"Iridal's Tear" 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: First things first. I want to apologize to any of our fans who did not receive an e-mail from me after writing to us. As many of you know, Francis and I live in New York City, so the effects of September 11th hit very close to home. Fact is, I was supposed to be there that morning, but I slept in really late. That experience can change a person's life fairly quickly. But in addition, my sister has recently been diagnosed with cancer, and my father has just had a minor heart attack. Both are OK, but as one might guess the last few months have been very draining on me. Another change taking place in my life is the fact that I am returning to college this February to get my degree. It's been a long time since I've been in a classroom, but if I get through these last 2 classes I will graduate in June 2002. Wish me luck, I'm going to need it. As far as Francis is concerned, he's doing well. There's still no trouble with his transplanted kidney, and it's now been almost three and a half years. He wants to thank everyone for the support they've given over the years, and we promise to keep you better updated through faster stories. Take care everyone, and till next time, Happy Reading! Cast of Characters (in order of appearance) Maurice Hedgehog*** Patricia Hedgehog*** The Unholy One*** Tanin### Dest¡n### Maxwell### Hugo### Krella### Charisma### Nadia Osaya*** Donovan Osaya### Sir Charles Hedgehog Tanis Shi-rat*** Rosie Shi-rat Angela Shi-rat*** Prince Juice Hedgehog*** Darrin D'Coolette*** Princess Alicia Rose Hedgehog*** Desir‚e D'Coolette*** Queen Sally Alicia Hedgehog King Sonic Hedgehog DJ Osaya### Antoine D'Coolette Bunnie D'Coolette Knuckles Echidna Julie-Su Echidna James Echidna*** #31 Just outside the Desolate Sands lay a range of snow-topped mountains known to some as the Icy Peaks. While the name was quite accurate, it did not tell the whole story. In the lee of the mountains, the sides where no wind blows and which face the Sands, the rocky outcroppings are as dry and hot as the Sands themselves. But with all the rock around, the heat continues well into the night and the next morning, where the sun starts the process all over again. Legends have been told about these mountains, speaking of ruins with immense power, more than has ever been found on Mobius before. It is here we find a group of tents, far away from the comforts and familiarity of home, looking for what may...or may not be there. Maurice sat inside the central tent, out of the heat. Even though they had been glad when the war ended, he and his wife never lost their love for adventure. That was why they had jumped at the opportunity when the queen... no, when Sally had offered them the chance to head up a team of archaeologists exploring these ruins. Maurice sighed, fanning himself with a stack of papers he was supposed to be filling out. "What I wouldn't give to take a nice long swim in the pool," he thought, tossing the papers on the desk in front of him. "I don't know why we're even out here. This place has been so well looted I can guarantee we won't find anything of value. At least--" "Maurice, come quick!" Patricia yelled, sticking her head inside the tent flap. "We found something you need to see." Maurice rolled his eyes as he stood up. "No sooner did I say that," he muttered with a chuckle. "What'd you say," Patricia asked, smoothing back some blonde hair-quills that were going grey. "Nothing dear," Maurice said, wiping some sweat from his beard. "Let's go see what they found this time." "Try not to be so excited," Patricia needled her husband with a smile. "You could give yourself a heart attack." Maurice had to chuckle in spite of himself at that. "So what is it now? Some old pottery shards?" "Much, much better," Patricia answered, leading him down a recently excavated tunnel. "We've found what appears to be a burial chamber, one that's still sealed." "Still sealed? After all this time no one's found it?" "See for yourself; we're here." Maurice looked at the massive marble door before him in awe. "This is outstanding," he said, running his hands over the runes chiseled right into the stone. "I can't believe it's in such good repair. So what are we waiting for?" "Hold it," Patricia said, grabbing his arm before he could try to force the door open. "There's something you need to see." She pulled him over to one of the walls and brushed away some dirt from one of the many carvings. "What do you make of this?" Maurice looked at the carving and gasped. It seemed to be two symbols carved in such a manner as they appeared intertwined. The first symbol was unique, a symbol he had never seen before. But the second was one any citizen of Mobius would know. It was the sign of the House of Acorn. "I've never seen two symbols carved like this in my life," he whispered. "I was afraid you'd say that," Patricia said, rubbing her eyes in frustration. "We'll check the archives when we get back; I've already made a charcoal relief of it." "Good thinking," Maurice said, studying the symbols around the door. "I can't read all of it, but it appears to be a warning of some sort. Nothing like what happened with the Kavenoff, thank the Almighty, just to be prepared for what we may find inside...that 'some secrets may be better off left undiscovered.'" "You're lucky to read that much. I couldn't make heads or tails of it." "Well, I've never found a secret that I didn't want the answer to," Maurice said confidently, striding back to the doors. "Coming?" "Like you could leave me behind," Patricia smiled, placing her shoulder against the door and setting her feet. "On three then?" Maurice nodded. "Three." Fully expecting that, Patricia pushed with Maurice and the doors gave way easily. A powerful wind swirled through