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"You're…" Nova was unable to speak.
"What's wrong?" Double D asked.
"What's going on over-OH MY GOSH!"
Double D felt the top of his head and screamed himself when he realized that his hat was gone!
"OH NO!" He covered his head with both hands he had three new points at back of his head but they didn't matter at the moment.
The most noticeable feature was what he was trying to hide. At the highest point of his forehead was a metallic like object it was no larger then a royal hedgehog medallion the object seemed to be imbedded to his forehead. It seemed to be a slightly different version of Sonic's medallion.
Double D reached behind him with his tail and pulled back his slightly torn hat and placed it on his head. He had no idea what was going to happen next.
Nova seemed to be in disbelief. "I know who you are."
"WHAT?" Double D and Shelby almost yelled.
'If she knows who Double D is, then she may figure out who I am and then well have to fight!' Shelby thought. 'And none of us are in any condition to do so.'
"How long have you been in this dimension?" Nova asked Double D.
"How did you know about-"
BONG!
The bell tolled! Shelby panicked.
"We're late! We should already be in the belfry!" She told them. She looked at Nova. "Please, we can't do this alone. Help us, please!"
Nova only nodded.
On the top floor…"What are we doing here, Topaz?" Sonia asked.
"The person who was using the music code claimed to be Shelby."
The "Shelby" with them took a few steps back.
"She said there was a mix up." Topaz finished.
The door suddenly burst open, revealing two shadows and a hedgehog behind it.
"You're the one who contacted me." Topaz said.
"Listen, all of you!" The real Shelby said, walking into the room. "Those two are imposters!"
Nazz looked at the two pairs and let out a laugh. "Yeah, sure."
"No, we are the real ones!" The real Double D said.
"I hate liars more then I hate dorks!" Kevin shouted and charged the two.
Shelby quickly reached into her pocket and prayed that it was there.
"YES!" She cried.
She pulled out a black gem a held it high over her head.
"CHAOS CONTROL!" She cried.
In a bright flash of light, Shelby disappeared!
"She used the Chaos Control!" Topaz cried.
"The what?" Sonia asked.
"It allows you to teleport else where! It can also damage the fabric in space and time!" Topaz explained. "But as to where she went is what I wanna know!"
"Over here!" They looked behind them and saw the shadow, tossing the black gem up and down.
"Chaos Control." Nova whispered. She gasped. "Aside from Black Hole, only one person I know can use the Chaos control. Shelby the Hedgehog. This means you…"
She simply nodded.
"And that makes you Double D!"
Double D looked at her confused. "But didn't you say you already knew?"
Nova was crying. "The one who I swore to my sister that I would destroy, I just helped."
"Nova…" Shelby said.
"This was all a scheme to get what you wanted!" She cried. "Giving me these bandages was only a tactical move to get what you wanted!"
"It wasn't like that!" Double D tried.
"Shut up!" Nova growled. "I should have known better then to trust anyone!" Nova cried, going over to the door.
"WAIT!" Double D called but it was too late, the door swung shut and she was gone.
"Now that you're finished fighting with your friend." The fake Shelby said. "I do believe we have a fight to start."
"No, we're not fighting any of you." The real Shelby said.
"Because it's sixteen to two." The fake hedgehog said.
"Because I don't want to hurt any of you." Shelby told them.
The robots laughed.
"Except you!" She growled and charged them head on!
But Sonic charged her from the side, catching her off guard! She could only block the punches that followed and Knuckles soon joined in and Johnny was soon trying to peck at her head.
Double D made an attempt on his own look alike, but Sonia and Manic, swarmed around him and managed to pin him to the ground.
'If we don't fight back, we ARE going to get killed.' Shelby thought. 'What do I do? What do I do?'
She blocked Sonic's next hit and held up the gem.
"CHAOS CONTROL!"
There was another flash of light and she disappeared.
"Where'd she go?" Sonic asked.
"I think you mean, where didn't she go?" Topaz said. "With Chaos Control, you can anywhere!"
"LOOK OUT!" Sonia cried.
