............... *takes a breath*

Mewse: DON'T.

....................................

Mewse: You have no excuse besides plain old procrastination! How do you plead!

*sigh* Guilty as charged... I dunno what happened, so much stuff to do with college and summer and work. Bleh! I honestly refuse to give up on this story, I have so many great ideas for future chapters! Believe me, even I think it'll be worth the wait!

Mewse: All because you're such a drama lover..

INDEED! So what's the holdup! Let's keep things going! CHAAAAAARGE!!

*~*~*

RETURN TO LITTLE PLANET
by Ryuko DragonHalf

*~*~*

Their departure from the dragoon village was a quiet one, much to Sonic's relief. He and Tails had waited at the temple staircase while Riyu gathered extra supplies, and convinced her worried sibling that she would be just fine. She had finally shown up with a pack of her own, and a necklace; dangling on a purple cord was a small gem, red and diamond shaped.

"Said it'd give me good luck," she explained. "Niisan is such a worrywart, thinking I need a trinket to stay alive!" The jewel winked in the sunlight before being swiftly tucked into her tank top.

"Maybe you should stay. That comm device of yours got busted when Eggman attacked, after all. You don't want Ryuukan to worry, do ya?"

"Hey! You aren't getting rid of me THAT easily, kitsune!"

Tails grumbled, "It was worth a shot.."

Okay, so it wasn't as quiet as he'd hoped. But he was glad they'd gone there first. Furou explained a LOT. Now Sonic knew what to expect up ahead. He didn't relate his revelations to the others, thinking it best he keep them secret for now.

They raced down another wider path through the jungle. Riyu skimmed the surface, her eyes twinkling as she laughed. She was even able to keep up to Sonic for a few speed bursts.

Tails found this behavior kind of weird. "There's nothing to be hugely excited about! We're on a mission, what's fun about that?"

She only burst into a fresh gale of laughter, and leaped high enough to clear the flying fox, pulling a face at him as she fell to earth once more. "Teirusu gu na! I've travelled the globe, sure, but never like this! I'm living out my dream, I'm going on a real adventure!"

The happy outburst made Tails hesitate. He suddenly didn't want to spoil her mood. Instead, he piloted up to Sonic, leaving the joyous dragoon behind for a bit. "So, where are we going anyway? Did Furou tell you?"

"Yup," the hedgehog replied. "We're headed to Shaniku-Sai. It's Little Planet's carnival fun-fair thing. Just about everyone goes there from all over."

"Which means a Jikan's gotta be there. Great idea!"

By now, Riyu had grown curious and sped up to the duo. "Not gonna be easy though. Hundreds of people visit Shaniku-Sai every day! How do we know the Jikan'll stay there?"

Sonic grinned. "Way ahead of you! Furou said it's been sitting there for a good two months or so. I'm guessing it's a regular patron, or a vendor, or it's just hiding somewhere lost to everyone."

"Sheesh, we've got our work cut out for us," sighed Riyu.

"We'll find it easy if we split up," Tails reassured. "But I wonder if there's an easier way?"

A few minutes later, the flora and fauna of the rainforest became sparse. At last they could see the sky.. that is, half sky, half ground. Above them lay the darkened horizon of Mobius, cutting the view almost perfectly in half. It was an extremely disconcerting sight, watching the sun sink sideways into horizontal mountains far away. Both hedgehog and fox had to give themselves a shake and focused on the path beneath them, much to the Riyu's amusement.

The landscape dissolved into grassland, a few trees dotting the ground. The path became rock solid, turning into cobblestone that wove through the emerald field sprawling before them. In the distance, they could see a small settlement, surrounded by a stone wall, which resembled a quaint medieval festival, nestled in a slight valley smack dab in the middle of the field. Shaniku-Sai came to life as night fell. Lights of all colors twinkled in reply to the stars (and ripples on Never Lake) above. Music and voices, laughing, singing, chattering, all of it floated lazily in the breeze.. accompanied by the tantalizing aroma of home-cooked food and traditional fairground candies. The setting cheered their spirits, and the trio sped on, eager to begin their search.

