Part Two. Location - Loren's world.
"There has to be some way I can do this," Loren said angrily. The fairy council had taken away her powers to prevent her from further disobedience. They refused to believe her every time she talked to them! Sooner or later, those Millipede Roamers were going to take over completely. Then the Wielder of the Void would come.... She did not want to think about what would happen then. She gazed out of the window and saw the tribal chieftains from all the separate fairy communities heading towards the main city. Things must be getting worse, because the many different tribes hardly ever got together unless something serious had happened. Loren yawned. They would not stand a chance against the Millipede Roamers.
She had to help, but how? She was only a fairy, a spiritual apparition. If only she was human.....
"That's it!" Loren snapped her fingers. She scribbled away on her notepad excitedly. "I have to make myself human, so I can pass over to the Other Side." She had heard of fairies making such changes before. Luckily, she happened to know of a power source in the Fairy Temple. It should be large enough for the required magical force. She would definitely need the help of her best friend, Mara, seeing as Loren's power had been taken away. There might even be enough time to write a letter to the Chancellor, to 'inform' him of what she was going to do. Of course, she would have to make sure the letter got to him after she had made the change.
She became so engrossed in her plans that she did not notice the time passing. By nightfall she had everything sorted. Filled with a tingling anticipation, Loren tried to sleep, waiting for the new dawn.
Her plan was risky, but if only she could pull it off, she could save both worlds.
* * * * *
Location - In Robotnik's base, underneath a volcano.
"Are you sure this'll work?" drawled Stella. She was extremely sceptical of Eggman's idea. She drummed her long, black polished nails on the top of a piano-like electronics board. Lava bubbled in the fenced-off pit behind her.
"Of course I am sure. It can't go wrong." Eggman said.
"That's what you said about the Eclipse Cannon," Stella reminded him.
"This is a little different. The weapons I need to magnify the Void's power are ready for shipment any time now. My 'friend' in the research facility, Dr. Wallis, will make sure they'll get on that cruiser no trouble. Meanwhile, I'm going to do a few experiments concerning the Hiatus Orb."
"Then I shall go back to the stronghold on Karmen Island. I have a few experiments of my own to do." Stella picked up her leather jacket and brushed her hair back from her face with the sweep of a hand. "Wasn't there something you said about that friend of Sonic's?" she queried.
"Yes, that would be Tails you're talking about. I've recently found out from Dr. Wallis that he's managed to get hold of my tripartite device, my computer files! How, I don't know, but he must have found out what we're doing by now."
"Got it all sorted," Stella said, patting the new double-barrelled rifle at her side. "I'll track him down." She strode out of the control room.
The monorail took her straight to the flight deck. Amongst the many planes and helicopters that Robotnik had made was the Neurocopter, her very own aviation model. The Neurocopter was the fastest, flashest, most up-to- date model of it's type. It carried deadly weapons, and it's fastest speed was seven hundred and fifty miles per hour. She smiled maliciously. No way was that fox boy going to escape her!
* * * * *
Location - The Casino, Station Square.
Tails slumped against a pinball machine. Good. They had lost the beetle robots. Those beetle robots were a nuisance. As soon as Amy and he had reached the station, the beetles had come after them again!
"Amy, we lost 'em." Tails puffed. Then he stopped, looking around him. "Amy?" Where had she gone? He searched amongst the bright, flashing neon lights and crowds of people in the Casino. He could not see her. " Great. Now I've lost Amy," Tails moaned. He pushed through the crowds in a frantic effort to find her.
He wandered over to the central platform, which was slightly more spacious. It was karaoke night at the Casino, and a beautiful girl's voice floated out from the karaoke stage. Smoke from cigars filled the room, and the neon lights were making him feel dizzy. The song ended, and marvellous applause came from the audience.
Tails was trying to figure out the best way to find Amy in the throng when someone rushed out at him from the crowd. It was a young female fox, wearing a white vest top and a tartan skirt. "Oh boy," Tails murmured.
"Ooooooh, MILES! It's you, it's you, it's you! Oh, I've waited so long to see you, Miles! Oh, it's really you!" The girl clasped her arms around his neck and hugged him. Then she planted a big kiss on his cheek. Tails knew that voice, it was the girl who had just been singing for karaoke night.
"Wha...I don't understand. Who are you?" Tails asked, looking confused. He backed off.
