous Mr. Depardiue has made the habit of annoying everybody around him into his entire way of life or…” this he said with his accustomed irony. Now normally the sarcasm flowed as smoothly and naturally as water but, for some reason, tonight the words just seemed to drop from his lips with a leaden clunk.

And, being the perceptive child he was, Tails picked up on it immediately. “That’s exactly what I’m talking about!” he exclaimed in a sudden rush of words which swept away Snively’s acidic putdowns before his pale mouth could continue forming them. “Why do you do that…say such nasty mean things about us when we treat so well? When we let you live with us and share our food with you and don’t…” his voice faltered as his train of thought ran up against a memory…a memory of a day two years ago.

It was a day he had never been able to forget…a day he was sure he never would forget. The day he had disobeyed Aunt Sally by wandering farther from the border of The Great Forest than she had given him permission to go…and, as a result, been captured by a Hover Unit full of SWATbots that had then taken him to Robotropolis. That day had been the most terrifying ordeal of his entire life, so horrifying that he mercifully remembered only two of the things he had seen during it, the rest of which had blurred into a hazy shadow he could no longer recall consciously...yet still returned from time to time to trouble him in his sleep.

One had been the moment that had come like a flash of glorious lightning in a sky engulfed by darkness…the moment Sonic had rocketed into Command Central like a living whirlwind, snatching the fox from the glass jaws of the Roboticizer and taking him back. Back to The Great Forest, back to Knothole, back to Aunt Sally who had been so out of her mind with relief to see him alive and well and still flesh and blood that she hadn’t even gotten mad about his thoughtless act of disobedience…back home.

And the other…he could still vaguely remember it. Robotnik, his face twisted like a mass of melting wax, the pupils of his depthless black eyes burning with contemptuous hate…his huge fist wrapped around the throat of Snively, squeezing tighter and tighter with each breath of seething rage he took. Snively, sweat running down his long nose which had been bent like a banana against his uncle’s broad chin, a sycophantic grin spreading across his face even as his pale eyes widened in trapped terror.

This scene Tails had at some point glimpsed, perhaps as he’d been pounding against the glass interior of the Roboticizer, screaming until not an ounce of air had remained in his lungs – he hadn’t thought about it at the time but it had left upon his young mind an impression so strong that it remained burnt there to this very day. Snively had suffered such abuse every day of his life…and from his own uncle, no less.

Why had he stayed? That was what Tails now wanted to ask – as Snively raised a caustic eyebrow at him, however, he found that he just couldn’t. “I-I mean…when we’re so nice to you?” the fox-cub finished lamely.

The utter childishness of the question made Snively grunt – he knew that to try explaining this to the child would be as futile as trying to teach him the mind-boggling intricacies of quantum physics. “Nice? Nice?” he sneered, “And what are you using as a basis for comparison, young Tails?”

Tails scrunched up his face as he concentrated on the search for an answer to that question – then it brightened. “I know…me!” he exclaimed, “Yeah, The Freedom Fighters treat you just as they treat me! They feed you and…”

Snively’s eyes glittered like frost, filling slowly with silent and emotionless laughter as he listened to the fox-cub making his argument. “They tolerate me, Tails.” He interrupted, his voice as flat and cold as a sterilised scalpel. “They provide for me, allow me to live among them and even go out of their way to make small-talk with me, it’s true. Yet they always watch me, regard me with unvoiced suspicion, even as they smile with patronising welcome…waiting until the day that the whole meaningless charade comes to its conclusion. Now you, on the other hand…” as he spoke, he looked directly into the eyes of the fox-cub – as he did so, his own brimmed with the same disdain he’d felt earlier, now curiously mingled with another feeling. One altogether different, one far wearier. Envy. A jealousy of this pure and untainted soul he now saw right in front of him, a soul far removed from his own…a soul that he now strove to belittle and besmirch with his measured words of sheer spite. “…they spoil you.”

“Nuh-uh!” Tails protested, colour rising to his cheeks “Aunt Sally and the others don’t spoil me! I always get told off and given extra chores to do or get sent back to my hut whenever I act up! They want me to grow up good and strong…”

Snively continued, his tone just as steady and level as though the interruption hadn’t occurred. “They sheltered you by keeping you for as long as they could within this forest where nothing and nobody can hurt you. Even now they continue to shield you from the harsh realities of this world.” His eyes bored into those of the transfixed cub like a pair of silent yet intense lasers, “Do you honestly believe that the reason they now permit you to accompany them on their oh-so-thrilling escapades in the city is that they want you to share in the danger they entail? Ha! Don’t you realise that they take you along with them so that they can continue to keep you close, because they remember what it was to be your age? They know that the temptation to embark on a little adventure of your own would one day become too great to resist and so their solution to take you with them. To protect you. Tails…you have not raised to be strong. They have raised you to be innocent. The justification of their struggles, the thing that will make worthwhile this war which has encompassed most of their lives. That is all you are to them. No more and no less.”

As he had listened to Snively’s words regarding how The Freedom Fighters viewed him, Tails had felt something like a lump of cold hard clay forming inside his stomach – whatever it was, he had a sinking feeling that the reason it felt so unsettling was that was comprised of the truth. Or bits and pieces of it at least. “That’s not true.” He said quietly, his face frowning as his eyes going hard as he struggled to reject this interpretation of his ultimate role in the lives of his friends. “They’re my family. They love me…”

Snively’s eyes retained their coldness yet it seemed to Tails that they now contained an icy gleam of wisdom, the reflection of a bitterly rueful experience of a harder side of life, one that the fox could not understand…and was not sure he wanted to. “In the end, the only one whom you really have to rely upon…is you.” He said with a finality which for some reason caused Tails to imagine each word as an icicle dropping into dark water. “Knowing this is what has enabled me to survive for as long as I have in this world. And it’s one of those grim necessities that I suppose you will never come to know at first hand…though perhaps that is as things should be. Because your life and my own, here in this village or wherever else on Mobius they might one day lead us, are not alike. Now if you please…”

The conversation, which had now gone as far beyond the boundaries of reticence as Snively was willing to go, ended – perhaps it had served a purpose after all for as Snively raised the book to eye-level and recommenced the narrative once more there was not another interruption from Tails.

Yet even though he allowed Snively to read from the book Aunt Sally had given him, Tails’ mind was not on the words which passed from the book through the human’s lips and finally to his own pointed ears. It was focused on the lingering echo of the words of cynicism which Snively had uttered moments ago and with such bitter conviction…

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As his eyes began to water, Robotnik’s mind registered two highly salient circumstances – first of all, the round and protuberant eyes which felt like they were sizzling in their sockets were once more his own as opposed to the flat and glassy eyes of a catfish. Secondly, the brilliant luminance that Naugus had casually conjured out of non-existence was now diluted by a new radiance of different colour and yet equal intensity.

The charge of magical energy crackled as it ran through Naugus’ right arm in a number of tiny bolts which circled his wrist, converging in the point at which he had chosen to focus the power he was calling upon; the tip of his forefinger which he was presently pointing at the point at which he directed the spell he evoked.

As this occurred, Robotnik heard Naugus’ voice cackling croakily;

“Now shall we see!
Now shall we know!
Now shall the secret be unlocked,
By my sorcery aglow!”

The egg-like cocoon swam with beads of dark-purple light as though in anticipation of what was about to transpire – the bead of light which swelled at the tip of the sorcerer’s finger appeared to undergo a miniature explosion as Naugus’ concentrated mind converted it from raw energy to a focused magical spell. A spell designed with a very specific purpose in mind as it jumped from his finger, leaving a trail of purple burned into the air through which it passed – the spell passed into the centre of the cocoon at the precise moment that the two connected, magic and science, as easily as the wind creating ripples upon the surface of a lake.

Far from simply dissipating however the puce-coloured magic began to turn the cocoon the same shade and also, with a sickening odour that slowly but surely saturated the air, dissolve it – a purple vapour poured from the ‘egg’ as it gradually turned lumpy and sloughed apart like a rapidly disintegrating placenta, its structure breaking down and evaporating into nothingness, atom by atom.

Naugus watched as, with an ear-splitting screech, the metal talons finally relinquished their aeon-long grip…revealing the figure that stood within the cloud of vapour.

Released from the grip of technology by the power of sorcery, the newly liberated individual felt his broad shoulders rise and fall as he breathed the air of this world for the first time for over a Millennium – as the genetic cocktail of nutrients that had allowed him to sleep throughout the passage of the ages until the night of his awakening began to depart from his system, he felt them beginning to reactive themselves. The nano-machines, pieces of technology so advanced as to boggle the mind - they had been placed within his body by means of complex and skilful surgery shortly before his entry into stasis and now began to kick his body back into fully operating order.

As every piece of tissue in his body started to function properly again, he felt beads of perspiration trickling down his body – not only had his sweat-glands reopened but the nerve-endings had restored feeling to him. Nausea hit him like a blow to the stomach as, piece by piece, he returned to life – he just felt thankful that he had skipped breakfast for the last couple of thousand years and so lacked anything to regurgitate.

As the thick mist parted, revealing the figure in full for the first time, Robotnik could not contain the involuntary gasp that escaped him.

The individual whom had been released from the stasis-cocoon stood with such imposing stature that he towered over even the hulking Doctor – the two broad arms hanging by his sides and the two thick legs supporting him positively rippled with a series of powerful muscles which, as they strained against the sweat-covered flesh encasing them, all united to spread across his torso and abdomen. His head of hair was cut to such precision that it resembled a jet-black hood. A snout-like set of nostrils divided his mouth which was currently contorted into a dark grimace and his eyes…which now flicked open.

As conscious awareness reasserted itself inside the mind behind the black pupils of that pair of white orbs, the individual’s perception of his new surroundings span like a blurring mosaic at first – gradually, as body and mind both readjusted to the environment into which both been thrust into, the eyes came into proper focus.

After ages spent locked in dreamless and ageless slumber, the first thing that he saw was the broad grin of welcome spread across the face of the bizarre creature which extended its gloved hand to him. “Kindly permit me to introduce myself.” It proclaimed in a voice which, though wheezy, boomed magnanimously. “I am Ixis Naugus and it is I who shall be your guide to The Planet Mobius in the Year 3235. And you would be…?”

The respite that followed this question lingered like an eternity spent waiting in dead silence – then the tongue of the awakened sleeper pressed against the roof of his mouth, his mouth began moving and for the first time in thousands of years his voice was heard.

“The Hunter Executioner…Zero.”

Naugus beamed expansively as his eyes gazed upon the figure who stood before him…gazed upon him and saw the possibilities. “And a pleasure it is for us to receive you!” he declared, “Let’s be friends!”

Robotnik stared silently at the utterly unexpected discovery of the dig, his dark eyes empty of all thought and emotion…though his mind remained, as ever, both full of and active with cognition. Not least as he contemplated what the new arrival had introduced himself as. As he took in the magnificent sight of this fellow human-being, The Doctor also pondered the possibilities offered by this night’s turn of events…possibilities entirely removed from the agenda of the sorcerer.

This may just be…precisely the opportunity I have been waiting for.

Excellent…

End of Chapter

[The Mysterious Traveller]

Chapter Four
The Illusion of a Broken Sky; Deliverance or Despair

Morning had broken. The long fingers of dawning radiance had descended peacefully upon Knothole Village – as they reached in through the open windows of the thatched wooden huts which stood clustered together, they gently touched the faces of the sleeping Mobians, stirring them back to wakefulness one after another.

A short while after her own turn had come, Bunnie Rabbot stood in the doorway of her hut. There was a coarse purple towel draped over her metal arm and a quizzical look on her face as she looked around at the gradually awakening village. Gosh darn it… she mused silently, running a finger across her towel. Ah’ll be missin’ Mah chance if Ah don’t make Mah mind up lickety-split!

Normally Sally would be up and about and, her regal status regardless, as tirelessly active as a worker-ant by this time – as far as The Princess was concerned, an hour of daylight not spent occupying herself in furthering The Freedom Fighter Cause or else improving the lives of the villagers was an hour of the day wasted. This fine morning however Sally-Girl was nowhere to be seen – perhaps she was pouring over her holographic map of Robotropolis one last time before departure, her keen and alert eyes in search of any kind of flaw or oversight that might turn their plan from smooth sailing to ruinous disaster. Either that or she had stayed up late last night doing so and was now catching a few precious hours of sleep before she and her comrades took the plunge…

Whichever was the case, Bunnie didn’t like to disturb the Princess with her petty little problem – so what was a rabbit to do? It was just as she verged upon resigning herself to being forced to use the metal tub she kept in the back of her hut that Bunnie saw her chance finally appear…

Tails’ head was bowed low, his eyes gazing down at his sneakers as though they held endless fascination for him – his shoulders were slumped listlessly and Bunnie had the distinct impression that, had he pockets, his paws would’ve been stuffed into them. As he walked between the huts with no apparent destination in mind, he didn’t notice Bunnie standing there.

But Bunnie noticed him, “Tails!” in her eagerness, her voice must’ve sounded louder than usual – Tails certainly jumped before turning and looking at her in surprise. “Well hi there! Guh’mornin’, Sugah!”

Tails was frowning as he faced her, "Morning.” He grunted noncommittally.

Bunnie’s eyes were curious as she appraised him – he was neither looking nor acting at all like himself that morning. “Couldn’t stay in bed, hmm?” she teased, “Ya’ll feelin’ tense about the mission? Ah don’t blame ya, sugah – Ah am too!”

Tails looked down at Bunnie’s gleaming right arm, what little of it was visible from beneath the towel anyway. “Yeah…I bet you are.” He said softly – as his mind was drawn away from whatever it was he'd been dwelling on, his eyes cleared noticeably.

Almost unconsciously, Bunnie touched her robotic arm - her gentle paw quivering faintly as she wondered whether it would still be so hard and lifeless by this time next month. “Yes…that Ah most assuredly am.” She responded softly – for a long and reflective moment, her eyes remained deeply wistful. Then she redirected them back to Tails and her pretty face was bright again. “Anyway…let’s not be jawin’ about that right now! Tails darlin’…Ah was wonderin’ if ya’ll would be a gentleman and do a lady a lil’ favour?”

“Such as…?” Tails prompted, folding his arms and raising an eyebrow.

“Come down to the river with me and keep watch while Ah bathe?” Bunnie asked sweetly.

She could just imagine the response of just about any of the other boys had she made this request of them – Tails, however, merely looked puzzled. “Huh?” his voice was blank, “Why do you want me to do that?”

“Ah need someone to warn me if any o’ the boys should wander too close while Ah’m…” Bunnie broke off at this point, coughing tactfully – turning up the charm, she gave the fox a dazzling smile. “Well anyway…Ah believe that ya’ll are the perfect candidate for the job, Sugah Tails. What do ya’ll say? Ya’ll aren’t gonna leave me high an’ literally dry, are ya?”

Confusion was written all over Tails’ face. “But…what’s the problem? You see me without clothes on all the time! What’s the difference?”

Bunnie laughed – she honestly couldn’t help it. “Oh there’s a difference, Sugah – a real big difference.” She replied airily. “Ah’ll explain it when ya’ll are older. But now…” elegantly, she held her organic arm out to him. “…are ya’ll escortin’ me down to the river or ain’t ya?”

And despite his extreme confusion, Tails shrugged and took it – arm-in-arm, they walked together between the huts. As they went, the rabbit noticed one of the fox’s tails brush slightly against the side of her leg though she didn’t feel the accidental and fleeting contact at all. This would have made her feel sad a couple of years back, just after tragedy had befallen her…even sadder than she would feel whenever she turned to find one of the normal villagers staring silently at her. Those gazes had been filled with revulsion and horror, as though she had been twisted and perverted into something so disgusting and utterly wrong that they could not tear their eyes from her – that was until she caught them doing so. Then those untainted Mobians would turn from her, whether to act as though nothing had happened or to blatantly run away from her, in either case leaving her to feel just that little bit more hated and alienated than she already had.

Of course things had changed a great deal since those dark days – whether the catalyst had been her many heroic acts in the name of The Freedom Fighters or simply that they had gradually gotten to know the rabbit within her partially mechanised form, the other villagers had gradually warmed to her again. And whenever she felt the wisps of sadness that had lingered within her, Bunnie would always remind herself of one thing; the wisdom upon which she’d rebuilt her life which her extremely close call with The Roboticizer had so very nearly destroyed. And this wisdom was the knowledge that though her metallic paw could not feel a thing, that she could still feel things within proved she was still a Mobian – that she could not feel Tails’ brush-like appendage as it touched her lifeless legs meant nothing when compared to how the fox’s affection touched her heart.

“Hey…Bunnie?”

Bunnie looked down at her companion as his tentative voice tugged her back to the present – Tails was gazing up at her, his eyes curious and hesitant at the same time. “Yes, Sugah?” she smiled at him, ready to answer any question he might put to her.

Tails opened his mouth, looked like he was going to close it again, then determinedly asked her. “If we pull off this mission today…you’ll get to go back to being the way you were before, won't you?”

Bunnie couldn’t ignore the eerie little shiver that ran up her spine – it was as though she’d been thinking so deeply about the effects her condition had had upon her life that the fox-cub had been able to sense it. “Why yes, Tails.” she replied slowly, “Eventually, Ah guess.”

Tails stared at her, his brow furrowing. “Eventually?” he repeated, “But…you’ve been like this for years, Bunnie. And you were so happy that time you got to go back to being…” he paused as his voice snagged upon the word ‘normal’ – he hurried onward, substituting the tactless phrasing with one less likely to hurt her feelings. “I mean…I thought that you’d wanna go in The Deroboticizer as soon as Sally and the other others repair it!”

Bunnie was silent for a long moment, silent and contemplative as the very matter she’d spent so many hours thinking about was brought up. “Yes, Tails…Ah’m certain that Ah will. Will want to, Ah mean t’ say. But…” she broke off from that sentence as she found herself suddenly at a loss for words on which to build it.

“But what?” Tails jumped on her moment of hesitation – he probably thought that it was irresolution. “Why not? Why not just take the chance when it comes along? You’ve done so much for The Freedom Fighter Cause, Bunnie…the least you deserve is to be happy!”

He had stopped walking and now stood staring up at her – forced to stop with him, Bunnie reflected on the words he’d just uttered. And now she did feel her resolve tremble. Why shouldn’t she step into the Deroboticizer when it was finally perfected? True, by finally shedding her robotic arm and legs she would forfeit her mighty strength…but surely the fact that there would still be plenty of Freedom Fighters left to continue the war would justify the sacrifice of this asset which, for herself, came at great personal price? Had she been this way for so long that she was now too used to being a martyr to just let herself be happy…?

Then she looked into Tails’ eyes, shining with innocence, and the moment ended – a glance, just a glance, into the fox’s eyes was enough to reaffirm the position that she had adopted. Listen to him…no-one his age should be talking this way. He’s a kid and I’m an adult…a young one maybe but one anyhow. Ah should be thinking about his future, his happiness, not him about mine! “Well…it sure is sweet of ya’ll to say that, Sugah.” Her voice was unusually grave as she spoke, “And ya’ll are right - gettin’ t’ be normal again for that one day was nice t’ be sure. But it also put a whole lot into perspective for me. And Ah for one won’t consider Mah efforts to have been enough ‘til the day this war is finished and nobody has t’ go through what Ah have evah again. An’ since Mah strength will go a long way toward makin’ that happen, Ah don’t think there’s any question of me bein’ selfish and throwin’ it away so easily.”

Tails looked unconvinced, “But…” he began to say.

“Tails…ya’ll must nevah’ experience the pain an’ sufferin’ Ah have. And Ah think Ah can bear mine for just a little longer if doin’ so means that ya’ll will never have to.” Her emerald eyes shone with a breath-taking clarity, unyielding and yet full of love, as she spoke her heart to Tails – then she smiled brightly, ruffled his fringe with her robotic paw and tugged at his arm. “This way, Darlin’. Enough dilly-dallyin’ now!”

Tails allowed himself to be led again by Bunnie, their conversation now stretched to the limit of the possibilities it had held – as they strolled down to the riverbank, the rabbit did not look at the fox again. And so she did not see the distant look now in his eyes nor the tiny frown on his face, either of which would have served as a hint that her words had further troubled rather than reassured him. After all…there was no way she could have realised that she had inadvertently reminded him of a certain conversation that he’d had the night prior.

The two of them walked together in silence until the long and swaying grass that grew beside the riverbank rose into view, – it was at this point that Bunnie gently disengaged her arm from Tails’ and looked down at him. “This is far as you go, Darlin’.”

Tails had actually bumped into her shoulder when she’d stopped – now he looked at her in surprise. “You…want me to stay here?” he asked slowly.

“Yep. Now ya’ll be sure to gimme a whistle if ya see any o’ the other boys comin’…’specially if it’s Antoine.” Bunnie giggled as she reached over and pinched his whiskered cheek playfully, “And no peekin’ now!”

With that the rabbit sauntered over to the long grass which she used her arms to brush aside like a pair of curtains…to reveal a scene truly magnificent to the eye. The river looked, that morning, like a misplaced piece of the sky; a shard that had cracked away and fallen to the earth. Only the wobbling of the fluffy white clouds, which she gazed down upon as they floated along by her feet, revealed that they were little more than reflections of those up above. Since she had been coming down here to bathe nearly every day over the last couple years however the illusion of a broken sky had lost its power over her long ago – the enchanting beauty that it contained, on the other hand, had not.

A cautious glance around easing her mind with the knowledge that the coast (or more accurately the riverbank) was clear, Bunnie smiled in anticipation – her body simply crying out for the cool water so tantalisingly close at hand, she slowly undid the black karate-belt tied about her slender waist. A minute later and her purple leotard lay in the grass as she slowly lowered a foot into the river – as the crystalline water closed first around her toes and then her ankle, Bunnie continued to step slowly and carefully into it.

Always had it been a mystery to the rabbit how she was able to do this at all, get the parts of her body which were robotic wet to any extent without suffering any adverse consequences – the best theory that Sally and Rotor had been able to devise was that the bodies of those subjected to Roboticization were somehow insulated in a way that anything wholly flesh or wholly mechanical could never possibly be.

Whatever the case was, the rabbit walked further and deeper into the shimmering water, her body descending lower beneath the surface with each step…until she felt it. The moment in which the rippling water arrived at the end (or perhaps the beginning) of her metallic legs…and met with fur and flesh for the first time that morning. An ecstatic tingle rose slowly through her body as the water closed around the swell of her bottom – her lips parted, a sigh as soft and smooth as velvet passing between them as it was granted right of way by the electrifying sensation. As if responding graciously to her childlike delight, the water rose around her wide hips and flat belly, setting every sense that it reached alive and tingling.

The lids of Bunnies eyes were lowered in serenity, her lips forming a perfect o as the water reached the curving crest of her bosom – for a long while she stood completely still, her partially immersed body infused with the thrilling sensation.

Gradually the practically divine sense of serenity faded, her body adjusting as it always did – as her lips relaxed once more, Bunnie felt them slowly twitch into a smile. Hoo-kay now…let’s get to work here. The rabbit cupped both of her paws together and dipped them slowly into the river – just as carefully, she raised the two pawfuls of water into the air as though seeking to return it to the sky from whence it had come.

This fanciful image was shattered as she tilted her cupped paws back, liberating the water she had collected in a miniature rain-shower which cascaded into her hair, plastering it against her head – again she felt the excited tingle race through her. And as the water ran down her face, streaking around her shoulders and femininity in rivulets…she suddenly felt something else entirely.

It was a sensation altogether removed from her thrilling contact with the water…a tingle that was manifested in the back of her neck. Hmmmmm. Unless Ah’m very much mistaken, Mah finely honed instincts are warnin’ me that someone is… Her fur sleek and shiny as it clung to her, Bunnie turned around, ripples swirling in the face of the river as she pivoted.

When her eyes fell upon the riverbank it was to see nobody at all standing there. A patch of the long grass was however swaying erratically from side to side…even though the wind was practically nonexistent that morning. It was like something had moved quite suddenly from within as she had turned to look at it…

Bunnie’s eyes widened as they reflected the light of dawning truth – as she understood, her gaping mouth closed, settling into a resigned smirk. Aw shucks…Ah sure as heck jinxed mahself, by tarnation! The rabbit thought as she gazed at the grass swaying in the near-distance…the grass in which he had hidden seconds ago.

As she turned away from the riverbank for a second time and began to run a metal paw across her softer arm, a wry smile adorned her gleaming face.

About ten minutes later Bunnie was stepping back through the living curtain of grass – she was clothed again, her sleek fur was already beginning to dry beneath the sun and she was feeling just as fantastic as she always did after a morning dip. As well as amused by the prospect of the conversation she was to engage in very shortly.

As the grass closed behind her again, Bunnie saw Tails standing a short way ahead – he had his back firmly to her and was standing very, very still indeed as she quietly walked up behind him. At least that was the way it appeared from a short distance – as she approached the fox-cub, the rabbit noticed how his shoulders trembled in faint recurring waves.

Bunnie felt just a little guilty about what she was about to do – however she also felt that Tails deserved it considering what he had done. So she did it.

Tails gave a yelp and leapt almost clean out of his sneakers – in one second he’d been rooted to the ground, his face flaming-red rather than its usual orange and white as he’d struggled to regain control of his breathing-apparatus. In the next a paw had clamped down on his shoulder!

He span around, drops of guilty sweat flying from his face…to see Bunnie standing there, smiling down at him. Her fur, his heart started to pound all over again as he perceived it, still gleamed brightly – there was also a glimmer of mischief in her eyes as she regarded him.

“Been keepin’ watch just like Ah asked ya’ll to?” she asked casually, deciding to play with him a little first.

He moved his head so clumsily that it was more a jerk than a nod, his wide eyes making it clear that he was within a hairs breadth away from either running away from her or fainting clean away on the spot. His shoulders were motionlessly tense beneath her paw…

“Good. Ah’m just sure ya’ll didn’t budge an inch from this spot, hmmm?” Bunnie cooed. Even though she felt guilt mounting as she saw the nervousness wracking his eyes, she still couldn’t resist the temptation to continue her fun. “So…ya’ll kept your eyes peeled, huh Sugah? Did anyone come by?” Tails shook his head so quickly that his whiskers whipped his still crimson cheeks. “Oh…so you’re tellin’ me that ya’ll didn’t see a thing just now?” there was a smirk on her face as she finally decided to put him out of his misery, “Ya’ll peeked didn’ cha?”

Tails gulped as he realised that she knew…she knew! “I-I…” he panted, pausing only to take a great gulp of air followed by three more – his face was burning so hotly that he was amazed he didn't spontaneously combust. “I’m-I’m sorry, Bunnie! I don’t know why I did it, I swear I…”

There was amusement rather than fury in Bunnie’s eyes as she watched him struggle, “Ah do.” She said simply, “Ya’ll did it because Ah told ya’ll not to.” She closed her eyes and giggled behind her paw – when she opened them again, they danced with sparkling light. “Ah shoulda known you would after Ah said that. So…it’s happened at last.” Planting her paws on her hips, she leaned toward the fox. “Ya’ll have finally discovered girls!”

The redness of Tails’ blushing cheeks deepened as he thought about how, overcome with curiosity, he’d crept toward the riverbank…and what he had seen as he’d peered though the grass. “But-but…aren’t you gonna get mad at me?” he asked, hardly able to believe that his sin could possibly go unpunished.

“Well…that really depends, Sugah.” Bunnie remarked, compressing her lips into a straight line as she gazed interrogatively at him.

“Er…on what?” Tails stammered, worry rekindled by the stern look now on her face.

“On just how much ya’ll saw!” Bunnie smirked as she decided that she really didn’t want to know – reaching out to him, she ruffled Tails’ fringe reassuringly. “Naw, Darlin’…Ah ain’t mad. If Ah was t’ get steamed at’cha for growin’ up then Ah may just as well get mad because ya’ll will be as tall as me one day! Yes you will, Sugah!” she just had to laugh at the look of disbelief that crossed his face at that comment, “But ya’ll are gonna have t’ promise me that’cha won’t go doin’ that again, Tails. Ah know ya’ll are at an age where boys start to like lookin’ at girls but all the same ya’ll also need to respect our privacy. Besides…Ah wouldn’t want you gettin’ in trouble.” She was looking him directly in the eyes, her face now serious. “Ya’ll gonna promise me, Tails?”

Tails readily nodded in agreement – he felt so relieved that she wasn’t angry with him that, had she asked it of him, he would have promised to sleep over at Antoine’s. For an entire month. “Yes, Aunt Bunnie.” He answered meekly.

“Well that’s good enough for me. Ya’ll are a sweet boy an’ Ah know that Ah can trust ya.” Bunnie gave him a smile of satisfaction, “Now Ah’m thinkin’…should Ah ask Sonic t’ talk t’ ya’ll about this?”

Tails’ eyes shot wide open, “On no!” he gasped in shocked horror, “Don’t, please! If Sally finds out, she’ll kill me!”

“Aw, Sugah…Sally-Girl will understand, ya’ll will see!” Bunnie exclaimed – for a moment she tried to think of what else she could say to bring him around to the idea. Then she shook her head thoughtfully. The rabbit had never been in this situation before but she realised that there were some cases in which a woman couldn’t be expected to do a man’s job. She sighed. “Well…let’s talk about that later. For now…well we won’t be settin’ off for the city ‘til later an’ Ah don’t really have anythin’ t’ do in the meantime. So Ah was wonderin’ if ya’ll are feelin’ up to a trainin’-session with me?” Tails nodded his head, still eager to please her as well as immensely relieved that she had allowed the subject to be changed. “Swell! Come on, Sugah-Tails!”

With that the rabbit headed back to her hut with the two-tailed fox in tow, following at her clinking heels – and as she noticed that he was taking particular care to ensure that his gaze remained firmly away from her body, she couldn’t resist one last bit of fun.

“Well, well…guess Ah’m gonna have t’ keep Mah eyes open for a cute lil’ fox-girl for ya’ll!”

“Aunt Bunnie!!”

Little did Bunnie realise that, by mid-day, Tails’ growing-pains would be at the bottom of her list of worries…

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I’m waaaitiiing!

It was mid-day.

Despite the fact that time had no meaning whatsoever in a place like this, Sonic felt an impatience so acute that it was actually visible in the form of the dark scowl on his face – the hedgehog’s spikes were flattened against his back as he pressed it against the wall, his tense paw aching as he held onto the walky-talky, the soles of his feet itching chronically. All of this as he stood perfectly still at the corner that led onto the next street, waiting for the all-clear.

Man oh man…this is all messed up! Those long wide empty streets out there…I can almost hear them crying out for my feet! Inviting me to leave a smokin’-hot trail blazin’ across them!

For a moment, unable to bear the snail-pace at which he’d so far been forced to move, Sonic came close to yielding to that tantalising temptation…dangerously close. With a deep breath however he took a mental step back from the alluring edge of that precipice – as he reasserted his self-control, the hedgehog reminded himself of why he and the others were here. As he did so he acknowledged that to throw caution to the (polluted) winds would not only be reckless but also potentially disastrous…not, of course, that he himself would have put it that way. Sonic would have said that he might mess everything up if he decided to wing it. Sure, it doesn’t look like there are any stray SWATbutts hangin' around…but that doesn’t mean there aren’t any. Reasoned the hedgehog as he denied his feet what they were craving so desperately.

One thing that must must never be done in Robotropolis was to take a single thing for granted – many such misguided people, be they Freedom Fighters or regular Mobians who had accidentally wandered into the city of nightmares, had found him or herself being thrown into The Roboticizer as a direct result of that deadly mistake.

Not that Sonic was at all worried on his own account – heck, he’d left those chrome-domed jokers analysing his dust many times before and knew he’d do it again if he needed to. Only one thing held him back, one thing convinced him to stick to the meticulously arranged and unanimously agreed upon strategy; the knowledge that the entire plan would be blown if whatever enemies still roamed these streets were to become aware of The Freedom Fighters’ presence.

Just the thought of the sheer number if people depending on the success of this mission made Sonic reign in his ego…well for the moment at least. Uncle Chuck, Bunnie, everyone who’s lost family and friends ‘cuzza Robotnik over the years…this is for them! For their sake, I can’t fail now! At that moment, as though to reward the blue hedgehog’s newfound sense of responsibility, the walky-talky crackled in his paw.

Realising that he was receiving an incoming transmission, Sonic whipped it to his pricked-up ear. “Ten-Four, T2!” he exclaimed eagerly as he deftly pressed the button on the side of the black device. “Am I burnin’ your ears or what? Over!”

The response came a second later, “I hear you, Sonic.” The faint crackle of static aside, the voice was clearly that of Tails – for some reason however he didn’t sound as into this as the hedgehog would’ve expected. “I just called to give you an update on the situation.”

“Well what’cha waitin’ for, Big Guy? Shoot from the hip, that’s always been your style!”

“There are no SWATbots between you guys and The Dumping-Zone.” Tails stated, his voice noticeably flat and unexcited – for some reason or other, Sonic was reminded by it of somebody else though just whom precisely he couldn’t quite put his finger upon. “Plus I watched The Dumping-Zone for ten minutes and saw no sign of anything moving. It looks like they really are all at the dig. Anyway, I’d say you’re good to go.”

Sonic gave the thumbs-up even though he knew that Tails wouldn’t be able to see it – it had been a truly inspired decision to have the fox serve as their look-out for this mission. Like Dulcy, he could fly. Unlike the dragon, however, Tails was small enough to escape notice within the city due to the fact that security had lessened a great degree under the regime of its new Overlord. “Way to go, Bro!” he exclaimed, “When you’re cool, you’re cool! And boy, are you…oh.”

Tails had cut the transmission – for a minute or two, Sonic stared at the dead walky-talky with a blank look on his face. Then he shrugged and returned it to his backpack with a deft flick of the wrist. Time ta’ do it to it! He thought, looking over his shoulder. “Yo! You guys comin’ or what?” he breathed in an intense whisper.

The brief pause which followed was broken by the sound of turning wheels – they were attached to the sides of the wooden cart which rolled out from the depths of the long shadow cast by the wall. It was pushed along by two of The Freedom Fighters – namely Rotor and Antoine. The latter of the pair was emitting a noise which sounded a great deal like an old-fashioned steam-engine in motion as he put his back into the task – the coyote’s face was dripping with the a sweat that had already drenched his blue uniform.

“C’mon, Ant!” Sonic encouraged his comrade in the way he knew best, “Beat that egg in your boot before it ends up all over your face!”

“Ridiculicious!” Antoine panted as he and his blubbery comrade brought the cart to a halt – learning against it, he breathed a heavy sigh and ran the back of his sleeve across his forehead. “I am having you know that I am cleaning my boots every night and am never finding any hecks in them!”

Oh brother... Sonic thought as he put his paws on his hips and hefted a long-suffering sigh.

Letting go of the cart, Rotor cracked his knuckles – though his joints clearly ached just as badly as the coyote’s did, the walrus bore it a lot better. “Did I hear right, Sonic?” he asked in his slow voice, “Tails said we’re good to go?”

Sonic nodded – as he did so he felt that urge resurge within him, this time totally impossible to resist. The urge to run faster than lightning. Hunching his shoulders, the hedgehog hopped first from one foot and then from the other as he warmed up – after all, Tails had assured him that there was nothing to worry about, right? “Sure did.” He answered, suddenly a hedgehog of very few words. “I’ll be on point. Follow me, guys!”

Rotor’s cheeks puffed out as he grinned at the hedgehog, “You’re gonna juice.” It was a statement of fact, not a question.

“Nah…” Sonic’s mouth wasn’t the only thing that was active now – his feet were moving, so fast that they looked like burning rubber-bands as they built up speed. “…I am juicin’, Rote! Up…over and…outta here!”

And with a sonic-boom accompanied by a shockwave that would’ve sent the cart hurtling back the way from which it had come had Antoine and Rotor not been able to grab it at the last second…he was. As Sonic streaked around the corner, he was running so fast that the boarded-up doorways and windows on both sides of the street appeared to merge into a dull-grey blur. Man…no SWATbots ta’ dodge! It just don’t feel right! The hedgehog’s destination rose into sight in no time at all, growing larger and more detailed to his eyes like a staggeringly complicated balloon being blown up by some street-entertainer - digging his heels into the cracked road, Sonic screeched to a halt in front of it.

The Dumping-Zone had been the perfect basis for a rather crude (and in his own opinion really funny) joke on the hedgehog’s part back when he and The Freedom Fighters had first been told about it – that joke had also been the basis for Sally to fold her arms and make a scathing comment about growing up as she’d glared at him. Tails had sniggered and, though this had also earned him a look so stern that it could have frozen coffee, Sonic had been deeply heartened – at least someone had been sophisticated enough to appreciate his refined humour.

Now that he was actually here, Sonic realised that there was nothing at all funny about this place – the hedgehog was standing in the main square at the centre of the city, his eyes growing round with awe as he gazed at it from the cloud of dust he’d just kicked up. During King Acorn’s reign, this area had been constantly full of people, young and old. Children running around and playing together, teenage boys trying to act cool in order to impress the teenage girls, most of whom strolling around in cliques and giggled at the boys. Elderly men seated on the many benches as they’d smoked their pipes whilst talking about the latest news regarding The Great War. Courting couples sitting at the edge of the fountain which had constantly gushed with sparkling water.

This place had once been the symbolic heart of Mobotropolis, a shining testament to the thriving unity of the multitude of species which had come together in order to form that glorious civilization.

When Robotnik had risen to power, it had become a vast area of concrete devoid of anything but the howling wind and ghosts of a lost kingdom – and now, under the third regime of the last decade, it had changed once again.

Though it remained lifeless save for the odd rat or cockroach, this part of town could no longer have been called empty by any stretch of imagination – almost every yard was now home to a chunk of the debris which had been tossed here over the last two months. In towering piles and dangerously unstable-looking stacks it stood - into the ground it had been flattened by the feet of the SWATbots who had brought it here, to such an extent that it had come to form a carpet of junk.

And it wasn’t just worthless scrap, Sonic realised as he stepped forward and cast a look around – mixed in with the array (which could have passed for the greatest work of Surrealist Art in the world) were Hover Units that had flown their last, dismembered pieces of SWATbot, dull and lifeless Surveillance Orbs as well as many of the machines that had once worked the assembly-lines of the now abandoned factories. There were computer-terminals and smashed monitor-screens, masses of unidentifiable circuit-boards – Sonic didn’t want to look too close for fear that he might see the face of a WORKERbot, crumpled and twisted beyond the point of usefulness to its new master, staring chillingly back at him.

As he cast his gaze elsewhere it fell upon something he had not expected to see. Something from his past; the gold-plated body of a large and yet at the same time elegant robot which bore a distinct resemblance to a cheetah. The two pairs of long legs, now sticking up into the air as if in death, looked as though they had once been strong and powerful…in fact Sonic knew they had been. It was none other than the machine he’d found himself pitted against that time Robotnik had challenged him to a race through the city…The Speed Bot.

Sonic walked over to stare down at it – it was strange. True, this robot had been created by Robotnik for the purpose of defeating him - true, it had even cheated during their race. But it had also been the one opponent he’d ever encountered whose speed had truly rivalled his own – as a matter of fact, Sonic had always secretly hoped that one day the two of them might have a rematch. Seeing it lying here as an inert and lifeless shell, no longer a speedster but an unwanted and abandoned toy…that just made the hedgehog feel sad.

With a sigh of regret, Sonic turned away from his fallen foe – he had work to do. But how the heck am I ever gonna find anything in there…?! The answer came to him a second after the thought. By lookin’ is how. An’ there ain’t no time like now ta’ get goin’!

A second later Sonic was a brilliant blue streak rocketing into the graveyard of machinery and over a heap of SWATbot heads, which toppled seconds later in his wake – when the object of his search didn’t spring to view, the hedgehog blazed a trail through a complicated series of stacks comprised of crushed TEKbots. This brought him no closer to locating his goal, resulting instead in giving him the beginning of one major headache as he tried to find his way out again. Geez…it’s like a maze in here! Well, it sorta slipped my mind to bring along a trail of breadcrumbs so...

Deciding to take the most direct route out of here, Sonic cranked his speed up a mach and ran right up the side of one of the stacks – and it was as he soared through the air that he saw it. His eyes went completely blank along with his mind – because of this he almost failed to notice as gravity began to reassert its power over him. Just in time to prevent himself from crashing face-first into the final stack, Sonic thrust out his paws, breaking his fall as well as performing a somersault – already flattened oil-cans crunched beneath the soles of his sneakers as he landed on the far side of the scrap-stacks.

Paying no mind to his extremely close call, all in a day’s work for a hero like himself after all, Sonic rose back to his full height – after he regained his breath, he looked up. The area he now found himself standing in was wide and yet enclosed by the piles and stacks of junk on all sides, increasing the sense of him having just conquered a maze…and there before him, as clear as day, was the prize that awaited him.

Sonic stood as still as a rock, unable to believe his staring eyes…unable to accept that this hour he’d had his fingers crossed for, for which he’d hoped and prayed for so many years, had finally come. It felt so unreal that the hedgehog had to pinch himself – the sharp pain shooting up the arm he’d chosen to perform this little test on confirmed to him that he had not actually bashed his head just then and that this was not merely a hallucination. It was actually happening…what he saw in front of him now was real.

Wow...an' ow!

So distant and faint that it was only just caught by his pointy hedgehog ears it came…the sound of well-oiled wheels turning. Followed by the voice that called to him; “Sonic? Sonic!”

Sonic recognized it at once, “I’m here, Rote!” he called, his transfixed gaze not leaving it for a second.

“This place…wow.” Rotor’s voice sounded awe-filled as he evidently looked around at The Dumping-Zone, blown away by what was all around him – Sonic could just picture the walrus’ fervent eyes as he thought of what he could do back in Knothole with some of this stuff.

“I know.” Sonic answered simple, “Hey…ain’t Ant with ya?” the hedgehog was struck by the coyote’s uncharacteristic silence.

A chuckle floated over the mounds of refuse, “Yeah Sonic. Thing is, when you set off…you kind of caused the cart to run over his foot.”

Despite the heavy solemnity of this moment, Sonic found himself grinning. “Well…can’t say this mission hasn’t kept him on his toes!” he quipped.

And so, by following the hedgehog’s voice, the coyote and the walrus made their way into the heart of The Dumping-Zone – the turning of the wheels was accompanied by the sound of their bickering voices;

“His voice was coming from over there…”

“No, no! It is coming from over there…”

“No there, you don’t know what you’re talking about…”

“No, it is you who is not knowing…”

“No, you don’t…”

Soon enough however Antoine and Rotor’s disgruntled faces appeared in view – and as the walrus opened his mouth to greet Sonic, jaw fell. “Oh…wow.” He whispered as softly as the first breath of a newborn creature – his eyes were filled with the desperate light of one who barely dared to dream that what he now looked upon could possibly be real. The light of hope.

Sonic nodded in complete understanding of the emotions that ravaged the walrus’ heart, “I know.” He repeated, feeling déjà vu setting in.

“For…” Rotor’s voice was trembling as he gazed at it; the beginning of the end to the misery that had engulfed the lives of Mobians all over the planet for the last decade. “…for real?”

And again Sonic just understood, “For real, man.” He said, his voice deep with the emotion he felt welling up in his own heart. “For real.”

There before the three of them lay a thing of unspeakable evil, a nightmarish aberration the name of which had once struck terror into the hearts of all whom had heard it. A vile abomination, the mere touch of which had meant a hideous fate for a countless number of wretched souls; an accursed existence compared to which death would have been a sweet and merciful release.

A relic from the reign of Doctor Robotnik...The Roboticizer

Sonic could barely believe this even though he was looking at it with his own two eyes – the machine that had been responsible for the roboticization of so many innocent Mobians was right in front of him, just lying there like a broken salad-mixer. Its glass tubes splintered, grime and dust coating its side...but still definitely there. It was too good to be true, far too perfect to possibly be real.

Eleven days ago, The Freedom Fighter had received an urgent message from Uncle Chuck – its contents had been long in length, extensively detailed and had rocked their world. And what had made the words written on the tightly folded sheet of paper so miraculous was that the turn of events they’d heralded had come as a flash of lightning in a clear sky.

Unlike Robotnik whose complex schemes had been constantly relayed via his computer-systems and satellite-network, both of which could be hacked into with a certain degree of skill and determination, Naugus largely disdained the use of science and technology – in other words the sorcerer’s agenda remained locked within his inscrutable mind, an enigma that The Freedom Fighters could not begin to fathom much less devise a plan to foil. The massive dig currently underway within the city was a perfect example of this. When Naugus had first claimed mastery over Robotropolis, The Freedom Fighters had expected him to immediately go on the offensive; use his magic to flush them out of hiding, whether by engulfing The Great Forest in flames or by freezing the river that ran through it in order to deprive them of their water-supply. Naturally the commencement of the drilling-operation had been a great surprise to them all, a riddle which stymied even Sally’s brilliant mind.

And so, while Naugus maintained his ominous silence, the true purpose of the rapidly expanding and deepening crater would remain a mystery…until the hour of fateful revelation.

Most frustrated of all The Freedom Fighters had been Uncle Chuck whose role as hedgehog on the inside had been reduced to almost complete uselessness – because Naugus chose to give his commands to Robotnik by word of mouth within the secluded confines of his inner sanctum, the wealth of invaluable information with which the spy had once been able to supply the rebels had dried up overnight. Sonic had seized the opportunity to try to convince his Uncle that there was no longer any reason for him to remain in Robotropolis, that he could help The Freedom Fighters so much more in Knothole. The hedgehog still remembered the fire that had blazed fiercely in his Uncle’s eyes as the roboticized hedgehog refused outright to abandon his increasingly insecure position, insisting over and over again that it would yet yield fruit.

And one morning when he’d been sitting and wearily watching the feed from his remaining spy-cameras throughout Robotropolis…it had. Uncle Chuck had checked and then double-checked in order to make absolutely certain he was correct. Then, when not a shred of reasonable doubt remained in his mind, he’d sent the message to Knothole; the great dismantlement of Robotropolis had now reached the fortress itself! The nerve-centre of the city was being emptied of every hint of technology it contained at a rate of one floor per day, its contents being sent to that place machinery was being consigned in order to await destruction…The Dumping-Zone.

And when she’d gone through Nicole’s holographic blueprints of the fortress, Sally had gasped at the implications of this new turn of events – in just eleven days it would be twelfth and highest floor’s turn to be de-mechanised. The floor on which, gathering dust and cobwebs, The Roboticizer had been located!

In that moment, Sally had realised what this meant for all of Mobius…and what she and her comrades must do in the light of it. All of The Freedom Fighters’ years of trying to scavenge parts and cobble together complex codes in an attempt to build a machine to reverse the process of roboticization, all the tears of frustration that they’d shed along the way had ultimately been in vain…without the original machine kept by Robotnik, it was as clear as the harsh light of day that a perfect Deroboticizer could never be created. And with that all-important machine now eleven days away from being destroyed forever, Sally knew what must be done – her will had been like tempered steel as she’d realised it.

From the moment that they’d been briefed about the situation, The Freedom Fighters had all agreed upon their course of action – come the eleventh day, they would brave the dangers of the domain now under the rule of Ixis Naugus in one final effort to bring either deliverance or despair to the most tragic victims of this war.

And here it was right in front of them…an unholy grail awaiting them upon a rusted platter.

Looking across his shoulder as he heard a soft crunch, Sonic saw that Antoine was now standing beside him – the coyote’s eyes were oddly empty, even the pain in his throbbing toes banished from mind, as stared silently at what lay ahead. And all of a sudden Sonic wasn’t even tempted to snicker about the layer of dust which coated Antoine’s face, having been sprayed there by the back-wheels of the cart – he knew exactly what was going on behind those eyes as his comrade stared at it.

Antoine was thinking of another coyote whom he had not seen in ten years, a great coyote for whom he’d felt so much love and respect. That coyote had been the Captain of King Acorn’s Royal Knights. That coyote had been his father. Even after all these years Antoine still had no idea whether Captain Depardiue had perished in a valiant last stand, having selflessly laid down his own life in order to defend innocent people from an overwhelming number of SWATbots…or been overpowered and dragged off to The Roboticizer. It occurred to Sonic in a moment of clarity that the possibility of finally discovering the truth must be terrifying as well as elating for Antoine…

And Rotor. Not once since the day of Robotnik’s takeover had Rotor so much as mentioned his family – in fact Sonic had a feeling that the walrus had, deep down in his heart, resigned himself long ago to the strong probability that he would never see his kin again. After all…even if they had been among the Roboticized, their exhausted and broken bodies had in all likelihood wound up in the trash-compactor years ago. And yet whenever this horrible image forced its way into his unhappy mind, Rotor would hold at bay the despair that threatened to overwhelm him by throwing himself into whatever work had required his attention – whether the task had been to replace one of Nicole’s malfunctioning microchips or to ensure that Bunnie’s robotic appendages remained in perfect working order, the walrus had put into it every ounce of energy that he would otherwise have spent brooding about something over which he had no control. And so he had always ensured that The Freedom Fighters would be ready to take on whatever they might be pitted against, done everything in his power to see to it that Robotnik’s evil would one day be destroyed. Still…the possibility of knowing once and for all whether or not he’d been an orphan for the last ten years was irresistible.

Sonic realised that that Antoine and Rotor were staring at him, both with expectant looks on their faces – as he slowly accepted that this was actually happening, the hedgehog felt himself breaking into a great big grin. What made it so great and big was that he was thinking about how he would finally be able to bring his uncle home, how he would soon be able to free him from the twilight world of roboticization. How the two of them would be able to be a family again at last.

Suddenly the three of them were grinning together like giddy fools – and the feeling of camaraderie that they shared was practically tangible. It had always been there…even between Sonic and Antoine despite the vast differences between the two of them. What was different now was that they could feel it flowing among them in this strange moment of purity, of unspoken understanding and brotherhood. It was an amazing moment and one that each of them was to remember for as long as he lived.

It should have lasted longer than it did…

“Well…” Rotor sounded breathless as he tried to speak while grinning at the same time, “…we did it, you guys.”

“Oui-oui!” Antoine squeaked, clapping his paws together. “As Soneec would be saying, unga bunga!”

Cowabunga, Ant…cowabunga. Sonic thought though he didn’t have the heart to correct the coyote. “Yeah...we rock!” tearing his gaze from The Roboticizer, he looked back at the waiting cart. “Now all we gotta do is bring as much of it as we can back to Knothole…”

The first sign that the rest of the mission wasn’t destined to go so smoothly revealed itself as the soles of the hedgehog’s feet began to vibrate uncomfortably – Sonic’s first assumption was that the distant dig had caused something to topple. His second assumption was that this event had occurred so far away that it wouldn’t possibly effort the trio’s mission. Both assumptions were perfectly sound and rational – they were also completely and utterly wrong.

The Freedom Fighters’ presence had not gone undetected – someone, or something, had been aware of them from the precise second they had arrived in The Dumping-Zone. This awareness had waited only until all three of these organic intruders were together in one spot. Now the moment had come. Now it moved against them

The ground erupted. Sonic and his two comrades all cried out in shock as they leapt back, instinctively flinging their arms out in front of themselves in an effort to shield themselves from the chunks of debris raining down on them…

“What the…?!”

“Sonic…!”

“Sacra bleu cheeeese…!”

…and so not one of them saw the now crumpled metal hatch that hurtled skyward, torn from its mechanical hinges by a force so ferocious as to shatter ten feet of solid ice.

Sonic was the first to uncover his face…and so he was the first to see what it was they were facing. The figure that emerged from beneath the ground rose into the air as smoothly and gracefully as a bird taking flight – but in reality its true nature was far from avian. In fact…it’s true nature was far from natural. The stunned hedgehog practically felt burned by the sheer intensity of the crimson stare directed at him by the SWATbot which had appeared from the hidden bunker, riding upon a Hover Pad.

Sonic could have slapped himself. When am I ever gonna learn to be careful what I wish for…? he thought, preparing to dodge.

It was for a long moment that Lieutenant Omega stood still and silent, ‘his’ body exuding an aura of raw power – then ‘he’ spoke, mocking The Freedom Fighters who had fallen so completely for this trap. “Looking for something, Hedgehog?” the crimson light emitting from ‘his’ visor intensified menacingly, “Or just browsing?"

End of Chapter

[The Mysterious Traveller]

Chapter Five
The Hour of Robotnik; Posthumous Payback

From his place high above, Tails had watched as Sonic reached his destination in a blinding burst of brilliance. After making sure that he saw Rotor and Antoine join the hedgehog without incident, the fox-cub lowered the binoculars which had enhanced his sight to that of an eagle, stowing them into his backpack.

Time to report back to Sally. Tails paused only to inspect the stone gargoyle perched to his left. The fox-cub couldn’t help but notice that, what with those wild eyes and that twisting tongue snaking out of that wide-open mouth, it looked remarkably like Antoine had the time Sonic had tricked him into eating a mega-spicy chilidog. The moment of distraction over with, he twisted his tails together – his chafed posterior crying out in relief as he took off from the crumbling rooftop, Tails began to make his way to the Rendezvous Point.

As he flew, his anterior appendages whirring like a pair of helicopter-blades, Tails frowned discontentedly. True, he had been chosen for this mission…and yet he felt little difference now than when it was his turn in The Lookout Tower back in Knothole. The ‘key-role’ of which he’d felt so proud last night now left him feeling…fobbed off. Patronised. What with the immense decrease in SWATbot patrols throughout the city, Tails realised, his supposedly pivotal task was in fact superfluous…and almost entirely safe into the bargain. If only he could've been put on Sonic’s team, the team getting into the thick of things today…the team actually taking risks!

The more that Tails imagined himself having asked to be allowed to go to The Dumping-Zone however the stronger became his certainty that, had he plucked up the nerve to do so, the grownups would have managed to find some excuse to deny his request. Tails even found himself wondering if Sally had gone to her father at some point before yesterdays meeting, asking if he would make a glowing display of presenting him with a role which sounded impressive but was in reality completely free of danger. Had The Princess and The King exchanged winks over the head of excited cub, amused by his childish naiveté…?

Tails was so deeply immersed in the juice of the sour grapes he’d just mentally squeezed that he almost failed to notice that he was close to his destination; the mouth of a dark and narrow alleyway. Cottoning on just in time, he altered his course so abruptly that he almost bumped his head against the corner of one of the two walls which formed it. Straightening his trajectory, the fox-cub glided smoothly through the shadows- as he went, he noticed that the decade-old paint peeling away from the bricks on both of his sides must have been red once upon a time.

As he neared the end of the alleyway, Tails’ ears pricked up at the sound of the voices which floated toward him. Or, more accurately, the voices that he was flying toward;

“Is everythin’ topsy-turvy or is it just that big ol’ smile on ya’ll face, Darlin’?”

“Hmmmm…?”

A chuckle in response, “Ya’ll lips are curved so low! Honestly, Sally Girl, don’t ya’ll go frettin’ none about that Sugah Hog and the others! Our trusty lil’ look-out would’ve let us know by now if those three had run into anythin’!”

A soft sigh of worry, “I know…I know. But still…”

Cue for my entrance… Tails thought dryly as he glided out into a place far less claustrophobic. This wide-open space located between four back-to-back buildings had once been used as a basketball court by the now long gone kids of the also now long gone neighbourhood. All that remained of those happily innocent and irretrievable years of childhood today, however, were the two rust-pitted metal hoops affixed to the backs of the eastern and western buildings…

Upon the dirty ground could be seen the life-sized statue of Doctor Robotnik – this stone effigy had once stood upon a pedestal outside the fortress, an oppressive scowl eternally frozen on its disconcertingly lifelike face. Since the good Doctor’s downfall however it had, by less than conventional means, been relocated to this location where it lay now in shattered segments.

The largest intact portion of the deposed dictator’s likeness was (What else?) his stomach. At present Bunnie lay languidly upon it as though sunbathing, running her soft hand slowly along her metal arm - she tilted her head sideways, a bright smile springing to her face as she saw the source of the whirring sound her long ears had just caught. “Well don't ya'll know it? Here comes our very own Sugah Fox now!” she sighed complacently.

Sally was leaning against the back of the northern building, her arms wrapped around her shoulders and her eyes lowered – when she looked up and saw Tails approaching, however, she lowered her arms and pushed herself away from the weathered bricks.

Tails’ descent was flawlessly smooth – even as his feet touched solid ground for the first time in a few hours, he was delivering his report. “Sonic has landed.” He stated as The Princess stood in front of him – on hearing this, she nodded in satisfaction. Knowing that was something at least. “Antoine and Rotor too. No sign of any SWATbots or Hover Units. Not as much as a Spy Eye. I’ll go back to my post in a sec…”

“Oh honey!” Sally smiled as she closed the distance between them – before Tails knew it, she’d tucked an arm around his shoulders and was leading him further across the court. “You’ve done enough for now. You just sit down and rest in the meantime…you must be tired!”

“Ya’ll have earned it, by tarnation!” Bunnie put in, her voice sweetening the rank air even if only for a heartbeat. “Ya’ll are the sharpest eye in Knothole!”

Tails permitted himself a faint frown as he was towed along, “Yeah…I sure am bushed after sitting on a rooftop for a few hours.” He sarcastically remarked, surprising himself. And here was what so surprised him…the fact that it made him feel better. He still felt sour overall, sure, but saying that had given him a peculiar feeling of inner satisfaction he hadn’t felt before…

Sally looked at the fox-cub a little sharply, startled by the unexpected cheek that he’d just uttered. It really hadn’t been like him and The Princess didn’t care for it at all…

Bunnie had also been struck by Tails’ uncharacteristic little episode – rather than imitate Sally’s frown of disapproval, however, the rabbit chucked knowingly. The moody scowl that she saw on the fox-cub’s face connected itself in her mind with the incident on the riverbank that morning. Hence the chuckle…

As she heard it, Sally’s frown deepened, going from affront to puzzlement – The Princess didn’t know why but for some reason she had a feeling that Bunnie had some idea as to what was going on with Tails. And as she perceived it, Sally’s annoyance became mingled with insecurity. She knew that it was a far from admirable reaction to the situation, that all of The Freedom Fighters had had a paw in the raising of Tails…that he was ‘theirs’ just as much as he was ‘hers’. And yet she couldn’t help but remind herself that it had been her who’d watched the cub like a hawk until he’d eaten every last thing on his plate, be it oatmeal or broccoli, at breakfast and dinner and suppertime. Her who had painstakingly ensured that, from the soles of his feet to the spots behind his ears, every inch of his body was subjected to soap and water at bath-time. She who had cleaned and covered his nicks and scrapes, made certain that he was tucked snugly away come bedtime, hugged and comforted him whenever…

Sally blinked and shook her head – she had, she realised, allowed herself to get just a little bit carried away. In fact now that she reviewed it all, she felt more than a little embarrassed by the thoughts that had run through her mind as she’d become convinced that Bunnie understood something about Tails that she didn’t…that the rabbit might be privy to a part of the fox-cub’s life, a part from which she herself was somehow excluded.

As he grudgingly allowed The Squirrel Princess to lower him into a sitting-position on the ground, Tails was completely oblivious to what passed through the minds of Sally and Bunnie – he was far too wrapped up in his own thoughts which could not by any stretch of imagination have been described as anything other than 'unpleasant'. So…here I am. With the girls. Shielded. Protected. Just like Snively said… Merely the passing thought of Snively brought a fresh sourness to Tails’ mouth. The distaste that it bestowed upon him was not due to Snively himself however – the reason he felt it so deeply was that nearly everything that the human had said to him last night seemed to have been entirely proven today, borne out by Bunnie’s words that morning and Sally’s action just a minute ago. Even Antoine is on the real mission… He fought hard to suppress the dark scowl that threatened to cross his face as the sheer injustice overwhelmed him. Even Antoine! I mean…what does that say about The Freedom Fighters’ opinion of me?

As she gazed at the fox-cub from her place beside him, Sally knew instinctively that there was something wrong with him – after all, she had loved Tails since the very moment she’d first set eyes upon him. Over the years, the bond between them had grown to the point that she’d come to look upon him as her own son – as for Tails himself, he’d always called her ‘Aunt Sally’. Today however things had changed beyond imagining. Whatever Tails was thinking today was hidden from her, shielded by those hard and unreadable eyes of his – it was as though the cub had become somebody whom The Princess wasn’t certain she knew at all, somebody whose mind she could no more see into than any of the four shadowy alleyways that led away from the court. Allowing her eyes to leave the young fox’s face, she breathed a soft sigh – she couldn’t afford to be distracted at the moment. I…just hope that Ari is all right. She thought, looking down at her boots.

At first, Sally mistook the repetitive thudding sounds which began drifting toward the court for explosive charges being detonated over at the dig-site – gradually however it dawned on her that the echo of explosives did not rise in volume with each passing second. Her head snapped upward…and, as the sudden suspicion was confirmed, she felt her heart sink down into the boots she’d just been staring at.

From the darkness of the north-western alleyway stalked a figure; tall, oppressive and armed with a laser-rife. The SWATbot didn't appear even to acknowledge The Freedom Fighters as it marched onto the court…but it wasn’t alone. The SWATbot following at its metallic heels was was also armed and also declined to acknowledge The Freedom Fighters…as did the SWATbot that followed it. And the SWATbot that came fourth…

Sally sat paralysed as she stared at the mounting number of SWATbots, her shocked mind beginning to fly in every direction at once – pulling it together again in a heartbeat, she shot a look toward the north-eastern alleyway. An identical spectacle met her eyes as a number of SWATbots file strode onto the court in single file, armed to their nonexistent teeth. Just as it did as she stared at the south-eastern alleyway and when she…

Bunnie slid down from the stone gut as though in a dream, “Will ya’ll look how many of them there are?” she breathed, shocked disbelief written across her face, as she sidled over to her comrades.

“Honey…” As Sally found her voice, her paws found their way to Tails’ shoulders – rising slowly to her feet, she drew the cub up along with her. “…do exactly as I say. We will get out of this…I promise you.”

Her diamond-like eyes were not diverted from the small army of SWATbots for a second - and so she naturally failed to perceive that not a flicker of fear was to be seen in Tails’ narrowed eyes as he too stared at the approaching threat.

The cornered trio stood together as the SWATbots created a tight barrier with their own bodies, a semi-circle pinning The Freedom Fighters against the northern wall – at the exact instant this was done, the robotic sentries spun on their heels and finally faced the small group of Mobians whom they had caught napping. One after another they raised their rifles, each taking aim at one of the three…and stood stock-still and utterly silent. Watching the stymied Freedom Fighters. Waiting. For something…

The ominous silence was finally broken…by the echo of further footsteps. What made them distinctive was that they sounded far heavier than the average Mobian’s…and yet lacked the telltale clink of a robot’s.

Without preamble, the SWATbots stepped neatly aside, halving the semi-circle…making way for the hulking figure who sailed like a formidable battleship through the newly created gap.

And as it did, Bunnie’s eyes widened. “Oh Mah stars…” she practically whispered, “…it’s him. Him!”

The person who now stood between them and the small army of SWATbots was like a macabre creature from a book of extraordinarily nasty children’s tales – in fact he was the very ghoul whose name parents all over Mobius had for the last decade invoked whenever their wayward children misbehaved, delivering dire warnings that he would come and take them away if they insisted on being naughty. Actually there had been just as many adult Mobians who had lived in constant terror of that fate…

To the trio he now loomed over, he was so much more than some vague childhood terror – as far as The Freedom Fighters were concerned, he was evil in corporeal form. He was the darkness embodied. Pure terror made flesh.

He was Doctor Robotnik…though his appearance was radically changed from what they remembered. The yellow cape that had once flowed from his broad and powerful shoulders now hung limp against his back, tattered and riddled with holes – though he still wore them, his gloves were split and slowly peeling toward the inevitable point of disintegration. As well as unkemptness, Robotnik had also the distinct appearance of a man who had lost quite an amount of weight over a relatively brief period of time – that which he still retained however remained vast in the eyes of The Freedom Fighters. His eyes were sunken as a result of chronic stress, ringed by grey circles due to lack of proper sleep – they had not however lost an ounce of the pure malevolence that had always resided within them. If it was indeed so that a person’s eyes were the windows to their immortal soul then here, beyond any doubt, was a man as close to being the devil as anybody Princess Sally had ever known – they were as two obsidian orbs whose otherwise flawless contours were both marred by a single chink which betrayed the hellish flames imprisoned within. The ginger moustache, once exquisitely combed every single morning, now looked akin to the wildest weed – it made him look for all of Mobius as though the stuffed dummy that Bunnie and Tails used for their Martial Arts training-sessions had been supernaturally brought to life by some malignant hag. The lower half of his face was dominated by a grin of triumph as he surveyed the squirrel, the rabbit and the fox like prize catches dangling from his gibbet. “Your Highness…so charming to see you again.” He hissed, performing an extravagant and mocking bow. “I do hope that you will stay awhile and enjoy my hospitality.” the crimson glow of his pupils flickered with barely contained glee as he rose back to his full height, “Indeed…I think that I shall have to insist upon it.”

