The Awakening
by DragonKnight

Copyright notice:  All original Sonic the Hedgehog characters are 
property of SEGA and based upon the Saturday AM cartoon on ABC.  Other 
characters may come from the video games or the Archie comic books.  The 
AI SWATbots are the original creation of Robert Brown and Francis 
Tolbert.  All original characters are of my creation and idea and 
require written permission before usage.  You are permitted to print of 
one (1) copy for personal use and do not attempt to make a profit from 
it.  You may make changes under the condition that it does not affect 
the story as a whole.

Author's Note:  This is the most recent version I have, with all the 
edits and making sure that it corresponds to everything else I have 
written.

WARNING!!  May contain mild language and graphic description.  You have 
been warned.


	In the farthest reaches of the galaxy rests a small green planet 
known as Mobius.  The inhabitants of this world are humanoid animals.  
Throughout the millenia war has torn the surface of the world apart.  At 
the end of every war a man by the name of Acorn united the various 
peoples under the banner of the great city of Mobotropolis.  At the end 
of every generation war returns and the cycle repeats itself.  
Presently, the king of Mobotropolis is imprisoned inside the Void and a 
human named Ivo Robotnik took control as dictator with his nephew 
Snively.  A small group of Mobians have resisted Robotnik's rule, 
dubbing themselves 'Freedom Fighters'.  The leaders of the Freedom 
Fighters are based in Knothole Village in the Great Forest with the 
princess of the House of Acorn.  They have remained hidden for over 10 
years raiding Robotnik's city, reclaiming their lives little by little.  
This begins a new chapter in their lives.

Cast of Characters:

Sonic Hedgehog
Sir Charles "Chuck" Hedgehog
Dr. Ivo Robotnik
Snively
Princess Sally Alicia Acorn
Bunnie Rabbot
Dr. Adrian Osaka***
Miles "Tails" Prower
Antoine D'Coolette
??????????????
Rotor Walrus
Rosie


	Sonic Hedgehog ran in between SWATbots and though Robotropolis at 
top speed.  The bots were swarming around him in endless numbers.  He 
ran into an abandoned warehouse to catch his breath.  All this trouble 
because Uncle Chuck told him he had something important to tell him?  
Sonic's patience was wearing thin.  If he took any more time Sally would 
get worried and then he'd be better off dead than heading back to 
Knothole.
	He furrowed his brow.  Robotnik was far more organized than usual 
this time.  It was as if he had been expecting Sonic.  Sonic shook his 
head.  There was no way that could be; over half of the main Freedom 
Fighters didn't even know where he was.  He had left as soon as he had 
gotten his uncle's message and with the way his voice sounded Sonic knew 
it was serious.  Sally and Bunnie knew because they had been there when 
the message had been received.  Beyond them Sonic had told no one, not 
even Tails, of his destination.
	>Maybe I should've brought help,< he thought helplessly sitting on 
the ground.  >Buttnik's got every square inch of this place covered 
almost to the point that I can't dodge.<
	Something dawned on him in that moment and he took off at top 
speed collapsing what was left of the aged structure.  When he was a 
safe distance away he turned around to see the building explode and 
erupt in flames.
	>He WAS waiting for me,< he grimaced.  >No wonder those bots were 
so numerous, he was trying to force me there and then take me out with 
the explosion.<
	No alarms were sounding which surprised Sonic.  By now the entire 
city was normally on high alert but it seemed the fat man was getting 
less cocky and more intelligent.  The SWATbots were getting more 
intelligent with every raid.  Sally suspected artificial intelligence 
and Sonic was thinking she was right.  They wouldn't have been able to 
trap him like they had otherwise.
	>Coast must be clear,< he thought looking around.  >Time to head 
to Uncle Chuck's.<
	With that he took off at top speed, weaving his way around the 
city to throw off Robotnik's spy cams just in case.
	Uncle Chuck paced nervously in his study.  Sonic was never 
normally this late and if he was he always made sure to let his uncle 
know.  He sighed and looked at his metallic hands.  So much evil had 
come from something meant for good, and it had been his fault from the 
start.  He wanted to be flesh and blood again but being a robot had its 
advantages.  He never got hungry or thirsty, though he could still eat 
and drink, if something broke all he needed was a wrench and at worst a 
torch.  Was it really so bad in the end?
       He heard a knock on his door and it snapped him out of his 
reverie.  He waited until the knock was finished making sure that it was 
a Freedom Fighter.  After that he opened the door for his nephew who 
dashed in and quickly shut the door behind him.
	"Sonic, what's wrong?" Uncle Chuck asked.  He had never seen his 
nephew this shaken up.
	"Robuttnik's been toying with me all day long," he answered 
angrily.  "Just now I barely lost his SWATbutts, making sure they never 
saw me enter here."
	His uncle sighed.  "I was afraid something like this was going 
on," he said.  "You may have guessed it but Robotnik has been developing 
some new technologies.  I just got my hands on this one."
	He reached into his desk and pulled out a small disk.
	"On this are the schematics for two things: designs for the brand 
new AI's for his new SWATbots, and a new project he's working on, 
something called the 'R-Wave'.  I haven't been able to identify what it 
actually does yet but the disk has all of my and Snively's notes on it."
	"Snively?" Sonic said putting the disk in his bag.  "That seems 
odd.  Any idea why he's behind this one?"
	Uncle Chuck shook his head.  "You and I both know that Snively is 
much craftier and more inventive than his uncle," he admitted.  "If it 
had been him running the coup then this war would've been over already."
	"Don't say that unc," Sonic said.  "We'll win, one way or the 
other.  Robotnik nor Snively will win, I promise that."
	His uncle smiled.  "Thanks nephew, that's what I needed to hear."
	Sonic checked his watch and his eyes widened.  "I gotta go unc," 
he said throwing his backpack on.  "Sal's gonna kill me if I'm any later 
than I am now."
	"Be careful out there sonny," Uncle Chuck said hugging his nephew.  
"Sally would never forgive me if you got caught while coming here."
	"Will do unc," Sonic said.
	He checked the periscope for SWATbots and when the coast was clear 
went out the hidden door.  He sped around Robotropolis to put distance 
between him and his uncle.  When he was sure he had eliminated any 
suspicion he sped off into the forest.
	Robotnik sat in his control room calmly watching Sonic leave his 
city.  Snively stood over a command console coordinating the efforts of 
the new SWATbots.  Robotnik smiled.
	"It seems that the new programming in the SWATbots works very 
well," he mused.  "Even if the hedgehog realized the trap before it went 
off it was enough to test our new forces."
	"Shall I give the order to install the programming on all the 
SWATbots?" Snively asked.
	Robotnik thought for a moment.  "No," he said, "if we do it will 
allow a counter by those pesky Freedom Fighters.  Make sure that once 
you finish the most recent updating mix up the squads so that the new 
SWATbots integrate seamlessly.  That should throw those rebels off."
	Robotnik tapped a few buttons and a complicated schematic came on 
screen.
	"I must admit Snively," he admitted, "this is the most impressive 
weapon I have ever seen.  When can you have it installed?"
	"By the end of the week sir," Snively replied.  "We're still 
testing the prototype but afterwards we should be able to install it 
into the SWATbots."
