[Outside of the Land of Mu – less than a half hour to midnight]
"Someone fell!" shouted Silver and flew to the person. "Professor!" he shouted when he saw him.
"Oh, Silver, augh… I'm glad to see you!"
"What happened?" The hedgehog sat next to him.
"Dr. Eggman is here! He wants to steal Mu's treasure!" He put under his nose the page he had stolen. "You have to help Freedom Fighters to stop him. They are fighting outside! And who's this!" He noticed S'ancer behind Silver.
"That's… friend. Can you stand?"
"I'm afraid I can't. The tree maybe softened my fall, but I'm not young anymore. What was I thinking?" He gave a small laugh. "Forger about me now, go after Eggman!"
"I'll be back!" Silver flew.
S'ancer was right behind him.
]I know where is that 'Eggman' heading.[
"Seriously! That make everything much easier."
Soon they returned to cavern library. Silver looked amazed as S'ancer had no problem navigating here. Given he was living here for centuries, it was no surprise but still awesome.
]This is it.[ They stopped near a bigger area. There was no light, yet Silver could tell there is pedestal, below it the circular symbol of Mu and on it a closed book. Silver had sudden thought, this place perfectly described by the poem except the part "Unbeknown to the guardian where the treasure is.".
'If S'ancer is guardian, how come he knows about this place?' He felt like he overlooked something, but right now it wasn't important. They beat Eggman to it.
"Gyaah!" Shouted both of them when electricity run through them.
"How thoughtful of you," Eggman appeared behind them and mechanical arm took the book.
"How…?"
"What a silly question. Naturally I followed you, my eggmobile has and infrared sensor. Hohohoh!" He turned and flew away.
[Outside of island – less than a fifteen minutes to midnight]
"That was the last one," said Amy.
The rest of Freedom Fighters joined the battle.
"What a nice workout," commented it Sonic, "and now to the main egg dish."
Nicole meanwhile tracked Dr. Eggman down to the volcano, but his signal was then lost. It seemed the long range electromagnetic waves can't reach far but using standard equipment shouldn't result in any malfunction. They won't just be able to communicate. Sally, Sonic, Amy, and Tails went after him in Tornado, the rest of the FF stayed and cleaned the broken robots.
"Look at that!" Sally gasped. It was a magnificent view. The City of Mu… Land of Mu was so vast. Many buildings were damaged or partially torn down. The step-pyramid temple in the middle was the biggest building in the vicinity.
Tail landed on a patch of grass. They landed on the opposite side of the city where Silver discovered the cemetery.
"So, are we going in or we take the route outside?" Sonic pointed at the top of the pyramid. "If I would be a secret treasure I would be there."
"Guardian protects an unseen book.
Let its blank pages be closed.
Unbeknown to the guardian where the treasure is.
It sleeps hidden in an eternal darkness.
Do not disturb it as a great sin is trapped within it.
Let no pure night light fall on its face
or you shall open a door to a menace."
Sally again recited the poem. "I wonder if that 'unseen' means 'invisible'?"
"Great, that means it's perfectly safe. Not even Eggman can grab something he can't see."
"Not quite, Sonic, if it's truth, he definitely already found a way to make it visible," Tails didn't agree.
"Wouldn't 'pure night light' means a moonlight?" asked Amy.
"Definitely and tonight is a full moon to boot," Sally agreed.
"So what we are waiting for, let's go there!"
All looked at the top of the pyramid. It was directly below a hole to the sky, so it had to be the place.
"See you up!" Sonic run to it, but then on the walls appeared strange symbols. He stopped. "I don't like this light show." The same symbols appeared on stone statues along every step-floor and they began to move.
"So want some smashing? You'll get smashing! Supersonic smashing!" A dozen of this stone soldiers was crushed in a matter of seconds. "Who is awesome? Yes, that's right. Me."
"Sonic, behind you!" shouted Amy and Sally.
"What?" Sonic looked over a shoulder to see how the statues were putting back together. "So you want an encore, huh?" He again destroyed them. "How'd you like that?"
