The magnificent Castle Acorn stood proud at the centre of Arbour City, the Capital of Knothole. Tourists from all over Mobius travel far and wide to see this great structure – particularly in the fall where the greens and oranges of the building perfectly compliment the autumn leaves of the deciduous hill the castle seats upon.

The rarely seen interior too, was a splendid sight; sparkling ceramic floors, enormous violet curtains upon grand window panes, and classic suits of armour lined up as guardians of the halls – even galleries for the guests to view. The only castle capable of rivalling its splendour would be the Castle of Soleanna in Epotolos; but that's for another story.

As per usual, the castle was the home of the country's royal family; housing an incalculable number of bedrooms and dining rooms. This particular, circular dining room, with a backing of 40ft window panes and an equally impressive long dining table, was most often used for discussions between the king and queen with their royal advisors. But on this occasion, there were only the four; cue the family drama.

"Now Bean, we've been meaning to discuss with you on the subject of your recent…'dealings'…with your friends," King Acorn spoke.

His queen added "Your 'Freedom Fighter' activities." Her hands were clasped together and she carried an expression of concern on her face as she stepped forward alongside her King.

"Right, yes. That."

Before them, stood their daughter Princess Sally Alicia Acorn "Uh, okay…what about?" The mobian chipmunk nervously ran her fingers through her red hair; she wasn't sure what to think about this meeting, but the way that they were dragging out their sentences and having the doors closed behind them, were definitely not signs of a pleasant conversation about her newly formed team.

"Your father and I are just concerned of your safety, dear" her mother reached out, one arm still around her husband's. "You speak of your team like an army. And with plans of war? We just want to make sure that, well, you aren't being serious."

Sally attempted to explain the purpose of her team "But Mom, I am-"

"Of course she isn't" her father interrupted "War is certainly not something the princess of Knothole should currently concern herself with."

"Daddy, I am not trying to go to war. I'm trying to-"

"Well, of course not! How could anyone go to war with only four people – teenagers to be exact! Why, if the opposing side of the Great War were four of even the best fighters in the world, we would surely not have suffered as great a blow to our fine nation as we did."

"But war isn't our aim – who would we even go to war with?"

"You talk about that Robotnik guy a lot in context of your 'team'."

"Y-yes, Robotnik is our target," Sally gently brushed past her parents; trying to get away from being held up against the wall. She looked towards the sunny skies through the enormous windows. "But we're not going to start a war; we want to free the enslaved people of Monopole and show everyone that if they all work together, they can fight for their own freedom…"

"…uniting Mobians and Overlanders together after centuries of war? I am sorry Bean, but that is just not how real life works – what you are trying to do isn't possible and you needn't worry yourself with that 'Robotnik' character; he's the problem of the United Federation. You have far more important tasks to be getting on with."

Sally arched herself forward, pleading her father to reconsider "But Daddy, I've got a plan; you see-"

"A plan?!" He slapped his hand upon his face with frustration. "It's a team of four, inexperienced, teenagers; I've already told you. You're behind on your studies and you're already thinking of this?!" Queen Acorn released his arm as he began pacing back and forth.

"Yes, but Antoine's father's part of the royal guard, and they're qui-"

"Sally; Antoine is not his father and certainly not Royal Guard material at his current standing."

"W-Well, okay," Sally shifted her eyes side-by-side as she came up with her second point, "but we've got Rotor's ingenuity; I've seen him in action and his mind is definitely capable of producing gadgetry of-"

"Sally, are you forgetting about the 'Boomer' incident?" he sighed. "One of his experiments sent him to the hospital and following that, he blew that up too! It was fortunate that everyone was able to get out in time." There was a brief, uncomfortable, silence as they all recalled the event, before he concluded "He is just as much a danger as he is any help – if not more so. It's like playing roulette with two bullets!"

"Well, there's Bunnie, who-"

The king exhaled once again "Bunnie is physically disabled. You don't send out an already crippled person into a battlefield, Bean; no matter how strong they are."