	"Excellent," Robotnik said laughing evilly.
	Sally tapped her foot checking her watch.  Sonic should have been 
back hours ago and she was getting worried.  She sighed.  Worried wasn't 
the beginning of it.  He had left in such a hurry that Sally hadn't told 
him that Robotnik's forces were gathering near the junkyard where Uncle 
Chuck was.  Hopefully he had caught on before it was too late.  A hand 
on her shoulder made her jump until she saw Bunnie standing there.
	"Don't worry sugah," she said.  "That hedgehog won't let ol' 
Robotnik catch him without a fight, and even then blubber butt couldn't 
hold him for long."
	Sally smiled.  "Thanks Bunnie," she said.  "I know that he'll be 
fine, but that doesn't mean I won't worry."
	She wouldn't tell anyone how much she actually missed Sonic.  They 
had a job to do; she couldn't afford to get involved with anyone.  But 
Sonic had always been different.  No matter how she was feeling Sonic 
always knew what to say to cheer her up.  There had been a few awkward 
moments when they had stopped talking and just looked into each other's 
eyes.  The one time they had almost kissed but stopped short when 
someone had knocked on her door.  Sonic had left after that but she had 
been distracted the rest of the day.  She had never really known but it 
would seem at times that Sonic would distance himself from her.  She had 
never given him reason to, at least that she knew.
       Her thoughts were interrupted as she saw a blue ball sail from the 
chute into a pile of hay.  She and Bunnie ran over to Sonic expecting 
him to jump out and say something smart.  When nothing happened they 
looked at each other worriedly.
	"Sonic?" Sally asked quietly.  "You in there?"
	"Sugarhog?" Bunnie tried.  "This ain't funny."
	Sally was about to yell at Sonic to come out when she saw blood 
dripping from the hay.
	"By the Maker, Sonic!" she yelled digging through the pile.
	She found him badly beaten, cut, with several burned areas on his 
body and unconscious.  She and Bunnie grabbed him carefully.  They 
carried him off to the medical hut where Dr. Osaka was staying.  Sally 
knocked on the door and a middle-aged light brown lynx with dark brown 
eyes answered the door.  Before he could greet them he saw Sonic's 
battered and bloody form.
	"The Maker have mercy!  What happened to him?" he asked helping 
them put him on a medical table.
	"We don't know," Sally said a tinge of worry in her voice.  "He 
came out of the chute like this."
	"I'll get started patching him up right away," Osaka said.  "I 
should be done with that in a couple hours."
	"Sally-girl, stay with him," Bunnie said.  "I'll make sure that no 
one knows what just happened, including cleaning up his entrance."
	She left the hut closing the door behind her.  Sally sat down not 
even acknowledging the blood on her.  Osaka was busy cleaning Sonic's 
wounds working at an incredible pace.  Sally was lost in thought the 
whole time.  Osaka was watching her as he worked.  He could tell just 
looking at her that she blamed herself.  She seemed to be doing more of 
that lately, ever since they had heard Robotnik had survived the attack 
with the Deep Power Stones.  His fur was getting matted down with sweat 
from working on Sonic so hard.  Sonic had been through hell and back but 
Osaka couldn't tell what had actually happened to him.  Some of the 
wounds such as the bruising and burns could be attributed to SWATbots.  
But the cuts were a mystery to him.  And the burns were far too light 
for blaster fire.  With as many of them as he had he should've been 
dead.  Upon closer inspection they looked like actual fire wounds.  He 
had a suspicion, but he had been dead for years, it had to be something 
else.  He looked back at Sally who hadn't moved an inch.
	"It's not your fault Princess," he said quietly.  "You had no way 
of knowing something like this would happen.  Besides, he ran off in 
such a hurry that he couldn’t possibly have come up with a plan.  Don't 
beat yourself up."
	"How can I not?" she said her voice strained.  "Sonic could've 
easily been killed and I could've prevented it.  If I had just sent 
someone with him..."
	"He would've turned them away," Osaka interrupted.  "You and I 
know Sonic well enough to know that he prefers to work alone.  That way 
if anything happens he won't get anyone else hurt."
	"But if he gets captured or killed we'll lose this war," Sally 
said.  "He can think his working alone affects only him but it doesn't.  
If I...we were to lose him I don't know how long we'd last against 
Robotnik."
	Osaka was quiet.  He had caught the Princess's slip but said 
nothing.  He had had his suspicions about her feelings up to now but she 
had finally admitted them, though not as she planned.  Osaka remembered 
a time when the two of them had been closer but now...  He backed away 
from Sonic and looked at his handiwork.  All of the cuts had been sewn 
shut and cleaned, the burn wounds salved and bandaged but he had still 
not regained consciousness.
	"I have done all I can Princess," he said sighing.  "What he needs 
now is rest.  I will move him to the back room so that he has his 
privacy.  It may be a good idea to stay with him a little longer.  If he 
awakens he may panic and reopen his wounds.  He was close to death as it 
was but if he reopens them I cannot guarantee he'll survive this time."
	"Thank you Doctor," Sally said sniffling.  "I'll stay but I need 
to still keep up normal appearances."
	"What will you say about Sonic's absence?" he asked.  "Surely the 
others will notice."
	"He's on a reconnaissance mission," she said simply.  "While 
that's partially true I can use some of the information that Sir Charles 
gave us to back up that claim."
	"Very well," Osaka said and carefully moved Sonic onto a 
stretcher.  He wheeled him into the back room still looking over him.
	>What on Mobius happened to you Sonic?< he thought.
	With that he left to clean up the blood on his table so as not to 
alert anyone else as to what had happened.  Sally sat in the back room 
with her face in her hands.  Osaka sighed again.  He knew that 
regardless of her feelings she would never tell Sonic if he didn't know 
already.  It would take some convincing at this point to get her to 
leave.  He heard his door open and shut quietly.
	"How's sugarhog doin' doc?" Bunnie asked.  "Is he gonna be ok?"
	"Sonic should be fine within a few days," Osaka assured her.  "His 
condition was critical.  I'm not sure what happened to him but he must 
have put up an incredible fight to end up in that condition."
	"How 'bout Sally-girl?"
	Osaka stopped.  Bunnie had every right to know about the 
Princess's feelings as her closest friend and confidant, but it was not 
his place.
	"She will be fine," he said hoping Bunnie wouldn’t look too much 
into it.  "Right now I think she's just worried and relieved.  The 
thought of losing Sonic and the war has taken quite a toll on her."
	"I see," Bunnie replied quietly.  "What's the official story for 
sugarhog bein' gone so long then?"
	"Recon," Osaka said.  "I'm not sure where, but say that Sir 
Charles had something for him to check out.  We can work out the details 
with the Princess later."
	Bunnie nodded.  "Sounds good," she said smiling.  "The fact that 
Sonic is gonna be a-okay is the best news Ah've heard all day.  Ah'll be 
sure to intercept anyone's questions if they ask."
	"Wait," Osaka said as Bunnie began to leave.  "If they ask about 
the Princess tell them she is assisting me with some work.  That will 
explain her being here."
	Bunnie nodded and headed out the door.  Osaka looked back at Sally 
and Sonic when he heard a gasp.  Sonic's eyes were opening slightly with 
the return of consciousness and Sally sprung up.
