Sonic's Chaos

Chapter 14: Sensei Sapi

Sally had been leading a group of Freedom Fighters in restoring New Megatropolis to its former glory, cleaning it of any of Robotnik's influences. Over the last few weeks, she had established New Megatropolis as a beacon of hope for West Side Island; a place free of the tyrannical rule of their invader. The Princess, with the help of Antoine, Mighty, Amy and Bunnie, had helped clean up the destruction from the Battle of Robotropolis as well as tear down and destroy any infrastructure installed by Doctor Robotnik. Their journey across the city led them to the old Royal Palace, built hundreds of years ago for the first members of the Acorn dynasty. While Sally had anticipated that eventually they may end up here, she was not looking forward to it. Looking at the palace, partially destroyed in the invasion, the memories of that night came flooding back.

"Your highness?" Antoine asked, gently placing his hand on her shoulder as she stared at the palace, "Are you okay?"

Seven months ago. Robotnik had arrived on West Side Island a month previously and, in that time, he and his forces spread like a disease, outmatching the Kingdom's army with his Badniks and machinery. Sally woke in her room; her mother shaking her arm.

"Sally," her mother said softly, her voice shaking, "We have to move, dear. Quickly, get up."

Her mother helped her out of bed, calling Antoine into the room.

"What's going on?" Sally asked, still half asleep, before an explosion outside rattled the palace, forcing her back onto her bed. Sally looked at her mother. "It's him, isn't it?"

The Queen nodded her head.

"May I be of assistance?" Antoine piped up. The Queen held Sally's hand and brushed through her daughter's auburn hair.

"The palace isn't safe," the Queen said. "If they find you here, they'll turn you into one of them."

"What?" Sally asked, "Where are we going to go?"

The Queen sighed, holding back tears to appear strong in front of her daughter. "You're going to go with Antoine. He'll take you to a safe place, far away from the city."

"I don't understand," Sally said quietly, her eyes wet, "What about you? Where's dad?"

The Queen gently kissed her daughter's forehead, brushing her hair again. "We'll find a way out. But we need to make sure you're safe first. The longer you stay, the more at risk you are. Now, Antoine..."

Antoine stepped forward, extending his arm for the Princess to hold on to.

"Wait – I don't understand," Sally cried, "I want to be with you!"

The Princess hugged her mother tightly for one last time.

"We'll find you," her mother said, "Once this has all blown over. Trust me." She looked at Antoine, biting her lip. "It's time to go now. I love you, Sally. Be good."

The Queen reluctantly prized her daughter off of her. "Keep her safe, Antoine," she said as she left the room, walking off somewhere in the palace. Antoine put his hand around her shoulder.

Sally snapped back into the present as she felt Antoine's arm wrapped around her. She stuttered for a second, getting her bearings back.

"I'm okay," she said quietly, looking back at the palace.

"In your own time, your highness," the coyote said gently. "This must be troubling for you."

Sally paused. "No," the Princess said confidently. "I'll be okay. Come on, now."

She and Antoine followed Amy, Mighty and Bunnie into the palace. The ground was scorched where blasts from Robotnik's forces had landed. Only a handful of the pillars lining the front of the palace were still intact; many had fallen to the ground, while some stood as stumps. Walking up the cracked palace steps, Mighty gently swung the large, white doors open, revealing the ruined interior.

"The Royal Palace," Amy whispered, amazed even despite the damage, "When I was a little girl, I always dreamed I would live in here one day."

The gang explored the inside of the palace, looking at old, scorched paintings on the wall. While the damage was shocking, only Sally and Antoine had any memory of how the palace used to be; Sally herself was born in this place, while Antoine and generations of his family before him had loyally served the Royal Family. The state of the palace was devastating to everyone, but no one more so than these two felt the impact.

"For years, I served your family in these walls," Antoine said, devastated, before turning to Sally. "I promise you, your highness, my loyalty does not falter; once this is all done, I will resume my duties to this family."

"Thank you, Antoine," Sally said appreciatively.

Another memory came back to her; the night she and Antoine arrived at Knothole. Antoine had been leading them through dark, creepy forests, illuminated only by his lamp, before they arrived at this small holding. Sally could not rest for crying that night, with Antoine continuing his duty to support her.