Sally couldn't believe what she was hearing "Father! Now that's just cruel of you to say! And downright unfair I'll add!"

The queen stepped back in "Now, Sally; you know that is not what your father meant. Bunnie's sick, and what he's saying is-"

"You and I both know she would be a liability; her body requires constant maintenance as it is." The King then turned his head down to the side, with a look of remorse. "And although we banished him, I would not be able to bear having to inform Beauregard of the loss of his only remaining relative."

"But Daddy I-"

"No more 'buts'," he snapped, calming back down swiftly after. "It's a nice ideal Bean, but it cannot be done and, as I've said, you have more important tasks to take care of." Before Sally could say another word, he quickly ended the conversation "Now, I don't want to hear any more of this 'Freedom Fighter' business now, okay?"

Sally dropped her head.

"Sally?" her mother added.

"Fine" Sally answered, and with that, she stormed out of the room with the King and Queen watching after, until they lost sight of her.

"I think that could've been handled a lot better" the queen turned back to her husband.

"There is no perfect way to handle teenagers, Alicia" he smiled.

"Elias was the same."

"He is the same. That boy can be just as difficult as her when he wants to" the king groaned, rubbing between his eyes. He smiled once again as he gazed upon his beautiful chipmunk wife, draped in a golden gown.

"It is only a matter of time before he is crowned king," she said. "Do you think he'll be alright with that responsibility? Is he ready?"

"Elias will be fine, my love. It's our daughter, I'm worried about."

"Well, maybe then this 'Freedom Fighter' team of hers isn't such a bad idea – it can provide her with much needed experience of being a leader. She was always so very practical."

"It's that, what worries me…"

"Honestly though, Max; can't you just include her in your-" at that moment, the doors opened revealing a Mobian coyote with a blue guard uniform and red cape, alongside a wood-coloured Mobian Owl. "-underground alliance planning," she finished. "Right on cue," she welcomed them.


Sally fumed through the halls; her father was so stubborn! Her small tail held stiffly, with anger, against her navy blue pants. She straightened up her light blue vest as she accelerated through the busy halls, when she bumped into her brother, Prince Elias, the one person she did not want to see at that time.

After first wafting his cobalt coat from his path, the young prince stretched out his hand to pull up his sister. "Sally! Where are you off to in such a hurry? It couldn't possibly be your studies, could it?" he chuckled. He was a mobian squirrel, like their father, but maintained many of his mother's features too.

Sally rolled her eyes at him; she was not in the mood "I'm just going to get some air…"

Elias's smile faded. "Oh, Dad talked to you?" He said as he gently latched onto his little sister's shoulder, turning her back around.

"Mmhmm."

"Well, I hate to be the one repeating him right now, but I've gotta say Sally, Dad's right. I sort of hold the same concerns."

Sally frowned, placing a hand on her hip. "But you agreed that Robotnik had to be stopped."

"I know, and I do. But for once little sister, you've got things far simpler than they are in reality."

Another, rapier, voice joined in with the conversation "Oh, your highness, don't put down the young princess' spirit. Such thinking ought to be encouraged in today's world; great changes are a-comin' you'll see." The voice was harsh, with a somewhat deep, grunting undertone. It was followed by a STEP and CLANG – the sound of someone using a cane as they walked towards the pair.

"Oh, hello Walter" Sally greeted cheerfully. Walter Naugus was quite a strange creature; no-one could quite figure out what he was supposed to be. Very Goblin-like; he had a horn on his head, long pointy ears, a rhino-like hide and great sharp fangs. He strolled around with a jewelled cane and wearing a long cape –he looked as if he was trying to get people to see him as a monster, which many did. Sally, however, thought the opposite; believing him to be a gentle, misunderstood, soul like the characters in stories her mother told her and Elias when they were children.

