/AN:
Third chapter is up, enjoy!
IMPORTANT
Change in ages: I've decided that to make the timeline work they have to be older, therefor Sonic is now 23 instead of 19 – sorry about that xD
Also that would mean it's been 8 years since the Boom-crew last saw Sally&Co. Yeah that makes more sense :D
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I groaned painfully as I landed flat on my stomach face down. This alternate universe-thing was really starting to get annoying. I quickly raised to my feet looking around to see if everyone was okay.
Sonic was allready up helping Sally to her feet. Of cause he was. I stopped myself. No, I was not going down that road again. I didn't want to be the crazy jealous fangirl, I needed to pull myself together, Tails are you okay? I turned to the fox who was also laying face down in the dirt.
He sat up complaining about the pain for a few seconds and then gasped. "No! The remote! It's broken!" As he'd been thrown through the air he'd landed right on top of our only way home. My eyes widened as I saw the contoller in Tails hands. It was totally smashed bits and pieces scatters all over the ground.
"Well can you fix it?" I asked neavously, I mean this is Tails, he can fix anything right?!
He bit his lower lip, "I..I wouldn't even know where to begin," he admitted making me feel the anger raising again.
I was not getting stucked in some other dimenssion where I had to relive some of the hardest years of my life. "Then you can make a new one, right? I mean you build this one." I said hopefully, not really paying attention to what was going on around us.
"I guess. Maybe. But that would take days, and I need a new powersourse." He told me screatching his head.
"Days? Come on Tails, it didn't take you long to build this one," I told him as if I hoped that the statement would make the process move faster.
Tails looked neavous, "yes but back home I have my workshop and powersuplies, I don't have that here." He informed making me sigh as I realized this was just going to be one of those days, you know?
Another explosion sounded near by and I heard Sally shout something. I finally started to pay attention to the rest of the world around me. An earsplitting metallic sound made me cover my ears for a short while. A huge bie-like robot was comming directly at us. It turned it's bread towards us and fireballs stated to flew all around. That I had to give this universes Eggman, he'd been far more creative than what I've seen lately from our own Eggman.
Without futher hesitation I jumped in between Tails and the fireball, I pulled out my hammer again and smashed the fireball returning it to sender. It hit the oversized beebot and it turned towards me again. Okay, that would usually do the trick, now what? It aimed at me and Tails and was about to shoot again when I saw a flash of blue hearing the familier sound of Sonics spindash as he went right through the robot and landed a few meters from us.
The robot stood still in the air for a short while then it burst into flames and fell to the ground. I coverd my face as it exploded when it hit the ground. Sonic send me a smug smile as he in a blink of an eye were standing back to back with me and Tails.
"Eggbreath haven't been laying un the lazy side huh?" He spoke keeping his green eyes towards the horizon where the robot just came from.
"You can say that again, it was much more powerfull than the usual." I replied, not really concerned I was a lot stronger now my self, but that didn't mean I was cocky about it. Unlike someone I know.
"Nah, it was just one little robot, let me know when he brings me an actual challange," Sonic replied selfrighteous. Yes that's the one in case you were wondering. That ego.
"Here comes the family!" One of the fighters shouted from somewhere.
We all looked back towards the horizon. A swarm of beebots looking excatly like the one we just defeeded could be seen in the distance.
Both me and Tails send Sonic a hard glare like it was all his fault. "You just haaad to say it, didn't you." Tails asked dryly making Sonic laugh neavously.
I exchanged short looks with Sticks and Knuckles who was standing a few feet away from us. "Not cool Sonic!" Knuckles exclaimed shaking his head.
"Fall back!" Sally shouted towards her people then looking at us like she wasn't sure if she should let us come but of cause being Sally, she just made a gesture that we should follow.