As she returned Robotnik’s relentless stare with one of cold and calm contempt, Sally knew that her eyes must reflect the hate that the mere sight of him evoked within her – the words she next heard herself to say, her lips formed quite against her will. “You fiend…I hoped and prayed so damn hard for your death.” The words sounded vile as she spat them out, like a poison that turned her tongue black. The Princess felt revolted that she could possibly be capable of wishing death upon anybody…even one such as Robotnik. And yet regardless of the extent to which her own words had sickened her…she had meant them with every drop of blood in her body.

Sally truly had hoped that this monster had finally met the end he deserved on the fateful night Ixis Naugus had returned to Mobius, ardently prayed that his failure to capture her had enraged his new master so immensely that…

The Princess shuddered, wishing that she hadn’t harboured such a yearning…wishing that she hadn’t expressed it in front of Tails. Yet in spite of her better nature, regardless of the motherly impulse which made her want to protect the fox-cub’s innocence…the fact remained. She truly had wanted Doctor Robotnik to be dead…

“Tell me, Princess…did you really think that I would not be waiting?” Robotnik inquired with all the hateful relish of a gloating nemesis, “Were you truly so bloated with arrogance that you believed it possible to creep into this city, plunder my wonderful machine from under my very nose and then slither freely away again?”

Well…it would sound rather foolish to say ‘yes’ now. Sally thought, her eyes narrowed into ice-blue slits – she couldn’t help but think it rich that Robotnik should accuse anybody of being ‘bloated’.

To the squirrel's far right, Bunnie stood with her paws clenched into tight fists – the rabbit’s emerald eyes were aflame as she hunched her shoulders, bracing herself for the desperate fight that this would inevitably come down to. Ready to fight to the end in order to defend Sally, Tails and the honour of The Freedom Fighters.

Robotnik meanwhile continued to crow, “I just knew that making it pitifully obvious that The Roboticizer would be out in the open today, apparently for the taking, would bring you into my metallic grip. I must express my sincerest gratitude to you for having proven my hypothesis so well-founded, Princess. Yes…you came scurrying into my trap just like the mindless beasts that you are.” He hissed vindictively.

Sally hitched her lips into the most scornful smile she was capable of – it was a killer. “Well that certainly is impressive, Doctor.” She remarked, her voice as cool as ice-cream, as she folded her arms and looked him in straight in the eye. “But it wasn’t actually your trap, now was it?”

Robotnik’s eyes narrowed – The Princess’ fiery comebacks had become part and parcel of these little confrontations of theirs over the many years encompassed by the war. Yet that taunt, unlike many others before it, had actually gone home – it had been his idea to use The Roboticizer as bait to lure The Freedom Fighters into a trap. Of course, he’d needed to drop anvil-sized hints to Naugus for a whole week…even though he’d just known that the sadistic sorcerer had known precisely what he’d had in mind in the entire time, that he’d simply been deriving as much pleasure as he possibly could from his lackey’s impatience and frustration before he’d finally ‘caught on’. But it had been his plan…and it had succeeded! Wracking his brain for a suitable comeback, he turned his attention toward Sally’s companions – a look of surprised amusement appeared on his emaciated face as he spotted Tails. “Well, well!” he exclaimed, clasping his hands behind his back as he appraised the fox-cub with interest. “What have we here? Sending children to the front line, Princess? My, my…has your cause become so hopelessly desperate then? Or is it simply that you have become just as ruthless as me? If so then I commend you. Tell me, child…which do you think it is?”

Sally’s eyes became as hard as diamonds, hard to such an extent that their glare could have shattered diamonds as her enemy dragged Tails into this. “Leave him alone, Robotnik.” She ordered – the breath with which she said it was soft and quiet, about as close to a whisper as it could have come, creating the illusion that she was quite calm as she did so. The reality to which a glance into her eyes would have made one privy was far different however – danger had crystallised within them, the manifestation of a line that Robotnik was now so near to crossing. “I mean it.”

Robotnik ignored the demand as ill-natured satisfaction saturated his dark heart – he had found her weakness, her Achilles Heel. It was the simple fact that she cared…a trait which, while he would never understand it, he was always ready to exploit. “Tails…isn’t it?” his manner was one of condescending familiarity as he continued to address the fox-cub, speaking down to him – the determined glare on the child’s face rather tickled him. “It’s been such a long time since I last saw you, hasn’t it? How you have grown! But come now, you haven’t answered my question…have they, with numbers dwindling, sent you here simply to make up the quota? Or are you serving as Her Highness’ bodyguard?”

Overwhelmed by an urge to do something rather than stand and listen, Tails stepped forward. “You leave her alone, you big…rotten egg!” he shouted at Robotnik as he planted himself protectively in front of Sally.

Bunnie grinned in spite of the unremitting grimness of their predicament, “That’s right! Ya’ll better watch it, otherwise we’ll set him onta’ ya’ll!” she humorously threatened the hulking human.

Sally’s paw shot out, grabbing and yanking the fox-cub back, “Tails, stay out of this!” she exclaimed, thrusting him behind her. “Keep behind me!”

Robotnik smirked, perceiving the agitation in Sally’s voice as she strove to protect Tails – relishing it, he decided to ratchet his sadism up a level. “Come here, boy.” He bade the fox-cub, his voice deceptively gentle. “I have something to say to you.” He grinned as Tails’ face filled with surprise, “Oh yes…something just for you! What…don’t tell me that you are afraid? Come, my young friend…does such faintness of heart befit one standing among the esteemed ranks of The Freedom Fighters?”

Tails felt his heart beat faster…not with fear but with anger. And this anger was not due solely to having been called a child or to the endless efforts of both his Aunts to shield him…it was a reaction to both which made his blood burn so hot that it hurt. I’m not a child…I’m a Freedom Fighter just like they are! I can be as good as Sonic is…and if they won’t see that then I’ll just have to show them! With a sudden movement that took Sally by surprise, he jerked himself free from her restraining paw.

And Bunnie was moving toward him now, her amused look having vanished. “Now ya’ll listen to your Aunt Sally, Darlin’!” she exclaimed, making to grip the cub’s shoulder in her metal paw. “I was only jokin’…he’s way too much for ya’ll!”

Tails didn’t listen. Ducking Bunnie’s grasp, he started walking rapidly toward Robotnik.

Sally felt her heart stop. “Tails…come back!” she cried desperately, reaching out her paw in an attempt to snatch him back again...a futile attempt. Tails was now beyond her reach and, with a small army of trigger-ready SWATbots watching her every move, she daren’t pursue him…not with the cub right in the firing-line should all hell break loose. Tails…Tails!

Tails stopped at roughly a foot away from Robotnik – and here the young fox hesitated as uncertainty stole over him. What was going to happen now? He’d walked right up to Robotnik (which was very brave and all that) but now what? He tried to get a grip of himself, to keep in mind the fact that he and his pair of figurative Aunts were surrounded by armed SWATbots – the situation couldn’t go much more badly than that, could it? And besides, all he’d done was what Robotnik had told him to…

Still…as Robotnik leant toward him, Tails couldn’t ignore the apprehension which filled him like water flooding a hole-riddled boat. “Hello.” The Doctor smiled down at him, “How brave of you to come. I'm so proud of you. Now…what was it that I wanted to say? Oh yes…” he lunged at Tails – his mouth was so wide and huge that it was as though he would swallow the fox whole as he screamed; “Do not ever presume to come that close to me again!!”

If there had been anything at all in Tails’ bladder just then it would, in that moment and on that spot, have gone – what was more, he wouldn’t even have noticed. The terror that hit him was so powerful it sent him staggering back, stumbling and falling into two pairs of arms which encircled him from behind – as Sally and Bunnie held him, their voices cooing soft and comforting reassurances, Tails felt himself being hit by something else. And this something was the shame already burning him from within.

Sonic wouldn’t have been afraid. Sonic…wouldn’t have run.

Robotnik’s eyes were closed and his hands thrust upon his hips as he threw back his head and roared with delirious mirth – the laughter that had filled him to bursting point as he’d watched the cub go skittering back from him seemed like it would never end. He yearned for it never to end. It had been like a single slice of pure heaven, an all too fleeting return to the old days, exactly like having Snively at his beck and call again…and he wanted it to last forever.

“Do you really take such pleasure in terrorising other living things?”

The Doctor opened his eyes – Sally was staring at him and if looks could kill then the guilty wish that she had admitted to harbouring would have been granted to her in that moment. As matters stood her eyes were so terrible that they chilled even Robotnik who, much to his own astonishment, took half a step back. Rallying, he sneered in response to The Princess’ question; “So you want to protect the little one, eh? How tediously sentimental…I should have taken him from you years ago, Princess.”

“Enough.” Sally’s voice was quiet and steady, low and monotone – it did not, in short, reflect the vast rage burning in those mirror-like eyes. “Call Naugus. I’m sure that he and I can come to some kind of agreement in return for my surrender. Call Naugus.”

Robotnik scowled as a sour taste invaded his mouth, turning his humour foul. He knew that, during his reign, The Princess would never have dreamt of making such a request. But Naugus, he was a different prospect altogether – the sorcerer’s magnificent ego would be immensely gratified by a plea from The Princess, so immensely so that he would most probably agree to a release of lesser captives in return for her obedience. It was for this very reason Robotnik swore that she would not get the chance to make that plea. “Too long have I been forced time after time to endure the embarrassment of coming tantalisingly close to destroying you...only to watch as you squirm free from my grasp at the last second. Too long have I been forced to watch as you destroy my beautiful machines. Too long have I been forced to wait for this hour…my hour! Why should I desire to rush such a momentous event?” his simmering eyes burned malevolently into Sally’s greatest weakness…Tails who shook beneath their terrible gaze. “True, I no longer possess The Roboticizer…but I am certain that we can find a perfectly serviceable incinerator somewhere!”

“No!!”

Sally barely knew what was happening. Whenever she would look back upon this moment in future, the conclusion the squirrel would always draw was that the deadly serious threat to Tails had temporarily unhinged her. At the time however all she knew was that the words Robotnik had just uttered had pushed her beyond the point of either rationality or self-control. She had released Tails, was on her feet. Her eyes were wild, her ears filled with the furious pounding of her own blood, her arms outstretched as she ran toward Robotnik. All she knew was the screaming urge to leap at this monster, to bite and scratch as much of him as she possibly could before she was brought down by a hail of laser-fire…

And this would assuredly have transpired on that which would have been a dark day for The Freedom Fighters…had a wrench not been thrown into the gears of fate.

There were fifteen SWATbots standing in the court – and as Sally made her move precisely fourteen of them turned their rifles upon her, ready to fire. Whereas the fifteenth of their number aimed its weapon elsewhere…

“SWATbots…hold your fire!!”

One moment Bunnie, who held firmly onto Tails this time, had been opening her mouth to scream for Sally to wait – in the next moment, it hung wide open as she stared at the one who had roared that command.

Sally skidded to a halt as she heard it too – as she stood and stared blankly at the baffling sight that met her eyes, the blind frenzy lifted from her clearing mind.

Apprehension was etched into Robotnik’s face as he stood without moving a single muscle, his taut arms hanging by his sides…the barrel of the fifteenth SWATbot’s rifle digging hard into his broad back. “Who are you?” The Doctor whispered, his breath a vicious hiss.

If possible, the barrel of the rifle pressed harder into the back of the hulking human as it was thrust by a pair of powerful paws. “The enemy you never should have created.” declared The Freedom Fighters’ eleventh-hour saviour – the voice that resonated from the metal helmet was not the robotic drone of a SWATbot but a deep and masculine boom which the three from Knothole recognised immediately.

“Ari!”

The weight of the hollowed-out SWATbot head that served to mask Ari’s identity would have driven Tails to his knees, trapping him underneath it, had he tried it on – in contrast, the towering and muscular ram simply found it tight as he wore it. Especially with his pair of curving horns. As he aimed his rifle into the back of this scum however the minor discomfort was the last thing on Ari’s mind. “I said that you’d be on the receiving end someday.” The ram’s voice was so deep that it rivalled the gathering of thunderclouds. “It’s funny, isn’t it? You put the knife in my back that day…and now I’ve got a gun pointed right at yours!”

Robotnik turned his head half of the way toward his assailant, slowly and wordlessly – the dark eye that glared, birdlike, at the armed ram seethed with a silent and yet utterly unmistakable promise. Ari would pay dearly for this, should Robotnik emerge alive from this confrontation – and even if he should not, the human’s dark soul would never rest until it found some way of wreaking vengeance. It was such formidable strength of will and undying enmity that made him both who and what he was…Doctor Robotnik.

Sally felt a nauseating unease as she heard the things that Ari said – the hatred sounded so intense as it reverberated in each syllable the ram breathed that she could have imagined it as a crimson mist emanating from his muscle-bound body. It unsettled her deeply, made her feel conflicted – The Princess knew that Ari deserved his revenge, that couldn’t be that didn’t mean her sleep of the coming night wouldn’t be disturbed by the haunting sight of a twitching corpse sprawled across the ground, a curling trail of smoke rising from a hole burnt through its torso…even if that corpse might be that of Robotnik. He wouldn’t really...would he? Nor was it something that she desired for Tails ever to be forced to witness. Ari…don’t do it! Please don’t!

Praying silently that Ari would stay his paw, Sally planted both of hers upon her hips as she turned to address Robotnik – her demeanour was of a calmness at total odds with the anxiety she felt within. “It would appear that negotiations have taken an unexpected turn.” Her smile was sweet and charming as she took deep pleasure in rubbing the human’s face in it, “New deal, Robotnik; you tell your soulless machines to drop their rifles and stand down. And, in return, I won’t instruct my comrade to…”

Fate, like fame, is incredibly fickle – this was a lesson reinforced upon the minds of The Freedom Fighters that day as the smile of favour that it had bestowed upon them changed just as swiftly to the frown of displeasure.

Ari’s eyes widened in shock…the rifle had suddenly turned white-hot, its temperature so intensely scathing that it blistered his paws! “Son of a…!!” unable to restrain the impulse, he flung the searing weapon from him as hard as he possibly could – and as he struggle to tear the metal gauntlets from his pain-wracked paws, he heard the sharp click of rifles being aimed at him.

Sally watched blankly, the disdainful speech dying at her lips, as the rifle span across the ground and beyond reach – her eyes were blank as she saw the dull red glow that it gave off. “W-what…?” she stammered, struggling to grasp what had just occurred.

A chortle, which might have been mistaken for the scraping of chair-legs across a stone floor, floated down from above. A mirthful sound which could have come from only one person on all of Mobius - and as she raised her eyes slowly skyward, Sally felt all hope depart from her spirit.

Stood upon the brink of the northern rooftop was a figure more grotesque than any gargoyle, be it of living flesh or cold crumbling stone – as Ixis Naugus looked down on those below, his manner was rather like that of a theater-critic seated quite comfortably upon a balcony. “Splendid, splendid!” the sorcerer croaked heartily, “A performance far more engaging than any I have ever seen before! Why, you people actually dripped with malice as you spoke to one another!” his unappealing visage adopting a grandfatherly smile as he met the staring eyes of Sally. “Princess.” the sorcerer wheezed as he lowered the finger with which he had cast the spell that had disarmed Ari, “You requested my presence, did you not?”

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Newsflash, metal-head; the only good SWATbot is a recycled SWATbot!”

Such was the motto of Sonic the Hedgehog – and the SWATbot now hovering over him and his comrades didn’t come close to breaking that rule. Lieutenant Omega was larger and meaner-looking than any run-of-the-mill SWATbot the hedgehog had ever seen…and there was something else about it that he didn’t like at all. Something unrelated to his greater size and strength, something that the hedgehog couldn’t quite put his finger on…

Omega didn’t respond – verbally at any rate. What the robotic centurion did was slowly let go of the Hover Pad's handrail, holding ‘his’ arms out in the air as 'he' moved them toward each other – and as the sides of 'his' clenched fists established contact, there was a piercing flash. Two shafts of blazing blue light shot forth from Omega’s wrists – as 'he' slowly separated 'his' arms like a pair of scissors being opened with great care, the beams swept across the ground in symmetrical curves which left two small trenches scorched in their wake. Lasers! But not the crude emissions of the rifles carried by regular SWATbots; the beams being projected by Omega were super-powered cutting-lasers!

But The Freedom Fighters were in for a surprise – not a single one of them appeared to be the target. This honour was instead reserved for the articles of discarded machinery heaped up all around them – Sonic stared blankly across his shoulder as the twin laser-beams began to slice cleanly through the unstable stacks, which toppled to the ground in a series of deafening crashes, as easily as a knife passing through butter on a scorcher day.

Unable to work out just what the heck was going on, Sonic seized the chance to address his pair of comrades. “Ant, Rote…lissen’ up! Whatever happens, we gotta get The Roboticizer back ta’ Knothole!” The absolute and indisputable truth - millions of Mobians whose anguished souls had cried out for release over the last ten years depended on the recovery of that evil machine. Ironically the very machine responsible for their miserable fates. The mission had to succeed…whatever the cost. “So…when I say the word, I want the two of ya ta’ shove it onta’ the cart an' juice!”

“Sonic…” Rotor was staring at the hedgehog in concern, excited sweat running down his face. “…what about you?”

Sonic’s eyes were narrowed in an intense glare – they hadn’t left the gleaming visage of the hovering SWATbot for an instant. “I’ll catch up wit'cha later.” He breathed, his voice unusually quiet. “This guy is mine.”

From the precise second his eyes had fallen upon it, Sonic had known in his soul that he’d seen this SWATbot before – and it had been with a jolt of shock that he’d remembered not only when but also where. Never had the hedgehog forgotten that day ten years ago…the day of The Coup. With ever vivid clarity he remembered how he and his friends had hidden behind a thick bush, their much younger eyes filled with confusion and their breaths held in fear, as Doctor Robotnik’s army of SWATbots had swarmed through the streets of Mobotropolis.

And at the head of the invasion-force, a SWATbot far different from the rest – Sonic recalled watching as it had planted one metallic hand upon the side of its hip and pointed across the conquered city with the other, booming in a deeply reverberating voice; “Flank the palace. Secure all exit and entry points.” And the reason the hedgehog remembered that SWATbot was that it had been the very SWATbot which now hovered menacingly in front of him. It had been Lieutenant Omega ‘who’ had led the SWATbots in taking Mobotropolis that day. And as he found himself muzzle-to-face with the machine that had helped to overthrow that wonderful kingdom, that had captured and roboticized so many Mobians for years after, Sonic found himself thinking something else.

Time for some way overdue payback!

Shaking his mind free of the thoughts that had run through it like a river, Sonic narrowed his eyes. “Don’t worry about me.” He told his comrades, shortly and simply. “Just be ready ta’ grab what we came here for an’ bail at warp-seven.”

“But Sonic…” Rotor began to protest, knowing as he did so that it was useless to even try – something about that SWATbot however made the walrus feel horribly uneasy.

Apparently it had a similar effect on Antoine, “I am thinkeeng that it is most unwise you are being!” the coyote put in eloquently.

Any further effort the pair might have made to convince the hedgehog to come with them was diverted into oblivion by the noise; a nerve-rending, teeth-grinding, ear-splitting noise. The noise of metal wailing in helpless anguish…

What the…?!

Sonic’s eyes shot upward along with those of his comrades. Far over the heads of the trio, two metal poles as long and thick as the greatest of tree-trunks seemed to hang in the air in reckless defiance of gravity - the fact that they appeared to swell larger and larger in size with each passing second destroyed that illusion however. The two floodlight-towers had once presented a great challenge to The Freedom Fighters whenever they’d had the need to creep stealthily through Robotropolis – at some point during the last few months however they had become part of the immense clutter of The Dumping-Zone. And at that precise moment in time they tilted forward, their bases sliced clean in half by the cutting-lasers…and toppled down on the spot where Sonic, Antoine and Rotor were standing!

There would’ve been no chance for either Rotor or Antoine to avoid the crushing weight which bore down on them, even if they hadn’t both stood frozen in shock - it was considerably fortunate, then, that a certain blue hedgehog was with them. “Dude…nobody, an’ I mean nobody, blindsides The Hedgehog!” Sonic exclaimed as he hunched his shoulders and bent his legs. “Oh and guys…word!” Rotor and Antoine watched spellbound as their comrade launched himself into the air, soaring straight up to meet the descent of the floodlight-towers, proclaiming in his best game-show host impression; “Spin and win time!”

And just before his nose was relocated to the back of his skull…performed a super spin! The sound of a buzz-saw in action seemed to cut through the particles of the air as Sonic made contact with the pair of falling cylinders – as bright-orange sparks fell in a sparkling shower, the speed of the hedgehog’s ascent seemed to grant him temporary immunity from the laws of gravity. This reprieve appeared to extend to the metal towers which hung suspended in mid-air by the force of Sonic’s interception…but would the hedgehog succeed in cutting through both of them before their combined crushing weight drove him down?

That was the question. And Lieutenant Omega’s electronic brain was firmly convinced that the answer was in the negative. Turning ‘his’ attention from the hedgehog, soon to be Mobius’ flattest pincushion, The Elite SWATbot deactivated the cutting-lasers – this proved no relief for The Freedom Fighters however since, setting ‘his’ sights upon Rotor and Antoine, ‘he’ proceeded to let loose an onslaught of regular laser-fire!

"According to my master's orders, you Freedom Fighters are vermin...and I'm the exterminator. But just between yourselves and I...I'd do this even if the case were otherwise."

As he backed away from this fresh and equally lethal barrage, Rotor felt a nudge in his ribs – looking across his grey shoulder, he saw Antoine staring at him. In the guardsman’s eyes there burned fire of an ardency that, had he not seen it for himself, the walrus would never have believed his comrade to be capable of mustering. “You heard the Hoghedge, Rotor!” barked the coyote, an unusual authority ringing in his voice, “We are to be obeying the last order of our Captain!”

Astonished by the best that this crisis had brought out in his comrade, Rotor followed Antoine’s lead – together, walrus and coyote evaded the rain of laser-beams and made toward The Roboticizer. Ducking behind the mechanical monster, the pair of them took cover from Omega’s assault – after taking a heart-pounding and sweat-drenched moment to recover their breaths, Rotor and Antoine gritted their teeth and put their shoulders against the upended base of The Roboticizer. Several minutes passing during which both of them became convinced that their eyes would surely pop out…then, so suddenly that both were equally certain that what they felt was their brains escaping through their ears, it gave. Sliding from the small heap of scrap-metal upon which it had been enthroned…and rolling neatly onto the waiting cart.

Antoine and Rotor stared. Their faces were drenched with perspiration, their pounding heads felt like a pair of tomato-seeds that had once accidentally gotten up their noses were now growing…and they could not believe that what had just happened had just happened. The exquisitely cut and painstakingly designed lens of energy-crystal through which the Roboticization Beam had once been focused, the metal casing which held the assorted microchips within which were stored those mind-bogglingly complex codes that The Freedom Fighters had sought for so very long now…they were safely onboard the cart, ready and waiting to be brought back to Knothole!

They had done it. And their shared success made them both feel as light as air.

The downside presented itself in due course and with sickening clarity. No longer separated from them by The Roboticizer, Omega homed in on ‘his’ prey. “Hmm…that was certainly one way to squander your last fleeting moment on Mobius.” commented The Elite as, aboard the technological equivalent of a magic carpet, ‘he’ floated in the space between the cart and The Freedom Fighters.

Rotor and Antoine felt a dull ache creeping through every joint of their skeletons as those fists rose again, one steadily aimed at either of them. There was nowhere to run…it was over. Only it wasn’t. The Freedom Fighters felt the ground shudder beneath their beneath, not once but twice…as the very ends of the floodlight-towers came crashing down at last. Several feet away from where they stood. Harmlessly. Severed.

Sonic soared through the air as free as a bird even as what remained of the metal cylinders slowly toppled back into the scrap-heaps, their courses reversed by the force of his spin. Landing safely back on the ground, the hedgehog paused in order to plant his paws on his knees and heave for breath – the effort and pressure of what he’d just done had been so intense that he’d felt like his head was going to split in half!

Sonic looked up, his eyes meeting the crimson glare of Omega – The Elite was staring back over ‘his’ shoulder, ‘his’ focus diverted from Rotor and Antoine by the hedgehog ‘he’d’ been so certain that ‘he’ had conquered. “Hey!” panted the spikiest of The Freedom Fighters, “You oversized action-figure! Why don’cha back off an’ give my buds their space?”

As smoothly as a spiralling breath of air, the Hover Pad turned. “Why don’t you make me, Hedgehog?” Omega was speeding toward ‘his’ target even as ‘he’ made that retort.

And despite his aching face, Sonic found himself grinning. “Hey, I don’t make SWATbots…” shot back the hedgehog, “…I send ‘em ta’ the scrap-yard!” he hopped twice, first on the left foot and then on the right, avoiding by inches the shots that Omega took at him – then he threw himself through the air in a backwards somersault. For the next few seconds The Dumping-Zone seemed to turn over and over – then his feet were back on the ground and, that little stunt having put a good few feet between him and his robotic adversary, the hedgehog was away again.

In a dazzling blue flash, Sonic evaded Omega with a zigzagging sprint, a rain of laser-blasts and a trail of blazing fire left in his wake! “Ant, Rote…find Sally an’ the others an’ make cart-tracks back ta’ Knothole!” he called to his comrades to whom he appeared a dizzying blur, “I’ll see all of ya later! So…later!”

“But Sonic…” Rotor began to protest, again feeling that he was wasting his breath – again the instinct was proven correct.

A stab of frustration pierced Rotor’s heart as he watched Sonic rocket toward the scrap-heaps that formed the eastern side of this ‘clearing’, Omega hot on his heels. There must be something that he could do to help Sonic or at least even the odds in the hedgehog’s favour…he couldn’t be totally powerless! Then it came to him in a flash of inspiration…the answer. Maybe, just maybe, The Roboticizer isn’t the only machine that can help us out… Slowly and thoughtfully, the walrus reached into the tool-pouch he kept attached to his belt – as his paw closed around the handle of his favourite screwdriver, a smile started to spread across his whiskery face. Tricky…but it should work.

Sonic zoomed straight up the stack which tilted forward beneath the pounding of his white-hot soles, then back again as he reached the top and ran down the opposite side. The hedgehog felt as though he was riding The Most Extreme Rollercoaster On Mobius™ as he continued onward, running up the fronts and backs of several more stacks. Each that he surmounted took him deeper and deeper into the haphazardly formed maze. Deciding that he’d run far enough, Sonic stopped – flattening his back against the stack his feet had just conquered, he held his breath.

What he needed was to buy Rotor and Antoine enough time to get The Roboticizer out of here – and this chaotic clutter of abandoned machines and disowned robots was the perfect place for a little game of cat and mouse. Or more accurately SWATbot and Hedgehog. Sonic felt his quills vibrate in response to the impact of distant stacks being sent crashing to the ground in swift succession – it appeared that Omega was creating ‘his’ own route through the maze. Sonic listened to the sounds of spontaneous demolition in surprise – the hedgehog had expected his pursuer to attempt to track him from the air.

The hedgehog grinned as the pandemonium generated by Omega’s search tactic filled his pointed ears. Man! I can hear that SWATbutt comin’ from a mile away! Has his brain gone rusty or what... It was just as he finished thinking this that the stack against which he was pressed exploded, hurling him from his feet. Before the shock could even resonate in his mind, the hedgehog’s forehead struck against the stack directly ahead of where he’d stood seconds ago. An indeterminate period of time passed as he sprawled face-down across the filth-ridden ground, his ears ringing and head swimming, his whole body aching as though he'd received a direct hit from a heavy-duty battering-ram…

As he finally began to regain his senses, Sonic slowly pressed his numbed paws against the seemingly spinning ground. A minute later he’d successfully risen to one unsteady knee and was gazing up at the sight that met his shell-shocked eyes; a set of metallic knuckles barely an inch from his muzzle.

Omega hovered over ‘his’ cornered quarry, seconds away from discharging a laser-blast right between the hedgehog’s eyes. ‘His’ Heat-Detection Mode had enabled ‘him’ to determine The Freedom Fighter’s exact position with perfect ease. And now The Elite was poised upon the brink of attaining the ultimate distinction for a member of ‘his’ brethren; the termination of Sonic the Hedgehog.

“Any last words, Hedgehog?”

As he felt the blood trickle sluggishly down his face, Sonic also felt a dead certainty manifest within his soul; this was it. After all those years of thumbing his nose at danger and laughing in the face of death, of risking everything in order to fight for the freedom of Mobius…his time had come. It was all over. And he knew it. And even as he accepted it, his eyes burned with the fire of the unbreakable will that had always made him the bravest of The Freedom Fighters. “Yeah. You’re ugly.” He answered the taunt, quick as a flash.

“So recalcitrant." A ruby-like glow emanated from Omega’s wrist, signalling the build-up of power for one last laser-blast; for Sonic, the final blow of fate. “And soon to be so dead. I only hope that such a defiant spirit won’t be too overwhelmed by the knowledge that your beloved Princess is being captured even as we utter this trite banter.”

Fear seized the hedgehog. Bunnie... Its touch felt like an icy claw that closed around his heart and pierced it so deeply that even the river of blood seemed devoid of warmth as it formed inlets upon his muzzle. Tails... His soul screamed with fury as he glared at the hateful machine…the machine that had taunted him with the fact that the rabbit and fox whom had grown to be as sister and brother to him were both in danger. Along with the only woman he had ever loved. Sally...Sally!

In fact Sonic was so fixated on Omega that it was no surprise at all that he didn’t notice the flash of gold which streaked over both their heads…

Sonic clenched his teeth as he knelt there, powerless and helpless, a nanosecond between him and death…and yet not destined to be claimed by it that day.

The ringing in his ears was supplanted by the crunching sound of sudden and heavy impact. As a series of cracks formed across the ground on which he knelt, Sonic shot a look across his shoulder. At the heart of the spiralling fissures stood the golden figure of the one whose descent from above had created them. Proudly supported by two pairs of powerful legs, it gave its long tail a lazy flick – its silver fangs were set in a haughty grin as it regarded the hedgehog silently through eyes of purple crystal.

No way… Sonic thought in a daze, his mind struggling to accept the presence of the robot which stood a short distance away from him; “You!”

The Speed Bot was active once more.

End of Chapter

[The Mysterious Traveller]

Chapter Six
Clash of The Machines; The Claw of Naugus

‘Caught between two stools’ – so went the old saying.

Dunno what the heck it’s supposed ta’ mean... Sonic thought as he lay on the stone-cold ground with an excruciating ache in his side, on his face the darkest of dark scowls. …but I’m sure as heck caught between two stooges right now! If the hedgehog was mere seconds away from being despatched to meet his incredibly inspired and gifted maker, then to be mocked by this unloved face from the past was the last thing that he wished to endure. “Hey, Bot Breath!” he snapped, crabbily. “Why don’cha mind ya own business?!”

That The Speed Bot had not been conceived and built with any degree of speech capability in mind, the hedgehog neither knew nor cared. As a matter of fact, it barely mattered since the robotic cat had no need whatsoever to verbally convey 'his' thoughts – the manner in which 'he' tilted 'his' head in response to Sonic’s scathing remark communicated flawlessly; ‘Everything you can do, I can do better. Deal with it.’

The question of how exactly the robot had come to be standing a short distance away from him when the evidence of his own eyes had, but a short while ago, told him that 'he' could safely have been filed under ‘D’ for ‘Deactivated’ did not for the moment cross the hedgehog's mind – then again, Sonic had fair bit on it at that particular moment.

“You heard the hedgehog.” Had Omega been designed with expressive capability in mind, then 'his' face would now have conveyed the dogged hostility of a hunter faced with an interloper intent upon stealing 'his' hard-earned prize – since ‘he’ hadn’t been, however, The Elite resorted instead to verbal deterrence. “Your chance came and went long ago. Now it’s my turn. So turn that tail and run away like a good little bag of bolts or I may decide to use it to gift-wrap this scum’s carcass before laying it at the feet of Lord Naugus.”

The Speed Bot did not turn 'his' tail. 'He' turned 'his' head - a peculiar gleam flickered through those purple eyes of 'his' as 'he' stared at The Elite in calculating silence. And though it may have been little more than a trick of the light, to Sonic’s eyes that perpetual grin now seemed much more pronounced. One of those long forelegs began to move, raking the ground with a robotic paw – as he watched bemusedly, Sonic was reminded strongly of a bull. A bull who had just been shown a red scarf. A bull who now prepared to…

The Speed Bot moved.

As Sonic saw the golden robot soar toward him with 'his' powerful forelegs thrust outward and 'his' broad back arched, his gloved paw impulsively crushed the sludgy gravel that it had unconsciously gathered up from the ground. Within the next fateful moment, the hedgehog fully expected to find himself either trapped beneath the weight of the great cat or experiencing the removal of his brain from his skull by means of the crudest form of laser-surgery known to Mobian. So it came as somewhat of a surprise when agonising death failed to take him.

The Speed Bot did not descend upon the hedgehog – Sonic was not even the prey 'he' had in mind.

Believing that 'he' had convinced the robotic cat to back down, Omega had turned ‘his’ full attention back toward Sonic – as ‘his’ highly sophisticated sensors detected a sudden movement to the far-right however, The Elite was forced to postpone the coup de grâce. As it received the command relayed from the electronic brain of its rider, The Hover Pad swerved sharply to the left…barely avoiding The Speed Bot's lightning pounce! “You asked for it, Felix.” The Elite’s icy voice dripped with pure menace, “By the time I’m done with you, there won’t be enough salvageable parts left over to make a battery-powered calculator!”

As 'his' prey eluded 'him', The Speed Bot simply kept moving – 'his' two pairs of formidable paws re-establishing their ever fleeting relationship with the ground, the shining speedster pivoted on the spot. Fuelled by the same energy that had been behind that potentially devastating spring, the great cat swung 'his' long and powerful tail through the air like a morning-star. 'His' target; Omega.

Again Omega's razor-sharp sensors enabled him to avoid the blow – The Hover Pad leapt skyward with a speed that would have caused the SWATbot to lose ‘his’ footing and fall, had ‘he’ not held firmly onto the handrail. “Who taught you to aim that thing?” Omega taunted as ‘he’ zipped out of sight, “A WORKERbot?"

As he was deprived of 'his' intended target, The Speed Bot’s mechanical appendage smashed against the nearest alternative target. Yet even as a generous section of the leftmost wall went toppling back like a tree chopped clean through at the base, the robotic cat still moved, spinning away from the descending wave of refuse. The legs of the robotic cat bore powerful resemblance to the wheels of a thundering chariot as 'he' hurtled up the side of the vertical strata of the rightmost wall, continuing 'his' pursuit of Lieutenant Omega with style.

Style that struck the open-mouthed Sonic as distinctly familiar. Well…Bunnie did once say that imitation is supposed to be the sincerest form of flattery. A wry smile briefly touched the hedgehog's face. If that’s so then Antoine’s head sure must swell whenever he spots a chicken! Complete confusion engulfed his bloodied face, superceding shellshock. Uh…did what I think just happened really just happen? The hedgehog shook his head, as though doing so would halt the tiny pick-axe apparently trying to escape the inside of his skull. ‘Never look a gift horse in the mouth’…or as Sonic would personally have put it, ‘Better safe than splattered’. He’d have time to worry about ‘how’ and ‘why’ later. Right now…this hedgehog had work to do. It didn’t matter right now, he decided, how his unexpected salvation had come about. All that mattered was the window of opportunity now open to him – mere seconds ago, the hedgehog had faced certain death. Now…he had a choice. A choice to stand up, dash the blood from his face…to go save Bunnie, Tails and Sally.

Sonic forced himself back to his feet, stood and swayed for a moment. Several long gulps of air later, his vision was steady once more. Having regained the ability to see straight, he next removed the stream of blood that had coursed down his muzzle with one sweep of the paw. Then like an uncoiled spring, he moved. Okay…looks like there’s nowhere ta’ go from here but up! Up the side of stacked scrap the hedgehog indeed surged, running as though he’d never run before – when he reached the top of the steep vertice of accumulated scrap however, he did not go over and down the opposite side. This time, the hedgehog pushed the soles of his sneakers against it – for the second time that day, the spikiest Freedom Fighter in Knothole turned over and over through the air in a backward somersault.

As he landed upon a pile of dismembered robotic parts, Sonic was surprised to find that his body swayed back and forth like a javelin hurled with such power that it had become embedded in the ground. It didn't take him too long to discover the cause of this strange phenomona; the assortment of metallic appendages had begun to wobble disconcertingly beneath the soles of his sneakers! Woah! What this situation calls for is some swift stability! Straightening his back, Sonic held out his arms in the manner of a seasoned surfer and leaned forward in order to prevent his unbalanced perch from toppling backwards to the ground – a few measured tilts later, the wall of refuse stood stable once more. Yeah!! I still got it! I’m the most ‘balanced’ hedgehog in Knothole…whatever Sal might say!

Just as he was beginning to feel secure enough to sigh with relief, Sonic’s interest was aroused by a sudden flash of light – turning his head in the direction from whence it came, he widened his eyes. “Woah…!!” Bending backwards, the hedgehog narrowly beat the odds of avoiding the laser-beam that came streaking toward him. Once the ray of scorching heat had soared over his shoulder, he returned to his full height and scowled. “Okay, tin-grin! Ya wanna play ‘tag’? Well, here’s the hedgehog who’ll give ya the game of…oh.”

Ironically the one laser-blast to have come within a hairs-breadth of the hedgehog that day had been one not even aimed at him – a laser-blast that had missed its true target.

The hunter had become the hunted; The Speed Bot was moving almost faster than the naked eye could follow as 'he' bounded from each and every conceivable foothold, weaving in and out of the seemingly endless gauntlet of laser-fire in a determined endeavour to corner 'his' prey – far from having managed to score a single hit upon ‘his’ nemesis, the sole triumph Omega could have boasted was that he had successfully evaded the golden cat for this long. “What’s the matter?” taunted The Elite, “Is your bark worse than your gigabyte?”

As he observed the steps of this fast and furious dance, this clash of the machines, Sonic wondered about the reason behind The Speed Bot's behaviour - true, 'his' unexpected intervention had saved the hedgehog from a brutal death but that didn't mean that he was going to suddenly start trusting the robot.

In spite of himself, Sonic felt quite dizzy as he watched – Omega’s head twisted erratically from right to left, like that of a broken windup toy, as ‘he’ strove to keep The Speed Bot in sight. Man, will ya look at him! I wouldn’t be surprise ta’ see his head…spin clean…off. Muscle by muscle, the hedgehog froze as that solitary thought sparked off a chain-reaction in his mind.

As he began thinking at triple-speed, Sonic remembered a certain day thirteen years ago. Back then, he’d been three years old and already sheer energy had burst from every pour on his body. Another thing that he’d already been was extremely eager to impress members of the opposite sex…even though he’d had no idea why. So when a clique of girls hadn’t been able to agree upon which of them would push the park roundabout while the rest of them rode it, he’d been right there before any of them could even blink. Sonic remembered as clearly as though it had been yesterday, how he had gripped the side of the ride in his small paw and started to run...and only too clearly, what had happened when he’d tried to stop. Having lacked the foresight to let go of the roundabout, the young hedgehog had been yanked from his feet by the rapidly spinning children’s ride – and so the young hedgehog had come to find himself whirling around and around through the air, howling his lungs raw, his ears ringing as the other kids at the park had laughed at him.

Well…most of them anyway. One of the other kids had disdained to indulge in a good laugh at the scared child's expense, to further ridicule him. In fact she had come running to his rescue, changing his life forever with her friendship.

And that kid had been…

Sal... As he thought about her, Sonic felt an overwhelming desire to see The Princess. A poetic soul had once described the woman he loved as being ‘the wind beneath his wings’. Sonic would, of course, have put it in his own unique way. He would have described Sally as being the ground beneath his feet. And it would actually have been far more romantic than it would have sounded – the hedgehog spent most of his life running, always had and always would. But Sally…she gave him a reason to stand in one place for longer than a minute. And as he thought about the beautiful squirrel, both his feet simply itched to head to The Rendezvous Point so that he could find her.

For the moment however, Sonic suppressed that almost overpowering instinct.

Sal…I’m comin’ for ya and the others. Hang in there for just a little longer…there’s somethin’ I’ve gotta take care of first.

The memory of that day in the park had always been the one he cherished most - and today it had been the inspiration that just might hold the key to defeating Omega.

A crazed demonic grin spread across his nicked and dirtied face, a reflection of the plan now rapidly forming in his mind and sending burning energy coursing through his entire body. Okay…time ta’ show chrome-dome just how wreck-calsi-trent this hedgehog can get! With that thought burning in his mind, the hedgehog turned and jumped toward the closest stack…

The Speed Bot had been designed specifically to match Sonic’s incredible fleetness of foot. Omega’s brain, on the other hand, had been programmed with the digitized mind of the greatest military-tactician ever to serve The Royal Army. Unable to compete in terms of speed with this truly formidable opponent, The Elite drew upon ‘his’ exceptionally deadly cunning.

With a single thought, Omega maneuvered ‘his’ Hover Pad to a strategic spot just above one of the maze-like walls – and as soon as ‘he’ was in place, The Elite thrust both of ‘his’ fists at the oncoming robot. Once more ‘his’ wrists emitted a crimson glow as the energy for two twin laser-blasts began to charge. However…the standard laser-attack was not the crux of ‘his’ next move. Its true purpose was to serve as a distraction...

And as the The Speed Bot soared in for the kill, the plan that Omega had so adeptly formulated fell into place like a ball into a cup.

Omega waited one second, two, three…then silently commanded The Hover Pad to move.

As The Elite reversed abruptly, The Speed Bot hurtled through empty space like a lion deprived of 'his' prey – with a sickening thud, 'his' stomach struck the top of the wall. The robotic cat's back was forced into an arching position, 'his' front and back legs separated by the two sides of the mass of trashed machinery.

As The Speed Bot struggled to haul 'himself' up from the edge of the precipice, a pulsating red dot was projected onto 'his' forehead - Omega’s artificial mind experienced what just may have passed for smug self-satisfaction as ‘he’ pointed a glowing right fist at the stymied robot, “I’ll tell Lord Naugus that I had to dismantle a defective. You won’t be coming back this time!"

The level of energy necessary to produce a blast of instant-destruction was reached...and proven wasted.

Omega’s sensors alerted ‘him’ to the sudden boom and rushing sound, so swiftly that ‘he’ was able to turn in time to see the source of both – yet still not swift enough to enable 'him' to counter or even avoid the dazzling blue blur now coursing straight for 'him'.

Sonic had been busy - brother had he been busy. As he'd raced along the tops of walls like an out of control freight-train, the hedgehog had built up rapid momentum – and as all that lay to his sides was reduced to sheer haze, he decided that this was it.

It was now or never...

With a sideward leap from his narrow pathway, Sonic hit the side of another wall with his feet and ricocheted through the air just like The Hedgehog Bullet! “Hey, SWATbutthis legs pressed together as he soared past the air-born menace, the hedgehog thrust out an arm – Omega could only watch as a blood-stained paw closed around 'his' handrail. “Ya snooze, ya lose!”

Pooling both the speed and momentum that he had gained, Sonic kicked out his legs like a cobalt trapeze-artist and swung round and round in a relentless arc – just like all circles, philosophically speaking, this one seemed to have neither beginning nor end.

A second later, even Omega's super-advanced sensors were unable to determine whether ‘he’ was coming or going…as The Hover Pad began to spin like a revolving chair caught in the path of a tornado!

“Around and around and awaaay weee gooo!!”

The Speed Bot’s crystalline eyes watched inexpressive silence – though the great cat had been given no ability to convey what passed through 'his' artificial mind, that was not to say 'he' didn’t have one. As it happened, the robot was reminiscing about 'his' first impression of Sonic on the day of the race so very long ago. (‘This is my rival? Yawn.’ ) Yet all was changed now. (He was near as one can come to breaking. Yet when it would have been easier to lie down and surrender to death…)

Pouring into the task every iota of processing-power 'he' was capable of, Omega calculated the speed of the circling hedgehog – a truly impressive fete that would have reduced the brain of a lesser SWATbot to silicon stew. Hunching ‘his’ broad shoulders, The Elite prepared to drive a set of cold hard knuckles into that grinning muzzle...

Unfortunately for this plan, however, the grinning muzle suddenly disappeared from view. Something that Sonic had learned over the years he'd been a Freedom Fighter was that there always came a time when, tenacious as one might be, the only thing that one can do is let go. And as his face began to feel like it would rip backwards from his head like a hood of fur and flesh, his leg-bones as though they verged upon performing an exodus through the soles of his feet, the hedgehog decided that now was such a time.

So he let go.

As they saw the hedgehog fall, those purple eyes flashed. Having succeeded in anchoring 'his' forelegs across the wall, The Speed Bot now kicked 'his' hind-legs up into the air – a moment later the great cat was perched atop the wall that 'he' had conquered, 'his' four paws balanced in an eye-watering way. Following such an ordeal, any living thing would have required time to rest – The Speed Bot, not being a thing of flesh and blood, hesitated for barely a second. With a powerful thrust of those back-legs, the robotic cat left the top of the wall in a mighty leap.

And this time 'his' objective was Sonic the Hedgehog.

(…he chose life!)

As The Hover Pad spiralled through the air, it was only the handrail that prevented Omega from falling to the ground. As ‘he’ struggled to regain control, The Elite caught a fleeting glimpse of something that was enough to daunt even ‘him’; a mountainous mass of mangled assembly-line machines that grew nearer, not to mention huger, with each out-of-control spin the Hover Pad took!

(Now...) Omega mused as ‘he’ gripped the handrail like an ill-fated sea-captain faced with a reef which had spelled doom for countless others before 'him'. (...this does present difficulties.)

Sonic’s ears were filled by a piercing whistle as he hurtled through empty air – nonetheless he heard the sound that carried to them. What caused this strange din, the freefalling hedgehog had no idea – the one thing he knew for sure was that it reminded him of that wintry week when circumstances had conspired to force him to room with Antoine. More specifically, he was reminded of the day he'd contracted a severe case of the munchies and strolled into the kitchen to fix himself a king-sized plateful of chilidogs; as the hedgehog had opened the cutlery-cabinet, however, an avalanche of dinner-plates had come cascading out and shattered into smithereens upon the floor. Yes...if those doomed plates had been a heck of a lot bigger and made from metal, then the sound they'd made that day and the sound that now joined the assault on Sonic's ears would've been one and the same.

Sonic’s descent seemed endless as he sailed through the air like a prickly Frisbee – it was as though every atom of his spread-eagled body had united in one final glorious stand against the formidable force of gravity. As grim reality had it however the ground was in fact rushing up to meet the falling hedgehog…and with an impact that would have broken nearly every bone in his body as well as rupturing many of his vital organs. The only alternative scenario available to him was that he might happen to hit one of the numerous stacks, snapping his spine into indeterminable pieces. Since the ultimate result of either case would be a slow and painful death, Sonic wouldn’t have said that he’d have particularly preferred one to the other...

If I get through ta' the other side of this in one piece, I swear I'll never pick on Antoine again...well, not as much anyway.

The first indication Sonic received that he wasn’t going to die after all was the flash of motion that came streaking through the air, intercepting his descent. In one second, it had seemed as though the bottom had fallen out of the entire world – whereas in the next it seemed to the hedgehog's wild mind that a rainbow had formed beneath him unexpectedly, that he was now sliding down its cresting face as smoothly and gracefully as a breath of wind. As a bump of landing established that he was falling no longer, however, his reeling mind popped back into place and he told himself that that was just dumb. The second indication was that, despite being firmly on the ground again, he wasn’t lying in a spreading pool of his own blood – he was instead in an upright position, his legs situated as though he sat astride one of The Hover Bikes ridden by The Nasty Hyenas.

After a protracted moment of stark disbelief, during which he incidentally realised that he was back outside The Dumping Zone, Sonic lowered his eyes very slowly - the long mechanical tail flicking languidly beneath the hedgehog's gaze suggested that the manner of his miraculous survival lent an all-new meaning to the phrase ‘taken for a ride’ – still exercising the greatest caution, he turned to look over his shoulder.

And into the eyes of The Speed Bot 'who' had craned 'his' neck in order to look at the hedgehog.

“BWAA!!”

Sonic's initial reaction was to leap up into the air with a howl of shock, as though that silent stare was a discharging death-ray – once he'd gotten it out of his system, however, the hedgehog noticed a highly salient fact. Rather than making an attempt to grab the hedgehog in that extendable claw of 'his', The Speed Bot was rolling 'his' eyes. Literally. The two lenses of purple crystal actually rotated backwards in the sockets they occupied.

Sonic sat completely still, staring at the great cat in complete disbelief as he struggled to get his head around this whole situation. When it finally sank in that this was actually happening, a puzzled and yet genuine smile spread across the hedgehog's muzzle. “Hey…you just saved my life!” he exclaimed, “Twice! Ya know, I never figured I’d ever say this ta’ one of Robuttnik’s machines.” As the hedgehog spoke, he reached out to pet the unexpected savior. “But, hey, props where props are…”

The display of gratitude proceeded no further – as the hedgehog’s paw came toward 'him', The Speed Bot dipped 'his' neck.

And as that smooth back arched beneath his rear, Sonic found himself pitching forward. “Hey…oof!!” was all the hedgehog had the opportunity to say before he found himself rolling face-first across the cracked and bumpy ground. Clambering onto one knee, Sonic gave The Speed Bot a squinting glare as he gingerly rubbed his head. “Hey man, uh, Bot! Did ya do that on purpose?” he demanded in a particularly growling voice – the silent glint that passed through the purple eyes reminded him of the smug look Sally would always inevitably display whenever he said or did something stupid. “Ask a dumb question…” he grunted, wincing as his paw encountered a lump roughly the size and shape of a duck’s egg. His eyes widened as he was struck by something much less physical though no less significant – in a split-second, the hedgehog was back on his feet. “Woah! Say, hang loose for a sec! I gotta check on somethin’! Be right back!”

It felt as though the hedgehog’s renewed headache fell away as he turned and charged up the side of one of the mounds that marked the threshold of The Dumping Zone – coming to a halt, standing like a sentry posted upon a high parapet, Sonic allowed his eyes to sweep across the vast stretch of undesirable artifacts. In less than a minute, he successfully located the source of the sound he’d heard as he had fallen.

The exceedingly large pile that once stood in the middle of The Dumping Zone now lay scattered across the ground, rather like a gelatin dessert kicked to pieces by a careless foot – the dust rising in thick clouds from the obliterated mound indicated that this disaster had transpired mere moments ago.

As his eyes feasted upon this awesome spectacle, Sonic stood basking in triumph; somewhere beneath that twisted mass of rusted metal , Lieutenant Omega lay buried. “Hey, SWATbutt…welcome ta’ the scrap-yard of life! Enjoy ya stay, compliments of The Knothole Freedom Fighters!” the hedgehog called as he turned and started to retrace his smoking-hot steps, “Me? I gotta juice! So I guess I’ll just see ya…though I definitely wouldn’t wanna be ya!”

As he returned to terra firma, Sonic was elated to see two very familiar figures running toward him – Rotor was the first to rejoin the waiting hedgehog, his eyes shining with eagerness. “Sonic…that was absolutely incredible!” the whisker-faced mechanic blurted, the very instant he was standing in front of the hedgehog. “The two of you just…just…just took him down! Seriously, I’ll remember that forever!”

Sonic gave a smirk followed by a bow before he could be drowned by his friend’s gushing praise. “Thank you, Rote, thank you.” He drawled with all the modesty which had for some reason caused Sally to fold her arms and mutter “Oh brother…” more times than he could remember over the years. “Always cool ta’ be appreciated.”

It was at this moment that Antoine came puffing and panting onto the scene – as his gaze rested on Sonic, he stopped short. “Mon diue!” exclaimed the coyote, his paws flying to his gawping mouth as he stared wide-eyed at the hedgehog’s wounded forehead. “Soneek Edgeog! It is an most aggrieved injury you be sporting!”

Sonic smirked as he reached up to touch the throbbing wound, “Aw, it ain’t nothin’ ta’ worry about, Ant.” The involuntary flinch tht he gave as his fingertips brushed fleetingly against the injury was less than convincing.

Antoine’s response was unexpected to say the least – Sonic could only stare blankly as the coyote began to shrug off the sleeves of his navy-blue guardsman uniform. What was this? Antoine was taking off his uniform! What on all Mobius was this?

As he looked at the uniform that he had doffed and held now in his paws, Antoine felt his lower lip quiver – this garment passed down to him by his father had been the thing he'd cherished most since the day of The Coup. And what he now contemplated doing to it seemed like sacrilege. Even as he felt himself buckling, however, he reminded himself that Sonic had been injured as a direct result of having heroically covered the escape of he and Rotor. And as that thought resonated in his mind, the coyote jutted out that lower lip…and got down to it. Despite the grimness of his resolve, Antoine could feel heat prickle at the back of his eyeballs as he slowly and carefully tore off the rich red trimming – pausing only to further deface it by removing the row of well-polished brass buttons, the coyote silently offered the long strip of material to his comrade.

Sonic had no idea what to say other than, “Hey thanks, Ant!” as he tied the shredded piece of material firmly around his wound, knotting it in place like a headband. After all the years he and the coyote had spent at each others’ throats, the hedgehog thought that he really should feel awkward in the face of Antoine’s concern – yet when he came down to it, he found that he was sincerely moved by this moment of pure friendship. At a loss, Sonic turned a speculative eye upon The Speed Bot 'who' stood silent and still. “So, Rote…I guess I wouldn’t be wrong ta’ think that’cha had a paw in this far-out team-up, huh?”

Rotor’s blubbery cheeks puffed out as he grinned proudly at the mechanical speedster, “Aw, it really wasn’t that big of a deal.” He replied with such genuine modesty that Sonic wanted to shake him in exasperation, “His shell was in perfect condition so all I had to do was give him a jumpstart and voila; he was up and running again! As for how I convinced him to help, well, that was even easier; I just happened to let slip the fact that his chances for a rematch with you and your chances of survival were one and the same. Yep…that about did it!”

Antoine bestowed a watery smile upon The Speed Bot as he slipped back into his now mutilated uniform, “Merci, Monsieur! I is haveeng zee leetle treat for you!” the coyote exclaimed, holding his paw out to the golden robot – in the palm nestled a particularly oily nut-and-bolt. “Bon Apatite!

The Speed Bot exchanged looks with Sonic – the hedgehog got the impression that the great cat would have raised its eyebrows, had it been endowed with a pair.

“But seriously, Rote…” Sonic fought to keep a straight face as he frowned sternly at the walrus - past his two comrades, the hedgehog could see a shape standing in the near-distance; the wooden cart that they had brought with them from Knothole, The Roboticizer's loose wires and cables dangling limply from its sides like the lifeless tentacles of some slain sea-monster. “…how come ya didn’t sashay outta here like I told’ja? Ya coulda’ died, ya know!”

Rather than sagging with guilt, Rotor’s cheeks rose as he returned the hedgehog’s severe look with a knowing smirk. “Why, Sonic!” drawled the walrus, his tone distinctly ribbing. “If I didn’t know better then I’d say that you turned into a responsible adult in your sleep last night!”

Sonic's frown melted into a rueful smile as he shook his head slowly, “Rote, ol’ bud…you’ve really got that Sal impersonation down ta’ perfection.” The expression on the hedgehog’s face froze as the contents of his stomach seemed to turn to water, “Oh man…Sal!” he gasped, not even flinching as his right paw slapped impulsively against his bandaged forehead. “Why am I standin’ here, shootin’ the breeze with you guys while Sal and the others are in mondo trouble?!”

“Whaaat?!” Antoine’s eyeballs popped out so far that they may have landed in the palm of Sonic’s left paw. “Bunnee is in…” the coyote began to bark only to cough and correct himself, now sounding as though a frog had jumped down his throat. “I mean, Zee Princess is in zee big danger?! We must be by her sides right away!”

At any other time, Sonic would’ve noticed at once that Antoine’s mind had flown immediately to Bunnie rather than ‘His Princess’ – at that moment in time, however, the hedgehog’s own mind was wracked with torment as he envisaged the countless horrific fates that might have befallen the one he loved while he’d been screwing and playing ‘hero’. As the hedgehog’s breath squeezed between his teeth with a steam-like hiss, Rotor and Antoine actually lowered their arms to the sides of their bodies as if standing to attention. To his comrades, Sonic appeared as the battle-ravaged warrior he truly was. Even The Speed Bot suddenly appeared attentive, as though chilled by those blazing eyes. “Ant’s right.” The hedgehog's voice was deeper than either the walrus or the coyote had ever heard it, “Bunnie, Tails, Sally…they need us. And…” the hedgehog bit his lower lip before continuing forcefully, “…and we need them! Let’s go find the fight! We all go home or nobody goes home! Freedom Fighters Forever!”

Sonic extended his blood-stained fist – moved by the spirit emanating like a burning aura from their leader’s body, Rotor and Antoine pressed their own knuckles against the hedgehog’s.

“Yeah!! Freedom Fighters Rule!!”

The Speed Bot watched these proceedings with interest, the end of 'his' long tail curling and unfurling in order to swat a particularly overbearing fly – 'he' perceived that a new adventure lay just over the horizon.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Your Highness. Great honour does your jewel-like presence bring this unworthy citadel.”

The hospitable aura that Naugus intended to project was diluted to a great degree by the unnerving sharpness of his teeth as he bared them in a broad smile – rather than a warmly welcoming host, he appeared a predatory beast as he gazed down on the four cornered Mobians. His tone, however, did succeed in sounding pleasantly courtly as he hailed the most distinguished of his ‘guests’. That the sorcerer’s principal concern in life happened to be absolute dominion over all things upon this planet, living or otherwise, did not mean that he had no appreciation for things of pure and simple beauty.

“And yet under such circumstances!” a look of grievous sorrow, the hurt of a soul who had been dealt a deep and undeserved wound, creased the face of Naugus. “That you should have come intending to steal The Roboticizer! Oh Princess!” he tutted with apparently deep reproach as would an aged patriarch before whom a wayward child had been brought, “Did it really never occur to you to ask?”

Ari glared up at the vile sorcerer in helpless silence, his muscle-bound arms pinioned by a duo of SWATbots – the helmet that he had recently worn now lay on the ground like an overly large fruit-bowl. I never did trust this wily old coot… His eyes were grim as he stood, powerless to intervene, waiting to discover what fresh horror Naugus would unleash upon The Freedom Fighters.

As he listened to the sorcerer speak to his Aunt in that wheedling voice, Tails felt his stomach churn…though not purely from disgust. So…this warped creature was Ixis Naugus. Of course Tails had heard all about the sorcerer whose powerful magic, devilish cunning and whimsical cruelty had enabled him to seize the bitter throne of power…as well as made him the most unpredictable and dangerous enemy The Freedom Fighters had ever faced. The lesson now reinforced upon Tails’ mind, however, was that listening in rapt awe whenever Sonic reminisced about his past encounters with Naugus was a completely different experience from actually meeting Naugus face-to-face – it was kind of like the stories that Aunt Sally read to him when he was tucked up in bed, safe and sound. Though they’d made him shiver during the exciting parts and gasp during the scary parts, Tails realised that the evil of the warlocks and witches who lived only on the pages of his books paled before the reality that he now faced…the reality of Naugus who was a living breathing dark sorcerer. The reality of evil would always be far more frightening than any story. That was what Tails had learned for the very first time on the day those SWATbots had captured him. And the fear that he felt as he looked up at the evil creature whose power his Aunts, Ari and he himself were all now in was very real indeed. Tails clenched his fists tightly, as though by doing so he could drive back the fear he felt wrapping around him like a dark and insidious snake. The fox-cub couldn’t let himself surrender to it – if he gave in then he would be admitting that he had no right to be a Freedom Fighter. That Sally was right to try to protect him from the world…

Tails wracked his mind as he focused every ounce of will-power he could muster on keeping the fear locked inside of him. Here he now found himself, locked in a predicament that Sonic had faced dozens if not hundreds of times during the war as he faced an enemy who was holding all of the cards. And just how had his hedgehog hero always reacted to these standoffs? Hmm…this would be a real bad time for me to make a real bad joke, huh? Before he knew it, he had proceeded to open his mouth and make one. “Hey, this must be where The Ugly Club is holding its meeting today!” exclaimed the fox-cub loudly, “Shame I let my subscription lapse!”

Bunnie barely suppressed her giggle as she punched him lightly on the arm, “Good ‘un, Sugah.” She murmured, in her warm green eyes a twinkle that somehow made the situation seem not quite so overwhelming. “Now shush!”

Distaste filled the eyes of Naugus as they flicked toward the jesting fox-cub. There were a great many things which the sorcerer held in low regard, three of which were perpetual as well as immense sources of annoyance for him. The first of which was people with little respect for their elders. The second was people who made an irksome habit of speaking out of turn. And the dislikeable qualities of the first two were both united in the third, the thing that infuriated him most of all…little children.

The look of cold and withering scorn that he had intended to bestow upon Tails was, however, never seen. Instead Naugus’ sharp eyes remained fixed upon the cub, slowly narrowing into fine slits…drawn inexorably toward the pair of bright and healthy-looking appendages which stuck out, in both senses of the phrase, behind the fox who had dared to show such insolence toward him. This…child. Could it be that he is one of the legendary...? For a moment those almond-shaped eyes went wide before their owner tightened the leash of the wonder he felt – they appraised the cub who stood far below as though his very existence was the key to one, or perhaps even all, of the secrets of the universe. Ah...such a marvelous creature! That it should be preceded by the reawakening of long forgotten memories and the springing to life of ancient myth…surely my ascension is written in the stars! The sorcerer’s gaze switched from Tails to Bunnie as her faint sound of mirth disrupted his inner meditation – and as he recognised the rabbit, his expression turned from one of wonderment to one of sourness. Only too clearly did his eyes reflect the sheer disgust that filled him as he gazed upon this pitiful wretch – the mere sight of the partly roboticized rabbit had always brought to an old memory to the of the sorcerer’s mind. That of a strange creature which may or may not have existed many years ago and yet he had come upon the mention of during the many years he had spent studying this planet’s history. Half beauty and half monstrosity…the Snakewoman. As far as Naugus was concerned, the rabbit was the most perfect example of all that had gone so disgustingly wrong with this world during his ten year exile, of the depravity that had spread like a poison during Robotnik’s reign. An error that would finally be corrected, a depravity which was to be purified, a poison drawn…come the hour in which the sorcerer set into motion his master-plan.

Sally shot Tails a look – though utterly silent, it was stern enough to instantly hush the fox-cub. This situated called not for bold bravado but for level-headed reasoning and diplomacy. And as the leader here, that burden fell upon her shoulders. “Naugus.” No longer could even the faintest hint of anger or hysteria be heard in her voice as she hailed their captor, her demeanour one of great courtesy and near-divine calm. “There is a request that I wish to make of you. A personal request.”

Naugus returned his attention to Sally, that snowy beard swishing as he turned his flat head toward her. “Then I shall most certainly hear it. Providing that you will afterwards permit me to make a personal response!” The sorcerer answered banteringly, appearing to forget his supposed disappointment with The Princess in the blink of an eye. “For the present my ears are yours, Noble Scion of the Acorn Dynasty!”

Sally’s paws were planted steadily upon her hips as she stepped toward the northern building, apparently without fear of the dozen rifles aim straight at her back - Robotnik’s fists were clenched, his vast shoulders quivering like a great mass of frogspawn left out in a raging hurricane as he was left standing there like an unneeded manservant whose master had forgotten to dismiss him. The knowledge that he had just been saved by the one whom he so despised, the dismissive manner with which The Princess had turned her back on him, both raged within his dark heart like a crimson maelstrom. One day… This thought The Doctor repeated over and over in his mind, an endless silent chant to keep him anchored to his sanity. …one day soon.

Sally took a deep breath as she stood before the building – the outcome of her attempt to reason with the sorcerer was the only thing that mattered now. “Those who have accompanied me here…I beseech you to allow them to go free.” The Squirrel Princess addressed the sorcerer, not as a captured foe pleading shamelessly for her own life but as an equal. And as Tails watched her in awe, it seemed as though she had grown. Or maybe it was just that the antagonistic SWATbots and even the hulking Robotnik seemed to shrink as Sally spoke, her clear voice ringing with regal authority. “I swear on the memory of my noble forbearers that, should you grant this request, I will go willingly to whatever fate you choose for me.”

Bunnie’s sole gasp of horror carried across the court with shocking clarity, “Sally Girl…what in the world d’ ya’ll think ya’ll are doin’?” she cried, making a movement toward the squirrel.

Tails was already ahead of her, his eyes like bright-blue saucers. “Aunt Sally!” he exclaimed as he reached out to grab her paw, turn her around to face him.

Neither of them reached her. Sally did not speak nor even glance back at either the rabbit or the fox – the arm she held out, the silent and forbidding gesture she made, was enough to instantly quench their attempts to interfere with her solution to this predicament

As he scratched his bearded chin with a gloved finger, Naugus appeared contemplate the proposal which The Princess had just submitted. “Hmm…a proudly uttered request, Princess.” And just the hint of a smirk crept across his face, “I hope that you will forgive me for being so churlish enough to inquire as to just why I should acquiesce. For you are already surrounded by a great and formidable host, are you not?”

