The Guardian Party 2: CondioChalybs

by Pip the Bat

The sequal to The Guardian Party, and Knux and the crew are in trouble once again. The whole Island has been dragged into another world where the evil Dictrats hold control, and Outcasts are heroes. But are these Dictrats from this new world, or their own

The Guardian Party 2:
Condiochalybs

By Pip the Bat and NetRaptor

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Sonic, Knuckles and related characters copyrighted by Sega. Talon, Echo, Santashi, Nadir and other characters copyrighted by Pip the Bat and NetRaptor.

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Condiochalybs is pronounced "Con-dee-oh-chal-bis". This is the sequel to The Guardian Party 1, so reading that might help you understand this story.

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Two figures stood in a darkened cell deep under the hard packed earth of Teraros; the main base of the largest terrorist organisation on Mobius. The complex extended underground so that when viewed from above, it looked relatively harmless as far as size and capacity ranged. It also proved useful for cursory inspections by officials who stuck their noses where they were not wanted. Neither figure looked like the sort to tolerate such an invasion.

They were not the only creatures in the cell however, just the only ones standing. A red echidna-like robot was flattened against one wall, a foot above the ground, as if by an invisible force. His normally expressionless eyes betrayed his near terror. Several deep scratches ran down his metal body that had certainly not been there before his admission to the torture section.

The taller figure, a Mobian bat, smiled disarmingly at the robot victim. "Do cheer up, RK," she drawled, toying about with the knife in her hands. "After all, this is all your own fault. If you can't learn to obey orders the easy way, I will have to show you the hard way."

The smaller figure, a silver chao with long drooping ears and darker stripes down his body, gazed uninterestedly at Robo Knuckles. He didn't even hint at the power that he was using to keep the robot suspended in the air. At this moment though, he chose to speak. "I can't see why you won't let me kill him," he hissed, sulkily.

The bat glanced down at him. "You can't kill everything, Logicator," she sighed. "You've had your fun with him anyway." Robo Knux winced involuntarily at the painful memory. "Now keep him still." She turned her cold smile back to the robot, raising the dagger in her hand. They knew for a fact that she kept others secreted about her person. "I apologise for my aim in advance. I haven't had much practise at missing targets."

The knife hit the wall between two of the robot's dreadlocks, driving itself up to the hilt. The cruel smile on the bat's face didn't waver as she reached for another dagger. This time the dagger nicked the tip off one of his other dreadlocks. Robo Knux's eyes had flicked off, as if he had closed them. He, like everyone else who knew the bat, also knew of her motto: The third dagger that no one sees and never misses. She appeared to be holding something in her hands, but there was nothing there; at least, nothing visible. Just as she was about to throw it, a small voice rang out, echoing around the chamber.

"No, stop!" Slowly, the bat turned around to face the fourth and last occupant of the room who was sitting on the floor in one of the far corners. She was neither torturing nor being tortured. However, she had been watching the whole time, hugging her knees to her chest.

"Yes Santa?" The bat knew that Santashi hated that shortening of her name; that was why she used it. Santashi was far too scared of her to retaliate. The bat was a good personality judge, and despite Santashi's confident appearance, she sensed her almost permanent fear. During the whole of the torturing session it had really shown through; she was acting like she was the one being tortured.

"I ... I think he's had enough now," Santashi murmured, weakly.

"Really?" She turned back momentarily to Robo Knux. "It must be nice to have a faithful slave. It's a pity I can't say the same for the people who work for me." Spinning suddenly on her heel, she swung round to face Santashi, releasing her grip on the knife. Santashi gasped in pain and went white as the knife buried itself in her arm. "Logicator," the bat added, with a careless wave of her own arm. The chao snapped off his mental hold and Robo Knuckles clattered to the cell floor, hastily picking himself up.

"Now, being the kind and forgiving person that I am, I am willing to give you a second chance." Her eyes glittered dangerously. "Upon the Floating Island. This time, it is not chao that I want; they were stronger of character than I first thought. No, this time I want you to kidnap somebody."

"Yes ma'am?" He tried to be inquisitive and respectful at the same time.

"Pip." The bat spoke the word with venom, and continued rapidly as if to hide the fact that she had said it. "I thought that this task should be easy enough, even for you. Then I remembered exactly who it was I was thinking of, and decided to even the odds in our favour. So that no help from the outside should come to the island I will transport it CondioChalybs." She waved aside the looks of surprise she received. "I do have that sort of technology in my hands, yes. Your first move will be to conceal yourselves on the island, taking care not to show yourselves until after it is transported. We cannot afford to take any risks on Mobius. On CondioChalybs we can take all the risks we like. Logicator and I will be going there shortly anyway, to see to my ... training facility." She smiled. "Please, do not fail me this time. I assure you, you wouldn't like it."

Robo Knuckles was first out of the door, followed closely by Santashi. "Oh and Santa," the bat added, as she passed her. "If you would be so kind as to give me my knife back?" Trying not to look, Santashi yanked the knife roughly out of her arm then fled after her master, looking as if she was about to be sick. The bat laughed softly to herself, wiping the blade clean and inserting it into her boot. "Come Logicator, we have business to conduct." The chao followed her silently, his cold ice-blue eyes glittering in the dim lighting. "Don't worry, you'll be able to kill and torture to your little heart's content on my planet. The clans might need a touch of subduing."

The silver chao cheered up at once.

***

Several months had passed since the fiasco earlier that summer. The chao had grown and recovered, and one had been added to their number. But their numbers were nothing near the point before Robo Knux had begun his murders.

Fall had arrived with warm days and chilly nights, turning the trees on the island to scarlet and gold. Knuckles, who considered himself a guardian of all seasons, was planning to move the island south for the winter before it grew much colder. But the move was still a few days off, and he had a few visitors from Knothole.

Sonic, Tails, Zephyer and Talon had come to see Knuckles before he left on "vacation", as Sonic called it. Talon, a skinny, shy anteater, had wanted to stay on the island all winter, but Knuckles was making him stay in Knothole where he would be safe.

Talon and Zephyer had brought their chao, Zinc and Max, to say goodbye to their friends on the island. Sonic watched them glumly. His chao, Axel, had fallen prey to Robo Knux. Even Tails had a chao; an orange fellow named Fuft, who flung himself into his master's arms, giggling.

"Aw, c'mon, Sonic," said Knuckles, slapping Sonic on the back. "There're other chao."

"Not like Axel," Sonic muttered.

"I can look for one for you while I'm down south," said Knuckles, trying to cheer him up. "How about an egg you can hatch yourself?"

"No thanks," said Sonic, and grinned. "I'm not that needy, Knux, it's okay. Don't worry about me."

Echo appeared to greet the newcomers. She literally appeared out of thin air, for teleportation was her special ability. She shook Sonic's hand and stared at him, for aside from Pip and maybe Talon, she had never seen a non-echidna Mobian before. "I saw you on that thing," she said vaguely. She meant the videophone. She had only seen Sonic the day they had had to tell him Axel died, and Sonic had hit the roof.

Sonic squinted at her. "You're that girl like Tikal, aren't you? The one that got fried by the Master Emerald?"

Echo smiled in embarrassment and nodded.

Meanwhile, over near the Emerald Shrine, the chao owners were among the chao, talking.

"I'm big now," said Zinc proudly, walking across the grass with his chest puffed out. "I've been learning how to fight. I'm bad."

"Yeah?" said Falcon, and tackled the silver chao. The two became a ball of silver and purple, rolling across the ground like a fizzing firework.

Fuft was sitting in Tails's lap. His twin tails, like his master's, were drooping. "Do you have to go away?" he asked mournfully.

"Can't help it," said Tails, stroking his furry head. "This is what Knux does every year. You weren't here last year, so you don't remember."

"Can't I come to the mainland?" pled Fuft. "Max and Zinc go to the mainland! Why can't we?" The orange chao scowled at Max, a green and yellow chao with flippers for limbs, who was trying to help Zephyer and Talon break up Zinc and Falcon.

"They're different," said Tails delicately, not wanting to upset his chao. "They were hatched in Knothole ... you weren't. It makes things ... different." How could you explain emerald bonds to a chao who was only ten months old?

Zinc and Falcon were pulled apart. Zinc was grinning, but Falcon, furious he couldn't whip the chao who had been so puny a few months earlier, turned on Max, who was standing innocently nearby. Max ran to Talon in terror, who scooped him up in his arms.

"Where's Pip?" asked Zephyer, tucking the gleeful Zinc under one robotized arm.

"Haven't seen her," said Strelle, a white chao who belonged to Pip. "She probably forgot you were coming."

"Why don't you stay on the island?" asked Fuft of Tails, a look of pure hope on his face. "Pip and Echo are staying!"

"They live here," Tails replied.

"I live here, too," Talon muttered, fondling one of Max's soft ears. He hated like poison to leave the island for a whole winter. Especially after missing so much on the island when he had been sick with a fever in Knothole. Tails heard him. "Aw, don't feel bad, Talon. We'll have lots of fun! Knothole is great in the winter."

"I hope so." Talon tried to feel cheered up, but failed miserably.

Knuckles and Echo walked up, Sonic trailing behind them. "Hi guys," said Knuckles, waving. "How're things? Where's Pip?"

"Not here, obviously," said Strelle. Bik, a red chao, pushed her. "Don't be such a twit. Pip was getting stuff for dinner. She'll be back soon."

"But it's not dinnertime yet!" said Sonic, gesturing to the sun, which was two hours from setting.

Knuckles grinned. "I believe in entertaining my guests. Besides, I'll be pretty much alone for the next three months."

Aqua, Knuckles's chao, looked indignant.

Pip didn't turn up for another half an hour. By that time the little group had seated themselves on the grass and the steps of the shrine and were chatting. No one noticed the whine of her jet engines until she landed nearby, the backs of her robot wings smoking. "Hi guys!" said the bat, waving. "Knuckles, everything's ready, and Sonic, somebody's on the videophone for you."

The hedgehog got up lazily and trotted off toward the hut where the videophone was kept. Five minutes later he was back. "Guys, sorry to spoil the fun, but I've got to get home. Metal Sonic showed his ugly face near the village, and they need me to run him off."

Tails jumped up. "Need me to help?"

"Naw, it's okay. I'll be back tomorrow, no fear. Bye Knux, bye guys, thanks!" And he was gone, a faint cloud of dust in his wake.

***

Strelle and Falcon had taken Zinc and Max to introduce them to the new chao. There was only one new chao, but they found the new arrival immensely interesting if rather annoying; chao always liked to meet others of their species.

The white chao tapped her visor absent-mindedly. When she had been shot during the major battle with Robo Knuckles the previous summer, the after effects of the blast had left her completely blind. To cope with this, she had been fitted with a visor that enabled her to see as good as new. "This-" She rolled her eyes at the three other chao. "-is Dreads."

The chao was similar to Aqua in that she looked a little like a toned down echidna. The difference between her and the red chao was that she was a shiny silver metal. When she saw Zinc, she leapt to her feet, totally ignoring the others. "Another metal chao?" she squeaked, in the poshest voice any of them had ever heard. "Neat! All these suckers here are so un-valuable."

Feeling that he should say something aside from 'Shut up', Zinc decided to ask her a polite question. "Are you silver then?"

"Platinum," the other chao crowed.

"How did you get here? Were you born on the island?" This time it was Max who asked the question.

"This place is a dump," sniffed the chao. "Like I'd come from here. Actually, I'm here to escape my brother. He wants to kill me."

"We do too," muttered Strelle, darkly. Dreads glowered at her and walked away in a huff. The white chao stuck her tongue out at the metal chao's retreating back to relieve her feelings. "Stuck up so and so. Don't pay any attention to her; no one else does."

"Why does her brother want to kill her?" persisted Max.

"Wouldn't you? We've just been told to look out for any strange chao asking for her. They'd have to be very strange if they wanted to see her. Only let 'em past if they've got some superweapon with them." The chao all giggled, and soon settled into a normal banter; bets on which of them would win in a free-for-all fight.

Before they could get underway, however, the rest of the chao and their owners called them for dinner. They joined them willingly as they trotted over to area that had been laid out for eating in. Before Echo could enter the clearing, Pip grabbed her by the arm and yanked her a few yards away, signalling for her to follow. Mystified, the echidna obliged, treading softly over the grass and bracken. When they had got far enough away, the bat disappeared behind a tree for a moment then walked back slowly, carrying something.

"I didn't want Strelle to know," she whispered, by way of explanation. "She'd have a fit." In Pip's arms was another chao, smaller than the others and a shiny gold colour. It looked similar to a cat with jagged red lines running like a second ribcage around his body, and fluffy fire coloured wings. The chao's head was shaped like Metal Sonic's, a hull, with a large ears and whiskers. A long curly tail protruded from behind.

Echo half smiled, while trying to look annoyed. "You've already got a chao, Pip. And you're right, Strelle will go mad. Where did you get it from?" She petted it gently with one hand.

"I found the egg a couple of months ago and I couldn't just leave it ... He's called Heat, by the way. As in the things you get in races."

"Well, the mystery of the bat who disappears every couple of hours is now solved. He can't have otiaed yet, right?"

"Not yet." To her surprise, the reply came from the chao, rather than the bat. How could a non-otiaed chao be talking? Seeing her surprise, the chao added: "That's not all. I can use my emerald too."

"Emerald? Pip, if Strelle doesn't kill you, someone else certainly will if you were taking the emeralds without permission."

"I didn't take any." Pip looked offended. "It's his own emerald." Heat held it out in one chao paw to show the echidna. Five seconds later, Echo had Pip pinned to the floor.

"Don't bring that thing near me, d'you hear? Do you even know what it is?"

Pip shook her head miserably.

"The eighth emerald. That thing caused my Dad to be killed and it nearly killed me too. I don't want to see it." She got to her feet and stalked away, leaving the chao and owner staring after her in confusion.

"I don't think she knows her own strength."

"Did you see how her hand went to the scar on her chest when she saw it?" remarked Heat, as his mistress picked herself up. "I guess you'd better introduce me to the others now that you've shown me to her. It looks like there'll be room for one more to dinner anyhow; I doubt she's gonna come."

"She'll hide herself in the Master Emerald," Pip told him. "It's what she does when she's ill or in a bad mood." She waited for Heat to jump up and curl himself around her shoulders as they walked back to the dining area. "I can't see what she's making such a fuss about though. I mean, it's only an emerald after all."

***

As evening shadows stretched across the island and the air grew chill, two figures appeared in the forest.

"How are we going to pull this off?" whispered the girl. She was favouring her left arm, which was wound in a makeshift bandage. "I can't fight like this!"

"Shut up," said Robo Knux. His head was turning this way and that as his scanners swept the area. "We aren't here to fight. We're here for a kidnapping, and even that will wait until we're transported to CondioChalybs. We're going to hide."

Santashi nodded and shivered. She wished she were a robot who didn't mind the cold and could recover from extended torture quite quickly. At any rate, her arm would be healed in a few more hours, owing to her species.

"Ah, there they are," said Robo Knux in relief. "Nobody will sneak up on us tonight. They're having a party or something. With a fire."

"Really?" asked Santashi, thinking of the warmth of a campfire. Robo Knux shot her a green look. "Don't even think about it. Now, come this way, I believe there is a suitable hiding place to the south. I remember it from my last visit." He strode away, and Santashi followed him, hugging her aching arm to her chest and shivering.

***

Knuckles, Tails, Zephyer, Talon, Pip and the chao were just sitting down to dinner, totally unaware of any intruders on the island. Some of the younger chao had never seen a bonfire before, and sat in awe of the flames, some forgetting to eat. Echo's absence was noticed. Pip remarked vaguely that Echo had remembered something she had to do in Hidden Palace. "Odd," said Knuckles. "She was looking forward to this."

Every so often, as they munched their way through their hotdogs, Pip would tear off a chunk and throw it over her shoulder into the bushes. There the golden chao, Heat, pounced on it. Pip hadn't been able to think of a way to explain his presence to Strelle, and had opted to keep him secret for a while.

Talon and Tails had hit it off. They sat together a little ways off from the echidnas and chattered like magpies, Max and Fuft helping themselves to their masters' food. Talon seemed to have forgotten his depression over being forced off the island. He held up his feet to show Tails his shoes. "See, and when I turn them on, I can fly!"

"I can fly, too!" Tails exclaimed, "but that's because of my tails. Lookit!" The fox spun his tails and rose into the air. "Bet I can outfly you."

"I can outfly anything!" said Talon, jumping to his feet. "Knuckles sir, I'm gonna race Tails, I'll be back!"

"Okay Tal," Knuckles called.

"I can beat you, I race Sonic all the time!" said Tails, as the two flew off into the darkening sky. Talon's glowing red and green shoes were visible for a long time as they streaked over the woods.

"Will they be okay?" Zephyer asked, watching them.

"Sure," said Knuckles. "It's not dark yet, and Tails has eyes like a ... a bat," he said, noticing Pip watching him.

Max and Fuft sat on the grass by the fire, gazing off after their masters. "I can fly in Warrior form, sorta," said Fuft. "What's yours?"

"I swim," said Max. "Flying scares me. I'm a sea-dragon in Warrior form."

"Does Talon swim?"

"No," said Max, eyes narrowing. He clenched his teeth. "Talon will never go swimming again, if I can help it. I almost lost him that way."

***

Tails could indeed outstrip Talon, much to Talon's surprise. In retaliation, the anteater dropped into the trees, turned off his boots and hid. "Can't find me!" he called to Tails. Tails swooped back and landed in the trees. "Hide and seek now? Okay! You better hide good!"

Talon was hiding between a tall shrub and a clump of rocks, neatly screened from sight on all sides. What he didn't know was that only a few feet away, in a hollow under the rocks, Robo Knux and Santashi were hidden for the night.

Robo Knux was offline, and as his batteries had been damaged in the torturing, his resting periods were critical. Santashi, curled beside him, lifted her head and listened to the youngsters play. What were they doing over here? What if one of them stumbled onto them? She bared her teeth. Hurt arm or no hurt arm, they wouldn't find her master.

Tails heard Talon yell in unmistakable fright. Tails ran in the direction of the sound, arms raised to fend off hanging branches and vines. His fox eyes, super-sensitive in the darkness, made out a figure grappling with Talon, rolling around on the ground. Tails jumped in, grabbed the stranger's arm and bit it.

That was the wrong thing to do. Santashi shrieked in pain and turned on him, furious. Tails had an impression of claws and long hair, maybe dreadlocks, before she knocked him sprawling. She moved in to work him over, but Talon grabbed her around the neck from behind. Santashi threw herself over backward and landed on him. Talon let go and lay winded, the world revolving around him.

Tails dove into the stranger as she got up, knocking her backward into the rocks. She cracked her head and sank toward the ground, limp. The fox leaped toward Talon, who was just picking himself up. "Run! Run!"

"No, fly!" Talon replied, and rocketed toward the sky, spiralling slightly, still dizzy. Tails followed him, and the two flew, panicked, back toward the orange light of the bonfire.

***

Meanwhile, back at the bonfire, Heat had decided to show himself. Blinking his eyes innocently, he trotted into the clearing from a completely different side to Pip, grinning happily at everyone as only a chao could. The others stared at him in surprise as he walked straight to the bat, as if tugged by an invisible magnet. She groaned inwardly. Chao were notoriously bad at deception.

"I like you," he said, staring up at her as if he had just seen the Northern Lights for the first time. He tilted his head in surprise as his way was barred by a white chao: Strelle.

"Back off buster, the bat's mine," she growled, glaring him down.

Knuckles and Zephyer edged forward, ready to prevent a fight if necessary. "Why?" asked the gold chao, interested.

"Because I'm her chao!"

"But I'm her chao too!" protested Heat, looking like he was about to cry.

