Enjoy.

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They looked at Brian in shock.

"A…Are you sure?" Topaz asked.

"Yeah." Brian said, nodding his head.

"But how did you get back here, aren't you and the other supposed to be in the afterlife?" Topaz asked. "You were there the last time we went to the Spirit Pool!"

"I know we had to come here though, by order of Queen Aleena." Brian said.

"Our mom told you to come here?" Manic asked in surprise.

"Oh, so you're the brats she told us about." Akatora said.

"Akatora!" Shelby snapped.

"What?" He yelled.

"Your own brothers have sons of their own!" She said.

"What?"

"So do Ben and Cross!" Topaz added.

"Gin too!" Shelby said.

"Well that's WHAT?!" Akatora nearly fell over. "What…did you…say?"

"You're brothers have sons?" Topaz asked.

"No…after that."

"That Ben and Cross are together and have kids?" Shelby asked.

"No, the last one."

"You mean that Gin has a son of his own?" They both asked.

"Yes, that's the one!" He said.

"Oh, Gin got married to a white hedgehog named Cherry Blossom." Shelby explained.

"And what they name the kid?" He asked.

"They didn't exactly name him themselves." Topaz said, scratching behind her ear.

"What does that mean?"

"You know that P4 creature that was killed late last fall?" Shelby asked. "Well, six months earlier, he first attacked Ohu, Gin ordered for Cherry Blossom to be taken somewhere safe because she was carrying his son. Smith took her away but lost track of her…for twelve years."

"Twelve years?" Double D asked in shock.

"Smith then found their son, who had no name. Not long after giving birth, Cherry Blossom contracted a disease but she forced herself to stay alive but it took a lot of her energy to do so, she became so weak that she couldn't even come up with a name for her son. When Smith found them, Cherry Blossom wasn't looking too good. Her last wish was for her son to return to Ohu and meet his father and she passed away. The kid's new friend, GB, was the one who came up with the name, a strong but small one, just like him."

"And what name would that be?" Akatora asked.

"Weed." Another new voice said.

Shelby and Topaz knew that voice.

"Jerome!"

The dull black and light brown wolf came out from behind a corner.

"Jerome!" Topaz cried, running up to him.

"You idiot!" Shelby said, punching him in the chest. "Do you know how worried you've had us since you died. We would have been toast for sure when we fought Hougen if it wasn't for Weed and the wind!"

"Still the same, I see." Another voice said.

"Smith!" Topaz happily said.

The others were surprised to see a black and white hedgehog follow Jerome but what they noticed was the fact that he only had his right arm. They didn't dare ask about what happened to the other.

"I lost it in a road accident." Smith simply said.

They others looked at him in shock. Had he been reading their minds?

"Smith was one of the oldest of the Ohu soldiers before he died, he knows a lot and is even stronger." Shelby said.

"He jumped the same canyon he had nearly twenty years before and was flying higher then anyone else!" Topaz said and jumped.

"But he doesn't have any wings or anything." Tune pointed out.

"I think she means that he jumped so high that it was like he was flying." Sarah said.

"Exactly!" Topaz said.

Smith just let out a chuckle.

"What about Toube, Lefty and his friends and everyone else?" Shelby asked John.

"They stayed in the afterlife, they still have wounds healing." Jerome explained.

"It's been a few months, Gin recovered in only three days, even after having several people step on his backbone, beaten mercilessly, dragged several hundred miles on his back, just a few inches from death, torn up muscles, and unconscious during his rescue, should I continue?" Topaz asked.

"All that and he recovered in only three days?" Double D asked in surprise.

"He was at a healing spring for those entire three days!" Shelby said. "Which reminds me, Jerome, why didn't you get that bullet in your leg removed?"

Everyone else just looked at each other. A bullet to the leg, what was she talking about?

"As punishment for my extreme actions in the past." He said quietly.

"You mean OTHER then killing Lector and Thunder?" Shelby asked smoothly.

"He did WHAT?" Sonia cried.

"Killed two killers, Lector and Thunder." Topaz answered.