The statues again put back together. Sonic did it for the third time and this time he gave it his all turning them to the dust. "Huf… This should do… No way… You're kidding me…"
They again fixed themselves.
"Sonic, come down here!" shouted Sally.
"Fine," he jumped down.
When the statues finished repairing, they returned to their places.
"They are responding on outer intruders, leaving us with only one way up, unless we want to have them on your tail the entire time," stated Sally. No one had any complaining and so they went inside.
[Inner city of Mu – Dr. Eggman – less than a fifteen minutes to midnight]
"This blasted place is like a labyrinth," muttered Eggman.
"Do you think there is a bull?" asked Cubot but he was ignored.
From outside it looked easy to get to the top, but even though he already left the library (which he found creepy), the rest of the building wasn't any better. It was one turn after another.
"That's enough! No stupid labyrinth will keep me from world domination!" He pushed a button and from his Eggmobil emerged a dozen of small robots. "Go and map this terrible place!" Flying bots went to fulfill their command.
He sat and put his legs over the panel crossed. "And what is that blasted Metal Sonic doing? I have lost his signal."
"When he asked you for further commands you said him to look for something on his own," noted Orbot.
"So?"
"So he went outside to have fun," Cubot sighed, "some robots have all the fun."
"Egad! He must have gone to look for Sonic according to his primary programming! That metal piece of trash guided that blasted pincushion to me! Now I have to make him from the scratch!" He crossed his arms and his mustache looked sad.
"Maybe I could as well try a new design… What about black and yellow? Making him a little bit more talkative? The silent killer is a little overused. With my genius, I could do sarcastic chip in no time."
[The library of Mu – midnight]
Silver and S'ancer recovered from the shock. Now they were running through endless corridors making one turn after another. Silver's head was almost spinning out of it. S'ancer made a sign and Silver stopped. They heard voices. They crouched behind a corner and waited.
"This place stinks," complained Amy. "My dress is dirty too. Why can't ancient treasures be on cleaner places."
"They are ancient treasures because you can find them only on ancient places," replayed Sonic with a smile.
"I should take it from the bright side."
"Which is?"
"You are with me!" Amy hugged him.
"Uh-oh, right."
Sally and Tails only smiled. Amy released him.
"Who's there?" Sally noticed a movement before them.
"It's me. Silver." Hedgehog came closer to them.
"It's just me, or do you have always perfect timing?" asked him Sonic jokingly. Silver only smiled showing his teeth.
"Are you alright?" asked Sally.
"Right, you went after the thief and you have ended up hedgehog knows where," added Amy.
"Don't worry about that. I ended up in the biggest and… the most amazing library I have ever seen… if there was light nearby." He wanted to say 'creepiest' but although it was true, he didn't want to hurt S'ancer's feelings.
"Do you know how to get to the top? Eggman is heading there," said Tails and reminded them their mission.
"No, but I do know someone who does." He looked behind.
S'ancer made a few steps closer with his hood on.
"You!"
"Chill out, Sonic!" Silver stepped between them. "He isn't bad hedgehog."
"There is a spin dash with his name on it."
]Don't you say? Your attacks were weak and so easy to read. I would only waste my time on you,[ answered S'ancer angrily.
"Well, well, you talk."
"That's enough, boys." Sally stepped in. "I know we-"
]I'll help you to stop the man named Eggman. Follow me.[ Without further ado, he guided them through the labyrinth.
"Who's that weirdo?" asked Sonic Silver silently.
"His name is S'ancer and he is a… librarian… sort of."
"And the thief."
"Not quite, he only thought the books are in danger so he took them to put them here where they would be safe."
"Sounds still like a thief to me."
"I know, he hurt your ego but give him a chance."
"Silver is right," said Amy. "We are de facto his enemies and yet he is helping us."
"I agree," added Tails.
"Fine," Sonic had to give up. But he will keep an eye on him.
