The Doom Crystal: Part 2, Stuck Between a Rock and a Very Hard Place Chapter 4
A Sonic the Hedgehog Fanfic by find-the-lion
Disclaimer: I do not own Sonic the Hedgehog, Princess Sally, Bunnie Rabbot, or Antoine D'Coolette. They are copyrighted by SEGA, DiC Productions, and Archie Comics.
However, Ebony Moon, Pepper. Taylor Dovewing, Josephine (Arrow) Lisara, and Hank the Jackrabbit, are all copyrighted June 7, 2005 to me as is this story which is also copyrighted June 7, 2005 to me.
Notes:
Please excuse the long gap between postings.
Ebony
"How long will it take to get there?" Sonic asked. It was about an hour after we had left Knothole, and I think he was a little annoyed because he couldn't run to where we were going. The reason for this being that I was the only one who knew the way, and I was walking.
"At the rate we're going, it should be evening when we arrive." I kept on walking.
"Evening! But that's a whole day we'll be traveling just to get there!" Sonic complained.
"Well, if you don't like it, you can go back to Knothole." I said calmly. Why oh why had I agreed to this? Sonic especially was getting impatient. The two wingfoxes had not said much, but there seemed to be something that was bothering Taylor, and it made me uncomfortable because I was thinking it might have something to do with our chosen route. Fortunately the others were mostly quiet as I led them through the woods, occasionally passing near one of the Great Forest's many streams or lakes. I knew the terrain around here by heart.
Soon the noonday sun was overhead. About that time, we reached a stream I was familiar with and I told them to fill they're canteens. "It flows from the mountains." I remarked, "Nothing poisonous has even come near it. Make sure you fill it up all the way, it's all the water you'll get until Lilac." Most of them took my advice, thankfully, so even though Antoine ran out a short while later, no one went thirsty.
After the halt, things went a little faster. Once we passed the remains of a burned out village, giving it a wide berth. It always makes me sad to see such places. Not only do they remind me of the fate of my own home, but especially these days, they tend to have terrible stories to tell.
A little while later, we passed near one of Robotnik's relay stations. We could hear the SWAT-bots moving around the area. At one point, we thought we saw one through the trees but it was only an illusion.
As the sun started sinking in the sky, the trail we were following began winding through areas where there were fewer trees. We were reaching the outskirts on the north end of the Great Forest. Lilac Point, the northernmost of the permanent settlements that I knew about, was an unusual place. Unlike most of the settlements that were in the Great Forest this one was completely underground. According to Hank, it had once been an installation where scientists had been measuring some sort of fault line under the ocean, which was literally right on your doorstep if you lived there. Before this it had been a cavern on a cliff face where the sea had worn away a depression in the rock. When the scientists moved in, they had constructed a barrier to keep the water out, and dug even deeper into the ground. It was already considered a small town by the time Robotnik came to power, but when that happened, they reacted quickly enough to remain invisible to the SWAT-bots. First of all, they replaced the barrier with a force field that would keep the water out entirely, and disguise the hollow in the cliff as just another section of rock, and then they ensured that no one could enter from the top of the cliff, unless they could find an entrance like the service elevator I was currently heading toward. I don't generally like elevators, especially when there are too many people in them, but this particular elevator was the best way in for a large group.
Finally I turned to the others. "We're almost there." I said, and then I turned and walked into the shadows. The murmuring I had heard behind me among the Freedom Fighters and the two wingfoxes had died when I spoke and it was showing no intention of restarting, as they were now focused on the area around us. We had passed out of the trees into a large clearing with a huge boulder at one end. Scattered around the clearing were several Lilac bushes, the namesake for this location.
"Unlike the folks in Lower Mobius, these people camouflaged they're entrance." I remarked as I pulled on a lever that had been camouflaged as a dead branch near the base of the bush nearest the rock. The others walked forward and looked curiously at the door that had swung open in the rock face. Beyond this door, could be seen the interior of the elevator. I beckoned them in as I walked over to the controls that would send us down to the residential area when activated.
