Schizophreniac

Chapter 1

"Echoic Resonance"

Voices--they were everywhere. He was surrounded; he could not get away from them. Their misty figures would appear momentarily, but fade away before he could reach them. Some were crying, many were shouting--they all proclaimed the same message, they were trapped somewhere, they needed help. Although he tried to help them, the intangible forms would only drift into the darkness when he reached them.

More of them--louder now...some were screaming. It was beginning to hurt his ears. His head pounded. If they would just calm down, I might be able to help them, he thought. All at once, the ghostly figures silenced. A presence was near, and a feeling of dread preceded its form, striking the mind with a maddening voice.

Whence have you come? questioned a voice. The voice had rich tonal quality, much like a singer, yet it somehow seemed hollow. The form was very close now.

"I live in the northern forests."

The answer came from a male timber wolf. At full height, he stood six feet, two inches tall. His golden-brown eyes scanned the space, the emptiness before him, searching for the person who had caused such terror in the previous figures. Something brushed against him. He looked, but there was nothing. His muscles tensed. The gray and silver fur on his back and neck bristled. He reached for his hunting knife at his belt only to discover that it was missing. At least he still had some rope.

Whence have you come? the form asked again. The lupine relaxed his body slightly. Knowing that any visible sign of frustration might provoke the creature, he remained still, and repeated his answer. It was not satisfactory.

What reality? This time, the creature demanded to know. The voice was cold and violent now.

"You ask for an answer that I cannot give you."

You refuse to tell me?

"This information is beyond my understanding."

The creature laughed at him. It was amused to hear such formal answers from someone who admitted to ignorance. In a light-hearted tone, it spoke again.

It will not be beyond mine for long. You have an ability that I must extinguish. I shall find you. The voice sounded more distant.

"Who are you?" the wolf shouted.

That too would be beyond your understanding, wolf. Regardless, I shall tell you--I owe you that at least for the amusement you have granted me this evening! The creature chuckled--a low rumbling sound in the back of its throat. It continued to speak.

I am the Listener. I hear words, cries of joy, screams of pain, moans of despair, sighs of relief. I hearken to the weeping of young ones in sorrow, to the laughter of elders remembering the past. I have caused cataclysms and catastrophes in order to hear the reactions of the victims. When it has suited me, I have halted the disasters of nature in order to listen to choruses of delight. But these times of joy and laughter and peace require more effort! And I thoroughly enjoy the sniffling and the shouting of those as ignorant as you. You may postpone your fear; I shall not come for you for some time. Perhaps you can teach yourself to be silent so that I will end you quickly for lack of entertainment. And now you look completely ridiculous! Dumbfounded, are you not? Ah, but you bore me. Leave from here the way you came. Do not return here. Meddle no longer in my work, Taqmac! I shall be listening, and watching. Do not return to this place, Taqmac.

The wolf truly was puzzled. A Listener? And why did it address him as Taqmac? He was unfamiliar with this name. His own was Nabior. He also wanted to know the true name of this listening person.

Nabior noticed a shape to his left. The Listener mumbled to himself. Something had distracted him.

...that sound! Full of sorrow, pregnant with hope-- He must be one of the Displaced. I must find it.

The haze around the creature began to dissipate. He has lost his focus, Nabior thought to himself. He loosened one of the ropes that hung across his chest, shoulder to waist. The wolf dashed toward the shadowy form, his footfalls unheard by the Listener. He leapt high into the air, bringing down the rope around his opponent. The creature twisted to face the attacker. Nabior could see part of its face. The dim light reflected in its eyes, two textured, yellowish-green spheres marked by long, slit-like pupils. Its ears were pointed and high atop its head.

You will suffer for this, wolf!

The Listener was visibly vehement. His eyes narrowed. His gritted teeth bore as he shouted--or maybe they were fangs, it was hard to know for sure because Nabior could barely see them at all, mostly just a shining, white surface when the Listener's mouth opened.

