1 Brothers of the Rainbow
By: LazerTH
Author's note:
I'm back, but only for a short time. Next year I have O-Levels exams, which will make it impossible for me to write any more fanfiction until June or July 2002. I managed to write this during my Christmas vacation, so that those of you who wanted a sequel to "An Imperfect Night" will get one. This is perhaps my longest fanfic ever, but it was written with thought and care. I hope you enjoy this story, which concludes what was started in An Imperfect Night.
Chapter 1: The speech
Since the destruction of Cliff Dome, one week had passed. The Freedom Fighters had been shocked at the sudden appearance of Robotnik, who had almost ended the lives of Sonic and Sally when his missile destroyed the Dome. Thoughts of revenge plagued the mind of Sonic and those who wished for Robotnik's overthrow. There would be retribution, for it was inevitable that action would be taken by both sides, in a struggle to determine who would be the masters of Mobius.
He was thinking about her again, as the grass ripped beneath his feet and his spiky green hair lashed his face. The princess, Sally. he was approaching a chasm, nearly half a mile wide. There was no shrubbery, nothing he could hang on to if he fell short. he just had to keep on running. The vines hanging from the walls were thrown off the aged stones as he flew past them, his feet pumping at inestimable speed. He always enjoyed a challenge, especially ones involving near death experience, that is, until he met Sally, who had changed his outlook on life.
"Hey, are you sure you can make it?"
The transceiver brought the voice across garbled; so great was his speed that the radio waves were distorted.
"Yeah, this'll be an easy one."
Very near to the edge, he remembered the day she had awoken.
"So close, so close. Sonic, I almost lost you!"
"You won't lose me Sally, not ever."
"This war, Sonic, it might separate us, I'm so afraid."
He had held her tight, not wanting to let her go. She was so vulnerable then, Sally, heir to the throne, after the horrific night they had went through.
Back in the present, he realized that he was seconds from the edge. He would not let the war stop them from being together in the future. He had to concentrate.
Wind roaring in his ears, the green flowing beneath his feet. he jumped. No, he soared. Nothing Mobius had ever seen before rivaled his speed. His was the speed of Destiny herself, and perhaps it was She that granted him speed. The ground was far below, the sky opened up before him. Nothing could stop him now.
Tails banked the Tornado, turning his head quickly as his friend flew across the wide chasm: He was just a blue blur shooting through the air, something that seemed alien to this world, and yet so attuned to its life. He knew that his friend could cross the chasm easily, for he had done many things before that had seemed impossible. Like finishing High School.
Halfway there, he curled into a ball. It would help him land easier, and he did. When he struck the ground on the other side, a huge spew of dirt fell into the deep gorge he had just crossed, falling to the river below. Not missing a beat, he sped off still curled into the ball, dodging around scattered outcroppings of rock and ruined structures. He had done this before, and he could do it again. Some stone arches appeared in the distance. He needed to concentrate.
Yet again, he remembered, the shattering glass. The screams. The pain. The anger. He had hated Robotnik before, but that incident had caused an anger within him that burned blacker every day. He wanted revenge, not just that, he needed revenge. Now he understood Lazer's anger.
As he did loop-de-loops around the hewn stone loops, he wondered why the ancients had made them as loops. Well, now was not the time to question the wisdom of the ancestors. Surpassing the arches, leaving dust in his wake, he sped nearer the hill. It seemed taller this time, as if the thoughts weighing on his mind made it seem more formidable. He came out of the ball, using his legs once more. As he came nearer, however, he slowed down. He came down to a jog, and then to a trot. Finally he stopped at the base of the hill, and looked up at it. Many shattered stone structures, that ancient civilizations had made, were scattered about the hill. There was a new path to take every time.
"The moment you start, I'll set the timer!" the voice reminded him. He heard the Tornado somewhere in the distance behind him.
Would he set a new record? Was there anyone on Mobius who could even break the old one? Perhaps that yellow mongoose, but she was far away.
"Three. two. one." he counted down.
He legs churned into the familiar Figure 8. Clouds of dust screeched into existence behind him. Then, he released.
