Chapter twelve: "Another Wake Up Call"
"...Now stay here." He said softly, touching the young girl on her shoulder. "You'll
be safe here. They won't find you here..."
"B-but..." She sniffled, looking up at him, her violet eyes brimming with tears. "Where
are you going? Aren't you going to stay with me?"
He sighed. "I can't... I have... Somewhere to be." He said, reluctantly. "But you stay
here. Where you'll be safe."
"No!" She sobbed, clutching onto his arm, "I want to go with you!"
He kneeled on the steps beside her, and gently pried her off his arm. "You can't... You
have to stay here. You have to."
"N-no..." She whimpered. "Please, take me with you!"
"I told you I can't..." He repeated.
She sniffled again. "Please!"
Not answering, he bent over and kissed her on the forehead. "Good-bye, Julie."
"B-But Lysander..."
He knocked on the huge, white double doors. "Good-bye." He said again, and turned to run
away. He never looked back, afraid the second he saw her tear-filled eyes again, he would crack.
If he had looked back then, he just might have noticed that she had left the steps in
front of the orfanage...
Panting, he bent over and rested. He had run all the way across the city, out into the
outskirts of the population. The sky was dark, and it began to rain softly, the white noise
of the raindrops in the grass filled his head. This is were he was going to meet them. He
was finally going to leave this horrible city and be free of his parents forever... But he
would miss his sister...
'I had to leave her there... It's the only way she'll be safe...' He thought, grimly.
Suddenly, a voice filled the darkness. "So... You wish to leave the city?"
Lysander jumped, and stood up straight again. He had not even realized it, but in the
last few seconds, about a dozen black-cloaked figures had surrounded him. He gulped. "Y-yes,
yes I do." He said bravely, "I want to get as far away from this place as I can."
A lone figure stepped up in front of him from the crowd. The darkness and his hood
hid his face, but Lysander could plainly see a fierce glowing red light peering out from
where one of the tall echidna's eyes was supposed to be. "There is only one way to leave
this place. To join us, and pledge your allegiance to me." He said, his deep voice commanding.
He gestured with his hand, or what could be called a hand. It had been replaced with a huge
mechanical claw. He was obviously the eldest of the group, others looked like merely teenagers
like Lysander, so he was most-likely their leader...
Lysander gulped again. "I will do whatever it takes." He said, slowly.
"Good." The leader said, his one red eye flickering. "I am your new leader, Kragok. You
will call me master. Come now, and we will show you the way--"
"Master!" One of the other dark figures said suddenly. "Another approaches! A young girl!"
Lysander felt his stomach knot up. 'No! Not here, not with these freaks! Please, Julie
get out of here!' He thought.
The one he called master growled. "Bring her to me."
The other echidna left, and returned seconds later carrying a frightened little girl, no
older than eleven, his hand over her mouth to stop her screams. She struggled and tried to
kick him, so he simply threw her into the circle.
Sobbing, she recovered, and hid behind her brother.
Kragok's red eye narrowed, and he glared at Lysander. "You know this girl?" He
demanded.
Lysander hesitated. "Yes... I'm sorry, sir. She... She must have followed me. I didn't
know, honest sir! Please don't hurt her!" He pleaded, glancing down at her.
The leader seemed to be considering something. He was staring at the little girl with
an odd interest. "Come here, girl. Come out here so I can see you."
Reluctantly, Julie stepped out from behind Lysander's legs, still sniffling.
"Please sir, just let her go. She won't tell anyone--" Lysander began.
"Silence!" The red-eyed echidna snarled. "No one sees the Master of the Dark Legion
without joining our ranks or dying..."
"But, please... Master..." Lysander continued, "She's just a little girl!"
"...But one day perhaps, she will become a woman." Kragok said slowly, as if still
considering. "...I haven't had a new servant in some time. And I grow bored with the one I
have..."
"...What do you mean, sir?" Lysander asked, fearfully.
Kragok seemed to ignore him for a moment, and began to talk softly to another cloaked
echidna. He nodded slowly, almost reluctantly, then stepped forward and grabbed Julie by the
arm. She screamed, and pulled away, but he threw cuffs over her wrists.
"Lysander!" She cried, still fighting as they drug her away into the darkness. "Help
me, Lysander! Please help me!"
