.:Chapter 1:.
Uncle Chuck's Discovery
It was a blazing day in midsummer, when the sun seemed to hang so low in the sky that it melted the very clouds. The air was thick, humid and muggy, the skies a hazy shade of light blue, and the sun glistening gold on the swells of the eastern shore as they crashed upon the white sand. The ocean was alive in that sweltering heat, gleaming like an emerald for miles upon miles around. Dolphins danced merrily in the surf, shooting out of the water like silver bullets to see how close they could get to the sun. Gulls and terns and other seashore birds sailed high on the sea breeze, every now and then swooping at a school of minows that flicked through the water to find cover amongst the rocks. Upon the beach crabs and sea turtles scooted about the sand, disappearing only when the shadow of some aerial predator drifted above them, and then returning, seemingly out of nowhere, to continue their day's work.
Of course the inhabitants of the sea weren't the only things that sought its cool, clear waters in the summer heat. Down the shoreline, emerging from the lush growth of coconut palms in the south, came three peculiar creatures that never failed to cause the natives of planet Mobius to stop whatever they were doing and look up in astonishment.
"Race you!" One called, and began to dash toward the waves.
"Hey! Wait up Nat!" shouted the second, grinning and plunging after her friend. "C'mon, Kim! Last one to the water makes dinner for all Knothole Village!"
The third chuckled. "As a matter of fact, Jessica, I sometimes help Rosie and Bunnie prepare the meals for the village, so it wouldn't bother me none."
"Wee!" Natalie exclaimed suddenly, diving right into a swell just before it rolled toward the sand. "Come on, you two slowpokes! The water's great!" She slapped the surface of the water with her hand, splashing Kimberly and Jess, and the other two giggled and jumped in.
With great curiosity the creatures of the sea watched the three human girls as they dashed and frolicked in the water. Many of course had never seen such unusual beings. True, they did occasionally stumble upon one of the native woodland dwellers in a land less than ten miles away known as the Great Forest. And once in a blue moon, there were the two-legged scarcely-furred beasts from the north, who looked similar to Jessica, Natalie and Kimberly. But the Overlanders were cruel and cold-hearted to the wildlife, and so many animals learned to fear them. Yet here were these girls running by without so much as giving the sea creatures a glance.
While this both puzzled and amazed many of nearby animals, there were others who were somewhat unaffected by the girls' presence. They had grown used to the sight long ago, spying the three humans traveling with the inhabitants of the Great Forest from the air, or every once and a while jumping at a flash of blue in the corner of their eyes, and turning to see the silhouette of the girls running through the trees. No, the them, it was just another day.
So, once assured that the girls were harmless, the turtles and the gulls, the dolphins and the crabs went back to whatever they had been doing. Though, through the palms, one handsome creature still watched them with brilliant emerald eyes...
"Hey, Natalie, look," Jessica suddenly called, jumping up from beneath the water grasping a shell. "If you squint real hard, it kinda looks like Knuckles."
Natalie squinted her eyes and laughed. "Yeah, it does!" Then she sighed. "I wish we'd run into Knux..."
"I'm surprised we haven't already," said Kimberly. "Remember the last time we had a run-in with Robotnik? He had the Master Emerald."
"I heard Sally say that they later flew the emerald back to the Floating Island," said Jessica. "She said that Robotnik had set up barriers on the outside of the island to keep anyone from retrieving it."
"Bet Knux was ticked about that," Natalie nodded.
"I'm sure he was," Jess grinned. "It would be cool to go to the Floating Island someday though. It's supposed to be one of the most beautiful places on Mobius."
"It is the most beautiful place on Mobius," Nat corrected. "It's full of tropical jungles and ancient ruins, and incredible ice caps and valleys of fire. I'd give anything to live there."
"Well, maybe one day we will go," said Kimberly. "Maybe Dulcy can take us."
"And crash right into the Master Emerald shrine," Jessica snickered. "Knux would give us a real warm welcome then!"
"Pow!" said Natalie, with a punching gesture. "There we go off that island!"