"It's me, Sandi. I'm your sister. Don't you remember me, Miles?" She cocked her head questioningly to one side.
"I....have a sister?" Tails gasped.
* * * * *
Location - Station Square, near the station.
Amy was annoyed. When those beetles had shown up again a few minutes ago, Tails had run off somewhere. She had no idea where he was. She wandered back to the station, aimlessly kicking an empty soda can, hands on hips.
When she turned the corner, she had a surprise waiting for her. There was Tails, lying limp on the ground, with someone - a female fox - standing over him. She panicked, and ran over to him.
"Get away from my friend!" Amy said savagely, catching the girl's shoulder.
"Me? But I - ," the girl stammered.
"If you've hurt him, I'll...." Amy began, but the girl interrupted her,
"I haven't done anything to Miles!"
"From what I could see, it looked like you were." Amy glowered.
"You don't understand!"
"Oh, don't I?"
"You really are dumber than I thought, for a girl with absolutely no dress sense!" That was a major insult for Amy.
"Right, you asked for it! Bring it on!" Amy shouted. They began to fight. Amy was in a rage. Instant hate had sparked the second she saw this new girl, and Amy really was convinced that she had done something to Tails.
This girl was extremely skilled in martial arts, Amy considered as she shifted to one side to avoid a karate - chop. She must have had professional training or something. Amy was determined to prove she was better. She caught the girl off guard in an arm lock and tried to force her backwards. The girl let go, and aimed a punch at her. She missed, and Amy tripped her up. She grabbed Amy's wrist and pulled her down in the mud too. Amy boldly slapped her across the face. Back to the arm lock again.
"For a girl with no dress sense, you're pretty good at hand-to-hand combat," the girl commented.
"If you routinely save the world from destruction, you would be too," Amy snarled.
"Then we're quits." The girl thought Amy was joking. But before they could start at each other again, a faint voice called out from the corner.
"Stop fighting. Amy, Sandi," Tails said, struggling into an upright position. Amy and Sandi both turned their heads in synchronisation.
"Miles!"
"Tails!" They both shouted at the same time, rushing to his side.
"Miles, thank goodness you're awake now," the girl whispered, taking hold of Tails's hand. Strange, thought Amy. It was almost as though this girl knew him really well!
"Leave him alone," Amy hissed. The girls eyed each other angrily, fists clenched.
"Amy, listen." Tails interrupted the tense atmosphere between them. "This is my sister, Sandi. Sandi, meet Amy, girlfriend of my best friend, Sonic, and also a very good friend of mine."
'That's a mouthful," Sandi exclaimed. "How do you do, Amy?" Sandi held out her hand. Amy refused and shot her an acid glance. She had still not forgotten about what Sandi said about her dress sense. Also, Sandi's smug 'Let's all make up and be friends' attitude was irritating her. She could not believe that the girl holding her hand out to her was the same girl who had been violently fighting her mere seconds ago.
"You have a sister? Tails, you have a lot of explaining to do," Amy told Tails.
* * * * *
Location - Angel Island.
On the barren, desolate Angel Island, Knuckles sat, thinking. He had had the same dream two nights in a row. Something about Sonic, being trapped somewhere, like in another dimension, if there ever was such a thing. What could the dream mean? Knuckles had a strange feeling that this dream was true. What if Sonic was in trouble?
Subconsciously, his thoughts shifted to Rouge. He desperately wanted to make up with her, he liked her a lot - but he could not trust her, she was so unpredictable! He gazed out at the pinky-gold horizon longingly. Beautiful sunsets like this were his favourite, it was when he felt the presence of the Master Emerald at it's strongest. Yet, was this really what he wanted? He went over Rouge's acid parting remark : 'Do you really want to spend your whole life on this island guarding the Master Emerald like a total loser?'
Suddenly Knuckles sat bolt upright. The hairs on the back of his neck were prickling. He scanned the horizon and saw a green fog spreading out over the sky, looming dangerously in his direction. Knuckles stared, entranced. Something was not right, he knew it, but all the same he could not tear his gaze from the green fog.
The fog was almost directly overhead now. It seemed to condense in a cloudlike formation. Then it began rumbling like thunder; it was glowing brighter and more vivid. A wave of electricity pulsed out from the green storm cloud and it cam back in again. It did this a second time, crackles of charged up energy flickering about the cloud.