the opening, knocking both hedgehogs off their feet. To the other workers standing there, the face of a young, beautiful female mouse appeared. She appeared saddened for only a split second, and then the image was gone; the area empty once more. Maurice and Patricia got to their feet a touch shakily. They hadn't seen the apparition, but they'd felt its power. "Are you absolutely sure we should go in there?" Patricia asked her husband, pushing her hair-quills back out of her face. "As sure as I ever am," Maurice answered, taking the lone torch that had not been blown out and walking into the chamber. "Where have I heard that before?" Patricia muttered sarcastically, following close behind. "And here I thought I was the reckless one." "What can I say?" Maurice said over his shoulder. "Our son rubbed off on me." Walking quickly ahead to avoid his wife's comeback, Maurice nearly fell over what appeared to be a wooden box half as high as he was tall. Maurice put his hands on top of it to catch his balance and froze in surprise. The box was glossy and had a rounded lid, remarkably good condition for an artifact as old as it was supposed to be. But even that wouldn't account for the shock he felt when he got a good look at it. The box...no, coffin...seemed to nearly glow. Just from merely placing his hands on it, Maurice felt a calm enter him like he had never felt. No, not never, but only very rarely. In fact, the only time he had ever felt this peace was in.... "Sanctuary...." Maurice looked up quickly, surprised to hear his thoughts spoken aloud. Patricia stood just inside the doors, looking around in awe. "This chamber," she whispered reverently, "it feels like I'm in Sanctuary." Maurice took his hands from the coffin and paused a moment. His wife was right. Now that the excitement of the discovery had faded, he could tell that the peaceful aura did not emanate from the coffin; it permeated the entire chamber. He took a moment to take in the chamber as a whole. The walls were suffused with the same glow that came from the coffin. Sturdy wooden shelves sat on each of the walls, in as good repair as the coffin itself. On each shelf were artifacts that though completely ordinary looking, were assuredly priceless. "But how?" Maurice asked, his voice barely above a whisper. "This chamber...it must be the burial chamber of a Holy One," Patricia answered. "But no Holy One has ever been honored like this, unless...." Her voice trailed off as realization struck. "No...it's not possible." "You can't possibly think--" Maurice began before being cut off. "It has to be," Patricia said, her voice firm. "This is the burial chamber of Iridal Shi-rat herself; the one who forged the covenant of Tanak' Shi-rat." Maurice shivered slightly, and it wasn't from the coolness of the air in the chamber. "We should leave," he said, his voice quivering slightly. "We should leave and seal this place up like we never found it." "But think of what we could learn," Patricia protested, picking up a tightly wrapped bundle of scrolls. "Imagine the knowledge contained in these scrolls alone." "Fine," Maurice agreed reluctantly, "but let's not disturb anything else, especially the coffin." He turned to leave when a flash of light from the ground caught his eye. "What...?" "What did you find?" Patricia asked, placing the scrolls carefully in her bag. Maurice dropped into a squat and poked around the dirt floor with a gloved finger. He didn't see anything, but he soon felt his glove scrape something. He closed his hand around it and picked it up. When the dirt sifted away, a small crystal remained in his hand. "It's some kind of jewel, I think." Patricia looked over his shoulder as he stood up. "Might be just a crystal," she countered. "Still, it's the only thing I can see in this whole chamber not made from stone or wood. We should bring it with us, have your brother look at it." "Good idea," he said, slipping it into Patricia's bag. "Should we bring anything else with us?" Patricia looked around thoughtfully before shaking her head. "No, there will be plenty of time for that later. I want to get home in time to get ready for the party tonight." Maurice smacked his forehead with his gloved hand. "I knew I was forgetting something. As our son would say, juice time?" "Absolutely." Patricia and Maurice walked outside the chamber out of respect for the one who lay within. As soon as they were clear, she jumped into his arms and he took off, a sonic boom stirring up some dust in the hot air. What either one failed to realize, however, was a soft green glow coming from Patricia's bag. Someone else did notice, however, and the being smiled a cruel, evil smile. "It begins," he whispered, his face hidden within the shadows of his hooded robe. "Tanin!" he called, his voice echoing through the darkened halls of his castle. "Attend me." In a swirl of wind, a young mouse appeared. He wore dark black robes shot through with red, much as the being before him wore. His raven-black hair was cut short, almost blending in with his dark grey fur unless you looked carefully. And though he could be no older than seventeen, the pain in his dark blue eyes made one think he had seen tragedy far beyond his years. "Father," he said, dropping into a low bow. "What do you wish of me?" "Assemble your brethren," the being commanded. "The time is at hand when we shall make our move." "As you wish." Tanin bowed low once more and disappeared the same way he appeared. The dark being laughed, but it was a sound that chilled the bones of any animal who could hear it. "Soon, Guardian," he whispered, "soon our score will be settled." Tanin appeared outside one of the many bedrooms the black castle contained. "Dest¡n!" he called, knocking on the door. After a minute with no answer, Tanin sighed. "I should have known," he