.:Chapter 13:.

The Weakening

"They still haven't gotten it, have they? They've been wandering around in a huge circle for nearly five days now, and still they are clueless! Ah yes! This gives me ample time to see just what my magic can do!"

Naugus stood before the wall of ice where silent pictures played. Now the images showed the Freedom Fighters turning farther and father back west, until the energy readings started to shift north once more. At his side sat Kaligarr, calmly preening his massive wing feathers as his master went on.

"I must think of something that'll really take all the fight out of those fools . . . Something that'll drain them before the real horror begins." The wizard began to pace, plucking at his long beard. "Yes, there must be no errors this time . . . no faults in my battle strategies. All rebels must be put down. Only then will I be able to seize the planet without much of a fight. Hmm . . . do you fancy a grand army, Kaligarr?"

The griffin looked up eagerly. "An army, my Lord? Sounds devilishly delightful. What kind of an army?"

Naugus grinned darkly. "An invincible army, my loyal servant. An army that can replenish itself indefinitely, and sustain any type of damage without ever weakening." The sorcerer's eyes were glimmering cunningly the whole time.

Suddenly Kaligarr caught on. "You mean . . . an immortal army, Master? One that has the greatest weapons of not only speed, power, and aerial assault, but also poison?" A malicious grin spread across his ebony beak.

"That's exactly what I'm talking about, Kaligarr. An army of indestructable monsters . . . an army of demons . . . An army of Night Demons."

Suddenly he turned and wave his hand through the air. Then, before them, a enormous cage of crystal suddenly appeared, and within it, a blinding white mist began to materialize. Kaligarr watched hungrily, his eyes narrowing and his ears pinning flat against his thick black mane. All of a sudden the silence of the Void was erupted by a great and thunderous roar that was so loud it shattered the icicles on the nearby cliffs. There, standing with bared fangs and blazing eyes, was Vren!

"What happened!" The great creature snarled viciously, his massive muzzle turning in every direction. Furiously he circled and lashed at the terribly cramped quarters he had been so suddenly confined to, for they were hardly big enough to accommodate his enormous body. He was a greater Night Demon from the planet Morian, standing twelve feet tall at the shoulder and weighing well over five tons. And he was a magnificent beast, resembling a giant winged wolf with a handsome thick mane that seemed to billow constantly about his neck and chest, furling about the great golden collar he wore. His head was grand and regal, with eyes of pure gold, and a crown embellished with a dazzling blue medallion. He wore golden rings on all of his legs, just above the giant paws that continued to paw and slice at the cage bars in rage, and atop his mammoth shoulders, spread two beautiful wings. He was so white that hardly any shadow could be spotted on him, a beast, a grand symbol of beauty and power, a king.

But despite the demon's size and strength, Naugus only smiled, eyes glinting. "Ah, yes, so very nice to see after all this time, Vren."

Suddenly the one called Vren paused from his furious struggle to see who was speaking to him, and once he met Naugus's eyes, the hair on his back and neck stood on end.

"Naugus . . . " he hissed. Suddenly be backed up against the rear of the cage, blinking in disbelief. "No . . . it can't be . . . you're dead!"

Naugus laughed gleefully at Vren's astonishment. "So it seemed, my old friend! So it seemed. But things are not always as they seem, now are they?"

Vren's legs quivered and he curled his white lips into a threatening snarl. "How is it you've come back! Me and my Night Demons killed you long ago!"

"Ah, ah, ah . . . " said Naugus slyly, shaking his finger at the demon. "The spirit of a wizard never dies, Vrenny. And I guess you could say I got tired of my boring 'afterlife' in the Void. So I summoned up a few servants, sent them after the Chaos Emeralds, and now my ultimate plans to take over Mobius once and for all are about to unfurl."

Vren shook his mighty head in fury and slammed his paw to the ground. "It'll never work, Naugus! Sonic and the Freedom Fighters will stop you! I don't care what your plans are . . . they'll fight you all the way. And so will I."

"Will you?" Naugus asked, perking an eyebrow. "Oh I'm not so sure about that, my good fellow. Allow me to introduce you to my new partner." The wizard stepped aside, and Kaligarr strode toward the cage, smirking malevolently.

Suddenly Vren's eyes narrowed into slits. "Kaligarr!" he seethed. "So we meet again!"

"I knew in time we would, my good friend. You see, griffins never stop chasing their quarry once they've locked onto it."

"Griffins . . . " Vren scorned. "Nothing but spineless poultry meat! At least your type. So obediently trotting up to Man, purring like a great cat with his every stroke and pat. You call yourself a native of Morian? The demons of Morian are wild, and take no word from Man!"

"Look who's talking you overgrown dog!" Kaligarr spat. "At least griffins were a species long before the Night Demons. We've lived for centuries upon centuries, whilst you Night Demons were born and bred within Man's facilities. And you call us the followers of Humans."

"The Night Demons rebelled from Man's hands. Now we are our own species, a fearless race that rules over all demons!"

"Fearless," Kaligarr chuckled. "More like a pack of whimpering puppies who flee from light. Tell me, Vren, are you and your kind still sore about having to share your territory and food with another species, the way you run around as if the entire planet was yours?"