We didn't had to be told twice. There was no way we were going to defeet all those beebots alone, there had to be at least 20 far as I could tell. We turned around and ran into the thick forrest as the robots were over us. I could here shouting and screaming I stoped as one of the beebots landed just in front of me snatching a young guy. "No way!" I shouted swinging my hammer at the giant robot. It turned it metallic head towards me dropping the guy to the ground. He came to his feet and started running again leaving me behind. "What a gentleman." I mumbled not very impressed by this and raised my hammer once more ready to fight the robot with all my might.
It came at me. Crawling over the ground just as fast as it was flying before, it even cut down a tree in the process but I was not affraid, I refused to be! I swung my hammer again this time breaking one of the legs, it fell off but since it had 5 more to use it really didn't do that much. I gasphed af it raised over me, I fell holding my hand up to protect myself, getting ready for the impact, but it didn't come. Instead I heard a high smash followed by another metallich sound. I opened my eyes to see Knuckles sitting on the back of the bee smashing it to pieces from the top.
I quickly got back to my feet and gave it a few hard hit with my hammer. The robot broke down and I highfived Knuckles for the perfect teamwork.
"Guys come on, we don't have time for that, there're more comming!" Tails exclaimed af he flew by us. "Come on!"
"Aww but I was just warming up," Knuckles blurted out in a dissapointed tone which quickly turned into a squael as a fireball flew right beside his head. "Okay, I think I'm warm enough now!" He exclaimed following us deeply into the woods.
In the beginning I could here souting, screaming, explosions, see fireballs flying in all directions. The metallic sound the robots made everytime they landed on the ground just to fly off again. I was running so fast I could, sticking together with Tails and Knuckles, I had no clue where Sticks and Sonic was, but I had to hope for the best.
As the forrest got thicker the sounds faded away as the robots gave up and retreated. Finally we could slow down to a walk, I gasphed and felt like my legs were going to give in to the exhaustion at any moment now. Tails landed beside us as Knuckles sat down on the ground panting as hard as me leaning his back against a trunk. "Can we rest just a little bit?" He asked hopefully.
I looked at Tails thinking the same thing but not sitting down. "Where did everyone go?" I asked uneasy. It was weird cause all of sudden the forest were all silent.
"Just away from the robots I guess," Tails replied casting a neavous look around.
I let my hammer rest on my shoulder ready to take it to use if needed. Then there was a rustling. We all turn to our left to see one of the bushed move slightly in the weak light from the moon which has rosen during the flight.
Knuckles got to his feet and raisen his fists, I of cause raised my hammer and Tails his tool. I was ready to smack whatever that was into next week, but then a familiar voice sounded.
"I found them!" I was so reliefed to see Sticks walking through the bush and smiling at us – that was until she saw our fightmode was activated. "What are you doin'?" She asked neavously stopping dead in her tracks.
"Sticks!" I exclaimed happily putting away my hammer, running to her giving her a hug for not being taking I guess. She flinched a bit, not really liking being held tight.
Just then a blue blur and Sonic was standing beside us. "Oh man, I'm so glad you guys are okay," he spoke in relief. "I thought Egghead got you." He looked from me to Tails and Knuckles and then back again. "Are you guys okay?"
"Actually, my feet is hurting, I'm hungry and..." Knuckles started to complain but I cut him off.
"We're fine, where is everybody?"
Sonic looked back in the direction he just came from. "They're at the base." He informed, then looking back at us.
"The base?" Tails exclaimed, "like the one we had back in the days?"
"Yeah sort of. Far less homely." Sonic replied.
Knuckles scratched his head. "I don't remember this at all." He informed a bit confused. I exchanged looks with Sonic before Sticks spoke again.
"How can you forget? Weren't you in the battle and all?" She looked at me, because that was what I told her.
I nodded. "He was, but something happend." I said shamefully. We did win the battle, but not comepleatly without loses.
"What happend?" Sticks and Knuckles exclaimed at once.
Then Sonic cut in, "let's talk about that elsewhere, right now we gotta go before the beebots return."