The Listener raised a clenched fist against his bonds, and his body instantly became vaporous. It passed through the restrictions Nabior had fixed about him. The Listener gripped the lupine's head with a large hand. Nabior could feel the pressure increasing on his skull, as what felt like sharp claws dug into his scalp. Suddenly, a searing pain struck him behind his eyes. A brilliant flash briefly illuminated the void.

You will regret having seen me face to face.

The creature's maniacal voice and the strange energy emitting from its hand began to drain his conscious energy. Nabior cried in pain, shutting his eyes tightly. He forced his eyes open again to see the Listener's face more clearly. The eyes--

Suddenly, another figure appeared over the shoulder of the Listener, accompanied by the sound of a stringed instrument. The music sounded other-worldly, the tones mingling in the cavernous space, an echoic resonance of strange polyphonic melodies. The music was masterful; dissonant phrases clashed in the space, resolving delicately as the virtuoso played. This was what had distracted the Listener. Momentarily captivated, Nabior gazed intently upon the musician. He appeared to be standing outside of a small house in evening time, the sun's last rays falling about him as if to witness the wondrous performance. The wolf was unable to discern what the musician was, except that it may have been brown or orange and was possibly young, as the person was rather short.

The mesmerizing song continued, renewing the wolf's strength of will and body. The Listener had again lost focus, seemingly awe-struck by both the music itself and the affect it had on himself and Nabior. What power did this person have that it could reinforce the ardor of the mind and body? The pain stopped, and Nabior saw his chance to act. He gripped both of the creature's arms with his own powerful hands. He instantly discovered how the creature channeled the painful energy into his head. Two cables or wires ran along the outside of the Listener's arms which conducted the energy to its hands.

The Listener, startled from his thoughts back to reality, resumed his own attack. Nabior almost lost his grip in reflex as his hands and forearms were jolted and seared. The foe had managed to grab his face with one hand hand. The pain increased, but Nabior gripped harder. The hand on his face moved toward his eyes, prompting Nabior to bite it fiercely. The Listener screamed, pain shooting into his hand and arm. The hand jerked from the muzzle of the wolf. Blood oozed from the wounded appendage. The equipment on the hand began to spark and flash. Nabior, still grasping one arm firmly, shifted his weight, and, placing his other hand on its torso, he hefted his enemy over his shoulder to the ground. Unfortunately, the Listener would not be so easily dispatched. It leapt back to its feet. Before the wolf could realize what had happened, the Listener had quickly regained his hold. The musician disappeared. The Listener noticed this. Nabior would not have a chance to retaliate now.

The wolf, obviously exhausted, could no longer fight back. Two sensations registered in his brain, pain and the sharp smell of something burning. Nabior's eyes widened. He could smell himself burning! Another blinding flash of light exploded in the emptiness. Suddenly, a powerful wind rushed into the cavern. A steady warm glow of golden light formed around the two figures.

Tears streamed from the wolf's tightly closed eyes. He cried out, but the words were unintelligible. He cried out again, louder and in higher pitch. Instantly, his eyes reopened fully, a piercing white light emanating from them. His pupils were no longer visible. His body violently shook, whipping this way and that way in spasms. Then, surprisingly, he became very still, staring intently into the eyes of his oppressor. The Listener gazed inquisitively at the lupine. He had never seen this reaction before. The wolf looked as if it had been possessed by something outside itself. In fact, he was correct. Nabior spoke very clearly to the monster.

Eyh onin mak tonett. Mehlirr k'a lostah peh-dehr. Q'ol manahey, tsegckhom kai fehlos kudahn. Le'hyr mek-celos qlai!

The Listener loosed his victim immediately. His face bore the marked expression of horror. He could not move! What had the despicable beast said?! He was so frightened and angry that his stomach hurt, his body releasing chemicals in reaction to his emotional state. He tried to speak to the beast's mind in the manner he had used previously, but found that he was unable. For the first time, the Listener spoke audibly, and in a trembling voice.

