The Crystal, The Mirror, And Heart Chapter 2 A Stranger in a Foreign World

Prejudice is opinion without judgment.

Voltaire (1694 - 1778)

The female overlander felt a sharp tingling vibration down her spine and woke up to the sound of voices behind the door and quickly sat up. Her eyes slowly adjusted to the light of the late afternoon sun. Then the creaking sound of the door caught her attention while rubbing the sleepiness out from her eyes. She stared at the opening door that began to reveal a shapeless group of shadows at first but then saw many individual figures begin to form from it. Inaudible whispers could be heard in the background as a reddish brown haired being stepped fourth from the crowd for a closer look at her. The overlander stared with awe into the beings bright blue eyes. The other was equally taken aback by what she saw. But then her look of amazement transformed into a disdainful glare at the strange overlander. The girl quickly looked away as if she had been given shame and continued to look at the floor.

"Hey everyone it looks like we have another overlander on our hands!" The person shouted to the remaining group behind the threshold of the door. There was a brief paused as the overlander lifted her head to see another pass through the light. It's metallic arm twinkled as the reflection danced around the room. She saw long rabbit like ears, which puzzled her even more. Then she saw another come through with long oversized canine teeth, and a smaller one at its side with two fluffy tails. She crept closer for a better look only to see them stepping back from her holding pen.

The group was confounded by not only her appearance but also her identity. The clothes their captive wore were torn and tattered. The shoes were covered in brown and green stains along with her blue jeans and the bottom of the shirt.

The girl remained silent and attentively stared and listened for names as they whispered to each other. The first name she heard was Sally being announced to the one with the blue jacket and matching boots, Rotor to the one with the tusks, and Bunnie to the one with the long ears. She noticed the little fox like person still looking at her. When she diverted her look to him he began to get nervous. Then Bunnie warily stepped forward approaching the locked cell. " What be ya name?" she asked. The female overlander remained silent, Bunnie asked again but with a more gentle tone. " What be ya name?"

The dark haired girl opened to say something paused and said nothing. The rabbit waited a moment and here "Grizz." Bunnie looked at her with a puzzled look to see if she heard correctly. "What did ya say?"

"I said my name is Grizz." The overlander confessed a bit louder. A thought of realization entered Grizz's mind and a small tear began to run down her cheek. "Awe, what's a matter." The rabbit said in a sympathetic tone.

" My son has gone missing, and he is my only family. I don't have a clue to where I am and he might be lost in the backwoods where we came from." She stuttered out crying. Bunnie was taken back with what she said went to tell the others.

Grizz overheard them. "She says she got separated from her young'en." "May be we should help her." "I don't think we can take her word for it." Sally interrupted. " She is of course an overlander like Robotnik and his accomplice Snivley. She could be one of them." "Aunt Sally?" " Yes Tails?" "Maybe the girl is telling the truth. She does look sad. Maybe we should help her."

Sally paused at the thought. "I think I'll ask her some of my own questions before we decide anything."

All Grizz could do was stare. The ground squirrel then came up to her in a serious attitude. "Whom may I say is in your family?"

"It's just me and my son Jager. He's my son." Grizz answered. "You look a bit young to have a kid?" Sally pointed out. " I don't even know how old I am anymore. It's been so long since I looked at a calendar, time sure flies don't it? Do you mind telling me where I'm at?" Grizz asked the blue-eyed squirrel.

"You're in Knothole Village." "Strange. There's no place like that on Earth or within the world beneath." The overlander now putting this together. "What planet?"

"You mean to say you're not from Mobius. Then how did you get here?" Sally questioned with a bit of a stir. " I don't know. The last things I remember was entering the forest with Jager and we were following each other to track a deer." Grizz mentioned to her.

"Hmmm… Why would two of your species need to get that much food in the first place?"

"We're not the same." Grizz interrupted.

"Then exactly what is Jager?" "Well Jager is mainly a Jaguar mixed with a cougar sort of large cat. He might be big but he's still a cub. And as his mother it is my obligation to teach, train and feed him."