"You and your fellow griffins belong in the high mountains! You invaded our land along with that Human filth!"

Kaligarr suddenly screeched and charged forward. Vren responded with a furious roar and half-reared, slashing hatefully at the griffin who had become a treacherous enemy. For many hundreds of years Night Demons and griffins had clashed on Morian, competing for food and territory. But now it had grown as bad as ever, as man began to spread once more throughout Morian, pushing the two enemies closer and closer to the edge. Back on his home planet, Kaligarr had challenged Vren a great many times for his land and huge hunting grounds, and they were the truly the bitterest of enemies.

The griffin charged just close enough for Vren to swipe at him, but dodged whenever the demon attempted to do so, taunting him, leaping back and forth, cackling cruelly at his helplessness and flapping his wings proudly. And all the while Vren began more and more enraged, slashing violently at the cage bars with his mighty claws, constantly roaring challenge after challenge to Kaligarr, daring him to take another step toward his deadly and venomous fangs.

Naugus watched as the scene went on for another fifteen minutes, quite amused, and then, reluctantly, stepped forward again.

"OK, Kaligarr, that's enough now."

Kaligarr flicked his tail in annoyance, having enjoyed torturing the leader of the Night Demons. But finally he obeyed, slowly drawing away, but not before turning and giving Vren a final hiss.

Vren responded with a low, ominous growl that rose from the depths of his chest and increased in volume as it made its way up his throat. Then the demon turned and leered at Naugus as the sorcerer strode toward him, his hackles raising, and his lips curling up again to reveal the glittering fangs.

"What do you want with me, Naugus?" he hissed. "If you think that you can enslave me again, you are sadly mistaken."

"Oh, I wouldn't be too sure about that, my good fellow. See, this little place you're in, is known as Sanctuary, the heart of the Void."

Vren turned his head and looked around the unfamiliar surroundings, and then blinked back at Naugus. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Oh," replied the wizard. "More than you could ever know. You see, Vren, in Sanctuary, my magic can do almost anything. But -- with the Chaos Emeralds -- imagine that power increased a hundredfold."

In the background Kaligarr snickered knowingly.

Vren could easily detect what was on both their minds, and suddenly he plunged as far forward as the cage would allow and tossed back his head defiantly. "No! Never! I will never again work for you, Naugus! I don't care how much magic you possess! I'm good now! I fight on the side of light!"

"Easily remedied . . . " Naugus said simply, and suddenly he rose his hands again, murmuring a short incantation.

"NO!" Vren roared furiously, thrashing and fighting about the cage with all his strength, desperately trying to escape.

It was to no avail, though. Naugus was attacking Vren through his mind, not by physical means. Realizing this, Vren quickly ceased struggling and remembered Sonic and the Freedom Fighters, his only friends, and what they had done for him.

"Never!" he cried feverishly. "Never! Never!"

Vren's heart pounded and sweat began to slide down his forehead as memories flashed before his eyes. But whatever he tried was of no use . . . Steadily a black mist began to filter through his mind, blocking out those mental pictures of the past. The mighty demon king snarled and lashed out with his forepaws in rage, fighting with everything he had. It was a sad sight . . . for no matter how desperately hard Vren fought, the change still progressed. Rapidly his beautiful white fur began to fade to the pitchest black -- a color so dark that it seemed to swallow light itself. His magnificent feathered wings transformed into grotesque membraneous ones with blood-red sails and sharp, hooked claws at their peaks. His flowing, plumed tail became thin and spaded at the tip. The gleaming golden jewelry about his neck and legs soon vanished, and all that was left on his massive head were two small horns that curved inward just like Satan's, along with his ears. Golden, righteous eyes turned red and bloodthirsty. And, at last, the melodious singsong note that had been in his voice just seconds earlier abruptly dissolved into the most blood-curtling, terrifying snarl that the ears could ever hear.

When it was all over, the newly transformed Vren suddenly collapsed onto his side, chest heaving, as though he was giving one last, feeble attempt to fight back. One small whimper escaped his gigantic muzzle . . . but then there was a violent jerk of his neck, and suddenly he leapt to his feet again with surprising swiftness for his size, tossed his head up, and let out a deep, eerie howl that sent chills down the spines of anyone good and pure-hearted.

Naugus stepped forward again, grinning darkly at Vren's new, or rather, old form. Yes, it had been this way when Naugus and the Night Demon had first worked side-by-side, when the Freedom Fighters had first met the deadly beast.

"Good to have you back," said Naugus. "my friend."

Vren narrowed his cruel, red eyes and bared his fangs. Slowly a green liquid began to ooze from his four enormous canines; it was the powerful neurotoxin that could render an enemy completely paralyzed, and eventually, dead.

Restlessly the true Night Demon paced in his cage, snarling, teeth bared hungrily, just waiting to be released, to unleash all of his terrible power and fill every good soul with terror and dread.

Naugus turned and looked back at Kaligarr. "Now, Kaligarr. Why don't you persuade our new partner to summon his greatest army of Night Demons? And double -- no -- triple the size of it. This will be the army of all armies."

