The One-Thousand Year Gate
Chapter 3: The Regret of a Dragon
After Tulo ordered his Freedom Fighters to regroup and recover in the nearby caves, he flew the girls into the Great Forest while Sonic followed on the ground. Unlike Dulcy, Tulo did not have a pouch, so they had to ride on his back. As He dived down to the landing area outside of Knothole, Sally and Bunnie gripped hard onto Tulo's shoulders as he softly came to a landing.
"You didn't have to grip me so hard," said Tulo.
"Sorry about that, sugah," said Bunnie as she got off of his back. "We're just so used to Dulcy's flying."
"Who's Dulcy?"
"We'll explain later," said Sally as she climbed off.
With a loud boom, Sonic skidded to a halt beside them.
"You're a little slower today," said Bunnie. "Normally you'd be here long before us."
"I got lost for a second," said Sonic. "The Great Forest just isn't what I remember. None of the paths are the same and the trees and rocks are so different."
"Well, the Great Forest is such a large and winding place that it provides us with shelter from our enemies," said Tulo. "And of course, there's also our hidden village, Knothole."
"Let me guess, it's that way, right?" asked Sonic, pointing forward.
"How'd you know that?"
"Lucky guess."
"Well then, follow me. I'll show you where I live."
When they followed Tulo into Knothole—expecting every building to be the same and located in familiar places—they were surprised to discover that the village different. There were thatched roofed huts as well as crude elevators and windmills, but all of it were in different locations and arranged differently.
"It's so strange, this world is like home yet it's so different," said Sonic. "What does it all mean?"
"I've read about an old theory about the possibility of a multiverse," said Sally. "It's a hypothetical scenario where there could be alternate versions of our world where different outcomes can happen. This could be a whole new universe similar to our own."
"But if that were the case," said Bunnie, "then why would Robotnik come here? What does he hope to gain?"
Before Sally could respond, Tulo stopped in front of a large thatched roof hut.
"Here is my home," said Tulo. "Come inside for a little tea."
"We'd be honored to," said Sally.
Inside the hut, it was mostly devoid of furniture save for a bed and a low to the floor table with no chairs. The walls were sparsely decorated with wooden tools hanging on hooks.
"Have a seat."
"Where?" asked Sonic as he eyed the table.
"We sit on the floor, of course," said Sally as she sat down in front of the table.
"That floor looks rather uncomfortable so I'll—"
Sally grabbed Sonic by the arm and yanked him onto the floor beside her. Bunnie also took her place beside Sonic.
Tulo squeezed his wide body through the small door to the kitchen. He filled up the teakettle and placed it upon the iron stovetop to heat it, careful not to knock over any of the pots and pans hanging on the walls.
As Tulo heated the water, Sonic saw a large statue of a dragon on the other side of the room. The statue was of a large female clad in jewelry made of bones. She stood on her hind legs with her arms outstretched and a look of surprise on her face.
"Whoa, where did that dragon statue come from?" asked Sonic.
Tulo watched as the kettle heated. "That dragon is my mom."
"Oh, so someone made a statue of your mom?"
"No, the statue is my mom."
"Really?" Sally stood up from the table and approached the statue, examining it. She ran her hand along the smooth stone, noting the details in the scales and the musculature of the dragon. "This isn't rock. It's a real dragon but completely petrified. What happened?"
Once the kettle whistled, Tulo picked it up and poured the tea as he talked. "Well, that has to do with our current problem." He carried the cups of tea to the table and set them down. "Three years ago, a powerful geomancer named Arret tried to dominate all animal life by creating an army of golems. We hid ourselves in Knothole trying to fight him off."
"We know how you feel," said Sonic. "Where we come from, we're fighting against a mad scientist named Robotnik who's been trying to conquer our land with robots."