[Inside of the City of Mu – Dr. Eggman – a half hour after midnight]
"Blast it. Blasted labyrinth! Blasted hedgehog! Blasted everything!" To Dr. Eggman's annoyance, his robots could scout only like 15-to-20 meters distance before he lost their signal. His time was as well running short. The moon will pass the hole exactly at the 2. a.m. giving him about 15 minutes to use the book's power.
Even with everything going slowly he made remarkable progress getting closer to Moonlight chamber as the place was called. Even if history wasn't his favorite subject, he did appreciate the value the ruins had.
"Once I get rid of that annoying rodent I'll return here to study."
[Inside of the City of Mu – Sonic Heroes – an hour after midnight]
"Are you sure he knows where he is going?" asked Sonic grumpily. "I bet he is leading us in circles. Or better, he is Eggman's henchman!"
"Sonic, that's enough!" Sally rebuked him. "This place is huge and as you saw, some parts are collapsed or too unstable to walk."
]What's henchman?[
"What? A Bookhog and doesn't know it?" Sonic was egging him. "It means you are working for him doing his dirty job!"
S'ancer bit his lip.
"Sonic, you went to far!" Sally turned to their guide. "I apologize for him. We all are under a pressure and-"
S'ancer turned and went a different path. Freedom Fighters followed him. He guided them to a large area that looked like an arena.
"I see where you are going," Sonic smirked. "Let's do this!"
Sally only facepalmed herself. She lost control over the situation.
Two hedgehogs were standing in front of each other.
"Don't think it will be like last time. This time I'll wipe a floor with you. I don't need to care about surroundings, this place is already dust."
S'ancer attacked first aiming with his fist on Sonic head. Blue blur ducked.. to meet his opponent's knee. He stepped back and was hit in the stomach, flinging him further back.
]Do you see? You are weak. Your attacks are predictable. You are nothing more than an opened book to me.[
"Phe," he stood up, "so, you want a challenge, huh? You'll get it!" Sonic started to round in circle around him. "Too fast for ya, huh?" Sonic then slowed down a bit a jumped all around him leaving afterimages. "Guess where am I?"
S'ancer kicked to the left side and hit the real Sonic. It looked like it was no effort for him.
"Isn't it strange?" asked Amy. "Can he really see Sonic?"
"I don't know. We shouldn't forget he is able to jam electronic signals, do some time-space warps and creating fields," recapitulated Sally his known abilities. "He may be faster than Sonic too."
"Lies and slander," said Sonic. "No one is faster than me! Here comes the second round!" Sonic wildly attacked him, but he yet again avoided all of his attacks.
'Why can't I hit him? I hate to do this, but I guess I need to slow down a bit.' Sonic was looking at him. 'There has to be a way how to caught him off guard.'
]Giving up?[
"Who? Me? No way, dude. I'm just warning up for my next move."
]It's futile. Your chances to win are nonexistence.[
"Where did you read that, bookhog?"
]In your eyes.[
"Huh… Come again?"
]Your eyes are telling me there is big anger inside of you. It hazes your mind, making it unstable, unfocused and open. You can't expect to win like this, can you?[
"Angry? You got that right! You made me worrying sick about Sally when you sent her to the floor!"
]What?[
Sonic attacked and the last sentence broke his concentrations giving Sonic the edge he needed. He finally landed a hit sending S'ancer to the ground.
"Of course I'll be angry when you hurt my friends!"
]But your anger… it's bigger than that… Unless…[ He stood up, holding his cheek, ]Unless she is your only one female![ he victoriously shouted, giving everyone almost a heart attack.
"M-M-My what?!"
Sally and Amy were totally red.
]It makes perfect sense. Your anger was so unnaturally big. I have read an adult male is looking for an adult female that is only for him. They form a strong bond and then after mating they make an offspring.[
"S-S-Slow down, dude!" Sonic was wildly waving his hands.
]Is it possible you already went through the process of mating and now she is carrying-![
"Slow down!" Shouted Sonic to his face gasping. "It's nothing like that!" He was blushing so much he had no courage to look back at Sal.