Strelle did the action of rolling up imaginary sleeves and charged at him. The gold chao stared at her for a moment, then lowered his helmeted head and tossed her high into the air. Strelle yelped in panic, landing hard on Dreads. Fuft giggled. Happy that the obstacle had been removed, Heat ran the remaining few steps to Pip and leapt into her arms.

Zephyer looked stern, but before she could say anything Talon and Tails hit the ground before them, skidding a few steps from the angled impact. Swaying unsteadily on his feet, Talon turned to Knuckles, his eyes as wide as dinner plates. "Sir, we were attacked!"

Knuckles was on the alert in an instant, the golden arrival forgotten by all. "By who? Did you see who it was?"

"They had dreadlocks I think," Tails butted in. "And claws. They were strong too."

"Where did you--" Knuckles broke off, as the whole island shuddered violently, knocking them all to the ground. They stared around in panic, trying to see what could have happened. Had the island somehow hit a mountain top?

The sky around them was suddenly rent with lightning, strange electrically charged sparks buzzing around it like wildfire; green, orange, yellow, blue, red and many more. The Floating Island appeared to be in the eye of a storm, the air having a strange static tingling feel.

As they all tried to pick themselves up, Echo appeared, looking around furiously. She sagged and fell to the ground in pain, her eyes screwed up in agony. "The island ..." she gasped, her voice rasping. "It can't stay afloat much longer in this."

Zepyher managed to reach the other echidna before the second tremor hit the island, vibrating so hard that they thought it might crack. The storm seemed to have reached its pinnacle; Echo was hardly breathing and they all thought they heard a ripping sound, as if the sky was being torn in two ... and then silence. Complete and utter silence. They had passed through the storm.

"Let's see how bad this is," exclaimed Knuckles, climbing groggily to his feet and racing towards the edge of the island, his legs pumping up and down. The storm seemed not to have touched the island at all, even though they had felt its impact. Zephyer stayed to check on Echo, who appeared to have fainted under the pressure and Pip to look after the chao, while Talon and Tails followed the guardian.

When they reached the edge of the island they saw the problem, for the planet below them was certainly not Mobius. The land was crusted and cracked; the red earth looking distinctly volcanic with caves, crevices and overhangs forming the scenery. It looked as if they had slipped back into a primeval time, except every so often they saw a glint of what must be metal moving about far below.

"What is this place?" breathed Tails, voicing the awe that they all felt.

Knuckles shook his head. "We're a long way from Kansas, Toto, that's for sure." A thought occurred to him. "That person you saw before--they could have had something to do with this." Zephyer jogged towards them, panting a little. When she saw what was under the Island, she too stared in astonishment. "I know," the guardian muttered, glaring at the volcanic land below, as if he could somehow glower it away.

"Are we going down there, sir?" asked Talon.

The echidna hesitated. They would not find any answers by staying on the island, and without answers, there was little chance of them getting home again. "I guess so."

***

Several of the chao had been knocked away from the main group in the tremors, being much smaller than the Mobians, and they were making their cautious way back to the bonfire. The chao were Zinc, Heat and Fuft.

"How did you get here?" Zinc asked the gold chao, curiously.

"I was hatched by Pip," Heat explained, not bothering to conceal the truth.

"When did you otiae then?"

"I haven't yet. I don't know why I can talk, I just can. I've always been able to speak. I--" He broke off as all three saw a small creature lying in front of them; another chao. It was groaning, and picking itself up.

"Who are you?" Fuft asked him, brightly.

"None of your business," he snapped, glowering at the small chao. "As a matter of fact, I'm Platinum." The chao saw that he was indeed the metal of which he spoke, as well as it being his name. "I was just flying along when the whole place went crazy and dumped me down here. I'm looking for another chao, she's called Dreads. Have you seen her?" Fuft and Zinc exchanged glances. Could this be the brother of Dreads who was bent on killing her?

"W-why do you want her?" stammered Fuft, nervously.

"I'm her brother, jerk. She ran away again."

Another exchange of glances. "We won't let you kill her," said Zinc. "She's very annoying, but we don't really want you to do that."

He was subjected to a long stare which said quite plainly 'What planet have you just dropped in from?' "Cut down on the movies, shiny," Platinum told him flatly, turning away from them. As he went, he hovered in the air like Dreads had done, shooting away into the distance.

"Meanie," Heat said, making a face. "Why's he wanna kill Dreads anyway? And who is she?" The two other chao explained the facts to him as they walked along, back towards the bonfire.

***

Strelle met them as they walked up, furious, her visor glittering menacingly in the firelight. "You jerk!" she yelled at Heat. "What did you do with Pip?"

Heat looked confused. "I ... I didn't do anything with her. I just got back. What happened?"

"She's gone!" yelled Strelle, sure that it was Heat's fault in some insidious way. "I have a good mind to go to Warrior and kick your tail all the way across the island!"

"Hey," said a weak voice. Echo was sitting up, holding her head. She was pale, but recovering. "What are you fighting about?"

"Pip's gone," said Strelle in a quavery voice. "I thought the interloper did something to her ..."

Echo looked at Heat and her eyes narrowed. "Did you?" she asked.

"No!" said Heat, looking at Zinc and Fuft. "I was with these guys all the time!"

"He was," said Zinc. "But I think we have a bigger problem." He was watching Zephyer running toward them out of the darkness, and she didn't look happy.

"I have bad news," said the robotized echidna, between breaths. "We're not on Mobius anymore."

"I have worse news," said Strelle. "Pip's gone."

Zephyer didn't seem to hear her. She picked up Zinc and held him to console herself. "Knuckles is going down there as soon as it gets light," she told Echo. "Tails, Talon and I are going with him. You want to come?"

Echo looked at her as if Zephyer had suggested she play handball with a grenade.

"Nevermind," said Zephyer.

At that moment Dreads came running up out of the darkness, her eyes wide with fright. "They got Pip! I saw them! And Platinum helped them, I know it!"

***

The said chao was, at that moment, nowhere near the bat. He was looking over the edge of the island, trying to work out how the landscape had suddenly changed. They certainly were not in the same place they had been before, and he doubted there was anywhere on Mobius like it. He groaned inwardly. Why did Dreads have to lead him on such a dumb little dance the whole time? Well, he was going to get her back this time, and no bunch of loonies like the ones that lived on the Island were going to stop him. Trying to kill Dreads indeed! The nerve of them. Most of them were not even vaguely metallic, obviously not very valuable at all. He supposed the islanders would be leaving the island tomorrow to have a look at this new place. Fine then. They would go and he would follow.

***

Strelle let out a very, very long scream of compiled rage and frustration when Dreads had finished describing the first kidnapper, who was obviously Robo Knuckles. "I hate him! First he goes and dang well makes me blind, and then he goes and kidnaps Pip! Did you see where he went? I'm gonna whup him into orbit, I'm gonna blast him into oblivion, I'm gonna--" She was cut short by Echo, who clamped one hand over her mouth.

Heat had gone very pale and wide-eyed. "What did the other guy look like? Anyone you know?"

"No. It was another echidna robot like him, but black and gold." Echo, who had only met one robot, Robo Knuckles, shrugged and looked blank.

Zephyer shook her head. "I've never heard of one like that before."

"Maybe he built her or something," suggested Zinc.

Echo had released her grip on Strelle, who seemed more subdued. "Why don't we go look for them?" she suggested hopefully, rubbing her chao paws together in what she hoped was a menacing way.

"They won't have stayed on the Island. They'll have gone down there if they've got any sense." Heat jerked his head towards the edge of the island.

"Who died and made you the expert on absolutely everything?" snapped Strelle, glowering at the other chao. Heat just giggled and did a headstand. The white chao narrowed her eyes and shoved him over, sending him sprawling. Heat bounded to his feet, ready for a fight, but Zephyer wearily forestalled him.

"Fighting's not going to get us anywhere. We're going to have to save all of our strength for tomorrow when we go down to the new place." She managed a brief smile at the two chao, one worried looking and one who was hiding his feelings well. "We'll find Pip, don't you worry. She always seems to land on her feet."

***

The planet was indeed desolate from above, but upon it the structure was a different matter entirely. The sun-baked earth was riddled with canyons, hidden passageways, secret caves and many more interesting novelties. The vegetation was sparse, although every couple of dozen miles there was a tropical forest, humid with stream rising gently off the leaves. As the sun rose, bigger and redder than Mobius's sun, three figures plunged from the Floating Island's rim and flew toward the ground below.

Pip's arms were bound to her sides by cables Robo Knux had shot out of his wrists. She struggled furiously anyway, outraged at their nerve. Robo Knux was carrying her in his arms, the jets in his dreadlocks roaring. Santashi had partly changed shapes into an eagle, which made her an echidna with wings for arms. She glided alongside them, watching her master, Pip and the ground at the same time.

Robo Knux took his hand off Pip's mouth. "Scream all you like. Your friends will never hear you now." The ground was quite close, and they were dropping into a narrow canyon.

"I thought you were dead!" Pip exclaimed. "Zinc stabbed you to death, didn't he?"

"He did, yes," said Robo Knux, "but I was recovered and repaired."

"By who?"

The crimson robot was in a rare good mood, which could change at the drop of a hat. "By Logicator and Nadir of course. And I've been hired to kidnap you."

Pip's blue eyes widened. "Nadir? Did you say Nadir?" Her robotized fingers curled around the edges of the steel cable. She had a weapon her captors didn't know about--a dangerous weapon.

"Yes, Nadir," said Robo Knux as he landed on the stony ground. Santashi landed beside him, and her wings changed back into arms. "I doubt you've ever heard of her."

Pip had heard of Nadir all right, and the memory was not pleasant. "Let me go, please," she said. "Otherwise I'll do something we'll all regret."

"I'm not too worried," said Robo Knux dryly. "The answer is no, bat."

"I hate to do this, but I warned you," said Pip. At once her fur gleamed and vanished to be replaced by steel. Her black, digital eyes stared up at Robo Knux, and she slowly smiled. "I'm Mecha bot five, remember?"

The cables snapped like thread, and Pip was free. "You won't get away as easy as that!" snarled Robo Knux. "Santashi! Get her!" And he went for Pip himself. Santashi hesitated a fraction of a second, deciding which form to take, then settled for an elephant. She charged at Pip, trunk curled back from her long, deadly tusks.

The noise the three made as they smashed into the canyon walls was sure to attract attention, as were the weapons Robo Knux fired at Pip. One of his heat-seeking rockets, knocked askew by a kick from Pip, shot straight up in the air and exploded. A gang of the world's inhabitants knew immediately where the fight was.

A creature like a long gleaming metal lizard skeleton crawled to the edge of the canyon and peered down at them. "There's only three of them," it hissed. "A shapeshifter and two robots."

"Only two robots?" said a hairy creature in army fatigues. The hair was thick wires, like a brillo pad. He looked something like a Mobian, although it was anybody's guess as to his species after he had lived in the desert for so long. He peered over the edge of the canyon with the skull-creature. "Puny ones too, looks like. Tell Nargra."

The skull creature let out a soft, breathy hiss. A second later warriors appeared all around, stealing up softly from holes and draws in the ground. Like the first two, every one of them was some form of metal. One of them was a creature that looked like a tyrannosaurus, but on a smaller scale. He carried weapons slung along his back and a huge knife lashed to his back leg. His arms were not as small as a t-rex's, however, for he could swing the knife in his hands like a sword. He glanced at the battle below and snorted, "Let's kill them."

Santashi saw them first. "Master!" she shrieked, reverting to her default form in panic, which was a human girl. Robo Knux paused with one fist about to punch Pip's lights out and looked around. Figures had appeared all around, both on top of the canyon walls and in the canyon itself, running toward them with battle cries. Pip grinned at him. "I guess you should have been quieter, huh?"

Robo Knux launched a rocket into the midst of the oncoming warriors, putting a stop to several of them. He grabbed Pip by the arm, flung her into their path, then tore away down the canyon on his afterburner, Santashi running to catch up. Fortunately Pip had the sense to put her hands in the air and return to her flesh and blood form. Unlike Santashi, Pip could only switch between robot and non-robot, and doing it often made her giddy. Two warriors grabbed her and held various guns and knives to her head and throat, mismatched, grungy, but in perfect working order. More warriors ran, crawled or flew after Robo Knux and Santashi, while several more bent over the five that the robot's rocket had hit. The figures were alien to Pip's eyes, but there were a few shapes she recognized, like a dinosaur and an echidna-like figure.

A dinosaur carrying a knife like a sword strode up to Pip and eyed her. "Bring her," he said with a toss of his head. "We'll see what she knows."

***

A select batch of chao had been chosen to accompany the little group to the ground. Knuckles would take Aqua, Tails would take Fuft, Talon would take Max, and Zephyer would take Zinc. Strelle and Heat would be coming along, too, each in the hopes of finding Pip before the other did. Each chao would be bringing their chaos emerald in case they ran into any trouble. "Although I don't know what use I'd be in a desert," said Max sadly. "Look at it. No water anywhere."

"You think you've got it bad," said Aqua. "Do you know what my Warrior form is? A water-gorgon. Do you know how useless I am without water?"

"You're probably more use than I am," muttered Max. "Did you know I can't even bite?" He could, actually, but he was enjoying his bad mood. He and Aqua were both out of sorts, but not as much as the chao who were being left behind. Their only consolation was that Echo was staying with them.

Knuckles glided off the island with Aqua in one arm. Tails and Talon lifted down Zephyer, who had Zinc, Max, Fuft, Strelle and Heat clinging to her. "The chao bus, that's me," she said cheerfully as they descended.

Knuckles dropped faster than his companions did, to scout out the territory. There was a good chance this world was inhabited, and there was also a good chance the inhabitants were hostile. "C'mon, have we ever met any strange folks who welcomed us with open arms?" he thought. "Keep an eye out for life," he said aloud to Aqua, who was enjoying the flight, her dreadlocks flapping in the breeze.

"Oh, right," she said, and gazed downward.

The echidna landed on a ridge between two gullies, however, without seeing anything that resembled life. He set down Aqua, who peered into the shadowy canyon to their left as the others landed nearby. Tails remained hovering, looking around suspiciously. "See anything?" Knuckles called to him.

"No," called the fox, "but I thought I heard something."

Suddenly, a booming voice echoed around the surrounding area, making them all jump. "What business do you have with the Meshes, strangers? Are you with the Dictrats?" They spun round, trying to detect where the voice had come from, but to no avail. In the end, they faced the direction in which they thought the owner of the voice was located.

Bravely, Knuckles hollered back a reply. "We don't know any Meshes or Dictrats. We just got here." He did not give any more information than that, not willing to trust the mysterious speaker.

"I didn't think you were with them," the voice said, contemplatively. "You wouldn't be nearly as cautious as you are. So, why are you here?"

This time it was Tails who replied. "It was an accident. The Floating Island went through this big storm, then we looked down and we were here. We don't even know where it is."

A brief pause. "A floating island, eh? I take it that you don't wish any of the planet's inhabitants any harm?"

"What would he do if we said we did?" hissed Strelle, but she was instantly hushed by the other chao.

"It depends whether or not you want to hurt us, I guess."

There was no reply for a minute, then a normal voice spoke quietly behind them. "Fair enough." Gasping with shock, they turned around again. A silver steel echidna was leaning nonchalantly on the rocks behind them, smiling faintly. He had two deep scratches running across his forehead, and looked ever-so-faintly like a Mecha bot. "I am Mesh, leader of the Meshes. Who are you?" Hesitatingly, they told him their names, even the chao. He nodded slowly, as if he had something on his mind. "You don't happen to know a black bat do you? Not Her," he added, as if this would make sense to them. "She looked like her, but the scar was missing, among other things."

"Pip!" exclaimed Strelle and Heat in unison. Hearing the other speak, they turned to glare at each other. The others exchanged glances then nodded.

"Did you see her?" asked Talon, shyly.

"Ah. I thought she might be with you. Yes, I did see her. She was taken by Nargra and the Outcasts, saying something about tape measures, I believe. I will see what I can do for her later. For now, it might be wise to come with me. The Outcasts are bandits, plainly speaking, and powerful ones at that. At the moment they are near the borders of our territory. There are also the Overseers. Crossing paths with them is not recommended. If you stay out here, they will certainly get you." Without waiting for a reply, he turned and walked away.

Shrugging, Knuckles followed, the rest tailing him. He had hundreds of questions running loose in his head, although he supposed he would have to wait a while before he had a chance to ask them. Behind him, at the back of the entire company, Strelle plotted. She hoped to sneak away from the others somehow, so that she would be able to go and find Pip before Heat did. Behind her, there was another chao, clinging to the shadows so as not to be seen. Platinum had kept his silent promise; he had not let the Islanders out of his sight.

***

Back on the Floating Island, Echo was chopping up some fruit for the chao's midday snack. The echidna sighed, running her hand through her dreadlocked hair. She was thinking of the emerald that Heat possessed, which showed by the way she touched the still visible scar upon her chest constantly. Had she been right to keep it secret? She had been going to tell the others, but after Pip had been kidnapped ... It did not seem right somehow, like betraying a trust. Betraying a trust. She knew more about that than anyone else. "Dad," she whispered, wishing that he was there to hear her and guide her, like he had done when she was little.

Echo shuddered spasmically, trying to concentrate on slicing the apples. It didn't help, and she let out a little cry when she saw the knife in her hand, turning her head away so that she would not see the glittering blade. No, that was showing weakness to be afraid. Echo would never show weakness again, not to anybody or anything: she liked to think that she learned from her mistakes. The thought went out of her mind as she yelped in pain. Since she had been not looking at the knife, she had missed the green apple and instead cut her hand. She stared mindlessly at the blood, her mind far, far away.

"Hey, Ec!" Her thoughts were interrupted as Bik rushed up to her, indignation etched across her face. "Dreads stole my emerald! I was showing them to her, then I turned my back for five seconds and she had grabbed it and gone over the blue horizon. Oh," she added, just noticing. "You're bleeding Echo."

"Mm. Yeah. Listen Bik, she may have just wanted to try it out. I mean, the idea of a Warrior form might have really intrigued her and she wanted to know how it felt."

"S'pose." Bik looked disbelieving. "She took it over two hours ago though, and she still hasn't brought it back."

At that moment a large steel Mobian insect-like creature shot towards them. She had long ears and wavery hair which hung down either side of her head. Her hands and feet were not the standard, but lance points that would prove deadly in a fight. Dreads's tail was also rounded off with a lance tip. She looked worried. "Like my Warrior form? No, don't bother, I know I'm too beautiful for words. I need you to come with me now, it's urgent."

They exchanged raised eyebrows. Echo threw up her hands. "Okay, okay. I'm coming. Bik, d'you think you can give the other chao the fruit?" The chao flashed her a look that said 'Sure, just get my emerald back afterwards'. "Thanks." Dreads half dragged her along in her wake, urgency in her eyes. "So, what exactly is it you want me to see?"

"I can't tell you yet, but we're almost there. Seriously, it's to die for. Here." She slowed, allowing the echidna to walk in front of her, into a dead end of rock. Puzzled, Echo turned around, to see five robots standing silently behind her, staring at her in a way associated with zombies in horror movies. Her mind did not automatically jump to robot, having only seen one before, although she guessed that was what they must be. One, a cheetah, raised his arm, levelling a gun at her. "See?" said Dreads, triumphantly. "I did say it was to die for."

***

Pip had been pinned to a jutting piece of rock and was watching her new captors warily. The t-rex, who was obviously the leader, growled softly under his breath. "First question, bat. Why do you look so much like Her? Are you actually Her?"

She almost said "That's two questions" but decided that it would not be a wise move. "Nope. Unless you mean me of course, in which case yep. I'm Pip," she added, helpfully.

"You aren't her, then. Alright, why are you here?"

