Book III: All Is Fair In Love & War

by SonicMaster23

All is peaceful on Mobius... Until Vren the Night Demon suddenly crashlands in the Great Forest, bringing urgent news to the Freedom Fighters. Robotnik has returned, and he is trying to fulfill a legendary power to destroy the universe!

Sonic the Hedgehog FanFic III

All is Fair In Love & War

Chapter 1

Restless Night

The night was tranquil and blissfully silent, nothing but the soft whisper of the breeze filtering through the oaks or the lullaby of the crickets breaking the calm. A glittering network of millions and billions of stars flew across the heavens, like tiny pinpricks in a vast black cloak, glowing with the golden light it covered. A full moon rose to the zenith above the Great Mountains, casting a majestic silver light on the serene landscape below. Every now and then, when the breeze kicked up again, a cloud of fireflies would rise from the tall grass of the valleys and the meadows, speckling them with dancing golden flashes.

This was one of those nights that made Jessica dream... That made her imagine. What it was about these mysterious, placid nights that activated her imagination so, she did not know. But whenever they came, and the gentle calmness called to her, she could come to sit at the edge of Knothole Village to look out into the Great Forest, wondering and daydreaming about her past adventures with her dearest friends, the Freedom Fighters. It wasn't too long ago that she had met their magnificent leader who had swept her away ever since she laid eyes on him in her home planet, Earth, where he was believed to be fiction. But the adventure she and her best friend, Kimberly, shared with him brought her belief alive. Together, the battled the evil wizard Ixis Naugus, dueled against the legendary Power Stones, and tamed the wrath of a vicious demon. It was difficult to return to normal life when the adventure ended, but then a miracle brought the girl and her hero together again when a strange link was created between Earth and Planet Mobius, where she now sat. Robotnik had returned after long thought dead, and tried once more to take over Mobius. But the Freedom Fighters had stopped him in their last heroic war, and Jessica, Kimberly, and their friend Natalie were dubbed Freedom Fighters for their courage and loyalty in the fight.

Yes, these were all wonderful memories. It was such a privelege to remember them, and the girl found great solace with them. Although she missed Earth and its own memories, she had accepted the fact that the possibility of creating a link between in and Mobius was a slim chance, maybe impossible, and rejoiced in living amidst the glory and wonder of this remarkable world.

This beautiful night, she sat in her usual spot, atop a grassy knoll just outside of Knothole's outskirts, overlooking an endless grassland that swayed like waves with the wind. "Another year," she whispered to herself. "We've lived on Mobius for an entire year already. It seems as though time moves so much faster now that I'm living this great dream... It's incredible." Her hazel eyes flicked back mometarily to the small village behind her. A few lights were lit within the wooden huts, and silhouettes of fellow Freedom Fighters moved quietly down the worn paths and trails leading into the woods. She searched among them, looking for one in particular, but when she did not find him, she turned back to the moonlit grassland. "I wonder where he is... It's such a lovely night. Usually he'd be sitting out here alone, admiring the peace and undisturbed quietness. Robotnik has been gone for a whole year, and this looks like the kind of night he'd be celebrating the tyrant's absence." She peered up at the moon again, a great silver eye gleaming amongst the blue-blackness of Mobius's sky. "It's a wild night," she decided, nodding her head slowly. "He'll definitely be out tonight. The wildness calls to his heart, and he cannot resist it. But the question is, just where is he?"

Suddenly Jessica's attention was diverted to a sound of rushing feet in the distance. Quickly her eyes swept down the grassland, flicking back and forth, searching. Then, suddenly, he appeared, like a blue comet streaking across the night, running freely across the untouched land before him. Spellbound, Jessica watched him, transfixed by his beauty and spirit as he stretched out for speed, racing with long, lunging strides through the grass. Moonlight added a dazzling shimmer to the cerulean blue that cloaked his slender, lean body that was streamlined for speed and agility. The tan that covered his cheeks, arms and chest became a warm gold, and his eyes, untamed and undaunted, flamed a brilliant emerald green, a color so illustrious, so radiant, that it seemed to spark like fire. Long, sweeping blue quills fell down his head and back, like the flowing mane of a stallion racing the wind. Light, thin ears were pitched forward as he so fearlessly plunged to greater velocity through the world, his world, not a single flaw in his conformation or actions. He carried himself with a pride and confidence that never knew fear or weakness, head held high, neck arched, and his stride never breaking or faltering. He held this world beneath his flashing feet, never yielding to any danger or any obstacle. What had he to fear? His strength and his speed were unmatched, unequalled! His power had never once reached its full limit, even when pushed to the extreme, and his speed? Nothing in this world or the next could ever outrun him when he leveled out his body and sent himself hurtling forth with his arms thrown back and his head tossed into the wind, racing far faster than seven hundred miles per hour, the speed of sound! And even then he could sprint to greater speeds, right up until the air in front of him seemed to shatter with a thunderous crack. Then, his legs would literally spin beneath him, propelling him to speeds no other living thing could ever hope to achieve. He darted into this whirlwind speed now in the grassland, the great boom of a shattering sound barrier echoing throughout the still land like a thunderclap. Back and forth he bolted through the swaying grasses, tossing his head in challenge to the breeze as it kicked up. He would slow to a four-hundred-mile jog when the wind died down, and then, with startling suddenness, blast off at supersonic speed to race it, and skid hard on his hips when he so deftly succeeded. This was the creature that had captivated Jessica's imagination, her heart. This was the gallant warrior who won her every love and admiration, the dauntless king that took her breath away, the courageous soul that astonished her so, the leader of the Freedom Fighters and the very guardian of the planet! Sonic!

"There he is," Jessica grinned after watching him for what seemed like an eternity. "And it's just as I thought -- he's enjoying this night."

Sonic tore across the grassland at a sprint, stopping suddenly and the whirling back, throwing his head left and right. Usually he stood in silent reverance on these mild evenings, but tonight he was full of energy.

"He's restless," Jessica decided, noting his actions. "Hmm... That's odd. Maybe there's too much stillness for his liking."

Anyone who never knew Sonic probably couldn't tell this just by looking at him. But Jessica had grown to know him so well that the slightest change in his movement told her his very mood, his every feeling.

Curious, Jessica climbed to her feet and whistled, letting Sonic know she was there. It was a common action done by Freedom Fighters when communicating over long distances.

Immediately Sonic's ears twitched at the sound, and he peered up the hill into the forests. It was dark where Jessica sat, but Sonic's eyes were far more keen than a human's, and it didn't long for him to find the one who called to him. Seconds later he came tearing up the hillside, whisking past Jessica with such a mighty gale following behind him that it nearly knocked her down, then he circled to allow himself to slow this furious speed, skidding gracefully to a stop beside her. This was normally a frightening experience for those who had never been in Sonic's presence, but Jessica was far used to it, and she rather enjoyed the violent action as he swept past like an azure bullet.

"Hey, Jess," Sonic greeted cheerfully. "Didn't expect to see you out here. Where are Kim and Nat at?"

Jessica shrugged. "I'm not sure. Kimberly was with Sally earlier because she wanted to learn about the computers. And the last time I saw Natalie she was exploring the woods with Tails and a few other Freedom Fighters."

Sonic nodded and pawed the earth a bit, having difficulty keeping his feet still.

"So what have you been up to?" asked Jessica. "I haven't seen you much of the day."

"Me? I've just been out running, tryin' to get these kinks out of my legs." Now he began dancing on his feet, moving back and forth, almost pacing. It wasn't an impatient gesture -- more of an urge to move than anything else.

"What's got you so uptight?" grinned Jessica, watching him fondly. It was good to see him energetic. That meant he was in a running mood, and running was his life.

"I'm bored," muttered Sonic, pausing from his incessant moving only when the breeze kicked up again. Then the urge came again, and he wanted nothing more than to take off as fast as he possibly could to race it. "I've been bored the last few days. It's been too quiet here."

Jessica snickered, catching the competitive light that entered those emerald eyes before her. He was full of energy, full of fire tonight. She decided to build up this mounting eagerness to run just a little longer. That way, when he ran again, it would be a real sight to see! "Miss Robotnik already?" she asked with a smirk.

"Well, I wouldn't go that far," replied Sonic, who finally began to pace, indicating impatience. It was clear he wasn't irritated with Jessica. He was perfectly happy to carry on a conversation with anyone at this particular moment, so bored was he, but this natural drive, this need to run, was not something he could fight.

Jessica felt as if she were holding the reins of a stallion in a starting gate, trying to restrain the building tension until the break came. Anymore of this and Sonic wouldn't be able to take it anymore. Perhaps now was a good time to turn him loose. If it wasn't done soon, Sonic would race away without waiting for her. Well, if he did, there'd be no stopping. No one had ever controlled Sonic, and no one ever would. He was untame, wild. If he decided to run off without her along, then that's the way she would leave it. "I know," she said finally. "I've been sorta bored too. But isn't it a gorgeous night, Sonic?"

Sonic twirled in a circle, and then glanced up at the spinning galaxies above them. "Yeah, it is beautiful. Don't see them very much. That's another reason I'm so stir crazy. The wind is almost calling me, luring me. I can't resist answering it." He tossed his head and resumed his anxious pacing.

Jessica turned back to the grassland behind them. The wind was blowing again, and every time it did, another spark was added to the flames in Sonic's eyes. Now was the time. Grinning widely, she turned back to the restless warrior before her. "Wanna go for a run, Sonic?" she paused. "Just you and me?"

Sonic immediately lifted his head, eyes illuminating at the word run. "Heck yeah! Get a good grip, Jess! And hang on good and tight! I'm gonna move!"

Delighted Jessica ran up behind him and secured a tight hold about his shoulders, bracing herself for the incredible rush that would soon follow. Just how many times she had done this she didn't know now, but it never grew old. Each time was more thrilling and exhilerating as the next.

Sonic abrutply lifted up as he revved his feet, bringing them into a full spin that practically made him airborne. This was the stage in the run where Sonic charged all that pent up energy inside him, collecting it all in preparation to unleash it like a bomb. And it was also the stage where one had to get the tightest grip on him, otherwise, when he broke off, they'd be left in midair. Jessica tightened her hold until her fingers hurt, and readied herself. This gave Sonic the signal to blast off. Once all his teeming energy was at its peak, Sonic reared back, gathered himself, rallied the muscles in his legs, and WHOOOOSH! Off he surged in an explosion of power and speed, such a violent action that it made Jessica's head jerk back and her stomach churn. But she held good and stayed with him as he bolted, already pushing himself to greater speed, lengthening his strides. There was that feeling of leaving her insides behind, and then, everything was flying -- flying faster than anything else around, the world becoming one giant blur. Jessica's heart racing along with Sonic's flashing feet, and she felt the greatest sense of elation as she rocketed along with him, one with him as he fought for his highest velocity. Sonic didn't maintain one steady speed like he normally did this time. With every stride he stretched farther, adding more impulsion and intensity to his movements, striving to cover as much ground as he could as fast as he could. And no doubt about it his speed was neck-breaking. Jessica could feel him push off with his feet with powerful, thrusting force, kicking up the soil behind him. His arms were thrown back for balance, and leaned far forward, nearly parallel to the ground. He was trying to run himself out. And was he loving to release all this energy inside of him! Never once faltering in his lively sprint, Sonic pushed himself on ever faster, seeking the "Sonic Boom" again. Jessica was sure of this now, for he was straining to propel himself so fast that he nearly sliced the air. Sure enough, seconds later, a white arc appeared before him... The sound barrier! Jessica gazed down at his feet in their rushing glory, now moving so mind-bendingly fast that they were no more than a red whirling line beneath him, utterly amazed! It that moment she felt Sonic's joy in running wildly like this, to get the heart racing and the blood burning! With lightning-quick fury he tore the ground beneath him with those slashing feet, nearly creating a trail of fire so great was the friction of his energetic movements! The raging gale of Sonic's speed made Jessica's eyes tear, and she urged him to even greater speeds, whooping and shouting. The white arc became a sharp point on the outside, bending as Sonic pushed at it fiercely, and then CRACK! The sound barrier shattered, and Sonic whirled off in another blast of power, running until the grassland and Knothole were far behind him, rapidly putting away the miles as he loosened up his legs. He never once broke a sweat, and Jessica knew he'd be able to go on and on like this much longer before he was ready to stop, for his endurance and stamina were just another added bonus to his already perfect qualities.

Far back, int he central plaza of Knothole Village, Princess Sally sat with Kimberly and Natalie, chatting merrily. Nearby, Miles "Tails" Prower, the youngest of the Freedom Fighters, was showing off all the moves he had learned from his elders during his training.

"And Sonic taught me this one," he said excitedly. "Watch!" With one swift movement, he centered all his weight on the tip of one foot, and whirled around, his two tails slashing the air as he spun wildly like a top, moving to impressive speed.

The girls clapped in applause for the little Freedom Fighter who learned so quickly.

"You're doing great, Tails," said Sally. "Believe it or not, Sonic has done a remarkable job in training you."

"Where is he anyway?" asked Natalie.

"He went off claiming he was bored," answered the princess. "But he says that almost every day. He's been cooped up here too long and he wanted to run himself out. At least he won't be bouncing off the walls when he comes back." She snickered and continued pressing the buttons on her portable computer, Nicole. "There. I sent you the code, Kimberly. Let's see how you do. Try to break the code to reveal the hidden message."

Kimberly sat on a wooden patio just outside Sally's hut, a small computer very similar to Nicole held in her hands. "OK, here it goes," her fingers moved rapidly across the computer's many buttons, eyes scanning the screen before her. Learning and performing this complex computer code was strenuous and complicated, but after years of experience in coding MUSH and MUD games back on Earth, as well as HTML, Kimberly didn't find it too challenging. Minutes later she had the code cracked, and showed it happily to her mentor.

"Incredible," Sally praised. "You did that almost as fast as a skilled computer worker! Excellent, Kim."

"Thanks. It's not too hard once you get the hang of it.

"Speak for yourself," replied Natalie. "I'd rather do outside work than all that computer stuff. The exploring and the outdoor working, like Tails here showed me, is much better for me."

"So you liked the hiking and making the lean-tos and tracking?" asked Tails.

"Yeah," grinned Nat. "I like working with my hands. I've worked with horses all my life, and that's excellent practice."

"Way past cool," Tails piped happily. "Those are Sonic's and my favorite activities.

"But you're very gifted at the computer and technological work as well, Tails," added Sally.

"Yeah, I like them both. But whatever Sonic likes, I like. He's so cool!" The fox's little sky-blue eyes glimmered.

Kimberly smiled at him. "Sounds like Jess talking. Speaking of which, where'd she go?"

"She told me she'd go and sit for a while, just to look out at the night," replied Natalie.

"Hmm, betcha she's really looking for Sonic," Kim winked.

"Well, we all know how much she likes to run with Sonic," stated Sally. "Maybe that'll help rid him of his boredom."

"Hey," called Tails suddenly. "Look! A shooting star!"

The three girls gazed up at the blue-black ocean above them. There, streaking through the collections of stars and suns, was a lone white object, sailing slowly through the dark. At first it seemed distant enough to be a shooting star, but the closer they looked at it, the more it seemed to be slowly descending toward them than soaring through the abyss of space.

"That's too close to be a shooting star isn't it?" asked Natalie.

"Yes..." Sally replied hesitantly, her eyes fixed on the peculiar figure now drawing closer and closer to Mobius. "It's way too close. It's within our atmosphere... I don't think it's a comet. It may be an aircraft."

"Did you send for any other Freedom Fighters?" asked Kimberly.

"No... Come on. It it was an ally, they'd give a light or a sound signal. It may be an enemy. Come on! We need to get into cover and find out what this thing is!"

Quickly the princess gestured for the girls and Tails to hurry toward Rotor's workshop, where they would find telescopes that could identify this thing if it was an aircraft.

Meanwhile, back on the outskirts of the village, beyond the grassland and the foothills, Sonic was still running faster than sound, gradually slowing his speed to a more steady, relaxed run. He was beginning to shorten his long, forceful strides, and the fiery energy that had overwhelmed him was subsiding a little. Yet there was still so much more action and life to his running, and Jessica enjoyed seeing it.

All of a sudden, Sonic slid to an abrupt stop, planting his feet hard in the soil, creating deep gashes behind him as he dug his heels down to stop his momentum. The halt was so sudden that it baffled Jessica. He couldn't possibly have run himself out already... had he?

"What you'd stop for, Sonic?" she inquired.

Sonic's ears were pricked. "I thought I saw something overhead..."

Jessica followed his gaze to the sky, where the same white object was floating down toward the Great Forest. Sonic squinted his eyes, suspicious. This thing was in outer space... It was within the planet's air, sailing down toward them. And since there was no friendly signal of it being an ally, no indentification revealed, Sonic immediately went into defensive mode.

"What is it, Sonic?"

"I dunno. Quick, get down into cover!" Sonic leapt behind a boulder and quickly Jessica followed him, peering above the edge of the rock warily.

"Why are we hiding?" Jessica whispered.

"Could be an enemy," replied Sonic, glaring up at the white UFO. "If it is an enemy, and it sees us, it'll start firing, and we don't want that. Stay hidden and stay quiet, OK?"

Jessica nodded and crouched low behind the rock, while Sonic locked eyes on this mysterious form that constantly moved closer and closer, eventually coming a few hundred feet above the redwoods of the Great Forest, showing no signs of stopping or indicating whether it was friend or foe.

---

Chapter 2

Night Cry

Carrying far above the Great Forest was a shrill, fearful howl. Sonic and Jessica weren't sure of where it came from, but the white object was drawing ever closer to Knothole, and finally Sonic had had enough. Quickly he gave Jessica a silent message to follow him, and he raced through the cover of the trees with impressive stealth and silence, his feet touching the ground lightly and the pine needles muffling any sound he might create. Constantly he shifted his eyes back up toward the UFO, running faster every time he saw that it was coming closer. Soon Jessica couldn't keep up with him as he jogged up to seventy miles per hour, and she had to hold onto his shoulders again.

Soon the lights of the village broke the darkness of the forest, and Sonic could see that the Freedom Fighters had already spotted this foreboding object. He wished they would turn out the lights, though. They might draw the unidentified figure closer to the village. Then he heard an emergency alarm, and instantly plunged forward. One of the Freedom Fighters had probably just indentified the flying object, for the alarm was only rung in emergency situations.

Again, the howl sounded, this time louder and more desperate than before. There was a sound of distress and pain in the voice... And what almost seemed to be words. For a second Jessica glanced up at the approaching white form. For some reason, the pitch in that voice seemed strangely familiar...

Sonic swept over the bridge of the Great River, and slid to a halt just outside of Rotor's workshop, where already a throng of Freedom Fighters had gathered.

"Sonic," called Sally's voice as she raced to the doorway. "Did you see this?"

"Yeah, I saw it all right," Sonic answered hastily. "What is it? Has it been indentified?"

"No... Rotor says it's not a machine."

"Huh? But what could it be if not a machine?"

"It's still coming!" one of the Freedom Fighters shouted suddenly.

"It's above the village now! It's spotted us!" Another shrieked.

"Everyone stay calm," Sonic commanded, his voice gentle but firm. "We'll handle it if it's anything dangerous. Just stay put and don't panic."

The shrill cry picked up in pitch again, this time it was nearly a scream of terror. But again there seemed to be incoherent words jumbled within the panicked sound... It sounded again and again, pleading, imploring for something... But what? And was it the white UFO that uttered such a peculiar cry?

Jessica joined Kimberly and Natalie near the wall of the workshop, all three staring at the skies.

"Rotor was right," said Natalie suddenly. "It's not a machine. It has wings!"

"Listen to that cry..." whispered Kimberly. "I-Is it me... Or does that voice almost sound familiar?"

Jessica turned to Kimberly, incredulous. "I thought the same thing! But what could it be? We've never met a strange white... thing."

"I have no clue," returned Kim. "But listen closely... When it cries, you can almost hear words... Real words! It's saying something!"

Again the deep howl bellowed, sending a chilling echo throughout the woodland. There was a choke of pain, and another desperate shout. But no one could quite make out those hidden words, although they knew they were there. Rotor kept his eye on the telescope. "It's faltering a little, whatever it is," he shouted. "And... What in the world-- It's-It's an animal!"

"Mobian?" asked Sally.

Rotor looked hard into the telescope for a minute, and then shook his head. "No... No I don't think so. It's not from around here."

Suddenly the flying white animal above faltered, its wings flailing clumsily. A second later it struck the top of a tree and capsized, toppling helplessly to the forest floor with a painful moan and a heavy crash.

The Freedom Fighters stood puzzled.

"Come on," said Sonic. "It's down. Let's divide into search parties, find it, and figure out what on Mobius it's doing here."

With that the village divided into groups and set out in slightly different directions. They knew the animal had crashed in the eastern direction, but they couldn't be sure just where or how close it was. It could have still been behind the mountains before it fell, and they were several miles off. So the search parties began scouring the land for his intruding beast.

The girls and Sally went along with Sonic as he covered the land down near the grotto and the lookout tower. Bunnie, Rotor, Tails and Dulcy were covering the land just to the north of them, and so on. For a long while the searchers found no trace of their target. No broken branches or upset vegetation, no tracks, no sounds... They were very near quitting the search to get a flight over the mountains to see if it had landed there, when suddenly, one group of Freedom Fighters heard a stifled moan in the distance. Instantly the hurried forward, making little sound as the crept through the forest like hunters. The noise brought them down a slight dip in the land, where there was clear evidence that the animal had rolled down for many feet, the dirt kicked up and smoothed where it had slid. Some of the young sapling trees were cracked too... It had not been a good ride down this hill. Carefully the Freedom Fighters sidled their way down the steep embankment, and there, before them, suddenly appeared a huge white creature, graceful feathered wings half-folded at his heaving sides, canine-like head low and eyes fraught with exhaustion and pain. He was lying on his side, up against a great oak. Deep indentations in the soil told of his heavy landing here. His long, muscular legs were sprawled out, still in the same position they were when he had made contact with the tree, and his beautifully plumed tail was stained with blood and dirt. He barely noticed the approaching Freedom Fighters when suddenly, one of them stepped forward, drawing a sword and pointing it warningly at the beast's great muzzle.

"Who are you?" he demanded, firmly but not harshly. "What business have you here?"

The great animal groaned as he tried to pull himself up. "Please... I-I come in peace... I need--I need help... Is this the Great Forest?"

The lead Freedom Fighter brought his sword closer to the beast's nose. "Halt! Don't move just yet. We need information first. Why do you seek the Great Forest? What are you and from where did you come?"

The animal stumbled when he set weight on his burly hindlegs, still weak from the crash landing. Now the Freedom Fighters could see his ravaged body, torn and bleeding all over, scarlet blood staining the regal snow-white beneath. A heavy gold collar swung from his massive neck, a blue medallion centered above his chest. An on his forehead he wore a gold crown with the same handsome blue jewel, with golden rings around his paws just above the fetlocks. His eyes, too, were a proud and magnificent gold, yet they conveyed deep pain and weariness now. "I-I'm a demon..." he panted. "A Night Demon."

"Night Demon?!" one of the other Freedom Fighters exclaimed.

"Weren't they the ones involved in Naugus's plot when he created the Spell of Darkness?" another cried.

Instantly the sword was held at the demon's throat, the wielder glaring at him savagely. "Don't make a move or I'll be forced to harm you!"

"No..." cried the demon. "I-I mean you no harm! I am a Night Demon, but I am good. I swear that! Please... Listen to me... I've come here on account of great disaster and peril... You must believe me. I... am looking for Sonic. Do you know him?"

Not too far off Sonic and his party were coming up on the site where the demon had crashed, and they could now overhear him talking.

"I knew he could talk," said Jessica.

Sonic heaved himself up a steep drop-off, helping the others up as well. "Come on, at least now we've found him. Let's find out what they know."

Kimberly looked at Jessica. "Jess, do you know that voice? I've heard it somewhere... Listen."

Jessica fell silent. But she didn't have to listen. The second they rounded the copse of trees ahead and stepped into the clearing where the crash landing occurred, she immediately recognized the giant white demon ahead of him, now with a sword held threateningly at his throat!

"Vren?!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Sonic shouted to the other group of Freedom Fighters. "Stand down! Stand down!"

Wonderingly the other Freedom Fighters gazed at Sonic, but the leader dropped his sword obediently. Relieved and glad to see the one he sought out, the white demon rose to his full height, nearly twelve feet at the shoulder!

"Sonic!" he exclaimed at as high a voice as he could. "I'm so glad I found you..."

"Vren?" asked Sonic, looking straight up at his old ally's eyes. "Is it really you?"

"Yes," he nodded. "It is me, Sonic. Do you not recognize me?"

"Yeah," Sonic smiled. "It's been a long time, though. For a while I thought I'd never see ya again!"

The girls raced up to the very familiar demon. "Hi, Vren!" they shouted up to him at once.

It was a little scary at first to see that enormous head that had once nearly killed them lower until it was eye level with them, but the eyes were calm and friendly, no longer the savage and murderous eyes of a true Night Demon. "I remember two of you very well... Yes... But who is the third?"

Natalie was amazed at the ponderous wolf-like creature above her. He was one of the biggest, most elegant looking wolves she had ever seen. Or at least he looked like one. She had heard him indentify himself as a demon. "My name's Natalie," she grinned. "Wow, you're big! Is this the Night Demon you told me about, Jess and Kim?"

"Yeah, this is Vren!" Jessica and Kimberly exclaimed excitedly.

"You all know this beast?" The sword-bearing Freedom Fighter asked.

"Yes," answered Sally. "It's OK. We've met him before -- he's a trusted ally."

Natalie stared at the immense white foreleg before her, cloaked in a grand white robe of fur, yet caked with dry blood and open wounds. "What happened to you, Vren?"

"Yeah," said Sonic. "From the looks of it it seems like you had a heck of a landing."

Vren moved forward but winced, limping on his hindleg as he walked. "It wasn't just the landing that has stained my fur red. Trouble has arose on my home planet Morian, and many other disasters have occurred too. Sonic, there is something serious we must discuss. Something great is about to happen... Though I don't know what..."

"Tell us in Knothole,Vren," Sonic answered. "You're beat up pretty bad. Let's make sure you'll be OK first."

"You remember that I am immortal Sonic," Vren almost laughed. "A few wounds here or there never bothered me."

"I know, bud. But you don't have a few wounds here or there -- you're covered in them. Besides, we all saw your landing. Come on back to the village with us. It'll be safer to talk there anyway."

Vren lowered his head, looking about him warily. "Are we in dangerous territory?"

"No, this is far from dangerous territory. But it's still accessible by enemies. In Knothole, we're gauranteed to be safe from listening ears." Sonic suddenly put his fingers to his mouth and whistled. Moments later, Dulcy the dragon appeared, circling overhead and searching for a safe place to land.

"Go to the clearing, Dulcy," Sally called to her.

There was a clearing just beneath the dragon, and carefully she winged her way down. But just a few feet above the ground, her wings flailed, upsetting her balance, and she collapsed heavily to the forest floor, crashing through the trees and rolling straight for Sonic and the others.

"Oh boy," muttered Sonic. "Dulcy alert! Heads up!"

Everyone leapt clear to avoid being flattened by Dulcy. Startled, Vren jumped to the side, stumbling on his hindleg as he landed. Finally the dragon stopped when friction finally took its toll.

"Is she all right?" asked Vren.

"Yeah, she does that all the time," came Sonic's answer as he went to Dulcy. "Another nice one, Dulce."

"Thanks, Ma..." Dulcy murmured.

"Snap out of it, Dulce. We've got a job for ya."

Dulcy shook her head to regain her senses. "Oh, a job? What can I do?"

"We need you to carry our friend here back to Knothole," said Sonic.

"Carry me?" Vren asked, cocking his head. "No, no, Sonic. I can walk..."

"It's a pretty good distance from here, even if it is close. Plus that hindleg is giving you trouble, I can see that clearly. Let Dulcy carry you. Believe it or not, when she carries precious cargo, she flies flawlessly."

After being informed that Vren was the white object they had seen, and that he was an ally, Dulcy allowed the demon onto her back without protest. Vren felt somewhat reluctant and strange about having to be carried... He had always took care of himself, even in the worst of times. But Sonic was right when he said his hindleg was giving him trouble, so he carefully heaved his great body onto Dulcy's back and they started off back to Knothole.

---

Chapter 3

Vren's Story

Safe within the secret location of Knothole Village, the Freedom Fighters gathered in the central plaza, all watching the massive white demon ahead of them. Some were still afraid that he was an enemy judging by his great size, long, powerful fangs and wicked curved claws. But those who were brave enough to speak to Vren were soon reassured that he was on their side, for the essence of good was strong in his heart. It was the fact that the demon had "dreaful news" to tell them now, and they were all anxious to know. The only thing that delayed this was Vren's health. He spent a few moments within the medical facility where his wounds were cleaned and dressed, and his hindleg bandaged, before he and the two Freedom Fighter leaders returned to the waiting crowd.

The minute Vren stepped back into the central plaza he was overwhelmed with questions as the villagers flocked forward.

"Quiet down, quiet down," Sonic ordered them. "Let him have his air, guys. He's had a rough trip."

Obediantly the villagers stepped back, but their eyes never left the demon as he carefully settled himself down onto the grass to rest. Sonic gestured with his eyes to Vren, and sat a few ways off to listen.

A few more seconds of silence, and then Vren began his tale. "Strange phenomenons are happening all across the universe... Terrible, strange things that cannot be explained even by the wisest minds. I first learned of it back on my home planet, Morian, not too far from here. The first peculiar thing I noticed was how our sun had increased rapidly in size... Nearly doubling in circumference within two day's time. And then there were dramatic climate alterations... During the warm months furious blizzards and snowstorms broke out -- even in places where snow had never been recorded. The seas would sometimes rise and fall, one day having extremely high tides, the next extremely low... or sometimes there were no tides at all. I've seen more meteor showers in the past week that I ever have in my entire life... Many of which have come dangerously close to Morian. And it only gets worse from here... Much worse... There were days when one could feel an odd sense of faitness or dizziness in the head, sometimes growing into severe headaches. Many creatures suddenly collapsed, while other beasts, particularly the ones who embark on seasonal migrations, when insane! Some grew ill, some went mad, and some just dropped dead! Then, great holes in our atmosphere would open up, releasing sweltering ultraviolet rays of the sun that scorched everything it its path! Oceans boiled and forests burned to the ground... Many beasts were burnt to death in less than a minute by the terrifying o-zone breaches. The more these bizarre disasters occurred, the more horrified and panicked the demons of Morian became... Eventually, a horde of demons went hopelessly mad, and rampaged through the lands where my Night Demons and I called home. Their eyes white with shock and indescribable terror, they tore through everything in their path -- even us! That is how I ended up with these wounds. I can remember a fleet of them, coming so suddenly that I could hardly react, claws, teeth, wings, horns and spikes all tearing at me, the one who had most unfortunately got between them and their way of escape. Most of my Night Demons scattered and flew off to avoid injury. In the end I was the only one left, and I knew that something dreadful was happening. I tried contacting the wise creatures of the forests, the fortune-tellers, soothsayers and the prophets. At first I was only thinking the disasters were only affecting Morian, but I soon heard from the wise ones that thousands and thousands of other planets were suffering the same fright. And all over space, there were sudden and unpredicted supernovas, massive black holes that swallowed entire solar systems, and countless other incidents that I simply cannot explain! I immediately knew I had to contact you all, warn you if I could, and maybe help get to the bottom of this..." Vren took a deep breath. "Now, I must ask, has Mobius experienced any of these problems?"

"None so far," answered Princess Sally. "We've had no reports of anything happening on the rest of the planet. In fact, it's been rather beautiful here as far as the weather goes."

Vren's eyes filled with horror. "Some say that is the first sign... Mobius may be at the brink of experiencing the same chaos!"

Everyone was stunned by Vren's story. Their questions doused the air again, and the fear, dread and confusion was very evident within their eyes.

"But what could it be?" asked Jessica suddenly. "What could be causing universal disasters?"

"That's exactly what I'd like to know," Vren replied. "As far as I know, nothing could ever have the power to cause the universe to erupt like this... Not unless... doomsday were upon us..."

Now Sonic's curiosity had been aroused. He was conscious of the growing apprehension within the village, and something inside him began to stir. Again, trouble was arising, and the instinct to find it and stop it came alive within the restless warrior! "Vren, was there any signs of a culprit behind all the incidents? Any supicious sightings or things involved with the disasters?"

The demon shook his head. "Not that I know of, Sonic. We've seen no people or beasts who have coincidentally shown up along with a disaster. Only a peculiar source of energy has been connected to it."

"Energy?" Sonic asked immediately.

"Yes... Unidentified energy, however. Many have already tried to trace the energy back... It's impossible. The machines malfunction sometimes, and even those who do pick it up show zero results when attemtping to trace them. It could be coming from outer space, or it could be originating from something entirely different we do not know."

"Now that is interesting," stated Sally. "We'd better start looking into this immediately if the fate of the universe is at stake."

Sonic nodded vigorously. "But where do we start?"

The princess shrugged. "We'll need some way of getting to space. I understand Vren can fly through space, he being an immortal demon and all, but we'll need machinery to aid us in investigating all that's going on."

Rotor quickly stepped forward. "You know I'd be glad to help in that department. So will Uncle Chuck, I bet."

"Good. That'll take some time, though. I'll try tracing the energy myself, just to see what happenes exactly. In the meantime, it'll probably be best to send out reconnaissance teams to keep an eye out for suspicious activity. Strange energy sounds very suspicious if you know what I mean."

Sonic nodded in agreement, thinking of seven certain gems that had not so long ago caused such chaos.

"What can we do for the other planets that are suffering?" Vren asked suddenly.

"I'm afraid we can't do anything until we understand what's going on," Sally answered slowly. "It might very well be something beyond our control."

Vren hung his head, remembering all the turmoil that had driven him off of his planet, and the grief of the other planets that had already fallen victim to the strange events. Fear could be seen in the great demon's eyes. If this all was something beyond their control, then that would mean the end of everything. Life... Existence... The stars... The heavens... The worlds... Everything would be lost forever...

Sonic began to twitch nervously on his feet again, feeling the strong urge to move once more. Of course now he understood there was another reason for his restlessness. Somehow, someway, he knew something was happening out there in the depths of space. He wasn't conscious of it, but his instincts were. Now that he knew the extent of everything that was happening, he was more jittery than ever. He gazed toward Sally while shifting his weight from one leg to another repeatedly. "So what do you think, Sal? Anything we can do now?"

"Well," said Sally. "I think I'd better get to work and see if I can get Nicole pick up anything. I'm also going to alert the other Freedom Fighter groups if they don't know this already. We may need their assistance again. And I'll have to talk with Rotor and Uncle Chuck about a means of transportation through space. Meanwhile, I'm going to send a few Freedom Fighters out on patrol, just to keep an eye on things -- Especially Robotropolis."

Sonic's ears went down and his eyes narrowed at the mention of the dark city where Robotnik had once ruled. "I'll be happy to go out there," he said hastily. "I'd never be able to get a wink of sleep tonight anyway."

"I've noticed," Sally replied with a grin. "You haven't sit still all day. OK, go ahead out there. Keep an eye on the perimeter of the city. If you see anything strange, report back immediately. And you might want to take some backup with you."

"Can we go with him?" The three girls asked simultaneously.

Sally hesitated. "Well, I don't know... You'd be out there all night, and you'd have to stay awake to keep lookout."

"Ah, let 'em go, Sal," Sonic smiled, glad they were eager to take part in Freedom Fighter actions. "They're part of us now. Patrol would be a good exercise for them, especially since it's something you'll do a lot in bad times."

"Are you three really up to it?" Sally inquired.

"Definitely," said Natalie. "I'm bored, and I'm sure these two are as well."

Jessica and Kimberly nodded. "It's not like we would get any sleep either."

"I'll join them too if it's not too much trouble, Princess," Vren said suddenly.

"You'll be able to walk, Vren?" Sonic asked.

"A little better than I could. But don't forget I can still fly, Sonic. These wings are tired, but they're not out of action." Vren let his wings spread to their full, impressive span of nearly fifty feet. The white feathers were strong, sturdy and unscratched. They'd be able to carry the great demon well.

"OK," Sally said finally. "You all go and take a look around Rotoropolis. I'll assign other locations to a few other teams. Be careful, you guys."

"You too," Sonic called back, already starting off. "Get a good grip, girls!"

Once the three were set, Sonic revved up and darted off in the northern direction, as Vren lifted his wings and pushed off with his hindquarters, gracefully soaring over them, his legs tucked beneath his body.

---

Chapter 4

Night Fire

It was right around midnight when Sonic and company reached the borders of the dreary metropolis that loomed over them like a black cloud. Everything within the city spoke of tragedy, darkness and evil. Not even the brilliant moonlight seemed to lighten the dismal shadows of the factories, great weapons and empty streets. And even though all the factories were no longer in use, a thick, acrid smell of pollution hung in the air, stinging the nose and lungs. Drawing near it, Sonic sneezed and shook his head, hating the terrible putridness of the air around him. He hated everything about this place, except for the fact that it used to be his home city, Mobotropolis, where all Mobians lived peacefully until Robotnik overthrew King Acorn, Sally's father. Many were lost the day, including the families of almost all the Freedom Fighters... even Sonic's. Again Sonic shook his head, trying to rid himself of these dark memories. He really didn't care to have his mind fixed on the past. What was important was the future.

About five miles off from the city, where there was still vegetation, he slowed from his brisk run to a jog, and then finally to a complete stop, letting the girls set food on land again. Overhead, Vren circled, and then winged his way down effortlessly, landing without a sound in the soft grass and folding his wings at his side.

"We'll stay around this area," said Sonic. "Go ahead and sit for a while if you want."

"What exactly are we supposed to be doing, anyway?" asked Jessica.

"Just watching out for things and making sure whatever's going on with the rest of the universe isn't coming from Robotropolis. So basically we just walk around and watch things all night."

"Oh. So it's OK if we walk around and explore a little bit?"

"Sure. But stay close. Even when it's empty Robotropolis is dangerous."

Suddenly Vren plopped down in the grass to rest a moment, sending up a plume of flickering fireflies. The girls laughed as the demon whuffed, startled by all the little glowing insects.

"Hey, that's cool!" Natalie exclaimed. She ran toward a patch of tall grass and jumped, stirring up more fireflies that swirled around her like embers leaping from a fire.

Giggling, Jessica and Kimberly tried it as well, kicking their feet through the grass and disturbing even more bugs. Now there were so many that it seemed as if the stars had fallen from the sky and were now dancing around them.

When Sonic noticed this, he laughed and couldn't help but join. Arching his neck he raced through the field, creating such a gale that hundreds of fireflies were swept from the grass, darting back and forth in tiny streaks of light. And soon even Vren caught on, flapping his giant wings to kick up fireflies by the thousands! Minutes later they all forgot about the mission at hand, delighting in this dazzling dance with the fireflies.

Sonic suddenly sent out a hand, catching a fly easily. Gently he opened up his hand again, bringing the little firefly closer to his face, its warm golden light reflecting beautifully within his eyes. Jessica watched him in adoration as he let the firefly crawl about his fingers, admiring his gentleness with a creature so much smaller and weaker than himself.

"Hey, these little guys are actually kinda cute," Sonic smiled.

Jessica grinned and caught her own firefly, for now there were so many in the air all one had to do was hold out a finger to catch one. Then, gently she tossed her hand out, sending the fly flutting toward Sonic, landing on his nose. She burst out laughing when Sonic crossed his eyes to see the firefly and sneezed again. He too laughed and sent his firefly flying toward her. Soon it became a game. Everyone sent fireflies at each other, sometimes grabbing a handful of them and tossing them at each other. Then it turned into a game of tag, the five of them chasing each other through the wide field only to tag them and be chased themselves. Once Sonic felt the challenge of the chase again, he soon broke out into a full-speed sprint, daring anyone at all to just try and catch him.

The three girls ran after him as he slowed down to a walk near a tree. Then, just when they thought they had hime cornered, he darted away again, slipping right out of their grasp, laughing teasingly.

"We're never gonna catch him, y'know," Jessica snickered.

Natalie looked around, and then found Vren. A clever smirk spread across her face. "Oh yes we will! Hey, Vren! Think you can give me a lift?"

The demon chuckled and galloped up to the girl, lowering down on his forelegs and spreading his wings so she could mount. Natalie clambered onto the immense snow-white shoulders and grasped the thick mane before her. When Vren rose to his full height again, her eyes sparkled with amazement. It was like riding a horse and a wolf in one! Now confident that Vren's speed would enable her to catch up with the elusive Sonic, she laughed and squeezed Vren's sides. "Let's get 'im, Vren!"

Vren howled and broke into a full gallop, thundering across the field with his tail flying out behind him like a banner. Despite his sore hindleg, he reached a full speed of five hundred miles per hour and was able to get close to Sonic now. Sonic tossed his head when he saw Vren coming, eyes suddenly igniting like fire and trembling in his eagerness to run. He wanted to race! Jessica and Kimberly ceased the chase to watch, knowing that they were about to see an impressive show.

"Come on, Sonic! Show 'em!" Jessica shouted.

"Ride 'im, Nat," Kimberly cried. "Show us a race!"

The shouts served only to feed Sonic's desire to race, and his eyes flickered brightly with the spirit that was rising within him. He waited until Vren whisked past him, and then whirled around, stretching out the sprint, reaching Vren's side in no less than a second! Vren saw Sonic coming up out of the corner of his eye, and he too felt the challenge! Extending his strides, the white demon swept forward, mane billowing in the wind. On his back, Natalie leaned forward until her head was burrowed in that flying mane, riding him like a racehorse. With the quickening of Vren's pace, Sonic easily caught up, his feet pushing off the ground hard to thrust him forward. He and Vren raced neck and neck, neither gaining of falling back. Now they were moving as one, saving their speed for the last few moments of the race. It was right about then that Jessica's eyes caught Sonic, in all his glory, running as if he were flying above the ground, and her heart skipped a beat. Once again, for maybe the one thousanth time, she was swpet away with Sonic's whirlwind flight of speed as he tore past them with thunderous force, nearly dragging her and Kimberly to the ground. Not even moving at his utmost speed yet, his legs were streaking beneath him, and his eyes were ablaze with the zealous spirit that made him everything he was! And with fireflies dancing all around him, like little flames adding sparks to his already blazing fire, he seemed speckled with gold and blue. Watching him with adoring eyes, Jessica sighed as she remembered the very first time she had ever seen him back on Earth, so many years ago... Nothing more than a character on a television screen then, but for some reason, by some miraculous work of fate, they were drawn together. The two practically grew together, Jessica's love for Sonic deepening as a new video game came out each year. A sort of bond was sealed between them even then, way before she even knew Sonic existed in reality. She trusted him, and he trusted her. Together they communicated with a language all their own, and stunned the gaming world in doing things no one else had ever done before. They became a dynamic duo, an unbeatable team that would withstand any challenge and any face-off. And since Sonic had been with her for practically her whole life, Jessica had experienced so much with him. There were times of sadness, times of joy. Times that reflected the very same moments on Mobius that she had seen through TV shows and games and stories. There were even times where she'd walk by some strange landmark such as a lonely forest or a peaceful night city, or hear a peculiar melody of music that reminded her of Sonic's world, and feel as if she had been someplace so very like it before, and knew it as if she had lived there in her past life. This uncanny bond she had with Sonic truly amazed her, and it only served to empower her love for him.

The two opponents blurred past Jessica and Kimberly again. Now Natalie was calling to the demon.

"Step on it, Vrenny! C'mon, we can beat 'im!"

In response, Vren let out a challenging howl to Sonic and abrutply burst forward with a great surge of speed, pulling ahead of Sonic. To intensify his speed, Vren flapped his wings slowly and in rythm with his galloping feet.

"Look, they're ahead!" Kimberly shouted.

But Jessica only had eyes for Sonic now. "Let them get ahead. All the more encouraging for Sonic." She smiled as she watched him. She knew well what he'd do now.

Seeing Vren pull ahead and hearing his challenge, Sonic's blood was suddenly set on fire! He took no less than a second to gather himself, and then, with a flash of cunning and confidence in his emerald eyes, he flew foward with enough speed to send the world spinning from beneath his feet! Head low and arms back, he leaned until his chest nearly grazed the ground, the white arc forming arund his forehead again. Vren and Natalie never even saw him coming with the ground-shaking clap of a sonic boom shattered the air and Sonic momentarily disappeared, soaring to speeds faster than sound! Jessica's eyes widened in amazement. Sonic had passed Vren as if he had been standing still! And the demon had nearly reached five hundred and fifty miles an hour! Why she was surprised, she didn't know. She knew from the start that Sonic would win without a fight. But he never failed to sweep her away, not even in a situation like this.

Eagerly she searched for him, hoping to catch the splendid action of him running at full speed. For a moment she only saw faint blue afterimages, but then, suddenly, he appeared, slowling his strides to toss his head in triumph and make one great leap to the stars above, practically flying to the clouds!

