ACT II

Chapter 5

"Wow, what a pile of junk!" Tails gazed out at the metallic necropolis that lay before them. Mountains of metal and ruined structures sped by as they raced through the ruined streets on Nicole's board. "How are we supposed to find everybody in this maze?" He turned to see horizontal beams shooting out from her finger, her eyes shining a peculiar purple color.

"Tracking footprints. They have headed toward the swamp towards the middle of the Forbidden Zone." Her monotone voice returned and Tails tried to block it out. She turned to him as her eyes returned to normal with a look of concern. "Are you alright, Tails? Is...something bothering you?"

"Uh, Nicole! Eyes forward!", the young fox shouted as the lynx turned around to see a massive cloaked figure blocking their path! Skidding to a stop, Tails launched off the board and brought himself to a mid-air hover.

"I'm okay Nicole!"

"YOU ARE NOT WANTED HERE. LEAVE IF YOU DO NOT WISH..." The Guardian ran a quick scan over the being in front of it, and it raised an eyebrow in consternation. "AH. THE BALANCE IS RIGHT, BUT PERHAPS A TEST IS IN ORDER."

The boy brought himself to the ground near the confused lynx scratching her head. Pointing at the Guardian, she tersely asked, "What do you mean by a test? What do you see in me?"

"POTENTIAL. NOW, THE TEST BEGINS." Red beams shot from as his eyes as both dove for cover! Rubbing his head, Tails ran over and helped the AI to her feet. They both looked at each other with a new determination.

"Let us pass this test with flying colors!" Nicole said with a wink!

–

"How's it going, Rote?" Sonic asked impatiently. Both the walrus and chipmunk were hard at work trying to get the faulty pod open.

"Ugh... Slowly. I know that's not what you wanna hear, but somethings just take time." The blue hedgehog shook his head at Rotor's suggestion and tapped his foot rhythmically against the ground.

"You're right about that. Doesn't mean I like it..." In his boredom, he zipped over to the leaking crystal that the magic was housed in and reached out for it! He felt himself being lifted off the ground. "Whoa! There some kinda force-field coming outta this thing!"

"Nah, it's just me sugar!" Sonic looked down to see that a metal arm had him in a tight hug, with his toes inches off the floor.

The hedgehog turned around to see the rabbot shaking her head and pointing at the computer with her good hand. "You don't want to touch that. You don't know where that's been!"

She quickly redirected his gaze back to the pod, which was now flashing the word "Emergency" in bold red letters. "Don't worry 'bout me. Somethin' tells me that the ol' wizard doesn't really have time to waste either!"

"It's no good, Rotor. We've tried everything to get it open!" Sally slammed her hands on the computer and brought a finger up to her chin. "C'mon think, Sally-girl..."

"Actually, I've got an idea Sal." He gestured at the half-metal one as she lowered him to the ground with a curious grin. "Bunnie, I'm gonna need your help for this!"

–

"Give me a hand here, Tails!" Nicole dodged numerous more lasers from the robot's ocular sensors as he zigzagged around in the sky. Try as she might, the lynx could not reach their cobbled together vehicle. Giving her a small salute, the young two-tailed fox dove down and grabbed her hands.

"Oh man, Sonic wasn't kidding. You're made of light stuff, Nicole!" She blushed as emotions flooded her CPU.

"You know just the right things to say to a girl.", Nicole stated, as they continued to dodge the red rays. She closed her eyes and tried to come up with a decent plan. It didn't take long for a good one. "Okay, listen up. This is gonna involve some teamwork!"

–

Bunnie gripped the edge of the pod tightly with her metal arm, as Sonic got a good grip on her equally robotic legs. "Hold tight, Bunnie. Hope your gears hold out!", he shouted, as he backpedaled at an intense speed!

"Oh...my...stars...!" The rabbot exclaimed, gritting her teeth as she literally felt her gears starting to stretch. She hoped Rotor's field welding to her arm held out!

