Chapter 14

"ALRIGHT! JUST A LITTLE MORE TO THE LEFT!" Diggums barked with his usual boisterous volume. "THAT'S IT! PERFECT!"

A freshly made banner reading "Welcome Home Founder" in bold letters had just been strung up over a large table housing a bountiful feast. It had been an entire week now of repairing and preparing, and everyone was ready to party. Both Fiona and Stella had needed time to recover. For Fiona, it was her injuries, but for Stella it was the culture shock. Losing ten years to one's life was certainly a sight to behold, especially when she took stock of what old friends still lived in the underground city, those that had passed on, and the many children that had grown up on her stories and, despite her faults, admired her like she was some sort of superhero. Stella would spend the better part of the week offering her apologies to the families she had stolen from, and she had made an extra effort to construct a wall with the moles depicting all that had been lost. Her memory turned out to be much better than Mask's, and she would not rest until she could give peace to every noble soul that had aided her in her quest.

As for the damages inflicted by Scourge and the Destructix, repairs were actually much quicker and far smoother than anyone could have hoped for. After Fiona and her friends had returned, a school of Zone Patrol cruisers arrived carrying supplies and tools to help with the restoration. Even the chief Defense and Prosecuting attorneys, Zally and Zelias respectively, had come down to oversee the repair work and offer support wherever they could. By the time the Founder's Welcoming Day had rolled around, Lower Mobius was back and better than ever. Of course, the workforce had been invited to partake in the festivities, and the Zone Cops were more than happy to take a little respite.

At that exact moment, Mask was surveying it all from the newly refurbished, and muchly needed updating, command tower where the power crystal was housed, and he couldn't help but shed a tear or two as he observed his little burg as it should be: happy, healthy, and full of light. With a hydraulic whish, the door opened, and in stepped Zally.

"I trust everything is to your liking, Marshal Mask?" the DA asked.

"I'd certainly say so." The old man replied. "I really can't thank you folks enough."

"No thanks necessary." Zally said with a wave. "After all, it's technically on our dime. Much of the Zone Prison outbreak was kept hush hush on Warden Zobotnik's request. He felt that a coverup was needed to save face, especially given that the prison was supposed to be inescapable. We are all partially guilty in one way or another for Scourge's escape, and therefore we are expected to repair and undo the damage he has caused. Under the maximum secrecy, of course."

"Of course." Mask said. "At any rate, I'm sure the party is about to start. Won't you join me, ma'am?"

"I'd be delighted, sir."

The two made their way down just in time for the band to strike up and get the people dancing. Zector was the first on the floor, and Mask had to draw up a wicked smile when he saw that Arachne was his very unwilling dance partner. The large crocodile swiftly swung the arachnid around on the dance floor, and her cries for him to put her down as well as the slew of rather ugly and unladylike slur made against him fell on deaf ears. More of the zone cops and their lower mobian dance partners soon joined in on the fellowship, all swept away by the music and enjoying the fun. Mask and Zally navigated around it all, and they joined Nicky and Gabby at the diner where a few were gathered and drinking cola. Among them, of course, were Judah and Boris, who were locked in an arm-wrestling match. They appeared to be in a stalemate with young children cheering them on from both sides. However, the loudest were unquestionably Stella and Fiona, the latter even rubbing the lion's shoulders to ease his tension and help his focus. Judah had his fangs bared as he fought tooth and nail to force the big burly bear's arm down, and with one final grunt he finally forced Boris to submit. The bear's knuckle hit the bar with a slam, and Judah hollered with victory as he stood to bask in the cheers of the crowd of children.

"Is no fair!" Boris snarled as he massaged his hand. "I call foul! Little fox girl was helping!"

"Nobody likes a sore loser, bear boy!" Judah jeered. "Don't forget our wager. Free fish for a week."

Boris snorted at him, and he raised a fist in Judah's face.

"Next time, we settle this Si-bear-ia style! Like real men!"

Judah snorted a puff of hot air in the bear's face, and he shook his mane.

