Who is that girl I see,
Staring straight back at me?
Why is my reflection someone I don't know?
Somehow I cannot hide who I am, though I've tried.
When will my reflection show who I am inside?
1943 Hours, The Great Forest, Knothole, Infirmary
Chuck and Rotor, followed closely by Muttsky, carried Sonic into the infirmary. The main reception area was built into a thick redwood, while the rooms were in two structures built into either side of the tree. As they entered the main room, all three were met by an elderly, grey-haired chipmunk wearing a slightly faded red hood and a blue blouse.
"Oh, my word!" She gasped, observing the hedgehog's injuries, "What happened?"
"It's a long story, Rosie." Chuck replied, "Do you have a room open for him?"
"I believe I do." the chipmunk turned around and walked down the right hallway, "Follow me."
As they walked down the corridor, Rosie found herself thinking to a more peaceful time. She had been the caretaker of the young Freedom Fighters before Robotnik's coup. When it began, she led the children to the safety of Knothole. However, she never told anyone that a future Sonic the Hedgehog and Princess Sally had helped them escape. The only other Mobian who knew about it was Uncle Chuck, who also knew of Sonic's time-traveling shenanigans.
Rosie shook her head; Would this madness never end?
A few minutes later, Chuck and Rotor laid Sonic on the bed in one of the rooms. Muttsky lay curled up on the floor, protecting his owner and getting in a short dog-nap. Rosie stood by, watching the scenario with nervous eyes.
Rotor attached sensors to several spots on Sonic's body. The sensors were connected to a machine that gave a readout of Sonic's vital organs. While Rotor did his work, Chuck brought out ointment and other medical supplies. He applied cleaning fluid to some of Sonic's scratches and put a sling on the hedgehog's right arm.
Tails ran into the room, immediately asking without stopping to take a breath, "How's Sonic doing?"
"We'll find out in a minute..." Chuck said, activating the machine. It immediately displayed an X-Ray of Sonic's body.
"Wow. His vitals are all intact, and his arm's almost healed." said Rotor, closely examining the X-Ray, "The energy from the DP stones is healing his body on the inside and outside."
"Anything else?"
"Nothing else looks wrong." Rotor reported, "He's right as rain."
Ironically, a flash of light outside followed this comment, quickly followed by a crash of thunder. There was a drumming noise on the ceiling as a deluge hammered the forest.
"Looks like we got back just in time." Rotor commented as he looked out the window, "It's really pouring out there."
"I'll say." A familiar voice said from the door.
They all turned and saw...
"Aunt Sally! You're back!" Tails exclaimed.
Muttsky jumped up and put his front paws on Sally's chest, barking excitedly.
"Oh, Princess, it's good to see you safe and sound!" Rosie said.
"What'd you have to take care of?" Rotor asked.
"I think it's best if I show you." Sally said, pressing the palm of her hand on Muttsky's head. She closed her eyes and her eyes instantaneously flared with a pink light. Muttsky began glowing with the same pink light.
Everyone shielded their eyes as the light became blinding.
When the light died down, Chuck's eyes were immediately drawn to Muttsky.
"Amazing..."
Muttsky's rough metallic skin was gone. In its place was yellow fur and flesh-and-blood. The mutt sniffed his lower hind quarters and then licked his paw, whining questioningly as if confused about what had just happened. He was a little disappointed that he didn't have his armor anymore.
"Sally..." Rotor said, in awe of what he had just seen, "Did you just..."
"Restore Muttsky?" broke in Chuck.
"Yes." Sally replied, turning to Chuck, "And I can do the same for you, Sir Charles."
"Okay..." Chuck said warily.
Sally placed the palms of her hands on the metal hedgehog's chest and right shoulder.
The same light that had cured Muttsky flashed again, and when it died down, the result was the same. Chuck's metallic armor was gone. He was no longer pure metal, now he was flesh and blood.
"Incredible." He gasped, looking down at his hand, "You actually did it, Sally!"
"What about everyone else in Robotropolis?" asked Tails.
"Well..." Sally hesitated, "Let's just say we'll need to build some... temporary... shelters for now."