The real Shelby had reappeared above her fake and was falling straight towards her! But the robot beat her to an attack, she jumped into the air, she managed to grab the real one by the arm and throw her into a wall. She was wracked in pain for only a few seconds.
"That should do it!" Manic said, getting off of Double D.
"No!" The mimic ordered. "Keep attacking!"
"But they're both down!" Tails said. "We should just leave them!"
"No, kill them!" The fake Double D said.
Kevin ran ahead, he charged them, turned into a ball and slammed right into Shelby. Tails then ran straight up to her and spun around one using his namesakes to cut her. The tiny white hedgehog charged her and surprisingly managed to get a good punch to her. Johnny threw Plank and he managed to punch her square in the jaw.
"Good, now hurry!" Both robots said.
Rolf charged her head on, using his horns. He managed to teat up her shirt and she finally fell to the floor. Eddy jumped into the air, using his new wings to help, and stung her on one of her spines. Ed then charged himself and whacked her right across the face.
"Now if you could please finished this off." The robot hedgehog asked Topaz.
Topaz nodded. "Nobody mimics my best friend!" She said and took to the air. Once she was right over her, she stopped flying all at once and was headed right for her. But Shelby managed to roll away, just before the young fox could land on her. Topaz ran back to the fake hedgehog.
"Sorry, Shelby, I'll get her next time!" She smiled.
The mimic, out of frustration, hit Topaz down to the floor!
"Everyone less could do it, why not you?" She roared
"Shelby how could you?" Topaz asked with tears in her eyes.
"Shelby, that was horrible!" Sonia cried.
"I used to like you!" Sonic yelled.
"SHUT UP!" The mimic was about to make another attack on Topaz but it never happened. Shelby had intercepted the attack and took it herself.
Everyone just stared in awe. The already beaten down hedgehog had gotten in the way of that powerful attack and right in the gut too.
"Are you okay, Topaz?" The real thing asked. "Her punch hit me pretty hard."
She fell over again.
"I'll be seeing you around, Zoey." She said and she went down.
Something in Topaz's mind clicked.
"O-Only the real Shelby the Hedgehog knows my real name." She whispered with tears in her eyes.
The others gasped!
"She was telling the truth." Sonia whispered.
"Then that means we've been fighting Shelby this whole time." Manic said.
"And that means that we've been fighting Double D too." Knuckles said.
Sonia quickly got off of Double D and he smiled softly.
Topaz wasn't looking at Double D she was looking at her fallen friend. She had a small smile on her face. Topaz knelt down, reached into Shelby's backpack, and pulled out a bottle of water.
"What's that?" Kevin asked.
"Remember the spring that Shelby mentioned, the one that's under Sanctuary?" Topaz asked. "This water is from that spring, if I pour it on her wounds then she may come back but, if she's gone…" Topaz's voice trailed off.
"Just try." Nazz said.
"But if she doesn't wake up in ten minutes then it means that she's…"
"Just try." Sonia urged.
Topaz nodded once, opened the bottle, and poured the water on her opened wounds. Everyone watched in painful silence while Topaz counted down.
"Three…two…one." Topaz said.
There was a small groan. Selby slowly sat herself up.
"Am I dead?" She joked.
"Want me to pinch you?" Topaz asked with tears in her eyes.
"No." She said with a smile.
Topaz hugged the older hedgehog, relieved that she was alright.
"How do feel?" Sonia asked, trying repress her tears.
"Better then I did when I got here that's for sure." She said. "Wait a minute! Where'd the robots go?"
"There they are!" Manic cried, pointing to them as they escaped out the door.
"They're mine." Shelby hissed and charged out the door.
"Wait for me!" Double D called.
The others followed them only to the top of the stairs and looked over the railing. The robots looked back and the Shelby look alike pointed her finger at the shadow that was chasing them and a laser shot from it!
"Yep, those are robots." Manic confirmed.
"Well, it'll take more then a little light show to stop my best friend!" Topaz cheered.
