"Sonic's Journey" Authors: Robert Brown-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). 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'd like to thank Min Kim, one of our fans, for alerting me to Sonic's middle name. That was the inspiration for one of the character names below. This has to be one of the hardest stories we have written. Simply put, we have drawn on our own imagination for much of this story. We deal with an area of Mobius not documented that well in the cartoon. In fact, it was never really mentioned. All we know is that Mobotropolis fought a Great War against an opponent. In this story, you will see the remnants of that war. I hope you enjoy this, because I feel it is one of our best. Till next time, happy reading! Cast of Characters (in order of appearance) Sonic Hedgehog Uncle Chuck Princess Sondra Acorn*** Princess Sally Acorn Miles "Tails" Prower Rosie Tanis Shi-rat*** Maurice Hedgehog*** Patricia Hedgehog*** Alexi Kavenoff### #10 Sonic hunched down in his coat, a cold wind blowing in his face. It was hard trying to find Uncle Chuck's hideout in all this snow. He was sure he was close, but everything pretty much looked the same under a layer of white. Sonic knocked experimentally at a few piles of snow. Eventually, one opened to his knocking and he hurried inside. "That you, Sonny-boy?" a welcome voice asked from inside. "Yeah, Unc," Sonic said, removing his hood. "What brings you out in such weather?" Uncle Chuck asked, walking to his nephew and giving him a hug. "We gotta talk," Sonic said, returning the hug. He walked with his uncle to his control console. "I gather you heard I got captured, right?" "So it was true," Uncle Chuck said thoughtfully. "I thought it was all a trick by Snively to get me out of hiding. What happened?" "Seems Snively got some new SWAT-butts." "Yes, those AI SWATbots he's been building," Uncle Chuck interrupted. "But all the intelligence I gathered pointed to those robots being failures." "Well, they ain't. They captured me and there wasn't a thing I could do about it." "Stop being so hard on yourself, Sonic," Uncle Chuck said encouragingly. "Everyone has off days." "You sound just like Sally," Sonic said, smiling momentarily. "No, Unc, it's not just an off day. I've been...distracted lately." "Oh, why?" Uncle Chuck asked, sitting down in his chair and typing a few things. "I never told you what really happened in the Void. Maybe it's time I did." Sonic sat down awkwardly on the floor. "When we faced the Void, it offered each of us what it thought was our deepest desire. It told me that my parents were still alive and it could tell me how to find them." Uncle Chuck suddenly stopped typing. His hands, now trembling, clenched slowly into fists. "It's impossible," he whispered. "They couldn't be alive after all this time." "Unc, I need to know. What happened to them? Why did they leave me?" "Forget it, Sonic," Uncle Chuck said abruptly. "Forget you ever heard about them. It's all lies; they can't be alive." "C'mon, Unc, please tell me," Sonic pleaded. "No, Sonic, I won't tell you. All this could bring is heartache." "Well, I'm going to find them, with or without your help," Sonic declared, standing. "Now, in this weather?" Uncle Chuck demanded. "You won't survive long out there! Think about what you're saying! If you don't come back, think of what would happen to Sally and the others." "I am thinking about them!" Sonic yelled, rounding on his uncle. "I'm no good to them like this! If I keep getting distracted, how are we gonna beat Snively? I have to find some answers." Uncle Chuck stared into Sonic's eyes, trying to measure his determination. Sonic never even flinched, even when his uncle's eyes glowed red. "All right, Sonic," Uncle Chuck said finally, defeated. "I'll tell you what I know." Sonic smiled, wiping his forehead. "You had me going there for a while, Unc," Sonic admitted, sitting down on the floor again. Uncle Chuck took a deep breath before he began. "When you were two years old, your parents were summoned in front of the king and asked to perform a very special mission. You see, the Great War was still going on, and your parents were among the king's best operatives. He wanted them to infiltrate the enemy's government and leak out information directly to Julian." "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Wait a minute," Sonic interrupted. "Are you telling me that my parents were spies?" "Don't make it sound so negative, Sonic. After all, I'm spying on Snively, ain't I? Your parents were instrumental in winning the war! The information they found helped save countless lives. Without them, the war might have continued on another five or so years." "If they were so important, why is this the first I heard about them?" "I'm getting to that. After the war was over, the enemy government imprisoned in Mobotropolis, they stayed behind to see if there was anything that could be of use in the future. They told me that they would be home in a couple of weeks. We were planning a big welcome home party. "But then the unthinkable happened. One of our units, not having been notified about the end of the war, launched an attack on their palace, reducing it to rubble. Your parents were inside at the time. We had hoped that they made it out, but we could find no trace of them. And then the coup happened a few weeks later, and, well, you know the rest." Sonic just stared at his uncle. "So why did you never tell me about them before now?" Uncle Chuck fidgeted in his chair. "Well, you had no memory of them by that time, and I decided to leave well enough alone. When you did ask, I tried to stay off the subject, knowing that you would forget about it soon enough." Sonic stood up silently. "Unc, I have to find out if they escaped. I just have to know." "Sonic, be reasonable. Even if they did escape, how could they survive for twelve years on their own? We know they didn't hook up with any of the Freedom Fighter groups the king gave Sally. Forget about this." "I can't, Unc. You know that." Uncle Chuck sighed. "Yeah, I know. You're just like your father was at your age." "Can you tell me about them? Anything I could use to find them?" Uncle Chuck nodded sadly. "Your father, my brother, was named Maurice. Like I said, just like you are now: good lookin' and always cookin'. You inherited your speed from him." "I did? But you said you didn't know where my speed came from. You only thought it was genetic." "Another lie. Super speed has been passed down in our family for generations, always from eldest son to eldest son. It was our