{Music Insert: Kevin MacLeod ~ Magic Forest}
Somewhere else, sunlight shines all over the forest in the surrounding area with a couple of birds chirping. The wind whipped softly through the trees, as a few woodland creatures instinctively skipped around the bushes. The silence was driven off by numerous thuds of footsteps. The sunlight danced across the trail where it shines on a female chipmunk, revealing the Princess of Acorn and leader of the Freedom Fighters: Princess Sally Acorn. Sally was walking along the path with each of her teammates; Rotor the Walrus, Bunnie Rabbot and Antoine D'Coolette.
Sally's tomboyish appearance was showed the same, but much older to how she is now. Sally's current attire consists of black skin-tight shorts with white rimming, knee-high blue boots with white outlines on the buckles, white gloves with blue ring bracelets, and wore a closed blue denim vest to match her boots, with a black tank-top hidden underneath. Her tan-colored underbelly can be seen in her midriff.
Sally had been crossing her arms against her chest for quite some time now, staring up at Mobius' atmosphere in rational thought. "In all my life, I had been born as the heir to Mobotropolis, the capital of the Kingdom of Acorns, a peaceful territory that resides on West Side Island in Mobius. I remembered when there were simpler times…times of peace." She ponders until a flashback suddenly hits her eyes.
*FLASHBACK*
{Music Insert: Kevin MacLeod ~ Garden Music}
A young Princess Sally is seen storming into her room in a huff, with Nicole visible on her nightstand. Sally's royal outfit was a teal cropped tube top, matching pants, and curled shoes. Her hair is usually tied in a ponytail held together by two bands matching her jeweled, golden tiara set in her hair, and ending in a small swirl. "Ooh…" she grumbled.
[Are you troubled, Princess Sally?] asked Nicole with a monotone-like voice.
An exasperated Sally flops down on her bed. "Daddy beat me in tag AGAIN! I just don't get it, Nicole! I mean, Rosie's been training and keeping me fit every day, and I know I'm faster than him! But he still catches me EVERY SINGLE TIME!" Sally said with frustration, rolling her face onto the pillow.
[Could it possibly be those 'procedures' that Rosie mentioned from previous times?] questioned Nicole, causing the confused Sally to raise her head up and look at the hand-held computer with an eyebrow raised.
"Huh? What do you mean, Nicole?" Sally asks, tilting her head with a blink of her eyes.
Nicole quotes, [I believe her statements were, "examine the target's actions, presume their plan of attack, and use this material to strategize a sturdier counterattack." Correct?]
Sally puts a hand on her chin with rational thinking, remembering how her session with Rosie had begun at eleven and was nearing its end. She picks up Nicole, somewhat incredulous.
"Hold on, are we still talking about tag?" asked Sally who presents a hint of uncertainty.
[I am merely applying the lessons you were taught to your recent situation.] Nicole replied. [Perhaps these games of tag are also methods of training you to use tactics?]
The princess noted on how well she's able to comprehend everything she was told. Her fingers twitched, and she felt the urge to formulate a possibility of some sort.
Sally takes her time to consider, wondering if Nicole's data is genuine as it seems. "Tactics, huh...?" Sally said before giving a smirk that replaces the sad expression, she endured seconds ago.
The next day, another game of tag has commenced in the royal gardens. King Nigel Acorn is seen scouring the premises for his daughter. King Nigel Acorn was a brown squirrel with blue eyes, a blend of dark brown and tan used for his fur, face patch and inside his ears. Nigel owned smooth and flat auburn hair held back by his golden crown, a short and smooth mustache, and eyebrows. He possesses a big and rounded, bushy tail. Plus, he has no cheek fur. His attire included a blue-colored king's uniform trimmed with crimson at the collar, sleeves, and bottom. Lastly, a gold belt that included an acorn-shaped buckle and gold badges.
"How peculiar, I can't seem to find any traces of Sally like usual… is she finally starting to think strategically?" thought King Acorn, who notices some footprints leading into a nearby bush.
"Aha! You've lasted longer this time, but I'm afraid it's already-!" The King's voice came into confusion. Much to his surprise, the bush is empty. "What?! How did-?"
"Hee-hee! Time's up, Daddy! I win!" said Sally's voice that was coming from above King Acorn. Sally is seen proudly holding a stopwatch in one hand and a stick with one of her shoes attached to it in the other.
King Acorn looks at her, somewhat proud as well. "Forged footprints, eh? Clever…very clever!" said King Acorn positively as he and his daughter share a joyous embrace. "You got your old man well and good, Sally. You are now starting to reflect as a suitable princess, and I couldn't be prouder of you."