Jessica jumped and cheered with him, rejoicing in his effortless victory. And as he flew there, seemingly suspended in mid-air, arms outstretched like wings, all his beauty was captured in the silver glow of the moonlight. His handsomely sculptured head, his long mane-like quills, his deep chest and his slender yet strong arms. The girl's memory reeled back to a time when all this beauty had been enhanced to the very greatest: last year right after finishing the battle against Robotnik and Black. He had been transformed into Super Sonic then, a powerful golden miracle of a creature who's eyes were as intense as the sun and who's phenomenal strength rivaled that of a god's. She had been hurt and weak from the struggle against the enslaved Chaos Emeralds, but Super Sonic had healed her in all his wonderful grace, and for the first time ever, held her in those sturdy arms to comfort her. Just thinking of that treasured moment made her tremble. Super Sonic possessed enough furious power to destroy a universe, yet his touch had been as soft and gentle as a summer night's breeze. It had been like nothing Jessica had ever felt before, and probably never would again. But she could never forget it. It had been so gentle... so beautiful... Nothing could ever equal the feeling of being held by the one you loved most. And that was when Jessica felt it again -- that sudden, powerful reminder of how much she cared for Sonic, now more urgent than it had ever been in her life. She caught her breath as she watched Sonic allight gracefully back on the ground again, never faltering. She wasn't quite fully aware of it yet, but this feeling she felt for Knothole's leader was love. Most people who knew her had just believed it was some silly phase of hers, this obsession with Sonic. "She'll grow out of it eventually, and forget all about him," most has said. But how wrong they were! This was no girlish crush Jessica had on Sonic. This was real, living, breathing love. Jessica shivered a little when this passionate feeling took hold of her. Normally she would have enjoyed it, glad to feel her adoration for Sonic was deeper. But now it reminded her of how impossible it was to admit to him her real feelings. And the stronger this love got, the harder it was to keep it under wraps. She knew one day there would be no stopping from telling him everything, and she was afraid of the response she would receive.

Vren loped up to Sonic in a dead pant, his tongue hanging from his mouth and his sides heaving with effort. "By the stars, Sonic," he exclaimed, grinning. "You nearly took me down when you blasted past me."

Sonic smirked and did a sort f side-stepping prance. "You wanted a challenge, you got it."

Vren narrowed his eyes at Sonic, but it was a playful gesture. "I had a hurt leg, Sonic. Wait till it heals. Then it'll be a race."

"Even with a perfect leg you couldn't catch me," Sonic laughed, aiming to provoke the demon. "Five hundred isn't enough to beat me when I hit supersonic speed."

Vren just flicked his tail. "We will see. Five hundred is my highest speed, but I believe I can go faster if I pushed myself."

"Same here," replied Sonic, pawing the ground as the wind kicked up again. He was ready to race again.

Natalie grasped handfuls of Vren's long mane. "Even if we didn't be 'im, you're pretty fast, Vrenny. And very easy to ride. You have narrow but sturdy shoulders."

Vren turned his massive muzzle toward the girl on his back. "You're not a bad rider yourself. Not that I've ever carried many, but you ride light and don't weigh me down. I must say it was a pleasure carrying you."

"It was a pleasure riding you." Natalie gave Vren a pat on the neck and moved to slide off of his back. The demon lowered himself down for her and offered a forepaw to step down on, lessening the distance from his back to the ground.

Sonic bent down and touched the tip of his shoe, stretching out his leg. "I needed that. Anyone else wanna race, jet lemme know. I've still got a world of speed."

Kimberly grinned at him. "The only one here who can even get close to you the way you're running is Vren. The rest of us would kill ourselves just trying to keep up with you."

Sonic smiled and stretched his other leg. "You OK there, Jess?" He had noticed her staring off into space.

"Huh?" Jessica asked absently. "Oh, yeah, I'm fine. Great race, Blue!"

Sonic arched his neck. He liked that nickname. And seeing his smile was more than enough to make Jessica forget all the feelings running through her mind.

"OK," Sonic said after a while. "We'd better get back to business. If the universe is being threatened and we miss an important clue because we were playin' around, we'd all be in for it."

Vren's face sobered once he remembered the crisis at hand. "Right. I'll circle overhead for a while, Sonic."

"All right. Let us know if you see anything Vren."

The demon nodded and flew off.

"What can we do, Sonic?" asked Natalie.

"Just walk around and keep a look out. You can do it in shifts, if you like. If one of you wants to sleep, you can take turns sleeping and keeping look out. I'll probably be up most of the night, though."

The three set out together, walking around slowly through the field as the fireflies began to settle again. But Jessica couldn't focus on watching the distant city and the surrounding land. Her eyes sought only Sonic now, as he stood beneath a lone tree, leaning against it, his eyes fixed on Robotropolis, a mysterious silhouette against the starlight.

---

Chapter 5

Ambush!

It was early dawn when the first few rays of light began to pink the skies. The night had seemed endless for the five lookouts, for they had been up well past two o' clock. But finally they had settled down for a few hours of sleep. Vren had come down from his incessant circling above Robotropolis and curled up in the grass, allowing the girls to make his thick white fur a good pillow. It had grown steadily cooler as the night evolved into morning. Only Sonic had stayed awake past two a.m., and now, just as light was emerging above the clouds, he finally closed his eyes to doze, still leaning against his tree. True sleep would never reach him -- he was still bursting with energy, and knew he'd have to stretch out his legs again before he could resume staying in one place for this long. But it felt good to rest his eyes after a long night of staring at the darkness, so he let them fall until they were closed and relaxed.

Jessica was the first to wake up as the skies slowly grew brighter. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she gazed at the yellow disk of the sun scaling the eastern mountains, casting a gentle glow on the field they sat in. The grass glittered with tiny globules of dew, and only the crisp breeze and the snoring of Vren broke the early silence. The morning was beautiful, just as the night had been. It was hard to believe that so many disasters were occuring out there in the universe. Gently pushing the long, plumed tail that had been covering her, Natalie and Kimberly, Jessica quietly stood up and stretched. She shivered as the breeze came again. It was very cold despite the warm sun rising higher in the heavens... Maybe it was just because the land was higher in elevation. Shrugging it off, Jessica pulled the jacket that was tied about her waist over her shoulders and looked around the field for Sonic. When she saw him in the exact same place he had been in last night, she frowned. I hope he got a least some sleep, she thought to herself. Staying there all night like that must have driven him crazy.

As silently as possible as not to awaken anyone, the girl strode through the damp grass toward where Sonic stood. "Hey, fella," she greeted tiredly, but cheerfully.

Sonic's eyes slowly opened, reluctant to leave their rest, and he shook his head to wake himself up again.

"Oh, I'm sorry, did I wake you from your sleep?"

Sonic stretched his arms and back. "Nah, I wasn't sleepin'. Just resting the ol' eyes. How'd you fare last night?"

Jessica shrugged. "I got a little sleep. I never knew the belly of a demon could make such a good bed."

Sonic snickered. "Good to have Vren around again, huh?" The wind blew, and Sonic noticed its sharp nip. "Wow, it's cold out here."

"I know... It's still summer here, isn't it?"

"Still got a few more months of summer. It shouldn't be cold now. Maybe it's just mountain air blowin' in."

Little did the two of them know that gray clouds were quickly moving in from the south, steadily growing darker as the morning came on.

In the field, Vren yawned, exposing the great fangs, and rolled onto his back, accidentally causing Kimberly and Natalie to plop to the ground, awaking them.

"Oof," said Natalie. "Vren! Wake up, ya big lug. Your belly was comfy, too."

The demon rolled back over on his side, shaking his mane clean of dew and grass. "Sorry, friends."

"Brrr," said Kim, shivering. "I didn't notice how chilly it was out here."

"It is a bit brisk," Vren nodded. "Should it be?"

"I'm not sure," replied Kimberly. "Sonic would know."

Just then something light and cold fell upon the demon's snout. Curious, Vren blinked at the tiny little white speck on his muzzle, trying to figure it out, when another landed on his forehead, and another on his ear, and another... Natalie and Kimberly also noticed the white flakes slowly twirling through the air, and puzzled, held out their hands to catch it.

"It's snow," Kimberly confirmed suddenly.

She, Natalie and Vren gazed up at the skies to see that they had abruptly turned steel gray, and more snowflakes were falling, coming faster and heavier. Worriedly, Vren flared his nostrils, scenting the air, and instantly felt a pang of apprehension. Something wasn't right... This snow wasn't normal, his instincts told him. Suddenly very afraid, Vren's eyes flicked across the field, spotted Sonic, and he loped toward him and Jessica. "Sonic!"

Just as he called, Jessica and Sonic had noticed the snow too, and turned toward the demon with bewildered eyes.

Vren skidded up to them, panting. "Sonic... Snow... It's snowing... This isn't right, is it?"

Sonic shook his head, eyes grave. "No. No, it's the middle of summer."

"You don't think this is a sign that Mobius will begin experiencing the same problems?" asked Jessica.

"It could very well be," Vren's voice was laden with dread. "Climate changes are one of the signs... Especially ones as dramatic as this."

Kimberly and Natalie ran up. "What's up?"

"Snow," replied Sonic. "We think this might mean that Mobius has begun to have its share of the universal disasters."

"What should we do then?" asked Kimberly.

"We've gotta tell the others, if they don't already know," Sonic retorted. "C'mon!"

Even as they spoke the snow began to fall heavier and heavier. In a matter of minutes the green ground had turned completely white, and the gray clouds quickly blocked out the beautiful sunlight. The wind came stronger, too, now in powerful gusts. And as they set out across the field, the wind had become a blizzard, the snows pouring down like rain, the air suddenly freezing cold. Sonic tried to run, but the snow was getting too deep and the wind was pushing him back.

"This won't work," he said finally. "Vren, get the girls on your back. We can't lose each other in this storm."

"Right," said Vren, lowering down on his forelegs. "Climb on, friends."

Natalie was the first up on Vren's mighty shoulders, followed by Kimberly and Jessica. Using his wings to shelter them as best he could, the demon them lowered his head against the wind to follow Sonic, who was easy to see amid the endless white thanks to his bright blue. Soon they began to ascend the slope that led into the field, heading back toward the foothills of the Great Mountains.

"It's not so deep here," Sonic had to shout above the roaring wind. "Let's try and move a little faster!"

He was able to move up to a jog, and Vren, squinting to see trough the blinding snow, galloped slowly after him. The temperature seemed to drop with every second, now colder than twenty degrees and still falling. The wind blew harder to, causing frost to form on the faces of the group. The girls huddled down into Vren's mane to keep warm, and Sonic had to shield his eyes with an arm to keep the biting cold away. The storm continued to intensify rapidly, until suddenly, right when the five of them reaching the peak of the hill, the wind came to an abrupt stop and the snow stopped falling. Baffled, Sonic gazed up at the skies. Ominous dark clouds were swirling overhead, rumbling with thunder. The wind was calm, but strangely silent.

"This is too weird..." said Sonic.

"Sonic, I do not like this," Vren's ears were low as the demon looked fearfully at the skies. "This has all been too rapid... It's like what other planets have experienced. This is definitely it."

"Then we've gotta get to Knothole before anything else happens. Let's get moving while the wind's stopped."

"You're not going anywhere."

Vren and Sonic whirled around at the sudden voice from behind. Then, seemingly out of no where, a hooded figure leapt into view, two long swords in each hand, only the eyes visible through the cloak that covered its head. And they were cruel, menacing eyes. Treateningly the stranger crossed the two swords so the metal rubbed together, creating a dangerous slicing sound. Sonic, Vren and the girls gawked at this unfamiliar stranger, unsure of how to react. Finally, Sonic stepped forward, eyes narrowed. "And just who are you?"

"That's none of your business," came the hissing reply. "No one returns to Knothole Village. Now cooperate, or fight!"

"Hold up," Sonic returned angrily. "Who are you to tell us what to do?"

The stranger's eyes studied Sonic for a moment, and a conniving glint came into them. "I know you. You're Sonic the Hedgehog, son of Sir Jules and Lady Bernie -- Mobian fools!"

Sonic's eyes suddenly sparked with fury. His ears went flat against his head as he spoke. "That's a dead give-away that you're on Robuttnik's side!"

"I just might be," the stranger answered coolly, smoothing the tip of one of the swords. "What's it to you anyway, Sonic?"

"I ain't answerin' nothing for you," Sonic's words were sharp and clipped, enraged. "Why are you working for Robuttnik? Or are you working for someone else?"

"I work for Dr. Julian Robotnik," the stranger snapped, leering straight into Sonic's eyes. "But that's all that needs to be known. I have my orders, and I will carry them out. Come with me, or suffer the consequences!"

"And where to you plan on taking us?" questioned Sonic.

"That's for me to know and for you to find out. And I'd listen, Sonic, if I were you. If you thought my insulting your pathetic family was painful, you have't seen anything yet!"

Fire shot down Sonic's spine. "Don't you dare talk about my family, or anyone else's, that way! And we aren't going anywhere! Vren!"

Baring those vicious canines, Vren hurled forth his thunderous roar, seeming to shatter the clouds overhead. "Off my back, girls. It's time we taught this stranger a lesson!" Quickly they slid off the broad white back and the demon ran up alongside Sonic, his head low, mane bristled and a deep snarl rumbling from within his throat.

Smirking, the stranger held the swords at the ready, and without warning, lunged straight at Sonic and Vren. The two leapt in opposite directions, Vren to the left and Sonic to the right. Skillfully the enemy spun through the air, slashing with the dual swords. Vren and Sonic ducked, easily missing, and then moved in to get the deadly weapons away from the hooded stranger. But he moved quick, this anonymous figure, and always had the swords right at their throats. Vren tried attacking from the rear, his huge foreleg swiping at one of the swords. Instantly the stranger whirled around, grabbed the great white paw, and dragged him to the ground! This stranger was no taller than Sonic, but he had been able to drag a creature the size of Vren, who weighed tons to the ground! And even though the effort nearly knocked the stranger down, Vren was dazed. And immediately the stranger held Vren down with one foot, a sword held right at his neck! "Sonic's foolishness will cost you your life, mutt!"

"Vren!" Sonic cried. He came rushing to the demon's aid, but the stranger held the other sword at him, facing him with flaming eyes.

"Another step and I'll kill him, Sonic! Or you!"

Sonic's skin drew tight with hatred for this ruthless enemy, whoever he was! Viciously his lips drew back into a savage snarl. "Don't resort to taking the one who's down. Besides, he's not who you really want, is he?"

"He's not Mobian scum like you are," came the harsh answer. "No, he's not my great prize. But I'm warning you now that if you take another step, he'll be dead just like your parents!"

Now he had done it! Jessica could almost feel the heat of fury that raged through Sonic at that moment, and drew back when he viciously charged forward! The stranger tried to stop him with a swrod, but Sonic was too quick, and he plunged to the side, knocking the blade held at Vren's neck away and causing the stranger to step away from him. In a matter of seconds the demon was on his feet again, and together he and Sonic went after their cruel enemy. With remarkable agility, the stranger leapt and flipped backwards, eluding the attackers. But then Sonic turned on the speed, and came tearing toward him. Now there was no place for the stranger to go, and nothing for him to do. No movement or sweep of a sword could protect him now, and before he could even blink, Sonic was slamming hard into him, forcing him to the ground with furious impact. Grunting in pain, the stranger hit the ground very hard and rolled, Sonic skidding to a stop a few feet off. It was at that moment the stranger's hood fell off, revealing the face that had been hidden. Seeing that the stranger was feeling pain from the hard hit, Sonic went over to help him up again, when he suddenly froze in his tracks. No, not him, her! The stranger was a girl! Long, dark eyelashes fell over her glaring, black eyes. On her forehead lay a tuft of dark violet hair that came in between her eyes, matching the color of her skin apart from her tan cheeks. In fact, this stranger was a hedgehog! Her quills were almost as long as Sonic's, but they didn't sweep down the back of her head in flowing curves like his. They merely fell down beyond her shoulders, resembling long hair. Her ears were light and expressive like Sonic's, but a little longer. She looked similar to Sonic, and yet so different.

Angrily she leered up at Sonic, who at the moment was taken by surprise. When the stranger had spoken before, she must have disguised her voice well, for it was deep enough to rival that of a male's. At first she didn't say anything, knowing her hidden identity had been blown, but finally she hissed through her bared teeth, "Is that anyway to treat a lady?"

Vren and the three girls stood gawking too. None of them could have ever guessed their enemy was a girl, probably around the same age or younger than Sonic. Then their eyes shifted to Sonic to see what he would do.

Finally, he offered his hand to pull her up again. "You asked for it," he answered simply. "You asked for a fight and I gave it to you."

Stubbornly she jerked back away from him, refusing his help. She was perfectly capable of getting back to her feet without him. Swiftly, using pure arm strength, she flipped upright again, and glared at the blue hedgehog before her, eyes burning and ears pinned back. She looked for her swords, but they had been dropped far out of her reach, and Vren growled warningly at her when he noticed this. She would never admit defeat, but this battle had been lost now. She was without weapons and outnumbered. Fighting would be foolish. "Next time you won't be so lucky," she sneered after a long silence.

Sonic mirrored her glare. "Next time huh? You plan to come back? Just who are you anyways?"

Straigtening up fearlessly, she answered, "My name is Nihara. And yes, I do intend to come back. I have my orders. You can tell your little Mobian friends that Robotnik has something big planned this time. Really big."

Sonic cocked an eyebrow at her when she insulted the Mobian name. From where he was standing it looked as if she were a hundred percent Mobian herself. But then he concentrated on what she said about Robotnik... So the creep had survived! "What exactly does he have planned then, Nihara?"

The fierceness in Nihara's eyes only intensified at the sound of his voice. "I think you'll find that out for yourself soon enough. You and all of your idiotic followers."

Sonic's ears went flat again, but he said nothing, still listening for information. When Nihara didn't say anything after a while, he asked, "When did Robuttnik come back? And why are you, a Mobian, working for that low-life?"

Suddenly Nihara's fury exploded, and the very whites of her eyes showed as she spoke furiously. "Don't you ever call me a Mobian! Ever! Do you hear me?!"

Sonic just studied her face, perplexed. "What are you then, an Overlander?"

Nihara clenched her first tightly, taking care to show the metal spikes on the back of her black gloves. "You really love to dance with death, don't you?" Now her voice was low and dangerous. Sonic's eyes never left hers. It went against his every nature to harm a girl, but evil was evil, and he'd stand his ground regardless.

Suddenly Nihara reached behind her back and seemed to cup something in her fist. "The next time we meet Sonic, you will not win!" Then, before anyone could answer, she tossed whatever was in her hand down, creating an explosion of violet smoke that enveloped her for a second, and then cleared, revealing nothing but thin air.

---

Chapter 6

Brewing Storm

The frigid winds kicked up again as Sonic led the others back into the Great Forest at a frenzied pace. Now that he knew Robotnik had survived and had yet another one of his plans in motion, he wouldn't spare a second. "You just had to say it was too quiet last night, didn't you, Hedgehog?" he scorned himself.

Behind him Vren galloped with the three girls astride, occasionally sinking into deep snowdrifts whenever they came to low land. Luckily his large paws and strong muscles helped him pull himself out of these ice-cold pits, and he could keep up with Sonic now that the wind was howling once more. Anger and determination glinted in his golden eyes as well, although he had no idea who this Robotnik person was. But it was obvious that the name meant something to Sonic and the girls as well, for now they were worried too. Every now and then his ears would swivel back and listen to their conversations.

"Who could have predicted this?" Jessica was muttering.

"Is there anyway to get rid of Robotnik?" asked Kimberly.

"He's toast this time," Natalie retorted. "Trust me. When the Freedom Fighters learn he's back, they'll be so fed up with him that they'll launch the greatest attack ever to level 'im! Plus, we've got Vrenny." She rocked with the demon's slow gallop with ease. "Are you sure this was the vicious Night Demon that was bent on your destruction?"

"He used to be," said Jessica. "But now he's good. Before he was an evil Night Demon. He worked for Naugus, but when he learned that there was unfair treatment involved with him and his army of Night Demons, and that Sonic was not the low-life Naugus said he was, he changed his ways and joined forces with us. He and Sonic fought side by side in the Battle of the Red Glow."

"Pretty cool," answered Natalie. "I like him. I think he'll be a great force against Robutthead."

"I wonder who that Nihara character was," Kimberly said suddenly. "Did you get a good look at her? She almost looked like Sonic... Except for her color and that malicious glint in her black eyes."

"I don't like her," Jessica retorted with a scowl. "And I don't like the way she spoke to Sonic. What did he or his family -- or any other Mobians for that matter -- do to her?"

Natalie shrugged. "Maybe she's an Overlander in disguise."

"She did say to never call her a Mobian, and she was dead serius when she said it," answered Kim.

"She seemed too quick to be an Overlander," pondered Jessica. "But why else would she work for Robotnik and speak with so much hatred about Mobians?"

Suddenly Vren gave a leap and splashed into a fast-flowing stream, chunks of ice riding the swift current. "Hang on," he called back to his passengers, shielding them with his wings. "Let's try to keep this freezing water off of you."

Ahead Sonic ran across the wide stream, but paused when he came to the bank. A thick sheet of ice had formed all the way up the steep slope ahead, and it would be difficult to scale. The water was stabbing cold against his skin, and the wind was getting the same deathly chill. There wasn't much time to stay out here and wait. The weather was growing more and more serious. Sonic backed up until he was knee-deep in the numbingly-cold water, gathered himself, and then lunged straight up the slope, slipping a little when he came into contact, but keeping his balance. "You're better off flyin', Vren," he called back to the demon. "This ice is pretty slick."

"Never stopped me," came Vren's reply, and gracefully he jumped out of the water, his long black claws extended, and landed upon the ice without fault. Using his claws to secure a good hold, he carefully clambered up the ice behind Sonic. Only once did he miss a step and slip, and that was when the ice was deeper and harder than had anticipated it. Sonic grabbed the demon's forepaw and pulled him upright again, and then they were on their way across level ground.

"Knothole's just ahead now," said Sonic, shaking off the snow that collected on his face. "Let's hurry and get outta this cold."

The five of them came to the bridge over the Great River. Sonic noticed that huge slabs of ice were already forming at the river's edge. It would only be a matter of minutes in this weather before the entire river was frozen solid. Sonic turned back to the village just ahead, and picked up his pace again, hating how the frigid cold from the wind and the water made his legs numb. He revved them up a bit to get his blood flowing, and then pressed on again, eager to bring the Freedom Fighters the news. "Priority One Hedgehog Alert!" he shouted above the roaring winds.

Sally emerged from her hut, a heavy maroon jacket over he shoulders. "Sonic! There you are! What's wrong? Have you found something!"

"Yes," Sonic called back, slowing as he came up toward the doorway. "We've got loads to tell you! But let's get out of this wind first. D'ya think Vren could squeeze in there?"

"It's worth a try," replied Sally, holding the wooden door open for them. Sonic let Vren go in first. The demon could just barely fit through the doorway apart from his wings, which he had to scrunch uncomfortably at his sides. But he made it inside and found it pleasantly warm. He settled beside Sally's bed, careful not to track the snow on his paws on the floor. Despite the warmth of the hut, the girls huddled close to Vren's mane for a second, and then Sally and Sonic came in.

Sally faced them eagerly, her eyes grave. "Now what's happened?"

"Everything looked good last night. But we noticed something was going wrong when the temperature began to drop... And then when it started snowing. We started back for Knothole and this freak snow storm hit in a matter of seconds. The winds were roaring and the snow was blinding, when all of a sudden, it just stops dead when we reach the top of a hill. And that's when we came across this strange character."

Sally leaned forward, interested.

"I think she said her name was Nihara. She attacked us for no reason, but she seemed pretty happy to tell us that she was working for Robuttnik!"

The princess gasped, her blue eyes wide. "No... Don't tell me he's back! You're kidding, right?"

"I'm kiddin' wrong," muttered Sonic. "I didn't see the big round guy, but whenever somethin' bad's going on and it involves either planet or universe-wide panic, who's responsible ninety-nine out of one hundred times?"

Sally let out a groan of disgust, gritting her teeth. "So it's him causing all the trouble?"

"We don't know for sure. All Nihara would tell us was that he had a 'big' plan." Sonic did a mocking gesture with the word "plan."

"Nihara," Sally repeated, thinking. "Tell me more about her... That name doesn't sound too familiar."

"From what I understand she's a Mobian in denial. She was clearly one of our own, Sal. But when I mentioned it to her, asking her why she had the nerve to work for Robotnik, she practically went nuts. 'Don't ever call me a Mobian.' Those were her exact words."

"Strange..."

"In fact," Sonic continued, that same spark of anger flickering in his eyes just as it had when Nihara spoke illy of his family. "She was a hedgehog, Sal... Like me."

Sally's eyes widened again. "Really?" she asked, her voice quite fascinated. "But I thought the only ones in Mobotropolis at the time were you and your family... And the only female was your mother, Lady Bernice..."

"I know," answered Sonic, who began to pace. "I'm as surprised as you are. She even had the guts to talk bad about them... And all other Mobians for that matter."

"Why would she deny was she is?" Sally asked, mostly to herself.

Suddenly Kimberly spoke. "We were thinking that she could be an Overlander in disguise, Sally."

Sally thought of this for a second. "Sonic, did she look it to you?"

"She seemed too small," came Sonic's reply. "She was smaller than I was, probably just two feet anda few inches at most. No Overlander -- unless a very young one -- could be that small. And she was too swift on her feet. Not exactly fast, but we all know Overlander's have no grace in the way they move. There was just one thing about her that made me think of Overlanders, and that was the look in her eyes."

"What exactly are these Overlanders of whom you speak?" Vren queried.

"They've been our enemies for decades," answered Sonic, pacing back and forth across the room. "They look similar to humans, like Kim and Jess and Nat. But they're a completey different race full of ignorance and malice for our kind. They've started several wars with Mobians, all over stupid things like land, territory, power. For whatever reason they can't share the planet with anyone or anything else. They've got to own it all. Robotnik is one of them... But he possessed so much evil that he even turned against them."

"Hmm..." said Vren. "But Nihara looked nothing like a human creature."

"No, not as far as her physical features go. It was the eyes. You can always tell when someone is or has been under heavy influence of Overlander. Something dark in their gaze... Some kind of evil lust. Nihara held that in her black eyes all right. And even her tone of voice was their's. Cold, arrogant and power-hungry."

Suddenly there was a loud crack outside that made everyone in the hut jump. Sonic and Sally peered out the window at sat that one of the great oak trees had collapsed beneath the wind and ice. The storm was getting worse... Sally latched the hut's window tightly shut, and then turned back to the others. "This Nihara is definitely someone I'd like to meet myself. Where did you run into her?"

"About five miles off from Robotropolis, near the outskirts," answered Sonic.

"Did you happen to see where she came from?"

"No, she ambushed us."

"What about her exit?"

"Well, she's obviously got some skill in the field of magic, because she took something in her hand and threw it down, creating a cloud of smoke. Then she disappeared."

Again Sally's eyes furrowed with curiosity. "This just keeps getting even more interesting. Now the next thing we have to do is figure out for sure if Robotnik is back, and what he's up to."

Vren lowered his head. "He can't possibly have the power to create universal mayhem could he Sonic?"

Sonic frowned and shook his head. "I dunno, Vren. Robotnik has some several things that seem impossible. And if Chaos Emeralds are the source once again, then they can do anything. Speaking of which, did you find anything, Sal?"

"No..." Sally replied lowly. "I researched all day with Nicole's scanners and a few other devices. Nothing. I picked up an energy source, but I could't get any analysis on it whatsoever."

Sonic went back to his nervous pacing and Vren laid his head on his huge paws. Then, another crash roared from within the forest. This time it was louder, and with it came the ominous creaking of wood and a distressed shout. Sonic, Sally and Vren pricked their ears at the sounds.

"What was that?" asked Jessica.

"Let's check it out!" said Sonic, pushing the door open and leaping out into the savagely cold winds of the blizzard. The others struggled as they came outside, nearly picked up by the force of the gales and frozen by the incredible temperature.

"It's gotta be below zero out here now!" Sally shouted above the roaring, pulling her jacket tighter over her shoulders.

"Sonic, look!" the girls called suddenly.

"What's up?"

"The bridge over the Great River! The river's breaking the wood!"

"Whoa!" exclaimed Sonic, racing toward the bridge. "C'mon! Looks like a few Freedom Fighters are over there too!"

Quickly they trudged through the knee-deep snow, braving the slicing winds as the wood of the bridge's poles creaked again. The water below was packed with ice, and the current had driven it all up against the poles, putting the bridge under dangerous pressure. A crack appeared on one pole in the center already... Seeing this, Sonic hurried his pace and squinted through the white to see who was on the bridge, standing precariously in the center above the splitting pole, but not moving. Then they heard Bunnie's voice yell to them from ahead.

"Sonic! Sally! Quick! The bridge is goin' down!"

At first they couldn't see where Bunnie was, but then Sonic came to the edge of the drop-off the led into the river, and saw her trying to prop up the bridge with her mechanical arm, her feet slowly slipping off the land.

"Who's on the bridge?" Sonic shouted down to her.

"It's Antoine!"

"Why isn't he moving? He needs to get off that bridge now!"

"It's splitting in the center!" Bunnie hollered, straining to hold the bridge as it trembled with the impact of an oncoming chunk of ice. The blocks of frozen liquid were piling up against the breaking pole... It would give way any second...

"Hang on, Bunnie!" Natalie yelled suddenly. "We'll help you hold the bridge up! Vrenny!"

Before the girl even told Vren what he needed to do, he instantly leapt down the drop-off, stepping into the bitter cold water and anchoring his teeth deep into the cracking wood, growling in challenge as it tried to pull away from him.

"Help them out," Sonic ordered to Kimberly and Jessica, who quickly ran down to the steep banks to assist Vren and Bunnie.

Meanwhile Sonic and Sally rushed to the edge of the bridge.

"Ant!" Sonic cried. "Move! Quick! If you don't you'll go down with the bridge!"

"I-I can't!" came the trembling voice as he shivered near the bridge rail. The gap ees too big!"

"Jump!" Sonic and Sally yelled together.

Antoine merely trembled and whimpered in terror. The bridge jolted as another hunk of ice was added to the growing collection below. Sonic clenched his teeth. There was no time!

Carefully he set his foot on the bridge's wood, slowly putting his weight on it to make sure it would hold. It was steady beneath him and he sidled his way across the bridge. For the first time he saw the great gap in the center of it, continuing to grow with every second. Suddenly, as he moved closer to the gaping hole, the wood beneath him groaned warningly. He paused to test the sturdiness of the wood, and stepped forward again, slowly. Again the wood groaned... It would go and soon. "Antoine, jump," Sonic told him, holding on his hand. "I'll catch you. Just jump and we'll get off of this bridge."

Antoine gulped, looked to Sonic, and seemed to think about the jump... But when the bridge faltered again, he cried out in fear and cringed back against the rail, his ears low and his eyes clamped shut. The jolt of the bridge caused the wooden planks to waver, nearly throwing Sonic off balance. But he reached for the rail and steadied himself. Below Vren, Bunnie and the girls struggled to hold on, but they were growing tired in their efforts and the weight of the bridge was just getting too heavy. Sally went down to help them as well, fearing that the bridge would collapse any second.

Sonic tried to keep his patience with Antoine, but the urgency to get him off of this shuddering wood was pounding inside of him. "Antoine, come on," he called to him. "Just close your eyes and jump for it. I won't let you fall."

Antoine opened his eyes again, and cautiously stepped forward. The wood creaked, but held, and he looked to Sonic again for guidance. Sonic prepared to help Antoine if he had to, clutching the rail hard with one hand and holding the other outstretched and ready. Antoine moved forward again and gathered himself.

Then, all of a sudden, out of nowhere, came a menacing laughter... and a very familiar voice! Sonic peered to his right, and there was Nihara! She stood on the bridge's right rail, crouching ninja-like with one arm holding onto the wood and her feet balanced perfectly on the shaking structure. There was a sword in her free hand, and a cunning glint in her eyes! "In a bit of a jam, Sonic?"

"Nihara!" Sonic snarled. "What do you want?! And how'd you find this place?"

Nihara just smirked, rising to her full height. "That's none of your concern now, Sonic! Now if you'll excuse me, I've got a few lines to cut!" Suddenly she held the sword over her head and lunged for the cracking center of the bridge!

"NO!" Sonic shouted angrily, swerving to block her leap. But it was too late. Nihara clutched her sword and struck the weak wood, breaking it with one clean sweep! Immediately the bridge moaned, as if in pain, and collapsed! Laughing maliciously, Nihara leapt a way and to the opposite shore. Furiously Sonic came dangerously close to the hole in the center that was quickly falling, and stretched his arm to reach Antoine. Terrified, Ant finally jumped and Sonic was able to catch him just as the bridge met the freezing water below with a thunderous splash. Sonic fought to keep Antoine and himself above the sweeping current as the collection of ice chunks and splintered wood surged toward them. The water was like knives against his skin but with one mighty heave he pulled himself up onto the dropping front of the bridge. The planks fell rapidly beneath him, but he swiftly blazed up back toward the bank, and leapt clear just as the vine rope holding the entire structure up snapped, causing any remaining wood to be swept away witht he river.

From across the river, Nihara yelled in disappointment as Sonic and all the others climbed clear of the fallen bridge and onto the safety of the banks. Baring her teeth, she turned and raced alongside the river to the left of the bridge, heading toward the Great Mountains in the distance.

"Sonic, Antoine, are you all right?" Sally and the girls asked fearfully, running up to them.

Sonic shook off all the biting water and ice off of him as he could and sent flaming eyes toward the fleeing Nihara. "She's crazy! Come on! We've gotta follow her!" Off he whirled, storming after the enemy.

Vren roared and reared on his hindlegs, horse-like, clawing at the air. Then, lowering so the girls and Sally could climb onto his back, he bolted off with Sonic. Soon they were side by side, tearing on the bank opposite of Nihara, who soon disappeared beyond a rise which led her away from the river. But this didn't stop Sonic. He came forward until his feet were at the very edge of the bank, and launched himself into the air, sailing right above the river and onto the other bank. Vren followed with his wings spread for balance, and again they were off. But as they came to the crest of the rise, they slid to a halt... Nothing but endless white met their gaze... Nihara was nowhere to be seen...

---

Chapter 7

Darkness Returns

"Where could she have gone?" asked Jessica.

Vren lowered his great black nose to the ground and snuffed the snow. Sonic, too, lowered his gaze, searching for footprints, but the snow was covering any indentations in the ground quickly. All that remained were a few light prints.

"Looks like she headed into the mountains," said Sonic. "Let's tail her!"

They continued on at a walk to follow the barely noticeable tracks easier. Eventually they came to the steep flank of a mountain and began to climb.

"What exactly happened out there, Bunnie and Antoine?" Sally asked the two Freedom Fighters who sat behind her.

"We were coming back from the location you sent us last night," replied Bunnie. "The Great Unknown? Strange things had begun to happen there. The springs erupted wildly, and the ground shook and lava spewed out! When we saw this we decided to come back and notify y'all immediately, and that's when we ended up in this here snowstorm. We were crossing the bridge when it suddely shook, and I noticed that it was about to break."

"More climate changes in this last twenty-four hours?" Sally inquired, incredulous. "This is definitely it. I wonder if the others have seen similar things..."

Vren suddenly snarled and plunged forward, having caught a good whiff of Nihara's scent. Ahead, Sonic had already broke into a run throught he deep snow, able to stay above it with his light foothold. Their trail led them up a steep trail almost completely quilted with slick ice sheets. As the path wound around the very side of the mountain, a sheer drop awaited on the other side. Seeing this, Sonic and Vren slowed down at carefully navigated the slippery surface beneath their feet. For a second on this frozen road, the two hunters lost all signs that Nihara had been there... no tracks or scent. It was while they were searching for a clue to which way Nihara had gone -- further up the mountain or down into the dipping valley below -- that Sally and the others began talking again.

"Who was that who cut the bridge anyway?" asked Bunnie.

"Sonic, Vren and the girls ran into her last night. Her name is Nihara... Word has it she's involved with Robotnik!"

Bunnie and Antoine gasped. "No... Not Robotnik..."

"I don't like her at all," Jessica growled. "She could have killed any of us by cutting that bridge like she did!"

"What's her deal anyway?" Natalie mumbled. "We never even met the gal and here she is trying to kill us!"

"She said she was after Sonic," Kimberly reminded them. "But why him? I understand that if she is working for Robotnik that the first thing he'd ever do is to order her to destroy him... But she's a Mobian, too, is she not? And a hedgehog at that!"

Jessica shrugged. "Either like Sonic said, and she's in denial, or like Nat said, she's an Overlander... I don't know what her problem is, but I guess Sonic will have to show her the hard way how easily he can evade capture!" A flame flickered in her hazel eyes.

Sonic suddenly whistled from ahead. "This way! More tracks lead down to that valley!" With a blur of blue he swept off, and Vren lunged to keep him in sight so as to follow him. The winds were more violent than ever up here, thousands of feet above level ground. The downward slope was very steep, and the two hunters leaned back to make their descent safer. Now the snow reached well above Vren's hocks, touching his shoulders and haunches as he bounded down the mountainside. Sonic kept his head above the snow, only occasionally coming to a patch where the snow was deep and unstable and sinking in. But every time he did, he pulled himself free again, seeming to never slow down is quick pace.

Jessica watched him skillfully move through the snows, his bright blue in sharp contrast with the never-ending white void around them. In her stay on Mobius, she had never really seen him in a true wintry environment. True, she had stayed on Mobius for a year already, but the last winter that had passed had seen very little snow, and that was all in the high elevation of the Great Mountains. Now the winds sliced through them with their piercing cold, howling and moaning eerily, while the snow collected on their backs. The temperature had dropped well below zero, almost twenty degrees below... But despite the numbness in Sonic's legs from the agonizingly cold waters and the nipping gales, he still never made the slightest mistake as he moved. He didn't even seem to shiver, although inside he was desperately cold. Only his speed and exertion kept him from realizing how cold he really was now, and his breath came into the air as white mist, swirling about his face. Such a survivor he was. Again she felt deep fascination for the things the Freedom Fighter leader could endure.

They followed Nihara's trail until they were at the very bottom of the deep valley that split the Great Mountains almost into two separate mountain chains. To their right and to their lay a perilously steep slope that ended only at a dizzying drop into thin air... and thousands of feet down to the cold land below. To their left was a massive white wall of ice, interrupted only by a few sharp, jagged crags and enormous monoliths. The peak probably rose twenty thousand feet above them, giant icicles hanging from its sides like shimmering white teeth. For some reason, it gave the hunters a chill as they passed it, and Sonic's senses became wary at the sight of it. He didn't know why, but the great peak carried a dark sense of foreboding about it... And he didn't like it. His ears were erect and his emerald eyes scanned the surrounding land cautiously. It was eerily quiet here... Not even the winds dared make a sound. Only their ghastly moaning in the distance could break the frightful silence that surrounded the travelers.

Suddenly Sonic stopped, staring down at the ground, eyes grim.

"What's the matter?" asked Sally.

"Lost the tracks again," Sonic replied.

Vren brought in several breaths of icy air that stung his lungs, searching for the scent trail he had been following. But that, too, was gone now. And gazing ahead, he could see why. The deep valley began a sharply inclined ascent toward the huge peaks ahead that rose to the sky like turrets, probably several thousands of feet to climb. The great incline was positioned away from the winds. If Nihara had gone that way, her scent would be lost. Sighing, the demon sat down in the snow, trying not to curve his back too much for his riders.

"It's getting late," Sally observed, noting the faint yellow-gray light in the west. "And the temperature is still dropping. It won't due for us to be out here in the night. Winds will be a hundred times worse. We'd better head back and continue searching for Nihara tomorrow."

Jessica glanced toward Sonic, and noticed that his eyes were carefully turning in every direction suspiciously. He was worried about something. "What is it, Sonic?" she asked.

Sonic gazed back to the towering peak to his left for a second, and then turned back to the steep ascent ahead. "I don't like it here," he replied, almost in a whisper. "Something tell's me we're in a bad position at the moment."

The Freedom Fighters looked at each other apprehensively. Beneath them Vren's skin shivered. Just then he had felt it too, a hint of danger. His golden eyes met Sonic's and the two gazed about the valley, as if waiting for the danger to come to them.

Suddenly there was a great crash from the left peak, breaking the silence with a sharp crack. Vren leapt to his feet, and let out a snarl, his nostrils flared, and Sonic whirled, ears pinned, blood burning, prepared to face an enemy. But it had only been a falling clump of ice from one of the jagged cliffs that had caused the sound, and the group let out a sigh of relief.

"We're all getting paranoid," Sally stated. "Let's go before something does happen."

His sides still heaving from the sound, Vren obediantly turned back, still shivering a little. Sonic, too, turned silently, trying to believe that his nervousness had only been caused by the unstable ice and snow on the left peak. But then, as he turned, his eyes widened, and he froze in mid-step. Slowly, warily, he turned narrowing eyes back on the steep incline out of the valley ahead, until they came to the very top that bent like a horseshoe in between two mountaintops. For a second he thought his eyes and the waning light of the evening were playing tricks on him... but there was a lone silhouette up there, striding forward until it came to the edge of the horseshoe. A wave of fury swept through Sonic's body. Nihara!

"Leaving so soon?" her wicked voice traveled down the incline easily to the ears of the hunters. Immediately Vren twirled around, letting out a roar and baring his fierce canines. The Freedom Fighters on his back glared up Nihara's dark figure thousands of feet above them. She had intentionally led them here! But why?

Sonic stepped forward in challenge. "Why'd you do that, Nihara?" he asked angrily. "These Freedom Fighters never did anything to you!"

Nihara ran a finger across the blade of one her swords. "Don't even get me started on their worthlessness! They're greedy beasts, all of them! Except for maybe you three..." Nihara pointed a sword right at the three girls, who gawked back at her wonderingly.

"Us?" asked Kimberly. "Why us?"

For once all the hatred in Nihara's eyes vanished when she spoke to the three girls. "You are not of filthy Mobian blood as they are. You come from a more noble race. But why you choose to follow these repulsive creatures is beyond me."

Kimberly, Natalie and Jessica stared at Nihara, bewildered. They were the only ones she did not hate? Why?

Sonic glared back to Nihara. "That still doesn't give you a reason to nearly kill them and the others, missy."

Nihara sneered at him in defiance. "The only one I was aiming to kill, Sonic, was you. It's not my fault if they find themselves in my path."

Sonic faced her coldly. "Listen, if you want to challenge me, don't be a coward and do it through other people. I'm right here, Nihara. You want a fight, you'll get a fight!"

"Now wouldn't be the best time to say such bold things, Sonic," Nihara said with an evil smirk, completely fearless at his challenging words.

"Why not?" Sonic inquired, undaunted.

Nihara's grin just spread until it nearly reached her ears. "Because I am not alone."

Sonic and Vren stared at her for a minute longer, trying to take it what she had just said. But before they had a chance to get more information out of her, they saw a sight that made their blood boil! It began with a great, dark shadow that loomed over the entire expanse of the valley and several feet beyond, blocking out the weak sunlight. Overhead, the skies trembled and rumbled ominously with a ship that was larger than life! Vren and the Freedom Fighters gasped in awe at the sight of its gargantuan size, feeling like no more than specks of dust compared to its awesome might! Just the weapons themselves, enormous cannons that lined each side of it, were too large to describe, massive enough to blow a several-mile-wide crater in the land below. Sonic's eyes were fixed on the great airship, completely engulfed in its frightening shadow, astonished but unafraid. In fact, the number one emotion that ran through his body now was rage! For on the side of the airship, he could clearly identify a huge icon of Robotnik's evil face, smirking down upon them with lust and hate! But it didn't end there... Soon, more airships came into view, each soaring over Nihara as she gazed proudly up at them as their numbers increased. Some of the ships were about half the size of the colossal giant leading them, and others were merely dots hovering at its side. Others were long, lean and triangle-shaped Stealth Bombers, and others were the oval-shaped hover units of Robotropolis. There must have been a million, if not more ships up there! It was an air fleet of phenomenal proportions, possessing incredible power with size and sheer numbers alone.

Suddenly one of the many hover units descended from the great fleet down toward the mountains where Nihara stood. It landed a few yards away, and out stepped the hated one! Robotnik! "Well, well! Hedgehog!"

Sonic responded the way he always did to Robotnik, tossing his head and facing him with fearless, leering eyes. When he spoke his voice was a hiss. "Long time no see, buddy."

Robotnik just chuckled. "Thought you had gotten rid of my again, didn't you?"

"Somethin' told me you were the one behind all this. Gee, how'd I ever get that hunch, Robuttnik?"

"Behind all of what?" Robotnik asked innocently.