family's best kept secret. The power rings were actually supposed to be for him and you." "How many lies, Unc?" Sonic demanded. "How many?" "I lost track, Sonic," he said, turning away. "And my mother?" "Patricia was a beautiful hedgehog. She had a body that could stop a robot at ten paces. There was a way she could toss her hair-quills that would make any man forget what he was doing. Her beauty was matched only by her sharp wit and even sharper tongue. She could argue with the best of them, always ready with a comeback. Once, Maurice and I both courted her. Needless to say, he won. But I never had any bitterness about it; they were in every way a perfect couple. I could tell you so many stories about them..." "Another time, Unc," Sonic interrupted. "Now I know I gotta find them. Any idea where they could be?" Uncle Chuck shook his head. "All I can do is tell you where they were. As far as I can remember, the kingdom we faced in the Great War was on the edge of the Great Unknown." "That's not too far from here," Sonic said happily. Uncle Chuck shook his head again. "No, Sonic. The Great Unknown is a vast area that has never been sufficiently mapped. This kingdom lied on the edge that bordered the Dark Swamp, on the other side of the Great Forest. It's at least a week's journey from here." "Oh man, that's how long I promised Sal I'd be gone! Wait a minute, if it's a week's journey normally, how long would it be for me?" Uncle Chuck considered for a moment. "Well, if you got lucky, you might be able to find it by tomorrow night. Provided you didn't get lost or hurt, of course." "Of course," Sonic agreed dryly. "Well, thanks for the help, Unc. Gotta juice and jam!" "Hold up, Sonic. The Dark Swamp itself is pretty big. The area near here, where Ironlock Prison is located, is on the wrong side of the swamp. If you want to be safe, go through the forest to where the swamp's edge meets the forest. Head due south into the swamp until you come to a drained section with some ruins. That's where you want to be." "Gotcha, Unc. Later. By the way, I want you to look this over," he said, taking a rolled up paper from his backpack. "It's something I might want to do really soon, and I need to know if it'll work. Rotor helped me draw up the plans." "Be careful Sonic!" Uncle Chuck called as Sonic ran out the secret door. "I hope you find what you're looking for." Sonic's first day of travel was uneventful. He reached the edge of the swamp by sunset and decided to set up camp. "Not a good idea to travel the swamp by night," he reasoned, setting up his tent and bedroll. A little while later, Sonic was eating some dried meat in front of his campfire, staring out over the swamp as darkness enveloped it. A thin sliver of moon shone down as the sky turned black. The darker it became, the noisier the swamp was. "Man, sounds like there's a lot moving out there," Sonic thought. "Just hope it stays outside the camp." He reached in his pocket for his mittens and something fell out, hitting the ground with a metallic tinkling. Curious, Sonic picked up the item and held it up to the firelight. It turned out to be a ring, too small for any finger but his pinky. It had a curious design, one he couldn't see in the dim light. Shrugging, he placed it on his pinky and crawled into his tent. He fell on his bedroll, not even bothering to open it up, and fell asleep. Back in Knothole, Sondra ran to her hut to call Sally for dinner. "Hey, Sally," she called, opening the door, "you're late. Remember, Bunnie invited us for dinner?" She searched the hut, but couldn't find her sister. "Sally?" she called worriedly. Then she remembered the events of that morning. "She couldn't still be at Sonic's, could she?" she asked herself. She ran out of the hut and to Sonic's hut. Sure enough, Sally was still in Sonic's bed. "Yo, Sis, get up!" Sondra called playfully. Sally turned over and looked at Sondra. From the expression on her face and the dull look in her eyes, Sondra could see that her sister had not slept a wink all day. "Sally?" "What is it, Sondra?" Sally mumbled. "Hey, you hungry? Time for dinner at Bunnie's." Sally shook her head weakly. "No thanks, I'm not hungry." Sondra looked at the plate of chili dogs that had been there since that morning. Not one had been touched. "Sally, you haven't eaten anything all day, have you?" Sondra accused. Sally shrugged noncommittally, then turned away from Sondra. Sondra sat by her sister. "Last time you were like this is when you were worried about me, back when I first showed up. I'm telling you, Sis, it's not healthy. What do you think everyone else is thinking about this?" Sally shrugged again, not seeming to care. "Sally, I'm worried about you. From what I understand, you've never been like this. Why don't you talk to me? C'mon, I'm your sister." Sally rolled to her back and sat up. "I've never been like this, because things like this have never happened," Sally whispered. "When you showed up, it was the first time I had any sign from my father since I got that disk from him. Of course I was going to be worried. Maybe I did go too far with that, but nothing else was happening. "And now, well, it's hard to explain. Since Sonic left this morning, I haven't been able to think about anything but him. I mean, since the coup happened, we've never been apart more than a few hours, and even then we knew we'd get back together. But now, he'll be gone at least a week, and he may not come back!" "Hey, don't talk like that," Sondra said. "Sonic'll be back; he always comes back." "Before yesterday, I would've believed that. But since he got captured, I can't help but think it could happen again. And this time, there's no one to save him. We don't even know where he's gone!" "Oh, Sally, I didn't realize the bond between you two was so strong," Sondra said, hugging Sally. "He'll be OK, you just have to believe that." Sally hugged Sondra, crying. Sondra just let Sally get it all out of her system. When she was finished, Sally lay back and was asleep. Sondra kissed her sister's forehead and crept out of the hut. "I've got to do something about this," she thought unhappily. "Only one animal might be able to help me now. Maybe Miles will go with me in the morning." The next morning, Sonic awoke to the sound of something scraping the outside of his tent. He lay still, looking for the cause of the sound. Two figures stood just outside his tent, apparently looking for the way in. He tensed as the shadows approached the tent door. But nothing came in. The scraping sound continued until it had made the circuit of