"I'm beggin' your pardon, your highnesses" he said "But I couldn't help but overhear your talk on that Freedom Fighter topic. It saddens me to hear of all the negative comments about it." He went on to wrap his left arm, ending in an enormous lobster-like claw, around her shoulder. "Quite ingenious, if you ask me though. A small, talented army will ne'er be spotted approachin' that Robotnik's base – and then that's when it'd be too late!"

"Exactly!" Sally smiled. Finally, someone understood her.

"Gah! Well, look at the time," he said. "I'm late for the meeting with your father about that 'Underground Alliance' idea of Armand's."

Elias's eyes widened in shock, as they slowly peered over towards Sally. She wasn't supposed to hear about that.

Sally tilted her head "The 'Underground Alliance?'" she said.

"Stop filling her head with ideas!" Elias barked, shaking his fist at the goblin.

Walter gave out a hoarse laugh "I believe you all should better encourage it!" He turned to walk away, a wicked grin plastered across his face "It's like I said, 'great change is a-coming' and she's gonna be the one to get us there! All you've got to do is let her."

Elias blew raspberries under his breath as Naugus carried on down the hall "That guy's insane. How he became dad's closest advisor I'll never understand." He folded his arms and softly shook his head.

"You always say that," Sally laughed.

"I always mean it."

"He's just…misunderstood."

"I'll say."

BLEEP-BLEEP. Something rang in Sally's pocket. She pulled out a small device that looked like a flip tablet-phone of some sorts.

"Good afternoon NICOLE" Sally greeted the device.

"Good afternoon Sally," the device, N.I.C.O.L.E, replied. "You have a message from Rotor and Bunnie; they wish for your presence at Rotor's lab as soon as possible."

"Thanks NICOLE. Tell them I'm on my way and contact Antoine as well; I need the whole team together." Sally then replaced NICOLE into her pocket. She looked up to see Elias with his arms crossed and a raised eyebrow.

"So what was that all about?" he said.

"Relax Elias; I'm going to tell them tonight."

"No more Freedom Fighters?"

Sally crossed her fingers behind her back "No more Freedom Fighters."

Elias stared at her for a moment, before finally letting out a breath of relief. "Well alright then, I'll let you go; I have a spar match I have to get to. Don't do anything stupid." He playfully pushed his fist against her forehead.

"I never do anything stupid, Elias."

As they turned onto their separate ways, Sally retrieved NICOLE, once again, from her pocket. "NICOLE?" She whispered to the device.

"Greetings Sally."

"Retrieve whatever you can from my father's files around the 'Underground Alliance'."

"Retrieving, Sally."

"Leave no trace."


Later that evening, Sally had finally gotten the team together for a meeting in Rotor's lab. She readied her checklist; "Antoine?"

"Oh! Uh, qui my princess." The coyote answered, after first jumping in fright. Antoine often wore a blue royal guard's uniform, like his father, but always wore a worried expression.

"Bunnie?" Sally then called out.

The mobian rabbit cyborg tipped her brown western hat up, revealing her green eyes, "Now, Sally-girl, you do realise that there are only four of us here?" Bunnie replied raising an eyebrow as leaned back on her chair with her metallic feet crossed atop the table.

"It's procedure Bunnie – this stuff has to be done; it keeps everything organised and secure. Now will you answer the register?"

"So why can't you just look at the folks in the room and then quickly check-"

"Bunnie?" Sally repeated.

With a smile and a roll of her eyes, Bunnie conceded "Yes ma'am."

"Excellent," Sally ticked "And last, but not least, Rotor."

"Here, Sally" Rotor responded. Bunnie smiled and shook her head at the ridiculousness of the action once again, before the meeting was 'officially' announced to be in session.

"Well Rotor, since you were the one to call us in, could you tell us what you've found?" Sally said.

"I assume you've seen the news today?" he replied.

"No, why?"

"They were showing live footage of GUN's attempt to take back the city. Their bots were torn apart in minutes."

"Zoot Alor!" Antoine cried "Then it is hopeless!"

"Now simmer down there Antoine" Bunnie said, "Rotor hasn't finished yet."