Rotor and Sally stood back as the case shifted and bent under the strain. "I...can feel it starting to give, sugar-hog!" At last, the shielding gave way, sending the both of them flying!

"Don't worry, I gotcha!" The hedgehog hit the ground first and did an expert back-flip to catch the incoming half-metal projectile in mid-air! Landing safely, Bunnie gave him a quick high five.

"Nicely done! Both of you!" The walrus gave them a thumbs up and heard a sharp gasp behind him!

"Oh my gosh..." Sally had her hands cupped over her mouth as she watched the old man, beard dragging along the ground, rise like he was coming out of a grave. Judging by his expression, he probably felt like it too.

"Lazaar, it's us. The Freedom Fighters." The chipmunk and walrus offered their hands to help him out of his sealed prison.

"Good...to see you again, it is." He struggled to get his words out as a cough escaped his lips. His bushy, expressive eyebrows tilted downward as he looked upon the area with a pensive frown.

"Too early for me to wake, it is... The magic is still unstable. However, appreciate your efforts, I do." Lazaar weakly pointed at the now destroyed sleeping chamber, and then at the grinning hedgehog who was waving the wizard down.

"Yeah. You have us to thank for getting you outta there, old man!" Sonic gestured at the broken computer with an air of seriousness. "Now, tell us what these bad vibes are!"

Chapter 6

"GOOD. MOVEMENTS ARE FAST. COORDINATED." The mechanical man watched them closely as the both Nicole and Tails flew overhead. "THIS ENDS NOW.", the Guardian stated, focusing his fire into a single large red pillar.

"You got that right, ugly!" Tails cried as his tails curled into a spiral. They fell for a brief movement before the young fox took off like a gun shot!

"WOO-HOO! Excellent work! Now, let me handle this!" Nicole dropped from his grip, landing near her hoverboard. Kicking it into position she hopped aboard and sped toward the distracted robot!

As she came upon the metal being, she arced the flying machine upward, sending the trailing static all throughout his body! Screaming shrilly, he collapsed into a heap! A sudden concern came over the two as they raced to his side...

"AH. I DID...NOT...PREDICT..." Sparks flew off the Guardian as he continued, words broken up by robotic growls. Numerous scores of electrical burns had made many holes in his cloak, revealing more of his steel frame.

The artificial lynx knelt down beside him with a look of profound sadness. "OH...DON'T...CRY FOR ME." Regardless of his wishes, condensation began to form in her eyes. Tails landed beside her and gripped her shoulder tightly. She brought up a hand to meet his.

"This was only a test! I can perform some quick repairs...!" The cloaked figure stared at her with cold, red eyes devoid of emotion, reflecting both the fox's and lynx's tear-filled gazes.

"WHEN MASTER...MADE...ME..." His words were coming much slower now. "HE...WANTED TO FIND...PEERS WHO WOULD... UNDERSTAND HIM. HE...WASN'T A GOOD PERSON..." A cough escaped his lips, as oil leaked out to the ground.

"He just wanted friends...right?" Nicole caught the meaning and finished his thought.

"FRIENDS...TO SAVE HIM...FROM HIMSELF. I...HAVE...FULFILLED MY...PURPOSE. FIND HIM..." Knowing his last words were near, he steeled himself, "...AND FIND YOUR OWN DESTINY...!" The hands slumped to the ground as the Guardian's eyes flickered to black.

"Let's go Tails..." The AI forced herself to her feet, a new resolve growing. The young boy followed behind her as they raced off toward an unknown future.

Chapter 7

"Ah, good timing you have then! The machinations of fate are curious indeed, hm...?" Lazaar found a font of energy and shuffled over to the leaking magic computer.

"What's the good word, magic man?" Sonic watched as he fiddled with the buttons on the device. The old wizard's brow furrowed as observed the lights on it flicker in a set pattern, ending with one blinking indicator.