Sally had known that this question would be raised and so she had her answer readily prepared, “It is one thing to beat one’s enemies into the dust and another to force those same enemies to bend upon their knees.” She answered matter-of-factly, “Or in other words, our bones may be broken and yet our spirits will not be so easily overwhelmed. Naugus, hear me out. Bunnie has been my friend since childhood – I feel so close to her that I hope I may call her my sister. Ari too is my friend; a Freedom Fighter, brave and true, who has already suffered greatly. And as for the child…” now her voice came dangerously near to trembling – with an effort she reigned in her emotions, sternly reminding herself that all would be lost if she showed the tiniest hint of weakness. It took every ounce of self-control she possessed in order to keep herself from looking over her shoulder at Tails, from trying to reassure him with her eyes alone that everything was going to be all right. “Enough. Just…don’t hurt any of them.” As her voice grew taut and brittle, she decided that it was time to deploy her secret weapon. “Let my friends go and within mere months you will have succeeded where, for ten years, Robotnik constantly failed.” The Princess could feel them as she uttered these words; those crimson pupils, like burning flames trapped behind windows of glass, caressing the back of her head. Robotnik’s implacable stare was completely silent yet no less deadly as she received of it. “I will give you my complete and utter surrender.”

Oh, Sally Girl… Bunnie thought, the bionic belle’s heart soaring out to The Princess whose calm voice rang with heartbreaking turmoil. It’s so wonderful what ya’ll are willin’ t’ do for us…but ya’ll should know by now that we’ll never let ya’ll do it. We stick together thru thick n’ thru thin, always have n’ always will…Freedom Fighters, one n’ all!

Naugus’ narrowed eyes masked whatever thoughts were his as he stared down at The Princess – Sally expected him either to flatly refuse her request or attempt to add a few stipulations of his own to the mix. What she most certainly hadn’t expected was the broad smile that suddenly spread across his face. So…Her Highness’ will is strong. And yet…she has her weakness. “You argue more persuasively than an army of diplomats, Princess.” the sorcerer chuckled, running that claw up and down the length of his beard. “As I have said before and now say again, yours is an extraordinarily fine mind. But I crave your indulgence…for I simply must inquire after my lackey’s beloved nephew. Tell me…” and here he paused to give a quiet and venomous laugh, “…just where has my old co-conspirator gotten himself to? For was he not in your company when he departed from my domain?”

Tails shot a look over his shoulder – he never did know why he felt compelled to do so. All the same, he was and so he did – this was why he alone out of the four from Knothole saw Robotnik’s immediate reaction to the mention of Snively.

The human’s cybernetic hand had hung limply beside his vast hip, both his wide shoulders having slumped as though every last spark of energy within them had fizzled out at the moment of Naugus’ dramatic appearance – at the precise moment Snively was mentioned, however, the fist clenched as if under its own power. And to all appearances, the metallic digits began to slowly squeeze a scrawny and invisible throat…

Tails shuddered and whipped his eyes away from the demonic man, a chill racing down his spine.

Sally’s eyes had narrowed into a steady glare as this incredibly touchy subject had been raised so cavalierly. Conversing with the sorcerer was alike to peeling an onion – the more layers she passed, the more unpleasant became the experience. “Snively survived, if that’s what you wish to know – at present, he lives with us in Knothole.” The Princess answered flatly.

“Does he?” Naugus’ voice reflected a surprise the honesty of which was, as ever, impossible to truly gauge – he was, after all, the prince of lies. “Does he indeed? And how, pray-tell, has dear Snively taken to life in the great outdoors?”

Sally was getting to really dislike him, “He has thrived now that he is free from certain influences, which had contaminated his life just as they continue to contaminate ours.” In spite of the dignity with which she spoke, the words sounded hollow even to her own ears - it was probably all for the best that she did not happen to glance at Tails’ face as she uttered them.

“And yet…” Naugus’ tone was now smooth with polite sarcasm, “…I cannot help but observe that he is presently conspicuous by his absence. Does he not perhaps care to brave the same dangers as his gracious benefactors?”

Sally breathed deeply, “Snively remains behind in Knothole because that is where his gifts aid us the most. In any case, I would not ask him to endanger himself on our behalf.” she snapped, her voice becoming harder and colder with each syllable.

Balderdash. Like a generous glob of clay, Robotnik’s face had contorted slowly into a sneer of contempt as he’d listened to The Princess’ pretty little speech. Hogwash. Certain though I am that you would like to believe that so, I am far more certain that you actually ensure to keep him within the boundaries of that festering rat-hole in the middle of the woods so that he won’t have the opportunity to put a knife between your shoulders while you are here. As I know that he eventually would have done…had he not been spared the treachery. Those hulking shoulders began to rock with laughter – silent laughter yet genuine vindictive laughter nonetheless. Now I wonder…did you extend your hand to him knowing that he would one day sink his teeth into it? His own teeth were bared in a grin of derision, one to which he was so accustomed that it felt just as natural as drawing breath…or slapping Snively for daring to do so in his presence. Or do you, in your ridiculously over-inflated piety, actually believe that you have the power to…change him?

Naugus’ elongated smirk seemed to suggest that, for once in a way, the sorcerer was in full accord with his lackey. “And your father, Princess?” he inquired, his rasping voice now as soft as it could be. “Do tell me of how my old friend has fared since last he and I met!”

My father… For the briefest moment, the mask of emotionless diplomacy slipped from Sally’s face. In her eyes there gathered a storm so great and terrible that the sorcerer would have been swept from his perch in an instant, had it been literal. I can’t believe he’s talking about my father…after what he did! The Princess felt a deep and piercing stab of fury as she was reminded of how the sorcerer’s twisted machinations had very nearly cost her father his life – it made her flesh crawl that Naugus should have the gall to speak so lightly to her, as though her father had not come so very close to paying the ultimate price for the sorcerer’s rise to power. After what he did! “My father is well, both in body and in spirit.” Sally replied – the emotions locked within the squirrel were reigned in so tightly that her voice sounded flat, a stark contrast to the roaring waves of anger crashing relentlessly against a cliff of supreme self-control.

“And great gladness does it bring me to hear you say so.” Naugus sighed as though the knowledge truly was an immense relief to him, “How much easier to bear did your father’s companionship make my many years of exile!” reflecting briefly upon those good old times, the sorcerer gave a creaking chuckle. “Even if I really must say that he was always quite the ninny when it came to chess!”

Sally’s crystal-blue eyes flashed in the face of this casual mockery. “My father was never one for such games, Naugus.” She responded frostily, “His true strength is measured in his determination to defend his people, not by any lust for dominion.”

Naugus emitted a great snort at this, “That which you mistake for compassion is merely a lack of strength, Princess.” He sneered scornfully, “Strength which I most certainly do not lack. Yes…I am he who wields the power to move the earth, the iron will to bend it to his desire and sculpt it in accordance to his blinding vision.” At this, the sorcerer raised his scorpion-like claw solemnly into the air – the twin pincers made a sickening sound as they slowly closed, straining against the synthetic material which encased them both. “By the claw of Naugus shall the future of Mobius be shaped and formed!”

“That claw is right.” Tails muttered to Bunnie, eyeing the sorcerer’s claw and horned head in turn – come to think of it, hadn’t Sonic mentioned that he also had a tail? “I mean…what’s he supposed to be anyway??”

“I weary of these digressions.” Slowly Naugus lowered the claw of symbolism – when he spoke again, his manner had become suddenly businesslike. “Princess…I have considered your request and now will give you my decision.” Sally held her breath, half convinced that her heart would burst as she waited to learn whether she had succeeded or failed. The Princess hoped that she would be allowed a moment in which to hug Bunnie and Tails goodbye, partly because that would be her only chance to secretly pass Nicole to one of them…and partly because she would never see either of them ever again. “As you desire, The Freedom Fighters shall be allowed to depart from my domain, without fetter or hindrance…and with their Princess to lead them.”

Sally was unable to hold back the look of surprise that flitted across her face – she had known an appeal to the ego of the sorcerer had been her best chance but not for a second had she dared to hope for so great a result. “You…mean it?” she asked slowly – though she knew that ideally she ought to both look and sound grateful, The Princess could muster only blankness.

The smile of benignity that Naugus had assumed was belied by the sheer coldness which glimmered in his eyes, “I tend to mean that which I say, Princess.” He replied in a lofty tone.“Yes…you and your companions are free to go forth from this place.” More or less... Suddenly the focus of those chilling eyes was no longer Sally but Tails. “On the trifling condition that you leave this child…to me.”

Robotnik felt a positive certainty that the words uttered by Naugus just then had in fact been distorted by the echo of an explosion over at the dig – The Doctor simply could not believe that he had heard correct. The Princess is offering herself freely to him. All that he must do is reach out to claim her and in that moment he will have gained the ultimate leverage against Maximillian Acorn, the power to crush the spirits of The Freedom Fighters and also surpass me once and for all. And he’s willing to let all of this slip away… The rotund human’s eyes were narrowed into slits of suspicion as he craned his neck, all the better to appraise the fox-cub who was the bone of this fresh contention. …in exchange for that?! Has his mind finally snapped like a dry twig beneath the weight of inevitable senility… Raising a single finger to his chin, he began to stroke it contemplatively. …or could it be that there is more to this insufferable brat than meets the eye?

As the sorcerer stared down at him, Tails realised with surprise that he could neither move an inch nor speak a word – something about that smile just made the fox-cub turn cold from within, as though some kind of power that it exerted upon him had caused every muscle in his body to seize up and his tongue grow so thick that it filled his entire mouth. But as he finally grasped what he’d just heard, Tails realised that it wasn’t some spell of the sorcerer’s that had frozen him – the thing that now trapped his voice inside him, that held him like invisible chains, was in fact pure and overwhelming terror. It was that grinning mouthful of teeth that turned his blood to ice – separated from him though they were by the height of that building, the fox-cub could almost feel those razor-sharp points being buried into his flesh.

What...what's he going to do to me?

With a jolt which felt worse than whiplash, Tails realised that Sally and Bunnie were both staring at him – and as he realised just how he must look in their eyes, a stinging mortification grappled with the fear. He had to be strong, had to be brave - he had to act exactly as Sonic would were the hedgehog in his shoes right now. “Sally...it’s okay.” He told The Princess - his voice was as dry as one of the piles of crunchy dead leaves he always dived into during autumn, slightly taking the edge off his attempt to sound fearless. “I’ll be fine. The Freedom Fighters can’t afford to lose you…”

Sally shook her head once, briefly and dismissively – with that, she turned from the fox-cub as though he hadn’t spoken. He’s saying that he’ll let us go…if we give him Tails? As her mind rippled like a sea of confusion, one thought alone rose to shine bright and clear above the surface. Well…he’s not going to get him! “No, Naugus.” That brief glance at Tails who had looked so harmless and small, so scared, had felt like a dagger thrust into her heart – as she tore her eyes from him, the dagger was torn free and anger flowed forth like blood from an open wound. He actually thinks that I would…?! “No.”

Tails opened and closed his mouth like a goldfish which had tried to leap out of its bowl and into a larger one, its attempt to join the big fish foiled as it found itself flopping uselessly around on the floor – as the fox-cub struggled for words with which to contribute toward this situation, which after all was about him, he felt a paw upon his shoulder. Looking up, he met the firm and no-nonsense stare of Bunnie – though she breathed not a word, the intended meaning of that look was as clear as her emerald eyes; ‘Grownup business, Sugah. Ya’ll keep quiet while we take care of it, now.’

With a dark scowl, Tails closed his mouth firmly.

Naugus’ eyes had widened in apparent astonishment, “No?” he now repeated as though he could not believe that she could really mean what she had said – in reality of course he had known perfectly well that The Princess would respond with a flat refusal, just as had known that the arrival of this very day would be marked by the rising of the sun. It merely amused the sorcerer to watch as this trite scenario played out in all its tedious predictability, influencing the ultimate denouement of this act in not slightest way. Her Highness’ petty whims concern me not…willing or no, The Princess shall render this impudent whelp unto me. As I decide, so shall it be. “No? Princess…you would allow a sentimental attachment to the very least of your subjects to jeopardise your own pretty neck?”

There was utter contempt in Sally’s eyes as, regardless of their respective positions, she spoke down to the sorcerer. “I will never abandon Tails – not to you, not to anyone. Not to save myself nor for any other reason, selfish or selfless.” her voice was as uncompromising as her eyes where cold, “It is true irony that you should boast of supreme vision…yet are supremely blind.”

Naugus’s eyes narrowed as the sorcerer went from theatrical surprise to genuine affront in a heartbeat – and the expression now upon his face strongly reminded Tails of an anaconda with serious stomach-ache resulting from copious rodent gorging. “Blind, Princess?” he inquired in a soft rasping hiss which underlined the serpentine likeness perfectly, “Do these old ears hear aright? For if they do, then please…enlighten me.”

Sally folded her arms across her chest – so intense was her gaze that it might well have scorched the eyes of the sorcerer to mere ash as he met it. “You may indeed wield more power than we can ever dream of. But we have something that not even your magic is powerful enough to steal or replicate. It is a thing that you can never hope to understand let alone destroy, even if you should live for a thousand years. And as long as we live by this thing, you will have no power over us!”

Bunnie felt an surge of pride as she stood with her paw on Tails’ shoulder, listening to her friend give that tricky old cuss what for (as she’d personally have described it) – yet the rabbit sensed that the storm-clouds were now about to burst. And little could she have realised just how appropriate that particular metaphor would prove to have been…

Naugus’ fleshy lips were drawn back over his teeth and suddenly there seemed to be not hundreds but thousands of them, every one as sharp as a knife fresh from the whetstone. It was as though each and every word that Sally had just uttered had been a long sharp needle, piercing his face – not so much as a trace of malignant glee remained, having seeped away like pus from an open abscess, as his visage filled instead with a dark and deadly rage. Never before had any who were present beheld a face of such concentrated fury – even Robotnik took a step back, aghast, from it. It was a wrath like a great and terrible storm about to break, ominous in its deadly calm.

Of course, the sorcerer knew the answer to Sally’s riddle – and it was so ridiculous, so beneath him, that he could have dismissed with a scathing laugh. And he would have done, had she not dared to imply that his power was as nothing in comparison to it. Yet she had…and so he could not. When next he spoke, the sorcerer’s voice sounded colder than the bitterest winter gale. “You may consider my acceptance of your proposal withdrawn, Princess. My generosity comes not from a well which never runs dry - unlike the power that you have so injudiciously scorned. A short sharp lesson may be in order here, I think – you shall learn the benefits of docility, Princess.” A cruel grin split that hideous face as it visibly set in gathering concentration, “Oh yes, you shall learn…and I shall be your tutor.”

With these words the sorcerer threw forth his arms, as though reaching out to snatch the whole world up in an unreciprocated embrace – and as an ominously deep growl rumbled across the sky, The Freedom Fighters wished suddenly that they had remained in Knothole that day. If day it indeed still was – billowing clouds of impenetrable darkness were now gathering high overhead, making it exceedingly difficult to tell. As the court was slowly swallowed by the vast shadow, Sally felt an involuntary shiver. It was a shiver that had nothing to do with the unshakeable chill in the air. A shiver of foreboding. The mere sight of the changing sky made The Princess feel sick with dread – could the sorcerer truly be powerful enough to command the elements? She was not forced to wait long for the answer…

As the black clouds answered to his silent summons, Naugus raised his hand, the palm turned upward. And in response to the commanding gesture, the amassed shadows began to change shape. Bending slowly apart, as though sculpted by a pair of gigantic invisible hands, they came to form a ring of darkness; a vast and yawning shaft which yielded the anxious pallor of the sky above. As though the same artistic hands now paused to smooth over the rougher edges of their work, the sides of the unnatural phenomena slowly ceased to ripple. It appeared, for all of Mobius, as though the sky had turned as black as sack-cloth before being cracked open…to reveal absolute oblivion in all of its bleak grey nothingness.

“Oh mah stars…” Bunnie breathed softly, her velvet voice as near as it could have come to a whisper. “…have ya’ll evah’ seen such a far-fangled thing?”

Within the vast circle of grey, a single pinprick of light began to glisten. It was followed closely by a second, which led the way for a third which superseded a great many more. It looked as though the stars had prematurely rushed out to fill the sky, mistaking the gathering of the dark clouds for the coming of night - now they fell to earth, as though surprised by the presence of the immense grey hole awaiting them.

As one of them landed on Tails’ nose, the fox-cub realised what they actually were…raindrops. A storm was brewing. Deeply unsettled though he felt, Tails remained determined not to let it show. “Is this supposed to dampen our spirits?” he remarked, feeling proud of this particular quip – he was really getting the hang of this whole laughing-in-the-face-of-evil thing now.

The touch of each and every falling raindrop felt bitter as it was icy to The Freedom Fighters. For so long had they relied upon the rainfall to help nurture the vegetables painstakingly grown in order to keep their bellies filled in wintertime and to keep the riverbanks bountifully filled in summertime – and so it felt like a betrayal as that natural wonder forsook them without a moment’s hesitation, abandoned them all in order to answer the call of the sorcerer. What struck Sally as most uncanny about this sudden rainfall was that it appeared entirely contained within the boundaries of the court…

As it howled like a soul condemned to endure an eternity of inconsolable grief, the wind caught at Naugus’ cloak as though striving to tear it from his shoulders – as the garment was spread wide, rippling like a great and boneless pair of batwings, the sorcerer’s malediction boomed out across the sky;

“As shadows roll across the heavens,
As day turns to darkest night,
Let all look to the sky and know despair everlasting!
O Divine War Hammers,
Hearken to my call!
Descend from the sky I have set asunder,
Let these upstarts cower as they learn what it means to evoke the almighty wrath of The Gods!”

As she held her dampened locks out of her face, Sally looked over her shoulder – and as she saw the rising tension in Bunnie and Tails’ respective eyes, she smiled pensively. “I…don’t think that I like the sound of that.” At least…that was what she tried to say. Whether or not the words actually left her mouth she never knew – for it was at this moment that her ears were filled with a sound. A sound so acutely loud that, ludicrous as the concept would have sounded if she’d tried to put it into words, she practically didn’t hear it. The best description which could have been applied was that this sound was negated by its own echo, as though the two swallowed each other whole…leaving nought but a ringing in the squirrel’s ears. Sally watched as stunned shock spread across her friends’ faces…before both were engulfed by the flash of blinding light that rushed past her. As she stood stock still, Sally felt a wave of burning heat wash over the front of her body, turning every strand of fur on her body tingly…not to mention frizzy.

Slowly, very slowly, Sally turned her head forward again - she stared blankly at the wide hole which had appeared right in front of her, a charred and smoking parting-gift courtesy of the thunderbolt that had struck whilst she’d spoken to her comrades. And as her mind fought to get to grips with what she saw, a coarse cackle floated down from the northern building;

“Dance my pretty…dance!”

Cognisance flooding back into her eyes, Sally shot her comrades another look – as she did so, she screamed; “Scatter!” And as that single word rang out clearly, she threw herself back…barely avoiding the second thunderbolt called upon to strike her down!

Neither Bunnie nor Tails needed to be told twice. Indeed, the rabbit impulsively covered her robotic arm with its organic counterpart as she turned and began to run – though she knew that it wouldn’t make the blindest bit of difference, she felt a cringe run through her in response to the mere thought of any of her cybernetic limbs being struck by thunder. An instinctive fear the searing bolt that missed her graceful back by mere inches did little to dismiss.

Naugus’ asthma-ridden giggle sounded again, an eerie accompaniment to the growling thunderclouds - as he swept his hand toward the rabbit in an extravagant gesture, he looked strikingly like the eccentric composer of a (quite literally as it happened) thunderous orchestra.

“Run rabbit,
Run rabbit,
Run-run-run!”

As he charged across the ground with fists clenched, Tails couldn’t resist the opportunity to call out; “Hey Bunnie, I think I just figured out the reason this guy decided to become a sorcerer!”

As she threw her body sideward, narrowly avoiding instant incineration, Bunnie raised both eyebrows. “Why’s that, Sugah?”

“Cuz he’d have made one heck of a crappy singer!”

Though she did not cease to run for even a second, Bunnie found herself smirking. “Oh ya’ll are a card, Darlin’…a real hoot! An’ ya’ll also be one crispy crittah’, ‘less ya’ll mind stays focused on the danger at hand!” she reprimanded him as she prepared to dodge again.

The point was brought home to Tails as an especially sizzling bolt struck the ground directly behind him. The fox-cub leapt almost eight feet up into the air with a yelp of shock amid a shower of charred concrete chunks. Another croaking cachinnation resounded from Naugus’ lofty perch;

“Good little children are seen and not heard…whereas bad little children, if seen, are hurt!"

By no conceivable stretch of imagination could it have been said that The Freedom Fighters were not in an exceptionally tight spot. In the sights of twelve armed and trigger-ready SWATbots, the trio were unable to do anything more than run and dodge in an endless repetitive dance to avoid being struck by the seemingly endless thunderbolts.

As he watched the three run in circles and dive through the air in their efforts to escape the thunder, overcome with desperation just like the mere animals he had always known them to be, there was a profoundly ill-natured grin on Robotnik’s face. Oh this is too perfect… It was surely only a matter of time before one of tormented Freedom Fighters fell prey either to the endless thunder…or to the urge to bolt, to make a fruitless attempt to break through the motionless SWATbots. …just too perfect! A death-sentence in either case, Robotnik acknowledged silently. The question that held particular for him was just which of these two possible fates The Freedom Fighters would ultimately choose. As far as they themselves were concerned, the outcome would be precisely the same…dead, after all, was dead. From the perspective of Doctor Robotnik, on the other hand, the difference would be immense. After all the years of having been forced to suffer their constant defiance and aggravation, endure frustration upon frustration and failure after failure, it would be immensely satisfying to watch as The Freedom Fighters were brought down by the ruthless laser-fire of his SWATbots. Come now, little Freedom Fighters…snap! Crumble! The mere prospect of looking down on the body of The Princess as it lay on the ground, like an exquisite butterfly smashed by a single sweep of a powerful hand, was so sweet that he could taste it already. Give in to every one of those natural instincts screaming away all at once inside of you and run! And its taste was that of Ambrosia, the very nectar of the Gods themselves. Run straight to your doom!

“No…”

Forced to watch as his comrades came closer and closer to death, Ari might have struggled in vain against his captors’ iron-like grasps - he might have bellowed resounding curses, expletives so worldly that under any other circumstances, Sally and Bunnie would each have clasped a of paw over one of Tails’ pointed ears. The ram could have given his hated enemies the pleasure of seeing him thrash, of abandoning his stony-faced dignity as he became totally unglued. Yet he did not. Instead Ari grit his teeth, clenched his paws…and prayed for a miracle.

Robotnik’s eye glimmered with callous amusement as he spared the helpless ram a sidelong glance, “Don’t be so glum, my dear boy. Consider yourself privileged.” Each and every syllable the human uttered was pure distilled malice, “The last stand of Princess Acorn is nigh; an historic event that every Freedom Fighter on the planet would give their right paw for the honour to witness firsthand. And you have one of the best seats in the house! Figuratively speaking, that is. But oh…could it in fact be the possibility of experiencing survivors guilt that so mortifies you? If that is indeed the root of your discomfort than, please, be troubled no longer.” A finger as thick as a sausage stabbed at the prisoner in malediction as those teeth ground together in a heathen grin, “First them…then you!!”

As her boots marked a desperate and squelching trail across the ground, Sally stumbled momentarily. And as her face jerked downward, she saw her face reflected back at her by the drenched concrete; the sight of her own desperate eyes compounded the hopeless horror of this sadistic nightmare. Despite the arm she hugged against it, her side was wracked with a growing stitch – and the higher the pain climbed, the clearer her mind became.

As though each burning stab served to drive the point further home, Sally came to understand the true purpose of this sick game. Naugus, she reasoned, had them all right in the palm of his one hand. Yet rather than simply crush the three, the sorcerer insisted on toying with them. No…not the three of us. Understanding crystallised in her mind. Me. If the sorcerer had truly sought to obliterate her then he could have accomplished it in a heartbeat – this was not about destruction but control.

What Naugus intended was for the pain and fear to wear down her will to the point that she would feel she had no other choice than to cry out for supplication, to tell him that she would surrender Tails if only he would spare her life – the sorcerer wanted her to want to sell the cub’s life in order to save her own. And as she perceived this truth, Sally saw her eyes harden in renewed determination. Never… The Princess would never thrust the fox through the gateway to Hell – the act of betrayal would have been the true path to damnation. No…she would protect Tails. She had protected him since the very moment of his arrival in this world and always would – and she did so not because he was a fellow Freedom Fighter nor even because of the promise she had made on that day ten years ago. Both factored into it but still both melted before the real reason for her unbreakable defiance; Tails was half of her heart. …never!

The grin that encompassed the entire lower half of Naugus’ visage was sadism in its purest rawest and ultimately most satisfying form as he watched The Princess slip and stumble – he could practically feel the weariness slowly stealing over her limbs. There is no armour against fate, Princess. Come now… And the weaker she became, the stronger grew his certainty that that her spirit would inevitably follow – it was surely a matter of mere moments now. …for all of your airs and graces, you will have to surrender to me.

As she kept running, running until the limitations of her own body delivered her unto death, Sally thought also of a certain blue hedgehog. Sonic… A hedgehog who in spite of the many aspects of his personality that exasperated and infuriated her, was the other half of her heart. Oh Sonic… As the crash of thunder and the screech of laughter blended together in her ears, a chaotic cacophony, Sally hoped that he would be able to get out of the city alive. Get The Roboticizer back to Knothole. Ensure that those countless tortured souls would at last be released from the living nightmare they had all endured for so long. Make her death and the deaths of her friends here today mean something. I just wish that I could have seen you one last time…before the end.

It was in this moment when all hope seemed to have faded beyond recall that it came, heralded by a boom so deep that The Freedom Fighters naturally mistook it for the resounding crash of yet another thunderclap. Yet for some reason, Tails again felt the urge to look over his shoulder. As he stared at the dark mouth of the south-western alleyway, the fox-cub thought that it would swallow him whole…and right now, heck, he wished it would. Then he saw it…and as he did, it was as though he’d finally been struck by one of the thunderbolts. What was funny about it was that it actually didn’t feel so bad – if this was being dead, the fox-cub mused, then it really didn’t deserve the bad rap it constantly received. As he realised that the sensation he now experienced was not that of intense electrification but of the new hope that suddenly coursed through him, reviving and empowering his spirit tenfold, Tails ceased his madcap scramble. “Sally!!” he yelled at the top of his voice, his gloved paw shooting toward the alleyway. “Look!!”

Sally looked across her shoulder, primarily to yell at him to keep running – as her eyes followed the direction of his pointed finger, however, the stern command died upon the verge of her lips.

That dazzling flash of motion had been the distant light at the end of that dark tunnel when Tails had first glimpsed it. As Sally’s captivated eyes watched it surge through the alleyway like an unstoppable blue wave, however, it turned from a vague blur to a figure that was strikingly familiar to her. It was the figure of he whom The Princess would rather have seen than a whole army of Freedom Fighters in this, her darkest of hours.

Naugus’ leer of grotesque glee was supplanted by a frown as he stayed his gloved hand just in time to avoid inadvertently incinerating one of his ‘guests’ – as his sport inexplicably ground to a halt, he turned a glare upon the alleyway. And as they perceived the individual who exploded through the heavy curtain of rain, they were suffused with such rancour that the raindrops were almost frozen in their descent. Him! So…that puerile metal golem has failed me! Like the dried skin of two dead worms, his lips parted in a silent feral snarl as he witnessed the surging streak of blue effulgence. That fool Robotnik!

Robotnik’s blood had been as heated as an oil-spill doused in napalm as he had revelled in the sight of The Freedom Fighters running for their lives. Thus the sight of them ceasing to run, of the unmistakable delight which sprang to life in their eyes as they glimpsed something or other just beyond his own line of vision, was to him like an ice-cube being dropped down his neck. Something…behind me? Slowly the bald head swivelled – and as he stared over his vast shoulder, the downcast dictator’s eyes were struck with an emptiness which verged on being eerie. My eye lies! Omega…I commanded Omega to…!!

Tails grinned like a monkey as he hopped up and down on the spot, throwing his paws out wide with glee. I knew he’d come…I just knew! At the halfway point of his next jump, the fox-cub found himself being swept up by a pair of arms; one soft, one hard. Bunnie’s grin reached her sparkling green eyes as she engaged Tails in an impromptu dance of joy. “We’re saved, sweetie!” she cheered, “That darlin’ Sugah Hog wouldn’t leave us hangin’ in a million years!”

Ari too gazed over his broad shoulder, a wide grin spreading across his face. Now this I just have to see! thought the ram as his captors followed suit, minus the grins. Not that I was going anywhere...

As she watched him come, Sally’s wide eyes shone with a joy that not even the darkness of the sky above could engulf nor could the fear of death break; from the depths of the shadows he came like a bolt of blue lightening.

If there actually existed some unseen omnipotent entity which watched over all of Mobius then Ari's prayer had been answered - if wishes came true then Sally's had been granted that day.

And as she called out the name to which this living symbol of undying courage belonged, The Princess’ voice sounded like the sweetest song imaginable in its soaring elation;

“Sonic!”

Sonic the Hedgehog’s eyes were aflame with fury as he sped toward the small army of SWATbots, his fists clenched in readiness for the conflict ahead; “Okay…” he growled, the trailing ends of his makeshift bandage lashing the air. “…get the heck away from my family!”


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Dumping Zone lay in a state of absolute shambles – the piles of machinery which had as recently as one hour ago stood in towering piles of ordered chaos had been obliterated, reduced to shattered chunks of utter chaos. A mere glance would have proved sufficient to convince any casual viewer (had there actually been any in Robotropolis) that this place had recently been used as a war-zone – a preconception that would have borrowed considerable weight from the fact that that was precisely what had occurred on this day.

Silence reigned in the aftermath of the fierce conflict that had raged in the machine’s graveyard…a state which didn’t last long. The growl of an engine stirring to life rumbled across overturned heaps. The vermin and cockroaches which had not been driven away already fled now in fear as this mechanical purr grew more steady and deep with each passing second – dust-particles danced like miniscule jumping-beans as the source of this disturbance caused the very ground to quake in apprehension.

The payoff to this suspenseful build-up came abruptly – and it was dramatic indeed. What it lacked in sophistication was far more than made up for in regard to sheer effort. With a resounding boom worthy of the thunderstorm that raged in the distance, one of the few scrap-piles that had remained miraculously intact now went the way of the rest of its rusted brethren; from the depths of The Dumping Zone it came, having ploughed through that obstacle as easily as a shower of water.

A hulking slab of metal, mounted upon one monstrous tread which left a series of corrugated scars gashed into the aged concrete as it moved – above the triad of laser-canons riveted to the face of this utter horror, a battlement of a cockpit could clearly be seen. This was but one of many weapons with which War Minister Julian Kintobor had, ten years ago, turned the tide of The First Great War in favour of The House of Acorn; The Mobian Ground Tank.

Today, however, the controls of this war-machine were not in the hands of a grim-faced Mobian Soldier…but of another machine.

Lieutenant Omega had not been finished as The Freedom Fighters so blissfully believed – The Elite SWATbot had only just managed to throw ‘himself’ from The Hover Pad, landing a clear distance away as it had careered straight into the heart of that mountainous mass of refuse and consequently been engulfed. And as ‘he’ piloted ‘his’ newly-procured killing-machine, Omega now had just one burning objective.

(This isn’t over, Hedgehog…it won’t be over until you are dead!)

End of Chapter

[The Mysterious Traveller]

Unfortunately, it seems I'll have to post the next chapter tomorrow. Sorry about that, slight technical error.

[The Mysterious Traveller]

Chapter Seven
Basketball Court Battle Royale; From The Past A Shadow Rises

Hedgehog...

The eyes of Doctor Robotnik were empty as a glass decanter which had sat among the cobwebs of a long unopened antique cabinet, blank as a sheet of paper which had lain long forgotten inside the drawer of a dusty old writing-desk – yet as the one in whose skull they resided stared at the figure now coming toward him at rapid speed, paragraph after paragraph of an antagonistic history began to appear upon that sheet even as the glass was filled with the wine of a hatred that had grown extremely intoxicating over the passing years.

…Hedgehog...

And at the very instant he was assured that they deceived him not, Robotnik narrowed those eyes – the history that he shared with the approaching figure now burned in his mind with such stark clarity that it might have been written in boiling blood upon the parchment which was his memory, the hatred so all-consuming as it spilled forth from the rim of the glass which was his dark heart that it might have been growing over the course of a thousand rather than merely ten years.

…Hedgehog!

That stale dough-ball of a face contorted into a grin as the sight of his old enemy brought the old enmity roaring up from the depths of his seething soul – there had once been a time when he had spent most of his waking hours contemplating endless schemes by which he might finally bring about the caging of this insufferable rodent, a vast myriad of methods of ushering him to his death as slowly and uncomfortably as possible. It felt truly bizarre to remember that time, given that he barely even thought about the hedgehog these days. If the ever mounting number of hours, days, weeks spent flinching in response to the most careless twitch of his new master’s finger and thumb had reduced Robotnik’s very existence to an endless and sadistic nightmare…then the hedgehog’s return was a metaphorical drop of water which brought him back to wakefulness as it dripped from the metaphorical ceiling.

And as his mind was liberated from the chains of oppression, Robotnik felt as though he had returned to the time before his imposing shoulders had been bowed by the humiliation of enslavement – the time in which he had been the overlord of a great and mighty empire, his smallest gesture flowing with immense power and pride. The time before he had been reduced to the role of a mere pawn; outwardly tattered and bedraggled, inwardly ashes and ruins.

Most exquisitely of all…Doctor Robotnik felt like himself again.

The grin that split The Doctor’s face was like a crevice out in The Great Unknown, those teeth like great chunks of jagged rock, as he watched his enemy approach – there was a glint of devilry in those eyes as they came alive again with burning malevolence. What an entrance! How dramatic! The human raised his roboticized hand slowly into the air. How thrilling! One (with a lot of imagination and a seriously inebriated mind) might have mistaken him for an oversized schoolboy eager to answer a question posed by his invisible teacher during a field-trip to the decaying city. Whereas in fact he was poised to deliver a signal to the fourteen SWATbots now holding The Freedom Fighters at rifle-point. How utterly pointless! The hedgehog may huff and puff just as much as he cares to – but in the end, it is I who shall be The Big Bad Wolf! It did not cross The Doctor’s mind that he had tangled his fairy-tales – nor would he have cared a single jot if it had. With his precious Princess at my less than tender mercy, I possess the winning hand…that is to say, the upper-hand! And as he should know by now…I never bluff!!

As he raced into the court, Sonic couldn’t help realising that he really had neglected to think this through – back at The Dumping Zone, all that he’d cared about was getting here as fast as possible to save his friends. Now that he was here, there was considerably more room for thought in his mind – and as he mentally assessed the situation, the hedgehog was forced to acknowledge that the big rescue wasn’t going to be quite so simple.

Situation; Sally, Bunnie, Ari and Tails were all standing in the firing-line of a whole bunch of rifle-wielding SWATbots. One wrong move on his part and he'd be looking at sizzled squirrel, roasted rabbit, not-so-rare ram and fried fox. Course of action; well, what?

Strategy was what, “Hey, Egg For Brains!” Sonic heckled The Doctor as he veered in order to perform half a lap around his own side of the court – if nothing else, it would buy him time to think. “Why don’cha let my buds go an’ take me on, Sluggo a Hedgehoggo?”

From the outset, the hedgehog didn’t hold out a great deal of hope that this half-hearted gambit might succeed – for it to have stood any chance of actually working, his enemy would have needed to be the kind of villain who preferred his moments of triumph to remain untainted by the presence of others. And that was the precise point at which the hedgehog’s ploy fell to pieces; the nemesis he now faced was not that kind of villain at all. He was a man who would not merely be ready but eager to hold an entire forest to ransom, threatening to burn every leaf and twig to the ground, just to force a single enemy out into the open – a man who would not simply have been willing but delighted to throw a mother mouse into The Roboticizer and publicly announce his intention of throwing the switch, thus condemning her eight children to death by starvation, unless that same enemy came to take her place within the next five minutes.

He was Doctor Robotnik - and at long last he had his arch-nemesis, Sonic the Hedgehog, right in the palm of his gloved hand.

Every flake of dried skin and oozing pour on Robotnik’s body seemed to reek pure derision as he scoffed the mere suggestion, “A possible scenario, rodent…” the human drawled with all the complacency of a scoundrel whom knew that he had absolutely nothing to fear. “…though an extremely unlikely one. Just regard the situation, Hedgehog. I do believe that I have…”

Robotnik never managed to complete that sentence (though for posterity’s sake, his next words would probably have been “…you right where I want you.”) – with the hostages facing swift and merciless death by his word, the human felt in his bones that this would be the day on which the hedgehog finally fell.

But of course…even one’s bones could be proven wrong.

A bitter lesson learned that day by Doctor Robotnik. The SWATbot Unit’s current prerogative was to ensure that The Freedom Fighters were kept at bay, to be fired upon with extreme force in the event that even one of them put so much as a foot out of place. Yet as all fourteen robotic foot-soldiers gazed simultaneously over their shoulders, it was as though this charge was erased from their artificial minds – in a nanosecond, holding the hostage quartet at rifle-point no longer seemed so high a priority.

As the en mass clink of several metallic heels turning with a flourish resonated through the air-waves, Robotnik gave a bewildered blink – those dark depthless eyes blazed with fury as they saw that The SWATbot Unit no longer faced the hostage Freedom Fighters. “What is the meaning of…?!” was all that he had the chance to bellow.

The rest of the torrential stream of red-faced abuse was lost, drowned as the fourteen SWATbots broke their silence in order to speak as one;

“Hedgehog, Priority One! Capture By Order of Robotnik!”

Robotnik’s lower-jaw dropped, hanging limply as though the bone that connected it to the rest of his skull was shattered by the shock that now hit him like a blow to the face. “Oh no...” Every SWATbot created in order to stalk the shadowy streets of Robotropolis had been programmed to consider the hedgehog’s apprehension its ultimate priority – thus the briefest glimpse of a blue spike whipping out of sight around a corner would instantly cause one of the many identical humanoid robots to forsake its prior task and take pursuit. “No…” Never had it crossed the former megalomaniac’s mind that this very programming might one day result in the tables being turned in the hedgehog’s favour – that fatal oversight became glaringly clear as the entire Unit now abandoned the task of keeping the hostages under control, breaking formation in order to charge toward that staggeringly swift hedgehog. And Robotnik’s face turned so red that one might have friend an egg upon it as, his ultimate weapon against the hedgehog having been cast aside, he felt sweet victory slip through his fingers yet again. “NOOOO!!”

Sonic wore a gloriously glowing grin as his dynamite feet veered back toward the stand-off – it was the grin of a hedgehog who was now back in the ballgame. And how! “Yo, Robuttnik!” his voice rose to taunt the chagrined human, “Ya believe that’cha have what? One mondo ugly mug? Yeah, ya sure have that…but I guess it ain’t the answer! Well how ‘bout one case of realio trulio bad breath? Hotter? Colder? Ooh, ooh! I gottit’! Ya have one hedgehog-sized problem ta’ deal with! I belieeeve…we have a winnah’!!” in a flash, the hedgehog closed the distance between himself and The Doctor. “Rushed right offa’ my feet right now, Robo Butt…torque ta’ ya later!!”

As he struggled to keep the hedgehog in sight, Robotnik parted those cavernous jaws in order to make way for an especially menacing threat – it was left to find its own forlorn way to the oblivion reserved for all unuttered sentences as a high-speed-hedgehog-induced gust of wind caused the tattered yellow cape affixed to his shoulders to become entangled about his sinister face.

“Hedgeh…mmf?!”

As The Doctor staggered from side to side in a heavily intoxicated manner, Sonic circled behind one of The SWATbots now charging straight toward him – the robotic warrior spun on its heel to see the Priority One Hedgehog just standing there, cheerily waving. “Stay right where you are, Hedgehog.” proclaimed that tinny drone of a voice.

Sonic stared blankly as the laser-rifle was aimed directly at him – the barrel of the deadly weapon was not, however, the source of his sudden shock. “Stay right…? Are ya…?” As his brain processed what he’d just heard, the hedgehog simply could not hold back the mirth that came gushing up to his mouth. “Are ya serious?” It just had to have been the most excruciatingly ridiculous thing anyone had said to him in his whole life…and the hedgehog had spent a decade living alongside Antoine! “Ya…ya are, aren’cha? Ya actually serious!!”

With a merry laugh, Sonic weaved a second circle around the accosting SWATbot – the difference was that this time around he didn’t stop. The same could not be said for The SWATbot – the towering android attempted to repeat its stunt of a few seconds ago, only for its metal ankles to become entangled, bringing their owner crashing heavily and embarrassingly to the ground. Just in time to inadvertently trip up the next SWATbot as it made a lunging attempt to take the fleet-footed Freedom Fighter from behind…

Leaving his pair of now intertwined assailants to eat his dust, Sonic turned and rocketed directly into the heart of the oncoming robotic maelstrom – his teeth clenched into a fierce grin, his eyes retaining that bright and seemingly inextinguishable spark of humour. It was the face of a hedgehog now staring death in the face, daring it to give him its very best shot…and he was not alone.

For as fortune turned so miraculously in their favour, The Freedom Fighters moved. Bunnie pumped her arms back and forth as she bore down on one of the charging SWATbots, “Hee-yah!!” exclaimed the rabbit as she launched herself through the air in a devastating flying-kick – the combined force of both bionic feet deprived her former captor of its head; a change of circumstances so sudden and unexpected to the robot that it actually continued to thrash ineffectually as it collapsed, now a useless ravaged shell, to the ground.

Sally paused only to show a clear and uncompromising eye to the gawping Tails, “Don’t even think about it! Stay here!” And then she was sprinting past the rabbit, flinging her body sideward and rolling as smoothly as water across the ground. When she sprang back to her booted feet, the squirrel cradled the rifle of the beheaded robot beneath her steady arm. First one and then a second laser-beam cut through the air, each preceded by a dazzling flash of purple, each aimed with perfect precision – barely a split-second later, two SWATbots were sprawling across the ground with matching holes burnt straight through their heads.

As she twisted off the arm of the SWATbot which had tried to seize her wrist, Bunnie took the opportunity to cheer on The Princess. “Why, Sally Girl! Ah do declare that t’ be the smoothest shootin’ these green ol’ eyes o’ mine evah did see!” complimented the rabbit as she performed a perfect home-run, using the dismembered arm for the bat and the hapless SWATbot’s head for the ball.

Sally responded with a cool collected smile, “I suppose my recent target-practice may have paid off after all.” She remarked, squinting along the barrel of her borrowed weapon and taking unerring aim for a third time.

Alerted by the disconnected head that soared over the southern rooftop, two of the SWATbots swung around to meet the new threat – as fate had it, however, it met them. As soon as this very pair of SWATbots had relinquished their accosting grips upon him, Ari had turned his flinty eyes toward them in a glare of silent vengeance. And free at last to act upon it, the ram did not hold back. Lowering his head, Ari charged across the cracked and charred ground – propelled by a pair of strong hooves, the pair of curving horns cannoned into the chest of the robotic duo with a force so devastating that both their armoured bodies split into two. “I hope you boys learned a lesson here today.” the ram grunted, beads of sweat coursing down his face as he casually flipped a pair of dismembered torsos up into the air. “Don't get between a ticked off Freedom Fighter and his pals!”

Sonic felt as though he was trapped inside the biggest bug-zapper in the world – whereas in reality he was running along the side of the western building in order to evade the combined fire-power of three SWATbots which, having managed to regroup, were engaged now in a co-ordinated endeavour to fix themselves a spot of Hedgehog Hash. As he swerved clear of another searing streak, Sonic narrowed his eyes in response to a flash of reflected light from someway up ahead – and as he perceived its source, a plan was born in the hedgehog’s mind. Time for one radical reversal! As he made to streak on by, Sonic’s paw shot out and gripped the rusty basketball-hoop jutting from the building’s side – in the subsequent second, the hedgehog was swung back in the direction from which he’d just come without losing the slightest degree of momentum!

The laser-fire momentarily ceasing as The SWATbot trio attempted to discern just where their moving target had moved to, Sonic launched himself into fight-back mode – with a thrust of the ankles, the hedgehog performed a corkscrewing dive through the air. “Yo!” he exclaimed as his sneaker-shod soles slammed into the shoulders of a robotic warrior, the sudden impact sending it staggering back. “Sorry ta’ drop in unannounced like this!"

“Priority-One…” was all the SWATbot had time to say before crashing to the ground.

Sonic rebounded into the air, exploiting his momentum in order to perform a breath-taking somersault. “Don't wanna be a pain in the butt…” the hedgehog continued, his tone breezy as his feet landing astride the shoulders of the second SWATbot which consequently stumbled forward.

“…Hedgehog…” the robot succeeded in uttering before its finely designed head smashed face-first into the unsophisticatedly hard ground.

“…so I’ll just be cruisin’ along on my righteous way now!” Sonic concluded as he dove from The SWATbot’s descending back – the hedgehog was enjoying himself immensely as he hit the ground sliding, shooting straight between the legs of the third SWATbot which strove to seize him in its powerful arms only to find itself performing an extremely impressive though purely unintentional forward somersault. “Say adios!”

“…alert!” was the last word the animosity-fuelled automaton had time to say before its body was shaken apart by the fierce concussion, its freshly disembodied head bouncing and rolling across the ground like a loose wagon-wheel.

And as he witnessed from aloft the descent of an exquisitely inescapable trap into an all-out massacre, Ixis Naugus felt it anew; the contemptuous disgust that had grown to become as familiar as the reflected image of his own face during the passage of the many years he had spent observing, through magical means of course, the events unfolding upon this planet. Drop by drop had sheer scorn welled within the soul of the sorcerer as, from the bitter isolation of The Void, he had witnessed his despised betrayer fail time and time again to deal competently with a simple case of pest control.

He cannot so much as keep his wind-up warriors under control… Given his volatile temper and blatant over-reliance on the very machines which proved even now to be his Achilles Heel, it remained to the sorcerer a great marvel that the human had succeeded even in overthrowing The Kingdom of Acorn. …and yet he once thought to rule this world?! Ha! How delightfully absurd! Truly, the antics of my former partner in intrigue would be most amusing…were they not most pitiful!

Chuckling inwardly over Robotnik’s utter incompetence, Naugus turned his attention toward the hedgehog-shaped streak of blue now moving at mind-boggling speed. The sorcerer’s sharp eye narrowed into a harassed slit as it failed even to keep up with the intense blur much less muster the concentration necessary to summon a thunderbolt with which to strike it down. Hmph… The sorcerer could quite easily invoke a thunder-strike to obliterate the whole court, it was true – yet resorting to such a course of action would have marked the moment in which he admitted that his formidable cunning had failed him. And if the decrepit-bodied sorcerer should choose to forsake his powerful mind…then, as far as he was concerned, he would have nothing left. And at any rate, such a desperately cack-handed measure might lead to the destruction of a certain party; a party in whom the sorcerer now held vested interested. I must wait for my window of opportunity to open. And when it does… Allowing those sharp eyes to close, Naugus smiled as blissfully as though he smelt a blue-berry pie cooling upon a window-sill. When it does…oh joy!

Tails watched raptly as Sonic zigzagged around the court like a flash of blue lightning, moving so incredibly fast that not a single laser-blast came within an inch of him – and as he did, the toothy grin that had split his face slowly faded. Again the fox-cub felt the desperate urge to prove himself.

For a moment, Tails contemplated Sally’s command that he remain out of the fray – and as he mulled that crisply clear instruction over in his mind, it was joined by the equally clear memory of a certain remark that The Princess had made during her ultimately disastrous attempt to negotiate with Naugus. And as he brooded over it, the face of the two-tailed fox grew hard and stony. She…called me a child. Another moment was all it took for Sally’s direct order to be dismissed from the cub’s mind. A child…in front of everyone! He couldn’t just stand around on the sidelines – he needed to get right in there with the others, battle alongside his fellow Freedom Fighters!

Mustering every last ounce of courage he possessed, Tails clenched his fists and ran forward – and as they darted from left to right, his bright-blue eyes wavered. As he watched Bunnie engaging in fierce close-quarter combat, Sally performing fetes of stunning marksmanship, Ari taking down adversaries through sheer brute strength, Sonic being everywhere at once…Tails felt overwhelmed. Now that he was on the battlefield, what should he do?

What can I do?!

Had the vast thundercloud not suffocated what little light this city knew, Tails would have felt the ominous shadow now creeping over him – yet he still heard. As a deep breath swept his back, Tails momentarily stood frozen to the spot – fighting off the shackles of fear for the second time that day, the fox-cub turned his head to stare up at the person who stood behind him.

Doctor Robotnik too had braved the immense danger of the raging battle – and as he loomed over the fox, the human appeared far more huge and terrifying than any troll or ogre. “I wonder if Naugus would permit me to keep you as a pet once he tires of you?” as those chilling words were hissed, the monstrous human reached out for the hostage with whom he might yet seize victory from the jaws of defeat. “Don’t you dare try to run, boy…unless, of course, you want me to break every last bone in your scrawny little body!”

Sally’s right eye was like that of a hunting eagle as she took aim upon her fifth SWATbot – yet as she prepared to draw back the trigger, the corner of that same eye caught a glimpse of something which turned her blood to ice. To say that The Princess' concentration was broken by the horrifying spectacle of Robotnik towering over her young charge would have been to make a World Record-Breaking Understatement. “Sonic…Sonic!!” she cried in utter desperation, turning her head this way and that in an effort to locate the only one who could save the cub now. “Tails needs you!! Please!!”

As her attention was ripped from it, The SWATbot took aim with its own rifle…

Through one eye, Bunnie saw The SWATbot preparing to murder her friend – through the other, the squirrel lowering her guard as something distracted her. With both cybernetic feet, the rabbit moved - vaulting over the crumpled husk of her own trashed foe and sprinting at full speed, Bunnie took the ambitious automaton down with a powerful slam of her hunched shoulder. As the blind-siding rabbit knocked it off-balance, The SWATbot was treated to a magnificent view of the ground – this, however, was the only perk that the metal warrior received. Pausing only to crush the head of the fallen robot underfoot just as she would a discarded yet still smouldering cigarette, Bunnie turned her attention to Sally – on her caramel-furred face was the most severe look she had ever given her beloved best friend. “Sally Girl, what the hoo-ha could be important enough t’…” as she began to utter this hot reprimand, the rabbit followed the line of the squirrel’s gaze – and as she comprehended Tails’ plight, her emerald eyes widened in pure horror. “Oh Mah…!!”

Sonic’s pointed ears were filled by the hammering of his own feet against waterlogged concrete and the mayhem raging around him – yet still the hedgehog heard that pleading scream. His beady stare swept the battlefield, swiftly ascertaining Tails’ peril. “Hero-time!” Narrowing those infallible eyes, the hedgehog craned his neck forward and cranked his speed-level up to that of a heat-seeking missile. “Hang in there, Bro! I’ll have ya outta there in a Sonic S…”

That confident assurance went unfinished as intervention of the super-fast spiky-blue variety was rendered suddenly unnecessary...

Tails wanted nothing more than to back away – but it felt as though the air had solidified to form an invisible wall against his back, as though the small puddle in which his left foot stood had frozen solid around it. He was helpless to do anything more than watch in terror as that set of fingers came to engulf him – those metallic digits looked both large and long enough to close around his entire head. The overpowering sense of shame burned him again – as he shook before the despicable human, it was sickeningly clear within Tails’ mind just how ridiculous was the notion that he might take on Robotnik.

Help me! Why won’t someone come and help me?!

The thought came naturally to his mind – when later recalling it, the fox-cub would utterly despise himself.

Nearer and closer came that menacingly huge hand. And when the cybernetic fingers were so near to Tails’ frightened face that he could actually see the joints where fingers met knuckles…they froze, coming no closer.

Robotnik’s considerably wide brow wrinkled, not due to stress or fatigue but to utter bewilderment – the human very nearly cocked his ear like that of a dog as he stood listening intently, almost forgetting his terrified quarry. The sound which had carried to his ears seemed to come from a considerable distance away – yet it seemed nonetheless to gain the court at an incredible speed, growing so deep that every particle of air in the vicinity collided against its neighbour as it scrambled frantically to make way for the formidable rumble.

Given the opressive presence of the crown of storm-clouds, Robotnik might have been forgiven (though it was fairly unlikely, given his status as the most loathed person in the history of Mobius) had he written the deep rumble off as the herald of yet another thunderbolt – yet the human knew differently. If his ears were any judge, what he now heard was the sound of metal thudding against concrete...and very quickly indeed. To The Doctor’s mind, it brought vivid images of grand coliseums, of shining spears and bronze armour. For all the world, it made him picture…

…a chariot?!

The incredible suspense came to an equally incredible end – from the mouth of the south-eastern alleyway the source of the sound came like a spear blinding light.

That broad back, The Speed Bot mused as he rocketed onto the court, may as well have been marked with a bulls-eye symbol. (This sour-faced, absurdly-dressed spoilsport is the one responsible for my existence?) Methodically, the robotic speedster lowered that smooth head as he altered his course accordingly. (Hmm…I’d better just get rid of the evidence!)

Recognising the oncoming machine at once, Robotnik just had time to glare scathingly across his shoulder at it. Betrayed?! Upon consideration, The Doctor would posthumously conclude that it may have been more productive (not to mention pragmatic) to have occupied himself in bounding out of the way during that grace period. In the here and now, he found himself performing a spectacular cartwheel through the air – had the mechanical feline's cranium not driven every last microbe of air from his lungs, the human would undoubtedly have bellowed in anguished indignation as he was propelled upward.

His heels churning up miniature tidal-waves as he skidded to a halt, Sonic tilted his head back in the manner of an avid baseball fan. “Woah! Straight outta the park!” the hedgehog exclaimed, a grin breaking across his face – every tooth in his head vibrating as the high-flying human hit the ground with the impact of a falling killer-whale, the hedgehog turned to watch as The Speed Bot barged a trio of SWATbots aside like bowling-pins. “Man oh man…I’m startin’ ta’ dig this mondo cool cat way more than I used ta’!”

With Bunnie by her side, Sally had begun to run toward the stupefied-looking Tails whose every strand of fur had been blown flat against his body as that thing had stormed right past him – as her considerable mind aborbed the physical appearance of the fox-cub’s saviour, however, the astonished squirrel froze to a halt beside the hedgehog. “Sonic…” she exclaimed, remembering how he had once described it to the villagers as they had all gathered around a single fire in order to be regaled by his tale of heroism. “…was that The Speed Bot?!”

Sonic felt a wave of immense relief wash over him as he turned to see her by his side – too cool to get gushy over it, he gave her a wink. “Sure is, Sal. Hey, be cool! He’s on our side now!” His grin broadening in response to the look of scepticism the squirrel turned on him, the hedgehog spread out his arms in a theatrical gesture. “Forget Naugus, Sal – Rotor’s the real wizard around here! Cuz our main walrus is the guy who made ol’ Speedy’s bad attitude…disappear!”

A smile of appreciation for the blubbery mechanic graced Sally’s face. She felt an urge to wrap the hedgehog in a close embrace, to nuzzle her soft-furred cheek against his – seeing as the circumstance that she was currently cradling a rifle as well as the fact that the two of them were smack-bang in the middle of a battlefield both conspired to render this yearning impractical, she settled instead for a one-armed hug. “I’m glad you’re safe, Sonic.” She told him simply although, truth be told, her radiant smile transcended uncounted thousands of words.

Sonic seemed to respond to the smile on her face rather than the words from her mouth – either that or he was so flustered that he simply answered without thinking; “Yeah...me too, Sal. Me too.”

Sally rolled her eyes – as they roved upward, her nose crinkled in bemusement. “So…” she began slowly, her eyes bemused as they dwelt upon the scarlet bandanna tied about the hedgehog’s forehead. “…what’s this? Some kind of statement…or simply the new you?”

It took a second for Sonic to figure out what she was talking about – what with the laser-blasts coursing past his spiny head and the blood pumping through his veins, the presence of the makeshift bandage had slipped the hedgehog’s mind despite the tightness with which he’d tied it in order to ensure that it didn’t slip from his head. As Sally’s query reminded him, however, Sonic reached up and twanged the tatter-edged strip like a blazing rubber-band. “Both wrong, Sal.” He stated, flinching. “As a matter of fact…it’s what I call my procushion”

“Your…pro-cushion.” Sally repeated, her tone as flat as a pancake – perhaps it was just the many years she’d spent in his constant company but The Princess got a distinct feeling that a distinctly odious joke was heading straight her way. Then again, she reprimanded herself, perhaps not – Sonic may just surprise her with a witticism of unexpected sophistication and intelligence as opposed to, say, yet another of the unsubtle puns that she’d grown accustomed to. Well…it could happen. She reasoned optimistically.

Sonic gave a barely muffled snort as he found himself just unable to maintain a straight face for a second longer, “Yeah…for my concussion!” the hedgehog threw back his head and launched into a braying laugh, “Get it, Sal?! Cushion, concussion…ya get what I did just then?! Bwahahaha!!”

Sally gave a sigh of resignation even as she fought to suppress the smirk which tugged at the rightmost corners of her lips. “Yes, Sonic, I get it…” Note to self; don’t expect miracles and you won’t be disappointed. “…even though I wish that I could say I didn’t.”

“Tails!” Deprived of her competition, Bunnie had won the race to Tails’ side – and the first thing that she did was to plant a warm kiss upon his muzzle. “Ya’ll okay, Sugah?” she asked, her voice husky due to a want for breath she barely even noticed in her anxiety over the fox-cub.

Tails’ face was blank with shock as he looked up into at hers. Before she had come to him, Tails had been powerless to move for the fear which had been as icy drops of water falling onto his bones, freezing them up – inward waves of terror had run through the fox-cub’s body, their source the single thought that had repeated itself over and over in his mind. He…he was gonna get me! All was changed by Bunnie’s arrival however. The rabbit’s kiss had sent an almost electric tingle coursing through him, banishing from his mind the terror that had filled him like a coldly numbing mist and replacing it with a richly warm vapour that made him feel safe but at the same time utterly bewildered. “Sure, Bunnie.” was all that the fox-cub could think to stammer as his white-furred cheeks bloomed deep-red.

Bunnie smiled affectionately at him, perfectly oblivious to the whirlwind of feeling that her impulsive gesture had set off within the fox-cub. “Well, let’s be keepin’ it that way, Sugah! Now c’mon…” she asserted, casting a look of sheer loathing at the prone form of Robotnik who had joined his discombobulated effigy in lying motionless upon the ground. “…let’s get ya’ll away from here, hmm?”

Tails blinked at her repeatedly, still stricken by a dizziness wholly unrelated to the helping paw that The Speed Bot had lent him, “Oh…” he stammered as he processed what the rabbit had said. “Oh! Y-yeah, you’re right!”

The look of amused exasperation on Sally’s face mutated into one of deepest apprehension as a thought struck her like a bolt from out of the blue, “Er…is it me or had we forgotten completely about Naugus?” she suggested, her lightly thoughtful tone belying the dread now rising in her eyes.

The effect that these words had upon Sonic would have been enough to make one think that The Amazing Rotor had gracious agreed to an encore performance – the grin vanished from the hedgehog’s face in an instant, fading like condensation from the rim of a bottle, melting like a wicked snowball condemned to spend an eternity in Hell. “Naugus?!” spat the hedgehog – his gloved paws doubled instinctively into fists. “Where?!”

Sally would later wonder just what on Mobius had possessed her to do what she now did – perhaps the happiness that she felt upon seeing the hedgehog again was so immense that (just this once) she hadn’t stopped to think. Whatever the case, The Princess did point her paw toward the top of the northern building – Sonic’s narrowed eyes flicked toward that derelict structure, his freshly sparked glare blazing into intensity as it met the imposing figure of the one whom beheld the mayhem from high above.

And in the split-second they did, he was gone – with a rush of air which flattened Sally’s frizzed fur quite nicely, if rather more thoroughly than she would personally have liked, the hedgehog streaked toward the building. The memory of treachery and deceit burned hot in the mind of the hedgehog – he had no idea what he planned to do once he stood in front of the sorcerer but, beyond the shadow of a doubt, he knew that he would do it.

“Nauguuus!”

Only as Sonic ascended the side of the crumbling structure like an avenging angel returning to heaven in order to drive back an invading devil, did the blurted words pass Sally’s lips; “Sonic…wait!!”

The aura of determination which the oncoming hedgehog radiated was so potent that it stirred a practically tangible ripple in the air – and as this wave of karma swept over his body, Ixis Naugus was shocked to discover that it chilled him right down to the stiff old bones. In order to defend myself… The sorcerer realised in silent astonishment, the two rows of razor-sharp teeth grinding against each other in some agitation. …I must act!

And he did.

Slipping hand and claw beneath the cape affixed to his shoulders, Naugus raised the sleek black garment slowly into two upward points – this stance lent the sorcerer a greater resemblance than ever to a monstrous bat as he readied himself in order to do that which would previously have been unthinkable.

From the sorcerer’s perspective, Knothole’s greatest champion appeared little more than a mere insect upon a wall, the swatting of which was to involve something vastly more dramatic than a rolled up sheet of parchment. I confess to having underestimated you when last we clashed…to having allowed you to get the better of me that night. As he remembered it with vivid clarity, Naugus felt his blood boil in supreme vexation. Never again!!

As the great formation of dark clouds growled in answer to the silent entreaty of their master, Sally gave one frightened gasp – in her mind there flashed an image of what this rumbling meant, sense-shattering in its hideous crystal-clarity. “Sonic!” the squirrel screamed in desperation, her paws clenched so tight that her knuckles felt like rocks. “Get out of there!!”

That cry was not the sole warning that Sonic received of the imminent deadly peril – as an intense burst of light abruptly turned the sky above blinding white, the hedgehog realised instantly that here was probably not the best of places for him to be right now. Shoving his soles against the crumbling stone, Sonic vaulted backwards through the air – unlike his second freefall of that day, in which case The Grim Reaper’s arms may very well have been waiting to catch him, the hedgehog had time before he reached the peak of his jump and commenced the inevitable plummet in which to furl into a tight spiny ball.

As the spiralling return to terra firma began, the voice of Naugus echoed more deeply than the growl of gathering thunder;

“All that you are shall shatter!!"

In the following seconds Sonic experienced (fittingly enough, in descending order) the wave of blisteringly intense heat which missed his body by mere millimetres as it coursed through the air, the deafening sound of the explosion that seemed to shake the very sky, the almost overpowering scent of the acrid smoke that came rushing to fill his nostrils…and the hardly dignified bump which signified that he’d just re-established contact with solid ground. Man… the disgruntled hedgehog thought as he bounced once before unfurling into a sprawled position across the ground which, despite all that they had been through together that day, still hadn’t softened one iota toward him. …I think I’m beginnin’ ta’ know how a beach-ball feels!

As Sonic lay flat on his back, battered yet uninjured, his vision was filled by the spectacle that was the northern building – the elusive way in which the structure now circled around and around was, he suspected, a side-effect of his dramatic evacuation from it. As he struggled to keep his eyes firmly on it, the hedgehog found himself abstractly emphasising with every SWATbot ever to have tried messing with him – was this what he’d been putting them through for all these years?

The cavernous orifice, now a prominent feature of the side of the ruined building, bore a striking resemblance to the lair of a particularly sore-headed dragon as it emitted a seemingly endless quantity of smoke – Sonic hazarded a guess that it was a result of the thunderbolt that had so very nearly obliterated him.

Ta’ think that I wuz this close ta’ becomin’ one charred chump...

Though his view of the building continued to spin, he succeeded in pegging something of extreme significance; Ixis Naugus was no longer anywhere to be seen upon the scant remains of the rooftop.

For the briefest instant, Sonic entertained the notion that the sorcerer had not been swift enough in order to magically translocate himself clear of the descending thunderbolt – then he shook his woozy head and told himself to get real. He’s out there…somewhere. I’d stake the last chilidog on the planet on it. And one day…he’ll be my chump! So steadfast was the hedgehog’s resolve to someday settle up once and for all with the sorcerer, he regained control of his right paw long before he did either of his feet – and as he clenched it in a fist of determination, he found himself engulfed by a vast cloak of darkness.

The shape that cast the gargantuan shadow which now descended over Sonic was clearly broad in regard both to longitude and latitude – it may well have been that of a snow-peaked mountain which nobody had happened to notice until now or an ancient pyramid that had lain in slumber for many ages and rose only now from the bowels of the earth. His gut, on the other hand, told him otherwise – and the hedgehog’s instincts were swiftly corroborated.

The face that slid into view, Sonic recognised regardless of the circumstance that it appeared upside-down from his current perspective – up, down or all around, the hedgehog would have recognised that face. This immutable fact of life was due not solely to the stomach-turning horrendousness of its features but to the fact that the person to whom it belonged still drew breath.

As he saw the incarnation of evil which loomed over his big brother, Tails’ bottom lip set – his left fist clenched as though under its own volition as he found himself infused by a sudden and fiery determination to save Sonic. Perhaps he was now the only one who could!