*~*~*

Kudasai Kuronosu-san! Let me talk to him!

....ii..e.....

What? I.. you spoke! I didn't just feel you, I heard your voice! This is great! You must be gaining strength!

M... musha...... n-no... Kao..... Kaosu...... rrrrrrrgh......

No no no no, Kuronosu-san, please.. can't I at least see him?

... i... iie....

But I can't stand it any more! He makes me feel better, stronger! If I'm strong, you're strong!

Iie!

Can't you put your feud aside for a minute and let me see him? I won't talk to him, I promise! Please, you know how I-- oh.. no! No!

N-nani..?

It's him, he's coming again!

Tch... osoru.. runakare....

I'm trying... but I'm so scared. Don't leave me.

Ta....dai......ma......

Kuronosu-san? Doko? Where did you go?

................

Kuronosu?? No, get back! G-go away! Leave us alone! AAH! Let go of me! No! NO!! SONIKKU!!


*~*~*

"Sugoiii!"

"What's that mean?"

"It means wow, incredible, amazing!"

"Ah. In that case, I agree! You, Tails?"

"You bet! This place is awesome!"

You've prolly guessed by now, that Sonic, Tails and Riyu had just stepped under the stoney archway, and into Shaniku-Sai. It was the complete opposite of Riyu's home village in many aspects. For one, creatures of all species, shapes and sizes milled about taking in the sights. For another, there was a LOT of them. All were dressed in simple clothes one would normally find in times gone by - in this case, a style of peasantry.

Surrounding the crowd were tents and booths, accompanied by vendors who competed for business. They sold candy and dolls, trinkets and knick-knacks, and the occasional game to win fabulous prizes. Certain individuals performed unbeleivable stunts, in flashy colorful attire, flipping and balancing on chair towers and handing out animal balloons. There wasn't a frown to be seen beneath the flickering lanterns. Everyone was in a blissfully happy mood, the ideal fun fair atmosphere.

Don't forget, Tails and Riyu are still at an age where this sort of thing is extremely hard to resist. They were both practically bouncing with anticipation. "Hey Sonic, we could have a look around by the games, right?" Tails asked.

"And by the clowns!" Riyu added.

"And the gizmo booth!"

"And the fortune-teller!"

"And the CANDY!!"

"Ooh yeah, cotton candy!!"

"C'mon!"

"Onegai?"

At last they chorused, "PLEEEEEEEASE?"

Sonic had backed away, holding his paws up in defense. "Okay okay, calm down guys!" he pleaded, sweatdropping. "You'll remember to keep an eye out for the Jikan, right?"

"Yeah, sure, no prob, let's GO!" came the rushed answer. They each grabbed one of Sonic's wrists and swiftly dragged him into the midst of the crowd before he could protest. No one took notice at first, but believe you me, they will soon!

'I dunno which is more dangerous, when they argue or when they cooperate,' pondered the hedgehog. A trinket booth was fast approaching, so Sonic didn't have time to ponder for very long. Nor did he notice a dark figure glance at the trio from around a corner, then disappear into the shadows without a trace.

*~*~*

Sonikku... they're coming....

*~*~*

Sonic froze. Something was vibrating on his chest.. the necklace! He bent his neck to look at it. The Jikan was thrumming to life, and a little blue light flickered within. Immediately he grabbed it, hiding the light with both hands. The other patrons were wearing necklaces too, but none of them glowed or shook!

"Riyu, hey Riyu!"

She didn't turn away from the inventor's booth, where she and Tails were examining prototypes of multi-purpose watches (they had built-in navigators, TVs and internet access, but strangely, didn't tell time...). "Nani Sonikku-san? What's up?"

The hedgehog came up beside her, careful to keep the Jikan hidden. "The necklace is doing something weird. You have any clue what it is?" he asked. This got her attention at last.

"Really? Little Planet doesn't usually warp until the sun rises tomorrow," she explained. "What's it doing?"