thought, opening the door and letting himself in. The room, like all the other bedrooms save one, had only the basic necessities: a bed, a dresser, and a lamp. It looked unoccupied, but Tanin knew better. He walked over to a cracked wall and thumped on it. "Wake up," he called, hitting the wall hard enough for small bits of stone to flake away. A yawn could be heard from the deepest crack in the wall. "Go away," a feminine voice said, sounding both bored and tired. Tanin rubbed his eyes and sighed. "Father is summoning us. All of us." "Tell him you couldn't find me." "You don't understand, Dest¡n," Tanin said with more patience then he felt. "It's time." A scraping sound could be heard as a head poked out of the crack, peering at Tanin with dull, grey eyes through hair nearly the same color. "Are you serious?" "Quite so," Tanin said, stepping back. Dest¡n sighed, slid all the way out of the crack, and stretched. As a ferret, her body was slender and willowy. So it wasn't surprising that she had fit that far into the crack in the wall. Her movements had a grace of their own, like those of a gymnast's. She lazily brushed some dirt from her fur, but it didn't help much because her fur was the color of the dirt. Her clothing consisted of a vest, gloves, and a pair of sneakers all a deep black. It was worn thin in a few areas, and looked like it hadn't been changed in a while. But since Dest¡n was known more for sleeping than doing any sort of work, Tanin wasn't the least bit surprised. "All right, all right," she said, sounding annoyed, "I'll be there." "Soon, I hope," Tanin said knowingly. "I expect you to be there before I return with the others." "Yeah, yeah," Dest¡n said, waving him away. "Don't let the door hit you on the way out." Tanin shook his head and disappeared in a swirl of wind, "accidentally" knocking Dest¡n over. "Show off," she muttered. Tanin next appeared on the roof of the castle. Dark, menacing clouds swirled overhead, occasionally cut through by jagged lightning. For most Mobians, it would look like a huge downpour was getting ready to start. For Tanin and the other denizens of the castle however, it was as normal as this place ever got. The only other occupant of the roof was a rat that might be considered ordinary, except for its size. While not as big as Robotnik was, he was at least a full head taller than a normal rat. He wore a tattered trenchcoat over his blackish-grey fur, and his black hair was matted and unkempt. He stared out into the perpetual gloom through eyes nearly as white as the lightning that arced across the clouds. "Maxwell," Tanin intoned, "Father is summoning us. It is time." "Is it once again time to cause suffering upon this world?" the rat asked, sounding oddly hopeful. "Indeed," Tanin answered, pulling his robe more closely about him. "But the misery we cause today will pale against what will come if we are successful. Do not forget that." Maxwell smiled, showing sharp and jagged teeth. Without another word, he left his perch and started down into the castle, muttering something about misery and pain. Tanin waited till he was gone to alert his next cohort. He simply stepped off the roof and appeared in the courtyard below. A large grey bulldog, even taller than Maxwell, stood there punching a boulder aimlessly. A black turtleneck covered his massive torso and a similarly colored skullcap sat on the top of his bald head. His right eye was ringed by white fur, making his black eyes stand out all the more. "Hugo," Tanin called, his voice rising above the din. "Father has sent for us. It's time." Hugo paused in mid-punch and turned to look at Tanin. "Hugo crush?" he asked slowly. "Father will explain everything. Go to the meeting hall." Hugo stared at Tanin a moment, dullness written across his features. With a disinterested shrug, he shuffled off toward the castle, flattening anything in his path. Tanin sighed inwardly. Of all those he lived with, Hugo was by far the most simple-minded. Not that it was necessarily a bad thing, but it could be trying at the best of times. Unless it was limited to something Hugo liked, namely crushing something, it usually took more than a few tries to get him to understand. Clearing his mind, Tanin focused on his next location, the library, and was there in seconds. Being in the basement, the room had a musty, damp atmosphere that any historian would tell you couldn't be good for preserving books. But due to the nature of this castle, only a couple books showed the first traces of decay. In the middle of the enormous stacks sat a sturdy wooden table, piled high with whatever couldn't be fit into the stacks. Though Tanin couldn't see around the other side of the tomes, his ears picked out the distinct sound of pages turning. "Krella," he called loud enough so that his voice would carry around the books. "Yes Tanin, what is it?" a softspoken yet distracted voice asked from behind the books. "Father is summoning us. It's time." "OK, I'll be up there in a little bit. I just have to finish...." the voice trailed off as Tanin' words sunk in. "Wait a minute. Did you just say, 'It's time'?" "Indeed," Tanin answered patiently. "Well why didn't you say so in the first place?" Tanin could hear a chair sliding backward just before a female fox popped up into view. Bright green eyes stared at Tanin from behind a pair of reading glasses, a slight look of annoyance in them. Her dark red hair was pulled back in a bun, and her orange and white fur was impeccably clean. She wore a loose, long-sleeved blouse and a skirt that fell to her ankles, both a drab brown but crisp and neat. "I thought I did," Tanin commented, shrugging slightly. Krella paid him no mind, her bushy tail twitching back and forth excitedly. She hurried around, gathering scrolls and books while glaring at