Sonic the Hedgehog Fanfiction
by Dustin Lawson (dustinman77@hotmail.com)
Sonic, Tails, Sally, Rotor, Bunnie, etc. are (c) Sega, Archie Comics, and Dic. Used by me! without permission, since... oh, geez, it's a fanfic!
Damien, Enosh, Simone, and Callista are my characters; please do not use them without permission. Thanx. Bane is (c)Bane Keldare.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SonicWorlds
Chapter 5
"Wizardress, Sorceress"
¤¤§¤¤
Tails couldn't believe what he'd just heard. Yet _another_ Sally?! Sonic had told him that there were more dimensions than just the reversed one he'd been to, but he'd never really thought too much about it. And yet, here she was, Princess Sally Acorn #3. Tails wondered if he could ever get used to all the weirdness that seemed to plague him constantly.
Sally finally spoke. "Wh-what?"
"I am you," Callista repeated. "But of a different plain of existence. In my realm, I am the only begotten daughter of King Acorn, as you are here."
"Oh, no," Sally said, sinking to her knees. "Not another one..."
"Ah, then you know of she who resides in the room behind me?" She nodded, then looked puzzled. "Then is it you or she that belongs on this plain?"
"It's me," she answered. "That's Evil Sally."
"Evil? ...Strange, I sense her heart is not evil."
"Then you 'sense' wrong. She's one of the most devious women I've ever met."
"That may be true, and she does hold much blackness in her heart. But the darkness has yet to overcome it."
Sally stood up. "So you're trying to say there's hope for her?"
"Exactly." She turned and gazed through the window into the room where the dark doppelganger lay, bandaged almost from head to toe. "If she doesn't take her leave of this world early."
"Right. So where did you find her like this?"
"At the foothill of this great volcano. She looks to have fallen trying to descend it."
Tails perked. 'Oh, no,' he thought. 'It's partly my fault. I let her try to get down that way. I should've given her a lift.' Then he stopped himself, realizing that he shouldn't have even let her escape in the first place.
"So," Sally said, pulling him back to the present. "How and why did you come here?"
"That is certainly a strange tale," the wizardress said, sitting in one of the chairs next to the door. "Are you sure you can stand listening to it in its entirety, or shall I wait for another time?"
"No, let's hear it."
She nodded. "As I have stated before now, I am the high wizardress. That is, I and the high wizard, Sir Charles, are the two greatest practitioners of the white magics in all of Mobitopia."
"Charles?" Sally looked at her evenly. "As in Sir Charles Hedgehog?"
"The same."
Sally smiled. "He's always been an innovator, no matter what dimension he's in."
Tails had to interrupt. "Mobitopia?"
Callista sighed. "Please, I beg of you to not interrupt the story. But very well, I shall proceed in that direction.
"Mobitopia is the great kingdom guided by the righteous hand of my father, King Maximillian Acorn. He is kind and just, and no one has ever dared oppose him... save one.
"Lord Kintobor was an evil, cunning wretch of a man, devious and underhanded as the devil himself. His minions lay waste to many of our villages, raping an pillaging them without mercy. His beloved and high sorceress, Lady Simone, cast spells on their armies, making them strong and resilient many times over."
Tails looked at Sally. "Simone!"
"I heard," she said, eyes wide as dinner plates. "I heard."
"It appears you have heard tell of Kintobor's high sorceress," Callista said. "Very well, then, I will forgo all other description of her.
"Yes, the hand of the evil tyrant overshadowed the poor peasants, despite our armies' countering. So we sent forth a team of the bravest fighters in all the lands to end his reign of terror in one blow."
"Let me guess," Tails said. "The Freedom Fighters."
Callista hesitated. "No, but not far off the mark. Actually, we referred to ourselves as the Freedom Crusaders.
"Yes, I was their commander, given this task by my father. He knew a powerful white magician would be a great boon on the battlefield, but Sir Charles was much to old to be sent. My father hand selected the rest of my charges.
"Sir Maurice, a valiant warrior with a speed unmatched by any other, was the first chosen. He was so quick, he chose to wear very little armor, as it wasn't truly needed, for he had never been injured in combat. Next was a wandering Amazon, whom was serendipitously resting at a local inn when he sent forth the call. Yes, Berrah is the bravest and most fierce of the warrior race of rabbits, but decided their secret village was too constricting for her restless spirit--and I am forever thankful of that.
"Then my father came to the decision that we needed to reciprocate the dark powers with which the evil lord fought. So he searched out a brave sorcerer who would stand loyal to the Kingdom. He was blessed many times over in Kanesku, a brave lad with powers never before seen in all of Mobitopia. The dark echidna completed our party."
"Sounds like a bunch of our friends," Tails said.
"So, flanked by an army of a thousand, the four of us spearheaded an assault on the dark lord's castle. It was a very long and bloody battle, but in the end, we were victorious, destroying Kintobor and all his minions. Unfortunately, his sorceress was nowhere to be seen."
"Because she was too busy messing things up for Damien," Tails muttered.
"Pardon?"
"Nevermind."