"I was kidnapped, I escaped, then you guys kidnapped me. What an eventful life I lead."

"Third question: Why are you a freak?"

"Sorry? I didn't think I was one until you said."

He snorted impatiently. "You aren't like us." He tapped his metal arm. "You're like the Overseers." His eyes flashed. "Are you with them? If you are ..." He left his sentence hanging, to let Pip imagine all the horrible and inventive things that might follow.

"Nu-uh. I can be metal too if you want, just not right now. I've got a splitting headache."

A gleam came into Nargra's eyes. "You don't fit any of the other clans at all. You're not a Mesh, and you're certainly not a Skull, like Scree. Nor an Overseer or Dictrat. We are the Outcasts, a band formed of those who don't fit in or don't want to. I am the leader, Nargra. Scree here is my second in command. Did you want to join us by any chance?"

Her mind flew over several thoughts, bypassing the ones to do with the others worrying about her. "Sure." Scree, as if following an invisible command, passed her a worn blade.

"Now let's see your skill," growled the t-rex.

***

Echo came to lying on the ground in a dark place. She lifted her head and blinked the haze from her eyes. What had happened? Her body felt numb and weightless, as if she might blow away in the slightest breeze. Carefully she pulled herself to a sitting position, a wave of dizziness washing over her. Echo had never been hit with a stunner before, and she could only guess she was very sick. But after a few minutes of sitting still, the numbness and dizziness wore off, and she felt alive again. She looked around.

She was in a stone cell without any doors or windows. A single dim bulb in a recessed in the corner near the ceiling provided the light. How had she got here? Shakily she stood up and touched the walls. There was no way to get in or out. This place wasn't on the Floating Island. A wave of panic hit her. She wasn't on the island anymore. What would happen to it without her? Had it already crashed to the strange planet's surface? She drew a few deep breaths to calm herself. To panic was to show weakness. No, she could feel the island was still afloat, wherever it was, and there was only a slight drain on her power, so it must be nearby. Suddenly she laughed. She could teleport herself out of this strange room.

It almost killed her. The room was lined with some sort of material that blocked a teleportation. When she tried to phase through it, her particles were rudely checked, and she slowly, painfully, phased back into reality near the ceiling, and crashed to the stone floor.

As she lay on the floor, her atoms settling into her shape, the opposite wall faded away like smoke. A creature like a Mobian, but with tarnished metal fur and spikes protruding from its back, stepped in and snarled, "Get up, prisoner."

Echo stumbled to her feet, coughing a little. Next time she teleported, she would be careful not to hit a wall! The creature seized her arm in a monstrous hand with only three clawed fingers, and dragged her out of the cell.

Blinding daylight, desert heat. Echo blinked as they left whatever building she had been in, and squinted at her surroundings. She saw tents, high barbed-wire fences, low square buildings, towers here and there--it was bewildering to an echidna unaccustomed to modern civilization. She hurried along beside the guard, trying to keep from being yanked off her feet. After a moment they stepped into the cool dimness of one of the stone buildings. Echo was shoved against the wall, where she stood, wondering what would happen.

The guard called a few words in a snarling, ugly language, and another creature entered the room. He looked for all the world like a Mobian hamster. He wasn't much taller than Echo was. He was dressed in kacki army fatigues, and wore an ammo belt across his chest. He looked at the prisoner with beady black eyes and smiled, showing his long buckteeth. "Hello there," he said in a suprisingly high voice. "Welcome to our wonderful training facility."

"What are you going to do to me?" asked Echo in what she hoped wasn't a cowering whimper.

"All sorts of interesting things," said the hamster, rubbing his tiny rodent hands together. "But nothing right now, as we're on a tight schedule. Here." He reached into one of the pouches hung on his belt and withdrew a shiny metal thing. It was a radio collar, although Echo didn't know what it was. The hamster walked up to her, snapped it around her neck and yanked it to make sure it was secure. Echo almost fell over. The hamster snickered and said a few words to the guard. The guard grabbed Echo again, this time by her collar, and dragged her outside.

This time they didn't go far, which was a good thing for Echo, who was being strangled. They came to a fence, which the guard opened, and flung her inside. She landed on her knees and automatically tugged at the collar to give herself some air, hearing the screech and slam of the gate behind her.

A shadow fell over her. Echo jumped up at once to show she wasn't a weakling who waited around all day to get up. She found herself facing a lizard creature with two horns on his head and a curled tail. He wore a tarnished silver collar, too. "Hi," he said. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," she said hoarsely. "Who are you? Where are we?"

"I'm Jackson," said the lizard. "We're in The Camp, Her training facility. Better come with me, the sun is killer this time of day."

He led her across a burning stretch of orange rocky ground and into the shade of a battered green tent. There were several other prisoners of various species, many of which were totally alien to Echo's eyes. They were all wearing radio collars, and glared at them as they entered. Jackson found a place on one of the benches for her and sat her down. Echo was still dazed. "What is this place? Are we prisoners?"

"You bet," said Jackson. "I've been through some of their Tests already, so I know what goes on. Have you had any Tests?"

"No," said Echo faintly. "I mean, they gave me this thing on my neck and stuff ..."

"No," said the lizard, "that's not a test. This is a training camp to make us into fearless warriors. Sort of." He coughed and looked at the ceiling of the tent for a moment. "It's run by Tassle and Shakespeare. Stay out of their way, if you can; they're the Overseers and have absolute power. Tassle's a pink bat and Shakespeare is a hamster ... stay out of Shake's way, he's insane."

Echo cradled her head in her hands and stared out at the burning desert, and wondered how she had got into this mess.

***

Knuckles, Tails, Zephyer, Talon and the chao had been following Mesh until they thought their feet would drop off. During the time they had spent hurrying after the steel echidna, nagging doubts began to form in their minds: what if he was leading them into a trap? However, when they jogged, panting around the next outcrop, they found him waiting patiently for them, leaning against a rock.

"We're here," he told them, glancing up at the sun as he spoke. Its position in the sky seeming to mean something to him. He nodded, treating them to a small grin. "Time for lunch, too. Well timed, friends."

Knuckles looked puzzled. "Where is here, exactly? I don't see anything special."

Tails, however, had sharper eyes and pointed with one gloved hand, squinting in the glare of the sunlight. "There's a big crack up there."

"Well done." Mesh commended him, approvingly. "Not many creatures would have spotted that. Which is, of course, how we've held out so long." His smile was grim. "We'll give you an explanation after we're safe and well fed. It's not safe enough to wait around, even out here." He strode over to the rock and pulled himself up effortlessly, glancing down at the others. Knuckles came first, digging his knuxclaws hard into the hard surface, a fine red powder cascading from his touch. Talon and Tails followed, thoughtfully giving Zephyer and the chao a tactful hand up. It was only then that they realised two of their party were missing: Strelle and Heat.

***

Echo heard the crack of the whip as it stung the tip of her nose as if from a long distance away. Glancing up and blinking, she found herself face to face with a pink bat, whose pretty face was only spoilt by the malicious glare worn upon it. It must be Tassle, she thought. Jackson was shaking her arm violently; obviously she had fainted from the intense heat and dizzying pressure that she had felt on her head ever since her failed teleportation. Feeling embarrassed, she mumbled a cautious: "Sorry?"

"I was saying," the bat snapped, glowering at her hatefully. "Do you happen to think that you're just here for a vacation or something? If so, you'd better snap out of it pronto. You're lucky it wasn't my cousin who found you daydreaming, because you'd really be for it then. But seeing as you're new here, I'm prepared to let you off just this once." The look that she gave Echo told her that she was less than the dirt beneath her feet and she wished she'd go and jump off a cliff for her convenience. "On your feet," she snapped, turning away from her, cracking her whip for no visible reason at one or two of the other prisoners. "It's the bleep test." One or two swiftly stifled whimpers met this remark, as well as a chorus of moans. "Do you have a problem with that?" Silence. "Good. Now follow me."

They followed the bat along the routes shaded by the buildings until they reached a large caged area, surrounded by barbed wire fencing. Jackson explained what happened to Echo. "What we've gotta do is run to the other end when the bleep goes, and make it there by the second bleep. We keep doing that until she tells us to stop. Oh, and a tip: go slow at first, okay? You can conserve your energy that way." The echidna was perplexed. Apart from the fact that she was completely useless at running, she could not see what the problem was.

The prisoners lined up by one wall. A few seconds later, a bleep sounded. Not seeing where it came from, Echo ignored her new friend's advice and raced across to the other side as fast as her legs would carry her. One or two of the others instinctively ran fast too, but the majority half-walked half-jogged over. What seemed like an age later, the second bleep sounded. Still unsure about the speed, Echo ran again, and again she was there first. "You're not doing it right!" Jackson hissed at her. "You won't make it if you keep doing that!"

She went slower this time, but the bleep sounded almost as soon as she had touched the wall. Snarling with impatience, she hared to the opposite wall. On and on it went, until she lost count of how many times she had done the run. Her vision had become blurred with exhaustion, and she felt as if her heart was being torn out. She had not thought that anything could hurt so much, as she choked on the dust raised by the pounding feet, her head throbbing. Echo had almost made it to the other fence when the ground came rushing up to meet her. Almost immediately, she felt the harsh lash of the whip upon her back.

"Get up, scum!" snarled the voice of Tassle. Echo moaned.

"Please ... I can't ..." Her voice trailed off, piteously, and she was coughing so much that the was almost sick. The last thing she felt before she sank into a deep black void was the bat's steel studded boots, kicking her viciously into unconsciousness.

***

The knife thumped into the wooden target. The wood was already riddled with holes in the vicinity of the bullseye, as the Outcasts were all good at knife throwing. Pip pulled the knife out and grinned over her shoulder at Nargra, who was watching with his arms folded. "Not bad, eh?"

He nodded at a piece of wood tacked to the cliff fifty feet above them. "Hit that."

Pip eyed it, wondering if she could throw the knife that far, let alone hit a target. But after a moment she threw the knife anyway. It didn't come within ten feet.

"Not much strength in her upper arms," growled Nargra to the guards standing around him. "We can fix that. Pip, hit that target." He cocked his square head at another piece of wood on the cliff face, but much lower down. Pip took aim and nailed it effortlessly.

"That's good," said a Skull creature. "Odd that she's so good, when that's Nadir's special skill, too."

Pip set the knife down in what she hoped wasn't a hurried way. Nargra didn't seem to notice. "Come with me. You are obviously skilled at throwing knives. Now we'll try your flight ability. You are a bat, aren't you?"

"I was the last time I checked," said Pip.

"You could be very useful to us. Aurgru, bring a blindfold. Pip, you are going to fly through Spring Canyon and bring us back the pylon at the end."

***

The echidnas, fox and anteater stood in the shadowy depths of a great cave, their chao standing about their feet. "But we can't just leave Strelle and Heat out there!" exclaimed Tails. His voice echoed around the cavern, and he spoke softer. Mesh had left them for the moment, and they were huddled together like children at a new school. "What if they get eaten by something?"

"They've got their emeralds," whispered Zinc. "Actually, I think we'd better worry about them killing each other than getting killed."

"But shouldn't we look for them?" added Talon, who, like Tails, couldn't bear the thought of two chao being hurt.

"I think we should," added Zephyer. She had looked rather pale since they had set foot on the planet, and now was looking very strained. "There's something about this place I should tell you--"

She was interrupted as Mesh reappeared, smiling placidly. "Lunch has been prepared in the next chamber. Won't you join us?"

Eyeing each other in nervousness, they followed him into a smaller cave with a long table set up in the centre. There was a feast set out for them, but there were no other people. They sat down, studying the food now, most of which was unidentifiable. Zephyer looked positively ill. "I have already eaten," said Mesh with an agreeable smile. "When you are finished, return to the great cave. I will await you there."

The silver robot left, and the group stared at the mountains of food. "Do you think we can eat that stuff?" asked Fuft, looking at Tails.

"Don't," said Zephyer. She was sitting stiffly in her chair, her eyes wide and haunted.

"Why?" asked Zinc, who was always hungry, even in the face of alien food.

Zephyer pointed at the meat-like substance in the middle of the table. "That's Giant Swift. It's poisonous." She pointed to a bowl of an orange fluffy stuff. "That's cave fungus. It's poisonous." She named the rest of the objects on the table, all of which were poisonous.

"How do you know that?" asked Knuckles. "You have a field guide or something?"

"No," said Zephyer. "I lived here. This is my home planet, which we called XR-7. I had no idea there were other inhabitants."

Knuckles stared at her, as did all the chao, Tails and Talon.

"So we're all supposed to die!" cried Max. "They gave us poisoned food!"

"Maybe," said Knuckles, looking down at Aqua with a funny smile, "that's what we're going to do."

***

Strelle edged along, her back to the rock face. Below her was the gorge, a long long way down, especially for a little chao. She was not too worried about falling off: even if she did, she could just fly back up again. The chao had been wary of flying unless it was absolutely necessary, just in case there were large mean creatures that patrolled this planet's skies, that would think nothing of having her for a snack.

She reached the end of the ledge and leapt onto the outcrop of rock, looking smug. Strelle bet herself that the other chao would not have managed it as easily, especially that little jerk, Heat. Scowling at the thought of the chao, she wiped one paw over her visor. He would certainly not be able to do it, she was sure of that.

"Hey Strelle!" The voice surprised her so much that she nearly overbalanced. Spinning round, she saw Heat, running easily towards her along the ledge that she had spent at least half an hour edging down. She froze for a moment, unable to speak. "I saw you going away so I came after you and are you going to try and find Pip because I want to too and you don't mind do you Strelle?"

The white chao took a few seconds to work out what he had just said, then glowered at the gold cat-like creature. "Take a hike, you little jerk. Take two."

"You don't mean that," the other chao told her confidently, giving her a little smile that someone else might use to correct a young child who had said something both inaccurate and rather funny. "You're really just pleased to see me."

"Don't kid yourself, squirt," Strelle snapped. "I'd be way more pleased if you'd get lost." She turned to go, then realised that Heat was following her. "Do I have to spell it out for you? I'm going to go this way. You are not. Goodbye."

Her rage simmering away, she stalked off. She had walked only a few metres before a piteous little voice came from behind her. "Okay then. I'll just stay here and die. G'bye Strelle." She stopped, thought for a moment, then turned back to him.

"Fine then. You can come, but I don't want you to start thinking that I'm letting you come because I like you or even feel sorry for you. Pip'd go mad if I left you to die, even if you are a stupid little brat."

"Yay!" yelped Heat, happily, leaping to his feet from the squatting position he had been in a moment before. "C'mon Strelle, let's go!"

The white chao wondered if the storm cloud above her head was actually visible or not. It certainly felt like it was. "Oh gawd." She stamped away down the crumbling slope, Heat skittering along behind her.

***

Echo felt something tapping her side, but her body felt too bruised for her to attempt sitting up. Even opening her eyelids seemed beyond her. Her brain kicked in after those first few thoughts. What was she thinking of? Of course she had to get up. If she did not, it would be like letting the enemy win.

Grunting with the effort, she tried to push herself up so that she could prop herself on her elbows. However, the echidna's numb arms slipped back, and, with a faint thump, she found that she was lying on her back once more. At least her eyes had come into focus now. She blinked uncertainly at the creature standing over her.

The only two bats that the echidna had ever seen were Pip and now Tassel, so that when she saw that the figure was a black bat, she automatically assumed it was Pip. For some reason, she had gained a jagged scar that ran across her forehead. Echo murmured the bat's name, but too faintly for anyone to hear.

The bat straightened up, giving Tassel a cold look. "Luckily for you, she's alive." Her eyes half closed, and she regarded the pink bat with an expressionless face. "Tell me, what is a dead creature worth to me?" The other looked at the ground, not daring meeting her eyes. "Nothing. Absolutely nothing, Tassel. Whereas if they are alive, they are very valuable. I have told you that you are not to kill any of the subjects, or even try. Why did you disobey me?" Tassel murmured something, still not daring to look at the black bat. She smiled pleasantly. "I'm sorry Tassel. I didn't quite hear that."

"She ... she was giving me trouble." Tassel spoke in a voice barely above a whisper.

"Really? Trouble. And what exactly do I employ you for?" The bat turned to look down at Echo. "When did you last eat, Echo?"

The echidna tried to think. She had lost all track of time during her periods of unconsciousness. "Yesterday?" she suggested finally, a faint note of question in her voice.

"Picture this: a plate, filled with slices of fruit; apples, oranges, pineapples, bananas, grapes, tangerines, grapefruits ... and covered in a glistening layer of crystal honey. Can you see it Echo?"

Echo nodded, numbly. "Please," she choked, in a cracked voice.

"Well, that's all the food you'll be getting for today. That may teach you to do as you are instructed next time." Echo could not believe her ears. What was Pip saying? She saw that Tassel was smirking triumphantly at her, and ground her teeth together furiously. The black bat saw Tassel's expression too and held out her hand. "Give me your whip." Tassel looked confused, but handed her whip over instantly.

"Mark." A furry racoon jumped in shock, obviously wondering how She, the black bat, knew his name. The others, who had been there longer, already knew that She knew everything, including all their names. She held out the whip to him and he flinched as if it would attack him. "Take it," she commanded. Nervously, he took it. "Hit her." He stared at her, as if he was trying to work out what the catch was. She twirled one hand at him, as if handing him consent. "Go on. You heard me. Hit her."

Tassel's face was a mask of horror. Mark shot Her one more quick glance then lashed out feebly with the whip, still not quite certain that he was doing the right thing. The pink bat whimpered and covered her head with her arms. "No, no. Harder Mark." He took a deep breath. The whip swished and cracked, the sound it made on contact echoing around the compound. Deep red marks were left down Tassel's back.

The black bat shook her head. "No, give me the whip, Mark. Let me show you how to do it." She received the whip then brought it slashing through the air at Tassel. If Echo had thought the marks the Overseer had gained before were deep, then the black bat's strikes proved her wrong. She could not believe that someone could drive so much force behind a whip. Tassel's screams rent the air for a long time, along with more cracks from the whip, then she slipped into darkness once more.

When she awoke again, she was propped up against a wall and Jackson was by her side. The black bat had long since gone.

***

"There's a cave over there." Strelle snapped her head round to look where Heat was pointing. He had stopped being outwardly cheerful, and she had a suspicion that he had been doing it just to annoy her. Now he was serious and, to her annoyance, he turned out to be terribly observant, almost to a fault. At least he was naturally quiet, she thought, peevishly.

"I don't see a cave." Wordlessly, Heat walked towards the rock face, the white chao following. Only when she had nearly reached it did she spot the cave; it was very well camouflaged.

"Caves are common places for hiding things in," the gold cat chao told her, as if reciting from a textbook. "Or people."

Strelle muttered something darkly under her breath, before storming into the opening in the rock. In fact, it turned out not to be a cave at all, but more of a catacomb of passageways. The stalagmites and stalactites were everywhere, as were rocks and boulders, strewn across the tunnels.

After they had been walking for some minutes, Heat spoke to her again, in a conversational tone. "There are two people following us," he told her. "They've been doing so for about three minutes now."

The white chao exploded. "Shut up you pathetic little moron! I've got enough to worry about without you making up dumb stories to try and scare me. And what's more, I could make up scarier stories that really would frighten you, with a lot more blood in them. So there! I don't even like having you tagging along, without listening to your whining stupid voice."

"You shouldn't have done that," said Heat, quietly. "You brought them right to us."

Green eyes! The chao leaped in opposite directions as something whistled through the air behind them. There was a clang of something metal hitting the ground, then the green eyes appeared again. They turned toward Strelle. "YOU!" she screamed. "I'm gonna kill you!!"