With the thought of Sally once more on his mind, he rocketed up that hill, the trail of dust and gravel still fresh from where he started even when he completed the ascent with a single-handstand upon the peak.
"Two point three-four seconds! Too bad, Sonic! You missed the record by point zero-two seconds!"
"As if you could stop the watch that fast," muttered Sonic, somersaulting to a standing position. He dusted his gloves.
"Well, what do we do now?" he asked, as the Tornado finally flew overhead.
"The speech is gonna be said in half an hour. We should be there."
"Hmm. Yeah, I have a score to settle with old Buttnik."
"I'll land on the flat stone over there," Tails replied, as Sonic ran down the hill and followed the Tornado to a large, single slab of stone. Many ages ago it had served as a place of worship. The sun was nearing its zenith. Shadows from himself and the Tornado stretched across the stone's dark gray face.
"So, do you think we can pull through the War without losing too many Freedom Fighters?" Tails asked absent mindedly, as Sonic took his place on top of the Tornado's wings. Tails was worried that some day, Sonic would fall off in mid-flight, but after many adventures that accident had never occurred before. Sonic brushed his hair to one side before he replied.
"Casualties? Of course there'll be casualties. Buttnik may be senile and crazy, but his robots can still pack power when they have to. That doesn't mean we'll lose, though."
"Yeah," Tails agreed. He turned the key and the biplane sputtered to life.
Twenty minutes later, they had left the Zone and were approaching the Great Forest.
********
The courtyard of Knothole's castle was the only place in the village large enough to hold the impressive gathering of Freedom Fighters that cold morning. Almost two thousand had gathered there, the soldiers and leaders of the army, each of them dressed warmly. Only loyal and trusted Fighters were there, carefully chosen so that there was no suspicion of a spy for Robotnik. Upon the balcony, flanked by his bodyguard Sir John, his wife Alicia, son Elias and daughter Sally, stood the King, Maximillian Acorn. He was clothed in ceremonial armour, for this was a time of conflict. He held the helmet in the crook of his arm as he spoke. All who stood watching him heard his resonant voice, even without the use of a microphone.
"My fellow Freedom Fighters! For many years we fought Ivo Robotnik, and after many struggles we seemed to be at peace. For two years, we allowed him to hide in his city. One week ago, our peace was broken yet again!"
Murmurs of agreement came from the crowd as the King took another breath.
"Many of you know the details of the unfortunate incident of one week ago. Robotnik has clearly demonstrated that he is ready to seize Mobius. Unless we take action soon, he will start another war. We WILL stop him before he takes more lives! Retribution shall be ours!"
A cheer erupted from the crowd. He held up his free hand for silence.
"It has already been arranged that tomorrow, after dawn, the attack upon Robotropolis will begin. We will gather on the east side of the city, concealing our numbers in the trees until we are ready to attack. My daughter Sally Acorn will lead the first wave. I will follow her with the second wave when the first begins to falter. During the battle, we will rely on some of our friends to invade the tower and stop Robotnik at the source. All of this can be accomplished if we work together and have faith in our abilities! We will not fail to bring Robotnik to justice!"
Yet another uproarious cry came from the crowd beneath the balcony. The King waved and was led inside by Sir John, his family following.
"An excellent speech, Sire!" he commented.
"You can save the praise for tomorrow after we've won. For now, I need to get out of this armour. My calves are being chaffed to the bone."
Among the crowd stood Sonic and Tails. They turned and walked off.
"So that's it," said Tails.
"Yeah. It'll be one crazy day tomorrow."
"I'm working on a weapon with some other guys. It'll definitely help the fight tomorrow. You want to see it?"
"New weapon? That's okay; I'm a weapon by myself. Later."
"True. Alright then, later, Sonic."
They turned their separate ways. Tails was thinking of possible flaws in the structure of the weapon, while Sonic was thinking of himself and Sally. He had doubts about the battle tomorrow, and knew that all might not go well, especially after last week. Sighing, he ran toward the general direction of Knothole. There was something he had to pick up.