"As you can imagine, all the king's subjects rejoiced that day. In fact, that was half of a year ago. Peace has reigned since. It was only seven days ago that I was taken from my world and brought to this one by a stranger who stood upon the walls."
"On the walls... like sideways?" Sally scratched her head. "Now where have I heard of that before..."
"From Sonic's latest reports of dimensional travel," Tails said. "He said a guy calling himself a 'zone cop' was always standing sideways."
"Oh yeah, uh... Zonic." She turned to the wizardress. "So he brought you here. Did he say why?"
"To save... myself."
"Oh. Well, I guess you accomplished your mission."
"Now I am unsure of that. He neglected to tell me I would meet with two." She stood and picked up her staff. "Surely if my task had ended with her rescue, he would've returned for me. He has not. Therefore, I must ask, what can I do to aid you?"
Sally sat still for a moment. She drew a deep breath, then turned to Tails. "I don't know. Should we drag her into this as well?"
"Why not? If she's willing to help, we really need it."
"Alright." She turned to the young traveler. "Callista, we have a Lord Kintobor of our own. The biggest difference between yours and ours is that... ours is still alive."
Her head lowered. "I see." The mystic squirrel princess turned, staring ahead at the door. "I have relished the time of peace that we've enjoyed, but I have sensed this need to adventure once again. I guess that was the Lord's way of preparing me for this task." When she turned back to the other two, a deep resolve was set in her face. "I will help you in this matter. No Kintobor shall ever darken the world while blood still flows through me."
Sally stood, a smile glowing on her face. "Welcome to the team."
¤¤§¤¤
Bane was in the middle of sharpening his katana when the knock came at the door. He hated being interrupted when he was sharpening. It was a precision weapon, and the edge needed to be honed to perfection at all times. Nevertheless, he had to answer it.
No sooner had he turned the knob than the door was pushed open, his brother storming in. As soon as he reached the opposite wall, he turned and walked back to the door. Then he turned again.
"Hey, bro," Bane said. "You can pace in your own quarters, you know."
"It's her," Sonic answered, knowing Bane's next question would be "what's wrong". "Ever since she said I should stay away, I can't help feeling that I shouldn't."
"Uh, okay," Bane said, scratching his head. "Can you give me a little more to go on?"
"The princess, dude. She's in love with me."
"WHAT?! But you just got here!" He laughed. "You do have an ego the size of the Death Egg."
"No, no, not me, the other me." He stopped pacing and sat down heavily on the bed. "The one that belongs here."
"I see," Bane said. "Well, so what?"
He sighed. "So I think I'm beginning to feel the same way."
Bane looked at him like he was holding a flaming inner tube, claiming it was his lunch. "Bro, that's just plain stupid. You know she's in love with the other you. Besides, we're going home after this is over."
"What if it's never over?" Sonic looked up at his brother. "What if the war goes on for years, decades even? What if my double never comes back? Should she really be alone?"
"No. Nobody should be alone." He put his hand on his brother's shoulder. "But an alternate dimension substitute is hardly what she needs. She needs friends."
He sighed. "I guess you're right. Thanks, Bane."
"Anytime, Sonic."
Then the hedgehog raced out the door, leaving Bane to pick up where he left off.
"Still too dull," he muttered, picking up the small grindstone once again.
¤¤§¤¤
"Damien?"
The roboticized Overlander didn't make any move to turn around. He'd been studying a map of Mobius, picking out subtle differences between it and his version. It was all very fascinating, but mostly he was doing it to pass the time.
"Yes, Princess?"
He could not only hear her enter, but sense it as well. Not the way normal people did, feeling vibrations on the floor or "esp", but his scanners alerted him to the presence of a living being, as they always had, since he'd been... changed. He had long ago disabled the automatic prompt asking if he wanted to destroy the target or not, but it still went to alert when one neared.
In this case, two were nearing. His systems seemed to be giving him faulty readings, because it identified them both as Princess Sally. He turned and, with a slight shock, realized it was right.
"Princess, who-"
"This is Callista," she replied, indicating the slightly more fragile version of herself, who curtsied gracefully. "She is also from another dimension, and by that token, is my-"
"Your duplicate."
She looked puzzled. "How did you know?"
He decided to dispense with the technicalities. "A hunch. So, what brings her to our little base in the fiery mountain?"
"A zone cop," she said.
Damien searched his databanks for any recording of such a thing. He came up empty. "Sorry, doesn't ring any bells."
"He's basically a police officer that travels between zones and tries to prevent certain terrible events from occurring. We know of him through S- er, several encounters."
He could sense what she was going to say, but knew why she avoided it. "And he's brought your twin here for what purpose?"
"We're not sure, but it appears to be to help us end the war."
He smiled. "Then shall I say welcome, dear lady." He took her hand and kissed it.
She drew it back quickly. "Cold lips, this golem-person has." She giggled softly.
"Their world isn't quite as technologically advanced as ours," Sally said, almost as if apologizing. "It was about the only way I could explain you."
"It's not too far off," he said. "Don't worry about it."
"She is to be at the meeting in the War Room tomorrow morning. Her magical abilities should be of great use to us."
