Later that night, Sonic woke up suddenly. It seemed that he heard the most beautiful music coming from outside...

He tiptoed to the window and looked out. In the garden outside there was a silvery fox, head tilted up to the sky, pouring out her soul. The moonlight shone full on her, giving her a mystical, magical look. Sonic was entranced.

Then the fox stopped and looked at Sonic. She beckoned to him and disappeared into the shadows. Sonic tiptoed back to the room and shook Tails.

"Wha, time t' go already?" asked Tails sleepily. "Sonic, s' not even light yet. Go back to sleep."

"Tails, there's a fox in the garden! She wants us to follow her!"

Tails became awake. "A fox? Where? Is she a metiya?"

"I don't know. Probably. Let's go!"

They crept out of the window and into the garden. They caught a flash of silver as the fox led them deeper into a hedge maze.

Soon they came to a little hut. There was flickering light at the windows. The fox led them inside.

"Gabriel, he's here," she called softly.

From a small, crude stool by the tiny fireplace, the hedgehog waiter stood up.

"So glad you could come, Sonic," he said quietly.

"Um, what's your name?" Sonic asked the silver fox.

"Alene," she said. " In the metiya tongue, it means 'everlight'."

Tails was staring in awe at her and trying hard not to look like he was staring. Sonic pretended not to notice.

"How do you know my name?" he asked Gabriel.

"I have always known. For sixteen years, I have known...why should I not, since I was there when it was given to you?" Gabriel smiled sadly.

Sonic froze. "You...were there... when I was... named? How is that... possible?"

"Have you not already guessed? I recognized you as soon as I saw you in that inn... my little Sonic, all grown up..."

"You are...my father." It was more a statement then question, for Sonic already knew the truth in his heart, indeed had known from the start, but had not realized it until now...
Gabriel reached for him, and Sonic fell into his embrace.

"Dad..."

"Son..."

Tails and Alene said nothing and let them be. Tails continued to stare at Alene.

After a few minutes, Sonic and Gabriel broke apart and became business-like again.

"How did you become this? How did you get here?" asked Sonic.

"By accident," said Gabriel. "Shortly after you were born, I took a walk in the nearby forest. Something...happened there, and I discovered myself here. I was taken by the innkeeper and branded as his metiya. I soon learned their tongue, and I met Alene. She was sorry for me, and we became good friends." Gabriel paused. "Ever since I learned of the metiyas' plight, I became determined to free them. But I had no help, no resources...I was alone in a strange land, with no way out. But now that you have come..."

He leaned forward and looked into Sonic's eyes. "I want you to free the metiyas."

"I don't know..." said Sonic, frowning. "It's going to be hard..."

Gabriel smiled. "I knew you would do it. Of course it's going to be hard. But, I have an underground movement going already."

"Made up of how many people?" asked Tails.

"Well..." Gabriel looked embarrassed. "About twenty."

"Twenty people aren't enough to start a revolution."

"That's why I need you! You have more freedom than I will ever have. You need to convince the metiyas that life will be better if they are free. You know that metiyas outnumber humans ten to one. Also we'll need weapons, supplies, and, of course, a home base."

"That's a pretty tall order," said Sonic. "Let's start with the base. Once we locate a base, we'll start stealing food and supplies, and convincing others. Then when we have enough to start our cause, the metiyas run away from their owners, essentially declaring our intentions. Hopefully we'll get others to rally to the cause, and then...we fight."

"Plans always sound good on paper. But in the real world, it's not so easy," pointed out Alene.

"This isn't the real world," said Sonic. "It's Kerrigan's world."

"Who's Kerrigan?" asked Gabriel.

Sonic explained.

"Ahh! Yes, I know of whom you speak of. Although he started this, he is no longer directly in charge of metiyas. There is an overlord by the name of Hashlar. He is in charge of the slaves and keeps records of all owned metiyas. Essentially, he is the head of this."

"Then we must cut it off," declared Sonic. "Simple. We gather people to our cause, and then we attack Hashlar."

"Yes... Quiet!" Gabriel suddenly hissed. All became silent, and they heard footsteps outside the hut.

"We were talking far too loudly," whispered Alene. Sonic and Tails boldly rushed out and confronted the intruder.

"Who's there?" Sonic called.

"Hey, calm down! It's only me!" It was Thayne. "Dunno what you're doing, hanging out with metiyas! Seriously, you are trying to get yourselves killed. I woke up, saw you two weren't there and the window open with footprints on the ground. You better get out of here before someone else finds out you're here."

"Then that will be our own business, and not yours. Go back to sleep, Thayne - we're paying you to guide us, not protect us."

Thayne grumbled something about ignorant suicidal hedgehogs. He turned around and shuffled back out of the hedge maze. Sonic and Tails returned to the hut.

Gabriel looked at them seriously. "Are you in with Thayne?"

"No! Well, kind of, we're only paying him to guide us to Kerrigan's citadel," Sonic admitted.

Gabriel's eyes went wide. "No! Don't trust that man! He's a big metiya keeper, and most rumors have it that he works for Kerrigan! He'll be leading you right into a trap!" He shook Sonic by the shoulders. "I don't need to lose my only son to a suicidal mission!"

Sonic nodded slowly. "All right, calm down. The reason I want to go to Kerrigan's is because he has a friend of mine...imprisoned. I need to rescue him."

Gabriel sighed. "Always the hero, aren't you?" Then he stood up.

"From the way I see it, you have three choices. You can help me rescue the metiyas, go with Thayne on your fool's mission, or go back to where you came from and leave this all here."

Gabriel stared at Sonic intently. "Choose."

"I'll help you!" declared Sonic. Gabriel smiled.

"I knew you would! Now, listen, here's the plan..." They stayed up all night discussing where they could locate a base.

Finally, at around four o'clock, Sonic and Tails stumbled back to the inn. They had only just gotten back into bed and closed their eyes when Thayne shook them.

"Time to get up! Or should I say, you have no more time to sleep!" Thayne joked.

"Thayne... we're not going," said Sonic. He watched carefully to see Thayne's reaction.

"Oh, you aren't? Changed your minds with that metiya, I daresay..." murmured Thayne. But he did not object. He did not even ask why. He simply walked out of the room without a second word.

Sonic and Tails quickly gathered the others and told them about their midnight meeting and their decision.

"Great!" said Rouge. "Where will the headquarters be?"

"Gabriel and I decided," said Sonic.

"We're going to put a base in that forest we saw! And it's up to us as the metiyas can't really do anything right now," Tails told them.

"All right!" said Rouge. "I'll help!"

"And so will I!" chimed in Harry. Knuckles nodded agreement.

"All right, Alene and Gabriel are going to fake their deaths so they can join us. In the meantime, we'll all go look for a base since we can't stay in the inn any longer. Let's go!" cried Sonic.