]Then… why?[
"Because my friends are very important to me. We are a family."
]Friends… family… She said that too.[
"Who?"
]No, it's nothing. I apologize, let's continue.[
He walked to the group.
]And I did make you walk in a circle.[
"What?"
"Why would you do that?" asked Silver.
]I only… wanted to read you a little longer.[
"Reading?" Amy awkwardly smiled. "But Mobians aren't a book, you can't read them."
]I can… when I look at them.[
"Like seriously?" Amy almost jumped.
S'ancer nodded.
"Come her for a sec!" Amy grabbed his arm and dragged him behind a corner. "And no peeping!" she shouted back. Sonic only scratched on a head.
"Do you mean it?" Amy was clenching her fists below her chin. "You can say what is another person thinking by looking at them?"
]Ah.[ Now it will come. She will call him a monster, give him disguised looks, just like his people a long time ago.
"Please, tell me what Sonic wants for his birthday!" Amy was begging him.
]A… ah… Excuse me?[
"I want to give him something he really wants. Something that will make him say: 'Amy, that's exactly what I wanted. But now I see… I want you more.'" Amy blushed and waved her hands to shoo her fantasies. "So, can you please?"
]You are not disguised?[
"Why?"
]That I can read your mind?[
"Oh well, now that you mention it does sound a little creepy." She scratched her chin. "But it's not like you are a perv."
]A perv?[
"Oh, no, I mean a very mean person." Better not to explain him that… for now.
]You are strange. Just like Silver. But back to the original question.[ He was indeed puzzled. Yet again he saw such innocent eyes full of honesty. ]I wonder… if it's alright for me to say it. It feels…[
"You are right. I should figure it out myself. I wonder what got into me?"
]You did nothing wrong. You only wanted to make him happy. The opportunity showed before you and you took it.[
"Thanks, you are a really kind person, you know." They returned.
"What was that about?" asked Sonic.
"Just some girly stuff," answered pink hedgehog with a smile.
"But he is a guy." Sonic looked at him and rolled eyes.
This time S'ancer took them to the top without taking too long.
[Top of the City of Mu – a half hour to 2 a.m.]
"This is it, huh?"
The place was somehow… darker, creepier, gloomier and more dangerous. The light of the night sky illuminated an old magic circle full of strange symbols.
"Professor Faranight would be so happy now if he could see this."
"But where is Eggman?" asked Sally.
"Maybe he didn't make it here," mooted Tails.
"We all know how his stubbornness is as good as my own."
"Sonic is right." Silver flew a meter above them. "He followed me and S'ancer so he could steal the book."
"The book?" asked Sonic. "Mind explaining something to us?" Sonic turned to S'ancer. "'Cause I doubt Eggman wants to read us a fairy tale."
Silver landed back.
]It's… a very special book. What is written inside… will become a true.[
"In English please," mumbled Sonic.
]It means it can change the reality.[
"Oh… crap."
"Like seriously?" shouted Amy and Tails.
"Is it really that easy?" asked Sally as she was trying to form a plan.
]No, for every writing you have to pay a price and … [ He shook his head like he was starting to get a headache. ]There has to be a pure moonlight.[ He felt dizzy. What's happening to him? It felt like there are voices inside of his head calling to him and an image of a young girl.
"I bet Eggman will pay anything."
Suddenly they were surrounded by small flying bots, that generated electric field trapping them and rendering them immobile.
"Especially if I can pay in blue rodents," answered him Eggman in his eggmobile.
"And here I was thinking you would miss the party," Sonic made a fun of him with a confident smirk, while he was struggling with the field.
"Don't even mention it."
"Yeah, don't talk about it," added Cubot, "I'll have nightmares for the rest of my function."
"What do you want, Eggman?" shouted Sally and tried to stand up, but the current was sending her back to her knees.
"Take a guess, squirrel." Eggman moved to the circle of moonlight. "Soon the moon will be directly above this hole." He took the book. "Then the power of this book will be unleashed!"