"Oh Bunnie, I think you are being too, how you say, 'Opti-misty-ic'? If ze GUN cannot stop him, then how can we?"

"Ahem!" Rotor continued his findings "They also caught the Blur on screen."

Sally gasped "The blur?"

"Ze bleu blur? Oh Routor; he has lost it from our hopelessness…" Antoine sobbed, slamming his face into the table.

"So you saw him?" Sally leapt in.

"Er…yeah." Rotor scratched his head "I don't get why you still think it's a mobian though. I mean look at it. Nothing alive can move as fast as that thing must've been doing. And the way it destroyed those robots just by running into them! There's no way a mobian could've done that."

"But they all called it a 'he' on all the news reports," Bunnie said.

"Just because everyone said, doesn't mean everyone's right. I mean, the thing smacked a missile out of the way. What mobian, overlander or whatever could do that?"

"It doesn't matter what it actually is – as long as everyone else believes it to be a mobian, it works perfectly with our plan." Sally began rapidly scribbling down onto her notepad "And with that footage circling people's minds, we must strike while the iron is hot."

"We're doing that now?" Bunnie exclaimed in shock; nearly falling back on her chair in the process. "Is the plan even fully ready?"

"Well, I've adapted it a little around the plans for the 'Underground Alliance' that NICOLE dug up from my father's files. We can use the tunnels that they're using – the ones that they modified from the Great War. It'll give us perfect cover on our way to Monopole."

Bunnie sat as normal on her chair, pulling her hat down to shade her concerned expression. "Stealing stuff from her daddy's stuff now, too…" she mumbled.

"Ah, qui. Ze 'Underground Alliance' my fathair brought to ze King," Antoine said. "Zat is ze 'D'Coolette' genius, non?" He smiled. His comment was ignored still.

"Not much else has changed though. Everyone knows their roles, right?" She began packing a light rucsac whilst muttering to herself "None of my concern, huh? Not possible? That didn't stop you. He lied to me, and now I'm gonna prove him wrong."

Upon hearing the comment on 'roles', Antoine suddenly broke out in cold sweats and approached Sally quite tensely "Ah, my princess, erm…about ze mission." He paused a moment before continuing "I was wondering if it would be better if I was to accompany you to ze main computer room?" He gave a short, nervous cackle "Uh, you know – so that I can protect you from ze dangers in Robotnik's base, qui?" He pleadingly clasped his hands together and looked intensely into the princess's eyes.

"Well that's very thoughtful of you Antoine – and quite chivalrous too." Sally knew exactly what he was doing, and in order to reduce the arguments, she played along. "Oh, but who will do the most important job of all with you helping me?"

"Huh?" He twitched. His ears, even pricked upwards. "Ze most important job? What is zat?" Antoine grew very curious, losing his previous signs of worry.

"Oh you shouldn't worry yourself about that, Antoine. You've already done so much for us." Her sarcastic tone was completely over-the-top. Bunnie and Rotor attempted to contain their laughter, cupping their hands over their mouths to stop it from escaping. Any bit that escaped only made their struggle harder to bear. "But, if you're with me, we have no-one at the entrance to warn us of danger. We just need to find someone brave and cunning enough to do the job; but with such limited time…" she placed her hand over her forehead dramatically "…I just don't think that it would be possible."

Antoine latched onto the bait with a vice-like grip. He raised his hand in a salute "My Princess; it would be most honour-able for me to take zis responsibility." Rotor threw his head back in near-silent laughter; Antoine's gullibility never got old.

"That's really nice of you Antoine, but I thought you wanted to accompany me?"

"I am sorry my princess, but ze team needs ze brave and cunning man on ze job. I must do it for ze team!"

"Aw, thank you Antoine." Sally smiled, giving him a small peck on the cheek.

Antoine blushed and smiled like a drunken sailor. "I do what I can." A really drunk sailor.

When he was finally able to pick himself up, Rotor asked "Sally, when are we going?"

"We're leaving at dawn," she said with a very serious look. "Be ready."