Tanin. "Oh, never mind. Where do we have to go, what do we have to do? So many plans, so little time. Did you get everybody yet?" Tanin privately marvelled at the fact that Krella said all that without having to take so much as one breath. Aloud, he said, "Everyone but one." Krella twisted her lips to the side. "Let me guess the one." "No need," Tanin said. "As for the rest of it, Father will explain when we are all present. I'll see you there." "Where is 'there'?" "The meeting hall, where else?" With those words, Tanin disappeared in a flash of light. "Well, there was that one time he had us meet him in the basement," Krella thought, shouldering open the library door and stumbling into the hallway. She made her way through the torch-lit underground hallways to the single staircase that led to the ground floor. As she climbed the stairs, she went over a number of strategies she had spent her free time putting together for this eventuality. So lost was she in her thoughts that she didn't really notice when she passed the front gates and almost walked into someone. "Hey, watch where you're going!" a feminine voice yelled, annoyed. Krella's features twisted into a look of disgust. "Nice to see you finally showed up, Charisma," she said sarcastically, peering around the books she carried. Charisma grinned and studied her long black fingernails, completely ignoring Krella. From her name, it could be safely guessed that this cat was somewhat on the attractive side; but that would be a serious understatement of the facts. Her pure white fur was well cared for and looked as soft as silk. Bright green eyes stared mischievously out from behind wisps of tawny hair that curved around her shoulders to fall down her back. Her body was nearly perfect in every way, and her colorful, tight clothing showed every curve off in the best possible manner. "Well?" Krella demanded. "Where have you been?" When Charisma continued to act as if she hadn't heard her, Krella took a deep breath to stay calm. "Well, OK I'll leave you alone." She started walking away, but said over her shoulder, "But when Father wants to talk to you about not coming to the meeting because it's time, don't come crying to me." "It's time?" Charisma asked, surprised. "Then why did you just say that instead of your usual rambling?" Without giving Krella a chance to answer, she grabbed a dark black cloak from a rack nearby and put it on, making sure it covered every hint of her bright clothing. "I'll meet you there," she said, hurriedly wiping the makeup from her face. Krella shook her head and continued down the hallway. Before she got out of sight though, she heard Charisma call, "By the way, where are we meeting?" Krella sighed and called back, "The meeting room, where else?" Not expecting any thanks, she turned the corner and continued on. It was bad enough that she had to live with that girl, but she wasn't going to be nice about it. After all, most things she stood for Krella couldn't stand. Krella was the brains of the group, always strategizing, always planning and researching, determined to make every variable accounted for. Charisma, on the other hand, used her looks and wiles instead of her brains. She was constantly perfecting the art of seduction to make any man fall under her sway and reveal all his deepest secrets. Krella sighed and leaned against the wall a moment. She knew they all had a part to play in Father's plans, and Charisma was only doing her job. And yet, it irked her to no end hearing the information Charisma had gathered, knowing full well she had probably slept with a guy to get it. But surely Father knew what was best, and that was all there was to it. The one everyone referred to as "Father" sat in the meeting room, awaiting the arrival of all his "children" before beginning. Dest¡n, Hugo, Maxwell, and Tanin had already gathered, and a book-laden Krella soon entered. A moment later, Charisma followed, her black cloak pulled tightly around her. He studied Charisma carefully a moment and he could see her flinch under his gaze. One rule he enforced in his home was that no bright colors could be worn within its walls, at least within view of him. Charisma was the only one to test that rule, and then only because she could not carry out her duties wearing black all the time. Satisfied that she had everything covered, he rose from his seat and raised his arms. "The time has come my children," he intoned in a voice that seemed to echo off the walls. "The first artifact is found and must be recovered. It is time those weak fools felt our presence." Looks of sadistic glee crossed the six faces before him as their eyes burned with an unholy light. "You have been prepared for this all your lives;" he called as wisps of pure darkness flowed from his upraised hands, surrounding the Fallen Ones as he worked his magic on them, "do not fail me. Go, my Fallen Ones, and bring Chaos to their lives." Later that evening, a full celebration was in the works in Mobotropolis, marking the anniversary of Robotnik's defeat at the hands of Sonic. And though the whole city was celebrating, the biggest party by far was at the palace. All the Freedom Fighters and their families were there, laughing, eating, drinking, and having a great time. Well, almost everyone was at the party. "Donovan!" Nadia nearly yelled, tapping her foot impatiently. "The party's already started. If we wait much longer we'll miss the whole thing!" Donovan sighed and turned from the security console he had been studying for the past fifteen minutes. "Nadia, you know we have to have at least two security personnel here at all times," he explained patiently. "Until my replacement arrives, I'm stuck here. You can go; I'll meet up with you there." "Fat chance," Nadia muttered, smoothing out her dress. It was the same dress she