"No, I will kill YOU," said Robo Knux. "Thanks ever so much for the tip-off at our last meeting, but I made a mistake then ... I didn't kill you." He pounced at her, claws extended.

Strelle's emerald flamed up and vanished, and her white chao shape grew into a silver robot with a tuft of white hair on top of her head. She slashed at Robo Knux with her long claws, her looks made fiercer by the black visor over her eyes.

"What happened to your eyes?" taunted Robo Knux, side-stepping her swipe. "Did somebody lase your eyes in your last battle? Or couldn't your echidna friend fix your vision when she fixed the rest of you?" He jabbed at her visor, but she flung up her arms and blocked him.

"I hate you!" she screamed, her voice digital and much louder. "I hate you! I'm gonna take your head off and hang it on the wall in Hidden Palace!"

"You and what army?" sneered Robo Knux, avoiding another blow and jabbing his claws at her eyes. Her biggest weakness was that visor. "Santashi has your sidekick."

Strelle looked around and saw Heat in Santashi's arms. The shapeshifter was in the form of an echidna. Her arms were wrapped around Heat, who wasn't struggling. He looked at Strelle indifferently. "What do you want me to do?" he called. "You just called me all kinds of names."

Robo Knux made a fair impression of clicking his tongue. "Tsk tsk, you shouldn't make enemies of your allies, Strelle. You know, I couldn't fight two of you myself." He charged into Strelle, head down, and smashed her into a stalagmite. She wasn't hurt, but struggled, trying to reach some vulnerable part of her enemy. He kept his head against her stomach, pinning her to the rock with his greater weight, and slashed at her sides and neck with his steel knuxclaws. "I hate you!" she screamed furiously, sensing she was helpless.

One of his claws severed the strap that bound the visor to Strelle's face.

She grabbed for it, but Robo Knux wrenched it away from her and threw it across the cave. "Fight me now!" he crowed.

Strelle stood where she was, straining to see something--anything--but her eyes did not work. "No fair!" she cried with a sob of helpless fury. "Give me back my visor!"

Robo Knux folded his arms and watched her grope around, utterly pitiful. "You know," he said, "just watching you makes me feel sorry for you."

"I don't need your pity!" she screeched. "Tackle me if you dare!" She moved in the direction of his voice, but he simply walked out of the way. "No," he said, "I have this thing against attacking people who are crippled. They're much more miserable the way they are."

"You!" she screamed, at a loss for words.

"Santashi, bring the gold one and let's go," Robo Knux called. "This little chao can find her own way about. Hopefully before the Skulls find her."

Strelle crouched and listened to their footsteps fade away. She had to find her visor! She hoped it hadn't broken--it would be difficult to break, seeing as it was made out of power emerald. Why hadn't that little fool Heat tried to help her? Well, of course, she had called him names. She moaned, dropped to all fours and began to crawl in the direction where she thought she heard the visor strike the floor. She would stay in Warrior form for the time being--it was safer. Maybe the Skulls wouldn't attack her if she looked big and mean. What was a Skull? Her vivid imagination conjured up a being like a chao skull with glowing eyes in the blank sockets, floating toward her, ready to feed on her living flesh ... the scary stories she had threatened Heat with sprang to mind, more frightening than ever.

Then, as if her imagination had conjured up something, she heard something rattling among the stones, coming toward her. She crouched to the floor and lay still, limbs trembling slightly. In her mind she saw the skull floating toward her like a zombie, ready to get her ... the rattling came closer. Maybe it was just footsteps on the rocky floor of the cave. Footsteps ... of a zombie. The picture in her head became a chao skeleton, arms outstretched, red eyes staring at her. In silent terror, she pressed herself against the floor of the cave.

Something touched her! With a shriek she shot straight up in the air and slashed in all directions with her claws.

"Whoa! Cool it Strelle!"

It was Heat.

She collapsed to the floor. Her fear turned to relief, then anger that she was glad to see--or hear--Heat. "What are you doing here, you little wimp?" she spat. "Get away or I'll cut you into some shape less repulsive."

"Look," said Heat, sounding tired, "do you want your visor back or not?"

"Where is it?" she asked cautiously.

He shoved it into her hand. She whipped it to her eyes, and the world became visible again. She looked down at Heat with a scornful thanks on her tongue, but swallowed it. The gold chao had a deep cut across the side of his head. "They left me for dead," he told her. "I came back to find you."

"Oh." Strelle found herself at a loss for words. "Well, uh ... thanks, I guess."

"Please carry me," he said, without the slightest indication of pain in his voice. He slumped to the floor, unable to stand. Strelle picked him up in her clawed hand. Holding her visor to her eyes with the other hand, she strode quickly for the cave exit.

***

Pip whipped the blindfold from her eyes and held the pylon aloft. "I did it!" she crowed.

The bat had flown down a twisting canyon blindfolded, guided only by the echolocation native to all bats. She had accomplished the task with laughable ease, as echolocation was like another set of eyes.

Nargra gave a jerk of his dinosaur head that might have been a shrug. "Well done. Welcome to the Outcasts." He walked away, and after a second of hesitation, Pip followed him.

He led her across several miles of hot, dusty terrain, in and out of ravines and trackless wastes. Pip wondered if she should be following him, because no one had said she should ... and nobody else was following.

They rounded a bend and descended. The air suddenly smelled of damp earth and leaves. Before them was one of the tropical "islands" in the midst of the desert world. Home of the Outcasts. The ground became spongy, and weird, bright green plants flanked the sides of the thin trail. Pip wondered what kind of fruit grew here and felt hungry.

Nargra led her to a high stone cliff covered in vegetation, and walked through the vines. Pip followed him into the cave beyond.

Inside were other Outcasts, as alien a bunch as the imagination could devise. There were so many forms that Pip did not notice the echidna-like creature in the corner. He, however, studied her with bright eyes.

"Listen up," Nargra rumbled. Everyone looked up and those who could pricked up their ears. "We are going to make a raid against Her."

No sound, but fur and spines bristled, and hands gripped weapons.

"I have planned this raid for months," Nargra continued, unperturbed. "Her Camp contains several of our folk. Some of them are important warriors. Others are spies who carry vital information. Due to the moral laxity of one of the Overseers, we have a way of entrance. I have agreed to pay him as much as he desires."

"What about the Meshes?" someone asked.

"They are of no concern," said Nargra. "They are in the midst of a leadership struggle, and will not pay attention to us or Her for several days." He snapped his jaws. "But first, let us eat! My warriors must be fed and rested before such an undertaking."

Pip followed the group of mis-matched creatures into another cavern, thinking only of how hungry she was. She did not see the echidna-creature say a few words to Nargra, and slip out the cave entrance.

***

Knuckles lay still, his eyes closed, making no noise at all. A clatter of feet on the rock floor alerted him to the fact that someone was coming, most probably to check whether or not they were dead. The footsteps were accompanied by a loud and snobbish voice, which seemed to be giving orders. It reminded him somewhat of Dreads.

"Mesh says this, Mesh says that! Honestly, do you think I'm the sort of person who gives a dang what Mesh thinks? No, I don't either, so just shut your trap." A faint murmur of a reply. "Trouble?" retorted the voice. It was definitely feminine. "If you're so bothered, you don't have to come." The footsteps reached the cave and entered it, coming so close to Knuckles that he began to wonder if their plan would work.

"They look dead enough to me," said the quiet one. "But it would be a good idea to check, don't you think?"

"Ha," scoffed the loud female. "I don't take nobody's advice, especially not from a snivelling grit-sucker like you. C'mon, give me a hand to carry the bodies." More footsteps, except this time heavier, as if they were carrying objects. They faded, but the echidna did not dare to even open his eyes, lest he give the game away. After a few more minutes, they returned and he felt himself lifted up off the seat. He made himself as limp as he possibly could, trying to resist the urge to screw up his eyes, which he knew would be a bad move. He could not help but feel a surge of pride when the female, who must have been carrying him, said: "See, I told you: they're as dead as doorknobs."

Knuckles found himself being dumped unceremoniously on the ground; it was all he could do to stop himself making a sound. "Mesh won't be very happy when he finds out that you've thrown them out without waiting for his permission."

"Since when has Mesh ever been a happy bunny? Besides, I'll be taking over one of these days. And didn't he give into me over the decision to kill those people?" Knuckles bristled at this remark.

"He's never agreed with you before, Charmain. And he's the strongest and cleverest leader we've had yet."

"He may be, but I haven't been leader yet, have I? And there's definitely one thing I'm better at him at, and that's deviousness, if I do say so myself. No, one of these days he'll wake up to find himself with a dagger in his back." The voices moved off. However, the echidna waited another couple of minutes before moving, just in case.

"Knux?" whispered a voice, close by his ear. Sitting up and blinking, he took a few moments to adjust to the dark, before he saw Zephyer standing over him. It was not quite pitch black, since there was some light streaming in from a passageway from which they had presumably just arrived. If he gave it some time, he would probably get used to it. He would have to, since it would be unlikely for them to get back through the previous passageway.

"Are we all here?" he asked, rubbing his eyes and glancing around. Apart from Zephyer, Tails was there, so was Talon, and then there were the chao: Aqua, Max, Zinc and ... "Wait a minute, where's Fuft?"

"We don't know." Tails sounded unhappy. "I guess they mustn't have seen him or something. He is quite small after all." He looked hopefully at the echidna. "We can't just leave him there, can we?"

Knuckles hesitated. Just having got them all out of danger, he was not over-eager to plunge them back into it. "I'll go back. Alone." The others started to protest. "No, don't argue. If we all go, we're bound to be caught. I stand more chance of getting in and out on my own. You can either stay here or explore further into the cave."

"Explore then," Zephyer said. "Just in case they come back to check that we're really dead."

"Fine, I'll be as quick as I can." He turned and walked cautiously back into the lighted passageway. It had only just occurred to him, but how was he to know which way they had been brought from the cavern? He had no way of telling. Something tugged at his shoe. Glancing down, he saw Aqua grinning up at him.

"I'm coming with you," she told him. "If we get into a scrap I can at least glare somebody to death."

***

Scree smirked good naturedly at the bat. "You haven't eaten anything."

Pip was trying her best not to look at the food. "I'm a vegetarian," she mumbled, feeling sick. "I don't eat meat."

"Neither did that creature," Scree told her. "But we've got some fruit if you'd prefer." He tossed her an apple with one clawed hand, watching her closely. "Where did you come from?" he asked her quietly, after a short time had elapsed. "You're like the Overseers and Her, but you don't act in the same way they do."

"Have you heard of Mobius?"

"No, but I'm sure it's not on this planet, at least, not in this dimension. I've seen the Overseers, they came here from some massive teleportation device. Did you come here that way too?"

"This sounds dumb, but I think we got here in a storm. Mobius is a planet, not like here at all. It's got deserts like you've got, but it's got snow, and jungles and forests ... it's got more variety really. We were on the Floating Island, and the whole of it got transported to this planet."

"You keep saying we. Do you mean that robot and the other creature you were with when we found you?"

"Huh? Oh, you mean ID. Nope, I was with some other people ..." She trailed off. "Oh. I'd ... I'd kinda forgotten about them. I hope they're all right."

At that moment Nargra bellowed loudly, a sign for them all to gather round to be assigned to their various groups and parties. Scree winked at her. "Don't worry, I'll make sure you come to no harm, I give you my oath on it." His bladed body twinkled in the sun as he dropped onto all fours and moved at surprisingly fast speed towards the dinosaur-like leader.

Nargra snarled loudly to gain silence before he spoke. "We will be split into three parties. I will lead one, Scree will lead another and ..." He paused, eyes roving around the gathered Outcasts. If he had been there, he knew who his third choice would have been. However, since he was not ... his eyes fixed on the latest addition to the clan. "Pip. She will have a front rank chance to prove herself in battle." Pip hoped that her moan had not been audible. She hated telling people what to do. "Remember to be on constant alert for Skulls and the slaves of the Dictrats."

"The who?" Pip hissed to Scree.

"Robots. If I say they look like zombies, you'll know who I mean straight off. We have a suspicion that they're actually turning the people that they've captured into them, although we're not one hundred percent certain."

"It gets worse," said the bat, cheerfully.

Nargra divided the Outcasts into the three groups then gave the order to set off. His group would be doing the actual freeing while the other two would be converging on the stronghold from two different angles so as to provide a distraction. At least, that was the plan.

***

Echo had never been so miserable. Her insides ached with hunger, and her outsides ached with bruises and muscle strain. She lay huddled in a corner of the tent, the hot air searing her skin and fur. Jackson sat near her, trying to be helpful in some way. Once in a while he got up and retrieved a dipper of water from the barrel in the corner. The prisoners kept it as shaded as possible, for they only received fresh water once a week. The water was warm, however, and a hot pink algae grew inside the barrel, giving the water a rancid taste. But it was better than nothing, and Echo drank the dipperfuls Jackson brought her without complaint.

Noon passed, and it was the hottest part of the day. Echo watched the heatwaves ripple off the stony ground outside, her imagination picking out shapes and faces, ghosts who romped and played, unaware of the harsh world about them. Then she saw one of the ghosts break free and become solid. There was a soldier at the gate.

She sat up and hissed, "Incoming!" At once the other prisoners straightened up and gazed fearfully toward the newcomer. Jackson's tail wound nervously around a tent pole. "Another Test, maybe."

The soldier stalked toward them, a whip in one hand. "Number 354," he called in a gravelly voice. "It's the Labyrinth Test."

Jackson, number 354, turned white from head to toe. His chameleon tail wound even tighter around the tent pole. "Please, no ..." he whispered. He looked imploringly at Echo as the guard grabbed his arm. Then, to her amazement, he attacked the guard. "No! No! Not that! Let me go! LET ME GO!" His voice became a terrified scream.

The whip cracked, and Jackson hit the ground with a grunt. "Quiet, you," growled the guard. "It's Her orders. Get up."

Jackson ran for it instead. The guard called two others, and it took all three of them to drag the chameleon, kicking and screaming, out of the pen and out of sight among the buildings.

Echo looked at the other prisoners. "What's the Labyrinth Test?"

The only reply she received was a mute stare from many horrified eyes.

Jackson didn't come back.

***

Heat lay in Strelle's clawed hand, eyes closed. His wound wasn't bleeding much anymore, as the hot air had dried the blood and caked over the wound, closing it. Despite his small size, Strelle's arm was beginning to ache from carrying him.

They had wandered in the pathless canyons for hours, the merciless sun glaring down. Strelle felt as if her robot parts were being broiled. Sweat ran down her face, and the hand she was using to hold her visor to her face was cramping. She had lost sight of the Floating Island, and had no idea where they were.

"Where are we?" asked Heat moving nothing but his mouth.

"About a mile from the Floating Island," Strelle lied. "We're almost there." She would never admit they were lost, especially not to Heat. "Why don't you go to Warrior form so I don't have to carry you?"

"Not enough strength for Light Warrior," he muttered without opening his eyes. "Dark Warrior ... it's not a good idea to transform into Dark Warrior."

Strelle didn't understand and kept her mouth shut.

A few moments later, however, she saw something glint in the rocks ahead. She stopped, and must have tensed, because Heat looked up. "What's wrong?"

"Something's down there," Strelle whispered. "Wait here, I'm gonna thrash it." She set the gold chao down in the shade of the canyon wall, and stalked toward the spot where the glint had appeared. Had it been a Skull she would have been done for, as she could only fight with one hand. But as it turned out, it wasn't.

A silver chao jumped out from behind a rock, fists held up. "You wanna fight, huh? C'mon, put 'em up! I'll whip ya with my eyes closed!"

Strelle was four feet taller than he was. She grinned down at him, somewhat relieved, and feeling vastly superior. "I could squash you with one claw, squirt. Or should I say, Platinum?"

Platinum glared up at her. "How do you know my name, alien?"

"Who's the valuable chao now?" Strelle sneered. "I may not be metallic, but I have a Warrior form, unlike some."

Platinum squinted at her. "Strelle? You're the one with the visor, right?"

"Congratulations," said Strelle. "You win a banana peel and a bottle cap. I thought you would have been eaten by something by now."

"I am not lost!" said Platinum, although Strelle hadn't mentioned it. "I was just exploring a bit. Did you see that echidna run by here?"

"No."

"An echidna ran by here," said the silver chao. "He was carrying a weird stick thing. I thought he was that Knuckles guy and followed him, but he got away. Jerk."

"Well, we're trying to find Pip," said Strelle. "You haven't seen her, have you?"

"No, I was tracking the other guys," said Platinum. "They were trying to find her. What do you mean, 'we'?" He looked suspicious.

Strelle stalked back and picked up Heat, who had been watching the whole encounter. "Heat and I," she said. "He's hurt. Do you know the way out?"

"Yeah, it's back that way," said Platinum, waving vaguely over his shoulder. "You can come with me, but try not to get in the way."

As the chao made their way back down the canyon, a figure up on the canyon rim faded into view--an echidna. "Pip, huh?" he muttered. He turned and ghosted away into the desert, his fur changing colours to merge with the landscape.

* * *

Knuckles edged one eye around a corner and looked into the passage beyond. Empty. "C'mon, Aqua," he whispered to his chao.

Whoever Mesh was, his people lived in style. Knuckles had never seen such fine stonework, even on his own island. The only problem with the caverns and marble halls was that the slightest footstep echoed very loudly.

Finding the hall where they had been treated to a poisoned meal was difficult, as the place was laid out according to no logical plan Knuckles could see. Things just branched out in all directions, as if several generations had added on to the original caves. Aqua helped as much as she could, sniffing the air for the scent of food. At last she caught a whiff of something, and Knuckles followed her back into the dining hall.

Fuft was lying beneath his chair, playing dead as well as he could. He didn't stir until Knuckles whispered, "Fuft, get up. They missed you."

The orange chao sat up, looking rather disappointed. "Some housekeepers they are."

Knuckles picked up the two chao, and was about to dash back down the hall, when he heard footsteps approaching. He ducked under the table and waited.

A pair of silver robot legs walked along the table. Mesh's voice sounded tired. "Did it work?"

"Of course it worked," said Charmain, the snobby one who had carried Knuckles out earlier. Her voice was more respectful at the moment, however. "The toxins contained by those dishes could have killed a Skull."

"Next time consult me before doing something like this," said Mesh. Now he sounded peeved. "Even if they weren't spies, they might have had some information about Her."

"So what?" said Charmain. Knuckles watched her feet slowly move toward Mesh's. "They were Outcasts. They're worthless excuses for organisms. As are you."

Knuckles didn't see her throw the knife, but he did see it hit the floor, the blade dented from contact with the robot's metal hull. Mesh's feet stalked toward Charmain's. "How ... dare ... you ..." The robot's voice was still soft, but now ferociously angry. "How dare you attack the Mesh!"

Charmain bolted, and Mesh pursued her in grim silence. Knuckles listened to their footsteps fade away into the distance, then jumped out from under the table and dashed back toward the cave where the others had been left, the hair on the back of his neck standing erect.

Tails was glad to have Fuft back, and hugged his orange chao so tight Fuft coughed. Talon and Zephyer were waiting, holding their chao. "We explored the cave, sir," said Talon, gesturing to the black tunnel to their backs. "It goes back for a long way, one big passage. We used the emeralds for light."

"We might find an exit," said Zephyer, looking hopeful. "Underground works are the big thing on this planet. It's too inhospitable outside."

Knuckles shrugged. He was comfortable underground, having had his share of tunnelling on his own island. "Let's try it. Maybe we can get away before they notice we're gone. They may forget about us, though." He related what he had seen as the group strode off into the darkness, the chao holding up their glowing emeralds.

***

Pip tiptoed among the rocks, fondly imagining herself to be stealing along without a sound. Behind her, a group of guerrilla fighters followed her, spread out, keeping watch on all sides. Pip had sent a scout ahead, because after all, wasn't that what they did in the books? The rest of her team had been impressed.