"Bring it on, artic blund-a, because I'll be bring the wrath of Downunda! Here my thunda!"

Mask rolled his eyes as Boris stormed off, and he tapped the lion on the shoulder.

"Would you not antagonize him, especially not with that infuriating wrestler jargon? We just fixed the place up."

Judah turned to him and shrugged.

"Hey, it's on him. I can't help how awesome I can be."

"Replace awesome with awful, and you might be onto something."

Stella chuckled from her place at the bar.

"That's telling him, Mask. Don't give the young'uns an inch."

"I don't intend to." Mask said, turning to her. "You and I have a lot that needs to be discussed, and that includes your rash behavior in no small part."

"Hey, I came home, didn't I?" Stella teased.

"You're over twelve years past curfew." Mask retorted tersely.

Stella giggled, undeterred by his tone. It infected Fiona, and soon she too was laughing. Mask rolled his eyes, but he couldn't help but crack a smile of his own.

"Maybe I should lighten up." He said. "This day could have just as easily been a memorial rather than a celebration. It's really good to have you back, Stella."

"It's a mutual feeling." Stella said, placing a hand on her friend's shoulder. "Now, I think we've all worked up something of an appetite."

"Amen there, ma'am." Zally said. "It's been too long since I've had some good old-fashioned home cooking."

"Well then, you're in for a treat, miss." Mask said. "You ain't had cooking until you've tried Lower Mobian cooking."

He lead her away towards the buffet table, leaving the small group of friends to commune amongst themselves.

"I think I like this alternate version of sugar queen." Fiona said with a chuckle. "She's much more relaxed, and nowhere near as dramatic. Though, if I didn't know better, I'd say Mask is going a bit far out of his way to be nice to her. Must be trying to get me off on good behavior."

"Well pray that he can." Stella said with a nervous rapping of her fingers against the counter. "Judah, how's that escape tunnel we discussed coming along?"

Before Judah could speak, Fiona held up a hand.

"Mom, we've talked about this."

"But, button, be reasonable." Stella pleaded. "You were locked up for the entirety of your childhood. If you go with them, they'll lock you up for the rest of your natural life."

"And that's what I deserve." Fiona said simply. "I had a choice, and I picked the wrong one. I've run away from my problems for long enough. Whatever comes my way, I'm ready to face it head on."

Stella's shoulders sagged, and she looked like she was about.

"I won't do it! I won't let them take you away from me. I'll fight them all off tooth and nail if I have to in order to…"

Fiona stepped over to her mom, and she took her hands into her own. She offered her a smile, and she put her forehead to her mother's own.

"I love you mom, and I'm sure you would do all of that, but I can't escape this. If I run, I'll only make things worse. If not for me, then for everyone else here in Lower Mobius. Besides, the Zone Cops aren't the only group I've wronged. Folks in the Iron Dominion, dozens of treasure hunters in the Great Desert, and don't even get me started on the Freedom Fighters. Sally would likely nail my hide to the barn on sight. This is just how it's gotta be."

Stella started to argue more, but then Zelias and Zonic approached them. Stella's hand immediately went to the rifle Nikki kept behind the counter, but the weasel was faster. The weapon was well out of reach and disarmed before anything could be done. Zonic was the first to approach, and he looked Fiona in the eye.

"I take it you know what we want?" he asked.

Fiona chuckled darkly.

"Getting right to it, huh? You were always better than your prime counterpart about that sort of stuff. So this is the part where I fulfill my part of the deal that got you folks to pull my butt out of the fire?"

"It is." Zelias replied blankly.

"So…do I have to wear the iron bracelets?"

"Only if you want to."

"I'd really rather not."

"Alright then, follow us then."

The zone patrollers started towards the hill leading up to the cottage. Dutifully, Fiona followed, and soon so were her friends and her mother. As they passed, Fiona could feel eyes on her, and the music was dying down. One by one, the citizens of Lower Mobius were turning their attention towards Fiona. It struck a thought in her that, with one shout, everyone in this city would jump to her aid without so much as a single thought. That's what they had done for her mother all those years ago, and some of them had even broken time just to go and get her. It was for that very reason she wouldn't open her mouth. She kept silent, and she even mustered up a smile as she waved goodbye. These were good folks, and this was a party. She would just go out the same way she came in. As quietly as she could without incident.