had worn almost seventeen years ago at the triple wedding, and she was more than a little proud she had been able to maintain her figure. Of course, it was easy to do so between Bunnie's martial arts lessons and her sparring sessions with Donovan. A slight blush rose to her cheeks as she thought of where those sessions usually ended up. Nadia was startled out of her thoughts by the door slamming open. "Sorry I'm late, sir," a flustered chipmunk said, snapping to attention. "I got--" "I'm not interested in your excuses," Nadia said, cutting Donovan off before he could even speak. "My husband and I should be at that party now with our son instead of waiting for your sorry behind to show up. Now man your post before I throw you there!" "Yes, ma'am," the chipmunk stuttered, nearly falling into the seat Donovan just stood up out of and whirling around to watch the monitors. "Shall we go?" Nadia asked Donovan sweetly, taking his arm. Donovan nodded and turned to the other guard, a hedgehog. "Make sure you man the alarms. If anything shows up, anything at all, don't hesitate to press it." "Yes, sir." Donovan nodded and turned to go, casting one last glance back at the skittish chipmunk. "You know, he'd do a better job if you didn't scare him half to death," he pointed out to Nadia. "He's lucky that's all I did to him," Nadia muttered. "Come on, I don't want to be later than we already are." "By the way, how is the translation of those scrolls going?" Nadia's eyes darkened slightly. She retained most of the knowledge she held as a computer, it was just locked away in the back of her mind until such time as she needed it. To keep herself busy during the day, she had taken to translating all the old books that only a few select animals knew how to read. So when the scrolls had been opened and the contents unreadable even by computer, she was the natural choice to decode them. "Slowly, if at all," she said with a sigh. "I translated the first line easily enough, but the rest of it is unknown even to me. It seems like that secret code of the Holy Ones I found that one time we were looking for information on the Dragon's Heart, yet it is so very different. I get the feeling there is a code within a code somehow." "What was the line you translated? Perhaps it holds some clue." "I doubt it. It reads, 'Contained herein is the diary of Iridal Shi-rat.' Not much to go on, is it?" Donovan looked thoughtful for a moment as they neared the ballroom. "I see what you mean. It might be best to show Tanis this when you get a chance. He might be able to help you translate it." "All right, but after that we forget about work and enjoy ourselves," Nadia agreed. "And no arguments either, hear me?" At the celebration, Uncle Chuck was talking to his brother about what had been brought to him. "I've never seen anything like it," he admitted. "It's like no other crystal I've ever studied." "That's because it isn't," a quiet voice said behind him. Maurice turned suddenly in surprise, but calmed quickly when he saw a familiar mouse standing there. "You shouldn't sneak up like that, Tanis," he said. "I'm getting too old for that." "You're just a little younger than me, Charles," Maurice said with a small grin. "My apologies, old friend," Tanis said with a slight smile. "When I heard from your sister-in-law what was found, and I had to rush over right away. You see, there is a legend involving that crystal that has been passed down from generation to generation in my family. "It is said that on her deathbed, my ancestor, Iridal, was granted a vision by the Almighty of the final judgement of the planet. As her last breath escaped her, a single tear was shed, becoming the crystal you found. No one knows if the tear was shed in happiness or grief though, though all of my line have had their own theories. The only thing known is that once the tear is removed from its resting place, a great change will overtake the planet. And, as before, we don't know if it will be for good, or for evil." "An interesting story," Uncle Chuck said, rubbing his chin. "Were it not for what I've seen with my own eyes, I'd discount it as a mere fairy tale. But I know better. Tell me, do you think you could unlock the secrets of the crystal?" "I'd certainly welcome the chance to study it." "We'd welcome the chance," Rosie said, seeming to appear out of nowhere at Tanis' arm. "Sometimes my husband forgets that we work as a team now." "And how could I forget when you remind me so often?" Tanis joked with a smile. Rosie smiled sweetly, and Tanis immediately knew it meant trouble. "I hope you find those benches comfortable tonight," she murmured just loud enough for him to hear. Tanis sighed and shook his head, ignoring the questioning glance from Maurice and his brother. He opened his mouth to apologize to his wife, but then he saw something out of the corner of his eye that made his expression turn serious. "Uh oh," he sighed. "What, what is it?" Rosie asked, concerned by Tanis' sudden change in attitude. She turned to look where he was looking and stopped. "Oh boy," she murmured. "Here we go again." The objects of the stares of these two Holy Ones were oblivious to them. But to be fair, they were oblivious to everything and everyone but each other at the moment. One of them, a teenage white mouse dressed in a grey dress that fell gently to her knees, murmured contentedly to her dance partner, "This is where I've always been meant to be." Her dance partner, a brown hedgehog the same age as her dressed in a royal looking jacket, smiled as he led her into a turn. "You mean out here, on the dance floor?" he asked. Her hand met his shoulder just a bit harder than was needed as they continued their dance. "You know what I mean Juice. Your arms are where I'm meant to be." Juice chuckled and stole a quick kiss