	"Sonic!" she exclaimed hugging him.  "You're awake!"
	"Glad to...see you too, Sal," Sonic said weakly.  "Do you mind 
letting up a little?  That really hurts."
	Sally let go of him tears streaming down her cheeks.  "I 
thought...the worst had happened..."
	Neither of them said anything and Osaka continued putting his 
things away.  He would give them their alone time.  The Maker knew they 
needed it.  When he finished putting everything away he turned to the 
room they were in.  Sally was whispering something Osaka couldn't hear 
from where he was but Sonic's face had never been more serious.
	"I'm surprised you're awake so soon Sonic," Osaka said once Sally 
had finished.  "With those injuries I had expected you out for a few 
days."
	Sonic chuckled and winced.  "You know me doc," he said smiling.  
"Nothing can keep this hedgehog down."
	"Try moving from that bed and we'll test that theory," Osaka said 
smiling back.  "I'll pump you with enough anesthetic to last a week."
	He and Sonic laughed quietly.  Sally looked as if she was about to 
start sobbing again when she turned on Sonic, thoroughly furious.
	"You think that nearly dying is funny?!" she asked almost 
screaming.  "What if you had been killed?  What would we do then?  We 
can't beat Robotnik without you and you damn well know it!  Why do you 
always rush off without thinking things through?  If you had waited we 
could've put a team together and then Robotnik would have never-"
	"Robotnik had nothing to do with this," Sonic interrupted calmly.
	That statement got both Sally's and Osaka's attention.
	"If not Robotnik, who?" Osaka asked.  "Who else was able to cause 
those wounds to you?"
	"You noticed it didn't you doc?" Sonic asked looking at him.  
"Those burn wounds weren't from a laser.  The only real damage was on 
the surface, as if someone tried to light me on fire."
	Sally looked at Osaka.  What was Sonic saying?  If it hadn't been 
Robotnik then who had done this?
	Osaka sighed.  "You've got me there," he admitted finally.  "Had 
they been blaster wounds you would be dead right now.  But that still 
doesn't explain how you got them.  That is, unless you mean..."
	Sonic said something that Sally didn't make out but caused Osaka's 
eyes to widen in fear.  She had never seen him so terrified in all the 
time she had known him.
	"Please tell me that you're lying," Osaka demanded.  "What you 
said cannot be true.  He died during the coup!"
	"Well apparently not, judging by my current state," Sonic 
retorted.
	"Who exactly are we talking about?" Sally interjected.
	"The man who attacked me," Sonic said.
	"I figured that much out," Sally said glaring at him.  "What's his 
name?"
	Sonic paused thinking.  It wasn't as if she would know the name 
nor Nicole for that matter.  He took a deep breath.
	"His name, or what he told me, is Soul Child," Sonic answered 
quietly.  "Honestly it sounds more like a code name to me but it's all 
that he would say."
	"Why did he attack you?" Sally asked.
	Sonic shook his head.  "I don't know," he said.  "I was by the 
chute when he attacked and nearly killed me.  I'll tell you guys this, 
if you see a tall human wearing a cloak and hood with a huge claymore on 
his back start running as fast as you can."
	Osaka sighed letting out a shudder.  "You should count yourself 
lucky that you got back here before he killed you Sonic," he said.  "He 
is not someone you can fight alone."
	"I'll agree to the last part," Sonic said nodding.  "But the thing 
is, the last thing I remember is being underfoot with the tip of his 
sword at my throat.  I blacked out after that and woke up here."
	"Wait, you mean that you didn't get into the chute of your own 
power?" Sally asked.  "That would mean-"
	"He let you go," Osaka finished.  "To him it was a game.  The fact 
that you survived is proof to him that you’re strong."  He sighed.  None 
of this was good.
	"Dr. Osaka, how do you know all this?" Sally asked.
	"This 'Soul Child’ was a young human I took under my wing many 
years ago," Osaka admitted.  "I taught him the ways of the sword as well 
as how to harness the raw power of Mobius and use it to do his bidding.  
I kept most of his training secret from Julian but there was only so 
much I could do.  I had had my suspicions about him but would not inform 
the King without proper evidence.  That's when everything went wrong.
	"Soul Child had learned of Julian's plan to overthrow the king and 
take the city for himself.  He was furious, mainly at me for not taking 
any action.  I did everything in my power to stop him but I wasn’t 
strong enough."  He ran his hand across his scar.  "He gave me the scar 
that runs across my chest.  Even through all the pain I kept trying.  I 
couldn't do anything though.  I heard later after I escaped to Knothole 
that Robotnik had not bothered to roboticize him.  Rather, he had sent 
almost a dozen platoons of SWATbots after him.  He was strong, but not 
that strong."
	"That's awful," Sally said bringing her hand to her mouth.  "You 
must have been devastated."
	Osaka chuckled.  "Oddly enough I was relieved," he said.  
"Robotnik would never lay his hands on the power that Soul Child held.  
I was also glad to hear that he died fighting to the end, just like he 
had wanted to."
	Sally closed her eyes, absorbing this new information.  "Why 
didn’t you tell us about this sooner?" she asked finally looking at him.  
"If we had known he was still around we could’ve stopped this."  Osaka 
chuckled and crossed his arms.
	"I highly doubt that Princess," he said smirking.  "I trained him 
myself.  They only reason Robotnik is still alive is because Soul Child 
was vastly outnumbered that day.  Though if he is still alive, I pray 
his mentality on Robotnik hasn’t changed or we are all done for."
	Osaka looked at the clock on the wall.  "Princess, I would suggest 
making your normal rounds through the village," he suggested.  "Even if 
you are 'working' with me everyone needs a break from time to time."
	Sally stood still for a while looking over Sonic.  She still 
seemed reluctant to leave his side.  Osaka had been right about her 
feelings.  Now if only Sonic knew...
	"I'll be fine," Sonic encouraged her.  "While I don't know all of 
what's going on it's best not to make the rest of the village worry."
	Sally sighed and nodded.  "Okay," she gave in.  "I'll be back 
later to check up on you.  Got it?"
	Sonic nodded smiling.  Sally dried her eyes and left faking a yawn 
and stretching.  Sonic watched painfully as she left.  He hated doing 
this to her.  He cared about her as a friend but he got the feeling it 
was not mutual.  In fact, he felt she liked him more than she was 
letting on.  He understood her duty to the planet first than to herself, 
but still...
	"How much of what you said is true?" Osaka asked interrupting his 
thoughts.
	"All of it," Sonic said.  "This wouldn't have been a good time to 
lie to her.  She has this weird ability when she's sad and angry to read 
right through lies."
	"Then you should know something," Osaka offered.  "This will not 
be the last you see of Soul Child.  He will continue to challenge you 
until you either beat him or he kills you.  Be on your guard."
	"Will he leave me alone if there's a group of us?"
	"No, that fact alone will not stop him from challenging you," 
Osaka told him.  "He will be formal about it, requesting a one-on-one 
duel rather than just outwardly attacking you.  While he may be a bit 
insane sometimes he is still a being of honor."
	"I'll keep that in mind," Sonic promised yawning.  "If you don't 
mind I'm gonna-"
	Sonic then remembered the plans that Uncle Chuck had given him.  