They all giggled, and then Jess said, "We should ask Sonic to take us one of these days." And suddenly her eyes flashed. "Speaking of which, I wonder where--"
Before the girl could even finish her sentence there was a powerful rush of wind that tore past them so suddenly that it nearly dragged all three of them to the ground. There was a great plume of water that followed, drenching them all as it came down, and then a snort of laughter. All three girls looked up together, dripping wet. There, standing before them, was a sight a glorious creature that never failed to thrill Jessica. He was a hedgehog, proud and strong-willed as most hedgehogs on Mobius were, but of the most unusual color. From head to toe he was the most dazzling cerulean blue, save for the patches of golden-tan on his cheeks, arms and chest. Few creatures on Mobius could boast such a magnificent coloring, so it was no wonder he stood with great pride and confidence. His ears were long and pricked forward, and his quills fell well beyond his shoulders, all sleeked back beautifully. There couldn't be a Mobian of better build than he, for although he didn't seem all that muscular, his chest was deep, his torso was thin, and his legs were slender -- all indications that he was built for speed. Speed and power, for in his glittering emerald eyes there was a beam of courage and youthful spirit. And those eyes were almost always narrowed in a determined and defiant gaze, as if nothing on earth could ever daunt or intimidate him. No, the many perils that often arose in his world may have frightened even the boldest soldier, or daunted the bravest warrior, but not him. Not Sonic, leader of the Freedom Fighters.
Sonic smirked, perking an eyebrow. "You rang?"
"Good morning to you too, Sonic," Jessica grinned, and as always, there was a flicker of admiration in her eyes as she looked at him.
Sonic snickered. "What are you ladies doing all the way out here?"
"It was so darn hot in the village that we just had to go for a swim," answered Natalie.
"No doubt about that," he replied, shielding his eyes as he glanced up at the white disk of the sun. "It's the hottest summer I think we've ever had."
"So did you come here to cool off too, Sonic?" asked Jessica.
"Yeah -- and to get a little action. No one's in Knothole at the moment. Tails and Dulce are on lookout duty again, Sal's been out at Robotropolis in search of any spare machine parts, and Unc's busy in his lab, researching the Chaos Emeralds again."
"He's been at that for months now," said Kimberly. "Has even found anything about the possibility of linking Earth and Mobius again?"
Sonic shook his head a little sullenly. "No, I'm afraid. He keeps telling me over and over again that it could be near impossible to ever recreate the link again."
The girls hung their heads slightly, for they had now been on Mobius for nearly three years. Everyone in Knothole Village knew of their story -- how they had met Sonic and the Freedom Fighters long ago on Earth when the evil wizard Naugus cast the deadly Spell of Darkness on all of the universe; how they saved the world together and eventually parted; how a merely a year later they had been walking through a peaceful forest on Earth when suddenly they found themselves on Mobius, due to a link created through time and space by the legendary Chaos Emeralds; and how the chances of ever establishing the same exact link again were terribly slim. Though surprisingly, the girls showed very little disappointment in living in this new, wondrous world. The Freedom Fighters also knew that Jessica loved Sonic more than anything, and followed him like a shadow, and that Natalie was constantly helping out in the village, scouting or keeping lookout, and occasionally sitting out on a hilltop, gazing out wistfully into the night, as if searching for something. And they knew that Kimberly, too, often spent her time with Rotor, Tails or Princess Sally when they were repairing or creating new machines to aid them in the war against the tyrant, Robotnik. Each of them had fit in perfectly with the village, and when one is literally stranded in their greatest dream come-true, one often finds it hard to leave. This is why the three of them only looked slightly discouraged.
Sonic smiled to cheer them up. "Hey, Unc's smart, though. He'll find a way to get you three back home someday. Serious." He winked and gave them a thumbs-up.
Jessica returned his smile. "I'm in no hurry, to tell you the truth. Earth was great... but it's no Mobius." With that she turned to look out across the vast ocean as the sea breeze whipped across the sand. Just then an enormous wave rose nearly six feet over the water's surface, furling over slowly before slamming into the shore in an explosion of foam. More began to follow, and Sonic's eyes gleamed.
"Whoa, check out those swells!"
The three girls turned to him.
"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Jessica grinned widely.
Sonic whirled about and pawed the sand beneath his feet with a daring smirk on his face. "Get a good grip, girls! And hang on!"
They didn't need to be told twice. Together all three of them ran forward, Jessica holding onto Sonic's shoulders, Natalie onto Jessica and Kimberly onto Natalie. Once he was sure that everyone had a nice secure grip, Sonic leapt up into the air and revved his feet till they spun into blurs of blue beneath him. There was that momentary exhilaration as Sonic charged up his speed, and then, in a flash of cerulean he was gone, tearing across the sand and right across the surface of the water at an incredible velocity. Immediately he dashed for one of the incoming waves, and just as it began to curl over, he plunged into the tube. The girls watched in awe as the water literally swirled all around them in a vortex of emerald and turquoise. Normally there would have been at least some worry that the wave would collapse in over them, or that they would sink into the six-foot-deep water blow. But Sonic never once sunk an inch in that water, so fleetly did he glide over the surface, and his speed could beat that of the falling wave any day.