from his partner on the next spin. "I know Angela, but sometimes I like to hear it anyway." Angela rolled her eyes as she completed the spin, the skirt of her dress flaring out slightly. "So, any sign of our chaperone tonight?" "You mean the one standing right over there?" he asked, darting his eyes over to a nearby wall. Angela followed his gaze and sighed. Standing so that he had the best possible view of the dance floor, Darrin stood at full attention in his guard's uniform, not taking his eyes off them for even a second. "You'd think Antoine would've given him the night off to enjoy himself," she murmured. "He probably would have, if Darrin had anyone to enjoy himself with." "Good point. Still, it's kind of sad when you think about it." "He'll find someone. If I can do it, he can." "Yes, but will he be able to stay with the one he finds, like we--" "Hush," Juice said, placing a finger over her lightly pink lips. "None of that tonight. Let's just have fun with each other." Angela nodded and kissed Juice's finger as they continued dancing under the watchful eyes of Darrin. Off near the refreshment table, Alicia and Desir‚e stood sipping some punch and watching the couples on the dance floor. "I wish I had someone to be out there with," Alicia said wistfully. "Why don't you dance with my brother?" Desir‚e asked with a smirk. They both wore simple dresses similar to what Angela wore, even though Desir‚e would have liked to wear something more daring, but they had agreed to dress alike for this party. While Angela's was a soft grey, Alicia's was sky blue and Desir‚e's was a hot pink. The only thing one had that the others didn't was that Alicia was wearing her tiara. Alicia rolled her eyes at Desir‚e's comment and wouldn't even answer. It was true that she and Darrin had had a crush on each other at one point, but that was years ago. When they had shared a first kiss, they both decided it was too much like kissing their siblings and agreed to leave it at just friends. Since then, Desir‚e had often tried to jokingly get them back together, but all it did now was remind Alicia that she had nobody. "Hey, ease up, Alicia-gal," Desir‚e said, slipping into her mother's accent with a smirk. "Squeeze that cup any harder and we'll be pulling glass out of your hand for a week." "Hmm?" Alicia looked down at the cup in her hand and saw a slight crack near her fingers. Blushing, she quickly set down the cup and picked up another one. "Thanks," she muttered, taking a sip. "Don't mention it. Besides, getting punch all on that pretty dress in front of your parents would have been really embarassing." "In front of...." Alicia gulped and turned around, a smile quickly on her lips. "Mom! Dad! I....err, didn't hear you." "So it would seem," Sally said with a small smile. "Even though we were calling your name for about a minute now." Alicia blushed even more and looked to Desir‚e for help, but she was nowhere to be seen. "Thanks a lot, Des," she muttered. "What was that?" "Oh, nothing. So, enjoying your party, Dad?" "Yeah I guess," Sonic said, trying to loosen the collar of his jacket somewhat. "You know," Sally said in a stage whisper to her daughter, "by how he acts now, you'd never know he used to be a glory hog." "Cut it out, Sal," Sonic grumbled. "I just don't see the point of celebrating something I did seventeen years ago. If they want to have a party, it sohuld be for what we've done recently, keeping the planet at peace." "And if it weren't for you, my love, we wouldn't have peace to begin with," Sally pointed out gently, giving Sonic a kiss on the lips. "That's why we celebrate your victory over Robotnik like this. It was a rebirth of our world, and of every Mobian we de-roboticized." "Yeah, I guess." "You know she's right, Dad," Alicia pointed out. "After all, she's told you this every year for the past ten years." "But he doesn't have to like it," Sally said before Sonic could, getting a giggle out of her daughter. "Now that's better. No more moping tonight. It is supposed to be a celebration after all." "I'll try, Mom. I promise." "Good. Now, if you'll excuse your father and me, we have to continue making our rounds." Alicia nodded and smiled as her parents walked away arm-in-arm. "I hope I find someone like that one day," she thought. In one of the least crowded areas of the room, DJ sat near the wall, drinking a cup of punch. He had sat in the same spot every year since he had first come to these parties, trying to remain as inconspicuous as possible. Of course, that was hard to do when you were using your tail as a chair. But other than an odd glance here and there, no one paid him much attention. He didn't mind being left to himself too much, especially because he didn't know the first thing about dancing. No sooner had that thought passed through his mind then he felt a hand touch his shoulder gently. "Would you like to dance with me, DJ?" a very familiar voice asked. Startled, DJ jumped slightly and dropped his cup. If he had not already finished with it, his white shirt and clip-on tie would be permanently stained pink. He glanced over his shoulder and waved to the rabbit standing behind him. "Hello to you to," Desir‚e said with a smile. "So how about it? Care to give this lady a dance partner?" DJ twisted his lips to the side at the question. With one hand he pointed at his left foot. With the other, he held up two fingers. "Oh, I know you have two left feet," Desir‚e said, chuckling. "But it won't matter with the next song coming up." DJ raised one eyebrow in confusion, and Desir‚e just twitched one of her long ears toward the band. Just then, a slow, romantic song started up. His eyes widened impossibly as surprise and shock registered on his face. Desir‚e hid a giggle with one hand, still holding the other out toward him. After the reality