Sally smiled happily as she hugs her father. If it wasn't for Nicole, she couldn't have come to reflect upon the unconventional training. "Thanks, Nicole." She thought.
{Music Ends}
*END FLASHBACK*
"When growing up, you'd never know your mother and father were royalty. At the same time, I knew I was a princess as well." Sally thought, bearing a mournful look in her eyes.
Sally then remembers where she and her family emerged onto Castle Acorn's balcony and waved the crowd below, who erupted into cheers and praised their rulers' names to the spirits.
"I may haven't the foggiest idea of what my brother was like, but we both knew there would come a time when we'd have to take on specific duties and responsibilities. Though, I never assumed that I'd have to lead so young…so early." Sally ponders, conjuring back to how she had changed into a refined young girl, with conceivably a scarce grave of a standpoint about life for someone her age.
*FLASHBACK*
Later that one night, Sally's sleep was interrupted by Rosie Woodchuck, who scooped her up in her arms. Rosie Woodchuck was a brown groundhog with white hair, round ears, and buck teeth. She wore a blue dress with yellow linings and white gloves.
"Sweetheart, wake up!" she said with a concerned tone of voice.
"Zzz…? Rosie?" Sally mumbled groggily with a yawn. "What's wrong…?"
"Hush now, Princess. We need to hurry!" said Rosie as she carried the young princess over and out of the bedroom.
Over Mobotropolis, pleats of fire and embers reach high into the air to break up the cool blue colors of the night. There are some far-off screams and commotion that is breaking the quiet night ambiance. Some ways outside of the rear end of the castle, Rosie is seen in the distance trying to get some children out of the castle. She cracks the big castle doors open and peeks about. Rosie then motions for the children to exit the castle door.
"Quickly, children. You must hurry." Said Rosie, evident in her voice that she's freaking out, but still trying to stay composed at the same time.
"It's all right, we're just going to go to a safe place for a while."
A few youngsters noticeably tripped but got back up again before running off in a panic. As Sally runs past, she stops though to catch her breath.
Sally motions back towards the castle doors behind her. "But Daddy is still inside. He's-!" said Sally.
"Yes, and you must go to a safe place while your Father protects the Kingdom." Said Rosie.
"But Daddy needs help!" said Sally, beginning to tear up. She puts a hand to her chest as she pleads. "I'm a Princess, I'm supposed to help protect this Kingdom!"
Rosie picks Sally up in her arms. "When you're older, aye, but not right now." She said, picking Sally up into her arms, a strain in her voice from the extra weight. "Remember what I taught you. A proper ruler must know when to retreat and when to attack."
Rosie turns to run away while carrying Sally in her arms, rushing off towards a forest in the distance. Sally sees the extent of damage to Castle Acorn for the first time from a distance. Her eyes tear up and her hand reaches back towards the castle.
"DADDY!" Sally cried out, helplessly watching the devastation to the Acorn Kingdom with flames and shadowy robotic figures.
*END FLASHBACK*
"All of that came for the worse when the royal adviser betrayed daddy, and the entire kingdom by coming to be as Dr. Ivo Robotnik."
The same princess, who had fled from Dr. Robotnik with a handful of other children, had become what anyone has nevermore imagined about her actuality; she had become a fighter. Sally and the others she grew up with, especially a brash young hedgehog named Sonic had gotten the best of Dr. Robotnik against every odd. But that was in the past now, right? During Sally's time when Sonic and Tails were gone, Snively still possessed a stronghold in Robotropolis, and he primarily led the invasion of Knothole.
She watched much fellow Freedom Fighters go down without a fight, followed by many deaths as well. Some had dispatched long ago to aid any evacuations to safer grounds, such as Thunder Plains Zone, Arctic Zone, and Arid Sands Zone. Not before long, Sally later was soon equipped with the Plasma-Blades, becoming her signature weapon as a Freedom Fighter.
Following the establishment of using her Plasma-Blades to combat Robotropolis, Sally utilizes these new weapons to fight alongside her teammates: Bunnie; the brawn, Antoine; the swordsman, and Rotor; the mechanic. From time to time, Sally steered as the field leader while Nicole was there to assist her.
Anytime Sally stepped onto the battlefield, she was on behalf of her kingdom and to herself, which was all that mattered. Greatness and progress shouldn't belong to one city after all. Sally waited one year for Sonic, then two, until three years have passed.
Sally was done waiting; she and the Freedom Fighters left Knothole to pursue on finding Sonic and Tails after their long-absence when the Doomsday Project incident ended. King Nigel Acorn was able to return to his duty as King, allowing his daughter to continue leading the Freedom Fighters and finding Sonic.