"Leave here--I don't know what you are, but I will destroy you when the time comes. Leave now!" His words held no power. They were hollow, lacking the authority they seemed to have before. What he had intended to be a shout had come out as a harsh whisper. The Listener held his injured hand. Nabior blinked. His pupils were visible again. His eyes rolled back into his head. His body pitched forward, landing with a dull thud. He lay unconscious on what was presumably the floor. The Listener walked some distance away and accessed a hidden panel in the room. A circular opening appeared behind the wolf. It was some kind of portal to where the wolf lived. Nabior was pushed into the opening by beam of energy and the circular door collapsed on itself.

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Bunnie Rabbot definitely had the "farmer's gene." She loved vegetables, gardening, telling stories, physical activity, and just enjoying nature like most farmers of the older days. She was often competitive and somewhat stubborn. She had the tell-tale accent of the Mobians who lived in the southern plains and forests of this continent. Her voice was very appealing, smooth and kind at times, bright and energetic at other times. Her strange exclamations, euphemisms, colloquialisms, and slang were both fascinating and amusing to her friends. Today was bright and warm, so she had decided to take a walk in the forest to look for mushrooms. Surprisingly, instead of returning home with mushrooms, she began her walk back to Knothole village with a basket full of wild strawberries. Bunnie tossed one of the tangy red fruits into her mouth. Sometimes it was better to have a change in plans, she thought to herself.

Bunnie, originally a peach colored rabbit, had been partially roboticized by Robotnik's Swatbots. She would have suffered complete roboticization and loss of her free-will if it had not been for the speed of Sonic the Hedgehog, the fastest thing alive on Mobius. Sonic had rescued her from the machine before the process was complete. She remembered the horrified look on Sonic's face when he pulled her from the machine. Her legs and left arm had already been roboticized before he arrived.

Bunnie hated what Robotnik's machine had done to her appearance. The independent rabbit hated even more that she had to depend on people so much to help her with simple things. Her total body weight had increased significantly after her arm and legs became metal, requiring that special furniture, such as a new bed and a new rocking chair, be constructed to accommodate her needs. Also, she had difficulty becoming accustomed to the tremendous strength of her robotic limbs. In her first week, she had destroyed several of her own cups and dishes, and the video disc of her favorite soap opera episode before she was able to use her robotic hand as gently as her hand of flesh. Rotor, a tinkerer and scientist, and Dr. Quack, a very competent physician, periodically ran tests and examinations on her to ensure that her cybernetic parts did not overtake her body, and that her living parts did not reject her artificial appendages. For the first few months, Bunnie had been somewhat moody, and she had reason to be.

Now she was used to her new form, and even learned to enjoy the abilities she had acquired in the process. She spent several months training her body to adapt to the changes, finally teaching herself to be as agile as she had been before the attack. Once she got moving, she could even run faster than her previous self. Her legs could extend to great distances, and she commanded vast physical strength that no other free Mobian could boast, save for maybe one. Rotor would often upgrade her equipment, outfitting her with new abilities, such as limited flight, temporary shielding, and a number of weapons. Unknowingly, Robotnik had actually created one of the most powerful weapons to ever be used in the fight against him. After Sonic had rescued her, Bunnie willingly joined the resistance against Robotnik's evil plan to rule the planet. She quickly became a vital part of the Freedom Fighters. She also gained many friends.

Bunnie halted, contemplating the recent events. Sonic had finally defeated Robotnik, but in the process, something possibly worse had occurred. Sonic had beaten the dictator and damaged the madman's latest machine of war. The machine imploded. Much of Robotnik's base, Robotropolis, (the former Mobian capital, Mobotropolis) was destroyed. Sonic barely escaped death. Although Robotnik was disintegrated, the destruction of the device released an energy the Mobians had never yet encountered. Perhaps it was a fail-safe Robotnik had planned in case he was unable to conquer Mobius with it, but no one knew for sure. What everyone did know was that the imploding machine weakened the barriers between the different zones. Several alternate dimensional versions of Mobius were merging with this Mobius, and the Freedom Fighters did not know how to stop it. Furthermore, many Mobians had disappeared through the rifts in these barriers, passing into other dimensions or time periods. The reverse had happened too. A couple of people were found unconscious in the forest and brought to Knothole. Questioning them proved very uninformative because most of them were either unfamiliar with inter-zonal travel (via the Cosmic Interstate or portal opening) or could remember very little.