"Don't play dumb," Sonic replied, taking a few steps forward. "The universal destruction. Several worlds are being plagued with strange occurances. That's how my friend her, Vren ended up here."

Vren echoed Sonic's words with a ferocious snarl. "I don't know who you are, Robotnik, but if you were the one responsible for causing such madness on my planet, then prepare to fight!"

"Silence demon!" Nihara snapped.

"Now, now, Nihara," said Robotnik. "We may not have to get violent with them if they heed our warnings."

"And what warnings would those be?" Sonic wanted to know.

Robotnik faced him slyly. "You are right, Hedgehog, I am the cause behind the unviversal plight, or the Doomsday Fleet as I choose to call it. I've been working on such an ingenious plan as this ever since our last meeting."

"How'd your survive?" Sonic demanded. "And what is this little plan of yours?"

"I have more means of survival in Doomsday's underground chambers alone than in all of Robotropolis, Hedgehog! I simply made my way down there when my grand machine went down, thanks to you! But anyway, the plan is simple. I give the planets in this universe a demonstration of the new power I possess. Once they see what will become of them if they refuse obediance to me, they'll have no choice but to surrender! There is no way of fighting back, for the power is unconquerable. This time both the Chaos Emeralds and the Deep Power Stones are involved... as well as a few other surprises. This universe will be mine, Sonic! And I'm not taking any chances this time. That's why I've hired Nihara here to eliminate you and your Freedom Fighters!"

Sonic snorted. "We've already met in battle. You might as well go back to using robots, Doc."

Suddenly Nihara winced. Robotnik whirled in her direction, gazing angrily down at her. "You've already met... and you haven't told me?"

Nihara lowered her ears a little, backing away. "It was merely to stop them from returning to the Great Forest, my lord. They did get away from me, but I promise you I won't let them win this time."

"Well, see that you don't, Nihara! Now, get rid of them all!"

Nihara clasped her two swords and crossed them just inches from her face, clashing the metal together in challenge. Fiercely her eyes cast down on Sonic, the one who was the cause of the punishment she would soon receive for informing Robotnik of their recent meeting! Well, this time it wouldn't be a failure. This time she'd show that beast just what kind of warrior she was! Shouting menacingly, she charged down towards Sonic, running effortlessly down the steep slope to the valley, never once slipping of falling.

Sonic's eyes remained on Robotnik a second more, thinking about why Nihara hadn't told him of their first fight, in which she had lost. But then her challenge reached his ears, and he saw her coming straight toward him, swords held at the ready, prepared to slash at him! Vren roared and quickly the others leapt off of his back as he galloped over to Sonic's side. Instantly Nihara launched herself up high, one sword raised above her head. In a streak of violet she came down, driving the blade through the air with frightening speed. Sonic and Vren jumped aside, only to be faced with another one of Nihara's spin attacks, the swords whirling about her like razor blades. Once Vren's teeth caught one of her swords, but she brought the other down hard across his muzzle, leaving a deep gash.

"All right! That's it!" Sonic swept by Nihara fast, knocking her off of her feet. Nihara grunted as she landed, clenching her teeth in fury. This wouldn't look good to Robotnik... Not good at all. Her flaming eyes followed Sonic as he whirled around to face her, content to wait for her to bring the fight to him. Such an arrogant creature he was! Fiercely she lunged at him, both swords aimed at him. Sonic waited until she was seconds away from him, and then swung around, leaving her to skid through the snow, nearly falling. Skillfully she caught her balance and wheeled after Sonic, who led her in a circle before turning to face her again. Constantly she changed her tactics to trap Sonic, but he was a more clever foe than she had even been told. He was able to dodge her quickest attacks with a single move, plunge in and out at supersonic speed and then stop on a dime, and the way he moved in endless whirls and spins it looked more like he was dancing than fighting. And every time he was able to elude her, the more her rage mounted.

Sonic didn't come in to attack Nihara unless he was forced to, choosing to let her run herself out rather than doing the job himself. Only when she turned on Vren did he charge after her, often hurling her hard to the ground. Several times he eyed her swords, calculating. He wanted to get them away from her before she was able to cause anymore damage. Carefully he awaited his chance.

It happened when Vren had come in and was slashing with his giant paws, distracting Nihara. One of her blades just barely grazed his shoulder, and furiously he lashed out with those great claws, making contact with her skin and shoving her down hard. That was when Sonic moved in and got his hand on one sword. "Drop it," he ordered, glaring down at her. "Or I'll be forced to fight you for it."

Nihara kept an iron grip on her sword, virtually snarling at Sonic. "You'll have to pry it out of my cold, dead hands to get it! Let GO!"

She tried to jerk away, but Sonic held fast, moving with her as she rolled upright. Angrily he locked eyes with her. "I said drop it, Nihara! I don't wanna have to hurt you!"

"Why? Not strong enough to face a girl in combat?" She spun hard, trying to shake her sword loose.

Sonic just stared squarely at her for a second, and then, without warning, snatched the sword blade and heaved, pulling her backwards and sending her into the snow, something that completely surprised her. Also surprisingly he had released her sword as she hit the ground, sure that would be a good enough lesson. Sonic was considerate in battle, giving his opponens every chance before resorting to his most powerful moves. But what he had just done only served to intensify Nihara's mounting animosity towards him. Worriedly she glanced back up at the watching Robotnik. His eyes were upon her now, waiting. She had promised victory this time... if she failed, she feared the consequences. She searched the surrounding area for a second, looking for anyway to ensure her enemy's destruction. Suddenly her eyes landed on her sword blade... The left peak was reflected on the metal, it's sharp summit completely capped with snow and great icicles... Perfect for an avalanche...

Her black eyes glistened with cunning, and Sonic saw it immediately. But he had no idea just what she was up to. Suddenly she grabbed one of her swords, took a second to aim at the snow-covered peak, and with one swift toss, sent it flying straight toward a bank of ice, where it made contact with a loud shing! of metal clashing against ice. Sonic winced at the sound, for it was high in pitch and echoed throughout the mountains... Now he understood Nihara's intentions, and dreaded the outcome that might follow...

---

Chapter 8

White Fury!

The mountains shook with an ominous rumble... the sound of the sword clanging against the ice wall still rang throughout the land... Sonic didn't need to see the great wave of snow shifting and beginning to slide down the left peak and into the valley... He already knew what he had been dreading was coming, and fast! Frantically he whirled around to the others, shooting forward. "LOOK OUT! AVALANCHE!

There was a ponderous crash from behind, and the others gasped in terror was the snow slammed down upon the valley, flooding forth in a wall of white fury! Vren raced for the Freedom Fighters to carry them to safety, but Nihara suddenly leapt in his way!

"Not so fast, demon!"

Vren reared up and roared, which served only to cause more snow to fall from the mountaintop! "Out of my way!"

"There's no time, Nihara! Get out of here or you'll be run down by the avalanche too!" Sonic cried, streaking past her despite her warnings.

The tide of raging ice and snow became a furious ocean of death, its deafening roar shattering the air and its great speed carrying it downward into the trough of the valley, straight for them! Seeing this, Sonic plunged toward the others at his dangerous speed in an effort to get them to run. "RUN! RUN NOW!"

Vren gathered himself and leapt right over Nihara, who swung angrily at his legs. But he had jumped too high and landed unharmed behind her, racing after Sonic. But it was a matter of seconds before the fierce roaring snow was on their heels, it's deadly cold already biting at their skin. Nihara dashed for one of the cliffs bordering the steep incline out of the valley, leaping and digging her sword into the rock so she could hang from it and lift herself to safety above the mad rush of the snow that soon followed. No matter how Sonic urged Vren and the Freedom Fighters to run, they could not escape the snarling avalanache, and it came upon them with the force of a storm-raged sea. Instantly some were forced down beneath the ravaging snow, seized by the incredible strength and fierce cold. Sonic was the only one who knew how to fight the fury of the avalanche, pushing himself through as if he were swimming, legs and arms working hard to keep his head above the snow. If he didn't feel how cold he had been earlier, he felt it now, only a hundred times colder! The shards of ice stung as they continued to slam into him, and the air was painful to breathe so chilled was it. Neverthless, he fought with all his splendid strength, straining against the wild current in search of his friends. Just ahead of them Vren breached the ice with a great leap, roaring in alarm.

"Vren!" Sonic shouted above the savage thunder of the avalanche. "Did you see the others?"

A wave of snow whisked by Vren, almost forcing him down again, but he struggled against it and kept his head up. "They were right beside me, and then I lost them, Sonic! The speed of the avalanche got them!"

"Find them! This snow is pouring right off of the edge of the valley, and who knows how big a drop that is!" Sonic was referring to the sheer drop on the right of the valley, where the avalanche fell like a great white waterfall.

Vren and Sonic looked around desperately for the others. Bunnie and Sally surfaced a few yards down near the ledge, fighting the force of the avalanche with all they had. Vren instantly leapt over to them, sweeping by them just long enough for them to pull themselves onto his back, and whirling back to avoid being carried toward the drop-off that awaited so very close... Antoine soon appeared, and Sonic helped him keep his head above the surface of the snow so he wouldn't be buried. Vren, using great leaps, was able to move close so Antoine could get upon his back as well, and eventually Kimberly and Natalie were spotted and rescued as well. Vren battled to keep running against the avalanche so they would fall back. As soon as they had everyone he could fly and lift them off to safety. But the wrath of the snows would not be denied, and there came a sudden brutal wave that swept Vren and Sonic toward the drop! Sonic clenched his teeth and threw his strength against the fighting avalanche, refusing to give in to its power! Gathering himself, he launched above the snow, twisted in the air to turn toward the drop, and landed closer to Vren, grabbing his foreleg and help him gain his footing again. Luckily everyone on his back was unharmed. The demon's tongue hung from his mouth, and his powerful strides were beginnig to slacken. Vren had the endurance that no other demon possessed, but this avalanche was furious in its might, and the snows continued to pummel his body. If they didn't get out of there soon, they'd all be in trouble.

"Sonic!" yelled Sally. "Where's Jessica?"

Just as she was saying this, there came a cry from behind. Sonic spun around and saw Jessica struggling in the swirling torrent of ice, having difficulty keeping her head up. There were also massive blades of ice and rock being carried with the avalanche, coming dangerously close to her.

"Vren!" shouted Sonic. "Go ahead and get them out of here. Fly to higher ground! I'll get Jess and catch up with you!"

"Give a shout if you need me, Sonic! And be careful!" Vren summoned his tiring strength and lunged into the skies, his wings sweeping downward in mighty strokes to escape the avalanche's grasp.

Once he was clear of the deadly white sea, Sonic braved the intensifying avalanche to reach Jessica. "Jess! Keep your head up! Don't let it bury you!"

Jessica sunk for a second, but pulled herself up again, her face turning blue. "Sonic! I can't! It's too strong!"

"Fight it, Jess!" Sonic cried, fighting his way forward. "Don't give up! If you get buried by this snow it's over!"

The girl felt empowered by Sonic's urging, and desperately she fought, stroking with her arms to move closer to Sonic.

"That's it, Jess! That's it! Help me out, Jess!" Sonic felt a surging wave from the avalanche push against him below, and letting out a growl he hurled himself forward, eyes narrowed and teeth bared, all expressions of his rock-hard determination and refusal to give in.

Jessica marveled at the pure power he unleashed in battling the dizzying currents of the snow, and for a second almost forgot to move, nearly sinking beneath again. Could nothing in the world defeat his awesome strength? Truly Sonic, as he lunged and slammed against the swells of ice, escaping deadly collisions with rock within seconds, was the picture of unbeatable might, his muscles never failing even now! The only thing that seemed to bother him was the painful cold he felt, and wildly he fought to get both Jessica and himself out of it before it told on them. Practically running through the air, Sonic made one magnificent leap toward Jessica and landed just ahead of her, quickly sinking to his neck in the freezing avalanche.

"Grab a hold... 'atta girl!" Jessica was able to grab onto his shoulders. Suddenly a roaring swirl of ice and snow whipped past them, nearly taking the girl with it. But Sonic didn't let go of her, nor did she let go of him. She knew no element on Mobius had the power to conquer him, and her belief in him only made him stronger. With incredible strength he pulled her back above the snow again, and once she held on with both hands, rised above the mad sea of surging ice, and bolted for the peak where Vren and the others awaited them. Once they were safely on top of the rocky peak, Sonic turned toward the pass ahead where Nihara and Robotnik stood. His sides were heaving, and his breath came like steam, but other than that there was no mark of exhaustion in his countenance. Only the slight trembling in his arms revealed how cold he was, but he'd worry about that later. Now his eyes, fixed on Nihara and Robotnik, were the direct opposite of what he felt inside, flaming with anger and disbelief. He still didn't understand Nihara's cruelty or her denial, and the hatred for Robotnik easily consumed him. He wouldn't fight them now, for he had his friends to worry about. But there was a promise held within his eyes that they would meet again, soon.

Robotnik laughed and called to him from across the great valley. "You were fortunate this time, Hedgehog! But we'll be back! And if snow and ice won't faze you, perhaps the other elements will!" He signaled to Nihara to board the hover craft nearby, and he walked with her, never taking his red-and-black eyes of his enemy, with whom he shared equal confidence and hate. "We will return, Freedom Fighters!"

---

Chapter 9

Fire & Ice

"You OK, Sonic?" Jessica had noticed his shivering as she stood beside him on the peak.

"I'm fine," Sonic answered quickly. "Just a little cold from the avalanche. How about you? You all right?"

Jessica smiled at him. "You know I am, Sonic. Because you helped me. I think that's what, the thousanth time you've saved my skin?"

Sonic smiled, shaking the snow and ice off of his back. "It's in the hero's job description, Jess."

"So what now?" Kimberly asked suddenly. "We can't let Robotnik and Nihara get away with this."

"No, we can't," replied Sally. "We'd better get back to the others. Now that we know the culprit behind the chaos, we have many more things to investigate, such as the real energy source that Robotnik mentioned."

Sonic gritted his teeth. "When will Robuttnik get a clue that he'll never win this war?"

"I'm afraid people like him never get a clue, Sonic," Sally answered, shaking her head. "You either knock some sense into them, or get rid of them the only other way. I wish he was gone, too. I've wished that ever since the day of the coup."

"Don't remind me of that," muttered Sonic, turning away.

"Don't you worry, Sonic," the princess assured him. "We won't give up until we do beat him. And when we do, we'll make sure he's gone for good. Somehow, some way."

Sonic gazed admiringly at Sally as he stood beside her. One reason he was impressed with her so much was because of her determination and fearlessness. Like him, she never gave up in the face of adversity, and refused to let evil win. And when Jessica studied Sonic's eyes, she realized how right he was. Sally was a likely leader, bold, courageous and caring. She matched none of those descriptions, and she knew very well that she could never take the responsibility of a leader. Knowing this almost made her feel useless to Sonic, who now stood tall and proud upon the peak beside Sally, the gray skies and faint sunlight in the west turning his brilliant blue into a mysterious shade of navy, highlighted by streaks of dull sky blue. Suddenly very troubled, Jessica dropped her gaze and paced slowly in the snow.

Vren suddenly let out a short, curious howl. "Sonic, Princess Sally, look to the north... Something's coming this way."

The two Freedom Fighter leaders instantly peered upwards toward the northern direction, where a vast expanse of leaden grays and dismal whites lay, all touched by an eerie glow of light yellow from the dying sun. Hovering over the distant mountains was Dulcy, straining her small wings to fly toward them faster.

"Dulcy... And Rotor, Tails and Uncle Chuck are with her," said Sally.

"Wonder what the big rush is all about?" asked Sonic.

Dulcy came barreling toward the peak, practically toppling head-over-heels when he feet touched the ground, but was steadied by Sonic and his worthy princess. Instantly all three Freedom Fighters on the dragon's back jumped down, nearly out of breath.

"Sonic," said Rotor. "Something else is happening now! We first saw it back near the Great Swamp, but now it's headed this way!"

"What is it?" Sonic asked.

"Earthquakes," answered Tails. "And fire!"

"In the Great Swamp?" Sonic asked incredulously.

"Sonic, look!" Vren suddenly cried, gesturing back towards Knothole far below. Sonic and the others turned with him, and saw a great crack in the earth, quickly splitting across the land, an ominous red glow and clouds of hissing vapor seeping through... Rapidly the crack continued to zigzag across the Great Forest, and more of the red and yellow from the depths below poured through.

Rotor trembled, his eyes wide with terror. "That's it!"

Everyone stood for a second longer, watching the strange split in the ground, unsure of what to do... And then all of a sudden the very mountains themselves jolted violently back, as if trying to leap away from the expanding fissure! The jolt was so powerful that it caused one of the peaks from behind to collapse, and threw almost everyone to the ground with a forceful impact. Only Sonic, Vren and Dulcy had managed to catch their balance amidst such a quake. Now Sonic had the fissure in his eyes, as the blood red glare of fire raged through the opening into the skies. A fowl scent of sulfur and brimstone reached his nose, and instantly he knew what lay beneath the shaking earth... Magma. And sure enough, as the crack continued to divide two great masses of land apart, one holding Knothole and the opposite holding the peak upon which they stood, a great river of fiery liquid opened up before them! The Freedom Fighters gasped as the distance between them and Knothole widened with the swelling river, and again the mountains were seized by violent tremors. Great sprays of molten rock and flames spewed from the magma river, probably reaching heights of over a hundred feet. Quivering spasms racked the land as the peaks moved further and further back, all the time increasing the massive size of the river. Sonic couldn't be sure what would happen next in a scenario so bizarre as this, but he ordered the others to get down and stood before them protectively, watching the danger ahead of them. Black flakes began to fall from the sky, as if the snows had been burnt to a crisp. But what fell now wasn't snow... it was ash. All over it began to fleck the snow-polished landscape like pepper. Suddenly there was another sickening jolt of the peak, only this time the mountains seemed to be jerked downward by some unseen force, and for a second there was no land beneath Sonic's feet. He was able to catch is balance again, but when he looked back toward the river, it was now ponderously large, maybe even a mile or more across... The land masses that bordered the fiery ocean ended in steep, craggy cliffs that were stained red, speaking of the incredible soaring heat beneath them. Finally the tremors ended, but the ash continued to fall, and the Freedom Fighters were mesmerized by the flaming fury that separated them from Knothole and the Great Forest.

"Fire and ice," Sonic muttered gravely. "Everyone all right?"

"I'm alive," answered Vren. "What of the village, though? Will we be able to get back to it?"

"It looks like the land over there is very unstable," observed Uncle Chuck. "Smoke is rising from the forest..."

"If there's fires over there, we'd better go save what we can," Sally exclaimed.

"Yeah, and make sure no one's back there," added Sonic. "Can you take us, Dulce?"

"No problem," answered the dragon, lowering down so they could climb upon her back.

"Sonic," Jessica asked. "Can we go too?"

"It'd be better if you stayed this time, Jess," replied Sonic. "We don't know what's really goin' on over there. The others will be here, don't worry."

"OK," she said a little glumly. She had always liked to go wherever Sonic went, and when she couldn't, she felt bored and a little disappointed. It was no fun without him around to lift her spirits, especially now since she was in such a melancholy mood.

"We'll be back as soon as possible," Sally was telling the others. "Kimberly, do you still have the computer I gave you?"

"Right here," Kim held up the portable computer she had used just the night before.

"You can use that to reach us if anything goes wrong. Not to mention it has a built in laser like Nicole, just in case any enemies might show up. Remember how to use them all?"

"Sure do, Princess. Good luck you guys!"

"Later!" Sonic called as Dulcy lifted off, soaring over the boiling cauldron of magma below.

A little while later found the small group of Freedom Fighters and the demon lying close to a campfire, all huddled close to the flames to avoid the cold. The temperature was still dropping as night quickly approached, now almost thirty degrees below. Luckily Vren and the others had found wood near the base of the mountain, and were able to get a nice large fire going for the time being. Now they sat close to a small crevice in the peak's wall that helped to keep out the brisk wind and keep the heat in. Natalie, Kimberly and Vren were talking quietly, while Jessica leaned against the wall of the crevice, impatiently awaiting Sonic's return.

"What exactly can that thing do?" Vren was asking Kimberly, pointed his broad muzzle toward her computer.

"Lots of different things," Kim answered. "It can translate languages, decode hidden messages, display almost anything you ask it to, such as maps, layouts of cities or locations, blueprints, and it can download almost anything. Not to mention it has night vision cameras, infrared scanners, a huge library of stored information, and so much more! And this is just a weak computer compared to Sally's."

"You ought to think up a name for it," said Natalie.

"Yeah... Then I can use real voice commands like Sally does too. Hmm, I'll think about that."

Vren chuckled and gazed back across the river that now made the darkening skies an eerie dark red. "I do hope they return soon..."

"As Jess would say, they'll be fine because Sonic's there," Natalie winked. Vren and the two girls gazed in Jessica's direction, but she was staring at Knothole, scarcely blinking.

"You OK friend?" Vren asked in a soft voice hardly appropriate for a demon king.

"Mobius to Jess!" Natalie called.

"Huh?" Jessica asked, startled.

"We wanted to know if you were OK," said Nat. "You haven't said two words since this afternoon."

"I'm all right," answered Jessica, lowering her gaze.

"It's not like you to be so quiet," said Kimberly. "Well, maybe on Earth it was, but not here. Here you always have something to talk about."

"I miss Sonic," she replied honestly.

"Oh," Kimberly and Natalie said together, nodding understandingly.

Vren smiled a little. "It's become increasingly obvious to me that she has a thing for Sonic."

"No kidding?" Natalie snickered. "She's head-over-heels for the guy!"

A little color flushed into Jessica's cheeks... Yes, she was indeed head-over-heels. But more than they could ever know, and that was the reason for her strange silence. She had never missed Sonic as badly as this, even though she knew he was less than twenty miles away. This feeling was deepening fast... too fast. Not that it was bad, but it was becoming harder to conceal it. Under normal circumstances, she wouldn't surpress the feeling inside, but whatever would Sonic's reaction be if she did tell him? Suddenly the girl's heart felt constricted. That was what she feared most of all. Rejection. And she knew it was inevitable. It was clear that Sonic was with Sally.

You've got to grow up, she told herself angrily. Why would Sonic like you back? You can't expect him to. Sure, he likes you as a friend, but that should be good enough, and it's as good as it's going to get. Don't let this torture you. It is not good enough that you're here, on Mobius, with him? That's something you once thought impossible! No, grow up. Realize what you have, and what you cannot have, and just accept it.

But she couldn't accept it. It was far too strong, this welling feeling inside of her. Despite the raging voice inside her head, she stared into the darkening heavens until her eyes ached, longing for her hero to return. This loneliness was unbearable.

Suddenly Vren gave a howl of welcome. "There they are! They're coming!"

Jessica's heart leapt along with her feet as she sprung upright, looking eagerly at the night sky.

Rotor added wood to the fire to strengthen its glow. That way it would be easier for Dulcy to find them.

At first only Vren's keen eyes could see the dragon, but then Dulcy appeared above the magma river, the ghastly red reflecting on her wings. Steadily she descended as she saw the fire, trying her best to keep her balance and straighten herself out for a perfect landing. But just as she was a few ways away from the peak, she faltered and crashed hard on her knees, throwing up a spray of snow toward the Freedom Fighters. Luckily she brought herself to a stop before coming into contact with the fire.

Jessica ran forward happily to meet Sonic as he hopped off the dragon's back, but she stopped when she noticed that he didn't look happy. His eyes were grave, and there was a red hue to his skin, as if he had been around something very hot or toxic. Sally had the same look, Jessica noticed as well. And on Dulcy's back were several supplies that had been retrieved from Knothole, as well as the rest of the Freedom Fighters.

"What's happened?" Rotor asked.

"Unc was right when he said the land over there was unstable," Sonic muttered. "Forest fires were kickin' up and there were cracks in the ground letting out poisonous gas. We had to get everything we could out there before it was too late and the toxic air went to work, and then we had to alert the others. Looks like Robuttnik scored good on that one."

"So we can't return to Knothole?" asked Kimberly, disappointed. She, like the others, wanted to get out of this terrible cold. Now that night had fallen it would be worse than ever.

Sonic shook his head sadly. "No, I'm afraid not. Looks like we're gonna have to rough it from now on."

"We got a lot of good supplies from Knothole," said Sally in an attempt to cheer them up. "Including things that'll keep us warm during the night. Don't worry."

Tiredly the Freedom Fighters gathered around the fire for warmth. Some pine wood had been rescued from the Great Forest, and it added life to the flames until it was a great bonfire. Sally gave everyone coats and blankets to wrap themselves in, as well as a nice warm cider to drink. Sonic stood away from the group to look back toward Knothole until he couldn't cope with the fierce cold any longer, and then finally joined them, sitting against the wall of the crevice, so close to the fire that it practically singed him. Jessica slid closer to him, finding comfort and solace with his nearness.

"You still look awfully cold," she observed from his slight shivering. "Why don't you put on a coat or something?"

"I'll be all right," he answered, rubbing his eyes. They still stung from all the toxins that hung in the air over Knothole.

"Don't be so gloomy Sonic. It's not like you at all."

"I'm sorry, Jess. I'm just ticked off that we've basically lost Knothole... again. This time it's really toast. Robuttnik always finds someway to destroy everything."

"I know," Jessica answered lowly. "But remember what you always say -- one day he'll crash and burn. And he will, Sonic. You know it and you believe it as well as I do."

A spark of fire came into his eyes, and declared bodly that his spirit was far from broken. Jessica saw it and she loved it. There was the courageous hero she knew so well!

"I do believe that, Jess," Sonic grinned, eyes narrowed in spirited determination. "And don't you forget it. We'll nail him good, you'll see. He never gets away with his little schemes. Where there's a will, there's a hedgehog."

Jessica laughed, forgetting all the conflicts she had felt earlier. There was no sadness, no anger or fear. Just the sheer happiness that came to her whenever she was beside this handsome creature. And he was handsome as he could be sitting next to her, the firelight adding a glimmering sheen to his eyes, the red tone that had been in his skin earlier fading away to reveal the dazzling sapphire blue, and all the previous disappointment suddenly gone from his face. Sonic never stayed angry or gloomy for long, for his spirit refused to let anything conquer it. And when that indomitable spirit of his blazed at full force, he was both beautiful and powerful to see. "You've got that right, Sonic. Robotnik has never been able to defeat you or the other Freedom Fighters, and I know he never will."

"Serious," Sonic nodded, winking at her. The cold breeze whipped by them again, blowing the flames of the fire away from them, and Sonic answered it with a slight shiver. Going from cold to hot temperatures hadn't done much good for him.

Jessica finally pulled the blanket she had around her shoulders off and wrapped it around his. Sonic gazed down at her and she smiled tenderly at him. Sonic snickered. "Little cold never bothered me, Jess."

"It helps a lot and you know it," Jessica grinned.

He couldn't really argue there. It did feel much better to have the blanket shield the cold from his back. "Now you'll be cold,"

"I'm warm enough sitting right here beside you, fella," came her answer.

Sonic just smiled and leaned back against the rocky wall, arms folded behind his head. Jessica was content to watch him until she finally fell asleep.

---

Chapter 10

Nihara

Nihara walked slowly into the bridge of the ship, where Robotnik stood gazing out the great windshield at Planet Mobius, no more than a blue-green jewel amidst the darkness of space. She lowered her ears a little and paused once she saw him, seemingly undecided on whether to join him or just mind her own business for the time being. Finally she sighed and approached him cautiously, long ears still low beside her head. Once she was beside him, she peered out the windows of the great ship they were aboard, sneering.

"We shall show them what's really in store for them, my Lord... Once we unleash the Final Power,"

Robotnik's black-and-red eyes gazed down at her almost scornfully. "Yes, but that'll come later. It'll take a long time for the emeralds and the stones to charge, and I want to give those Freedom Fighters a chance to sweat a while."

Nihara nodded. "And we can finally have our revenge of them all... Or least I can have my revenge and you will have what you've always wished for, my Lord. Total control over everything."

Robotnik humphed and glared down at her. "No one will have anything if you keep fighting the way you do, Nihara."

Nihara's ears now went flat against her head, dreading this would come. Inhaling deeply, she fought for the courage to speak in her own defense. "S-Sir... I didn't--"

Robotnik interrupted quickly. "Tell me of this first meeting that the Hedgehog told me about. I am most eager to know."

Nihara swallowed hard. "I-I cut him and the others off just a few miles off of Robotropolis. I heard them say they were heading back to Knothole, so I moved in for an ambush. I tried to stay in the fight, but I Sonic threw me down and made me drop my sword..."

"An accomplished warrior such as yourself dropping her weapon?" Robotnik asked mockingly.

Nihara suddenly got too gallant for her own good. "It wasn't my fault I dropped the blasted thing! I never expected Sonic to attack the way he did... I would hope he'd have better chivalry than that..."

Robotnik's eyes suddenly went wide. "Him?! Chivalrous? Ha! Nihara, have you forgotten what his kind have done to you?!"

Nihara backed away as he rounded upon her, both fear and fury coming into her eyes. She opened her mouth to speak, but Robotnik interrupted her again.

"Was it not those filthy Mobians who caused you the greatest grief of all?! Was it not them that hurt you so?! Was it?!"

Nihara trembled in his shadow, now backed up against the wall of the bridge. When she spoke, her voice quavered. "Y-Yes.... It-It was them! But I--"

"But what?!" Robotnik bellowed.

"B-But I didn't think Sonic was quite as you described him... forgive me my Lord... But he fought me to save the demon's life... You told me Mobians do no such things..."

"Don't be fooled by his false kindness, Nihara! Think! Think about your past! Remember! How could you forget what they did to you?!"

Nihara's trembling grew into a quaking terror, her eyes glazed with tears as memories flooded back to her head. She flinched as if in pain, and then, gulping hard, peered meekly back up at her master.

"The Hedgehog is one of them, Nihara, and one who plans to stop us. He has no ethics in battle -- just the same desire as all his kind: to kill."

Nihara's terrified stare became an intense glare as Robotnik continued on.

"His kind are so cruel and so heartless that they didn't even care for you when you were in need of their help! They're malicious creatures, all of them! And this is how you treat them after it all?"

Nihara's eyes were flaming coals, her voice seeping out of her mouth like hissing steam. "I will never forgive them for what they've done! NEVER!"

"Not even the Hedgehog?"

She snarled in her fury, teeth bared and muscles taut. "NO! It is HIM who shall pay for the agony I've suffered! HIM I shall destroy! HIM I shall revenge!! Death to the Mobians! Death to the Freedom Fighters! DEATH TO SONIC!!!"

Satisfied with the fuming rage he had moved her into, Robotnik grinned and turned back toward the great window before them."You're a cunning, vicious fighter when it comes to vengence, Nihara. I like that."

Nihara stood panting, still consumed by rage as she thought of revenge against the blue one -- the cause behind all her troubles. She had been so blinded by wrath that she didn't even hear Robotnik's compliment. She reached behind her back and drew one of her swords out of its sheath, smoothing the razor-edged tip, dark images appearing within her vision.

Robotnik glanced back at her, and smirked, pleased at her ferocity. "But a warrior such as yourself should be able to handle a merciless creature such as the Hedgehog. Are you not worthy of this jo--"

"I AM!" Nihara cried heatedly, trembling. "I will not fail you again, my Lord! I will not let him win again! He shall get his just reward, and I will gloat in victory when his blood stains the blade of my sword!!" Suddenly mindless with all the built-up animosity inside her, Nihara whirled around in a streak of dark violent, grasped her sword tight, drew it behind her back, and slashing it hard across the wall of the ship, creating a long, violent slice almost all the way to the window. Just as it had during the scene of the avalanche, Nihara's sword created a high-pitched cling when it hit the wall, and the frightful sound echoed throughout the dark depths of the ship until it finally faded into an eerie silence.

Only then did Robotnik speak. "Good. Very good Nihara. You have the lust to destroy, and that's why I hired you. Now, patch up that hole in the wall."

Nihara looked up at Robotnik, puzzled. "Sir?"

"You have fury, yes. And you're a great fighter. But losing that first fight and keeping it from me earns you this punishment. I don't expect anymore failure from you, Nihara. We've a mission on our hands to eliminate the Freedom Fighters before they can immobilize my plans. I won't tolerate any mishaps." With that, the tyrant turned his back on her and stared down at the planet he desired to control so much.

Nihara hesitated, watching her master for a few seconds, never once lifting her lowered ears. Finally, she turned away, angry and confused at the fact that she was being punished. She knew it might have come, but didn't expect it to after such a display she had given Robotnik. But that had been no mock-fury. Hatred and distain were powerful in her heart, and she really did intend to make Sonic and his kind pay. However, there was a tiny flicker of emotion that came to life in the warrior's heart... something that rose from a lesser-known part of Nihara. It reminded her of how Sonic fearlessly faced her swords to save Vren, and how he braved the roaring torrents of the avalanche for his friends. Those were all qualities that she had never seen a Mobian do... Or that she had been told they would do.

These conflicting emotions in Nihara's heart created a sense of confusion as she headed toward one of the storage rooms on the great ship of the Doomsday Fleet. She despised Sonic and the Mobians with all her heart, yet why did she notice his demonstrations of loyalty, courage and spirit? And why did she suddenly feel so small beside Robotnik, who had offered her not only a sheltering job but a chance at total revenge? Why was it she took this punishment so hard?

Sighing, Nihara looked down at her sword as she pushed the door of the storage room open with its tip. It gleamed in the bright light that illuminated the dreary darkness of the room, brilliant streaks of flaming light racing from one tip of the sword to the other as Nihara moved it around, ending at the sharp tip in a fiery flash. Suddenly, without warning, Nihara remembered Sonic's eyes, and how they, like the sword, flickered and flamed with such a vibrant light when facing danger. Sparking with dazzling streaks, those emerald orbs changed in the light just like the sword, reflecting it easily and expressing so much with so little a change.

Suddenly Nihara snarled and tightened her grip on the sword, slashing it through the thin air to rid herself of the images in her head. "Well, even if you are brave and clever in combat, Sonic, you are still the one I aim my sword at. I wouldn't care whether you were different than other Mobians or not... You are still the one to blame..." She paused, running her fingertip across the sword's blade as she loved to do, black eyes burning malevolently. "And I will never forgive."

---

Chapter 11

Stardust

Sonic paced boredly in the deep snow near the camp, hating the bitter cold. Last night it had dropped almost sixty degrees below zero... faster than he had ever seen temperature drop. One thing's for sure, he said to himself as he shuffled his feet through a snowdrift. If the weather keeps going the way it is, we'll be in for an ice age. He took a step forward and sunk a little in the snowdrift. He leaped out of the frozen powder to escape its cold touch, but was careful to keep quiet. Some of the others weren't quite awake yet. As for himself, he hadn't slept at all again. Too many times during the night he opened his eyes and found himself staring into the pitch black skies, almost as if expecting something to come. He didn't know what it was, but when he did manage to close his eyes and doze, it'd cause him to stir fitfully until he awoke again. But Sonic had gone longer without sleep, and just a few days without any wouldn't harm him. It would take much longer than that before any signs of tiredness showed.

A gust of wind blew, and Sonic pulled the jacket around his shoulders closer. He had grown tired of the cold and finally decided it best to protect himself from it, especially when conditions were worsening. Normally cold didn't bother him, but these freezing temperatures made him numb inside, slowing him down, and he hated it. The air was also denser because of the cold, which made it more difficult to break supersonic speed. Suddenly, to warm himself up and rid himself of that ever-annoying boredom, he revved his legs up until they whirled wildly beneath him with furious energy. He dashed a few feet and then slid to a halt again, not wanting to disturb the sleeping Freedom Fighters. But he had succeeded in getting his circulation flowing quickly enough to cease the numbness in his legs. Sighing, he resumed pacing, his breath coming in puffs of white mist.

Abrutply an ear swiveled to the east, and he turned as if expecting to see something, just like he had last night. But again he saw nothing -- nothing but the watery yellow sunrise behind smooth gray clouds. Puzzled, he stood still a second, ears pricked and brows furrowed. His sixth sense was telling him something, yet he didn't know what. Uneasily he stomped a foot in the snow. He hated it when he knew something was up but couldn't tell what. He stood for a second longer, and then turned away, all senses alert. He was debating on whether to awaken the others and let them know he was worried about something. It was when he was just starting to walk toward him that a sudden sound came from behind... a quick rushing! Fiercely Sonic spun around in a blue blur, prepared to face the danger, teeth bared and ears pinned! He nearly lunged to attack before he realized that the source of the sound was only Vren's wings as the demon landed not too far ahead of him. Seeing his ally, Sonic skidden hard on his heels and sighed with relief. He had nearbly forgotten that Vren flew off to hunt in the lower forests, since the food that the Freedom Fighters provided didn't meet the requirements of his massive appetite.

"By the stars, Sonic. You looked like you were about to attack me," Vren called to him.

Sonic lowered his ears in apology and walked toward him. "Yeah, I'm sorry. Somethin's got me all uptight again."

"You mean you sense something too?" Vren asked, cocking his head.

Sonic glanced up at him. "Yeah... Something, but I have no idea what. You do too?"

"Yes..." Warily the great white demon looked around. "Something else may happen today... We'd better wake the others..."

Sonic nodded. "I was just about to do that. C'mon."

It was when Sonic had turned to walk back to the camp when something in the skies suddenly caught Vren's eye. "Hey, Sonic, look..." The demon pointed his muzzle straight up to the sky above the camp. Sonic followed his gestures, and gasped at what he saw. Streaks of white light were flashing across the pinked heavens, seeming to fall down toward Mobius like drops of rain. At first only a few could be seen, but then their numbers increased rapidly. Soon the entire sky was flecked by the mysterious falling streaks, and Sonic felt his uneasiness return.

"A meteor shower," he said lowly.

Vren seemed mesmerized by the flying stars. He stared at them, mouth agape, scarcely breathing. "I-I'm feeling... strange..."

Suddenly the demon walked forward, climbing higher on the peak.

"Vren, where ya goin'?" asked Sonic, following the demon. "Vren?"

But his friend didn't answer. He was in a trance-like state as he gawked at the meteor shower, seeming to be oblivious to the world around him. Bewildered, Sonic continued to follow him until he was led to the very top of the mountain. "Yo, Vren," he persisted. "What's up?"

Vren abrutply staggered aside, a wave of dizziness falling over him.

"Whoa!" Sonic shouted, trying to catch the demon before he fell on top of him. "Vren, what's the matter with you?!"

"Everything's... spinning..." Vren murmured, swaying on his feet as Sonic pushed him upright.

Now Sonic was completely baffled. Vren had suddenly become delirious with the coming of the meteor shower, but he couldn't figure out why. Suddenly a strange feeling swept over him too... and with it came a strange smell that was unknown to him. He suddenly felt lightheaded and a little disoriented. Quickly he shook his head to remedy the peculiar sensations. What was going on? He inhaled the air deeply, experimenting. The unknown smell was there again, and upon breathing it, the dizziness returned as well as a potent feeling of drowsiness. Again he shook his head to get rid of the affects. There was some kind of gas in the air... and whatever it was it had a very strong affect on Vren, for now the demon was on his side, his head wavering awkwardly on his neck as vertigo and double-vision came to him. Sonic had to awaken the others... now.

Putting his fingers to his mouth, he let out a shrill whistle to alert the Freedom Fighters below. Then he turned back to Vren. "Vren, can you hear me? Vren?" He shook the great white shoulders.

But Vren was completely intoxicated. He muttered incoherent sounds, his eyes glazed and his movements confused. "Wh-Where am I?" he whispered in a sleepy tone.

"Vren, are you with me, bud?" Sonic tried all he could to snap the demon out of it, but it was no use. Vren's double-vision grew worse, the images blurring and multiplying. And then he began to hallucinate, seeing strange objects and symbols before his eyes. His head was spinning, and his ears rang loudly. And slowly his eyes began to droop, a powerful fatigue falling over him.

Sonic clenched his teeth, unsure of what was going on and how to fight it. This must have been one of the meteor showers that caused some creatures to experience symptoms such as dizziness and madness Vren had told him about...

"Sonic?"

He turned quickly as he heard the voice from behind. There was Jessica, who had heard his urgent whistle clearly.

"Sonic, what's wrong?"

"Something's up with Vren," answered Sonic, fighting off the lightheadedness in his head. "He's delirious, Jess. There's something in the air... a weird sort of gas or somethin'. I think it's coming from this meteor shower..."

The girl gazed up at the skies, gasping at the sight of the falling stars. The unfamiliar smell reached her nose too, and the dizziness came to her too. "Sonic, what'll we do?"

"Get the others for me, Jess, and quick," Sonic answered, kneeling down beside the demon. "I don't know what'll happen to him, but he's losing it fast."

Jessica nodded and hurried down the mountain toward the camp. She coughed as the smell in the air became stronger. She had never smelled anything like it before in her life. It was a strange scent... warm, rank and dangerous... All one had to do was to inhale it to know that it was hazardous, despite the fact that it relaxed the heartbeat and the mind. As she descended toward the camp, she nearly stumbled from her giddiness. Luckily she had been able to save herself from falling by catching an outcropping of rock, and jumped down toward the others.

"Everyone," she shouted urgently. "Wake up! Something's happening!"

Sally had been awakened by Sonic's whistle and was now trying to wake the others as well. "What's going on, Jessica?"

"Something's happened to Vren," she panted. "There's a meteor shower up there and we think it's releasing some sort of gas... It's making Vren delirious!"

Sally prodded some of other Freedom Fighters until they were awake, and then grabbed Nicole. "Nicole, can you identify this gas?"

The small computer whirred and beeped as Jessica awoke Kimberly and Natalie, telling them all that was happening.

Up on the summit, Vren's head suddenly dropped, and the demon was fast asleep. Sonic shouted in his ear and shook him, but nothing could stop the gas's work. It worked like anesthesia, putting its victims into a deep slumber. Sonic took up the demon's massive paw, checking Vren's pulse. It was slow... This worried Sonic even more. "Nicole," he shouted impatiently. "Get the ol' data out!"

Finally the computer gave Sally its analysis of the gas. "Gas indentification unknown. Carbon dioxide detected..."

After hearing Nicole say what other dangerous elements were detected in the gas, Sally shouted to the others, "There's carbon dioxide in this gas! Whatever you do, don't let it put you to sleep!"

"Vren's already down, Sal!" Sonic yelled, his heart racing. It could already be too late to save the demon...

"We have to get him out of here as fast as possible," came Sally's answer as she read Nicole's screen. "Nicole says overexposure can prove fatal, but that if we get out of it quick enough that we may have a chance!"

"Dulce, get up here and take Vren," Sonic ordered, leaping from the summit to the camp. "Everyone else, let's high-tail it outta here now!"

Suddenly from overhead a figure somersaulted into view, landing just ahead of the frightened Freedom Fighters. It was Nihara, and she was wearing a mask to protect herself from the gas! "Hi all!" she smirked. "How do you like this stardust gas? Pretty effective stuff, isn't it?"

"Out of our way," Sonic demanded, not wasting any time to face off with his new enemy. "We've gotta get Vren and the others out of here!"

"That's fine," Nihara said coolly, pulling her sword out of its sheath. "They can go, but you..." her voice became fierce, her eyes cold. "You're mine!"

Sonic clenched his teeth and turned to the others. "Go on! Get out of here as fast as possible! I'll take care of her!"

Jessica didn't like the idea of leaving Sonic behind at all, but before she could react, she was being herded along with the others as they fled down the mountainside, away from the lethal "stardust." Sonic shook some dizziness out of his head as he glared toward Nihara. "You just don't give up, do you?"

Nihara twirled the sword skillfully as she began to circle him. "I never quit when it comes to a mission, Sonic. And I have a mission! You will pay!" Fiercely she swept the sword straight for Sonic.

Quickly he jumped away, facing her in bewilderment. "Pay for what?"

Nihara rounded on him again, this time coming dangerously close with the deadly silver blade. "Don't play stupid with me! Pay for the pain and suffering you caused me!"

Sonic dashed away from her, slowly leading her away from the trail the others had taken. "What are you talkin' about?"

Nihara spun the sword high over her head and slashed. Sonic ducked and the blade missed him only by inches. Instead of answering him, she doggedly attacked him now that she had him alone, without any backup or help. Sonic bolted away, leading her farther and father from his friends. Soon they were down in the forests at the base of the mountain, Nihara slicing through everything in her way to reach Sonic.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Sonic told her, ducking and dodging her sword. "But I've done nothing to you!"

"That's where you're wrong, you filthy Mobian!" She lunged, this time pointing her sword rather than slashing with it. Sonic spun away and the blade bore right into the truck of a tree.

"You're crazy," Sonic growled, a very dangerous look in his eyes. "What is it that I've done to harm you?"