Taking a deep breath, Tails hunched his small shoulders and made ready to dash to the rescue. I’m right here with you, Sonic. The fox-cub thought, feeling steadier and braver by the second. Just hang in there, I’m co…?!

Tails’ bid to prove himself was interrupted unexpectedly – a pair of arms wrapped around him from behind, enfolding the fox-cub like a vulnerable chick within a pair of protective wings. It was the fact that one felt warm and soft whereas the other was hard and cool which told Tails just who had gotten hold of him. “Bunnie…let me go!” he panted, his struggles as useless as a stick-insect’s misguided endeavour to hold back a water-wheel. “Put me down!”

Bunnie pursed her lips as she lifted him from the ground – frantic though she was about Sonic, the rabbit put the cub’s safety first. “Forget about a pawful, darlin’…” she grunted, holding him fast with no effort at all. “…ya’ll are two armfuls!”

Doctor Robotnik towered over the sprawling hedgehog, his face twisted into a grin as joyous as though Christmas had arrived several months early and he had not even needed to break the legs of one of Santa’s elves in order to get precisely what he’d wanted – in his arms, the laser-rifle he had snatched from the grip of a mangled SWATbot quivered in a way that served strongly to hint that he would have done so anyway just for the sheer unbridled fun of it. “I suppose it really is true, what they say…” hissed the demonised human as he aimed the barrel of the deadly weapon directly at the forehead of the fallen Freedom Fighter – though the arms which cradled it shivered in almost childlike excitement, his aim remained horribly superb. Pausing only to breath a tingling sigh of pleasure, he continued; “…good things come to those who wait!”

As she spun around to see Sonic teetering between life and death, Sally wasted not a breath upon words. Sonic…!! The rifle rose like an extension of her arm as she targeted the menace. It was done in the blink of an eye, without a second’s hesitation – all that remained was the pulling of the trigger and the squirrel would have taken her very first life. I won’t let him hurt you! As she made to pull the trigger, the squirrel felt the rise of the pure horror which waited to tear her heart asunder the moment it was done – biting her lower lip so hard that she tasted blood, she tried to keep imprisoned the scream of anguish that threatened to rip apart her throat. Tails, I’m sorry…I never wanted you to see something like this! And for it to have been me who…please forgive me!!

Yet The Princess was not destined to take down the human with one deadly blast, extinguish his life just as easily as a burning candle-wick, become a killer that day…

“Pardon me…” boomed a deep rumbling voice.

The look of surprise which caused Robotnik’s visage to stretch like a rubbery mask was enough to set Sonic snickering away – the human’s face looked so downright idiotic that the hedgehog really couldn’t help it.

Ari cracked his gauntlet-encased knuckles as the subjugated sadist’s head turned slowly to acknowledge his presence, “…but so do bad.” The ram concluded in a distinctly matter-of-fact tone of voice before swinging a right-hook that slammed into the human’s face with the impact of a falling security-safe.

Robotnik pitched backwards, the rifle slipping from his grasp like water, as his nose exploded like a violently squeezed tomato – Sonic was fortunately able to recover his scattered wits just in time to roll clear of the vast mass that came crashing down upon the space he had just vacated. “Yo, Ari!” the hedgehog exclaimed as he leapt to his feet, immediately beginning to rev up. “On the Smooth Save O-Meter, I’d say that’cha just scored yaself 100! Thanks dude, way to go! Now let’s jet! Oh and, Robuttnik? Please, don’t get up! Uh…Ari?”

Ari was barely listening - as he glared down his snout at the vanquished enemy, the vast black rage once more came bubbling dangerously near to the surface. And as it filled him like festering bile, the ram was wracked by an almost overwhelming urge to claim the fallen rifle and pick up directly from where he and the human had been forced to leave off.

The fantasy was insidious…and also disturbingly satisfying.

The menacingly soft hum of scorching laser-whips wielded by metal hands, the endless echo of cries of anguished suffering, his own father’s dying gasp…the horror and torment of years spent slaving away in the suffocating darkness of one of Doctor Robotnik’s energy-crystal mines in the north, all of it now forced its way into the ram’s mind and whirled until they blurred into a black, blue, broken and bloody mosaic of sheer hell.

As though under their own power, Ari’s lips drew back over his clenched teeth in a silent snarl – that endless nightmare he had been forced to endure, day after day, until family and friends had all been torn violently away from him.

And here lay the source of the hell. At his hoofed feet. At his mercy.

Fortunately for the human, and himself as he would later realise, Ari was pulled back from that dizzying brink by the voice of his friend – breathing heavily, as though emerging from a deep feverish slumber, the ram turned a sidelong look toward the hedgehog. That flinty eye appeared oddly dull as a burning sense of shame struck its owner – in the anger which he only now began slowly to let go of, the ram had forgotten the entire reason for which this battle had been fought. Ari didn’t need to look over his broad shoulder to realise that Tails was staring breathlessly at him – had the ram not turned back from the rage, those widened young eyes would have witnessed every second of the terrible act which he had come so very near to committing. And to steal the innocence away from a kid no older than he had been when the robotic soldiers had come and destroyed his village would have reduced him to the level of the very evil he despised with all his heart, opposed with every ounce of strength in his sinewy body. Robotnik was vile, Robotnik deserved to die…but Tails did not deserve to be forced to watch as one of the adults whom he looked up to committed murder. Dad, don’t you see? I can’t do it. I just can’t…not at that price. It’s one that I’d never be able to pay for as long as I live… “Sure thing, Sonic.” He answered flatly, his voice emotionlessly gruff. No more than Princess Sally, would Ari taint his paws that day – for the sake of fragile innocence, the ram let go and turned his back on the lust for revenge. “Sure thing.”

Sally felt the sigh of relief long before it passed her lips as Sonic streaked toward the rest of the group, Ari lumbering in his wake – as she turned to check on the rest of her troops, the squirrel noticed that Tails had finally been relinquished by a tactful Bunnie. A quick and anxious inspection assured her that the fox-cub appeared none the worse for wear – apart from that scowl which, just like his earlier attitude, Sally did not like one bit. “Tails.” Her voice was quiet, her tone one of acknowledgement rather than question.

Tails turned to find her gazing upon him, in her calm and steady eyes something strange – it was something the fox-cub had never seen there before, something which he could not even begin to identify, something which made him feel uncomfortable as she appraised him. “Sally…” he began, his voice trailing away into uncertain silence.

Sally’s eyes looked him over for another moment – when at last they looked into his, the expression on her face was one of utmost gravity. “Are you all right?” She asked, simply and to the point.

Tails felt his dark displeasure ebb as he wondered just what was going on here. Why isn’t she…? “Don’t worry about me.” He told her, his tone one of earnestness rather than bravado. “I’m just fine.”

Sally’s lips parted, quivering – she seemed about to take a step toward him before stopping herself suddenly. After taking a deep breath, she pursed her lips together and gave him a prim nod. “Good.” She said coolly – and that was that.

With just one word, she had turned from him and was readying herself to take charge of the situation – no tight hug, no smile of affection, not even any warm assurance that everything would be okay. Tails stared at her slender back, bafflement in his light-blue eyes – had he blinked and missed something just then?

It was as though a kind of window had closed between the fox-cub and the squirrel – what it was made out of, Tails didn’t know, but it was definitely there. And to his mind it seemed that this strange division between the two of them was but a temporary substitute for something else – something which even now was building between them, heading toward some inevitable moment. And when the moment was reached, the intangible window shattered…

“Heeey theeere, T2!” came a hearty hail as Sonic reunited with his little brother - as Tails turned to meet the hedgehog, his answering grin was more half-hearted. The uncontrollable fear which had frozen him remained fresh in his mind, inducing a squirm as he wondered just how Sonic would have reacted had he known about it. “Lookin’ good!” as he spoke, the hedgehog made as though to high-five the fox-cub – as Tails’ paw moved in, however, he flipped his own just out of reach. “But not as good as the ol’ hedgehog!”

As Sonic laughed and gave his gloved paw a resounding slap, Tails’ eyes shone with warm humour. “More like ‘no worse than the old hedgehog’.” Muttered the fox-cub as he eyed that blood-soaked bandanna, already dying to know just what his big brother had been up to.

Casting her gaze all around, Sally saw that the remains of the vanquished SWATbots lay scattered far and wide. We won… The Freedom Fighters had been forced into their darkest corner and, against all odds, emerged triumphant. …we won!

There was a flash of bedazzling gold and, like some kind of robotic genie who had just emerged from his cybernetic lamp, The Speed Bot was suddenly standing by her side.

“Yo, Speedy!” smirked Sonic, “Cut it kinda close didn’cha?”

The Speed Bot responded to this good-natured ribbing with a mere flick of his mechanical tail – idly, he wondered whether the hedgehog had ever heard of fashionable lateness.

As she held the laser-rifle under her arm and eyed the great cat, Sally felt curiously divided between wariness and security. It was bizarre that she should derive the latter from his close proximity to her. He was after all one of Robotnik’s mechanical creations, another of the lifeless things that had for so long meant death or far worse for The Princess and her surrogate family. And yet…there something, yes, extremely fortifying about him as he stood there in silence.

What was stranger still was that, as she gazed imperiously into those proud and irreverent amethyst eyes, Sally’s immediate reaction was to think about a certain blue hedgehog – and it wasn’t that she desired in any way to deny the walrus his due, but she found herself wondering whether The Speed Bot’s actions today had been driven by the influence of Sonic rather than Rotor.

Can an AI evolve…like a real personality? “Is everybody all right?” The Princess asked, her voice brisk and direct – there was a general nod in response. The Speed Bot remained silent as ever, whatever thoughts may be his filed and locked away within his own mind. “That’s great.” A spark of light resonating in her blue eyes, Sally felt her face setting into a smile of pure determination. We’re going to get out of here… “Sonic…?” there was an unvoiced question in her voice as she addressed the hedgehog.

It was the same question at the fore of each of the other Freedom Fighters’ minds as they stared intently at the hedgehog – Bunnie was actually holding her breath though she bore every appearance of calm as she awaited the answer to the question which burned a fiery imprint of itself into her mind.

For a long moment, Sonic seemed not to have an answer for his tense comrades – and then, just as Sally was beginning to expect the worst, the hedgehog gave them all an extravagant thumbs-up. “Out in the street, Sal. I left Ant an’ Rote ta’ keep guard over it.” He grinned serenely.

The way that Sally’s eyes shone made the hedgehog think of the stars shining against a peaceful midsummer sky – it was just such a smile. “Then we are out of here!” the squirrel exclaimed, now exuding an aura of action. …we can do it! “Let’s go! Sonic, lead the way!”

As far as Sonic was concerned, to hear was to obey – The Freedom Fighters eagerly turned and ran from that place without further delay, four of them in the wake of the one who soared like a rocket. The speeding hedgehog was joined quickly by what appeared for all of Mobius to be the flaming tail of a comet – side-by-side, Sonic and The Speed Bot blazed twin trails through the south-western alleyway.

The attention of The Freedom Fighters was transfixed by the way to escape from this insanity – it was natural, then, that not one of them happened to take the briefest of upward glances. And so none of the fugitives from injustice was ever aware of the presence of the lone Spy Eye which had hovered overhead, transmitting footage of the entire confrontation to a certain surveillance-screen – that every uttered word and committed act of the last half-hour had been laid bare to the scrutiny of a pair of calculating eyes watching them all from Command Central, The Freedom Fighters never dreamed.

As it happened, Tails cast a glance back over his shoulder – as his eyes fell upon the battered and bruised mound of flesh that had been his tormentor, the fox-cub winced and flicked them back toward the alleyway. Chilled to the very bone, he was absolutely sure that sleep would not come to him easily that night.

And he had no idea just how right he was…

It dawned gradually on the mind of Doctor Robotnik, as he lay upon the ground like an upended tortoise, that it was over – silence, hard as marble and cold as ice in its utter completeness, had descended over the court like a sheet over a bird-cage.

Whatever the outcome had proven to be, whichever side had ultimately prevailed, the battle was done.

Taking the greatest possible care with the mammoth bag of aching bones and sprained muscle that was his body, The Doctor raised himself into a sitting-position – as he brought a gloved hand to that bald head, whereupon a formation of lumps had formed like potatoes in a vegetable-garden, the human raised his left eyelid just as methodically as a connoisseur of fine dining would have opened the shell of an oyster.

The spectacle that seemed to slam into it was one of total desolation – what had recently been an area of plain (if a lot on the gritty side) concrete was now riddled with cracks and small craters, the formerly still (if more than a little rank) air now polluted by sickening fumes. And though this general ruination alone had not been sufficiently over-excessive, the ground was littered with numerous pieces of mutilated SWATbot, lending strength to the illusion that this court was being transformed into a kind of Neo Dumping-Zone.

It came barely as a surprise to the increasingly morose Doctor that the precise instant at which he decided that nothing could possibly compound the sheer wretchedness of this day was followed by the precise instance at which he appeared to disprove the notion. Ixis Naugus’ face wore the irked expression of a tenacious sales-person, bemused to have offered what he personally considered a mutually gratifying bargain only for his client to have slammed the door rudely in his face. “Curse it.” grunted the sorcerer, running that claw through his beard in irritation. “Such a parcel of fuss over one confounded canine!”

Doctor Robotnik felt as though he would explode – in the subsequent second, he practically did. And in the hours of miserable ruefulness yet to follow, he would marvel dolefully that he had dared give passage to the words which rose to his mouth like scorching lava to the peak of a volcano. At that future moment, he would suppose that his enraged frustration over having come so close to avenging himself at last upon The Freedom Fighters had been vast enough to temporarily overcome the inhibitive fear that months of the sorcerer’s sadistic mastery had ingrained into his tormented psyche – by that moment, he would long have cursed this moment of uninhibited wrath.

At this present moment, however, it really was beyond his power to prevent. Had there been a handle of any kind nearby, he would have flown so high from it that he would have gone into orbit. Had the court been covered by a roof then it would have broken to smithereens as he hit it. As it happened, there did seem to be a considerable quantity of redness in the vicinity – and as he set eyes upon Naugus, the centre-piece of this exquisite display of just how much could possibly go horribly wrong in a single day, Doctor Robotnik saw every last inch of it. And it made him think about blood. “You…you…you senile old ignoramus!! You ulcer-ridden old incompetent!! You confounded old stage-hog!!”

Naugus’ eyebrows rose to form a point perhaps so fine as to pierce the fabric of reality itself, “What?” the sorcerer’s sharp hiss sounded like that of an old serpent whose tail had just been twisted. “What did you say?”

Far too engulfed by rage to be intimidated by the clear signs of the wrath gathering in the sorcerer’s slowly shifting expression, Robotnik snarled savagely – what with his blazing eyes, bedraggled moustache and bald head, The Doctor looked remarkably like a particularly large dog descending into insanity as he tragically lost his fur. “You heard me! Had you only left well enough alone, The Princess would lie dead now at my feet and the morale of The Freedom Fighters in utter ruin!” as he paced and ranted, the human raised his clenched fists as though he was milking an invisible cow which levitated in the air. The circumstance that it had been he at The Freedom Fighters’ mercy before the sorcerer’s intervention seemed lost on him – or perhaps it was merely that he had remembered to forget. “But no! You just had to blunder onto the scene and attempt to impress with your ridiculous parlour-tricks!”

Robotnik could have gone on – he most definitely would have gone on were it not for the way that those cold eyes penetrated his aura of fury like an icy blade, freezing instantly the blazing stream of invective. Like a rodent swallowed alive, terror clawed at the lining of his stomach as he realised what he had brought upon himself – and as mortal fear enveloped him like the fist of the mythical frost-giant, Ymir, the moment of transient rebellion was quenched.

As Naugus broke his silence at last, the words he uttered were as black putrefaction creeping through a slice of fruit. “The lesson in appreciation was not well learnt, I perceive. I am a patient soul, Doctor…but not unduly patient. Patience is the element which causes the milk of kindness to sour…whereas the undeniable potency of the rod only grows with the passing of time.” As though to lend ominous emphasis to the point, that hideous visage twisted into a grin that grew more sadistically cruel with each second that passed. The next hour or so promised to be most enjoyable indeed – just like his unwilling lackey, the sorcerer’s chagrin over the failure to capture The Princess burned so deeply that it felt indeed like an ulcer. Unlike the human, however, Naugus intended to cope with his disappointed frustration by throwing it into short sweet sharp relief. “I must confess to feeling hurt by the revelation that you should regard my magic as ‘ridiculous’. And yet…there is a spell which may leave a much stronger impression upon you. Oh yes, Doctor…a much stronger impression by far.” As that familiar tingle coursed through his old body, so re-invigorating that it might have been a magic all of its own, the sorcerer felt disgruntlement over the departure of his ‘guests’ fading already – there was, after all, always tomorrow. And having been so privileged as to glimpse that child, cherished so deeply by The Princess who didn’t even dream of his true value, Naugus was already planning for his next meeting with The Freedom Fighters. At the moment, however, he was willing to settle for a spot of creative stress-management. “For you see, it is a spell that shall induce you to spin on your nose!”

And the manner in which his arms rose as he spoke, served to communicate that this was a spell the sorcerer simply could not wait to cast - Robotnik cringed in the face of this latest humiliating degradation. Knowing full well that there was no escape from the inevitable, the human tried to crawl like a whipped cur from his master’s boot.

No…

Like an ill wind, that hateful cackle followed him; “I would just like to assure you that this shan’t hurt one bit…though that is merely due to the fact that I am an incurable liar!!”

...no...

The hours of rueful misery now commenced.

...no!!

[The Mysterious Traveller]

Antoine had spent the last fifteen minutes pacing up and down in front of his charge; to whit, the wooden cart which had been brought so far and through such peril that day. On the coyote’s yellowy face there was a look of inordinate anxiety which only grew more pronounced with each passing moment. In accordance to the swiftly delivered instructions of Sonic and with the reliable assistance of Rotor, Antoine had dragged the cart into the street located directly south of The Rendezvous Point – the mission he had since shared with his whisker-faced comrade was to guard the cart and its precious yet awful cargo at whatever cost.

As he had performed this weighty task, the coyote had also done his very best to ignore the almost overwhelming yearning to abandon it entirely; the urge to charge through the alleyway so tantalising near at hand, to join the epic clash which he had been able to hear raging beyond, had been almost too great for him to bear. The sole reason for this desire to abdicate his responsibility in order to do something so immensely contrary to his basic nature was very simple; it was her.

The mere presence of the unspeakable thing ensconced upon the back of the cart, this nightmarish abomination, made Antoine sick to the very bottom of his stomach – from every corner of his heart of hearts, he loathed it for what it had done to countless innocent Mobians. For what it had done to her. And therein lay the bitterest of ironies; this was the very thing the coyote had sworn to defend with his life. What this infernal machine had done, this infernal machine might yet be able to undo – regardless of the many atrocties that it had wreaked over the last ten years, this evil abomination may yet be turned to good.

And it was for this reason that Antoine Depardiue’s devotion to duty held so true now – for if he were to surrender to the desperate longing to go to the defence of the one dearest to him and that moment of supreme weakness were to cost the long awaited salvation of millions of innocent souls, Mobius would never forgive him. And if that same weakness should rob his dearest of release from the nightmare in which she’d lived for far too long now…then the coyote would never forgive himself.

The guardsman’s painful adherence to duty was now rewarded – as he raised his paw to tug listlessly at a gleaming brass button, forgetful at the moment that this was simply no longer possible, Antoine was immersed so deeply in anxious worry that he did not notice the fact that the sounds of battle had died away. It was the new sound that reached his ears which alerted him to the fact that the situation was now changed; the sound of rushing footsteps.

Sharp as a brand-new toothpick, Antoine looked up…to see the group of figures now emerging from the darkness of the alleyway. And among them the figure of a rabbit whose face was adorned by a smile so radiant that it was as though the sun had returned to this city of eternal night – as she called out to the two of them, each word rang like a verse from a song of pure loveliness.

“Hi there! Ya’ll doin’ okay?”

Antoine was not simply happy as his ears pricked up in response to that wonderful voice – the coyote was so incredibly happy that he could have taken to the air and flown. As he ran to meet the rabbit, he was ready to take her into his arms and never let go – as decorum and propriety reared their hideous joy-killing heads, however, the coyote stumbled to a halt. “H-hem!” raising a paw to his mouth, he issued an awkward cough. “I am meaning to say that it is most pleased I am being to be seeing that you are…”

Bunnie just laughed merrily in the face of his pathological prudishness – the next thing the coyote knew, her arms encircled him and he was in the warm closeness of her embrace. And in spite of the fact that they were both far from the safety of Knothole and standing in the dark dangerous depths of Robotropolis…there was nowhere, nowhere at all, that Antoine would rather have been than here with her right now. “Aw, Antoine!” her voice was like molten chocolate as she breathed the words into his ear which tingled in response. “Ah thought that Ah would nevah see ya’ll again! Ah’m so verah happy that ya’ll are safe!”

Antoine gazed at the rabbit in crimson-cheeked shock – could this actually be happening? Could he be standing in her arms, listening as she told him just how much she cared for him? “B-Bunnee…” stammered the coyote, his throat having somehow grown as dry as baked earth within the last second or two. “…f-for real and for t-true?”

As she tilted back her head in order to regard him from a whole new perspective, Bunnie’s smile seemed to weave an enchantment of calmness over the coyote. “For real, Antoine.” She breathed, the way in which her lips quivered suggesting that she wanted to do so much more than smile for him – yet she abstained for the present, knowing that what they needed to be doing was concentrating on getting out of here. There would be so much time and so many ways for her to convey just what Antoine meant to her…just as soon as they were away from this hell. “For true.”

As he felt like the luckiest Mobian alive, Antoine broke slowly into a flushed grin. “Magnifique…” he murmured, at a total loss for words as his insides turned as warm and fuzzy as the cheek of a healthy walrus.

Speaking of whom, Rotor’s blubbery face grinned welcomingly as the rest of The Freedom Fighters came running over. “Sonic!” he exclaimed, his face reddening as he realised in advance the sheer obviousness of the observation he was about to make. “You’re back!”

As Sonic dug his heels into the ground, a screech resembling that of a braking train rose to set the collective teeth of The Freedom Fighters on end – a grin of exhilaration was already spreading across his muzzle as he ground to a halt directly in front of the cart. “Slap me some skin, Wonder Walrus.” He drawled as he held out a gloved paw with the palm turned upward, his tone so laid-back that it would most certainly have secured with the greatest ease first place in the World Champion Limbo Tournament – as the gratified mechanic raised his paw to accept the prestigious social honour, however, the hedgehog yanked his own away. “Too slow, too bad!” he broke apart with laughter as he thrust it forward again, allowing it to connect this time with that belonging to his friend. “Nah, jus’ kiddin’, Rote! We rocked back there! Yo Tails!” the hedgehog’s tone was one of camaraderie as he turned to hail the youngest Freedom Fighter, “We rocked, am I right?”

As the fox-cub responded merely with the vaguest of shrugs, Rotor’s eyes brightened at the sight of him. “How’s it going there, Tails?”

Tails had been staring at the reunited Bunnie and Antoine, a sour smirk warping his muzzle – it quickly faded as he turned his attention toward the walrus. “Fine.” He said flatly as he folded his arms, “Everything that possibly could be fine is fine. So how did your day go?”

Rotor gave a startled blink. “Oh, we only got to tangle with one seriously mega-uber SWATbot…” The walrus replied mildly though he still gazed curiously at the cub – granted they were right in the middle of enemy territory with the enemy himself breathing down the backs of their respective necks but they were together, weren’t they? So, seriously, what was the fox’s problem? “…and find The Roboticizer along the way.”

Tails’ eyes narrowed into slits as he turned abruptly from the walrus, “Gee! I got to have the crap scared out of me by Robotnik, keep quiet and listen like a good boy while everyone argued over me for about ten minutes, then get saved like a total lummox!” the fox didn’t actually say any of this – but the bitterness about his look told clearly that every bit of it was exactly what he thought.

As she’d watched the moment of tenderness between Bunnie and Antoine, Sally had worn a beaming smile – though the rabbit’s almost limitless supply of merry cheer had always kept the spirits of those around her as high and bright as the sun in the sky, the squirrel felt a wonderful satisfaction as she witnessed her friend experience true happiness of her very own. Oh Bunnie…I’m so very glad for you. After all that you’ve been through and done for the rest of us, you of all people deserve such joy. As she diverted the path of her eyes, the emotion which they expressed became something altogether different – as she gazed now at the cargo of the wooden cart, her eyes glimmered with equal measures of elation and revulsion. “The Roboticizer…” The Princess barely recognised the sound of her own voice as she uttered that accursed word – had anybody suggested prior to this day that she would ever be glad to set eyes upon this metallic monstrosity, she would have believed that person insane. “…we actually have it!”

Bunnie froze as though the warmth she had just felt had been overcast suddenly by the bitter chill of a midwinter night – disengaging gently from Antoine, she turned her gaze toward the cart. Those vibrant green eyes grew as dull as misted windows as she saw it – the rabbit had known that they were going after it today. Yet as she gazed at The Roboticizer, her blood was turned to crimson ice. Every second that Bunnie’s eyes remained transfixed by that mockingly beautiful crystal lens, a work of perverted genius, brought it all back to her; the memories she had tried so hard to forget were now staining her psyche like blood from an infected wound. Her shoulders actually shook as it all came flooding back, hitting her with the crashing impact of a tidal-wave; the pain, blinding pain, which seemed to tear apart her nerve-endings and muscles as it flowed slowly (oh so slowly) up both her legs and through her left arm…before sweet release had come.

Sally cursed herself for having inadvertently caused her friend to relive that waking nightmare, “Oh Bunnie!” she murmured wretchedly, “I…”

Bunnie silenced the contrite squirrel with but a gaze – light had returned to those eyes which blazed like emerald fire, reflecting the bionic belle’s indomitable spirit. “Don’t say it, Sally Girl.” She told The Princess simply, “It had t’ happen sometime…and as a matter of fact, Ah’m glad that it did.”

Sally’s eyes expressed pure surprise, “You’re…glad to see this horrible thing again?”

Bunnie’s face was solemn as she nodded, “Some inner demons ya’ll just have t’ face up t’.” she explained, “And this lil’ devil…” she jerked a disgusted shoulder toward The Roboticizer, “…is certainly one o’ them. Lookin’ at it now…Ah see that it’s nothin’ for me to be bein’ afraid of. It’s just an ol’ machine…only as wicked as the one decidin’ t’ use it that way. Well…now it’s us that has it. And maybe, just maybe, we can use our ol’ noggins t’ turn it into an angel for the poor souls who weren’t as fortunate as me who had her best friends t’ save her.”

Sally gazed at the rabbit, deeply affected by the words she had just spoken. “Bunnie.” She breathed, suddenly realising just how incredibly proud she was to have the rabbit as her friend.

Her attention was diverted by a perceptibly audible grunt – looking over her shoulder, she saw that Ari had his brawny arms folded across his armour-plated chest. “Not to sound rude, Princess…but I've really got to say that there’s one machine I didn’t expect to see here right now.” The ram observed, his eyes staring coldly at The Speed Bot.

As the golden mecha repaid that look of utter distrust with one of cool indifference, Sonic leapt to interject. “Woah there, Ari! Take a chill pill! Ol’ Speedy here’s on the side of right now…uh, meaning us!”

Far from softening with new understanding, Ari’s eyes grew harder with hostility – too many years the ram had spent living in fear of all things created by Robotnik, far too many from him even to begin to feel the slightest degree of trust in regard to a machine. “Still looks like one of them to me.” He replied bluntly.

Sally opened her mouth to counter the ram’s words of suspicion – she could not deceive herself that she felt no unease whatsoever in his presence but, for the love of Mobius, The Speed Bot had saved Tails’ life!

That sharp reprimand never left the squirrel’s lips, however - for as the insinuation hung like misted breath in the air, it was joined by a velvet voice. “Yuh know…maybe we ought t’ pay close attention t’ Ari’s words o’ wisdom.” To the general surprise of The Freedom Fighters, it was Bunnie who made this remark – as her eyes twinkled up at the ram, however, it seemed that what she’d said and what she meant were two very different things. “After all…if he doesn’t believe in second chances then who are we t’ disagree?”

Transfering their gazes from the face of Bunnie to that of Ari, The Freedom Fighters received a rare visual treat – the cheeks of the doughty ram were coloured red by an abashed blush. Hmm…if I didn’t know better, I’d say that this little lady just put me in my place. “I’m…going to shut up now.” He conceded.

Further discourse was suddenly taken off the agenda – for it was at this precise moment that a nerve-rending shriek resonated through the air. As the rest of their comrades winced horribly, Sonic and Sally exchanged looks of apprehension – both knew what now headed in their direction. As well as what must be done.

Sally thought swiftly, pragmatically, decisively. And as she did, the situation was reduced to a very simple equation; the mission on which rested the salvation of the damned was now close to glorious success yet also perilously near to bitter failure. In simple terms, the cart’s cargo had to get back to Knothole, whatever the cost of the ‘getting’ might be – even as she came to this conclusion, the squirrel was opening her mouth. There was no other way. “Sonic…” she began, her tone already faltering as she wondered how she could have the nerve to ask that he risk his life again so soon after he’d saved hers.

Sonic reached over, taking the squirrel’s paw into his own with a gentleness so unlike him that she would firmly have believed it a trick of her imagination had it not been reflected in his eyes. As he held it, Sonic felt as though he and Sally stood again beneath that star-filled sky. Again he saw turmoil in her beautiful eyes. Again he was ready to do anything to make it depart. “Sal…” He smirked, his manner confident to the point of fearless…fearless to the point of pure craziness. “…ya know that I’ll always have ya back. Always.” Feeling as though he could have held on forever, the hedgehog released her paw. “Grab the cart an’ hit the alleyways – lie low while I lead ‘em away. When ya good ta’ go, blow this bogus scene!”

A glint of gold caught the corner of his eye - glancing across his shoulder, he saw The Speed Bot coming purposefully toward him. As the great cat’s body moved with mesmerising grace, the hedgehog’s smirk grew. “Ya gonna be stickin’ faster ta’ me than a tin-can ta’ a magnet, huh?” The Speed Bot planted a metal forepaw between himself and the hedgehog in a silent yet emphatic gesture – it was clear as those amethyst eyes that he wasn’t going to leave Sonic’s side until his thirst for a rematch had been quenched. “Fine with me.” The hedgehog nonchalantly shrugged as he turned and looked at his assembled friends, meeting each set of eyes in turn – as he looked at the smallest face, his face broke into a grin. “Yo, T2!” Tails gave a visible start and looked up to see Sonic flash him a thumbs-up followed by a conspiratorial wink. “Gotta juice! Hey, look after Sal for me while I'm gone, huh? See on the flipside!”

Tails was only just able to suppress the urge he felt to scowl – hadn’t he tried to defend Sally when Robotnik had taunted her? Hadn’t he even tried to sacrifice himself in order to secure her freedom? And what had all of it gotten him other than patronised and belittled…treated like a child?

In their own unique ways, the other Freedom Fighters bade goodbye for the present to Sonic – a second later, so quickly that a single blink would have caused them to miss it entirely, the hedgehog was gone from their midst. And he was not alone – with the hedgehog went The Speed Bot whose powerful paws pounded the ground in a display of agility at utter odds with his large and seemingly cumbersome body.

The Freedom Fighters watched in awe as the two raced straight toward approaching danger for the second time that day, a blue blur and a streak of gold surging side-by-side over the horizon, a pair of warriors whom fate had brought together to create an unbeatable force. The wind carried the after-thought fired back over the hedgehog’s shoulder – since he was long gone by the time his voice reached the others, it sounded eerily as though the spirit of the hedgehog now haunted the street on which they had last seen him;

“Meeet’chaaa aaat the weest gaaate…!”

Sally could have remained where she stood, as though she were watching as a great ship took the one whom she cherished most across a vast ocean and away, perhaps forever. Had she been alone in this grim street, perhaps she would have done just that. Knowing that her present obligation resided with her comrades, however, it was with a heavy heart that she turned to address them all. Duty first, Your Highness… the squirrel thought as steely resolve set in, flashing in her clear eyes – with her back poised straight and the laser-rifle cradled beneath one arm, she could have been taken more easily for a War General than a Princess. …and, if any harm should come to Sonic, justice later! The remaining Freedom Fighters now stood in a straight line, awaiting her instructions in tense silence. “We go.” The Princess bade, her tone decisive. “Ari; you pull the cart. Bring it through that alleyway.”

The brawny ram nodded his horned head and walked forward – in his right paw was a length of rope, the end of which he began to tie to the thick iron ring that hung from the front of the cart. Strong paws made light work and within seconds, it was ready – it was strange but as he held the end of the strong chord in both paws, Ari experienced something that he didn’t find pleasant in the least. Gritting his teeth, he shut his mind as tightly he could against the rising memories of enslavement. This thing behind him was the wooden cart that they’d brought with them from Knothole, not one of the metal mining-carts he had once pushed back and forth all day long, every day of the week. Put your mind and back where they both belong, Ari… And by pulling it back to the hidden village, he would also bring Mobius one great step closer toward freedom from the evil that had long oppressed it. …on the task at hand!

“Bunnie, you’re on point with me.” The rabbit gave Sally a smile of complete support, “Rotor and Antoine, you both cover the rear.” The walrus and the coyote both saluted smartly. (Sally was so anxious about Sonic that she wouldn’t have minded a single jot had he been on-hand to make a joke about Antoine covering his own rear…) The Princess' attention came last of all to Tails who stood wondering just what his orders were to be. After a moment’s uncertainty, she gave a decisive click of the tongue and enlightened him. “Tails...get onto the back of the cart and try to stay out of sight.”

Tails’ mouth set into a look of dogged (‘foxed’?) defiance as he heard this. Stay down and keep quiet while she and the others run risks? Is she joking? As a matter of fact, he’d actually more than half expected something like it and so his reply came easily. “I can keep up with the rest of you just fine, Sally.” He said stubbornly. Why do I even need to say this? Come on…I can fly! “Besides, Sonic told me to…”

Another infuriatingly dismissive shake of the head, “Tails, you can ‘look after me’ best by doing exactly as I say so that I won’t have to worry about…” Sally responded with all the patience she still could muster.

“You won’t have to…”

Sally’s eyes flashed like diamonds as her patience, which had been wearing down like a pumice-stone, vanished entirely – she didn’t have time for this. “It’s not optional, mister!” she snapped, to her voice a harshness that she had never before used with the cub. “It’s an order!”

Tails’ own eyes hardened, burning with a glare that he had never before given her. Why is she trying to humiliate me like this?! It was as though something had broken between the fox-cub and his ‘Aunt’ at that point. “You don’t own me!” he spat, now openly and recklessly defiant.

Bunnie just had to laugh at the sight of the astonished look which now spread across Sally’s face, “Darlin’…” the rabbit drawled as she leaned over to the fox-cub – her cybernetic fingers closing gently and carefully around the bases of both bushy appendages, she lifted him from the ground as easily and effortlessly as she would a stuffed toy. “…we’re rentin’ ya’ll for the next seven years! Now hush up and come along, Sugah! No more Sally Baitin’ ‘til we’re back in Knothole!”

As her best girlfriend walked over to deposit the clearly fuming cub in the cart, Sally stared silently after them both. What… The squirrel felt disturbed and somewhat shaken as the downright hostile look that Tails had given her was reflected in her mind’s eye. …was that about?! She slowly shook her head as though trying to free herself from a hypnotic trance – as she had earlier told herself, there was just no time now.

As Tails was plopped neatly onto the cart, Ari flashed a grin back at him. “Strap yourself in…” the ram bantered as he readied himself to move toward the mouth of the waiting alleyway. “…and enjoy the ride, son!”

Tails stared at the mechanical components which lay scattered around him – the mere sight of The Roboticizer, even in a state of semi-dismantlement, sent an uncontrollable shudder running through him. And here he was sharing a cart with this thing of evil, this thing that had once come so very near to destroying his life. Wow…doesn’t get much more messed up than this. His muttered response to Ari’s comment was so bitter that each word actually left a nasty taste in his mouth, “I think I’ve been taken for one of those already…”

Seconds later, The Freedom Fighters emerged from the alleyway and onto the next street. Her keen ears not catching the telltale shriek of aerial-assault bots, Sally concluded that the high-speed duo had succeeded in diverting their pursuers - in what was partially an attempt to find someplace for she and her comrades to hide and partially an attempt to distract her mind from images of the potential horrific fates which might befall Sonic, The Princess cast her eyes right and then left.

And her gaze fell upon the broad double-doors set into the front of the building that stood in the near distance, almost calling out to her in a silent yet tempting offer of sanctuary. A warehouse! In the days that were to follow, Sally would wonder whether her glimpse of this particular building had been wretched coincide or an exceptionally cruel joke which fate had chosen to play at her expense – at the time, however, The Princess naturally took it at face value. Perfect! “Ari!” she called back to the ram, her decision coming as easily as a puzzle-piece slipping into its correct place. “We’re headed for that warehouse just up ahead!”

Ari issued what began as a grunt of stoic assent only to end up as one of irritation as one of the back-wheels of the cart struck a bump into the road, “Dang…” muttered the ram, hunching his shoulders in readiness to surmount this new impediment.

The experience of having been flung to the bottom of the cart, picking up a bump on the head and a generous helping of splinters along the way, did very little to brighten Tails’ disposition – as he steadied himself upon one knee and rubbed a paw against the side of his now aching head, the fox-cub was unable to hold back the remark which sprang to his scowling lips;

“Hey, Ari! Shame you’re not a crab…at least they know how to walk in a straight line!”

As this cutting comment reached his ears, Ari gave a startled blink – as the ram looked back over a broad shoulder, the fox-cub could not help but quail inwardly. He already half regretted having opened his mouth - and the manner in which the ram now stared back at him, one eye squinting quizzically, made him wonder whether a cuffed ear was heading his way. “You what?” Ari said slowly, as though unable to quite grasp what he’d just heard. “Say that again?”

Tails gave a dry gulp, “I said…that a crab could do a better job of pulling this thing than you.” He reiterated, keeping his voice as steady and audible as possible.

Ari continued to stare at the cub in that same unnervingly inscrutable way – then, just as fox was bracing himself, the ram gave a sudden snort. “You little brat!” with a good-natured chuckle, he turned his attention back to the task at hand – with one powerful heft, the heavily laden cart was over the obstruction.

Left once more to his own devices, Tails experienced all at once a myriad of emotions. First of all there was relief over the ram’s lack of anger. Next there came a stab of shame over having been so inexcusably rude, a shame which only intensified as he thought about what Sally would have said had she heard him. Yet the apology that he opened his mouth in order to utter was never heard – with the thought of Sally came the third and most overwhelming emotion. Anger over not having been taken seriously but laughed off as a cheeky kid – as it set in, Tails’ lips were most decidedly sealed.

As they followed the cart’s ever lengthening trail, Rotor and Antoine both exchanged a meaningful glance – they had overheard the little exchange between fox and ram. “What flea is there being in his ear?” the coyote speculated, nodding his yellowy head in the direction of the cart’s only passenger.

At loss for an answer, Rotor merely shrugged – his brow was knitted as he stared at the back of the youngest Freedom Fighter’s head.

Now by this time, Sally and Bunnie both stood directly in front of the set of double-doors – the foremost striking aspect of them was what must once had been a coat of green paint. Having peeled to such an extent over the passage of time, it had been reduced to sparse and sickly patches which remained clinging stubbornly and in doing so gave the pair of wooden vertices the illusion of suffering from a ‘venereal’ kind of leprosy. ‘Wooden’…? The Princess did a double-take as she spotted the second-most noteworthy aspect of the double-doors, “Bunnie…” as she spoke, the squirrel turned to gaze at her cyborg friend. “…would you care to do the honours?”

Bunnie assumed an expression so charmingly self-conscious that The Princess didn’t buy it for the duration of a heartbeat, “Aw golly…do ya’ll really think that an elegant lil’ thing like me can handle somethin’ like this, Sally Girl?” she inquired, her worried tone clashing blatantly with the teasing sparkle in those clear green eyes.

Even though her love was facing death for all their sakes, Sally found herself smiling – Bunnie simply had the ability to lighten even the darkest mood. “Oh…on consideration, I rather believe that you might just be able to manage.” She bantered.

Bunnie giggled as she raised a soft finger to her lips, “Sally Girl, ya’ll could charm the salt right out o’ the ol’ sea! Well in that case…” leaving this sentence doomed to a state of incompletion, the rabbit extended her less congenial paw – barely a moment later, a thick and heavy wooden bar hit the ground with a dull thud and the doors which they had held securely in place swung open with a creak of complaint.

The smell of a decade’s worth of dust was so overpowering as it was released to the open air that Sally’s initial reaction was to take a step back – her second was to contemplate that a single step might perhaps not be far enough. All of a sudden in fact, The Princess got the strong feeling that she and the others would do much better to turn around and put as great a distance as possible between themselves and that dark doorway. The pungent aroma was not all that wafted from out of the lurking shadows – there was something else too, something that hit Sally harder than the fist of the SWATbot which might be concealed inside. A feeling of great apprehension, a foreboding far darker than the awaiting shadows – then and there, with inexplicable and unmistakable conviction, The Princess’ heart told her that going into this place would be a decision which would later return to haunt her.

And yet…what other choice was hers?

“Phewie!” Bunnie exclaimed as she too retreated a step, “Another cotton-pickin’ minute an’ Ah do declare that Ah would most certainly have wound up a dust bunny!” she joked, waving a paw in order to clear the air directly in front of her face – a futile enterprise since every dust-particle that she succeeded in driving away merely made way for the perpetual stench of Robotropolis.

Ari had caught up with the pair of them – even as he brought the all-important cart to a temporary halt, the ram tilted his grey head to regard Sally from beneath a raised eyebrow. “Princess – didn’t you say that we were going in?” he inquired pointedly.

Rotor and Antoine both now stood at either side of the cart, clearly wondering what the cause of the hold-up could be – from his place upon the cart, Tails just stared silently at her. Sally would later recall the dark, almost accusing, scowl on the fox-cub’s face – and when she did, the squirrel would be tempted to wonder whether that look may have been some kind of portent in regard to what was soon to come.

At present, Sally was forced again to resign herself to the fact that there was simply no other option available to her – The Freedom Fighters had to enter the warehouse. Even though for some reason I don’t understand…I really don’t want to. As she felt the pressure mounting up, The Princess cleared her throat, “Give me a second.” Reaching down, she plucked a certain palm-sized computer from the side of her left boot. “Nicole; would you be so kind as to shed some light on the situation?”

As Sally’s held her gentle paw out toward the ominous doorway, Nicole emitted a series of electronic beeps and then responded in her soothing voice;

“I trust that this medium will prove sufficient, Sally.”

A powerful shaft of light shone forth from the screen of the tiny computer – directing the radiant beam through the doorway, The Princess guided it from left to right as slowly and as carefully as though it was a pale finger exploring the inside of a black rotten tooth. The very first things to be thrown into illumination were the metal shelves standing in a row at the leftmost side of the warehouse; piled upon them in haphazard stacks was a great number of squat oblong-shaped articles which were unmistakably cardboard boxes. Almost desperate to discover something wrong about it, anything that might make it slightly unsuitable for the group to take shelter in, Sally conducted a meticulously slow search of the entire warehouse; right at the very back of the place stood a second row of shelves upon which another mother lode of boxes had been thrown with obvious lack of care, to the far right more or less the precise same spectacle.

The warehouse was clean…as far as any enemies waiting to ambush The Freedom Fighters were concerned, that was. In more literal terms, it ranked so low that as far as the World Cleanliness Awards would have been concerned, it would surely have set a record all of its own by securing the first ever negative-digit rank.

Sally gave a deep breath – still she felt no sense of relief. No danger…but why is each and ever hair on my body standing on end? Unable to understand herself, the squirrel did her best to smile reassuringly as she turned to her friends. “Nothing to worry about.” She declared with a confidence which felt just as insincere as her earlier assertion that Snively had changed for the better during his time in The Great Forest. “It’s perfectly safe.”

Upon her very first step across the threshold, the squirrel felt a cold tingle run up and then down her spine – it was as though she had inadvertently walked over somebody’s grave. As dense gloom closed around the group like dark water, in fact, it was as though they had all walked into a final resting-place. Yes…this place reminded The Princess of a crypt rather than a warehouse.

This morbid line of thought which had crept over her like a skeletal hand was interrupted by a sudden remark courtesy of the foxiest member of The Freedom Fighters, “Nice, Sally…very nice.” Though she didn’t trouble to shine the light in his direction in order to confirm her suspicion, Sally was quite certain that Tails was smirking sarcastically, “Though if you don’t mind, I think I’ll wait a while before giving it five stars.”

Sally drew another deep breath which in no way signified that the mood she was in could have been categorised as ‘relaxed’ – with a great effort, however, she remained calm as she responded to the fox-cub’s remark. “Tails, why don’t you go and keep watch at the door?” she suggested with a mildness of tone that made her feel very, very proud of herself. “You can give us a whistle if you see any Bots coming.”

It was a feeble attempt at placation and she knew it – and so she was not surprised when a gratified expression failed entirely to manifest itself upon Tails’ face.

Bunnie grinned mischievously over her shoulder at the fox-cub as she hopped up and parked herself at the edge of the cart, “Just so long as it ain’t a wolf-whistle, huh Tails?” she teased him.

As Sally stared at the rabbit in confusion, Tails dropped to the ground and stalked over to the gaping doorway – not for a second did he glance at or in the slightest way acknowledge Bunnie. With the memory of how she had twice made him do something he hadn’t wanted still freshly burning in his mind, the fox-cub didn’t trust himself to respond to her at that moment. And what had she meant by referring to what had happened between the two of them that morning? Hadn’t he made it clear that he didn’t want anyone, Sally least of all, to know about it? Or did the fact that he was just a kid mean that his desire didn’t count?

As he leant back against the leftmost side of the cart, there was a broad grin on Ari’s face. “Woo!” the ram muttered from the corner of his mouth, “He sure isn’t pleased with you!”

Bunnie’s eyes twinkled fondly at the fox-cub who now stood in the doorway, his back turned firmly toward them all. “Aw, don’t ya’ll worry none, Ari – we can handle him.” She giggled softly.

Putting his fatigued back against the cart’s leftmost side, Rotor permitted himself to slide gently downward – as he came to sit upon his flabby posterior, the walrus prepared to make the most he could of this grace period. Geez…I’m so burned out right now that I don’t even have the energy to think about the top-secret project I’ve been working on… A tic of confusion flickered across his whiskery face. Wait…did that just count?

Antoine alone remained where he stood, his sweat-slicked paws clasped behind his ramrod-like back as he rocked back and forth on the balls of his quivering feet – taking his courage into both paws, the coyote adopted the most casual air that he could feign as he forced himself to gaze tentatively upon the apple of his eye.

Bunnie smiled coyly, raising a paw to brush through her hair as he flattered her with his attention. The coyote’s mouth opened, a painful silence following as he made a sterling attempt to begin a cogent sentence only to fail miserably. It was strange but as he’d built himself toward speaking to her, he had seemed to channel the courage of ten coyotes – when it actually came to speaking to her, on the other hand, every ounce of that courage seemed to go out of him like water through a bottomless glass.

A peal of discordant laughter spilled from that yellowy mouth as Antoine lost his nerve – embarrassed beyond measure as he realised that the others were staring at him, he turned away, his cheeks redder than a herring. Silently he cursed his faintness of heart…

Aw well… Cheated though she felt by that somewhat distinct anticlimax, Bunnie breathed a sigh and smiled wistfully. …next time maybe?

Ignoring for the present her bewilderment in regard to the behaviour of Tails, Sally turned to inspect her surroundings more closely – the shelves, she noted, were most definitely worse for wear. Several had long ago warped beneath the weight of stacked boxes – in some places, even the framework was bent as though a circus strongman had used them to display the raw power of his pumped muscles.

Sally’s brow furrowed as she perceived that many of the boxes were well into the process of disintegration. Just how long had they been here? And what’s inside anyway…? Restlessly, the squirrel leant toward the box nearest to where she stood – holding her sentient light-source directly over it, she finally glimpsed the peculiar contents of the aged cardboard container. That which met the eyes of The Princess was a tangled mess of objects which were not only as small as featherless baby birds but also gave a sickly gleam in the light projected upon them by Nicole.

Now at first, Sally thought them to be pieces of moulding styrofoam packing – an assumption that lasted barely the length of time it had taken to form in her mind. For as the squirrel prepared to step back and turn decisively away, she chanced to notice something which recaptured her interest; one of the tiny items bore what was clearly faint lettering. Pausing to prop her rifle against the shelf's side, Sally dipped her paw in and took hold of the object that had attracted her attention – after a second or two of tugging as though she was trying to drag a desperate worm from out of the earth, she was holding it between finger and thumb.

The first discovery The Princess made was through her sense of touch; the thing she held now was not styrofoam but plastic. Plastic so thin and flimsy that it would have stretched and split with but a careless twist. Next came the evidence of her eyes; this was nothing so random as a scrap torn from something larger but a thing all of its own. It was a band just the right size for an average adult Mobian to slip onto his or her wrist; an identification bracelet that a hospital patient would have worn before the day of The Coup.

Sally stood very still, as though that skeletal paw had become very real indeed – and as it struck from the darkness, seizing her in a grip of ice, The Princess’ eerily clear mind seemed able to accommodate but a single thought.

No…it couldn’t be.

Her fiery-haired head jerking as though suddenly intoxicated, she leant closer still toward the worn old box. Crammed inside there was indeed a great number of plastic bracelets, every single one more or less identical to that which she held in her paw – moving as stiffly as a marionette as she began to regain her composure, Sally turned to check the box directly ascendant. Just as her growing suspicion had told her; yet more of the same.

Yes…it could.

As she looked across her hazel-furred shoulder, The Princess had already to begun to smooth the crumpled bracelet as best she could – extreme care was hers as she did so for fear that a smidgen of roughness might ruin it. And again…just as she’d suspected. Attached to the front of the bracelet was a small piece of yellowing card; and daubed in black ink were spidery characters, their clarity destroyed by the passage of time.

And…it is.

Their illegibility meant less than nothing to Sally – just as she could have sworn to her own name, she knew that the trail of blurred and faded ink had at one time formed three letters followed by a trio of digits.

This The Princess knew to be true for the simple fact that she had seen one of these very bracelets on a day that had dawned long ago. A day which she would never forget for as long as she should live. A day of ten years ago…

“Sally Girl…?”

Sally gave such a start that she might have experienced an electric-shock – tearing her transfixed gaze from the object that even now made her experience mingled feelings of burning fascination and sickened fear, she forced herself to look instead at the rabbit who stood now beside her.

Bunnie had quietly joined the squirrel, overcome by curiosity in regard to what she could be doing over here – her eyes were concerned as gazed at her friend. The rabbit was by no means certain whether she had actually seen or merely fancied it – yet it seemed to her that she had glimpsed it in Sally’s face, something which had been hidden suddenly behind a pair of shutters which had descended behind those perfect blue eyes as she’d realised that that she was being observed.

“What’s goin’ on, hon?” Bunnie pressed, wondering what could possibly have had such a startling effect on the squirrel. “Somethin’ wrong?”

Sally could feel their eyes upon her – Antoine’s brimming with nervousness, Rotor’s filling slowly with concern, Ari’s turning sharp as a pair of razor-blades as she was subjected to their combined scrutiny. The only pair that she didn’t feel boring into her back were those belonging to Tails – the disgruntled fox-cub had refused obstinately to turn around despite the obvious curiosity rising within him.

Sally’s eyes had been those of a drowning person – as she got a hold of herself, their expression became grim with resolve. There was one person who could answer the question that for years had haunted The Princess…and at present he was back in Knothole.

Almost desperate for some space in which to breathe as well as to think, Sally cleared her throat with a cough. “It’s okay, guys…” as she spoke as breezily as she could manage, The Princess slipped the bracelet into her vest-pocket and patted it flat against her chest. “…I’m okay.” Her eyes were steady and significant as she met Bunnie’s questioning pair, “Really, Bunnie…it’s nothing. Okay?”

Bunnie squinted suspiciously at her friend, The Squirrel Princess – that whatever it could be was most definitely something was as clear to her mind as a cloudless day in springtime. Just as clear was her realisation that it must be something very serious in order for Sally to try and keep it hidden from her friends. Ah guess Ah’ll be leavin’ it… Even as she nodded in apparent deference, the rabbit’s eyes were locked upon the face of the reticent squirrel. …for the time bein’. Somethin’ or other has Sally Girl spooked…and Ah sure intend t’ know what.

As she went to stand before the shelves right at the back of the warehouse, Sally’s arms were wrapped around her shoulders as though to keep at bay a sensation of coldness – it was a vain effort for the bitterest chill was that which came from the depths of a soul in turmoil. And the burden of that turmoil was so acute that her head bowed beneath its profound weight – for The Princess knew that the moment she had hoped and prayed with all of her heart and soul to forestall was at last upon her.

Her eyes were as bleak as the sky over The Badlands as she dwelt on the memory of that day, a crystalline diorama in her mind – almost perversely, she felt glad of the physical exhaustion that filled her with leaden inertia. As long as her own gaze was lowered, there was less chance that she might meet that of the one whose face seeped now into every corner of her mind.

And that face belonged to none other than Tails who continued to sulk, oblivious to the fact that from a past of which he had little memory…a shadow had risen. A demon all of his very own…one which soon he would be forced to confront. A terrifying truth which may well prove to be absolute destruction.

The destruction of his sanity…his life…his very soul.

End of Chapter

Author Notes - Whew, sorry this took so long!

[The Mysterious Traveller]

Chapter Eight
Race To Oblivion; The Eye Of Omega

For the past decade, the street had lain in silent abandonment – where laughter and light once had been, there now was only dead silence and stagnant air.

Until today…

On scorching summer days of long ago, many a mother had insisted that her children go out and enjoy the marvellous sunshine – more often than not, those same children had sought sanctuary from that same sunshine within the tantalising shade promised by the gaps between houses. At some point following The Coup those same gaps had been sealed by thick wooden planks, most likely in order to prevent intruders from using them either as a hiding place or a means by which to escape into another street.

It was more or less assured that if anyone was rash enough to venture into this place, chances were that he or she would never walk out again. Of course…where there was no precedent, there would always be somebody to set one.

“Whew…so this is what they mean about life in the fast-lane!!”

As a pair of high-speed heroes blazed twin trails through that seemingly endless street, a quartet of robotic pursuers practically nipped at their heels – arrayed in an aerial horseshoe, The STEALTHbot Squadron resembled a bevy of monstrous birds as it swooped upon its prey; Sonic the Hedgehog and his unlikely ally, The Speed Bot.

As he dodged and weaved in a dizzying effort to evade the barrage of lethal laser-fire, something struck the blue-spiked avenger – and it was not one of the deadly beams which he avoided by mere inches but a sudden and sickening realisation. Weariness was actually creeping up on him. Sonic was determined to push himself to the very limit, true…yet even the fastest thing alive couldn’t reasonably expect to go toe-to-toe with a super-advanced killing-machine, hurl himself into combat against an entire platoon of SWATbots in a desperate attempt to pluck his captured comrades from under the snout of the most deadly sorcerer ever to draw breath, and be feeling at the peak of his game immediately after.

All work an’ no play…leaves this hedgehog hero feelin’ more ‘bushed’ than the whole Great Forest! As his teeth instinctively clenched, Sonic cudgelled his brain as urgently as he could without obligating himself to admit to having actually lost his cool. Ya know…what I could really use right about now’s a plan!

Out of the corner of his right eye, the hedgehog caught the now unmistakable flash of gold. And when Sonic craned his neck, sure enough, it was to find those crystalline eyes awaiting him - as his trademark silent stare transfixed the cobalt Freedom Fighter, The Speed Bot jerked that exquisitely designed head. And now that he had the hedgehog’s full attention, the meaning of this simple yet emphatic motion was crystal clear; his back. An’ it looks like Speedy here has one! Sonic didn’t need a third invitation – in the blink of an eye, he flung himself sideward through the air. A swift stunt which brought the hedgehog’s feet to be balanced upon the form of the great cat. “Woah!” exclaimed Sonic, the ache in his feet already beginning to fade. “I’m moving at this amazing speed! This is the greatest thrill of my whole…” as his brain got around to actually thinking about what he was saying, a sheepish grin spread across that peach-furred muzzle. “…oh yeah.”

They were going so fast that it was only the tightness of the knot with which it had been tied keeping the hedgehog’s bandanna from ripping clean away, allowing blood to stream forth like fuel from a ruptured gas-task - as The Speed Bot swerved to avoid the latest instalment of enemy fire, Sonic resisted an almost overwhelming temptation to holler; “Hi yo, Silver, awaaay!” The hedgehog’s decision not to go there was based on two reasons. Firstly, the great cat’s body was in fact golden. Secondly, it would have sounded as though the cobalt crusader was bellowing encouragement to some kid’s pet fish if he were to try substituting ‘silver’ with ‘goldie’. “Yo, Cat Cool!" he settled instead for cheering as the combined firepower of The STEALTHbots failed spectacularly to bring the two of them down. "You rule!!"

A smooth-sounding mechanical whirr caused his blue ears to prick up – glancing to his left, the hedgehog saw something that made him flinch despite himself.

The Speed Bot’s extendable arm had emerged – yet even as Sonic eyed it with renewed wariness, that extra appendage came not an inch closer. It simply remained as currently situated, flat palm turned skyward…waiting. And as he realised that the great cat had again come through for them both, the wave of tension passed – Sonic smirked. “Jus’ remember, Speedy…” a single step to the left brought the hedgehog’s sneaker-shod foot to rest between the three claws, “…quitters never win an’ winners never die!!”

His attention turned straight ahead once more, The Speed Bot gave no noticeable external reaction to those word – internally, of course, it was a whole other story. More and more did the cybernetic speedster marvel at the ability of hedgehog to think of so many different things in the very heat of conflict, whether it be the well-being of a comrade or the imparting of invaluable advice to a friendly rival, and yet remain focused nonetheless upon the goal ahead. That there could be something more than winning…merely the concept both shocked and fascinated the artificial mind that now contemplated it.

His memory returned to that fateful night he and Sonic had been pitted against each other for the very first time…and the hedgehog had chosen to forfeit the contest, dropping out of their race as though it had meant nothing whatsoever to him. And as he’d found himself suddenly abandoned and ignored by a master whose need for him had come to a wretchedly disappointing end, the great cat had striven in vain to make logical sense of what had happened, his super-advanced AI proving unable to solve the conundrum of his rival’s perplexing action.

The Speed Bot had been utterly confounded – yet on this day, all had changed. Today, the great cat finally understood – and in the golden vault that was his mind, he silently thanked the hedgehog for helping him to do so.

(I must try to remember that…’winner’.)

With incredible force, the telescopic arm swung. Sonic lowered his arms to his sides and pressed his legs together as he was launched toward the sky like a rocket. “Guess there’s nowhere ta’ go from here but up!!” his nose was pointed straight up, his spikes flattened against his skull by the rush of the air – as his high-flying ascent reached peak-point, the air-born hedgehog performed a breath-taking backward somersault. “Yipikaye!!”

The corresponding descent was cut abruptly short as his feet apparently made contact with a passing cloud. A cloud which was smooth. And solid. And happened to be passing with quite remarkable speed.

Casting a casual glance over his shoulder, Sonic paid not the slightest heed to the concrete whizzing by far below – he gazed instead at the gleaming black oblong that served as the eye of The STEALTHbot upon whose broad back he was now tenuously balanced, a grin cheesier than fondue dip spreading across his muzzle. “Say, Guv!” he exclaimed, adopting a cockney accent. “Don’t moind if Oi……yipes!!” the hedgehog went abruptly out of character as his sharp eyes glimpsed something that was most definitely not part of the script, something which was of clear detriment to his general well-being. “Not cool…not cool!!”

Ducking so swiftly that it was miraculous whiplash didn’t follow, Sonic just avoided the overhanging section of the rust-coated street-light - the greatest loss he suffered was the tip of a single spike. Bearing in mind what happened the last time he’d given it a whirl, the hedgehog didn’t exactly savour the prospect of sticking his head back into Rotor’s quill-styling machine – acknowledging he’d rather that than have to go and look for a new head altogether, he decided that it was probably best to cut his losses.

As he did just that, Sonic slipped back into his role as smoothly as though he’d just experienced little more than a mildly critical review. “Don’t moind if oi ‘itch a lift, do y’? Much obloiged to y’, Oi am!” as he played this surely award-winning role to perfection, the hedgehog performed something else; an about-face which brought him sliding to the far end of the robotic exterminator. “Oi’ll just hop into the back, Oi will!” Plopping his finely proportioned side down upon the smoothness of the aerial-assault machine, Sonic kicked back as casually as though he'd just decided to work on his tan – tilting his head to the left, the hedgehog gave The STEALTHbot’s immediate neighbour a saucy wave.

Though seemingly whimsical, it was in fact a very calculated move…and one that paid off magnificently.

Electing to deal with this undesirable passenger by the most expedient means possible, The STEALTHbot turned in a smooth partial roll – now gliding at a sideward angle, the winged robot swerved sharply with the intent of crushing Sonic against the side of the nearest building. Yet a hedgehog hamburger was not to be added to that day’s menu.

Sonic reclined no longer upon The STEALTHbot's back as it connected with the side of that derelict structure – thrusting his paws against the robot’s slowly tilting frame, the hedgehog had propelled himself into the air. And as he dropped nimbly to the ground, Sonic now tilted back his head in order to enjoy an enviable view of the perfect display of Cause and Effect his actions had triggered – it proved to be well worth watching.

Detecting his close proximity, the second STEALTHbot had also made a move to eradicate the hedgehog. Compared to the means its fellow machine had intended to employ, the method devised by that robotic interloper made up for in brutal efficiency where it failed in methodical elegancy - the second STEALTHbot swerved without warning, clearly intent on smearing the mocking hedgehog against its right wing.

But Sonic had not waited to become an example of abstract graffiti – the hedgehog had hit the ground running, was now grinning maniacally as he waited in anticipation for the imminent lightshow.

Which went as smoothly as clockwork. The intermingling explosions were actually extremely attractive to behold as the second STEALTHbot ploughed into the metallic belly of the first, like a hammer striking a stake’s flat head – it was like watching an exceptionally spectacular firework display.

“Speakin’ o’ lanes” Sonic crowed as he turned his attention to the road ahead. “…steerike two!! When there’s somethin’ screwy wit’ the neighbourhood, who ya gonna call?! Bot Bustas!!”

As that breath-taking chain-reaction had played out, neither of the two remaining STEALTHbots could have been described as ‘idle’. The murderous machines intended to take The Speed Bot from both sides in a joint swoop, a strategy far more co-ordinated than either devised by their fallen counterparts…yet no less doomed.

As he perceived the clear threat to his existence, The Speed Bot continued to run – the great cat had two things working to his advantage, both considerable and neither to be taken lightly. The first being the raw strength of his body, the second the diamond-like brilliance of his artificial mind. And when both became one, the force engendered was truly formidable. As the cybernetic speedster ran, it was not with the terror of a pitiful mouse fleeing for its life…but the cunning of a deadly beast about to turn the tables upon the lowly carrion that dared presume themselves his conquerors.

Into view it came, round in shape and pitted with rust; a long-forgotten manhole cover. The heavy-duty metal lid would have taken even Bunnie Rabbot several minutes to lift from its place of decade-long rest – The Speed Bot took barely a second to leap upon it, bringing to bear every ounce of strength his body contained.

The STEALTHbot duo’s strategy was derailed to say the least as the great cat vanished from sight, leaving behind no more than the now cracked edges of the pit into which he had plunged – even as they soared over that shadow-infested hole, both artificial minds were bent upon turning back as swiftly as possible.

A fatal mistake.

Long before either twin flying-machine had ascended from the production line, the air-vent had lain out of action. Once upon a time, the neighbourhood kids had rushed to stand on that cage-like covering; the boys hopping up and down in the hope that the latest updraft might provide them with the lift-off necessary to take flight, the girls giggling like crazy as they prevented their skirts from flapping upward. Now...the battered grill hurtled skyward like a champagne-bottle cork, definitely a jarring sight. Yet merely a warm-up to that which followed, taking the STEALTHbots completely by surprise.

Like an angelic demon escaping from the clutches of Hell’s Grim Tyrant, The Speed Bot came – and as he erupted from the darkness below the street, the great cat seemed almost to fly. A thing of terrifying beauty his golden body was, its utter magnificence practically overwhelming the sensors of his wannabe destroyers – if ever there was a day that mere machines came close to experiencing unsurpassed awe, this was the one. And more was yet to come – as the severely damaged vent bounced across the ground, the cybernetic speedster arched his back and thrust both front-legs outward – had he been capable of making any kind of sound at all, he most surely would have roared at his oncoming prey.

Everything came spectacularly together - in a desperate attempt to evade the surprise attack, both STEALTHbots veered apart. United, they may have prevailed – divided, they literally crashed and burned. At the very least, the ill-fated machines succeeded in taking out numerous layers of dirt and grime in their respective explosions...