the tent, then the figures moved to stand outside the door. "Come on out," a rough voice called, obviously male. "But be careful, and hold your breath." Sonic stood and grabbed his backpack. He slung it on and opened the flaps, holding his breath as the voice had indicated. As soon as he stepped outside, two pairs of hands grabbed him roughly. But before he could react, they placed something over his mouth and nose. "What gives?" Sonic yelled, struggling to get it off. The hands belonged to two masked and robed figures, and they restrained him quite efficiently. "Easy there," the other, a female, said Her voice was rough too, but it was a forced roughness, as if it wasn't normally. "And don't take off that gas mask, or you're one dead hedgehog." "Say wha'?" Sonic asked. The male pointed one gloved hand at Sonic's tent. Sonic was surprised to see his tent covered in a purplish mold. "What's that?" "We call it the 'Purple Death'," the male answered. "It'll grow on any non-living material that lies on the ground for too long, covering it in less than an hour. Breathe any of its spores, and you're dead just as quickly. Just be glad your tent had a bottom, or your stuff would be covered in it." "Whoa, wasn't prepared for that," Sonic admitted. "Thanks," he said, trying to walk away, but he was still restrained. "Hey, you can let go now." "We'll be the judge of that," the female said. She struck Sonic once in the back of his head, putting him in a semi-conscious state. "Was that necessary?" the male asked, hoisting Sonic up on his shoulder. "You know we have to be careful! That thing can take any form it's able to." "Yeah, let's get him back to the hideout." Knothole was just becoming active at that time, and Sondra decided to check up on her sister. "Feeling any better, Sally?" she asked, opening the door. Sally sat up and stretched. "Yeah, I guess," she said sleepily. Sondra walked in and sat down on a chair. "Still worried about Sonic?" "What kind of question is that? Of course I am." "I thought so. So, are you gonna stay in here all day again?" Sally shrugged, laying back down. "I might, at least for a little while." Sondra groaned. "Come on, get up," she ordered, trying to drag Sally out of the bed. Sally grabbed on to the mattress with both hands. "Sondra, what do you think you're doing?" she demanded. "Trying to get you a life!" Sondra said, pulling with all she had. "I have one!" "It don't look like it!" Their argument was interrupted by the sound of swishing tails. Sondra looked as Tails flew into the hut, about to ask for his help. Sally placed one foot in Sondra's stomach and kicked her into Tails, knocking them both out of the hut. "I have one stubborn sister," Sondra declared as Sally shut the door. She stood up and revved up her legs. "Come on," she said, grabbing Tails by the tails and running off. "Hey!" Tails yelled in surprise. "What's going on?" "You'll see when we get to Sanctuary." "Sanctuary? Why are we going there?" "I said you'll see when we get there," Sondra repeated, and sped up so Tails couldn't ask any more questions. A blast of cold water hit Sonic in the face, bringing him to full alertness. He looked around, but it was too dark to see anything. "Man, how long have I been out?" he wondered aloud. "Not long," a male voice answered, one he recognized from earlier. "It's dark because you're underground." Sonic tried to stand, but found that his wrist and ankles had been bound together by one short piece of rope, forcing him to stay in a hunched over position. "Hey, why'd you tie me up?" he demanded. "Because we don't know you," the female answered, her voice more dulcet. "We tend to be careful around animals we don't know." "Yo, if you're working for Snively, you're picking on the wrong hedgehog," Sonic said, trying vainly to see. A torch was struck, lighting the cave he was in. Though the figures did not wear gas masks anymore, they wore cloth over their faces to hide their identity. The dark robes had been replaced by greenish-brown clothing that hid their species as well as the cloths hid their faces. "Now why would we be working for that little whiny..." "Chill out!" the female told her companion. She approached Sonic and stared at him. "How's your head?" "A little pain don't bother me," Sonic said bravely. "But that mold does." "Don't worry about that. It can only grow at the border between swamp and forest. We used an anti-mold agent on your pack, coat, and sneakers, just to be safe." "That's a relief," Sonic said. "You ain't so bad after all." "Oh no, well what do you think about this?" She held the torch to his arm. Sonic screamed in pain, rolling away. "What'd you do that for?" he yelled. The female looked at her companion, and placed the torch on the wall. "Well, you're not him," she said. "He likes pain." "Him who?" Sonic asked, trying to block out the pain. The male walked up to him and applied a poultice to the burn. "Hope you never have to find out the answer to that question," he said gravely. "But that doesn't explain who you are and what you're doing here," the female said. "For all we know, you could be working for Snively, or Robotnik for that matter." "Man, where have you two been?" Sonic asked. "Ol' 'Butt-nik's been dead over half a year already." "Say wha'?" the female asked, and Sonic felt a strange sensation go through him. "Yeah, me and the Freedom Fighters wasted him and his Doomsday Device," Sonic explained, starting to puff up with pride. "And just who are you?" she asked sarcastically. "The name's Sonic. Sonic Hedgehog. I know you've heard of me." The two figures suddenly grabbed Sonic's face and stared into it with such intensity that Sonic felt he would be burning up if they stared any harder. They backed away slowly, tears in their eyes. "By the Almighty," the male whispered. "Is it really you?" The female ran up to Sonic and hugged him with amazing strength. Sonic tried to wiggle away, but she only held him tighter. "Hey, what's with the waterworks?" The male removed the cloth from his face, and Sonic found himself looking into a hedgehog's face very similar to Uncle Chuck's, but one that had been hardened by experience. In lieu of a moustache, he wore a short, scraggly beard which added to the hardness. But in the eyes, Sonic saw something he had been waiting nearly all of his life to see. "Daddy?" he asked quietly. He nodded slowly, then ran up and hugged Sonic. "My son!" he exclaimed. "I thought you were dead or roboticized." "Who me?" Sonic asked between his tears. "Uncle Chuck said I'm just like you: good lookin' and always