set in that yes, she really was asking him, all he could think about was why she wanted to dance with him. "That's easy," Desir‚e said, reading his thoughts through his eyes. "Because I want to dance with you. Simple enough?" With no ready comeback for that, DJ simply shrugged and placed his hand in hers. Desir‚e pulled him up and led him to a less crowded area of the dance floor and they simply held each other and swayed in time to the music. Back at the security room, the chipmunk sighed as he clicked through the monitors one by one. "They're all having such a good time," he told his co-worker. "I wish I were there instead of stuck here." "I'll remember to tell the boss' wife you said that," the hedgehog said, causing the chipmunk to cringe visibly. "Now quit griping and concentrate on your job." "Yessir." Five minutes later, another sigh was cut off by a soft knocking at the door. "I'll get it," he said, jumping at any chance to alleviate his boredom. "You know it's against policy to open the door," the hedgehog warned. "Use the monitor." "Whatever," the chpimunk said, clicking on the monitor. Static filled the screen, obscuring whatever it was supposed to be showing. "Stupid thing's on the fritz again," he muttered as another knock was heard. "Ah forget it." "Just call maintenance and...." the hedgehog rolled his eyes in annoyance as his co-worker opened the door. "Idiot," he muttered, placing his hand over the alarm button, just in case. "May I help you?" the chipmunk started to ask before he got a good look at who was standing at the door. A tight black spandex bodysuit hugged what had to be the best figure he had ever seen. A pure white tail swayed sensuously behind her. Locks of blond hair obscured the girl's face, but he could still see bright green eyes peeking out from behind them. He let his eyes roam over her form shamelessly, only bringing them back up to her face as she started to speak. "Why yes," she purred, identifying herself as a cat just by her voice, "I was on my way to the party, but this is my first time inside the palace and I got lost. I'm so glad I found the security room; surely you gentlemen could help me find my way there, couldn't you?" The chipmunk was stunned into silence as she walked past him into the room, caressing his cheek with the tip of her tail. The hedgehog, on the other hand, was outraged. "This is a restricted area," he said, almost forgetting to keep his hand on the alarm button. "I'm going to have to ask you to leave, now. I'll give you directions when you're on the other side of the door." "Oh, but you don't expect a beautiful girl like me to be dangerous," she said, caressing the hedgehog's cheek with her right hand. "Do you?" she asked, scratching him with the nail on her pointer. The hedgehog flinched away at the sudden pain, then slumped to the floor unconscious. "What the?" the chipmunk exclaimed, shaken out of his trance. But before he could move, she spun and lashed out at him, cutting his cheek with the same nail. The last thing he saw before he passed out was a death's head staring back at him. "Well, it's about time," Krella said, walking into the room and sitting down at the console. Her normal attire was replaced by a vest shirt, slacks, and overcoat, all pure black. Her hair was pulled back into a single braid instead of the normal bun, and her face had the same glamour on it that Charisma's did. But the most shocking change of all was her voice. Gone was the softspoken, small voice she'd had at the castle. Now her voice was authoritative and commanded immediate respect and attention. "We're starting to fall behind schedule here." "If you had told me there would be two of them, I could've been better prepared," Charisma retorted. "Whatever," Krella said, waving her hand dismissively. "Just go keep watch in the hallway." She hooked up an earpiece that was hidden by the illusion covering her face to the console. "Can everyone hear me?" she called into the microphone as she pulled the tapes from the recording cameras and replaced them with her own. Hearing affirmatives from the other four, she said, "The plan is a go. I repeat, it is a go. You all know what to do. And stay awake Dest¡n!" she yelled as an afterthought. "Fine, just give me the count," she heard Dest¡n say irritably through a yawn. At the doors leading to the ballroom, a dark fog began to fill the hallway. "What's going on here?" one of the guards asked, peering into the fog. "Who's there?" "Oh, no one special," a strangely tortured voice said. "Just your normal everyday party crashers." Those immediately inside the doors heard twin screams, and then a large thud. The music cut off and murmurs rose from the suddenly uneasy crowd. Without warning, the doors crashed open and in stepped two figures, a large bulldog and a crazed rat. Both were dressed as they had been, but the death's heads that replaced their faces seemed to grin with inhuman glee. Some screams rose up from those nearby as everyone backed away, giving these two seeming apparitions a wide berth. "What is the meaning of this?" an elder guardsman said, forcing his way through the crowd to stand in front of the trespassers. If he was at all perturbed by their appearance, he refused to show it. The two looked at each other and the rat stepped aside, nodding his head to the bulldog. With unbelievable speed, the bulldog grabbed the guard's head in one large hand and slammed him into the wall. Not a sound escaped the unfortunate animal's lips as he slid to the floor, a smear of blood left on the wall. "Hugo smash," the bulldog said happily. The rat, meanwhile, was surveying the frightened crowd, looking for someone in particular. When he saw Nadia, he stared at her until she looked his way. Once their gazes met, she stiffened in fear, unable to look away. Loosing