The scout returned, a snaky creature with centipede legs. "All's quiet," he reported. "The camp has had no warning. Scree's group is approaching from the opposite side of the valley."

"Good work," said Pip. "Stay ahead of us and warn us if anything bad happens." The centipede poured his way out of sight, more at home among the rocks than anything she had ever seen. The Outcasts kept moving, and for a while there was silence. Pip thought proudly of how easy this was. She was carrying a long knife, seeing as she was so good with one, and a double-pronged electroshocker, for use against enemy Skulls. She felt quite dangerous.

Suddenly the centipede was back. "Scree has been ambushed by Her fighters. Should we help?"

Pip's mind raced. They were supposed to create a distraction, and if most of the army was off fighting, Nargra's team would probably be able to slip in unnoticed. "Yes," she said. "Everybody, we're going to help Scree! Prepare for battle. I guess. Yes, that's what they say."

The gang slipped across the rocks and gullies toward the sounds of battle and gunfire now coming from the distance.

Pip sprang into a shallow ravine with a yell, her knife in one hand and electroshocker in the other. Her fighters followed her. Pip's eyes immediately went to the robots, and with a shock she thought they were SWAT-bots. Then she thought they were Robians, then realised they were both. War-Robians. But these were not graced with the poor artificial intelligence Robotnik gave his victims--these were simply zombies.

But one was not a zombie; a pink bat. She was yelling orders and shooting some sort of energy weapon at the Outcast warriors. Pip ran toward her, with no clue what she would do if she reached her. Fortunately she was sidetracked by Scree yelling her name. She saw him cornered up in a fold of the canyon wall. She zapped two zombies, who only turned and stared at her as she slipped by. Scree, the silver Skull creature, was panting, his bladed metal body scratched and dusty. "Thanks for the help," he said. "Look sharp, there's more coming."

The zombies were hard to kill. They didn't feel pain, and would get up and keep attacking, even when missing three-fourths of their limbs. Pip and Scree were forced back, cut off from the rest of the troops. In the background, Tassle the pink bat was urging her zombie robots onward, certain of her triumph. But when she glimpsed her enemies through the smoke and dust, she changed her tactics.

She ordered the robots to halt, then ran through the ranks to where a dusty Pip was hammering at a robot that had Scree with an electroshocker dug between his plates. "Halt!" Tassle yelled. "Don't kill the Skull yet." She advanced toward Pip. "Well well. Who do we have here?"

"Pip," said the bat.

Tassle gazed at her, a plan taking shape in her mind. "Have you ever seen a Skull die?"

Scree, who could barely breathe, rolled an eye at Pip.

"No," said Pip, "but seeing as the only skulls I've ever seen were already dead, I never thought about it before."

"How nice," Tassle said, smiling prettily. It was the smile she used on prisoners before she kicked their faces in. "How about this. If you will allow us to capture you, we'll let your friend go."

Scree opened his jaws and gasped, "Don't do it!"

Pip stared at him and bit her lip, then decided that they probably wouldn't do anything TOO bad to her, and if they did, she could morph into a robot. "That's not fair, but okay," she said. "Let him go."

The robot dropped Scree to the ground, who scurried to Pip. "No! Don't do it! She'll kill you!" He was not referring to Tassle.

Tassle grabbed Pip's arm and pointed an electroshocker at the Skull. "Drop it, freak. She's going with us, now. Robots, resume fire."

And Tassle dragged Pip away under cover of the zombie robots.

***

The chao had been walking along under the hot desert sun for some time, none of them saying a word. Heat could be excused for this however, since he had fallen asleep. "So, why are you here?" asked Strelle, who thought silence was for jerks.

"I told you. I followed the echidna and--"

"No, I mean, why were you here in the first place? I mean, you've either got a reason or you've got some weird and totally sad fixation with stalking people."

"I was looking for Dreads. I thought she would have come down here."

"Oh duh. You're gonna kill her, right? Wanna borrow my emerald?" Strelle offered, helpfully.

"I do not want to kill my sister," he snapped, furiously. "Those other stupid chao were saying that before. Who told you that?"

"Dreads."

"Oh." A long pause. "Dreads is a little ... different ... from normal people."

"She certainly thinks so."

"Shut up. Anyway, she thinks that ... she wants to be evil. Does that make any sense to you?" The Warrior chao's reaction spoke for itself. "Yeah, it seems pretty dumb to me too. The only problem with that is she is definitely not evil, just--"

"A conceited airhead."

Before Platinum could fasten his small teeth around Strelle's ankle, Heat moaned, curling up into a ball, rolling off the Warrior chao's hand and bouncing onto the ground. Their gazes were immediately drawn to him.

"What's up with him?" demanded Platinum.

The gold chao began speaking, not opening his eyes; it was doubtful if he was awake. "He is near now. He knows I am here. He will kill me. I must get away." The other two exchanged glances.

"So, when did he escape from the asylum?" the silvery chao sneered. "I think he must have forgotten to take his tablets this morning."

All of a sudden, Heat's eyes snapped open, and he looked at them innocently. "Dreads is coming," he said, promptly curling up and going back to sleep.

"That guy is a freak with a capital F. Hey," Platinum broke off. "Do you see that?" Strelle looked. Streaking across the sky towards them was a silver dot, coming closer by the second. The remnants of sunlight glinted off its surface. "What do you think it is?"

"A bird of some sort?" Strelle ventured.

"How about a plane while you're at it?" he snapped. At that minute, the silver object smashed into him, knocking him backwards into the rocks. It was an insect-like creature, as tall as Strelle's Warrior form, with wavery hair hanging down and lance tips in its tail, arms and legs. It was also Dreads. "Oh," said Platinum, going cross-eyed as he sat up. "I appear to be severely concussed. Oh good." He fell over sideways.

The robot bat stared as the silver insectoid picked itself up, brushing itself off. "Ew!" it exclaimed. "I'm dusty! That's, like, really really bad." Strelle would have known that whiney tone anywhere.

"Dreads. What are you doing?"

"Well first, I'm going to brush myself off--" She paused a moment as she did so. "--and then I'm going to. Oh, I've forgotten. No, wait, I know what it was. I'm supposed to kick your faces in." She grinned triumphantly. "See, I remembered."

"Why do you want to kick our faces in?"

"Because ... no, don't tell me ... because he told me to!"

"He being who, exactly?"

"Not telling. So nya nya nya." She leapt into the air, swooping down at the robot bat. Strelle ducked underneath the outstretched lance tips, trying desperately to keep hold of her visor at the same time. Turning faster than she had anticipated her doing, Dreads kicked her in the back, knocking her to the ground. Strelle narrowed her eyes angrily. Stupid little spoilt brat! She would show her! She lay still, listening as Dreads came closer. When she judged that she was close enough, she grabbed her by the leg, pulling her over onto the ground next to her, pinning her there with one hand and her body weight.

"Don't make me angry," said Dreads, looking annoyed. "You wouldn't like me when I'm angry."

"I don't like you now."

"You'll like me even less then." Dreads went Ultimate.

***

"Shakespeare." The black and yellow hamster froze in mid-stride, not daring to look back over his shoulder. He knew who would be there. He could only hope that She did not know what he was about to do.

"Yes?" he asked, careful to keep a steady voice, lest anything else give him away.

"I want you to put all of the prisoners into the Labyrinth Test."

She knows! he thought, panicking. How can she though? I haven't told anybody. "At once. May I be permitted to ask why?"

"I've heard that there is to be an attack to try and release the prisoners. Now, isn't that interesting? I'm sure that you'll be eager to follow my orders, won't you, knowing how obedient you are."

Shakespeare thought how strange it was that disobeying Her orders seemed a much better idea further away than it did when she was actually nearby. After a moment or two of standing there, he turned cautiously around. There was nobody there. She had gone as silently as She had arrived.

***

Echo watched the obvious signs of terror on her fellow prisoners' faces as they received the news. Having been there the shortest length of time, she had only seen Jackson disappear for the test, and did not feel quite the same horror as the others did. Some broke down completely and cried, pleading with their captors to reconsider, to let them go, to no avail. The guards remained impassive. Echo watched those prisoners with open disdain. Begging was something she would never lower herself to do. What total weakness.

An older stoat, who appeared to have survived longer than most, watched them as well, dry-eyed. To Echo's eye, he was already like the zombie guards, but without the metal. His worn face showed that he had seen it all, never expecting to come out on the other side.

"354 had a brother once, you know," he told Echo.

She gave him a surprised look. She had never seen him speak before. The echidna had thought that he had forgotten how to. "Jackson you mean? What happened to his brother?"

"He was told that he was going to be called up for the Labyrinth Test the next morning. That night he stepped on a rattlesnake and died."

"That's a ... bad accident. Wouldn't he have heard the rattle, though?"

"It wasn't an accident."

"It must have been."

"He had taken off his shoe beforehand."

Echo took a moment for this to sink in. "That's ... that's terrible," she said eventually. The stoat nodded, but said nothing more. The echidna wondered just how bad this was going to be, that someone would rather die than do it. She narrowed her eyes, determined to win it or whatever you were supposed to do. Then somehow she would think up a way to get them all out of this place.

***

Tassel dragged Pip into the compound, in a bad temper. The black bat had been unusually co-operative; something she was not used to. She had not even tried to escape. Being someone who ran on threats and bullying people into submission, it had not put her in a good mood. The bat had even helped her up when she had stumbled, something she was sure was not supposed to happen. The little creep had to be planning something.

She looked around, taking in the empty space. Her first thought was that the prisoners had somehow escaped, then she dismissed it as impossible. Frowning, she hailed a robot guard. "Hey, you! Where are the prisoners?"

"They are taking the Labyrinth Test," it told her, in its monotonal dialect.

The pink bat thought about this, then shrugged. "Fine. You can go and join them then," she added, speaking to Pip.

"What's the Labyrinth Test?"

Tassel looked pleased at being asked. "It's divided into two halves. One half is just a maze, the walls, ceiling and floor of which are covered in blood. The beast that lives there is a messy eater, you see. The other half ... well, you'll find out soon enough. That's where you'll be headed first."

"Oh, okay then. Do I need to apply for insurance cover before I go in or afterwards? Or can I just say I'm not going in?"

The pink bat glowered at her, brandishing her most prized whip. "Do you know what this is?" she asked, quietly.

"Nope."

"It's called a Cat-o Nine Tails." She pointed to the nine separate ends. "The first hit is supposed to be able to break the skin on your back. Now, I've never had the chance to try it out on anyone yet. Do you want to be the first?"

A long pause. "I'm going in."

***

"Do you think this passageway goes on forever?" asked Fuft tiredly. He was still only a little chao, and to him five miles seemed like all the distance in the world, whether he was being carried or not.

"It shouldn't be much longer," Knuckles told him, without much hope. The tunnels all looked the same, giving him the uncomfortable feeling that they were walking in circles.

They walked a little longer. "I'm hungry," said the little chao, eventually.

"Try not to think about it," Tails advised him. "It just makes it worse."

"Sir, look!" Talon was pointing at the tunnel walls. They had changed, unnoticed, from the crumbling red rock to a cold stainless steel.

"We've got somewhere, definitely," Zephyer agreed. "Now we've only got to work out where."

"I'll bet it's a sewer," said Zinc. He had been walking beside his mistress, the glow of his blue emerald reflecting faintly in his silver skin. "Pretty soon we'll smell something terrible, and then we'll notice ... stuff ... on the floor, and--"

"Oh knock it off, that's gross!" said Aqua.

Little did they know it, but they had wandered into the Labyrinth beneath the Camp. And unfortunately, they had entered the half that people spoke of in horrified whispers. One mind at a time would fall prey to the most fearful of all things: fear itself.

Knuckles stumbled and caught himself against the wall, breathing heavily. Aqua looked up at him. "What's wrong, Knuckles?"

The echidna stared around with wide eyes. "No, no!" he cried, and sprang at the opposite wall. "Not again--not this time!" He tore at the metal with his knuxclaws. The others watched him, startled. Aqua ran to him, but he kicked her aside. He turned and leaped into the air, hands groping for something invisible above him. Aqua jumped up, crying, "What's wrong with him?"

Knuckles struck the wall and reeled back, blood running from his nose. "We've got to stop him before he kills himself," said Zephyer. "Stay back, guys, he can't hurt me." The robotized echidna jumped on Knuckles and tried to pinion him, but he was too strong for her. He flung her aside as if she were made of straw, screaming, "Stay away! He's after it again!"

Tails, standing back with Fuft in his arms, straightened. "I know what it is! He thinks Robotnik is taking the Master Emerald!" He, alone of the group there, had seen it happen. He set Fuft down and darted to Knuckles. "Knux, calm down! Robotnik's not here! Your island is safe!"

"I can see it!" Knuckles yelled, staring past Tails as if he weren't there. "Don't tell me that, it's RIGHT THERE!" He pointed to the darkness beyond the pool of light cast by the chaos emeralds.

Tails waved his arms. "Knuckles! Can you hear me? Listen to me!" Knuckles looked at the fox, still panting, eyes dilated with fear. Tails spoke softly. "You're hallucinating. Nothing is happening to the Master emerald. Echo wouldn't let it. We're in a tunnel in that weird world, remember?"

The echidna slumped against the wall and closed his eyes. "You're right," he gasped. "You're right, oh--" He gulped a sob and sank to the floor, spent. Aqua jumped into his arms. He stroked her and panted, "It was so real. I was in Hidden Palace. It was happening all over again, and you guys were just standing there ..."

Tails hung his head. "We'll never get out of here."

Everyone, including Fuft, stared at him. "What?"

The fox tucked his tails between his legs. "We're lost. We're trapped here, and we'll never, ever get home. We failed."

"It's happening to him, now," said Knuckles. "Tails, snap out of it."

Tails crouched down on the floor, hands over his face. "I'm a failure. I can't get out. I can't get us home. Without Sonic here, I'm just--I'm just Miles! I can't fly a plane without crashing it, I can't even fly as fast as Talon--"

"You can too," said Talon stoutly. "You beat me when we were racing, remember?" The anteater crouched beside the fox. "Come on, Tails, you're a cool person. You aren't any more of a failure than me."

Tails jerked away from him. "You don't understand. Leave me alone." Talon withdrew, looking confused, but Fuft was not so easily daunted. The orange chao wormed his way into his young master's lap. "Tails, I'm your friend," he chirped. "And nobody's a failure who has friends."

***

Up in the glaring sun of CondioChalybs, two chao faced each other, one Warrior, the other Ultimate. It was obvious who would win the fight. Strelle held her precious visor to her eyes with one clawed hand. Heat lay on the ground behind her, looking ill, but watching.

Only a few feet away stood a creature that could have been Chaos 6. It was a monstrous silver scorpion that had been Dreads. It's sides were ribbed with steel, its legs jointed with screws and bolts, and curled above its back was a powerful tail with a lance-like sting in the end. This sting dripped yellow poison from time to time, striking the ground with a hiss of vapour. "I told you that you wouldn't like me as Ultimate," said Dreads, quite sweetly for such a monster. "And now I'm going to kick your tail. Royally. And without stopping."

Strelle couldn't go to Ultimate because she had been in Warrior form too long. Her emerald was too drained to boost her to a higher level. In fact, she knew that before long she would revert back to a small white chao. If Heat had been in her position, he may have been able to talk Dreads out of killing him, but Strelle had never been known for her diplomacy. "I'll rip your eyes out, creep!" she shrieked, and leaped at the scorpion.

Heat watched the fight, wincing each time Strelle took a blow. This meant that his face was contorted into a continuous wince. Strelle whizzed past him and smashed into a boulder, dropping her visor. She picked herself up, gasping, groped for her visor, held it to her eyes and attacked Dreads again. Heat craned his neck, trying to see what had become of Platinum. Maybe he could talk some sense into Dreads--or maybe not. Platinum was lying on his back, unconscious, a comical expression of surprise on his face. "I'll have to stop her," Heat murmured, returning his gaze to the fight, where Strelle was getting whipped. "Oh, I don't want to--" He winced again, and it was not because of the fight. He rubbed the cut on his head and wished with all his might he had the strength to reach Light Warrior. He tried to stand, but toppled over. "Dark Warrior it is, then," he muttered, resting his head on the ground. "Strelle, I apologise to you in advance."

Strelle hit the ground, and a steel scorpion claw slammed into her back, holding her there. "I win!" chortled Dreads. "And now you know what I'm going to do? I'm going to make you sorry you got my beautiful Ultimate form all dusty." Her sting tail uncurled and arched forward to aim at the back of Strelle's head.

Strelle struggled, but it was no use--Dreads was too strong. "Heat!" she shrieked as the deadly stinger swung back in preparation for the final blow. "Heat, Platinum, help me!"

The stinger flashed downward. Strelle cringed, but the blow did not strike home. Dreads let out a shriek and let go of Strelle. The white bat sat up and held her visor to her eyes to see what had happened. Then she saw the stinger at her feet, oozing poison. She looked up and saw Heat in Dark Warrior form, poison dripping from his claws. He had sliced off the scorpion's stinger.

He stalked forward, arms at his sides. The mountain of silver backed away from him, legs scuttling on the rocks. "Leave me alone," whimpered Dreads. "Just go away ..." She covered her eyes with her forelimbs, trying to block out Heat's fiery red eyes. He was a robotic cat, not much bigger than Strelle herself, but with sweeping black wings. He was gold or bronze--neither Strelle nor Dreads could bear to look at him long enough to tell. Evil radiated from him in waves.

He lifted a clawed hand and held it, palm outward, toward Dreads. "No!" she cried, and tried to run, but a shadow cast like a laser beam from his hand stopped her. She collapsed, writhed, then burst into tears. She shrank to Warrior, then into a silver chao. Heat had absorbed her power. The emerald she had stolen from Bik plinked to the ground between them. Dreads eyed it, but dared not pick it up while Heat was there. She ran for it, still sobbing in humiliation.

Strelle didn't know what to do. Heat had just saved her, but every instinct in her screamed that he was evil, that he would kill her if she so much as blinked. And, oh horror, he turned to face her, eyes still flickering red. "Heat," she gasped. What could she say? Beg for mercy? Somehow she didn't think that was an option. Her next impulse was to run--run as fast and as far as she could--but no, she couldn't leave him.

As she stood there, wavering with indecision, Heat wilted and sank to his knees. His aura of malice vanished, and the robot cat shrank into a little golden chao who sat on the ground, gazing at Strelle. He blinked. "Strelle? What did I do?" He looked over his shoulder fearfully. "Did I kill Dreads?"

Strelle eyed him. "You don't remember?"

He sat up and rubbed the side of his head where the cut had been. It was completely healed. "No. I never remember anything in Dark Warrior. I have the eighth chaos emerald," he added, as if that explained it all.

"You didn't kill Dreads, but you sure saved m--I mean, I already thrashed her, but you ran her off. She dropped her emerald, too." Strelle dug one toe into the ground and pointed at the red emerald without looking at it.

Heat picked up the chaos emerald and turned it over, then turned back to Strelle. "We've got to find the others. There's something evil here. We need to get out of here as soon as we can."

"Wonderful," said Strelle, nudging the fallen Platinum with one foot. "What do we do with him?"

"Bring him with us," said Heat, scrambling over the rocks to her. "And maybe we can--"

Without warning, the ground opened under their feet, plunging all three chao into deep darkness.

***

Logicator opened his eyes and glanced out the window at the orange sky. He bared his teeth in a smile. His teeth were unusually sharp, even for a chao. "So, he is here now," he said. "And he has my emerald with him. My trapdoor entrance to the Labyrinth should keep him busy a while." He slid off the bed and slunk to the door with a strange gliding motion, quite unlike the way any normal chao ought to move.