As soon as the swell came rolling toward the sand, Sonic raced just millimeters away from the curl, and then whirled around to catch the next wave. And so this merry game lasted for hours in that humid summer sun.
"I wonder if one of those stars is Earth," Jessica wondered aloud as she gazed up through the oaks at the dark skies above.
It was a clear, star-spattered night, and Sonic and the girls had a clear view of the turning galaxies that now spread all across the darkness.
"There's probably a ninety percent chance that one is," Sonic replied, folding his arms behind his head as he walked through the Great Forest, back toward Knothole Village.
"Speaking of that," said Natalie. "I wonder if one of the stars we used to see from Earth was Mobius."
"That's a possibility," Jessica chuckled, and was about to speak again, when suddenly a distant motion caught her eye. She turned her head to the right, where the movement had come from, and blinked. At first she saw nothing but the diamond starlight. But then, just as she was about to turn her head and move on again, it happened again. There came a flicker of blue across the sky, and she nearly had to whirl around just to catch a glimpse of it before it disappeared.
"What's wrong, Jess?" Natalie asked when she noticed Jessica had stopped.
"Nothing..." she replied hesitantly, still gazing in the direction of the motion. "I just thought I saw something."
Sonic pricked his ears when he heard this. "Saw something?"
"I think it was just a shooting star," the girl answered. "It was a flash of motion in the sky and--" she trailed off, for it had just come again. This time she managed to get a good look at it. It was a shooting star, but it was a deep, vibrant shade of blue, and it whisked across the heavens faster than her eyes could follow. And all at once a very familiar sensation filled Jessica's soul: that mixture of wonder and foreboding that she had felt so many times before... only this time it was different... This time there was a new power in the emotions it gave her... a new sort of awe... and a new sort of apprehension. Then, something happened that had never happened before. There came a flash in the girl's vision, and then she was suddenly looking out into a mystifying emerald forest, in a place she had never seen before. There was a dreamy haze about the place, and a gentle breeze whispering through the trees, blowing the leaves and white flowers that grew in some of the branches nearby. It was incredibly beautiful, wherever it was, and for a second Jess could almost see something cerulean in the distance. But before she could look closer, there was another flash and then the vision was gone.
This all happened in the course of a second and Jessica shook her head, blinking, quite confused. "Whoa..." was all she could say.
"Jess, you OK?"
The girl gazed up to see everyone looking at her intently now.
"I-I don't what happened... I was looking out at the stars when... when I suddenly found myself in the most beautiful forest I had ever seen."
Kimberly stared at her. "You found yourself in a forest? Like a vision?"
"Yeah... I think so..." came her answer.
"Way past strange," said Sonic. "And you said you saw somethin' before that?"
Jessica nodded, bewildered. "I don't know what happened... it was so weird..."
Sonic was about to say something, when he suddenly stopped and turned to look over his shoulder, his ears pricked again.
"What is it?" asked Nat.
"Thought I heard footsteps..." Sonic answered in a whisper, his eyes scanning through the darkness.
Then, directly ahead of them, a dark figure emerged from the trees, striding right toward them. It was hard to make out who or what it was, but there was something glinting silver in the moonlight.
Sonic bristled his quills slightly. "Who goes there?"
Suddenly the stranger stepped out from under the shade of the trees, and her features were now distinguishable. She was a hedgehog like Sonic, only dark violet in color with long bangs that fell over her dark eyes. She was cloaked completely in black, with a long cape about her neck and armor on her shoulders. In her hand she clasped a sword, and it was this that had caught the moonlight. Now, she stooped down before Sonic in a respectful bow.
"It is only I, Sonic, Nihara," she answered calmly, and Sonic and the girls relaxed immediately, for they knew Nihara well.
"Oh, it's only you, Nihara," said Sonic.
"Is everything OK, brother?" Nihara asked, rising.
"Yeah, everything's cool. We were just worried because Jess said she had seen something. What brings you out here?"
"Uncle Chuck has urgent news for you and the girls, Sonic," Nihara announced quickly. "He has called a meeting and Knothole and asks you come immediately."
"Urgent news?" Kimberly asked.
"What is it?" Sonic inquired, his eyes grave.
"I'm not sure," Nihara replied. "I doubt it is anything bad, but he does ask that you come and quick."