I waited until they were all inside and then closed the door after them. I then hit a switch on a control panel next to the door. The elevator went down for about a minute and then stopped.
I opened the door and let the others get their first look at the subterranean portion of Lilac Point. On the other side of the cavern was an opening so large that if one didn't know that it was camouflaged, they would wonder how Robotnik had missed the place.
"How did they do it?" Sally asked in aw.
"They have a special generator that projects the image of the cliff over the hole. The residents can go out that way, but if they want to come back in, they have to use the route that we just took."
Suddenly, I heard a familiar voice. "Ebby! It's about time you showed your face!" Hank was walking toward us. He was a male jackrabbit somewhere in his mid-twenties. He was wearing a leather vest. He also wore a brown flat crowned hat with holes for his ears and a feather hanging down the back on a beaded string. He was rather good looking, except for a burn on his right shoulder. I had been partly responsible for that burn, and it still made me feel guilty. I had been about twelve when I first met Hank. I had been out camping when he had stumbled across my campsite on the trail of a friend of his who had gone missing. It turned out that his friend had been captured by a SWAT-bot patrol that was in the area. I had stubbornly tried to help Hank get his friend back and he had been grazed by one of the plasma bolts they had been shooting at us while trying to push me out of the line of fire.
"Good to see you again, Hank." I turned to the others. "Guys, this is Hank, the best tracker this side of Robotropolis."
"Oh, I don't know, I think your pretty good at it yourself." Hank put a hand on my shoulder in a friendly way and then he regarded the others who seemed to be startled at the familiarity we were showing each other. After his initial evaluation his manner became all business. His tribe's disappearance must have been wearing on him because I could see the concern in his expression. "You certainly have brought a few more than expected. What can they do?"
I ran over what I knew about each member in the party and then listed them for him. "Sonic can outrun just about anything, Sally's good with tactics, Bunnie's great with heavy objects and unfriendly characters. Taylor and Arrow; I haven't seen them in action and I probably won't either, because I'm supposed to see them to Mariners Rock, and Antoine; well, I'm not sure what he does."
Antoine assumed a very haughty pose and said, "I am ze royal guard, thanks to you very much."
Then Taylor said "I believe you will "See us in action." as you say. For we have decided to let our own affairs wait a little. I think your friend has much more urgent need of our assistance."
Hank had raised his eyebrows at what Antoine had said, and then he gave me a curious look. After a moment he looked back at the people I had brought with me, and after a moment his eyes fell on the princess. "Then I suppose it isn't just Sally is it, your highness?"
Sally looked surprised. "How did you know?" She asked.
"I noticed you cringe as your body guard stated his profession, and I've already heard about you from Ebony. She tells me that from what she's seen you are an excellent leader." He bowed lightly and then he stood up straight and turned toward the wall that was farthest from the cavern's opening. "Follow me. There are a few things you must know before we hit the plains tonight. You ought to at least know the details before we leave." He turned and made his way toward a cliff face that had several windows cut into it. I motioned for the others to follow as I took a position behind him.
It was almost depressing to be back here again, so soon. It had only been a few weeks ago that I had been here last, and when I had left at that time, I had hoped that on my return, I could say I had successfully rescued my family. But it wasn't to be, yet.
We had followed the rear cavern wall for some minutes now when we reached a small door. We went through this and then immediately up several flights of stairs. We finally reached and a stone corridor with a few doors going off on both sides. I recognized this place. These were the training areas where the locals went to learn various fighting styles and skills. We followed this hall for a minute or two and then turned left onto a hallway that had windows onto the cavern. Hank stopped for a moment and let the others take in the view. It was pretty impressive, but I had seen it many times. The various businesses that took up the south wall and the residences that inhabited the north wall were bathed in the dying sunlight. The sun was about half below the horizon now, only just at the point where it was safe to look at it. The old research buildings on the floor of the cavern had been reworked as a town center where people could congregate. Finally, he continued walking toward the other end of the balcony, opened a door and gestured for us to come inside. It was one of the planning rooms. In it, there were seats surrounding a large holographic generator. I sat down on one of the seats closest to the center of the room and the others followed suit.