By: LazerTH
Author's note:
I'm back, but only for a short time. Next year I have O-Levels exams, which will make it impossible for me to write any more fanfiction until June or July 2002. I managed to write this during my Christmas vacation, so that those of you who wanted a sequel to "An Imperfect Night" will get one. This is perhaps my longest fanfic ever, but it was written with thought and care. I hope you enjoy this story, which concludes what was started in An Imperfect Night.
Chapter 1: The speech
Since the destruction of Cliff Dome, one week had passed. The Freedom Fighters had been shocked at the sudden appearance of Robotnik, who had almost ended the lives of Sonic and Sally when his missile destroyed the Dome. Thoughts of revenge plagued the mind of Sonic and those who wished for Robotnik's overthrow. There would be retribution, for it was inevitable that action would be taken by both sides, in a struggle to determine who would be the masters of Mobius.
He was thinking about her again, as the grass ripped beneath his feet and his spiky green hair lashed his face. The princess, Sally. he was approaching a chasm, nearly half a mile wide. There was no shrubbery, nothing he could hang on to if he fell short. he just had to keep on running. The vines hanging from the walls were thrown off the aged stones as he flew past them, his feet pumping at inestimable speed. He always enjoyed a challenge, especially ones involving near death experience, that is, until he met Sally, who had changed his outlook on life.
"Hey, are you sure you can make it?"
The transceiver brought the voice across garbled; so great was his speed that the radio waves were distorted.
"Yeah, this'll be an easy one."
Very near to the edge, he remembered the day she had awoken.
"So close, so close. Sonic, I almost lost you!"
"You won't lose me Sally, not ever."
"This war, Sonic, it might separate us, I'm so afraid."
He had held her tight, not wanting to let her go. She was so vulnerable then, Sally, heir to the throne, after the horrific night they had went through.
Back in the present, he realized that he was seconds from the edge. He would not let the war stop them from being together in the future. He had to concentrate.
Wind roaring in his ears, the green flowing beneath his feet. he jumped. No, he soared. Nothing Mobius had ever seen before rivaled his speed. His was the speed of Destiny herself, and perhaps it was She that granted him speed. The ground was far below, the sky opened up before him. Nothing could stop him now.
Tails banked the Tornado, turning his head quickly as his friend flew across the wide chasm: He was just a blue blur shooting through the air, something that seemed alien to this world, and yet so attuned to its life. He knew that his friend could cross the chasm easily, for he had done many things before that had seemed impossible. Like finishing High School.
Halfway there, he curled into a ball. It would help him land easier, and he did. When he struck the ground on the other side, a huge spew of dirt fell into the deep gorge he had just crossed, falling to the river below. Not missing a beat, he sped off still curled into the ball, dodging around scattered outcroppings of rock and ruined structures. He had done this before, and he could do it again. Some stone arches appeared in the distance. He needed to concentrate.
Yet again, he remembered, the shattering glass. The screams. The pain. The anger. He had hated Robotnik before, but that incident had caused an anger within him that burned blacker every day. He wanted revenge, not just that, he needed revenge. Now he understood Lazer's anger.
As he did loop-de-loops around the hewn stone loops, he wondered why the ancients had made them as loops. Well, now was not the time to question the wisdom of the ancestors. Surpassing the arches, leaving dust in his wake, he sped nearer the hill. It seemed taller this time, as if the thoughts weighing on his mind made it seem more formidable. He came out of the ball, using his legs once more. As he came nearer, however, he slowed down. He came down to a jog, and then to a trot. Finally he stopped at the base of the hill, and looked up at it. Many shattered stone structures, that ancient civilizations had made, were scattered about the hill. There was a new path to take every time.
"The moment you start, I'll set the timer!" the voice reminded him. He heard the Tornado somewhere in the distance behind him.
Would he set a new record? Was there anyone on Mobius who could even break the old one? Perhaps that yellow mongoose, but she was far away.
"Three. two. one." he counted down.
He legs churned into the familiar Figure 8. Clouds of dust screeched into existence behind him. Then, he released.
