The Forest for the Trees
"Huh," Sonic said. "Guess this is what you call a chainsaw massacre.
Sally shot him a look. "Seriously?"
"Yeah. I mean, the Lumberbots cut down a number of trees, so they've been massacred. Then we took out the Lumberbots, so we massacred them. So when you think about it, it means that there's really been two massacres, and-"
"Sonic?"
"Yeah?"
"Shut up."
"Oh." The grin faded from his face. "Sure."
Silence returned to this portion of the Great Forest. Granted, silence was often the state of the Great Forest, and had been for years. When he'd first arrived here, along with all the other survivours of Mobotropolis, he hadn't been able to go anywhere without a bird singing about…well, whatever birds sang about. Maybe how great the world was, and that cats were the worse. Having spent a large part of his youth running through the forest, he hadn't taken the time to learn the language of birds. Like, they could fly and sing, but he could run faster than any other living thing. So, put that in your nest and smirk it.
But things had changed. Over the years, the forest had fallen silent. When people suggested why, Robotnik was usually the first suggestion, though exactly how that was the case varied from person to person. Rotor suggested that the birds were either dying or disappearing due to pollution from Robotropolis finding its way to the forest. Bunnie suggested that the birds had taken the hint that it wasn't safe here and had flown off towards greener pastures. Tails insisted that the birds were still there and they just weren't looking hard enough. Antoine…well, he didn't particularly care what suggestions Antoine had, because Antoine being Antoine, they were bound to be stupid. Sally though…she'd never offered a suggestion. She'd just accepted it as the way of the world and moved on.
Case in point, Sonic reflected. No time for jokes after their latest victory. No "great work Sonic" or "thanks for the help Sonic." Just dealing with the facts of life. Lumberbots had come and had started cutting down trees. The Freedom Fighters had come, and thanks to their efforts (mainly his), had destroyed the bots. All that was left were piles of metal, and dozens of stumps.
Could have arrived here sooner you know, Sonic thought as he watched Bunnie pick up a pile of metal. Could have done this by myself, but no, I had to wait for you guys as well.
He saw Sally talking to Bunnie and Rotor. Frowning, he headed over himself.
"So, I was thinking," Rotor said. "We might be able to use this scrap for something."
"Something," Sally murmured, frowning.
"Hey, waste not, want not," Rotor said, looking at Bunnie. "And hey, I'm sure Bunnie can handle it."
"Oh yer sure, ain't ya?" Bunnie asked, frowning.
"I just-"
The frown turned into a smile. "Just twisting yer tale, sugah cube. I could carry all this back and get home before the sun sets."
Considering it was just past midday, Sonic supposed that would take awhile. Still Bunnie was Bunnie. Get her started on a task, and hell or high water, she'd finish it.
"Great," Sally murmured. "I mean, sure, Robotnik wants to destroy us, but we can use the scrap against him or something. Wonderful"
"Um, Sally?" Rotor asked. "That's…kinda how we roll. I mean, sabotage, salvage-"
"And speed," Sonic piped in. "Oh, and being super, and stupendous, and-"
"Serious?" Sally added, glaring at him.
"I…well…" He trailed off. It wasn't so much the interruption of his little word game that put him off. Rather, it was the look in Sally's eyes. A look that didn't say "I'm ribbing you because that's what we've always done" but rather "just shut up."
"Bunnie, start stockpiling the scrap," Sally said. "Rotor, help her sort out the stuff – priority on what's useful. Sonic…" She paused. "Just run back to Knothole, let the people know we've destroyed the Lumberbots."
"Heh, we?" Sonic asked, folding his arms. "Didn't see you doing a triple spin and-"
"Sonic just for once in your life make yourself useful and do what I say!"
Sonic stared at Sally. So did Bunnie and Rotor. Somewhere in the forest, a bird began to sing.
Oh so now you turn up.
Sally didn't say anything. She just turned and began wandering among the tree stumps, just like someone might move among the tombstones in a graveyard. Or something. Knothole's graveyard wasn't that big – more people had lost loved ones to robotization than actual death.
Sonic looked at Bunnie and Rotor. Rotor looked like he wanted to say something. Bunnie actually did.
"Sugah hog, I think-"
"I'll handle it," Sonic said.
Bunnie joined Rotor in the "I Want to Say Something but Won't Club." Which suited Sonic fine. Bunnie and Rotor were good Freedom Fighters – they'd get the job done. Right now, he was only interested in what Sally had to say. And so to that end, he walked over to her, the princess just standing and staring at one of the destroyed Lumberbots.
"We need to talk," Sonic said.
She didn't even look at him. "Thought I told you to get back to Knothole."
"Yeah," Sonic said. "I can get back to Knothole in five minutes. Think it's going to make a difference if they find out we won in ten minutes time instead?"
This time, she did look at him. "That a time limit?" Sally asked.
"Five minutes of conversation?" Sonic asked. "Sure."
"Okay, fine," Sally said, closing her arms. "But you've got one minute."
Sonic blinked, but nonetheless composed himself. "Alright," he said. "I'll say it – I think something's bothering you."
Sally said nothing.
