Author's Note: It's been a long time coming, but I've finally resumed work on this baby. It was weird starting it up again at first, but as I really got into it, it was satisfying to really get back into the groove of it. Sorry for the long hiatus, but hopefully it was worth your patience.

Continuity info: This takes place in the Archie comic's continuity immediately after the infamous #134("Say You Will", featuring what Dan Drazen aptly titled "the slap heard 'round the fandom" and Sonic and Sally splitting up…again…). Everything that happened after that issue is disregarded. The events depicted in this story act as a substitute for the events that take place at this point in the comics.

Where once was light
Now darkness falls
Where once was love
Love is no more
Don't say goodbye
Don't say I didn't try

-"Gollum's Song", Emiliana Torrini

Chapter Nine: Perspective

"So…you're the Troop Chaplin, eh? Bit scrawnier than I would've imagined…"

Amodeus Grayruff pushed his bifocals up the ridge of his nose at the comment. "I apologize if I disappoint, Commander…" he replied, voice a mixture of smooth calm and meek shyness.

The Commander in question, a boar of considerable girth, laughed heartily. "Heh…no need to apologize, Preacher Man," he chuckled. "If you can keep my men's spirits up long enough for us to take out that new Overlander weapon, I don't care if I could fit ya in the palm of my hand."

Amodeus tried to suppress a grin, but failed. He had been more than a little nervous when he had initially volunteered to act as Cleric for this unit; it would mark the first time he would act as a spiritual advisor on the battlefield. Still, the mission was of vital importance, and the goat had felt compelled to provide what little aid he could. So it was he now found himself travelling with Troop 14 of the Mobian Royal Army, marching through the green grass and tall trees of Northwood Forest. The Book of Aurora held comfortably to his side, he took comfort in the knowledge that he had already made a friend in his Commanding Officer. "I hope I prove equal to the task, Sir." he said humbly.

The boar gave him a pat on the back. "Heh, me too, Preacher Man, me too."

Just then, one of the soldiers, a young cat, approached. "Commander Bach, Sir! We just got word from our scout: the Overlander unit transporting the Weapon has been spotted ten miles due North of our current position."



Instantly, the boar's joviality disappeared. "Understood, soldier. Inform the rest of the unit we'll be cutting through the thick of the woods in order to reach the enemy unit sooner, and to prepare themselves for Combat." He said firmly.

"Yes, Sir."

With that, the cat marched off behind them to fulfill his order. "Well, Preacher Man," Commander Bach grunted softly, "got any good prayers in that book 'o' yours? 'Cuz I'm bettin' we're gonna need each and every last one of 'em."

Amodeus gulped a bit, but opened the Book of Aurora up and swiftly thumbed through its pages. His memory of the Book was practically photographic, and within seconds, he'd found the section he had been looking for. With solemn strength, he read, "'Ye, though the dark clouds of Death itself unfold in the sky above me, I stand with diligence and pride; Spirit of the Walkers, guide my hand; Spirit of the Goddess, guide my heart.'"

Bach grinned again, as he had before news of the enemy had been delivered to him. His voice, too, spoke with the same cheer, "Mmm…no worryin' 'bout bein' up t' the task now, Preacher Man…" he said, "Better go share that one with the rest of the Unit; they'll love it."

Amodeus nodded, turning back to re-join the troops. Whatever doubts and fears he had felt, reading from the Book always smoothed them away…earning the Commander's approval certainly helped this time around. Even as he and his fellow Mobians drew closer to the enemy, he took strength from both facts.

And then, as if in the blink of an eye, he was in the heat of battle. Body pressed tightly to the ground, his Book still held close, he could barely bring himself to look above and see the flurry of arrows and spears and laser fire that criss-crossed inches above him. Silently muttering every prayer and passage he could think of to keep himself calm-or at least as close to calm as he could come in the situation-he crawled along the grass in search of safer ground, doing his best to block out the shouts of rage and pain that reverberated across the fields. Not long after his desperate trek had begun, however, the Chaplin felt himself lifted from the ground and carried off into the air. Grass turned to sky. Trying to scream only for his voice to fail him, Amodeus looked to his side to see Commander Bach, the handles to an Overlander hover-speeder gripped tightly in his hands. The boar said nothing, and Amodeus found he had no strength to ask for answers as all noise faded away, the battle falling behind as they climbed higher and higher. That was when the goat felt the air grow burning hot around them, saw a gleaming white light from the corner of his eyes. Turning around, he saw the whole of Northwood consumed in a bubble of that light, a bubble that only grew and grew, arching up towards them like the opening maw of some terrible beast. Suddenly, he again found himself lifted into Bach's arms and pressed to the boar's chest; the hover-speeder, its abilities pushed beyond their limits, stopped, and even as the light faded away, both Mobians fell hundreds of miles from the sky…

X X X



With a pained groan, Amodeus awoke to the blurred sight of his own reflection in the crystalline floor of the Main Hall. Whatever energy had remained from using the Seeking Spell to locate the Child of the Source had been spent telepathically contacting Lilith to retrieve her. After that, the Shaman realized as fresh ache throbbed in his body, he must have passed out. Still strained to his brink, he slowly rose to his feet, leaving heavily upon his staff to do so. "How long…how long was I passed out in a pool of my own memories…?" he wondered.