Before Chuck or Rotor could respond, they heard Sonic groan. He slowly opened his eyes and looked around the room. Muttsky whined and licked his left hand.
"M-M-Muttsky? W-where am I?" the hedgehog asked groggily.
"We're back at Knothole, sonny." His uncle replied
"U-Uncle Chuck?" Sonic stuttered, taking in his appearance, "You're..."
"I'm better now." The elderly hedgehog replied with a wistful smile, "Everyone else is too."
"Oww... That smarts." The hedgehog groaned, pressing his left hand against his chest, "Wait... Tails! What happened to Tails?"
"I'm fine, big bro."
"He's safe, Sonic." Sally said, placing her hand on Sonic's re-assuringly, "Everyone's safe."
"A-and Bunnie? Where is she?"
It suddenly occurred to the others that they hadn't seen Bunnie after they had returned to Knothole.
"She probably went back to her hut." replied Chuck, "I think she wants to be alone for a while."
1947 Hours, Knothole, Power Ring Pond
Bunnie sat on the edge of the log laying in the Power Ring Pool, staring down at her reflection in the water. Her shoulders and ears were drooped, and her green eyes were filled to the brim with sorrow and tears. However, for some reason, the tears just wouldn't flow.
She was soaked through to the skin, but she either didn't notice it or pretended not to. Honestly, she felt the same on the inside as she looked on the outside.
After they had returned from Robotropolis, she had broken away from the crowd and come here to think. But that was the problem: There were so many thoughts whirling around in her head that it was hard to focus on just one. However, there was one that kept repeating itself: She had almost killed Sonic.
The reason why the blue hedgehog was lying on a bed in the infirmary, the reason why he had gone on a mindless rampage, and the reason why he was hurt was simple: It was all her fault.
Granted, she had been cured of her roboticized form, but was it really worth what had happened?
She knew that she hadn't been in control of her actions, but at the same time, she was still aware of what she had been doing. The rational part of her mind told her she ought to have done something to resist Snively's control.
While the robotization process enslaved the Robian's actions, they were still aware of what they were doing, but were completely unable to do anything about it. It was a fate worse and far more sinister then death. However, there were some Robians who were able to resist Robotnik's control, like Uncle Chuck.
Her thoughts suddenly drifted back to her robotization.
Two years ago, she, Antoine and a Freedom Fighter named Kat had gone with Sonic and Sally to Robotropolis for what should have been a routine scouting mission. Sally had been on the outskirts of the city monitoring their progress while Sonic attracted the SWAT-Bot's attention. Their job was to scout Robotnik's factories and assess the rumors of a supposed chemical machine that he was planning to use on the Great Forest.
However, things had quickly gone south after Antoine freaked out over a sound which turned out to be a rat running through the garbage. SWAT-Bot's had quickly captured them and taken them to Robotnik's Headquarters.
Since she was a valuable member of the Freedom Fighters, and exceptionally skilled in martial arts, Robotnik had her put in the Roboticizer so she could serve him as his mechanical enforcer and give him vital Freedom Fighter information.
Fortunately, Sonic had rushed in at the last second and disabled the machine. In the ensuing chaos, they escaped. Unfortunately, they found that Robotnik had succeeded in roboticizing her lower torso and left arm.
Bunnie quickly realized that things would not go back to the way they once were anytime soon. Not to mention, many of the citizens of Knothole were wary of her after her robotization, which worsened her feelings. However, there was one who stood up for her and gave her support through that rough period of her life: Sonic the Hedgehog.
The hedgehog, alongside the martial arts knowledge she had been taught, helped her to master her newfound strength. Sonic even formed a close bond with her, closer then when they were kids. Over the course of a week or two, Bunnie came to realize that she did have feelings for the hedgehog, but any hopes she had for ever expressing her feelings were dashed when she saw Sonic and Sally's kiss the night the Doomsday Project was destroyed.
Almost instantly, the events of the day immediately played back in her mind.