Nihara pulled her sword from the tree, and repeated the attack, only to miss again when Sonic moved. "It doesn't matter what you have done right now... what matters is that you have done it! HOLD STILL!" Screaming in fury, she slashed and charged at Sonic wildly, her eyes glazed in their horrific hatred, driven mad in her desire to destroy him. Suddenly, when she was blindly lashing out at everything her path, he foot caught on an upturned root and she tripped, falling heavily to the ground.

Slowly Sonic approached, wanting to help more than to fight. "My friends and I have never done anything to hurt you," she said lowly. "I don't know where you're getting all this from, but Freedom Fighters fight to stop oppression, not to commit it. As for myself, I only fight when I have to. I'll give you one last chance to just back off and leave me and my friends alone..." Once more he offered his hand to help her to her feet, his eyes still glaring but promising sincerity.

Nihara trembled now that he was so close, a murderous glint flashing in her eyes. All it would take was one deadly stroke of the sword to carry out her revenge... And he was so very close! Her breath coming in ragged hisses, she clutched her sword tighter, slowly gathering all the speed, strength and skill she possessed. She would have to be quick, and her movements would have to be precise. For a fleeting moment her heart heard the truth in Sonic's voice, but it was quickly drowned out by ruthless hate! Suddenly, like a cat pouncing on its prey, Nihara sprung up from the snow-covered ground, snarling, rapidly slashing her sword back and forth! Quickly Sonic jumped backwards to avoid the blade, but in all Nihara's rage, it finally grazed him right across the shoulder! Only then did she cease her attack.

Sonic winced and glared down at his shoulder, examining the wound. It was minor, nothing more than a long slice that would bleed later, but not deadly. Furiously he leered back at the demented creature before him. She had attacked him despite the fact that he had given her another chance, and that enraged him. It was one thing to fight with honor and nobility, and to accept an opponent's help when it was offered, and another to fight without virtue. Enough was enough... He had given her too many chances!

Nihara gloried in the fact that she had finally made contact, however minor it was. And if she could do that, then she could cause far more deadly wounds! Her confidence and hate at their utmost, Nihara lunged for Sonic again, laughing wickedly.

But Sonic was far from being daunted by this maniacal she-warrior. And his fury was not to be denied! As the blade came perilously close to him again, he snatched in his hand as he had done before, and with a crafty spin, whirled around and wrenched it free of Nihara's hand, tossing her to the ground. Nihara growled and shook her head, moving to jump back to her feet and retriever her weapon, but this time Sonic did not release the sword... this time she found the sharp tip pointed directly at her. At that moment she froze in her place, seized by fear. She was trapped now, and Sonic was far too fast for her to escape... there was only one way out of this situation now...

Sonic looked down hard at her, his eyes fraught with pain, not from his wound, but from something inside of him. He despised even holding the sword as he did now, with its blade pointed threateningly at Nihara. Every part of him was against it, and he trembled in his regret. But this had to be done... "I want you to just leave the Freedom Fighters alone from now on, understand? I don't care what you say -- they've never done a thing to you, and neither have I."

"Do it then," Nihara said coldly, angered, almost sad eyes glaring up at him. "Be just like all the others... At least then I could be with the ones I love again..."

Sonic gripped the sword tighter, and Nihara closed her eyes, brave in the face of death, but still quaking with fear and a strange sort of disappointment inside. She could already feel the blade breaking her flesh, and her body went numb, a peculiar lightness coming over her and she prepared for what was to come.

There was a muffled cling of the sword as it hit the snow, and startled, Nihara opened her eyes. There was the sword, planted blade-first in the snow beside her. Quizzically she gazed up at Sonic as he turned away, disgusted with himself for causing such fear in someone.

Slowly, his voice somewhat choked, he said, "Unlike you, I don't take the lives of those who cause me pain... Just get back to your master and leave my friends alone... I only hope this can teach you something..." With that, he bolted off into the woods to find the Freedom Fighters, never once looking back at her.

Nihara sat motionless for a long while, looking at the sword. A wave of lightheadedness came to her, and she didn't know whether it was because her gas mask was damaged, and the deadly stardust was leaking in, or becaue of the conflicting emotions in her head. Sonic had spared her life, despite the fact that she had attacked him. According to Robotnik, that was not something he would do... Sighing, she finally pulled the sword free of the snow and stared down at it. Was this really the right path to take, or was everything she had been told of her past wrong? Confused, Nihara slowly rose to her feet, sliding the sword back into its sheath. Perhaps it was best if she didn't tell Robotnik the outcome of this fight...

---

Chapter 12

The Final Power

"Is he gonna be all right, Sal?" Sonic paced nervously outside the camp hidden within the forests as the Freedom Fighters tended to Vren.

"He's just coming out of it now," answered Sally. "Luckily it's easy to clean this stuff out of the body if found quickly enough. What did you say Nihara called it again?"

"Stardust," replied Sonic. "No one else is hurt, right?"

"No, at the most we've just suffered a little dizziness and disorientation."

Sonic sighed. "I'm just glad we got out of there fast. But how do we know that this stardust won't spread all over the planet?"

Sally was now looking at Nicole's screen again, her eyes grave. "I don't know, Sonic... It doesn't look good. According to Nicole, several other parts of Mobius have received meteor showers such as this one. And in the rest of the universe, we've got stranger phenomenons happening..."

Eyes full of dread, Sonic gazed at the computer screen as well, listening intently.

"There's been several supernovas, cases where suns have miraculously swelled in size until they exploded. These don't normally happen for billions of years. But if we get one close to us, it could easily destroy the entire planet."

Sonic swallowed hard.

"And then we've got massive black holes that have come out of nowhere, engulfing entire solar systems... sometimes even whole galaxies! But the strangest I've seen of all is this..." she pressed a button on Nicole, bringing up a rough map of the universe. "See how all the stars are coming in at one point, like they're all being sucked into something?"

"Yeah,"

"Well, normally all bodies of the universe are expanding constantly. Some unseen force is drawing them all in together, and the effects of that could be catastrophic!"

"What could it do?"

"There's no way to tell for sure, but once everything came so close together, I could easily predict dramatic changes in gravity, the planets' field of magnetisms, and other bizarre disasters that I'm unable to describe. When the planets were slowly expanding outward, they all exerted perfect gravity on each other, but if they get too close, that could be severely disrupted. And who knows what effects that could have on a life-supporting planet such as Mobius?"

Sonic dropped his gaze for a moment, and then peered up at the sky. It was late noon now, but it hardly looked like it. The skies were blocked out by the ash, carbon dioxide and various other gases released by the volcanic activity nearby. Nothing but eerie gray, black, and blood red clouds soared above the planet, and Sonic had never seen such peril written all over the sky before. "Doesn't Robuttnik realize that this dumb little scheme of his could even get him killed?"

"It very well could," said Sally. "I don't know how he's doing it, but he thinks if he uses this power to threaten all other planets out there, they will have no choice to submit to him."

Sonic snorted in disgust. "Stupid... So what can we do?"

"Well, the best thing we can do is get up in outer space and see just what he's using to pull this off. I know he said the Chaos Emeralds and the Power Stones, but I doubt even those two awesomely powerful forces combined together could do such a thing as this."

"It's possible," Uncle Chuck said as he passed by.

Curiously the two Freedom Fighter leaders peered up at him.

"Legend has it that the Chaos Emeralds have an ultimate 'Final Power' as some call it. It's a power that is summoned from the very core of the emeralds, and it swells until almost every bit of the energy inside is gathered. It is said that the Final Power is the very greatest feat the Chaos Emeralds can accomplish. But no one has ever seen it, for it is supposably impossible to achieve. It would take incredible strength to harness all that furious power."

Sonic and Sally gawked at him in amazement.

"Then do you think that's what Robotnik could be trying to do? Unleash the Final Power?" asked Sally.

"He could be," nodded the older Freedom Fighter. "The condensing of the universe could be a sign of the charging power!"

"But what about the Power Stones?" questioned Sonic. "And he said he had other power sources? Where they come in?"

"Probably to empower the Final Power. As well as help create the universal disasters. They could also be used to fuel Robotnik's Doomsday Fleet. You saw how huge it was. Those enormous cannons need great amounts of fuel, and the Power Stones are perfect for them."

"Is there any way to stop this Final Power once it starts charging?" Sally inquired.

"No one knows," said Uncle Chuck, shrugging his shoulders. "Like I said, it's only a legend. But Robotnik may be trying to see just how true it is. And it looks to me like it's true all right."

Sonic pawed the snow beneath his feet, thinking. "We've gotta get to the Doomsday Fleet then. If they're the Chaos Emeralds, I can stop them. That's been proven."

"But what if he's turned the emeralds evil again?" asked the Princess.

"Then I'll fight 'em just like I did last time. They can be conquered one way or another."

"We can't fight this alone, though..." Sally said, mostly to herself. "We'll need all the help we can get. The Doomsday Fleet will be swarming with security and massive weapons."

"Looks like it's time to call upon the allies again," said Sonic. "And I say we do it now. If this Final Power thing is real, then we could be in for it."

"Especially since we don't know just what'll happen," added Chuck. "If Robotnik combines the charging Chaos Emeralds and his other power sources, they could become dangerously unstable and go off before anyone has a chance to control them."

"Then let's move," Sonic ordered, eyes narrowed with their flaming determination. "Contact the other Freedom Fighter groups, and let's figure out a way to get to the Doomsday Fleet. We have no time to waste."

Sally and Uncle Chuck nodded, and immediately went to work. Sonic turned to see how Vren was doing. He found the demon lying near a campfire, seeming to be fully alert now. When he noticed Sonic approaching, he lifted his great white muzzle off of his paws.

"How ya doin' Vren?" Sonic asked, a weak smile on his face.

"Much better," replied the demon tiredly. "I'm still a little faint in the head, but I don't know what happened back there."

"Sal said you were probably more sensitive to that stardust gas in the air because you had a different metabolism."

"Stardust..." Vren repeated. "I think that was the same substance that plagued my planet then, and caused the other creatures to suffer strange symptoms."

"It must have been," answered Sonic.

"And what of Nihara? I heard one of the others saying that she appeared again."

Sonic was about to answer when the three girls walked up.

"Hi Sonic," greeted Jessica. "Is Vren better?"

"See for yourself," Sonic smiled.

The looked to see the demon as he moved to sit upright, assuring them that he was his regular self again. "I've never felt better!"

"That's great," grinned Kimberly. "For a while we were afraid we'd lose you, Vren."

"Why does everyone always forget my immortality?" Vren muttered, rolling on his back and yawning.

Sonic snickered at their enormous white friend and returned his gaze to the girls. "Where you ladies been all day? I haven't seen you around as much as I normally do."

"We've been tracking down Jessica," Natalie retored. "She keeps wandering off for some reason. She says she's missed you a lot. I think she like--ow!"

Natalie was suddenly interrupted when Jessica jabbed her with an elbow, her cheeks full of color.

"What?" asked Nat. "I wasn't gonna say nothin'!"

"Shhh!" Jessica whispered harshly.

Sonic cocked his head slightly, smirking. "What's gotten into you, Jess?"

"Nothing," she answered quickly, still blushing. "I... uh...was just telling these guys that I was worried about you when you stayed behind... that's all..."

"You said more than that," Natalie added.

Jessica gave her a pleading look, teeth clenched.

"Soooorry," grumbled Nat.

Sonic just stared at Jessica, studying her face. Lately she had begun acting strangely too, and he wondered if this Final Power was affecting her in some way as well. "I was all right," he said after a while. "I was just telling Vren that I had another spar with Nihara... and unfortunately we both took a lesson the hard way."

"What do you mean?" asked Jessica.

Sonic shuffled his feet in the snow, still upset with himself for having to teach Nihara the lesson he did. "When she was down, I offered her help. She nicked me right on the shoulder instead. And when she tried it again, I had no choice but to take that sword away from her and give her a good scare... Something I didn't really enjoy."

Jessica's eyes suddenly ignited into fire. "She hurt you?"

"Just a nick," Sonic answered. "That's all. You can hardly even see it."

The girl watch him for a moment, once again reading his expressions and actions accurately. She could easily detect the regret he felt, and she clenched a fist at her side. This Nihara was really beginning to get on her nerves... But now that she had caused Sonic pain, a strong fury came to her. Why was Nihara so bent on Sonic's destruction anyway?

Sonic glanced back at Jessica, noticing the burning light in her gaze. "What's up, Jess?"

"Nothing," she sighed. Quietly she went to sit by the fire with Vren, hoping Sonic would too.

But Sonic sensed her anger, and didn't quite understand where it came from or why it was there. Questioningly he looked at Natalie and Kimberly, who just shrugged back at him. They were as puzzled as he was. Was she angry at him for some reason? She did seem to be more aloof and quiet than he had ever seen her. Well, whatever the reason, when someone was angry, it was best to leave them alone. Perhaps that all Jessica wanted now was to left alone. Sighing, Sonic turned away. "OK, I'm gonna go see if I can help Sal or Uncle Chuck. They're trying to contact the other Freedom Fighters and find a way to reach the Doomsday Fleet. Unc says Robotnik could be trying to unleash some kind of legendary force of the Chaos Emeralds called the Final Power."

"What's that?" Kimberly asked curiously.

"Sal and Chuck would be glad to explain it to ya," Sonic answered, turning back toward the camp. "They'd probably to a better job that I would anyway."

Their curiosity aroused, Natalie and Kimberly followed Sonic. Normally they would have asked Jessica if she would come too, but they felt the same way Sonic did -- that she just wanted to be left alone.

Startled when there was suddenly no one around except Vren, Jessica looked up to find the one she wanted to be near the most walking away. Sadly she dropped her head onto her knees. Why was he leaving? Usually if he sensed that there was something wrong, he would try to help. Was it because she had made her feelings for him too obvious, and that it drove him away from her? Like Sonic, she just didn't understand.

"A war going on inside?" Vren asked suddenly.

Jessica gazed up at him, her eyes a little teary. "I guess you could say that..." She eyed him cautiously. "I'm not trying to be anti-social or anything by going off like I do and being quiet... I just have a lot on my mind... And I don't always... f-feel comfortable about expressing it to others..."

Vren, still on his back, watched the girl for a moment, and smiled. He knew. "Perhaps it'll only be a matter of time before you can express this war within you."

Jessica watched him, a little uneasy. "I don't know about that. It's not as easy as you may think it will be, nor will it be fair in the end... since I already know the outcome..." She hid her eyes again, burying her head in her arms.

"All's fair in love and war," Vren chuckled, gazing up at the skies as the evening darkened the already dismal clouds.

Jessica stared at him for a long while, trying to understand him. He seemed to know just what he was talking about...

"Dont worry," he said, looking back at her. "It'll come in time, friend. No war can last forever, especially when stronger forces are at work." With that the great white demon king layed his head on his forepaws and dozed off. Jessica watched him quizzically until the skies were black above her. Yes, it would come in time... But how soon? Jess suddenly had an urge to go find Sonic. It came out of no where, as it often did, and it was a need rather than a want. She would try to hold back her secret as best she could, but she needed his company now. Perhaps it would help to talk to him. It had always proved successful in the past. Silently she pulled herself to her feet and wandered off into the camp, searching for the one she cared about so much.

---

Chapter 13

Nihara's Ultimatum

Robotnik's eyes glittered in their excitement as he watched the monitor before him on the Doomsday Fleet's main ship. "Get him, Nihara! You've hit him once, do it again!" There, on the screen, was the battle between Sonic and Nihara that had occurred just hours before. The dark tyrant had just witnessed the moment when Sonic had offered Nihara his help, and she had slashed the sword across his shoulder. Now he wasn't so disappointed in the warrior he had hired to eliminate the Freedom Fighters. Now, he watched the monitor intently, a dark longing set deep within those cruel eyes. Impatiently he clenched his fist as he continued to watch. "Get him, Nihara! Get him!"

He saw Nihara begin to go on her slashing rampage to finish the job, swinging her sword left and right. Seeing the surprise in Sonic's eyes only served to delight Robotnik more. Wickedly he chuckled. "Weren't expecting that, were you Hedgehog?"

Outside the dreary skies looked wounded and bruised, patched with deep shades of black, violet, blood red and gray. The Doomsday Fleet was flying lower to receive better reception from the cameras they had down on Mobius, and to find Nihara again. As the great air ship flew alongside a towering cumulonimbus cloud, a fork of lighting scratched its way across the wounded heavens, and a roar of thunder seemed to add emphasis to the living, breathing hatred Robotnik felt in his heart for Sonic.

The jagged veins of lightning reflecting in Robotnik's black eyes as he leaned closer to the screen. Nihara seemed to have Sonic now! She was so very close... "That's it, Nihara! Do it! Do it now!" He trembled, waiting for what he desired so much to see flash across the screen before him. But it never came. Instead, he saw Sonic grab Nihara's sword and wrench it away from her, tossing her to the ground and clasping the deadly weapon in his hand. Robotnik slammed a fist hard on the control panel. "NO!"

The roar of thunder became a sudden clap as Robotnik shouted, and lightning just barely missed the ship's nose by inches, or so it seemed. Fuming with rage, Robotnik paced before the sceen, gritting his teeth. Reluctantly he watched the rest of the scene, where Sonic spoke to Nihara with the blade dangerously close to her neck. When he threw the sword down, Robotnik expected Nihara to take back the weapon and chase after Sonic now that his back was turned. It was all too easy! But instead, and much to his dismay, Nihara just let him go, taking her sword slowly, as if she was unsure of what to do.

Robotnik narrowed his eyes until they were nothing more than slits. Furiously he clenched his fist, curling his lips into a snarl. "Nihara... You've got a lot of explaining to do..."

Now Nihara stood upon the bare peak again, waving her sword in the air to catch the air ship's attention. Robotnik went to his hover unit in the rear of the massive ship and carefully directed it outside, despite the raging fury that made his hands tremble so. Never once taking his glaring eyes off Nihara, he landed the hover unit on the peak, and the pod bey doors slid open.

Quietly Nihara stepped onto the ship. There was fear evident in her eyes, and her ears were low again. All she had to do was remain silent and tell her master that she hadn't found the Freedom Fighters... That's all. She was completely unaware that Robotnik had placed a hidden camera on the cloak she wore around her shoulders...

"Come here, Nihara," a deep, ominous voice hissed from within the darkness of the ship.

Hearing it, Nihara flinched. The door closed behind her, and slowly, fearfully, she lifted her head to face Robotnik. There would be no escape now... He knew... "M-My Lord, please, l-let me explain--"

"Come... here..." Robotnik growled.

Nihara shivered, cautiously taking a step forward. She could hardly see Robotnik, for it was very near pitch black inside the ship. All she could see were those leering red orbs that were his eyes... Suddenly there was a hard blow from the left that threw her nearly head-over-heels to the floor! Startled, Nihara cried out in pain as she hit the hard floor, nearly knocked senseless. Robotnik loomed over her, cruelty still flickering in his gaze. Groaning, Nihara slowly picked herself up again until she sat upright, afraid that if she climbed to her feet that there would be another painful blow. Now stricken with terror, she watched Robotnik, shaking violently.

"Now... tell me, Nihara. When the Hedgehog pulled his clever move on you and took the sword, why did you let him go? WHY?! He turned his back on you, and he even gave you your sword back! You had the chance! Why didn't you finish it?!"

Nihara shuddered from his bellowing voice. "S-Sir he... he spared me my life..."

"What?!" Robotnik roared.

"When he had t-the sword... he-he didn't take my life as he should have... He let me live... And, despite the fierce warrior that I am... a-and have been trained to be, my heart knows better than to kill someone who let you live...." She swallowed hard, dreading Robotnik's reaction to such a statement.

Suddenly there was a rough hand around her neck, and Robotnik's eyes were piercing straight into hers. "But you attacked him when he tried to help you before!"

Nihara's eyes were wide with fear... She had never expected Robotnik to get this angry with her... After all, he had promised her equality as long as she did her job... But this didn't seem to be the same person she had agreed to work with... "I thought before it was nothing but a merciless act... a way of gloating over a fallen e-enemy... but this time he spared my life... I couldn't kill anyone after they did such a thing..."

"It doesn't matter! He's one of them!"

"They aren't suppose to have mercy in battle... but he did... I don't know, my Lord... I still hate him for what his kind has done... b-but you told me that he was cruel and merciless in battle... that he would never spare an enemy's life..."

Robotnik glared deeply at her, his fury mounting. "So... you'll forgive him for the death of your family because of this?"

Nihara dropped her head, sobbing when he mentioned this. "But I was told long ago that when an opponent fights with virtue, you give it back to them in return..."

"I don't care what you were told!" Robotnik spat. "He is our target, and it is he who you will destroy! Do you want to end up back on the outskirts of the old territory? Alone?"

"Oh please!" Nihara pleaded, tears streaming down her tan cheeks. "I have no where to go out there! And it brings back far too many memories! Don't leave me there to be haunted by the past! I can't go through that again! I beg of you!"

"Then I suggest you get serious and destroy him once and for all!" came Robotnik's cold reply, as he jerked his hand away from her.

Nihara fell to the ground again, but kept herself sitting upright, still shaking. "Forgive me, my Lord... I did not mean to make you angry... Please, let us continue to be equals in this mission..."

Robotnik rounded on her again, his cape swishing about his form with a hiss. "Equals?! No one ever said anything about us being equals in this job. You are my servant, you do as I say, and that's that."

Nihara gawked at him. "B-But you promised--"

"Rule number one of being the fierce warrior you are: never trust anyone. Especially me. Either you do what I have ordered you to and destroy the Hedgehog, or I send you back to the nightmare land from which you came. Or would you rather have me roboticize you for your disobedience?"

A cold chill of horror gripped Nihara's heart at the mention of the roboticizor... the deadliest and the most feared of all Robotnik's machines! In one agonizing process, living tissue was converted to metal by the horrid creation. Nihara had seen it only once, when Robotnik was demonstrating to her what would happen to any Mobian who stood in their way. He had captured some unfortunate Mobian in the forests, and the ruthless powers of the roboticizor took him in the end... It had been a scene Nihara had not enjoyed -- as a matter of fact, it still lay imprinted in her heart and in her mind, for never had she witnessed such indescribable horror. She would never admit to Robotnik how much the roboticizor had frightened her then, but it terrified her down to her soul. "No, my Lord!" she cried. "Please forgive me! Not the roboticizor!"

"Then get out there and find the Hedgehog again. See to it that he is finished! I don't care what you have to do. Just kill him!"

"Not even a rest sir? It's well below freezing and I can't wear this gas mask forever... Breathing can get difficult in it and--"

"NOW!!" Robotnik's voice boomed so loudly that it even drowned out the raging thunder overhead. Nihara cringed, and hurriedly leapt out the doors of the hover unit. Before she could even get a last word out to Robotnik the ship was lifting off and flying away, back to the Doomsday Fleet waiting overhead.

Nihara kicked the snow up angrily, torn inside. "What do I do?" she wept, rubbing her eyes. "I was so sure Robotnik was right in everything he told me... But he has no honor or trust in him... Everything is about him... He cares nothing for me... What have you done to yourself, Nihara? What have you done?" Sorrowfully she dropped down to the snow, her head buried within her arms. Quite honestly she was very confused inside. She had believed Robotnik to be her partner, but it was obvious that she had been ripped off on that deal. And what about Sonic? He had let her live, and the honor that she had in her heart -- however smothered by hate it was -- held her against destroying him. But if she didn't, great punishments awaited her! Just thinking of going back to the haunted land where the Great War took place, the legendary war between the Overlanders and the Mobians, the very place where all her troubles began, made her quake inside. "No!" she said suddenly, climbing to her feet. "I won't go back there ever again! I won't die on the same soil where my family has! I can't take the pain of missing them again! Revenge! Revenge!" Quickly the she-warrior rushed out into the woods, more possessed by fear than hatred now. There was only one way out of her confusion now... and he was nearby, merely a mile off in the snowy forests, looking out into the storm...

---

Chapter 14

Love & War

Sonic gazed out into the dreary darkness of the coming night, the lightning throwing eerie shadows all over the forest. His eyes were fixed on the clouds overhead that seemed to be swelling and bubbling as the fierce thunder intensified. It was one of the strangest weather phenomenons he had ever seen, for the clouds were stained in shades of indigo, violet and red, as if this growing Final Power -- if that's what was causing the trouble -- was wounding them. Sonic glanced down into the babbling waters of the tiny creek before him. Lots of strange things were happening thanks for Robotnik. He and Vren seemed to almost always be on the edge, looking out for danger. The weather was doing things he had never seen it do, with the meteor shower releasing the strange stardust and the frequent volcanic eruptions, and this ever-dropping temperature. Just thinking about it made him shiver, despite the coat he was wearing. And then there was Jessica acting peculiar... Was that something caused by the Final Power? Or was it just something he didn't quite understand?

Suddenly something caught his attention toward the mountains to his left... he thought he saw something hover down from the skies. Curiously his keen eyes scanned the mountains, but he found nothing, and relaxed. "I think talkin' to Sal and Unc's got you a little jumpy there, Hedgehog," he said quietly to himself. He had spent the last hour or so discussing the Final Power, the Doomsday Fleet and all the other problems at hand with Sally and his uncle. Such talk of the possibility of total universal devastation didn't exactly lift his spirits, so he had gone out into the forest when it was all done, hoping what was left of Mobius's beauty would rid him of such thoughts. But Mobius seemed to be suffering, for the stormy skies above made the land below look leaden and lifeless. "Don't give up, ol' Mobius," he said softly. "We'll toast Robuttnik one way or another. There's no way he'll ever destroy you or any other planet out ther. No way."

Jessica quietly walked through the snow-covered trees, eyeing the sky warily. She hated storms, and normally would have had trouble navigating through the woods sine she'd be too busy worrying about lightning. But somehow she seemed to know exactly where to go to find Sonic. Just how she did was beyond her. Usually finding him when he went out on his own was easier said that done, for he was almost constantly moving. But this time her senses seemed to home in on him, and led her in the right direction.

For some reason, her heart was pounding. Whether it was because of her fear of the storm or of letting the power of her feelings for the gallant Freedom Fighter leader slip through she did not know. "I won't tell him anything," she whispered to herself, looking around cautiously to make sure no one was within earshot. "It'll be hard... But I can't... I mean, I'd love to tell him how much I care about him... but then again I wouldn't. I'm just so confused..."

A sharp crackle and a slash of lightning above sent the girl running, for it had seemed to have erupted directly above her head. For a moment she froze. This area was too dangerous to be wandering in if the storm was this close... there were too many tall trees -- easy targets for the fierce lightning. Standing in a clearing, shivering, she asked herself, "What am I doing out here? I'm scared to death of storms." Fearfully he eyes swept in every direction, waiting for more lightning to come and drive her back. Then, she froze again... Directly ahead of her, standing before a tiny creek that slithered its way through the forests, was Sonic! Spellbound, she watched him. As more strokes of lightning quivered and twisted their way across the sky, creating sharp snaps of thunder, Sonic never once flinched before their might. Even when then veins of electricity that traveled at speeds only he could ever match soared right above his head, he stood stone-still, watching the storm with a cool respect. And the storm seemed to respond to his fearlessness, for it steadily moved away, as if it were soothed by his silence and understanding of the pain the planet suffered. Jessica was amazed. Sonic had a power over everything, and he dominated without so much as lifting a finger. What was it about him that made him so almighty, that rose his spirit to its highest form and made him more powerful than a god? How could he be so very powerful, and yet so gentle?

The girl quickly forgot her fear of the storm, and all other apprehensions that had nearly stopped her in her quest to find him. He was there, and trouble dare not show its face before him. Quietly, smiling, she approached, eager to alert him of her presence. "Hey, Blue,"

Sonic quickly gazed back over his shoulder. He hadn't expected anyone else to join him out here, but he had no objections to it. And he was glad to see that the one coming towards him was Jessica, for that was something she normally did. "Hey, Jess, what's up?"

Jessica stopped when she was beside him, her heart thudding again. "Not a whole lot. You OK?"

"Who me?" Sonic asked, tilting his head. "Yeah. Why?"

"You didn't stick around camp much," Jessica replied slowly, shuffling her foot in the snow. "I was just worried."

"I thought you might be mad at me," came his answer.

Jessica quickly turned to him, blinking incredulously. "Me? Mad at you? Never, Sonic!"

Sonic looked at her and chuckled. "That's a relief."

"Whatever gave you that idea?"

"You were just acting weird, I guess. I mean, it's not like you to wander off as you've been doing and be so quiet. Not to mention hitting Nat."

Jessica dropped her gaze sheepishly. "I didn't mean anything by that. I'd better tell her I'm sorry when I head back. But I'm not mad at anyone Sonic... especially you." Suddenly she checked herself. You're telling him a little too much there, missy.

"That's good," Sonic answered, unsupicious. "So what's up then?"

Jessica shivered. How could she explain to him the reason for her strange behavior? Uneasily she shifted on her feet. "I... don't know, I guess I just haven't... felt like myself..."

Sonic noticed the nervousness in her eyes and watched her worriedly. "Something wrong?"

"No," Jessica said quickly. What could she tell him? More than likely she was freaking him out by the way she was acting. She wanted to be honest with him, but...

"What's wrong, Jess?" Sonic asked softly, leaning against the tree behind him. Kindly, warmly he looked at her, showing that he only wanted to understand what was bothering her and help any way he could.

Jessica sighed. She couldn't resist those eyes... So gentle, so promising. How right Vren had been! There was such a war going on inside of her. Oh, what to do? "I just... have a lot of things running through my mind," she said after a while, her voice quavering.

Sonic listened, never once taking his eyes from hers. He waited for her to finish before speaking.

"I'm just a little confused," she continued, looking away. "There's two clashing forces within me..."

"You mean like you're torn?" asked Sonic.

"Yeah, exactly," said Jessica.

"What exactly is making you feel this way, if I may know?"

Jessica swallowed hard, and hid her eyes by looking at the ground. She wanted to say something, but found she couldn't.

"Too personal?" Sonic persisted.

Finally Jessica nodded. She couldn't tell him... Her heart was beating so fast that it made it difficult to breathe. There were even a few tears in her eyes. She wanted nothing more now than to just lie her head on his shoulder for comfort.

Sonic still didn't quite understand the whole thing, but at least he had got her to tell him a little bit. "Well, I won't try to press it out of you if you don't want to say it. But if there's anything I can do, let me know, OK?" Again his voice was soft and benevolent.

Jessica finally met his gaze again, moved by his kindness. "Thank you, Sonic. You're so very sweet..."

Sonic smiled the smile Jessica called his "precious smile" for every part of it was sweet and adorable, his eyes sparkling and the warmth of his gentleness glowing around him like an aura. "That, too, is in the job description."

Jessica laughed. "You match that old job description so perfectly that it's not even funny."

"I know, I know," Sonic beamed, holding his head high with pride. Suddenly a rough breeze blew by, causing the tree behind him to sway, dumping a branch-load of snow onto his head. Jessica practically fell backwards as she burst out laughing. "What are you laughing at?" Sonic said playfully.

"Just look at your face! It's covered in snow!" Jessica said in between giggles. Then she bumped into a tree behind her, and down came the snow, right over her head in an ice cold plume.

Now it was Sonic's turn to laugh. "Well, from where I'm standing, your face is covered in snow, too!" He lowered his head and shook off that cold snow, sending it toward Jessica.

"Hey, whaddya trying to do? Make a snowman out of me?" Jessica snickered, grabbing a handfull of snow and throwing it his way.

Sonic saw the incoming snowball out of the corner of his eye and ducked just in time, letting it collide with the tree. "Oh, you wanna make a snowball fight outta this, huh?"

Jessica grabbed more snow in her hands. "Can you outrun a little snow, Sonic?"

Sonic's eyes flashed at the challenge. "Snow problem!" Suddenly, and with the most effortless motion, he sprung over the little creek and bolted into the clearing beyond, not even moving up to a sprint yet.

Despite the fact that she knew she could never catch Sonic, Jessica grinned and chased after him, making a long leap over the creek and running hard to get closer. Sonic paused and waited until she was just a few feet away from him, and then spun around with uncanny elegance, dodging her. Jessica scraped a fistfull of snow and hurled it toward him, hardly taking the time to aim correctly. As a result, Sonic simply stepped aside, missing the snowball easily.

"You gotta do better than that, Jess!" He grinned, arching his neck and standing tall.

Suddenly, while Sonic was busy gloating, Jessica tackled him and, taken by surprise, he fell backwards. But quickly he caught his balance again, flipping upright. "Oof," he said, shaking his head.

"I did better," Jessica smirked. "You're it, Sonic!" She ran off, cackling.

"Well that was a heck of a way to tag someone," Sonic snickered. "Why even bother runnin'? You know you can't outrun me!"

"Hey, it gives you an excuse to run," Jessica called back to him, still running.

Sonic shrugged. "You've got a point. Here I come!" With a flash of blue he caught up with Jessica in a matter of miliseconds, whirling around her in a quick circle.

Jessica tried to follow him, but he was far too fast. "Hey, where'd you go?"

"Hi there," Sonic said, and Jessica found him right behind her, smirking. Swiftly he tagged her on the shoulder and instantly sprung away. "Catch me if you can, Jess!"

"I can't, but I'll sure as heck try!" She plunged after him, running at her very fastest just to close the distance in between them. She knew the instant that she was close to Sonic that he would dash hopelessly away, but that didn't bother her. She lived to see him run, for it was when he was doing what he loved that he was the most beautiful!

Sonic tossed his head when he saw her coming, and when she was close enough, he darted off again, lengthening his strides into a sprint. But once he felt the land rushing away beneath him, and the brisk wind in his face, his heart soared, and he instantly stretched out for more speed, gaining and gaining until finally he reached an easy-going pace of four hundred miles an hour. The distant lightning seemed to ignite his furious action, sparking seemingly from beneath his feet. The snow flew behind him in a misty plume, almost adding a ghostlike appearance to his being.

By now Jessica was far behind him, but she didn't care. The only part of her that dare pursue him was her eyes. How glorious he was as he ran for the pure joy of running! "Run, fella, run!" Jessica whispered, shaking her head in amazement. Again her heart swelled with that powerful feeling of admiration. He was the king of all, never surrendering to any might, and always conquering. Was it any wonder she loved him so very much?

Sonic glanced back and saw her way behind him, and slowed down, prancing in place. "You frozen back there, Jess?" He waited for a long while until Jessica was at last at his side, and instead of blasting off and leaving her behind, he restrained the growing urge to run and matched her pace, which was barely a jog to him! Finally a few clouds parted overhead and the stars shone above, and both Sonic and Jessica gazed upon the sky in wonder.

"Wow, Sonic, look! There's trillions of them!" Jessica gasped, pointing to the vast ocean of starlight.

"Way past cool! That's gotta be the most stars I've ever seen in one night."

"Isn't it beautiful?"

"Yeah, it sure is." The endless expanse of turning galaxies and twinkling stars reflected in his eyes, almost making them a universe of their own. Suddenly Sonic felt as if he had done this before, sometime, somewhere... It was a strange feeling, like that of a vague memory, but it was there, and could have almost sworn that he had lived this very moment before, and saw this very same sky, with this very same girl at his side. "Hey, Jess, remember how I once said that I had feelings come to me every now and then that reminded me of Earth, Nat, Kim... and you?"

"Yeah,"

"I just got a feeling like that now."

Jessica turned to him wonderingly. "I did too... I get feelings like that all the time..."

"I wonder what it means? It's almost like another part of me has known you and your friends all my life."

"That's exactly what it feels like..."

"Well," said Sonic, gazing at her. "Maybe we have."

Jessica turned and met his eyes, and was instantly held by their beauty and power. Suddenly she lost all sense looking into the depths of those emerald pools that expressed the very fire of the soul within. She forgot everything, except for how much she loved the one at her side... "Sonic?" she asked quietly.

"Yeah?"

"Can I tell you something? You and only you?"

A noise from behind caused Sonic to turn and investigate, but it looked as if it had only been the breeze in the trees. Curiously he returned his eyes to Jessica, waiting. "Sure, Jess. What is it?"

Jessica's heart skipped a beat... She swallowed hard, and opened her mouth to speak... Then suddenly, out of nowhere came Nihara, lunging out of the cover of the forest and slashing her way in between Sonic and Jessica. Startled, Jessica jumped back and Sonic swung aside, missing Nihara's sword by milimeters! Before him stood the she-warrior, both swords clasped in her hands, breathing heavily. "Nihara! I thought I told you not to come near my friends again!"

Nihara trembled, her eyes possessed more by fear now than hate. "Silence! Great horrors await me if I do not do this now!"

"What are you talking about?" Sonic asked.

"I'll never go back... DIE!" She swept toward him, her swords seeking his flesh.

"Nihara, wait!" Sonic shouted. "What did you mean?"

Instead of answering she just swung her swords at him incessantly. Great pain and even regret shone in her eyes now, and Sonic could see that clearly. But most of all fear dwelled within that black gaze, and it was that very element that drove her forward. Ignoring what Sonic was asking her, she swung madly at him, fighting to avoid Robotnik's punishments.

Angrily Sonic spun around to Jessica. "C'mon! Let's get out of here!"

"No!" Nihara cried, lunging after them, her heart racing.

Jessica grabbed a hold of Sonic's shoulders and he broke into a run just in time, leaving Nihara to crash heavily to the ground. Quickly she regained her footing and chased after them, her breath coming in ragged gasps, her mouth foaming.

"Sonic, what is wrong with her?" Jessica yelled as they ran.

"I don't know, Jess," came Sonic's answer as he looked back. Nihara was still following, despite how fast he was going. "Before she attacked us on her own accord, but now there's someting else in her eyes..."

Nihara stumbled in her pursuit, so desperate was she to catch Sonic. Furiously she screamed and lunged upright, practically losing her balance again. Everything inside her was racing, desperate. If she failed this mission, she could be sent back to the land where she had lost so many things dear to her, or worse, be roboticized! She couldn't let the horror of her past haunt her in the land where the Great War once took place! She couldn't let Robotnik destroy her when she still had a purpose to carry out! But now Sonic was getting away... so hopelessly away! Crying out as if in pain, Nihara strained every muscle in her body to keep him in sight, to just finish Robotnik's task even though it went against the virtues in her heart.

In her fury, she hurled one sword toward Sonic like a spear. But even though she had excellent accuracy in her aim and a powerful arm, Sonic was just too fast and he avoided the sword too easily. Soaked in her own sweat, Nihara fought to catch him, fought to save herself! Inside her heart was on the verge of bursting, so fast was it beating!

Sonic kept running until he abrutply came to the edge of a cliff, dropping into a narrow chasm. Below nothing but a tiny river and razor-edged rocks awaited those who fell. Only one fallen tree stretched over the chasm, and now that was their only way.

"Stay there for a minute, Jess," Sonic said, leaving her on the ledge and stepping onto the log, testing its strength. It shifted a little, but held. If they moved over it slowly, they would be OK.

"Sonic, she's coming!" Jessica suddenly shouted.

Sonic whirled around to see Nihara charging madly through the trees, her eyes locked on him. "Quick, Jess! Let's go!" He grabbed Jessica's arm and pulled her onto the log. Carefully he led the way forward, placing his feet slowly and cautiously. Behind him, Jessica trembled at the sheer drop below, probably four hundred feet or more into a rocky abyss. She looked over her shoulder... Nihara was coming on quick! Too quick!

"Sonic!" she yelled.

Just then Nihara hurled herself upon the log, pushing it with all her strength to make it roll sideways. As Sonic and Jessica were reaching the middle of the log, it shifted with Nihara's frenzied pushing and shoving, and Jessica lost her balance, toppling off the log! Sonic swiftly knelt to catch his balance with one hand, and held onto Jessica with the other. Struggling to pull her up, his eyes flicked back to Nihara who was still trying to dislodge the log from its place. Maniacally she tore at the bark, pushing it until it was percariously close to the tip of the ledge. When she couldn't push it anymore, she grabbed her sword and jammed it beneath the log, prying it forward! Sonic saw the back of the log moving closer to the ledge, and summoned a great wave of strength, heaving Jessica back up onto the log and then pushing her toward the opposite ledge. Jessica fell once she hit the hard ledge, but was unharmed and out of danger. Suddenly Nihara shoved the back of the log off the ledge, and it began to collapse. Feeling it fall behind him, Sonic quickly dashed forward and lunged for the ledge, landing safely beside Jessica as the log crashed into the cliff below, only it's roots holding it as it hung over the chasm.

"NO!!!" Nihara screamed in fury, falling to her knees. "No, no, no..."

"Come on," said Jessica. "We've got to get out of here!"

Sonic heard her, but his eyes watched Nihara... Tears filled her eyes, and she wept as if in pain, groaning and muttering to herself, shaking uncontrollably. Now more than ever Sonic was baffled by Nihara's ways, but for the first time he felt real sympathy for her. Something told him that she had not wanted to fight him this time... That she was doing it for reasons other than her personal hatred for him... Just what was wrong with her anyway? Sighing, Sonic turned slowly, still watching Nihara sadly.

Nihara despaired as she sat there on the opposite ledge... She had failed again. Robotnik would never give her another chance. Why had she agreed to work for that madman? Why? He promised equality, and a chance to get revenge, but all she got out of their partnership was terror and pain... And what would Sonic do now that she had defied his order of not to attack him again? According to all she had been told, a Mobian such as himself would take instange revenge and punishment on those who defied them. If Robotnik didn't punish her, Sonic surely would.

But Sonic did nothing... Nothing but leave her where she sat and turn away. He wasn't like anything Robotnik described him... In fact, he was near the complete opposite. Here she was, vulnerable and exhausted from her frenzied efforts to catch him, and yet Sonic showed her only more of his mercy, simply turning away instead of harming her. Nihara was confused, frightened and now terribly beaten. She had no hope now. Robotnik must have seen this battle as easily as he had the last, what with the hidden camera stuck on her. Soon he would arrive, and deliver his punishment to her. And whichever option he chose would be painful to her... Nihara moaned forlornly and fell on her side, choosing to just lie and wait for her master's wrath.

Sonic and Jessica were heading back through the forests when suddenly, back in the direction of the camp, came a signal flare.

"The allies are here," Sonic said. "We'd better get over there and tell them what's happened. And they'll want to have a meeting immediately."

"All during the night?" asked Jessica.

"Yep," Sonic replied. "As long as it takes. But I'm used to 'em by now." Another night without sleep for the Freedom Fighter leader.

As the two disappeared amongst the trees, a red-and-black hover unit suddenly appeared on the horizon. It dipped lower and lower, until Nihara could hear it directly behind her, landing easily the snows. Her heart thudded in her temples, and a chill of terror swept down her spine. The time had come...

Suddenly the doors screeched open, and out stepped the shadowy figure of Robotnik... And his eyes were lit with cruel, heartless evil... "You've failed me for the last time, Nihara," he hissed lowly, dangerously.

Nihara swallowed hard and tried to contain her fear. There was no escape, and she could only brace herself for what was to come...

---

Chapter 15

The Alliance

The group of three hover units hovered quietly over the Freedom Fighter camp, giving a light signal that they were allies. Sally and Bunnie motioned for them to land, guiding them down with lighted torches until they were all safely positioned around the perimeter of the camp and away from the trees. First to climb out of the hover units was Lupe, leader of the Wolf Pack Freedom Fighters, a tall and majestic gray wolf with a dark scar beneath her left eye. Soon afterward came Ari the ram, one of the Knothole Freedom Fighters' greatest allies and the leaders of the Southern and Eastern Freedom Figthers, Pallo and Dirk.

Not too far off stood Sonic and Vren, prepared to meet their allies and get the council underway.

"So Nihara attacked again?" Vren was asking Sonic.

"Yeah..." came his answer. "But I don't think she had a choice this time. I think somehow Robuttnik has brainwashed her into the whole business."

"What makes you say that?"

Sonic shrugged. "I dunno... Just her eyes I guess. It's easy to detect emotion in eyes as piercing as hers. Remember how before I said she had all the cunning and hatred in her eyes of an Overlander? Well, this time there was fear and dread."

"Hmm," said Vren. "Where did she end up after you got away from her?"

"She just stayed on the other ledge," he replied. "She looked real scared then. I wish I could have helped, but she wouldn't take my help if I offered it. I learned that the hard way."

"Thank you all for coming on such short notice," Sally's said suddenly, shaking the hand of each Freedom Fighter leader. "Has anyone else seen more destruction caused by Robotnik?"

"Our canyon homes have been flooded," answered Lupe. "There is little water in the Great Unknown, yet great torrents of it washed over our caves and shrines in a matter of seconds."

"And I've seen storms of acid rain spread farther and farther from Robotropolis," added Ari. "They've already destroyed many forests..."

"Then we must get to work right away and discuss the plans for stopping Robotnik," said Sally. "We suspect he is trying to make the legend of 'the Final Power' come true."

"The Final Power?" asked Ari.

"It is a myth about the Chaos Emeralds," explained Lupe. "The Final Power is said to be possibly the most miraculous and awesome power that the emeralds can create."

"Exactly," said Sally. "And if the full potential of that power is unleashed, we fear that the entire universe can be destroyed."