"My pleasure," Kaligarr grinned as Naugus turned and stormed off with a flick of his cape.

Quickly the griffin leapt forward, and soon his hypnotic powers took effect. For Vren suddenly turned up his head and uttered a howl that was unlike any other, a howl that sounded into every corner of the universe, searching, seeking, summoning.

"I still don't understand . . . " said Shadow, gazing at Kimberly from across the icy chamber in which she had been locked away. "How again did you transform?"

"I saw two golden eyes," came her impatient reply. The girl was greatly disturbed by recent events -- how her mind kept blacking out, just as Shadow said his had, and how, suddenly, she could hear every little thing it seemed . . . She could predict what someone was going to say before they even spoke. She could hear their every thought, their every dream . . . and it made her head throb terribly. Never had she heard such a tangle of voices and whispers running through her head. It was like a million people were talking to her all at once. It was all due to her newfound psychic powers. "Two golden eyes were looking at me through the mists . . . and then a spirit came forth. Or at least she claimed herself to be a spirit. But she told me that she could make my deepest dreams come true if I just believed in them. And this is what happened . . . I'm a Mobian . . . "

She stared at her reflection in the ice. She hardly even recognized herself, for no longer did she see the dark-haired girl she had always been, but a cold, almost emotionless creature who looked as if she had endured many hardships in her life, and had grown just as stoic and numb as the ice itself.
Shadow shook his head wonderingly. "So a random spirit just suddenly appears, and grants you your wishes? It sounds suspicious to me."

"She said she was somewhat like-like a guardian spirit. I don't know. But this is how I got this way . . . " She sighed and rubbed her head. "My head is aching . . . I can hear everything. What a nightmare . . . "

"It's your psychic powers," Shadow nodded. "They're very powerful indeed . . . more powerful than I've ever seen. You'll have to grow used to them."

"I never imagined telekinesis could be this painful . . . " Kimberly muttered.

"You said your mind blacked out too, just like mine? That suddenly everything just went dark . . . that the last thing you remember is transforming, and hearing Kaligarr call your name?"

"Yes . . . "

The black hedgehog furrowed his eyes curiously. "So strange . . . perhaps it isn't just me . . . perhaps something else is wrong . . ."

Suddenly Kim turned to him. "Do you think it may be the Void? I heard that prolonged exposure to the Void could have harmful effects. Those who stay inside it too long will turn to crystal if they ever come out again. Sometimes it drives people mad . . . and other times it just makes them terribly ill."

Shadow blinked at her. "Naugus never mentioned that to me . . . just how long is considered too long?"

"I don't know . . . I think it takes years, but I'm not one hundred percent sure."

Shadow fell silent and gazed into the darkness, pondering that thought. After the accident of Space Colony ARK, he had been put into suspended animation -- virtually frozen in time until he was awakened again. And although he was an immortal life form, the crystalization effect of the Void would limit his abilities . . . Even if he used Chaos Control to get himself free. But what bothered him more so was the fact that Naugus had never informed him of the Void's dangers.

Kimberly could see the confusion growing in his eyes every time she looked at him, and her heart almost clenched. She knew how badly Shadow wanted his dear Maria back, but couldn't he see that Naugus was using him? The girl would have thought that the Ultimate Life Form would have been much smarter than that.

"Shadow," she said suddenly. "I'd hate to tell you this, but don't you realize that Naugus is tricking you?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean he's merely using you, Shadow. Using you as a slave . . . just for your power. No deal exists between you and him."

"He promised me he'd bring Maria back with his magic. That's more than enough to convince me, especially now that I've seen just what he's capable of."

"Naugus is a liar and a backstabber," Kimberly retorted. "I've seen him do it to people before . . . he may end up hurting you worse rather than helping you."

Shadow turned away coldly. "I've already been hurt in the worst possible way . . . even if what you say is true, there's nothing Naugus could do to hurt me worse."

"Well, I have psychic powers," she replied evenly. "What if I overheard Naugus thinking thoughts of betrayal, Shadow? What if I heard just what he was planning to do with you?"

The dark hedgehog was silent for a long while, seeming undecided. Then, suddenly, he asked, "Why do you even care?"

The question caught Kimberly by surprise, and she blinked in bewilderment. "Well . . . I--I just don't want to see you hurt more . . . that's all. I don't like to see anyone hurt . . . "

Shadow gave a low "Hmph," and said, "No use trying to defend me, Human. Seems all I'm good for is being used . . . for being wounded. Besides . . . I need no one's help or care. I can take care of myself."

Kim looked hard at him. ". . . But that's not really true is it?"

Only silence answered her.

"You want someone to care, don't you? You want someone to see that you're more than just the Ultimate Life Form who wields awesome powers that could bring the world to its knees . . . that you have a heart and a soul too . . . "

There was another long pause, and then Shadow said simply, "I had a heart and a soul . . . but those died with Maria. And I no longer care."

"But wouldn't you like to feel like Maria was alive again? Like you could feel? Like you could be happy, Shadow?"