"Magic?" The humanoid robot knew quite a bit about the subject. The only problem was that it was all myths, nonsense. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to be the devil's advocate, but-"
Before he could finish his sentence, he found himself floating above the ground. He checked his hoverpack for malfunction, but it wasn't on at all. Then he noticed Callista's staff was raised, and the sphere in the top end was glowing slightly.
"Okay, proof enough," he said, laughing. "Now would you please put me down?"
"Certainly." She lowered her staff. Damien fell to the ground rather unceremoniously on his hindquarters.
"Thanks," he said, checking for dents.
"But a trifle," she said, smiling.
"Well, we'll leave you alone now," their Princess said. "I need to introduce her to the others so they'll know she belongs at the meeting tomorrow."
"Alright," he said, satisfied that he wasn't damaged. "Nice meeting you, Callista."
"The same to you, kind sir."
As they left, Damien made a note never to scoff at anything he didn't have firsthand experience with. After all, it might come back to bite him in the... end.
¤¤§¤¤
Tails was on his way down the arid halls toward his living quarters. He'd spent the past half hour listening to Sonic play the guitar, who he found out could play even better than Bane, if only by a slight margin.
As he neared the hall that branched off toward his room, he glanced up at the arrow pointing in the other direction, the one with the red cross on it. The hospital. He decided against going back to his room just yet; he wanted to check in on the patient.
The receptionist told him to go ahead, but that visiting hours would be over in fifteen minutes. He walked down the hall toward her room. When he reached the door, he paused a minute, took a deep breath, then went in.
He was surprised to find Callista positioned over her, eyes closed tightly, her delicate hands positioned over her cracked ribs. As she heard him come in, she looked up.
"Why, hello, young one... Tails, I believe?"
"What are you doing?" he asked.
"Oh, merely trying to speed her recovery with my own variety of medicine," she answered, closing her eyes again. After a few moments more, she sat back in her chair. "So, little fox, what brings you?"
"I just wanted to see how she was... you know, see how long it'll be before she can be moved back to her cell," he hurriedly added.
She smiled. "It is useless to attempt deception in the face of the high wizardress, young Tails."
He sighed. "So you can see right through me, huh?"
"Like the finest glass blown by the anteaters themselves." Her brow furrowed. "But why do you hide your feelings so?"
"Well, she's evil," he replied, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Oh, come now, boy."
"Alright, alright. They think she's evil. She's at least a criminal, that's for sure. I guess I'm afraid they'd think I'm a traitor."
"Probably well-grounded concerns." Callista gazed down at the unconscious figure in the bed next to her. "No, she is not evil. She has strayed far down the path of darkness, true. It will take one with an abundance of compassion to turn her." She looked up at Tails, her expression serious. "Would you be that one?"
The young fox shifted uneasily. "Uh... well..."
She laughed. "Young love. Unsure, yet strong emotions running rampantly through your veins. I've felt such love many times. Believe it or not, such attractions do often lead to true love." She fell silent, gazing off into space.
"I'd like to try... for her sake."
"But don't you mean for the both of you?"
Tails looked down. "Please, Callista..."
She stood and tousled his hair. "Come, the hours for visitation are near their end."
¤¤§¤¤
"Alright, this meeting of the Freedom Fighters is in session."
Sally scanned the faces seated around the table in front of her. She couldn't help but notice with slight amusement that Damien had chosen a seat directly opposite the one Callista was in. She noticed Antoine was giving her suspicious looks, but doubted that it was obvious enough for Callista to notice, as she hadn't known the coyote as long as she had. Bunnie seemed in rather good spirits, and Bane was as serious as ever. Rotor wasn't even paying full attention, as he was calibrating some latest component of his. Damien was simply sitting, unreadable through his metallic features. Tails looked like he had a lot on his mind. She was beginning to worry about him lately, but that would have to wait.
She noticed Sonic was staring at her. She over looked the fact that any time her eyes came across him, he quickly looked elsewhere, usually at Bane. She pretended not to notice Bane's sympathetic gaze, as well.
She knew what was going on, and she didn't like it at all. The other-world Sonic had fallen for her almost as bad as her own. It also appeared he had confided in his brother. As flattering as it was, she quickly pushed it from her mind. They had other things that took precedence.
"Okay, listen up, sirs and ma'ams. I've been thinking about all of this for quite some time, and I think what we have to do first is get rid of Simone. True, Robotnik is still a threat, but we can't take him on when we have another thorn in our collective side."
A ripple of approval surged through the crowd. It seemed she had voiced everybody's opinion. A relief at the least.
"Now, our recent addition to the ranks," she continued, gesturing toward Callista, "may be able to detect her powerful magics with a bit of her own. Then all that is left is to close in on her and hit her hard."
Bane raised his hand.
"Yes, Bane?"
"Princess, if you don't mind my saying so, I think that's a just plain foolhardy plan. We don't really have much of an idea what she's capable of."
"Interdimensional travel isn't proof enough?" Rotor put in.
"Exactly my point," Bane continued. "If she could send your Sonic off to who-knows-where, what could she do to us? We need to know what she can do before we know how to counteract it."