"Let's begin then," answered Ari. "We probably don't have much time."

"Before we get things going, I would like to introduce you all to a new ally of the Knothole Freedom Fighters, Vren of Morian," Sally gestured, and the white demon stepped forth with Sonic at his side.

At first the other leaders were apprehensive as the twelve-foot-tall beast approached them, but Vren bowed respectfully to them and soon their fears were quelled. "It is a great honor for me to join the Freedom Fighters in the war against Robotnik."

"Wow, where did you meet him, Sonic?" asked Lupe, returning Vren's bow.

"Way back on a planet called Earth. At first he worked for ol' Naugus, but we soon became friends after that. Now he is the greatest ally anyone could ask for." Sonic gave the huge demon a pat on the shoulder.

"It is good to have on more ally on our side," nodded the Wolf Pack leader. "To fight a power such as the Final Power, we'll need all the help we can get."

"I'll help anyway I can," returned Vren, standing tall. "I can summon my fellow Night Demons to create a massive army."

"Then let's begin the conference," said Sally. "And come up with a way to stop Robotnik."

And so the council of the Freedom Fighter leaders began. All into the night Jessica, Kimberly and Natalie could hear them talking, and it provided little sleep. At last, Natalie sat up inside the tent they had been given and yawned. "Lucky we got to bed early and a got a few hour's rest," she muttered.

"Well, I didn't exactly," replied Jessica. "But I haven't slept well in a long time."

"I don't think any of us have," came Kimberly's answer. She listened to the meeting outside. "What do you guys think of this Final Power?"

"I didn't even know about it," said Jess. "Back on Earth, no one ever mentioned that on TV or in video games."

"So the Chaos Emeralds do have a limit to their powers?" asked Natalie.

"Well, Sally said that the Final Power is the greatest of their powers, but not their limit," said Kim.

"That's right," Jessica added. "The Chaos Emeralds' energy is unlimited. So is that of the Power Stones..."

Kimberly took up her computer again. "What do you think our chances are of beating such a thing as the Final Power, Xervalaa?"

"Xervalaa?" Jessica asked.

"That's what I named my computer," Kimberly smiled. "Just like the white-gold from Me'stad MUSH. OK, Xervalaa, what have you got?"

The computer whirred for a second, and then replied, "Chances of defeating the Final Power are estimated at 99.999999 to 1, Kimberly."

"That's reassuring," Jessica grumbled.

"Hey, we have... one other chance," said Kimberly, wincing slightly.

"Well, the way I see it," said Natalie. "We still have Vrenny. He let me ride him again today, and he showed me a few tricks to, like how to take an enemy's head off with a stick when he galloped at full speed!"

Kimberly chuckled. "Natalie, the Demon Warrior."

"Hey, I like that! Yeah, from now on, I'm the Demon Warrior and Vrenny is my demon!"

Jessica smiled. It was always reassuring to her to hear her friends. It helped her not worry so much, and she had been when she returned to camp. Not only did this Final Power bother her, since their chances at beating it were so slim, but she had been so close to telling Sonic something that she thought she never could.... And the bad part was, she didn't even thing about it. She swallowed hard just thinking about it. She could never let that happen again... But how could she stop something that came so naturally to her?

Suddenly there was a crash of thunder outside. Yet another storm had started from all the heat in the atmosphere, only this time it was right above the camp. It no time at all, the winds kicked up again and lightning illuminated the blackness of the night.

"We can't stay out here in this wind," Jessica heard Sally calling above the howling gale.

"There's a cave up higher in the mountains, Sal," Sonic called back. "I saw it up there earlier in a canyon."

"Then let's pack up camp and move up there, then."

When the girls heard a bell righing, they knew they had to get up immediately and pack everything up. Luckily they didn't have a whole lot to pack but their sleeping bags and tent. Outside the winds were howling again, and they increased in speed rapidly, going from twenty miles an hour to almost sixty. The Freedom Fighters had to work quickly to strap everything down and prevent it from blowing away. It didn't take them long since their camp was small, and soon all the heavy equipment was loaded onto Dulcy and Vren.

"OK, let's get moving," Sally called. "Lead the way, Sonic."

Sonic quickly headed off into the whirling white winds, moving at a walk so that the others could keep track of him. Bringing up the rear of the group was Vren, who would make sure no one got left behind or lost with his keen eyes. Everyone else followed in the middle, their heads lowered to battle the wind. Soon they ascended a cliff leading into a gorge, where the stone walls eventually blocked the frigid gales. Now the going was a little easier despite the rough, rocky terrain. There were several areas where the rocks were covered in slick patches of ice, and Sonic steered the group clear of them carefully, as if he had traveled through these mountains many times before. The ice was slippery, and the rocks were loose, easy to stumble or trip on, but he never once lost his footing. Every step was carefully and accurately placed, avoiding trouble where the others often did. When he leaped up to a small ledge that was too steep for any of the others, he helped them all up one by one until they were all together again, constantly scanning over them to make sure they were all accounted for. Whenever one of them began to tire and fall behind, he ordered Vren to give them a lift for a while until they were ready to walk again. He was like a stallion leading his herd, his every thought focused on their safety. Even in this unfamiliar territory, Jessica admitted she felt completely safe with him leading the way.

It was when the group was rounding a turn in the gorge where the walls widened into a canyon and a great crash was heard from ahead. Immediately Sonic brought them to a stop, gesturing to them to be quiet. Falling rocks could also be heard ahead...

"What is it?" the Freedom Fighters whispered among themselves. "Can anyone see what it is?"

"I heard rocks," said Antoine, trembling. "It could be a rockslide...."

The group's worried voices grew louder and more fearful, and they began to shuffle nervously. Quickly Sonic went down to get control of them. "Hey, we don't know for sure," he said to them. "It could just be a loose boulder falling. Let's check it out."

Trusting their leader, the group followed Sonic quietly up a rise leading into the canyon. It was beyond this rise that the sound had come, and now Sonic's movements were silent and stealthy. He slunk forward like a shadow, his every sense alert for danger. As he and the others crested the rise, they crept into the shadow of a large boulder, and peered around it cautiously.

There, strewn across the jagged rocks at the bottom of the canyon in a mess of tangled ropes, lay the battered form of Nihara.

"It's Nihara..." said Kimberly. "Is she... dead?"

"No," Sonic whispered back. "She's still breathing. C'mon," Slowly he approached Nihara, who was breathing heavily, her body covered in bleeding wounds created from nothing other than a rough fall down the canyon walls. The ropes were hopelessly tangled about the rocks, practically hanging her from the ledge overhead, and her sword laid a few feet away, dented slightly, giving evidence of a struggle. Sonic stopped beside her, gasping at how badly she was beaten. Almost every part of her was bruised and caked with blood. "What happened?" he asked, his eyes wide.

"Maybe she fell from the ledge we met her on earlier?" Jessica snorted.

"It looks more like a fight," observed Sally. "But why is she tangled in those ropes?"

Sonic knelt down beside Nihara, and spoke softly, "Hey, you're lookin' pretty bad... Let us help you."

Nihara opened her eyes, and for a moment gazed at him strangely, as if unsure of whether to let him help or not. Then she bared her teeth. "I'll be fine..." she panted. "I can take care of myself... Now leave me alone!"

Sonic glared back at her and rose to his feet, "Fine, suit yourself. Come on, guys." Turning his back on Nihara, he led the Freedom Fighters on. Just ahead now was the great cave they sought, and it was well large enough to accomodate all of them.

As they left, Nihara groaned and dropped her head to the ground again, wincing. She said she would be fine, but she knew she wouldn't be... She did need help, badly... But she couldn't really trust these Mobians... could she?

The Freedom Fighters found the enormous cave pleasantly warmer than the world outside. Glad they could finally rest, they gathered together in a circle near the back of the cave, and settled down without unpacking anything. Rotor took some of the firewood packed on Dulcy's back, and got a fire going soon, adding to the warmth and dryness of the chamber. Sonic stood at the mouth of the cave for a moment, reluctant to leave Nihara. But he remembered her stubborness, for the slight cut on his shoulder was always eager to remind him that she would never accept his help. And it could have easily been a trap set by Robotnik... Sighing, Sonic turned and joined the others for a while.

Outside, the winds began to kick up again. Now dawn was near, but one couldn't tell by looking at the dark skies cloaked with storm clouds. Nihara shivered in the freezing winds, clamping her eyes shut wearily. Often she found herself staring at the cave. It did look every so nice and warm, especially with the fire she smelled burning inside. If she could just cut herself loose of these ropes that held her now, she'd at least sit inside the mouth of the cave for warmth and let the Freedom Fighters do their own thing. But her sword was well out of her reach, and she could hardly move as it was. Many of her wounds were large and painful, and the ropes now bore into her skin so tight were they. It had been a terrible struggle to escape Robotnik's wrath... But had she escaped at all? If she didn't get help, she'd be no better off than if she had returned to the old war land... or gone to Robotnik's roboticizor. She had never asked for anyone's help, though... She had always taken care of herself. It had been necessary for her survival. For most of her life she had been a loner, and only her fierce nature and will to fight kept her alive.

"I don't need their help," she growled to herself, trembling badly against the wind. "If I can just get out of these ropes..." And as if to prove to herself that she didn't need assistance, she began to gnaw at the rope with her teeth to get it loose. But she soon found the rope to be too tough and thick. Next she resorted to pulling the rope against the sharp rocks of the cliff, but that didn't help either. As she continued to struggle hopelessly to get free, the winds grew colder, and her strength grew more weary. She didn't know how long she fought weakly, but at last exhaustion and despair kicked in, and she gave up, letting herself drop to the ground again.

After sitting in the cave for a while, Sonic had returend to the cave entrance to see if Nihara had managed to pull free. Sympathy gripped his heart as he watched her struggle, and at last he couldn't take it anymore. Whether she liked it or not, trap or no trap, he was going to help her. Slowly and quietly he approached. When Nihara heard footsteps coming, somehow she knew it was him without even opening her eyes. Panting, she gazed up at him, her ears slowly turning back warningly. Sonic slowed and held up his hands to indicate he meant no harm. When he spoke, his voice was soft. "Take it easy. I'm going to get you out of here."

"What is it with you, anyway?" Nihara growled lowly, glaring at him despite the gentleness in his voice.

Sonic took another step forward. "I was taught a long time ago to help those who were hurt or in danger. Actually it's not something I needed to be taught. It was already a part of me. Just hold still."

"Get away from me," Nihara hissed, drawing as far back as the ropes would allow, her eyes locked on him.

Again Sonic slowed. "Don't move,"

"Get away!" Nihara growled again.

"No, you're hurt."

"I'm fine. I can get out of here myself. I don't need anyone's help."

"You don't need it, or you don't want it?"

Nihara glared at him deeply, and then her eyes suddenly grew sad. "Just leave me alone..."

Sonic felt more sympathy for her now than ever, and doggedly advanced forward again, taking up the sword that lay just a few feet out of Nihara's grasp. When she saw him take it up, a wave of fear consumed her for a moment. Again she drew back, making the ropes tighten around her painfully.

"Nihara, I won't hurt you," Sonic said gently. "I just want to help... Trust me."

Nihara sneered. "Trust you... A filthy Mobian? Never! I learned a long time ago not to trust them. Stupid beasts..."

"They've never done a thing to you," Sonic said without looking at her. He reached for one of the ropes and Nihara jerked away.

"Don't ever tell me they haven't! They've hurt me more times than I thought anyone could be hurt! They're fools! All of them!" She lashed out angrily at Sonic, again making him miss the rope.

"Stop it," Sonic said irritably.

"They all cannot be trusted," Nihara went on heatedly. "They weren't meant for this world or the next... Your family, especially! GO AWAY!" Nihara swung around and the rope came dangerously close to her neck. Another few inches back at she could have been hanged.

Frustrated, Sonic glared down at her, throwing the sword down into the snow. Now his voice was no longer gentle. "Nihara, why do you hate my kind so much?"

"Because of what they've done to me!" Nihara cried, her eyes suddenly filled with tears. Sonic stared at her, and she dropped her gaze sadly. "I was born into the Mobian race, but when I was just a child, I was abandoned. My real parents didn't even care about me as they left me in the rain..." She paused, sniffling, for now she was sobbing uncontrollably. "The only ones who ever did care for me were the Overlanders... They took me in when no one else did, and were my parents. Then, in the Great War, it was you Mobians who killed them, and even though I didn't know who was responsible for their murder, I developed a lifelong hatred for them all nonetheless! For years after that I was left to take care of my self on the old battlefield. I had no where to go, no friends... no family! All I had were my memories... sad, painful memories of losing the only people who ever cared..." The tears streamed down her face now, blending with the blood on her wounds. Soon it looked as if she were crying tears of blood. "Then, Robotnik came along, and he told me everything I ever needed to know... That you Mobians are cold, heedless killers... And that it was your wretched family that killed mine! Sir Jules and Lady Bernie! That's why I hate you Mobians! For all the pain you've caused me! For all the loss and sadness you've given me! That's why!" Finally she let the ropes fall loose and she dropped miserably to the ground, unable to control her pain any longer.

Hearing her sobs, Sonic's anger subsided immediately and he knelt down to Nihara, looking her straight in the eye. "I don't know who your real parents were, but just because they did such a terrible thing as abandoning you doesn't mean all Mobians are that way. They may have had no choice. In times of war, sometimes we have to make sacrifises to save the ones we love. And I know my parents never would have killed anyone. I never knew them myself... All I remember is just images of them. But I still know how they were in my heart. If your family died at war, then I'm very sorry. My parents died the same way, along with all the other Freedom Fighters'. Robotnik is just a lier and a traitor. He was bad enough to betray even his own kind. What he told you is a lie. You can't believe him, Nihara."

At last, Nihara spoke. "So I've learned," she muttered, wiping her tears. "He's the one who did this to me. No one cares for me anymore."

"I care, otherwise I wouldn't be tryin' to help. Maybe if you let people help you more often, you'd find that Mobius is full of very good people. The Freedom Fighters and I help all we can, no matter what. That's our code. We fight Robotnik because he murdered our families and friends, and because he oppresses the entire planet." He took up the sword again and began to cut the ropes slowly, one by one.

Nihara just listened without interrupting. Was it true? Had what Robotnik told her been a lie? It certainly seemed that way. He had oppressed her, and nearly killed her. But here was Sonic, her sworn enemy, helping her instead. If he was right, then her view on him was changed completely.

Sonic cut the last rope, and Nihara was free. Quickly the Freedom Fighter leader discarded the hated weapon onto the ground, hoping he'd never see it again. Then he stood before Nihara, once more offering his hand. "For the last time I offer you my help. You can change your ways and take it, and see what caring people the Freedom Fighters are... Or you can be stubborn and never let anyone help you, which'll only make things worse. What'll it be?"

Nihara paused, looking at Sonic's hand uneasily for a moment. She was a little doubtful, but as she looked upon him as the rough winds blew through his long quills, and the distant moonlight glittered in his eyes, she couldn't help but see what a fine creature he was. He was unlike any she had ever met, brave and strong as the storm, yet as caring and gentle as an evening breeze. No other creature she had ever seen stood with all the tranquility of a forest, but held a blazing fire within. One thing was for sure. She had never seen an Overlander possess such magnificent handsomeness the only great journies through hate and love, pain and joy could give someone. At last, she slowly took his hand and pulled herself shakily to her feet.

As she did, Sonic smiled in approval. There was good and reason in her after all. She swayed a little on her feet, and he helped to steady her, but she moved away. One step at a time, he thought. At least he had gotten far enough that Nihara allowed him to help her up the steep, rocky incline toward the cave. Once the two were inside, the others muttered in amazement.

"How on Mobius did he do it?" Rotor whispered.

Nihara froze at the cave mouth, watching all of them warily. Sadly, she had never been with so many of her true kind before.

"Here," Sally said softly, kindly offering Nihara a blanket to wrap herself in. "It'll help with this cold, trust me."

Nihara hesitated, looking at the princess and studying her eyes. So many times in her life she had had to read another creature's gaze to see if she could trust them. But finally, and without a word, she gently took the blanket. She gave a nod as to indicate gratitude, and then went off on her own, sitting near the wall of the cave, apart from the Freedom Fighters. For a long while she gazed into nothingness, until at last her exhausted eyes closed.

"Looks like more than one alliance was made tonight," remarked Sally as Sonic took his place beside her.

"Let's hope so, Sal," he answered, glancing back at Nihara. "It'll make the job a whole lot easier with one less enemy and one more friend."

---

Chapter 16

The Plan

When Jessica, Kimberly and Natalie first noticed Nihara in the cave, they were very supicious. Soon after they had arrived in the cave the night before, they had fallen asleep and missed how Sonic finally managed to get Nihara to trust him. It had been a very long night, after all. But still they were wary of the one who had been their enemy for so long, especially Jessica, who had never liked Nihara in the first place. She and her friends sat in the rear of the cave that morning talking about the ordeal as the other Freedom Fighters waited for the orders of the leaders.

"I don't like it," Jessica was saying. "Who's to say she won't revert back to her old ways and trap us? She could tell Robotnik we were here, and then boom! We're nailed."

"I'm not too sure of it either," answered Kimberly. "But she's not hurting anyone now. She's just sitting over there on the far wall minding her own business."

"She is pretty beat-up," added Natalie.

"Yeah... but that could still be a trap," Jess insisted. "I mean, we all heard her over and over again. She hates all Mobians, especially Sonic."

"And there's the real crime," Kimberly said half-jokingly.

Natalie snickered.

"I'm serious," Jessica muttered. "I'm just worried about the safety of the Freedom Fighters."

"Jess, Sonic is the leader of the Freedom Fighters. He would never put them in harm's way, you know that as well as I. As you would say, he knows what he's doing. He can do no wrong, remember," Kim paused. "Did I just say all that?"

"Did you two switch places and not tell me?" asked Natalie.

"If you're saying I don't trust Sonic," Jessica's eyes flashed. "I do trust him. I'll always trust him. It's her I don't trust."

"What's all the commotion over here about?" Jessica immediately swung around at Sonic's voice as he approached.

"Nothing," she said quickly. "We were just... discussing."

"Sal and the others are about ready to tell everyone the plans," said Sonic, not bothering to ask just what the girls were discussing. He was all business now that they had a mission at hand. "So get ready. This'll be your first real mission as Freedom Fighters."

"That's a heck of a first mission," said Natalie.

"Hey, it's a good way to learn what it's all about," Sonic replied. "I was doing missions like that when I was ten -- solo missions." A flicker of pride came into his eyes.

"I don't think any of us have your speed, Sonic," Jessica grinned.

That only put him in more of a boasting mood. "I know," for a moment he held his head high haughtily. Then his gaze turned to Nihara. "I'm gonna go see how she's doing. Be ready for the plans. Later."

Quickly he sped off toward Nihara, slowing as he came close. She had her back against the cave wall, her eyes closed. For a moment she looked as if she were asleep, but as she heard Sonic coming, her ears and her eyelids came up.

"Hey," Sonic said kindly.

Nihara hadn't spoken a word ever since she had set foot in the cave, and now she just peered up at him blankly. Quite honestly she didn't know what to say, for her mind was tangled with confusion again.

"You doin' any better? I see you got most of those wounds covered up."

Nihara had always healed herself when she was wounded, and now most of the terrible injuries were dressed with gauz and a special herb ointment she always carried with her to help prevent infection. She nodded quietly to Sonic, dropping her gaze.

"Why so shy all of a sudden?" Sonic asked, smiling to cheer her up. "It was clear to me for a while that you'd say whatever came to your mind."

Nihara was about to answer when he ears twitched at a sound from ahead. Jessica, who in an attempt to get a little closer to hear the conversation had accidentally knocked a few loose rocks and made a loud crash. Quickly, as Sonic and Nihara turned, she dove behind a boulder to remain out of sight.

Nihara shrugged and then turned to the gathering Freedom Fighters in the center of the cave. "What exactly are they planning?" she asked, her voice low and empty of the angry tone it had always been filled with.

"A way to infiltrate the Doomsday Fleet and stop Robuttnik. As far as the specific stuff goes, Sal's about the announce that any time now."

"I see," said Nihara simply, still watching the group.

"Y'know," Sonic went on. "It would be a world of help if you helped us out up there. You've been in the ship and you know it better than any of us. Not to mention you can fight."

Nihara narrowed her eyes suddenly. "I intend to make Robotnik pay for his betrayal and lies..."

"What exactly happened between you two last night anyway?" asked Sonic, noting the flame of hatred that had just entered her black gaze.

Nihara sighed. "He was furious that I had been unable to capture you. So we had a bit of a scrape on the mountaintop. When we first joined forces, I remember quite well that he promised equality and assistance. But when he saw our battle in the mountains, right after the stardust fell, and how you didn't finish me off despite the fact that you had seized my sword, he was enraged. He had expected me to grab the sword right after you dropped it and finish you then. But I couldn't..."

Sonic pricked his ears as she paused, again dropping her eyes.

"You spared my life... I couldn't kill someone who let me live... It's just not... right."

Again Sonic was assured that there was true good in Nihara's heart. Hearing this only proved it more.

"Then," Nihara continued. "He threatened to either return me back to the old battlefield of the Great War, where my family died, or to roboticize me..."

Sonic glared at the mention of the dreaded machine.

"So I had no choice but to attack you again... Even though I-I didn't want to..."

"So 'buttnik pretty much lied to you like he does everyone else, huh?" Sonic snorted. "Chump... I can't count how many people he's ever betrayed... His own kind, King Acorn, Snively, even ol' Ixis Naugus."

"Well, I shall have my revenge on him now..."

"Does that mean you'll come with us?"

Nihara hesitate, unsure again. "I will go," she said finally, and Sonic got the notion she was trying to act more hard-hearted than she really was. "But I shall seek my revenge against Robotnik on my own."

Sonic nodded. "OK, then. It might do you some good to listen to our plans anyway, though. If you want to take Robuttnik down, then we'll be right there with you in that department."

Nihara looked up at him and suddenly caught the fiery courage and spirit held within those emerald-hued eyes. And for a second, a new feeling hit Nihara then... A new feeling she had never felt for Sonic before. It was admiration. Quickly she shook off the sensation in her heart, surprised and dumbfounded by it.

And the very moment Jessica saw that light come into Nihara's eyes, a fire went down her spine! The girl couldn't believe what she was seeing! This Overlander-sympathizer, the one who had attacked the Freedom Fighters and Sonic so viciously before, was now looking at the one whom she called her lethal enemy with admiration! Suddenly Jessica just wanted to hurl herself at Nihara! Disgusted, she rose up into plain sight and kicked a pebble angrily.

Just then, Sally called out to get the group's attention. "Gather, fellow Freedom Fighters! It is time to discuss the plans to reach the Doomsday Fleet and stop Robotnik!"

Instantly everyone gathered around the center of the cave, where the leaders and Vren stood upon a large flat boulder. Sonic quickly turned from Nihara and joined them, and the she-warrior watched them curiously. She didn't know exactly what to do now in order to get her revenge on Robotnik... Perhaps she should listen to the plans and go along with them, just to reach the Doomsday Fleet. Then she could take care of the rest on her own. Quietly she strained forward to listen, her long ears pricked.

Kimberly and Natalie hurried toward the gathering group.

"Come on, Jess," Kimberly called, noticing that Jessica was lagging. "This is important. We need to hear the plans."

Jessica glared at Nihara for a moment, almost unable to hear her friend. For a moment another feeling consumed her... A mixture of urgency and bitterness. Jealousy. Quickly she shook off the feeling and walked toward the Freedom Fighters, her face set in a grim expression.

"What's eating her?" Natalie asked as they came up toward the group.

Kim just shrugged.

"In order to reach the main ship of the Doomsday Fleet," Sally was saying. "We need to catch it when it's landed or flying low. With the help of Dulcy and Vren, we can reach the ship when flying. That will be the easy part. The big part is getting past Doomsday Fleet security," suddenly the princess reached for Nicole, and with the press of a button, got the computer to display a holographic map of the Doomsday Fleet's main airship. "We'll split into teams to perform certain tasks, such as getting past the security and shutting down the ship's defense system. Sonic and Vren will fend off the ship's guard robots so allow Rotor, Bunnie, Uncle Chuck and I to get into the control room of the ship, located just before the bridge."

"And I can summon the other Night Demons as well," Vren added. "Then we could have an army."

"That's good Vren," Sally nodded. "Then, Lupe, Ari, Pallo and Dirk can handle the backup power, located in the room just to the left on the main control room. Once we shut down the main defense and security systems, reaching the bridge should be easy."

"I doubt it will be so," suddenly came Nihara's voice. The others turned to see her stepping forward slowly.

"Why is that, Nihara?" asked Sally.

"Before the bridge there is heavy security that runs on a separate system than that of all the others... It is powered by the very stones Robotnik is using to create the Final Power."

"So it's true then," said Sonic. "Ol' 'buttnik is trying to make the legend true."

"Stones, Nihara?" Sally inquired. "You mean the Chaos Emeralds?"

"Of that I am not sure," Nihara replied. "But whatever stones he is using, they create a powerful forcefield before the bridge's entrance that cannot be broken through or stopped. Only I can pass through it."

Sonic's ears came up. "What d'ya mean?"

"I've been on that ship," came Nihara's answer. She checked herself, almost feeling that she was telling them too much. After all, she had wanted to do things on her own. But perhaps it would help to defeat Robotnik if the others fought him too. "One can only pass through the bridge doors using an indentification card, which I still have. Unfortunately for Robotnik, I managed to hold onto it during the fight."

"Very well then," said Sally. "You can go along with Sonic, Nihara, and help to enter the bridge."

"I confront Robotnik alone," Nihara said quickly, turning away.

"But Sonic is the one who must go into the bridge," said Uncle Chuck suddenly. "Who must stop the Chaos Emeralds."

Nihara glanced at the older hedgehog. She knew him as Sir Charles, Jules's brother and of the same blood she had hated for so long. For a moment she gazed at him almost resentfully, but then she remembered how Sonic had proven her wrong about the ways of the Mobians by helping her. "And why is that? I do not know much about those seven gems or the two others called Power Stones, but I do know that they wield awesome power, power that cannot be controlled or contained."

"Sonic can control the Chaos Emeralds and the Power Stones," Uncle Chuck answered gravely. "In fact, he can master them. If he can gain control of the stones, then that will save us."

Nihara blinked at him incredulously. "But Robotnik told me that once the Final Power begun, there was no stopping it..."

"And he was right," Chuck nodded. "But Sonic may be able to reverse the negative effects of the Final Power, and wield them as he chooses. So he must be able to reach the bridge, where the Chaos Emeralds and the Power Stones are located."

"But it is impossible," Nihara shook her head.

"Sonic can do the impossible," Jessica said suddenly, gazing coldly at Nihara.

Nihara looked back at her, and clearly saw all the solid trust and belief for Sonic in the girl's eyes. Nihara couldn't understand it. Jessica was an Overlander, or at least a similar creature. Overlanders had never had appreciation for the Mobians, had never felt anything for them but fear and hate, for as Nihara had been taught, they were treacherous. Her foster Overlander family had cared for her, but that was because they had softer hearts than the Mobians, supposably. But here was this human girl who had a bond with Sonic that Nihara couldn't explain or comprehend. It was all so strange to her. "Listen, I know Sonic is a worthy opponent in battle, but those stones... I've never even heard of Overlanders accomplishing such a thing..."

"Sonic is no Overlander," Jessica replied firmly, looking straight through Nihara. "You'll see when we get up there, just how incredible he can be."

Suddenly Sonic felt very powerful, as he always did when Jessica's belief in him was at its peak. After all, it was her belief that had brought the together in the first place, that had accomplished what seemed impossible by bringing the creatures of two very different worlds together. Believing was the power that made life itself possible, for believing made things true. And when Jessica believed in Sonic, there was nothing he could not do.

Nihara fell silent and was thinking of how anyone could possibly even get near the Chaos Emeralds. Every time she had ever gotten close to the seven gems, she felt a raging energy teeming in the very air around her that forced her back brutally. Sometimes they had even caused her pain when they drove her back with their magnificent power, and so she had thought it inconceiveable to touch the gems, let alone control them.

"So will you come with me and Vren and help us get into that room?" asked Sonic.

Nihara hesitated. She wasn't yet willing to join forces with anyone, but she was in Sonic's debt, now. Twice now he had spared her life. And her foster family had taught her to repay such debts. "I suppose... That way you can stop the Final Power. The only thing I care about is getting to Robotnik. I'll settle my personal conflicts with him on my own, and that is my final word." With that she turned and walked away.

"Very well," said Sally. "Then the groups have been made."

"What about us, princess?" Kimberly asked suddenly.

"That took me a while to decide since you are the newest members of the Freedom Fighters, and this is your first real mission. But Kimberly, I think you have learned enough about the advanced technology Robotnik uses. You can come with me and my group."

Kimberly's eyes beamed.

"And Natalie, you and Vren can be quite a team as I have noticed, so you can go with him. Jessica, you go with Sonic as well. I don't think you'd be happier with any other group."

Jessica nodded, glad she could once again accompany Sonic on another big adventure. It bothered her a little that Nihara would go as well, but if that was their only way of getting into the bridge, then so be it.

With that, Sally called out to the Freedom Fighters, "Then we go. We go now in search of the Doomsday Fleet!"

---

Chapter 17

The Doomsday Fleet

Across the eerily dark night flew two shapes, a dragon and a demon, side by side, soaring high above the mountainous wilderness below. Freedom Fighters sat upon their backs, and all seemed to be searching through the darkness, muttering among themselves. They had set out that morning and traveled all day, but had found no trace of the air fleet they had been looking for. Even Nicole's scanners couldn't detect the ships now, for they were apparantly orbiting the planet again.

"I can fly up there, Sonic, and search," Vren was saying as he flapped alongside Dulcy. "It's terribly cold... And it'll slow me down, but I'll survive it at least."

"But the rest of us couldn't go up there with you," came Sonic's answer as he sat sideways on Dulcy's back. "You'd have to get the ship to fly lower, somehow..."

"The main ship itself wouldn't pursue him," Nihara broke in suddenly. "Robotnik would just send down one of the smaller ships to pursue him if he got close. Either that or just blast him down with one of the cannons."

"Wouldn't harm Vrenny," Natalie said, and she leaned forward on Vren's shoulders to hug the immense white neck. "He's immortal."

"Finally someone remembers," Vren muttered, though more in fun than annoyance.

Sonic gazed back at Nihara. She was sitting far on the dragon's hindquarters, as far from the rest of the group as she could get. She still didn't feel comfortable around all of them, yet she was beginning to speak more and more to them. "You know a lot more about how the Doomsday Fleet works, Nihara. That could help us a lot. Why not tell us more?"

"I am not your servant to tell you everything," Nihara replied irritably, though she suddenly felt a pang of guilt for doing so.

"I didn't mean it like that," Sonic said apologetically, lowering his ears. "No one wants you to be our servant."

Nihara just gazed at him and looked away again, her eyes set on the ground that was blurring far beneath them.

Sonic noticed she looked very melancholy as she sat their alone, and wanted to reassure her. "What's the matter, Nihara?"

Slowly her eyes met his, and suddenly she was caught by their glimmering quality as they reflected in the starshine, and the kind warmth that they possessed. Why was it that every time she looked at him, those powerful eyes held her? They seemed to capture whoever looked into them, and spread the most incredible feeling through their heart. A feeling of wonder and security, of promise.

Again Nihara turned away, startled. Like Jessica, she didn't quite understand what these feelings running through her mind were, and felt it best to keep them hidden. "It's just... being around all the creatures I hated for so long..."

"You'll see in time that you can trust us, Nihara," Sonic said warmly. "Actually, we're pretty much the only ones left on Mobius that you can trust."

"I've found comfort in the Overlanders," Nihara reminded him.

Sonic shrugged. "It's interesting to hear that some have cared for you, considering you're a Mobian. I've definitely never heard of such a thing, and neither has the rest of us."

"Well, to tell you the truth, my foster family were the only Overlanders I had ever truly met other than Robotnik. But they were different than he is... So different..." Nihara's eyes sparkled lovingly as she remembered them.

"Really?" Sonic tilted his head. "What were they like?"

"They were noble creatures, the two of them. I can only remember bits and pieces, but my foster father... his voice rang with such courage and spirit, and he always inspired a wild bravery within me. It was a strong voice, not too old nor too young... probably that of one who was maybe twenty years old or more. But it almost seemed as if no fear had ever been in that voice, only valiance and honor."

Sonic lowered his ears and suddenly thought of his long lost father. He remembered too little, probably less than Nihara, for he had been so young when his parents got involved in the war and were eventually... killed. But the fragments of the past he did remember were of his own father's voice, that had always inspired courage in him too. It was vague, like an old photograph that had long been drained of its color through the years. But it was there, both in his mind and in his heart. Quietly he continued to listen.

"And then there was his wife, my foster mother. The way she spoke was soft, soothing..." Nihara paused to wipe her eyes. "with a warmness that I couldn't describe. It was a voice that could relax any fear or pain once heard, and it touched the soul like a lullaby. Yet, there was a bravery there too. They were both obviously courageous people who would have done anything for the ones they loved."

Now Sonic remembered his mother, who had always been known for her gentleness and soft heart. It was thought that that was where Sonic had gotten his remarkable kindness, from Lady Bernie. And just thinking of her seemed to relax him, for he closed his eyes slowly, as if he were about to fall asleep. Jessica, who had been listening closely all along, smiled at the sight. It was the peace in his eyes that she lived to see, and she wished herself that she could make him feel that way.

"They were the only ones who had ever cared for me..." Nihara whispered, trying as hard as she could to hold back the tears that were coming to her eyes. "And when they were gone, I felt as if I had died with them... Can you imagine how hard it is to live alone for so long, without the love and nuture of a family?"

Sonic nodded slowly, his eyes suddenly grave and almost sad. "Sure do," he said lowly. "Like I said, I never knew my parents. But at least my uncle was there, and me and the others lived with him in the palace before Robotnik took over."

Nihara dropped her eyes again. "You were lucky. I've never had friends or a relative to take me in. I was just abandoned over and over again. Robotnik only added to that," she added resentfully.

"The Freedom Fighters are both friends and family," said Sonic quietly. "You'll see that in time."

"You know, it's strange," Nihara whispered suddenly, in a tone so quiet that it was almost inaudible.

Sonic looked up. "What, Nihara?"

"Your voice... It just reminded me of my foster father...."

They stared at each other for a moment, and then their eyebrows furrowed in puzzlement. Nihara herself didn't understand it at all, for the moment she had heard Sonic speaking, that tone of courage and nobility was there too... And it instantly made her think of her dead Overlander friend.

"Odd," Sonic said finally, unable to find anything else to say.

Nihara just nodded, blinking in bewilderment.

Sonic turned his eyes up to heavens. The sky was blacker than black, again covered by a macabre veil of darkness that allowed only one or two stars to shine. And for a moment Sonic felt a hint of tiredness. After all, he hadn't slept in over three days. Most of the other Freedom Fighters had begun to doze on the dragon's back, and even Dulcy herself had her head drooped as she fell asleep while flying. Luckily she was flying high enough to avoid a collision with a tree or mountain. It would feel good to rest his eyes for a moment. Like he had while scouting around Robotropolis, he had been searching all day through the skies for his enemy. And after a while such eye strain could give anyone a headache.

"Well," he said to Nihara suddenly. "Couldn't mean much coming from an ol' Mobian like me, eh?"

Nihara gazed up at him, and found him grinning. She didn't look directly in his eyes though... Every time she did she felt that strange stirring in her heart, and she didn't understand it. But she found it hard to resist his smile. Something about it was vaguely familiar too. She smiled faintly and nodded. Then she turned back to look at the ground again.

Sonic moved closer to the others and leaned against Dulcy's neck, closing his eyes for a bit. Again, he only dozed, but it was good to rest for a while.

Jessica found herself looking at him and Nihara again. That pang of jealousy had returned... jealousy for how much attention Sonic was giving Nihara. For suddenly she felt as if she were somehow competing with the she-warrior.

Well, Vren was a creature of many acute senses. He could see for miles in the darkness with his sharp eyes, and could smell the thunderstorm well before it ever hit. He could also sense feelings, especially ones as strong as love, hate and envy. Suddenly he tilted and swooped away from Dulcy, and peered over his shoulders. The only passengers he carried were the girls, and all but Jessica had fallen asleep.

"More confusion?" he asked, gazing at Jess.

"Huh?" she muttered.

"I sense confusion in you," he answered softly. "What is the source of it, my friend?"

"Nothing..."

"Come now," Vren persisted, striding through the air with his forelegs. "Confusion is not caused by nothing. And usually nothing means something."

Jessica sighed. There was no hiding some things from a demon as smart as Vren. "It's just that... I don't exactly trust Nihara. I mean, for a while she was chasing us down like a hound, and she was so bent on hurting Sonic that I don't think her change of heart is real..."

"Sometimes all one needs is a second chance," the demon said softly.

"Yeah, but... How could someone who hated Sonic suddenly get a spark of--" she stopped dead.

Vren's ears came up. "What, my friend?"

"She just.... got, I don't know, a flicker of admiration in her eyes for him... I saw it this morning in the cave, Vren..."

Vren nodded understandingly. Now he could see why there was conflict. "Ah... And this creates a sort of...jealousy in you, doesn't it?"

"I'm not jealous!" Jessica lied.

Vren just stared back at her. If he had provoked her by saying the right thing, she would tell him all he needed to know.

"Seriously, I'm not! I just don't like her.... W-Why would I be jealous?" She hid her eyes now. It was very obvious in her gaze that she was becoming envious, and she knew Vren would be able to see that.

But Vren didn't need to see. He could feel her jealously. "Just a thought," he remarked simply. "There was already a war going on inside you before. It just seemed to me you were maybe a little jealous that Sonic has been paying more attention to Nihara than you."

Jessica said nothing. Like Nihara, she just had her eyes on the ground. But it was true. It was hard enough dealing with the fact that her own admiration for Sonic was deepening every day. And she knew that sooner or later she was going to admit that to him... She had almost done it the night before. And if Sonic suddenly had both of them telling him how much they cared for him, and always competing for him, it probably wouldn't be a good outcome.

Not that there would be anyway, she thought bitterly. But as she watched Sonic in the darkness, she couldn't resist his handsome face and the entrancing glow on his blue in the night. For even when the moon was blocked by clouds, he seemed to glow in the dark, his skin so very bright blue that it could not be extinguished. A burning tenderness came into her heart as she watched him, a tenderness that ran deep through her soul like a sword. She would never forget this creature for what he was -- the bravest of the brave, whose love could heal any pain, and whose courage would face fates even worse than death to save the ones he loved. The sheer power of this feeling made the girl tremble. It made all the feeling in her feet disappear, as if she were floating. It made her heart stir and shiver, and her eyes tear with compassion. It was love, and oh, what a powerful love it was. She couldn't say it as that yet... But her heart wouldn't hold it in forever. Already it was desperately seeking release, to cry to Sonic how very much it loved him. Suddenly Jessica wanted nothing more in the world than to be right there beside Sonic, to give him all the love that welled within her. She remembered that night upon the Doomsday Machine, a year ago, when she had felt his embrace, and longed to be so close to him that she could feel his heartbeat.

Again forgetting the confusion and conflict that had been there before, Jessica let the sight of Sonic lull her to sleep. As Vren felt the energy of her love communicate from her body to his, he smiled. Soon it would be... So very soon.

"Alert! Alert! Freedom Fighters detected! Approximate coordinates ninety degrees south, southeast..."

Robotnik turned to the monitor as the alarms blared and the alert lights flashed, casting red shadows across the control room of the ship. Quickly his fingers drifted across the buttons and controls until the monitor above had switched to visual mode, and the traveling Freedom Fighters appeared on the screen. "Excellent," he seethed through his teeth. "They're right below us. Once again I have baited them into the perfect trap."

Robotnik instantly whirled toward the doorway leading to the corridor, and hurried down the long passage. At the end was the entrance to the ship's bridge, two enormous automatic doors guarded by a raging forcefield that danced about it in jolts of green and yellow electricity. As Robotnik laid his eyes on the magnificent energy guarding the doors, he smiled in admiration. "The power that none of them expected," he said gleefully. "shall be the one that will stop them in their tracks. No one, not even the Hedgehog, can master your power, my glorious gem." Suddenly he drew forward and placed the palm of his hand on the scanner that was set on the wall next to the doors. Instantly the computer recognized his handprint and the forcefield broke, allowing the doors to slide open. On Robotnik went until he was at the very bridge of the ship, where the great windshield looked out across the pitch blackness of the night, and robots manned all the main controls of the huge fleet. "The monitors have detected Freedom Fighters ninety degrees south, southeast. Descend slowly. That ought to get their attention."

Slowly the ship came to a stop, and began to ease downward. Suddenly there was a violent jolt from the nose of the ship, and Robotnik was nearly thrown off of his feet. The airship rocked precariously for a moment, but finally became level again and continued descending.

"I'm hoping that was just the Chaos Emeralds and the Power Stones again?" he asked.

"Affirmative, Doctor," one of the robotic pilots replied. "The energy has nearly reached full capacity."

Again Robotnik smirked. All was coming together. For days now the Chaos Emeralds and Power Stones had been charging their energy, gathering their very greatest power yet, preparing to be unleashed into the void of the universe. Now that the task was nearly complete, the stones fought savagely to be released, to wield their awesome wrath on all that waited outside. Several times now, as the airship was ascending or descending, there would be sudden drops or bursts in power, when the mighty jewels were trying to erupt. Other times the robot crew would lose all control of the ship, and would be forced to decrease the amount of fuel the emeralds and the stones were receiving. The fearsome energy was swelling and becoming dangerously unstable. If something as tiny as a snowflake struck the core of the cannon where the energy was being contained, it would erupt into a massive explosion that would commence Armaggedon itself.

"Are they stable again?" Robotnik asked the pilot.

"Yes, Sir. Energy stabalized."

"Good. Keep going, but slowly. All we need to do is get their attention, and then they'll walk right into my trap," Robotnik grinned malevolently. "If only the Hedgehog knew what was in store for him..."

Below Sonic suddenly opened his eyes and pricked his ears. There had been a distant crash from above, and quickly he rose on the dragon's back, searching through the blackness above.

"What is it, Sonic?" asked Vren.

"Did you hear that?" Sonic whispered. "I heard something up there..."

"Is it the Doomsday Flee--"

"Shhh," Sonic stood motionless, his senses tuned in with the air around him, waiting. He had just felt it, a faint teeming of energy within his veins that seemed to take all his weight away. "Chaos Emeralds... I just sensed them. It must be the Fleet!"

Vren let out a howl and soon all the others had awakened.

"Where is it?" they began to ask. "Can you see it? Are we close?"

But while the others were looking back and forth across the sky, Sonic's eyes were glaring straight above. Every minute that rushing energy in his blood intensified, and he knew the Chaos Emeralds were close. So close that he felt as if he could summon them right then and there. Curious, he closed his eyes to concentrate and called upon the Emeralds, his arm outstretched as if he were reaching for the stones. The energy rushed to him, but suddenly it seemed to weaken, as if something were blocking it. He tried again, trying to master the seven gems with this thoughts, his fingers gripping hard at the air until he was straining every muscle in his arm to reach them. But nothing happened, and he stopped as he saw a shape right above him. At first it was no more than a speck, but steadily it came closer, and as Sonic recognized its features, he called out to the others, "There it is! Right above us! The main airship!"

Inside the airship Robotnik's eyes glinted fiercely. "Yes! The Hedgehog has spotted us! Quick, proceed forward, but make sure they catch us!"

The huge jets on the rear of the ship ignited with brilliant blue flames, and the enormous structure drew forward, its mighty engines roaring in challenge.

Immediately Vren and Dulcy had shot upward, clawing at the air with their forearms to reach the Doomsday Fleet. The ship began to move faster now, inviting them into a chase across the night sky. Sonic wanted to leap into the air and race after the fleet himself, for it seemed that they weren't moving anywhere near fast enough.

"Come on, step on it Dulce!" he shouted.

Hearing his urging, Vren plunged forward, galloping through the air. Rapidly his speed increased past one hundred miles per hour.

"Dulcy, it's no good," said Sonic, as the ship continued to pull away. "You'll have to crack the whip!"

"OK," the dragon panted. "Everybody hold on!" Dulcy lifted her tail high behind her, and suddenly shot it outward with a loud snap like a whip. Instantly she shot forward, matching Vren as they sped toward the Doomsday Fleet.

Robotnik never took his eyes off the monitor as he watched the Freedom Fighters' every move. Eagerly he clenched his teeth, his eyes flickering with a dark longing. "Fire at them!"

"But I thought you wanted them to catch us, sir," answered the confused pilot.

"Yes," Robotnik breathed. "But we can't make it too easy..."

Suddenly the gigantic cannons on the sides of the ship blasted into the night, hurling massive beams of energy at the approaching Freedom Fighters.

