Deprivation

Chapter 3


Author's Note: Alright, I was true to my word. I have a chapter up and it isn't October yet. I'm not sure whether I like the direction I went with this or some of the writing, but I suppose it's alright. Again, I may have had some facts wrong, but I am trying. This all may seem like emotional exaggeration, but I'm afraid 'emotional' concepts are my speciality. I'm sure you realists will deal. Grammar and spelling-wise, I'm sure there are some mistakes I didn't catch. I wrote and proof-read this all in the same period. A writer gets exhaust. But all the same, enjoy! I'm trying to put up a quality story. Any suggestions are more then appreciated. Oh, and please review! It's what keeps the story going!

Disclaimer: Must I elucidate?

The polluted wasteland of Robotropolis never seemed so lovely.

There was a vague feeling of déjà vu almost; as Princess Sally stood in the same spot she had a day before; that familiar junk pile; her blue boot tapping with slight anxiety. The key word was slight.

Unlike yesterday's episode, there was a different air to her countenance. In fact, it almost seemed confident. She had a communicator close at hand, but it was the thought of that morning's events that kept a small smile pasted on her face.

He listened. No, listening wasn't the only thing that gave her the satisfaction and assurance that she had at that moment. It was the fact he took responsibility. He recited; he knew; he summarized. During the whole debriefing of her revamped mission plan, Sonic the Hedgehog gave his undivided attention to her the entire time. He made eye contact; he had suggestions. He didn't act like a brainless goon. He acted like a partner.

And for once, Sally didn't feel alone as leader.

Of course she felt suspicious as she watched it happened. She couldn't explain his newfound attitude. He was even as outrageous as to insist upon him doing a solo mission. Once again, the questions that came to her mind were only natural. Hadn't he been listening when she had confided her concerns with him that early morning? Was he insane? Was his brain nonexistent? Was he trying to cause trouble; was he trying to kill himself!

His reply seemed well-thought-through though. He had a convincing argument. He had a brilliant suggestion. It was a combination of his 'suggestions' and her plan that led her to where she was that night. He had a backpack; he had Nicole; he had his communicator and a power ring. As far as she was concerned, he was set physically. It was the concept of being ready 'mentally', however, that were the foundation of her fears.

But for once, those fears were held back. She stood quietly as the evening continued to progress, simply waiting. "Sonic," she nearly whispered into the communicator, with a small smile. "Have you gotten the files yet?"

-You bet, Sal! Call it a mission success 'cuz we-I'm comin' back.- The reception those things provided was decent, though she could hear some soft static in the background.

"Now isn't the time for celebration, Sonic. We aren't through yet."

-The hard part's over Sal! No worries! I'm cool.-

"You aren't invincible, Sonic." She sighed. At this point, she didn't feel like arguing. She was more in the mood to enjoy success. "Just don't let your guard down, alright?"

-You got it, Sal! 'Dere's gonna be a big plate of chili dogs waitin' for me once we get-Sooonic!- There was something different about the tone of voice that came out of the receiver at the last statement. It didn't have his deep tone. It seemed soft and almost panicked. It sounded an awful lot like…

No, it couldn't be. She had hallucinating. "What was that, Sonic?"

-What? Look, Sal, I uhh…I gotta juice! SWATbutts at 9 'o clock! Ciao!-

"Sonic!-"

Before she could even finish, the connection was cut off. For the rest of that mission, her confidence just seemed to vanish.

It was nightfall. Most of Knothole was asleep. One person was up though, staring up at a cloudy winter sky. After having spent a near two hours analyzing the new information from the files that blue wonder had somehow gotten, Sally found herself in this place, attempting to get some fresh air in order to relax.

But at this point, relaxation did not come easy.

Her mind was cluttered. Her thoughts were increasing rapidly. They meandered throughout her head; the thoughts dispersed endlessly. They wouldn't disappear. They wouldn't leave her alone. They were trying to conquer her, while she was left defenseless. In real combat, she would be forced to surrender. This being rhetorically, she couldn't. When she truly thought the situation over, it seemed impossible to surrender to thoughts.

It was the torture they caused that she would just have to endure.

Call it punishment for an unknown mistake, but ever since that mission, she couldn't shake away the feelings she had gotten. That small voice she had heard was almost haunting; replaying itself in her head as if it was a broken record. It seemed so longing, so scared, so out of place…

It reminded her of herself when she had been five. It reminded her of the fear she had felt that faithful day. The panic; weakness; how she was so vulnerable; so naïve; how she was so young.

Too young.

Memories came pouring to her head becoming immersed in the unwanted muddle. There were other clues that led her to the rash conclusions there had been a third person involved in their raid. She had noticed two other things; there had been a slight consistent movement in Sonic's backpack but most noticeably, there had been a slight decrease in his speed. Considering additional mass often tended to slow down an individual, she could only presume there had been a stowaway.

When she really thought over the evidence, however, the whole notion seemed absurd. No one could fit in a backpack. Sonic may have brought some extra material, though nothing she could identify. Then came the thought of what materials could even move like that. There had been a moment she could have sworn a pair of eyes had been staring out at her.

Maybe she was losing it; maybe she was losing her grasp on reality! But when brought into consideration, she found other more plausible explanations for her illusions. Among those was the fact that she had been losing sleep lately, over that failed mission and Sonic's 'surprise' early-morning visit. In the end, she resolved that was the case. Staring up at the sky, mind having finally cleared up, she let out a yawn. A smile appeared after.

For the next seven hours, she would finally have some well-deserved 'peace of mind'.