Warning! another mini-MiSTing, and a special appearance from a Sonic Underground character(ducks from flamers). Also, another character from Sonic Adventure 2 is going to make an appearance in future chapters.

And David Goldsmith, don't worry. Knuckles may get his legs back soon. But right now, he and Latifah will take matters into their own hands, sort of like Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune. If you don't know what I mean, go to the Sailor Moon website 'Castle in the Sky'.

And I was going to make Tails eight or nine years old, but I think I'll make him be around six-seven. He's chibi(little) Tails from SatAM and AoSTH(ducks again).

Also, David, if you want to contact me, or if you can't review because of some snafu with fido the virtual dog, please e-mail me at my ff.net website or join the fanfiction.net mailing-list. Anyone else who wants to contact me is welcome to do so. Just don't flame me, or you will be plonked.

****************************************************************************************************************************

Latifah wandered through Robotropolis, edgy because of her inability to detect attackers. She closed her eyes, again switching to Knuckles' night-vision. Much better.

This was going to be difficult, since both of them were crippled. But Latifah was used to that; she only had her powers for a few days. Knuckles, however, had lost his sense of purpose during their stay at Knothole, and had become borderline-suicidal.

{Don't ever, ever think that, Knuckles,} she thought to him, {Don't ever think you're useless. If you died, it would break my heart}

Latifah stroked the echidna's fur with a sweaty hand, and kissed his forehead. The psionic bridge was forming again, their love deepening the mind-link enough so that the bansh-echidna's brain acted as a sensory-beacon. Knuckles was suddenly able to feel his legs, among other things.

Latifah could sense the emerald, and it wasn't just her connection with Knuckles. She was an echidna, a guardian, not a true banshee.

"INTRUDER!"

Latifah turned to see(with Knuckles' eyes) a SWATbot.

Without hesitation, she took out the gun she had stolen before leaving Knothole, and fired on the bot, destroying it. Then, satisfied that the coast was clear, at least for now, the two guardians continued their search for the master emerald.

But there was a problem: the chaos-energy seemed to be coming from all directions, like the song of a cricket.

What???

Then, they realized something. The Master Emerald must have been shattered when the ship exploded.

Both guardians cursed. Now they would have a hell of a time getting that thing back together.

{Please, child, you shouldn't be here!}

That mysterious psychic again. What was she doing in Robotropolis?

{Shut up, Pyjamas! We need to find the Master Emerald, and you aren't helping!}

{Please, child, go back! Let me-}

"NO!!!" Latifah yelled, "I'm a guardian! It's my duty!"

"As it is mine to stop you," came a voice from around a corner.

A figure with a plasma-light stepped into view, blinding the guardians with her light. Latifah opened her eyes and let them adjust.

"Stop me? Ha! Do you even know what we're doing?"

"You're intruding on my property," the other woman simply stated.

"To my knowledge, this isn't really your property, am I right?"

Latifah smirked at the woman, and narrowed her eyes. Both guardians felt a little apprehensive, but they decided to play a poker-face.

"Last time I checked, in fact, it belonged to the natives," Knuckles added, "So, I'm wondering, what the hell are you still doing here?"

"I might ask you the same question," the woman said, stepping a little closer.

"Don't bother us with little details," the echidna said, grinning, "Or we will just have to kill you"

The other woman laughed.

"Oh, yes, I saw her fine display of 'marksmanship' last night! Please, will the little girl demonstrate for me again?".

Both guardians' hearts jumped to their throats. Then, Latifah remembered that she had seen two women during the attack on Robotropolis last night.

Mentally, she cursed, then, with the help of Knuckles, bounced back.

"A temporary set-back, I assure you"

The woman raised a gun at them.

"You're bluffing," she said, and fired.

Latifah dodged the blast, and fired back at the woman.

"Fine," the woman said, "But I'll be back!"

"Not so fast," Latifah said, firing another round of shots at the strange woman, "We're not finished with you yet!"

"Oh, s***!" the woman said to herself, "I think I just bit off more than I could chew!"

{LATIFAH!!!} the psychic-voice called to the female guardian again.

"Not now, Pyjamas!"

{LATIFAH!!! COME HERE NOW!!!}

Latifah fired some more shots at the woman, then turned toward the voice. Both guardians could feel a strong concentration of chaos-energy. Pyjamas had a chaos emerald?