Both Shelby and Double D were dodging the lasers very well but they didn't know what little "surprise" they had waiting for the mat the bottom of the steps. The robots skid to a stop and pointed their fingers at the floor. Some brown mud came from their fingers and they hid behind a pillar. When Shelby and Double D came down the steps, they suddenly discovered that they could move their feet! Shelby struggled to pull her feet out but to avail.
"Mega Muck." She growled.
"This is what?" Double D asked.
"Mega Muck, super stick mud that once you're trapped in…" Shelby said, trying to free her feet. "You can't escape. Only way either with magic or have a robot pull you free."
That's when the two robot look a likes walked out from behind the pillar.
"Say good night, hedgehog." The robot Selby growled and pointed her laser at her and the Double D look a like did the same with Double D.
"Hey bots!"
"Huh?" Everyone asked, looking to the door.
The next thing anyone knew, the robots were splashed with water!
"You could use a shower."
Shelby and Double D looked to the door and saw a certain golden hedgehog.
"NOVA!"
"Are you guys alright?" She asked.
"We would be if our feet weren't stuck to the ground with Mega Muck." Shelby said.
"I'm on it!" Nova said.
She pointed her hand at the brown muck at their feet and cast the spell.
"Fire!"A burst of flames shot from her hand and hit the brown muck, hardening it enough for it to weaken. Shelby pulled her feet up and broke free of the muck.
"Thanks Nova, now for the bots!" Shelby said.
She looked at them as they sparked from the water all over them. Shelby smirked and charged them head on causing the chips in the back of their heads to fall out and break upon hitting the floor and the robots revealed their true forms.
"Whoa, and I thought SWATbots were ugly." Manic said.
"Now to finish them off!" Shelby said and charged them again.
This time, however, she was going at super sonic speeds! She ran several laps around them, and the robots tried to follow only to overload their own working systems and the heads just hung down.
"Alright!" The others above them cheered.
Shelby and Double D looked up at them, grateful that they knew the truth. Suddenly, both of their bodies started glowing. They shielded their own eyes. When the glowing faded they rubbed their eyes and looked down. Their bodies were back to normal!
"We're back to normal!" Double D cried.
"The heck we are!" Shelby said.
The others above them cheered and came running down the stairs with Sonic in the lead. Topaz on the other hand jumped from the railing and fell straight into Shelby's arms.
"Shelby, I'm SO sorry that I doubted you!" Topaz cried.
"It's okay, Topaz, it's all over now." Shelby said, cuddling the young fox.
"Sorry we beat up on you, Double D." Eddy said. "You okay?"
"Yes, you mostly attacked Shelby anyway." Double D said.
"I can't believe we were all fooled like." Sonic said. "We all owe you guys apologies."
"Guys, how did you get them to short out like that?' Nazz asked.
"We didn't." Shelby said. "She did." And she pointed at Nova.
"YOU!" Rolf cried and tried to charge her but half of the group held him back and they need even Knuckles' help.
"It's one of the creeps we saw back at Sanctuary!" Manic shouted.
"Rolf shall not forgive you for attempting to destroy the Sanctuary!" Rolf was growling like a monster.
"Yeah, take a hike!" Eddy ordered.
Nova didn't say anything.
"Do us all a favor and return to the shadows where you belong!" Rolf snapped.
Nova looked at Double D, tears in her eyes.
"Listen to yourselves!" He said. "Nova saved all of us!"
She gasped but Shelby seemed unfazed.
"If it hadn't been for her you would have done along with those robots and turned over to Robotnik! We owe her our lives!"
"But she's evil! Even a dork like you isn't that dumb, heck he isn't that dumb!" Kevin said, pointing at Ed.
"She's no where near evil." Shelby said. "Out of the whole time that I've known her, she has never done anything wrong that I have yet to seen. Whenever we fought she would miss me on purpose."
"If you say she's not evil then I believe you!" Topaz said, hugging her friend.
"If you say so, then we believe you." Sonic said and the others all nodded, except Rolf.
"Thank you both for sticking up for me." Nova told Double D and Shelby. "I don't deserve to be treated so kindly."