"Doc, you gotta get Sally for me!" he said.  "I have some mondo 
important stuff for her."
	Osaka nodded and walked outside.  In a couple minutes he returned 
with Sally in tow.  She had a slightly confused look on her face.
	"Sal, reach in my bag for a computer disk will you?" he asked her.
	She complied and found the disk Uncle Chuck had given him.  "What 
is this?" she asked him.
	"They're the latest specs Uncle Chuck got from Buttnik," he 
answered.  "He mentioned the plans for the AI program the new SWATbutts 
are using as well as something called the 'R-Wave'.  Apparently Snively 
is taking charge of this new toy."
	A look of relief spread across Sally's face.  "Thank you much 
Sonic!" she exclaimed kissing him on the cheek.  "I'll get Nicole 
working on these right away."
	Sonic smiled glad that his part was done now.  "No prob," he said 
with a slight blush.  "Now, I'm going to finish what I was doing before 
I remembered that disk."
	He closed his eyes and was almost instantly asleep.  Sally smiled 
and Osaka sighed.  It was about time the boy was asleep.  He would need 
as much as possible to recover quickly.  So absorbed in thought was he 
that he didn't even notice Sally kiss Sonic's forehead and stroke his 
quills lightly.  Sonic smiled a little and gave a deep sigh.  Osaka was 
pulled from his thoughts when Sally latched onto his neck without 
warning.
	"Thank you for everything," she said.  "We would've lost him if it 
hadn't been for your quick work."
	"Just doing my part," Osaka said.  "That and I have a promise to 
keep to Sir Charles to watch after the little scamp."
	Sally let go and went back outside to continue her rounds.  Osaka 
sat down and picked up his book to continue reading.  He frowned trying 
to find where he had been before all this had started.  At least it had 
made his day more interesting.  The news of Soul Child's reappearance 
was disturbing but he would worry about that once Sonic regained his 
strength.
	The next few days were relatively uneventful.  Sally and Bunnie 
kept tabs on Sonic's recovery.  By the fourth day Sonic had been able to 
move around with relative ease but didn't want to try running quite yet.  
Sally kept him informed of the goings-on of the village and bringing him 
chili dogs every so often.  Her excuse had been that Dr. Osaka had taken 
a liking to them but was a terrible cook.  At the very least the last 
part was true.  By the sixth day Sonic had removed the last of his 
bandages and stood in front of Osaka completely healed.  Osaka gave him 
a clean bill of health and Sally and Bunnie both approved.  That night 
Sonic quietly snuck off into the woods to "return" from his recon 
assignment.  The entirety of the village welcomed him back 
enthusiastically glad their hero had returned.  Sonic gave Sally his 
"report" which was simply old information that had been deemed 
unimportant before and was still now.
	The next afternoon Sonic was sprawled out on the grass outside the 
power ring pool soaking in the sun's rays.  It felt good to be outside 
rather than in a bed wrapped up like a mummy.  He closed his eyes and 
took a deep breath.  A bundle of fur landing on his stomach forced the 
breath out and Sonic sat up winded.  The familiar sight of two tails 
told him who it was.
	"Sonic!" Tails said hugging his idol.  "When did you get back?  I 
missed you."
	Sonic laughed and hugged the little orange fox back.  "Last 
night," he answered.  "And I missed you too bro."  With that he mussed 
up Tails' hair.  This caused him to jump away and fix it quickly.
	"Sonic!  You know I hate it when you do that!"
	Sonic and Tails both laughed and Tails laid down next to him.
	"So what was your mission like?" he asked curiously.
	"Eh, boring as usual," Sonic replied.  "Trust me, when you're old 
enough to go on missions you'll learn that recon jobs outside of 
Robotropolis are really boring."
	"I wish I could do even that," Tails said moping.  "Aunt Sally 
won't let me do anything."
	"It's cuz she's worried about you kid," Sonic replied.  "It's not 
that we're worried about you getting hurt.  In fact, you're more 
prepared than the rest of us to escape a dangerous situation.  Sal just 
wants to make sure that you have the proper training and experience 
before you take anything like that on."
	Tails didn't say anything.  He knew Sonic was right but he still 
didn't like it.  It was right at that moment Bunnie stood over the two 
of them and shook her head.
	"Why did Ah know I'd find you two here?" she asked.  "Y'all know 
that Antoine is looking for you sugarhog.  Something about a quick run 
to Cherrywood to answer a distress call."
	Sonic rolled back and sprung to his feet.  He stretched out and 
turned to face Bunnie.
	"Alright alright," he said shaking his head as Tails got up.  
"I'll go find him and we'll head out.  Probably just them pulling 
another prank on us."
	"Can I come Sonic?" Tails begged looking up at him.
	Sonic sighed and looked at Bunnie who just shrugged.  "It's Sally-
girl’s call," she said simply.
	"You heard her bro," Sonic said smiling.  "Let's juice it loose!"
	He revved up and took up with Tails following close behind.  
Bunnie shook her head smiling.  Those two became more like brothers 
every day, it was almost scary.  Sonic and Tails sped off towards 
Sally's hut stopping by to pick up Antoine who was trying to figure out 
what had just happened. A couple knocks later Sally answered the door 
with the three of them standing in front.
	"Please?" Tails begged her before anything else was said.  Sonic 
just started chuckling while Antoine and Sally both had on confused 
expressions.  Sally caught on first as to what Tails wanted and shook 
her head.
	"I'm sorry Tails but you can't go," she said sternly causing the 
fox to pout.  "If it was anything but a distress call-"
	"Sal, what happened to the last dozen distress calls we got from 
them?" Sonic pointed out coming to Tails' defense.  "Besides, if it is a 
SWATbutt attack we'll need all the help we can get.  With Ant and I 
there he'll be fine."
	Sally closed her eyes and sighed.  While Sonic was right it wasn't 
Tails she was so worried about.  Sonic had just recovered and was 
heading out again.  Even with Dr. Osaka's word she had wanted Sonic to 
stay in Knothole for a little while so he could regain all his strength.  
On the other hand he wasn't alone this time.  Plus she had wanted Tails 
to start gaining some field experience.  She knew between Sonic and 
Tails she would never win this fight.
	"Alright," she said finally, "he can go with you two.  But there 
had better not be a scratch on him when you get back or I'll do to you 
what the SWATbots would have."
	"Do not be worrying Prinzess," Antoine said saluting.  "We shall 
do our bests to ensure ze young Tails’ safe peeping."
	"Keeping Ant, safekeeping," Sonic said holding his temples as 
Sally and Tails blushed slightly.
	Sonic then proceeded to throw Antoine over his shoulder much to 
the other's protest.  They sped off to the west with Tails taking to the 
sky.  Sally watched them leave unable to make the knot in her stomach go 
away.  She closed her door and went over to her sink.  She turned on the 
water and splashed water on her face.  She looked in the mirror, worry 
written all over her face.  She hoped everything would be okay.
	It took only a few minutes to reach Cherrywood at Sonic's speed 
and Tails was right behind him.  Sonic set Antoine down who began 
smoothing out his uniform with a string of French curses.  When Tails 
asked about them Antoine simply told him, "When you are being older."  