"Wow, this place is filled with such greenery, it feels like we're back in Knothole," said Rotor, a male walrus who was always a brain when it came to be figuring out Robotnik's technology.
Rotor sported a healthy appetite for science and various technicalities, serving as the team mechanic, inventing reliable gadgets for his team and their missions. He was now slightly slimmer, taller, and burly than from before, but he didn't change much.
He had light purple fur with darker toes and fingers, peach skin on his chest and muzzle, large tusks, green eyes, and a light purple tail. He wore yellow goggles, form-fitting black and grey shoes with yellow socks, yellow finger-less gloves, and his signature green tool-belt stuffed with tools and contraptions across his shoulder.
Now ever since Sonic and Tails left, he quickly flourished into a full-blown inventor. Rotor started building all sorts of weapons, vehicles, and many kinds of gadgets. But he has his most crowned achievement, in which he wants to save it for Sonic and Tails once the team finds them both.
Hidden behind his back, Rotor acquired a large, open-end wrench with yellow glowing markings on both U-shaped tips and necks. This mechanical spear-type weapon was called the Volt-Wrench, capable of manipulating electrified power and magnetic waves.
"Yeah, takin' a tour here was a great idea, Sally-Girl," said Bunnie, a female rabbit who serves as the real trooper of the team.
Like her namesake, Bunnie had pale gold fur, a snowy muzzle, and a pair of green eyes. Her eyelids are mostly violet, while her right ear often flops. Her hair grew into shoulder-length, and then down to her waist which she began tying back in a single ponytail. She also has a small curl of hair on top of her head and in between her ears.
In a sharp and striking difference, however, half of her body was pure solid silvery metal from one of her arms, while her other arm possessed a white glove, down to her feet and its toes. Bunnie's upper torso was fitted perfectly with a pink heart-shaped leotard that almost seemed too small for her large bust to contain. Not only was this southern belle female incredibly charming and dazzling, but she was also a kick-ass force of nature!
Bunnie used to be more clunky and heavier back then. The robotic limbs were replaced with smoother and more modern versions, making her seem slightly chubby. The southern rabbit's metallic arm served her enough as her superior weapon in combat, doubling her physical prowess to others, and was close-fitting with a small sphere-shaped orb.
The metal fixture was excellent in expanse, moving down to the legs, allowing Bunnie enough in terms of balance. Just like any rabbit would, Bunnie could now achieve excessive leaps of faith with her spring-like leg appliances; continuously becoming handy for any of those getaway states of affairs.
"Well, it's been two months since we had explored another place. So, I thought this was the perfect place." Sally said positively.
"Is 'dat so? 'Ah would've known Sugar-Hog wanted 'ta come here 'fer a lil' adventure, of course." Bunnie remarked. "Speaking of which, how far are we Sally-Girl?"
Bunnie's answer wasn't answered, however, as she began to observe Sally with a puzzled look as if she wasn't sure how to verbalize what she was about to say. That is until Bunnie notices the small photo of herself smiling with Sonic. The princess looked down at the small photograph in her hands, staring down at the happy faces of her friends and unrequited love.
"'Ah know Sally-Girl, but he said he'll be back in one piece. Sugar-Hog always keeps his word." The southern powerhouse said.
Sally turned her head to see Bunnie walking by her side. "I know, I know he will be, once he's done with Robotnik and stops his adventures..." She sighed, trying to cheer herself up due to how close she was with Sonic and Tails. "…but still, I don't doubt he hasn't changed much, but I guess we'll have to wait and see." Sally puts the photo away in her vest-pocket.
"'Ah hope so, too. Even 'ah'm on pins and needles about ol' Sugar-Hog and Tails. But 'ah know 'dat those two can look out for each other." Bunnie said sympathetically, patting Sally's back.
"Yeah," Sally said with a sigh. "We were supposed to… well, the point is, when we heard about that announcement saying that Dr. Robotnik was cooking something up over in South Island, or maybe a Freedom Fighter group down there wanted some extra help if they could get it. Naturally, Sonic volunteered himself and set off immediately." Another sigh. "Just like always."
Bunnie chuckled a little at this, causing Sally to look at her with a jumbled expression.
"Sorry, Sally-girl," Bunnie said with an apologetic smile, "but you just surprised me with 'da fact 'dat sometimes it's you 'dat wants 'ta stop workin' on beatin' Robotnik for a bit and Sonic is 'da one putting duty before fun!"
Sally thought about it for a second before giggling as well. "I hadn't thought about it that way, Bunnie." She said.
The southern belle grinned and looked back up at the clouds, asking the next question, "Well, have you ever talked 'ta Sugar-Hog about it before he left? Maybe he's just not getting 'da hint?"