"Long Enough…" the ominous voice of Daxis entered his mind.

"M…Master…"

"Is the Child re-captured?"

Still struggling to regain his strength, Amodeus nodded. "Y…yes…I sent…sent Lilith to retrieve her…" he answered, wheezing every so often.

His body trembled as Daxis growled, "Not good enough. Do you KNOW that our servant was successful?"

"…no…" Amodeus coughed meagerly. "…b…but I'm sure…"

"SILENCE!!" Daxis snapped impatiently, sending another tremor through Amodeus' frail body. "YOU are the one responsible for delaying the Ritual and giving the Child her chance to escape, Shaman…your opinion has little merit right now."

The goat gulped fearfully. His Master was right; the Child's escape was his fault, and he knew even if he succeeded in bringing her back, he would have to answer for that. "Y…yes, Master…of course…." He said humbly.

"As soon as the Child is found, I want her brought to me." Daxis' voice boomed firmly even as it began to fade from Amodeus' mind. " I can sense our enemies have already begun to move against us…we MUST complete the Ritual while we still have the chance."

X X X

The storm was still pouring as the lone Arachne dashed across the fields of grass. The skunk had been clear in his orders, and as he always did, the ninja followed them with speed and precision. Running with as much speed as he could muster, the nameless spider saw his target soon approaching in the distance: the hover-craft he and his comrades had arrived in. Somehow, seeing the ovular ship aroused a feeling of…fear? No, not quite…the ninja did not know what fear truly was. However, he DID understand the finite nature of mortality, and looking at the ship brought about an acute sense of that understanding. If the skunk's plan worked, they would at last enter the heart of the enemy…and that meant…



"Once you enter the heart of the Temple, the link that connects you three brothers to each other and to the rest of your Clan will be severed by the dark powers that reside there…" The Source spoke to the three chosen Ninja. "Without this link, your ability to defend yourselves WILL be compromised."

The voice of the Source echoed across their minds, no sense of sadness to it, but of acceptance. "However, you must also understand that those who journey from Knothole to free my Child are her only hope. THEY must enter, even if YOU do not survive…"

That was their mission. They had known this fact, accepted it willingly, and journeyed this far without hesitation. Now, however…the end of the road loomed close, and the spider was all too aware of just how close it was. Entering the vehicle, he attempted to push such thoughts aside and focus instead on his new task: figuring out how the blasted ship worked. Modern technology was not COMPLETELY beyond his ken, but it was also far from his forte. Nevertheless, the spider set to work attempting to decipher the controls. As two hands explored the vast array of buttons and knobs, the third took the kunai upon which Sonic's blood was stained out of his pocket. "Time is short…" he thought, feeling the growing plight of his brothers. "We must engage the ship now, regardless of the risk…"

Having looked over the controls as quickly as he could, the spider had a rough understanding of how to work the ship, and that would simply have to suffice. Pressing a red button in the console's center and pulling back on a horizontally-handled lever, the Arachne braced himself as the ship roared to life. It trembled violently as it lifted off the air, and the ninja could only assume there was some sort of stabilizing mechanism he had not known to activate. Pushing onwards regardless, the spider wrapped his two upper hands around what was clearly the steering wheel, pushing forward. The ship moved as instructed, though it lurched fiercely, its pilot still uncomfortable in operating it. Unevenly, the hovercraft made its way through the rain, picking up speed as its engine warmed up further. The Arachne remained steadfast at the controls, doing his best to focus on simply reaching his goal without getting too distracted by his confusion over the controls. Before long, the surface level of the Temple came into view. Bracing himself as the trembling vehicle approached closer and closer, the Arachne gripped his kunai fiercely. The shrill screeching of metal scraping against stone entered his ears as the ship barreled through the slightly-too-narrow entrance, and so the spider could not hear his own voice as he shouted, "ENPO OS WE SSAP!!"

And right before the spider's eyes, he watched through the ship's visor as the painting-and even portions of the wall around it-melted away like a puddle of water in a storm. "Get down…" he thought, knowing his brothers would hear and respond.

