Chapter 2: More Good News
"Mmm… so tight…" Sally tries to shake off the covers with her lousy amount of morning energy. "Mmmmmm damn it…" She can't move her left arm or leg since the covers are wrapped around her in a weird way. Sighing loudly that she has to open her eyes, she does so to move the blanket and get some circulation back, only to see Julie-Su sound asleep and holding her from the side, one arm under hers curled into her chest, one wrapped around her stomach almost pulling her, and a leg draped over her left leg. The covers were still fairly much on top of them but Sally was wading back into reality and could now feel the difference between her fur and the blanket. Sally looked at her face. She was still so sad, but like this she seemed almost content in a way. 'Well as cute and as strangely comfy as her vice grip is, I need to get free so I might be able to feel my left side sometime this week.' The thought would have made her chuckle a week ago but now, all she could think about was that Knuckles was gone, and they still had Robotnik to contend with. 'After all that's happened, after all the time and pain and loss… Maybe I was wrong. Maybe I should have listened to the brotherhood when they said that we should attack Robotnik with deadly force. With the help of the Guardians and their advanced technologies, we could have stopped Robotnik once and for all by now. Then Knuckles wouldn't have—'
"Sally" Nicole appeared. "Rotor is calling a meeting for you and the others to discuss Robotnik's W.E.M. weapon."
"Okay, I'll be right there, I just have to leave a note for Jules so she knows where I am. I'd rather bring her so she's not lonely but I think it better that she sleeps as long as she can; besides… I don't think she wants to be at this meeting."
Sally leaves the castle to head for Freedom HQ and finds Sonic waiting for her outside the gates.
"Hey Sal." Sonic gives a quick wave. "So how is she?"
"She's asleep for now. I hope she'll talk to me more when she wakes up."
"She spoke to you?" Sally nods at the question. "That's good news, maybe—"
"It was only once… but hopefully, soon she'll talk to me."
"…So how are you—"
"I think we should get moving or we're going to be late."
Sonic didn't like that she had dodged his question but figured he should leave it at that. "Late? Mwah, late? As if Sal." Sonic said as he scooped her up and bolted toward Knot Hole.
34 seconds later Sonic skidded to a stop. "Late she says, you crack me up Sal."
Sally got down and glared at Sonic as she tried to put her hair back in order.
'Ouch, well mad at me is better than being sad about Red for a while.' "Sorry bout that Sal." Sonic said with a big smile. "Well we better head on in." He says as he quickly walks away."
Sally finished fixing her hair. 'Just you wait Sonic Hedgehog, I'll get you back for your little prank' she grinned slightly as she walked in.
"Good everyone's here now." Rotor nodded as he started pressing buttons.
"Fastest thing alive and we were still the last to arrive huh Sonic?" Sally said smugly still grinning.
Sonic's face contorts a bit. 'Really ouch.' "So what's the news on that robo junk pile Rote?" He says shifting his gaze.
"Well we have good news for once."
"Really? I thought it was a little too chilly today, Hell must have frozen over."
"Good one sugar hog." Bunnie smiles in agreement.
"Thank you, thank you." He grins as he bows dramatically.
"As I was saying, Tails, Nicole and I have fully combed through Robotnik's missile wreckage and designs, and we found out that it had one of the chaos emeralds at the heart of the war head."
"That's good news?" Sonic chimed in.
"Yes, for two reasons. One because now we have four of the five emeralds not in Fiest's special zone, and two since Station Square has the other one, Robotnik isn't likely to build another W.E.M. any time soon" Rotor says knowingly.
"But just in case we had Nicole build a prototype long range magnetic laser to shoot other warheads into space so they detonate far out of harm's way." Tails finished speaking and the room grew silent. This method imitated what Knuckles had done to neutralize the first W.E.M. He had just made it to the edge of Mobius' atmosphere when it detonated.
Sally's eyes began to tear up, as were Amy's when Nicole's proximity alarm blared. But before anyone could react a great blazing light blinded them all from the center of the room.
"Damn! What is it Nicole?" Sonic said out of almost panic.
"Entity unknown. I can't get a straight reading on the energy signature. It is close to that of chaos emeralds and power rings but not exactly like them either. I'm trying to—"
"Chosen One." The deep feminine voice sounded through the slowly fading light, cutting off Nicole's words. "I have come to talk to you about a most grievous matter that can wait no longer."
"Who are you?" Tails asked, unsure of the owner of this female voice.
The light now faded to a dim golden glow. "I am Aurora and I have come before you all today as a representative of the Neo Walkers with news that will be hard for you to accept."
"Aurora? You mean the Goddess Aurora?" Sally almost stammered.
"Yes I am the same Aurora you are thinking of, given my knowledge and power long ago by the Ancient Walkers themselves."
"You said you represent the Neo Walkers, as in new Ancient Walkers?" Tails asked quizzically.
"In a way yes, but unlike our predecessors we are not yet masters over the chaos force. Athair, Merlin and I have debated what to do in the wake of Knuckles death and, though we had many disagreements about what is to be done, I am here now to explain our decision."
"So then please, why are you here?" Sally pleaded her go on as she began growing anxious.
"All ready it is known to the Chosen One and Sonic that they, along with Knuckles were destined to one day use their powers to establish peace on Mobius." Sonic and Tails both nod "What is not yet known are the details of what they truly are. You three were to embody the forces of creation and maintain the balance of the world."
"Woah woah woah, come again your godliness?" Sonic interrupted. "Can you run that by me again in a little more detail if you please?"
"Sonic!" Sally almost yelled at him.
"What? I just want to know as much about this mumbo jumbo as I can. I figured trying to know things would make you happy not pissed at me."
"That's not the point, you're being rude."
"It is okay. I will explain in more detail. The Three are beings that represent the forces of creation, chaos and order. It is through these opposed states that life can grow and change. The Chosen Ones purpose is to maintain balance between the two so that life may continue. As the Chosen one is the embodiment of chaos and order in harmony, he must maintain harmony between Knuckles who is the incarnation of chaos and Sonic who is the incarnation of order. If either force is left unchecked by the counter balance the other provides, the world will be destroyed by which ever gains dominance. Now that Knuckles has passed into the After World, the balance is broken and order shall stagnate and eventually purify the world."
"How is purifying a bad thing? So what if we stop changing? We're fine how we are. True things might get boring but—"
"You do not understand Sonic. Stagnation will mean that only those already born will be able to procreate, and after that all will die out… if life survives that long."
"What do you mean if we survive that long?" Sally asked, dread apparent on her face.
"The next time Sonic enters his super state, order shall consume his mind and he will systematically cleanse the world of all imperfect sentient life forms as well as any other being with consciousness to achieve ultimate peace."
At these words everyone was stunned into silence. Not knowing what to say or think after having heard the foretelling of such devastation.
"…How can we stop this?" Tails' thoughts escaping his mouth as he looks up at Aurora.
"Balance must be restored. To do this, both chaos and order must both be on the same plain of reality."
"So how do we help you bring Knuckles back?" Sally face brightened at Tails' notion of Knuckles returning to life. "That's why you came to see us right? You need us to participate in whatever ritual you guys are setting up to pull him back to our world right?"
All faces in the room began to grow more encouraged at the thought of the lost hero's return. The joy was short lived though as the goddess Aurora's face remained solemn.
"I am sorry. But we do not have the power to return Knuckles to this plane as the Ancient Walkers may have. In order to restore balance, the Chosen One must send Sonic to join Knuckles in the After World."
"WHAT!" All present yelled in unison.