I agreed. Back then Knuckles saved us, but Eggman or rather Robotnik did something to the red echidna, that was the reason he had changed so much. Both me, Tails and Sonic agreed not to tell him. Stupid, I know. But he seemed somehow happy and the truth would probably consume him, afterall the master emerald was compleately destroyed in the process. Yes that hadn't been the first time, but it was definitly the last.
Knuckles shrugged his shoulders in agreement. Weirdly enough he didn't seem too interessted. I didn't put much thought into it though. Bigger fish.
Sonic then made a gesture that we should follow him and so we did. I was walking beside him, Sticks, Tails and Knuckles looked like they were occupied talking so I turned to Sonic, "sooo Sally.." I started and could almost hear Sonic roll his eyes.
"Yup."
"She seems different," I tried to open the subject.
"We're all different from back then." He said not sounding like he wanted to talk about it.
This kind of bothered me. The fear of him still having feelings for her was devastating. I sank. I was being so selfish, I know, I just couldn't help it. "I think she hates me. She keept talking about something "I" did" I made a gesture with my fingers using the word I, "however she wouldn't tell me what it was."
Sonic looked at me, curiosity now painted in the green eyes of his. "Something you did?" He asked.
"Yeah," I bit my lower lip, "also, I think it has something to do with you...well the other you." I told him bowing under a branch. The forrest has gotten even thicker, the light from the moon almost didn't get through the treetops anymore.
This times his eyes flickers neaously, "what could we posibly do to make Sally hate you? You guys were friends." He told me making a gesture with his hand.
I shrugged. "I have no idea." Okay now that was a lie, actually I had an idea, but it was too embarrassing to say out loud. Could he and I have had an affair? I guess that would explain why she hated me, and kinda why Sonic didn't seem to be around. Of cause that was just a wild guess, but I had a feeling that the thought stroke Sonic as well cause suddenly the silence between us got a bit awkward. However it didn't explain why Sally thought I was dead.
"Maybe we should just ask her?" Sonic suggested.
I smiled weakly at him, "yeah you do that, I'll be waiting at safe distance." At this I could sense a small smile forming at the conor of his lips before turning his gaze ahead. "We're here," he then said stopping.
We were standing in front of a massiv oaktree. I tilted my head a bit backwards to take it into view. "And where is "here" exactly?" I asked watching him knock three times on the trunk. Then a hatch opened and a slide lead down into the darkness. I just stood there starring at it for what seemed like ages. "Oh I'm not going down there!" I then said stubbornly crossing my arms.
"Uh uh I am!" Knuckles jumped a few times on the spot sounding excited.
I send him a hard glare, "no way! We don't know what's down there!" I argued.
"The base." Sonic replied impatiently, "Sal told me where to find it and what to do so we could go back for you."
"How very nice of her." I mumbled irritated. She didn't even bother to come help saving us? Jeez, she was nothing like the princess I remembered. "What if it's a trap?" I argued.
"Why would Sally put out a trap for us?" Sonic gave back clearly annoyed by the conversation.
I rolled my eyes at him, "well maybe because she dosen't trust us?" I shot back.
Sonic placed his hands on his hips, "this is stupid, you're just being paronoid!"
"Well it wasn't you who got beaten and placed in a cage!" I was angry now, "maybe you're just being naive because it's Sally!" The last part flew right out of my mouth before I was able to think. I could feel the color drain from my face.
I was about to apologize but Sonic just wasn't having it. "Oh, so you think I'm not able to make rational decisions because it's Sally?!" He snapped.
Again I opened my mouth to apoligize for the unfair accusation, but then Tails cut us off, "Knuckles no!"
We both turned just in time to see Knuckles cheerfully disappear down the slide yelling "weeeee.." all the way until his voice faded away.
Great.
"Well I guess that settles it." Sonic said shooting me a cocky look.
I growled a bit under my breaht. "Fine!"
Tails then went down followed by Sonic, then me and after me Sticks. I guess. I couldn't hear her.