"He killed two killers?" Eddy asked in amazement.

"Yeah, but the leader of the group, Weed, didn't like it." Topaz said.

"What, why not?" Kevin demanded.

"Anyone who can't understand the importance of a life is no comrade of his, that's what he said." Shelby quoted.

"What's with that kid?" Eddy asked.

"He may not even be thirteen yet but he's still very wise." Shelby said. "He's not the kind to finish off those who are trying escape, he's way too soft, at least that's what GB called it."

"Who's GB?" Knuckles asked.

"A white echidna with black dreadlocks." Topaz said.

"Another echidna?" He asked. "How many do you know?"

"Let's see, there's Mimi, Flame, Teru, Moss, GB, Locke, Teru's dad, Toube-"

"Alright! I get it!" He snapped.

"You asked." She shrugged.

"And now I'm regretting it."

"Exactly, how many friends do you have?" Double D asked.

"We usually lose track at about twenty." Topaz giggled.

"Twenty friends?" Double D asked in surprise.

"That's usually the ones in our town alone." Topaz grinned.

"Really?" Eddy asked.

"There's enough of us to make a single Freedom Fighter group, and we already did." Topaz said with a giggle.

"Are you serious?" Sonia asked.

"Yeah, our group would be even bigger if the Ohu warriors would join us." Topaz pouted.

"They don't have to, Butt'nik doesn't want anything to do with them, he knows he'd lose to them so fast that it would make his head spin!" Shelby explained.

"Robotnik, bah, he's nothing more then a hooligan." Akatora said.

"Huh, it's funny, that's what your brother said about Hougen." Shelby said.

"Besides, you've never gone toe to toe with him you'll be a robot so fast that your fur would be sent flying! Or bolts, as the case may be." Topaz said.

As they continued, the others just watched in confusion.

"Wonder what they're talking about." Manic said.

"Probably something that's none of our business." Sonia said.

"Well I'm officially bored." Sonic said.

"Show some respect!" Nova said. "These mobians were some of the greatest champions this world has ever known! Akatora gave his life to blind the demon bear, Akakabuto!"

"Akakabuto? But I thought he was only a story." Sonia said.

"No, according to Shelby and Topaz, they know the same wolf who killed him, Gin!" Nova said.

"Double D, isn't that Japanese back home?" Nazz asked.

"Yes, it means silver." Double D replied.

"He WAS born with silver fur that turned this shade of blue as he got older." Topaz said, walking to Manic.

"This place never ceases to amaze me." Double D said.

"Sounds like a story my brother once told me." Eddy shrugged.

"Smith, do you know where Scar Blade has the black chaos emerald?" Shelby asked.

"Yes." The black and white hedgehog said.

"Great, can you tell us where he has it?" Sonia asked.

"Halt!"

Behind them were several pirate ghosts.

"Oh great." Sonic groaned.

"Shelby, you have to get to the Revenge, Scar Blade has the emerald in his quarters." Smith quickly explained.

"The Revenge?" Sonia asked.

"The name of his ship." Garin said quickly.

"Shelby, go! We'll hold them off!" Akatora said, jumping in front.

"You kidding? I've been itching for a fight all morning!" She said.

"If you want a fight…" Eddy started.

"Then you've got a war." Sonic finished.

In less then a second, the ghosts went on the attack, swords and all. Shelby and Topaz grabbed their weapons and followed the others.

"Shell, how about showing these guys a few power cords?" Topaz asked, taking to the air.

"Just what I was thinking!" She said and played the strings.

A blue laser shot from her guitar and hit them straight head on.

"Topaz, show them how it's done!" Shelby told the young fox.

"You've got it!" She said and pulled the trigger on her keyboard.

An orange laser shot from it and hit the targets.

"Now how about a duet?" Topaz asked.

"You've got it!" Shelby answered.

The two pinned themselves to the other's back and started shooting, all the while spinning, causing shots to go everywhere!

"We've gotta try that." Sonic told Sonia.

"Maybe another time." Sonia said.

