Robotnik sat in his control chair, the nexus of his kingdom without citizens, his reign over emptiness, located in the control center of his lifeless megapolis Robotropolis. From this chair, Robotnik could control, command, and survey all of Robotropolis, like a faceless god. Unfortunately for Robotnik, unlike the gods of stories and lore, he was not omnipotent. All-seeing, perhaps.
"Snively," said Robotnik, to his nephew and apprentice Snively, as he turned around in his chair to face his addressee, "is everything ready for the first stage of the ultimate attack?"
Robotnik was a stark contrast to his nephew. Ivo Robotnik, or Julian by birth, was a very large man with an obvious weight equilibrium shift to his belly. He had a large moustache, brown with a hint of red, and a bald head. Snively, too, was bald, but unlike Robotnik, he had not a trace of hair on his face, sans a stray hair or two lonely on the plain of his scalp. Snively was a short fellow, and this fact was exacerbated when standing against his uncle. Snively also had a very small figure, and his height combined with his figure made him dwarfed in the presence of his uncle. Snively's defining facial feature was his needle-like nose, which was often the object of mockery from his enemies.
"Yessir," said Snively, "the new civilization location has been fed into the computer for stage one."
"Good," replied Robotnik, turning around in his chair again, to face the screens of his many eyes. To the lifeless wall, "Commence activation of ultimate attack stage one in twenty-four hours."
"Yes, Lord Robotnik," said the computer, "ultimate attack stage one will commence in twenty-four hours."
"My ultimate attack will encompass far more than could ever be imagined by that hated rat," said Robotnik to himself. "This time, I will prevail!"
In Knothole, the hideaway of Sonic the Hedgehog and his band of Freedom Fighters, the day was beginning. The sun was rising; a new day for the fighters was beginning. The dawn was bleak but somehow it renewed the spirit. 'Twas this, or lies made it so.
Knothole was hidden away in the Great Forest, secluded from the empty reign of Robotnik, in a natural paradise amidst a desecrated world. The underground portion of Knothole, guarded by a discreet tree stump, was almost a haven, a sanctuary, from the ever-watching eyes of Robotnik.
Sonic and his newfound acquaintance Caero[1] awoke. Caero was a fox, but was yellow unlike most Mobian[2] foxes, usually orange. This was the mark of Robotnik, and his generation-transcending reach. Sonic sat up in bed, and then pulled on his shoes, created for him by his loved Uncle Chuck, designed to withstand the heat of friction caused by Sonic's trademark speed.
Sonic heard the sounds of life going on outside his hut; the bustle signified that Knothole was coming alive.
"Y'know, Sonic," said Caero, suddenly, "I'm thinking about returning to my clan. I mean, I just don't fit in here, 'cuz I'm not a Freedom Fighter."
"Maybe we can get Sally to make you a Freedom Fighter."
"Naw, I don't want to cause any trouble," returned Caero, "and, besides, Sally seems to have something against me."
"That was because you weren't a Freedom Fighter, and she was just shocked I let you into Knothole, and, besides," said Sonic, mimicking Caero's wording, "she's over it now."
"But my clan is probably missing me now, and," said Caero, before he was cut off by Sonic.
"Before you were talking about how you thought your clan didn't need you[3]!"
"Yeah, but I've thought about it some more."
"But you're a valuable asset to our purpose!"
"Well, maybe I'll consider it a bit more."
"That's better!"
With that exclamation of approval, Sonic left his hut, and walked into the open area of Knothole, in the middle of the circle of huts. Sonic was at the center of the great clearing of Knothole; he could turn in all directions and see the border, near equidistantly. Beyond the huts, further from the center of the village, were other facilities. Sonic left his polar position and headed past the circle of huts, into the assembly hall.
Gradually, the assembly hall filled, as the other residents of Knothole rose for the day and filed in for the daily discussion of the day's events.
The chamber was filled with a plethora of species, each face unique, each voice different. Knothole was a nondiscriminatory settlement, where all different backgrounds joined as one against a common cause, or at least in common refuge from a common fear, and a common enemy.
Princess Sally took the podium first. She was a beautiful girl, a squirrel, and heir to the throne which she could not claim after Robotnik exiled her father and stole his crown.