"Vren! Watch it!" Sonic yelled as a beam came screaming right toward the demon.

"Hold on tight, my friends!" Vren howled back to the girls, and suddenly spiraled sideways through the air, dodging the cannon beam by inches. The girls' heads spun as he continued to reel through the darkness, trying to dodge the beams that were streaking past them now.

"What kind of energy powers these cannons, Nihara?" Sonic shouted above the booming weapons.

"I'm not sure exactly," she called back. "But I think part of it is generated by Chaos Emeralds!"

"Sonic, you may be able to halt any beams that come close... And shield us," cried Uncle Chuck. "Try to master the energy!"

Sonic closed his eyes again and this time held out both hands, as if trying to brace them against the beams. His thoughts were calling upon the energy within, commanding it. There was a slight sense that something was blocking the flow of energy again, but it was very faint, and suddenly an oncoming cannon beam froze in its path before Sonic, held in check by his hands. For a moment his blue turned into a faint gold, and he was able to create a shield around Dulcy with his mastery over the emerald energy.

"Fly near Dulce, Vren," he called. "It's working!"

The demon swung up behind the dragon, sheltered by the shield. Every beam that came near it froze immediately, and were pushed away as Dulcy and Vren made their way forward.

"Where should we land, Sal?" Sonic asked.

"Near the top of the ship," came her answer. "It'll be the easiest to avoid the cannons up there and get into the control rooms."

Sonic nodded. "All right, Dulce, Vren! Head for the top. And put the pedal to the metal!"

The airship didn't move much faster as the Freedom Fighters came on. Robotnik was too busy studying how Sonic fought the cannon beams. He never saw Nihara on the back of the dragon as well. "I wonder how he knew the beams were powered by the Chaos Emeralds... No matter. This gives me a chance to test my little scheme." He turned slowly to the robot crew, a sinister grin spreading across his face. "Switch the Master on to the cannons -- just enough to override the emeralds."

Suddenly Sonic felt resistence from the energy beams. The shield about Dulcy weakened, and the beams were coming too close for comfort now. He called to the Chaos Emerald energy again, trying to gain control over it. But there it was again -- that sense that the energy was being blocked. And suddenly he was forced back as the energy fought him. The shield broke suddenly, and Dulcy had to spin away to avoid a hit.

"What's up?" Sonic asked.

"The energy fought you..." said Uncle Chuck, puzzled. "Did Robotnik manage to turn them against you again?"

"I don't know... It keeps feeling like there's something standing in the way... Blocking the energy."

Nihara narrowed her eyes when she heard this. "The trap..." she whispered wonderingly. "Could this be it...?" Her mind began to race, but suddenly she noticed that Dulcy and Vren were finally gaining on the Doomsday Fleet. They were flying alongside its immense side now, overwhelmed by the sheer size of Robotnik's creation.

"How can something this huge stay afloat?" asked Sonic.

"Coming in tight!" called Dulcy.

"Dulcy, Vren, land on that deck right there," said Sally, gesturing to a long deck leading toward the front of the ship.

Quickly the dragon and the demon swooped toward their target, finding it easier to miss the shooting cannons here. Vren landed first, alighting easily with his hindlegs first, folding his giant wings gracefully at his sides. Dulcy meanwhile came crashing onto the deck, practically flipping head-over-tail. Vren helped to steady her, and Sonic jumped down, shaking his head.

"Dulce, we really got to start working on your landings."

"OK, Ma..." Dulcy murmured.

"All right," said Sally, jumping off the dragon's back. "Here's where we split up. Everyone remember their teams?" When everyone nodded, she said, "OK, then. Get into your groups."

Vren lowered himself down to allow Kimberly to slip off his back. "Good luck, you guys," she said to Jessica and Natalie.

"You, too, Kim," they both answered.

As their friend moved over toward Sally's group, Vren came up alongside Sonic, nodding gravely. "So once again we shall unite as one to fight evil."

"Yeah. Just like last time, against ol' Naugus," Sonic answered, remembering that night when they had fought side by side to defeat the almighty wizard Ixis Naugus. Like Nihara, Vren had been all darkness. But when he was betrayed by Naugus, and softened by Sonic's goodness to him, he became a warrior of the light. Now the two were trusted allies and good friends.

"Then let us stand by one another again, to protect each other in the face of peril." Vren held up a massive forepaw.

Sonic smiled and shook the long, ebony black claw. "Amen to that, good buddy. How 'bout you, girls? Ya ready?"

"Let's kick some robot rear!" Natalie winked.

"Ditto!" said Jessica.

"What about you, Nihara?" Sonic turned to her, but Nihara didn't seem to be paying attention. Her eyes were scanning over the ship, especially the firing cannons, and she seemed to be deep in thought. "Nihara?" Sonic called again.

"Huh?"

"Ready?"

"Oh... Yes, yes I am. But remember... as far as the bridge door, then you're on your own." There was an attempt to look as hard as stone as she said it, but she failed miserably.

"No prob'," said Sonic.

All the other groups had formed now, and Sally was giving the rest of them a few last reminders before departing. "All right. We're ready," she said to them all. "Sonic, you and your group had better get ready to distract the security guards that'll come after us as soon as we set foot inside the ship."

"Do it to it, Sal," Sonic replied.

As Sally had said, the very instant they stepped inside the main airship, an alarm blared and a group of Swatbots emerged from the corridors. But getting rid of them was easy enough. Sonic took care of the majority of them, plowing into them and shattering them to pieces. Vren dealt with the rest, slashing at them with those savage claws and sending his toxic fangs right through their metallic frames. In no time at all the group was down, and Sally was able to lead them to the main control rooms.

"This is where we part," said Sally. "Ari, you and your group head to the second control room and disable the master computer. Sonic, head for the bridge. If you find the Chaos Emeralds and the Power Stones, try to gain control of them. The Final Power may still commence, but better you than Robotnik. We'll try to join you as soon as possible."

"Got it," Sonic nodded. "Let's go, guys. Good luck, you all!"

"You too. And be careful!"

With that, Sonic turned and bolted down the corridor ahead of them. Vren followed with Natalie, Jessica and Nihara on his back, trying as hard as he could to match stride with Sonic. For a moment he was reminded of the race they had had near Robotropolis, and suddenly wished they could have a rematch. As they went, lights at the top of the corridor suddenly went out, and security systems shut down.

"Sal and the others are already doin' good work," said Sonic.

"Yeah... Except I can't see a thing," Nat muttered as the last light above them went out, making the hall almost completely dark.

"But I can," said Vren. "There's a door just ahead."

"What's it marked?" asked Nihara.

"Looks like it says 3 on the side..."

"Then the door to the bridge is just ahead."

"OK, here we go!" Sonic shot forward, hurtling toward the cast-iron door at precarious speed. He turned at the very last second and rammed straight into it with his shoulder. The metal groaned beneath his impact and dented, but didn't break. "Tough armor," said Sonic.

"All the doors here are heavily armored," explained Nihara. "Luckily the surveillance cameras around this one and the security lasers have been shut down."

"Let me give it a try," said Vren, lunging for the door and slashing with his huge claws.

Still the door didn't want to budge. But Vren managed to rip away the metal gradually, and when Sonic tried again, it collapsed with a heavy crash. Only then did the small group of Freedom Fighters see that the door was nearly three feet thick.

"Sonic, look!" Jessica exclaimed suddenly.

Sonic gazed up and there, directly ahead of them, were the two great hatch doors leading into the bridge of the ship, where Robotnik waited. Before the door glowed a zapping forcefield of electric energy.

"That's the door," said Nihara, pulling out the card that would enable them to enter.

"Sonic, do you think you'd be able to master that energy too?" Jessica asked.

"Well, it's worth a shot," Sonic said. He sped closer to the door and began to call to the teeming energy. But he was blocked from it once more. He was beginning to grow puzzled at how the energy could be blocked from him. "It won't let me," he told the others. "For some reason, it acts like something is standing between it and me."

Again Nihara dropped her eyes. Jessica noticed and for a second she fancied she saw something secret and fearful in those black eyes.

"Looks like we'll need your help then, Nihara," said Vren.

Nihara hesitated. Suddenly she was afraid to go beyond that door... Afraid for the others...

"What's up, Nihara?" asked Sonic.

The trap... Nihara thought to herself worriedly. Robotnik spoke to me of it... But I never saw any plans for it... I had thought he had abandoned it... But he said that Sonic couldn't fight the Master... No, he couldn't have... He still needs that for the Final Power. He couldn't have made the trap...

"Nothing," she said. "I was just getting the card. Here," Nihara stepped up to the panel beside the door, and inserted the card into the slot. Next, she put the palm of her hand on the scanner. Then, suddenly, the energy ceased, almost with an eerie rapidity. Normally it took a minute or two for the fierce electricity to subside. Nihara stared at the door doubtfully... Still something told her to turn back now, and get the others out. Something just didn't... feel right...

But the hatch doors hissed open, and instantly Sonic stepped forward. Vren followed, having to crouch down to slip through the doors. Nihara hesitated again, but followed slowly, her eyes flashing back and forth across the ship. Sonic half expected to see Robotnik waiting there on the other side of the door, but as he stepped into the bridge, he was startled to find the place completely deserted. All the monitors on the sides of the bridge were shut off, no robot crew manned the ship's controls, and Robotnik was nowhere to be seen. Sonic immediately didn't like the scenario.

"What's up?" he whispered, his voice echoeing through the great room.

"Maybe Robotnik knew of our presence and fled," Vren replied.

Nihara trembled as she looked around the empty bridge. She was growing more and more nervous by the second.

"It looks supicious to me," said Jessica. "I have a bad feeling about it..."

"It's definitely not cool..." Sonic answered. "Keep your guard up."

"Sonic..."

Sonic turned upon hearing Nihara's quavering voice. "What's wrong?"

"We have to get out of here... Now!"

"What?"

Nihara's eyes were huge with fear. Sonic and the others didn't understand why she had become so frantic all of a sudden, but now she was in front of them, begging them to leave. "We have to move, there's a--"

All of a sudden there was a great eruption of energy behind them. Sonic jumped clear up in the air and whirled around, startled to see a quivering wall of red energy blocking the doorway behind them. As the energy hit the ground, the vibration knocked Vren, Jessica, Natalie and Nihara away. They hardly had a chance to know what was going on when they were suddenly pushed violently away. Then the room was filled with malicious laughter.

"Surprise, surprise, Hedgehog!"

"Robotnik!" Sonic snarled. The tyrant was looking down at them from a catwalk, a huge control panel behind him. Sonic lunged to attack, but suddenly another column of energy slammed down in front of him, and he slid hard to avoid it. Immediately he jumped right, but another red wall came down to oppose him. Baring his teeth, Sonic swung around left, but was halted again. Suddenly he found himself surrounded by the raging red energy, its heat intense on his skin.

"Sonic!" Jessica cried once she had recovered herself.

"No!" Nihara yelled.

"Hold on, Sonic!" Vren roared. He tried to leap and reach his friend, but a group of Swatbots blocked his way, and in their metallic hands they held rods that inflicted a painful burn on the demon's skin. Vren reared up and let out thunderous roar, slashing at the robots despite the electric rods that were being slammed agianst him. But suddenly there was a nasty jolt against his hindleg that was so powerful it caused him to collapse heavily to the ground. "Sonic!" he cried.

Sonic stood in the center of the energy ring, his eyes scanning over the surging red forcefields. No fear showed in his valiant eyes, just calculation. He was trying to figure out what the energy was so he could fight it. But he found that this strange energy was something he had never felt before. It created a savage heat that singed his skin, and it seemed to deplete all the air within the ring. Sonic tried calling to the energy, but now it was blocked completely. It didn't respond.

Above Robotnik laughed. "You can't escape now, Hedgehog! You see I designed this little trap just for you."

Angrily Sonic spun backwards, and hurled himself against the walls of red. Instantly he was repelled and thrown roughly to the floor.

"Sonic!" Jessica screamed again.

"We have to get him out of there!" Nihara shouted desperately. "Robotnik! You traitoring liar! LET HIM GO!"

Robotnik just chuckled, his eyes dancing in the darkness. "I see you survived, you soft-hearted fool. What's the matter? You wanted this filthy Mobian dead didn't you?" Robotnik suddenly threw a switch behind him, and the energy came down harder, forcing Sonic to the ground. Sonic let out a cry of pain as the heat suddenly became agonizing, and the air became scarce. Desperately he struggled to pull himself upright again and fight his way out.

"Stop it!" Jessica shrieked when she saw how much pain Sonic was in. "STOP!" Recklessly she threw herself at the robots barring her path. There came a rough blow from one of the Swatbots, and she fell backwards. But in another second she was up and doing it all over again. "Sonic!! Vren, help him!"

Vren swung left and right, snarling savagely as he pounced at the robots. The Swatbots literally stapped the demon with their electric rods, burning him badly, but the demon was numb to pain as he fought to help his friend. At last he broke through, and came charging toward the ring of energy.

Inside Sonic gasped for breath. He suddenly realized he couldn't breathe... the air was painfully hot and far too thin. Coughing terribly, he staggered to his feet and abruptly lunged upright, toward the ceiling where the energy beams were coming from. But again he was repelled and came crashing down to the floor again. His fury was rising along with the heat around him. Drenched in sweat, he yelled in challenge and slammed into the energy walls repeatedly. But the heat only intensified to a level that nearly made him collapse.

"ROBOTNIK, STOP IT!" Nihara cried. Suddenly she bulled her way through the robots and flipped toward the wall, boucing off the surface until she managed to swing on a pole up to Robotnik's level. Furiously she launched herself at him, but Robotnik seized her and tossed her back down to the lower level again. Nihara landed hard and rolled, wincing as she pulled her head up weakly.

Jessica was in a frenzied panic. As she saw Sonic struggling, her heart raced so fast that it was on the verge of bursting. Crying out in terror, she stumbled past the Swatbots despite the jolts of electricity that bit into her skin and practically pitched herself head-first into the ring of energy. "Help him, Vren!" she screamed. "For Mobius's sake, HELP HIM!!"

Vren's breath came in ragged gasps as he paced desperately in front of the ring. He tried scrabbling at it with his claws, but it only repelled his huge body too. Next he went after Robotnik, but another fierce beam of energy came down and stopped him.

"Hit the ceiling!" Natalie shouted at Jessica's side. "Damage where the energy's coming from!"

Vren hauled himself upright again and reared to his full height, slashing as the roof. Jessica and Natalie picked up whatever they could and tossed it angrily at the ceiling, but still nothing worked. Inside Sonic refused to give up the fight for life. Never striking the same place twice, he lunged in every direction to somehow break free. But the more he struggled, the more Robotnik intensified the energy. It became so incredibly hot that Sonic's senses reeled. His exertion only created more heat, and now he was trembling with rage and effort. He felt his head go light, and knew that suffocation was taking its toll. And all the while Robotnik cackled madly.

"NIHARA!" Jessica screamed at the top of her lungs, leaping futiley at the ceiling. "GET UP AND HELP NOW!"

Nihara was trying to pull herself up. Her arm was hurt badly from the impact of the fall, but as she saw that Sonic was still in terrible danger, she cried out and made an amazingly high leap, striking the ceiling near the ring with her fists. But no matter what, the ceiling held, and the Swatbots were at the terrified Freedom Fighters again.

"LET ME GO!" Jessica snarled as one of the robots grabbed a hold of her. The creature she cared for more than anything else in the world was hopelessly tapped and struggling before her eyes, and nothing would stop her from helping him now. "SONIC! DON'T GIVE UP!! DO YOU HEAR ME? DON'T YOU GIVE UP, SONIC! DON'T YOU DARE GIVE UP ON ME!"

Sonic choked as he fought for what little air there was. Hearing his friends outside, Sonic's courage and spirit rose to the breaking point, and he dashed around in circles, slamming, plunging, crashing, doing anything in his power to break free. But it was no use... he was trapped. He was forced down again, despite how fiercely and bravely he fought. A deep, deadly pain seized him from within, and he groaned in agony as he fell to his knees. His spirit surged inside him. It was screaming to him and demanding that he not give up. Courageously he moved to pull himself up, fighting the terrible pain.

"COME ON, SONIC!" Jessica pleaded to him. "COME ON!"

Robotnik laughed at Sonic's pain. His eyes glared down upon him, and he trembled with longing. "You have no idea who long I've wanted to see you suffer like this, Hedgehog," he hissed.

Sonic leered up at him fearlessly, his sides heaving.

"Thought you cold fight it all, didn't you?" Robotnik gloated, glaring at Sonic with eyes laden with hatred. "Thought you could invade my Doomsday Fleet and stop me from conquering my greatest dreams? Well, not this time, my friend! This time, I'll get the last laugh! You're doomed, Hedgehog! You cannot fight the ultimate source of my energy, the Master Emerald!"

Sonic's eyes widened suddenly when he heard this. But the deep agony sliced through his body again, and he collapsed onto his side, very near passing out from suffocation.

"No... SONIC NO!" Jessica cried, shaking violently.

"Jess..." Sonic gasped. "Nat... Vren, Nihara... Get out of here, now... Find the others...."

"NO, SONIC!" Jessica cried, struggling in the Swatbot's grip. "I won't! I won't leave you!"

Sonic gazed directly into her eyes, his eyes becoming glazed. For a moment there flickered something mysterious in his eyes, but Jessica failed to notice. All she wanted now was to reach him, to get him out of this death trap! "You have to..." he coughed. "Save yourselves..."

"I can't Sonic!" Jessica sobbed. "Never... NEVER!"

"Jess!" Sonic had to gather all the strength he had left to raise his voice. "Freedom Fighters always take orders... And I'm the leader. So now I order it... Go, now! Save yourselves... For Mobius... For me..." Suddenly the fierce red energy engulfed him.

"NOOO!" Jessica cried in agony, her heart seeming to split apart when she saw him go. "SONIC!!!"

So very deeply was her heart wounded from the horrifying scene that she didn't even realize the Swatbots were dragging her and the others away. Robotnik was screaming out in victory as the Freedom Fighters were screaming in despair. Sonic was gone...

---

Chapter 18

Gone...

"The hegehog is gone!" That very cry carried through the whole entire airship... through the whole entire fleet... and seemingly the whole entire world. Robotnik was ecstatic with his victory. Immediately after the remaining Freedom Fighters had been captured by the Swatbots and dragged off, the tyrant ran with all the speed he could muster to the brainroom. As he jogged past, one of the robots asked, "Sir, should we shut off the Master Emerald energy below?"

"No," Robotnik replied. "Let it destroy any remains of the Hedgehog. Besides... we are very close to achieving the final dream! By unleashing the Final Power, I can enslave the whole universe!"

Quickly Robotnik shoved a great iron door open, and stepped forward into a room stained completely red. In the center of the room lay a console, and within the console stood an enormous emerald. It looked exactly like a Chaos Emerald, only a hundred times larger. It was probably four feet tall, and although it was a deep, dazzling green, the energy it emitted now was crimson red. Robotnik strode toward it with wonder and admiration flickering in his black eyes. "You are truly the Master of all, aren't you? Using your power with my machines, I shall release a power that will destroy all who oppose me. The Final Power would just destroy the whole universe, but by letting you control the Chaos Emeralds and the Power Stones, I myself shall control the very greatest of powers! And I shall wield it as I please."

Robotnik whirled back around to the waiting robot crew. "Hurry! Ascend past orbit of Mobius. We must be in space to unleash the power. And Swatbots..." he paused, his eyes the very souls of evil. "make sure the rest of those Freedom Fighters never see the light of day again."

"It can't be true..." Sally cried, her eyes filling with tears. "Please tell me this isn't true!"

Inside the dark holding room, the Freedom Fighters were feeling the very greatest of despairs. Many of them were sobbing miserably, while others just sat in the darkness with their heads lowered in sadness. They had all seen what happened -- even the two other teams. Inside the control room were servaillance monitors, and it was on those that Sally and Ari's teams had witnessed the tragic scene. Now they had all been captured by the Swatbots, and thrown into this prison, tortured by their own grief.

"Sonic..." Sally sobbed. "My Sonic..."

The only ones taking it as hard as the princess were the Freedom Fighters who had accompanied Sonic: Vren, Nihara, Natalie and Jessica. Vren stood with his head and tail drooped, gold tears dripping down his proud muzzle. Nihara sat on her own within the shadows, constantly shaking her head and wincing as she remembered all that had happened. Natalie and Jessica sat together, their eyes so wet with tears that it was nearly impossible to see through them anymore. Jessica was trembling badly, and the sobs that came from her mouth were sounds that not even she had ever heard before. Other cries just rose from the depths of the stomach, but this despair rose from far greater depths. It rose from the heart, and it rose from the soul. Like Sally, Jess felt Sonic's loss as a physical agony. And all those who have ever lost someone so dear to them as dear as Sonic was to Jessica know how much pain the girl was going through.

"I hate Robotnik..." she kept muttering in between sobs. "I hate him! I'll kill him!"

"Doing that won't bring Sonic back..." Kimberly said lowly, shaking her head.

"I can't believe he's really... gone..." whispered Natalie.

"He can't be gone," Jessica cried. "Not Sonic... He just can't... It's impossible..." True Jessica had seen Sonic disappear before her very eyes, but still there was a nagging doubt in her mind. She had noticed it right after the Swatbots had thrown her and the others into this room.

"It was all a trap Robotnik had planned..." Nihara choked, never once looking at the others. "Robotnik.... He shall feel our revenge..."

Jessica's eyes suddenly ignited into fire when she remembered how strangely Nihara had acted before... How she had seen a secret concealed within those treacherous black eyes. "You..." she suddenly whirled savagely on Nihara. "You knew about this all along, didn't you?! DIDN'T YOU?!" The girl trembled with rage as she glared hatefully at Nihara.

Nihara lowered her head shamefully, the great pain of regret coming to her. "Yes..."

All the Freedom Fighters gawked at her now.

"You idiot!" Jessica snarled fiercely. "You TRAITOR! Why didn't you warn him, Nihara? Why? Or did you plan the whole thing, just pretending to help us?!"

Nihara began to shake. "No... I-I tried to tell you all...b-before--"

"Why didn't you warn him sooner if you knew?!" Jessica cried heatedly, her voice laden with pain and sadness. "He saved your life! He helped you when no one else would!" She paused, breathing hard. When she spoke again, there was a dangerous, almost deadly tone in her voice. "...And you dare look at him with admiration in your eyes one moment, and betray him the next... You dare!!"

For the first time Nihara looked up, her eyes glazed. But when she tried to speak, she found she couldn't. Jessica was right. She had betrayed Sonic... The one who let her live... twice. Trembling, Nihara buried her head in her arms. No words could describe the regret she felt then. "I'm sorry..." she moaned.

"Sorry..." Jessica breathed. "SORRY?! Oh, now you're sorry?! Well guess what, Nihara! It's too late for that! This was your fault! YOURS!"

Nihara winced, and though the others couldn't see it, tears dripped from her eyes. She was sorry... Terribly sorry.

Suddenly Sally stepped between Jessica and Nihara. "Jess, it wasn't Nihara's fault. No one could have been sure where Robotnik would have attacked. I know you're hurt, and... so am I. We all are... But is turning on each other what Sonic would want?"

Jessica shook violently, her eyes blinded with sorrow and fury. "I hate her, Sally..."

"No, Jessica, we mustn't hate," Sally pleaded. "Hate is for Robotnik alone. You can't possibly want to become like him... do you? Hate is the only thing Sonic hated, Jessica. He couldn't bear to see you the way you are now."

Jessica dropped her eyes, unable to hold back her misery any longer. "I miss him, Sally..." she sobbed. "I miss him so much..."

"I know," Sally whispered, hugging Jessica. "We all do, Jess..." she sniffed. "We all do."

A few hours later found the holding room dismally silent. Everyone had cried until there were no more tears left, and now they sat quietly, trying to recover their wounded courage and spirit. Sonic had been their leader, after all. He had faced every danger for them, and come to their rescue whenever they were in a hopeless situation. Now without his guidance and bravery, they felt terribly lost. Yet, as they sat in the darkness, something just didn't seem right about the whole incident. There was a doubt that touched all of them... a doubt that gave them hope. And among them, no one felt it more strongly than Jessica.

She sat alone in the far corner of the room, facing the cold wall. Her heart ached terribly, and she felt as if she hadn't seen Sonic in ages. She longed to hear his spirited voice again, to find solace and comfort in his nearness. And such longing only intensified the pain inside.

Vren, who had been laying not too far off, noticed that she was still shaking, and understood her sadness. Quietly he rose to his great paws and walked over. "Why not try to rest, my friend? You only make things worse by thinking on it all."

Jessica gazed up at Vren sadly. "I can't, Vren... I can't stop thinking about him."

Vren sat down. "Neither can I, to be honest with you. Such a wonderous fight he put up... Not even an immortal beast like me could have fought under such pain... If only I could have helped him..."

"Don't blame yourself, Vren. And don't remind me... It's already imprinted in my mind."

"I'm sorry," said Vren, lowering his ears. "But he's a warrior, that Sonic. He faces the very greatest of dangers, fights the very greatest of enemies, all at the cost of others... He inspires such courage in me. As I'm sure he does to you."

"He inspires far more than that in me, Vren... He is the best, the very best, Vren. There is not a thing in this world or the next that he would not face... would fear. He's a hero... a true hero. No matter what, he'd help anyone who was in trouble... anyone." Tears came to her eyes once again. "Nihara wanted to kill him, but he helped her anyway. And he's been a part of me for so long, Vren... A-And I can't take missing him like this... Oh, Sonic...." She groaned in agony, lying her head on her knees.

Vren watched her with sympathy. "And you never even got to tell him..."

Jessica looked up suddenly. "Tell him what?"

"That you loved him."

Jessica stared speechlessly at the demon for a long while. When she spoke finally, her voice shook. "Y-You knew? All this time?"

Vren nodded slowly. "It was quite obvious for a time, my friend. And I can feel strong emotions in others almost as if I were feeling them myself."

Jess dropped her gaze. If Vren knew, how many others knew?

"It's nothing to be ashamed of," Vren whispered softly. "Love is a very beautiful thing. It can conquer all."

The girl could hardly hear the demon. There was a wild feeling stirring inside her... Love. At last, she had a name for this deep emotion within her heart. It was true. Vren was right. She loved Sonic...

"But promise me this, little friend," Vren continued solemnly. "When you love someone, don't keep it a secret. You never know when you'll see them for the last time."

Jessica trembled, still overwhelmed at how that one word made her heart beat faster. And she suddenly wondered why she had been so afraid to tell Sonic that she loved him. She forgot all fear now. "You're right, Vren," she whispered breathlessly. "I did love him... I do love him... I don't--I don't know why I was so scared before... I should have told him... Why didn't I tell him?"

"Perhaps you were just afraid of the answer you'd receive," anwered Vren. "but that is natural."

"That was it... But even if he gave me an answer I wouldn't have liked, he still would have known, and there still would have been peace inside of me. And what could be better than knowing that someone loves you?"

Vren gazed at the girl wonderingly. "You don't believe Sonic's gone... do you?"

Jessica gazed at the huge cast-iron doors of the holding room. Through two tiny slits in the door, a blue light was filtering through, breaking the darkness. It was a bright, shimmering cerulean blue. "...No, Vren... I don't. If Sonic had... gone... a part of me would have gone too... And something tells me that he's out there, now... somewhere..."

Vren looked up hopefully. "How I do hope you are right, little friend. How I do hope."

It was at least two hours later when The Doomsday Fleet passed out of Mobius's atmosphere and into the void of space. Nihara knew this when she felt the huge ship jolt due to the rising power of the Chaos Emeralds and the Power Stones. Robotnik would be making the final arrangements to unleash the power now. Slowly Nihara looked around the room from her shadowdy, secluded spot. Most of the other Freedom Fighters were resting now, trying to put their hopes in Sonic. As the hours had passed, Jessica wasn't the only one who felt Sonic had survived. Thinking of Sonic, Nihara lowered her head guiltily.

"I've really messed up the course of my life..." she whispered sadly to herself. "For so long I have been eaten up by the hatred of a lie... Eaten up by my own foolishness... Teaming up with Robotnik... Trying to destroy Sonic... What was I thinking?"

She leaned up agains the wall behind her, rubbing her head with a troubled sigh. There was a horrible pounding in her head, for now, just as the hate and anger had done, lament was gnawing away are her soul.

"What good have you ever done?" she asked herself bitterly. "Just serve evil? Look where it's led you... Here, trapped in Robotnik's ship, awaiting the end of everything... Now no one believes how sorry I am... Sorry I betrayed the one who spared me my life. Oh, my Overlander friends... Mother... Father... The ones who cared for me after I was abandoned... Why am I such a fool?"

Miserably she laid her head on her knees. What hope was there? Robotnik would bring forth the Final Power soon, and all life would end... because of her. Nihara remembered painfully how Jessica had looked at her so accusingly, and how right the girl was. She was nothing... Nothing but a traitor, a backstabber. She could have warned Sonic before they had ever set foot on the ship, and none of this would have ever happened.

"Sonic," she whispered. "If only I could tell you how sorry I truly am... If only I could beg your forgiveness...and make peace with you... Make peace with all your friends..." Nihara paused when she heard heavy clanking footsteps outside. Quickly her ears went erect, and she listened closely.

"Now to destroy the prisoners?" came the voice of a Swatbot.

"Affirmative," answered a second. "Dr. Robotnik has ordered that all threats to the Final Power be eliminated."

Nihara clenched her teeth as she heard this.

"Shall I request backup?" the first one asked.

"Only if necessary. The electric rods should do the job."

Nihara suddenly saw their shadows fall across the corridor outside, and her heart raced. Her eyes darted across the room, landing on the Freedom Fighters that she had come to trust... The ones that had helped her when no one else would... Every second now the robots were drawing closer, prepared to murder everyone in this room... If the Freedom Fighters were lost, then there was no hope of ever stopping Robotnik. Suddenly Nihara narrowed her eyes. No... She wouldn't betray anyone ever again... As the footsteps outside came ever closer, and a robotic hand began to fumble at the locks, a determined courage came alive within Nihara.

"I won't let him win..." she whispered lowly, rising to her feet and pinning her ears. "I won't betray... the only friends I've ever had... I will take revenge on Robotnik for what he did to me... for what he did to Sonic..."

Suddenly the doors hissed open, and the shadows of the two Swatbots spread across the floor of the holding room. Nihara's eyes flickered like little black flames, and a new bravery possessed her. Boldly she stepped forward, into the light, her eyes pinned flat, her teeth bared. "This is for you, Sonic!"

With a flash of violet, Nihara sprung at the robots, ready to do whatever it took to somehow make amends for the crime she had comitted.

---

Chapter 19

Separated

The Freedom Fighters were awakened by a loud crash. When they came to their senses and looked up, they found the door to the holding room white open, and two Swatbots lying on the ground, their circuits jammed.

"What in the world happened?" asked Sally.

"Someone attacked them," answered Uncle Chuck, noting the broken metal and the sparking electricity. "But who could have--"

For a minute Jessica felt a sense of hope. If they were all here, yet the robots had been attacked, then maybe Sonic...

"Hey, where's Nihara?" Kimberly asked suddenly.

The others whirled around and scanned over the room. First they looked to where Nihara had been sitting, and when they didn't see her, they searched through their number and examined every last corner. Nihara was nowhere to be seen.

"Do you think she was the one who attacked them?" Rotor inquired.

"Only one way to find out," said Uncle Chuck. "Let's have a look outside."

The group stood in the entrance and peered out into the long corridor. Again they saw nothing... nothing but another trashed Swatbot further down the hall to their right. Cautiously they crept out of the holding room, wary of traps, and hurried over to investigate.

"This robot's circuits have been fried, too," observed Sally.

"Nihara must have done it..." said Lupe. "Who else could have? And why else would she be missing?"

"But where do you think she's got off to?" Vren asked.

Suddenly the great ship lurched and bucked, nearly throwing the Freedom Fighters off their feet. They looked out the window running alongside the corridor, and noticed the infinite blackness of outer space.

"I think it matters not," said Uncle Chuck. "Don't you guys see? She probably left to deal with Robotnik herself, as she said she would... and to stop the Final Power."

"So?" Jessica asked. "All I see is that she obviously ran off and abandoned us again."

"Don't be so sure," the older Freedom Fighter insisted. "Those Swatbots were inside the holding room. That means they were coming for us. But Nihara stopped them. Chances are that third one had heard something was going on and was coming to aid his comrades, and she took care of him too. She saved us."

Jessica's eyes widened. "But she coudln't have... She's a trai--"

"Perhaps she did it to make up for that, Jessica," Sally said softly. "Perhaps she has gone alone to face Robotnik because she took the blame."

Suddenly Jessica remembered how she had blamed Nihara, and abruptly felt very ashamed herself... especially if Nihara had really saved their lives.

"So what do we do?" asked Natalie.

"We must help her," declared Uncle Chuck. "We're in space now, and that means Robotnik will unleash the Final Power any minute now. We can't let him do that."

"But how will we stop it without Sonic?" Kimberly questioned.

The others fell silent for a moment, thinking. There was no way to stop the Final Power once it started, and Sonic was the only one who could take the power from Robotnik. But suddenly, Natalie remembered something.

"Sally, back in the bridge Robotnik said that the energy he was using against Sonic was powered by the Master Emerald."

"The Master Emerald?" Sally asked immediately, turning to the girl.

"Yeah... Can't that help us?"

"Legend has it that the Master Emerald has the ability to control the Chaos Emeralds," answered Chuck. "Or neutralize them, rather. But there is only one way to actually summon its power... and I'm afriad I don't know it."

"Well, maybe we can cut of the power supply from the Master Emerald to the Chaos Emeralds," suggested Sally. "And then maybe disable the cannon. The Final Power would still erupt... But maybe its impact wouldn't be as great."

"It's risky, Sally," Uncle Chuck said, shaking his head. "If Robotnik controls the Master Emerald, then it would attack anyone else who got near it. And disabling the cannon might very well make the Final Power erupt here inside the ship... Destroying us with it."

Again they all fell silent, looking at each other nervously.

"Well, we have to do something," Sally insisted. "If we don't, everything will be destroyed. Better us than the entire universe..."

"But do we even know if the power would stop then?" aksed Ari. "It would cause the ship to go, yes, but who's to say it wouldn't keep going after that?"

"Is there no hope?" Jessica groaned.

"Wait, Uncle Chuck," Sally said suddenly. "Didn't you tell us that no one really knew what the capabilities of the Final Power were, or whether it could be stopped?"

"No one really knows what I can do," he answered. "But as for stopping it, I'm not sure. Nihara said that Robotnik told her it was impossible. I doubt it can be done... These are the Chaos Emeralds we're talking about."

"Well, if no one knows, then how can we be sure? We have to give it a try! For Mobius's sake."

"It's still risky Sally..."

"When have the Freedom Fighters ever let that stop them?" Sally asked, determination flaring in her blue eyes.

Hearing the strength in their leader's voice, the others looked up, now in need of guidance more than ever.

"Come on, guys. We can't just let Robotnik win. Remember what we swore? Robotnik will never win. Never! This isn't just Mobius at stake anymore... This is the whole universe, our only home. If we give up now, billions of other living things will die. And what would Sonic say if he saw you all now?" She paused as a tear slid down her cheek. "Sonic would never give up! Sonic wouldn't quit! No matter what dangers faced us, Sonic would lead us through bravely. Come, Freedom Fighters. Do it for Sonic!"

Jessica suddenly remembered what Sonic had told her before the energy engulfed him... She shivered as she thought of it, but as Sally spoke, she felt a great stirring inside her. It was true. Sonic would never give up, not even at a time like this. And Jessica would have done whatever Sonic had asked of her.

"I'm with you, Sally!" Natalie suddenly exclaimed.

"And so am I," added Kimberly.

"For Sonic!" One by one all the other Freedom Fighters threw in their hands.

Jessica was still very low-spirited, but hearing the valiant cries of her dearest friends, and remembering her own love for Sonic, she couldn't help but feel a great courage come alive within her. Finally, she put in her hand too.

Uncle Chuck was doubtful that the Final Power would indeed be stopped, but he himself was a gallant Freedom Fighter who rarely backed down from a challenge. He was related to Sonic, after all. So he, too, put his hand in and nodded. "For Sonic!"

"Then it's toward the bridge then," said Sally. "From there we can disable everything possible. It may be dangerous, but we must do it for life itself. So let's go!"

And so the Freedom Fighters started down the long corridor toward the bridge of the mighty airship. Little did they know that just ahead Nihara was on the same route, creeping along stealthily through the shadows with surprising speed. Whenever she came across a Swatbot, she'd instantly jam its circuits with anything she could find -- scrap metal, debris, maybe even the robot's own laser rifle or electric rod. At last she saw the door to the bridge just ahead. But she didn't take the main entrance. To her left was a metal ladder that led up to a catwalk high above the hall. It led straight to the room where the Master Emerald was being held now. Quickly she clambered up the ladder. There was a protective forcefield at the top to guard the catwalk, but she used her identification card and go through safely. Now her eyes, black as they were, sliced through the darkness. "Here's where I lie and wait, Robotnik," she hissed. "Now, it is you who shall feel my revenge."

Inside the bridge gazed proudly at the Master Emerald. He could feel a steady vibration beneath his feet, and knew that the Final Power was almost done charging. Outside the universe looked as if it were being packed into one great ball of energy. And that was the very soul of the power.

"Such a marvelous creation, this emerald," said Robotnik. "It's a wonder no one has ever attempted the Final Power sooner."

"Dr. Robotnik," called one of the robot pilots. "We are nearing the firing point."

"Ready the main cannon," ordered Robotnik. "And deploy our stabalizing wings... Things are bound to get bumpy."

Even as he said this, the huge ship gave a great lurch, and then dropped suddenly. Robotnik grunted as he tried to keep his balance, holding onto the railing around the Master Emerald. The ship stopped bucking, but the vibration in the floor still kept up. Robotnik turned to the monitors beside him to make sure no damage had been done, when he suddenly noticed the corridor near the holding room was empty of patrolling Swatbots. Supicious, he tapped into the servaillance cameras, and immediately saw all the downed robots.

"What is this?" he asked angrily. "Don't tell me those fools escaped!"

He scanned through the long hall with the camera monitor, and it didn't take long for him to spot the group of Freedom Fighters heading his way.

Furiously he pounded a fist on the control panel, activating the P.A. system. "All Swatbots converge on red corridor! Stop those feted Freedom Fighters!!"

"We've got company, Sally!" Vren snarled suddenly.

Up ahead a fleet of Swatbots was rushing towards them. All were armed with the electric rods.

"I thought all the cameras were shut down," exclaimed Jessica.

"These must be running on the Power Stone's energy," answered Sally. "Come on! We can get through these guys!"

"Freeze intruders!" the Swatbots demanded. "Hands behind your heads!"

"It your dreams, scum!" cried Uncle Chuck, hurling a dart right at one of them. The dart was used to scramble the programming on enemy robots, and once the Swatbot was hit, it fell to the ground.

Vren roared and plowed right into the line of Swatbots, trampling a good number of them. When he felt the electric sting of their weapons again, he whirled around in a great fury, slashing the robots in two with his ferocious claws, and tearing them apart with his fangs.

"Quick," called Sally. "There's an opening! Let's go!"

The rest of the Freedom Fighters were about to slip past the robots, when, all of a sudden, the ship made a huge leap forward, dunking almost to the point where it was practically vertical. Everyone slid forward, when the ship bucked again, but this time it was greater than it ever had been. The lighting above flickered on and off, and there was an eerie groaning of metal from below.

"What was that?" asked Kimberly.

"We can stick around to find out," came Sally's reply. "We must keep moving."

Just as she was leading the way there was a sickening drop of the airship that caused them all to lose their footing. Abruptly the ship lunged sideways, and practically capsized. The Freedom Fighters and the Swatbots were tossed about roughly inside, as if some giant hand had grabbed the Doomsday Fleet and was now rolling it around through outer space. Soon all the electricity in the corridor went out, leaving the ship completely black. It was then that the ship finally spun all the way upside down and then right side up again. In the midst of it all, the Freedom Fighters became separated, for they could not see each other in the mad spinning blackness. The ship seemed to twirl and jounce forever, until, with startling suddeness, it stopped and flew smoothly, as if nothing had ever happened at all.

"Well that was a fun ride," Jessica heard Natalie's voice echo in the darkness.

Wincing, she pulled herself up off the cold ground and looked around. She could hardly see anything, and her head was throbbing from all the spinning.

"Speak for yourself," then came the voice of Kimberly.

They sounded close. "Where are you guys?" Jessica called.

"I'm right here," answered Natalie from the far right. As Jessica's eyes adjusted to the darkness, she finally saw her friend moving toward her.

"OK, where are we now?" Kimberly muttered, moving up from the left.

"I don't have a clue," said Jessica. She lifted her hands to her mouth. "Sally! Vren! Can you guys hear us?"

The three listened, but no answer came, and they looked at each othe worriedly.

"Now what do we do?" Natalie asked.

"We need to find the Freedom Fighters," Kim said immediately. "I bet all those vibrations were caused by the Final Power."

"But we don't even know where we are," Jessica muttered.

"Are we Freedom Fighters or aren't we?" Kimberly inquired, reaching into her pocket and pulling out Xervalaa. "Let's not panic. We can do this. Xervalaa, can you tell us where we are?"

"You are here, Kimberly." A red light flashed on the screen to show their current position. All three girls studied the screen, until Kimberly said, "We're not that far from the bridge. Look -- we're in one of the middle halls. The bridge is directly ahead. If Sally and the others really did shut down all the security cameras and doors, we should be able to get through just fine."

"Wow, I need to get me one of those computers," said Natalie.

"We'd better hurry," said Jessica. "We don't know how much time we have left."

"Right," nodded Kimberly. "Let's get moving then."

Following Xervalaa's maps, the three of them hurried down the hall toward the bridge.

"What's going on?" Robotnik asked angrily. "Why is the Master Emerald resisting? It's fighting the Chaos Emeralds!"

The great airship had just stopped spinning violently when Robotnik asked this question. Before him now, the giant emerald was flashing in brilliant rays of green, fighting off the red energy that it had emitted before. At first Robotnik had thought the charging Chaos Emeralds had caused the ship to tumble and spiral through space, but when he checked the energy readings, he found that the Master Emerald was no longer syncronized with the Chaos Emeralds. It didn't make sense. He had controlled the Master Emerald's power perfectly so that it would harmonize with the Chaos Emerald energy... What would disrupt that without him seeing it?

"I don't know, Dr. Robotnik," one of the robots answered. "But more violent vibrations could mean potential damage to the Doomsday Fleet."

"Well then keep the ship steady," Robotnik snapped. "The rest of you get up here and make sure that the Master Emerald does not resist again. We can't afford a mishap now. Not when we're so close!"

Outside the bridge, Nihara could hear almost everything Robotnik was saying. Just hearing his sinister voice made her clench her teeth. She wanted badly to rush into the room and attack, but now something held her back. It had come when the ship had spun wildly... When the Master Emerald had resisted. She didn't understand at all why it happened or what it meant, but there was a voice now, and for some reason it told her, "Wait, lie and wait. All will be well. Just wait a little longer. You will know the time to move."

Nihara shuddered, for it felt as if a ghost were speaking to her. Sadly she remembered Sonic, and suddenly there were tears in her eyes again. Just a short time ago the number one thing she wanted was to get rid of him... Oh, how she regretted that now. She still wasn't able to fill in the gaps of the puzzle of her past, but she had never been trained to take innocent lives or betray. So long now she had been pursuing a lie, and that infuriated her to her soul. Why was she always mixed up in some confusion? Why couldn't she just know the truth of all that had happened? And why had she become so... evil?

"Such a fool I was," she muttered to herself. "I've been so confused so long that I was willing to believe anyone who knew about the past. So willing that I believed in evil. I've betrayed everyone. I've even betrayed myself."

Suddenly the voice came to her again. "Do not give up hope. We all deserve a second chance, and we all deserve forgiveness. True evil has no heart. But you do have a heart, and hearts can be healed. All questions shall be answered. All mysteries shall be solved. Wait, Nihara. Lie and wait. The time draws near."

"Who are you?" Nihara asked. But there came no reply. "Well, whoever you are, I do hope you're right. I hope that Sonic can take my forgiveness... That alone could heal this wounded heart, and answer everything I've ever needed to know. I do hope..."

"Did you guys hear that?" Jessica asked suddenly.

The three girls paused in the long, dark hall to listen. But they heard nothing.

"Hear what, Jess?" Kimberly asked.

Jessica was still straining to listen, but whatever she had heard had gone. "I don't know," she whispered. "I thought I heard something... like some kind of voice..."

"Maybe you heard the Freedom Fighters calling to us," said Natalie. "Hey, I wonder if they're nearby."

"It wasn't them," Jessica shook her head. "I don't know who or what it was... But I know for sure that it wasn't the Freedom Fighters..."