"What??"

A figure jumped out of the shadows, and took several pieces of glowing green rocks out of her pants-pocket.

"Pyjamas, what the hell are you doing here?" the bansh-echidna demanded.

"Giving you two this," the mobian answered, "Now open your duffel bag"

Latifah complied, and the psychic started taking more pieces out and dropping them into the bag.

"It's not all of them, but the rest can't be too far. I wish you would've listened to me"

The banshee-guardian glared at her.

"Don't patronize me, Pyjamas," she said, "You're not my mother!"

"Just listen to me for a change so we can re-assemble the master emerald!" the psychic snapped.

****************************************************************************************************************************

"Master emerald, huh?" Carley mumbled to herself, as she watched the mobians and the weird woman, "Well, I'm never one to pass up on a good precious stone..."

She smiled, and looked around.

"All I need is a good disguise... Hmmm..."

She passed by a roboticized bat... Perfect...

"Bye-bye Carley, Hello..." the woman thought for a moment, then smiled again.

"Ah, that's it..." She sneaked back to her ship, where Snively was sure to wake up soon.

He'll never recognize me in this disguise...

****************************************************************************************************************************

"You stay here," Sonic said, "I don't want the baby to get hurt.

Sally nodded.

"Sonic," she said, "Take Tails with you"

"But-" the fox began.

"Tails," the squirrel began, "I have something to tell you"

"Yeah?"

"I've been overprotecting you, and I think you've known that for a long time"

Tails nodded.

"Well," Sally continued, "I-I just... I'm finding it hard to let go. You're still a baby to me, and I'm afraid you'll grow up too soon, like me and Sonic"

The kitsune just stared at her, waiting for her to continue.

"You're a big boy now, so go ahead with Sonic, and make me proud"

"I will, Aunt Sally," Tails said, hugging the princess.

"Be good, Tails, stay out of trouble," she called, as Sonic and the fox left for Robotropolis.

Hands on the window-pane

Watching some children laugh and play

They're running in circles

With candy canes and French braids...

Sally watched the children at play from where she stood, and patted her tummy again. She really wasn't much older than some of them; maybe ten years or so. And Tails was almost half her age. Why was I so reluctant to tell him about Knuckles' condition? The squirrel thought to herself.

Selfish. She was selfish, in coddling Tails. And now, he was going to be involved in some very serious business, most which would mean a difference between life and death.

Sally didn't want to lose him; that was her greatest fear, even more than him losing his innocence. I'm just being a mother... She decided.

Inspired to question

What makes us grown-ups anyway?

Let's search for the moment

When youth betrayed itself to age...

She looked up at the children, still carefree, unaware for the most part of what the adults(most of them still technically children themselves) were involved in.

Then, the young princess was overcome with the urge to join them, something she could not fully explain.

At first, she hesitated, still in command-mode, then chided herself.

So many times she had sacrificed her wants, and perhaps even her needs, so Mobius would prevail. Now, for once, she could throw off those chains.

Seeing that she wouldn't be able to join in missions for some time, what with her condition, the squirrel ran to join the children in a game of catch.

So let the children play

Inside your heart always

And death you will defy

'Cause your youth will never die...[from 'Never Die' by Creed]

****************************************************************************************************************************

Snively woke up with a giant headache, and found himself tied up. Just like old times, he thought.

He sniffed the air.

"Phew, what's that smell?" he wondered.

The midgit looked around the cage he was in for something he could cut the rope on. Nothing.

He sighed, and lay back down, only to hear a sickening *splutch*.

Snively gagged at the vile odor. He looked at the spot where he lay down, and immedietly knew who left that 'gift'.

"A certain hedgehog is gonna pay for this!" he seethed.

****************************************************************************************************************************

"Red! Latifah!" Sonic's voice echoed through the corridors of Robotropolis.

{You better hide, Pyjamas,} Latifah thought, {I don't want you getting involved in our business}

Pyjamas opened her mouth to say something, but the bansh-echidna interrupted her.

{Just go! I don't want you to get into trouble}

{Yeah,} Knuckles added, {It's between us and Sonic. You don't need to to be involved}

The mobian sighed.