"Drat." He coughed horribly, spit flying from his mouth. "One spell here is being...difficult. It refuses to be erased. A curious thing, magic is..."

Lazaar gestured outward towards the rest of them. "Fortuitous that you've arrived at this point in time, it is!"

"What could we possibly do, Lazaar?" Sally exasperatedly asked, "We were helpless against the might of that computer's magic!"

"I don't want that bad juju on me. No sir'ee!" Bunnie added as she fought back a sudden chill. "Losing my control was bad enough, but having to fight against my friend on top of all that? Just tell us how to get rid of it!"

The old man frowned and looked to the walrus who was inspecting the device, who immediately shook his head once the wizard took notice. "No can do on my end either. Whatever's leakin' out of this thing looks deadly!"

"So, little thief." Lazaar turned to Sonic at last. "It falls to you once again." A amused smile crept across his face. "A thought occurred to me, however... An explanation before the task, you will all need. This spell is the combined efforts of mine and one other..."

Interlude I

"A dozen years ago, I met one of my peers at last! Little had I known... A great fiend he was..."

A claw scraped across the damp walls of the Keep as an odd bat-like man waddled down the path leading to the wizard's chambers. "Ahh...Lazaar..."

Ragged breathing punctuated his words as he stopped to duck under the entryway, allowing the horn jutting from his head to clear it. "I trust our new...spell...is ready for testing?"

"Naugus. Early you are. How fortuitous that my brilliance know no bounds...!" The computer next to the bearded man thrummed with unknown energies as it shot a curious beam toward an emptied out room in the Keep. The walls gave way to a massive purple portal with yellow spirals coursing through it! "The first test is already under way!"

"You...hah...test my patience, Lazaar! We agreed..." He stopped to take a long, labored breath. "That you would wait for me before testing! This spell is much too intense for even you!"

The portal suddenly dissipated as the walls closed in, returning the room to a normal state. "Good, good. Closed the portal on the other side, it has! It can follow directions after all!" The old man replied, pleased with the results.

"Will it be ready...for my own...field tests then?" Naugus stated, clearly impatient with him. "Robotnik will only be compliant for so long...before his inevitable betrayal." The strange creature grimaced with serrated teeth. "He has that particular stink on him..."

"Oh, one field test won't harm you. Now, I require rest, if you don't mind." Naugus pointed his finger at him as he finished.

"I'll allow this. For your own...health. Don't perish on me now." With that, he slowly headed back towards that very important meeting.

Chapter 8

"Good thing he left the front door, open..." Nicole stated, as she scanned the split entryway before them. As she done so, the three pathways activated horrendous traps of different varieties. From the left of the room onward, each path presented different implements of torture. A spinning structure designed to slice up, pillars of flame erupting out of walls, and a number of grisly machines to do who knows what?

"Okay. I take that back. Got any ideas, Tails?" She turned to the fox suddenly shivering in place, his eyes completely wide open.

"Nicole. I take back everything I said. This is too much..." The lynx stared at him for a moment and shook her head, gesturing towards the horrors of the Keep.

"C'mon Tails. It is too late to back out now. This mission has become more than just helping Sonic out." His behavior had been wearing on her the entire adventure. "Unless you're too scared."

The boy shot her a death glare, which caused to her recoil slightly. He straightened himself out with a twirl of his tails and walked up close. "Nicole, you have been acting weird this whole time. One time you're talking to me all normal and the next, you're bot-ting it up!" The words hit home directly, as something within her began to stir. "Are you...malfunctioning?"

"Be quiet...!" The lynx shouted out, unable to keep it in any longer. "Don't you see? I'm gonna rescue everyone, and then they'll accept me again! That is the truth, Tails!" With that, she turned around and blew a hole through the spinning blade with a laser blast from her finger, as the parts hurtled harmlessly into the walls of the keep!

–

As the old man finished his tale of the past, a sudden explosion could be heard further back. "An intruder, it is! Who could it be at this time?"