As his robotic paws casually re-established their relationship to terra firma, The Speed Bot gave a contemptuous flick of the tail. (Why not take a digital photo, boys? Digital lasts forever, don’t you know.) The feline android raised his proud eyes, the conquered STEALTHbot Squadron already dismissed from that artificial mind – at hand was a true adversary.

As he'd witnessed the downfall of The STEALTHbots, Sonic had slowed his pace – and as he ground now to a halt, the hedgehog stared at the figure of The Speed Bot. The pursuit was at an end…yet 'lest his nose was addled by the most abrupt cold in medical history, Sonic could now smell something else in the air.

Whatever it could be, an irresistible temptation was stirred within his beating heart…burning desire, sheer yearning, almost primal excitement. And Sonic would have bet anything that, despite his cool outer exterior, The Speed Bot felt exactly the same way.

His left eye narrowing into a speculative squint, Sonic silently weighed. By now, Sally and the others just had to be safely out of the city – it wasn’t like he’d be goofing off while he was supposed to be covering them. Well, was it? And anyway, the two of them needed to get out of here as fast as possible…didn’t they? The hedgehog bared his teeth in a grin, realising that there was just no getting away from the simple truth despite the validity of the arguments he’d just presented to himself.

And the simple truth was…that Sonic genuinely wanted his rematch with The Speed Bot.

The precise point at which hedgehog and robot’s gazes locked was where that invisible intangible something had burst into being – though it could be seen by the eye of neither, it was felt by both as it grew between the two of them. So passionate and fierce that it seemed to send waves of heat rippling through the air – and as beads of sweat coursed down his face, Sonic recognised it at last. A challenge from one equal opponent to another, a call to battle – and the grin that split his muzzle was ready acceptance.

“Oh it’s ooon, Golden Boy!!”

One bedazzling flash of motion later, mammal and machine stood side-by-side once more. Dropping onto one knee, Sonic planted both gloved palms flat upon the ground like the heck of an athlete that he was…and waited. The Speed Bot tilted back those powerful legs…and waited.

Both eager rivals waited for the duration of one second. Followed by that of another. And then…

“Try keepin’ up wit’ this! I’ll race ya right ta’ oblivion an’ back!”

A whirling plume of dust marked the spot where Sonic had just crouched. The hedgehog was running – spreading his arms out with fists clenched in an outward reflection of smouldering concentration, he moved at the speed of a Hover Bike. A heartbeat had barely passed when that telltale glint appeared at the corner of his right eye – as he fell effortlessly into stride with the hedgehog, The Speed Bot flashed his worthy rival a glance so vaunting that it seemed to scream; (Here’s looking at you, Mister Hedgehog.)

Sonic felt neither shock nor dismay – for in the corner of his left eye shone the glint of pure exhilaration. “Bud, ya ain’t seen nothin’ yet…I ain’t even outta first gear!!” tilting his body at a forward angle, the hedgehog took this race to a whole new level of speed – and as his acceleration increased dramatically, the crumbling structures ahead appeared to melt into a relentless collage of grey which seemed to have neither beginning nor end. Wow…kinda like Snivley’s whole life flashin’ in front of his eyes!

It took a little longer to happen this time…several minutes longer. Yet still it came…or rather he came. The Speed Bot’s limbs moved with such incredible rapidity that they appeared to become wheels of golden flame as he bounded back into his rival’s sight. (Would that this shell of metal housed but a single nerve-ending, I assure you that I would be simply aquiver with anticipation.) The eyes of the feline-based mecha appeared to drawl.

“Okay…I’m a little impressed.” Sonic conceded as the great cat succeeded again in matching his speed. “But hey…only a little, okay? Now get ready...'cuz ya about ta' get a sizzlin' taste of Super Sonic Speed!!” The hedgehog had never been one to oversell himself – oh sure, he might exaggerate every now and then. But one thing he’d always avoided was promising something beyond his ability to follow up on – yet to take this race to the extreme limit of that ability was what he’d promised and the extreme limit was precisely where he was determined to take it.

Sonic felt like a volcano on the verge of eruption as he poured every last ounce of energy that was his into the effort – such was the speed he attained that tongues of flame sprang from every inch of ground he now covered! Leaning to one side, Sonic allowed his now practically rocket-powered body to veer leftward - barely a second later, he found himself streaking across the faces of buildings like an arachnid that had somehow gotten its legs upon an incredibly powerful accelerator.

His soles pounding a trail across walls of crumbling brick and planks of rotting wood, Sonic twisted his neck in order to gaze toward the opposite side of the street – and there, precisely what he’d expected to see. The Speed Bot resembled nothing less than a wingless bird of gold as he too raced across the faces of buildings – as though he read the mind of his rival, the cybernetic speedster craned his neck to meet the cobalt hedgehog’s spellbound stare. In those amethyst eyes shone pure serenity.

And for the first time that day, Sonic found himself at a complete loss for words – as the hedgehog strove to form a cogent sentence, a very familiar whirr sounded through the air. Without a hint of his previous apprehension, Sonic watched that surplus arm unfolding from the robot’s side. No way! His eyes widened as two of those metal claws lowered, leaving only the third erect. Jus’…no way, man!

From one speedster to another…a robotic thumbs-up.

Sonic simply could not contain that which now flowed though his body like fresh n' bubbly soda-pop, “Ya…ya know somethin’? It…it ain’t necessarily true what they say!” the blue blur heard himself holler between overpowering spasms of euphoric laughter, “I guess…great speedsta’s really can…be made, not born!”

And though The Speed Bot was unable to communicate via verbal expression, Sonic sensed that those words of esteem meant a lot to him. (Oh you can take it right to the bank, Mister Hedgehog…this great speedster is entirely self-made!) In that weird moment of purity, of running against an opponent with whom he found himself evenly matched in every way...the great cat realised that this was it.

This moment, here and now, was the highest note of his existence. Whatever might follow, the robotic speed demon was certain of one thing - nothing would ever come near to surpassing the sheer ecstasy of this golden moment.

And just how correctly he judged, the cybernetic speedster would discover very soon indeed.

For every extreme high one can experience, there is always a corresponding low – a deep rumbling hit the hedgehog’s back like a wall of ominous sound, leaving him with the distinct impression that the words ‘cake’ and ‘walk’ could hardly be used in a sentence pertaining to this last leg of the mission.

‘Those who look to the heavens prosper’ - never had an old proverb seemed less grounded in reality than would this within the context of the scenario now in motion. For as Sonic looked up into the sky, wondering if the ensorcelled storm-clouds had reached this street…they came. While the hedgehog was looking to the heavens, too distracted to see them coming.

The Speed Bot was not so remiss – his sensors detecting the rapid approach of no less than three sources of intense energy, the robot craned that golden neck. And there he saw them; lights of such incredible intensity that the shadows seemed to dissolve before them. Laser-Beams! And of the common variety they were not – 'lest his overwhelmed sensors played him false, those now approaching were blasts of immense destructive power! As to the intended target…The Speed Bot believed his first guess fairly accurate. In that fleeting moment before impact, the great cat cursed his inability to warn the oblivious Sonic – given that he had been created solely to destroy him, it seemed bitterly fitting that his only real limitation now prevented him from saving the hedgehog.

A moment later, it scarcely mattered. The Speed Bot’s guess had been decidedly inaccurate – Sonic had never been the focus of the oncoming barrage.

Deep as that steadily deepening growl sounded, it proved no match for the voice that now rose over it; a voice ringing with concentrated malice as it hailed the great cat from somewhere close behind; “Let’s see you outmanoeuvre this, rusting road-kill!”

The Speed Bot veered swiftly enough to evade the first beam which instead reduced an abandoned house to smoking gravel – another fluid swerve took him clear of the second blast which missed his exquisitely designed tail by mere inches and ultimately provided air-conditioning to another decade-old ruin. As for the third…

The odd vibration running through his body was the first indication The Speed Bot received that something was very wrong – the next was the strange sensation of having suddenly become lighter. In theory, this ought to have granted him an advantage; with less weight to carry, after all, the android feline should have been able to escape his current jeopardy with far greater ease. Yet in practice, the consequences this new state entailed were far less beneficial; the fact that one of the great cat’s hind-legs was no longer attached to the rest of his body considerably stunted rather than enhanced his ability to run.

For a whole minute, The Speed Bot could only stare back at his mutilated limb…or rather the lack of it. And though those purple eyes retained their inexpressive mystique, a maelstrom of shock engulfed the artificial mind behind them. Extremely advanced as that AI was, it had a blind spot – the great cat’s pride and confidence in his abilities were both so immense that a small part of his psyche actually believed himself truly invincible. And so The Speed Bot could barely believe his eyes as he glared at the blackened stump where a powerful leg had once been; it was as though the loss of that limb was merely an outrageous affront to his dignity rather than a sign of the very real peril he was now in.

The minute was gone – and, in a manner of speaking, so was The Speed Bot. With a quarter of their collective speed abruptly lost, the paws of the great cat began to stumble and scrape…

As that jeering voice alerted him to the fact that the renewed danger came not from above but from behind, Sonic fired a glance over his shoulder…just in time to see the cybernetic speedster's fall. “Hey...” the hedgehog exclaimed, his eyes widening in shock – he could hardly believe what they saw as the golden mecha struck the ground with shattering impact and lay there like a metallic fly at the centre of a spider-webbing series of cracks. “…hey!!” With a swerve that sent pain lancing through every bone in his body, the hedgehog returned to terra firma – as his feet and solid ground reconnected, Sonic was fuelled by a burning urge to lend his fallen rival a gloved paw. “Hang in there, dude...I’m comin’!!”

Even as the hedgehog prepared to turn back and sprint to his rescue, The Speed Bot raised that now battered head – and the look that shone in the fallen feline’s eyes drove Sonic onward in a way which an army of SWATbots never could. Perhaps the great cat considered such a crippled existence one which he could never endure. Maybe he did not desire the hedgehog’s life to be placed on the line in order to preserve that existence. Perchance that which he now did was due to a reason he could not have explained to the hedgehog had he every word ever conceived at his disposal. Whatever the case, his final message was conveyed with a clarity unrivalled by the most flawless diamond;

(Go. Escape. Live.)

Sonic clenched his teeth, his whole face tautening into a mask of unwillingness – yet his feet continued to move, to run as though of their own will. Much as he despised himself for doing so, the hedgehog felt an overpowering urge to respect The Speed Bot’s desire. “Oh maaan…” he moaned, his tone one of immense pathos.

The menacing growl had continued unabated throughout that first strike, increasing in depth with each passing second – and as he gazed beyond the grievously damaged robot, Sonic at last spotted the source. From out of the clustered shadows it came roaring, a monstrous mass of mechanical malevolence – and had he possessed any degree of telekinetic capability, the street around the hedgehog would have been swallowed by an earthquake as he saw just who piloted this nightmare of technology. His blood ran cold even as his eyes blazed, an exquisite dichotomy triggered by the sight of a nemesis he’d believed to have been literally buried.

Ya know…I really gotta stop buttin’ heads wit’ this butthead!

As the Triad Canons revolved and entered cooling phase, Lieutenant Omega fixed his quarry with a crimson glare. For the past half-hour, The Elite had utilised his internal heat-sensors in conjunction with his infinite patience – as soon as he’d detected a heat-source moving at extraordinary speed, he had just known that it was Sonic. And as The Elite had closed in on his prey, grim satisfaction had coursed through him at the sight of The Speed Bot. This was just perfect – this meant that Omega got to smear the road with both their innards. Starting with that glorified gold-plated tin-can's! “Don’t…turn your back…on me!” that synthesised voice sounded oddly distorted as it snarled malevolently at the hurtling hedgehog.

“Okay…seriously.” Sonic quipped, grimacing as though he’d decided to teach his grandma how to suck eggs only to realise that he’d just crammed an especially rotten one into his mouth. “Jus’ what does it take ta’ make ya say nighty-night?” Admirably as he maintained his nonchalant exterior, the hedgehog was actually completely bewildered as he gazed back at the thirty-ton war-machine; how in the world could that great hulk possibly move so fast?

The answer was quite simple; bright-blue tendrils of energy encircled the fingers of Omega’s right hand as The Elite forcibly embedded them into the face of the control-panel, feeding a steady supply of his own considerable internal power directly into The Ground Tank’s energy-core. Incredibly effective though the result seemed, this was a tactic which came with a very apparent drawback – copious amounts of smoke spewed like torrents of gaseous vomit from the sides of the tread which had not been built in order to accommodate a speed so extreme.

Precisely how much farther The Ground Tank could go before degenerating into a huge pile of spare parts, Omega did not know – nor did he care. So long as the hedgehog was annihilated before that inevitable moment, all else paled into complete insignificance from The Elite’s point of view.

As the burning glare of that visor-like eye cast the rest of his helm-like head into shadow, Omega appeared as the King of Hell in pursuit of a pair of wretches who dared seek flight from his nightmare realm. “You seem to experience immense difficulty in keeping that clumsy foot out of your flapping mouth, Hedgehog.” As The Elite taunted the hedgehog, a command was relayed from his electronic brain to The Ground Tank. “Perhaps pinning it shut might help? Brace yourself…for Ground Hog Day is upon you!”

A second ago, Sonic had felt his stomach twisting itself into an unduly complicated knot – in the following second, it seemed to cast itself into a smoothy-mixer.

Heralded by the nerve-rending sound of a thousand feral cats hissing in unison, row upon row of metal spikes emerged from the tread. “Aw, come ooon!!” Like the fangs of a bestial behemoth, these rust-riddled horrors scored a horrifying scar into the (already remarkably unsightly) face of Robotropolis as they were revealed – Sonic had the distinct 'impression' that it would take a great deal more than a tetanus-shot to get him back on his feet should those things get stuck into him. “Now ya jus’ yankin’ my chain!!”

The Speed Bot marked the coming of that lumbering juggernaut as he lay battered and broken in the dirt – as the end drew inexorably near, there was one regret only in the mind of the robotic speed demon. And that was but the end itself. In those eyes was sad resignation, a melancholy light which may fill the sky as the sun sets for the final time. And as they turned to follow the blue blur of the swiftly departing hedgehog, he no longer felt a trace of that earlier irony – The Speed Bot had been given his existence in order to rival Sonic the Hedgehog. That it should come now to a close with him left in the wake of that rival was in no way ironic – it was perfectly fitting.

(Sonic…we are the same, you and I. The same…yet different. You were brought into this world by a whim of the natural order. Not for any real reason. You simply are. Whereas I am a machine. Created by man. Created for the wrong reason. And I believed myself perfect, that no-one would ever come close to me, that I defined the word ‘unsurpassable’. Then I met you. And in time I came to see that running to win is meaningless. To run is the prize…to run is to be free. What measure of control could Robotnik’s programming possibly have over me…in comparison to that?)

(Sonic…farewell.)

[The Mysterious Traveller]

With a deep cringe, Sonic shut his eyes fast – like a squeamish child who knew he was about to receive a hypodermic jab, the hedgehog didn’t want to see the approach of that horrible promise’s fulfilment. That state of mind lasted only as long as he took to feel a jab of shame, the realisation that he was acting like a coward. Silently commanding himself to honour the bravery of the great cat, Sonic took the deepest of breaths…and forced his eyes to open.

To find that he had wrestled too long with himself…and that it was now too late. Neither the glimmer of a purple eye nor the flash of a golden body did he see.

The Speed Bot was gone.

“Speedy…” Perhaps it was as Sally had said back when they’d both been kids, that his head was far too crammed with ego for anything else to enter – or it may have been that the horrible reality of what had just happened was too much for any mind to immediately accept. It was like a nuclear bomb exploding against the azure sky of his soul, banishing the sun and turning all to a desolate frozen wasteland. When acceptance at last came, so too did a cry of anguish that seemed to claw his throat raw. “…Speedy!!”

As the ice that had bound his soul was melted by the flames of grief and fury, the hedgehog would have continued to scream…but he didn’t. Because he knew that whatever he did, the golden racer would still be gone – screaming until his throat bled wouldn’t bring him back. Nothing ever would. I’ll always remember ya… And besides…if he was going to avoid sharing the robot’s fate himself, the hedgehog now needed every ounce of energy he could muster.

Sonic blinked, his eyes feeling like sun-baked pebbles – the air, he mused as he tried to recompose himself, was still extremely hot from the laser-blasts. Air an' lasers… the hedgehog rationalised silently. …yeah, that’s the reason my eyes are on fire. When they at last reopened, those eyes were filled with calm – deadly calm. A feeling that only continued to resonate within as he realised just what his slightly blurred gaze was directed at. “You.” the growl was almost incongruously quiet as it passed his teeth, not an anguished accusation but an implacable curse.

The eye of Omega glimmered like a blood-stained blade – the taunt it conveyed was no less cutting. “I thought I saw a pussy-cat! I did! I did saw a pussy-cat!” jeered the robotic voice of The Elite, “You know…it amazed me to see that utter waste of finite resources up and running after all this time. I’d assumed that his bug-beleaguered AI had failed him long ago…though it might just as well have, for all the good he ultimately did you. One down, one to go! And since I happen to be in such an exceptionally good mode…I do believe that I’ll give you my full attention. Please take your time and enjoy an excruciatingly protracted termination, Moronic the HedgeSwine!”

As that spiked tread bore down on him like a morbidly obese sea-urchin rolling along on its side, a lesser soul surely would have quailed – Sonic the Hedgehog was no such soul. By urging his rival to escape, The Speed Bot had knowingly sealed his own fate - the robot had given himself over to destruction in order to keep it from the hedgehog.

And as Sonic realised it, a new resolve arose from the ashes – he swore that, whatever the cost, Omega’s evil would be destroyed once and for all. “Don’t count ya weasels ‘til they’ve popped, Motor Mouth!” growled the vengeful hedgehog, “I’m gonna…”

An almost perversely gentle hum indicated that The Triad Canons were 100 Percent re-energised – the trio of laser-weapons parted like a lady's fan. And their aim now readjusted, those exquisite examples of science put to the task of taking as many lives as swiftly as possible…fired.

Sonic just had to flinch as the concrete to his direct right received the full benefit of a continuous beam of intense heat – that this new laser-stream remained to scorch a smoking trench into the face of the ill-maintained road, rather than merely dissipating, seemed to indicate that at least one of The Canons was now set at a significantly lower power-level. Lower…yet no less deadly.

The riddle of The Elite’s gambit was swiftly solved. As the beam steadily charred the road beside him, literally too close for comfort, Sonic was filled with the urge to veer leftward – yet for some reason he couldn’t readily fathom, the hedgehog resisted it. Whether it had been gut-instinct or simply a bad feeling, he grimly retained his current course; an irrational call which was soon proven to have saved his life.

A blinding flash of light preceded the second stage of the hedgehog's headache – rivulets of sweat gushed down the sides of his face as the heat was literally turned up by the appearance of the laser-beam which began charring the ground which lay to his immediate left.

Sonic didn’t need to take a glance either to the right or left in order to grasp his situation – the hedgehog knew that he was boxed between two seemingly endless laser-streams. And as he began to feel like a slice of bread wedged into an atomic-powered toaster, it was with a sickening flash of insight that he realised just what was coming. Uh…how many guns did that mega monstrosity have again? The answer came almost instantly…and with unsettling directness.

Had the events of the last decade not made him savvy enough to shield them with the side of a gloved paw, Sonic would surely have felt his eyeballs sizzle as the world seemed to explode in front of them – had those years of Freedom Fighting not so toughened him, the deep vibrations now coursing through the ground would undoubtedly have hurled him flat on his face.

As an acrid tendril of smoke angulated its way between his parted lips, Sonic gagged in revulsion. Man! It’s like there’s a party in my mouth…an’ everyone’s barfin’! The vaporous veil which assaulted the hedgehog's senses was born of a third laser-stream…which was focused upon the spot a few feet ahead of him!

The partial diamond formed by the blazing triad served as a deadly barrier, rendering it impossible for Sonic to escape by an increase of speed or a swerve to either side – the only conceivable avenue of escape was for the hedgehog to decrease his acceleration, allow the laser-streams to overtake him. Yet even if he was able to cling to life for a little longer by doing so…

All I hafta do is slow down...an’ wham! One Shishka Hog, comin' right up!

Sonic felt a shiver run up his spiny back in response to the thought of submitting himself to The Ground Tank's nonexistent mercy – a reaction not abated by the piercing shriek that sounded suddenly, bringing every nerve-ending in his body up to a whole new level of ‘on edge’.

Sonic wondered just what else there could possibly be to stress him out – looking over his shoulder, the hedgehog discovered just what.

At first Sonic thought that some underground pipe had been ruptured, its liquid contents gushing forth in liberation – with stark comprehension, Sonic realised that what he saw was no liquid at all. A plume of vapour rose in the wake of the blazing white laser-beam which now pursued the hedgehog – as he reached the point of actually having not another drop of sweat to shed, Sonic realised that this fourth ray was steadily closing the distance between it and himself. And that he’d seen it before this moment...

Lieutenant Omega guided his left fist with the flawless precision of the machine he was – as the cutting-laser came closer and closer to slicing its target up like a living breathing birthday-cake, The Elite savoured the notion that soon he would have succeeded where Doctor Robotnik had always failed. Soon the created would have surpassed the creator. “This is the end for you, Odious Erinaceous The SWATbot crowed. “One of the benefits of digital memory; I will be sure to regale your equally ill-fated comrades with a slice-for-slice story of just how pitifully I made you squirm before emptying the contents of your body across this concrete calvary!”

Gee…tough choice! Do I wanna be diced, charred or crushed? His blue brow furrowing, Sonic frowned slightly as the eerie feeling that he’d somehow been here before (or at least somewhere similar) crept over him. Wow…déjà vu, dudes!

As the extent of just how burnt-out he'd been had hit him, Sonic had seen the truth as clearly as though watching the 'engravement' of his own tomb-stone. I’m…not gonna make it thru ta’ the other side of this one. And all at once, his tortured mind had filled with people and places – images of such vivid clarity and yet dreamlike unreality that it had been as though he’d seen them reflected in the face of The Great River. I’ll… Those people he’d seen, those things happening…they had all seemed so real and yet as though they would all vanish like soap-bubbles if he were to reach out and touch them. I’ll never…

If the rising despair had been an intangible balloon, threatening to suffocate all hope as it swelled within the hedgehog…then Omega's taunt just about ripped it.

Sonic felt the flesh tauten over his skull, contorting into a glare of burning defiance – and as renewed strength coursed through his body, he knew that this was not the end. He wouldn’t let Sally be consumed by grief, Antoine get himself killed in some half-baked bid for vengeance, Rotor feel guilt over having been unable to do more to help him, Bunnie wish she could be wholly robotic and thus immune to the pain of loss, Tails grow up without his big brother beside him…because he had surrendered to despair. All of this, he defied with every smouldering drop of blood in his body – he wasn’t some rodent, squirming as it waited to be slaughtered.

He was Sonic the Hedgehog.

And even as he reminded himself of that, Sonic was reaching for his backpack – what with the aching of his entire body, the hedgehog felt as though he moved under the acute weight of zero gravity. Yet reach it his gloved paw did – with no time to expend on releasing the metal buckle which held it in place, the hedgehog gave the red flap one unceremonious wrench.

As the material tore between his grasping fingertips, Sonic was vaguely surprised by just how much of a damn he didn’t give about defacing the pack he’d worn for so many adventures – as quickly as it occurred to him, this thought was silenced by the memory of Antoine tearing his uniform despite feeling that he ripped off part of his own soul in doing so.

Sonic now understood what had been running through the coyote’s mind – and as he did, the hedgehog felt proud to wear the makeshift bandanna. So much more than a tattered scrap of material, it was a piece of Antoine himself; a piece the coyote had offered freely, given up for the sake of everything The Freedom Fighters held dear. As he thought about it, a smirk flitted across Sonic’s face – it was weird to think that Antoine had gotten somewhere way before he had! Okay…forget what I said, uh, thought earlier. From now on, I won’t pick on Ant at all…unless it’s real funny, I swear!

His paw rooted among the contents of that now mangled pack, encountering both the walkie-talkie and the chilidog he'd wrapped in brown paper just in case he might fancy a lite snack during the mission – it said something about the seriousness of the situation that he barely even gave it a thought. Then his gloved fingers met with that for which they searched – and as he drew it out, Sonic felt his spirit soar. Uncle Chuck… the hedgehog prayed as he held the shining talisman aloft. …gimme the strength ta’ make it back ta’ the people who need me!

Though his sensors detected the emergence of the Power Ring, Omega remained complacent – a quick analysis of his treasure-trove of data on The Freedom Fighters, information pertaining to their strengths and weaknesses, informed him that this thing had the ability to imbue the hedgehog with enhanced speed. Not invulnerability. The Elite was unshaken in the supreme confidence that triumph would ultimately be his. However desperately the rodent ran, all directions lead either to incineration or decapitation...either of which would prove extremely gratifying from Omega’s perspective.

Which merely went to show that regardless the super-advanced technology responsible for its creation, Omega's perspective was in fact...fatally narrow.

Just as anticapated, Sonic now summoned the fantastic energy which flowed through that unending circle – yet as that golden radiance surrounded him, it was externally that the hedgehog focused this borrowed power. Holding the Ring out by his side, Sonic closed his eyes in calm concentration – the serenity of his expression appeared almost divine in the splendid light of the beam now streaking from the centre of the Power Ring.

Cutting through the crimson darkness, that shaft of golden energy collided with the cutting-laser and forced it slowly but surely from the ground – at the precise spot that the pair of opposing beams met, a bead of light swelled, growing both in size and intensity with every second encompassed by this spectacular struggle betwixt two powers.

The Power Ring shaking as though on the verge of shattering right between his fingers, vibrating his arm into bone-dust in the process, Sonic clenched his teeth and willed himself to hold on. Gotta hang in there…for everyone’s sake, I jus’ gotta! As the hedgehog focused on the names and faces of the people he loved, the aura of energy shone like a rising sun…and forced back the laser-streams of The Triad Canons!

From The Elite’s arm leapt a shower of sparks - Omega too was struggling to endure the sheer intensity of this literal power-struggle. Even as the furious vibrations wracked him, The Elite refused to back down – it was as though his entire existence had led up to this conflict. Comprised of metal and electronics through he was, Omega now felt consumed by a need to destroy the hedgehog. From his point of view, to succeed to that end would be to bring sweet validation to his existence – to meet with bitter failure would be to concede that he was no better than any of the lesser run-of-the-mill SWATbot’s he so despised.

And that Omega would have destroyed himself sooner than do.

(I am the greatest that technology has to offer! The most perfect machine in existence! The ultimate cybernetic warrior! I can win! I should win! I must w…?!)

A new cosmos seemed to burst into being just beneath his left shoulder - The Elite stumbled forward, his left arm disintegrated by the overwhelming beam of the Power Ring. And as he slammed face-first against the cockpit, a belching cloud of black smoke served as a clear indication that The Triad Canons had overloaded.

As the three laser-streams dissipated with a fizzling hiss, literally nothing remained to hold back the hedgehog – his arm claimed by a numb sensation, Sonic drew upon the remaining energy of the Power Ring. Dang…I feel like Naugus jus’ tried ta’ gimme a massage! An’ not wit’ his hand that’s actually a hand either!! And as it flowed through him, Sonic felt the threat of exhaustion fall from his body like water from a sponge – those blurred feet appeared as flaming rubber-bands as they ran, free at last to leave both mangled Ground Tank and damaged pilot behind in a spectacular sonic-boom! Hoo-kay…time ta’ go!!

In no time at all, Sonic saw it rising into sight – the wall that marked the western boundary of Robotropolis stood so high that had he cared to do so, which of course he didn’t, the hedgehog would have needed to crane his neck back in order to glimpse the very top. Sonic’s eyes were peeled for something he knew to be located firmly on ground-level – and sooner than he’d expected, the hedgehog saw it.

The west gate seemed to call out to the hedgehog as he raced toward it, that way out of this industrial hell-hole – and if that was truly the case, Sonic wasn’t about to wait for a second invitation. One moment the arching portal was right in his field of vision, the next the hedgehog was soaring straight through it.

Never had The Bad Lands seemed so good as Sonic set foot in them for the first time in what felt like forever – then again, just about everywhere had an uncanny tendency to seem like the garden of paradise when compared to Robotropolis. Sonic experienced an overwhelming urge to run and run throughout every last inch of this amazingly sweet freedom – a temptation he would only too gladly have given into had his ears not pricked up in response to a pair of voices now crying out to him;

“Sonic! Over here!”

“Sugah Hog! Aw, kaloo kaley!”

Like a spiky tether-ball, Sonic swerved back the way he'd just come – as he retraced his thundering footsteps, the hedgehog was elated to see none other than Ari and Bunnie running to meet him from the outer edges of the gateway.

As he and the bionic belle met their cobalt comrade halfway, Ari’s face was split by a welcoming grin. “You sure know how to raise some hell, Sonic. I swear, it sounded like a drum being beaten in a Mondara Parade!” with a throaty chuckle, the ram made to slap the hedgehog's back – performing a timely double-take, he saved himself from a pawful of quills. “Fill us in, partner!”

Sonic smirked wearily, feeling the borrowed energy fading from his body – thrusting an arm behind him, he stowed the now spent Power Ring into the gaping mouth of his backpack. “Run in wit’ a buncha STEALTHbots. Ain’t sure but I guess they’d decided ta’ fly by an’ check out ol’ horn-head’s light-show.” A peach-furred shoulder rose in a half-hearted shrug, “Instead they got themselves a Crash Course…Sonic Style. So…where’re the others?”

Ari swept his paw in the general direction of a slope rising in the distance, a rocky ridge at the very top. “Sally and the others are safely undercover.” The corner of the ram’s mouth twisted in a knowing smirk in response to the relieved expression that crossed the hedgehog’s face. “The two of us volunteered to hang back and wait for you.”

Sonic nodded – a solitary tilt of the head and a brief one at that. “Thanks, you guys.” He quietly replied, his eyes distant as they turned back to gaze at the city beyond that gateway – already the high of his escape was fading. And as it went…the hedgehog found himself being forced to remember.

Whether it was down to womanly intuition or the circumstance that she happened to be a sensitive soul, Bunnie couldn’t help but notice the hedgehog’s sheer lack of gusto. “Sugah Hog?” her voice was soft and gentle as a baby leaf as she addressed him for the first time since their earlier parting, “That ol’ Speed Bot…?” There was no need for her to complete that sentence – as Sonic raised his head and met the rabbit’s gaze, the sadness of those steady eyes confirmed her suspicion. “Aw Sugah!” she cooed, her natural paw going instinctively to the hedgehog’s shoulder. “I’m sorry…”

Sonic smiled as best he could – the final product was a smile that made his muzzle feel like a piece of elastic pulled to a tortuous length. “Thanks, Bunnie.” His gratitude at least was genuine, as was what he said next. “Look...don’t mind me, okay? I’m glad you guys are good…real glad.”

Bunnie smiled, nodding supportively. “Let’s go see ‘em all, Sugah.” The rabbit asserted, tactfully removing her paw from his shoulder – she too was anxious to reunite with the one for whom her heart beat. “Let’s go see ‘em togetha’!”

To the hedgehog’s ears, no suggestion had ever sounded sweeter – yet the second and far more eager nod that Sonic would have given was never seen. For as they were drawn from the rabbit’s face and back toward the gateway, his eyes narrowed in grim enmity. “Hold that thought, Bunnie.” he growled, “In fact…hold everythin’. There’s jus’ one lil’ thing we gotta take care of first!”

Startled by the dramatic shift in their comrade’s manner, Bunnie and Ari turned their attention back to the gateway – the spectacle which smacked them both right in the eyes was far from comforting.

“Oh crap…”

Three pairs of eyes stared, riveted by what at least appeared to be a black smudge against the tapestry of lifeless grey that was Robotropolis – and the nearer it drew to the west gate, the deeper grew the resonance of that unearthly growl.

“Woo nelly!!”

As he watched the approach of The Ground Tank, Sonic felt it rising within him like bile; hatred corrosive enough to turn the entire city in a sea of melted silicon. The artillery of the demon war-machine had been reduced to scrap-metal…how on all of Mobius could it just keep on coming? Man! If anythin’ can stop it, I sure as heck can’t thinka’…?! The hedgehog’s train of thought went screeching onto a whole new track – his brow furrowed so deeply that he looked for a moment like Uncle Chuck minus the moustache, Sonic flicked those intense eyes between the pair of immense titanium gates. Yeah…yeah! Those things look heavy enough ta’ hold back a dang dragon! As Sal would say…we got us a plan! Well maybe she wouldn’t say it as cool as that but…

Sonic was just as surprised as Ari and Bunnie to find himself barking orders to the pair of them, “Okay dude n’ dudette, lissen’ up! If that thing makes it outta there, we’re finished! There’s one way ta’ stop it.” With a swift flick, his finger was raised upward – fortunately it was back not the front of the digit that he flaunted or else his comrades might have interpreted the gesture very differently indeed. “One way. An’ if it’s gonna work, we gotta be snappy!”

“I’m all for it.” Ari drawled as he folded his arms across that brawny chest, “Whatever ‘it’ is…”

“An’ Ah’m all eahs, Sugah Hog.” Bunnie declared, a bubbly grin on her face despite the severe intensity of the current jeopardy.

Sonic took a deep cleansing breath – regardless the flippancy of their attitudes, their eyes told him that they were there to do everything they could to help him. Those eyes shone with steel stronger than any gate, exuding strength greater than that of any machine – that which the hedgehog saw in those eyes was just what ram and rabbit saw in his. The very essence of courage and determination, the pure fire in which true Freedom Fighters were forged.

Minutes later, the taunted muscles of Ari’s work-hardened shoulder were braced against the face of the leftmost gate – the ram’s face was so moist with sweat that he felt like a slice of buttered toast. “Know what?” he grunted, bringing to bear every ounce of force his body contained. “This is the most intense work-out I ever had!”

Bunnie’s eyes were narrowed beneath the weight of sheer strain as she poured all the might of her cybernetic paw into the Herculean labour of shifting the rightmost gate from its present position, “Well look on the ol’ light side, Hot Horns.” She panted, her breathing coming in gasping jags. “If we all live thru this, yuh can always try yuh paw at a careeah in weight-liftin’!”

Seeing that this last great effort would take every bit of strength they could bring to bear, Sonic pressed first his shoulder and then both paws against the rightmost gate – and as he pushed and shoved until every strand of muscle felt like it was about to tear, he found it almost as arduous to force his mind to remain upon this all-important task and away from thoughts of Sally who was so very close and yet seemed farther away than she’d ever been.

Sonic knew that they must halt the advance of The Ground Tank at any cost – not only would the three stand no chance against that thing if it reached them, Omega’s sensors would surely detect the presence of Sally and the others who lay in hiding.

The thought of that monstrous machine having its way with his friends spurred Sonic to even greater effort – the gates had to be closed before Omega arrived!

Failure would doom them all…

[The Mysterious Traveller]

‘An eye for an eye’ – thus the old saying went. Of course, a robot would probably have needed to say something like ‘a diode for a diode’ – proof that some sayings simply did not translate very well.

Nonetheless, it was a saying long favoured by those of heated blood and fierce passion – those of organic constitution, in simple terms. Regardless his status as distinctly inorganic, this saying sounded extremely good to Lieutenant Omega. So extremely good that the mere thought brought his electronic brain as near as it could come to intoxication, driving him on with the overwhelming urge to act upon it.

Onward The Ground Tank roared, more fuelled by the one-armed SWATbot’s desire for vengeance than the power which he continued to force into its tortured energy-core – to the possible scenario that further pursuit of his enemies might bring him to his own destruction, Omega gave barely a second’s contemplation.

The Elite would crush the hedgehog out of existence, leaving not a shred of flesh nor splinter of bone of him intact on this planet – without a nanosecond of procrastination, he would immediately proceed to hunt down the remaining Freedom Fighter scum and then take his time putting into practice every ounce of the incredible capacity for unbridled sadism with which he had been programmed by Doctor Robotnik. And even then, Omega would not know satisfaction – from his torture and destruction of The Freedom Fighters, he would go next to the foul murk of The Great Swamp.

There the hedgehog had lured many a STEALTHbot to its destruction – in this case, the irony would prove most sweet when Omega scavenged enough functional parts to use in his repair-work on The Ground Tank. Then on to the border of The Great Forest…which would wither in the flames ignited by the sparks fated to fly upon his arrival. Tree by tree, those ancient woods would burn to ash…until Knothole was revealed unto its conqueror. Through the not-so-secret village, the destructive path of Omega would lead – and on his way, he would send each of its people on the journey to death.

(By the time I'm through, none will walk there without hearing the sweet sound of bones crunching underfoot.)

Undoubtedly, it would all take time - yet The Elite had all of that in the world.

(It isn't like I'm going to die of old age, after all.)

Ruthlessly efficient and exquisitely cold, the qualities of the perfect killing-machine…yet Lieutenant Omega’s rampage of revenge was destined not to unfold any farther that day.

The gargantuan tread exploded from within, jets of intense flame spurting from either side – The Ground Tank had been pushed right to the proverbial limit. As it finally went beyond and to the extreme, the anguished war-machine seemed almost relieved to call it a day.

Even as he fought to remain standing, Omega heard it; a voice so charged with passion that it seemed to soar like a shooting star as it met his sound-sensors.

It was the voice of Sonic the Hedgehog; “Omega…short-circuit in Cyber Hell!!”

As the contours of his body reflected the raging firelight, The Elite bore witness to a truly sense-shattering spectacle – heralded by whines so piteous as to move the hardest heart, those twin titanium gates moved. Back together they came, locking into place with a thud so heavy that it was practically a portent.

With a blaze, the eleventh hour had come – yet it was not one of glorious triumph but instead smouldering failure. Lieutenant Omega was defeated. Not only was the formidable weapon on which his plans of grandeur had hinged now broken beyond repair…The Elite himself was in very real danger of complete destruction.

At the very least, he would take with him a sour satisfaction. The Freedom Fighters had surely poured everything they had into the effort to take him down...yet the fruits of victory would be snatched from them.

Omega did not intend to be in The Tank when it crashed. (There's always a Village Idiot. In this case, there's an Idiot Village!) As The Tank careened like an out-of-control rocket, now moving only by the force of sheer momentum, The Lieutenant braced himself to leap clear of the coming catastrophe. (Don't take on so, Freedom Filth! Take it philosophically! You win some, you lose s...?!)

He was absolutely not braced for what came next.

As he’d pursued the fleeing hedgehog like death himself, Omega’s sensors had been focused wholly upon his quill-backed quarry – and as a natural consequence, he had remained ignorant of the circumstance that he’d no longer been sole occupant of The Ground Tank. A state from which he now departed as two robotic paws collided against his unprepared back – driven off-balance by the sudden attack, The Elite again slammed face-first onto the mangled machine. Omega found himself unable to move a single joint, let alone gain the purchase necessary in order to free himself from the great weight of his unknown assailant – as he lay pinned like a half-read letter beneath a paper-weight, The Elite rotated his head in order to learn just who bore the responsibility for this.

As he stared at his attacker, a familiar purple eye shone with well-earned satisfaction. (It...can't be!) No more than Sonic had Omega doubted The Speed Bot to have been crushed like a tin-can. (It can't be!)

Only very rarely are things as they appear – and this occasion was no such example. For as The Ground Tank had borne down on him, The Speed Bot had experienced a flash of sudden clarity. The maimed cat had faced a choice; to either await the inevitable with the dumb docility of a lamb or seize this fleeting respite and instead meet utter destruction with the fierce defiance of a cheetah. And the decision had arrived so swiftly that it was almost an instinctive response, something perhaps without precedent where AI was concerned – his remaining limbs tucked against that smooth belly, he had rolled toward the street’s eastern side.

Experiencing no more than the violence of the passing shockwave, the great cat had narrowly escaped the merciless weight of The Ground Tank – and as the metal behemoth thundered onward, The Speed Bot had returned to upright position with a single flip. With a thrust of that single yet powerful hind-leg, he’d bounded after the one responsible for his mutilation – an arc of graceful ascent later, he had found himself clinging to the rear of the speeding war-machine.

From that metal slope the golden mecha had clung, silent and tense…waiting for just the right moment, the perfect opportunity to strike.

And as Omega had pledged his very existence to relieving Sonic of his, both had come the maimed cat’s way – as he gave The Elite a sidelong glance, the eye of the cybernetic speedster burned with silent yet potent menace. ‘Winning isn’t everything’ – this The Speed Bot truly had come to believe during the brief period in which he and his worthy opponent, Sonic, had been reunited.

Lieutenant Omega, on the other hand, was not a worthy opponent – ergo the way to a whole new kind of game was opened, a game in which The Speed Bot was determined to win.

Pinned against the control-panel, hopelessly overpowered and with not a microscopic chance of escape, Omega knew that he was finished – and as he realised that his broken remnants would be condemned to join the countless anonymous drones of The Dumping-Zone, The Elite experienced something he had never before known.

Fear.

Omega could not be destroyed without first sealing his superiority, without leaving a mark to ensure that his name would be remembered long after his metallic shell was dust…without proving himself to have been so much more than simply one of many expendable machines whose existence was ultimately devoid of meaning. Never would he concede to such an unacceptable end! Not he; the greatest, the most perfect, the ultimate!

“Please…”

And as his hated nemesis thus begged for mercy, The Speed Bot could have purred – perhaps the sparkle of triumph now dancing in those eyes served to compensate for the fact that he could not. (I win, Lieutenant.) As the one-armed SWATbot figuratively squirmed, the maimed cat felt a surge of vindictive pleasure – he supposed that there was something of that bad old pussy-cat in him after all. (Yet the prize I will gladly share with you; oblivion.)

The western gate waited patiently as they rushed to meet it – before captive and captor’s respective eyes, it loomed large. Unbelievably large. Impossibly large. Fantastically large. So large that had either robot happened to be a researcher for The Encylopedius Mobius, he would have felt the urge to run and add a picture of it beneath the term ‘largest gate on the planet’.

What came next was a maelstrom of madness. An incredibly jarring impact, a crunch, then…words. A series of letters which formed a sentence, appearing and disappearing monotonously;

Internal Error Detected. Failed To Repair Broken Connection. Unit Will Go Offline Shortly.

Then…nothing.

Darkness. Silence. Forever.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And in the sky over Robotropolis, that terrible storm at last ceased to rage. The vast circlet of tempestuous clouds was broken to scattered pieces, unravelling like a great carpet – every last wisp of dispersing vapour returned from pure darkness to dirty grey, abandoned by the evil magic which had possessed it. A truly awesome spectacle.

One which was observed by the keen gaze of Sally Acorn – despite the heaviness of the physical and mental fatigue which seemed to hang over the entire party, The Princess vigilantly watched the distant city. The turmoil in the heavens was ended…yet the melancholy light of the squirrel’s eyes revealed that the turmoil inside of her was far from over.

Sally was so drained that she could barely summon the energy to chew her lower-lip – thus the gnawing anxiety over the fate of a certain blue hedgehog was left to turn inward. And as an irrational sense of isolation overwhelmed her, Sally silently prayed;

Sonic…come back to me. Come back safe and unharmed. Please.

In every shred of skin and strand of fur that was her, Sally felt a desperate need for the presence of the hedgehog. The squirrel’s mind was torn between thoughts of Sonic…and thoughts of the abominable thing she had plucked from that box of decaying cardboard. I do need you... And as she dwelt upon the latter, Sally felt that icy paw caress her spine once more. …now more than ever.

As prayers went, it may not have seemed a strange one – that which left a bitter taste in her mouth was the less than unselfish nature of it. The object practically burning a hole through her vest-pocket…she truly did not believe herself strong enough to confront that which it symbolised alone. A ghost emerging from the murky past…a malignant spectre silently tormenting The Princess, mocking her for the wrong she had committed so very long ago.

For her own sake more than his…Sally yearned for the return of Sonic.

At the very edge of the ridge, The Princess stood – yet there was a strong part of her which felt as though she teetered upon a brink far steeper. So strongly resonant this feeling was that it practically radiated from her body, the others feeling it just as palpably as a blast of icy wind – while Rotor and Antoine settled for casting furtive glances at the squirrel from where they sat upon the ground, the former in silent concern and the latter with a nervous fidget, a third pair eyes seemed almost captivated by her graceful back.

Just like the walrus and the coyote, Tails believed the source of Sally’s anguished aura to be that which all four of them shared just as equally the air they breathed; fear for Sonic. And while the others felt compassion for the silently suffering Princess, Tails experienced something far worse…and that thing was shame. Since he was still angry at the squirrel, it came somewhat begrudgingly…yet it came nonetheless.

Sally...she's so worried about something happening to Sonic that she can barely think straight. She...shouldn't have treated me the way she did. But...I guess that it wasn't very big of me to act up like that while she had more than enough to deal.

Slowly but surely, Tails opened his mouth – the fox-cub was ready to go to the squirrel and explain just how she had made him feel, to apologise for how he’d behaved and ask for her forgiveness. All of this, Tails would have done…had the fates not conspired in order to stay his tongue.

As her body was struck by the shockwave of some immense distant impact, Sally was astonished not to be hurled from that precarious vantage-point. “What on all of Mobius?! It sounded as if Command Central just...!!” As her eyes returned to the shadowy form of Robotropolis, what remained of the squirrel’s composure was ripped apart like a piece of soggy tissue-paper. The Princess felt every drop of blood in her veins turn to ice as she glimpsed it; from beyond the western wall it rose, a tendril of black smoke as long as the razzing tongue of a gargantuan serpent.

“Sally?!”

The other three had been sitting beside the cart, their legs crossed as comfortably as possible – that period of silent inertia was ended as each stumbled to his feet and hastened to join The Princess, Rotor being the first to reach her. The walrus stopped dead in his bare-footed tracks, wincing deeply at the sight of that ominous vapour-trail. “H-hey, Sally…” he began to stammer, his heart instantly flying out to the squirrel. “I-I’m sure that…” he broke off, unable to decide just what he was supposed to say to her – and as he did, it dawned on him that it would probably be better to leave his sentence incomplete.

There was nothing he could say, no words to soothe the anguish of Sally’s heart – wretchedly yet tactfully, Rotor returned to silence.

Antoine’s shocked gasp sounded akin to a vacuum-cleaner in motion, “Sacra bleu!” the coyote hoarsely exclaimed, the mere glimpse smoke enough to make him break a sweat. “This ees not looking rude!”

That Antoine refrained from either placing a paw upon her shoulder or citing the old proverb that the angels smiled down upon fools as a reason that she not worry about Sonic said a lot about just how far he had come during these past few months – as he’d come to realise, with a great deal of rightful embarrassment, the coyote had spent so many years of his life looking upon her solely as a Princess that he’d never been able to see that she was in fact so much more. Sally was her own person; unbound by the trappings of royalty, defined by the decision she had made for herself and the values which she fought with every ounce of strength in her body to protect. First and foremost…she was Sally.

Once upon a time, Antoine would not have hesitated to use this situation as a means to ingratiate himself with ‘His Princess’ – and the circumstance that he now chose not to make that attempt was due mainly to three considerations. First of all, the coyote had no particular desire either to lose a paw or to eat his words as they were force-fed to him by an infuriated squirrel. In the second place, he knew now that to exploit the anguish of a lady in such a self-serving manner would have been downright dishonourable conduct…so much so that his father would have been deeply shamed to see it. Third and finally…to his own immense surprise, he found that he had absolutely no desire to do so.

It was too bizarre for words but though he had spent so long competing against Sonic for her affections…the one whom Antoine now yearned to hold in his arms, whose fur he would have given anything to caress, was no longer Sally Acorn. No…that special ‘somebody’ was now ‘somebody else’.

Yet this was not to say that Antoine no longer cared for Sally – the difference being that his concern was now based upon how the squirrel felt rather than how she made him feel. And so it was for her sake that Antoine crossed his fingers and joined Sally in hoping for Sonic’s safe return.

As he gazed at the distant-eyed Sally, Tails neither said nor thought anything – instead the fox-cub felt. His stomach was twisting as though it had fallen into the paws of a conjurer who sought to turn it into a giraffe, a physical manifestation of the growing guilt over his recent misbehaviour – and as he experienced it, Tails was filled with the urge to slip his paw into Sally’s. To remind her through mere contact that he was there for her. Yet even as the fox-cub reached out for her, fate again saw fit to butt in – this time however intervention came in a far more positive form.

Sally stared speechlessly at that scene of distant devastation, one word alone striving to take form within her numbed mind – more accurately, it was a name which struggled to break the surface of that ocean of confusion. Sonic…Had she not been regulating the flow of adrenaline by shifting her weight from one foot to the other, the squirrel would undoubtedly have broken into a frantic run toward the shadow-bound city from which she and the others had recently escaped. …oh Sonic! What held her back was but a single piece of knowledge, powerful in its sheer simplicity.

Sonic had laid down his life, gambled everything in order to win a chance for his friends to escape with theirs – and whether the hedgehog’s ultimate wager had been won or lost, Sally was perfectly aware that for her to run blindly back into danger would be the same as to crumple into a ball and throw away all that he had risked for their sakes. For her sake, she must know whether Sonic was alive…yet for his sake, Sally knew that she must exercise immense self-control and stay right where she was.

Sally at first took the cloud of dust now rising in the near-distance for a by-product of the unrelentingly ferocious wind – this very reasonable assumption was dashed to pieces as she perceived that the churning vortex of pure grit was quite clearly moving against that wind. For an indeterminate number of minutes, Sally could only watch this phenomenon in blank-faced wonder. Could it…? The suspicion came to her in a flash of insight - to the very end of her days, she would have no idea as to why her mind had been so long about it. Could it really be…?!

The newly reborn hope grew only stronger as all three of her comrades cried out in shared jubilation – Tails’ eyes shone as he leaped and screamed at the top of his voice, Antoine displayed the sheer magnificence of unbridled eloquence, Rotor had put two clawed fingers to his mouth and now gave a high-pitched whistle.

Sally’s face was adorned by the most radiant smile imaginable as the true nature of that approaching blur was at last revealed.

The cybernetic soles of Bunnie Rabbot both clinked upon reconnection with the ground, the momentum which had lifted them from it in the first place now vanishing – the eyes of the rabbit looked distinctly dizzy as she disengaged her arms from around Ari’s waist. “D-d-done…like…d-d-dinnah!” she panted, “D-d-done like d-d-dinnah, Ah tell ya'll!”

If the vague look in his eyes was anything to go by, Ari was experiencing a very similar state of mind as he released a pair of the wiry shoulders. “Right behind you, boy blue.” Hunching over, the armour-plated ram planted his paws upon either corresponding knee-cap and gasped for that very much-needed second breath. “Though I must admit I’ve no idea if we’re coming or going…”

Sally’s heart was swollen by the sight of them both…even though she essentially had eyes for only the head of this Three Mobian Conga Line. And though she would later kick herself for it, The Princess felt herself melt as she saw him standing there with arms folded, wearing what he probably considered to be the most dashing of grins. “Sonic…” she spoke his name as softly as a calm breath of wind – a serenity which was broken like a carelessly handled pocket-mirror by what came next. "...hey!!"

The Princess’ eyes widened as that pair of arms uncrossed and reached out for her – a second later, they encircled her waist and she found herself lifted from the ground. “Sonic!” As she was swung in a sweeping circle by those strong arms, Sally’s voice emerged as a startled squawk. “Put me d…oh!”

Sonic had seen fit to let the squirrel return to her booted feet – his flinty eyes dancing, he reached out and gripped her slender cresting shoulders. “Back there, jus’ now…” his voice sounded breathlessly earnest, “…I honestly thought I wuz gonna die. An’ ya know something, Sal? It made me think.” So breath-taken was she by the intensity of those eyes, Sally did not think of the most obvious remark that she could have uttered at this point. “I thought o’ everythin’ I’d never have a chance ta’ do…” as he spoke, the hedgehog inched his face closer to hers – and as his sentence drew to its rightful close, their respective lips were so near that each felt the breath of the other. “…an’ kissin’ ya just happened ta’ be right at the top o’ the totem-pole.”

Gazing into a pair of eyes so deep as to drown him, Sonic felt it within him – the spark that ignited a fierce urge to press his lips to those of The Princess. And more than anything ever before, Sally felt the same way…he just knew it.

It would seem to Sonic upon later reflection that something had crossed on the squirrel’s mind at this moment, a concern of such weight that it drove her to distraction from all other things – a matter which rattled her to such an extent that the most she’d been able to do had been to keep herself together.

“Sonic, I…” Sally’s feeling of awkwardness was betrayed as she faked a cough in order to buy time in which to think of what she ought to say, “…I’m glad to see you.” What stunned the hedgehog most was the affected casualness with which she spoke – rather than her best friend since childhood, it was as though she spoke to a stranger whom she was obliged to keep company at a party. “Er…where is The Speed Bot?”

Sonic’s bemusement over her baffling behaviour was diverted by this question – it made way for that which hit him like a merciless blow to the gut. As sorrow flowed through him, he couldn’t believe he’d managed to avoid it until this moment – the hedgehog knew that he was being way too hard on himself, that he’d needed every ounce of concentration in order to get out of there alive. Yet still he reproached himself over having forgotten about his rival for even a minute. The hedgehog was made from flesh and blood whereas the robot had been metal and gears…yet he could not shake the feeling that, beneath those very different skins, he and The Speed Bot had been brothers.

That final taunt had served merely to bear his righteous rage to Lieutenant Omega – yet now he thought about it, really thought about it, the hedgehog found himself hoping that it was truly so. Sonic did hope that there was a place machines went on to once they shut down for the final time, dumb as that may have sounded – a place where there were all the free upgrades they could ever want and the concept of rust was a stupid urban legend. He could just imagine the irritation The Speed Bot would be bound to feel upon discovering a pair of feathery white wings protruding from his back – the hedgehog grinned as he forced himself to focus on that fantasy.

After all…the likelier scenario was utterly depressing.

Knowing that Sally was waiting for an answer, Sonic sighed and gave it. “He’s…” To his own ears, the voice he used sounded flat as a brick – appropriate, seeing as his heart was currently just as heavy. “…gone, Sal.”

Sally gave a visible start as she received this news, “Gone…?” she repeated, her voice softening. “Are you saying that it…I mean…that he…?”

Tails felt his white-furred lips part in silent shock. The Speed Bot... More and more, the fox-cub felt a need to talk to Sally. …gone? Already he saw the graveness of her eyes as she heard him out, listened patiently as he admitted to feeling guilty over having neglected to thank the great cat for saving him from Robotnik –already he felt the gentle firmness of her paws upon his shoulders, heard her kind voice assuring him that there was no way he could have known he’d never see his golden-bodied saviour again.

Heck, Tails wouldn’t even mind getting the funny kiss in front of everyone…this time.

Sonic nodded – he felt immensely relived to be talking to Sally rather than the guarded stranger she had transformed into a moment ago. “Yeah…” his voice sounded so quiet and subdued that he barely recognised it, “…he ain’t gonna be comin’ back this time. I wish I could say it ain’t so…but I can’t.”

Sally’s eyes glistened like pools of dew as she felt sympathy well inside her, “I’m sorry, Sonic.” She breathed, reaching out to touch his shoulder. And to her own great astonishment, the squirrel realised that indeed she was – rather than being mere contrition, those words had come right from her heart. Machine though he had been, no less than a creation of Robotnik…Sally felt somehow lessened by the knowledge that The Speed Bot would never run again. “I’m so very sorry.”

Sonic realised that an egg-sized lump had formed in his throat – as he forced it down like a spoonful of Rosie’s most potent cold-medicine, a sad smile spread across his muzzle. “Aw, don’t be, Sal.” As surprise appeared upon Sally’s face, the hedgehog elaborated. “It’s kinda hard ta’ explain ‘cuz I dunno if I understand it myself…but runnin’ ain’t just somethin’ that he did. It wuz the thing what made him more than a machine. So he chose ta’ go out runnin’...an' he went out proud. Ya get what I’m tryin’ ta’ say, Sal? We shouldn’t be wishin’ that it didn’t happen…not when that last hour wuz his finest!”

Sally gave the slightest of thoughtful nods – to her mind, it seemed an incredible paradox that Sonic could be the simplest person she had ever known and yet still capable of displaying unimagined complexity. I’ve never really thought about it until now…but perhaps Sonic is complex in his simplicity? She mused, impressed as she gazed at the hedgehog in an entirely new light.

“Woah, Sal!” Sonic breathed as he gazed back at her in enchantment, “Ya eyes are sparklin’ like the stars! No wait…” that look of awed admiration was replaced by a frown of bemusement, “Sal…are ya cryin’?”

Sally wracked her brain in search of a plausible rationale for the presence of tears in her eyes, “Oh!” she sniffed, “It-it-it’s nothing, Sonic…the area is very dusty, is all!”

The eyebrows of the hedgehog rose so high that they might have taken off to fly south for the winter, “Of course, Sal.” Sonic agreed in a tone as smooth as the extra-polished face of the mirror he kept in his backpack, “Of course.”

Tails listened to the talk of the adults, patiently waiting for his chance to speak to Sally – his white-furred muzzle wore a smile as he confidently envisioned just how it would go. I’ll just ask Sally if I can talk to her alone – and when she says yes, I’ll tell her exactly how I feel. And she would understand and forgive him. And everything would be right again. The fox-cub could just see it now…

“Princess…”

Hearing that booming voice, Sally rolled her eyes – as she turned to face him, the squirrel was ready to remind Ari that she was no better or worse than he. A lecture which died on the tip of her tongue…diverted into oblivion by the sight of his eyes.

Guilt and shame went paw-in-paw within them - as they gazed wearily at The Princess, the grey colour of the fur around them seemed fittingly bleak. “I…” Ari recommenced – the heaviness of that voice made Sally picture an iron weight hanging from his neck. “…must apologise to you.”

Sally blinked, quite taken aback by this unexpected declaration. “You apologise, Ari?” she repeated – she felt concerned for the ram as he stood before her, looking so eaten up from within. “And why in the world ought so brave and true a Freedom Fighter feel that need?”

Ari had known that she would react in this manner – he gave a sigh of resignation, his feelings of complete worthlessness quadrupling. It mattered not whether she forgave him or simply acted as though she did…for at the end of the day, the ram could not forgive himself. “For no greater reason than my failure today.” He responded, to the point and blunt.

Of course! What with the fact that absolutely everything happened today, I completely forgot about it! Understanding crystallised in Sally’s clear blue eyes. The mission that father entrusted to him alone...

The Roboticizer’s ultimate fate was not the sole issue to weigh upon the mind of Maximillian Acorn – the fact that every machine now answerable to Ixis Naugus had, as of late, spent all hours of day and night digging an enormous hole in the very centre of Robotropolis was also a point of great concern to The King. A source of trepidation which increased with every foot of dirt excavated from the rapidly deepening crater – and at the very root of this ever growing anxiety, a very simple question.

Why?

What could possibly be the sorcerer’s motive for embarking upon a campaign so immensely draining in regard to time and resources? Did he seek some ancient artefact which would bestow far greater power upon him…or was he laying the groundwork for some scheme intended to inflict grievous harm upon Mobius?

For ten years of his life, Maximillian Acorn had languished alongside the sorcerer. If that protracted period of enforced companionship had taught The King anything at all about the twisted workings of that devious mind then it was this; neither deed nor word of Ixis Naugus was without purpose.

Thus had been born a daring plan; a Freedom Fighter of exceptional courage and ability would disguise his or herself as one of the few remaining SWATbots and, risking discovery at every second, infiltrate one of the many drilling-teams. The purpose of this mission; to discover the true purpose of the crater.

That fearless Freedom Fighter had been none other than Ari…and because he had revealed his presence among the enemy in order to come to the rescue of his friends, Ari had failed in his appointed task.

“Oh Ari!” Overwhelmed by a crushing sense of inadequacy, Ari had let his eyes close – they flicked open again in shock at the sound of sweet laughter. Sally’s eyes twinkled warmly at him – with a simple gesture of that regal paw, the necessary abortion of the ram’s mission was completely dismissed. “What does it mean in comparison to the astonishing thing that you did for us all today?”

Ari shook that grey head, refusing to let her let him off the hook. “The last thing I want is for you to try and shield me from the consequences of my…”

Sally cut short this stream of self-depreciation just as readily as an expert horticulturalist would a diseased tree-branch, “Carry on, trooper, and you’ll be facing the consequences of letting me hear you sell yourself short.” And though her eyes danced playfully, The Princess’ expression was grave as she gazed at the ram – as she saw his lips move to make way for more self-debasing sentiments, she again headed him off. “No, I refuse to hear another word more! Ari…you are not weak. Nor are you a failure. You are a Freedom Fighter to the core and on this day you acted magnificently. I am proud to fight beside you for the freedom of Mobius…and am certain that our friends feel the same.”

“Sally Girl is right, Sugah.” Along with the mode of speech, that voice could belong to only one person in Ari’s life – sure enough, Bunnie now walked calmly toward him. Her face practically glowing with appealing sincerity, she stood gazing up at the ram. “Yuh a good comrade, Ari.” With a smooth whir, the rabbit’s ladder-legs carried her to his level of vision. “And a good friend.” She added sweetly, leaning in and planting a kiss upon his cheek.

So affected was he by this moment of true camaraderie, Antoine did not emit so much as a squeak of insecurity. “Zee Princess is speaking for us all when she is repressing Zat you are Zee most worthwhile comrade.” The coyote declared, raising his yellowy paw in a gesture of utmost respect. “It is you who I am saluting, Aree!”

Beneath Rotor’s puffy cheeks was a goofy grin,“You listen to them, Ari!” the walrus earnestly exclaimed, flashing what was surely the most unwieldy thumbs-up Mobian had ever seen. “You’re one heck of a team-mate! A real ace, man…uh, I mean, ram!”

Ari found himself at a total loss for words, overwhelmed by their support for him – as Bunnie returned to her regular height and stepped back from him, wearing the sunniest smile as she did so, Sonic was next to contribute to the moment. “Yeah! What they said, dude!” Yet even as Sally rolled her eyes and visibly mouthed the words ‘oh brother’, the hedgehog went on to surprise her once more. “It’s just like the ol’ song goes, Ari – whatever’s gonna be’s gonna be. So maybe we dunno if El Horn Head’s tryin’ ta’ take over the world or find the bone he buried last week. But whatever it is…it can wait. We’ll deal wit’ it when it comes ‘round. An’ in the meantime…uh, Ari? We jus’ scored ourselves The Roboticizer! Everythin’ else can take a place on the ol’ back-burner while we get ta’ work on givin’ millions o’ Mobians back their lives! Now that we know!”

There was one other thing on Sonic’s mind – it was something he chose not to share with the others. Yet all of them knew just who the hedgehog now thought of – Uncle Chuck. Now that The Roboticizer was bound for Knothole, the scientist would soon follow. The Freedom Fighters’ coming need for his unsurpassed genius would keep Sir Charles in the village for a considerable while…perhaps for good this time. A change of circumstances that would be sure to relieve Sonic of relentless morbid fantasies about his Uncle’s hidden lab being uncovered by robots charged with gathering refuse for The Dumping-Zone. Already a new scenario formed in the hedgehog’s mind, one that brought him not fear but instead joy – just below being able to kiss Sally had been watching as Uncle Chuck was Deroboticized once and for all.

Yeah…’til that day comes, everythin’ else can take a back-seat.

All the while as The Freedom Fighters lavished him with praise of which he felt unworthy, Ari had struggled to find an opening in which to argue against all that they’d said – unable to get a single word in edgeways, his brow had crinkled good-naturedly as he’d slowly surrendered himself to their vindication of his good character. Final Judgement? Who needs that with this bunch around? “Okay, you guys, okay…I concede defeat.” Grinning sheepishly, he held his gauntlet-encased paws out in a gesture of unconditional surrender. “And…well…I guess hanging around with a bunch of wing-nuts like you isn’t so bad either.” Lowering his gaze, Ari inspected his still unshed disguise with undisguised ill-favour. “Especially if someone happens to have a can-opener on them right now…”

Sonic broke into a grin, his spirit soaring in elation. “Ya know, I just remembered…there’s somethin’ else I gotta remember ta’ return.” With a crane of the neck, he threw a humorous glance in Antoine’s direction. “Don’t sweat it, Don Coyote!” chuckling, he tapped a finger to his forehead. “I’ll let’cha have it back jus’ as soon as we reach Knothole!”

Bunnie’s eyes turned toward Antoine – down the coyote’s physique they roved, stopping as though snagged by the sight of his mutilated uniform. There they lingered momentarily before widening in dawning understanding – gazing across her more graceful shoulder, the rabbit drank in the sight of the red band Sonic was wearing. “Sweet heavens t’ Betsy!” And as they returned to Antoine, her eyes filled with affection like flowers blooming in a green field. “Antoine! Did Yuh really…?”

As the eyes of his own special ‘someone’ shone for he alone, Antoine felt the obligatory quickening of his heartbeat – in a display of self-discipline as truly befit a royal guardsman, he resolved not to let his next word or deed by governed by the deep nervousness now wracking his entire body. An effort which proved a limited success – as the coyote managed to block out the sound of his heart’s doubled pounding, the pressure seemed to redirect itself elsewhere. Namely to his mind which consequently began flying in every which way at once. My Bunnee…she is as soft and squishee inside as a strawberry-flavoured bonbon! Perhaps she will be better liking me if I am being zee modest one. But on zee outside she is tough as zee coconut of a shell…maybe she will be preferring if I should be puffing out my chest and saying that it is all parsley and port of zee life of zee Freedom Fighter? Strange…as Antoine contemplated Bunnie, he found himself inexplicably feeling hungry.