"It's shaking and glowing and I really don't want to attract attention!" He opened his hands a crack so that she could see for herself, but then he felt something else. The outside world was tuned out for a moment. In the back of his mind, he heard a weak voice.

Sonikku... they're coming.... help.. help!

'What? That sounds almost like..'

"Sonic! Wake up, Sonic!"

"Huh.." Blinkblink. Back to reality. Now Tails was frowning in concern, and Riyu inspected the Jikan, now out of Sonic's hands and off his neck. He glanced briefly at the ground, searching his memory -- who was that? A girl for sure, so familiar. "I heard something, someone," explained Sonic, half-lost in his own thoughts.

"You zoned out there for a bit. Is everything okay?" Tails queried.

"I'm fine. But the voice.." One final shake of his head, and he gave up. He'd figure it out later. He looked at his friends clearly now. "She said 'they're coming'. Any ideas?"

"A voice? Who's coming?"

"MINNA-SAN!! TASUKETE, KUDASAI!!"

The entire crowd gasped and grew silent. A shabbily dressed cat, not even wearing shoes, shoved his way into the middle of everyone, panting, his eyes wide and darting frantically back and forth. He continued screaming in a panicked tone, in the native tongue. The people suddenly drew back in horror and were soon chattering again, this time worried and frightened.

"What the heck just happened?!" Sonic demanded.

Tails whirled on Riyu. She wore an expression not much different from the others, borderline mortified. "Please tell me you got that!" pleaded Tails.

"I sure did, kitsune..." The dragoon tucked the necklace into her pack and calmly translated for them. "At the very back of the carnival is the only thrill ride Shaniku-Sai has: a pinball game, where you get to be the pinball. You've been there before, right Sonikku-san?" He nodded. "Well, that cat is the vendor of the game. He said that -- that badniks have overrun it! And a little girl's still inside!"

Sonic reverted to auto-pilot. "You guys keep searching for the Jikan, I'll find you later!" he ordered, then took off, leaving a blue streak in the baffled crowd.

Fox and dragoon debated about whether to listen or not. "C'mon kitsune, we can search while everyone's distracted!"

"You go ahead and search. Sonic might need some help!" He moved to take off, his twin appendages beginning to spin. Tails paid no heed to the astonished onlookers.

Riyu had other plans. "Baka kitsune!!" In a fit of annoyance, she grabbed one tail and pulled him in the other direction.

"OWWW!! Whaddya think you're doing! Lemme go right now!" he demanded. No one had the audacity to do something like this! Of course, she ignored him, tugging persistently as he flailed about in vain attempts to free himself.

"Sonikku-san's more than capable of dealing with a few badniks, and he specifically asked us to keep looking!"

"And supporting him by joining the battle means absolutely nothing to you? You're unbelievable!"

"I'd say the same and moreso, but lucky for you I'm nicer than that!"

The bickering continued and was soon drowned out by an excited cry rising from the crowd. Apparently, faster-than-sound blue blurs were considered legendary..

*~*~*

(A/N: Okay, this is where things get a bit odd, but it's not that hard to comprehend. I've used italics in the past for other things, now I'm throwing it in for another use! YAY! "Italics in quotation marks represent translated Little Planetarian, okee doke?" Since I haven't gotten my lazy butt to fully study Japanese... ahem! On with the show now! ^_^; )

The only thrill ride in the whole of Shaniku-Sai was surprisingly abandoned most of the time. Could be due to the fact that it involved getting knocked around in a huge, clear, plastic ball like a pet hamster, at the mercy of the pinball paddles, waiting to send you rocketing up through the arena uncontrollably. Even though the legendary Sonic once did battle here, no one was too keen on reenacting the event. After all, the whole ride looked pretty painful!

That didn't stop a few thrillseekers from leaping at the chance, young and old alike. The last customer to enter, as the cat vendor could recall, was that little girl pup. Wasn't sure if she made it back out yet--

"Sebi-kun!"