All of a sudden he rounded on her with startling swiftness, his eyes ablaze. "Don't taunt me with such talk! It's enough I have to relive that tragic nightmare every time I close my eyes, without someone reminding me, cruelly, just how much I suffer! You don't understand. No one will ever understand -- except for myself. Of course I'd like to have Maria back, to heal, to feel again . . . that's why I work with Naugus. Maria is the only one who ever understood me. No one else can save me but her . . . so stop your futile efforts."

Kimberly glared back at him fearlessly, but said nothing. For five long minutes they leered at one another from across the chamber, then, at last, Kimberly turned away.

"Forgive me . . . for caring." she said coldly.

Sonic stood atop a snow-covered hill, gazing out into the eternal grayness before him with unmoving eyes. The wind blew cold around him, but not a muscle in his body shifted. His posture was rigid, and his ears were pricked forward -- all telltale signs that he was on alert, and possibly uneasy. Something about the air had changed, or so it had seemed. He could tell by the appearance of the land, by the chill in the wind, by the weary tread of his comrades, and by his warrior instincts that something wasn't right. But just what that something was he was unsure of, and this accounted for his clear nervousness.

It felt almost as if something were stalking them through the darkness . . . like a dark cloud was hovering above them ominously. Foreboding, fearful whispers came from the frozen forests. Something was close by . . . some kind of danger or calamity . . . the Freedom Fighter leader could sense it deep in his heart.

He had first felt it the night before, though only vaguely, and didn't think much of it until the morning came, and it steadily grew stronger. Ever since then he had been on constant vigil, aware of every sound, every movement around him. Several times he had scouted ahead of the group to check out the surrounding territory, and stood watch relentlessly while they took short rests from the cold and the wind. So far none of the others seemed to be affected by the change. But still Sonic kept a watchful eye. The bad thing about feelings of impending trouble was that one never knew just when the trouble would happen.

Now the band was resting nearby beneath the shelter of the trees. The temperature was unbearably cold -- close to thirty degrees below zero -- and it was still dropping. The Freedom Fighters sat huddled together for warmth, their breaths coming as stream in the frigid air. In addition to their safety, Sonic also worried about their health. The increasing cold and the great risk of exposure they were taking made it all too easy for them to fall ill. And they were far from any large medical facilities. Normally there were herbs spread all across the Floating Island, but the snow and ice had killed them all. As of now they were all holding up well, despite the fact that they were tired, but they couldn't travel in this weather much longer.

Suddenly Uncle Chuck strode up alongside Sonic. "You seem uptight about something. What's up?"

"Nothin'," Sonic replied. "I just got this feeling . . . like somethin's stalking us, something bad . . . kinda like an omen."

"Hmm," said Chuck. "You could just be paranoid. Our predicament isn't exactly as good as it could be."

Sonic shook his head. "No."

Uncle Chuck took out a small, portable computer from the pack he carried and began tapping the keys.

"Any sign of Naugus nearby?" Sonic asked.

"Still directly toward the northwest . . . " came his slow reply as he studied the screen before him. "Right now the readings are being still . . . but I don't like it. Every now and then they start to move . . . He must be tracking us or something."

"He could see our every move if he wanted to," said Sonic gravely. "But he couldn't stay on the run forever . . . It'd affect the Void from engulfing everything like he planned, and besides, I could reach him in about five seconds if I wanted."

"We may have to do that Sonny boy, if he's tracking us. The Freedom Fighters can stay in these terrible conditions."

"What about outside Freedom Fighters?" Sonic inquired. "Any word from them?"

His uncle sighed. ". . . A few. Our Southern and Eastern friends have begun evacuations, and have stocked up on supplies. I haven't heard from Ari or the Wolf Pack though. Lupe and the wolves are probably bunked down in their canyons. They should be safe there."

"And the Void -- has it reached them yet?"

"No, it's just beginning to spread off the edges of the island and onto our mainland. We've sent warnings to everyone we could. All we can do now is pray they're safe and just attack Naugus in every way, shape or form."

Sonic narrowed his eyes and nodded. "Yeah. Speakin' of which, we had probably better get moving again."

"Why not discuss that with our new female leader?" Uncle Chuck grinned suddenly.

"Unc!" Sonic laughed. "It's a bit soon to be calling her that, don't ya think?"
Chuck shrugged. "Maybe. But it's you and her now, and you've always been the leader of the Knothole Freedom Fighters. And, with us, the custom is that usually there's a male half of leadership, and a female half."

"I know," snickered Sonic. "but I doubt she'd be up to the position of 'leader' so soon. It's only been about a day and a half."

Together the two began to walk downhill.