Indeed, as the familiar battle-torn hallway he had departed several minutes ago returned into his view, he caught a glimpse of black and red at the very corners of the ship's line of sight. The hovercraft plowed through the Daboro's ranks with ease, knocking some to the side while others were bucked up across its visor. Each one that was struck seemed to vanish into thin air soon afterwards; they were retreating to the Zone of Silence to heal their wounds, it seemed. Again the shriek of scraping metal filled the air as the ship plowed through stones and vines on its doomed course, and the Arachne, 

its mission completed, made haste to escape from it. Mercifully, the spider already knew how to open the door, leaping gracefully out of the hurtling machine gracefully and without incident. Bounding along the walls back to the beginning of the hallway, he was reunited with his brothers and allies, receiving a pat on the back from Geoffrey so strong it nearly knocked him off his feet. "WELL DONE!" the skunk congratulated heartily. "Ya cut it a little close, mate, but you pulled it off. Good work."

The ninja, not accustomed to such passion, gave a humble bow. "It was your plan," he said softly. "You deserve credit as well."

Like the ninja, Geoffrey accepted the praise with a modest grin, quickly turning his attention to his recovering team. One by one, they rose. "How is everyone holding up?" the skunk asked, lending Hershey a hand to help her to her feet.

She smiled at the gesture, composing herself and answering, "I'm alright, Geoff…a little worn out, but I'll live."

"Same here…" Rotor replied, dusting himself off.

Tails seemed a bit wearier, but he too gave a light "thumb's up" as he stood up again. The three Arachne silently reconvened with each other, sharing a single solemn stare before turning to face the roaring explosion that sounded at the end of the hallway; the hovercraft had crashed. "We must move quickly." They spoke as one. "The enemy was expecting our attack, which means the element of surprise is lost to us, and we have even less time than we thought."

"Yeah, yeah…just…ungh…gimme a second…" a strained voice replied.

Slowly but surely, Knuckles struggled to stand up. Clearly, he'd taken the worst of the fight: his whole body was covered in cuts and bruises. "Are you OK…?" Julie-Su asked softly, leaning in to help him to his feet.

As her hands reached toward him, however, the echidna slapped them away. "I'm fine…" he replied hastily, finally standing up again. "Just…I'm fine."

Even as he spoke, the echidna's knees trembled and he felt an ache in his ribs, but he remained standing. Julie-Su eyed him warily: he was lying, and everyone-himself included-knew it. What surprised the pink-furred echidna, however, was that no one seemed willing to call him on it. "Of course not…" she reasoned with herself solemnly. "THEIR primary concern is Princess Sally…and they need all the help they can get to rescue her…"

That was HER mission too, she reminded herself, and Knuckles'. "Julie-Su…" the Guardian said softly, putting a hand on her shoulder. "I promise…I'm fine."

She looked at him sadly; there was no point in arguing now, and as the Arachne had pointed out, time was of the essence. "Of course you are, Knuckles…of course you are…" she answered under 

her breath, slowly leaving his grip and marching down the hallway. "Come on!" she snapped. "Let's get moving!"

X X X

Sonic the Hedgehog was honestly surprised he could move right then. Normally, of course, the irony of that feeling would have struck him as hilarious. Right now, however, very little seemed funny anymore. Unable or unwilling to move full speed, he could not tell, and pushed on purely by adrenaline, the hedgehog did his best to focus purely on the road in front of him…putting one foot in front of the other as he jogged down the hall…the mission he NEEDED to complete. "Think of Sal…" he reminded himself fiercely. "Don't think about ANYTHING else, 'cuz right now, she needs you…don't be distracted…don't be distracted…"

Only…there was far too much else to think about for Sonic's mind not to grasp at their frayed, jagged edges with every second. How long…how long had he allowed himself to live in that illusion of a life Li…the ORDER…had created for him? Days? Weeks? YEARS? He knew it was a lie now, every last second of it…but he could REMEMBER every last second of it as well. Amodeus, gently explaining to him that his parents had died bringing him to the Temple to save him…a shimmering mural of plate-glass images he would visit every day when he was young to remind himself of Daxis' story…training relentlessly to strengthen himself in the ways of the Order…and all the while, SHE was there. Lilith. The one who'd done this to him. "No…" a silent, solemn voice spoke within, even as Sonic continued his struggle to focus himself on the task at hand, "I did this to myself…"

Dammitall, how had he GOTTEN here? How had he let things go this far? Had he really been so STUPID as to turn the other cheek when he knew he was being deceived? "I was just so MAD…" he thought to himself even as he tried to re-focus his mind. "I just…I was so tired of having to fight every step of the way just to spend TIME with Sal…"

His fists gripped tightly as that thought crossed him. Once, there had been a time where his relationship with Sally was simplicity itself. They had been close friends, practically family, and no one had cared that he was just some kid and she was a Princess. Then they were thrown into the middle of a war, and they grew even closer. There were times where she would confuse the hedgehog, and frustrate him beyond all reason, but even then, all that counted was how they felt for each other. Eventually, though, things changed again. Suddenly, there was Geoffrey and Mina and his family and her father and wall after wall after WALL. Every time he burrowed through one, there was just another waiting to be found. There were so many, when he'd finally gotten through each and every one of them, when he and Sally could finally just be together again…it had all come crashing down. He'd been reminded all too harshly how different they really were…

"DON'T BE DISTRACTED!!" he mentally snapped at himself. "It doesn't matter how different you two are, or whether or not you'll never be together again at all, she NEEDS YOUR HELP! So pull yourself together and HELP HER!!"