In the blink of an eye, a terrific crackling flash of green lightning shot out from the cloud straight at Knuckles. It struck him too quickly for him to realise. His whole body contorted as the dark energy shocked through him, and his last conscious thought was 'Must save Master Emerald' , then he knew no more.
The echidna stood up, stretched, looked about him. He did not recognise this strange place. He seemed to be on an island floating in the sky, with a giant jewel in the centre of it. Even though he did not know this place, he could sense the presence of a good force. He shook his head in disgust. All good things would be eliminated one day, he thought darkly.
He walked mechanically to the edge of the island. The only thing that was important to him was the command inside his head ; 'Get the Amulet and destroy Tails.'
"Yes, Master Robotnik," Knuckles said in a robot-like voice. He would do whatever the voice told him to do. The dark forces of the Orb had control of him now.
* * * * *
Location - On a train bound for the Mystic Ruins.
"So, you see, after we came out of the Casino, Sandi and I were talking, and my shin started hurting. I felt kinda dizzy, I suppose I must have totally blacked out or something 'cos the next thing I knew, the two of you were having a go at each other." Tails explained. Amy blinked.
"I thought she was hurting you!" ( she , of course, meant Sandi )
"I was trying to wake you up after fainting when she attacked me!" Sandi said, pointing a finger accusingly at Amy.
"Hey, quit the arguing," Tails yawned, fighting to stay awake. "Let's just take it easy until we get to my workshop. Oh, and, Sandi..."
"Aha?"
"Stop the 'Miles' thing. Just call me Tails. Everyone else does." With that, Tails nodded off to the smooth rocking motion of the train. When he was fully asleep, Sandi whispered to Amy,
"We really ought to get a general practitioner or something to take care of my little bro'. That wound on his leg looks real bad."
"The exploration team in the Mystic Ruins should have a first aid tent. But apart from that, I'm stuck for ideas. Going to the hospital might have to wait until this whole thing's over and done with. After all, only two more days until the end of the world."
"Huh?"
"Tell ya later." Amy smiled and then yawned, laid her head back against the seat and fell asleep. Sandi stared out of the window at the stars twinkling brightly against the velvety sky.
* * * * *
Location - Unknown.
There was something moving in the bushes up ahead, Sonic was sure of it. Something big. Sonic watched from behind a tree. Slowly, a huge red and white mottled shape emerged from behind the rhododendrons. It looked like a gigantic crab with two big stalk eyes and dozens of legs, and it was as big as a bus. The huge front pincers and wide, slavering jaws with sharp fangs did not look too friendly. The crab looked around hungrily and made it's way through the forest, slashing down trees with a single blow. It began ambling in Sonic's direction. Sonic suddenly felt vulnerable, and ran for cover behind the waterfall opposite. The monster did not seem to notice. Sonic watched through the curtain of water as the creature cut down the very tree he had taken refuge under only a minute ago. It carried on slashing down the vegetation and lumbering through the forest. When it was out of sight, Sonic exhaled. Ankle deep in water, Sonic splashed to the edge of the waterfall pool. He was just about to sett off again when he heard someone cry out in the distance. It was coming from the direction that the monster had gone in! Whoever it was, he had to go and help them!
He reached the location of the sound in a couple of minutes. Stepping into a forest clearing, Sonic saw the creature attacking a bridge, trying to get to a beautiful temple that lay on the other side. Then he saw two shimmering figures, which had attracted the monster's attention. The figures had long, elegant wings and were dressed very strangely. Fairies or something, Sonic thought. The monster had them cornered on the very edge of the bridge. One fairy shot out a jet of light from his hand. It bounced off the monster harmlessly and the fairies shrieked. They could not defend themselves! That giant crab was going to get them.....
"Come here, ya overgrown lobster! Why doncha try me for size?" Sonic carefully aimed a stone at the crab's head, then threw. It struck right on target. The giant crab turned around, clicking it's pincers and making a low, guttural growling sound. It fixed it's irksome eyes directly on Sonic, who did not flinch. "C'mon, big boy. Scared or somethin'?" Sonic taunted. The crab monster moved forwards in a spider-like fashion, pincers clicking formidably. Sonic instinctively grabbed a sturdy twig from a bush behind him, twirled it around expertly in his hand then held it tight, ready to use it in defence against the advancing killer beast. The two fairies who had been so close to death stepped off the wooden bridge fence and curiously watched the strange newcomer fight off the monster.
