"The Chosen Ones" Authors: Robert Brown and Francis Tolbert Disclaimer: This story uses characters created and copyrighted by Sega of America, Inc. and Archie Comics (except where noted, in which case they were created and copyrighted by us or by another and we have permission to use them). The authors hereby give permission for this story to be downloaded and/or printed at 1 copy per user as long as (1) no changes to the story are made without our express written(not e-mailed) permission and (2) no attempt is made to profit from this story. If either or both rules are violated, it will be considered a violation of copyright law. Author's Note: I can't believe it.... Has it been eighteen months already? Eighteen months since we've posted a story? Eighteem months since we've visited the world of Mobius? But alas, it is so. And yet, we're finally back. After me losing my job, and falling down a flight of stairs, along with a lot of stuff Francis is going through, none of which is my business to discuss, we have returned. This story is only the framework for a much greater saga, perhaps even greater than the Race for the Emeralds. But it will be up to you fans to decide that. Till next time, Happy Reading! Cast of Characters (in order of appearance) Queen Sally Alicia Hedgehog Antoine D'Coolette Princess Alicia Rose Hedgehog*** DJ Osaya### Prince Juice Hedgehog*** King Sonic Hedgehog Desir‚e D'Coolette*** Bunnie D'Coolette Kelly Min Hedgehog**## Nadia Osaya*** Rosie Shi-rat Tanis Shi-rat*** Donovan Osaya### Nadine Osaya### Angela Shi-rat*** Darrin D'Coolette*** Miles "Tails" Prower Princess Sondra Acorn-Prower*** Miles Prower III*** Sarah Prower*** ???????????????????????*** #30 Queen Sally Alicia Hedgehog, ruler of all Mobius, sat upon her throne with a heavy heart. It has been eighteen years since the band of rebels known as the Freedom Fighters had defeated Robotnik and restored Mobius to all its former glory. Or rather, since Sonic had done it. She knew each and every Freedom Fighter had made uncountable contributions to the cause, but it was Sonic who had finally defeated him in the end. Without him, they'd all be roboticized right now, if not worse. But he had done it, and Mobius was free of that dreadful curse. At least, that's what everyone hoped. Robotnik disappeared that day and no sign of him had been seen since. Sally couldn't shake the nagging feeling that he was out there, somewhere, ready and waiting to strike. Sally sighed under her breath, shifting a bit in her throne and pulled at the collar of her dress. Though she usually dressed much the same way she had in Knothole all those years ago, when she was needed to be the Queen, she wore a royal gown in much the same style her mother had. The one thing she always insisted on though was wearing her boots; she never did get the hang of walking in high heels. Sally smiled a little, then glanced at a nearby clock. "Antoine will be here soon," she thought, her expression falling once more. "I hope he has some good news for me today." In all the years Sonic and her had ruled as King and Queen, Mobius had experienced peace and prosperity like never before. Any arguements and skirmishes were minor and quickly settled, usually to the satisfaction of everyone involved. Both her and Sonic had made it a point not to lose touch with their subjects, often going among them as nothing more than husband and wife instead of King and Queen. But their reign was not as perfect as everyone thought it to be. She looked at a folder in her lap. She knew the contents of it by memory but she still read it every day. Five babies, all born within the first year of their reign, had been kidnapped and their families killed. Nothing like that had happened since, but the absolute horror of it was forever etched in Sally's mind. Also burned in her thoughts was the fact that none of the children had ever been found. She thumbed through the file and looked at the pictures of the missing children. There seemed to be no connection between the children or their families, save for the animal or animals involved in the crimes. Every day she looked at the pictures, feeling she is missing something just on the edge of her consciousness. And every day, it continues to elude her. A knocking at the doors brought her out of her reverie. "Enter," she said, straightening her posture. An elderly raccoon opened a door and stood to the side. "Announcing Antoine D'Coolette, captain of Your Majesties' Royal Guards." Antoine entered the throne room, his head held high. His uniform looked much the same as it did in his younger years, except that it was now decorated with many medals for valor and service. He also looked much the same as he did back then, just older and wiser like all the Freedom Fighters. "Your Majesty," he said respectfully, bowing low as the door closed behind him. "Come now Antoine," Sally said with a small smile. "You know full well--" "That you are the same Sally who fought by my side all those years ago in Knothole," Antoine finished with a smile. Sally couldn't help but chuckle at that. "Am I truly that predictable?" Antoine let his smile fade. "My Queen," he began, his voice growing serious. "We have had this same conversation for the past seventeen years. And just like all the other times, I have no further developments for you. I do not like to say this, but it is as if the children and whoever took them have vanished from the planet." Sally closed her eyes and slumped in her chair. Antoine almost couldn't bear to see Sally like this, and he had to turn away. In these moments, few though they were, Antoine could see nothing of the strong, resilient Princess that had kept their band of Freedom Fighters together through everything Robotnik threw at them. All he saw was the toll this had taken on her. A few hairs had gone grey before their time, and the occasional wrinkle showed on her face when she frowned. "Sally...." he started, then stopped as his voice failed him. "Antoine," Sally