"Huh, I'm not sure what a 'scientist' or a 'robot' is, but I do understand the struggle you must be going through. We've battled Arret for five years now, and as a final gamble to rid us once and for all, he tried to create a powerful golem that we couldn't destory. He created an energy crystal that was so powerful, it became sentient, turned him to stone, and started attacking everyone."
"Did you say energy crystal?" said Sonic, taking a sip from his tea.
"I don't understand how it works. All I know is that the crystal generates a powerful energy."
"That sounds like just the thing we need. We have power stones that need to be recharged fast. Perhaps this energy crystal could give our power stones a jump start."
"I wouldn't be so sure," said Tulo. "My mother was the leader of Knothole when she tried to take down the giant golem the last time we attacked it, but the crystal is surrounded by a small energy field and all organic life that touches the crystal will become stone. That's what happened to my mom."
"Where's the energy crystal?" asked Bunnie.
"The crystal is in the head of the giant golem."
"Well, then what we should do is simple," said Sonic. "All we have to do is let Ro-butt-nik take the crystal for us and steal it from him."
"But once Robotnik has the crystal," asked Bunnie, clasping her cup, "how are we going to get passed all of his SWATbots as well as the golems to get it back?"
"We'll just wing it."
"Or perhaps we could steal it ourselves."
"How?"
"Remember? I'm part robot. If the crystal only affects organic life, then I could touch it without harm."
"That could work," said Tulo. "With that metal arm, you could reach right through the energy field."
Sonic put a finger to his chin in thought. "Tulo, is there any way into the giant golem?"
"The inside of the giant is hollow, but there's no way inside. We've tried everything, and the only one who was successful at break in is now a statue in my home."
"Don't worry, I can burrow into that giant in no time." said Sonic.
Tulo stared at the two of them. "A speedy hedgehog and a metal rabbit...You guys truly are a strange bunch. Very well then, we could use all the help we can get at this point."
"Then we better get moving," Sonic stood up from the floor. "We have until sundown before the One-Thousand Year Gate closes. Let's go, Sal."
But Sally stood by the statue, staring intently at the petrified dragon's jewelry.
"Yo Sally, let's get going."
Sally reached for the bone necklace and wove her fingers through the string. She let out a sigh of frustration as she let go of it.
Tulo approached her with a cup of tea in his claw, causing the floor to vibrate with each step. "Here!" He held the cup from the bottom with one scaly hand.
"Thanks!" Sally took the tea, still staring at the statue.
"You know, I've tried everything to bring my mom back," said Tulo. "There has to be a way, but until that golem is destroyed, we can't gain access to the Arret's spell books."
"I know how you feel. My dad is trapped in the Void and he can't get out." When Sally noticed the confused look on Tulo's face, she added, "The Void is a place that once someone is stuck inside, he can't get out. I miss him so much."
"I see! I hope you'll free him one day."
Sally took a sip of her tea, staring up at the petrified dragon in thought. "I'll find a way to save him, but for now, we need to defeat that golem and stop Robotnik."
#
By noon, Tulo flew Sonic, Sally, and Bunnie high over the Great Unknown where the colossal golem still stood marching along with no intended destination. However, there were several SWATbots and STEALTHbots in the distance, keeping several smaller golems at bay. The sounds of laser fire could be heard even all the way in the sky. Tulo dropped his passengers off within a stone's throw away from the golem and the fighting.
"This isn't good," said Sally. "We need to get into that golem and fast."
"I'll meet up with my other Freedom Fighters," said Tulo. "Good luck out there."
"You too, Tulo."
Sally and Bunnie grabbed onto Sonic's shoulders and Sonic dashed off toward the golem. He ran down the rocky paths, coming up at top speed from behind the golem.
"Hang on, gals," he said. "We're going to hit warp ten." He withdrew his power ring, and could feel its power course through him.
Sally and Bunnie screamed as they clung onto Sonic for dear life.
Sonic plowed into the leg of the golem with a loud buzzing noise, and they were rocketed up the leg and inside where they came to an abrupt stop in a hollow cavity.
