Chapter 15 Sally's journal
About half way through the night, Sally woke up after having a dream about her past experiences. She immediately went to her desk and got her diary out of the desk drawer and wrote about her dream in it:
' A year and a half after I joined the Freedom Fighters, I was sitting alone out in a clearing wishing for a miracle; a miracle that would end Robotnik's reign and make Sonic declare his love for me that I had always suspected was there.
"Hello, little flower! Maybe you can tell me what I need to know!" I, then just fourteen years old, said aloud to the flower that fluttered in the winds in front of me. I picked the flower and proceeded to pluck each of its petals while repeating the phrase that many school girls learned as they came of age.
"He loves me… he loves me not." I spoke as I pulled the first two petals from the little flower. Finally, I reached the last of the petals and was more than disappointed as I spoke the words that one never wanted to hear.
"He loves me not." I said as I rested my head in my hands and let out a sigh.
"Guess I won't find any answers tonight. Things seemed much less complicated when I was young. Back then, my thoughts were on anything but romance… fun was fun, but my duties as Princess always came first…"
'Since birth, I had been groomed to one day take my place at the throne. Little did I suspect how soon that day would come. Almost overnight, my father had disappeared and Robotnik appeared, spreading his unique brand of tyranny across the land.
Back then; I was still a simple kid with a head full of dreams and no way to make them come true.
"I wish I had a magic wand to help wipe my troubles away! Oh father, I miss you so much!" That night, a comet came streaking down out of the night sky and crashed about five hundred yards away. I cried out, "What was that?" and jumped up and started running towards the crash site.
"It landed just over that hill! Well, whatever it was I'd better go check it out!" Meanwhile, outside of Knothole, Sonic and the rest of the Freedom Fighters had heard the crash of the object. From what I was told later, Sonic was the one who suggested that they investigate it. Shortly, they caught up with me. Rotor had fixed his metal detector and was sweeping it over the ground trying to get the direction of the fallen object.
"Sonic! You saw it too?" I asked.
"Saw it? We heard it! That was loud enough to wake the dead!" Sonic replied. I turned to Rotor and asked if we were headed in the right direction.
"My metal detector thinks so, Princess. In fact…there it is!" Rotor said as we came to the crater from the impact.
"Way cool!" Sonic said under his breath.
"You're right, Sonic! Cool to the touch!" I said. Rotor said that the objects being cool to the touch was impossible.
"I've never seen anything like it! What do you suppose it could be?" Rotor asked me.
"I'm not sure, Rotor… but this may well be the answer to all my wishes!" Right away, we took the mysterious object, which we came to call 'The orb', back to Rotor's lab where he tried to get it open using all his knowledge. Nothing was able to even scratch the surface; acids just sizzled and boiled, lasers just bounced off, at one point Rotor even tried to compress it and when the pressure was let up, it just sprang back to its usual shape; nothing could damage it. We were all gathered in the lab when my Aunt Rosie came in.
"Princess Sally… might I have a word with ye? 'Tis important!" She said from just within the doorframe.
"Certainly, Rosie. I'll be right there." I took off my safety glasses and hurried over to Rosie. She proceeded to tell me about what was happening to my mentor, Julayla. She had been suffering from some kind of illness for the past few days and was now nearing death's door.
"… I'm not even sure the surface is the surface!" Rotor was saying behind me.
"Huh? Could you say that again in plain English?" Sonic asked.
"The 'orb' is a force field… masking the true nature of what's inside! And, until we find some way to crack it open…"
"I get the picture! What's your take on all this, Sal? Sal?" Sonic asked as I ran past him to Julayla's room. "Wow! Talk about dazed and confused! Maybe I'd better…" Sonic said as he went to start after me, but was stopped by Rosie.
"Not this time, laddie. 'Tis a matter she must be dealin' with in her own way!" She told Sonic.
"But, why can't we help?" Sonic asked.
"You both should know…" She said to Sonic and Tails, "that there are some roads… which must be taken alone!" I arrived at Julayla's chamber and announced my presence to her.
"Sally… come closer, my child, that these aged eyes might more clearly see." Julayla said from her bed.
"Are… you…" I started to ask, fearing that the answer would be what I thought it would be.
"Hush, favored one. There are, to all things, a season… and time is in short supply. You bear the mantle of leadership with honor and grace. Though you might have longed for other paths, the duties of your birthright could not be denied." She rather slowly said, "From the first, you studied long and hard, ever growing in knowledge and spirit, and as your teacher, I would have accepted no less. Each day brought new lessons." At this point, Julayla and I seemed to share some sort of telepathic connection as we both experienced the same vision.
"Here, snatch it from my hand." Julayla said to the younger me as she held an acorn in her hand. The younger me, as quickly as I could, reached out and made an attempt to grab it. Pulling back my hand, I was surprised when I opened my hand and didn't see the acorn in my hand.
"Huh? Where is it?" I asked.
"Where it always was. This ceremonial acorn has been a symbol of your heritage for twelve generations, and once you have successfully claimed it, you will have mastered the most important discipline of all." Julayla said in the vision, which ended at that.
"I remember that day, and many others like it… you never let up for a moment." I said.
"Only because I cared… and knew you to carry the seeds of greatness. None were prouder than I at your commencement ball… nor more sorrowful on the day your father was taken from us. That was long ago, and you have since grown much. Let us discover together… exactly how much!" Julayla said as she opened her closed hand and in it was the acorn. I knew what I was to do… try to get the acorn from her hand using my wits and intelligence. For a few seconds, I observed the situation and finally came up with an idea to get it. So, I tapped her hand with my knee, bouncing the acorn into the air and as fast as I could, grabbed it.
"An elegant solution. Such wisdom cannot be taught… it must be acquired! You are ready… farewell, beloved one…" She said as she faded away into the grips of death. Deeply saddened by her passing, I went outside and sat down where I was when the orb fell from the sky the other night. Out of nowhere, Sonic came walking out to me.
"Sally, I thought I might find you up here! Is everything alright?" Sonic asked.
"I guess. Just feeling a little lonelier tonight, Sonic." I said.
"Tonight is almost yesterday, Sally… and there are many more tomorrows ahead!" Sonic said. '
(End of Chapter 15)