whispered in a broken voice, "just leave, please." As he had done for the last seventeen years, Antoine simply bowed and whispered, "By your leave." Then he turned around and left the throne room, closing the door as quietly as he possibly could. As Antoine turned from the throne room, he saw a shadow slip around the corner and smiled. For the past three years, that shadow appeared every day at this time, and he was fairly certain he knew who it was. Chuckling to himself, he simply walked away, starting to make his rounds. "That was close," the animal thought, leaning back against the wall. "He gets closer to catching me everyday." She unclipped a small computer from her boot and opened it up. "Nicole," she whispered, "has Antoine left the immediate area?" "Affirmative, Princess," Nicole answered. "It appears he is doing today what he has done everyday at this time." "Nicole, how many times do I have to tell you? Call me Alicia." "Very well, Alicia. Do you need anything else?" "No, thank you." Alicia closed up Nicole and placed her back on her boot with a sigh. She was a fox, like her mother, but her fur was a dusky grey, almost blue if viewed in the right light. Her hair was the same deep brown as her mother's, but fell down to her waist; if she kept it short like her mother did it tended to stick straight up like her father's. Her tail was slightly longer than her mother's, but nowhere near as long as her uncle Tails'. Her eyes were a deep black, so deep that more than one of her friends and family had joked that you could fall right into them. She wore a loose jogging suit of a deeper grey than her fur color that did little to hide her form. Though not as curvy as some of the other women in the palace, she was still considered by many to be beautiful. Her body was well-toned and athletic, but not muscular. She moved about with a fluid grace that even her mother envied. It seemed that she was born to be a princess, if not one day the queen. And had it not been for the matter of a few minutes, she would have been. Alicia shook her head, banishing that thought. While she didn't like the hand fate had dealt her, she had long since made her peace with it. What mattered now was her mother, and the fact that she would sit in that room for exactly one hour, just as she had done for as long as Alicia could remember. No one, not even King Sonic, dared disturb her during that time. "There has to be something I can do," she whispered to herself. Every day, she tried to come up with something. And every day, she just couldn't. Dejected, she turned to walk to her room when she noticed a young squirrel blocking her path. "How long have you been there?" she asked, a bit startled. The squirrel, just stood there in the center of the hallway. He was shorter than her by a few inches, not surprising because he was only fourteen to her sixteen. He wore a blue polo shirt over his lanky frame that seemed at once too big for his body but too small for his arms. He had short brown hair that tended toward dirty-blond, like his mother, and his father's grey fur. He stared at Alicia with his light purple eyes, just two shades darker than white, and gently tapped his boots on the ground, mimicking her father's impatience. Alicia couldn't help but smile at that, and the young squirrel smiled in return. "So, made it your job to cheer me up today, huh Donovan Jr.?" she asked, her smile widening. The squirrel lowered his eyes halfway, his lips twitching into a frown. "OK, OK," Alicia said, stifling a laugh. "Sorry DJ. That better?" DJ nodded, his frown disappearing. He looked at her questioningly, directing a glance toward the throne room before looking back at her. "Yes, my mom is in there," Alicia said, answering DJ's unspoken question. Unspoken, because DJ could not speak. He had a scar that ran across his neck, almost from one ear to the other. And though Tanis had healed it as well as he could, something was keeping him from speaking. Tanis insisted it was nothing physical, so it had to be emotional, but no one was quite sure why. DJ's hand on her arm brought her out of her reverie. "Still trying to cheer me up, huh?" she asked, forcing a smile. "Gotta catch me first." She ran off down the hallway, leaving DJ far behind. While she had not inherited either of her parents' super speed, she held the distinction of being the fastest runner who didn't have super speed on all of Mobius. Alicia dodged down hallways at random, avoiding people in the hallways almost without consciously realizing it. She was lost in the running, in the natural high it always gave her. She didn't stop running for a good fifteen minutes, and even then she had barely broken a sweat and wasn't breathing hard at all. She pushed her bangs out of her face and smiled. Running always made her feel better, whatever was bothering her. With a start, she realized that this had probably been DJ's plan from the beginning. "I guess I should go thank him," she muttered with a chuckle. But when she turned the corner to find him, he was standing there, a patient look on his face. Alicia jumped back a foot or two, her heart racing in surprise. "You have got to show me how you do that one of these days," she said, scowling. DJ just shrugged and glanced out a nearby window. Alicia followed his gaze and did a double take. Somehow she had run right to where her private running track was. "You really have to show me how you do that," she muttered under her breath, then sighed. "OK, you win," she added, throwing her hands up in surrender. "I'll go outside and run. Thanks DJ." DJ smiled slightly and walked to the window as she headed outside. Alicia didn't bother with her warm-up stretches and just started a slow jog around the track. The track was in a sheltered part of the courtyard, divided from the main area by a high wall. It was rather plain, just an oval dirt track with three lanes and a grassy field in the center, but Alicia preferred it that way. As she had told her family many times, she