Outside, Nadir was berating her Overseers for carelessness, although a casual observer would have thought she was lecturing them for their own good. Logicator strode up and watched, a smile playing over his face. Shakespeare and Tassle stood with heads bowed, hoping dearly that Nadir would not have them whipped, in Tassle's case, again. Standing off to the side were Robo Knux and Santashi. Santashi looked frightened, and was rubbing one arm. Robo Knux, on the other hand, was toying with a neckchain that linked three symbols, listening to Nadir, apparently without fear.

Nadir's arms were folded, the fingers of her right hand just touching the handle of the knife she wore at her side. "Not only have you been careless in letting the Outcasts so near the Camp, one of you ..." Her eyes lingered unpleasantly on Tassle. "... threw Pip into the Labyrinth without permission."

Tassle stared at the ground sulkily and said nothing. Santashi, however, couldn't stop herself. "It wasn't our fault! It was the Outcasts! They--they--" She fumbled to a halt as Nadir's killing gaze focused on her.

"They what?" asked Nadir sweetly. Her eyes flicked to Robo Knux, who was conveniently gazing at the neckchain in his hand.

Santashi licked her lips and whimpered, "They ambushed us. It was their fault we lost Pip."

Nadir flung a sidewise glance at Logicator, then smiled at the robot and shapeshifter. "You will have a chance to atone for your mistake, of course."

Santashi and Robo Knux looked up, hopefully.

In the same friendly tone, Nadir said, "You may go into the Labyrinth and bring her out."

Santashi looked as if she would scream, faint and throw up all at once. But Robo Knux turned without a word and walked off, so she was forced to follow him.

***

"Okay, everybody stick with me." On being shoved ignominiously into the network of passages, Echo had taken the one and only sword from a wall bracket. She gave it an experimentry swish as she spoke. "If you do, we may just get out of this mess alive." There was a loud, bellowing roar in the distance and all of her fellow prisoners scattered off down the surrounding passages. "Fine then," she snapped. "Be like that."

She stalked angrily forward, her eyes and stance daring anybody to mess with her. Somewhere to her left came another roar, followed by a quickly cut off scream. The echidna did not feel guilty; it was their own fault after all. When she had came from desertion was an offence punishable by death. Another scream. Well, she had never been that sure about the virtue of that law. Scream. In fact, she had always been able to think of more suitable offences. "Shut up," she told herself. "There's no point in feeling sorry for them now. I didn't ask them to run off like that."

Brooding, she kept on walking.

***

Dreads kept flying, tears blinding her eyes. They had ruined it! Her first chance to show off her beautiful Ultimate form and they had completely ruined it! How could they, Heat especially? After all she had done for them, like ... well, she could not remember the details, but she was sure that she had done something.

The platinum chao looked up. There, in front of her, was the Island. She had the nasty feeling that she would not be terribly welcome there, especially after what she had done to Echo. No, after what Strelle had done to Echo. That was it! She would tell them that Strelle had suddenly turned up and attacked them. It would serve the stupid white chao right, she thought sulkily.

Unfortunately for Dreads, the first person she met was Bik. "There you are!" exclaimed the chao, triumphantly. "You've got some serious explaining to do, Dreads. Like where's my emerald, for example? Not to mention Ec."

The platinum chao did not need much provocation to burst into floods of tears at the best of times. On this occasion she surpassed herself. "It-it-it was t-t-terrible!" she wailed, glittering tears spilling down her face. "I-I just went with Echo, and then, and then Strelle came and attacked us! With a whole bunch of mean and nasty robots too. She got my, I mean your, emerald. I've only just escaped from them."

Bik frowned. "Strelle wouldn't do something like that. Why would she attack you?"

"I think she might have sold us out to the enemy," Dreads whispered, confidingly. "Only don't tell her I told you. I don't think she'd like it." At least that part was true.

"Well ..." The other chao hesitated. She did not want to - oh, what was the phrase again? Oh yes, give a dog a bad name and hang it - but, Strelle did not exactly have a shining track record. The white chao had betrayed them once, although she had paid dearly for it.

"I tried really hard to fight them all, I really did, but they managed to overpower me. I mean, it was at least a dozen against one. Two." Dreads was not only lying to Bik, but also lying to herself. She had really begun to believe her fabricated story, envisioning herself as the dashing, if tragic, heroine.

Bik glared at the silver chao, then growled, "Well, come and get some food. I guess we won't find out the real story until they come back."

***

Pip had turned into her robot form again. She had figured that it would probably be safer, just as long as the 'You'll find out soon enough' was not a giant magnet. Strange, she kept having the feeling that someone was following her, although there was definitely nobody there. Shrugging the feeling off, she concentrated on figuring out what to do next.

She was in a giant maze. Well, there was an easy way of getting out of mazes - after all, she had read lots of books about them. All she had to do was keep turning right and she would find the exit. Confident, she took the next right turn. It was a dead end. "Aw flip," she murmured aloud, turning back. "Still, I guess I wouldn't play by the rules."

Back on the previous passageway, she glanced up and down it, then froze. A flicker of movement down one end. The robot bat watched the same spot for nearly half a minute; there was nothing more. She could have imagined it, and yet ... "No," she hissed, then ran, bolting in the opposite direction as fast as she could.

It was after her, she knew it. Whether or not all her senses told her there was nothing there, there had to be. She could not stop for a moment, or that guilt, that terror would catch her up. Voices yelled at her - or were they just in her imagination - taunting, jeering, laughing. "Your fault!" they cried, their hisses echoing in her wake. "You killed them! Your fault!" There was another voice, above the rest, the one she feared more than any of the others.

Different phrases, different times. "Crazy? Why, it's one of my many hidden talents." "Did I hurt anyone? No. Oh, wait, I think I broke someone's arm." "I said, you can have it then. As the great Mr. Crosia said, you have my permission to die. Of course, he was a little corny at the time." She remembered that last one very well. The speaker had killed somebody. The very worst thing of all, was that the speaker was herself.

Just as she was thinking that she could bear it no longer, three things happened. The first, and best in her opinion, was that the voices stopped, instantaneously. The second was that it suddenly occurred to her how trivial her fears had really been, now that they had gone. The third was that she saw the person ahead of her. Unfortunately, it was a little too late to anything about the third.

The two collided hard, Pip apologising hastily, and the other yelling aloud as all the breath was knocked out of them. "Sorry, I've never been any good at braking-" the bat began, then stopped. "Oh, Echo, it's you. Hi."

Echo stood up slowly, her eyes blazing with fury. "You!" she snapped.

Pip stared at her. "Um, I hope so. Do I look any different?"

"You will by the time I've finished with you, you murderer!" The echidna leapt at her, leaping and bringing the sword down in a furious sweep. Caught completely off guard, the blow hit Pip full in the face, leaving its mark there.

"What are you doing?" she protested, not moving; staring at Echo in confusion. "I'm not a murderer, Ec."

"You're a liar too!" the echidna exclaimed, almost triumphantly.

"You're in one of those can't-let-anyone-else-win modes again, aren't you?"

No answer. The sword swept at her again. It was not a friendly looking sword, Pip thought, in a corner of her mind. "I don't want to fight you Ec." Still no answer, then she had no chance to speak, trying desperately to parry the blows with only her wings. Since she was also trying not to hurt the echidna, she was subjected to several damaging strokes before she leapt into the air, over the echidna's head, then flew as fast as she could in the opposite direction.

Breathing heavily, Echo leaned on her sword. Somehow, it seemed an empty victory over her enemy. She walked on, a question nagging in the back of her mind. Why had the bat not fought back?

***

"We've got to be very careful," Knuckles warned the others. They all knew this, but there was no harm in emphasising the point. "If you start to feel anything not quite right, or think you see something that shouldn't be there, say so at once."

They were standing in the passageway, Tails having recovered from his short bout of depression. "So at once," said Fuft, instantly. The others looked at him. "Should that big bull be there?" They looked.

Standing at the other end of the passageway was a huge bull-like creature with great, goring horns, standing erect on two hooves, like a Mobian. Its muscular body shimmered with both sweat and blood and an axe was held threateningly in its hands. The blazing red eyes of the nightmare beast were fixed on the group. Without warning, it tilted back its head and roared savagely, the ceiling trembling from the vibrations. Then it charged.

"It's a minotaur," gasped Tails. He recognised it at once, although he had only seen them in books of myths. The fox had had no idea that any still existed.

"How do you stop a minotaur from charging?" murmured Zinc. "Take away its credit card." Within an instant they had taken to their heels. If they could get away from it for a few seconds, then the chao would be able to go Warrior.

"Lemme go to Warrior!" Zinc begged of Zephyer, who was carrying him as they ran. "I'm metal with blades! I can take him on!"

"Why not me?" called Fuft from several feet away. "I can electrocute him!"

"Why don't you ALL go Warrior?" Knuckles yelled. "We can't outrun it!"

Sonic could have done it, but the group was hindered by the extra weight of their chao, and the minotaur was gaining, swinging its battleaxe as it came.

Ahead the maze turned a corner. The group skidded around the edge, careening off the wall, and stumbled over two small shrieking figures. "Monsters!" someone cried, and for a second panic reigned. Zinc and Fuft went Warrior, Zinc leaping back to keep the minotaur off their backs, and Fuft springing ahead to deal with the creatures they had stumbled across.

"Wait! Hold it!" yelled Tails. He grabbed Fuft's shoulder, and instead of electrocuting the newcomers, the chao's claws merely built up a sphere of energy which hovered over his palm, casting light. In the hard white light were Strelle, Platinum and Heat. Strelle was once again a small white chao. The three were braced for battle, but when they recognised Tails, their scowls gave way to looks of disbelief. "Guys!" exclaimed Fuft, instantly glad he had obeyed Tails in breaking off his attack.

There was no time for a reunion. Tails grabbed up Strelle and Platinum, and Knuckles picked up Heat, as a crash echoed down the hall behind them. The minotaur's roar shook the tunnel, and Zinc came flying back toward them, the small blade on his head bent double. "Let's get out of here!"

***

Robo Knux and Santashi had had no luck in finding Pip. They could, however, hear screams and crashes coming from somewhere in the maze. Santashi kept close to Robo Knux, peering over her shoulder every two seconds. The final Test, and she was taking it! She had never asked for this job, but Robo Knux had her ownership chain, and as long as he had it, she had to work for him. Things could be worse, she reflected. Nadir might have taken the chain. At least Robo Knux hadn't actually made her kill anyone ...

She was so keen on watching the shadows at her back that she didn't see the figure standing quietly against the wall. But as not even Robo Knux noticed him, she decided afterward he must have been invisible.

Robo Knux had no sense receptors in his arms, and didn't feel when Santashi's neckchain was slipped off his wrist. He walked on, but Santashi stopped in shock. Someone else had the chain! She stared around, but Robo Knux had taken the light with him, and it was dark. She gazed after him, and the light moving away down the tunnel. She should call him, but perhaps ... perhaps she wouldn't. Maybe her new master would be kinder. It was a hope fondly cherished by all shapeshifters. However, this time her wish was granted.

Nothing happened until Robo Knux had rounded a turn in the distance and vanished, then a voice said, "What's your name?"

Santashi turned in the direction of the voice, but it was pitch black. However, it didn't seem to be an unpleasant voice. "My name is Santashi. Who are you?"

There was a click, and a flat glowing disk appeared. It illuminated the face of an echidna with braided cloth in his dreadlocks. He smiled. "I'm Wraith. Welcome to CondioChalybs." It seemed an odd greeting, there in the Labyrinth. He held up the neckchain. "Is this yours?"

Santashi eyed it and said cautiously, "It's yours now."

"But you want it back," said Wraith. He became stern. "Listen. I will return the chain to you, but you must help me first. Okay?"

Santashi nodded. No one had ever offered to return the chain to her. She would be willing to do anything--well, almost anything--to get it back. "What will I have to do?"

"I need you to kill the minotaur," said Wraith.

Santashi went as white as a sheet. "Kill the minotaur?"

"I'll need you for some things after that, too," said Wraith, placing the chain around his neck, "so try not to get killed." He strode off down the corridor, and Santashi followed him at a jog. He was well named--he moved like a ghost, without a sound. "What side are we on now?" she asked. "Where are you from?"

"Technically I'm with the Outcasts," said Wraith without turning his head. "But I was born in a colony out in the middle of the Windy Desert. Enough about me, there's not much time."

***

Pip examined the scratches on her wings. They weren't bad, considering. She glanced over her shoulder in the direction of Echo. What had gotten into her? Maybe she had mistaken Pip for someone else. But no, she had said Pip's name. The bat shrugged and gave up trying to figure it out. At least her metal was only scratched.

A scream echoed through the Labyrinth, and Pip shuddered. This was freaky, but as her robot form had kept her from damage once already, she figured it would again. She kept walking.

Suddenly she heard a different sound, one quite unexpected in such surroundings. It was singing. Curious, and yet wondering if it were some monster that lured its victims with song, she followed the sound around two turns and into a dark corner. Not that it was more dark than the rest of the maze, but here the stone was cleaner, as if it weren't used often. A few feet further on, Pip saw a dead end, and someone huddled in a corner. It was the one singing.

It wasn't until she had drawn quite close that she saw he was a chameleon. He had two horns on his head, and his tail was wound around his knees. He was swaying back and forth, singing 'Mary had a little lamb'. He looked up and grinned as Pip walked up. "Hi there, your batness! Come to help me sing?"

"What are you doing here?" asked Pip. "I thought most people here got killed."

The lizard's head drooped to one side, and his mouth stretched into a grin. "I took the Test," he said, his voice rising to a whine. "But I failed. I can't get out. There's no way out! There's nothing more to do but sing." He launched into another verse, eyes glazing over. Pip felt sorry for him. He was quite mad. "Well, come with me," she said. "I'm going to get out. What's your name?"

"Jackson," said the chameleon dreamily. "I think I'm going to change it, though. How does 'Mud' sound?" He giggled, beating the stone floor with a fist. "Isn't this funny? This whole maze thing. I think Nadir's read too much mythology, hmm?" He giggled again and wiped his nose.

Pip stared at him. "N--Nadir?"

Jackson looked at her. "Nani?" He went into another laughing fit.

Pip didn't understand this, but there didn't seem to be anything she could do for the chameleon. She turned and walked away, but the sight of his grinning face lingered unpleasantly in her mind.

***

Meanwhile, two echidnas, a fox and an anteater were running pell-mell through the maze. Fuft and Zinc galloped alongside them, once in a while dropping back to take a swing at the minotaur. Max, Aqua, Strelle, Heat and Platinum were carried in the arms of the Mobians, holding their emeralds aloft to light the way. Platinum and Strelle kept demanding that they be released, and boasted about how they could beat the monster without breaking a sweat. Heat said nothing. He was dreading what would happen if it came to a battle, and he went to Dark Warrior again.

They turned a corner, thundered down a lighted passage, and screeched to a halt, piling into each other. It was a dead end. They whirled as one to see the minotaur round the corner and charge, swinging its battleaxe.

"Doesn't he ever get tired?" panted Zinc, who by this time had been dented in several places, and had two notches in the big blade on his head.

"Minotaurs don't have blood," explained Fuft, flexing his claws. "He's running on adrenaline!"

"Stand your ground!" Knuckles yelled. He and Zephyer stood shoulder to shoulder, blocking the passage with Tails and Talon behind them, along with the chao who were ill suited for fighting. Fuft and Zinc took up their positions on either side of them, grim and ready. "I'm not getting left out again!" exclaimed Aqua. Her emerald flamed up and vanished, and she grew into a red water-gorgon with snakes for hair. She leaped up and took her position in the line. And there they waited, for the inevitable.

The minotaur ran toward them, hooves rattling on the stone, the deadly axe held above its head. It's bull-mouth was wide open in a terrible roar, its eyes flamed red.

Then it stumbled.

The Mobians and chao blinked in amazement as the monster struggled to its feet, then stumbled again. There was something on its back, ripping and snarling. It looked like a giant cat. The minotaur flung itself against the wall of the passage, trying to crush its attacker, but the cat was too fast. It leaped aside, then sprang into the hideous bull-face, knocking the monster flat on its back. Its teeth flashed for the bull's throat, but the minotaur caught the cat by the neck in one knotted fist, and flung it into the wall. The cat slumped to the floor, stunned. The minotaur scrambled to its feet, snatched up its axe, and prepared to cut the cat into lunchmeat.

But before the first blow fell, a small dark figure appeared out of nowhere. There was a flash of blue electricity, and the axe clattered from the monster's numbed hand. The next second the cat sprang to its feet with a snarl, and buried its seven-inch fangs in its enemy's throat.

The minotaur sank to the floor, vanquished. The cat shrank away from the monster's body, and changed shapes into a human girl, who leaned against the wall, hands over her face, and cried without a sound. The small dark figure patted her on the shoulder, then walked toward the Mobians, sliding the two electric rods back into their original staff-form as he came.

The chao moved in front of their masters, but the figure held up one hand, palm outward. "Don't be afraid, I'm a friend. My name is Wraith, and I'm with the Outcasts."

The names meant little to the Mobians. What made the biggest impression was that he was an echidna. "Hey!" said Knuckles. "I'm an echidna, too! What are you doing in this God-forsaken world?"

Wraith gave him an odd look. "It's not God-forsaken. What planet are you from?"

"Mobius," said Knuckles, nodding to Aqua, who shrank into a little red chao. He picked her up and explained briefly about being pulled through a strange weather phenomenon, and about being lost ever since. Wraith listened, his eyes travelling over the members of their group, memorising their faces. He said nothing until Knuckles mentioned Pip, who had been kidnapped, then he jerked erect and stared. "Pip? A black bat?"

"You've seen her?" asked Zephyer.

"Seen her?" said Wraith. "She joined our band! She was supposed to lead a troop in attacking the Camp." He looked at them oddly. "No wonder ..." He changed the subject. "Come with me. We must get out of this accursed maze, before Nadir and Logicator realise their little pet got himself whipped."

He beckoned to Santashi as he led the group around the minotaur's carcass, and she fell into step behind him, still quite pale. Talon elbowed Tails and whispered, "Does she look familiar to you?"

"Yeah!" Tails whispered back. "But I can't quite place her. Did you see her change shapes?"

"Yeah! I think she was a sabre-toothed tiger during the fight."

"Cool! I wish I was a shapeshifter."

Santashi looked back at them. "No you don't."

The fox and anteater looked sheepish that she had overheard them. "Do we know you?" asked Tails.

Santashi nodded. "I attacked you that night before we were warped here. I'm sorry."

"Oh yeah!" said Talon, squinting at her face. "You were a robot echidna, weren't you?"

Santashi nodded, but one of the chao hissed, "Shh!", so there were no more questions.

Roughly five minutes later, the lights winked out.

***

In an effort to get the distant strains of 'Mary had a little lamb' out of her head, Pip was doing some singing herself. Although she could sing pretty well in tune, every so often she liked to sing out of tune, mainly because it annoyed people. Still, she was singing properly now, in the hope of cheering herself up. Not that she was really unhappy.

She had just reached the third verse of 'Diamond in the Sky', when she turned the corner, and saw something that stopped her dumb in amazement. There, neatly piled in stacks, was more dynamite than she had ever seen in her whole life. It even looked like dynamite should look, she thought to herself. Red and everything.

Hardly daring to believe her luck, she glanced over both shoulders, to see whether there was anyone coming. No one was. Could she? Should she? Well, it was definitely worth a try. After all, it was not her fault that someone had left some very dangerous equipment around, was it? Dangerous that was, if it was in the wrong hands.

Like mine, she thought happily, and set to work.