"Stay back, Lazaar." Sally replied, "Bunnie. Sonic. Guard the door. Rotor, keep an eye on the wizard and train your flashlight on the entrance."

Silently, they propped themselves against the doorway as a curious blue light pulsed down the corridor! The beam from the walrus illuminated the figure quickly approaching, revealing an all too familiar brown lynx! "Nicole...?" The chipmunk could not believe it and yet some part of her knew that this was inevitable.

"Surprised to see me? Don't worry, I have a good reason-" Both the hedgehog and rabbot raised their hands and parted as the auburn-haired one approached.

"I don't care. Turn around and head back to Knothole. It's too dangerous!" Reacting to her outburst, the AI shrunk back suddenly. Oddly enough, it was the elderly wizard who approached next gently pushing Sally to the side. "Hey!"

Looking over her features, he made several curious noises, ending with a small cough. "There's no time. This one will do."

"Excuse me? You can't go drafting my friends like that!" Sonic put himself between Lazaar and Nicole, with arms outstretched. A hand came over his shoulder from behind.

"He knows I passed his Guardian's test. Let me do this, and if things don't work out..." The lynx pointed down the hallway as the young fox came into view.

"You drug the big guy into this too? What is going on?" The hedgehog was confused and becoming irate with the AI.

"Keep your feelings in check, Sonic." Lazaar interjected and turned to the artificial one. "Experienced great power and lived, you have. The Deep Power Stones..."

"How did you...?" The wizard brought up a hand and motioned to the damaged computer.

"Your first task... Repair the device." At his behest, Nicole walked up to the floating computer and gave a preliminary scan. Gathering her satchel of metals, she held a few pieces aloft in the air with static. Bringing them toward the gaping hole where the energy seeped out of, she welded the metals cleanly with a guided laser from her finger until no trace of damage remained.

Now past the entrance, Tails ran over to the enraptured hedgehog and fished out the power ring out of his backpack. "Sonic! Take this. Something tells me you're gonna need it!"

"This is why she brought you with her? I appreciate it, but that job coulda been done by anybody, Tails! No offense." Sally rushed up to check on the boy, and seeing that no major harm had come to him, breathed a sigh of relief.

Turning to the group as they all piled together, the chipmunk finally began to grasp the severity of the situation. "No, she wanted a witness. Someone she could use to show how capable she was of protecting and helping us out as a Freedom Fighter. And now..."

The Freedom Fighters watched as Lazaar pressed a button on the repaired computer. "Your final trial, this is. Overcome this obstacle and the magic is yours to do with as you see fit!" A curious energy radiated from it, striking the artificial lynx suddenly!

"OH! I was...expecting pain." She replied as the light passed over her body. A shadow formed from the light and molded itself into a shape familiar and yet somehow different from Nicole.

A long black dress flowed outward from the being, forming a copy of the lynx, with stark black gloves lining her hands. Her hair was set in a tight bun and her irises glowed red as dark masses moved behind her.

"No... This is impossible!" The AI shrieked, backing away from her double. "I don't want them to see me this way!"

"What is she talkin' about?" Bunnie wondered aloud and cautiously clenched her metal fist.

"That...is her virtual form when she's angry." Sally took note of the metal skin underneath being a little more prominent, almost as if it was a victim of roboticization. "Something's way off though."

"Simulacrum. The name of the spell, that is." Lazaar mused, pressing a button on his belt. The ceiling separated with a horrendous noise, letting the light of the night sky feed in to the inner chamber.

"I have a name, wizard. I am birthed from Iron. My name is Nicole...and I am the sum of your fears!" Tails hid behind Sonic as it began to speak with a cadence similar to one he heard before.

Lightning arced above the chamber, and the AI standing there tensed herself for what was coming next. Sparks of static ran through her fingertips. Don't be afraid. I'll keep you safe!

END OF ACT II