came out here to run, not to admire the scenery. As she completed her second lap, she stepped on a small switch in the middle lane of the track, activating the timer on a nearby scoreboard and broke into a full sprint. She fairly flew around the track, but was mindful to only run, not fly. She had to be careful about that because she had inherited her mother's flying abilities. She was much faster as a flyer than a runner, but that would be cheating. Alicia ran down the home stretch, falling into her kick naturally. She passed the finish line and slowed down, but kept walking so her muscles wouldn't cramp up. She glanced over at the scoreboard and smiled. "A new best," she thought to herself with a smile as she felt her heartbeat already beginning to return to normal. "Not bad, sis," a voice said, causing Alicia to look around. "But still nowhere near what I can do." "Come on out here and say that Juice!" Alicia yelled. A brown blur raced by her, nearly knocking her off her feet. It whipped around the track in under a second and then came to a stop right in front of her. "You called?" Alicia ground her teeth in frustration at the hedgehog in front of her. He was a little taller than she was, just enough that he always seemed to be looking down at her. He looked like a younger version of their father, except that his fur and quills were brown with light brown on his front. He was dressed in a formal jacket that signified his position as Crown Prince, but wore a pair of red sneakers that had a golden stripe across the arch instead of the boots he was supposed to wear. "Whoa sis, settle down," Juice said, a smirk in his baby blue eyes and on his lips. "You're gonna have a coronary if you don't relax." Nearly shaking with fury, she pointed at the scoreboard. A new record time of only a fraction of a second was recorded. "You crazy moron!" she screamed, only her upbringing as a princess preventing her from using much more caustic, but fitting, words. "Now I have to reset the whole thing and pray I can get that time again. What is the matter with you?" "Why do you even try?" Juice asked, more than a hint of arrogance in his voice. "You know you'll never top me." "Five minutes, Juice. That's the only reason you got the throne and I didn't." "The throne?" Juice asked, puzzled. "I thought we were talking about speed here." "What?" Alicia asked, confused, then her expression hardened again. "Stop twisting my words around!" she yelled. "Lower the decibels," Juice said, covering his ears with his hands. "Last thing I need right now is for my own sister to make me deaf." "She wouldn't be yelling like that if you didn't constantly do things to make her mad at you," a voice said from the shadows, stopping the siblings' arguement immediately. "Now you've done it," Juice muttered. "Enough Juice," the owner of the voice said, stepping out of the shadows. "But Dad,..." "Don't 'But Dad' me," Sonic said, crossing his arms in front of his chest and tapping his foot. "How many times have I told you about this?" "How long has he been alive?" Alicia asked, her voice laced with sarcasm. "You're not helping things Alicia," Sonic pointed out. "I don't understand what's gotten into the two of you lately; you used to be so close. But now, I'd almost swear you hated each other." "I don't hate him," Alicia said. "It's just that he seems to know exactly what to do to get on my nerves!" "It's a gift," Juice taunted. "All right, that's enough!" Sonic said, just barely keeping his voice under a yell. "I've had enough of this from the both of you. Whatever the problem is, you two better find a way to work it out. I'm tired of seeing the prince and princess of Mobius fighting like a couple of two-year-olds!" "Man, what happened to you, Dad?" Juice asked. "All the stories I heard about the legendary 'blue dude with the attitude' never had you acting like this!" "I grew up," Sonic said seriously. "We all have to grow up sometime. Just be glad you didn't have to grow up like I did." "Yeah, I guess." Sonic couldn't help a smile come to his lips as he watched Juice. "So much like I was at that age," he said to himself. Then, aloud, "Just because I grew up doesn't mean I stopped knowing how to have fun. Race ya to Knothole, or are you afraid you can't keep up with your old man?" "Anytime, Dad," Juice said, revving up his legs. "But no power rings this time." Alicia watched her father and brother speed off and let out a sigh of anger and frustration. She stormed inside the palace and headed straight to her room. "Five minutes," she muttered to herself as she went. DJ watched her go and his expression saddened. He had tried to help her and all he had ended up doing was hurting her. Dejected, he headed toward his family's place with his head bowed when a soft hand on his cheek stopped him. "Now what's with the long face, DJ?" a dulcet voice with just the hint of an accent asked him. "Surely it can't be all that bad?" DJ looked up into a pair of bright green eyes that were smiling warmly down at him. They were the kind of eyes that were known to steal men's hearts with just a glance, and had on more than one occasion. If there were anything more beautiful and sensual than those eyes, it was the rabbit to whom they belonged: Desir‚e D'Coolette Dark cream fur framed her eyes and was in turn framed by fur a few shades lighter. The lighter fur continued up her ears, though the hair that grew between and around her ears and fell to her waist was a platinum blonde. Her cheeks and the rest of her face were an even lighter shade than that, so light as to almost be white. She wore very little makeup, only a pale pink blush and lipstick that accented her natural beauty. The fur on her body was the same cream color of her upper face and ears. Her waist and hips were just slightly narrower than her mother's, and her chest just slightly larger. But under all the softness and curves was the type of defined musculature only achieved through rigorous training in the martial arts. The