Ah non… Pressure was a far from agreeable thing to experience while trying to make up one’s mind – and as it mounted, Antoine inwardly whimpered at the thought of allowing his chance to slip away just as he had done back at the warehouse. …in love, I am haveeng two right paws and am being all fingers!

Fortunately for both of them, Bunnie had learnt from her earlier mistake.“Oh Antoine!” she breathed, her voice as warm and tender as a midsummer evening wind. “How verah unselfish of Yuh!”

As she stepped forward and enfolded him in her tight embrace, Antoine broke into a grin so toothsome that he appeared to have swallowed a piano. “Ah, Mademoiselle! It was, how you say…everything.” He exclaimed, his stab at a laid-back drawl sounding so alike to the screech of wheels that Sonic cast a vigilant look back at the distant city. “Easy squeaky, lemon queasy!”

The tips of Bunnie’s silken ears twitched infectiously, “Sugah…” she cooed, her eyes locked with his. “…don’t Yuh evah go changin’ on me!”

As The Freedom Fighters laughed merrily, Tails’ eyes gleamed with resolve – what with the atmosphere of good will and friendship, this seemed as good a moment any. This is it… Though the fox-cub, taking a decisive step forward and clearing his throat. …I’m going in! “Aunt Sally, can I…?”

Under normal circumstances, the scenario most certainly would have played out more or less as Tails had imagined – yet today was far from normal and on a level that the fox-cub could not have begun to imagine.

Sally had been wholly overwhelmed by the emotional chain-reaction triggered within her by the safe return of Sonic and the others – like an immense wave, joyous relief had swept aside her secret trouble and allowed her to forget for a short while. What brought the return of that gnawing dread…was the voice of Tails.

What he tried to say meant nothing whatsoever…what brought it all back to her was the mere sound of his voice. For a brief second, The Princess’ body tautened as though being bound by ropes woven from sheer turmoil – then the momentary paralysis departed, dissolving as though it had never been.

And at the nanosecond it did, Sally swung to face the cub with such ferocity that her left cheek was whipped by her hair – Tails was first stopped dead by the towering fury of her eyes and then engulfed by a deluge of verbal spew. “You are not allowed to speak!” she snarled at him, lips drawn back over her teeth. “You deliberately disobeyed me today! For you to have done so once would have been a disgrace…yet the fact of the matter is that you defied my orders three separate times! I would never have believed it of you had I not witnessed it with my own eyes! I tell you now that I am far more ashamed of you today than I have been of anybody in my entire life, Tails!”

By sheer want of breath, The Princess was forced into a cease-fire at this point – yet even as she panted, her eyes continued to bore straight through the shell-shocked cub. When she retook the offensive, Sally’s voice was a shout no longer – what she next said to her erring prodigy came as a low deadly growl. “It is time for you to learn that what we Freedom Fighters do is not a game for an unruly child – if it takes me years, I swear that I will teach you this. Were anyone else to prove to be so great a danger to himself and everyone around him…”

Even as they rang in the air, the squirrel hated the sound of her own words – each of them was saturated with ugliness, sounding as though they were uttered by some savage beast. Not a syllable of it was that which she truly yearned to say to Tails – The Princess wanted to make the cub understand just how terrified he’d made her feel as she’d been forced to watch him stride right into the hands of Robotnik. Yet she did not – she could not. If she were to connect with him now, she would wholly collapse – and at present, that was something she simply could not afford to do. Only by denigrating him, could she endure…bitterly though it cost her.

For a second time, Sally abruptly ceased to speak – this time, however, it was not breath but self-control she fought to keep. Only when the battle was won did she trust herself to continue her admonition of Tails – and as she did, her tone was no longer white-hot with intensity but instead hard and flat. “We will continue this in Knothole…believe it. Until then…” one arm she drew across her aching eyes – with the other, she gestured to the nearby cart. “…you will be seen and not heard unless I say otherwise. Go. Sit down. Keep from beneath the feet of the rest of us. Now.”

Tails did not move – his legs would not allow it as they stood rooted to the ground. Instead he stared at the squirrel, wide-eyed and unable to utter a word – as his mouth closed, his lips began to quiver. Like a sliver of glass slicing into his flesh, he felt it…his heart breaking. Sally was not this angry with him, she hadn’t just spoken to him like that…this was not happening.

“Aunt Sally…?”

Fresh fury flashed in those fierce blue eyes, “Now!!” Sally screamed.

As he span from her, the only thing keeping Tails from breaking into an all-out run was the way his legs quaked beneath him – as she turned from the fleeing fox-cub, Sally swayed like a hypnotised serpent.

He should never have been there in the first place…and from this hour, I swear that he never will again.

Suddenly The Princess felt as though she had just risen after vomiting copiously - a disposition not improved as she made the discovery that every one of the other Freedom Fighters was gawping at her in blank-faced, stupefied astonishment. Not one of them had ever seen Sally lose control like that...and with Tails, no less! It was surely time for the sky to fall!

“Oh what are you all staring at?” Sally snapped, averting her eyes. “Concentrate on getting as much rest as you can before we head out – it won’t be long before we have whatever horror Naugus can conjurer snapping at our heels, after all.”

And with this, the squirrel stalked her way back to the ridge's edge – in her wake remained nought but silence.

Bunnie’s mismatching paws were clasped to her cheeks, the eyes of the rabbit full of unmistakable horror. Rotor gaped from the retreating Tails to the brooding Sally, concern for both written right across his whiskery face. Antoine chewed his lower lip in clear dismay – even he sensed that the rift which had spectacularly divided fox and squirrel was far too wide to be spanned by even the longest shred of material. Ari now did his best to gaze anywhere but at his comrades – the ram’s attempt to pretend he’d somehow not noticed what had just occurred was, however, ruined by the disturbed expression on his face.

All of The Freedom Fighters were haunted by the scene they had just witnessed, the boundless rage of Sally’s eyes and the bewildered terror of Tails’ face – yet though all wondered why, not one of them breathed so much as a syllable.

Okay… Positively stunned, Sonic stared at the slender back Sally had turned on them all – a blank slate of an expression though his face wore, what went on behind it was a whole other story. …what the heck wuz that?!

Tails fell onto the back of the cart – for several minutes it was all he could do to lie trembling, the memory of Sally's furious eyes burning him like a red-hot poker.

When the uncontrollable tremors began at last to fade, Tails took a deep breath – it felt like the first of his entire life. And with it came an emotion vastly different to the remorse he had felt such a short while ago – as he rose slowly into a sitting position, the fox-cub’s prior good intentions dissolved as though doused in acid. Tails’ eyes hardened like ice as they stared down at the paws folded across his kness – his heart burning with anger, the humiliated cub made a brand-new resolve.

Fine...

The threat of bitter tears set the corners of his eyes tingling – with every last ounce of will-power, he fought to drive them back to wherever tears came from. Tails swore that he’d march right back to the city, hand himself over with a bright-pink bow tied to his neck…before he allowed The Freedom Fighters to see him cry.

Despite that valiant effort, his outer-defences were breached – and to the end of a whisker clung a solitary tear, glistening palely in day's last fading light.

End of Chapter

[The Mysterious Traveller]

Interlude The First

Ascending the stairway would have proven far too great a task for legs so stiff – equally unthinkable would have been the mere notion of stepping into the nauseatingly cramped enclosure of one of those infernal ‘boxes of elevation’ as he believed them to be called. Of course, his mastery over the mystic arts rendered utterly nonexistent the necessity of such purely physical fetes – all the same, such enforced reliance upon magic wracked his crusty old heart with dark ire. Well…the darkest ire it was able to contain without failing him altogether.

As went without saying, were either option practical or comfortable he would have disdained them still – the mere suggestion that one such as he resort to crawling like an insect through the branches of a tree, the sorcerer would have taken as an unforgivable insult. So he would ensure to remind himself whenever confronted with the plain and simple fact that his age rendered him utterly unable to do so...

Rancorous displeasure fading like mist from a pane of glass, Ixis Naugus materialised within his destination; the highest peak of ascension…the pinnacle from which The Goddesses themselves may have sung the song to bless the lands with life…the zenith of absolute power. And as those narrowed eyes silently swept Command Central, the sorcerer’s teeth were bared in a ghastly grin.

Ah…there you are!

Two SWATbots stood in motionless silence, their backs turned obliviously upon him – hands clasped behind the very same, the cybernetic duo seemed quite at ease. An outward appearance which was in stark contrast to their actual readiness to act swiftly and lethally, should the figure they flanked happen to make the merest of sudden moves.

Clad in his flesh alone, the figure stood between the pair of android wardens – with bare arms lowered to his sides, he silently viewed footage of the recent epic conflict as the surveillance-monitor replayed it for a fourth time.

Like a crafty old scorpion, Naugus backed toward his throne of crystal – and as he moved, his eyes were so sharp as to halve diamonds straight down the middle. Once again, the sorcerer marvelled at the superficial similarities this man shared with his lackey - ‘superficial’ being a word that really could not have been emphasised strongly enough.

The man who had ‘hatched’ from that strange cocoon seemed honed to the point of physical perfection…or as close to it as any mortal can ever hope to reach. Those muscles…so taut, so powerful! Why, they seemed contained not by a layer of simple skin but a shell of burnished bronze! And most of all, the truth that Naugus had immediately seen…

Doctor Robotnik had been a tyrannical overlord, his mechanical empire safe-guarded by a vast army of robots. The man awakened only recently from a slumber of uncounted eons…was a warrior.

His eyes deeply speculative, Naugus greeted the only figure with whom he shared the oxygen-supply of Command Central. “You observed all that transpired, I take it?” the sorcerer’s manner was akin to that of a great theatre lover asking for a fellow aficionado’s opinion regarding the performance both had recently witnessed, “Would it please you to share whatever thoughts are yours?”

Though his manner seemed the very epitome of gracious hospitality, that which went on between the sorcerer’s pointed ears was an altogether different tale – his true motive for extending that invitation was to test the water as it were. By the answer he received, Naugus would gauge the extent of his guest’s compliancy. And by the results of this subtle experiment, the sorcerer planned to decide whether it would be more profitable to retain his present geniality…or to become somewhat forceful.

If the man was at all startled by that wheezing voice, not even the slightest twitch betrayed him – so great was his self-mastery, in fact, that not an inch of bare flesh shivered in the chill atmosphere of Command Central.

Yet his eyes…as the mind behind them became aware to the presence of another living breathing being, they narrowed.

Whether due to a realisation that he had little reason not to do so or a realisation that that his present situation gave him little choice not to do so, he decided to honour the request of his esteemed host. After all…there was so much he did not know about this world in which he had woken.

“Matter of fact…”

The man called Zero at last broke his silence, his voice sounding rough as a sun-scorched rock and low as a king cobra slithering through an arid desert – as he turned from the surveillance-screen, it was with a fair degree of relief. Fascinating though the spectacle of a tattered yellow cape becoming wrapped around a furious face undeniably was, it seemed overwhelmingly like a scene out of some Saturday morning cartoon show.

“…I’ve been thinking; how in hell did a hedgehog get that fast anyway? And that’s overlooking his uncanny proficiency in the sacred arts of strolling around on two feet and enunciating like the guest waffler of some cheesy daytime chat-show.”

His shoulder bumped against that of the SWATbot to his right – as the affronted android turned a silent stare upon him, he passed the incident off without visible acknowledgement. Neither posturing nor bravado seemed to be involved – here was man who possessed either inordinate idiocy or a will of tempered steel.

“Now I think about it…I might have come across a word that would describe those walking talking fur-balls to a tee. An…anthro…was it ‘anthropoid’? Nah…I’m sure that word’s got more connotations with monkeys. Still…” a quiet chuckle – for the first time since his awakening, Zero displayed humour. “…I think you’ll have to admit that ’Planet of the Anthropoids’ has itself an ominous ring!”

Revealed was the series of muscles which fit together to comprise that breath-taking physique – since he preferred his liquid refreshments be served in a crystal goblet, the sorcerer’s vocabulary simply did not include the phrase ‘six pack’ which would now have been of inestimable use to him.

A chin so well formed as to have been the result of an army of miniscule chisels worked by expert hands – above it, a mouth that may well have reflected the shape of its owner’s soul. The middle was set in a line of discipline, the left corner twisting down in a dark grimace while the right curled up in a sardonic smirk. Above that mouth, a pair of blade-like cheekbones which served to frame the nose.

And above that nose…those eyes.

Whites, pale as two spheres of exquisitely sculpted ice…green irises, intense as wreathes of emerald fire…pupils, dark as twin gateways to the cold emptiness of complete oblivion.

The mere sight of this man chilled Naugus right down to the brittle bone, fiendish devil though he was – had the face of Zero been on exhibition at a museum, the accompanying plaque would most surely have read; ‘Man – Nature’s Most Savage Son’.

Naugus nodded vaguely, his forehead creasing – in truth, the sorcerer hadn’t the foggiest understanding of what the man had just said. Such enigmas, he speaks of! Or does he merely seek to mock me? “Yes…” he wheezed, rather at a loss for what on Mobius to add to these frankly bewildering sentiments. “…I quite agree! Yet the true meaning of what you have witnessed is not lost upon you, I trust?” the sorcerer’s eyes glittered with unmistakable scorn as he cut straight to the heart of his lecture, “Science and technology; ‘stones which pave the road to a greater future’ these things are called. The tools by which a perfect civilisation shall be shaped and formed.” A rasping hiss emerged from that barren throat – for an instant, the sorcerer seemed on the verge of rearing back and striking at this loathsome sentiment. “Pah! What you have just seen is irrefutable proof of the sheer folly of such things! Mindless rot, entirely too limited! That which the mindless masses consider the greatest of assets is in truth the greatest of liabilities! The more dependent people grow to become upon such infernal contraptions, the narrower do their minds! By relying upon the labour of lifeless automatons as opposed to the strength of their own backs, by turning to these so-called ‘automatic intellects’ rather than their own wits…they would set the course for the generations to come. Survival would be theirs, yes indeed, yet at the cost of their very souls. And so the river of time stagnates…for though they know not the insidious truth, the people have allowed themselves to become enslaved forever to science and technology.” The sorcerer raised his gloved hand, clenching it in a gesture of defiance. “That bleak future I shall change before it comes…thus bringing an age of sharp order to this world.”

Sorcerer and soldier were interrupted by a sudden commotion – Doctor Robotnik was attempting to enter the room. Something he had done practically every day for the last decade yet now seemed to give him significant difficult – the source of obstruction was the thing which protruded like the trunk of a palm-tree from his irregularly loosened collar. Whatever it could be had inadvertently collided against the top of the arching doorway, sending the good Doctor staggering back out into the gloomy corridor – after a while in which he swayed in a daze, Robotnik stepped back and slowly hunched over.

The head supported by that long neck, Zero mistook at first for that of a reindeer – it was the bright-red nose. Another second was all he took him to recognise the head as that of a giraffe. Oddly enough…the head was not what struck him most about The Doctor’s appearance.

“Boy…” plain disbelief was etched into Zero's hard-featured face, “…are you fat! I mean…my last year in high-school? There was this one guy who had some gland or something. But hey…” he shook his head slowly, unable to accept the reality before him. “…man!”

Robotnik had been in the process of entering the room, his back stooped at an excruciating angle – as that observation reached his detestably furry new ears, he raised those beady black eyes to stare ominously at the non-transmogrified man. Or at least attempted to do so – while it would have benefited him greatly in the pursuit of fresh and tasty leafs, the presence of his elongonated neck proved to be of immense detriment within the context of an indoor environment such as this. As that length of magically transformed flesh and bone connected by accident with the metal arch, The Doctor lost his balance with a bleat of anguish.

As the human slammed into the ground like sack of potatoes, that creaking cackle was the icing upon this humiliation-flavoured cake – intentionally or not, Zero had just succeeded in ingratiating himself with Naugus. “Oho! How succulently scrumptious! It would seem our guest possesses an eye most keen! Be still, my belaboured heart!” with the most casual snap of finger and thumb, the sniggering sorcerer restored his lackey’s true form. “Yet what say you, Doctor? Does the arrow of our new friend’s observation fly true?”

Robotnik was grunting and snorting as he struggled back to his shaking feet – though the human’s head and neck had returned to their natural shapes, his nostrils remained raw and blistered as a result of their recent prolonged dalliance with hard concrete. The Doctor had raised his gloved hand to massage his incredibly sore nose – as he heard the question his master posed so slyly, it stopped as though frozen.

Moving so slowly that it was as though the sorcerer had transformed him into a life-sized marionette, Robotnik lowered both chunky arms down by his sides – his lips dry as a pair of salted pork-rinds, he sank to a level of cringing servility as would have put Snively out of a job. “Oh I assure you sincerely, My Lord; never have these ears been privy to words of such ringing truth!” he stammered, reaching a state that would have made the description ‘nervous wreck’ sound like a sarcastic understatement. Those eyes of yawning darkness stared at the surveillance-screen as though fascinated rather than repulsed by this endless replay of his most recent hour of failure – he looked the perfect picture of a servant too terrified to meet the gaze of one of his betters. “So lost a soul was mine before hearing them that I cannot comprehend how I was able to fumble my way through the darkness of a life that knew not the guiding light of such golden wisdom!”

Zero cringed as he witnessed this truly painful display of fawning. That’s just…pitiful. The warrior thought with pure contempt – wild dog though he was, even he would sooner have died than crawl as his fellow man had just done. (It brought him little pride to acknowledge that he and Marshmallow Ass belonged to the same species…)

Naugus indulged in a petty chortle, “But such a lamentable host, am I!” he exclaimed, in his eyes an unnervingly playful glimmer. “Pray allow me to introduce you to my rotund-man…oho! That is to say, right-hand man; Doctor Robotnik! It is my fervent hope that the two of you shall get along!”

Zero felt his mouth twist to form an especially black scowl. Why, he knew not for certain – yet all of a sudden, he was getting the weirdest feeling. It was akin to that of an itch he couldn’t quite reach…only in this case it was not his back but his brain which felt irritated.

Great Weight’s name…something about it just bothered him.

When concentrating deeply on this strange riddle yielded no solution, Zero decided to try something a scosh less orthodox – one of many things life had taught him was that there was always more than a solitary perspective from which to look at something. Given that the bone of contention happened to be a name, there was really only one other angle from which it could be looked at – and as he began to read it backwards from the whiteboard of his mind, Zero knew just how damn stupid this was.

What dark secret did he expect to learn from this? That Fat Man's secret identity was in fact that of Count Dracula? If such was the case then the Prince of All Evil had really…

Kintobor…!!!! Zero felt his body tauten, this revelation searing him from within – hidden though they remained behind those set lips, his teeth clenched in silent savagery. That guy...could he be Julian Kintobor? The President’s…?!!

Like an untamed stallion, he reined in that vast influx of fury – for the present at least, he would remain the unquestioning living weapon. The Hunter Executioner. It looked as though things were going to get interesting...and given everything the Spy Eye had already shown him, that was saying much indeed.

Like shards of shattered glass, Naugus’ eyes gleamed – they had perceived the disturbance of his guest’s disposition. Subtle as the forming of mountains and significant as the shifting of seismic plates, the sorcerer was certain that it had been triggered by the mention of his lackey's name. Evermore does this web of intrigue expand…yet which of them is the spider? “A fathomless mystery is the force that guides us to our destiny - yet see how it has united we three beneath the sky of Mobius. Doubtless the hand of fate has some purpose for transcending time and space in order to bring us together – great or small though it may or may not be, I would learn more of this. Yes…much there is that I would know.” Naugus stroked that bearded chin, his eyes seeming not to blink – pale and reptilian, they gazed at the human as though seeing a hitherto untouched realm of possibilities. “Much we shall discuss, you and I. And after…” into two sharp points, the corners of that dried up mouth curved to form a grin of cruelty. “…I shall have a task for you.”

As he teased this conversation toward the topic which most interested him, Naugus thought again of the crux of that same matter; the child whom fate had both dangled before him and then snatched away on that very evening. The cub of whom The Princess had been so fiercely protective…the fox whom the sorcerer knew was not at all what he seemed.

Being so enlightened, Naugus alone had seen the fox-cub for that which he truly was. A spirit of magic bound in mortal flesh, a gift from the Goddesses of the heavens to a weary world, the mythical being itself. The Kitsune Fox.

Naugus felt his features drift into an expression of childlike joy as he tried to remember everything he could about that magnificent creature – the sorcerer simply could not wait to dissect it!

It had cost Robotnik an immense exertion of self-control in order to remain a blank slate under the gazes of his companions – when at last his gut decreed the coast to be clear as it ever became for him to lower his guard, the downfallen dictator’s face contorted into a gorgon-like glare. No longer frozen like a mouse afraid of feeling the cat’s paw upon him at any moment, The Doctor allowed his eyes to stray from the repeating images of today’s utter debacle – he had refrained from dragging his heels in returning, the thought of going anywhere near Naugus so soon outweighed by the thought of seeing more of the night prior’s ‘discovery’.

Having spent ten years considering himself the last one, Robotnik could barely begin to believe that he stood now in the presence of another human – his nephew had never counted. On the evolutionary scale, The Doctor had always placed Snively on the level of ‘parasitic growth’ rather than 'homo sapien'.

Robotnik’s hulking shoulders had been steady as he turned to study Zero – as he received an unpleasant surprise, they heaved.

For a fleeting second, Zero’s eyes had been upon him – and whether it had been the most inconsequential of glances or a scrutinising stare, The Doctor felt as though two shards of glass had sliced into the tissue of his brain.

Just as quickly as it had arrived, the moment of silent intensity passed – yet as Zero gave at least the appearance of attention to the words of Naugus, Robotnik was left shaken.

Left to stand unnoticed until required to perform some predictably demeaning task, Robotnik was haunted by the memory of those piercing eyes - failure to understand what had disturbed him so brought him swiftly to frustration which led in turn to inevitable anger.

This man…who is he? I had never seen him prior to last night...why did those eyes burn so vengefully as they pierced my soul?

End of Interlude

[The Mysterious Traveller]

Chapter Nine
Tell Me Tails; Faith Betrayed

The clock had just passed twelve – in the huts of the villagers who actually owned a clock that was to say.

Out on the grassy plains, time was measured not by minutes and hours – the stars were arrayed in full, their pale fire burning against the satin-blue sky. And like the opposite side of a coin, Knothole Village shone with the warm glow of candle-light.

Midnight; a time by which most would normally be tucked up snug and warm, bound for the land of dreams if they were not already there.

But tonight was different – tonight, not even one of the villagers lay abed.

The heap of hay shone like golden thread in the rich light radiating from the gathered crowd – creations of clever paws, there had been a time when many had fervently believed these paper lanterns to possess power to keep the forces of evil at bay. Yet it had been a wholly different reason for which Rosie the Nanny had solemnly taught her fellow villagers to make paper lanterns of their very own.

The strong and youthful of body, the elderly and infirm of age…the fur-coated mammals, feather-bodied birds, reptiles of frictionless form. Some held onto either a child or life-partner, others rested a reassuring paw upon the shoulder of a friend or neighbour who had neither…some simply stood with their eyes closed as though in prayer.

Yes…each and every member of this hidden community had gathered in order to pray for the swift and safe return of their shield against the force that sought to destroy them, their light in the darkness, their heroes of undying hope.

And at the head of the assembly, the magisterial figure of a King in exile – gazing into the dark mouth of the tree-slide, the eyes of Maximillian Acorn were as two live fire-flies encased in amber. As he waited in pensive silence, one concern weighed upon His Majesty’s mind; not the monstrous twisted city which had once been his, not even the machine which might mean redemption for the countless number of people whom he had failed on that accursed day of ten years ago.

No…over the nineteen hours which had passed since dawn, Maximillian Acorn had thought only of her. The daughter for whom his love had only grown during their years of separation, continually drawing him back from the sheer madness which had so often seemed his only hope of sweet release from that inter-dimensional gulag known as The Void – the daughter whom meant everything in the world to him.

And whom he had permitted to walk into the deadly jaws of Robotropolis this day – dignified though he outwardly remained, The King was in truth bowed down by guilt.

As he remembered every wasted year spent tormenting himself by wondering whether Sally was alive or dead, The King felt upon his tongue the bitter taste of irony – though he had at last escaped The Void, it was as though not a thing had changed. Bound to his people by the responsibilities of noble blood, he often felt trapped in the village…while Sally continued to venture forth and fight for the sake of all despite the fact that she had been reunited at last with the one whose duty it was to protect her.

As his eyes closed in weariness, The King once again asked himself why; why did he stand by and allow his only daughter to return to that dark and dangerous place? And once again, he came back to the sole answer…the only reason why he’d not forbidden Sally ever again to set a toe near Robotropolis.

To The King, Sally was the whole world; the only loved one whom fate had not ripped cruelly from his arms, the only life he had played a part in creating. She was his bluebird of happiness...and some birds were just far too wonderful to be caged even for safety.

Thus with a heavy heart, Maximillian Acorn permitted his only daughter to continue daring danger…because his most cherished wish was to see her happy. The trials of The King…and the tribulations of a parent. Truth be to tell…I cannot say which are the most arduous to endure. It was a funny old world - that most royal moustache gave a twitch as he who had cultivated it reflected upon this daily dilemma.

Despite the night having long since fallen, The King’s smile was as the first light of day – and as it spread slowly, his ears twitched in response to a most peculiar sound.

It was the whistle of ascent – and as he hearkened unto it, his soul brimmed with both relief and dread. For he felt he knew what this sound meant.

Mastering himself, Maximillian Acorn ordered his eyes to open…

And from that shadowy opening they came; with a blur of blue and a streak of scarlet, two figures glided gracefully through the air and disappeared into the depths of the heaped hay.

Maximillian Acorn’s eyes glowed with such benevolence that it was as though the sun had risen seven hours prematurely as the head of a familiar hedgehog boy emerged from the hay…followed shortly after by that of a squirrel maiden whom The King would have recognised had he been blind.

And so…the prodigy returns!

As he plucked first one and then another leg from the heap, Sonic experienced the oddest feeling – and the big twist was that this jarring sensation was due neither to the mouthful of hay he’d just received or the utter silence with which his truly impressive entrance had been met.

Turning to offer his congenial companion an assisting paw, Sonic found himself gazing at her again; the stranger who wore the face of the squirrel he loved.

Sally removed a stalk of hay from the rat’s nest that was her hair, the movement slow and stiff as that of a robot – those blue eyes appeared glazed over, the windows of her soul coated by dense layers of frost.

Since commencing the homeward bound, The Princess had been lost within her thoughts – every wearisome step of the way back to Knothole, she’d kept to herself and exchanged not so much as a word with the other Freedom Fighters. Not that any member of the group had felt inclined to break the unbearable silence…given the event that had caused it. Only when they’d at last crossed the threshold of The Great Forest had Sonic given Sally a playful nudge, suggesting that the two of them take the tree-slide…together. And for the sake of avoiding an argument with the persistent hedgehog, Sally had nodded in silent agreement – after all, splitting from the rest of the group would give her a little time away from the wondering eyes of her friends.

Time away from him…

As the hedgehog’s paw closed around her own, Sally’s eyes rose…and their aloof coldness thawed at the wonderful sight of her father standing not even a yard away. Often since the day he had returned, The Princess had wondered whether the surge of joy she always felt in his presence was somewhat childish – now she knew better. Far better.

If indeed her heart existed in two interlocking pieces…then he was the glue which bound them together. He who had taught her the importance of seeing those in pain through eyes of compassion, of extending the paw of friendship to those who needed it…in short, how to love. In so many ways, he’d made her who she was. He was her…

“Father…” Sally breathed, her heart welling with emotion as she gazed at the one whom she had learned never to take for granted. Love could endure eternity…a loved one could be snatched away in a heartbeat. And knowing this…what more could she do than keep her heart open? “…oh father!”

King Acorn’s moustache quivered as his daughter appeared before him like a pearl from an opened clam. “Sally…” and to his eye, never had a pearl looked so exquisite. “…you are returned safely!”

The people stood by in apprehensive silence – whenever The Freedom Fighters returned from a mission, the villagers would all be waiting to welcome them back with applause such as to wake the farthest echoes of The Great Forest. Yet now they held back in uncertainty...

Sonic and Sally had once again survived the Hell on Mobius that was Robotropolis, for that all present were incredibly thankful…but what had become of the other Freedom Fighters? Had Antoine’s long streak of fool’s luck finally failed him? Was Bunnie’s vivacious smile lost to them all forever? Had Ari fallen to the iron-fisted might of The SWATbots? Was Tails robbed of his future…as well as his life?

And last yet not least of all…what of the prize they had all braved and endured so much in order to attain? Where…was it? Had the champions of Knothole failed in their desperate venture? Was the last ray of hope for the damned irretrievably extinguished?

The villagers’ increasingly morbid train of collective thought was brought to a screeching halt…as all heard the moan of pulleys.

Glowing lanterns were lifted toward the source of that sound. And light of an altogether different sort erased the gloom that had clouded many faces…

From the cliff-top, it descended smoothly; a broad platform comprised from a number of logs lashed together in the method by which rafts were often constructed. Just like the wooden cart, this contraption had emerged very recently from Rotor’s workshop – knowing that the elevator he and the others had used for so many years could not possibly accommodate the heaviness of the weight which would soon need to be borne, the walrus had gotten to work without delay. He'd been surprised by the response his request for help in the gathering of logs and rope had received – never before had such a number of the other villagers been so eager to assist in his latest project.

Everyone in the village had known the purpose of Rotor’s work - and in the light of all that success would mean for their world, they had risen magnificently to the occasion. As the new elevator came down into sight, the wall of silence was shattered by the greatness of the cheer which went up – for this triumph belonged to everyone who lived in Knothole.

As the elevator drew nearer to ground-level, Sally’s attention roved from one to another of the figures she saw at its edge. There was Rotor, clearly caught between the urge to grin proudly as all his hard work paid off and the urge to blush profusely as he received such a handsome welcome – in the end, the walrus seemed to decide just to wing it and run with both. And there was Bunnie, her eyes dancing as she blew smacking kisses down to the ecstatic villagers – with her cybernetic paw, she took hold of Antoine’s wrist and compelled him to flash the crowd a thumbs-up.

At the leftmost edge of the lowering platform stood Ari – though the side of his body was the most she could see of him, Sally could not help but gaze at the ram. His body seemed the same as always and indeed it was – yet now that he was divested of that loathsome SWATbot armour, The Princess privately thought he looked better than ever before. As she wondered why, Sally was struck by the ram’s sagging shoulders – with a silent gasp of exasperation, the squirrel realised that her comrade still nursed a sense of guilt over the failure of his mission. Analysing that resigned stance, Sally ventured an educated guess that Ari was steeling himself before coming face-to-face with a certain somebody – looking keenly across her shoulder, The Princess saw that this very somebody was also gazing up at the ram.

And though regret was plain to see therein, not the faintest hint of anger flashed in the eyes of King Acorn – as the return of Ari revealed that the infiltration attempt had met with failure, His Majesty’s expression was one of serene acceptance. As a wise person had once told him, to fight a war was to be as the tide; there were always wins and losses. With the latter, one would be forced to fall back…and with the latter, one would advance. The trick was to take the rough with the smooth…and with unyielding resolve, each individual triumph would lead one day to that last shining victory.

“Rotor-Rotor,
One of us!
Rotor-Rotor,
Knothole’s Premier Walrus!”

(“Hey, no s-s-sweat! Really, y-y-you all helped t-t-too!”)

“Bunnie,
Bunnie,
We...love...ye!”

(“Awww! Yuh all sweetah than sugah!”)

“Way to go,
Antonio!”

(“Antoine! Antoine is being my name! I am rating it when others are rinsing their nerds!”)

“Gosh,
Damn,
Thank you,
Ram!”

("...")

“Sonic…he can really move!
Sonic…he’s got an attitude!
Sonic…he’s the fastest thing ali-i-ive!”

(“Thank you, dudes and dudettes of Knothole, thank you!”)

“You rule, Sally!
Literally as well as figuratively!”

Sally put both paws to her mouth and laughed, deeply moved – it appeared that a great deal of creativity (to put it kindly) had been poured into this welcoming reception! All the same…she could not help but marvel at the sheer incongruity of it all. That truly evil device had destroyed countless innocent lives…yet the villagers now applauded thunderously as they witnessed its descent into their home.

Mobians happy to see The Roboticizer…I never thought the day would dawn! With a bemused shake of the head, Sally decided not to dwell upon it – instead she reminded herself of what Bunnie had declared back in Robotropolis. Darkness shall fade…and I swear that tomorrow will be a beautiful day.

The very air seemed to make way for that majestic tail as Maximillian Acorn turned to face his subjects – as his golden smile reached them, the Mobians ceased one by one to cheer and awaited the words of their sovereign. “My fellow Mobians. My people. My friends.” The King’s voice was warm as a summer wind - his paws planted upon his hips, he could feel the pure joy now coursing through the villagers like the water of life into the roots of a great tree. “On this day, a mighty blow has been struck against the shackles which entrap our friends and families! Soon those same chains shall crumple like paper and be cast to the wind at last – for our mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters shall be prisoners within their own bodies nevermore! Near draws the dawn of the day when all free Mobians shall stand united! Yes! Standing shoulder to shoulder, we shall fight with all the strength we possess; together shall we drive darkness from Mobius forever!” sensing that his audience was about to give another en mass cheer, The King wagged a finger. “But of course…” he winked at them all, his eyes twinkling with humour. “…we shall slay that dragon when the time comes for us to venture into that lair! For now…”

“Hey!” a voice boomed from the very back of the crowd – a certain green and scaly member of the community looked decidedly wounded as she peered over the heads of her friends and neighbours. “Ix-nay on the Agondray Ayingslay, Your Majesty!”

As he turned to help Sally down, Sonic shot a grin over his shoulder. “Bit of a Faux Paw, Max!” he exclaimed, “Uh…I mean, Pas! Faux Pas! I always get those two mixed up…”

King Acorn joined the villagers as they erupted into merry laughter, “My apologies, O Dulcet Dulcy!” he exclaimed, his voice as grimly humourless as he was able to make it. “Pray allow the tactless remark of an overly loose tongue to pass! This is a time for rejoicing…not the most ideal moment for my toes to be chilled by your vengeful breath, I am certain that you can understand!”

Guided by a strong yet gentle paw, Sally touched down on firm ground – yet the squirrel felt distinctly wrong-footed (so to speak) as she saw a figure hurrying toward her. “Oh!” she exclaimed, a pleasant if somewhat awkward smile blossoming on her face. “Good evening! By any chance, is there something I may…?”

An elderly vole now stood before Sally – her lips quivered as she gazed at the squirrel, four root-like fingers raking repeatedly through a head of foam-white curls. “You have done enough, Your Highness!” cried old Mrs Campagnol, wringing her gnarled paws together. “Because of you, there is a chance that I will be reunited with my dear husband!” apparently unable to control herself, she reached out and took The Princess’ paws into her own. “It has been so long…so many years since that truly horrible day! Every moment I have lived without my sweet Ethan …has been one of pain. But because of what you have done…I may see him again!”

Those eyes brimmed with tears of raw emotion. As her paws were squeezed, Sally felt a lump take up residence in her throat – The Princess swallowed heavily, overwhelmed by the old vole’s simple gratitude. “You need not thank me, old mother.” She answered huskily, unsurprised to feel her cheeks grow wet. “Having been able to bring light into your life is reward enough. With both heart and soul, I will pray that your husband is soon returned to you.”

At this, the vole gave a sob. “Bless you, my dear!” she exclaimed, “Bless you!”

Gazing over the vole’s head, Sally discovered that this little scene had been observed by her father – any fear that he might be angered by this interruption proved fleeting as the life-span of a candle burning in the wind. As she gazed into those compassionate eyes, the squirrel felt deeply ashamed – many people would have been made harsh and bitter by ten years of imprisonment within The Void. But not the greatest ruler whom Mobius had ever known…not her father!

Yet The King's warmth was clearly mixed with sorrow – and The Princess felt that she understood why. Mrs Campagnol’s roboticized husband…though his transformed body could have endured up until now, his mind had been in no such way protected. For so long now, Ethan Campagnol had suffered torment such that no soul deserved…unable even to scream. Physically, he might yet be saved…mentally, there was no guarantee whatsoever that he would be the vole his wife had so adored.

As this reflection threatened to convert golden joy into leaden depression, Sally turned her gaze from the teary-eyed vole – it was picked up by that of Sonic whose grin spread so wide it practically eclipsed the rest of his face. “I wuz wrong, Sal.” The hedgehog remarked enigmatically.

Sally raised an eyebrow, “Oh really?” she pressed, her tone light as a stray canary feather – in her mind, the squirrel was studying a three-hundred page list of possible answers to the question she was about to ask. “And what were you wrong about, Sonic?”

“When we got ta’ the edge o’ The Forest…I figured, journey’s end. It wuz like we’d finally made it, ya know? But then…” Sonic swept an arm toward the crowd of friends and families all now laughing and crying together, “…we got here.” Not for a second had his eyes left hers – and as the hedgehog came to his point, they shone. “An’ now we’ve made it. You an’ me, Sal! You an’ me ta’ eternity!”

Sally smiled warmly – but if the hopeful hedgehog was still angling for the kiss that got away, he was in for another disappointment.

All the while, Sally had been putting something off – yet she knew that she could do so no longer. Pausing only for a deep breath, The Princess did this thing – and the result was not at all what she’d expected.

A certain spot upon the elevator, Sally had not so much as glanced at – as a matter of fact, she had been exceedingly careful to ensure that her gaze avoid it entirely.

Not the spot which accommodated the principal components of The Roboticizer – for the squirrel, the pieces of that dismantled machine held no more fear than the severed limbs of some slain monster. No, the spot Sally’s eyes had steered clear of…was that upon which he stood.

Or rather…the spot upon which he’d stood a couple of minutes ago.

As Sally turned to him again, the hedgehog took an involuntary step back. “Sonic…” she breathed, her eyes suddenly hard enough to halt the advance of a million Ground Tanks. “…where is Tails?”

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And as that cacophony of deafening jubilation reached it, Snively cocked his ear as sullenly as a dog left chained in a kennel - well, that metaphor could not quite have been applied to the morose man’s present situation.

To a gloomy cave at the edge of a meadow filled with blooming buttercups and mouth-watering sunshine, his hut could have been justly compared – yet the fact remained that he was free to leave it whenever such was his desire.

Perhaps this set of circumstances could be compared instead to that of a schoolboy sitting in detention whilst a long-awaited sporting-event took place nearby – it was but a second before he clicked his tongue dismissively. For one thing, he had rarely set foot in the dread Detention Hall…except for the occasions on which the oh so entertaining antics of the pack of laughing hyenas known otherwise as his schoolmates had led him there. For another, he had never felt the slightest interest in such physical activities…save to show a contemptuous eye to those who did so indulge. Well…whenever their backs were safely turned, of course.

And at the end of the day…there remained the fact that he could always walk out the door.

Then Snively spared a thought for Ebenezer Scrooge – at once, he knew he’d found it at last. The perfect comparison to his own situation. Yes…Scrooge, tending to his own business as well as minding it…before those sickening carol-singers came along to interrupt him. So aptly compatible that situation was with his own…that it fit like a latex glove around his clammy fingers.

As he rose and went to the glassless window, Snively wore a frown; one so deep that The Mona Lisa might invited him to dance if the theory that opposites attract was correct to any degree.

The erratic manner in which those distant points of light now danced suggested that The Dream Team of Knothole had at last returned – his eyes narrowing, Snively found that he was compelled to reconsider the merits of the high-school comparison.

What with the crowd of cheering peers and the tenuously rhyming mantras, all that appears to be missing are the water-boy and the unbearably cute mascot…

A moment later, Snively bitterly regretted having tempted fate…

“Heeey, Snively!” Tails cried, appearing in the doorway without warning – the long-nosed human flinched as though the beam of an exceptionally powerful flashlight had been shone in his face. “What’re you up to?”

Snively wasted no words – which wasn’t to say that he uttered not a single one. As a matter of fact, two was the exact number of words he now breathed – but from his point of few, neither could have been considered a waste. “Get out!!” he snarled, lunging forward – with a vicious kick, the door was slammed in the fox-cub’s face.

Pleased with this masterly handling of the situation, Snively returned to his seat – resuming work, he entertained himself with the fantasy that the villagers had finally come to their senses and decided to roast a certain blue hedgehog alive as part of a satisfyingly protracted and painful satanic ritual. And just as a twisted smile warped those pale lips, Snively felt it…a peculiar moistness pressing into the back of his scrawny neck.

With a cry of bewildered horror, Snively shot from the chair like a firework and whirled around to see…

The door having proven unavailable, Tails had made his entrance via the window – finding his warmly welcoming host perfectly oblivious to that very entrance, the mischievous cub simply hadn’t been able to resist it. “You know…” despite the greasy aroma that lingered in his twitching nostrils, he wore a grin as the human glared scathingly down at him. “…I guess a cold nose can be a useful thing to have!”

Snively wondered just what the penalty would be for tying the fox’s tails into a knot – make that several knots. “Get off my property, kid.” He growled, wiping disgustedly at the back of his neck.

As sentiments go, it was direct and blunt…and seemed to go sailing clear over the cub’s head. “So…what are you doing in here?” Tails persisted, his curiosity clear as The Great River.

Snively wondered if this was how Garfield had felt whenever Nirmel sauntered onto panel, “At this precise moment, I happen to be assembling an experimental device.” He explained in his most non-encouraging tone of voice, “In laymen’s terms, the function of said device is to either activate or deactivate the lighting-system of one’s hut via electronic signal thus eliminating the need to do so by hand. An occupation otherwise referred to as The Remarkably Complicated And Boring Task Which Can Hold No Possible Interest For Small And Insufferably Irritating Children. And now that I have satiated your youthful curiosity, you may feel free to satiate my middle-aged longing for solitude by going awa…”

“Neato!” Tails enthusiastically exclaimed, abandoning his game attempt at listening patiently to that stream of overlong and overcomplicated words. “Let me help! I know lots about computers and stuff! C’mon, let me!”

Snively opened that rubbery mouth, intent on telling the fox-cub to go jump in The Great River – he stayed his acid tongue just in time, struck by the possible scenario of this ascribable brat running and whining to Her Highness. “Oh but your paws are simply certain to be coated with dirt and cookie-crumbs...” he grumbled desperately.

Tails beamed, “Nuh-uh!” he asserted, holding his paws out for inspection – to his profound chagrin, Snively saw that they were indeed spotlessly clean.

Snively frowned, “Nuh…uh.” He echoed the cub’s words slowly and deliberately, “You really must explain that phrase to me one of these days. Verbal incontinence aside, not all you say need be a meaningless waste of breath.”

“C’mon!” wearing an expression so serious that he might have been challenging Bunnie to an arm-wrestling contest, Tails cracked his knuckles. “Let’s do it to it!”

Just as he had done at yesterday morning’s meeting, Snively winced deeply. “You know…” he hissed through clenched teeth, “…you’ll develop arthritis through doing that!”

Tails grinned, sensing that the human was just stalling. “You’re not gonna believe what happened today!” he exclaimed, “It was a mission to remember, all right!”

As he returned to his seat for a third time, Snively frowned severely. “I…have no particular desire to hear about it.” He replied in that same non-pressing manner.

Yet hear Snively did – even as he slowly dripped hot solder onto a circuit-board held by the paws of the thoughtful fox, the bony-bodied human listened intently to Tails’ account of the day's adventures at Robotropolis. And each time the plentiful misadventures of Doctor Robotnik were dwelt upon, he simply gurgled with ill-natured delight. “Oh frabjous day!” he laughed, “So he’s lost weight, eh? Well…he’s such a vast surplus supply that I dare say he hasn’t yet noticed! And you say he appeared…unwell? But Tails, this is simply wonderful to hear! Oh, you must take remember to take a camera when next you go! And be certain also to inform my Dearest Uncle that I wish him all the joys of ill-health! Would that a chemical laboratory lay at my disposal…I would concoct such divinely dire plagues especially for him!”

And despite himself, Tails wriggled uncomfortably in his seat – given what had gone down today, it was extremely unlikely that there would even be a next time for him so far as missions in Robotropolis were concerned. But that was not what disturbed so. That dubious distinction went to the great pleasure which Snively clearly took in the misery and suffering of the flesh of his own flesh, the blood of his own blood; his uncle.

But repulsed though it made him feel…the fox-cub could not deny the fascination aroused within him. “Why, Snively? Isn’t it enough that you’re free of him?” he dared ask, “Why do you…” he searched for words to finish the question – being so bright, he didn't take long. “…love to hate?”

As he suffered this truly foolish question, Snively felt his lip curl – the longer this cub talked, the clearer it became that there was simply no Off Switch for his Naiveté Machine. Free, was he? Anything but! He no longer tiptoed in constant fear of provoking his uncle’s volcanic fury, it was true – yet though all was now outwardly different, inwardly nothing had changed at all.

All those beatings, all that humiliation, all that torture…all by the hand of the man he had once yearned to call ‘father’ instead of the man whom had been his father.

Broken bones could be set, wounds would eventually close…yet once grievously damaged, minds were not so easily mended. And for a psyche so scarred as his, there could be no healing…though he could never expect that to be understood by this cub who had never so much as brushed against what he himself had lived for an entire decade.

Snively experienced a fresh urge to order Tails from him – yet this time he abstained from that reaction to the fox’s presence. After all…why not? I can answer a little question…even though he will not understand what he hears. “He made a promise to me long ago. A promise he then gleefully broke at the first opportunity.” He laid bare the root of the hate he bore for his uncle – and as he slyly turned this conversation against the cub, his voice was as poisoned honey. “Just as The Freedom Fighters have broken the promise they made to you…if my instincts inform me correctly, that is. Tell me Tails…do they correctly inform?”

Tails did not respond immediately – for a while, he sat with his downcast eyes fixed upon the circuit-board he was holding. And just as Snively dared hope that the cub would at last leave…

“You were…right. Everything turned out the way you said it would. Everything. I tried so hard to be brave and strong like the others…and they couldn’t shoot me down fast enough. They didn’t let me come because they knew I could help the cause…so that I could prove myself. They took me so they could be sure I wouldn’t do something dumb…something to ‘prove what a danger I am to myself and everyone around me’.” If the fox-cub had sounded depressed mere seconds ago, pure and unmistakable bitterness saturated his voice as he quoted that description. “They don’t want me to be a Freedom Fighter…they don’t even want me to be my own person. They want me to be the kid whose innocence they managed to protect during the war.”

Even as the words rolled heavily from his tongue, Tails couldn’t believe he was uttering them – yet as shame over badmouthing his friends threatened to staunch the flow of words, the memory rose to drive it back.

They were true…each and every word was true. Why not let them come…let them be said?

They were supported by the sentiments expressed by Bunnie that morning…by the fact that she was prepared to remain locked in her partially roboticized state in order to preserve his state of complete innocence. They were borne out by the willingness of Sally to humiliate him in front of everybody he knew…and as he thought about that final apocalyptic scene in The Badlands, Tails really did have to round of his little speech.

The memory was causing his tongue to swell with unendurable shame…

“Like I said…you were right, I was wrong. At least you’re straight with me.”

Snively was staring at him in wonder – the things he’d said last night had been meant purely to shut Tails’ mouth. The human hadn’t dreamt that his words would so affect the fox…and now he saw that they had, he couldn’t think of a single thing to say in answer.

Fortunately for Snively, the formulation of a response proved wholly unnecessary…

“Well…I certainly hope that I’m not interrupting anything.”

Tails jumped as though pecked by a Dragon Dove – as the partly soldered circuit-board clattered across the table, he gazed over his shoulder. And as he did, his mouth set into an unfriendly line…

Sally stood in the doorway, paws planted against the sides of her hips – and as she gazed upon the little scene before her, her expression made it crystal clear that she was not a happy camper at all. The Princess had not been best pleased to be informed by Bunnie of how Tails had suddenly flown from the elevator, yelling that he’d see them all later – The Princess was far more displeased to find the fox-cub here.

As she turned her most royal attention toward him, a wave of apprehension passed through Snively – was he now to be punished for having dared attempt to corrupt the youth of Knothole?

The moment of nervous dread ended in relief - evidently Sally hadn’t arrived at the doorway in time to hear what had been said. Furthermore her clear displeasure over having discovered Tails keeping company with him, she apparently chose not to air in front of her cherished charge. “As I am sure you now know…” she began, her voice like a pair of silver scissors cutting through the awkward silence which had descended like an invisible matinee. “…The Roboticizer has come to Knothole.” This point, Snively acknowledge with the slightest of nods. “Then you know also that we will soon require your assistance.” As she continued to speak, the squirrel stepped into the hut – halting before the work-table and leaning slightly forward, she gazed at the human whose wariness was rekindled. “May I have five minutes or so of your time? There’s something I want to ask you…”

Snively’s left eye narrowed into a guarded squint – he still felt unsettled whenever she whom he had wronged many times insisted upon making reasonable requests rather than unconditional demands of him. “Ever at your service, Princess.” He oozed in a manner which would have put to shame the serpent on whose recommendation Eve had tasted the apple of supreme knowledge.

Sally opened her mouth…then decided that she was in no mood to make the usual correction tonight. With a simple nod, she thanked him – redirecting her gaze, she looked at the silent Tails. “Go outside and wait for me. I have things to say to you.” She bade him, her manner short and simple.

Tails scowled – yet as he opened his mouth with every intention of inquiring as to when the ‘freedom’ aspect of The Freedom Fighters came into play, Sally’s face hardened. And now it contained not a hint of the affectionate smile which welcomed to breakfast each morning – nor did he feel a trace of the comfort she’d once given him simply by sitting beside his bed for several nights after he’d looked into a copy of The Mobian Encyclopaedia Of Oceanography and accidentally glimpsed a picture of The Humpback Anglerfish.

What he saw now in her eyes was stern authority; do as you are told, when you are told. To obey that silent command went against the grain…yet just the thought of The Princess going all Psycho Terminator on him again was far worse.

Without a word, Tails rose to his feet – pausing only to kick his chair back beneath the table, the fox stalked toward the door. And with each step he took, he knew that Sally’s eyes followed him.

As he stepped out of the hut, Tails was boiling with anger – and along with the flattening of his ears there came a sudden determination. If Sally really thought that he was going to stand out here like a bad little cub awaiting punishment, she would soon find that she had something else coming. Just think of the look on her face when she comes out to yell at me again…and finds me gone! The fox-cub smirked as he saw it in his mind’s eye – yet it was a scene which never made it past the imaginary stage.

Tails was stopped dead by the first sight to meet his eyes upon exiting the hut; this particular sight proved to be uniquely blue and not unattractively spiny, a sight whose first name began with an ‘S’ and whose last began with an ‘H’. “Wotcha, Sonic!” the fox-cub grinned, adopting a cockney accent he was sure would make the hedgehog proud. “What’s up, guv?”

Sonic stood beside the door, an unusually cool expression on his face – not ‘cool’ in the sense of being the best there was and knowing it but ‘cool’ in the sense of gazing at the fox-cub as though seeing him clearly for the very first time. “The sky.” The hedgehog answered without his customary grin, “So c’mon…what?”

Tails felt as though he’d just gone for a hug only to find himself pushed away, “C’mon, what…what?” he asked, unsure as to why a defensive scowl now crossed his muzzle.

“Ya know what, kid. I mean…ya developed a taste for slummin’ it now?” Sonic uncrossed his arms – as he leant toward the fox, his eyes grew kinder. “Lissen’, bud…I don’t want ya hangin’ around wit’ that guy.” With a nod, he indicated the hut from which his young friend had just emerged. “Trust me, he ain’t no good for ya! Seriously!”

As he listened to this little speech, Tails’ expression grew stubborn. “I don’t get it.” He said bluntly, “You and the others hang with Snively – why shouldn’t I? Don’t you trust me?”

Sonic felt taken off-guard – the last thing the hedgehog had expected had been for the fox to use his own argument against him like that. “Ya don’t need ta’ ask that, big guy!” he exclaimed, “It’s him I don’t trust! What I’m tryin’ ta’ say is, me an’ the others know what we’re doin’! Don’cha see? We let that guy stay here ‘cuz we need what he’s got up there!” with one paw, he motioned to his head. “But that don’t mean we can trust him for a sec…I mean, heck, Snively ain’t like us! Fifty-fifty, Tails…that’s what it is, us lettin’ him stay in Knothole. A chance we’re willin’ ta’ take…just how long it’s gonna be ‘til our bud Snively reverts ta’ form. An’ when he does…Tails, I don’t wan’cha mixed up in it!”

Tails had been listening intently – and as the hedgehog had spoken so earnestly, the fox had cast his mind back once more to Snively’s words of the night prior. “So let me get this straight.” He began, his voice slow and thoughtful. “You’re saying that you guys act like Snively’s welcome in Knothole…when really you’re all sleeping with knives under your pillows?”

Sonic stared at the cub, disbelief all over his face. “Ya mean that ya haven’t?” he exclaimed as though that concept was the most obvious thing on all of Mobius.

Tails’ ears burned as Sally’s voice reached them;

“So you’re saying that we may be able to discover a way of reversing the effects…by reverse-engineering the machine itself?”

Surprised to hear genuine enthusiasm in the squirrel’s voice, Tails glanced curiously over his shoulder – back inside the hut, Snively scratched his greasy head thoughtfully. Standing before him, Sally seemed dangerously near to bouncing on the balls of her feet – even from this angle, Tails could tell that she had brought her paws together in delight.

The fox-cub sensed that her lips now formed a radiant smile – and with a peculiar ache, he realised that he wished he could see it.

“Yes…” Snively agreed, his inflection stretching out that solitary word like a piece of elastic. “…I am of the belief that it can be done. It could take any length of time from six months to six years…and Sir Charles’ assistance will be required since it was he who designed the original model. But…yes. I believe the thing to be quite doable.”

“Oh…that is so wonderful, Snively! I, that is to say, we all…”

Carried away by the excitement of the moment, Sally made as though to do the utterly unthinkable; shake Snively by the hand. Yet if such an unheard of notion truly had been in her mind then she entertained it for a fleeting second only.

As he watched The Princess withdraw her paw awkwardly, Tails felt his scowl deepen – all of a sudden, he felt hotly indignant on Snively’s behalf. After all…hadn’t the human worked hard since coming to Knothole? And wouldn’t he soon be working harder than ever before? And toward the goal of erasing his most cardinal sin no less? It was true that much bad blood existed between the two of them…yet since she had accepted his help, Tails felt that the least Sally could have done was offer Snively the paw of gratitude.

As they returned to Sonic, Tails’ eyes were cool and steady. “You know…I think I get it now.” He remarked, nodding his head as though he’d just had an epiphany.

Sonic nodded, relieved that he’d made the fox see. “That’s swell, T2!” he exclaimed as that trademark grin made an appearance at last. “Glad you an’ I see eye-ta'…”

With five simple words, Tails completely demolished this illusion of mutual understanding. “You’re a bunch of hypocrites.” The fox-cub stated bluntly, stepping back to avoid the brotherly paw now moving in on his shoulder – his eyes were narrowed as he now coolly re-evaluated the hedgehog, the interrogated smoothly trading places with the interrogator.

Sonic blinked, feeling as though he had now been shoved back – at what point exactly had he lost control here? “What? Nah, Tails!” he exclaimed, holding out his paws in plea for the fox-cub to hear him out. “That ain’t it at all…”

“Tails.”

Tails closed his eyes, bracing himself for whatever new horror was now at hand...

Sally’s lips were pursed as she gazed sternly at the fox-cub – intuition told her that he would not have waited as she’d told him had it not been for the presence of Sonic. “First of all, I’d like to tell you that I am sorry for the things I said in The Badlands.” She unexpectedly announced, “I was wrong to chide you in front of the others like that – I realise now that it must have been embarrassing for you and hope you know that that was the last thing I wanted. But…” her voice became flat and plain as paper, “…the reasons I did so remain perfectly valid. For the sake of bravado, you endangered yourself today…and put your friends at risk in doing so. How would you have felt if one of the people who care about you had been hurt or perhaps even killed…because of your disobedience?”

Tails had no idea what to say – apparently it had been a purely rhetorical question for The Princess went on without awaiting an answer.

“One of the first things a Freedom Fighter must learn is that his actions affect the whole team – and judging by your behaviour today, this you have yet to learn. I have no choice to conclude that…I promoted you far too soon.” The Princess swallowed, knowing just how her words must be affecting him – but though she hated herself, she told herself that she must do it. For Tails’ own sake…she must discipline him. “I will…” she took a deep breath – in order to avoid being suffocated by the sheer hypocrisy of what she was about to say, she would need it. “…need to think hard about whether you deserve to remain a Freedom Fighter. Long and hard. In the meantime…you are forbidden to go any farther than the border of Knothole.”

For a moment, Sally hesitated…before holding out her paw.

“Give me your pack.”

As that command hung in the air between them, Tails stood quite still…or at least appeared to. Behind those relatively thin layers of fur and flesh, his guts clenched as though a passing ghost had reached in and grabbed them.

His backpack…his backpack!

On his last birthday, Tails had been given the backpack by a mysteriously grinning Sonic…though he suspected to this day that Rosie had had a paw in the making of it. The awe-eyed cub had run his paws back and forth over the smooth leather…and wondered why.

And after the party, Sally had called him to her hut…where she had declared that he was now of the right age to begin the training which would prepare him for membership of The Freedom Fighters. Tails had been so excited that it hadn’t occurred to him to wonder why despite the warmth of her smile…The Princess’ eyelashes had glistened with tears of regret.

That had been the greatest day of his life. But now…

Had Tails respectfully obeyed Sally, he would have seen her eyes soften – he would have heard her explain kindly that she did this solely because she cared about him. That as she did think hard, so he must work hard to regain her trust.

As it happened…Tails did not obey respectfully at all.

“Oh…that’s fair.” Tails replied, his voice positively dripping with sarcasm – as a matter of fact, he was dying to howl the exact opposite of that remark. What’s she expecting anyway? For my ears to droop…for me to look at the ground and mutter “I’m sorry, Aunt Sally”? “No really…” with a flick of the wrist, he flung the backpack in Sally’s direction. “…that’s totally fair!”

Without waiting for an answer, Tails swung his back toward both Sonic and Sally – as he stomped away from the hut, the fox-cub struggled to avoid choking on the bitter lump that had formed in his throat.

I’ll keep out from under her feet all right…I’ll keep so clear she won’t even notice me!

Sally stumbled back as the pack hit her chest – regaining her footing in time to escape a particularly undignified tumble, the squirrel felt anger pierce her heart. As she wrapped both arms around the pack, Sally opened her mouth with every intention of yelling at the retreating Tails to come back here right now!

What stopped her from doing just that was the very critical look Sonic now gave her, “What?” Sally asked – her voice sounded determinedly casual.

Sonic narrowed his eyes – not for even a dang second did he believe that The Princess’ major league freak-out back in The Badlands had been purely the result of any cheek or recklessness Tails had flaunted that day. It had been like some interspatial portal had opened up, sucking him into a crazy backwards world where Freedom Fighters chased SWATbots and chilidogs scarfed down hedgehogs! “Way harsh on the cub-scout, weren’cha?” he asked bluntly, “C’mon, Sal! Give the kid a break! Ya were young yaself once!”

Sally had been ready to answer that she’d a responsibility to the whole team, that she could not and would not be seen to make an exception for anybody – in the wake of the hedgehog’s remarks, she instead raised an eyebrow. “I was young once?” she purred, her mouth curving into a smirk – The Princess knew she had him right in the palm of her paw. “Once, did I hear you say?”

Sonic gulped as the heat was cranked right up. Oy…me an’ my big mouth! Learnin’ from my mistakes, I gotta admit I’m more cut out for runnin’ than actin’ as the voice o’ reason! For some reason, the hedgehog thought of just how pleasant it would be to chomp into a non-cannibalistic chilidog right about now.

“Aw, Sal! I wuz just sayin’…”

“Tread carefully, Sonic Hedgehog!”

[The Mysterious Traveller]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alone, Tails walked through the night – walked until his feet ached, until his breath came in gasping jags, until he no longer had any idea where in the village he was. And even then, on he walked…for he knew that he would break down and cry the instant he stopped.

All my training…all my hard work…gone. Just like that…and there’s nothing I can do about it...nothing.

Ignoring the stitch that now seared his side just as he would an annoying passenger, Tails continued walking – and just as his body seemed as though it would surely split open like an extremely abused teddy-bear, the fox-cub felt it.

Cool grass caressing his ankles – slowing his pace, Tails gazed around at the area his aimless wandering had brought him to. It proved just as he’d suspected; a wide field of windswept grass, unmarked by the presence of a single dwelling. Nought stood here save for The Great Beech, an old tree which towered so high that it could be seen from the very farthest edges of Knothole…and now, of course, Tails.

The fox-cub stared. He remembered this place at once…he would never forget. This field…when we were all real little, the others and I would come here and play together. No adults for us to bother but so much fun for us to have! So much freedom…we loved it here. In a way, those had been his happiest days…but all had changed.

As the years passed, Sonic and the others had grown…and eventually declared war on Robotropolis. And as The Freedom Fighters had taken the battle right to the doorstep of their enemy, Tails alone had remained too young for such dangerous adventures – that day had been the fox-cub’s first real taste of loneliness.

Naturally it had not been long before he’d begun yearning to share the perils of his friends…yearn to be a Freedom Fighter.

With a valiant effort to hold back the tears of bitter disappointment, Tails altered his course – The Great Beech appeared more like a many armed monster with each step that brought him closer to it. Prior to that hour, he would’ve felt hideously embarrassed over still being a tiny bit scared of the dark. Now…it mattered nothing.

Nothing at all…

Tails was drawn out of this depressing line of thought…by a creaking whine. Not the whine of a flu-infected Antoine…but the whine of two lengths of rope swaying in the midnight air.

From the lowest branch of the tree it hung; the swing which Bunnie had made for the fox-cub, inspired no doubt by the guilt she’d felt over essentially abandoning him in order to risk her life at the city. For no reason other than the fact that he’d nothing else to do right now, Tails headed for the swing.

As he lowered himself onto the wooden plank, the fox found it a tight fit – he’d grown quite a bit. Though that seemed to be just about the only thing that had changed since those days…

Tails sat in silence, his feet planted firmly on the ground – as his weight kept it still, the cub considered the irony that he had made more difference to the swing than to The Freedom Fighters.

His drooping ears noted the distant sounds of merriment and revelry – it seemed that the villages were celebrating today’s victory against the evil of Robotropolis, the latest step toward restoring freedom to Mobius. And from that source of light…Tails was separated by a veil of darkness.

“Aw, Sugah! Cheeah up!”

Since he’d believed himself alone, Tails was well within his rights to gasp – having gotten that out of his system, he looked across his shoulder and there she was.

Seated with her elegant back against the side of The Great Beech, Bunnie watched the fox-cub fondly – draped across her cybernetic arm was a familiar-looking navy-blue uniform, in her organic paw a gleaming needle. “Even think o’ makin’ a funny ‘bout me bein’ part rabbit n’ part sewin’-machine…” she chuckled at the surprised look he gave her, “…n’ yuh’ll be needin’ stitches, darlin’!”

The fox’s ears hadn’t exactly pricked up in response to the rabbit’s well-intentioned suggestion – what had he to be cheerful about? The people who had lost family and friends to Roboticization…now they had gained something today. Whereas he…now had a great deal less than he’d started off with.

“Gee, Bunnie…sure wish I could do that. But the thing is…I can’t believe that I was ever excited about today.”

As her paw worked carefully to reattach the scarlet trimming, Bunnie gazed tenderly at the downcast cub – sensing that Sally’s little talk with him hadn’t exactly led to a renewal of peace and harmony, she wracked her brain for a way to make him feel better. “You know somethin’, Sugah?” the rabbit raised her arms into the air – the sweetest of smiles adorned her face as she thus simulated a pair of wings. “Sometimes yuh get me wonderin’…’bout what it’s like t’ fly! Sailin’ thru the air…glidin’ like the ol’ wind! Ah really envy yuh that!”

Tails realised at once what had inspired her to say that. This field…it had happened here. This was where…he had flown for the very first time. Five years ago, he had come here the morning after a terrible storm – the small cub had been crestfallen to discover that his swing had gotten itself wound around the tree-branch to which it was attached.

Young Tails’ instinctive response had been to yell for Sonic…but though his white-furred mouth had moved, that call had never been made. At the leftward corner of his mind’s eye, he had seen the smirk that Sonic would have given him upon being asked to retrieve the swing…and at the rightward corner, he had seen just how impressed the hedgehog would look when told of how he’d climbed up and gotten it himself.

Tails had wanted the swing…and so Tails would recover the swing!