"Whoa, who turned out the lights," said Sonic, feeling his way through the darkness.
Sally pulled out a flashlight from Sonic's backpack and turned it on. Before them was a hallway made out of sand and clay.
"I thought Tulo said this thing was hollow," said Bunnie.
"It looks like we're going to have to navigate our way to the crystal," said Sally. "That shouldn't be too hard."
Without warning, the walls throbbed and pulsed on their own accord. Emerging from out of the walls with a soft crunch were blob-shaped golems lumbering toward them.
"I just had to jinx it," said Sally, sarcastically.
Sonic burrowed his way through two of the golems, but the sand immediately reformed in seconds.
Bunnie futilely punched and kicked her way through the reforming golems.
"We can't get through all this sand by blowing through it," said Sally. "Sonic, can you still use the power ring?"
Sonic obliterated another golem with a spin dash. "Yes, but it doesn't have much juice left. Whatever you're planning, it will be a one shot deal."
"Listen, Sonic, you need to use that power ring to force us deeper into the golem."
"That's too risky. We might fly right out of the golem." The walls contracted like bowels about to crush Sonic. "Although I'm low on ideas as it is."
Bunnie grabbed onto Sonic's shoulder. "Then hurry up and use that ring."
"No problem."
Sally grabbed onto Bunnie, awaiting the surge of the power ring.
Sonic pulled out the ring, but a golem popped out of the walls and grabbed it out of Sonic's hand.
"Hey! Let go!" Sonic tugged on the ring, trying to pry it out of the golem's grasp.
The walls closed in on them, and before they could react, they were completely smothered in sand.
Sonic panicked as he felt the power ring forced out of his grasp. They were completely smothered and could not breathe or see. All they could do was quietly suffocate.
#
Robotnik overlooked the battle as his robots were torn to pieces by the golems. Several STEALTHbots were attacking the colossal golem, but their laser weapons chipped off pieces that quickly reformed. A small cloud of dust obscured the robots and the golems as they battled, the sounds of crunching metal and stone echoed across the desert.
Robotnik growled in irritation. "Snively, what's the casualty report say?"
"We've already lost 47% of the robots we brought here," said Snively, nervously looking at his hand-held computer. "I'm sorry, sir, but the SWATbots can't overpower opponents that can regenerate themselves."
"Then give the order to retreat. We'll have to go to plan B."
"Sir, I must insist you rethink—"
"Rethink what, Snively?"
Snively began to sweat. "I-It just seems unwise to waste explosives on the golem. You might damage the crystal."
"We won't if we aim for the body. Now...GET IT DONE!"
"Y-Yes, sir." Snively ran off, grumbling his disapproval under his breath.
As Snively ran off, he did not notice Tulo crawling overhead, watching him from a cliff. He seated himself into the cockpit of a hovercraft and grabbed the onboard radio. "Attention all SWATbots and STEALTHbots. Retreat. I repeat, retreat. We are switching to plan B." Snively let out a startled gasp as Tulo's scaly hand reached inside and pulled him out of his seat. He was held up to eye level, staring into large, red eyes.
"So what's this plan B you mentioned?" asked Tulo, gripping Snively by the cusp of his shirt.
"As if I would tell you anything," said Snively, defiantly.
Tulo carried Snively over the edge of the cliff and dangled him there.
"Will you be willing to talk to me now?"
"Yes, yes, I will. Just don't drop me."
"Then start talking."
"R-Robotnik is going to lure the colossal golem deeper into the Great Canyon and unleash explosives on it."
"Explosives won't work on that golem."
"You primitive fool, we have high powered explosives that will blast it to pieces."
"If you do that, then that means..." Tulo gasped when he remembered Sonic and the others. Just as he was about to take off, a SWATbot pounced on top of him. He swung his arms and tail, but more SWATbots were climbing on top of him, pinning him down.
