Episode 4: Sally

(Six Years Ago)

The scene cuts to about six years ago, before a time the Knothole Freedom Fighters were born. Sonic and Sally were as young as 12-13 at the time, and they looked on as the world started to become more and more robotocized, while hiding out in Uncle Chuck's home in the Great Forest. Sally was finished putting together a rebellious outfit, in the hopes of being able to take on Robotnik's forces. She walked downstairs and was ready to leave the house.

"Sally, you can't go out there. It's too dangerous!" Charles called out, noticing that Sally was about to leave.

"Charles, we can't just sit here and watch Mobius go down in flames!" said Sally, who paced around in obvious worry, desperate to take action.

"I understand Sally, but it's too dangerous to go out there by yourself. Besides, I need to train you up some more before you can go out there." Chuck said in response, hoping to get through to Sally.

"I can't just sit on the sidelines any longer, and expect someone else to save my people! As the Princess of The Acorn Kingdom, I have to take action!" Sally said passionately, right before she runs out the door.

"Sally!" Chuck called out, before letting out a sigh.

"..Sonic, make sure she's safe." he continued.

"Got it, Unc." Sonic replied, just before he started running out the door. Chuck looks on in concern, hoping that Sally will return safely.

(Present Day)

The scene cuts to inside a cave, where Sally wakes up after being knocked out by one of Robotnik's machines. She slowly started to open her eyes, her vision gradually becoming more clear as each milisecond goes by. Icicles hung from the ceilings of the stone cavern, which gradually melted due to the fire Bunnie set up inside the cave. Other things that were seen was Antoine shivering due to the cold.

"Sally? Sally! Wake up!" Tails called out.

"Uuuggghh.." she groaned, as she held her head and sat up.

"What happened...Where are we?" she asked.

"Oh, thank goodness!" Bunnie said with relief.

"We're in a cave we found in the mountains. You were knocked out by one of the rebuilt robots, so we brought you here until you woke up." Tails explained.

"I see...Thanks Tails. I owe you one." Sally said as she rubbed her head.

"Hey, does anyone know where Sonic landed?" asked Bunnie.

"Sorry Bunnie, but I haven't got a lock on him...maybe we'll meet him inside." Tails replied as he looked over his Miles Electric in order to contact Nicole.

"Nicole, we crashed on our way over to the abandoned Space Port. The place is being protected by Mobian defectors." said Tails.

"From the information that I got from around, there's been an unrest in many parts of Mobius lately. It's difficult to pinpoint the cause, as I have very little information on that aspect. However what I can gather is that Sonic's theory may have been more on the mark than we originally thought.." explained Nicole.

"So, it's a sign that Robotnik could be back? And what about Sonic? Is he alright?" asked Sally.

"I've managed to get in contact with Sonic, Sally. He's alright and he's making his way into the Space Port via the sewage network as planned. ..And yes, it could very well be possible that Robotnik is back. I hate to say those words, but..." replied Nicole.

"That's good to know. Make sure he stays safe.." Sally said as she muttered the second sentence under her breath.

"What was that?" asked Nicole.

"N-n-nothing!" Sally replied with a tone of panic and embarassment.

"We'll keep you updated, should we come across anything else." Tails chimed in.

"Roger. Nicole out." said Nicole, before the transmission ended.

"Let's head out." Sally said.

"But Sally-girl, what about-" asked Bunnie before she was cut off.

"I'll be fine. We need to meet up with Sonic. He's waiting for us, and he gets reckless when he's impatient. Let's move out, team." Sally continued. As soon as she finished her sentence, Antoine can be heard sneezing due to the cold.

"Oh good, I could do w-w-wiv some of z-ze moving.." said Antoine as he shivered.

After this exchange, the crew set walked out of the cave and started to trek forward in the blizzard around them. Antoine can be heard shivering and sneezing as they treaded through the harsh and cold conditions.

"P-p-princess, can ve just please go home? I-I am sure Sonic can take care of himsel-" said Antoine before being cut off.

"We're not abandoning him, Antoine. That's pretty cowardly, even for you." Sally replied.

"Buckle down and deal with it, Antoine. We're all cold here..But we have to find our friend and meet with him." Tails chimed in as they all continued to trek through the harsh conditions. The young Fox took out the Miles' Electric in order to find out their exact position. However, he would very quickly run into a problem.

"Darn, the storm's so strong, it's messing up the signal.." said Tails in frustration.

"Try contacting Nicole." Sally suggested.

"I can't, same problem." Tails replied, after making an attempt.

"I just hope we can-" said Sally, before being cut off.