It hadn't taken long for the rumor of Sonic and Cyan's new relationship to spread throughout the group. In fact, few of the Freedom Fighters were even surprised at all. Some claimed that it was bound to happen, that Sonic and the one formerly known as Jessica were just too good of friends. Others thought that it was preposterous at first -- after all, Jessica had been a human, far too much like the Overlanders that all of Mobius simply could not trust. And despite the fact that a lot of them knew that Jessica was trustworthy, haven proving so countless times, it was all still very strange to them. Never had there been such a pairing in the history of Mobius. It wasn't so much that many of them rejected the idea -- they just weren't used to it. But there were others, however, although precious few, who were absolutely infuriated. Sonic and Sally's relationship after all had gave them all high hopes for the future of Mobius itself. For, with Sally as a princess, that would have made Sonic king. There couldn't be a better leader on the entire planet than Sonic. His legendary record in the war against evil was far too flawless, too famed to be ignored or surpassed. He was a fearless and likely leader who knew how to lift the spirits of his followers, and take every measure possible to stop evil. This he had done for his whole life, and every Freedom Fighter on Mobius knew it. It would have been impossible for them not to, considering how many times Sonic alone had saved the world. But now, with Sally gone, and Sonic's chances for leadership eliminated, where would their future lead? Surely St. John couldn't be king . . . sure, he was a bold commander, but his decisions were too foolish, too fed by his own ego and personal issues to make him a great leader.

This was why many of the Freedom Fighters argued amongst themselves quietly. For now, though, the others told them to relax and cross that bridge when they came to it. Thoughts about reviving the old Kingdom were still far off in the distant future.

Besides Sonic and Cyan and their new status among the group, Knuckles and Trau had also grown to be good friends -- if friends is what you could have called it. The two often threw playful challenges at one another, and had mock-battles to prove who was stronger, smarter, faster. And what the Freedom Fighters saw truly amazed them, for Knuckles' fighting skills, inherited from the Guardian bloodline itself, were legend. But he and Trau were well-matched, almost equal, some said, in combat. They both knew out to outsmart an enemy, how to use and change their strategies, and best of all, how to win. Sometimes those who witnessed the duals between the two worried that they'd eventually get too competitive and hurt each other. But Trau and Knuckles never meant any harm in their play-fights -- only to prove one another's strength.

As Sonic gave the word to get moving again, and the Freedom Fighters started off, Knuckles suddenly came running by, Trau following close behind with snow balled up in her fists.

"Scared of a little snowball, Red? I'll get'cha!" she shouted after him playfully. "C'mon, Cy, wanna help me?"

Cyan laughed and jogged after her friend. "Wait up, guys!"

"Just try it!" Knuckles yelled back at them, only to have a snowball graze the top of his head by inches.

"The next one won't miss!" Trau called, charging after him.

Cyan was about to follow, when suddenly Sonic grinned and rushed toward her, skidding just as he was a few feet beside her and sending up a great plume of snow that covered her in seconds.

"Aah! Hey!" she laughed, brushing the white powder off her face. "Nice running into you, too, Blue." She grinned and flicked the snow at him.

"Yes, I know I'm cool," Sonic smirked, tossing his head haughtily. "don't need any extra ice, thank you."

The two chuckled and started to talk side-by-side, watching Trau and Knuckles dodge each other's snowball assaults.

"Those two have really hit it off." Sonic snickered.

"Yeah, and they have an interesting way of showing it." Cyan smiled, ducking a snowball that flew close by.

"They always said that love reveals itself in unexpected ways." said Sonic.

"Does creaming the heck out of each other with snowballs count?" Cyan gestured to Trau as she dug into the ground with her powerful echidna fists and began to shovel snow right in his face.

"Sure," Sonic nodded. "We've done it a few times too. Though I don't think a 'snowball' would be the right term for it. More like a snowball tsunami."

Cy let out a laugh that suddenly turned into a raspy cough. "Darn this cold air . . . It's nice, but only when you experience so much of it. We've been going for days now. What did the readings say this time?"

"They're pointin' northwest still," he replied. "Guess it's a good thing they haven't moved much lately. Unc thinks that Naugus could possibly be tracking us and movin' whenever he feels we're too close."

"Tracking us?" the girl asked. "What do we do then?"

"Well, we were thinking that the best thing to do would be for me to run ahead and catch him. We've been out for five and a half days now and the weather ain't gettin' any better. We can't stay out much longer the way the temperature's droppin'."

"No, probably not. I really wish I knew if Kimberly was all right . . . I can't stop worrying about her." A sad look suddenly filled her hazel eyes.

"Don't worry, Jess--I mean Cy--we'll get 'er back. Trust me."

Cyan nodded slowly, and for a long while they walked silently. Then she turned to Sonic again.

"Y'know, that third spirit we saw in the clearing was for Kim . . . I wonder if she's been transformed too . . . Into Khare."

"Probably."

"If she is, Khare has psychic powers . . . she could speak telepathically to us if she tried." The sadness turned to hopefulness.

"There's an idea," Sonic answered. "maybe she could also receive your psychic messages. Try speaking to her with your thoughts."

She nodded and closed her eyes, trying to use her mind to speak to Khare. Several minutes passed, and in between her mental words she paused and listened . . . but no answer came.

"Anything?" Sonic finally asked.

Cyan sighed. ". . . No."

"Keep tryin'," he urged. "It's definitely worth a shot, and she could lead us to where Naugus is."

Cyan found herself coughing again, this time longer.

"You OK?" asked Sonic.

"Yeah."