only clothing she wore was a pale pink jumpsuit in her mother's style with a dark red belt, and it fit her body perfectly. Desir‚e was more than a bit of a flirt, and many young men constantly courted her. She loved all the attention, but was careful not to make any kind of promise she wan't sure she could keep. None of the young men got anything more than a light peck on the cheek that didn't even leave a speck of her lipstick on their fur. It was common knowledge that any male not related to her who wore a full print of her lipstick on his cheek was the one she had finally given her heart to. "So, what's going on?" Desir‚e asked again, her slight Southern accent softening her voice to a sultry level. DJ said nothing, of course, but just continued to stare into Desir‚e's green eyes. Desir‚e stared back for a moment longer then tilted her head to the side. "So, you tried to cheer up Alicia again, huh?" she asked. "Got her to run and then Juice showed up? And let's see...they had an argument about the speed and King Sonic came by, settled them down, and took off with his son while Alicia stormed off toward her room, right?" DJ nodded with each question she asked, and the sadness in his eyes increased with the last one. But surprisingly, there was no confusion or shock at Desir‚e being so accurate in her questions. Or perhaps not so surprising, if one knew Desir‚e's well. For some reason no one had been able to explain, Desir‚e was the only animal in Mobius who could understand those who could not speak just by looking into their eyes. She couldn't do it with anyone who spoke though, and her readings of DJ were by far the most accurate of any others. Maybe it was because she grew up with DJ, or maybe it was just because she had a strong friendship with him. Whatever the case, the results were undeniable. "Oh DJ," Desir‚e said, wrapping her arms around him and holding him close. "When will you learn that these things happen, and they're not your fault? You did your best, I know you did." She felt more than heard DJ sigh and then added, "Besides, I think you helped her more than you know." DJ pulled his head back just far enough to look Desir‚e in her eyes. She couldn't help but chuckle at the confusion she saw. "Think about it for a minute. Alicia was feeling guilty about not being able to help her mom, and you snapped her out of that. She may be angry now, but anger is a lot easier to work off than guilt, and also a lot less self-destructive." DJ considered it for a little bit but still didn't seem convinced. "Just trust me on this, OK?" Desir‚e asked, lowering her eyelids halfway and smiling softly. DJ sighed again but nodded. Desir‚e smiled a bit wider and hugged him close again, "accidentally" hugging his face right into her chest. He stood there for just a little bit, hugging her back, before pulling away in embarassment, his cheeks slightly reddened. Desire‚ chuckled under her breath and kissed him lightly on his cheek before stepping back. "I'll see you later," she said, turning around and walking away slowly. DJ watched her until she turned the corner, then shook his head and walked toward the rooms he shared with his family. Desir‚e waited by the corner until she heard DJ leave. With a smile, she turned to head toward her room but stopped short when she saw who was in front of her. "Oh, hi mom." Bunnie D'Coolette stood in front of her daughter, arms crossed in front of her chest, and a very angry look on her face. "Desir‚e," she said, her voice matching her look, "how many times have I told you not to tease that poor boy? He's been through enough, and he doesn't need you toying with his emotions, or his hormones." Desir‚e rolled her eyes. "Mom, just because you and Dad are captains of the Royal Guards doesn't mean you're always right. Can't you just trust me for once?" Bunnie's expression softened slightly and she let her arms drop to her sides. "Dear, you know I trust you," she said, straightening the guard's jacket she wore over her bodysuit. "But sometimes I don't think you exactly know when to stop." Desir‚e's face turned serious in an instant. "Mother," she said in a voice vastly more mature than her normal flirtatious one, "you know I'd never hurt DJ, intentionally or no. He's one of my dearest friends, and almost as close to me as my family. I know how far is too far, and I'll never cross that line around him. Besides," she said in her normal voice with a hint of a smile, "you might want to take a closer look at his cheeks next time." Bunnie opened her mouth to say something, but her daughter had already walked past her. "Well I'll be," she mused. "Who'd've thought it?" Alicia paced around her room, muttering to herself. Despite being a princess, Alicia's room was rather plain. The walls were painted to match her fur, though the ceiling was left white. The hardwood floor was dull and slightly scratched up from the heels of her boots. There was a bed, a night table, a dresser, and a desk that doubled as a clothes rack. But she was so angry, she took note of none of this. Nor did she take note of the hedgehog standing in her doorway. This female hedgehog stood slightly taller than Alicia, three inches at most. She had light grey fur and blond hair-quills swept back in the style Sonic wore them, only longer and a lot more of them. Some said she was the spitting image of her mother at this age, and she took that as a compliment. She wore a dark green outfit consisting of a short-sleeved dress shirt and a straight skirt falling to just below her knees. "You know, cousin," she said, her light brown eyes sparkling with merriment as Alicia jumped in surprise, "if you did have the family's speed, you wouldn't have much of a floor left." Alicia turned to the hedgehog standing by her door, trying not to look as startled as she felt. "Oh, hi Aunt Kelly," she said with a shrug. Kelly Min shook her head. Yes, she was technically Alicia and Juice's aunt, but with only two years separating them, she thought of herself