-----oooOOooo-----

"…..What is going on?!?!?"

With a shout, Snively smacked his console angrily. The monitors, and the cameras, had suddenly shorted out on him several minutes ago. Behind him, Sonic floated almost lifelessly in the tube.

"And just when Crocbot was attacking Knothole!" He gave a growl. "Stupid machine!"

He started to pace frantically. He had been so careful to make sure he would be able to see every moment of the action, he ensured that nothing would malfunction. Yet at the moment of glory, everything he didn't want to happen seemed to be happening.

"I double checked the feed before I connected to Crcobot and Khan!" He kicked the side of the console. "What is wrong with it?! I wanted in on the action!"
"Oh, you'll get in on the action all right."

Snively's heart suddenly froze at the sound of the voice. It seemed impossible; he had to be hearing things.

"Nice to see you too, Snively."

The overlander turned around, and nearly had a heart attack. Standing inside his lab, walking in through the steel doors, was none other than Sally, Rotor and Mina – a group of Freedom Fighters. All of them were dirty, sweaty, cut, bleeding – and looking downright annoyed.

"Y-YOU!!!" Snively squeaked in fear. His previous bravado suddenly escaped him. "How did you…"
"Call it chance," Sally crossed her arms. "Or we can say that we managed to figure your plan out. Either way, pal, you lose."
"You…..you defeated them both?!?"
"Well…." Sally looked at Mina. "We couldn't defeat one without first beating the other. Once we figured that, it was simply a matter of taking out your relaying system."
"You may have planned all this out ahead of time, shorty," Rotor rubbed his nose. "But even the most brilliant plan has flaws in it."
"Now…" Mina put her sleeve back up on her shoulder. "Its our turn."

With that, the three began to step forward.

"Not so fast!" Snively jumped back towards the lever to the tube. "I still hold Sonic's life in my hands. Just as I can keep him alive, I can fill that tube with pure oil and suffocate him!"

The minute he said that, the three Mobians were almost in top of him. They glared down at him with such anger and intimidation that Snively knew he was beaten. He gave a whimper.

"Either you let Sonic go….." Sally pulled Snively up by his cloak. "Or we'll make sure you're several inches shorter when you go back to Robotnik. Understood?"
"G….g-g-g……giaaaaaaaaah!!!!!!"

Snively's hand shakily went over to the liver and pressed it down; almost instantly the tube that contained Sonic began to drain. Slowly, as the liquid level began to lower, Sally let go of Snively.

"That's much better." Snively slumped to the ground, quivering like a baby. "Now, get out of here. Or else."
"Y….." Snively scrambled up, his eyes darting to each animal. "Y-y-yes, your highness!"

With another yelp, Snively jumped and ran out of another door, close to the console. Several minutes later, the sound of a plane engine roared through the lab, growing dimmer as it flew away.

"Good riddance." Sally looked at the console. "Thank goodness this is over. Which button opens the tube?"
"It think its that one, Sal." Rotor pointed towards a small green button. "Of course, you never know these days."
"……Sally….?"

Sally and Rotor turned towards Mina. She was looking down, rubbing her hands together and clicking her heels together.

"…..Um…." Mina looked at them nervously. "….Look……Sally, I know this may be a bad time, but…..I'm sorry."
"Sorry?" Sally looked confused. "Sorry…..about what?"
"….Well……about Sonic."
"Mina…" Sally shook her head. "That wasn't your fault. Monkey Khan had kis-"
"No no. Not that." Mina shook her head. "I mean…. If I don't tell you now…I'm sorry."

Rotor looked at the two nervously as Sally's expression slowly changed when she begin to understand what Mina may have meant. He turned to his side to look at the tube with Sonic in it.

"Ooh, uh…." He whistled. "Looks like someone may have to go and saaave Sonic….I think I'll just leaveyoutwoalonerightnow!!!"

With a burst of unnatural speed, Rotor jumped off, leaving Mina and Sally to stare at each other for several moments.