Then, he saw…up ahead, not far in the distance…a light! "The other end of the hall…" he thought, shrugging off the fact that it was his false memories that let him know that.

He saw something else, too…Sally, on the ground…hurt. In danger. Just like he'd feared. She was lifted off the ground by another figure, one Sonic recognized all too well. Pushing himself as hard as he could, he began to achieve full speed. No matter what it took, he was going to make this right. He was going to get Sally to safety and bury the Order of Daxis so deep it would never know the waking world again. In that one moment, a moment of clarity and white-hot emotions, life was simple again, and he raised a fist into the air and let it fly as he burst right into the target:

Lilith.

X X X

Normally, Lilith Sandrea hated stealth missions. She preferred being out in the open, letting her enemy know she was there to deal with them and there was NOTHING they could do about it. This situation, however, was different…she and Amodeus had been visiting Mobotropolis in secret for months now, ever since the city had successfully been rebuilt. The first few visits had been just as the bat suspected they would be: boring and all but unbearably dull. "We are here to OBSERVE…" Amodeus would remind her sternly (incessantly, it felt like),"That is what Lord Daxis demands, and that is what we do. Your thirst for excitement is unimportant compared to that."

She would grumble and roll her eyes every time he said it. WHY it was so important to Daxis that they watch all these idiotic, worthless peons live out their idiotic, worthless peon lives was a mystery to her, but she never questioned Amodeus' authority beyond the most superficial level. Time after time, then, she was stuck, barely able to keep herself awake as they hid and "observed". And then, one day…it had all changed. Things had seemed different on that day: a celebration of some sort was being held. What it was and who it was for, Lilith did not know or care. Later on, however, when afternoon came…that was when the day TRULY became exciting. Meteors had begun to pummel the city mercilessly (she would later learn from Amodeus it was the latest in a series of attacks orchestrated by Dr. Eggman), and the bat had soaked in the excitement of it all eagerly. Then…she had seen him. A blue streak speeding by, helping everyone he could find to safety. In brief flashes she would see the figure behind the blur, a hedgehog whose eyes burned with a familiar passion…from then on, her visits to Mobotropolis (and subsequently Knothole Village when Eggman retook the city) took on a very different tone…

She had watched him attentively, seeing in him a kindred spirit…a being who lived purely for freedom, for the RUSH of that next thrill. Every so often, she would sneak away from Amodeus just to stay with the hedgehog just a little bit longer. Suddenly, she found herself looking forward to these little "Observation" visits. Today was no different. As she and Amodeus floated through the trees, 

approaching the village, she could feel herself brightening at the thought of seeing that hedgehog again. Amodeus's mind, however, was clearly elsewhere. "Something bothering you?" she asked the shaman as politely as she could.

The goat's eyes narrowed as he looked ahead. "Something is…wrong. For months now, we have watched from the shadows, waiting for the Child of the Source to finally relinquish her gift to us and free Lord Daxis…" he answered contemplatively.

"But…?"

"But…we are still waiting. Even after all that has happened…we are still waiting."

Lilith pondered her teacher's words for a moment. The Child…that squirrel Princess…held the weight of the world upon her shoulders. The bat was honestly surprised she had not broken down a long time ago. Yet here they were, and Amodeus was clearly beginning to wonder if she ever WOULD break down. It was a goal , Lilith realized, that had grown distant in her thoughts ever since that blue hedgehog had become her new…hobby, she supposed was the best word, even though it really did not describe the way she felt toward him. Suddenly, she heard a sound…engines, coming closer. "Hide." She said simply, flapping her wings and entering the trees in secret.

