Chapter 4 – Merging Complete

Petya and T2 collapsed to the floor gasping for air.

"That was close!" said T2 quietly.

"Not close enough. I couldn't contain everything." gasped Petya.

"Well it doesn't look like anything is……..wait. Where are the others?"

T2 and Petya stared around the empty room.

"There gone." said Petya slowly.

T2 shot to his feet. Petya was right. Sonic, Amy, Tails, Miles and Lavender had gone. He looked down at Petya who was still sitting on the floor.

"Wha…what happened?" he said.

Petya just looked at her knees. She sighed and then looked at T2.

"I think I know." she said slowly.

T2 looked at Petya. He didn't understand her sometimes but he always tried too. But now he just couldn't do it.

"What is it Petya?" he asked.

"It's my fault." she said.

"What's your fault?"

"Them disappearing! It's my fault."

"How?"

"I know what those images were. They weren't images of our Mobius but of ANOTHER Mobius."

"Another Mobius! But that's not possible is it? Mobius is Mobius."

"Yes it is but then again it isn't."

T2 just stared at Perya with a raised eyebrow. She was always coming out with paradoxes but this was a doozy.

"Ok then Petya. Explain."

Petya nodded.

"For a long time scientists have wondered about the idea of alternate realities. For every action there are a multitude of different results and therefore maybe a multitude of different possible realities."

"Wow, wow, wow! You mean those images were alternate realities!"

"It is possible. We did manage to extend our senses across the entire planet. Why not out of our reality and into another?!"

T2 shook his head in disbelief.

"If this is true, HOW do we get them back?"

"I have no idea. But we should gather everyone and tell them what happened."

"You're right."

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Sally closed the lid of the hamper and stood up. A gentle breeze had picked up and Sally smiled as it brushed past her face. Alicia and herself had finished there picnic and were going to embark on a small walk before heading back to Mobotropolis.

"Alicia." called Sally softly, "Alicia dear, where are you?"

Just then there was a loud sneeze. Sally rolled her eyes.

"Alicia! I've told you to stay out of the flowers!" she called.

Alicia emerged from behind a small hillock with her hands behind her back. She skipped over to Sally.

"Sorry mother….but I had to." she said.

"And whys that?" asked Sally.

"So I could say thank you properly." replied Alicia pulling her hands out from behind her back.

Sally gasped. Alicia was holding a very large bunch of brightly coloured flowers.

"Oh Alicia! You shouldn't have. You have allergies."

"I don't mind. Thank you mother, it's been great."

Sally took the flowers and took a deep sniff. Alicia looked on longingly. Sally leaned over and gave her a small kiss on the head.

"Thank you dear." she said.

Just then there was a small beeping noise. Sally turned around irritated.

"I thought I turned that off. I know I turned that off! Whoever it is better have a good reason for disturbing me." she said.

Sally walked over to the hamper and opened it. Fixed to the underside of one of the flaps was her wrist comm unit. She picked it up and answered it.

"This had better be good!" she said angrily.

"Sally! T2 here. We have BIG trouble." came a reply.

"There is always big trouble when I'm having fun! What is it this time?!"

"Sonic, Amy, Tails, Lavender and Miles have gone missing. It's kinda my fault too."

Sally virtually threw up her lunch. Had she heard that correctly?

"I'm on my way!" she said and clicked the comm unit off.

"What is it mother?" asked Alicia.

"No time to explain Alicia. Come on, back to the transport. We have to get back to Mobotropolis."

Sally spun and started to run, scooping up the hamper on her way. Alicia followed her.

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"Knuckles! Knuckles, you better not have fallen asleep in there!" cried Bunnie.

Knuckles shot upright and banged his head off the supporting beam across the centre of the tent. It wobbled and then promptly collapsed bringing the whole tent down on his head.

"ARGH!" cried Knuckles, "Why do I keep doing that?"

"Well it serves you right. You told me you were just going to get something."

Knuckles struggled for a few moments and then finally found his way out of the collapsed tent. He looked up to see Bunnie staring down at him. He smiled awkwardly at her.

"Ha….guess I dozed off." he said.

Bunnie slapped her head.

"Sometimes. Just sometimes. Anyway, did you find what you were looking for?"

Knuckles thought for a moment.

"Oops." he said and quickly dived back into the collapsed tent.

Bunnie groaned and returned to the fire. It was still pretty light but it always got cold quickly in the mountains. She took a jumper out of her backpack and slipped it on.