But he couldn't help her. All he could do was watch as they took her away, and listen
to her tortured screams during the night, as she was "trained". He listened, and could do
nothing, as she was forced to do things that made his skin crawl and his hair stand on end...
For years, all he could do was listen to her sobs and screams...
Lysander sat up, sweating. He wiped his longs quills out of this face feverishly. What
a horrible dream. The same dream he had had over and over since Julie-Su had left the Legion.
He could still hear his sister's screams... God, he hoped she was all right out there on the
island. As he tried to calm himself, a hand reached up and touched his shoulder.
Startled at first, he wheeled around muscles tensed.
He was met with the hazel eyes of thin, dark crimson-furred female who had been
asleep beside him, until he had awakened her when he sat upright all so suddenly.
He sighed with relief and flopped back onto the bed tiredly.
"Ly..." She said softly as she leaned over him, putting a delicate hand on his chest.
"Are you all right?"
He closed his eyes. "Not really, Hele-na." He mumbled, rubbing his temples.
She breathed gently. "Still worried about Julie...?" She had a voice that seemed much too
tender to belong to a rouge soldier. It sounded more like the noise silk made when blowing in
a summer night's wind.
She continued, "You don't have to worry for her... She's much tougher than I." She
said smiling.
He sighed again and opened one eye to look at her, smiling sadly. "I suppose you're
right..."
"Now rest some more." She said, again lying down beside him, leaving her hand on his
chest. "It's only two... We have a few more hours before drills..."
"Yeah..." He mumbled, watching her for a while. Now that Julie was gone, Hele-na was
the only one close to family he had left. Her name, Hele-na, was pronounced smoothly, as if
it was not hyphenated at all. Just Helena. Nobody with any wits about them ever called her
just "Hele". At least he never had. And if he did, he sure wouldn't be sharing a bed with her
very much longer.
She wasn't nearly as weak as she seemed. Deep down, she had a will of iron and
bitterness. She was a product of Kragok's cruelty, as Julie would have become. That is, if she
hadn't escaped. Before Julie, Helena had been his servant. Even though she didn't show it,
everyday she was pained with horrid memories of that dark period of her life.
Now though, she had taken an odd liking to Lysander, as dull and melancholy as he was.
He didn't dare think anything better about himself. Kragok all ready had his glowing red eye on
him. Individuality was not an option in the Dark Legion. No, he wasn't brave... Even if he had
stood up for his comrades once... He wasn't brave. Or at least that's what he tried to convince
himself.
Suddenly, his alarm was blaring. He sat up sluggishly and turned it off, glancing at the
time. 4:30 all ready? He grumbled slightly and began dressing. He sat back down on the bed to
put on his boots as Helena just began to awaken.
"Oh..." She yawned, "That was too short of a night..."
"Sorry I woke you up earlier." He said, placidly.
"I'll survive." She said, smiling slightly.
He glanced back at her frail-looking form. He was glad she wasn't a soldier. He really
didn't want anything to happen to her. She worked in the technical and artillery departments
now. She couldn't get hurt programming computer decks or handing out weaponry. At least he
hoped she couldn't.
With a loud crackle, the communications screen on the left side of the small room
suddenly lit up with an image of their leader.
Lysander shot to his feet, saluting quickly. "M-master Kragok." He mumbled in shock.
"Hello Private 5385..." Kragok said slowly, "Lysander, isn't it...?
Fear raced through his mind. "Y-yes, Master." He gulped.
Kragok glanced past him and at Helena sitting on the bed. His normal eye narrowed. "I see
you have company." He glowered.
Lysander looked at her out of the corner of his eye. She looked as frightened as he
felt, or maybe even more so. He gulped again. "Y-yes Master. This is Hele-Na..."
"Ah, yes..." Kragok said darkly, "My former mistress..."
Helena shivered.
Lysander took a deep breath. "What is it you wish of me, Master Kragok?" He asked, trying
to keep the tremor from his voice.
"I wish to speak with you privately." He answered mechanical eye burning. "Come to my
quarters. Now."
"Yes, Master." Lysander said, and practically collapsed when the frightening image
disappeared from the screen.
"Ly..." Helena said softly, "You better get going..."
He nodded. "Right," He said straightening, "Watch yourself today... I have a bad feeling."
"I'll be fine." She reassured, "Good luck to you..."
