"'…give up your children, separate, you must bide your time and… sate'? No, that's not right."

Mina was busy dashing through the woods like a gust of wind as she tried to just get her mind off of everything. Clear her head. It wasn't something she had done often, but given that they didn't have too much to do just now other than sitting around while Sally and some of the others sorted things out, she figured she might as well. She darted past the trees and through the bushes, hopping over stones and trampling over weeds, all while trying her best not to stomp on any flowers. She continued running, never realizing before how exhilarating this felt, how it made one feel so alive, how it could make one's head feel like they'd just hit a solid stone boulder—

No, wait a minute. That was how she felt after colliding head-on with Sonic the Hedgehog. The two knocked into each other like bumper cars, the both of them getting knocked to the ground and tumbling across the dirt, rolling down a small hill like soccer balls until they both managed to land at its' foot.

"Oh," I'm so sorry!", said Mina. "It was totally my fault, I swear, I should have seen where I was going—"

"No," said Sonic, "it's alright. I should have seen where I was going too. Totally not a problem. I think."

This, as had been remarked more than once that day, was new. "Uh, wow. Okay. If you really think so."

"Yeah, I know," said Sonic, able to tune in on just what her deal was. "Not what you'd expect from me, huh?"

"Well, if I'm going to be completely and utterly honest, then no. No, it isn't. That's not to say you're a bad person Sonic, of course not! You can just be rough around the edges is all. Well, maybe more than just rough."

"You don't need to rub it in. But yeah, you're not the first person to tell me that crap. And maybe he had a point. I've been doing some thinking, and one thing I know is that I'm not Gaea's gift to Mobius. Because if I were, you'd think I'd be able to rescue the King and save the day by now."

"Oh, Sonic, it's not your fault! You can't blame yourself for that!"

"I don't. Not anymore, anyway. But the fact is, I couldn't save him. And that tells me there are some things I just can't do. Even if I want to do them. And if there are things I can't do, then I guess I can't just snap my fingers and make everything the way it used to be before you can say 'succotash'."

"'Succotash?"

"Old family tradition. You should ask Sonia sometime. But yeah. I thought I was at the top of the food chain; that I could just send Eggman packing and go off to wherever it is I wanna go to. Fat chance."

"I know. What I want to do is just keep writing and making music, you know? That's what I've always dreamed of doing. Except now, I'm caught up in, well, this!"

"Hey, Mina, aren't your parents here on the island?"

"They were, but they left a week ago to visit my uncle over in Starlight City. So at least they're safe. And it also means there isn't anything keeping me here. Well, other than myself I guess."

"Yeah, I know the feeling."

Mina giggled like a schoolgirl. Gaia knows she needed something to laugh about. "Seriously though, this isn't easy. I guess I'm like you, sort of. I mean, I wasn't even really sure about this in the first place, but there was still a part of me that thought maybe we could do it, you know? And you were kinda a big part in that."

"Yeah," Sonic chuckled. "Kind of a bit hasty of me, wasn't it?

"Maybe. And now, well, let's face it. If we choose to stay, I mean, to REALLY stay, to help fight Eggman to the bitter end, we're going to be in this for the long haul. And that's even assuming we win. Why, even if we do, we could still…"

"Still kick it?"

"Well, you didn't have to put it like that! But basically, yeah. That's it really."

"And if we don't help, more people could die than if we did."

"Yeah."

They both sat at the foot of the hill underneath a tall, thick tree, the rays of the late afternoon sun shimmering through its' leaves and branches. It covered the pair while they sat, both for a moment not sure where they should go from there. Until at last, one of them was.

"Here's what I know," said Sonic. "I know that someone I could have saved, someone I promised to save, wasn't saved. I know, maybe I couldn't save him, maybe there wasn't that much I could've have done, maybe Eggman had even already planned for it, but I do know I don't want that to happen again."

"So. You've made your choice?"

"Think so. Just gotta break the news to Sal'," he said with a wink.

"Well, if you're staying, maybe I'll stay too."

