Chapter 6

The Unnatural Current

Okay, this is it. But try not to overthink it! Breathe, don't forget to breathe. Yeah, that's important. Smile, you should always look presentable. Or should I smile!? What should I say? They're all looking at me now. Sally… say something.

Sally Acorn was not the only Acorn not willing or rather not being able to function normally in the certain situation. The feeling of war gave her dread, a small and icy chill was felt behind her back, and it kept Sally on the balls of her feet. But being the queen as she was, made others, and the entire crew look towards her for guidance.

The queen felt that she would have been better off if she stayed in the castle. Right at that moment, she could not shake the unmistakable thought that perhaps she was being too ineffectual. Perhaps even overwhelmingly and increasingly inept. But incompetence was the least of her problems. Right as she thought those dreadful thoughts, and as the crew panicked about and around her, asking her all sorts of questions, there was, not only one vast ship from afar-riding the waves, but many ships following it from behind. The stationary immensities rode a league in front of the Alicia. A few other Acorn ships pushed forward, slightly in front of the flagship, but having already dropped anchor.

The only thing that might have seemed spookier or dreadful was the mist that had gathered around the never ending fleet of ships. The white puffery of atmosphere surrounded the wood and gave it solemn silence. It even blocked the curious sun in the sky, giving off a light- not yellow, but white, penetrating and mixing with the also white mist. Even though the Acorns were on the verge and eve of battle, they felt cathartic. Death's cold fingertips had been swiping and stroking the animals, and yet they were relieved, and finally free from anxiety. There was another wave sent above sea level, and some of the animals felt happy, even pleased.

Sally had still not spoken for a minute and she was still being bombarded with shouts from Mrs. Helmswoman and other armored Acorns. Even her father peered through the crowd to ask what the matter was. Sonic had walked next to the old king.

"I… I'm not… sure." Sally trailed off. Ostensibly, the queen had felt the wave also and was numbed from pain. She caught herself drooling and immediately blushed since she was now receiving less shouts and more stares.

"Sally?" The blue hedgehog had asked now for a fourth time, waving his hand in front of the chipmunk queen's head. That time it caught her attention and she stared blankly at him, not knowing where she was at the moment.

"What?" Sally asked. She did not believe the question as it grazed her lips in exit. She looked over to her father who was clutching his head, seemingly in pain. She was surrounded by the chipmunk helmswoman, the old turtle Smash, and the two chipmunk brothers. Something caught the queen's eye and she ignored the crowd and even Sonic. She waved a hand away in dismissal and pushed her way through to the wooden gangway. She gasped and others looked out as well. This time, Sally was not the only one who saw her mother. Alicia was seen just feet away from the flagship. Max also beheld his lover. He remembered her and beheld her with the old Camelot attire, a blue shirt and jacket laced with red. The deceased chipmunk mother of Sally was calling to her daughter. Many on the ship gazed at the floating chipmunk, some shivered and looked away. Max's gaze could not be broken, neither could her daughter's.

"Don't look!" Sonic grabbed the queen but she resisted. And like someone being woken up from a dream she panicked, hitting the hedgehog in defiance. "Look at me!"

Sally groaned and yelped until she asked, "Huh?" There was a moment of clarity in the glare and eyes of the chipmunk queen. She almost appeared shell-shocked. And the queen finally broke her solemn trance. "Sonic?"

"Yes." The hedgehog smiled and nodded.

"How long was I out?" Sally asked feeling a slight sting above her brow.

Sonic looked confused, "You… no you weren't out."

"I saw my mother!" Sally's eyes widened as she remembered.

Sonic nodded again, this time he looked abashed and disdainful. He would have responded but he only looked the way they had seen her. To Sally's amazement her mother was still there, calling, lively as ever in open sea.

"Sally." The woman called, and her voice rung deep in the bowels of every animal witnessing her. The two chipmunk brothers clung to each other fiercely, persuading each other to look away. Smash had begun to speak to himself about past lives lost, praying to his seven gods.

The old turtle could be heard mumbling, his back against the gangway, "Aman, Ranoe, Khaphotron, Golgann, Aggramm, Sargas. Hear my prayer, send your wisdom, strength, and might. Give back the mantle, forge us a home, give us life, cover us with the sky, avenge us, defend us, and watch over me."

"Alicia!" Maximillian yelled over the gangway, reaching out to his beloved. Sonic and the helmswoman quickly realized the old king was about to jump. The two reached for each shoulder of the king and restrained him before he could endanger himself. "Let go of me!" He spat. "Don't you see that's my wife?! She's calling to me!"

Sonic pinned the old chipmunk to the wooden ground and slapped him across the face. "That's not your wife! Don't listen!"

Confused, the helmswoman looked out again. She wanted to deny it as Sonic was doing, but everything and something small told her that that lie was simply a lie. What she saw before her- that was the real thing, which was the would-be queen. "Snap out of it." Mrs. Helmswoman shook her head, trying to give up her fears.