cookin'." "So how is my brother these days?" "He was one of the first ones roboticized. But we were able to bring his mind back and he's spying for us in Robotropolis." "Two peas in a pod," the female said, removing her cloth. Her fur had a blue tint to them, as opposed to his father's grey, and her hair-quills were a dirty blond. And though the years had taken their toll, Sonic could see the hints of a former beauty. "Don't you have anything to say to your mother?" "Well, I'd be hugging you back, but I'm a little tied up at the moment." "Oh, sorry about that," his father said, cutting Sonic free. Sonic rubbed his wrists and ankles, trying to get the circulation back. "What are you two doing here?" he asked, after all the hugging had stopped. "Everyone thinks you're dead!" "It's hard to explain," his mother said. "After the war, we were in the palace, trying to find anything of use when the palace was hit by a shell. We managed to escape with our contact, Alexi, and into the swamp. We were getting ready to come back when we heard about the coup. We came back and found that Julian, or Robotnik as he called himself, had completely taken over. We couldn't find a trace of anything living, so we came back here to set up a base where we could try to get back at him. "Unfortunately, no matter what we tried, he just kept going and going strong. We just didn't have the manpower to do any real damage. But then we heard that a large source of power existed in this part of the swamp. We searched until we came upon a ruined structure not far from here. It was obviously very old, but it was built to withstand anything. "Once we were inside, Alexi got separated from us. We called for him, but couldn't find where he had gone. At about that time, the building started to shake and slowly began sinking into the swamp. We barely made it out, but we thought Alexi didn't. "A couple of days later, we saw him wandering about the swamp. We went to him, and he attacked us. We retreated, not knowing what had come over him. Later, we found out that he had been possessed by some kind of evil spirit and now calls himself Alexi Kavenoff. He's been hunting us ever since, his only goal being to cause misery and suffering. If we leave, he'll follow and spread misery to all fo Mobius." "Man, that's deep," Sonic said. "Do you know how to stop this thing?" His father shook his head. "No, we don't. In fact, we can't even attack it safely. From what little we know, if we kill its host, it will be free to possess whomever kills it. In fact, it's trying to get us to kill it. Pain doesn't stop it, nor do any traps for long." "But enough about that," his mother said. "I want to hear everything about you. I haven't seen my son in over fifteen years, so I got a lot of catching up to do." "You got it, Mom. But first, you got anything to eat?" An approaching sonic boom roused Sally from her slumber. "Sonic?" she called eagerly, jumping out of bed. But it wasn't Sonic. Sondra burst through the door. "I'm back, Sis," she said. Sally looked at her for a moment, then lay back down. "Well, don't get so excited to see me," Sondra said. "What do you want now?" Sally asked. "I brought a couple of visitors to see you." "You really shouldn't do this to yourself, Sally," a friendly voice said. "You'll make yourself sick with worry." Sally looked and saw Rosie standing by the bed. "She's right you know," Tanis said, coming to stand next to Rosie. Sally looked from one to the other. "Look, I appreciate what you're trying to do, but..." "Oh, we haven't done anything yet," Rosie said, smiling. "...Nothing you can do will change the fact that Sonic is there and I am here," Sally finished. "And the fact that he doesn't want me there." "What exactly did he say?" "Sonic said that he wants to do this alone, and that he did not want me to go with him." "Did he say anything about you joining him once he got there?" Tanis asked. Sally stared at him, an idea forming. "No he did not," she said, jumping out of bed. "But then, how do we know he found them yet?" "I know he has," Tanis said confidently. "When Sondra asked for my help, that was the first thing I checked." Sally took a step, and almost fell. Tails grabbed her and steadied her. "Before you go anywhere, you better get something to eat," he said. Then his nose wrinkled. "And a shower wouldn't hurt either." Sally glared at Tails, but then she got a whiff of herself. "Phew!" she said, holding her nose. "Doesn't Sonic ever change these sheets?" "It'll take me some time to find where Sonic is," Tanis said, smiling. "There seems to be an evil presence over one part of the Dark Swamp. He might be there. Then again, he might not. Come to Sanctuary when you're ready to go." "In the meantime," Rosie said, "I'll fix you something to eat." "Thanks, Rosie," Sally said, smiling. "Oh, and you can throw that plate of chili dogs in the trash." "Well, now that everything is back to normal, where were we?" Sondra asked, looking at Tails. Tails grabbed Sondra and tossed her headfirst into the snow as Tanis opened the door. Laughing, he flew out just as Sondra got up and started chasing him. Rosie smiled as she watched them. "They kind of remind me of myself and Tanis," she said. "Do you ever regret being away from Tanis all that time?" Sally asked. "All the time. In fact, if he hadn't have left when he did, I'm quite confident we would have a family by now." "It's never too late, you know," Sally pointed out. But Rosie just shook her head. "No, marriage and all that foolishness should be left to the young. We're too old to be thinking like teenagers again." "If you say so. Meanwhile, I have to find Antoine and get my normal shampoo back before I turn my hair purple again. And," she added with a sly smile, "that's not how I'd like to meet prospective in-laws." The family of hedgehogs sat on the floor of the cave, letting their meal digest. "Well, that's pretty much it," Sonic was saying. "I'm impressed," his father said. "You've really done our family proud." Sonic smiled at that. This was something he had dreamt about for so long. And even though the circumstances were odd, he wouldn't have it any other way. His mother picked up one of the power rings that Sonic had shown them. "So you're saying this enhances your speed?" she asked for what seemed like the hundredth time. "I wonder if it'll work on you, Maurice." "Maybe later, Patricia," he answered. "Right now, let's just enjoy him while he's here." "I'm not going anywhere," Sonic protested. "But don't the Freedom Fighters need you?" his mother asked. "I guess. I mean, I