Before she could continue, a shot was fired at their location, to which all of them jumped away in terror. The figure revealed himself as the assassin from earlier that tried to kill Sonic. He reloaded his rifle and walked forward.

"So, you're looking for that blue rodent?" asked the Assassin.

"What's it to you?" asked Sally, clearly hostile.

"What it is to me, is my paycheck." said the Assassin.

"So you were hired to kill him?!" Bunnie chimed in.

"I'm not gonna let that happen." said Sally, before drawing out her Ring Blades.

"Ah, you wanna use blades do ya? Okay, we can use blades." said the Assassin, as he drew out blades of his own and skillfully spun them around, before getting into a battle stance.

"Now, zis guy is just a show-off.." Antoine said with a sudden burst of confidence, only to yelp in terror as soon as the Assassin briefly turns his blades on him.

Sally looked on as she knew she had to fight this assassin in order to find Sonic without interruption. Just as the two started to walk in a circle while facing each other, she remembered a time where she depended on Sonic.

(Cuts Back To Six Years Ago)

As people scream and run away from the burning city and the ongoing chaos, Sally runs over to a group of Badniks terrorising Mobotropolis and attempts to fight them off. However, as soon as she runs over and lands a hit on one of them, another one shows up and pushes her over, causing to roll on the ground.

"Agh! Gh!" she screamed as she tumbled on the ground.

The chipmunk looked behind her quickly and saw the Badniks approaching her, slowly closing in and ready to capture her. Out of fear, she screams out a name. A name anyone calls out whenever they're in trouble;

"SONIC!"

As if to answer her call, a blue spine ball can be seen taking down the Badniks at a very quick rate. He kicks the last one up into the air, jumped up and spin dashed it in half, just before he lands in time for the two halves of the Badnik to explode.

"Sal, what're you doin'?!" Sonic demanded.

"I...I.." Sally uttered, just as she teared up. Sonic walked over and kneeled beside her, before putting his hand on her back.

"Hey, hey...Look, I get that you wanna fight them too. But we're not ready to take a whole army'o Badniks down yet. Y'get me?" asked Sonic, as she comforted a crying Sally.

"I-I guess...but I'm just tired of not doing anything to help.." said Sally, just before she sniffled.

"If there's one thing I can tell ya, I wanna fight 'em too. But we can't unless Unc gives us the get-go. We gotta trust him, Sal..One day, we'll take everything back from Robuttnik!" Sonic said with a reassuring smirk.

(Present Day)

"Sally?" Tails said in concern, noticing that the chipmunk's resolve was somewhat wavering. However, she began to speak.

"...It's okay, Tails. Take Antoine and Bunnie. Head for the Space Port. I'll catch up." she responded.

"But Sal-" Tails tried to respond before being cut off.

"Just go, Tails! I'll handle him while you meet up with Sonic. That's an order." Sally said.

"...Alright. Just come back to us safely." Tails responded, before running off with Bunnie and Antoine.

"Letting your team escape, are you? Noble, but mistaken." said the Assassin, before him and Sally clashed blades and engaged in a sword fight.

"I can't show weakness now...not when a whole team are counting on me...I will protect them all! I won't be that weak girl I was back then!" Sally thought to herself as she clashed blades with the Assassin. The strong Blizzard made fighting very difficult for Sally. In spite of the fact that the Assassin had protective head gear, she managed to fight admirably.

"Your weakness comes from your desire to protect him." said the Assassin, just before she jumps down, slashes Sally's blades hard and shatters them, causing the Chipmunk to stumble backwards, just before the killer kicks her in the face.

"Gh! What are you talking about?!" Sally snapped.

"I'm talking about your attachment to the hedgehog. Why, your overprotective behavior of him, is your greatest weakness. And wouldn't your teammates find it odd that this is the one thing, the one fear you keep from them?" the Assassin coldly said just as he's about slash her.

"No...our friendship...is the reason I keep going!" she builds up, before shouting out the last sentence and slashing the Assassin upwards as her Ring Blades rebuild, damaging his helmet and, in turn, a voice modulator inside the helmet. The "he" turns out, is a "she".

"You're not a guy?!" Sally asked, taken aback by the revelation.

"I didn't mean for someone to know this...but still, such is life.." said the Assassin, as she held the damaged part of her helmet.

"Who are you?!" Sally demanded.

"...Call me "Shade" " said the Assassin, just as she threw a smoke pellet, further disorientating the Chipmunk further. She coughed as she waved the smoke away, as she slowly regained her sight.

"..I have to find the others, then meet up with Sonic. ...Big blue...Don't do anything stupid.." she said to herself, before walking off as the screen fades to black.

-To Be Continued-