Others followed suit. The wave hit the Alicia hard this time. A literal gigantesque wave was sent across the ship, moving them off course slightly from their stationary position. One of the chipmunk brothers peeked overboard and whined. While the other brother told him to look away. What he saw was others. Deceased animals from past lives, they were walking towards the Alicia.

Sonic looked over. He could not believe it but his eyes were telling him otherwise. Sure enough, he saw his sister Sonia. "Sonic." She called. "Come to me." She said. The blue hedgehog held his mouth in terror and looked away, facing the king.

"Don't you see? They are calling." Max's explanation seemed convincing and true. There seemingly was no doubt in his eyes.

"They're dead!" Sonic spat back at the king, now holding him again on the ground.

The Alicia suddenly pushed forward as if it was being dragged. Max clung to his head in pain again, and keeled over. Sonic pushed away from the king and looked at Sally who was also clinging onto her own head and rubbing her temples. "What's happening?" Sonic asked.

In utter confusion Sally responded, "They're… leaving."

Just as Sally said it the apparitions were being drawn to the other ships in front of them. There were sudden yells from the other ships, even a few animals were jumping overboard to meet the spirits.

"We have to go now." Sally commanded.

"What?" Sonic asked in uncertainty. "Where?"

"Out there!" Sally yelled angrily, pointing at the other ships.

"Are you crazy?" Sonic wondered, feeling this was happening all too quickly.

"I recognize those ships." Sally said, "That's Knottingham brigade."

"She's right." Max got up.

Sonic tried to think of a reason or even a better solution to all of this. "I mean, is there a way to know for sure? That's the enemy, isn't it? That could be Dimitri on board. This is a trap."

"You're wrong." Sally explained, "They haven't attacked us yet."

"Which could be part of the trap!" Sonic yelled. "What about those things!? We can't go out there now?"

"We have to help them." Sally ordered feeling a lot more like herself. "Either way, there may be a fleet coming from the north any second now. And it could be possible that Knottingham does not know that."

"I'll go and warn them." Max offered.

"No." Sally spoke, "Sonic is going with me."

"I really must prot-" Max was stopped by another glare from her daughter and he quieted.

"Look!" The helmswoman yelled as each looked across the open sea to the other ships. A small blue flag was waving to and fro on their flagship.

"What?!" Sonic was still confused about the whole thing. "Blue flag, what does that mean? Is that good?"

Both father and daughter looked at each other and Max smiled and said, "They adopted one good thing from us."

"It's settled then." Sally spoke as she headed to the lifeboats.

"Wait!" Sonic called out as his voice cracked. He cleared his throat and stared back at the queen as she waited. Sonic quickly tried to think of a reason why he was unable to traverse such waters but he could not and he stumbled over himself. The queen readied her boat and got on while the Helmswoman manned the pulley. "Quickly now!" Sally yelled at the hedgehog as he slowly climbed on.

"Are you sure about this?" Mrs. Helmswoman asked the queen.

Sally ignored the question and directed to the chipmunk captain, "If anything happens to me, you listen to Max. He may not be your king but I have pardoned him."

"Understood my queen." The helmswoman agreed without a doubt.

Quietly a red fox approached the queen before she could go, "My queen you must allow me to go with you."

"No Fiona." Sally commanded, "You must protect Max."

Fiona would have protested but she somberly let her queen go and watched as she was lowered onto the sea. Meanwhile on the little boat, a very much afraid Sonic clung onto his wooden seat. He was beginning to hyperventilate. Seeing as the hedgehog might not be the most helpful on this small trip, Sally grabbed at the oars and began rowing to their destination. "What's the matter with you?" Sally asked.

Sonic did not respond for the longest time until he looked at the queen with much fear in his eyes. "I… I can't swim."

"You've got to be-" As Sally stopped and noticed, she realized the hedgehog was not joking. "I'm sorry I didn't know."

"It's fine." Sonic's voice cracked again, "It's too late now."

"You should have said something." Sally snapped, angrier than she wanted to be.

"I'm sorry, I tried." Sonic eyed the mischievous waters with great intensity. "Besides… you're the queen. What you say goes." He gulped nervously looking out at the spirits that seemed to be evaporating. "At least those things are leaving."

Sally mumbled something incomprehensible.

"What?" Sonic asked, turning his attention to the queen and slightly letting go of the fact that he was in great danger all around him.

"I said, I was sorry about the other night." Sally shook her head, defiant about something in her mind. She quickly waved the thought away and scoffed at herself.

Sonic paused and weighed his words and options. He obviously had something to say but was unsure of if he wanted or needed to. "I'm sorry too."

"You don't need to be." Sally intervened still looking at everything other than him. "It was all me, I was drunk. But I guess that's no excuse for the "queen"." Sally felt her arms begin to ache.

"Don't do that." Sonic pleaded, "We can forget about what happened that night."

"Like it never happened?" Sally asked.

Sonic agreed, "Maybe… I dunno, maybe I just needed… time." Sonic worried less about the water and grew more anxious about his feelings. He knew he had been blushing for quite some time now.

"What are you saying?" Sally asked.

Sonic sighed to himself, "Promise you won't make fun."

Sally giggled, "That's the least of your problems! Look where we are!" Sally stopped and agreed.