think they can get along well enough without me." "I don't believe that," she said. "And neither do you." Sonic smiled again. "I guess you're right. I just don't like the idea of leaving you just after I found you." He yawned, lifting his hand to his mouth. "But for now, I wouldn't mind catching a quick nap." "What's that on your finger?" Maurice asked. Sonic looked. "I forgot I found this ring in my pocket," he said, holding it up to the torchlight. A very familiar design caught the light and reflected it back. "Sally's signet ring!" he said, looking at it more closely. "She must've put it in my pocket when I left." "Sally? As in Princess Sally?" Patricia asked. "Is there something you're not telling us?" "Well, I guess you could say we're close," Sonic answered evasively putting the ring back in his pocket. Patricia's eyes narrowed. "How close?" "Mmm...close." "I see. Let me put it this way: are there any royal grandkids in my near future?" "Patricia!" Maurice exclaimed as Sonic turned a bright shade of pink. "You haven't even gotten back in touch with our son for one day, and already you're embarassing him." "I'm a mother; it's my right," she said simply. "Well, Son, answer the question." "Mom...." Sonic pleaded. "Another time, please." "That's OK, just wait until I meet her. I'll find out then," she said, smiling. "You are bringing her to meet us, aren't you?" "Umm...well...you see...." "Leave the boy alone!" Maurice scolded. "Oh, all right," Patricia said, standing up and walking away. "For now." "Thanks, Dad," Sonic said after she had disappeared from sight. Then he laughed. "You know, it's gonna take some getting used to having a real family again." "Don't mind her," his father said, looking the way his wife had walked off. "It's hard on her, knowing she's been wrong all these years." "What do you mean?" "I suggested going to Knothole and some other safe places, but she insisted that it would be a waste of time." Sonic shook his head. "Maybe I should talk to her?" Maurice was about to reply when a piercing scream cut him off. "Patricia!" he yelled, scrambling to his feet and running toward the sound at full speed. Sonic gathered the power rings in his backpack and slung it on. He ran toward the mouth of the cave, just behind his father. Patricia met them a little way in, eyes wide with terror. "He found us!" she screamed, pointing. Maurice motioned Sonic into the shadows then turned to face the intruder. Sonic saw it was a skunk that might be considered ordinary, except for its size. While not as big as Robotnik, he was at least a full head taller than his parents. He held a two-handed sword that had many intricate symbols carved on the blade. The symbols glowed with a sullen red light which was reflected in the skunk's nearly white eyes. "Did you really think you could hide from your misery?" he asked, his voice an odd mixture of pain, suffering, and pleasure. Patricia, who by now had recovered her composure, faced him with as much dignity as she could muster. "I was hoping I would never have to see your ugly face again, Alexi," she said, a slight tremor in her voice. Alexi cackled, and the sound made Sonic's quills stand on end. "This from the woman who screamed her head off when she saw me." "We're tired of the games, Alexi," Maurice said. "Whatever you mean to do, you better try it now." "Oh, but I've just started playing," Alexi protested. "But as for you, the game is, unfortunately, over." He raised the sword high above his head and the blade burst into flame. "I don't think so!" Sonic yelled, running toward Alexi and going into a Spin Attack. "Huh?" Alexi said, surprised. Sonic hit him flush in the chest, sending him flying out of the cave. "You have to teach me that one," Maurice said, impressed. "Later, Dad. Right now, we have to get out of here." "You're not going anywhere!" Alexi said, reappearing in the cave's mouth. "So, there is a new player in the game. More fun for me." Sonic ran at Alexi, who just stood there. But before he reached him, Sonic ran up the side of the cave. He sprang off, planting both feet into Alexi's chest, sending the skunk to the ground. "I'll hold him!" Sonic yelled, jumping on Alexi's back as the skunk tried to get up. "Meet you by the red tree," Patricia called, jumping into her husband's arms. "You can't miss it." "Man, I wish Sally was here," Sonic thought as his parents ran off. "She'd know how to hold him down." The skunk pushed up forcefully, sending Sonic crashing into the wall. "You play good," the skunk said, retrieving his sword. "But I play dirty." He grabbed Sonic by his quills and lifted him off the ground. "I'm outta here!" Sonic said, revving up his feet and placing them in Alexi's face. But Alexi just slammed Sonic headfirst into the wall before his feet made contact. "You think that I don't know how to deal with fast feet?" he demanded, hitting Sonic with every word. "I dealt with Maurice all this time, didn't I? Granted you are somewhat faster then he is." "Not this fast!" Sonic said, grabbing a power ring from his backpack. "Hang on!" Sonic yelled as he was surrounded in light. He took off at top speed, leaving behind a sonic boom that caused a slight cave-in. Alexi held on with a death grip, still smiling. Sonic ran through every snowpile he could find, but nothing shook him off. Finally, Sonic ran under a low-hanging branch. A thud and a few missing quills later, Alexi was on the ground, laughing loudly. "Now to find my parents," Sonic thought, speeding away. Alexi lay there, laughing so hard tears were running down his face. "Oh, I am feeling so miserable right now!" he yelled. "But just wait, this is nothing compared to the misery I will make you feel!" Sonic found the red tree and waited. "Yo, anyone here?" he called. "We're here, Sonic," Patricia called from up in the branches. "What were you two doing up there?" Sonic asked as they jumped down. "Keeping a look out for you," Maurice said. "Man, you weren't kidding about those power rings, were you?" "Nope. These things are really something. Too bad they don't last all that long." "What do you mean?" "Well, they used to disappear after twenty-four hours, but lately they've been hanging around as much as three days or more. Either way, they can only be used once or twice." As he spoke, the power ring he held disappeared. "I got the speed, my brother got the brains," Maurice joked. "We can't stay here," Patricia said. "I don't know what you did to Alexi, but he won't stay down for long." "We have a couple of other hiding places," Maurice said, walking off. "Hold on. Where's