***

Knuckles and Wraith, who were heading the party, jogged swiftly round the next corner, then stopped dead. The passageway split into two at this point. At the end of the left passage, they could see a faint glow: either daylight or artificial, they could not tell at this distance. In the other was hovering a glowing shape.

The shape was a chao, naturally a dull metallic grey, although his body emitted a soft light in the dark. He looked to Knuckles a bit like a Nights chao, although with shorter headcrest lengths, and no wings that he could see. He had pointed stripes running down its body, arms, legs and head; all slightly darker than his main colour. The chao had a longish tail too, with a spike at its tip.

He was surveying them with a look of detached interest, his head cocked to one side. Knuckles had the distinct impression that they were boring him by merely existing.

"Logicator," Wraith hissed across to the other echidna. It was the first time that Knuckles had seen him look worried.

The others piled round the corner at that moment, almost colliding with the two. "Who's the glowy guy?" demanded Strelle, in a piping squeak.

"My name is Logicator." The chao had not moved his lips, and besides, the voice was far too loud. It was a threatening hiss, echoing around the passageway like a deathrattle.

"Oh," said the white chao, in a small voice.

Zinc stepped forward, instinctively protecting his mistress and friends. "What do you want?"

Platinum's voice came from behind him. "I believe he wants to dismember us with much unnecessary unpleasantness."

"He what?" Strelle gave him a suspicious look. "I don't like it when you use such big words. How do I know you're not insulting me or something?"

"He means he wants to kill us," translated Heat, quietly.

"Why?"

Knuckles clamped one hand over Strelle's mouth, and faced Logicator. "Let us past. We outnumber you seven chao to one if it comes to a fight, so-"

The chao cut him off in mid-sentence, smiling unnervingly. "That does not bother me."

"He hasn't even got an emerald, so he can't hurt us," Max pointed out. "Let's just stomp him." He did not bother to point out that they had not all got emeralds, at least as far as he knew.

"That is not a recommended course of action." He paused, blinking slowly to show that he was in control. "And you are mistaken. I have an emerald."

Fuft frowned, breaking into the conversation with a sweet gaze of deep chao concentration on his face. "You can't have an emerald, because I've got one, Zinc's got one, Max's got one, Strelle's got one, Aqua's got one, that chao there has got Bik's one from somewhere-" (He was pointing at Platinum when he said this.) "-and there's another one we left on the Island. So that makes seven, and there aren't any more emeralds." He gave Logicator a severe look. "Lying's bad," he told him, stressing the 'bad'.

"I've got one." They turned and stared at Heat, who looked back at them glumly. "There's eight emeralds. Mine's the eighth."

"You've got the eighth emerald?" Zephyer blinked. She knew just how dangerous that emerald could be, from first-hand experience.

"Uh-huh. Pip and me found it a while ago, but we didn't think it could be a proper emerald because we thought there was only seven. So we just kept it."

Knuckles sighed. "That sounds like Pip."

"But he still can't have an emerald!" Fuft protested desperately. Tails stroked his head to calm him down.

"But I can." With the air of one performing a magic trick, he drew one chao paw over the other. Grasped in the lower one was an emerald of grey nothingness; a complete absence of colour; devoid of the emeralds' usual glowing brilliance. "I present to you the Dead Emerald. My emerald, Fuft."

"He knows my name," squeaked Fuft, surprised.

While this conversation was going on, no one was paying any more attention to Heat - no one that is except Talon and Max. Having glimpsed him out of the corner of his eye, Talon had nudged his chao, and they were both watching Heat intently.

His golden flesh was now radiating a light to match Logicator's, while his eyes were luminescent, as if lit by a dangerous fire within. The chao's blazing wings dripped with sparks. The two wondered that nobody else had noticed him - he was certainly bright enough in the dark corridor. Still, they did not like to point it out. It might be fatal if the others' concentration was disengaged from Logicator.

Unexplained, words began drifting into their minds. 'Don't look at me like that.' They just stared harder. Had Heat spoken? His mouth had not moved, and they were one hundred percent sure that he had not said anything aloud. 'Don't worry.' They had been watching him that time, and were certain that had not spoken. Their eyes met.

"You heard that too?" Max whispered, and Talon nodded.

'I'll sort this out.'

"Is it you talking?" Talon asked Heat, feeling a little foolish.

'In a manner of speaking, I guess.'

The chao walked calmly past them, and they turned to watch what he would do. "Here come the fireworks," prophesied Max. Heat strode purposefully past the other chao and Mobians, who stopped talking to gawp slack-jawed at him. Knuckles inadvertently dropped Strelle on the floor.

Those watching noticed that Logicator stiffened somewhat as he saw the gold chao. "Brother," he hissed between his sharp little fangs.

"Long time no see," remarked Heat, idly. "Shame it had to end."

The two appeared to be lost in their own private world, everybody else forgotten. "Really? Well, I'm sure I can remedy that for you, brother. Go on now, say something melodramatic. You're good at that." Though Logicator was sneering, there was an unmistakable trace of respect lurking in his voice that there had not been for the others.

Before the gold chao could reply, whether to be melodramatic or otherwise, Platinum, who had been edging closer to watch, stumbled. Concentration broken, Logicator wheeled round, extending one chao paw. The unfortunate chao was lifted off his feet and slammed backwards into a wall. The effect was eerie, due both to the mysterious unseen forces, and Logicator's emotionless detached expression.

Suddenly, Fuft began to cry. "I don't like it," he whimpered, burrowing into Tails's soft fur. "Make it go away, Tails."

As if his hands were attached to strings like a puppet's, the fox lifted them, flinging Fuft across the corridor. In mid-air the surprised chao was halted, drifting gently to the ground for no apparent reason. Heat had locked gazes with his adversary. "Cut it out." Fuft looked at him admiringly. Even in his confusion he could tell who his saviour had been. Tails was looking half horrified, half scared. If the grey chao could do that ...

"Warrior then," Heat said, not taking his gaze off Logicator. "That's what you wanted, wasn't it?"

"Ever since I destroyed those who had the audacity to call themselves my creators, I have wanted to prove that I am the better of us."

"Now who's being melodramatic?"

'Go now.' This time, the words were imprinted in the minds of the whole company. 'I will hold him off.'

Logicator held his emerald up to the ceiling above. Everybody apart from Heat had been expecting him to go Warrior. Instead, he went straight into his Ultimate form: a huge grey robot ice-dragon with steel bat's wings, a powerful set of jaws, and a sinuous body. Unfortunately for the corridor about them, the new form was far too large for it. With a noise that was painful to the ears, the ceiling and walls buckled and were ripped away, revealing the star-pricked heavens above. The scene looked like it had been struck by a small meteorite.

"Come and play, little creatures," he snarled, mockingly, his cold breath frosting up what remained of the walls.

The gold chao sighed, then touched his own emerald, as well as the tip of the ice-dragon's foot. "Just remember you asked for this." Within seconds, another robot dragon faced the first, gold in colour, with a gleaming red exterior ribcage of some creature grown armour-like into his back, lined with spikes. His wings were of fire, and his Saturn eyes smouldered fiercely.

Snarling, the grey dragon launched himself at the gold, and they crashed backwards through the compound, locking jaws, crushing anything in their path, bellowing in lust of the fight.

Silence reigned for a moment, then Strelle said: "We'd better get undercover. I don't think Heat's much in control when he gets to that size."

Zinc pointed to the light at the remains of the passageway ahead. "We might as well go that way."

Santashi, who had remained silent while the whole incident had been going on, spoke up. "No," she began. "It doesn't feel right." The others had already started towards the door, so she was forced to follow by her bond to the neckchain that Wraith held.

Only Strelle remained, standing at the edge of the torn wall, watching the duelling ultimate chao. There had to be something she could do, she thought to herself. Almost without thinking, she reached for her emerald.

The Mobians, chao, Wraith and Santashi hurried into the chamber at the far end, casting cautious glances over their shoulders. They were safe for the moment: the two dragons were on the other side of the camp by the sound of it. As the last of the chao stepped through the door, it swung shut behind them in one smooth movement. They were all in there save Santashi.

"So glad you could make it," drawled a voice from the shadows. "You did take your time though, didn't you?" It sounded familiar to all of them.

Wraith's shoulders slumped. "Nadir. Now we're really dead."

A pink bat, a yellow hamster and several of the zombie-like guards stood near the centre of the room, all holding guns trained at them. "Drop any weapons you may have," the bat told them.

"We can beat 'em if we all go Warrior," Aqua whispered.

Her whisper must have carried, because the voice from the shadows spoke again. "Not a good idea. The barrier enforced in this room would mean that you would most probably combust if there is any severe change in matter. Of course, you are most welcome to try if you don't believe me. That apart, we could just shoot your owners."

"Okay, now drop your weapons," the pink bat repeated, gesturing at them with one hand.

Reluctantly, Wraith dropped his wrapped pole - the others had no weapons with them. "All of them." The voice was firm.

Wraith sighed. "What, you mean every single one? How long have you got to spare?" Meeting the stolid gazes of their captors, he proceeded to unload a whole assortment of weaponry, from throwing stars to small gadgets that the Mobians could only guess at. "There, satisfied now?"

"With the world at large, or merely you?" There was a long, very long pause, in which the group began to wonder if they should be saying something. Just as Knuckles was about to speak - or make a fool of himself as he thought - the voice continued. "How strange to be seeing you after all this time."

Tails dared to speak up. "Have we met?"

"Most of you, yes. Although I have to admit, I have never come across Zephyer or Talon before. At least, not face to face. Knuckles and Tails I definitely know."

"How come?" demanded Fuft, directing his chao frown at the shadows.

"You see ... where I come from, there is no Tails or Knuckles. Not any more."

"Why?"

"Quite simply, I killed them."

Silence reigned for several moments. The voice had sounded so casual, so differential, as if she had been announcing the time of day. "You didn't!" Aqua's voice was above its normal pitch, and she was trembling in upset confusion. "They're not dead!"

"Where I come from they are. And if I'd ever met you there, you'd be dead too. Now-" A snapping of fingers. "-you have something to tell me, Shakespeare?"

The hamster jumped in the air, his expression momentarily losing its calm. Even to the Mobians, it was obvious that he had something to hide. Something obviously clicked inside his brain, and he calmed down. "Ah. Yes." He walked to the far door, opened it, then disappeared through it for a few minutes. Knuckles thought about running, then thought about the blasters. It would not be worth it.

He returned, leading a tall, dinosaur-like creature, as well as a Skull: Scree. The dinosaur's stance was peaceable, but his eyes betrayed his heartfelt rage. His eyes met Wraith's, then lowered, perhaps in shame. Scree was shoved unceremoniously with the other captives, while Nargra was left to stand in the open space. He narrowed his eyes at the gloom, waiting.

In the darkness, something glinted. Nargra sneered. "I know all about your knife tricks. The first two are always taunts, and they miss. The third is to kill. You've become quite famous for it."

Quick as lightning, a blade flew out of the shadows, embedding itself in the tyrannosaur-creature's chest. "Really? And you expect me to play by rules?" He bellowed in pain, wounded but not dying. Ripping the knife out, he hurled it back where it came from, snarling. Already a red gash was appearing through his metal skin. Sensing that the display was over, several of the zombie guards seized him, bundling him into the corner with the others.

"Now there is only one person still to come," commented the voice. "I doubt she will be long in arriving."

As if on cue, the door was kicked open. "Okay, nobody move." Pip stood there, arms folded, ice blue eyes flickering, ghost like. She was still in robot form.

One of the robot zombies appeared behind Pip, and she half turned, glancing at it. "Drop your weapons."

She looked confused. "What weapons? I don't have any weapons."

"How were you expecting to make us comply to your wishes, then?" asked Shakespeare, raising one eyebrow.

"Well," said the robot brightly. "I was hoping you'd all just be really kind and obliging and just do it, since I haven't really done this sort of thing before. Please?" she added, hopefully.

"Get her," snapped Tassel.

The zombie guard moved towards Pip. The blue eyed robot looked at it for a moment, then extending her claws on her right hand, drove them straight through the guard's neck. She looked down doubtfully at her claws, as if noticing them for the first time. "Of course, I could just do that. Will it do?"

Just in time, she dodged out of the way as the knife went whirring into the wall where she had been standing, followed swiftly by another. Pip looked straight at where Nadir would be standing. "Hello stranger." She casually leaned back against the wall.

Tails, remembering what Nargra had said, called out: "There's a third knife." The words had barely left his mouth when it shot towards Pip. She did not move out of the way. Glancing down idly at the knife blade held in her hand, she tossed it away.

"I'm sure that's improved my hand-eye co-ordination no end."

While this was happening, Nargra had stumbled into a corner and leaned against the wall, his breath bubbling in his chest. Wraith and Scree moved over to him. "I'll kill them," Scree was hissing over and over, his silver skeleton body weaving back and forth in fury. Wraith touched Nargra's wound and whispered, "I'm sorry, I should have done something."

"Quiet," whispered Nargra, his huge jaws scarcely moving. "Wraith, there is one weapon you have that Nadir cannot face. Where is it?"

The echidna looked at the tyrannosaur and said nothing.

"You have it, good," said Nargra. "Listen carefully. When I give the signal, you and Scree ..."

He was not the leader of the Outcasts for nothing.

***

Echo had despaired of ever getting out of the maze. Her head and shoulders drooped lower and lower, and she began to let the tip of her sword drag on the stone floor. The screams had long since stopped, the lights were out, and she was having to feel her way along. She wanted to return to the Floating Island, she wanted to see the others again, she wanted her father, she wanted to do anything but wander in the labyrinth forever, as it appeared she was doomed to do.

In her wandering she came upon Jackson, still sitting in the corner and mad as a March hare. He was delighted to see her, and for a moment became quite lucid. Echo persuaded him to come with her, back when she was convinced she could still find the exit. And now they were walking, walking, completely lost. Jackson had gone off his head again, and stopped every five seconds to listen for the giant grasshoppers he was certain were following them.

"Listen!" he said for the thousandth time. "I hear them!"

"It's your imagination," said Echo wearily, trudging on.

Jackson hurried up to her and seized her elbow. "Listen! There they are!"

To her astonishment, Echo did hear them; bellowing and smashing off in the distance. It didn't sound safe, but she had been in the maze so long that she was convinced that any other noise might lead them out. She grabbed Jackson's arm and ran in the direction of the sounds, forgetting all caution.

Thus Echo and Jackson emerged in the huge hole in the tunnel made by Logicator, and saw the two dragons engaged in a fearsome aerial battle, shooting ice and flames at each other and occasionally grappling claws and falling, landing on their feet and returning to the air. "Fire-breathing grasshoppers!" said Jackson, pointing. "Cool!" He would have moved closer, but Echo held him back. "No Jack, those are dragons." Echo had read books and knew a dragon when she saw one.

"Echo!"

The echidna turned and saw Strelle running up to her in Warrior form, a white battle-stained bat robot with long claws. She was clutching her visor to her eyes. "Echo! We've got to help Heat!"

Echo looked bleakly up at the battling dragons. "Which one is he?"

"The gold one," said Strelle, pointing as Heat blasted a jet of flame into his opponent's face. "The other one is named Logicator. He's eeeeeevil!" There came a flash of light, and both dragons flew apart and hovered, bat-wings beating the air, engaged in some mental battle.

"Can you go to Ultimate?" asked Echo, looking at Strelle. Strelle was staring at Jackson, who was raptly watching the dragons.

"It's not strong enough," said Strelle.

This was such a strange remark coming from proud Strelle for a moment Echo wondered if she was talking to the right chao. "Strelle, are you okay? You just admitted you aren't strong enough."

"I'm not!" shouted Strelle, waving her free hand above her head. "I'm not a Psi! I can't do it! My emerald is drained, and I have to carry this stupid visor!" She threw it on the ground in frustration, then promptly felt around when she remembered she couldn't see without it. Echo picked it up and handed it to her.

They heard footsteps behind them and turned to see Santashi standing there in human form. She looked frightened. "The door's shut!" she exclaimed, wringing her hands. "My master is inside the compound, and I can't get in!"

If Strelle's eyes could have lit up, they would have. "Santashi! Can you turn into a dragon as big as those two?"

The shapeshifter looked up at the battling pair doubtfully. "Maybe. But I can't do it unless my master commands me to."

"Imagine that he has," said Echo. "Please, you have to help us."

Santashi crossed her arms and decided to be difficult. "I already killed a minotaur today. No dragons."

Heat and Logicator smashed to the ground twenty feet away, shaking the ground and causing a nearby wall to collapse. Jackson cheered.

"Don't you have some law about self-preservation?" asked Echo. "If you master orders you to jump off a cliff, you're allowed to grow wings, right?"

"Well, yeah," said Santashi, watching the dragons climb into the sky again. They were slower than before--they were tiring.

"We're all gonna get killed if you don't!" yelled Strelle. "Look, I'll go Ultimate and help you, okay?"

Santashi's form changed into that of a huge blue dragon with long talons on her front feet. "Will this do?" she asked, looking down at them.

"Perfect!" Echo and Strelle said. Jackson pointed and said, "Oooo, another grasshopper!"

Strelle's form whirled and changed into a tall Dracula-type figure, with fangs, a long cape, and giant ears. Her head only came to Santashi's shoulder, but her eyes worked. "Finally, a form that doesn't care about my chao injuries," she grumbled, tossing aside the visor. "Let's kick some lizard butt!"

***

"You fool," Nadir hissed at Pip, who gazed back at her, unperturbed. "I have the entire planet at my disposal, and you will never return home. Your island is trapped here."

"Actually, it's not really my island," said Pip with a shrug. "It's Knuckles's. But it's the thought that counts, I guess. Oh, did you know that everything is going to blow up?"

Everyone in the room froze and looked at Pip, including Wraith and Nargra.

"Blow up?" squeaked Tassle.

"Sure," said Pip. "You really shouldn't leave that much dynamite lying around where any idiot could light it. Like me," she finished brightly.

Nadir calmed. "Robo Knux has already reported it. It is being defused as we speak."

Pip snapped her fingers. "I hate it when that happens."

"Pip, you were going to blow us up?" exclaimed Knuckles. "What about escaping?"

"I sort of forgot about that part," Pip admitted. "So, Nadir. Want to arm wrestle?"

"Hold it," roared Nargra. "Everyone, back to the wall. Now!"

The prisoners obeyed, leaving Wraith and Scree standing in the middle of the floor.

"What kind of trick is this?" snorted Nadir. "Robots, seize them!"

"It's no trick," said Wraith quietly, but his voice was clear. He had a small globe in one hand that crackled with electricity. "This is an Echidnaen electromagnetic pulse device."

In the following silence everyone heard Nadir suck in her breath through her teeth. The Mobians exchanged glances, and Zephyer hugged Zinc to her chest. An electromagnetic pulse would paralyse her. Incidentally, it would also kill Scree, but the Skull stood confidently beside Wraith, unafraid.

"I suggest you back down," said Wraith. "I'm not afraid to use it."

"You would kill your friends?" said Nadir, eyes narrowing craftily. "At least two of them would die, and a pulse in these close quarters, in this shielded building, would injure the rest. All you would do is deprive me of a small military facility."

"What part of 'not afraid to use it' don't you understand, Nadir?" asked Wraith, his voice soft. "This is an Echidnaen device. It uses a kind of technology you would never dream of, to the point of setting targets. And it is targeted at you and Logicator."

***

Heat and Logicator were perfectly matched. They had the same form, the same strengths, the same weaknesses. The only weapons they had against each other were their minds, and the battle of fire verses ice. Heat had the power of the eighth chaos emerald in him, along with the power it drew from the other seven. Logicator had the power of the Dead Emerald, of evil, cold and death. The match was too close, the odds too even, for one of them to win outright.

The battle was won because of something not even Logicator with his mental capabilities could foresee.