"Yeah, right, and I'll stop you in the nick of time. You know the drill," said Sonic provocatively and Eggman's mustache went down.
"No, not this time!" he shouted. "My Elec-buzz bots will keep you in the cage long enough to bring my plan to fruition."
]Stop it.[
"Huh? Who said that?" Eggman lifted his head a bit. "Ah, I see, the strange hedgehog. It's pointless. I'll open the book and fulfill my dream of Eggman's Empire!"
]You mustn't that power… ugh… is too much![
"Fool, I have IQ of 300, I know what I'm doing."
"Says the guy who calls me a rodent," noted Sonic sarcastically while he moved a step forward. Eggman's mustache went down again.
"That's because you are annoying like a rat! That's why!"
Silver was trying to concentrate enough to take down at least one buzz-bot. 'Crud, if it wasn't for the electricity I would make a quick process with them.'
Tails fell on his knees. Sonic clenched his fists even more.
"In just a minute," mumbled Eggman looking up.
S'ancer was shaking but not because of the electricity. He felt something terrible is about to happen. He had to do something. He had to stop it. He had to… erase it.
"This is it!" The moonlight fell on the Eggman's face. He opened the book and its blank pages radiated a soft light. Doctor took a pen and wrote something. "Let them go!" shouted at Buzz-bots.
"Now… that was anticlimactic. Want to skip to me kicking your butt, doc?"
"Go ahead," said doctor with a wide smile.
"Fine by me," Sonic run and… stopped. "I can't pick up my speed!"
"Mwahahaha!" Eggman's laugh was echoing. "Of course you can't! I took your speed! And not just that."
"Hey, guys?" Sonic watched as his friends took a place next to the doctor. "Hey, the good guys are here!" He pointed down.
"What are your orders, doctor Eggman?" asked Sally.
"Hey, hey, like seriously?"
"Let's start with one beaten rodent. Get him!"
"Roger," said all four of them.
Amy attacked him first. Her hammer missed him by just a whisker.
"Hey, I know you have a crush on me, but c'mon!" said Sonic when he jumped.
Tails caught him.
"Whoa! Let me down!" He looked below. "On the second thought, not!" Tails let him go. Sonic rolled, but he still felt the impact as his quills didn't cushion him like they used to.
"What now?" yelled when bluish aura lifted him. Silver looked very angry. "Em, time out?" He sent him toward a wall. "]Cough[ Bad time pun, bad pun."
Sally stood before him with her ring-blades ready.
"If you are asking what just happened, then as an act of a mercy, I'll tell you. This book," he showed it to him, "can literally write a reality."
"Like seriously?" Sonic widened eyes. 'So he was telling the truth!'
"Your speed…" Eggman approached him, leaving the circle of moonlight, "your friends… I took them with a few simple words! Now they are my new Egg bosses!"
"No way! Sal, I know you are still there! Fight it!"
"Finish him!"
Sally prepared for a hit.
]Guardian protects an unseen book.
Let its blank pages be closed.[
"What?" Eggman looked behind and saw the strange hedgehog standing in the moonlight. "What is he doing?"
His hood was laying on his back.
]Unbeknown to the guardian where the treasure is.
It sleeps hidden in an eternal darkness.[
S'ancer raised his head showing his face. The moonlight was at its peak.
]Do not disturb it as a great sin is trapped within it.[
He slowly opened his eyes showing… he has no eyes, only white sclerae. Sonic and Eggman jerked.
]Let no pure night light falls on its face
or you shall open a door to a menace.[
Around purple hedgehog was building and whirling aura gaining on strength and speed.
"That poem!" shouted Sonic. "Was it… about him?"
The wind calmed down and everything quieted. It was eery silence. Everyone was on the ground.
"S'ancer?" Sonic lifted his head.