While the two of them argued about that Sonic looked around.  He'd been 
to Cherrywood before and it was never this quiet.  It was the second 
largest Freedom Fighter base, just barely smaller than Knothole.  And 
yet there was only the wind blowing through the trees and huts.  
Something was wrong.
	"Sonic, why iz it being so quiet?" Antoine asked ignoring Tails' 
argument.  "I am remembering a much busier Cherrywood."
	"Agreed Ant," Sonic said nodding.  "Something's up and I don't 
like it.  I had expected water balloons or ketchup and mustard bombs 
like last time."
	They walked into the village square with only the wind to comfort 
them.  Tails had started to shiver.
	"Sonic, I don't like it here," he whimpered.
	"I feel you there big guy," Sonic said.  "I've never seen the 
village this quiet.  It's more like a ghost town."
	Sonic had expected something from Antoine like a yelp or scream 
but heard nothing.  He turned and saw the fox scanning the area.
	"If you are to be wondering," Antoine said without looking at 
Sonic, "I have been knowing I cannot be acting like a rooster all ze 
time."
	"That's chicken Antoine," Tails said smiling.  "But at least you 
were close."
	When they thought they heard something rustle in the bushes Sonic 
held up his hand.  Antoine and Tails stopped in their tracks and looked 
at each other.  Sonic had never used hand signs before now.  Sonic could 
understand their position on this.  He had finally decided to take 
Sally's advice and learn a few so he could lead stealth raids.  When the 
rustling turned out to be the wind again no other words passed through 
their lips.  Sonic gave another sign to stop before they left the main 
hut area.  Something was telling him to stop here but he didn't know 
what.  He turned to the other two, first pointing at Antoine, his eyes 
and then the first hut on the other side of the street.  He repeated the 
same to Tails but to the hut next to Antoine's.  Sonic took the hut they 
were right next to.  The inexplicable knot in his stomach tightened.  
When he entered the hut his eyes widened in realization and disgust.  He 
immediately ran outside feeling his lunch wanting to heave up.  When the 
other two heard the commotion they ran to his side immediately.
	"What's wrong Sonic?" Tails asked.
	"You are not looking too well," Antoine piped in.
	As soon as Sonic recovered he looked at them.  "Do not, under any 
circumstances look in that hut," he said simply.  The very image was 
still burned into his memory.
	"What iz it?" Antoine asked a trace of nervousness in his voice.
	"I found out why the villagers aren't around," Sonic said standing 
up straight.
	"But that's good right?" Tails said.  "We can tell Aunt Sally 
they're all okay!"
	"They're not," Sonic said.  "They're all dead."
	There was complete silence between the three of them.  Certainly 
he couldn't be serious.  There were over a hundred villagers; there was 
no way all of them were in one hut.  But Sonic couldn't forget what he 
had seen.  Ignoring Sonic's request Antoine opened the door to the hut.  
As soon as he saw the sight inside he had the same look Sonic had.  
Before Tails could look Antoine grabbed him and pulled him into his 
uniform.  But Tails had seen what was inside and began screaming.
       Every villager had the same expression on their faces.  They 
looked like they were screaming and their skin had lost all color in 
their faces turning the lips blue and shriveled.  Their eyes were milky 
white with only the outline of the iris visible.  Tears of blood were 
streamed down their faces and blood still dripped from their ears.
	"What sick twisted bastard would do this?" Sonic growled.  "This 
is too low, even for Robotnik."
	"That's where you would be wrong," a deep voice said.  "What you 
see here is the handiwork of a 'sick twisted bastard' and his SWATbots."
	Antoine looked around for the source of the voice but Sonic did 
nothing.  He knew that voice.  The same voice had left him for dead, 
even in Knothole, all just to test him.
	"You," he snarled.  "What are you doing here?"
	A tall cloaked figure jumped down into the community square with a 
hood covering his head.  A massive claymore close to six feet long was 
slung across his back in a matching scabbard.  He walked through the 
square which itself was littered with the swords of the village guards.
	"I came when I felt the distress of these animals," he said.  "I 
had thought that Knothole might respond quicker since you were closer, 
but apparently I was wrong."
	Tails was still in a state of shock, the image of the bodies still 
fresh in his mind.  Antoine held him and made sure to close the door on 
the hut shivering as he remembered what was in there.
	"Well sorry if we can't 'feel' distress like you can," Sonic 
retorted.  "At least we would've tried.  I bet all you did was stand by 
and watch, eh Soul Child?"
	"Again you would be wrong," Soul Child said lowering his hood.  "I 
arrived just in time to destroy the SWATbots that did this.  You may 
wish to take their weapons back with you to study them."
	The face that looked at Sonic unnerved him to no end.  His glowing 
red eyes against the whites of his eyes and his short and spiky blond 
hair.  His jaw was chiseled as if from stone, an accurate depiction of 
the rest of his body.  Visible from under his cloak were black leather 
gloves and matching boots.  Sonic had seemingly ignored what he had just 
said and was in a fighting stance.
	"I see you wish to test your luck against me once more," Soul 
Child said smiling.  He pulled a nearby longsword out of the ground and 
tossed it to the blue hedgehog.  "Catch."
	Sonic caught the hilt easily enough.  He would worry about the 
"why" of all this later.  His mind was too preoccupied with payback.  
Soul Child smiled.
	"Now that we are equal ground," he said pulling out his sword from 
its massive scabbard, "let the fun begin!"
	"Antoine, get Tails back to Knothole!" Sonic barked at him.  "I'll 
catch up with you as soon I'm done with him."
	Antoine nodded but found himself unable to move, whether from fear 
or another source.  He watched as Sonic and the one he called "Soul 
Child" dueled.  The human had the clear advantage.  His size was greater 
as was his grasp of sword technique.  As far as Antoine remembered Sonic 
had never as much touched a sword.  But the hedgehog was holding his own 
and quickly improving, even turning the tables briefly before going back 
on the defensive.
	Soul Child swung low going for Sonic's legs.  The sword struck 
nothing but air.  He looked up and saw Sonic diving at him fist coiled 
back.  Sonic put all of his strength into that right hook and connected 
with Soul Child's cheek.  The sheer force of the blow threw him back 
into the fountain.  He stood back up and wiped his mouth with the back 
of his hand.
	"It's been a long time since I've seen my own blood," he admitted 
smiling.  "I can tell this is going to be the most fun I've had in a 
long time."
	He charged at Sonic again swinging wildly.  Sonic dodged or 
blocked all of the attacks each blow throwing him back a little.  After 
a savage swing Sonic did an aerial back somersault to recover.  When he 
landed Soul Child was holding out his right hand and a ball of fire was 
forming.  Sonic thought about dodging but then looked behind him.  
Antoine and Tails were still there unable to move because of fear.  
Sonic grit his teeth.  If he dodged Antoine and Tails would be toast.  
If he didn't he was toast.  Some choice...
	"FIREBALL!" Soul Child yelled and a massive ball of flame shot out 
at Sonic.  He drove his sword into the ground and knelt down on one knee 
holding the hilt with both hands.  He felt the intense heat envelope 
him.  After a few seconds it passed and Sonic stood up unscathed.  
Antoine watched in awe.  Sonic had taken that blast without thinking and 
was untouched by it.
	"Leave my friends out of this!" Sonic yelled at Soul Child.  "This 
fight is between you and me."