A faint red glow surrounded Amodeus' floating body, carrying him next to Lilith amongst the green leaves. Not long after, they saw the source of the noise: three jet-bikes, ridden by a trio of well-warmed weasels. One of the bikes, however, had an extra prisoner. Limp and unconscious, laying in the backseat…

"The Child of the Source…" Amodeus hissed fearfully…

Now, Lilith stood in the present, and the Child lay in her hands…limp and unconscious, just as before. She glared angrily at the squirrel, even as she dragged her motionless body across the room toward the nearest wall. Miserable, selfish little girl…trying to weigh Blue down with her wants and desires, choking all the life out of him just so he could be her life-preserver…well not anymore. Lilith would END the Princess. She'd be gone, and the whole of Mobius would be a personal playground for her and her Blue. Her hand reached out, touching the shimmering surface of the wall, and she began the spell to open the way to the inner sanctum. "Enpo…"

No sooner had the word left her mouth did the bat feel her face slammed into by a rock-hard force, followed by the entirety of her body flying to the other side of the room. Yelping in surprise and pain as her back hit stone, she fell to her face, struggling to get back up even as she realized she had lost her grip on the Child. As her eyes slowly moved toward the source of the attack, she was fearful of what they would see.

"B…Blue…?"

Sure enough, she found herself face to face with Sonic the Hedgehog, but not HER Sonic…this Sonic's fur was brighter, his quills softer, his eyes green. She recognized the scar that ran along his 

chest, the one she'd given to him to initiate him into their Order…it had been hidden from the hedgehog to keep him from the truth. "If it's visible now…" she realized, trembling at the thought, "that means he remembers his true past…"

The bat wanted to scream, wanted to smash and yell and hate until the whole cave collapsed. Looking down at the Child, who lay unconscious on the floor between them, she wanted to snap her neck; this was HER fault, SHE'D taken him from her AGAIN!! Clenching her fists, her eyes returned to Sonic , who stood silently, arm still bent toward the ground as if he had just struck the bat. For a minute, neither spoke, or even moved. Eventually, however, the hedgehog knelt down to the floor. To HER. Whatever composure Lilith had maintained blew away then, and in a fit of rage, she flew straight at him. Soon, he was up against the wall, her knee in his gut, her elbow to his neck. "Don't…" she growled, practically begging.

For the briefest of moments, Sonic considered listening to her request…memories of that energetic little girl who'd offered her hand in friendship to a lonesome child deprived of his parents flashed across his mind…but then a different thought came to the fore. A claw dragging across his chest…a promise of freedom meant only to mask a life of servitude…and suddenly his sympathy turned to anger, and anger quickly turned to action. He slammed his head against Lilith's as sharply as he could, catching the bat by surprise and knocking her back a few steps. Sliding off the rocky walls, he shook himself a bit to clear his senses before taking a confident stance. "You don't get to tell me what to do anymore." he said sharply, a smile appearing on his face at the familiar rush of action.

"I've never tried to tell you what to do, Blue…" Lilith replied with a distinct note of sadness. "I've only ever tried to protect you."

Sonic thumbed his nose at her. "Funny way 'o' showing it you've got there…" he replied sarcastically. "Now, are ya gonna turn tail 'n' run, or is this gonna have to get nasty?"

He wished he felt as carefree as he sounded; rush or no, the false life Lilith had created for him was still dancing around in his head, stirring feelings of confusion and guilt that would not be so easily soothed. As he had before, the hedgehog resolved to go on pure adrenaline from there on out. "Focus on the fight…" he coached himself. "Focus on the rush..don't get distracted…do what you do best 'n' save the day."

Lilith took to his demeaning words about as well as he had expected, scowling in frustration. Soon, however, her face softened, and her body relaxed. "I mean it, Blue…" she cooed with an all-too-familiar silkiness. "If it'll take a fight to prove it to you, you'll find I'm more than capable.

Sonic stood his ground, eyes darting every so often to Sally. If Lilith went for her…used her as a shield…he had to act before that. "Whatever you say!" he shouted, leaping over Sally and spin-dashing toward the bat.

To his surprise, the only thing he made contact with was one of the crystals jutting from the wall. "What the…?" he whispered aloud, only for a kicking foot to come flying out of the ground, striking 

him in the jaw so hard he fell off his feet. The rest of Lilith's body soon came out of the ground, as if emerging from the top of a lake. The hedgehog was only able to barely dodge her as she pounced. "C'mon, Blue, don't tell me you've forgotten already!" she taunted as she dashed towards him again. "I'm a MASTER of the Order's magics!"

Sonic leapt onto one of the crystals as she swiped at him, realizing he knew what she meant: her abilities with moving through the Temple were so good, she could meld with the walls and floors of a room without the use of an incantation so long as she stayed within that same room. That, he knew, put him at a distinct disadvantage: this room was larger than the hall he'd fought Sally in before-and he dared not think about THAT right now for too long-but it was still too small for him to make full use of his speed, and Lilith now had the ability to come at him anywhere, at anytime. Sure enough, the next thing Sonic knew, Lilith had tackled him from behind. "Don't worry, Blue…" she whispered softly into his ear as they fell the ground, "even if it hurts BOTH of us, I won't stop protecting you."