Before Sally could get a word in Grizz spoke again with a very concerned tone. "Oooo. You just have to help me find him. Being young he still has a lot to learn and he might hurt someone by mistake. He is in unfamiliar surroundings so he might try to find something to eat and he might try to hunt on his own. You of all people should know what happens in an unfortunate ordeal. So if you find him please, please don't kill him."

Sally felt the sincerity of her voice so in order not to appear heartless she agreed to help. "Alright overlander we'll help. But I'm going to make certain that every one will keep a close eye on you."

"I guess that's fair I mean you don't know me so you have that right not to trust me right away." Grizz let out with a heavy sigh.

Sally then spoke into her communicator " Sonic. Sonic. Are you there? I know you can hear me!" " Ugh. I swear when I get a hold of him. Oh. Never mind I'll go get him my self. You just stay here Grizz till I return with our absentee." "Hey guys. Can you keep a close eye on her, I have to find Sonic. Thanks." And with that she left.

Sally had a strong feeling of where to find the blue hedgehog. She went to the outskirts of the village to a lake surrounded by thick oak trees. The branches dense foliage created an almost continuous shadow if patches of light did not seep through. And wouldn't you know it but Sonic was in a sunny patch of emerald green grass. 'Figures. When ever I try to tell him something important he's either here sleeping or off doing some other thing.' Sally thought to herself gong near the snoozing hedgehog.

She bent down, " Sonic." She called into his ear and nudging his shoulder. " Sonic, wake up. Come on get up." She was obviously getting tired of this. Again she thought to herself frowning ' This has got to stop.'

"Sonic!" Directly yelling in his ear. Sonic jumped startled by this particular course of action. "Why didn't you answer?"

"What!" Sonic announced rather loudly "I can't hear you! Someone's been yelling in my ear and I've gone deaf again." Sally just rolled her eyes at him giving him time to recuperate after that little ordeal. "Why didn't you answer your communicator?" peeved off at Sonic. "Oh that well… I turned it off so I could snooze." He replied with a weak smirk on his face.

"Typical, just typical." Sally scowled. The blue hedgehog knew he was in trouble and he wouldn't hear the end of it. She continued, " Anyway we need you to meet some one. She apparently lost her son and I want you to watcher when she looks. Okay."

" Alright I'll help just don't drag me by the ear again." He knew she was looking at his ears.

Mean while back at Grizz's Cell.

"So ah any recent events?" the overlander asked trying to start a conversation. Everyone lifted their head and looked at her cockeyed. " Ya know like what is happening at the present moment? Umm anything at all." She was desperate to talk to someone. Rotor spoke out finally, " Well the usual." "The usual what?" Grizz inquired. "We are in a war sweetie." Bunnie responded for him. "Oh. Um… With who? I'm sorry I'm just curious that's all." The overlander apologized. "That's alright. Ya have the right to know. See we's all at war with doctah Robotnik. He wants ta turn every one into robotic slaves. And we's here to stop him." The rabbit replied.

"So is there a name for the group?" the girl became even more interested. " Well… We're the Freedom Fighters." Tails wanted a turn to answer her questions.

" This predicament sounds pretty familiar. Waite a minute this sounds like the Revolutions at my home planet. There mainly over but maybe I can help you. That is if and when I'm allowed of course. So who's your leader?"

"Princess Sally Acorn. Everyone else calls her Sally though." Rotor remarked, " What you said sounds very interesting Grizz. Can we hear more?"

Just then there was a rush of wind in the room and Sally was right behind it. What the girl saw was a hedgehog with a slightly taller built than his friends. His ears were tufted with fur and his amber eyes were like that of cats. "Hey Sal? Who's he one that needed my help again?" "She's behind the bars." He then looked towards the cell. "Whoa! Who in all of Mobius are you?" Surprised to see the girl. " I'm Grizz, and I take it that you must be Sonic." Grizz smiled to him. " I'm not gonna hurt ya, just let me get out before we start looking. Okay."

"Waite you guys, I wanna show you one thing that I can do." Grizz began to put her head between the bars. Her cheeks squished through letting her head out first. "Getting your head out is the hardest the rest is easy." They saw her shoulders slide through and then her mid section. They all stood there bewildered as her long legs slid out along wither big sneakers. "How did you do that?" Tails said gawking in amazement.

Grizz only laughed and said, " It pays to be extremely flexible."