The crab jabbed a pincer at Sonic. He ducked and rolled over, the two metre long pincer swinging harmlessly overhead. As the crab came round again, Sonic noticed the fleshy white underside of it's belly, the only area that was not covered in tough, impenetrable armour. That was it's weak spot! Sonic was constantly avoiding killer swipes and punches as he tried to get to it's belly, He hesitated for a moment, and it's tongue shot out, grabbing him like a frog would to a fly. The crab's mouth loomed closer. It was going to crush him with those humongous fangs! One glimpse of those pointy, slavering fangs was enough, Sonic rammed the stick into the crab's eye. It bellowed, and released him. Sonic fell to the ground, covered in monster saliva. Not pleasant.
The enraged monster began repeatedly chopping about with it's deadly pincers. Blood and pus was streaming out of the eye wound. The crab blindly swung it's left pincer at Sonic. He parried the blow with his stick. The pincer snapped the stick in half easily; Sonic was left with just a splintered end. As the monster lifted a leg to crush him, he dived for it's belly and thrust the remains of his stick into the fleshy underside. The splintered point of the wood sliced through the monster's guts and Sonic had to get out of there quick before he got all messy again. The monster shuddered and finally collapsed, dead.
"There. That wasn't so hard." Sonic boasted, throwing the stick down and walking over to the slightly shaken fairies. "Are you alright? That monster looked too close for comfort there."
"Oh, we're fine now. Thank-you for saving us both. It was very brave of you," the female fairy said.
"Are you new to these parts? I don't think we've seen you before," her partner said. Sonic held out his hand.
"I'm Sonic the Hedgehog. But you can call me Sonic." Surprisingly, when the first fairy shook his hand, he could hardly feel anything at all. His hand almost passed right through the fairy's! So they were just spiritual apparitions, unable to defend themselves against creatures of the material world.
"I am Marinka, and this is my partner, Ida," the female fairy told Sonic. "You look tired. Come to our village and rest a while. It's not that far from here," she offered.
"Yeah, that'd be great. Thanks," Sonic said, and the three of them walked onwards through the forest.
* * * * *
"There has to be some way I can do this," Loren said angrily. The fairy council had taken away her powers to prevent her from further disobedience. They refused to believe her every time she talked to them! Sooner or later, those Millipede Roamers were going to take over completely. Then the Wielder of the Void would come.... She did not want to think about what would happen then. She gazed out of the window and saw the tribal chieftains from all the separate fairy communities heading towards the main city. Things must be getting worse, because the many different tribes hardly ever got together unless something serious had happened. Loren yawned. They would not stand a chance against the Millipede Roamers.
She had to help, but how? She was only a fairy, a spiritual apparition. If only she was human.....
"That's it!" Loren snapped her fingers. She scribbled away on her notepad excitedly. "I have to make myself human, so I can pass over to the Other Side." She had heard of fairies making such changes before. Luckily, she happened to know of a power source in the Fairy Temple. It should be large enough for the required magical force. She would definitely need the help of her best friend, Mara, seeing as Loren's power had been taken away. There might even be enough time to write a letter to the Chancellor, to 'inform' him of what she was going to do. Of course, she would have to make sure the letter got to him after she had made the change.
She became so engrossed in her plans that she did not notice the time passing. By nightfall she had everything sorted. Filled with a tingling anticipation, Loren tried to sleep, waiting for the new dawn.
Her plan was risky, but if only she could pull it off, she could save both worlds.
* * * * *
Location - In Robotnik's base, underneath a volcano.
"Are you sure this'll work?" drawled Stella. She was extremely sceptical of Eggman's idea. She drummed her long, black polished nails on the top of a piano-like electronics board. Lava bubbled in the fenced-off pit behind her.
"Of course I am sure. It can't go wrong." Eggman said.
"That's what you said about the Eclipse Cannon," Stella reminded him.
"This is a little different. The weapons I need to magnify the Void's power are ready for shipment any time now. My 'friend' in the research facility, Dr. Wallis, will make sure they'll get on that cruiser no trouble. Meanwhile, I'm going to do a few experiments concerning the Hiatus Orb."