Of course…things are rarely so simple in this world. It’d looked so easy when Bunnie had climbed The Great Beech…yet when Tails had taken a whack at it, he’d been dismayed to discover just how hard it actually was. Indeed the cub had barely made it to the halfway point of the tree before he’d lost his nerve…and barely managed to hold onto the slippery bark for a few minutes before he’d lost his grip.

With his eyes shut so tight they’d actually hurt, Tails had waited for death…or at the very least a fractured skull. Several minutes had gone by before the young fox’s realisation that either case really ought to have eventuated by then. Taking his courage into both paws, he had forced his eyes to open…and thus seen Knothole Village from above for the very first time.

For as he’d fallen, the cub’s bushy tails had somehow gotten twisted together…and a miracle had taken place. His whirling appendages now generating the propulsion of a helicopter…Young Tails had found himself flying. The fox-cub’s heart had swollen with equal measures of terror and exhilaration as he’d performed lap after lap around Knothole, the villagers coming out to witness this amazing spectacle.

In the end it had taken Sally to guide the fox-cub safely back to the ground, her voice clear and encouraging as it instructed him to carefully decrease the velocity of his tails – putting his complete trust into The Princess, Tails had done just as bidden. And come to land neatly in her waiting arms – even as the cheering villagers had gathered around them both, Sally had held Tails close and tight.

And the last clear memory the fox-cub had of that day…was what she'd whispered into his ear.

“A little much…a little soon, honey.”

Despite his current confusion over how he ought to feel toward Sally, Tails found himself smiling. “Sorry, Bunnie – speaking as an expert, I doubt that your tail would give you much lift-off.” He commiserated.

Bunnie giggled, delighted to see his expression lighten. “Well, Sugah…Ah still love mah lil’ ol’ tail!” she smiled, reaching down and allowing the tips of her fingers to brush against that fluffy appendage. “It’s cutie!”

Tails watched as she slid her needle through the rich fabric, directing that delicate sliver of metal in a pattern of motion – the fox found it strangely calming to behold. As the heavens’ light shone in her friendly eyes, he found himself unloosening at last – sitting alone with her like this, Tails recalled just how very close he’d felt to Bunnie that morning.

And as he did, the fox looked at the rabbit in a whole new light; she had acknowledged that he was growing up. Surely she would now understand where he was coming from…understand him?

Bunnie gazed intently at him, the expression she wore one of open curiosity. “Say there, sweetie…what did yuh make o’ that Naugus wantin’ yuh?” she asked, barely realising how hushed her voice sounded – she recalled the feeling of grim protectiveness which had followed the complete incredulity which had itself followed the sorcerer’s bizarre demand.

Tails’ forehead creased – that particular element of the day’s events was all that he had ommitted from the tale he’d shared with Snively. Tails would have responded that he’d not thought a great deal about it…but the actual truth was that he’d not thought about it at all.

Far too many things had happened far too quickly…the fox hadn’t had time to think about it. Now that his demotion left him with all the time in the world, he came to the realisation…that it made not the blindest bit of difference. The harder he tried to understand the sorcerer’s motives, the more it felt like he was trying to move a mountain by pressing his forehead against it; in other words, he was getting nowhere fast.

Worse still…his improving mood was soured once more by the memory of how Sally had poured cold water over his attempt to be brave for the sake of his Aunts.

Misinterpreting the cub’s expression, Bunnie hastened to reassure him. “Now don’t be frettin’, darlin’! We won’t let that crabby ol’ wizard get his claw on yuh!” the rabbit’s eyes twinkled teasingly at him, “Well…’less Sally Girl decides t’ leave yuh t’ him in her lil’ will!”

Tails scowled – it was a scowl so black that he might have just buried his muzzle in generous slice of freshly baked mud-pie. And as he thought more of Sally…it grew only blacker. “Gee thanks, Bunnie…but unless one of us dropped their address-book back at the city, I kind of doubt that I have much to worry about.” He retorted bitterly, “I mean…since it’s pretty unlikely I’ll be going anywhere near it from now on, Naugus’ claw would need to find Knothole before it can get me.”

Bunnie smiled ruefully as she read between the lines – the rabbit believed that she’d just pinpointed the source of her young friend’s moroseness. “Aw…lil’ too soon for me t’ be mentionin’ Sally Girl, Sugah?” her lips quivered – it seemed like a violation of some kind for Sally and Tails to be anything other than firm friends. “Tails, sweetie…” she began again, her voice one of understanding and sympathy.

Tails did not seem to have any use for either, “Why are you bothering to mend that thing anyway?” he asked irritably, gesturing to the uniform draped over the rabbit’s arm. “You know that Antoine has about nine more hanging in his closet…in fact, he always says goodnight to them before going to bed!”

Bunnie frowned reproachfully, “Yeah…n’ Ah know that this one right heah is verah important t’ him.” She answered coolly, “So it’s important t’ me t’ mend it for him. Besides…lil’ things like this, yuh just do for the people special t’ yuh. N’ speakin’ o’ people special t’ us…ain’t there somethin’ yuh ought t’ be thinkin’ o’ mendin’, Tails?”

Tails’ scowl had grown so black that it would have made the end result of Rotor’s recent attempt at preparing a slice of toast appear pearly-white. “Oh…I get it. You’re talking about my relationship with Sally, right?” the bitterness was so deep and intense that there was no need for a clever metaphor to describe it.

Bunnie breathed a sigh, “Aw, darling! Yuh know how much Sally Girl…”

Tails cut her off, his voice now so cutting that it was practically serrated. “I know she has an original way of showing it!” he snapped. "Direct as a pick-axe to the head!"

“Ah’m not sayin’ she should h’ done what she did, Sugah.” Bunnie said in a voice of soothing reason, “But try n’ look at the whole thing from…”

“…and I’ll understand that she was right to chew me up and spit me back out in front of the others?” Tails was gritting his teeth so hard that it was a miracle he could respond at all, “You know…somehow I doubt that!”

Bunnie’s eyes widened, “Woo there!” she exclaimed, a breathless grin splitting her face. “May Ah finish a sentence? Tails…Sally Girl’s jus’ mad at yuh right now. What yuh need t’ do is wait ‘til she cools off…n’ then talk t’ her.”

Tails gave a shrug that summed his mood up perfectly; short and angry. “What? Apologise? After that?” he muttered, “No way. If that’s what it takes for me to get back into Sally’s good book…then she can just let it collect dust on the shelf.”

Bunnie compressed her lips at this, “Well t’ be honest, Sugah…Ah must say that seems a little dumb.” She remarked bluntly – the fox stared at her. “Yuh’ve worked so doggon’ hard t’ join the Freedom Fighters…n’ now yuh prepared t’ throw it all away ‘cos yuh mad at Sally Girl?”

Tails averted his sullen eyes, “Like she’s going to let me be a Freedom Fighter whatever I do now.” He muttered, allowing his chin to sink into his paw. “She’ll have to think hard about it? Right! Why didn’t she just say she was kicking me out on my rear? I mean, what…was she afraid I’d cry? Ha!”

Bunnie bit her lip – the rabbit wouldn’t have said it aloud for all of Mobius but she was certain the cub had done just that in the aftermath of Sally’s frenzied dressing-down of him. “Look at it from her perspective, sweetie.” She gently persisted, “Sassin’ the leader n’ tellin’ jokes...can yuh really blame Sally Girl for thinkin’ that yuh weren’t takin’ the mission seriously?”

Tails looked at the rabbit again – his eyes narrowed in response to what he perceived as a flaw in her logic. “Sonic ‘sasses the leader’ and ‘tells jokes’ all the time during missions.” The fox-cub pointed out, his voice low. "All the time."

Bunnie smiled, “Well…that’s Sonic, ain’t it?” she exclaimed as though it was the most obvious thing in the world, “Yuh see now, Sugah?”

And just as he’d done outside Snively’s hut, Tails nodded his head. “Yeah…one rule for you guys and another for me, huh?” as they stared across the darkened field, his eyes grew brooding. “I wanted so badly to be a Freedom Fighter…you know? I spent hours listening to Sonic’s stories of what you guys got up to in the city…I guess I thought that being a part of it all would mean I’d grown up or something. But now…” he breathed a miserable sigh and shook his head, “…maybe it’s time I woke up.”

The field lay in silence for a whole minute…before a giggle was suddenly heard.

Tails whipped his head up – the cub stared incredulously at Bunnie whose shoulders were aquiver with laughter. When the waves of amusement had subsided sufficiently, she unclamped a paw from her mouth and smiled at the fox-cub. “Sweet heavens t’ Betsy! If yuh’d gone on much longer, yuh’d have had t’ write a poem, darlin’!” she chortled good-naturedly, “Ah do declare…yuh shouldn’t even be thinkin’ like that, Tails!”

Tails seemed unable to look away from her, “Why not?” there was a peculiar catch in his voice – it sounded as though he knew already what the answer would be and dreaded it.

Suddenly Bunnie felt an instinctive urge to choose her words carefully – little could she have realised that those she selected were the ones most likely to be badly received. “Well, it’s just that yuh a…” her green eyes noticing how his body stiffened as though in miserable anticipation, she hesitated before uttering those final words.”…young ‘un.”

Tails stared at her as leaden silence descended over the field – his body was so still he seemed not even to breathe, his eyes filling with something far worse than tears.

Betrayal.

“Aw, Tails!” Bunnie whispered – laying down both uniform and needle, she rose to her feet. “Ah’m sorry! Ah didn’t say it t’ hurt yuh…”

But she had said it – and it had hurt.

Tails glared at her, burning with rage so vast that his small body could barely contain it. “And you’re just a girl who’s in love with a coward!” he spat, his face twisted with savagery.

Bunnie had been walking toward the fox, her paw reaching out to touch his shoulder – as that insult hit her like a glob of scathing spit to the face, she stopped dead. “Tails!” her tone was now sharp with reproach, her eyes narrowing into flashing slits.

An entire legion of rebutting remarks waited to spring to Antoine’s defence…the chief of which was the fact that the coyote’s mettle had been proven beyond doubt the night he’d single-handedly saved the life of King Acorn. Then the moment of electrified intensity passed…and her face relaxed again.

Bunnie wasn’t going to discuss her love-life with Tails, wasn’t going to argue with him over whom she had chosen to give her heart – just as she had told herself that morning, she was the adult here. “Darlin’…don’t be like this!” she exclaimed, pushing away the indignation that had filled her heart. “Yuh know I’m on yuh side!”

“Forget it!” Tails spat – though the rabbit’s anger toward him had faded as quickly as it had arisen, his anger toward the rabbit still burned hot. All he could think about was just how much faith he’d had that Bunnie would understand…and just how badly she’d just let him down. “Just forget it, Bunnie! If I’m too young to know what I’m doing or saying, why do you even care?” the cub performed a savage impression of the rabbit’s accented voice, “Aw, bad lil’ Tails! No thinkin’ for yuh ‘til yuh seventeen n’ our rent on yuh is up!”

Bunnie sighed and slowly shook her head, “Well…as mah momma used t’ say; less said, soonest mended’. Leastways ‘til yuh in a more reasonable mood, darlin’.” She remarked, smiling ruefully.

Turning back and stooping over the tree-root on which she’d been sitting, Bunnie gathered up the uniform – after tucking the needle behind her belt for safety, she turned back to the fox. “Sally Girl asked the team t’ drop by for a meetin’.” The rabbit approached him again as she spoke, “Yuh want me t’ walk yuh?”

Tails had been staring down at his sneaker, fuming over what she’d just said…and feeling sick over what he’d said back. As she now waited expectantly for him, the fox-cub looked up at the rabbit in confusion – hadn’t she listened to a word he’d just said? I bet she thinks that as soon as I see Sally, I’ll start crying into her shoulder or saying I’m sorry for being such a burden… or hey, maybe even both! “Tempting as that offer sounds, Bunnie…” he answered, his voice dull as porridge. “…I somehow doubt I’d be very welcome there.”

A smile spread across Bunnie’s face, “Um…Ah think that yuh’v got a wire or two crossed, Sugah.” She said gently, “Ah didn’t mean the meetin’…Ah was talkin’ ‘bout a lil’ thing called bedtime!”

Tails stared at her – was this a joke? “What about bedtime?” he grunted, “You want me to come tuck you in and turn off the light?”

Bunnie smirked, “Funny, Sugah.” She replied airily, “Verah funny. Come ‘long now – time t’ go back t’ yuh hut!”

Tails lowered his eyes – suddenly he wished that the rabbit would just go away and leave him alone. “Just get yourself to the meeting, Bunnie.” He said resignedly, “I’ll hit the sack in a while.”

The fox didn't want to hit the sack - he wanted just to sit where he was and feel depressed. But it seemed even that option was denied to him...

Bunnie nodded patiently, “Um…” Assessing the situation, she concluded that Tails was being stubborn…and that a firm paw was what he now needed. “…sort o’ nowish, Sugah?”

Tails felt the firm paw take hold of him, lifting him off the swing – before he knew it, the cub was staggering across the ground. Bunnie had meant to set him gently on his feet – but since this relocation had taken him by surprise, the rabbit’s paw was all that prevented the fox from falling flat on his face.

Tail stood wide-eyed and panting…unable to believe what Bunnie had just done. Pictures of that day flashed into his mind; Bunnie picking him up as though he’d been about to run in front of something large and mobile, Bunnie putting him into the back of a cart as though he was a bad little fox in need of time-out. And as she now attempted to march him off to bed like a spoilt cub whose whining plea to stay up late had been refused…it came.

For Sally, the moment of explosion had come in The Badlands…for Tails, it arrived here and now. ]Why can’t she stop touching me?! “Get your paws off me!” he jerked his shoulder, frantically attempting to dislodge her grip – and it was from there that he descended into pure thrashing fury. “I mean it, get off me!”

Bunnie’s mouth hung open in astonishment as he struggled and squirmed, “Tails, yuh actin’ peskiah than a mud-bug on a griddle!” she exclaimed, fighting to keep hold of him – she could have used her cybernetic paw to effortlessly restrain the cub yet did not, sensing that it would do more harm than good. “Tails, stoppit! Calm down!”

“Get off!!” Tails thrashed. Thrashed against Sally’s eternal view of him as a child to be kept from harm. Thrashed against Bunnie’s determination to keep him on the ‘right path’. Thrashed against his utter powerlessness to defy either. “Get off!!”

For three minutes, the two fiercely wrestled each other; Bunnie to keep her one-pawed grip, Tails to free himself from the very same. And ultimately…the latter prevailed.

Bunnie’s fingers slipping from him, Tails found himself loose again – whatever he might have done, there was no chance for it to be done as he slammed face-first into the ground. As he lay in a panting and shaking heap, his twin tails covering his back, the world seemed to spin around him – his eyes were shut as sweat ran around them like drops of lava, every bone his body contained crying out in humiliated anger.

Bunnie gazed down at him in dismayed worry, her shoulders rising and falling – she was shaken not by the tussle which had been nothing to her but by the sheer savagery of the moment encompassed by it. “Tails…Tails?” she breathed, wanting nothing more than to go kneel by the fallen fox and take him into her arms – what held her back from doing so was the aura of intensity that emanated from his small body. “Darlin’…are yuh okay?”

Tails did not, would not, could not answer – the cub knew that if he tried to say anything or look up, he would burst into tears.

Bunnie could do no more than bite her lip wretchedly – the rabbit knew she must attend The Freedom Fighter meeting. Yet she did not want to leave Tails alone…not like this. But what else can Ah do…if he won’t let me in? “Well…Ah guess yuh win, Sugah.” She conceded, her velvet voice now deeply weary. “Don’t be stayin’ up too late, yuh heah?” she paused, her eyes glistening. “Hug?”

Tails neither stirred an inch nor made a sound – as he lay there in the grass, it was as though no few feet but a vast invisible abyss separated him from her.

As Tails lay entombed within the darkness of closed eyelids, Bunnie’s sweet voice reached him one last time – her tone sounded softer than he’d ever heard. “Oh mah…no hug for Aunt Bunnie?” he could tell that her ears drooped as she gave him a long, long look. “Well…ain’t that sad?” her fingers brushed across the back of his head like the wings of a flitting butterfly, “Guh night, Sugah Tails.”

Bunnie went, blades of grass crunching with each step she took – Tails got the feeling that she walked with very deliberate slowness, perhaps hoping that he might give in. And suddenly…he realised just how much he wanted to. The fox-cub wanted to leap up from the grass, to run after the rabbit, to throw his arms around her…to admit that he was sorry. Instead he remained right where he lay…practically pinned beneath the weight of that same ‘dumb’ anger which now extended to his other Aunt.

The heavy footsteps gradually faded into the distance – Bunnie was gone and Tails was alone again.

Yet as the fox verged on dissolving…a smouldering fire was kindled, driving back the tears. And fuelled by the very same, he pushed himself from the ground – what with the violent shaking of his body, it was only on the fourth try that he succeeded. As they gazed after the now distant rabbit, Tails’ eyes narrowed into fine slits – to the cub had occurred a perfect way to alleviate at least a little of his frustration over being pushed out and at the same time get back on she who had done the pushing.

Yeah…Sally won’t notice me, all right! But that doesn’t mean that I won’t actually be there!

Now moving with all the silent stealth that training had taught him, Tails shadowed Bunnie to the meeting-place...and in the days that followed, cursed himself for having done so.

End of Chapter

[The Mysterious Traveller]

Chapter Ten
Confrontation; On That Tragic Day Ten Years Ago

Mondo bizarro...I'd never have figured I wouldn’t be glad ta’ find myself here!

A bet he’d have made any day - a bet he’d have lost that night.

The party thrown in honour of The Freedom Fighters was still going strong after three hours…and now that the warm-up stage had passed, it just seemed unnatural for the truest bluest hedgehog in all of Knothole not to be on that swinging scene. Sonic was a Party Mobian to the core. Partying was in his heated blood and partying was the pursuit he should now have been hot-bloodedly pursuing. Sonic ought to have been jamming on his electric guitar, conducting a chilidog parade down his throat, showing the lovely and limber lady villagers just how he could ‘really move’ on the dance-floor.

Yet here he stood in a dimly lit hut - more specifically, Princess Sally’s dimly lit hut.

Then again…the night need not have been considered a total waste. Impossible though the concept may have seemed on paper, Sonic would much rather be standing here than attending an all-night jamboree. Slight correction; Sonic would much rather be lying here than out partying. With door locked and curtains firmly closed, the things he could have been doing with his fellow villagers were pale shadows…in comparison to the things he could now be doing with his girlfriend.

Yes…as trade-offs went, a thorough make-out session with the squirrel of his dreams would have more than compensated for the loss of a solid night’s partying.

Sonic and Sally had stepped into the hut; so far so good. However…now they were here, it became swiftly clear that there was some kind of snag. Far from even glancing at her bed, Sally had begun to pace around in pensive silence…eyes shut tight, back straight with anxiety, paws clasped behind it.

Waiting…

And when he could bear it no longer, Sonic tapped his foot on the floor. The hedgehog was normally hyper, the squirrel normally reserved. That had always been the way of things - yet tonight the natural order seemed to have gone out the window. “Sal?” he broke the increasingly tense silence.

Abruptly as she’d begun, Sally ceased to wear a trench down the middle of her floor. “Sonic?” she responded in kind, flashing the hedgehog a sidelong glance.

Her eye appeared cool as ice - and as push came to shove, Sonic wondered whether gaining the squirrel’s attention had been worth the price. Say, there’s an interestin’ rhyme …though now ain’t really the time! “Kinda soon for the next Freedom Fighter Meet, don’cha think?” he remarked, hoping that a little small-talk would lead them somewhere.

And it did - several steps back. “Right.” Sally nodded in agreement, that eye narrowing a touch. “I don’t think.”

Sonic knew that there was a snappy one-liner just waiting to roll off his tongue – if only he could think of it. The hedgehog was robbed of this opportunity which frankly came as an immense relief to his already agonised attention-span.

As the sound of distinctively clinking footfalls reached her, Sally turned to face the doorway. “Bunnie!” she smiled thankfully, relieved that this timely arrival had diffused a potential scene – for 'lest common sense told her wrong, the great grandmother of all scenes already waited just around the proverbial corner. “I’m so glad you could make it! Will the others soon be here?”

Bunnie seemed more troubled than a lady tortoise who’d misplaced her shell, “Ah’m just a step ahead o’ them, Sally Girl...” She murmured, taking care to meet neither gaze – going over to the bed, she lay down before an extremely envious pair of hedgehog eyes. “…n’ Ah mean that verah sincerely indeed.”

The joke was half-hearted yet the best she could presently manage – the other half of her heart remained firmly beneath The Great Beech, back with Tails. As she thought of the fox-cub, Bunnie regretted deeply the way she’d treated him – the rabbit was still of the opinion that no kid his age should ever harbour such thoughts. Yet the fact remained that Tails apparently did. More than that, he’d actually tried to tell her about it…tell her how he felt.

‘N what did Ah do? Bunnie closed her eyes at the very memory. Ah laughed at him…poor thing!

More than ever, the rabbit wished that she hadn’t left Tails alone out there…that she could get up, run back to him. Even though there was no way she could do so...not without incurring a great deal of trouble. Sally had specially requested her presence at this meeting – if she decided to leave, Bunnie would have to explain why. Which would lead to a scene and Tails had endured more than enough of those for one day…or a whole year, by Bunnie’s estimation.

Bunnie sighed as she opened her eyes – the dye was cast. Sugah Tails… the rabbit ruminated wistfully, gazing up at the ceiling without really seeing it.

Sonic experienced a peculiar tingle. And it wasn’t the urge to scratch at the bandage which had been gently applied to his forehead by Rosie…but curiosity. As he watched the rabbit, the hedgehog was struck by just how distracted she appeared – just as he was about to inquire as to what was bothering her, his attention was diverted by the renewed sound of approaching footsteps.

In strode Antoine, bringing with him a beam of satisfaction and Rotor. “My zanks for you, Bunnee!” he exclaimed, running a yellowy finger down his rightfully restored trimming – resplendent in the newly repaired uniform, the coyote felt so high-spirited that he wouldn't have been surprised to float out of those well-shined boots and join the clouds drifting through the sky. “I am finding your work most, how you say…suitable?”

Okay, seriously… Sonic couldn’t decide which astounded him more, Sally screaming her head off at Tails or Antoine cracking a halfway decent joke. …a whole buncha’ planets musta’ lined up tonight! I mean, like they say…opposites attack, man!

Sally's lips parted to welcome coyote and walrus to this hastily arranged meeting – just as the words were about to roll from her tongue, she realised that Rotor wasn’t even looking at her. Following his gaze, she saw it; the small leather backpack now residing upon her dresser. Sally averted her eyes…and in doing so met Rotor’s. And as she saw how clouded his expression had grown, the squirrel realised that the walrus knew whose pack that was…and guessed the significance of its presence here.

Sally set her lips, waiting for him to say something about it. Again she was ready to justify her decision regarding Tails, again she was spared the trouble.

Realising that it would be pointless for him to raise the issue, Rotor quickly decided to avoid it altogether – his puffy cheeks sagged in a way which somehow seemed worse than open criticism. Though he ventured no opinion, that was not to say he hadn’t one. Sally, you’re one of the wisest people I’ve ever known…but when even your closest friends don't agree with you, it might just be that you're wrong. It was good simple sense, something the walrus had amassed a great store of…majestic king or mighty warrior though he was not.

And as he turned tactfully away from her, Sally experienced a sudden urge to scream – it was as though all of the others were against her! And why? Because she wanted no more than for Tails to remain safe and happy, for him never to see or feel the things she had been forced to see and feel? Why oh why couldn’t her friends want that too?

Had the day’s events not left her a seething mess of anxiety and dread, Sally might have realised that the other Freedom Fighters did cherish this wish - the sole difference between The Princess and her friends was the realisation that what they all wanted for Tails might not necessarily be what the fox-cub needed.

“Yo, Sal!” Relieved by this distraction from despondency, Sally cast a glance over her shoulder – Sonic gazed back at the squirrel, his beady black eyes intent. “Is the gang all here…or what?”

Sally felt a renewed desire to gnaw her lower lip – leaving it to wear instead at her already eroded nerves, she answered the question. “What.” The guest of dishonour had yet to show himself...

Sonic furrowed his brow…as best he could without incurring a jolt of pain. The Sally he knew would have had a barbed retort wrapped up and ready for express delivery…whereas the Sally he now looked at had barely even tried. Sal…you’ve been actin’ all whacked out ever since I left'cha at Robo Town. Everythin' ya’ve said, every move ya’ve made, every look ya’ve given…it just ain’t been our Sal! As he watched her, the hedgehog felt deeply unsettled. For some reason, the atmosphere made him imagine something creeping up on them all…something truly terrible. What happened before I saw ya again…what, Sal? An’…do I really wanna know?

Awaiting the answer was like following a road paved with unbearable tension. That the fateful destination lay near at hand, Sonic did not guess…nor did he realise the voice which floated sinuously in was that of his guide.

“Well…I certainly hope that I am not interrupting anything.”

Sonic glared at the doorway, his ears flattening against his skull as he saw who stood there. “Aw no…” the hedgehog growled.

Snively stared disdainfully into the hut, his right eye narrowing into a supercilious squint – the corners of his pale lips twisted to form a sneer as he acknowledged the hedgehog. “Oh my!” the little man oozed, clearly no more pleased to see Sonic than Sonic was to see him. “If it pleases you, feel free to exclaim everything which happens to pop into my head from now on!”

Had he been some kind of cartoon character, Sonic just knew that steam would now have streamed from his ears. “I’ll be pleased when ya get lost, Snivel Master!” he breathed, “Go on! Turn 'round an’ beat feet or I come over there an’ beat creep! This is Sal’s crib…”

“…and Snively is here by my invitation, Sonic.” Sally interjected quietly – the only thing more sickening than the human’s smug smirk was the circumstance that it was she who had to tell the hedgehog what a fool he was making of himself. “There is something I must show him…and something I hope he may tell me.”

Sonic gawped at the squirrel, “Say what?!” he squawked, feeling as though not just the rug but the whole floor had been yanked out from under him.

Snively’s eyes glimmered with the very essence of spite – Sonic looked as though Sally had just slapped him! Believe me, Hedgehog…I derive no pleasure whatsoever from entering Her Highness’ crib. Heehee…’crib’! An apt euphemism, I must admit…given the infantile behaviour of one of its current occupants. And now that I’m done enjoying your humiliation, I do believe that it is time not for me to beat feet...but for you to eat crow. Or a certain something beginning with the letter ‘s’. With a silent snigger, the human entered the hut…despite knowing that he was about as welcome there as Judas Iscariot at The Annual Twelve Disciples Reunion.

The holier-than-thou hedgehog wasn’t the only one whose welcome resembled the detonation of a Hostility Bomb – words could not have described the amusement Snively felt as he acknowledged the unfriendly glare of Antoine. The human knew well the reason for the coyote’s animosity; at that very moment, she lay elegantly on the softly blanketed bed. As for the circumstance that the bed’s actual owner had only recently ceased to be the apple of Antoine’s eye…suffice to say, the irony was far from lost on Snively.

Ooh…so fiercely balled, those immaculately manicured paws are! But why so venomous a look, Sir Prance-A-Lot? Dost thou dread that this knave might sweep yonder lady from her roboticized feet? Or are you simply afraid that I might give her a satisfyingly thorough and thoroughly satisfying back-rub...

Snively ceased his silent antagonism of Antoine - he was become just a smidgen too turned on. “If I may be so bold, Princess…” smarmed the greasy-skinned little man, “…if the matter you desire to discuss pertains to The Roboticizer then should His Majesty not also be present?”

Sally shook her head so quickly that she felt a wrench of pain, “Not necessary.” She responded, striving so hard to sound casual that none of her guests were fooled for a second. “What I want to ask you has no bearing at all on The Roboticizer Situation.”

“Sal.” Sonic began, treading carefully – the others were gazing just as intently at The Princess. “Can’t believe the words are comin’ outta my mouth…but ain’t the Sneeze-Meister right? If this is Freedom Fighter business then maybe ya dad should…”

“No!”

A single word, ringing like a bell forged in the flames of desperate panic. And as it reached the window, the person lying in the grass outside very nearly leapt to his feet…which would undoubtedly have revealed his eavesdropping presence. Just in time, he squashed the impulse…and so remained undetected by the people in the hut, free to continue listening in on the meeting from which he was officially excluded.

For the third time that night, Sonic felt an urge to step back - this time, he refused to give an inch. His narrowed eyes were riveted upon the squirrel, “Sal…” his voice was grave – and when the hedgehog did gravity, his fellow Freedom Fighter knew that the situation wasn’t to be so easily shrugged off as a run in with SWATbots.

Mustering every ounce of self-control she possessed, Sally took the plunge. “Snively…” dipping a paw into her vest-pocket, the squirrel brought it to light; the time-ravaged identity-bracelet she’d removed from the warehouse. “…would you care to tell me whether you’ve seen this before?”

For the first time ever, her clear eyes were captivated by that pale face…and so she missed not a second of what came next.

Snively had been smirking condescendingly at The Princess – yet at the precise instant his pale eyes fell upon the bracelet, that rubbery face seemed to fall upon the floor. “Where…” with a feral hiss, he recoiled - his sickly flesh was so white that it might have been caressed by a tongue of flame. “…did you get that?!”

Sally nodded – as her question was dodged, so too did she avoid his. “You know…” the squirrel remarked, her voice cool as a deep-frozen cucumber. “…I rather suspected that you had.”

“Sal!!” The cry of a wolf had nothing on the howl of a hedgehog – Sonic glared at the squirrel, unable to bear pussy-footing around her for a second longer. “Will ya clue the resta’ us in on jus’ what the heck is goin’ on here?!”

First one metallic clink, then a second; together they implied the connection of two cybernetic soles with the wooden floor. And as she stood, Bunnie’s green eyes shone with clarity – for hours now, her mind had worked hard to solve the riddle of Sally’s increasingly erratic behaviour. Even now, the answer eluded her…yet as the bracelet Sally had discovered in the warehouse fit together with the squirrel’s explosive loss of temper in The Badlands, the rabbit was certain she’d come a step closer. “Sally Girl…” her voice was like that of a doctor exploring an open wound, “…this is about Tails, isn’t it?”

Like a perfectly aimed javelin, the rabbit’s observation flew true – and as her heart was pierced, Sally gave a wince which could not have been hidden behind the towering monstrosity that was Command Central.

“Tails? What about Tails, Bun? Sal, what about Tails?” Sonic yammered, leaping to join the two of them on this train of thought – light dawning in his eyes, the hedgehog put two and two together and spectacularly came up with six. “Hey…I geddit!” as the light of comprehension became the light of righteous anger, he swung ‘round to glare at Snively. “So that’s why ya here! Yo, baldy! Ya been teachin’ my bud any bad things?!”

Snively resisted the temptation to roll those pale eyes, remembering the bitter words Tails had uttered that very night. It was ironic that he stood accused of trying to turn the fox-cub against The Freedom Fighters…who did not even realise they themselves were well on the way to accomplishing just that. “Yes, Hedgehog...” He sneered satirically, “…and I carried out my fiendish agenda through the awesome power locked within that piece of practically disintegrating plastic Her Highness is currently holding!”

Sonic gave a vindicated squawk, "Ya hear that everyone?!" the hasty hedgehog pointed at the hateful human, "Ya hear him admit it?!"

Snively yielded to temptation.

Sally was breathing heavily – why did Sonic always have to grasp the wrong end of the stick, always have to make things so much harder than they already were? “Sonic, that’s not…I mean to say, I’m not sure that…oh!” the squirrel covered her eyes – she just couldn’t withstand the crushing pressure which had been placed upon her!

In response to the creak of floorboards, Sally’s ears twitched – lowering her paws, she found that Antoine had stepped closer to where she stood. The Princess was ready to roll her eyes in response to some overblown declaration of loyalty – yet as she gazed into his, the impulse faded. Where once she would have seen sickening sentimentality…there was now the pure grace of real chivalry.

Even the coyote sensed that something was afoot, something which held serious ramifications for everyone now standing in this hut. Thus the Royal Guard was here for The Princess, no self-serving suitor but a steadfast friend. “We are here to lend your sympathetic ear, My Princess!” Antoine smiled encouragingly, “Five heads are being more than one!”

Rotor followed suit, putting aside his personal disapproval of the squirrel's recent actions. “Sally…I don’t understand why you’re being this way.” The walrus’ voice was warm and kind; his heart’s essence expressed through words. “But I’d really like to. And so would everyone else. We’re all friends here, Sally…and that means being there for each other in the good and bad times.” His whiskers were parted by a goofy grin, “Besides…it’s just like Antoine said! A problem shared is a problem halved… right?”

Snively watched the squirrel shrewdly, having dragged his narrowed eyes away from that infernal thing – inwardly salivating, he waited to add some exceptionally precious nugget of inside information to his ever swelling mental treasure trove.

And as for Sonic…well, The Princess could not bring herself even to look at the hedgehog.

Just as she had in The Badlands, Sally began to sway – one by one, her mental defences broke down. There was no turning back, no escape – her only avenue was to finish what she’d begun. Some secrets should never be kept…some lies never told. I must tell the story which was never meant to be heard…reveal the truth that was to remain in my heart forever. It felt like poison flowed in her veins; the torment of guilt, that old wound ripped open in a forgotten warehouse.

Sally’s friends wanted to hear that which she had to say – what she doubted very much was that any of them would want anything more to do with her once they’d actually heard it. She moistened her lips - the squirrel had resolved to do this yet now the hour had come, all she wanted to do was run and hide. Sally realised that she would be risking everything – and realising also that her friends deserved to know the truth at last, it was with the heaviest of hearts that she took this risk.

Her voice a ballad of melancholy beauty, The Princess began to speak…

The Great Swamp shared the atmosphere of a nightmarish graveyard.

Hideously malformed trees jutted from the ground, slimy moss coating their trunks like chunks of putrefied flesh clinging to jagged teeth. The exposed roots were like masses of groping tentacles, splayed out in a desperate bid to suck up whatever moisture the ground might contain – the bare branches had long ago become tangled as each grasped at the light of day, ironically preventing more than meagre rays of the very same from shining this far into The Swamp. Rather than living organisms, they stood as grim monuments to the many Mobians guided here by rash wander-lust…and thereby to untimely ends. Whether they stumbled desperately through endless marshland until dropping in starved exhaustion…or fell into one of the many bogs which lay in wait for the unwary.

In living memory, this truly forsaken place had not known the faintest shadow of loveliness – yet a vision of loveliness seemed to have come calling this day.

“Sonic Hedgehooog...I am going to kill yooou!!”

The deliverer of this shrieked sentiment was a little squirrel girl; a visitor who appeared every bit out of place as a sparkling diamond in a bowl of drab pennies as she stood tiptoe, determined to avoid muddying her billowing silk pants. Princess Sally Acorn teetered at the cusp of her sixth year at the time this tale takes place – and though the recently exiled heiress to an overthrown kingdom was left aquiver by miserable coldness, her present feelings regarding a certain prickly playmate were positively boiling.

For sheer want of light, the elegant circlet she wore appeared dull as ditchwater - yet her blue eyes remained unmistakably sharp. “Sonic Hedgehooog!!” she yelled in a most unladylike fashion – even a Princess was sometimes unable to stand on ceremony. “Come back here right nooow!!” Her ears pricked up as they heard it, the sound of two feet moving faster than the most powerful machine - and as that familiar flash of motion pierced the brownish-green horizon, Sally breathed a sigh. “Oh thank goodness!” the squirrel exclaimed as she brought her small paws together in relief. “But just so that we understand each other…”

One second, that bolt of blinding blue was headed straight toward The Princess – the next, it was hurtling straight past her.

Sally was left in the proverbial dust, her mouth hanging open – for all of Mobius, The Princess appeared about to break into song. “…I’m still going to kill yooou!!” she shrieked after that rapidly retreating blur – while neither melodious nor tuneful, that exclamation compensated in terms of plain eloquence. “Are you listening to me…Sonic Hedgehog?!”

The streak of surging speed had suddenly swerved...and as if by magic, a blue hedgehog now stood before the speechless squirrel. “Nope…” Sonic reported, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes – to his spiny back, a large red pack was strapped. “…no sign over that way either!”

Sally eyed him with the utmost caution, “No sign of what?” she ventured to ask – having seen that look numerous times before, the squirrel had a strong suspicion as to where this was headed.

Sonic gave a saucy grin, “The ol’ fat lady, Sal!” he exclaimed – barely suppressing a veritable explosion of snickering, the hedgehog spread apart his arms. “Sooonic Hedgehooog!!” he squealed, pushing his voice up so high that it sounded as though he’d just swallowed enough helium to lift a blimp. “Where aaare yooou?! Cooome baaack!!I’m goooing tooo kiiill yooou!!”

“I don’t sound like that!” Sally snapped scornfully, her cheeks crimsoning.

Sonic saw potential for a new avenue of fun, “I don’t sound like that!” he exclaimed, adopting a scowl strikingly similar to hers.

Sally’s eyes narrowed dangerously, “So mature.” She growled contemptuously, unable to believe that this was happening to her – being around the hedgehog sometimes made her feel like a mommy. “And for your next impersonation, why not attempt an emotionally well-adjusted…”

Sonic gave no quarter, “So mature.” He mimicked mercilessly, “And for your ne…”

“I’m not going to say this twice, Sonic Hedgehog…” Sally began, shaking the finger of fair warning in his face.

“Huh?” Sonic interjected, his expression suddenly innocent as the day was long. “Sorry but would’ja mind repeatin’ that, Sal? I kinda didn’t hear ya the first time…”

“I said that I’m not going to say this twice…” Sally stopped, realising what she was saying – her eyes flashing like azure fire, she bestowed a killing glare upon the hedgehog into whose trap she’d just unwittingly fallen. “…hey!”

Sonic was wracked with laughter, “Oh yeah!!” the hedgehog hunched over, pressing two gloved paws to his peach-furred stomach. “House of Hedgehog, One…House of Acorn, Zilch!! In…your…face!! In…your…face!!”

Sally simply sighed, “Very well…in my face.” She conceded, planting her paws against two very resigned hips. “And now you have achieved this astronomically significant victory in the name of hedgehog-kind, perhaps we can consider playtime over and start back to Knothole?”

“Hey!” Sonic stood up straight, his expression now completely serious. “No play Jose! This is business! That sugar mine’s just gotta be around here somewhere…an’ I ain’t leavin’ ‘til it’s found!”

Sally gazed steadily at him, “The…sugar mine.” She repeated, her tone distinctly flat – why did she get the feeling that she’d regret pursuing this?

Sonic solemnly nodded, “Here’s the ol’ scoop, Sal.” He conspiratorially confided, “The other day, I ask Rosie where sugar comes from…and what does she say?” whether it was a rhetorical question or the hedgehog was simply too impatient to wait for a response, Sally would never know – with one paw, he indicated that which lay between them. “The ground! So I ask what she means…but she jus’ says I oughta’ go play! So I’m thinkin’…if Rosie said that sugar comes from underground, that means it must be locked up tight in some top-secret mine! An’ since Rosie changed the subject when I asked for some of the ol’ details…she must think I ain’t brave an’ strong enough ta’ find it! An’ that means it must be realio trulio dangerouso! An’ that means…us!” grasping a red strap in his right paw, the hedgehog struck a heroic pose – it was one that The Princess would come to know well. “Sonic an’ Sally…Mine Marauders! You an’ me, we’re gonna find that super-sweet stockpile…an when we do, we’ll be the hedgehog an’ the squirrel who brought the tubular tasta’ sugar back ta’ Knothole!”

Sally felt the urge to slap her forehead – when the opportune moment came, she was going to tell her pest of a playmate all there was to be know about a little thing called 'sugar beet'. “And that’s why you’re wearing that dumb pack?” she asked, shaking her head in disbelief. “You seriously plan to carry the whole imaginary contents of a whole imaginary mine back to Knothole…in that?”

Sonic seemed undaunted by the prospect, “Sal…” he drawled, his arms folding cockily. “…is Ant a weasel?”

“No.” Sally replied flatly, “He’s a coyote.”

Sonic squinted, “Oh.” He said in bemusement, “Well I never knew that. I guess that’cha really do learn somethin’ new every day.”

Sally gave a long-suffering sigh, “Yes…and today I learned that there is no level of immaturity you are incapable of reaching, Sonic Hedgehog.” She remarked wearily, “Well…look around you! Oh dear…no sugar-mine! What an awful, terrible shame! But on the bright side, it is technically possible for us to make it back to Knothole before Rosie notices we were…”

“Saaal!” Sonic whined, holding his paws out in a pleading gesture. “There’s still waaay more ground ta’ cover! I mean, we ain’t even checked…” with a grin of not-so-infectious enthusiasm, the hedgehog gestured at what lay behind him. “…over there!”

Sally allowed her gaze to follow that gloved thumb and wished immediately that she’d not – behind Sonic, a river ran. Though a more accurate description might have been ‘a river stood’ – that body of water appeared entirely still, choked by an overwhelming combination of overgrown reeds and unidentifiable scum. Whatever the opposite bank held was hidden by a drifting veil of mist. As she took it all in, it was with disturbing ease that the river which divided the lands of life and death sprang to The Princess’ mind – a dark boat gliding silently out of the mist, an ominously hooded figure at the prow, was the only thing needed to make this picture complete.

And so it was unsurprising that the mere sight made Sally feel hideously uneasy, “Out of the question!” she exclaimed, her head shaking decisively. “We are not crossing that! I mean, just look at it! You must be mad even to entertain the…”

Sonic knew not the meaning of surrender…or that of the word ‘no’. “Hey, that’s me...” grinning from ear to ear, he swung around to face that grim-faced stream – as he did, the hedgehog spread out his arms like a championship diver. “…weasels in the woodshed, Sal!”

Sally gasped in exasperation, “Oh…have it your own way, Sonic Hedgehog!” she snapped, “But when half of your body is red from leech-bites and Rosie's paw is ensuring that the remaining half will match, just remember how your friend tried to save…”

Sonic was no longer even listening – Sonic was no longer even there. A second ago, he’d stood before that body of water – at this precise second, a body of hedgehog hurtled through the air! Sally was too stunned even to squeak with fright – she could but watch in horrified fascination as her very best friend reached the peak of ascent, curling up into a spiny ball before descent began! The squirrel fully expected to see the hedgehog vanish beneath the surface, re-emerging either covered in a specially refined mixture of slime and humility…or struggling to scream as some leviathan slowly tightened its coils around him. The sole question was which scenario she would see play out.

And the answer…was exactly neither.

To Sally’s eye, time seemed to slow as Sonic hit the water…and began to skim it just like a hedgehog-shaped blue rock! Her jaw fell as she watched him bounce across the river, leaving a rippling trail in his wake – and as he vanished into the mist, the voice of the hedgehog echoed back to her.

“See ya on the other side, Sal…if ya daaare!!”

With that, Sonic was gone from sight…though most definitely not from mind.

For a long while, Sally could only stare speechlessly at that curtain of gaseous grey – slowly yet certainly, fierce fury flowed into those features. “Sonic Hedgehooog!!” she shrieked, stamping a peevish foot. “When next I see you, you won’t be able to run without a pair of specially reinforced crutches…oh no!!” The Princess’ bid to throw deep frustration into sharp relief backfired – for as her foot came down, a spurt of mud came up.

Sally’s face was like a brand spanking new sheet of paper as she stared down at herself; perfectly blank. Only very slowly did she get to grips with the sight of her turquoise pants, now liberally sprayed with a mixture of solids and liquids. And as this truly terrible vision was laid bare, worse still appeared in her mind’s eye; with sickening clarity, the squirrel could see the scene now fated to play out at the instant Rosie saw the filthy condition of her clothing. Even if she wiped with all her might, the stain would remain – she was the one now destined for trouble! And into her head it popped, the strangest of scenarios. For some unfathomable reason it featured a certain hedgehog cowering face-down in a mud-puddle, a horde of dragons circling overhead.

“How could you do that to her, Sonic Hedgehog?!” roared the bestial behemoths, “How could you do that to your friend, Sally?!”

As their blazing breath drew a satisfyingly contrite whimper from the hypothetical hedgehog, Sally gave a deep sigh…and began to walk. Without the foggiest idea where it would take her, she followed the shoreline – if nothing else, this solitary roving was a great opportunity for silent contemplation. Yet strangely enough, Sally’s thoughts concerned not a stern-faced and discipline-minded Rosie – though a great deal of trouble awaited her in Knothole, The Princess knew that to dwell upon it would change nothing.

An explosion seemed to go off overhead - Sally looked up in wide-eyed shock. A raven had apparently been perched upon a tree-branch, the sight of the little squirrel maiden driving it to take panicked flight. As her heartbeat returned to its accustomed rhythm, Sally watched the aggravated avian soar from sight – somewhat enviously, The Princess wished that she might leave this awful place just as easily.

“Ohhh! Somebody help me!”

When first she heard that distant wail, Sally mistook it for the wind - only the second time it drifted to her did she halt in surprise, realising that it was generated by a set of very tangible lungs. Sally warily inspected the area into which she’d been brought by her wandering feet – in terms of clammy coldness and muddy misery, nothing seemed to set this corner of The Swamp apart from any other she’d seen that day. So remarkably unremarkable did her surroundings appear, Sally was strongly tempted to dismiss that wail as little more than a prank of the imagination – yet even as she prepared to do just that, The Princess heard it again.

“Will nobody come? Ohhh!”

Sally had never stood so still in the whole of her life – so still the little squirrel stood, she almost ceased to breathe. The Princess was uncertain no longer – now she knew that not-so-distant cry had been real. No, not ‘that’ cry…but ‘her’ cry. In her heart, she knew that it had been the voice of a lady. A lady in dire straits…a lady in deep anguish. Ashamed though she would have felt to admit it, Sally’s first impulse was to turn and run – with a great exertion of will-power, she mastered herself. And as she did, the squirrel silently scolded herself for that fleeting cowardice – had Juice and Alyssa been so selfish, who would have saved The Princess and her friends from The Roboticizer? As she thought about that mysterious squirrel woman whom had seemed every bit the Princess she would like to be, Sally felt her paws clenched.

The Princess would not turn her back on someone in need – she would be brave like Alyssa!

Sally was barely surprised to find herself in motion – guided by that nearby cry, the squirrel headed for a group of skeletal trees. Her eyes were pools of shining determination, of courage beyond her years – as the squirrel squeezed through the narrow gap betwixt intertwined trees, what she beheld was forever branded into her memory. Before Sally's eyes, a great clearing sprawled. Not one such as life out in The Great Forest had made her accustomed to – though this new area was clearly wide, by no stretch of imagination could it have been called ‘open’. Here the ground was littered by fallen tree-branches – each broken bough appeared to have daringly dived only to fall fatally short of the many accumulated puddles. And at the heart of this desolate picture…

At first, Sally took the strange shape for a pile of brown rags…perhaps the remains of some recent camp. Yet her speculation over who could have borne to spend the night in this pit of putrid repugnance was rendered moot…as that vague form convulsed. The squirrel girl froze a second time, her ears pricking up in response to a fresh moan of pain. That heap was no heap at all – it was a person! And despite her resolve, Sally was afraid again – young though she was, instinct warned that to continue on would lead the squirrel very far out of her depth.

Yet continue on she did. Somebody needed her help…and her help they were going to receive!

Her first glimpse of that tail came as a flash of enlightenment – the fur which must once have been bright and bushy was now faded and wilting. Sally was looking upon a fox…and yet so much more. As she got nearer to where the figure lay, the squirrel’s suspicion was confirmed. A loose garment made from brown sacking-cloth, tied at the waist by a length of rope – the swell of a bosom was the last not-so-subtle clue. A coarse dress…worn by a vixen.

Instinct chimed in again, telling the squirrel girl that there was still a chance to turn back – yet on she walked, guided by her determined and courageous heart.

When she stood within feet of the stranger, Sally cleared her throat. “Ma’am…” she declared – despite the bravery that had brought her this far, the squirrel’s voice trembled slightly. “…I’ve come to help you.”

The heaving convulsions were reduced to quivering waves – as that voice of youthful innocence reached her twisting ears, the vixen had frozen. Sally barely breathed as that head tilted – revealed to the squirrel girl was a face, the softness of which had been sadly lessened by the unrelenting harshness of recent life. Her blue eyes clouded by profound exhaustion and sheer hunger, the vixen gazed vaguely at the child who stood so near to where she lay quivering – and as awareness of another living soul beside herself in this place began to dawn, the light of hope was reflected in those pale pools.

Between bouts of shuddering agony, the vixen forced herself to speak. “Are…” her voice sounded like a bird attempting to flex a broken wing. “…are you real?”

Sally smiled as best she was able, “As the day, ma’am.” She answered, her voice sweetly reassuring. “Tell me, are you hungry? I have no food, I’m sorry to say. But I’m certain that my guardian would be more than happy to…”

The vixen had listened only long enough to ensure that this child was indeed no trick of a delirious mind, “Then please…come closer!” she pleaded, raising an arm in weak gesture. “There is little…” her eyes were suddenly closed, her teeth clenched, her entire body wracked by a fresh surge of pure pain. “…so very little time!” she concluded, panting heavily as though having just emerged from underwater – seemingly endless rivulets of sweat coursed around the sharp contours of her unfed face. “It…is…coming!”

Sally stared intently at that outstretched limb, her eyes drawn to the wrist…which happened to be encircled by a bracelet. It was not especially distinctive – Sally couldn’t imagine why it had drawn her gaze at all. “Time?” The squirrel girl repeated as she returned her attention to where it was needed. “Time for what, ma’am? What is coming that agitates you so?”

With an inverted hiss, the vixen inhaled – given the especially great quantity of air she sucked in, one would have been forgiven for assuming that she wanted to say something long and complicated. What she actually said took very little breath…yet came with the impact of an avalanche.

“The baby.”

Sally felt as though a foot had slammed full-force into her stomach – never before had she gone so swiftly from self-controlled calm to stupefied shock. “You’re going to have a…” she stammered, her mouth suddenly drier than the regions behind a certain hedgehog’s ears on bath-night. “…baby?”

‘In the blink of an eye’ – so the old expression went. Yet far from blinking, her widening eyes darted downward – and as they were filled to bursting point by the sight of an extremely swollen belly, Sally experienced an overwhelming urge to kick herself. Utterly wrapped up in herself, she had completely failed to notice that here was no mere vixen – here was a vixen very heavy with child!

In that instant of comprehension, Sally’s mind seemed to explode. And as it went flying in every direction at once, she wished suddenly that Rosie was here – more than anything, she yearned to glanced across her shoulder and discover that she’d secretly been followed by Bunnie. Such was the strength of her desperate desire to glimpse a familiar face, The Princess would even have welcomed the distant flash of a returning Sonic – yet to pray for anything of this was futility itself. Rosie was back in Knothole, no doubt humming cheerfully as she busily prepared today’s dinner. Bunnie would be kneeling at the heart of a sunlit meadow, her face the picture of perfect contentment as she worked at making daisy-chains. As for Sonic…The Goddesses knew where he was by now!

That left…Sally.

Sally alone could assist in this birth…and in fact, she must. Never had the squirrel girl felt so powerful an urge to vomit – yet when her lips parted, it was to make way not for chunks of regurgitated breakfast but for a declaration of bravery; “Ma’am, tell me what I must do…and I’ll do it!” she stated firmly.

And for the first time in many months, the vixen found it within herself to smile. “Bless you.” She whispered, her chest rising and falling in the brief respite between words. “Now…take off my belt. My…shawl too.”

Sally blinked – she’d somehow gotten to this point without even noticing the vixen wore a shawl. Undoubtedly the work of that bracelet…a thing of immense capacity to capture attention, its small size regardless. As she came to kneel beside its wearer, Sally took this opportunity to more closely inspect the bracelet – this close up, she saw that the band was thin as paper and consisted of what must have been the flimsiest plastic. It was the label which drew her attention – so small that she hadn’t spotted it before, that strip of paper now leapt to the eye. What especially aroused her interest was the series of characters and digits written in black ink; SJT-049.

Sally sternly reminded herself that she hadn’t time to ponder what the cramped markings might mean – what she had was a task that required her undivided attention. Off first came the shawl – the squirrel watched with frank fascination as the vixen’s lustrous locks tumbled forth, flowing like a river of pale gold. Tarrying only to spread that piece of russet material out across the ground, Sally leaned over the shuddering vixen – several minutes passed before her trembling fingers succeeded in undoing the knots which held fast that makeshift belt.

As the squirrel’s paws were active, so too was her mind. Who was this lady? How had she come to be here? Where was her mate? What oh what was the significance of that bracelet? Sally resisted the temptation to voice these questions – there would be all the time in the world to satisfy curiosity once her work was done.

And then it came - as the squirrel girl fussed over where exactly to put the rope, the vixen presented her with the most daunting challenge yet. For several seconds, Sally stared - her eyes brimming with pure disbelief, she wondered if this was real. It couldn’t actually be happening to her…it simply couldn’t! Yet if it couldn’t…then why was it?

Struggling with the unreality of this very real situation, Sally repositioned herself – as though in a nightmare, she found herself kneeling at the feet of the vixen. Her paws heavy as watery sponges, she began to roll back the hem of that dress – as a layer of rough material rolled back over a rounded belly, the squirrel was close to tears. She shouldn’t be forced to do this…she couldn’t do this! How could she possibly deliver a child…when she was a child herself?

Even as the lids of her eyes bowed beneath that acute pressure…the squirrel girl’s anguish was soothed by a sweet voice. “I’m guessing…that you haven’t ever…done this before?” The vixen’s voice sounded wry as she remembered that her saviour was no angel from the heavens but a frightened child – Sally swallowed heavily and shook her head. “Well…neither have I! We have something in common, my dear…this is the first time for us both!”

Very slowly, Sally opened her eyes. A vivacious grin now split the face of the lady fox – so irresistibly infectious it was, Sally felt her own muzzle twitch to form a smile. Yes, she liked this vixen…though she didn’t yet know her name.

This was the last moment of calm before the storm, little though Sally could have realised it – and in the following moment, that storm broke.

A scream rose over the treetops – even The Reaper would surely have regretted his immutable duty to claim she who gave that pitiful cry. Her clenching paws ripping up chunks of sodden earth, the vixen howled – her tail felt as though it was turning inside out, her toenails about to peel away, her crotch about to split in half. In every bone her body contained…she knew that it was time. “The baby…my baby is coming!” she hissed between grinding teeth, “Do what must be done…you are the only one who can! Remember...I believe in you!”

As those legs were spread shakily apart, Sally found that she was torn between fainting clean away and being copiously sick – biting down on her lower lip, she fought off both debilitating impulses. Cupping her paws together, she leant toward the exposed fork of the vixen’s legs…and though she would later become leader of The Knothole Freedom Fighters, facing all kinds of perils and foes, this was the bravest thing she ever did.

The minutes that followed seemed a blur…a blur of panting and grunting, of shuddering and jerking. When looking back on it all years later, Sally would find that her first clear memory of that ordeal…was the precise second at which she saw it. Sally stared blankly – her first impression was that the small opening she’d been watching had sealed over, covered by the fur that surrounded it. The squirrel would later wonder why it had taken longer than half a second for her to realise what she was actually looking at…

“It’s…it’s the head!” to the squirrel’s own ears, her voice sounded strange – what she saw left her almost suffocated by sheer awe. “I…I can see the baby’s head!”

The vixen laughed huskily to hear her, “You…you can? Oh how…” this outpour of emotion was abruptly cut off, giving way to a fresh howl of agony.

Sally’s mind returned to the day on which she had overheard a certain conversation – it had taken place between Rosie and a very pregnant royal servant. The Princess remembered clearly how the nanny had comforted the distraught girl, assuring her that to be with child was naught to fear – what she remembered most clearly of all was the prominence of the term ‘pushing’.

The vixen was doing nothing so trivial – she was shoving, heaving, thrusting with every ounce of strength she could muster!

Exactly how long it took, Sally never knew – all of a sudden, a ball of wet and funny-smelling fur was resting in her cupped palms. A ball of fur possessing two pointed ears – add to these a pair of twitching black nostrils and a mouth which was presently wide open.

The vixen had been about to let loose another scream…a scream that was never heard. The periodic jolts of blinding pain were forgotten completely…as she heard the first cry of her child. “Oh!” whispered the mother fox – like a current of crystalline water, the essence of joy flowed into those sweat-drenched features. “Oh my!”

Sally gave a wince – those lungs might be brand-new but they certainly could wail! Willing her ears to lie flat, the squirrel concentrated more than she ever had – and for so small a thing, there seemed such a lot of the partially born cub for her to concentrate on!

That howling head having emerged, the neck came next – and for something that had taken months to form, it felt unbelievably delicate. Sally was biting down so hard that she actually tasted blood – the squirrel carefully moved her paws, terrified that this seconds old neck would break if she was smidgen too rough. Next came the shoulders – Sally watched in stunned silence, marvelling as they squeezed out of there. The paws followed, opening and closing around empty air. Sally slid her arms gently beneath the midsection as it emerged into the world – her eyes very nearly fell out as they beheld what came next.

It seemed that the vixen was blessed with a son…a son beyond the faintest shadow of doubt!

Sally gawped at what she saw – it was with a start that she realised the legs had at last appeared. The Princess knelt silently, instinctively cradling the tiny fox-cub in her arms – so out of it was she, the squirrel wasn’t even embarrassed to realise that what she’d taken for proof of the cub’s maleness was in fact a length of fleshy chord which extended from his belly to the opening out of which he’d just been ‘pushed’. As she held the cub, Sally could feel him breathing – her head threatened to spin, the squirrel only managing to prevent this through sheer will-power. Rosie had described child-birth as the most natural thing in the world – why then did Sally feel suddenly bizarre, having played a part in it?

Sally did not realise it then…but she had been forced to grow up that day. That day she had witnessed the beginning of a new life.

No…more than that. So much more…for she had delivered it into this world.

No, not ‘it’...

Sally’s eyes travelled down the cub’s body, noting along the way that his fur was unusually silvery – before the squirrel had the chance to wonder just whom the vixen had chosen to mate with, she realised that the child was in fact coated in a layer of white film. Then she saw it, the real proof that it was indeed a case of ‘he’. And that was the precise second at which all she’d just gone through made sense – her gaze rose again. Whether it was the merest coincidence or something meant to be, her eyes met with the baby fox’s – and as those blue eyes opened for the very first time, the squirrel thought that they were the brightest she’d ever seen. As pools of serene calm and pure innocence met, something resonated deep within Sally. Two souls had touched in this dark place, each leaving upon the other a mark that was to last forever – for Sally’s face was the first the child now saw and she was the first to ever see his.

To the squirrel’s great wonder, the fox-cub ceased to cry – before her intent eyes, that moist muzzle formed something simple yet awesome to behold. The very first smile of a child. Sally returned that smile, knowing that nothing could ever break the bond now shared between them. Her heart full of warmth not even the bitterest cold could touch, she lovingly studied him – though milk-white goo still clung to him, he seemed physically well formed. A nose; check. A mouth; check. Two ears, two eyes, two arms, two legs; quadruple check. Two tails; wait a minute…what on Mobius?

The Princess needed to look again in order to be sure – even after doing so, she barely trusted her eyes. But yes…they were real. Two tails, both fluffy and healthy – twin appendages, both perfectly normal save for the fact that they belonged to the same fox-cub. Sally had no idea what to think as she ran a paw through both of them in turn – in the end, her eyes glowed.

There was nothing wrong with it at all – if anything, it made him just that little bit more special. “Ma’am…you have a boy.” Sally declared, “A beautiful baby boy.”

The vixen didn’t answer at once – instead she lay there silently, her chest rising and falling shallowly. After a while, she spoke; “I…need you to do…one last thing.” Her voice seemed to grow fainter with each word - it sounded as though she was going away somewhere.

Far away…

Whenever she remembered this day, Sally would always realise that this ought to have been her first clue – yet at the time, the squirrel was so overcome by wonder that she just didn’t understand what was happening. “What is it?” she asked, her wariness slightly revived - as the vixen described in detail what must be done, the squirrel felt anew the urge to liberate the contents of her stomach.

With an inward sigh, Sally bolstered her resolve - having come so far, The Princess could endure this final stage!

Following those faltering directions to the exact letter, Sally gently laid the cub down on the shawl – reaching up, she slowly divested herself of the circlet. What she next did, it truly hurt her to do – yet do it she indeed did. The circlet was an heirloom to The House of Acorn, having been passed down from mother to daughter since long before she’d been born – for her to break something made so very long ago would take a situation of utmost urgency. The diamond glistened as it was prised from whence it had for generations resided – as she gazed at that precious stone, The Princess wondered what her father would have said.

With a click of the tongue, she decided that he would most certainly have approved. The circlet had been a link to the past…yet it was the present that now mattered. As well as the future of a child who now depended upon her. Tilting her head, Sally checked on him – she’d only avoided doing so until now through immense effort, tormented as she’d been by the irrational fear that he might vanish like a soap-bubble if left unattended. There on the shawl he lay, lifting and allowing his legs to drop before performing the experiment over again - his smile was one of simple and uncomplicated delight.

Sally had meant merely to glance, to confirm that he was okay – yet she found herself staring, captivated by that smile of innocence. It was as though light had come back to The Great Swamp – there and then, Sally knew she would do anything to guard the innocence which beamed from that tiny face.

Anything…

And the vixen seemed to sense it, “Will you…” so much more than a simple question, it was an undisguised plea. “…will you be his friend? Please?”

Sally’s eyes shone in answer, “Until the day I die…and forever after, ma’am.” She smiled, overcome with love as she turned her attention back to the task at hand. “I promise.”

The vixen breathed a sigh of relief to hear it, her body slackening as though ready to rest at last. “My son…” she whispered, her voice soft as the faintest wind – her eyes closed peacefully, her muzzle easing into a smile of happiness upon which no price could ever be put. “…is born free. Bless the earth we tread…bless the water we drink…bless the air we breathe…and bless Mobius which gives us all!”

Sally gave her full attention to that fleshy chord, having succeeded at last in using the rope-belt to tie it off in two places - despite the firmness of her resolve, she felt the diamond quiver between finger and thumb. The squirrel wondered fleetingly if the craftsman had ever imagined that his work might one day be put to such a use. It seemed highly unlikely…yet uncannily apt given the sharpness of the stone’s edge.

“I will, ma’am.” Sally said vaguely, “Just as soon as I tie up this last loose-end…or severe it as the case may be.”

“Bless you, my dear…” The voice was softer than soft, close as was possible to be to silence. “…bless you.”

This was it; now or never.

Sally didn’t so much as take a deep breath – she simply took the plunge. The diamond’s edge slid so smoothly into the chord that it was as though her paw was guided – as she worked away, the squirrel’s mind was a battleground. Even now, she feared the possible sight of blood gushing forth. Only by pouring steadfast determination into that sharp edge was she able to go through with this. In no time at all, the chord fell in two severed pieces – even as she braced herself, Sally saw it. From the end of either length of limp flesh ran a tiny rivulet of blood…nothing more. And the sheer relief she felt was practically intoxicating – she’d done it, she’d really and truly done it!

Putting down the blood-spattered diamond, Sally slowly pivoted – there the fox-cub still lay, blissfully unaware of the nerve-shattering process she’d just undergone. Sally watched silently as he experienced this world for the very first time – then she rose, her aching knees crying out in sweet release. Lifting him in her arms, she wrapped the edges of the shawl around the cub – with loving care did she tuck his end of the chord in there as well.

For a long while, Sally simply stood there with him – so close did she hold him, the squirrel felt the cub’s heart beat. Most likely it was a trick of the imagination but she thought that his beats were in time with her own; those gentle thumps which proved that they were both alive. Running a paw over his head, Sally felt that she could have stood like this forever – she also felt something else stirring within her.

Sadness.

The squirrel had just drawn this child out of his mother and into the world – now the time had come for her to let him go. Sally gazed down at the little life she held in her arms – she wasn’t at all surprised to discover that her feet refused to move. The vixen had carried him for several months, that Sally knew – yet for this past hour, he had been the squirrel girl’s. Her eyes slowly closing, she savoured the almost clockwork rhythm of that tiny heart...all the while sternly chiding herself for behaving so ridiculously. Certainly she had delivered this cub…with the vixen’s advice and encouragement. Without either, the squirrel girl would not have had the faintest idea what she was doing. The vixen knew how to look after her cub...she was after all his mother.

So Sally told herself over and over as she turned, ready at last to do what she must. “Ma’am…” etched into that young face was a maturity surpassing her years, “…your son.”

The vixen responded neither with the faintest sound or the slightest movement – she merely lay there in the perpetually wet grass, her eyes firmly shut. For all of Mobius, she seemed to sleep…

Sally coughed, hoping to awaken her – the squirrel knew that the lady fox must be in great need of rest but felt it only right that she hold her child. “Ma’am?” she asked tentatively when the vixen remained silent, “I am sorry to disturb you but…ma’am?”

A faint wind was blowing – chancing upon the vixen’s hair, it teased those trailing tresses out across the ground. Not even a quiver did her face give.