"Yeah you do." Shelby said. "And Nova, Double D and I saw what happened between you and Black Fire. And I think you should come with us."
"Do you really mean it?" Nova asked.
"Girl, if I were you, I'd have left those two a LONG time ago." Shelby said.
Nova looked at her and smiled.
"Okay, I'll come with you." Nova said.
"Okay, let me introduce you to the gang." Shelby said, pulling her forward. "This is Sonic, Sonia, Manic, Knuckles, Tails, Ed, Eddy, Kevin, Nazz, Johnny, Plank, Rolf, and you already know Topaz and Double D."
"What about him?" Nova asked pointing to the small white hedgehog.
"Never saw him before." Shelby said.
"Oh, he wandered into our campsite when you and Double D were gathering fire wood." Sonia explained. "The poor dear doesn't even have a name."
"Now that's bad." Shelby said. "But I think I might have an idea for a name."
"And that is?" Sonic asked.
"Well, I was thinking Tune." Shelby said. "Because of that little medallion hanging around his neck."
The others looked closer and sure enough, there was a small medallion in the shape of a musical note hanging on a white string.
"I never even noticed that!" Sonia said.
"Tune the Hedgehog. I like the sound of that." Sonic said.
The others nodded their heads in agreement.
"Then its' decided. Tune the Hedgehog it is!" Shelby said.
"Wow." The little white hedgehog said.
"So, where do we go next?" Manic asked. "Do we do a bit of traveling or do we head back to Robotropolis?"
"Well, there is a fishing village not too far away from here that I've been meaning to visit." Shelby said.
"Why visit an old smelly fishing village?" Sonia asked.
"An old childhood friend of mine used to live there." Shelby explained. "He's about due for a visit back home about now and I wanna catch him before he leaves again."
"What do you mean by that?" Sonic asked.
"He does a lot of traveling so we don't get to see each other very much any more." Shelby explained.
A light breeze suddenly started to blow through one of the broken windows. A small slip of paper floated in on the breeze and right into Sonia's hands!
"What was that?" Kevin asked.
"It's a message from Mother!" Sonia said in shock.
"Well, what does it say?" Sonic asked.
"It says you're needed over at Castaway Kay." Sonia read.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! Back it up!" Shelby snapped. "Did you just say Castaway Kay?"
"Yes, I did." Sonia said. "Why is there a problem?"
"You mean you didn't hear the legend?" Topaz asked.
"What legend?" Sonic asked.
"A long time ago, a pirate king was defeated and he headed back to his hideout on that every island! And he never returned nor did any of his crewmates." Topaz explained. "It is said that anyone who goes near the island will never be seen again."
"That's what you're freaking out about? A dumb legend?" Manic asked.
"It's not the legend I'm worried about." Shelby said. "It's just that I've tried going to that island more times then I can count and each time, some natural disaster stops whatever I'm using to get there and sends it to the bottom of the sea. I've managed to make it out of everyone of them alive but no matter what it is I take it gets sent to the graveyard of wrecked ships and airplanes!"
"So how DO we get there?" Manic asked.
"You know that friend I mentioned earlier?" Shelby asked. "He's sailed all over the world and he has one of the best crews too. If he hasn't already left port, we might be able to get him to take us there."
"So, where is this fishing village?" Sonia asked.
"Just south of here, along the coast, if we leave now and hurry we may be able to get there by tomorrow afternoon!" Shelby said.
"Okay, lets' do it to it!" Sonic said.
"Lets' get to the van and move out!" Manic said and ran out the door.
"Manic, wait up!" Sonia called and ran after him and soon the others followed with the two blue hedgehogs taking the lead.
Double D looked at Nova, took her hand and ran after the others. Nova blushed slightly and kept up with Double D.
But unseen, three shadowy figures peeked in through the window, giggling at their work.
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Bet you didn't see THAT coming either. As well as two chapters in one day! So, is it possible that Double D might have a new girlfriend? Who is Shelby's friend? And what about those three shadowy figures? Anyone care to take a guess? Anyway, R&R please and no flames please.