The cat paused, allowing the bustling crowd to filter past. Someone sauntered up to him, a figure shrouded in layers of wispy veils. No one seemed to notice the stranger's presence, the riotous mob simply parting around it as they passed. "Sebi-kun" faced it fully, maintaining a cautious air. "What do you want?"

"Is everything going as planned?"

He relaxed. "So far so good." Then he started digging one toe into the dust, uncertain. "Listen.. you think this is the best plan?"

The figure sounded affronted. "How dare you question me! This is the only opportunity we have, and we'd better make it good! Think of the payoff: you get your cash, and I'll have my jewel, and no one's the wiser."

At the mere thought of cash, the feline immediately perked. "Yes, of course, you're right! No one's the wiser. Perfect! Thanks a lot!" He dashed back into the throng, eager once again.

Satisfied, the veiled one watched him disappear behind a pair of frantic dogs. It was gone before anyone could tell it was there.

*~*~*

Blow after blow was launched into the plastic globe, but miraculously, hardly a scratch was made. Kamakama surrounded the impenetrable sphere, firing their scythes in waves in hopes of cracking that sucker open and grabbing the prize for their illustrious master.

Inside was a quivering ball of black and brown fur, clothed in a breezy lime-green summer dress. A young puppy, at the tender age of 7. Curled as tightly into a ball as she could manage, she cried out in sheer terror, listening to the "RAPPATTARAPPATTARAPPATTA" of the badnik's weapons, slowly but surely wearing down her last line of defense.

When the noise ceased and the Kamakama paused to collect their scythes, she would raise her head briefly and shout at the top of her lungs. "Go away! Leave me alone! Mama, Papa, someone help me! Get me out of here! Please, let me go!"

Their cold, metallic eyes showed no sign of compassion, no sign of hesitation. And the cycle resumed.

The pup screamed again, this time at a crack that was beginning to widen. She'd heard nightmarish stories about these robots, about a bad man who came to Little Planet and took everyone away, leaving nothing but lifeless fear in his wake. "Stop it! Get away from me! HELP! HELP ME! Someone help!!" Her frantic cries echoed throughout the arena, which was slowly beginning to fill with the robots. No one could possibly beat them all. If the legendary warrior wasn't here, who else had the strength to defeat them?

The crack split ominously. Fueled by gradual victory, the Kamakama launched volley after volley at a frantic pace. They ignored the puppy's wails for help, not knowing that another thrillseeker was entering the game, intent on saving the day.

One mantis-like badnik registered a noise far below them. It peered over the ledge, its optics scanning the activity at the bottom of the arena. Pinball paddles had reactivated, and were quickly tossing a spinning blue ball ever closer to them. An alert suddenly blared in the Kamakama's system, relaying it to its comrades -- the hedgehog was coming! They immediately halted their capture mission, as an override command prompted them to shift all attacks towards the approaching enemy.

Meanwhile, the terrified pup continued to tremble, although she did manage to calm down a bit. "What're you doing?" she muttered to the robots. "Is s-someone there? Hello? Please, if you can hear me, help!"

A heartbeat later, the Kamakama wheeled into action. They drove around in a mindless pattern, shooting at a big blue ball. To the pup's surprise, the ball was spinning rapidly, bouncing from one badnik to the next.. destroying them! And their scythes didn't affect it one bit! It spun so fast, they just flew off in all directions! She ducked even lower as some were sent crashing into her protective shelter, the crack now widened enough for her to squeeze through. Strangely, she wasn't worried..

Puffs of smoke and tiny seeds, which instantly sprouted, were all that eventually remained of the Kamakama. The pup could no longer hear their scythes flying, their motors whirring... and that blue ball had stopped bouncing too -- the noise it gave off while spinning had ceased. It was suddenly a very loud sort of quiet. She dared to peek over her curled shoulder, expecting to be completely alone. However, there was someone there.