Sonic was about to say something when suddenly Knuckles dashed by and dove behind them.

"I'm not here, OK?"

"Don't you think your red stands out a little sharply against our blue?" Sonic grinned.

"Shhhh!" the Guardian whispered. "Trau'll hear us! Just act natural."

Sonic shook his head, and then suddenly glanced over at Cyan, a mischevious glint coming into his eyes.

Cyan caught the message, smirked, and nodded.

Suddenly both of them reached back, grabbed Knuckles by the arms and threw him out into the open.

"Hey!" Knuckles yelled.

Cyan waved her hand in the air and called, "He's over here, Trau!"

"Oh, you rotten--"

"Aha! Now I've got you, Knux!" Trau suddenly came barreling forward.

"Oh, crud . . . Gangway!" Knux scrambled to his feet and tried to run past Sonic and Cyan, but Trau rammed into him and they were all sent tumbling through the snow until they landed in a big heap of tussling bright colors.

Trau bounded down to them. "Oh, goodie! Dogpile!" She lunged forward.

"No, no, NO!"

A great cloud of snow was thrown upward as Trau dove onto all of them.

"Queen of the hill!" She gloated proudly.

"Ack! Get off, Trau, I can't breathe!" grunted Knuckles.

"You callin' me fat?"

"Of course not, muscle weighs more than fat!" He yelled, clambering out of the pile and making a run for it.

Trau snarled and surged after him. "Get him!"

Sonic and Cyan laughed and joined the chase, Sonic running ahead to try and distract Knuckles while Cyan and Trau pelted him with snowball after snowball. Finally Trau fly-tackled him and pinned him to the ground.

"Look who's calling me fat when you have such a fat head!"

"I do not!"

"Say it!"

"Say what?"

"Say you have a fat head!" She ordered, pushing him further into the ground, her other fist raised threateningly.

"No!"

"Say it!"

"No!"

"Say it!"

"I don't have a fat head! I have a hot head!" Knuckles yelled at last.

Trau just took one look at him, and then fell over backwards, laughing hysterically.

Sonic and Cyan doubled over in laughter too.

"Hot head, right Knux!" Sonic shouted. "From all that hot air!"

"No wonder he's red, Sonic!" Cyan cackled they all just went on laughing while Knuckles glared.

"Haha . . . " he sneered.

Cyan slapped her knee in her laughter when suddenly she began coughing heavily--so heavily that it took her several minutes before she could catch her breath.

Now Sonic gave her a concerned look. "That's a pretty bad cough, Cy . . . You ain't catchin' a cold, are you?"

"I don't know . . . " she replied in a choked voice. "It just started this morning. It's getting worse quick, too . . ."

"Maybe it's just the cold air," Trau shrugged. "We've been out in it for a long time now."

"Maybe . . . " she said, trying to hide the worried look that was slowly becoming more evident in her eyes.

"C'mon," Sonic said after a long silence. "We'll have Rosie fix you something warm to drink. The most it could be is a cold . . . it should clear up soon."

But it didn't clear up. As a matter of fact, as the day progressed, it only continued to worsen, and at an alarming rate. By mid afternoon Cyan couldn't stop coughing no matter what, and the coughs grew more severe. Soon afterward there was a wheezing in her breath, as though she were having trouble breathing. Into late afternoon she began to have trouble keeping up, her limbs growing achey and numb, her energy dwindling into lethargy. The Freedom Fighters had to slow their pace terribly so as not to leave her behind. Sonic never left her side, a growing concern coming into his eyes. Throughout the evening he and the others tried everything they could to alleviate her symptoms, bundling her up as best they could and giving her warm soups and medicines, but still her condition continued to get worse and worse.

By dusk, she was so sick that she had to take a rest nearly every twenty minutes just so she could catch her breath.

The Freedom Fighters stood together in small forest, gazing worriedly at the girl as she slept beneath four thick quilts and still trembled.

"We can't keep going at this rate . . ." Uncle Chuck was saying. "It's bad for her and it's bad for us."

"The poor thang's gettin' sicker by the minute," said Bunnie. "what in heaven's name do y'all suppose is wrong with her?"

"Well, judging from her symptoms," came the answer of Dr. Quack, the Freedom Fighter's lead doctor. "it looks like nothing more than a bad case of the common cold, or perhaps influenza. But the medicines we've given her should have at least done something, like clear up her breathing or relieve her coughing. So far nothing's worked. It puzzles me."

"Are you guys telling me you don't have any clue what's going on?" Sonic asked, pacing nervously through the snow.

"Well, right now, Sonic, no . . . " replied Dr. Quack. "I'll continue to give her medicines and herbs, anything at all to make her feel better. But I can't lie to you . . . I'm not exactly sure just what's causing her illness . . ." He hung his head regretfully.

"I can't believe this," Sonic muttered angrily. "We're doin' nothing but walking in circles with still no sign of Naugus, the Void is spreading all over the planet, threatening all life as we know it, Kim's still being held captive, and now Jess is sick. What's it gonna be next?"

"Calm yourself, Sonic," Chuck said calmly. "It's not like you to worry."