Eventually, they cleared Lower Mobius completely, and they made it to the cottage above and the front yard thereof. However, it was then that Fiona realized something was off. She had been expecting an armored vehicle, Zouge the prison psyche, and Warden Zobotnik accompanied by hundreds of armed guards. Instead, what she found was an empty yard. She looked around, but she couldn't see any sign of any sort of transport or Zone Patrol personnel. Fortunately, that included a firing squad, so she wasn't in any immediate danger.

By then, Judah, Gabby, Nikki, and Stella arrived on the front lawn right behind them, and they were equally shocked by the lack of…well, anything. Judah sniffed the air, and he frowned before shrugging to the others. Zelias then took out a pocket watch, and he studied the time.

"She's late again." He mused.

"She?" Fiona asked curiously.

"You'll see soon enough." Zonic replied.

At last, a hole in space appeared, once again blowing the shingles off of Mask's cottage, and a Zone Patrol cruiser emerged and landed a few yards from them. The door opened on the passenger's side, and two figures emerged. The first was Blade, and the poor boy looked as though he hadn't slept for several nights. Joining him was a young lynx lady. Nicole's Zone Patrol counterpart, Fiona figured, and she appeared to be some sort of secretary judging from their dutiful manner of scribbling on a notepad.

"Blade!" Judah said as he rushed over to the hybrid. "Where the ding dong heck have you freaking been, you boofhead. I have half a mind…"

Blade waved a hand, and suddenly Judah became a mute.

"Ease up, lion." He said tiredly. "It's been a long night of negotiations."

"Negotiations?" Fiona asked.

At last, the final figure emerged from the vehicle, and Fiona's draw dropped.

"Oh, you have got to be kidding!"

It was her! Or, perhaps more accurately, her zone patrol counterpart. Dressed in a black three piece suit, a pair of shades, and just exuding authority, her double strutted her way over to them, and Zelias and Zonic stood to attention.

"Commissioner on sight!" Zonic proclaimed. "Madam Ziona, head of all zone operations and investigations."

"At ease, you two." Ziona stated sharply, and the cop and prosecutor relaxed.

Ziona brushed a hand over her brow, and she looked about until her eyes landed on her prime counterpart. She offered her a grin.

"Surprised?" she asked.

Fiona took a moment to collect herself, and she shrugged.

"Yeah, well, I wasn't quite expecting to meet another me, as strange as I'm sure that must sound to you, ma'am. I haven't even met my moebian counterpart, not that I ever wanted to, so the least I would have guessed was that a version of me ran the entirety of the Zone Cops."

"The multiverse can be funny that way." Ziona said with a small chuckle. She then straightened. "Now then, on to business. Zicole, dear, would you please read the charges placed against the accused?"

The lynx nodded, and she brought up her clipboard.

"Fiona Fox of Mobius Prime. You stand accused of multiple accounts of crossing the dimensional barrier without the proper authorization, the attempted aiding in a bi-dimensional conquest campaign, creating a riot in the Zone Maximum Security Prison that led to a breakout, resisting arrest, and, last but not least, the destruction of private property in the form of the vehicle depot in Zone Patrol Command. How do you plead?"

Stella started to open her mouth in protest, but Fiona beat her to the punch.

"I plead guilty to all charges. I'm the reason Scourge escaped Moebius the second time by fixing the star posts on his side, and I sprung him out of the prison with the aid of the Destructix. I understand if you have to arrest lynx and the other boys, but I want it to be clear that I was the mastermind, and that their sentences shouldn't be near as severe as mine. Whatever that may be."

"Now wait just a minute!" Stella proclaimed as she stormed into view. "I call this all a farce! If anyone should be punished, it must be me!"