"Well, whatever it was, we can't stop now," stated Kimberly. "The bridge is just ahead."

No sooner had they set off again, the ship suddenly shuddered violently, hurling forward and backward.

"Oh, no," grumbled Jessica. "Not again."

"Better grab a hold of somethin'!" Natalie yelled as the ship began to turn upside down again.

Quickly all three of them dashed toward a nearby pole and held on as the Doomsday Fleet swung up, as if it were about to turn over again, but then came back down and flipped the other way. Then another spinning frenzy began. As if it were trapped in a whirlwind, the airship spun and somersaulted through space, tossing everything inside it around like leaves. No matter how hard the three girls hung on, the force of the spinning pried them away from the pole they clung to and eventually separated them. The spinning this time lasted for a good five minutes before it finally ceased. When Jessica looked up, she found that she was alone and in another pitch black room. Groaning, she sat up, shaking her head to rid herself of the dizziness.

"I can't take much more of this," she mumbled to herself. "Kim! Nat! Where are you?"

There came no answered from the darkness. Again and again Jessica called, but the whirling of the ship must have separated them good. Jessica sighed and lowered her head. It was much easier to do things when she had her friends by her side. At least then there were three minds to work together and solve problems instead of just one. At least then she felt a little brave. But now that she was alone, she realized how terribly afraid she was.

"What do I do now? Only Xervalaa knows how to find the bridge... Without her, Kimberly and Natalie, it'll be too easy to get lost..."

"Do not fear," came a sudden voice. Jessica gasped. It was the same voice she had heard in the hall, only now it was stronger, clearer. "Follow my voice. And follow the growing power in your own heart."

"Who... Who are you?" Jessica asked. She knew she could hear a voice, but it was difficult to actually identify it. It was like someone whispering to her in her sleep. Yet the moment she heard it, a warm, trusting feeling descended upon her. Again a flicker of hope entered her eyes.

"Keep going. You are close."

"But I don't know where I am..." Jessica answered, pulling herself to her feet and looking around for a doorway. "Let alone where the bridge is..."

"They will bring you to them. Just follow your instincts. And do not fear... There are forces at work now that will save everything. Great forces."

"They'll bring me to them? But how? I don't understand... Hello?" But the voice was gone again. Bewildered, Jessica wandered about the dark room until she finally found a door. It let out to the hall again, she found, and she sighed with relief. It looked like the same main hallway she had been traveling with Kimberly and Natalie earlier. Once she stood in the hall, she called for her friends again. She thought she heard movement from somewhere behind her, but when she looked, she found no one. Worried, she continued forward, looking about her warily. Strange voices and sounds... Even though the voice that had spoken to her soothed her, she still didn't know who spoke it. And the sounds behind her made her cautious. Especially when they started to follow her and get louder. Jessica soon found herself jogging through the hall to get away, and then running. The sounds grew into the clanking of metal, and all at once Jessica thought of the Swatbots that had came after her and the Freedom Fighters. Desperately she picked up her pace to a sprint, hoping that the darkness and shadows would come to her aid. But still the sounds pursued her, and she glanced over her shoulder to see just how many Swatbots might be following her, and how close they were. Suddenly she crashed into something in front of her, and fell backwards from the hard impact. It felt as if she had run right into a brick wall. But before she could regain her senses, a dreaded robotic voice echoed through the hall.

"Freeze, intruder! You are surrounded!"

---

Chapter 20

Secrets Revealed, Mysteries Solved

Jessica found herself completely encircled by Swatbots, all armed with laser rifles and electric rods. Instantly her heart pounded fearfully, but she had no choice but to sumbit to the robots. There were too many of them to fight now, and if she ran she risked being hit by the deadly lasers and bolts of electricity.

Suddenly the Swatbots' rough hands gripped her around the wrists. "Walk ahead, prisoner."

The girl clenched her teeth at the robot. For a moment she thought about struggling to get free as the Swatbot pushed her further away from the group. But she soon saw the rifle strapped to its shoulder and changed her mind. Soon the other Swatbots followed, and Jessica's heart thudded.

"That was smooth..." she growled to herself. "There no questioning where they'll take me now... The Roboticizor!"

Then the voice spoke again, "Let them take you. As I told you, great forces are at work now, and it is they that shall come to your aid."

"Great forces?" Jessica asked, trembling. "What do you mean? I can't let them take me to the Roboticzor! I won't be able to escape, and--"

"Trust me," the voice insisted, and immediately the girl was silenced. There had been an overpowering sense of trust and belief inside her suddenly, as if she had finally identified the speaker and knew she could automatically trust them. "Everything will be all right. I promise that."

It was then that the voice was clearer and stronger than it had ever been. Jessica trembled now, not from fear, but from a powerful hope. "Could it be...? Oh, please.... please..."

"Do not fear. Be brave and strong, like the Freedom Fighter you are. For one of the powerful forces working now dwells within you."

"Me?" When the question was asked, the voice went away again, but Jessica didn't lose hope. Her mind was racing now, pleading, praying, that what she hoped was true. Just thinking about it mader her heart flutter and her whole body tremble uncontrollably. Instead of trying to make her steps as small as possible, she walked forward eagerly, as if she had forgotten that the robots were taking her to her doom. Every second now they were coming closer to the terrible room, and the girl strained to hear the voice again. But it didn't come back, and she peered out the small window on the far sides of the ship. Suddenly she noticed a star, one she had seen so many times before, bright blue in color and shining with such a brilliance that it made all the others seem lifeless. Then, as always, her heart was filled with believing and wonder. "I must believe..." she whispered to herself, the blue star reflecting in her eyes. "That is all I can do..."

The human Freedom Fighter then closed her eyes and tried to concentrate her thoughts and stop the fear that shivered within her with every step. For with fear came doubt, and doubt blocked the path that belief and trust flows through. Right now her greatest weapon against her captors was believing.

Suddenly the robots stopped at a door, and one of them placed an indentification card in the scanner. The door slid open, and Jessica shuddered, for right there was the Roboticizor. For a moment fear siezed her and she tried to fight the robot that held her, digging her heels into the ground and standing fast. But with brute force the Swatbot dragged her forward into the room, and the girl quaked with terror as they came closer to the horrid machine. But then she remembered the voice, and the hope that came with it, and she battled her own fear to save herself. She strained to turn back to the window in the hall behind, and just barely caught a glimpse of the blue star, twinkling back at her. Instantly belief came back to her. "Please," she kept pleading in her tremulous voice. "Please... I do believe..."

The Swatbots dragged her closer toward the Roboticizor while a few others went to the controls, but although the girl was shaking terribly, she had her eyes clamped shut and seemed oblivious to the danger that awaited her.

"I do believe," she whispered over and over again. "I do... I do...

"Activate the Roboticizor," one of the robots ordered. Jessica didn't realize that her captor had pulled her onto the platform of the Roboticizor, and that the glass capsule was now descending from the ceiling. Only when she heard the capsule seal shut, trapping her inside, did she open her eyes and give a start of panic. "I do believe!" she cried, heart racing desperately. "I do! I do!"

"Preparing to roboticize," the robot at the controls announced, thumbling at the switches and guages. "Activating... Dialing..."

Jessica could hear the terrible energy bubbling above her, and cringed down. "I believe!" she shouted as loud as she could. The stirring energy became a wave of light that flickered above her. "I do!" Jessica cried. The light began to reach down toward her. Jessica could hardly see. Fear blurred her vision, and her blood raced through her veins. She pouned on the glass furiously with her fists, so furiously in fact that it was a wonder it didn't break. "I do believe!" she screamed. The energy came down, slowly at first, but it quickly began to increase in speed. "I do!" The energy came faster.... "I DO!" Faster.... "I DO!" Faster.... Now it was directly over her head, barely ten inches away. Jessica gathered herself and virtually lunged at the glass, crying in the loudest voice she could muster, "I DO!!!" She saw a flash above her, and cowered down to the floor, covering her head with her arms, crying out in fear.

All of a sudden there was a loud crash. At first Jessica thought it was the Roboticizor energy engulfing her, but there was a furious breeze that roared above her and the sound of shattering glass, and it made her cringe down again. Something seemed to blast around the room, slamming into everything it touched. Jessica didn't see it, but the Swatbots had scattered, and the control panel had been destroyed. Again there was thunderous crash, and the ship suddenly leaped up. Only aware of the terror in her mind, Jessica just clung to the Roboticizor platform, shaking and gasping fearfully. There was one final crash, and then all went silent and still. The only movement in the room was the trembling girl. For a second, after hearing the silence, Jessica found a sliver of courage to look up. But then she heard footsteps, and instantly curled herself up again, not daring to move. She didn't know what was out there, but for all she knew it could have been the Swatbots coming for her again. When she heard the footsteps coming closer, she whimpered and shook so much that the platform beneath her seemed to quiver as well. Would this believing really save her? Or was she doomed?

Then, suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder. She gasped and started up to try and escape, but the very moment she looked up, she found herself gazing into two glorious, magnificent emerald eyes.

"Everything's OK, Jess," came a soft, gentle voice. "Are you all right?"

Jessica froze for a second. She didn't know how to react. All that had been racing before now came to an abrupt stop. Those eyes... That voice... Suddenly the girl's eyes went wide, and gasped as all the air had been ripped out of her lungs. She couldn't believe what she was seeing... or rather, who she was seeing. Suddenly she staggered back, trembling, trying to take in the handsome face before her.

She struggled for voice, but at last she managed to choke out a few words. "S-S-Sonic?"

"It's me, Jess," came the warm answer.

There was a leap in her heart that Jessica had never felt before. It couldn't be... But it was! There he was, right in front of her! Only now he was somehow a thousand times more beautiful to her than he had ever been. His eyes seemed to be dark green flames within his eyes, giving off the warmth that she felt with his presence. His blue glowed more brilliantly than it ever had, with a faint hint of golden sparkling about him like an aura of light. There was no sign at all that he had ever been hurt, or had endured a great struggle. There was not a scratch on him. In fact, he seemed as healthy and alive as he ever could be, life dancing in those emerald eyes and spirit blazing about him like living fire. He knelt before her, gazing at her gently. So it had been true. That nagging doubt the girl had felt had been right -- Sonic had survived! Just like she knew he would! And as she sat there, looking into the eyes of the bravest, strongest, and handsomest creature she had ever known, she suddenly wondered why she had ever thought him gone in the first place. Nothing could get rid of Sonic! Nothing! Again it had been proven, for here he was, less than eighteen inches away from her, very much alive! Jessica felt herself trembling again as a deep, overwhelming passion came upon her. It was something she had never felt before, and its power was incredible. It took her very breath away, and made it feel as though her very heart had suddenly burst into flame. A feverish feeling swept over her, and for a moment she couldn't move. All she could feel, all she could know was the sheer love for this magnificent creature, a love that made her very bones quiver, a love that burned ever so powerfully within her soul! It was time. No more holding back. No more concealing the secret that she had hidden for so very long. She had to tell him! She had to tell him now! There was no more fear, no more apprehension, just a love that could have brought the very forces of the universe to a stop.

With tears of compassion in her eyes, Jessica suddenly let out a cry and threw her arms around Sonic, holding him tighter than she ever had before. "Sonic," she sobbed, hardly able to breathe. "Oh, Sonic I love you! I love you! Do you hear me, Sonic? I love you... I love you so much! So much!"

Sonic opened his mouth to speak, but she put her hand on his cheek to silence him. "No," she cried. "You don't have to say anything. I already know the answer... I just want you to know, Sonic. I just want you to know that I love you more than anything else in the world... more than life itself!"

When she laid her head against his and he felt her terrible trembling, Sonic just put his arms around her too, to comfort and reassure her. After all, what could he say? There were some moments where words weren't needed. Yet he was surprised about all she had just told him, even touched. Vren had been right. There was nothing better than knowing that you were loved by someone. For a long while he just sat there with her, listening quietly to her as she told him again and again how very much she loved him. And finally, he found words to speak.

"So that was it all this time, huh?" he asked, smiling warmly.

Jessica sniffled and moved closer to him. "Yes... Yes it was. And I'm so sorry, Sonic..."

"For what?"

"That I never told you before... I thought I lost you, Sonic... I was so scared..."

"Hey," Sonic whispered. "It's OK. I'm here, aren't I? We're both here."

"Yes, and I'm just so happy to see you again! Sonic!" He closed his eyes as Jessica squeezed him a bit tighter. There seemed to be no limit as to how tight she could hold him. She wanted to stay like this forever, to feel all her love flow from her to him, to breathe in his very being. Her arms held him very tight, but Sonic didn't seem to mind. After all, he wasn't moving away, and that was good enough for her.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked suddenly.

"I... don't know," Jessica answered lowly, running her hand down his long quills. "I was just... afraid, Sonic. Afraid of-of your reaction. But I already know you can't say yes..."

Sonic suddenly smiled preciously. "Hmm... and what if I did say yes?"

Jessica's eyes suddenly went wide, and she moved to look into his own eyes wonderingly, her heart pounding. "Wh-What... Sonic?"

"Ever since the day I met you and your friends, Jess, I got feelings that I had known the three of you all my life, as if we had always been friends, as if we had always had these adventures together. You especially."

"Y-You l-love me... Sonic?"

Sonic lowered his ears a bit. "Not in the same way I do Sal, Jess. No one could ever take her place... But it's... it's a love, Jess. A different kind of love. But it's hard to explain."

At first Jessica was a little confused. A different kind of love? But how many different ways could someone love? "You mean that... it's a love where we've just always been togther... like there's been a bond between us that just formed out of fate itself, and has never been broken?"

"Yeah... it's kinda like that."

"I think I know why," Jessica whispered, lying her head against his again.

"Why?"

"Because we have always been connected, you and I. Back on Earth, Sonic, you were a part of my everyday life. No one mattered more. All I ever looked forward to was when you would next have a video game, or when I could do anything that involved you. You were such a huge part of my childhood, Sonic. You brought such wonderful memories to me and I just... I just fell head-over-heels for you. And I guess somehow, all that time, you could sense our connection."

"Whoa," Sonic replied. "That must be it... They do say that love can reach past any boundary, cover any distance, be it through miles, through time, even through different worlds. Isn't it awesome?"

"Yes, Sonic," the girl breathed, feeling quite at home in his arms. "it is incredibly awesome..."

"So you're not afraid anymore?"

"No. All that matters to me now is that I have you back, my dear Sonic."

Sonic snickered. "I told you not to fear."

Again Jessica's eyes widened. "That was you talking to me, wasn't it? That voice I heard..."

Sonic nodded slowly. "It was me all right."

"Then you knew... You said that one of the great forces at work was in my own heart..."

"Yeap. The Master Emerald gives me the ability to sense things like that, Jess."

"The Master Emerald?"

"That's how I got myself outta Robotnik's trap, Jess. The energy had trapped me, nearly suffocated me. But when I heard Robotnik say that the Master Emerald controlled that energy, that's when I knew how to escape. I summoned the power of the Master Emerald, and controlled it just long enough to get the heck out of there. It wasn't easy, but luckily the Master Emerald healed me. That's why the ship has been jolting and spinning like it has. The Master Emerald and I are still in tune with each other, and it's beginning to resist Robotnik's machines and the Final Power."

Jessica was amazed at his tale. "You can control the Master Emerald too, Sonic?"

Sonic nodded again. "There's a verse you can say to summon it. Mind you, it wouldn't work with everyone, but yes, I can control it."

"What's the verse Sonic?" Jessica believed she knew what verse Sonic was talking about, for she had heard it mentioned on Earth before. But she just wanted to be sure.

Sonic closed his eyes as he recited the sacred incantation:

The Servers are the seven Chaos.

Chaos is power, power is enriched by the heart.

The Controller is the one that unifies the Chaos.

Jessica nodded understandingly. She had heard that verse before. Though she understood little of it. "What exactly is it saying, Sonic?"

"It's saying that the Servers are the seven Chaos, or Chaos Emeralds. Chaos is power, which is referring to the power in the Chaos Emeralds. Power is enriched by the heart, and that is very true. Think of any power. Love, for example. The heart enriches love, just as yours did. And that's how it led you here. The last line probably has many meanings. The Controller could be the Master Emerald, since it has the power to unify the Chaos Emeralds. Or, it could be the one who controls the power in their heart to stop chaos."

"Wow," Jessica murmured. "Everything has been fitting together, as if it all were a legend, just like the Final Power..."

"Maybe it is all part of a legend. Love itself, is a legend, is it not?"

Jessica smiled tenderly at Sonic, adoring those glistening emerald orbs that gazed softly back at her. Suddenly she gathered all the courage inside of her, and kissed Sonic on the cheek. Sonic's ears immediately went down, for he hadn't been expecting that at all, but at least Jessica wasn't angry or upset with the reaction he had given her. He did say he loved her in some way, didn't he? Jessica shivered and took great care to hide her face as the blood rushed to her cheeks. That had taken a lot of courage... probably more courage than she had ever had before. There was a slight stirring in her stomach and she knew she probably wouldn't be able to meet Sonic's eyes after that, but at least she had had the bravery to do it. At least she had had the bravery to admit to him how much she loved him.

Suddenly an alarm in the hall outside blared, and both Sonic and Jessica rose to their feet. Two doors slid open, the one leading to the hall at their right, and another directly ahead of them. From both poured dozens of Swatbots.

"Hedgehog alert! Hedgehog alert!" they cried the moment they saw Sonic. "Freeze, prisoners! Surrender!"

"These guys don't give up, do they?" Sonic growled, glaring at them all. There were over fifty in the room now, and still several were pouring in. Then the ship suddenly rumbled precariously, and Sonic felt the Master Emerald communicate to him. "The Final Power... It's almost done charging!"

"Sonic, we have to get out of here and stop it! Now that we have you back, we can put an end to it for sure!"

"Better take care of these guys first," Sonic answered, and was about to charge at the approaching Swatbots, when all of a sudden a great, thunderous roar resounded through the room. Sonic and Jessica looked up in amazement as Vren suddenly leapt out of one of the giant air ducts leading into the room, and pounced down at the Swatbot battallion, Natalie astride the great demon's back.

"Hiya, fellas!" Natalie winked as Vren landed in front of them.

"Nat!" Sonic and Jessica cried happily.

"Excuse me while I bust some 'bots!" Suddenly she and Vren whirled toward the robots. Vren scattered them by sending his massive paw through the ranks, and Natalie fought them off when a wooden lance or sorts, one she had practiced with in the forest when the Freedom Fighters had been traveling. And the battle didn't last long, for the great Night Demon unleashed every ounce of wrath he contained, lunging left and right at the Swatbots, slashing them to pieces, tearing them with his mighty jaws, trampling them with his enormous weight, and pummeling them with his magnificent wings. Sonic moved in to take care of the last few robots in the room, getting rid of them easily with a simple Spin Dash that sent them flying. Seconds later, all the Swatbots lie on the floor in pieces, leaving only the two human girls, the demon and the hedgehog.

"Way past cool job, guys!" Sonic smiled at the two of them.

"Sonic!" Vren cried delightedly. "I cannot tell you how overjoyed I am to see that you have survived!"

"Ditto," Sonic grinned.

"Where did you guys come from?" asked Jessica.

"When we got separated," said Natalie. "I found Vrenny here, and we went looking for you. We saw Swatbots coming toward this room, and we crept into the air duct together. That's when we saw you can came to help."

"Well, thanks a ton," Sonic answered, giving them a thumbs-up. "Now all we have to do is get out of here and find the others. There's not much time."

"Right," Natalie and Vren nodded.

They were about to head out when suddenly another alarm blared.

"What keeps setting off those alarms?" Jessica asked angrily.

"That's what!" came Sonic's answer. The others looked to find him glaring up at a surveillance orb hovering above them, a little flying camera the followed their every move. "Robuttnik must have sent them when his other cameras went down." Furiously he leaped at the camera and gave it a good smack, sending it crashing to the floor where it shattered to pieces. But almost instantly the group of Freedom Fighters were presented with another problem. Security lasers, hidden within the walls of the room, suddenly shot rays of sweltering red light from wall to wall, creating a barrier. Slowly more laser rays appeared, trapping the four of them in the center of the room near the disabled Roboticizor.

"Don't let those lasers touch you," Sonic told the others. "Or you'll be toast for sure."

"What do we do?" Vren asked.

The laser rays were now coming dangerously close, shooting above their heads and past their feet. But then, all of a sudden, another miracle happened. Abrutply all the power in the room went out. The computers that controlled the lasers were shut down, and all the doors suddenly opened. At first the Freedom Fighters looked about, perplexed, when they heard another familiar voice.

"Hey, guys! Didn't think I'd miss out on the fun either, did ya?"

"Kimberly!" Jessica cried. "Did you shut down all that security?"

"Sure did," Kim winked. She stood above them all now on a catwalk that led to the Roboticizor's main control room that was otherwise inaccessible. "Good thing I heard you guys when I did. Or you would have been burnt to a crisp. And Sonic, it's wonderful to see you again."

"Lot's of surprise entries here, huh?" Sonic smiled. "You girls proved you're worthy Freedom Fighters all right. You're life-savers!"

Suddenly the ship trembled again. Then came a new sound... a deep, low roar of bending metal, and a ring of charging energy. Then the ship spun again as the Master Emerald tried to resist, telling Sonic in a language of energy waves that they were all in grave danger now.

"It's happening," Sonic told the others, his eyes narrowed. "Robotnik is about to unleash that sucker -- the Final Power. Come on! We've gotta get over there now!"

Jessica grabbed a hold of Sonic's shoulders as he spun around and bolted into the hall, and Natalie and Kimberly climbed onto Vren's back. There was not a moment to spare now. Together the Freedom Fighter leader and the great demon raced on to greater speeds, their strides long and lunging, their paces matching. They could see the bridge door now, just ahead. And at the sight of it, Sonic suddenly burst forward, pulling far away from Vren, the white arc forming in front of him again. Vren pushed himself further, galloping as fast as his huge muscles would allow, but it was no use. No matter how he struggled for speed, Sonic always managed to defeat him, running faster than sound itself. But there was something else to drive Sonic now as he sprinted, and the loud sonic boom filled the air once again. For the very sake of his friends, the Freedom Fighters, for the sake of Planet Mobius, and all the other planets out there that held magical and wondrous worlds, for the sake of life itself, he exceeding the greatest limits to race forward, faster than sound, even faster than light! Suddenly Jessica found that he was no more than a blue streak hurtling toward the bridge, and as the door seemed to rush forward to meet them, there was no slackening in Sonic's speed. He was going to go straight through that door, using nothing but his splendid speed and glorious strength!

Suddenly, from the catwalk near the bridge, Nihara heard a sound coming on fast. Fearfully she looked up, afraid it was the Chaos Emeralds beginning the Final Power, but suddenly there was a flash of blue, and an enormous CRASH! Nihara flinched at the sound, but gazed up to see what had happened, for it had all been too fast for her to see. She then noticed that the bridge door had been blown clear off of its track, and even the walls at its sides were shattered as though some enormous force had slammed into them.

"What in the world--" Before Nihara could finish, she noticed Vren racing through the door, the two girls on his back.

"By the stars, Sonic!" Vren howled in astonishment. "Is there nothing you cannot do?"

Nihara's eyes widened when she heard this. She could hardly believe her ears. Oh, but the joy that came to her heart made her feel like leaping to the roof! "Sonic!" she whispered, her heart beating for the gallant Freedom Fighter that she had once wanted to destroy. "You have survived! Well... Don't count me out of the battle! I've still got a debt to pay!"

Inside the bridge, Robotnik instantly whirled around at the crash. Hurriedly he raced to the catwalk and looked down, and what he saw made him fume with rage!

"T-This cannot be! No! This can't be happening! HEDGEHOG!!!"

There, in the doorway, standing upon the fallen door, was Sonic, his eyes flaming up fearlessly at Robotnik, Vren and the girls behind him.

"It's me all right, Robuttnik," Sonic called up to his enemy, standing tall and defiant. "Did you miss me?"

"How could you have survived?!" Robotnik bellowed, slamming his fist on the railing. "This is impossible!! The Master Emerald should have elimintated you!!"

"I control the Master Emerald now, Robuttski," Sonic answered, shaking his finger at Robotnik. "Did you really think you could take me down that easily?"

"Forget it, Hedgehog! The Final Power will be unleashed in exactly thirty minutes! You cannot stop it now! Once it begins, there is no stopping it!"

"We'll just see about that," came Sonic's answer, a burning determination in his valiant voice.

"NO!" Robotnik suddenly cried furiously. "You will not stop me this time! Mark my words!! All Swatbots pursue the Hedgehog!!!"

Instantly a new fleet of Swatbots came charging at Sonic. But there would be no stopping the hero now -- not while the fate the universe hung in the balance! Together Sonic and Vren plunged forward, ramming into the Swatbots, dodging their lasers and bolts of electricity. Robotnik saw that his robots were all too easy for Sonic to defeat, and turned angrily to one of the robots behind him. "Prepare to initiate emergency escape program! Wait for my signal!"

"Sonic," Jessica yelled suddenly. "Try to summon the Chaos Emeralds!"

"Oh no you don't!" Robotnik suddenly roared. There was a rifle in his hands, and it was aimed directly at Sonic. "I wouldn't move if I were you, rodent!"

"Well you're not me," Sonic answered boldly, and suddenly sprung right up towards Robotnik. Robotnik clenched his teeth and fired the laser, but then something more extraordinary happened. Just as the laser beam was closing in on Sonic, a shield of bright gold swept over him, and with one arm, literally knocked the laser beam right back at Robotnik! In a terror, Robotnik dove to the ground to avoid the deadly beam, which hit the wall behind him.

"Whoa," Natalie exclaimed. "How'd he do that?"

"He said he had control over the Master Emerald," Jessica replied.

Sonic grabbed a hold of the catwalk railing and flipped over, landing right in front of Robotnik. Slowly he stalked toward his opponent, and for a moment something very close to fear crept into Robotnik's eyes as he saw Sonic coming. Quickly the doctor staggered to his feet and looked for a weapon he could use. He had never fought Sonic face-to-face without at least a rifle...

"Enough of your games, Robotnik," Sonic growled, his eyes leering straight into Robotnik's. "Stop now, or I'll make you stop myself."

"Stop what?" Robotnik sneered. "The Final Power? Too late for that, rodent! It's already begun. Soon it will unleash its fury on the entire universe!"

"That I can handle," answered Sonic. "What I'm telling you to do is to surrender to the Freedom Fighters. There are only two ways out, Robuttnik. Either give up and let us take you, or have us defeat you. No matter what you choose, you're going down!"

Robotnik's eyes suddenly flashed toward the control panel behind him. There were more energy weapons powered by the Power Stones there that he could use... Little by little he began to edge toward them...

"Really?" he asked slyly. "You wouldn't really kill, would you, Hedgehog? The great Freedom Fighter like you, who has such a great heart?"

"I'm not like you, Robuttnik," Sonic replied, his voice heavy with scorn. "But I'll do whatever it takes to get rid of you. Everyone deserves a second chance, but you've had your fair share of second chances, Doc,"

The ship rumbled again, and Vren could feel energy tingling beneath his paws. "Sonic," he called. "Hurry!"

Robotnik felt the control panel benhind him now, but pretended to be backing away from Sonic. "Well, unlike you, I don't give my enemies any chances..." his hand reached for a switch.... "Once I have them..." he began to press the switch down... "They're mine!"

Suddenly there was a hard hit from behind that made Robotnik fall to the floor with a heavy grunt. Sonic jumped away, and gazed up hopefully when he saw who had tackled the doctor. There, standing beside the fallen Robotnik, one foot holding him down and a sword pointed at him was Nihara!

"But unlike you, we aren't so foolish!" she hissed down at him.

"Nihara!" Sonic exclaimed. "Right on time!"

"Great to see you again, Sonic," Nihara smiled up at him, the first real smile she had smiled in a long time. "So you were the one who spoke to me earlier."

"Yeap. It's great to see you again too. I thought you wanted to face Robuttnik alone."

"I changed my mind," Nihara grinned, spinning the sword through her fingers. "Let's take care of this scum bag together!"

Robotnik suddenly roared furiously and heaved himself to his feet. "You!" he snarled, turning on Nihara. "Haven't you learned yet to stay out of my way?!"

Nihara faced Robotnik bravely, her sword held at the ready. "Say what you want, Robotnik! I'm not afraid of you anymore! You... You lied to me!" Suddenly she lunged forward and brought the sword down hard on Robotnik's arm, far too quickly for him to react. The sword connected with flesh, and left a deep gash that only served to fuel the mounting ferocity in the doctor.

"You fool!" he hissed, reaching for her. Suddenly Sonic plowed into him from behind, and stood at Nihara's side. Beneath them the great ship jolted. The cannon on the very nose of the ship emitted a blinding white light, the energy within nearing its breaking point.

"Hold on, girls," Vren growled, and suddenly leapt up onto the catwalk as well, coming up behind Sonic and Nihara. Now Robotnik was outnumbered, and something strange glinted in his eyes.

"You're all fools," he muttered lowly. "All of you! Do you really think your numbers could ever faze me? I'd never submit to you, no matter how badly I was outnumbered or outmatched! I'd rather be killed by one of my own creations than submit to you!"

"That could be arranged," Nihara replied, twirling her sword as Sonic and the others advanced forward.

Robotnik faced her with hatred written all over his face. "You, besides the Hedgehog, are the biggest idiot of them all! Swayed by kindness and virtue! Have you not learned that you were meant to hate? To kill?!"

"No, Robotnik," Nihara said defiantly. "You do not own me any longer! For too long I've believed your lies and been tricked by your evil ways! For too long I've been consumed by darkness! I don't care if it was Mobians who killed my foster family or not, the Freedom Fighters are my friends! They helped me when no one else would! They saved me, unlike you, you worthless heap of garbage!"

Robotnik suddenly laughed wickedly and shook his head with mock-pity. "You poor, stupid fool..."

"What's so funny?" Sonic asked, glaring deeply at him.

"Let me tell you a little secret, Nihara," Robotnik snickered, the darkest expression entering his eyes. "A little secret that'll make you a true hater and a true killer. Sir Jules and Lady Bernie didn't kill your precious family... In fact, they were the ones who disguised themselves as Overlanders to save you! No, Nihara. I killed those foster parents of yours, who were also the real parents of the Hedgehog!"

"What?" Both Sonic and Nihara stammered, blinking in disbelief.

"That's right!" Robotnik laughed, delighting in their confusion and pain. "I did it! I killed two birds with one stone! And I do it all over again if I had the chance, just so you could watch!"

Sonic felt a tremor of fury run down his spine, and he trembled with a terrible rage. He had always felt a ruthless hatred from Robotnik, for all he had done. But this... Never had he felt anything as terrible as this. He could hardly control the breathing wrath within him now... He wanted to hurl himself at Robotnik! He wanted to make him pay for all the pain he had ever caused!

Meanwhile Nihara felt as if someone had sent a blade through her heart. She couldn't believe what she had just heard. Jules and Bernie, Sonic's parents, they had been the ones who had saved her! They had been the ones she thought she had hated for so long, the ones she had spoken so terribly about! That was why Sonic had reminded her so much of them! That made him... her brother in her eyes... Nihara staggered back, her eyes fraught with pain and horror as she remembered all she had said, all she had sworn about the destruction of Sonic and his blood -- the ones all along who had helped her! Shaking, she fell to her knees, shaking her head miserably. "No," she gasped. "No! No!"

"You despicable rat!" Vren snarled, baring his gleaming white fangs, the hair on his mane standing on end.

Robotnik only fed off their fury and agony, enjoying every moment of it. "So what do you think of me now, Freedom Fighters? Think you're so strong anymore?!" He laughed maniacally, and finally Sonic couldn't take it any longer.

"You asked me if I'd ever kill you Robotnik," he breathed, his body shaking with indescribable pain and anger. "Oh, I'll kill you all right! I'll KILL you!!!"

The moment Sonic plunged forward, Vren howled a deep, chilling note of death, and suddenly Nihara felt the very same hatred consume her. Suddenly all of their wounded hearts joined together, and they swept foward as one to destroy that madman, that murderer!

Sonic struck first, hitting with enough force to hurl Robotnik across space. The tyrant crashed heavily to the ground, but suddenly waved his hand to one of the robots behind him. Quickly the robot hurried downstairs to the cockpit and began to give the commands to the pilots. Suddenly the bridge of the ship roared as the engines fired up, and then it began to pull away from the huge ship, becoming an aircraft of its own! As Robotnik slowly began to move away, Nihara suddenly lunged for him. She leapt onto the departing ship, and abrutply sent her sword into Robotnik's shoulder, crying out with fury!

"YOU are the one who should have had revenge all this time! You!!! Die, Robotnik! DIE!!!"

Robotnik was badly wounded from the blade, but suddenly he grabbed the sword in his hands, and yanked it away from her. "You would have made a great partner, Nihara," he snarled. "But now you and your precious friends can all die! And you can be with your dear dead family soon, and the rodent!!"

Suddenly he reached for a switch on the panel that would cause the airship behind to explode.

"LOOK OUT!" Sonic cried, leaping in front of Vren and the girls protectively.

"NO!!!" Nihara screamed, leaping at Robotnik. And that's when it happened. Just as Nihara knocked Robotnik's hand away, he bellowed with rage, and sent her own sword slicing through her chest. Nihara cried out in pain, but managed to give Robotnik one last wound before he hurled her back toward the main airship, tearing at his neck with the spikes on her gloves. Then she came crashing down to the floor of the ship as Robotnik, the Master Emerald and the Chaos Emeralds flew away into space, whipping past Sonic and the others and finally landing with a painful groan.

"NIHARA!" Sonic yelled desperately. In an instant he was leaping down toward her, closely followed by the others. Once down he raced over to her side and fell to his knees beside her, but what he saw was horrible.

Nihara lay on her side, the blade still lodged through her chest. Already there was a pool of thick blood beneath her, and she was shaking badly.

"Oh my god..." Jessica gasped at the sight, her eyes filling with tears.

Sonic felt his own heart drop. "Nihara..." he gasped, his eyes glazing.

"Sonic," Nihara shuddered. She summoned all the dying strength in her to look up at him. "Forgive me, S-Sonic... Please forgive me. It was your parents who saved me all along... "

"No," Sonic whispered, the fury inside him now turning to a terrible sadness. "It's all right, Nihara, I forgive you... Of course I forgive you..."

"Thank you," Nihara whispered, grasping his hand as her strength dwindled rapidly. "My brother."

"Come on, Nihara," Sonic pleaded. "Don't give up. Don't give Robuttnik what he wants. You saved us, Nihara! Hey, no, don't close your eyes! Please don't give up on us, Nihara!"

Jessica suddenly felt terrible herself. She had been so unkind to Nihara, and now here she was, dying before her eyes. Oh how harshly did life teach its lessons! The girl slid off of Vren's back and kneeled beside Sonic, putting her arm around his shoulders. Instantly all the painful sadness inside him communicated to her, and she suddenly burst into tears. "Nihara... I'm so sorry... For blaming you. It wasn't your fault... Can you ever-ever forgive me?"

Nihara gazed up at her gently, and smiled. For the first time in her life, she was surrounded by the greatest friends anyone could ever have. These creatures were all her friends. They were all her family. "I do forgive you, my friend," she whispered in a barely audible voice. "Hurry... You must stop Robotnik. If you don't, the Final Power will commence. Sonic, you can do it. I thought it was impossible to stop it, but I've learned that you can do the impossible... Just as Jessica said."

Sonic clutched Nihara's hand in his tightly, wishing he had summoned the Chaos Emeralds before. At least with them he could have saved her! He lowered his head as a tear slid down his cheek. If there was anything he could despise more than evil, it was suffering and death. "Nihara," he said sadly. "Please..."

"Be strong, Sonic," Nihara answered. Suddenly she shuddered violently. With her last breath, she choked out these words, "Be the hero you are... Be your father's son. I love you Sonic... I love you like family... Good-bye..." And then it came. Her hand went limp in Sonic's grasp, there was a horrible dying gasp, and finally it was over. Nihara closed her eyes, and although her death had been full of suffering, there was a strange look of peace in those eyes.

Sonic squeezed her lifeless hand and bowed his head, his ears lowered in sorrow, silent tears filling his eyes. Jessica burst into tears again and buried her head into Sonic's shoulder. Vren let out a mournful howl that reached through the depths of space, and Natalie and Kimberly dropped their eyes sadly. Nihara, once an enemy and now a friend, was gone.

---

Chapter 21

The Great Moment

It seemed as though an eternity had passed before the mourning Freedom Fighters looked away from poor Nihara. Sonic hated to leave her, for what kind of resting place was the Doomsday Fleet? Yet it tore viciously at his heart to see her lifeless body now, and for a moment he was stuck, unable to move away or move closer. But slowly that blazing rage was coming back into his eyes.

"I don't believe," Jessica was saying lowly. "It was your family that saved Nihara... And Robotnik taught her to hate them..."

"Robotnik never inspired anything but hate," Sonic answered angrily. Jessica could feel him trembling again and knew what he was remembering. "He thinks he can get away with all this... He thinks he can take our freedom... our lives... our happiness..."

Kimberly looked out into space. Robotnik's ship was drawing further and further away. "Sonic," she said slowly. "I know you're hurt, but we can't let Robotnik get away. He siad we had less than thirty minutes before he activates the Final Power. We're running out of time."

"Oh, I won't let him get away," Sonic replied, clenching his teeth. "I'm far from through with him. I've had enough of this. He's already gotten away with far too much!"

"But how will we reach him?" asked Natalie. "We can't go out there..."

Sonic lowered his ears with a new determination. "We won't have to go after him," he said slowly.

Vren and the girls looked at him questioningly.

"We'll bring him to us. I have control of the Master Emerald, remember?"

Jessica looked up hopefully. "Can you really get the emerald to bring the ship toward us, Sonic?"

"That and then some," came Sonic's solemn answer. There was something strange in his expression now. Some kind of deep anger or knowing... Jessica, although an expert on his expressions, couldn't quite understand it. "It's time to end this," he said, gazing out into the blackness. Now it was very easy to see all the bodies of the universe coming together... At some places everything seemed to be nothing more than an enormous white cluster of stars and planets. It would have been beautiful had it not meant so much peril.

Suddenly there was a flash in the distance, and everyone saw Robotnik's ship. The hatch doors at the nose of the ship could be seen opening, and from it came blinding white light... Chaos Emerald light. Suddenly Sonic jumped to his feet, eyes full of fire. "Come on! He's getting the cannon ready!"

"Sonic, what will we do?" Vren asked worriedly. "Look, you can already see the energy gathering near the light... It'll take a miracle to stop that power now..."

"Just leave that to me," Sonic replied, turning away and leaping up toward the catwalk again. For a minute he looked as if he'd leap through the ceiling of the ship to stand upon the very top... Jessica and the others watched him worriedly. He as acting strangely...

"Sonic, you're not going out there are you?" Jessica asked.

"Got to," he answered, still gazing at the ceiling of the ship.

"But it's outer space... You be frozen--"

Sonic gazed down at her and the power of his eyes silenced her. "It'll be OK, Jess. Like I said, greater forces are working now. Trust me."

Jessica was suddenly very scared. "Sonic... A-Are you going to... summon the power?"

Again Robotnik's ship flashed in the distance. There was less than twenty minutes now, and the energy was gathering rapidly. The Freedom Fighters could see the cannon now, an enormous weapon that looked quite capable of destroying the universe. It must have been a mile wide at least...

Sonic narrowed his eyes as he gazed at the ship. "You bet I am, Jess."

"But what will happen, Sonic?" Kimberly asked.

"I don't really know, Kim," Sonic answered. "But I do know that everything will be all right. I don't know how... it's just there. Like a promise. We have to trust the Chaos Emeralds now."

"Sonic, I'm scared," Jessica shivered.

"Don't be," Sonic said gently. "We're going to be OK. It's Robotnik who needs to be afraid now."

"Sonic, is there any way we can help?" Vren questioned.

"Yeah... Remember how we got rid of ol' Naugus? Think your Night Demons might be hungry?"

Vren suddenly drew back his lips, revealing the vicious white teeth that glittered in the darkness. "I'm sure they, are Sonic. I'm sure they are." Then the demon threw up his head, and let out a deep, bellowing howl. It was a strange sound that seemed to reach to the very seams of space, summoning, beckoning. It was incredible how long Vren was able to keep up the note, and at one point, he reared up on his hindlegs and filled the air with a thunderous roar. Suddenly a black mist filled the room, a mist so black that it seemed to swallow light. Slowly the mist materialized, and the Freedom Fighters soon found themselves staring into the eyes of a great pack of Night Demons, all slavering hungrily as their king told them of food with his thoughts. They were really terrible creatures, for they had been bred for evil. Their eyes were solid yellow to pierce the night, and their were horns on their heads that curved inward like those of the devil. Their fangs protruded from their powerful jaws, their tails were forked, and their wings were those of a bat, light violet in color. It was a lucky thing Vren had control over them, for Night Demons were known on their home planet to be especially evil, and devour anything within their path. Vren snarled an order to them as he walked up toward Sonic, and they all followed, a legion of dark phantoms. Once they were all up behind Sonic, they nodded to the Freedom Fighter leader.

Sonic nodded back, his eyes as brave as ever. Jessica was worried, but his courage assured her. And she trusted Sonic. She trusted him with every ounce of her blood.

"All right," Sonic said gravely, turning to move to the ship's roof. "Here we go."

Now we must return to the rest of the Freedom Fighters. After having been separated by the tossing and turning of the airship, Sally, Ari, Lupe, Pallo, Dirk, Uncle Chuck, Rotor, Tails, Dulcy and the others had regrouped. They searched for Vren and the girls, but when they had no luck, moved on toward the bridge, hoping that's where their friends would go too. Several times they had run into Swatbots, who slowed them down terribly. They never had a chance to reach the doors of the bridge when they felt the ship rumbling again. And that's when they saw (thanks to Nicole's monitors) how part of the bridge had become a ship of its own, and how Robotnik got away. They didn't know of the short battle Sonic, Nihara, Vren and the three girls took part it, but what they did know is that they had to catch Robotnik. Sally then discovered the launch area where a few extra hover units were waiting in case of emergencies. Now the group was directing their unit away from the Doomsday Fleet and pursuing their hated enemy through space.

"Sally," Tails said suddenly, looking out the windshield. "Look... There's a bright light in front of the ship."

Sally squinted as the light intesified until it was finally too bright to look at. "It's Chaos Emerald light... We've got to hurry!"

"What if it's too late, Aunt Sally?" Tails asked fearfully.

"It's not, Tails..." Although Sally's tone was brave and confident, there was a hint of fear in her eyes. Things weren't looking too good.

"I want Sonic, Aunt Sally..." Tails whispered sadly, drooping his ears. "Everything feels so... different without him. So unsafe..."

"I know, Tails," came Sally's sullen reply. "But you've got to be strong, OK? We all do. Otherwise Robotnik will win."

"But how do I be brave when I'm so scared?"

"You? Afraid?" Sally looked at him incredulously. "But you're always so brave, Tails."

"Sonic makes me feel brave, Sally... Even when I am scared."

"Don't be afraid, Tails," Sally said kindly. "Sonic is here. He'll always be here. He's with you right now."

"He is?"

"Yes. In spirit. Just because you can't see someone doesn't mean they're not there, Tails. Many people that we cannot see are with us. That's because they're in our hearts. Just remember everything Sonic told you about being a Freedom Fighter. Stay calm in the face of danger. Face your fear, don't sumbit to it. Trust yourself, and your comrades. Remember, Tails. Remember and you'll feel brave." Tails didn't see it, but there were tears in the princess's eyes.

The young Freedom Fighter nodded quietly and closed his eyes, trying to remember those days when he and Sonic would journey off together for training missions. Sonic would teach him of fear and bravery, and how to control them. He would teach Tails how to be strong when the situation seemed hopeless, and how to survive. In a way, Sonic was the only family Tails had ever had, and he thought of him as a big brother. There was no one else on Mobius Tails wanted to be like more than Sonic -- the bravest of all the Freedom Fighters. And as he remembered the courage and security he always felt in Sonic's presence, he did feel braver.

Sally brought the hover unit closer to Robotnik's ship. Hopefully they would blend in with all the other ships in the fleet, thus enabling them to get close to Robotnik without detection. Though in truth Robotnik was far too confident to worry about the Freedom Fighters now. Convinced that he had left them all behind on the giant airship, he now stood eagerly at the great windshield, watching as the enormous cannon charged all of that incredible energy! It was so close, now! So close to the time of the Final Power! Robotnik gloried at the sight of the blinding white light that only intensified with every second.

"At last," he beamed. "At last I can finish the work I started back during the coup! At last I can take total control! I've waited so very long... Fought so very hard for this moment!"