"I believe I can be of help in that area," Callista said. She cleared her throat quietly. "I have observed the dark witch in the heat of battle, and while true, she is a formidable sorceress, and a fair swordslady to boot, she is not invincible. Our own Kanesku dealt her a powerful blow during the Battle of Adagia."
"But you said Kanesku had black magic," Tails said. "We don't have any black magicians."
Callista's brow furrowed. "Eh? But you have two."
Bane silently raised his hand.
The room was instantly awash with voices, but Sally quieted them quickly. "That's enough. Now, Callista, I'm sorry, but Bane is our only black mage, and he informs us that his powers are still relatively weak. I don't-"
Just then there was a commotion from outside. The entire room stood instantly. Sally motioned to Damien to open the door. He stood and rushed to it, made a quick glance back to make sure all were at the ready, then opened.
There stood the other Sally, still wearing a green hospital gown and bandages, gasping for breath desperately. But that wasn't the only surprise; on the floor surrounding her lay four or five guards, all seeming to be suffering from shock. The dark squirrel stumbled forward into the War Room, seemingly half out of it.
"Help me!"
"What are you doing here?!" Tails said, approaching her. "You're hurt!"
"Oh, bullcrap," she said, ripping the bandage from her head. "I'm fine as I ever was. But I'm not safe!" She ran into his arms, a move that almost made him cry out from surprise. "You gotta keep me safe from that, that-"
"That what?!"
She looked around the room at all the surprised, dumbfounded and suspicious stares. "Please, don't let her get to me. She's gonna tear me apart, or worse!" She scooted around behind him.
Princess Sally grabbed her by the shoulder. "Listen here, carbon copy. You had better explain yourself before we-"
She gasped, cutting the princess off. "Too late!"
They all followed her gaze to the doorway, and at that moment the light in the War Room exploded. They all ducked, covering their heads from the falling glass. When the dust settled, they looked up again at the figure in the doorway.
A silhouette of a familiar female stood in the doorway. The shapely figure, the hair flowing halfway down her back, the long ears.
Damien stood immediately, fists clenching tightly. "You."
Simone walked into the room, still not clearly visible in the light from the doorway. "Yes, hello again, Damien. Enjoying your vacation?"
"No. I didn't get to ask my boss for time off."
She clicked her tongue. "Oh, such a pity. Maybe next time you should plan better."
Callista now stepped forward. "So, if you are unable to have your way with one world, then you must move on to another?"
Simone stiffened. "What are you doing here, wench?!"
Callista smiled sweetly. "I have embarked on a voyage of my own."
Simone snorted. "Bah. I don't care. All I need is the girl." She advanced toward Evil Sally.
"No!" Tails shouted. "You can't have her!"
"Oh, but I don't think you understand..." She waved her hands in front of her, and Tails suddenly clutched at his chest.
"Stop!" All three Sally's and Sonic shouted simultaneously.
"But then he would try to attack me," she said, moving her hands slowly together, agonizingly. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to refuse."
Evil Sally looked down at him, then looked up at Simone. "Don't do that."
"Oh, and why not?"
"I said cut it out!" She clenched her fists in front of her.
Simone laughed. "I'm sorry, you seem to have mistaken me for somebody who cares. I am not such a person, so I suggest you come along, for his sake." Tails clawed at the floor desperately, still clutching his chest with the other hand.
"No, you're the one who doesn't get it, witch," Evil Sally said. Then a curious thing happened.
Her eyes began to glow brilliantly with a sort of bluish-black hue, and lightning began to leap between her fists. In the new light, they could all see the look of shock on each others faces. But no face bore the look quite as horrified as Simone's.
She leveled her arms in her direction, and let out a scream that echoed beyond their plane. "LET HIM GO!!!"
With that, she loosed a blast that rocked the entire room, directly toward Simone. Too awestruck to move in time to avoid it, she was hit squarely in the chest, knocking her through the door and into the wall on the opposite side.
Then Evil Sally collapsed in a crumpled heap, Tails kneeling over her. They all gathered around her, and Callista pushed through to her side. She laid her hand on her chest for a moment, then looked up.
"She is well," she explained. "Only winded from the outpouring of her power."
Nobody seemed to notice when Simone stood halfway up and then disappeared. "Her power?" Tails asked. "You mean..."
"I truly thought you all knew," Callista said, her own hands glowing softly, pressed against Evil Sally's prone form. "She is the other I spoke of. Could you not see?"
"Oh, wow," Bane said. "I do sense it, now. I probably would have before if I had come into contact with her." He then gasped. "Holy God..."
"What, what?" Princess Sally said looking up at him. "What's wrong, now?"
"I've never sensed power this great before... it's amazing."
"Verily, and Simone sensed it, as well," Callista said, helping the reawakening Sally to a sitting position. "You have the makings of a true sorceress in this young one."
"Wh...wha?" The dark squirrel still seemed dazed. "Sorceress?"
"You have awakened, my child," Callista said, smiling. "Welcome to the world of the mages."