Bunnie's eyes began to water. Four weeks ago, her cousin had disappeared. She tried to think of something more pleasant, but she could not. She sat down, leaning her back against an oak tree, and wept. It had been ten days since another loved one had gone missing. During a great storm, lightning had struck the house of Miles Prower. Due to the already unstable conditions of their zone, the house faded into another reality with Miles inside. After that, the citizens of Knothole took extra precautions to stabilize the area around the village. If something as common as lightning could be the catalyst for more disappearances, everyone was at risk. Rotor and another scientist, Sir Charles the Hedgehog (Sonic's uncle), invented a contraption that, using the magnetic energy of Power Rings, reinforced what they called the "zonal atmosphere."

If only they had been a few days sooner, Bunnie thought to herself. She wiped her eyes, picked up her basket, and resumed her walk home.

Turning east, she entered a clearing. A small pond was in its center. Bunnie knelt at the bank of the pond, laying the basket next to her. Cupping her hands together, she drank from the cool, clear water. She splashed water on her face, ears, and neck. Feeling quite refreshed, she stood to her feet again, basket in hand. She began her walk around the edge of the pond, maintaining her easterly direction toward the secret village of Knothole.

Suddenly, she heard a loud crashing sound behind her. The normal person would have been startled by its volume and suddenness. Bunnie, however, knew that such sounds often preceded the arrival of her friend Sonic as he zoomed past. She half expected Sonic to wheel back around to stop in the clearing to greet her. Pretending to ignore what she thought was Sonic, she continued walking. As she came to the edge of the clearing, she heard another sound--the sound of something large and heavy dropping into the pond behind her. Bunnie knew that Sonic disliked swimming; he would never jump into any body of water unless it was absolutely necessary. She whipped around to face the pond, dropping her basket.

Instead of the attack she expected, she saw a figure sinking beneath the surface of the water. Bunnie jogged to the pond. Knowing that her weighty metal limbs might slow her progress if she tried to swim out with another person in tow, she chose another course of action. Lying on her stomach at the edge of the pond, she kicked her powerful robotic feet into the turf, digging in her toes to anchor her body. Just as the unconscious person began to disappear from vision, Bunnie quickly extended her legs like a telescope, shooting out over the pond. Her legs were strong, so she balanced perfectly a few inches over the water's surface. She bent over, dipping her upper body into the water, and caught the poor creature about the waist. Using her cybernetic arm, she lifted him up as she retracted her legs, returning to her normal length.

Bunnie flipped the silver-gray wolf onto its back and placed an ear against its chest. The rescued wolf was not breathing. Bunnie assumed that the time gap between the crash and the splash meant that the wolf had fallen a great distance, knocking the wind out of it. Bunnie immediately started the chest compressions she learned in one of the many "in-the-field" first aid courses she had taken as a Freedom Fighter. She had to be careful because it appeared that the wolf had been beaten roughly, its nose bleeding and eyes swollen. It was possible that she could hurt it further if it had broken a few ribs. The wolf was still not breathing on its own. She repositioned the lupine's head. Covering the wolf's mouth with her own, she quickly blew three short puffs of air, and then returned to the compressions. She repeated this twice more, then checked the pulse of the victim.

Bunnie was becoming a discouraged. She had already lost family and friends, now she might lose this absolute stranger. A mixed expression formed on her face. She was angry, and yet very saddened. This situation was different--she actually could do something to help this person. No, this person would not disappear or die. She would not allow it. Set with determination, Bunnie continued to perform CPR on the stranger. Her fleshly arm was tiring. Her burning muscles began to shake. "Of all the darned things to happen--I feel liked I've stepped into one of those hair-brained, dramatic romance novels!" Bunnie rolled her eyes, and gritted her teeth. After today, she swore to herself that she would never read another hair-brained, dramatic romance novel again.