With the thought of Sally once more on his mind, he rocketed up that hill, the trail of dust and gravel still fresh from where he started even when he completed the ascent with a single-handstand upon the peak.
"Two point three-four seconds! Too bad, Sonic! You missed the record by point zero-two seconds!"
"As if you could stop the watch that fast," muttered Sonic, somersaulting to a standing position. He dusted his gloves.
"Well, what do we do now?" he asked, as the Tornado finally flew overhead.
"The speech is gonna be said in half an hour. We should be there."
"Hmm. Yeah, I have a score to settle with old Buttnik."
"I'll land on the flat stone over there," Tails replied, as Sonic ran down the hill and followed the Tornado to a large, single slab of stone. Many ages ago it had served as a place of worship. The sun was nearing its zenith. Shadows from himself and the Tornado stretched across the stone's dark gray face.
"So, do you think we can pull through the War without losing too many Freedom Fighters?" Tails asked absent mindedly, as Sonic took his place on top of the Tornado's wings. Tails was worried that some day, Sonic would fall off in mid-flight, but after many adventures that accident had never occurred before. Sonic brushed his hair to one side before he replied.
"Casualties? Of course there'll be casualties. Buttnik may be senile and crazy, but his robots can still pack power when they have to. That doesn't mean we'll lose, though."
"Yeah," Tails agreed. He turned the key and the biplane sputtered to life.
Twenty minutes later, they had left the Zone and were approaching the Great Forest.
********
The courtyard of Knothole's castle was the only place in the village large enough to hold the impressive gathering of Freedom Fighters that cold morning. Almost two thousand had gathered there, the soldiers and leaders of the army, each of them dressed warmly. Only loyal and trusted Fighters were there, carefully chosen so that there was no suspicion of a spy for Robotnik. Upon the balcony, flanked by his bodyguard Sir John, his wife Alicia, son Elias and daughter Sally, stood the King, Maximillian Acorn. He was clothed in ceremonial armour, for this was a time of conflict. He held the helmet in the crook of his arm as he spoke. All who stood watching him heard his resonant voice, even without the use of a microphone.
"My fellow Freedom Fighters! For many years we fought Ivo Robotnik, and after many struggles we seemed to be at peace. For two years, we allowed him to hide in his city. One week ago, our peace was broken yet again!"
Murmurs of agreement came from the crowd as the King took another breath.
"Many of you know the details of the unfortunate incident of one week ago. Robotnik has clearly demonstrated that he is ready to seize Mobius. Unless we take action soon, he will start another war. We WILL stop him before he takes more lives! Retribution shall be ours!"
A cheer erupted from the crowd. He held up his free hand for silence.
"It has already been arranged that tomorrow, after dawn, the attack upon Robotropolis will begin. We will gather on the east side of the city, concealing our numbers in the trees until we are ready to attack. My daughter Sally Acorn will lead the first wave. I will follow her with the second wave when the first begins to falter. During the battle, we will rely on some of our friends to invade the tower and stop Robotnik at the source. All of this can be accomplished if we work together and have faith in our abilities! We will not fail to bring Robotnik to justice!"
Yet another uproarious cry came from the crowd beneath the balcony. The King waved and was led inside by Sir John, his family following.
"An excellent speech, Sire!" he commented.
"You can save the praise for tomorrow after we've won. For now, I need to get out of this armour. My calves are being chaffed to the bone."
Among the crowd stood Sonic and Tails. They turned and walked off.
"So that's it," said Tails.
"Yeah. It'll be one crazy day tomorrow."
"I'm working on a weapon with some other guys. It'll definitely help the fight tomorrow. You want to see it?"
"New weapon? That's okay; I'm a weapon by myself. Later."
"True. Alright then, later, Sonic."
They turned their separate ways. Tails was thinking of possible flaws in the structure of the weapon, while Sonic was thinking of himself and Sally. He had doubts about the battle tomorrow, and knew that all might not go well, especially after last week. Sighing, he ran toward the general direction of Knothole. There was something he had to pick up.