Ziona tilted her shades up, and she studied Stella for a moment.

"And you are, miss?"

"My name is Stella. I am Fiona's mother, and it's because of how shoddy of one I've been that Fiona is in this fix. My daughter didn't have a positive role model while she was growing up. No offense, Nicolette."

"Hey, I'm secure in who I am." The weasel said with a shrug.

"So please, spare my daughter. Take me instead. I'll sign a form, confess on the stand, or whatever you need."

"Mom, enough!" Fiona said, forcing her way in between her and the zone patrol commander. "Maybe you weren't there, but that was no more your fault than the charges against me. I'm guilty for my own choices, and I can attest that I knew right from wrong. At the time, I just liked doing wrong more than doing right. Enough people have paid for my ego."

She turned back to Ziona.

"I'm ready. So go ahead and do your worst."

Ziona was silent as she studied her double's expression. She had been expecting some show of force given what she had witnessed from the security tapes, but this was something new. This girl had plenty enough idea of what the zone patrol did to criminals like her, but she was more than ready to face it. She took off her glasses, and she fixed Fiona with a firm gaze.

"I have to say, my dear double, you impress me. You got grit, which is more than I can say for half of my staff and other such subordinates."

She shot an accusatory look to Zonic, whom started to whistle innocently.

"But, with that being said, you're kinda jumping to conclusions, here. You haven't even heard the deal your defense council and I drummed up."

Fiona looked up, and she blinked.

"Defense council? I didn't hire a lawyer. I don't even know any lawyers."

"Then it's a good think I appointed you one." Ziona said. "Blade, sweetie, would come over here for a minute."

Blade complied, and he came to a stop standing next to Fiona.

"You?" Fiona gasped, her jaw gaping.

"Who else?" Blade asked. "Like I said, I've been moonlighting for the ZC, so I'm fairly familiar with their laws. I've been speaking with the commissioner for the last couple of days about your case."

"What's there to talk about?" Fiona asked, exasperated. "Geeze lou-freaking-ise! I'm finally taking responsibility for my actions, and that's when people want to cut me some slack?"

"Slack, but not take you off the hook." Ziona said correctively. "After a very heated debate, I've taken your case with a much larger grain of salt, and I fear I must confess something. You, ma'am, have done the one thing nobody else has ever managed to do: you impressed me. For years, at every security meeting, I had to flip an hourglass to give Zobotnik his due for how secure and impenetrable his little prison was. The look on his face as I strutted my bad self in as he tried to conduct his farce of a coverup just added fifteen years to my lifespan. I loved it!"

She coughed once to compose herself.

"That's when your friend there interjected a point. The zone prison must be impregnable. All of the dangerous criminals of the multiverse, criminals much too dangerous to be allowed to run free across the infinite zones, are kept in that prison. While your little crew were the only ones to escape, thank the void, it is still the fact that you were able to do it at all that is amazing. Naturally, Zobotnik has assured me that it was user error, he always blames Znively when things go wrong, but I dunno. Given all the craziness that's gone on in the No Zone as of late, I think some improvements could be made, and you, my dear, might just be what the doctor didn't want to order."

Fiona blinked at her, and then she began to piece something together.

"Wait a second. Are you…are you trying to recruit me or something?" she asked.

"You in the Zone Patrol?" Ziona replied. "That's ten pounds of NO in a five-pound bag. Rather, I've got a proposition for you. In exchange for no jail time, you will be put under house arrest, Zicole here has an ankle bracelet that will alert us if you ever try to leave this dimension."

Fiona heard a click, and she could see that the lynx had just finished putting the device around her foot. It felt heavy, but not enough that it would throw off her balance.

"Don't even bother trying to remove it. Or, perhaps you should try. You see, in tandem, you will also be called upon regularly to test our security systems and test our personnel's reaction time."

Her gaze darkened.