that building where you first found this thing?" "We told you, it sank in the swamp. We've been over that place with a fine-toothed comb and found nothing." "Yeah, well I got some moves you might not," Sonic said cockily. "Lead on, Dad." "He's your son," Maurice muttered to Patricia as they headed out. "Yours too!" Patricia returned, half smiling. Sally ran to Sanctuary, not even bothering to take her coat. "I'm here," she called, bursting inside. Tanis was waiting at the altar. "You come in good time, Princess," he said, looking up from his meditation. "I have just located him. He is travelling with his parents toward an old church in the Dark Swamp. Now things are becoming clear." "Is Sonic in some danger?" she asked worriedly. Tanis nodded, wiping his brow. "Quite severe, actually. An evil spirit that was captured long ago by a Holy One may have been released. A lapse on my part because of Mobius' current condition." He produced two items from his robe. "I weaved this rope with my own hands; it is the only thing that can hold it. This charm will help you seal its powers. Use them wisely." Sally put the charm around her neck and placed the rope in her backpack. "How long will it take to get me there?" "It depends on the strength of your feelings for each other. When Sonic was attacked here, I transported him to a place that was filled with goodness. Now, you are going to a place of evil, so I must pinpoint a target." Sally nodded. "I'm ready." "Wait a minute!" Sondra yelled, running into the church with Tails and Rosie close behind. "You forgot your coat." Sally looked at herself in surprise. "You know, I didn't even notice," she admitted sheepishly. "What would you do without me?" Sondra asked playfully, holding Sally's backpack while she put on her coat. "Are we quite ready?" Tanis asked. Sally nodded, slinging on her backpack. The others moved away from her as Tanis began to chant. A wind rose around Sally momentarily blocking her from view. When it died, she had disappeared. "Will she be OK?" Sondra asked worriedly. "I hope so, little one," Tanis said, gazing at his ancestor's stained glass portrait. "I hope so." Sonic was following his father when something suddenly dropped on him. "Hey!" Sonic yelled in surprise as he fell, sliding through the snow until he came to a stop. "Sonic!" his father yelled, making a U-turn and going back to his son. "You OK?" "Sonic?" a familiar voice asked in surprise. "Wow, that didn't take long at all!" "Sal?" Sonic asked disbelievingly as she got off him and helped him to his feet. "What're you doing here? I thought I told you to stay in Knothole!" "No, you told me not to come with you. Never said anything about coming after you," she said matter-of-factly. "Umm, aren't you forgetting something?" Patricia asked, tapping her foot against Maurice's hip. "Oh yeah," Sonic said, clearing his throat. "Mom, Dad, I'd like you to meet Princess Sally Alicia Acorn. Sal, these are my parents." "Delighted to meet you," Sally said, giving a slight curtsy. Maurice set Patricia on her feet and both bowed to her. "Princess, we are yours to command," they said solemnly. Sally smiled. "Please, just call me Sally. I reserve my title for formal occasions, and this is not one of them." Patricia smiled. "I remember the day you were born," she said wistfully. "I could tell you some things about your parents that they wish no one knew about." "You knew my mother?" Sally asked eagerly. "I thought she died in childbirth." "She did, but we knew each other before she became Queen." "I don't mean to interrupt," Maurice said, looking around, "but Alexi will find us if we don't keep moving." "Who's this Alexi?" Sally asked. "Did someone call my name?" he said, jumping out from behind a tree. Sally screamed and jumped into Sonic's arms. Alexi laughed quietly, looking at Sally with his milky eyes. "I don't understand why I have this effect on women," he said. "It doesn't matter, though. There have been two additions to the game just today. If they are here, who knows how many are out there, just waiting for a taste of misery!" "Uh oh, this is not good," Maurice said. He grabbed Sonic by the arm. "Listen," he whispered fiercely, "the temple is another five hundred yards or so the way we were going. Just look for a metal pole sticking out of the ground. Your mother and I will keep him busy and then meet you there." Alexi drew his sword and advanced toward Sonic. "I have so much misery to share! How would you like some?" "Thanks, but no thanks," Sonic said, revving up his legs. "We're outta here!" He ran off in the direction they had been travelling, still holding Sally. Alexi was about to follow them, but stopped as a snowball hit him in the back of his head. "Forget about us?" Patricia asked, yawning. "How could I forget about the ones who have made my life miserable all these years?" he cackled. "I'll leave the young ones for now; they have their whole lives ahead of them to feel misery. But for you, the game is sadly coming to an end." "Gotta catch us first," Maurice taunted, picking up Patricia and running in the opposite direction Sonic and Sally had gone. Alexi followed close behind, telling of what he'd like to do to them once he caught them. But Maurice always stayed just out of reach. "Sonic, where are we going?" Sally demanded when they were out of sight. "No time to explain, Sal," Sonic answered. "You'll see when we get there. In fact," he said, coming to an abrupt stop, "we're here." Sally looked around. "All I see is a snow-covered pole. Wait a minute, what's a metal pole doing in the middle of the swamp?" "Stand back, Sal," Sonic cautioned. "Time for some drill action." Sonic started to spin around like a top and drilled into the snow and soft ground. He drilled around in a spiral until he came upon a buried structure and found a way in. "Come on down, Sal," he called up the tunnel he had made. "It's cool!" A few moments later, Sonic heard Sally sliding down and caught her as she appeared. "Some ride, huh?" he asked, setting her down on her feet. Sally looked at the building in awe. "Sonic, what is this place?" "See, that skunk we met is possessed by this evil spirit that was trapped here. I figured we might be able to find some clues about how it was trapped before to see if we could do it again." "Sounds reasonable," Sally admitted. She pushed on the solid metal door, but it wouldn't budge. "How about some help here?" Sonic went up and helped push. After a few seconds, the rusting door slowly gave way. The inside of the building was well-lit, though no light source could