¤¤§¤¤
the end
(chapter 6 is
approaching)
by Dustin Lawson (dustinman77@hotmail.com)
Sonic, Tails, Sally, Rotor, Bunnie, etc. are (c) Sega, Archie Comics, and Dic. Used by me! without permission, since... oh, geez, it's a fanfic!
Damien, Enosh, Simone, and Callista are my characters; please do not use them without permission. Thanx. Bane is (c)Bane Keldare.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SonicWorlds
Chapter 5
"Wizardress, Sorceress"
¤¤§¤¤
Tails couldn't believe what he'd just heard. Yet _another_ Sally?! Sonic had told him that there were more dimensions than just the reversed one he'd been to, but he'd never really thought too much about it. And yet, here she was, Princess Sally Acorn #3. Tails wondered if he could ever get used to all the weirdness that seemed to plague him constantly.
Sally finally spoke. "Wh-what?"
"I am you," Callista repeated. "But of a different plain of existence. In my realm, I am the only begotten daughter of King Acorn, as you are here."
"Oh, no," Sally said, sinking to her knees. "Not another one..."
"Ah, then you know of she who resides in the room behind me?" She nodded, then looked puzzled. "Then is it you or she that belongs on this plain?"
"It's me," she answered. "That's Evil Sally."
"Evil? ...Strange, I sense her heart is not evil."
"Then you 'sense' wrong. She's one of the most devious women I've ever met."
"That may be true, and she does hold much blackness in her heart. But the darkness has yet to overcome it."
Sally stood up. "So you're trying to say there's hope for her?"
"Exactly." She turned and gazed through the window into the room where the dark doppelganger lay, bandaged almost from head to toe. "If she doesn't take her leave of this world early."
"Right. So where did you find her like this?"
"At the foothill of this great volcano. She looks to have fallen trying to descend it."
Tails perked. 'Oh, no,' he thought. 'It's partly my fault. I let her try to get down that way. I should've given her a lift.' Then he stopped himself, realizing that he shouldn't have even let her escape in the first place.
"So," Sally said, pulling him back to the present. "How and why did you come here?"
"That is certainly a strange tale," the wizardress said, sitting in one of the chairs next to the door. "Are you sure you can stand listening to it in its entirety, or shall I wait for another time?"
"No, let's hear it."
She nodded. "As I have stated before now, I am the high wizardress. That is, I and the high wizard, Sir Charles, are the two greatest practitioners of the white magics in all of Mobitopia."
"Charles?" Sally looked at her evenly. "As in Sir Charles Hedgehog?"
"The same."
Sally smiled. "He's always been an innovator, no matter what dimension he's in."
Tails had to interrupt. "Mobitopia?"
Callista sighed. "Please, I beg of you to not interrupt the story. But very well, I shall proceed in that direction.
"Mobitopia is the great kingdom guided by the righteous hand of my father, King Maximillian Acorn. He is kind and just, and no one has ever dared oppose him... save one.
"Lord Kintobor was an evil, cunning wretch of a man, devious and underhanded as the devil himself. His minions lay waste to many of our villages, raping an pillaging them without mercy. His beloved and high sorceress, Lady Simone, cast spells on their armies, making them strong and resilient many times over."
Tails looked at Sally. "Simone!"
"I heard," she said, eyes wide as dinner plates. "I heard."
"It appears you have heard tell of Kintobor's high sorceress," Callista said. "Very well, then, I will forgo all other description of her.
"Yes, the hand of the evil tyrant overshadowed the poor peasants, despite our armies' countering. So we sent forth a team of the bravest fighters in all the lands to end his reign of terror in one blow."
"Let me guess," Tails said. "The Freedom Fighters."
Callista hesitated. "No, but not far off the mark. Actually, we referred to ourselves as the Freedom Crusaders.
"Yes, I was their commander, given this task by my father. He knew a powerful white magician would be a great boon on the battlefield, but Sir Charles was much to old to be sent. My father hand selected the rest of my charges.
"Sir Maurice, a valiant warrior with a speed unmatched by any other, was the first chosen. He was so quick, he chose to wear very little armor, as it wasn't truly needed, for he had never been injured in combat. Next was a wandering Amazon, whom was serendipitously resting at a local inn when he sent forth the call. Yes, Berrah is the bravest and most fierce of the warrior race of rabbits, but decided their secret village was too constricting for her restless spirit--and I am forever thankful of that.
"Then my father came to the decision that we needed to reciprocate the dark powers with which the evil lord fought. So he searched out a brave sorcerer who would stand loyal to the Kingdom. He was blessed many times over in Kanesku, a brave lad with powers never before seen in all of Mobitopia. The dark echidna completed our party."
"Sounds like a bunch of our friends," Tails said.
"So, flanked by an army of a thousand, the four of us spearheaded an assault on the dark lord's castle. It was a very long and bloody battle, but in the end, we were victorious, destroying Kintobor and all his minions. Unfortunately, his sorceress was nowhere to be seen."
"Because she was too busy messing things up for Damien," Tails muttered.
"Pardon?"
"Nevermind."