"Do not worry, your highness," he said softly, "Your mother and father will be safe."

These words could not mend the despair and damage done by losing her parents, losing everything she had. Soon, Sally's sobbing grew softer and softer before she finally gave in and fell asleep. The morning after, Antoine cautiously opened the curtains. He saw a few of the locals outside; a yellow flying squirrel was talking to a large walrus, his cap on backwards. They seemed friendly. Antoine felt comfort knowing that this place would be safe for the heir to the throne.

For days, she barely left their house, begging Antoine to take her back to the Palace.

"We cannot go back, your highness," Antoine would calmly explain every time. "It is too dangerous. Your mother asked me to protect you."

He would often try to change the subject. "Why don't you come outside, hm? The locals are very nice people," or "I suggest you come for a walk with me, your highness; it would do you good". It took days for Antoine to persuade Sally to leave their house, once she had realised that they weren't going back to the palace. He introduced her to some of the locals he had been getting acquainted with; Ray the Flying Squirrel and Rotor the Walrus. Sally soon started to feel at home, but still yearned to return to her true home. It wouldn't be long until Sally confronted Antoine.

"I want to fight back against Robotnik," Sally told him.

"What?" Antoine asked, shocked, "Your highness, I cannot in good faith allow you to -"

"Antoine!" the Princess interrupted, "Think of what my parents did for me. They acted selflessly, staying behind to make sure you and I got away safely."

"Yes, but you must understand," Antoine tried to reason, "You are the only surviving heir, you cannot -"

"I can't just sit here, doing nothing, for the rest of my life!" Sally shouted, "I can't sit here and let that man take advantage of this Kingdom! Do you think my parents would have wanted that?"

"Please, your highness," Antoine stuttered, "You could be hurt, killed even – this is dangerous!"

"Well, I'll bet I'm not the only one around here who's unhappy about Robotnik's little take-over," Sally replied. "We've got to take the Kingdom back, Antoine – for my parents."

In the palace, Sally led Amy up the stairs, following the corridor to her old bedroom, relatively untouched. It was as she remembered it the night they left.

"You okay, Sal?" Amy asked, "You've seemed kind of out of it."

"It's just strange to finally be back here," Sally said. "I thought the palace would be completely destroyed."

Amy picked up a dusty teddy bear, perched on a small cushion. "Did you not get to take anything with you?"

Sally shook her head. "My mother woke me up and told me to leave with Antoine. I barely got to say goodbye to her."

"What about the King?" Amy asked, "I mean, your dad."

Sally went quiet. "I never saw him."

Downstairs, Mighty, Antoine and Bunnie explored the halls and dining rooms.

"So did Sally form the Freedom Fighters immediately after you left?" Mighty asked Antoine.

"More or less," the coyote replied, "She was depressed for a while, barely left the house. But it's in her nature to want to do good. I think, deep down, she wanted to repay her parents."

"I remember when I arrived in Knothole," Mighty thought out loud. "I stumbled all the way down the mountains, trying to avoid Robotnik's forces, when I found your little hideout."

"Yes," Antoine chuckled, "Back then it was just me, the Princess, Tails, Ray, Rotor and Bunnie, all locals who had agreed to join our forces."

"Pretty impressive," Mighty remarked. "We've grown to be a pretty formidable force!"

Back at the old Freedom Fighters base, Sonic, Tails, Ray and Rotor sat Sapi down inside, ready to explain everything they knew.

"So before the fight with Metal Robotnik," Tails began, "Sonic was badly hurt on the Winged Fortress. I managed to fly him off, along with the Chaos Emeralds."

"Probably worth mentioning that I'd completely blacked out," Sonic jumped in, "Seriously, I don't remember any of this, at all."

Sapi nodded attentively, his head tilting as he listened to the story.

"I already knew that the Chaos Emeralds had some kind of healing properties," Tails continued, "So I figured that, since Sonic was pretty much on the verge of death, I'd use all seven Emeralds."

"I see," Sapi understood, "And by doing so, you..."

"Transformed him, yes," Tails finished his sentence. "I had no idea it would happen."

Sapi let out a high-pitch chuckle, "Quite a surprise, I am sure."

"Anyway, after he transformed, Super Sonic flew to the city to fight Metal Robotnik," Tails continued.