"Hey, you do whatever you want, but if you're gonna stay, it shouldn't be because of me. You should do whatever YOU want to do. If there's anything anyone should do, it's being true to themselves. And part of that means not doing something just because someone else is doing it."

"Oh. I see."

"Hey, don't worry about it. You just gotta take your time, figure out what's right for you. Though I will say, it'd be nice to have some competition. Just don't be gunning for being THE fastest thing alive, okay? That's my spot."

Mina giggled again. "If you say so."

"And I do say so. I mean what I say and say what I mean. Except when I don't."

Cue more giggling. "You know, you're pretty funny when you want to be!"

"Thank you, I'll be here all week. Well, not HERE here. You know what I mean." He then flipped himself off of the ground and landed on his feet in the blink of an eye. "Well, guess I'd better talk to Sally. You keep thinking about whatever it is you want to do. Whatever it is, don't worry about it. You gotta do what you gotta do."

"Thanks, Sonic.

"No problem! Hey, anytime you want to talk, just let me know!"

"Oh. No problem!"

"That's what I like to hear! Anyway, I'm off. See ya soon!" And off he went. Mina should have taken off herself, but she couldn't help but just take a moment to sit back and gander at the leaves and rays of sun above her, at the beams of light interspersing with one another. As if two lives were converging on one another, mingling and conjoining, becoming one—

"I GOT IT!" She then darted off after Sonic, though not because of Sonic himself; rather, because she suddenly had a rather urgent need to see one Sally Acorn…


"Right, is that everything?"

Sally and the others were still sitting around the fire, only with Harvey Who also sitting in attendance. "I don't really know," said Harvey. "You tell me."

"Well," said Sally, "so far, we've been able to work out some intelligence networks. Those are still run by Geoffrey, right?"

"Indeed. In the event of a coup or some similar incident, Geoffery is the most likely agent to take control of the networks. He was my Deputy Director for years, so I cannot think of anyone better suited for the job."

"Right. After that, there's the supply routes. You said something about a path through Green Hill?"

"Indubitably," said Harvey. "Green Hill also boasts a number of farmers and villagers which I have no doubt would be a great source of vegetables and certain minerals, which you will surely be in need of."

"Definitely," said Rotor, "but that's not the only thing we'll need. We need tools, test tubes, iron, electricity, the works. If we want a fully functioning workshop and a lab, we need to pull out all the stops."

"I'm sure we can arrange something. Though I must say, things are looking a tad dire. I am truly sorry about the King, Sally."

Sally's eyes started to cloud up like a fine mist, but she did her best to rub them away like applying a thick towel. Fur could be quite handy when it came to mopping up those sorts of things. "It's alright, Harvey. There is nothing we could've done."

"Are you sure about that? Mind you, I was not there, but perhaps I should have been. I did give you some pointers all of those years ago. You'd think you would have learned something."

"No offense birdy, but stuff it." Harvey turned his head around like a screw to see who had the gall to address him, but to everyone's amazement, it was none other than Sonic the Hedgehog.

Harvey spoke as sweetly as poisoned honey. "I could stuff it, but that wouldn't do, would it? Stuffed birds are a rare commodity these days, and heaven knows I wouldn't want to stuff myself in any event. I'm afraid it simply won't do."

"Funny. And just who are you supposed to be anyway?"

"Director of Intelligence, or former director at any rate. And who might you be, if I may ask? Fair is fair."

"My name's Sonic the Hedgehog. Got somethin' to say?

"Well," said Sally, attempting to appear ever the consummate, detached professional, "we are kind of in a meeting here, Sonic. Can it wait?"

"Not really, no. Look Sal'. I know I said I'd save your dad. I know I said I'd save the kingdom. I know I said a lot of things. And I know I didn't do a one of them."

"Your point?"

"Oy." Sonic slapped his palm to his forehead, this close to just pulling out there and then. "Look, you have no idea how hard it is for me to say this, but, well, I'm sorry, okay?!" Sally was taken back, almost as if she were in shock. "I'm sorry about everything."