"Okay, everyone," said Sally, her voice confident. "We're all gathered here to discuss the day's events. Who has suggestions?"
Bunnie raised her hand. She had the scars of the new reign: half of her body had been turned into lifeless steel before Sonic had saved her from the man.
"Yes, Bunnie?" said Sally.
"Well, I think that y'all should take a break from fighting Robotnik after all that's happened lately[4]."
"Does anyone second Bunnie?"
Rotor raised his hand, and said, "I second!"
Rotor, the walrus, was the mechanical and technical brains of the group.
"Any objections?"
Nobody objected.
"Good," said Sally, "because I also think that we should rest before returning to fighting. Dismissed!"
Everyone disbanded, and there was excitable chattering around. After so much work, so much anxiety, so many burdens, after all, why not escape?
Later, in the recreational areas…
A pervasive happiness in an unhappy world filled the local air. Tails and Rotor were outside throwing a football around, and Antoine and Bunnie were in the recreational lounge, playing pool. Sonic was in the weight room, and Sally was swimming in the indoor pool. Caero was still in Sonic's hut, thinking. This pervasive joy did not reach Caero. Everyone but for him was enjoying themselves.
Robotropolis, the next day…
Robotnik had the day before issued a command to commence stage one of his ultimate attack after twenty-four hours. Twenty-four hours had passed.
"Commencing stage one," said the computer.
Robotnik grinned malevolently.
The Freedom Fighters had no idea what was going on.
Meanwhile, in Knothole…
Sonic finished his workout in the weight room, and decided to relax in the pool. He got his sunglasses, and headed for the pool building.
When he entered the pool building, he saw Sally already in the pool. Sally was wearing a blue bikini, and was happily swimming around, emanating – no, radiating blissful felicity.
Upon seeing Sonic, she exclaimed joyously, as if a little girl again, "Hi, Sonic!"
"Hiya, Sal," said Sonic. "Havin' fun?"
"Yeah; it was a good idea to take a break from fighting!"
Sonic decided to take a swim, so he set his sunglasses on a poolside table, took off his shoes, and stepped into the water.
"I thought so," said Sonic. "Even us Freedom Fighters need time to relax!"
Sally smiled. Sonic now lay floating on his back, relaxing in the water, and enjoying the change from fighting Robotnik. Sally and Sonic swam, carefree, unaware of Robotnik's plan, and the danger that not only they, but the world, the infinite, would soon be saturated, unabatedly, in.
Caero sat inside his mind, thinking. He still didn't feel like he fit in with the Freedom Fighters; he would feel more comfortable at home, with his clan, he told himself again and again. He would confront Sonic, again.
That evening, Sonic returned to his hut to find Caero still deep in thought. Before Sonic could say anything, Caero spoke: "I still don't feel like I fit in here; I'd be more comfortable back home."
"But we can make you feel comfortable!"
"No, things here will never be like they were at home."
"Well," said Sonic, with a little sadness in his tone, "if you really want to go home, that's okay."
"Well, of course it's okay! I can make my own decision!"
"Sorry," replied Sonic, "I didn't mean it that way."
"I'll visit you!"
This comment reminded Sonic of the fact that Caero, through Sonic's error[5], knew the location of Knothole.
"Caero," said Sonic, "you can't reveal the location of Knothole to anybody. I'd like it if you came to visit, but you have to make sure that nobody sees where you're going; nobody must find the location of Knothole; you must be unseen. I want you to swear an oath of secrecy."
"I swear," professed Caero, "that I will not reveal the location of Knothole to anyone and be cautious when coming here."
"Okay, Caero," said Sonic. "Stay the night here and you can leave tomorrow."
"Good night," said Caero.
"Good night."
It was a good night, in obliviousness.
[1] Sonic and Caero met in the first volume of Take it All the Way. His name is pronounced "k`eyerow"
[2] Referring to Mobius, the planet on which this part of the story takes place.
[3] Volume I
[4] Bunnie is referring to the events in Take it All the Way Volume I.
[5] This is referring to Sonic's bringing Caero with him to Knothole in Volume I. Sally considered it an "error."