"He was incredible!" Ray exclaimed, "Didn't even break a sweat!"

"Yeah, wish I could remember," Sonic chuckled, scratching his head.

"But once he hit the ground, Super Sonic went all crazy," Rotor explained, "Started lashin' out at us. It took almost all of us Freedom Fighters to even hold him down."

"Fascinating," Sapi said under his breath, "And what happened next?"

Tails took turn. "Well, me and Princess Sally approached him and tried to level with him, to remind Sonic who he really is. After that, he sort of calmed down, and soon he returned to his blue, sarcastic self."

"So, what d'ya think, old man?" Sonic said to Sapi. "This mean anything to you?"

"It seems that your good nature prevented you from inflicting fatal harm on your friends," Sapi theorized, "In a decisive moment, you chose to save the city from destruction rather than to kill your greatest adversary, as many would have done if they were in your position."

Sapi stood up and patted Sonic on the shoulder. "This shows that you already have some level of control over this form. Perhaps by realising the good in yourself, you can truly master it."

"Well, how do I do that?" Sonic asked. "I never have long before I black out and go all psycho."

"That's up to you," Sapi replied. "Perhaps meditation would be suitable. Good for clearing your mind."

Sonic rolled his eyes. "Meditation, seriously?" he groaned, "I'm the fastest thing alive, what's the good in slowing down?"

Sapi shook his head disapprovingly. "Being fast on your feet will not help you achieve a perfect transformation. To clear your mind, focus on the good in yourself and block out all other things; that is what will enable you to successfully utilize this form."

Sonic raised an eyebrow sceptically, only for Tails to motivate him. "Come on, Sonic – this might be worth a shot!"

"Give it a go!" Ray encouraged.

"Fine," Sonic whined, "But if whatever hippie magic you pull on me doesn't work, you can go back to wherever it is you came from!"

"So be it," Sapi said, standing up, "Follow me outside!"

As the gang piled out the door, Rotor caught Sonic's attention.

"Hey, this might not be so bad!" Rotor reassured him, "I heard Espio does this stuff, and look how he turned out?"

"Espio?" Sonic laughed, "There's only room for one moody ninja in the Freedom Fighters!"

Fang, Bean, Bark and Rouge sat around a table in a bustling corner of the casino, the Hooligans' side of the table piled with empty glasses and bottles.

"So here's the idea," Fang gulped. "Tonight, me 'n' you'll go down to the old Freedom Fighters base." The weasel drunkenly pointed at Rouge. "If it's all clear, tomorrow mornin' we'll launch our plan. Me, Bean 'n' Bark go in, guns blazin', to draw these do-gooders out of their holes, meanwhile you fly in from behind, find an entrance, get in there and nab those Emeralds!"

"Sounds foolproof," Rouge said sarcastically, "And where will the meeting point be established?"

"There's a bar in the outskirts!" Bean piped up, "The Hedgehog's Head; meet us there!"

"The Hedgehog's Head..." Rouge responded, hiding a scowl, "Right..."

"Now, we're each gettin' a fair share here," Fang fumbled, "25% of the cash, each. Might not be the best deal you ever had, but trust me, it'll be enough to retire with! Once we sell 'em off, we'll contact ya."

Rouge thought for a second and smirked. "Sounds like a plan to me. It's a deal, boys."

Bean jumped up and down in the seat excitedly, hollering in joy. Fang laughed to himself and shook Rouge's hand, while Bark maintained a cool composure.

"Do you ever talk?" Rouge asked Bark curiously. His mysterious, quiet exterior somehow persuaded her to take him more seriously than his two partners in crime. Bark, who was looking out across the casino, only focused his eyes on her in response.

"Nah, he don't talk much," Fang answered on Bark's behalf, sipping his drink. "Guess you could say he's the strong but silent type. A nice counterpart to this bundle of fun..." Fang joked, pointing at Bean, still overjoyed that the plan had come together.

Rouge giggled, her eyes lighting up as she thought their plan over. Little did these naive amateurs know, she had a plan of her own, but she won't tell them that. As a matter of fact, the plan Team Hooligan had managed to pull together actually worked quite well to get her where she needed to be.