"Sonic," said Porker, "you can't blame yourself—"

"I don't, least not anymore. But I do blame myself for making promises I couldn't keep. So I figure maybe now it's time to make one I can. Sally, this is probably gonna kill me, but I'm gonna stay as long as it takes to take down old Eggface. You have my word."

Sally wasn't sure what to say. As much as part of her knew it wasn't his fault, that there was nothing he could have done, a small part of her had still blamed him for what happened to Daddy. Nevermind that he had made himself something of an easy target. But now? Now, she wasn't so sure if she could.

"Thanks Sonic. It really does mean a lot to me."

"No problem, Sal. Besides, I'm sure we'll beat Buttnik one day! It just ain't gonna be today."

"I know. Anyway, as long as you're here, why don't you take a seat? We were just discussing—"

Just then, barreling through the bushes came a yellow furred and purple haired streak that only stopped straight in front of the fire, the winds from her sudden brake nearly putting the darn thing out. "Sally!", said Mina. "There's something I gotta say! ASAP! Pretty please!"

"I guess speedsters think alike," muttered Sally. "Not a problem Mina. What's up?"

"I think it IS a problem," said Harvey, though everyone else promptly ignored him like the grumpy old uncle nobody likes.

"Well," said Mina, "I've been thinking, you know? And I've just had a problem with figuring out—"

"With figuring out whether or not you should stay or go, right?" said Sally.

Mina was nearly speechless. "How did you know?!"

"Just call it a lucky guess." Must be a speedster thing, she thought.

"Uh, well, it was a pretty good guess. Anyway, yeah, that's the gist of it. But I think I figured out just what I want to do!"

"Which is?"

Mina took a moment to get a couple of stray strands of hairs out of her hands, trying to move them away with puffs of air before foricablly putting them aside. "Well, I do want to help stay and fight; this is my home after all, but I really just want to keep on writing and making music. But I figure, why not do both?"

"Go on," said Sally.

"Well, I know Freedom Fighting's got to be our top priority and all, but I figure that all of that fighting can wear someone out. Might help to have something to keep their morale going when they need just a bit of cheering up to get through the day. So I figured, why not start a band? In fact, we don't even need to start one! We've already got me, Sonia, and Manic! And we've got plenty of extra hands if anyone wants to help. So when I'm not Freedom Fighting, I can still do what I really want to do while keeping everyone's spirits up. What hat do you think?"

Sally appeared to think long and hard, as if this one question were the most important one to ever be so much as spoken in the entire cosmos. And when she finally spoke, she asked the only question that ever truly mattered.

"What about instruments? Or are you going to pull a drumset out of your buttex?"

"Oh, Um, I figured maybe you could go out and get some? (Just maybe?)"

Sally looked intently at Harvey. "As it turns out, we may be able to do just that. Honestly Mina, it's not a bad idea. If we're going to be in this or the long haul, we could do something to keep our minds off of the fighting. A great many somethings, actually. I didn't think of it before, but we should have a library or something to keep us entertained during our off hours. Give us something to do. Harvey?"

"I will see what I can do."

"Very well then. Mina, you and the Oracles of Delphi are officially Knothole's #1 band. Assuming the other two still want to do it."

Mina breathed in and out as though any breath could be her last before jumping up and down like a schoolgirl. "YES! Thanks, Sally! And you too Sonic!"

"Hey, said Sonic, "if anything, I should be thanking you. You really helped clear my head."

"Same here."

"Sounds good," said Johnny. "In the meantime, we—" Johnny stopped. Every single iota of his being froze, all except his ears which twitched ever so slightly in the breeze."

"Hey," said Chirps, "you okay roadki— uh, sorry, you okay Johnny? Something eating you? Literally?"

Johnny stood there like a stone solid statue, never so much as moving a centimeter of an inch. It was as if he were waiting for something that the others couldn't quite hear. Or at least most of them. After a moment, Chirps had finally caught on, and was just as wary as the rabbit. Before long, everyone was still. Everything was silent. And in that silence, they could hear something. Something moving in the bushes; something trying to be ever scarier as though it were compensating for something. And then, with just one little series of words, it finally made its' grand entrance.

"ALIENS!"