The chipmunk girl could only answer with a miserable shrug. "Oh, you know what it's like trying to talk to him about anything, Bunnie. Even when it's really something serious. Particularly if it IS something serious," she quickly revised.
"Yeah," Bunnie agreed, "Poor ol' Sugar-Hog's heart is in 'da right place, it's only his head 'dat's makin' 'da concrete."
Sally's face was suddenly presented with a sad expression. "I'm sorry, Bunnie. I'm so bound up in my problems, I didn't notice-!"
"Nah, nah," Bunnie said, waving her hand in dismissal. "Y'all don't worry nothin' 'bout it. Well, it's something you got 'ta work out 'fer 'yerself, Sally."
Sally nods in agreement. "Yeah…maybe while we're here, we might witness to find any secrets behind West Side Island," Sally said, marching onward with Bunnie who looks back.
"Secrets, huh?" Bunnie said with a playful smirk. "Must be some big, giant golden statue of some hunky hedgehog Sally's been thinkin' 'bout."
Sally immediately slaps Bunnie's arm with an embarrassed blush, smiling. "Knock it off…" said the princess before continuing. "…it is said that long ago, residents of West Side Island using a mysterious power so that their civilization becomes advanced and achieve expansion. However, people attempted to use the artifact for the wrong purposes, and they suddenly vanished overnight."
Bunnie looked on at the redheaded chipmunk with great interest from all this, far more likely to notice a French coyote walking alongside the southern belle.
"Where are we now? Zis is taking far too long." Antoine muttered, allowing himself to study the woodland area in front of him.
Introducing the cowardly swordsman, Antoine D'Coolette, the son of the deceased General Armand D'Coolette. He had brownish fur with pale yellow fur on his front torso, muzzle and cheek turfs, blue eyes, and neatly combed blonde hair. He wore white gloves with red cuffs, red shoes with white cuffs, and a two sword straps that connect on his chest, forming an x-shape. He wore a belt colored red and white, including a gray buckle uniting the straps, and a scabbard in which he carries his father's sword in.
Bunnie looked around as well before turning her head back to Antoine. "Don't know Ant, but we might be close 'ta where we're goin'." She said, bringing a hint of confidence for both.
A sudden blush came onto the French swordsman, causing him to stammer. "W-Well, zat is one zing, mademoiselle. W-We could've brought ze Camper Van with us, posthaste. Otherwise, we are becoming ze sitting ducks out in ze sun."
The half-cyborg simply rolled her eyes from the French soldier's pickiness. "Ant, we were runnin' out of gas in the middle of 'da pathway. We'll be sure 'ta find some thingamajigs 'dat Rotor told us about, okay?" Bunnie said, to which Antoine nodded in reluctance.
"If you say zo…" Antoine said, though he looked like he was sweating a lot, and gulping every two seconds.
Bunnie raised an eyebrow to his actions. "Is anythin' wrong with 'ya, sugar?" asked Bunnie.
"N-nothing in particular, B-Bunnie!" Antoine replied and stammered, unlike where the half-cyborg rabbit shrugs in confusion.
"Alrighty 'den," replied Bunnie with her eyes rolling then marched onward.
"W-wait, B-Bunnie!" said Antoine, suddenly straight as a pencil.
"Yeah?" she said, turning around.
"I…I…I, uh," he stammered, trying to say something. "…just wanted to…you look very nice today, oui."
Bunnie blinked with a crimson blush, then smiled. "D'aww, thanks."
She then kept walking forward just as Antoine sighed with relief, though he had a disappointed look on his face. Rotor approached the nervous coyote and previously notices what he just did.
"What was that all about?" Rotor asked, crossing his arms.
"It is none of YOUR business." Antoine muttered, walking off to ignore the brawny walrus' annoyed glare.
"Sometimes I wonder why we have him tag along…?" Rotor thought in exasperation.
The hefty walrus rolls his eyes before turning his attention towards Sally. "Hey Sally, where are we now?" asked Rotor.
After leaving zone after zone, the Freedom Fighters found themselves in the surrounding area outside of West Side Island. Of course, they were able to get through undergrounds, lava pools, and many other obstacles including moving platforms and spiked weights.
"I'll check with Nicole, Rotor. Hopefully, we're not way too far from all the way here." Sally replied before stopping her feet to the ground, taking out the upgraded hand-held device from her left boot.
"Nicole, how long until we can reach Green Hill Zone?" Sally asked with a focused tone of voice, waiting for Nicole's answer.
It beeps, activating, many buttons lighting up as the screen emits a spherical holographic display of South Island, consisting of Green Hill Zone, Marble Zone, Spring Yard Zone, Labyrinth Zone, etc. It puts a red dot on where they were, all the way to Green Hill Zone.