"Much better." she said to herself.

Just then Knuckles returned from his tent.

"Well?" asked Bunnie.

"I erm……must have left it back in Mobotropolis." replied Knuckles.

Bunnie quickly picked up her bag and threw it at Knuckles. Knuckles spun to the side and the bag landed on the ground a few feet behind him.

"Damn!" said Bunnie, "That was a good throw too."

"Sorry to disappoint you."

"You echidna are the most forgetful person I know."

"Well……thank you."

Bunnie rolled her eyes.

"That wasn't a compliment."

"Oh?" teased Knuckles.

If Bunnie had had another bag she would have thrown it. She settled for throwing a log at the fire instead. It was then that her comm unit beeped. A few seconds later Knuckles started beeping too.

"You answer it." said Bunnie.

Knuckles raised his arm and pressed a button on his comm.

"Hello?" he said.

"Knuckles it's Petya." said the voice on the other end.

"Oh hey Petya. What up?" said Knuckles.

"Lots. We need you back in Mobotropolis. T2 has already called Sally and Alicia."

"What's wrong?"

"Sonic, Tails, Amy and the two kids have disappeared."

"What?! Be right there."

Bunnie was already packing up her gear.

"Sounds bad." she said, "We better move."

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Sally rushed into the main hall of the palace at a fast jog. Petya was there to meet her.

"Sally you're here. Good." she said as Sally stopped in front of her.

"What happened?" asked Sally.

"Come. I will tell you."

Petya turned and walked from the hall, followed by Sally and Alicia. He led them back to the room T2 and her used for practicing. Inside T2 was talking to Bunnie and Knuckles who had arrived about an hour before. Petya sat down on a small cushion on the floor and motioned for everyone to join her. They all sat down and looked at her. A few moments passed before Knuckles spoke.

"So?" he asked.

"What happened?" continued Sally.

Petya let out a short sigh.

"It all started earlier this morning. T2 came to me saying he wanted to show me something he had found whilst experimenting with his skills." she said.

"I found I could extend my senses outwards and virtually feel myself in different places. It was incredible. I wanted to show Petya and find out whether we could expand on it."said T2.

"We joined and tried it. It did work. We found we were able to sense any area on the entire planet." continued Petya.

Everyone gasped.

"I'm not done." said Petya, "After a while we started to sense different places. Places that shouldn't exist."

"Like what?" asked Bunnie.

"Like Robotropolis for a start." said T2.

"What?!" cried Knuckles leaping to his feet.

"Sit down Knuckles, I'm still not done." said Petya.

Knuckles looked at her and then sat down again.

"We also saw a frozen wasteland." said T2.

"What were these places?" asked Sally.

"We didn't now at first. We know now thought. They were alternate realities." said Petya.

"Alternate what's?" asked Alicia.

Sally suddenly looked at Alicia. She had been so caught up in things she had forgotten her daughter. She turned to Alicia.

"Maybe you should go up to your room." she said.

Alicia shook her head.

"No." she said firmly, "What's going on?"

"So you haven't told her about the others." said Petya standing up.

Sally turned towards the wolf.

"Of course not. She's only eleven." said Sally.

"She is old enough to see. You should all see what happened." said Petya.

"What do you mean…………argh!" cried Sally.

She felt a strange feeling saturating her mind. It penetrated her senses and slowly her vision went black. A few moments later an image appeared to her. She saw Petya and T2's room. At first it was empty and then there was a shimmer and T2's and Petya's form appeared in the room. They joined hands and started to glow. Sally continued to watch and then she heard a voice in her head. It was T2 and Petya talking.

Petya this can't be right!

I know T2. Where on Mobius is this place?

It looks like the area Mobotropolis is on. See the mountains in the background? Those look like the great peaks!

But it can't be! Mobotropolis isn't like this!

I know. What is this frozen wasteland?!

Wait…..its going! OH MY!

My god!

It's Robotropolis!

You better call Sonic!

Right! SONIC! SONIC HEAR ME NOW!

As they talked the room shimmered and was replaced by the images they spoke of. Sally would have gasped if she could. The image returned to the room as Sonic and Amy tore in and soon after Tails, Lavender and Miles. She saw Sonic rush at them and be thrown back. She then heard more voices.

T2?

Yes.

There's here.

I know.

They can't help us, we're on our own.

That's not good.

I think I might be able to break us out of here but I don't know what will happen if I do.

No. I'll do it. You try to contain whatever happens.