Espio leant back in his chair, feet resting on the table, arms crossed behind his head as he stared at the ceiling. Vector was hard at work on... something. He wasn't really sure what; following some anticlimactic lead, most likely. Charmie was flying around, aimlessly. Every few minutes he'd tap Vector on the arm, forcing the crocodile to take his headphones off as Charmie asked if he needed any help. When Vector replied with a kind "No" before continuing listening to his jams, Charmie would then try to motivate Espio to work. It had been the same thing on repeat for nearly an hour now. He couldn't take this anymore, mindlessly waiting, hoping that by some miracle a legitimate lead would come through. Espio figured that if he excused himself, he could quickly camouflage and leave without attracting attention. As Charmie flew in, Espio took his opportunity.

"I'll just be a minute," Espio said straightforwardly, rising from his chair.

"Okay, Espio!" Charmie buzzed around him, "Don't be long; we've got leads to follow!"

"Right," Espio said tiredly, turning the corner as if to use the bathroom. Checking that no one was coming, Espio camouflaged, blending in perfectly with his surroundings, as if nothing was really there. Stepping quietly, Espio gently opened the office door, sliding out before slowly pushing it shut until it clicked. Espio quickly followed the stairs down the complex, reaching the ground floor and leaving through the automatic doors, unknowingly causing confusion to a janitor mopping the floor nearby.

The chameleon knew where he was headed. For the first time, he had a chance to pursue a real investigation, to catch Team Hooligan before they did anything that could hinder the Freedom Fighters' progress, and Espio had a feeling he knew just where they'd be. Running quietly down the streets and taking shortcuts through alleyways, Espio arrived at the front of the casino; a grand place, beams of neon light shooting into the sky through its glass ceiling. Espio followed the steps up to a series of revolving doors, behind which security guards stood. Espio snuck in behind a scruffy looking rabbit, whom two security guards, a pair of grizzly bears, stopped to search. Once he was cleared, they let him through the turnstile which Espio stealthily leaped over. He forgot how big this place was; it was a city in its own right, with bars, slot machines and other games as far as the eye could see. The place was bustling with a variety of creatures, many of whom Espio knew were criminals, but there were only three that Espio had any interest in arresting. Scanning the bar, the chameleon saw no sign of the crooks. He slowly wove his way between customers, careful not to brush past them. He made his way deeper into the casino, looking around the slot machines only to find zombies mindlessly staring and pushing buttons, hoping for three symbols to line up for a hit of dopamine. Espio jolted as he felt something spill onto him; a cold drink seemed to somehow land on him. Turning around, he saw the face of a confused walrus. The drink was visible on his body, and now, everyone was about to know that someone was in here who shouldn't be.

"Hey!" the walrus shouted, his voice low and harsh, "Someone's sneaking in here!"

This soon attracted the attention of a larger crowd, none of whom were too pleased that someone was hiding in plain sight. This was bad news. The walrus reached out and grabbed Espio. The chameleon quickly chopped his arm, forcing him to drop Espio and allowing the camouflaged hero to sneak past as the walrus recoiled in pain. While he maintained his visibility, the drink was still visible on him, the liquid sparkling on his skin, making it harder for him to sneak away. The commotion attracted the attention of security, who pushed through the crowd to reach the chameleon.

It wasn't just security who had their attention drawn to the scuffle. Fang heard the sounds of stools, chairs and tables being knocked over somewhere behind him. Turning around, he saw gamblers and security alike diving through the air, reaching out for something that wasn't there. Fang soon sobered up, remembering the events in Bean and Bark's apartment just a few weeks prior.

"Boys," Fang shook Bean, who as a result spilled his drink down his front, "We gotta go. Now."

"Whutisit?" Bean slurred, leaning over to Fang as he wiped his spilled drink with his glove.

"Come on, boys," Fang said, getting up and pulling Bean along. Bark scooted over, also aware that something was going on across the casino.

"What?" Rouge asked, completely oblivious. "Where are you going?"

"Don't you worry, precious," Fang said, walking straight on, guiding Bean who could barely walk. Bark slowly stomped after them, leaving Rouge exasperated at the table. She looked over where Fang was looking. It seemed like there was some issue with security, but it wasn't obvious what. Raising her eyebrows, she took another sip of her drink.

Fang dragged Bean through a side door, leading into a back alley. Bark ducked under the door, too big to fit through the frame.

"You know what that was, don'tcha?" Fang asked them. "That damn Chameleon is after us again!"