The hedgehog's body bristled at the sound of her voice. Snapping his arms back, he broke out of her grip just in time to roll across the floor, narrowly missing Sally as he tumbled along. Lilith swooped upwards, gliding upon her wings and hovering towards him. "She's not near any of the walls…" his mind calculated quickly, "She can't teleport out of the way this time!"

With that thought, he bounced straight up at the bat, quill-laden back facing her. Yet again, however, he felt nothing but air where Lil…where his enemy should have been. Landing awkwardly on his back, the hedgehog soon found a knee buried in his stomach. Gasping for air, Sonic stared up into Lilith's triumphant face. "I always COULD take you down." She said smugly.

The hedgehog coughed and sputtered, feeling the weight of his wounds pierce the adrenaline that had managed to push him this far. "Y…you're…pretty fast…" he said defiantly between coughs. "I…feel like I should know that…but…well, my mind's been…kinda messed up lately…"

Lilith frowned as he spat out those last words with as much vitriol as he could muster. She slowly lifted her knee off his body, only to put a firm foot back down upon it to hold the hedgehog in place. "You can't see it…can you?" she whispered softly, eyes filled with sorrow.

"See WHAT?" Sonic roared back hoarsely. "That you've ruined my LIFE? That you made me betray my friends and family and endanger the whole WORLD? WHAT IS IT YOU DON'T THINK I SEE HERE?"

"SHE WAS KILLING YOU!!" Lilith answered with equal force, pressing down on his chest without fully meaning to. "You had this wondrous FIRE in you, Blue...you lived like lightning, fast and simple and uninhibited. And every day, EVERY DAY, I watched as she choked a little bit more of that fire out of you…tightened that noose of rules and missions and attachment closer and closer around your neck!"

"As opposed to what? YOU?" Sonic growled. "You made me a SLAVE…a MONSTER! And you think that's SAVING ME?"



Lilith shook her head. "You don't understand…Daxis is going to change this world, Blue. He's going to get rid of War and violence and Princesses…he's going to lock them ALL away, and when they're gone…"

She lightened her step, and offered Sonic her hand. "It's just going to be US. The WORLD will be all ours. We can explore and adventure and run all we want, and we won't have to worry about ANYTHING. That's why I asked Amodeus to let you into the Order…that's why I tried to give you a new life, a BETTER life, with us. You could THRIVE in that new world, Blue, but only if you're with us…only if you make it clear to Daxis you're something BETTER than people like HER."

She pointed the tip of her wing at Sally. Her hand floated ever closer to Sonic. "It's not too late, Blue…you can still be with us. Still be with ME. She doesn't understand you like I do…and she never will."

Sonic felt a knot in his stomach. There was a part of him that wanted to accept, and whether it was really HIS thoughts or the thoughts of the person Lilith had created, he could not tell. All he knew was that the very temptation that had drawn him into the Order in the first place…that desire to not have to care anymore, to just be DONE with walls and love and having to fight for EVERYTHING…was still there. Yet he knew…he knew now more than ever…that wasn't the life he wanted. No matter how often his will clashed with the rules of the world around him…the PEOPLE around him…Sonic knew there was no gain worth the price of what he was being asked to sacrifice. "If you think I'd say yes to that…" Sonic said, a quiet ferocity in his voice as his hand reached up and wrapped around Lilith's, "you don't know me as well as you THINK you do."

His grip tightened, and he yanked the bat down into a solid punch to the face. Flipping her to the ground, he gave another blow to her stomach, winding her. Getting back up (and still feeling a bit woozy), he panted in exhaustion. "Man…I'm runnin' out of gas here, but Lil…she's still got a ways to go…gotta end this somehow…" he thought to himself, eyes scurrying about in search of just such a solution.

The shimmering light of the crystals made it a bit hard to focus on anything, but even as Lilith began to get on her feet again, the hedgehog hit on a plan. She might be able to merge with the WALLS of the room, but…

"I know you better than you think!" Lilith wheezed as she recovered from the attack, already back on her feet. "I've tasted your SOUL, Blue…I know EVERYTHING about you…"

Sonic grinned defiantly, even as he pondered the true meaning of her words. "Is that so?" he asked chidingly.

It was something to worry about later, he told himself; for now, he had more important matters to deal with. "Then you'll have no problem keeping up!"

To Lilith's surprise, the hedgehog charged right at her then, his body turning into a rapidly spinning buzz-saw of quills that flew through the air. She stepped aside with ease, following swiftly as 

he carved through the stone and up the wall. Flying after him, Lilith swooped to the side and back as one of the crystals jutting from the wall blocked her way, but as soon as she moved, Sonic bounced off the wall, uncurling and spinning like a corkscrew down at her. Hitting the bat full on, Sonic pinned her back to the very crystal she'd just dodged. Moving as fast as he could, Sonic then jumped off the winded bat and grabbed her wings, flopped to the side and hanging over either side of the crystal. Grabbing them as he fell, he used them as anchors to pull himself to the wall. "W…nnnnngh! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Lilith hissed shrilly, struggling to pull her wings out of his grip to no avail.