"Now, here's the part you need to take to heart. When all is said and done, I pretty much own you. I expect nothing but perfection, and if you want to stay out of maximum security lockdown, then you had better be ready to play ball when I yank you up, and, rest assured, I will be snatching you up without even the slightest hint. You could be eating breakfast, putting a puzzle together, or sitting on the pot. I will find you and put you to work. It's not uncommon that I've been called a monster, and I prioritize that trait. When I'm through with you, you won't even be able to look in a mirror without seeing my face."

"Wouldn't she anyway?" Judah whispered, but Nikki slugged him in the stomach to silence him.

Fiona studied the double with a searching eye.

"So…let me get this straight." She said evenly. "I can live…here? With these people? No bars? No walls? No guards?"

Ziona shook her head.

"I like to think I'm something of a new age kinda gal." she said. "Of course, thanks goes to Blade, too. He gave me the idea of…what was it, sweety?"

"A black hat, ma'am." Blade said.

"Ah, yes." Ziona said. "That just sounds right. So dark, and yet it is a force for good. I love it! I might start making it a regular thing. Gonna have to sift through our current criminal clientele and see what we have to work with."

"Uh, let's not get crazy, ma'am." Zonic squeaked.

"Oh, don't soil your quills." Ziona retorted. "It's just a thought."

She turned back to Fiona.

"I am taking your request to heart though. About Lightning Lynx and his lot. I offered my condolences to their missing friend, but he spat at me about it."

"It's because you look like me." Fiona said.

"Kind of figured." Ziona said. "They'll have a similar position as you, though I'm posting them in the No Zone. It's nothing personal, but I feel those boys are more of a flight risk. Just ensuring all of my pieces on the board and whatnot. But I promise that they're in good hands. Zouge has taken a personal interest in them, and, from what I could see, they were kind of excited to start their sessions again. I think they appreciate having someone to talk about their mommy/daddy issues and what not. In the end, I suppose everyone is happy."

She shot a glance towards Stella.

"Right, ma'am?"

Stella crossed her arms, but she made no comment. With that, Ziona started on her way for the car once more.

"Welp, I've done enough damage here. Zonic, tell the boys they're free to party for as long as they like. I'd join ya, but I've way too much paperwork to catch up on. Oh, speaking of which."

She spun around and flung something at Blade. He caught it, and he discovered that it was a notebook.

"You're off the hook, honey. Enjoy your severance benefits. Just don't tell nobody that momma Ziona didn't make good on her debt. Ciao babies!"

With that, she and Zicole boarded the vehicle, flew up into the air, and they disappeared through a hole in space. Fiona watched them go, and she took a deep breath before looking at the sky.

"Oh…my…gosh. What even is my life anymore?"

"So, that's it, then?" Judah asked. "We…we win?"

"Yeah," Nikki said as she started to grin, "Fiona, you win!"

Fiona wasn't quite sure what to feel. Her shoulders quaked, her knees were buckling, and she had started to cry. She wasn't going to prison. She got to stay. She could stay with her mother, with the old man, and…

And her friends.

She turned back to see Blade, Judah, Nikki, Gabby, and her mother. She brushed an arm across her eyes, and she stifled a choke.

"Yeah." She gasped. "I'm home, guys!"

Gabby cheered with delight, and she raced over and leapt into the fox's open arms. That was enough for Judah, and he joined in the group hug. Soon enough, Nikki and Stella joined in, and the whole posse collapsed on the ground. They rolled around and laughed, not caring for the dirt as the trio enjoyed their happiness and celebrated their victory. But, all the while, one was not joining the fun. In fact, he was starting to inch away.

Blade offered his friends a fleeting smile as he disappeared into the forest, and then he shifted his attention to the documents Ziona had given him.

"I'm happy for you, Fi." He whispered. "I wish you nothing but the happiest life. In many ways, it gives me hope. If you could change your fate, then maybe I can change mine. Who knows? Maybe I'll see my own family again soon."

He opened the file, and the first notable thing that could be seen was a picture of Shadow the hedgehog.

"Hang in there just a little longer, Silver." He whispered tensely. "I'll see you again, soon. After I kill Shadow the hedgehog.