"Then I shall go back to the stronghold on Karmen Island. I have a few experiments of my own to do." Stella picked up her leather jacket and brushed her hair back from her face with the sweep of a hand. "Wasn't there something you said about that friend of Sonic's?" she queried.
"Yes, that would be Tails you're talking about. I've recently found out from Dr. Wallis that he's managed to get hold of my tripartite device, my computer files! How, I don't know, but he must have found out what we're doing by now."
"Got it all sorted," Stella said, patting the new double-barrelled rifle at her side. "I'll track him down." She strode out of the control room.
The monorail took her straight to the flight deck. Amongst the many planes and helicopters that Robotnik had made was the Neurocopter, her very own aviation model. The Neurocopter was the fastest, flashest, most up-to- date model of it's type. It carried deadly weapons, and it's fastest speed was seven hundred and fifty miles per hour. She smiled maliciously. No way was that fox boy going to escape her!
* * * * *
Location - The Casino, Station Square.
Tails slumped against a pinball machine. Good. They had lost the beetle robots. Those beetle robots were a nuisance. As soon as Amy and he had reached the station, the beetles had come after them again!
"Amy, we lost 'em." Tails puffed. Then he stopped, looking around him. "Amy?" Where had she gone? He searched amongst the bright, flashing neon lights and crowds of people in the Casino. He could not see her. " Great. Now I've lost Amy," Tails moaned. He pushed through the crowds in a frantic effort to find her.
He wandered over to the central platform, which was slightly more spacious. It was karaoke night at the Casino, and a beautiful girl's voice floated out from the karaoke stage. Smoke from cigars filled the room, and the neon lights were making him feel dizzy. The song ended, and marvellous applause came from the audience.
Tails was trying to figure out the best way to find Amy in the throng when someone rushed out at him from the crowd. It was a young female fox, wearing a white vest top and a tartan skirt. "Oh boy," Tails murmured.
"Ooooooh, MILES! It's you, it's you, it's you! Oh, I've waited so long to see you, Miles! Oh, it's really you!" The girl clasped her arms around his neck and hugged him. Then she planted a big kiss on his cheek. Tails knew that voice, it was the girl who had just been singing for karaoke night.
"Wha...I don't understand. Who are you?" Tails asked, looking confused. He backed off.
"It's me, Sandi. I'm your sister. Don't you remember me, Miles?" She cocked her head questioningly to one side.
"I....have a sister?" Tails gasped.
* * * * *
Location - Station Square, near the station.
Amy was annoyed. When those beetles had shown up again a few minutes ago, Tails had run off somewhere. She had no idea where he was. She wandered back to the station, aimlessly kicking an empty soda can, hands on hips.
When she turned the corner, she had a surprise waiting for her. There was Tails, lying limp on the ground, with someone - a female fox - standing over him. She panicked, and ran over to him.
"Get away from my friend!" Amy said savagely, catching the girl's shoulder.
"Me? But I - ," the girl stammered.
"If you've hurt him, I'll...." Amy began, but the girl interrupted her,
"I haven't done anything to Miles!"
"From what I could see, it looked like you were." Amy glowered.
"You don't understand!"
"Oh, don't I?"
"You really are dumber than I thought, for a girl with absolutely no dress sense!" That was a major insult for Amy.
"Right, you asked for it! Bring it on!" Amy shouted. They began to fight. Amy was in a rage. Instant hate had sparked the second she saw this new girl, and Amy really was convinced that she had done something to Tails.
This girl was extremely skilled in martial arts, Amy considered as she shifted to one side to avoid a karate - chop. She must have had professional training or something. Amy was determined to prove she was better. She caught the girl off guard in an arm lock and tried to force her backwards. The girl let go, and aimed a punch at her. She missed, and Amy tripped her up. She grabbed Amy's wrist and pulled her down in the mud too. Amy boldly slapped her across the face. Back to the arm lock again.
"For a girl with no dress sense, you're pretty good at hand-to-hand combat," the girl commented.
"If you routinely save the world from destruction, you would be too," Amy snarled.
"Then we're quits." The girl thought Amy was joking. But before they could start at each other again, a faint voice called out from the corner.
"Stop fighting. Amy, Sandi," Tails said, struggling into an upright position. Amy and Sandi both turned their heads in synchronisation.
"Miles!"
"Tails!" They both shouted at the same time, rushing to his side.
"Miles, thank goodness you're awake now," the girl whispered, taking hold of Tails's hand. Strange, thought Amy. It was almost as though this girl knew him really well!