"Hey, you're the one who 'knows EVERYTHING about me', right? You tell me!" Sonic replied light-heartedly, exulting in the rush of the action.

He worked swiftly and efficiently, taking Lilith's wings and holding them together under the bottom of the crystal. "Now I just need something to hold 'em together…" he thought desperately, wishing he'd thought ahead this far and honestly more than a bit surprised he'd even managed to GET to this point.

Holding himself to the crystal (and Lilith's squirming wings together) with one hand, he reached to the back of his head and, with a swift yank, pulled out one of his quills. Without thinking about it too long, he jabbed the quill through the tips of both wings, skewering them together. "RAGH!!" Lilith gave a pained cry.

Sonic let himself fall back to the ground, a lot less smoothly than he would've hoped; hitting the ground on a knee and an ankle. Groaning a bit as his body's wounds surged to the front at his awkward landing, he shook it off and went to Sally, who still lay unmoving right where she'd been when he'd arrived. "That's not gonna hold Lil forever…" he thought, "so I'd better take this chance and get us out of here while I can!"

He lifted her into his arms, and for a brief moment he felt a familiar surge of warmth pulse through his body. He saw her…younger, a bit, him too…just like this, only awake…in his arms…they were running…running together. The simple pleasure of having her with him…of being two alone against the world together…he could remember it so clearly in that moment it all but knocked him out. He could remember watching those times…those feelings…slip away into an endless maze of twists and turns. Guilt…deep, destructive, overwhelming guilt…now more than ever, looking at the one whom he'd hurt most with his choice, he was all too aware of THAT feeling as well. Gulping down the welling emotions in his body as best he could, Sonic turned his gaze back down the tunnel he'd come from. "I don't know if you can hear me, Sal…" he whispered to her as he took off, unsure of where he could go but knowing he had to take the Princess to safety SOMEHOW, "…but…I'm sorry. I'm SO sorry for letting you down…for turning my back on you when you needed me most, for all the stuff I've put you through…but I'm going to get you out of here. If you CAN hear me, know that for a fact: I'm gonna get you out of here, Sally."

He couldn't bring himself to say the last part, but it was there in his thoughts nonetheless: "Because I love you…"

X X X

Darkness.

"Ahhhhhh…how I've missed the intoxicating turmoil of your innermost thoughts…"

A voice, reveling in her confusion and misery…

"You cannot escape from me now, Child."

A feeling of defiance, sorrow, rage…mixing together like a storm out at sea.

"Even now…when your distance from the void between worlds keeps your waking mind safe…I can find you in your dreams."

A sense of familiar fear.

"Yessssssssss…fear, my child. Defy me, rage against the world, despair at the hopelessness of your situation…let me taste the wondrous dissonance that forever dooms your kind."

Eyes. Burning red eyes within a demonic skull. Daxis.

Sally knew this dream…the dream that had haunted her sleep at the start of all this. Now, however, it had changed. She was no longer the voiceless observer, her enemy no longer implacable. This was something else, something more…lucid. "Taste all you want," she answered him harshly. "It's as close to returning to this world as you will EVER come."

Laughter. Not hers, his, and it was almost unbearable to hear. "You still defy me?" Daxis replied, amused. "I've felt you buckling under the weight of this battle, Child. I have heard you shriek and plead for mercy, for escape, for RELEASE from this nightmare…and you still believe you have the will to DEFY ME?"

"Yes." It was her sole answer. It was all she needed, because she knew it was true: no matter how great the pain, no matter how heavy the weight, she would continue to defy him until every fiber of her being faded away into nothingness.

The skull did not move, but somehow looking at it gave the feeling of a smile on its bony form. "Then you are deluding yourself. You gave up this fight before you even came to this temple, my Child…if you hadn't, we would not be here."

Sally's curiosity was plain in her thoughts, and so Daxis knew of it instantly. "Do you remember my exact words on the day we made the Blood Pact, Child? I said to you, 'when your spirit tires of the living world, you shall return the gift to me'. The gift was my life-force…the piece of my own soul I had placed into yours to allow my revival. If I have come to claim that gift, than there is but one explanation as to why: you have at last lost your connection to the world of the living."



There was a feeling of fresh fear in her thoughts, but somehow Sally's resolution remained. "I will admit, I gravely underestimated your resilience," Daxis intoned sternly, "In the face of devastating losses, tumultuous upheavals, and all manner of catastrophe, you managed to stand strong. My eyes in the Order watched, waiting for that moment…the ONE moment we needed, when your heart lost its ties to life and my gift could be returned. Only it did not come. Days turned to weeks turned to months, and it did not come."