an unearthly scream, she fell to the ground and curled up in a shivering ball. "Nadia!" Donovan yelled, dropping to his knees beside her. "Now that we have your attention," Maxwell said, tilting his head slowly to either side and holding his arm to the side, "it's time for the misery and suffering to begin!" With that, a flaming runesword appeared in his outstretched hand, which he brought down in a slash at anyone nearby. Mass hysteria gripped the room as most within tried to flee. Antoine and Bunnie were trying to marshal the guards to protect the king and queen, but their voices could barely be heard over the panic. Maxwell saw what they were trying to do and smiled. "Have you ever seen a speedster's head roll?" he asked Hugo. Hugo smiled that goofy grin of his. "Hugo crush." Together, they moved through the screaming animals, moving anyone who lingered out of their way by whatever means they could, heading straight for the royal couple. But before they got there, a brown blur streaked in front of them, tackling Hugo down hard. "You're not going anywhere near them," Juice said, standing over a slightly dazed Hugo. "Your game is over!" Maxwell cried, swinging his sword at Sonic's neck. Sonic grabbed Sally and dodged out of the way, but he saw he didn't have to. Darrin had stepped in front of the rat, had turned away Maxwell's sword with his own and now stood at the ready. "You want them? You get through me first," he said in a low voice. "You help Juice," Desir‚e said, stepping in front of him with Alicia and Angela. "We'll handle the weird rat." Darrin nodded and ran over to where Hugo was just starting to rise. "No, it can't be," Tanis said, staring at the rat. As a Holy One, he could see through the magic that guarded his identity to the evil underneath, an evil he thought vanquished so many years ago. "It can't be him. We destroyed him." "Obviously he's back somehow," Rosie said, her magic crackling in her fingertips. "Let's send that blasted Kavenoff back to the Abyss once and for all this time." "Like you sent my soul there, Mother?" Tanin asked, stepping out of the crowd. Like the others, his face was a death's head, but again both Tanis and Rosie could see through it. "By the Almighty," Tanis breathed, stepping back. "I banished you!" "That which can be banished can be returned. You above all animals should know that, Father," Tanin sneered. While Tanis and Rosie were distracted by the specter of their unborn son, Desir‚e struck out at the new host of the Kavenoff spirit. While her kick was blocked, she moved quickly to the side before he could strike back. Her place was quickly taken by Alicia, who landed a quick double punch before he could regroup. While he was reeling from that, Angela hit him with a kick to the stomach and an uppercut. It soon became like a dance to them. Striking, weaving, stepping to the side in turn before lunging back in with another blow. Maxwell, for all his fury, could not keep up with the constantly changing fighting styles and was soon disarmed and prone on the ground. Angela cast a swift spell, binding him to the floor before he could recover. Juice and Darrin had an easier time with Hugo. For all his strength and suddenness, his blows were looping and predictable. Between Juice's speed and Darrin's sword, he didn't stand a chance, and was soon unconscious next to Maxwell. "That'll teach you to wreck our party," Juice said, wiping some sweat from his forehead. Tanin looked over in concern, taking his attention from his "parents" for a split second. "Now Tanin!" Krella yelled over the comlink. "Get us out of here now!" "Much as I would love to stay," Tanin smirked, a dark wind rising about his form, "my new father expects us home. Until next time, Shi-rat." He disappeared before anyone could stop him, taking all of his brethren with him. "What?" Angela exclaimed, looking at where Maxwell had just been bound. "How did he.... What just happened?" "He ran away with his tail between his legs," Desir‚e said cockily. "Guess they figured out they couldn't handle us." Bunnie marched up to them and smacked each girl in the back of the head, hard. "What were you thinking!" she yelled at them. "You never use your best attacks in the first battle. Now they know what you're capable of, and they can figure out how to stop you next time. And trust me, there will be a next time. I am going to see all of you in my dojo at sunrise tomorrow or I will come to your bedrooms and drag you there by your ears! Yes, even you Angela, and don't think I won't!" The girls looked down, chastised. They simply nodded, keeping their head bowed. DJ stood to the side, looking out over the carnage filled room. He alone thought that something was wrong, that something was missing. This was too simple and straightforward, with no seeming rhyme or reason. He knew there had to be more. Little did he realize that his answer lay in the security room, where one of the cameras focused in on the vault in the Science Lab, opened and missing only one thing...Iridal's Tear. Somewhere on the planet, a lone figure had watched all this through a monitor. Switching it off, he murmured to himself, "So, the first move has been made. Let's see how the 'Freedom Fighters' counterstrike.... If they can." Later that night, while the palace was still in an uproar, three echidnas slept peacefully, unaware of what had transpired. Then, two of them awoke, a sharp pain shooting through their heads. As one, they moved quickly to the now empty Emerald Chamber and stood side by side. "So," the elder one said, "you felt it too." "Yes, Father," the younger replied. "But is it possible?" "Anything is possible James," Knuckles said, as one of the pedestals began to glow green. "And now we must prepare. We thought it was at an end, but tonight, it has begun anew."