more as their cousin than aunt. But Alicia, ever the proper princess, refused to call her anything but "Aunt Kelly". "Fighting with Juice again?" she asked. "How'd you guess?" Alicia asked in return, sitting down on her bed in a huff. "Nothing else can get you this worked up," Kelly pointed out, sitting beside her niece. "How bad?" "The usual." "Alicia, you have to let this go. You've carried this anger for way too long." "Every single time I think I've made peace with this, Juice comes along and starts me up all over again. If I didn't know better, I'd swear he wanted me to challenge him for the throne. But you know I'd never go there." "I know," Kelly said with a sigh, then changed the subject to more pleasant matters, eventually talking Alicia's anger out of her. But in the back of her mind, she couldn't help but agree with Alicia. It was almost as if Juice was trying to make Alicia call for the Challenge.... But surely he wouldn't put his own sister in that position, would he? As Kelly talked with Alicia, DJ opened the door leading to his family's rooms. Sonic and Sally had given each of their friends an area of the palace that was like a small house or apartment in some ways. They each had a living room, kitchen, bathroom, and bedrooms accessible only from one main door. It allowed each of them a measure of privacy while retaining the community feeling they had shared in Knothole. "DJ, is that you?" a voice called from the kitchen. DJ walked by the kitchen and waved to his mom as she checked on something in the oven. "Oh good, you're home," Nadia said, wiping her hands on her apron. "Tanis and his family will be here soon, so wash up." DJ looked at his mother questioningly, knowing he had showered only a few hours before. Nadia smiled and tapped her cheek, looking directly at his cheek. DJ tilted his head to the side, wondering what his mom was getting at. But before he could indicate that, she had turned back to her cooking. DJ shrugged and walked into the bathroom, glancing in the mirror to see what his mom had seen. There, on his cheek, was a smudge of pink. He stared at it a moment, silently asking himself where it had come from. Then he remembered the kiss Desire‚ had given him and blushed slightly. This was the first time she had left any kind of mark on his cheek. And while it was far short of a full print of her lips, he knew that it could be the beginning of.... DJ stopped that line of thought before it went anywhere. There was no way Desire‚ cold be interested in him. For all the things she was, he wasn't anything; he couldn't even speak! No, it must be a mistake. So decided, he quickly washed off the lipstick and headed back into the living room just as the doorbell rang. He opened the door just as his mom was about to ask him to get it. "Hello there DJ," Rosie said, walking into the apartment as DJ stepped aside. "You're looking well today." DJ smiled and gave Rosie a hug. His family had always been close to the Shi-rats, so much that he considered Rosie and Tanis his aunt and uncle, much as Tails considered Sally and Bunnie his aunts. He looked outside the door to see if his "uncle" was there. "He's not here right now," Rosie said, having a good idea what, or rather who, DJ was looking for. "Don't worry, he just went to pry your father from his work. But while you wait, why don't you catch up with...." Rosie's voice trailed off as she looked around. "That girl's going to be the death of me," she sighed. Meanwhile, Donovan was just leaving the security room of the palace. While Antoine and Bunnie were in charge of the actual guards, Donovan was in charge of electronic security. No public area of the palace was beyond his surveillance, but even he wouldn't violate the privacy of each animal's bedroom. Gone was his trademark black outfit, and even his father's white uniform. Now he wore a lab coat that looked like it would fit better in a science lab than a security office. The only holdover from his younger days was the eyepatch he wore over the injury he suffered while dealing with the Kavenoff all those years ago. When he turned the first corner, he felt a hand touch his shoulder and jumped. "I really wish you wouldn't do that," he said, knowing who was there without even looking. "I'm sorry, Donovan," Tanis said, though his lips held just the hint of a smile. "I just wanted to get your attention. Is everything all right? You stayed at your job a little later than usual." Donovan sighed and closed his good eye. Tanis was still very protective of him in a fatherly way, even though they looked as if they were the same age now. But with everything that had happened, Donovan could not blame him. His mind drifted back five years, to a time forever burned in his memory. It had seemed like a normal day when he awoke. He gave Nadia a kiss and DJ a hug as he always did before leaving for work, but there was something wrong. For there was a third thing he did not do, and it seemed never would again: give his daughter, Nadine, a hug. Nadine was older than her brother by a little over a year, and if one word could be used to describe her, it would be "adventurous". Her bright purple eyes were always looking for something new to discover, and they got red just like her father's when she was upset. Her fur coloring was more like her mother's, but she had her father's dark black hair. Her favorite outfit was a black vest and black boots, exactly like her father used to wear. At the time, Donovan didn't think anything of it; Nadine was infamous for her late night excursions and often didn't make it back to bed until after he had already left for work. But when he got to work, there was no sign of his daughter on any of the monitors. Donovan had had the computer run a check of every security tape recorded the previous night, but she was nowhere to be seen. It was if she had vanished from the face of Mobius. Since that day, Donovan changed. He became more obsessed with security, often staying in that room for days on