"Let's go then," said Sonic, and in an instant he and the girls were off. Nihara trailed them, jogging through the forest on her surefooted gait. She was nowhere near as quick as Sonic, but Knothole wasn't far off, and she was still quick on her feet.
"What do you think Uncle Chuck's found?" Kimberly asked as they sprinted along.
Natalie shrugged. "Dunno... Maybe Robotnik's come around again?"
Kimberly shuddered. "Can't we go for two years at least without having him show up?"
"It's not likely. What do you suppose, Jess?" asked Natalie.
Jessica could scarcely hear her friends at the moment, for her mind was suddenly very preoccupied. What was it she had just seen? And why had it come about? She had never experienced a real vision before, at least not one so incredibly vivid. It was like somehow she had been teleported to a different world completely. Well, she didn't understand the vision at all, but she did understand what the blue star was. Many times before she had seen that same star, from the very first time she met Sonic in person to their most recent adventure, and from what she had experienced, it always meant that something was about to happen. This stirred the girl's spirits greatly. For already something was taking place in Knothole according to Nihara. Could it be that the next grand adventure was about to unfold?
"Jess?"
"Huh?" Jessica looked around to see Natalie and Kimberly looking at her again. "Oh... I'm not sure..."
"You sure you're all right?" asked Kimberly.
"I'm fine, I'm just thinking..."
"About the vision?" said Natalie. "Maybe you should talk to Uncle Chuck or Sally when we get to the village. They could probably help ya."
Jessica nodded, but her thoughts were in a frenzy now, and she just couldn't stop thinking on it. There was something else about the premonition that made her wonder... That sense of apprehension -- almost fear -- that had come with it. She knew from previous events that when the star appeared that bad things would happen, but never had to worry because Sonic and the Freedom Fighters always fought them. But normally there was only a sense of foreboding... not nervousness. What was coming up that she and the others had to fear?
Suddenly Sonic pulled up at the edges of Knothole Village, crossing the wooden bridge over the Great River and slowing to a brisk jog as he traveled over the dirt path leading toward the huts. Already many Freedom Fighters were gathered, including Bunnie, Rotor, Tails, Dulcy, Antoine, and many of the other villagers. They were thronged at Uncle Chuck's lab, and seemed to very excited about something. They were talking amongst themselves and looking out impatiently for both Sonic and his uncle. When they saw him and the girls approaching, Tails rushed forward.
"Sonic! There you are! Uncle Chuck's got somethin' to tell us all -- especially Jessica, Natalie and Kimberly."
"Us?" Kimberly asked, blinking.
"Where is he, lil' bro?" Sonic inquired.
"Inside," answered Tails. "He was just waiting for you and Sally."
"Do me a favor, bud, and tell him I'm here. Sal should be here soon."
The young fox nodded quickly and ran off to fetch Uncle Chuck. Sonic then turned to the girls.
"Wonder what's up."
"What could it be about us?" Jessica asked rather nervously.
"Guess we'll find out soon enough," said Natalie.
A few seconds passed and Nihara soon joined the group. "Has he come yet?
"No," said Sonic. "But he should--" Suddenly he broke off when he heard the lab door open. Turning eagerly, the gathered Freedom Fighters saw Uncle Chuck standing in the doorway, his eyes fixed on the three girls.
"Sonic!" he exclaimed, running toward them. "Girls! Thank goodness you've come! I have very important news for you!"
"What is it Unc?" Sonic asked, pricking his ears immediately.
And then all the other Freedom Fighters crowded forward to hear the answer.
"Yes, Uncle Chuck what is it?"
"Tell us what it is, please!"
"Let's hear it, sugah!"
The elder hedgehog had to raise his mechanical arms for silence. "Knothole Village! Please lend me your ears, for I have made a great discovery that concerns our three newest Freedom Fighters greatly!"
Instantly the eyes of the village were turned on the girls, who could only stand and watch anxiously, waiting. Uncle Chuck stepped up onto a stump, and then he made his announcement:
"Freedom Fighters, after nearly two years of rigorous research and study of the Chaos Emeralds, I believe I have discovered a way to recreate a link through time and space." The group gasped and looked at each other in astonishment. Then Uncle Chuck continued. "We all know how the three girls have come to live on our dear planet Mobius. Because of Robotnik tampering with the balance of power in the Chaos Emeralds, several rifts in time and space were created. One of them provided a link from the girls' native planet Earth to Mobius. Well, today, I think I have discovered a way to establish that same exact link."
Hearing this, the girls froze, Jessica especially. Together they stared intently at Chuck, unable to speak.