"Leave him alone," Amy hissed. The girls eyed each other angrily, fists clenched.
"Amy, listen." Tails interrupted the tense atmosphere between them. "This is my sister, Sandi. Sandi, meet Amy, girlfriend of my best friend, Sonic, and also a very good friend of mine."
'That's a mouthful," Sandi exclaimed. "How do you do, Amy?" Sandi held out her hand. Amy refused and shot her an acid glance. She had still not forgotten about what Sandi said about her dress sense. Also, Sandi's smug 'Let's all make up and be friends' attitude was irritating her. She could not believe that the girl holding her hand out to her was the same girl who had been violently fighting her mere seconds ago.
"You have a sister? Tails, you have a lot of explaining to do," Amy told Tails.
* * * * *
Location - Angel Island.
On the barren, desolate Angel Island, Knuckles sat, thinking. He had had the same dream two nights in a row. Something about Sonic, being trapped somewhere, like in another dimension, if there ever was such a thing. What could the dream mean? Knuckles had a strange feeling that this dream was true. What if Sonic was in trouble?
Subconsciously, his thoughts shifted to Rouge. He desperately wanted to make up with her, he liked her a lot - but he could not trust her, she was so unpredictable! He gazed out at the pinky-gold horizon longingly. Beautiful sunsets like this were his favourite, it was when he felt the presence of the Master Emerald at it's strongest. Yet, was this really what he wanted? He went over Rouge's acid parting remark : 'Do you really want to spend your whole life on this island guarding the Master Emerald like a total loser?'
Suddenly Knuckles sat bolt upright. The hairs on the back of his neck were prickling. He scanned the horizon and saw a green fog spreading out over the sky, looming dangerously in his direction. Knuckles stared, entranced. Something was not right, he knew it, but all the same he could not tear his gaze from the green fog.
The fog was almost directly overhead now. It seemed to condense in a cloudlike formation. Then it began rumbling like thunder; it was glowing brighter and more vivid. A wave of electricity pulsed out from the green storm cloud and it cam back in again. It did this a second time, crackles of charged up energy flickering about the cloud.
In the blink of an eye, a terrific crackling flash of green lightning shot out from the cloud straight at Knuckles. It struck him too quickly for him to realise. His whole body contorted as the dark energy shocked through him, and his last conscious thought was 'Must save Master Emerald' , then he knew no more.
The echidna stood up, stretched, looked about him. He did not recognise this strange place. He seemed to be on an island floating in the sky, with a giant jewel in the centre of it. Even though he did not know this place, he could sense the presence of a good force. He shook his head in disgust. All good things would be eliminated one day, he thought darkly.
He walked mechanically to the edge of the island. The only thing that was important to him was the command inside his head ; 'Get the Amulet and destroy Tails.'
"Yes, Master Robotnik," Knuckles said in a robot-like voice. He would do whatever the voice told him to do. The dark forces of the Orb had control of him now.
* * * * *
Location - On a train bound for the Mystic Ruins.
"So, you see, after we came out of the Casino, Sandi and I were talking, and my shin started hurting. I felt kinda dizzy, I suppose I must have totally blacked out or something 'cos the next thing I knew, the two of you were having a go at each other." Tails explained. Amy blinked.
"I thought she was hurting you!" ( she , of course, meant Sandi )
"I was trying to wake you up after fainting when she attacked me!" Sandi said, pointing a finger accusingly at Amy.
"Hey, quit the arguing," Tails yawned, fighting to stay awake. "Let's just take it easy until we get to my workshop. Oh, and, Sandi..."
"Aha?"
"Stop the 'Miles' thing. Just call me Tails. Everyone else does." With that, Tails nodded off to the smooth rocking motion of the train. When he was fully asleep, Sandi whispered to Amy,
"We really ought to get a general practitioner or something to take care of my little bro'. That wound on his leg looks real bad."
"The exploration team in the Mystic Ruins should have a first aid tent. But apart from that, I'm stuck for ideas. Going to the hospital might have to wait until this whole thing's over and done with. After all, only two more days until the end of the world."
"Huh?"
"Tell ya later." Amy smiled and then yawned, laid her head back against the seat and fell asleep. Sandi stared out of the window at the stars twinkling brightly against the velvety sky.
* * * * *
Location - Unknown.