Right T2.

T2, its working.

I know Petya. Just try to keep everything contained.

I…..I can't. Those places are coming back to me! I can't keep them out.

PETYA!

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

Sally watched at the red dots shot at her friends and then disappeared. The images slowly blurred back to black and then back to the room. Sally just starred into the middle distance.

"What was that?!" cried Knuckles.

"You saw it too?" said Sally.

"You all saw it." said T2, "It was a mental projection of what happened here earlier today."

Suddenly Alicia burst into tears. Sally spun round and threw her arms around her.

"It's ok Alicia. Calm down." she said running her hand through Alicia's hair.

She looked over her shoulder and glared at T2 and Petya.

"I told you! She's too young to understand this. Hell I'm not sure if I was ready to see that! You've tormented her."

"Sorry Sally but it was necessary." said T2.

"It's ok mother." said Alicia pulling away from Sally, "I'm ok."

Sally looked at Alicia. The small squirrel was shaking slightly but her eyes were as clear as ever. Sally slowly calmed down. She turned back to T2 and Petya.

"So what do we do?" she asked.

"Well I guess we have to rescue them." said Knuckles, "But…….how?"

"There might be a way but it will be risky." said Petya, "Myself and T2 could try to recreate what happened earlier."

"Petya!" said T2, "That might work for getting them there but….what about getting them back?"

Everyone looked at Petya. She closed her eyes for a moment.

"I have a notion but nothing solid. If we recreate what happened here while no-one is here it might reverse the procedure."

"You mean instead of pushing us out of this reality it pulls us back in again?" asked Bunnie.

"Exactly." said Petya.

"Could be risky." said Knuckles, "We could all end up stuck in those realities."

"We have to try." said Alicia speaking up.

Everyone turned to look at her. She was still shaking slightly but a feeling of commitment irradiated from her.

"Alicia?" asked Sally.

"We have to try." repeated Alicia, "We have to rescue everyone."

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"Are we ready Petya?" asked Sally.

"Almost." she replied.

Sally nodded and looked down at Alicia. She hadn't stopped shaking and Sally was worried about her.

"You alright dear?" she asked.

"I…..I think so. Just nervous." replied Alicia.

"I know." said Sally patting Alicia on the head.

Alicia spun and threw her arms around Sally's middle. She sniffed.

"Ok everyone. We're ready." said Petya.

Sally looked up to see Petya and T2 holding hands. They both glowed a soft yellow colour. Sally always found this amazing.

"Ok then sugah! Let's do this!" cried Bunnie.

Sally looked over at her. She was standing next to Knuckles on the spot where Sonic and Amy had disappeared.

"Get ready everyone and remember what we told you." said T2 closing his eyes.

Suddenly T2's and Petya's bodies glowed yellow and a large sphere formed around them. Slowly there forms disappeared and two little red spots appeared on the yellow sphere. Suddenly to everyone's surprise the red sphere suddenly changed to purple and shot off the sphere. They surrounded the two groups. They all felt themselves being pulled in two and suddenly everything went black.

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Sally gave a small moan and opened her eyes. She was obviously on her back but where. She slowly pulled herself upright and stopped dead. She was lying in HER bed! She didn't understand it. She felt her strength slowly return and gradually she pulled herself out of bed. She blinked heavily and walked over to the window. She opened it and stared out. Far below Mobotropolis was busy with activity. Sally's jaw hung open. Just then she heard the door open behind her. She stared again.

"Petya?!" she cried.

"Hello Sally. I'm glad to see you're awake. We have a problem." replied Petya.

Sally looked at her cautiously.

"I know what you're thinking. Is this an alternate reality?"

Petya slowly raised her right hand opened it. The Deep Power Stones glowed in her palm. Sally just stared again.

"As you can see, this is your reality. Something went wrong with the transfer."

"What happened?" said Sally suddenly dropping her suspicion and becoming curious.

"When T2 and myself recreated what we we're doing before we accidentally used too much of our power. We didn't know how unstable the other realities were."

"What are you saying?"

"The other realities are collapsing."

"WHAT?!"

"It started the second we tried to transport you there."

"You make it sound as if that was ages ago."

Petya nodded.

"It is. That was two weeks ago."

"TWO WEEKS! I've been out cold for two weeks?!"

"Along with everyone else."

Sally suddenly realised what Petya was saying.

"How long until the other realities collapse?" she asked quickly.

"Can't say but…..it could be as little as a day."

"Oh my."