The slide twisted and turned, I was left in compleate darkness and could only hear fainted sounds comming from Tails and Sonic. Then I noticed a bright orange light at the end of the tunnel. "Oh great, hellfire." I mumbled to my self before being cast out from the pich black tunnel landing on top of Sonic who was laying flat on his stomach. He gasped as I landed in a sitting position on top of his back and maybe I enjoyed his pain a bit too much giving the argument we just had.
Without moving I raised my gaze to the surroundings noticing that we were once more in a cage, the freedom fighters, including Sally was standing around just looking at us like er were animals in a zoo. Some of them were holding torches to light up the darkness. This just couldn't be happening. I crossed my arms and stared furiously at Sonic under me. "I owe you the biggest: "I told you so" ever!" I hissed. He just groaned in reply which I took to my advantage to nag at him some more. "Why won't you ever listen to me?! I told you it didn't look safe, but nooo, Sonic knows better right? I tell you this is the last time..."
This time I was knocked to the ground as Stickes entered the cage as well. I swear I heard Sonic mumble a thank you wich just fed my anger even more. "Now what?!" I exclaimed. Tails had gotten to his feet, "I don't believe this, Sally, Bonnie, Antoine, you're all here!" He sounded more excited than neavous.
Knuckles was just babling about trying the slide again and Sticks were back to going crazy on the bars.
"Sal, what are you doin'? Let us go!" Sonic said angrily getting to his feet as well.
"First I'll figure out who you are, then maybe, just maybe I'll let you go." She replied coldly.
Sonic did not look amused. "Hi, I'm Sonic the Hedgehog, I'm your ex-boyfriend, nice to meet you again." The blue blur dryly replied crossing his arms.
Sally send him an deadly stare. "Sorry, but I'll need more proof than that." She just told him flatly.
"So that's why you played all happy to see me?" Sonic replied irritated. "You just wanted to capture us all?" When Sally didn't reply Sonic took matter into his own hands. "Well you should know better! You won't be able to hold me locked up." He told her just before roling into a spiky ball throwing himself at the bars which broke apart instantly. We could have used that earlier.
The crowed surrounding the cage gasped and stepped back. Sallys eyes grew wide, "what the...how did you...you don't have a ring! These bars shouldn't be able to break so easy! I designed them to keep you in!" She exclaimed. "What are you?!"
"I don't need the rings for doing a simlpe spindash? As a matter of fact I haven't been in contact with a ring for ages." He just told her sounding a bit confused, then held his hands in the air in a surrendering manes. "We're not going to hurt you guys, we're your friends, but we would like to hear what all this is about."
I exited the cage along with the others ready to fight if we needed to. I knew Sonic haven't used a ring for years. He'd become strong enough without them, but Sally didn't seem to know that.
Sonic stood in front of Sally, taking her hands into his own, "as I allready told you, we're not the enimy Sal, you have to trust us."
I could see Sally reconsider her options. "Sally, don't we owe them the benifit of the doubt?" Bonnie then asked taking a step closer to the two of them. "Afterall, we do need all the help we can get."
Sally blinked a couple of times, a single tear running down her cheek. "I..I don't know.." She replied turning away from Sonic then looking at her friend.
"Sonic's right, we don't want to fight you," Tails informed shyly. "You're our friends."
Sally sighed dragging her hands free from Sonics. "Fine, but if you try anything..." she warned.
"Yeah yeah we get it," Sonic gestured with his hands again. "Please just tell us what's going on."
Sally hesitated, then looked at us. "Okay, follow me." She walked towards the center of the camp, it then accured to med that we were in some kind of cave or under ground or something. All around the wall were torches lightning up the dark. I seemed that there were more openings leading futher into the cave I guess. This wasn't the same place she held me and Sticks earlier, not that it really mattered. Hopefully we would finally get some answers, but I still kept my hammer in hands, afterall this was the second time she captured us.
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/AN: And there you have it, chapter 3, I really hope you guys like it? It's kinda hard for me to tell since I haven't received any reviews yet (hint hint) xD