"As you can imagine, all the king's subjects rejoiced that day. In fact, that was half of a year ago. Peace has reigned since. It was only seven days ago that I was taken from my world and brought to this one by a stranger who stood upon the walls."
"On the walls... like sideways?" Sally scratched her head. "Now where have I heard of that before..."
"From Sonic's latest reports of dimensional travel," Tails said. "He said a guy calling himself a 'zone cop' was always standing sideways."
"Oh yeah, uh... Zonic." She turned to the wizardress. "So he brought you here. Did he say why?"
"To save... myself."
"Oh. Well, I guess you accomplished your mission."
"Now I am unsure of that. He neglected to tell me I would meet with two." She stood and picked up her staff. "Surely if my task had ended with her rescue, he would've returned for me. He has not. Therefore, I must ask, what can I do to aid you?"
Sally sat still for a moment. She drew a deep breath, then turned to Tails. "I don't know. Should we drag her into this as well?"
"Why not? If she's willing to help, we really need it."
"Alright." She turned to the young traveler. "Callista, we have a Lord Kintobor of our own. The biggest difference between yours and ours is that... ours is still alive."
Her head lowered. "I see." The mystic squirrel princess turned, staring ahead at the door. "I have relished the time of peace that we've enjoyed, but I have sensed this need to adventure once again. I guess that was the Lord's way of preparing me for this task." When she turned back to the other two, a deep resolve was set in her face. "I will help you in this matter. No Kintobor shall ever darken the world while blood still flows through me."
Sally stood, a smile glowing on her face. "Welcome to the team."
¤¤§¤¤
Bane was in the middle of sharpening his katana when the knock came at the door. He hated being interrupted when he was sharpening. It was a precision weapon, and the edge needed to be honed to perfection at all times. Nevertheless, he had to answer it.
No sooner had he turned the knob than the door was pushed open, his brother storming in. As soon as he reached the opposite wall, he turned and walked back to the door. Then he turned again.
"Hey, bro," Bane said. "You can pace in your own quarters, you know."
"It's her," Sonic answered, knowing Bane's next question would be "what's wrong". "Ever since she said I should stay away, I can't help feeling that I shouldn't."
"Uh, okay," Bane said, scratching his head. "Can you give me a little more to go on?"
"The princess, dude. She's in love with me."
"WHAT?! But you just got here!" He laughed. "You do have an ego the size of the Death Egg."
"No, no, not me, the other me." He stopped pacing and sat down heavily on the bed. "The one that belongs here."
"I see," Bane said. "Well, so what?"
He sighed. "So I think I'm beginning to feel the same way."
Bane looked at him like he was holding a flaming inner tube, claiming it was his lunch. "Bro, that's just plain stupid. You know she's in love with the other you. Besides, we're going home after this is over."
"What if it's never over?" Sonic looked up at his brother. "What if the war goes on for years, decades even? What if my double never comes back? Should she really be alone?"
"No. Nobody should be alone." He put his hand on his brother's shoulder. "But an alternate dimension substitute is hardly what she needs. She needs friends."
He sighed. "I guess you're right. Thanks, Bane."
"Anytime, Sonic."
Then the hedgehog raced out the door, leaving Bane to pick up where he left off.
"Still too dull," he muttered, picking up the small grindstone once again.
¤¤§¤¤
"Damien?"
The roboticized Overlander didn't make any move to turn around. He'd been studying a map of Mobius, picking out subtle differences between it and his version. It was all very fascinating, but mostly he was doing it to pass the time.
"Yes, Princess?"
He could not only hear her enter, but sense it as well. Not the way normal people did, feeling vibrations on the floor or "esp", but his scanners alerted him to the presence of a living being, as they always had, since he'd been... changed. He had long ago disabled the automatic prompt asking if he wanted to destroy the target or not, but it still went to alert when one neared.
In this case, two were nearing. His systems seemed to be giving him faulty readings, because it identified them both as Princess Sally. He turned and, with a slight shock, realized it was right.
"Princess, who-"
"This is Callista," she replied, indicating the slightly more fragile version of herself, who curtsied gracefully. "She is also from another dimension, and by that token, is my-"
"Your duplicate."
She looked puzzled. "How did you know?"
He decided to dispense with the technicalities. "A hunch. So, what brings her to our little base in the fiery mountain?"
"A zone cop," she said.
Damien searched his databanks for any recording of such a thing. He came up empty. "Sorry, doesn't ring any bells."
"He's basically a police officer that travels between zones and tries to prevent certain terrible events from occurring. We know of him through S- er, several encounters."
He could sense what she was going to say, but knew why she avoided it. "And he's brought your twin here for what purpose?"
"We're not sure, but it appears to be to help us end the war."
He smiled. "Then shall I say welcome, dear lady." He took her hand and kissed it.
She drew it back quickly. "Cold lips, this golem-person has." She giggled softly.
"Their world isn't quite as technologically advanced as ours," Sally said, almost as if apologizing. "It was about the only way I could explain you."
"It's not too far off," he said. "Don't worry about it."
"She is to be at the meeting in the War Room tomorrow morning. Her magical abilities should be of great use to us."