end, ignoring his body's need for food, drink, and sleep. Nadia had tried to bring him around, but his obsession knew no bounds; there were times Nadia wasn't even sure if he was aware of her presence. It all came to a head a few months after Nadine's disappearance. Nadia had spent the day pleading with her husband, begging him to let her help him. But he just kept brushing her concerns aside, insisting that he had to protect everyone, no matter the cost. But just as he was about to lock himself in the office again, Nadia said perhaps the only words that could've gotten through to him. "I wish I'd never used the Life Emerald, then you wouldn't be like you are now." If Donovan thought he knew what being devastated felt like, those words took him to a depth he had never even believed could exist. He slammed the door shut and collasped in a seat, not even paying attention to the monitors for the first time in months, his vision blurred by tears. Donovan never could recall how long he sat there. The next coherent memory he had was of Tanis appearing in the room. "I felt your pain all the way in Sanctuary," Tanis said, sitting down next to him. "Talk to me Donovan, help me understand your pain." "How can you understand what you've never gone through?" Donovan asked, his voice choked up by his sobs. "How can you possibly know the pain of losing your child, knowing it's your fault because you weren't watching out for her like you should have?" "Have you forgotten already?" Tanis asked, his voice strained. "You know what the Kavenoff put me through. I saw the soul of the son I should've had, had I not made the choice to become a Holy One. My choice not only caused me such pain, but Rosie as well. And while I would never give up the daughter I now have for that son, I will always remember him, and grieve for what could have been. "But you Donovan, your daughter is not dead. I don't know where she is because something is hiding her from my power, but she is alive. I know in my heart you will see her again. Maybe not as you remember her, but she will have grown up, at least a little." Tanis spent an hour talking to Donovan, helping him deal with his guilt. And it helped, at least in part. Donovan was able to put the guilt behind him and rejoin his family life. But now and again it still rises up, overwhelming him. When it does, he has strict orders from Sally to take the rest of the day off and speak with either Tanis, Rosie, or Nadia. She also added the warning that if he didn't, she'd carry him there personally. That was more than enough incentive for him. But now, as he remembered this, Donovan felt the guilt rising up once more. "I think we need to talk," he told Tanis in a hushed voice. "Of course, my son," Tanis said, clasping his hands before him. "Let us walk to your place, and see if that's enough time both for you to talk...and my daughter to return." Over at Knothole, the former base of the Freedom Fighters, Sonic and Juice were running laps around the entire village. It had become something of a resort for the royal family, and all their close friends, so Sonic and Sally made sure to keep it in good shape. All of the huts looked as they did in the time of Robotnik, except that they had more beds to accomodate families now. Even as they ran, the hedgehogs could see a couple of the huts in use by the surviving members of the Wolf Pack and their families. Sonic turned to face his son as they ran side-by-side. "You know, you have to stop doing things like that to your sister," he said. "You're not only a prince, you're the crown prince. You'll be king someday." "Don't remind me," Juice muttered, too low for his father to hear. He tuned out the rest of his father's speech, which he could almost recite by heart, and turned his thoughts to other matters. More than anything else, Juice did not want to be the first in line to the throne. He knew Alicia was more suited to the job, but the law was the law. If something didn't happen to him, he would be king. Unless, of course, Alicia called for the Challenge of Succession. Normally, the Challenge was fought to the death, with both siblings wanting the throne. But Juice didn't want it; he'd concede the Challenge as soon as the fight started. But no matter how he taunted and prodded his sister, she would not take the bait. If he encouraged her to make the Challenge outright, he knew it would invalidate the whole thing. So he was forced to be that way toward her, no matter how much it hurt. Juice heard his father stop talking and assumed he was waiting for an answer. Just as he was about to give one, a fluttering of grey caught his attention. When he turned to find it again, he slipped on a patch of mud and slid headfirst into a tree. "Ouch," he muttered, trying to clear the stars from his vision. Sonic ran back over and helped his son up. "Where'd you drift off to?" he asked, barely concealing a chuckle. "Hmm? Oh, nowhere important," Juice said, trying to keep his voice level. "Listen, Dad, would it be all right if I stayed here for a while? I want to do some more running, but I know you have to get back to the palace. Please Dad," he pleaded, without even giving Sonic a chance to answer. "We can finish this talk later." Sonic tilted his head to the side, apparently considering his son's request. "I suppose," he said slowly. "But don't be too late. We do have that official function to attend tomorrow, and you are not skipping out of this one." "Yeah yeah, you got it," Juice said distractedly. "I'll see you later then." He revved up and took off, heading for the center of Knothole. Sonic just shook his head and sighed as he ran back to the palace. He knew full well that Juice had not wanted to stay behind to do some running; he too had seen the flutter of grey. "Be careful, Juice," he thought. "Don't get too involved with something that can never be." A lithe figure watched from behind a hut as the king ran back to his palace. A soft sigh escaped her lips as she turned and leaned back