Sonic stepped forward, a very surprised look on his face as well. "How, Unc?"
"There is a power that the Chaos Emeralds possess," Uncle Chuck replied slowly. "A power known as 'Chaos Control.' It is an ancient power that very few people know of, but it can warp time and space, allowing whoever activates the power to teleport through time, whether it be to a few minutes into the future, to a totally different universe! But to prove my theory, I will have to research Chaos Control further, as there are a few 'perks' about it."
Sonic tilted his head in confusion. "What d'ya mean 'perks?'"
"Supposedly there is only one that could ever truly master the power of Chaos Control. A mysterious project of some type, but of that I know very little. I will have to look into it as soon as possible."
"Only one?" asked Sonic.
Then Jessica spoke for the first time. "B-But who else could master the Chaos Emeralds?"
"As I have said, I'm not sure," Chuck replied with a shrug. "But I also know that Chaos Control can be very risky as well. If not activated correctly or accurately, Chaos Control can teleport anyone or anything to different rifts in time. It can even take a chunk of one world and send it to a different world completely. The results are random unless handled the right way."
Now only silence answered Uncle Chuck, for the three girls were completely and utterly surprised. Never had they dreamed that the link between Earth and Mobius would actually be recreated... Just that morning they had thought of it, and how impossible it was. Again they were filled with a mixture a feelings. At last they had a chance to return home after nearly three years. But that meant that they would have to leave everything... Knothole, the Freedom Fighters, Sonic... And just the thought of that made Jessica's heart ache. Already once before she had had to say good-bye to Sonic, and it had been unbearable, even though they had been reunited a year later. But that had been then. Now Jessica had experienced so much with Sonic, and her feelings had deepened for him so much, that she couldn't even comprehend the idea of leaving him. It was a sacrilege in her eyes.
"So..." Tails said suddenly, his tone meek. "Does that mean... Natalie, Kimberly and Jessica will have to... leave?"
Again there was nervous mutterings and whispers, then all eyes turned up to Chuck again.
"Well," he said. "They have to return home sooner or later, I'm afraid. Think about how you'd feel if you were stranded on an unfamiliar planet. Wouldn't you want to return home too?"
"No..." Jessica whispered suddenly, taking a step backwards. The full impact of Uncle Chuck's news was beginning to hit her.
"I'm sure we'd all miss them terribly," Uncle Chuck said quickly once he saw the concern in their gazes. "I know I would, trust me. After all, they've proven themselves remarkable Freedom Fighters and have even seemed to bring more adventure into all of our lives. But I'm also sure that they want to go back to their real home."
Sonic looked back at the girls, and then at his uncle, for realization was hitting him too. "But... Unc, maybe we should talk it over with them first?"
Then Natalie suddenly stepped forward. "We can't go... We won't!"
Uncle Chuck and the other Freedom Fighters all goggled at them now.
"But, don't you girls want to go home?" Chuck asked.
"I miss some things on home," said Natalie. "But I love Mobius, and I don't want to leave." There was a strange flash in her eyes as she said this.
"Neither do I," Jessica said shakily.
Sonic stood beside them, his eyes very worried indeed. He had grown to know the three girls so well that it would almost be too much to lose them. And like them, he had never expected the possibility of them being able to return home to come up so soon.
Chuck scratched his head, puzzled. "Well, as I have said I do have to research this idea more thoroughly. It might just lead to a dead end. Who knows? But I thought I should let it be known."
With that he stepped down again and walked back inside his lab.
Sonic turned round to his friends. "Don't worry, girls... If you don't want to go home, y'know... you don't have too."
"I can't leave..." Jessica shuddered, very near trembling. "I can't leave Mobius... not again."
"Maybe we should do as Uncle Chuck says and just stay calm," Kimberly suggested. "It might not be anything."
"I hope not," nodded Natalie. "I'm not leaving either."
"Sonic," Jessica pleaded. "Please tell Uncle Chuck we're sorry... but we cant' -- we won't -- go home..."
"It'll be all right," Sonic assured her with a weak smile. "No one's gonna force you to go. Trust me, I won't let 'im."
Jessica tried to return Sonic's smile, and as usual his words calmed her a little, but she was still deeply troubled inside. So was this what the star had predicted? But how could that be? Every other time the star and the feelings that came with it were associated with Sonic and a grand adventure. And that vision... That was no place on Earth, Jessica was sure of it. Earth was beautiful, yes, but Mobius was a spectacle of natural beauty that no other planet could even dream of rivaling. There were forbidden vallies of lava and fire, and towering mountains of ice, where the winds blew so hard at times that the icicles formed horizontal to the trees. There were lush gardens that hid ancient ruins forgotten by time itself. So many mysteries and beauties were concealed on Mobius... and that forest scene was definitely a part of it, though the girl was sure she had never seen such a place in her life.