"Magic?" The humanoid robot knew quite a bit about the subject. The only problem was that it was all myths, nonsense. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to be the devil's advocate, but-"
Before he could finish his sentence, he found himself floating above the ground. He checked his hoverpack for malfunction, but it wasn't on at all. Then he noticed Callista's staff was raised, and the sphere in the top end was glowing slightly.
"Okay, proof enough," he said, laughing. "Now would you please put me down?"
"Certainly." She lowered her staff. Damien fell to the ground rather unceremoniously on his hindquarters.
"Thanks," he said, checking for dents.
"But a trifle," she said, smiling.
"Well, we'll leave you alone now," their Princess said. "I need to introduce her to the others so they'll know she belongs at the meeting tomorrow."
"Alright," he said, satisfied that he wasn't damaged. "Nice meeting you, Callista."
"The same to you, kind sir."
As they left, Damien made a note never to scoff at anything he didn't have firsthand experience with. After all, it might come back to bite him in the... end.
¤¤§¤¤
Tails was on his way down the arid halls toward his living quarters. He'd spent the past half hour listening to Sonic play the guitar, who he found out could play even better than Bane, if only by a slight margin.
As he neared the hall that branched off toward his room, he glanced up at the arrow pointing in the other direction, the one with the red cross on it. The hospital. He decided against going back to his room just yet; he wanted to check in on the patient.
The receptionist told him to go ahead, but that visiting hours would be over in fifteen minutes. He walked down the hall toward her room. When he reached the door, he paused a minute, took a deep breath, then went in.
He was surprised to find Callista positioned over her, eyes closed tightly, her delicate hands positioned over her cracked ribs. As she heard him come in, she looked up.
"Why, hello, young one... Tails, I believe?"
"What are you doing?" he asked.
"Oh, merely trying to speed her recovery with my own variety of medicine," she answered, closing her eyes again. After a few moments more, she sat back in her chair. "So, little fox, what brings you?"
"I just wanted to see how she was... you know, see how long it'll be before she can be moved back to her cell," he hurriedly added.
She smiled. "It is useless to attempt deception in the face of the high wizardress, young Tails."
He sighed. "So you can see right through me, huh?"
"Like the finest glass blown by the anteaters themselves." Her brow furrowed. "But why do you hide your feelings so?"
"Well, she's evil," he replied, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Oh, come now, boy."
"Alright, alright. They think she's evil. She's at least a criminal, that's for sure. I guess I'm afraid they'd think I'm a traitor."
"Probably well-grounded concerns." Callista gazed down at the unconscious figure in the bed next to her. "No, she is not evil. She has strayed far down the path of darkness, true. It will take one with an abundance of compassion to turn her." She looked up at Tails, her expression serious. "Would you be that one?"
The young fox shifted uneasily. "Uh... well..."
She laughed. "Young love. Unsure, yet strong emotions running rampantly through your veins. I've felt such love many times. Believe it or not, such attractions do often lead to true love." She fell silent, gazing off into space.
"I'd like to try... for her sake."
"But don't you mean for the both of you?"
Tails looked down. "Please, Callista..."
She stood and tousled his hair. "Come, the hours for visitation are near their end."
¤¤§¤¤
"Alright, this meeting of the Freedom Fighters is in session."
Sally scanned the faces seated around the table in front of her. She couldn't help but notice with slight amusement that Damien had chosen a seat directly opposite the one Callista was in. She noticed Antoine was giving her suspicious looks, but doubted that it was obvious enough for Callista to notice, as she hadn't known the coyote as long as she had. Bunnie seemed in rather good spirits, and Bane was as serious as ever. Rotor wasn't even paying full attention, as he was calibrating some latest component of his. Damien was simply sitting, unreadable through his metallic features. Tails looked like he had a lot on his mind. She was beginning to worry about him lately, but that would have to wait.
She noticed Sonic was staring at her. She over looked the fact that any time her eyes came across him, he quickly looked elsewhere, usually at Bane. She pretended not to notice Bane's sympathetic gaze, as well.
She knew what was going on, and she didn't like it at all. The other-world Sonic had fallen for her almost as bad as her own. It also appeared he had confided in his brother. As flattering as it was, she quickly pushed it from her mind. They had other things that took precedence.
"Okay, listen up, sirs and ma'ams. I've been thinking about all of this for quite some time, and I think what we have to do first is get rid of Simone. True, Robotnik is still a threat, but we can't take him on when we have another thorn in our collective side."
A ripple of approval surged through the crowd. It seemed she had voiced everybody's opinion. A relief at the least.
"Now, our recent addition to the ranks," she continued, gesturing toward Callista, "may be able to detect her powerful magics with a bit of her own. Then all that is left is to close in on her and hit her hard."
Bane raised his hand.
"Yes, Bane?"
"Princess, if you don't mind my saying so, I think that's a just plain foolhardy plan. We don't really have much of an idea what she's capable of."
"Interdimensional travel isn't proof enough?" Rotor put in.
"Exactly my point," Bane continued. "If she could send your Sonic off to who-knows-where, what could she do to us? We need to know what she can do before we know how to counteract it."