Hank flipped a switch, and a three dimensional diagram of the Great Plains appeared with a few sections highlighted. "The section colored green which is closest to this village is the usual hunting ground of the Swift tribe." He explained. "For some unexplained reason, they have completely left it and disappeared into Tallgrass territory. The Swift tribe is the strongest and best able to defend the plains, if they are gone for good, then Robotnik has lost his opposition, and the area will fall. As you can see, this is more than just a personal favor."
Sally and her crew considered what he was saying but said nothing.
"There are some things you must remember while you're out there, or you'll be in big trouble. As long as you're with Ebony, or me, you're pretty safe. The tribes know us and won't attack if you're seen with the us. But if you wander off, there's a pretty good chance that you might run into trouble."
"Why?" Sonic asked.
"It's especially an issue because we're going into Tallgrass turf. But the Tallgrass tribe and the Coyote pack are known for having cannibalistic tendencies."
"You mean they eat their own kind?" Sally asked slowly.
"The Swift doesn't, but Tallgrass and Coyote Pack do, and then, only strangers." Hank spoke with the air of someone who has been familiar with this information for a long time. I simply sat back and let him take care of this. I had learned this lesson first hand already and didn't need to learn it again.
"The Wolfpack I've heard of, but the Coyote Pack, where does it stay generally?" Sally asked.
"It doesn't have a base, it's pretty nomadic; roams the plains, wars with other tribes, and pretty much causes trouble. Lately, what with Robotnik being around though, I get the feeling they may be mellowing out a bit. Ever since Chief Fang took charge, he's been adapting the tribe to be a bit more compatible with the current situation. I haven't had to rescue anyone being held for a sacrifice for over a year now. Anyway, we've covered the important stuff, except for one thing, did Ebony tell you about the power stone?"
Bunnie nodded. "She did."
"Well, that's the other reason we need to find the Swift tribe. They're shaman uses it to perform ceremonies, and I mean real ones, not the kind that doesn't do anything, the kind that could make a rain storm, turn warriors invincible, or even destroy this whole rock face. We have equipment here that hides its signature so it can't be traced. The tribe knows that, and that's why they generally stay in their established territory. If the power stone moves into an unprotected area then Robotnik will be able to get his hands on it, and then, well, who knows what might happen."
The projector turned off and Hank said "Okay, I think we've covered everything. Let's go."
Bunnie
We walked a fair piece before we stopped for the night. We had left the Great Forest behind a long time ago and had stopped by a stream that Hank and Ebony seemed to know, somewhere around midnight. We didn't go any farther because the moon was no longer visible in the sky, and there wouldn't be anymore light bright enough for him to see by until sunrise. We didn't bother with supper because it was so late, and slept under the stars that night.
The next day, things really got started. Ebony had gotten up first and was filling her water canteen from the stream when she spotted a set of footprints in the sand. Recognizing it, she had come back to where we were sleeping and woke us up. We were soon standing around the spot where she had first seen the prints, watching her and Hank as they examined the area and discussed what they could tell from the local evidence. "Hmm." Hank was kneeling over one of the footprints looking at it carefully. "It's a moccasin alright. Whoever this was had an accident recently. He's walking funny."
He stood and went to search the tall grass around the stream. Suddenly he held up a knife with a curved point, and then he pointed out some dried blood near where it had been found. "It looks like someone was either killed or wounded here." He examined the knife. "But I don't think that this is what did it. There's no blood on it." He put it in a pouch at his side. "I think it belonged to the victim. What puzzles me is this, small daggers are easy to carry, and they're prized possessions among the tribes. Why didn't whoever did this just take it?"
Ebony walked up just then and held up a metal object. "Because the attacker was a SWAT-bot." The thing she was holding was what was left of a metallic finger.
"Well, looks like our friend managed a thing or two before whatever happened to him." Hank remarked. He held up the knife again in the sunlight and smiled as though he had seen something to prove his assumption. He walked over to us. "Look at this." He said. "The blade is notched. It took some damage. I'd be surprised if it still cuts after this."