"And you're taking it out on me. And fine, I can take that." He kicked the Lumberbot's body. "But I'm the one who destroyed these bots. I'm the one who's stuck it to Robotnik more times than anyone."
"And? What, you want a medal?"
"No. But when I hear you say 'for once in your life make yourself useful,' I'm left with two options." He took a breath. "One, you're being a jerk."
"And you'd know all about that wouldn't you?"
"Two, it's something else, and I'm being your fall guy." Sonic raised his hands in mock defence. "And fine – I can catch you from an exploding building after you swing off a rope into my arms, which is something we pretty much do once a week…usually on Saturdays."
"What?" Sally blurted out.
"Difference being, when we're taking out Robuttnik's factories, or smashing SWATbots, I at least know why. You, here? I don't."
Sonic fell silent. Sally remained silent. The hedgehog kept his ears pricked for the bird he heard earlier, but found no luck. Bereft of such music, he went back to the discordance that Sally Acorn was providing him.
"So…" Sonic said.
"So?"
"So, was, that, like a minute? I wasn't counting."
"Neither was I."
Sonic smiled faintly – not so much for the words, but the faint hint of a smile he saw on Sally's lips. But it was a smile that disappeared quicker than a chilli dog on a plate.
"Alright," Sally said. "You're right."
"I am?" Sonic smirked. "I mean, I know I am, and-"
"I am bothered, and I'm taking it out on you, and I'm sorry," Sally said, before sighing. "Would you like to know why?"
"Um…yeah?"
Sally gestured towards the Lumberbot. "What do you see Sonic?"
"Uh…a robot?"
Sally sighed. "Thinking a bit more specific."
"Fine. It's a Lumberbot," Sonic said. He crouched down. "Seven feet tall, heavy build. Their left arms are giant chainsaws. They're slow, and pretty much even more useless than SWATbots. But they're good at cutting trees down." He looked back up at Sally. "Think that's everything. You want more, you need to talk to Rotor."
"No, that's it," Sally murmured.
"Sal…seriously, what is it?" Sonic asked, getting to his feet. "Robots came. We saw them. We kicked their robotic rears."
"We came, we saw, and Robotnik's still conquered the world," Sally said. "That's why he can do this."
"Do what? Cut down trees?"
"Send out robots to cut trees bereft of any support." She sighed. "Think about it Sonic – what's Robotnik's actual plan here? Would you call this an attack? Just, cut down a few dozen trees and wait for your robots to be destroyed?"
"Um…yeah?"
"It isn't an attack Sonic. He's doing this because he can. He can sacrifice half a dozen bots to take out two dozen trees in the knowledge that he can afford these losses. We, on the other hand…" She fell silent, gesturing towards the lines of tree stumps. "Do you know how long it takes one of these trees to grow?"
"Um…a few years?"
"One-hundred years," Sally said. "I mean, if we defeated Robotnik today, and all was made good and just in the world, I wouldn't even live long enough to see new trees planted because that's all he does." She paused, and Sonic could see what was coming. "That's all he does! We're fighting in the now, and we can't see the forest for the trees!" She kicked the Lumberbot.
Huh. Didn't see that coming.
But ex post facto, seeing Sally let out a yell and hop up and down, cradling her right foot…he saw that coming.
"Sally?"
"I'm fine," she snapped, before collapsing onto the ground, leaning against the bot. "Just…fine."
"Yeah, I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess that isn't the case," Sonic said.
Sally grunted.
"I mean…look, you know me. Robotnik's the enemy. I deal with Robotnik's stuff. I destroy it and make him mad, because it's the only thing that allows me to go to sleep at night. That I've made him miserable."
Sally gave him a funny look.
"And, y'know, continued the fight for freedom, liberty, and all that stuff."
"So that's it huh? Just, carpe diem and all that?"
"Yeah, I've got no idea what that means," Sonic said. "But I figure I'm the guy who lives in the present, you're the girl who looks to the future, so, I mean, like, maybe that's why we're such a good team, and-"
"Sonic?"
"Yeah Sal?"
She lingered in silence for a moment, rubbing her foot before laying her head back against the bot and closing her eyes. "Just…get back to Knothole alright?"
"Yeah…" Sonic murmured. "Sure."
He lingered there for a moment, not sure what to do. Just zoom off? Or, give her a pat? Tell her it would be alright in the end? He hoped so, but then, glancing at the tree stumps, he figured Sally had a point and-
"You're still here Sonic."
He looked down at her, the princess's eyes open.
"Thanks," she said.
"Um…for what?"
"For being here. For listening. For…y'know…stuff."
"Stuff. Right. Um, stuff. I can do stuff."
Sonic knew that even by his standards, those weren't the most eloquent of words. Still, the fight against Robotnik was long. He'd have years to find out how to speak proper. To find the words he found himself wanting to say to Sally more and more, even if he didn't really get what they meant.
Whatever the case, he turned round and got ready to zoom off. Knothole was still here. The Great Forest was still here. And even some birds, like the one that began to sing again, were still here.
Race ya.
He took off into the forest, leaving a trail of dust behind him.
Like a memory of wind.