The blue hedgehog struggled for a while, "I've never… really been in a relationship." Sonic blushed redder than before and he looked down at his sneakers. He appeared to have shut down for a moment.

Sally understood, "Neither have I." She shook her head again, "But I was foolish back there."

"And don't forget inappropriate." Sonic joked but he still seemed calmer and more reserved than usual. "It's my fault." He came to that conclusion.

The boat was halfway there, skidding in the open ocean, nearing the Knottingham flagship.

Sally shook her head, "No."

Sonic finally came to his delayed senses, "I do like you Sally but… I might… have." He growled at himself for not being able to communicate properly. Rapidly Sally let go of the oars and began to hug the hedgehog.

"I know." Sally sighed, "And she's a lucky lady."

Sonic breathed heavily, realizing these certain conclusions at a time like this was surprisingly uplifting and stress-relieving.

From the Knottingham flagship, Amy began to swell with tears. What she saw was not at all right in her heart and mind. She knew she would have to face the day when she would have to let go of him. But not like this. And now he was kissing someone else? She hadn't even seen him in months, even a year!

Sally let go of Sonic as she noticed someone on the enormous ship, "Dindrane!?" She shouted as she saw the cat lady queen.

Dindrane the Lying Lady waved at the Acorn queen, "We've come to help the Acorns, Queen Sally!"

Sally began to rejoice with Sonic but noticed that Dindrane was looking at something else. Something in the mist, from the north. Sally looked concerned and Sonic asked, "What is it?"

"I'm not sure." Sally responded, as she stopped rowing. The two were a little farther than halfway to their destination.

"CANNON FIRE!" Dindrane yelled out.

Suddenly the water near Sally and Sonic splashed loudly and everywhere and the two heard the screeching of Mobiron breeching the wood of the ship and out the other side.

Amy quickly peered out and stood atop the ship overlooking the two, "Sonic!"

Sonic looked over behind him, "Amy?"

Quiet. The calm before the storm. It was all dark with the mist. The other ship was coming. Flags. The flag was of a hand and three fingers pointed to the sky- the thumb, the pointer and index.

The ship was monstrous, massive, gigantic. The ship was daring and it came with great velocity. The unnatural current had been carrying it south for quite some time. And that current was being made from below, and it welcomed this new ship.

Black. The sails were as pitch as night. The crew of this new ship was yelling and all were ready to die. Its captain, the scum of the earth beckoned death with open arms and he glared at his prey, hungry to kill.

This new ship slammed with all of its might into the Knottingham flagship, sending chunks of wood in every direction. It even sent a few crewmates into the bottomless pit that was the sea, and it ate them up.

"Return fire!" Dindrane yelled as she tried getting up.

"We have to go back!" Sonic screamed as Sally was confused about it all.

Out of nowhere and instantaneously and with great rhythm, Knottingham and Acorn ships alike had begun to receive threatening blows from all corners. The battle had commenced. Iron ships attacked with great vigor. The Legion of Darkness reigned fire from the north and engaged with Knottingham and the Irons took care of the Acorns.

Galatine and its new owner jumped on Knottingham's flagship with all of its bewildered crew. Merlin reached for Morgause. Amy and Dindrane followed suit with their swords as they beheld their enemy. Gawain's sword Galatine was being held by Dimitri. And that light-red echidna wore the longest smile on his head.

Dimitri chuckled as the Knottinghamites readied for the fight of their lives, "Alright. Who's first?"

Both Charmy and Saffron began speaking to each other with more reserved tones. They tried to think of a way out without exacerbating the situation with yells or anxious attitudes. But both knew they were in a world of trouble.

"What should we do about him?" Saffron pointed at Aster. They had lured and captured him and tied him up within the tall grass. They thought they were concealed, but the eye knew exactly where they were.

"I'm thinking." Charmy grunted as he felt up his wound on his leg.

"Let me look at that." Saffron offered.

"I'm fine." Charmy shot back but quickly apologized.

The Queen-Bee approached her husband and grabbed him by his shoulders, "We will make it out of this, together."

Charmy smiled, "I know."

Just then, Aster had begun to shake violently. It spooked the two bees to witness him shake but he did so, subsequently rapidly that he almost was let loose from his bonds. It appeared as if he was choking on something. His color changed from black and yellow to black. His skin seemed to stick up and resemble the sickly animal they had witnessed before. Before long, his entire body was covered with black and his body stopped moving.

Charmy pulled Aster closer to see if he was alive. Aster's chest was still-but now- smeared with red. And whatever semblance of the person he once was, or even that he was a bee at all to begin with, was now gone. And there lay a blackened thing. Motionless.

"Aster?" Charmy asked.

The being that was Aster responded with a shriek, "Master! They are here!"

Before Charmy could stop him from yelling, out from in between the tall grass came the eye. And the eye looked at Charmy and Saffron. Its glare penetrated the two bees. The eye had blackened skin like Aster's. It floated where it was and had six tentacles protruding from it. It only stared at them until it spoke harshly to them.

"You will join us, sooner or later!"