	Antoine did a double take.  He had said "friends" meaning...
	"You consider moi a friend?" Antoine said in disbelief.  "But I 
thought..."
	"No matter what we've been through Ant," Sonic assured him, "I 
have always thought of you as my friend.  I know I don't act like it all 
the time but I really do.  We all need to stick together if we wanna 
win."
	Antoine smiled.  Part of him now felt capable of running for the 
sake of Tails but he would not abandon Sonic.  He watched as Sonic began 
to run circles around the human trying to turn him around.  Soul Child 
caught on and stuck his sword out to one side.
	>Bingo,< Sonic thought smiling.
	Sonic jumped twisting his body parallel to the ground.  His left 
foot landed on the flat of the blade and brought his right back for a 
kick.  Soul Child's eyes widened.  He was fast but not as fast as Sonic 
and had no time to block this attack.  Sonic let his kick loose and sent 
Soul Child spiraling into a nearby hut demolishing it.  Sonic smiled 
admiring his work.  He had been improvising but it was a nice effect.
	"TIME FREEZE!"
	Sonic held out his sword to block but nothing happened.  He looked 
around and noticed nothing was moving.  A sparrow was frozen in mid 
flight, the plants were in the middle of swaying, even the dust rising 
from the wrecked hut stopped moving.  Soul Child stood up and rotated 
his neck around letting loose several loud cracks.
	"Not bad at all," he admitted stepping from the wreckage.  "I have 
to admit you are quite strong despite your small size."
	"What did you do here and why can I still move?" Sonic asked.  
Something was off though.  He felt no urge to fight, no anger towards 
his opponent.
	"I have frozen time itself," Soul Child said simply.  "You may 
have noticed that you have lost any desire to fight me as well.  That is 
simply another effect of this field so I may talk peacefully with my 
opponent."
	Now it was Sonic's turn to be surprised.  Osaka had said this guy 
was unstable but this was going pretty far.  Not counting being able to 
freeze time...  Sonic bent over and picked up a sheath and slid the 
longsword in it.
	"Then I'm to assume you want to call a truce," Sonic said slinging 
the sword under his pack.
	"Hmm, yes and no," Soul Child replied smiling.  "I want to take 
you on as a student."
	Sonic's eyes widened.  A student?  Now nothing was making sense.
	"Why me?" Sonic asked.  "What makes me so different from anyone 
else?"
	"Your anger was pure once realizing the fate of the villagers," 
Soul Child answered.  "You also were willing to sacrifice your life for 
your friends.  I can teach you how to obtain the power to destroy Julian 
once and for all."
	Sonic stared at the ground.  Him, having the power to oust 
Robotnik and free Mobius of his reign of terror?  It was a tempting 
thought, but it seemed too easy.
	Soul Child could see the inner battle Sonic was waging.  "The 
training will be long," he informed him.  "You will not be able to help 
your friends directly in that time.  But I do promise in under a year 
you will have the power to free our world."
	He could see Sonic was still unsure of this move.  He sighed.  
This happened every time he found someone worthy of being his student.  
They couldn't leave their friends and loved ones behind and ended up 
getting killed by Robotnik.  Still, something about this hedgehog told 
him that even if he turned down the training he would lead the Freedom 
Fighters to victory.
	"Can I have some time to think about it?" Sonic asked finally.
	"Of course," Soul Child answered.  "I will give you until tomorrow 
night."
	With that Soul Child vanished leaving no trace of his existence 
behind and the flow of time returned to normal.  Antoine blinked.  
Surely something must have happened.  That human had yelled something 
and then was gone in the same instant.  Tails had come out of his shock 
and let go of him.
	"Sonic, what happened?" he asked almost as if reading Antoine's 
mind.  "Where'd that guy go and how'd he disappear like that?"
	Sonic was quiet.  What was he supposed to say?  His heart wanted 
to tell them everything but his mind still had not grasped it.  "I don't 
know bro," he said quietly.  "Regardless, let's get back to Knothole and 
let Sally know what happened."
	He started to turn around when he saw the pile of scrapped 
SWATbots.  He went over and picked up one of their arm cannons.  It 
didn't look any different than normal but he would let Rotor figure that 
out.  He put the arm in his pack and turned to face the others.  Tails 
had already taken off with Antoine.  This gave Sonic time to think and 
he quietly thanked Antoine.  He revved his legs and ran back towards 
Knothole.
	After delivering his report and watching Sally almost break down 
he went to Rotor's workshop to deliver the arm he had taken.  Rotor 
looked over the casing carefully.
	"Well, it looks like a regular laser cannon," he said.  "I'll get 
to work on it and see what I can figure out."
	"Thanks Rote," Sonic said relieved.  At least one thing had gone 
right.  "See if you can get Uncle Chuck to help you.  He's the one who 
found out about a new weapon and maybe he can help you figure out what 
it is."
	Rotor nodded and went over to the comm panel.  Sonic left his hut 
and sighed.  There was only one thing left to do.  He went over to 
Sally's hut and knocked.
	"Come in," he heard a voice followed by sniffling.
	Sonic opened the door and there was Sally trying to act as if she 
hadn't been crying.  He couldn't blame her, they all had had friends in 
Cherrywood and they were a valuable asset against Robotnik.  It was 
another reason to take Soul Child up on his offer...
	Sonic wrapped his arms around Sally taking her by surprise.  She 
finally broke down and cried into his shoulder.
	"Why did this have to happen?" she sobbed.  "If I had just taken 
the call seriously-"
	"I would've done the same thing," Sonic said squeezing her.  "They 
were notorious for pranks and we assumed that's what it was again.  We 
had no way of knowing from the distress call what exactly was going on."
	Sally continued crying for a few minutes.  She finally let up and 
sighed.  She knew Sonic was right but that didn't make it easier.  Sonic 
let go of her and looked into her eyes.
	"The only thing we can do for them now is give them a proper 
burial," he said.  "It's only right since they died as Freedom 
Fighters."
	Sally nodded in agreement.  "You're right," she said.  "We'll 
leave right away."
	Sonic smiled.  This was the Sally he remembered.  He hugged her 
again and left to get a team assembled.  Sally wiped her eyes and looked 
in the mirror.  There was something else Sonic wasn't telling her but 
this was no time to worry about it.  She slid Nicole into her boot and 
straightened herself out.  She had to be strong for the whole village.  
If she wasn't strong the other animals would lose hope.
	Almost a half hour later Sonic, Sally, Tails, Antoine, Bunnie, 
Osaka and over 30 villagers arrived at Cherrywood.  The villagers took 
to digging graves alongside others off to the north end of the village.  
The three who had been there before as well as Osaka went to the 
building where the villagers had been left.  Tails stayed outside and 
helped the other villagers.  After what he had seen last time...  Osaka 
closed his eyes and sighed.  He looked over one of the bodies carefully 
trying not to look at the face.  He stood up and took his gloves off.
	"From the look of it," he said, "the weapon seems to cause the 
main blood vessels in the body to rupture, causing massive hematomas, 
stroke and heart attack.  It also seems to bypass the surface 
capillaries, though I’m not sure how.  What I do know is that these 
animals died slowly and painfully."