"The whole SWAT-bot's over there, half buried in the sand." Ebony gestured toward the stream. She turned and led us in that direction. The bot lay in a charred heap among some burned grasses. I couldn't tell where the fire had come from, but it had apparently destroyed the thing. There were some footprints leading off in another direction, but they all had the SWAT-bot tread, even I could tell that.
"Uh oh." Ebony muttered. "This doesn't look good."
Hank looked at the tracks and then at the charred robot and frowned. "I might say our friend had a torch if the whole bot wasn't burned, but a torch would only scorch a few parts of the thing before going out unless the robot was covered in lighter fluid. Something about this does seem rather foreboding."
"How so?" Sonic asked.
"Because if this person was a native, then the only one capable of something like this would be the shaman."
"You mean the one who had the power stone right?" Sally asked.
Hank nodded. "I think we need to see if there are any footprints leading back to the camp. If the shaman was wounded or captured, then we're in trouble."
"They wouldn't have left in the direction they did for a funeral march would they?" Ebony mused as we started searching for other prints. "I mean isn't the burial ground the other way, toward the Great Forest?"
Hank shook his head. "They aren't aware of any death." He though for a few moments before speaking again. "Let's go to the place where they were last seen to be and find the trail they took."
Ebony nodded and motioned for us to follow her. "The last time I came to visit Hank, I went out this way before I started on my trip. I saw the Swift tribe near the canyon bridge that's near here. This stream eventually joins the river at the bottom by a waterfall that's really close by." She was walking along the stream in the direction she had indicated and we followed after her.
"Is that why y'all called her out here? Because she saw them last?" I asked Hank, who had ended up in front of me.
"Yes." He answered me. "She was the last person to see them before they moved. It was another friend of mine who told me they'd seen the tribe actually moving, but when we tried to find the spot where they ended up, we couldn't find the trail. If we had, I wouldn't have had to call her back here."
"Ah see." I muttered.
It looked like he was going to go on when our group suddenly stopped. Apparently, Ebony had stopped up ahead, and was kneeling on the sandy bank get a closer look at something.
"What's the holdup Ebony?" Sonic had nearly run into her when she stopped. She started running downstream.
She ignored him, but turned back to look at Hank. "Perhaps our mystery friend got away after all. I've found some more tracks." Hank walked up to where she was and took a look at what she had found in the sand.
"Sure looks like it." He seemed almost relieved. "But we still need to find the Swift tribe." I moved up and extended my legs a little to get a better look. The two foxes were in front of me and I wouldn't have been able to see otherwise. It looked like a line of footprints had left the grasses and were following the stream in the direction we had been going.
"Hank." Ebony said. "These are the same prints all right. But look at the way the person's walking." She walked along a little bit and the jackrabbit followed her.
"It looks pretty normal to me… wait. That's right. This person was limping when we first found the tracks, so why isn't he now?"
"Let's get going." Ebony said. "We'll get our answers sooner or later."
Hank nodded and motioned that we follow them as they followed the tracks. We followed them at a walk for several hours and gradually the stream got bigger and bigger and faster and faster until it became a river and finally they reached the waterfall. By now, it was getting to be about noon.
"The old campsite is over there." Ebony pointed a little ways up the gorge. And there it was. It was a large cleared area filled with burned spots and rocks. The minute we reached it Hank began examining one half of the edge of the circle. Ebony began working on the other half.
Suddenly she cried out in triumph. "Here is where they left. They're headed straight for the border of Tallgrass territory, just like you said Hank."
Sonic looked at the ground where she pointed. "All I see is a bunch of trampled grass."
Ebony nodded. "I know, but if we follow it, then we're likely to find the Swift tribe."
Hank started following the trail careful not to step in it. "Keep behind me. It'll get a little dangerous for you folks after this point."
"Why is it getting so dangerous after zis?" Antoine asked. "In case you weren't listening during the briefing." Hank said. "The Tallgrass tribe has been known to eat strangers, and I did neglect to mention that all tribes are known to make a sacrifice once in a while."