Whatever the star and its vision was about, Jessica knew one thing: she wasn't leaving Mobius behind. Not now, not ever. She used to dread it every day, and feel terrible pangs of loneliness whenever she'd look into Sonic's eyes. Going a whole year without his company had tormented her greatly, and she didn't want to go through that again ever.
Natalie and Kimberly were going through similar feelings. Both of them had become so well accustomed to the way of life on this dazzling planet that returning to regular old Earth seemed so empty. Here there reality seemed to hold no limits over dreams. Here there were challenges and excitement, missions and dangers that taught a person far more than any scholar ever could. Kimberly, for one, had become great friends with Princess Sally, fellow leader of the Freedom Fighters, Bunnie, one of the group's strongest fighters, and Rosie, the cook and the nanny who watched over the village's children. And then there was Natalie... For whatever reason, there was a peculiar light in her eyes whenever she spoke of leaving Mobius... as if she knew there was something she'd lose if she left. And like Jessica, she loved Mobius and all the wonder it had to offer. No, compared to Mobius, Earth was a boring, lifeless planet.
Sonic let out a long sigh. "Well, try to get some sleep, girls. I'll talk to Sal as soon as she comes back."
"Speaking of which," said Kimberly. "Where is she anyway?"
Kimberly's timing couldn't have been better, for just as she was saying this, the princess was coming across the bridge... And she was not alone. Behind her followed three creatures. One of them, walking toward Sally's right, was a pretty black and white cat with glistening green eyes and a long, bushy tail. A blue bandanna was tied about her small neck, and she wore a scarlet vest and two golden rings about her wrists. Her name was Hershey and she had an air of gentleness about her as she walked placidly alongside Sally. Behind the princess was a rather peculiar little creature. Like Sonic, he was blue, but not nearly as brilliant. He was a chameleon, distinguished by the short horn on his lower forehead and the long curled tail. He was called Valdez, and seemed pleasant and charming himself. The third creature, however, was different. He was a skunk, muscular in build, and unlike the other two, he walked with a more arrogant stride. His eyes were a deep blue, and glinted with pride. And all this was for good reason, for he was dressed like a soldier -- a commander, in fact. He wore a violet ammunition belt that strapped across his waisted and his chest, heavy leater boots, and a wool hat over his forehead that was also violet. He was none other than Geoffrey St. John.
Soon Sonic and the girls saw them approaching, and ran up to meet them.
"Sonic," called Sally. "We've got company tonight. Of course you remember commander Geoffrey St. John and his troops Valdez and Hershey?"
Geoffrey stood tall, squared his shoulders and saluted, though there was something almost contemptuous in his voice. "G'day, mate," he said in a thick Australian accent.
The moment Sonic saw Geoffrey he pinned his ears, and the girls were sure they saw his quills bristle slightly. The two were rivals -- and some even believed them to be enemies. They were both well matched in strength, will and spirit, and not to mention Geoffrey had an eye for the princess. Several times he and Sonic had gotten into bitter disputes, some physical, and every time the two of them crossed paths they never took their eyes off of each other.
"Geoffrey." Sonic said coldly. Then he turned to Sally. "What's up Sal? What brings him here?"
"I came across them on my way back from Robotropolis. And they have very important news, so behave yourself, Sonic Hedgehog." With that she gave him a hard warning glare.
"More news..." Jessica breathed. This was all happening too fast. It was beginning to make her head spin. Now what was happening?
Sonic gave a light snort and then turned to St. John again. "What is it?"
"I think it's best we round up the whole village, mate. It's important, all right. Maybe even serious enough to force us to take action."
"Jessica, Kimberly, Natalie," Sally said softly. "Can you go and help gather the other Freedom Fighters? Get Tails and Dulcy to help you. We'll lead Geoffrey and the others to the main plaza."
The girls nodded silently, and set off into the village. But as they went, they could clearly hear Sonic and Geoffrey speaking far behind them.
"This is bad business I'm afraid. I think it'd be wise for us to join forces once again."
"Yeah," came Sonic's dry reply. "That'll work perfectly."
"Is there a problem with that, mate?" Geoffrey asked, a hint of arrogance in his voice.
"No. No problem at all."