"Espio?!" Bean exclaimed, squinting.

"Damn right it was," Fang said assuredly, "You saw it, Bark – it had to be him."

Bark grimly nodded, crossing his arms.

Soon after, the door swung open. Fang went to draw his pistol before seeing it was Rouge.

"You boys aren't getting cold feet, are you?" Rouge asked, leaning against the wall.

"Not at all," Fang replied, taking his hand off of his holster.

"Well, how about scouting the base out?" Rouge suggested. "I haven't got all night."

"Uhh, right," Fang burped, "Hey, Bark, ya wouldn't mind takin' care of Bean, wouldja?"

Bark scowled at Fang before reluctantly picking up the woodpecker and carrying him back inside to Rouge's amusement.

"You sure you know where this place is?" Rouge asked.

"Assumin' they haven't relocated," Fang responded, walking down the alley and out onto the street. "C'mon, follow me."

Meanwhile, Espio desperately ran out of the casino's revolving doors, narrowly escaping being piled on by the two grizzly bear security guards watching the entrance. He practically flung himself down the front steps before ducking into a dark corner and de-camouflaging, wiping the liquid off his back. He heard the doors swing open as he peeked around the corner, seeing the disgruntled guards looking around. Espio sighed in relief. He snuck down the street undetected, turning a corner to find an unimpressed Vector, with Charmie tagging along.

"Thought I'd find ya here," Vector said, stepping up to Espio. "That was a stupid move, ya know that? You've probably put half the guys in there in jail."

"I didn't find them, anyway," Espio replied, dodging Vector's concern.

"Espio, I get that you're concerned," Vector reassured him. "But this ain't our job; our job is to follow Princess Sally's orders!"

"Yeah, and those orders are to bust Robotnik!" Charmie exclaimed.

"If it bothers you that much, I'll radio in to Team Sonic and tell 'em to keep an eye out," Vector reasoned, "But that's all I'm gonna do right now. I'm not about to let Sally and the others down by slacking off to focus on my own personal grudge."

Espio nodded his head. "Just tell them to stay on guard," Espio gave in, "We can't afford to lose the Emeralds again."

Vector patted Espio on the shoulder before guiding him back down the street with Charmie. "You're a good detective, Espio; that's why we need you focused on finding Robotnik, you understand?"

Espio silently nodded in response.

Fang and Rouge, perched on a rooftop, watched the five figures outside the Freedom Fighters base through their binoculars. They were just about visible in the sunset.

"You recognise these guys?" Rouge asked, focusing her binoculars on each person.

"Everyone but the owl," Fang replied. Must be a newcomer.

"And the payload's inside?" Rouge questioned.

"I'm guessing," Fang answered bluntly.

Rouge lowered the binoculars and turned to Fang. "Is that really all of them?"

"No," Fang sighed. "There's way more. Obviously one of 'em is lurkin' 'round the casino somewhere, but there must be at least half a dozen others. Wherever they are, they ain't here."

"Well, I guess that's not a bad thing," Rouge said slyly, "Less resistance."

"Except you've got the fastest and most dangerous member of the Freedom Fighters sittin' right there," Fang pointed to Sonic, sitting cross-legged on the ground. "What's he doin', anyway?"

Hundreds of metres away, Sonic sat with his legs crossed and his eyes shut as Sapi walked around him.

"Keep your mind empty, Hedgehog," Sapi reminded him. "Focus only on the good in yourself, nothing else."

Rotor, who had dozed off and started snoring, was rudely awoken by Tails.

"Whut..?" Rotor yawned.

"You gotta be quiet!" Tails whispered loudly.

"They've been at this for hours..." Ray complained, drawing out his words in boredom.

"As long as it works, I don't care," Tails replied abruptly. This was probably the calmest he'd seen Sonic; completely quiet, lost in himself. The gang were completely unaware that they were being watched from afar as the two thieves smirked to themselves.

Inside the empty Freedom Fighters base, the radio buzzed. It was Vector.

"Hope you boys are okay," Vector announced. "Just want you to know that Espio has some suspicions about Team Hooligan. You guys watch your backs and make sure those Emeralds are safe. Report back if there's any trouble."

Little did he know as he put down his walkie-talkie, his warning fell on deaf ears.