be seen. It was strongly built, as though to serve a purpose and not for beauty. "This place gives me the creeps," Sonic said. "Yeah, me too," Sally agreed. She took Nicole from her boot and opened her up. "Nicole, search this building for any structural anomalies or sources of power." "Searching now, Sally," Nicole replied dutifully. "There is a broken wall located fifteen meters east of here. No other anomalies, and no power source detected." Sonic and Sally hurried to the area Nicole had indicated. "Wow, looks like something was trying to break into that room," Sally said, surveying the damage. "Or claw its way out," Sonic said. He noticed some writing on the wall. "Hey, come take a look at this." Sally studied the writing. "Hmm, it looks like ancient Mobian," she said thoughtfully. "Nicole, translate." "In this room is trapped an evil spirit of my own creation," Nicole began. "I called it up in a failed experiment to open a gateway to the realm of the Almighty One. It possessed my assistant when she killed its original form and has been taunting me ever since. I have trapped it in the temple's inner sanctum with the help of Moran Shi-rat, the only one of us capable of handling the beast. She has promised to discover the way to destroy it once and for all, but I cannot take the chance of it escaping. Therefore, I am causing this temple to sink into the swamp, reappearing once every hundred years. Hopefully a way will have been found by then. Forgive my mistakes, you who read this. No longer worthy of being a Holy One, Kara Tehmar." "Great," Sonic said after Nicole had finished. "So we gotta drag Tanis here to beat this thing?" "Maybe not," Sally said, taking the rope from her backpack. "He gave me this to combat a great evil; he must've meant this spirit. We could probably use this to tie it up and get it back down here. And this charm will seal its powers," she said, holding up the charm. "Past cool, Sal. Now we just gotta figure out how to get him." "That won't be a problem," Sally said confidently. "I have a plan. Let's get back to the surface and I'll explain there." "Almost there," Maurice called over his shoulder, still taunting Alexi. "Umm, dear," Patricia began, "he's gone." "What?" Maurice came to a full stop just in front of the tunnel Sonic had dug. He set Patricia on her feet and looked around for Alexi. "Where'd he disappear to? I mean, I wasn't even trying to lose him this time." "You down there, Sonic?" Patricia called into the hole. "How'd he dig this so fast?" A choked cry got her attention. She looked up just in time to see a black hand wrap around her throat and lift her off her feet. "Oh, the misery you must be feeling!" he said, tilting his head slightly to one side. "You have played a good game. But don't worry, it'll be over for you in a few seconds. Too bad I can't say the same for the others. I'm afraid their game is only beginning." Patricia struggled to free herself, but Alexi had a death-grip on her neck. A quick glance showed Maurice in the same situation. "Well, at least I got to see my son," she thought, closing her eyes. Alexi slowly increased the pressure, wanting to prolong their suffering. Two hands covered his eyes. "Time to play a new game!" someone said cheerfully. "I call it, 'Now you see me, now you don't!'" Alexi felt his two captives pulled from him hands. He grabbed Sonic and threw him into a tree. "But my game's not over yet!" he protested, drawing his sword and advancing on Sonic. Sonic just watched as Alexi approached, his sword bursting into flames. He raised it high above his head, ready to strike the death blow. The heat from the sword loosened the snow in the tree's branches, causing it to fall on him, covering him in an instant. Sonic ran to where Sally was just landing with his parents. "You two OK?" he asked worriedly. "You just got us back, you ain't getting rid of us so easily," Patricia joked between coughs. "He's coming!" Maurice yelled, pointing. "Sonic, grab the rope!" Sally said, tossing one end to him. "That ain't gonna hold him!" Patricia cautioned, both neither one listened. Alexi burst from the snow, sword flaming brightly. "It seems the game must now end for all of you!" he screeched, running toward the group. Sonic ran left and Sally ran right. Alexi hit the rope, trying to break through it. Sonic and Sally began running around him in opposite directions, looping the rope around him several times. Sally tied the ends together securely as Sonic grabbed the sword from Alexi's hand, which had been pinned to his side. "Do you really believe a mere rope can hold me?" Alexi laughed. "Then why don't you break free?" Sally asked, stepping back. Alexi strained against the rope, but he could not break it. "What the hell?!" he screamed in surprise and anger. Sally took the charm from around her neck. "Oh, did I forget to mention that the rope was woven by Tanis Shi-rat?" she asked innocently, stepping toward him cautiously. "So, the line of the Shi-rat still exist, eh?" he said, laughing again. "Well, well, more players for the game." "Well, the game will do without you for a while," Sally said, placing the charm around Alexi's neck. Screams the likes of which has never been heard on Mobius erupted from Alexi's throat. Sally picked him up and threw him down the tunnel Sonic had dug. "By the way," she called after him, "that charm is too." Sonic tossed the sword onto a frozen pool of water. The ice cracked and the sword sank beneath the rapidly re-freezing surface. Soon all was as it was before. Maurice and Patricia came to stand beside their son. "Is it over?" Patricia asked in an awed whisper. "Is it finally over?" "I believe so," Sally answered, walking up to Sonic and hugging him from behind. Maurice and Patricia exchanged glances. "What'll we do now?" Maurice asked. "For twelve years we've been fighting him." "Hey, why don't you come back to Knothole with us?" Sonic suggested. "I'd love to have you there!" "I don't know," Patricia demurred. "Knothole wasn't all that big, if I remember. We wouldn't want to impose." "Well, you could always use Sonic's hut until we build one for you two," Sally said. "And where will I sleep?" Sonic asked. "Well, I don't think Tails would mind having you for a roommate," she said. "Past cool, Sal," Sonic agreed. "So, is it settled?" His parents exchanged another glance, then nodded. Sonic smiled. "Oh, before I forget, Sal," he said, taking her ring out of his pocket and putting it on her finger. "I think this belongs to you." Sally looked at her signet ring and let out a small sigh. "That's not the