She was instantly upright, scrabbling to her feet and staring, jaw agape at the person just beyond the plastic crack. The legendary hero himself, Sonic the Hedgehog, smiled warmly at her and offered a helping paw out of the pinball sphere.

"Hey there! You okay?"

She didn't understand a lick of what he said, nor did she really care. Her jaw worked a bit before she managed to squeak, "Soni.. Sonikku-san?"

To her complete surprise, he laughed and nodded. "That's me. C'mon, let's go find your parents." Sonic beckoned her out once more. This time, her hopes confirmed, she grinned and joyously scrambled forward to hold his paw. HIS paw!

*~*~*

"Did you see that!! Ladies and gentlemen, you've just witnessed the legend himself perform yet another successful rescue attempt! Sonic the Hedgehog has returned, just in time to save the innocent young girl from certain doom! VICTORY!!"

Applause and cheers rang into the night sky, effectively drowning out anything else in the entire fairground. Sonic and the pup nearly jumped out of their skin, the girl clinging to his leg nervously, as they peered over the edge of their perch. The bottom of the arena was teeming with motion, not from robots, but from the park's patrons who had followed Sonic to the scene.

"Everyone, please give a warm welcome to the savior of Little Planet! Sonic the Hedgehog!!"

The cat vendor, who alerted the masses to the disaster, now raved nonstop about Sonic's performance above the commotion. He was perched in the operator's booth, and on cue, flicked a pawful of switches on the control panel.

Hundreds of neon lights came to life just as the audience unleashed another celebratory uproar. The pup yelped and covered her delicate ears, while Sonic winced against the bright flashes of pink and green and blue and...

"Ugh, stop the colors," he moaned.

"AH! Mama, Papa! Sonikku-san, lookit, my Mama and Papa!!" The noise stopped bothering her as soon as she caught sight of her parents. The pup leaned over the edge as far as she dared, and waved to two dogs, who appeared to be crying happily and waving back. "Oh Sonikku-san, can we go see 'em? Please?"

Sonic could only understand his name; the rest was complete gibberish. He managed to take a wild guess anyway. "Friends of yours down there?" He scanned the riotous mob, and managed to pick out the same pair of canines, noting the girl's resemblance to the lady. "Your parents, I get it! C'mon kiddo, let's go say hi!" He wrapped one arm around the pup's waist and leaped off the platform before she had the chance to squeal.

"WAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIII!!" she cried, the ground rushing closer and closer. She was only slightly comforted by the fact that Sonic was totally calm about it.

The crowd gasped in unison, and the section beneath the falling duo quickly cleared out. With a slight "tap", Sonic landed, the pup cradled close to him for protection. He straightened upright, searching out the pup's parents. The crowd didn't dare move closer at all, not until his immediate task was completed.

Some patrons were jostled, and the pup's parents burst into view. The little family lit up instantly. Determined, the girl wriggled out of Sonic's arms with a yip and bounded into the loving embrace of her parents. The warm scene incited another tumultuous cheer, effectively deafening everyone present. No one seemed to really care, except Sonic.

He knew that in a matter of seconds, attention would return to him. Having been a hero to these people twice now, the generous "appreciation" Sonic would recieve would very well overwhelm and smother him, especially with a crowd this big! Therefore, he did the only thing that came to mind: he quickly revved up his figure-eight move as a warning to anyone in front of him. As soon as the masses clued in, they cleared a path, and he was gone.

The cat vendor noticed his absence. He put his plan into motion. "Ladies and gents, your attention please! I wish to offer a proposition to you, the fine patrons of Shaniku-Sai!

"The esteemed warrior Sonikku-san has, hidden on his person, a simple necklace of little value. BUT! For a low regiatration fee, I will enter your names into a fabulous contest! Whoever can find, catch up to, and persuade the noble Sonikku-san to give up the necklace, then return the necklace to me, will recieve a fortune in Jikanis!!"

*~*~*

"I really, really REALLY don't like the sound of that cheering," Sonic muttered to himself. He was zipping in between the various stands and tents, now nearly empty because of the commotion at the pinball game. The excited shout in the distance somehow unsettled him. "I swear, the instant we find that Jikan, we're outta here! And where the heck are Tails and Riyu anyway?!"