The emotions she had kept bottled inside herself suddenly burst forth like a dam filled to the brim, her hands flying up to her eyes as the tears she had been holding back burst forth and flowed freely down her cheeks, mixing with the raindrops on her face. Her whole body shook as she sobbed for herself and her friends, but she mainly wept for Sonic.
She knew there wasn't any denying the facts: She loved Sonic. She had loved him ever since she first knew him as a child.
Suddenly, an image flashed to her mind.
"Thanks for savin' my life tonight, Bunnie!" Sonic had said as they were carried over the bridge by the jubilant Mobians.
"Sometimes a metal body comes in handy. But ah still have somethin' a robot'll never have..."
"A mind and a heart of mah own..." she said aloud.
Sure, she had been roboticized, but she was now herself. And, the last time she checked, she was still Sonic's friend, and as Sonic's friend, all she could do at the moment was see to his health, not cry over it.
She sniffed and wiped her eyes.
"C'mon, Bunnie." She told herself, standing back up, "Ya can't cry over something you had no control ovah."
Bunnie walked towards the shore. She jumped off of the log onto the wet sand and headed back towards the main hub of Knothole. Little did she know what she was about to run into.
She was walking through the forest towards the council building when her nose caught a whiff of smoke. She glanced around, not able to see much of anything in the dimly lit forest.
Acting on instinct, she dove to the side and somersaulted. Above her, branches and twigs broke and snapped as an immensely heavy object plummeted to the ground, landing where she had been just a few seconds before, splattering mud and water in all directions. The object was still for a few seconds. Suddenly, it moved, slowly shifting its position until it stood on what she assumed were its feet.
A flash of lightning briefly illuminated the dark forest, catching the form of a robot over two times Bunnie's size. Its optics glowed bright red, giving it a slightly demonic look
Bunnie's pulse began racing as the machine's vision settled on her.
*SIGNAL LOCATED* It droned, stomping towards the rabbit, *INITIATING INTERROGATION*
1952 Hours, Knothole Council Building
"So that iz 'ow you are coming to be here?"
"Yes." Knuckles replied to the confused Antoine, "I know it's a lot to swallow, but it's true."
Knuckles, Griff, Ari, Lupe, Palo, Dirk and Antoine were all sitting around a table under the roof of the council building. After the sudden exodus of Mobians into the village, everyone scrambled about to find room for them all. Some had suspended canopies between trees while others had built lean-to's for temporary shelter from the rain.
Everyone was confused about what was happening, Knuckles included. However, there were some Mobians who wondered about Knuckles' sudden appearance and even more about his existence. Echidna's were apparently not the norm here in Knothole, he had thought to himself. So he and Griff decided to tell them the reason for his appearance.
"How long has Griff known about this?" asked Lupe.
"Actually, Knuckles and I have been friends for years." Griff explained, "When Robotnik took over, Knuckles' father helped me and the others escape below the city. He even gave us the parts to build the crystal generator."
"How'd you even get your hands on that tech?" Palo asked the echidna.
"It's... complicated." Knuckles replied hesitantly.
"What's that noise?" Lupe inquired suddenly.
The female wolf's question directed their attention to thick bushes and trees that had begun swaying violently, as if something was rushing through them and knocking them down like a house of cards.
Suddenly, a wet and muddy Bunnie ran out of the thick undergrowth, tripped over a tree root and fell forward on her knees.
"Bunnie!" she heard Griff's voice shout, followed by two strong arms pulling her up. She glanced to her left and saw a kindly, yet concerned, face of an anthropomorphic cat. The others were crowded around her, looking at the situation with confused expressions.
"K-Kat? How are ya...?"
"Sally restored all of us." the mobian replied in a somewhat gravelly voice, "What are you running from?"
Bunnie was about to reply when the trees behind them suddenly snapped like toothpicks and were flung up into the air. The bulky E-123 Omega charged through, scanning all of the Mobians around him.
*YOU WILL ANSWER MY QUESTION!* The automaton roared at Bunnie, sending the Mobians (mainly Antoine) scattering in fright, *WHERE... IS... ROBOTNIK?!*
Author's Note: The plot thickens! Stay tuned!