"….Look…." Mina finally found her voice. "I should really apologize….I was kind of stupid, and I didn't kno-"
"Mina." Sally's voice made Mina go silent. "Don't say that."
"But its true." Mina's feelings on what had happened came back, and she felt the tears come back to her. "I'm really sorry, princess."
"I think it was everyone's fault." Sally turned back towards the console. "It wasn't yours entirely. I have to take some blame for not telling you that Sonic liked me, and I bet Sonic never told you anything either."
"Well…." Mina thought. "No, I had hints. I should have noticed them. Its my fault!"
"Mina….." Sally gave a huff. "I swear, if I didn't like you so much, I'd smack you for being irrational."
"Please, it…." Mina stopped. "…..Huh?….Friend?"
"Of course!" To Mina's surprise, Sally chuckled. "Just because we all had our misunderstandings about each other doesn't mean we can't be friends. Besides which, what did you think I was going to do to you? Not after what you did. You've helped to save Sonic's life…..twice." Sally chuckled again. "If that's someone I can't respect, Mina, I guess my expectations of who I know are too high."

Sally's words stunned Mina. She simply stood there, her mouth open, once again at a lost for words. Then, what Sally said in comparison to the truth gave her something to say.

"Sally…." She took a deep breath. "That…..that time at Nack's…"
"Yes?"
"…..He wasn't aiming for Sonic."
"Sonic!!!"

Sally's eyes widened just as Rotor's shout filled the room. For a moment, even after Mina had run over to the now bare tube, Sally stood there, letting the words sink in.

"Sonic!" Rotor shook the barefoot hedgehog as he coughed. "Come on, Sonic!"
"…..Ugh….." Sonic shook his head. "Man, Rotor, are you a sight for sore eyes….."
"Come on, get up." Rotor helped Sonic up to his feet. "Looks like you'll be getting a full night's rest after this one."
"Yeah….." Sonic looked around, slightly dazed. "How'd you guys do it?"
"We had some help." Rotor glanced at Mina. "Come on, lets get out of here."

Sonic gave a nod; his head was swimming from whatever had happened to him in the tube. He looked over at Sally, who was starting to walk towards the exit of the lab, also dazed. Then he looked over at Mina.

I'll get you for this…..

For a moment, as he looked at Mina, Sonic felt as if his body were not his own. His eyes widened; he could see the spiritual mist surround him, intent on almost eating him alive. Taking him again.

I'll get you…..
……You'd better leave, Mogul. You're not wanted here.


The words, the thoughts alone were enough; Mogul had no more power at the moment to possess Sonic, even if he truly wanted to. The mist simply rolled off of the hedgehog like fog, disappearing once more from his sight.

"Yeah." Sonic let Rotor lead him out of the lab. "Lets go."

---------------------

Night was well under way when Mina and the Freedom Fighters reached the outskirts of the village. They passed by the remains of Crocbot as they came to the great oak slide.

"Good night, Mina!" Rotor waved to her as he and Sally accompanied Sonic to his hut. "See you later."
"….Bye."

The mongoose gave a sigh after all three of them had gone down the slide. Slowly, she turned around and started to walk off on her own, her head down in thought. All around her, the trees were nothing more than shadows and gray ghosts of themselves; their shadows fell around Mina as she came upon the knoll.

….Wow……today was just….

Mina looked up from her trance and gave a gasp. In front of her, sitting in the grass, was a small, solitary figure. In its hands were dandelion stems, of which it was picking the petals off of.

"….Snaggle?"

The dog gave a start as it heard its name; he gave a sigh when it saw who had called it. He turned a bright red.

"Um…..hi, Mina….." He pulled at the grass nervously. "I'm sorry…I, uh…..was just looking up at the sky, that's all."
"……Can I join you?"

Snaggle's eyes widened at the question, and his face turned a darker shade of red. Mina, on the other hand, simply smiled.

"Its ok." She beamed. "I promise I won't tell the others."

A cute smile appeared on Snaggle's face as she said this. Quickly, he scooched over so that Mina could sit next to him, his grin becoming toothy as he did.

"Ok!"

So Mina and Snaggle took up some dandelions and began to talk. They talked about everything from flowers to the constellations. The conversation, however, did not last for very long. It had, after all, been a very long day for the two new heroes. As they talked, their eyes began to close on them; soon, they were both asleep in the grass, their dandelions scattered all around them, with nothing but the stars and moon shining above them.



It was a perfect way to end the day.


THE END