"Of course I'm worried, I love her," he retorted. "I basically lost Sally, and I am not about to lose her too."

"We're doing all we can, Sonic," his uncle reminded him. "trust me, I'm worried about the girl too. We all are."

"I know . . . " Sonic sighed. "It's just too much to worry about . . . It's one thing if she just has a cold, and another if something else is wrong."

"What else could it be, though?" asked Knuckles. "There's nothing else out here that could make her this sick . . . not unless Naugus has suddenly taken a liking to chemical warfare."

Suddenly everyone looked up, the horror of realization in their eyes.

" . . . The Void causes unknown illnesses . . . " Uncle Chuck breathed, his voice shaking.

"What?" Sonic asked.

"The Void . . . " he whispered slowly. "It's been shown to cause unknown illnesses in some people . . . illnesses that often can't be cured . . . ."

The Freedom Fighters looked at one another slowly, hardly daring to say a word. A greater fear was beginning to develop in their hearts, and it showed itself plainly.

"Great," said Knuckles. "So if the Void's what's making Jess sick, then we're all exposed to the same thing, and will be until we find Naugus and stop the Void from spreading?"

Uncle Chuck didn't reply. He didn't have to . . . for the answer was obvious as he gave a troubled sigh and pressed his eyes shut wearily.

For a long while there was nothing but a strained silence, everyone afraid to speak, their minds fearfully pondering what may happen to Cyan -- or possibly themselves.

Suddenly Sonic kicked at the snow furiously. "Wonderful! So she's only gonna get sicker? She's just gonna waste away right before our eyes, and there'll be nothing we can do to help her? And it may eventually happen to the rest of us?"

"Easy, Sonic," said Uncle Chuck. "We're only saying that it's possible. Sometimes illnesses from the Void can be cured, and it may not even be the Void at all. We don't know for sure."

Sonic only paced faster. "But nothin's worked so far. What are we gonna do if it gets worse, Unc? What are we gonna do if nothing we give her helps?"

His uncle lowered his gaze to the ground. " . . . Get her out of the Void."

"But if it's spreading, how do we do that?"

Suddenly Chuck looked up, and there was a pained look in his old eyes as he looked at his nephew. " . . . Remember my theory about Chaos Control . . . how they can possibly link Earth and Mobius again . . . ?"

Some of the nearby Freedom Fighters gasped.

Sonic froze in his tracks, and slowly, ever so slowly, lifted his head to look hard at Uncle Chuck. Trau and Knuckles were doing the same, along with a great number of the other Freedom Fighters. The air around them had suddenly seemed to grow a lot colder . . . Uncle Chuck swallowed hard.

At last Sonic began to shake his head slowly. " . . . No . . . No, Uncle Chuck . . . "

"If it's for her life, Sonic--"

"No!" he cried, trembling. "Unc, there's gotta be some other way! We'll send her to a place still outside the Void somehow while we fight Naugus . . . We'll--we'll do something, anything . . . anything but send her back . . . "

"And what if we don't manage to find Naugus in time, Sonic?" Uncle Chuck asked sternly. "Do you want her to die?"

"Don't talk like that! These are the kind of things Naugus wants us to think, Unc. He's trying to fill our hearts with fear . . . he's trying to make us give up, don't you get it? We're Freedom Fighters . . . we'll find him in time . . . I'll run all night long if I have to, and even longer still."

"But what if she chose to go back? For her own good?"

Sonic suddenly looked hurt. There was clearly a struggle going on in his head . . . and struggle to determine what would be best for Jessica . . . And he was torn between his heart and his mind.

"She won't leave me," he answered. "Not like Sally . . . I know her better than that, by the Chaos Emeralds! She won't . . . she can't . . . "

"No one goes back," Trau suddenly said firmly. "if one of us goes down, then we go down together."

The Freedom Fighters could only look at one another helplessly. For the first time in a very long while, they were beginning to feel real fear of what was happening all around them . . . and Naugus could sense it. Uncle Chuck gazed sadly into the dark horizon, trying to convince himself that there was nothing to worry about, but failing miserably. Tails and Antoine trembled fretfully and Bunnie just shook her head.

Sonic continued his pacing for a minute or two more, and then said finally, "I'm gonna go see how she's doin'. Don't worry guys . . . everything's gonna be OK."

And without another word he turned and jogged toward Cyan, his friends closing their eyes and desperately hoping that their courageous leader was right.

Meanwhile Cyan was sleeping fitfully. No matter how much she wrapped herself up in her quilts, she was still terribly cold. She couldn't stop shivering. There was no peace or rest in her sleeping mind . . . only chaos. Her unconscious seemed to come in distorted images and unclear scenes, all coming too rapidly, too randomly for her to comprehend. Her head began to ache from it all, and, one or two times in her dreams, she fancied she heard a voice whispering to her.