Silence descended over the squalid clearing. Silence so weighted with unvoiced significance that ‘heavy’ came nowhere near to being the word for it. Silence which could not have beaten even the seconds that ran up to Rosie solemnly saying grace at the dinner-table. Silence which only one word could possibly do justice to…

Sally heard a gasp pass her lips – whether or not it was intuition, the squirrel girl suddenly knew. “No…” she whispered as the bottom seemed to fall out of the whole world – in a desperate big for survival, it leapt forward and smacked her in the face. “…no!” her voice rose in pitch, all the determination and courage of mere minutes ago dissolving into frantic fear – this couldn’t be happening, it couldn’t be so! “Ma’am! Ma’am, you can’t! I need you to show me the way, show me what to do…I need you! Please! Your son, he’s right here! Don’t leave him!” perhaps a part of him sensed what had happened for the two-tailed fox-cub began to cry – the squirrel girl lowered her head and hugged him, those blue eyes brimming with tears. “Ma’am, please wake up!” she wept, her heart aching beyond endurance…all for the cub wrapped in her arms. He’d only just been born, hadn’t even been given a name…and already had lost the person most important to him. “This isn’t fair…this is too cruel!”

The vixen lay still, her body already beginning to stiffen – she had clung to life only long enough to ensure that her child safely began his. Never would she rise...never would she hold the child she had known for so short a time…never would she comfort him through the pain and sorrow that yet lay ahead.

The vixen whose very name passed from memory on that day of ten years ago…was gone.

End of Chapter

[The Mysterious Traveller]

Chapter Eleven
The Two Bracelets; Tears Of Rage

The Great Forest; an ancient realm wherein everything had a place to be and a purpose to serve.

From out of shadows cast by many boughs, a tiny creature rode the wind. One bright beak and four fragile wings, a cross between insect and avian; The Dragon Dove. Strapped securely to that bizarre body, a leather satchel; the temporary home of a message to be conveyed with haste. The main reason those wings flicked so fiercely; yet there was another.

Having roosted in this woodland environment before being trained to bear messages, The Dove was naturally attuned to his present surroundings…and thus able to sense something was amiss that night. Something had come to The Great Forest...a beast drawn by sinister purpose. The exact nature of the beast, The Dove did not know…it was something inexplicable and alien. The exact location of the beast, The Dove did not know…it was something silent and unseen.

A beast in the night...hunting for prey.

The Dove flew fast and furious in his anxiety to avoid that unknown predator – mercifully soon, dark woods gave way to open air. Below airborne avian, a mighty crevasse – between towering cliffs, an enchanting vision. A testament to what was possible when many individuals worked as one - Knothole Village.

The Dove had a split-second to feast his eyes upon that truly awesome spectacle – with a sudden swoop, he was whistling toward it. The Great River rushed up in eagerness to welcome, sparkling as though full of diamonds. The Dove ceased his descent, now flying mere inches above that body of water - reflected radiance shimmered in those glass goggles. Then the stars winked mischievously, plunging the world into shadow – and as he emerged from under the bridge, The Dove sighted journey’s end. With a smooth swerve, the winged messenger made for that hut of wood...that window without glass…that figure coated in fur.

Having heard the familiar hum, Princess Sally stood ready to receive him. For more than thirty minutes and with nary a pause, the squirrel had spoken – she felt torn between the desire for a glass of water and the desire never to say another word. Yet there were so many more things to be said...

Trying not to think about it, Sally leaned from the window and cooed coaxingly. As The Dove landed amiably on her arm, The Princess gently unbuckled his satchel. Removing the piece of paper, she smiled wistfully at The Dove – this little creature had surely never known the burden of guilt. Despatching The Dove, she stepped back.

Sally had not even glanced down…and so naturally remained unaware of the furry figure which had lain right under her nose. The furry figure which had frozen in fear of discovery...the furry figure which now reeled in shock, dazed by everything it had heard.

Sally unfolded the message which had come from so very far away – as they perused it, confusion seeped into her eyes. “Uncle Chuck knows that we have The Roboticizer.” she summarised for the benefit of her companions, “He’ll come and join us in a day or so. Well…that is a relief! But listen to this; apparently the signal-interception apparatus he recently created detected a transmission being sent at around the time we were cornered. He believes that a Spy Eye was relaying our little adventure back to Command Central…and that I do not understand at all.” the squirrel frowned thoughtfully, “Robotnik was leading The SWATbot Party that ambushed us…shortly after which we were honoured by the presence of Naugus. So the question is…who exactly was watching The Spy Eye’s transmission?”

The presentation of this perplexing problem was met with silence so heavy that a spider may have been heard to sniff - The Freedom Fighters all stared at The Princess, positively confounded by her tale of ten years past.

The only person immune to that stunned stupefecation was Snively. Like two flies striving to overbalance the upturned glass which trapped them, his eyes flicked furtively from side-to-side – even as he prayed for it, the sickly-skinned human knew there was no escape. And as he accepted his fate, Snively squirmed like a worm on the end of a hook. Along with the rest of them, he had listened as Sally spoke softly of the past…knowing all the while that his own turn was coming. Refusal would not be a vaguely envisioned concept, let alone a realistically viable option. Should he even try to withhold, Snively knew that he would be forced to unearth the memories…forced to tear the lid from the mental coffin to which they had been confined for so long. Still writhing and howling in tormented anguish after all those years…

I believed to have locked that crypt forever…yet it seems that fate and chance have conspired to place the key in Her Highness’ pretty paw.

Sonic demolished that wall of silence, “Sal!” his eyes were those of one who had seen the sun go out like a candle, “What’re ya sayin’?!”

“Sally Girl…aw, Sally Girl!” Bunnie whispered, voice soft as silk and tears twinkling in the corners of emerald eyes. “Tails’ momma…” she didn't finish that sentence, couldn't bring herself to – so full of sorrow it was, the heart of the rabbit almost burst.

Rotor did what she could not, sounding as though there was something lodged in his throat. “…dead?” that solitary word would have outweighed the whole dictionary.

Antoine alone was silent – through eyes utterly unreadable, the coyote stared at The Princess.

“I will ask again…” Sally stated, a warning edge to her tone – unable to meet their ceaseless stares, she turned to the one who was looking anywhere but her way. “…pausing only to stress that a truthful tongue will serve far better than an insolent tongue. Snively...have you seen this before?”

Snively knew there was no other choice – he was trapped. The morose man lowered his glowering gaze – like a beam of scathing sunlight focused through a telescope, that bracelet scorched those eyes. Unable to bear the sight of it for long, he nodded in silent confirmation.

Without even a nod in return, Sally turned away – equally abruptly, she went over to her bed. All eyes entranced by her every move, The Princess got down on paws and knees – she reached into the space beneath the bed, her expression flat with resignation. From that rather uninspired yet perfectly servicable hiding-place, came a wooden box so small as to fit right into her palm…the home of her greatest fear.

As she rose again, Sally hesitated a moment. Ten years ago, her heart had warned that to continue on would be to pass beyond the point of no return – yet there had been no other choice then and there was no other choice now. Too long had she been tormented by a question…an answer to which now stood right behind her. Should she not turn and demand it…the squirrel might actually be driven mad.

Like a bride-to-be accepting a gift prior to her arranged marriage, Sally reluctantly opened the box; within lay a ring, consisting of distinctly non-precious material. As she turned to him again, Snively couldn't have felt more strained if he were run through a taffy-pulling machine – on the squirrel's face was a grim glare, in her paws two circular items. “Look.” The Princess commanded, her voice one of harsh authority.

Snively sensed that to disobey would be a most injudicious. Nonetheless he could not do it – he simply could not. He and those damnable things were as two opposing magnetic fields, each repelling the other...

Sally's eyes narrowed, flashing like azure lightning, “Look at it!!” she shouted, causing the other Freedom Fighters to jump in shock.

Snively's eyes lowered as commanded. In one palm sat the crumpled bracelet, sickly blue plastic clashing with lustrous brown fur. And in second palm…a second bracelet. Snively stared blankly. To say that he had expected something a little more dramatic would have been to say that a tree was sort of wooden - unimpressed though he was, Snively leaned in for a closer look.

Hermetically sealed within that wooden box, this second bracelet was clearly the better preserved – despite the passage of ten years, the band remained perfectly smooth. Though stained by faint flecks of mud chipped off long ago, the label was quite clear…and as Snively read it, his blood turned to ice. The human would have recognised that handwriting anywhere…for it was none other than his own. SJT-049… He hissed, those clammy lips parting like two segments of a gutted fish.

“Subject Forty-Nine…”

“…help me?”

Snively heard the hiss of breath being sucked between clenched teeth – his own breath, his own teeth. The sight of the first bracelet had blown his mind - the sight of the second bracelet now sent it hurtling back in time.

A cage door slamming shut, rusted padlock clicking fast…a hypodermic syringe gleaming palely in artificial light, wicked end dripping with a strange substance…and a comely vixen howling in soul-wrenching anguish, beautiful blue eyes brimming with a desperate plea.

“…are you even listening?!”

Snively started in shock, “What?!” he yelped, his mind reasserting itself firmly in the present.

Sally had waited for so long and been through so much - she wasn't going to be stalled now. “I would like very much to understand the meaning of these…things.” suppressing a shudder, the squirrel nodded in indication of the two bracelets – so unnervingly intense were they, those flawless eyes seemed not to blink. “Again I ask; can you help me?”

The Freedom Fighters were all staring at the grey-skinned little man; Bunnie in wide-eyed worry, Antoine in squinting suspicion, Rotor in wary readiness, Sonic in dislike so strong as to go without saying, Sally...Snively simply could not withstand her eyes. They seared without mercy, leaving his soul naked as a snail smoked out of its shell.

With bitter inevitability, Snively spoke. “Ten years ago…Mobotropolis was destroyed." his voice sounded leaden with resignation, the voice of a condemned man given leave to say what he would before the fateful plunge. "And from the ashes…Robotropolis was born. This you all know…”

“Oh yeah…we know, Scumley!” Sonic spat, in no mood for further drama. “Tell us somethin’ we don’t know or bite’cha tongue! Come ta’ thinka’ it…tell us somethin’ we don’t know an’ then bite’cha tongue!”

Snively stared down his nose at the heckling hedgehog – taking into consideration the length of that bony bridge, this was an accomplishment to be proud of. “Pardon me, Hedgehog…” he drawled disdainfully, “…but would you care for a slice of cheese with that glass of whine?”

“What did’ja jus’ say…” Sonic narrowed his eyes, fists clenching ominously. “…ya little sonuva snake?!”

Sally was suddenly standing between human and hedgehog – with two tilts of the head, she bestowed a warning glare upon them both. “If you insist on acting like a pair of children…” her tone of diplomacy belied the spark of anger dancing in those blue eyes. “…I’ll box your ears!” Sonic made a strategic decision involving the better part of valour and Snively wisely withdrew, leaving Sally to take a calming breath – turning from the hedgehog, she faced the human. “Well?” she pressed, unmistakably stern.

Having been torn between an intimidated whine and an irritated snarl, Snively settled for a disgruntled grunt. “As I would have said, had I not been so rudely interrupted…” he resumed, his manner resembling that of a charismatic though biased historian. “My unc…” that word seemed to stick in his craw – old habits died hard and old beatings left an unforgettable impression. “…my commander knew that many superbly strong, entirely tireless, completely controllable slaves would be the key to creating this new age of science and technology. Many Mobians who fell into his mismatching hands...went directly to The Roboticizer.” Like puddles of icy water, those pale eyes glittered unpleasantly. “Many…but by no means all.”

Sonic was like a geyser ready to blow. Uncle Chuck, old Cat, countless others…The Roboticizer had taken them all away. And Snively spoke of it all so matter-of-factly...casually as the taste of coffee! Tails, Antoine, Sal...they all came so dang close! Heck...Bunnie came closer than any of us! Soothed by a wave of appreciation for his surrogate family, the hedgehog let go of the anger - a frown crossed that muzzle. Wait, wait, wait...did Spikey Snozz jus' say there were dudes an’ dudettes who weren't roboticized? So what did go down…what happened ta’ ‘em?

Snively continued with the narrative, his voice now sinuously confident. “To be roboticized is to be dominated. To the absolute precision of the letter, factories and facilities were soon constructed throughout Robotropolis...often ahead of schedule. The sheer efficiency of the roboticized proved most intriguing…especially to my commander. And as he observed their performance, possibilities more intriguing still occurred to him.” The little man paused as though for theatrical effect - as a matter of fact, he was simply unwilling to procede any further. “The question was this; if roboticization made normal Mobians so physically strong, how strong would it make those whose bodies had already undergone specific alterations? My commander resolved to know the answer.”

Rotor felt his flesh crawl like a blubbery bug, “Wait…" Like vomit it rose from within...the vague memory of something extraordinarily nasty. "...wait a sec!” flustered features hardening like concrete, the walrus stepped toward the human. “Specific alterations…you mean like genetic manipulation?”

Little by little, it was coming back; the conversation he'd overheard ten years ago. Back in the golden era of Mobotropolis, The Science Ministry had been led by a gecko known as Gilbert Von Gruber. An elderly eccentric right on the cutting edge, that scaly scientist had made it his life’s labour to crack that most confounding conundrum. The Mobian Race; where it had come from and where it was going. After years of exhaustive research, Von Gruber had announced a pivotal breakthrough; the perfection of a process by which DNA strands could be unravelled undamaged, paving the way to incredible new advances. Not only would the evolutionary history-book of The Mobian Race be rendered open to truly enlightened eyes, the evolutionary future might be written well in advance by truly enlightened minds. It had been the stuff of dreams...a fitting analogy since it had ultimately remained one. When word of the gecko’s dangerously escalating ambition reached him, King Acorn had quashed Von Gruber’s research. As His Majesty had explained to the crestfallen scientist, it was one thing to try and understand nature and another to try and control it. The love of Mobius had made them all what they were - to try and trade that precious gift for anything would not only have been very dangerous but very wrong.

Rotor remembered the day his father had come rushing home to tell his mother the news; Von Gruber had been placed under arrest. Apparently the scaly scientist had been determined not to allow the laws of the land to interefere with his great work – the experiments performed upon visitors to the Palace Infirmary had not remained secret for very long, the game gruesomely given away by their horrifying effects upon those unknowing subjects. Never before had the wheels of justice turned so swiftly – in a verdict greeted by thunderous applause, Von Gruber was found guilty of unspeakably crimes against Mobian Kind and sentenced to life-imprisonment. Many would gladly have restored Ironlock Prison simply so that he could languish there for the rest of his wretched life.

The position now vacant, many had expected Sir Charles Hedgehog to be appointed head of The Science Ministry. That was before The Great War...and the coming of Julian Kintobor.

Rotor had been much too young to grasp such concepts...yet the term ‘genetic manipulation’ had remained lodged in his mind. And in the marrow of his bones…the knowledge that it meant something truly terrible. The other Freedom Fighters were equally horror-stricken, guessing the direction in which this tale was bound.

Snively began to describe just how deep into the jaws of evil and depravity he had been ordered to descend, his face a fleshy mask of emotionlessness. “That most exciting endeavour fell down to me, of course…the one aspect of it all that could have been described as natural.”

Sally wondered whether he had just clutched for a straw of sympathy…or had simply made that self-depreciating remark instinctively.

“A lab was hastily prepared, the walls of which were lined…” those eyes grew dull as misted windows, “…with cages. Row upon row of cages…which were soon occupied by the percent of Mobians spared roboticization.”

Bunnie shuddered, knowing that the lab had probably been assembled by WORKERbots – that each of them had been completely aware of the purpose for their labour covered her remaining flesh in goosebumps.

“Of course, by spared…I mean to say, dragged screaming to the lab and locked up to wait in abeyance of fates far less certain though no less terrifying.” the little man sneered scornfully, remembering the conditions in which he had worked. “To that lab, I was consigned…and told not to come back out until I had succeeded in producing superior roboticization fodder. The fatal flaw in this demand; the body is no mere machine to be adjusted and upgraded on a whim, its incredibly complex functions no simple codes to be rewritten and replaced at will. With the most advanced scientific equipment at my disposal, real results would have taken years to achieve…and the most advanced scientific equipment was most assuredly not at my disposal. Clearly the drilling for oil and the mining of energy-crystals was given greater priority than this noble effort to crack the evolutionary code. Equipment rendered obsolete years before digital watches were the latest thing, drugs which had gone unused long enough to have witnessed several appearances of Halley's Comet, the rambling notes of some scientist who had developed quite the god complex…”

Rotor flinched in shock – the walrus could have ventured a pretty accurate guess as to whose scaly claw had penned those notes.

“…all of this was afforded that I might perform such a miracle of science! Mobians of freakish muscle-capacity, Mobians with more than their fair share of limbs; all ready for conversion into heavy-lifting or multi-tasking WORKERbots. My duty was to make this a reality. What I made instead…” Snively seemed like a grim-faced uncle, speaking of children who had gone to play in the woods and wound up in the cauldron of Baba Yaga. “Streaks of fur, peeling away to reveal inflamed and bleeding flesh…distingrating brain-tissue, leaking from hollow eye-sockets…dissolving throats, drowning screams of absolute agony. Such were the fates of my…” Harmless as a melting creampuff though he normally seemed, Antoine now bared a set of surprisingly sharp teeth - Sonic stared silently, eyes like beads of black fire. “…Subjects.” Snively concluded with a sibilant hiss, “Yes…my Subjects.”

“Oh mah!” Bunnie breathed, paws rising to her cheeks – so deeply sickened was she, the rabbit was green almost to the tips of her ears. “That’s the most horrible thing Ah’ve evah heard!”

Rotor was unable to look away, riveted as though by the sight of some horrendous accident – the walrus had never thought that there could be anyone so despicable as Doctor Robotnik.

“You monster.” Sally whispered – like spirits called up from their graves, the fate of The Subjects haunted The Princess. “How could you do something so…” one word alone did justice to this portrait of pure horror, belonging to it as salt to the sea. “…evil? To have violated so many innocent people, to have ripped friends and families asunder…was there not enough already for you to repent?!”

“Sorry...him?” Sonic laughed scoffingly, unfamiliar with the r-word yet getting its gist. “Oh yeah, Sal! He's sorry, all right...jus' not in the way ya mean!”

Snively struggled to avoid sneering. Golly lollipops, Hedgehog…why for you, that actually bordered upon clever! And for an encore, perhaps you may care to embark upon a quest for fire! Strange though it seemed, the hedgehog had unwittingly served the little man’s turn...by depriving him of the need to make an elaborate display of regret and remorse. Don’t care for the fact that I wreaked unspeakable misery and suffering upon innocent Mobians so as to cling onto my own filthy life, Your Highness? Sue me. Repent…I? When The Ice Capades are hosted in Hell! Did they really think that what he had done, he had done easily? Did they truly believe that he had laughed while ordering for the next terrified Subject to be strapped down, ready an insulin-injection?

Yet The Freedom Fighters could hardly be expected to look at the situation from his point of view…to feel sympathy for the devil in their midst.

“Mammal, reptile, avian…members of every species came to spend the last of their days in those cages. Many were driven to breaking-point…and far beyond. Upon the utter exhaustion of whatever possibilities each Subject had held, their remains were scraped out of the cage…and disposed of.” At this point, Snively turned from the aghast audience – from that newly assumed angle, he looked uncannily like a vulture reminiscing about some past morsel. “And then…there was her. Subject Forty-Nine...the vixen.” As though on cue, there was a collective gasp – the reason for his presence was at last becoming clear to The Freedom Fighters. “While many others came and went, she outlasted them all. I remember feeling constantly…ill at ease around her.”

Under vastly different circumstances, Sally might have noticed the peculiar awkwardness of his manner – as things were, she was far too drawn into his story. “Who was she?” she demanded, her eyes hard and cold as frost-bound earth. “What was her name?”

Snively was powerless to resist that commanding tone – beneath the scrutiny of eyes which threatened to breach the fortress of his soul, he looked up as though sifting through the cluttered vaults of memory. “A name? Your Grace…you may just as well request the name of one I happened to ask the time of day!” sensing that this would not satisfy, he made a concession. “Although…judging by the attire ripped from her body, my educated guess would be that she may have been a member of nobility.” Just think…in another time and another place, Her Most Highness and His Most Brattiness might well have found themselves bound in arranged marriage! As soon as the groom had reached a sufficiently appropriate age, heehee! Here and now, she is Agony Aunt to a Nuisance Nephew…’tis funny how things turn out in this world, ‘tis it not? Given the hostility he attracted like flies to a rotting carcass, Snively strove not to smirk at the whimsy of it all.

Sally wracked her brain, wild fox-hunt though it proved – there had been so many courtiers, the squirrel was unable to recall even one name. Well, I didn’t recognise her in the swamp...did I? And if she knew me…then she certainly didn’t mention it. The Princess abandoned that hopeless quest - in all of Knothole, there was one person who might provide further answers. “Thank you…very much for your time, Snively.” she barely believed her own words – though anger and nausea chased each others' tails inside her, she needed to know one last thing. "Just one more question; what exactly happened to the vixen?”

Snively's nose took deadly aim at the ceiling again – this particular question, he had feared more than any other. “I could not pretend for long that my experiments were yielding particularly productive results – my commander was somewhat upset when it became clear that superior WORKERbots would not be forthcoming. After he had, er, conveyed his disappointment...the experiments were discontinued indefinitely. Truth be told, I welcomed that hour of failure…relished my final departure from that lab. The layered stenches of vomit, of urine, of faecal matter…I will never forget it. Yet the timing was most ironic…for the fruit of my labour had been growing within she who was to be destroyed along with all other pieces of wasted material. The vixen who..." mustering all the resolve he could, the little man poured every ounce into his final word on the matter. "...escaped."

Sally turned from the human without ceremony, unable to stand the sight of him – facing the others, she drew deep cleansing breaths. “The treatments had no effect on the vixen…instead they influenced the development of the child she was carrying in her womb. They were the reason Tails was born…” the squirrel faltered - she despised the unintentional implication that the fox-cub’s lovely gift was something terribly wrong, that his wonderful ability was a crime against nature. “…the way that he is.” She concluded abruptly, sick to her stomach. “Tails is a…” the final word lodged in her throat like a chunk of vomit, “…mutant.”

Bunnie raised a natural paw to trembling lips, “That lady fox, she fought so hard t’ survive…” she sniffed, her emerald eyes welling with gut-wrenching grief - all for a vixen she had never known, a vixen she now never would know. “…for the sake o' her baby! But…her bod must o’ been so weak after what it went thru. In the ol’ end…she died so that her baby could live!”

Antoine was suddenly uncomfortably aware of the many occasions on which he had vowed to protect Sally...and then gone on to perform an envy-inspiring though utterly unintentional imitation of a jumping-bean in response to the sight of his own shadow. That yellowy head bowed, the coyote paid silent respect to one who had been more of a hero than he ever would be.

Rotor shook his head, those gentle eyes full of disbelief. Tails… From the moment he’d arrived in Knothole, the little fox had given the light of hope back to many whose spirits had surrendered to dark despair – practically the whole village had come to see him, their hearts swelling with each glimpse of an innocence that shone so bright as to represent the very essence of life. …who’d ever dream that a kid like him could have such a nightmare past?!

Sonic stared at it, the bracelet once worn by a nameless vixen. That thing…Sal sure as heck didn’t have it when we split from the swamp. So how come…? The thought tapered off, the truth dawning. She musta’…yeah! She went back! the hedgehog felt as though two SWATbots were engaged in a ferocious tug-of-war, his blue body substituting for the length of pivotal rope – despite the screaming urge to pound flat a certain pointed nose, he had found a whole new source of anger. “Sal…” she turned around, her expression conveying acceptance of the impending. “…I don’t understand.” With crystal clarity, the hedgehog saw it again; Sally kneeling on the ground, a twin-tailed baby fox gurgling in front of her. “When I found ya…ya said that’cha only jus’ found him." it wasn't meant to sound so accusing, it simply tasted too bad not to be spat out. “Sal...ya lied! All those years…ya were lyin’ ta’ us all!”

Bunnie was frowning severely, vividly remembering that day; Rosie bristling with fury, vehemently condemning a mother so wicked as to abandon her child. “Sally Girl…” she wavered as her best friend turned, those eyes wells of regret and remorse – despite being unable to comprehend how it must have been for the squirrel, the rabbit simply had to ask. “…how could yuh?”

Rotor remembered what he’d seen the morning after; Sally slinking back into the village at dawn, her face marked by exhaustion and streaked with dirt. What with the tremendous fuss over the miraculous cub, nobody had even realised that she’d slipped away again. Guided by the light of insight, the walrus now understood the meaning of what he had witnessed; as the rest of the village had slept soundly, the squirrel girl had literally buried the fox-cub’s past.

“Why, Sally?” Rotor asked, his voice uncharacteristically gruff. “After all this time…why tell us now?”

Antoine remained reticent. The coyote was reliving the past, returning to the day on which he'd overheard Sally comforting Tails...affectionately assuring the cub that he and his mother would be reunited someday. And as he realised that those kind words had been lies...

Sally steadied her lips, knowing that she must make them understand. “If you were entrusted with a ray of precious light…wouldn’t you do anything to protect it?” without a shred of embroidery, there it was; her reason for keeping so very much from them all. “In my arms, I held a newborn child...a true innocent!" Her eyes were pleading, “Can you imagine that?”

“We don’t need ta’ imagine, Sally…” Sonic grunted, “…we were there, remember?”

“Then how can you possibly condemn my actions?” Sally exclaimed, holding out her arms as though to embrace supplication. “How could I not want to keep it from him? Yes, I told a lie! A beautiful lie, to protect him!”

Bunnie gazed gravely, deep disapproval etched into her attractive features. “But a lie all the same, Sally Girl. Yuh let the lil’ fox think his momma was alive.” she commented quietly– it was either that or shout. "That ain't exactly a lil' white lie, now ain't it?"

“I am Tails’ mother!” Sally snapped, cold as an ice-berg - as the rabbit pursed her lips, the squirrel realised she had gone too far. “What I mean…is that the duty of caring for him was passed on to me. That duty I have done everything within my power to fulfil. And if continuing to do so means...” those blue eyes were beseeching, “Guys…you have to help me!”

A while ago, Sonic had burned to make-out with Sally - now he barely knew her. “Help ya wit’ what, Sally?” he asked bluntly, “Keepin’ Tails trapped in candyland forever?”

“With keeping him safe, Sonic!” Sally snapped harshly, having just known that he would be her greatest obstacle. “I'll hear no more talk of Tails being a Freedom Fighter! From now on, he'll stay in Knothole and that's that! That’s why I told you everything...you have to back me up on this!”

Snively suppressed a snort of cynicism. Misery loves company...eh, Princess? The human had no idea why he was still here…save for the subconscious fear that one sudden move would result in him being ripped limb from limb.

“That warehouse, the one with the bracelets…I want it destroyed!” Sally declared, folding her arms assertively. “Yes…at the first opportunity, we blow it sky-high! Sonic, you'll be with me...Sonic?”

Sonic saw the mouth move yet heard no sense emerge. She gets all up in my grill for snaggin’ chilidogs durin’ missions…an’ now wants us ta’ risk our lives ta’ wipe out some place jus’ so she won’t hafta worry about the bazillion-ta-one chance of Tails seein’ somethin’ he wouldn’ even understand? “An’ what about Tails, Sally?” he asked coolly, knowing this wasn't about him or her but the fox-cub. “What can he do with his life that'cha fine with?”

“He will have lessons in the mess-hall. He will go fishing in The Great River. He will play dirt-hockey out in the fields." Sally stated simply, "He will enjoy his youth and never go near Robotropolis again.”

Sonic scowled darkly at the light of his life, “Whatever. Keep Tails safe? Yeah right…” anger was wrenching at his face, bitterness dripping from his voice - and the source of it all was her. “…the only reason ya doin’ this is so ya can dodge guilt over lyin’ ta’ the kid! Jus' so ya know, Sal...I ain't gonna help ya do that. I mean it...ya do that, ya do it without me."

Sally was speechless – her stunned silence was filled by the creak of floorboards.

Antoine had made a move for the doorway, “Please be to forgive me, Preencess.” His manner was distant, his brow furrowed heavily. “I am being required thereother – zee Reeng Pooel cannot be guarding herself, non? May a glued evening you be haveeng! Au revoir!”

Sally stared silently after him - though she raised no objection to this taking of French Leave, that was not to say it didn't hurt her. Antoine… The Princess thought in deep despondency.

Rotor hesitated briefly, unsure of what to do for the best – as he made his decision, the walrus turned to the squirrel. “Sally…I’m sorry.” he said sadly, “But…I think you’re wrong.”

As the walrus followed the coyote, Sally felt a stabbing sense of loss. Rotor…you too? Her heart aching, she turned to those who remained.

Bunnie stared sorrowfully her best friend, perceiving the unspoken question. “Never mind Princess o’ Mobius, Darlin’…” she murmured, “…right now, yuh a regulah Queen o’ Denial. Sally Girl…Ah love yuh 'jest like a sistah. But…don’t ask me t’ lie t’ Tails. Ah can’t…" turning from the silent squirrel, the rabbit departed dourly. "...Ah ‘jest can’t!"

Bunnie…oh Bunnie!

Sonic was burned out, thoroughly exhausted by anger. “Weasels in the woodshed, Sal…” he said wearily, “…weasels in the woodshed. ‘Cept this time…it ain’t mine.”

It hurt to go... just as it would have hurt to stay. Deceit was a double-edged sword…and on this night, Sally had deeply wounded Sonic.

Sonic ran not like the wind - his feet stomped as though shod in concrete.

Snively had been the first to withdraw, spying with his sly eye the ideal window of opportunity - as all attention turned upon his sacrificial squirrel, the little man had slithered sneakily away. Forgive this departure, most hospitable hosts...mine is a lamentably lonesome path! And anyway...I have indulged in enough sharing to last me a lifetime! On second thought...make that a Buddhist Life-Cycle! I shall hereby give full priority to matters of actual import...such as mathematically deducing the precise measurements of Miss Rabbot! Snively had expected to feel free as a bony-bodied bird – instead he felt deeply disturbed and utterly unsettled.

Those eyes…those damned eyes! Now he had been forced to face them, Snively knew they would not return gently to the murky mire of memory. What I did ten years ago…will I be able to forget in a thousand?

Sally stood in solitary silence, verging on emotional melt-down. What I did was wrong…but it was done for Tails! Everything I have, everything I am…I would gladly give to protect Tails! My friends…why couldn’t they understand? Beneath the crushing weight of sorrow, she bowed her head.

That was when she heard it...or perhaps imagined it.

Coaxing her eyes to open again, Sally edged over to the window - grasping that wooden frame in both paws, she lunged forward. And there in the grass, that sharp stare pierced…nothing and nobody. The Princess slowly retreated, shaking her head in disorientation – the intensity of the confrontation had unbalanced her senses.

So she asserted…despite her sureness that the grass had rustled with movement.

It was difficult to resist the call of her bed, the sweet hope that everything might somehow seem not so overwhelming come morning – physically and mentally drained though she was, Sally Acorn shook it off. Before that truly terrible night was over, one more task awaited The Princess.

Tails...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sally stood at the door, a ceramic plate balanced on her left palm – realising with an inner pang that a certain fox-cub had probably gotten nothing to eat today, she had personally prepared a late supper for him.

The Princess raised her right paw…only to hesitate.

After all that had happened, Sally couldn't help feeling slightly nervous as she stood outside the hut that belonged to Tails. The squirrel took a deep breath, silently asserting that things needed to be resolved between she and he...and to do so was her responsibility as his guardian. I’ll show him that I'm sorry about today…but I won’t budge from the position I've taken. After all…part of being a good parent is to remain steadfast regarding good decisions. Smiling with renewed confidence, she rapped her knuckles against the face of the wooden door.

Several minutes crawled by, during which no answer came from within. Tails must either be fast asleep or… Sally’s smile diminished as she considered the latter possibility – taking it in a firm paw, she gave the knob a turn.

Things couldn’t continue as they were – strife had broken out tonight and strife would be brought to a peaceful conclusion tonight.

The door swung aside, revealing the room beyond – as she stepped in and flicked on the light-switch, the squirrel couldn’t resist looking around.

Despite having seen it many times before, Sally was struck by many aspects of the room. There was the bookshelf, home to many a tale – she fondly remembered having read ‘The Boy Whose Toys Came To Life’ out loud over and over to a three year-old Tails. The set of drawers – among a couple of other things, a dressing-gown was tucked away inside. Sally remembered her epic struggle to make Tails wear it. As a matter of fact, getting him into the garment had been easy…as for getting him to stay in it, there had lain the difficulty. Tails had seemed to make a game of the whole thing, keeping obediently still as the belt was tied around his waist. Sally could not count the exact number of times she'd turned from him, daring to hope that she’d actually succeeded…only to hear a mischievous giggle.

There on the bedside table, Tails’ rubber-band ball sat in dusty neglect – once upon a time the fox-cub been determined to make it bigger than his hut, expressing extreme elation whenever Sonic brought additional bands back from Robotropolis. Whenever the squirrel rolled her eyes, the hedgehog had grinned – they had been emergence-supplies, vitally needed for the fox-cub’s tremendous task! And then Tails had reached ten years of age, old enough to begin Freedom Fighter Training…after which the ball ceased to grow. The Princess silently chided herself for thinking about that day – it had been a terrible mistake to approve the training of Tails, a mistake she vowed never to repeat.

Sally turned her attention lastly to the bed – and there beneath a blue blanket, lay the fox-cub in question. The Princess stood still for a while, watching him in perfect silence – with each second that went by, she experienced anew her love for Tails. And despite the firmness of her new resolve, Sally regretted more than ever the harshness she had shown him.

“Tails?” Sally spoke kindly to him for the first time since the return from Robotropolis, “Are you awake, honey? I want to talk.” Tails remained perfectly still, reacting to the sound of her voice with not so much as a twitch of either white-tipped appendage – her eyes roved along his inert form, keenly noting the lack of rhythmic breathing associated with sleep. “Hmm…it’s funny!” her face graced by a knowing smile, the squirrel stepped nearer to the bed – she looked at a pair of feet sticking out from beneath the blanket, noting that they remained sneaker-shod. “He certainly seems to be asleep…” her voice was deeply thoughtful, her eyes dancing playfully. “…but if he was, his left leg would be waving in the air!” the fox-cub lay right where he was – but then he hadn’t fallen for that trick in about six years. “Tails, I have the strangest suspicion that you are awake…”

“Well…I am now!”

As that sullen response hung in the air like cold mist, Tails rolled onto his side – having conceded defeat, the wide-awake fox-cub stared up at the visiting squirrel. His white-furred muzzle twisted into an unwelcoming scowl, his blue eyes narrowing in an unfriendly glare – the squirrel could hardly believe that here was the same fox-cub she’d held in her arms ten years ago, whose face had radiated such pure joy and unconditional love.

Oh Tails…how have we come to this, you and I?

There was a grunt – it came not from a pig who had happened to wander in but from Tails. “So talk.” He snapped, his voice utterly uninterested – he paused and then allowed sarcasm to ripple though it. “If you’ve decided whether I’m awake or not.”

Sally refused to be daunted by this less than stellar reception, “I brought you some supper.” She declared, hoping to melt cold hostility with warm affection. “Look, grilled fish and roast potatoes…your absolute favourite!”

Tails did look, his expression hard as stone. "Okay…so I looked.” He said flatly, “As a reward, can I go back to sleep now?” his bright-blue eyes glittered oddly at The Princess, “Why did you come? No more meetings to attend?”

Sally sighed sadly, “You know why you couldn’t come to the meeting, Tails.” Depositing the plate on the wooden table, she sat down beside him. “I’m not here to talk about that – I’m here to talk about where the two of us go from here.”

Tails stared as though unable to bear the sight of her, “Oh, I get it…you’ve come to pass sentence over me!” he exclaimed as though struck by an epiphany, “And that’s the condemned fox’s last meal…” he nodded to the plate, “…right?”

“Tails, stop that.” Sally said sternly, “I am getting tired of this surly new attitude of yours…”

Tails curled his lip, “So sorry you don’t like it, Your Highness.” He actually sneered, sounding utterly unlike himself.

Sally pursed her lips, realising just whose attitude the fox-cub seemed to be emulating. “I think I now know what is going on here.” Her voice grew grim, “This sarcasm you've displayed all day...I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that it has been nurtured through contact with Snively.”

Tails nearly laughed out loud – the human had merely opened his eyes, The Princess had been the one to hammer home the point. “So what?” he snapped, “At least Snively says what he means!”

Sally felt oddly disturbed – some layer of meaning seemed hidden beneath the surface of that remark, though what it could be she was unable to put her finger upon. “Tails, listen to me.” She began earnestly, leaning closer to where he lay. “I want you to stay away from Snively…promise me that you will!” The fox-cub stared at the squirrel – the two might just as well have been strangers to each other. “Tails, I’m waiting!”

“You're waiting? So that’s why you brought me food!” Tails smirked, “Why send him here the other night? Is reading to me so awful that it qualifies as cruel and unusual punishment?

Sally could feel it slipping away, her invisible cape of self-control – why was the fox-cub so determined to resent her simply for protecting him? “Tails, I’m not going to take part in mind-games.” her tone reflected weary resignation. “If we can’t come to an agreement, we’ll just have to find some other way.”

Tails sensed the coming of utter misery, “What do you mean?” he asked quietly, nervous yet determined not to show it.

Sally stared into those defiant eyes, intent upon leaving no room for doubt about the sincerity of what she was about to say. “This. If you won’t make me that promise…” she paused briefly, the imminent words tasting revolting in her mouth. “…then I will be left with no choice but to arrange for you to be supervised every day, watched from the moment you get up in the morning to the moment you lie down at night. And while we’re on the subject of bedtime…” with every word, she despised herself just a little bit more…yet went on, knowing Tails must be taught that deeds were always followed by consequences. “…unless you keep to yours in future, I’m afraid you’ll have to say goodbye to this hut. If you can't be trusted to respect the boundaries I have set, I will arrange for you to come and stay with one of us.” Those eyes of crystal blue gleamed with utterly uncompromising authority. “Do you understand what I am saying, Tails?”

Whereas Sally had been sickened by her words, Tails seemed completely lost for those of his own – eventually he swallowed and nodded. “Yeah…” his voice was thick and unsteady, “…I understand.”

Sally smiled, relieved beyond words. “Thank you, Tails. I’m happy that we were able to reach this understanding.” Tilting her cheek, she offered it to him. “Now…kiss me and then eat your supper.”

The Princess waited for the fox-cub to obey, waited for the rift between them to be healed.

The supper-plate went spinning to the floor, shattering on impact - Sally barely realised that she had leapt up, transfixed as she was by the face of the fox.

Tails glared wildly at her, cheeks streaked with tears of rage. “You’ve got it all figured…huh?! You just prance in here with supper on a plate and a smile on your face…after today?! Well guess what, Aunt Sally! Ever since 'the moment I got up in the morning', I’ve taken a whole load of crap from you…and I’m through being pushed around!!” the fox bared his teeth viciously, his ears flattened in fury.

Sally stepped back, her eyes widening in shock – it was as though the fox-cub had transformed into a savage beast. “Now just you listen…” she began, striving to wrest back control of this rapidly deteriorating situation.

Like poisonous puss from a burst boil, the scathing stream flowed further still. “You want to keep me out of The Freedom Fighters…fine!! You took back my pack and everything that came with it…well now take back yourself and everything that comes with you!!” Tails stabbed a finger at the squirrel – as she flinched instinctively, he continued to spit out words like flecks of searing acid. “From now on…I see you around, I walk the other way!! No more story-time, no more funny-kiss, no more ‘honey’…I don’t want anything from you for the rest of my life!!” without stopping for breath, the fox-cub suddenly pushed his voice down low – as a cracked and unsteady growl it came, the most stinging sentiment of all. “You’re not my mother, Princess…and I wouldn't want you to be!! You and me are finished…so far as I’m concerned, you don’t even exist!!”

When Tails broke off, silence descended as though the world had ended…and for Sally, that may have been precisely the case.

In the wake of those fury-filled words, Sally stood as though rooted to the floor – her entire body tingling as though electrified, the squirrel was unable to do more than gaze at the fox-cub. And as she took in the rage, the resentment, the rejection in his eyes…into hers seeped utter denial.

This…can’t be real! It…just can’t be! Tails would never…I…I…

Tails braced himself for whatever was coming. “So what now, huh?” he sneered, “Gonna turn on the tap…or just hit me?”

Sally neither reproached nor struck – the squirrel swung from the fox-cub, swaying as though deeply intoxicated.

Tails wholly expected for her to whirl back and scream just as she had in The Badlands - an expectation that was wholly confounded.

Rather than storming over and slapping the fox-cub, Sally hugged her slumped shoulders – for a while, she simply stood with a bowed head. Without warning, she then lurched for the doorway – her eyes remained low, her left shoulder bumping against the wooden frame. The door shut not with an enraged slam but a subdued click…and that was that.

Sally was gone…and Tails was alone once more.

All alone…save for the anger. Like molten lava, it coursed through his veins…filling him with the urge to hurl down the bookcase and tear page after page from the scattered tomes, to overturn the bed and shred the blanket, to throw back his head and scream. Smashing up his hut would be bound to release at least some of the rage…yet would also be bound to bring Sally running right back. And if the fox-cub saw the squirrel again this night…

Tails sank down against the mattress and wrapped the blanket around his body, tight as one of those coats in which crazy people were put. As the trembling waves returned to wrack him, the fox-cub raised a paw – sinking his teeth into it, he prayed for the sharp pain to hold all else at bay. Tails wept. Wept over the humiliation he had endured that day...wept over the virtual captivity he would suffer from the next day onward…wept over the hoax he now knew all his days in Knothole to have been.

Sally…everything you ever said to me was a lie. Who…am I?

End Of Chapter

[The Mysterious Traveller]

Chapter Twelve
Dreams Of Darkness; A Beast In The Night

Snively had sat up late into the night, brooding until weariness eventually overcame him. Like the raven of riddle, he had perched in front of his writing-desk – he now lay limp against his chair, appearing uncannily like the skin-stripped skeleton of that same superstition-steeped avian.

And as its fortifications fell beneath an onslaught of exhaustion, his mind became occupied not by memories of dark deeds…but by memories of a time in which he had been far less bitter and twisted, not quite so cynical and suspicious, nowhere near as miserable and lonely. Snively was swept away by the stream of slumber…washing up on the shore of a time in which his immortal soul had not resembled a tapestry of bleak grey gorged gluttonously upon by many moths.

The hour of divine deliverance came, ushered in by a ringing bell – for that class to have lasted any longer, the education authorities would have needed to harness the mysterious properties of pyramid power. One particular youth could not depart swiftly enough from those halls of learning, hoping to slip away unnoticed in the cathartic hustle and bustle – for that boy, the devouring of knowledge had long ago ceased to be accompanied by a sense of satisfaction.

The reason for this loss of academic appetite…his fellow inmates within this prison of adolescence. Though his unique physical appearance singled him out for a great deal of persecution, his unique social status afforded him a fair degree of protection; who and what he was, his blessing and curse. Yet it would have been a lie to say that he was shielded entirely from the agonies humans inflicted upon one another – he remembered with sickening vividness the day on which he had been tripped by oh so purest misfortune, the bridge of his nose shattering on impact with hard remorseless concrete.

That evening it was without any such incident that he made it to the gateway, the whole ordeal having felt like a stroll through a prison exercise-yard - that grim gulag receding behind him, he felt profoundly proud to have made it through another day. And as he reached the curb, he was reached by a high voice...

“Milo, wait for me! I need to talk to you!”

With wry amusement, the boy turned - running toward him was a girl. Her long legs moved with athletic grace, a loose-fitting skirt rippling like water – her face was so pretty as to have been sculpted with especially loving care, framed by luscious locks which had been dyed indigo-blue. The boy wasn’t sure which distracted him more; those lively brown eyes or the sparkling stones sewn to form a peace symbol upon that headband.

“Cassandra…” he began in a tone most uncertain though not unfriendly, “…is there something with which I may help you?”

Cassandra responded with a radiant beam, one which always made him envision blossoming flowers – he was unaware of how deeply such a picture would come to sicken his very soul. “Why, as a matter of fact…that’s precisely the reason we need to talk, Milo!” she remarked, “Some others and myself have decided to set up a protest group opposed to animal testing! It’s just awful, the things we humans do to them…all living things are the children of nature and have an equal right to draw breath, don’t you think?” her eyes shining like polished conkers, she offered a hand. “I was just wondering, er…Milo, would you like to come with us?”

The boy smiled somewhat, both slightly lost and immensely thrilled. “I...happen to be feeling rather well, as a matter of fact!” Cassandra was so passionate about that which she believed in, just one of many things he so liked about her – now if only she wasn’t taller than him. “And if I may ask, how are you today?”

Many say that for every grey cloud there is a silver lining – he would later say that for every silver lining there is a brainless barbarian ready to rip it apart. And in this case, there were several such inconsiderate idiots for the price of one – for though he was trodden warily around, those he dared to call friends could very easily become targets. Churlish chuckling broke out on all sides, courtesy of their passing peers – fast and thick as a deluge of verbal phlegm, the putdowns predictably came.

“Hey, Cassandra! Why don’t you become the Sixth Planeteer? That way, your whole crusade could jump the shark!”

“Yeah, for real! If you love animals so much, why don’t you go live with them?”

“Seriously, send us a postcard! And remember…watch out for that tree, Cassie of The Jungle!”

Cassandra whirled toward the jeering jokers, cheeks burning like fire and eyes flashing like thunder. “Laugh now, you sanctimonious…swines!” she snapped, “Unless we change our ways, this planet is headed for complete destruction…mark my words!”

Her derisive detractors graciously accepted the invitation to laugh now...which was perhaps just as well. A mere year hence...not one would be in any condition to smirk.

With no more words to waste, Cassandra smiled again at the boy. “We’re fighting for the future here, Milo.” She said sweetly, once more offering the hand of friendship. “So what do you say...in or out?”

The boy couldn’t imagine ever turning down a chance to spend time with Cassandra. Yet that was the day on which he would re-evaluate several long-established priorities...the day on which he would reconsider many things taken entirely for granted…the day on which he would find his whole world turned upside-down.

An acceptance of that proposal went unheard, diverted instead to oblivion by the purr of a smooth motor – an expensively smooth motor, he discovered upon turning around. A limousine was parked now by the curb, shining exquisitely as an overlong obsidian slab – having already stepped out, a slick-suited chauffeur walked wordlessly to the passenger-segment. That dark door was efficiently opened, revealing an interior so capacious as to merit comparison to The Carlsbad Caverns…and also accommodate a man so gargantuan as to rival Paul Bunyan.

For several stunned seconds, the boy could only raise and lower his jaw like a fifty-ton weight – once they had flown by, pure pleasure rushed to saturate his lungs. “U…Unc…Uncle!!” he stuttered, a smile stretching the corners of those pale lips like a rubber band. “What…?! Why…?!”

Across a strong shoulder, Uncle Julian regarded the son of his brother – clad in a suit of corduroy, that mountainous man cut quite the imposing figure. “Happy to see me, to see me happy?” he boomed in response to that grin of goofy gratification, “It’s been such a long time since I last saw you, hasn’t it? How you have grown!”

The boy beamed as though meeting Santa, “Why are you here?” he asked eagerly, his tongue practically hanging out like that of a thirst-stricken fox.

Uncle Julian smirked, “The future, dear boy.” He answered in a most tempting tone, sounding for all the world as though about to offer his nephew...well, all the world. “Take your rightful place by my side and I will tell you all about it.”

The boy was both awed and unnerved – ‘take your rightful place’ had drawn him in and yet ‘the future’ sent a chill racing up his spine.

Cassandra had been uncommonly quiet since the arrival of the limousine – reminded uncannily of her presence, the boy turned back to his friend. She met that silent stare, her own eyes expressive – reflected within those windows to a tender soul, a thread of hope wearing thinner with each passing second. The boy could not bear to sever that thread, surely his uncle would not mind if…?

A distinctly deliberate cough brought this train of thought to a crashing halt – when he turned back to the limousine, it was to see those ebon eyes narrowing. “Opportunity knocks once…and once alone, Milo.” Uncle Julian said softly, brawny arms folding across broad chest. “Be as the lone mountain, rising above all around you…or be as the many cliffs, crumbling into oblivion with the rest of your ilk. Make your choice…before your choice is made moot.”

Whether through personally unprecedented premonition or amazingly accurate guess, the boy realised something both there and then. In a purely mundane sense, he stood at the curb outside his school – in a sense much more significant, he stood at the most definitive crossroads of his life thus far. The boy might have decided to help Cassandra, allow Uncle Julian to ride forever from his life…might have chosen to be there for the only real friend he had, leave that life precisely as it presently was.

Not without flaw…not without joy. No richer materialistically…no poorer spiritually.

And yet…already he could feel it stealing over him, the thing which had tortured many men over the course of history. An insatiable desire for that which lay beyond one’s reach. Should he reject Uncle Julian, the boy would allow it to slip away…a whole world of unlimited opportunity for greatness.

Both friend and world…waited.

Unable to withstand the pressure even a second longer, the boy turned again - and as he faced his friend for what was to be the very last time, he swayed as though having just tasted alcohol for the very first time. “Sorry Cassandra…but a man has to do what a man has to do!” he grinned roguishly, not even trying to soothe the sting of beastly betrayal. “Anyway…I don’t even like animals!”

Cassandra was serenely silent, that flawless face a picture of pained acceptance – thus was she frozen in the mirror of memory, to be looked yearningly back upon from days yet distant.

That door shut, cutting the boy off from a life he might have lived. But borne away as though by flying carpet, he spared not so much as a passing thought for that – it was with eagerness that he embraced the life chosen instead this day. What doubt he may have harboured was fast fading, banished by the person seated beside him – this was the only man ever to have respected him as an equal, ever to have treated him as a human being. His father had never done either, maintaining a cold distance since the day he'd been born – the boy had never been wanted, that much he had always sensed. Uncle Julian had never been that way with him, Uncle Julian had always been a well of endless encouragement for him - Uncle Julian wanted him, Uncle Julian had him.

“So…what was it you wanted to talk about?”

Uncle Julian turned that friendly face, all the better to gaze gravely at his nephew, “Tell me, Milo…” he began, his manner akin to that of Daedalus confiding in Icarus or Ulysses conversing with Telemachus. “…has your father made mention to you of an upcoming enterprise currently codenamed Project Antillia Celestia?”

On that day…the seeds of destruction and death were sown.

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Like a cast down colossus, Doctor Robotnik sprawled across the work-bench which had once been that of Snively – his considerable bulk landed on a blackened body that lay still as though in death, a scorched shell that served as the focus for his latest belittling labour. Though he knew that punishment would inevitably follow, the massive man had succumbed at last to extreme exhaustion - he wandered without destination in the wilderness of weariness, dreaming of days gone by.

Dwelling especially upon one rued most of all...

Julian Kintobor indulged in a ghastly grin – it was the grin of sly satisfaction. It was the satisfaction of a schoolboy who is assured of passing a test with flying colours - it was the test which is passed purely by stealing answers from one's neighbour in class.

At those podgy fingertips, Royal Decree had placed every file of data produced by The Science Ministry – under the pretext of discovering means by which to turn the tide of The Great War in favour of The Kingdom of Acorn, they had explored every corner of that scientific mine. And the monitor-screen immediately in front of him now displayed pure gold. Before that day, Julian had been but vaguely aware of the research conducted by Sir Charles Hedgehog – at this moment in time, he was most interested indeed by the work of that spiny scientist.

A machine which had been created in order to dramatically prolong the life-spans of Mobians…only to have ended up ripping their free wills away in the process!

Those greedy eyes flicked back and forth, rapidly devouring that onscreen text. They were absolutely awesome, the possibilities offered by this truly divine device. Refusal was truly inconceivable. Relishing every second of it, he pressed the fateful button. Julian ran that same meaty finger through a ginger moustache, watching as the salient files were transferred to his own personal console.

Sir Charles and his fellow Mobians would indeed all live for a blessedly protracted period of time…as slaves to the almighty will of Doctor Robotnik!

“Uncle Julian…a moment of your invaluable time?”

Julian suppressed an impulse which would have been well understood by a man wont to kick his own dog – though his inward response was one of condign contempt, he greeted this unexpected visitor with a benign beam. “My dear boy, take just so many as you would like!” he exclaimed, that mechanised chair rotating. “All that is mine is also yours, as always I have told you!”

Standing in the marble archway, Snively looked remarkably like a green-handled broomstick. “A visitor to see you.” On his sickly-skinned countenance was a distinctly mischievous expression, “I did say that you were most busy…but he was most insistent.”

Julian frowned, his critical mass rising slowly from that seat comprised of metal and gears. “A visitor?” none save The Soon No Longer To Be King had authority to barge in unannounced like this, “How did he get past security? Who…?”

Snively turned that hazel-haired head toward the corridor, “That you may ask yourself for he is presently standing…” his voice seemed to snag upon something, “…right behind me?”

Julian had been striding toward the archway, intent upon getting to the bottom of this – yet as something came floating from behind him, he stopped dead.

“Such accommodating comfort for these decrepit bones!" A wheezing cackle, one which sounded practically painful. "I might believe this chair to have been made for me!”

Julian stood still as a stone statue, incredulity spreading across his visage – had this insolent intruder been in concealment, surreptitiously watching that whole while? With murder in his heart, the hulking human turned - the spectacle he beheld strained belief to breaking-point. Since coming to this planet, many marvelous things had Julian seen…yet by that which he saw now, the cake was truly taken.

Having audaciously acquired the chair of his hospitable host, that striking stranger grinned from ear to ear. “Most jarring indeed! I know so much of you, it is as though we are firmer than friends…and yet this is our first direct encounter!” another laugh like claws mauling a chalkboard, “I assure you most sincerely…it shan't be our last!”

Wonder and wrath warred in the mindscape of Julian Kintobor – and as latter prevailed over former, thunder rolled across that vast visage. “Get out of my seat!!” he roared – his shoulders hunched in menace, stitches popping loose from that militaristic uniform. “Just who the devil do you think…?!”

The bizarre being seemed simply amused by that onslaught of outrage, “As I believe to have mentioned already, your activities have been of immense interest to me.” He crooned condescendingly, caressing his snowy beard. “And if I dare so say…your ambitions have interested me greater still!”

Julian ceased to advance antagonistically. A moment ago, he might have been compared to a certain horn-headed beast intent on wreaking dire devastation in a shop stocked with fairly fragile wares – at that moment, he simply stared in simmering suspicion. “And what is it that you believe to know, my unfamiliar friend?” he hissed, scornful sarcasm masking deep dread.

That grotesque guest smirked in self-satisfaction, assured now of undivided attention from the human. “August aspiration without the practice of due discretion leads most often to rueful ruination.” His inflection was that of teacher imparting wisdom unto student – the edge of that black cape was grasped, drawn dramatically around the wearer. “I have come in order to extend…the hand of alliance! I am the supreme sorcerer…Ixis Naugus!”

Julian could feel his lips twisting into a sceptial sneer, “Sorcerer?” he repeated, sounding akin to an advanced mathematician who had heard somebody state that two and two made six – presented with undeniable evidence that here was a raving lunatic and not a potential threat at all, he could already feel an old throat splintering in his hand. “Pah! Pure poppycock, new-old friend!”

That drop of insidious inspiration sent perfidious pleasure rippling across the foul face of Naugus, “So!” he cried as though having just discovered the place into which went a piece of fiendishly perplexing puzzle. “You desire to be a bird, O Absolute Ruler of Mobius? A wish easily granted…” from behind that veil of starless night it appeared, opening and closing in a deceptively languid manner. “…with a clack of my claw!”

Julian continued to crow…albeit not in the mean-spirited manner to which he was accustomed.

The human turned to demand derisively that his nephew summon security, only to hear something else entirely emerge - confusion in regard to that coarse cluck was followed closely by irritation in regard to an ear-splitting shriek. Snively had clapped a clammy hand to his bulbous forehead, was swaying back and forth as though delirious due to mirth. Julian opened his massive mouth, intent upon inquiring as to the source of such hilarity…and again, that was not what came out. Never had air seemed so abnormal whilst being sucked down his throat…though it wasn't in fact what had changed. This latest attempt at speech rewarded with no more than a repetitive and resounding warble, the human raised a set of inexplicably trembling fingers to his face…

And as contact was made…the hand of horror began to crush his hateful heart.

Naugus enjoyed yet another sickening snigger, quite tickled by the pure panic contorting those avian features. “Would you not care instead to be…Absolute Rooster of Mobius?” the sorcerer suggested, savouring the applause of his pointy-nosed one-man audience. “Or better still…Most Exhalted Emu of The Planet? Or perhaps even…Supreme Seagull of This Awesome Astral-Body? Be so kind as to speak up, my prospective partner in intrigue…this old ear cannot quite hear whether you say yea or nay!”

The snap of finger and thumb bounced from wall to wall…and Julian suddenly no longer clutched a pair of sagging scarlet cheeks. “…beseech you, turn me back!! Forgive my lack of faith, please make me…” distilled desperation faded from that fully restored yet entirely whitened face, “…myself again?!”

Snively had just succeeded in containing his laughter, save for the odd giggle which escaped like steam from a leaking pipe – the expression of his uncle brought it back in an instant, bursting free all over again.

Naugus had adopted a smile of sweet reason, “I trust that my credentials are now substantially…substantiated?” drawled the sorcerer, “Or perhaps you desire further demonstration?"

And as that cruel claw gave a second seemingly inconsequential twitch, Julian flinched. Of the power just revealed, he was deeply afraid…and yet by it, he was increasingly intrigued. The power itself…and also the wielder. A loose cannon of such terrifying power could lay waste to all that Julian had worked for…he would not suffer it to exist. That power he must manipulate in order to further his agenda…and that wielder he must eliminate in order to ensure his survival.

“Utterly unnecessary, I assure you!” Julian answered in a tone of fawning flattery, his manner so radically altered as to induce an award-winning double-take from Snively. “You are clearly that which you claim to be…and there is clearly much for us to discuss.”

Ixis Naugus beamed broadly, a sight truly terrible to witness firsthand. “That you would inevitably say so, I was certain beyond the faintest shadow of doubt." He remarked wryly, once more wrapping the cape around him. "From this most auspicious union, I forsee the coming of great things..." those eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly, peering over that black brim. “…great things indeed, my newfound friend and ally.”

Julian Kintobor shared a sly glance with Snively, eyes of darkness burning like fires of hell – the message within them was quite clearly conveyed.

'Now here is a fool of whom we shall make most excellent use!'

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Tails lay asleep, red-rimmed eyes shut in profound physical and emotional exhaustion – yet the domain of dreams proved no sanctuary from the realm of reality. So many awful things had happened that day, it was practically impossible for all of them to trouble the same slumber – thus the dream was as a macabre mosaic, incoherent and hideous.

Down a corridor of darkness, Tails walked. Despite his own complete silence, he seemed surrounded by whispering voices - perhaps the shadows themselves murmured mockingly, sniggered scornfully, hissed hatefully. All at the passing fox-cub. A cruel paw seemed to seize his shoulder, forcing him forward. Though every sense screamed at him to go no further, he was utterly unable to resist that grim grip - regardless his deep desire to stop, he went on walking. It was as though he had become a wooden puppet, his strings under the complete control of a second pitiless paw.

It came creeping over him with insidious slowness, practically pinching his white-furred cheek…an overwhelming certainty that the owner of both unseen paws was pure evil.

“If you were entrusted with a ray of precious light…”

Tails didn't know which was more terrifying…the unknown fate that awaited or the complete powerlessness to avoid it. The corridor walls stood only narrowly apart, a separation so sparing as to strike claustrophobia into the hardiest of hearts – those stretches of bleak grey were interrupted only by dirty doors, twin rows glowering at each other from across an unsettlingly near distance. One after another, they began to fly open…as though conceding to a freak wind, as though obeying some mischievous spirit.

Tails didn’t want to look – from those twisting ears to those curling toes, he desperately didn’t want to. Yet he was permitted no choice in the matter. An invisible fingertip pressed against that right cheek, turning his attention firmly toward one of the leftmost doorways. Tails thought at first that the small room was full of bright light – as the ghastly truth dawned, a tingle of alarm raced up a taut spine.

“…wouldn’t you do anything to protect it?”

Two figures occupied the padded cell, a pair of parrots – the feathers of the first were bright-red and the plumage of the second pale-grey, the sex of the first female and the gender of second male. Tails watched warily as the former sidled over to the latter, nuzzling with affection – and as he leant toward her, the fox-cub could feel his blood curdle. That black beak cracked as they jutted out, twin rows of savagely sharp teeth – a head soon bounced across the floor, rivers of red flowing free from severed veins. As the predatory parrot slowly swivelled, Tails welled with horror – that broken beak was stained by blood, those evil eyes burning with malevolence that must surely come from Hell.

“That duty I have done everything within my power to fulfil.”

Tails was weak with relief as that intangible fingertip touched the left cheek, driving his eyes toward a rightmost doorway. What the fox-cub saw in that second rubber room did not frighten him at all...though deeply disturb him it definitely did. Within stood a single figure…at least that was what at first appeared to be the case.

Tails stared, his expression emptying like an unexpectedly upturned jug.

The form was that of a cat girl...a female feline presently standing on three feet. This tripod of fur and flesh served to support a body most slender, the collar-bone elegantly framing a pair of pretty necks. Two equally lovely faces, identical to almost the last detail. Those feminine features were distinguished only by the hues of their furs; a dignified tabby-grey for the left and a lively cinnamon-brown for the right, directly dividing both halves of that shared body. Tails nearly forgot to breathe as they regarded him; two pairs of eyes, the first pale blue and the second vivid green.

Was this two cats mixed together in one body...or one cat spread through two bodies?

Smiling sweetly as though he was a cute boy newly arrived at their school, the cat girls waved...with both right paws.

“And if continuing to do so means...”

Weirded out beyond words, Tails felt that paw grasp the back of his head – as he stared straight onward, the fox felt something not unlike his heart leaping up into his throat. Though he had not seen it coming, there it was; the end of the corridor. And yawning wider with each step, waiting to take him; the final doorway.

Tails fought frantically against the paws – the more furiously he resisted, the faster he was held. Despite his defiance, he went like one of the three blind mice to the farmer's wife. Those padded walls were utterly unwashed, so covered in grime as to seem swarming with insects – and as they enclosed the fox-cub, an unmistakable slam resounded behind him. This side of the door was stained crimson, a terrible testimony to those who had tried to claw their way out of here.

“Tails is a…”

Tails bowed his head in dark despair, sinking to his knees as though the strings had been cut - those walls of rubber closed in around him and those voices of formless evil taunted him, all driving the fox-cub to the edge of inevitable insanity. Here he had come…and here he would stay. Locked away from the rest of the world…in the freak asylum.

“…mutant.”

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The cobweb was a thing of beauty, formed by silken strand and supported by forked twig - having made the last touch to this masterpiece of incredible intricasy and fantastic fragility, the spider slowly descended. Yet the arachnid artisan would never see that new larder filled, would never feast upon the flies which strayed there…

An abyss, so vast that the whole world was certain to be swallowed...from the perspective of the spider, at least. From the perspective of many another living creature, those jaws would have seemed small and weak...though great and powerful enough to chomp down on the spider, bringing unto it an untimely end.

The Hunter Executioner, Zero smirked sardonically. So there’s this village of animals, livin’ in huts and attendin’ communal dinners…and here’s me, crawlin’ around in the woods and chewin’ bugs in order to survive. Now that's irony. That beast in the night had stopped to rest, appearing an immense arachnid as he crouched on the bough of a gnarled tree. An eerie resemblance given further power by that sleek black jumpsuit, the seams of which were sealed by white stitches – it fit so snug as to feel like a second skin, despite the less than designer quality.

Those uber upgraded cyber pets may be freaky to look at…but they sure know how to handle needles! Back bent low, Zero contemplated the unusual direction in which life had taken him. It still seemed like last night, he had been sentenced to eternal sleep…and this night, he had been given orders by the mystically enamored result of some ungodly union between lobster and bat. Makes me wonder whether the trademark for ‘Doctor Strange’ is still intact...though I’d far rather think about the lovely ‘Zatanna’! Yeah, she's welcome to mess with my head anytime! Or she was...somethin' tells me she's been on hiatus for a long while!

As Zero pondered his appointed quest, smirk twisted into scowl - The Hunter Executioner still marvelled at the ease with which he had accepted it. If he’s Tweedledumb…then I’m Tweedledumber. But one thing The Magician Of Mixed Heritage got right…I’m the man for the job. Of course, there had been little alternative - there was so much he needed to know about this Wonderland, after all.

He was rested – time to resume the prowl.

Zero rose, shrugging stiffness from those sinewy shoulders – something told him it would be most profitable to follow that cross between Toucan Sam and Loopy Honeybee. The Hunter Executioner bounded from tree to tree, face so fierce as to frighten darkness itself – the distant babble of an ever flowing river and the nearby chirp of an especially energetic cricket, nothing could escape those superbly sharp senses.

However advanced the technology behind their creation, those metal mannequins were only so capable as the one behind their programming - whereas he had proven himself worthy to become one of The Hunter Executioners. If it should take another thousand years, Zero would find Animal Commune.

And when I do...

End Of Chapter