"Ok," she whispered, before slinking off into the shadows again.

"Red! Latifah! Where are you?" Sonic's voice was getting closer.

"What do you want?" Latifah demanded, though she already knew what-or to be more precisely, who-he was after.

The hedgehog stepped into view, and glared at the bansh-echidna. The kitsune, Tails, she knew, wore the same expression.

"Red," Sonic answered, "Bring him back to Knothole!"

"No," Knuckles said, "I'm staying with her"

"But you need medical-care-"

"And Latifah can care for me herself. I'm not going back!"

As if to emphasize that, the echidna, still under the influence of the psionic-bridge, un-strapped himself and had Latifah lower him to the ground. His legs gave out at first, since they had little muscle-tone, but he picked himself back up and walked toward Sonic and Tails.

"But Knuckles," Tails piped-up, "Sally told me half of your spine was missing and you wouldn't-"

"-Be able to walk again?" Knuckles finished, "Oh, you have alot to learn. Sally has held us back, and if she had it her way, innocent lives would be at stake. We will find the master emerald our way, and neither you, nor Sally can stop us!"

"But what about your seizures?" Sonic asked

"I'll take my chance. Besides, Latifah has some medical-equipment that she stole from a camp in her home-region. It should be enough to last us until we can find the master emerald"

"But Red-"

"Please, don't make this any harder," Knuckles said, "I am still your friend, Sonic, I think you know that; but right now, you and Sally are your own worst enemies!"

Suddenly, he felt the familliar numbness start to creep up his legs, and had to concentrate to stand. Sonic, sensing that, caught him as the last remnants of the psy-bridge wore off.

"Thank you, Sonic," Knuckles said, as the hedgehog brought him down to a sitting-position.

"But what will I tell Sally?" Sonic asked.

He was answered by a blow to the head.

"Nothing," Knuckles answered.

Tails looked at them in disbelief. Why did he hurt Sonic?

"You're supposed to be the good guys!" he cried.

"We are the good guys, Tails," Knuckles said, "But we are doing this for the sake of all the Freedom Fighters, including you and Sonic! Tell Sally what happened. Tell her if anyone interferes, we wiill take any action necessary"

Latifah nodded.

"This is not a threat," she said, "Now go! We have business to attend to, and someone we need to discuss things with"

Tails glared at them, then picked up the unconscious Sonic and flew off.

When he was gone, Latifah picked Knuckles back up and looked around for Pyjamas, but she was nowhere to be seen. Strange...

They expected her to be close by, but she just vanished, without a trace... or did she?

The guardians found another piece of the master emerald in one of the dark corridors, and Latifah took it and put it in her bag with the others. They wouldn't be able to find the rest of the emerald without the help of Pyjamas, and the pieces were worthless by themselves. Maybe that emerald that Pyjamas had could detect the pieces of the master emerald, or maybe she had some kind of device that could detect chaos-energy.

{Come on, Knuckles, let's look for Ol' Crazy, then fnd some shelter for the night}

{Where?}

{I don't know. We'll just have to look. Maybe we can use the old shelter-}

{No,} Knuckles interrupted, {That'll be the first place they'll look. We'll have to find some other place}

****************************************************************************************************************************

"Oh, I wish I could just reveal myself to her," Pyjamas said.

"No, It's not time. Believe me, I know how you feel"

Pyjamas turned at the sound of the sweet voice. This mysterious stranger had been in contact with her for some time, but had never revealed her identity.

"Do you?"

The stranger stepped into the clearing, and put a mauve hand on the woman's shoulder. Though she wore a cloak that covered most of her face, the gold glint of a crown was barely visible..

"Yes, I do"

to be continued...

****************************************************************************************************************************

Oh, and by the way, If you read Orin's 'Through The Darkness... To The Light', try listening to 'Freestate' by Depeche Mode when you get to the yaoi part. It really gives it a neat effect.

Orin, you did a cool yaoi fic! It could probably get by with a lower rating, like R, because I've listened to songs by Salt 'N' Peppa that were more explicit. But I can see why you did that, because I'm working on a Batman fic that addresses rape and sodomy from the victim's perspective, and I don't want to get some kid's parents mad. So I gave it an NC-17 rating, even though the descriptions of sex are brief, and there are no swears or crude sexual words.