Then the wolf coughed. Bunnie stopped the compressions, allowing the injured wolf to expel the water from its lungs. It too seemed very tired. It tried to turn itself over, but fell onto its back again. Bunnie assisted it onto its hands and knees. The wolf appeared to cough up the water more easily from this position. Suddenly, the wolf vomited. Bunnie swiftly ran to her basket, returning with a cloth. The wolf heaved a few more times, expectorating the acids from his mouth. Bunnie knelt next to him, rubbing and patting his back just as her mother had done for her when she had been ill as a child. His body was shaking from weakness. He swooned, nearly falling into the mess on the ground. Bunnie prevented this, however, reaching around his shoulders to pull him some distance away. She dragged him to the bank of the pond. The wolf took his cue and rinsed the bitter taste out of his mouth with the clean water. Bunnie soaked the cloth in the pond water. After ringing it out slightly, she sat down next to the fellow. The wolf, finished rinsing and drinking, turned toward the heroine. Bunnie proceeded to wipe the blood from his face and neck, inquiring about the cause of his injuries.

"You made quite an entrance there. What happened to you? My stars, it looks like you had a fight with a thunderstorm and lost!" Bunnie was never concerned about how people perceived her friendly, yet somewhat demonstrative personality. She liked to talk to everyone as if she had known them for years.

The wolf felt much better now. He was not certain why, but something told him that a few minutes ago, he had witnessed something terrible.

"I'm not sure. I--can't remember what happened, except that I was angry and afraid. Did you see how I got here?"

"No, sugar, I didn't. I heard a loud boom, then I heard you fall in the water. I do declare, you must've fallen pretty far, though! Uh, how's your head feelin'?"

"It hurts...a lot. But I can see fine. I just can't remember anything."

"So, you don't know who you are, or where you came from?"

"No, I'm sorry."

"Heh, don't be sorry. You can't help it yet. Well, since you can't introduce yourself, I guess I'll start the formalities! The name's Bunnie. I live in Knothole village; that's where I'll be takin' you to see a doctor. Is that alright?"

"Yes, that's fine. Knothole--sounds familiar for some reason."

"Maybe you know somebody who lives there. Can you walk?"

"Yes, but I think I need some help getting up."

Bunnie helped the wolf to his feet. He still seemed tired and weak, so Bunnie insisted that he lean on her to keep his balance. They continued their conversation as they walked. Bunnie mentioned that he might have friends from the Wolf Pack who were searching for him; perhaps they would meet one of them in Knothole. She did not notice it, but her new friend was greatly relieved by this news. He wanted to remember where he belonged. Not knowing who he was tore at his insides. Although he was very confused, he was encouraged by the young lady. She made him feel comfortable despite the awkward circumstances. He asked about what she had been doing before she saved him from drowning. After listening to her story, he almost asked for a strawberry, but he resisted the temptation since he did not want to seem rude. He wondered if he could even eat strawberries. After all, he might be allergic to them, or he might hate them completely. Too bad, he thought to himself, they look like I would like them.

Bunnie helped him climb over a fallen tree. The wolf saw that she exerted little effort in aiding him through the forest. She had to almost pick him up in some places in order to navigate the terrain without injuring him more. He was truly astonished by her physical prowess. He was much larger and more muscular than she, but she seemed to have no difficulty carrying him when it was necessary. This was when he noticed her roboticized limbs. He was deeply concerned.

"What happened to your arm and legs?" He tried not to sound too worried, since he did not want to alarm or upset her. He inwardly regretted the directness of his question.

"I wondered when you'd ask," Bunnie said with understanding. This fellow was already puzzled about many things. At the very least, she could explain her own condition to ease his mind.

"Well, I was in my garden, pullin' up weeds and such, when a couple of Swatbots jumped me. This guy named Robotnik made 'em to catch up people like us and turn us into mindless, heartless robot slaves. They stuck me in this machine to roboticize me. Thankfully, a local Freedom Fighter, Sonic the Hedgehog, herd me holler, and came to help. He destroyed the Swatbots, and pulled me from the contraption before I was completely transformed. He brought me to Knothole where I joined the Freedom Fighters. I've been helping them against Robotnik since then."