Daxis' "smile" seemed to fade as Sally felt an odd surge of…confidence…at his words. He was quick to try and stomp it out. "Then, however…your beloved Hedgehog vanished, and things began to change. Your friends began to withdraw from you …they all had their own lives to worry about. Your parents were too busy caring for the People to care about you. Your beloved Hedgehog was GONE. So in turn did you dedicate yourself to the Mission, to the Kingdom. Your heart weakened in that time…the resilience that had shielded you for so long was finally breaking."

A burning, raging heat surrounded Sally's thoughts as Daxis continued, "But STILL it was not enough. STILL you found the strength to cling to this world…"

The fire cooled. "Yet it no longer mattered. We knew your weakness now, the key to releasing my gift from you. When your beloved Hedgehog returned at last, we knew our opportunity was at hand. We took him from you. We severed the last tie you had to this world, and for one moment…one brief, fleeting moment…all connection you had to this world was lost."

"One moment was all you needed…" Sally finally spoke up, no longer willing to listen to the Forbidden Walker 's ranting. "That's why you had Sonic attack me…you wanted to shatter the bond between us…the LAST one I still had in full…by making us enemies, and for a single moment it worked."

Again, Sally sensed Daxis' glee, a feeling that was beginning to seem positively alien to the Princess. She could remember the very moment they spoke of, that one moment where everything felt like it had come undone. She had resolved herself to fix things in the end, to do her duty as Princess and Freedom Fighter and protect the world, but it did not change the truth: when Sonic had come into Knothole with Lilith that day, confronted her as an enemy...Everyone else in her life had withdrawn into their own worlds: Tails still struggled to prove himself an adult, and had begun to break away from Sally as a result; Knuckles was busy training to regain his strength, to the ignorance of everything else; and her family...sometimes Sally wondered if they were EVER really around when she needed them. Sonic, however…somehow, his absence only made her heart fonder. There was never a moment she doubted he would return, and that gave her hope. That hope was shattered when he returned, however. It was an almost-sickening irony to think of it like that, but there it was. Then, when he'd attacked her at the Lake of Rings…that was the breaking point. That was the point at which Sally felt like there was just no hope left for her anymore, that happiness was a goal she simply was not MEANT to achieve. It was a supreme sort of resignation, the ultimate surrender. In the end, of course, she had pushed it away, had overcome it to rise again. Yet that surrender…that hopelessness…still slept at the back of her thoughts, underlying her actions. "Mmmmmmmmmm…yesssssssssss…its taste is faint, but clear…" Daxis' booming voice echoed across her dream-world, reminding her of his presence. "I do wish the void between worlds 

had been opened when the Hedgehog had come for you…ooooooooohhhhhhhhhh how I would have RELISHED such perfect despair…"

Sally steeled herself against his taunting exultations. "I already told you…" Sally growled, "tasting is all you get, Daxis."

"For now, Child…for now…" Daxis chuckled darkly.

X X X

"OK. So. Now what?" Sonic asked himself.

He'd returned to the opening room of the hallway where he and Sally had fought earlier. It was, of course, a dead end, and Sonic knew it well (TOO well for his liking). Of course, he had no idea where ELSE to go. This was his best bet, it was just a matter of figuring out how to get through the wall. He could try burrowing, he supposed, but crystal was awfully hard to cut through, and more importantly, he had no idea what the actual distance between the Temple's buried rooms actually WAS or which way to go to reach one. He was too used to travelling through the Temple by way of the Order's Magic. He was no longer PART of the Order, however, and so such power was lost to him. "Or at least…I think it is…" he mused to himself.

There was no way to know for sure…well, except one. It was a long-shot, but maybe…

"Enpo Os We Ssap…" Sonic whispered repeatedly as he lifted his hand toward the wall before him.

Yet he withdrew his hand and grew silent as the wall began to throb and pulse; someone else was passing through it! Taking a step back, Sonic's grip on Sally's unconscious body tightened. "Whoever decides to mess with me right now is in for a LOT of trouble…" he thought resolutely.

Soon, a figure emerged…SEVERAL figures, actually. Sonic was soon face-to-face with three Spider-Ninjas (those guys who had attacked him earlier, he realized), Rotor, Hershey, a more-than-slightly-irritated-looking Julie-Su, Tails, an EXTREMELY beaten up Knuckles, and Geoffrey St. John. It was only when the skunk took a fighting stance, crossbow raised, that the hedgehog suddenly realized just how this had to look to the others.

"Perfect. Just PERFECT…" he thought bitterly.

To Be Continued…