The purple hedgehog was now different. His short quills become longer than Sonic's one and he had now more of them. The symbol from his hood now shined on his forehead and thin lines of many symbols were running over his entire body. The fur around them was lighter and the symbols were radiating dim light. He still had no eyes, but his sclerae were shining.
"How dare you!" cursed Eggman. His lackeys were shaking their heads. "You are gonna pay for this!"
]No! You will pay![ S'ancer lifted his hand.
"What's happening!" Eggman felt as his body is tearing apart.
]Disappear![
"No!" Eggman was gone. Freedom Fighters and Silver were looking in awe.
]Now he won't hurt anyone.[
"W-What you did to him?" asked hm Sonic with a shaking voice.
S'ancer smiled. ]I have erased him from existence. That what is my power for. It can change the reality.[
"What?!"
]You see, the book had only a small fragment of it. It could last only for a couple of minutes. Its power was as well limited a lot.[
"Give him back."
]You don't need to worry about him anymore.[
"Give him back!" Sonic clenched his fists.
]You can live happy-[
"Give him back, you jerk!" Sonic hit him to face. "I don't care what is your power for. Give him back! He doesn't deserve it!"
S'ancer lifted the head.
"Eggman is maybe mad scientist and pain in the butt with 300 IQ, but he doesn't deserve this! Call him back!"
]Why? Why do you want him back? He is evil. The world is better place without him.[
"You know what? I always thought the phrases 'opening one's eyes' is a good think, but apparently not in your case!"
"Um, Sonic?" Silver approached him while others were still a little dizzy and confused.
]I see![ S'ancer stood up. ]It's an anger. It's an anger fault this world is such dangerous place.[
"Stop babbling and bring Eggman back!" shouted Sonic.
]In that case, I shall take all of the emotions as all of them in the end turn in anger![ His symbols shined even more.
"What's happening?" Sonic shielded his eyes.
]Wait? Who are you?[ From his eyes flew a strong mass of light and with every second it took a more solid form. It took Sonic and Silver's hand, dragging them with it.
Sonic looked at Sal. He reached to her, but they missed each other. "Sally!" shouted helpless Sonic as he saw as she lost a light in her eyes falling on her knees.
The light dragged them to the sky, then changed its course to the small cave leading to long passage until it ended with a large cavern. Inside of it was enormous tree-like structure. The light stopped at the roots, letting go of their hands.
Sonic was frowning and looking pretty furious. Silver was on the other hand confused and slightly scared as everything went so fast.
"You should hope you have a good explanation, you… one heck of a nice girl." His anger faded quite a bit.
Before them appeared a beautiful girl. She had white hairs combed into many thin braids. Her eyes had no light making her blind. There were few light blue dots in a place of eyebrows and her face had a human-shape but still somehow different. Her ears were long and had calla lily shape reaching to her knees. They were pierced by many earnings.
Her cloth was imitating a poncho with a collar. It had again that symbol. Her hands looked thin and weak and she had a long snake tail but covered by fur instead of scales.
]I need-[ she started to talk.
"I get it. You need our help to stop that jerk-face, kick his butt and save the world while we are at it?" Sonic pointed his thumb back.
"While we are at it?" Silver was shocked. Shouldn't saving the world be serious business? He made it sounds like a part-time job.
]How did-[
"This happens to me all the time, so let's cut the intro short and get to the main show. I have a sole with jerkface's name on it."
The girl was silent for a moment. ]It all started eons ago…[
"Did she just missed the 'cut the intro short' part?"
Silver probed him in the ribs.
[OFF Panel]
"You are the most sophisticated robot I have ever seen!" said prof. Faranight. "Unlike certain blue bot."
"O 'rlly? Does it mean I hafta wear a tie? I hate the ties. They always get stuck in my mechanism."
"I'm sure the bow tie will be enough."
"I love bows! Let's play on Indians! I'm a cowboy!" then he started to jump around making famous Indian war cry.
Orbot passed them and brought Dr. Eggman a sandwich and a drink. The robot was wearing a headset, but judging by his expression it provided a little to no protection against Cubot's bad jokes.