Bunnie grinned. "It sure took me a while to get used to these, though!" she said, indicating her cybernetic appendages. "I crushed a number of doorknobs before I could get my grip just right." Bunnie chuckled. She had replaced several doorknobs in a hurry so that people would not find out. Bunnie looked up into the face of her new friend. He appeared less concerned now. But he seemed slightly saddened by what she had said.

Bunnie attempted to help him understand that some good had come out of the transformation.

"You know, Robotnik made quite a mistake roboticizing me. I've helped to save a whole lot of people from his evil. If I didn't have these gizmos, I think a lot more people would have been hurt or roboticized than my arm and legs are worth." She paused for a moment. "My special abilities are what saved you, you know," she finished, patting his back gently.

The wolf could not help but smile. She was very heroic, but very humble. He really liked her, and hoped that, wherever he lived, he would be close enough to visit her from time to time. He felt very relaxed now, so the pain from the burns and cuts across his form lessened a bit.

About this time, the rabbit and wolf entered Knothole. Bunnie gave a sharp whistle as they neared the dwellings. People turned their attention to the newcomer immediately, knowing from previous experience how to assist their fellow Freedom Fighters. Two young males, a strong black bear and a small, intelligent-looking prairie dog, jogged to them with a stretcher and medical kit. They set the wolf on the stretcher as a group of the citizens went in search of Dr. Quack, who was making a number of house-calls to the elderly today. Older citizens cleared the curious children out of the path of the stretcher as the wolf was wheeled to the hospital. Bunnie did not want to leave him alone for long, but she knew that Princess Sally Acorn would want to see him soon.

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-Takeiro-

Hmmm...This one came out much more strangely than I expected. It's interesting to watch things develop differently than one's original plan. Still, I think it will bring us to the intended destination.

Please have patience. I will bring clarity to the ambiguous characters and odd words used in this chapter.

If you can't tell, I like strawberries!

Now for the address to a group I both respect and fear:

To the Romance Novel Readers and Mega Fan-boys/Fan-girls:

It is not now, nor will it ever be, my intention to insult any of you. Your ideas and preferences are just as valid and justifiable as mine are. (Except, in my opinion, writing pornographic fiction--it is vulgar and disgusting, but I digress.) Please understand that, in order to maintain the kind of "modern southern belle" profile that I chose for Bunnie, I used the romance novel comment to hint at her hidden feelings (yes, I'm telling you to watch the details carefully). Bunnie is like many other females--she likes the sappy stuff once in a while, but is embarrassed to admit it because everyone sees her as "the tough girl." I don't pretend to have mastered feminine psychology, but I've seen this in reality a number of times. Thus, I have chosen to use this type here.

All Super-fan people: please forgive me now. There will be little romantic interest of any sort in this story (I think--). Keep this in mind, and none of you will suffer great disappointment (I hope--). I have read many terrible, horrible tales of a real character meeting a fan character and something "blossoming" between them. (I scream--) Oftentimes, I have found these to be very scary. (You scream--) The romantic elements will stay true to the basic relationships formed in the comic books series up to issue 50, meaning that no fan characters will be involved unless I am possessed by an alien life-form bent on destroying my reputation as a dateless scholar. (We all scream--) If you haven't read the comic series, or at least haven't read a great deal of it, then you'll just have to trust that what I'm writing on that matter is not based on my ideas, but Archie Comics. There is very little interpretation involved. (Ice cream!)

In short:

No Shadow, Rouge, Cream, or Tikal.

Amy is still too young to have any real romance.

Tails, like me, still thinks girls have Coodies.

If you read the ten issues before 50, Antoine isn't such a dork anymore, Geoffrey St. John gets his much needed reality check and stops being a jerk, and Hershey's role in the story finally becomes important.

Again, I apologize if I have offended or disappointed you. I welcome your reviews with open arms (and tin-foil, and body armor, and a crucifix...); you may express your love, your hatred, or your neutrality as long as you respect other readers by using proper grammar, not profanity.

THANKS ALL:-)

I earnestly hope that this is the last essay I have to write for an author's note.

GASP

Mmmmm--Strawberries...