"I believe I can be of help in that area," Callista said. She cleared her throat quietly. "I have observed the dark witch in the heat of battle, and while true, she is a formidable sorceress, and a fair swordslady to boot, she is not invincible. Our own Kanesku dealt her a powerful blow during the Battle of Adagia."
"But you said Kanesku had black magic," Tails said. "We don't have any black magicians."
Callista's brow furrowed. "Eh? But you have two."
Bane silently raised his hand.
The room was instantly awash with voices, but Sally quieted them quickly. "That's enough. Now, Callista, I'm sorry, but Bane is our only black mage, and he informs us that his powers are still relatively weak. I don't-"
Just then there was a commotion from outside. The entire room stood instantly. Sally motioned to Damien to open the door. He stood and rushed to it, made a quick glance back to make sure all were at the ready, then opened.
There stood the other Sally, still wearing a green hospital gown and bandages, gasping for breath desperately. But that wasn't the only surprise; on the floor surrounding her lay four or five guards, all seeming to be suffering from shock. The dark squirrel stumbled forward into the War Room, seemingly half out of it.
"Help me!"
"What are you doing here?!" Tails said, approaching her. "You're hurt!"
"Oh, bullcrap," she said, ripping the bandage from her head. "I'm fine as I ever was. But I'm not safe!" She ran into his arms, a move that almost made him cry out from surprise. "You gotta keep me safe from that, that-"
"That what?!"
She looked around the room at all the surprised, dumbfounded and suspicious stares. "Please, don't let her get to me. She's gonna tear me apart, or worse!" She scooted around behind him.
Princess Sally grabbed her by the shoulder. "Listen here, carbon copy. You had better explain yourself before we-"
She gasped, cutting the princess off. "Too late!"
They all followed her gaze to the doorway, and at that moment the light in the War Room exploded. They all ducked, covering their heads from the falling glass. When the dust settled, they looked up again at the figure in the doorway.
A silhouette of a familiar female stood in the doorway. The shapely figure, the hair flowing halfway down her back, the long ears.
Damien stood immediately, fists clenching tightly. "You."
Simone walked into the room, still not clearly visible in the light from the doorway. "Yes, hello again, Damien. Enjoying your vacation?"
"No. I didn't get to ask my boss for time off."
She clicked her tongue. "Oh, such a pity. Maybe next time you should plan better."
Callista now stepped forward. "So, if you are unable to have your way with one world, then you must move on to another?"
Simone stiffened. "What are you doing here, wench?!"
Callista smiled sweetly. "I have embarked on a voyage of my own."
Simone snorted. "Bah. I don't care. All I need is the girl." She advanced toward Evil Sally.
"No!" Tails shouted. "You can't have her!"
"Oh, but I don't think you understand..." She waved her hands in front of her, and Tails suddenly clutched at his chest.
"Stop!" All three Sally's and Sonic shouted simultaneously.
"But then he would try to attack me," she said, moving her hands slowly together, agonizingly. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to refuse."
Evil Sally looked down at him, then looked up at Simone. "Don't do that."
"Oh, and why not?"
"I said cut it out!" She clenched her fists in front of her.
Simone laughed. "I'm sorry, you seem to have mistaken me for somebody who cares. I am not such a person, so I suggest you come along, for his sake." Tails clawed at the floor desperately, still clutching his chest with the other hand.
"No, you're the one who doesn't get it, witch," Evil Sally said. Then a curious thing happened.
Her eyes began to glow brilliantly with a sort of bluish-black hue, and lightning began to leap between her fists. In the new light, they could all see the look of shock on each others faces. But no face bore the look quite as horrified as Simone's.
She leveled her arms in her direction, and let out a scream that echoed beyond their plane. "LET HIM GO!!!"
With that, she loosed a blast that rocked the entire room, directly toward Simone. Too awestruck to move in time to avoid it, she was hit squarely in the chest, knocking her through the door and into the wall on the opposite side.
Then Evil Sally collapsed in a crumpled heap, Tails kneeling over her. They all gathered around her, and Callista pushed through to her side. She laid her hand on her chest for a moment, then looked up.
"She is well," she explained. "Only winded from the outpouring of her power."
Nobody seemed to notice when Simone stood halfway up and then disappeared. "Her power?" Tails asked. "You mean..."
"I truly thought you all knew," Callista said, her own hands glowing softly, pressed against Evil Sally's prone form. "She is the other I spoke of. Could you not see?"
"Oh, wow," Bane said. "I do sense it, now. I probably would have before if I had come into contact with her." He then gasped. "Holy God..."
"What, what?" Princess Sally said looking up at him. "What's wrong, now?"
"I've never sensed power this great before... it's amazing."
"Verily, and Simone sensed it, as well," Callista said, helping the reawakening Sally to a sitting position. "You have the makings of a true sorceress in this young one."
"Wh...wha?" The dark squirrel still seemed dazed. "Sorceress?"
"You have awakened, my child," Callista said, smiling. "Welcome to the world of the mages."
¤¤§¤¤
the end
(chapter 6 is
approaching)