"Thanks..." He mumbled, pulling up his hood and opening the sliding panel door. 'I think
I'll need it...' He thought grimly.
* * * * * *
It was a clear enough morning in the eastern swamplands of Mobius. The sky was still
a ruddy-purple, uneager to let the sun break the night. The cool air had not yet grown thick
with the humid wetness from the springs, and there was not a cloud in the sky that could be
seen through the thick, drooping branches of the willows.
A perfect day for a victory, Sally thought.
"Good morning everyone!" She said cheerfully as she greeted her troops at sunrise.
"Did everyone sleep well?"
Everyone else, still half-asleep, grumbled in reply.
"Good!" She said, ignoring the actual response. "Everybody here?"
"I think half of me is still in bed..." Clawz mumbled.
"Ditto." Nack yawned.
"Where's Shelia?" Sonic asked, looking around drowsily.
"Yeah! Where is she?" Sally asked, beginning to grow concerned, "We need her for the
shot event!"
"She was with Knuckles last night." Tails informed, as Maria who stood beside him
nodded in agreement.
"But he left back for the Floating Island didn't he?" Sonic asked.
"That's what I understood he was going to do..." Sally said thoughtfully.
"Y'all don't s'pose she went with him, do you?" Bunnie asked.
"I sure hope not! If she did, then we're sunk in the tournament without her skill in
the shot department!" Sally said, "Everybody spread out and look for her! The other tribe will
be arriving any minute!"
* * * * *
Shelia lay wearily staring up at the clear sky, searching for an answer. She had barely
slept at all that night. After he had left, she stood there, silently for a very long time.
She felt so confused...
So hurt....
So empty...
So... Alone...
Again.
She couldn't even comprehend what had happened. For hours she wandered aimlessly
around the edge of the swampland, not even seeing the path in front of her, or feeling the
soft earth under her feet as she walked slowly with her head down. It wasn't until midnight
that the realization of her predicament befell her. Now here she was... Lost and alone again.
She sat down, and finally let the tears come.
Right when she thought her life was finally coming together again, right when she thought
she had fallen in love, right when she though he felt the same way... He just left. She had
never felt so crushed in her whole life. And now she lay huddled on the cool wet grass, staring
at the sky and lettings tears flow down the sides of her face, more alone than ever.
* * * * * *
Knuckles sighed softly, not opening his eyes. He took a deep breath, smelling her soft
rosy scent, and letting a small smile creep onto his lips. He nuzzled her hair gently, but then
stopped... Something felt wrong. He opened his eyes slowly and looked at what he held in his
arms. A pillow, not the girl he had imagined. He grumbled and sitting up, tossed it to the other
side of the room. He slumped face-first back down on the couch miserably. But it wasn't for
long. He stood up like a shot as a ear-splitting scream erupted from down the hall, followed by a
multitude of frantic curses.
He ran into his room to find Julie-Su, the female Dark Legionnaire he had apprehended
the day before, beating his bed with one of her boots.
"What's going on here!?" He yelled, grabbing her by the shoulder from behind.
As if by reflex, she grabbed him by the hand and flipped him into the wall on the
opposite side of the room.
She gasped. "Oops!"
Knuckles stood up, holding his head in one hand, and his back in the other. "What are
you trying to do," He growled, "Kill me or something?!"
"Sorry! I didn't mean to... I.. You just grabbed me from behind... And it... Eh... It
was what I was taught..." She stuttered.
He turned his head up to scowl at her, then as if seeing her for the first time, blinked
in surprise. She was wearing absolutely nothing. Not that that wasn't out of the ordinary for
any animal, but it was just that he had gotten used to Shelia always in her shirt and jeans, and
now seeing this girl without a stitch... He gulped and quickly looked away. Shelia...
He sweated a little, "Umm... Do you mind putting something on, please?" He mumbled.
"What's wrong?" She asked straightening and looking down at herself. She looked back at
him and cocked an eyebrow, smiling slightly. "I make you nervous, Guardian?"
Before Knuckles could reply, he noticed movement under the rumpled covers of his bed. He
lifted them slowly and Archimedes staggered out, carrying his crushed hat. He looked up at
Knuckles with a deep frown, then turned to Julie-Su, then back to Knuckles. Without a word, he
hopped off the bed and hobbled out of the room.
* * * * * *