Nicole began to have much more emotion and free will. The impact started three years ago when Sonic nagged and started shaking her violently, making her adapt in a manner of speaking slang terms, like Sonic and articulated more emotions. Something within Nicole changed after gaining these new-found tools and sentiments. She had her very own thoughts now. Nicole couldn't blame Sonic for this, but she didn't even know if the complicated emotions such as hate, or love were in her. Evidently, it took some time to build through these set of sensations.
[Accessing, Sally...At about seven miles up ahead in four hours. You'll take the pathway to the left on road.] Nicole said, answering the chipmunk girl's subject.
Sally nodded as she closes Nicole, and then turns her head towards the group. "Alright, guys listen up. We'll make a quick stop over by the hill, and then we'll c-!"
BOOM! ZAP! KABOOM!
The group each jumped at the same time, with Antoine jumping into Bunnie's arms and whimpered longingly. Birds started flying out of the trees they were resting in; woodland critters ran off, scared; other animals that were sleeping, woke up shocked; they just heard loud noises from a far distance.
"Eek! What was zat!?" Antoine asked. "What was zat noise!?"
Bunnie presented a deadpanned face, although she'd always enjoy how cute Antoine was in this behavior. "Take 'da sting out, Antoine. Now, what in 'da hay was all 'dat hullabaloo, 'y'all?" Bunnie asked.
Sally remained silent before she could talk. She knew what that sound was, all right; she's heard it many times, back in the Robotnik War.
"Question is… where was it?" Rotor asked, questioning about the various noises in the groups' atmosphere.
The group's situation was already dubious, to put it generously, and that almost struck them as Sally and Bunnie scope around to check but nothing in sight until Antoine points up in the skies.
"Ze clouds up zhere!" He shouted as the team caught a glimpse of an egg-shaped hovercraft puffing black smoke while soaring in midair.
ZAP! PEW-PEW! ZAP!
The harsh sounds came back again, and every woodland critter started running away when they heard it over again, except for the Freedom Fighters. Antoine jolts in surprise repeatedly. Bunnie then drops him on the grass with a thud, rolling her eyes.
Rotor was looking at Sally, who seemed like she knew something he didn't. "Don't suppose you know what that sound is, Sally?" He asked the princess who only looks back at Rotor.
Afterward, the hovercraft from the skies was then accompanied by a certain red and white biplane. Bunnie and Sally gasped as they couldn't believe what they're seeing. To this, Sally had no response and she almost overcome herself with delight, but she had seen the two hovercrafts in pursuit of some sort of dogfight battle.
"I-it couldn't be..." Sally thought to herself, and she couldn't shake the feeling that was how the entire group would all end up believing one way or another.
"It's Sonic and Tails! We've found them!" Rotor shouts, having his trusty binoculars with him to mark out for anything in sight.
Bunnie stared up at the skies almost wordlessly, tossing back her hair, which was the more impressive for how much of it she had.
"Oh 'mah stars! 'Ah'm going 'ta figure 'dat other one's a whole 'nuther thang! We better get right over 'dere before 'da boys get all tuckered out!" said Bunnie, holding her hands together gleefully. Antoine couldn't afford the movements but still stared up at what's became the dynamic duo he once knew before.
"Let me see those binoculars, Rotor!" The princess politely asked.
"Here you go!" Rotor answered, as Sally hurriedly grabs the binoculars from Rotor to scope out into the skies, discovering the blue speedster himself along with the two-tailed fox piloting the biplane.
"Sonic… Tails… They're okay! Thank gosh they are-!" Sally's thoughts almost went limp, as to where she saw who they were chasing. She wanted to protest, to have some manner of explanation, but words couldn't tell more upon the man she regards from below, a corrupt human man. One name she could immediately treasure within her very mind, becoming to be… Dr. Robotnik.
Up till now, Sally looks back at everyone, showing determination in her eyes. "Quick, we need to hurry before something else might happen!" She stated, a little scared. "We might just be in the fight of our lives, and I know who it was that Sonic and Tails were after."
Bunnie could see a little bit of fear in Sally's blue eyes: Something serious going on, and no doubt it has to do with those strange gunshots they just heard. Another zap and bang were heard, causing even more critters to start running in fear; all of them headed to find Sonic and Tails in the hope their saviors know what to make of their protection.
As the others nodded, they made their way in the direction where the two flight machines were going. The cybernetic powerhouse uses her booster rockets in legs for self-propelled flight and soars above the rest of the team, disappearing in the wilderness.
TO BE CONTINUED...