Suddenly there was jolt, and the craft rumbled for a second. But Robotnik didn't think much of it. It was probably only the Chaos Emeralds, for now the sacred stones were so very close to releasing their ultimate power! No one could see them, for the Chaos Emeralds were hidden deep within the core of the great cannon, but the seven gems were now flashing brilliantly, quivering, fighting to escape the ship that held them! Like Robotnik said, they had been waiting so long to charge this mighty power and unleash it. They were literally seven deadly bombs just waiting to be ignited.

"How much time?" Robotnik asked the robot crew.

"Ten minutes, Doctor," one replied.

"Excellent," Robotnik seethed. "Prepare to fire... And set the time up on the large monitor... We'll have a countdown to chaos." The tyrant's voice was full of anticipation.

The ship abruptly jerked backwards rapidly. So rapidly in fact that Sally had to pull the hover unit up to avoid being hit.

"Whoa!" Rotor exclaimed. "What was that all about?"

"The Chaos Emeralds must be going berserk now," said Uncle Chuck. "Hurry, Sal! We have no time to lose! We have to get on that ship now!"

"But there's no place to land," said Rotor, scanning over the aircraft.

"Sure there is," Sally answered, a sly glint coming into her eyes. Suddenly she sent the hover unit forward full tilt, straight for the ship! "Hang on, everyone!"

"Oh, I sure do hate when we have to do this!" cried Bunnie as the Freedom Fighters held on to anything they could find.

The hover unit dove like a missile for Robotnik's ship, coming dangerously close to the great cannon. It was then Robotnik saw something flash before the windshield outside, and whirled around angrily. "What was that?" he growled, sauntered closer to the window, and that's when he saw the unite hurtling right toward him! "What the?! You fools! The Freedom Fighters are coming straight toward us! Fire at them! FIRE!!!"

But it was too late. Just as Robotnik was bellowing out his orders, he had to dive down to the ground to miss the hover unit as it slammed into the ship's roof, slicing its way in. In the very instant that unit was down, the Freedom Fighters jumped out and scrambled for the controls.

"Disable the cannon!" Sally was shouting. "Disable everything you can find!"

"Miserable FREEDOM FIGHTERS!" Robotnik roared, heaving himself off the ground. "Keep them away from the controls! Use all of our defense mechanisms! Now!"

Immediately all the robots moved in to stop the oncoming Freedom Fighters, and that's when the battle begun. Robot and Freedom Fighter clashed, each fighting to save what was dearest to them. One side fought for all life, and the other fought for all destruction. Lasers shot out from all directions, along with Power Stone beams, but the Freedom Fighters were not afraid. Fear couldn't stand in their way now, for every part of their beings were driven by love -- love for one another, love for Mobius, love for existence... And as the struggle raged on, the light at the cannon began to beam with ever-increasing brilliance, and the ship began to swing backwards harder and harder. Little did the fighting sides know as they dueled mercilessly in the ship's cockpit that time itself seemed to be ticking faster... Only five minutes remained on the large-screen monitor at the front of the craft, and now the white light of the charging Final Power blocked the windshield completely.

Back in the Doomsday Fleet, Sonic leapt up onto the roof of the immense airship, the bitter cold of space gnawing at his skin. The only thing that protected him and the others now was the Master Emerald. It had created a shield that enabled them to move outside the ships and into space without danger, yet they still felt a sting of the awesome cold of the endless void. Vren and the girls followed Sonic cautiously as he stepped forward, toward the nose of the ship.

"Stay close," he told them. "We'll need each other to do this."

"How do you know what to do, Sonic?" asked Jessica, shivering.

"I don't know... It's just a sense of some kind..." Sonic replied.

"Is Robotnik closer yet?" Kimberly inquired.

"I'm bringing him closer even as we speak," said Sonic, and as he and the others looked forward, Robotnik's ship was steadily coming back toward them, as if pulled by a giant magnet. And now, whenever Sonic laid his leering eyes on the aircraft, it suddenly leaped toward him, the Master Emerald obeying his ever command. Robotnik and the others could feel the Master Emerald's resistence inside the ship, but they were too busy fighting to notice. And all that was coming to Sonic's aid now.

Then, suddenly, as the ship made another bolt toward the Doomsday Fleet, Sonic moved forward until he was at the very tip of the ship's nose, nothing below him but the infinity of the universe. His gallant eyes were narrowed boldly, and shimmered with courage and purpose. He had no idea just what would happen when he did summon the Final Power, but he wasn't afraid. He would trust the power of the Chaos Emeralds once he had control of them. It was everyone else who felt fear now. As Sonic stood there on the nose of the airship, Jessica huddled close to him fearfully.

"Sonic..." she trembled, seeing that Robotnik's ship was still coming toward them.

"It'll be all right," Sonic insisted, giving her a gentle look. Once again those magnificent eyes held a promise that would always be kept, and the girl immediately felt trust in this creature -- the creature she loved. Suddenly she wrapped her arms around him again, not caring at all who saw.

"Sonic, why am I so afraid?"

"Because the power is coming," came Sonic's answer. "And you can feel just what an awesome thing it is. But don't fear it. Trust it. Trust yourself. Trust everyone. It's already coming to me... I can feel it."

Jessica looked up at Sonic, and there was a strange look in his eyes -- almost a hypnotic look. It was like the air of the growing power had put him in a trance-like state. Then suddenly she noticed that he was trembling again... The power must have been coming to him, for the very moment Chaos Emerald energy came into his veins, so much power would come alive within him that he could hardly restrain it all. Jess was still scared, but she remembered how her belief and trust in Sonic made him powerful, and put her trust in him.

"Sonic, look," Vren gasped suddenly. "The light coming from the cannon... It's brighter than the stars!"

Behind him the Night Demons began to recoil in apprehension, sensing the very danger of the situation. Vren growled to them to keep them in line, but he too felt an odd sort of nervousness stirring within his bones.

"Yes," Sonic breathed, the light reflecting in his eyes. Then he back at his friends. "Stand back, but keep close. It's time!"

Jessica nodded and quickly moved back with the others. She wished she could have stayed beside Sonic, but they had to listen to him now. He was their only hope. Shaking apprehensively, they stood close together for reassurance, and watched Sonic, hoping, praying.

Sonic gazed to his left, where planet Mobius glowed beautifully like a blue-green gem, the stars around it only adding to the glittering luster of her life. For a moment the Freedom Fighter leader could almost see the Great Forest with its towering pines and meandering blue streams, the night sky spreading on forever over the mountains and the valleys, bringing alive his spirit and love for freedom. Then he turned to his right and gazed down, taking one last look at poor Nihara, a terrible pain suddenly hitting his heart. He closed his eyes and winced, for it was a pain that wounded him to his soul. It was the greatest of all pains... It was love.

Finally he turned his eyes back to Robotnik's ship, constantly moving closer and closer, and then he stretched his arm out, as if reaching for the aircraft, and he closed his eyes again, trembling as if he were suffering a great deal of pain. The others knew then that he was calling to the Chaos Emeralds and the Power Stones... calling to the Final Power.

"Why do we keep moving backwards?!" Robotnik boomed. "We're moving away from the firing point!"

"Energy readings detect that the Master Emerald has disengaged completely, sir!" one of the robots cried back. "We've lost it!"

"What?! But how could we have lost it?!"

The ship suddenly rattled and spun sideways for moment, and then continued to bolt back towards the Doomsday Fleet. Robotnik's fury was mounting. The five minutes had become three minutes, and he didn't like the attacking Freedom Fighters or the ship moving backwards at all. Furiously he grabbed one of the laser rifles and fired angrily at his enemies.

"Look out!" shouted Ari as a laser beam came straight for them. Immediately all the Freedom Fighters scattered, and the robot crew was able to regroup.

Fiercely Sally faced Robotnik. "Give it up, Robotnik! We won't let you win!"

Robotnik bared his teeth and fired at her. Luckily she ducked just in time and missed. "Never," he hissed. "You can't stop me now! Now it's impossible!"

"I don't care whether it's impossible or not," Sally replied doggedly. "We will stop you!"

"And what will you do? Steal the Final Power away from me? Ha! I'd like to see anyone try!"

"Maybe we can't steal the power away now... but we can disable the cannon!"

"Even that won't stop the Final Power, Princess! It is you who needs to give up! Surrender to me!"

"Never!" Sally cried. Suddenly she lunged for the control panel and the others dashed to follow her. But Robotnik swung around to one of the controls behind him and sent down a wall of Power Stone energy, stopping them all in their tracks.

"Break through!" Sally ordered furiously. "We can't let him do this!"

Another minute ticked away on the screen. Two minutes left. As the Freedom Fighters began to scrabble angrily at the forcefield, Robotnik looked back at the Master Emerald. It glowed completely green and shook within its console. Suddenly it jerked back, and at the same time the ship did the exact same thing. Robotnik glanced at the gem in bewilderment... What could be causing it to resist? Just then the tyrant remembered Sonic... No, it couldn't be...

Suddenly when Robotnik wasn't looking, Rotor swept past him and jammed the controls, breaking the forcefield. Instantly the other Freedom Fighters plunged forward, and Robotnik let out a roar of fury!

"STOP THEM YOU FOOLS! STOP THEM!!"

But there was no stopping Sally. She bulled her way through the robots, and literally launched herself at the cannon controls, her fingers racing across the keys to overload the system and disable the cannon. Suddenly the numbers on the screen changed again. Only one more minute remained.

A strange feeling suddenly swept over Sonic as he summoned the Chaos Emeralds. It was like nothing he had never felt before. He felt a wonderful sense of invincibility... of almighty power. Normally the Chaos Emeralds generated a feeling of power when he became Super Sonic, but now it was several times more powerful than he had ever felt it. Wild torrents of unbridled energy raced through his blood as he began to make contact with the seven sacred gems, and he suddenly felt like nothing could stop him. No... he didn't think... He knew nothing could stop him!

He gripped harder at the air as he called upon the Chaos Emeralds. It was taking longer than usual because the gems were far away from him, but nothing blocked their way now, and they were responding to him. And with every second more furious energy rose to life inside him. It was already so powerful that it made him shake violently, and his breath come in gasps. In fact, it was so powerful that even Vren and the others could feel it teeming around them, like sunlight, and as they felt it on their skin, there was a sudden sense of wonder and trust. There was nothing to fear. Everything would be all right, as Sonic had said. They sensed that now too, though they had no idea how. Something seemed to be telling them, assuring them that it would be OK. Entranced by this feeling, they all turned back to Sonic.

He suddenly stepped back, for the amount of energy coming to him was almost too great. Oh, but it was wonderful to feel so strong that he could hurl the very planets away across the universe. And he didn't even have full control of the Chaos Emeralds yet! But he would soon. Robotnik's ship was now less than a mile off in the distance, and it was only a matter of seconds now until the Final Power came! Sonic braced himself, for something told him that what would come next would be extremely powerful and wondrous. He glared at Robotnik's ship, and for a moment there was pain again, for he was remembering that tragic day when Robotnik had taken over, the day he had seen so much disaster. And as he thought of Robotnik, a flame of rage ignited in his heart. Robotnik had murdered his parents before he ever got to know them... Robotnik roboticized every trace of family that any Freedom Fighter had... Robotnik had taken over Mobotropolis and filled the world with pain and suffering! Robotnik had taken poor Nihara and turned her against her own nature! Robotnik had hurt him! He had hurt them all!

Clenching his teeth in fury, Sonic leered deeply at the ship now nearly at the nose of the Doomsday Fleet, and suddenly reached out, as if to grab it, and then pulled his hand back. At that very same instant the ship suddenly lurched toward him. His ears went flat agains this head and his eyes narrowed coldly. Robotnik would not get away from him this time!

Inside the ship, just as it was yanked back, the Freedom Fighters were all knocked down and that's when Robotnik suddenly rushed up to Sally and shoved her away from the controls, trembling with rage and determination.

"Aunt Sally," Tails cried when she hit the floor hard. "Are you OK?"

The Princess returned Robotnik's piercing glare and slowly pulled herself to her feet. "I swear to you, Robotnik... You have hurt me... hurt us all so much for the last time! It's your turn to feel the pain we've felt for so long!"

Robotnik just chuckled. "You poor, foolish Freedom Fighters. Ever since the day I took over you've never been accept the fact that I, the great Julian Robotnik, have defeated you! Give it up, you miserable beasts! You can't stop me! You will never stop me! I can fight whatever you throw at me! And every time you create some ingenius little gadget to fight me, I create one a hundred times better!"

"We've got a weapon far more powerful that your machines, Robotnik!" Sally cried. "We've got each other... We've got love! Love for freedom! Love for Mobius! Love for life!"

Robotnik snorted. "Love. Do you really think your little love-talk is a match for the Final Power? The Chaos Emeralds care not whether their power is used for right or wrong! They wield it as they choose! And now there is only twenty seconds left till they wield their very greatest might!"

"No," Sally growled.

"Nineteen seconds," Robotnik cried, his eyes flashing. "Eighteen seconds! Seventeen seconds! Seventeen seconds until every last bit of the universe is mine!"

"No!" Sally yelled, her heart pounding. The ship began to shudder and vibrate violently now, the energy inside the cannon roaring feircely! Robotnik gazed eagerly into the blinding white light, trembling with longing.

"Sixteen, fifteen, fourteen, thirteen, twelve, eleven, ten, nine, eight, seven, six..."

"NO!" The Freedom Fighters cried together, rushing forward, their eyes wide with terror, desperate to reach the cannon so they could at least somewhat weaken the power that was to come.

But the robots barred their path and Robotnik laughed madly at their futile efforts. "Five..." he gasped as the ship rocked back and forth wildly. "Four..." Suddenly the ship catapaulted backwards and slammed into something. On the airship of the Doomsday Fleet, Sonic felt the rush of power more than ever, and threw up his head, clenching his hands into fists and crossing them before his chest, preparing to receive the greatest strength he had ever known!

"This is it!" he called to the others as Robotnik's ship abruptly spun around the face them as it crashed into the fleet, the blinding light throwing his body into silhouette. At that moment Vren, the Night Demons and the girls marveled at the pure wonder that seemed to come alive then, for even as Sonic spoke, seven gems suddenly rose from the mouth of the cannon, glowing brighter than stars as they rushed toward the one who beckoned to them, who called to their strength! Jessica and the others gawked in amazement as the Chaos Emeralds stopped above Sonic, and began to spin around him until they were a colorful blur. They readied themselves for what was to come, for now the emeralds were descending, and once the flash of light that would follow subsided, Super Sonic would emerge!

Robotnik stood above the cannon controls, his hand poised at the switch. He had been tossed about too when the ship spun backwards, but he didn't care. All that mattered now was how close he was to his greatest dream! "Three!" he shouted gleefully.

"NO! STOP!" Sally cried at the top of her voice. She lunged again for the controls, but the robots forced her and the others back.

"Two!"

Sonic could suddenly hear the voices of Robotnik and his Freedom Fighters, and his heart raced as a flash of brilliant, blazing gold engulfed him.

The Freedom Fighters despaired. They had to reach the controls! They had to stop this from happening! One last time they leaped for the control panel, joining together to ram their way past the robots and fight Robotnik!

"ONE!" Robotnik slammed the switch down! Outside Sonic gasped as a wave of awesome power swept through him, and he suddenly became airborne, the bright cerulean blue of his skin becoming a dazzling, glittering golden!

"NOOO!" The Freedom Fighters cried.

And then it happened. Next there came a light so bright, so brilliant, and so alive that it illuminated the whole entire universe, taking every speck of darkness away. Vren, the girls and the Night Demons cringed down from the furious intensity of the light, for to look at it would mean instant blindness. Inside the ship the Freedom Fighters recoiled in horror, quaking with fear... and defeat...

"Guys..." Sally trembled. "We're too late..."

Oh, but what happened next is far to extraordinary to ever describe properly. Amidst the flaring white suddenly appeared a ray of gold, a gold that could burn brigther than the greatest sun. And within the gold there seemed to be blazing two fierce red flames, flames that were kindled from love itself. The Freedom Fighters had their eyes closed in despair, but then they heard a voice... a voice that echoed majestically like that of a supernatural presence...

"It's never too late, Sal."

And the very moment the Freedom Fighters heard that voice reach their ears, they looked up so fast that their necks hurt and then their jaws dropped in astonishment.

"Sonic!" Sally cried joyfully, leaping clear off the floor.

Sonic smiled warmly at her and the others, and then moved aside so that Vren and the girls came into view.

"Vren!" the Freedom Fighters shouted together. "Kimberly, Natalie and Jessica! They're all OK!" Joyously they all leapt and cheered, for now they had Super Sonic! And that meant the Chaos Emeralds were no longer under Robotnik's control.

"What is this?!" Robotnik snarled, and Sonic cast those flaming eyes upon him. "NO! THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING! NO! NO! NO!!"

"Oh, yes, Robuttnik," Sonic replied, glaring at Robotnik and when he did so, the glass on the ship's windshield cracked.

"B-BUT THE FINAL POWER!"

"It's mine, now, Robotnik," said Sonic and he drifted closer until he stood upon the nose of the aircraft. Seeing him the others lowered down fearfully. For Super Sonic was a force that was immediately to be respected. Even Robotnik trembled back with Sonic's every move, and Sonic could literally feel the fear pulse through him.

"NO!" Robotnik cried, slamming his fist down on the control panel. "You can't--"

"Oh, I can!" Sonic intensified his glare and the windshield shattered completely. The Freedom Fighters were shielded off from the intense cold of space, but Robotnik felt it stab through his body painfully. Gasping in terror, Robotnik stumbled backwards, and now it was very evident that he was afraid of Super Sonic's power. You would be considered mad if you didn't. Again Sonic shot a fierce look at his enemy, and the top of the ship was blown away. Robotnik cowered down, and he hardly looked like the dreaded tyrant the Freedom Fighters had known him as.

Suddenly Vren flew into the ship too with the girls and the Night Demons, and they joined their friends.

"Make him pay, Sonic!" Jessica cried.

"The Final Power, Sonic," yelled Uncle Chuck. "Do it now!"

Even as his friends spoke of the great power that now awaited his orders, he felt the furious energy tremble within him.

"Take it then," Robotnik muttered. Suddenly he realized he was terribly beaten. There was nothing now he coul d to do to stop this moment in time -- the "great moment" as it was so often called. "Take the power that I worked so long to get. But hear this, rodent. No matter what you do, I will always come back for more. Mark my words! I will always return to fulfill my mission in life! To conquer Mobius... and all life itself! We will meet again, I promise you that!"

Sonic rounded on Robotnik, and suddenly his eyes became entirely red. The moment the Freedom Fighters saw how his eyes changed, the cringed back in terror. "No!" cried Sonic. "You will never show your ugly face on Mobius ever again!" As he spoke, a strange light began to sparkle about Sonic's figure, glimmering beautifully like starlight. "You..." Sonic hissed, striding forward in long, graceful steps. "You have caused enough pain! You have caused enough fear! I can't count how many crimes you've comitted, you filthy traitor!"

Robotnik suddenly felt a new wave of fear sweep down his back, and Sonic trembled so powerfully that the ship beneath him quivered as well. Robotnik found that he could no longer hold Super Sonic's gaze. Now they were a fierce bloodred, and literally burned out the retina of any eyes who met them. In fact, as Robotnik stood there before the golden fury before him, he could now feel their power singing his skin. But what he felt inside he couldn't describe. Suddenly he wanted to get away from this beast before him... Desperately he wanted to get away!

Suddenly he dashed toward the hover unit that the Freedom Fighters had used to crash through the ship's roof.

Sonic felt a flame burst within him, and he swung his head around until his blistering red eyes locked on his mortal enemy. "Freeze, Robotnik! Freeze!"

And suddenly Robotnik found he couldn't move. Super Sonic's eyes alone had held him in place, and had Robotnik been able to make a move, he would have been shaking uncontrollably. Sonic looked almost terrible as he prowled toward Robotnik, and the Freedom Fighters instantly cleared his path. If they hadn't the energy that surrounded him would have forced them back anyway.

"Mercy," Robotnik cried fearfully. "Mercy, Sonic!"

"Mercy?" Sonic snarled, and his voice seemed to echo throughout space. "Why should I give you mercy?! Why shouldn't I rip you apart?!" The strange light about him flared brighter suddenly, and the energy of his anger was so strong that the others could feel it within them. Sonic stalked toward Robotnik until his eyes blazed straight into the doctor's. "When you took over Mobotropolis, and banished King Acorn into the Void, did you give him mercy?"

Robotnik tried desperately to close his eyes, but he couldn't. He clenched his teeth and groaned in pain from the burning in his head.

"When filled that city with fear and death that night, did you give them all mercy?!" Sonic cried painfully. "When you roboticized each and every one of them... the elders, the women and the children, did you give them mercy?! When you murdered my parents, when you murdered all of our families, did you give them mercy?!" The light grew brighter every time Sonic spoke, and slowly he was rising into the air, his beautiful gold flashing into a ghostly white. The Freedom Fighters backed away nervously and the Night Demons cowered away from the light that burned their eyes. And now Sonic's voice was laden with anger and sadness. "When you invaded every city on this planet, and separated the families and destroyed everything known and loved to them, did you give them mercy?! When you betrayed you own nephew, Snively, did you show him mercy?! When you took Nihara and filled her head with lies and hate, and then betrayed her, did you show her mercy, Robotnik?! DID YOU?!" Sonic glared down at him, his sides heaving.

Robotnik just cringed, at first unable to speak. But then a spark of his old courage came alive, and foolishly he hissed at Sonic. "I hate you, Hedgehog... I've hated you ever since the first day I met you... You ruined everything... You! Every plan I ever had you crashed! If it weren't for you, I'd have taken over Mobius by now! You're right, I didn't show mercy to your parents when I killed them! In fact, I enjoyed killing them! It's the closest I've ever come to killing you!"

The light about Sonic suddenly turned into a giant flame. His eyes leered deeply, dangerously at Robotnik, and a ruthless rage came alive within his heart. Again his gold flashed into a eerie white, and for a moment he held the color, looking as though he were a white phantom hovering over Robotnik. But surprisingly he didn't speak to Robotnik now. No... he had something else on his mind now...

"He's turning white..." gasped Sally.

"It's happening," whispered Uncle Chuck gravely, still backing away from his nephew as he rose higher in the air. "The Final Power comes... The changing of his color is a sign of the Chaos Emeralds converting emotion into power. The more anger and pain he feels from Robotnik, the stronger he will become!"

"Chaos is power..." Jessica whispered wonderingly, remembering the Master Emerald's verse. "Power is enriched by the heart... Uncle Chuck, will other emotions help too? Emotions like trust, believing... and love?"

"Anything he feels will help him," Uncle Chuck exclaimed. "Communicate your emotions to him! Come on, Sonny boy! We believe in you!"

Suddenly all of the Freedom Fighters began to shout to encouragement to Sonic, jumping up and down, the Night Demons howling and tossing their heads. And as they did the energy in Sonic exploded! Suddenly the light about him beamed into a dazzling white-gold, and Sonic closed his eyes again, centering the raging power inside his body as it sought release. Then, mystifying beams of white and gold light began to circle around him, going faster and faster with every second. Robotnik suddenly felt the fear return to him, for what he saw next confirmed that the Final Power was taking place. From outside, the very stars seemed to fall upon Sonic, bathing him in a glittering spectacle of light. From every corner of the universe they came, like shooting stars, until they danced about him, swirling, shimmering and twirling. Again Sonic crossed his fists before his chest, restraining the incredible power within as it charged. And suddenly every one of his senses sharpened. The voices of his friends were almost too loud to bear, and he could even hear the energy around him ringing and burning. More than that, he could feel everything. He could feel the fear in Robotnik. He could feel the care and desparation in his friends as they shouted to him. Every feeling, every emotion he could detect, and the orbs of energy began to circle faster around him now, until they were a column of whirling light.

"This is it," gasped Chuck. "Brace yourselves."

As the others began to back up agains the walls of the ship, Jessica paused, looking back at Sonic, mesmerized by the flashing, dancing lights. Remembering her past adventures with Sonic, and that she no longer liked him, but loved him, she spoke to him with her mind. "Remember what I told you, Sonic."

And sure enough Sonic could hear her voice in his head. As the golden-white light engulfed him, he opened his eyes for a second, and the girl could see the two magnificent red orbs gazing back at her.

"I believe in you. I trust you. I love you... my Sonic."

Whossh! Suddenly a wave of golden light erupted and swept through the ship, through the entire expanse of the universe. With it came and explosion of energy that nearly knocked everyone to the ground. Oh, but it was a beautiful, magical looking light, a hypnotic mixture of gold and white. It surged within Sonic, and for a moment he seemed to be seized by its power, his head thrown back, his hands gripping at the raging energy around him. Suddenly he felt as if he were in a dream, lost somewhere between the boundaries of reality and fantasy. The voices that came to him now had a strange, distant quality to them, as if he were hearing them in his sleep. In fact, the many voices became one, and there came a throbbing in his head as he heard the hopes and prayers of his friends, of every creature on Mobius, of every creature in the universe. And with them came a thousand emotions. Love. Hate. Happiness. Sadness. Peace. Pain. Hope. Doubt. Joy. Regret... They all flashed within his mind's eye every second, and as he felt them all, the energy swelled. Then pictures of the past appeared in his vision... scenes of Mobotropolis long before Robotnik came along, when the skies gleamed sapphire blue, and the beautiful white temples and lush gardens spread as far as the eye could see... pictures of that horrible day when Robotnik usurped King Acorn's throne, and filled the air with the blackness of despair and death... blurred images of his family when they were living... and as he saw all of these scenes, there was a great tugging at his heart. These were all things that had been lost, and oh, what pain inflicted his soul as he saw them! He longed to clear those pictures of his long lost parents, to see them clearer and hear what they were saying, but they were as blurred as memories themselves. Then suddenly he saw Nihara, standing at his side on the bridge of the giant airship, just before her death, facing Robotnik with black flames in her eyes. Then those words Robotnik had said came back to him... "I killed your family! And I'd kill them again if I could, just so you could watch!" At first there was a deep sadness as he saw Nihara fall to her knees, disbelief and pain glazing her eyes. Then came a fury that set his blood on fire!

"Robotnik!" he cried suddenly. He opened his eyes, but all he could see was the endless white-golden light. "Robotnik! You will pay!!"

Suddenly he drew his hand back, and the energy gathered until a quivering orb of light laid within his grasp. Viciously he hurled the energy forward. He couldn't see Robotnik, but somehow he knew exactly where his enemy was, and when the energy hit the ship, Robotnik was thrown down, freed from his immobility but too terrified to make a move now. The tyrant looked into the blinding light, and saw Sonic, now completely white, his red eyes piercing the very air. Robotnik wanted to flee, but he found he couldn't. He was still held by those fearsome eyes, that looked right into his very soul and fought off the evil there, gnawing away at his courage and ambition. He shook in horror, for this energy was rendering him powerless, and that was a new, frightening feeling to Robotnik.

And unfortunately for Robotnik, Sonic could see him now. "You wanted the Final Power!" he cried. "Then let it show you all the suffering, fear and pain you have ever caused!" Suddenly he clenched his teeth and threw his head back, and the energy spun around him, flashing as it gathered and charged in power! The others could hear it ringing dangerously as its strength skyrocketed, drawing on every force in the universe, on every emotion and memory held within his mind.

"No!" Robotnik cried desperately. "No!"

Then suddenly swung his hand down, and with it came an enormous BOOM! as a beam of pure Chaos Emerald energy ingnited into an inferno of light. It was so loud, and so furious, that the Freedom Fighters dove down and clung on to the floor of the ship, the light above them so bright that it cast no shadow, and wind so strong that it felt as if it would tear off their skin. Immediately all parts of the ship were blown away, and though the Freedom Fighters didn't know it, they were standing upon nothing but space itself, protected only by Super Sonic's powers. The Doomsday Fleet too was totally annihilated in the wrath of Sonic's attack! Everything of Robotnik's fleet that the energy touched was destroyed completely, unable to escape the fury of his heart and the seven wonderful gems! And as Robotnik was hit, there was suddenly a slicing pain that words could never describe, a pain that came from inside and tore through the body, through the soul and the spirit. He cried in pain and fell backwards, and at last his fear gave way to the hatred inside.

"I hate you, Sonic!" he roared.

Sonic just glared back at him ferociously, his whole body trembling and his teeth bared. He gripped at the energy again, summoning its ultimate power.

"I hate you," Robotnik continued, although he was quaking with terror. "Hate you! Hate you!" He faced Sonic, his breath coming in ragged gasps, eyes burning with disdain.

Sonic concentrated his mind on the unbridled energy that was beginning to surge through his being, snarling, clawing its way forward to attack this creature before him! Along with that, his senses seemed to be searching, beckoning, digging deep into the core of the Chaos Emeralds, into the core of his own existence, to summon the true final power.

"Hate!" Robotnik screamed at the top of his lungs. "Hate! Hate! HAAAAAAAATE!"

Suddenly the eruption of energy thrust Sonic forward, and again he swung his hand down to release another beam, only this one was nearly a billion times more powerful than the first. It's hard to describe just what happened at that moment, for everything seemed to go blank. All the Freedom Fighters could hear was the loud ringing of the energy as it charged and finally released its rage. All they could see was an endless film of white in every direction. Then there was a deafening explosion of raw power, so loud that it made their senses reel. In fact, it seemed to shake the entire realm of space itself, its fury vibrating on everything it touched. The gale that followed pinned them all down hopelessly, and seemed to tear their minds away from their bodies. Suddenly they felt as if they were in a dream too, hardly aware of what was going on around them. But what they were aware of was that Robotnik's voice had abruptly vanished. It was confusing, but it was better not to question the power of the Chaos Emeralds, the Master Emerald, the Power Stones, and their one Controller. They were simply forces that could not be understood or comprehended -- only respected.

Now only Sonic had any real feeling left in his body, and it was all possessed by the Final Power. His sides were heaving and trembling with effort, and his eyes blazed like magma. The images and feelings in his head whirled and spun madly together, and he wanted to purge the universe of every last trace of evil!

Suddenly he threw his head back again, his heart racing, letting the energy carry him upward as it increased in power. For a second he was engulfed in complete white, and then he swung his hand sideways forcefully, a blade of light following it. And that light truly did touch every corner of space, bathing all the planets and the stars in a mystical radiance of real power. It swept over every world, no matter how big or small, healing it from all the disasters Robotnik had caused before. Suddenly all the stars that had swelled and exploded due to the charging Final Power were restored to their natural state. All the creatures of the planets that had suffered were healed, and all the universal destruction was corrected. It reached on into forever, healing, soothing, destroying evil and restoring good. Down upon Mobius, the snows melted and the terrible storms subsided. The great river of lava that surrounded Knothole Village and the Great Forest disappeared, and everything that had been damaged by the toxic air was replenished. And some of those on Mobius even say that they saw the most stunning light above them that day, a light that turned the entire sky white, a light that brought life and health back to them. Others say that they could feel the power in the very air around them, the power of the heart of the hero, of all the pains of his past and the strengths of his spirit, or the courage of his soul and the love for all in his heart, the true Final Power. No one really knows how long the Final Power lasted. It may have been only a few seconds, and the sheer might just stunned all who experienced it. It may have been an eternity, and the energy then restored everything to the rightful time. It definitely did seemed to last forever, but finally, it came to an end, and everyone felt as if they had awoken from a deep sleep.

The Freedom Fighters were the first to awaken from it. They were all still clinging onto nothingness, dazed by the power of what they had just felt, when suddenly, a gentle voice spoke to them.

"It's OK. It's over. Robuttnik's gone. All of his evil is gone."

His friends lifted their heads slowly, peering up in search of him. But they needn't look far, for there he was, glowing golden again before them, his eyes no longer a fierce film of red. For a second they gave a start, for they had nearly forgotten they were in space. All they stood upon now was thin air, the void of space surrounding them. But their fears were erased when they looked at Sonic.

"Sonic!" Sally gasped, and raced toward him, closely followed by the others.

Sonic smiled tenderly at them as they all gathered around him happily, fondling him and one another in celebration of their victory.

"Sonic," Jessica cried, her eyes glossed with tears as she wrapped her arms around him. "That was... You were amazing!"

"Am I ever not?" Sonic winked. It was very evident now that he was tired. The Final Power had exhausted the last bits of energy in him, and although he stood strong and glowed the beautiful light of Super Sonic, it was there within his eyes.

"No, you're never not amazing. Is Robotnik...?"

"He's gone, Jess. Gone for good this time. The Final Power took care of him and all his evil creations. He won't bother us again."

"Sonic, what was it like?" Vren asked suddenly.

"The Final Power? Ugh," he paused to rub his head. "A major headache, really. I could feel and see and hear everything... I saw pictures from the past, of the coup and my family, and I could hear what everyone was thinking, feel what everyone was feeling. It was like a million emotions clashing in my head. It was crazy, but it fed the power until it destroyed Robotnik and restored the universe."

"So... that's what the Final Power is then?" asked Jessica. "Chaos is power, and power is enriched by the heart. The chaos of those conflicting emotions was converted to power by the Chaos Emeralds, and that power was strengthened by your own heart."

"That's right, Jess," Sonic nodded. "And it definitely was chaotic."

"Well, if Robotnik is gone, so much for feeding him to the Night Demons," said Vren. Hearing this the demons behind him growled and whined in disappointment.

"Don't worry, Vren," said Sally. "We have plenty for them to eat back in Knothole. Let's go home, guys. This was quite an adventure all right."

"Hang on," Sonic said suddenly. "There's just one more thing I'd like to do before we head back."

The others looked at him.

"What, Sonic?" Kimberly asked.

Sonic just closed his eyes again, and once more the white-gold lights flashed about him as he summoned the core power of the Chaos Emeralds. Suddenly another light appeared before them, and it began to materialize into something. Curious, the Freedom Fighters stepped forward for a closer look. Then they gasped. As the light began to subside, they recognized the form of Nihara, floating before them. Then Sonic lifted his hand above her, and a golden light surrounded her broken body. The Freedom Fighters watched in amazement, their eyes widening. Suddenly the terrible wound disappeared, and color returned to her skin. Sonic winced slightly, for after something like the Final Power this was hard work. But at last, and much to the Freedom Fighters' astonishment, Nihara's eyes opened!

"Ugh..." she murmured groggily, rubbing her eyes. "W-Where am I?"

The Freedom Fighters gasped and could hardly contain their joy. Nihara was alive!

Sonic, although he was breathing hard from the effort, smiled down at her. "You're with friends is where you are."

Nihara rose up to a sitting position slowly, and suddenly gasped as she looked down at her hands. "Oh my gosh.... I-I'm alive! But how--?" She turned to see Super Sonic at her side, and suddenly all her questions were answered. The Final Power, with its ability to alter time and the energies of life, had been able to reverse the affects of death itself. It had brought her back to life.

Delightedly, and despite her own exhaustion, Nihara leaped up to her feet and hugged Sonic, her "brother." And then the other Freedom Fighters rushed forward, crying with joy as they welcomed their friend back. It was truly a sweet moment in time, for the happiness that surrounded them made the energy of the Chaos Emeralds around Sonic seem to glitter and flare in rejoice. So the Final Power had at last taken place after all, but not as a weapon of total destruction as Robotnik had planned, but as a miracle of restoring life... and reuniting the family that was the Freedom Fighters.

---

Chapter 22

Another Day, Another Adventure

"Good ol' Knothole!" Sonic raced down the slope to the wide valley, just outside of the village, and plopped down onto the soft grass, happy to finally be home.

"Wait up, Sonic!" called a voice from behind. Then Vren galloped gracefully down the hill, Natalie on his back. At his side walked Jessica, Kimberly and Nihara. And to them all it felt as if it had been ages since they felt the grass beneath their feet.

They had just arrived back to their beloved planet little than an hour ago, with the help of Super Sonic's powers. When they had returned, they found their village just as peaceful as it had always been, and above the skies were dancing with starlight. In fact, this night was just as beautiful and serene as the night when Jessica had sat there up upon that hill and watched Sonic race through the valley, free and spirited. The soft breeze whispered through the trees and the tall grass, but Sonic didn't feel such an urge to move this time. Right now he was content just to rest and relax with his friends.

Vren came to the small knoll where Sonic lay on his back, made a quick circle, and then settled down himself. "By the stars, what an adventure!"

The three girls laughed as they sat together.

"Yeah... if that didn't make us real Freedom Fighters," smiled Kimberly. "then nothing will!"

"You ladies proved that you're more than real Freedom Fighters," answered Sonic. "Trust me."

"I think you made a Freedom Fighter out of me, too," said Nihara as she joined the others.

"You could be one, y'know," Sonic replied, smiling. "You'd make an excellent Freedom Fighter. You, too, Vren."

Vren lowered his ears slightly. "Oh... Pity I must return to Morian, Sonic... I'd be honored to be a Freedom Fighter."

"You have to go back?" Natalie asked a little sadly.

Vren turned his huge white muzzle to her. "Unfortunately, yes. There are still duties there that I, as King of the Night Demons, must attend to."

Natalie wrapped her arms around his great neck and buried her head in the handsome mane. "I'll miss you, Vrenny."

"Yeah, so will I," added Sonic.

Vren smiled at them all. "Hey, I'll be able to come back and visit every now and then. Especially if you ever need anymore help with evil-doers like Robotnik."

Nihara suddenly gazed up at the stars. "Do you really think he's gone, Sonic?"

"Pretty darn sure, Nihara. Why?"

"I just got a funny feeling that we may see him again..."

"Well, if we do, we'll just face him side by side like we always do. And you're more than welcome to join the battle."

"Brother, there are still so many questions I would ask of my past. Now that I know who took me in after I was abandone, I just want to learn so much more."

"I've always wanted to learn more about my family," Sonic nodded. "Now more than ever after I heard that they helped you too."

"Hopefully one day you will find the answers..." Nihara's eyes suddenly grew sad. "I doubt I ever will on my own..."

Sonic glanced at her. "Why do you make it sound as if you're leaving us, Nihara?"

"Surely I can't stay here... can I? I mean, after what I've done--"

"Hey," Sonic said gently. "We said you were forgiven, didn't we?"

Nihara lowered her eyes.

"Nihara, I know your past has been full of darkness for a long time. I know your heart has been hurt. But over time, those things can be healed. Here you can have a home and friends -- friends who will stand by you no matter what. And you said it yourself; you and I are linked in a way, since it was my parents who helped you. Together we could look for the answers of our pasts. Together we could defend Mobius from ever being tainted by evil again. Give yourself another chance Nihara. Give your heart a chance to heal itself. Stay with us."

Nihara seemed to be thinking for a moment. True, she had learned much of her past on this incredible adventure with Sonic and the Freedom Fighters. But during the moments of her death, new questions came to her mind... followed by blurred images of what was so long ago. Who were her real parents? Why was she left in Mobotropolis... abandoned? And what were Sir Jules and Lady Bernie really like? Why were they the ones to take her in? She hadn't had a true family or friend in such a long time, but these Freedom Fighters... they were both friends and family, as Sonic had said. And perhaps her "brother" was right. Perhaps the Freedom Fighters could provide the answers. Perhaps they could heal her heart and give her a chance to return to the true person she was. At last she turned back to Sonic.

"You're sure you would take me?"

"Of course we would," Sonic grinned, and then turned to the others. "We'd love to have her with us, right?"

Vren and the girls all answered quickly, nodding eagerly to Nihara and begging her to join.

"Heck yeah, stay with us, Nihara," Natalie exclaimed. "Maybe you could teach us how to be warriors!"

"We could learn a lot from you, Nihara," added Jessica.

"Please stay with us, Nihara," said Kimberly. "You're our friend, and it's always good to have one more fighter on our side."

Nihara smiled in response. "Very well. I'll stay with you. Let us be Freedom Fighters henceforth, and fight for justice, light and peace together, forever as one."

"Amen to that!" Sonic smiled, and they all threw in their hands (or paw) to the pledge.

All of their spirits seemed to unite at that moment. Vren had been right when he had said what an adventure this had been. It seemed to have changed them all. Nihara, the once dark warrioress, was now a loyal ally and good friend. Vren, the demon the Freedom Fighters thought they'd only meet once, had returned to become their powerful and trusted companion. Sonic had unlocked the secrets of the Final Power, something that had never been accomplished before, and saved the universe once again. Kimberly, Jessica and Natalie had proved themselves as courageous Freedom Fighters, and not only that, but Jessica had realized the love in her heart for Sonic and finally admitted it to him. So it had indeed been a marvelous adventure, and as their hands came together in a lifelong pact, they knew then that they would always be there for one another, and follow each other wherever they went. They were friends. They were family. They were Freedom Fighters.

Suddenly Vren rose to his paws. "Well, I had better go round up my Night Demons before they raid your entire village, Sonic."

"Will you stay till at least morning, Vren?" Sonic asked. What else did he not like besides hate and oppression? Farewells.

"Sure I can," Vren smiled. "I'd be glad to. I'm sad to leave, but if you ever need my assistance, give a yell. I'll be there to fight at your side faster than a shooting star."

"OK, Vren. Take care, buddy."

"Can I have one last ride, Vrenny?" Natalie asked hopefully.

"Sure, little friend," the demon smiled, lowering down so she could mount. "Hang on tight!" And with that, the girl happily scrambled up onto his back and Vren reared up rather equine-like, pawing at the air with his great forelegs, and galloping off toward Knothole.

As he thundered past the trees at the top of the hill, Sally and a few other Freedom Fighters appeared.

"Hey, Kimberly and Jessica," called the Princess. "I think we have a few awards to hand out for your bravery on this great mission." Wink.

"Wow, really?" Jess and Kim exclaimed excitedly.

"Past cool!" Sonic smiled.

"Yeah, let's go!" Kimberly pulled herself up and headed up toward the hill.

"You go ahead," Jessica called. "I'll catch up with you in a minute."

Kimberly smiled knowingly and nodded. "OK, see you in a bit."

As they headed out over the hill, Sonic sprawled out on his back again, folding his arms beneath his head. "Another day, another adventure, eh Jess? It was exhausting, but I have to admit it was the best one I've had in a while."

"Yeah, it sure was, Sonic," Jessica smiled, gazing up at the ocean of stars above them. Suddenly she saw that glimmering blue star streak across the heavens, and then the night suddenly seemed to be so beautiful. It was one of those nights that made her imagination soar, and her dreams come alive. Then she got that feeling -- that feeling as if she had lived this very moment in time, saw this very same star-studded sky, with this very same handsome hedgehog.

"Sonic?" Jess whispered.

"Hmm?" Sonic asked, his eyes closing slowly.

"I'm glad I'm here... with you and the other Freedom Fighters. Sure I miss Earth, but I've never really had adventures as amazing as the ones I've had with you. You make everything just seem... out of this world."

Sonic yawned slightly. "I'm glad too, Jess. I have to say it's fun having you and your friends here, too. Before you guys came along, things were definitely too boring without any evil to fight."

"And I think these adventures I've had with you have taught me so much, Sonic. I've learned a lot about the life of a Freedom Fighter... friendship and loyalty, courage and trust... and most of all, love." She glanced at the sky again. "Do you think we'll ever be able to go home again, Sonic?"

When she didn't hear an answer she looked back at Sonic and saw that his eyes were closed, the starlight glittering beautifully on his cerulean blue.

"Sonic, are you awake?"

"I'm awake," Sonic answered lowly, though he opened his eyes only slightly.

Jessica smiled tenderly at him. It had been a long adventure, and he hadn't slept in a long time. But at least tonight she could see that he was relaxed and at peace, with nothing to disturb him from a much-deserved rest. And he did look as beautiful and sweet as he ever did just lying there, half-hidden in the tall grass, perfectly content, the hero and the warrior that she loved so much. Slowly she shook her head in wonder. "You're such a beautiful person, Sonic. Beautiful in appearance. Beautiful in mind. Beautiful in spirit. Well, I hope that if we will be able to return home one day, it'll be a long time from now. I'm happy just to be here with the Freedom Fighters... and you. It's just a great feeling to know that there's always a new adventure waiting out there for the two of us, a new land to explore, a new challenge to meet. There is truly no end to it, Sonic. No matter what, you can always find a brand new adventure. I can only wait till the next one, fella. Let us hope it'll be soon, right? Sonic?"

But Sonic had fallen fast asleep. That didn't bother Jessica, though. He needed it, and he deserved it. Tomorrow they'd be together again, and they'd race through this valley. They'd race through the mountains and the Great Forest, and through the plains and the meadows. The skies would be blue, as blue as him, and the wind would call his name. There would be no limit, no boundary. Anywhere he wished to go, he'd go, and she would follow. Whether it'd be skimming the curling waves of the ocean, or racing to the peak of the highest mountain, she'd be there at his side, along with all the other Freedom Fighters. Not even the sky blocked Sonic's way. No, nothing blocked his way. He could go anywhere and everywhere, and every day was truly an adventure.

Jessica watched the creature she loved quietly, her eyes sparkling with tenderness and admiration. Yes, tomorrow would indeed be a marvelous day. "Good night, my love... My Sonic."

The End