"A dream . . . " it seemed to say. "It's been nothing but a foolish dream . . . None of it exists . . . None of it exists . . . "

A few times the girl awoke for a second as if to try and figure out if she were really hearing someone speak to her, or if she were dreaming, but her incredible drowsiness soon took over, turning any logical thought into nothing but delirium. She knew something was wrong, and it was terrifying her. Desperately she tried to understand what was happening to her, but every time she failed, and that only frightened her more. She wanted to wake up and talk to her friends, to be around those she knew she could trust and rely on for security, but it seemed utterly impossible to wake from this deep, yet fitful sleep.

"Cy . . . Cy, wake up."

The girl hardly stirred and hardly registered the words coming to her, believing them to be another dream. Then they came again, slightly louder, along with a gentle prodding of her shoulder. It took several minutes, but at last, with a tired groan, she opened her eyes and saw Sonic kneeling at her side.

"Hey," he said softly. "You all right?"

For a moment it felt as if she had heard him speak to her as if she were still in a deep sleep, his words distant and hard to focus on. But soon her mind began to clear up a little.

"Sonic . . . ?" she asked in a feeble voice.

"How ya feelin'?" he asked, taking her hand in his.

She closed her eyes. "Not so good, Sonic . . . " she mumbled. "I'm so tired . . . I feel dazed, as though I'm hardly conscious . . . I'm scared."

Sonic hugged her gently. "Don't be scared. I'm not gonna let anything happen to you. Neither will the others. Do you think you can still travel?"

"I don't even feel like I can get up . . ." came her reply. "Sonic, what's wrong with me?"

Sonic lowered his ears, unsure of whether to tell her all that he and the Freedom Fighters had discussed. "We're not sure . . . " he said finally. "But don't worry. You'll be all right. Trust me."

He tried to sound as confident as possible, but he couldn't hide all the concern in his voice, for Cyan truly didn't look well at all. Her eyes were puffy, red, and glazed. Her skin was pale and sickly, and her voice was almost nothing more than a strained whisper.

"I don't want to hold everyone up," she said, laying her head against his arm.

"You're not holdin' us up. We'll carry you if we have to. Don't worry about it . . . just get some rest."

"I'm afraid to be alone Sonic . . . " she whispered.

"No one's leaving ya," he said quietly. "I'll be right here beside you until you're better. Promise."

Cyan pressed close to him and tried to relax. Sonic could feel her awful trembling, however, and felt her forehead to find it burning to the touch.

"Ooh . . . Cy, you've got a fever . . ." he pressed his hand closer to her head, trying to estimate just how powerful the fever was. Finally he shook his head. "You're burnin' up . . . Unc!" he called, turning to the Freedom Fighters.

"What's wrong?" his uncle asking, quickly running up with Dr. Quack at his side.

"She's got a bad fever . . . " he answered gravely. "Feel her, she's burning hot to the touch."

Dr. Quack knelt down to the girl and put a thermometer in her mouth. Fearfully Cyan began to tremble more violently, her heart pounding.

"S'OK, Jess," Sonic told her, but turning his eyes quickly back to the thermometer as the number only continued to rise.

Seconds later Dr. Quack looked at the reading and shook his head. "105. We've got to get her temperature down now."

"But I'm so cold . . . " Cyan moaned painfully as the quilts were hastily thrown off of her.

"But inside you're burning," Dr. Quack told her. "if we don't hurry you could pass out on us. Chuck, get me some cold water and cloths."

As Uncle Chuck ran off to fetch the water Cyan suddenly found herself exposed to the freezing winds again without even a jacket to protect her. It was so painfully cold that she wanted to grab her quilts back and wrap herself up tight. But all she could do now was cling onto Sonic for warmth and for assurance, the wind biting at her flesh as wet cloths were applied to her forehead. Soon a commotion started at the Freedom Fighters gathered around her worriedly, eager to do anything they could to help.

"Give her some air!" Sonic ordered angrily as they drew in too close.

Nihara, Trau and Knuckles helped to keep the crowd back. Eventually the chaos returned to order as they worked together to get whatever Dr. Quack needed. It took nearly an hour, but at last the Freedom Fighters managed to get Cyan's fever down. If she hadn't been tired before, she was now, for she had had to take heavy doses of medicine to keep her temperature down. Once again she was sleeping, though a little more peacefully this time now that the raging heat was no longer distorting her thoughts. When it was all done, the Freedom Fighters all stood nearby, just as worried as ever.

Dr. Quack sighed. "Well . . . there's one blessing with us being trapped in the Void. If it hadn't been for these cold temperatures, the girl's fever may have never gone down in time."

Sonic sat beside Cyan, her hand clutched tightly in his. Constantly he watched her, for if there was anything at all that came remotely close to scaring Sonic, it was losing someone he loved. Suddenly he lowered his head and clamped his eyes shut as though trying to make a painful decision.

"Chuck," he said at last, his voice hardly even audible. "we've got to get her out of here . . . This isn't just a cold . . . I don't know what it is . . . . but it's bad. . . "

His uncle looked at him for a long while, and then finally nodded. The Freedom Fighters lowered their eyes wearily, a thick shrowd of anguish falling over them. This battle in which they fought was like none other they had ever seen . . . And it was only growing worse.

Far away, a dark, victorious grin spread across Naugus's swarthy face. "The Weakening has begun . . . and now, for number three . . ."