Just when he considered simply searching for his friends and leaving until the crowds were a touch smaller, the flap of a black tent, showered with star dust, fluttered in the breeze. Sonic was compelled to slow. He eventually stopped altogether. The glittering lights almost hypnotized him, waves of sparkling light rippling across the velvet fabric..

"Ah, Sonikku-san." A sultry voice gently tugged him away from the cloth. There, standing before the tent, was a shapely creature draped in a flimsy midnight dress, with a matching shawl and bandanna covering her head. She peered at Sonic with golden eyes, catching his emerald gaze with little effort. She swayed into a pool of light, closer to the captivated hedgehog.

Instead of fur and muzzle, she bore ebony feathers and a predatory beak. The feathers didn't reach her arms, where silky chestnut fur lay instead. Giving Sonic the knowing look and smile, she beckoned him closer, and turned, vaguely flapping a pair of wings. Then she sashayed back into her tent.

Warning bells screamed loud and clear at a pitch that Sonic had never really experienced before. He had to take a few calming breaths in order to fully rationalize his mind after THAT! And better still, he could hear the crowd drawing closer. Precious minutes had ticked by! He needed to run, hide, search for his friends, the Jikan, Amy--

"Sonikku-san?"

It was the woman, her head peeking out of the tent flap. She no longer held that *ahem* suggestive aura about her. She was quite casual now, which reassured Sonic a bit.

"If you need somewhere to lay low, please, come inside."

The hedgehog did a double-take. "You speak my language!"

She laughed, "Of course I do! Now hurry, the crowd's getting closer!"

Very gratefully, and without a second thought, Sonic tore into the tent before the approaching crowd could catch sight of him.

*~*~*

Inside, the air was faintly wispy with incense smoke, and heavily decorated with jewels, beads, miniature figures, and an assortment of mystical objects. Several candles provided the only source of light, casting an eerie glow on everything. The middle of the small room had a round table, where the woman sat and watched him calmly. In front of her was something round, covered in a dark cloth. She played idly with the hem and met his gaze again.

Sonic forced himself to think of Sally, resisting the alluring gaze of the woman's golden eyes. "So, uh.. how did you know about the crowd chasing me?" he asked, hoping to keep his mind on track.

Another laugh and a charming smile. "Isn't it obvious? With your reputation that's the most likely reaction anyone could expect. Besides.." -- here her voice grew deep and mysterious -- "I predicted it."

"... Excuse me?"

"My name is Kataki, member of the Griff tribe. I am the ekisha of Shaniku-Sai.. I tell fortunes."

"Oh, 'kay," replied Sonic, not too interested at all. Still, Kataki tilted her head to one side, allowing the candle light to dance in her eyes.

"Would you care for a reading? I'll charge you nothing, Sonikku-san. I promise, my readings are completely accurate."

The hedgehog soon found himself taking a seat, as if in a trance. He felt no urge to turn and leave or to protest in any way -- he obediently sat and waited, silent.

A triumphant expression flitted across Kataki's face. She tugged one corner of the cloth on the table, and the candles were suddenly blown out. Now the room was bathed in a light the color of blood...

*~*~*

WAHAAA!! I did it! Finished the chappy! XD!! It's a touch cruddy if you ask me, I think I rushed through some parts... I've more inspiration for the chapters to come, not this one! ^^; Ah, writing, such a career! Okay then, until next time, please be a nice kinda personage and leave a little review! I'm not expecting paragraphs, just a little blurb about what you liked or hated. Thankies in advance! ^_^ JA NE!

NEXT TIME: A sneaky plot! Who'd'a thunk, huh? What's Sonic's fortune gonna be -- revisiting the past or revealing things to come.. or both? Huh? Hey, where are Riyu and Tails? Could use some help here! Perhaps it's up to someone else to save the day! STAY TUNED!