ring I'd like to see you put there," she whispered in his ear. "So you two are that close!" Patricia exclaimed as Sonic blushed. "Now I know we have to have a talk, Sally." "Maybe we should get back to Knothole," Sonic said quickly, revving up his legs. "Oh no you don't," Patricia said, grabbing Sonic by his ear. "You can go, but she stays," she said, unhooking Sally's hands. Sally laughed and grabbed Patricia's hands. "I haven't known you long, but I already like your style," she said, flying up and heading toward Knothole. "We'll meet you boys in Knothole!" "How can she do that?" Maurice asked, watching them go. "Long story, Dad," Sonic said, revving up his legs again. "I don't want to lose them; who knows what they're talking about." "Sonic, your mother has been waiting fifteen years for this. Let her have her fun." "I guess," Sonic said doubtfully as they ran off, following the ladies. "You think we'll reach Knothole tonight?" "With our speed? I'd say we definitely could!" Later that night, back in Knothole, Sondra was pacing worriedly. "When will they get back?" she wondered aloud. "Maybe I should go after them." "Sondra, we've been over this a thousand times," Tails said calmly. "If you go, then we're without any kind of leader. You have to stay here, as a princess." "I know, I know," Sondra said irritably. Then she softened. "Oh, Miles, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you." "Don't worry about it. You're just worried about your sister." He peered out the window of the hut. "And here she comes now!" he exclaimed, pointing. Sondra looked and saw Sally flying in holding a female hedgehog she didn't know. She ran out with Tails close behind as Sally landed. "Sally!" Sondra cried, jumping into her sister's arms as soon as she let Patricia go. "Easy, Sis, I'm OK," Sally said, hugging her quickly then putting her down. "Sis?" Patricia asked, eyeing Sondra. "There was only one princess, as far as I know." "I am Sondra, Princess Sondra of the House of Acorn, second in line to the throne of Mobius," Sondra said officially. "My name is Patricia; I'm Sonic's mother," Patricia said, curtsying. "But tell me, if both your parents were foxes, how is it you are a hedgehog?" Tails smiled. "That's a long story. My name's Miles, Miles Prower, but everyone calls me Tails." "Prower? I know that name. But you're too old to be their child." "I'm only eleven," Tails said defensively. "It's a long story," he added, catching Patricia's look. "Everything is," she muttered. Sonic and Maurice came running up. "We're here!" Maurice yelled. "Man, I had to use a power ring just to keep up with him, once I got the hang of it." "Maurice, everyone's probably asleep!" Patricia scolded. "Keep it down." "So, enjoy your talk?" Sonic asked Sally. Sally nodded. "But we're not done yet," she said. "Your mother is going to help me solve a little problem I have." "And what problem is that?" Sonic asked worriedly. "Oh, the same one I found myself in when I was about her age," Patricia said mysteriously as they disappeared inside Sally's hut. "Do you have any idea what she's talking about?" Sonic asked his father. Maurice smiled sadly. "When we were about your age, I had been going with your mother for about two years. I wanted to ask her to marry me, and she knew it, but I could never get up the nerve." "So how did you?" Maurice chuckled. "I didn't. She solved the problem by asking me!" Sonic went pale for a second. "You don't think...but Sally would...oh boy!" "This sounds good," Sondra said, running into the hut. Tails went just as pale as Sonic. "I hope she don't get any ideas," he muttered. Sonic recovered himself. "That's right, I gotta go see Uncle Chuck about something," Sonic said. "Be back in a bit." "Mind if I come?" Maurice asked. "I know it's late, but I think he'll be glad to see me." "You got it, Dad," Sonic said smiling as they ran to Robotropolis. "Juice it loose time! And this time, I'll keep it in cruise control." "It might not be a bad idea to lay low for a while," Tails said, flying swiftly to his hut. A few moments later, Uncle Chuck heard a knock at his secret door. He went to look and Sonic standing there, foot tapping impatiently. "Sonic!" he exclaimed, opening the door. "What are you doing back already?" Sonic hugged his uncle. "Well, Unc," he said conversationally, "I decided it wasn't worth it to stay all that long after all." "What? This doesn't sound like my nephew talking. What made you change your mind?" "Oh, the fact that I found him," Sonic said stepping to the side. Another hedgehog stepped into view. "Hello, Charles," Maurice said, smiling. "You haven't changed a bit." Uncle Chuck stood there, mouth open in astonishment. "Maurice, is that you?" he whispered. Maurice nodded and hugged his brother. Both stood there, crying and hugging, until Sonic spoke up. "He and Mom came back to Knothole," he said proudly. "Patricia's back too?" Uncle Chuck asked. "This is more than I could have ever dreamed of!" "I see you've taken up my profession," Maurice said, smiling. "In a way," Uncle Chuck said, bringing them both inside and shutting the door. "I'm sure you two have a lot to catch up on," Sonic said, holding open the door, "so I'll just annoy some SWATbots. I feel like myself for the first time this winter!" "OK, Sonic, but be careful," Uncle Chuck warned. "Snively's up to something, and it's big. Haven't been able to get a reading on it yet." "Will do, Unc. Be back in a half-hour." "Oh, and Sonic, I looked over those plans you gave me. If I'm following you right, it should work, but you'll only get one shot at it. I'll start work on the devices you'll need to pull it off." "Way past, Unc. Time to do it to it!" Sonic rocketed out of the secret building. "He reminds me so much of you," Uncle Chuck said. "He reminds me more of Patricia," Maurice countered. "So, let's see what you got." Back at the Dark Swamp, a black-furred hand reached out of a hole in the ground gripping a wet, but still flaming, runesword just as the sun was beginning to rise. "Oh the agony of it all!" Alexi said, pulling himself out of the hole. He tried to pull the charm off, but his hand passed right through it. His runesword had similar luck. "The pain is so unbearable!" He collapsed on the ground in a fit of laughter. "How many?" he asked through his tears. "How many are out there, just waiting to play my game, to share my misery? But first, I need to finish with those four. Too bad I don't know which way they went." He rolled to his feet and staggered off in a random direction, mumbling contentedly to himself.