Double D had become invisible again and was trying to find a way out.

"Oh, what to do, what to do, what to do, what to do?" He kept asking himself.

Eddy was now flying about now, stinging any ghosts that he could.

"Wow, this is actually easy!" He said.

Ed was simply charging any ghost in sight and having a blast in doing it.

"None shall stand in my way!" He cried.

Rolf was also charging them but with his new horns instead of teeth.

"ROLF SHALL UNLEASH HIS WRATH NOW!" He kept crying.

Kevin was now able to roll up into a ball and was rolling around, knocking ghosts down like bowling pins.

"STRIKE!" He said.

Nazz had been combining her cheerleader moves with her material arts moves, a babysitter had to know how to fight after all, it seemed to be more of a dance then a fight for her.

"This is fun!" She said.

Johnny was now putting his new pecking ability to good use. He was pecking every ghost that got too close, giving them mondo headaches, with Plank adding a few jumps after they fell.

"POKE! POKE! POKE!" He chanted.

"CHOA! CHOA! CHOA!" Plank chanted.

Sarah was using her own brute strength to get by them but she was mostly using her lungs.

"OUT OF MY WAY!" She yelled at the ghosts, causing them to hold their ears in pain.

Garin and his crew attacked with their swords, swiping with everything they had, some using other weapons.

"Send them back!" Garin ordered.

Smith, Akatora, John, Brian, and Jerome attacked with blinding speed. Smith was quick even if he did have only one arm and he still did some damage. Akatora was ruthless, and used his teeth in some cases. John was just as bad he used his fangs a lot. Brian resorted to only his fists and kicks. Jerome, combined all of them together, none of the ghosts could lay a hand on him, or blade in most cases.

"Is this some sort of joke?" John asked.

"Shut up and fight!" Akatora snapped.

"Both of you stay focused!" Smith snapped.

"No need to tell some of us." Jerome growled.

"Don't let your ego get too big." Shelby said, jumping onto a ghost near him.

"I'm really getting sick of these guys." Sonia said, pulling the trigger on her keyboard again.

"I say we give them an earful of music!" Shelby said, strumming her guitar again.

"I'm in!" Sonic said.

"Me too." Manic and Topaz said.

"Then let's jam!" Sonic said.

"Topaz and I have a song in mind, let us take care of it." Shelby said.

"Which one are you suggesting?" Topaz asked.

"Walking Into Walls." Shelby answered.

"Are you sure that this is the right time?" Topaz asked.

"It's now or never, and I'd rather it not be never." Shelby replied.

"Okay." And Topaz readied her keyboard and they began.

Topaz: "She wipes a tear from her brow, she's been crying again, she'd been walking into walls again."

Shelby: "Behind a quivering smile, there's a secret, that goes deeper then the cuts she hides.

Topaz: "Her head's spinning around."

Shelby: "He beat her soul to the ground."

Both: "A grown woman in pain, and all she longs to be, is that little girl, again. She screams inside and all she wants to be…all she wants to be is yesterday's child. She wants to hide, she can't run away…to the safety of yesterday's child."

Topaz: "Curled up shivering alone, she's been hurt again, she's been waking into walls again."

Shelby: "Her children keep her alive, they're a sanity but they're the reason why she has to stay."

Both: "A grown woman in pain, and all she long to be is that little girl, again. She screams inside, and all she wants to be…all she wants to be is yesterday's child. She wants to hide she can't run away…to the safety of yesterday's child. Yesterday's child! Yesterday's child! Yesterday's child! Oh. She screams inside, and all she wants to be…all she wants to be is yesterday's child, she wants to HIDE! She can't run away…to the safety of yesterday's child. Oh, oh whoa…"

As the song faded away into echoes, the royal siblings could almost hear someone crying, the crying…of their mother. Was this song…about her? As they pondered these thoughts, Queen Aleena watched from a distance, letting her tears flow, once again.

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I'd like to say these this chapter ends at page 250, and I hope you enjoyed this latest part of the story. R&R please.