against the wall. She had so wanted to make her presence known, but she knew she couldn't. Things were hard enough without the king being aware of what was transpiring. All this secrecy and sneaking around went against every fiber of her being, as one might expect from the daughter of Tanis and Rosie Shi-rat. But Angela would do anything to be with the one she loved. She glanced inside the window of the hut and saw a family of wolves playing together. More than anything, Angela wanted to have a family like that one day. Unfortunately, the one animal who held her heart was the one animal she could not have. She was a Holy One, in training, and a Shi-rat at that. When she turned eighteen in a couple years, she would be bound by the same covenant all the Holy Ones were. She would have to remain absolutely neutral in all things, not showing favoritism despite what her heart may dictate. And once this happened, any chance of a future for them together would be gone. Angela wrung her hands together, closing her eyes in an attempt to dispel the headache that had suddenly come upon her. There was only one way out of this mess, short of both of them running away together. And if he couldn't convince his sister.... A soft pressure on her lips stopped her thoughts dead in their tracks. Instinctively, she wrapped her arms around the animal in front of her and returned the kiss deeply. After what was surely only a few moments, but felt to her like an eternity, she pulled back slightly. "Juice," she murmured happily, not even needing to open her eyes to recognize the kiss of her beloved. Juice smiled softly, stepping back to look at the mouse he loved. Her fur was the purest white, whiter than the marble sculptures that adorned the walls of Sanctuary. By contrast, her hair was as pure black as the darkest pitch, flowing about her shoulders and back in waves of liquid night. And though her eyes were closed, he knew they were a misty grey, swirling like storm clouds on the horizon. She never wore any makeup, opting for a purely natural look instead of an artificial one. As always, she was clad in a simple grey robe cinched in at the waist by a belt inscribed with ancient runes. The robe and belt were rumored to have belonged to Iridal Shi-rat herself, and Juice knew Angela strived hard to live up to her ancestor's memory. In his eyes, she was the most beautiful creature on all of Mobius, though he knew he was far from unbiased. He loved her, it was as simple as that. But it wasn't, was it? He sighed and held his beloved close, enjoying the feel of her slender body pressed against his. Unlike Desir‚e, who was beautiful in a very sensual manner that could be compared to the heat of a summer sun; Angela was beautiful in a more serene way, like soft candlelight illuminating an angelic face. "You're thinking about it again, aren't you?" Angela whispered in his ear. Juice suppressed the shiver of delight that ran down his back when she did that. "How can I not?" he whispered back. "If Alicia never challenges me, then we can never be together. You have to be a Holy One, and I'll have to be king. Your vows...." Angela stopped him by laying a single finger across his lips. "I know," she murmured, "but there's nothing we can do about it right now. Just hold me right now." Juice did hold her, and he kissed her too. The worries of the world seemed to fall away as they embraced, until they only knew of each other's presence. He began to lay back, drawing Angela to lay atop him, ignoring the protesting voice of his conscience. It wasn't much, only the snapping of a twig in the distance, but it was enough to stop the couple. Angela pulled away and rolled to the side, her face flushed with desire, and Juice knew his face must be the same way. "We're not alone," he said slowly, both thanking and cursing the interruption. "It's for the best," Angela said, laying her head on his chest. But he heard the hesitation in her voice. He wrapped his arms around her and felt the sobs coming from her body, hating the fates that had made them love each other, only to keep them forever apart. From his perch in a nearby tree, a young fox watched the couple and sighed. It was painful to see how much they loved each other, only to have to break them up before it went too far. But that was his duty, and his honor. To Darrin D'Coolette, that was all he had. Darrin's sense of honor had been instilled in him almost from the moment of his birth, a mere five minutes after the birth of his sister, Desir‚e. His honor was very important to him because, to him at least, it was all he had. He knew he wasn't the strongest, fastest, or smartest; but he was the most honorable. Despite his small frame, he'd always be the first one to jump into a fight to try and break it up. Usually, that got him into more trouble than he stopped, however, and something would have to happen to get him out of it. Mostly, his sister or his parents would have to help him. But if Darrin was pushed too far, he would draw his sword and drive everyone back. His skill with the sword was unmatched by anyone, but he preferred not to use it as he could injure someone severely with even the simplest maneuver. And though he had no martial arts training himself, he inherited the ability to use the Starfire technique from his mother. Occasionally though, there was no room to use his sword, so he was forced to reveal his secret shame. His right arm, from shoulder to elbow, was robotic, and had been since he was born. He knew his father bore the same stigma, and that his mother was able to change three of her limbs between being robotic and normal, but neither of them had the deal with the prejudice he did. In their time, they were fighting for all of Mobius. Now, he stood out as a freak. The only ones who never made him feel that way were the kids around the palace, particularly the four he shared a birthday with. He, Desir‚e, Alicia, Juice, and Angela had been the closest of friends as long as he could remember. Darrin