There was something moving in the bushes up ahead, Sonic was sure of it. Something big. Sonic watched from behind a tree. Slowly, a huge red and white mottled shape emerged from behind the rhododendrons. It looked like a gigantic crab with two big stalk eyes and dozens of legs, and it was as big as a bus. The huge front pincers and wide, slavering jaws with sharp fangs did not look too friendly. The crab looked around hungrily and made it's way through the forest, slashing down trees with a single blow. It began ambling in Sonic's direction. Sonic suddenly felt vulnerable, and ran for cover behind the waterfall opposite. The monster did not seem to notice. Sonic watched through the curtain of water as the creature cut down the very tree he had taken refuge under only a minute ago. It carried on slashing down the vegetation and lumbering through the forest. When it was out of sight, Sonic exhaled. Ankle deep in water, Sonic splashed to the edge of the waterfall pool. He was just about to sett off again when he heard someone cry out in the distance. It was coming from the direction that the monster had gone in! Whoever it was, he had to go and help them!
He reached the location of the sound in a couple of minutes. Stepping into a forest clearing, Sonic saw the creature attacking a bridge, trying to get to a beautiful temple that lay on the other side. Then he saw two shimmering figures, which had attracted the monster's attention. The figures had long, elegant wings and were dressed very strangely. Fairies or something, Sonic thought. The monster had them cornered on the very edge of the bridge. One fairy shot out a jet of light from his hand. It bounced off the monster harmlessly and the fairies shrieked. They could not defend themselves! That giant crab was going to get them.....
"Come here, ya overgrown lobster! Why doncha try me for size?" Sonic carefully aimed a stone at the crab's head, then threw. It struck right on target. The giant crab turned around, clicking it's pincers and making a low, guttural growling sound. It fixed it's irksome eyes directly on Sonic, who did not flinch. "C'mon, big boy. Scared or somethin'?" Sonic taunted. The crab monster moved forwards in a spider-like fashion, pincers clicking formidably. Sonic instinctively grabbed a sturdy twig from a bush behind him, twirled it around expertly in his hand then held it tight, ready to use it in defence against the advancing killer beast. The two fairies who had been so close to death stepped off the wooden bridge fence and curiously watched the strange newcomer fight off the monster.
The crab jabbed a pincer at Sonic. He ducked and rolled over, the two metre long pincer swinging harmlessly overhead. As the crab came round again, Sonic noticed the fleshy white underside of it's belly, the only area that was not covered in tough, impenetrable armour. That was it's weak spot! Sonic was constantly avoiding killer swipes and punches as he tried to get to it's belly, He hesitated for a moment, and it's tongue shot out, grabbing him like a frog would to a fly. The crab's mouth loomed closer. It was going to crush him with those humongous fangs! One glimpse of those pointy, slavering fangs was enough, Sonic rammed the stick into the crab's eye. It bellowed, and released him. Sonic fell to the ground, covered in monster saliva. Not pleasant.
The enraged monster began repeatedly chopping about with it's deadly pincers. Blood and pus was streaming out of the eye wound. The crab blindly swung it's left pincer at Sonic. He parried the blow with his stick. The pincer snapped the stick in half easily; Sonic was left with just a splintered end. As the monster lifted a leg to crush him, he dived for it's belly and thrust the remains of his stick into the fleshy underside. The splintered point of the wood sliced through the monster's guts and Sonic had to get out of there quick before he got all messy again. The monster shuddered and finally collapsed, dead.
"There. That wasn't so hard." Sonic boasted, throwing the stick down and walking over to the slightly shaken fairies. "Are you alright? That monster looked too close for comfort there."
"Oh, we're fine now. Thank-you for saving us both. It was very brave of you," the female fairy said.
"Are you new to these parts? I don't think we've seen you before," her partner said. Sonic held out his hand.
"I'm Sonic the Hedgehog. But you can call me Sonic." Surprisingly, when the first fairy shook his hand, he could hardly feel anything at all. His hand almost passed right through the fairy's! So they were just spiritual apparitions, unable to defend themselves against creatures of the material world.
"I am Marinka, and this is my partner, Ida," the female fairy told Sonic. "You look tired. Come to our village and rest a while. It's not that far from here," she offered.
"Yeah, that'd be great. Thanks," Sonic said, and the three of them walked onwards through the forest.
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