Santashi and Strelle entered the fight and attacked the ice dragon. Santashi beat her wings, and a rain of lightning struck Logicator with a blinding flash and thunderclap. Logicator only shook his head and blasted her with his icy breath. She changed to a falcon in mid-air and darted out of the way. As she did, Strelle attacked, fangs and claws bared, and slashed at Logicator's neck. The dragon swatted her away with a claw, then sent her smashing to earth with a wave of Psi power. "Heat, your friends amuse me!" he bellowed, laughing. "Their loyalty is truly an admirable trait--they will die for you." He landed with all four feet around Strelle, but before he could freeze her, Heat slammed his shoulder into Logicator's chest, knocking him over. At the same time, Santashi, again in dragon form, let him have it in the belly.

It was the first pain Logicator had felt in a very long time, and he came up fighting.

"They won't win," said Echo, watching as Logicator seemed to grow even bigger and faster in his fury. "He's too powerful."

"He's just a dragon," said Jackson, who had finally decided that 'dragon' was more fun to say than 'grasshopper'. "The grey one just needs a sword in the heart. That's how you kill dragons, right?"

Echo glanced at him, puzzled. It was hard to tell when he was having a lucid moment. The chameleon looked quite sane, and was watching the battle soberly. "Just take that sword and do it," he said, motioning to the blade Echo was leaning on.

"Why don't you?" she said sarcastically.

"All right then, I'll show you," said Jackson. To Echo's astonishment, he snatched the sword and ran toward the fight. "Jackson, no!" she cried, running after him.

Santashi crashed to the ground and moaned, shapeshifting back into her human form. She tried to rise once, then slumped to the ground and lay still.

Strelle landed lightly on Logicator's back, and dug her claws into the thick muscles at the base of his wing. "Get him, Heat!" she yelled. "I've got him!"

"Let go! Let go!" Heat's voice screamed in her mind. "He'll kill you! Let go!"

"No, I've got him!" Strelle yelled. She was still holding on when Logicator threw himself over backward.

There Logicator made his mistake. He had not foreseen the chameleon who leaped up on his belly even as he fell on Strelle, or the long blade that was driven into his heart with the strength only an insane person can wield.

The grey dragon screamed, a rock-shattering sound that shook the whole Camp and made yet more walls collapse in the labyrinth. He shrank back into a silver chao, the sword run through him. He pulled it out with his Psi powers and let it clatter to the ground. Strelle, still in Ultimate form, lay on the ground beside him, eyes closed. Jackson landed nearby on hands and knees, looking bewildered.

Instead of healing himself, as he could have, Logicator bent every ounce of his dying psychic power upon Jackson, to kill him.

***

The impasse in the compound was broken by Logicator's shriek. Everyone jumped, and the walls quivered. Nadir's face contorted in horror. "Logicator!" she cried, darting to the door. She was through it before anyone could do a thing, but Pip recovered first. "Don't let her escape!" she called, flinging the door open and bolting after her evil double. The Mobians followed her, as did the Outcasts, Wraith still holding aloft the little blue globe. Tassle and Shakespeare were left alone.

The pink bat looked at the hamster. "We better get out of here. She won't be happy if Logicator got whipped."

"Right," said Shakespeare, who was looking quite relieved that Nadir had departed without doing anything to him. "I'll power up the warp core. You can get the ship ready."

"Right," said Tassle, and the two dashed from the room.

***

"You will pay for that," gasped Logicator as Jackson floated into the air, stiff as a board, his mind being ripped apart from the inside. "You will pay! You will ..." The chao's strength gave out. He slumped and closed his eyes. Jackson fell to the ground and curled into a ball. Heat and Echo arrived at the same time, Heat shrinking back into a little gold chao. "I'm sorry, brother," he said.

Logicator's eyes fluttered open. "We will ... meet again," he panted. Then his eyes closed, and the age-old white shell appeared over him as he began his regression into a chao egg.

If Jackson had been insane before, he was witless now. Heat looked at him sadly. "His mind is gone, Echo," he said. "I can't detect anything in him." Echo lifted the chameleon's head into her lap and looked at the glazed eyes. She placed her hands on his face and concentrated her healing powers on him. She felt the tattered shreds of his mind piece back together like a lamp breaking in reverse. He was not injured physically, and such was the amount of remorse Echo poured into him that in a moment Jackson blinked and looked up at her, understanding returning to his eyes. "Thank you," he whispered, and Echo hugged him.

Heat found Strelle and Santashi. Santashi, being a shapeshifter, had accelerated healing powers, and was almost well. She was sitting up, shaking away the remains of a headache. Strelle, on the other hand, was in more serious condition.

As Heat stood over his injured rival, her visor in his hand, he heard the running footsteps of several people. Nadir came first, running and stumbling over the smashed terrain, looking for Logicator. Her eyes fell on Heat. He pointed at the silver chao egg lying alone among the shattered cement slabs. Nadir gave a cry, dashed to it and picked it up, stroking the shell. She paused a moment, taking in the devastated scenery, the hole in the labyrinth ceiling, Echo kneeling over Jackson, Santashi sitting alone and dazed, and the gold chao standing beside a fallen white chao. "I see Logicator had the last laugh," she said maliciously. She turned and ran for a hanger in the corner of the Camp.

From the other direction came the Mobians, led by Pip. Heat jumped to his feet, forgetting everything momentarily in his joy to see Pip alive and unhurt. "Where'd she go?" Pip demanded, skidding to a stop beside Echo and Jackson, who was climbing to his feet. Echo pointed toward the hanger. "Thataway."

"Pip! Pip!" yelled Heat, waving his arms. "We're up here!"

"Pip?" muttered Strelle, lifting her head. "Pip? Where?" She had shrank back into a little white chao by this time, and tried to sit up. She couldn't manage it, however.

Pip ran up to them. "Heat! Strelle!" The smile on her face died when she saw Strelle couldn't rise. "What happened?"

"Logicator," said Heat, as if the evil chao were a disaster all by himself.

***

The other Mobians ran up, puffing and staring at the ruin. "What in the world happened?" asked Zephyer.

"Logicator, that's what," said Wraith, holding his little sphere carefully. "This is the kind of stuff he does. Where's Santashi?"

The shapeshifter heard her name called and trotted up. "I'm here, Master. I was shut out of the compound. I got into a fight with Logicator. Do you mind?" She looked at him anxiously.

"Of course not," said the echidna. He took off the necklace and handed it to her. "Here. You deserve it. Just don't let it get stolen by any other robots, okay?"

Santashi placed the necklace around her neck, and suddenly seemed more confident. "I won't. Hadn't the rest of them better get back to their island?"

"Island?" said Wraith, suddenly looking very odd.

***

Knuckles had found Echo. "Can you bring in the island?" he asked her. "Something tells me that when Nadir gets out of here, whatever brought us here will mess up."

"That something must tell you a lot of stuff," said Echo, "but I have the same feeling." She turned and faced east, and held up both hands. The Floating Island, which wasn't far off to begin with, began to drift in their direction, blotting out the stars. Knuckles looked around at the group, counting heads. Talon and Tails were close by, holding their chao and looking scared. Aqua was standing beside him, watching Echo. Pip was a little way off, kneeling over Heat and Strelle. Platinum was following Zephyer around, who was carrying Zinc and approaching Wraith and Santashi. Nargra was limping off toward the hills, aided by Scree. A chameleon was standing nearby, looking pleased and holding a bare sword in both hands.

***

Nadir reached the hanger and found the shuttle was already powered up. It was a sleek hovercraft with two giant engines in the back, the side door standing open. Nadir climbed in and carefully placed Logicator's egg in a special pouch above the window. She looked into the cockpit and saw Tassle and Robo Knux in the pilot and co-pilot seats. Tassle was immaculate as usual, but Robo Knux looked as if half a mountain had fallen on him. The black bat's eyes narrowed. "Where's Shakespeare?"

"He powered up the warp core," said Tassle, handing Nadir a headset. "He should be along any minute."

The hovercraft moved out of the hanger, floating on a bed of air. Nadir stood in the doorway, looking out for the hamster. Ah, there he was, scampering toward them out of the darkness. Nadir smiled very slightly.

The hamster reached the hovercraft and held up a hand. "Help me up, Nadir!"

There was always a knife handy in the hovercraft. For an emergency, Nadir thought. She grabbed Shakespeare's hand with one hand, and stuck him up to the hilt with the other. "Help you?" she hissed, leaning close to the stunned rodent eyes. "I wasn't aware that traitors were entitled to help."

She let him fall, slid the door shut, and strapped herself in. Just wait, she thought fiercely. We may be beaten this time, but the battle is far from over. We've only just begun.

***

Wraith stared up at the Floating Island as it drew near, it's edge blotting out the sky. "The Island," he muttered reverently. "It's true. There really is an Island." He looked around for Jackson, but the chameleon had run off with Nargra and Scree, probably to join the Outcasts.

Zephyer saw him staring and approached. "Do I know you from somewhere?"

He looked at her carefully. "You do look familiar. Are you from the colony in the Windy Desert?"

A short distance away, Talon and Tails took off, carrying armloads of chao toward the island above. Echo teleported herself up.

"Yes, actually," said Zephyer, watching them, "although I've been on Mobius for a while. That's where I was robotized."

"How'd you get there?" asked Wraith. "Another of Nadir's sick experiments?"

A rope ladder fell from the edge of the island. Knuckles began the climb. Santashi and Pip were there, Pip carrying Strelle and the shapeshifter carrying Heat. Platinum was hovering about Zephyer's feet, looking anxious.

"No, actually," said Zephyer, "I volunteered for a warp immersion out in the colony. But something went wrong and I got sucked through."

"That's funny," said Wraith, watching the others climb the ladder. "Mom said I had an older sister once who disappeared in one of those things. She wouldn't ever let me try it."

Platinum ran for the rope ladder and started up it after the others. There came a flash of light on the horizon. "Zephyer, we should go," said Zinc, looking worried. Zephyer wasn't listening. "You had a sister?" she asked, trembling. "I had a little brother and sister. I was the oldest."

Wraith's eyes widened, and he opened his mouth, but there came another flash from the horizon and the sky turned bright green. Wind whipped spirals of dust past them. "Zephyer!" Knuckles called from above, faintly. "Get up here! It's opening!"

"Run! Run!" urged Zinc. Zephyer took a step toward the rope ladder, then turned back to Wraith. "I have to know. Is your real name Vortex?"

Wraith nodded. "My nickname is Wraith. I'm Vortex Winstrom."

Zephyer threw her arms around him. The wind grew stronger. "Zephyer!" came Tails's cry. "Hurry! What are you doing?"

She released her brother and ran for the ladder. He ran after her. "Zeff, don't go! Stay here! Mom and Dad won't believe you're alive!"

She stopped with her hand on the ladder, dreadlocks whipping around her face, uncertain. Wraith faced her, leaning sideways into the wind, pleading. The warp was growing stronger, and in a moment it would be all over. "Come with me!" she said.

Wraith shook his head. "I can't; my friends, my family ... your family ... they're all here. Please Zeff, why can't you just stay here? It's where you belong."

Their gazes met, both desperate and pleading, yet with the same edge of stubbornness about them. "I belong on Mobius now," she said gruffly, turning and beginning to haul herself up the ladder. Santashi and Pip were not too far ahead of her, since the shapeshifter had had to drag the bat away from the ground, where she had been determinedly making goodbyes to everything in sight, including the rocks and pebbles.

Zephyer forced herself not to look back. She could not: it would break her heart. The forlorn image of her brother staring brokenly up at her was firmly lodged in her mind. Gritting her teeth, she blinked rapidly, to clear the tears that had formed in her eyes and now threatened to splash to the dusty surface below. There was no way she could stay: she owed too much to Knuckles, and the rest of them. All the same ... If she let go now, it would only be a short drop to the ground, then she would be able to see her family again.

She let her grip on the rope slacken as she climbed higher, even when it would be impossible to let go without breaking her neck in the fall. Somehow, it was comforting to think that she could change her mind, even for that short space of time. Before she knew it, she was at the top, climbing over the grassy edge, Zinc at her side.

The other chao were there, as well as Robo Rover, the robot alsation who guarded the Carnival Night Park. He was bounding up and knocking over anyone he could find, licking them happily with his cold metal tongue.

Dumbly, Zephyer sat, watching as Knuckles went to pull the ladder back up. The others had not particularly noticed her yet, so they did not see her set face, not even when it crumpled up as she buried her face in her hands, her body wracked with sobs nobody but Zinc heard. Her chao burrowed into her lap, looking up at her with large soulful eyes. He did not speak, and she was grateful for it.

The others' voices sounded far away, distant. "Hey," Knuckles called. "What's up with the ladder?" Zephyer glanced up, to see what the commotion was, then froze. There, pulling himself over expertly, was Wraith. He said something she missed, and everyone looked over to her. Her face flamed up with embarrassment at their gazes, and she looked in the other direction, over the edge of the Island.

Wraith crouched down next to her, putting one arm round her shoulders. "Since when have I ever followed mom's advice?" he said, grinning. "Were you so upset at leaving your dear brother behind?"

Zephyer looked up, and shrugged nonchalantly. "Of course I knew you were coming. Why do you think I was so upset?" He huffed, pretending to be offended. The younger echidna then extended a hand, helping her to her feet. Together (with Zinc at their feet), they went to join the others, who were watching the fantastical display which the warp produced.

Swirling patterns and lights flowed mesmerisingly past, and they were reminded of the turbulent journey to the planet. A thought struck Talon. "Shouldn't we get away from the edge-" he began, then the tremors began. They were all thrown to the grassy ground, scattered all over the place. Later, Bic commented that it was a miracle that none of them had fallen off the Island. (At this Strelle snorted and pointed out that she was not their mother.)

When the turbulence had ended, the blue skies of Mobius were once more visible. Wraith leaned interestedly over, curious to see what this new planet - to him - would look like. The part below certainly seemed more fertile than his home planet. The Mobians, even Knuckles, to whom the Floating Island was home, felt a lift to see the familiar land far below. It felt as if they had been away for much longer than a mere twenty-eight hours.

"Home sweet home." It was Fuft, squeaking from his master's shoulders.

"It looks a little wet to me," said Wraith, critically.

There was a loud meaningful cough, and everybody looked at Strelle, who was lying on the grass with her visor held to her eyes. "Hello? I'm sure that's a very nice view, but we have sick and injured here. If I bite a big dragon Ultimate, I expect to get some serious pampering for it at least."

Knuckles frowned. "Hey, Pip--" he began.

Pip started, as if something had just occurred to her. "Right!" she exclaimed hurriedly, shooting a glance at the Guardian, while grabbing up both Heat and Strelle. "I'll just be, uh, moseying along to get these two healed. Don't mind me." So saying, she dashed off.

"You can do your explaining when you get back," Knuckles yelled after her. In the distance, the figure slowed to a walk.

Wraith tugged his older sister's arm. "C'mon, aren't you going to show me around the Island, sis?" Zephyer gave the others a mock pained 'see-you-around' look, allowing herself to be dragged away. They would have a lot of catching up of family talk to do, both sides.

"I suppose I'd better feed the chao then." Echo looked around suspiciously, trying to spot Dreads, but both she and her brother seemed to have mysteriously disappeared. The chao gave squeaks of joy, crowding round her feet as she walked away, nearly tripping her up. Tails and Talon, having nothing better to do, followed the slow-moving procession.

So it was that Knuckles found himself alone with Santashi. The shapeshifter had fully recovered from her injuries by this time, and was hovering, obviously unsure what she should be doing. Taking pity on her, the Guardian asked her what she thought she might do now.

"I've got an idea ..." she said slowly. "I won't tell you any more for now, in case it goes wrong, but I'll try and contact you sometime." She handed Knuckles a small stone, perfectly round, glowing with some inner light. "You can use this to talk to me. Actually, where I'm going, I'd rather you just waited for me to contact you. I'll see you again sometime." She leapt off the edge of the Island, growing a fine set of feathery wings as she did so, swiftly gliding away.

Knuckles watched her go, then turned back, glancing down at the pebble in his hand. He wondered how it worked: whatever it was, it was not obvious.

***

Zephyer gave Wraith a curious glance. They were heading towards the Sandopolis desert, since it was the only place that she knew that could compare heat-wise to their own planet. Stopping, she folded her arms, giving him a pointed look.

"Okay, so what did you do with it?"

"What did I do with what?"

"You know. That Electromagnetic globe thing that you were waving around the place."

"Oh. That." Grinning, he produced it. It had been clipped on to the back of his belt, presumably when he was climbing the ladder.

"Would it still work now?" she asked, though without much hope. If it did still work, he would probably have already used it.

The grin stayed on his face, and he gave her a slow wink. "It would never have worked in the first place."

"You mean ...?"

He smiled sweetly. "I'd lost a small part of it a while back. Small, but vital that is. I just didn't have the heart to tell Nargra."

Zephyer shook her head in disbelief.

***

He made his unhurried way to the control room, where the main vidscreen of the Island was housed. He doubted the others really needed him for a while, at least. He entered, sitting down, and flicking the 'on' switch, tapped in the code for Knothole.

After a moment or two, Sally, the squirrel leader of the Knothole Freedom Fighters, appeared on the screen. She gasped in surprise when she saw who it was. "Wait right there," she told him, and disappeared from view. Seconds later, Sonic's face came into view.

"Where have you been?" he demanded, and Knuckles could imagine his pose: hands on hips, to match his frowning countenance. "You just disappeared totally."

Knuckles smiled, wryly. "You have no idea." He told him what he knew of their adventure, keeping the detail brief. When he got to the part with Nadir, Sonic let out an exclamation. "Do you know her?" asked Knuckles, confused.

"Sure, although not as well as Pip. You mean she's found a way to get into our dimension? Aw man."

"Who is she?" the Guardian demanded. "Is she Pip's twin, or something? I didn't think she had any relatives."

"She doesn't. I know Nadir because Pip and I, - and some of the Knothole crew - found our way into this other dimension once - I won't go into details or anything, but we met up with her there. She's the Pip from that dimension, and she is one mean dude. She practically had the planet under her control. Anyway, I don't want to say it all now. I'd rather tell you about it face to face. Besides, like I said, Pip knows more about it than I do, although you'll have a hard time getting her to tell you anything."

Knuckles continued up until the part where he mentioned the shapeshifter. "I've met a shapeshifter," the hedgehog said, interrupting his friend. "I thought there was only one left though. Goes by the name of Santashi."

"You know her too?" Knuckles shook his head. "Do you want me to finish telling you, or do you know everybody else in it too?"

Sonic pretended to look meek. "Carry on; I'll explain some other time."

The echidna finished his tale without interruption this time. Sonic listened, fascinated. "And here we are, just arrived back on our home planet," he concluded. "So, when are you going to come on over and explain everything?"

Sonic thought for a moment. "Tomorrow I guess, if I can. I'll have to tell Sally and Slash and the others about it, though."

They said a few more words before they cut the connection. Yawning quietly to himself, Knuckles left the room. He wandered across the Island, unconsciously heading towards Hidden Palace. After being away for so long, he felt that it was his duty to check up on it. Knowing Echo, he guessed that she would be there before him. In the distance he could see Tails and Talon playing with the chao, all of whom seemed quite lively for creatures who had gone so long without rest. Zephyer would most probably be showing her brother the wonders of the Floating Island. In a couple of days she might take him to Knothole. Briefly, he wondered how Strelle and Heat were. He doubted that they would be badly hurt, for chao were a lot tougher than they looked. Besides, Pip would make sure that they were all right.

He would like to know more about what had happened - as well as about certain people - from all concerned. However, that could and would wait for now.

The Guardian yawned again as he activated the teleporter that would take him down to Hidden Palace.

There may be other conflicts, but that was for the future. For now, there was only the present.

The End