remembered their thirteenth birthday, and the start of the problem now before him. Juice had stolen away from the party, as usual, and had to be searched for. By sheer luck, Darrin had stumbled upon him talking with Alicia. The conversation seemed rather intense, or so he thought from where he watched. Without any indication of its coming, Angela had suddenly pulled Juice into a hug and kissed him soundly. Darrin had been shocked, to say the least. He later learned that he had been witness to the first kiss they shared, but he would have never guessed that by looking at them. Unfortunately, her parents had chosen that moment to show up and gasped at what they saw. Both had been given a severe talking to, but it hardly seemed as if they were paying attention. The two sets of parents soon realized this was not merely some infatuation or attraction, and tried to prevent it from gaining ground, knowing the hardships that would follow. But in the years since that night, nothing had worked, even enforced separation, and it seemed that nothing would. That was why he was here, to make sure they never were alone too long. The parents had long given up hope of keeping them apart, though they would never admit as much to these two, so they had assigned Darrin as their chaperone. He knew all the hidden passages and hiding spots in both the palace and Knothole, and he could shadow anyone silently and unseen in his camouflage garb, so he was perfect for the job. Beyond that, he respected them enough to give them privacy while letting them know they weren't alone. Darrin peered out from between the leaves again, just in time to see his charges walking off, hand-in-hand. He smiled slightly as he shadowed them from the treetops. He knew Juice could leave him in the dust any day, and be alone with Angela for a long enough time that it wouldn't matter even if Darrin did find them. But he was being shown the same respect he was showing them, and he was grateful for it. He jumped toward another branch when he suddenly got knocked out of the air by a orange blur. "No!" he yelled, speeding toward the ground. A gust of air slowed his descent so that he touched down lightly. "Are you all right, Darrin?" Angela asked, rushing to his side with Juice. "Yes, thank you," Darrin said, the quaver in his voice making his slight French accent more noticable. "What happened?" Juice asked, a bit of concern in his voice for his friend. "I have to apologize for that," a mature male voice said above them. As they watched, a fox with two tails slowly lowered to the ground, holding a female hedgehog by her hands. "I didn't think anyone would be out here so I was giving my kids some flying lessons." "It's all right, Mr. Prower," Darrin said respectfully. "Darrin, just call me 'Uncle Tails', all right?" Tails said with a chuckle. "And if you think of calling me anything other than 'Aunt Sondra'," Sondra said with a mock-hard edge to her voice, "you'll find some pointed crystals in your boots tomorrow." Darrin just shook his head. "All right, you win Aunt Sondra. For now, at least." Sondra nodded and looked toward the direction they had been flying in. "All right kids," she called, "you can come out now." "OK, Mom!" a pair of voices called, accompanied by a familiar swishing of tails. To the others standing there, it seemed like miniature versions of Tails and Sondra flew out of the treetops and landed before them, exactly as the big ones had...except for the landing. "Get off me!" the girl hedgehog yelled, pushing the fox off of her. "Sorry," the fox said, dusting himself off. "But I was supposed to land there." Now that they got a closer look at these two, differences could be seen. For one thing, the girl hedgehog had two bushy tails, just like her brother. For another, the boy fox' eyes were the same crystal blue of his sister's. Also, the boy was a few inches taller than the girl, as if a year or two older, though he could be no older than ten himself. "No, this is my spot," the hedgehog insisted. "You were supposed to land over there." "Kids," Tails said with a bit of an edge to his voice, letting his children know that he would take no more of that kind of arguing. "Sorry Daddy," they both said, looking down at their feet, though neither one sounded the least bit sorry. "Why don't we try that again," Sondra suggested, walking to stand before her children, "and you better mean it this time. Otherwise I'm sure I can convince your father not to give you any more flying lessons." "But Mom..." the young hedgehog whined. "No buts, Sarah," Sondra said looking her daughter eye-to-eye. "You know I'm fully serious about this." Sarah nodded slowly, letting her head hang. As such, she didn't see the face her brother made, but their father did. "Miles! You apologize to your sister right now." "Dad!" Miles III fairly screamed. "You know I don't like being called that name!" "Pardon me for interrupting," Darrin said smoothly, "but I think you should be honored to have your father's name." "A name even he doesn't like using?" Miles III asked. "He's got you there," Sondra whispered, nudging her husband in the ribs. Tails just shook his head. "All right, then what should we call you?" His son seemed at a loss momentarily, not really having considered it until just this moment. Then his eyes brightened up as he said, "I know! Just call me 'M3'." "M3, huh? Well, sounds good to me, but you know you'll still get teased about your real name." "I can handle it, as long as I have another name to give them." Darrin chuckled quietly, then suddenly looked around. "If you'll excuse me," he said quickly, "I have a certain prince and Holy-One-in-training to catch up to." As Darrin left among a round of chuckles, a dark figure sat watching them all quietly. "Be glad you can laugh now," it said, its voice fraught with pain and evil. "Very soon, there will be nothing to laugh about." Before anyone could realize it was even there, it slipped through a portal of darkness and vanished.