	"Robotnik has gone too far this time," Sonic said.  "I wouldn't 
even call this murder.  This is a massacre."
	Osaka opened his bag and began taking out body bags.  "I'm sure 
the other villagers would appreciate not having to see this sight.  
Let's get started," he said.
	It took them the rest of the day and well into the night to finish 
burying the dead.  They stood over the freshly dug graves most of the 
villagers crying.  Sonic held Sally knowing what it looked like but not 
caring.  Through her crying and that of the villagers he could only 
think about one thing.
	>Soul Child, are you telling me I could've prevented this?< he 
thought.  >I never want to see this happen again.  I won't let Sally cry 
over something I could've stopped!<  Finally knowing what he had to do 
Sonic pulled Sally closer.  Osaka looked over at Sonic seeing the 
resolve in his eyes.  He could tell what he was thinking.  He thought 
briefly about trying to convince him otherwise but knew it would be 
pointless.
	>Like father like son,< he thought.  >I may not be able to change 
his mind but I can give him something I should have a long time ago.<
	In Robotropolis Snively looked over the report from the SWATbot 
unit that had raided Cherrywood.  He didn't know how they had been 
destroyed so quickly, especially since the village hadn't been able to 
mount a working defense against the R-Wave.  Regardless of that, the 
weapon worked perfectly in every manner.
	"Well Snively?" Robotnik asked from behind.  "How was our little 
field test?"
	"Flawless, sir," Snively said smiling.  "The rebels were unable to 
mount a proper defense in time and the weapon didn't cause any 
structural damage to this village or rebels.  Unfortunately the SWATbot 
unit was attacked outside the village.  Whatever it was that attacked 
took them out without being seen."
	Robotnik smoothed out his mustache.  Things were going well, very 
well.
	"Begin the final phase of testing Snively," he ordered.  "Those 
Freedom Fighters will have a very big surprise coming their way soon."
	The next day had been set aside as a day of mourning in Knothole.  
Sonic nor Sally had come out of their huts all day, not even to eat.  By 
the time lunch had come many had wondered what had happened to them.  
Osaka and Rosie made sure that the villagers were leaving them alone, 
knowing those two were beating themselves up over what had happened.  
They agreed to talk to them and went to their respective huts.  Before 
heading to Sonic's Osaka stopped by his hut.  He removed the picture of 
all the Knothole Freedom Fighters from the wall and typed a passcode 
into the hidden panel.  The wall panel moved to the side revealing a 
small alcove.  He pulled out a long object wrapped in cloth and stared 
at it briefly.
	"Old friend," he whispered to himself, "the time has finally come.  
I hope you can forgive me for letting your son do this, but it is for 
the sake of Mobius."
	Sally sat on the end of her bed trying to shake the feeling of 
guilt.  If she had taken the call seriously none of this would've 
happened.  This...was her fault.  A knock on her door pulled her from 
her thoughts.
	"Who is it?" she asked.
	"Rosie," said an aged voice.  "We must talk Princess."
	Sally walked to the door and let the elderly badger in.  Sally sat 
back down on her bed and her nanny sat down next to her.
	"Dr. Osaka told me what happened," Rosie began.  "It's not your 
fault Sally."
	"But it is," Sally insisted shaking her head.  "If I had taken the 
distress call seriously-"
	"Then the village would've still been wiped out," Rosie said 
sternly.  "From what the doctor told me their deaths were all within a 
ten-minute time frame.  There was nothing you could've done.  You would 
have had to know the attack was going to happen."
	She put her hand on Sally's.  "If there is anyone to blame it is 
Robotnik for creating this weapon.  The guards of Cherrywood are more 
than a match for regular or even AI-enhanced SWATbots.  Those brave 
animals would not want you to blame yourself for what happened.  They 
would want you to take Robotnik down for them.  Only then can their 
souls be at rest."
	Sally was quiet.  Her nanny was exactly right.  This WAS 
Robotnik's fault, not hers.  She kept blaming herself for everything and 
yet none of it was.  She wiped the tears from her eyes and looked over 
at Rosie.
	"Thank you Rosie," she said.  "That helps, but I'm still pretty 
torn up about losing the village.  I just need some time to cope with 
this."
	Rosie smiled.  "It's good to hear that Sally," she said.  "Now, 
let's get you something to eat.  I know you haven't left your hut all 
day and you need something in your stomach."
	Sally smile and stood up with Rosie.  The two of them went in the 
direction of the dining hut when they saw Osaka and a cloth-wrapped 
object in his hand.  When Rosie saw what was in his hand her eyes 
widened and then closed as she smiled.
	"It is time then?" she asked the doctor.
	He nodded.  "I should have given him this a long time ago," he 
said looking at his hand.  "I pray that he will forgive me for waiting 
so long."
	"He will," Rosie assured him.  "Those two are no different than 
each other.  I'm sure he'll understand."
	Osaka smiled and continued on his way.  Sally and Rosie continued 
as well as Sally turned to her.
	"What was that about?" she asked.  "What was he carrying?"
	"Nothing," Rosie said.  "I am afraid it is not my place to discuss 
those matters."
	Unlike Sally Sonic was busy getting his things ready.  He had made 
up his mind about his decision and nothing could change it.  Not that it 
made it easier, it simply solidified his thinking.  No matter what Dr. 
Osaka said Soul Child had still been right.  Sonic could've stopped the 
whole thing from happening...
	>If I simply had the proper training,< Sonic thought.  >I will not 
allow any more tears to be shed because we did nothing.  I promise to 
get stronger, then we can defeat Robotnik and end this war once and for 
all!<
	"If you're thinking what I think you are, you may be right."
	Sonic turned towards his door and saw Dr. Osaka leaning against 
the wall.  "You really should lock your door if you don't want people 
coming in unannounced," he suggested standing tall.  "Sonic, while I may 
not agree with your decision I will support you in the only way 
possible."
	"How...did you know?" Sonic asked.
	"I have seen the same look before," Osaka admitted.  "Many years 
ago your father had the same look before joining the Royal Guard."
	"My father?" Sonic said surprised.  "You knew my father?"
	"Yes," Osaka said nodding.  "We were friends long before the coup.  
We were the closest of friends, pulling pranks on everyone, sparing no 
one.  As a matter of fact that's how he met your mother."
	Sonic stopped packing.  He remembered his parents and a few 
memories of them but little else.  He had always wanted to know more but 
Uncle Chuck had never told him.
	"What were they like?" he asked finally.
	"You get your sense of heroism from your father," Osaka said 
smiling walking over to Sonic.  "He and your uncle were to most unlikely 
of brothers.  While his brother got the brains, Eric got the skills.  He 
became an incredible swordsman and was eventually appointed to the Royal 
Guard.  I had heard rumors his skills were on par with that of the 
Captain of the Guard, Antoine's father."
	Osaka closed his eyes remembering.  "As for your mother Alura, I 
have yet to see a more beautiful animal.  You get your looks from her as 
well as your charm.  I wouldn’t have had a chance with her once she met 
your father, even if he had put her hand in warm water overnight."
	The two of them laughed.  "That was the most savage beating I've 
ever seen Eric take without fighting back," Osaka continued.  "They were 
perfect for each other in every way.  After you were born your mother 
took you all across Mobius on archaeological digs.  She had the hardest 
time keeping you still once you learned you had super speed."