"Well, I did, how do you say, snooze a bit." Antoine admitted.
Ebony shook her head. "I doubt you would want to hear what happened to me the first time I ran into the Tallgrass Tribe."
"What happened?" Bunnie asked.
"I don't know, it's not a pleasant subject, Antoine would probably faint if he heard about it." Ebony was wearing a somewhat mischievous expression.
"I will be having you knowing zat ze royail guard does not faint at every little zing. Zo, what happened?"
"Their shaman was trying to bring the rains. There had been a bit of a drought lately, and to them, I had shown up at exactly the right moment. They thought I'd been sent by the gods as a supply of fresh blood, if you take my meaning."
"Oh mah." I muttered.
"Yep, they had a knife about an inch from my chest before help arrived."
"You must have been scared out of your wits." Sally said.
"Are you kidding? I went way beyond scared before it was over." Ebony answered.
Hank interrupted the conversation by saying. "How could I forget? I was the "help" she's talking about. That's one of the biggest scares you can have out here."
Antoine was looking a little queasy.
Sonic noticed and laughed. "You were right Ebony, Ant couldn't take it."
We walked on, talking for some hours. Hank and Ebony didn't really need to pay much attention because the width of the trail was almost that of one of Robotnik's smaller highways. It was just before sundown when we reached a huge mesa. Both Ebony and Hank seemed to know it, and so we established camp at the base of it.
"I expect we'll find the rest of the tribe tomorrow." Hank said as we were getting ready to eat. "I hope they're all right."
Sonic was showing Taylor and Arrow how to roast hot dogs over the fire, while Sally looked on with interest, and Antoine with disgust. Sonic seemed to be losing patience, as neither of the two foxes knew what a hot dog was before he had presented them with the food. "It's easy." He said as he demonstrated with the hot dog he had speared on his roasting stick. I couldn't help laughing. I wouldn't put it past Sonic to have some chili and hotdog buns stowed away in his pack. Ebony on the other hand was looking out at the stars and was seemingly oblivious to what was happening at the campfire. I stood up and walked over to where she standing.
"Something the matter Ebby?" I asked her.
She turned to look at me and it seemed as though I had shaken her out of a moment of deep thought. She frowned as though trying to figure out how she could put her concern into words. "Bunnie, do you remember that incident that occurred the last time I left Knothole?"
"Not really sugah. I don't even think I know what your talking about."
"I was looking through some of my supplies when I found an old pair of gloves that I stopped wearing because they were too stained for me to wash out." She held up the pair of gloves she was talking about. "When I found them at the bottom of my bag, I noticed something very odd. What do you make of this?" She held up the gloves. They had obviously been very stained and the stuff that had stained them looked very much like blood in the firelight. Even more unusual, on closer inspection, I saw tiny pieces of something glittering on the bloodstained portions of the fabric. It looked almost like crystals of various colors and though they were only small fragments, it looked almost like they were growing out of the old blood on the cloth in what was roughly a star shape.
"That's pretty strange." I remarked.
"I stopped wearing these after I left Knothole because I had burned myself before leaving and then as I left the village, my hands started bleeding and I never could wash the stains out of these old things." She pulled off the clean white glove on her left hand and showed me the scar that had been seared into her fur.
"Hmm. That is rather creepy sugah."
"I still have yet to figure out why this is happening." Ebony sighed. "But I think when I get back from Aisra, I'm going to take another look at those gloves Sonic and I found at my old village. I might have Rotor run some chemical tests on them to see if he can't figure anything out." She now seemed to be talking more to herself then anyone else. "But other then out of my own clumsiness, they haven't really hurt anything…" She said quietly. She looked back at me and now she was smiling. "Come on Bunnie. Let's go eat. I'm starving."
"Okay sugah." I don't know why, but as we turned back toward the firelight, I suddenly felt nervous. I couldn't quite put a finger on why though. Everything seemed normal. As she reached the others and started her own supper preparations, I decided that perhaps I was worrying too much. "Ah must be tired from all the travelin' we've been doin'." I thought to myself. I shrugged it off and went to join the others.
To Be Continued…