	"How is it that I have that?" Sonic asked his curiosity piqued.  
"Uncle Chuck said he didn't know."
	"It wouldn't surprise me that he doesn't," Osaka replied.  "Eric 
had never shown it to anyone outside of myself, Alura and Rosie.  It is 
an old family blessing from your father's side given to the eldest 
child.  Since only the one bearing the speed is able to pass it down Sir 
Charles was never taught the ancient rites."
	"What happened to them?" Sonic asked.  "I heard they vanished 
before the coup happened and my mother left me in Rosie's care."
	Osaka shook his head.  "That I don't know," he admitted.  "The 
King had given them some sort of secret order that Eric wouldn't discuss 
even with me.  They left the week of the coup without a word and haven't 
been heard from since.  I have tried contacting them through other 
Freedom Fighter bases but have had no luck."
	Osaka finally brought the cloth-wrapped object up and handed it to 
Sonic.  "When I last saw your father he wanted you to have this," he 
said.
	Sonic unwrapped it to reveal a sheathed katana.  The sheath itself 
was jet black and the guard was shaped in a repeating star pattern.  
There was a back strap attached to the sheath with the design and crest 
of the Royal Guard on it.  The hilt was wrapped in a tightly bound red 
leather in a criss-crossing design.  Sonic pulled the blade out slightly 
to reveal a glimmering blade.  The edge was so white it almost glowed 
while the back only a few shades darker.  Sonic's eyes began to water as 
what this was settled in.
	"My dad's...sword," he said.  "I remember he used to carry this 
around.  No matter how many times I asked he would never show it to me.  
He would always say I was too young to be around a sword."
	"Before he left with your mother he entrusted me with it," Osaka 
said sighing.  "He said to give it to you 'when the time was right'.  I 
didn't know what he meant then, but I think he was referring to when you 
would choose to fight against evil.  And I can think of no better time 
than this."
	Osaka sat down in a nearby chair.  "I know that you intend to 
train with Soul Child, Sonic," he revealed.  "While I do not agree with 
your decision I know that I cannot change your mind.  You must do what 
your heart says is right.  If you follow your heart you can do no wrong.  
I know you can do this Sonic."
	With that Osaka left Sonic to his own thoughts.  Sonic looked at 
him as left.  He then looked down at the sword holding it tighter.
	"Daddy, thank you," he whispered.  He strapped the katana onto his 
back with the hilt over his right shoulder.  "Adrian, dad, I won't let 
you guys down.  I promise."
	Night soon came and with it a tall cloaked figure near the 
outskirts of the village.  He looked at the one hut with its lights 
still on.  He had felt this one's resolution earlier but had held true 
to his word.  He walked silently past the guard without ever being 
noticed.  He passed through the wall of this hut like air to see a blue 
hedgehog sitting on the end of his bed.  The figure removed his hood the 
reveal a blond human with glowing red eyes.
	"So you're here," Sonic said quietly.
	"Have you made your decision?" Soul Child asked.  "Will you take 
the training I have to offer to destroy Robotnik or will you defeat him 
on your own power?"
	"Yesterday I saw what would happen if I allow Robotnik to rule 
this world," Sonic said seemingly ignoring him.  "Never again will I 
allow the tears of my friends to touch the ground because of that 
monster.  I will train with you, if only to stop that madman."
	Soul Child smiled.  Finally, someone who was willing to put the 
fate of the planet before himself.  "Then we must leave now," he said.  
"Our destination will take time to reach and we have much to do."
	"Can I ask one thing first?" Sonic asked.  "I wish to say goodbye 
to someone."
	Soul Child frowned.  Emotional attachments were a weakness he 
believed, but apparently not to all.  "I will allow it," he said 
finally.  "Only if they promise not to interfere with your decision."
	Sonic nodded and pointed to a hut across from his.  "That's the 
one," he said.
	Soul Child held up two fingers and Sonic disappeared in a flurry 
of wind.
	When Sonic had regained his balance he looked around until he saw 
who he was looking for fast asleep.  He swallowed nervously.  This was 
the hardest thing he had ever had to do.  He sat down on the end of the 
bed causing the sleeper to shift slightly.
	"Sally," he said quietly, "please wake up.  There's...something I 
need to tell you."
	Sally stirred from her sleep at the sound of his voice.  When she 
saw him in a cloak with his pack and a sword across his back she was 
immediately alert.  He had removed his white gloves in favor of brown 
leather ones with the tips cut off.  In place of his sneakers he was 
wearing brown boots.  Something was off.  Sonic never wore anything 
besides his sneakers.
	"Sonic, what's wrong?" she asked.
	"There's something that I have to do," he said reservedly.  "I 
don't know how long I'll be gone.  All I know is that I cannot allow 
Robotnik to continue slaughtering us like he did at Cherrywood.  That's 
why I have to go."
	Sally was shocked.  "No Sonic," she pleaded.  "You can't leave.  
We need you here to help us fight.  What will happen to us if we don't 
have you?"
	"The Freedom Fighters still have you," he said bringing his hand 
to her face.  "As long as we have our Princess we cannot lose to 
Robotnik."
	"It's not just that Sonic," she said holding his hand.  "It's not 
just the Freedom Fighters that need you.  I...need you."
	A tear fell down her cheek and Sonic stopped it with his other 
hand.  "I have to Sal," he said.  "I won't let Robotnik bring tears to 
your eyes ever again.  That I promise."
	They looked into each other's eyes and Sally could see his 
resolve.  She buried herself in his chest hugging him tightly.
	"Sonic..." she said more tears coming.  Sonic gently put his arms 
around her a single tear falling down his cheek.
	She looked up at him and him at her.  Both their hearts were 
racing as their faces drew closer to each other.  They closed their eyes 
and kissed, holding it for what seemed an eternity.  They parted and 
Sally put her head on his shoulder.
	"I love you Sonic Hedgehog," she said finally.  "I always have but 
I could never put it into words how I felt.  I've been so wrapped up in 
fighting Robotnik that I tried to pretend I didn't.  But when you nearly 
died I couldn't bear to leave your side.  I was so worried that you 
wouldn't make it."
	Sonic said nothing, only holding her closer.  That was it wasn't 
it?  What he had been trying to deny all these years, this was it.  He 
stroked her cheek with his thumb and looked deep into her eyes.
	"I love you too Sally Alicia Acorn," he finally admitted.  "Ever 
since we were little kids I knew you were the one I was meant to be with 
forever.  That's why I have to do this.  I don't know what I would do if 
I lost you."
	He kissed her again, this time with all the passion and fire in 
his soul.  She returned the kiss in full, feeling like her soul was 
finally whole.  When they finally parted Sonic stood up.
	"I have to go," he said still holding her against him.  "If I 
don't go now I may never be able to."
	"Promise me you'll come back," she asked.  "Come back to us...and 
to me."
	Sonic held her at a slight distance and looked into her blue eyes.  
"I promise," he said smiling.
	She gave him one last kiss and they finally parted.  She watched 
as he went out the door to a hooded figure.  The door closed and Sally 
laid down in her bed again.
	Through all this the night watch never saw two hooded figures 
leaving the village and no one heard Sally crying herself to sleep.